"Where's Ami?" Van asked as he descended the stairs.
"Oh, she was very tired. She told us to tell you she went back to her room," Sylva replied softly.
"Speaking of which... My Lady, we've overstayed our welcome," Vaelthir sighed as he stood and offered Sylva his hand, gently leading her toward the exit.
"Oh, but..." Sylva glanced back at Van, hesitating, but Vaelthir's steady grip guided her away. Before long, they were gone.
'I guess I'll come back later when I can talk to him.' Sylva thought as the door closed behind her.
"I need to train. I've been idle for too long," Savathon declared abruptly, standing and leaving without another word.
"I'll take my leave as well. My smithy needs tending," Arnolt said with a tired sigh, rising to his feet. As he passed Van, he paused for a moment.
"Brat," he muttered, leaning closer. "We formed a party, so till we meet again, don't share anything about what happened. Considering the Goddess herself wants you dead—or whatever that thing that overtook Unicus was—we need to tread carefully. Be cautious about who you trust with this."
His gruff words lingered as he walked away, leaving Van alone with his thoughts.
"..."
'Good strategy. I suppose I can't share too much with Amoria... Tsk, just when I'd decided to spill everything,' Van thought with a shake of his head.
'No,' he resolved, clenching his fists. 'I WILL tell her who I married. That has nothing to do with what these guys decided.'
Turning to Belial and Mirias, he broke the silence.
"What about you two? What will you do?" Van asked, his tone steady but edged with weariness.
"I'll settle here and catch a nap; seeing as we've already rented the place. Following you leads to interesting stuff, but that can come after I lay down," Belial said with a yawn.
"It has been a long journey. Let us go upstairs," Mirias said.
"I'm too tired... Carry me," Belial added, slumping into his chair.
"... Very well." Without hesitation, she effortlessly hoisted Belial into a princess carry. The act drew several stares and whispers from the tavern's patrons as Belial sprawled lazily in her grasp.
"Then, you know where to find us, Hellix," she nodded before leaving the tavern.
'I guess that frees me to talk to Anne and then Amoria and the rest. Time to end this,' Van thought with a huff as he turned to leave.
"STINKIN' BRAT! Don't think you get to leave!" Galdo, the tavern owner, called out, stopping Van in his tracks.
"We need to talk. You ain't leaving until you spill about your relationship with Ami—"
"With all due respect," Van said, spinning around with a profound eye roll, his expression lazy and exasperated, "go fuck yourself, you shitty dwarf. That's not your business. If you're so desperate to talk, do so when I'm back." He turned away again, his words earning audible gasps from the patrons.
"Why, YOU...!!" Galdo growled, his face contorting in anger.
"That's it," the dwarf snarled, stomping toward Van. "I've been holding back because of that girl, but you've just crossed the line—"
Van's hand shot out, gripping Galdo by the throat. His face twisted with rage as he lifted the struggling dwarf off the ground, glaring into his eyes.
"I'm fucking done. Done with you. Done with this fucking city. Done with everyone. I've just saved the girl you oh-so-dearly care about, and that's what you have to say? Call me names? Order me around!?" Van growled, his voice trembling with fury as his grip tightened.
"Gaaaahhh!!!" Galdo writhed and struggled, his gruff hands clawing at Van's arm in a desperate attempt to break free.
'It's like... I'm wrestling with a metal statue! I can't break free!'
"HEY, LET GALDO GO!!" A patron shouted, but Van's glare silenced them as he lifted the dwarf higher into the air. Galdo's legs flailed helplessly.
"I bet you stormed up here thinking I'd need to summon my spirit, huh? That I'd need protection? That maybe you could blow off some steam by pushing me around!" Van roared, his grip tightening around Galdo's neck.
"I CAN'T BE FUCKED WITH. Not by you, not by anyone!" he growled, his voice trembling with unrestrained fury.
Memories flooded his mind: walking into the city and being underestimated until his prowess was revealed, the sisters accusing him of apathy, their bitter goodbyes, Marcy treating him as a replacement for Magus, Amoria warning him to stay away, the angry mob... and Galdo's insults, his constant disrespect, shouting at him just a day ago.
All of it crashed down on him at once, blurring his vision with frustration and rage.
"Tearing your fucking arm off would be like pinching the wing off a fly! I'M A GOD!" Van's voice thundered through the tavern, his teeth clenched in a snarl. "Do you hear me? I'M TOO STRONG FOR YOU TO EVEN IMAGINE! None of you can do ANYTHING if I decided to destroy and kill every single one of you!"
"Someone call the GUARDS!!"
The urgent cry only stoked Van's fury further.
"CALL THE GUARDS, AND I SNAP HIS FUCKING NECK!!" Van bellowed, his grip tightening until Galdo's face turned crimson. Foam bubbled at the edges of the dwarf's mouth as his struggles weakened.
