Night slowly descended upon Nareth Village.
After everyone had returned to their respective homes…
the village fell into silence once again.
But this time…
Aether didn’t go straight to sleep.
He stood outside the small house Rowan had once given him.
The house was still the same.
The wooden door creaked faintly whenever the wind passed through.
Nothing had changed.
Yet…
the people who had made this place feel alive were gone.
Aether looked at the recommendation letter Roderic had given him.
The emblem of the Galaxium Empire was clearly stamped across the front.
He turned it over in his hands.
Then…
opened it.
There was nothing particularly interesting inside.
Several official statements.
A name.
A seal.
And a signature.
Aether read through everything with a serious expression.
Until finally…
he frowned.
“…Damn it. I still don’t understand.”
A voice came from behind him.
“Did you really expect the letter to explain everything to you?”
Aether turned around.
Lyra stood several steps away.
She was already dressed for the journey.
Her bow was strapped across her back.
“Huh…”
“Why are you still awake?”
Aether asked.
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“That should be my question.”
Aether:
“I’m reading.”
Lyra:
“I know.”
She stepped closer.
“Well?”
Aether handed her the letter.
“This thing is too long.”
Lyra glanced over it.
Then handed it back.
“It’s an official letter.”
“Of course it’s supposed to be long and detailed.”
Aether:
“Why?”
Lyra:
“If it wasn’t…”
She paused.
“…it’d end up looking like a love letter.”
Aether fell silent.
He clearly didn’t understand the joke.
He considered her answer for several seconds.
“…That makes sense.”
Lyra sighed.
“You’re seriously weird, you know that?”
Aether didn’t argue.
He slipped the letter back into his pocket.
Then…
the two of them stood in silence.
After a while…
Lyra spoke.
“We’re leaving tomorrow.”
Aether:
“Yeah.”
Lyra:
“You haven’t changed your mind?”
Aether shook his head.
“I want to know what I can do with this power.”
He raised his right hand slightly.
The white-gold Vestige Mark was no longer glowing.
“Yesterday…”
Aether stopped.
His thoughts returned to the ruins.
Thousands of swords.
The Black Hole.
The three Novus Executives who had vanished.
“…I don’t even know how I did any of it.”
Lyra looked at him.
“You’ll learn.”
Aether:
“At the academy?”
Lyra:
“That’s what they say.”
Aether nodded.
Then asked,
“And you?”
Lyra fell silent for a moment.
“I want to become stronger too.”
Her answer was calmer this time.
“Not just to get revenge.”
Aether turned toward her.
Lyra continued.
“If all I do is chase revenge…”
“…I’ll probably die before I accomplish anything.”
Aether said nothing.
Lyra:
“Finn didn’t die so I could die alongside him.”
She clenched her fist.
“He saved me.”
“So I’ll make sure the life he saved…”
“…wasn’t wasted.”
Aether gave a small nod.
“That makes sense.”
Lyra smiled faintly.
“Do you always talk like that?”
Aether:
“Like what?”
Lyra:
“Like someone reviewing a report.”
Aether:
“I don’t know.”
Lyra immediately let out a quiet laugh.
“Oh my god.”
Aether frowned.
“What?”
Lyra:
“Never mind.”
She turned around.
“Don’t be late tomorrow.”
Aether:
“I’m never late.”
Lyra sighed.
“You only learned what time was a few days ago.”
Aether fell silent.
“…That’s true.”
Lyra walked away.
But before entering her house…
she stopped.
“Hey, Aether.”
Aether turned.
Lyra:
“Thank you.”
Aether frowned.
“For what?”
Lyra didn’t answer immediately.
Then…
“For yesterday.”
That was all.
She went inside.
Leaving Aether alone outside his house.
Aether stood there for a while.
Then…
he looked down at the recommendation letter in his hand.
“…You’re welcome.”
The next morning…
the sound of wagon wheels echoed from the gates of Nareth.
Several military wagons had been prepared.
Imperial soldiers checked the supplies.
Crates of food were loaded.
Medical equipment.
Weapons.
Traveling gear.
Captain Roderic stood beside the main wagon.
He inspected his group one last time.
“Everyone ready?”
“Ready, Captain!”
“Good.”
Then…
footsteps could be heard coming from the village.
Kael arrived first.
Behind him…
Doran.
Mira.
Lyra. Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
And Aether.
