novelzi Chapter 46 – Gratitude
Chapter 46 – Gratitude
[Demon Lord is coming ya'll]
Van and Amoria meandered through the bustling streets, their hands intertwined, with Van initially taking the lead.
...Until he realized he couldn't quite remember the way to the guild. Amoria, with a light chuckle at the situation, took over as the guide.
Soon, they arrived in front of the towering guild building.
"Impressive," Van remarked, admiring the cleanliness and the steady flow of adventurers coming and going.
"It's modest, really. There are much larger guilds in Varolon," Amoria responded.
"Really? I recall the main guild being much smaller..." Van said, eyeing the building curiously.
"Well, you've been away for quite some time, Van. After the dragon attacks, our engineers and architects had to work overtime. We've been building far more impressive structures since then," she explained as they entered the guild.
"Oh, there she is!" exclaimed Marcilla from the counter, where she was speaking with a Royal Guard official and a subordinate.
"Ah, Miss Veil," the Royal Guard greeted Amoria warmly as she approached with Van.
'Hmm... If I'm not mistaken, that's the guard from two nights ago...' Van thought, recognizing the older official.
"Sir Hicks! What a surprise! It's been too long," Amoria said with a smile, embracing him.
"Ahh, indeed... Apologies for not stopping by sooner. I've been busy educating the new recruits," Sir Hicks replied, patting her back before stepping back.
"You're taking care of Riry, right?" she asked, glancing at the younger officer.
"-Gary..." the younger officer corrected quietly.
"Ah, of course. He stands tall every day, defending our walls. I'm as proud of him as if he were my own son," Hicks proudly declared.
"But you have a daughter, sir..."
"...Who you are happily engaged to. Does that not make you like a son to me?" Hicks joked.
Garry looked down bashfully.
'...They seem like good people. These girls are in good company,' Van thought, a sigh of relief escaping him.
Hicks then turned to the tall Van, who was standing patiently behind Amoria.
"Ahh, and who might you be, young lad? Planning to join the Royal Guards? Your build is absolutely perfect; you could be a commander like me someday!" Hicks said warmly as he approached Van.
"...Name's Van Hellix, officer. Pleasure to meet you," Van introduced himself.
"Van..?" Garry exclaimed softly. Yet, despite the relaxed environment and Van accompanying Amoria, his hand couldn't help but be placed subtly on his holstered spear.
"-JUNIOR. He's his son," Amoria quickly interjected.
"Ahh... I see... Van Hellix's own son," Hicks noted, his tone slowing a bit.
Garry's expression turned suspicious, his gaze tinged with worry.
"Van Hellix... Why did that name cause her to shudder so much?" Garry muttered to himself, sifting through the records of the Royal Guards late at night, well beyond the end of his shift.
"He's just a criminal, just some thug. Standing before him felt like facing a demon, not a man with feelings... If Miss Veil knows him, there must be something about him in these records..." he pondered.
After rummaging through the archives, Garry found Van's name tucked away in the records of those who had left the city. The entry was dated just around the time Magus Veil and his party had departed, some 20 years earlier.
But there were no records of Van ever living in the city—no family ties, no attachments, not even a note on how he arrived there in the first place.
It was as though he had materialized out of nowhere the moment he left the city.
In stark contrast, the archives were filled with details about Magus Veil and his party, chronicling everything from the moment Magus was summoned to his eventual death.
"Just... who is this person?" Garry mused, his
-------------------------PRESENT-------------------
'Ah... Sir Hicks is awfully kind to Van... Is he not put off by his aura?' Amoria wondered, feeling a sense of relief.
Unnoticed by the others, Sir Hicks' hand had seamlessly found its way into Van's grasp.
Van's and everyone else's eyes widened in surprise as they noticed.
"Sir..?" Garry called out, puzzled by the unexpected interaction.
"I had the privilege of meeting your father some time ago," Sir Hicks began, a warm smile spreading across his face.
'Oh...?' Van thought, intrigued.
" is a great man..." Sir Hicks continued, holding Van's gaze with a steady, piercing look while maintaining a relaxed expression.
"...A good man. Please convey my utmost respect to him the next time you see him," Sir Hicks added with conviction.
"Oh?" Marcilla exclaimed, taken aback by the Royal Guard's show of respect.
"I am truly honored to shake your hand, Sir Hellix... And thank you," Sir Hicks said, his grip firm on Van's hand.
'Thank you... Huh?'
"You're welcome," Van responded, his tone equal in volume to Sir Hicks, meeting his gaze squarely while returning the strength of his handshake.
'I thought Sir Hicks didn't know of Van Hellix... Was it a lie..?' Garry thought, completely thrown off by his superior's respect for the guy.