Chapter 349: Overthinking
Ethan made his way downstairs, while Hayley followed behind, rubbing her eyes lazily as she tried to shake the sleep from her head.
The sound of their footsteps drew the attention of everyone within the sitting room.
"I’ve gone through it." Ethan said, holding up the journals. "From everything written here, the one who altered your memories was my father."
There was shock in their eyes. Even Bernadette, who had prepared herself for almost every possible answer, found herself momentarily speechless.
Ethan walked over and placed the journal into her hands. "You guys should read it yourselves."
He turned away, and walked towards the entrance doors. "I’ll be back, I just need some air."
Hayley immediately followed, calling onto him, "Ethan."
She caught up beside him just outside the manor before gently reaching for his hand, wrapping her fingers around his.
"Hey..."
There wasn’t much she could say. She simply wanted him to know he wasn’t alone.
Ethan stopped for a moment before slowly exhaling.
His fingers gently slipped free from her grasp as he took a few steps forward, quietly whispering, "Titania."
Purple light blossomed several meters away, and by the time it faded, Titania was already standing in her full dragon form. As though she had been waiting for his call.
The massive dragon lowered herself without needing to be instructed.
Ethan walked toward her, but just before climbing onto her back, he glanced back. "You coming?"
Hayley looked taken aback for a split second, then smiled and walked forward. "Yeah."
Moments later, Titania spread her enormous wings. And with a powerful beat, she soared into the sky.
The further she flew, the smaller the world below became. Eventually, Titania emerged above the clouds where an endless sea of white stretched in every direction.
Both Ethan and Hayley stood upon the dragon’s broad back as the rushing wind whipped through their hair and clothes.
Hayley slowly looked downward, with a level of a wonder on her face. "I don’t know why, but this feels better than flying in planes or airships."
Ethan hadn’t answered to her amazement, he just continued staring ahead.
Hayley’s smile slowly faded as she turned toward him.
Seeing the distant look in his eyes, she stepped a little closer. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Ethan let out a sigh before speaking. "There’s really not much to talk about. I’m just going through this... dilemma."
His soul and his body each reacted to the revelations from the journals in their own way.
There was that burning desire to launch every possible search for both of them.
But since it had been his own father who orchestrated all of this, then he most likely had good reason to do so.
Nathan had gone as far as taking away every object that reminded his guild members of him and Irene.
That suggested that he genuinely did not want to be found, as though searching for them might even expose the cover they had managed to maintain all these years.
There was also the matter of their current status. From all indications, they were still alive, which meant the illness had not claimed his mother’s life.
That, in turn, most likely meant his father had somehow found a cure.
And if they had remained alive for this long, then they had hidden themselves remarkably well.
Ethan was trying to look at everything from a more objective standpoint than one driven purely by sentiment.
Of course, he wasn’t naive enough to focus only on the optimistic side of things.
There was still the possibility that they had been captured, especially considering they were being hunted by dragons, but he believed the chances of that were slim.
If that had truly happened, he was certain the Dragon Emperor would have killed his father the moment he was captured.
He only had to use himself as an example.
If someone ever took Isabella away from him...
Ethan frowned.
Even imagining it for a fleeting moment stirred something unpleasant within him.
He could already feel the possessiveness rising. The instinct to hunt and take her back, no matter the cost.
"...Ugh." He exhaled.
If that was how he reacted, then there was simply no world in which Nathan would have remained alive had the Dragon Emperor caught him.
And if Nathan had truly died, then Ethan would have been able to summon him.
Several thoughts and connections ran through his head at once. Without realizing it, he had spiraled into loop.
But his thoughts came to an abrupt halt when Hayley gently slipped her fingers between his.
The warmth of her hand broke him out of his thoughts.
"It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it." She looked at him with an understanding smile. "But... don’t drown in your own head."
Her smile widened. "You have that overthinking face of yours."
Ethan couldn’t help smiling back. "Yeah."
Titania’s deep voice suddenly echoed. "My King, there is something I wish to ask."
Ethan glanced toward the dragon’s head. "What is it?"
"Is there... something that inferior life form possesses that I do not?" She asked
Ethan’s gaze went wide. "What?"
"I can hear your heart." She continued. "It beats one count differently for her, just as it does for the Princess."
Hayley stared blankly for a second. Then one of her eyebrows twitched. "She’s not talking about me...Right?"
Very slowly, Ethan turned toward her, with a sheepish smile on his face.
Hayley’s was about to go at it with Titania. "You dare—"
But before she could finish, Titania suddenly banked sharply toward Hayley’s side.
"W-Woah!" The sudden movement threw Hayley completely off balance as her feet slipped across the dragon’s scales.
But Ethan reacted almost instantly, wrapping his arm securely around her waist before she could fall, pulling her firmly to him.
At almost the same moment—
"Titania!" The authority in Ethan’s voice was commanding her to behave.
The dragon released a low rumbling roar, then immediately leveled her flight once more.
Hayley slowly regained her footing, one hand still gripping Ethan’s shoulder as she steadied herself.
After a few seconds, Ethan looked at her. "Pay Titania no mind."
Hayley shook her head amusingly, letting it go.
Only after making sure she could stand properly again did Ethan loosen his hold.
Hayley brushed a few loose strands of hair away from her face before looking ahead once more.
"So, where exactly are we going?" She asked
"Oh." Ethan seemed to remember. "Right. We’re going to this place where I can blow off some steam."
——
It wasn’t long before Titania began her descent, arriving at a barren stretch of land on the outskirts of Gritnia.
She landed heavily on the ground, raising an explosive gust of wind and dust.
This vast open expanse was defined by uneven hills, scattered boulders, and sparse clusters of stubborn shrubs that somehow continued to survive in the harsh terrain.
Even more noticeable were the countless massive craters scattered across the landscape, their surroundings marred by scorched impact marks.
Hayley slowly looked around. "What happened here?"
"My training." Ethan casually answered, while stepping off Titania’s back. "I’m a bit stronger now, so using the backyard has become... problematic."
"I’d rather not put the house at risk every time I decide to cut loose."
He walked several steps forward. "So nowadays, I come here."
Then he lifted his right hand forward and said, "Come."
Multiple magic circles appeared around him almost instantly. Purple specks of mana gathered above the circles as silhouettes slowly began materializing one after another.
"What’re you doing?" Hayley’s voice spoke from behind him.
"Hm?" Ethan turned back, only to find Hayley already rolling one shoulder.
Her blazer had already fallen from her body to the ground.
She flexed her fingers. "Send your summons away."
Then she cracked her neck and grinned, "I’ve been meaning to blow off some steam too."
Ethan smiled at her, while the summons began disappearing into countless purple particles. "I’ll tell you now, this is going to be very rough for you."
Hayley snorted. "You talk too much, pretty boy."
A streak of amber seemed to trail behind her glowing eyes as she shot toward Ethan with terrifying speed.
Ethan’s grin widened, then disappeared as well.
Their figures collided like twin flashes racing toward one another.