《The Lazy Swordmaster》 Chapter 1 - A Certain Butlers Diary (Prologue)

Chapter 1: A Certain Butler''s Diary (Prologue)

Today was an auspicious day. The Finn Iphelleta House had its third son delivered. His ck hair had a striking resemnce to his mother¡¯s. His name is Riley. ¡°At least I have enough strength left to name him!¡± Lady Iris smiled brightly. Age 0 The child spoke. It was a word other than ¡°Mommy.¡± He mumbled, ¡°Finally¡­¡± What did he mean? We never taught him that word¡­ Age 1 I have secretly inspected young master¡¯s body. To check his talent. ¡­ I have never seen anyone with such talent in my 60 years. My head was filled with excitement and envy. Not as a butler, but as a swordsman. Was it because I¡¯d seen talent that surpasses genius? I could not fall asleep that night. Age 2. The first-born, Master Ryan, has won second ce in the Novice Swordsmanship Tournament. Hispetitors were all around the age of 14-15. He defeated them at the age of 9. The maids of the mansion are moring that he may surpass his father. Fools, the true ¡¯genius¡¯ is here. Age 3. Even if their mothers are different. Watching his brothers train everyday should arouse some curiosity. But the young master shows no interest in the sword. Simply watching this talent go undeveloped, is driving me insane. Age 4. Maybe I¡¯m getting impatient due to my age. I have given him a wooden sword. Unlike his usual intelligent self, for some unknown reason, he bawled his eyes out, screaming because he did not want to hold the sword. In the end, he never even swung it once. Was I too early? Age 5. The Finn Iphelleta House has a bloodline that has been blessed by the sword. After the first son, the second-born, Master Lloyd, has done well in the Novice Tournament. As I carefully mention the idea to the Young Master Riley, he replied with a smile, ¡°Not doing it.¡± Age 6. Hah¡­ Just why? Age 7. Master Ryan has already learnt to imbue mana into the de. Within the mana was a pure and powerful essence. Therefore, his father gave Master Ryan the title of ¡°Geuk-Geom¡±. Master Riley showed no reaction to the story. Hah, if only he would just hold a sword. Age 9. I am disheartened. I am sure there will be great achievements. Even if I ignore my bias as his servant. Even if I ignore his talent for the sword. He is a truly intelligent boy, and it crushes me. ¡­ Today, Master Lloyd was given the title of ¡°Sok-Geom¡± His speed was extraordinary, even beyond Master Stein¡¯s. Suddenly¡­ ¡°Did I see it wrong?¡± This thought urred to me. Age 10. Master Stein finally made a decision. He suggested that the young masterpetes in the Novice Tournament. ¡­ On that day, Master Riley disappeared from the mansion. Everyone in the mansion searched for him. One day, two days, one week. In the end, when thepetitors of the tournament were decided, the young master showed himself. ¡°Hide and seek is fun! Isn¡¯t that right?¡± He smiled brightly. Everyone in the mansionughed nervously. ¡°My eyes weren¡¯t wrong.¡± That¡¯s what I believed. Age 11. He naps in the apple tree in the gardens. Eats his meals. Reads a few books and goes to sleep. That¡¯s his daily routine. Sleeping 12 hours a day. Never touching a sword. Even Master Stein has given up on Master Riley. Age 12. For fuck¡¯s sake! Why won¡¯t he hold a sword? Age 13. Master Riley¡¯sziness has reached the pinnacle ofziness. Even Master Stein has had it and went to give him a beating. Yet Master Riley had disappeared miraculously. Master Stein could not even find him. Wow¡­ Age 14. One day, I decided toin to the young master. ¡°Why won¡¯t you learn swordsmanship?¡± Was he sleeptalking? He replied to my question, ¡°I managed to kill the demon lord, so I can take it easy right?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand his answer, and sighed. Age 15. Master Riley may bezy, but there are times when things change. When he talks with his mother. The book I read was so interesting. I had a strange dream. Lady Iris always replied with a smile. Always mentioning that his happiness is the most important to her. Age 16. It¡¯s been a long time since all members of the Finn Iphelleta House were gathered together. Master Stein. His two wives. The 3 sons. After dinner, Master Stein made an announcement, ¡°I should start deciding on the sessor.¡± Master Riley was never mentioned in the discussion. Age 17. For the first time in my life, I have seen Master Riley seething with rage. Someone who wouldn¡¯t bat an eye for countless insults towards him. It was when his mother was ridiculed by the other sons because of Master Riley, as he was dered ineligible as a sessor candidate. In that short moment, I saw the potential in his eyes. Master Stein also saw it. Age 18. During her meal, Lady Iris copsed after coughing blood. As the table turned red with blood, Master Riley¡¯s face changed dramatically. And today. He raised a sword¡­ Chapter 2 - Heroes Exist to Save the World

Chapter 2: Heroes Exist to Save the World

¡°Heroes exist to save the world.¡± ¡­Those words make me sick. By luck, no, by horrible luck, I was blessed by the holy de and forced onto the path of killing the demon lord. I had everyone¡¯s attention on me, and their hopes became the sole reason for me to push ahead¡­ With the weight of the world on my shoulders, I pressed on, never resting. What was the reward for my deeds? To be idolised? To be an inspiration? I didn¡¯t want any of it. Another man could say, your reward is your adventure and the memories of yourpanions. Don¡¯t make meugh. Memories of yourpanions? Let me say it again, ¡°Heroes exist to save the world, not to save theirpanions.¡± The fate of mypanions was always destined to be a cruel one. In order to defeat the demon lord who would destroy the world. Whether it was before or after he rose up in power. Of course, as a hero, as an individual, I tried my utmost to save those who were important to me. But the results had always been disastrous. The pain I felt as they whispered to me with their dying breaths, ¡°At least you managed to make it out alive.¡± The path of a hero is filled with more sorrow than happiness. I could not fail to live up to their expectations. Even when I wandered on the borders of insanity, the people would put their hopes on my existance. Those days would continue as I fought on with blood in my mouth. Heroes may exist to save the world, but I fought for the eternal peace of death. I¡¯d had enough of this life. The mysterious monsters who would invade our homes. The viins who dared to harm my friends. I had in many, and saved the lives of many more from the jaws of death. And in the end¡­ I managed to y the demon lord. *** How high up was it? The clouds wereid out below him as he fell from the skies together with a giant. With red skin and a giant horn. The demon lord. ¡°Kuuuh¡­¡± Countless wounds were visible on his colossal body. He gritted his teeth and stared at his foe, struggling to retain consciousness. In his foe¡¯s right hand, the holy sword shone brightly. ¡°¡­¡± His foe was standing on top of his forehead. The hero who yed the demon lord. ¡°What is going through your mind right now?¡± The demon lord asked the hero. Although he felt nothing but fury towards him, he had no choice but to acknowledge his power. So he asked his foe, his equal, out of curiosity. ¡°If you¡¯re asking for my thoughts.¡± The hero spoke. His face seemed somewhat pale as he fell towards certain death. ¡°¡­¡± After a small pause, he replied quietly, ¡°I¡¯m tired.¡± The demon lord could not understand his answer, ¡°What?¡± ¡®Yes, this is enough right?¡¯ That was what he truly thought. Why? ¡®If it¡¯s not you, if you¡¯re not here, if you can¡¯t¡­¡¯ He¡¯s heard it a million times. ¡®Only you can do it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s impossible unless it¡¯s you.¡¯ ¡®Only you can save them.¡¯ ¡®You must protect them.¡¯ To act as the symbol of their hope, to live up to their wishes. It had taken its toll on him. ¡°I¡¯m just really tired.¡± It was so hard to meet those gazes that were trying to hold onto what little faith they had. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t want it anymore.¡± As he remembered all the lines about heroes that had been said to him, he looked down. He was falling. ¡°¡­¡± As he fell from the insane height, his clothes fluttered uncontrobly. The stars shone at the edge of his vision, and the cold winds swiped at him. ¡®Finally¡­¡¯ It was difficult to keep his eyes open, so he half-closed them. The clouds that had been far below him now caressed his body. The ground was getting closer. ¡°¡­I¡¯m almost there.¡± The hero could see the ashen ck buildings made of concrete. Every time he blinked, they were closer. It was moments before the final impact. ¡°Aaah, this is the end.¡± At this height, even the hero could not avoid instant death. He would be unrecognisable. With all the injuries and curses on him, resurrection was also impossible. ¡°¡­?¡± The demon lord tilted his head in curiosity. Even after saving the world, after so much sacrifice, only death awaited him. Yet the hero was smiling. As if, it was his greatest peace. ¡°Huh? Those two are falling!¡± He was almost there. Through the people¡¯s shouting, he heard the demon lord¡¯s head hit the ground, making a sound like a tomato being crushed. And it was his turn soon after. And so¡­ The hero fell. *** ¡°The sessor?¡± ¡°In the famed Iphelleta House.¡± In the crowded inn, people were talking of the rumors about the selection of the Iphelleta House¡¯s new sessor. ¡°Yeah!¡± The Finn Iphelleta House, which was famous for its swordsmanship, had three sons. The first, Ryan the Geuk-Geom, famous for his strength. The second, Lloyd the Sok-Geom, famous for his speed. The third, however¡­ ¡°The sessor will be one of those three sons!¡± ¡°Only one of them will be chosen right?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be Ryan, the eldest?¡± ¡°Well, who knows? I heard that the second-born, Lloyd, is quite sharp too.¡± ¡°I thought they were blessed to have three sons, but having so many has its troubles, too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a problem for all high-ss families, especially such high nobles.¡± ¡°For us peasants, sons are always better!¡± ¡°Who knows, you might win something big if you have a beautiful daughter.¡± ¡°Hahaha! With your face? Dream on, brother.¡± Iffa vige, a territory ruled by the Finn Iphelleta House. The inn was full of spections about the new sessor. ¡°From the sounds of things, it¡¯s either going to be the first or the second, is that right?¡± ¡°Yeah, thats true.¡± ¡°What about the third?¡± ¡°Ah, well, apparently he ispletely useless.¡± ¡°He was born that way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A certain butler, who looked out of ce in this inn, tightened his grip on his beer, as if he was trying to shatter the ss. ¡°He¡¯s a noble and yet he¡¯s known as the ¡®Lazy¡¯. In a way, he¡¯s more famous than the other two.¡± The Third. Famous within the Iphelleta House for his awe inspiringziness. Titled, Na-Geom. Riley. ¡°¡­Na-Geom?¡± ¡°Hah! Never heard of such disgrace in my life.¡± ¡°You know how the Iphelleta House is famous for its swordsmanship? Well apparently, he¡¯s never swung a damn sword in his life¡­¡± ¡°Basically, he¡¯s beyond hopeless.¡± The others nodded in agreement. ¡°So, what¡¯s the reason for it?¡± ¡°Well, I heard he gets a seizure when he does.¡± ¡°Nah, I heard he¡¯s got some allergy to it.¡± ¡°Apparently he¡¯s more of a vegetable and can¡¯t even move. I heard he just lies on his bed all day.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The old man who had been listening suddenly stood up, furious. His face was as red as an apple. ¡°You fucking sons of bit¡­!¡± Chapter 3 - Riley is…

Chapter 3: Riley is...

The boy yawned, lying against an apple tree in the mansion grounds. To him, it was just another bed. ¡°¡­Ah, I want some Coke.¡± He was the third son of the Iphelleta House, Riley. ¡°It¡¯s bing more frequent. My dreams of the past.¡± A world with concrete floors and skyscrapers¡­ It was a reflection of his past life. Since the day he unintentionally pulled the holy sword from the ground, there were only battles. To prevent the destruction of the world with theing of the demon lord, he had to y countless monsters. Instead of being able to attend school with his friends, he had to force his way through numerous battles. He sighed as he remembered his past life from his dreams. ¡°It alwayses back right when I¡¯m about to forget.¡± He scratched his head, remembering his phrase, ¡®I want to have some Coke.¡¯ ¡°Coke, huh¡­¡± It was his favorite drink back in the ¡®past.¡¯ Sadly, he did not know how to make it. ¡°Tsk.¡± ¡®How I long for the burning sensation of the carbonated liquid pouring down my throat, but that¡¯s impossible now¡­¡¯ As he thought to himself, he locked his fingers and stretched out his arms. ¡°Well, there¡¯s no need to repeat my past.¡± ¡®I will live this life in peace.¡¯ With his memories still intact, that was what he had thought upon being reincarnated into this world. To fight with a de, to save the world¡­ To be idolised, to be relied upon¡­ It was unneeded. He would avoid any obstacles in his path. Thankfully, he was now the third son of an important noble family. Perfect for azy and carefree life. ¡°¡­Young master, young master!¡± If only there weren¡¯t any obstacles. ¡°Dear lord! Are you sleeping again?¡± ¡®Christ.¡¯ Although he had just woken up from a nap, he closed his eyes again to avoid this situation. It was to appeal for his sleep to not be disturbed. ¡°It is already past noon and the sun is starting to set! How are you supposed to sleep at night?¡± If a man tries, he can sleep all day. Almost like a vegetable, although not quite. ¡®Being drowsy at day and sleepy at night are two different things.¡¯ As he made his answer in his mind, he snored loudly. An act to show the butler that he was still in thend of dreams. ¡°Time may have taken much from me, but I can still tell between truth and lies.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have been serving you for almost 20 years. You should stop that act of yours and get up.¡± He may have talked like that, but Ian had a way of discerning the truth. At this point, he was just pleading for Riley to get up. ¡°Haah. It is almost dinner time.¡± Ian shook Riley¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Ahh, is that so?¡± Riley stood up, unable to resist the sad voice. He didn¡¯t want the old man to cry. ¡°It seems¡­you did not train today, either.¡± Riley did not respond to Ian. ¡°I am sure you will see your potential, if you would just try.¡± The nagging began. Again. Riley began to doubt whether waking up was the right action. ¡°Just, what is the reason?¡± ¡°Hey, what do you think today¡¯s dinner will be?¡± ¡°In terms of wisdom, you would easily surpass both of your brothers!¡± Ian once evaluated Riley to be ¡®too mature for his age¡¯. In a good way. As a baby, he acted in a way which did not fit his age, due to his old memories. ¡°Others may be oblivious, but I know! That young master is¡­¡± ¡°¡­Lazy?¡± Riley responded with a smile. ¡°No! Not at all!¡± Ian¡¯s face was dyed red, with steaming out of his ears. ¡°Ha¡­honestly! Do you know how angry I was at those bastards in Iffa vige!¡± Ian closed his eyes, and pounded his chest in anger, only to realise Riley had already distanced himself from him. Ian followed, mumbling foul words as he did. *** ¡°Honestly, Lady Iris! Please discipline Master Riley. He still will not even touch the sword¡­ It is as if he is trying to be a wizard.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so wrong with that, Ian?¡± Within the second dining room of the mansion, there were two¡­no, three people at the table. The woman smiled towards her son who was sitting opposite to her. ¡°Heheh.¡± Riley smiled back at his mother when their eyes met. His mother was the only person in the mansion who would understand him. Iris. She would listen attentively at his absurd stories about his dreams. A great mother who truly wished for her son¡¯s happiness, despite hisck of effort to learn the swordsmanship of the House. If Riley were to pick his greatest treasure, it would undoubtedly be her. ¡°Haah. The same goes for you, mydy.¡± Ian sighed at the two. ¡°Oh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Young master is already at the age of 18. He is an adult. How long will you continue to ept his childish behaviour? It is time to be a bit more strict with him. And there is also the issue about the sessor.¡± Ian pressed his finger between his eyebrows as he said those words. Just remembering about it gave him a headache. ¡°Are you not angry? Lady Orelly and both her sons would visit you in their spare time, just to ridicule you. Those rude ingrates.¡± ¡°Ian, watch yournguage. We are still in the mansion¡­¡± ¡°No, I will say it. The two of you¡­need some ambition. Do you not want to get back at them?¡± Ian began hisint. ¡°Instead of talking about that weird dream of yours!¡± The dream Riley always spoke of to his mother. When Ian shouted at him that he should be talking about swords instead, Riley replied, ¡°Weird dream you say. But it¡¯s still interesting right?¡± ¡°Huh? Yeah it is interesting¡­ Wait, that is not the point!¡± Ian began to appeal to Iris about Riley¡¯s good traits. ¡°You know how smart young master is the most, mydy.¡± At a young age, Riley was the fastest at learning how to write and speak. That was not the only thing he could say. There were countless more. ¡°And?¡± Riley¡¯s problem solving skills were beyond his age, and whenever danger would approach, he would disappear from the mansion, using ¡®hide and seek¡¯ as an excuse. He would only reappear once the danger had passed. ¡°I am still¡­¡± Iris knew perfectly well just how different Riley was from an average person. The dreams, the way he spoke¡­ Each word and action he took seemed imbued with maturity. ¡°His wisdom can be put to use for the sword as well! I have spoken to you before about his unprecedented talent¡­¡± ¡°Ian.¡± Iris cut Ian¡¯s words. ¡°I am happy as long as Riley is.¡± Even so, she was not bothered by Riley¡¯s actions. Because she was his mother, she would only wish for his happiness. ¡°Haaah¡­¡± Ian¡¯s shoulders drooped as he realised he had failed to convince her again. He felt a little smaller than before, as if all of his muscles underneath had shrunk as well. ¡°Ian, it¡¯s my life, so I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Riley snickered as he took a mouthful of soup, knowing he escaped Ian¡¯s nagging thanks to his mother. ¡°Cough!¡± Iris suddenly began coughing. Did her food go down her airway? Was there too much pepper in the soup? ¡°Cough, Cough!¡± The coughs seemed quite rough. Riley¡¯s face began to darken as the coughs did not stop even after some time had passed. ¡°¡­Mother?¡± Iris covered her mouth with one hand, while shook the other to tell she was okay. But Riley noticed something on her shaking hands. ¡°Mother, your hand¡­¡± ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Her expression changed for the worse when she looked at her hands. Red. Blood soaked her hands and dripped down onto the table. ¡°Mother!!¡± Riley stood anxiously, but quickly turned his head when he noticed someone was watching. At that moment, his eyes changed to that of a predator¡¯s, but quickly returned. ¡°Huhu¡­¡± Theugh was quite distant, but Riley could hear it, and then he saw it. ¡°Please wait, I will bring a doctor immediately!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Leaving only augh of ridicule, the first wife of the Finn Iphelleta family faded into the distance. Chapter 4 - The Poisoned Soup

Chapter 4: The Poisoned Soup

¡°Young master?¡± Ian stretched his arm towards Riley, who would not say a word. He found it strange that Riley would not turn to look back at his beloved mother, even though she was in such a state. ¡°Where are you going? You must sta¡­¡± As a man who had practiced swordsmanship under the Iphelleta House for his entire life, he could feel a sudden change in Riley¡¯s aura. His curiosity rose. It was simr to the time when the first and the second sons of the Iphelleta House ridiculed his mother. Ian thought he could see his potential once more. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Ah, yes?¡± Riley¡¯s cold tone made Ian realise just how selfish his thoughts were. It was not the time to try to read the atmosphere or Riley¡¯s emotions. ¡°Watch my mother.¡± After giving this brief order, Riley immediately left the dining room. Without even looking back towards his mother. *** There was a reason as to why Riley did not look at his mother despite his love for her. The expression on his face was as cold as stone, filled with anger. His mother may be unconscious, but Riley did not want to show such emotions in front of her. Riley slipped out of the dining room, sped through the corridor and stopped. ¡°Oh?¡± ck, ck. A woman in heels appeared from the corner and confronted Riley with an unsurprised ¡®Oh¡¯. ¡°Riley? Is that you?¡± From the vanity of her clothing, to the white face powdered with makeup. With just one look at her luxurious appearance, one would be able to tell that she was someone of importance in the mansion. ¡°Hello.¡± Riley smiled brightly at her while his rage burned within. The woman was the first wife of the House. For Riley, she was another mother to him. ¡®Orelly Finn Iphelleta¡¯ was her name. ¡°I thought you were having dinner with Iris. You seem to be in a hurry. Do you need something from me?¡± Orelly tilted her head, with an innocent look on her face. ¡°Yes, um¡­ I forgot to greet you earlier.¡± As Riley lowered his head, she waved her hand with augh. ¡°Oh, there is no need.¡± Riley looked into her eyes and saw the burning desire within them. Eyes burning with malice and ill intent. An average person may not notice, but Riley had seen such eyes in his previous life. ¡°Lady Orelly, may I ask. Where did you go just before this?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This smell, it does not seem to be from your dinner. It smells more like that from the kitchen.¡± Orelly tilted her head once more. ¡°Nice nose you have there. Yes, I was simply curious as to what the menu is today. I have not yet eaten dinner, you see.¡± ¡°Haha, that does not seem to be like your usual self.¡± ¡°Hoho, oh you! I could say the same to you, Riley. I¡¯m surprised you are actually on your feet instead of lying around.¡± She stared at Riley with her narrowed eyes. It seemed as if she was looking down on him. Her gaze looked kind at first, but Riley could see the hidden meaning in it. ¡®Move, b*tch! Get out of the way!¡¯ A fitting phrase he knew from his previous life. It was a warning. Telling him to not try anything rash and act like a corpse just as he always had. She must have been quite agitated due to the recent talks about the sessor. ¡°Oh Master Lazy Sword, it¡¯s good that you are showing such manners but your mother must be getting worried. Shouldn¡¯t you go back?¡± Orelly whispered to herself as she turned her back to Riley. ¡°Oh wait, is it the other way around? My bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who cares, right?¡± *** Riley entered his mother¡¯s room, and asked Ian who was looking after her. ¡°How¡¯s mother?¡± ¡°She is alright. For now.¡± She had made it through the worst of it. That thought sank deep in Riley¡¯s heart. With an expression as serious as Riley¡¯s, Ian put his hand on Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young master, may I have a word with you?¡± Ian whispered with a grim face. He was wary of the possibility that someone would be eavesdropping. ¡°The truth is, in the soup¡­¡± Riley cut Ian¡¯s words before he could finish. ¡°There was poison right?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Ian nodded in surprise with cold sweat running down his back. He was wondering how Riley managed to find out, but that was not an important matter. ¡°¡­Yes, the poison is not strong enough to significantly harm a normal person, but Lady Iris is a special case. Her body is already weak from her gic condition. It must have been abination of both that caused her to faint.¡± Riley stared at his sleeping mother. ¡°¡­¡± It bothered him that he could not do anything but watch his mother fall. ¡°Therefore, someone in the mansion tried to assassinate Lady Iris. She is being targeted. We have already captured the maid who was in charge of the dinner. She will be questioned soon. And¡­¡± Ian fixed his tie and bowed to Riley. The action showed Ian¡¯s feelings of guilt. ¡°I am sorry. This old man was not aware of this until it was toote.¡± Ian had looked after Riley ever since he was born. He had neglected housework in order to try to convince Riley to train his swordsmanship. The result was Lady Iris¡¯s poisoning. If he had been on guard, it would not have happened. Ian was prepared for the punishment. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°About the dream I had, in that strange world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a saying like this.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wake the sleeping lion.¡± Riley spoke while opening and closing his hand. ¡°Where¡¯s my wooden sword?¡± ¡°Young¡­master?¡± Riley continued as he walked out of the bedroom. ¡°I must go to the training room.¡± Today, Riley¡¯s eyes burned quietly, as he thought of his mother. Chapter 5 - Nightly Guest (Part 1)

Chapter 5: Nightly Guest (Part 1)

In the training grounds of the Iphelleta mansion. Within the dark field, a ck-haired boy stood. The way he held the wooden sword was a little awkward. ¡°Hoo¡­¡± The boy sighed while staring at the dummy. It was a dummy filled with straw, without any sort of internal mechanisms; it was purely for novices. ¡®Shall I test it?¡¯ He mumbled to himself as he spread his feet to shoulder width. This stance was quite different from that of his two brothers. After controlling his breathing, he charged toward the dummy, striking it. ¡°Huwaap!¡± Smack! The strike made a dull noise. ¡°¡­¡± A new mark could be seen on the dummy. The mark was very faint, but it was a good strike nheless, considering it was his first time swinging the sword. Yet, it was hard to count it as a strike from the Iphelleta House, the House that was said to be blessed by the sword. ¡°Young¡­master?¡± Ian, who saw the strike happen, spoke uncertainly. It was¡­severelyckingpared to his expectations. As far as Ian knew, Riley had more than enough talent to cut the dummy¡¯s head in a single sh. The situation now looked worse than ever. ¡°P-Please, try again!¡± Ian shook his head and pleaded once more. He thought to himself repeatedly that his eyes did not deceive him. ¡°This should do¡­¡± Riley muttered faintly. He then proceeded to cast away the wooden de upon the ground. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. I¡¯m bored.¡± Surprised, Ian stretched his arm towards him. ¡°W-Where are you going?¡± ¡°The library. I¡¯ll just read myself to sleep.¡± ¡°Young master! Please, just one more time!¡± Ian bit his lips as his eyes gazed upon the wooden de lying on the ground. ¡°Kuu¡­¡± A warrior throwing his de away? Ian knew how heavy of a meaning it carried. Although Riley would not have had a clue what it meant. *** ¡°He changes his mind like a girl does changing her clothes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± In a room, shrouded in darkness. A woman wearing a white dress turned her head. Behind her was a hooded man, who had his head lowered. Dressed fully in ck, he followed her like a shadow. ¡°How was his skill?¡± The woman asked while looking out through the moonlit windows. ¡°His skill was¡­¡± The hooded figure paused momentarily. ¡°Atrocious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I do not know if these words would fit a man of the Iphelleta House, but his talent for the de was nonexistent. The strike he disyed was a perfect example of a novice.¡± The woman smirked upon hearing the man¡¯s report. ¡°Well what did you expect? He is the famous Master Lazy Sword.¡± As she spoke to herself, the man tilted his head as he asked a question. ¡°Then are the rumors true? That he has never swung a sword?¡± ¡°Yes. It is true.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The man, an assassin hired by the woman, sighed in disbelief. Anyone in the Iphelleta House could be sessful by wielding a sword. In that family, he was born a third child, and did nothing. And when he finally changed his mind at the age of 18, he threw away the sword realising it had little effect. How useless. How pathetic that child is. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like he has a weak body either. How shameless.¡± The man stood up while clicking his tongue. His mission here wasplete. Mission one, deliver the poison for the soup. Mission two, stalk the third son. Those were the missions he was tasked with. ¡°Then, I shall take my leave.¡± ¡°Yes. Well done. Do send my regards to Father.¡± ¡°He has beenining about not being able to see you more often.¡± ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll visit soon.¡± As the woman waved her hand, the hooded man disappeared, as if melting away into the floor. The womanughed while gazing up at the moon. ¡°I was worried for nothing, silly me.¡± Orelly smirked. The mes of jealousy in her heart seemed to have calmed down a little. *** In a corridor of the Iphelleta mansion. After leaving Lady Orelly¡¯s room, the hooded man sneaked through the corridor in order to avoid being detected by the master of the house. He then turned his head, feeling an intense bloodlust behind him. ¡®¡­What was that?¡¯ He was one of the top three within the organisation. Even the mansion¡¯s master, Count Stein could not avoid being detected by him. ¡°¡­¡± If Lady Orelly was correct, he should still be in his office, in the middle of all the paperwork that needed attending to. The hooded man called upon all of his mana within to detect life in the mansion. As expected, Stein was still in the office. Since his presence was settled there, this bloodlust crawling on his back could not be his. ¡°Who is it?¡± The man turned and asked. There was no answer. ¡°Am I mistaken? No, it can¡¯t be.¡± As a veteran in this line of work, there was no way he would mistake such intent. The hooded man lowered his stance and increased his guard. Tension filled the air in the dark corridor. The hooded man, on the edge of his nerves, frowned in frustration. This stabbing sensation of bloodlust was getting closer. ¡®Who is this fool? Is he trying to call the count here too?¡¯ With such thick killing intent filling the air, not only Stein but even the first and second sons woulde running here as well. And they would surely be cut in two. ¡°Oi, if you keep this up, both¡± The hooded man tried to speak, but held his breath in the next instant. ¡°Aaah¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A voice came out from the end of the corridor, breaking the silence. ¡°I thought a rat got inside.¡± Step Step The footsteps started to be louder. ¡°A nightly guest?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I recall correctly, there weren¡¯t any arrangements for guests to arrive at this hour.¡± There was only one reason why the hooded man held his breath with his eyes wide open. Even though the voice and the footsteps could be heard, the presence could not be detected. ¡®I-Is there another like me?¡¯ How is it possible, when it seemed mana was not being used at all? The hooded man considered the slim chance that a great senior in his line of work was also stationed in the estate. ¡°It seemed like you came out of Lady Orelly¡¯s room.¡± The man behind the voice showed himself. He sounded rather calm and leisurely. ¡°¡­Y-You are?!¡± The moonlight from the windows revealed the man¡¯s foot, his clothes and finally his face. The hooded man¡¯s jaw dropped when he realised who it was, stretching the mask covering his face. ¡°Let¡¯s have a chat.¡± It was the same man the hooded man could not understand. ¡®Riley?¡¯ His eyes opened wide, unable to believe the scene that was unfolding in front of him. Chapter 6 - Nightly Guest (Part 2)

Chapter 6: Nightly Guest (Part 2)

Chapter 6 - Nightly Guest (Part 2) ¡®Why is Lazy Sword¡­?¡¯ The ck haired boy in front of him was the same person that he and Lady Orelly had deemed pathetic. ¡°Really? Didn¡¯t you want me to reveal myself?¡± Riley questioned the hooded man. Riley continued to walk towards him until he was but a breath away from him. ¡°What, were you frightened that much?¡± The man was armed with a dagger, but Riley remained as calm as ever. In fact, he went so far as to knock on the man¡¯s forehead with his right hand. Asking him to not just stand there, and speak. ¡®This¡­¡¯ It was hard for the man to believe this was the same person who cast away his sword after a single strike in the training ground. ¡®Is this really the same Riley?¡¯ The hooded man did not dare to make even the slightest move. He felt as if any sudden movement would result in his body being sliced into shreds. ¡°This will be boring if you don¡¯t have any reaction.¡± Riley continued in his leisurely manner while clicking his tongue. ¡°I guess it¡¯s going to be difficult to have an intelligent conversation with such an untimely guest.¡± Riley folded his arms, nced at the dagger on the man¡¯s side, then asked with a cold look. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you only once. There¡¯ll be no second chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you answer, I¡¯ll let you go.¡± He had just seen the pathetic strike Riley had made a few moments ago. And now ckmail? What a joke. Yet¡­ He could not let out augh, instead his entire body just stood motionless. ¡°What I want to know is¡­¡± His cold eyes grew narrow. Feeling his heart pounding, the hooded man swallowed his saliva. He was finally allowed to do so. ¡°¡­Why did you visit Lady Orelly¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°¡­¡± By the time the hooded man noticed it, his lips began to tremble. The calm moonlight that lit the corridor slowly began to fade away. *** Late in the evening, Iphelleta mansion library. ¡°Young master! Where are you? Young master!¡± Ian abruptly entered and looked for signs of Riley. There were traces of an incident here, causing Ian to investigate. ¡°Young master!¡± Riley, who was lying on a couch with a book on his face, groaned and turned his body. ¡°Young master, wake up!¡± ¡°Ah, what? What¡¯s it now?¡± Riley looked at Ian while rubbing his eyes drowsily. His frown looked as if asking ¡®Why did you interrupt my sweet nap?¡¯. ¡°If you want to talk about the sword again¡­¡± ¡°I will get back to thatter. But that¡¯s not important right now!¡± Riley, who was expecting endless lectures from Ian, tilted his head in questioning. ¡°What is it then?¡± ¡°A body was found in the mansion.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°A body! A corpse!¡± Riley looked at Ian as if he had gone crazy. ¡°What the hell are you on about?¡± The Riley of now was nothing like how he had been when Iris had copsed. ¡°Haaa¡­¡± His eyes had potential when he grabbed the sword, although the result was quitecking. Ian sighed as he remembered of the expectations he had before. ¡°It is a good thing I made it.¡± When Ian mumbled to himself, Riley¡¯s face turned even sourer. ¡°A better exnation please.¡± ¡°An unknown man dressed in ck was found. In front of Lady Orelly¡¯s room.¡± ¡°Huh, really?¡± Riley asked, as if unable to believe it. ¡°It seems like Count Stein has heard of Lady Iris¡¯s condition as well. Basically the entire mansion is getting turned upside down.¡± A stranger had managed to sneak into the mansion. And poison had been found in the soup. Although a body was found, it was hard to say whether there was only a single invader. The reason Ian mumbled ¡®I made it¡¯ was because he needed to ensure Riley was safe from the unknown assassins. ¡°In any case, it is dangerous for you to be alone.¡± Ian spoke with a bittersweet expression on his face. ¡°I do not believe you could win against an assassin.¡± He hoped that this might stimte Riley to take action. But¡­ ¡°Hmmm.¡± Rileyzily turned his eyes towards the book that was on his face. ¡°I guess it¡¯s got nothing to do with me then.¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°You can go, but I hope you didn¡¯t leave my mother alone by any chance?¡± ¡°Y-Young master, did you listen to what I said?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard it. But it¡¯s got nothing to do with me right?¡± Riley nodded without even turning his head to Ian. ¡°¡­¡± His manner ofposure indicated that he was not even the slightest bit concerned from what Ian had just told him. Ian couldn¡¯t keep himself from the rising anger resulting from Riley¡¯s indifferent attitude. ¡°Just what is¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, wait!¡± Ian stopped at Riley¡¯s remark. ¡°I almost forgot.¡± Riley clicked his finger then produced something from his pocket. ¡°Here, take these.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley conferred to Ian a handful of seeds which Ian had never seen before. ¡°These are¡­?¡± ¡°Use them to make some tea for mother. It should be pretty effective. Don¡¯t lose it, it¡¯s quite rare.¡± Riley rolled his shoulder then pointed to the book he was holding. The title was ¡®Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Seeds¡¯. This was all for Iris who had copsed earlier. ¡°W-When¡­?¡± ¡°Just now. I was tired from trying to find these so I tried to take a nap¡­and then you came all of a sudden. What do you think I felt like?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡± Riley went back to the couch as he ordered Ian not to disturb him again. *** ¡°We have searched every nook and cranny of this estate, even with our senses. He is the only invader.¡± The first son, Ryan, spoke while looking down on the corpse. The second son, Lloyd, followed the conversation. ¡°To invade on his own, and without a weapon as well, he must have underestimated us quite a bit.¡± Count Stein, who had been listening to his sons, scanned the area for any evidence. He thought of another possibility. ¡°On the contrary, perhaps there¡¯s another aplice within the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The body was located right in front of Lady Orelly¡¯s room, so she had no choice but put on an act of detective work. ¡®Impossible¡­¡¯ She looked pale with worry, as if asking ¡®what¡¯s going on?¡¯, but what her mind was going through was theplete opposite. The assassin she had called in secret has been killed instead, and ced in front of her room. It was no trifling matter. ¡°From the way he is dressed, he is likely a thief or someone from the Assassin Guild. Should we start from there?¡± ¡°Of course! Search the entirety of thends, starting from Iffa vige! How dare they challenge us by setting a foot into the Iphelleta mansion!¡± Count Stein grinded his teeth and swore to catch the person responsible for this. ¡®Just how did this¡­¡¯ Lady Orelly gulped in fear. While she was afraid of her temperamental husband, the worst thing was that something was missing from the body. A dagger with the guild¡¯s seal on it. The dagger which should have been on his waist had disappeared into thin air. ¡®Just¡­who?¡¯ It would have been convenient if the evidence was destroyed by the assassin himself, but there was little chance that happened considering how his corpse looked. Then who? Just who could have taken the dagger? Chapter 7 - Just Who…?

Chapter 7: Just Who...?

Morning, at Count Stein¡¯s office. ¡°So, Riley had a go with the sword?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ian reported to Stein what had happened yesterday. Yesterday, Riley had gone to the training grounds after watching his mother copse. Ian added that thezy atmosphere that usually surrounded Riley had vanished for a moment. ¡°Well he did have a go, but¡­¡± Although it was good news that thezy child disyed potential to some extent, there was an additional piece of information that would counteract the former, with room to spare. ¡°He lost interest immediately.¡± ¡°Immediately?¡± ¡°I assume he was disappointed with the power of his swing.¡± That meant that his swordsmanship was beyond pathetic. ¡°Hmm.¡± Stein who had been tapping on his desk nodded. ¡°Alright. You may leave.¡± ¡°Master, perhaps you should give¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m already having a headache with the rat that infiltrated the manor. I had already surmised that Riley would only amount to that. There is no reason to teach the swordsmanship of the Iphelleta House to someone whocks any form of motivation. I¡¯m sure my ancestors would think the same.¡± After finishing his words, Stein flicked his hand to shoo Ian away. Ian turned to leave with his head lowered ruefully. *** Riley managed to find the perfect angle to lie down on his preferred apple tree. This was the sort of angle he found only once a fortnight. If he were to move now, it would be lost for the rest of the day. Therefore, Riley would not move from where he was. ¡°I wonder if that will fall anytime soon.¡± He had been licking his lips while staring at the apple which had been dangling on the tree. For a while now, he had been waiting for it to fall on its own. Perhaps by the wind, Perhaps due to a worm, Or perhaps a bird wouldnd on it. He was waiting in anticipation for the single apple directly above his head to fall to him. Were he to stand and take it himself, he would be forced to relinquish his perfect position. ¡°Ha. Young master¡­¡± Riley, who had been counting the number of leaves around the apple, turned his attention away. The words that came from behind were equivalent to sighs of dismay. Naturally, the man who spoke those words was a dejected Ian. ¡°What¡¯s up? You seem pretty down.¡± Riley shifted his eyes to nce at Ian. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! I see! Is it raining today? Your back and knees must be aching.¡± Ian began to give Riley a re. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± Riley scratched his head and looked up at the sky. The sky was blue, with not a cloud in sight. ¡°Was I wrong?¡± ¡°Young master!¡± Ian suddenly shouted at Riley. ¡°Geez, you surprised me¡­¡± Riley almost flinched out of his perfect position. ¡°Will you really give up after that?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± Riley replied as if asking what the problem was. Ian continued speaking with his hands curled into fists. ¡°I will give you praise for finding those seeds for Lady Iris; she has recovered considerably thanks to them!¡± Of course. They were no ordinary seeds. Riley had ced special enchantment on the seeds. ¡°But, to give up after only one swing! That¡¯s¡­ That¡¯s¡­!¡± Ian¡¯s words began to falter. As the first man to have had seen Riley¡¯s potential, he was also the one to be the most devastated by hisck of motivation. He wondered if his lifespan had shortened from watching so much potential wither away. Or perhaps it had given him cancer. ¡°Well, if I can¡¯t win with a sword, I¡¯ll just be a mage. I like reading better anyway.¡± At least cancer could be cured, with some luck. Ian screamed in frustration. ¡°What, you think bing a mage is¡­¡± Is that easy?! Just when he was about to ask, Riley turned his gaze elsewhere. It was directed above him, between the leaves of the apple tree. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°An apple.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I thought if I became a mage, I could take that apple without standing¡­¡± ¡°Young master!!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley shut his mouth. Overwhelmed by Ian, Riley muttered after building up his courage. ¡°¡­Your shouting is hurting my ears.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject. This time, I¡¯ll surely change your¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Wait Ian! Look, over there! Is that the glint of a de?¡± ¡°What are you on¡­¡± Ian told himself that he would call Lady Iris as reinforcements if Riley was misleading him again, and then he looked up. ¡°Hm?¡± But what was this? Just as Riley had said, a de could be seen within the leaves. It was not a long sword or a double edged sword like the ones used in the House. It was a dagger. One without a sheath. ¡®A dagger?¡¯ Ian was quite interested by the peculiar purple grip it had, and jumped toward it. As hended on the branches, he carefully took the dagger out from the tree. ¡®It seems familiar.¡¯ It was a dagger with a crescent-shaped de. Ian widened his eyes in realization. ¡®Wait¡­ Is this¡­?¡¯ The shape of the de would fit perfectly in the sheath that was currently in Stein¡¯s office. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on? Show me as well.¡± Riley did not want to move, but he was curious, too. Therefore, he took the option of ordering Ian. Ian dropped next to Riley and handed the dagger to him. ¡°I believe this belonged to the dead man we found yesterday.¡± ¡°Huh? How do you know?¡± ¡°The shape is identical to the sheath he had. We should be able to find out soon.¡± Ian took the dagger back from Riley. ¡°Then I shall go to see Master Stein.¡± ¡°Huh? Alright then.¡± Riley nodded in agreement as Ian spoke with a serious face. He got to skip out on all the nagging, and there was nothing he was missing out on. ¡°¡­¡± As Ian left in a hurry, Riley began to tap the tree with his foot. ¡°Well then.¡± Riley talked to himself. Although his eyes still looked aszy as ever, the atmosphere around him changedpletely. ¡°How are they going to react?¡± Riley closed his eyes and spread his senses far and wide across the mansion, keeping his own presence concealed. *** ¡°Number 3 is dead?¡± ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Inside a dark room. The candle suspended from the ceiling burned faintly. This was the hideout from which the hooded man originated. ¡°How did he die?¡± A man who was dressed differently from the other hooded men asked for a report. As expected of an experienced assassin, the reply came in a dry manner. ¡°We have no idea.¡± It would mean that death of No.3 was not a suicide. ¡°And the body?¡± He bit his lip and asked another question. ¡°It is being held in the Iphelleta House.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± The situation was bad. It had happened in the famous Iphelleta House. If any evidence was found from the body, not just the hideout but the lives of everyone in that room would be in danger. ¡°Orelly¡¯s in a bad position.¡± He scratched his beard as he thought about his daughter. ¡°What will you do?¡± As the hooded man asked, the man stood up from his chair. ¡°I will go.¡± ¡°Directly?¡± ¡°Well, we mustn¡¯t be found out. We leave this evening. Make preparations for a stealth mission.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± The hooded man bowed and disappeared. ¡°Well then.¡± Standing alone in the room, the man grabbed a mask from the table, and ced it in his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since Ist paid a visit to my son-inw.¡± Chapter 8 - Just who…? (Part 2)

Chapter 8: Just who¡­? (Part 2)

It was a dire situation. News had just arrived, mentioning that the butler Ian had shown the dagger to Count Stein. It was originally thought that the issue of assassin¡¯s dagger had been taken care of, as it was nowhere to be found on the body. But, that was clearly not the case. ¡®The job must bepleted¡­by today at the verytest, just to be safe.¡¯ Lady Orelly, firstdy of Iphelleta House. Though it was not known to the world, her father was the head the Assassin Guild in secret. If one were to mention the problem at hand¡­then it would be the fact that the Iphelleta House despised such people, and Orelly was now at risk of having her family¡¯s secret exposed. What if this information were to be found out? Then, the situation would get ugly. The marriage between Orelly and Stein was purely for business purposes. ¡®If¡­ If they find out the poison for Iris was from me¡­¡¯ Orelly gulped audibly. If word of this got out, then her fragile rtionship maintained by her two sons would shatterpletely. She did not want to lose the man, Stein. Definitely not to his concubine. That was what she was most afraid of, rather than her secret being exposed. ¡°¡­ther?¡± ¡®No, that cannot happen.¡¯ ¡°Mother!¡± The second son of the House, Lloyd, was shaking her shoulders. ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°We were talking about Riley. Are you alright, Mother?¡± There was worry shown on his face. Perhaps it was due to his mother not looking too well. ¡°No, no. I am doing fine.¡± ¡°You seem quite sick.¡± ¡°It might be due tock of sleep. What happened yesterday, was simply too much for me.¡± Orelly lied as if she weren¡¯t aware of what was going on. She hadn¡¯t revealed even to her sons that the body in front of her room was rted to her. ¡°Even in death, he brings such harm to us. Of all ces, to die in front of your room.¡± Lloyd grumbled. ¡°Have some rest, Mother. I will stay by your side.¡± How could she tell him that she is the daughter of a cruel assassin? Impossible. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need. I¡¯m more interested in our previous conversation. It was about Riley right?¡± Orelly smiled back at her worried son. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Lloyd nodded. ¡°Apparently, Riley had a go with a sword yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, Riley did?¡± ¡°It was before the body was found.¡± Lloyd scratched the back of his head. ¡°Well¡­ It was probably because of the poisoning that happened to Lady Iris. That seemed to be the reason. I guess thezy child became quite enraged that time. Haha.¡± ¡°So? How was it?¡± The edges of Orelly¡¯s eyes twitched, albeit faintly. She was already well aware of the story, told to her yesterday by the hooded man. But, hearing it from her son had a different feel to it. ¡°¡­It was abysmal.¡± This time, she had a faint smile on her lips. ¡°Oh, is that so?¡± This was it. The proof that she was superior to the concubine Iris, that she should be the one who received the most love. Iris¡¯s son was a pathetic, useless plebeian, while Orelly¡¯s sons were both able swordsmen. This alone was enough to prove her presence in the House. ¡°Hoho, that¡¯s how it is.¡± Orelly¡¯s eyes turned towards the windows. Outside, she could see Riley sleeping on the apple tree in the garden. It was as if the thought of learning swordsmanship was out of question. *** Late afternoon in Iffa vige. For some reason, there were multiple carriages lined up within the vige. They all looked quite luxurious. ¡°What is it? Why is the ¡®Mythril Carriage¡¯ of the Tes Trade Guild here in the vige?¡± A viger asked, pointing towards the shiniest of all the carriages. ¡°Who knows?¡± ¡°Did they find a gold mine nearby?¡± ¡°As if it¡¯s a gold mine. If they actually did find one, I¡¯ll give you my wife.¡± ¡°Howe the bet seems favourable to you?¡± It didn¡¯t seem like any of the vigers knew the reason. All of them had curious looks. It was one of the biggest trade guilds on the continent. The fact that the personal carriage of the guild¡¯s head was here was a big deal for the vigers. ¡°Um¡­it¡¯s just a rumour, but it concerns the wife of the Iphelleta House.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Remembering a rumour, some of the vigers began whispering among themselves, with their hands covering their mouths. ¡°What was her name, the first wife¡­ Ah! Lady Orelly. Apparently, she is the guild head¡¯s daughter.¡± ¡°What? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard of this!¡± ¡°Hey, think about it. Why would Count Stein agree to wear a ring for the not-so-pretty Lady Orelly? He would seem to be on the losing end, no?¡± The viger who had been talking about Lady Orelly used his hands to create a round shape with his thumb and index finger. ¡°This must have been going back and forth.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± The vigers made sounds of shock when they heard those words. As they did, the members of the trade guild turned their heads toward the vigers. ¡°Shh, watch your mouths¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even when they were quiet, they could still hear them? With the Tes traders ring at them, the vigers quickly left the area with their mouths covered. ¡°Then, why is the Mythril Carriage all the way over here?¡± ¡°Well? Maybe he wants to see his daughter?¡± The two vigers continued to gossip as soon as they left the sight of the traders. ¡°Then he could just go straight to the mansion. Why stop at the vige? It wouldn¡¯t even take 30 minutes to go by the carriage.¡± ¡°Iphelleta is quite the difficult House to meet you know. Even the highest nobles would need to arrange a time to meet them.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°They probably sent a messenger to the mansion to warn them in advance while they stop the carriage here.¡± The two vigers who had been talking about Orelly and the Iphelleta House could not sense the bloodthirsty looks which were directed at them. *** ¡°That dream again¡­¡± Riley sighed as he woke up from his long nap, that hadsted up until the sunset. ¡°¡­Haaa.¡± He was in a bad mood. There were three reasons for this. First, his ¡®perfect angle¡¯ was lost. Second, it was that ¡®dream of his previous life¡¯. Third¡­ He could hear unfamiliar voices in his head. It was the reason why he woke up. ¡°Tsk¡­ It¡¯s not what I wanted.¡± Riley mumbled with a frown. What he expected was that the dagger Ian had shown to Stein would act as a significant piece of evidence, which would prevent the culprits from taking further action in the mansion. Basically it was to prevent any more incidents from happening, but it didn¡¯t seem to work as he nned. ¡°Well, it was a 50/50 chance anyway.¡± Riley stood up and patted off the dust that was on his pants. Mental Message (Jeone Um) It was a skill that allowed the caster to intercept conversations between people. He could listen in on whatever he wanted to hear. These words that were tickling Riley¡¯s ears could only be transmitted by those who can control mana, like a messenger. Only one voice could be heard. Most likely the leader of the mansion¡¯s invaders. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Riley clicked his tongue again. It seemed that the leader was quite familiar with the Iphelleta House. <¡­Wait, before that.> Just before their mission started, Riley joined in. Using Mental Message, a skill that required using significant amount of mana. <¡­?!> Silence fell. Only the shaking of the leaves could be heard in the air. Even as Riley was thinking about what to say, the other was not sending any messages back. Most likely being on guard, realizing that all his messages were being intercepted. <¡­> There was no reply, but the mental message was definitely sent. There was a change in the atmosphere after Riley¡¯s warning. Riley stepped forward as he continued. He walked towards Iris¡¯s room. Although Riley wasn¡¯t sure if they knew what he meant by personal space, he meant to convey that they should simply respect each other and just move on. Chapter 9 - Tampering with evidence

Chapter 9: Tampering with evidence

The hooded men who snuck into the Iphelleta House. None of them could move a muscle any longer, this was due to the mysterious stranger who just spoke to them. ¡®Just then¡­¡¯ It was more than enough to shock them when the stranger managed to detect, listen in and intercept their mental messages. ¡®How¡­¡¯ Not to mention he had managed to send the message to every single one, who were all hidden meticulously. It was understandable that all of them were stunned. ¡®¡­And where?¡¯ The leader of the hooded men, Tes quickly turned his eyes around. No matter where he looked, he couldn¡¯t find the mental message¡¯s point of origin. Which meant there was a clear difference in ability between them and the stranger. ¡®The Iphelleta House had someone who could hide his presence this well?¡¯ As far as Tes knew, the Iphelleta House did not consider assassins as equals. In fact, the House was a congregation of people who despised and wouldn¡¯t hesitate to get rid of them if they ever saw one. ¡®It¡¯s as if¡­¡¯ Tes gulped nervously. Considering the skill of the Mental Message, the stranger was at least as skilled and powerful as himself. It was not easy to remove such a powerful presence. But¡­he couldn¡¯t sense him at all. ¡®I¡¯m seeing a ghost¡­¡¯ Presence, or mana. Or anything else. Along with such power, there are distinct features which get left behind. They can be used to distinguish them immediately from the rest. But even those features could not be found, as if it really was a ghost. This was a feat only the most skilled assassins could aplish. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Underneath the mask, Tes frowned. He did not like it. The situation he was in. The fact that his daughter was cornered, that he flinched because of some random stranger. ¡®I don¡¯t know who¡¯s joke this is, but there must be something holding him back if he decides to hide like this.¡¯ Otherwise there is no reason for him to remain in the shadows. If he wanted to continue threatening them, he should¡¯ve kept sending that killing intent at them. That¡¯s what Tes believed. ¡®Don¡¯t¡­annoy me?¡¯ Tes clutched his dagger as he remembered those words. He had no intention of annoying him. In fact, he hated such situations. All he needed was his colleague¡¯s body and the dagger. Quietly. Then, all their business in the House would be done. He hade all the way here to help his troubled daughter. They had to move now, otherwise the mission would be impossible toplete before they even began. The warning from the previous mental message hadn¡¯t repeated since then. There was no time to waste. Tes jumped out of the bush he was hiding in. As he slipped into the mansion like the wind, his subordinates gained heart and followed behind him. The hooded figures began slipping into nooks and crannies of the mansion like rats. Tes ordered using Mental Message. Bang! As soon as his second order was given, an explosion urred somewhere in the mansion. It seemed the fight had already begun. *** ¡°You sons of b*tches!¡± The old man shouted. He was wearing butler¡¯s clothes and held a straight sword in one hand. It was a normal sword, but it was made of good steel and boasted superior hardness. The old man swung his de. ¡°Uuuck!¡± ¡°Kuuck!¡± How could a man well into his 50s have so much strength? With but a single strike two hooded men were knocked back. ¡°Where do you think this is!¡± The old man swung at them once more. The de suddenly glowed blue and showed its power despite the gap between them. ¡°¡­!¡± The aura de. The blue light was shot from the de and cut through the hooded men along with their daggers. ¡°Hm! Were they just grunts?¡± The old man shook his arm and turned around. ¡°Ian-nim!¡± ¡°Sera!¡± Sera. She was one of the maids serving in the mansion. It seemed the chat of reunion will be cut short, as the sword she held also had blood on it. ¡°I will take care of Lady Iris¡¯s room. Ian-nim should go protect young master!¡± It meant to find and bring Riley back from the garden. Ian understood and nodded in agreement. He moved immediately. ¡°Alright, don¡¯t push yourself! I¡¯ll be right back!¡± It would only take 10 seconds for Ian to reach the gardens from Lady Iris¡¯s room. If there weren¡¯t any obstacles. ¡®Young master, please¡­¡¯ Riley would often y ¡®hide and seek¡¯ in times of danger. Ian ran through the corridor. Praying that Riley would once again show that ability and get himself to safety. ¡®Please be safe!¡¯ 1 second¡­ 5 seconds¡­ 7 seconds in, Ian met with an obstacle. ¡°Tsk!¡± Ian¡¯s facial expression crumbled. From his presence, one could tell this was not your run-of-the-mill fighter. It would likely take some time. Time that could determine Riley¡¯s life or death at any moment. This wasn¡¯t what Ian wanted. ¡°I do not like to run my mouth too much, but I¡¯ll let you live if you leave now.¡± Ian threatened the hooded man. His sword glowing blue with killing intent. ¡°¡­¡± Even so, the hooded man stayed silent. He simply tucked his chin, and pulled his dagger. He didn¡¯t know Ian¡¯s intention, but he wasn¡¯t letting him pass. ¡°You bastard.¡± Judging by the reaction of his eyes, the hooded man was not deaf. Ian ground his teeth in anger as the man ignored his warning. ¡°I have no time¡­¡± Ian stopped mid sentence and charged toward the man, and the sword and dagger met. Bang! Sparks flew and Ian¡¯s arm engaged with the hooded man¡¯s. ¡°¡­to y with you!¡± Ian shouted as he twisted his body. Just when some distance was made between them, Ian¡¯s and the hooded man¡¯s weapons swung at different angles. Aiming for each other¡¯s lives. ¡®Ku?¡¯ Was it due to the fact that the two des imbued with mana shed? The two mana des¡¯ trajectories faded slowly. Afterwards, Ian¡¯s shoes could be heard sliding on the carpet. ¡°Fuck!¡± Ian swore as he was pushed back. The match was a draw. In strength, of all things. ¡®What power from such an old man¡­¡¯ The same was the case for the hooded man. He was just as surprised as Ian. As one of the 5 strongest people in the guild, he didn¡¯t expect to be pushed back like this. Thankfully the mask was hiding his emotions right now. ¡°Move you lil¡¯ b*tch!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian had been watching his tongue since he began working as a butler, but his habit from his mercenary days was starting to show. ¡°Move it¡­no move your mute ass out of here! Just fuck off!¡± At this point he was swearing like in the old days. His face turned red like the face of a demon. That¡¯s how desperate he was. Any more time wasted, and there was no telling what might happen to Riley. ¡®I can¡¯t¡­let this man pass.¡¯ The hooded man cracked his wrist which was still shaking from the strike before, and fixed his stance. He believed this old man was nothing short of extraordinary. ¡®That asshole¡­¡¯ Ian tucked his chin in. If he could kill a man by ring, the hooded man would¡¯ve died a hundred times over. Sadly, he didn¡¯t have such powers. The hooded man was quite the adversary. ¡®Young master! Wait for me¡­just hold on a little longer!¡¯ Ian ground his teeth. ¡®These old bones wille and get you.¡¯ Chapter 10 - Tampering with evidence (Part 2)

Chapter 10: Tampering with evidence (Part 2)

How many minutes had passed? 1 minute? 3 minutes? Perhaps even 10 minutes had passed. Yet the duel didn¡¯t seem anywhere close to concluding. ¡®Damn it, damn it, damn it!¡¯ Veins began to show on Ian¡¯s forehead, along with a film of sweat covering his whole face. His old body had reached its physical limit from the prolonged, intensebat. ¡®I can¡¯t waste any more time!¡¯ It was for Riley¡¯s safety. And considering his condition, allowing the fight to drag on any longer would be dangerous. ¡®The next strike¡­ I¡¯ll finish it with the next strike.¡¯ Ian tightened his grip on his sword. He was preparing himself for a perilous gamble. If he lost, his life might be at risk, but there was no other choice. ¡®No risk, no reward!¡¯ Ian focused his gaze and dashed forward with a different stance than before. The hooded man noticed Ian¡¯s desperation, and reacted without any hesitation. ¡°Kuuk?!¡± In the end, Ian¡¯s decision turned out to be a mistake. The enemy had already anticipated that move. Ian¡¯s sword parted the empty air, and the hooded man managed to slip through his defenses and attack from behind. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Would this be where his life ended? Ian¡¯s sweat dripped in the air. At that moment, Ian felt as if the world had stopped. Perhaps it was a shback? Ian¡¯s brain acknowledged his uing demise and began to show his past. The days working as a mercenary¡­ Retiring and working in the Iphelleta House¡­ Meeting Riley. It was a life rife with danger and excitement. ¡®Young master, forgive me¡­¡¯ Ian apologised, for he would die before fulfilling his duty to Riley. Ian had given up on his life. ¡®¡­!¡¯ Woosh! A dagger flew from an unknown corner and drove itself into the hooded man¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Kuk?!¡± The hooded man was startled. That dagger just now belonged to hisrade. Was there a traitor? ¡­Then who? Even before that¡­ How could a third party who could neither be seen nor detected manage to hit him with a dagger? That was something even his superior could not do. ¡®¡­An opening!¡¯ Ian did not miss the brief moment, and his eyes glinted with hope. The deciding factor between a winner and a loser was paper-thin difference when it came to a duel between two masters. That moment changed the flow ofbat. ¡°¡­Uck!¡± Instantly. Ian¡¯s sword sliced the hooded man¡¯s neck. The hooded man clutched his throat. Blood spilled between his fingers, and he fell on his knees. Then his chest mmed onto the ground lifeless. ¡°Huck, Hoo, Hoo¡­¡± Ian, who had just escaped certain death began to rein in his wild breathing. He wasn¡¯t sure what had just urred, but all that mattered was the objective that remained. He had no time right now to think about the duel that had just taken ce. ¡°¡­Young master!¡± Ian ran through the corridor, driven by his worry for hiszy master. *** Hhmmmm¡­ A murmur could be heard from the corridor. Riley was the one who made the uttering. ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡± Riley looked down at his hand, with which he had just thrown something with full strength. The result wasn¡¯t what he had expected. ¡°Why did it miss?¡± A knife throw. That is what it would be called in normal circumstances, but what Riley had just performed was nothing short of a miracle. ¡°I was going for his heart¡­¡± Riley¡¯s de throw had ricocheted from the wall¡­ ¡­Twice. He had calcted the angle for the throw so only the handle would hit the wall. After that, it had indeednded on his target, but not where he had wanted it. This was why Riley was not satisfied with the result. ¡°I guess that¡¯s to be expected?¡± The knife throw was his most used skill back in his previous life. Although blessed with the sword, hecked talent for any skills with range such as archery or magic. Therefore, this was one of hispromises to deal with such a disadvantage. ¡°This body is different from before, and quite a lot of time has passed.¡± Riley stretched his hands open and closed as he spoke to himself. If an average person had heard it, they would lose consciousness on the spot. There was a possibility of ¡®friendly fire¡¯ if he were to miss, not even to mention the distance between him and the target. Yet, Riley was confident. That he would never hit Ian who was inbat, and that it would only hit the hooded man. That was backed up by skill and experience equivalent to his confidence. Although it was all gained in his previous life. ¡°Well, it was a dagger as well.¡± Riley gazed under him. The previous owner of the dagger and hispanions were all on the ground with their mouths agape. They were all dead. ¡®Woops, too many useless thoughts.¡¯ Riley rubbed his shoes on the carpet to remove the blood stains from them, realizing that Ian may enter at any moment if he were to stay idle. It was to get rid of the proof. If anyone from the mansion were to see Riley standing atop the corpses of assassins, or find any proof of his corresponding actions, his leisurely life would end at that moment. That¡¯s not what Riley wanted. ¡°Ahem, ahem!¡± Riley cleared his throat to clear the atmosphere and quickly left the area. *** ¡°¡­Hm? Ian?¡± ¡°Y-Young master!¡± At this moment, Ian remembered why the word ¡®reassurance¡¯ existed. It was all thanks to the boy who was rounding the corner. How thankful he was to meet the master who had irritated him so much before. ¡°What¡¯s going on? You¡¯re sweating quite a bit.¡± ¡°Young master¡­¡± ¡°What? Did you go for a run?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Riley asked with a smirk and Ian shook his head with tears in his eyes. Riley tilted his head in reaction to the old man¡¯s face of salvation. It were as if he didn¡¯t know anything. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Where have you been? Weren¡¯t you at the gardens before?¡± ¡°Hm? Ah, about that¡­¡± Riley flinched at the unexpected question, but Ian showed no signs of noticing it. ¡°I was in the bathroom, but why? Is something happening?¡± Riley asked as if worried about the sweat-covered Ian. Ian answered with a serious look on his face. ¡°The assassins have invaded the mansion.¡± ¡°Assassins?¡± As Riley acted surprised, Ian nodded his head. ¡°Yes. It must be about that incident before.¡± It concerned that situation that had taken ce previously. The discovery of the body of an assassin must have been the reason they hade to the mansion. ¡°The situation now is different from before. This time, staying alone is really dangerous.¡± ¡°This is¡­not a joke?¡± ¡°I am dead serious.¡± Riley started to look around the area as if unable to believe it. The mansion seemed too quiet, but there were asional sword shes that could be heard from afar. It was the proof that Ian was speaking the truth. ¡°What in god¡¯s name is happening¡­¡± As Riley swallowed his spit, he quickly turned his head and asked Ian. ¡°Ian, what about Mother? Is she alright?¡± That was the first thing he was worried about. The rumor about hisziness might have been widespread, but his love for his mother was second to none. Ian¡¯s face rxed at the boy¡¯s concern. ¡°Sera is defending her. It should be alright, since she¡¯s quite the energetic one.¡± ¡°Is that so? Ha, that¡¯s good.¡± Riley made a sigh of relief. ¡°We should reconvene with Sera now.¡± Ian spoke after observing the corridors. The bloodthirst in the mansion was getting thicker. It was likely that Stein had finally enteredbat. Both Ryan and Lloyd must had been making use of their des as well. ¡°Right now, we are the most vulnerable party in the entire mansion.¡± Riley was the weakest within the Iphelleta House. But! That¡¯s why he had to be protected. To protect the seed that had not yet sprouted. One that he would watch the moment it bloomed with both his eyes. As Ian steadied his resolve, he looked kindly towards Riley. ¡°I¡¯ll take the lead. Make sure you stay right behind me, since we don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen.¡± ¡°Ian, wait.¡± As Ian was about to move with his sword unsheathed, Riley raised his hand to stop him. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­ I saw something weird in the toilet.¡± ¡°Something weird?¡± ¡°Maybe, it¡¯s connected to the invaders in the mansion.¡± Ian turned curious after hearing those words from the boy. Ian had looked after Riley since he was an infant. Maybe he was pointing to something special, just like his previous ¡®hide and seek.¡¯ That thought crossed his mind. ¡°I brought it with me just in case.¡± Riley¡¯s hand moved to his right pocket. Just what had the boy discovered? As Ian tried to specte what it could be, the object was revealed. ¡°¡­Young master, that is¡­?¡± Ian¡¯s brows furrowed afterying his sights on the object in question. Chapter 11 - Popcorn

Chapter 11: Popcorn

That what Riley had found¡­ They were pieces of ripped paper which had been put together. Ian looked dumbfounded at the paper, and spoke, ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Riley answered seriously. ¡°¡­Why are you presenting me used toilet paper?¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley held tightly onto the paper as his eyebrows furrowed for a moment. His aggrieved face looked as if there was a misunderstanding. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it!¡± ¡®Who does he think I am?¡¯ In order to clear the misunderstanding, Riley sent a sharp re as he stretched his clenched fist forward. As Riley moved his chin about, Ian put his hand forward with his lips shriveled. Riley opened his hand and its contents fell onto Ian¡¯s. ¡°Check it.¡± Ian, who had been examining the paper observantly, carefully opened it. Thankfully, no brown stains could be found on it. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Ian made a sigh of relief, Riley¡¯s eyes squinted once more. ¡°Hm?¡± Ian¡¯s eyes looked closely at the paper, and found something. There were some words written on the paper. But what¡¯s this? The handwriting was quite familiar to Ian. ¡°This handwriting¡­?¡± ¡°Can you tell?¡± As the paper was ripped, there was no way to figure out everything that was written on the original, but it did contain a certain ¡®ingredient¡¯. ¡®No, impossible.¡¯ This familiar handwriting¡­ Coupled with the ingredient which was most likely put into the soup recently. Only one person came into mind from taking these two facts into ount. *** If you were to grab any bystander, and ask who was the strongestbatant in the Iphelleta House, nine out of ten people would say it was the master of the house, Count Stein. ¡°I¡¯ve got to admit, you¡¯re a sly rat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, a lone hooded man couldst against him for quite a long time. Naturally, it was Tes. He was the chief of all the invading hooded men. Whenever Stein¡¯s mana de was discharged, he would dodge it by a hair¡¯s breadth and simply harass him back from a distance. ¡®As expected of my son-inw.¡¯ If this were a close-quartersbat situation, Tes would most definitely lose. ¡®There¡¯s no way I can beat my son-inw.¡¯ It was obvious who the winner was in terms of skill, but Tes¡¯s objective was not Stein¡¯s head. Were he seriously trying to take Stein¡¯s life, he would much rather ambush him or poison his food rather than brazenly fight him out in the open¡­ Taking such a differing approach was the assassin¡¯s way, and much more effective. His objective now was simply to buy time. While his subordinates retrieved theirrade¡¯s corpse located somewhere in the mansion, he would keep the strongest swordsman, Count Stein, at bay. ¡®We¡¯ve got the dagger. Now we just wait for them to retrieve the body.¡¯ Tes spun his wrist around to ease the ache as he created distance from Stein¡¯s powerful lunge. If things were ording to his expectations, he just had to withstand this for another two minutes and he would win objectively. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Stein clicked his tongue at the hooded man¡¯s agile evasive maneuvers. He figured out what his opponent was aiming for. ¡°Are you trying to buy time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Tes did not reply. As he hadn¡¯t changed his voice, he might be found out if he were to reply. As the master of the Tes Trade Guild, he had seen him once when he was younger. His daughter¡¯s wedding had been their second meeting. Although he had only seen him twice in his life, Stein would most likely remember his voice. He had to be careful because he was still his father-inw. Right now he wasn¡¯t acting as the master of the Tes Trade Guild, but as the chief of the Assassin Guild. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve been underestimated.¡± The situation didn¡¯t seem like it was getting any better. Stein¡¯s sword simply could not touch his opponent. Stein spoke with his brows furrowed, as if irritated. ¡°I can tell that youck the skills to kill me. A pathetic man who is skilled only in fleeing.¡± Therefore, Stein changed his mind. His objective went from the man¡¯s capture, to his death. ¡®Sheet.¡¯ Tes felt cold sweat dripping from his face as he realised the situation had suddenly changed for the worse, and put all his nerves on high alert. A moment of carelessness would be the end of him. ¡®One bad move and I might actually die now.¡¯ ¡®Although it won¡¯t be long, let¡¯s buy some more time.¡¯ As Tes made such a decision, he was about to use the smoke screen device hanging on his waist when¡­ ¡°Hm?¡± Tes flinched as he heard the anxious footstepsing from behind the door. None of his subordinates would make such noise. That meant that the owner of those footsteps would be¡­ ¡°¡­Master!¡± Bang! The man who came barging through the door was an old man in the garbs of a butler. His face was covered in sweat, as if he came while hurrying. ¡°Ian?¡± Why was Ian here, when Stein thought he was protecting Riley at his side? As Stein was getting worried his eyes nced behind Ian. There was another familiar face apanying him. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Ian wasn¡¯t the only person who came to Stein¡¯s office. Although it didn¡¯t seem intended, there was one more visitor. ¡°Ian? W-What are you doing?¡± Wearing a dress, her pride on full disy. Her orange hair was tied to the back. Lady Orelly was the second visitor. It seemed as though she was forced toe, as she tried to escape Ian¡¯s grasp. She seemed desperate to run away from here, unable to hide her look of inconvenience. ¡°Master, Lady Orelly¡­ Lady Orelly!¡± Stein took a glimpse at the hooded man after hearing those words, then put his sword down. As if even more surprised than him, the hooded man stood there like stone, losing all will to fight. *** ¡°Riley! Are you okay? You¡¯re not hurt are you?¡± ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Dear lord, what a disaster this is¡­¡± Aftering to Iris¡¯s room, Riley sent Ian to Lady Orelly, and proceeded to hug his mother to prove his well-being. Currently, the maid Sera was watching pleasantly at the reunion from the sidelines as she guarded them. Thankfully, no assassins came to this room. ¡°Uh, Sera.¡± Riley slowly turned his head towards Sera after the hug. ¡°Yes, young master?¡± Sera quickly came back to reality and bowed her head. Although she had thought that Riley looked entertained for a moment, she quickly dismissed the thought. ¡°Do you have any popcorn?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Popcorn.¡± ¡°Pop¡­corn?¡± Popcorn? Sera tilted her head, unable to understand the question. ¡®¡­Ah, do they not have any of that here?¡¯ Riley scratched his head realising his mistake, when Iris asked, ¡°Riley, what is popcorn?¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s¡­¡± Realising that the snack he had enjoyed back in his previous life wasn¡¯t here, he thought of how to avoid the question then gave up and began to exin. ¡°It¡¯s something like a snack¡­ You make it with some corn and butter.¡± ¡°A snack?¡± A snack when assassins had invaded the mansion? There was a limit to being so carefree. Sera made an empty look as her shoulders drooped. ¡®What I heard from Ian-nim was just the tip of the iceberg.¡¯ Sera who had heardint afterint from Ian, finally felt as if she could understand his feelings a little and made a bitter smile. ¡°Riley¡­ A snack isn¡¯t bad but, do you have to eat it now?¡± Even Iris who would always reply with a smile to anything rted with Riley, didn¡¯t seem like she would let this one go. Therefore, her face turned serious as she prepared to scold her son. ¡°Huh¡­¡± As Sera¡¯s and Iris¡¯s eyes turned toward him, Riley finally showed some sign of worry and quickly made some excuse. ¡°But, there¡¯s going to be some entertainment soon¡­ I¡¯d like to eat something with it¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± Unable to hear the small voice, Sera and Iris asked for him to repeat himself. Riley smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll think about what I¡¯ve done. I¡¯m sorry, Sera. Bothering you like this.¡± With a quick apology from Riley, Iris who was ready to scold him and Sera who was confused looked at each other. ¡°But, Sera¡­ There¡¯s some corn in the kitchen right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera¡¯s jaw dropped. She could finally understand. A little¡­no, a lot. She could finally understand Ian¡¯s feeling. Chapter 12 - Popcorn (Part 2)

Chapter 12: Popcorn (Part 2)

¡°Ah, he¡¯s here.¡± How many minutes had passed? Ian dragged his exhausted body back to Iris¡¯s bedroom. Riley, who had been sitting in a leisurely manner until now, stood up to greet him, as if he had been waiting for a while. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley asked Ian who looked as if he could not believe what had happened. As if he was out of his mind, Ian could not muster a reply. Both Iris and Sera, who did not know what the boy was asking about, could only tilt their heads with puzzled looks on their faces. ¡°Ian-nim, where have you been? You left so quickly after returning with young master.¡± ¡°Ian, are you alright? You don¡¯t look too well.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± How should he exin? Ian continued to open and close his mouth repeatedly, until he finally managed to make a sound. ¡°¡­It was Lady Orelly.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was all Lady Orelly¡¯s doing.¡± Ian covered his frowning face with his hands and continued to exin. He did so while mentioning to himself that he simply could not believe what he had just seen. ¡°The ¡®poison¡¯ which was put inside Lady Iris¡¯s soup¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± There was only one conclusion one could arrive at after hearing this and the words that were cut off from before. Lady Orelly¡­she was the one who had poisoned Lady Iris¡¯s dinner! ¡°¡­¡± Ian, who had said those words. Iris, who had heard those words. Both stood as silent as statues. This was a matter that would turn the mansion upside down. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be, right?¡± ¡°Lady Iris¡­¡± ¡°Ian, surely¡­Lady Orelly would never.¡± Iris who was tucked in her bed firmly held onto the edge of the nket. Even if she had often received scoldings from Lady Orelly, as a woman who shared the same husband, Iris believed she would be thest person to be responsible for it, and thus she pressured Ian once more. ¡°Mother, it¡¯s alright.¡± Riley held onto his mother¡¯s shoulder. She calmed down, stopped questioning Ian and bit her lip. ¡°Ian.¡± Riley called his butler. ¡°¡­¡± Ian nodded with his jaws clenched at the call of his master. The serious face he was making was to show nothing he had said was false. ¡°Impossible.¡± Iris¡¯s shoulders drooped at the shocking news. At the same time, Sera¡¯s jaw dropped. Lady Orelly¡¯s jealousy and hatred toward Lady Iris was something all the maids in the mansion knew¡­but they never expected that it was significant enough to attempt an assassination. ¡°What about Father?¡± Riley asked Ian with a calm attitude, as if he had expected it. Since he was the first one to find out the truth himself. ¡°He is currently holding a discussion.¡± Ian replied in weary voice. It had been a long time since he hadst fought. And with such shocking news on top, even the most experienced swordsman would be tired both physically and mentally. ¡°It was the paper. Master Riley found certain pieces of paper in the mansion and¡­¡± Ian leaned onto the door and continued speaking. It all started with the scraps of paper Riley had ¡®found¡¯. ¡°The handwriting on the paper was Lady Orelly¡¯s. So, after reading it¡­¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°¡­The letter made a request for poison which could be used against Lady Iris. And¡­¡± ¡°Wait, Ian-nim.¡± Sera cut Ian¡¯s words. The cold sweat appearing on her face showed just how nervous she was. She could guess. What woulde after that was something much worse than mere poison. That was her expectation. ¡°¡­It¡¯s a lie, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian fell silent. *** The atmosphere in this ce was as chilly as a wintry night. ¡°Why?¡± Stein asked after looking nkly at the paper in his hand. Orelly could not answer. ¡°Why did you poison Iris¡¯s soup?¡± Count Stein asked once more, his tone condemning. The question was not directed to Orelly this time, but rather to the hooded man. ¡°¡­¡± The second question was also met with silence. Although the hooded man¡¯s face was still hidden, considering both he and Orelly were standing close together they seemed to be on friendly terms with each other. ¡°I don¡¯t think there would be any reason for such an action.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As there was no answer, Orelly clenched her fists. She seemed furious. ¡°¡­Orelly.¡± Finally, the hooded man spoke, with a voice fraught with worry. Stein scowled as the voice seemed familiar. ¡°This voice¡­ You¡¯re¡­!¡± Realising his cover was blown, the hooded man raised his hands. The ck cloth covering his face fell back slowly. A face which Stein knew all too well appeared. The man who was the master of Tes Trade Guild, and his father-inw. ¡°Father¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stein¡¯s face that had been regaining calmness twisted once more. He felt betrayed. By the famous Tes Trade Guild¡­ By his family¡­ ¡°Hah¡­¡± That they were intimately close with the much-despised Assassin Guild¡­ That he was not aware of those facts¡­ ¡°I feel like a fool.¡± ¡°A¡­fool¡­?¡± A wavering voice replied after the word fool. Orelly who had been silent until now opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m the one who feels like a fool, me!¡± Stein¡¯s cold stare turned to Orelly. Orelly slowly raised her head with tears in her eyes and looked back at Stein. Her face disyed an aggrieved emotion as if she didn¡¯t deserve any of this. ¡°If you had looked at me just once¡­after the wedding. Was there ever a time when you gazed at me with love?¡± She began to make a deluge ofints; it was as if a dam was bursting out. She spoke with her fists close to her chest, trembling harder than her voice. ¡°Not just me, but Ryan and Lloyd too! Have you ever been nice to your two sons?!¡± Stein did not reply. He continued to look at Orelly, his gaze unchanged. ¡°What wrong did they do to deserve it! What did I do wrong! Compared to that useless Riley, that b*tch Iris! I am much more¡­!¡± Orelly began to frantically gasp for air, as she had run out of breath, then added that it wasn¡¯t over. ¡°I got everything I wanted. I could get everything I wanted. I will get everything I want. So, so¡­¡± Orelly¡¯s eyes began to shake. Her original message disappeared, reced by something hideous within that had been building up since she was young. As the daughter of the famous Tes Trade Guild, she got everything she wanted, and did everything she wanted. The ugly life she had led disying her greed to its fullest was finally breaking out from its shell. ¡°Your heart too, I will¡­ I will¡­!¡± Orelly who was making a heated speech suddenly closed her mouth. She could feel killing intent in front of her. A Stein she had never seen before was standing in front of her. ¡°Is that all?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Atst¡­ The thought ¡®Did I raise my daughter poorly?¡¯ finally crossed Tes¡¯s mind. ¡°No¡­¡± Orelly slowly stepped back, finallying back to her senses. With a pale face, she realized the mistake she had made in her head. ¡°No, no¡­ No! No! I¡­!¡± Then, she began to pull her hair furiously. She grabbed at her hair with such force, that her fake fingernails began to fall onto the carpet. ¡°I-I never wanted this¡­¡± Stein issued amand to Orelly who seemed at a loss. ¡°¡­Get out!¡± Leave. Begone from this ce. ¡°What?¡± Orelly replied with a stupid look on her face. ¡°¡­¡± Stein did not reply. He simply sent a look indicating that if she did not listen, he would kill her right here and now. Such was the killing intent swirling all around him. ¡°Father! The assassins have retreated¡­¡± In the room which felt as though it would explode any second¡­ The first and second sons of the House entered the office. They looked like they were inbat up until recently, with their clothes being in utter disarray. ¡°¡­Father?¡± ¡°Y-You were here too mother. But¡­why does the atmosphere in the room seems off?¡± *** ¡°It seems as though it has finally begun.¡± How angry must he be for it to be like this? Even at a distance, Ian was shaking as he could feel Stein¡¯s killing intent as clear as day. It finally seemed like the persecution for the hidden deeds of the past had started. ¡°Young master?¡± Where Count Stein was¡­ As Ian was imagining what the view was like beyond the wall, he slowly turned his head as he couldn¡¯t feel someone¡¯s presence anymore. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡°Riley?¡± As there was no reply after Ian called out, Iris began to look around the room to locate her son. He had been sitting on the bed while licking his lips just a moment before¡­and now he had disappeared. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Sera also realised Riley had disappeared, and opened her eyes wide. ¡°Young master!¡± ¡°Young master!¡± ¡°Riley!¡± Riley had vanished into thin air. At a moment when assassins could still be skulking about in the mansion. The word ¡®kidnapped¡¯ came into all three of their heads Chapter 13 - Popcorn (Part 3)

Chapter 13: Popcorn (Part 3)

She was banished. And in glorious fashion, no less. In front of her two sons, Orelly was banished from the Iphelleta House. ¡°No. It¡¯s a lie¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her father, Tes, followed Orelly from behind and watched her walk in despair. A wave of regret swept over his mind. Her spoilt upbringing hade back to bite them in the back. <¡­Retreat.> Tes sent the mental message with a dismal look on his face. He had ordered a full retreat for all the assassins who had invaded the mansion. ¡°It¡­must¡­be a dream. When I open my eyes again, I will be in my bed. Yes¡­ Yes!¡± Tes bit his lips, watching his daughter escape from reality. Suddenly, a thought struck him. If he had decided not to visit the mansion today, could they have avoided all of this? He considered it¡­ At the end of the thought, he shook his head and rejected the idea. ¡®Even if it wasn¡¯t today, it was bound to happen sooner orter.¡¯ There is nothing that can be hidden forever. Tes knew that well. His daughter¡¯s banishment was just the same. The truth was bound to leak into the world eventually. ¡®This is a good thing.¡¯ It was better to be punished earlier. If they could learn from this, they could get through the situation well. Tes was a man who had the money and power to make it happen. ¡®They won¡¯t spread the news everywhere, since it involves their honor as well.¡¯ Tes who had finished organizing his next moves put his hand on his daughter¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Father, this is not true right? There¡¯s no way. My husband would never abandon me like this! He would never do such a thing when there¡¯s Ryan and Lloyd as well!¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright Orelly. We can still salvage the situation.¡± Tes tried to reason with her, but she still seemed to be out of her mind. ¡°This¡­this is all her fault.¡± Her father¡¯s words did not reach her as she swore vengeance with her eyes burning with rage. ¡°Iris¡­ It¡¯s because that b*tch Iris seduced him!¡± Orelly¡¯s thoughts carried on beyond certainty, to the point of zealous conviction. The Lord Stein Finn Iphelleta¡¯s concubine, Iris, was the cause of her expulsion. Orelly was convinced that she herself had done nothing wrong to deserve it. ¡°If she¡¯s dead¡­ She just needs to die! That¡¯s it!¡± Orelly began to emit bloodlust around herself. A shadow appeared on Tes¡¯s face as he witnessed his daughter¡¯s menacing look. ¡®She¡¯s going to have a hard time.¡¯ To bring her sanity back. To re-educate her from the ground up. To change her lover¡¯s mind. Tes sighed as he judged that none of those will be easy to do. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± For how long did they walk away from the mansion? A boy¡¯s voice abruptly came from in front of them. ¡°¡­?¡± Both Orelly who had walked with a raging face, and Tes who was following her from behind, stopped. ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this? Did all the fun stuff finish already?¡± From out of their sight, the voice inquired. It was directed at Orelly and Tes. ¡°¡­Who is it?¡± The sun had set and it was difficult to see around the area. Tes, with his nerves on the edge, sent a question back with a frown. ¡°Hmm.¡± Bushes rustle with a different sound when a person walked through them. Within the peace and quiet, a noise sounded as if searching for something. It was not harsh, but it wasn¡¯t soft either. ¡°It seems like it¡¯s finished.¡± The voice came from the front, saturated with the feelings of remorse for missing out on the incident. And once more the footsteps followed. Munch, Munch The one in the darkness seemed to be eating something. ¡°Wait, this voice¡­ Where have I heard it before?¡± Tes¡¯s brows twitched as he stood in front of his daughter. He remembered hearing this voice very recently. Where was it? Where¡­ ¡®¡­¡¯ Tes¡¯s body froze like stone when he recalled. The voice was identical to the one in mental message he had heard before the invasion began this afternoon. ¡°Oh, Father¡­ He has a surprisingly soft side to him. How annoying.¡± The footsteps came closer. As the noise continued, a boy who had a bag full of ¡®white cotton¡¯ appeared in front of them. ¡°It¡¯s¡­you?!¡± Orelly who was behind Tes pointed her finger with her eyes wide open when she found out who the boy was. He was someone Orelly knew all too well. ¡°Why are you here?!¡± It was Riley. In all of Iphelleta¡¯s history, he was the most useless, theziest and the most idle man there was, ¡®Lazy Sword. He was the third son of the House. A boy who couldn¡¯t even manage to swing a wooden sword properly. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± A handful of ¡®cotton balls¡¯ were left inside the bag. Riley finished the remaining ¡®cotton balls¡¯ and replied after swallowing. ¡°¡­I wanted to see something interesting.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Orelly gave him an unbelieving look. ¡®Do you so desperately want to meet your end here?¡¯ Orelly wanted to ask that, but the question could note out of her mouth. Tes took his dagger out, fully intent on killing the boy. The same intent could be felt all around the area. They were the assassins under Tes¡¯smand. ¡°I wanted to sort out my personal problem.¡± Riley moved his hand as he continued. Swish! Riley chucked the bag behind him and stretched his neck left and right, his gaze increasing in intensity. He warned them. ¡°You guys¡­ I can forgive you guys since you didn¡¯te here to piss me off. I¡¯m letting you guys go this time for listening to my warning previously.¡± The truth was Riley himself had killed some of the hooded men who were attempting to use him as a hostage, but that fact wasn¡¯t all that important. ¡°¡­It¡¯s annoying too.¡± Riley opened and closed his fists as he continued. ¡°But¡­not Lady Orelly.¡± He added that at the end; Lady Orelly couldn¡¯t go unpunished. ¡°Ah! Hold on, you¡¯re not Lady Orelly anymore.¡± Riley quickly noted his mistake. He believed it was poor manners to call her ¡®Lady¡¯ since she was banished today. ¡°What should I say. Hm¡­¡± Even in this dire situation, Riley pondered and then asked in a rxed tone, with a smile, ¡°Ms. Orelly?¡± ¡°¡­You!¡± In a fit of rage, Orelly took Tes¡¯s spare dagger from his belt and threw it at Riley. As if she had inherited her talent as an assassin from her father, the dagger went straight toward Riley¡¯s lips. It was to split his cocky mouth in half. ¡°Yeah, I can¡¯t let Ms. Orelly go that easily.¡± Riley continued as he dodged the dagger by tilting his head. ¡®H-How did he¡­?¡¯ For thatzy child to dodge the dagger, and so effortlessly at that? Orelly opened her mouth wide as she could not hide her surprise. Meanwhile, despite being surrounded by assassins, Riley lookedpletely rxed. ¡°You¡­need to pay dearly for hurting my mother. You can alwayse back for revenge too.¡± Riley¡¯s voice suddenly sunk low. The leisurely atmosphere around Riley changed, and cold winds began to swirl around. Like sharp daggers, the winds cut deep. ¡°What¡­the¡­?¡± Orelly and Tes stood still, unable to believe what they were seeing. Suddenly, the boy was holding a single wooden sword in his right hand. Chapter 14 - Popcorn (Part 4)

Chapter 14: Popcorn (Part 4)

