Chapter 176: The Gap (1)
“I don’t know.”
That was the first thing that slipped out of Lian’s mouth without him realizing it.
He flinched briefly, then let out a small sigh upon realizing the library was indeed empty, just as Amaruah had said.
“...I really don’t know.”
Lian’s head was still a mess from what had just happened.
It was only natural—it was because of Menoruka.
In such a situation, asking Amaruah for help had been the best choice he could make at the moment.
And yet, for some reason, he couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.
In truth, simply asking Amaruah should’ve left nothing more to worry about.
She was a Dragon too, after all, and when it came to Dragons, leaving Dragon matters to Dragons was the most reliable solution.
“……”
Just one thing.
The fact that Amaruah and Menoruka’s claims directly contradicted each other lingered in his mind.
The reason for the Dragons’ fury that Amaruah had heard was a suffocating story the moment he heard it.
A child of their lineage had been murdered by someone.
Naturally, it was only expected that the Dragons would be driven mad with rage.
But Menoruka had asserted that she was the only Wyrmling of her lineage.
Considering the confident look in her eyes, it was hard to simply dismiss her words as a lie or a delusion.
‘Then what in the world happened?’
This wasn’t just any race—it was Dragons.
There was no way they would mistake the existence or non-existence of one of their own bloodline, especially a Wyrmling of all things.
That was also why even Amaruah placed more weight on Menoruka’s words, as did Lian himself.
“……”
Suddenly, a conversation he once had with Professor Windy May came to mind.
While asking various questions about Dragons, Lian had remembered the matter with Airos and had asked her this:
— “Sometimes Dragons seem almost strangely easy to deceive. Why is that?”
Back then, Windy May had looked at him with her usual childlike face but eyes filled with unfathomable depth, and answered:
— “Well... rather than being deceived, maybe it’s because they’re such single-minded beings, with a strong sense of self-belief?”
— “What do you mean?”
— “It means they don’t even consider the idea that someone might dare try to deceive them.”
Windy May added,
— “Even if someone does try to trick them, they have this underlying confidence that they can figure it out and resolve it—whether by strength or by wisdom.”
— “That’s…”
— “Yes, it sounds foolish, doesn’t it? From our perspective, it seems utterly naive. But Dragons are called the strongest beings despite that fatal weakness. And sometimes, they do end up getting hunted down when they come across an opponent truly superior in both strength and wisdom.”
As she said that, Windy May tilted her chin slightly upward.
It was a pose that clearly displayed pride.
— “Like, say, someone like me...?”
— “……”
— “...Ahem! Anyway, let me continue. That’s why, especially for the older ones—the so-called Ancient Dragons—this tendency is even stronger. The experience and power they’ve accumulated over the ages only reinforce their stubborn streak. It’s why their obstinance becomes unbelievably intense, to the point where even when they know they’re wrong, they still dig their heels in.”
— “So you’re saying that when dealing with Dragons, trickery and deception are effective strategies.”
— “Hmm...”
Windy May looked at Lian briefly, then shrugged.
— “I don’t know why you’re so fixated on fighting Dragons, but it’s best not to end up in that kind of situation.”
— “……”
— “If you ever do find yourself facing a Dragon or negotiating with one, remember this well. Rather than lying, it’s better to reveal only part of the truth or conceal the important facts. But absolutely! Absolutely do not lie to them.”
Her voice was low and serious.
She had been genuinely offering him advice.
— “Like I said, deceiving a Dragon might be easier than expected. But just because they fall for it easily doesn’t mean they’re stupid. They might fall for a trick laughably easily, but sometimes they’ll pierce through lies and see the truth with chilling clarity.”
— “...I see.”
— “Yes. And most of all, once they find out they’ve been deceived... the consequences will never be simple.”
Even as she said that, she had admitted that if it was absolutely necessary, he could resort to lies or deception to survive.
But what Lian was focused on was something she had said in the middle.
That they were highly single-minded and believed only in their own perspective, stubbornly so.
In other words, they tended to see only what they wanted to see and believe only what they wanted to believe.
“Hoo…”
Hopefully—just hopefully—this was all some kind of misunderstanding born from that tendency.
He prayed with all his heart that no one had twisted the facts or manipulated select information to steer the Dragons’ actions.
For now...
He had no choice but to trust and wait for Amaruah.
She had promised to reassess the situation and resolve it to the best of her ability.
Above all, as long as she was around, at the very least, Menoruka would not be in danger.
“……”
Just as he was thinking that, someone walking from the other end met his gaze.
“Hm?”
“Oh…?”
A familiar, yet long-unseen face.
Neatly dressed, with blue hair.
Looking somewhat tired compared to usual.
“Senior Lancia?”
“...Junior?”
