For a while, Orion and Tetra watched Orianne stare at the skeleton.


    In silence, they waited.


    After a few minutes, she turned toward Orion and smiled.


    "Let''s go. I wouldn''t want to bother you when I simply tagged along."


    They both knew that Orianne was holding back something. The fact that she decided to follow her son probably had to do with her current state.


    While turning back in complete silence after paying their respect to the dead legends of this mausoleum, many questions returned to Orion now that he was with his mother.


    Returning to the entrance of Ormrdivin, Orion looked toward a familiar wall.


    "It hasn''t changed. That''s a relief."


    Stopping in front of it, he caressed the smooth surface.


    "Let me open it for you."


    Tetra leaned over his right arm, purposefully pressing her breasts on it while touching the wall.


    "..."


    He knew that Tetra would be acting like this, something she told him again and again before.


    Since he was fine with it and actually enjoyed these little moments of affection, nothing came out of his mouth as Tetra opened the fake door with a smile.


    Crumbling into dust, the path leading to the Remnants'' hideout appeared.


    "Incredible..."


    Orianne opened her eyes wide in astonishment.


    "We have to go further inside to find whom we''re looking for. It''s a few hours of walking, so let''s talk on the way."


    Glancing over his shoulder, he gave a sharp stare at his mother. This told Orianne that whatever she was hiding, he wanted to hear it.


    With a defeated smile and a shrug, she followed behind them.


    ...


    They walked down a rocky path, where not even light could show them the way.


    Compared to the past, Tiohr-nam''s roots weren''t present to create the bioluminescent light they used to get further down into the guts of the mountain.


    When Orion stopped, he thought about lighting the path with light magic.


    As he lifted his hand in front of him, he suddenly hesitated.


    "I''ll light the way."


    Seemingly reading the unease on his face, Orianne placed her hand on his arm and gently pushed it down.


    Once Orion nodded, she opened her hand, creating in the palm of her hand a bright yellow flame that pushed away the darkness.


    "Thanks, mom."


    "Anything for you."


    With a smile, she walked alongside him, while Tetra took a step back. She knew when to back off and when to take the opportunity.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    For now, it was Orion and Orianne''s time.


    "Mom."


    While walking, Orion looked at her from the side. Keeping her head forward, Orianne smiled.


    "What is it?"


    "I know a lot about dad, yet I know barely anything about you."


    "I could gather that you were rather important to the dragons and that you grew more powerful thanks to them. That''s it."


    He frowned.


    "That previous matter with Monolavir and Ruminona was one thing, but standing in front of that skeleton confirmed it."


    "Would you tell me more about you?"


    Orianne''s heart melted. She knew Orion wouldn''t force the subject out of her, even if he desired to know her secrets.


    Inside, she wanted to avoid the topic, but this query came from her son.


    No amount of hesitation would help, and the more she pondered on telling him, the stronger the fear he would hate her grew.


    Dropping her gaze as she walked down the rocky slope, she sighed.


    "It''s nothing pretty. I''m not a protector like your father or a perfect woman who can do anything."


    "But if you want to know, I have no reason to hide it. You would know after asking those two anyway."


    With a shrug and a light smile, she began telling another part of her story.


    "It was a year after I had met with Reon."


    —


    A crimson-haired teenage girl was exploring the north coast of Eogis.


    She had a fight with her father that day, which led to her leaving the house she had grown up in since her birth.


    While kicking rocks on top of a cliff over the crashing waves of the sea, she grumbled.


    "They are all so stupid! Why won''t they understand?"


    She crouched and picked up a large rock, the size of her fist.


    "If only I was more powerful, things would be going the way I want them to."


    Crushing the rock into pieces with her raw strength, the girl glared at her hand.


    "Angels or demons, who actually cares? Aren''t we just the same? Why does everyone want to continue this pointless war?"


    "Aren''t we in peace today because we''re done with sacrificing our people?"


    "Wasn''t the blood we spill enough...?"


    She felt disappointment, anger, guilt, and concern.


    Disappointment in her father and his retainer. Angry at the people for not understanding her words. Guilty of the death of so many good people on both sides.


    And concerned about a young man that she started to love.


    "With things going as they are, it''s a matter of months before we''re back to square one..."


    "I cannot let Reon waste his life on the battlefield."


