When Asterios opened his eyes, he noticed a pair of fur-covered limbs on his chest. Miria had somehow woken up earlier than him and hugged Asterios from behind. Sensing him stir, she tightened her embrace, pulling him more into herself

He smiled warmly, knowing well why she was doing that. He could feel her love and affection through her comforting actions. Meeting the gaze of his other companions sitting in front of them and staring back at Asterios, he saw the uncertainty and sadness in their eyes, with a bit of anxiety present on their faces.

Taking a deep breath and releasing a long sigh, Asterios reached up and began gently stroking Miria’s head, softly brushing around her rounded ears.

“It’s okay. I’m actually alright… more or less. You can let go,” he said quietly.

But, his words only caused Miria to wrap herself around him even more in her affectionate hold. Asterios let the emotional panthergirl comfort him for as long as she deemed it necessary. He certainly appreciated Miria’s efforts. Her warmth helped him stay decently collected.

“We’ll need a moment if you don’t mind. It’s a bit to take in,” Asterios said to Radir, Svertaniel, and Sylvia, who clearly noticed the heavy atmosphere.

They all nodded and left him alone with his companions. Each of them could tell that things were serious. It had to be expected considering the fact that Ast’s memories had been sealed with powerful magic. But, they didn’t know that the uncovered truth was much worse than they had thought.

Shortly after they paced away to give them some space, Selene scooted closer to Asterios too, arriving at his front. She glanced at him with a gentle smile, full of sympathy.

“My Lord… At least we are now sure that you haven’t caused any explosions back then, right?” She tenderly stroked his cheek.

Asterios sighed and nodded faintly. “Yeah… I guess…”

“It’s not your fault, Master,” Miria finally spoke, whispering to him from within her embrace.

He continued to caress her ear. “I know, I know. I’m just wondering what to think about all of this.”

“I hate her…” Miria continued. “She was supposed to be a hero… Not a cold-blooded murderer…”

Shifting himself a little, Asterios leaned back and brought his face next to hers. He rubbed his cheek into Miria’s, focusing his mind on reassuring his mate back. Each time they discovered something new about his past, the image of her lifelong idol shattered even more. He could understand how disturbing it could be.

Miria sighed softly and rubbed her eyes, wiping away a few small tears off her face. She slowly released Asterios and moved to his front, sitting next to Selene. A moment later, Bryn also appeared by her side, and even Umbra materialized himself on the ground.

Asterios moved his gaze to the silent Valkyrie. “I’m sorry you had to see that. And that you have to serve someone like me.”

Bryn shook her head. “There’s a saying in my realm, which I believe should be universal no matter the world, that you don’t get to choose your own family. What those people did was truly horrible, but you had no say in this, Master.”

“Thank you.” Asterios smiled at the angelic woman. “Now, let’s try not to mope around for too long. Past is in the past. We should focus on what we have learned, even if it wasn’t that much.”

“It seems that they were in some kind of trouble,” Selene began. “I’m fairly sure it’s connected to how that Dragon woman you had summoned reacted back then.”

He nodded. “There’s no doubt she recognized Red’s aura when it took over my body. From her words, we can assume he was supposed to be dead, for whatever reason. At the time of that memory, he was hiding, maybe recovering or something.”

“Are we sure… that they are your parents, Master?” Miria asked, a little uncertain if she even should bring up such a question.

Asterios smiled at her gently and reached out to brush her cheek. “I know they looked quite disinterested in the whole thing but I did feel a deeper connection with them at that moment. Especially when that man looked at me as he held me. Not everyone is as kind as Kindra, you know? But, don't worry. She is currently my only motherly figure. They could not exist for as much as I care.”

“My parents were extremely strict. I don’t remember a single time they would show genuine affection or praise. They always scolded me, no matter what I did or how I performed. They were much more indifferent than this,” Bryn revealed with a melancholic tone.

“I’m sorry to hear that. And for making you bring it up,” Asterios apologized.

“It’s alright. The universe is full of different people. Sometimes, we just end up meeting the worse half. The only thing we can do is to be better to our own children. It’s our duty as people who have experienced it,” she added.

“Fufufu~ You will surely be a great mother one day.” Selene chuckled softly, bringing out a faint blush on Bryn’s cheeks.

“I’m just wondering why Red is researching various kinds of magic.” Asterios saved their new companion from Selene’s teasing. “I don’t think he learned Sealing Magic just to use it on me. It most likely came useful when I inserted myself into the equation. There’s the Summoning Magic too. According to the tales from your realm, he might have used it to summon Kaguya.”

“I think there’s even more,” Miria shared her thoughts. “He said at the end that he would come back to the village to place down some safety measures. Those must have been the weird time-stopping barrier and the Golem.”

“That’s pretty much certain,” he agreed.

“Also, you do seem to have your father’s eyes, My Lord. While they aren’t as powerful yet, they surely are much more beautiful and charming,” Selene added.

“Thank you. I think it’s now pretty much confirmed that those qualities do come from Red, considering the similarities we have witnessed and experienced ourselves, you girls even on your own skin when my eyes changed for the first time.”

