MEDIAN HYORN

Various chatter and noise occupied the immediate vicinity of the Tower; thousands of people were slowly beginning to place foundations for the place that is to come, carefully planing every inch of the place. Meanwhile, mountain ranges surrounding the jungle were filled to brim with temporary wooden houses and tents, housing over 200,000 people, from young to old.

Currently, in one of those houses, sat Median, a book in his hands, his expression that of extreme focus. They had arrived two days ago, but he still didn’t have a chance to meet Lynne, and instead remained here, taking out a few books he brought with him and reading. The doors to his house creaked slightly as the beams of light entered, causing him to look sideways.

There, a youth barely twenty years old was looking at him. He still had his usual, shoulder-length hazelnut hair, azure eyes with seemingly immeasurable depth to them, but a lot of what he remembered had changed. That youthful face was now more chiseled akin to an adult, with a few signs of subtle giving him much more mature air. He was wearing simple tank-top with leather pants and plain boots at his feet. Compared to the last time the two of them saw each other, the youth had grown nearly a head taller, and his shoulders had broadened greatly. Arms, chest and legs were turned muscular, and his slightly pale skin had gained some color.

However, what surprised Median the most was Lynne’s gaze; what used to be a look of an innocent child riddled with emotions he was trying to bury deep inside, was now a gaze as clear as the day. Determination, confidence – even dash of arrogance – the eyes had reflected the youth’s heart, and Median could help but smile softly.

“Hello dad.” Lynne said, smiling lightly as he closed the doors behind him and walked inside. “Sorry it took me so long to come and visit.”

“Ha ha, don’t worry, don’t worry. Sit, let’s have a drink!” Median laughed as he got up and took a bottle of wine and two small cups, bringing them over. “Aah, how humbled am I to drink wine with a King! My ancestors would envy me!”

“Aii old man, what are you saying?” Lynne said, scratching his nose nervously as he sat down cross-legged. “I’m still to be crowned.”

“… ha ha, although you’ve changed… you haven’t.”

“Eh? What’s with that?”

“Here,” he raised his cup into the air, smiling warmly. “To my son. Long may he reign.”

“… thanks.” Lynne said as the two downed the cup and filled it up again. “How was the journey? Did you get tired? I’ve got some pills if you’re in pain.”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Median waved his hand nonchalantly. “I’m not that old, you know? Aah, but journey truly was long. Luckily, I had the status of the King’s father.”

“How’s Elynal?”

“Ha ha, that kid’s fine. He’s actually suited to be a King. Not like some other brat trying to emulate him.”

“Haii, can’t you even show a speck of support? I’m trying really hard here.” Lynne sighed.

“I know.” Median said, nodding. “You’ve grown up kid. Dad’s proud of you.”

“Hah, it seems so long ago since I used to fool around in Edgemaw,” Lynne spoke in somewhat nostalgic tone as he lowered his head. “I was quite a brat back then, wasn’t I?”

“You sure did have your faults.”

“Ouch.”

“But, you were happy. That’s all that mattered to me.” Median added. “Are you still happy?”

“Somewhat,” Lynne sighed. “It’s more balanced now, at least.”

“Oh? Balanced?”

“Aye. Back then, I could rely on you for everything. Whatever bullshit I pulled, I knew you’d be there to bail me out no matter what. Now? I have to cover my own ass.”

“Oh? So now you finally understand my headaches from back then.”

“To the best dad,” this time around, Lynne raised his cup into the air. “Long may he live.”

“Ha ha,” Median laughed, downing another whole cup alongside Lynne. “On our way here, I heard about a lot of your legends.”

“Eh? Legends?”

“Aye. Looks like… you have carved your name across the mainland,” Median smiled, his eyes brimming with pride. “You’ve truly made this old man proud.”

“Aah,” Lynne sighed. “Legends always illuminate the climax. Little do they speak about what lies underneath.”

“Yet, it doesn’t seem to bother you anymore.” Median probed.