Jaiki: Out of topic advertisement, go watch Kimi no Na Wa! ¡®Is this the first time in this life?¡¯ Riley thought to himself as he surveyed the area. He had done it countless times before in his previous life, but this was the first time in this life. Using the sword, that is. ¡®I wonder how much I can do.¡¯ Riley¡¯s fingers twitched around the wooden sword. As if checking all of his fingers, he moved them all one by one until he was satisfied and tucked his chin in. The air was so thick with killing intent that it could explode at any moment. ¡°¡­Kill him.¡± Orelly who had been looking nkly at Riley opened her mouth. Her shoulders were still shaking from the shock caused by the aura Riley was putting out. Whether the shock led to hatred or fear was unknown. ¡°I said kill him!¡± She bellowed. She had ordered her subordinates to kill Riley who was standing in front of them. Although she was banished from the mansion, she was still the daughter of their master, and so they quickly moved to follow her orders. Their first course of action was throwing their daggers. ¡°Wait, sto!¡± Tes who remembered the Mental Message incident before the attack tried to shout, but it was already toote. Ten or so knives were thrown, and the fight had begun. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ The thoughts of his past came as he watched the daggers fly toward him. Riley bit his lip silently as he was reminiscent of his previous life. They weren¡¯t the most pleasant memories. ¡®It¡¯s bringing me back.¡¯ In his past life, he had once lost his loved ones to assassins. It was because of the belief that a hero saving the world should avoid taking lives. Thinking of them as people with families rather than criminals, he had shown mercy and let the assassins he had captured himself go free. And then¡­tragedy struck. What came after was a betrayal of his trust, and the lifeless bodies of those dear to him. ¡®This situation¡­¡¯ In the darkness¡­ The knives which had been thrown all around him by the hooded men, and the situation he was in now¡­ It reminded him of all the incidents that urred because he was too soft back then. ¡®Well, I can¡¯t repeat the same mistake.¡¯ Riley slowly moved forward. He quickly spun his eyes around, counting the number of knives and analysing the angles at which they were flying in, then twisted his torso by moving his shoulder in a diagonal angle. ¡°What is he up to?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were focused on him as, instead of reflecting the knives back with his wooden de, he held it pointed down onto the ground. ¡°Huh?¡± It seemed as though Riley, who was standing so defenselessly, would quickly turn into a pincushion with countless daggers in him. But¡­ Not a single knife managed to pierce him. All of the daggers had unfathomably managed to miss by a hair¡¯s breadth. ¡®What?¡¯ Because so many daggers were thrown at once, it appeared as if some had indeed seeded in scratching the clothes he was wearing¡­but the important fact was that not a single dagger managed to hit him. ¡°You guys remember now, that it was self defense.¡± Riley spoke. It was them who attacked first. Although he never had the intention to let any of them live from the beginning, but¡­he wanted to have an excuse for possible feelings of guilt that maye afterwards. ¡°Don¡¯t go around spreading rumours in hell.¡± With his strength focused on his toes, he kicked off the ground he was standing on. Riley disappeared and a small hole was made upon where he previously stood. ¡°¡­?!¡± Then Riley, who had vanished, appeared in an instant in front of the hooded man that was closest to him. The hooded man made eye contact with the ck-haired boy, felt chills going up his spine. ¡®Huh?¡¯ ¡­And when he was about to shudder¡­ ¡®Why¡­is my sight¡­?¡¯ Within the cold night¡­ The hooded man who wanted to tremble perhaps from the killing intent realised that he could not move his body. Then, his vision simply moved up into the air. The world spun. ¡°¡­¡± Thud When the hooded man¡¯s sight fell onto the ground, his consciousness was no longer there. His head was rolling on the ground, with his eyes devoid of life. ¡°What? What just happened¡­¡± Nobody had noticed his movements. In an instant, one of the assassins had lost his head to the boy. Not with a sharp metal sword, but with a training sword normally used against a dummy. They weren¡¯t sure what had happened but they knew that there was clear disparity in skill. ¡®This is hopeless!¡¯ The sight they had just witnessed was so shocking, that all of the hooded men thought the same thing. So, the desire to escape¡­flooded their minds. Their eyes were filled with fear as they lost all will to fight. ¡®Wait, my body¡­¡¯ The ability to flee from one¡¯s current location¡ªit is without a doubt one of the most important skills an assassin should have. Another emotion began to well up in their eyes as they prioritised their survival. Confusion. Their bodies simply did not move. ¡®What¡¯s up with my body?¡¯ Is god messing with time? While some of the assassins who were rooted began to think that¡­ Riley continued to move alone. ¡®I can¡¯t move!¡¯ The hooded men couldn¡¯t even twitch their fingers or toes. Helpless¡­ That was the word that would best describe them now. ¡®This¡­ This can¡¯t possibly be happening.¡¯ Amidst the hooded men who were frozen like statues, Riley jumped from one person to the next, mercilessly swinging about his wooden sword. With every sh, another headnded upon the ground. They were unbelievable for strikesing from a mere wooden sword. ¡°I¡¯m not really into this kind of thing¡­and I¡¯d rather not show any mercy for you guys, okay?¡± Riley spoke as he recollected about his mistakes in the past. ¡°Don¡¯t take this too hard.¡± One by one, the assassins fell. Riley spoke quietly to himself as he watched them fall with a frown. ¡°Sorry, but I won¡¯t live like my past anymore.¡± ¡®I will avoid tragedies born from leaving any trouble behind.¡¯ Riley had told himself that phrase again and again. He was no longer the hero with the holy de, and didn¡¯t need any of the responsibilities that came with it. ¡°Leaving any ¡®seeds¡¯ behind will just end up as nuisance.¡± I will do what I want. Rest as much as I want. This is my life. In this life, that will be my path. Such had Riley decided upon. ¡°So that nothing annoying will happen.¡± But¡­ There was one exception. ¡°So that I will never lose those who are dear to me.¡± If it had been the past. If it had been¡­ Then he would have shackled himself to a path with the least number of deaths for other people. As the chosen hero, he could not take the weight of lives lightly. But he lived as ¡®Riley¡¯ in this world. So¡­ ¡°So let me¡­¡± Riley continued as he wished to lie on his soft bed at home. ¡°¡­Let me live an easy life.¡± Riley swung his sword once more. ¡®How, just how?¡¯ Tes was staring with bloodshot eyes, shocked by Riley¡¯s ability to defeat all of the assassins effortlessly. Thankfully, although his hands and feet were paralysed like his subordinates, he could still move his eyes. ¡®How can he not have any hesitation in killing someone? Is that really¡­someone who¡¯s never fought with a sword for 19 years?¡¯ Riley¡¯s de didn¡¯t contain a single speck of hesitation. It was hard to believe even after seeing it with both eyes. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­believe it¡­¡¯ Tes may not have known it, but this was not the first time¡­ Riley had cut another person. If you included his ¡®past¡¯¡­ In fact, if you were topare between the two, the number of assassins he was cutting through like butter now was drastically lower than back then. *** ¡°Young master! Hah¡­where did you run off to?¡± After the storm that was Lady Orelly¡¯s banishment, the Iphelleta mansion had gotten rowdy once more. Riley who was having idle chit chat in Iris¡¯s room until now had suddenly disappeared. ¡®Did the assassins really kidnap young master? Was it to use him as hostage?¡¯ There was no way he would be ying ¡®hide and seek¡¯ at this point in time. Ian was specting that Orelly, who was driven into a corner, had taken Riley away to plot a scheme. Then he shook his head. He did not want to consider the worst case scenario. As Ian bit his lips, searching every nook and cranny of the mansion, a voice came from behind. It was the maid Sera, who had been defending Iris¡¯s bedroom together with him. ¡°Ian-nim!¡± ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Have you found young master?¡± ¡°I¡­have not.¡± Ian who had replied looked at Sera intently. Ian¡¯s eyes were asking, ¡®Have you found him?¡¯ A shadow appeared on Sera¡¯s face as she read Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Neither have I.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°He¡¯s not here. No matter where we look. Maybe young master is already¡­no longer in the mansion¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It had happened even though they were on alert. Ian¡¯s face crumbled at the fact that he had lost young master even though he had been right next to him. It was the same for Sera. She could not hide the guilt and helplessness, for being unable to defend Riley, on her face. ¡°Now is not the time to be glum.¡± ¡°Ian-nim?¡± Ian turned his body and began to walk. If he couldn¡¯t be found in the mansion, then there was no choice. They will look outside the mansion. ¡°Ian-nim! Wait! What are you nning to do outside the mansion? They were assassins! They are the elite assassins who managed to make the Tes Trade Guild which was nameless¡­into the famous guild everyone knows, in just 30 years! Assassins of such skill¡­would never leave any evidence behind of kidnapping! And it is night time. If you were to go out without preparation¡­¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Sera¡¯s voice which was gaining volume was cut short. It was because Ian turned his raging face at her. ¡°Are we supposed to wait with thumbs up our asses?!¡± Ian roared at her. Sera¡¯s shoulders flinched at the old man whose face resembled that of a demon. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kuk¡­I apologise. That, was unlike me.¡± ¡®I cannot be the only one who is mad.¡¯ Ian apologised for his slip of the tongue. His fist had been shaking for a long time. ¡°No. I understand.¡± Just like Ian. Sera who had been biting her lip, angry at the fact that she could not do anything, realised something and called Ian with both her eyes wide. ¡°Wait¡­Ian-nim.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian looked at Sera with a question mark above his head. What went through her mind was how the kitchen looked. ¡°There was something¡­which bothered me in the kitchen.¡± ¡°Something that bothered you?¡± ¡°I overlooked it before, but, the crate filled with corn¡­was open. Only that box, nothing else.¡± ¡°Just the corn crate?¡± Ian¡¯s brows twisted. Corn? Why corn? ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°Oh yes, Ian-nim was not here.¡± Just before, Riley had talked about ¡®corn¡¯ in Iris¡¯s bedroom. ¡®It¡¯s something like a snack¡­ You make it with some butter and corn.¡¯ He had said those nonchnt words which did not suit the serious situation. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a woman¡¯s intuition? We should search there again!¡± Reporting all that had happened before, Sera began to urge Ian to search the kitchen once more. ¡°Maybe we might find some evidence for young master¡¯s disappeara¡­¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Both Ian and Sera flinched. ¡°Riley disappeared?¡± Behind them¡­stood Count Stein and his two sons Chapter 15 - Popcorn (Part 5)

Chapter 15: Popcorn (Part 5)

On the path connecting the Iphelleta mansion and Iffa vige, there was a forest. If someone were to ask of the state of the forest right now¡­ ¡°Uh¡­uuuh¡­¡± It was filled with stench of blood. The pools of blood made by the headless bodies of the assassins would make anyone turn back in horror. ¡®Am I dreaming right now?¡¯ The boy who was walking toward him as he swung the de in the air¡­ It was a sight that made Tes convinced that he was dreaming. It was Riley. Thezy, slothful boy, he as the master of the trading guild never had any interest in, was now edging closer after killing countless assassins like a demon. ¡°Now two.¡± Riley mumbled. He was telling them they were next. Tes and Lady Orelly were thest ones left. ¡°¡­!¡± Tes¡¯s eyes began to shift around as he regained his consciousness. Just as Riley had stated, there weren¡¯t any assassins left around them. ¡®I can¡¯t die like this.¡¯ It seemed that Riley never had any intention to let any witnesses live. That was what Tes believed. Not even as an assassin, but as a merchant, he should be able to figure that much out. He was also aware that he needed to put everything he had on the line to be able to get out alive. If he couldn¡¯t, then at least his daughter¡­ ¡°R¡­¡± Did the gods send him help? Tes¡¯s lips slowly began to show movement. He began to stutter on his words. ¡°Master Riley.¡± Riley who was standing in front of them with his sword held up high stopped at Tes¡¯s voice. ¡°P-Please.¡± Riley¡¯s eyes narrowed. Tes swallowed loudly at his stare. He had seen many people as the master of the trading guild, but he was unable to read the thoughts of the boy in front of him. In contrast to Riley¡¯s young age, Tes could see maturity and experience behind those eyes. ¡°You, you may kill me.¡± Tes¡¯s eyes shifted to the side. What his eyes were searching was the daughter who was behind him, Orelly. She may have grown up a little twisted, but she was his only child. ¡°You may kill me, but my daughter¡­let Orelly live.¡± Tes looked at Riley convinced of his own demise, while his daughter whose lips quivered in fear had her body paralysed. ¡°The limit of my restraint was 5 minutes¡­ no, 4 minutes?¡± Riley mumbled to himself in response to Tes¡¯s pleading. Tes blinked his eyes, unable to hear those words, then began to beg once more. ¡°It is true the child has done wrong, but she wasn¡¯t as bad as now before. She was a nice girl. Just, just¡­!¡± Let the daughter live. Please let her live. ¡°It¡¯s as I expected.¡± Riley replied. Tes¡¯s eyes shook slightly after hearing his reply. As he expected? What did he expect? ¡°¡­¡± Before he could reply back, Riley¡¯s wooden sword cut through the wind. ¡°¡­Uh.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± It was the greatest mercy Riley could give them. Riley had chosen to take their lives at the same time, to not let them see each other die. ¡®Finished.¡¯ The father and daughter copsed onto their knees and fell forward. Riley¡¯s face began to darken as he saw the bodies grow cold on the ground. Riley was staring at the two bodies as if contemting something, then turned his head. Unlike 5 minutes ago, there were bodies everywhere. ¡°Haah¡­¡± Riley¡¯s face began to worsen as he stabbed the wooden sword in the ground. Riley pressed his temples as if having a headache, then leaned forward and covered his mouth with his hand. ¡°Uuub¡­!¡± As if he was feeling nauseated, Riley began to throw up. It wasn¡¯t because of the guilt for his actions. It was because he released his mana in order to stop all the assassins, Tes and Orelly from moving. It was the side effect of ¡®Restraint¡¯, which made his ki flow erratically. ¡°¡­Ha-ah, ha-ah.¡± Riley, who just threw up on the ground all the popcorn he had recently eaten, stopped his hand that was about to wipe his mouth. He thought he might garner some suspicion if he were to leave any strange marks on his clothes. ¡®I can say these cuts were made from the kitchen, but this is different.¡¯ Other than the cuts on his clothes, he didn¡¯t have any blood on him. In order to not leave any evidence, he made sure to be careful with every strike he made at the assassins. After all the trouble he had gone through, taking all the most difficult actions, it would be quite unfair if his capabilities were to be found out because of the puke he had produced. ¡®No, I could say I got sick from eating too fast?¡¯ It¡¯s nothing like blood. As he began to think, he determined this was eptable enough and began to wipe his mouth with his sleeves. ¡°Well, this body is different from before. And this body is too young to store anywhere near the amount of power I had before¡­ I guess there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Riley¡¯s hands were shaking from the adverse effect of using his power too much. Riley began to talk to himself again as he clenched and unclenched his hand. ¡°This was something like a test¡­but I don¡¯t think I can use mana for a while. If I¡¯m moving, I should just use the sword.¡± His opponents were assassins this time. Not just any assassins, but the elites who were masters of escape of which he could not leave any behind in order to keep his secret. It was quite violent, but Riley¡¯s choice now was the most efficient one he could have chosen. ¡°Then, shall I go back?¡± He already had a n for cleaning the bodies. So he checked his appearance once more and began to walk. ¡°Ian would¡¯ve gone nuts at this point.¡± Riley made a bitter smile as he decided an apology was in order. The cold night¡¯s winds began to blow on the corpses in the forest. *** The incident of Riley¡¯s disappearance had finally reached Count Stein¡¯s ears. Sera and Ian who were trying not to anger Stein who had exploded before because of Lady Orelly gasped loudly and then began to make hups. ¡°Tell me again carefully Ian. Riley has disappeared?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Riley was already being treated like trash in the mansion. What would happen if the words ¡®he has likely been kidnapped by the assassins¡¯ were said when Count Stein waspletely furious already? ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian and Sera who did not want to consider the consequences shut their mouths and looked at each other. Hypothetically, Count Stein was likely to say these words: ¡®What? He¡¯s been kidnapped by the assassins? Pathetic, there is no need to look for him. The Iphelleta House does not need such a failure.¡¯ ¡­then Riley would be in simr situation to Orelly who had just been banished. Which meant, they wouldn¡¯t be allowed to save the young master. ¡°That is¡­¡± Ian who had little talent for words began to squeeze his brain for ideas. How can I get through this crisis? What excuses do I make? Just when his dry lips were about to open¡­ ¡°¡­Did you call for me?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± A familiar voice sounded behind Ian. Chapter 16 - Hide and Seek (Part 1)

Chapter 16: Hide and Seek (Part 1)

"Young¡­Master?" "Why are you looking at me like that?" Ian turned his head and stared at Riley who had appeared behind him. Riley shrugged his shoulders at the stares he received from Ian and Sera, who looked as if they were possessed. "Well, it seems like you were talking about me¡­" Riley turned his eyes from beyond Ian''s shoulders to Stein. His father was standing with a serious face and his arms crossed, as if he were annoyed with something. "Young Master!" Ian and Sera''s faces suddenly entered Riley''s view as he was exchanging looks with his father. Riley shrugged his shoulders at their sudden impulse. "Huh, yeah?" "Where¡­just where have you been?!" "Yes! Do you know how worried Ian and I were?" Their faces were filled with worry. Funny thing was, Ian and Sera''s expressions werepletely different. Ian''s face had gone red, as if he were about to cry. Sera''s face had gone blue with hysteria. Riley''s lips began to twitch, as the faces they made seemed opposite to what he thought would happen. "¡­Haha!." Riley suddenly burst out withughter. As it seemed Riley wasn''t aware of how worried they were, red-faced Ian''s hand was shaking in the air as he continued to talk. "L,ugh? Are youughing?" "Young Master, are you reallyughing right now?!" "Ahahaha! Sorry, but¡­your faces were totally out of sync." Sera puffed her cheeks in anger. "That''s rude!" "Tough in this situation¡­Do you have any idea¡­" How many times had his heart stopped beating? As he was thinking that his heart won''tst long at this rate, Ian''s body began to show warning signs. "¡­Uck?!" All of a sudden Ian''s right hand was grabbing at the back of his neck. "I, Ian-nim!" "Ian!" There''s a saying that time takes its toll on everyone. As Ian was about to copse, unable to endure all the excitement he went through today, Sera who was next to him quickly came to support him. "I, is he alright?" Riley, who seemed worried, stepped forward and asked Sera. Sera who was holding Ian up from copsing checked his pulse, then sighed as if she had done all she could have. "Haah, he''s just unconscious. Oh dear¡­" The old butler who would shoot swear words like a thug when no one was watching fainted because his masterughed? Sera was so dumbfounded that she forgot to scold Riley, then slowly peeked behind her. "¡­" Because Count Stein who had yet to leave the ce was still standing in ce. Sera addressed him with a bow. It was a gesture to forgive Ian''s shameful disy. "Riley." "Yes." In response to Stein''s voice, Riley killed his smile as much as possible, and replied instantly unlike his usual self. It''s because he thought it would be annoying if he were to anger his father right now. "What''s that?" "Huh? Ah, this?" Stein questioned the paper bag Riley was holding on his left hand. It seemed like something was inside, as it made a muffled sound whenever the bag moved. It was¡­ "It''s popcorn." "Pop¡­corn?" Stein tilted his head in response to a word he never heard before. "It''s a snack made of corn, and I wanted to eat some today so I made some. I was intending to give some to my mother¡­but would you like some as well?" "Young Master, for that you''d go to the kitchen¡­" Watching Riley hand the popcorn bag with such an innocent face, Sera who was holding Ian mumbled with a little mncholy. The thought that it was a good thing that Ian was not awake crossed her mind. It seemed it would not have ended so easily if he was awake. "But, there was no one when I went to the kitchen¡­ Young Master wait, what''s that?" As she was pointing out the fact that the kitchen was empty when she went there she tilted her head in query. There was something dirty on Riley''s sleeves. "This is¡­I ate too much too fast. So I threw up." As if embarrassed, Riley''s face went red as he replied while avoiding Sera''s eyes. He also added the fact that he cleaned his mouth with his sleeves, and quickly apologised to Sera before she could scold him. "Maybe you missed me when I was off to the bathroom. Sorry, for trying to eat it all myself." "That''s not what you should apologise for¡­" "¡­Stop." Before she could correct Riley''s words, Sera''s speech was cut short. It was because Stein who was standing behind opened his mouth. "You may go back in the room Sera." "But¡­" Sera bit her lips with worry that Master Riley was going to be severely punished by Count-nim. She continued to fidget in order to stay behind to leave some words in defense of the Young Master, but Stein was having none of it. "You can''t hold up Ian forever. Right?" "¡­" Sera rolled her eyes about and looked at Stein from the front, and Ryan and Lloyd who were standing besides him. Especially at the two brothers'' eyes, that looked far more malicious than Stein''s. It had to be due to the incident with Lady Orelly before. "Right?" Stein asked Sera once more. "¡­" It was worrying. Although she wanted to help. But¡­since she cannot disobey her master. ¡­As Riley would be harmed more by such actions. "¡­Yes." Sera finally nodded and began to move. "Young Master, please don''t anger them too much¡­you know what I mean right?" Sera whispered to Riley as she she walked past him. Riley sent her away as he replied that it would be alright with a smirk. "¡­Riley." With Sera gone, Riley who was standing alone on his side of the corridor removed his smile and replied with a serious face. "Yes." "From what I''ve heard, that ''paper'' Ian brought to me¡­It was you who found it." Since it wasn''t much of a secret anyway, Riley replied honestly. "That¡¯s right." In order to show utmost respect to his father, Riley stood with his hands sped behind him. As his hands moved, the popcorn made muffled sounds. "You¡­" As if he was annoyed with the muffled sounds, the second son Lloyd came forward with a strained face. "Our mother has just been banished, and you think it''s alright to eat snacks?!" ¡®Mother.¡¯ If it¡¯s the mother Lloyd was talking about then it would mean Orelly, whom Riley had just recently ''dealt'' with. They were most likely oblivious as to her disposal, but Riley had already thought of a n wherein he acted oblivious. Therefore, he replied with a question with his eyes wide open. "Ba¡­nished? Lady Orelly?" "Don''t act dumb! Riley!" "No, what just happ¡­" "Riley!" "¡­" Riley flinched, as if showing his innocence at Lloyd''s shout that was filled with ire. If someone who didn''t know Riley were to see, it would simply seem like azy child who was scared of his older brother. "That paper, didn''t you fabricate it yourself?" But¡­ To Lloyd who had gone mad with rage, logic and reason was out of question. Chapter 17 - Hide and Seek (Part 2)

Chapter 17: Hide and Seek (Part 2)

"F, fabricate it?" Riley quickly shook his head and looked at Stein who was standing to the side with a pale face. The face was full of innocence. "That¡¯s right. You''ve made up lies on paper¡­" It seemed the message was well received, and Stein cut Lloyd''s words as he frowned. "Stop." As if he still had more words to say, his lips continued to move as he pointed his finger at Riley. "But father! He!" "I won''t repeat myself, Lloyd." "Kuk¡­" As he could no longer push his words at Riley due to his father''s interference, Lloyd''s face crumbled as if he had tasted sheet. "Riley." "Yes, Father." "It iste now, go to your room." A sound originating from the grinding of teeth could be heard next to Stein. Considering the situation, it was definitely from Lloyd. "And¡­" "¡­?" As he was about to go to his room after saying his farewells to his father and brothers, he stopped and turned to look at Stein. "Tomorrow. I have some words to say so as soon as you wake up, you are to bring yourself to my office." As soon as you wake up¡­ Count Stein has ordered Riley toe ''the moment he''s awake''. The reason why he didn''t choose a time of the day was likely because he knew Riley would most likely be thetest to wake up in the mansion. "¡­Yes." Riley replied. Come for what? He didn''t ask such a question. He was tired from the workout before, and didn''t want to drag out the conversation. His only thought was to quickly lie down on his bed. His brother Lloyd''s anger only felt like a nuisance to him. "Then, good night." Riley bowed once more to his father and brothers. Despite Sera''s worry, there weren''t any shes in the meeting of the brothers. "¡­What are your thoughts?" As Riley disappeared from the corridor, among the 3 remaining men left, the first son Ryan asked Stein. It was about Riley. "What do you think?" Stein asked in return. After a pause, Ryan replied as he watched Riley''s back recede further into the distance. "I do not think¡­he is lying." As Ryan spoke of Riley''s innocence, Lloyd could not withhold himself and spoke up. "Brother!" As he could not believe Ryan''s spection, Lloyd spoke with clenched fists. "To read the man''s eyes is an ability every great swordsman must have. You must be able to determine right from wrong, and it allows you to read your opponent''s attack and so n out your future moves." Ryan''s cold eyes were pointed at his brother. "Losing mother was¡­unfortunate, but there is nothing we can do. We cannot let our emotions cloud our judgement for this incident. To have an assassin among the Iphelleta house, truth be told I am¡­ashamed. I almost want to send words of gratitude to Riley." "Brother! How could you say that!" "Then are you saying I am wrong? That you would prefer that those facts never came to light?" Lloyd dropped his head and his fists shook. There was nothing he could say back. "That''s not the case, it''s Riley¡­" "Hoh, so what I saw was not the truth? Is that what you want to say?" "¡­" "Lloyd. It was bound toe out. It''s better that it was exposed now. There is nothing you can hide forever." "But Brother, Mother¡­ what about Mother!?" Lloyd who was so eager to talk back closed his mouth. It was different from Lloyd, but Ryan was also angry. That his mother was an assassin. That his brother wouldn¡¯t listen to him. "You are standing in front of your father." Ryan''sst words were a warning. At his brother''s quiet voice, Lloyd could no longer nag and closed his mouth. His best course of action was to bite his lips in frustration. "If you are going to continue acting like a child, then you are better off staying silent. There is a saying- inaction can get you halfway." "¡­" The usually kind, gentle brother seemed a great deal stricter today. As feelings of betrayal, frustration and rage made his heart pound faster than ever, Lloyd clutched his chest and dropped his chin. It was to acknowledge the warning and keep the silence. "Firstly, I have the same thoughts as Ryan. Riley does not seem to be lying." Stein, who was watching the tension between the two, spoke. He also did not see any sense of falsehood in Riley''s eyes. "But¡­" "¡­?" "No, it is nothing." Stein who was looking at the path Riley took shook his head and turned back. *** "¡­Brother." Lloyd called Ryan who was ahead of him. Although he did get angry before, Ryan stopped and turned to see his brother as it didn''t seem like he wanted to ignore him. "Do you really think Mother was wrong¡­Is that what you think?" In response to those shaking words, Ryan''s stiff face turned to a gentle one and walked towards Lloyd. Ryan''s right hand raised. "Uck?!" ¡®Is he going to hit me?¡¯ He closed his eyes expecting a p to the face, but then opened them in surprise when the handnded on top of his head instead. "Lloyd¡­" "Brother?" As he patted his brother¡¯s head, Ryan continued to speak. At his gentle words, Lloyd''s mouth opened. "The sessor has not been decided, yet." The sessor to the house¡­ It was talked about before, but as Ryan has said, the sessor to the Iphelleta House had not yet been decided. It might have been because Stein was still in perfect health but some had spected that Stein still had some expectations from his third son. "Mother''s incident can still be solved after the sessor has been decided." "Brother¡­then?" "Yes." He was talking around it, but if Ryan''s words were to be summarised in one sentence¡­ He will win the sessor battle. He was nning to move after he had received the Iphelleta name. "Brother¡­!" Lloyd''s green eyes began to shine. Ryan chuckled at his brother''s gaze of respect. "I would never give Riley the position of Family Head just because I angered father. It''s true he''szy as hell, but we can''t deny that father still sees promise in him." It would not have been odd if both of them were also banished after the Orelly incident, but thankfully they could stay in the mansion as they had received the family''s swordsmanship. Not to mention, they weren''t dropped out from the sessor race so they needed to aim for it. "Let us think about mother afterwards." "Yes¡­yes!" Lloyd nodded twice at those words. Just as his brother, who was weeping from the emotions inside him, turned his gaze toward the ground¡­ "¡­" Ryan''s gentle smile quickly twisted into a sinister one. *** The next day¡­ Past lunch andte in the afternoon, Riley rubbed his eyes and stood while he was shook left and right in front of Stein''s office. Next to him was Ian who was sweating nonstop. "Young Master, how can you fall asleep now? Wake up! Now!" "Ah, alright. Man¡­I''m so tired too." Riley continued toin about hisck of sleep, as he could not go to sleep until his mother''s scolding was done. "Master has ordered you toe personally. Oh dear, I should not have let my guard down at that moment¡­Damn it." Riley, who could no longer stand Ian''s nagging, ced his hand on the door knob. As promised, Riley hade to Stein''s office as soon as he woke up. "Young Master, this may be an opportunity. Lady Orelly has been banished from the mansion. You can finally aim topete for the sessor¡¯s seat¡­" Knock knock Before Ian could finish his words, Riley knocked on the door with one of his hands. "Enter." It seemed the sound had reached him, and Stein''s reply came from within. "I''m going in." "Y- Young Master!" Just as he was about to turn the knob, Riley turned his head to look at the man who was calling him. ''Good luck!'' Although he didn''t say it, he moved his lips in such way as he clenched his fist toward Riley. It was a fighting pose. Riley shook his head in disbelief and moved into the office, ignoring Ian. "Riley." As Riley entered the room, Stein who was doing paperwork on his table called him without even taking a nce. "Yes." What does he want to say? Riley reluctantly replied as he was getting a bad feeling and scratched his cheek. "Leave the mansion." "Huh?" Among the many documents piled on his table he snatched one of them and handed it to Riley after scribbling some words onto it. "¡­That''s it?" Chapter 18 - Hide and Seek (Part 3)

Chapter 18: Hide and Seek (Part 3)

¡®Was I too distracted by the paper and misheard it?¡¯ Riley couldn''t believe what he had just heard and asked back. "No, wait¡­ What did you say? Leave?" "¡­" Stein did not reply. He was simply waiting for Riley''s response with his right arm still extended. "No, just¡­" Riley, who had his brows furrowed in shock, narrowed his eyes and stared at the piece of paper Stein was holding out. "What is that?" Stein was wordlessly shaking the paper in front of him. It seemed it was originally a rolled up message, seeing as the sides of the paper were curled inwards. "Hm, the capital?" Riley mumbled to himself the word which stood out the most on the paper. The capital. Therge city located outside the Iphelleta''s domain. In the centre was arge pce and outside its white walls, the citizens, merchants and nobles lived in a beautifully decorated city. [Information Regarding The Capital''s Swordsmanship Tournament] [At our 17th tournament starting next week, we invite one of the sons of ''Finn Iphelleta,'' widely acimed for their swordsmanship. We would be honoured if you were to attend and set an example for this event.] The words were difficult to see from afar, so Riley approached Stein¡¯s desk and took the paper to read its contents. "¡­" In summary, the message on the paper contained what Riley despised the most. ¡®Leave the mansion.¡¯ This was most likely the reason why Stein has said such words. Topete in the swordsmanship tournament. ''I mean, even if you were to be a man of few words¡­'' You, go to the capital''s swordsmanship tournament. It would have been much easier to say it that way, and there was no reason for him to say ''leave the mansion'' now was there? Riley, who wasining in his mind, ced the paper back on the desk and began to slowly walk backwards. "Hahahah¡­" "Riley." "Father, you know what my answer is right?" "It will be a good experience." "But I don''t need experience?" "Your brothers have been there too." "Why don''t they go one more time? It''s a nice ce." "This letter was for you." "What, no way." "It''s what they refer to as a love call." "¡­" What did he say now? Love call? To think such words woulde from the hard-headed Stein. When Riley stopped his backwards pacing as if he was struck by something, Stein pushed his chair back and stood up behind the desk. "I¡­ won''t go." At the sound of the chair scraping against the floor, Riley''s mind came back and he shook his head as he stated his thoughts. Crying will not work since he''s not so young anymore. Therefore he must state his intentions clearly. "I won''t go to the swordsmanship tournament." "For how long will you live so self-centredly? You should put an end to such a lifestyle soon. "I don''t have talent." Riley looked at his hand and replied with a tired tone. "I''d tried itst time with a wooden sword. I was worried about my mother. I wanted to defend her. But¡­ my sword was pathetic. Ha! You should have seen Ian''s face that time, father. What a sight that was!" Some of it was true, some of it was false. Although it was unknown if Stein could find out which part was the lie. "¡­" "I know. I''ve always known. That I have no talent for swordsmanship. So I''m giving up. Let me give up. Please don''t force me on this path anymore." ¡®Because I really like reading. If anything, I''ll find a path to be a wizard,¡¯ Riley added in his head. It felt like Stein would give up after hearing those words. ¡®I just want to live a leisurely life. I want to avoid receiving high hopes from others.¡¯ Riley bit his lips because the vow he had made and kept ever since he was born anew was about to slip out. "Riley." Riley flinched at Stein''s voice. An average person would not have noticed it, but under that nd dry voice of Stein¡¯s was a small hope. "¡­" Riley''s five fingers which were pointing down began to twitch. His hand was damp with sweat. ''If it''s you¡­'' ''We believe in you¡­'' ''You can do it. Because it''s you'' ''Of course you can! You''re the hero!'' The voices of his pastpanions echoed in his ears. He could remember their bloodied bodies with their gaping mouths in his head. Riley swallowed loudly. ''Don''t look¡­'' Don''t look at me with those eyes. Riley''s mouth was gaping as he thought to himself. Slowly, Riley began to step back with cold sweat on his head. "Riley¡­ There''s a difference between a novice''s tournament and the capital''s tournament. When we told you topete in the novice tournament¡­ You made all sorts of excuses to not go." Stein grabbed the paper titled ''Capital Swordsmanship Tournament'' and walked toward Riley. "But, this ce is different. You havee of age as well, so I won''t go easy on you anymore. You have to attend to at least show your face to the king¡­" Creak. Stein opened his eyes in surprise as he heard the door open during his lecture. It was because Riley managed to sneak his way to the door without him noticing. "¡­ Uwah!?" After the creak of the door, a scream came. It was Ian''s. "Ah, no! I wasn''t eavesdropping at all! The door felt really good so I just had my cheek on it!" It seemed Ian was curious about the conversation and tried to snoop in, as you could see a clear red mark on one side of his face. "Huh? Y-young Master? Where are you going?" Ian tilted his head questioningly at the sight of Riley who was slowly retreating without lowering his guard. "Ian. I leave father to you!" "Young Master?!" It seems the door had excellent soundproof quality and Ian couldn''t listen to the conversation, as Ian was confused to what was happening. His actions of pressing his ear to the door was for naught. "Ian, grab Riley!" ¡®I will discipline himter.¡¯ Stein ordered Ian who was lying on his chest. "Sorry?" As Ian replied in confusion, Stein shouted. "Grab Riley!" Again. He''s going to y hide and seek again. Stein knew very well that whenever Riley was driven into a corner, he would hide himself in the mansion like a herbivore and reappear when everything has ended. Therefore, to not miss him, he had to catch Riley before he lost him. ''This is like-'' Isn''t it just like the assassin which the mansion despise? For the child of his lover to act like an assassin. Stein frowned and grinded his teeth in anger. "Riley, you better stop now!" Cunning child. Considering hisck of interest in the sword, he was an unusually bright child. There was no weakness to use against the third child. If anything it would be his mother Iris. But that''s someone Stein cannot touch either. Riley knew that too. Therefore- "Riley!" -he can ignore his father''s words and run like this. "Damn it, Sera!!'' Stein shouted at Sera who ran into Riley just around the corner. Sera flinched with surprise. "Huk?! Master?!" "Riley, get Riley!" "T-the Young Master?" She had no idea why, but it was her master''s order. Because she couldn''t ignore it, she turned around to grab Riley but then widened her eyes in shock. "Huh? He was just here¡­" Just three seconds ago he was standing next to her. Riley had disappeared all of a sudden. "Just¡­ a moment ago?" Chapter 19 - Hide and Seek (Part 4)

Chapter 19: Hide and Seek (Part 4)

"Phew¡­" Somewhere within the mansion, Riley sighed as he leaned his back in a shady ce. "I''ve identally given some advice." During his escape from Stein, Riley had run into Sera, who was training with a broom in each hand, and gave an unsolicited suggestion. "Was I being too nosy?" In reality, it was closer to a teaching rather than a piece of advice. Riley spoke in a questioning tone, saying ''Isn''t doing this better than that?'' to her who was squeezing in her training during her cleaning duty. It''s not even a joke. For someone who is bothzy and has nothing to do with swords to correct her? Unthinkable. "Tsk." Riley remembered how Sera''s face went nk after hearing Riley''s words of teaching. It was embarrassing. And what gave him the idea to put his index finger on his lip and say ''Shh'' after correcting her? "¡­Uuuh!" At his mistake, and the embarrassment that followed it¡­ Riley furiously scratched his head with his face going red, not knowing what to do. The good side was that no one was watching his current state. He was currently in one of the secret rooms hidden within the mansion. "It''s because of my memories of my previous life¡­" Riley mumbled. The stress from resurrecting with his memories intact was quite significant. The advice he threw at Sera was one of the bad habits he had before. How his mouth wouldn''t stop running when he sees others swinging their swords. "And that''s why I tried so hard not to go to the training grounds¡­" In the Iphelleta House, even the maids would fit their training in the slightest gaps in their schedule. Previously, he was blessed and received the Holy Sword. Making his aplishments as a hero, throwing countless swings of his sword. He could never ignore those who would put so much effort into it. Therefore¡­ He tried not to see, or create any such situations since he was young. "And it had toe out today." His memories of the past were a lot clearer than usual just then. Perhaps his conversation with his father forced the memories out of his head. While he was running, Riley who was seeing his past y out before his eyes ended up giving advices to Sera. ''Oh? Master Riley? What brought you here¡­'' ''How about you use the fingers? If you change the angle to a reverse grip in the middle, the next move can be much smoother.'' ''Sorry?'' ''Your finger. Roll the sword.'' ''¡­?'' ''Ah, no¡­ It''s nothing. Sorry, I''m quite busy right now. Act like you didn''t hear anything.'' ''¡­Damn it, Sera!!'' ''Huk?! Master?!'' ''Uh oh¡­'' ''Riley, get Riley!'' ''T-the Young Master?'' Riley wrapped his face in his hands with a sigh as he remembered what had just happened. Sera may not have the loudest of mouths, but she''s still a maid. A maid who liked a good gossip. If she were to try spreading what happened just now¡­ ''Then, with my own hands.'' He may end up in a situation where he would ''taking care'' of Sera. Personally. Riley sighed again as he wished as hard as he can for that situation to not arrive. "Haa¡­" As he dropped his hands which were on his face, he closed his mouth which was open from that sigh. At the same time, he also shut his eyespletely. "¡­" As he leaned on his back, Riley''s Ki sense widened. A few secondster Riley began to breath deeply. It was not the one people of Iphelleta House learnt, but his own breathing technique. He learnt it in his previous life, and modified as he saw fit¡­ it was Riley''s original breathing technique. The faint mana floating around him slowly began to gather toward Riley. The recovery was, rather than being efficient, it was more like devouring his surroundings. The mana of high density gathered, while the chaotic mana was pushed back. Was that the reason? The pitch ck space began to light up with what seemed like fireflies. It was mana. As if surprised at Riley''s presence, mana that had lit up began to absorb into Riley''s body. ''Now.'' As he sensed the mana flowing into his body¡­ Riley opened his eyes slightly and thought to himself. ''Shall I hear what''s happening?'' Riley''s ''hide and seek'' has begun. *** "Young Master" "Master Riley!" The Iphelleta Mansion had be rowdy once more. It was turned upside down because of Lady Orelly yesterday, and another incident had happened now. Thankfully it was much less seriouspared to Lady Orelly''s banishment. "Haa, where did he go?" The situation could be summarised in a single sentence: Riley had disappeared again. His ''hide and seek'' had begun. A game of hide and seek that everyone who lived within the mansion knew. Everyone was aware that once he began to hide, the third son would not show himself until many dayster. Therefore, everyone was expecting that this time would not be any different from before. "Haa, how are we supposed to find him when even Master Stein can''t either?" Sera pouted with her chin on the broom. She was scolded greatly by Stein. There had been a chance to catch Riley before he disappeared, but she could not catch him That was the reason. "It''s because Young Master said something strange¡­" While Sera was embarrassed at being found out on her attempt to train during cleaning, Riley had said some strange words. Giving her a piece of advice to do it differently as if he were a teacher. ''How about you use your fingers?'' Fingers? Sera took her chin off the broom and looked at her fingers. Her head had begun to spin slowly as she recalled Riley''s voice. "Hmm¡­" What Sera spun her head to look at was another broom that was leaning onto the wall. She was a dual-wielding swordswoman who relied on speed and fought with a sword in each hand. Therefore¡­ In order to keep up her training during her cleaning duties, she would always take two brooms with her to fulfil her duty. Today was no different. Although she was holding only one broom now, if you counted the broom next to the wall she had brought two brooms with her. It was for training. "Just once¡­" An advice from her Young Master. Although it is rejected by everyone else in the mansion, for some reason Ian would always say ''Our Young Master, the best! Young Master, so cool!''. She was curious. Why would Ian praise thezy master so? Maybe the answer lies in that advice he gave? As those thoughts reached her, Sera grabbed onto the spare broom on the wall as if she were possessed. "¡­I''ll try it out?" With her legs at shoulder width. As taught by the Iphelleta''s swordsmanship manual for servants, she would swing the swords¡­brooms by switching her hands as if she was dancing. It was a practice Sera did often. Recently she was facing a difficulty at the 3rd step of the following move. ''Here!'' At the spot she''s stuck on. As told by Riley she spun the broom with her fingers and her eyes widened. "Huh?" The move became much sharper. Sera''s jaws dropped as she went from the 3rd step to 4th sofortably. ¡®But I''ve been stuck on it for so long? How can just using fingers make it so much easier?¡¯ "Wait, one more¡­" Unable to believe how easily she connected the moves, she got back into stance. Is this what the others would call an epiphany? As Sera continued through the moves with her lips apart, she swallowed her spit. The method now was not written anywhere on the family''s manuscript. ''It works? What? How can it be so easy?!'' Swoosh! Swoosh! The two brooms made a somewhat sharp noise through the air. All she did, was use the fingers to connect the moves. But it was different. It was simpler, and faster than before. "¡­!" She suddenly got the creeps. Sera could feel the nerves creep up her back and shook as she dropped the two brooms. She could finally understand a little¡­ the feelings of the old butler who would always sing praises of the Young Master. Chapter 20 - Hide and Seek (Part 5)

Chapter 20: Hide and Seek (Part 5)

One more. One more time. As Sera grabbed the broom on the ground, she repeatedly said ''one more time'' seven times. She changed the angle of the broom slightly each time she repeated the move while talking to herself, then startled herself when she felt someone behind her and turned around. "¡­Sera? What are you doing here?" It was Iris, who walked into the room which was to be cleaned. She had no ability to hide her presence. Therefore, Sera sighed in relief as she watched Iris walk slowly towards her. The mansion was still on high alert after the recent assassin incident. "Haah, Lady Iris." ¡°Puhup! What is that? That weird pose?" "This is¡­" Sera''s face went red as she was standing in a strange way due to stopping midway in her training, and pulled the two brooms into her chest. "Ahahaha¡­I was training. I have shown you something embarrassing." She grabbed both brooms with one hand and lifted the end of her skirt with the other as she bent her knees slightly. It was clumsy, but it was a curtsy that still retained its proper form. "It''s alright. It is nice to see someone make such effort to improve themselves, no matter how it looks. In fact I should be embarrassed myself. It seems like I''ve interrupted your training." "Please refrain from saying improving myself. It hurts." "Hurts?" "Truth is, I was cking off." Sera smiled shyly as she replied. She may not be able to answer to Stein this way, but it was okay for Iris. If Ian was responsible for Riley, Sera was responsible for Iris. The servant who spends most time with her was Sera. Talking like friends is just another daily urrence for them. "cking off?" "Well¡­Master Riley disappeared." Riley, who had disappeared yesterday, disappeared again? Iris''s face went pale with the worry that there may be assassins still left in the mansion. "Riley has?" "Oh, it''s not what you''re worried about. Truth is¡­Master Stein called Master Riley in. It''s the tournament season. I believe it''s because of that." "Ah." Iris nodded as she made an expression of understanding. "Is it hide and seek?" "Yes. And I''m supposed to find him but¡­my focus turned to training halfway." Sera awkwardlyughed. When the third son of the mansion hides, no one can find the boy. That was the truth. "Oh Riley¡­" "Well¡­Is there nothing you want from him?" "Want from him?" "Yes. It seems like Master Stein wants to make Master Riley do something. But Master Riley would just run away¡­ Yet you seem different from him. Aren''t you bothered? Like that talk about¡­the sessor." This was a question which was asked often by Ian as well. Even the now-banished Lady Orelly was quite strict with her children. But Iris was theplete opposite. No matter howzy her son was, she would just smile warmly back at him. "Um, I don''t think that''s the case." "Really? "I''ve scolded Riley just yesterday as well. Weren''t you watching too?" ¡®I know the popcorn you''ve made yourself tastes nice, but how can you worry everyone around you so much?¡¯ It was Iris who forced Riley to apologise to Ian, Sera and herself. "Well, I think I can safely say it was too soft." "Then¡­" Sera''s words could not be finished. It seemed Iris still had something to say, and continued. "I¡­have been taught that¡­a mother must understand what her son''s thoughts are. Of course I''m no psychic, and I can''t read what he''s thinking but¡­I can understand just what emotion he''s going through. As his mother." She smiled bitterly when she expressed what she thought a mother should be, and then continued to exin how she saw Riley, as a mother. "Sometimes¡­I can see his eyes shake, or see an endless sadness on his face. I''ve wondered many times why he would make such face but I could never find out. So I''ve asked him privately. ¡®Is there anything making you sad or causing you pain?¡¯ Do you know what Riley said?" It was something Sera, who was always next to Iris, never noticed. Sleeping or reading. Or just consuming food. The Young Master who would hum as he leaned on the apple tree would show such a face in front of his mother? It was unexpected. Sera asked in a surprised tone. "What did he say?" "He acted like he knew nothing about it. That it was nothing, that nothing like that happened." "It was¡­nothing?" "Yes. Even while he made a worried face as if he was being scolded. It seemed like he was trying to hide it." Iris began to y with her fingers. "It hurts me that he won''t tell his mother about it but¡­I guess it means he''s thought about it as well. I''m sure it''s to not make me worry." Her bitter smile began to change into a gentle, calm smile. Although still a little young to call herself a veteran mother, it was a smile that made her look so gentle¡­you could feel the warmth radiating from it. "There must be something. In a ce I don''t know, when I couldn''t see him, something happened to Riley. Something that would make his eyes tremble, and make a sad face as if he''s shouldering the weight of the world¡­something like that." ¡®If I was next to my son for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year¡­ Would I have found out?¡¯ The answer did note. Therefore Iris decided to be strong. "As his only mother, I have to understand." Even if the people of the mansion showed hostility. Even if they pounded their chest in frustration. "So¡­at least I won''t force him to do something." ¡®At least I won''t be like them. Let''s believe in my son.¡¯ That is what Iris decided. And she believed that her son would also believe in her one day. "I will wait for him." ¡®Because I''m his mother.¡¯ "I just¡­wish for Riley''s happiness. More than anyone in the world." "¡­" Iris was a good mother. Sera convinced herself. ¡®When I get old, get married, and have a child, I will be a mother like her.¡¯ That is what Sera decided. "¡­Is something on my face?" With Sera staring with such a satisfied smirk on her face, Iris questioned her. "No, I was just¡­ admiring." "Oh Sera¡­ You''re making me blush." Sera who was considering whether she would need to tell Iris about Riley''s advice, tightly held the broom in her hand. There is no need to tell Iris. That''s what she decided. ''Shh, act like this never happened.'' It was Riley''s personal request as well. So she decided to keep her silence. "¡­" "Then Sera, work hard." Iris turned away after encouraging the silent Sera. "Um, Lady Iris." "Hm?" "Are you, perhaps, going off somewhere?" As the maid serving Iris, it was part of her duty to know about her whereabouts. Sera was going to follow her after her cleaning duty was finished. "Well¡­" Iris stopped at Sera''s question. As if trying to hide something, she had a yful face on her. "Perhaps¡­to the bathroom?" "Sorry?" "Huhu, it''s a secret." Iris then continued to walk away. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hide like Riley." *** "¡­Phew." Riley sighed inside his hiding spot. Thankfully, after finding out the situation with his mana, there didn''t seem to be a need to silence Sera himself. ''Well, mother does have a good eye for judging people.'' Iris is not just kind. What Riley thought was her real strength was her ability to judge others. Sera was a good example, although he was still worried. ''Now that I think about it, she also made Ian look after me.'' The thought of the butler whose face would sometimes go red with rage, then cry like a little girl made Rileyugh a little. He was thankful for having someone so entertaining with him. ''¡­I''ve gotta respect my parents.'' Filial piety. It was an obvious decision for the mother who would love and trust her son. Although he could not do so in his previous life, he would perform it with utmost faith in this life. As he reconfirmed his thoughts, Riley remembered Count Stein''s eyes. Likely, Stein must have seen what Ian had peeked into as well. That must be the reason. The reason why he sees Riley with eyes full of expectation. ''Father¡­'' Stein. To Riley he was his father¡­therefore, his parent. If he were to respect parents, Stein is also someone to whom he must show his respect. ''The capital¡­'' Awkward with his words. He could only speak harsh, cold words but he holds deep thoughts within him. That was Riley''s father, Stein. Today was also the same. It was, perhaps, in order to keep Riley away from Lloyd who was furious with Orelly''s incident that he was given the invite to the swordsmanship tournament. ''I don''t think I''ll be able to avoid fighting if I went.'' Riley frowned. Let''s say he epted his father''s wishes and went to the tournament. Then what? He doubted that he would be able to hide his old habits from the past for the entire duration of the tournament. ''Then again¡­'' Riley shook his head as he remembered his past. Then. The mana being absorbed by Riley began to tremble. Knock. Knock. Afterwards, someone began to knock. "¡­Riley?" He extinguished the glowing mana around him. Riley who was crouching looked up. The door began to open with a creak. "Mother¡­" Riley spoke nkly at the sight of his mothering over to his hiding spot. "Were you hiding here again?" "I''m sorry. I just¡­had something to think about." Where Riley was hiding in was Iris''s closet. It was one of the few ces Riley could hide in the mansion. It was here that Riley polished his mana, eavesdropped on Sera, and contemted on his father''s talk of the capital. "Don''t you know this is bad? As I''ve told you yesterday, everyone will worry if you do this." Iris bent her knees to look at Riley on equal grounds. "Something to think about¡­ Is it the capital?" Even though Riley was simply throwing a tantrum, Iris''s face was still filled with warmth. It seems she had some inclination to believe that her son wanted to perform his duty as a son. "¡­" Riley simply nodded his head without an answer. "Why?" "I''m just scared of the sword." Unlike the other times, Riley answered as if relying on his mother. An answer hiding his trauma of the past or the expectation that followed. He¡¯s scared of the sword. It was a rather honest answer. "Hm, I see." With a small pause, Iris tilted her head then continued to speak. "Then how about a vacation?" "¡­What?" Riley''s eyes went wide with surprise. She was smiling brightly. "A vacation. With your mother." "¡­?" With a warm smile, Iris added. "Your mother will help." Chapter 21 - Journey to the Capital (Part 1)

Chapter 21: Journey to the Capital (Part 1)

"Have you two packed everything you need?" "Yes, seems like it." The mother and son duo were standing at the mansion¡¯s gate, wearing clothes suitable for travelling. It was Riley and Iris. "But¡­ Will Sera and I really be enough?" "That is right. In my opinion, I wish for¡­two more to follow us." "Let''s just get going, you two will be more than enough." It seemed it was difficult for him to stay in the sun for too long, and so Riley took his first steps toward the carriage. Ian sighed at the ground as he watched Riley shamble his way into the carriage. "The capital¡­capital¡­I mean, it''s good that you''re going. But why must you act so¡­" "Ian-nim. Please. One thing at a time." Sera gave Ian a sneer as she poked at him with her elbow, then bowed her head. Stein hade personally to the gates in order to bid his farewell to the two leaving for the capital. "Are your preparations finished?" "Yes!" Iris replied before Ian and Sera could answer. "Hm, there was no need for you to go too." As if unsatisfied, Stein¡¯s face crumbled as he looked at Iris and the carriage. It seemed like Riley was already lying down inside the carriage, as he could no longer be seen. "That was the condition right?" Contrary to what Stein had wanted. Unable to hide her smile, Iris began to console her husband to not be so down. "It''s my first vacation with my son, so please don''t break the mood with your jealousy." "Who''s jealous¡­" "You are jealous. Aren''t you?" "¡­Hng!" Stein snorted with his arms crossed. "Since you''re going with him, make sure Riley actuallypetes¡­" "Stein." Iris narrowed her eyes and called Stein''s name. Stein, with his sentence cut short, looked at Iris'' eyes and flinched. For a woman who''d never practiced swordsmanship to have such charisma, it was not fair. "I won''t force him to do it. It¡¯s a vacation. We''re just going sightseeing. As I said before, wasn''t that the condition?" The condition for Riley to head to the capital; it was not for Riley to pete'', but rather to ''watch'' the tournament. Thanks to Iris'' negotiation, Riley could see the wide world, take his mother for a vacation, and leave the mansion. It meant he didn''t need to swordfight. "Well, I will suggest it to him." "Ugh." Iris made a smallugh as she stepped onto the carriage. All of the servants behind Stein began to bow simultaneously. It was time to leave. "Then, Ian. Sera." "Yes." "Yes." "I leave their safety to you." As Iris got onto the carriage, Stein called on the butler, Ian, and the maid, Sera, who were standing by. Ian and Sera bowed and answered at the same time. "Yes, even at the cost of my life." "Yes, even if it will cost my life." That was the servants¡¯ determination to protect them. Filled with loyalty, the two answered without hesitation and unsheathed their swords slightly to Stein, then began to move the baggage. Even though it was a Count''s family trip to the capital, the baggage was rather light. "¡­Then we shall take our leave." It seemed they decided to take turns leading the horses, with Ian on the driver¡¯s seat and Sera inside the carriage. With the crack of the whip, the two horses began to move. *** The carriage heading to the capital had a simple design to it. The current season was neither summer nor winter, but spring, and thus the windows were left open. It was a carriage made just for spring. It was designed so the passengers could feel the spring breeze as they travelled. "It''s been a while since I visited Solia, I''m excited." "Solia?" "Ah, I forgot to tell you. Solia is the name of the capital. The capital has a name, and it''s called ''Solia'', kind of like ''Iffa'' for Iffa vige." "Oh? I wasn''t aware. I thought it was just called ¡®the capital¡¯." "Well it''s expected as you''d rarely left our domain. You better get used to it soon. When we arrive, you will hear ¡®Solia¡¯ rather than ¡®the capital¡¯ a lot more." Sera began to exin Solia with a bright smile, as Iris remembered something. "Now that you mention it, Sera, you''re from the capital right?" "Yes." Twenty minutes had passed since they had departed from the mansion. Riley, who had been looking out the window with his chin on his hand, nced at Sera. It seemed like her story about the capital sounded much more interesting than the view of Iffa vige from out the window. Sera was already smiling with excitement. "Everyone¡¯s so lively, and there''s so many things to see. This is the first time you two are visiting Solia right?" As Sera pped her hand with the question, Riley answered. "Correct." "Then you should look forward to it. Solia is a really good ce. I can assuredly affirm it will be a wonderful memory. With your permission, allow me to act as your guide!" Riley epted Sera''s favour with augh, then posed his first question. "The capital¡­no, Solia should be filled with people right? I''m not good with walking through crowds." "Hm, it is true the central za is crowded. It is a four-way intersection which splits the capital into four districts, and it is the best ce to hear the most recent gossip of the castle. Other than that, it should be fine. Young Master should be able to handle it." "Four districts¡­" The capital¡­ The current destination for the party of four, ''Solia'', was sorge that it was divided into upper, lower, left, right sections for the sake of organization¡­ The right, left and lower districts were where mostmoners and merchants lived. "I remember seeing it in a book." A picture of a circle that was split into four equal parts. He remembers seeing the map which had the upper area denominated as ''the Pce''. "So where did you live, Sera?" Among the baggage they brought was also a map of Solia, and Iris handed it to her along with her question. As she looked at the map Iris handed her, she pointed her finger with a grin. She was pointing to the ''left district''. "Here, the Left Solia." "Left Solia?" "It was termed as such to make it easy to organise. Where I pointed is called the Left Solia." Sera''s finger trailed left then down, and down to left again. "This is called the Lower Solia. And this is the Right Solia. Ah! The upper is an exception. We just call it the Solia Castle. That is where our objective, the tournament, is held." "Wow, so it''s thatrge?" "It is a city, not to mention the capital! A major city holding the pce! You can''tpare it to our mansion or Iffa vige." As Sera gave a devious smile to boost their anticipation, Ian who was driving the carriage peeked behind him and joined in on the conversation. "I have been to the capital a few times myself. Not only are there things to see, but delicious food to have had as well." "Really?!" Iris'' cheeks turned red with anticipation. "Hmm¡­" Unlike his mother, Riley made a somber face with his chin locked onto his hand. "Actually, concerning that ''dream'' you told me about before, Young Master." "Hm?" The carriage was driven over a bump with a dull thud. It seemed like the wheel had gone over arge pebble, but it didn''t affect their travel. But, it was enough to change Riley''s face. "Among the snacks in Solia is something simr to what you''ve told me¡­about the dream." "Something simr?" Ian who was expertly leading the horses looked around the surroundings then moved his eyes to the back. "Yes, what¡­what was it? Carbonated drinks, was it?" "¡­?" "When you drink it, you can feel the bubbles pop in your throat. You always talked about how it''s sweet, cold, shocking, and when you drink it with ice¡­that you could almost feel like you¡¯re going to heaven." C. Sprite. Carbonated drinks. "¡­Y-yeah what about it?" As Riley remembered the three soft drinks, he asked with a big gulp. ¡®Why am I sweating so much even though it''s not summer?¡¯ "You did say it was a dream, so I''m not sure if it''s the same as what you''d told me but¡­there is something like it." "¡­" "I guess you''d call it a sweet beer where you don¡¯t get drunk? No, it was more like a drink that seemed to pop more. The colour was¡­ck¡­" "¡­It¡¯s c!" Riley quickly stood and pressed his face toward the driver''s seat. "Riley?" "Y-Young Master?" Iris and Sera flinched with surprise. ''T-there¡¯s coke¡­ here?'' Riley''s jaws dropped. Right now. The thought of wanting to drink it right now was so strong that he was almost having withdrawal symptoms. Chapter 22 - Journey to the Capital (Part 2)

Chapter 22: Journey to the Capital (Part 2)

"Y-young Master? Is there a problem?" Ian, who could not look back as he was driving the carriage, began to drip cold sweat. It was because Riley suddenly leaned in towards the driver¡¯s seat with two sparkling eyes. "W-what you said¡­is it true?" As Riley stuttered his question, Ian also stuttered his answer. "A-about the ck sugar beer?" "ck sugar beer?" "Yes, that is the name of the drink I''ve told you. That''s how it is called in Solia." Iris showed a reaction to the word ¡®beer.¡¯ "Beer?" She was aware that her son had never drunk alcohol before. Although, that was excluding the previous life he had. As Iris only knows the Riley of this world, her thoughts weren''t entirely wrong. "You''re going to make Riley drink beer?" Sons first learn how to drink from their father. That is what Iris thought was norm. "Haha, there is no need to worry. As I''ve said before¡­you cannot get drunk by drinking the ck sugar beer. There is no alcohol in the drink itself. Even children aging five drink it without a problem in Solia." "Even five-year-olds?" Of course. That''s how Coke should be. A drink everyone wants on a hot day, regardless of age and gender. It''s so devilishly addictive that you could even believe it was made by the gods. Although they say you gain weight and rot your teeth if you drink too much. Riley loved that drink over every other food and drink in the world. Ah, that fizziness. "You drink it with food made from potatoes right? Or a sandwich, perhaps a burger." "¡­?" Ian looked back after Riley''s question. Because the carriage began to knock about as Ian looked back, he quickly looked forward and answered Riley''s question. "Yes, you seem to know it well?" ¡®Was what he saw in his dream so clear?¡¯ Ian scratched his head as his Young Master who had never seen ck sugar beer before seemed to know about it better than he did. "Well, it''s as you say. The sweetness cannot bepared with the likes of fruit beer and it goes well with salty food. Not to mention it''s quite cheap, so the children love it. It is delicious." Even Ian who had worked as a mercenary before had tasted the drink very rarely. The ck sugar beer was something you could only obtain in the capital, Solia. "Well, the nobles don''t seem to like it very much though." As Sera joined in on the conversation with those words, Riley quickly turned and looked at her. "Why?!" "It feels like peasant food." "Dumbasses!" Iris frowned at the unintentional swear words. "Riley! Watch yournguage!" "Ah, sorry." Riley quickly apologised as he scratched the back of his head sheepishly and took his seat again. "It''s just a surprise that what I dreamed about actually exists here." ck sugar beer. A drink called Coke in his previous life. Truth be told it wasn''t simply his imagination manifesting in his dream, but something he remembered from his past. Riley simply talked his way around it as there was no need toplicate things. "Well, there are many things to see other than that. You can look forward to it." "Can''t you tell us more beforehand?" As Sera promised them with a sly smile, Iris began to ask for more stories with a face full of curiosity. "Hmm, I could tell you more¡­" Sera''s face became mischievous. "But wouldn''t that take the fun out of your vacation with Young Master?" "Haha! I agree with Sera. It is always exciting to discover new things. Solia''s peculiarities will make for good memories." "Come on, are you really going to be like this?" "I will be your guide. But, I shall only watch." Ian looked after Riley''s back, while Sera looked after Iris''. Truthfully¡­ For Iris and Riley of the Iphelleta House they serve,they wanted to see the two of them wander the city with joy. It crushed their hearts to watch them be oppressed by Lady Orelly and her two sons¡­ So they at least wanted to show them some happiness. "Hmph, alright! Fine! So mean¡­" Iris turned her nose with a ¡°Hmph!¡± Although her voice was sharp, there was a smile on her face. ''Coke¡­ Coke¡­'' While everyone was smiling, Riley was the only exception. With a serious face and a finger to his mouth, he was thinking. Thinking about the ck sugar beer. He was excited. Among his past life filled with pain and regrets it was one of the few redeeming factors. He wanted to drink it soon. *** "Mmm, Coke¡­" The boy sleeping on Iris''p began to sleep talk and wriggle his fingers. Iris, who was lending him herp, yfully poked at the boy''s cheek, and the sleeptalk stopped. It was Riley. "Mydy, isn''t it tiring?" "No, I''m fine. I could ask you the same." "We''ve only just swapped, it''s alright." Even during the night, the carriage continued without stopping. It was thanks to the special horses pulling the carriage. Not only that, on the roof there was also an invention made by the wizards, a creation made thanks to their sweat and blood which allowed for safe travels even at night. "How long until our arrival?" Iris turned and faced Ian who was sitting across from her. "There is still some distance. You should sleep as well." Ian, who was sitting with his arms crossed, looked at the map after Iris'' question and answered. ¡°At thetest we should arrive by tomorrow night. If we arrive earlier then we need to have a tour with Young Master." "That sounds nice, but shouldn''t we register for the swordsmanship tournament first?" Although Riley wasn''tpeting, watching the tournament also required registration. In order to be registered, they must send news of their arrival to the castle in Upper Solia, and request for a pass. "That can be done by either Sera or me." At Ian''s reply Iris changed her question with a sorry face. It was about rest. "Shouldn''t you be sleeping too, Ian?" Ian held out his hand at Iris'' question. "There are times I''ve been awake for a week straight during wartime. This much is a walk in the park for me." It was during Ian''s prime days. He began to work as a mercenary when he was a teen, and participated in many battles. Comparing the days he spent next to a corpse with all his senses sharp and unable to sleep, this truly was a walk in the park. "But that was in the past." He may have been like that in his prime, but Ian was beyond seventy years old now. Thanks to the training of his body and mana, he was healthypared to others of his age, but Iris could not hide her worry at the sight of Ian''s white hair. "Mydy, how could you? I am still on active duty." "Haah¡­" ¡®Is this how most swordsmen are like? It''s good to rest when you can but they are too stubborn.¡¯ After arriving as Stein''s concubine, she was so busy trying to recover from her sickness that she, who hadn¡¯t learned swordsmanship, couldn''tprehend many of their aspects. "If you can''t sleep, then how about a chat?" Ian began to search through their packs to prepare a good tea to drink before sleep and handed one of the cups to Iris. "Ah, thank you." It was the tea made from the seeds given by Riley. Iris had a proud smile on her. "Mydy." While they were waiting for the tea to cool down, Ian asked Iris a question. "You¡­are not going to change your mind right?" "About the tournament?" "Yes." Ian, who was as excited as Stein that Riley was going topete in the tournament, lowered his eyes as he grabbed the cup''s handle. Iris paused for a short moment then answered. "¡­No." Although she knew nothing about the sword, she gave an answer so unwavering, it was as if she would never back down on this matter. "My decision won''t change. If Riley does not want topete then I don''t want to force him." "I¡­see." "Ian. If you truly serve Riley, you shouldn''t push him into this. You should support him." Iris tried to convince Ian. "You know, don¡¯t you? That Riley is worried. That he''s worried about how everyone looks at him." Ian had always been next to Riley. Even when he would doze off on the mansion''s apple tree. Even when he swung the wooden sword at the dummy and casted it away. Ian knew that Young Master was reading the atmosphere. And he also got the feel that he was hiding something. "¡­I guess with agees anxiousness." Ian broke the silence in the carriage. "Although I''ve just boasted that I''m still on active duty, I am in truth worried. I don''t know when I''ll disappear." "Ian¡­" Ian''s face became bitter, as he seemed to remember the time he copsed before. "There''s nothing I can do. There''s nothing I can do but have hope in the Young Master." ¡®I saw the possibility. I saw hope.¡¯ When he had first seen the talent in Riley that could notpare to Ryan, Lloyd or even Stein, he was unable to sleep for three days. He was excited, and delighted that Riley would attain what he could never achieve. "You just told me, right? That I shouldn''t push him into this, but support him instead." Although he was a servant, it was advice from an elder. Iris nodded her head. "I am the same as you mydy. It may not be identical, but it is very simr. Just as you were resolute on declining his spot in thepetition, I was hoping for his participation." ¡®Why would you go so far?¡¯ Iris''s eyes seemed to ask that question. Ian replied with a detached look on his face. "¡­cing hope on the next generation is the duty of the old." As Ian muttered those words. Dulkung! The carriage was knocked about. "¡­?!" At the sudden shaking, Ian and Iris looked at Sera who was driving the carriage. "¡­Ian-nim." Sera had a sharp look on her face, which wasn''t her usual look. "It''s an ambush." "¡­" Riley who was sleeping on Iris''p narrowly opened his eyes. Chapter 23 - Journey to the Capital (Part 3)

Chapter 23: Journey to the Capital (Part 3)

. . . "Calm, calm down¡­" With the swords already drawn¡­ Sera could not hold on to the reins and controlled the horses with her heels. Although there was some initial confusion among the horses due to the sudden stop, their ability to calm down after Sera''s words showed how well-trained these horses were. ''It''s crude, but the trap''s made by someone with intelligence.'' Just a few inches away from the hooves was a taut rope. It was tied to the nearby trees and, as if intended to be used at night, was painted ck. Thankfully Sera managed to sense the danger beforehand and skillfully stopped the carriage, otherwise it could have lead to a huge ident wherein the carriage overturned. "Which bastards¡­" Ian stood up with his foul words. "Ian-nim. Take care of the carriage." After calming down the horses, Sera stood up and requested him to oversee the protection of Riley and Iris. The carriage was stopped in the middle of the forest. Although there was a path which allowed carriages and men to travel through, to the sides were bushes and trees whose leaves fluttered in the cold night wind. ''Is there¡­nothing more to the trap?'' Sera looked about. She began to sniff with her nose as her eyes could not see far in the darkness. ''It''s not done by humans. It''s faint, but there is the stench of a beast.'' If humans are excluded, there aren''t many species that could perform such a feat. As Sera began to narrow down the likely candidates she looked down at the taut rope which was blocking the path. ''Should I cut the rope and continue on?'' The rope was simply painted, and didn''t seem too difficult to cut. It would easily split in two even without the use of mana. ''I must hurry, before the trapperse.'' At the moment the culprits could not be seen. The decision was quick. It was just when Sera was about toe down from the driver''s seat. "¡­Kilkil!" From the darkness a snicker could be heard, and daggers coated with green liquid flew at Sera from her blind spot. ''Behind?!'' Sera quickly pulled her sword back and spun her body. Sera''s face was filled with frustration, realising she was a tadte. ''Kuk, it''s annoying to fight with a blow from the¡­'' ¡°¡­Uah! Coke!!" Ting! A teacup flew towards Sera, and the dagger which was flying at Sera''s back ricocheted. ''¡­start?'' As if he was having a strange dream, Riley woke up with a scream and knocked the teacup from Iris'' hand. "R-Riley? What''s wrong?" "¡­Ah." Iris could not see the dagger before and looked at her son with surprise. "Well¡­I just had a weird dream." "Phew, you surprised me." ''¡­?'' From inside the carriage. Ian who was looking nkly at Sera''s back blinked his eyes repeatedly. Such an amazing coincidence? At such a perfect timing? At such a perfect angle? For Riley to knock the teacup in his sleep and hit the dagger midair? ''Coincidence? Is it a coincidence?'' Although the dagger came from behind, Sera, who managed to avoid it with a miracle, looked back at the carriage and nodded her head. She was nning to go to the spot where the dagger was originally thrown from. "What the¡­? It''s stopped? Why did we stop?" Sera came down from the seat, and Riley who just woke up looked around in confusion and asked Ian. "The truth is¡­" "¡­Huwap!" Before Ian could exin, there was a shriek following Sera''s battlecry. The scratchy voice didn''t seem human, and sounded more like that of a monster. "What''s that noise?" Riley was reassuring his mother who was worried, and looked out the window to see what was happening. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, Riley could see Sera, who was fighting against midgets with green skin. "They are¡­?" "Goblins." Ian replied. Goblins. Riley remembered seeing them in his book. With a short stature, amber eyes, and sharp teeth like that of a shark¡¯s, they were monsters who had the intelligence of a 10-year-old child. "Goblins¡­" Riley narrowed his eyes, not knowing before that they really existed. ''So they are here too¡­ Monsters.'' For them to really exist, and not just in the books. Half curiosity. Half reminiscent of his past. After seeing their appearance and their movements, Riley found them quite simr to the lesser demons he hunted back in his previous life. "It seems the goblins made a trap with a rope and waited for a carriage to go by. And we fell right into the trap. Thankfully Sera noticed it and saved the carriage, and so we are inbat now." As Riley watched Sera fight, Ian provided a brief exnation of the current situation. "Is she alright¡­being alone?" "With her skill, a few tens of goblins are nothing. She could fight against same number of orcs. It would be different if they were ogres." "Orc? Ogre?" "Well, it''s not very important right now." Even if Sera was hit by the dagger from before, it would have been no problem for her. Even if there was poison on the dagger, it was a crude one made by goblins. At Sera''s level of mana control, she would have been able to fight while suppressing the effect of poison using her mana. It would of been a minor annoyance, but not a problem. "There is a chance some maye from behind and threaten Young Master or Lady Iris. So I must hold my position here." "Hmm." "Believe in Sera. Young Master has yet¡­" Ian stopped his words. He didn''t know what words he should add. ''¡­to be strong?'' Those words flew into his head, but Ian shook his head immediately. He didn''t want to say any words that could disappoint Riley. Ian still remembered the time Riley struck the dummy back then. "Anyway, our job is to wait for Sera. It may take twenty¡­ no, about thirty minutes. They tend to be more feral when there is a full moon." During the full moon, monsters be slightly stronger. Riley also remembered reading about that in a book. But Riley could not say ''I know that.'' "¡­" Because he was watching the way Sera was fighting. With an ufortable look in his eyes. "Riley?" Iris carefully called her son''s name. But Riley did not answer again. ''Slow¡­'' Riley''s face was changing from ufortable to agonizing. Perhaps because of the memories of his past? Watching Sera fight felt as if he was shoving potatoes down his throat. ''Is she being careful because of the dark? Why is she so slow?'' Sera was taking some time to kill the goblins. ''Uuh, slow¡­ It''s too slow.'' Now is not the time to be stuck here. In a ce not so far there was the drink he craved so much, the so-called ck sugar beer. Just when he was about to have it¡­ It frustrated him so much that he was rooted to this ce. ''It would end much faster if Ian were to join in.'' Riley rolled his eye to the side and looked at Ian. Ian was also watching Sera fight with a serious face. For the reason he mentioned before, he stayed behind to protect Riley and Iris. The Riley that Ian knew had no knowledge about swords at all. ''But if I were to tell him to join, things would getplicated.'' In a situation where he was desperate for some fizzy drinks, to watch Sera fight was¡­ ''Damn it¡­ Maybe I should have brought a few more bodyguards.'' Riley frowned, since he brought only Ian and Sera in order to avoid annoyances as much as possible. ''¡­ Should I just finish it?'' Although Riley was tempted to move on his own, there was something holding him back. It''s the secret he had been holding onto until now. "¡­Hmm." ¡®If it¡¯s Mother, it doesn''t matter.¡¯ Even if he were to show his skills, as she is oblivious to the way of the sword she would simply smile proudly at her son. The result wouldn''t change even if she did know swordsmanship. It was Ian and Sera who were the problems. ''If it¡¯s now¡­'' Riley closed his eyes. Ian,and Sera. The two people who had watched over him for such a long time. Some of the only people whom he could trust. They had also helped him from his birth. When there weren¡¯t any eyes from the mansion¡­ Maybe disying some skill wouldn''t hurt? Riley thought as such and stood up, unable to hold his frustration. "Uh, Ian." "Yes?" "Let''s go take a look." "Y-Young Master?" "Riley?" "It''s good to rest, but when else can we see something like this?" He had decided to give a hand if the situation was really bogged down. Hiding such intentions, Riley grabbed onto his mother¡¯s hand and stepped down from the carriage, with Ian following hurriedly behind. Chapter 24 - Journey to the Capital (Part 4)

Chapter 24: Journey to the Capital (Part 4)

. . . Sera, who was currently engaging inbat with the goblins, turned her head when she felt a presence, and opened her eyes wide in surprise. "¡­?!" There were three peopleing to her. Those who should have been waiting until her fight was done were now making their way towards her. "Young Master and Lady Iris too¡­ Why?" A goblin charged towards Sera to avenge its fallenrades, whom Sera had easily cut in half. She then proceeded to look back at them. ''There''s still so many left.'' He wasn''t aware of the original number of goblins, but from what Riley could see, it would take not just thirty minutes but at least an hour for the carriage to start moving again. "I came¡­to have a look." Riley answered with a forced smile on his face. "A look?" Sera made a dejected expression as if she couldn''t believe what she had just heard, and gave a warning as she cut down another goblin approaching her. "W-well it''s good to have a look, Young Master, but it''s dangerous here. In the middle of the forest¡­ there might be more ambushes." Ambushes. After hearing Sera''s words, Riley extended his mana secretly to everyone else, and scratched his chin as he confirmed that there weren''t any hidden enemies in their surroundings. "Hmmm¡­" Ian agreed with Sera and pointed towards the carriage. "Sera is correct. It''s not a good sight anyway, so we should head back to the carriage." Riley ignored Ian''s words and nced at his mother. Iris was asking¡­ ''What will you do?'' ¡­with her eyes as she looked back at Riley. It meant that she would respect his decision, no matter what Riley chose. "¡­" Riley fell into silence as she watched Sera fight the goblins. Because of the darkness, Sera was being too cautious and only attacked the goblins who approached her, unable to charge amidst the fray herself. That was the reason for the prolonged battle. ''It''s not just frustrating when I watch up close.'' If what he saw from the carriage was like shoving a potato down his throat, watching up close felt like shoving a sack of potatoes down his throat. Riley twitched his fingers as he felt his throat dry up in frustration. He needed a drink. He needed a fizzy drink. ''Coke¡­ I really want to have it soon. And not be stuck here because of something like this.'' Riley''s eyes sharpened as he was bing more impatient. ''Ah¡­ Why''s all this happening, just when I''ve decided to take it easy in this life.'' Riley''s gaze turned away from Sera and settled on the goblins instead. As he watched them, only looking for an opportunity in the dark from Sera''s blind spots, Riley''s patience had finally reached it''s limit. Now it would take not one, but two hours to finish. ''¡­Do they just want to mess with my life?'' On second thought, they didn''t just ruin his journey to drink Coke. He was also having a sweet dream on his mother''sp. They ruined that too. "¡­" "Young Master?" Restlessness. Frustration. Annoyance. Riley could not hold back his habit from his past and walked to Sera. "Young Master, where are you going? It''s dange¡­" Where Sera was fighting¡­ Ian quickly reached his hand out, worried about Riley who was walking directly towards the goblins. "Ian." "¡­" But Ian''s hand could not reach Riley''s. He saw them. The eyes which were about to explode from frustration. The glistening eyes silently telling him to watch. ''Young Master¡­'' With a flinch, Ian looked nkly at Riley''s back. "¡­Sera." Finally. Riley approached Sera and spoke. "Y-Young Master? Why? It''s dangerous. Please go back to¡­" Because Sera was unaware of Riley¡¯s approach, she quickly told Riley to return as his voice could be heard just behind her. "Sera, do you¡­" "¡­" Riley asked without a concerned or threatening tone in his voice. As if he wasn''t aware of Sera''s feelings. "Do you not use your legs in your moves?" "Sorry?" "Ah, f¡­ This is frustrating! Seriously! Give them here!" Riley crumbled his face as Sera didn''t understand his words, and stepped forward after snatching her twin swords. "Y-Young Master! Stop!" "It''s going to take the whole night at this rate." As he disregarded Sera''s words, he adjusted the grip on the two swords and looked at the goblins in the dark. Just a quick glimpse, and he could tell that they were simr to the lesser demons he''d cut down in his previous life. ''Now then¡­ How much should I show them?'' Riley had a quick thought about what to do. As he''d pushed the body to it''s limit from the fight with Tes, he''s decided to fight purely with his swordsmanship this time. ''This much should be alright.'' And, it can teach Sera as well. With those thoughts Riley began to speak again. "Use your legs. Your legs. It¡¯s frustrating. Are you trying to refrain from looking too far ahead? I can''t tell, whether you don¡¯t know or don''t want to¡­" "Young¡­Master?" "Sera, you¡¯re acting like there''s a circle around you and you don''t want to move out of the circle. That''s the feeling I get. Then there''s no way for you to take the initiative yourself. It takes too long." There was no reply from Sera. Riley realised that she was simply staring nkly at him, so Riley scratched his head and began to take action. "So what I mean is, if you use the legs¡­" Riley moved forward. If it was her from the past, she would have never allowed Riley to act as he was now. It was clearly dangerous. But¡­ There was that other time she received advice from Riley. She remembered how he told her to keep it a secret. She couldn''t stop Riley. ¡°Maybe.¡± That was all she could mutter. "¡­" "Kiek!" Iris gripped her hands together into a fist as she watched. As Riley charged at them, and the goblins began to rush forward with a shriek in kind to avenge their brothers. ''Huh?'' Riley pushed in while dropping the two swords in a slight angle. His foot slid on the ground, and when the goblin was right in front of him¡­ "Kuek?" One. No, two goblin heads flew into the air. "¡­you can¡­" Riley''s hands and feet continued to move. More heads flew in the air, as Riley continued to speak. "Kiek!" Riley continued to move his feet as he parried the daggering at him from the side. And number eight. The eighth goblin head flew into the air. Sera''s jaws dropped. ''What¡­is that?'' It was an art. Riley began to move his fingers as he moved forward. One of the two swords he was holding was flipped and clutched in the reverse grip. It was slowpared to Sera''s practice, but much more stable. "¡­apply it like this." As Riley spoke, the remaining two goblins charged at him simultaneously. Their shrieks were much louder than the others, as if determined to avenge the dead. But¡­ Riley did not allow their weapons to reach him. "Kek!" Thud! A dull sound could be heard. Riley had used his leg. The kick didn''t have mana in it so it didn''t have the power to kill, but it was enough to push the goblin back and gain some distance. ''Thest one.'' With the distance created. He stabbed the sword he was holding in reverse into the goblin''s head and rushed at the goblin who was kicked away. As if it were a dance. Riley dashed past the goblin''s side. "¡­" Riley''s sword was not strong like the Iphelleta''s Strong-de(1st son), or fast like the Quick-de(2nd son). It had no clear strengths. That was obvious. But¡­ "Well, this is how you do it." Riley stabbed the sword into the ground as he finished talking. Then the goblin he dashed past began to fall. "¡­" "¡­" Ian looked at Riley as if he was possessed. Simply¡­ The potential Ian saw in Riley was simply the ''affinity to mana''. It was the potential which would allow him to use the aura de which imbued mana onto the sword with the greatest efficiency. But¡­ What he just saw was more shocking than mere ''affinity to mana''. ''What did I just see¡­?'' His affinity with the sword. Genius was not enough to describe it, but something more. "Now, let''s go." After cleaning out the goblins in a sh, Riley put his hands in the pocket and walked back to the carriage. Chapter 25 - Arrival at Solia

Chapter 25: Arrival at Solia

¡°¡­Did you know?¡± Ian asked Iris who was on the seat across from him on the carriage that started to move once more. Perhaps it was because he was tired due to exterminating the goblins, but Riley was exploring dreand while using his mother¡¯sp as a pillow, just like before. ¡°What?¡± Iris tilted her head with a question mark as if saying that she didn¡¯t understand Ian¡¯s query. ¡°About Young Master.¡± As if he still didn¡¯t believe what he saw, Ian¡¯s face wasplicated. Sleeping peacefully after that amazing disy of skill. He was so shocked that he didn¡¯t even feel like waking him up and asking. ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± As she didn¡¯t know anything about swordsmanship, Iris didn¡¯t understand what Ian was asking about so she continued speaking after blinking a few times. ¡°How should I reply¡­ I don¡¯t know anything about swordsmanship.¡± Although she came into the Iphelleta House which was famous for its swordsmanship as a concubine, she had never held a sword before because of her unceasing attempts to cure her illness. Therefore, Iris didn¡¯t know how great a skill her son showed just before. But, she knew that it was awesome. And she felt relief at the fact that her son was safe and uninjured. ¡°I also felt my heart sink when Riley charged at the goblins too, you know?¡± When looking at how Riley was fighting before, she had clenched her fists so hard that marks of her fingernails were as clear as day on her palms. ¡°I¡­see.¡± Iris looked down after Ian replied nkly. She was gazing at Riley, who was sleeping in herp. ¡°My Lady, about this¡­¡± ¡°Keep it a secret.¡± About to open his mouth while clenching the sides of his pants, Ian flinched. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°Keep it a secret, don¡¯t tell anyone in the mansion. Not even the Count.¡± ¡°W-Why?¡± Sera who was driving the carriage from the driver¡¯s seat nced back inside. It wasn¡¯t an overreaction for Ian to be puzzled. She too felt the same. But she didn¡¯t ask ¡®Why?¡¯ This was because she was also asked the same thing from Riley. ¡°Because, Riley wanted it.¡± ¡°My Lady!¡± ¡°Shush.¡± In front of Ian whose voice was raising, Iris raised her index finger to her lips and made a ¡®Shh¡¯ sound. That action didn¡¯t only entail worry about Riley waking up. ¡°Please, Ian.¡± ¡°¡­¡± How could mother and son be so simr? Sera snorted while looking back at the road at Iris¡¯s action. It was because Riley had made the same gesturest time. *** The capital, Solia. The weather here was sunny, and the atmosphere wasn¡¯t that bad either. Sera smiled at the mother and son pair after leaving the carriage which they rode all the way from the Iphelleta house at the carriage house. ¡°Now! Wee to Solia!¡± ¡°You look like you¡¯re excited.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯vee home.¡± Currently the ¡®three people,¡¯ including Riley, were standing in Left Solia. It was a ce that Sera knew well. ¡°Anyway, I feel a bit sorry for Ian. I feel bad that we sent him to Castle Solia on his own.¡± It had started with four people, but only three people remained. Only Ian couldn¡¯t be seen in their party. The reason was because he needed to get the admission tickets for the capital¡¯s swordsmanship tournament. ¡°No, my Lady. It was for the best to send Ian-nim.¡± Sera rolled her eyes to the ground, muttering at Iris¡¯s worry. Riley nodded as if saying that he agreed. ¡°¡­¡± If the one who went off to get the tickets was not Ian but Sera, it would be terrifying. He would definitely go ¡®Young Master this, Young Master that¡¯ and follow Riley around all day making a fuss as he tried to talk about what had happened the evening before. ¡°Then where should we go first?¡± ¡°Obviously¡­¡± A bead of sweat rolled down Riley¡¯s cheek. It¡¯s Riley whose throat was burning to a crisp when the carriage entered Solia. The first destination had already been decided. ¡°Cok¡­ no, ck sugar beer! We need to go drink that!¡± As if knowing he was going to say that, Sera smiled and started walking. ¡°There¡¯s a caf¨¦ near here that I used to visit frequently. It should still be selling what Young Master wants so let¡¯s go there first, might as well avoid the sunlight.¡± Although the sky held no clouds and it was a cool day, it was too hot to walk around outside. Sera, who was holding a parasol to cover Iris, looked around her surroundings. It was because she had to be prepared for unknown threats because Ian had left, and she was alone in escorting the two people. ¡°How is it Sera? Has it changed a lot from before?¡± ¡°There don¡¯t seem to be any big differences. If there was something that changed, wouldn¡¯t it be the posters that advertise the soon-to-open swordsmanship tournament?¡± Sera replied after seeing the swordsmanship posters stuck around everywhere. The capital¡¯s swordsmanship tournament. A festival that not only nobles, but alsomoners show great interest in. It was because the nobles from all the different territories gather in one ce. To the nobles it bes a market of amity, and tomoners it¡¯s an event which allows them to see the future leaders of their territory. ¡°Now that I look around, they¡¯re stuck everywhere.¡± ¡°Well, it seems that Young Master doesn¡¯t have an interest in it though.¡± Riley who was walking with both his hands stuck in his pockets turned to Sera, and started to bother her about when they were going to arrive. ¡°Just walk a little further. There, do you see that orange roof?¡± At the sight of ss cups filled with ck liquid in the midst of people who were gathered under the roof that Sera pointed to, Riley¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Oh!¡± At Riley¡¯s appearance the two women went ¡®pfft¡¯, and chortled. ¡°You have the same thoughts as Riley right? About the swordsmanship tournament.¡± Sera asked Iris. ¡°Yes. I, too, don¡¯t really¡­¡± Iris also didn¡¯t want to force Riley into the tournament if he didn¡¯t want to. It was because if she forced him to participate, then she would be breaking her promise since they didn¡¯te to Solia to participate, but rather to spectate. ¡°Haah, it would be nice if we could watch it and return without any problems¡­ The issue is Ian-nim.¡± If he identally touched on Young Master¡¯s sensitive part and a hide and seek started in Solia, forget about spectating or whatever; they¡¯d all be absolutely screwed. [Shock! The third Young Master of the swordsmanship family, the Iphelleta House runs away from home!] [Searching for a stray child. ck hair, a rxed face¡­¡­] Those kind of posters would be put up in Solia. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t possibly happen right?¡± ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Riley, who arrived first and was ordering ck sugar beer from the clerk turned around and raised a question mark as if asking if they called him. *** ¡°Kh, This¡­actually existed.¡± After the ck sugar beer which had bubbles floating up came out, Riley who kept on mumbling the word ¡®Coke¡¯ before drinking it had teary eyes as soon as he drank a sip. It couldn¡¯t be said to be the same taste that he was reminiscent of, but it was still able to get rid of the thirst he had for so long. ¡°¡­¡± The customers near Riley looked at him curiously, as if asking if it was that tasty. ¡°Mother, can I drink one more cup?¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Riley who already emptied one cup and had its ice rattling asked Iris and went to the clerk straight away. As Riley¡¯s hand went up, the tactful clerk brought out one more cup of ck sugar beer. As if saying that even the dew on the cup was lovely, Riley, who was looking at the newly brought out drink as if he was in a trance, chugged it. ¡°¡­Kh!¡± ¡°Young Master, you sound like a grown-up man.¡± ¡°What can I do when my throat is stinging?¡± Although he imed that it was stinging, that it was hurting, the edge of Riley¡¯s mouth went up. ¡®¡­Mm?¡¯ Sera, who was smiling at the appearance of her Young Master who looked happier than ever, narrowed her eyes as she spotted some suspicious individuals while keeping an eye on their surroundings¡­ ¡°¡­What are you doing? I¡¯m telling you I didn¡¯t do it!¡± ¡°Who do you think you¡¯re lying to, b*tch?¡± There was a posse of grown men, and one girl. It didn¡¯t look like they were going to show hostility towards them, but what Sera saw was a scene where a group of men who looked quite frightening dragging away a girl who looked to be about sixteen years old by her wrist. ¡°T-this¡­ Hey! Someone help me!¡± The girl who was caught by the men started to cry out for help. It was an emotion which showed naivet¨¦. ¡°Don¡¯t bother. This b*tch got caught while trying to pickpocket our wallets.¡± ¡°I never did such a thing!¡± As the girl shouted and the people all looked at them, the men waved their hands dismissively as if telling them to stop paying attention. In contrast with the girl¡¯s sincere pleas for help, the men¡¯s faces contained bits of malice. ¡®Those bastards¡­¡¯ Straight away figuring out the situation¡­ As Sera who was just about to explode out of her seat because she couldn¡¯t take any more of the brazenwlessness, Riley gave her a piece of advice. ¡°¡­Sera, don¡¯t bother.¡± Sera¡¯s shoulders flinched even before she could get off the seat. Iris tilted her head as she too couldn¡¯t understand why Riley stopped Sera. ¡°That¡¯s all an act.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Riley turned around and called to the clerk. ¡°Auntie!¡­ That¡¯s not right.¡± Riley who identally called out to the clerk like he did in his previous life quickly changed his words. ¡°Clerkdy. There are straws here right? Please give me a straw.¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll bring it over right away.¡± Although he liked putting the Coke to his mouth and chugging it, Riley who also liked to use a straw and suck it away ordered a straw and leaned his back on the back supporter of the chair. ¡°Young Master, what do you mean¡­¡®an act¡¯?¡± Sera, who was looking again closely at the situation that was still escting, asked quietly. It simply didn¡¯t look like an act. ¡°Their eyes were chasing Sera¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what they¡¯re nning but¡­ Ah, thank you.¡± Riley, who received the straw from the clerk and ced it in between the ice in the ck sugar beer, started to suck the drink and looked at the men and the girl in themotion. ¡°Come here!¡± ¡°L-let go!¡± They were still getting further away. It felt like if they were left alone the men would just end the girl¡¯s life. ¡°If that girl was going to ask for help, if those men were going to do something to her¡­ Their eyes and their heads should¡¯ve been spinning around. But.¡± Riley swallowed a few mouthfuls of Coke and continued. ¡°Their eyes were only directed on Sera¡¯s sword. What might that mean? Riley made a face that said that he felt alive after draining the cup of all of its contents via the straw and jangled the ice. ¡°Puha! Let¡¯s not get entangled in such annoying matters.¡± Chapter 26 - Arrival at Solia (Part 2)

Chapter 26: Arrival at Solia (Part 2)