“Does that mean…” Miria glanced at Asterios with a slightly upturned gaze and a faint sparkle in her eyes. “That you can turn into a Dragon too?”

He chuckled while shaking his head. No matter the situation, Miria just loved and adored Dragons way too much to not get excited about any possible prospects regarding them. Not like he hadn't had the same thought at least a few times.

“No idea. Yet. I might be somehow special, considering who my parents are, and unable to assume such a form. No one knows exactly what’s the result when a Dragon gets together with a member of another race.”

~There’s also a chance that whatever your parents did, Master, affected your potential abilities,~ Umbra suggested. ~They did seal not only your memories but also your source, which we know is called a Dragon’s Heart. The seal in your mind still remains, possibly hiding more secrets. And who knows if there aren't any more limitations placed on your source.~

“True. There’s still that weird place with countless volcanoes I have entered twice. It’s definitely somehow connected to everything.” Asterios nodded to himself.

“So… What do we do now, Master?” Miria tilted her head a bit. “We didn’t exactly get any new leads or hints from this.”

He stroked his chin. “Taking the seal down completely has a quite high priority right now. But, I know it’s more of a long-term goal, not something we can take care of overnight, no matter how hard Radir pushes himself to aid us. Besides that, we do have a hint already, even if a little bit vague.”

“Which is?” Miria’s ear twitched curiously.

“The Descending Spire,” Asterios answered, reminding her of the message Red had left him before the powerful aura fled his body.

“Oh. You are looking for the Descending Spire?” Bryn asked, showing a slightly surprised expression.

“Hm? Do you know anything about it?” Miria quickly turned her face to the Valkyrie.

“Well, I know of at least one place with that name. An ancient structure underneath one of our cities runs deep into the ground like an inverted tower. A long time ago, it was a place of trials for all brave valkyrja.” Bryn sighed wistfully. “Needless to say, it isn’t anymore as we have lost access to it, for obvious reasons. It was one of the first cities that fell to the Scourge. What a coincidence, though, if we really mean the same thing.”

“And here we thought you were different from us.” Miria giggled. “It looks like even you are related to Master’s parents in some way, like all of us here.”

“What do you mean?” Bryn raised a brow at the smiling panthergirl.

“We’ve learned that there are no real coincidences when it comes to our master and his summoning targets.” Selene chuckled softly. “Every single one of us shares some history with things or people from his past. It’s now almost certain that the place you mentioned is the one we are looking for, and the one Red most likely has at visited at least once.”

“Great.” Asterios chuckled too. “And I really hoped we finally broke the streak when there was no obvious connection between us. I’m starting to think I’ve never made an actual summoning happen.”

“But Master, you summoned Mii and Roy in the past, didn’t you?” Miria turned back to him.

“Yeah, but that was when my second source was still technically sealed, or lying dormant, considering how they talked about it reawakening. And Bryn answered my call after the incident with the Dragon woman and Red,” he replied and silence fell on them as everyone entered deep thought.

Miria opened her mouth a few times, clearly wanting to refute any part of what Asterios had said, but she found it hard to find any arguments to achieve that. She understood that his assumption wasn’t completely baseless as she had been by his side since almost the very beginning.

Seeing her valiant efforts, and sensing them through their bond, Asterios smiled and leaned in to peck Miria’s soft lips, bringing a faint trace of rosiness onto her adorable cheeks.

“It won’t stop me from trying or loving it so don’t worry. If anything, I wouldn’t be able to meet you without that possible influence, and that would have been just the worst.”

She purred quietly and rubbed her cheek into his, feeling warm in her chest.

Asterios was right. It didn’t matter. It had allowed them to find each other and become one. She also couldn't see her life without him now. Even if part of it had somehow been orchestrated by someone, she was grateful for this opportunity.

“Then, our next target is in Bryn’s world,” Selene stated matter-of-factly.

Miria withdrew herself from Ast’s tender caresses and let him speak comfortably.

“Most likely. But, we are not done here yet. There’s still so much we haven’t checked. Let’s regroup with the others. We made them wait for a bit.”

Everyone nodded and they stood up from the ground. Selene snuck a gentle kiss on Ast’s cheek afterward, letting him know that she too was glad she had met him. Her life had changed even more than Miria’s. If not for his help, she would still be troubled by her curse.

They looked around for Radir, Svertaniel, and Silvia, quickly finding all three of them by the massive desk in the corner of the chamber. Asterios led everyone to reunite their group again.

The princess was the first one to notice their approach. “Everything okay? You looked quite gloomy earlier.”

“I’m alright. We just saw something none of us would have ever expected,” Asterios answered with a wry smile.

“It was that bad?”

“Do you know about Teira?” he asked.

“Naturally.” Silvia nodded. “It was a huge mystery. Even Father had no idea how to approach it. I heard that it was dealt with in an even more mysterious way. No one knows how and by who.”

“Well, I might be connected to both cases, directly and indirectly.”

“What do you mean?”

