"Wait, you'll also be attending the Imperial Academy?!"
"Eh, is it that strange?"
"No, it's just that…"
Taking a moment to phrase her next words well, Fier continued.
"Don't you need to be a noble to attend?"
Although Fier has never heard of a noble household under the name 'Reabler' that doesn't mean there never was one. Maybe Luriel's family fell out from nobility and he didn't wish to speak of it.
Several hours have passed since they met and they've pretty much gotten comfortable with each other. It wasn't anyone near as awkward as before and they conversed on various topics.
As if reading her mind, Luriel smiled slightly and slightly pulled down his shirt with his finger, revealing his left shoulder.
"I was recommended by duke Prizal, see?"
Seeing the domineering golden dragon crest on his shoulder, she finally remembered the alternative.
"Right! You don't need to be a noble if you're recommended by one! I forgot about that."
Scratching the back of her head, Fier was somewhat embarrassed about jumping to conclusions. That's when her mind drifted off to a certain rumor that's been going for a few days.
'Didn't the dutchess die alongside the her grandchild, Hans Prizal? They were both filed as missing but it's pretty much been confirmed they're dead.'
She contemplate for a while but ultimately decide not to ask the question. What if it was a sore spot for him? There weren't many she could speak comfortable with so she didn't want to cause him discomfort.
The only ones she could be informal to were the children of the other nobles but even then it would end up as a comparison as to which family is better. She's got tired of it long ago.
Just as Luriel was about to introduce another topic, he glanced at the weak light shining from the window and onto the table. With a disappointed smile, he said.
"It's getting late. I think it's best we stop for today."
Taking a short glance at the setting sun, Fier smiled in a similar fashion and got up.
"You're right."
Walking to the place the door was previously at, she slightly turned her head towards Luriel and spoke in a somewhat sad tone.
"It was nice meeting you, Luriel. My guards will probably escort me out this village soon. Let's meet again at the academy."
Saying that, she quickly left, leaving Luriel completely alone in the small room. As the last rays of light left the room, Luriel's expression turned indifferent as he walked to the bed and sat in a lotus position.
It was time to cultivate again.
This was all he did ever since he returned from the forest. Before he began his cultivating session however, he was reminded of something and stood up.
Looking at the empty doorframe, he was at a loss. Should he fix it or call for someone to do it? Finally, he decided to walk downstairs and tell the inn owner about the issue.
When descending the stairs, he overheard the other residents talking and halted. The voice was familiar to him- it was the inn owner.
"I'm a little worried about that little fellow in room 8. When he came in that night, he simply tossed a couple gold coins and went upstairs. The expression on his face was scary too. For someone so young to be in such pain, I reckon someone close to him must have passed away. How pitiful. Sigh."
"I also think the same" it was the voice of an old woman "The sounds from his room don't even stop at night, I sometimes wonder if he's even sleeping."
He'd stopped listening at this point. His mind drifted back to the night he did try to sleep. In the end, he'll be woken up by the same nightmare.
In his dream, he saw the bloodied figure of Hans stading against the beast tamer. He could vividly visualize the horrid scar spreading across his back as well the fresh blood gushing out from his wounds.
In the end of his dream, there was Hans' half destroyed corpse ridiculing and blaming him.
"It's your fault, if only you hadn't been there, I'd still be alive! Why am I the one dead, it should've been you! Return it to me! Return my life to me you useless bastard!"
With a screech, the corpse would lunge at him, slowly eating away his flesh with its jaw hanging from one side.
This is where he usually woke up, fully covered in sweat and completely horrified. In the end, he decided it was best to simply not sleep and cultivate diligently.
He'd been tense ever since the nightmare. This was the reason he was so rash when threatening Fier. The current him was too tired yet couldn't properly rest, causing him to become tense and somewhat irrational.
'What am I doing?'
There was nothing to do besides cultivate but it wasn't as beneficial when he wasn't in the right state of mind. If he were, he wouldn't be lingering in the third stage Broken Vessel after all those days.
But then again, he also didn't know what to do. For a while, his mind went blank. His body moved on its own, quickly leaving the inn and arriving at the city's outskirts.
It didn't matter where he went, he just needed to clear his mind. As he ran, he recalled the events leading up to this moment. Eventually, a question popped up in his head.
'Why am I cultivating?'
A simple question with many answers. Some would say it was for longevity, other- for wealth or power. But did he have a reason to continue? He had witnessed the cruelty of the cultivation world first hand, the pain of losing some who protected you until the end.
Isn't it better to be a nornal person, to be alive?
Stopping in his tracks, Luriel gave himself a powerful slap on the cheek. Blood flowed out his mouth and he collapsed on his back and onto the grass underneath.
It started off a childish dream, the desire of the young to conquer all- to be the strongest. This was what he wanted just around 2 weeks ago, but was that really the case now?
He didn't know.
Staring at the starry sky with an empty look in his eyes, his vision blurred. Fueled by the fear of the unknown as well as his own helplessness, Luriel wept under the moon's weak illumination.