. . . A dark and damp ce. The six men and one woman who emerged into their hideout were arguing. ¡°I told you I had a bad feeling about the left side today. See, I was right!¡± ¡°Shut up, fool.¡± The location they arrived at was the sewers. Sewers, where polluted water flowed and mice lived in. ¡°You said that we¡¯ll get some money from those ignorant noble bastards who came to the capital, but what¡¯s this?¡± ¡°So do we only fail? We did seed a few times. Why are youining?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no harvest today! Today!¡± There was only one ce in Solia where there were sewers. Bottom Solia. In Bottom Solia, a ce where rejects who were thrown out from Solia gather, there were beggars who decided to get some money from the capital¡¯s swordsmanshippetition. How do beggars earn money from a nobles¡¯ event? ¡°I disguise myself as a poor girl surrounded by tough men and enact an unjust scenario! Then! The noble bastards like to step forward saying ¡®what are you doing to ady!?¡¯ Then I trick the nobles, darting in and out!¡± As a woman, who was the most outstandingly dressed among the beggars due to her role as ¡®bait,¡¯ flicked her tongue in and out like a snake; a man who was walking next to her clicked his tongue. ¡°Tut.¡± ¡°Oh? Why are you clicking your tongue? Today¡¯s work, if we think about it, didn¡¯t we fail because of your acting Hemil?¡± ¡°We failed because of me? No! That¡¯s not right!¡± The beggar called Hemil by the woman rebutted. ¡°Beta, what am I supposed to do about your crappy facial expressions?¡± ¡°Hah?¡± At Hemil¡¯s rebuttal Beta, who was the bait in the group, filled her face with killing intent and threatened. ¡°Won¡¯t you shut up? I¡¯ll stitch up your mouth you rat?¡± ¡°What? Rat? Has this b*tch gone crazy?¡± Hemil didn¡¯t lose and fired back. The rest of the beggars shook their heads at the two people gritting their teeth. It seemed that they were used to this sort of thing. ¡°Anyway, if we keep going like this then we can¡¯t fill the quota. If we¡¯re going to use that reject properly then we have to seed at least twice tomorrow you know?¡± A beggar who had just barely calmed the two down pointed at someone who was crouching in the corner of the hideout. ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ It¡¯s a reject from the magic tower that we went through a lot of trouble to get.¡± It was a woman who was crouched down sitting. Her hair was wet with effluent water. Her facial skin showed signs of damage from chemical substances. She had hands that were missing around two fingers, as if they were cut off¡­ The person, who had an appearance so bad that if someone were to look at her they would be cursed with all kinds of bad luck, was the beggars¡¯ joker card. ¡°Trash is trash, so we need to quickly use it before the expiration date.¡± If the prey that they seduced by ¡®darting in and out¡¯ was too big to fit into their mouth¡­ She was a card that allowed them to swallow it forcefully. The person who was sitting in the corner with a horrendous appearance was a secret weapon that they could use to swallow up the foolish nobles that they tricked. ¡°Che, that b*tch¡­ If only she wasn¡¯t the trash of the magic tower, we would¡¯ve used her instead of Beta as bait.¡± ¡°What? Who would show interest to a b*tch who can¡¯t even wear a ring due to her missing fingers?¡± ¡°Ha, that¡¯s true too!¡± The beggars looked at their ¡®tool¡¯ andughed. *** ¡°¡­Oh, you¡¯re here?¡± The best inn in Left Solia. Riley, who came back to his room after finishing his tour, saw Ian, who was sitting on his bed drinking ck sugar beer, and sent a greeting. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Ian who was drooping his shoulders turned around and looked at Riley. There wasn¡¯t enough alcohol in the ck sugar beer to intoxicate someone. At Ian¡¯s face which was somehow flushed, Riley¡¯s shoulders shook. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± The men and women were separated Because they rented two rooms, currently there was only Riley and Ian there. It was somehow awkward. ¡°¡­Ian?¡± Was he going to ask about what happened yesterday evening? Or was he angry about how they had left him behind for the entire day and went off to y in Left Solia? ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Riley wished that if it was one of the two, it would be thetter, and asked. ¡°Are you angry?¡± ¡°No, what do you mean angry? Why would I get angry? Just because of that.¡± Next to Ian¡¯s bed there was a clothes hanger. Riley who went towards it to hang his outer clothes realised that the area near him smelt of alcohol. ¡®Ugh, the smell of alcohol¡­ He did drink.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Riley discovered the ¡®Capital¡¯s swordsmanship tournament spectator ticket¡¯ in Ian¡¯s jacket pocket and looked at Ian again. ¡°Really¡­ I wanted to bring the ¡®Competing ticket¡¯ but¡­ Keueug!¡± As if he was keeping himself from breaking down, Ian brought the ck sugar beer to his mouth again. Glug! Glug! As if his throat didn¡¯t even sting, Ian swallowed the drink which was still over half full in a single breath and went ¡®puha!¡¯. ¡°You did well.¡± Although Riley congratted Ian, Ian¡¯s expression didn¡¯t loosen. Instead, it was changing as if he was about to cry. ¡°¡­Do you know what happened at Castle Solia today?¡± Castle Solia. Something must¡¯ve happened to Ian who went there for the spectating tickets. ¡°Listen. In the afternoon¡­!¡± Riley who was tired due to touring Left Solia for half the day was about to lie down in bed but was caught by the shoulder. ¡°¡­Eug.¡± At the same time Ian¡¯s breath reached Riley¡¯s nose. As if he was reminiscing, he started to talk about what had happened. ¡®Capital¡¯s swordsmanship tournament, sp-spectator seats¡­ four tickets please.¡¯ ¡®Excuse me, but where are you from?¡¯ ¡®I came from the Iphelleta House.¡¯ ¡®I-Iphelleta? Did you reallye from Iphelleta?¡¯ ¡®Yes¡­? Here, it¡¯s the letter from the Count and the family¡¯s seal.¡¯ ¡®Spectator ticket¡­ Are you sure you want the spectator ticket?¡¯ ¡®¡­Give me the spectator ticket.¡¯ ¡°Aah, yeah. Well done.¡± Riley cut off Ian¡¯s reminiscing and tried to get out. ¡°You did good. Now just¡­¡± ¡°Really, I was so embarrassed that it wasn¡¯t thepeting ticket but the spectator ticket! The problem is¡­that wasn¡¯t the end! Keuheug!¡± ¡°Gah, just let off me a bit¡­¡± As if he wouldn¡¯t let go Ian held onto Riley¡¯s clothes and started sniffing, then started to talk again. ¡®Oh? Who¡¯s this? Isn¡¯t it Ian?¡¯ ¡®¡­Hmm?¡¯ ¡®Mercenary hero Ian! Right?! It¡¯s been a long time huh?¡¯ ¡®Haha! Seeing as how well you are, it seems that it¡¯ll be quite a while until you go huh? Wow¡­ It¡¯s like the time when our names were famous as mercenaries was just yesterday!¡¯ ¡®Haha! To you too!How are you doing nowadays? Looking at your outfit and timing¡­ Have youe for the swordsmanship tournament too? It doesn¡¯t seem like you came because your son had a problem withpeting¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­Yeah. I currently work as a butler in the Iphelleta Family. I¡¯m not a noble.¡¯ ¡®Yeah¡­ You didn¡¯t look like the type to have and raise a kid. You didn¡¯t care aboutmanding either. From the very onset of the Great War you had a one-track mind.¡¯ ¡®It is regretful but it is also to atone for my sins. Falling in love with someone and raising a kid, I am not suited for such a life. ¡®Well, let¡¯s stop talking about the past, friend¡­ It¡¯s a waste being sad on a nice day. Anyway¡­ The Iphelleta Family huh? I thought that you¡¯d have a spot in Castle Solia being a mercenary hero but a butler¡­ Yeah, if you¡¯re a butler of the Iphelleta Family then who are you serving?¡¯ ¡®E-Eh?¡¯ ¡®Strong-sword Ryan? Quick-sword Lloyd?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®No? Ah! Then you must be serving Count Stein? ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Is something wrong?¡¯ ¡®No, it¡¯s¡­ Sorry. I just remembered something urgent so I need to go.¡¯ ¡®No way¡­ not any of them?¡¯ ¡®Keuheum! When are the spectating ticketsing out? Is it far?¡¯ ¡®Spectator¡­tickets? Wait! Don¡¯t turn around Ian! Now that I think about it I heard some years ago that a third son was born in the Iphelleta Family.¡¯ ¡®¡­!¡¯ ¡®The name was¡­ Ah, right! Riley! His nickname was¡­ What was it?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡®Lazy Sword? Was it Lazy Sword? Because he¡¯s slothful¡­¡¯¡¯ ¡®Stop.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯ Ian¡¯s reminiscing ended suddenly. Riley didn¡¯t really cut it off. ¡°¡­Heueoeoeong!!¡± It was cut off because Ian started crying loudly. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t know how embarrassed I was! In front of my oldpanion! The humiliation! Who would look at a person called the mercenary hero with those pitying eyes! Eoheuheoeong!¡± Who said that a old man¡¯s tears were like the ocean? Riley¡¯s expression slowly scrunched up as it seemed that Ian¡¯sints wasn¡¯t going to end. ¡°Because my Lady said to keep the secret I couldn¡¯t say anything about how great Young Master was and my chagrin¡­ My chagrin! Heueoeong!¡± ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Riley sighed as he buried his face in his hands as he didn¡¯t know when he could sleep anymore. Chapter 27 - Right Solia, Lower Solia (Part 1)

Chapter 27: Right Solia, Lower Solia (Part 1)

The Tutorial is Too Hard. . . . ¡°Ah, Young Master! Did you sleep well?¡± Morning. As if he didn¡¯t entirely get rid of the exhaustion he gained from yesterday¡¯s tour, Riley, who came down to the first floor of the inn, waved his right hand with sleepy eyes at Sera who greeted him. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± ¡°Woohoo! Tomorrow is the start of the swordsmanship tournament. Because it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m watching this, I¡¯m getting excited.¡± Sera, who was talking about how she was fired up about the tournament as a person who also wields swords, checked Riley¡¯s face and tilted her head. ¡°Hm? Young Master, did you not sleep well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley could not answer Sera¡¯s question, and sat at the prepared table for four. Then he fell straight forward and started to recharge his sleep meter. ¡°Ah, right. Ian-nim¡­¡± Sera spotted Iane down following Riley with a horrible face and scratched her head. It looked like Ian could not sleep well either, but unlike Riley¡¯s eyes, which had dark circles, his eyes were red. ¡°Oh wow, did Ian experience girly emotions?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even say it. He kept on repeating the same thing every thirty minutes due to the alcohol¡­ Sigh.¡± Riley made an act of waving a white g with his right hand as he heard his mother¡¯sughing voice. ¡°Ahem, good morning.¡± ¡°Good morning to you too, Ian.¡± As if he wanted to hide the fact that he cried through the entire night due to the alcohol from the two women, Ian who was thest to join them on the first floor of the inn coughed once and sat down next to Riley. ¡®Young Master.¡¯ Riley who was spread out turned his head, his eyes meeting Ian¡¯s. Ian wriggled his eyebrows and asked with his eyes. ¡®Keep what happenedst night a secret?¡¯ ¡®Yeah. I didn¡¯t say a word.¡¯ Riley followed Ian¡¯s example and replied with his eyes. They were eyes which radiated annoyance. ¡°Ahem, sorry. I drank a lot yesterday.¡± Maybe he didn¡¯t know that he was already found out by his red eyes, but Ian maintained a poker face that didn¡¯t even suit him and drank a ss of water. ¡°It¡¯s nothing, we¡¯re also sorry because we went off to y without you.¡± ¡°Ahaha¡­¡± As Iris replied with a bright smile, Sera who was watching from behind startedughing as if she couldn¡¯t take it anymore. ¡°Ahem!¡± At the end of themotion, Sera also sat down at the table after barely calming down. ¡°I just asked, and they said it would take about five more minutes for breakfast.¡± Sera informed them about their breakfast as soon as she sat down before turning around and starting to inspect the area where the inn¡¯s kitchen was located. Due to Sera¡¯s eyes, which looked anxious as if she had something to worry about, Iris asked Sera. ¡°Sera, why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°How do I put this, I feel good but I also feel like something bad is going to happen. Because normally I always set up breakfast. And also we¡¯re all eating together¡­ What if I¡¯m an annoyance¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, Sera.¡± ¡°Just thinkfortably,fortably.¡± As if he decided that it was toote to sleep, Riley started to drag his hands over his face, then looked at Sera through his fingers. ¡°Now that I think about it, where are we going today?¡± It¡¯s Sera who said yesterday that they had basically seen all the good ces to see in Left Solia. Therefore, Riley predicted that they would go to another location today and questioned. ¡°Ah, today we¡¯re going to Right Solia.¡± ¡®Now that we¡¯ve seen Left Solia, won¡¯t we go to Right or Lower Solia?¡¯ Riley who thought this replied. ¡°Right Solia?¡± ¡°Yes, actually if we don¡¯t go today then we probably won¡¯t be able to go there. Because starting tomorrow, for three days the swordsmanship tournament will be ongoing.¡± ¡°Then we aren¡¯t going to Lower Solia?¡± ¡°Mm, that¡¯s¡­ It¡¯d be better if we didn¡¯t go to the Lower. ¡°Why?¡± When Riley asked for the reason, Ian replied instead of Sera. ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s not a good ce to see things.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s dirty. It¡¯s dangerous. In many ways it¡¯s not a good ce. There won¡¯t be any reason for us to step foot in Lower Solia on this visit to the capital.¡± ¡°Yes, what Ian-nim is saying is correct. I lived in Solia before, but the Lower¡­ It¡¯s a ce that I¡¯ve never been to.¡± ¡°Really?¡± After hearing the tales of Lower Solia in which you couldn¡¯t even see a hint of good, Riley epted. If the people around him were stopping him, then Riley didn¡¯t really have any thoughts of going there. It was annoying too. p! ¡°Anyway, after eating breakfast our destination is Right Solia! Today we¡¯re also going with Ian-nim! You don¡¯t have a hangover right?¡± p! ¡°Yeah.¡± As Sera pping her hands together to freshen the atmosphere, Ian grinned. ¡°¡­Hey, did you hear? About the Tess Trader Company¡¯s downfall?¡± After their breakfast came out, Riley who was looking at the menu which was arriving to their table raised his ears. ¡°Tess Trading Company? The Tess Trading Company fell? There isn¡¯t any way that a tradingpany of that size could fall right?¡± ¡°Just listen, from a few days ago¡­ Apparently the leader of thepany just disappeared. Because of that, the industry over there made a lot of noise.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Apparently, we can expect a huge storm from that direction soon. Get ready! Hey, this¡­ This isn¡¯t information that you can get easily, right? You need to be really thankful to me.¡± Riley¡¯s expression was thoughtful as he took a bite of his sandwich for breakfast. *** Although Solia¡¯s capital swordsmanship tournament was starting tomorrow, the Left and the Right¡­ Except for the Lower, all of Solia was currently in a festival mood. There were balloons or posters about the swordsmanship tournament hung everywhere, and anywhere you went it was very cheerful. ¡°Woah¡­¡± Starting from Left Solia. Past the central za where there were many people. Climbing the well decorated stairs. ¡°There are so many godd*mn people.¡± Upon reaching Right Solia, Riley, who was barely able to move his foot, wiped his forehead with his sleeve andined. ¡°Three days before the start, the Three days during the tournament, and the one day after the end¡­ During this one week, Solia will be constantly in a festival mood. Seeing as how the tournament begins tomorrow there¡¯ll be four days left.¡± Sera, who was supporting Iris while walking, smiled shrewdly and exined the situation. ¡°Four more days¡­ Amazing.¡± ¡°Once we¡¯ve arrived in Right Solia, we won¡¯t have to worry about the surging crowds. Although there¡¯s a cheerful atmosphere due to the festival, Right Solia isparatively more solemn than Left Solia or the central za.¡± ¡°Solemn?¡± At Ian¡¯s words Riley tilted his head and looked around. Sure enough, as they ascended the stairs and stepped into Right Solia, the noise ringing through their ears was reduced by a lot. ¡°It¡¯s quiet.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the Magician¡¯s Tower is located here. Also known as the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Magic Tower?¡± ¡°Yes, there are many magicians and schrs who study or research literature called magic in Right Solia. Therefore there is an unwrittenw about not creating a loudmotion here in order to avoid disturbing their research.¡± It was a world in which it could be said that a country¡¯s strength was defined by the number of functioning magicians they had. To be a magician you needed talent. It wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say that a fourth of the poption in Right Solia were people who were rted to the Magic Tower. ¡°The reason why the loud noise from the za is being blocked is because of the Deafening Stone¡­ It¡¯s thanks to an invention of the Magic Tower¡¯s schrs.¡± Ian pointed to a green stone that was installed at the entrance of Right Solia. It seemed that one of the two stone floating in the air was the Deafening Stone. ¡°It¡¯s fascinating.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t juste here because of the Magic Tower. Young Master, do you remember why we came to Right Solia today?¡± ¡°Mm?¡± Sera smiled and gave a question to Riley who was staring at the Deafening Stone. It was to perform a guide¡¯s purpose. ¡°It¡¯s to heal mother. Wait¡­ Ah, then?¡± Riley thought back to the conversation they had while eating breakfast in the inn and looked at his mother. ¡°Yes, correct. Not only is the Magic Tower here but Solia¡¯s Temple is also located in Right Solia. Therefore this silence is also meant for the priests and priestesses who pray to the goddess Airenathsa.¡± Temple. It¡¯s a ce that heals and protects people by the use of a force different from mana, called divine power. ¡°I see, I understand what kind of atmosphere it is.¡± Although the festival mood could still be felt in Right Solia, Riley who learned why it was much quieter than the rest of the capital nodded. ¡°I also understand why Right Solia is situated on a hillier location.¡± ¡°Right?¡± At Right Solia¡¯s entrance, you could see all of Solia due to the higher ground. ¡°Riley? What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming.¡± Riley who was standing there followed behind Iris and Sera with Ian as they walked to the temple. Chapter 28 - Right Solia, Lower Solia (Part 2)

Chapter 28: Right Solia, Lower Solia (Part 2)

. . . Solia temple. Using the powers imbued by the Goddess Irsa , they provide treatment to those who are sick and injured, as well as provide prophecies for disasters that have yet toe. "Ho, quite the fancy ce." The first spot they had decided to tour was here. Iris had received treatment from the priest of the Solia temple before, so it was both a tour and a visit to thank them at the same time. Riley frowned as he stretched his neck and gazed at the high ceilings of the temple. ''Temples, huh¡­'' The Temple. A ce for those who borrowed the powers of the gods. Riley was not fond of the ce. ''It seems the atmosphere is the same as back then.'' Riley was remembering the temples he saw in his previous life. For those who were new to temples and had never heard of them before, it would not matter to visit them¡­ But for Riley who had all the memories of his previous life, temples reminded him more of bad than good memories. ''Does this temple have a gathering of those who serve and follow god, to the point of being zealous enough that they wouldn''t hesitate in burning themselves as well?'' Although the names of the gods they served were different, what Riley was thinking was about correct. This temple contained the priests and pdins who strived to fulfil their god''s wishes. It was also the ce the priestess received god''s words. "¡­Huuh, it seems the sickness has gotten much better than before? This isn''t such an easy sickness to recover from." "Is that so?" "Well it''s a good thing anyway. Congrattions Lady Iris. It seems Irsa has given you her blessings. "Thank you, Archbishop Libesura. By the way, is there anything that concerns you?" ""Well, the only concern is that our priestess has just reached puberty." "Oh dear¡­" "Hahaha¡­ Well, your son was just a baby when I saw himst, but he has grown into a fine man it seems." The Archbishop had once traveled to the Iphelleta mansion to treat Iris before. As the eyes of Libesura met with Riley, Riley slowly turned and walked away. "Young Master, where are you going?" "It seems their talk is going to take a while. I just wanna have a look around." As Riley began to walk, Ian made gestures to tell Sera that he was leaving, and followed Riley closely. "It seems to be built well." "There are countless priests who travel far and wide to visit the Solia temple. It''s no wonder you would think so." Ian agreed with Riley as he stroked his beard. Within the Solia temple, from the floor to the pirs and the ceiling, there were beautiful decorations made by master artisans such that everything they looked at deserved greatpliments and praise. "Hm?" How long had they walked within the temple? When Riley found therge statue within the inner gardens of the temple, he stopped and looked around the area. "¡­" The statue¡­ It seemed to be modeled around the Goddess Irsa, a statue of a woman with her eyes closed. Riley looked deeply at the statue then averted his eyes downward. "Who is that¡­" Ian tilted his head when he found someone who was wearing a gown which resembled a white dress. She seemed rather specialpared to others, kneeling and praying unlike the other priests who simply milled around her. "Ah?" It seemed she noticed them. The person stopped her prayers and turned to look at Riley. "Hello?" She stopped kneeling on both knees, stood up and sent her greetings with a slight bow. She was a girl with a veil covering her face. "¡­Ah, hello?" Ian who was so absorbed by the aura she had stared nkly until he could quickly reply. "¡­" But Riley would simply re at the girl as if he wasn''t fond of her. "Young Master? Where is your response?" "Why?" "W-well¡­" Ian looked between the veiled girl and Riley nervously. The atmosphere appeared tense. The priests and the pdins who were around were eyeing Ian and Riley, finding fault with their manners. "Well, if she wants a reply tell her to show her face first." Despite the looks he received Riley made his decision. The stinging stares now became so sharp that they could almost cut¡­ "Y-Young Master¡­ She seems to be of high standing in the temple." "I''m an important son of an important family as well?" The girl snickered at Ian and Riley''s conversation. "You are quite funny." The girl, who looked at Riley with interest, greeted him and moved her hands to the veil. The white cloth that hid her face was raised with a muffle, disying her chin, then her nose, and finally her forehead. It was a look befitting of an angel. "Huk!" Ian held his breath. "Priestess Pricia!" Ian blushed as he lowered his face away from the beautiful girl. It was to be courteous. "Forgive me, I never realised." She was a priestess. Although she looked even younger than Riley, she was one of the most important members of the temple along with the Archbishop, Libesura. "Young Master, where are your greetings. It¡¯s the priestess! The priestess. The youngest priestess in Solia in history!" Ian quickly gave his advice to Riley, who still stood frowning without a bow. Solia''s priestess, Pricia. Just one look at her was enough to make any devout followers of Irsa shed tears of happiness. "Does this ce also have the sheetty habit of praising the priestess too?" "Sorry?" "No, I was just talking to myself." Riley closed his eyes. The priestess. Riley truly didn''t like the beings called ''priestesses''. Rather, he despised and hated them to his very core. ''You have been chosen by the holy sword.'' Receiving the words of the gods¡­ It was the priestess who made Riley grab onto the holy sword. ¡®Take the de.¡¯ ¡®Defeat the demon lord. That is your path, which we will believe in.¡¯ ''We beg you. Hero.'' . . . ¡®Why the hell did I ept back then.¡¯ Remembering the past sent Riley''s mood down even further. It sent shivers down his spine. "¡­Hello. Miss priestess." He returned her greetings with a quick flick of his right hand and turned around with not a speck of hesitation. "Y-Young Master? Where are you going? You need to leave a good impression on the priestess!" "What impression? Just looking at her pisses me off." Riley disagreed as he replied what he was thinking in return to Ian''s whispers. Ian dropped his jaw in astonishment. "¡­Sorry?" It was the priestess. The woman chosen by the gods. Her beauty was enough to bedazzle anyone who saw her, but looking at her pissed him off? Ian could notprehend at all. "Let''s go back, Mother should be done with her conversation by now." "¡­Excuse me!" As Riley attempted to walk back to the path he came from, Pricia, who was looking nkly at Riley and Ian, called out to them. "Huk?!" Ian gasped at the sight of the priestess who was briskly walking towards them with her hands holding her skirt. It was an act that made him feel like it was a sin to simply breath the same air as her. "Excuse me." "¡­?" As Pricia called out to Riley, he stopped and frowned inplete frustration, then slowly turned around. By the time Riley was looking at her, his face had somewhat calmed down. Just barely suppressing his anger was the best he could at this point. "Are you¡­" What''s she trying to say? Is it just likest time? Riley held his silence, while his thoughts were that he was ready to go absolutely nuts if she were to ask anything like to take the sword and go kill the demon lord. "¡­Are you impotent?" "¡­" The unexpected question left a frown on Riley''s face. Chapter 29 - A Strange Guest

Chapter 29: A Strange Guest

¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°I asked if you are impotent.¡± Pricia, the priestess, asked Riley right to his face if he was ¡®impotent.¡¯ As it was such an unexpected question, not just Riley, but Ian too had his mouth wide open in shock as his stare alternated between Riley and Pricia. ¡°If that¡¯s not it, then is it this? You prefer men?¡± With her arms folded behind her back, Pricia leaned her face towards Riley. In light of this, the holy temple¡¯s priests panicked. Not able to stand still, they eventually started to make hastened steps to call the high priest. ¡°If that is not it, how could you have that look on your face afterying your eyes on my visage under the veil? Isn¡¯t that unusual?¡± Pricia was looking at Riley with a certain expression, half of which was reflecting her interest in him, and the other half disying her unbounded confidence in herself. In contrast, Riley¡¯s expression was showing more disgust than ever before. He was facing Pricia as if he was looking at something absolutely abhorrent. ¡°Why should I be subjected to such a question?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because, don¡¯t you see that I am a priestess? Solia¡¯s priestess! The youngest in history!¡± ¡®So what?¡¯ The look on Riley¡¯s face could be summarized in those two words. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Is she really still a child? Among the words said by the high priest Libesra, Riley recalled the word ¡®puberty¡¯ casually tossed out in the middle. Riley sighed and asked, ¡°So what?¡± Instead of using formalnguage, the unrespectful form of speech effortlessly spewed out from Riley. ¡°Huh? Now that I think about it, you are spitting out words in informal form. Excuse me sir, but are you hard of hearing? Did you not hear me say I am a priestess?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± This time, the look on Pricia¡¯s face became hollow as if she had just taken a blow. ¡°That is, what I am saying is¡­¡± ¡°What about it? So what? Is this when I am supposed to be mesmerized after looking at a priestess? Ian, is that how it is?¡± It was a tense situation as it was, so Ian was keeping his head down, trying not to get on anyone¡¯s nerves. Ian¡¯s shoulders shivered due to the blunt questionunched at him. ¡°Yes? No, that is¡­¡± Before Ian could even respond, Riley continued. ¡°Ugh, no matter how I look at you, you are ugly as hell.¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Due to the height difference, Riley was able to stare down at Pricia. Now he was sending a contemptuous re toward her. Not just Ian, but other priests nearby listening to the conversation as well, made a ¡®Hup?!¡¯ sound as they gasped for air. ¡°Are you deaf? You over there. I¡¯m telling you that you are hideous. Now I want to turn the tables and ask you a question instead¡­ How do you expect me to have my face turn red from a little girl who isn¡¯t even my type? It¡¯s not like you are a dumbass, are you?¡± ¡°Uh, u¡­¡± It was most unexpected. Upon hearing such harsh words that she had never heard before in her life, Pricia was gradually starting to cringe. Her face was still the same, pretty and bing of a priestess, but teardrops were moistening the corners of her eyes. ¡°What now? Are you crying? So you are crying. Why? You are the runt who pped me first, so why?¡± The tone of his voice suggested that he was trying to protest and say that he was the one being treated unfairly. Riley looked around and asked the priests nearby. ¡°I responded because she asked me if I was impotent, so is it still my fault?¡± ¡°Pri¡­ priestess!¡± Riley didn¡¯t get to hear a response. The priests only rushed to Pricia¡¯s side and handed her handkerchiefs. Her cheeks swelled up like a balloon. ¡°It¡¯s fine! I don¡¯t need them!¡± Some of the handkerchiefs offered were swept away by the back of her hand and fell to the floor. ¡°Oh my, if you are ugly, you should at least have a pretty personality, but it looks like that¡¯s not the case either here?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­!¡± The ssy atmosphere from the beginning left the scene somehow. Instead, the phrase ¡®unrefined little brat¡¯ was a more apt description for Pricia¡¯s current demeanor. She tightened her fists and started to re at Riley. The teardrops barely hanging on at the tips of her eyes were on the brink of falling along her cheek. It was definitely a look fitting of an adolescent girl in puberty. ¡°What? What are you ring at me for?¡± Riley stared down at her once again with contempt-filled eyes. It was an act disying the whole truth without an iota of falsehood. To be honest, Riley wanted to strangle the priestess by her neck, but he was holding himself back. Riley¡¯s hatred and anguish were to the extent of feeling better after watching this little girl cry. Riley didn¡¯t have it easy in his previous life. ¡°Ian, let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°M-Master?¡± ¡°What are you doing? Nothing good wille of us tarrying around here any longer. So let¡¯s get going.¡± Riley cringed as if he was trying to say that he couldn¡¯t stand looking at Pricia on the verge of shedding tears. He turned and started to march away. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± After Riley left, Pricia, who was just standing there aimlessly, shed a tear that rolled along her cheek. She crossed her arms and said, ¡°Really¡­what ridiculousness, seriously!¡± Perhaps she was too embarrassed to cry in front of the priests. Pricia raised her eyes and trembled slightly. ¡°Wh-why are we having a guest like that?¡± The priests who were watching from the side were breaking out in cold sweat. They wanted to wipe the tears off of the priestess¡¯s face, but nobody could step forward for the task. This was because a priestess was someone they were not allowed to touch. Therefore, none of the priests dared. ¡°Excuse me! Mister!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Lady priestess!¡± ¡°Am I¡­really ugly?¡± ¡°¡­Come again, mydy?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if I¡¯m really ugly!¡± Pricia yelled. ¡°Ah, no way! That¡¯s not¡­¡± The priests shook their heads and denied the harsh words that Riley spewed out a moment before he left. ¡°Lady priestess, you are the most beautiful one under the Irsa. You are so beautiful that it makes one wonder if you might be the physical manifestation of the Holy One¡¯s vision of an ideal beauty.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to heed to what that Young Master said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡± Ever since she had devoted herself to the temple at a young age, Pricia lived her life without ever once having the word ¡®ugly¡¯ being directed at her. It was understandable for Pricia to be shocked by the harsh words that Riley tossed out. ¡°That¡¯s it right? There¡¯s something wrong with that guest¡¯s eyes right?¡± ¡®That¡¯s right, Pricia. Just finish the prayer you were reciting¡­¡¯ After forgetting everything about Riley through great effort, Pricia was about to continue the prayer she had paused a while ago, but then she suddenly opened her eyes wide. ¡®¡­Uh?¡¯ In order to pray, Pricia was facing the altar, but she shivered as she felt an invisible force flowing down her back. ¡°Lady priestess?¡± Pricia did not respond to the call. Instead, she quickly turned her head as if she was mesmerized by something. ¡°¡­¡± It was a possession by a divine entity. With her eyes dyed in golden light, Pricia gave a piercing stare towards where Riley had stood a moment ago. * * * ¡°Riley, did something happen inside?¡± Iris tilted her head as she asked if anything happened while she was having a conversation with the high priest. ¡°Nothing in particr?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Iris asked again because Ian¡¯s face looked pretty disturbed for someone who supposedly just walked out of a room where nothing in particr happened. ¡°¡­Ian.¡± ¡°Ouch?!¡± Crunch! As if he was trying to tell Ian to get a grip, Riley firmly stepped on Ian¡¯s foot with the heel of his boots and conveyed the following with his eyes, ¡®Act with some tact, please.¡¯ As if Ian read what Riley¡¯s eyes were trying to tell him, Ian broke out in cold sweat and smiled. ¡°¡­Yes, beautiful, I mean the inside of the temple.¡± Sera made suppressedughing noise as she watched Ian¡¯s awkward smile. Based on the atmosphere, Sera judged that the situation must not have been that serious, and she took the lead with Iris. Sera looked back and said, ¡°Our next destination is the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Oh, the Magic Tower?¡± ¡°Since you heard a rough exnation about the Magic Tower while we were entering Right Solia, I won¡¯t go over that again. Ah! Now that I think about it, Master Riley, you said you were interested in magic, right?¡± Riley nodded in response to Sera¡¯s question. ¡°Yes! To think it is possible to move objects without using your hands¡­ Wow¡­how convenient is that?¡± ¡°People don¡¯t learn magic for that purpose though.¡± Ian was dragging his feet. His shoulders were low as if he had no energy, and the devious look in his eyes said he had a lot to unload from his mind. ¡°A mage from House Iphelleta? This is so ridiculous and unprecedented¡­¡± ¡°Oh, anyway!¡± As Ian was mumbling at the back, Sera pped her hand loudly and brightened the mood. ¡°At least we can visit that ce.¡± There was a tall tower not far from where the four were headed. Surrounding the ivory-colored building, a ring of blue light floated around and circled the building. It seems that that ce was the Magic Tower that Sera spoke of. ¡°That ce, it feels different from when we looked at it from Left Solia, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it? When you get closer, they say it feels different, starting with the air around it. I heard it is because mana of high purity is umted here, but I do not know much about the specific details.¡± ¡°Mana is?¡± ¡°Yes, that ring of light is the device.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Riley looked intrigued. He looked up and filled his sight with the rings of light circling around the Magic Tower. ¡®The so-called magic¡­¡¯ Not having had much experience in magic, Riley¡¯s eyes werepletely filled with curiosity. This was because humans, including Riley, had either a curse or a blessing when they fought monsters to defeat the Demon Lord. ¡®If it is as described in the books, it is said you can shoot fire, lightning and icicle spears from one¡¯s hands. Is this true? Moving objects with one¡¯s will is a given, and one can even fly through the sky freely.¡¯ In Riley¡¯s entire life, he only had a blessing that was rted to des. He never had any other blessings like the ability that allowed for breathing fire, creating ice, telekinesis or flight. That made Riley all the more curious about magic. He was wondering if it really was possible to use such abilities without a blessing. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Would you like to try it when we head into the Magic Tower?¡± Sera, who was leading the way, looked like she just recalled something and asked Riley. ¡°It?¡± ¡°It¡¯s called mana measurement. There is a device that can measure a person¡¯s mana capacity. It is a test that those aiming to join the ranks of mages in the Magic Tower get to experience at least once.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s that again?¡± ¡°Young Master, you should try it now that you have this opportunity.¡± The Iphelleta family¡¯s first and second borns, Ryan and Lloyd also proceeded with having their mana capacities measured in order to use the ¡®Aura de,¡¯ a technique that enables the user to wield a de enveloped in mana. ¡°You have a lot of things going on, so you won¡¯t have much time for a chance like this toe by again.¡± When Ryan was twelve, and when Lloyd was fourteen, they had already mastered mana. ¡°That¡¯s right. Riley, you should try it too.¡± Riley still had not had the mana measurement done until now due to various excuses. It was like he was ying hide-and-seek with it until now. It appeared Iris too was wondering about the mana measurement result. She was looking at Riley with eyes filled with wonder¡­ ¡°Um.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was scratching his head with an impudent look on his face, and there were eyes ring at the back of Riley¡¯s head. They belonged to Ian, who was exhausted from themotion at the temple. The old man¡¯s eyes were regaining life once again, glowing. ¡®As expected of him¡­¡¯ Ian, the mercenary hero¡­ Among all mercenaries who wielded des during times of the world war, he was one of the best at utilizing mana. Ian, the first one in the mansion to realize Riley¡¯s ¡®potential,¡¯ had gleaming eyes. Chapter 30 - A Strange Guest (Part 2)

Chapter 30: A Strange Guest (Part 2)

. . . ¡°This is the Magic Tower?¡± Because it was a tower-shaped structure, Riley thought it would be quite narrow inside, but once he entered the tower, it was surprisingly expansive¡­ ¡°It is more spacious in here than I expected,¡± Iris murmured aimlessly as she looked around inside the tower. ¡°It is simr to the Right Solia entrance which has a Soundproof Stone installed. I heard it is more spacious in here than outside because of a special magic device. I don¡¯t know the specifics because it¡¯s just something I heard in passing.¡± In light of Sera¡¯s supplementary exnation, Riley interjected, ¡°The more I look at it, the more miraculous it seems.¡± It felt convenient in a different way from the science that Riley had experienced in his past life. The first floor of the Magic Tower had inventions made by mages and their famous articles on disy for the visitors. ¡°Anyway, it really is a Magic Tower. How should I put it¡­everyone here looks surreal,¡± Sera murmured as she looked around the ce. The few people working in the Magic Tower, walking around in their thin fabric cloaks waving in the air, reminded them once more that this was indeed the Magic Tower. ¡°Excuse me. What brings you here today?¡± Riley was giving dazed stares to marbles of ss and white square bricks floating around the first floor, but then he turned his head as he heard a voice from the rear. The person that stroke up the conversation was a young man with a thin fabric cloak wrapped around his shoulders like the others, making it apparent that he may be someone associated with the Magic Tower. ¡°We are here to just look around,¡± Ian responded for the group. ¡°The Magic Tower is not a ce that anyone can enter. By chance, do you have anything that you can present to prove your identities?¡± ¡°Yes, here.¡± Ian showed the marker that proved their identities as people from the Iphelleta House. The young man, who appeared to be an associate, took a good look at the marker and nodded, satisfied. ¡°Ah, you are from the House of Iphelleta. Wee to the Magic Tower. We will allow you to look around the first floor, but please do not go up to second floor or handle any objects without permission¡­ Ahah?!¡± The associate was continuing his exnation, but then he became bug-eyed and pointed toward somewhere with his finger. The direction he was pointing was where Riley stood. ¡°Th-that! Please do not touch that!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The associate rushed forward and pulled Riley¡¯s arm away. ¡°Ah, this¡­is it something I am not supposed to touch?¡± It was one of the inventions created by the mages that were on disy in the first floor. Riley was brushing a ¡®blue boulder¡¯ with his right hand. He scratched the back of his head as if he felt awkward. ¡°Ugh, you are a Young Master from a Count¡¯s House, but still, you mustn¡¯t! This is not an ordinary object¡­¡± ¡°This boulder, what could it possibly be?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you that.¡± The young associate was breaking into a cold sweat over the possibility of the boulder having smudges from Riley¡¯s hand. He immediately examined the parts of the boulder where Riley touched and confirmed that the item was fine. The young associate sighed in relief. ¡°Phew¡­ Most of the objects on disy must not be touched. As for the ones that are ok to handle, they have signs that say so, so please keep that in mind. Other than those ones, you must not touch anything! Please enjoy them with your eyes alone.¡± Riley beamed a smile and nodded. ¡°¡­Phew, still, I am d you understood me. Thank you.¡± The associate added that it wasmon for people to fire back and tell him ¡®just who the hell do you think you are?¡¯ The associate sighed bitterly. ¡°There are more than a few nobles that acted outrageously like that and went straight back to their residences. Of course, whenever that happens, I am the one that has to clean things up¡­¡± His face was smeared with grievance. As if feeling sympathy, Iris tilted her head to the side gently and asked him for a favor. ¡°Then could you please guide us through the Magic Tower? We don¡¯t know about this ce all that well.¡± ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s what you would like, I will dly!¡± As if he was waiting for the request, the associate promptly responded. ¡°My name is Peruda. You can call me Peruda.¡± As they listened to Peruda¡¯s story, they learned that the associates took turns to protect and provide guidance in the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor. Peruda, the one that Riley¡¯s group ran into today, was the one in charge of the task for the day. ¡°Mages, magic technique schrs, alchemists, and others¡­ If I tried to sort them in detail, there would be endless varieties of mages in the Magic Tower. If I tried to sort them further down to the very specifics and exined, it will take more than a whole day.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°This is the manual for the basics of magic given to the apprentice mages. With this, you can use light circle magic such as energy bolts. Ah, what I mean by a circle¡­¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°With this round device, you can pour water inside. If you wait a certain amount of time after pouring water in it, ites out as ice. It works thanks to the magic circle drawn inside which activates when ites in contact with water. The type of magic circle is¡­¡± ¡°Um, it is like a refrigerator.¡± ¡°A refrigerator?¡± ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Perhaps an hour or two passed since the group made rounds around the first floor of the Magic Tower. Thanks to Peruda, they were able to look around the first floor with efficiency. Riley crossed his arms and murmured his impressions. ¡°Hum, it looks like even mages don¡¯t have it easy all the time.¡± ¡°Pleasee to visit again. If you go through the proper procedures, you can visit the second floor as well.¡± ¡°What¡¯s on the second floor?¡± ¡°Um, that floor is best known for being able to spectate the apprentices practicing magic. For instance, the fireball that master Riley was curious about.¡± ¡°That¡¯s intriguing.¡± ¡°¡­Master, over here, here.¡± While Riley was having a conversation with Peruda on various things, Iris and Sera had already made their way to another ce and called for Riley. Ian too was already over there and looking at Riley from the other side. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°It¡¯s for mana measurement. You said you wanted to try it once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With excitement, Ian¡¯s eyes lit up as Riley walked towards them in acquiescence. ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Unlike other objects in the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor that must not be touched, the mana measurement device had a blue orb ced in in sight with a sign that said it was fine for anyone to use it. ¡°Peruda, how do I use this?¡± ¡°Just ce your hand on top of the orb. Ah, are you left-handed by chance?¡± ¡°No, I am right handed. Why?¡± ¡°In that case, just ce your right hand on the top. When you do, the orb will glow briefly, and then it will fill with water to the extent that reflects the amount of mana measured from you, sir.¡± Mana measurement. The device in front of Riley was a mass-produced version, the kind for a distributed widely and used by anyone. To that end, the orb had measurement lines drawn to help the user easily discern the mana measurement. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Peruda.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Ian.¡± Before Riley ced his hand on the orb, Ian asked Peruda, ¡°What happens if the dissemination type orb breaks?¡± ¡°Uh¡­that only happens in extremely rare circumstances. If that happened, the Magic Tower or someone else will attempt scout the user, especially if the person is still young since that would mean the person possesses jaw-dropping talent.¡± Peruda was shrugging his shoulder as he was responding, but then he changed his words in the middle. ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­ Instead of saying it is rare, it is correct to say it never happened. The orb could develop a crack, but if it broke, that means the user is showing talent beyond the level of a genius. To this day, orbs have never been broken. Haha! It¡¯s not like the user is a dragon or something. There is no way for it to break.¡± Peruda waved his hand as he exined that it had never happened before, and he added exnations on the figures that managed to make the orb to develop cracks. ¡°So, making the orb develop a crack alone is an incredible feat. To tell you about the most notable figure that made it happen, there was the grand mage Astroa from our Magic Tower, and then there is the renowned mercenary hero from the world war of the past¡­who was that? I cannot recall his name very well, but there is also that gentleman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera and Iris, who were watching from the back, made noises of suppressedughter as they gazed at Ian. It appeared that a very long time had passed since after all. ¡°By chance, Mr. Ian¡­ are you expecting to ur? When sir Riley tries it?¡± ¡°Kuhum¡­¡± Ian omitted a response as he just made a fake cough. It was not certain if Riley was aware of how Ian was feeling or not, but Riley ced his hand on top of the orb and casually murmured, ¡°After this, let¡¯s just go eat lunch. I am not certain about the time now¡­ Is it going to be a dinner instead?¡± The measurement orb started to exude a steady blue light. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps about ten seconds had passed. The orb¡¯s light turned off as if it was signaling that it had finished the measurement, and Riley took his palm off the orb. ¡°How was it?¡± ¡°What was the result?¡± ¡°Um.¡± Not just Ian, but Iris and Sera also gathered in front of the orb that had just finished measuring. ¡°Well?¡± Upon close inspection, the water filling the inside of the orb was up to about half. ¡°It¡¯s¡­normal. It¡¯s about average.¡± Peruda, who had joined afterward to stand right beside everyone, observed the water inside the orb and opened his mouth. ¡°¡­Average?¡± ¡°Yes, average. If you tried hard, you could learn magic, but the progress would be slow¡­so it would be better for him to find something el¡­¡± ¡°This cannot be.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian?¡± ¡°This is not possible.¡± Ian got right in front of the orb and grabbed a firm hold of it with his both hands. He was hoping maybe that would make the amount of water inside to increase a little or even make the orb to develop a crack. ¡°M-Mr. Ian! You mustn¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°Let¡­ Let go of me Peruda! There must be something wrong with this thing!¡± Riley shrugged as he watched the two men struggle. He quietly went to stand next to Sera and Iris and asked, ¡°What should we eat? We are going to eat at Right Solia right?¡± ¡°Sera said she had things prepared.¡± ¡°Yes, there is a restaurant that I made reservations with. Let¡¯s go there.¡± * * * It was dinnertime. In the first floor of the Magic Tower where the strange guest had just left, ¡°Ha¡­ah¡­¡± Peruda sighed wearily, as he cleaned the floor by himself. ¡°How could an old man be so strong? Oh man¡­¡± It was a problem for Peruda that a visitor caused amotion that could have broken the measurement orb. He looked tired from stopping Ian. His exhaustion was apparent in his face. ¡°Oh, Peruda! Looks like you are in charge of the floor for the day?¡± ¡°Yes, hello.¡± The mages and schrs, who were either doing research or training on the upper floors, wereing down one by one to go back home or go eat dinner. Peruda was greeting them as he was sweeping the floor, but he raised his ears as he heard light disturbance in the back. ¡®What¡¯s themotion about?¡± Upon closer observation, Peruda realized the people from the Magic Tower were gathering around a certain corner in the first floor. Peruda noticed that the Magic Tower¡¯s teacher that he had just greeted was also standing over there. Intrigued, Peruda walked over to the corner. ¡°Hey, P-Peruda? You were the one in charge of the first floor today. right?¡± Noticing him approaching, the people gathered around looked towards Peruda as he approached the area. With pale faces, they asked Peruda, ¡°Yes? Yes¡­I am?¡± ¡°That¡­over there¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Peruda pushed aside other people¡¯s shoulders in order to get past them to the front. There, he witnessed the sight himself. ¡°¡­?!¡± Peruda gasped for air and turned pale. What he saw there was the ¡®blue boulder¡¯ on disy on the first floor. ¡®This¡­how could this be?!¡± The object was a special mana measurement stone that could only be used by those with high mana concentration such as monsters or the Magic Tower¡¯s grand mage Astroa. The device was not for ordinary humans. Because it was a boulder, its size was beyondparison to a measurement orb. On a boulder like this, there were deep cracks as if someone had decided to sculpt lightning patterns on it. ¡°W-who could have done this?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know who did this¡­but it is only a matter of time until the entire Magic Tower is turned upside down when grand mage Astroa learns about this.¡± Gulp. The sound of someone gulping could be heard. ¡°W-we need to find the one responsible for this.¡± ¡°In the worst case¡­we could be framed for this.¡± RUMBLE! The boulder finally lost its bnce from the crack and copsed. Not just Peruda, but everyone from the Magic Tower had their faces turn pale. Chapter 31 - Nothing Happened in Particular

Chapter 31: Nothing Happened in Particr

¡°Riley.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is it hard on you?¡± After exiting Right Solia, the mother and son pair were on their way back to the hotel in Left Solia. They held a conversation as they crossed the main za. ¡°No? It¡¯s not exactly like that¡­ Why?¡± He caressed his mother¡¯s hand that he held as he shook his head. It wasn¡¯t hard, not exactly. ¡°It looks like there are many interesting things but you don¡¯t seem to be showing any interest, so I asked.¡± Because of the swordsmanship tournament to be opened the next day, the main za was bustling with people. It was more crowded than it was during the day. As if to belittle the darkened night sky, there were lights of orange or yellow hues everywhere on the street to shine light upon the people passing by. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Riley was paused at the end of his sentence as he looked around each street vendor, but he finally answered his mother¡¯s question. ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a lot that had happened.¡± It was as he said. Today was quite full of various incidents and events. ¡°I even went to a temple for the first time in my life.¡± In Solia Temple, he ran into an existence they called a priestess, a wench that he did not want to meet. When he went there, Riley was actually worried he might recieve yet another divine message like he had in his past life. Fortunately, nothing like that happened. ¡°I also went to the Magic Tower.¡± At the Magic Tower, he even had the mana measurement done per request of everyone, including his mother. Because of the Blessing of des that he received in his past life, Riley was able to gather mana in a way that was a little different from the method others used. Riley was concerned that the amount of mana he actually umted could be discovered by that tiny orb, but perhaps it was thanks to him minding this, he was able to get it over with and not have his true mana capacity exposed to everyone. ¡°Well, anyway, nothing in particr happened, so that was fortunate.¡± ¡°It is not like you have been going to ces where something could happen, right? Ian and Sera were also apanying you.¡± Nothing in particr? Iris asked as she tilted her head. ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Riley acted like he was busy with something else and dropped his fake smile. Now that he thought about it, it is not like he went to Lower Solia that he was warned about, so it would have been weird if anything in particr happened today. ¡°Ugh! Mr. Ian, please get a grip!¡± ¡°Huugh¡­ How could this be? There is no way I was just seeing things¡­¡± The mother and son pair, who were holding hands and enjoying their time together, turned their heads after hearing voices from behind. A maid approached with an old man as she struggled to support him. He had a nk look on his face as if he had just lost his soul. ¡°It looks like Ian was the one most disappointed by the result earlier.¡± When Iris made suppressedughing noises and looked at Riley, he smiled and asked, ¡°Mother, weren¡¯t you disappointed? Because your son is ordinary?¡± ¡°Hm? Riley, I am relieved to know that you are ordinary.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s mouth opened wide as if he were dazed. He was expecting it, and he was hoping for it all along, but having received the response he wanted so promptly, it seemed as though Riley could not hide his joy. With a satisfied face, he asked his mother, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really? Of course.¡± The mother and son duo chuckled as they continued their walk. ¡°Mother, would you like to stop by over there? I can smell something delicious in that direction.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± * * * ¡°Hey, Beta, what if we get busted from continuing to do this?¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s getting riskier! That¡¯s why I said we are going to stop performing the ¡®Prince! Please Save Me!¡¯ scheme. Now it is time to go back to our original trade, the original.¡± ¡°What, our original trade isn¡¯t thievery? It¡¯s the same deal. What if it goes wrong?¡± ¡°It will be alright. Just fine! It¡¯s not even midnight yet, right? Also, you do realize what day today is? If we miss this day, we have to suck on our thumbs until the next festival!¡± In the main za of Solia, these two homeless people who were pretty famous in Lower Solia, the Hamil and Beta couple, were lurking around to find prey. ¡°Oh, that guy looks good. He even the tint of his clothes look different, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see the massive number of knights sticking to the man? At the minimum, those guys are from a Count¡¯s household. If you tried to take a bite out of them, you will really get your jaw torn apart. Pick another brat.¡± Of all the people in the area looking like little fishes swimming around the sea, Beta was constantly moving her eyes in search of a prey that was the right size for her. She opened her eyes wide and said, ¡°Hey, Hamil! What about that one over there?¡± ¡°Um?¡± Hamil looked carefully toward the direction that Beta was pointing to and then cringed. ¡°Aren¡¯t those the pricks from the day before yesterday?¡± ¡°Yeah! Those pricks! The ones thatpletely ignored us like it was none of their business when they saw a fragile little girl who was about to be dragged away by rotten men and get raped!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It looks like a na?ve young master, a nobledy, and a maid with a weak old butler dragging his feet added to the bunch. That¡¯s only four in total.¡± It appeared Beta found her target. Beta wetted her lips as she flicked her tongue. ¡°So, are you going to go for those people?¡± ¡°Of course! For those heartless ones, we need to give them punishment! This is not a wrongdoing, but sending down a divine punishment from the heavens! Even Irtesa would forgive us!¡± ¡°Haah¡­¡­¡± Hamil looked at the group that Beta pointed out. On the surface, it looked like nothing could go wrong. It was just a nobledy and a young master who came to see the Capital¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament. Also, there were only two escorts. It was a piece of cake. On the surface, it sure looked that way. ¡®¡­I have a bad feeling about this somehow.¡¯ Hamil rolled his eyes for a quick nce at Beta. Beta appeared to be fully charged with the hearts for carrying out the score. Her fingers were squirming. ¡®Haah, if I told her that I have a bad feeling about this, she will just say a woman¡¯s intuition is better than that of a man and so on and she will get all sassy with me.¡¯ Watching the loving mother and her son, Beta was staring at them with eyes full of desire. It looked like she could not hold it anymore. Hamil, as if showing that he was giving in, said, ¡°¡­Ok. Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s how you should be!¡± They calmed their breathing, squirmed and checked their fingers by practicing movements, and approached the target carefully past through the streams of people. Their target was the funds that the group must be carrying. ¡®If we fail, we¡¯re going to bounce right away, got it?¡¯ ¡®I got it.¡¯ The two exchanged gazes. They had a rendezvous point already chosen in case the attempt failed. They had prepared for all sorts of possibilities. Even so, Hamil¡¯s throat felt like it burning. He really had a bad feeling about this. ¡®One, two¡­¡¯ It was three steps to the front. Now, the target was right in front of their noses. Beta chose the young master and the nobledy. Hamil chose the maid and the butler. It was in case the maid and the butler had the wallet or other valuables, and it was also to buy Beta some time when she grabs things from the young master and the nobledy. ¡®¡­Three?!¡¯ Hamil, who was counting the numbers in his head, suddenly opened his eyes wide. Before he could even put his hand forward, the butler, who looked so weak that he appeared he might die soon, was instead looking at Hamil with eyes filled with murderous intent. ¡®Oh no¡­we have been found o¡­¡¯ Hamil was gasping for air. Before he could even finish thinking about the fact that they have been found out, his body was rapidly bent forward by some force. Unlike his upper body, which was bent over because of a blunt pain on his stomach, his mouth was wide open. ¡°Kuk?!¡± One of his eyes was crushed and closed by itself. With his left eye, which he had barely managed to open, Hamil looked for the cause of the pain. It was an elbow. It belonged to the old man wearing a ck butler suit. His elbow was nted on pit of Hamil¡¯s stomach. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Before Hamil could get a hold of himself, he was forced to straighten his back, and his right arm was suddenly pulled up. It was the old butler, with a violent look on his face, who grabbed Hamil¡¯s arm and pulled it up. ¡®Damn!¡¯ Out of desperation, Hamil locked his teeth, and while trying to ignore the pain, he tried to kick. ¡®¡­?¡¯ However, a question mark floated up to Hamil¡¯s face. It was because his legs would not move for him. ¡®What? My legs?¡¯ While his right arm was constrained, it appeared that backsides of his knees were kicked on. Hamil¡¯s legs were just hanging there lifelessly. He could not put any strength into them. ¡°You runts. Who are you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The old man gave an aggressive stare at Hamil¡¯s eyes as he asked. Overwhelmed by the old man, Hamil¡¯s eyes darted about. It was to find a way out. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ Looking at the side, before he realized, the maid beside the butler was long gone. The maid that disappeared was already in the distance and had finished neutralizing Beta. Beta¡¯s state was even more gruesome than Hamil¡¯s situation. Perhaps it was a retribution for attempting toy hands on the young master and the nobledy. Beta¡¯s right hand was bent in a strange way, and she couldn¡¯t even scream because the maid had used her hand to plug Beta¡¯s mouth. ¡®And I thought I had a feeling about this.¡¯ Hamil firmly closed his eyes. As he thought, in the end, they got busted. ¡°You runts. Where are you from?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You dared toy your hands on our Young Master from Iphelleta.¡± ¡®Did he just say Iphelleta?¡¯ Hamil¡¯s face turnedpletely pale. If it was the Iphelleta family, the name belonged to the nobility that had earned the rank of Count from their swordsmanship alone. * * * ¡°I thought I saw your face from somewhere. You were amongst that rotten bunch from a few days ago. Young Master¡¯s words were indeed correct.¡± At the back alley of Solia¡¯s main za, two women stepped in to this ce where hardly anyone was passing by. One was Sera. The other was Beta. ¡°Your association.¡± Sera asked as she tossed Beta to the ground. She still had her wrist bent the wrong way. In Sera¡¯s chilled gaze, it appeared that there was a sliver of murderous intent. To an ordinary person, her gaze alone was enough to instill fear in one¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­¡± As if her lips were frozen solid from fear, or perhaps it was to keep the code among the thieves for her partner¡¯s sake, Beta couldn¡¯t voice anything. ¡°Well, that¡¯s fine.¡± Sera moved in a step toward Beta, who was on the ground on her stomach, and Sera sniffed the air to catch a scent. As if she figured it out, Sera reopened the eyes she had closed a moment ago. Sera asked, ¡°¡­You are from Lower Solia?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Looks like you are wondering how I figured it out. It¡¯s because you smell rotten.¡± ¡°Th-that can¡¯t be? I masked it with perfumes?¡± Beta, with a look that strongly showed her state of panic, buried her nose into her arm. No matter how many times she sniffed at herself, she could only smell the scent of the perfume. There wasn¡¯t anything like a rotten sewer smelling from her. ¡°Since I¡¯m indebted to that ce for my childhood, for the old time¡¯s sake, I will let you live this once. However¡­you must pay the price for attempting toy your hands on my master and mydy.¡± The heel of Sera¡¯s boot was raised. ¡°N¡­ No! Please!¡± Sera¡¯s boot was aimed toward Beta¡¯s left hand. Beta¡¯s right hand was already twisted in shambles. If she hurt her left hand as well, Beta was going to lose her ability to make a living. ¡°Ugh!?¡± The heel of Sera¡¯s boot, which wasyered with mana, crushed Beta¡¯s left fingers. Crack! With that sound, which would make anyone cringe, Beta bit her lips and tightly closed her eyes. ¡°We are not going to give you lectures for pick-pocketing other nobles, but next time, it will serve you better if you picked your target more carefully. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Beta rolled around the ground in pain. To Beta, who was letting her face scrape against the ground due to not being able to use her hands, Sera continued her words and then turned herself away. ¡°My master despises being bothered.¡± * * * ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Riley, who had his hands full of various foods from the street vendor, turned his head. As he licked off the sauce that was on his lips, Riley asked Ian who was following behind. ¡°Ian, where¡¯s Sera?¡± It was because he couldn¡¯t see Sera. Ian shrugged and casually answered. ¡°She said she would be relieving herself for a restroom break. She will probablye back soon.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Young Master, do you need to go as well?¡± ¡°No, not exactly. I was just curious because she suddenly disappeared.¡± Knowing that he managed to keep the master from finding out, Ian sighed in relief and looked around the surroundings. It was because he judged that the other members of the runts, which they had just given a serious beating to, could target Riley and Iris. ¡°Um, while we are at it, perhaps it would be best to make certain¡­¡± Ian, who was in middle of looking around the surroundings and not able to properly hear what Riley just said, tilted his head in confusion. ¡°Come again Young Master?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing. Ah, mother! That one looks delicious!¡± ¡°Okay. Okay. But first, please properly wipe off the crumbs on your mouth.¡± Fondly exasperated, Iris smiled toward her son. She was just about to wipe Riley¡¯s face around his mouth. At that moment, Pew! They could hear something being shot. ¡°Huh?¡± Boom! A red ray of light that was shot from the ground exploded splendidly, and it started to form the shape of a beautiful flower. ¡°¡­Finally, it feels like this is the beginning.¡± Sera murmured as she watched the fireworks decorating the night sky. As if she just returned from her business, before anyone noticed, Sera was standing next to Riley and Iris. ¡°Ah, Sera. Wee back. But¡­what is it?¡± Iris weed Sera who just came back and asked Sera as if she was confused. Sera smiled big and responded, ¡°It¡¯s about the Capital¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament!¡± Chapter 32 - Swordsmanship Tournament (Part 1)

Chapter 32: Swordsmanship Tournament (Part 1)

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! There was a loud cheer within the Arena of Solia Castle. The swordsmanship tournament began that day. "Sera. Did you bring any food or drinks?" Riley asked Sera. "It''s taken care of, Young Master." Sera showed him all the treats and drinks in response. Now, all that was left was to eat delicious food and drinks to his heart¡¯s content while watching entertainment. It was the perfect vacation. "Anyway, I can never get tired of this. It¡¯s simply astonishing no matter how many times I see it." Most of the arena was white. At the centre was a square stage surrounded by grass for the contestants who may fall off it. Beyond that was the area of the seats for the spectators, in which Riley''s group was currently seated. "Is that where they fight?" "Yes, do you remember the list of match-ups they showed before you entered?" "No, I hadn¡¯t really looked at it." "Haah¡­" Ian immediately released a sigh. He still believed that Riley should have joined the tournament, rather than only spectate. "If it goes as nned, then there should be three matches held today." "Three, huh¡­" "I believe they will end before dinner as long as both contestants are neither appalling in skill, or too skilled." "Hmm." Riley nodded to show he understood, then turned around to look at the rest of the audience. Something was strange. Right Solia and the central za were very crowded. Yet this ce was more spacious than he had thought. "You were expecting more people right?" "Why is it so spacious?" Iris questioned in Riley''s ce. She must have had the same thoughts as he did. "It is difficult for themoners to enter Solia Castle. Even if they can enter the castle, only those who are high-ranking members of famous guilds or those who have invitations may enter the arena. It¡¯s because this is a ce where sons of nobility gather topete." "I see." Iris asked a different question after nodding to Sera''s exnation. "Then can themoners not watch the tournament at all?" "No, that is not so." Sera shook her head, then pointed at a floating rock with her finger. Iris pped her hands in realization after seeing the rock which clearly seemed to be made by the Wizard''s Tower in Right Solia. "Ah, is that¡­?" "Yes, as long as that is there, even themoners who are not in the arena can watch the tournament." Riley snickered at Sera''s exnation. "Then there must be cases where a noble would be publically embarrassed because of stupid blunder right?" "No, there isn''t. There is a dy before the broadcast." Sera responded to Riley''s words. "Dy?" "Hm, you could say we get to watch it a day earlier." ¡®Is it like the difference between a live broadcast and a rey?¡¯ Riley nodded with someprehension. "Ah, I think I get it." "Yes, so events which could embarrass the contestants or the viewers cannot be seen beyond Solia Castle. The recordings are managed by the Wizard''s Tower. When requested, such scenes can be removed before being broadcasted in the za." "Hm, it''s so interesting, that Wizard''s Tower." He scratched his head as he thought to himself. He wanted to see what was on the second floor of the Wizard''s Tower. How can firee out of someone''s hand after an incantation? Curiosity arose as it was different from what he was used to in his previous life. "Ah, it seems like it''s starting." Iris tapped on Riley''s shoulder as she pointed to the square. It seemed the crowd also noticed, as the cheers grew louder. It was quite amazing considering that only nobles were gathered here. "Hey! Don¡¯t shout with mana here! Do you not have any manners?" "Ah, why don''t you shut up! Where are you from anyway?!" "Both of you shut up! My son¡¯sing out!" "¡­" Riley gave an hollowugh when he heard the voices around him. If Riley were topete as well¡­ ''All of you shut up! Young Master''sing!'' ¡­Ian would have shouted like that. Riley was relieved that he wasn''t a contestant and looked at the centre of the square. "The person walking down to the stage is from the Voiran family, and the one walking up is from the Drije family. Both families are renowned for their swordsmanship. Although not as much as the Iphelleta family¡­" Ian exined with his arms crossed. The judge who was standing on the square before anyone else made the contestants greet each other, then began to countdown. "¡­" "Finally, finally!" Ian narrowed his eyes. Sera tightly clenched her hands. Iris beamed with anticipation. And Riley¡­ *** "¡­Well, it was quite entertaining." ¡®Entertaining¡¯ was his choice of word. That was his opinion after watching two matches. ¡®Entertaining.¡¯ "It was alright." But¡­ Even after saying so, Riley''s face did not match the words he spoke. "Haah¡­ Is that really the case?" "It was interesting for me. What about you, Lady Iris?" "Me too. It was pretty fun to watch even without any knowledge of swordsmanship. And it was quite exciting too, maybe because the contestants were around Riley''s age." Ian sighed. Sera muttered. And Iris respond with a positive review. Riley stretched his arms then spoke. "Hm, it was nice to see different styles that I''ve never seen before." Excluding the story from his previous life, it was nice to see swordsmanship styles he''d never seen before. That is what Riley answered. "Otherwise¡­ I thought I was going to get cancer." Then, he added those words. "It may sound weird, but that''s the kind of fun I had. Fun while feeling frustrated? It was that kind of feeling." Ian moped. "¡­" It was not strange for Riley to say those words. Even in the dark forest he had managed to cut through the goblins without batting an eye, with even more skill than Sera. "Ah, ahahahah¡­" Sera awkwardlyughed. Truly, there were very few swordsmen at Riley''s age who could do what he had done without any hesitation. "Then why didn''t youpete yourself?" Ian grinned at Riley as he asked. It seemed that he hadn''t given up even when the mana calibration had shown him to be average in mana capacity. It was because of his movements during the goblin battle. "That''s just annoying." Riley responded nkly. "I mean, how can you¡­" Ian shut his mouth before he could answer. He saw the face Riley was making. "I just want to live peacefully. Really." He seemed tired. A boy who had just turned neen. The eyes of a boy who was living a life of leisure. It was showing the same look as someone who had lived by the sword for decades. ''Please keep it a secret. That''s¡­what Riley wants.'' Ian could hear Iris''s words resound in his head. While Ian stared at the Young Master, Irisughed as she spoke. "Well if Riley wants to live so peacefully¡­" The warm voice melted away the heavy atmosphere that was around them. Not just Ian, but Riley and Sera looked at Iris. "¡­it might be a good idea to find your wife here too." "Oomph, pfft!" Riley ducked down as he spat out the ck beer he was about to swallow. "¡­" "M-mydy. Are those your intentions?" Ian stood nkly with his jaws open, as if he was caught off guard. And Riley asked with a blushing face. "M-mother?" There were only nobles in the arena. There were definitely female spectators as well. So, finding a potential wife¡­was not impossible. Using the Iphelleta name would surely gather some initial prospects without any issue. Riley began to break out in a cold sweat since it didn''t seem like a joke. "¡­ I''m just teasing." Iris dered after a pause. Riley just stood with his mouth shut as those words came out with a smile. "Uh, I''ll head off to the toilet for a second." Riley decided that staying there was no good, and escaped from his seat. *** "She must have been joking. I mean, a wife? Surely it''s a joke¡­" After finishing his business, Riley was just about to return with Ian who was waiting for him at the toilet''s entrance. "¡­Oi!" "¡­?" Riley turned at the voice which called out to him. "Yeah, you." The owner of the voice was another boy around his age wearing a tailcoat. The boy was ring at Riley with his arms crossed. "You spoke some arrogant words before, you know?" The boy seemed like he heard those words before at the stands, as he had waited for this opportunity to ask Riley about his conceited words. "Arrogant? What was?" Riley asked Ian who was next to him as he made a clueless face. "I believe, it was that conversation from before." Ian shook his head as he wrapped his face in his hand. As the third match was about to begin, Riley, Ian, tailcoat boy and his follower stood in the corridor. The four stood and stared at each other. "Frustrating, getting cancer, do you have any idea how much time and effort they''ve put in for this day? It seems like you have no idea about swordsmanship at all¡­ If you take back your words from before then I will specially forgive¡­" "Ah, sorry. I was too careless. I apologise." Riley waved his hand as he apologised. "¡­?" "Let''s go Ian. It probably started now." "W-wait!" What now? Riley turned around as he made such an expression. "That had no sincerity at all." "What?" "Your apology wasn''t sincere at all. Is that truly an apology?" "Hah." Riley''s face twisted at the nonsense. ''Ian, what do I do?'' Riley and Ian looked at each other at that peculiar moment. ''Even if you ask me¡­'' Only nobles may solve problems between nobles. So there was no ce for him to help. "I, Aploc, am the first son of the Erenjium family! I shall punish your disrespectful behaviour in ce of those who arepeting in the tournament." How cheesy. Those were some cheesy words from an insane man. So cheesy that it could make you throw up. "¡­" Riley''s eyes twitched as his face held an expression that seemed to say that he ate something disgusting. It seemed like he was holding in his temper. "You must be from a noble family if you are here as well. Tell me your family name." ''Ah, my mistake¡­'' ¡®I should have just stayed quiet.¡¯ Riley truly thought as such. This loud mouth had always been a problem since his previous life. It was always the case when he sees others who train with their swords. ''What will you do, Young Master?'' Ian asked with his eyes. Riley grinded his teeth. Chapter 33 - Swordsmanship Tournament (Part 2)

Chapter 33: Swordsmanship Tournament (Part 2)

. . . ''What do you mean, ¡®what am I going to do?¡¯.'' Riley looked back at Ian with his intentions imbedded in his eyes. He had no wish to deal with the cheese factory any longer, not to mention it was annoying. ''We run.'' Ian nodded with confirmation. Riley quickly turned around. At the same time¡­ The first son of Erenjium family, Aploc and his follower quickly pursued, shouting ¡°How dare you!''¡± It didn''t seem like they would allow them to escape. "Excuse me. But we cannot let you past this¡­" Ian spread his arms in order to stop the two from catching Riley, then frowned. ''His movements aren''t so bad?'' The follower was nothing if not ordinary. But the boy who named himself Aploc¡­ As the first son of Erenjium, his movements were quite special. "Ho, not bad for an old man but¡­sadly it''s 2-on-1." Ian''s hand which tried to grab his clothes, only grasped the air behind Aploc. Ian''s face was scrunched by the fact that he allowed Aploc to slip by. ''Young Master!'' Ian turned his head around. Aploc was already approaching Riley with a grin. He was just an arm''s reach away. "How dare you show your back!" It was a dishonourable act for a noble. From his aggressive tone, it seemed he was not fond of Riley''s actions, and was looking to punish him dearly for it. "For someone who doesn''t have a shred of nobility in you¡­" Aploc grabbed onto Riley clothes. And¡­ "¡­?!" He looked into Riley''s face. He annoyed of the fact that his clothes were caught. The threatening face Riley was making had nothing backing it, not even mana. But it was enough for Aploc to hold his breath. ''What''s this? This atmosphere?'' The leisurely atmosphere that was around Riley when he was apologising was gone. In it''s ce was a chilling aura which made Aploc gasp. "¡­I was trying to get by easily. Why this again." Riley opened his mouth. The moment Aploc''s senses came back, his wrist was already in Riley''s hand. "You!" Aploc struggled to release himself from the grip. More urately, tt was his instinct to escape from the chilling fear. Run from here immediately. That''s what his body was telling him. ''What the, his strength is¡­'' Aploc began to use his mana. The blue mana moved from his heart to his shoulder, form his shoulder to his forearm, into his wrist. Now, all that was left was to swing his wrist. "Kuk?!" The wrist should have been free¡­after the swing. But strangely, Riley''s hand continued to grip on Aploc''s wrist like a vice. In fact, it was getting stronger to the point where the wrist felt like it was about to get crushed. ''What? What is this?'' It doesn''t seem like he''s using mana? He has no problem in a contest of strength, even when I''m using mana. Actually, he seemed like he was ahead. Very far ahead. "Y-Young Master?" Ian and Aploc''s follower stopped their skirmish and looked at what was happening here. ncing at Riley who had never looked like this before. "¡­" Ian just stood there, unable to speak a word. "Why do you have to irritate me like this? Huh?" "Uuh! My wrist¡­my wrist¡­" "Master Aploc!" Moving past Ian, Aploc''s follower extended his arm in order to save him. Realising that Riley was no push over, the follower''s hand was already imbued with mana. "Let me just¡­" Riley spoke as he swung the arm which was holding Aploc''s wrist. Aploc''s body moved like a ragdoll. "¡­live in peace!" As he continued his words, Riley swung his arm once more in the opposite direction, deflecting the follower¡¯s hand and released Aploc''s wrist from his grip. "Uak!" "Kuk!" The follower was hit by Aploc''s back and flew in an arc,nding at the entrance of the rest room. Aploc continued to fly in the direction he was swung with such force, such that he became stuck in the wall from his back. "¡­" Gulp. Ian who had been watching Riley all this time moved his eyes to look at Aploc who was imbedded in the wall. It seemed he had managed to absorb most of the impact with his mana, as Aploc still maintained his consciousness despite the cracks present on the wall. Although he seemed a little out of it. "Haaah¡­" The storm has gone past, and Riley sighed greatly. Riley glimpsed at Ian, then stepped toward Aploc. "Oi." "¡­" Riley spoke as he moved his face close to Aploc''s. Aploc could not answer, and simply looked back at him with his jaw ajar. It seems he was quite shocked at what had just happened. "I''ll only say this once, so listen carefully." Riley let his killing intent seep out. Aploc''s face began to turn blue. Ian simply held his breath. "¡­Got it?" With a whisper, Riley spoke to Aploc with his mouth on Aploc''s ear, and Ian was unable to hear what was said. Nheless, he could tell that Aploc''s face was getting paler than before. "G-got it." Aploc nodded furiously. It seemed Riley had made a request. "Remember. You speak about this, then I don''t care if you''re of the Erenjium or the Orangium¡­ I''ll make a mess out of it." "¡­Tha, Ah, Y¡­Yes! Of Course!" Even as a 3rd party, the killing intent felt overpowering. How would it feel to be the person it is directed at? "Ian." "¡­" "Ian!" "Ah¡­Yes!" Riley''s call snapped our Ian from his thoughts. The clear killing intent that could be felt from Riley was now gone as if it were just an illusion. "I''ll leave cleaning the mess to you. If anyone asks, it was done by you okay?" "Sorry? Why¡­" "I''ll take responsibility. It''s a request okay? Mercenary hero?" "¡­" Riley returned to his seat. And in the corridor leading to the toilet were just Aploc, his follower and Ian. *** "¡­I''m back." "You took a while." "Ah, yes." "Hm? Young Master, where is Ian?" "I think it''s a big one. It seemed like it was going to take a while so I stopped waiting and came first." "But um¡­didn''t you hear some kind of an explosion before?" "Explosion? I didn''t hear anything. Maybe it''s Ian? Pff, quite the intense one he''s having. You''ve got some good ears Sera." Riley who had ditched Ian began to gulp down the ck sugar beer. Gulp, gulp. He drank it as if trying to forget the cheesy lines from before, and after a few gulps, he exhaled with satisfaction. "Ah, it''s starting. So, what''s the main point to look for in this match?" Riley asked Sera as he watched both contestants enter. Despite the unintended incident at the toilet, he had still managed toe back before it had started. "It seems one of them is a winning candidate. A lot of people are cheering for him. I''m one of them as well." Sera answered with a smile. Riley tilted his head. "Winning candidate?" "Yes, do you see the person with two swords?" He wore an indigo cape which extended down to his waist, along with two swords of unequal lengths hanging at his sides. Riley crossed his arms as he inspected the man Sera was pointing to. "Hm." The atmosphere around him didn''t seem too bad. From Riley''s judgement, he assumed that Lloyd, the second son of Iphelleta house, would be simr to him if he was of a simr age. Just the fact that he used two swords as his weapons was the difference. "He''s the only contestant who dual wields like me. That''s why I''m cheering for him as well." Sera continued to exin with a blush, as if embarrassed. "He is from the Jenier family¡­ This is the first tournament he''ll be fighting in." "It''s his first tournament and he''s the winning candidate? He must be quite famous? I didn''t think that just because he dual wields, that it would be like this." "Yes. Well¡­before the tournament started, it seems like he showed amazing skills in the mock battle which was done in privately amongst the contestants. Ah, and one more thing!" Sera spoke with her index finger extended, as if this was the most important point. "He''s saying he wants to surpass the Iphelleta House as well. That was his main reason for entering this tournament." "The Iphelleta House?" "Yes, Iphelleta is considered the best when ites to swordsmanship in nobility." Riley''s face became confused. "Then, shouldn''t we not cheer for him?" "What''s wrong with that? It''s nice to see that he has some ambition in him." Seraughed while waving her hands in the air. Riley turned away from her to watch the match, unable to understand. The referee in the square raised his hands. "The match will continue until one of the contestants is driven off the stage, or until he can no longer move. Use of mana is allowed, but using it with the intention to kill will be grounds for disqualification. This judgement will be done by the referee. Do you understand?" The referee exined the rules of the match to the two nobles. "Yes." "Uuuh¡­yes." The two nobles nodded. The noble Jenier nodded with a calm demeanor. While his opponent was breaking a cold sweat, and nodded a littleter. It seemed he was quite nervous. "I think the match is already decided." The countdown began as Sera made herment. The two contestants drew their swords. One side looked confident while the other looked quite grim. It seemed he was ready to head to the toilet at any moment. "I''m not so sure about that." Even so. Riley keenly observed the match. He seemed quite interested. "Uh, Sera." "Yes?" "What''s the family of Jenier''s opponent?" "His opponent? Well¡­ What was it?" 2 seconds left. 1 second. The match began. "Ah, I remember. It was ''Erenjium''¡­" Before Sera could finish her words. Jenier''s twin des flew in the air. "Huh?" The opposite of Sera''s expectation urred. The Jenier contestant could not believe what had happened. Both of his hands were in the air with his swords discarded. He waspletely open. His opponent, Erejium charged toward his stomach after the first strike. "Erenjium?" It was if he had expected this would happen. Riley didn''t even check what was happening afterwards and recalled about the Erenjium family. ''I, Aploc, first son of the Erenjium family!'' Ah. Riley''s face turned sour. The person he had just man handled was from Erenjium as well. "I, I did it?!" Soon after, there was a mutter from the contestants. Towards the man who could not believe what he had achieved just now. The referee shouted. "Victor! Erenjium''s second son, Aplion!" "I, I won? I won!" Second son? So he''s the younger brother? Riley scratched his head as he saw the timid boy who was unlike his brother, then turned his head. It showed on his face that he remembered something. ''Now that I think about it¡­'' Ian had not returned yet. ''Is something happening?'' It''s been some time since he left Ian to deal with the clean up. It wouldn''t be strange if he had returned by now. Something was odd. ''Nah, what could possibly happen?'' It was weird. But detecting no big changes to Ian''s mana, Riley decided that it was nothing to worry about and began to eat the snacks Sera had prepared. Chapter 34 - Movement

Chapter 34: Movement

¡°¡­Please try getting up.¡± Instead of the eldest son of Erengium, Ian went to help his servant who appeared to have suffered a serious injury to the upper body. While at it, Ian was chewing over in his head what just urred before his eyes. ¡®Just¡­let me live in peace!¡¯ Even in Ian¡¯s opinion, Aploc¡¯s skills were extraordinary. Although a man like that was fully focusing his mana, Riley was not even batting his eyes. Ian pondered at what it could mean. ¡®It is not a matter of how much talent you have. My young master already is capable of skillfully using mana.¡¯ Ian concluded as such. Ian thought about how Riley coughed out words of anguish as he swung his arms around. Ian¡¯s hands were shaking. He could not hide his excitement. ¡®Young master is not ordinary. By now, he is probably capable of effortlessly controlling mana at will to the point that he can even fool the mana measurement.¡¯ ¡®Since when did he?¡¯ The thought gave Ian chills down his spine and made him shiver. ¡®Could it be that the young master is¡­a dragon out in the human world for an amusement?¡¯ Dragons were superior beings said to live well over ten thousand years. Ian remembered stories about them sometimes enjoying themselves posing and living amongst humans, and he considered the possibility of Riley being one of those dragons shape-shifted into a human form. ¡®This deadly aura, this mana¡­if that is not the case, none of these can be exined.¡¯ However, soon Ian shook his head. ¡®No way¡­¡¯ It was because his theory was not possible. Ian watched the moment of Riley¡¯s birth. The young master that Ian served was born from Iris¡¯s womb, not from breaking through eggshells. ¡®In that case¡­thedy Iris?¡¯ ¡®If she was a dragon living amongst humans, would she also give birth like humans?¡¯ ¡®Wait. If she really is a dragon, what was that about her coughing blood from a mere poison?¡¯ ¡®A powerful dragon coughing blood from a mere poison meant for human? Is that possible? Because she is in a human form?¡¯ Ian was chasing tail to tail on his theories and questions. ¡®No way¡­ Get a grip, Ian!¡¯ Ian¡¯s face was full of excitement. His heart was pumping so hard that it felt like it was about to burst. However¡­ It was different from thest time when he copsed in the mansion. ¡®The important thing is that, as expected, what I thought about the young master¡¯s abilities is not wrong.¡¯ Gathering up his strength, Ian used his remaining arm to also shoulder Aploc and started to walk. ¡®As I thought, young master is incredible!¡¯ The corners of Ian¡¯s mouth went up on their own. It was because he was proud of his young master. Tears were forming in his eyes, which were wrinkled from age. ¡®Of course! Definitely! I had faith in him! He is the master that I serve after all! Definitely!¡¯ Ian was wiping off the tears from his eyes, but then he suddenly stopped walking. ¡®Wait, hm¡­¡¯ Ian remembered the favor that Iris asked of him. ¡°Please keep it a secret.¡± On the carriage, on their way to Solia after ying the goblins, Iris said that to Ian. ¡®What? What I witnessed with my eyes today¡­ I need to keep this secret?¡¯ Ian¡¯s face was overflowing with joy, but now it suddenly turned dark. ¡°Hello¡­ Excuse me.¡± Ian was walking while helping Aploc and his servant, but he heard a delicate voiceing from the back and that made his shoulders shiver. It was not only delicate, but also somehow soft and fine. The beautiful voice wasing from his rear. Ian could also feel the presence of many people along with the voice, so he sharpened his eyes and turned his head. There were about twenty people within Ian¡¯s sight. ¡°¡­Um?¡± The people were either wearing white clothing or armor. Even at a nce, they were definitely people from Solia Temple. ¡°What could have happened¡­ Huk?!¡± ¡®They are the people from the Solia Temple. What business do they have at the castle where the Swordsmanship Tournament is being held at the moment?¡¯ ¡®And why, of all times, now they want to talk to me?¡¯ With his eyes sharpened, Ian looked toward the people, and then, ¡°Huk!¡± He gasped for air. ¡®That¡­ That person is?¡¯ There was a person with a veil covering the face. No. It was a girl. Ian found a girl who appeared to havee straight from the Temple and had holy knights and priests standing behind her. ¡°At this ce¡­¡± The girl with her face hidden behind the veil spoke. A soft voice, that felt like it contained a special power, echoed in the corridor. As Ian thought about how she must be delivering divine messages or curing people with that voice, and that was making him ovee with a sense of piety. ¡°I heard that the guest who came to the temple yesterday is here.¡± Priesia, the priestess from Solia Temple, continued. It looked like she was looking for someone. ¡°¡­¡± Gulp Ian gulped. ¡®That cannot be.¡¯ ¡®That cannot be, right?¡¯ Ian was picturing in his mind the trouble that transpired at the temple yesterday. ¡°By chance.¡± Pricia carefully walked toward Ian. As if there was nothing to it, Priesia walked all the way to the front of Ian, and then she asked, ¡°Have you always known?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Ian¡¯s face turnedpletely pale. This fragile-hearted butler was now thinking about what Riley said at the temple yesterday. ¡®Ugh, no matter how I look at you, you are ugly as hell!¡¯ Just thinking about it made Ian¡¯s heart pound like little girl¡¯s. Because of the predicament he was in, Ian looked like he could cry. ¡®Ah, why is my memory so good?¡¯ He med his sharp memory. *** The three matches for the day ended. Sera stretched to loosen up her body that became stiff from sitting for so long, and she immediately rxed back down. She looked a little disappointed. ¡°How do I say this¡­ Maybe it is because the contestant that I was rooting for lost. I don¡¯t feel good.¡± ¡°Are there revival rounds or anything like that?¡± ¡°I heard there isn¡¯t anything like that in the rules.¡± ¡°That is too bad.¡± Irisughed as if she thought it was funny, and then she asked to Sera, ¡°Well then, did we watch all of the matches for the day? Somehow, it feels like they ended rather quickly?¡± ¡°Yes. There weren¡¯t many matches today because there was the opening ceremony, but also because there were fewer contestants than thest year. Still, since there won¡¯t be an opening ceremony tomorrow, they will have more matches then. They didn¡¯t give a notice, but I¡¯m projecting that it will continue until there are only four contestants left.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°So, in the day after tomorrow, they will probably hold the semi-finals and the finals.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± All of today¡¯s matches were now concluded. The nobilities in the spectator seats were starting to stand up here and there. Sera and Iris followed suit and stood up from their seats. ¡°Anyway, they were surprising. The House of Erengium.¡± Sera murmured as she got up and tidied up the ce. ¡°That much?¡± ¡°Yes. Considering his skill for the age, he is almost at the same level as Master Ryan.¡± ¡°Hm. What if youpared him to Riley?¡± ¡°Inparison to the young master? Hm¡­¡± Sera held her finger at her chin as she tilted her head. Even for Sera, it was a question that she could note to a conclusion easily. ¡®When ites to skills, our Young Master Riley is definitely steps ahead.¡¯ Sera predicted that, unlike the Erengium House¡¯s second-born son, Riley was different from him starting with the attitude in holding a sword. Sera have never seen Riley holding any sword while in the mansion, yet Riley was not shocked at all after cutting down the goblins with ease. Based on that, Sera figured that there is definitely something about Riley. Not only his attitude, but based on the swordsmanship alone, she thought that Riley definitely had an upper hand. From Sera¡¯s perspective, who have seen the de works of both Erengium¡¯s second-born son and Riley, her assessment was like that. If there was one problem, ¡®Difference in mana must be¡­¡¯ She was thinking that there must be a difference in mana. A matter of the difference in natural born talent. A difference that could not be helped by skills. It was the talents rted to mana. The mana measurement from the Magic Tower showed that Riley¡¯s mana capacity is average. Inparison, Erengium¡¯s second-born son appeared to have substantially superior talent in mana. This was the one thing that kept Sera from making a conclusive assessment. ¡°Well, I am not sure.¡± Because of this, Sera turned her head toward Riley to ask directly. ¡°Young master, what do you think¡­ Huh? Young master?¡± Sera blinked her eyes. It was because Riley, who was with her only a moment ago, disappeared and appeared to have gone somewhere. ¡°He said that since Ian is still not here, he should go escort him here. He took his leave before us.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Based on the look on Sera¡¯s face, it appeared that Iris guessed what Sera wanted to know. Iris told Sera where Riley went. ¡°Now that I think about it, Mr. Ian is still¡­¡± Did he eat something bad? Did he open a street vendor shop next to a restroom? While thinking about Ian, who was still not with them, Sera scratched her cheek. ¡®Um. Is it going to be all right for the young master to roam around by himself?¡¯ Sera was thinking she should scold Ian when he returns. Iris smiled nonchntly toward Sera and tossed a question. ¡°You never know? While he had the time to spare, maybe he went to find himself a bride?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera¡¯s face turned red. ¡°What you said a while ago, that was not a joke?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iris only smiled without saying anything else. This time, she didn¡¯t reply to say that it was a joke. ¡°Ah, ah haha.¡± In light of Iris¡¯s smile, Sera started tough, but she quickly shut her mouth when she felt the presence of many in front of her. She looked toward them. ¡°Um?¡± The nobilities, who were on their way to exit the seating area, were gathered at the exit. It looked like someone was blocking the way. ¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Curious, Iris was tilting her head. She decided to go with Sera toward the exit to find out what was going on. ¡°Huh? Sera, over there¡­ Isn¡¯t that Ian?¡± ¡°Pleasee again?¡± Looking past the shoulders of nobilities murmuring in front of her, Sera found a butler who looked like he lost his soul. bbergasted, Sera¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°That¡­ That¡¯s right? It is Mr. Ian. Why is Mr. Ian over there?¡± ¡®Mr. Ian is blocking the way? Why? For what reason?¡¯ ¡®If that¡¯s the case, what happened to the young master who went to look for him?¡¯ Questions in Sera¡¯s mind were only leading to yet another question. Sera rolled her eyes in search of Riley, and soon, she found people dressed in white standing alongside Ian. ¡°Uh?¡± They were holy knights and priests from Solia Temple. Several additional question marks floated up on Sera¡¯s face. ¡°We apologize for blocking the way. Right now¡­we are looking for the people from the House of Iphelleta.¡± Eventually, among the people from Solia Temple, a girl with a veil covering her face spoke. Because Sera was from Solia, her face changed fast once she heard the familiar voice that she seemed to have heard from somewhere. ¡®Oh my¡­ Pr-Priestess Priesia?!¡¯ *** On the corner of the Solia Castle¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament Arena, Riley leaned toward the wall and avoided the gazes of people. He then took out a hard object from his pocket. ¡°I am d that I bought this yesterday in advance.¡± Yesterday, when Riley was with his mother at Solia¡¯s main za, he purchased this from a street vendor. It was a mask. Upon wearing it, it was a mask that concealed the upper half of his face. It could also be worn to cover up his hair if the mask was put on from the top, so the design was such that it would not be wrong to call it a full mask. ¡°I hope he is keeping up the good work and watching his mouth.¡± Riley twiddled with the mask. Remembering the Erengium House that he warned a moment ago, Riley was looking for Aploc¡¯s energy. ¡°If things get out of hand, it is going to be inconvenient.¡± As he murmured, he quickly turned his head. It was toward beyond Solia Castle¡¯s walls. The direction he was looking in was toward Lower Solia. ¡°¡­ Man¡­ Of all ces.¡± ¡®Why is the Erengium House heading towards Lower Solia?¡¯ ¡®Since one of their servants is injured, for the treatment alone, they should be heading toward Right Solia?¡¯ However, other than that question, what bothered Riley was the fact that they were moving along the outermost eastline, the furthest location from here. Feelingzy, Riley cringed. ¡°What a bother.¡± After scaling Solia Castle¡¯s walls, Riley put strength to his heels and then made a leap in the direction of the Main za. The destination was Lower Solia, the ce that Erengium House must be headed for. Chapter 35 - Movement (Part 2)

Chapter 35: Movement (Part 2)

