Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The next day came too fast for Hera's taste but how could she stop her foolish grandson? It has only been a day since their reunion and he's leaving again. And this time he might not return to her.

She watched as he put on a new cloak he made with his magic and signature masked. Honestly, he could make clothes with his powers but he still chooses to wear the clothes she made for him.

"How will be getting to Orario?" Hera asked

"By walking," Ashton said and Hera raised an eyebrow questioningly. It takes about a month or two to get Orario from Carne village. Ashton could easily get there within a day.

"Aiz is part of the same Familia as the Braver. He knows that I'm strong enough to beat the Bitch. If I show up one week after the death of the One-Eye Black Dragon he would definitely suspect me immediately of being the killer." Ashton said with a hint of respect in his voice.

"But you deliver a message from Aria to her daughter wouldn't that still make you suspect?" Hera asked

"Yes. But it would still be his usual suspicion and not his near-total belief that I actually I did." Ashton with a sigh. Finn Deimne the Captain of the Loki Familia was probably of the few people Ashton respected. His intellect, fighting abilities, and his understanding of the path he walks earned him Ashton's respect.

"I know you will probably leave Orario as soon as you delivered the message. But you had the time or meet Freya…" Hera begins

"Attention whore. Yeah Yeah." Ashton said as he waved her hands at Hera

"Good," Hera said with a smile before going in and to gave Ashton a hug. Ashton returned her hug and give her a comforting smile.

"Be safe," Hera said

"I will try," Ashton said as he let go and begin his walk down the path.

(***)

Ashton was walking through the streets of his childhood village. Children and parents celebrate the death of the One-Eye Black Dragon on the streets. Stands filled the streets as the children and parents were enjoying them with smiles on their faces.

Ashton felt his heart at ease as he sees the joy throughout the street. As he was looking at the center of the village he saw a…play?

"Oh, dragon here I stand the Last Hero…"

Is that a play about my fight with the One-Eye Black Dragon? I paused for a moment before shrugging.

It made sense for people to start telling stories about the person who killed the last true monster that threaten mortals. He was fine with it so long as no one associated me with the monster's death.

'See that Bitch the new age of Heroes will never begin.'

He will never be a Hero.

While there are countless people who wish to become Heroes of this generation for one reason or another. He was not one of them, for he as seen what Heroes brought. Nothing but misery and pain.

Heroes create an illusion of glory and righteousness that has led so many people to their deaths.

They are so blinded by the ideals that drive them that they stopped to see what their ideals would lead them. Making excuses for their actions believing them to be just when they slaughter countless innocent lives.

So it was already a foregone conclusion that he was never going to be recognized as a Hero. He was NOT going to reveal his deed to the world. He was NOT going to be celebrated and exposed. And more importantly, he was NOT going to take honor and pride thanks to his accomplishment, no matter how stupid and illogical that decision could be. He may have killed the beast, but he would rather die than reveal this secret to the world.

Why, would you ask? Simple: because he would rather DIE than become the Hero that his accursed Bitch had wanted. He would NEVER become the Hero that that woman had wished for during her life. He was NOT going to become the thing for which the Bitch and Zald had killed countless people seven years ago.

He would not give that witch any satisfaction, even if she was long dead by now.

Because of him.

Yet a part of him knew that he could never get any satisfaction from spiting the Bitch because on some level that Bitch won.

She created the person who was able to do what she failed to do. Not in the way she thought but it was a moot point. She won and he lost.

The only thing he could do is make her victory as pyrrhic as possible. He would never become a shining beacon of hope and heroism. He will be a ghost, a forgotten note in history.

(***)

[The Labyrinth City of Orario-Twilight Manor]

"How is she, Riveria?"

Upon hearing the question, the High Elf exhaled a weary, exhausted sigh. Finn could clearly see the dark bangs under her eyes, unmistakable signs of her increasing lack of sleep.

The famous Adventurer known as Braver pursed his lips into a tight line while Riveria entered the room and took a seat next to him and Gareth, shaking her head without uttering a single word. Her silent answer was more than enough for everyone to understand that the situation had remained unchanged. As soon as she did so, in fact, the whole room fell into a tense silence once again, and despite the others' presence, the silence seemed to stretch for an eternity of agonizing, relentless anxiety.

