Dimensional Descent

Leonel and Aina left the restaurant not long later, their expressions not giving much of anything away until they were already back in the Segmented Cube.

“Why did you agree to help them?” Aina finally asked after the two were alone again.

“Why turn down free resources?” Leonel said with a laugh.

“But… If we help them protect their territory, wouldn’t that make it more difficult for your plans?”

“No, it would actually help. You and I aren’t representative of the younger generation of Valiant Heart. With how shaky their foundations are, isn’t it best to leave it in their hands?”

“Well… Raylion actually isn’t so weak.”

Leonel blinked, looking over at Aina who had seemingly begun to cook something.

“Should I be jealous?”

Aina looked up from the stove, blinking innocently, a sweet smile on her face.

“You left me for two years. Who knows, maybe I wavered.”

“Ah…”

Leonel looked like a wounded puppy some sick bastard punted across the room. Aina almost forgot it had just been a joke and nearly felt guilty. She really would have if Leonel didn’t clench his chest and fall over in his chair, causing her to sputter with laughter.

“… Laughing at my pain… Who did I wrong in my last life to have such a cruel girlfriend?”

“Stop being so dramatic. I have fought him, he is indeed very powerful. If we had not lifted the curse, I would have lost to him without a doubt. There’s a reason Valiant Heart had so much hope in him.

“Also, I’m not sure if I agree with you. From what Teacher Magnaril said, there are multiple organizations vying for their territory. Whatever land was ceded would definitely have numerous hands wanting a piece, especially since this world is so rich in ores.

“Chaos is an opportunity, no?”

“Usually, yes.” Leonel nodded. “But, if there’s one thing humans are good at doing, it’s forming in-groups and out-groups.

“This is a predominantly human part of the universe. What would happen if several organizations of humans converged to split resources and there was a single race of people that didn’t quite look like the others?”

Aina’s hands paused. She looked over toward Leonel who was playing with Little Tolly. After two years of not bonding with the little guy, unlike with Little Blackstar who reaffirmed their connection practically instantaneously, Leonel had to put in some effort with Little Tolly.

That said, Aina wasn’t looking toward Leonel because of this. Rather, she looked over because those seemingly simple words he just spoke carried a wisdom that shocked her.

After a while, she realized that maybe she shouldn’t be so surprised. Leonel’s understanding of human nature was so deep that he practically collapsed Valiant Heart Mountain with just a few casual moves…

Maybe the irony in all of this was that he still couldn’t perfectly read her. But, that was less about him being unable to, and more about his love for her clouding his judgment.

The Leonel that could so easily see what would happen to the Oryx should Valiant Heart lose, was the cold and calculating Leonel. No matter how he pretended, when it came to Aina, Leonel couldn’t ever completely throw away all his emotions. At best, he could suppress them.

“Hm?” Leonel looked up from Little Tolly after realizing it had been a while since Aina said anything.

When their gazes met, he blinked in confusion for a moment before grinning.

“What is it? Am I very handsome?”

Aina subconsciously nodded before she registered what she was doing.

Leonel erupted into a fit of laughter when Aina froze. He hadn’t laughed so hard in a long while.

He realized at that moment that he was very happy. These simple, peaceful moments, sharing a kitchen with Aina, helping her with simple tasks and teasing one another… it made him forget about the burden on his back, albeit for just a moment.

After hiding away her embarrassment, Aina couldn’t help but agree with Leonel.

“If that’s the way you’re looking at it, then you’re probably right. The clash between the Oryx and Valiant Heart is inevitable, though. Have you thought about Sael, Kaela and the others?”

Thinking of Sael, Leonel sighed.

Sael had worked very hard. Much like Raylion, she wanted to see Valiant Heart thrive, but neither one of them truly took the correct steps.

Still, if he was going to feel bad about crossing anyone, it wouldn’t be Raylion. However, Sael was completely different. Though she had done a poor job, at the very least, she tried to help him.

The current Leonel, though, had come to an understanding that sometimes emotion couldn’t always dictate his actions. The same way he would have chosen Elthor even if he could resurrect Rollan, was the same reason he would face off against Valiant Heart even if it meant slighting Sael.

Seeing the look on Leonel’s face, Aina seemed to understand something.

“So, you’ve answered your grandfather’s question?”

Aina had always avoided this question like the plague. She knew that Leonel was avoiding it, so she didn’t want to be the one to bring up such horrible memories for him. But, for some reason, she felt supremely confident now that there wouldn’t be an issue.

Leonel smiled. “He has his path, and I have my own.”

There was a reason that Leonel didn’t want to be an Emperor. Despite the fact it sounded like the highest and most esteemed title, Leonel didn’t believe it. To him, the title Emperor only represented detachment and coldness.

However, a King was different to Leonel. A King was a man of the people, he was a man who could make tough decision and bear the weight of a nation, but he could also joke and smile with his men, his laughter bringing brightness to his lands.

Leonel knew that one day he would have to clash with his grandfather. After awakening his Lineage Factor, he understood that the Fawkes family was inflicted with its own sort of curse.

A matchup of an Emperor versus a King. It would be a sight to behold, indeed.