'I don't know about selfish, but Juria might have had a point about the insensitive part.' Kamila swallowed down a morsel of roasted Trickster along with her own comnt.
"Was it because of sothing you said, Ripha?" Lith asked. "You are not exactly Miss Congeniality"
"Yes." nadion replied with a snort. "I dared ask Valeron and his companions to compensate for my services and the materials needed to craft their equipnt." "I beg your pardon?" Everyone stopped eating, widening their eyes in surprise. "You heard ." nadion laughed wryly at the mory. "According to Her Ladyship Juria Ernas, Lochra and I should have worked for free. After all, as Awakened we were privileged and we had the duty to help the less fortunate.
"Valeron's was a noble cause and she demanded us to support it with all the ans at our disposal in the na of the 'greater good'. Pompous asshole" Ripha's lips curled in disgust and her voice oozed contempt.
'I take that back.'Kamila thought.
"Juria was utterly insane." She actually said.
"Not insane, just inflexible to a fault. She truly believed in what she said and put her money where her mouth was but that didn't make her more likeable." nadion shook her head. "Either you loved or hated her, there was no middle ground.
"Then how co you guys ended up working for them?" Rena asked.
"Valeron." Ripha answered as if it explained everything. "He was fair and humble. He always paid us what we asked and never demanded more than we were willing to offer. "On top of that, if he told Juria and Oghrom to die, they would have ripped their hearts out with a smile on their faces."
"I'm sorry, but how is this possible?" Tista had a hard ti believing such a thing. "I an, after all the bad things you said about them."
"You don't understand, Tista." nadion put her cutlery down to look Tista in the eyes. "Those were different tis. Justice, honor, and everything you take for granted today were just pipe dreams back then.
"For Oghrom, Valeron was the sun. He embodied everything good that Oghrom knew he could never be. Valeron represented everything Oghrom didn't want to be but was desperate to protect. When all you see is darkness, you seek the light.
"When all you know is cold, joyless survival and finally find warmth and life, you do anything not to lose them. In a way, I felt the sa for Threin." Ripha sighed deeply, trying to rember the person she was before seven hundred years as a wandering soul twisted her into what she was today.
"As for Juria, Valeron was the living proof that her ideals weren't just hot air. He was a noble commander, a fair ruler, and an honest friend. He wasn't just another master Juria had to serve because duty-bound.
"His orders resonated with what she believed in and not once was she forced to stomp on her morals while in the line of duty. Juria was the one who believed in Valeron's dream the most and if her life was the price to pay for it, she would've given it without a question."
"Wow." Lith said.
"Wow indeed." nadion nodded. "That's the kind of man he was. The kind of man I believe you might one day beco, if only you could tone down the cynicism and ramp up the forgiveness.
After spending ti with Lith as a person instead of a vengeful spirit and witnessing the magic lessons in Jambel, Ripha's feelings about him had softened a bit.
"Thanks for the complint, but no thanks." Lith replied. "I could never do what Valeron did. He started with nothing and had no one but his companions until he was done building the Kingdom,
"I started with little but I treasure every bit of it. I have people who love and they deserve my loyalty and commitnt a thousand tis more than a bunch of strangers. The forr made who I am today while the latter didn't care whether I lived or died until I had sothing to offer them."
"I said less cynicism and more forgiveness, not that it would be easy." nadion shrugged.
***
Much to Lith surprise, after lunch Elina and the others just wanted to tour the city of Valeron. They visited its monunts and all the places of historical importance, including Traitors' Plaza.
It was where all those who had committed treason against the Kingdom were executed. Among them, the most famous was still Arthan, the Mad King. Tyris had personally beheaded him in front of the people he had vowed to serve after his after exposing his betrayal and experints on Forbidden Magic.
It had marked the mont in the Kingdom's history when its citizens had witnessed irreputable proof that no one, not even the Crown, was above the law.
A red splash still marked where Arthan's head had rolled after being severed from its neck.
Of course, Tyris couldn't allow the Mad King's blood to be preserved for anyone to take. It would have ant the risk of providing the ans to study the effects of the Madness. She had cleansed the blood right after the execution and replaced it with red paint that was revarnished fresh every few months.
"What a crowd." Lith grumbled. "Luckily, I put a Hush spell on the stroller or Elysia and Valeron would be terrified."
Traitors' Plaza was packed but that was just how every main artery of the city of Valeron was. The capital bustled with people and activity for the most part of the day and even until relatively late at night.
The babies sat in their floating stroller, unimpressed by the flawless paved roads or the high-end clothes of most people their parents crossed. Worst of all, was the maelstrom of scents assaulting their Divine Beast's noses.
Perfus, colognes, sweat, and the aromas wafting from the various shops along the road mixed together in a sweet, revolting sll that could only be described like a hybrid between a bakery and a flower bed on steroids after a gruelling workout.
Elysia and Valeron disliked being there but disliked even more being separated from
their parents so they could only chitter and bear with it.
"What did you expect?" Elina said. "This is the capital, after all. The good thing is that no one is batting an eye at your stroller. I wonder how used to magical goods these people
are."
"We could have a bit of personal space if you let wear my Magus robe." Lith said, moving with difficulty through the crowd and holding back the temptation to trample them over with his mass.
"This is a vacation, son." She frowned. "If you don't keep your anonymity, I won't be able to keep you all for myself. You'd receive countless invitations and right now you don't have a decent excuse to turn them down."
"Fine. What's next?" Lith could only capitulate when faced with his mother's smile.
They spent the rest of the afternoon visiting historical buildings like Fyrwal's Tower, the place of birth and main branch of the Mage Association that had been established by Fyrwal the Hydra at the sa ti as the Royal Castle.
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