Chapter 41 : Return To Pienat

The morning finally begins to rise, and although I have trouble opening my eyelids, a strange motivation drives me today more than yesterday. I want to travel, fight, find the Prism, touch paradise… and then, go home.

Next to me, Elvie sleeps peacefully. I lean over her to wake her.

"Get up, we're going back to Iveralmn," I say softly.

She doesn't react. I sigh and gently grab her shoulders to shake her a bit harder. Slowly, she opens her eyes, her eyelids still heavy with sleep.

"Ugh... Okay... I’ll get dressed and ready," she murmurs, half-asleep. She heads toward the wardrobe where she has carefully stored her armor, a habit she developed since the inn in the capital.

I get up from the bed and leave the room to give her some privacy while she changes. As I descend the stairs, I arrive in the living room where I find Alfira and Valentin already sitting on wooden chairs, deep in conversation. They must have gotten up long before me.

Valentin notices my presence and smiles at me, interrupting his conversation. Alfira then turns to me, a big smile on her lips.

"Aley! This place is beautiful! Can I stay here too?!" she exclaims, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she almost jumps out of her chair.

"Absolutely not—" I start, but I am suddenly interrupted by a monotone voice:

-Access granted: Alfira has been added to the access point.

What?! Seriously?! No authority, none! The Will of the World really gives me no respite.

"Thank you, Aley! Valentin told me you let him into Novus Obris..." Alfira cries out, radiant.

I cast a desperate glance at Valentin, hoping he will save me from this situation, but he wears a mocking smile. He’s clearly having fun at my expense.

"Alfira, listen, Valentin is an exception—" I begin, but I’m immediately cut off by Alfira, who, with her eyes closed, exclaims passionately:

"I can join you too!"

Her voice trembles slightly, and I sense she’s afraid of being refused. I should probably reject her, but…

"OF COURSE, ALFIE!" shouts a voice from the stairs.

I look up to see Elvaria, a huge smile on her face. She descends the steps triumphantly.

"I heard everything from the room!" she adds cheerfully.

I let out a long sigh. Do I really have any power here?

"Excuse me, I have a say in this too, right?" I murmur, vainly. But no one seems to be listening to me.

"Great idea, Elvaria! Alfira, welcome to the team. Come, I’ll write your name on one of the doors," Valentin says, a mischievous smile stretching his lips.

"Come, I’ll show you the rooms!" Elvaria exclaims, all excited.

Everyone rushes upstairs while Alfira and Elvie happily chat. Valentin keeps throwing me mocking glances. I simply follow him, disillusioned.

Once upstairs, I turn to Alfira.

"So, which door do you want?" I ask, resigned.

Alfira, with a beaming smile, looks at me as if I just offered her a treasure.

"Are you really letting me choose?! At the palace, all decisions were always made for me…" she exclaims, her voice tinged with sincere emotion.

She takes a few moments to think. In the meantime, I glance at Elvie, who still wears that broad smile. She seems delighted to see Novus Obris expanding.

Finally, Alfira speaks.

"I choose the first room. Aley and Elvie have the second, so I’ll be right next to Aley," she declares, arms crossed, confident in her choice.

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Elvaria, a bit shocked, is about to respond, but before she can say a word, a blinding light illuminates the room, and a dull sound resonates. Valentin used Quick Step to dash to the door and engrave "Alfira Si Iveralmn" in golden letters.

"TRAITOR!" I shout, outraged.

"Alfira, welcome to your room," Valentin says, in such a relaxed tone that he completely ignores me.

I shake my head, annoyed, but inside, I can’t help but smile. That guy… He plays too much, but he’s a valuable ally.

"Well, now that everything is settled, let’s go back to the surface," I say casually. "But before that, Valentin, give Elvie the treasure from the dungeon."

Without a word, Valentin enters his room and emerges with a magnificent red spear that he throws to me. I deftly catch it before handing it to Elvie.

"Here, it's a gift," I say with a smirk.

Elvie's eyes light up instantly. A huge smile lights up her face, and tears of joy begin to well up in her eyes.

"Do you like it, Elvie?" I ask, curious.

Without warning, she throws herself into my arms and kisses me, completely catching me off guard. I stay still, surprised, but I let her do it. When she finally pulls away, her eyes shine with emotion.

"Thank you, Aley…" she murmurs, still overwhelmed with emotion.

