Balwin and Athan were traveling through the shadows for a while—not that it mattered anyway.
"Balwin, with the speed we're traveling, we're missing a lot of scenery," Athan said.
"Scenery? You still care about scenery now?" Balwin replied.
"Actually, I mean we should gather more information about this place. Yes, the cold outside is affecting us somehow, but we should take a look around." Athan explained.
"As you wish, young lord!" Balwin said.
With that, Balwin threw Athan out of the shadows, while he himself stepped out normally.
"Hey! Why the hell did you throw me like some kind of doll?!" Athan yelled.
"Oh, my bad. I thought the best way to show you the scenery was by tossing you up like that," Balwin said with a soft chuckle.
"Man, you've grown up, but you still act like a kid," Athan muttered before whispering under his breath, Why bother so much for a dead person? Is her love really so unforgettable to you?
"What did you just say?" Balwin asked.
"Nothing, Demon King," Athan replied quickly, stepping closer.
"Balwin, did you tell your so-called stepmother's sister 'stepmom'?" Athan asked.
"What? Again with the step—step what?" Balwin frowned in confusion.
"Nah…uh…ah…" Athan stammered.
"What the hell? What's wrong with you? Did the labyrinth somehow mess with the great Vampire Lord's mind?" Balwin teased.
"No, actually, I was just messing with you," Athan grinned.
"Oh, that's good," Balwin said, continuing toward the forest.
"So, I was asking about The Legendary Hero, one of the strongest heroes—actually, the strongest female in the world," Athan started, but Balwin cut him off.
"Can you stop? I get it. You're asking about Velisara, right?" Balwin said.
"Yeah, the former hero Velisara. How did she end up as your mother again? And why do you respect her so much? You've never given anyone that title except your birth mother. Did you modify her mem—"
Once again, Balwin cut Athan off.
"Athan, do you know Homa?" Balwin asked. "This world has no true cure for it. Every healer can only offer temporary solutions, but not all can even manage that. You know that, right?"
"Yeah, you did somehow using shadow mind travel, so what's your point? Was she affected by Homa?" Athan asked.
"Yes. She was the person who went into a coma for 16 days," Balwin said.
"Wait, if it was Homa, then wasn't it already too late? How did she recover so quickly?" Athan asked, shocked.
"You heard how I met the Celestial, right?" Balwin asked.
"Yeah, I get it..... So… the person who used it on her was you?" Athan realized.
"Exactly. She was the first and same person I told you about earlier," Balwin confirmed.
"But I still don't get it. Why would someone like her take in a random child—someone already suspicious—and adopt them?" Athan questioned.
"Nah, she just pitied me and asked me if I wanted to be adopted," Balwin replied.
"That's ridiculous! Asking you about your own adoption?" Athan laughed.
Balwin gave him a lifeless stare, clearly showing that he wasn't in the mood for jokes. Athan went quiet.
"And just like that, I became her kid," Balwin said.
"What do you mean, 'just like that'? If this were a novel, that explanation wouldn't make any sense to the readers! You read novels, Balwin—you know what I mean!" Athan said awkwardly, rubbing his head.
"She once had a son," Baldwin continued, ignoring Athan's complaints. "He died from Homa. She lost her husband too. And before her son passed, her daughter went through a lot… from what I've heard, she developed mental issues. She started acting strangely—she's twelve, but at times, she behaves like a child of nine or ten. If you look closely, you'll see the signs."
"...That's… harsh," Athan muttered.
"You know, she wasn't just some hero. She was the Queen of an ancient kingdom. A kingdom that ruled over humans for 2,300 years before the Great War started. You understand what that means, right? For them to have ruled over humans for that long, they had to be strong—very strong. She was the 347th ruler of that kingdom," Athan said, thinking out loud.
"They called her Hero No. 471," Balwin added, inspecting a nearby tree.
"Oh yeah, I heard about that. She was young and unmarried, right?" Athan asked.
"Yes. After her kingdom fell, she made a peace treaty with the newly formed Rance Republic," Balwin explained.
"What do you mean by that?" Athan asked.
"I mean, the Rance Republic allowed her to live her life freely. She was a queen that even the enemy humans admired," Balwin said.
"Oh, so that's why she's still alive. She's been missing for more than 17 years—no, maybe 15 years," Athan said.
"No, your first guess was right. It's been 17 years since the fall of her hero nation, but for some reason, most people say 10 years," Balwin corrected.
"Ah, you know how humans are. They always mess things up. So, who did she marry?" Athan asked.
"She married her personal knight, Leo White," Balwin said.
"Wow, you sure know a lot about her," Athan smirked.
"Of course, she knows a lot about me as well," Balwin said with a soft smile.
"So, a royalty married a normal noble? That seems out of place, don't you think?" Athan said.
"Nah, she's a righteous person. If someone gives their entire life to protect you, just because they don't have a crown, you can't just abandon them," Balwin said.
"Well, that's our novel reader Balwin," Athan chuckled. "So she married the man who always protected her, even though she was the strongest hero? That's kinda funny. A stupid job for a guard."
"It's not stupid, Athan," Balwin said, his tone serious. "Deep down, you know the truth.
People leave you because you're strong. They come to you because you're strong. But do they really care about you? No. They only care about what you can offer them.
But if you find one person who genuinely gives everything for you—who stays even when you're at your lowest—would you push them away? Velisara didn't. She married him, not some third person who would never understand her.
What I can tell you is… she lived a happy life."
"Hmm… I get it, but still, it doesn't quite match," Athan said.
"Oh really?" Balwin smirked. "Then tell me, a vampire marrying a dhampir—that matches, does it?"
Athan's face froze.
""Who told you that?... Just forget it—I was the one who told you!" he hissed, running a hand through his hair. "Damn it, you've messed with my head this time! Don't say it out loud—the King will kill me!"
Suddenly, they sensed an aura coming from their left side.
"Looks like our little conversation needs a break," Balwin said.
Athan nodded. Because they could sense a group of beasts clashing against another once again. But then again… maybe those weren't beasts at all. Perhaps they were the same creatures they had encountered before. once again, Baldwin summoned his shadows and, alongside Athan, began traveling toward the left side of the endless forest, uncertain of what awaited them.