Right now, they were in the large dining room of Loki Familia's home, Twilight Manor. Almost every single one of the Top Executive members had been summoned, filling the seats and lining the walls. The emblem of the trickster with its ridiculous grin hung behind Finn, who stood atop a seat at the head of the table in the back of the hall. Seated to his side were Gareth and the patron goddess Loki, while the rest of the Top Executive members were seated on the other side, looking as worried and concerned as they were. It wasn't just Raul, Anakitty, and the other elite candidates who were worried. Tione and Tiona weren't much more composed than their juniors. The only ones who appeared to be calmer and more focused were Finn himself and Gareth ― and, surprisingly, Bete.

Outside, beyond the windows of the manor, the afternoon sun was slowly beginning to set in the sky, hiding beyond the horizon. This day marked the end of the great Victory Festival which had lasted for a whole week, plunging Orario into an aura of celebration and joy that hadn't been seen in the city ever since the days when the Zeus and Hera Familias were still around when the previous two Great Quests had been brought to an end with success. But while the city continued to rejoice and celebrate the long-awaited death of the King of Monsters, most of the Loki Familia's members had failed to celebrate and bask themselves in the festival. Not that they hadn't tried, of course, but... honestly, they hadn't felt comfortable in doing so.

And how could they? After all, while the entirety of the city and the world were busy celebrating, one of their most important and beloved Familia members had fallen into a state of deep depression. There was no way they could celebrate and bask themselves at the moment without feeling guilty because of that. It just… didn't feel right for them.

Which now led to the current situation.

"So she still isn't over it," Finn sighed, pinching his nose in a frustrated gesture.

Riveria nodded. Her beautiful face looked extremely tired and dull due to concern. "She's been crying non-stop… but I've managed to make her eat something this time. At least," she whispered, donning a hand over her face in exhaustion.

The room fell silent once more. One could hear a pin drop.

Loki was openly weeping on the table. "Waaaaaaaah! Aiz-tan! Why won't you let me see you?" she cried over and over again, slamming a fist against the table while the rest of the Familia watched her with a sad faces.

For once, no one among their ranks chose to pay mind to her behavior, since everyone was feeling her exact same concern. Every single member of the Familia was worried for their Sword Princess, and some more than others. Just like Loki, Lefiya was shedding tears from her eyes as well out of worry and concern for Aiz. All of those who admired and loved the Sword Princes couldn't help but feel sad about this current situation.

Originally, it had been only Loki, Finn, Gareth, and Riveria the ones who knew about Aiz's origins and her desire to defeat the Dragon. But now that the beast was dead, Finn had decided to reveal the truth to everyone in the Familia, since there was no need to hide it anymore. With the Dragon dead, that news could not bring harm to anyone anymore, as long as they kept it a secret between the walls of their manor. No one could no longer chase such a terrible path of revenge and death now that the Dragon was no more, and as such there was no reason to keep hiding it any longer. It was simply the right thing to do.

But even if they now knew the whole truth, some of them were still struggling to understand why Aiz would feel so sad because of the monster's death.

"Tch. Fucking unbelievable," Bete muttered with a snort. "It's been a whole, fucking week. Why is she still crying over a monster?"

Tione eyed him warily. "You know it's not that, Bete. That monster killed her father. Kidnapped her mother. Made Aiz live in fear and torment for her whole life. It's only natural that she would feel that way," she spoke with a sad tone.

"Natural? What's so natural about this?!" he spat, unable to understand. "That lizard is dead! It's over! The news has already been proved true by the Guild's emissaries, so why can't she get over it already?!"

"Bete. Watch your language," Gareth warned him, fixing the werewolf with a stern gaze.

As silence returned to reign over the dining room, Lefiya sniffled a little. "I know it's not easy for her… but, shouldn't Aiz-san be happy about this?" she asked as well. She was still trying, desperately trying, to wrap her mind around the girl's condition; but to no avail. "With the Dragon gone, shouldn't she be more worried about her mother's fate?"

