Novel Full Chapter 417: Back Together With Lyone
Chapter 417: Back Together With Lyone
The meeting room smelled faintly of steel and parchment, the residue of countless councils where lives and strategies had been weighed.
General Ivaan sat with arms crossed, listening intently as Captain Apnoch relayed their report in clipped, soldierly detail. He didn’t embellish, didn’t soften—he spoke as one who knew the truth was heavy enough without polish.
The beasts breaching beneath the walls. The tunnels that had been more than burrows. The masked fighters, their way of fighting, their coordinated retreat, and the collapse of every trace of evidence.
Damien watched Ivaan’s face carefully, noting the small flickers of recognition—or perhaps disquiet—that passed behind the old general’s eyes. By the time Apnoch finished, the sky beyond the high windows had started to fade into dusk, purple shadows crawling across the city.
“You did well,” Ivaan finally said, his deep voice steady but grave. “The fact that you returned alive is enough proof of that. Rest, all of you. Tomorrow, we begin again. We’ll need to start anticipating their moves before they make them.”
Damien subtly nodded. Exactly what he’d suggested. This old man knew what plans to make.
He dismissed them with a firm nod, and the weight of the day seemed to settle at once across Damien’s shoulders. His body felt heavy, his mind still ticking with pieces of the puzzle that refused to fit.
Beside him, Arielle rubbed her temples, her expression tight but calm. Apnoch lingered only long enough to offer Damien a silent nod before striding off to see to his squad.
Damien and Arielle stepped into the corridor together, the torches on the walls casting long shadows over the stone floor. They had scarcely taken five steps before a small figure leapt from a corner.
“Damien! Arielle!”
Lyone’s voice rang clear through their ears. He dashed toward them, eyes bright despite the hour, and nearly bowled Damien over in his excitement.
Damien caught him with a steady hand on the boy’s shoulder, smiling faintly. “I can see improvements already. Your physique—your stance—it’s firmer than when we left you.”
Lyone’s chest puffed out, though his grin betrayed the boy beneath the budding warrior. “Captain Apnoch’s men didn’t go easy on me.”
Arielle crouched slightly to meet his eyes, her smile softening the fatigue on her face. “I’ve missed you, Lyone. You’ve been training hard, haven’t you?”
“I missed you both too,” Lyone said earnestly, his gaze darting between them. His voice trembled with sincerity. “Every time, I thought—what if you didn’t come back? What if the beasts or… or the demons—”
Damien’s hand ruffled his hair before the boy could spiral further. “We came back. That’s enough for today.”
Lyone blinked rapidly, then smiled again, more controlled this time.
“Come on,” Damien said, gesturing toward the exit. “Let’s retreat to our quarters. We’ll have more time to talk there.”
Their resting place was modest but secure, one of the stone barracks set aside for honored guests of Delwig’s military.
The chamber was lit by two lanterns, their glow soft against the stark walls. A wooden table stood at the center, surrounded by three sturdy chairs.
Lyone immediately settled into one, leaning forward as if eager to spill every word he’d been holding in.
“They’re… they’re so strict,” he began, almost breathless. ” Captain Apnoch’s team—they fight like I’ve never seen. Even when it’s training, they don’t hold back. Every spar, every drill—it feels like they’re pushing me to my limit. And when I fall, they make me stand up again. I wanted to give up at first. But then…”
His hands clenched into fists on the table, small but determined. “Then I remembered what you said, Damien. That if I can’t face these trials now, the beasts out there won’t show me mercy later. So I kept going.”
Damien leaned against the back of his chair, studying the boy with a quiet satisfaction. Lyone’s voice carried less hesitation than before, his eyes more certain. Not just stronger… sharper. The pressure’s shaping him faster than I expected.
“You’re doing well,” Damien said simply, though the words carried weight. “Even if you don’t see it yet, I can.”
Lyone flushed, the praise settling into his chest like a glowing ember.
Arielle folded her arms gently, her tone light but her eyes proud. “You sound bolder already. More sure of yourself.”
Lyone glanced away, embarrassed, though the smile lingered on his lips.
Then Arielle began to speak of what she and Damien had discovered outside Delwig—the abandoned hideouts, the corrupted beasts, the writings etched into stone. She spoke evenly, but the boy’s eyes widened with every detail, awe mixing with horror.
“They’re really doing that?” Lyone whispered when she paused. “Changing beasts with… with demonic essence?”
Damien’s gaze flicked to him, steady and calm. “Yes. And it won’t stop there. But it’s not something you need to carry yet. Focus on your training, Lyone. That’s your battlefield for now.”
Lyone’s lips parted, as though he wanted to ask more. But Damien’s tone left no room for argument.
“Tomorrow,” Damien continued, “we can talk again. For now, rest. Both of you.”
Arielle exhaled softly, exhaustion finally tugging at her. Lyone nodded reluctantly, rising from the table to head for his own chamber.
The room quieted once more, the soft hum of the lantern filling the silence. Damien leaned back, closing his eyes briefly. For all the blood and chaos of the day, the sight of Lyone’s growth had lit something steadier in him.
But that peace did not last long.
The barracks grew silent with the depth of night. Soldiers rotated their watch outside, boots crunching faintly against stone, but within the guest quarters, quiet ruled.
Damien slept lightly, senses half-awake even in rest. Arielle too had settled into slumber, her breathing even and calm.
It was Lyone who stirred.
The boy’s eyes opened in the dark, a flicker of restlessness in them. He sat up slowly, his mind replaying the words he had heard earlier—about tunnels, masked figures, experiments. His chest felt tight, his thoughts loud. ’They’re risking everything while I’m only training. I can do more… I have to do more.’
His bare feet touched the cold floor. Slowly, carefully, he reached for the small pack he kept near his bedside—water, a blade he’d been practicing with, and the faint glow of a low-grade essence stone.
He glanced toward the doors to Damien and Arielle’s chambers, hesitation gripping him for a heartbeat. Then he steeled himself, whispering so softly it barely brushed the air.
“I’ll prove it. I’ll show them I’m not just a burden.”
The door creaked faintly as he slipped into the corridor, swallowed by the shadows of Delwig’s night.