Chapter 764: Childhood
Some time later, Northern landed gracefully on the beast of burden.
Just as he had said, it hadn't taken long. The monsters closing in on them had vanished completely—their savage snarls and relentless pursuit brought to an abrupt and dreadful end.
Yet, despite that, Northern still looked slightly bothered.
Noticing, Roma thoughtfully debated whether to ask before finally speaking.
"You don't look satisfied..."
Northern glanced at her, then sighed.
"It's nothing. I'm just slightly worried about the monster that destroyed the caravan."
Roma frowned.
"I thought it was a group?"
Northern lingered for a moment, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"No, it wasn't. The wounds were identical."
Roma tilted her head.
"That could mean several monsters had the same kind of weapon. Maybe you killed them just now?"
Northern was silent for a moment.
She was close. Her reasoning was logical. But it was incorrect.
His Chaos Eyes had seen everything.
Even without trying, the intricate details of the wounds had been imprinted into his mind. Each cut was perfect-smooth, precise, consistent.
If it had been a horde, there would have been a pattern, yes. But not this level of exactness.
There was no variance. No slight imperfections that came from different hands striking at different angles.
This had been the work of one. The caravan had encountered a singular force-a monster far beyond their capabilities.
Northern blinked, his eyes turning resolute.
"No. I'm sure about it. The bastard that killed them is ahead of us. We'll probably come across it soon."
Roma swallowed, shifting her gaze forward.
She didn't quite know how to feel. She was in the safe presence of a Sage. That should have been comforting.
But for some reason, it wasn't.
This wasn't like her. She hadn't grown to this point by riding on others' backs.
Pulling her legs closer, she wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees as she stared ahead with a somber expression.
The Day Star was slowly descending, its light fading. The cold crept in stronger now, intensified by the powerful strides of the beast beneath them.
Northern glanced at her.
"Where's your cloak?"
She hesitated.
"...I used it to lay Gareon to rest."
Northern tilted his head slightly.
"Isn't that a useless thing to do? Gareon is dead. His body won't feel the cold-but you will. You need it more than he does."
A faint, pale smile curved her lips.
"Maybe you're right... but he looked like he needed it more than I would."
Northern shook his head. Understanding the girl had proven to be a daunting task. Even now, when he was making a genuine effort.
A cold silence drifted between them, stretching for a few seconds. Then, without a word, Northern summoned a black cloak and offered it to her.
Roma blinked, retracting her head slightly.
"...What?"
"I have no use for this, so you can have it." He paused. "Not permanently, though. I don't think ordinary humans can keep soul-bound items forever. But as long as I'm around... yeah." Roma stared at him for a moment, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
Then, she reached out and accepted the cloak with a small, tender smile.
"Thank you."
Northern turned his gaze forward without another word.
The cold wind howled through the air-almost as if it had noticed Roma had been reinforced.
But now, wrapped in the strange warmth of the cloak, it became more bearable.
She admired it for a second, her eyes glittering. Then, her expression turned somber.
A prolonged silence followed before her voice cut through, soft and steady.
"So, Rian... you grew up in Verulania?"
Northern thought for a moment, then shrugged.
"Quite."
Roma lowered her gaze slightly.
"Hmm..."
She hesitated for a bit. Then, carefully, she asked-
"So... how was your childhood?"
Northern took a moment before responding. His gaze dimmed as he summoned memories of
a distant past.
"Nothing worth mentioning. My parents-especially my mom-were quite protective of me.
I was only allowed to wander a few meters around the outskirts. I wasn't allowed to visit some neighbors because my mother thought they were sketchy. My dad would always tell her she
was paranoid."
He chuckled lightly.
"But he was just as bad. He'd stupidly forget important details, do things that made me question if he was really that old. Oddly enough, it felt like I was the adult in the family."
He paused.
Then, belatedly, he realized how much he had rambled.
A faint flush of embarrassment crept up his face, but he quickly swallowed it, keeping his
expression cool.
"I'm sorry. I lost myself for a minute."
Roma smiled, watching him.
"Is this the first time?"
Northern raised a brow.
"First time for what?"
"The first time you've talked about your family. Your mom and dad."
Northern turned his gaze forward, silent for a few beats.
"...I think so."
Roma studied him, then asked softly-
"Do you want to talk more about them?"
Northern hesitated.
"I don't think so."
She smiled.
Then, slowly, she turned her gaze toward him.
And at some point, her stare lingered.
Northern felt it.
Felt it long enough that it started to creep beneath his skin.
He frowned.
"...What?"
Roma tilted her head slightly.
Then, she murmured-
"Your eyes..." Northern narrowed them slightly, struggling to comprehend her meaning.
She added-
"Your eyes... they sparkled when you talked about them."
Her lips curved upward, her golden eyes gleaming.
"You should have seen it. It was beautiful."
Northern stiffened.
Before he could react, she continued-
"Tell me you love your parents without saying 'I love my parents.' That's what that was."
She smiled largely now, her pearly white teeth shining.
Northern flushed-again.
But he suppressed it, keeping his face straight.
After a second, his voice cut through the moment.
"...Isn't that a given?"
Silence followed.
Then, after some thought-for the sake of change-Northern spoke again.
"...So. What about you?"
Roma blinked.
"Your childhood," he clarified. "Where did you grow up?"
Roma turned to him, eyes slightly widening.
For a moment, she just stared.
Then, as if only just realizing he was talking to her, she pointed at herself.
"...Me?"