CHAPTER 563: I’LL EXPLAIN THINGS LATER

The words left Asher’s mouth without flourish, yet they carried a surprising heaviness that pressed into the room like a soft but undeniable weight. For a moment, the air stilled, a quiet hush threading itself between the three boys. It didn’t linger for long, but it lasted just enough for each of them to register the subtle shift before the atmosphere resumed its usual rhythm.

"Uh... who’s that?" Dylan asked suddenly, wearing an expression that was both sincere and unintentionally comedic as his eyes bounced between Liam and Asher.

"Who’s who?" Asher replied, genuinely confused by the question.

"The lady you mentioned," Dylan said. "You said her name like I’m supposed to know who she is."

"Because you are," Asher shot back instantly, his tone sharp with disbelief. "Are you telling me you don’t know Serah Magna?!"

"He’s not going to know her, idiot," Liam said calmly, turning his gaze toward Asher. "He’s not a Solarian like you. That name means nothing to someone who grew up in Crescent."

As soon as the words left Liam’s mouth, Asher froze for a second, realization dawning on him. Of course Liam was right—Dylan was Crescentian, he himself was Solarian, and the name of the late princess wouldn’t exactly be common knowledge outside their homeland.

"Yeah... I guess that didn’t cross my mind," Asher muttered under his breath. "Wait, the fact that you’re saying this, then..."

"Yes," Liam cut in before he could finish. "I’m the son of the late Princess of Solara. I was planning to tell you guys once everyone arrived, but since you brought it up, I might as well now. I’m not going into detail yet. You’ll both have to wait until Sheila and the others get here—I’m not doing double explanations." His voice remained calmly indifferent, as if he were discussing the weather rather than his lineage.

Asher and Dylan stared at each other for a moment, their expressions mirroring the same thought, before turning back toward Liam with looks that blended curiosity and mild disbelief.

"Damn," Dylan said, his face shifting comically. "What the hell happened to you during lockdown? The Liam I know would gatekeep anything about himself like it was gold. This... this is new."

"Yeah, Blondie isn’t wrong," Asher added, narrowing his blue eyes as he studied Liam with suspicious intensity. "I hope you haven’t gone soft on me, weakling."

Liam stared back at them with a detached calmness. "Aren’t you two being a little dramatic?" he asked. "If a rumor is already spreading, it only makes sense to tell you both the truth. Why would I hide something the entire of Amthar apparently already knows?"

Dylan paused, giving him a squinty, judgmental look before sighing. "Well... you’re making sense, I guess." Then his eyes widened as if a second realization smacked him across the face. "Wait... you guys said Serah Magna was the Princess of Solara, right?"

"Yeah," Liam replied.

"Then that makes you royal blood—just like Sheila and Chris, right?" Dylan asked, excitement lighting up his expression.

"Yeah, to some degree, I guess," Liam said.

"To some degree? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Asher demanded.

"Don’t know," Liam replied with a shrug, his tone unchanging.

"Wait—wait," Dylan said, another thought striking him like lightning. "Magna? Your mother’s family name is Magna?! That means... you and Sir Galen Magna are related!"

"I know, right? That’s basically his uncle," Asher said with plain certainty.

Liam exhaled slowly, the reminder tugging at him like an unwelcome hand. Galen Magna—his uncle. It still felt strange hearing it out loud.

"Yeah, we’re related," he finally said.

"Woah, dude, your life just keeps getting more interesting," Dylan said with an enthusiastic grin.

"I wouldn’t say the same, honestly. Let’s leave it there for now," Liam answered, dismissing the topic with quiet finality. "Anyway, you said my name was spreading around Crescent?"

"Yeah," Dylan said, recalling the earlier topic. "Word about a dark mage spread through Crescent fast during the lockdown. But no one mentioned anything about you being Serah Magna’s son, and nobody had a name. But I still knew it was you."

He stepped closer, gesturing animatedly. "Then, just a few weeks ago, the name ’Liam Hunter’ swept through almost the entire kingdom of Crescent. I still don’t know what sparked it, but man—you were trending like crazy."

’Just a few weeks ago?’ Liam mused, his expression unreadable as he looked at Dylan. ’It probably ties back to that gathering with the king. Word about a dark mage really does fly across the so-called holy land faster than a gust of wind, huh?’

He released a low hum, more a sound of acknowledgment than anything thoughtful.

"Hey," Dylan began, leaning closer with that nosy grin he always wore when he sensed something interesting brewing. "Since, you know... basically the entire academy already knows you’re a dark mage and also Serah Magna’s kid, do you ever plan on telling them anything? Or are you just gonna let them follow you around with those curious, creepy little stares?"

"No." Liam didn’t even hesitate. His voice was flat, calm, and carried a finality that would’ve shut most people up instantly. "Whether I tell them or not, they’re still going to be a pain to deal with. I’m not wasting my time explaining myself just to soothe their curiosity."

’Besides... they’re all going to learn the truth later today anyway, once the announcement drops,’ he added silently, keeping his steps steady. ’But if I tell you two that now, you’ll start asking a storm of questions, and I’m not dealing with that level of headache this early in the day. Better to let it die here.’

Asher snorted, just loud enough for Liam to catch it. "Sounds exactly like you," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Well hey, if that works for you, man, who am I to complain?" Dylan said with an easy shrug. His stomach growled loudly the next moment, and he pressed a hand to it as if the noise offended him. "Anyway, you guys hungry? Because I’m starving—like, dying. I swear, if I don’t eat soon, I’m gonna fade into mist."

"Honestly... yeah, I could eat," Asher admitted, rubbing his stomach with a small grimace.

"Now that’s what I wanna hear," Dylan declared triumphantly before turning his bright eyes on Liam. "What about you, Liam? Feel like grabbing something at the cafeteria?"

Liam studied the pair for a moment, weighing... something. Maybe their mood, maybe his own. Eventually he gave a slight nod. "Yeah. Why not."

"Sweet," Dylan said, practically vibrating with energy now that food was on the horizon. "Let’s go."

Without waiting, he marched straight toward the door, already talking as though the others were right behind him. "You know," he added dramatically as the three stepped out into the hallway, "if we’re lucky, we might even bump into the others. Imagine the chaos. Imagine the beauty. Food and friends—this is what life is about, boys."

Liam didn’t bother commenting, but he followed anyway, letting Dylan’s chatter fill the space between them as they made their way toward the cafeteria.