Mr. Valmire turned his sharp gaze toward Kael and asked, his voice calm yet probing, "Kael, what's your plan now? Do you intend to return to the academy, or is there something else you wish to pursue?"
Kael gave a small, almost sheepish smile, glancing at Ronan before answering, "Honestly, sir, I'm just the team's captain on paper. Out there in the field, we follow Ronan's lead. If he decides on something, we'll support him without question."
Mr. Valmire nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Then I'll speak with him directly."
With steady steps, he walked over to Ronan, who had been resting. Seeing Mr. Valmire approach, Ronan pushed himself up with some effort, and Sylphie was quick to offer her support. Standing tall, Ronan bowed respectfully and greeted, "Good evening, sir."
"Good evening," Mr. Valmire returned the bow with a slight nod. "Are you planning to head back to the academy now?"
Ronan straightened and answered with a tired but determined smile, "Yes, sir. We intend to leave as soon as possible. But first..." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "We haven't had a proper meal in days. We were hoping to find something to eat before setting off."
Mr. Valmire's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Well, we're heading back to the academy, too. Care to join us?"
Ronan hesitated, glancing at his team. Before he could speak, Mr. Valmire leaned in slightly, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I do have a flying boat," he said lightly, "and it comes equipped with a dedicated kitchen."
The moment the words left his mouth, Ronan straightened with a snap. "We'll come with you, sir!" he declared, almost too quickly.
Mr. Valmire blinked, clearly taken aback. "Oh?"
Ronan bowed again, more deeply this time. "It would be our honour to accompany you, sir. How could we possibly pass up such an opportunity?"
Amused, Mr. Valmire let out a hearty laugh. "Good."
Nearby, Mr. Alaric shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Both of them are so shameless... but still, it's good. Father genuinely smiled like this." He glanced fondly at Mr. Valmire, a rare softness in his eyes.
Mr. Valmire said. "Ronan, I heard rumours some tasty magical beasts are roaming around this area."
Ronan's eyes lit up immediately. "Yes, sir! I heard there's a Rock Eagle's nest nearby. It's meat is supposed to be amazing!" He almost started drooling at the thought.
Mr. Valmire, equally enthused, nodded vigorously. "Yes, yes! That meat is absolutely delicious!" But then, he sighed heavily. "Ah, it's a shame we don't have a proper cook with us."
Ronan puffed out his chest with mock indignation and declared, "Who said we don't?!"
In a swift, exaggerated motion, he turned to Sylphie, grabbing her shoulders dramatically. "Here's our master chef!"
Sylphie crossed her arms stubbornly and turned her head away with a huff. "Your body healed? Just now, you were having a hard time standing. Now you are jumping like a rabbit. Hmph. I'm not playing your silly games."
Mr. Valmire looked genuinely crestfallen, his voice almost pitiful as he said, "She... she doesn't want to cook for us?"
Sylphie, flustered, quickly waved her hands. "No, sir! It's not that I—"
Before she could finish, Ronan cut in loudly, "What are you saying, Sir? There's no way Sylphie would refuse your request!" He leaned closer, stage-whispering dramatically, "Are you really going to refuse Sir? You should not refuse elderly people's requests."
Sylphie shot Ronan a death glare over her shoulder, but seeing the expectant looks from everyone around, she sighed heavily, defeated. "Fine, fine. I'll cook... but Ronan, please, stop acting so shameless! This is so embarrassing."
Ronan beamed and immediately sprinted to Mr. Valmire's side, pointing excitedly at the distant mountain range. "Sir, the Rock Eagle's nest should be right over there!"
The two of them took off toward the mountain like a pair of overgrown kids on an adventure, laughter trailing behind them.
Mr. Valmire, however, suddenly paused, pulling out a shimmering, grand flying boat from his storage ring. He tossed the reins to Alaric. "Take the rest to the camp where Alden is resting. We'll join you within the hour."
And with that, he sprinted after Ronan without a second thought.
Kael remained behind, bowing respectfully before Mordek, Gorvath, Vexara, Lirith, and Alaric. "I truly apologise," he said sincerely. "You had to witness such... shameless behaviour. Ronan's love for food is almost legendary among us. We tried to hunt a Rock Eagle ourselves once... and failed miserably. So when he saw a real chance like this, he just couldn't let it go."
Mr. Alaric also lowered his head slightly in apology, murmuring, "And for my father's behaviour as well... it's rare, but perhaps... not entirely unpleasant."
Mordek chuckled, waving a dismissive hand. "It's alright, really. No need for apologies."
Before he could say more, Lirith spoke up, her voice soft and uneven. "Why... sorry? They happy. Enjoy..."
She looked down sadly, her voice growing quieter. "Enjoy..."
Then, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, she added, "Not lonely. Happy."
With a soft smile among them all, they boarded the grand flying boat and set off toward the nearby camp, the evening sky burning gold and orange above them.
After running through the dense forest in the evening, Ronan's footsteps slowed as he called out, his voice steady but serious. "Sir, I want to tell you something."
