Chapter 166 - 161: The Scholar’s Journal
The waitress returned a few minutes later, balancing a large wooden tray with practiced ease.
She carefully placed each plate before them.
The house special was surprisingly simple.
Freshly baked bread.
Herb-roasted chicken.
Seasonal vegetables.
A bowl of creamy vegetable soup.
And slices of roasted potatoes seasoned with fragrant spices.
Lythriel stared at the meal for a second before breaking into a satisfied grin.
"I knew trusting the chef was the right decision."
John chuckled.
"You’ve never even eaten here before."
"I trusted my instincts."
Sylvara smiled as she picked up her spoon.
"Your instincts seem pretty reliable when food is involved."
Lythriel nodded proudly.
"They’ve never failed me."
Even Aerion allowed himself a faint smile.
The relaxed conversation continued as they ate, touching on everything from the architecture of the Scholar’s District to the musicians they had heard during Founder’s Day. It was ordinary conversation, but John found himself enjoying it more than he expected.
For months, nearly every meal had been interrupted by danger, urgent decisions, or preparations for another journey.
This time...
It was simply lunch among friends.
---
After finishing their meal, they lingered for a while, watching boats drift along the canal.
Small merchant barges transported goods between districts, while children laughed as they fed pieces of bread to ducks swimming near the shore.
John rested his elbows on the table.
"I almost forgot cities could be this peaceful."
Aerion looked toward the canal.
"Peace is often invisible."
John looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?"
"When people live without fear, they stop noticing it."
The elf watched a father helping his young daughter tie a small ribbon around her doll.
"They begin to think peaceful days are ordinary."
John quietly followed his gaze.
Perhaps Aerion was right.
People rarely appreciated peace until it was gone.
---
Eventually, the group returned to the Silver Stag.
The common room was quieter than usual.
Most travelers had gone out for the afternoon, leaving only a handful of guests scattered around the tables.
Roland looked up from polishing wooden mugs.
"Back already?"
Lythriel patted her stomach.
"We needed food."
Roland laughed.
"I can see that."
John smiled.
"We’re going to rest for a while."
"Take your time."
"If you need anything, just ask."
---
John climbed the stairs to his room.
As soon as he closed the door behind him, he placed the leather journal on the small desk beside the window.
For several moments, he simply looked at it.
It was blank.
Every page.
Waiting to be filled.
He carefully removed the fountain pen Miriam had given him.
The polished wood felt warm in his hand.
He uncorked the bottle of blue ink and slowly filled the pen.
The process itself required patience.
He smiled.
*"The first lesson in preserving history is learning when not to touch it."*
Miriam’s words echoed in his mind.
He opened the journal to its first page.
For a long moment...
He didn’t write.
Instead, he stared at the empty paper.
What should he begin with?
Facts?
Questions?
Observations?
Finally, he placed the pen against the page.
---
**Research Journal**
**Day One – Valenor Royal Library**
*The more I learn, the more I realize how much has been forgotten.*
*The Dragon Kings were not simply rulers.*
*Several records refer to them as guardians.*
*One damaged scroll mentioned seven Dragon Kings.*
*Another mentioned an Eternal Tree.*
*Another mentioned a Heart.*
*None of these terms have been fully explained.*
*Questions:*
*- What were the Seven Dragon Kings?*
*- What was the Eternal Tree?*
*- What is the Heart?*
*- Why were these records hidden or lost?*
*- Who wanted them forgotten?*
John paused.
Then added one final sentence.
*History remembers the victors.*
*Who remembers the forgotten?*
He sat back.
Looking at the page, he felt something shift within himself.
Before, he had been chasing answers.
Now...
He was recording the journey.
---
A gentle knock came from the door.
"John?"
It was Sylvara.
"Come in."
She entered carrying a small plate of sliced fruit.
"I thought you might forget to eat again."
John laughed.
"I literally just had lunch."
"I know."
"But once you start reading or writing..."
She looked toward the desk.
"...you forget everything else."
John glanced at the journal.
"Am I really that obvious?"
She smiled.
"A little."
She walked over and noticed the open page.
"You’ve already started."
"I wanted to."
Sylvara carefully read only the title before looking away.
"I won’t read it."
John looked surprised.
"You can if you want."
She gently shook her head.
"No."
"It’s your thoughts."
"If you ever want to share them..."
"I’ll listen."
"But I won’t read them without permission."
John smiled warmly.
"Thank you."
---
They sat by the window for a while, watching people walk through the streets below.
A group of apprentices hurried toward the Scholar’s District, each carrying more books than seemed possible.
One boy stumbled.
His friends immediately helped him gather the scattered volumes before they continued on their way, laughing.
Sylvara smiled.
"They remind me of us."
John chuckled.
"I hope I don’t look that clumsy."
"Oh..."
She teased.
"You’ve had your moments."
John raised an eyebrow.
"Really?"
"The first time you tried to fly after reaching level ten."
John covered his face with one hand.
"...Can we agree never to mention that again?"
She laughed.
"I’ll think about it."
---
The peaceful moment was interrupted by another knock.
This time it was Aerion.
"May I come in?"
"Of course."
The elf entered carrying a thin bundle wrapped in cloth.
"I thought you might appreciate these."
He handed them to John.
Inside were three books.
Unlike the library’s ancient volumes, these were recently copied.
One was titled **Introduction to Ancient Scripts**.
Another, **Kingdoms Before Valenor**.
The last caught John’s attention immediately.
**Reading Fragmentary Texts: Methods Used by Historians**
John looked up.
"You bought these?"
Aerion nodded.
"They’re practical."
"You’ll likely find them useful."
John smiled gratefully.
"Thank you."
"I’ll pay you back."
Aerion calmly shook his head.
"Consider it an investment."
"In what?"
"The future historian sitting before me."
John blinked.
"...Historian?"
Aerion’s expression softened.
"You’ve stopped searching only for yourself."
"Now you’re searching for the truth."
"There is a difference."
John looked at the books in silence.
Perhaps...
Without realizing it...
His journey really had begun to change.
---
Meanwhile...
Across the city...
Inside a well-furnished private residence rented for only a month...
Darius Voss sat alone at his desk.
Unlike Aldric’s office, his workspace was filled with maps, expedition journals, and carefully catalogued artifacts collected from across the continent.
He unfolded a sheet of paper bearing a simple list.
**Royal Library**
**Chief Archivist Aldric**
**Young traveler – John**
He picked up a pen and added another line beneath it.
**Temporary Research Assistant**
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"So..."
He murmured.
"Aldric has finally chosen someone."
Darius leaned back in his chair.
For years...
The old archivist had refused every apprentice interested in the oldest archives.
Yet a traveler from a small frontier village had somehow earned his trust in less than three days.
That alone made John worth watching.
Darius closed his notebook.
He wasn’t jealous.
Nor was he angry.
He was curious.
And curiosity had led him to countless forgotten ruins.
He suspected...
It would soon lead him to John as well.
---
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