Alexia

To my surprise, my conversation with Ethan ends up taking a turn into video games. Something I never expected a dragon to play.

Generally video games and TV were something that was a lot more commonly used by Tier 1 people and those who never entered dungeons. Mostly because the stronger people often saw them as a waste of time.

But I’ve always enjoyed video games, even if I didn’t always have the time to play them.

“You said you played RPGs, right?” Ethan comments with the most enthusiastic smile I’ve ever seen before in my life on a dragon’s face. “Did you ever-”

He cuts off right when both of us turn to look at an approaching person. But we both relax again when we find that it’s Astrid.

Then he continues his question, asking right when Astrid walks in, “Did you ever play Starborn Arc?”

I grin at the question and answer, “Yep. Probably one of my favorites.”

Astrid just sends us both bewildered looks after freezing mid-step, the first thing she heard upon entering being talk of video games. But Ethan and I just ignore her as we continue talking about it.

I mess around with the menu that appeared in my vision at some point to make a seat appear for her without pausing in our conversation.

Who would’ve guessed that I’d be talking about video games again after the Reset? Or at least this soon after it, since I’m sure someone’s gonna be making the same level of technology soon enough. Which will include games.

Eventually though the conversation takes a strange turn.

“Do you want to find your parents?” Ethan asks with a completely straight face.

I frown, and I find Astrid doing the same as she pauses in playing with her little dagger.

“This isn’t the first time you’ve asked this,” I point out while crossing my arms. “Do you know something about our parents?”

Ethan taps his finger against the armrest of his seat made out of ice for a moment before answering, “I do. I know exactly who your parents are.”

Both Astrid and I tense up as I ask, “And does that have anything to do with why you’ve been working with me?”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

He blinks and says without any hesitation, “No. Why would it?”

That has both me and Astrid shifting from an alert state to that of confusion instead.

“Uh, why are you working with us so openly then?” I ask, genuinely curious. Since he’s too friendly for a dragon. It’s just not natural.

This time he frowns and opens his mouth, then he closes it again. Then he opens it once more and closes it again reminding me of a fish.

And to my surprise, he eventually just gives up and stares with a confused look before shrugging and answering, “No idea.”

I share a glance with Astrid, finding her just as confused as I am. So I turn back to him again and ask, “Okay… then who are our parents?”

Ethan taps his finger several more times with a faint grin creeping onto his face. One that gives me a bad feeling. Like a kid watching a show for amusement. But a dragon instead.

“I don’t think I’ll tell you,” he eventually says, only to shrug at me and Astrid’s glares, “you probably wouldn’t believe me even if I did.”

That part leaves me feeling confused.

Why wouldn’t I believe him? I already know our parents must be Ascendants, that our father doesn’t know we exist, and that our mother was most likely unable to return to us for some reason.

Just how important could they possibly be to lose their own kids and not be able to return?

I don’t particularly blame them, at least not right now since all I know leads me to believe that leaving us wasn’t their choice, but if they really were powerful enough for him to say that… I might have to reconsider that after figuring out who they are.

“Could you at least give us a hint?” Astrid suddenly asks, making me glance at her in surprise. Because I honestly didn’t expect her to say anything to a Class S species.

Then again, guess she’s never been one to cower before someone else.

Apparently Ethan wasn’t expecting it either considering the look on his face, but then he just shrugs and answers, “You’ve heard of one of them. He’s actually one of the most well-known Ascendants.”

Which means he’s really powerful.

It’s annoying that whoever he is he’s likely changed his species by now if he really is that strong.

“Any hints on his exact ranking on the leaderboards?” I ask, prodding him to see a reaction.

He doesn’t give any. Instead he just answers with a question, “If I were you, I’d be worried about finding that Gramps of yours and asking him those questions instead of me.”

My eyes widen at the implication that Gramps knows who our mother and father are.

If that’s the case… then did he adopt us because of them? I had always wondered why an Ascendant decided to adopt us, and his excuse of wanting kids never really fit.

Actually…

I turn and share a look with Astrid. One that shows that she’s having the same thought as me.

Was his finding us at that orphanage not a coincidence after all?

“Now you’re thinking,” Ethan says, bringing both me and Astrid’s attention back to him. Then he frowns and asks, “Okay, how did people tell you two apart before your species change? It’s a little bizarre to look at the both of you together like this.”

“I used to wear my hair in a braid,” I answer at the same time as Astrid answers, “Lexi used to wear her hair in a braid.”

Now there’s no reason to do that since we don’t need it to look different. Plus we don’t have any hair ties, but the first reason is more important.

“Huh…” he mutters before bringing the topic back in a circle and asking, “So do you have any people who know how to make games at your base?”

I wish.