"Duken was a friend of mine too. I'll go see him."
Sparta wolfed down the food on his plate, picked up the bottle, tipped his head back, and drained it dry. He wiped the remaining drops from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, then rose from the table.
Mark picked up his glass as well and drained it in one gulp. He too left the dining table and strode after Uncle Sparta.
The two left the dining hall together. At a fork in the corridor, they headed in separate directions.
Mark went to the double room he shared with Oliver, while Sparta headed alone to his own luxurious single room.
He did not run into Allen or the others along the way and easily reached the other side of the corridor.
Sparta pushed open the door and entered his room. He took out a science fiction book from the bookcase, pulled out the chair beside the desk, and sat down.
The room was exceptionally quiet, perfectly suited for solitude and reading.
His eyes raced through the text as his fingers turned the pages, all his attention immersed in the world of words.
Before long, the door slowly opened. Just as Sparta had expected, it was that old bastard Duken, with Nolan behind him, now changed into casual clothes.
Duken's gaze fell on Sparta's back, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. When he spoke, it was with words born of years of habit.
"Sparta, the Viltrumite Empire's strongest loli. After so many years apart, we've met again."
The moment those words came out, Nolan frowned and moved in front of Duken protectively, keeping a relatively safe distance from Sparta.
Others might not have known, but after living on Earth for twenty