Regnum Aetern: Dual Rebirth

Chapter 155: The Promise

In his previous life back on Earth, there was one thing Adrian had been repeatedly taught during his childhood.

Respect your elders; they have lived longer and thus have ’experience.’

When he was a child, Adrian had taken this teaching to heart. He respected all elders, believing they were wiser because they had ’experience.’

’I had wondered what it would be like when I grew up to become an adult and gain this ’experience.’ Sadly, it was not what I expected.’

After leaving his home and struggling alone in the world for four years, Adrian had indeed learned a lot. Not only had he become an adult, but he had also gained this ’experience’ through those struggles.

He believed that he had become an adult like everyone else. But that belief was shattered as he began experiencing the world.

In the corporate world, where giant corporations rise and fall due to a single action, and everybody is out to benefit from someone else’s mistake, he had seen many people who could not look beyond their own petty greed and work towards the future as a group.

Even as their foolish mistakes dragged down the livelihoods of millions working in the corporation, they never learned.

And such fools were everywhere. People who used their ’experience’ as an excuse to stop improving themselves and their seniority as a shield.

’Seeing them made me wonder... were they the adults I had been taught to respect during my childhood?’

The more he saw, the more conflicted he became.

In the end, he learned... that stupidity had no age and even fools grow old.

And so Adrian asked himself. Did all the adults deserve the respect he had for his grandmother?

’They are not worthy.’

From then on, he had no respect for those who didn’t have the ability to earn his respect.

Adrian looked at Sir Avalon.

Throughout both his lives, he hadn’t found many people he believed were deserving of his respect. But Sir Avalon was one of the few who had actually earned it.

And that was why...

Adrian slowly stood up. Facing Sir Avalon, he bent down, offering the man a deep bow, and spoke in a polite, respectful tone.

"Teacher, thank you for everything."

Sir Avalon paused as his eyes widened slightly. But then, a wide smile filled with satisfaction stretched across his face.

He gently patted Adrian’s head.

"Haha, it looks like you have learned some manners, boy. I’m not going to lie, hearing that felt better than I would’ve expected it to be. Maybe that’s because it came from the mouth of someone as bratty as you. If that was intended as a parting gift, then I am satisfied."

***

Evangeline gazed out of the window as the carriage rumbled along the road.

’I hope I arrive on time.’

Master Avalon had told her yesterday that he would be leaving the Ravenshade estate today and that it was going to be their last meeting. Evangeline had returned home after that.

But for the entirety of yesterday, this matter had been the only thing on her mind.

She didn’t know the people of House Ravenshade all that well, even though she had been engaged to that family. Adrian had been the only one she had mostly interacted with, and encounters with his younger brother or mother had been few and brief.

She had only ever seen his older sister once, and she didn’t even know what Adrian’s father looked like or what kind of person he was, even though that person was extremely famous in the empire.

But in these five years she had spent learning sealing magic from him, she felt that she had gotten to know someone other than Adrian within that estate.

So she decided to meet him one last time for a final goodbye before he left.

’...Uh?’

Just as she was casually looking out of the window, she saw a Ravenshade carriage pass by in the opposite direction. She was able to get a glimpse of the person sitting inside. And...

’Master Avalon?’

He already left?

Evangeline sighed.

’Looks like I was late after all.’

She thought of asking the driver to turn the carriage around since there was no reason for her to go to the Ravenshade estate anymore. But since they were almost at their destination, she decided against it.

They should rest there for a bit and then return.

Moments later, they arrived at the Ravenshade estate.

’Huh?’

The large golden gate that should’ve stood there was missing, and the servants and a few workers seemed to be preparing to install a different gate where it had been.

’Did something happen? No, maybe they are doing renovations or something.’

Soon the carriage came to a stop inside the estate. The knights opened the carriage’s door for her.

But as Evangeline stepped outside, she froze as if turned to stone.

There was a boy about her own age standing some distance away. Deep jet-black hair fell messily over his forehead, almost covering his piercing grey eyes. His face had changed quite a bit, becoming sharper and more refined.

But there was no mistaking it.

Evangeline’s eyes widened, and her heart started beating wildly against her chest.

"...A-Adi?"

***

Adrian narrowed his eyes as he looked at the girl standing before him.

