It was none other than Rowan who completely changed his appearance. He apparently used some kind of artifact to change into this appearance.
"I expected you to be a little more surprised" Rowan murmured while stroking his tiny moustache.
"To be honest, I already had my suspicions. Didn't you already make quite an entrance?"
"Haha... So you've heard."
I remember Isaac reporting that someone cleared all the monsters in the South. Nobody knew who that person was. The only thing the dead monsters had in common was that they had a hole opened in their hearts.
I already theorised that it should be either Rowan or someone powerful among the elves. It knew it couldn't be Ava since she was not strong enough to deal with that many monsters.
"So, did you come here to watch me?"
"Yes"
I flinched for a second and looked at him with narrowed eyes. I didn't expect him to be so direct.
'Is he really the same guy who I lived with for four years?'
"Are you sad that you lost?"
"I would be lying if I said I was in a good state."
"It's good. You should learn this feeling too. In this way, you will try harder next time to not experience this feeling again."
His speech made me wonder 'Is this what my stigmata wanted me to understand?'
"I don't know when this next time is coming though. I lost fair and square today."
"But you already achieved your goal. Now that everyone knows what you're truly capable of, they might try bringing you to their side. Maybe you can ask some higher Nobles to take you to Elysium. They might be able to arrange something within a year at the shortest."
It wasn't very difficult for some higher Nobles to arrange a visit to Elysium. Since my main goal was to go to Elysium, I already cleared my first goal.
"You look troubled"
"I-I am kind of... lost right now. I don't know what to do next. Should I start making some connections to go home or should I stay here and train myself?"
I wanted to ask Rowan what he thinks? Would it be a good choice to meet my family now? Or should I find the answers I am seeking for and try to solve everything myself.
"You can't solve everything by yourself."
Rowan answered me in a completely unexpected manner. It was like he was reading me like an open book.
"You want to ask me if I can see your future and decide?"
"...."
This question was always on my mind. How much of the future can Rowan actually see? Did he know that I will be falling into that forest out of nowhere? Is that why he waited and lived in that forest for years?
"I didn't know who you were when I first met you. I decided to teach you out of pure curiosity."
I really hoped that would be the case. I wouldn't want him to teach me because that was something already planned by the future.
"But that doesn't mean I don't know anything."
"...And what is that supposed to mean?"
"I still don't understand my power completely. All those years that I have training you, I saw visions of the future. About you and your paths. About my paths."
His words truly surprised me. I never thought Rowan saw visions about me too.
"T-then what do you think I should do? Will I regret it if I go back to Elysium now? I-I want to know the correct path."
"There is no correct path, Owen. No matter what you choose, there will be sacrifices. I am sorry to say but the future I know of is not a good one. Not for you, not for me or for anyone."
'Not a good one' I unknowingly gripped my hands tightly. Right now, I was even scared of the answers I was looking for.
"Then you should tell me what you saw! Maybe... Maybe we all can do something together if we know about it! Or are you thinking that no one is going to believe you again?"
"It's nothing like that. You know, everything in this world has a price. That is what I'm afraid of."
"..."
I felt like I could understand him. At least, I understood what he was trying to say.
'If we try to change the future, there is a price we need to pay.'
A cause will always have its effect. A single drop can even stir endless waves.
And I didn't know if I was ready to face these waves.
Rowan stopped the war and saved countless people but it wasn't like he didn't pay any price.
He paid a big one.
He was marked as a traitor by the people he tried to save and was banished into the forest.
He saved his wife and daughter only to never see them again.
"Like I said, the future I saw was not a good one, but what I saw was also just a tiny part of the vast future. Still, let's say I saw something more terrible, that doesn't mean there is no hope or anything. If one makes the right decision, a lot of things can be changed."
A single decision can lead to a completely different future. And no matter what path I take, there will be sacrifices. I was becoming more and more scared of this future stuff.
"What I mean is that the future can be changed. Well, I changed it once by saving my people, there is no way that you, my student, can't do that."
"That was because you already knew what was going to happen..."
"Yes, you're right. My powers are a little special. But aren't you the same?"
"..."
What is the future that Rowan saw? How could I solve anything with my stigmata? I didn't know. But right now, I had to decide my path.
"Then tell me what I should do. Maybe not as someone who saw the future but as my teacher. Please guide me."
"...What you need to do right now is to become stronger. And when I say stronger, I don't mean strong enough to defeat the ones that you lost to, no. You need much more than that. And trust me, the 'next time' you asked for is closer than you think."
'What I need right now is to become stronger.'
I sighed.
"I think I know what to do now. Thank you, teacher"
He just smiled like his usual self at my words. I really missed that annoying smile.
"By the teacher, who is Ava Edenheart? It seems like she knows the Memories of Silence."
He made an awkward face at my words, as if he was embarrassed.
"Ah! Well... actually... she is my granddaughter"
'No, why are you embarrassed. I already thought that it was a possibility though'
"Was she the Princess that you talked about? The one who knew the Memories of Silence."
"No, the Princess I told you about was my daughter. Well, since Ava is also an Edenheart, it is not a surprise that they taught her that technique too"
'That makes sense.'
"Anyway, we should stop here. You go on and enjoy the festival."
Everyone has been talking about this festival for many days. I never really wanted to enjoy some kind of festival.
"What is this festival anyway?"
Crackle!
Suddenly, fireworks burst across the distant sky, scattering brilliant colors through the darkness. The silence of night gave way to echoing cracks and shimmering lights. Above, countless lanterns—like the ones I saw earlier in the market stalls—rose in waves, drifting upward like glowing stars set free
It was an extremely beautiful and breathtaking sight.
"It's the Luminous festival."
"Luminous? Like luminous from Lumina Town?"
"Yes. Actually the streets were overcrowded these days especially because of this festival. It's a festival that comes once every ten years. On the day the Blood Legacy Competition ends, the people light the night sky with fireworks and lanterns and pray for another decade with prosperity and good luck."
'We can get good luck like that? Maybe I should also try'
"I'll see you around then. Don't cry this time."
"S-shut up. I never cried."
Well, it was a short and unexpected reunion. But this time instead of being sad, I was really happy. I felt a lot better after talking to Rowan. He also gave me a few other pieces of advice before leaving.
***
The crowd was tolerable to some extent right now. I heard that many people went to light up the lanterns in the fields. Anyways, it was a good news for me because I was now able to fill my stomach easily.
I bought a whole lot of grilled chicken and noodles and had a really great time. I still wanted to enjoy some other items but I didn't think I would be able to walk after that.
'Let's skip that for today. I don't think they're going to close all these stalls just when the festival ends. I'll come back tomorrow.'
Suddenly, a certain person caught my eye. It wasn't that I knew him or something, but he had something similar to me.
'That's my style, you fashion thief! I-I mean that style belongs to both Ava and me!!'
He was wearing an oversized coat with a large hood. I couldn't see the face as it was completely hidden. The only difference was that it looked really grand. My coat couldn't even be compared.
And for some reason, that person was walking towards me.
'Haha... Must be my imagination!'
I might be a little famous but I knew there was no way a person was going to come this way and pull my hand.
So I decided to ignore him and pass by.
That is, until that person really pulled my hand.
"What the-"
"Shhh! I-It's me... "
"...Isabelle!?"