Chapter 173: Parting Ways. Trust, Vulnerability and Risk

Yara completely rejected Moon’s proposed plan with unusual firmness, making him frown visibly. "What do you mean we can’t attack them? These people have been actively trying to kill us for the past several days. I’m not going to just sit around passively and let them continue doing as they please without consequences."

Looking at Moon’s increasingly dark frowning expression, Yara lowered her voice slightly, realizing she had been perhaps too aggressive and dismissive in her initial approach without proper explanation. "Moon... we cannot launch an attack on the Heretic faction. That action would fundamentally break the sacred treaty established between our peoples, and by doing so... we would no longer be recognized as faithful followers of the Savi Way, but instead become outcasts rejected by our own society."

Moon’s frown became even more pronounced with disbelief. "They’ve already launched multiple attacks against us before this conversation. They broke your so-called treaty long ago through their own aggressive actions."

Yara shook her head with a pained expression. "No, that’s different. You don’t get it. The Heretics didn’t attack our village directly or violate the territorial boundaries established by treaty. Rather, they specifically attacked us—individuals who had voluntarily left the village’s protected zone. Once we departed the village’s group and joined you, we were already operating outside the treaty’s protection area. We made that choice deliberately to protect the other villagers from inadvertently breaking the treaty through association with your conflict. It was for the greater collective good of our people."

’Bullshit. This is just... incredibly dumb and self-defeating logic’, Moon thought.

Moon’s expression grew colder and more distant. His gaze landed directly on Yara and the other standing Savi clan members. "So you’re refusing to participate in fight against the Heretics?"

Yara shook her head with obvious regret. The internal conflict she was going through was visible in her expression. "Moon, I... I’m sorry. We cannot initiate war on the Heretic faction. But that doesn’t mean we won’t vigorously defend ourselves and you if they directly atta—"

"That’s enough," Moon interrupted her explanation mid-sentence, turning around to face Selene instead. His companion had been observing the entire exchange with a complicated, conflicted expression.

"We will fight on our own," Moon stated flatly, his voice carrying absolutely no emotion or room for negotiation. "You can all return to your village. You’ve already sacrificed much of your valuable time helping us, and I’m grateful for that assistance. Since that’s your beliefs, I won’t ask you to violate them."

Staring at Moon’s closed-off expression and tone, Yara couldn’t help but sigh internally with deep sadness. She felt as if the progress they had building in their relationship for the past few days had suddenly plummeted to rock bottom.

If there was one thing the Savi people could not compromise on, it was precisely what Moon was requesting. They simply couldn’t initiate war—it went against their moral code, the foundation they’d been raised with their entire lives since childhood.

Realizing that Moon wasn’t going to reconsider or change his mind about confronting the Heretics, and simultaneously understanding that they couldn’t possibly follow him into offensive action, Yara made the heavy, emotionally difficult decision to lead her warriors back to the village.

She turned toward Selene with sadness visible in her eyes. "Selene... this is where we must part ways. I hope to see you again someday. Please don’t die out there."

Yara’s voice carried emotion as she looked at her new friend, someone she’d grown to care about despite their short time together.

Selene’s expression softened with warmth. "Of course we’ll see each other again! We will definitely survive and return. Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for us—the tour, the protection, the friendship. I won’t forget it."

Selene’s hand reached out to grip Yara’s in a comforting gesture, then pulled the Savi maiden into a huge before they separated to go their own ways.

Yara’s warrior group collected their weapons and supplies before beginning their journey back toward the village settlement, leaving Moon and Selene standing alone in the wilderness.

Selene kept glancing at Moon, whose facial expression remained completely unreadable and emotionally closed off. The silence stretched uncomfortably between them.

After approximately a minute of tense quiet, Moon finally spoke after exhaling a breath he held in. "Let’s go. We have important work to do."

He vaulted smoothly onto Mirage’s back and waited patiently for Selene to mount behind him.

Once they were both securely positioned on the evolved white horse, Mirage took off toward their intended destination.

The journey toward the Heretic settlement was peaceful and uneventful. Moon remained completely silent throughout their travel, his thoughts clearly turned inward while Mirage carried them through the island’s varied terrain.

Selene broke the monotony by occasionally casting a few spells to kill scattered level twenty-five beasts they encountered along the route, progressing her own evolution task requirement of eliminating one hundred such creatures without wasting time.

Unable to tolerate the heavy silence any longer, Selene finally spoke. "Hey, are you alright?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, the tone easily entering the heart of anyone who heard it.

"Yes. I’m alright. Why do you ask?" Moon finally responded, breaking his self-imposed silence that had stretched for nearly an hour.

A visible look of hesitation appeared on Selene’s face as she carefully prepared her next sentence, choosing words with care. "I felt like your entire mood changed ever since we parted ways with Yara and the others. You’ve been unusually withdrawn."

Moon did not respond immediately. His eyes remained fixed on the path ahead that Mirage was following. Eventually, after several seconds, he spoke in a blunt tone, "Your feeling is wrong."

Selene’s eyes widened briefly at the obvious deflection and denial, but she chose not to take offense at his dismissive response and cold tone. She understood from their time together that Moon had clearly experienced his own share of painful past, much like herself.

Looking at his wide back and broad shoulders, Selene thought, ’He feels betrayed on some level. He believes that Yara and the others betrayed him by refusing to follow him into what he considers the most logical step, eliminating the Heretics who actively want to kill him.’

The pattern was obvious to her, since she’d been paying attention to his actions. Selene had already become familiar with Moon’s subtle mood shifts whenever disagreements or conflicts occurred during their partnership. He appeared to grow defensive and distant when situations didn’t unfold according to his expectations or plans.

"You know, trust involves vulnerability and risk, and nothing would count as trust if there were no possibility of betrayal. But what’s truly important in maintaining relationships is learning to properly differentiate between actual betrayal and simple incompatibility of values or priorities."

She paused, letting her words enter his ears, and perhaps his heart before continuing. "Yara didn’t betray us. She was completely honest about her people’s limitations and restrictions from the very beginning. She never promised to help you launch a war—in fact, she explicitly warned you about the treaty boundaries. The fact that she can’t follow you into action against the Heretics isn’t a betrayal of trust. It’s just... a difference in what each of you can accept."

Moon did not respond verbally, but his eyes—which Selene couldn’t see from her position behind him on Mirage—glinted with subtle emotion that suggested her words were reaching him despite his cold exterior.

Selene pressed on gently. "I understand feeling frustrated when allies can’t provide the support you need. But expecting people to violate their core principles just because it would be convenient for us? That’s not fair to them. And it damages the friendship that was developing."

She softened her voice further. "Yara clearly cares about both of us. The pain in her eyes when we separated was real. She wasn’t abandoning us—she was being honest about her limitations. That’s actually a form of respect, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now."

The silence stretched between them again, but this time it felt less heavy and oppressive.

Finally, Moon spoke quietly without turning around. "I know she didn’t betray us. I just find it foolish."

Selene nodded her head, "What’s foolish to us, might be important to her. We just need to understand that others have values, and we should also respect that."

Moon remained silent for the next few minutes, before a sigh escaped his mouth. "You are right."

A smile bloomed on Selene’s face, she had managed to improve his mood, and remove the dark thoughts from his mind. Something, she wished others were able to do for her.