Chapter 378:Return.
The darkness surrounding Atheline and Lilith dissolved gradually as their feet touched solid ground. For a moment, neither of them moved.
They had deliberately chosen a point outside the forest rather than teleporting directly into the small frontier town. There was no need to risk appearing somewhere that someone might notice them.
The forest stretched behind them, its enormous trees forming a dark wall against the evening sky.
The sun had almost disappeared beyond the horizon. Only a faint orange glow remained along the distant mountains.
Atheline looked back toward the forest.
"That’s it."
Lilith stood beside him, her gaze lingering on the trees.
"For now."
Their little fox emerged from between them and immediately sniffed the ground.
Atheline chuckled.
"She seems happier to be outside."
Lilith crouched and scratched her head.
"She spent enough time inside the sanctuary. "
The fox seemed to agree. She trotted ahead a few steps before turning around to look at them.
Atheline smiled.
"Let’s go."
They began walking.
The town wasn’t far from where they had appeared.
They could have teleported directly to it, but there was no particular reason to do so. The evening was peaceful, and after spending so much time in the sanctuary, walking beneath the normal open sky was pleasant.
The path stretched through a wide grassland before eventually joining the road leading toward the settlement. Along the way, they passed several travelers heading in the opposite direction.
A group of merchants, two hunters carrying the carcass of a small beast, and a pair of adventurers arguing about something that had happened earlier in the day.
None paid much attention to Atheline and Lilith. They were simply two travelers returning to town, exactly how they wanted it.
As the last traces of sunlight disappeared, the lights of the settlement appeared ahead.
Atheline glanced toward Lilith.
"We made it back in good time."
She smiled.
"Yeah, they shouldn’t have sent an alarm yet."
The town was considerably livelier than it had been when they first arrived. Several taverns had lit their signs, merchants were packing away their goods and adventurers were returning from the surrounding wilderness.
The streets were filled with conversation. Atheline and Lilith walked naturally through the crowd, their disguises remaining in place.
The inn appeared almost exactly as they remembered it, with the same old man sitting behind the counter.
Atheline smiled when he saw him.
"Looks like nothing has changed."
Lilith nodded.
"That’s reassuring."
They pushed open the door, a small bell ringing overhead. The old innkeeper looked up, his expression immediately changing.
For several seconds, he simply stared, then his eyes widened.
"Well, I’ll be damned."
Atheline laughed.
"We’re back."
The old man leaned forward.
"I thought you two had already left the town."
"We did."
"And now you’re back."
"For the night."
The old man shook his head with amusement.
"You travelers."
He looked at their fox.
"And you brought the little fellow back too."
The fox sat beside Atheline’s leg.
The innkeeper smiled.
"At least someone around here is consistent."
Atheline laughed.
"We’d like the same room if it’s available."
"Of course."
The old man reached for the key.
"You were lucky. I’ve had several people come through today."
He handed the key over.
"Still empty."
Atheline accepted it.
"Thank you."
As they turned toward the stairs, the old man stopped them.
"So..." Atheline looked back. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
There was genuine curiosity in his voice. Lilith and Atheline exchanged a brief glance. They had already agreed not to mention the sanctuary.
Atheline smiled casually.
"We found a few interesting things."
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting things?"
"Some old landmarks."
"Anything valuable?"
Atheline chuckled.
"Nothing that would make you rich."
That answer seemed to satisfy him. The old man leaned back.
"That’s probably for the best." He shook his head. "People who go looking for treasure usually come back with trouble."
Lilith smiled.
"We’ll remember that."
The old man looked at them thoughtfully.
"You know, I was wondering if you’d return."
Atheline raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"You asked strange questions when you first arrived." He chuckled. "Most travelers come here looking for beasts, work, or trade routes. You two were interested in things nobody else talks about."
Atheline gave a small shrug.
"We were curious."
"Curiosity gets people killed."
"So we’ve heard."
The old man laughed.
"At least you came back alive."
Atheline smiled.
"That we did."
They exchanged a few more harmless words before finally heading upstairs. Their room was exactly as they remembered it; small, simple, and comfortable enough.
Lilith closed the door behind them. The moment they were alone, the casual expressions disappeared.
Atheline leaned against the wall.
"That went well."
Lilith nodded.
"He suspects nothing."
"Good."
