Vol 8. Chapter 10: The Lonely Rebel

But that complicated expression only lingered on Orion’s face for the briefest instant.

The next moment, she had already returned to that forbidding mask of hers, the kind that warned strangers not to approach.

As for Leon’s question, Orion neither confirmed nor denied it outright. She simply said calmly:

“No matter what my answer might be, Mr. Leon, I have to emphasize one thing: I love my people. I am proud to be a child of the Blazing Sun, proud to be a descendant of Apollo...”

Even though she hadn’t directly responded, Orion’s words still validated the threads of suspicion Leon carried in his heart.

That was—she was different from Fuyuan, the old city lord, and indeed from most of the Blazing Sun people.

This was precisely the opening Leon needed to begin building trust with the Blazing Sun clan.

Orion’s position as captain of the guard was already a high one. She should be able to rally considerable power.

But the next question was:

How had this Orion Pyx managed to stay unstained while growing up from the mud?

The entire city of Blazing Sun had lived under the creed of “Apollo abandoned us” for at least a thousand years. That thought had long since been etched into the minds of its citizens.

It was like back when the Empire spread propaganda everywhere that dragons were evil. From top to bottom, not a single official questioned it—let alone anyone believing that their own Commander-in-Chief would marry the so-called evil Dragon Queen and have children with her. (Well, Master had done that too.)

And what was more, the Blazing Sun clan had endured far longer stretches of years. Their dissatisfaction with Apollo must have been carved into their very bones.

And yet, under such circumstances, Orion could still say “I am proud to be a descendant of Apollo.”

That inevitably piqued Leon and Rosvisser’s curiosity.

Building trust with a clan like this wasn’t something to be accomplished in a single night. But clarifying Orion’s true intentions and convictions was crucial.

“Miss Orion, since you already know your views differ from those of the Blazing Sun clan, how do you deal with City Lord Fuyuan’s rejection of his identity and his opposition to Apollo?”

Rather than ask her directly, it was better to probe Orion’s stance through other matters.

Orion still didn’t look back. Walking ahead of the couple, two paces in front, she slowly said:

“In truth... City Lord Fuyuan wasn’t always like this.”

“Wasn’t always like this?”

“Mm.”

Orion went on:

“His temperament wasn’t so extreme before. His attitude toward our ancestor Apollo wasn’t so obsessive as it is now. But at some point, City Lord Fuyuan gradually became radical. He even shifted his resentment for our ancestor onto other primordial gods. He came to believe that of all the descendants of the gods, only we of the Blazing Sun had received no divine protection. But the light and fire we inherited... should have been more than enough. That a city lord who has lived hundreds of years would speak so irrationally is hard to believe. My guess is that he became the way he is now because Apollo’s place in his heart collapsed all of a sudden.”

Rosvisser asked in a doubtful tone:

“You mean City Lord Fuyuan not only wasn’t so extreme before, he actually worshiped Apollo? Just like you, Miss Orion?”

Orion nodded.

“Yes.”

“Then what do you mean when you say Apollo’s image collapsed in Fuyuan’s heart?” Leon asked.

Orion drew a deep breath, exhaled slowly, adjusted her mood, and then explained:

“When the Dragon Gods created the world, their downfall was due to the corruption of Chaos. The two gods of Infinite Wisdom were slain, their power carved apart by mortals, and so they perished. As for Chronos, because they were an extremely special existence, they were the only god who could meet a peaceful end. But our ancestor Apollo—He wished for the world to retain light. He willingly embraced death, using His own life to illuminate Samael. That is why the title of God of Light was praised as the most compassionate, the most loving, the most merciful among the primordial gods.”

Neither Leon nor Rosvisser argued. They too felt Orion’s analysis of the gods’ legacies was correct.

And much of this was indeed recorded in ancient histories, consistent with Orion’s telling.

Orion continued:

“But the tragedy is that this much-praised merciful god left no protection at all for His own descendants. Before transforming into the seed of fire, before igniting the sun, Apollo left behind two relics. One was the Aurora Shield, meant to suppress the Void Gate. The other—the Golden Helm—should by rights have been our racial foundation, the key allowing the Blazing Sun clan to hold a place on the continent of Samael. But in the near ten thousand years since, not a single child of the Blazing Sun has managed to wield that holy relic. Many were injured or even killed trying. So this so-called holy relic, cursed as it is, became an enigma to our ancestors. And with the passing of years, that enigma gradually transformed into dissatisfaction, anger, and finally into unyielding resentment.”

Here, Orion let out another long sigh.

“I believe that in his youth, City Lord Fuyuan must have been full of passion and reverence for his ancestor and {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} his race. But when he saw his faith collapse with his own eyes, that reverence turned into a more radical hatred. So when you ask how I view Fuyuan’s ideology, my answer is... I understand him. But I will not become him.”

That last sentence, “I will not become him,” carried a distinctly different tone than the firm resolve she had shown earlier.

The words rang with a solemn strength, unwavering, as though she were answering a vow she had once made to someone.

Leon and Rosvisser exchanged glances. The two of them gave each other the faintest nods.

Their indirect probing of Orion’s thoughts seemed to have worked. For someone with her proud, cold temperament, such roundabout methods were always more effective than bluntness.

Because blunt questions could trigger Orion’s defenses. Girls with faces that shouted “Don’t talk to me” were always like that—

“Isn’t that right, Your Highness Rosvisser Melkvey?”

“Then Miss Orion, is your steadfastness in these beliefs because you want to change the Blazing Sun’s current state?” Leon asked.

Orion pondered a moment before answering:

“I want to, but I know very well I can’t. Because I don’t truly belong to the Blazing Sun. I’ve never aspired to climb into their ruling class. I am nothing more than... the captain of the guard.”

Rosvisser’s brows drew down slightly. She quickened her steps, coming up alongside Orion shoulder to shoulder.

The queen looked at her cool profile, and in a tone tinged with compassion asked:

“If that’s the case, then you must be very lonely here, and in great pain, aren’t you?”

No matter where, an outlier is always a solitary walker.

And those who achieve great deeds are often seen as outliers by others on the road to struggle.

Just as when Rosvisser, still a young girl, took part in the Dragon King’s trial—no one believed someone so young could one day sit on the throne of the Silver Dragon Sanctuary.

That was why she asked with such concern. For someone like Orion, such a steadfast “outlier,” holding to her beliefs would only bring more hardship and suffering.

“Painful... I’ve grown used to that. But lonely...”

As she spoke, Orion turned her gaze to meet Rosvisser’s. After a brief exchange of looks, she shifted her eyes toward Leon.

Her gaze lingered on the couple for a moment, then lowered.

And for the first time, that usually expressionless face revealed a faint smile.

She said softly:

“Perhaps from today onward, things might change.”

Leon and Rosvisser still wanted to ask more, but Orion lifted a hand and pointed ahead toward a building.

“The inn is right up ahead. You two should get some rest. Good night.”

“All right. Good night, Miss Orion.”

Orion nodded politely, then turned, slowly walking into the next street.

Leon and Rosvisser watched her departing back.

The street lamps above flickered, light sputtering. Her back was straight, her steps steady. But as her figure was gradually swallowed by the dark, she looked achingly solitary, so very alone.