They weren’t carrying much.
Lyra had only the essentials.
Aether was carrying little more than the clothes he owned.
Rowan’s sword still hung at his waist.
Kael stopped a few steps away from the wagon.
“So…”
Doran scratched the back of his head.
“…you’re really leaving.”
Lyra nodded.
“Yeah.”
Mira gave them a small smile.
“Take care on the road.”
Doran suddenly pointed at Aether.
“You.”
Aether looked at him.
“Yes?”
“Don’t cause trouble in the city.”
Aether frowned.
“I never cause trouble.”
Kael and Lyra immediately looked at him.
Aether fell silent.
“…What?”
Doran laughed.
“You call creating a Black Hole not causing trouble?”
Aether looked away.
“That was an accident.”
Doran:
“And all those swords were an accident too?”
Aether:
“…Some of them.”
Doran burst out laughing.
For a moment…
the morning felt like it used to.
Like before the forest.
Before Novus.
Before Nareth lost so many people.
But…
Finn wasn’t there to laugh with them.
And Rowan wasn’t there to tell them to stop making so much noise.
Doran’s smile slowly faded.
Kael took a breath.
Then placed a hand on Aether’s shoulder.
“Take care of Lyra.”
Aether looked at him.
“Why me?”
Kael:
“Because you’re going together.”
Aether:
“She can take care of me too.”
Lyra immediately cut in.
“He’s right.”
Kael nodded.
“Then…”
“…take care of each other.”
Lyra nodded.
So did Aether.
Mira then handed Lyra a small pouch.
“Medicine.”
Lyra accepted it.
“That’s too much.”
Mira:
“Take it.”
She smiled.
“You’re going to need it.”
Lyra looked at the pouch for a moment.
Then put it into her bag.
“Thank you.”
Mira then handed another pouch to Aether.
Aether looked at it.
“…What’s this?”
Mira:
“Medicine.”
Aether:
“Huh…”
“But I’m not hurt.”
Mira:
“For later.”
Aether:
“Ohhh…”
He put it away.
Doran suddenly held something out to him.
A small pouch filled with food.
Aether took it.
“This?”
Doran:
“Rations.”
Aether opened it slightly.
Dried meat.
Bread.
A few pieces of fruit.
He looked at Doran.
“Why are you giving me food?”
Doran fell silent.
Then…
a small smile appeared on his face.
“Because if Finn were still here…”
“…he’d probably steal half of it.”
Aether said nothing.
Doran patted him on the shoulder.
“So…”
“…just consider it his share.”
Aether closed the pouch.
“…Alright.”
Kael then looked at Lyra.
“Don’t be too reckless, Ra.”
Lyra raised an eyebrow.
“Me?”
Kael:
“Yes.”
Lyra:
“The one with the Black Hole is him!”
She pointed at Aether.
Aether turned toward her.
“Why me again?”
Doran immediately laughed.
Kael only sighed.
“Anyway.”
His expression became serious again.
“If something happens…”
“…don’t force yourself.”
Lyra nodded.
“Understood.”
Mira stepped closer as well.
“Don’t forget to send us word whenever you get the chance.”
Lyra smiled.
“I will.”
Then…
there was nothing more to say.
Lyra climbed into the wagon.
Aether followed.
But before getting inside…
Aether stopped.
He turned toward Kael.
“You’re really not coming?”
Kael shook his head.
“I’ve already chosen to stay.”
Doran raised a hand.
“Me too.”
Mira smiled.
“I’ll stay here as well.”
Aether nodded.
He didn’t argue.
Because…
he already understood their reasons.
Aether climbed into the wagon.
Lyra sat on the other side.
Roderic gave the command.
“Move out!”
The wheels began turning.
The horses pulled the wagons through the gates.
Kael, Doran, and Mira remained standing there.
Doran raised his hand high.
“DON’T DIE!”
Lyra shouted back.
“YOU TOO!”
Doran laughed.
Mira waved.
Kael simply raised one hand.
Aether sat inside the wagon.
He watched Nareth slowly disappear into the distance.
The houses.
The roads.
The gates.
The hill where hundreds of graves now stood.
Everything grew smaller.
But…
his hand slowly closed around Rowan’s sword.
Lyra, sitting across from him, noticed.
She didn’t ask.
She didn’t need to.
The wagon continued onward.
Leaving Nareth Village behind.
The journey lasted almost the entire day.