¡°¡­Ugh!¡± In the sewers of Lower Solia, Hamil cringed. His body was in shambles. ¡®To think that the four we tried to mug yesterday were from the Iphelleta House. We had rotten luck¡­ No, perhaps it was a good luck?¡¯ Although he couldn¡¯t breathe very well, he was still alive. It was because the Iphelleta House¡¯s butler showed him mercy. Hamil thought he was a goner for sure. All things considered, it was correct to say that Hamil was fortunate. ¡°Is it morning¡­no, evening?¡± Hamil tilted his head up to look through an opening in the sewer¡¯s ceiling to estimate the time. The color of the sky was a mix of orange and dark blue. ¡°I arrived in the evening, but I woke up when the sun was about to set¡­ Looks like I was asleep throughout the whole day. Well, I had a rough day yesterday.¡± His body was in a horrible shape, and he also had to carry Beta on his back all the way here because she was knocked unconscious. Even Hamil thought that his mental strength was worthy of praise. ¡°Uu¡­ Hey, Beta. Are you still among the living?¡± Hamil raised his body up, which was aching all over, and looked for Beta, who he struggled to bring back here yesterday. Beta was nearby. ¡°Damn it. Damn it. Thatssie¡­¡± Sig¡­ Sig¡­ She was trying topose her breathing. She had serious injuries on an arm and a hand, but she appeared to be all right in other ces. ¡°Are you¡­ alright?¡± ¡°Do I look alright to you?!¡± Beta shouted loudly. Her voice was loud enough to echo through the sewer. Someone in Lower Solia said ¡®Shut up!¡¯ in response to her roar. ¡°Damn it, my arm, and¡­my hand are busted. It¡¯s the end for me.¡± To hide the desperate look on her face, Beta was lying down on her stomach, even if it meant rubbing her face on the sewer¡¯s floor. Because she couldn¡¯t use her hand, it looked like it would be difficult for her to get up by herself. ¡°It is not the end. You just need to get them healed by going to the temple.¡± ¡°Those high and mighty people lending a helping hand to me, someone from Lower Solia? Ha! That¡¯s not even funny.¡± Hamil, who at least still had working arms, struggled to get near Beta and helped her to get up. Her face was messed up with her tears and runny nose. It looked funny. ¡°Calm down.¡± Although Beta¡¯s face was making Hamil to have a hard time keeping himself fromughing, he managed. Hamil only showed a serious and sincere expression on his face, and he started talking to Beta in order to calm her down. ¡°¡­¡± Beta and Hamil were looking face to face at each other for a while. She roughly wiped off her tears with her shoulder and then got up. ¡°Beta?¡± ¡°Now that it hase to this¡­ I will have my revenge.¡± Her legs were fine at least. Beta got up, and immediately, she started to go somewhere. ¡°Ug¡­¡± Upon hearing the word ''revenge,'' Hamil tried to get up so he could stop Beta. However, he was not able to. The parts of his body, his legs, that were on the receiving end of that old butler¡¯s beating were not quite recovered yet. ¡°Stop this, Beta!¡± Since Hamil could barely walk at the moment, he couldn¡¯t get to her. Instead, he tried to convince her to stop with his words. However, Beta¡¯s steps didn¡¯t stop. ¡°It would be faster if you just ran the casino!¡± Hamil¡¯s voice was bing more and more distant for Beta, but she still did not stop. She continued on, turned a corner on the sewer¡¯s corridors, and said, ¡°¡­I will use the garbage!¡± She screamed those words out loud and clear. It was so Hamil on the other side, who was still trying to convince her to reconsider, could hear. Beta then continued walking. ¡°Hey! Hey!¡± In Lower Solia, there was a saying, ¡®If you are bitten, then bite back harder.¡¯ Beta was insisting on practicing those words. Her eyes were exuding murderous intent. ¡°¡­¡± Beta walked far to the point that she could no longer hear Hamil¡¯s voice. Eventually, she stopped at a corner of the sewer. In front of her, there was someone sleeping with a rag as the cover. ¡°¡­Get up!¡± Tok Beta kicked the person sleeping in the corner. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Hey. Nainiae, I said wake up.¡± ¡®How could someone sleep so soundly on a stone floor?¡¯ Even though Beta kicked her several times, this girl named ¡®Nainiae¡¯ was not waking up. Beta used the tip of her foot to quickly get rid of the rag to the side. ¡°Can¡¯t you hear me? I¡¯m telling you to get up!¡± The rag made rustling noise in the air and eventually flew into the sewer¡¯s dirty water. ¡°¡­?¡± With her nket gone and the sound echoing in her ears, Nainiae, who was sleeping until now, batted her eyes and looked up at Beta. ¡°Ugh.¡± Beta scrunched up her face for a moment. Beta was disgusted by seeing her disturbing face. It would have been nicer if that was all that Beta had to endure. Instead, she could also smell a terrible stench. It was worse than somethinging from trash. ¡®This thing is a woman¡­¡¯ Beta was thinking that if she was Nainiae, she would have hanged herself. Nainiae asked Beta, ¡°Beta¡­ What brings you here?¡± Two of her fingers were missing. One would never know if she just lost them or sold them. Nainiae¡¯s right hand had only three fingers. Using her right hand, she carefully got rid of eye boogers from her horrid looking face. What happened to her face could have been the result of a chemical bottle shattering on her face. The burn from the chemical left her face with one side having a different shade from the other, and one of her eyes was white like that of a dead person. ¡®It feels like asking a favor of a dead person.¡¯ Beta tried to hold in the urge to throw up and said, ¡°I-I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Nainiae¡¯s dead eye¡¯s gaze was directed to Beta. Bearing the stench, Beta smiled brightly and answered, ¡°Yes. This is something that cannot be done without you.¡± ¡°Something that cannot be done without me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You are the only one that can do it. I have faith in you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you for this favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae fell into silence, deep in thought. Gulp Beta gulped. ¡°¡­ S-So?¡± Breaking the silence, Nainiae lowered her head slightly and murmured. ¡°Well, okay.¡± Nainiae stood up sluggishly. She looked frail like a person who was in a critical condition. ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡± Beta flickered the corner of her lips. *** In middle of Solia¡¯s main za, people from the Erengium House were able to leave the arena before the people in the spectator seats because they participated in the tournament. Now, they were on their way to Lower Solia. ¡°That¡¯s when I deflected that bastard¡¯s twin des with a single blow. After that, I charged right in!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Erengium¡¯s second-born son was boasting as he told the tall tales about the details of the tournament from today, but he tilted his head to a side and said, ¡°¡­ Big bro?¡± It was because his big bro looked as if he was possessed by something. His eyes were twitching. His arms were crossed, but his arms weren¡¯t just snugly holding his body. They were almost tightly constricting it. Aplyon grabbed on to his big bro¡¯s shoulder, shook him lightly, and said, ¡°Big bro, is there¡­something going on?¡± His big bro used to be always energetic and full ofughter. It was very odd to see him acting like this. ¡°Ah? Aplyon¡­¡± ¡°Big bro?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing¡­ There was nothing.¡± Aploc finally replied to his little brother¡¯s question and shook his head hard. Still, his face was that of a man chock-full of fear. ¡°Something happened, didn¡¯t it? What happened? Please tell me! Didn¡¯t you say that it is better to think about difficult problems together?¡± ¡°Have I not already told you that there was nothing wrong!?¡± ¡°¡­Ug?!¡± Aploc opened up his arms, which were crossed till now, and struck down his little brother with a swing of his arm. Not able to withstand his big bro¡¯s strength, Aplyon¡¯s back collided with the carriage¡¯s wall. ¡°Big¡­ Big bro¡­¡± The servant driving the carriage quietly took a quick peek behind him into the carriage. He could see Aploc¡¯s servant who was severely injured. It was certain that something must have happened. However, Aploc was not about to open his mouth to exin it. It was as if he was brainwashed by someone. ¡°It is nothing. Do not¡­mind it.¡± Again, Aploc crossed his arms, hugged his armpits, and started to shiver. *** ¡®Fortunately, everyone is keeping their mouths shut.¡¯ On top of the carriage. Riley was relieved after hearing the voices from the carriage below. It appeared that making things clear to them while he was inside Solia Castle was quite effective. ¡®If they talked, it would have been an inconvenience to me.¡¯ Riley fiddled with the mask he was wearing. He was just about to take off the mask and return to the Solia Castle. ¡®Um?¡¯ He could feel eyes on him. Riley focused his ears. There were gazes staring directly at him. As he focused his ears, he could hear voices nearby. ¡°¡­That¡¯s the guy.¡± ¡°That runt?¡± ¡°Yes. The young master that Beta spoke of is that one.¡± ¡°Young master? That runt wearing a mask?¡± ¡®¡­What did you say?¡¯ Tadak Tadak The carriage was running forward without resting. There were two people blocking its path. The two were ring at Riley on top of the carriage as if they were trying to burn holes through him with their gazes. ¡°But, I don¡¯t see any escorts? What happened to the maid and the butler? And besides all that¡­what¡¯s a young master from the Iphelleta House doing on top of a carriage like that? Even wearing a mask?¡± Of the two people blocking the carriage¡¯s path, one of them shook head. This one had a dirty rag-like fabric covering entire body from the top of the head. This one looked worse than a beggar. ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. As for the reasons why the escorts are not with him, I don¡¯t know that either. However, of all people that Beta mentioned, that guy is the one that¡¯s closest to us.¡± Erengium¡¯s carriage charged forward as it kicked off dirt. The servant who was driving the carriage turned pale after realizing that there were two people standing right on its path. He waved at them and screamed, ¡°You two over there! Please get out of the way! Out of the way!¡± It looked like the two had no intention of moving out of the way. They simply stood there on the carriage¡¯s path and stared at Riley who was wearing a mask. ¡°What are you going to do, Beta?¡± The one concealed under the rag asked Beta who was standing on the side. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious¡­ Actually this is better. That it turned out like this¡­¡± Beta twisted the corners of her lips and said, ¡°Just kill him.¡± ¡®What¡­¡¯ After hearing the conversation, Riley was about tough out of their ridiculousness, but then he suddenly opened his eyes wide. ¡°¡­?!¡± The one covered in rag put forward one hand. It was a right hand with its middle and pinky fingers missing. In front of that hand, it looked like mana was umting. It eventually turned to a ck-colored light. [Note: I understand that a ck colored light is impossible by default, but that¡¯s what the author said. Think of a magic effect from movies or animes with a mysterious ck colored energy.] The one under the rag spoke, ¡°Lightning Spear.¡± Along with the casting of the spell, the ck-colored light became sharp. Soon, a pitch ck-colored lightning bolt wasunched. The Erengium House¡¯s carriage was pierced through by the lightning spear. With a single strike, the servant on the carriage¡¯s driver seat turned to burned charcoal. Of course, having lost the driver, the horses ran amok and neighed wildly. The ck lightning pierced through the servant and obliterated the top of the carriage. Aploc and Aplyon were tossed out of the carriage, and the Erengium House¡¯s carriage was overturned on the side. As for Riley who was on the top of the carriage, ¡®That just now¡­ It cannot be?¡¯ With his eyes wide open, hended on top of a building nearby. ¡°Did it miss¡­¡± The gaze of the one covered under the rug moved toward the rooftop where Rileynded. ¡°¡­Aaaaaaaak!¡± ¡°Aaaaaaak!¡± Due to the chaos that came about without any warning, the citizens in Solia¡¯s main za were screaming and running all over the ce in panic. ¡°It¡¯s magic! Magic!¡± ¡°Someone is shooting magic attacks at random!¡± ¡°Mama! Mama!¡± It was aplete mess. The Main za was turned chaotic in an instant. Watching this, Riley cringed and red at the ¡®mage¡¯ wearing a rag. ¡®By chance, is that¡­¡¯ Under the rag, although it was hard to see due to the shadow, the face underneath was beyond hideous. One of the eyes was white and dead. The skin was red and peeled off as if burned by a chemical. The ¡®mage¡¯ that Riley was looking at said, ¡°Just you wait. Beta said she has faith in me. That¡¯s why¡­¡± And then¡­ ¡°¡­?!¡± Mana umted behind her, and then it started to exude ck colored light. The mage murmured, ¡°¡­ I need to show her my gratitude.¡± Having witnessed therge boulder-sized magic spells floating about in the air, Riley gulped. He had never seen these kinds of fireworks or ice formations. Not even in his past life. ¡®¡­Oh?¡¯ Chapter 36 - Sounds of Explosions in the Main Plaza

Chapter 36: Sounds of Explosions in the Main za

At Solia Castle, at the arena¡¯s grandstand, Sera exined it to Priesia as she tried not to get on Priesia¡¯s nerves. Sera pointed to the seat where Riley was sitting and said, ¡°Hey. So what I¡¯m saying is¡­ Until just a moment ago, he was sitting with us here.¡± ¡°He was sitting here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Priesia gave a nk stare at the seat that Sera pointed at. There was only a brown-sugar beer holding the seat. ¡°Do you know where he went now?¡± ¡°That is¡­ He said he needed to use the restroom.¡± Sera didn¡¯t quite finish the sentence as if she was embarrassed. She looked at Ian. It was because before Riley disappeared, he said he was leaving to find Ian. ¡°¡­¡± Ian that Riley went to find was now here. Ian¡¯s face was shaded in darkness. Sera noticed that Ian¡¯s face was more serious than her own, and she couldn¡¯t continue exining anymore. Instead, her shoulders slouched down. ¡®As I thought, we should have brought more servants as escorts¡­¡¯ Sera tried to make excuses in her mind, but still she started to me herself and critiqued her qualification as a maid. Of the three from the House of Iphelleta, Iris was the only one that at least kept herposure. She asked Priesia, ¡°Ms. Priesia, what would you do? Would you like to wait here?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Priesia touched her lips. At the same time, both Sera and Ian¡¯s eyes were rolling all over the ce. As for Ian, he was turning the light on his eyes in order to find Riley¡¯s energy immediately even at the expense of spending mana. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Priesia?¡± While Ian and Sera were on the edge, Priesia didn¡¯t answer Iris¡¯s question, and instead, she walked toward where Riley was sitting. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± Hide-and-Seek. Score: 9 losses out of 9 rounds. So far, Ian lost every time, but he was thinking he would definitely find him this time. Determined, Ian¡¯s eyes were burning. He looked at Priesia and thought, ¡®What is she trying to do?¡¯ Priesia walked to where Riley was sitting and carefully picked up the cup containing the brown-sugar beer, which was about half full. ¡®Is she going to use her holy power?¡¯ ¡®A priestess, a being blessed by the goddess Irsa¡­ Is she trying to use her holy power to find Riley?¡¯ Ian watched Priesia with high expectations. ¡°Hm.¡± With her thumb, she brushed the bear cup that she picked up, and she sharpened her eyes. It looked like she was not liking something. ¡®No, did I get the wrong idea?¡¯ ¡®By the way, why did she pick up the brown-sugar beer cup of all things?¡¯ ¡®Was she thirsty?¡¯ ¡®Is she going to quench her thirst with that?¡¯ Ian was about to shake his head. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Crash! By the sudden forceful grip of her hand, the beer cup in her hand waspletely crushed. ¡°¡­?!¡± Because of the violent sound, Iris, Ian, Sera, and even the priests from Solia Temple flinched their shoulders. ¡°Pr-Priestess?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± As if she finally regained her consciousness, Priesia gave a nk stare and said, ¡°I am sorry. What did you just say?¡± And then, she turned her head toward Iris and gave her a refreshing smile. ¡°¡­¡± However, from her right hand, which crushed the cup, the brown-sugar beer¡¯s ck liquid was dripping and wetting the floor. For those that could see how she looked, the atmosphere felt like it was demanding silence. ¡®As¡­ As I thought. It was because of what happened the day before yesterday!¡¯ Ian gulped. The violently sharp atmosphere that the priestess disyed for a moment made Ian remember the time when Riley badmouthed the priestess at Solia Temple the day before yesterday. ¡®She is definitely still angry! It looks like¡­it would probably be best if the young master stayed hidden from her until the priestess goes back to the temple¡­¡¯ In the restroom¡¯s corridor, Riley was able to toy with the first-born son of Erengium House as if he was just a rag-doll. Ian wasn¡¯t hoping to feel relieved about Riley this way, but regardless, no matter where Riley may be, Ian figured that Riley wouldn¡¯t be in a pinch that was more serious than this one. Ian rxed his face a little and started to mind people¡¯s nerves. ¡°¡­Priestess!¡± Breaking the tense atmosphere, the people who were gathered around where Riley was sitting suddenly turned their heads toward the origin of the voice. As if he ran here at full speed, the priest¡¯s face was covered with sweat. He presented the priestess with something. It looked like a message from someone. ¡°N-Now, at the Main za area, something terrib¡­¡± Before the priest could finish his sentence, they could hear an explosion in the distance. The explosion could be heard from over the wall,ing from the Main za¡¯s direction. * * * It was incredibly loud. Arge lump of me, created by the power called magic, wasunched and collided with a building. The explosive sound had an incredible intensity. It made those hearing it go temporarily deaf. ¡°¡­Save me!¡± Screams were being buried under the noise of explosions. Hell. The Main za was in a state of festivities because of the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament. Now, the scenery could be summarized in one word, hell. ¡®I only read about it in books. This is the first time seeing it for real.¡¯ Another magic attack wasunched at Riley. He jumped over a roof and barely dodged the magic and looked at the woman under the rag¡­no, a frail, little girl under the rag who was indiscriminately shooting magic attacks. ¡®She looks young.¡¯ She looked substantially younger than Peruda, the one that guided him in the Magic Tower. Her appearance looked horrifying. Riley went over the varieties of magic and the number of shots that the girl wasunching. Riley then sharpened his eyes. ¡®She is so young, yet she is able to shoot so many shots of magic. Is that possible?¡¯ Riley racked his brain trying to clear his doubts. Solia¡¯s guards who were in charge of the Main za realized the situation and were running this way. The guards were wearing armor. It looked like they were skilled, but Riley thought they couldn¡¯t stop this girl. That was because, ¡°What are you?! If you don¡¯t surrender immediately¡­ Kuuaaak!¡± One by one, the guards who were charging in like that were struck by her magic attacks and either became burned charcoal or shattered crystals after bing frozen solid. ¡®Sera wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this. Looks like someone at least at Ian¡¯s level shoulde.¡¯ Riley looked around to assess the situation. The damage was piling up, but he couldn¡¯t sense anyone capable of stopping her,ing this way. ¡®Ugh¡­ The dumbasses from Erengium¡­ Now would be the time to step up, yet they don¡¯t have a grip on their nerves.¡¯ When the carriage turned over as it got destroyed, perhaps they hit their heads or sustained injuries from the magic attack. The two young masters from the Erengium House were bleeding from their heads and lying unconscious. ¡®I have to stop this?¡¯ Under the mask, Riley scrunched up his face. It was cool to see the magic, but it looked like he was not liking the idea of having to do something himself. ¡°Fireball.¡± With her chanting, the girl created a fireball and immediatelyunched it toward Riley. Riley, who was watching the situation from a roof, clicked his tongue and leaped to another roof. Boom! With an explosive sound, the roof that Riley was standing on a moment ago was destroyed and engulfed in mes. ¡®But, really¡­she is fighting reallyfortably.¡¯ Upon setting foot on another roof, Riley looked at the girl who only changed the direction of her hand. It looked like she was about to use magic yet again. In light of this, Riley¡¯s look in his eyes changed. ¡®Magic¡­ Should I really try learning it once?¡¯ At least, unlike hardbor of swinging a sword, it looked way morefortable to go ¡®bam bam¡¯ and shoot high-powered magic attacks from a distance like she was doing. Other misceneous magic could be convenient as well, and Riley was thinking how nice it would be to have the teleportation ability. ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°¡­Ice Lance.¡± While Riley was deep in thought, appearing to have readied her magic, the three-fingered girl under the rag created a boulder-sized icicle with her magic spell chant and shot it at Riley. ¡°How about you realize what¡¯s happening a little by now?¡± Riley unsheathed the sword on his waist and swung his right arm at a speed far greater than the icicle that was flying toward him. In the end, the icicle was able to get close to Riley, but it was still impossible for it to deal any damage to Riley. ¡°¡­?!¡± Under the rag, the girl¡¯s expression twitched. It was because the icicle that she sent was cut clean in half without any sound and crashed to the ground. ¡°What¡­ What are you doing? Nainiae! Kill that bastard! I said kill him!¡± Her voice was hysteric. After easily slicing the ice magic that wasunched at him, he turned his head toward where the voice wasing from. The owner of the voice was shivering and quickly walked behind the girl under the rag when she saw Riley looking at her. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± The woman, who scrunched her face for a moment due to the girl¡¯s stench, firmed her face again and ordered the girl, ¡°Nainiae, hurry up and just kill him¡­ We are running out of time. I have faith in you?¡± ¡°All right, Beta. Just trust me. I will get it done. I will kill him. I will kill him fast.¡± Riley dusted off the sword he used to slice through the ice magic. With a gaze that looked like how one stares at something he finds to be an annoying pest, Riley looked at the woman standing behind the girl. ¡®That woman?¡¯ It was when Riley first arrived in Solia. It was the woman from the ¡®pickpocket incident¡¯ that he watched as he was drinking a brown-sugar beer. That was not all. It was the same woman that targeted their wallets when he was enjoying his time together with Iris taking a walk through street vendors. ¡®Really, Ian and Sera sure have big hearts. They are too kind.¡¯ If there was no way to make it certain that they never bother Riley¡¯s party again, Sera and Ian should have taken more extreme measures. That would have been the best. Riley thought Sera and Ian eliminated that woman back then. Upon realizing that it was not the case, Riley sighed. ¡®It cannot be helped.¡¯ There was someone in front of him that was saying she would bring him more bothersome troubles if she was left to her own devices. Therefore, there was only one option that Riley could take. ¡®Now that it turned out like this. I should clean up the bothersome stuff and take care of other businesses as well.¡¯ Riley looked at the magic appearing in mid air, and then he looked at the eyes of the girl casting the magic. It was intriguing. Other than a ghastly appearance, her eye behind her hair could be seen. Her eye looked familiar to Riley. He felt like he had seen it somewhere before. ¡®¡­Should I go for a test run?¡¯ Riley lowered his chin as he fiddled with the sword¡¯s handle. * * * To immediately capture and bring in the culprit that shattered the mana measurement boulder. It was the assignment given to Peruda the day before yesterday, for the one who was in charge of the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor. The assignment even had a time limit of ¡®before the Great Mage Astroa notices it.¡¯ ¡°Ha¡­¡± He was in mid-twenties. He had a whole life ahead of him. However, his face was cast in shadows. ¡°At this rate, am I going to get kicked out of the Magic Tower?¡± ¡®Am I going to be able to handle the assignment within the time limit?¡¯ The answer was, ¡®impossible.¡¯ Peruda was thinking that way. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t have a guess on who might have done it. However. ¡°Riley? Did you say Riley? If ¡®Riley¡¯ is his name, isn¡¯t that the Lazy Swordsman from Iphelleta House?¡± The veryst visitor, that came before the boulder incident happened, was the most likely suspect. Since that guest even touched the mana measurement boulder with his bare hand, there was no need to doubt. That should be the case. However, Peruda shook his head. ¡°No. That does not make sense at all.¡± However, that was insufficient. There was not enough evidence. ¡°It is impossible to do¡­¡± Peruda murmured. It was a problem that the suspect is ¡®Riley,¡¯ the one that scored average on the mana estimate sphere. From his mansion, Riley was infamous for being azy-ass. In fact, he was even called a vegetable. The rumors about the third-born young master were pretty widespread. The boulder was for monsters, and even Astroa could not cause a crack on it by touching it with bare hands. Yet Riley was able to make it fall apart by fiddling with it a little? It was nonsense. Every little kid passing by would have answered the same. ¡°¡­Um?¡± Boom! Coming down from Right Solia, Peruda was heading toward the Main za, and he tilted his head in an angle as he heard the explosioning from nearby. ¡°Fireball?¡± Boom! After hearing the noise again, Peruda narrowed his eyes. ¡®This burning sound¡­ This explosion noise¡­ It is definitely Fireball?¡¯ He got on his knees to put his hand on the ground. Peruda gently closed his eyes. ¡®Indeed. It is Fireball.¡¯ Using a detection magic of his own, Peruda realized that the noise just now was from Fireball, a mid-level magic used by mages. Peruda opened his eyes and got up. ¡°Run everyone!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mage! A mage is running amok!¡± From the Main za¡¯s direction, there were people running away from it. Having realized what¡¯s happening, Peruda gritted his teeth. ¡°What kind of crazy bastard is using attack magic in the Main za without permission?¡± Even now, yet another explosion sounded. The sounds of people¡¯s screams were getting more intense, and Peruda¡¯s face became sharper in response. ¡°I must stop this¡­¡± Peruda didn¡¯t know how to use magic that would enable him to fly, so he hastened his steps. Fortunately, it appeared the situation was happening nearby. ¡°¡­Uh?¡± Eventually, Peruda arrived at the scene of hell. He gave a nk stare as he opened his mouth. ¡°That¡­ That is?¡± The one he saw first was the girl under the rags who had three fingers and shooting magic indiscriminately. ¡°That¡­ That is¡­ Why here?!¡± Pitch-ck-colored magic. ck-colored me, ice, and lightning magic. Peruda watched them with a nk stare. His lips were trembling as he murmured. ¡°Was it not dis¡­disposed of?¡± ¡°Fireball.¡± The girl under the rag who Peruda was staring at used magic once again. Peruda was moving his firm gaze to where the magic was headed. A question mark floated up on his face. ¡°¡­?¡± In that direction, there was a man wearing a mask. He was easily deflecting the magic attacks with a sword. Chapter 37 - Sounds of Explosions in the Main Plaza (Part 2)

Chapter 37: Sounds of Explosions in the Main za (Part 2)

The man who wore a mask swung his sword once again. He swung it with such speed that a blur could be seen in the air along the path of his sword. ¡®Ugh. Again?¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s face was already hideous, but now it was getting worse with her cringing. By the looks of it, his sword appeared to be an ordinary iron sword without any special magical device attached to it. However, just by swinging his sword, her opponent somehow destroyed all of the magic attacks that were targeted towards him. ¡®I only heard theories about that being possible. To think I am witnessing it for real.¡¯ Right around when the magic sheunched dissipated, Nainiae coughed. The ck lights floating in the air shook for a moment. ¡®No. Beta believes in me. I must return the favor. I must endure this¡­¡¯ A narrow stream of ck blood was flowing down from her lips. Not wanting anyone to notice, Nainiae wiped off the blood using the topside of her hand and started to cast magic once again. Looking at the situation, she realized that, instead of shooting a powerful magic, it might be more effective to shoot smaller magic attacks inrge numbers at once. ¡°Magic Missile.¡± Numerous magic missiles appeared everywhere, not just in front of her hand, but also behind her. They looked like ck, semi-transparent arrows. With difficulty, Nainiae took a deep breath as her hand faltered. It felt like her burnt face, which was like that from a chemical when she was at the Magic Tower, was hurting more than usual. The parts of her hand where her fingers were cut off were hurting as well. ¡®Eat this!¡¯ The situation changed. Up to this point, there was one shot of magicing at Riley at a time, but this time, there were several dozens of them. Despite this, ¡°Is it a different magic this time?¡± Nainiae¡¯s masked opponent was not startled at all by the change in numbers. He was still calmly swinging his sword. As if he was saying he had no reason to strike every single one of the missiles, he dodged a few and deflected a few. For the ones he deflected, he deflected them toward other magic missiles to change their trajectory so that they would not hit him. In the result of this man¡¯s swordy, all of those magic missiles, which wereunched for the sole purpose of piercing through this one man, ended up being scattered in the air or striking nearby buildings and structures. ¡°¡­They are getting lighter.¡± After a quick sword dance, havingpleted his finish stance, the masked man said toward Nainiae in front of him, ¡°Unlike before, that was pretty light. I am not talking about just the decrease in numbers. The amount of mana in each is lighter as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Is she trying to figure me out? Or¡­¡¯ The masked man stopped talking. Instead, he looked at Nainiae¡¯s chin. Perhaps she was not able topletely wipe off all of the bloodst time. On her chin, there was still a bit of stain from her ck blood. ¡°Nainiae. You can win, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡±Nainiae! Answer me! You can win, right?!¡± When she heard Beta shouting from behind, Nainiae said, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She answered in exhaustion. Her vision was already blurring. It felt like she was about to copse to the side, but Nainiae answered, ¡°Trust me. Beta, the favor you asked me¡­ I will make sure to get it done.¡± Along Nainiae¡¯s cheek, which was red from the burn injury, a stream of pitch-ck tear rolled down. It appeared that she had made up her mind. She was bent on taking that man¡¯s life. *** ¡®Something¡­is not right.¡¯ Riley sharpened his eyes. He thought about all of the magic attacks he deflected or dodged so far, and he suddenly turned his head. Something was definitely odd. Riley learned about the basics of magic from books. Although he heard supplementary exnations during the visit to the Magic Tower, this was still not making sense. ¡®The color of magic described in books were not like this.¡¯ In the books that exined magic, to make the descriptions easier to understand, there were pictures, and they were not in ck and white. They were colored pictures. ¡®But these¡­¡¯ Riley looked around to see the aftermath of the ces struck by the girl¡¯s magic attacks. Buildings were burning in ck mes. Long magic icicles nailed to the Main za¡¯s brick-patterned walkways were exuding cold air from their ck surfaces. Even sparks asionally flying at one of the street vendors were ck. Everything was ck. ¡®Is it a special type?¡¯ This was like what Riley observed in his past life. Riley was thinking about those that were extraordinarily talented or disyed exceptional abilities. Those people, just like the girl under the rag he was facing right now, had unique colors or ways of movement. ¡®Somehow, the situation is not looking good.¡¯ Riley was looking at the aftermath of the magic attacks, but then he turned his head back toward the girl. The color was not looking all that great. It wasn¡¯t a rich or ssy ck. Instead, the color felt disgusting. It felt like¡­sewage water. ¡®It looks like she is not able to control her mana properly either.¡¯ Riley could not confirm it to fine details, but he could certainly tell that mana inside the girl¡¯s body was running amok. He guessed that she is coughing blood because of this, although there must be a different reason for her blood being ck. ¡°Um?¡± Riley looked at the girl under the rag. Looking at her chin again, Riley¡¯s eyelids twitched. It was because there was yet another ck line being drawn toward her chin. It was made by tears. ¡®Looks like she is not in her right mind.¡¯ Her eyes were unsettled and constantly twitching, and there were ck tears flowing below. Even at a nce, Riley could tell that it was not normal. ¡®I think I better not leave things like this.¡¯ He could not afford to let things to deviate too much from his n. Riley fixed his grip on his sword and concentrated. Based on the atmosphere, Riley was certain that the next one was going to be an extremely powerful one, far beyond the magic attacksunched at him so far. ¡°Look over there.¡± ¡°Someone is fighting?¡± ¡°Does that mean¡­we don¡¯t have to run away now?¡± Riley corrected his stance to be ready for the next magic attack. Riley was waiting for the attack toe, but he realized that voices of people could be heard, one after the other. Now Riley had foolish spectators who did not value their lives. ¡®God damn it¡­¡¯ Under the mask, Riley¡¯s face scrunched up as he remembered something from the past, ¡®¡­Over there! Look! It¡¯s a brave warrior! A brave warrior appeared!¡¯ ¡®¡­Ah¡­ Now we are saved! Saved!¡¯ As Riley heard them shouting, in an instant, his mood plunged down to the worst. For the moment at least, nobody in the Main za was calling him the ¡®brave warrior,¡¯ but the situation at the moment was very simr to another situation Riley remembered from his past life. ¡®I should just¡­ All of them¡­¡¯ Under the mask, Riley¡¯s two eyes were starting to fill with deadly aura. Riley was certainly aware of people starting to gather to watch, one after the other. Their faces were full of anticipation and expectation. They were hoping that Riley would stop the girl under the rag. There were people starting to gather. ¡®All of them¡­¡¯ Eventually, Riley¡¯s and the girl¡¯s eyes met. ¡°¡­?!¡± It could have been that the girl detected Riley¡¯s deadly aura. She was in the middle of preparing a shot of a giant magic, but suddenly, her shoulders were shaking. ¡°¡­Beta.¡± ¡°Uh, yes?¡± With an almost extinguished voice, the girl said to the woman behind her, ¡°You must run¡­¡± ¡°What? Nainiae? What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°Trust me. Believe what I have to say. That man, he is going to kill everyone here. That¡¯s why.¡± The girl under the rag gritted her teeth. It looked like she finished preparing the magic. ¡°When I signal¡­ You must run. You can survive. You, at least.¡± ¡°No, no way¡­¡± ¡°It is all right, Beta. As for me, even if I died here¡­¡± ¡°I said it won¡¯t do! You useless b*tch!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Because of an unexpected yelling from the woman, the girl¡¯s shoulders were shaking even more. ¡°No way! You still have a job left to do! You can¡¯t die already! Before you finish your job, you can¡¯t die. If you died already, you¡­you will be just a trash that couldn¡¯t return my good will of having faith in you! You got that?¡± The little girl¡¯s delicate lips started to tremble. ¡°Bu¡­ But Beta, this is because you said you believe in me¡­ That is why I¡­¡± ¡°I rescued you. Since I saved your life¡­and since I fed you and provided you with shelter, you need to at least do your part, isn¡¯t that right?! Why do you think we kept you around when you make us puke just from looking at you?! You! You are hopeless!¡± ¡°No, it is not true¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± The girl¡¯s voice was shaking. She murmured to deny the woman¡¯s words. Under the rag, on the girl¡¯s face, a sense of panic could be felt. Instead of feeling betrayed, it looked like she was seriously hurt from hearing words like ¡®you make us puke¡¯ or ¡®disgusting b*tch.¡¯ No matter how she appeared to be on the outside, the girl was still not even in her twenties. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ You disgusting b*tch¡­ It is no wonder why you were thrown out from the Magic Tower as w¡­¡± The woman that had been pouring out horrible words suddenly stopped. It was because an intense aura of murderous intent, the kind that even an ordinary person could feel, struck her from her back. ¡°Ik! Uu, Ah¡­ Uu¡­¡± The woman clumsily stepped back and fell on her butt. Because she could not use her hands, she fell down hard. Tears were forming in her eyes. They were tears induced by fear. ¡°¡­Spectating ends here.¡± Riley was walking toward them while relentlessly exuding his murderous aura. ¡°A trash that couldn¡¯t return my good will of having faith in you? What a great line.¡± Riley chose the easiest way to neutralize a pesky runt. In order to take the woman¡¯s life, Riley raised his sword. Thessie kept on doing things that Riley hated. He had no reason to let her live. He figured that killing her now would also help him fall asleep at night better. Riley¡¯s sword glowed with mana. ¡°Uu.¡± Choked by fear, the woman tightly closed her eyes. The girl under the rug was in a state of panic, but she bit her lip and blocked Riley¡¯s front. ¡°¡­Pir of Fire!¡± Before Riley could even say ¡®Out of my way,¡¯ the magic that the girl under the rag prepared was activated. A red magic circle was drawn under Riley¡¯s feet, and arge pir of fire revealed itself above it. ¡®You are really dense¡­¡¯ Inside the pir of fire, Riley narrowed his eyes and turned his body wide. After lowering his upper body by a little, he swung his sword like a windmill. With a small shouting, he straightened up his body. ¡°¡­?!¡± Whoosh! By the whirlwind generated from Riley standing in the middle, the me rising from below was expanded and then dissipated in the air. ¡°H-How?¡± The girl was standing there looking disappointed after watching her magic, which she cast with all of her remaining strength, being torn apart by a piece of iron. Riley stood beside the girl and looked at her. ¡°¡­¡± Even after hearing horrible insults from the person she trusted, she still stepped in to save that person. Watching her, Riley felt like he was looking at his former self from the past life, a na?ve fool who was taken advantage of. ¡°B-Beta! Run¡­ Kuk?!¡± The girl quickly turned her head toward Beta who was sitting on her butt on the ground, but the girl suddenly strained and opened her eyes wide. It was because, along with a gust of wind blowing toward her face, there was a sudden and blunt impact on her stomach. ¡°Please¡­¡± The girl under the rag abruptly copsed to her knees. While grabbing on to a tip of Riley¡¯s pants fabric, she fell forward. Her three fingers desperately held on, but soon they lost their strength. Riley knocked her out carefully so she would not be able to regain her consciousness for a while. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Watching the girl helplessly faint in front of her, the woman gave a nk stare with her mouth open. With eyes sickened with fear, the woman sitting on the ground looked up toward Riley. ¡°I don¡¯t have that big of a heart, so, for your attempts at me, ending it with just two of your hands won¡¯t do.¡± By carrying murderous intent in his eyes, Riley immobilized his target. Riley raised his sword and swung it without a moment of hesitation. ¡°¡­Stop!¡± However¡­ As if it was obstructed by something, the sword that Riley swung made a ¡®Ting!¡¯ sound as if it struck ayer that was invisible. His sword was not able to cut off the target¡¯s head. ¡°¡­?¡± As he realized that his sword was blocked by something, Riley narrowed his eyes and started to look for the man who shouted ¡®Stop!¡¯ a moment ago. The man was up above, in the air. Wearing a robe with purple and dark green colors properly mixed in, the old man was holding a yellow staff with a blue orb embedded in it. He was staring down at Riley from above. ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Riley clicked his tongue. It was because he noticed that the old man floating in the air possessed extraordinary mana. That was not all. ¡®Did I drag this out for too long?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the old mage. From Left Solia and Solia Castle, there were people with pretty powerful energies approaching. Their energies were at a caliber that was on a whole another level from ordinary guards. They were certainly royal knights from Solia Castle, the real deals. That wasn¡¯t all. Among the peopleing this way, it felt like there were people from the Holy Temple mixed in. ¡®Ha¡­¡¯ Riley sighed and cringed under the mask as the situation headed in an unwanted direction. In his dignified appearance and attitude, the old man floating in the air asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley did not answer. As if he decided that the silence was the answer, the old man pointed his staff toward Riley and continued, ¡°If you won¡¯t open your mouth, then I have no choice but to demonstrate my power.¡± In front of the staff that the old man put forth, a red-hot me appeared. Unlike the magic that the girl under the rag was using, this one had a different color. It was a fireball. ¡°I, Astroa the Grand Mage, shall handle this personally.¡± The old mage flying in the air, Astroa, was smiling with arrogance. Chapter 38 - Sounds of Explosions in the Main Plaza (Part 3)

Chapter 38: Sounds of Explosions in the Main za (Part 3)

. . . There was a call from Peruda. ¡®It looks like you shoulde to the Main za.¡¯ The old man shook his head. He leisurely finished his dinner, and now, the old man was at the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, watching his twentieth specimen¡¯s drug injection results. ¡®Hey Peruda¡­ I am the kind that does not move unless it is for something extraordinary.¡¯ He was the grand mage representing Solia¡¯s king. Manufacturing drugs and selling them to umte wealth, and using that umted wealth to perform all sorts of cruel experiments, he had chosen an unbelievably hical path to get to where he was today. However, he was Astroa, practitioner of the Seven Circles magic. For humans, it was a level that one in ten thousand mages may or may not reach. He had more than enough right to refuse Peruda¡¯s request with the reason he provided. ¡®The thing that was thrown away from the Magic Tower is running amok here.¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ However, the call from Peruda this time made Astroa, someone who was only self-serving, attentively raise his ears. ¡®It was on its way to the grave, but it is moving? Huhu. Isn¡¯t that something.¡¯ The tentacle of the nt that Peruda used tomunicate was twitching. Sitting in a grand chair at the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, Astroa was enjoying the screams of his specimens, but he got off his ass. ¡®In that case, maybe I should go and watch? It might be fun blowing out a candle.¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Um?¡¯ ¡®There is a man fighting the disposable asset.¡¯ *** ¡°Huh?! It is the Grand Mage Astroa!¡± ¡°Alright. Everything will be all right now!¡± And now¡­ The citizen¡¯s voices were exining the current situation. Astroa entered the scene in the Main za. ¡°¡­I, the Grand Mage Astroa, will handle this personally.¡± Astroa arrived at the Main za using flight magic and discovered a man swinging a sword at a frightened woman. Astroa used Barrier, which is one of defensive spells, and blocked his movement. ¡®Hm. He won¡¯t speak? Is he mute?¡¯ Astroa formed a fireball in front of his treasured staff, and he tilted his head sideways. The man in the mask, despite being in front of a grand mage¡¯s fireball, was not faltering. ¡®He is quite skilled. The way he struck down magic with his sword was not ordinary.¡¯ ording to Peruda, the man in the mask was a skilled practitioner. He was a man who only used a sword to neutralize the magic attacksunched at him by ¡®that thing¡¯ discarded from the Magic Tower. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know what kind of mutt you are or which hole you crawled out from.¡± As if it could not wait any longer, the fireball that appeared in front of Astroa¡¯s staff started to vibrate. It looked like it was urging to beunched soon. ¡°The fact that you swung your sword at a frightened woman, and the fact that you are impudently messing around inside Solia, the Grand Mage Astroa¡¯s stage¡­ No matter which one I look at, it cannot go unnoted.¡± Soon thereafter, hiding his true intent, Astroa made a smile as heunched the fireball. His target was the man who wore a mask looking up towards him. ¡°I have no choice. I will take care of this personally.¡± Of course, because the fireball¡¯s explosion range was quite wide, there was a possibility that the ¡®frightened woman¡¯ and other citizens could get mixed in the explosion, but Astroa didn¡¯t care about the aftermath. To him, the important thing was not the safety of the citizens. It was the citizens¡¯ perception. ¡®He is supposed to be highly skilled, right? In that case¡­¡¯ The grand mage admired by the people of Solia was now, with eyes full of curiosity, staring at the man who wore a mask. The people¡¯s gazes looked like they were looking at something interesting. ¡®His energy itself was strange. He isn¡¯t just some nobody that could handle mana.¡¯ Remembering what Peruda said, Astroa focused mana to his eyes. He did that to ensure he wouldn¡¯t lose sight of the man¡¯s movements. Also, it was because it could be dangerous if a skilled swordsman closed in with a sword. Even though he was floating in the air, he could not let his guard down. ¡°Now, wait, look at that over there¡­¡± ¡°No way¡­ It¡¯s not, right? The Grand Mage Astroa wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± In light of the magicunched by Astroa from the sky, the citizens in Solia¡¯s Main za were gradually starting to take steps back. ¡°If it is this much¡­¡± Finally, a voice could be heard from inside the mask. Because it was a low voice, Astroa didn¡¯t understand it and tilted his head. ¡°Um?¡± The masked man fixed his grip on his sword and took a stance that Astroa had never seen in his life. * * * Riley was fixated on Astroa¡¯s magic attacking at him from above. As he squinted because of its brightness, he tightened his grip on the sword with his fingers. ¡®There are three directions I need to keep in check.¡¯ In his head, Riley went over the things he had to do once more, and soon, he started to carry out the moves he had nned in his head. At this point, the thing he had to take care of first was Astroa¡¯s fireball flying at him. ¡®First.¡¯ Riley loaded his sword with mana. With a big motion of his right arm, he moved his body. While he was deflecting multiple magic attacks from the girl under the rag, Riley noticed one thing. It was the fact that he could interfere with the power called magic using a sword. ¡®I¡¯ll divide it into three, and then¡­¡¯ After loading the sword with mana, by shing precisely through the center of the magic, it was possible to cut or deflect it. That meant that, to take it to another level, the experiences so far were suggesting that doing something like what Riley was nning would also be possible. ''All at once¡­¡¯ Riley¡¯s sword was drawing a blue line from being loaded with mana. An Aura de. It was an ultimate sword technique that only a swordsman who knew how to handle mana could use. ¡°¡­?!¡± Astroa, who was floating in the air, had his facial expression changed rapidly. It was because, in the blink of an eye, Riley divided the fireball into three. That was not all. ¡®¡­I should be generous with what I made!¡¯ The three fireball parts were changing their trajectories with different angles following Riley¡¯s sword movements. And soon thereafter, Riley forcefully spread them out. ¡°That, lunatic!¡± Astroa cursed. It wasn¡¯t just because his magic attack was no longer a whole fireball. Not only had it been turned into pieces of mes, one of them even changed its direction and was flying toward him. ¡°¡­Waterball!¡± Astroa rushed to cast a magic spell of the opposite element. After neutralizing the piece of me, Astroa looked below, not able to believe what he just saw. ¡°W-Where?!¡± Still looking surprised, Astroa prepared a detection type magic and turned his head all around. The mystery swordsman, the one who cut the grand mage¡¯s fireball into three pieces and turned its trajectory to the caster, had disappeared without a trace. ¡®Wait, it was definitely cut in three pieces?!¡¯ Astroa who was in the air, turned his head rapidly. It was because there was only one piece of me that wasunched back at him. ¡®Then what about the other two?¡¯ The other two pieces were each headed in a different direction. Astroa checked the mana in the destinations of the mes and raised his eyebrows as if he wanted to say it was unbelievable. One of the mes headed off to a blockade on Left Solia¡¯s entrance, formed by the royal guards of the castle. The other was going to the entrance of Solia Castle, where the people from the temple were rushing toward the Main za. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Astroa was racking his brain to figure it out. As he was giving a nk stare to check the directions of the mes, to his back¡­ ¡°¡­?!¡± A sword that left its master flew at him. Astroa noticed a sword spinning, carrying rotational force as it was approaching him. He opened his eyes wide, turned his hand toward his back and started to recite a magic spell. ¡°Barrier!¡± By a very close timing, a barrier appeared in front of Astroa. However, it was not powerful enough to stop a sword carrying mana. The barrier was torn apart, and the sword that came out of nowhere pierced his arm. ¡°¡­Kuuk!¡± There was no need to wonder who could have been holding this sword that flew at him just now. It had to be that masked swordsman. It was Riley, no doubt. ¡®Such impudence! How dare he do this to me!¡¯ Astroa¡¯s eyes turned red with veins. He looked around the area to find the bastard. ¡°¡­¡± While he was scanning the area, when he lowered his head to look at the Main za, all he could find was a corpse of a woman just lying there in the middle of a pool of blood. * * * ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± On the pathway leading to the Main za from Solia Castle, the people from Solia Temple, who were rushing on their way, suddenly stopped and tilted their heads sideway as they observed the lump of me flying in their direction. ¡°It looks like it is headed this way?¡± ¡°Please step aside for a moment.¡± Priesia concluded that the me closing in was unusual in size, so she decided to have the priests and holy knights to stand behind her. ¡°Holy Barrier.¡± A golden light appeared around Priesia¡¯s body. As she used her holy power, soon, a round-shapedyerrge enough to protect everyone from the temple including Priesia, appeared. It was a protectiveyer at a whole another level from something that could be cast by ordinary priests. ¡°Hm¡­¡± With her hand extended forward, after neutralizing the me that flew at them, Priesia wrinkled her eyebrows. It was because the me was quite powerful. ¡°This me?¡± ¡°It seems like it was the Grand Mage Astroa¡¯s me¡­¡± ¡°A grand mage from the Magic Tower attacking the priestess? How could that be!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Priesia narrowed her eyes and gazed at the sky. As one of the priests in the back said, in the sky, there was an old man that appeared to be Astroa flying in the air using flight magic. She couldn¡¯t tell the expression on his face, but at the moment, he was not looking in Priesia¡¯s direction. Instead he was looking toward the Main za. ¡°It seems like he wasn¡¯t targeting us when heunched the magic attack.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Anyway, it would be best if we went over there quickly as well.¡± ording to the divine message from Irsa, Priesia had to find Riley at once. However¡­ She assessed that there was another matter in the Main za that was even more important. * * * In Solia Castle, the people from the temple left the scene as if they suddenly had an urgent matter to take care of. After that, all of sudden, Sera and Ian were left by themselves. Sera asked, ¡°What could it be?¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Why is the Priestess Priesia looking for our Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°¡­Hm.¡± Ian started to pretend to be doing other things as if he had no idea. It was not like he actually had no idea, but he was ufortable about saying it aloud. Riley dropped a bomb by saying that Priesia is ugly. He said it to a priestess that represents a temple. Even royalty couldn¡¯t say such things. ¡°¡­Come on. What is it? Ian?¡± While Sera and Ian were deep in thoughts and giving nk stares to the empty space, they could hear a voice from the back. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Ah! Young master!¡± While thinking about what transpired in the temple a few days ago, Ian¡¯s shoulder shivered when he heard the nonchnt voice. On the other hand, Sera sighed in relief and weed Riley. ¡°You were all here already?¡± By Riley¡¯s looks, it appeared that he didn¡¯t run into the priestess. Ian broke in a cold sweat and forced himself to ask, ¡°W-Where have you been?¡± ¡°As I said to my mother, I went to the restroom? To look for you.¡± Looking at Riley, who was scrunching his face as if he was unsatisfied with something, Iris broke intoughter. ¡°Looks like you all just missed each other on different paths. It is not like there is only one restroom here.¡± The castle was huge. As Iris said, this ce didn¡¯t have just one restroom. Even so, could he possibly get confused about the location of the restroom that he went to only a moment ago? Ian pursed his lips as he thought about it. ¡®Looks like the cat¡¯s out of the bag.¡¯ It was Riley, the one that sang songs about how much he hated bothersome matters. If he ran into the priestess that was looking for him, it was obvious that something bothersome would unfold. Like an animal with the instinct for survival, Riley probably sensed a bothersome mattering his way and chose to take his leave. Or so Ian concluded. Sera immediately tidied up Riley¡¯s clothes like a maid and asked toward Iris, ¡°Now that young master is here as well, shall we go back?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Iris nodded and started walking first. In the arena, where the matches ended for the day, there was amotion for a moment because people from the temple came¡­but now, most of the people, the people from the temple or the nobilities that came to watch the matches, have already left. ¡°Ah¡­ I wonder what kind of spectacr tournament will unfold tomorrow. I look forward to it.¡± ¡°It seems that of all of us, Sera is enjoying the tournament the most.¡± In light of Sera¡¯s words that were uttered due to not being able to contain her excitement, Iris suppressed herughter and responded. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t be getting all excited about this¡­¡± ¡°No. No. I only meant it as a good thing.¡± Riley gave a nk stare toward Sera and Iris, who were walking in front of him, and quickly turned his head to look at Ian. It wasn¡¯t certain what exactly he was thinking so hard about, but Ian lowered his chin and stared nkly at the ground. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°The thing I told you about earlier, was it taken care of properly?¡± Riley broke a smile and asked Ian. ¡°Ah, if you are talking about the young masters from Erengium¡­ Yes. Although I was worried because I ran into the priestess in the middle of it all.¡± Ian didn¡¯t quite finish his exnation as he scratched the side of his head. Ian felt like he didn¡¯t do practically anything. All he did was watch as Riley made the two men freeze in fear from his murderous aura. He ended up only moving the two men who were frozen. ¡°¡­Well done.¡± Looking at Ian, Riley smiled once more. His right hand slowly moved to his back pocket where he had shoved the mask in. ¡®No matter how I think about it¡­¡¯ Because the timing was bad, Riley had to return without finishing his business at the Main za. Although it was a bother, he thought that he should go out once more in thete evening. He fiddled with the mask and pulled his chin. Chapter 39 - Sounds of Explosions in the Main Plaza (Part 4)

Chapter 39: Sounds of Explosions in the Main za (Part 4)

. . . It was at Solia¡¯s Main za. An unexpected disaster turned this ce into aplete mess. The priestess who made an appearance was like a blessing of a rainfall after a drought or an oasis in middle of a desert. ¡°Oh. It¡¯sdy Priesia.¡± ¡°Lady Priesia¡­¡± ¡°Goddess Irsa, please look after us.¡± Priesia responded to the people¡¯s desperate voices with caring hand gestures and smiles, then she checked the situation in the surrounding area once again. There were several obliterated buildings and many people who were either injured or dead. ¡°How many are there?¡± ¡°Twenty injured and four dead. Considering what happened, casualties like this could be considered as pretty low.¡± The storm had passed already. Priesia, who only managed to arrive at the scene after the situation came to an end, cringed. ¡°Even though the amount of casualties was low, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that we were toote.¡± ¡°My apologies. I¡¯m at a loss for words.¡± Having heard what Priesia said, a royal knight from Solia Castle, who was walking besides Priesia, lowered his head. The knight was in disbelief. He did not believe something like this could happen inside Solia, a ce that enjoyed a prolonged period of peace. He also looked rather angry at himself, for the fact that he wasn¡¯t there to step forward in the moment when people were in danger. ¡°I think I will have to send a prayer. Sir Knight, please, will you step aside for a moment?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Seeing Priesia¡¯s hand gesture, the royal knight nodded as if he understood and stepped back. Soon thereafter, Priesia, with her hands together, started to pray. The prayer was for those who lost their lives today in the incident. ¡°That¡¯s the priestess¡¯ prayer?¡± ¡°She glows just from praying¡­ As expected¡­¡± The people, who were staring with nk faces at the priestess¡¯ prayers, turned their gazes toward where the bodies of the four dead people were ced. Each with a white fabric covering the face, they were motionless. Around them, their families or acquaintances gathered. With grieving faces, they were praying like Priesia. It was not much, but because the priestess was there and given the situation, it was still a grand and proper funeral. ¡°Beta, I¡­¡± Among the people gathered next to the dead, there was a man in shambles who appeared to be from Lower Solia. It appeared that he was either family or an acquaintance of the only female among the dead. ¡°One of those things from Lower Solia came as well.¡± ¡°Ugh. Just looking at it feels like I can smell the stench.¡± ¡°Does that mean that woman is also from Lower Solia?¡± ¡°It seems so? She looks quite tidy though.¡± [Note: He said this even though her face was covered in a fabric. Perhaps he was referring to the rest of her body and her clothing. As exined in past chapters, Beta was unusually clean in her appearance.] Looking at the only man standing next to the dead woman, people who were watching the funeral murmured. It looked like the people were not happy with the fact that there is someone from Lower Solia in this holy ceremony. ¡°By the way, if she sends prayers like this, by chance¡­is it supposed to bring back the dead or something like that?¡± She was a priestess from the Holy Temple. Someone asked with an expectation just in case she possessed such a holy power. Another person, who was watching the funeral ceremony, answered, ¡°No, reviving the dead people is still not possible.¡± It was a disciplined voice. Gazes of most people who were watching the funeral now turned toward the man. It appeared that he came from the Magic Tower. The man was wearing a robe that could be ced around his shoulders. ¡°Bringing back the dead is¡­ That¡¯s a different kind, the kind that human beings should not touch.¡± The man continued his exnation with his eyes fixated to the ground. The people watching the funeral gulped as they heard his exnation, and then they turned their gazes toward his back. ¡°¡­Peruda.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was the grand mage that everyone in Solia knew of. People turned their gazes because Astroa was approaching the man from the back. ¡°¡­¡± Astroa stood behind Peruda and quietly murmured something to his ears. The people wondered what they could be talking about. The man named Peruda scrunched his face. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­understand.¡± Although people didn¡¯t know what was going on, they could see Peruda nodding politely. Also, he did not speak anymore. *** In the Main za, the funeral wasn¡¯t the only happening. In order to find those responsible for the disaster, the royal knights apprehended a few people who were thought to be suspects. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you. Why were you headed to Lower Solia?¡± ¡°There was someone I needed to meet there.¡± At the moment, two of the people included in the list of suspects were the sons of the Erengium House, who were headed to Lower Solia from across the Main za. ¡°Someone you needed to meet?¡± ¡°We have no reason to tell you that much.¡± ¡°What, just¡­¡± ¡°Hey! You look like you know how things work. It is no good to get involved with private matters of nobilities. We have absolutely nothing to do with this incident.¡± A servant from Erengium House who just arrived insisted on iming ignorance to the royal knight. The royal knight was not making any progress in his investigation. In fact, he could not keep nobilities under arrest for a long time. He sighed heavily enough to cause the ground to sink and then looked at the two sons of the Erengium House waiting behind their servant. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Big bro. Are you alright? Big bro?¡± The young master that appeared to be the older brother was looking around the area nervously as if he was possessed by a ghost. As for the young master that appeared to be the younger brother, he could not sit still as if he was too worried about his older brother. It looked like the younger brother was desperately waiting to go back with everyone and rest. ¡°From the start, didn¡¯t I exin to you earlier that all this was caused by magic?¡± ¡±That¡­ That is true, but¡­¡± ¡°In that case, the Erengium House had nothing to do with this incident. Magic from a House of swordsmen? It is a ridiculous idea. Sir Knight, don¡¯t you think so too?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Baam! The servant from Erengium mmed the desk with his fist and stood up. ¡°Moreover, we are the victims. The dead people in the funeral ceremony right now include one of the servants from Erengium!¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Yes¡­ For now, please calm down. I am not saying that the House of Erengium did something wrong.¡± ¡°Just what exactly about your usations could possibly mean that? Huh?!¡± The servant didn¡¯t care anymore for honorary speech and started to speak casually. In his thoughts, the royal knight cursed at the nitpicky nobles and hastily wrote something on the paper on the desk. ¡°Yes, I understand. Still, this matter is not resolved yet¡­ In case we contact youter, you have toe.¡± Pattt! The servant snatched the paper away from the hand of the royal knight who presented it to him. The servant scrunched up his face as heined, ¡°Darn! What a nitpicky man!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, with the paper literally snatched from his hand after he presented it, a blood vein bulged on the royal knight¡¯s forehead. ¡°Young masters, you have waited for a long time. For today, it would be best if we just went back. Let¡¯s go eat first.¡± Watching the servant tumbling his way to his young masters and saying they should go back for the day, the royal knight red at them as if he was trying to say that they stink. *** ¡°Uu¡­¡± Nainiae struggled as she raised herself up. As soon as she raised herself up, she grabbed her aching stomach. Shortly, she shook her head several times and started to look around with a nk face. She couldn¡¯t see very well because it was dark. ¡°First, ligh¡­ Uk?¡± It was one of the basic magics. Nainiae was about to cast Light, which brings out a floating sphere of light, but she winced. It was not just her body that was not moving properly at her will. Even the mana inside her body was not moving as she wished. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ Back then¡­¡¯ It was just before she lost consciousness. Nainiae remembered that she was knocked out by a blow from the man in the mask. As she realized it, she bit her lip. Her eye finally started to get used to the darkness. She could slowly make sense of her surroundings. ¡°¡­This ce is?¡± It was a room filled with spider webs, as if it had been abandoned for a long time. The hard floor was made of wood, and there was a window that she failed to notice earlier because she was so dazed. She noticed a faint silver lighting through the window. It was gradually getting brighter. It appeared that the moon was covered by clouds. It meant it was nighttime. ¡°¡­¡± Inside the quiet room, considering how she couldn¡¯t hear any noise from outside, she figured it must be veryte in the night, an early morning when everyone was still asleep. In order to withstand the pain in her stomach, Nainiae hugged her knees. ¡®Useless b*tch!¡¯ ¡®You are hopeless!¡¯ ¡®It is no wonder why you were thrown out from the Magic Tower!¡¯ She felt like she could hear Beta¡¯s words. ¡°No. I¡¯m¡­¡± Nainiae murmured. She tried to protect Beta with her life, but could only hear those harsh words in return. Instead of feeling anguish from being betrayed, a sense of self-hatred was slowlying forward. Nainiae buried her face between her knees. ¡°In order to return your good will for having faith in me¡­ That was why¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s hands, which were hugging her knees, were suddenly grabbed firmly by someone. Her hands, which were shaking as if she was going through the emotion of anguish, froze. ¡°¡­Are you awake?¡± In front of her, she could hear a familiar voice. Having identified the source of the voice, Nainiae lifted her face from between her knees and looked at the person in front of her. She couldn¡¯t see his face very well because of how dim it was, but she definitely recognized the vibe. It was the boy who knocked her unconscious in the Main za. ¡°You are¡­¡± ¡°You are awake.¡± The boy took a few steps closer to Nainiae. She could see his face without the mask. The boy also seemed to have realized that now Nainiae could see his face. ¡°Beta¡­ What happened to her?¡± Nainiae asked carefully. ¡°I am not sure?¡± The boy, Riley, asked back. The way he talked was rather mischievous, but his voice sounded serious. From his serious tone of voice, Nainiae realized it. That Beta was dead. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will ask you straight.¡± As if he was saying there was no time to grieve, Riley asked, ¡°Why were you after m¡­ Well, that doesn¡¯t matter. How did you attack me?¡± As for the reason why a woman named Beta from Lower Solia attacked him, Riley didn¡¯t need to think deep to figure out most of it. Therefore, Riley changed the question in the middle. Instead of asking why she attacked him, he was asking ¡®how¡¯ Nainiae figured out that it was Riley under the mask back in the Main za. Back then, he was wearing a mask, and he was keeping quiet whileying face down on top of the carriage. Riley asked again, ¡°That¡¯s something even my friends could not have managed to figure out. I need to know how you knew that it was me.¡± Nainiae looked at Riley with her mind in disarray. She wondered if she should charge at him, saying she should take vengeance against Riley for killing Beta, or if she should express her gratitude for sparing her life. She was conflicted. ¡°¡­¡± After agonizing over it in her mind for a while, Nainiae thought that she would rather be left alone. ¡°¡­I have no reason to exin it to you.¡± Nainiae answered as she buried her face between her knees. Riley was watching Nainiae like that from above. He changed his question and said, ¡°In that case. You. What are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t look like an ordinary mage? The color was different.¡± This time, the question was purely out of curiosity. Riley was curious about things like her ck-colored magic or the pitch-ck mana rotten inside her body. ¡°Is it because you are a special kind? Is that it?¡± Riley asked again. Nainiae answered again. ¡°¡­I have no reason to exin things like that to you.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Seeing Nainiae hug her knees and staying still, Riley nodded as if he understood and moved his right hand. The thing his hand was headed for was the sword on his waist. ¡°In that case, I have no choice.¡± The sound of the sword being drawn from its sheath could be heard. Because it was early morning, the room was filled with tranquility. Meanwhile, Riley, with his sword drawn, pointed the tip of the sword right at Nainiae¡¯s neck. Chapter 40 - Nainiae

Chapter 40: Nainiae

. . . To the people of the Magic Tower, she was just a ''disposed product,¡¯ but even someone like her had a name. ¡®Nainiae, you are all I have.¡¯ ¡®Yes, Mommy! Just believe in me!¡¯ By a rare chance, a girl heard a rumor about the Magic Tower paying money for a secret experiment. Needing money to feed her only mother, thest of her family, the girl went forth to participate. ¡®If I participate¡­you will really give me money, right?¡¯ ¡®Of course. Really. That¡¯s not all. Even an ordinary citizen will get a chance to learn magic.¡¯ ¡®In that case¡­ I will do it.¡¯ ¡®Huhu. Most of the people in the Magic Tower are looking forward to your performance. We have faith in you. Please try to endure the experiments the best you can.¡¯ ¡®Looking forward¡­? Faith in¡­? Yes! Please look forward to it!¡¯ Looking forward¡­ Faith in¡­ Just from hearing these few words, she shook off her hesitations and participated in the experiment. The first day was eptable. The second day was more or less like the first. The troubles began from the third day. ¡®¡­Ahhhhac!!¡¯ ¡®Endure it. You must endure this, right? If you can¡¯t even withstand this, what are you going to do?¡¯ ¡®Uu¡­ Uuk! Stop! Please stop!¡¯ ¡®We said we have faith in you, didn¡¯t we? You need to endure this much at least. We believe in you.¡¯ ¡®Stop!!¡¯ The drugs she was asked to swallow on the first and second days were the cause. Her skin turned dead to pitch-ck and then back to pale white. The process repeated. The pain was far beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. ¡®Kill¡­ Kill me! Please, please kill me!¡¯ ¡®Everyone is looking forward to your performance. You must not die yet.¡¯ Since that day, a day that she no longer recalls, her daily life was changed dramatically. She spent her days being tied up in chains and screaming in pain, pleading to be killed. ¡®Please¡­¡¯ ¡®We believe in you.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ She wasn¡¯t even able to keep food down in her stomach, vomiting immediately after consuming food. Instead of taking meals, she received shots. In order to forget the pain from the drugs, she bit her fingers, poured a monster¡¯s bodily fluids or blood on her face or over the top of her arms. However, the excruciating pain was necessary. It was the only way to receive money. Her misery only continued. One day, an unknown monster¡¯s acidic fluid mistaken for something else was poured on her face. That day, one side of her face, including the eye, waspletely disfigured. Before anyone realized, two of her fingers were bitten off and swallowed. The girl¡¯s body and mind were in a seriously devastating state. ¡®Even so¡­my mother would still recognize me.¡¯ After being turned into her horrendous appearance, she gradually became used to the pain. Her long-grown hair in disarray made her look like a ghost. In chains, the hobby she found was magic. ¡®One Circle light magic, Light, with this, I may not need candles anymore.¡¯ Light magic. Fire magic. Water magic. She started with magic spells that were useful for daily life. Maybe it was due to the drug¡¯s power, but she mastered up to Six Circles magic in a record time for a child. After that, ¡®It has been 2 years. The experiment is over. You may go.¡¯ ¡®R-Really? Now, that medicine¡­ I don¡¯t need to take it anymore?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right. You have done well.¡¯ ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ After being told by Astroa that the experiment was over, she was full of joy like she could jump up and do a binky like a rabbit. In that high spirit, she started heading back home¡­ ¡­ without hearing the murmur that Astroa said right after, ¡®You were the sole survivor. How did you manage to¡­ Nah. It doesn¡¯t matter. Since she will be dead soon, can it still be considered as surviving?¡¯ While coughing ck blood, Nainiae returned home. It appeared that her mother definitely received money from the Magic Tower. In her home, Nainiae¡¯s mother was holding down the fort. Although she was finally able toe home, ¡®Who¡­are you?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s me. It¡¯s Nainiae.¡¯ She couldn¡¯t recognize her own daughter. On the contrary, she told Nainiae to nevere again with that hideous face and kicked her out. ¡®Now¡­what should I do?¡¯ In the end, having lost her ce to go to, she returned to the Magic Tower. After going through a few more experiments, with her remaining lifespan numbered to be less than half a year, she was disposed of. *** ¡°¡­¡± She looked like she had no will or strength left to resist. Riley was directing his sword to cut off her head, but he stopped his sword before doing it. ¡°Did I¡­¡± Nainiae was sitting and hugging her knees as tightly as she could. She whispered, ¡°¡­ What was it that I did wrong?¡± Her voice waspletely torn. It was not certain if it was from self-hatred or resentment toward another. After her cryptic murmur, Riley¡¯s eyes instantly calmed. It was because in Riley¡¯s past life, there was a time when he murmured just like her. ¡°Because they were looking forward to it, because they had expectations and hopes for me, because they said they are relying on me¡­ I tried very hard. I tried my best, but howe, instead¡­¡± Unlike Riley, who was praised as a brave warrior in his past life, the specific details of Nainiae¡¯s situation or how she had been treated was different to some degree¡­ However, she did the best she could. To not let anyone down, to live up to their expectations, she tried her hardest with everything she had, yet¡­ ¡­ she heard devastating words from the very person whom she tried to protect. In the end, she couldn¡¯t even protect her, and now, she was in this state. ¡°What should I have done differently?¡± Nainiae murmured. Hearing the girl¡¯s voice, which sounded like she was about to give up on everything, Riley felt like he was watching his former self. He steadied the sword he held forward and said, ¡°¡­That was the wrong way.¡± From hearing Riley¡¯s voice, Nainiae¡¯s shoulders shivered a little. ¡°It was wrong from the very first stitch of the needle.¡± In his mind, Riley continued, ''You have, and¡­ ¡­ I have.'' Riley lowered his eyes and looked at the top of Nainiae''s head. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Breaking her silence, Nainiae, who had her head buried between her knees until now, slowly lifted up her head and looked at Riley. He said, ¡°Should I show you a way?¡± After asking Nainiae, Riley asked himself in his mind, ¡®What if¡­¡¯ If he could start his entire life over with all of the memories intact, how would it be like? In that case, he would certainly not do useless things¡­such as holding a sword as the prophecy foretold or volunteering to fulfill someone¡¯s expectations, and¡­ Like the girl in front of him, he wouldn¡¯t break down either. ¡°¡­A way?¡± With her forehead finally away from her knees, Nainiae asked back. Although she only had one good eye, he could feel sincerity and desperation in her gaze. Riley withdrew his sword that was aimed at her neck. ¡°It would kind of not feel right to just tell you, so how about we do a trade?¡± ¡°A trade?¡± ¡°I know what is troubling your mind. I also know the right answer to handling it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°That answer, I will tell you.¡± Nainiae¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°Why would you tell me that¡­¡± Nainiae wondered how a boy in her age, a nobility from a Count¡¯s House, would know what was troubling her. With a nk face, Nainiae looked at Riley. In Nainiae¡¯s only good eye, Riley was not cringing anywhere despite looking at her horrifying face. ¡°But, I will need an advance payment.¡± *** It was early morning. A few of the important members woke up and gathered at the Magic Tower. There was a call from Astroa. ¡°So in the end, you are saying you couldn¡¯t find it.¡± While chewing on herbs, Astroa criticized the members, including Peruda, and then sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. ¡°Yes. We are terribly sorry. We don¡¯t know what to say.¡± The people from Magic Tower apologized to Astroa by bowing, and then they started to look over their shoulders. It was because Astroa¡¯s arm was wrapped thick with bandages. It looked as if he was stabbed by a de. The bandages had a red stain. To think that a grand mage of Seven Circles magic was stabbed by a de, it was just unbelievable to them. ¡°Damn¡­¡± Astroa cursed as he pasted a thickyer of ointment on top of the bandage on his arm. He was already angered from being stabbed by the de of some unknown runt that crawled out of nowhere and, on top of that, he just heard that the mana measurement boulder on the first floor that he treasured very much was destroyed. ¡°Did you find any evidence?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the runt that destroyed the boulder! Do you know who did it!¡± ¡°About that¡­although there are a few suspects, as for having evidence¡­¡± ¡°Instead of making excuses, if you don¡¯t have any evidence, just say you don¡¯t have any before I burn you to crisp.¡± Annoyed, Astroa threw a tantrum as he formed me above his palm and made a tight fist. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ My apologies.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Watching the man apologize while breaking out in a cold sweat, Astroa scrunched his face. The look on his face was that of someone who stepped on poop. Stepped hard and really firmly. ¡°Looks like Solia¡¯s Magic Tower is not what it used to be, huh? We lost the runt who wore a mask, lost the bastard that broke the boulder, and now lost the disposed product that we threw away. Ha¡­ Everything! That¡¯s really impressive!¡± Pheet! Astroa spat out to the floor the herb he was chewing on. He turned to the other member and asked him a question, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that the masked runt is a ghost and there is no proof to find the bastard that broke the boulder. Fine¡­ But why are you saying you couldn¡¯t find the disposed product? There should be a tracking seal branded on it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one was able to answer the question. It was a tracking seal that Astroa branded. It was odd that they could not find it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Speak!¡± Angered from the silence and theck of response, Astroa swung his arm in a big motion. Soon, a knife-like sharp wind umted, and it cleanly cut off a cowering member¡¯s arm. ¡°Kuuak!¡± The arm that was cut off rolled on the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor and poured out blood. Other associates rushed toward the man that just lost an arm, and they answered with pale faces, ¡°It¡­ It was erased.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The tracking seal¡­was erased.¡± ¡°What the hell are you saying? How could the tracking seal be erased?¡± ¡®Tracking seal was erased?¡¯ Even if the branded subject died, in order to make the recovery of the corpse easier, the tracking seal was ced carefully by himself, Astroa the grand mage of Seven Circles magic. It was impossible for it to be erased. ¡°It is the truth. The tracking seal on the disposed product is no longer there. If you cannot believe us, please see it for yourself¡­¡± A man, who was helping to stop the blood loss from the cut off arm, answered in shaky voice, and that made Astroa to frown even more. ¡°What about Erengium?¡± ¡°That¡­ That is¡­ Today¡­ No, because of the incident in thest evening, they said today would be difficult.¡± ¡°Tsk!¡± Astroa clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s a shame. A real shame. If they were going to take it, they should have done so yesterday.¡± As Astroa thought about what he was going to trade today in secret, he made hand gestures to wipe off the blood stter and herbs he spat out. Astroa murmured, ¡°It looks like it will be difficult to expect great results from the tournament.¡± After cleaning up, Astroa tossed a word of advice to the people who were rushing to take the man with cut off arm to the Holy Temple. ¡°Even if the schedule changes, the money is the same¡­so make sure to take it from them, you got that?¡± The people from Magic Tower nodded and quickly made their way out of the tower while supporting the man who just lost his arm. A few people¡¯s faces looked disconcerted and upset over the undue violence, but they didn¡¯t dare to take it up against Astroa. ¡°So, what about the bastards in Lower Solia? Are you managing them properly?¡± With some of the members gathered now gone to help the injured, Peruda, who was among the people that still remained, answered his question, ¡°Yes.¡± It was a prompt answer. It was to prevent yet another man from having to be carried to the Holy Temple with a cut off arm. ¡°Good. Good. Be careful to make sure nobody from the Holy Temple or the castle notices. I figured it would be all right because there is a swordsmanship tournament going on, but with an incident like this happening, it might be dangerous.¡± Astroa was sitting on a chair on the first floor that was meant for guests, and now he got off from his ass. As if he was going to leave, Astroa turned away and started to walk. Watching this, Peruda followed suit and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Ah! There is something I need to take care of quickly.¡± Having heard Astroa saying he had ¡®something to take care of quickly,¡¯ a shadow was cast on his face. With a displeased expression, Peruda asked again, ¡°¡­Are you going to the basement again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now¡­ How would you feel about discontinuing it?¡± After Peruda¡¯s question, Astroa¡¯s steps came to a halt. ¡°Seven Circles¡­ Aren¡¯t they enough?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I believe it is more than enough. To go further, it could no longer be considered a passionate research or anything else mage worthy. This is just¡­¡± When Peruda lifted his head back up after briefly staring at the ground, Astroa was no longer there. He could not be seen or found on the first floor, it was almost as if he had teleported away. *** It was in a dark basement. ¡°¡­Now, tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why do you im to know me so well?¡± Riley ignored Nainiae¡¯s voiceing from his back. Instead, he went through a mountain¡¯s worth of wooden boxes and checked its contents. ¡°How could you know my suffering, and how are you going to propose a solution?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Nainiae asked again, but Riley didn¡¯t answer the girl¡¯s question this time either. Instead, he only lifted up what he found just now. The content found in the box was some sort of nt, grass, a bunch that looked like medical herbs. ¡®Wait. Could this be¡­¡¯ After bringing the herbs closer to his nose and going ¡®sniff-sniff¡¯ to smell it, Riley wrinkled his eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Narcotics?¡± The contents of the wooden boxes in the basement were all the same. In his past life, Riley had smelled something simr to this. With a nk face, he murmured, ¡°In the Magic Tower, why would there be narcotics¡­¡± Around the time Riley was cringing at the sight of the greens, from behind, a creaking noise from an opening door could be heard. ¡°¡­Oh ho?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae¡¯s head turned rapidly. Having confirmed the identity of the man that entered the ce, her eyes filled with terror. ¡°What¡¯s this? It looks like a couple of rats crawled in.¡± Chapter 41 - Narcotics

Chapter 41: Narcotics

. . . He used Light, a spell from One Circle magic. With a ball of light floating next to him, the man approaching this way asked, ¡°Who are you?¡± Riley, who had no intention of telling him, brought out the mask from his pocket and put it on. He focused the mana to his eyes and strengthened his eyesight, increasing the view distance and the width of the field of view. Having looked at the man approaching this way, Riley realized that it was the old mage he ran intost evening at the Main za. ¡®Astroa.¡¯ Riley came to the Magic Tower¡¯s basement after hearing stories about it from Nainiae. Although it was best to not run into anyone, he expected that it would be difficult not to. ¡®It stinks.¡¯ From Nainiae, Riley heard about what was going on in the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, and he came to this ce to confirm if there were really human experiments taking ce here. Although he couldn¡¯t confirm the human experiments yet, there was something else that he found. ¡®To think that they are making narcotics¡­¡¯ Narcotics. It was a terrifying substance that could make people be dependent on it from using it only once or twice. The substance could destroy the lives of these people because of addiction. All of this grass piled up here was narcotic. ¡°What¡¯s this? I was wondering what kind of rat you were¡­¡± Astroa noticed the mask that Riley wore and in reaction, started to have a blood vein bulge on his forehead. The air in the basement started to shake, and the pile of wooden crates also vibrated even though there wasn¡¯t anyone touching them. Astroa was about to explode out of anger. ¡°Why are you so angry?¡± After slightly altering his voice with mana, Riley asked Astroa. Hearing Riley¡¯s easygoing tone of voice, Astroa tightened his fist and took another step forward. With his re, Astroa was daring Riley to say one more word. ¡°Since you sent me a present, all I have done was return your good will, so what¡¯s the problem here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was talking about the incident in the Main za where he divided the fireballunched at him from the sky into three pieces and sent one back to Astroa. ¡°I¡¯m with the kind of personality where I always return the favor in folds, so I paid you back in twofold. I wonder if¡­you received my ¡®gift¡¯ well.¡± Riley directed his gaze toward Astroa¡¯s arm. Judging from how there was a blood stain on the thickly wrapped bandages on his arm, it appeared that Astroa certainly had received the gift that Riley threw at him, although it looked pretty painful. ¡°Um. It looks like you took it pretty well.¡± ¡°¡­You runt!¡± Astroa red at Riley as if he was trying to punch a hole through Riley with his gaze, but then his shoulders twitched. It was because Astroa noticed the narcotics that Riley was holding in his hand. ¡°Ah, this?¡± Riley continued as he shook the pieces of grass he was holding in his hand, ¡°This is yours, right? Astroa the Grand Mage, sir?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This, isn¡¯t this banned in Solia? I¡¯m right, aren¡¯t I?¡± Astroa, unable to answer, only gritted his teeth. Noticing Astroa¡¯s lips twitching, Riley continued on, ¡°Actually, I came to dig around about something else¡­but this¡­ I think people will flip out when they hear about this. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Riley tossed the pieces of grass he was holding into a wooden crate. As he lightly tapped the crate with the side of his foot, he looked back toward Nainiae and said, ¡°You know this friend of ours too, don¡¯t you?¡± Eventually, having discovered Nainiae¡¯s presence, Astroa¡¯s face turned red as if he was about to tear her apart immediately. ¡°You b*tch¡­ How dare¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡± As if she was remembering the times she had to take unknown drugs from him, she was shivering and gradually bing stiff like a stone. In front of her, Riley stepped in, ¡°You are the one who abandoned her, and you didn¡¯t even do anything to take care of what came afterwards, so for you to act like this now, aren¡¯t you being a little petty? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be the grand mage of the Magic Tower?¡± Riley may be a highly skilled swordsman, but nobody could be gutsier than the gantry being disyed by this masked man. In light of Riley casually carrying on a conversation with a grand mage that represents a city, Astroa¡¯s fingers twitched as he asked Riley, ¡°You runt¡­ Who are you?¡± At the same time, as if he justpleted a spell by fidgeting his lips earlier, what appeared to be tiny white particles started to form behind him. It was Snow Flurry, a mid-level ice element attack magic. It was a magic that could cut with its particles in the wind or freeze things solid. It was also a magic that was difficult to keep in check with a sword. ¡°Um¡­¡± After intentionally turning his head to look at Nainiae, who was standing behind him, Riley gave the same answer that he heard from her a while ago, ¡°¡­ I have no reason to exin something like that to you.¡± As if he concluded that further inquiries were meaningless, Astroa scrunched his face violently and swung his arm to attack. To be precise, he tried to. ¡°¡­?!¡± Thump! It was the other arm, the one that didn¡¯t have any bandages wrapped around. Astroa¡¯s good arm fell to the floor. A scene very simr to when he chopped off one of the Magic Tower¡¯s associate¡¯s arms on the first floor was recreated. The problem was that this time it was his very own. ¡°Huh?¡± It could have been that it was hard to see because the basement was very dark. Because it happened literally in the blink of an eye, not just for Astroa, but for Nainiae as well. They were standing like statues with nk faces that had forgotten how to breathe. ¡°You probably should get that reattached soon.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± While holding the shoulder where his arm was severed, with a pale face, Astroa quickly turned his head to re at Riley. ¡®I let my guard down!¡¯ The Magic Tower¡¯s basement was narrow and had many obstacles. The thing was, Astroa chose not to use his me magic, the magic he was proudest of, because he didn¡¯t want to burn the narcotics piled up here. He thought about how he lost his arm because he let his guard down. He used a simple telekinesis to bring his arm that was lying on the floor and wrapped it in the arm that had bandages on. And then, he started to re as if he was about to tear apart and kill Riley. ¡°If you have the time to re at me, it would be better spent to do that¡­ Teleport? To the Holy Temple. That is, unless you want to have a hard time attaching your arm back.¡± No one had any idea when Riley took out his sword, but he had its t side tapping on his shoulder. Riley looked around the surrounding for a moment and tapped the ground he was standing on. ¡°Um? The floor here is rtively weak. Could this spot be the¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley looked toward Nainiae. Nainiae¡¯s lips were trembling, and she nodded. In that ce¡­ Underneath that ce¡­ She had to take unknown drugs, and she had that chemical poured on her. She also lost her two fingers and an eye in that ce. ¡°You, you¡­! You are just a b*tch who will be dead soon. You dare to betray the Magic Tower?!¡± Having been found out about his secretboratory hidden in the basement, Astroa screamed in deafeningly loud voice. Mana surrounding Astroa vibrated because of his fury, and Nainiae¡¯s shoulders shriveled. ¡°We gave you an opportunity, and we taught you magic¡­ You dare to stab us in the back?!¡± ¡°Dude, we should be the ones to say¡­¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Riley was stepping in to speak for Nainiae, but he stopped himself from saying more. It was because, as if she found strength from hearing that she ¡®will be dead soon,¡¯ Nainiae worked up the courage to speak. ¡°That is not true. The man that taught magic to me, who was dying, was the teacher, Mr. Peruda. It was not you.¡± ¡°Peruda?¡± Riley¡¯s eyebrows bent slightly. On the contrary, Astroa¡¯s eyebrows bent rapidly. ¡°You little¡­!¡± ¡°The only things that you gave me were those horrible drugs. If there was one more thing, that would be high expectations.¡± As she bit her lips, with difficulty, she continued. ¡°I am thankful about the fact that you had high expectations for me. I think I was able to withstand the pain because of that¡­ However, now, it is not the case anymore.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley tilted his head to the side. It was because she was staring at his face intensely as if she was trying to make a hole through it. Even though he wore a mask. ¡°That person said that he knows the answer to the question I have been agonizing over.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Astroa furrowed his eyebrows as if he was trying to say what a nonsense this was. The tone of his voice was saying he did not understand any of this. ¡°Being entrusted with expectations and demands from other people, trying my hardest to live up to their expectations and wishes¡­ I want to know¡­why that is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to prove it. Even if it is just once, I want to prove that someone recognized my wholehearted efforts. For this question that I have¡­the person over there said he knows the answer, and that is why¡­¡± Nainiae slowly lifted her right hand. A pitch-ck-colored lump of light was generated above it, and soon, a dark me was created. It was a ck fireball that only she could make. ¡°¡­ do not interfere.¡± If she was to fight against Astroa, she was well aware that she could not win. On her face, which was severely contorted from fear, her awareness was fully shown. However, in her expression¡­there was also resolve. ¡°Do not interfere.¡± Nainiae said once again. Since she was going to die soon, she had no intention to have any regrets or afterthoughts. The resolve on her face spoke those words. ¡°Kuk.¡± Perhaps it was due to the loss of blood from having his arm cut off, Astroa¡¯s face looked a little paler than before. He turned his head around quickly. Riley was standing behind him, and in front of him, there was Nainiae holding a ck me on her palm. The basement was narrow as it was. He may be a Seven Circles mage, but two on one was not a particrly advantageous condition. ¡°What you have done here¡­ You will regret it.¡± It appeared that Astroa used Teleport. Surrounded by shing blue lights, just like that, he disappeared from the basement. *** ¡°¡­Why did you do that?¡± It looked like she strained herself to use mana when she was in no condition to do so. Nainiae wiped off the ck blood leaking out past her lips and asked. This time, Riley responded to her question, ¡°What about it?¡± After finding the entrance to the secretboratory, Riley asked back as he went down the spiral stairs with Nainiae. ¡°Back then just now¡­ If you wanted to kill him, you could have.¡± She was asking about Astroa. She was saying that if Riley was skilled enough to do what he did, he should have just cut off Astroa¡¯s head instead, so she was asking why Riley chose to cut off Astroa¡¯s arm instead. ¡°The ce we are at right now is the Magic Tower¡¯s basement. To put it roughly, instead of tending to his arm, Astroa could have prioritized on exterminating us both and pour down bombardment magic from above.¡± No matter how good the boy was at handling a sword, if that happened, he would be buried alive right there on the spot. ¡°Killing him would be¡­better for not having any more troubleter on as well.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Certainly¡­ It was as Nainiae said. One could conclude that it would be a difficult choice for Astroa to use bombardment magic considering that the basement was hisboratory or the amount of narcotics stored down there. Still, it was certainly inefficient to allow him to leave the scene with his life. Despite that fact, Riley still let him live. The reason for that was, ¡°¡­It was because of the big picture.¡± There was something that he thought of all along. In his head, Riley double checked the n forward and tilted the trailing end of his lips upward. There were some uncertainties, but there was a chance to watch some entertaining spectacles, spectacles that would be more entertaining than the swordsmanship tournament. ¡°The big picture?¡± As if she couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind it, she tilted her head sideways. ¡°It is something like¡­ How do I put this¡­? Should I say¡­preparing for a little morefortable life? Well, it is also to show you in what kind of way you should act to make things work.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have the power like yours. It is impossible.¡± Riley was leading the way down the stairs. He turned his head to look at Nainiae, who was following behind him, and said, ¡°In that case, you really need to learn this.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Tell me what it is then?¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± Nainiae turned her head toward Riley in a way that she had never done before. ¡°The trick is standing one step behind everything.¡± ¡°Stand one step behind?¡± ¡°To say it roughly, unless you are a god that can take care of everything by yourself¡­just take one step back¡­and watch what happens.¡± Riley turned his head again to hide his facial expression. ¡°Whether the worldes to an end, a Devil King appears, or no matter what happens¡­¡± Nainiae could not hear the rest of the sentence because Riley¡¯s voice suddenly became quieter. Nainiae came closer to Riley and asked, ¡°What were you saying just now?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m saying you should be selfish a little bit. Live toward the direction where you won¡¯t need to step forward. Live toward the direction that will lead to a morefortable life.¡± ¡°You are saying I should stand back a step from everything and live toward the direction that will lead to morefort without me having to step forward to handle anything¡­ But if I did, I won¡¯t have the opportunity to have someone recognize the hard work and effort I have put in for a cause¡­won¡¯t I?¡± To Nainiae¡¯s question this time, Riley did not answer. ¡°We are here.¡± It was because they reached the end of the spiral stairs, and they arrived at theboratory right in front of them. ¡®I want to prove that someone recognized my wholehearted efforts.¡¯ As he thought about what Nainiae said a while ago, Riley put his hands on theboratory¡¯s door handle while answering Nainiae¡¯s question in his mind as follows, ¡®Being recognized for your efforts¡­ It is an impossible task. People are not particrly interested in efforts of others. Even if they recognized your efforts, they will forget it quickly, and instead¡­for a much longer time, they will remember you for your mistakes.¡¯ Chapter 42 - Narcotics (Part 2)

Chapter 42: Narcotics (Part 2)

We''re back! Much love to M, Serendipity and Ryou. . . . Solia Holy Temple. During thete hours of the night, what appeared to be blue fireflies shimmered between the temple¡¯s pirs, and with a sh of light, an old man revealed himself. ¡°Kuuuu¡­¡° He was holding a chopped off arm with his other armpit. Judging from his pale face, it appeared that he had lost quite a bit of blood. ¡°¡­Priest!¡± The old man started to turn his head all over the ce in search of a priest from the Holy Temple. ¡°Where is a priest? Priest!!¡± Because his voice was loaded with mana, it was incredibly loud and echoed throughout the inside of the Holy Temple. The apprentice priests, who were awake for the early hours and walking nearby, rushed to where the old man stood. ¡°What brings you here to the¡­ Huk?! Your arm?¡± ¡°Senior¡­bring me a bastard that is a senior! I need to reattach my arm!¡± ¡°W-Wait a moment!¡± The apprentice priests made haste to call for a senior priest. Only a small while ago, there had been a patient who hade by with his arm cut off like Astroa, so fortunately for him, the senior priest that could fix his arm quickly arrived at the scene. ¡°Oh my. What in the world are the people in the Magic Tower doing at this early morning?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not just one, but two came with their arm cut off. How did this happen?¡± The reattachment procedure involved treatment of the cut-off area using holy power and then sutures afterwards. This step was quite painful, hence Astroa¡¯s face was scrunched up to the max. Of course, it was not as bad as when he was cringing because of the two random runts that he had run into a moment ago. ¡°By chance, did something happen in the Magic Tower?¡± The senior priest asked as he focused holy power in his hands to heal Astroa. Since two people from the Magic Tower came with their arm chopped off, it was an obvious question that had to be asked. The Holy Temple was located in Right Solia. The senior priest had to ask because, if anything happened in the Magic Tower, it could also spread to the Holy Temple which was not far from the Magic Tower. ¡°¡­¡± Astroa was about to tell them about what happened a moment ago, but he shut his mouth. There was some weird bastard wearing a mask and a disposed product that he had abandoned. The two discovered the narcotics that he gathered in secret in the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, and now, they even broke into theboratory he was running in secrecy. It was unfathomable for Astroa to tell such things to anyone, especially to people of the Holy Temple. That was an insane idea. ¡°¡­No. Nothing in particr.¡± ¡°Astroa, sir, your arm was cut off. Are you sure there is nothi¡± ¡°I said there is nothing in particr! Instead, hurry, just hurry up with attaching my arm back up and do it right. I didn¡¯t get to finish what I was working on!¡± The situation was such that Astroa had no idea what the two random runts could possibly do now that they had broken into theboratory. All Astroa could think of right now was to return after getting his arm reattached as fast as possible. He swore on the inside to properly tear them apart and dispose of them once he returned. *** It seemed that she was having a panic attack due to traumatic memories of her past rushing back to her. Nainiae was shaking helplessly at the back. Riley left her be. He turned the door handle and entered inside theboratory. ¡°¡­Tsk.¡± Riley¡¯s face crumpled on its own. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It was because the putrid air inside theboratory, which had been trapped inside all this time, came right at him and buffeted his face. That wasn¡¯t the only reason. Inside theboratory wafted a horrible stench. The abhorrent stench was strong enough topletely bypass the mask Riley was wearing and prate straight through. It smelled of rotting corpses, unknown chemicals and excrements as well. ¡®I sense a presence.¡¯ From the inside, Riley could feel someone¡¯s presence. Just in case, after focusing mana to his senses and roughly figuring out how wide the inside was, Riley walked further into theboratory. ¡®The ce doesn¡¯t appear to be very spacious. As for the number of people still breathing¡­is it about three? It doesn¡¯t look like they will be able tost long.¡¯ As Riley looked at the state of the people caged behind iron bars, he thought Nainiae was quite fortunate inparison. While ncing around the area, Riley asked the girl who was still standing just outside the door. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going toe in?¡± Nainiae was hesitant for a moment, but soon, she carefully traced the steps that Riley took and came right behind him. ¡°From what I heard a while ago, you said you learned magic from Peruda?¡± To calm her down, Riley decided to strike up a conversation. ¡°You know my teacher?¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae asked with curious eyes. Riley answered, ¡°I don¡¯t think I could say I know him, but I have met him recently.¡± ¡°Really?¡± From hearing Riley¡¯s answer, Nainiae¡¯s eyes lit up. It looked like she turned her gaze to a faraway ce for a moment, and she started to carefully tell a story about Peruda. ¡°My teacher, Mr. Peruda, was, of all people from the Magic Tower that came to this basement, the only one¡­that showed kindness towards people trapped in here. He gave ointment to people who could not stand the itchy skin. He brought sweet treats that would not make people throw up after eating them. In my case, I told him I wanted to read books, and he brought me books.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± To discover that such a young man was a teacher to someone¡­ It was unexpected. While tuning in to her story, Riley started to search around the area again. ¡°To the families of the people who were dying here, he also delivered their letters of theirst will¡­ In my case, he delivered my letter to my mother who could not recognize me.¡± Even though she was in shambles, she was still alive. Although she was still alive, to her mother, she became a dead daughter. ¡°What a tearjerking story.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, did you learn that ck-colored magic from Peruda?¡± ¡°To be exact¡­ No.¡± Nainiae immediately shook her head. ¡°Earlier, remember that I said the teacher gave me books?¡± ¡°Ah, is that¡­?¡± ¡°Yes. Those books were textbooks about magic. From the basic level to intermediate level¡­ He brought them in that order for me. He praised me for learning magic so fast.¡± Six Circles. That was the height in magic that Nainiae had reached. Currently, Astroa, who appeared to be over 60 years old, was at Seven Circles. The fact that Nainiae, who was not even in her twenties, mastered Six Circles was not just a little fast. It was astonishing. ¡°Probably¡­it was because of the drug.¡± The speed at which she focused mana, her rapid magic mastery, and the extraordinary pitch-ck color of her magic were all because of the drug. ¡°I do not know exactly what the drugs used in the experiments are supposed to do.¡± Based on what was done and what had happened, it could be guessed that Astroa was doing drug research and experiments in order to get to the next Circle. ¡°How you identified me right away at the Main za, that was not magic, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. That wasn¡¯t magic. That was this.¡± Nainiae lightly lifted her bang and showed him her white-colored dead eye. ¡°Because my mind was in disarray at the time, I do not know if I poured it or one of associates from the Magic Tower did, but the thing that was poured onto my eye was not the drug from the experiment. It was something else. I was able to find you because of an unexpected effect from the chemical.¡± Nainiae pulled her bangs back down and hid her eye although it could not be concealedpletely. ¡°The exnation is kind of unclear. Can you demonstrate it?¡± ¡°Is there someone you want me to find?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°There is no need for names. Even if you told me, I won¡¯t be able to tell their names with my ability. Just visualize. Things like the person¡¯s appearance.¡± Riley was thinking hard about whom to visualize. He first thought about his mother, Ian and Sera, who would be soundly asleep in the hotel, but quickly changed his mind and thought about the two brothers from the Erengium family. ¡°¡­¡± As he visualized their appearances in his mind, Nainiae slowly turned her head and started to stare toward a wall that had nothing. Soon, as she gradually lifted her head, with her finger pointing to the upward direction, she said, ¡°The people you are looking for are pretty far in this direction. Are they nobilities? It looks like they are in a hotel. Other than that¡­ I do not know.¡± Her finger was pointing upwards. That much was obvious since Riley and Nainiae were deep underground. However, the direction she was pointing at was to Left Solia. ¡°The three people you were thinking about in the beginning are also in Left Solia. They are also the people that Beta asked me to find.¡± She was probably talking about Iris, Ian and Sera. Absolutely impressed, Riley murmured, ¡°It is like a radar.¡± ¡°Radar?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Her ability was like the radar he knew from his past life. As Riley seriously thought about her ability, he asked her, ¡°Do people from the Magic Tower know? This ability of yours?¡± Nainiae shook her head. ¡°No. They don¡¯t. I didn¡¯t tell them. If I did, I thought I would be trapped in here again.¡± ¡°But, you told that woman?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thinking about Beta from Lower Solia, Nainiae remained silent. That woman, Beta, the one that said she had faith in Nainiae, as well as the one that had poured out devastating insults at her in the end, was no longer living in this world. ¡°So in conclusion¡­ You are saying that you obtained both the dark-colored magic and tracking ability from here, right?¡± To Riley¡¯s question, she couldn¡¯t respond, and instead, she nodded as she bit her lips. ¡°¡­ll me.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± With a nk face, Nainiae was following right behind Riley, but she stopped after hearing a voiceing from nearby. From the side¡­ An almost extinguished voice could be heard from the cage that had people trapped inside. ¡°¡­Kill me.¡± With great difficulty, the voice was pleading to be killed. ¡°I¡­¡± Without her realizing, Nainiae¡¯s mouth opened. It seemed that she was seeing a glimpse of her former self when she was trapped inside the cage. Back then, there were times when she screamed and pleaded to be killed too. ¡°Please¡­kill¡­me¡­¡± Inside the cage, there was a child who appeared to be a lot younger than Nainiae. It was not certain if they were aware of the presence of others outside. With hollow eyes, as they drooled from their mouths, the people inside the cage were pleading to be killed. Seeing them made Nainiae stumble back. Soon, she bumped the back of her head to someone¡¯s chest. ¡°¡­¡± It was Riley. It seemed he already observed the inside of the cage. Riley stood still, and his gaze was following Nainiae in to the people inside the cage begging to be killed. ¡°Please¡­¡± Nainiae carefully opened her mouth. It was because she had a favor to ask of Riley. It was for ending the lives of these people who were suffering. However¡­before she could even finish what she had to say, Riley moved one step toward the cage and brandished his sword. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Riley¡¯s sword was swung. Nainiae was not confident concerning watching them being cut down, so she tightly shut her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± However, instead¡­ The sound that followed was not the sound of people being cut down. Instead, it was a metallic ¡®nk¡¯ sound of the sword striking against the cage bars. ¡°¡­?¡± After cutting down just the iron cage, Riley dusted off the sword to the side and asked toward Nainiae who had her eyes closed into thin lines, ¡°You¡­by chance, do you have a bit of leadership?¡± ¡°Leader¡­ship?¡± Looking at Nainiae, who murmured as if she did not know the meaning, Riley put his hand in his pocket and brought out a small-sized badge. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the ability to take charge and lead people.¡± After making the question easier to understand, Riley tossed the badge he brought out from his pocket on the floor. ¡°You mean¡­when I asked you to kill these people?¡± As she could not understand the reason behind Riley¡¯s behavior, Nainiae tilted her head to the side and asked. ¡°It is time you try doing what I told you a moment ago.¡± ¡°What you told me a moment ago?¡± ¡°It is time for you to stand one step behind.¡± Looking at the Erengium¡¯s insignia on the badge that was dropped to the floor, Riley continued, ¡°By the looks of the eyeballs of that old geezer, it seems he had already gone insane a long time ago. He can¡¯t see straight and thinks he can do whatever he wants¡­ I think leaving this much here is enough.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°With this, the preparation is roughlyplete. Now, all we have to do is to stand back and watch the spectacle.¡± The foundation of the big n that Riley imagined in his mind wasplete. He directed his gaze to the badge and then looked at Nainiae. As she still did not quite understand what Riley was hinting at, all Nainiae could do was raise up a question mark on her face and stare back at Riley. Riley was smilingfortably. Chapter 43 - Narcotics (Part 3)

