Chapter 531: Chapter 519: A fellow Inheritor to help

[Realm: Uhorus]

[Location: Verdantis]

[Capital City]

Both Alyssia and Lucinda turned sharply toward the voice that had called out to them.

Their conversation ended almost instantly.

Instinct alone was enough to make both of them alert. The boy standing several paces away possessed features that could almost be described as delicate were it not for the severity resting upon his face.

His visible right eye immediately drew attention.

Its iris was a deep, pitch-black void, entirely devoid of any discernible pupil, giving it an unnatural look that lingered long after one looked away.

His left eye remained partially concealed. Neatly styled black hair fell across that side of his face, accompanied by a black eyepatch adorned with a single blue flower whose understated appearance somehow suited him perfectly.

His clothing clashed strangely with the snow surrounding him.

A pristine white shirt, a carefully tailored white vest, a neatly fastened black tie, dark slacks, dress boots, and over everything rested a long black coat that swayed gently in the breeze.

Despite the clash of black against white, there was remarkably little about him that demanded attention. If anything, he possessed the peculiar ability to disappear into the background simply by existing.

It suited him.

"Aerinon?" Lucinda recognized him first.

"The gloomy one?" Almost simultaneously, Alyssia narrowed her eyes.

Aerinon’s expression remained perfectly unchanged; he chose not to acknowledge Alyssia’s description in the slightest. Whether because he disagreed with it or because he simply didn’t care was impossible to tell.

Instead, his lone visible eye shifted toward Lucinda.

"It’s been some time." His greeting consisted of little more than a small nod, nothing more and nothing less.

("Though I would have preferred this little reunion never happened.") His thoughts were considerably less polite than his expression. ("It was already troublesome enough involving myself with one spawn of Octavia.")

His gaze briefly shifted toward Alyssia.

("Now there are two.") A pause followed, entirely internal and resigned. ("My remaining sense of normalcy has thoroughly abandoned me.") Another glance, this time toward the darkened sky. ("Could Lyra truly not have asked Rowena instead?") His expression remained completely unreadable. ("I would rather be almost anywhere else.")

Lucinda smiled politely, completely unaware of the internal lament unfolding behind Aerinon’s composed face.

"It’s good to see you again." Then another question surfaced almost immediately. "How did you know where to find us?"

She slowly rose from her seat as she spoke, more out of courtesy than necessity. Beside her, Alyssia remained exactly where she was. She calmly resumed eating the cake resting on the table before her.

Though the occasional glance she directed toward Aerinon made it abundantly clear she hadn’t stopped observing him for even a moment.

"Lyra informed me." Aerinon’s answer was immediate. "She described both your disguises and your attire." His voice kept the same tone; nothing more needed saying.

Lucinda nodded thoughtfully.

"Then..." Her expression brightened slightly. "Does that mean Lady Lyra has already prepared the first step of Alyssia’s training?"

Aerinon inclined his head.

"She has." A brief pause followed. "A surge of Abyssal Creatures has appeared west of the capital." His gaze moved briefly toward the western horizon beyond the city. "She wishes for us to deal with it."

The simplicity with which he delivered the information somehow made it feel even more serious.

Lucinda immediately became attentive.

Alyssia merely finished another bite of cake before speaking. "And I assume you’re meant to be our would-be caretaker?" She looked him up and down with absolutely no attempt whatsoever to disguise the appraisal. "Hm." A thoughtful hum escaped her. "You’re far too gloomy." She tilted her head. "Can we not trade you for Lilith instead?"

Lucinda physically winced, not because she disagreed with Alyssia’s tendency to speak honestly. But there were, perhaps, better moments for it.

"Alyssia..." She gently shook her head. "There are certain thoughts one simply keeps to oneself."

Alyssia looked genuinely puzzled.

"Why?" She gave a light shrug. "It does no one any good allowing such thoughts to sit around festering." The answer arrived with complete sincerity. "As far as I’m concerned, speaking plainly prevents misunderstandings."

Lucinda stared at her for a moment, then sighed. There was a certain impossible logic to Alyssia’s reasoning, one that somehow made arguing surprisingly difficult. Eventually her attention shifted back toward Aerinon. She searched his face for some sign of annoyance. Some irritation or anything.

She found absolutely nothing; his expression had not changed in the slightest. Not even Agatha, with all her composure, maintained such a completely blank expression.

It was honestly a little unnerving.

"Sorry, Aerinon," Lucinda offered with an apologetic smile. "Alyssia has a habit of saying exactly what she’s thinking before she considers whether she should. " There was a small note of embarrassment in her voice. "I hope you won’t take it personally."