The tavern fell deathly silent. The only sound was Galdo's gasping coughs and the faint writhing of his body as Van's fury filled the room like an oppressive storm.
"That's more like it... Haha—"
"VAN, PLEASE, STOP!!" A voice cried out from the other end of the tavern.
Van froze, his breath hitching as he turned. Ami was rushing toward him, her hands trembling as they tugged at his arm.
"PLEASE... Please, don't hurt him! Please..." she begged, her voice cracking, tears welling in her eyes.
Van's body shook, his rage faltering as he looked down at her, still holding Galdo aloft.
"HURT HIM? YOU THINK I'D HURT HIM? YOU VOUCH FOR THAT PIECE OF SHIT?" Van barked, his eyes blazing as they bore into hers.
Ami gasped, her face paling as she stumbled back, fear spreading across her features like a shadow. Her horrified expression pierced Van like a dagger.
All at once, the fury drained out of him. The way she recoiled—as if he were a monster—struck him harder than any blow.
"..."
Van slowly released Galdo, letting him drop to the ground in a heap. The dwarf wheezed and coughed, clutching his throat.
"Of course," Van said, his lips curling into an exhausted, bitter smile. "Of course you have that fucking face. Of course even you'd be scared of me."
He let out a shaky breath, his voice breaking. "It affects you too, after all..."
Without another word, Van turned and staggered toward the tavern door. Behind him, Ami rushed to Galdo's side as the dwarf collapsed, coughing violently and clutching his throat.
Van paused briefly, his gaze flicking back just enough to catch the sight of her kneeling by Galdo, her trembling hands hovering as she tried to help.
His grimace deepened, bitterness twisting through him.
"I'm done. I'm done with all of you. Fuck YOU," he spat, his voice sharp and cutting. Without looking back, he shoved the door open and stepped out into the warm noon air.
The world spun around him, distorted by the weight of his anger, shame, and exhaustion. Eyes followed him. He felt their judgment, their disdain, like a thousand knives pressing into his back.
'I need a helmet,' he thought numbly. 'Why did I leave my helmet in the forest? I need to buy a helmet... Haah...'
"Hey," a lazy voice called from the stairwell outside the tavern.
"..."
Van turned slowly, his gaze heavy and guarded. Sitting on the steps was Belial, alone, watching him with a steady expression.
"Do you also have something to say!?" Van barked, clenching his fists and teeth, ready to defend himself.
"Nah." Belial shrugged. "They deserved it. All of them."
Van blinked, his shoulders loosening slightly.
A few moments of silence passed between them. Van swallowed, clearing his throat as if trying to process what Belial had just said.
"...What did you just say?"
"I heard it all," Belial said, his tone steady but sharp.
"That fucking dwarf treated you like shit, and you tossed him around like he deserved. Then that girl—she was scared of you, wasn't she? Even though you saved her? And seeing as she didn't come out here with you, I'm guessing she ran straight back to help that shitter of a dwarf who started it all. Yeah," he paused, his gaze unwavering, "good call putting him in his place."
Van stared at him, his mind reeling. The world, which had been spinning moments ago, began to settle.
"I like getting shamed here for the shit I do," Belial continued, his tone calm but steady.
"Because back home, no one called me out. Forget being shamed—those fuckers didn't even see me. They gave me blind respect because of my bloodline, not for who I am or what I did. And now? They're doing the same to you. Blind hatred instead of blind respect, but the same shit. They ignore everything you've done for them. Like they don't even see you."
Van's breath hitched as Belial locked eyes with him. There was no mockery or derision in his gaze—just quiet, unflinching understanding.
"You did right by tossing that fucker around," Belial said firmly. "Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."
Van's breathing steadied as he looked at Belial, swallowing repeatedly.
"Yeah..." he murmured, his voice low, as his gaze dropped to the ground. He gave a few subtle nods, rubbing his temples as though trying to gather himself.
Turning away, his eyes drifted toward the scenery of the capital. A solitary tear slid down his cheek, escaping despite his efforts to hold it back. His expression remained stoic, neutral, even as his lips shifted slightly—an unconscious attempt to distract himself from the emotions threatening to surface.
With a swift motion, he raised a finger to his cheek, wiping the tear away before it could linger. A subtle sniffle followed as he cleared his throat, turning back to Belial with his face composed and controlled.
"Thanks. I appreciate it," Van said, his voice steady, though faintly hoarse.
Belial didn't respond immediately. He simply sat there, his expression unreadable, offering no mocking remark or unnecessary comment.
"Shit, don't mention it," Belial finally said, breaking the silence. He stretched lazily before turning toward the stairs.
"I'mma check out for a few hours, see ya'." he added casually, heading up without another word.
Van watched him leave, his gaze softening just slightly, before turning back to the quiet capital before him.
'Huh,' Van thought to himself as he turned around, no longer minding the stares from other people as he took a deep breath.
'That's a new one.' He mused with an exhale.