The forest gradually gave way to stone roads.
Then…
a wide highway filled with merchants.
Horse-drawn carriages.
Groups of adventurers.
And military convoys.
Aether opened the curtain several times.
The world outside…
was far busier than Nareth.
“How many cities like this are there?”
he asked.
Lyra, who was reading a map, answered,
“I don’t know.”
“Dozens.”
“Maybe hundreds?”
Aether looked outside again.
“So Nareth…”
“…really is that small.”
Lyra lowered her map.
“Very.”
Aether nodded.
Not long after…
he saw something enormous in the distance.
Walls.
No…
more accurately…
a massive fortress.
Towering structures rose behind the walls.
The main road leading to the gates was packed with wagons and people.
The flag of the Galaxium Empire flew above the towers.
Aether slowly stood.
“…That?”
Lyra looked as well.
“Solmnaire.”
Aether fell silent.
The city…
was larger than anything he had seen since awakening.
Even from this distance…
he could see towering buildings behind the walls.
Magic towers.
Stone bridges.
Massive structures.
And…
at the center of the city…
a gigantic building bearing the emblem of the Galaxium Empire.
Lyra pointed toward it.
“That’s the Imperial Military Academy.”
Aether narrowed his eyes.
“…It’s huge.”
Lyra:
“It is.”
Aether:
“Bigger than Nareth?”
Lyra stared at him.
“…What kind of question is that?”
“OF COURSE IT IS.”
Aether sat back down.
Then…
he spoke with a serious expression.
“I think I’m finally starting to understand why you said I don’t know anything.”
Lyra held back a laugh.
“Only now?”
Aether:
“Yeah.”
Lyra:
“Impressive.”
Aether looked at her.
“Hey! Was that sarcasm?”
Lyra:
“A little.”
Aether nodded.
“…I’ll remember that.”
Lyra laughed quietly.
The wagon continued forward.
Closer.
Closer still.
The walls of Solmnaire finally stood directly before them.
The main gate was open.
Imperial soldiers inspected every group entering the city.
But when they saw the military insignia on Roderic’s wagons…
they immediately stepped aside.
The wagons passed through the gates.
And…
a new world opened before Aether.
Wide stone streets.
Shops lining both sides of the road.
Merchants shouting out their wares.
Armed Vestigers walking alongside ordinary civilians.
Wagons moving in every direction.
Children running through the crowds.
In the distance…
the sound of the city bells rang out.
Aether said nothing.
He simply sat there.
Taking it all in.
Lyra glanced at him.
“What’s wrong?”
Aether shook his head.
“…Nothing.”
Then…
he added,
“This place is really crowded.”
Lyra smiled faintly.
“Welcome to Solmnaire.”
The wagon finally stopped along one of the city’s main streets.
Roderic stepped down first.
He turned toward them.
“We’re here.”
Lyra climbed down.
Aether followed.
The two of them stood in the middle of a city that was completely unfamiliar to them.
Roderic pointed toward the road ahead.
“The Academy isn’t accepting registrations today.”
“You have until tomorrow.”
“Use today to find a place to stay and get some rest.”
Lyra nodded.
“Understood, Captain.”
Roderic then looked at Aether.
“And you.”
Aether turned.
“Yes?”
Roderic:
“Don’t create a Black Hole in the middle of the city.”
Aether fell silent.
Lyra immediately covered her mouth.
Doran would definitely laugh if he heard that.
Aether:
“…I’ll try.”
Roderic sighed.
“That is not a reassuring answer.”
Aether simply shrugged.
Roderic returned to his soldiers.
“Then…”
“…I’ll see you tomorrow.”
The military wagons began moving again.
Leaving Aether and Lyra standing amid the crowds of Solmnaire.
Lyra adjusted her bag.
Then turned toward Aether.
“Alright.”
“First…”
“…we find an inn.”
Aether nodded.
“How?”
Lyra froze.
“…You’re serious?”
Aether:
“Um… yeah.”
Lyra rubbed her forehead.
“Oh, God…”
The two of them continued deeper into Solmnaire.
And for the first time…
Aether truly left behind the small life he had known in Nareth.
Ahead of him…
stood a city far larger than anything he had ever seen.
And within it…
stood the Galaxium Imperial Military Academy (GIMA).
The place that would become the beginning of their next journey.
ROWAN IS A KIND MAN