Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Chapter 118: Life and Dreams

Adrian quietly navigated the path between the partitions filled with flowers, lost in thought.

Now that his mind was clear, he could understand the reason he had lost, and it was rather practical. He had indeed underestimated her. No, it was more like her performance had exceeded his evaluation of her.

For a child to display such cunning and such foresight in the middle of a battle where one didn’t have time to think, it was unusual.

’Maybe Ravian could’ve pulled something like that off, but that’s doubtful too.’

When he was attacking her with punches and kicks at the start of the spar, he didn’t feel the stone covering her skin. She must’ve created it after the physical exchange ended. No, maybe the physical exchange was the entire reason she created that stone armor in the first place.

All in all, Adrian was aware of the reason he had lost, and it had nothing to do with nonsense like conviction or dreams.

But for some reason, his last thoughts from before were still on his mind.

’Maybe it’s because I lost.’

It may have been a bit twisted by circumstance, but the main reason the spar happened in the first place was the clash of opinion between the two of them. So maybe he was unconsciously reconsidering himself because he had lost the clash.

Walking toward the direction of the mansion, Adrian raised his head to look at the clear blue sky and sighed.

’It’s so stupid.’

It had always been stupid. Back on earth, people were obsessed with ’meaning’ in life; they obsessed over purpose. As such, they all treated dreams as something that was essential.

’But it isn’t.’

In his previous life, whenever he listened to the news, there was always an incident where someone jumped off a roof or hung themselves just because they couldn’t ’fulfill their dreams.’ Adrian couldn’t understand such people, who deluded themselves into thinking that a mere dream was more important than them.

They chase after meaning, trying to carve their name into the world by creating a legacy. They are all just rats running in a rat race.

Back on Earth, there was a theory called the observer theory. It stated that for something to exist, it must be observed. That which isn’t observed cannot exist.

In a way, Adrian’s belief was similar. He believed that everyone has a world all to themselves. A world that exists because they observe it. Every person was the observer of their own world.

They were the witnesses of their reality.

One’s world only exists because they exist to witness it. The end of their lives signifies the end of that world, too. Thus, there was nothing more important than life itself. Legacy, reputation, achievements—they all cease to exist along with you. The same is true for the connections you make along the way.

That which exists after your end no longer belongs to you. People do not remember you either; they remember a fictional being that resembles you.

’Life doesn’t have a meaning, neither does it need to have one.’

Evangeline was just a child; she was ignorant, and her words were not to be taken seriously. Still, the doubt that he may be wrong and that she was correct continued to persist.

’If Grandmother were here, she could’ve given me the right answer. Just as she had always done...’

Sadly, that was no longer the case.

But as he was lost in thought...

"You look pretty beat-up, little man. I wonder what happened to you."

He heard a voice addressing him. He recognized it instantly since he had heard it every day for more than a month now.

It was Sir Avalon, standing in the middle of flowers inside the partition.

He didn’t find the man’s presence here strange. After all, Sir Avalon was a strange person to begin with, and it was often better not to try to make sense of his actions.

And based on the amused look Sir Avalon was giving him, it didn’t seem like he had anything meaningful to tell him. So Adrian ignored him and continued walking in the direction of the mansion.

But moments later, his steps came to a sudden pause as a thought ran through his mind.

’Maybe he can give me the answer.’

He turned to Sir Avalon and looked him in the eye as he spoke.

"Sir Avalon, I have a question I wish to ask."

Sir Avalon’s smile widened, looking even more amused.

"Little man, weren’t you trying to ignore me just now? Wouldn’t it be only fair if I ignored your question?"

"..."

"Ah, I was just teasing you, so ask what you want, child."

Adrian spoke after a bit of hesitation.

"Would you say that dreams are everything in life? Because I disagree. I think that one can be happy even without chasing after a dream. In a way, a dream is just a burden that one can easily do without. Am I wrong?"

Hearing his question, Sir Avalon’s amused smile slowly faded, replaced by a strange expression.

"Really, I thought I had gotten used to it, but apparently not. It feels so strange to hear things like that from the mouth of a child like you."

Adrian sighed.

"I would like it if you could give me a proper answer. It is important to me."

Sir Avalon looked at him for a bit, then he spoke in a more neutral tone.

"Let me ask you something in return. Did you choose to be born?"

"..."

"I want an answer."

Adrian shook his head.

"No."

Sir Avalon followed up with another question.

"Are the circumstances of your life as you wished?"

Adrian shook his head once again.

"No."

Sir Avalon smiled. It was a smile that seemed melancholic.

"If you think about it, then isn’t it too sad? You didn’t choose to be born and didn’t choose the life you are living. If you hate your life, then the only other way is death, and if you love your life, then you have to accept the fact that it is going to end someday. You never get to have a choice in any of this."

He met eyes with Adrian.

"This is why dreams are so significant. Because it is the choice about your life that you make yourself."

Sir Avalon then looked at the clear blue sky.

"Life is like a boat, drifting in the vast sea of uncertainty with no shore in sight. A dream is not salvation or a destination; it is a direction. It gives you something to look towards, which doesn’t make the journey easier or simpler, but it certainly makes the journey more bearable."

Sir Avalon’s smile widened.

"Do you get it now? Stop thinking of dreams as some task that you must complete; it is the direction you use to navigate life."

Saying that, Sir Avalon turned and began walking away. But even now that he was all alone, Adrian remained motionless, blankly looking into space.

’Dream...’