Supreme Magus

Chapter 3376: Righting Wrongs (Part 1)

Only Shargein enjoyed a delicious meal but no one dared ask him a bite not to offend Elina and Ripha. The Wyrmling was sitting on a special chair that could accommodate his size and weight while in his hybrid form.

He looked like a Dragon, but his hindlegs ended with taloned bird feet, his wings were feathered, and lustrous red feathers covered his body.

"Thanks, Mommy. Delicious!" Shargein cleaned his plates, making Salaark brim with joy.

"So, how was everyone’s trip to Lutia?" Raaz asked, crunching a piece of bacon a little too dry and crunchy for his taste.

Truth be told, Elysia and Valeron too had a great dining experience but only because their food was either produced by Kamila or prepared by Lith in advance.

The Verhens took turns recounting their experiences. Everyone loved the children’s idea of making coin-shaped pendants to hold Valtak’s ashes and was appalled at the news of having imposters scamming people by using their names.

"I guess it had to be expected." Trion sighed. "I mean, it was easy to tell the original citizens of Lutia from the newcomers. The people who had known us since before we became famous, like Dad’s men, just smiled and waved at us.

"Everyone else went from bowing all the way to the ground to throw themselves at our feet and beg for our blessing."

"Your blessing, son." Raaz chuckled. "I’m just a mortal whereas you are a guardian general."

"Please, don’t remind me of that." Trion groaned.

"I have interesting news." Lith told them about how Death Vision no longer plagued him unless he wished so.

"Is it because you and I fused again?" Solus asked.

"I doubt that’s the case." Lith shook his head. "Our fusion further mended my life force and, now that I have fully recovered, I can exert more of my full power without risks but that’s it.

"After carefully studying how Death Vision now works, I believe the change took place when Kami rescued me."

"If that’s true, how come you didn’t notice it until yesterday?" Kamila tilted her head in confusion.

"Because I’ve spent the whole time in Grandma’s palace." Lith replied. "Under her influence, I have no need to hold Death Vision back. When I went to the Royal Palace and attended Valtak’s funeral, instead, nothing happened that could disturb my focus.

"I wouldn’t have noticed yesterday either if I hadn’t let myself go on purpose. I’ve gotten so used to suppressing Death Vision that it now comes to me as natural as breathing."

"That’s wonderful news, dear." Elina smiled at her son, glad such a heavy burden had been lifted from his shoulders. "Yet I don’t understand what has triggered the change. I mean, you had already shut down the door to the Void back in the Valley of Life."

"That was different, Mom." Lith swallowed a burned piece of pancake. "Back then, I succeeded only thanks to Valtak’s help. He closed the door and I sealed it. The second time, I did everything on my own.

"It’s the reason I was able to close it easily back when my plan to use the blue flames against the World Tree literally backfired. When I regained my memories, my life forces merged into a form that makes producing Dread Flames easier which in turn allows me to suppress the blue flames.

"The Dread Flames that now envelop my Tiamat body constantly nurture my life force and suppress the negative effects of the Void."

"I’m happy for you, son." Raaz nodded.

Lith actually had more to say but preferred to wait until the children left for their morning lessons and games.

"I’d like to ask your advice on an important matter." Lith waved everyone to come back to the table after making sure the Hush Zone of the Doomslayer crib was on and the babies were asleep.

"My situation with the Kingdom is resolved and I’ve completely recovered." He said. "Yet there’s still a loose end I need to tie up. Righting the wrongs I did to those I met while in my Abomination form."

"The problem is that I don’t want to force them to face me and trigger their trauma just to feel better about myself. I want to make it up to them and, if possible, obtain their forgiveness.

"My question is: has enough time passed for them to face me on a neutral ground or would my presence just open their wounds and make things worse?"

Everyone pondered the issue without finding a proper answer. Were Lith to go too soon, it would be a disaster. Were he to go too late, his apologies would sound like an afterthought. Unless he found the right time, he would dig himself a deeper hole.

"You won’t like what I’m about to say but you need to hear it nonetheless, Featherling." Salaark said. "There’s no such thing as a right time to make your apologies and no clever plan that can help you. Not this time.

"You didn’t just wrong those people, they are your victims. They have met you as an Abomination. They have seen you in action without your humanity to filter your primal impulses.

"Surviving the encounter with an Abomination is almost as bad as dying at their hands. It leaves a mental scar in the bravest of men that time can’t heal. You crushed every illusion of safety and control over their life they had.

"They now know that out there exist people like you and I who can trample them with a thought. You could wait a Divine Beast’s lifetime and your victims wouldn’t fare any better than now when facing you.

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"The only way they have to heal is to face their trauma and stand up for themselves. No matter how it goes, the moment they tell you to leave and you do, it will give them back the sliver of control they need not to feel victims anymore.

"On top of that, offering them your sincere apologies might help. Seeing the creature of their nightmares admitting his wrongs is something that most people can only dream about. Emphasis on might, though."

"I agree with Grandma, there’s no such thing as the right moment." Solus nodded, clawing at her own shoulders. "Centuries have passed since Bytra killed me but the moment I faced my killer, it was like it happened yesterday."

She started shivering despite her Awakened physique and the heat of summer. Ripha hugged Solus’ from the back while Elina covered them both with a blanket.

"I… almost lost my mind back at Vastor’s wedding." Solus stuttered. "I was torn between the desire to kill her and the instinct to run for my life. I hated her. I hated her so much that I thought my heart would explode.

"Letting her live, letting go even of a sliver of that hate almost crushed me. I’m still sane only because you were with me and so was Mom through the Fury."

She took a deep breath before saying:

"Grandma is also right about the rest. I didn’t get any better until I was given the choice to forgive Bytra. It was my decision to make and even though it didn’t change the past, it made the present much less scary."