Chapter 402 - 397 — Stray

Chapter 402: Chapter 397 — Stray

Zephyrion stared at the Aerelith for a long moment, barely resisting the urge to ask the man to repeat himself. But doing so might raise suspicions, and that was the last thing he wanted. Instead, his mind raced through several thoughts, most of them revolving around just how shitty his luck was.

Of all the days he could have chosen to sneak into the Aerelith Empire under the guise of their Unbound Journey, it just had to be the very day the damn thing was coming to an end.

’...There has to be a way around this...’

Unfortunately, Nourald seemed to be a lot more perceptive than he’d thought, quickly noticing his silence. The Aerelith frowned, visibly concerned.

"Is something wrong, brother? You look troubled."

Zephyrion quickly came up with an excuse. "...I just... lost track of time, I suppose. Feels like only this morning I set out on this journey."

The reply seemed to do the trick, as Nourald gave a knowing smile. "Ha! I think practically every strays would agree with you on that, brother. This past month has been one of the best of my life. I’ve been to places I never thought I’d visit, seen things I didn’t even know existed. Ah, it’s been wonderful. A real shame it has to end."

’Strays.’

Clearly, it was a term used to refer to other Aereliths on their Unbound Journey. Zephyrion made a mental note of it, silently reminding himself that he was in unfamiliar territory. He couldn’t afford to let his guard down, not even for a moment.

"...A real shame." Zephyrion put on the saddest expression he could muster. "If only there was some way to make it last a little longer."

He glanced at the Aerelith, half hoping that there was indeed a way, and that the man was trusting enough to reveal it.

"Ah, don’t even get me started! I’d give anything for just one more day of freedom. Anything! Well, almost anything, haha! Unfortunately, if there’s a way, the Endless Breath certainly hasn’t seen fit to share it with me."

’Shit.’

Zephyrion felt his mind race once more. Clearly, he couldn’t continue pretending to be on his Unbound Journey if everyone was supposed to be back behind their bastion walls. Which meant his initial plan had just gone straight to shit.

’Protégé, if that isn’t a sign from the heavens telling us to turn back, I don’t know what is,’ Demorian said. ’We’ve already made ourselves a fortune! Why don’t we take our treasures, go home, and come up with a better plan for this little investigation of yours? Hm? Doesn’t that sound lovely?’

’...I could get rid of these clothes and blend in with the commoners. It’ll be riskier, but I can manage.’

Zephyrion barely seemed to hear the ancestor as he continued considering his options. His tall figure and unusually clear skin might make blending in a little difficult, but it was still better than returning empty-handed.

He could practically feel Demorian on the verge of screaming, but unfortunately, Nourald beat him to it.

"Honestly, I’ve been thinking about that since the very first day, haha. But every brilliant idea I came up with was ruined by that damned tracking sigil. I mean, what’s the point of running away if they know exactly where you are? It’s downright cruel, I tell you. Sometimes I wonder if we were ever really free to begin with."

Again, Zephyrion had to suppress a frown.

’A tracking sigil?’

That changed things considerably. He needed to know what sort of sigil it was, where it was located, and most importantly, whether it affected him. Best-case scenario, it was on the dead Aerelith’s body. The next best possibility was that it was attached to his clothes. Worst case... well, he’d rather not think about that just yet.

Zephyrion forced a smile.

"...I take it you’ve tried everything you could to get rid of it?"

Nourald laughed. "Haha, well, I wouldn’t say everything. But I’ve heard of a few brothers foolish enough to try. Not that I blame them, mind you. Still, there’s only so much you can do when the damn thing is stuck to your chest."

’Best case.’

Zephyrion felt a wave of relief. If the sigil was attached to the body, then it was the dead Aerelith who had been marked, not him. Unfortunately, Nourald wasn’t finished talking.

"Honestly, I’ve always thought those fellows were idiots for even trying. The sigil was made by a Dominion rank, for Breath’s sake! What did they think they were going to do, scratch it off?" Nourald shook his head, scooping another mouthful of soup. "No, no. The only sensible way to avoid the whole mess is to make sure you never get tagged in the first place. But those sneaky bastards didn’t even warn us! One moment we’re putting on our clothes, and the next, we’re branded like a herd of livestock!"

Zephyrion felt his relief shatter, suddenly becoming uncomfortably aware of his own chest.

"Here, take a look." Nourald pulled down his collar. "Mine’s from the Vaelcrest Bastion. What about yours? I hope it’s the same, actually. I’m starting to like you, Azeron!"

’How the hell did I miss this?’

Zephyrion instinctively reached for his collar, his mind racing through everything that had happened since he put on the Aerelith clothes.

He hadn’t felt anything strange at the time, not even the slightest discomfort. Yet now that Nourald had mentioned it, he could practically feel something burning against his chest. He slowly pulled down his collar, revealing a pair of outstretched wings surrounding a small spiral of wind embedded in his skin. Nourald’s face immediately lit up at the sight.

"Ha! Would you look at that. We’re from the same bastion. That means we’ll be heading back together. Ah, this is wonderful."

It was, in fact, not wonderful.

The sigil had been hidden in the clothes and had somehow attached itself to him the moment he put them on. Which meant he was now marked, and if he failed to report to the bastion, they would know exactly where to find him.

’What now?’

’What now? What NOW?!’ Demorian snapped. ’I’ll tell you what now, you suicidal little brat! We turn around, pack up our treasures, and get the hell out of here! You are NOT walking into an enemy bastion! Do you have any idea what they’ll do to you if they find out who you are?!’

"Then I should introduce you to the others!" Nourald said, looking even more delighted by the discovery. "I was going to rest a little longer before joining them, but I don’t mind leaving early. Besides, I’m sure the others would love to meet you! What do you say?"

Demorian’s protests were practically thundering in his ears.

’Protégé... don’t you dare. I know that look. Don’t you bloody dare...’

Zephyrion stared at the Aerelith, silently weighing his options. He had already wasted far too much time getting here, and he couldn’t afford to waste any more. With that thought, he raised his bowl, downed the remaining soup in several gulps, and turned to Nourald.

"Alright. Let’s go."