Chapter 170 - 165: Around the Dinner Table
The evening air was cool as John made his way back to the Silver Stag.
The streets of Valenor were gradually quieting.
Merchants closed their shops one by one, lighting lanterns outside their doors as the sun disappeared behind the western hills.
The Scholar’s District, so lively during the day, now settled into a calmer rhythm.
Students walked home in small groups, discussing lectures and assignments.
Scholars carried satchels filled with books.
The scent of fresh bread drifted from a nearby bakery preparing for the next morning.
John found himself walking more slowly than usual.
His thoughts remained fixed on Aldric’s proposal.
An expedition to the Ashen Peaks.
It was exactly the kind of opportunity he had been searching for.
Yet...
It also carried unknown dangers.
If the ruins truly held information about the Dragon Kings, there was no guarantee they would be abandoned.
Ancient places often concealed ancient dangers.
And now there was another factor.
Darius Voss.
John had never met the man, but everything Aldric and Miriam had said suggested that he wasn’t someone to underestimate.
He wasn’t a villain.
He wasn’t a criminal.
He was simply another person chasing the same forgotten history.
That alone made him unpredictable.
---
When John pushed open the doors of the Silver Stag, warmth and laughter greeted him.
The common room was busier than usual.
Travelers exchanged stories over dinner while a bard quietly played a lute near the fireplace.
Roland looked up from behind the counter.
"There you are."
John smiled.
"I lost track of time again."
"So I’ve heard."
Roland chuckled.
"Your friends have been wondering when you’d return."
"They’re upstairs?"
"No."
Roland pointed toward a table near the fireplace.
"They insisted on waiting for you before ordering."
John turned.
Lythriel immediately noticed him.
"There he is!"
She waved him over.
"We were starting to think Master Aldric had buried you under a mountain of books."
John laughed as he took his seat.
"Not yet."
Aerion raised an eyebrow.
"That implies he intends to."
"I wouldn’t rule it out."
Everyone laughed.
---
A serving girl approached their table.
"Good evening."
"The usual?"
Lythriel nodded enthusiastically.
"Yes, please."
The young woman smiled before hurrying toward the kitchen.
---
For a few minutes, they chatted about ordinary things.
Sylvara had spent most of the afternoon reading in the public library.
She had found several books about the flora of the northern forests.
"There are plants I’ve never even heard of."
She said excitedly.
"I’d love to see them someday."
Aerion had attended a public lecture on ancient architecture.
"It was... surprisingly interesting."
Lythriel looked at him in mock disbelief.
"You voluntarily listened to a lecture for two hours."
Aerion remained perfectly calm.
"It was one hour and forty-three minutes."
John laughed.
"You actually kept track?"
"I did."
Lythriel shook her head dramatically.
"I don’t know whether to admire you or worry about you."
---
Their meals soon arrived.
Roasted beef with herb gravy.
Fresh vegetables.
Warm bread.
A large pot of stew for everyone to share.
For several minutes, conversation gave way to the sounds of dinner.
Only after everyone had eaten did John finally set down his spoon.
"I need to tell you something."
The others immediately looked at him.
His tone had become noticeably more serious.
Lythriel leaned forward.
"What happened?"
John took a slow breath.
"Master Aldric received a letter today."
"A letter?"
Sylvara asked.
"From the Royal Exploration Guild."
Aerion’s expression became thoughtful.
"They’re organizing something."
John nodded.
"An expedition."
Silence settled over the table.
"To where?"
Lythriel asked.
"The Ashen Peaks."
The reaction was immediate.
Sylvara looked surprised.
"The same mountains from the old maps?"
"Yes."
Aerion folded his arms.
"Interesting."
Lythriel smiled.
"So..."
"When do we leave?"
John blinked.
"...You already assume we’re going?"
She looked equally confused.
"Aren’t we?"
John couldn’t help smiling.
"I haven’t even agreed yet."
---
He explained everything.
The landslide.
The newly discovered ruins.
The Royal Library’s involvement.
Aldric’s invitation.
And finally...
The fact that he had been asked to join as the library’s representative.
When he finished, no one spoke for several moments.
It was Aerion who finally broke the silence.
"That is a considerable responsibility."
"It is."
John admitted.
"I don’t know if I’m ready."
Lythriel looked at him as though he had said something absurd.
"John."
"You’ve survived things most people couldn’t even imagine."
"You’ve crossed monster-infested forests."
"You’ve entered the Hidden Realm."
"You’ve faced creatures far stronger than yourself."
She smiled confidently.
"If Master Aldric believes you’re ready..."
"I think he’s probably right."
John appreciated her confidence.
Even if he wasn’t entirely convinced.
---
Sylvara remained quiet for a moment before speaking.
"I think..."
She looked down at her hands.
"...you’re asking the wrong question."
John tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
"You keep asking whether you’re ready."
She met his eyes.
"But maybe..."
"The real question is whether this is the path you want."
The table became quiet.
Even Aerion nodded slowly.
"An important distinction."
John considered her words.
Was this the path he wanted?
He thought about the library.
About Aldric.
About Miriam.
About the ancient scroll.
About the symbol of the tree.
And finally...
About the questions written in his journal.
Without realizing it...
He already knew the answer.
---
"I want to learn the truth."
He said quietly.
The words felt natural.
Honest.
"I want to understand what happened to the Dragon Kings."
"What they protected."
"And why history forgot them."
He looked around the table.
"If that means traveling to the Ashen Peaks..."
He smiled.
"...then I think I should go."
Lythriel grinned from ear to ear.
"I knew you’d say that."
Sylvara smiled warmly.
"I think it’s the right decision."
Aerion gave a single nod.
"Then we’ll prepare."
John blinked.
"We?"
Aerion looked at him.
"You didn’t believe we’d remain behind."
"We’ve traveled together this far."
"There is no reason to separate now."
Lythriel crossed her arms.
"As if I’d let you climb mysterious mountains without me."
Sylvara laughed softly.
"Someone has to make sure the two of you don’t forget to eat."
John felt a warmth spread through his chest.
He hadn’t even asked.
Yet none of them had hesitated.
Where he went...
They intended to follow.
---
Later that evening, after dinner had ended and the common room began to empty, John stepped onto the inn’s balcony overlooking the street.
The night sky above Valenor was filled with stars.
Cool air drifted through the city.
Behind him, he heard footsteps.
Aerion joined him.
For a while...
Neither of them spoke.
Finally, the elf broke the silence.
"You’ve changed."
John smiled faintly.
"Lythriel said something similar."
Aerion nodded.
"When we first met..."
"You fought because you had to."
"Now..."
He looked toward the stars.
"...you’re searching because you choose to."
John rested his hands on the wooden railing.
"I never noticed."
"Most people don’t notice their own growth."
Aerion replied.
"It becomes visible only when they look back."
John quietly reflected on everything that had happened since he had awakened in this world.
The frightened black dragon hatchling.
His first hunt.
Meeting Lythriel.
Learning to trust others.
Reaching level ten.
Taking a humanoid form.
Greenhollow.
The Hidden Realm.
Valenor.
The Royal Library.
Every step had slowly shaped him into someone different.
Someone stronger.
Not only in power...
But in character.
Far across the city, a messenger entered Darius Voss’s rented residence carrying a sealed report.
Darius read it only once before setting it aside.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
"The expedition is confirmed."
He walked toward a large map hanging on the wall.
His finger rested lightly on a single location.
**Ashen Peaks.**
"This time..."
"I believe the mountains will finally reveal their secret."
Outside, the same stars shone over both men.
Neither realized that within those ancient mountains...
Something older than kingdoms had already begun to awaken.
---
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