They had no reason to involve the old man in something that could eventually bring danger to him. The sanctuary was safer if its existence remained unknown.
After changing and settling down, they ate a simple meal they had purchased from the inn. The fox happily devoured her portion before curling up near the bed.
Atheline sat beside the window. The town outside gradually became quieter. He looked toward the distant forest, even from here, the trees were barely visible against the night sky.
"So much happened in there."
Lilith joined him.
"More than we expected."
"Much more."
He rested his head against the window frame.
"I still can’t stop thinking about that battle."
Lilith knew immediately which one he meant.
His eyes narrowed.
"Something happened before the Cataclysm that we don’t understand, and it’s making me anxious. "
Lilith remained silent.
"We’ll figure it out eventually."
Atheline smiled.
"I know."
They stayed together for a while. Eventually exhaustion caught up with them.
The next morning arrived quietly. Atheline woke to sunlight slipping through the curtains. The fox was already awake, sitting near the window staring outside.
Lilith was still asleep. He smiled and quietly got out of bed. After washing and preparing themselves, they went downstairs for breakfast.
The old innkeeper greeted them.
"Leaving today?"
Atheline nodded.
"We are."
"Heading back toward the capital?"
"Eventually."
The old man nodded approvingly.
"Good luck, then."
Atheline smiled.
"Thank you."
After breakfast, they settled their bill and left. They didn’t linger in the town. Lilith had already decided where they would go next; the prosperous trading city where they had first arrived.
It was the place they had deliberately used as a false destination when they were trying to shake off anyone monitoring them. Now... they had no reason to hide, at least not from the local authorities.
Lilith reached for Atheline’s hand.
"Ready?"
He nodded.
Dark Aether gathered around them, space folded, and they disappeared. A moment later, they reappeared near the outskirts of the trading city. There illusion disappeared the moment the darkness resided.
Atheline barely had time to take a step before several armed figures came running toward them. He immediately recognized the uniforms.
Demonic Kingdom guards.
The lead guard stopped abruptly, his eyes widening.
"Your Highness!"
Atheline blinked. Lilith raised an eyebrow. The guard looked as though he had just discovered a missing treasure.
"We found them!"
Several more guards hurried over. One of them looked almost relieved.
"You’ve been searching for us?"
The captain nodded.
"Yes."
He looked between Atheline and Lilith.
"When you disappeared from the city, we received instructions to report your movements."
Atheline exchanged a glance with Lilith, so... They had been noticed after all.
The captain continued.
"When you failed to return as expected, we were told to locate you."
Lilith smiled politely.
"We weren’t in any danger."
"We were told you were traveling." The captain seemed unsure how much he was supposed to say. "But when two foreign rulers disappear inside our territory..." He hesitated. "...people become concerned."
Atheline laughed.
"Understandable."
The captain looked relieved.
"Are you returning to the capital?"
"Yes."
"Then we can arrange an escort."
Lilith shook her head gently.
"That won’t be necessary."
The captain hesitated, then he remembered the royal pass.
"Of course."
They walked toward the city’s teleportation center; the same place they had used when they first arrived.
They approached the registration counter, and their royal identities were verified. The pass granted by King Seragus was more than enough to clear the formalities.
The attendant bowed deeply.
"Your Majesties."
Atheline nodded.
"We’d like transportation to the capital."
"Immediately."
The teleportation circle was prepared. A group of ordinary travelers stood nearby, waiting for their own destinations.
Before stepping onto the formation, he glanced toward Lilith.
"Ready to return?"
She smiled.
"Yes."
The circle activated, light floodinh the chamber. Space twisted around them and the trading city disappeared.
A heartbeat later, they stood within the Demonic Capital’s teleportation hall, the familiar black-stone architecture surrounding them.
Guards immediately recognized them. Word spread quickly; the missing royal guests had returned.
Atheline stepped away from the teleportation circle with Lilith walking beside him. Neither hurried or looked particularly concerned.
They had gone looking for a few crystals, had found an ancient civilization, uncovered forgotten history, witnessed the remnants of a battle between Sovereigns, and gained an entirely new level of power, and somehow... They had returned without causing an international incident.
Atheline looked at Lilith.
"Back to the palace or do you want to walk around?"
She shook her head.
"Back to the palace, I’m too tired. I need a normal bed."