6-3-6/7 (5.2)Chapter 6: The Land of the WindsEpisode 3: The Bonds of Royal BloodPart 6/7 – The Resolute Young Man, Evan Onraé

Scene 5.2 — Dressing for the Banquet

After finishing lunch in silence, Evan personally offered to take them to the tailor.

It was their first time stepping inside the Golden Shark vessel. Despite its intimidating and ostentatious exterior, the interior was surprisingly utilitarian. There was little decoration—just streamlined functionality that echoed the purpose of a war room. It was clear this ship was built more for strategic command than for show.

The orca-shaped vessel didn't take long to reach their destination: an elite tailor located right in the heart of the capital. The boutique was elegantly curated in every detail, exuding refined luxury. Their arrival was greeted with the highest tier of VIP service—unsurprising, as the entire store had already been reserved by a royal prince of the kingdom.

Each of them met with a stylist to refine and customize their looks based on the catalogs they had previously browsed.

On the design front, Keela, Mirelle, and Elina were especially enthusiastic—chatting with the staff and enthusiastically adjusting cuts, colors, and embellishments. Meanwhile, the rest—Draco, Akira, Osiris, and of course their youngest, Yue—were more on the receiving end of the makeovers.

Yue, in particular, became the group's beloved dress-up doll, drawing suggestions and opinions from every direction.

While the girls were swept up in customizing their outfits, the boys had a simpler task. The suits for Akira and Draco were more or less standard-fit formalwear, requiring minimal adjustment. And so, the two of them ended up sitting outside the fitting area—waiting patiently as the transformation fun continued inside.

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Caeron asked Evan for permission to help the girls pick out their outfits, and Evan gave him a nod of approval. As Caeron walked off toward the girls with a smile, he turned back to Akira and Draco.

  "Caeron has a daughter, you know. He may look big and stern, but he's actually very gentle. In real battles, all he does is defend—he can't bear to see anyone get hurt. He's really too kind for the battlefield," Evan chuckled softly.

Cassius, who was resting his chin in one hand with something dangling from his lips, muttered,

  "What's the point of just defending and letting the enemy do as they please? The best defense is a good offense, I say."

Lias didn't seem too pleased.

  "But Cassius, charging ahead while leaving the top commander exposed is just begging for an assassination."

Cassius scowled.

  "See? Always worrying about this and that. That's why we're always stuck. You're so obsessed with guarding Evan, you've practically developed paranoia. Do you even sleep at night?"

Lias replied sternly,

  "Exactly. Nighttime is when assassinations are most likely. Isn't that right, Vince?"

Vince, speaking in his usual slightly high-pitched voice, added,

  "Assassinations aren't that easy to pull off, you know. Imagine you're the assassin. If your target's constantly scanning every direction, all you'd have to do is wait until they're too exhausted to keep their eyes open."

  "Vince." Evan's voice turned sharp.

Vince flinched a little, his hand trembling.

  "I was just stating the truth…"

Evan sighed and rubbed his temples.

  "I know. But now you've just made it even harder for him to fall asleep."

Vince shot a glance at Lias.

  "Look, Lias. You've got to learn to trust others more. Let someone else stand watch once in a while. If you never get proper rest, your long-term performance will suffer. Got it?"

Lias didn't look convinced. Cassius grumbled,

  "Telling him that's pointless, Vince. The guy's hard-headed and stubborn as hell. Even when Evan himself says something, he still won't listen."

Lias remained silent, his expression stiff and unreadable.

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Evan tilted his head back, exhaled deeply, and turned to Akira.

  "Sigh… if you had people like this around you, what would you do, Draco?"

Draco replied immediately.

  "Me? I never asked anyone to protect me. I can take care of myself. If anything, I'd rather be the one protecting others and supporting them."

Cassius raised an eyebrow, impressed.

  "Hmm. Now that's a real man. I like you, kid. If you weren't part of the hero's party, I'd recruit you on the spot."

Lias leaned over and whispered to Draco,

  "Better not. You'll end up drinking all day and skipping your training."

Cassius's tone darkened.

  "You got a problem with me, Lias?"

Lias stared him down.

  "And if I do, what then?"

  "Enough," Evan said firmly.

Both men paused and glanced at him. Seeing the seriousness in Evan's eyes, they backed down.

Vince leaned in and whispered,

  "They're always like this, but don't worry—they've never actually fought each other. If they did, the damage would be too much."

Evan sighed, rubbing his temples, then looked at Akira.

  "What about you, Third Hero? What would you do?"

Akira took a moment to think before answering.

  "For me… my friends are already trying to protect me—more than they should, honestly. I'm the one who should be protecting them. But I don't stop them. Everyone has the right to do what they believe is right, as long as it doesn't harm others. And their intentions… they come from a place of kindness."

He met Evan's eyes, as if seeking a sincere answer.

  "But let me ask you this, Lord Evan… if you were suddenly made a Hero against your will—what would you do?"

Evan was taken aback, pausing for a long moment. The others were also silent, clearly surprised to hear such a question from the Hero himself.

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

  "If I were assigned that role, I'd fulfill it with everything I had. Because such roles are usually given to those who are already deemed capable—flawed or not. That in itself means someone trusts us enough to bear the burden."

Evan turned his gaze toward the window.

  "It all depends on the mission. Knowing your goal and understanding the present allows you to plan the path forward with clarity. That's what lets you walk confidently toward the future. That's how I see it."

Akira took in Evan's words—words from one of the most powerful men in Skyperion—and felt the weight of his own thoughts. He realized, in that moment, that so much of what he'd been thinking… was coming from the perspective of a child, focused only on his own view. But an adult's perspective… was shaped by one thing:

Responsibility.

  "Goals…? Missions…? I don't have any of that… do I?"

  "I was dragged into this world out of nowhere. Now I'm just following what others tell me. I don't even know when—or if—I'll ever get to go home. I don't know what I'm supposed to do, or how to do it. And despite not knowing a thing, I'm still expected to keep moving forward…? Won't that just get my team hurt in the end…?"

Akira's worries drifted like vapor into the open air, carried on the winds of Skyperion—out through the window, across the sky, following the world's air currents westward…

…to a place awaiting Akira and his friends.

A place where danger quietly waited in the shadows.

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