Chapter 184: Reflecting on the Daily Life
After hearing the shocking news, Ronan stood still for a few seconds. Navardose attending the parents’ day at the academy. It was a phrase he wouldn’t have voluntarily recalled even if he had to live his life over ten times.
“…When exactly is the entrance ceremony?”
“It’s a week from now.”
“This is messed up… Does His Majesty know?”
“He probably doesn’t know yet. And… I’m not sure if I should report this to His Majesty, considering the way this letter came.”
Katir sighed, touching his forehead. He handed the letter from Navardose to Ronan, wearing an expression as if he were showing his own internal organs. On the crimson paper, there was a simple sentence written in cursive.
[Coming. Six days later.]
“Shit.”
Ronan cursed again. This didn’t seem like a joke letter written to a twenty-year-old friend. The problem was, there was no one who could say anything about her unilateral notice.
Navardose’s visits were not ordinary events. Whenever she occasionally visited the Empire, regardless of the reason, that day became a temporary public holiday. Merchants closed their shops, and citizens waited indoors for a while, showing respect for the Mother of Fire.
‘She is probably the closest creature to God. If God exists.’
Understanding Katir’s bewildering feelings about such a behemoth traveling to Philleon just to attend her son’s entrance ceremony, Ronan suddenly recalled memories from a past life, and he bit his lower lip.
Although he had never seen Navardose in person, he knew that her status, widely known among the people, was by no means exaggerated. When she burned Duaru, one of the three giants, to death, the flames she emitted could be seen from thousands of kilometers away.
‘I woke up thinking it was morning, but it looks like I’m still dreaming.’
The pillar of fire soaring through the sky momentarily abolished the concept of night in the world. Imperial messengers dispatched to the City of Dragons witnessed the dead giant turned into mere charcoal, Navardose who collapsed from exhaustion, and the corpses of countless dragons.
However, unfortunately, there wasn’t just one giant. Nirvana and Ahaiyute were still alive, and Navardose, depleted of her strength, couldn’t participate in the following battle.
As a result, humanity not only lost the Great Mage Lorehon but also the loss of three-tenth of the continent. And in the end, it was destroyed completely. Katir, who had been groaning, spoke up.
“Well… for now, I’ll try to figure this out somehow. Nothing will change just by worrying. I think I should seek advice from my master.”
“Your master… you mean Lord Lorehon?”
“Yes. It’s not something I can decide rashly. Come to think of it, I received a letter a while ago asking about your well-being. He seemed especially interested in Aselle.”
Katir’s face looked slightly better than before. He seemed to have gathered his thoughts to some extent. As he snapped his fingers, the space above the entertainment table flipped, and tea cups and snacks appeared.
“Sorry for the delay. Well, let’s catch up on everything that has happened.”
“My story isn’t exactly cheerful either. Are you sure it’s okay?”
“What could be more serious than the Mother of Fire visiting next week? It’s okay, go ahead.”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. He realized it wasn’t entirely incorrect. He began recounting what he had experienced in Parzan in a matter-of-fact tone.
****
The meeting with Kratir took about an hour. Since Ronan deliberately avoided bringing up stories related to the end of the world, there was no throwing of teacups and screaming.
It wasn’t that he was particularly worried about the old man’s mental health. He just wanted to pick the right moment to talk about it.
After spending a relatively pleasant time, Ronan headed straight to the club area. The cloudless sky was beautiful. As he thought about Navardose’s visit, Ronan shook his head.
‘It’s a good opportunity.’
Initially, he had been anxious, but now it seemed like he could use it as an opportunity. He had been thinking of visiting her before time ran out anyway, so it was rather fortunate that she was coming to him instead.
‘I should take advantage of this opportunity. Who knows what might happen in the future.’
From the outset, convincing Navardose was one of Ronan’s goals after his regression. The value of a dragon with a record of burning giants was undeniable. Perhaps he could even learn a way to disrupt the Protection of the Stars.
The only problem was that he couldn’t think of a way to engage her in a conversation. There was no reason for that haughty dragon to converse with him.
‘Should I draw attention to myself by pissing on the ground during the entrance ceremony? I’ve heard her temperament is foul, but what if I provoke her by babbling nonsense?’
Lost in such thoughts, Ronan found himself at the warehouse connected to the club before he knew it. Suddenly, there was a burst of loud cheers.
“Congratulations on your discharge!”
“Oh, my goodness, what a surprise!”
The noise was deafening, echoing in the underground. Ronan’s eyes widened. Members of the elite adventure club, including Aselle and Marya, were gathered in the vast training ground in the background.
“You guys…”
“Ro-Ronan. Are you fully recovered now?”
Aselle asked, stuttering. His hair, now longer, cascaded over his shoulders. A white streak which appeared when the Winter Witch had possessed his body still gleamed in one corner of his bangs.
It had been a month since they last met. Everyone seemed healthy, laughing and smiling. Marya, who had leaped up to Ronan, clung to his neck.
“Keuk!”
“Are you really okay? You slept for so long. Really long.”
“I was fine until now, but you made it painful again.”
She still had incredible strength. Ronan’s face turned a faint shade of blue as he struggled in her grip. Realizing her mistake belatedly, she let go.
“Sorry. I’ve been having trouble controlling my strength lately. Ahaha…”
“It’s okay. By the way, weren’t you guys supposed to be doing club activities? I distinctly remember hearing something about Griffons and whatnot.”
“Well, it ended earlier than expected. You’d be surprised how strong our cutie has gotten.”
Marya pulled Aselle into a tight hug from behind. Aselle’s face was now the same color as his hair, blending seamlessly. Judging by his shy reactions, it seemed like their relationship hadn’t progressed much. Braum, standing behind them, let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahaha! It feels like it’s been ages since we last met, and it’s only been a month. How was the Festival of Swords?”
