The golden glow of the forest still lingered in the air as Valieon bent down, picking up Ashar with effortless ease, his expression serious and unwavering.
"Ma'am," he said, his voice calm, yet intense. "If you want, I can heal him. We can continue your journey after that." He pointed to a nearby branch where Veridian was slung over it, motionless. "Veridian's tied up over there. The monster did this to him, and I'll heal him, whether you ask me to or not."
Without waiting for a response, Valieon disappeared.
Ashar, on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion, barely managed to hold onto the last bit of consciousness. But just as he was about to crumple to the ground, Valieon reappeared, holding the Royal's body with ease. Veridian's body materialized next to him, breathing but barely alive.
Veronica watched, stunned. She had never witnessed anything like this. A commoner stronger than the Royalty? Was that even possible?
Ashar stood up shakily, his gaze lingering on Valieon with a mix of disbelief and awe. "I don't want to talk about that," he muttered, still processing the event.
Veridian, still gasping for breath, tried to push himself up but collapsed again. "Before I got knocked out… I saw that demon… beating me senseless…"
Valieon, unfazed, spoke with the tone of someone who had seen it all before. "The forest is only 500 meters in. We should continue." His calm voice broke the tension like a splash of cold water.
Veronica, too stunned to speak, simply nodded. What she had just witnessed—the strength of this so-called commoner—was incomprehensible. A mere mortal defeating a royal, healing in seconds, and acting as though nothing had happened? It was like something out of a myth.
The journey continued. Just 500 meters more, and they reached a place so beautiful, so otherworldly, that even Ashar couldn't believe his eyes. The forest around them bloomed with trees that glowed a soft golden hue. The animals that roamed the land were unlike anything he had seen before—delicate, curious, and ethereal, almost as if they belonged to another world.
Ashar turned to Valieon, his disbelief evident. "Where is this place?" he asked, voice low.
Veridian, still recovering from the beating, couldn't speak, his mind far away in the horrors of what they had just experienced. But he couldn't deny that there was something oddly comforting about this place. He reached out, touching one of the golden leaves that danced in the breeze. He glanced over at Veronica, his heart still pounding, but this time for a different reason.
Veronica, too, stood in awe, unable to take her eyes off the beauty surrounding them. But she wasn't just fascinated by the forest—her thoughts were on Valieon. She had seen him do impossible things, things no one had ever dared dream of. The power he wielded was not of any known element, and that… troubled her.
After five days of travel and exploration across Flame Dominion, they were returning. Ashar had regained his composure and pride, though a new respect for Valieon lingered in his eyes. Veridian, despite everything, had fallen even deeper for Veronica, not just for her beauty, but for her kindness, for her steadiness in the face of the unknown.
As they neared the gates of Flame Dominion, Veronica turned to Valieon, her expression curious. She hadn't spoken much during the journey back, too deep in thought, but now she couldn't help herself.
"You… Valieon…" She hesitated, unsure how to ask. "What element are you?"
The carriage came to a halt. Valieon stopped for a brief moment, his eyes meeting hers with an intense but humble look.
"I don't have an element," he said simply. "I train in martial arts."
Both Ashar and Veronica were stunned. A non-elemental? That couldn't be true. The power he had unleashed on the demon, the way he'd healed them, the way he'd made the entire Flame Dominion tremble—it had to be connected to some elemental power.
Ashar was the first to recover. "Did you go to the Academy of Strength?" he asked, his voice still filled with disbelief.
"No," Valieon replied. "But I did get an opportunity… Master Zephyr trained me."
Ashar's eyes widened. "Master Zephyr personally trained you?" He ran a hand through his hair, still processing this revelation. "That explains a lot."
Veronica, still trying to wrap her head around everything, shook her head. "But… you're just a mortal… how can you be stronger than me?" Her voice was soft, as though she couldn't quite believe what she had witnessed.
Veridian, lost in his own world of affection for Veronica, didn't even notice the conversation. He was still watching her, his eyes glazed, his heart racing.
"I… I'm not stronger than anyone," Valieon said, his voice low, almost humble. "I just train harder. And sometimes, that's all it takes."