Chapter 138 - 133: Ordinary Days, Precious Moments
Morning arrived quietly over Greenhollow.
The first rays of sunlight filtered through the curtains of the Golden Acorn Inn, painting warm streaks of gold across the wooden floor.
For the first time in what felt like forever...
John woke up in a proper bed.
He stared at the wooden ceiling for several seconds before letting out a long sigh.
"...I almost forgot how comfortable this is."
No monsters lurking outside.
No corrupted guardians.
No ancient ruins.
No life-or-death battles waiting the moment he opened his eyes.
Just...
Peace.
A small smile appeared on his face.
---
After washing up, John changed into a fresh set of clothes he had bought from a traveling merchant months ago.
Simple black trousers.
A dark gray tunic.
A leather belt.
He looked more like an ordinary young traveler than a dragon.
Well...
Except for the black horns protruding from his head and the golden eyes that reflected the morning light.
Even after taking human form, there were some things he couldn’t hide.
He looked at himself in the small mirror hanging on the wall.
"I’ve gotten taller..."
His humanoid form now looked around nineteen or twenty years old.
Broad shoulders.
Lean muscles built from constant battles.
His once-boyish features had matured into something sharper, yet there was still warmth in his expression.
He chuckled softly.
"I guess dragons don’t stay hatchlings forever."
---
A knock sounded on the door.
"John!"
Lythriel’s voice echoed from outside.
"If you’re still asleep, I’m eating your breakfast!"
John laughed.
"I’m coming."
---
When he reached the dining hall, he immediately noticed everyone waiting.
Or...
Almost everyone.
Lythriel was already halfway through her second plate.
Aerion looked completely unsurprised.
"You were right."
John pulled out a chair.
"About what?"
"She started eating five minutes ago."
"I was hungry."
"You always are."
"I fail to see the problem."
Sylvara couldn’t hold back her laughter.
Even the Soul Raven, perched elegantly beside the window, gave a soft chirp that sounded suspiciously amused.
---
The innkeeper soon arrived carrying another plate.
"There you are."
"I was beginning to think your friends weren’t joking."
John smiled apologetically.
"Sorry."
"No need."
She placed the meal in front of him.
"They’ve already paid."
John blinked.
"You didn’t have to."
Lythriel waved dismissively while chewing.
"You saved my life."
"A few breakfasts aren’t enough to repay that."
Aerion nodded.
"I agree."
Sylvara smiled.
"Besides..."
"It’s nice treating a friend once in a while."
John looked around the table.
His chest felt strangely warm.
He had traveled alone for so long that moments like these still felt unfamiliar.
Yet...
He didn’t dislike them.
Not at all.
---
After breakfast, the group decided to spend the day exploring the town.
No missions.
No investigations.
No training.
Just...
Walking.
Greenhollow wasn’t large, but it was lively.
Merchants displayed colorful fabrics from distant kingdoms.
Blacksmiths sold farming tools beside hunting weapons.
Street performers entertained children in the town square.
John quietly observed everything.
Ordinary people laughed.
Argued.
Worked.
Dreamed.
It reminded him why he wanted to become stronger.
Not for glory.
But to protect lives like these.
---
As they passed a tailor’s shop, the elderly owner suddenly stepped outside.
"You there!"
John looked around.
"Me?"
The old woman nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, you."
She walked around him once.
Then twice.
Muttering to herself.
"Excellent posture..."
"Broad shoulders..."
"Good proportions..."
John looked helplessly toward Aerion.
"...Help?"
Aerion immediately looked away.
"I’m staying out of this."
Lythriel was already grinning.
"Oh, this should be interesting."
---
The tailor clapped her hands.
"Young man."
"Those clothes do absolutely nothing for your face."
John blinked.
"My... face?"
"They’re far too plain."
She pointed toward his dark tunic.
"You look handsome."
"So why are you dressing like a wandering lumberjack?"
John opened his mouth.
Then closed it again.
He genuinely had no response.
Sylvara covered her mouth to hide a smile.
Lythriel completely failed.
She burst into laughter.
---
The tailor grabbed John’s wrist before he could protest.
"Come inside."
"I’ll fix this."
John looked back desperately.
"...Anyone?"
Lythriel gave him a cheerful thumbs-up.
"We’ll wait!"
Traitors.
Every single one of them.
---
Nearly an hour later...
John finally emerged.
He wore a fitted dark navy coat embroidered with subtle silver patterns along the cuffs.
A black shirt beneath it.
Dark trousers.
Simple leather boots.
Nothing extravagant.
Yet...
Everything fit perfectly.
His black hair had also been brushed back neatly.
The moment he stepped outside...
Silence greeted him.
Aerion blinked.
"...Well."
Sylvara stared for several seconds.
Lythriel simply froze.
John scratched the back of his neck.
"...Is it that bad?"
The three immediately answered together.
"No."
---
An awkward silence followed.
Finally...
Lythriel walked around him once.
Then again.
She crossed her arms.
"...That’s unfair."
John looked confused.
"What is?"
"You clean up way too well."
Sylvara nodded absentmindedly.
"I... agree."
John blinked.
"You do?"
She realized what she’d said and immediately looked away, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.
"I-I mean..."
"The clothes suit you."
Aerion coughed lightly.
"They emphasize your... confidence."
Lythriel looked at him.
"...Confidence?"
Aerion shrugged.
"I was trying to be subtle."
Lythriel rolled her eyes dramatically.
"I won’t."
She looked directly at John.
"You’re ridiculously handsome."
John nearly choked.
"W-What?"
"I said what I said."
She grinned.
"If you walked into a noble banquet dressed like that..."
"Half the daughters there would forget how to speak."
Sylvara quietly nodded.
"...Probably."
John felt his ears becoming warm.
"I think you’re exaggerating."
The elderly tailor suddenly walked out of her shop.
"No."
"I’m not."
She looked proudly at her work.
"That young man has the kind of face painters spend years trying to capture."
John had absolutely no idea how to respond anymore.
---
As they resumed walking through town...
John noticed something unusual.
People really were staring.
Not fearfully.
Curiously.
Several young women whispered to one another as he passed.
One accidentally walked into a signpost because she wasn’t looking where she was going.
Lythriel immediately noticed.
"...See?"
John sighed.
"I preferred it when monsters were my biggest problem."
Aerion laughed harder than John had ever heard before.
Even the Soul Raven spoke.
"Your popularity appears troublesome."
"...Please don’t start."
The ancient guardian tilted its head innocently.
"I merely observed a fact."
---
As the afternoon continued, the teasing never truly stopped.
Yet beneath the jokes...
Something had quietly changed.
The bond between the group felt lighter now.
More natural.
They no longer felt like companions brought together by circumstance.
They felt like genuine friends.
Perhaps...
Even something closer.
John didn’t notice the lingering glances Sylvara occasionally sent his way.
Nor the way Lythriel smiled whenever he laughed.
He simply enjoyed the rare peace surrounding them.
For now...
That was enough.
---
That evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, the mysterious cloaked traveler from the previous night watched the group from across the street.
A faint smile appeared beneath the shadow of his hood.
"So..."
"The heir has finally begun living."
He quietly turned away before anyone noticed him.
There would be time to meet later.
For now...
The boy deserved a few ordinary days before fate once again came knocking at his door.
---
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