Chapter 43: Narcotics (Part 3)

¡°Riley. Hey Riley¡­ The match is starting. How about you wake up?¡± It was at Solia Castle where the swordsmanship tournament was taking ce. Riley was sleeping using his palm as the pillow and the shouting of the crowds as the luby, but with Iris¡¯s hand shaking his shoulder, Riley struggled and opened his eyes. ¡°Uuuu¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to see something like this very often. Let¡¯s watch.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± As if he hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep, her son wasining and murmuring, but she lulled him and pointed toward the arena. Still, she was being very considerate for Riley¡¯sck of sleep. The tournament had progressed a lot, and now the final match was about tomence. ¡°Is it Erengium?¡± ¡°Yes. The Erengium House is goingst.¡± Hearing a discussion about Erengium, Ian, who was watching the game with everyone, directed his eyes towards Riley. Ian still had vivid memories about what transpired in the corridor in front of the restroom. ¡®Our young master was incredible¡­but now that I think about it, Erengium¡¯s young master was also highly skilled.¡¯ The one who was highly skilled¡­ Ian was thinking about the eldest son of Erengium, the one who had avoided Ian¡¯s grasp and charged towards Riley. It was certainly an incredible move. However, looking back now, there was something odd about it. ¡®The movement was somehow¡­unfitting of his body type?¡¯ For a swordsman, there are movements and mana utilization techniques that best fit one¡¯s body. The movements demonstrated by the Erengium¡¯s eldest son were definitely fearsome, but they could not hide the fact that there was some awkwardness about them. Ian thought that, if he was Erengium¡¯s eldest son, he would have done things a little differently when he turned his upper body or moved his feet. ¡°I heard the second son of the Erengium House had a match yesterday.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Ian, you weren¡¯t here yesterday¡­¡± Iris responded to Ian¡¯s murmur, and Sera added, ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. The dual-sword-wielding contestant that I was rooting for lost to that second son. I¡¯m still really disappointed. I never thought that the match would end so fast.¡± ¡°Dual-sword-wielding? You mean Jenier?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± All contestants participating in the tournament were under 20. Ian fiddled with his beard for a moment and then nced towards the arena where the match was about to begin. ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By chance, during yesterday¡¯s match, was there anything odd about the second son of the Erengium House?¡± ¡°Anything¡­odd? I¡¯m not sure?¡± Sera tilted her head to the side. ¡°Other than that he sent both of Young Master Jenier¡¯s swords flying with just one blow, which I thought was pretty incredible, other than that¡­ I don¡¯t know much.¡± Although the contestant that she was cheering for lost, Sera was not doubting Erengium out of anguish over it. It was because there could be a difference in physical strength. Also this was the mostmon scenario whenever a dual-wielding swordsman was defeated. ¡°What about the smells?¡± When Ian and Sera were talking to each other, Riley, who was rubbing his sleepy eyes, asked casually. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°His smell. That guy over there.¡± Riley made a gesture with his chin toward Erengium¡¯s second son. Erengium¡¯s second son, Apolion, was drawing his sword following the instruction from the judge who was standing in the middle of the arena. He was shaking uncontrobly unlike yesterday. ¡°Smell¡­is there anything about him¡­¡± Sniff Sniff Sera, who had superb sense of smell, checked the smell and tilted her head. As Riley said, a smell slightly different from yesterday wasing from Apolion. It was a small difference that would have gone unnoticed if she was not directed to examine it so carefully. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iris and Ian looked at Sera, wondering about what was going on. It was because they didn¡¯t have special sense of smell like she did. ¡°Certainly, the smell is different.¡± ¡°Different?¡± ¡°Unlike yesterday, something is missing¡­¡± Around the time Sera narrowed her eyes and puzzled over this finding in her head, the countdown announcing the beginning of the match started to roll. ¡°Mother, did you say this is thest match for the day?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we get going? It is a bit awkward to say this, but the result is already out.¡± Riley stretched widely and stood up from his seat. In his head, he was agonizing over what he should eat for dinner. ¡°But young master, still, shouldn¡¯t you at least watch and then go?¡± ¡°Yes. This is thest match for the day.¡± ¡°Look at that guy¡¯s hands. They are shaking uncontrobly. Do you think he can fight properly like that to begin with?¡± Ian and Sera raised question marks on their faces and looked at the arena. With three seconds remaining, Apolion, who was standing in the arena, did indeed have trembling hands. It was different from yesterday in the arena. During yesterday¡¯s match, although he looked nervous, at least his hands were not shaking. It was odd. ¡°¡­Huuaap!¡± The countdown ended, and the match began¡­ But the result was, as Riley had predicted, Apolion¡¯s defeat. It was a humiliating defeat that didn¡¯t take even 3 seconds. *** ¡°¡­Damn it. Howe?!¡± Bam! Erengium¡¯s eldest son, Aploc, smashed the desk in the contestant preparation room. His fist became red, but that was not the problem here. ¡°It¡­it was supposed to be given to us yesterday! So why all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Young master¡­ Please, calm down.¡± ¡°You think anyone could calm down now?! My little brother lost!¡± Bam! The desk shook once again. ¡°What the hell were they doing yesterday?!¡± ¡°That¡­that is¡­¡± The n was to get the stuff by going to Lower Solia, but they didn¡¯t get to have the stuff. This was the reason why Aploc was so angry. To calm him down, the butler responded as he broke into a cold sweat, ¡°We rushed to Lower Solia this morning, but they said they couldn¡¯t hand over the stuff to Erengium anymore, so¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± The look on Aploc¡¯s face, with his shaky eyes, was definitely not alright. The man was no longer in his right mind. ¡°The bastards from Lower Solia betrayed us?¡± ¡°That is¡­ It appears to be the case. I tried to threaten them, but they called my bluff and were acting like they were telling me to go ahead and gut them if I would dare.¡± ¡°Lowly trash bastards dare to¡­dare to!¡± Paf! Aploc stood up abruptly. The chair he was sitting on fell over to the back. He started to roughly scratch his head. Not just because of the deadly aura he felt from Iphelleta¡¯s young master, but also because of the withdrawal symptoms, his entire body was shaking uncontrobly. It felt like there was a bug crawling around inside his body. ¡°How dare¡­ Do they not realize who we are?!¡± Aploc stopped scratching his head. Now his eyes were being filled with a deadly light. ¡®Even though I didn¡¯t get to take the drug I need, would I be so weak that I would not be able to handle even a few homeless bastards?¡¯ As Aploc thought about this, he quickly turned his body and started to walk. ¡°Y-Young master! Where are you going?¡± Aploc didn¡¯t answer his servant. He only marched towards Lower Solia. His eyes had lost their original colors and turned red. ¡°You should console Young Master Apolion! Young master? Young master!¡± The swordsmanship tournament¡¯s events for the day came to a conclusion. With the apuse for the victor as the backdrop, Aploc left Solia Castle. *** It was an uncertain hour. It could have been early morning orte evening. Five people, whose horrible stench made anyone cringe just from briefly passing by them, walked into the Solia Holy Temple. The five people included Nainiae who was doing a few things with Riley during early morning today. Because she was barefoot, Nainiae was leaving ck footprints on the Holy Temple¡¯s white floor. She was thinking about what Riley said this morning. ¡®When the swordsmanship tournament ends, wait about 10¡­ no¡­ 20 minutes? And then stop by at the Holy Temple.¡¯ ¡®But¡­they won¡¯t ept us.¡¯ ¡®No. They will ept you all.¡¯ ¡®How? I¡¯m¡­although I have been living there for only a while now, I am from Lower Solia. Also, I look like this too¡­¡¯ ¡®You need to throw a bait.¡¯ ¡®A bait?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right. A bait that they could not possibly just pass without biting.¡¯ Nainiae put her hand into her pocket. There was a small stash of grass inside, which was the grass taken from the Magic Tower¡¯s basement. ¡°Over there, stop! All of you¡­ What is this?¡± Before they could enter all the way in, they were stopped by a priest who was walking around the area. Perhaps it was due to the stench, but before long, even the holy knights who were guarding the temple approached where she stood, and the holy knights stared at her with eyes full of suspicion. ¡®Going to Solia Castle would make it more certain, but if you guys went there, there is a good chance that you will be all cut down on the spot, so going to the Holy Temple would be better. They will at least listen to what you have to say before doing anything.¡¯ Nainiae went over Riley¡¯s advice and looked at the people behind her who were shaking out of fear. Due to withdrawal symptoms from the drugs used during the Magic Tower¡¯s experiments, there was one bubbling up and drooling from the mouth. ¡°¡­¡± They were all people who were suffering in the hands of Astroa at the Magic Tower¡¯sboratory. ording to Riley¡¯s advice, based on what she say here, these people¡¯s future could be decided. ¡°All of you¡­ Based on your appearances, all of you seem to be from Lower Solia. Is that right? People from Lower Solia can¡¯t just enter the Holy Temple without permission. Please leave.¡± When the priest shook his head and gestured them to leave, Nainiae took one step forward. At the same time, the holy knights drew their swords. ¡°¡­Please wait.¡± Nainiae shriveled for a moment in the light of golden swords drawn by the holy knights, but she knew she was going to die soon anyway. These people, although they were in the experiments, still had hope for survival unlike her. To save those she could¡­Nainiae decided to be brave once more. ¡°Please wait a moment¡­¡± Nainiae asked politely with the word ¡®please.¡¯ It was awkward because she was very used to the crassnguage used in Lower Solia. However, this was no time for such a crude mannerism. ¡°Of us all, I am the only one that came from Lower Solia. These people¡­ these people are not like that. They all used to live in either Left or Right Solia.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Priest felt her story was suspicious and cringed. Although her voice sounded desperate and sincere, even so, the holy knights around them did not put away their swords. It was because their appearances were that suspicious. ¡°There is something I want to say¡­ I mean, there is something I would like to tell to Solia Temple. It is very important.¡± Nainiae slowly brought out the grass that she prepared. Because her pocket was dirty, there were ck stains on the grass now, but its shape was still intact. Its distinct addictive scent, although it was mixed in with her stench, was also still intact. ¡°¡­This?¡± The priest¡¯s eyebrows bent. ¡°About this forbidden nt, about the Magic Tower¡¯s basement¡­ I have something I would like to tell you.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± The priest looked around at others. As the priest panicked without knowing what to do, Nainiae tightly closed her hand holding the grass and continued, ¡°I know that priests in the Holy Temple despise the people from Lower Solia. However, these people behind me are not from Lower Solia. Instead of thinking of it as my story, please think of it as their story and listen.¡± ¡°Aburbur¡­¡± Perhaps due to the experiments done to them in the basement, people standing behind Nainiae were not able to talk properly. They only scratched themselves on the arms or their faces asionally disyed that they were in pain. Nainiae knew well of that horrifying pain, and that was the reason why she wanted to help them. ¡°Because of the experiments, they are not well. This is why they are not able to speak properly at the moment. So I¡­I will speak in their¡­¡± Nainiae didn¡¯t finish her words. On the other side, there was someone wearing a dress that was significantly whiter than what the priests were wearing. She was walking towards the core of the temple, but now she had stopped and was looking this way. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike Nainiae, who had covered half of her face with her hair because of disfigurement, there was someone who had her face covered with a clean veil. Nainiae figured out that she must be someone important in the temple. ¡°¡­Please!¡± Nainiae shouted. ¡°Please, to make sure that there will not be any more like me or these people here!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The veiled figure, who was keeping its silence, walked toward where Nainiae was. ¡°P-Priestess¡­¡± The priests around the scene raised their hands to stop her, telling her it is dangerous, but the one under the veil ordered them to put away their hands. Despite the horrible stench, she approached Nainiae as if it didn¡¯t bother her at all and asked, ¡°¡­Would you please tell me your name?¡± She asked Nainiae¡¯s name. ¡°It¡¯s N-Nainiae.¡± Nainiae answered. The veiled one raised her hand and slowly revealed her face behind the veil. She stared at Nainiae as if she was about to pierce through Nainiae. Nainiae¡¯s shoulders shriveled on their own in light of her beautiful face that waspletely unlike her own. Nainiae couldn¡¯t even dare to look at the priestess. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The priestess steadily looked at the girl¡¯s eye, and soon, with a refreshing smile, Priesia said, ¡°¡­Asteel.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It must have been the priest standing next to her. An answer could be heard right away. As soon as she heard the response, Priesia asked the priest, ¡°How many of the Holy Temple¡¯s people can be mobilized right now?¡± Chapter 44 - Narcotics (Part 4)

Chapter 44: Narcotics (Part 4)

. . . It was at Lower Solia. Around the time when there was a moon hanging in the sky, sounds of screams spread and echoed through the corridors of the sewers. ¡°Uaaak!¡± ¡°Kuuuaaak!¡± Wheeec! Whenever that sound of a de cutting through the air was heard, the screams followed immediately after the sounds of flesh being cut. The ones screaming were the weak without any power or strength. They were the people in shambles living in Lower Solia. In other words, they were the homeless. ¡°That¡­ That runt! Who is that?!¡± ¡°What¡¯s a nobility bastard doing here?¡± ¡°That crazy lunatic runt!¡± The stronger side was the young master from a noble family wearing a tail-coat, Aploc, the eldest son of Erengium. While drooling, he was swinging the sword and going around between the homeless. ¡°You sons of b*tches! Did you think you could do that to me?!¡± Having reached the peak of the withdrawal symptoms, Aploc screamed in a strange voice and cut down yet another man. Due to an unexpected raid by a murderous maniac, Lower Solia became aplete mess much like the Main za two days ago. On top of that, because this was Lower Solia where no patrol woulde by, there was no sign of the threat being neutralized. ¡°Don¡¯t panic! Just make him fall into the sewer!¡± ¡°Throw everything you can grab! Kill him!¡± ¡°Since when did the people in Lower Solia cower in front of nobles? Kill him! That crazy asshole!¡± The homeless that were running away in panic started to change their attitudes. The atmosphere among them gradually took a violent turn. ¡®If you are bitten, then bite back harder.¡¯ It was because of these famous words of advice that had stayed with the people of Lower Solia for a long time. ¡°Look at that bastard¡¯s eyes. There is no other answer to this! Hurry up and bring him down!¡± ¡°This bastard is clearly addicted. Slice and dice him!¡± The homeless started to throw everything they could grab. Most of the things that were picked up had some excrements on them, so they were slimy. Squashing sounds continued on and ovepped. As the sounds continued, Aploc¡¯s movements started to slow down noticeably. ¡°Hand it over¡­ I said, hand it over! My drug¡­hand over my drug!¡± Aploc swung his sword aimlessly and chased away the homeless. However, with his entire body covered in excrements, his body was not moving as he wanted. On top of the withdrawal symptoms, he was also facing mana depletion. The situation was gradually taking a nosedive towards the worst. Even the aura de, a technique that he was proud of, was no longer active. ¡°Uuuu. Hand it over! Hand it over!¡± ¡°Hey! That¡¯s enough!¡± ¡°Stop throwing stuff at him! It would be a waste to kill him!¡± In the middle of this excrement-filled mud fight, the excrement attacks toward Aploc started to dwindle. It was to make money out of him. ¡°He is a noble! We could ask for a ransom or sell him as a ve. Anyway, we can get a lot of money!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Keep him alive!¡± ¡°Hey! Stop throwing sheet!¡± Of course, there were others that suggested they should just end him. ¡°Hey! You retards! A runt like him drenched in drugs won¡¯t sell! Just kill him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right you rascals! He bit us first, so why let him live!? If you can¡¯t handle what woulde next, they will tear you apart!¡± ¡°Still, he is a noble! It would be a waste to kill him!¡± ¡°We could at least get a few loaves of bread!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what happened to Beta? Don¡¯t get excited over a few loaves of bread!¡± By the time the excrement attacks from the homeless started to decrease in number, Aploc, who was now covered in waste, started to move and cut down a homeless man¡¯s head. ¡°Kuuuaaaku!¡± Aploc now had blood on top of excrements covering him. He started tough, going, ¡®hehe,¡¯ like a crazy person as he chased after another homeless man. ¡°If you won¡¯t hand over the drugs, then blood¡­hand over your blood!¡± ¡°As I said! We really need to kill this fucker!¡± Only a moment ago, the man waspletely ck from being covered in feces, but now he had turned into a monster covered in blood. The homeless of Lower Solia all nodded as if they came to an agreement. Although they quarreled among themselves all the time, in times like these, they were sure to demonstrate great cooperation. Although they had only thrown excrements up to this point, from that moment and on, it was time for something more vicious. ¡°Kill him.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just kill him.¡± Right about when they all made up their minds and were moving toward Aploc to kill him, something unexpected happened. ¡°¡­Air Hammer.¡± Wooowhooosh! A translucent wall-like object appeared to the side of Aploc. It soon elerated and smashed his entire body. ¡°Uuk, kheeerck?!¡± Along with the sound of bones in his entire body being crushed, Aploc¡¯s body flew away like a kite that had just gotten its string cut and had been stuck up at a sewer wall. Having witnessed his body being thrown by something invisible, Lower Solia¡¯s homeless stopped their movements and looked around at one another. ¡°¡­What is it?¡± One of the homeless murmured. Soon, a response could be heard. ¡°¡­From now on, if there is anyone who steps forward, I shall personally burn you to crisp.¡± Whaarurururuck! With the sound of something burning, the homeless turned their gazes toward the direction of the sound. It looked like light-blue mana was umting and pulsating, and there was an old man that revealed himself as he set things around him on fire. ¡°What the¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Astroa?¡± ¡°What? The Magic Tower¡¯s boss?¡± ¡°That old geezer? What¡¯s he doing here all of a sudden?¡± The homeless that did not know about the connection between Lower Solia and the Magic Tower tilted their heads sideways. Only the few who knew the truth started to flee the scene quietly. ¡°You little rat¡­¡± Astroa¡¯s face looked agitated as if he was about to explode immediately. Using wind magic, he got rid of the dead bodies of the homeless and excrements that were getting in his way, and he walked towards where Aploc fell. Astroa said in a furious voice, ¡°Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­Uuuk.¡± In between the obstacles that were now thrown aside, Astroa walked forward as he took out a lump of grass. Because of the shock to his entire body, Aploc was not able to control his muscles. He barely turned his head towards Astroa who was approaching his way. ¡°¡­?¡± And soon¡­ After noticing the stuff that was in Astroa¡¯s hand, Aploc¡¯s eyes started to twitch rapidly. ¡°I was considerate and even gave you a discount for the stuff you wanted, but if you do something like this and betray me¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Astroa was showing Aploc the grass that he wanted badly. Astroa then started to gently shake the lump of grass as though it was a fan. Through Lower Solia¡¯s abhorrent stench, the faint scent from the grass came to tickle the tip of Aploc¡¯s nose. Through the bloody carnage, Aploc was barely suppressing his withdrawal symptoms, but now, he reached the limit. ¡°Ah, uuuu, ahhhh!¡± ¡°Is this what you want? Is this the reason why you have been running around like a rat wearing a mask?¡± Aploc nodded like crazy. Perhaps it was because he was out of his mind, but it looked like he didn¡¯t hear anything that Astroa said toward the end. ¡°But then, what should I do? It¡¯s such a shame.¡± Astroa cracked a smile. He reached down in his pocket with his other hand and produced a badge that looked simr to Aploc¡¯s. ¡°It turns out you dropped this and left.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± The grass that Aploc wanted went up in mes right in front of his eyes. ¡°Ah, ah!¡± After the grass turned to ashes and scattered on the ground, Aploc did not know what to do as he touched the ground. Although his entire hand became smeared with ash, he continued to scratch the ground as if he believed that doing so would bring back what he wanted. ¡®Um?¡¯ Astroa was looking at Aploc¡¯s foolish and pathetic state, but then he squinted. Because his arm was cut off, and because he was infuriated from it being cut off, his brain was not functioning very well, but now, it started to roll again. ¡®What¡¯s this? Something is¡­not right?¡¯ Astroa was a man who had never experienced any serious peril in his life, but now, for the first time in his life, Astroa realized something strange was going on. ¡®That bastard¡­was he weak like this?¡¯ *** It was after the dinner. Ian was on his way back to the hotel, but he suddenly stopped walking and said, ¡°¡­ I¡­I think I will have to go stop by at Solia Castle for a moment.¡± ¡°At the Solia Castle?¡± The three people who were walking in front of him turned their heads and looked at Ian. ¡®It couldn¡¯t be¡­¡¯ Having witnessed his serious face, Sera tilted her head sideways with a quizzical expression on her face. ¡°No matter how much I think about it, something is suspicious about the people from the Erengium House.¡± ¡°What do you mean suspicious?¡± Hearing Ian¡¯s words, Iris floated a question mark on her face and asked. ¡°Sera probably figured out the majority of it¡­ It seems that the people from that House had been handling something they should not have.¡± ¡°Handling something they should not have?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about narcotics.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Iris covered her mouth with her hand and stepped back. It looked like she was not expecting narcotics toe up in the conversation. ¡°The truth is, two days ago in Solia, during the day of the tournament, I had a confrontation with the eldest young master of the Erengium House. He showed off his abilities¡­but ever since then, I felt that something was suspicious.¡± The thing that was suspicious about them was now apparent from how the match of the Erengium¡¯s second young master went today. The dual-wielding swordsman, the one who was the strongest contender for winning the tournament, lost without being able to put up a fight. However, Apolion, the one who defeated that dual-wielding swordsman, lost in the next match in a way that was far worse than how the dual-wielding swordsman had. ¡®Does this make any sense?¡¯ As Ian thought about it, it made no sense. There was a problem. ¡°This is why I think I should go to the castle and do a background investigation on the Erengium House. This is an important matter,¡± Ian said with a serious face. It was understandable. 20 years ago, during the days of the Great War when Ian worked as a mercenary, the cause of the war was actually none other than narcotics. Ian was worried about the Great War happening again. ¡°I will just make a report ande back. Please wait at the hotel¡­¡± Ian was about to raise his hand and convince Riley and Iris, but his words were interrupted in the middle. ¡°¡­I want to go too.¡± It was because Riley started talking in the middle. Hearing those words, Ian¡¯s face became filled with panic. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Let us alle along too. Mother, is that alright?¡± ¡°It is fine with me, but¡­¡± Iris responded to Riley and then looked at Sera to figure out how she felt about the matter. By the looks on Sera, it appeared she was not against it in particr. ¡°However¡­¡± Ian hesitated. It was because Ian was expecting his young master to say that it was bothersome, or that he was tired and then would go straight to the hotel. Now that Riley said he wanted toe along, Ian could not believe what he just heard. Riley looked at Sera and said, ¡°By yourself, don¡¯t you think it will be too much?¡± He was talking about guarding Riley and Iris by herself without Ian. ¡°If I went back, I probably won¡¯t be able to sleep anyway¡­¡± Riley, who had plenty of sleep when the tournament was in full swing, shrugged his shoulders. Ian gave a nk stare at Riley. It was because the corner of Riley¡¯s lips was slightly bent upwards, indicating that Riley was up to something. ¡°¡­¡± Ian could not believe this, but after exchanging a few looks with Riley, Ian soon lowered his head and after a while answered, ¡°¡­I understand. Let¡¯s all go together.¡± Something was not right, but still, the young master that Ian knew was someone that, deep down, always knew to take good care of his own people. Ian was certain that Riley was not up to something bad. In front of everyone, Ian led the way to Solia Castle. ¡°Ah, wait¡­ Wait a minute.¡± Before they could even take a few steps, Ian¡¯s steps stopped because Riley grabbed his sleeve. ¡°What is it, young master?¡± Ian turned to Riley and asked. ¡°Before we go¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Only a moment ago, the four were on their way to the hotel. The ce that the four were standing in now was the Main za. Because of the magic attacks that Nainiae had poured out to the scene, some of the stores or street vendors were closed, but most of the street vendors were still open and selling foods or beverages. Riley looked at one of those street vendors and continued, ¡°Would it be okay if I bought a few brown-sugar beers and brought them with me?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Because Riley made the suggestion as he smiled widely, Ian, Sera and even Iris could not help but to bring up question marks on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m a little thirsty.¡± Because of the three people¡¯s nk stares at him, Riley exined the reason as he scratched the back of his head. Chapter 45 - Fish Nibbling at the Bait

Chapter 45: Fish Nibbling at the Bait

. . . Something was odd. Astroa thought the way the situation was rolling along felt strange. ¡®The masked man that I ran into¡­was he this weak?¡¯ The question in his head led to yet another question, ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ Astroa turned his head rapidly and looked at Lower Solia¡¯s homeless people who were hiding in corners and watching him. A few of them had met Astroa before because of the narcotics trade, so they seemed to know why Astroa was here, but some of the others were staring at him with their eyes wide open and wondering what in the world was happening here. It was strange. The atmosphere felt very ufortable even for Lower Solia. ¡®Erengium was¡­a bait?¡¯ Astroa assumed that the masked man that cut off his arm and ran off with the disposed product during the early morning must be someone from Erengium House because Astroa found the badge in theboratory. However, now that Astroa¡¯s anger had receded a bit and his head was cool, after thinking hard about it¡­Astroa felt that it was probably not right. His eyebrows started to wrinkle slowly. ¡®Ugh what a bonehead¡­ What am I doing right now¡­ it''s¡­ How am I any different from ab rat trapped in an experiment box?¡¯ Astroa realized that he got too used to the peaceful life, so he had overlooked something he should have been suspicious of. Astroa realized that he totally fell for it like a fool. He gritted his teeth. ¡°Huh?¡± It was when he was shaking his fist in fury. One of the homeless who was hiding and watching the scene made the noise. Soon, along with the sounds of footsteps, the presence of numerous people approaching could be felt. Judging from the sound, it sounded like people wearing te armor were approaching. ¡°S-Solia Holy Temple bastards?¡± ¡°The bastards from the Holy Temple? Why here¡­¡± The priests and holy knights from the Solia Holy Temple usually didn¡¯t want to have anything to do with the people of Lower Solia, iming that these homeless people had abandoned god. However, this time, there was a mob of them that showed up. ¡°Holy sheet. It¡¯s the priestess¡­¡± In middle of priests and holy knights, there was a girl with a veil, who was rtively shorter than the rest, standing in front of everyone. Watching her obviously walking toward Astroa, the homeless people of Lower Solia opened their eyes wider than when Astroa made his entrance. The homeless murmured, ¡°What?¡± ¡°P-Priestess?¡± ¡°Priesia? Is it the real deal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s crazy. Why would Priesiae here¡­¡± Hearing the homeless people¡¯s voices, Astroa also opened his eyes wide and stared. ¡®She is the priestess from the Holy Temple. Just what business does she have here that she had to march all the way down here?¡¯ Astroa could not think of many possibilities. ¡°Astroa, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And soon, in front of Astroa¡¯s sight, there was Priesia¡¯s veil. With priests and holy knights standing behind her, Priesia took a step forward and continued, ¡°Recently, I received a report about obscene urrences.¡± When she finished, at the same time, Baaam! The holy knights wearing te-armored boots stomped their feet on the ground and put forth their shields and swords. It was an unspoken threat toward Astroa. They were demanding Astroa to answer honestly to the priestess. ¡°Can you please answer?¡± At the priestess¡¯ question, Astroa flinched his face and asked back, ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About narcotics¡­and hical human experiments.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you involved with them?¡± Priesia asked as she sharpened her eyes under the veil. Her gaze was fierce. It was unbelievable that it belonged to a girl. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Astroa shrugged a little. It looked like he coughed out a word to express his amusement for no reason, but he slowly turned his body away and started to murmur something. Upon listening to it carefully, it sounded like he was murmuring a spell. Most likely, it was going to be the Teleport spell to escape the scene. ¡°¡­Spell Cancel.¡± However¡­ Before Astroa could finish casting Teleport, the spell was canceled. It was because someone interfered with his spell. ¡°¡­?!¡± Astroa was currently at Seven Circles. ¡®Someone interfered and canceled my magic? A magic cast by me, a Seven Circles level mage?¡¯ The feat was not possible unless it was by a Six Circles level mage. Astroa stared with wide eyes at the girl in horrible state that was standing behind Priesia. ¡°¡­ You¡­You b*tch?¡± There was a girl with her hand directed toward Astroa. She was certainly the one that interfered with Astroa¡¯s spell. It was the girl that showed abnormal rate of mana growth due to drug experiments in the Magic Tower. It was the girl that reached the height of Six Circles in just two short years. Literally, she was a manufactured prodigy, and she was standing right there. ¡°To make sure that there will not be any more¡­¡± ¡®To make sure that there will not be any more like me.¡¯ Because of ck blood leaking out of her mouth, Nainiae couldn¡¯t finish her words. Instead, she continued in her head. Due to exhaustion, her eyes were about to close on her own, but she desperately maintained them and red at Astroa. *** After arriving at Solia Castle, Ian exined to the royal guards about the Erengium House, and the royal guards replied and said that they were actually investigating about the Erengium House already. ¡°Right now, I heard that there are suspicious movements in Lower Solia. We were about to head out right away so we won¡¯t bete like at the incident in the Main zast time.¡± The royal guard exined that the eldest son of the Erengium was there right now and that something big was happening. ¡°Did something happen in the Main za?¡± Ian was listening to the royal guard¡¯s exnation, but he tilted his head sideways and asked. It was because Ian was not aware of what had happened in the Main za. ¡°That is¡­we don¡¯t have the time to exin that to you at the moment. Please understand.¡± The royal guard, who was exining things to Ian, gathered his armor and weapon to join the other royal guards. He took a quick look to the back and said, ¡°Would the Iphelleta House like toe as well? To Lower Solia?¡± ¡°No thank y¡­¡± ¡°¡­Sure. Why not.¡± In light of the royal guard¡¯s question, Sera was about to say ¡®No thank you!¡¯ However, she flinched as she heard Riley telling the royal guard that he would join them. ¡°Young master, why would you¡­¡± ¡°We checked out all of Left and Right Solia, so¡­I think I would be a little upset to not get the chance to check out Lower Solia. I think that¡¯s why?¡± ¡°But, that ce¡­!¡± Sera was about to say something back, but she bit her lip. It was because she couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say other than that it is dangerous there. ¡°It is not like we are going by ourselves. Royal guards areing too, right? It won¡¯t be all that dangerous.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With a pleading look on her face as if she was wronged, Sera looked at Iris. However, the gaze from Iris was also saying, ¡®I don¡¯t understand why you are against this.¡¯ ¡°It seems like the decision has been made toe along. Royal guard, I¡¯m sorry, but please let us borrow some horses.¡± ¡°Should I just provide you with a carriage? Because it is for the royal guards, it will be ufortable, but it would be better than riding on horses.¡± ¡°In that case, please do so.¡± Now that Ian had even prepared a carriage for everyone in the blink of an eye, Sera¡¯s face darkened even more. It was because now, going to Lower Solia became a certainty. ¡°Ugh.¡± While the carriage was being prepared, with Riley and Iris standing in front of her, Sera sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. ¡°Now that it hase to this¡­ It cannot be helped. There are a few things I want to warn you all about. Please keep these in mind at all times.¡± ¡°I got it.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± To exin things to watch out for, Sera opened her fingers one at a time as she exined them to the mother and son duo, ¡°First, don¡¯t go anywhere by yourself! Second, don¡¯t get separated from the group! Third, don¡¯t do anything by yourself!¡± Although they were worded differently, the overall message in the cautions was the same. Riley raised an eyebrow and asked back, ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± No matter what face Riley was making, Sera continued with a serious face and emphasized the three points once again. ¡°This is really important. The people in Lower Solia are filthier and more vicious than wild animals or monsters.¡± ¡°That bad?¡± Riley shrugged as if he was saying he couldn¡¯t get a feel for it. ¡°¡­If you are bitten, then bite back harder.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± After Riley¡¯s question, Sera raised her index finger and recited the puzzling statement with a serious face. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°To people of Lower Solia, it is a proverb, a piece of advice. Literally, these guys don¡¯t have any sense of limits. They will throw anything that they can grab, and they are the kind of bastards who will always try to take someone with them to the grave. Lower Solia is a ce where such bastards gather.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Although we ended up going there, it would be best to avoid eye contact with any of them. Not everyone will be like that, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to be careful.¡± Riley nced at his mother real quick to get a glimpse of how she was feeling. Riley asked Sera, ¡°Hey, Sera.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By chance, have you lived in Lower Solia before? You seem to know a lot about the ce.¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, that is¡­¡± Because of Riley¡¯s question, which was poking right at the heart of the matter, Sera avoided his eyes and mumbled. It looked like Riley¡¯s thoughts were correct. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s right. When I was little, for a while, there was a time when I lived there.¡± Instead of agonizing over how to get around the subject, Sera decided to just be honest about it and continued, ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m worried even more. It is not like the people living in that ce have any special physical abilities, but their obsessions or resentments are scary beyond anyone¡¯s imagination. It is really¡­really dangerous there.¡± It wasn¡¯t the kind of trouble that would end with bumping into someone¡¯s shoulder in the street. These people might pick a fight just for having the eyes meet for more than three seconds. It was that bad in Lower Solia. Saying that they didn¡¯t like how you were dressed in nice clothes, saying that they didn¡¯t like how your face looked all clean and pretty, saying that they were just having a bad day¡­ Using all sorts of excuses, they woulde to pick a fight and turn things ugly. Noticing Sera¡¯s voice and face hardening, Iris said, ¡°¡­ Looks like you experienced them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera opened her mouth like a fish inside a fishbowl. She spared the words, and, instead, she just nodded. Actually, there was a time when she lived in Lower Solia and she experienced pain from it. Riley replied, ¡°I got it. We will heed your warnings. Don¡¯t go anywhere alone, don¡¯t get separated from the group, and don¡¯t do anything alone¡­ Okay?¡± As if she could not help it, Iris smiled as she nodded as well. Sera too tilted up the corners of her lips and smiled. ¡°It is ready.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± Riley could hear Ian from his back. It appeared that the preparations wereplete. Riley turned to see how it looked, and he said ¡®wow¡¯ after noticing the number of royal guards standing behind Ian. ¡°It seems that what¡¯s happening in Lower Solia is something very serious.¡± Ian said with a serious face. *** Having arrived at Lower Solia with Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards, Riley gave a vacant stare at the scene as he murmured, ¡°Oh my¡­¡± The way his jaw was just hanging exined how unbelievable the scene was. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Lower Solia was matching up perfectly to the description as a ce that was piled up with filth from the sewer, trash and all sorts of other garbage. In this ce, the Solia Holy Temple¡¯s holy knights and priests were exuding steady lights as they were having a confrontation with someone. ¡°Young master, it seems that¡­¡± Noticing the old man facing the people from the Holy Temple, Ian said, ¡°It looks like¡­ it really is something very serious.¡± There were homeless people hiding and watching, and there were also priests and holy knights from the temple with stern faces. Those were enough to call it an epic scene, but that wasn¡¯t all there was. ¡°¡­Grand Mage Astroa and Priestess Priesia.¡± The grand mage and the priestess were ring at each other, and she had a horrendous looking girl standing behind her. The atmosphere felt like it would explode at any moment. ¡°Can you please exin to us what¡¯s happening here?¡± The captain of Solia¡¯s royal guards asked. ¡°¡­¡± Gulp Meanwhile, Riley watched as he drank the brown-sugar beer that he brought. Chapter 46 - Fish Nibbling at the Bait (Part 2)

Chapter 46: Fish Nibbling at the Bait (Part 2)

¡°¡­I heard from Nainiae.¡± While Riley was sipping the brown-sugar beer, a soft but stern voice could be heard from afar. It wasing from a girl having a standoff against Astroa. It was from the priestess under the veil, Priesia. ¡°Narcotics and experimentation¡­ By chance, Grand Mage Astroa, were you involved?¡± ¡°N-Narcotics?¡± By the word ¡®narcotics¡¯ that was included in Priesia¡¯s question, the captain of Solia Castle royal guards that had barged into the situation was now ring at Astroa with a menacing look in his eyes. ¡°Haha. How could that be?¡± Astroa was cringing and staring at Nainiae as if he was trying to express to her that she frustrated him by interfering with his teleportation spell. However, as he turned toward the priestess, he fixed his facial expression and smiled widely. ¡°That¡¯s absolutely not true. The master of the Magic Tower being involved with narcotics? Ridiculous.¡± Pretending to be innocent, Astroa answered and said he did no such things. His good-natured looking smile and long, gray beard asionally blowing in the wind were totally making him look like a man that would never do such things no matter who looked at him. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Those were not enough to trick Priesia. Appearance wise, she was just a pretty girl. However, she was a priestess, the person closest to the heavens and blessed by the goddess Irsa. ¡°In that case, I would like to ask.¡± Behind the veil, Priesia¡¯s eyes gradually changed their color from dark brown to golden. ¡°To the goddess Irsa, can you swear that you are telling the truth?¡± It was the power of the priestess. Her golden eyes, the eyes that could pierce through others and determine the truth and deception, were ring at Astroa. ¡°That is¡­¡± Astroa was smiling like a good-natured man, but his face was slowly hardening. It was because he was well aware that deception was not allowed in front of those eyes and that question. ¡®Hm?¡¯ On the other side of the street, standing among Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards, Riley was looking back and forth between Astroa and Priesia. Intrigued, his eyes were beaming. ¡®That¡¯s interesting as well. Is it like a polygraph?¡¯ This was the girl who acted like a littless going through puberty and poured out foul words towards him at the temple. However, in this moment, she was disying valor. The existence called priestess was something that Riley had ill feelings towards since his past life. However, by herself alone, Priesia was pressuring the grand mage who represented Solia. Watching her standing up like that made Riley think that she had a pretty strong backbone. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to answer?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will ask you again.The narcotics and experimentation that Nainiae spoke of¡­ Is it true that you were the one that orchestrated them?¡± With a fierce expression on her face, Priesia inquired again. This time, the question was no longer asking if he was ¡®involved.¡¯ Instead, now, the question was tossed at him with an assumption that he was. ¡°Ugh.¡± Astroa dropped his head down and breathed out heavily after having been holding it for a while. Because of the power that Priesia had as a priestess, he could not lie. That was not all. He was also surrounded by Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards and Solia Temple¡¯s holy knights. As if that was not enough, although she was just a disposed product of the Magic Tower, Nainiae, who was at Six Circles, was interfering with his escape. It was the worst situation. Thinking about the fact that all this was because of that ¡®bastard under the mask¡¯ made him furious. ¡°Ugh. Ugh. Ugh¡­¡± Astroa all of sudden dropped his shoulders and started to make suppressedughing sounds. He was cornered. No matter how much he racked his brain, it was a situation where he couldn¡¯t think of a way out. Hence, obviously, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Astroa answered. ¡°Yes. I am the one that did all of them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Narcotics¡­ Yes. In the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, I manufactured narcotics and sold them to nobles. With that, I procured funds for experiments, and I performed trivial experiments¡­that didn¡¯t hurt anyone.¡± ¡®Didn¡¯t hurt anyone?¡¯ Nainiae was standing with the people from the Holy Temple. Having heard Astroa¡¯s words, she made a tight fist. It was starting to shake. ¡°Astroa¡­¡± Priesia narrowed her eyes and called his name. Her voice, and how she omitted his title, conveyed her rage. ¡°Yes. Is there a problem?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s nails dug into her skin. She would not have been as angry if she were the only one to be exploited. ¡®What about the little kid who I had just brought to the temple, the one who was trapped inside theboratory and begged to be killed? What did that child ever do to deserve being subjected to painful drugs and chemicals?¡¯ It was just about when Nainiae was about to scream out of fury. ¡°¡­What a total son of a b*tch!!¡± A powerful roar could be heard from across the street. Nainiae¡¯s shoulders shivered. The loud voice echoed through the entire area. In light of the incredibly powerful voice, not just Nainiae, but people from Solia Temple and even the homeless of Lower Solia all directed their gazes toward the man. ¡°Narcotics? You manufactured narcotics? You lunatic runt! Do you have any idea how many people shed bloody tears during the Great War? How dare you!¡± The voice was from an old man wearing a butler¡¯s suit with multiple Iphelleta House insignias. It was Ian. ¡®Ugh. My ear drums¡­¡¯ It was such an incredibly loud shout that Riley, who was standing right next to Ian, was groaning with his ears covered. He felt like his ears were about to go deaf from the unexpected roar. ¡°That son of a b¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to hide his agitation, Ian was breathing hard. However, he took a nce at Iris and Sera and bit his lips. ¡°¡­Since before, I never liked mage bastards.¡± ¡°Ah, I got it¡­¡± As Ian said it in a quiet voice, Riley responded a littleter. Since back in the days when he was addressed with the title of hero mercenary, Ian had deep hatred toward narcotics. Riley expected that he would be enraged by all this, but Riley never expected that his reaction would be this intense. ¡°Especially this runt. Of all sons of b*tches out there, this bastard¡­ He is the real lunatic of them all. They are all lunatics.¡± ¡°¡­Yep.¡± Riley had forgotten about Ian¡¯s habit for a long time. Having remembered it, Riley responded as he nodded. ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°Yes, yes? What is it?¡± Ian put his hand on the handle of the sword he was carrying on his waist. The old man¡¯s entire body was overflowing with deadly aura. It felt like he would draw the sword at any moment. ¡°I know it is not my ce to do this, but please, may I step in?¡± ¡°Step in?¡± ¡°For lunatic bastards, a good beating is like medicine. Borrowing the name of the Iphelleta House, I would like to beat the crap out of that runt. He deserves punishment from the above. It would not be enough to kill him by frying him on a skillet full of sheet. He is a piece of shi¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ahem. You will allow me, right?¡± Looking at Ian with his burning eyes, Riley did not know what to do. He looked at his mother and Sera. Riley¡¯s mother and Sera too only shrugged. Their eyes were saying they didn¡¯t know what to do either. ¡°Uh, that is¡­¡± While Riley was speechless and was not able to make a decision, sounds of multiple swords being drawn all together could be heard. It was from Solia Castle¡¯s royal knights. By his looks, starting from his cape, his armor, even the sword he was holding, the captain of the royal knights stood out among all royal knights. The captain aimed his sword toward Astroa and said, ¡°Manufacturing or distributing narcotics inside Solia is the most serious crime of all. Hence, I will have to ask you toe with us to the Solia Castle. Do not resist! Please put on these mana suppressing cuffs.¡± The mana felt from Astroa appeared to be at an rming level. ¡°¡­Ha, haha.¡± The one who broke the silence that came after the captain¡¯s words was Astroa, the one who was warned. Whileughing, he shrugged his shoulder. Astroa covered his face with his right hand and took a look around at all the people that were surrounding him. The look on his face expressed how he viewed them. He thought their stand-off was ludicrous. ¡°Did you just say you will arrest me?¡± Astroa retorted. No response could be heard. Until only a moment ago, his gray beard looked elderly and graceful, but now, even his beard looked terrifying. He started to exude deadly aura. ¡°By chance, have you forgotten? I am a grand mage of Seven Circles magic.¡± Astroa turned his head. No matter where he looked, everyone was looking at him with the same eyes. Everyone was ring at him with the kind of eyes that one stared with at an evildoer. Although it was not showing, a few people¡¯s eyes were filled with fear. ¡°I¡¯m the only one in Solia with the Seven Circles magic. If you were to arrest a grand mage like me and then Rainfield or Ansirium were to dere war on Solia¡­then what would you intend to do?¡± To his question, again, no response could be heard. ¡°There is nothing good that woulde out of making an enemy out of me. Am I wrong? Miss priestess?¡± This time, Astroa¡¯s head turned toward Priesia. As if he was disappointed that he could not see the look on her face under her veil, the corner of the grand mage¡¯s mouth was stretching. It appeared that he was thinking the situation was turning in his favor. ¡°¡­Certainly, that would be a problem.¡± Priesia answered. In light of her response, the royal knights and temple priests all dropped their jaws with vacant stares. ¡°Indeed, right?¡± Astroa pulled up the corner of his mouth and grinned as if he figured as much. He immediately pointed at Nainiae and said, ¡°As for that disposed product, well, since it was a mistake from the Magic Tower, I will clean it up for you. So¡­¡± ¡°That is, if it wasn¡¯t for the ¡®divine message¡¯ that was sent down to me recently.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± The divine message. It was an oracle that the goddess Irsa bestowed upon the priestess. Hearing Priesia¡¯s words mentioning a divine message, Astroa soon wrinkled his grinning face and stared at her. ¡°Now, what do you mean by¡­¡± ¡°It is not the kind of message that would be permitted to be told to someone with a bleak heart. To summarize¡­Astroa, it means your threat will not work.¡± After finishing what she had to say, Priesia raised her right arm. With her gesture, as if everyone was waiting for it, Solia Temple¡¯s holy knights directed their holy powers toward their shields and swords and started to exude golden lights. ¡°¡­Arrest him.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± At that instant, Solia Castle¡¯s royal knights started to move in. Those who could use the Aura Sword technique were wielding swords with a blue aura and rapidly approaching Astroa. As expected, perhaps because they were hardened warriors, instead of describing them as running, describing their movement as flying was more appropriate. ¡°¡­Barrier!¡± Soon, all holy and royal knights who closed in toward Astroa started to swing their swords. Baam! Holy knights and royal knights were deflected off by a semi-transparentyer that appeared in front of them. Aura swords and others engulfed in holy powers prated deep without being deflected. However, the problem was that they could not tear apart the barrier. ¡°Kuk?!¡± ¡°Is it a barrier?¡± Knights scrunched their faces. Also, Astroa too cringed. ¡°This is justified self defense.¡± Because he cast a barrier and was standing inside, there was supposed to be no wind blowing at him, but his gray beard was pping like a kite in a festival. ¡°Grease.¡± Astroa cast a spell. Grease, a One Circle magic. It instantly eliminated the friction on the ground to make people in the effective range slip or fall down. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± Because it suddenly became slippery, some knights were not able to stand it and fell or tap danced around to keep the bnce. ¡°Swamp!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Damn it. My foot¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a swamp! Get out of it!¡± After casting Grease, Astroa immediately cast Swamp, a Two Circle magic, which turned the ground into a mud field. Astroa also cast Fly and rose up in the air. ¡°Even if it is now, how about you call this off and take back what you said, Priestess Priesia? If you try to fight me¡­many people will die.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Priesia turned her head up and looked at Astroa¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Cure.¡± As Priesia focused her holy power and distributed it to the surrounding quietly, the area, which was turning into aplete mess along with the sewer water starting to be thrown into the mix, was returning to its original state¡­and then it becamepletely clean. Having cleansed the ground using her holy power, Priesia said, ¡°About what you just said¡­ I believe you will have to make a correction on your statement since not stopping you now will result in more casualties.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± As if he concluded that persuasion is no longer an option, Astroapleted the spell that he had started to cast when he ascended a while ago. With several boulder-sized fireballs summoned behind him, Astroa stared down below and said, ¡°Well then, please feel free to go ahead and try.¡± Astroa swung his hand. The fireballs that he summoned started to pour down on Lower Solia Chapter 47 - Defeating the Grand Mage

Chapter 47: Defeating the Grand Mage

After the end of a suffocating conversation, a battle to defeat Astroa had begun. It was one versus many, a little less than 50. ¡°Stop him from uttering spells! Stop him from using magic!¡± ¡°Archer squad! Ordinary arrows won¡¯t work! Bring something else!¡± There were about twenty of the elite royal guards from Solia Castle, and there were about twenty of holy knights and priests from Solia Holy Temple. ¡°Don¡¯t get hit by magic! Always look at his mouth and check for any lights appearing around him!¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ It¡¯sing again!¡± ¡°Step forward if you can use the Aura de technique! Cut down magic attacksing at us!¡± Considering the fact that there was Ian with his sword drawn, Priesia using her holy powers, and even Nainiaeunching arrays of small magic attacks, an ordinary man would have died several times over by now in face of theirbined firepower. ¡°Injured! Priest sir, we have an injured here!¡± ¡°Hey! Fire, fire! Your back¡¯s on fire you rascal!¡± ¡°Ugh! My arm! My arm won¡¯t move!¡± If one was to point out a problem in this situation, it was the fact that they were fighting against a grand mage that represented a city. He wasn¡¯t an ordinary level mage. He was at Seven Circles. The man was a magic specialist. ¡°Huh! Staring at my mouth? Fools.¡± Astroa saw his opponents on the ground giving a nk stare towards his mouth. Astroa snorted and swung his hand. ¡°Something like Three Circles magic and below¡­¡± Following Astroa¡¯s arm movement, several dozens of me and ice arrows were created behind him. ¡°¡­I canunch them without having to recite the spells.¡± The sky was dark because it was night-time, but now it suddenly became bright. It was because of magic attacks Astroa generated. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards and the people from the temple looked up and saw vast number of magic attacks that were about to be poured down on them like rain. They opened and closed their mouths wordlessly, like fishes. They were starting to realize whom they were up against. ¡°When you are in Hell, me the priestess who sent you to your grave.¡± As if he was done with the preparation for his bombardment, Astroa murmured as he lowered his arm. ¡°Here theye!¡± ¡°I will stop this wave of attacks.¡± As Astroa¡¯s magic arrows wereunched towards the ground, Priesia took a step forward and raised her arm. A gentle golden light surrounded her, and soon, a protectiveyer wide enough to surround everyone within Astroa¡¯s bombardment range appeared. Unlike the blue-colored barriers that mages could generate, her barrier was golden and contained holy power. ¡°Oh!¡± Fire and ice arrows rained down on them, and the golden barrier stopped all magic arrows. The expression on the priestess¡¯ face was as strong and enduring as always. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Having confirmed that the magic attacks were blocked, Astroa clicked his tongue. She was annoying the hell out of him. Although she would not be able to inflict serious harm to him, to Astroa, the priestess was like a thorn poking at his eyes. ¡°Archer squad! What are you doing? Stop sitting on your asses! Take aim!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Solia Castle¡¯s archers were giving vacant stares and watching the priestess¡¯ might and grace. Roused by the captain¡¯s shouting, they fumbled, ced arrows in their bows and took aim toward the sky. Astroa, the one floating in the air, was their target. ¡°Impudence¡­¡± ¡°Prepare to shoot!¡± Noticing the tightly drawn bowstrings, Astroa directed his gaze toward the archers. He prepared his mana, pointed his hand at the direction where the arrows would beunched from, and recited a spell. ¡°¡­Shoot!¡± All arrows wereunched with ferocity. Although they wereunched¡­ ¡°Wind Wave!¡± None of the arrows were able to hit the target. The arrows were either swept away by the wind and fell to the ground or were cut in half by invisible des. It was because Astroa used the wind magic to block the arrows. ¡°God damn it!¡± Seeing the attempt going down the drain, the captain of the royal guards clicked his tongue. It was because they had no means of attacking the mage floating in the air other than with arrows. ¡®From this distance, I couldunch an energy de attack, but there is a limit on how many shots I can handle. If he dodges it using a short-distance teleportation spell, the situation will turn for worse for us. I can¡¯t afford to be reckless.¡¯ It was not like the captain had no other means of attacking Astroa who was floating in the air. He couldunch an energy de to a mid-range target. It was a technique that could be considered his most powerful attack. There was a drawback, which was a severe drain of mana. Because of this, there was a limit on how many times he couldunch the energy de attacks. ¡®God damn it! If only we had just one of the bow masters¡­¡¯ Because of a situation, Solia Castle¡¯s bow master was on a mission in some other country. The captain thought about the bow master as he gritted his teeth. ¡®If this keeps up, there will be no end to this.¡¯ With an anxious look on his face, the captain looked toward the direction where the people from the temple were gathered. To be precise, he was looking at where Nainiae was. ¡®It looks like it will be also difficult to count on our little friend there.¡¯ Unlike the tough looking scars on her face, still, the best way to describe her would have been ¡®frail.¡¯ Although she was standing still, expression on her face looked like she could copse out of exhaustion at any moment. Having noticed this, the captain¡¯s face darkened. At the moment, she was limited to stopping Astroa from casting Teleport, which he tried asionally. ¡®God damn it, there is no end to this.¡¯ Just like the Solia Castle¡¯s royal guard captain, Astora was also scrunching his face as he thought about the same thing. Because of the priestess¡¯ Barrier and constant healing by the temple priests, there have not been any lethal casualties. Astroa could not be certain if he would run out of mana first or if the priestess would run out of her holy power first. Astroa cracked his neck left and right and said, ¡°In that case, I think I had enough of getting warmed up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Priesia¡¯s face crumpled. Astroa said, ¡°It¡¯s about time. Slowly, I will throw you a big one.¡± Astroa pulled his upper body back and raised both of his hands above his head. It appeared like he was preparing for a massive attack. Although the homeless of Lower Solia were not capable of seeing mana, even they could see distortions in the air around Astroa. ¡°Inferno Ball.¡± The object was beyond red-hot. A lump of me, which appeared to be likeva out of a volcano, appeared above Astora¡¯s palms. It looked as if a sun appeared in the night sky all of sudden. Because of its blinding brightness, Priesia squinted, and at the same time, Astroa swung his hands wide. ¡°Kuk¡­¡± As she opened her hand and raised it to generate a barrier once again, Priesia cringed. It was because the heat was extraordinary. The me had not even touched the barrier yet, but she was already furrowing her eyebrows due to its intense heat. Looking at her reaction, others could guess just how powerful the magic attack must be. ¡°It¡¯s a Six Circles magic. Why don¡¯t you try taking one?¡± Priesia had not had a ceremony for her adulthood yet. It also meant she had notpleted her priestess training and she was not a full-fledged priestess yet. Of course, her barrier had a limit. ¡°Ugh.¡± Priesia was maintaining the barrier, but she grunted as she took a step back. Fortunately, the barrier was being maintained, but it looked critical. ¡°¡­How about I send you another one?¡± Astroa pulled his hands toward his chest and started to recite a spell again. Pazizizik! Blue lightning sparks formed between his hands, and their size and length started to grow. It looked like Astroa was intending tounch Six Circles magic attacks continuously. ¡°¡­Shoot!¡± As if they were trying to say that they weren¡¯t just going to sit and watch, Solia Castle¡¯s archers went around to a side, tightly pulled the bowstrings with all of their strength, andunched the arrows upon the signal. ¡°Kuk?!¡± Could it be that they properly seized the right opportunity when Astroa was in the middle of casting arge spell? Of the arrows that wereunched, one of them hit right on Astroa¡¯s thigh. At the same time, therge spell that Astroa was preparing was canceled. ¡°You bastards!¡± Astroa¡¯s forehead was bulging with veins. Astroa rapidly turned his head toward the direction of the arrow¡¯s origin and put forth his hand. ¡°Reverse!¡± Around Astroa¡¯s shoulder, arm and hand, three purplish circr magic circles were formed. It was signaling that he was about to use gravitation magic, and it was a Six Circles level magic. ¡°Huh? Uhuh?¡± ¡°My body!¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening!¡± Solia Castle¡¯s archers started to float up in the air. Defying gravity, their bodies rose up continuously with no end in sight, but then, along with Astroa¡¯s shouting¡­ ¡°¡­Gravity!¡± ¡­their bodies were thrown downwards, to be smashed to the ground to be exact. ¡°Uuaak!¡± ¡°Ahhk!¡± Ssh! Ssh! Horrifying sounds of people being squashed after falling to the ground could be heard. Their bodies were thrown to the ground at a speed far greater than it would have from simply jumping off from a high ground. Obviously, the archers¡¯ bodies were not in good shape. ¡°This¡­ God damn it¡­¡± As the battle continued, as feared, death toll started to pile up. *** ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Once again, Nainiae canceled the teleportation magic that Astroa was trying to cast just now. Struggling to stand her ground, she took a deep breath. ¡®How many more times¡­will I be able to withstand this?¡¯ It was extremely fortunate that casting the Teleport spell required a long time before it could be attempted again. If it was like Blink, a short-range teleportation magic, which had very short preparation and recovery time before reuse, Nainiae would have coughed blood and fainted several times over by now. ¡°For you¡­isn¡¯t this too dangerous? Since a while ago, healing measures have not been very effective.¡± The priest Asteel had been standing by Nainiae like a partner since the beginning to heal her. With an anxious look on his face, Asteel stared at Nainiae¡¯s face from the side. Although they roughly cleaned her horrid appearance back in the temple, that was about it. Under her pitch-ck eyes, her mouth was unable to close because of all the murmurs of pain, clearly indicating the critical state that Nainiae was in. ¡°B-Big sis¡­ Are you okay?¡± A voice could be heard from nearby. It wasn¡¯t just Asteel that was right by Nainiae. The little girl who Nainiae and Riley rescued from theboratory was also sticking right next to Nainiae. Thanks to the Priestess Priesia¡¯s help, the child was able to wash away all her injuries from the basement. Seeing the little girl being concerned for Nainiae, although she was not sure how, she was able to gain strength. ¡°I¡¯m¡­all right.¡± Having realized that there were eyes watching her, Nainiae stopped shaking and answered. ¡®My job. I must do it.¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s eye looked toward Astroa who was floating in the air. Having finished casting gravitation magic, it appeared he was preparing arge scale spell once again. Nainiae gritted her teeth. Because the people on the ground didn¡¯t have many options for a long-range attack, Nainiae was well aware that her role was more important than ever. ¡®What I have to do¡­ I must do it¡­¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s gaze, which was aimed at Astroa, slowly moved downward. Her body hasn¡¯t reached the limit yet. She lowered her gaze to the ground because she could feel someone¡¯s gaze. ¡°¡­¡± Even though there was Astroa in the air randomlyunching magic attacks of terrifying power, there was someone fixated at Nainiae. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ Nainiae bowed her head down and checked who it was. It was a face that Nainiae was familiar with. ¡°Ah.¡± Nainiae made a vacant stare and opened her mouth. There were only a few people in Lower Solia that knew her face, and one of those people was looking this way. ¡°Ha¡­mil.¡± He was one of the homeless that had spent all of their savings to purchase her, a disposed product. Although they never spoke of it, he was also Beta¡¯s lover. ¡°¡­Hamil.¡± It was Hamil. ¡®Why is Hamil here?¡¯ With her eye trembling, she looked at Hamil. As if Hamil also realized that Nainiae was looking at him, he asked Nainiae by mouthing words, ¡®What happened to Beta?¡¯ Hamil was asking what happened to Beta. As he was making the inquiry, the look on Hamil¡¯s face was desperate. It was certain that he couldn¡¯t sleep through the night worrying about her. ¡°T-That is¡­¡± In his eyes, there was a sliver of hope. They looked like he was saying, ¡®You probably protected her? You were able to protect her, right?¡¯ ¡°Beta is¡­¡± Nainiae murmured. With his gaze locked onto her, Nainiae¡¯s breathing started to speed up. ¡°Beta is¡­ That is¡­¡± Nainiae was ming herself for not being able to protect Beta in the end. Nainiae was hesitating and was not sure of what to do, but then, a familiar voice could be heard in her head, <¡­Hey.> ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae flinched and looked around. The voice belonged to the boy whom she spent the entire early morning with. In light of the question being heard through her head, Nainiae turned her head towards the back. Right now, there were other people watching her, not just Hamil alone. ¡°Big sis¡­are you really okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She heard the question from the concerned child. As Nainiae was giving a vacant stare and just standing still, the boy¡¯s voice could be heard again, To Nainiae, who was still hesitating, the boy asked the question. Hearing the question, Nainiae slowly shook her head. ¡®I¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­When ites to thoughts that you can finish after everything is over, you should finish them when it is done.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± This time, instead of the voice being heard in her head, from the back, the voice could be heard directly from the boy. Chapter 48 - Defeating the Grand Mage (Part 2)

Chapter 48: Defeating the Grand Mage (Part 2)

¡°¡­?¡± Having heard the voiceing from the back, Nainiae quickly turned her head. Along with Riley, she also discovered that the priest, Asteel, was unconscious and leaning against a wall. Looking confused, Nainiae asked Riley, ¡°Why are you here?¡± Through the power of her eye, she was roughly aware that Riley hade to this ce. However, Nainiae knew Riley was not going to step in the situation. ¡°I clearly remember you telling me that you will not step forward¡­¡± When Nainiae was with Riley during the early morning, Riley had said so, and that instead he would just watch. Because Nainiae remembered his words, she stared at Riley with a question mark floating on her face. ¡°I know. I did say that.¡± The look on Riley¡¯s face said all this was such a bother to him. He scratched the back of his head and continued. ¡°I was not nning on stepping forward. It is as I said before, but¡­¡± Riley furrowed the spot between his eyebrows and looked at Astroa floating in the air. Astroa did have an arrow stuck in his thigh, but it appeared that the injury was not hindering him from using magic. Also, the intensity of the magic attacks that he was pouring out was not showing any signs of winding down. Riley could see why Astroa was called the grand mage representing the Magic Tower. He deserved the title. ¡°¡­this is taking too long.¡± Rileyined that it was going to take too long to defeat a grand mage like Astroa. Nainiae could see in Riley¡¯s face that he was not joking. Nainiae asked, ¡°Too¡­long?¡± The opponent that they were fighting against was the top dog of Solia¡¯s Magic Tower, a grand mage that reached the height of Seven Circles. He was a monster that wasunching a Six Circles level magic every five minutes. Hunting him down quickly like a sewer rat was practically impossible. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is taking too long.¡± Despite all that, Riley was saying that the battle was being sustained for too long. ¡°This is being dragged on for too long, and because of that, magic attacks are about to reach all the way to where my mother is.¡± Because this was taking too long, now there was a possibility of endangering his mother. This was the reason why Riley came to Nainiae. If things went as Riley originally thought, the situation should have concluded before an incident where Astroa¡¯s indiscriminate magic attacks came flying towards where Riley was. ¡°I don¡¯t know about their circumstances, but¡­¡± Again, the look on Riley¡¯s face expressed that all this was such a bother to him. He turned his head toward Solia¡¯s royal guards who were engaged in a head-on battle against Astroa. ¡°¡­Among the people from Solia Castle, there isn¡¯t any skilled archer. This is the problem.¡± The opponent was a grand mage floating in the air using Fly magic. For Solia Castle¡¯s swordsmen and the Holy Temple¡¯s priests and holy knights, striking him down was certainly a very difficult task. There were archers among the castle¡¯s royal guards, but, because they didn¡¯t know how to load the arrows with mana, these archers were not the ones Riley could have big expectations of. ¡°How could these so called knights not even know the concept of de throw technique.¡± Tsk. Riley mentioned his specialty, and he clicked his tongue as he closed and opened his hand several times. ¡°There aren¡¯t many that can attack from mid-range. Looking at the situation, there isn¡¯t any among the priests from the Holy Temple that are capable of doing it either.¡± ¡°In that case, we should ask the Magic Tower¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± As Nainiae said, in that case, the only way left was magic. It was best to use magic and shoot down Astroa or bring him down to the ground. Although they had Nainiae here, because the mana inside her was running amok, she was limited to stopping Astroa when he asionally attempted to cast Teleport, therefore she could not be counted on for such a task. They needed another mage. However, to point out a problem, the question was if the mages from the Magic Tower would willingly cooperate if they asked the Magic Tower¡¯s mages the following question: ¡®would you please lend your strengths and help us hunt down Astroa, your leader?¡¯ ¡°Notifying the Magic Tower about this should be done after giving a serious thought first. If we just tell them about it, it might only make the problem bigger. You never know. In the worst case scenario, it may lead to a rebellion.¡± Riley was saying that mages had that much influence in a country. Therefore, Riley thought that, instead, finishing the deed while Astroa was alone and far away from everyone else might be easier. ¡°¡­God damn it. Mithril! Is there a Mithril?!¡± As a powerful voice like the sound of thunder could be heard, Nainiae¡¯s gaze moved toward the origin. It was from Ian, the one that immediately went up to the frontline and started leading knights and archers along with the royal guard¡¯s captain when Riley gave Ian the permission to act. ¡°It¡­ It¡¯s at the castle!¡± ¡°What? God damn it! Even if it is now, go get it!¡± ¡°But, it will at least take 30 minutes.¡± ¡°I said just go get it for now!¡± It appeared Ian was titled as the hero mercenary from the Great War for a good reason. Ian had seeded in burying an arrow in Astroa¡¯s thigh. However, since then, he had not managed to sessfully deal another hit, which was a problem. When Riley first heard Ian looking for a, Riley whistled. However, when Riley then heard it will take 30 minutes, he sighed. ¡°If this keeps up. The problem isn¡¯t going to be just about whether Ian would get hurt or not.¡± Currently, the battle to defeat Astroa was in full swing. Noticing the people¡¯s gazes toward where Nainiae was standing, Riley slowly moved back and stepped on Nainiae¡¯s shadow. He stepped back because he had already told Nainiae that he was intending to do so and show her how. If possible, Riley wanted to avoid having the situation head in a direction where he was getting the attention. ¡°Big Sis. Who is this Big Bro?¡± Riley, who stepped back to hide himself, came face to face with the young child who he had his eyes met with earlier for a brief moment. It was the child that he and Nainiae saved together from the Magic Tower¡¯s basementboratory. Now, because of the medical treatment from the Holy Temple, the child was able to speak a little. ¡°That is¡­¡± Nainiae blurred the end of her sentence and looked around. It was because she couldn¡¯t decide what to say, and she was also worried about the priest who was sticking by her until a moment ago, who was now unconscious before anyone, even rats or birds, noticed. ¡°Big Sis, by chance, did you see? A moment ago, this big bro moved super fast.¡± Although Nainiae didn¡¯t see it herself, it appeared that the child saw up to the moment when Riley sat the priest to the nearby wall. ¡°¡­Youngdy.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley called the child and bent his upper body slightly to level his eyes with her. Riley had a leisurely tone of voice, and there was no animosity in it. However, Nainiae was still worried. All she did was staring vacantly to her front with her mouth open like a fish and shifting her eyes. ¡®Will it be¡­okay?¡¯ She was not able to turn around and see what was happening behind her, between Riley and the child. It was because she was currently being the wall that hid Riley from the gazes of others. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but, about what just happened, and the fact that you saw me here today¡­can you please keep it a secret?¡± Shh. As if he was belittling Nainiae¡¯s worries, Riley only put his index finger to the front of his lips and pleaded to the child. Just a moment ago, without any warning, Riley had knocked out the priest that was standing by Nainiae. How he was acting towards the child was different. Compared to what he did to the priest, some would have thought it was different to the point of being unfair. ¡°But¡­¡± As Riley saw the child fiddling and being hesitant, he moved his hand to his back pocket. ¡°¡­Could you please?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± What Riley brought out was his mask. It was the mask that Riley was wearing when he was at the basement of the Magic Tower and saving the child. ¡°By chance, back then¡­you are that big bro?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Keeping this a secret¡­ You can do it, right? I¡¯ll be able to save others only if you keep it a secret.¡± As the child watched Riley bring the mask toward his face, the child¡¯s eyes were sparkling. She soon nodded deeply and said, ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°All right. You are such a good girl.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± Riley smiled behind his mask, extended his right arm, and patted the child¡¯s head. There was familiarity in Riley¡¯s way of gently patting her head. The child stayed put and epted his gesture. ¡®He looks like a different person¡­¡¯ Seeing a side of Riley that she had never seen until today, Nainiae thought so as she heard a faintughtering from behind her. Nainiae was deep in her thoughts for a moment, but she opened both of her eyes wide. It was because she recalled something she had forgotten for a while. ¡®Hamil.¡¯ Nainiae shifted her eyes and rushed to find Hamil. She couldn¡¯t see him in the spot that he was standing a while ago. She couldn¡¯t locate him within the range of Astroa¡¯s magic. Among the Solia¡¯s royal guards, Holy Temple¡¯s priests, or even among the homeless of Lower Solia, she could not find Hamil. ¡®Hamil¡­ Where could you be?¡¯ There was uneasiness in the corner of her mind because she was worried about him, but she decided to not worry too much. ¡®When ites to thoughts that I could think about after everything is over, I should be thinking about them when everything is over.¡¯ It was because the warmth from Riley reaching her back felt like it was telling her to do so. To Nainiae, who pursed her lips and was calming her mind, Riley said, ¡°Now, take a deep breath.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°This has dragged on long enough. We should end this quickly, don¡¯t you think?¡± Ian would obviously have no way of knowing because he was in middle of fighting, but to his mother and Sera, who were watching the battle to defeat Astora, Riley came after giving them enough excuses. Because Riley had no intention of letting this drag on any further, Riley put his hand on a sword that he snatched from a royal guard. ¡°Have a big shot prepared.¡± Until now, Riley was only holding the mask in front of him, but now, he actually put it on. *** Astroa cast different spells in each of his hands and attacked Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards. ¡°Firewall, Poison Spray.¡± Firewall was a fire-element mid-level magic. In middle of the battlefield, a wall of fire was summoned, and immediately, a poisonous mist that could spread through the air was released. The Firewall and Poison Spray were not high circle number spells, but because they werebined together, they were demonstrating fearsome power. ¡°Kuuaaak!¡± ¡°Ahhhhhk!¡± The royal guards within Astroa¡¯s magic attacks¡¯ range got swept into its effects. Screaming in pain, they ran toward the people from the Holy Temple. Although they were tempered knights after long years of hard training, it appeared they had no way of withstanding attacks from mes or extreme poisons that were burning or melting their body. ¡°Save me!¡± ¡°Heal! Heal!¡± Instead of magic that the royal guards could easily cut down or block, Astroa was using magic that was tricky to handle or they could not even go nearby. ¡°Looks like I should start doing something about those priests as well.¡± Astroa slowly turned his gaze. Unlike during the beginning of the battle, the priestess¡¯ barrier was now noticeably dimmer. With a little bit more of bombardment, it appeared Astroa could even eliminate the extra thick barrier cast on the side of the people from the Holy Temple and end the situation. ¡°Bringing down the rear is the best strategy of all best strategies in a battle.¡± Astroa waved his hand again and prepared a Six Circles level me magic. He recited a pretty long spell and collected mana. Astroa¡¯s n was to either throw orunch the magic when it wasplete. Once he destroyed the priestess¡¯ barrier, the idea he had for the n thereafter was to tear apart the priests using lightning magic, which would have resulted in rapid casualties. ¡°Tsk!¡± Astroa had his magic ready, and all he had to do was tounch the attack, but, at that moment, he slightly tilted his head to the side and barely dodged an arrow that flew toward him. ¡®I could have ended this sooner, but to think that a mercenary hero would show up out of nowhere¡­¡¯ Astroa turned his head and locked his eyes with the man responsible for the arrow. The man looked old, but his face still looked familiar. It was a face that Astroa had ran into in his past, and that made his face crumple. Both arrows, the one that got stuck in his thigh and the other that left a scratch on his cheek, wereunched by the man. ¡®Still, he is not as good as he was in his prime.¡¯ The look on Astroa¡¯s face was stating that he thought of Ian¡¯s effort as impudent andughable. Now fixated on Ian, Astroa moved his arm and cast Air Hammer. Among the wind element spells, Air Hammer possessed considerable destructive power. It was the same magic that he used against Aploc, who was now unconscious and stuck in Lower Solia¡¯s sewers. ¡°Kuk¡­¡± Perhaps Ian just had good senses. The old man seeded in blocking Astroa¡¯s invisible Air Hammer with just a sword. He was sessful, but perhaps because he couldn¡¯t beat his age, Ian was not able to stop his body from being bounced back. His body was pushed back as his feet dragged. ¡®You are probably starting to feel it about now. Have you realized it? That a mage and a swordsman are different?¡¯ Unlike those who handled swords, mages only got stronger with experience regardless of age. Having pushed Ian out of the battlefield, Astroa turned his head again toward the ce where the priests were. ¡®Once I clean them up and tear apart that disposed product b*tch, I should pack up the stuff and leave Soli¡­¡¯ Astroa was moving his gaze as he thought about his future ns, but he suddenly twitched his eyebrows. ¡°¡­That!¡± It was at a ce pretty far from where the priests were gathered. Astroa was twitching his eyebrows because his eyes met with someone standing on a corner in that ce. ¡°¡­Ah, looks like I drew his attention.¡± The ¡®masked man,¡¯ the one Astroa had his eyes meet, murmured. Chapter 49 - Defeating the Grand Mage (Part 3)

Chapter 49: Defeating the Grand Mage (Part 3)

Seven Circles was a height in magic mastery where a mage was capable of creating a natural disaster level cmity with just a sweep of a hand, and it was the height that Astroa, a human, had reached. ¡®That insolent bastard, he dares toe here!¡¯ Certainly, Astroa may have had his guard down during the past encounters, but still, the foe that beat him twice was here. ¡®You bastard. You may have ran away after making a fool out of me twice, but¡­ This time, it won¡¯t happen.¡¯ His white beard and facial muscles started to shake out of fury. It was to the point that air surrounding him was starting to show distortions and haze. The grand mage was in a state of rage. ¡®If you think I¡¯ll fall for your tricks like before, you are seriously mistaken.¡¯ It looked like his head was about to pop open from all the anger, but unlike his appearance, Astroa was thinking calmly. He was only focused on how to slice, dice and fry that masked man. ¡°Shoot!¡± Wheeeec! Wheeeec! Before Astroa could think about his n for more than ten seconds, Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards took stances again andunched arrows. ¡°Ugh, these small fries¡­¡± All of the arrows collided with the barrier that Astroa had prepared earlier and fell down. Although the attack ended up a failure, it appeared to have seeded in making Astroa more annoyed because he gritted his teeth as he red toward the direction where the arrows came from. ¡®I don¡¯t have time to deal with you bastards!¡¯ Astroa assessed that the unidentified masked man was far more dangerous than the castle¡¯s royal guards. It was because, to Astroa, the masked man was a bastard that managed to threaten his life twice, the life of a mage who had reached the height of Seven Circles magic. He may have had his guard down during his past encounters, but the masked man could not be taken lightly. ¡°Blizzard!¡± Astroa decided to make sure that the small fries were neutralized and cast Blizzard, which was a Seven Circles level magic and the highest level ice element magic he could cast. ¡°This is, god damn it¡­¡± The captain of the royal guards definitely heard what spell Astroa was reciting. The captain immediately started to have his subordinates fall back. ¡°Fall back! Everyone! Retreat! It¡¯s arge-scale magic! You must fall back!¡± Ha¡­ [Note: I¡¯m sure you can tell, but this is notughter. This is a sound effect as in how one would breath out during a cold winter and notice the breathe is turning into white mist because it is so cold.] It was supposed to be spring right now, but somehow, the breathing out of the captain was turning into white mist. The wind was initially blowing gently, but soon, it started to generate fierce noise that was sharp enough to tear apart people¡¯s eardrums. With the cold wind, the atmosphere was changed to the point that it was slowing the royal guards¡¯ movements. ¡°Uu¡­ Col¡­¡± A royal guard frozepletely before being able to finish his word. The true power of the Blizzard, a Seven Circles magic, was starting to take effect. ¡°Kuuuk!¡± The captain barely managed to get out of the blizzard¡¯s range. He covered himself by raising one of his arms. He scrunched up his face. It was because some of his subordinates didn¡¯t manage to escape the blizzard. A royal guard that was standing near the center of the effective area didn¡¯t just freeze. He was turnedpletely white and beyond recognition. ¡°C-Captain¡­¡± A royal guard crawling from the effective area put out his arm toward the captain. The expression on his face was desperate and trying to tell the captain as he was pleading to be saved. However, with a tear hanging on his face, the royal guard froze solid. It was a helpless situation. Because he couldn¡¯t save his subordinates, out of despair, the captain was just standing there with a vacant look on his face. Meanwhile, to the captain, a shadow was being cast from above. ¡°C-Captain! Look out!¡± Although he wasn¡¯t frozen from the magic, the captain was standing still like a statue because he was looking at the royal guard that didn¡¯t make it out of the range. A royal guard came to tackle the captain and have him fall back. ¡°Kuuk?!¡± Baam! To the spot where the captain was standing a moment ago, an icicle, no, arge boulder of ice fell. Its lower end had a blunt shape. If he was under the ice, it looked like it would not have ended with simply getting crushed. The problem now was that these things were falling continuously. ¡®This is a Seven Circles magic¡­¡¯ The captain crumpled his face as he raised his upper body. ¡°Hm!¡± Having noticed the captain staring at him, Astroa snorted as he thought of the captain¡¯s re as just an impudent gesture. Astroa turned his head away. There were people remaining in the Holy Temple¡¯s side, but regardless, they were not the people that could hurt him directly. Now that he roughly neutralized the small-fries from Solia Castle, Astroa fixated his gaze toward the distance where Nainiae and the mask man were standing. ¡®The amount of mana remaining in me is¡­about half? Still, this is enough.¡¯ Astroa narrowed his eyes. He had enough mana to cast two more Seven Circles level spells that were about as powerful as the Blizzard. Also, there was his trump card, the drug that hepleted after having spent a long time in experiments. There was no problem. ¡®¡­I shall send you to your grave.¡¯ Astroa¡¯s eyes bulged with deadly intent. *** ¡°Huh, look at how violent his eyes are.¡± Riley shivered his shoulders as he watched the blizzard from afar. It appeared that the blizzard was quite powerful. Even though Riley was far away from the effective range, even he could feel the cold from here. It was making his body shiver from the cold. Despite the cold from the magic and the grand mage ring at him with murderous eyes, Riley was looking as rxed as ever. Nainiae shifted her eye to the back where the child was standing. Nainiae asked Riley, ¡°Hey¡­ What are you going to do?¡± She asked because Astroa was floating in the air and pretty far from where they were. Riley¡¯s skill as a swordsman was something anyone would be proud of, but from this distance, it looked like it would be difficult for him to use his swordsmanship skill against Astroa. ¡°What do you mean? I have no intention of letting this drag on any longer.¡± Riley replied as he fiddled with the sword on his waist. He asked, ¡°Have you taken a deep breath?¡± ¡°I did, but¡­¡± In light of his question, Nainiae forced herself to respond. Because Riley said Astroa will no longer run, she even withdrew the Spell Cancel magic that she had prepared. ¡°And the big shot?¡± Riley asked Nainaie to prepare a big shot that was as shy and extravagant as possible. Again, Nainiae forced herself to answer, ¡°It¡¯s ready.¡± She prepared Giga Impact. It was a Six Circles magic that didn¡¯t have any particr element base. It was a magic where she focused andpressed the mana to a point and forced it to be held in that state before releasing the mana in a linear beam. It didn¡¯t have an elemental basis, but it had a shy visual effect and incredibly violent explosion sound. To point out a drawback, it made the caster¡¯s arm into pulp. ¡°Have you prepared your mind as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t need to ask that question in this situation, but he did. To his question, Nainiae responded with silence. ¡°Well, okay.¡± Riley leisurely pulled out his sword. At the same moment, Astroa¡¯s surrounding was starting to haze up from his energy. It looked like he was about tounch arge Seven Circles magic. There was no sign of Astroa letting his guard down. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I threw it seriously.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae floated a question mark on her face as she heard Riley¡¯s murmur from the side. ¡®Throw? What are you going to throw?¡¯ ¡°When I give you the signal, you just need to spray it in his general direction.¡± ¡°Spray it?¡± ¡°What I¡¯m saying is that you just need to shoot.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes as he answered and confirmed Astroa¡¯s location. Riley roughly calcted the distance, spread out his legs properly for a stance, and tightly grabbed on to the sword. His target was Astroa, the one floating in the air. ¡°¡­It¡¯sing.¡± Having heard Riley, Nainiae put strength in her shoulder and raised her arm. Immediately, they could see a sh from Astroa¡¯s side and arge bird made of mes flying toward them. ¡®As I thought, it is a Seven Circles magic¡­¡¯ Nainiae crumpled her face because she confirmed the magic attack flying toward them was a Seven Cricles level me magic that she had seen in the past. ¡®¡­Will I be able to beat it?¡¯ Her magic was Six Circles magic, and her mana was gradually being extinguished due to her numbered lifespan. When Nainiae bit her lips, Riley told her, ¡°Do it.¡± By Riley¡¯s signal, as if she was murmuring, Nainiae initiated the magic that she prepared. ¡°Giga Impact.¡± At the moment her low voice echoed, front of Nainiae¡¯s sight becamepletely white. It wasn¡¯t that she lost consciousness. The magic produced blindingly bright light, and a violent sound of explosion followed. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ It was like standing in front of arge waterfall and listening to its sound. Reacting to the conditions, one of Nainiae¡¯s eyes closed on its own. Because of the violent sound of explosion overwhelming her ears, because of bright light filling her sight, and because her arm felt like it was about to fall apart, Nainiae was barely managing to remain conscious. ¡®¡­What is he doing now?¡¯ Using the eye that she barely had open, Nainiae looked to the side and watched Riley. Riley murmured as he stared at his target, ¡°Please don¡¯t be a bother to me. Just go in one shot.¡± Riley dragged his feet on the ground. With strength, he pulled his arm back, and quickly threw the sword he held in his hand. ¡®¡­What?¡¯ Nainiae strained her closed eye and opened it again. Her face was being filled with shock. In the middle of violent explosion sounds, she could hear another noise that was like something cutting through the wind, and that was it. Nainiae did see Riley taking a stance and throwing the sword, but she wasn¡¯t able to see where the sword went. However, she realized that the intensity of the me approaching them from the distance suddenly weakened. ¡°Now, that''s the end¡­ I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Nainiae was staring at Riley with her arm raised, but she opened her mouth like a fish and gave a vacant stare after she realized that Riley had disappeared in a blink of an eye. It was like a mirage. Nainiae stood there as if she was mesmerized. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling someone¡¯s touch patting her on the back before leaving, Nainiae, who was standing with a nk face, got a grip on her focus and concentrated on her magic. She desperately held on to the mana floating around her, and she directed all of the mana being focused inside her toward her right arm. ¡°Kuuuk!¡± Starting from her right arm, the mana was starting to overflow, and she felt excruciating pain that felt like her entire body was going to explode. Because of the severe pain, she even forgot to scream. Nainiae tightly closed her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± When she strained and opened her eyes again, a ck-colored light, a special light that only Nainiae could produce, was piercing through Astroa. *** There was a hole. On an old man that plummeted to Lower Solia¡¯s sewer, on his dead body, lying down on the ground with his mouth wide open without any breath, there was arge hole in his chest, big enough for someone¡¯s fist to go through. ¡°Just now, what happened¡­?¡± On top of the blizzard, the Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards also witnessed the giant bird made of mes, and now, with confused faces as if they were not able toprehend what just happened, they stared at the corpse of Astroa. Literally, all of it happened in an instant. ¡°Is he¡­dead?¡± A royal guard asked after looking at the corpse. They had the grand mage¡¯s corpse right in front of them, but they were still not able to believe it. ¡°Just¡­who did it?¡± They saw a pitch-ck beam of light that pierced through the firebird and punctured Astroa¡¯s chest. Toward the origin of the light, people directed their gazes, and soon, ¡°Nai¡­¡± Having discovered the person that shot the beam of light, Priesia murmured her name with a vacant stare. ¡°¡­ -niae?¡± There was a girl standing motionless with her arm raised toward where Astroa fell. Nainiae was the one that shot that beam of light and brought down Astroa. ¡°¡­¡± She looked scary because of the scars on her face, but she looked worn out and frail as if she could be swept away by a gentle wind. It appeared there was a breeze. Her body slowly started to tilt to the side. ¡°Nainiae!¡± It was not certain if she only lost consciousness or if she lost her life. Priesia rushed toward her as Nainiae started to fall to the side with her eyes closed. ¡°Uu, Big Sis!¡± Fortunately, the child that was by Nainiae¡¯s side supported her before she fell. Of course, she was not strong enough to keep her from falling down, but it was enough to dy the motion. ¡°Nainiae!¡± Priesia, who rushed to the scene, supported Nainiae. Nainiae¡¯s arm was turned to pulp from using magic, and her body was just hanging without any strength. To describe it, it would not have been enough to say she was in a sorry state. ¡°S-Sis from the temple¡­ Big Sis Nainiae¡­ Is she okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unable to stand still, the child asked Priesia. It seemed Priesia was unable to tell from Nainiae¡¯s appearance. Unable to hide nervousness on her face, Priesia brought her ear close to Nainiae¡¯s face to check her breathing. After having checked Nainiae¡¯s breathing, Priesia realized that Nainiae was¡­ Shoutout to Serendipity for all his work on TLS! Thanks and GL, we''ll miss ya. Chapter 50 - A Request

