CHAPTER 196: CHAPTER 196 - STILLNESS

Seeing Eirene, Lucien finally exhaled in relief.

If she was here, that could only mean one thing. The artifacts he’d given her earlier in the library were the reason. So, he was right. They were indeed related to her.

He inhaled faintly. Her fragrance filled the air... natural, sweet as honey, and soft as spring rain. That scent alone told him she bore no malice.

"Be at ease," Lucien murmured to Marie. "They mean no harm."

Marie loosened her stance though her eyes stayed wary.

Lucien glanced ahead. ’A false alarm.’

He hadn’t expected Eirene to be acquainted with Dawnbinder... much less close enough to summon them suddenly.

He sighed inwardly. ’A Luminarch and a Floran... both inherently good races. If they had ill intent, it would’ve been obvious.’

Eirene stepped forward. Her tone was apologetic. "I’m so sorry to call you like this, Brother Wolf. And I must apologize that your friends were caught up in it."

She glanced toward Dawnbinder as if expecting him to explain himself.

The radiant being chuckled lightly. "Haha! I figured it would worry you if your companion suddenly disappeared so I brought them along. I prefer peace in my city. Chaos gives me a headache. My bad."

Lucien inclined his head, unflinching. "It’s not a problem, Senior Dawnbinder. But next time, a warning would be appreciated."

Marie nudged him and whispered, "Hey... we just got here and you already know people like them? How do you do that?"

Lucien didn’t even blink. "Truthfully?... It’s because I’m charming."

Marie’s jaw dropped. Words failed her.

Lucien smirked then turned back toward the two figures.

"So, Miss Flower Fairy... and Senior Dawnbinder," he said lightly, "what can I do for you?"

Eirene laughed softly. "What? You’re not going to charge me for disturbing your peace again?"

Lucien’s brow twitched.

Her eyes glimmered with amusement. "I’m kidding. This has to do with the artifacts you gave me earlier... those stones."

Lucien’s gaze flicked toward the Dawnbinder.

The luminous being smiled. "Ah, don’t mind me. I’m only here to do a favor... for a friend. Nothing leaves this room. You have my word."

Lucien nodded slightly. ’Strange,’ he thought. ’Why does it feel like Eirene has more weight here than even the Dawnbinder?’

But that couldn’t be right. Eirene was only an Ascendant while Dawnbinder was a being of the Celestial Realm.

Lucien folded his arms. "Is there a problem with what I gave you?"

Eirene shook her head. "Not a problem but... a revelation. I asked ’Senior’ Dawnbinder’s help earlier to identify the Laws within the stones... and my suspicion was correct."

She paused as her eyes gleamed with restrained excitement.

"I can’t be wrong," she said slowly. "The way these stones are bathed in the Law... their essence, their internal rhythm... and the material itself. These originated from a sacred site. A place tied to a being who once ruled stillness itself. The Eternal of Stillness."

Lucien’s mind flashed to the book he’d read in Aurion’s library. The one about the ancient being who vanished without a trace.

Eirene’s gaze softened. "Brother Wolf, can you tell me where you found these?"

Lucien noticed the subtle change in her scent. It was once calm but now, it’s sharp and restless. Desperation, perhaps.

Instinctively, he covered his nose.

He hesitated briefly then decided there was no point in lying here. "Then I must disappoint you. We didn’t find them in any sacred site. They came from the Nephralis and Varkhaals we slew... for attacking us first."

The room fell silent.

Eirene’s face darkened slightly. She let out a small sigh. "I see... We’ve been searching for the entrance to those ruins for years. If the Nephralis and Varkhaals had fragments like these... that means they’ve already found it. The good news is that the ruin hasn’t awakened yet."

She turned to Lucien again.

"Brother Wolf, may I ask a favor? Someone who can read runes is invaluable. Would you be willing to accompany us to the site?"

Lucien didn’t hesitate. "No."

Murak blinked. Marie gawked. Dawnbinder chuckled.

Lucien continued calmly, "A place that hides fragments of Laws isn’t a ruin. It’s a tomb. The kind that buries everyone who seeks it."

Eirene fell quiet. Dawnbinder nodded in mild approval.

Just then...