She had changed significantly in these five years, looking more like a girl than a child now. Still, it wasn’t hard for him to recognize her due to her unique pinkish-purple hair and violet eyes.

’I’m not in the mood to deal with her right now.’

He was already exhausted from dealing with the commotion caused by his return. And he knew that dealing with her was going to be annoying too. He would rather deal with her some other time.

He turned away to leave.

"No! Wait!"

But she suddenly rushed forward and grabbed the edges of his sleeves.

With the two of them now face-to-face, Adrian let out an internal sigh.

’Doesn’t look like I’ll be able to delay this.’

As their eyes met, Evangeline suddenly lowered her head, looking at the ground below. He noticed that her hands were trembling intensely.

Standing there silently, he waited patiently for her to speak. But no matter how long he waited, she didn’t say anything, only standing still with her head lowered.

In the end, he lost patience.

"Move."

His voice may have come out colder than he intended.

Evangeline’s breathing suddenly grew rougher as she heard him.

"A-Adi I-I... It’s not I... I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!!!" Tears began falling from her eyes. "I d-didn’t, didn’t mean to, I—"

"It’s okay, I don’t really care about it that much." He cut her off. "You did what anyone in your situation would’ve done."

It was something any child her age would’ve done had they been put in the same situation.

More than that, it wouldn’t have really mattered whether she had abandoned him or not. His body had been so ruined by the mana from the dimension that he would’ve died even if he had somehow escaped the blast.

And if his body hadn’t been ruined...

"...If the circumstances had been different, then I would’ve abandoned you just as easily. And unlike you, I would‌ never have felt any remorse for doing that. It would be hypocritical of me to condemn your actions. So I’m not angry."

Those words were supposed to calm her down, but they seemed to have had the opposite reaction as her breathing grew even rougher. It almost looked like she was having a panic attack.

"N-No! P-Please get angry! Slap me! Curse me! Pull my hair! I will take it all!"

Her grip on his sleeves tightened as she spoke in a weak and shaky voice.

"J-Just please... please don’t look at me with those eyes..."

She suddenly broke down crying.

***

Evangeline cried for quite some time after that. And even after she stopped crying, her sobs continued.

By the time she stopped sobbing, the sun had almost set, and the sky above was getting darker with every passing moment.

While she was crying, Adrian had ‌brought her to the clearing where they used to train together. And now, they were sitting side by side with their backs against the tree.

Having finally calmed down, she glanced at Adrian. He was quietly gazing into the empty space while sitting motionlessly.

It was really him. He was alive.

Although there were a lot of things she didn’t know. Things like how he had survived or where he had been until now. But at this moment, the fact that he was here alive was more than enough.

Evangeline opened her mouth to say something, but her lips trembled. The guilt of having left him there to die was binding her like a shackle.

She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

The question Master Avalon had asked not too long ago suddenly rang in her mind.

After being unable to answer it, Evangeline had asked herself a different question.

’What would’ve happened had my body not moved on its own back then?’

The answer to that question was obvious to her. She would’ve hesitated till the end, unable to make a decision. She would’ve been indecisive. And in the end, they would’ve both ended up dying in the blast.

It was the same during that incident in the slums. It progressed the way it did because she had been indecisive when it really mattered.

In the end, the cause of most of her problems had been her indecisiveness.

’So from now on, I won’t be indecisive.’

She turned to Adrian. Forcing down all the guilt and dark emotions binding her, she spoke with utmost sincerity.

"Adi, let’s make a promise."

Adrian turned to her and raised a brow.

Evangeline forced out a smile.

"If we are ever in a situation like that again, I will not abandon you no matter what."

Regardless of the price she would have to pay. Regardless of the outcome that would await her for this choice, she will not waver.

She believed that this promise was better than thousands of apologies she could offer him.

"So..." she hesitated. "Will you do the same for me...?"

She quietly waited for an answer as Adrian stared at her expressionlessly.

And then...

...Adrian shook his head.

"Of course not. My life is more important."

"..."

Evangeline stared at him blankly, completely dumbfounded. She hadn’t expected him to give that answer, considering the current atmosphere.

Moments later, she puffed her cheeks in anger and gave him a light punch on the shoulder.

"You meanie, I was trying to be nice!"

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{End of Volume 1: The Dark Phoenix}