Chapter 82: The Door Will Be There
The dim light of the study flickered softly as Volundr sat at his desk, a quiet sense of accomplishment settling over him. His hand moved with careful precision, sealing the last of the documents. He paused, the weight of his actions pressing down on him in a way he hadn't fully anticipated.
The profiles of Jeanne and Siegfried were complete, their paths toward him mapped out, their fates entwined with his own designs.
On the surface, they were still loyal to the Church, their swords held high in service to a corrupted institution.
But Volundr knew better than anyone that true loyalty wasn't about who you followed—it was about where your heart lay. Both Jeanne and Siegfried had already begun to question the very foundations of the Church, and it was only a matter of time before their faith cracked.
When that moment came, they would need a path to walk—a path where their swords would no longer be used for blind service, but for a cause that demanded their true strength.
Knights of the Coming Era: Jeanne and Siegfried
The words were simple, but they carried a weight that Volundr felt deep within his chest. These two—these knights—would be part of something far greater than they could yet comprehend.
And when they were ready to step away from the life they'd been given, when they saw the world beyond the Church's walls, they would know where to turn. Volundr's hand, unseen yet always present, would be waiting.
He set down the quill and leaned back in his chair, his gaze drifting to the window. The last light of day had long since faded, and the stars now sparkled like distant beacons in the cold night sky. The world was vast, filled with endless possibilities. But within that vastness, Volundr knew that some paths were meant to cross.
The soft rustling of papers and the faint glow of magical wards were the only sounds that filled the room as Volundr allowed himself a rare, quiet smile. The plans he had set in motion were already bearing fruit, though the fruit itself was still a distant promise.
The time to act, to bring Jeanne and Siegfried into his fold, would come—but not yet. They needed to make their own choices, to reach the point where they could no longer ignore the truth that their current allegiances were no longer in line with who they truly were.
In that moment of reflection, Volundr found himself thinking back to his own journey—the time before he had found his place, his purpose.
He had been born into nobility, yes, but it hadn't been the titles or the power that had defined him. It had been the choices he made, the people he chose to trust, and the bonds that formed even in the darkness.
In many ways, he saw his journey mirrored in Jeanne and Siegfried. Both had potential. Both were on the verge of something greater than they could yet understand.
He closed his eyes, leaning forward slightly, his fingers brushing against the surface of the desk. His thoughts turned to them—Jeanne, the young knight with the heart of a leader, and Siegfried, the warrior with the soul of a dragon-slayer.
He could see the way they were already shifting, the cracks in their faith, the budding awareness that there was more to the world than the Church would ever show them.
The moment they chose their own path, when they finally broke free from the chains that bound them, Volundr would be there. It wasn't a question.
He had already made that promise to himself, even if it was unspoken, even if it had never been confirmed by either of them.
He stood and walked to the window, staring out into the vast expanse of the night. The stars shone with an almost ethereal light, distant yet close enough to feel like they were within reach.
There was a quiet kind of comfort in the vastness of the world. It was as though the universe itself was waiting for the right moment, for all the pieces to fall into place.
When the day comes they're ready to walk away… my hand will be waiting.
Volundr allowed the words to linger in the air, feeling the weight of them in his chest. He had always been patient—he had learned the value of patience through the long years of his journey.
And now, more than ever, patience was key. Jeanne and Siegfried would come to him when the time was right. Until then, he would wait.
And when that moment came, when they were ready to step into the world he was building, they would find the door open, and he would be waiting on the other side.
Outside, the world was still. The soft whisper of wind rustled through the trees, the only sound that could be heard beyond the walls of Volundr's estate.
But within him, a quiet certainty lingered—one that said the future was already in motion. The pieces were already in place, and the path forward had already been paved.
For now, all that was left was time.
And time, as Volundr knew all too well, was something that could be bent to his will.
End of Chapter 82.