Chapter 139 - 138: Not a Child Anymore

Chapter 139: Chapter 138: Not a Child Anymore Lumberling strolled through the village, not toward the usual clang of the training grounds this time, but farther, toward the cliffs where the wolves made their den. He hadn’t come this way in a while. Sure enough, he found her there, sitting cross-legged on a flat stone, surrounded by the resting pack. One of the pups pawed at her cloak while she absentmindedly scratched its ear. Jen. She’d grown so much. Sixteen now. It had been over five years since he’d first met the girl clinging to her grandfather’s robes. Her black hair flowed down to her waist, and her brown eyes had sharpened with age, bright and perceptive. She was tall for her age, slim but strong, her features refined into a beauty that would’ve turned heads even in his old world. "Hey," he called out, a smile tugging at his lips. Jen looked up, startled, then lit up and ran straight to him, throwing her arms around his waist. "Finally remembering me after flirting with the elves?" she muttered with a pout. Lumberling blinked, amused. "Flirting? Who told you that?" "Big Sis Vaenyra," she said with a mock whisper. "She said you’ve been getting real close with Sister Aurelya lately." He couldn’t help but laugh. "She said that, huh?" "Don’t laugh, Brother. And you have to talk to Sister Vaenyra," Jen said, her playful pout giving way to a more serious expression. "She seems a bit... upset?" Jen murmured, hesitating. Lumberling frowned. That was unusual. Jen continued, "She’s been... different lately. There was this one time, Sister Aurelya said she should be the one to teach you the Concordia Cycle, said you were improving faster with her." She hesitated, then added more quietly, "Sister Vaenyra didn’t argue. She just... agreed. But I don’t know. Even if she didn’t say anything, she looked bothered. Like she was holding something back." Lumberling didn’t know how to respond. Vaenyra was always difficult to read, serious, reserved, and rarely ever expressive. You could spend hours with her and still feel like you barely scratched the surface. He sighed and looked at Jen. "Enough of that. I’ll talk to her later," he said, brushing the thought aside, for now. "You have to talk to her, okay, Brother?" Jen insisted, her brows knitting. "I know. Don’t worry," he replied, then straightened up, his tone shifting. "I came here to talk to you." She blinked. "Me?" He nodded, his tone shifting. "There’s something important I need to tell you." The smile faded from her lips. She straightened, sensing the change in his mood. "Alright," she said, her voice quiet now. "I’m listening." Lumberling took a breath. "There’s an army heading this way. Soldiers, likely enemies. We’ll be fighting them soon. And this time..." He met her eyes. "I want you to join us." Jen’s eyes widened. "Wait... you mean it?" Her voice broke into a grin before she started bouncing in place, fists clenched with excitement. "You’re really taking me with you?!" He couldn’t help but smile. "Don’t get too excited. Aren’t you scared? We could be up against hundreds. It’ll be chaos out there." "I’m not scared," she said without hesitation. "I’ve trained for this, Brother. You know that." Her voice was firm now, steady. "You and the captains taught me well. I’ve fought monsters before, Lunira even took me on a few monster hunts. I’ve drawn blood. I won’t freeze." He studied her for a moment. She stood straighter now, no longer just his little girl, but a fighter. Determined. Ready. "You’ve grown," he murmured. "That’s why I won’t just take you with me this time. I also want to help you." Jen blinked. "Help me how?" Lumberling stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You’ll understand when we get there. Just know this, it can strengthen you. It can accelerate your path to Knighthood." Her breath caught. "Accelerate... my path to Knighthood?" she echoed, eyes wide. He nodded, then began explaining, about the essence flow, how it carried knowledge and insight from those who had fallen, how it could unlock potential skills, but also how it came with risks. "I’ve seen what it can do," he finished, voice low. "But it only works if your will is strong enough. The memories, the instincts within the essence can overwhelm you if you’re not ready." Jen didn’t flinch. "I can handle it," she said firmly. "I’ve been meditating every day for years, just like you taught me." "I know," he said with a faint smile. "That’s why I believe you’re ready." She gave a firm nod, her earlier excitement tempered into focus. "I won’t let you down." "One more thing," he added. "Keep this between us. No one else needs to know yet." Jen raised a brow. "Not even Uncle Drake?" Lumberling’s