Eirene reached into her storage ring and drew out a small piece of bark. Not ordinary bark... it pulsed with something far greater.

Lucien’s breath caught. The air shimmered and reality itself seemed to bend around it.

"This," Eirene said softly, "was said to be taken from the Tree of Creation... The first living tree that ever existed. Please, accept it as thanks. It’s of no use to me."

Lucien stared at it, unable to conceal his awe. The energy radiating from it stirred every cell in his body. ’This could help me more than anything else I’ve found.’

"You’re giving this to me?"

Eirene smiled faintly though her eyes were sharp. "Call it an investment. If that ruin truly opens, there will be more like it... perhaps even greater."

Temptation clawed at him but instinct whispered caution. "I’ll... think about it."

Eirene’s lips curved. "That’s all I ask."

Then her gaze drifted downward... to the small plushie lying near Marie’s feet. The Slime Plushie that had fallen when she thought danger loomed.

Her expression froze.

She stepped closer. "That toy..."

Lucien tensed. "What about it?"

Her voice softened, almost nostalgic. "It’s... a Slime?"

Lucien’s eyes narrowed. "How do you know that?"

Eirene fell silent.

Dawnbinder answered for her, laughing lightly. "Haha! Of course we know. Those creatures once roamed this world. Formidable, resilient... but now extinct. You must have read about them too in the library, yes? I didn’t expect anyone to make toys from them."

Lucien nodded slowly.

Eirene extended a hand then paused midway. "Would you sell it to me?"

Lucien smirked. "Not directly. If you want one, talk to Brother Bull. He’s my business partner."

Eirene blinked then laughed softly. "Your partner, is he? Then perhaps I’ll hire him instead."

She turned toward the stunned Beastman. "Murak, was it? I’d like to invite you to join the Verdant Veil Consortium."

Murak nearly choked. "I—I... what?"

Lucien rubbed his temple. "That’s one way to negotiate..."

Eirene grinned. "A mutually beneficial arrangement, I assure you."

The Dawnbinder rose with a quiet laugh. "Then our business here is concluded."

He extended a hand and conjured a ring of light. Four small storage rings materialized within it.

"Brother Wolf, Sister Marie — please deliver this to the innkeeper of the Luminous Rest. I’ve little time to visit an old friend. The rest are for you... compensation for your trouble."

Lucien accepted the rings respectfully. "Thank you, Senior."

"Until we meet again," Dawnbinder said with a nod.

He raised his hand... and the chamber dissolved.

Light surged.

When the trio blinked, they were back in the market. The sound of voices, trade, and laughter flooded back as if nothing had happened.

Marie blinked rapidly. "We... we’re back?"

Murak rubbed his horns, dazed. "By the ancestors... what just happened?"

Lucien let out a slow breath. "We just had an audience with some very weird people. Let’s not question it."

•••

Silence lingered long after the trio vanished.

Eirene stood beneath the golden dome. The Slime Plushie was cradled in her hands. Her fingers brushed its soft fabric. Her eyes were distant.

"This toy..." she whispered. "Why does it feel like Stillness?"

Dawnbinder smiled faintly. "Perhaps because it remembers."

Her gaze sharpened. "You’re mocking me again."

"Hardly," he said with a soft, ageless laugh. "You’ve always been fond of quiet things. Even when you were—"

Her eyes flashed. "Enough."

He raised his hands in mock surrender, smiling. "As you wish... my benefactor."

Eirene turned her gaze back to the plushie, "Stillness... and rebirth. A strange combination."

"Perhaps not," Dawnbinder replied. "Sometimes, stillness is merely creation waiting to begin again."

Eirene’s expression softened but her thoughts were far away.

After a pause, Dawnbinder asked, "My benefactor... is it true that you can’t see the true value of that Wolf Beastman?"

She was silent for a while. Then with a faint smile, she replied, "Right. In this vast world, there’s only one man whose value I could never measure... and he’s long gone. But now..."

Dawnbinder tilted his head curiously. "Then tell me... what’s my equivalent value?"

Eirene glanced at him, unblinking. "...Probably this pinky finger of mine."

Dawnbinder sighed. "I walked into that one."

She chuckled softly and he grinned in return.

"Well then," he said with his eyes glinting. "It’s a good thing I’ve made the right connections this time."