Chapter 499: Smartass
Reno raised his hand, a trace of a smile leaving his face.
"I'm going to be parting here too."
Ellis grimaced at him. "You are not getting any hugs. This is mine alone."
"Knock yourself out, kid."
Northern looked at him with no particular emotion in his eyes.
"I guess it has been a ride."
"Yes. It has. Thank you so much for your help." Reno paused, growing silent.
His eyes fell for a moment and rose with a wistful expression on his face.
"To be honest..."
The air was silent and wafted with suspense as he started.
"...I never actually thought you would live."
Northern raised a brow inquisitively.
"If anything, I thought you and Raven and Helena were going to be the first set of people to die."
His eyes fell again as his words continued, carrying a sentimental air.
"I was scared. I survived by sticking close to Afkon; my invisibility transcended into my personality and lifestyle. I hid and ran away from everything that happened in Stelia. I contributed not even in the slightest. And I am ashamed to be facing you like this." "And so what?"
Northern interrupted, making Reno lift his head to meet Northern's gaze.
"So what if you hid from everything? You think if I had an ability that gives me perfect invisibility like yours, I'd fight?"
Reno's eyes widened, not understanding what Northern was saying. This wasn't quite the reaction he expected.
"I'm envious of you, to be honest. You can just steal cores from slain monsters, hide in a cave or something, and not really endanger yourself."
The more Northern spoke, the more shocked Reno was by what Northern was saying. 'How?'
Northern was undeniably one of the major driving forces of the battle; his monster, Night Terror, and several people spoke of how he killed a being they could not kill with barely two strikes.
When he heard people talk about him, they all spoke about him like he was a celebrity.
Apparently, he had singlehandedly defeated a tier Vrift. Some say he even defeated all the monsters in Lotheliwan and single-handedly beat all the party leaders at the time. They say even Gilbert is scared of his strength.
They say the only person that can match his power is the amazing Lady Raven; even Annette respects him.
Of course, Reno didn't believe all those talks were true. But the fact was that in these talks, the message that went around more was the astounding power that Northern possessed.
He was strong, and everybody respected him!
Now, such a person, who against all odds had pushed forward, while he had hidden under the excuse of not being good on the battlefield.
His expression was filled with confusion. Northern, looking at his face, asked with a scowl. "What?"
"I-I mean, I thought you would chastise me? You were there... you saw how cowardly I was..."
"I'm not enjoying this. If you want me to start scolding you or judging you for being a coward, then you are not going to have that. One thing I am learning to not be is a hypocrite. I have been a coward too, and I don't think there's anything wrong with being a coward as long as you preserve your life."
He shot a deep stare at Reno, who staggered back by a step, eyes widened.
'It's like someone peeked into my soul.'
Northern took a few steps closer, reaching the entrance where Reno was standing.
"What does need chastising, however, is the lack of resolve. If by now you don't despise yourself enough to want to grow, then you should have died back in Stelia, alongside Afkon whom you couldn't betray."
"Let's go..." Northern walked out of the room without waiting for anyone.
His last words were harsh, so harsh that it made the atmosphere heavy; everyone else felt pity for Reno who had to hear something like that.
Of course, everyone except Ryan, who had a forlorn look on his face.
Shin bade Ellis farewell and tapped Reno's shoulder on his way out; Ryan just went away silently, leaving Reno and Ellis in the room.
It was awkward for a bit, but Ellis also managed to slip out.
Reno was left.
He sighed and looked up, then gritted his teeth; soon, a smile parted his lips.
The expression that warranted pity on his face faded away, replaced by a determined fire burning in his eyes.
"Thanks, Sir Northern. That was all I needed to hear," he clenched his fist hard before leaving the room.
Northern, Shin, Ryan, and Ellis checked out of the auberge together.
As they got out, Ellis waved them goodbye and trekked towards the left road.
Afterwards, Northern and Ryan followed Shin towards the right.
Now that it was daylight, the city called South Drywall could be vividly seen, a beauty that transcended what he had seen so far.
But of course, Northern had not seen so much beauty as of now.
South Drywall was a city etched beneath the towering spires of a grand citadel, unfurled in a breathtaking sprawl-a tapestry of ancient stone and sun-baked rooftops that gleamed in the
morning light.
The heart of the city was dominated by a colossal castle, its skyward-reaching towers piercing the clouds like the fingers of a divine hand.
Each turret and spire was intricately carved, tracing patterns that seemed to dance and shift with the sun's path across the sky.
The castle was a marvel of architecture, melding both elegance and power, standing as an ever-watchful guardian over the labyrinthine streets below. It was built amidst the city such that there was no angle from which the turret could not be seen.
From the base of the citadel, a grand boulevard stretched outward like a river of cobblestones, bustling with the vibrant life of the city.
Merchants, adorned in fine silks and roughspun wool alike, haggled beneath colorful awnings, their goods ranging from exotic spices to finely wrought jewelry that caught the sun
like stars.
The scent of fresh bread and roasted meats intermingled with the salt-tinged breeze that wafted in from distant rivers and canals that wove their way through the outer districts. Every building was a masterpiece in its own right, an ode to the ages past yet resonant with the vitality of the present.
Gothic towers and graceful arches stood shoulder to shoulder with humble homes of stone and timber, their red-tiled roofs dotted with moss and ivy.
Alongside narrow alleyways, intricate bridges arched over serene canals, linking the various districts like threads in a well-woven tapestry.
The constant trickle of water beneath, a melody as ancient as the city itself, provided a soothing counterpoint to the lively chorus of citizens that filled the streets.
The city sprawled outward in every direction, a seemingly endless maze of districts that radiated from the castle's imposing center.
To the north, vast plains stretched towards distant snow-capped mountains, their jagged peaks piercing the horizon.
To the south, a wide river curved lazily through the landscape, its waters shimmering like molten silver under the light.
What, however, was most eye-catching was the grandeur of the castle.
Northern, for some reason, couldn't help but stare at the tall spires.
He turned to his dad for a minute. "If I remember very well, South Drywall is dominated by a
citadel named Tharion, right?"
"Yes. Why do you ask?" Northern narrowed his eyes. "Is it possible for us to go there?"
Shin stopped, puzzled. "Well, what I had in mind was going to a discreet intel organization.
They are reputable for holding information on every nook and cranny in the Central Plains."
"And yet, Tharion sits dominant over South Drywall."
Shin was still confused; he wasn't getting what point Northern was trying to make.
Then Ryan inputted.
"Shouldn't they naturally pay obeisance to Tharion? If Tharion is strong enough to rule over
South Drywall, then I think this intel organization would have been a major part of that possibility, or could this intel organization just be another face of Tharion?"
Northern looked at Ryan, eyes widened. Then he smiled unbelievably.
'Crap, he's smart!'