King Of Limbo

As Aron finished reading that log, confusion flashed across his face as he turned his gaze to face Evanora, who was squatting on the floor with her gaze fixated on a portrait that had fallen off a wall.

He stood up and approached her before also shifting his gaze towards the portrait. It was a painting a slim well-dressed man standing and a finely dressed woman seated on a single chair beside him with his hands rested on her shoulders.

What made the portrait so eye catching though, was the strong resemblance the woman shared with Evanora, the only real difference being the woman in the portrait looking much more mature and livelier.

Aron didn't immediately speak and waited to see if Evanora would have some sort of reaction by seeing the portrait. She slowly picked it up and lifted it before looking toward Aron with confusion. "Why does this person look like Evanora."

She asked with genuine curiosity, hoping Aron could give clarity to the situation.

He had no reason to lie to her about it so he answered honestly. "I believe they are your relatives or perhaps parents? I'm unsure, but they are family to you."

The reason Aron was confused, was because Johan Janssen was from multiple generations ago, making it impossible for Evanora to be the daughter while looking so young.

But the possibility did exist. Evanora was an oddity that he was yet to understand. When asked of her origins before she always answered the same.

"Evanora has always been alone."

Aron's search for answers only created more questions. Was Evanora a descendant or the actual daughter of Johan Janssen? Were the mana demons the previous civilization of the region? What happened to them?

These and many more other questions plagued Aron's mind, but he didn't force himself to think too much on it. After all, they weren't his main goal.

He put the questions to the back of his mind for now and focused on Evanora, who was still processing the answer Aron had given her.

"Family" She muttered, as if it were a foreign concept to her. Her thin sleepy light grey eyes remained fixated on the man and woman in the portrait. Her thoughts a mystery.

After a brief moment of silence passed, Evanora opened her hands and let the portrait drop down to the ground. Aron wondered if she was angry at them but her next words surprised him.

"They are not Evanora's family… family doesn't abandon family. Aron is Evanora'sfamily."

She pointed her finger towards Aron and spoke with a straight face. Her understanding of family wasn't limited by biological constraints. It was instead based on a rather simple belief she had.

Family doesn't abandon family.

Because of the simple fact Aron hadn't abandoned her, she considered him family. In his mind, it was foolish belief to have. But he envied the fact she had something she could so strongly believe in.

That kind of naivety was both a blessing and a curse. But for now, it remained a blessing and Aron didn't reveal otherwise.

"I guess I am, aren't I?" Aron could only show a helpless smile while sighing. In the end, he saw no reason not to let her continue believing in him.

It could either end wonderfully or miserably, anything was possible. But for now, she just displayed a rare smile and gave Aron a short embrace before going back to sort out objects as if nothing had happened.

"What a strange being she is." He muttered under his breath before going back to the books as well.

He went to finish the rest of the logs to better understand what had gone down. Just in case a threat existed in the region and he was unaware.

Thankfully, it mentioned no major events after and other journals only detailed his findings while looking into the matter of the old civilization, which wasn't much to begin with.

Aron chose to end there and took in the knowledge into his legacy ring before leaving the room with Evanora.

He continued to do the same for the other rooms, only taking the knowledge and information into his legacy ring so that he could investigate at a later date if he so wished.

After finishing up, he made his way down to where Rose had mentioned the library to be.

Inside, he found Rose standing between some shelves with multiple books hovering around her. She had complete focus in what she was doing and didn't even pay mind to Aron and Evanora who had just come in.

It was only when Aron asked "Busy?" Did she come out of her daze and acknowledge their presence.

She frowned at the question and just sighed before hovering the map in Aron's direction. He quickly retrieved it and looked it over but he found nothing wrong with it.

"A map of this region, perfect. So, I take it we're on this eastern continent because the western one only has a few territories labeled. The distance between them though is massive…"

Rose wondered if Aron simply didn't notice the oddity of the map or was just ignoring. "Perhaps I'm wrong but from the way that map is drawn, I would assume this world is flat."