Aerinon regarded the two spawns quietly.

("Insulting someone you dislike is hardly unusual.") His thoughts remained as level as his expression. ("I suppose I cannot fault her for honesty.") Another brief pause followed. ("Nor can I honestly claim this exchange will deprive me of sleep.") His gaze settled briefly upon Lucinda. ("Lucinda appears straightforward enough to work alongside.") 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Then toward Alyssia.

Who continued watching him with an almost openly suspicious stare while absentmindedly taking another bite of cake.

("This Alyssia, however...") Another internal pause. ("...is an entirely different matter.")

He gave the situation a mental shrug; there were more pressing concerns than personality differences.

Finally, he gave Lucinda a small nod.

"I shall wait until you’ve finished."

Without another word, Aerinon stepped away from the table and moved several paces to the side, quietly positioning himself near the edge of the street.

Hands resting calmly in his pockets, he seemed patient and almost statue-like.

The two spawns watched him; Lucinda’s expression carried mild concern.

"He certainly has a pretty face." Alyssia watched Aerinon standing several paces away. Then she gave a small, disappointed shake of her head. "Shame there’s hardly any personality attached to it."

Lucinda blinked; the remark had been delivered with such sincerity that it took her a moment to process it. She slowly turned toward Alyssia; there wasn’t even the faintest trace of embarrassment on the other girl’s face.

"What?" Alyssia noticed the look almost immediately; she seemed genuinely puzzled. "It is merely an observation." She gestured lightly in Aerinon’s direction. "An astute one, I might add."

Her expression remained perfectly serious.

"And I fail to see any harm in acknowledging when someone happens to be pleasant to look at."

Lucinda couldn’t help but smile.

"There isn’t," she admitted easily. "I simply wasn’t expecting a comment like that from you." Her amusement lingered in her voice. "I suppose I’m still learning just how willing you are to say whatever comes to mind."

Alyssia shrugged.

"I only do so when it concerns things like this." She glanced toward Aerinon once again; the Inheritor hadn’t moved or spoken. He simply remained where he had gone to wait, seemingly content to occupy the role of a statue.

Alyssia’s eyes lingered on him for another moment.

"Though surely..." She looked back toward Lucinda. "...even you have to admit he’s remarkably gloomy."

Lucinda followed Alyssia’s gaze; she quietly studied Aerinon for a few moments. His posture remained composed, expression unchanged, and his solitary visible eye gave away very little.

Lucinda considered answering.

Instead, another thought surfaced first.

"You seem particularly hard on him." The observation came gently.

Alyssia answered almost immediately.

"I don’t like the look in that eye of his." There wasn’t even a moment’s hesitation.

Lucinda tilted her head. "The look?"

She repeated the words softly, trying to understand what Alyssia meant.

Alyssia nodded.

"Perhaps it’s because of how dark it is." Her gaze settled on Aerinon’s visible eye once again. "I honestly couldn’t tell you." She folded her arms. "But when I look at him..." Her voice became quieter. "...do you see even the slightest trace of emotion?"

Lucinda found herself looking again, longer this time.

Alyssia continued before she answered.

"It’s as though..." She paused, carefully choosing her words. "...he stopped expecting anything from life a very long time ago."

There was no mockery in her voice as she made the observation.

"It isn’t simply that he’s reserved." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "I’ve met reserved people, cold people, and people who hide what they’re feeling." She slowly shook her head. "This feels different."

The snow continued falling around them.

Soft flakes settled upon rooftops and walls.

Alyssia’s attention never left Aerinon.

"When I look at him..." Her voice dropped another fraction. "...it almost feels like he’s already accepted that nothing will ever really change." A crease formed between her brows. "I don’t like that."

The confession surprised even her slightly; she looked away.

"I can’t really explain why."

Lucinda remained silent; her own eyes drifted back toward Aerinon. He still stood exactly where he had before, patient and waiting without complaint. There truly wasn’t much emotion visible on his face. But Lucinda wasn’t certain that meant it wasn’t there; eventually she looked back toward Alyssia.

A small frown settled across her features; there was something behind Alyssia’s words. Something far more personal than a simple observation about Aerinon’s demeanor. She had spoken as though she recognized something, as though she had seen that expression before.

Or perhaps...

As though she feared becoming someone who wore it herself.

Lucinda couldn’t tell, not yet; she simply didn’t know Alyssia well enough. Not enough to understand which of her comments were merely blunt honesty and which were revealing pieces of herself.