Vir took a deep breath. Then took a sip of redbrew from his water bag.
"I don't care what he wants," he said. "All I'm thinking is, how the hell he know if I were there at that moment?"
Aira was about to say that it was very simple. Yeah, that man's unique black dagger was the answer.
If it was true that Vir had met with the old man before, and also with his unique dragon, then it would not be impossible for a Diaboli Securis or any other kind of dragon to track Vir's whereabouts.
However, Aira preferred to keep the secret to herself. It wasn't time for Vir to know, she thought.
The little girl did not want to see Vir turn arrogant if he learned that his special dagger was very magical because it was made from the solid bones of the Black Dracael. He might become something bad after that.
Imagine if you knew that you had such an extraordinary item that because of it, not a single dragon would dare to approach you.
Of course, this becomes like a double-edged knife. You could either remain who you are and be even better. Or, you could turn out to be arrogant and terrible because you feel so powerful.
And Aira also didn't want the information that only she realized to be known by others. Because this would be bad for Vir himself.
The old man named Raemon and his dragon were an example. They could find Vir's whereabouts easily.
Now, imagine if this information was known by people from the Central Empire or those riders!
Well, Raemon is already aware of this although perhaps not specifically, Aira thought.
"Each dragon has its own strengths," said the little girl. "I think you should know more about the characteristics and traits of each dragon."
"Oh, I hate that!" Vir glanced at the thick book beside the little girl.
"What do you mean?" Aira frowned.
"I don't like reading," Vir replied, and then simply lay down on the ground. "Reading for so long makes my head dizzy and heavy. I hate it!"
"Suit yourself!" Aira shrugged her shoulders.
"Never mind, just forget it!" Vir retorted. "When I get to the nearest village in the north, I want to get my weapons right away. I hope they give me a cheap price."
"I thought you gave up because you lost your weapon."
"Gave up?" Vir snorted with laughter. "What are you talking about, huh?"
"Because you failed."
"Hey, I didn't fail!"
"Oh, whatever!"
"I got the heart of one of their dragons," Vir said.
"That's because that old man showed up and helped you," Aira retorted. "Otherwise, you might not have survived."
"Tch!" Vir snorted again. "You underestimated me, you little shit!"
"I'm just telling the truth. There is no one in this world who is always lucky. Bad luck is bound to come your way even if only for once."
"Oh, not again!" Vir let out a long sigh. "Don't you start that lecture again! You're so annoying!"
***
When the light of dawn was just appearing on the eastern horizon, Vir and Aira had resumed their journey.
The nine-year-old girl felt at ease that Vir was no longer being bothered this way and that by him not realizing that he was always carrying that special dagger around.
As for Vir himself, he felt calm and more relaxed because Aira was with him. After all, he greatly admired the abilities of the Asurry people. So, Vir didn't have to worry about the threat of the beasts anymore.
"Tell me," Vir said as he continued to pull his cart. "Who is superior? The al-Banix or your people?"
They were currently traveling along a dirt road in the middle of a forest dominated only by cypress trees.
"I don't understand your question," replied Aira, sitting on the cart with her legs dangling, the thick book in her lap.
"About each of your abilities," said Vir, again. "You must know, right? The al-Banix achieved their glory by trading their unique abilities to other groups."
"Yeah, I've heard that a lot."
"So, whose abilities are superior?" asked Vir. "Oh, shit! Why would I ask you, you're just a kid. Anyway, it's all clear. Those al-Banix destroyed your people and mine."
Aira sighed deeply, then closed the big book on her lap.
"My mom told me," she said, "that we Asurries never trade our skills. Even if someone asks for help, our ancestors never asked for a fee or anything in return."
"You are very wise," Vir said. "But your wisdom is one of the causes of your destruction, perhaps. People must have taken advantage of your kindness, or, you deliberately did not share your abilities so that you became suppressed by the evolving abilities of the al-Banix later on."
"I don't know to that extent," Aira replied. "What I do know... We Asurries inherited our abilities from our mothers, and it was always only the women who could use those abilities. Whereas the al-Banix inherit their abilities from the paternal line. Does every man and woman have the same abilities? I don't know at all."
"So, who is superior?"
"Are you mocking my ancestors?"
Vir chuckled. "I'm just asking," he said. "I thought that if I knew a little about the al-Banix's strengths, I might be able to use them to destroy them one day."
Aira frowned. For a moment just now, she saw the purple aura emanating from Vir's body, again.
Did he really mean what he said? She asked herself.
"Actually," the little girl continued after one long breath. "Not even close. We're the Asurry with more mystical abilities. Whereas the al-Banix, have the ability to tame dragons. These are two different things."
"Is that so?"
"My mom says," the nine-year-old girl continued, "there's a legend that the dragons can always tell the ancestry of the al-Banix, and are practically subservient to them, even if it's a wild dragon."
"Goddamn, it!" Vir snorted and smiled bitterly. "Yeah, they're clearly superior."
"What about your kind?" Aira asked. "I didn't think that every Vulcher would be immune to poison. Even more so, the poison in the dragons' flesh."
"I don't say this because I look down on my own kind," Vir replied. "But we Vulchers are not a great people like other tribes. We are just a small tribe that likes to live in small groups. We don't have any special abilities like you. In essence, Vulcher is just a small, isolated tribe. But we prefer to live quietly and peacefully with nature."
But all that peace and tranquility disappeared after the al-Banix gained glory by exposing their cruelty to the world.
By midday, Vir and Aira finally reached the edge of the forest. They arrived at a plateau. In front of them was a panoramic view that was soothingly beautiful.
The hilly landscape, the verdant valleys, you could even hear the sound of running water, all of it presented a different view.
"This is the northernmost area of the Eastern Lands," Vir told the nine-year-old girl. "Behind that hill!" He pointed to a particular hill. "That is the last village in the land. But I warn you, be careful there later. Don't trust anyone."
"Who are they?"
"Nobody," Vir replied. "They're just a bunch of outcasts who formed a community. You could say that they live without rules. They will do anything for a piece of pennies."
That's so weird! Aira thought. This area looks very fertile. Even the most fertile of all the areas she had seen.
Couldn't they utilize that fertility to live in a better way?
"Whatever bad things you see there," Vir continued, "just ignore them. Don't interfere or you'll end up miserable."
"If the conditions in the village are as horrible as you say," Aira said. "Then why did you deliberately take this route?"
"I had no choice," Vir replied. "The old man said that the people of the Central Empire would be visiting this land in large numbers. And I didn't have time to get rid of the bodies of those two riders and their two dragons."
Aira now understood why Vir had been in such a hurry to leave Daisy.
Well, of course! No one in the world wanted anything to do with the Central Empire, except for those who licked the ruler's ass.