They continued running until they were on the outskirts of the town, free from prying eyes. The lights from the little town looked pretty when seen from a distance, in Valeriana's opinion. They were far from where most of the people were now, so they all slowed down their pace and started walking casually. The next town wasn't until a good few miles away.

All there was ahead of them was a sandy road with trees growing on the side. And though it might've looked peaceful during the day, it completely looked haunted at night. For this reason, it made the girl uneasy.

Moonlight broke through the leafy branches of trees, and though it offered some illumination, it wasn't enough.

"Avaro," Corvan said.

'What is it, heilm juaire?' The familiar hastened his pace for a bit so that he was walking beside his contractor.

"Send some lights ahead so we can see where we're going. I do not feel easy with this darkness."

'As you wish.'

Just as Valeriana was wondering, the beast opened his mouth and two balls of fire escaped from his powerful jaws. To her amazement, they were airborne. They floated around Valeriana for a moment before shooting ahead and lighting up their path with a fiery burst.

"Wow." Valeriana said in amazement. "Avaro, you're really cool."

Corvan smirked arrogantly. This compliment was indirectly given to him as well, for he had Avaro as his familiar.

"Wait until you see him in his full form." Tamara remarked.

"His full form?"

"That appearance is just 'friendly' and 'casual' as you would say." Zevlin told her. "Avaro has a 'battle' form that's not too friendly and something he shows to his enemies if needed. Otherwise, if the opponent's weak, he won't even need to change. With his state of power, I doubt it would happen often. He's already as strong as an average Celestial Beast in its fullest power in that 'friendly' form."

"Can I see it?! Can I see it?" She fervently asked with child-like excitement.

'That is not for me to decide.' Avaro glanced at the first-ranker.

"Can I, Corvan?" She looked at him pleadingly.

"No." Corvan replied indifferently.

"Why not?"

"It's unnecessary." He said.

"Why? I want to see it."

"Do you want to cause the annihilation of this entire place?" He bluntly inquired as he quirked a brow questioningly at the girl. "If I summon Avaro's full form, there's a possibility that he'll destroy everything within the radius of fifty kilometers. Not to mention it'll take a lot of my energy."

"No." Valeriana hesitantly responded.

"Then, no."

She pouted. "Whatever." She murmured, feeling disappointed. "You're really amazing though, Avaro. I'm sorry you had to carry me like this."

'Thou needest not be sorry.' Avaro replied back humbly.

"Agh." She said with guilt. "I don't know how you ended up being Corvan's familiar with this humble attitude of yours."

Everyone eyed her with curiosity.

There was a rumble in the back of his throat that sounded very much like a chuckle. 'This one chose heilm juaire for a reason. Although humility itself is a big characteristic that a hero must possess, 'tis the entirety of his being that is important. His whole self as an individual.'

"Is that so?" She asked. "I guess Corvan all in all isn't that bad. I mean, aside from being a jerk he is the first-ranker."

"Will you stop insulting me like I'm not here?"

"Ha." Valeriana shot him a pointed like. "Like you have any right to say that at all!"

"Wait a moment." Elfre raised her hand in the air as a sign for them to hold up. "I do not get this. You can hear Avaro, Valeriana?"

"Yeah, well . . . I guess?"

"What do you mean by 'I guess'?!" Elfre exclaimed. "This is not exactly a small thing, you know!"

"Not a small thing." Brindon repeated.

"To be capable of hearing a Celestial Beast without performing a contract with it at all," Charles mused. "I'm starting not to doubt the business about you not being a human."

"Right." Valeriana quieted. "I keep forgetting. It's just . . . so strange."

'Pardon me. What is this business about thee being a human, lheium ansur?'

"Well, to tell you the truth." She sighed. "I didn't really grow up in this world. I grew up somewhere else." She said to Avaro. "But I just recently discovered that I might've not been what I thought I was because of a certain incident."

"Hm. Sounds heavy." Lord Lienhard chuckled. "It seems as if you are going through an unbelievable change, my dear. It must be shocking."

"I find it unbelievable alright." Valeriana agreed. "It's too shocking I don't even know how to react. I mean, there must be some kind of mistake about it."

'So 'tis why thou hast avoided the question a while ago?'

She hesitantly nodded in answer. "Yes."

'With the actual discovery of thee being able to hear my words, 'tis already proven. Not just anyone can hear our words. Thou hast to have great spiritual awareness. And this one does not think that humans possess that quality.'

"Spiritual awareness?"

"It's as he says." The first-ranker said. "Now that I think about it, you seem to have great spiritual awareness. Considering your sensitivity to demonic presence, you can also hear the words of a Celestial Beast."

"So what does that mean?"