expression shifted again, this time softer. "Actually... I want you to invite him to come with us. I want to help him too. He’s been meditating like you. I think he can handle it." Jen gave him a curious look but nodded. "Alright. I’ll talk to him." "Good, we’ll all stand together. But this time, I want us to move forward... not just survive." ..... After saying his goodbyes to Jen, he turned to leave, but not toward the training grounds. His steps took him instead toward the elven settlement. Just as Jen had said, he needed to speak with Vaenyra. As he reached the residence, Lumberling paused before what could no longer be called a simple house. It had become a mansion, arched windows, elegant stonework, and flowering vines enchanted to bloom eternally across the façade. ’Figures. They probably remodeled this with magic,’ he thought, crossing his arms. ’I should ask them to do mine next.’ He stepped forward and gave the door a few knocks. To his surprise, it was Thessalia who opened it. She stood composed as always, her long green hair perfectly in place, her eyes a quiet forest glint. "You’ve come," she said flatly. "Looking for Aurelya? She left to meet you at the training grounds." "No," Lumberling said calmly. "I’m here to speak with Lady Vaenyra." That made her blink. Her gaze didn’t meet his. "...What for? Aurelya’s already teaching you. Isn’t that enough?" Her voice lowered slightly, something unreadable flickering behind her tone. "Why do you still need her? Why do you need... us?" He tilted his head, noting the cool edge in her tone. Lumberling took a step closer, casually, but with intention, and leaned in just enough for his voice to brush past her ear. "Thessalia," he said, low and soft. Thessalia looked up instinctively, and immediately regretted it. He was close. Too close. His face was calm, a little smug, a little curious. "Are you... jealous?" he murmured, the corner of his mouth curving into a teasing half‐smile. Her eyes went wide. "I—What—I—" she stammered, her words crashing into each other like panicked soldiers. Her cheeks began to betray her, flushing a soft red. She quickly turned her head, brushing her hair behind her ear in a failed attempt to look composed. "That’s not what I..." She exhaled, slow and sharp. Then with practiced coldness: "Forget it." But she couldn’t. And neither could he. Because for the very first time, Thessalia, ice‐borne strategist, unflinching scholar, calculated, was visibly flustered. And adorably so. Lumberling suddenly sighed loudly and dramatically, just enough to be irritating. "You could’ve just said you wanted to continue our Magic Theory study sessions," he said, placing a hand over his heart in mock sorrow. "I didn’t know you missed me that much." Thessalia blinked. "W-What are you talking about?" "I mean, You know I could always make an exception for my favorite teacher." He smiled. But it didn’t land the way he expected. Her blush vanished, hidden under a thin veil of composure. Her eyes narrowed, flat, cool, unreadable once more. "Aren’t you here to see Lady Vaenyra?" she said plainly. "She’s upstairs." There was sarcasm in her voice, a distant chill, but it wasn’t distance. More like an armor. Lumberling tilted his head slightly, uncertain. The playful tension drained away. The mood shifted, leaving behind a faint awkwardness in the air. "Right," he said. Thessalia stepped aside to let him in. No smile. No glance back. She pointed silently to a curved staircase leading up to the second floor. "End of the hall. Last door on the right." Then she walked away without waiting for a response. Lumberling scratched his head, a bit puzzled. ’What was that all about...?’ He chuckled to himself, dismissing the thought with a shrug, and made his way upstairs toward Vaenyra’s room. ..... Thessalia’s Room - Moments Later The door shut softly behind her. She leaned against it for a moment, staring blankly at the bookshelves, then at her hands. "Strange," she murmured. Her cheeks were warm again. Not flushed exactly, but not normal either. Her breath caught halfway, as if her body didn’t know whether to be annoyed or... embarrassed? She moved to the mirror and studied herself, expression unreadable. Calm eyes. Smooth tone. Perfect posture. Yet something inside was not quite composed. "Why would I feel... off balance?" she whispered. She had faced pressure from nobles, war councils, foreign envoys. But that? That casual smirk, that voice by her ear. It was ridiculous. And yet, she couldn’t stop thinking about it. "I shouldn’t have let him get that close." She lingered a moment longer, then turned, though her fingers, almost absentmindedly, brushed the dust from the old chessboard they hadn’t touched in weeks.