Mr. Valmire turned his head, noticing the heavy look on Ronan's face. Mr. Valmire, running slightly ahead, also slowed down and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
Ronan took a breath and said, "I gave the spirit, Mei, to Elenor. I also gave her a sword—it became Mei's vessel. A few days ago, the Flamecrest Family forcefully tried to extract Mei from Elenor's sword."
Mr. Valmire's eyes sharpened. "Did they succeed? Did they take Mei from Elenor?"
Ronan quickly shook his head. "No, sir. They tried to break the soul contract, but they failed."
"So," Mr. Valmire pressed, his tone low and probing, "they didn't break the soul contract?"
"No, sir," Ronan replies.
Mr. Valmire frowned, confused. "Then what are you so afraid of?"
Ronan hesitated for a moment, then confessed, "Because... I made her say that Mei belonged to her. But in truth, Mei's soul contract was still with me. If anyone had succeeded in forcefully removing Mei from the sword, she would have died. So, when I sensed the danger, I summoned her back to me."
Mr. Valmire's expression shifted with understanding. "Oh... I never thought the Flamecrast Family would stop so low. Although they do have a ridiculous and strict policy. If anyone finds or gains something they need to submit that thing to the treasury, and after evaluation, if they are deemed worthy, they can have the item; if not, they will get some sort of compensation." His voice darkened. Then suddenly he stopped mid-stride, murmuring, "Something's not right..." Turning sharply toward Ronan, he demanded, "Wait, are you saying Mei is with you right now?"
Ronan nodded solemnly.
Mr. Valmire again asks, "You mean—here, right now?"
Without a word, Ronan raised his hand. A soft light shimmered from his body as Mei, a translucent, spirited figure of a young woman, emerged, hovering silently beside him.
Mr. Valmire's eyes widened in disbelief. "How did he hide her presence so perfectly? Even I couldn't sense her…"
Without wasting more time, they resumed running toward the mountain peak. As they moved, Ronan continued, his voice tinged with regret. "That day, I was angry. Mei showed Elenor terrifying illusions, and I wanted to protect her from facing such fear again. That's why I entrusted Mei to her. But now, thinking back... I made a terrible mistake."
Mr. Valmire glanced at him. "And what do you intend to do now?"
Ronan looked at Mei, who floated quietly beside him, her ethereal form shimmering in the evening light. "I promised Mei that if she protected Elenor for a certain time, I would forge her a body... as she would no longer serve a purpose to me. I intend to honour that promise. Although I don't have the material to do so. So I was thinking if you could hold on to her until that time."
Mr. Valmire studied Ronan carefully. "Are you sure you want to give her to me?"
Without the slightest hesitation, Ronan answered, "Yes."
Both Mei and Mr. Valmire were stunned by his unwavering resolve.
"Then," Mr. Valmire said slowly, "What do you want from me?"
Ronan's voice turned quieter, heavier. "Once I step into the academy, they'll interrogate me for tampering with Elenor's sword. If they find any trace of Mei, it'll be difficult for me to explain or escape the consequences. So... whether you help me or not, it's up to you."
Mr. Valmire thought for a moment, then gave a small, cunning smile. "Hmm. I can help you—but on one condition. You must teach me how you fabricated such a flawless inner world that even I couldn't tell it was fake."
Ronan almost tripped in shock. Even Mei stared at Mr. Valmire, stunned.
"Alright," Ronan said finally, shaking his head with a wry smile. "I'll tell you."
"Good," Mr. Valmire said, satisfied. "Then I'll help you."
Without delay, Ronan closed his eyes and severed the soul contract with Mei. Drawing his Eclipse Edge sword, he turned to her.
"Mei," he said gently, "For now, hide inside this sword."
Mei nodded silently. Her translucent body dissolved into a swirl of grey smoke and entered the Eclipse Edge.
Ronan handed the sword carefully to Mr. Valmire.
After a moment of silence, Ronan asked, "Sir, do you remember how Mei could access my memories?"
Mr. Valmire nodded. "Your fabricated inner worlds were connected to your memories, emotions, and your true inner world."
"Exactly," Ronan continued. "Have you ever tried to separate those three elements inside a fabricated world?"
"Of course," Mr. Valmire said, frowning. "But it was extremely difficult. After years of failure, I finally learned a different technique that helped me consolidate my strength and inner world."
Ronan gave a small laugh. "I just used the very method you abandoned."
Mr. Valmire blinked, confused. "But that still doesn't explain how you perfected it within months, while I struggled for years."
"Because," Ronan said, smiling faintly, "I used my Phantom clones. When they disappear, all their memories and experiences return to me."
Mr. Valmire's jaw dropped slightly.
"I could create three clones in the physical world, one died in this mission, to the slot still empty, so for now, only two. " Ronan explained. "But within my inner world, I can create three more clones. And those two physical world clones inside the inner world can also create three of their own. That's why my learning speed is insanely high."
Mr. Valmire was almost speechless. "So you're telling me your learning speed is... nine times faster than normal?"
Ronan nodded. "Yes. But in the real world, it's limited. I can only create two clones, so my learning speed here is merely two times faster."
Mr. Valmire couldn't help but laugh. "Merely, he said..." He shook his head in amazement, a grin spreading across his face.