To her shock, Charles sighed and shook his head. "I do not know. I do not think there has been a situation like this before. The lack of information about your true identity and lineage makes it hard to make deductions. But, given the right clues, we might be able to put the puzzle pieces together."

She allowed a huge sigh to escape her lungs.

"There are a lot of possibilities. I'm not about to start telling each one." He told her.

'There is no need to feel depressed. Thou shalt know who thou art soon. I heard there are people like Valeriana from the Land of the Spirits.'

"The Land of the Spirits? Aetheria?" She repeated aloud, puzzled.

'My encounters with people like thee are scarce considering I originate from a different continent. Forgive this beast for not being too helpful.'

"No! That's a lot of help!" She said.

Elfre scrunched her brows, feeling like the girl was having a one-sided conversation with herself. "Hmph."

"He's right." Corvan said, being the only one aside from Valeriana who could hear his familiar's words. "Most of the people with the same abilities like you come from that place."

"So Rowe . . . ?"

"Rowe has a very good connection with his soul coming from the family of de la Nevan, but he is not the same as you."

"Yeah. I figured." She sighed. "How is he different?"

"Astral projection." Charles answered. "He's powerful enough not to let his soul go astray when it leaves his body."

"Wow! Seriously! That's so cool! I didn't know that!"

"Everyone varies in their abilities no matter how the same." Zevlin pointed out. "So don't expect everyone to be like you even though they came from the same place."

"Ugh. Hopeless." She groaned.

Valeriana sighed heavily once again.

"Sulking will get you nowhere."

"I can't help it! I mean—how can I be in this situation! It's really weird!  And I'm so confused!"

"Don't be." Genevieve patted her on the shoulder.

"All this time," Valeriana muttered. "I've been thinking that because I'm 'human', I'm not going to survive. I kept it unconsciously engraved in my mind, that I'm going to prove myself everyone that I'm worthy of the position despite me being a 'human'. That this so-called 'human' they greatly underestimate and criticize can do far more better things that they can imagine. Being what I thought I was kept me going forward, what will happen to me now?"

"Idiot." Corvan hit her head.

"Ouch!" She shielded the part where his fist landed and groaned. "The hell was that for?"

"Do you even have to ask?" He sighed. "You've already done it."

"What?"

"You've already finished proving to them as a 'human' that you are worthy. You've fought two duels and won without ever having the need of power controls. You've fought and survived a whole month in the academy as a 'human'. That's enough." He said before turning to look at her with a comforting gaze the girl rarely saw he had. "So now it's time to move on. Don't think too much on being a human or a Valemnian. Hasn't it occurred to you before? Even before being a Valemnian, you were you. If you think about it, it's the truth that changes everything, and not either being a Valemnian or a witch."

"I'm not a witch!" She hissed at him. "But I really didn't expect those words to come from you. Corvan of all people!"

"He's right, though." Zevlin smiled. "Human or not, does it matter? You're still Valeriana, aren't you?"

"Agh. I know, people." She then smiled. "I've already thought about it since the beginning. I am myself despite being which. I've just been worried about the changes this'll bring to me if it was really true. It really isn't easy adjusting and accepting, you know."

'Dost thou feel anymore bothered?'

"A little." She told Avaro honestly. "But Corvan is right." She chuckled. "I already proved to them as a 'human' what I'm capable of. I don't think it'll be bad to discover a part of myself I haven't known. Like you said," Valeriana then smiled at Corvan. "It's time to move on."

Corvan looked away but gave a hum of agreement.

"It's not being you that matters. Because either being one of the two, it's the truth that changes everything." Lord Lienhard said, rephrasing Corvan's words from before. "No words can be truer. How I never realized. You are far wiser than you seem, Lord de la Wylden."

"I think that Valeriana's attitude is starting to rub off on you, Corvan!" Tamara remarked jokingly.

"Rub off." Brindon agreed.

They all started to laugh in exception for Corvan and Brindon who remained quiet.

"Thank you, everyone." The girl smiled. "Thank you."

"No problem, missy!" Tamara said. "Don't dwell too much on it! We're here for you!"

"I just realized, though." Valeriana told them.

"What?" Elfre asked, scoffing.

"If I'm actually one of you guys . . ." She trailed off. "Does that mean I can get a familiar too? And those cool power control thingies?" She asked them excitedly. "I mean, I do get one of those, right?"

It was comical how Valeriana looked like a child at that moment, beaming about things which might've been considered as small matters to the circle.

They all began to laugh.

Corvan merely smirked. "Maybe." He then added. "It would make you less useless if you have abilities like ours. But it still won't change the fact that you'll still be useless. Not to mention stupid."

"Hey!" She growled. "I don't really get you! Why do you keep calling me stupid and useless?! What did I do wrong?"

'It seems to me that heilm juaire enjoys teasing thee.'

"Teasing, you say? Teasing my ass!"