"That is exactly the problem, Lefiya."

Everyone's head snapped to the back of the hall. Finn met his Familia's gazes with a weary expression.

"Now that the One-Eyed Black Dragon is dead, Aiz has lost her only clue and hope to reach her mother," the blonde pallum explained, biting his thumb a little while his mind was running wild with speculations. "She no longer has that tiny strand of hope over which she had latched herself for the last eight years. Her only glimmer of hope is gone, and there's no one who can tell what happened to her mother. The feeling of defeat and helplessness she's feeling must be devastating for her."

Riveria nodded sadly. "I've dealt with Aiz since she was a child," she admitted. "Back then, she was so empty and obsessed with her desire for revenge that she barely even spoke. It took a great deal of time and effort on my― on everyone's part just to make her open up to us. Her desire to save her mother was the last thing that kept her mind from crumbling due to her young age."

"And now, her long-awaited revenge has been denied to her," Gareth sighed, shaking his head in frustration.

Indeed, this was not a simple matter that could be resolved quickly. It was not something that could be easily dealt with, despite what many believed; and now… everyone was slowly starting to realize it more and more by the second.

It wasn't a simple matter of desire and dreams. Killing the Dragon and rescuing her mother was more than a simple wish for Aiz. It was more than a selfish goal. It was more than a desire for revenge. It was her drive. Her fuel. Her entire life goal. For this entire time, for the entirety of the last eight years of her life, Aiz's whole mind and body had been trained and focused PRECISELY for the sake of that single-minded wish. For the sake of avenging her parents, slaying the beast, and rescuing her mother. That simple and yet impossible wish meant everything to her. Slaying the Dragon and rescuing her mother meant more to her than what everyone – literally everyone – could ever hope to understand.

It was the core of her person. The drive inside her veins. The fuel pumping her heart. That single-minded desire was the one and only thing that had allowed her to fight and grow strong. Aiz had trained herself, relentlessly, for that. For her entire life, she had done nothing but train, fight, and kill… all of that in order to grow stronger and stronger. In order to become powerful enough to slay the Dragon who took everything away from her. In order to reclaim what she had lost because of that monster.

And now, that monster was dead. And she hadn't been the one who slew it for good.

Her life goal had been shattered before she could even hope to fulfill it. Of course, this couldn't be easy to accept for her.

Tiona placed one hand on Lefiya's shoulder. "Is… Is there no chance of finding Aiz's mother despite that?" she asked, her voice lower than usual. Even the thick-headed Amazoness knew this was a very, very delicate matter.

Finn shook his head. "According to the emissaries sent by the Guild, the Dragon's body was still intact when they found it outside the city of Preblica," he reported with a focused tone. "There was no trace of human life near its corpse, except for a pool of human blood next to the head. Whoever was unfortunate enough to stand close to it must have died. That's what the reports said, at least."

"B-But that doesn't mean that Aiz-san's mother couldn't be alive―" Lefiya attempted again.

"There's no way to prove her survival or her demise… even for the gods," Braver cut her off, gently but strongly. "What it is certain, though, is that there was no trace of Aiz's mother near the body. A Spirit wouldn't leave a trace upon disappearing, so there's nothing we can do to be completely sure of that. As much as it pains me to admit it, the chances of discovering what happened to her are infinitesimally slim."

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees.

Finn continued to speak in order to break that unbearable silence. "That said, according to the eyewitnesses, the Dragon clearly showed a wound on its eye, as if a blade had been thrust inside the skull," he reported, trying to distract his mind. "That is most likely the reason behind its demise. Someone was fighting against the beast and somehow managed to kill it by a stroke of luck. But whoever they were, it's highly unlikely that they've managed to survive. The Dragon has either devoured them or reduced their body to ash."

Loki snapped her head towards him. "You just said there was a pool of blood next to it!" she pointed out, confused.

"A pool of blood without a body," Finn acknowledged with a nod. "Which could only mean two things: either the one who slew the beast is lost to us…"

"Or they've managed to survive," Raul whispered, widening his eyes.

