Supreme Magus

Chapter 3724: Still Family (Part 1)

According to Thrud’s words, Leegaain was also guilty of not protecting Jormun from the thing that had caused the argument with Thrud.

Once again, Ufyl refused to focus on the details of the Unwavering Loyalty array, but Valeron could still feel the Seven Headed Dragon’s shame. Whatever it was, it shamed Thrud even more, and she had regretted it until her bitter end.

Once Ufyl was done, the other Divine Beasts answered Valeron’s questions, but it was more of the same.

They all glossed over the gruesome parts and deeply regretted everything they hid from him. Also, the Divine Beasts seemed desperate to emphasize how much Thrud loved Valeron and Jormun. That whatever she had done, she had done it for them.

"Why Lith?" Valeron asked his last question despite already knowing the answer.

The Divine Beasts unanimously replied that it was Thrud’s wish and that they had fulfilled it.

"You ask Lith hide truth me?" Valeron wanted to know if Lith had lied to him per Thrud’s instructions.

"Mother couldn’t ask more from Verhen, but there was no need to." Everyone replied when their turn came. "He wanted to protect you as much as we did. That’s why we never said anything whenever he brought you to visit us.

"We despise Verhen for what he did to your parents, but our love for you is greater than that."

"Why Lith fight Mom? Why Lith fight Dad?" Valeron asked, and everyone remained silent, just like Lith had done.

The only difference was that while Lith regretted lying to Valeron, not his actions during the War of the Griffons, Thrud’s Divine Beasts regretted both. When Valeron felt it, he wondered how much he didn’t know about his mother.

Luckily for him, in his naivety, he believed that if even her sworn enemy was willing to defend her memory, Thrud had to be a proud and honorable warrior. His mind refused to picture her as a bad person unless he received undeniable proof, and nobody was willing to give him that.

"Thanks." Valeron extended his little arms, and the Divine Beasts embraced him in turns.

He asked them to remember with him the happy times they had spent together at the Golden Griffon, and the Divine Beasts gladly delivered.

Through the Divine Beasts’ eyes and memories, Valeron relived his early days. He felt Thrud’s love for him as strong as he remembered it and was reassured that Jormun would have never left his side unless he was forced to.

Both those things made the baby boy happy and confused him even more.

How could Valeron’s parents love him yet entrust him to the man who had murdered them? Why were those bad Awakened so angry with Thrud and Jormun if they had been nothing but loving and caring people?

Valeron found no answer to his questions but decided to put them to rest. The Dragon Scales, mind links, and Leegaain’s empathic connection reassured him that whatever the Divine Beasts were hiding from him, his feelings for him hadn’t changed.

They loved him and were willing to fight to the death to protect him. Despite all the lies and omissions, they were still his family.

***

Verhen Mansion, later that evening.

After dinner, Lith had sought the privacy and isolation of the main keep. Its high spire hid the presence of the tower and also offered a great sight from above of the surrounding area.

From up there, Lith could see deep into the Trawn Woods and past the high walls protecting the Mansion. He had brought a chair to appreciate the cold breeze of fall, along with a strong whiskey.

He had promised not to drink until Kamila could join him, but after the recent events, she had gladly agreed to make an exception. If not for her pregnancy, she would have joined him.

Ice cream was just as guilty a pleasure and had no side effects aside from those on her figure, so she joined Solus instead and stuffed her face with sweets to fight the stress of those days.

"You know that only bad guys skulk in the darkness while everyone else lives in the light, right?" Orion said while climbing the final steps to the parapet.

"I do, and I feel like one." Lith sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought you could use some company." Orion took a chair and a glass of alcohol out of his dimensional amulet. "I brought mine because if I so much as sniff at yours, I’d fall into a drunken coma. How is it going with Valeron?"

"It’s always the same." Lith sipped his Red Dragon. The drink spread waves of warmth through his body, but brought no comfort to the coldness of his heart. "He doesn’t talk to me, doesn’t look at me, and hates the sound of my voice.

"I failed Jormun, Orion. I had one job. He asked me to keep Valeron safe, and I failed. Now that poor boy’s whole childhood is ruined. Maybe Valeron will forgive me when he gets old enough to understand the War of the Griffons, but by then it will be too late.

"There will be no trust or happiness in his life, only bitterness and rage. Believe me, that’s a fate I wish only upon my worst enemies."

Orion had no idea how someone with good parents like Lith could talk from experience about such matters, but asked him no questions.

"Nonsense." Orion snorted. "I now understand what my Little Flower meant when she said that you carry the weight of Mogar on your shoulders. Back then, I thought that despite your small size, you were just a giant prick, but now I see that your coldness stems from a strong sense of duty."

"Thanks, I guess." Lith replied.

"I respect honor and duty, Lith, but not if you let them crush you." Orion nursed his drink in between small sips. "I understand how you feel, but more than anything, I understand how Jormun feels.

"I have no idea what waits for us after death or where he has gone, but one thing I can tell you for sure. Wherever Jormun is, he doesn’t blame you for what happened with those Awakened.

"Quite the contrary, he is grateful to you for saving his son’s life. He feels indebted to you for taking all the blame and not letting the harshness of the truth taint Valeron’s love for Thrud. You are protecting what’s left of the boy’s heart at the cost of yours.

"There’s no parent on Mogar who wouldn’t be proud of you for what you’ve done and what you are doing for Valeron. No parent but me."

Orion spoke those last four words with bitterness and shame. Yet those feelings weren’t addressed to Lith but to himself.

"And why is that?" Lith asked, feeling that he needed to hear the answer as much as Orion needed to say it out loud.

"Because I envy you, you damn bastard." Orion’s voice creaked, and his grip on the glass tightened. "I envy you, and I would give every last piece of enchanted metal I possess to be like you.

"You once again succeeded where I failed. When my baby girls were in danger, all I could do was rely on you."