Chapter 102: I’ve got a question
Ever since arriving in the human world, the sky, the air, and the mountains had always held special meaning for Valkas. Not just because they were tied to his own world, but because they always brought every past event flooding back into his mind.
The sensation he’d felt the moment he killed the man who’d been his own father, the moment every dragon looked at him as a traitor deserving of death, and the moment he found himself worrying over his little sister, who always seemed so achingly innocent.
Would everything really turn out fine?
How was his sister doing?
How was the state of that world back there?
Would... the corruption seed have already spread that far by now?
Would ’their’ advance drag his entire world into ruin?
Every time he thought about it, Valkas’s heart pounded far harder and hotter than usual, like he might just burst into flames from sheer rage alone.
His world was in trouble, and the only thing he could actually do was sit here, enjoying a pleasant life, grinning like an idiot, and building up a few friendships along the way.
At first, he’d only done it to blend in, but now, he’d genuinely gotten swept up in those relationships, slowly forgetting the weight he’d been carrying all this time.
He realized it the moment he found himself back beneath the open sky.
’What have I actually been doing all this time?’
Wake up, eat, train, play, then repeat. Nothing that genuinely meant anything, right?
Even though Estiel had told him he was handling things the right way, Valkas couldn’t bring himself to feel at ease, enjoying his life while everyone else back home was struggling.
His gaze rose, landing on Alen and Eiros, both of whom had become genuinely close friends to him during his time at the Academy.
He wondered—did the two of them also have reasons to grow stronger, just like him? Were they also carrying their own burdens, hiding them behind their smiles?
Alen carried an immense amount of power within him, but every time he actually used it, he always seemed troubled, uncomfortable with his own strength.
Eiros came from a modest background, not even someone who stood out until his stigmata Awakened—after that, his strength had skyrocketed at a pace that made no sense at all.
The two of them were different, but each of them was genuinely special, genuinely out of the ordinary.
They’d chosen their own paths, deciding for themselves what they believed in, and grown stronger for it.
And Valkas?
He felt lost, with no idea where he was even headed. The future felt like some unexplorable territory, dark and looming.
He had no courage to take that step forward. If his father were still alive, he’d surely have the right path laid out and would’ve guided him. Unfortunately, Valkas had killed him himself.
For a moment, Valkas hesitated, then let out a small sigh, calming his churning thoughts.
"I’ve got a question," He felt both of their eyes on him, and immediately continued without waiting for a response:
"Have either of you ever felt like you knew you had to do something, but the longer you put it off, the harder it became to actually get moving?"
Like... he knew he needed to take that first step immediately. But he was too scared to move, and in the end, that had become the very reason he’d stayed silent about it all this time.
That statement left Alen and Eiros quiet, both of them lost in thought. Different people would naturally have different perspectives on a question like that.
For Alen, that statement genuinely caught him off guard. Especially since he himself was actually in that exact position too—even though he looked relaxed on the surface, he understood he needed to do something about it soon.
So, he hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
"For me, that happens a lot."
As for Eiros...
’I don’t really get that,’ the luxury of procrastinating and being lazy felt like an incredibly extravagant gift he’d never really been afforded.
Whether he was scared or not, whatever thoughts crossed his mind, every choice always led back to the same forced path—he had to keep moving forward, even when he didn’t want to.
Right then, Eiros felt both Valkas and Alen’s gazes, as though waiting expectantly for his answer and perspective, and he closed his eyes slightly and smiled.
"Well, it depends, doesn’t it? Everyone’s got their own circumstances and situation," Eiros had no intention of answering with complete honesty, but at this point, watching Valkas, he figured he ought to at least offer some kind of mental push that might help pull him out of whatever he was afraid of.
He thought it over for a moment, then added:
"What if moving now actually makes things worse?"
That statement made Valkas turn to face him fully.
"Which means, waiting could genuinely be a valid choice too. It all comes down to a person’s own circumstances and situation, but for me, yeah, I’d say keep moving forward—you could start with something small, I think."
Anything, really.
Getting a little bit stronger, or looking further into a problem you’re facing. All of that was possible, sure, the progress might be small, but at the very least, someone would’ve made the effort, someone would’ve tried their best.
And that was exactly what Valkas had been doing all along. Eiros was just handing him that validation, to help him rebuild his own confidence.
That day, Eiros never once imagined that what he’d said would end up having such a massive impact, not just on Valkas, but on Alen too, who’d unconsciously been waiting for something to force him to finally take that first step as well.
***
The following day, Valkas went back to his usual self, grinning like an idiot, tossing out a few eccentric, overly self-praising remarks.
Everything went back to normal. Peaceful days, free of conflict. And, as time passed, they drew closer and closer to the capital of Augusta.
The faint, hazy golden glow grew clearer and clearer the closer they got.
During that time, Renessa also grew even more clingy toward Eiros, to the point where she started begging that they sleep in the same bed together, out of fear.
And, that night, the ship finally landed at its designated location.
They had arrived at the capital of Augusta.
***