Chapter 141 - 136: The Small Things That Matter
The morning after Founder’s Day was much quieter.
Greenhollow no longer carried the overwhelming energy from the festival.
The streets were calmer.
The colorful banners still hung between buildings, but many of the stalls had already been packed away. The musicians had left, the crowds had disappeared, and the villagers returned to their normal routines.
Yet somehow...
The town felt even more peaceful than before.
John stood outside the inn, watching the morning activities.
Farmers carried supplies through the streets.
Children walked toward a small village school.
Merchants cleaned their stalls.
Simple things.
Ordinary things.
Things he never used to pay attention to.
---
"You’ve been standing there for ten minutes."
John glanced over his shoulder.
Lythriel stood behind him, holding a cup of tea.
"I was observing."
She raised an eyebrow.
"Observing?"
"Yes."
"Or thinking too much again?"
John sighed.
"...Why does everyone know me so well now?"
Lythriel smiled.
"Because you’re easy to read."
John looked offended.
"I’m a dragon."
"Exactly."
"And?"
"And you still have the expression of someone who doesn’t know what he’s doing."
John opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
He couldn’t even argue.
---
Lythriel handed him another cup.
"Here."
John looked down.
"I don’t drink tea that often."
"You did yesterday."
"That was because Aerion made it."
"And?"
"And it was good."
She smiled.
"Then problem solved."
John stared at the cup.
A few months ago, he never would’ve imagined having conversations like this.
Not fighting.
Not training.
Not discussing survival.
Just...
Tea.
---
Inside the inn, Aerion was already eating breakfast while reading a book.
Sylvara sat across from him, helping the innkeeper organize some leftover festival decorations.
The Soul Raven rested on a wooden beam above them.
John walked inside.
"Good morning."
Aerion looked up.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Better than usual."
That answer caught their attention.
Lythriel sat down beside him.
"Usually?"
John paused.
"...I mean, dragons don’t always sleep deeply."
It wasn’t a complete lie.
Ever since his rebirth, his mind had always remained alert.
Every strange sound.
Every unfamiliar presence.
Every possible danger.
His instincts never allowed him to fully relax.
But last night...
He slept peacefully.
No nightmares.
No visions.
No memories of his previous life.
Just sleep.
---
Sylvara smiled softly.
"I’m glad."
John looked at her.
"For what?"
"That you can finally rest."
He looked away.
For some reason, simple kindness was still harder for him to handle than a battle.
"Thanks."
---
After breakfast, the group decided to explore the area around Greenhollow.
Not because they had a mission.
Not because they were searching for something.
Just because they had nowhere urgent to be.
John found that strange.
A journey without a destination.
A day without a goal.
At first, it bothered him.
His dragon instincts wanted purpose.
Growth.
Progress.
But slowly...
He began to accept it.
---
The forest outside the village was peaceful.
Birds flew between the trees.
Small creatures moved through the grass.
The sunlight passed through the leaves, creating patterns on the ground.
John walked beside Lythriel while Aerion and Sylvara followed behind.
"This place is different."
Lythriel looked around.
"Different from where?"
"Everywhere I’ve been."
She tilted her head.
"How?"
John thought for a moment.
"In dangerous places, everyone is always looking for something."
"Power."
"Treasure."
"Answers."
"But here..."
He looked toward the village in the distance.
"People are just living."
Lythriel smiled.
"Maybe that’s the point."
John looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
"Not everyone needs to chase something."
She looked ahead.
"Sometimes people are happy with what they already have."
---
John became quiet.
Those words stayed with him.
Because he understood something.
Ever since he was reborn, he had been chasing answers.
Why was he sent here?
Why did he inherit the Dragon King’s legacy?
What was waiting beyond this world?
Every mystery created another mystery.
But maybe...
Not every moment needed to be about finding answers.
---
They eventually reached a small clearing.
In the center was a large tree.
Older than the others.
Its branches stretched toward the sky.
Sylvara approached it carefully.
"This tree is ancient."
Aerion nodded.
"Probably several hundred years old."
John placed a claw against the bark.
The moment he touched it—
Nothing happened.
No vision.
No ancient message.
No hidden power.
Just a tree.
And strangely...
That made him smile.
---
"You expected something?"
Lythriel asked.
John removed his claw.
"Maybe."
She laughed.
"You really do expect every mysterious thing to reveal some world-changing secret."
John looked away.
"Can you blame me?"
"No."
She smiled.
"Not after everything you’ve experienced."
---
They spent the rest of the day there.
They ate lunch beneath the tree.
They talked.
They argued about small things.
Lythriel challenged John to another competition.
This time, it was throwing stones at targets.
And once again...
John lost.
"You missed again."
"I slipped."
"You missed three times."
"The wind changed."
"There is no wind."
John looked at Aerion.
"Help me."
Aerion calmly continued drinking tea.
"You are on your own."
Even Sylvara laughed.
---
As the sun began setting, John looked back at the village.
The same village he had only recently arrived at.
At first, it was just another location.
Another stop on his journey.
But now...
It felt different.
Because places weren’t what made memories.
People were.
---
That evening, while everyone prepared dinner, John sat outside the inn.
The small white flower from yesterday was still beside him.
It had already begun to lose some of its freshness.
A reminder that even beautiful moments didn’t last forever.
But that didn’t make them meaningless.
It made them valuable.
---
The Soul Raven landed beside him.
"You are changing."
John glanced at it.
"Everyone keeps saying that."
"Because it is true."
The raven looked toward the village.
"You used to see every place as temporary."
John remained silent.
"Another location."
"Another battle."
"Another step toward becoming stronger."
The raven looked back at him.
"But now?"
John looked at the lights of Greenhollow.
Now...
He saw a home.
Even if it was only temporary.
"...Maybe."
The raven gave a quiet sound.
Almost like approval.
---
Behind them, Lythriel called out.
"John!"
He turned.
"Dinner is ready!"
John stood.
"Coming."
And this time...
He didn’t hesitate.
He didn’t think about what came next.
He simply walked back.
Back to his friends.
Back to the warmth of the inn.
Back to a moment that belonged only to him.
---
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