“Doesn’t bother? Ha ha, I wish.” Lynne chuckled bitterly. “But, alas, it is what it is. I just let it pile on and admit it. At least, I’m no longer trying to find excuses. It’s who I am, however terrible it is.”

“Good,” Median nodded. “Just live the way your heart tells you to. All other things are irrelevant.”

“Aii, your lesson on morals is quite skewed.”

“Ha ha, why wouldn’t it be? If you’re happy, I don’t mind watching the rest of the world burn. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

“… I know I can never repay everything you’ve done for me,” Lynne said in a surprisingly melancholy tone. “But, here and now, I can start trying. For all the years of our lives that are yet to come, I’ll give you everything and more. That I promise. It isn’t much,” a few dozen books suddenly appeared next to Lynne, each heavier than the last. “But I know you like to read, so I brought along some of the more interesting books from the Tower. I won’t be able to visit you for some time. I have to coop up inside the Tower and start concocting pills and potions. Meanwhile, here,” he put a talisman paper onto the table, yellow in color. “If you burn it, someone will immediately come. Don’t be afraid to ask for anything.”

“Go,” Median tilted his head sideways slightly, unable to hold back a wide smile. “Go and live your life. Your old man has already made some friends here, and I’ll just relax for the time being.”

“Good,” Lynne nodded, getting up. “See you, dad.”

“Love you, son.”

“… love you too.”

“Ha ha, why are you getting so red? Haah, I haven’t seen you this embarrassed in a while, ha ha ha…”

“Shut up, old man…”

Lynne quickly walked outside, his head still hung low, leaving behind still smiling Median. He didn’t take off his eyes from the doors for quite a while, sighing as he scurried over and began examining the books Lynne brought.

“Hah, at least you know what your old man likes…” a space suddenly tore next to him, startling him. From it came a youthful looking girl with silver hair and eyes and expression of indifference. “Eh? Eh? Uh… Y’se…? I-is that really you?!”

“Hoo, so you actually do remember me?” Y’se laughed mockingly as she sat down. “You little brat, why the hell didn’t you tell us you got a son?!”

“Eeh? But I told the Grand Master…”

“Huh?! You told that old fart and you expected him to share the news?! Are you brain-dead?!”

“Aah… I see you still haven’t fixed that tongue of yours…” Median smiled bitterly as he took out another cup and brought it over, filling it and placing it in front of her. “How have you been?”

“… fine. Why did you leave?”

“… aah, straight to the crux of the matter, huh?”

“You were never good at wordplay anyway.” Y’se added, sneering. “So, why? You could have just brought him back to the Clan.”

“Hm,” Median nodded, his gaze seemingly penetrating the time itself, forking backwards through it. “To be honest, I was going to. However… once I figured that he inherited Yunchi’s Bloodline instead, I began having second thoughts. I knew Hyordians wouldn’t take him, and I knew all children of his generation in the Clan would shun him. So… I chose his happiness over safety. I knew neither of the two Clans would bother with him, as Hyordians would never allow such a ‘disgrace’ to become a part of their Clan, and we… well, I don’t have to tell you.”

“Hm… still,” she said, sighing. “You could have asked us for help.”

“… I was selfish,” Median said in a somewhat hoarse voice. “I didn’t want him to become part of the Clans’ plays. I only ever wanted him to become an ordinary kid, learn some basic Magic, and have family of his own. Perhaps… I just wanted him to have what I never did.”

“… ah, I suppose that, if you didn’t do what you did, the two of us wouldn’t be here today, talking about him.” Y’se said, leaning onto the table. “He’s grown up into a fine man.”

“Aye, that he did.”

“Oh, right, his Bloodline did awaken,” Y’se added, shocking him briefly. “That’s how I found him.”

“B-but how?! Isn’t it impossible to gain the Bloodline if one isn’t born with it?!”

“Sanguine God.”

“… hah, what the hell did that kid live through these past few years? Ah, so, what is the Clan planning?”

“Clan? Humph, as if I’d let a bunch of old farts dictate my little bro’s life,” Y’se scoffed mockingly. “No doubt, they’re watching over him like hawks. It doesn’t matter, though. Even if they tried to drag him into the Clan, he’d probably tell us to fuck off to whence we came from.”

