The sounds of the warriors ahead were enough to encourage anyone. The knights paused in one of the provinces along the path we were following, and at this moment, we were in a simple inn made of acacia wood, not as noble as the places I had witnessed in my life.
Whether I liked it or not, I was born with a silver spoon. I always had everything I wanted and needed, and even what I didn't need. But life wasn't like that for others. I think I am gradually learning about this world in an honest way, not in the spoiled way I have lived all this time.
"You seem distracted," I heard the male voice of one of the knights who were training a little earlier. I was just watching, as Velryna had told me.
"Many things go through the mind of a refugee, Sir Lloyd," I replied to the man with short brown hair. He was someone fun, although he had a scowl when irritated, as I saw during my little display for Simon.
"The old man told me he wants to join us," he commented, wanting to know if it was true.
"Yes, but only until we reach the capital," I remarked. Of course, Velryna's goal was the Capital, just like Simon's.
"Are you going to sign up for the royal guard?" he asked with a smile, seeming like he was trying to flirt with me, but I cut him off. "Who knows? Maybe I can become an adventurer, I just need a place to start," I replied, getting up.
"I'll take a walk, tell them I went to the city if anyone looks for me," I said, leaving without giving any explanation.
Lloyd, however, pondered Ziriel's actions, a woman who only wants money. He had heard a lot and seen a lot, but never someone as skilled as Ziriel.
"A strong and indomitable woman, huh, I pity anyone who likes you," he sighed and continued walking towards the knights in training.
And Dante, or rather, Ziriel, began to walk through the quiet town where they had landed. It wasn't much, the buildings were low and the local community seemed friendly. It was a middle-class town, but it was very well maintained. Even the poor areas were not devoid of goods. It was a city where one could live, and there would always be work.
"Why do you disappear all the time?" I asked, feeling a small dragon sitting on my head.
"I am still transitioning from reality," Voralith replied, leaving me confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"I am becoming a physical being, I am ceasing to be a spirit," she said, and I immediately stopped. "Why are you becoming a physical being?" I asked immediately, if she claimed she was becoming physical, did that mean she no longer had connections to the spiritual realm?
"It's as you imagine, I am no longer a spirit so there is no spiritual contract between us," she replied.
"But wait! What do you mean there's no spiritual contract? I feel the connection with you by contract!" I desperately asked, and she jumped off my head and flew in front of me.
"Hey idiot, I never made a spiritual contract with you. Because you died, I had to sacrifice my essence. I bound your existence to mine and mine to yours. We are forever bound together," she said, looking seriously at me.
"All this to leave the Spiritual Realm?" I questioned, she literally said she made an existential contract with me! Till death do us part! Ironically she married me! Damn!
"I can feel your thoughts, Dante," she said and I immediately shut up and went my way without saying a word. It was embarrassing to have your secrets exposed like that, and privacy!
"Stop asking for privacy, you can also see my thoughts," she roared, "I can't!" "That's because you're too weak." Damn it!
I ignored this little flying lizard and began to wander around the city. I saw many fairly common things, children having fun and playing, street vendors selling small delicacies, just as I had seen in Kryoris, although on a surrealistically smaller scale.
As I walked down the streets, I came across a nun placing some roses and crosses on a sort of memorial.
I was curious and approached calmly.
As I approached, she stared at me and bowed strangely, then walked away, making room for me to read what the memorial was about.
"With love, rest in peace," I read aloud, looking at the small notes and flowers around.
"Forever, my brother. From Suzzan," I read a note, behind it was a teddy bear.
"I will always remember you."
"What's all this?" I said aloud and heard a female voice behind me. "The Memorial in honor of the children who died ten years ago in the demon invasion," I heard, Velryna was behind me.
"Invasion?" I questioned, not knowing exactly what it was about. "Ten years ago, a Demon King began to be reborn during an official event of the Kryoris Academy." When she said that, I immediately froze, but couldn't utter a word.
"Then he devastated everything, killing thousands of innocents, and the Virtue of Justice killed him with Divine Judgment, but... it wasn't just that called Dante Scarlet who awakened, some demons started to act too, mainly those they call the Seven Deadly Sins." Velryna said and I could no longer react.
"Dante Scarlet..." I commented, my name clear.
"Yes, son of the strongest Vampire in the world, well... she was the strongest Vampire in the world." With those words, any other emotion vanished.
"What do you mean 'was'?" I quickly asked, feeling helpless just thinking something might have happened.
"Valentina Scarlet... or rather, the former Countess Scarlet has been imprisoned for ten years, because of the actions of bringing a Demon King to Nightsphere, the Witch Queen, currently one of the three supreme beings, sealed her," Velryna said and sat on a bench, lightly calling me to sit next to her.
"And what about the witch Morgana Arcano?" I asked.
"Let's see... Uncle Simon doesn't like us talking much about his mistress, I think it was a very big shock for him, but the Princess is like Valentina, in an external piece of reality having her strength sealed, Simon has had no news of her for 7 years." Velryna explained and inside I sighed, finally some useful information, at least they're still alive.
"I've been trying not to ask, but where are we going?" I asked and she gave me a slight smile. "To my brother Ethan Smith's coronation ceremony."
It was just two words, "my brother," and I simply almost killed this girl the moment I heard about such filth, to have this worm as a brother? Spare me.
"After surviving the Demon King's attack, he received the title of Hero. There were no more competitions among the heirs, and so, my father chose him as the successor, although I think it's stupid he received a hero title trying to assassinate a child, a pity that the child later became a Demon King." Velryna said, seeming bitter about such an act.
"Fate plays with us sometimes." I said, clearly thinking about the past, ten years ago when I was thrown into a dungeon to die, with no help or mercy, just out of envy.
Such a person, now would be crowned as Emperor? Hell no, only over my dead body.
"It seems you don't get along with him." She said, she looked at me with a strange look but answered me "Sigh, I hate him." She commented, at least that I agree with you, my lady.
"Why?"
"My brother doesn't know the meaning of boundaries, he thinks that because he graduated from Kryoris it makes him superior to everyone, and hides his shitty personality behind a mask." Velryna said as she seemed to remember something.
"It must be hard, I never had siblings and my mother... my mother was very strict although she was very careful with me." I replied.
"What envy, mine abandoned me and gave all the privileges to my brother Ethan, naturally I would go to Kryoris but... they conspired against me, so I have been walking strange paths, I am a big target for the family because of my brother." She commented, much now made sense, a princess walking on dangerous paths...
of course, she was a target in an internal struggle for the throne, I just can't imagine why the former Emperor would pass his title so soon, he seemed young when I met him at the ceremony in Kryoris.
"Well, shall we go? We need to reach the capital in three days." She commented and I nodded, walking alongside her;
"Princess, why have you been treating me so well even though I'm a stranger?" I asked, curious because such an act was irrational, for a princess who needed protection she was giving me a lot of information.
"Because you seem lost, like me." She commented, I didn't understand but just stayed quiet and let it pass, I'll think about it later when my mind is clear.