“We accidentally disabled the formation affecting the village by destroying the Golem present on its site. The scale you saw earlier comes from its forehead. At the same time, the one who put both of those in place… and razed the whole village before doing so… was most likely my father.”

“What?” Silvia’s eyes widened from shock. “Why?”

“We aren’t completely sure. My parents stumbled on Teira and decided to leave me there. Then, the man we think is my real father assumed the form of a True Dragon and wiped everyone in the village with his fire breath. Moments later, a caravan arrived at the site and my adoptive mother found me in the burning rubble, actually guided to my position by who we think is my biological mother,” Asterios explained. “I’m sorry…”

He carefully studied Silvia’s expression as he laid everything down in front of her. He didn’t want to lie to her, especially if they were to continue partying together in the future, or learning from each other. She was the Human Kingdom’s princess. She might not want to associate herself with someone like him.

Silvia shook her head. “That’s terrible. Please, don’t apologize. It’s not like you could have done anything to prevent that. Even if it was you from right now, I don’t think you could stand against a powerful True Dragon.”

Asterios chuckled wryly. “Against an ancient one? No chance.”

“I surely don’t think any less of you after knowing that. But, do you mind if I inform Father about it? Or you doing it whenever you feel like it? He has been researching the case for years and is still on it.”

“Naturally. I didn’t want to hide it from you guys in the first place anyway. Remind me next time we all meet together if I forget.”

“Okay. Thank you for being honest with me. You didn’t have to. I’m sure Father will understand too. It’s a tragedy what happened but there’s no reason for anyone to blame you for it.”

Asterios nodded and turned to the two demon men standing behind the princess.

“Did you find anything interesting while waiting for us?” he asked.

Svertaniel shrugged his shoulders. “Not much. Just Sealing Magic notes and such. We let Radir know about the vault.”

“And? What do you think?” Asterios moved his gaze to Grea’s father.

“I’m all for letting the Demon King know about this place. It’s an incredible discovery. I can easily get in touch with him and arrange a meeting if you would like to. I helped with a few things in the main castle in the past.”

“With us? Wouldn’t you be enough?” Miria wondered.

Radir waved his finger at her. “I’m not going to steal your thunder. It’s only right for the one who uncovered this secret to receive praise and respect. It would hurt my pride to boast about something someone else did and you guys played a big role in the whole process. Besides, you don’t often get a chance to meet a king!”

Asterios smiled wryly as Miria let out a quiet giggle. “Well. That would be a third for us.”

Radir furrowed his brows. “What?”

Selene smirked at the crimson-skinned man. “Our master has quite close ties with the Human King and the Patriarch of the Damascu Clan.”

“The hell? You never said anything!” Radir’s brows shot to the sky.

Asterios chuckled. “Why would I? It’s irrelevant.”

“I had no idea I was dealing with such a bigshot! Damn! Grea is set for life if she manages to get in your harem! Say, do you maybe have a thing for thick, red-skinned demon girls?”

The sudden question, so much similar to the words a certain someone had said to them, made Asterios snort and almost everyone chuckled at the same time at Radir’s antics. Miria and Selene exchanged wide smiles.

“I’m not sure. I feel like there’s something going on but I can’t exactly get a grasp on what. Perhaps if I had access to all my memories I would remember something.” Asterios grinned at him.

Radir clasped his hands and began enthusiastically rubbing them. “You are so lucky that someone had just resolved the case I have been working on in recent years! My schedule couldn’t be more free!”

Asterios and his girls chuckled again. “I appreciate it, and I’m all for it, but unfortunately, I don’t think I can stay here for long.”

“Oh? And why is that so?”

“I promised someone to be at their graduation ceremony. It’s in a little over a week from now. I don’t think you can decipher and master the formation on the ground that fast, can you?”

Radir winced, releasing a quiet groan. “No chance. Especially not without your help. I have no idea how long it could actually take, honestly. There’s so much in this room. And part of it was destroyed, don’t forget that.”

“We aren’t sure if we can safely stay here anyway, right?” Selene butted in.

“That’s also a thing,” Asterios agreed. “This place might not remain a secret for much longer. We have to verify that first, of course, and if we can return here freely without drawing too much attention to ourselves. Umbra?”

The shadowy raven formed on top of Ast’s hair.

~There’s strong disruption around this entire place. Short-range transmission is possible but I don’t think I would be able to penetrate the protective barriers Red had mentioned while being far, without risking anyone getting thrown into the darkness. Additionally, I can only move us in and out of that first room we ended in after the teleport, meaning we need to be above or near it.~

“We can just take everything to our realm like always, no? That way, we can have it with us all the time,” Miria suggested.

~I don’t think Radir can pass through the gate.~

“Oh.” Miria’s ears flopped a little as she realized her mistake, but they quickly perked back up. “What if we just used our realm to temporarily store it and then moved it to the place of someone we can trust and Mr. Radir can go to?”

“Good idea, Miria.” Asterios fluffed her cute ears while smiling at the happy panthergirl. “Perhaps Grea’s place would do?”

Radir smiled wryly.

“I guess it’s time for me to finally return home.”