“… you like him.”

“Hm,” Y’se nodded. “He doesn’t bend over… like certain someone.”

“Aah, how can you say that? I’m turning fifty this year, and I’m still at Foundation Realm. What else could have I done?”

“You are brilliant,” Y’se added casually. “Whatever you lacked in Magical Talent, you made up with your mind. Be it military strategies, Magical hypotheses, scientific research, Source, Laws, Origin, Gods… you had no equal at the time.” she then slowly turned toward him, her expression deadpan. “And you threw it all away for a woman.”

“…”

“Was it worth it?”

“A part of me still regrets it,” Median said honestly, sighing. “However, every time I see him, all that regret is washed away. When I was young, I never understood why my father beamed with joy each time I’d discover something new, even if it was pointless and minor. However, I do now. And, honestly? I wouldn’t trade it for eternity of researching and studying.”

“… you’re a good father, and you raised him well,” Y’se nodded. “But, if I’m being blunt, you were better scholar. To this day, everyone is still mentioning you and referencing your research. In fact, no one has been able to move an inch on half the things you’ve discovered since you disappeared. Even I envy your insight.”

“… you flatter me, little princess.” Median chuckled.

“Will you retry, at least?”

“No,” Median shook his head. “I don’t have much longer to live. Ten-fifteen years at best, if we’re generous. If not, most-likely five.”

“… hah, you’re still refusing external help, huh?”

“I know you think I should have sacrificed myself to better our knowledge,” Median continued. “And, perhaps, you are right. If I had stayed, I would maybe research a way to finally break the final shackles that bind our ancestors. However, I don’t care. If ordinary Mortals, who can barely live sixty years if they’re lucky, accept death, then people living for millions of years should be able to as well.”

“The longer you live, the harder it is to say goodbye,” Y’se sighed. “You start thinking ‘ah, just a couple more years; things seem to be interesting at the moment!’. Then, those couple years turn into a decade or two, then into a few centuries… and it just spirals onwards. The more you see, the more you want to see. Since the dawn of First Men, humans have sought ways to immortality. Generation after generation, until this very day.”

“Hah, they should forget it,” Median scoffed. “There’s no immortality, Y’se.”

“Oh? You seem certain.”

“Of course,” Median sighed. “If even beings who’ve created us can’t achieve it, what hope do we have? Even Laws die, Y’se. Do you know?”

“Hm,” Y’se nodded. “Compared to our ancestors, the number of Laws have gone down.”

“Something so abstract and vague can die, so how can something of flesh and blood hope to linger on forever? They’re just afraid, is all.”

“Aah, I came here to vent out my anger at you, not to discuss philosophy of life,” Y’se sighed dejectedly, resting her head on the table. “Weren’t you supposed to be bad at shifting topics?”

“… take care of him for me, will you?” a short silence eclipsed the two, causing Median’s words to linger in the air.

“I will,” Y’se nodded. “But, I’m afraid, before long, he’ll be the one taking care of me.”

“Hm?”

“You’ve fathered an amazing son, Median,” Y’se got up, smiling lightly. “Perhaps, since the dawn of First Man, there was never an equal to him. Both of you are extremely lucky. He was raised by a father who loved him more than anything… and father raised a son who will leave a mark on the World that will last until the end of time.”

“… to hear you praise him so much… hah, that brat must be quite special.” Median chuckled.

“Praise him? Heh, far from it. I’m actually downplaying him by quite a margin. If nothing goes awry… who knows who the true god will be in the future?”

“Eh?!”

“Those are some interesting books there,” Y’se said, waving her hand lightly, causing a rip in the space to appear as she walked toward it. “The kid has good taste. See you, Median.”

“… goodbye, Y’se.”

“… ah, one last thing,” she added before disappearing. “Don’t die as Hyorn. It’s not who you are.”

“…” Median smiled gently, as a knot inside his heart unraveled, and he felt his breathing relax for the first time in twenty years. This, he thought, is the way it should be...