To her question, Aron gave a casual nod. "You're not wrong to assume as much but that isn't the case. It's a bit more complex than that actually."

Rose's eyes beamed with excitement. "You actually understand why it's the way it is?" She asked with a hasten response.

Aron lifted his head from the map and found her staring eagerly at him while awaiting an answer and explanation. But he didn't give it. "You're from Limbo too, with your intelligence I'd have assumed you already knew."

His words caused Rose to frown and strut over to him. She closed the distance and looked up at him with narrowed eyes. "If I did, I wouldn't ask, now please enlighten me on the matter."

For whatever reason, Rose was really set on understanding. Aron though, had bigger concerns than explaining geography to her.

"It can wait, we have bigger obstacles in front of us right now."

As Aron made his stance clear and Rose no longer pressured him on the matter, instead she turned her gaze to the map, knowing exactly what he meant.

"The distance between the two shown continents…"

"Exactly." Aron readily agreed before sighing. The distance between the two was in thousands of kilometers, a distance they could only cover quickly and safely using an airship.

Something Evanora was quick to point out after feeling left out of the conversation. "Evanora thinks we should fly over the water… like this." She then placed her hand on the map and traced it all the way to the other land mass while mimicking the sound of what they could only assume to be wind.

Rose didn't have the energy to comment on her actions because she knew the girl was completely serious in her proposal. Aron was without reaction and just added onto the matter.

"I discovered some journal in the upper floors. From them, we can conclude that humans had indeed settled in this region of Pesia and established many settlements…albeit for not long. And for them to be able to travel from this continent all the way to these locations marked elsewhere…"

Rose could see what he was suggesting so she finished for him. "We can safely assume they had airships here or at least some other form of travel. But the possibility does exist that they left with the airships or they got destroyed, what shall we do then?"

She brought up a realistic point, they couldn't just hope that an airship was conveniently left for them somewhere in the vast continent they were on. From her words, Aron could conclude that she was suggesting they not depend on what method alone, lest they be disappointed in the end and forced to start over.

"Right, then we have no choice but to prepare a backup plan. I'll handle securing the other locations marked on the map, provided the Komi or creatures there aren't too problematic. While I do this, you prepare the backup."

Aron was vague with his description so Rose furrowed her brows and asked for immediate clarity. "What exactly do you have in mind for this backup plan of yours."

He showed a small smile before saying. "To build an airship from scratch of course. A small feat for someone as beautiful and intelligent as you."

Aron's false flattery was as clear as day. If anything, it irked Rose far more that he was blatantly trying to leave such a boring and arduous job to her.

"Tsk, give your false flattery to someone else. Do you have any idea how challenging that will be when all the resources need to be made from scratch, not to even mention that I'm the only one competent enough to do the runening beside you."

Aron's smile didn't leave his face. There was just something he found amusing about seeing her so offended.

"True, but like you said, our options are limited. For resources, we have plenty, although unfinished or unprocessed. You can easily change that by recruiting some human manpower since most Komi lack the intelligence to be anything more than a labor force. Times are hard for humans in Limbo, they'll be very few who don't jump at the offer for safe refuge in a city with actual housing, in exchange for work."

Although Rose couldn't stand the smug face Aron currently had, he made a very valid point and she couldn't refute.

"It's times like these that I understand why so many people hate you. Fine, although very much beneath me, I'll do this task. But I expect a clear answer to my prior question the next time you are free."

The two ended the conversation there and Aron no longer pushed her buttons. He returned to the main hall where T'kar was seated with worry plastered on her face.

Aron wasted no time approaching her and asking quite plainly. "The other races, I want you to try and send one of your people as messenger and say that I do not seek conflict with them, and that I only wish to find something I'm looking for, once it's found, I shall leave."

With so much to do already, Aron didn't want conflict to be a factor unless he had no choice. T'kar was shocked by this suggestion of his but nodded quickly and stood up, ready to ask one of her warriors to perform the task. Before she could leave, one thing dawned on her mind.

"And if they refuse?"

Aron looked at her like the question she posed had an obvious answer.

"Then they won't be as lucky as your people."

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