I glance at Valentin, who stands silently at the end of the hallway. He says nothing, but I can’t let this misunderstanding persist.

"It was Valentin who went to get the spear… not me," I say, embarrassed, looking away.

But before I can say more, Valentin, who has been hanging back until now, suddenly decides to intervene. With a mischievous smile, he approaches and claps his hands on my shoulders.

"You won't believe this, Elvaria," he says in a feigned dramatic tone. "Aley spent hours looking for this spear for you while you were sleeping! He got lost in the maze of the dungeon and almost got eaten by a monster before returning triumphantly with this magnificent weapon."

I stare at him, dumbfounded. He continues, his eyes full of mischief.

"He didn’t want to say anything; he’s too modest, but it’s thanks to him that you hold this spear today," he concludes with a wink.

I’m tempted to correct him, but Elvie looks at me, her eyes filled with even more gratitude than before. I could tell her the truth, but… deep down, Valentin is just trying to make this moment special for her.

"Valentin…," I say in a plaintive tone, but he continues to look at me with a conspiratorial smile, as if to say, "It’s for the good of the team."

I still prefer to be honest with Elvie.

"It’s really Valentin who went to get this weapon. He just wanted to help me," I say, my voice heavy with shame.

Elvie looks at me, her eyes still filled with gratitude.

"It doesn’t matter. I’m so happy right now… When you gave me that spear, I felt like I accomplished something. Thank you for everything, Aley," she murmurs, a radiant smile lighting up her face.

After this sweet scene, we leave the house to go to the lake and eat our lunch, carefully prepared in advance. The scenery around us is breathtaking: a hidden valley nestled among immense mountains, with a peaceful lake at its center. The calm that reigns here seems to be the last before our adventure takes a new turn.

I really don’t want to return to the Iveralmn tournament. I hope it will end quickly so I can focus on more important things.

Mom, Dad… It’s been almost a year since I left. I still think about you. Today, I’m surrounded by good people. Elvaria, the girl I’ve fallen in love with. Valentin, a hero who’s not really one, but who is my friend. And Alfira, the silly princess from the kingdom of Iveralmn.

When I return to the surface, I’ll do everything to accomplish my goals. I know I’m ready.

And so, our ascent back begins. After a quick lunch by the lake, we set off to ascend the floors of the dungeon. Thanks to the teleporters scattered around, the climb should be quick. Valentin, who has already explored the floor where the house is, confidently guides us. We soon arrive at the first teleporter.

In an instant, we find ourselves in the ruined city of the second floor. Memories of our exploration here resurface, but we continue our ascent without lingering. With each teleporter we take, we get closer to the exit.

Finally, we reach the first floor. The enormous door of the dungeon looms before us, imposing, majestic. It’s the last step before the surface.

"This return journey took us too long," complains Valentin, visibly irritated. Seeing his usual mocking smile wiped away is almost a relief. His frustration makes me smile.

"Stay positive, Valentin, we’re almost there!" exclaims Alfira, still cheerful, raising a fist in the air with a broad smile. Her enthusiasm is contagious, even if she seems to constantly live in a world free of worries.

I take the lead of the group, crossing the clearing dotted with apple trees that borders the entrance of the dungeon. The soft, familiar light of day welcomes us as we approach the exit door.

"We need to inform the village of Pienat that we completed the dungeon," I say, turning to the group.

Elvie nods with a knowing smile, then suddenly throws herself into my arms. Her new spear is securely strapped to her back, and she seems more attached to it than ever. She's so happy that I can't help but smile too.

We finally pass through the dungeon door, an immense white flash enveloping us as we are teleported outside. When I open my eyes again, we are back in Pienat. Yet, something feels strangely different.

The secluded corner where the dungeon exit usually lies deserted and quiet is now filled with people. No, literally swarming.

"What’s all this?!" murmurs Elvaria, tightening her grip on my arm, clearly uncomfortable. A forced smile tries to mask her worry, but I know her too well. Behind me, Valentin also seems upset, his face tense. Usually so carefree, he almost seems annoyed.

Author's note : yo, so, I feel like the dungeon part took a bit long, and since I already know everything about the mysteries of the story (obviously) I don't know if some part felt confusing, please, if some part are stupid or confusing, let me know so that I can fix them, if you think that everything's fine, then please, also let me know, the next chapters are definitely more interesting and fun to read, so stay tuned