    She loved many things in this world. The sound of rustling leaves during training, the feeling of accomplishment after a good workout, and cute objects or animals.


    But there was one person living constantly in her head. Reon Feales, an angel.


    His love for nature was uncharacteristic for a man, especially in this era of strife. He was a bit clumsy but very precise with his fingers.


    She could watch him play with those weird devices she couldn''t understand for hours without feeling bored.


    His gaze when focused on his work and the one he wore when focusing on improving his magic were very striking to her.


    But what she loved the most was his caring and stupidly stubborn personality.


    It took her an entire year to realize that behind his wimpy and low self-esteemed attitude was actually a smart and thoughtful person.


    He wasn''t like the rest. His dreams were bigger and more fleshed out than everyone else.


    With his dream aligning with hers, she couldn''t let such an opportunity go away.


    She was persuaded that her happiness and the prosperity of both factions were in her hands. With one wrong choice, everything would crumble like a house of cards after a light breeze.


    "If only father would listen to me... I don''t understand."


    "Is it because I am a woman? Or is it because I am weaker than he is? Or because I am a disappointment?"


    Her lack of magic energy was no mystery to the demons. The amount of teasing from the people her age and the berated looks of the adults were a clear giveaway.


    "Why do they want to fight so badly? What would that create?"


    "What happens if we win? We kill all the people who never fought? Do we enslave them? Women and children, even the elderly?"


    The anger in her words was following the wrath of the waves below her.


    "But what if we lose? Will we be treated like slaves? Or would they execute us all?"


    Despair was growing more and more as time went on. It became harder and harder to find a clear solution to this problem.


    "The only solution I can think of is to fight my father and take his place."


    She wasn''t smart enough, like Reon, to find the perfect path ahead. The sole idea she had would definitely bring more trouble down the line, which couldn''t be settled with power alone.


    "But I am far too weak..."


    Hating her immaturity and lack of strength, she gnashed her teeth.


    After a moment, she relaxed her mind and body. Letting her shoulders drop, she approached the edge of the cliff and looked down.


    "Issues aren''t easily solved. Reon was right."


    "Still..."


    Looking with determination into the distance, she clenched her hands into fists.


    "To avoid having regrets, I have to push forward. I cannot let those emotions stop me from achieving our dream of peace."


    Suddenly, as she watched the tall mountain far away from her island, she noticed a shadow suddenly covering her surroundings.


    "Was it cloudy today?"


    Confused, she looked up.


    "..."


    Her mouth opened wide as terror suddenly wrapped around her mind.


    Petrified, she watched as a massive red dragon dropped gradually in front of the cliff.


    *Snort*


    Orianne instinctively smiled from the tension.


    "What a day to die..."


    Unable to free herself from the fear, she watched as the dragon tilted its head to the side, as if pondering.


    ''Is it an intelligent beast?''


    Confused, she kept watching the dragon.


    ''Oh, it might be thinking of a way to torture me before eating me. I heard cats do that with their prey.''


    She was no match against a dragon. All she could do was prepare herself for her impending death.


    But, as she readied herself, the dragon lowered its body further down the cliff, hiding its body from her sight.


    His long neck, its wings, and its large head were all she could see.


    As the dragon looked at the woman, it stared inside her eyes. Intrigued, it approached its head closer to her, going as far as to almost touch her with its nose.


    ''I''m dead...''


    As she thought that, a powerful heat suddenly wrapped her heart.


    "Haaaa!"


    All the air in her lungs escaped, leaving her unable to breathe. Orianne grabbed her throat, her eyes crying from the painful sensation ravaging her internal organs.


    Then her head began to burn intensely. But at the same time, the voice of an old man broke the silence in her head.


    "Young lady. Can you hear my voice?"


    The heat suddenly stopped hurting, and she looked up at the dragon with a bewildered expression.


    "Huh? Why? What happened?"


    Confused, she looked around but could only see the massive dragon in front of her.


    "I understand your bewilderment. The one speaking to you is right in front of you."


    Her gaze slowly traced back to their original position.


    "I see you do hear my voice. Sublime."


    A sense of satisfaction echoed through his deep, older voice.


    "Who... are you?"


    The dragon leaned backward, stretching its neck higher.


    "Me?"


    Its mouth opened slightly, letting out a torrent of lava from it that fell into the ocean.


    "I am one of the primal dragons created by our father."


    "My name is Diramo?."