Chapter 21

The party had again regained its momentum, heading forward towards the dungeon where the needed herbs were, but there was an odd silence present among our group. There seemed to be a division in our party, with Adrian and me moving side by side while the other party members headed forward.

During this whole ordeal I had seen various expressions on the party members’ faces. Confusion, concern, shock, curiosity, such feelings were boiling within them. Yet none of them tried to ascertain their doubts or questions. The atmosphere was completely ruined compared to the jovial attitude we started off with. 

Maybe it was due to Adrian’s panicked emotions which he expressed but I knew they were just waiting for the right opportunity to start blasting off questions at me. Even now I could see their unbridled curiosity from their eyes which kept peeking back.

As for Adrian, there was a tinge of regret in his face. They might’ve been signs of remorse over his earlier actions. But what’s done is done, at this point, we can only move forward and try to fix the mess which had been created.

As the party proceeded it didn’t take long until we reached the dungeon. We entered it wordlessly, only the heavy footsteps were left echoing in the chambers. Upon entering we were greeted by a dark and dingy dungeon. There was quite a bit of humidity in the area which could affect the power of fire type spells.

Inside there were a variety of yellowish-green mosses which let out a bioluminescent light. It was an amazing sight to behold but the mix of the yellow and black gave it a grim feeling of danger and caution.

We tread through the rough ground. The herb could be anywhere so everyone was on the lookout. In situations like these Ciela’s capabilities would prove really useful, due to her strong eyesight from her ranger skills she could see well even in the dimmest areas.

While we headed forward Feon lets out a fake cough which brought everyone’s attention towards her.

“How about we split the party? If we do that then the quest could progress much faster.” Suggested Feon.

“Sure, I see no problem with it,” said Riam in agreement.

“Alright then, Adrian will go with Riam. As for Riela, she will come with me and Ciela” Feon proclaimed with a hint of force within her voice.

Adrian was startled after hearing that. He gives a pitiful look at me but I was helpless in this regard. I couldn’t really overstep my boundaries in this regard as a new member, especially so after the events which occurred earlier. My relations with the party members were already starting to be strained and if I took it a step further, there could be the possibility of me being kicked out.

I was worried how Adrian would react to it then, he might take even bolder moves depending on his feelings towards me. I wasn’t willing to see such a scene so I could only oblige.

Adrian gave a reluctant look but didn’t voice out his thoughts, perhaps due to feeling a bit of guilt. Everyone realized what was happening and no further conversation was held. It was quite blatant they wanted to know what was going on, and well as for me, I wanted to do the same.

I wanted to know more about Adrian and what was the cause of his actions. I didn’t know much about him other than the roles attached to his position. Only after I spent time with him did I really find out about his mannerisms, personality, feelings…

My desire to know about him only grew and this was a good opportunity to find out about him. We started heading off in separate directions. Adrian looked at me but didn’t say anything, sadness lurking within his eyes.

The look only managed to pull my heartstrings. “It’s okay, we will meet again soon,” I say to Adrian which he responded with a sad smile. Both of us get separated as we head along with the corresponding party members.

After walking for some time Ciela and Feon’s footsteps come to a halt. I similarly stop, waiting for them to start speaking.

“What did you do with Adrian? Why was he like th-” Ciela’s questioning is put to a halt as Feon interrupts her.

“Let me handle this,” said Feon. It didn’t seem so at first but Feon appeared to be the decision maker of their group. She usually lingered around in the sidelines and didn’t express her thoughts very well so one won’t usually expect for her to hold such a role.

“Riela I believe you yourself have many questions as to why Adrian was acting like that. Isn’t that right?” asked Feon.

I kept silent for a moment before responding.

“Yes, I also want to know why Adrian was acting like that.”

What follows from Feon’s mouth is a big sigh.

“You might know Adrian as the hero candidate and seem to have a close relationship with him but it seems he hasn’t told you his past.” A sad emotion flashes by Feon’s face as she says that.

“Adrian had a harsh childhood, he was trained specifically to become a hero. As his childhood friend, I had to bear witness to it all. He had no time to play, he was either always honing his swordsmanship or training his magic.

Before I realized, Adrian had already withdrawn into his shell. He faked his emotions and put on a facade. He had to act like a hero at all times, not relenting to any challenges he faced. To be honest, I have never seen Adrian become so meek before, he always tried to put a charismatic front no matter the cost. It seems whatever happened in that dungeon has managed to bring out his true feelings and I am glad to see it. But… at the same time, those long withheld feelings seemed to have brought out his weaknesses and fears to the surface too.

Ciela I am sorry to not inform this to you for so long but Adrian always seemed melancholic whenever someone mentioned his past. Please forgive me for hiding the truth for so long.”

Feon stops speaking. Ciela just stands still, taking time to digest all the information. As for me, I similarly said nothing. This was a bit too much to take in. I could tell Adrian had been suffering due to his role as a hero but I didn’t expect that he even hid his personality due to it.

If Adrian had been here right now I would’ve tried to comfort him with the best of my efforts. Hearing the story only managed to rouse my protective instincts towards those who are close to me. If possible, I wanted to rehabilitate Adrian so he could show his true self again.

“Riela, can you promise me to take care of Adrian?” Feon asked me with concern and hope apparent in her face.

“Yes,” I answered. Feon gives me a soft smile similar to how we first met. Ciela looks at me, conflicting emotions appearing on her face.

“Don’t you dare make Adrian sad, otherwise I will follow you to the depths of hell,” Ciela said while speaking in a serious tone. Though her words might be sharp, I could tell they were more for the concern and well being of Adrian rather than anger itself.

“Adrian has really good comrades,” I said so with a smile.

“You bet,” replied Ciela with a haughty tone.

All of us resumed walking again but the atmosphere was a lot less tense than before. It seemed the troublesome events had mended for the most parts.

“I wonder if I should tell Adrian’s other secret to Riela,”

Feon had suddenly said something under her breath which I couldn’t really hear, I decided not to pay too much attention to it.