Chapter 50: A Request

In front of a gravestone, a girl in a white dress just stood there with a vacant gaze. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know very well¡­¡± In end of the silence, the girl opened her mouth. By someone¡¯s good will, the gravestone was ced in a pretty nice location, and on the grave, the spring, whose turn was about toe to its end, was sending gentle breeze mixed with flower petals as a farewell gift. ¡°¡­why it ended up like this.¡± Facing the wind mixed with flower petals, the girl continued. On the gravestone that the girl was looking at, there were words written in a dirtynguage criticizing and ming her. It looked like someone definitely came by before she arrived. ¡°I¡­¡± It was asking why she couldn¡¯t protect her and why she was the only one that survived. The girl blurred the end of her sentence as she stared at the gravestone with questions criticizing her written on it. ¡°I¡­¡± In front of a dead person, she didn¡¯t know what to say as an excuse. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t we get going soon?¡± As the girl stood there without being able to continue her words, the priest, who was standing in waiting behind her, said to the girl. It was because there were people waiting for her. ¡°Okay.¡± The girl nodded as she looked behind her, and she took a step forward and bent her body down. It was to put down the bouquet of flowers she was holding with both of her hands. ¡°Beta¡­¡± Among the two hands that carefullyid down the bouquet of flowers, one hand had only three fingers. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll get going now.¡± The girl whoid down the bouquet of flowers, Nainiae, raised her arm toward the gravestone. It was to wipe off the words on the gravestone, no, the dirt used to write them on the gravestone. ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll be seeing you again, so¡­¡± The new white dress that she received became dirty from Lower Solia¡¯s dirt, but Nainiae didn¡¯t mind it. ¡°When that timees, to me, you¡­¡± Nainiae, who just cleaned the gravestone with great care and turned her body around with her hands to her back, was carrying sadness and bitterness on her face. *** ¡°Ugh, to think that something like that would happen in Lower Solia of all ces.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m saying. Because those homeless people have heavy lips, it seems it won¡¯t be easy to ask them about anything.¡± Last night, in Lower Solia, Astroa the grand mage died. This was not an ordinary problem. ¡°And today is the final of the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament, ugh¡­¡± In this serious atmosphere, in the middle of the discussion meeting, as someone sighed and murmured, another mmed the round table, Baam! and that made the polished round table to jump up slightly from the impact. ¡°Is King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament important in a moment like this?!¡± ¡°The pir of the Magic Tower is dead! Not only that, narcotics were discovered! What are we supposed to tell the other side? A lunatic mage was hiding narcotics and was found out? Ha! Sure they will believe that, right?¡± Today morning, a few of Solia Castle¡¯s royal guards and some people from the Holy Temple came to the Magic Tower. As reported by a certain ¡®girl,¡¯ in the basement of the Magic Tower, not only the hiddenboratory, but also massive amount of narcotics were discovered. It had quite literally gone from bad to worse. ¡°Fortunately, some of the members of the Magic Tower willingly admitted about them. If there was another lunatic like Astroa in the Magic Tower¡­ Ugh¡­¡± The few mages who knew about Astroa¡¯s atrocity acknowledged his crimes willingly. Also, for the crime of keeping silence about it for all this time, they said they would ept punishment as a well-deserved penalty. Some of the mages were currently being held in Solia Castle. ¡°Even though it happened now, it was fortunate that it was finally exposed.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go over and get all these organized slowly. First, why don¡¯t we talk about the leader of the Magic Tower? Astroa is dead. That means the chair for the leader of the Magic Tower is now empty.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you all know the reason, but that chair must not be empty. Who killed Astroa again? From what I heard, it was a mage?¡± ¡°Yes, that mage killed him. It was a dark witch.¡± ¡°A dark witch¡­¡± It was by a single blow. When Solia¡¯s royal guards and the people from the temple were in desperate situation in the battle, Nainiae, the dark witch and a disposed product from the Magic Tower, shot the magic that she prepared and seeded in defeating Astroa. Everyone that was at the scene of the battle said the same thing. They talked about a violent explosion sound, loud enough to tear the eardrums, and also the dark colored beam of light¡¯s trajectory. They were all exining that Nainiae defeated Astroa. No matter who looked at it, it appeared to be the case, so it could not be told in a different way. ¡°In that case, that¡­dark witch¡­ Should we assume she would be taking on the leadership role in the Magic Tower?¡± Byw, the leader of the Magic Tower was decided by the people in the tower. It was possible for the others to propose their opinions, but they couldn¡¯t just demand the people of the Magic Tower to elect a specific person. It didn¡¯t matter who proposed it, even if they were royalties or the king¡¯s associates gathered in the meeting at the moment. Therefore, they could only specte. ¡°Probably, that would be the case, right?¡± ¡°From what I heard, it was also her that went to the Holy Temple and reported the narcotics and human experiments.¡± ¡°Regardless, her exploits aremendable. She had the courage to report the dirty secrets of the Magic Tower. Solia Castle was already thinking about giving her rewards.¡± ¡°In that case, looks like it is a sure thing now.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s not the case.¡± When everyone was thinking the dark witch will be the leader of the Magic Tower, someone in the meeting room shook the head and continued, ¡°She probably will not be able to be the leader of the Magic Tower.¡± ¡±Why? Her exploits are deserving of such a title, so why?¡± In light of the negative opinion, everyone turned their heads. That someone started to exin, ¡°There are many reasons, but the first one is her appearance.¡± ¡°Her face?¡± ¡°Like her nickname ¡®witch,¡¯ because of experiments in the Magic Tower, one side of her face is in a horrible condition. Her appearance is not bing for someone who would be representing the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°The second factor is her age. She is currently 17. Even if we provided her with an aide, it is questionable if she would be able to properly carry out her role as the leader.¡± Everyone in the discussion meeting either brushed their chins or scratched their heads. Certainly, if she is a 17 year old girl, asking her to be the leader of the Magic Tower would be asking too much. Priesia, the priestess of Solia¡¯s Holy Temple, was also estimated to be around 17 years old, simr to the dark witch, but the Holy Temple waspletely different from the Magic Tower. If they were topare Priesia and the dark witch, the environments in which they grew up, were also different, so that was also another factor that could not be denied in the consideration. ¡°The third factor is her magic. Perhaps it is due to the experiments, but I heard that all of the magic that sheunched had dark tint to them.¡± ¡°Dark-colored magic. That¡¯s intriguing¡­but why is that a problem?¡± ¡°Yes. By chance, have you heard about the ¡®dark mage¡¯ that had recently became the biggest issue in Rainfield, our neighboring country?¡± ¡°By chance¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Some people were mistaking. They were thinking that she might be the dark mage from Rainfield who has a bounty.¡± ¡°Hm. What is the likelihood of her being the dark mage from Rainfield?¡± ¡°Fortunately, there is none. However¡­the problem is that people could mistake her for the dark mage.¡± ¡°Um. I think I understand what your concern is.¡± Being mistaken as the dark mage. This was not the kind of problem that would have ended with a simple statement such as ¡®if she is not the dark mage, then that¡¯s fine.¡¯ ¡°The fourth factor is¡­¡± ¡°There is another one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The people around the table asked as if they were sick of hearing more. The mage that was giving out the reasons nodded. This reason was the most important, and thest, reason why she could not be the leader of the Magic Tower. *** ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry, Nainiae.¡± It was at Solia¡¯s Holy Temple. In the best guest room they had, Priesia was sitting in front of Nainiae. Priesia tightened her grip on the tea cup. ¡°I did the best I could, but¡­¡± Watching Priesia crumpling her face, Nainiae pursed her lips as she thought she was undeserving of such a statement from Priesia. Her appearance and clothing that were dirtied from her life in Lower Solia were cleaned up. However, the injuries from the experiments from the Magic Tower or right hand, which only had three fingers, were still the same. ¡°It could be said that it had been too long. That¡¯s, what I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t heal me, that¡¯s what you are trying to say, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of beating around the bush, Nainiae asked straight and got it off her chest. However, it weighed heavily on Priesia¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After a long hesitation, Priesia finally replied. Because of her guilt over the fact that she couldn¡¯t heal Nainiae¡¯s injuries, because she felt powerless for not being able to give anything in return to a benefactor who raised courage and came to the Holy Temple, Priesia was questioning herself as a priestess. Her shoulders werepletely down. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I was ready for this.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to express how sorry I am, and also, how grateful we are¡­ Thanks to you, we were able to stop Astroa. Thanking you several times would not be enough.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s all right. I didn¡¯t actually do much.¡± All Priesia could do at the moment was talk. She feared how her foolish self would look to Nainiae. Priesia lowered her head and bit her lip. Nainiae was fiddling with her new white dress because she felt awkward wearing it. Nainiae said, ¡°Excuse me, Priestess Priesia.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Priesia responded. It appeared she knew what Nainiae was going to ask. Priesia was trying hard not to let her own face shrivel out of powerlessness. ¡°In that case, my illness¡­ No¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was about to ask a question, but she shook her head and changed it. ¡°How long do you think I¡¯ll be able to live?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Although Priesia knew the question wasing, her face still crumbled. ¡°I can¡¯tpletely cure your illness. That¡¯s why¡­ That is¡­ I can extend your life, but¡­¡± The skirt that Priesia grabbed on to started to shake. To her benefactor, more over, to a friend of her age that Priesia made for the first time in her life, Priesia felt that it was not enough to say she felt like a fool for continuing to talk only to give out excuses. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I had my heart prepared for this.¡± As she did before, Nainiae responded again with grit. Having heard her courageous voice, Priesia made up her mind to not show Naniae the foolish side of herself. Priesia, with her tears hanging on the corners of her eyes like dew, lifted her head and faced Nainiae. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Yes, please tell me.¡± ¡°It could be as short as until the summer, or it couldst up to the winter. However¡­ I believe it will most likelyst until the fall.¡± ¡°Fall¡­¡± Nainiae murmured the season with a vacant stare. ¡®Until fall¡­ It¡¯s pretty long.¡¯ ¡°Priestess, thank you.¡± Because of the priestess¡¯ kindness, Nainiae now had a new white dress, and her life was extended to the fall which she believed could be any day now. To her, to tell the truth, she felt it was enough. Actually, she was thinking all these were more than generous. That¡¯s how she was thinking. That¡¯s why Nainiae took a bow and expressed her gratitude toward Priesia. ¡°Nainiae¡­ Please do not feel grateful toward me.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s words expressing gratitude, Priesia shook her head with a look on her face that stated she doesn¡¯t deserve it. ¡°If you thank me when I have done nothing for you, I wouldn¡¯t know how to respond to that.¡± ¡°Miss Priesia¡­¡± ¡°If there is any favor or request you would like to ask of the Holy Temple, please tell me.¡± Priesia suddenly got up from her seat and leaned her face toward Nainiae¡¯s face. She had Nainiae¡¯s horrifying face right in front of her nose, but Priesia was not even batting an eye. ¡°A¡­request?¡± On the contrary, Nainiae was feeling down and overwhelmed by Priesia¡¯s angel-like beauty. Her beauty was bing of a priestess and was iparable to Nainiae. Nainiae leaned herself on the back support of the chair and hunched up her shoulders. ¡°If it is something that the Holy Temple is capable of handling, we will do anything for you. I may not look like one, but I¡¯m really a priestess.¡± Having heard Priesia saying she will ept any request, Nainiae, who was still sitting there with a nk look on her face, asked carefully, ¡°Anything?¡± ¡°Yes, anything.¡± After seeing Priesia nodding her head, Nainiae thought about something very carefully, and after a long silence, she opened her mouth. ¡°In that case, can you make all of these ¡®exploits¡¯ as if they never happened?¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°About exposing the narcotics and the human experiments in theboratory, and also defeating Astroa, I¡¯m talking about those exploits.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A question mark floated up on Priesia¡¯s face on its own. Wondering if she didn¡¯t hear Nainiae correctly, Priesia tilted her head to the side and asked, ¡°You want your exploits to be nullified as if you had never done anything?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae nodded without any hesitation and continued, ¡°As I said many times, I have not done much.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The one that should be praised and paid attention to is not myself¡­but someone else. If there is someone who should be recognized for these exploits, it is that person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you would like to grant my wish, then please grant that person¡¯s wish. That is my request, my wish.¡± ¡°Who is this person?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Chapter 51 - A Request (Part 2)

Chapter 51: A Request (Part 2)

It was at Solia Castle. Currently, in the arena, the final for the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament was taking ce. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Riley was sitting in the stadium and chewing on snacks smacked his lips, but he furrowed his eyebrows. It appeared he noticed something that was an eyesore for him. ¡°There, that over there, look¡­ Sera, did you just see that?¡± Riley bumped his elbow to the maid¡¯s arm as he asked. To the sudden question, Sera, who was watching the final, gave a vacant response, ¡°Yes, I was watching at least.¡± ¡°What do you think is the problem?¡± As Sera carefully observed the two young swordsmen in the arena swinging swords at each other, she tilted her head sideways while wondering if their techniques were correct. ¡°Their feet¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You know well!¡± Although she didn¡¯t finish her sentence, because she said the most important word, Riley said as he nodded, ¡°They are not using their feet. They are only using their hands.¡± Riley exined as he looked toward the arena. As he advised to Sera, the two contestants fighting hard in the arena were only swinging their arms diligently without moving their feet. ¡°Even just now, if he had swung the sword as he stepped to the side, he could have aimed for a little better part.¡± Not directing his words toward anyone in particr, Riley murmured on his own. Sera heard what Riley just said, and she narrowed her eyes to watch the flinging of the swords in the arena. Soon, she too murmured with her eyes wide open. ¡°Ah, it really is.¡± It appeared that she also seeded in noticing the shorings in the contestants¡¯ techniques. If it was before she heard the advice from Riley, she would have said something like, ¡®they are incredible despite their age,¡¯ and only apuded. ¡°It really is. At that moment just now, if he used footwork, certainly¡­¡± Sera felt like her eye for swordsmanship broadenedpared to before. With her eyes opened, the sensation felt strange and new. It was something she would have never even imagined before. Excited by this, Sera¡¯s eyes started to exude glowing light. ¡°Ah, young master¡­ Again! There, he stepped wrong there again. Right?¡± ¡°Right!¡± Riley mmed the top of his thighs in agreement. By the look on his face, it seemed he managed to take out and resolve his frustration a little. ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, Iris, who was watching the two from the side, had a satisfied smile on her face. It was because, even as she thought about it again, she felt she made the right call on bringing Riley to the city. She put aside her smile for a moment, turned and looked at Ian, who was sitting beside her. She asked, ¡°Ian, how¡¯s your body?¡± It was because his fight against Astroa yesterday looked pretty dangerous. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m all right. I was in debt to the Holy Temple¡¯s priests because my back felt a little stiff, but that was all. There is no need for you to worry.¡± Ian shrugged his shoulders and answered as if it was nothing. When it came to standing against a mage, Ian knew the methods. In fact, during the fight against Astroa, he either redirected or blocked the magic attacks with his sword. He was never once hit directly by the magic attacks. ¡°If I was just a few years younger, I could have dealt more damage to him. That¡¯s my only regret.¡± Ian narrowed his eyes as he thought about yesterday. Until now, Ian didn¡¯t have much of a feel for the fact that his body was gradually aging. However, because of so many incidents happening in a row, he started to seriously worry. ¡°Ian, there is no need for you to feel guilty about it. If you were going to criticize yourself by thinking that way, then I have done nothing at all when I was there, so¡­¡± Iris fiddled with her fingers ced in herp. Yesterday, in Lower Solia, when Astroa was running amok, all she had done was nodding her head when her son handed her the brown-sugar beer that he was drinking as he said he will be back. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s over.¡± Pak! With an exhrating sound, one of the contestants¡¯ swords was bounced off to the side. Soon, with the sound of the crowd going wild filling up the colosseum, the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament came to its conclusion. The master of ceremonies (M.C.) said to the crowd, ¡°Soon after this, there will be the award ceremony. Everyone, please keep the seats and congratte the victor and send out encouragements to the defeated.¡± pp! With the final concluded, ¡°Hm¡­ It¡¯s over already?¡± Ian was sending apuse toward the arena as he murmured quietly that the overall skill level of the contestants was lower than the past. ¡°Ah, is that so? So their skill levels were lower than the contestants of the past tournaments?¡± Having heard what Ian said, Riley put his hands to the back of his head and locked the fingers. ¡°I thought something was up. It felt like they came to Solia Castle for sightseeing instead of having a business about swords.¡± ¡°Ah haha¡­ Um?¡± Sera was showing a hollow smile as she watched Riley looking ufortable about something, but she noticed something in the distance. She pointed her finger toward the lower side of the arena. ¡°Young master, over there¡­ Please look over there.¡± When she pointed in that direction, at the same time, the M.C. of the tournament, who was standing in the middle of the colosseum, looked over his shoulder and then started to talk in front of the voice amplifier device that the Magic Tower invented. ¡°Ah, as for the award ceremony, prince Daniel of Solia Castle will be doing the honors.¡± The swordsmanship tournament¡¯s M.C. bowed toward the people in the stadium and took his leave. Right after that, Daniel, the prince of Solia, came up to the arena. He had a few red hair strands mixed in his blonde hair. Overall, his face was that of a handsome man¡¯s. ¡°Ah, ah. It¡¯s a pleasure seeing you all. I¡¯m Daniel.¡± Unlike how it was when the victor of the tournament was decided. Let alone sounds of apuse, not even sounds of people breathing could be heard. It appeared that this was because all spectators were trying to show respect to the royalty. ¡°Those that are well informed probably already know this, but¡­¡± Daniel continued as he looked around the stadium. Appearing to be intending to go straight to the main point, his voice was very serious. ¡°¡­during this year¡¯s tournament¡­there was a contestant that used drug that is forbidden in Solia.¡± The contestant that used drugs. He was probably talking about Erengium House. What the prince was trying to exin was simple. It appeared that the message he wanted to deliver was, during this tournament, Solia had nothing to do with the drugs that Erengium House used, and Solia will do its best to stop the use of drugs. Sera hid her mouth with her hand and whispered to Riley¡¯s side, ¡°Um, young master. What do you think happened to the Erengium House?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± Sera¡¯s whisper to his ear was making it tickle, so Riley used his hand to scratch it, and then he said he doesn¡¯t know as he shrugged his shoulder. ¡®Although I don¡¯t know, it probably didn¡¯t end well for them.¡¯ At minimum, they would be suffering the loss of their titles, and in the worst case scenario, their three generations of lineage would be going extinct. Riley thought those were within the realm of possibilities as the punishment. ¡°Ah, there is one more thing I would like to inform you about.¡± Prince Daniel, the one standing on the arena who had the attention of everyone in the stadium, continued. It appeared there was something else in addition to the incident about drugs. ¡°I heard there is an exemry nobility that uncovered despicable secrets hidden in the Magic Tower in addition to the drugs that I just told you about.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Question marks started to float up on the faces of the people in the stadium. Even Riley, who was supporting his head with his hands and leaning against the chair in afortable and rxed angle, had a question mark on his face. ¡°Iphelleta House.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Ian, Sera and Iris flinched. ¡°I believe there are people from Iphelleta, the House of a count, attending the swordsmanship tournament today. Where are you seated?¡± Prince Daniel looked around the stadium. It was certain that he was looking for the group from Iphelleta that was sitting somewhere in the stadium. ¡°Uh, uh, that is¡­¡± Having heard what the prince said, Ian became like a clockwork doll with his mouth repeatedly opening and closing. As if she didn¡¯t know how it came to this, with her eyes rolling all over the ce, Iris wasn¡¯t able to sit still. As for Sera¡­ ¡°Y-Young master¡­ Did you hear that just now? Prince Daniel said¡­¡± ¡­she was about to look at Riley who was sitting next to her, but she opened her mouth with a vacant stare. ¡°¡­Young master?¡± Riley, who was sitting there until a moment ago, was now gone without a trace. *** Before he even realized himself, he kicked the seat and got out of there. He thought, ¡®¡­What the hell?¡¯ He was in Solia Castle¡¯s restroom. He hid in the veryst stall at the end. He sat there with his eyes blinking in disbelief. ¡®Why me?¡¯ The one to be praised for incredible exploits of uncovering the narcotics and horrid secrets of the Magic Tower was not supposed to be him. ¡®Nobody would have seen me? The overallposition of the work was perfect?¡¯ Riley was thinking that the one to be redited for the exploits was supposed to be Nainiae, not him. It was supposed to be that girl, the one who was taken advantage of over and over just like how Riley had been in his past life. ¡®Why am I being brought up?¡¯ During the battle against Astroa that ended his life, it certainly was Riley who threw the sword that pierced Astroa¡¯s chest. However¡­ In order to leave no evidence, he asked Nainiae to use her most shy magic so that it wouldpletely vaporize even the sword that was stuck in Astroa¡¯s chest. In fact, because Nainiae¡¯s magic perfectly vaporized the sword, if anyone that were not aware of the actual circumstances saw it, they would all have thought that it was Nainiae that defeated Astroa. ¡®So why?¡¯ Unable to figure out how it came to this, Riley was looking vacantly with zed eyes. It was at that moment. Tap Tap Tap He could hear the sounds of footsteps. ¡°¡­He is here.¡± ¡®This voice?¡¯ The voice belonged to a girl. Riley¡¯s eyes twitched. It was because he knew to whom the voice belonged to. ¡°R-Really? He¡¯s here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Then he could hear another voice. Riley also knew to whom this voice belonged to. In the past he took a leave just to avoid running into the owner of that voice. ¡°Excuse me. That is¡­ Young Master Riley?¡± The muscles on Riley¡¯s face had flinched several times by the time he heard the priestess. Riley used mana to change his voice and responded, ¡°Aham. This ce is¡­men¡¯s room?¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± The question was piercing the heart of the matter. He could hear someone flinching on the other side. It was a hard question for the priestess to ignore. ¡°I¡¯ll be opening the stall door.¡± ¡°N-Nainiae! Wait!¡± ¡°¡­Unlock.¡± Inside the stall, Riley was trying to figure out the situation, and now his gaze quickly turned toward the door¡¯s lock. nk! By a shot of a magic spell, the lock slowly slid and the door opened on its own. ¡®Lunatic¡­¡¯ Riley felt like he could understand a little why his own butler had such a strong hatred toward mages. Riley narrowed his eyes. Soon, the door opened, and Riley witnessed the two girls standing in front of thest stall. The funny thing was the fact that it was the priestess who had her face turned red and covered with her hands. ¡°I¡¯m going to file awsuit for sexual harassment.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Unable to hide how ufortable he was feeling about the situation, with his facepletely crumpled, Riley murmured. Of course, there was no way that the girl would have known what Riley meant by thewsuit, which was a concept belonging only to his past life¡¯s world. In response, Nainiae only tilted her head to the side. ¡°God damn it! You used that eye?¡± Riley asked Nainiae as he stood up. He was asking about Nainiae¡¯s dead-white eye, the one that has the ability to track people. ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae nodded proudly and looked at Riley. Bling! Bling! Although she only had one good eye, her clear and polished eye looked like it was begging Riley to hurry up and praise her for her deed. ¡®It¡¯s not like I can do something about her.¡¯ The way she looked right now felt like it was ovepping with how he was in his past life where he thirsted for praise. Riley ground his teeth loudly and gently rapped her forehead. ¡°Uk?!¡± She touched her head as if it hurt. Looking at her, Riley sighed heavily. Still grinding his teeth, Riley directed his re toward the priestess. ¡°I don¡¯t have my pants down, so how about you get rid of those hands?¡± ¡°¡­Uuuu.¡± ¡°You walked right into a men¡¯s restroom without hesitation. Ha! Looks like the priestess in you died all the way.¡± ¡°E-Excuse me? Also, didn¡¯t you say you were not interested in me anyway?¡± Tsk Riley clicked his tongue. Revealing how annoyed he was in all sorts of ways, Riley stared at the two girls. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± With a fist gently touching her lips, Priesia did a few coughs to calm her voice and fixed her gaze on Riley. ¡°That is, I think it is not right to bring up something like this so abruptly in a men¡¯s restroom, but you¡­have been chosen by the goddess Irsa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s eyebrows twitched. The progression of it all¡­ It was so familiar. It was simr, and also, he was sick and disgusted by it. ¡°So, I¡¯m telling you this. Young Master Riley¡­¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Riley stopped himself from shaking out of agitation. ¡®No way. It wouldn¡¯t be, right?¡¯ Riley murmured inwardly and interjected Priesia, ¡°By chance, are you going to ask me to hunt down something? Is that it?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes¡­that is it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Chapter 52 - A Request (Part 3)

Chapter 52: A Request (Part 3)

Again? Same thing again? If someone called god really did exist, and this being was standing in front of Riley, he would have asked if there was something wrong with the god¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­Ha¡­¡± Having heard the answer, Riley let out hollowughter and crossed his arms as if he was daring her to continue exining. ¡°ording to the divine message, the reason you were chosen is¡­¡± Priesia carefully continued, and Riley, with his eyes narrowed, red at her as if he was going to pierce a hole through her lips. ¡®Go ahead. Why don¡¯t you tell me again to go kill a demon lord. Go right ahead.¡¯ If, just like how it went in his past life, a pretty-faced priestess looked at him and said, ¡®This world will be in a great danger soon, so please defeat the demon lord,¡¯ in that case, even if she was a priestess or whatever¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡­Riley was thinking he was going to turn everything upside down. As he was thinking such things, he repeated the motion of closing and opening his hand. ¡°What¡¯s the reason?¡± Answering Riley¡¯s question, Priesia, who paused for a moment, said with a serious face, ¡°¡­It¡¯s because of a dragon.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®A dragon? It¡¯s not a demon lord, but a dragon?¡¯ Riley asked back, ¡°¡­A dragon?¡± ¡°Yes. A dragon.¡± Based on how things were going, Riley was sure that she was going to ask him to kill a demon lord, but instead, it was a dragon. ¡°¡­¡± As Riley was not giving any response, Priesia continued first, ¡°ording to the divine message from the goddess Irsa, soon¡­a dragon will appear and it will bring terrifying disaster not just to Solia, but other cities as well.¡± ¡°So?¡± Because the story was different from his predictions, Riley chose to postpone taking action. Instead, he asked Priesia. ¡°ording to the goddess Irsa¡¯s words, the one who will defeat that dragon is you, young master.¡± ¡°I will?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This was definitely simr to a situation he heard in his past life. However, it was somehow funny. Also¡­ ¡®This damn piece of work called god must have absolutely nothing else to do¡­¡¯ Riley thought that. ¡®Just how many cities are in this world, and how many people live in this world? To put it bluntly, for going this far, isn¡¯t this almost at the level of a stalker? By chance, is this a scripted scheme being filmed with hidden cameras?¡¯ Riley thought of all sorts of stuff. ¡°¡­Ha¡­¡± Although the being that priestess asked him to kill was changed from a demon lord to a dragon, Riley still couldn¡¯t believe this. Moreover, he was sorely disappointed. ¡°Excuse me. Lady priestess. Do you think that makes any sense?¡± Riley stared at the priestess with a gaze of disbelief. Priesia flinched. ¡°Do you at least know what kind of person I am?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Avoiding Riley¡¯s gaze, Priesia fiddled with her fingers. It appeared that she had no idea. ¡°The title I was given from my own House is Lazy-Sword. Lazy-Sword¡­ In the past, present, and even in the future, I have always been and will be dawdling around without doing anything. Just how is someone like me supposed to kill a dragon?¡± If he had a bit of luck, he might be able to kill a dragon just by tricking it with words like how a main character in some fiction would. However, that was¡­just a story in fiction. From how other people saw, Riley was just the youngest son and a spoiled master in the House, who has achieved or trained in absolutely nothing. It was absurd that anyone would expect someone of such a reputation to kill a dragon. After all, how would he? It was nonsense. ¡°Also, have you forgotten what you said to mest time?¡± ¡°¡­What are you¡­?¡± ¡°You asked if I was impotent! Me!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Priesia flinched as her face turned red. Meanwhile, Nainiae, who was watching the two from the side, tilted her head to the sides. It was because she didn¡¯t understand where the conversation was flowing toward. ¡°Instead of looking for hope from a dawdling impotent young master, go look for someone else!¡± No matter what kind of reaction the priestess showed, the expression on Riley¡¯s face did not change. Pat Pat Riley patted her shoulder a few times and started to walk away to get out of the restroom. ¡°P-Please wait¡­ I haven¡¯t finished telling you the whole story.¡± Priesia rapidly turned her body as she called Riley to stop him. Noticing that it didn¡¯t stop him from walking, Priesia brought up what she didn¡¯t get to earlier. ¡°¡­Astroa.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now that the name of the grand mage who died yesterday was mentioned, Riley¡¯s steps came to a stop. ¡°I heard it was you that managed to stop Astroa.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard. Exposing theboratory and narcotics hidden in the basement of the Magic Tower were actually your exploits.¡± ¡°Just who said such¡­¡± ¡®Who spread such ridiculous rumors?¡¯ Riley was about to ask that, but he looked at Nainiae. She only had one good eye, but her wide open eye was definitely directed toward Riley. ¡°¡­It was you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I believe I have told you not to say anything anywhere?¡± Riley was outside of the restroom, but he turned around and walked toward Nainiae. Thump Thump Riley was approaching Nainiae one step at a time, and there was terrifying aura being exuded from him. Priesia was unable to continue her words. Instead, all she could do was to gasp for air. ¡°¡­Then what you did can be considered as an act of betrayal, right?¡± Because Riley could see his old self from the past life in her, and because that conjured up sympathy in his mind, Riley didn¡¯t warn Nainiae with deadly aura like how he had done to Aploc. ¡°You sure have some amazing guts, or did you not know that it was going to turn out this way?¡± If he had known she was going to cause such a huge ident like this, Riley would not have left her alive. ¡°¡­Kuk!¡± Riley grabbed Nainiae by the neck and immediately pushed and hung her up against the restroom wall. ¡°Who else knows about this?¡± With her neck held up by Riley, Nainiae grabbed on to his arm with her eye barely open. Her legs, which were struggling in the air, had stopped moving before anyone noticed. Soon, Nainiae started to strain herself to sound her voice as she looked at Riley. ¡°They were¡­not my deeds¡­¡± Riley¡¯s eyebrows wrinkled. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Because they were not my aplishments¡­ What happened in Lower Solia¡­or uncovering the things in the basement of the Magic Tower¡­ Because I only watched you. Because I don¡¯t deserve the credit. That¡¯s why¡­¡± All Nainiae thought was that the one who should be rewarded was someone other than herself. She could not stand the fact that the person who should be credited for the deeds were not getting any rewards, and she also could not stand that she was the one, despite not having done much, who would be getting all of the rewards. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Nainiae slowly voicing her reasons little by little, Riley¡¯s grip on her neck became weaker. ¡°Kuk! Kuhuk! Kuhuk!¡± With her neck grabbed by Riley, Nainiae was held up in the air against the wall. Now, with his hold weakened, she slid down, fell on her knees and started to cough. ¡®¡­¡¯ The expression on Riley¡¯s face turned bitter. It was because what Nainiae said earlier was so simr to what he had once said in his past life. ¡°¡­Please do not worry.¡± As Riley¡¯s suffocating aura subsided a little, Priesia, who was barely able to breathe again, carefully opened her mouth. ¡°I am the only one who heard from Nainiae.¡± Riley slowly turned his head and looked at Priesia. It appeared she was telling the truth. Riley couldn¡¯t see or feel the presence of any holy knights or priests nearby who were supposed to be guarding her. Although he couldn¡¯t know, he figured everyone in the Holy Temple must be panicking right about now since the priestess suddenly disappeared. ¡°In that case, what was that about?¡± Riley pointed his index finger toward the outside of the restroom, toward the arena. He was talking about the prince Daniel. ¡°I didn¡¯t mention anything about your ¡®powers.¡¯ I just informed them about your good deeds. Initially, I was going to inform the castle about everything I heard from Nainiae, including your strength, but¡­¡± Priesia looked at Nainiae who was still unable to stop coughing. ¡°Nainiae objected. She insisted that I keep that a secret.¡± With his eyes narrowed, Riley red at Priesia. It appeared she was still wary of how Riley¡¯s atmosphere changed suddenly in a blink of an eye earlier. Her tone of voice was a bit more cautious than before. ¡°Young master. Regardless, as Nainiae said, it seems the fact about your incredible power has been proven already.¡± ¡®Should I just bury them all? What if doing something in the castle leads to something else even more bothersome?¡¯ As he racked his brain, Riley asked the priestess as he red at her, ¡°So?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about that dragon that I told you about earlier.¡± Kill the dragon for them. In the end, the main point that the priestess was trying to make was just that. Actually, to Priesia, it was probably not important if Nainiae told her about Riley or not. Recalling his experience in his past life, the priestess that Riley knew did not care about terms or conditions. No matter what, once she received a divine message, the priestess that Riley knew from his past life had an extreme tendency to bite on and never let go. It meant that, regardless of Riley¡¯s skills, she would havee and made a request to him about killing the dragon. ¡°We would greatly appreciate it if you could please y the dragon as the divine message said¡­¡± Although Priesia continued, Riley was not heeding her words at all, not even with the backside of his ears. Instead, all he was doing was just remembering how he acted in his past life. ¡®Could you please hold the holy sword? Please save us.¡¯ In his past life, to a request from a priestess to y a demon lord, he said, ¡®Yes, I will do it.¡¯ The Riley in the past life answered like that so willingly. ¡®In that case, how about now? Even now, am I supposed to answer like that?¡¯ ¡°Ha¡­ Hahaha¡­¡± Having asked himself the question, Riley started to give off hollowughter. It was not certain for how long heughed. Theugher did notst for very long, but Riley barely managed to hold in hisughter and said, ¡°¡­Why should I?¡± Riley answered with a question. Why? It was a simple question. ¡°¡­?¡± Priesia tilted her head to the side and exined once more, ¡°As I exined before, you have received a sign from the goddess Irsa. So, the dragon¡­¡± ¡°So, why?¡± Riley asked again like that. ¡®Why do I have to do it?¡¯ ¡°I am not religious. What I¡¯m saying is, I don¡¯t believe in the goddess Ire-whatever.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To put it bluntly, even if the world is going to be destroyed tomorrow, I¡¯m a bastard that would not care much about it.¡± It looked like Priesia was not expecting that such an answer would jump out of Riley. In panic, Priesia gathered her hands together and held them firmly as she started to try convincing Riley, ¡°Because¡­you have a great power.¡± ¡°Great power?¡± ¡°You possess a great power, enough to stop Astroa with a single blow.¡± ¡°Power huh¡­¡± ¡°I heard from Nainiae. That¡¯s not all. What you just showed earlier¡­ I remember it clearly as well.¡± It looked like she was talking about how Riley, out of frustration, acted toward Nainiae, the one who didn¡¯t keep his secret. Priesia continued, ¡°If you have a great power, if you have received a divine sign¡­then surely, you should be using your power to protect people, isn¡¯t that right?¡± p p p Riley slowly apuded as he nodded and said, ¡°Um, those are magnificent words.¡± Riley kept on nodding as if he was impressed. Priesia looked relieved. It was just about when her face started to be brighter. ¡°Ah¡­but what should we do?¡± Suddenly, Riley stopped nodding. Instead, in a deadly and violent voice, Riley asked back, ¡°I don¡¯t think that way at all?¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do if I still say no after all that?¡± Riley took a step toward Priesia and started to exude his aura. It was the aura simr to what he showed toward Nainiae earlier. ¡°T-That is¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to yap to everyone all over the town? Tell them that the youngest master of the Iphelleta House has astonishing powers, yet all he does is just dawdling and leisurely enjoying himself ying around?¡± Under normal circumstances, nobody would have believed a im about the Lazy-Sword Riley, the youngest of the Iphelleta House, actually being an incredible top-notch warrior. However, if the one making the im was the priestess, it was possible that things could go differently. ¡°Or are you going to follow me around everywhere and pester me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By pouring in your holy power into a dying body, by giving blessing to a cursed body, are you going to force me to fight? As you say something like, you are the chosen one who received a sign by the goddess. You mustn¡¯t fall here?¡± Priesia was gazing at Riley¡¯s eyes, but her shoulders shriveled. His eyes were filled with unbelievably huge rage. It was pure rage that included the anguish that was oppressed and held up inside Riley since the past life. ¡°Goddess? Fuck! What a bullsheet. This goddess must have her eyes rolled the wrong way. She thinks I¡¯m some kind of tool. She is doing this just to work me and take advantage of me again, isn¡¯t that right? Doesn¡¯t she know this is a stark vition of the Labors Standard Law? What a lunatic¡­ In my past life, even the horrible bosses who were called sons of b*tches would not have been this bad.¡± ¡®Labors Standard Law?¡¯ Priesia had no way of understanding all of the harsh, bare-knuckled words pouring out of Riley¡¯s mouth, but she could not dare to ask what he meant by that. It was because deadly aura, the kind that made her fear that one wrong word could result in losing her head, could be felt from Riley. All she could do at the moment was to look at Riley approaching her as she shook in fear. ¡°Fine¡­ Go ahead. Expose my secret or follow me around. When you do¡­¡± Riley brought his face right up to Priesia¡¯s and warned. His warning message was loaded with his deadly aura as well. Because of his deadly aura, without realizing it, Priesia hunched her shoulders and took steps back. ¡°¡­then you will be hearing an urgent message from your goddess telling you that you will need to find a brave warrior who could stop me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As Priesia¡¯s face turned cold and hardened, Riley continued, ¡°I don¡¯t know if there really is so called god or not, but¡­deliver this message to your goddess. No, maybe she is watching from somewhere.¡± To the goddess that must have a serious problem with her eyesight, the video mail that Riley was sending had a simple message. ¡°Just let me be. Let me rest a little now.¡± N O His message of response could also be summarized in those two letters. ¡°¡­¡± Priesia was still frozen solid. Leaving her be, Riley turned his head. ¡°And you.¡± Before anyone realized, Nainiae was not coughing anymore, and she was looking at Riley. Riley locked his eyes with Nainiae, cracked a smile, and said, ¡°You. Let¡¯s have a word, shall we?¡± It was a terrifying smile that felt like a warning. Chapter 53 - After the Curtain Fell

Chapter 53: After the Curtain Fell

It was during the evening at the Iphelleta House. Things no different from the usual continued. The scenery of maids taking their shifts to carry out their tasks inside the mansion, servants using their break time to asionally swing swords in the dueling arena, the eldest and second sons exchanging words with each other about swords, or Stein, the master of the House, taking care of simple paperwork inside the office¡­ Everything was as usual. ¡°Um?¡± At least that was the case until Stein, who was sitting inside the office, found a document with an unexpected content. ¡°This is?¡± Instead of calling it a paperwork, it was more appropriate to call it a summarized newspaper. On the top of the newspaper, in gigantic letters, there was the following question written: ¡®Last Night, What Happened In Solia?¡¯ With his youngest son currently visiting Solia, it obviously drew Stein¡¯s attention. [Last night, horrible crates were discovered in Right Solia¡¯s Magic Tower. The crates contained mass amount of grass with psychedelic properties. The one that had been hiding these was revealed to be Astroa, the grand mage of Seven Circles magic who was famous for being the leader of the Magic Tower, and the citizens and the nobilities are not able to recover from the shock from finding out about the incident.] Grass with psychedelic properties. Stein furrowed his brows as he read that particr part of the news. He thought about the old butler that he sent with Riley. Because Stein knew very well how much that butler hated, despised and was disgusted by that grass, he started to worry that his youngest son may have gotten swept into this incident. [Also¡­ A young master from a count¡¯s House, who reported the ouwed grass hidden in the Magic Tower and also provided big assistance in neutralizing Astroa and search of the Magic Tower¡¯s basement, received a medal of honor from the prince Daniel today.] Wondering what this was about, Stein started to wiggle his eyebrows. He continued reading what the newspaper said below, which read, [From a House that holds an extraordinary position in the world of swordsmanship in Solia, from the famous Finn Iphelleta House, the third-born Young Master¡­] Baam! Stein was diligently reading the newspaper, but he smashed the desk while holding the paper in his hand. He still could not believe what he just saw. With a vacant stare, he just kept on blinking his eyes for a moment, and then he raised the newspaper again. [¡­Riley, he is the hero in these incidents. Afterwards, a girl, who had been abandoned by the Magic Tower and also aplished quite amendable deed in efforts of apprehending Astroa by using her magic¡­] Immediately, having confirmed Riley¡¯s name in the newspaper, Stein abruptly stood up from the chair. He shouted, ¡°Wi¡­ Wi!¡± Stein¡¯s loud voice calling for a servant was echoing in the mansion. *** It was at Solia Castle. After roughly taking care of the business at the restroom, Riley returned to the stadium, but he asked Ian as he stared at the medal of honor that was ced in his palm, ¡°¡­What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Kuhup, Kuhuhuk¡­¡± Sob Sob It¡¯s not like he was a little girl, yet Ian had burst into tears. It was apparent that Ian was not able to answer Riley in the current state. ¡°¡­Sera, what¡¯s this?¡± So, Riley turned his head and asked Sera. ¡°It¡¯s a medal of honor bestowed to you by Solia Castle. Because you suddenly left in middle of the prince Daniel¡¯s speech, ourdy received it for you.¡± ¡°Anyway, where were you?¡± Sera exined, and Iris asked. Riley, who had the answer already prepared, replied with a smile, ¡°Ah, I just went to the restroom for a bit¡­¡± Having threatened the priestess at the restroom, Riley returned to the group for now. ¡°I-I¡­ I never knew that you were working so hard in ces we could not see¡­¡± Sob Sob Hearing the sound of someone sniffing up the runny nose mixed in with tears, the gazes of the three, including Riley, turned toward the man. The one crying was not even a little kid. It was the old butler. ¡°What the, this medal of honor¡­ This is for reporting to Solia Castle, isn¡¯t it? Then shouldn¡¯t Ian be the one getting it? Why are they giving it to me?¡± Not convinced, Riley asked while fiddling with the medal. Sera responded. ¡°That¡¯s why thedy asked if they are really giving it to you, not Ian. When she asked, the prince said that this is correct. He said the medal is being given to the young master for his great exploits.¡± The way Sera was scratching her cheek as she looked with gleaming eyes was not too different from how Ian was doing. It appeared that even Sera was proud inside that the young master who she is serving had received such a reward of recognition. ¡°That young master is the one?¡± ¡°Yes, I heard he is the young master who received the medal of honor.¡± ¡°Have you heard? It seems he is from the Iphelleta House.¡± ¡°As expected, I thought there was something about him.¡± ¡°You said he is the youngest, right? He is different from the rumors.¡± Even now, among the nobilities leaving the castle, there were people whispering to each other as they looked at Riley. They were somehow tickling Riley¡¯s ears. ¡®Ha, in a way¡­she did practice my advice down to the letter.¡¯ Riley did advise her to avoid situations where it would bring the attentions to her and also to take a step back and watch. Riley, the one who had given Nainiae such advice, gave out a hollow sigh. In a way, all she did was properly carrying out Riley¡¯s advice. ¡®¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®But I don¡¯t regret what I have done.¡¯ ¡®Even if you died right there by being choked to death?¡¯ ¡®In the end, I haven¡¯t done anything and that¡¯s the truth, so¡­¡¯ When Riley asked Nainiae, she responded like that. ¡°¡­Riley.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Riley, who was thinking about the conversation with Nainiae, turned his head as he heard his mother¡¯s voice. Iris was gently smiling at Riley. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just take it?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the medal of honor.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t your father be happy about it as well?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Riley hesitated for a moment, and as if he understood his mother¡¯s words, he nodded and grabbed the medal ced on his hand. ¡°Yes. I understand. I¡¯ll take it for now.¡± He did so because he figured it was not a bad idea to be nice to his mother this way. ording to Priesia, they didn¡¯t tell anyone about his skills. Also, to Nainiae, who was the biggest problem for him, he exined clearly and politely (?), so others would just think that Riley had a pretty good luck that led to his aplishments. ¡°Well then, shall we start heading back as well?¡± There was supposed to be a festival the day after the winner of the swordsmanship tournament was decided. If it was going to be as Sera exined before, then the festival would also be the time when the city would be at its busiest with the crowds going about their businesses enjoying their time in the festivities. ¡°Right about now, it is probably quite loud over at the Main za with the festival already started.¡± As Sera stepped forward to lead the way, Ian and Iris followed her. ¡°If the schedule doesn¡¯t change a lot, as the closing ceremony, we may be able to see fireworks tomorrow night¡­ Young master?¡± Sera was going off about how beautiful the fireworks were when she saw them every year during the tournaments, and she slowly turned her head. At the same time, also with question marks on their faces, Ian and Iris turned their heads and looked at Riley. It was because Riley was standing still there. ¡°Hey, I didn¡¯t tell you this sooner, so I¡¯m sorry about that, but there is something I must tell you.¡± After making an apology out of the blue, Riley made a hand gesture toward a corner of the stadium. It was a gesture calling for someone toe over. ¡°¡­?¡± Soon, a girl, who was hiding at the corner on her knees, stood up and walked toward where Riley was. ¡°Riley, who is that child?¡± ¡°Yes mother, that is¡­um¡­¡± As Iris noticed the girl, she looked at Riley and asked. He answered, ¡°I picked her up at the restroom.¡± *** Nainiae¡¯s appearance could not be expressed in a single sentence. She was a girl whose white, high-ss dress and her pale white skin, which looked as if she was someone with an illness, were making quite an impression. ¡°¡­Um.¡± To point out a problem, it was the fact that those were all of her appearance¡¯s nice qualities. Excluding them, all that could be seen in her appearance were drawbacks. ¡°That child¡­could it be that she can¡¯t see with one of her eyes?¡± ¡°It appears to be the case.¡± Because it was awkward, with her eyes narrowed, Sera asked Ian and Iris who were walking in front of her in a row as she looked at Nainiae. ¡°Is that a burn mark? What do you think happened to her face?¡± ¡°Sera¡­¡± ¡°Why are her fingers like that? The length of her middle and pinky fingers are a little odd, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Sera.¡± Mumbling and mumbling, Sera was mumbling as she stared at Nainiae, but her shoulders flinched from Ian¡¯s voice. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Regardless, she is the child that the young master said he would like to take care of as a servant¡­ So it is not going to look good to mumble about her from the back. You are a smart girl, so you understand what I¡¯m trying to tell you, right?¡± Hearing Ian¡¯s advice, Sera lowered her head and fidgeted. She felt he hit the heart of the matter. ¡°Uu¡­¡± ¡°Sera, you need to fix that habit of yours.¡± Sera was about to say that she is reflecting on her wrongdoing, but she flinched as she looked at Ian¡¯s profile. ¡°Well, about the fact that the young master¡¯s reason for taking her in is about her being a mage, it is a little¡­and the fact that she will be teaching magic to our young master is really just a little unsettling to me, but¡­¡± Sera flinched because the old man¡¯s facial muscles were twitching violently, exuding deadly aura. ¡°¡­¡± It was to the point that people, who just passed by him and took a nce at his face, were whispering to guards that the old man looked like he might do something troubling right now. ¡°E-Excuse me, Sir Ian¡­¡± Hearing Sera¡¯s voice calling for him, Ian turned his head and looked at Sera. ¡°What is it?¡± Looking at his face directly was even more terrifying, and that made Sera¡¯s shoulders to shrivel, but she continued with a smile, ¡°Your face¡­it is scary.¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s words, Ian did a loud fake cough and finally straightened his expression. It appeared he was not aware of the expression on his face. ¡°Haah, anyhow¡­no matter what we say, it looks like the young master won¡¯t change his mind about this decision, so all we can do now is just watch and see how it goes.¡± ¡°Still, she is a girl too just like you, so Sera, you should be more mindful and be sure that the child¡­ Um?¡± Right behind the three in the front, which included Riley, Ian was following the group from the back, but he stopped talking and tilted his head to the side. It was because, in front of them, he could feel the presence of many people. ¡°Uh? What is that?¡± ¡°They are people from Solia¡¯s Holy Temple, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Wow, even the archbishop came.¡± ¡°What could this be about? Why are they in arge group like that?¡± Mumble, mumble¡­ From the voicesing from the Main za¡¯s direction, Ian realized that the presence of many people that he felt wasing from the Holy Temple¡¯s people. At the same time, a thought crossed his mind. ¡®The Holy Temple probably don¡¯t have anything to do with the swordsmanship tournament. If they came all the way here to the Main za in a group like this¡­ The reason for it, it wouldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Ian was making conjectures without knowing that the priestess came by to the restroom that Riley was hiding in during today¡¯s event. He was thinking about the reason why there are people from Solia¡¯s Holy Temple gathered along the path that Riley was walking at the Main za now. ¡°¡­Sir Riley.¡± Before Ian could finish his thoughts, a dignified voice could be heard. ¡°Excuse me, Sir Ian, this voice¡­¡± Although Ian didn¡¯t recognize it, Sera knew to whom the voice belonged to. It was a beautiful voice like a smoothly polished pearl rolling on a golden te. She also knew that her appearance was even more blindingly beautiful than her voice. ¡°Lady Priesia? What brings you here?¡± Of the three, Riley, Sera and Iris, who had to stop walking because of the people from the temple blocking their path, Iris, the eldest of the three, stepped forward and inquired. ¡°¡­¡± Priesia omitted the response to Iris¡¯s question. Instead, she took a step forward and looked at Riley. Riley was also steadily staring at Priesia, and at that moment, Nainiae took a step forward and narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± A sense of wariness could be seen in her gaze. It was the look of a servant who stepped forward with intention to take care of a trouble before her master had to. ¡°¡­Wait.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley extended his arm to grab Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and stopped her. As if she was trying to ask why he was stopping her, Nainiae turned her head toward Riley and looked at him with a question mark on her face. ¡°¡­¡± Once she met Riley¡¯s eyes, as if she understood the reason, Nainiae politely lowered her head and slowly stepped back to stand behind Riley. Chapter 54 - After the Curtain Fell (Part 2)

Chapter 54: After the Curtain Fell (Part 2)

¡°You are people from the Holy Temple, but does that give you the right to block a path where people walk through?¡± Looking at the priests in formation in front of him, Riley asked, but no response could be heard. ¡°¡­¡± It looked like Priesia still remembered the threat she received from Riley when she was in Solia Castle. Without saying any words, all she was doing was slowly shifting eyes around to avoid Riley¡¯s gaze. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Riley furrowed his eyebrows. Judging from her reaction, it looked like his warning was definitely received. It appeared Priesia was not here out of her own ord. ¡°Ah¡­ This¡­ All this¡­ Really, my apologies.¡± After a long while, finally, an awkward voice could be heard. It was the old man standing next to Priesia. ¡°Ourdy priestess is still not skilled in having conversations with people, so she makes mistakes like this asionally. Please be generous and understand, Young Master Riley.¡± Toward the old man standing next to Priesia, Riley narrowed his eyes and red at his face. He remembered the old man. Riley definitely had seen his face during the first day he visited Right Solia. ¡°Ah, Archbishop Rebethra!¡± Like how the old man was standing next to Priesia, Iris was standing next to Riley. Iris identified the old man¡¯s title. ¡°Lady Iris, it¡¯s good to see you again.¡± Rebethra, the archbishop representing the priests of Solia¡¯s Holy Temple, bowed his head and paid his respects to the two standing in front of him. Because of his respectful gesture, Iris lost some of her wariness toward them and started to look around the people from the temple who were blocking her path. ¡°Why are all these people here?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s none other than¡­¡± Rebethra turned his body to the side and gestured to the priests who were prepared and waiting at the back toe this way. ¡°Um? What is this?¡± Following Rebethra¡¯s hand gesture, three priests, each in both hands carrying a box that was richly decorated, came to the front. ¡°These are about the recent exploits. The two people, they left these things at the Holy Temple. They are supposed to take these with them.¡± Two of the priests walked toward Riley, and one walked toward Nainiae. As if they were trying to ask what these were, Riley and Nainiae floated question marks on their faces. They held the boxes given to them by the priests and checked the contents inside. ¡®They don¡¯t look like anything special.¡¯ After checking the contents, Riley raised his eyebrows and looked at Rebethra. ¡°This is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth as if she didn¡¯t expect the content to be what it was. It did not mean that she was impressed and thankful. It meant that she was shocked. ¡°It is a loot or a spoil, if you will.¡± Rebethra opened his mouth. ¡°¡­A loot?¡± Riley wondered if an archbishop that represented a temple should be talking like that. Riley pulled his chin and stared at Rebethra. What Riley and Nainiae received were a cape that was neatly folded into a square shape, an ordinary looking silver ring that didn¡¯t have any decorations, and a leather bracelet with unknown engraved patterns, these three things. ¡°Because we are out in the public, I can¡¯t exin the specifics directly, but these belong to the¡­¡± Rebethra paused for a moment and looked over the shoulders to gauge Solia citizens watching them. Rebethra continued, ¡°Yes. These are belongings of ¡®that man.¡¯ As for his staff, it brokepletely, so it could not be helped.¡± Rebethra was careful about the discussion because the death of that man was a fact not revealed to the public. ¡°If I refuse these?¡± With a concerned and reluctant face, Riley asked back. Nainiae was feeling the same as Riley. She was going to die soon, so she felt that receiving these were probably not going to make a big difference. Also, they were belongings of a mage that experimented on her. She was not feeling right about having such things. ¡°Please ept them. The Holy Temple determined that it would be better to present these to you two instead of delivering them to the castle. I swear under the goddess Irsa that we have not done anything odd.¡± Rebethra bowed his head once again, Riley shifted his eyes toward Priesia who was standing next to the old man. ¡°¡­¡± The expression on her face looked pretty ufortable. It felt like she wanted to get away from this ce right this instant. It was probably because of Riley. ¡®Is this just the archbishop acting alone?¡¯ Earlier, Riley warned Priesia that he will turn everything upside down if they pestered him, and it looked like his threat worked. It was evidenced by how the priestess was keeping her mouth shut. ¡®If he is acting alone, then why is he doing this? Assuming the archbishop knew about the divine message that Priesia received, in that case, if she told him that they shouldn¡¯t ask me, then why?¡¯ After making conjectures on the reason behind the archbishop¡¯s action, Riley turned his head. ¡°Young master, are you going to take these?¡± Nainiae slowly came next to Riley and whispered to him quietly so the archbishop couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°By the looks of them, how are they?¡± ¡°I checked them already. I don¡¯t sense any magical interferences in them.¡± To Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae responded that she already checked, but she realized that she made mistake in choosing the tone of her words. She was still too used to the crassnguage used in Lower Solia. ¡°¡­I mean¡­ I have checked them for you, young master.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± [Note: There is some description at this point about how Nainiae was using non-honorific form ofnguage and then realized her mistake. She corrected them immediately afterwards. However, it is simply impossible to describe these in English because honorific/non-honorific word forms do not exist in Englishnguage. So instead, I added words of formality in how she could address Riley in her revision to give it a simr effect.] Riley looked like he was a bit impressed that Nainiae took a notice. ¡®Is she intending to work hard as a servant?¡¯ Riley figured that her crassnguage could not be helped because it became a habit for her from her time in Lower Solia. Still, Riley was impressed that Nainiae knew what he wanted and went ahead and did things even before he asked. ¡®So, this means these are just simple gifts. In that case¡­¡¯ Thinking about the situation and making a conjecture, Riley figured that Rebethra chose an approach of taking a long time with Riley instead of abruptly showing up and making a request. He was sure that Rebethra was trying to work him from that angle. The fact that Rebethra was not bringing up the dragon at all was the evidence. ¡®So, what you are trying to do here is, let¡¯s make an impression in person first at least, is that it?¡¯ To Nainiae, Riley handed over the two boxes that he was carrying and then took a step toward Rebethra. ¡°Thank you. Since you are giving us these gifts, we will take them with appreciation.¡± Toward Rebethra, Riley smiled like a good person and continued, ¡°But, are you going to keep the road blocked? It¡¯s a little¡­ No. It¡¯s a big hindrance for the citizens.¡± Shoo Shoo As if he was trying to tell them to hurry up and get out of the way, Riley was making fanning gestures with his hand. In light of Riley¡¯s gesture, Rebethra broke in cold sweat and stepped back. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The thing is, we haven¡¯t had our dinner yet.¡± ¡°Ah, Yes¡­ My apologies.¡± Even though Rebethra was the elder here, he was overwhelmed by Riley¡¯s gaze staring down at him from above. Rebethra got out of the way by taking steps back. At the same time, other people from the temple broke into two groups and got out of Riley¡¯s way just like how Rebethra had. ¡°Mother, let¡¯s get going¡­ Ian, Sera!¡± Without a moment of hesitation, Riley started walking confidently through the pathway that the people from the temple formed by stepping away for him, but he suddenly turned his head toward his back and called for the maid and the butler who were just standing there with vacant looks. ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Just for how much longer are you going to stand there with nk faces? I¡¯m so hungry that my stomach is about to stick to my back!¡± Ian and Sera exchanged looks without saying anything and rushed to follow Riley who was walking far in front of them. As for Ian, because he saw how it went with the priestessst time, and also because he was thinking she came here to block the way on her own ord, Ian was surprised that she didn¡¯t say anything. *** ¡°That young master, he is different from what I have heard. What I¡¯m saying is¡­not the rumors about him being Lazy Sword. I¡¯m talking about what you told me today evening.¡± After returning to the temple, the Archbishop Rebethra, who was standing in front of the stone statue with Priesia, asked as he tilted his head to the sides. There was a shadow cast deeply on the priestess¡¯ face that he had not seen before. ¡°Haa, Archbishop Rebethra, I think¡­it would be best if we just left him alone.¡± ¡°However, didn¡¯t you say you received a divine message? If that young master is really the hero that could stop the dragon we are concerned about, then it is too early to give up.¡± ¡°It is futile. His eyes¡­ His eyes are a problem separate from the divine message.¡± Priesia murmured as she shook her head, ¡°Archbishop Rebethra, you probably don¡¯t know this, but that man¡¯s eyes have something¡­¡± It was a small voice that would be hard to hear unless someone really leaned toward her to listen. Because he was pretty hard of hearing, Rebethra didn¡¯t hear what Priesia said. Instead, he sent a prayer in front of the statue and walked away. It was because, just like Riley, he had not eaten his dinner yet either. ¡°Haha. Priestess, you worry too much. Anyway, we just need to take our time and talk to him slowly. As we do, I¡¯m certain that he will heed to our words, the goddess Irsa¡¯s words.¡± Rebethra smiled like a good man and turned away, and Priesia was ring at him with her eyes narrowed. ¡®Rebethra.¡¯ Priesia¡¯s eyes turned golden for a moment before returning to normal. ¡®I don¡¯t know what you are scheming, but¡­¡¯ Priesia was thinking about the very first divine message that she received after bing a priestess, the one well before the message about Riley and the dragon. The very first message she received was about the trial that she must go through as a priestess. The divine message was telling her that Archbishop Rebethra, the one that appointed her as the priestess, is going to be her first trial. She had kept the first divine message about the trial as a secret all this time. While looking over her shoulders to be cautious of the archbishop¡¯s gaze, Priesia had been diligently gaining experience as a priestess. The second divine message that she received was already well known to the archbishop. Also¡­ The third divine message told her that Riley, the one who visited the temple while the swordsmanship tournament was still in full swing, was going to resolve the problem with the dragon. Rebethra knew about the third divine message as well because he heard about it from Priesia. ¡®Rebethra, regardless of what you are thinking¡­¡¯ Rebethra only knew two of the divine messages, the second one about the dragon, and the third one about Riley, a nobility, being the one who would stop the dragon. ¡®This man¡­¡¯ As Priesia looked at the back of the archbishop, who was certainly scheming something, she suddenly shook her body as if she was creeped out by something. It was not because she was afraid of the archbishop. It was because she remembered the terrifying aura from Riley when she ran into him in Solia Castle¡¯s restroom. ¡®¡­is beyond you¡­¡¯ Although Priesia didn¡¯t know what the archbishop was plotting, she was still more afraid of Riley who she met only a while ago. ¡®¡­because¡­¡¯ Priesia was certain that it was not going to work no matter what the archbishop tried to do to Riley. ¡®¡­¡± It was because, at the Main za, when Rebethra made a bow to Riley by lowering his head, Priesia was able to see it while she was standing a step behind him and looking at Riley. She saw that Riley was looking at Rebethra¡¯s back as if he just found a useful tool he could use, and he was smiling. *** ¡°¡­Here.¡± Having arrived at the restaurant, before Sera could make a move, Nainiae picked up the container that had forks and knives, and set them on the table for everyone. ¡°Oh my, how kind of you.¡± Iris gave a refreshing smile toward Nainiae as she received the fork and knife from Nainiae. ¡°Thank you.¡± It seemed it didn¡¯t matter to her that Nainiae had burn marks on her face, cannot see with one of her eyes, and was missing a couple of her fingers. It appeared that Iris thought of Nainiae as just a friend of Riley around his age. ¡°Uu¡­¡± Somehow, Sera lost it to Nainiae with the silverware. Sera had no choice but to just sit there and twiddle her thumbs. She sat down and blew up her cheeks. Sera felt that, unlike Nainiae¡¯s emotionless face, Nainiae was quite sneaky. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Unlike Sera who had her cheeks blown up, Ian was observing Nainiae with his arms crossed. ¡°Young master, young master, I did super job, right?¡± Having finished withying down the silverware on the table, Nainiae turned her head and was about to ask Riley, but she flinched. It was because her eyes met Ian¡¯s. ¡®I did super job, right?¡¯ Because of theck of formality in her words, Ian¡¯s eyebrows kept twitching. The sarcastic, deadly gaze from Ian felt like he was threatening to turn the table upside down if she said ¡®I did super job, right?¡¯ again. ¡°I mean¡­ Young master, have I done well?¡± Nainiae carefully corrected herself. Nainiae¡¯s eye was beaming like a little puppy¡¯s asking for praise. Looking at her, Riley cringed as he moved his finger toward her forehead. ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± Ttak! An upbeat sound could be heard. Because of Riley¡¯s gentle tap on her forehead, Nainiae¡¯s head tilted toward the back. ¡°Just make sure to keep the gifts safe.¡± He was talking about the Astroa¡¯s belongings that the people from the temple gave them. ¡°By the way, weren¡¯t you going to refuse those gifts?¡± Nainiae slightly opened the cape she was wearing on her shoulders as she asked. On her waist, there were three bags tied to her, each of which contained the things they received from the temple. ¡°Well, they smell rotten, so I was going to refuse them¡­but after thinking about it carefully, I had no reason to refuse them. It also looked like this was not going to be thest time they are going to give us gifts, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± As if she didn¡¯t understand very well, Nainiae tilted her head to the sides. Meanwhile, Riley murmured as he twisted the corner of his mouth. ¡°Well, they insist on showering us with gifts, so, why not? Who hates getting stuff for free?¡± Riley enjoyed the taste of the beverage ced inside the cup on the table. Appearing to be satisfied, he took a few more sips. Judging from its color, aroma, or taste, it was a honey drink. Chapter 55 - Returning Home

Chapter 55: Returning Home

With the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament events all concluded, Riley¡¯s group was on its way back to the mansion while riding in Iphelleta House¡¯s carriage. The atmosphere inside the carriage was a bit odd because the group now had one more person unlike how it was when they first came to visit Solia. However, it was not the case for Iphelleta House¡¯s Young Master Riley and Lady Iris. ¡°The fireworks on thest day¡­ They were gorgeous, weren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. Mother, this is the first time you saw the fireworks, right?¡± ¡°They were so pretty. I think I¡¯ll never get bored of it no matter how many times I watch them.¡± The mother and the son were busy chattering about the events during thest day of the festival. ¡°Um.¡± On the other hand, unlike the young master and thedy that he served, the old butler was not feeling all thatfortable. With his arms crossed, he red at the driver¡¯s seat as he tapped his fingers. ¡°¡­Regardless, if you are going to serve our young master from now on!¡± In the direction that Ian was looking in, there were two little girls sitting in the drivers¡¯ seats of the carriage. They were Sera in maid dress and Nainiae in white dress. It looked like Sera was in middle of providing Nainiae with private education. ¡°Instead of casualnguage, it would be better to use a respectfulnguage!¡± Listening to Sera¡¯s advice, Nainiae, who was sitting right next to her in the drivers¡¯ seats, nodded her head as she said, ¡°¡­Got it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera, who was driving the carriage, turned her head toward Nainiae and narrowed her eyes. Spark Nainiae felt the heat somehowing from the gaze. She tilted her head to the side as she wondered if she did something wrong. Soon, she realized her mistake and corrected her response. ¡°Ah, I understand¡­ My apologies.¡± It seemed she still didn¡¯t quite be fully aware of the mistakes in hernguage. Nainiae, with an awkward expression on her face, was fiddling with her fingers. ¡°That is, my old habits are still there, so¡­¡± In Lower Solia, a ce full of people with foul mouths, she had been indebted to that ce for quite a while ever since she was abandoned by the Magic Tower. It appeared that she was so ustomed to Lower Solia¡¯s foulnguage that she was currently having difficulty adjusting to respectfulnguage. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Sera, who was driving the carriage, sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. In her opinion, actually, with all things considered, Nainiae¡¯snguage was in a pretty good shape. Despite having spent quite a while in Lower Solia, Nainiae was not carrying disturbing and vulgar swears in her mouth. Instead ofining about Nainiae having problems with adjusting hernguage, Sera at least found it to be fortunate that Nainiae didn¡¯t swear like that. ¡®Although I didn¡¯t want to be understanding of her over something like this.¡¯ Sera knew well about the old habits that Nainiae spoke of earlier. It was because there was a time when Sera lived in Lower Solia and it also took her quite a while to correct hernguage afterwards. Moreover, the foulnguage she had back then was far rougher than how Nainiae¡¯snguage was now. ¡®I¡¯m not liking this¡­¡¯ Although Sera was someone who had experience living in Lower Solia, because of her experience, she didn¡¯t like Lower Solia and people from that ce. The slightly scrunched expression on her face was revealing that fact. ¡°You need to use respectfulnguage¡­¡± It appeared Nainiae was at a loss for words. She didn¡¯t know what to say, so instead, she was focusing on fiddling with her fingers. Her slightly lowered head was showing signs of reflecting upon her mistake from the bottom of her heart. ¡°¡­¡± Because Sera was sitting right next to Nainiae with almost no distance between them, and because Sera was looking at Nainiae from Nainiae¡¯s left side, the side where she could not see Nainiae¡¯s scars on her right, the expression on Sera¡¯s face looked mesmerized. ¡®One side of her face is normal at least.¡¯ Her skin was whiter than milk. ording to Riley, Sera heard that Nainiae was subjected to all sorts of cruel experiments at the Magic Tower. Right side of Nainiae¡¯s face had scars, but other than that, Nainiae had a spotless, white and smooth skin. It was the kind that Sera, as a woman, could feel jealous about. ¡°Sera¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was still fiddling with her fingers while giving a nk stare straight ahead, but she suddenly called Sera¡¯s name. The look on Sera¡¯s face expressed that she was thinking this was unfair. While pouting, Sera was staring at Nainiae¡¯s face from the side, and she was not able to hear Nainiae¡¯s voice. ¡°Sera¡­ No. I mean, Lady Sera, in the front¡­¡± Nainiae raised her right hand, which was missing two fingers, and pointed its index finger toward something. Because of Nainiae¡¯s movement, Sera finally woke up from her useless thoughts and looked where Nainiae was pointing. Surprised, Sera quickly fixed her grip on the rein. ¡°Ah?!¡± Sera had her guard down all this time because she was distracted by Nainiae¡¯s face. Now, Sera¡¯s eyes were open wide. She had no idea since when the object was there, but there was arge boulder blocking the way. ¡®D-Danger!¡¯ Sera pulled the rein with all of her strength to change the carriage¡¯s direction. Horses turned their heads as they screamed with beastly neighs, but because of the rapid change in direction, the carriage was starting to tilt to the side. ¡°Uh? Uhuhuh?¡± ¡°Sera!¡± Inside the carriage, Riley was holding Iris. Sera could hear his voice calling her name. Ian stuck his face out toward the drivers¡¯ seats and yelled at Sera, ¡°Uuaaaa!¡± If she corrected the tilted carriage, the carriage would collide with the boulder. On the other hand, if she changed the direction to avoid the boulder, the carriage would tilt over to the side. Literally, it was the worst situation where all of the avable options would lead to disastrous results. It was when Sera was screaming. ¡°¡­Air Cushion.¡± Nainiae tightly grabbed hold of the drivers¡¯ seats with her right hand, and she shouted a magic spell as she put forth her left hand toward the ground the carriage was tilting toward. ¡°¡­Kuk?¡± Right at the moment the carriage was about to flip over, Sera had her eyes tightly closed. However, as she realized there was no sound of crashing noise following after, she narrowly opened one of her eyes and looked at the ground that was almost at her nose. ¡®Uh?¡¯ On top of that, after noticing Nainiae¡¯s arm obstructing the view in front of her face, Sera finally understood the situation. She used magic, and thanks to that, the carriage did not flip over. It regained bnce. ¡°Ugh!¡± nk! The carriage was about to kiss the ground, but then regained its bnce thanks to Nainiae and made loud noises. Another rmed voice could be heard from inside of the carriage. ¡°Sera, the rein¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah, got it.¡± Whoosh Thanks to the wind blowing from the direction where Nainiae had her arm directed toward, Sera barely regained her senses and grabbed hard on to the rein. nk! The carriage was tilting to the opposite side in order to regain its bnce, and it produced yet another loud noise. Finally, the carriage was bnced sessfully. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± A cold sweat fell down riding on Sera¡¯s cheek. Whoosh Nainiae¡¯s magic tickled her face once more as if the wind was trying to wipe off the sweat from her face this time. Now, Sera finally sighed in relief. ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡®That could have been a disaster.¡¯ Feeling a terrifying re from Ian on her back, Sera murmured like that inside and pouted. Nainaie asked, ¡°Are you o¡­all right?¡± Nainiae corrected her words. She was tilting her head to the sides. She was worried about Sera. ¡°¡­¡± Before she realized, Sera¡¯s cheeks were red. She started to mumble around. Appearing to be bent on not making the same mistake twice, Sera had her gaze fixed to the front and held tightly on to the rein. ¡°That is¡­ Sir Ian! I think Lady Sera might be ill¡­¡± ¡°Ahahah!¡± It appeared that Nainiae was worried. She had her head turned toward inside of the carriage, and she was about to call for Ian, but she was stopped before she could call him. ¡°¡­?¡± As Nainiae looked at Sera blushing, Nainiae tilted her head to the side with an expression on her face that questioned if Sera was really all right. ¡°Are you really alright?¡± Of Nainiae¡¯s face, which was full of concern for Sera from the bottom of her heart, Sera¡¯s gaze went toward the right side of Nainiae¡¯s face. Although it was for a brief moment, Sera ended up thinking how appalling it was, and that made her blush even more. Nainiae was genuinely concerned about Sera, yet Sera was having such a thought in her head. Sera thought her own behavior was uneptable, and she felt ashamed as well. ¡°¡­Yes!! I¡¯m all right! I¡¯mpletely fine!¡± Sera quickly turned her head and responded in a loud voice. *** After visiting Solia to watch the King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament for almost a week, having finally returned to the Iphelleta mansion, Riley came down from the carriage as he tapped his back. ¡°Uu, finally, we are home¡­ Um?¡± Having realized there were servants lined up left and right to wee him, Riley made a dumbfounded face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Wee home, Young Master Riley.¡± When Riley asked as he furrowed his brows, lined up servants bent their upper bodies all the way to bow and wee Riley. Some servants¡¯ gazes had the, ''that Young Master Lazy Sword really did?'' look. ¡®Ah, I was wondering why, but is it because of that?¡¯ Riley was wondering why the servants were acting like this, but soon he realized why. It was probably because of the medal of honor that he received from prince Daniel when he was at the Solia castle, which was in his pocket now. ¡°Riley.¡± When Riley was thinking carefully about the medal, he could hear a dignified voice in front of him. At the same time, servants fixed their postures and lowered their heads slightly. It was to pay respects to the master of the mansion. ¡°Father.¡± Step Step Having discovered Stein approaching this way, Riley also slightly lowered his head and showed that he had returned to the mansion. ¡°I presume you enjoyed the tournament?¡± Unlike thest time, when Stein insisted on Riley entering the tournament, Stein asked if Riley enjoyed watching the tournament. Riley nodded as the recement for a reply. ¡°¡­What about the medal?¡± To confirm what he read in the news article, Stein went straight to asking about the main subject. It was Solia Castle¡¯s medal of honor, something even Ryan, the eldest, or Lloyd, the second eldest, had not managed to receive yet. On top of that, it was a medal that the prince bestowed in person. It was unbelievable. ¡°It¡¯s in my pocket.¡± Riley answered. When Stein could only hear the response without the medal being shown, Stein narrowed his eyes and ordered Riley, ¡°Show it to me!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Riley lightly breathed out and put his hand in his pocket. It appeared there was something inside his pocket. By the sound of something nking inside his pocket, the servants of Iphelleta mansion, who were lined up and standing to watch, gulped. ¡°Here.¡± From Riley¡¯s pocket, the medal of honor, which was bestowed to him from Solia Castle, was revealed. It was to recognize and show his aplishments for uncovering the dirty secrets of the Magic Tower that were hidden for a long time and also for providing assistance to people of Solia Castle and Temple in ¡®apprehending¡¯ Astroa. After seeing the medal, servants gasped. One thing surprising about it was that Ryan and Lloyd¡¯s servants were gasping more than the others. ¡°It was¡­not just a fluke, right?¡± Stein asked as he looked at Riley. Again, Riley leisurely shrugged his shoulder as a recement for a response. His looks were truly bing of a nickname Lazy Sword. ¡°¡­You were out here.¡± When Riley and Stein, the father and the son, were having a strange psychological warfare, from inside of the carriage, Iris¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Anyway, you were worried about his well-being more than anything, yet¡­ Your inability to be honest with yourself is a quirk of yours. Huhu.¡± Following Riley, Iris also came down from the carriage. She was smiling with her lips covered by her hand. Stein didn¡¯t have many weak points, but now that one of them made an entrance to the scene, Stein groaned and cringed. ¡°Was it inconvenient to have just Sera and Ian?¡± ¡°Of course not. The two have fulfilled their roles well. They were more than enough.¡± As Iris smiled and turned toward the back, Sera and Ian, who were waiting in the back, lowered their heads and paid their respects to Stein. ¡°Um?¡± Also, having discovered a girl sitting next to them, Stein showed a question mark on his face. ¡°Who is that child?¡± Not just Stein, but others of the House had their gazes focused on Nainiae. Their gazes were making her feel hesitant, and she lowered her head. ¡°It looks like there is much to talk about, so why don¡¯t we have the rest after going inside?¡± Iris gave a refreshing smile and looked at her son. ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Could you please go inside first with Nainiae?¡± Riley nodded and gave a hand gesture toward Nainiae toe this way. Nainiae looked like she was able to calm down a little from the young master¡¯s gesture. She rxed her face and carefully came close to his back. ¡°¡­¡± After Nainiae came next to his back, Riley stopped walking for a moment and looked back at his mother. It appeared that Riley was concerned about his mother after all. ¡®You don¡¯t need to worry. Your mother¡¯s lips are heavy.¡¯ The mother and the son had their eyes meet, and after quickly reading her son¡¯s face, Iris winked. Finally, Riley cracked a smile, rxed his face, and was about to walk inside the mansion, but¡­ ¡°¡­Oh, Riley? So you returned atst?¡± At the entrance of the mansion, they ran into Lloyd, the second-born. Shoutout to Ryou for insane edits! Chapter 56 - Returning Home (Part 2)

Chapter 56: Returning Home (Part 2)

¡°From what I¡¯ve been hearing, you returned with a magnificent medal.¡± p p Lloyd walked toward Riley as he pped. He opened his arms wide, gave Riley a tight hug and took a step back. ¡°How about showing it to your big brother too? I¡¯m talking about that medal.¡± With his hands on his waist, in a pose full of confidence, Lloyd looked at Riley. It appeared he could not care less about Nainiae who was following behind Riley. ¡°Um? Why are you acting like that?¡± As Riley stood there with a nk stare while suppressing his expression that wanted to say what a bother this was, Lloyd started to look at Riley as if he was concerned for him. ¡°By chance¡­ It¡¯s not like the news about the medal was a lie or anything, right? My little brother would never do that! Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Lloyd asked the servants who were standing to the side in a line. Because the servants were here from the beginning to wee Riley, they already saw Riley¡¯s medal. However, despite that, the servants were sparing themselves of speaking any words and only looked over shoulders. It was because they became aware of the public secret that the two werepeting to be the heir of the Iphelleta House. ¡°Now, hurry up!¡± Lloyd immediately put forth one of his hands. His gesture was saying to hurry up and bring out the medal. ¡°¡­Ha~ah.¡± Riley sighed quietly. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae nced back and forth between Riley and Lloyd. Soon, as if she realized that the older young man with blond hair was not a good person to Riley, she narrowed her eyes. Nainaie was going to give Lloyd a shot of her magic, the kind that won¡¯t require her to recite a spell and all she had to do would have been just concentrating mana. She was going to prepare it in secret and shoot it, but she could hear Riley¡¯s voice in her head. ¡®Why?¡¯ Nainiae moved her eye and looked at Riley from the side. She couldn¡¯t figure out exactly what he was thinking, but there was a little bit of the expression on his face that showed he was finding all this to be a nuisance. That much was certain. So, to make sure she doesn¡¯t end up getting in Riley¡¯s way, she put away the mana that she focused and decided to just quietly watch the situation. ¡°Yes. Well¡­ I¡¯ll show it to you.¡± Riley put his hand in the pocket again and brought out the medal. It was a golden medal with Solia¡¯s insignia engraved on it. It was certainly the medal that Daniel, the prince of Solia, bestowed to Riley. ¡°¡­Oh, oh oh?¡± Now that he was looking at the medal in person, Lloyd¡¯s eyes widened. It looked like he never thought Riley would really bring a medal. ¡°This is the medal that you received from that old man?¡± As Lloyd stared at the medal, which was shaped just like the one hanging in Stein¡¯s office, he narrowed his eyes as if he grew suspicious and asked, ¡°How should I say this¡­ I find this¡­ quite surprising.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ah ah. Don¡¯t misunderstand me. It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t imagine how you would have done it. I find it hard to believe that you received it.¡± Lloyd said as he waved his hand around and smiled. Watching Lloyd, Nainiae¡¯s patience reached its limit. She crumpled her face. It was difficult for her to stand still when Lloyd was making a mockery of Riley about his aplishments. ¡°¡­¡± The servants watching the second-born and the youngest of the House were also drenched in cold sweat. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the first time Lloyd made mockery of Riley for him beingzy, but they were worried because the situation now was a little different. ¡®Is it okay to do that?¡¯ They were thinking that. No matter how things led to Riley receiving the medal, it was a medal of honor that was bestowed on him by the royalty. Lloyd doubting the medal that Riley held could also imply that he was doubting the judgment of Solia Castle''s royalty. This was the reason for the servants¡¯ concerns. ¡°By chance, can you please exin it to me? How did you get the medal?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm. I wonder why you can¡¯t just answer? It¡¯s frustrating. Riley, by chance, you¡­¡± Listening to Lloyd¡¯s provocation, to how he was blurring the end of his sentence as he narrowed his eyes, Riley opened his mouth, ¡°¡­Big Brother.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Riley was holding the medal in his palm and had stretched his hand toward Lloyd to show it to him. Now, Riley slowly grabbed hold of the medal. Riley held the tip of the medal¡¯s tail with his thumb and index finger and swung it left and right in front of Lloyd¡¯s face as if he was performing hypnosis. ¡°If you like this so much, shall I give it to you?¡± ¡°What?¡± In leisurely tone, with a smile, Riley made the proposition. At this, not just Lloyd, but the servants, who were watching them also, closed their mouths without even being able to make gasping sounds. ¡°It¡¯s just that you seem like you really want to have it.¡± Riley brought back the medal, which he was lightly swinging around, close to his face. He carefully observed Solia¡¯s insignia on it, and as if he got bored of it, he held it toward Lloyd and said, ¡°For me, it¡¯s a bother to have it anyway.¡± The expression on Riley¡¯s face was tinged with annoyance. Hearing Riley¡¯s tone of voice, which sounded like he was saying Lloyd should take the medal if he really wanted to, ¡°You¡­¡± Lloyd seemed like he was doubting Riley¡¯s words. He moved his hand toward the medal that was swinging in Riley¡¯s hand. It felt like slight convulsion of his hand was expressing how he was feeling inside. It was when his hand was about one hand¡¯s width away from reaching the medal. ¡°Well, if you don¡¯t want it, then it cannot be helped.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Riley took back the medal and promptly put it away. With a leisurely expression on his face that stated he had moments and nerves to spare, Riley was tilting up the corner of his mouth. Watching this, Lloyd finally realized that Riley was swinging the medal around to mock him. ¡°You¡­you runt¡­ How dare¡­¡± The fact that he was ridiculed by Riley, not someone else, seemed to be unbearable to Lloyd. Lloyd was about to extend his arm and grab Riley¡¯s neck. At that moment, ¡°¡­Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­Kuk.¡± Stein, who was having a conversation with Iris until now, walked toward the two brothers and stopped him. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Hearing his father¡¯s order, Lloyd ground his teeth inwardly, took care of the expression on his face and slowly lowered his head. ¡°Ah.¡± Shoving down the rage inside, Lloyd raised his head he just had lowered and noticed Iris who was sticking right next to his father. Lloyd lightly twitched his eyebrow as he lowered his head again. ¡°Lady Iris, have you had a pleasant visit to Solia?¡± ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Young Master Lloyd. Thanks to you, we had a good trip.¡± Iris responded to Lloyd¡¯s greeting by lightly fiddling her chin with her hand. She immediately turned her head toward Riley and delivered ¡®why don¡¯t you take your leave now¡¯ with her gaze. ¡®I¡¯ll get going now.¡¯ Heeding to his mother¡¯s good will, Riley, who just put the medal away into his pocket, stepped into the mansion. ¡°Young Master Lloyd, have you been well?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± To turn his gaze away from Riley, Iris asked how Lloyd had been. ¡°The thing is, my swordsmanship is improving daily. Lady Iris, it would be hard for you to believe it because you have Riley, but now, besides Father and Big Brother, there isn¡¯t anyone in the House that could beat me¡­¡± With his chin all the way up, as if he was boasting about himself, he was going off about himself as he walked, but suddenly, when he stepped on to the polished surface of the mansion¡¯s entrance, he started to slide. ¡®Did someone oil the floor or something?¡¯ At least, how he was moving looked like it was not by his intent. ¡°¡­Uh? Uu uh?¡± After realizing the surface was excessively slippery, Lloyd started to wave his hands in the air chaotically. ¡®What the hell? Why is the floor like this?¡¯ Since childhood, he had exceptionally good sense of bnce, so no matter how slippery the floor was, if it was like any other day, he would have been able to bnce himself immediately. However, for some reason, his seriouslypromised bnce was noting back to its stable state so easily. ¡°Uu uh!¡± In the end, until the moment he tipped overpletely, he was still not able to regain his bnce, and, ¡°¡­Kek?!¡± He plummeted with his ass to the floor in an embarrassing way. ¡°Y-Young master?¡± ¡°Are you all right?¡± Having watched Lloyd falling in a grand way, the servants who were on standby on the side quickly rushed to him and checked. ¡°¡­Puhaha!¡± From a pretty far distance, Sera watched it all, how Lloyd was going on and on boasting about himself and fell all of sudden after a brief dance of struggle. She was not able to hold it anymore. She broke intoughter. It was because she had a pretty good idea who it was that made it happen. ¡°Pup¡­ Kuhuhu¡­¡± She turned her head away and hid her mouth with her hands so others won¡¯t see herughing. ¡°Kuhum!¡± Looking at Sera making suppressedughter, Ian, who was standing next to her, made a light hem and poked her with his elbow. ¡°¡­Sera.¡± Poke Poke His elbow lightly tapped Sera¡¯s arm. Ian was trying to scold Sera to make her stopughing. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry. Kuhuhu¡­¡± Sera was barely containing herughter. With dew hanging around her eyes fromughter, Sera turned her head to the front again. Sera forced herself to think about depressing matters. She took a quick nce at Ian. It turned out, Ian too was trying to hold himself fromughing. Still, his facial muscles were asionally twitching towardughter. The look on his face was quite a sight to behold. ¡°¡­Puhuhu!¡± Sera broke intoughter once again. *** ¡°How clumsy and embarrassing.¡± ¡°Big Brother, that¡¯s not how it happened. The floor was a little odd. There was really something¡­¡± ¡°I got it. Got it.¡± Lloyd was trying to exin himself as he rubbed the part with which he hit the floor. Looking at Ryan, who smiled at him gently as if he was trying to say he is giving in, Lloyd cringed. ¡°So, how is Riley?¡± As if he was checking on things, Ryan asked as he turned his head. Lloyd shrugged his shoulder and responded, ¡°Same as always. There wasn¡¯t much that changed about him.¡± ¡°Same as always, huh¡­¡± ¡°Unfocused eyes,ssy-like smooth palm, the way of walking thatcks any strength, and right down to how he runs his mouth since he has no physical skills¡­ Everything was as they were. It looks like there won¡¯t be a need to worry so much. Ah, by the way¡­¡± As Lloyd exined, he brought up the part he forgot that he found amusing, ¡°He brought some weirdss with him.¡± ¡°Ass?¡± ¡°Yes. Her presence was weak, and her face was grotesque, so I didn¡¯t look carefully. Anyway, one thing for certain is that she is an odd looking one. It bothers me inside.¡± Lloyd remembered as he scratched the back of his head. As he said, to him, she looked really odd. It was not sitting right in his mind. Not just her appearance, but her atmosphere as well. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Although I can¡¯t know what woulde of this, I think that girl being here is only going to help us in the heirpetition. It didn¡¯t look like she was going to be a hindrance. If she is a daughter of a nobility, then perhaps¡­ But it was hard to find any trace of nobility in the way she acts or walks.¡± As Ryan listened to his exnation, Ryan fiddled with his chin and nodded as if he understood. Ryan said, ¡°It seems like it would be best if we continued to find out more.¡± ¡°About what exactly?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about thatss. Something is fishy about it all.¡± ¡°But Big Brother, thatss is¡­¡± As if it was not sitting right with him, Lloyd was going to object, but his gaze met with Ryan¡¯s, which looked extremely serious. Lloyd promptly shut his mouth. ¡°Riley, that rascal is not the horny scoundrel type. You know that well too.¡± Money? Not interested. Power? Not interested. Women? Not interested. Other than reading books or resting against the trunk in a tree¡¯s shade, his youngest brother had no other particr interests. ¡®He brought a girl that nobody knows into the Iphelleta House? Also, not any girl, but a girl who has quite a horrid appearance?¡¯ It was certain he had something he was scheming inside. ¡°He has something up his sleeve. This isn¡¯t a matter you should just ignore because she had an unsightly face.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I understand.¡± After hearing Ryan¡¯s exnation, as if he was thinking it was usible too, Lloyd nodded his head and responded. ¡°I¡¯ll find out about it on my own. Okay then. Why don¡¯t you go back for now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lloyd bowed and left the room. Ryan, who was alone in his room now, started to fiddle with his chin again. ¡°A medal from the castle¡­¡± He didn¡¯t know how Riley received the medal when he went to Solia Castle just to watch the swordsmanship tournament. However, one thing for certain was that this was a sign. Ryan was concerned. Ryan¡¯s n was about to be forced to take a wrong turn. Chapter 57 - Astroas Belongings

