Chapter 93 - Quest In The Burning Dungeon, Part 11

'He should be around here somewhere...' Sylva thought as she walked deeper into the woods.'I shouldn't take too long. Else... ELSE... UNICUS WILL REALLY THINK I LIKE VAN...!! NO...!!!!' She shook her head in panic, lips pressed into a firm line as she frantically scanned the area. Finding a tree, she leaned against it, her gaze dropping as regret crept into her thoughts.'...Airi was his wife.''I won't go back to the Elven village. He... must be so lonely and sad. I'll... I'll stay for him.' Her resolve firmed as the faint sound of running water reached her ears.'A river... It might be less dense there. I could get a better view.'She followed the sound, clutching her hands nervously. 'I wanted to summon Alifa, but she'd be furious if it wasn't an emergency... Why does she hate me so much?! Didn't she like my mom!?' Frustration bubbled within her as she neared the river, the soft blue glow of moonlight shimmering off the water's surface.As she emerged into the clearing, her breath caught. A jacked figure stood by the river, buttoning his pants, his movements casual but precise as he appeared to be sighing deeply; almost as response to Sylva's sudden presence."Alright, you can come out now," Van's voice rang out, cutting through the silence.'..!!! DID HE NOTICE ME!? Who is that!?' Sylva ducked behind a tree, her heart pounding."Alright," another voice answered. "The meat's halfway cooked.""Nice," Van replied.Sylva peeked out, her eyes widening at the sight of a colossal creature lying near the fire where the other voice originated from, its skin removed and folded neatly beside it. Muscles and bones gleamed under the firelight, the sheer size of the beast nearly matching the party's camp's clearing.'What the...? Did they... hunt this thing?' she thought, her gaze shifting between Van and the purple-haired girl seated by the fire. 'That has to be the biggest C-Ranked monster in the forest. How did I not hear anything? It must've been quite the struggle...' Her eyes swept the area, noting the absence of dragging marks. 'And there aren't any signs it was moved. Did they kill it right here? But how? Neither of them could've lifted the beast after such a clean kill... Right?'"Why'd you come back so early?" the girl—Ami—asked, tilting her head as Van sat down beside her."...Because we have a visitor hiding behind that tree," Van sighed, nodding toward Sylva's hiding spot. "I'd rather not give them more of a show than necessary. Besides, I washed enough—head, arms, feet. Good enough for today. And I haven't sweat at all throughout the whole day."'.!!!!' Sylva froze, her face paling. 'How did he notice me!? I concealed myself perfectly!'"An intruder?!" Ami jumped to her feet, her ears twitching beneath her purple hair. "Who dares?!"'That's... the thief...!' Sylva thought, noting the girl's brown hood that was ever present throughout the day."Can you just come out already?" Van asked, pulling a short-sleeved shirt over his head.Sylva hesitated before stepping into the moonlight, her gaze wary. "Who are you? And... how did you notice me?""I'm Van 'Jr.' You were louder than you think," he replied with a sigh.'Van...?' Sylva thought, approaching cautiously. She studied his face in the flickering light. 'He looks so much like him. The one I remember from 12 years ago.' Her gaze lingered on his physique. 'He's pushed himself hard... I've never seen muscles this toned, even among our finest warriors. Not overly large, but dense, refined... I wonder how Unicus's body—' She shook her head furiously, her face flushing.'But to think I was loud... I was certain I hid myself perfectly...' She thought, before hurriedly pushing away her suspicion as she noticed the black-metal armor he wore throughout the day, 'No matter. I'll finish what I came here to do.'"You're the elf from our party," Ami said, her voice sharp with suspicion."Yes," She nodded, "I am not here to harm either of you," Sylva murmured confidently as she straightened her posture."Wanna eat?" Van asked."...Did you hunt this?" Sylva gestured toward the beast."Yeah," Van nodded, his tone casual.'I guess that armor wasn't for show,' she thought, eyeing the bloodied flint knife near the folded skin. 'And the thief must've skinned it...'"I've already eaten," she replied. "But... there's something you need to know, being Van Hellix's son." Her tone turned serious, her eyes locking onto his."His son? What are yo—" Ami began, but Van cut her off."Now's not a good time," he said firmly.Sylva frowned. "I offer to talk about your father, and you say it's not a good time?" she muttered, her tone laced with irritation."Yeah. It's not a good time." Van's gaze flickered toward Ami. "I'm... with someone, as you can see."'Last thing I need is for Ami to hear about how I proposed to the Elven Queen before I came to her tribe.' Van thought, tilting his head playfully toward Ami in a silent signal to trust him.Sylva's eyes narrowed as she caught the unspoken exchange. Her hands clenched. 'Of course. Just like his father... Shameless, womanizing... caring more about fleeting companionship than the truth about his own family.'"I see. Fine," she said coldly, turning away. "The likes of you don't deserve the truth anyway." Her words were sharp, venomous.Van's eyes widened, momentarily stunned at her sudden coldness."Hey, what's that supposed to mean!!?" Ami erupted, with a hiss.She cast a cutting glance at Ami. "... I don't know why you would stay with a man as crude as he. He is unworthy of you protecting him like this." she hissed."He would forget about you soon after another woman catches his fancy," She spat; her eyes narrowing at Van, who soon relaxed his gaze, sighing.'Guess she took it the wrong way, huh?' Van thought, loosening further.Soon after, she turned around and walked back toward the camp; disappearing into the forest."What's that skank's deal!!?" Ami growled, "Do you know her?!" Ami asked, breaking the tense silence. "And what's this about your father..?"Van gulped, looking at Ami's earnest gaze.'She's had rough few years... I'd rather not lie to her more than I need to... Well, at least for the immortality bit. She'd kill me if she knew about my wife hunt.'"Well, as for the bit about my father; did you look at me?" Van replied."...Yeah?""It's been eight years, and I haven't aged a day.""OH! You're right!" Ami's ears perked up, her eyes wide as she leaned, examining Van's face from closer. "I just thought... humans age differently or something. Then... Is it a skill?""Yeah, I don't really age. Though, it's a secret, so be careful not to tell anyone. As for me knowing her... I... met her mother once, and to anyone who remembers me from back then, I'm claiming to be my own son to keep it hidden.""I see..." Ami's gaze dropped, her expression somber."What's wrong?" Van asked softly."It's just... won't you be lonely when I... age and die before you...?" Her voice quivered.Van's breath hitched. He shook his head quickly, trying to dispel the thought. "Ah—haha, I just try not to think about it. Either way, let's eat—""I'll..." She interrupted, her voice resolute. "I'll find a way... to live forever too. So... you won't be alone."Van's eyes widened, his breath catching. Words rose in his throat, but he couldn't find the strength to speak. Instead, he looked into the fire, his hand gripping a piece of cooked meat.'That was the first thing she thought about...?' He thought, almost in awe."...Just don't push yourself. Not for me," he murmured, his voice soft."Shut up. It isn't pushing myself..." She looked away, her cheeks tinged with red. "...If it's for you.""Huh?" Van blinked, unsure if he heard her correctly."N-NOTHING!" Ami snapped, grabbing the meat and chewing vigorously.Van watched her, a small chuckle escaping as the tension melted into the night.