“Eh, it was alright. I’ll tell you more about it next time; the atmosphere might get awkward if I go into detail now. Are you handling the shield better now?”
“Haha, what are you talking about? So far, no one from the graduating class has been able to pierce my Brahms!”
Braum pounded on the large shield strapped to his back. It was the shield Ronan had fitted for him in Gran Cappadocia.
Seeing how he even named it, it seemed like he cherished it quite a bit. Ronan’s mouth quirked up at his confident demeanor.
“Oh, really?”
“Just a moment…!”
Ronan drew his sword. Braum’s hand moved reflexively as he took a sharp breath. Claaang! Sparks flew from the air as the sound of metal clashed resounded.
“Ho.”
“Hahaha…! Did you see that? I blocked it!”
Ronan exclaimed, his mouth forming a slight ‘o’ in admiration. The white blade was stopped in its tracks against the shield. Even though it was just a light swing, he hadn’t imagined it would be blocked.
“Not bad, Braum.”
“It’s still a fearsome quick sword. I never thought the day would come when I would block Ronan’s sword. I’m glad!”
Braum chuckled heartily, bending over with laughter. As pleasing as it was to see him genuinely happy, it was regrettable that he needed to be informed of the truth. Ronan, scratching his head awkwardly, spoke up.
“Uh, sorry.”
“Hahaha… Hm? What’s up?”
“Next time, instead of going to another blacksmith, try asking Doron directly. With your level of skill, he’ll definitely make it for you.”
Braum cocked his head at the unfamiliar name. At that moment, a white line was drawn vertically over his large shield. Clang! The shield split neatly into two halves and fell to the ground.
“Aahhh! Brahms!”
“It’s sharper than I thought… I should be more careful.”
Ronan murmured, looking at the edge of Lamancha’s blade. It had always boasted exceptional cutting power, but it had become even more formidable since being combined with the Holy Sword.
“Whoa-oh! How could my comrade have to go through this? I… I…”
Braum’s cry filled the training ground. He was kneeling, clutching the shattered shield. With tears streaming down his face, it looked as though someone might mistake him for mourning a deceased lover.
Suddenly, a shadow loomed under his feet, stretching out long. It was a phenomenon seen somewhere before. Soon enough, a girl with silver hair broke through the shadow, tearing it apart to reveal her figure.
“Braum… it’s too noisy.”
“Ugh! S-Sorry. Did I wake you?”
“Yeah. Because of you.”
It was Ophelia, the only vampire in Philleon. Ronan was wondering where she had been, but she had apparently been sleeping inside the club building.
She gently caressed Braum’s neck. Her white fingers twirled around the area where his carotid artery passed.
Braum, who had stopped his banter and frozen like a mouse in front of a snake, turned his head towards Ronan as Ophelia waved and greeted him.
“Hi, Ronan… You’ve gotten stronger since we last met. What’s your secret?”
“Just go through a lot of shitty stuff. But hey, about that stone…”
Ronan pointed his index finger at Ophelia. A white, smooth stone was lodged against her side. It was a stone that seemed very familiar. Marya widened her eyes and exclaimed,
“Ahh! I was wondering where that went!”
As Aselle turned his head, his face turned pale. Only the three of them, including Ronan, knew the true origin of the stone. Ophelia stroked the stone gently and said.
“These days… it’s a stone I use as a pillow. It’s pretty… and I can feel its magic, so I like it.”
“A… pillow?”
Ronan furrowed his brow. It occurred to him that Ophelia probably didn’t know the unfortunate story behind the stone originally being an old elf.
Though she could’ve easily suffered from nightmares, it seemed like she hadn’t experienced anything like that yet. But should he just see it as a simple punishment? While pondering deeply, Ronan stopped Marya from taking the stone back.
“Why are you stopping me? That’s…”
“I know what it is. But wouldn’t it make you happy if you became a pretty girl’s pillow? Come to think of it, they’re about the same age.”
“…You’re insane.”
Marya looked at him with a disdainful gaze. Nevertheless, Ronan didn’t back down. No matter how he thought about it, for Saranate, who had turned into a stone, this was its own happy ending.
“Come to think of it, where did that lizard kid go?”
“Lizard? Oh, Itargand went back to Adren to prepare for the entrance ceremony. He said he’d come back on the day before or on the day of the entrance ceremony.”
“Is that so…”
Ronan chuckled dryly. Judging by the casual response, it seemed like they didn’t know who else was coming along.
Anyway, it was good to see everyone’s faces after such a long time. Suddenly, Ronan belatedly realized that he had missed these boys and girls in front of him. He had felt this way during his Punishment Squad days as well; humans indeed seemed like creatures who couldn’t live alone. Ronan spoke up.
“Anyway, as long as everyone’s been doing well, that’s what matters. It’s been a while, but can you fill me in on how the academy’s been running?”
“Of course. But there’s something we need to do first. Your body is completely healed now, right?”
Marya asked. Ronan shrugged at the ambiguous question.
“Something to do? Well, yeah, I guess…”
“Then spar with us. Seriously.”
“Huh?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. Sparring proposals always came from his side, so being urged first was a first for him.
“What’s suddenly got into you?”
“I realized that you haven’t sparred with us since you lifted the curse. Everyone has also been working hard, you know.”
Marya’s tone was serious. Ronan looked around at the other members. They all wore determined expressions as they stared at him.
Different emotions could be read in their eyes of different colors: tension, fear, the determination to win… Ronan chuckled and nodded.
“Well, if you want.”
He thought they picked a good time. Ronan tapped the hilt of his sword. A warm glow seeped out through the gaps in the sheath, responding like a greeting. Despite his weary mind, sometimes, things like this were alright.
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