Chapter 57: Astroa''s Belongings

It was a dress with white and ck colors mixed in. It was a dress with loose frills decorating its skirt. From today on, Nainiae was officially going to work as a maid in Iphelleta House. She looked around at her maid uniform here and there, and she turned to look at Sera who was standing in front of her. ¡®Do I look all right?¡¯ With her mouth tightly closed, Nainiae asked Sera with her gaze. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± With her arm resting on her waist, Sera thoroughly checked Nainiae¡¯s appearance from top to bottom. Looking satisfied, Sera nodded and said, ¡°Fortunately, there was one that fits you perfectly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looked like Nainiae was not used to the dress¡¯sce decoration. Not knowing what to do, Nainiae fiddled with its thin and soft fabric. Looking at Nainiae in panic, Sera mumbled inside, ¡®If we could do something about her face, that would be nice¡­¡¯ For now, she had it roughly hidden with her long hair. However, one side of her face was burned and peeled off red due to experiments at the Magic Tower. Her scars could invoke either sympathy or disgust. Regardless, it looked like it was going to make anyone cringe if theyid their eyes on her scars. ¡®I really think just her hair is not going to be enough.¡¯ Sera developed a pretty good immunity to Nainiae¡¯s disfigurement. Now, she was able to maintain her facial expression when she looked at Nainiae¡¯s face. Sera breathed out lightly and fixed Nainiae¡¯s clothing. As for Nainiae¡¯s face, it seemed like she had to think about it some more. ¡°Although our young master said he picked it up from¡­ I mean he wants to take you in because he wants to learn magic, still, you should do your job, right?¡± Because Sera¡¯s face came right up to her face, Nainiae flinched and turned her head away. The pleasant smell of Sera¡¯s shampoo was tickling her nose. Somehow, it was making Nainiae feel embarrassed. ¡°The rules for being a maid in Iphelleta House are pretty strict, so prepare your mind for it. Do you understand?¡± At first, the maid thing was Iris¡¯s idea. The idea was that, if Nainiae was going to support Riley from the back anyway, instead of just sticking to Riley¡¯s side and only teaching him magic, Iris thought Nainiae working in the mansion with Sera might be a good idea. ¡°I¡¯m saying this because you might misunderstand me. This part was also approved by Young Master Riley, so, from now on, listen carefully to me, your ¡®Big Sis Sera,¡¯ and¡­¡± Tighten Sera tightened Nainiae¡¯s clothing around the neck area and looked at her. Perhaps it was to show her who is boss. Unlike her usual self, the look in Sera¡¯s eyes was violent. ¡°¡­let¡¯s work well¡­well together, do you understand?¡± Inside, Sera resented Iris for putting her in charge of educating Nainiae. At the same time, Sera showed a refreshing smile toward Nainiae. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Nainiae felt something bad would happen if she did anything that wasn¡¯t to Sera¡¯s liking. Nainiae gulped and responded in a quiet voice. *** It was in the main garden of Iphelleta mansion. By the trunk of the apple tree, the one designated as his sanctuary, Riley had leisurely taken the ce and was lying down, but he turned his gaze toward the direction where a loud voice wasing from. ¡°No. I¡¯m telling you that¡¯s not how it is done!¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Like this?¡± ¡°No! No! The other way!¡± ¡°If I just use magic¡­¡± ¡°Uh uh? Who said you can use tricks? Please don¡¯t! Magic is forbidden!¡± There were Sera and Nainiae. By the Iris¡¯s proposition, Nainiae was receiving maid lessons from Sera. Riley cracked a smile as if he found it amusing to watch. ¡°Are you going to keep on thinking about ways to use tricks instead?¡± ¡°Ah, No¡­ It is not like that.¡± Riley didn¡¯t hate passing the time by just lying down idly, but it was not a bad thing for him to watch something entertaining while lying down in his designated sanctuary. ¡°How should I put it¡­¡± She was still not used to the work. Also, Nainiae¡¯s crassnguage was popping out once in a while. Frustrated, Sera was pounding on her chest as she admonished Nainiae. Watching this, Riley mumbled with a vacant stare, ¡°¡­It¡¯s like watching a new recruit and a senior in the army.¡± This scene felt familiar as if he saw it somewhere in the past. With intrigued eyes, Riley watched the two girls struggling as he thought the situation felt simr to how things were in army in his past life where senior soldiers gave new recruits a hard time just for the sake of it. ¡°Are you going to keep talking back to me?¡± ¡°No. No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m not trying to talk back to you, it is just¡­¡± ¡°Uh uh? Again?¡± There was Nainiae breaking in cold sweat and not knowing what to do. There was also Sera on the verge of exploding from frustration. Regardless of which one he watched, the situation was entertaining for Riley. ¡°And here, we even have an officer too.¡± Riley turned his head as he murmured. Next to Riley was an old butler with a stern face standing with his arms folded behind his back. It was Ian. ¡°¡­¡± Bing of an ¡®officer,¡¯ the title that Riley mentioned, Ian was ring at Sera and Nainiae with a serious and disciplined eyes. It looked like he was going to take action on the first sign of a mistake that wasn¡¯t to his liking. ¡°Hu¡­ In that case, am I the most senior officer who is in hisst year of the army service?¡± Entertained by the current situation. Riley cracked a smile and murmured. Having heard what Riley just said, Ian, who was looking at Sera and Nainiae, turned his head toward Riley and asked, ¡°Young master, did you just say something?¡± ¡°Um? No, it is nothing.¡± It was a culture that didn¡¯t exist in this world. It was something Riley knew from his past life. Because there was no need for Riley to exert his brain in attempt to exin it all to Ian, Riley chose not to talk about it anymore, so he closed his mouth. ¡°Anyway, young master¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± Having finished their business at the garden, Sera and Nainiae went back into the mansion. As he watched this, Ian slowly turned his head toward three pouches that wereying next to Riley. ¡°Those items. What are you going to do with them?¡± The three pouches. They contained items that the people from the Holy Temple delivered to Riley. They said the items were spoils for defeating Astroa. Ian was asking what Riley was going to do with them. ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± A purple colored cape. A silver ring. A leather bracelet. The pouches contained those three things. They were items that used to belong to Astroa, the grand mage, the one Riley defeated. Riley chose to take them since the Holy Temple said they will give the items to him for free. However, Riley didn¡¯t know exactly how to use these items. ¡°I guess it would be a little odd to sell these things, right?¡± After all, the items were something a grand mage used. On the other hand, Riley was from Iphelleta, a House that was renowned for sword. There was a chance that a rumor could spread about Iphelleta selling items at high prices that used to belong to a grand mage when he was alive. Therefore, it was hard to pick that as the option. ¡°Ah, that would be indeed.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Riley opened a pouch, brought out the cape from inside, and narrowed his eyes. Because of the de that Riley threw and Nainiae¡¯s magic during the Lower Solia incident, the cape had a hole in it, but the rest of it looked fine. ¡°By chance, like that cape from that wizard school movie, is this going to make me invisible if I cover my body with it? Is it something like that?¡± ¡°A wizard school, sir?¡± ¡®What, what? A wizard school movie?¡¯ Ian was not able to understand what Riley was mumbling about. As Ian tilted his head to the side and asked, Riley shook his head and corrected himself, ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing. I was just talking to myself.¡± After he shook his head, Riley judged that the cape couldn¡¯t be like that. He fiddled with the cape and felt the quality of the fabric. ¡®There is no way it could.¡¯ If this cape could really do that, Astroa would not have been defeated so easily during the battle in Lower Solia. ¡°These things, how are they used?¡± *** ¡°Look at that one¡¯s face.¡± ¡°Iphelleta House has a standard and ss. That scar is a little¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with her fingers? With that, could she even do her work properly?¡± Inside the mansion, other maids or butlers in the hallway nced at Nainiae, who was tying the curtain, and clicked their tongues as they passed by. ¡°I should do it like this, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Miss Sera?¡± Just like how Sera was a few days ago when she was introduced to Nainiae for the first time, her colleagues were passing by while saying bad things about Nainiae. Hearing their voices, Sera stared at their backs with an expression on her face that protested against their behavior. Eventually, Sera turned her head toward Nainiae and responded, ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae, after tying the curtain in the way Sera taught her, asked Sera, ¡°This, tying it like this is correct, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. That¡¯s correct. At least you are pretty good at this.¡± They were currently standing in the hallway that was in front of Riley¡¯s room. To be precise, it was the cleaning area that Nainiae will be in charge of from now on. ¡°Now, the next thing to do on the list is¡­¡± If it had been like her normal routine, Sera would have been walking around Iris¡¯s room or the corridors nearby to organize things. However, currently, she was sticking by Nainiae for the sake of her adjustment to the work inside the mansion. Sera was teaching her things Nainiae was going to be doing. ¡°¡­cleaning up the footprints on carpets.¡± With the hallway¡¯s curtain arrangement nowplete, Sera moved her eyes to check if there were any footprints or stains on the carpet. One thing good about the assignment was that,pared to other ces, the front of Riley¡¯s room had rtively few peopleing by. So it looked like it was not going to be too hard for Nainiae to maintain the ce. ¡°Well, as for the carpets, it looks like it just needs to be dusted off a little. And¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Sera? You were here.¡± Sera was organizing the day¡¯s schedule in her head, but she turned her head because of the voiceing from the back. The owner of the voice, which sounded pretentious somehow, was someone who was holding a pretty high position in the mansion, the second young master of the Iphelleta House. ¡°Young Master Lloyd.¡± Having noticed him, Sera lowered her head. ¡®Who was that again?¡¯ Because Lloyd was walking this way, Nainiae, who momentarily tilted her head to the side, also followed Sera and lowered her head. ¡®Ah, that young master from before. The one that makes me lose appetite for food.¡¯ As Nainiae lowered her head, she realized that this young master with pretentious voice was someone she ran into in the past. Nainiae hardened her face. It was definitely from when they just arrived at the mansion. It was that man who insisted on trying to pick a fight with Riley, the one who she served. It was the young master on whom Nainiae used grease magic, which eliminates friction on the floor, in secret to make him plummet on his butt for pestering Riley. ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s this? Are you in middle of educating a new family member of the household?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m showing her around the mansion, and I¡¯m also exining to her about her tasks.¡± To Lloyd¡¯s question, Sera replied politely, and then she did the reverse and asked him a question, ¡°By the way, what brings you here?¡± The ce was in front of Riley¡¯s room. It was pretty far from Lloyd¡¯s room, so Sera asked wondering why he came all this way. ¡°Um. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡®Is he trying to harass Young Master Riley again? Or is he here to run his mouth in front of me? I rather have it be that he is here just to boast about himself again¡­¡¯ Sera was agonizing about it in her mind. At that moment, Lloyd continued, ¡°I came to see you.¡± It looked like, of all the scenarios she was thinking about, it was the one Sera hated the most. Having heard what Lloyd said, Sera¡¯s eyebrows twitched a little and she tried to divert the conversation, ¡°Young Master Lloyd, as I said earlier, because I¡¯m currently in middle of training Nainiae, I cannot see you at the moment. Also, after this, I have to go tend to cleaning mydy¡¯s room, so I can¡¯te to see you at your room eith¡­¡± ¡°Come on. Why are you acting like that when it¡¯s between us? I called for you like this, so isn¡¯t it about time you came to me at least once? I think I asked you toe and hang out with me at my room a few dozen times by now. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Sera turned her head away showing that she was not interested, Lloyd didn¡¯t miss the chance and took a quick nce below to take a good look at Sera¡¯s cleavage. He smiled with his eyes and hid the lewdness that was revealed in his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to roast and eat someone. I¡¯m only asking for a cup of tea together, so why? Ah, right! While at it, the new recruit, why don¡¯t youe too?¡± When Lloyd suddenly looked at Nainiae and continued, with a displeased, protesting look on her face, Nainiae tilted her head to the side. ¡°Are you talking about me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s Nainiae.¡± ¡°Um. Good. Nainiae! If you are in middle of training by Sera, I think it won¡¯t be a bad idea toe by with Sera to have some tea with me at my room, have a conversation together and have the opportunity to get to know each other. Right?¡± Lloyd suggested with his arms wide open. ¡°What do you think?¡± Nainiae made a quick nce to check Sera¡¯s face. She did because it had been only a day since she started working here. It was still difficult for Nainiae to know what¡¯s going on in these kinds of situations. ¡°¡­¡± Although it looked like Sera was trying hard not to let it show, because Nainaie was also a woman, as Nainiae observed her face from that perspective, she noticed that Sera looked displeased. As if she decided to do something, Nainiae turned her head toward Lloyd and looked at him. Nainaie responded to his proposition, ¡°¡­No. We are not going.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I said we are not going.¡± It appeared she still had the habit of her crudenguage from Lower Solia. With her unique dry expression on her face, Nainiae red at Lloyd as if she was going to burn a hole through his face. Chapter 58 - Astroas Belongings (Part 2)

Chapter 58: Astroa''s Belongings (Part 2)

¡°¡­What did you just say?¡± Wondering if he misheard just now, Lloyd tilted his head to the side and asked Nainiae. ¡°What did you just say? We are not going?¡± Nainiae¡¯s answer was nothing in lines of ¡®We apologize, but I¡¯m afraid we are not able to attend,¡¯ or anything simr. Also, after giving her initial response, Nainiae repeated herself to Lloyd as if she thought maybe he didn¡¯t hear her. All that made Lloyd¡¯s facial muscles to twitch. ¡°Hey. Perhaps you don¡¯t know because you are new, but if you shoot your yap off like that¡­¡± ¡°Like that?¡± Because of the difference in height, Nainiae was looking upward to Lloyd with her chin up. She pulled her chin slightly, nced at Lloyd¡¯s chest and said, ¡°You mean like this?¡± With demonstration, Nainiae was tossing an advice to Lloyd. ¡°¡­¡± By Nainiae¡¯s act, which was out of the blue, Lloyd fiddled with his fingers as he thought about how he moved his eyes in front of Sera. ¡®This b*tch¡­¡¯ Lloyd was here under Ryan¡¯s order. He came here, at the hallway in front of Riley¡¯s room, to observe Nainiae, the new maid that Riley took in from Solia. In the process, he also ran into a maid he lusted after with his eyes asionally. So he invited her for a cup of tea to his room, and took a quick nce at her cleavage while at it. It appeared Nainiae noticed him in the act. ¡®She may look the way she is, but she is quite street smart at least it seems?¡¯ Nainiae tilted her chin up slightly again and looked at Lloyd. As his eyes met with Nainiae¡¯s, Lloyd¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®Tsk, just look at that face.¡¯ He was cringing not because of her way of talking or her advice that hit the heart of the matter. It was a cringe that felt like it was out of disgust. ¡°Young master, my apologies, Nainiae is from Lower Solia, so her crudenguage habits were not corrected yet.¡± Lloyd¡¯s face changed as if he just chewed on something awful. Noticing this, Sera, while breaking in cold sweat, came in front of Nainiae and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯ll educate her separately to correct this, so please¡­¡± She was saying Lloyd should generously forgive her. Watching Sera properly bowing and asking for forgiveness for the mistake of her new recruit, Lloydughed as he wiggled his brows, ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Just a maid ring and talking in such a crudenguage toward a young master of a count¡¯s House was a problem that could not be forgiven so easily. ¡°All right. Well¡­ I¡¯m a generous guy.¡± His facial muscles were still twitching slightly, but he slowly managed to regainposure. Lloyd took a step closer to Sera and looked at her face. ¡°But in return, as her senior, you can take the responsibility, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera was holding it in well until now, but finally, her face crumpled. Just like Nainiae, she wanted to say ¡®I¡¯m not going. Get lost.¡¯ However, she couldn¡¯t do that. ¡®Haaa. How did I end up¡­¡¯ She thought she had a bad feeling about this from the start, and it came to this. Sera sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. Instead of resenting Nainiae, she was resenting herself for not warning Nainiae in advance. ¡®When I became a maid, it¡¯s not like I didn''t know a situation like this could happen, but¡­¡¯ When she became a maid, she had thought about the possibility. Until now, while serving Iris, she managed to avoid a situation like this, but it looked like her luck finally ran out. ¡®Still, this is¡­ Huh?¡¯ Sera was biting her lips as she thought it could not be helped, but she rxed her narrowed eyes after hearing a quiet voice from the back. ¡®Nainiae?¡¯ Mumble Mumble The one quietly mumbling was Nainiae, the one Sera quickly hid away behind her back just now. Following a certain someone¡¯s advice, Nainiae was standing a step behind. From a ce where Lloyd¡¯s field of view cannot reach, she was mumbling something. ¡°¡­Sleep.¡± After whispering for a few seconds, Nainiae finished reciting the spell. She put forth her hand over Sera¡¯s shoulder and activated the magic she prepared. ¡°Well then, Sera. When you are finished with your work in the evening,e to my¡­room¡­¡± Blink, blink¡­ Lloyd was in the middle of a sentence, but he faltered from his eyelids rapidly bing heavy, and soon, he slowly copsed down as he leaned against a wall. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Huk?!¡± ¡®What just happened?¡¯ As if he was suffering from narcolepsy, Lloyd fell asleep while leaning against the wall with his legs spread out. He was drooling. ¡°He will be asleep for 30 minutes.¡± Nainiae, who was hiding behind Sera¡¯s back, walked to the front of Sera and shrugged. Nainiae dusted off her hands. Now, she was beaming with a look in her eye that said, ¡®I did a good thing, right? Please praise me!¡¯ ¡°N-Nainiae. Did you do this?¡± Sera, with her eyes wide open, asked Nainiae. Nainiae simply nodded as the recement for a response. ¡°Yes. As expected, he is a young master from a high nobility¡¯s House. He had strength to resist it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, because I¡¯m at Six Circles¡­¡± Hearing Nainiae mumbling on as if she had nothing to worry about, Sera looked at Lloyd. He was asleep with his mouth open. ¡°Just what were you thinking? How are you going to handle things afterwards¡­¡± Out of concerns for what was going to happenter, Sera was breaking in cold sweat. Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and answered, ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. If you just toss him on top of a bed, he will just think he had a strange dream.¡± From the time when she used crudenguage at the young master she didn¡¯t like¡­ From the time when she mimicked his act of ncing at Sera¡¯s cleavage showing that she didn¡¯t like it¡­ It appeared Nainiae had thought of everything, including how to handle what would happen afterwards. ¡°I actually wanted to give him a bucketful of foulnguage for being randy and daring to oggle, but¡­¡± Nainiae lowered her head. Although the scars on her face were very noticeable, her saddened face was like any other 18 year old girl¡¯s. ¡°¡­if I did, I figured I¡¯ll get scolded, so¡­¡± As if she was afraid of checking the expression on Sera, who was staring at her, Nainaie was hesitating to lift her head. ¡°Excuse me, Miss Sera.¡± After gathering some courage by fiddling with her hands, Nainiae struggled and lifted her head to look at Sera. Having confirmed the look on Sera¡¯s face, Nainiae smiled lightly and asked, ¡°¡­It¡¯s all right to use this much, right?¡± Iphelleta House had an extreme hatred toward assassins. However, when it came to mages, the house was pretty generous in their opinion. Ian, the old butler who served Riley, was the only one who had a strong disgust toward mages for some reason. With exception to anything underhanded, Sera also had no objection to Nainiae using magic. ¡°Yes¡­¡± Because Nainiae started work today without any separate introduction to everyone, no one in the mansion, other than Riley¡¯s group that went to Solia Castle, had an idea that Nainiae was the one in the newspaper that was mentioned as ¡®a girl, who had been abandoned by the Magic Tower and also aplished quite amendable deed in efforts of apprehending Astroa.¡¯ ¡°It is¡­all right.¡± Looking at Lloyd who was asleep, Sera answered with a vacant look on her face. Although the girl was wearing a maid uniform, her true nature of existence was certainly fierce and overbearing. She was a mage of Six Circles magic. ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Sera turned her head and looked at Nainiae who was standing there with an awkward look. Sera was thinking that perhaps she could change the prejudice of other people who clicked their tongues after looking at Nainiae¡¯s face. ¡°¡­Nainiae.¡± Breaking the brief silence, another boy¡¯s voice could be heard behind them. Sera and Nainiae quickly turned their heads around. ¡°Y-Young Master Riley?¡± Sera sighed in relief as she saw her young master leisurely walking down the hallway. She thought about how it would have went if it was the eldest young master that showed up. Just thinking about it made her feel frightened. ¡°Why are you so surprised?¡± Riley tilted his head to the side as he asked. He asked another question before he even got a reply. ¡°The time is up now, right? Can I take her now?¡± With his finger, Riley pointed at Nainiae. It was four in the evening. Riley was talking about the time when Nainiae¡¯s maid training was suppose to end for the day. ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± As if he couldn¡¯t even see his older brother Lloyd sleeping while leaning against the wall of the hallway, Riley was not even ncing in that direction. Instead, he only gestured toward Nainiae toe to him. ¡°Miss Sera, about handling the rest about Young Master Lloyd¡­ I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Of all replies Nainiae had given today, she gave the most high-spirited one to Riley¡¯s gesture. Nainiae lightly bowed to Sera and started to walk. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± All Riley did was to arrogantly call out her name and ask her toe, yet Nainiae went straight to Riley like a puppy with light steps and sparkle in her eye. Sera looked at her with a vacant face for a moment. Soon, as if she was trying to say she is finally giving in to Nainiae¡¯s attitude, Sera broke intoughter. *** It was at Iphelleta mansion¡¯s library. As if he missed his sanctuary that he was away from for so long, he dived into the soft sofa and stretched out as if he was on top of the world. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s been ages since Iy down here.¡± Because reading was one of a few hobbies she had, instead of watching Riley stretching out, Nainiae¡¯s eye was chasing after books in the library. Soon, she shook her head hard to calm down and asked, ¡°That is¡­ Should I bring you something like a tea?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. You know you would stink at it, so why bother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley said it casually as he cracked a smile, but the expression on Nainiae¡¯s face quickly turned to disappointment. ¡°No. It¡¯s only been a day. A day¡­ I¡¯m sure you will do betterter.¡± Riley figured it would be also not a good idea to kill her spirit, so he corrected himself. In order to get to the main point, Riley tossed the three pouches on the table. ¡°These are¡­?¡± ¡°You were the one that had been keeping them safe while we were on our way back to the mansion, so you know what these are, right? They are what you think.¡± They were Astroa¡¯s belongings, a cape, a ring, and a bracelet. ¡°Iid down and spent the whole day examining them here and there, but no matter how long I stared at them, I couldn¡¯t get a feel on how these are suppose to be used.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± As if she understood what Riley was trying to say, Nainiae nodded. However, when she was fiddling with the three objects on the table, the look on her face was not looking all right. ¡°Excuse me, young master. I understand what you are trying to ask. However, I can only tell things such as mana or a trap contained in objects. As for their usage methods¡­ I cannot tell.¡± Looking apologetic for not being able to do what Riley hoped for, Nainiae responded with a disappointed face. She wished she could tell him that she knew, but it was not right to tell such a lie to the young master she served. ¡°Hm. You haven¡¯t seen that bastard using them either?¡± ¡°From how I remember, he did wear the cape when I was in theboratory, but¡­he never used it.¡± Nainiae was fiddling with the cape. She continued as she moved her hand toward the ring and the bracelet, ¡°As for the ring and the bracelet, he didn¡¯t have these back then.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Riley had his fingers locked and his hands ced behind his head as a pillow. He looked away with a face that looked like he was thinking it could not be helped. ¡°In that case. For now, you hold on to these. I know someone that knows a lot about these kinds of things, so I¡¯ll ask him then.¡± ¡°Someone that knows a lot about these kinds of things?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to get to know him. That rascal is not a very pleasant guy to hang out with.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After Nainiae replied and gathered the items that were on the table, Riley, who was lying on the sofa, looked in Nainiae¡¯s direction and said, ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t we get the lesson started? We have been postponing it for a while.¡± Riley brought Nainiae to the library because he wanted to learn how to pick apples from the apple trees without using his hand. This was the technique which that rascal absolutely refused to teach him¡­ Chapter 59 - Astroas Belongings (Part 3)

Chapter 59: Astroa''s Belongings (Part 3)

¡°Excuse me, young master.¡± Nainiae was fiddling with Astroa¡¯s belongings on the table, but she looked at Riley, who was lying down on the sofa with his legs dangling around, and asked, ¡°Before I start, I wanna ask you somethin¡¯.¡± ¡°What?¡± Nainiae was about to teach Riley the basics of magic, but there was one thing that floated up in her mind that made her curious. To resolve this curiosity, she asked the question. So far, she was barely managing to adjust hernguage to the respectful tone. She was feelingplicated, so she started to spit out crudenguage again. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡®Why did he choose me of all people?¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s question was rather vague. Riley couldn¡¯t quite figure out the reason behind her question. He tilted his head to the side to show that he needed additional exnation. With her voicecking in confidence, Nainiae provided supplementary exnation. ¡°I may have reached the Six Circles magic at a young age, but it was through the use of experimental drugs¡­ Even if you imed my magic mastery as my strong suit, I have not learned the magic through proper training, so, unlike other, proper mages, it will be difficult for me to teach someone efficiently. Also¡­¡± ¡®Also, I don¡¯t have the face that¡¯s suitable for a teacher.¡¯ Still, Nainiae was an 18 years old girl. Instead of saying it, she swallowed those words back down and grabbed on tightly on the folds of her skirt. ¡°Back in Solia Castle, if you spared my life just to learn magic from me, you don¡¯t have to choose me. You can learn it from someone else¡­¡± It was not certain if Riley knew this, but Nainiae¡¯s life was limited to this autumn. That was the reason why she thought it would be more efficient for him to find someone else if he was looking for a teacher to give him lessons in magic. It was the logical choice no matter how she looked at it. In the end, Nainiae was wondering why Riley chose her instead of other aplished mages when Nainiae had a horrid face and numbered lifespan. ¡°Um¡­ Do I need to tell you?¡± Riley was scratching the back of his head. He looked at Nainiae and asked back. Nainiae was facing an expression that said all this was such a bother. Having looked at Riley¡¯s face, she pursed her mouth. Nainiae finally realized she was using crassnguage. She shook her head and replied in respectfulnguage, ¡°Ah¡­ There is no need for you to exin, young master. It¡¯s not absolutely necessary. There is no need for you to tell me¡­¡± Her voice sounded like she could copse at an instant. Nainiae was looking for a goal or meaning in her life before her death. She decided to invest the remaining time she had in Riley, the one who sought her out and asked her to teach him magic. ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ That was the reason why Nainiae was standing here at this moment. She was intending to do as she was told. If Riley praised her for her efforts, then that would have made her happier. ¡®Things like reasons are irrelevant.¡¯ Nainiae recalled the words Riley said to her on a certain morning back in Solia. Back then, Nainiae asked Riley what was the reason why Nainiae was never acknowledged or rewarded for her efforts when she did her best to live up to others¡¯ expectations and requests. Recalling Riley¡¯s answer and his solution, Nainiae was agonizing over them. ¡®I¡­need to take a step back and watch¡­¡¯ Riley told her that. She was not sure what the true intent of Riley¡¯s answer was. She just thought that the only thing she could do now was doing exactly that and watching Riley from a step behind him. This was the reason why she made up her mind to give up her life of her own and give her everything to Riley so willingly. Back then, she made up her mind to help him and teach him magic as he wished, and that was the reason. ¡°¡­Actually, there is a rascal that is better suited for teaching magic, but¡­¡± Riley was keeping silence until now, but he finally opened his mouth. Having heard his words, Nainiae woke up from her useless thoughts. ¡°I have a friend I had been inmunication for quite a while. When ites to giving magic lessons, that rascal would be better suited for the job than you are. That friend has heavier mouth than you as well.¡± ¡°Young master, I¡­¡± She had no idea who this ¡®rascal friend¡¯ was. She was about to say her lips are just as heavy, but she blurred the end of her sentence. It was because she thought about her other shorings that could not be made up for with just that. ¡°But the problem is¡­¡± Watching Nainiae¡¯s disappointed face, Riley cracked a smile and continued as he dangled his legs on the armrest of the sofa. ¡°That rascal essentially said ¡®over my dead body,¡¯ and stubbornly refused.¡± Nainiae gave a vacant stare to Riley. With a leisurely expression on his face, Riley was swinging his legs. He continued his exnation with a look on his face that said he found the friend¡¯s reasoning to be so ridiculous. ¡°I tried asking. I did, but¡­that runt said this, ¡®Hey! You are already a master swordsman. If you learned magic too on top of that¡­ Are you scheming to take over the world or something?¡¯ and sounded really annoyed.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I told that rascal I¡¯m toozy to do something like that, but that runt told me to stop with the bullcrap.¡± It appeared he was pretty close with this friend. Riley was making suppressedughing noise as he mumbled about the past conversations. The corners of his lips were tilted up. There was a smile drawn on his face. ¡°¡­¡± Because the one she was serving was smiling, it was making her feel excited too. Riley noticed Nainiae was rxing her face. He got up and sat on the sofa and continued exining to Nainiae. ¡°Well, that probably wasn¡¯t enough to exin why I chose you, but I do have a specific reason.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°It is not going to be all that pleasant to learn about it, so, what I¡¯m saying is, let¡¯s just skip over it. You understand, right?¡± Nainiae noticed that the look in Riley¡¯s eyes showed emotion for a brief moment. She stopped asking. Instead, she lowered her head. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She figured that she would learn the real reason when the time came. Even if Riley was not going to tell her, she felt that it was only right for her to figure it out on her own. When it came to test questions, instead of looking at the answer on the supplementary section or the back, working hard to find the answer on your own was far more beneficial. ¡°All right. Then what shall we start with? From what I heard, the very first magic you learn is ¡®Light,¡¯ the First Circle magic¡¯s light element type spell?¡± Coming back to the main subject, in order to start the magic lesson, Riley pped his hands together once and asked Nainiae, the one who became a teacher, although it was for a brief moment. ¡°Yes. I was going to exin things assuming you are already skilled in controlling mana¡­ Is that all right with you?¡± Mana. A swordsman used it to increase the sword¡¯s power. An assassin used it to hide one¡¯s presence. An archer used it to increase the piercing power of the arrow. A summoner used it to summon spirits. A mage used it to cast magic. Nainiae was asking if Riley knew how to handle the resource required for a skilled practitioner of a discipline. Riley picked up a feather pen that was rolling around on top of the table and picked up a piece of nk paper that was rolling around on the floor. ¡°Here.¡± Riley brushed the paper with the feathered portion of the pen. After a moment, the part of the paper where the feather just brushed through was cut clean as if a knife went through it. The cut paper fell to the floor as if it was a falling leaf during autumn. Nainiae nodded as if she understood. She continued, ¡°To use magic, first, you need something called a Circle. It is an act of weaving mana and making a link to the heart. If you can make one link to the heart, that¡¯s One Circle. If you can make Six, then that¡¯s Six Circles.¡± ¡°So, that means you have Six, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae nodded and raised her palm to the front. It was to demonstrate ¡®Light,¡¯ the basic magic that Riley was going to learn and use first. ¡°Light.¡± Once she recited the spell, a sphere floated up on top of her white palm. The way it gradually materialized looked like a firefly except that the color was tainted in dark color because of the side effect from the drug experiments that was done on her. ¡°This is the Light magic that all mages learn as the basic spell. It¡¯s a magic where you float up a light sphere on top of your palm. It demonstrates the miracle of suspending something in mid air or making something materialize in an empty space. Literally, it is the basics of the magic.¡± Nainiae exined that all other magic starts with mastering the Light spell. She gave the simplest example. ¡°The most famous one you can advance to from this spell would be¡­a Fireball.¡± ¡°Fireball?¡± ¡°Yes. You probably have seen it before.¡± Nainiae ced the light sphere on her hand a little further away from her and started to spin the mana circle that was clumped near her heart. ¡°I¡¯ll show it to you step by step. How should I exin this¡­ Ah, first, have the Light magic float on your hand, change the mana ording to the form and inject it into the sphere. That¡¯s how it feels. Like this.¡± Once she finished her exnation, the dark colored firefly light started to burn with a noise like a me. It grew in size and became aplete ¡®Fireball.¡¯ ¡°Wow?¡± As a small light sphere became arge lump of me, Riley¡¯s eyes opened wide. It felt really mysterious. Perhaps it was because the entire process was exined and then demonstrated, but it felt different from how it was when he experienced them in Solia. ¡°To be able to use Light magic, first¡­¡± Nainiae opened her mouth as she extinguished the me on top of her palm. It was because there was something Riley had to know as the basic before being able to use Light magic. ¡°¡­Young master, I need to know your elemental type.¡± ¡°Elemental type?¡± ¡°Yes. Elemental type. Fire, water, wind, earth¡­ and among many others, you need to start with knowledge of your elemental type so you can learn Light magic method that fits your elemental type. You have to know it so you can also obtain more Circles efficiently. How should I say this¡­ It¡¯s like saying you need to have a strong foundation.¡± Riley was tilting his head to the sides as he listened to Nainiae¡¯s exnation about elemental type. ¡°What¡¯s your elemental type?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one in particr that fits me.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have one?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. My affinity toward all elements were generally measured to be high, so they mostly fit me regardless of the element. That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have an elemental type in particr.¡± With a scrunched face, Riley red at Nainiae as if she was an eyesore. ¡°Are you showing off?¡± ¡°No. This is all because of the experiments in the Magic Tower¡­ I wasn¡¯t trying to boast about it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her affinities were high toward all elements because of the experiments in the Magic Tower. It was a result that was aplished because of a substantial luck. However, unlike other mages, her mana was depleted faster, and there was also the negative side effect of cutting down her lifespan. In the end, it was not possible to call it a positive result. ¡°I got it. Got it. I won¡¯t ask anymore, so please¡­ Enough with that depressed look.¡± Tsk. Riley clicked his tongue and continued, ¡°So, how do I find out? This elemental type?¡± ¡°We need a tool¡­ By chance, do you have a mana measurement sphere in this mansion?¡± ¡°¡­¡± When she mentioned the mana measurement sphere, the one he saw at the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor, Riley gave a nk stare for a moment. ¡°No. There isn¡¯t any.¡± There was no reason for such a thing to be in the nobility House of proud swordsmen lineage. When Riley shook his head and answered, Nainiae asked, ¡°In that case, have you been measured?¡± ¡°Yes, I have¡­¡± Back then, because he didn¡¯t want to reveal his mana capacity at such an official ce, he intentionally tricked the sphere into giving an ordinary result. This was the reason why he blurred the end of the sentence. ¡°That is¡­ I didn¡¯t do a proper measurement.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± Not sure of what to do, Nainiae looked at Riley with a concerned face. It was because she could not start teaching him without a clear measurement result. She was teaching magic to her young master that she served. She had no intention of going about this haphazardly. She started to think hard about it. ¡°In that case, we should go back to the Magic Tower and¡­¡± ¡°No. We shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡®Getting the mana measured again by going to the Magic Tower?¡¯ Riley cut down the idea in an instant. In Magic Tower, there were Peruda and others watching. Also, above all, it was such a bother to him. He came back just two days ago. The thought of going all the way back to Solia made him cringe. ¡°¡­Now that it hase to this¡­¡± Riley got up from the sofa and scratched the back of his head. ¡°Tomorrow, I think I¡¯ll have to stop by at Iffa vige.¡± ¡°A vige?¡± ¡°I have to go to find out about those things anyway. Also, there is something else, personal, that I need to check, so¡­ I think it actually turned out well.¡± Nainiae looked at Astroa¡¯s belongings that were packed up. Meanwhile, Riley stretched widely by bending his upper body backward as he made ¡®Uu!¡¯ noise. ¡°Tell Sera in advance that it looks like you will have to ditch the maid training tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ditch¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you need to clear your schedule for tomorrow.¡± He figured he could go and check if the matter he left behind was cleaned up properly. He figured he could go check what Astroa¡¯s belongings are for. He also figured he could go see that rascal as well. So, Riley decided to set foot in Iffa vige again, a ce he hadn¡¯t visited in a long while. Chapter 60 - Amusement

Chapter 60: Amusement

It was a few hours after the sunrise. The youngest master of the Iphelleta House said he wanted to go out. It had been a while since he had done so. ¡°Excuse me, young master. How about just letting us apany you?¡± ¡°¡­Ian.¡± Having heard Riley saying he wanted to go to Iffa vige, far away in the outskirts of the area, Ian dropped everything he was working on and rushed to see Riley in order to convince him. ¡°Nainiae only just started working. She also still needs to receive the maid training. If you went there by yourself, it could be dangerous, so even if it is someone other than myself, please take another servant to apany you.¡± He was saying all that because the one he picked to apany him was Nainiae, the new maid who had been working in the House for less than a week. ¡°Dangerous? Why would it be?¡± ¡°It is! Having just Nainiae would be dangerous! Instead, allowing me to apany you would be¡­¡± Ian was saying all this because he heard Riley intended to take only one person, just Nainiae, to apany him. Since Ian was making theint from that angle, Riley actually had a lot to say. Whenever Riley was inside the mansion or outside somewhere, it was none other than Ian who apanied Riley, and he always had done it by himself without any other servants. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Unlike how the man looked, Ian was overprotective toward Riley. He cared for Riley like one would care for a fragile little baby. That was the perfect way to describe Ian. When it came to this, Ian was more overbearing than Riley¡¯s mother. As Riley thought that, he sighed and asked Ian, ¡°Ian, didn¡¯t you say my father was calling for you?¡± ¡°S-Still, it¡¯s dangerous?!¡± As he listened to Ian, Riley looked at Nainiae. She was waiting quietly with the carriage ready at the back end of the mansion where an entrance was. Riley sighed again and said, ¡°Come on. I have a Six Circles mage as the bodyguard here. Isn¡¯t that enough?¡± Nainiae might stillck the delicate skills as a maid, but when it came to functioning as a bodyguard, there probably wasn¡¯t anyone in the mansion that could be more efficient at it than Nainiae. After all, she was a Six Circles mage. ¡°¡­A mag¡­!¡± Ian was about to say ¡®A mage is!¡¯ and say something to object, but he crumpled his face and quickly lowered his voice. It was because there wasn¡¯t anyone, besides the few that went to Solia with Riley, who knew that Nainiae was a mage. ¡°¡­¡± Ian looked over the shoulders and checked other servants. There were a few cleaning up the garden area. He figured he should keep this a secret. Ian scratched his head and came back to the main point. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m against this idea!¡± ¡°But you said before that I should stop sitting around and move a little, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°But that was!¡± It looked like Ian was going to explode from frustration. With tightened fists, Ian pounded at his own chest like a gori. He continued, ¡°That was about swords. Your skill is¡­¡± ¡°You have a rough idea from what you saw at Solia Castle?¡± Riley interrupted Ian. Riley could no longer deny his own abilities to Ian. Making silly excuses, such as practicing some moves just in case, was not going to work either. Back in Solia, at the castle¡¯s restroom hallway, Ian clearly saw how Riley handled Erengium¡¯s eldest son by demonstrating his real power. It was overwhelmingly wless. ¡°¡­¡± Ian waspletely lost for words. He looked like someone who couldn¡¯t speak because his mouth was full of sweets. To be exact, what Ian saw that day was not just wless. It was to the point Ian was having a hard time believing. ¡°Let alone any training, you never once grabbed a sword, so how¡­¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s that.¡± ¡°Now that we are on this subject, I have to ask. What you did that day, how was it possible for you to do it?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°Could it be that you already have mastered mana long ago?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°I also think the mana measurement you didst time was odd. Did you adjust your mana when you were getting it measured?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± As Riley kept on spewing out ¡®I¡¯m not sure?¡¯ as the answers, Ian quickly took steps back. ¡°Young master, by chance¡­ You haven¡¯t been using¡­¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s right. Why don¡¯t you go get a narcotic sniffing dog and raise it?¡± Riley was thinking Ian¡¯s idea was ridiculous, and that showed in his mumbling reply. ¡°A narcotic sniffing dog?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t one in this world? Well, think whatever you think it is.¡± Riley answered as he shrugged. He was innocent, so there wasn¡¯t anything that was poking his conscience. Riley was skilled in swordsmanship because he had been swinging it until he got sick of it when he was in his past life. As for the mana, it was possible because Riley still remembered the blessing he received from hisst life. With it, just by breathing, he could reach new heights faster than others using dedicated training methods. ¡°Still, I¡¯m against this. Instead of having just Nainiae to apany you, it would be better¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Mr. Ian!!¡± Ian was going to try to convince Riley again, but his shoulders flinched. It was because, while he had his guard down, a sharp voice flew by and stabbed him in the ears from the back. ¡°I was wondering where you were! You were here? Count Stein is calling for you!¡± ¡°S-Sera?¡± It looked like she must have been running around the entire mansion in search of Ian. She was sweating all over. Sera came right next to Ian and grabbed him by the sleeve. ¡°Instead of holding young master here, juste quickly. Count Stein is calling for you. Didn¡¯t you hear?¡± ¡°S-Sera! Wait! You stop young master too! He is going to Iffa vige, but having just Nainiae to apany him is too dangerous¡­¡± It looked like the roles of the junior and higher ranking officers were reversed. Ian was starting to be dragged away by Sera who held him by the sleeve. Sera directed her gaze toward Nainiae, who was waiting at the mansion¡¯s entrance. She winked at her and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think so! I think Nainiae alone is more than enough!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± Ian held his ground with all of his might and gritted his teeth. With desperate eyes, he started to stare at Riley. His eyes were pleading with Riley to take him along. ¡®Young master!¡¯ Riley looked at Ian and then moved his gaze. When his gaze met with Sera, she said with her eyes, ¡®Hurry.¡¯ ¡®Thanks.¡¯ Riley expressed his gratitude with his eyes and turned around without any hesitation. At that moment, Ian¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Young master!¡± Ignoring Ian¡¯s desperate cry, Riley went straight to get on the carriage that Nainiae had prepared and waved as he smiled. ¡°We¡¯ll be backter.¡± *** ¡°You said Iffa vige, right?¡± Perhaps inside of the carriage was too confining for him. Riley was sitting on the drivers¡¯ seats and watching the sceneries passing by. With an uninterested face, he nodded and said, ¡°We¡¯ll be there if we go for about another five minutes.¡± ¡°Is it the veryst vige we saw on the way back to the mansion?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Noticing the carriage rumbling, Nainiae used wind magic to gently sweep away low hanging tree branches that could get to Riley. She slowed down the carriage when she saw the vige graduallying into her field of view. ¡°What should I do about the carriage?¡± ¡°You can park it near our destination, so take it all the way there for now.¡± It appeared Nainiae understood Riley. She nodded. Following Riley¡¯s order, she drove the carriage methodically. They sessfully arrived at the destination. ¡°Oh, you got here on the first try?¡± It wasn¡¯t obvious if this was due to her extraordinary senses of figuring out what her master wants or her sheer brilliance. She hadn¡¯t even been doing this for a very long time, but she drove the carriage to the destination without asking Riley any questions. Riley looked impressed. ¡®Did she use her eye?¡¯ Riley looked at her white eye and cracked a smile as if he was impressed. After dismounting from the carriage, Nainiae tied the horses to a pir at the destination, checked the tightness of the tie, came to Riley in puppy steps and put forth her head toward Riley. ¡°What?¡± Noticing the top of Nainiae¡¯s head suddenlying right at his face, Riley tilted his head to the side and asked. ¡°That is¡­ I was wondering if you could please praise me.¡± As a reward for getting here on the first try, Nainiae wanted apliment. ¡°Hey¡­¡± If Sera was here, she would have said, ¡®A maid asking forpliments from the master she is serving? That¡¯s unbelievable! Just focus on your work!¡¯ to scold Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae slightly lifted her head. It looked like she figured that wasn¡¯t going to be enough. Now, she showed a disappointed look on her face. ¡°Ugh.¡± After sighing, Riley raised his right hand and put it on top of Nainiae¡¯s head. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± It seemed Sera was personally taking care of Nainiae. Compared to how Nainiae was when Riley met her for the first time, the smell of her hair was significantly improved. ¡°¡­T-Thank you.¡± It wasn¡¯t like he said anythingplimentary. All he did was patting her head. Despite that, Nainiae looked like she was happy like an innocent child. Watching this, Riley too cracked a smile as he started to walk. ¡°Now, are you satisfied?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps she was too happy that she couldn¡¯t move her lips. Instead, Nainiae nodded in response. ¡°Let¡¯s get inside then.¡± Riley and Nainiae came out of the mansion toward the end of the morning. This ce, the ce they arrived around lunch time, was the third biggest pub in Iffa vige. ¡®This ce is?¡¯ Nainiae cast simple search and rm magic spells around the area and followed Riley¡¯s back. ¡°Hey, Andal!¡± Squeak! Perhaps it was a very old door. The wooden door opened with a hated noise. Riley stepped inside as he called for someone. ¡®Mana measurement and artifact identifications in a pub? Why? Wait, perhaps that¡¯s not it? Did hee here for a different reason?¡¯ Nainiae followed in after Riley. She looked once at the floor, which was making squeaky noises, and then inside of the store, which was in shambles. ¡°¡­Andal! Are you sitting on your ass again?¡± Baam! Riley kicked one of the empty chairs and called the name again. It seemed the owner of this pub was named ¡®Andal.¡¯ ¡°There aren¡¯t any customers¡­¡± She wondered if this was a pub where nobody came to during lunch for a reason. She murmured as she noticed the empty scene inside the pub. ¡°Still, it is pretty busy during the dinner time, and that¡¯s why I came during the lunch time.¡± After answering, Riley walked toward a table that looked like there should be a bartender standing behind it. He extended his neck toward other side of the table. ¡°Andal? He is not here. Is he further in back?¡± From inside of the store, they could see three doors. One was a restroom for men. The other was a restroom for women. Thest one was a storage and changing room for people working at the store. ¡°¡­Ugh. I thought I made it clear that I don¡¯t do business during the lunchtime. Who is the runt that didn¡¯t get the memo?¡± Soon, they could hear an annoyed voice. The unweing voice wasing from the changing room. The changing room¡¯s door opened with a squeaky noise, and a man with red hair walked out of the room. ¡°¡­¡± The man walked out of the door as he scratched his head. His eyebrows twitched when he noticed Riley leaning his upper body on the bar table. ¡°Ha?¡± Watching the man with twitching facial muscles looking at him, Riley raised a hand and greeted him. ¡°Wow¡­ You finally woke up? You have gotten reallyzy.¡± ¡°Shut up you lunatic. To think I¡¯ll be hearing something like thating from you of all people¡­¡± Extremely annoyed, the man scratched his head with all of his might. With a displeased face, the man walked behind the other side of the table that Riley was leaning toward. It appeared this was Andal, the pub owner. ¡°About cleaning up after Tess''s tradingpany¡­ Did you do it right?¡± Andal washed his hands immediately aftering inside the kitchen. When he heard Riley ask the question, he turned his head for a brief moment toward Riley and then went back to rubbing his hands under the running water. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t even bring that up. Because of your stupidity, I had to do all sorts of bullsheet stuff that weren¡¯t even bing of me. All in order to round up what you did¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Because the man kept on spewing out swear words at Riley, unable to stand it any further, Nainiae was about to step in, but she was stopped by Riley. ¡°There is no need. He is an old friend.¡± ¡°He is a friend?¡± ¡®Could it be that these swear words are different from how they are in Lower Solia?¡¯ Because Riley gestured toward Nainiae to stay put and sit down, Nainiae lowered her head a little and sat down. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it a new servant? She sure listens well.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure he had a good look of my scar, so why?¡¯ Andal was not batting an eye despite having noticed the scar on her face. Surprised, Nainiae stared at Andal¡¯s back. ¡°So? What would you like to drink? The usual?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s question, Riley smiled widely and nodded. Andal sighed heavily, turned his body andined. ¡°Tsk. If you are called the Lazy Sword, why don¡¯t you go chug a bucket full of sleep aid drink and sleep? You really have mastered the art of causing annoyance to others while having everything to be convenient for yourself. You are a master at it I tell ya.¡± Mumble Mumble Comin Comin The way he talked was somehow simr to Riley. Noticing this, Nainiae shriveled her shoulders and started to be cautious of the atmosphere. ¡°Riley. About the Tes incident, you owe me. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Hey. That one doesn¡¯t count as a debt.¡± ¡°Bullsheet!¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious.¡± Nainiae slowly turned her head and looked at the inside of the pub. She observed it with her eye, and then examined it with her search magic. Either way, it was an ordinary store. ¡®Hmm¡­¡¯ She was wondering if it was not her ce to sit next to her master at a pub like this, so, instead, she was torturing the tip of her skirt that was innocent in all this. She started to stare at the back of Andal and listen to their conversation again. ¡°Ha! Right¡­ Let¡¯s hear a reason. If you are trying to scam me, you better be prepared to eat my burp. You know that, right?¡± ¡°Hey. I absolutely don¡¯t want your burp.¡± Riley answered as he giggled. Andal served two cups of beverages to Riley and Nainiae. Riley said as he grabbed the cup. ¡°I was at Solia recently, and I heard an interesting story when I visited the Holy Temple.¡± ¡°So what does that have to do with how you are trying to scam¡­¡± ¡°Can you guess what they told me to do?¡± As if he was trying to say Andal should just hear the whole thing first, Riley interrupted him. Riley lifted the hand that was holding the cup and opened just the index finger to point it at Andal who was standing inside the kitchen. ¡°¡­?¡± Andal was furrowing his brows. They looked like they were saying, ¡®What did they say?¡¯ ¡°¡­They told me to y you. Can you believe that?¡± Having heard what Riley said, ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae¡¯s lips became shaped like a circle. It looked like Nainiae was having a hard time understanding what she just heard. Nainiae, with a confused face, went back and forth looking at Riley and Andal. Chapter 61 - Amusement (Part 2)

Chapter 61: Amusement (Part 2)

¡°¡­Just now, what did you say?¡± It looked as if Andal was smacked on the back. Nainiae was not the only one who had the mouth open with a nk stare. Andal, who was standing on the other side of the counter, also had a look of disbelief. Breaking the brief moment of silence, Andal asked, ¡°Which ce again?¡± Riley replied with a smile, ¡°Solia Holy Temple.¡± ¡°The Holy Temple? To whom?¡± ¡°They asked me.¡± ¡°The Holy Temple, they asked you to y me?¡± Riley smiled steadily and pointed at Andal once more. ¡°Yeah, you.¡± ¡°¡­Me?¡± Andal, the one who Riley pointed with his finger, tilted his head to the sides. Andal¡¯s eyes were saying he could not believe this. ¡°¡­¡± Andal was lost for words. He looked as if he had his mouth full of sweets. [Note: ¡°Mouth full of sweets¡± means the person is dumbfounded and lost for words in a ridiculous situation.] With hollow eyes, he gave a vacant stare to Riley, and then¡­ ¡°¡­Fup.¡± He started tough. As if the fuse on a dynamite was ignited, Andal started to bang on the table. ¡°¡­Fuhahahahahaha!¡± It didn¡¯t look like Andal was all that muscr, but every time the smashing sound boomed, the table shook as if it was about to break. ¡°Fuhup, Fuhahahahaha!!¡± Wondering what¡¯s happening, Nainiae gulped quietly. All she could do at the moment was trying hard to understand the situation. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Andal¡¯s fist was red because he had been banging on the table for so long. He had tears in his eyes because he wasughing so hard. ¡°Hey, that was really funny.¡± After a while, Andal looked satisfied. It looked as if it had been a while since heughed so hard like that until his stomach was on the verge of exploding. Andal put his hand on his waist and looked at Riley. Riley was cracking smiles. Noticing this, Andal asked again, ¡°¡­By chance, is this true?¡± ¡°I thought they were bullsheetting too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s prompt response, Andal, who was keeping silent for a few seconds, mumbled as if he found all this to be silly, ¡°Are people in the Holy Temple gonepletely wacko? How old is the priestess in that ce now? Is she about the age when she would be having dementia?¡± ¡°¡­Hukuk!¡± Because Nainiae made a strange sound with her voice, Andal¡¯s gaze moved toward her direction. ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae quickly covered her mouth. Realizing what happened, she held her breath to stop the hup. ¡°The priestess there now is around the same age as me.¡± Riley answered to Andal¡¯s question about the priestess as heughed. ¡°In that case, is she a dumbass just like you?¡± ¡°¡­Hukuk!¡± Nainiae hupped once again. Although she had her mouth covered, the sound that leaked through was pretty obvious. ¡°Yeah. She is a dumbass like me.¡± Riley smiled widely and responded as he patted Nainiae¡¯s back. Andal¡¯s face crumpled naturally. ¡°Bullsheet¡­¡± In the end of the conversation, having realized that Riley was not joking, Andal continued the conversation with a look of disbelief on his face, ¡°Of all people, why did they ask you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure? How should I know that?¡± ¡°So now what? Are you going to do it? Should I make you into a Dragon yer?¡± ¡°Have you gone insane? Why would I want such a bothersome title?¡± ¡°I knew you would say that.¡± As if he also found it funny, not just Riley, but Andal was cracking smiles as well. ¡°y a dragon? What nonsense. Are they not realizing who they are really up against because the dragon is sitting quietly?¡± Andal chewed and spat out swears about the goddess. Meanwhile, Riley finished the cup before anyone realized and handed it to Andal. ¡°Andal, around here, you are the only dragon, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s only one dragon in Solia. ckie is in Ansirium direction, and Bluie is in Rainfield direction. I don¡¯t know about the others, but, for now, there is just me near Solia. It¡¯s been a while since I have seen their faces¡­ How long has it been? About 3,000 years?¡± Andal took the empty cup from Riley and refilled it. He gave the cup back to Riley and took a nce at Nainiae¡¯s cup. Her cup was still full as if she had not taken a single sip out of it. ¡°Have some. It¡¯s not an alcoholic beverage. So, it won¡¯t cause any problem with serving your master.¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­ Yes.¡± After nodding, she finally rushed to pick up the cup. She was still having hups. In order to stop them, she held the cup with both hands and chugged the beverage. ¡°Anyway, Andal¡­¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Riley was looking at Nainiae chugging the beverage, and now he turned his head. He tossed a question as he looked at Andal who had his arms crossed with a displeased look on his face, ¡°By chance, are you nning on causing ruckus in Solia?¡± Still, it was a divine message delivered to the priestess. If the divine message had a simr role as it did in his past life, there had to be a reason for the message. Riley asked because of this reason. ¡°You think I¡¯m insane?¡± On the other hand, unlike Riley¡¯s worries, Andal asked back with scrunched up face. ¡°Hey¡­ I¡¯m on my 17th amusement trip. 17th. I finally managed to start enjoying a little bit of human lifestyle. Why would I go cause a ruckus? Do I have any reason to mess all this up?¡± With apletely crumpled face, Andal rambled on. He was mad at Solia¡¯s Holy Temple for giving such a ridiculous divine message. He was mad¡­ However¡­ Andal was a dragon. Words like ¡°making one¡¯s head to spin¡± to describe one¡¯s intelligence was unbing and couldn¡¯t even begin to describe him. His high intellect was far beyond human. It was at a different dimension. Also, he could use Nine Circles magic. Dragons were truly supernatural beings. ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any particr treasure I want in that ce. Why do something that would only bring negative consequences? It¡¯s such a bother as well.¡± Andal did have things he wanted, but he hated bothersome things. In a way, Andal was the kind of dragon that was simr to Riley. ¡°That is¡­ Young master¡­ Is Mr. Andal really¡­¡± Nainiae was finally able to stop her hups after emptying the cup that Andal prepared for her. She inquired carefully. Riley responded as he nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. He¡¯s a dragon. He transformed into a human form, and he is on an amusement trip.¡± With a look of disbelief, Nainiae stared at Andal. No matter how she viewed him, he didn¡¯t look like a dragon. Not just the physical appearance, but his mana felt that way as well. ¡®No. Perhaps¡­ The parts I cannot detect¡­ All of it is¡­¡¯ Nainiae was petrified with a nk stare. She only read about dragons in books. People said dragons were only in legends and did not exist. However, there was one in front of her. ¡°You. Riley¡¯s servant, don¡¯t go running your mouth somewhere.¡± Andal suddenly warned Nainiae as he red at her. It looked as if he was going to make a hole through her with his gaze. Until a moment ago, his eyes looked ordinary, no different from other people, but it looked like the dark irises in his eyes were gradually changing. Soon, they started to exude golden light and deadly aura. They were literally the eyes of a dragon. ¡°¡­¡± Facing overwhelming pressure all of a sudden, Nainiae was not able to open her mouth easily. Instead, she barely managed to nod her head. It felt far scarier than how it was in books. ¡°Hey. Stop scaring a kid. Just take a look at these.¡± Thanks to Riley talking besides her, Nainiae was barely released from Andal¡¯s gaze that felt like it was chaining her down. Feeling the sense of relief, Nainiae dropped her shoulders all the way. ¡°What are they?¡± Andal turned his eyes back into human form and looked at the bag Riley pushed toward him. ¡°These are some items I picked up recently, but I couldn¡¯t figure out how to use them, so I came to have these identified.¡± They were the three items that used to belong to Astroa. Identifying these items was one of two goals Riley had in visiting Andal today. Andal took his eyes off the bag and stared at Riley while murmuring, ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I think you have forgotten this, but this ce is a pub, you know? It¡¯s a ce that serves drinks or appetizers¡­ You know that, right?¡± ¡°I know that.¡± Riley added with a smile, ¡°But you do side jobs too.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh. What a dumbass¡­ This runt is¡­ Really.¡± As if he was trying to say he was giving in, Andal scratched his head hard and opened the bag. Perhaps Nainiae had them neatly arranged. Inside the bag, there were a neatly folded cape with a leather bracelet and a silver ring carefullyid on top. ¡°You want me to look at all of them?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You brought money?¡± ¡°Come on¡­ Between us?¡± ¡°As I thought, you really are a dumbass. You are trying to get a freebie from a dragon. You are like a thief, you runt.¡± Hearing Andal¡¯s line, Nainiae looked at Riley¡¯s face from the side. Although he introduced Andal as a friend, what was in front of them was a being with power close to that of a god. He was a dragon. Despite that, Riley was having a conversation with him with a leisurely face. On top of that, he was working the dragon with a smile. ¡®Young master, you¡­just¡­¡¯ With eyes full of disbelief, Nainiae stared at Riley. Riley¡¯s face was still as leisurely as ever. ¡°I finished identifying them. About which one do you want to know first?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®Already?¡¯ Nainiae had her eyes wide open and turned to Andal. It was as expected of a dragon. ¡°Start with the cape. I was curious about that one the most.¡± Riley pointed at the cape. Andal nodded and opened the cape as he started exining the powers contained within, ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. If you wear this and shoot magic, your magic will not be affected by the season or the weather.¡± ¡°What is that suppose to mean?¡± Riley tilted his head to the side as if he didn¡¯t understand very well. Nainiae, who figured out what Andal meant, exined it to Riley in an easier way, ¡°For instance, imagine that it is raining right now. If I used a me magic against you right now, would its effect be stronger or weaker?¡± ¡°Weaker, of course?¡± ¡°That¡¯s it. Even on a day with dark clouds where lightning magic would be extra harder to control, if you have that cape, it would make up for it to some extent. It seems that cape has that kind of function.¡± ¡°Um¡­ In other words, it¡¯s only for a mage?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s exnation, Riley fiddled with his chin as if he understood. Andal, who was watching the two, smiled and said, ¡°How could the servant be smarter than the master?¡± ¡°Shut up. What about the next one?¡± Riley flicked Nainiae¡¯s forehead. Acting frustrated, he looked at the leather bracelet. ¡°This bracelet is like a storage room.¡± ¡°A storage room?¡± ¡°By injecting it with mana in the way that the original owner made it to be, like this¡­¡± Andal stopped exining and injected his mana into the bracelet. Wooong A horn flute like sound could be heard, and along with it, a semi-transparent box appeared. It was a pretty big box, big enough for a person to fit inside. ¡°¡­you can summon a small storage room.¡± ¡°It¡¯s really interesting?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty well made for something a human made. Inside¡­ There is nothing in there.¡± Astroa was a Seven Circles mage. He probably had it made so that nobody else could open it. If it wasn¡¯t someone of Andal¡¯s level, it would not have been possible to even summon the box in the first ce. As Nainiae thought about this, she gave a nk stare and her mouth opened on its own. She had heard all dragons were Nine Circles mages, and it seemed to be true. ¡°Because it is a leather bracelet, if it is torn, the workings of its magic will scatter as well, so use it carefully.¡± ¡°If it is torn, how do I use it?¡± ¡°How to use it? You can¡¯t. You will lose it.¡± ¡°Is there a way to fix it?¡± ¡°No. Even if you repair the bracelet, its original workings of magic will note back, so be mindful of it.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Hearing from Andal that this one requires a delicate care, Riley clicked his tongue. ¡°What about the ring?¡± ¡°Try wearing it.¡± Andal tossed the ring to Riley as he answered. Riley grabbed the ring that flew toward one of his hands. With an awkward look on his face, Riley put it on. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°How is it? Whatever¡­ What¡¯s this ring suppose to be?¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Andal sighed immediately and looked at Nainiae who was sitting next to Riley. ¡°In that case, you, servant¡­ You try it on.¡± ¡°Pardon? But¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡± Nainiae blurred the end of her sentence as she hid her hand behind her. It was because the two fingers on her right hand were horrible to look at. She didn¡¯t really want to show them to him. ¡°Ah, it doesn¡¯t matter if you wear it on your left hand, so try it on.¡± As if he didn¡¯t understand such concerns of humans, Andal crumpled his face and waved his hand to say Nainiae should hurry up and try it on. ¡°Here.¡± Riley took off the ring and tossed it to Nainiae. Although it was tossed to her from a short distance, she didn¡¯t manage to catch it right away. She demonstrated juggling in the air a few times and barely managed to grab it. She was still hesitant. ¡°Hurry up and try it on!¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± By the young master¡¯s order, Nainiae, who lowered her head all the way down to hide her facial expression, used her thumb and index finger that were left on her right hand to put the ring on her left hand. ¡°Huh?¡± As soon as she put it on, Nainiae¡¯s eye opened wide. ¡°¡­This is?¡± Nainiae murmured as she looked down at the ring. ¡°What is it? Why?¡± Riley crumpled his face as if he was trying to ask Nainiae to let him in on the details. He looked back and forth between Andal and Nainiae. Andal sighed heavily again. ¡°That¡¯s a mana ring. Just by wearing it, it automatically collects mana from surroundings little by little. It¡¯s an essory that has that function.¡± ¡°It collects mana just by wearing it?¡± Hearing his murmured question, Andal red at Riley as if he was sick of it. ¡°You understood what I just exined, right?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I understood it, but¡­¡± Riley murmured as he looked at the ring on Nainiae¡¯s left hand. ¡°That thing is really collecting mana?¡± ¡°Yes. It really is collecting mana. Even now.¡± Nainiae responded with a surprised voice. It was slow, but the ring was diligently collecting mana from the surrounding by itself and delivering it to the owner. It was unbelievable to think there was a ring that could help its owner¡¯s growth by sending mana just from wearing it. ¡°Is that so? Um¡­¡± Riley tilted his head to the sides and murmured, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice anything¡­¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Ugh. I knew that would be the case with you.¡± With a curious look on her face, Nainiae turned to look at Riley. Annoyed, Andal said with a frustrated voice as he sighed heavily enough to sink the ground, ¡°That¡¯s because¡­ It¡¯s just that you are a monster.¡± Chapter 62 - Amusement (Part 3)

Chapter 62: Amusement (Part 3)

¡®It made no difference?¡¯ Having heard what Riley said, Nainiae¡¯s mouth opened vacantly. Even as they sat there, the ring that Nainiae was wearing was collecting mana from the surrounding and diligently piling it in her heart, near her Circles. ¡°Young master, just what are you¡­¡± It was an essory that collected mana just by wearing it. It was certain the item was priceless. ¡®He didn¡¯t notice anything from wearing it?¡¯ Looking at Riley¡¯s uninterested face, Nainiae¡¯s gaze was getting filled with shock. ¡°By the looks of it, the servantdy here still doesn¡¯t know what a monster Riley is. He is powerful like a monster. You don¡¯t know, don¡¯t you, right?¡± ¡°There is no need to tell her that. Isn¡¯t that right? Nothing good woulde from telling her anyway.¡± As if he was trying to say Nainiae should get a hold of herself, Riley raised his right hand and ced it on top of her head and started to mess up her hair. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± As if that was the right medicine for it, Nainiae, who had her mouth open like a bass, closed her mouth. ¡°Well, I kind of figured as much because they are all belongings of a mage, but¡­ So, in conclusion, all three items are more or less useless to me.¡± After having gone through Nainiae¡¯s hair to turn it into a mess, Riley shrugged and said, ¡°Well, you take it. Wearing a ring is a bother because it only tickles my finger.¡± ¡°Young master? N-No! I couldn¡¯t ept something like t¡­¡± When Riley said he would give the ring to Nainiae out of the blue, Nainiae shook her head to say she couldn¡¯t ept it. ¡°In that case, just hold it for me for a while. It¡¯s a bother to have it with me.¡± Riley¡¯s face genuinely said he found it to be a bother. Actually, it was less efficient for Riley to wear the ring. It was correct to say he didn¡¯t need it. Because of the blessing he received from his past life, he could collect even more mana just by breathing, and the mana he collected was of a higher quality than what the ring could gather. ¡°¡­I understand.¡± Nainiae, unable to refuse, answered. For now, Riley handed all of the items to Nainiae. Riley looked at Andal. ¡°Is that all you came for?¡± Riley shook his head. Andal¡¯s face was crumpled again. ¡°Now what?¡± ¡°There¡¯s one more thing.¡± Riley asked about the second favor as he looked at the changing room that Andal just came from. ¡°Can I have mana measured?¡± ¡°Mana measurement?¡± Andal asked as he tilted his head to the side. ¡°There is a mana measurement boulder that was presented by some guardian runt¡­ But why?¡± It seemed Andal thought it was odd. With his face scrunched, Andal changed his question in the middle, ¡°You want to use it? Na¡­ Why bother with getting it measu¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Riley answered as he shook his head like a fool. ¡®That¡¯s not the reason? I was pretty sure that was the reason.¡¯ After hearing what Riley just said, Nainiae had a curious look on her face. ¡°This kid is going to use it.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley nodded toward Nainiae. Naturally, Andal¡¯s gaze moved toward her. ¡®Y-Young master?¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s lips started to quiver. It was because she was not expecting things to go this way. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Andal leaned all the way forward to Nainiae and started to look at Nainiae¡¯s face. Soon, he started to wiggle his nose and sniff to smell her. He wasn¡¯t trying to smell her shampoo or skin. He was going after the smell of mana inside her. ¡°Oh? That is odd? It¡¯s certainly unique?¡± Sniff Sniff Having confirmed the smell of manaing from Nainiae, he mumbled as if he found something precious. At the same time, Nainiae¡¯s shoulders shriveled. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®To think I¡¯ll be examined by a dragon?¡¯ Nainiae was frozen solid, but in her head, <¡­Hey. Don¡¯t shrivel. You are my servant. Are you his servant?> She could hear Riley¡¯s voice directly in her head. She was embarrassed. She thought Riley must have figured out what she was thinking. Having concluded that Riley, the master who she served, was a greater existence than a dragon standing in front of her, Nainiae corrected her posture and upheld her shoulders with pride. ¡°Hm¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­ There is something special mixed in?¡± Andal extended his hand toward Nainiae¡¯s bangs. It looked like he determined that there was something around her right eye. ¡°Uumm¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s hair was lifted gently. Andal scrunched up his face after he discovered the horrible scars and dead-white eye. ¡°Huh, why are there so many things mixed in? It¡¯s really busy andplicated here.¡± He didn¡¯t cringe out of disgust for her appearance. He cringed because of theplexity. Andal was trying to analyze the inner workings of her white eye, but he shook his head. ¡°This¡­ Hm¡­ Even I can¡¯t figure it out.¡± Andal was gently brushing Nainaie¡¯s scars with his hand, and he took his hand back after he dered he was giving up on trying to figure out the white eye. The way he responded seemed like he didn¡¯t care at all about her scars. Nainiae asked as she fiddled with her bangs. ¡°Sir Andal.¡± ¡®Should I ask? Should I not ask?¡¯ Nainiae went over this question and hesitated a few dozen times in that brief moment. She carefully inquired, ¡°That is¡­ My face. Is it not ufortable for you to look at?¡± It was a question that she asked Riley once as well. Back then, Riley answered, ¡®No? Not really?¡¯ ¡°Ha.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Andal cracked a smile and said, ¡°Hey, servant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nainiae.¡± Riley corrected Andal by telling him her name. As if he was trying to say he will yield, Andal corrected himself. ¡°I got it, you rascal. I got it, got it. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae blushed. ¡°Servant Nainiae¡­ I¡¯ll ask. When you see several tens, hundreds or thousands of ants passing by your feet¡­ Are you the type that observes each of the ant faces one by one?¡± It seemed Nainiae realized what Andal was trying to say. Nainiae shook her head left and right in response. Andal continued, ¡°¡­It¡¯s like that.¡± Having answered Nainiae¡¯s question, Andal leaned back and moved his hands toward two empty cups on top of the table. ¡°Certainly, there are a lot of convoluted things there. Mana and other things¡­¡± Andal determined that it would be difficult to exactly observe Nainiae just using his eyes. He tossed the cups into the kitchen sink and continued, ¡°All right. Try using it. I¡¯m curious about the result too.¡± Andal waved his hand in the air. Following his hand movement, although nobody touched the door, the changing room¡¯s door opened on its own. As Riley watched the changing room¡¯s door open, he inwardly murmured ¡®all right¡¯. However, he asked Andal with his face still maintaining an unexcited look. ¡°Even you can¡¯t see it?¡± ¡°The nature of mana is decided by how one¡¯s born, so it¡¯s hard to examine it just by looking at it. On top of that, that eye is a type that¡¯s different from her natural mana type. How should I say it, a chaotic mix was forced in there?¡± The inborn nature of mana was something even a dragon could not see. Having heard Andal¡¯s exnation, Riley asked what he was curious about, ¡°So, is that why all of her magic has ash color?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the color of her magic.¡± ¡°Her magic has ash color? In all elements?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Fireball, chunk of ice, lightning¡­ They were all stuffy gray colored.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ Interesting.¡± Andal, with a curious look on his face, stared at Nainiae. Andal walked further into the room. It was to guide Riley and Nainiae to the space below the changing room that was prepared separately. *** They were under the pub¡¯s changing room. While they were walking down to the secret space underground, Riley asked, ¡°¡­Even if it is just to change the mood¡­ Say something.¡± Having heard what Riley said, Nainiae carefully brought up a question, ¡°How long have you been friends with each other?¡± Perhaps it was a question with a pretty high difficulty. Both Riley and Andal just dragged on without being able to answer promptly. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Andal and Riley both mumbled. It was certain Riley and Andal met when Riley was young, but they couldn¡¯t remember when exactly it was. ¡°I can¡¯t quite remember well.¡± ¡°Ah hahaha¡­¡± Nainiae was giving out a hollowughter. Riley gave a quick look to Nainiae behind him and asked, ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Nainiae answered as she faced Riley, ¡°By chance¡­ Young master¡­ I was wondering if you were also a dragon.¡± ¡°What?¡± It was not just Riley. Andal, who also quickly turned his head to look at Nainiae, also had his face scrunched. Both of them looked very displeased about it somehow. ¡°You think I¡¯m something as lowly as¡­?¡± ¡°You think this dumbass could be one?¡± They both asked at the same time. Their stern faces felt like they were advising Nainiae to correct herself. ¡°I¡¯m disappointed, Nainiae.¡± ¡°Are you also a dumbass following after your master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was walking down into the underground by following them. She bit her lip. She felt certain the mes would ssh to her if she said anything else. ¡°Andal. That was a little too harsh. You called her a dumbass?¡± ¡°You were the one that was harsh, don¡¯t you think? ¡®As lowly as?¡¯ What do you mean, ¡®as lowly as?¡¯ ¡± Nainiae was watching the two from the back. She smiled quietly. It was because she could confirm two things from their conversations. First thing was that Riley was not a dragon. The second thing was that they were very close friends. After a long bickering, they finally arrived at the end of the stairs. Having reached another wall, Andal murmured, ¡°¡­Now, we are here.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®No matter how I look at it, this ce seems like a dead end. ¡®We are here?¡¯ What did he mean by that?¡¯ Nainiae was tilting her head to the sides. Meanwhile, Andal waved his hand toward the wall. ¡°Wee, Sir Andal.¡± It felt like a thick voice wasing from the wall, and soon, the wall opened to left and right to reveal a path. Nainiae¡¯s eye opened widely. ¡®Golem?¡¯ Living, moving walls. In other words, having witnessed two well made golems, Nainiae was impressed. As she saw the scenery inside the cave, she opened her eye even wider. ¡°¡­This ce is?¡± ¡°I used a simple magic to connect the basement of the pub and my cave.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Hey, Riley. Did you see that? Your servant knows how incredible this is¡­ So, what the hell are you doing?¡± Andal¡¯s face crumpled. It was because, before Andal realized, Riley already left his side. Instead, Riley was already standing in front of the mana measurement boulder. Soon, Riley put his hand on the boulder. Andal yelled, ¡°What the? Hey! Why are you doing it?¡± Riley responded as if he was trying to excuse himself, ¡°Um. I want to try it too.¡± Hearing his sleazy voice, Andal realized why Riley was looking for a mana measurement boulder and why he had his hand on the boulder. Finding it all to be unbelievable and nonsensical, Andal murmured, ¡°This rascal. I was wondering why you came¡­¡± As Andal started to walk toward Riley, Nainiae, who was standing next to Andal, also rushed toward the young master. ¡®I was wondering why he hired a mage as a maid. So there was a reason after all.¡¯ ¡°Hey. We had this conversation before too. Just what do you want to do with it after learning magic?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he just had his hand on the boulder and waited. ¡°Are you really trying to take over the world?¡± ¡°Have you gone insane?¡± It seemed Riley could not stand that question. He asked back if Andal was insane. ¡°In that case, what¡¯s all this ruckus about?¡± When Andal asked again, Riley answered quietly, ¡°Picking apples are such a bother.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s such a bother to go pick apples. Climbing trees is a pain too.¡± ¡®You have all that physical strength and abilities and also all that mana, but you think picking apples is too much of a trouble?¡¯ Of all stories Andal had heard in his life, this was the most ridiculous and nonsensical one. Andal looked like he was staring at a lunatic. Andal mumbled, ¡°You dumbass rascal.¡± He continued, ¡°You are a young master of a count¡¯s House. What all the servants are for?¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Andal had a point. Riley opened his mouth like a bass as he thought why he didn¡¯t think of that. If he only had Ian as the servant, Ian would have said, ¡®Young master, please go pick it yourself and eat it. How long are you nning on sitting and rolling around?¡¯ However, now, he had Nainiae. ¡°You have a point.¡± ¡°You crazy dumbass rascal.¡± Andalined once again. ¡°¡­?¡± Regardless, Nainiae was standing next to Riley and observing the boulder. Having noticed that the mana measurement boulder was not showing any particr response, she tilted her head to the side and asked, ¡°Young master, you do have your hand on it, right?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you see? I have it touching the boulder right here?¡± ¡°That¡¯s odd. There should be a response¡­¡± The boulder was not showing even the slightest movement. It wasn¡¯t showing any gentle, steady light. It wasn¡¯t shaking either. Realizing this, not just Nainiae, but Andal also tilted his head to the sides. ¡°Um?¡± Perhaps about five to ten seconds had passed. A cracking sound could be heard, and the boulder started to crack from the bottom. ¡°What the? What¡¯s this? Its response was a littlete?¡± ¡°This is¡­¡± With a look of disbelief in her gaze, she stared at the boulder. Meanwhile, the boulder was still cracking further. ¡°Andal, is this one defective?¡± ¡°No. This one isn¡¯t defective. This is correct.¡± After the boulder finally responded, Riley cringed and turned away. Andal shook his head and said it was not defective. ¡°¡­It is Time.¡± Nainiae murmured. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Young master, your innate type is¡­rted to time.¡± ¡°Time?¡± Riley asked with a question mark above his head. Andal nodded and confirmed, ¡°That¡¯s right. Time.¡± ¡®Not Fire, Water, Wind, or Earth, but Time? What do you mean Time?¡¯ Riley didn¡¯t understand, but he took his hand off from the boulder and asked Nainiae and Andal, ¡°Is it something good?¡± And then¡­ The mana measurement boulder that Riley had touched crumbled and copsed. Chapter 63 - Amusement (Part 4)

Chapter 63: Amusement (Part 4)

Time. It was the innate type that was at a whole another dimension inparison to the other elemental types. This was the reason why only the extreme few were born with this innate type. ¡°¡­So¡­ Is it something good?¡± Looking at Andal and Nainiae who were breaking in cold sweat, Riley asked with his facepletely crumpled. ¡°Um¡­ Since you are asking if it is something good¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± To Riley, it was not a matter of whether it was rare or not. Good or bad. Useful or inconvenient. To Riley, these were the most important factors. ¡°Hey, are you guys bullying me because you two know a little bit of magic? Hurry up and tell me before I turn this entire ce upside down.¡± ¡°You crazy rascal, you better not do it here.¡± ¡°Please wait a minute, young master. I¡¯m trying to organize in my head how to exin this to you.¡± Riley decided to ignore Andal who was all agitated and angry. Instead, having noticed Nainiae in deep thought with a serious face, he felt like he could trust her, so he nodded in agreement and chose to wait. ¡°First, I was thinking about exining each of the innate types.¡± Innate type. ording to Nainiae¡¯s exnation, when it came to the use of magic, the special characteristics of innate type were surprisingly easy to exin. ¡°If a person¡¯s innate type is Fire, then it will be beneficial when using a fire element based magic. If a person¡¯s innate type is Water, then it will be beneficial when using a water element based magic. It makes sense up to this point, right?¡± ¡°Hey. You think I¡¯m stupid? I understood. Continue.¡± ¡°Most of magic that mages use are made of things found in nature. Fire, water, wind, earth¡­lightning and so forth.¡± Riley nodded as he heard Nainiae¡¯s exnation. Riley had already read that much from a book that he read because he was interested in learning magic. ¡°So, most mages are born with an innate type among those elements. Still, there are cases where a mage is born with an innate type that is outside of thosemon elements. The best known examples are gravity, light, or darkness.¡± Of those people, the people who were born with light as the innate type were known to work in the Holy Temple and worship the goddess Irsa. This too was something Riley already knew about. ¡°Young master, your innate type is Time. The proof is in the fact that the measurement boulder appeared to be unaffected initially but gradually cracked and crumbled apart. It weathered away.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°With time as the innate type, it will be beneficial when using magic rted to time. However, time magic is a little unique kind¡­¡± It appeared she was not sure how to exin the rest. Nainiae lowered her head as if she was ashamed. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look like a doctor who just failed a surgery.¡± Having noticed that Nainiae was unable to continue exining, Andal shrugged and exined in her stead, ¡°To go straight to the point, it is impossible to use any other magic besides time magic.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Actually, no. You could use other elemental type magic, but¡­you won¡¯t be able to bring out even half of the magic¡¯s full potential.¡± Andal stopped talking and moved mana inside his body. It looked like his body was giving off a red haze. ¡°Instead of exining it in words, I¡¯ll just show it to you. Watch.¡± Fshhh! Arge chunk of me materialized on top of Andal¡¯s right hand. As if it was mimicking Andal¡¯s red hair, it looked fearsome. It looked like it would be difficult to survive a direct hit from this lump of me. As expected, it was a me from a red dragon. ¡°I didn¡¯t hammer in all of my innate type¡¯s potential to create this. Anyway, this is a ¡®Fireball¡¯ within the normal parameters of what human beings know about.¡± Andal added that if he created a me that was fitting of his innate type, then the inside of the cave would be like in middle of summer. Andal lifted his left hand. ¡°And inparison this is how a ¡®Fireball¡¯ would look like if you created it.¡± Spark Instead of the sound of something ming up, a sound of something being ignited was heard. Riley¡¯s gaze moved toward Andal¡¯s left hand. ¡°What¡¯s this? Is it a lighter?¡± Looking at the tiny seed of me on Andal¡¯s left hand, Riley asked as he squinted his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s a lighter? Anyway¡­ This is the fireball that you can create.¡± Andal asked what a lighter was because he didn¡¯t know about it. He couldn¡¯t since it was an object that was from Riley¡¯s past life that Andal was unaware of. Andal put his left hand closer to Riley so he could observe it better. ¡°¡­¡± Compared to the me on Andal¡¯s right hand, the tiny seed of fire on his left hand was so tiny. It was pathetic. Still, Riley wanted to have some hope, so he asked Andal, ¡°What about its power?¡± ¡°Watch.¡± Andal slowly turned his body toward a wall inside the cave. Starting with the fireball on his right hand, ¡°This is what you know as a ¡°Fireball.¡± Andal swung his right hand and threw the fireball. The fireball left Andal¡¯s hand and flew toward the wall with a fearsome sound. It generated a huge explosion with a loud boom as soon as it hit the wall. The fireball¡¯s size blew up the moment it exploded. Soon, hot wind blew toward Riley and Nainiae. ¡°Um.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes. This was the Fireball that Riley sawst time in the Solia¡¯s Main za when he ran into Nainiae and Astroa whounched fireballs at him. ¡°And this is the fireball that you will be shooting.¡± With his left hand, Andal threw the tiny seed of fire. Instead of calling it a lump of me, it was better suited to be called that. The tiny seed of fire left its owner and flew. The way it faltered as it flew had no power. Riley felt like he knew how this was going to end. Inside of Riley¡¯s mouth dried up quickly. ¡°What was that?¡± Chiiiiek¡­ Although Andel threw it to the wall, it didn¡¯t even get to the wall. Instead, it fell along the way. It burned for a few seconds and started to whither. ¡°What do you mean what? It¡¯s the fireball you will be shooting.¡± As Andal grinned, Riley furrowed his brows. ¡°You call that a fireball? It was just a lighter that was thrown.¡± ¡°Just what is this ¡®lighter¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley turned his head and looked at where the tiny seed of fire fell. The spot was stained a little. There wasn¡¯t an explosion. That was it. That tiny bit was the full extent of its power. ¡°Did you throw a match?¡± Having remembered that this world doesn¡¯t have a device called a lighter, he changed the word and asked Andal. Riley looked like he was threatening Andal, saying cut this bullcrap. However, Andal cracked a smile and responded, ¡°In that case, can you please spread a rumor about me? The red dragon Andalobena uses a match instead of his own me.¡± Riley slowly turned his head and looked at Nainiae. It was to ask if what Andal just demonstrated was the true extent of what Riley would be able to do. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae could not respond in words. Instead, she only nodded. Andal shrugged and started to make fun of Riley, ¡°Well, it¡¯s like being an impotent man in magic.¡± By the word ¡®impotent,¡¯ Riley¡¯s head quickly turned to Andal. ¡°Impotent! Fuck! Who¡¯s impotent!?¡± ¡°Just give up.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ So, what kind of magic spells are there in time magic?¡± Grinding his teeth, Riley asked about the time magic to find other potentials. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Time magic¡­ What kind of spells are there?¡± ¡°There are probably a lot of magic spells rted to speed. Things like hastening spells that would enable you to make something faster and slowing spells that would make something work slower.¡± ¡°That would be speed magic instead of being time magic, wouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Ah haha¡­¡± Nainiaeughed awkwardly. Andal shrugged and started to exin time magic that he knew, ¡°Well, back when my grandfather was alive, I heard there was a human that could rewind or fast forward time to travel through the past and present.¡± ¡°Hey, you rascal. Don¡¯t bring up stories about your grandfather. It makes me dizzy.¡± It was not a matter of it being several hundreds or thousands of years. If he was talking about Andal¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time period, he was talking about a world that was several tens of thousands of years ago. It was so old that Riley was having a hard time believing it. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Young master, as I exined earlier, only the extreme few have time as their innate type. On top of that, even smaller fraction of people learn magic with time as their innate type. So¡­¡± When Nainiae blurred the end of her sentence, Andal added, ¡°What she is trying to say is that the number of magic spells rted to time are very limited.¡± ¡°I read in a book that my teacher Peruda gave me. Currently, most of the time magic spells are dead. There are a few that aremonly used still. There are things like hastening and slowing magic¡­ Ah! There are also magic for increasing or decreasing the speed of time! Alchemists sometimes use such spells when doing¡­their experiments.¡± Having realized Riley¡¯s face growing more violent by the minute, Nainiae¡¯s voice became tinier than a rat¡¯s tail. ¡°Is there a magic that can rewind time?¡± Riley turned away from Nainiae and looked at Andal. Andal was a dragon afterall, and he was a mage that had reached Nine Circles. Riley wanted to ask Andal because of this reason. ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Andal heartlessly crushed Riley¡¯s expectations. ¡°How about a magic that will stop time?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Do you know anything? Are you really a dragon?¡± ¡°Should I swear to you in the dragonnguage? I¡¯m telling you. I really don¡¯t know.¡± Now it was Andal what was cringing. He started to exin about the time magic that could rewind or stop time, ¡°Well, I think there is a magic spell for rewinding time to fix a broken object, but when ites to time magic that could affect living things to rewind or force it to be held in a stopped time, such spells are¡­ They belong to the Ten Circles magic. Even at the absolute minimum requirement, you will need Nine Circles.¡± Ten Circles. It was a height that even dragons could not reach. It was quite literally the realm of gods. ¡°That¡¯s assuming such magic existed at all.¡± Andal murmured as he shrugged. Andal looked at Riley. ¡°Even if such spells existed, it is not like you are going to work hard to find them. You are not the type.¡± ¡°Go to hell¡­¡± As if he was frustrated, Riley aggressively scratched the back of his head. Not knowing what to do, Nainiae in the back said with a forced smile, ¡°Y-Young master! Still¡­ At least you won¡¯t have to touch the apple tree.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you cast a time hastening magic on an apple, it will mature quickly, and when a matured apple falls on its own, you can eat that one. Now that I think about it, it looks like you won¡¯t have to wait for apple seasons either.¡± p Nainiae said as she pped. Riley gave a vacant stare at her face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As for other magic, although it will not be powerful, I can teach you a wind magic that will be still strong enough to catch a falling apple. Something like an Aircushion.¡± Listening to Nainiae trying to convince him to settle down, Riley sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink and said, ¡°¡­You pick them.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I said, you go ahead and pick the apples.¡± *** Riley had a serious talk with Andal about time magic that he could use and the cleanup of Tes merchantpany. Having finished the conversation, Riley and Nainiae started heading back to the mansion in the carriage. Riley was trying out magic while riding on the carriage. ¡°¡­Light.¡± Riley managed to float up a small ball of light on top of his palm in just three tries. Nainiae, who was driving the carriage, took a quick look at Riley and opened her eye widely. ¡°You can already do it?¡± ¡°Oh? So this is how it feels. It¡¯s quite mysterious.¡± The light that Riley created was rather small, but it was carrying out its task to the full extent. Before they realized, there was already a link in his heart that was spinning. It meant Riley had seeded in achieving the One Circle. ¡°That was going to be your practice tomorrow, but you already did it. Um¡­ It looks like I¡¯ll have to think hard about this.¡± ¡°Think hard?¡± ¡°They say getting started is the hardest part. Actually, generating the One Circle¡¯s Light is very difficult. This was the reason why I thought we should figure out your innate type today and focus on the Light magic tomorrow. But¡­ You already seeded in it.¡± As she drove the carriage, she used wind magic to push away tree branches that could reach Riley¡¯s hair. ¡°Although it is not very effective, there are time magic spells even for Two Circles, so¡­ Tomorrow, I think it would be good to practice by focusing on that. We can practice other elemental magic here and there as well.¡± ¡°Two Circles, huh¡­¡± ¡°You can think of it as taking steps that fit your innate type.¡± Riley noticed the mansion could be seen in the distance. He turned off the light he had floating on his palm. ¡°¡­Um?¡± The carriage bumped once and arrived at the mansion¡¯s entrance. Riley narrowed his eyes. It was because there was a carriage that he had never seen before that was parked in front of the mansion. ¡®That carriage is?¡¯ Chapter 64 - The Fiancée and Nianiae

Chapter 64: The Fianc¨¦e and Nianiae

It was a carriage that Riley had never seen. Riley tilted his head to the sides and went straight to the new carriage as soon as he got off from the one he was riding on. ¡°Who could it be?¡± He wondered if it was someone he thought it might be, so he quietly went next to the carriage to check its side. ¡°Is it from the Solia¡¯s Holy Temple? No. It does not appear to be the case.¡± Having confirmed the crest on the side of the carriage, Riley mumbled. Instead of the Holy Temple, it appeared that someone from a nobility family came to visit. Its overall red color was eye catching, but ck color mixed in here and there gave the carriage a shy look. Even at a nce, it looked like an expensive carriage. ¡°I parked the carriage.¡± While Riley was checking out the carriage¡¯s crest, Nainiae went to tie the carriage to where it should be and returned. ¡°I have never seen this carriage.¡± ¡°Have you heard anything from Sera?¡± Riley still couldn¡¯t figure out what this was all about, so he asked Nainiae. Nainiae took a quick nce at the carriage, shook her head and said she didn¡¯t know about it. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll get to know what¡¯s going on soon enough.¡± Riley gave up on trying to figure it out and started to walk toward inside of the mansion. There was an old butler already standing there and waiting for Riley. ¡°Huk!¡± Having discovered Riley walking into the mansion, the old butler flinched his shoulder and rushed to Riley like a pet that missed his owner. ¡°Young maaasteeerrr!¡± It was Ian. Riley was not sure if he should act like he is happy or sad for the first face he ran into right after entering the mansion. For now, Riley gave the old butler a hug. ¡°You came back.¡± ¡°Ian, it¡¯s not good to age backward. Shouldn¡¯t you act your age?¡± ¡°Kuhup. It¡¯s not a bad thing for a servant to worry about the master he serves.¡± Ian was still hugging Riley, but his gaze ran into Nainiae¡¯s. Ian immediately made a violent face and started pouting. ¡®¡­Nothing in particr happened I hope?¡¯ Ian said to Nainiae using ventriloquism. Seeing this, Nainiae also pursed her lips and carefully nodded. Although something did happen, Nainiae was sure that nobody would let her off easy, whether it was Ian, Riley or even Andal. [Note: I¡¯m not sure why the author said ¡®ventriloquism,¡¯ but he did. Won¡¯t Riley also hear what Ian said?] ¡°Did Nainiae make things ufortable for you in any way?¡± Ian, the one who just threatened Nainiae through ventriloquism, released Riley from hug and asked if she did well or not. ¡°What¡¯s this? Were you hoping I was ufortable?¡± ¡°Ah, not at all! There¡¯s no way I would hope for such¡­¡± When Riley slowly tilted his head to the side and asked, Ian denied and said it was absolutely not what he was thinking. ¡°Is that so?¡± Riley definitely felt that Ian¡¯s words and facial expressions were different from Ian¡¯s actual thoughts. Riley started to smile with the corners of his mouth wiggling. Looking at Riley¡¯s smile, Ian started to act like he was paying attention to something else. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯s that carriage about?¡± Riley decided to make fun of Ianter. Instead, Riley flipped up his thumb and pointed it over his shoulder to the back toward the red carriage to make inquiries. ¡°It¡¯s from Mogared family.¡± ¡°Mogared?¡± ¡°Yes. A daughter from Mogared family is currently visiting here.¡± Riley tilted his head to the sides. In a tone of voice that indicated he was not sure what was happening, he asked, ¡°A daughter? Why?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There was an engagement ceremony two years ago. It¡¯s that family.¡± [Note: As usual, the author did not specify the subject of the sentence. It is not exined who is engaged to whom just yet. This is revealed a few paragraphster.] ¡°¡­Ah?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard the words ¡®engagement ceremony,¡¯ Nainiae, who was standing in the back, had her face twisted into a strange look and then turned into a stone. *** ¡°¡­Aboutdy Orelly, that is most unfortunate. I¡¯m sorry to hear that.¡± Inside Ryan¡¯s personal office, there was a woman wearing a dress full ofce enjoying a tea made for a guest. ¡°My mother brought it onto herself. It¡¯s just that, I don¡¯t think my mother is a horrible person. Afterall, she is my mother who gave birth to me.¡± The person sitting in front of the woman was the eldest son of the Iphelleta House, Ryan. He was the one that people believed will most likely be the sessor of the family. ¡°You intend to bring her back?¡± ¡°Yes. Once I win the sessorship, I intend to bring my mother back to the mansion, although I¡¯ll have to convince my father first.¡± By the woman¡¯s question, Ryan nodded with a saddened face. ¡°About Tes merchantpany, the news don¡¯t sound so good, so I¡¯m worried, but it will be all right. That person is tenacious.¡± ¡°I have been trying to find out in any way I can. I¡¯m sure there will be a good news soon.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thanks to you¡­ I feel a little bit at ease.¡± Ryan had a sad look on his face, but he tried hard and smiled gently. He held the woman¡¯s hand. Feeling the warmth of his hand, the woman blushed. ¡°Young master¡­¡± The ring on her finger was identical to the one on Ryan¡¯s finger. *** ¡°¡­Young Master Ryan¡¯s fianc¨¦e?¡± Sera and Nainiae¡¯s job for the day was washing bed nkets. Sera was doing both the daily task and maid lessons for Nainiae. When Nainiae asked the question, Sera started to exin about Mogared¡¯s daughter. ¡°That¡¯s right. The daughter from Mogared family that visited us today is¡­ Utcha! [Note: Sera made a grunting noise because she is working and lifting things.] the Young Master Ryan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. They had their engagement ceremony two years ago.¡± Sera hung arge nket on theundry string. She quickly turned her head toward Nainiae and looked at her. Nainiae was just standing there with a nk stare and a nket in her arms. ¡°Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Sera called her, Nainiae was not answering. She was just standing there with a vacant look on her face. The look on her face wasn¡¯t giving any clues on what she was thinking. ¡°Nainiae!¡± ¡°¡­Yes? Ah, yes!¡± Nainiae finally opened her ears after being called twice. She tumbled and answered. By how surprised she looked, it seemed that she really didn¡¯t hear Sera. ¡°Just what were you thinking so hard about?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± She said it was nothing, and Nainiae started to hang the nket she held in her arms on theundry string. Based on how Nainiae was giving a nk stare, Sera was certain that something was up. Sera narrowed her eyes mischievously and asked. ¡°What is it? Did something happen with young master?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae was still somehow looking rather absent minded, but suddenly, her eye focused. It was like a fish that bit the bait. Nainiae turned her head to Sera after hearing Sera¡¯s question. As if she didn¡¯t quite hear the question, Nainiae had a question mark floating above her head and she was blinking her eyes. ¡°You are acting strange, so it¡¯s odd, you know? You had that nk look on your face ever since you went to Iffa vige with young master yesterday.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s question, Nainiae lowered her head and bit her lower lip. She thought about what transpired in Iffa vige. ¡®Here.¡¯ ¡®You are my servant. Are you his servant?¡¯ Nainiae was thinking about how Riley gently patted her on top of her head and how he said she was his servant. She was thinking about his hand gesture and voice. ¡°¡­No. Nothing happened.¡± Nainiae slowly shook her head and got rid of futile thoughts in her head. Meanwhile, she was still biting her lower lip. ¡®It¡¯s so foolish¡­¡¯ She was still biting her lower lip because of something else. It was she was thinking, ¡®I¡¯m feeling relieved¡­¡¯ Her heart sunk for a moment when she heard Ian mention the fianc¨¦e. She felt relieved when she learned that it was actually Young Master Ryan¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Nainiae was feeling guilty for feeling that way. ¡®I¡¯m going to die soon, so how dare I¡­¡¯ Even if itsted, it was going to be only until the autumn. Also, there was a stark difference in ss. ¡®That is not all, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ The right side of her face was horrid, and she was missing two fingers. She thought that having such feelings were a sin. ¡°Ms Sera, what¡¯s the schedule after washing the nkets?¡± ¡°Have you forgotten what I told you yesterday?¡± ¡°Yesterday¡­ Ah, right. That starts today, right?¡± ¡°Haha. So, something did happen, didn¡¯t it? Something happened, right?¡± ¡°No! Absolutely nothing happened!¡± Sera asked with a suppressedughter, and Nainiae shook her head in denial. ¡°Um. All right. I won¡¯t pry anymore.¡± Sera hung the veryst nket on the string. She roughly wiped off the water on her hands in the apron and turned back to look at Nainiae. ¡°Have you ever held a wooden sword at least?¡± ¡°No. Not even once¡­¡± In response to Sera¡¯s question about a wooden sword, Nainiae shook her head again. Seraughed as if she thought it could not be helped. ¡°Well. I can understand that. Actually, I got to hold a sword for the first time aftering to the mansion.¡± Sera promised Nainiae that she would teach her sword if they finished the day¡¯s schedule early. It was something Nainiae asked first, but also, it was because there wasn¡¯t any servant in Iphelleta that didn¡¯t know how to use a sword. ¡°By the way¡­ Are you right handed, Nainiae?¡± Sera remembered that Nainiae¡¯s middle and ring fingers were not all right, so she carefully asked. As a woman just like herself, she figured Nainiae would not like being asked that question. ¡°¡­I was.¡± With a bitter expression on her face, Nainiae said she use to be. Having lost her fingers, she had no choice but to be left-handed after the experiments in the Magic Tower. It was because her fingers were still alright on her left hand. ¡°I can still use my right hand to some extent, but if it is about holding a sword¡­¡± Nainiae murmured as she looked down at her right hand. Because her right hand was missing two fingers, it looked like it didn¡¯t belong to a human being. It was certain that it could not be called a pretty looking hand. ¡°Left hand would be better, right?¡± Nainiae forced a smile as she asked. Sera also had a bitter expression on her face just like how Nainiae was until a moment ago. Sera nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Left hand would be better.¡± Missing two fingers was a big difference for a person holding a sword inparison to having them. It was a woman¡¯s hand, and on top of that, the missing fingers were not the pinky, but the middle and ring fingers. Exining it any further was only going to hurt her lips. ¡°We will be stared at by other servants if we went straight to the training arena, so let¡¯s try practicing the form while holding a wooden sword. Wait for me and stretch your wrists. I¡¯ll go get a light one.¡± Sera went into the storage room to find a wooden training sword, and Nainiae was left alone in the corridor. ¡°A sword huh¡­¡± Sword. Nainiae thought about swords with a nk look on her face, and she started to think about Riley. He was the youngest young master of the Iphelleta House that she met for the first time in Solia. How they met was definitely not under good circumstances, but there were many things that happened there after. ¡®His skills were incredible.¡¯ Once, when she saw him slicing through her magic attacks, and once again but to a greater extent, when she saw him defeating Astroa by throwing a sword at him, all she could think of was the word, ¡®incredible.¡¯ ¡®Despite all that, he hides his true power from the people in the mansion. Why is he doing that?¡¯ Nainiae thought Riley¡¯s humbleness was as deep and wide as the sea. It was making her head to lower on its own. ¡®As I thought, young master is¡­¡¯ Before Nainiae could finish her thought, Sera came out of the storage room while holding two wooden swords. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sera gave a wooden sword to Nainiae. It was rtively small and light. It was a wooden sword designed for a beginner. ¡®It feels strange. I wonder if young master feels like this when he holds a sword?¡¯ Nainiae tried closing and opening the fingers of her left hand that was holding the sword. It felt awkward. To exin how she was feeling, it was like that. ¡°Now, then, shall we start with the basic form?¡± ¡°Do I need to just follow what you are doing?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be starting with the easier one.¡± With her maid lessons concluded for the day, Sera¡¯s sword lessons started. ¡°In this pose, put strength in your shoulder! Your gaze should be toward the front!¡± ¡°L-Like this? Is this right?¡± It seemed like Sera was determined to teach her properly now that she was the one teaching her. There was Sera who became a fierce teacher like a tiger, and there was Nainiae who was still sloppy at using a sword but trying hard to learn. ¡°¡­Hm?¡± And there was someone hiding in a corner of the corridor and watching them. Chapter 65 - The Fiancée and Nianiae (Part 2)