It was Lancia Jintia.
She too looked slightly surprised upon seeing Lian.
“It feels like it’s been a while, Senior. It’s good to see you.”
“Yes, it’s good to see you too.”
Lancia replied in a slightly weary voice, different from her usual self.
With a faint smile, she said,
“It’s the day of the festival, and I didn’t expect to see you in front of the library of all places.”
“Yes, I feel the same.”
Lian asked her,
“Did you come to the library?”
“Yes, I wanted to spend a bit of time alone. What about you, Junior?”
“I had something to discuss with the librarian for a bit. And, um…”
At that moment, Lian quietly raised the sign in his hand and showed it to her.
[Temporary Holiday]
Lancia blinked repeatedly at the sign.
She looked visibly flustered by the unexpected situation.
“Umm…”
Lancia let out a low murmur, as if troubled.
Then, as if there were no other choice, she gave a small sigh.
“Shall we head back together, then?”
“Yes... I suppose we should.”
At Lian’s words, Lancia quietly nodded.
The two stood side by side and began to walk back along the path she had come.
“Don’t you have any responsibilities during the festival, Senior?”
Lian was the first to break the silence and ask her a question.
“There’s usually quite a bit for us to do during the Departure Festival, isn’t there?”
“Like the martial arts tournament or the dueling competitions?”
“Those too.”
Lian added,
“Things like the choir.”
“The choir?”
Looking puzzled, she asked again, and Lian nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, the choir. It’s just that, well, you have such a nice voice, Senior. You seemed like you'd really suit the choir.”
“Pfft.”
At those words, Lancia let out a small chuckle.
Her shoulders quivered slightly as if she were trying to suppress a laugh.
“Huhu, if someone else had said that, I might have gotten a little annoyed thinking they were hitting on me.”
She replied playfully.
Her expression had softened significantly compared to before.
“But since you’re the one who said it, I can only take it as a compliment, and it makes me feel good. Thanks for the kind words.”
Smiling, Lancia continued,
“Of course, I’ve memorized all the chants and hymns... but I can't be in the choir.”
“Huh? Why not? Is there some rule that Holy Knight candidates can’t join the choir or something?”
“Ahaha, no, nothing like that.”
Lancia laughed and waved her hand.
Then, looking slightly sheepish, she scratched her cheek and said,
“The truth is… I’m, well, terribly bad at singing.”
Her face reddened ever so slightly as she spoke.
“I’ve got no sense of rhythm, I can’t hit the right notes... even when I hear myself sing, I think, ‘What is this?’ Ahaha!”
Trying to shake off the awkwardness, Lancia suddenly asked Lian,
“What about you, Junior? You don’t have a bad voice either. Why didn’t you try signing up?”
“My personality just doesn’t suit that kind of thing.”
Lian shook his head in dismay.
“And, like I told you before, I was only inducted just before entering the Academy.”
“Ah, right…”
“I only barely managed to memorize the prayers. There’s no way I could even think about chants or hymns.”
“Haha.”
Lancia let out a soft laugh.
“So, you don’t have any plans either, then, Senior.”
“Mm, something like that. I guess you’re in a similar situation?”
For some reason, as she asked that, her eyes briefly flickered with a faint trace of expectation.
“Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
Lian shook the sign in his hand and added with a hint of a grumble,
“Thanks to that, I ended up running errands like hanging this sign on the door.”
Lancia gave a faint smile at his joke.
“Mm… Actually, I was thinking of going to enjoy the festival a bit with my friends later.”
“……”
“If it’s alright with you, would you like to come along too, Senior?”
It was half courtesy, half sincerity.
But at Lian’s invitation, Lancia’s expression suddenly darkened.
A deeper shadow fell over her face than when he had first seen her.
“...Senior?”
“...No, it’s fine.”
She shook her head.
“Truth is... um, I’m not feeling too well right now. I think I should just head back to the dorm and rest. Sorry, and thank you for inviting me.”
Her voice was low and subdued.
“I understand.”
Lian didn’t press any further and nodded.
It was because her expression and voice showed genuine exhaustion.
“Then please take care of yourself, Senior.”
“...Yes. You enjoy the festival too, Junior.”
Lian gave her a polite nod and turned around.
“I’ll be on my way now.”
With those words, Lian began to walk away.
Lancia stood in place, watching his retreating figure in silence until it had completely vanished from sight.
Her eyes had sunk just a little deeper.
But unmistakably so.
“……”
Staring in the direction Lian had disappeared, Lancia quietly murmured something.
Then she lifted her head and looked out beyond the Academy—specifically, toward the main road—and muttered through clenched teeth,
“...Burning them alive wouldn’t be punishment enough.”
Spitting out her words filled with contempt, she turned and walked off somewhere.