Upon hearing those words, realization dawned upon everyone's features. Riveria, Gareth, Bete, Lefiya, Tiona, Tione, and even Loki herself widened their eyes, jolting with their bodies and trembling as a shiver ran down their spines.

Tione stared at her beloved pallum with her mouth agape. "C-Captain… don't tell me what you're saying…?"

Finn Deimne closed his eyes and crossed his arms. "There's no way for us to know for sure, but we should keep that possibility in mind," was all the Braver said, staring at his thumb which had suddenly started to throb for some reason. "The whole world has been so busy celebrating the Dragon's death that everyone forgot to pause and ask themselves who actually slew it. And I think it's time for us to start pondering that question if we wish to learn something about Aiz's mother and her fate."

Despite her exhausted face, Riveria shot the Captain a side-long glance. "You think the person who killed it is alive?" she demanded, unable to believe it.

It was a statement more than a question.

Much to the High Elf and the rest of the Familia's shock, however, the blonde pallum shook his head. "Personally, I don't believe so," he replied instead with a serious frown. "If that was the case, then why no one has claimed responsibility for its death so far? There is no way an Adventurer wouldn't wish to be acknowledged for such a feat, no matter their race and origin. It's simply too absurd to believe."

Loki, Gareth and Riveria shared the same thought. I can feel a "And yet," coming…

"And yet," as expected, they knew their Captain too well. "Something inside me is telling me to keep that possibility in mind. I don't know how to explain it… but I think it would be best for us to consider that option in spite of everything. To keep it in mind, at least," Finn admitted, lowering his gaze to the table.

Lefiya was still skeptical. "W-Why do you say that, Captain?"

Finn stared at his throbbing thumb, sharing a silent glance with Loki.

"Just a hunch," was all he answered. Then, he shook his head, and decided to dismiss this discussion before a migraine could begin to assault him. "But I think it's best for us to leave it at here, for now. Tiona, Tione: you two will take Riveria's role to check on Aiz for the night. At the very least, make sure she'll manage to fall asleep."

"Yes, Captain!" they both replied in unison.

Riveria shot him a stare. "No, I'll do it," she began to say with an exhausted tone. The dark bangs under her eyes were extremely worrying to see. "You know that Aiz won't let anyone enter her room besides m―"

"I don't care. You're in no condition to keep staying by her side. Go rest for the night, and make sure to sleep as well. It's an order," Finn commanded with a solemn tone, forcing her to relent.

One by one, everyone began to leave the room without uttering a single word, and once again Finn resigned himself to the duty of consoling a distressed and most likely soon-to-be-drunk Loki for the seventh day in a row.

But while they left the room in silence, everyone shared the same thought.

No matter if they believed it or not, no matter their concern about Aiz and her depressed state, and no matter their current state of mind… after hearing Braver's words, that silent but unavoidable question began to linger inside their mind. And whether they admitted it or not, the entirety of the Loki Familia began to ponder the exact, same question all at the same time.

Who killed the One-Eyed Black Dragon?

(***)

Hera sat next to Alfia's bed.

"Are you feeling okay Alfia?" Hera asked

"Physically terrible. My entire body is screaming in agony. So nothing new." Alfia said with a disinterested voice.

"Still the prideful girl still refuses to accept pity I see," Hera said as she gives Alfia a pointed look.

Alfia met Hera's look with a glare but that made Hera quirk an eyebrow. A few seconds later Alfia sighed.

"I'm afraid. We both know mine's and Meteria's bodies are weak. I was the lucky one. I was the one who is able to walk and enjoy the pleasures of life. While Meteria was bedridden all her life. But my body is still weak. No matter how many levels I gain I will always be physically weaker than my peers. I'm afraid that this pregnancy will be the death of me. " Alfia said in a quiet voice.

"Leaving behind your sister and child," Hera stated and Alfia nodded. Hera stood up and hugged Alfia and she started crying.

"Be strong Alfia you will make it. You have always been a fighter and you are not done yet." Hera said