Chapter 65: The Fianc¨¦e and Nianiae (Part 2)

It was during the dinner time. Lloyd came to the front of Ryan¡¯s door and knocked on the door a few times. ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s me.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure how long he waited after he knocked, but he could hear the reply a little whileter. ¡°¡­Come in.¡± After getting the permission, Lloyd carefully opened the door and entered the room. It appeared Ryan was not the only one inside the room. ¡°Sister inw, it has been a while.¡± ¡°Oh dear¡­ Sister inw¡­ I¡¯m so embarrassed.¡± The woman who was called as the sister inw by Lloyd, the woman wearing a graceful dress, responded as she blushed. ¡°It has been a while since I saw youst, Young Master Lloyd. You look so differentpared to how you were several years ago. I think it would be difficult to joke that you look like a child now.¡± Annabelle Mogared. It was the name of the woman who was engaged to Ryan two years ago. To the people, she was a woman more well known as the daughter of the Mogared House. ¡°So. What is she like?¡± After Lloyd and Annabelle greeted each other, Ryan quickly walked next to Lloyd and asked. He was asking about Nainiae, the one who Riley brought in as a new servant. ¡°Well, she was as we expected.¡± Lloyd shrugged with a confident face. He didn¡¯t have much to report. As expected, that was all. ¡°It seems she is just ass with nothing extraordinary about her. I went and took a nce at how she was doing in her sword training taught by Sera¡­ It didn¡¯t look like she was particrly good in her sword skill either.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Big Brother. You worry too much. If I must point out anything unique about her, there was a disgusting scar on her face that almost made me puke, and she is missing two fingers on her right hand.¡± That horrible scar. Those disgusting fingers. Other than those, it could be said Nainiae had quite a fair face, but those problems were cutting down even that one good thing about her appearance. ¡°Honestly, even I think it is strange, and it makes me wonder too. I¡¯m talking about why that runt Riley brought in ass like that and made her work in the mansion.¡± Lloyd continued as he shook his head. Even on his second thought, he just could not get used to that face. ¡°Afterall, Riley¡¯s taste in women was always a mystery. If he has a thing for something like that, well¡­that would exin why he brought in ass like her and made her settle in the mansion.¡± As if he was trying to say he had no idea that his brother born from a different mother liked that kind of woman, Lloyd murmured as he wiggled the corners of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not able to maintain the expression on my face. I couldn¡¯t help myself because it was so funny when I just thought about it.¡± Lloyd was thinking about paying back Riley for making a fool out of him with the medal when he returned to the mansion from Solia. Lloyd was thinking he would be able to make fun of Riley with this, so he was not able to hold himself fromughing. ¡°Still, it is so strange. I can¡¯t shake the feeling that there¡¯s something wrong with all this.¡± ¡°Seriously. Big brother, you doubt people too much. He isn¡¯t called the Lazy Sword inside and outside the mansion for no reason.¡± Having heard what his older brother said, Lloyd stoppedughing and shrugged. It was because it looked like there was no need to mind it no matter how many times Lloyd went over it. He felt that there was no reason to worry about Riley or thess named Nainiae that he brought. ¡°In that case, should I take a look for you as well?¡± Lloyd was looking at Ryan, but after hearing the question, Lloyd turned his head toward Annabelle. ¡°Sister inw, would you like to?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s been a while since I visited Iphelleta mansion, so I have to greet Young Master Riley as well, so¡­ Tomorrow, I can whenever I find the time.¡± ¡°Will you be all right?¡± Ryan looked at Annabelle with a gaze of someone that genuinely worried about his beloved. In response, Annabelle gave a refreshing smile and she put forth an expression on her face that said not to worry. ¡°Of course.¡± *** Nainiae¡¯s schedule for the day was pretty busy during the morning when Ian was next to Riley. ¡°Now¡­ Is it the right timing?¡± ¡°No. The tea is not quite brewed yet. Try again.¡± With Sera supervising, Nainiae''s maid training and tasks werepleted within that time. Also, in middle of all these, she was also trained in swordsmanship. ¡°L-Like this?¡± ¡°You will be losing your wrist if you did it like that. What do you think you should do?¡± ¡°If I lowered the angle a little¡­¡± ¡°Yes. A little further! You should lower it a little further!¡± Maid work. Maid training. Swordsmanship lessons. It was around 4 o¡¯clock by the time all three things were roughly over, and that¡¯s when she switched ces with Ian. From there, Nainiae served right next to Riley until it was time for bed. Of course, she had to prepare magic lessons for Riley in middle of all these. She had the right to say that having two of her was not going to be enough to handle everything at the moment. ¡°You have done a good work, Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°Ugh. It would be fine if I continued to look after him.¡± Nainiae switched ces with Ian at the garden a little after 4 o¡¯clock when she roughly finished most of her things for the day. Nainiae sighed heavily and stood next to Riley after surviving a deadly gaze from Ian. ¡®Is he sleeping?¡¯ Under the garden tree¡¯s shadow, Riley was lying down on his designated spot where he always slept during the day. Nainiae quietly lowered her eyes and looked at Riley¡¯s sleeping face. He had his eyes closed, and she could hear a regr breathing that sounded like he was asleep. Together, they felt like they were protesting and saying not to bother him because he was taking a nap in middle of a day. ¡®So, he is sleeping.¡¯ He looked so rxed. It was making the person that watched him feel rxed too. Nainiae quietly smiled. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ It looked like Nainiae was trying to do something. Nainiae lifted her left hand. She stood like that for a moment. As if she was trying to feel something, Nainiae started to look for something as she turned her head all over the ce. ¡®There is¡­no wind¡­¡¯ With her hand raised, she confirmed that there was no wind around the area and carefully recited a spell to cast a One Circle level wind magic. ¡®Would this be enough?¡¯ To make sure she would not wake up Riley who was taking a nap, Nainiae whispered in a quiet voice to recite the spell. It appeared she sessfully cast the spell. Wind started to blow at her and make her hair wave in the air. ¡®It worked.¡¯ It was almost at the end of the spring season. Because the summer was almost here, the sunlight was quite warm. Therefore, the wind that was blowing right now was something to be weed very much. Riley, who was taking a nap, started to smile. The corners of his mouth were tilting up to indicate he was happy about it. This was the proof. ¡°¡­Oh my!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was around 5 p.m. Nainiae was quietly keeping her ce next to Riley, but she moved her eyes to look at a woman who was walking towards them. It was because Nainiae heard her voice. The woman was wearing avish dress with excess amount ofce. Even at a nce, it was obvious that the woman was a nobility, someone of a higher ss than Nainiae. ¡®This person is¡­¡¯ Although Nainiae didn¡¯t know her name, she knew who she was because Sera had exined about her before. She was the daughter of a nobility family and also the fianc¨¦e of Ryan, Iphelleta House¡¯s eldest young master. ¡°Oh my, oh my¡­ Young Master Riley!¡± It was a high tone voice. It looked like she did it on purpose to wake Riley up from his nap. ¡°Oh my, Young Master Riley. It¡¯s been two years since I saw youst, but you are still such a sleepyhead.¡± Instead of lowering her voice, the woman was making it louder and louder. Having noticed this, Nainiae slightly furrowed her eyebrows. However¡­ She could not let it be noticeable. It was because she was taught by Sera about it. ¡°¡­¡± Annabelle, the daughter of a nobility family, took a step closer to Riley who was lying down. Following the education she received, Nainiae lowered her head when her eyes met with Annabelle¡¯s to express her respect toward Annabelle. ¡°He was born from Iphelleta family, yet he is so foolish¡­¡± Nainiae still had her head lowered, but she could hear Annabelle¡¯s voice. She was definitely speaking ill of the young master that Nainiae served. ¡°After disgracing your own brothers in the family, you sure are shameless.¡± She was pouring harsh words at Riley who was still asleep. Nainiae lifted her head slightly to confirm the expression on Annabelle¡¯s face. Annabelle¡¯s face was full of intense hate. ¡®How dare¡­¡¯ Nainiae lowered her head down so Annabelle wouldn¡¯t notice. Nainiae¡¯s eyes became violent. She was not the type that could just stand and watch the master she served being badmouthed by someone. Nainiae wanted to threaten the woman with a fireball right next to her face and force her to apologize. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master Riley? How about you get up soon? Aren¡¯t you pretending to be asleep? Even if you were culled by the family, you should at least greet me, don¡¯t you think? Where are your manners?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Nainiae wanted to, she did not step in carelessly. It was to practice the advice, ¡®take a step back.¡¯ Also, it was because there was a possibility of putting Riley in a difficult position if Nainiae took action right now. Those were not all of her reasons. ¡®If this keeps up, young master might wake up¡­¡¯ She was also concerned she might interfere with Riley¡¯s sleep. She didn¡¯t want to do that when Riley appeared to be enjoying his nap. She wanted to protect that leisurely expression on his face. It looked like Nainiae concluded that things must not continue this way and decided to do something. ¡®It looks like I won¡¯t be able to use Sleep in this situation, so, to make it simple¡­¡¯ Nainiae started to move her lips with her head still lowered. ¡°Seriously, if you resembled even half of Ryan¡­¡± ¡°¡­Silence.¡± Nainiae sessfully cast a spell quietly so Annabelle would not have heard it. Sometime soon afterwards, Annabelle¡¯s voice suddenly stopped. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae cast Silence, a magic that silenced the affected person so that the person would not be able to make any sound. ¡°¡­¡± That was not all. Nainiae modified the spell in a unique way so the affected person will not notice that the person¡¯s voice had be silent. It was a magic that Nainiae thought of recently as she taught magic to Riley. She had been thinking hard recently about what kind of magic spells would be useful for Riley. ¡®With this¡­young master won¡¯t be woken up by her voice, and she won¡¯t be pestering young master about her voice being silent either.¡± After doing all that, Nainiae used search magic and confirmed there weren¡¯t any eyes or ears spying on them from a hidden angle. Relieved, Nainiae sighed inwardly. ¡®Young master is¡­ Good. He is still asleep.¡¯ Nainiae gently smiled after checking that Riley was still in middle of sleep. She was a Six Circles mage. *** It was the next day. With a wooden sword in her hand, Nainiae stood in front of a training dummy. She asked Sera who was standing behind her, ¡°Uh? Should I try swinging it?¡± ¡°Yes. You are starting to have proper form. So, I was thinking it¡¯s time you really tried swinging the sword and hit the target as a practice.¡± Sera answered as she nodded. Nainiae¡¯s face became somewhat confused and hesitant. ¡°Finally¡­¡± All this time, she had been learning the proper form for holding sword. It was the first time she finally got to swing it, and she could not quite believe that she was actually doing it. It was different from how she managed to use the Light magic and have the sphere float on the palm of her hand. ¡°You should start with the first movement. You know that, right?¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s question, Nainiae nodded. It felt like she was taking a test. In her mind, Nainiae murmured that she must do well. She tightened her grip on the sword. ¡°At first, you should get a feel for it, so try striking it with all of your strength.¡± Having heard Sera, Nainiae adjusted her stance and aimed the sword she held in her left hand at the training dummy. She briefly took a deep breath, ced a foot to the front and moved her shoulder and arm to¡­ ¡°¡­Huaaaap!!¡± Along with her shouting, Nainiae¡¯s wooden sword struck the training dummy. Perhaps it was because she had a solid training in the basics. She had a clean form. Nothing in particr about her movement could be faulted. There was not much else to it other than the fact that Nainiae was actually thinking about Riley¡¯s movements in her head. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Sera¡¯s eyes becamerge. It was because the end result was far from what she expected. ¡°¡­?¡± The look on Nainiae¡¯s face was not so different from Sera¡¯s. Thump With a blunt sound, the training dummy¡¯s upper body fell to the ground. ¡°This is¡­ Why?¡± Surprised, a question appeared in Nainiae¡¯s eyes. Nainiae did strike the dummy with all of her strength. However¡­ She did not expect the training dummy to be cut clean in half. She figured it would make a ¡®puk!¡¯ noise and make her palm feel shaken up from the impact. ¡°Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°By chance, did you use it?¡± ¡®Is she talking about magic?¡¯ Nainiae shook her head and answered no. ¡°No. I just¡­swung the sword. That¡¯s all.¡± With a look of disbelief, Sera stared at the upper half of the training dummy that was on the ground. The dummy that was rolling on the ground had a t surface as if it was proudly showing off that it was cut clean. She almost felt sorry for the straw and wood frame. ¡®¡­This is impossible!¡¯ On the other hand, the someone who was hiding in the corner could not hide the shock from witnessing the training dummy that was cut in half. ¡®W-Where did a monster like her¡­!?¡¯ The one that was staring at Nainiae with a dumbfounded face and his jaw dropped was Lloyd, the mansion¡¯s second eldest young master. Chapter 66 - Picking a Fight

Chapter 66: Picking a Fight

It was a little after lunch. Today, Riley decided to read instead of taking a nap. He was sitting on the garden¡¯s bench and flipping pages. Next to Riley was Ian who held a tea pot to tend to Riley¡¯s tea cup. ¡°¡­Young master.¡± Sararac Riley was turning yet another page of the book, but he quietly shifted his eyes toward Ian after hearing his voice. ¡°Have you heard?¡± It was a very general question. Not having any clue as to what Ian was talking about, Riley directed his eyes back on chasing after the words in the book. The book he was currently reading was about magic. It was one of the few that was in the library that was about magic. It was a fiction titled ¡®The Legend of a Certain Mage.¡¯ Half of it was true and the other half was fiction. With those two mixed together, it made a perfect book to pass time away. It also asionally had exnation about magic, so it was helping Riley on magic lessons. He would have given the book a high score if it wasn¡¯t for the part about a ¡®mage swordsman¡¯ that seemed to be forced into the story just to include a story rted to swords. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°During yesterday evening¡­¡± Riley asked back as he flipped the page. Ian continued, ¡°Nainiae obliterated the training dummy. She cut it in half clean in a single strike.¡± Nainiae. Training dummy. A single strike. Obliterated. The four key words made Riley¡¯s ears rise up. It was certain that what Ian was talking about was far more interesting than the book he was reading. ¡°Really?¡± Riley took his eyes off the words and murmured. Nainiae was a fragile looking girl. She looked like she could copse to the side if you lightly bumped into her. ¡®Where was she hiding such a strength all this time?¡¯ ¡°She did it to Iphelleta Hause¡¯s training dummy? In a single strike?¡± Riley had the tea cup under the shadow. It had be cooler, and it was at the right temperature for drinking. Riley put his hand toward the cup and took a sip as heplimented Nainiae, ¡°Wow, that¡¯s not bad, right? Could it be that she has a hidden talent that we didn¡¯t expect?¡± ¡°You think so too, right?¡± It could be that she was talented at swords. It could be just that she used a trick with her magic. It could also be that she was just lucky. Regardless¡­ The fact remained that she cut the Iphelleta House¡¯s training dummy in half with her very first sword strike. It was something worthy of a praise. ¡°Maybe she could be a mage swordswoman like the main character from the book I¡¯m reading right now. Wow¡­ To think my servant is a mage swordswoman¡­ That¡¯s cool, right?¡± Riley cracked a smile as he mumbled. Ian, who was standing next to Riley, smiled widely and said, ¡°Yes. By the way¡­¡± Unlike his smiling face, his voice was serious. Having heard his voice, Riley turned his head and looked at Ian. ¡°The training dummy that she struck was a training dummy, but¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± Noticing something strange in how Ian was going about it, Riley furrowed his brows. Thinking Riley might change the subject, Ian quickly continued. ¡°That training dummy was a brand new one except that ¡®a certain someone¡¯ struck it once a few weeks ago for fun and then said ¡®I¡¯m sick of it¡¯ as he left.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter how talented Nainiae may be¡­ She has difficulties with her hand. How do you think she managed to cut it down so cleanly?¡± Ian mumbled as he brushed his beard. How he had a question mark added to the end of the sentence seemed like he would mumble one over and over unless Riley responded. ¡°Well. I heard she had a perfect form because she learned from Sera. Even so¡­¡± Ian¡¯s gaze moved toward Riley. Riley was reading, but as if he felt awkward because of Ian¡¯s gaze, Riley started to scratch the back of his head. ¡°Young master, by chance, do you know anything about this?¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not sure?¡± After a brief moment of silence, Riley asked back as he turned a page. He sounded like there was nothing wrong, but it was of course just an act. Having served young master for a long time, Ian could tell. ¡°Could it be that she used magic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sera doesn¡¯t know much about magic. Maybe that rascal was sneaky about it and tricked her.¡± Riley mumbled as he drank tea. The tone of his voice sounded like he felt he couldn¡¯t let this conversation continue on. ¡°Um. As the master, I can¡¯t just sit and let my servant going about things in the wrong way. Don¡¯t worry, Ian. I¡¯ll scold her. That rascal. Where is she?¡± Unlike what he was saying, Riley was still looking at his book. It was not being closed. Having noticed all this, Ian sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink and poured more tea into the tea cup. Chorurururu It was around when the sound of the tea being poured into the cup stopped. ¡°¡­Oh my? Young Master Riley?¡± A clear voice could be heard from the back. Ian was pouring tea, but Ian¡¯s gaze turned toward the direction of the voice on its own. ¡°This is unexpected? Were you reading today instead of taking a nap?¡± The woman appeared to be wearing a pretty tall pair of high heel shoes, but she managed to walk across the grass. It was quite impressive that she managed. Annabelle Mogared, Ryan¡¯s fianc¨¦e, made an entrance. Ian briefly lowered his head to pay his respect and hardened his face. It was because he couldn¡¯t show any strange expression to a daughter of a marquis family. ¡°Since you can¡¯t hold a sword, if it is going to be something like reading, that¡¯s not bad. It looks a lot better than you taking a nap.¡± Annabelle quietly looked down as she talked to Riley. It was to check what he was reading. After having nced through the content of the book¡¯s open pages, she inquired quietly, ¡°Um? Magic? Magic? Young master. You are not serious about it, right?¡± Annabelle was ridiculing Riley directly to his face. Watching this, Ian had veins popping out on his forehead. Currently, all he could manage to do was holding back his mouth that was itching. That was the limit of his patience. ¡°Magic in Iphelleta House? Ahhaha! You are reading it because you enjoy reading books, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You have no idea about our young master¡¯s true skills, yet¡­ You have no idea about our young master¡¯s true power, yet¡­¡¯ Ian chewed on the words in his mind. His shoulders started to flinch. It looked like a time bomb that was about to go off. ¡°I heard you even received a medal of honor from the Solia Castle. From what I heard, you apprehended Astroa with another mage. Is that why you became interested in magic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was not showing any response to Annabelle¡¯s voice. Instead, he only flipped the page as he made the page flip noise. ¡°Even magic will take talent, don¡¯t you think? How should I say this¡­ It seems a little hard for you? Well, either way, I don¡¯t think you will be getting a good result from it.¡± Either way. Sword or magic, regardless of which one it was, it would be hard for Riley to get a good result. Annabelle was saying that. She was obviously patronizing Riley. Having heard what she said, Ian started to furrow his eyebrows. He was not able to take it anymore. His mouth itched. He wanted to say something. ¡®Young master, I think I should just say it! If this keeps up, I¡¯ll die from frustration!¡¯ Ian felt like his throat waspletely blocked. Ian felt a strong urge to go shout it out loud to the entire town about Riley¡¯s true power right now. He wetted the inside of his mouth. Ian was about to say something. ¡°¡­Pup, Fuhahahaha!!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Riley suddenly broke into aughter. The way he was beating on the table that he had his book on seemed like it was definitely not an act. ¡°This is such a nonsense. If Andal saw it, he would be flipped and rolling on the ground! Kikic!¡± It seemed that he found a funny part in the book. Riley had the corners of his mouth slightly tilted up. Noticing this, Ian thought Riley must have not realize the situation yet. Ian slightly bent his upper body and whispered to Riley. ¡°Young master?¡± ¡®Did he not hear anything because he was so focused on the book?¡¯ Riley was stillughing as he looked at the book. Noticing this, Ian raised his voice a little and called him. ¡°Excuse me, young master?¡± ¡°Um? What? If it is about the training dummy, I¡¯ll talk to Nainiaeter¡­¡± ¡°You have a guest. A guest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Annabelle had veins popping out on her forehead because of the conversation that went on in front of her thatpletely ignored her. Fortunately for her, because of her makeup, it was not noticeable. ¡°¡­Um?¡± Having heard what Ian said, Riley finally turned his head and looked at Annabelle. Their eyes met, and it was Annabelle that greeted Riley first. ¡°Ah, how do you do? Young Master Riley?¡± This was the second time she greeted Riley. In order to straighten her crumpled pride, Annabelle flinched her facial muscles several times. She tilted her head to the side and showed a refreshing smile. Those with keen eyes would have figured out that her smile was a forced one. ¡°¡­¡± Riley gave a hollow stare at her face for a moment. Breaking the silence, he simply answered, ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Riley said ¡®yeah¡¯ as if he was responding to a servant. He turned to look at Ian and quietly asked, ¡°¡­Who is this?¡± His bent eyebrow was suggesting a question mark. The look in his eyes seem to be indicating that he really didn¡¯t have any idea who this woman was. Ian whispered to Riley as he broke in cold sweat, ¡°It¡¯s Miss Annabelle.¡± ¡°Anna what again?¡± Mumble Mumble It looked like he was trying to say things in a lower voice so Annabelle could not hear it, but their voices were leaking out. The voices that she could hear were wrecking her pride. Annabelle¡¯s fingers started to twitch. If there was anything that she could grab, it would have been torn to pieces by her artificial nails. ¡°She is Miss Annabelle! Young Master Ryan¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± It looked like they could finally continue their conversation. As if he finally realized it, he said ¡®Ah¡¯ in a long stretch. Riley still had a question mark above his head. He asked Ian, ¡°Is she my big brother¡¯s maid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was still in a low voice, but Annabelle could her it just the same. It was not certain if Riley knew it or not. Riley kept on asking more questions to Ian. ¡°By the way, Ian. Even if she is my big brother¡¯s maid, you have no reason to use such respectfulnguage toward her. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°N-No, young master¡­ Miss Annabelle is not a maid¡­¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s enough, Ian!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard a woman¡¯s voice that sounded angry, Riley turned his head toward the direction of the voice and tilted his head to the sides. ¡°Yes. If that¡¯s your wish¡­ Yes! I understand!¡± ¡°Hey. You are just a maid. Why are your lips so light¡­¡± Wheec! Annabelle turned around before Riley could finish his sentence. She took firm steps back across the garden toward the mansion. Watching her back, Riley shrugged and directed his gaze back to the book. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was going to indulge in the book again, but he felt the heat from Ian¡¯s gaze. Rileyined as if he was wronged. ¡°Seriously. I¡¯m telling you. I really don¡¯t know that person?¡± The look on Riley¡¯s face seem to be saying, ¡®I don¡¯t know her, so what am I supposed to do?¡¯ Ian had a confused look on his face. He sighed heavily enough to sink the ground and started to rub his face with both of his palms. *** It was inside the mansion. Nainiae just finished dishwashing, the veryst job for the day. She was heading toward the training arena to work on swordsmanship training with Sera, but she saw Annabelle walking toward this way from the other side. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°How dare he¡­ How dare he¡­¡± It looked like something had happened. She was breathing hard as she walked this way. Nainiae noticed Annabelle and pulled her chin a little as she looked at the direction that Annabelle came from. ¡®It looks like she ising from the garden¡­ Did she run into our young master?¡¯ It was a straight corridor, so Annabelle, who was quickly walking through it, found Nainiae who was standing on the other side with her head lowered. Annabelle furrowed her brows. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When their eyes met, Nainiae lowered her head first and paid her respect. After that¡­ It didn¡¯t really lead to a conversation. ¡°Hmph!¡± Annabelle was thinking about making a fool out of Nainiae, Riley¡¯s servant, but she soon snorted and started to walk again. ¡°He dared to ignore me? Just watch. I¡¯ll make him regret it. How could¡­ How could a Lazy Sword dare to¡­¡± Annabelle mumbled as she walked past Nainiae. With the voice now behind her, Nainiae lifted her head. Nainiae narrowed her eye as she looked at the back of Annabelle walking away. Judging from the situation, it looked like it could only lead to a trouble for Riley. It didn¡¯t look like anything good woulde of this for Riley. ¡°¡­Nainiae. I kept you waiting, didn¡¯t I?¡± It was when Nainiae was steadily staring at Annabelle¡¯s back. Sera, who went off the tangent and had gone somewhere else for a moment, rushed back and tapped Nainiae on her shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± Sera was standing right next to Nainiae. When she couldn¡¯t hear any response, Sera checked the look on Nainiae¡¯s face behind hand and tilted her head to the sides. ¡°Miss Sera. Could you please wait in the training arena?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae just finished the dishes, thest work for the day. Nainiae agonized over how she was going to start exining. Nainiae continued, ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think Ipletely wiped off the stain on the veryst dish that I washed. I think I should go check it.¡± Chapter 67 - Picking a Fight (Part 2)

Chapter 67: Picking a Fight (Part 2)

¡°Thatss¡­ It seems there might be something more to her than meets the eye.¡± It was at Ryan¡¯s room. With his older brother standing in front of him, Lloyd started to exin what he saw. Two days ago, Lloyd saw the wooden sword that Nainiae swung sliced the training dummy in half. It was still clear in Lloyd¡¯s head. ¡°I have no idea how she did it. It¡¯s intriguing.¡± ¡°How about her form?¡± ¡°Her form was clean, but it was a basic stance.¡± Having heard what Lloyd said, Ryan murmured as he fiddled with his chin. ¡°In that case¡­ It couldn¡¯t be that she is just powerful or is good at waving her hand around. It would be the most usible exnation to assume she used mana without realizing it.¡± ¡®She¡¯s a maid who ims to have never held a sword in her life, yet she sliced the Iphelleta House¡¯s training dummy in half? In one strike? On top of that, it was a clean cut?¡¯ Ryan, who was mumbling, had a pretty serious look on his face. As expected, the maid that Riley brought in was not an ordinary person. ¡®I had a bad feeling about this all along, but where did he find a maid like that¡­¡¯ That story was already all over the ce. It was the story about how Nainiae cut down a training dummy in half with just one strike. Even Stein was interested. He was watching Nainiae. Because of the situation with Nainiae, Ryan was concerned Riley might get pretty high points in the sessorpetition. ¡°If it is possible, I wish I could see it again.¡± Lloyd mumbled as he bit his lips. After all, he was the second son of the Iphelleta House. He was a swordsman, it was only natural to have emotions such as admiration or envy toward others who had better swordsmanship. Lloyd was mumbling as he bit his lips, and now he asked Ryan a question, ¡°What should we do?¡± Ryan had to make his thoughts brief, and he had to make a quick decision. Lloyd was asking Ryan about what to do with Nainiae, Riley¡¯s maid. Lloyd asked carefully to his older brother, ¡°Should I put pressure¡­on her?¡± It was understandable. It didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to do something to Nainiae, a maid that Stein would be watching. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± It was a problem that required a serious thought. Ryan fiddled with his chin. He was holding himself from giving a reply. It was at that moment. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Baam! The closed door opened wide and Annabelle walked in. Judging from her red face, it didn¡¯t look like she came with a good news. ¡°Annabelle?¡± ¡°Sister inw?¡± Shocked by Annabelle¡¯s sudden entrance, Ryan and Lloyd called her. Step Step In her high heels, Annabelle walked in and frustratedly plummeted in the sofa. ¡°Did something happen outside?¡± ¡°Big Bro. There¡¯s no need to even guess. It must have been Riley. He must have done something bad to her¡­¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Annabelle opened her mouth and interrupted Lloyd. With a question mark above his head, Lloyd looked at Annabelle, ¡°There wasn¡¯t an incident¡­like that¡­¡± Annabelle said as she bit her lips. Again, she said there wasn¡¯t an incident like that. ¡®¡­It would be best if you didn¡¯t touch my young master. Of course, I would like to also advise you against running your mouth carelessly.¡¯ Those were the words she heard from Nainiae just now in the corridor. Annabelle ran into Nainiae the maid again in the corridor, and Annabelle just came from being threatened by Nainiae. It appeared that Nainiae was a mage who had been hiding her true identity. Annabelle thought about how Nainiae made threats with a ball of me floating on her palm. Annabelle¡¯s shoulders were still shivering a little. ¡®I heard you are a daughter of a famous House, however¡­ That is not all that important to me. I only act for the sake of my young master.¡¯ Annabelle was half scared and half infuriated. ¡®That girl, she is just a lowlymoner, yet she dared to talk to me like that?¡¯ The thought was dominating her head at the moment. ¡®I¡¯m not expecting an apology from you. So, I¡¯ll advise¡­no. I¡¯ll warn you once again. If you pester my young master again, I¡¯ll demonstrate my abilities to you. Since you are well educated, you do understand that this is the first and thest warning, right?¡¯ It was a threat that stated Nainiae will demonstrate her abilities if Annabelle displeased her. ¡®She is just a maid, but she dared to make threats to a daughter of a nobility?¡¯ This was the first time Annabelle ever heard of a threat like this. She felt there wasn¡¯t anything more humiliating than this. ¡°¡­¡± Although Lloyd couldn¡¯t tell, Ryan noticed that Annabelle¡¯s shoulders were shivering. However, he didn¡¯t know why she was choking in fear or why she was so infuriated. ¡®So, although I don¡¯t know how many Circles she has, she is saying that she¡¯s a mage, is that right?¡¯ Annabelle tightly grabbed the sofa¡¯s armrest. When Nainiae made threats to Annabelle, Nainiae didn¡¯t say anything about how many Circles she had. Recalling this, Annabelle made up her mind. ¡®I don¡¯t know where she learned the magic, but I bet she is at three or four Circles at most.¡¯ Annabelle knew that even three or four Circles was enough to hurt her. Nainiae¡¯s threat was effective. This fact was the reason why Annabelle was so infuriated. ¡®Five Circle or above will be enough to kill.¡¯ Because of her desire for revenge, Annabelle started to show deadly aura. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master Ryan.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°May I use a homing pigeon¡­for a personal reason?¡± ¡°A homing pigeon?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Annabelle responded with a smile. It was a perfect control of her facial expression that belied what she was really feeling. *** A day, or two¡­and subsequently¡­ After several days have passed, Riley, who had been excusing himself from having to greet Annabelle, was finally going to see her when she was about to leave the mansion. ¡°¡­Riley. You can¡¯t do that to her. Ms. Annabelle is a daughter of a nobility family.¡± ¡°That is, the thing is.¡± Riley was at it because Iris advised him. Riley said he will be having a word with Ian for reporting the incident with Annabelle to Iris. Riley walked the corridor with Iris. He forced himself to hide the expression on his face that screamed just how annoyed he was. He was annoyed because they were on their way to greet Annabelle in an official capacity. ¡°Her dress looked too much like a maid. There was the thing about thece on her dress too.¡± Riley mumbled andined as he thought about the conversation with Annabelle a few days ago when Annabelle was pestering him. Of course, Annabelle¡¯s dress didn¡¯t really look like a maid dress in Riley¡¯s opinion. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Watching her son scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Iris sighed and continued, ¡°It probably could not be helped. Since it is dinner time now, looks like we could greet her by joining her for the dinner. You need to apologize to her properly, do you understand?¡± Although she just sighed, she smiled soon after. Watching this, Riley responded as if he understood. ¡°Yes.¡± After walking for about three minutes, they reached the front of Annabelle¡¯s room. Iris first fixed her son¡¯s clothes. After that, she raised her hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Who is it?¡± ¡°Ms. Annabelle. It¡¯s Iris.¡± ¡°¡­Oh!¡± A surprised response could be heard from inside. Along with the stepping sounds of the high heels on the ground, the door opened, and Annabelle revealed herself. She weed Iris. ¡°Lady Iris, welco¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Annabelle¡¯s eyes met with Riley who was standing next to Iris. That made her voice stop for a moment. However, she smiled refreshingly soon as if nothing happened. She greeted both, including Riley, with a smiling face. ¡°Wee! Young Master Riley. You are here too?¡± ¡°Yes. I was thinking if you would like to join us for dinner. You didn¡¯t have dinner already, right?¡± Riley asked with a refreshing smile. Having seen this, Annabelle responded with a smile as if she was trying not to lose, ¡°Of course. As much as you want.¡± Riley and Iris led the way toward the dining room. Meanwhile, Annabelle stood there and watched the back of Riley and Iris. Annabelle¡¯s face started to twitch. It was because of the maid that was always sticking next to Riley like glue. ¡®¡­It would be best if you didn¡¯t touch my young master.¡¯ Nainiae, who was sticking right next to Riley, casually turned her head to look at Annabelle. Nainiae looked at Annabelle with her narrowly open eyes. Annabelle felt like Nainiae was threatening her again. Annabelle tightly grabbed her skirt. ¡°¡­Kuk.¡± ¡°Nainiae, Sera is in charge of the kitchen today, right?¡± Iris, who was leading the way in the front, asked Nainiae. Having heard the question, Nainiae immediately changed the look on her face and lowered her head. ¡°Yes, Lady Iris. For today¡¯s dinner¡­¡± Nainiae summarized what would be on the dinner table. Meanwhile, Annabelle was following the group from the back as she watched the back of Nainiae. The inside of Annabelle was boiling. Riley did it once, and Nainiae did it once as well. They both seriously spoiled her mood, but as if that was not enough, Nainiae even threatened her. This was the reason why Annabelle¡¯s insides were boiling. ¡®How dare¡­¡¯ There was one thing that made her even more infuriated. It was the fact that she was shaking in fear because of Nainiae¡¯s threat with a gray colored me. Annabelle couldn¡¯t snap back and say ¡®Do you have any idea who you are talking to? Just go ahead if you think you can do it!¡¯ because of Nainiae¡¯s me. ¡®¡­You just watch. Just wait and see.¡¯ Annabelle thought about it over and over. Riley, Iris and Annabelle finally arrived at the dining room. It looked like Stein, Ryan and Lloyd already came by and left the dining room. There were a few maids and butlers carrying empty dishes. ¡°Annabelle, I¡¯m sorry about what happened before. I¡¯m really dense, so. Haha.¡± Riley said as he cut the meal on the dish with a knife. ¡°¡­I¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡± Annabelle was scratching the dish with her dining knife. For now, Annabelle responded politely with a smile. It was because she could not afford to reveal her de edge of vengeance. ¡°So, when are you going back? When did you say it was again?¡± ¡°Ah, I think I¡¯ll be heading back as soon as the carriage from the family arrives. I¡¯m not in position to stay here for long. I also have personal matters to handle.¡± She had two personal matters. First one was investigating about ¡®Tes Trading Company.¡¯ It was Ryan that asked her that favor. A butler came into the dining room and said, ¡°Excuse me. A carriage has arrived at the mansion.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Annabelle¡¯s face brightened in an instant. The second personal matter was about the Five Circles mage that she called. She wanted to have him obliterate Nainiae. ¡°It must be the carriage from my family!?¡± Annabelle¡¯s n was to expose that a mere maid threatened her. The n was to use that to corner Riley and make him lose thepetition for Iphelleta House¡¯s sessorship. She was certain this was going to help Ryan, her fianc¨¦. ¡°No. It is not from Mogared House.¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± Until now, Annabelle had a bright expression on her face. Now, a question mark floated up above her head. ¡®If it is not the carriage I called for, then where did ite from?¡¯ ¡°It is a carriage from the Solia Temple.¡± ¡°Solia¡­Temple?¡± Annabelle tilted her head to the sides. ¡®Solia Temple? Why would a carriage from the Solia Temple be here all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡°Ah, is it because of that?¡± Riley mumbled with his mouth full. Annabelle noticed that Riley seemed like he knew something about it. That made Annabelle to have yet another question mark float up above her head. ¡°Looks like he is here.¡± The butler, who came in to tell everyone about the carriage from the Temple, left the scene. Immediately after the butler left, an old man in white walked in. Even at a nce, it was obvious he was a high ranking priest. ¡°Oh my? Archbishop Rebethra?¡± Iris greeted him first. ¡°Haha. Lady Iris. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Of course! What brings you here?¡± Annabelle had no idea what this was about, so she still had a curious look on her face. ¡®Is he here to see Lady Iris?¡¯ Annabelle knew Iris had an illness. It was an illness that Iris had for a long time. ¡®Is he here to check up on her illness?¡¯ Annabelle was thinking that. In that moment, ¡°Young Master Riley, and¡­¡± With his head, the Archbishop Reberthra bowed to Nainiae who was standing next to Riley. ¡°Ms. Nainiae¡­ It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Annabelle was surprised that he addressed the maid so respectfully. Clueless about what¡¯s happening, Annabelle¡¯s face became weirder Chapter 68 - A Six Circles Mage

Chapter 68: A Six Circles Mage

¡°Instead of standing there, pleasee and have a seat.¡± Iris got up from her seat and rmended a seat for Rebethra. epting her generosity, Rebethra sat down. Iris was reaching for a fork on the table, but she asked as she lowered her head, ¡°Have you had dinner?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s embarrassing¡­but looks like I¡¯ll have to be in your debt.¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯m d you haven¡¯t had dinner yet. I would have been disappointed if I didn¡¯t get to have you eat dinner with us. Nainiae?¡± Iris called Nainiae, who was standing in the back, and asked for a serving of dinner for Rebethra. ¡°Yes, Lady Iris.¡± Nainiae bowed and received her order. Nainiae left for the kitchen for a moment. Impressed by the politeness that Nainiae just disyed, Rebethra said, ¡°Oh my¡­ Ms. Nainiae became a maid in Iphelleta House. Even though I¡¯m seeing it with my own eyes, I still cannot believe it.¡± ¡°She is a nice child. She is diligent too.¡± ¡°Right now, is she serving Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°Yes. It turned out that way.¡± Rebethra was a famous archbishop from Solia Temple. Even Annabelle knew of him well. ¡®He said Ms. Nainiae? He is an archbishop, but he called her with respect like that?¡¯ It did not appear to be out of his polite mannerism. How he greeted Nainiae was too proper and respectful. While Annabelle was in a deep thought with a vacant stare, Rebethra turned his head and asked Iris, ¡°Excuse me for asking this sote. Who is this youngdy?¡± ¡°She is the fianc¨¦e of our Young Master Ryan. She is a daughter of Marquis Mogared¡¯s family. Please introduce yourselves. This is Archbishop Rebethra from the Solia Holy Temple.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you, Ms. Annabelle!¡± Having heard what Iris said, Rebethra opened his eyes wide and started topliment Annabelle¡¯s good looks. It seemed he have heard rumors about her. ¡°I kept hearing rumors that you are beautiful¡­ It seems the rumors I have heard didn¡¯t do justice.¡± ¡°Not at all. That¡¯s too much of apliment.¡± They exchanged greetings briefly. Afterwards, Annabelle had her gaze toward her dish, but she turned her head and looked at Rebethra. It was because this did not make sense to her no matter how much she thought about it. ¡°But Archbishop¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Why are you¡­using respectfulnguage toward that maid?¡± Annabelle had an anxious look on her face as she asked carefully. Having heard her question, a question mark floated above Rebethra¡¯s head. He asked Annabelle, ¡°What do you mean? Why do you ask?¡± Rebethra turned his head to look at Iris and Riley. Riley looked like he was not interested in the conversation. He was focused on enjoying his meal. As for Iris, she only had an awkward look on her face. ¡°By any chance, are the people of this mansion unaware of it?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Having heard Rebethra¡¯s question, Iris blurred the end of her sentence. She agonized over what to tell him. Eventually, she said with a slightly embarrassed smile, ¡°Yes. I totally forgot about exining that.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± ¡°Pardon me¡­ Just what are you¡­¡± Annabelle revealed to everyone that she was anxious. She was not able to take it anymore, so she butted into their conversation. She was well aware that it was quite rude, but the situation was such that it was difficult for her to assess what was happening. ¡°Here. I brought your meal.¡± Soon thereafter, Nainiae, who went to the kitchen, returned to the dining room andid down the dish for Rebethra. Nainiae returned to standing behind Riley. ¡°Ah, thank you, Ms. Nainiae.¡± Again, Rebethra spoke to Nainiae in respectful tone. Annabelle was not touching her food. Instead, she had a confused look on her face. Noticing this, Rebethra, who picked up a piece of food with a fork, said, ¡°You asked why I¡¯m using respectfulnguage towards Ms. Nainiae, right?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± After Annabelle¡¯s response, Rebethra took a moment to look at how Nainiae was doing. ¡°That is because Ms. Nainiae¡­¡± After observing how Nainiae was standing behind Riley, Rebethra concluded that it would be all right for him to exin it. He continued, ¡°¡­is the Six Circles mage that yed a big role in stopping Astroa during the incidentst time in Lower Solia.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Crash! The fork that Annabelle held was dropped to the te and made a loud noise. *** It was revealed that the maid that was hired in the mansion recently was a Six Circles mage. Of course¡­ The entire mansion was turned upside down. ¡°So, Riley¡­¡± It was at Stein¡¯s office. There were three people there to have a conversation. Needless to say, the atmosphere was pretty odd. Stein called for Riley and the maid that served him. Facing the two in front of him, Stein held his palm on his forehead and rubbed it. It looked like he was having a headache. ¡°I think an exnation is due. How did it alle to this?¡± ¡°About that¡­ What you have heard is everything. There¡¯s nothing more to exin.¡± Riley scratched his cheek in a leisurely manner. Watching Riley doing this, Stein moved his hand from his forehead to his eye. ¡°I heard you heard from Ian?¡± ¡°I heard that she is a mage. I didn¡¯t hear that she is a Six Circles mage!¡± Bam! Stein mmed the desk with his fist and threw a hissy fit. Having noticed the look on his father¡¯s face, Riley¡¯s shoulders flinched. Right after that, Riley smiled like a good natured human being and put forth his palm. ¡°I have no talent for exining things. Still, I can roughly answer your questions.¡± Tsk! Stein was well aware of this about his youngest son. Stein clicked his tongue and sighed. It looked like he was thinking this could not be helped. He asked the first question, ¡°I¡¯ll ask first. Is she really¡­¡± He asked as he looked at Nainiae, who was standing next to Riley. ¡°¡­a Six Circles mage?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley answered promptly. This was better than showing him her magic since Stein didn¡¯t know much about magic. Stein was not going to be able to tell the differences between Five, Six or Seven Circles magic spells. ¡°If that is the case, then why?¡± Stein asked as he red at Nainiae. He looked like he was about to punch a hole through her with his gaze. ¡®What is she doing here if she is a Six Circles mage?¡¯ ¡°Why are you serving Riley as a maid? You don¡¯t have to do this.¡± She was a Six Circles mage. If the word got out, people from cities everywhere would be all over her and begging her to be their city¡¯s mage. After all, a Six Circles mage was considered as powerful as someone ssified as a grand mage. She appeared to be in her teens, so she had a bright future ahead. That¡¯s what Stein was thinking. ¡°Iris told me not to scold her too much. Iris said she is a kind child. However, what I¡¯m about to ask is a different matter. She could be a spy or have some other intent foring to this mansion. Do you understand?¡± Stein was the master of the Iphelleta House. His reaction was understandable. He had to consider the possibility, and the situation warranted such a concern. ¡°Yes, well¡­ That makes sense.¡± Stein had a serious look in his eyes. Meanwhile, in front of Stein, Riley scratched his hair. Riley¡¯s response was so dense and nonchnt. It was making the person watching this to feel ovee with a sense of futility. ¡°So, Nainiae¡­¡± Stein felt like he was going to explode from frustration if he stared at Riley any longer. In the end, he decided to turn his gaze away from Riley. Now, he started to stare at Nainiae as if he was going to punch a hole through her with his gaze. ¡°I presume there is no need for me to address you with a respectfulnguage. Is that right? After all, you voluntarily became Riley¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae gently lowered her head to express respect toward Stein. ¡°I¡¯ll ask. You are a Six Circles mage. Why are you doing this then?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the question, Nainie was hesitant to answer. She held her lips closed. It appeared she was thoroughly considering what to say because she could not afford to respond so carelessly. ¡°You had a big role in apprehending Astroa in Solia¡­ You are in a very good position to be treated ordingly for your exploit. Why are you working as a maid instead? You even hid your true identity as well. For what?¡± Having heard additional questions by Stein, Nainiae carefully shook her head and opened her mouth. ¡°I was not trying to hide it.¡± ¡°You were not?¡± ¡°It is just that I forgot to tell everyone.¡± ¡°Forgot?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was true. Ever since Nainiae came to the mansion, she was extremely busy. Ever since she started to work as a maid and even had the swordsmanship training, she felt like having two of her was not going to be enough. She was actually really busy, but despite that, she neverined. If anyone were to ask why, it was because, ¡°I like the diligent lifestyle in the mansion and working while breaking sweat as a maid. If you are asking why I¡¯m working as a maid, that¡¯s all there is to it.¡± It was because she felt like she regained something that she lost when she was at the Magic Tower. *** Stein steadily gazed upon Nainiae¡¯s eye. His gaze was as expected of the master of Iphelleta House. It felt like you could get sliced just by meeting his gaze. His gaze was sharp like that. ¡°¡­¡± However, Nainiae was no pushover. Stein was ring at her as if he was going to punch a hole through her with his gaze, but she didn¡¯t even flinch. Instead, she only looked right back at him. She was standing her ground proudly. In a corner of her mind, she also had her pride as Riley¡¯s maid. ¡°All right. Fine.¡± People say that there are instances where a simple exchange of gazes is far more effective than a thousand words. This was one of those. Stein didn¡¯t let it show, but he was actually impressed by Nainiae¡¯s gaze. Soon thereafter, he asked the third question, ¡°I heard you followed Riley from Solia. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was the truth, so there was no need to hide it. So, Nainiae responded right away. ¡°How much did you know about Riley?¡± ¡°¡­Father?¡± Riley felt that the conversation was going off the tangent to the wrong ce. Riley furrowed his brows. Stein raised his right hand and made Riley to close his mouth. Stein continued to stare at Nainiae¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m aware that the rumors¡­are not good.¡± Although Riley received a medal of honor from Solia Castle recently, even now, the rumors about Riley were mostly bad. Because of how Riley had been behaving until now, the Lazy Sword trademark stamped on him was still firmly stuck there. His reputation as the Lazy Sword had not left Riley. ¡°What do you think of Riley?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You are a maid that serves Riley, so I would like to hear your thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was an unexpected question. Nainiae had a nk look on her face for a moment, but she soon had a refreshing smile on her face. Meanwhile, Stein was looking at Nainiae¡¯s face, and he got a glimpse of her scar through her hair. Having noticed her scars, Stein narrowed his eyes. ¡°He is a good man.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Riley bumped Nainiae with his elbow. ¡°He is very kind, a lot more than how others know him as. Also¡­¡± Bump Bump Riley kept on bumping Nainiae with his elbow. Nainiae moved her eye toward Riley and noticed Riley¡¯s face. He was warning her with the look on his face. Riley didn¡¯t want her to say anything more. As if she figured she can¡¯t do this anymore, she smiled awkwardly and quickly stopped talking. ¡°Until the day my life runs out¡­ I think I will have no regrets even if I served him until that day.¡± Autumn. No. It could be up to the summer. She didn¡¯t have much time left, and she was going to spend it for Riley¡¯s sake. By doing so, she wanted to find the meaning of her life. She mumbled those thoughts in her mind. ¡°¡­¡± Stein didn¡¯t know about Nainiae¡¯s remaining lifespan. However¡­ It looked like he understood the sincerity in her gaze. The corner of Stein¡¯s lips was slightly tilted up. That was the proof. Stein smiled widely and asked, ¡°I see. Did Ian make your life miserable?¡± ¡®As expected, they are father and son.¡¯ Nainiae noticed that Stein¡¯s smile was simr to Riley¡¯s. Having watched it, Nainiae had a vacant look on her face for the moment. She said, ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That friend of mine doesn¡¯t like mages very much. I think there will be many instances of quarrels with him. What do you think? Won¡¯t that be of an inconvenience to you?¡± Riley quietly turned his head away and started tough. It was because Ian could get detached from Riley as his servant depending on Nainiae¡¯s response. ¡°N-No! Mr. Ian is actually looking after me in many ways. He is teaching me so I won¡¯t make mistakes. He is being strict for that purpose, so no, not at all.¡± Nainiae¡¯s face was a little red. She looked a little embarrassed. She was like that because, based on the flow of the conversation, she felt like Stein acknowledged her. ¡°Is that so? Well then¡­¡± Stein slowly turned his eyes and looked at Riley. Riley, who stood there with a nonchnt look, met his father¡¯s eyes. ¡°Continue to¡­take good care of Riley.¡± Stein finished the conversation and tilted his head to gesture that they could go now. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going now.¡± Riley turned around first and escaped the room. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae stood there with a nk look on her face. She regained her senses and bowed all the way down toward Stein. It was an excessivelyrge motion for a bow. It looked like shepletely forgot the body posture education she received from Sera or Ian. Still, Stein didn¡¯t mind it much. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll try hard.¡± Nainiae straightened her back. Because she felt like she was acknowledged, her face was quite red. It showed she was feeling very happy like nothing could top this. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Nainiae quickly tumbled her way out of the room to follow Riley. Stein was now left alone in the room. He started tapping the finger he had on the desk. ¡°A Six Circles mage¡­¡± ¡®How did my youngest son, who I had no hopes or expectations for, ended up having someone with such a talent working for him?¡¯ Stein was still tapping the desk with his finger. Before he realized, he had a satisfied smile on his face Chapter 69 - A Six Circles Mage (Part 2)

Chapter 69: A Six Circles Mage (Part 2)

¡°Well then, please stop byter. I will always wee you.¡± Riley had Nainiae take the gift that Rebethra put forward. At the same time, Riley made a gesture with his hand. It meant he roughly understood the meaning. ¡°Well, if I feel like it, I will.¡± The attitude Riley had toward Rebethra was very rude. It would have been no surprise if someone saw this and cringed. Despite that, Rebethra didn¡¯t even flinch an eyebrow. Instead, throughout his entire stay here in the mansion, he maintained the respectful attitude. ¡°Please be safe on your way.¡± ¡°Young master, I¡¯ll be praying for your well being as well.¡± They exchanged farewells in the form of formalities. After seeing the Holy Temple¡¯s carriage leave the mansion, Riley turned around and snorted as he nced at the gift box that Nainiae received from Rebethra. ¡°He is making it way too obvious. Too obvious.¡± Following Riley, Nainiae also looked down to see the gift box. She asked as she tilted her head to the side, ¡°What¡¯s so obvious?¡± ¡°His official story is that he is here to check up on my mother¡¯s illness, but the actual business is something else. What did you think it was?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It seemed Nainiae got what Riley was saying. Nainiae, who was looking at the gift box, opened her mouth with a nk stare. ¡°Is it about that thing that Priesia¡­ I mean Priestess Priesia saidst time?¡± Back in the Temple, Nainiae and Priesia became friends, so she had been calling Priesia by the name without the title. Out of habit, Nainiae casually called her by the name, but she corrected herself and looked at Riley. Riley nodded and responded, ¡°Right. It¡¯s about that.¡± It was about the divine message. Riley was thinking about the favor that Priesia asked. It was about ying a dragon that was going to appear in Solia Castle soon. ¡°The real reason he came to the mansion yesterday is probably not about checking up on my mother¡¯s illness. He probably came to give me that gift. What I¡¯m saying is that this is a bribe.¡± ¡°Bribe¡­¡± ¡°Since you were fed, pay us back by working as much as you had been fed by us. Well, that¡¯s probably what he is thinking.¡± Riley was walking with his fingers locked between two hands and having them ced on the back of his head. Nainiae carefully asked, ¡°Excuse me, young master, by any chance¡­¡± ¡°Are you insane?¡± Riley felt like he knew what she was going to ask, so he cringed. He found the question unpleasant. ¡°Obviously, I won¡¯t do it. Why would I bother with something that troublesome?¡± ¡°As I thought. That would be, right?¡± Nainiae smiled awkwardly as she mumbled. ¡°He dares to think I¡¯m a tool¡­ He must be thinking I could be talked into being taken advantage of if he served up a few bribes. He doesn¡¯t realize I¡¯m a bastard who has seen it all.¡± It seemed that the nobilities of this world had a pride of a specific kind. It was about being sure to return the favor after receiving help. It appeared that the Temple, hence Rebethra, had a n to invoke that sense of obligation out of Riley and lead him to act¡­ However, unfortunately, the person they were trying to do it to was Riley. ¡°Tell them this. Over my dead body. Tell them to gut my stomach.¡± Actually, Riley was thinking about taking advantage of the Temple as if it was a tool. He was going to suck the honey right out of it. He cracked a smile and mumbled. ¡°Gut¡­stomach?¡± It sounded pretty violent. Nainiae was concerned because of it, so she asked as she looked at Riley¡¯s stomach. ¡°The Lower Solia doesn¡¯t have a phrase like that about gutting stomach?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It means I don¡¯t care what happens afterwards although I received something.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s exnation describing it in in words, Nainiae thought about what he meant as she coughed out a word of exmation. It was to make sure she does not forget what it meanster and get confused again when Riley uses the phrase again. ¡°The divine message was definitely about a dragon, right?¡± Having finished memorizing the phrase about gutting stomach, she nodded and then mumbled about the dragon. ¡°It turned out to be something that should not have been asked to you.¡± During that day, in the Solia Castle¡¯s bathroom, when Riley was asked by Priesia to do the favor, Riley suddenly startedughing as if he found the favor to be ridiculous. Nainiae felt like she could finally understand why. ¡°How would you feel if someone asked you out of the blue to y your friend?¡± Nainiae thought about Andal, a dragon who was on an amusement trip by having himself transformed into a human and running a pub in a town. Nainiae had a suppressedugh. ¡°I think I would have found it funny.¡± Nainiae was in middle of imagining about Sera insisting and begging Nainiae and saying ¡®I¡¯m very sorry, but please y Priestess Priesia.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. It is ridiculous.¡± As if she was indicating that she was not going to ask about it anymore, she used the ¡®leather bracelet,¡¯ one of Astroa¡¯s belongings, to bring out the dimensional container from thin air. She ced the gift into the container and said, ¡°Young master, after this, I was thinking we could have the magic lesson until dinner time¡­ What do you think?¡± ¡°All right. I think the timing works out well.¡± Riley led the way, and Nainiae followed behind him. *** ¡°She is a Six Circles mage? What nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was at Ryan¡¯s room. The fact about Nainiae, her being the Six Circles mage that yed a big role in suppressing Solia¡¯s Grand Mage Astroa, became known to everyone in mansion. Lloyd was in a state of panic. ¡°Gosh. Like I said before, I thought there was something more to her¡­ If this is the case, then what I saw before makes sense too.¡± ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°She used magic! She used magic to obliterate the training dummy in a single strike! She must have used a wind magic to¡­¡± ¡°Lloyd.¡± Having heard his name being called for the second time, Lloyd closed his mouth that he was using to yap away. Lloyd looked at his older brother. ¡°For now, just proceed.¡± ¡°¡­I understand.¡± ¡°Annabelle, did you know about this?¡± Ryan asked Annabelle who was sitting in front of him. Annabelle, not being able to refuse to answer, nodded. Her hand was shivering. It was indicating that something did happen. ¡°Still, I didn¡¯t know¡­that she is a Six Circles mage.¡± She wasn¡¯t just any Six Circles mage. Nainiae was a powerful practitioner of magic that brought down Grand Mage Astroa in a single strike when he was flying in the sky using the fly magic. ¡°Just how? How did Riley get¡­¡± ¡°It must have something to do with the medal of honor that he received from the Castle.¡± Just like his father had, Ryan started to tap the table with his finger. It looked like it must be a habit of his that came out when he got in a deep thought. ¡°What are you going to do? We can¡¯t just sit and watch. We need to go achieve a great exploit of our own¡­¡± They had to win thepetition for the sessorship. They had to because that was the only way to bring back their mother who was kicked out. In this situation, the news about Riley having Nainiae, a Six Circles mage who wants to serve him, was not pleasant to hear. ¡°That¡¯s right! I heard that there is a dark mage that¡¯s wreaking havoc all over the ce and causing headaches. How about we go cut off this dark mage¡¯s head?¡± Ryan sighed with a m face. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know how his little brother was feeling. However, it was going to be a difficult one to actually carry out. That was the reason. ¡°In that case, how about just telling people that thess named Nainiae is the dark mage? It just so happens that her appearance¡­¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± With his face twitching, Lloyd was giving out his opinion. Watching him, Annabelle quietly shook her head. ¡°I personally called for someone from the Magic Tower and asked. Her exploit was officially recognized. Also, she was even considered as the candidate for being the master of the Magic Tower. Because of this¡­ I don¡¯t think your idea would be possible.¡± That someone, who she called from the Magic Tower, was the Five Circles mage that Annabelle called to return the favor to Nainiae for having humiliated her. However, the mage, after seeing that it was Nainiae in the mansion, simply said ¡®I can¡¯t do anything to that person.¡¯ ¡°Ha!¡± Lloyd, acting frustrated, got up from his chair. He started to grind his teeth and throw fists toward the wall. He couldn¡¯t think of any other way to handle the situation with Nainiae. ¡°Damn it¡­¡± ¡°Lloyd. What¡¯s today¡¯s date?¡± ¡°Today?¡± Having heard his brother¡¯s question, Lloyd, who just mmed the wall, tilted his head to the sides. Lloyd was not able to answer. Watching this, Annabelle responded instead, ¡°To be exact, starting tomorrow, probably, the summer will start. But¡­why are you asking about that?¡± Summer. Thinking about the season which was about to change soon, Ryan narrowed his eyes. *** It was at the mansion¡¯s library. Having finished their dinner, Riley and Nainiae were back in the library to study about magic. There were a few books open on the ground. They were studying about time magic. ¡°Time magic¡­ It certainly is an interesting area of study. I think the magic could be used in various ways if we researched the time magic.¡± Although Nainiae was a Six Circles mage, even Nainiae didn¡¯t know much about time magic. Because of this, Nainiae had to study the area first before she could teach Riley about it. The book she was reading was not about a mage. Instead, to the very end, it was about a mage swordsman. Because of this, the book had insufficient amount of exnations¡­ However, she didn¡¯t mind it much. ¡°Things like the traveling speed of a magic is generally fixed. However, looking at it from theoretical perspective, if you utilize this aspect, I think it would be possible to shoot a fireball that would be fast enough to be undetectable to eyes.¡± It could be due to the experimental drugs from the Magic Tower, but her memory was pretty good. She was able to mumble like that because what she read in the books when she was in the Magic Tower still remained in her head. ¡°I see. It¡¯s intriguing. I like it¡­¡± On the other hand. Riley was listening to Nainiae¡¯s mumbling through one ear and letting it out through the other ear. His eyes werecking focus. ¡°Why do I have to be so bored?¡± Riley¡¯s eyes shifted in a three seconds interval. They shifted toward the slowly falling stream of water on the right side, and then they shifted toward the books that were waiting to be read by him. His eyes moved back and forth like that. ¡°This is the Two Circles¡¯¡­what again?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Two Circles¡¯ slow magic.¡± Riley asked the question. Having heard the question, Nainiae responded. The magic that Riley was practicing at the moment was Slow, a Two Circles time magic. It was a magic that used mana to make the subject move slower. ¡°It¡¯s boring me to death to just watch it drop.¡± They had a ss container with water in it. The container was tilted to let the water fall by the gravity, and he was practicing the magic on it to make the water fall slower. ¡°I think it would be more fun to do something that is faster. Can we change the order of doing things?¡± For the moment, Nainiae became a teacher instead of a maid. With an apologetic face, Nainiae asked, ¡°Young master, by any chance, have you ever tried riding a bicycle?¡± ¡°A bicycle?¡± ¡®They have bicycles in this world?¡¯ Although Riley never tried it in this world¡¯s life, he had in his past life, so he told her that he had experiences in riding it. ¡°When learning how to ride a bicycle, we learn how to stop safely first before riding it fast, right? It¡¯s to make sure you don¡¯t get hurt.¡± It was to prevent idents. The exnation was an obvious one, but it made sense. Tsk Riley clicked his tongue and redirected his gaze back to the ss bottle where water was falling. He started to focus on the ss bottle again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯m using magic at all. It is somehow really boring.¡± ¡°Please be patient for a little while longer. At this pace, you will be able to get to the next step very soon.¡± ¡°When is the next step?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the next step if you can make the falling water to stay in the air for two seconds.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Riley had his chin supported by his palm as he looked at the falling stream of water that was falling slower due to the time magic. Riley mumbled, ¡°Now that I think about it, it is going to be summer soon.¡± ¡°It will be.¡± ¡°It will be hot, right?¡± ¡°It will be¡­right?¡± Nainiae was studying time magic that she was going to teach Riley. She turned her head and looked at him. ¡°I hate hot weather.¡± Having heard her young master mumbling about how he hates hot weather, Nainiae tightened her fists and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, young master! I can make it cool for you!¡± ¡°That means I¡¯ll die from the heat during the morning and afternoon.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Nainiae blurred the end of sentence as she thought about Ian greeting Riley with a smile and saying ¡®Haha! Young master! It¡¯s a great morning again today!¡¯ It was because Nainiae could be next to Riley only during the evening and night. Ian was the one that served Riley during outside of those time periods. This was the ¡®line in the sand¡¯ that Ian proposed. ¡°To say it bluntly, Ian¡¯s fanning is the worst.¡± Riley made a tight fist with his hand that was open. The water inside the ss bottle, which was falling slowly, started to fall at its normal speed. ¡°Ugh¡­ Now that it hase to this, that¡¯s the only answer.¡± Riley was mumbling on in a frustrated tone. Having heard this, Nainiae was feeling sorry for Ian Chapter 70 - Summer

Chapter 70: Summer

¡°¡­It¡¯s hot.¡± The month changed. Riley was under a garden tree¡¯s shadow and killing time. He murmured again, ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± He had said it so many times. Countless times. ¡°Ah¡­ It¡¯s too hot.¡± ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley, who was lying all stretched out while leaning against the tree, moved his eyes after hearing someone¡¯s voice calling for him. ¡°It will only feel hotter if you keep saying it is hot. How about you think of something else?¡± It was Ian. ¡®Look who¡¯s talking. You are standing in the sun and sweating all over. How could you say that?¡¯ Thinking that, Riley asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you hot?¡± ¡°If you change your attitude, it is possible to not feel hot¡­¡± ¡°Cut the nonsense.¡± Riley furrowed his brows and interrupted Ian¡¯s words. It was summer. Summer came. It was the time period where the sunlight was at its hottest. It was no use even if Riley surrounded his entire body with mana. By the order of nature, it was still hot. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m mentally ill¡­ It¡¯s hot, so I should say it is hot. Am I supposed to say ¡®Oh my! It¡¯s so nice and cool?¡¯ Should I?¡± ¡°Ugh. Young master. That is a problem for you. It¡¯s because you are not moving. If you broke some sweat as a youth, you would actually wee a hot weather like this¡­¡± ¡°Bullcrap! Do dogs have horns?¡± As if he was trying to tell Ian to stop, Riley waved around his right arm. Ian¡¯s face and neck was covered with sweat. If anyone were watching the two just to see who was going to copse from heat exhaustion, it would probably been apparent that Ian was in danger of copsing that way. It looked that serious. ¡°It¡¯s a matter of mental power.¡± As if he was trying not to lose, Ian said one more thing. Riley¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°Ian, by any chance, do you want to quit?¡± ¡°Haha. Have you forgotten who rmended me for this job? There is Lady Iris, so¡­ I think you can set aside a worry like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley tightly shut his eyes and cursed inside. To Riley, who always got stretched out from the heat during summer, as if that wasn¡¯t enough, Ian¡¯s existence was about as annoying as cicada or mosquito. However, Ian was also someone who Riley would miss if Riley sent him away. After barely managing to suppress his frustration, Riley called Ian, ¡°Ian.¡± Ian responded in a strong voice, ¡°Yes!¡± Unlike ordinary people that got worn out by the heat, Ian was the type that got stronger from it. He was an odd one like that. Riley¡¯s frustration, which he just suppressed, came right back up. Riley mumbled, ¡°You. You are really terrible at fanning. Did you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard what Riley just said, Ian, who was diligently fanning Riley with a fan, stopped fanning. ¡°You are absolutely terrible.¡± It seemed Riley realized that attack on Ian was effective. He said it once again. In fact, Ian was bad at fanning. It was enough to add the adjective words, ¡®absolute worst,¡¯ to describe his fanning. ¡°If there is a talent called only picking warm air to fan, then you have a talent.¡± There should be cool breeze here and there. However, somehow, Ian only generated warm wind. It was making Riley feel disgusted. Riley¡¯s internal gauge for difort had reached its maximum value. Riley pointed at Ian. ¡°Really¡­ You are really bad at this¡­¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± In the middle of the sentence, Riley got stretched out due to the heat. Ian¡¯s shoulders lost strength and lowered after hearing what Riley said. From how Ian responded, it seemed that Ian was thinking he was pretty good at fanning. ¡°¡­Young master!¡± During a summer day, it was not certain how long Riley and Ian were there stretched out like that. It was a little after 2 p.m. Nainiae, who had just finished her work in the mansion, came to Riley. She rushed to be at his side. She even used ¡®Blink,¡¯ a Four Circles magic that enabled a short range teleportation. ¡°¡­Oh! You finished already?¡± Riley, who was all stretched out, suddenly changed his attitude and weed Nainiae. Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae gave a refreshing smile and responded, ¡°Yes. I got things done as fast as I could because I figured you must be feeling hot.¡± Her face wasced with sweat. That was the proof. Nainiae, who rushed to finish her work and came right over to Riley, used her magic. It was to cool Riley¡¯s surroundings. ¡°First, I¡¯ll vent the air.¡± She used Venttion magic. It was a Five Circles magic that could cool the surrounding area''s air. It could even clean the area¡¯s air and mana. She even used a lower level wind magic to generate cool breeze toward her young master. Having finished all that, Nainiae looked at Riley with a concerned face. ¡°¡­Ah¡­ I feel like I could live again.¡± Riley stretched out again, but this time, in a different pose. It felt like even his clothes, which were soaked with sweat, were being cleaned. It made Riley smile. ¡°Are you¡­alright?¡± When Nainiae carefully asked, Riley mumbled with a face full of contentment, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s good. It¡¯s perfect.¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­relieved.¡± Nainiae sighed in relief. On the contrary, the look on Ian¡¯s face was not looking good. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± ¡°Young master, excuse me¡­ I worked hard today.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± To Nainiae, Riley gestured as if he was trying to tell her toe to him. As if she was waiting for it, like a little puppy, Nainiae approached Riley and carefully leaned her head toward Riley. ¡°You have done well again today.¡± Riley gently patted Nainiae¡¯s head in a natural motion. How Riley was leisurely patting Nainiae¡­ The blushing look on Nainiae¡¯s face as she smiled¡­ The scene looked very natural as if it had happened before. ¡°Young master, can¡¯t you say things like that to me too?¡± Ian was ring at Nainiae. Ian¡¯s gaze was full of jealousy. Instead of an old man, Ian looked more like a child. Having seen the look on Ian¡¯s face, Riley also said to Ian, as if he was trying to say that he was giving in. ¡°All right. Ian, you worked hard too.¡± Ian had a look on his face. It looked as if he was protesting for a wrong that was done to him. Ian asked Riley, ¡°Somehow¡­ The tone is different, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s the same. Why are you asking?¡± Riley, who mumbled as if he was thinking it was all nonsense, leaned against the tree again. He never thought it would be this nice to not worry about the heat anymore, thanks to Nainiae. ¡°Um. As I thought. A mage is the best.¡± ¡°¡­Kup!¡± Riley unintentionally said it. Having heard it, Ian brought out a handkerchief and started to wipe off the tears in his eyes. *** ¡°Come on. Mr. Ian. Don¡¯t cry. It¡¯s nothing.¡± It was at the mansion¡¯s corridor. Ian was sniffling due to his runny nose. Sera, who was walking with Ian, was lulling Ian as if he was a child. ¡°Young master doesn¡¯t want¡­ kuhup¡­ me to be his¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just because of the heat. You know how he bes irritable like that every summer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m crying because I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy or sad. He had been studying recently¡­but he isn¡¯t studying about swords. He is studying about magic.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sera sighed as she shook her head. Ian, who barely managed to stop crying after sniffling several times, asked Sera about Nainiae, ¡°So, how is she?¡± ¡°You mean Nainiae?¡± Ian nodded when Sera asked back. ¡°Well,tely, she is not doing so bad. Actually, I could even say that she is doing a lot better.¡± ¡°Better? For instance?¡± ¡°In the past, because of the scars on her face, people all clicked their tongues when they had their eyes met with Nainiae, but nowadays, how should I say this, things arepletely different?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°As Lady Iris said, she is diligent at her work.¡± As Iris said, Nainiae was working diligently as a maid. ¡°There are many people that are looking at Nainiae positively. Although she is a Six Circles mage, she doesn¡¯t use tricks or try to cut corners. Also, we can see that she is working very hard for our young master, so¡­¡± Ian couldn¡¯t talk back because they were all true. Feeling a sense of rivalry, Ian cringed. Having noticed his face, Sera, with a mischievous look on her face, mumbled, ¡°Did you know? Nainiae is quite popr.¡± ¡°Popr?¡± ¡°Terry asked thisst time.¡± ¡°What did Terry ask?¡± Terry. Of all the butlers in Iphelleta mansion, he was one of the younger butlers. ¡°He asked how old Nainiae was.¡± ¡°¡­bullsheet?¡± Having heard what Sera said, Ian¡¯s bad habit popped out. ¡°Hey! Mr. Ian!¡± ¡°¡­¡± In panic, Sera quickly turned around and looked at Ian. Having realized his mistake, Ian covered his mouth with his hand. Fortunately, there wasn¡¯t anyone, Stein for instance, passing by there. ¡°Come on. He was probably just wondering how old she was. It didn¡¯t have that kind of atmosphere.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian, who just put down the hand he was using to cover his mouth, red at Sera¡¯s face as if he was going to punch a hole through her with his gaze. Having noticed this, Sera looked away and mumbled, ¡°Probably.¡± ¡°Sera?¡± ¡°That is, you know? As I said earlier, Nainiae is quite popr. There are still a few people that avoid her because of her scar and missing fingers, but we know that people will get to realize she is a good kid once they get to have a conversation with her. That is why everyone!¡± ¡°Sera.¡± Sera, who sighed because of Ian¡¯s mood, dered surrender as if she had no other options. ¡°Ugh. I got it.¡± ¡°I know Nainiae is a kind child. Even Lady Iris said so. It would be fine to say it is proven. I was actually feeling quite proud for her when I heard that she was acknowledged by the Count.¡± Ian continued, after directing his gaze to the front. Ian was also well aware that Nainiae was a good child. However¡­ No matter how much he hated mages, Ian still knew how to separate private and business matters. ¡°It is just that¡­ People shouldn¡¯t go too easy on her. It has not been long since she started serving our young master. Having an atmosphere like this could actually have negative influence on her.¡± ¡®She could getcent and be overconfident.¡¯ Ian was thinking that. It was because one could never tell how and when a person could have a change of heart. Ian, who was betrayed by someone he trusted in the past, was painfully well aware of this. ¡°If she intends to continue to serve Young Master Riley¡­¡± Therefore, Ian made up his mind to be very strict toward Nainiae. Even if everyone else around her went easy on her, he was going to watch her with strict standards. It was because, ¡°¡­she needs to do it right. I don¡¯t know how much longer I will be able to serve young master.¡± It was because he was hoping that Nainiae would take on the role when Ian was gone. ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t say things like that.¡± Having noticed the sadness in Ian¡¯s expression, Sera bumped the old butler¡¯s arm with her elbow. ¡°By the way, Mr. Ian. Still, Nainiae had many hardships and scars. I think this much is fine¡­¡± ¡°Sera! Can¡¯t you be mindful of the atmosphere!¡± ¡°Ah, I got it! Come on, Mr. Ian. Gosh!¡± The face, which was all red andplementing Nainiae, was now yelling in anger. Sera promptly ran away with a suppressedughter. *** ¡°¡­I gave it a serious thought, and¡­¡± It was dinner time. In a ce where the five people who were with Riley during his trip to Solia Castle, Riley spoke. ¡°As I thought, I think I¡¯ll have to go there again this year.¡± Having heard what Riley just said at the dinner table, Iris, with a question mark floating up above her head, asked. ¡°Are you talking about Rainfield?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having heard his nonchnt response, Sera smiled with a suppressedughter. Meanwhile, Ian¡¯s face was gradually turning into a face full of pain. Perhaps because this was the first time she heard about it, Nainiae was the only one tilting her head side to side. ¡°We went there every year. It¡¯s not like we have a reason for not being able to go.¡± ¡°Still, I figured you won¡¯t go this year because of Nainiae.¡± Having heard what Riley just said about having been there every year, Sera shrugged her shoulders and mumbled. ¡°I think I¡¯ll dry up and die during the morning and afternoon. It¡¯s shortening my lifespan.¡± ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± By the sound of Rileyining out loud with no intention of hiding it, Ian flinched as if he just got shot by an arrow right on his chest. ¡°Y-Young master. There are some bad rumors about Rainfield this year, so¡­ I think it would be best if you just stayed in the mansion.¡± Ian, who struggled and smiled, said it to convince Riley. ¡°Come on. You have been telling me to stop being sozy and do something outside of the mansion, but why are you always like that during the summer? Why can¡¯t you be consistent? Huh?¡± Riley said as he pointed toward Ian with a fork. Ian, who didn¡¯t have anything in particr to say in response, looked at Iris for help. ¡°If it is Rainfield, won¡¯t that be all right? As Riley said, we have been going there every year.¡± ¡°In Rainfield¡­¡± Ian exined as he made a tight fist. ¡°You can¡¯t break sweat in youth in Rainfield!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley, who was pointing at Ian with a fork, stared at Ian as if he was staring at a lunatic. Riley was wondering if there really was a dumbass that enjoyed heat, and today, it seemed like he discovered that dumbass. ¡°Excuse me. Ms. Sera. If it is Rainfield¡­ Is it the Rainfield that I know of?¡± Nainiae, who was looking at each of the three people having a conversation, quietly went next to Sera and asked carefully. ¡°Yes. It is.¡± Rainfield. It was a name of a city that was different from Solia. ording to a survey, it was the top-rated city for people wanting to go on a vacation during summer. Chapter 71 - Summer (Part 2)

Chapter 71: Summer (Part 2)

¡°Did you say it is a city where it rains all the time?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was during the morning. Nainiae, who was getting maid lessons from Sera, could not hide the surprise when she heard Sera¡¯s exnation about Rainfield. ¡°The city¡¯s name came from that fact. It rains whole day long without stopping. So, it is called Rainfield.¡± Morning, afternoon, and even during the evening¡­ Not only that, throughout all the seasons¡­ There was a city where it always rained. Rainfield was that kind of city, and it was pretty close to Solia. ¡°Itsnd size is not asrge as Solia, but it is still one of famous cities.¡± Sera exined as she cleaned a porcin decoration in the corridor by making mist to it with her breath. [Note: The author didn¡¯t exin what it was other than that it was made of porcin/ceramic] ¡°It¡¯s a city where everyone,moners, nobilities, and even royalties, goes to when the summer heat hits. There¡¯s no sunlight there, and because it rains whole day, it is cool there.¡± It was a city where it rains whole day. Nainiae figured it certainly would not be hot there even during summer since it rains whole day in Rainfield. Nainiae nodded as she cleaned a porcin object like Sera. ¡°That¡¯s probably the reason why young master wants to go to Rainfield. It gets pretty warm¡­when Mr. Ian is serving young master.¡± Sera added that, just like how the Solia¡¯s Main za lighted up with festivities during the swordsmanship tournament, Rainfield also bes lively with festivities during summer. ¡°A festival¡­¡± ¡°There are lots of beautiful things there. The fireworks along the waterfall path for instance.¡± ¡°Fireworks along the waterfall path?¡± ¡°It¡¯s prettyplicated to exin¡­ How should I put it?¡± Having finished with cleaning one porcin object, Sera put it down and started to exin more about Rainfield¡¯s waterfall path, ¡°Buildings in Rainfield are built with consideration for the endless rain. Thanks to this design choice, the roof design is quite unique. There is a pathway where the rainwater falls beautifully like waterfalls from these roofs.¡± Having heard what Sera just said, Nainiae pped her wings of imagination, but then she tilted her head side to side because she couldn¡¯t quite get a feel for it. ¡°Anyway, it is a really pretty pathway. As for the fireworks, they are literal fireworks.¡± ¡°Excuse me. Ms. Sera¡­ You just said it rains endlessly in Rainfield City. In that case, how does the firework¡­¡± ¡®How could there be fireworks in a ce where it rains endlessly?¡¯ When Nainiae pointed out the contradiction in the idea, as if Sera knew it wasing, she exined as she shrugged her shoulders, ¡°A long time ago, I heard a certain alchemist invented fireworks that do not get wet even in rain. The fireworks I¡¯m talking about are of these kinds.¡± Sera, who have picked up the next porcin object, continued as she tilted up the corner of her mouth with confidence. ¡°The waterfall path¡¯s fireworks are pretty amazing. I can say with confidence that it is one of the most beautiful scenery I have seen in my life.¡± ¡°It¡¯s that good?¡± ¡°Rays of lights and sparkling glitters of fire beyond beautiful waterfall are¡­ Gosh¡­ Although I¡¯m from Solia, I can dare to say there is nothing in Solia that can beat that scene.¡± Looking at Sera¡¯s sparkling eyes, also Nainiae¡¯s eyes sparkled in curiosity. *** ¡°¡­All right. I¡¯ll allow it.¡± ¡°You have been telling me every year to try going outside. Why are you being so hesitant this year?¡± They were at Stein¡¯s office. Riley, who had a business with his father, looked away and cracked a smile. Stein answered, ¡°I was concerned you might bring something like another medal of honor.¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± Stein¡¯s gaze was full of expectations. Having noticed this, Riley stoppedughing so nonchntly. He shook his head and said, ¡°Absolutely no way.¡± To Stein, who was shrugging his shoulders as he mentioned the medal, Riley said that will never happen. He promptly turned his body around and escaped his father¡¯s office. ¡°Now that I have his approval, shall I make a quick preparations and get going?¡± Having received Stein¡¯s approval, Riley cringed as he pped his clothes to vent the air inside. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s hot¡­¡± With a cringed face, he thought about Andal, his buddy, as he looked out the window. It was because of what Andal said before. Because Andal, a red dragon, was within the area, Iphelleta manor¡¯s summer might be a little hotter than other ces. ¡®A little? Do dogs have horns? If it is going to be like this every summer, I think I¡¯ll have to chase him away.¡¯ Although Riley had been getting help from Andal, it was still hard for Riley to endure the summer heat. Even the servants in the mansion were rolling their tongues because of the heat. It was to the point they were begging Nainiae to use cooling magic. There was no need to exin it for a second time. That would have only hurt Riley¡¯s mouth. ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°Ah, Ian.¡± Ian greeted Riley from the other side of the corridor. With firm grips on his own hands, Ian asked Riley, ¡°Did he¡­approve? He didn¡¯t, right?¡± ¡°Looks like you were hoping that my father wouldn¡¯t approve the trip. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes. Honestly, I was hoping he wouldn¡¯t approve it.¡± Ian, with a sincere look in his eyes, answered Riley. Having heard Ian¡¯s response, Riley twisted the corner of his lips and said, ¡°Unfortunately, he approved?¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be.¡± Ian¡¯s palms, which were in praying position, moved toward his temples. ¡°To begin with, it would be odd if he disapproved it when he had been approving it every year. Don¡¯t you think?¡± Riley, as if he was taking on the lead on the offenses, he started to make fun of Ian. Ian was a strange man who liked sweating in the heat. However, he didn¡¯t like being wet due to rain. Ian absolutely hated rain. It could be said that rain was Ian¡¯s mortal enemy. ¡°Ian. What about you? Are you going to stay in the mansion this year again?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Well, if you are going to stay here, I can have Sera toe with us¡­ Actually, no. this year, I think I can just take Nainiae instead. It would be convenient too.¡± Ian had a look on his face. He was protesting a wrongdoing done against him. He stared at Riley with that look. Ian was like a dog that couldn¡¯t quite fight back. It looked like Ian was not going to be able to go with Riley to Rainfield for vacation this year either. ¡°How long are you going to stay there?¡± Ian, not able to figure out what to do, asked Riley. He was asking when Riley was going toe back to the mansion. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± Riley tilted his head side to side as he walked toward the library, a ce that was at least cooler than the rest of the mansion. ¡°I probably will¡­stay there untilte summer?¡± ¡°Late summer?¡± ¡°Why? I stayed there for about two monthsst year. Don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Two months¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this year. How long will I be staying¡­¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s mumbling, Ian¡¯s face became more serious. It looked like he was agonizing over if he was going to go with Riley. ¡°I was hoping if you could look after my mother in the mansion while I¡¯m away. Will that be okay with you?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Having heard what Riley said, Ian started to make grumbling noise. It was because Ian had no reason to refuse it if that was Riley¡¯s wish. ¡°Actually, if I leave the house, having just Sera isn¡¯t enough, isn¡¯t it? That¡¯s why I¡¯m doing this every year too.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s words indicating his trust in Ian¡¯s abilities, Ian asked carefully, ¡°You said two months¡­right?¡± ¡°Well, depending on the situation? It could be sooner, and it could beter.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ian sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. That was his answer. Riley put his hand on Ian¡¯s shoulder. Riley was showing Ian that he is trusting Ian with the task of looking after his mother. Riley smiled widely, and Ian too smiled as if he was trying to say he will yield. *** It was the next morning. A carriage was prepared and waiting in front of Iphelleta mansion¡¯s entrance. It was waiting for departure. ¡°I installed a gate on Lady Iris¡¯s hand mirror. It enables frequentmunication using magic, so there is no need to worry so much.¡± Having exined about themunication magic to Iris, Nainiae used Astroa¡¯s leather bracelet and opened the storage space. As Sera advised, Nainiae meticulously checked the items inside the storage space. They were the items necessary for the trip. Having finished checking the contents, Nainiae closed the storage space and looked back toward Riley. It seemed like she was indicating that the preparations wereplete. ¡°We are ready.¡± ¡°Well then, shall we get going?¡± Iris, Ian and Sera were there to see them off. Perhaps it was because it was still very early in the morning. The three were the only ones there. ¡°In that case, please have a safe trip.¡± Ian decided not to protest anymore. It was because Riley asked Ian a favor. Hence, Ian was there to see them off. Ian was sniffling his runny nose. Riley got on the carriage first. Sera tapped on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and said to Nainiae who was about to get on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Nainiae. You just need to do as you were taught.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s advice, Nainiae gave a refreshing smile and sat on the driver¡¯s seat. As Iris watched this, as if she suddenly remembered something, Iris called for Nainiae. ¡°Ah! Nainiae! Wait!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Iris was holding something. Iris lightly stepped toward Nainiae and gave Nainiae something that was wrapped in a fabric. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± The object inside the fabric felt thin and sturdy. Nainiae, wondering what it was, floated a question mark above her head, looked at Iris and started to tilt her head side to side. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you will like it, but I made it for you to say please take a good care of Riley during the vacation.¡± Iris smiled with her mouth covered with her hand. ¡°It¡¯s what Riley used to use. I fixed it a little. I wonder if it will look good on you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that young master used to use?¡± Nainiae looked once at the gift, which she was curious about, and looked once at Riley inside the carriage, who was eagerly waiting for departure. Nainiae decided to open the giftter. She lowered her head to express gratitude to Iris. ¡°Thank you, Lady Iris. Since I received a gift from you, I¡¯ll work even harder and make sure to properly serve young master.¡± ¡°Okay then. I¡¯ll count on only you, Nainiae.¡± Iris took a few steps back and moved away from the carriage. Because it looked like it was going to be okay for them to depart now, Nainiae waved her hand to the three and moved the carriage. ¡°Let¡¯s see. ording to the map¡­ It will take about four days without taking any rest¡­ With hotels in between, that is about a week¡­¡± Nainiae used a simple telekinesis magic to have the map float up next to her as she drove the carriage. Using the map, she checked the distance and direction. ¡°¡­Hey.¡± While Nainiae was in middle of driving the carriage, Riley poked his head through the window. With his head toward the driver¡¯s seat, Riley started to talk to her. ¡°Yes, young master?¡± Nainiae, who was going back and forth between looking at the frontal view and the map, responded in a hurry. ¡°Are you really going to drive all the way there with a carriage? Can¡¯t we just teleport?¡± When Riley asked about Teleportation magic, Nainiae responded in a bitter tone, ¡°Young master, unfortunately, Teleportation is a Seven Circle¡¯s magic, so I cannot use it. Also, even if I was a Seven Circles mage, it would be difficult to get the right coordinates without a tool because Rainfield is too far. If things go wrong, one¡¯s body and legs could be teleported apart, so¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Her reasons made sense. Riley, who still didn¡¯t know much about magic, scratched his cheek a few times and said, ¡°In that case, it cannot be helped. I¡¯ll just use Chance again. Since there¡¯re just two of us now¡­¡± ¡°Chance¡­?¡± Nainiae looked back at Riley as she tilted her head side to side. Riley continued as he twisted the corners of his mouth. ¡°If you go over the facts, it became hot all of sudden as soon as the month changed because of that rascal. He needs to take the responsibility.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Take a left here.¡± Nainiae, who had a confused look on her face, turned the carriage to the left as Riley ordered. ¡°Excuse me, young master¡­ By any chance¡­¡± This direction¡­ It was familiar to Nainiae. It was a path that she traveled a few days ago. The tree branches, the ones that she sliced with wind magic, passed by quickly. With a mischievous smile, Riley said, ¡°After all, what do you do with a friend?¡± Chapter 72 - Shortcut

Chapter 72: Shortcut

It was a little after early morning. Andal, who was asleep in his personal space under the pub¡¯s changing room, was forced awake and made to stand in front of the pub by Riley. Riley had only one request to Andal. ¡°¡­You crazy rascal.¡± Andal, who didn¡¯t even manage to get rid of eye boogers, first started to pour out curses and swears after seeing the carriage that was stopped in front of the pub. ¡°¡­You dumbass rascal.¡± Andal was annoyed all the way to the tip of his head. His curses and swears were sincerelying from the bottom of his heart. ¡°Hey. Andal¡­ What¡¯s so difficult about using Teleport for us? What¡¯s all thisining about? It¡¯s a piece of cake for you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Riley asked as heughed mischievously. With his facepletely crumpled, Andal created a red hot me on top of his palm and said, ¡°Hey you, god damn it. If you were sleepingfortably but someone came and woke you up and told you, ¡®Hey, chew on this cake!¡¯ Would you feel great about that?¡± ¡°That would be the worst.¡± Andal promptly threw the fireball at Riley and shouted, ¡°You rascal!¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t pester a red dragon to buy you a cake!¡± Riley pressed down Nainiae¡¯s head and also lowered his body to barely dodge the fireball that wasing right at them. Boom! The lump of me that Riley dodged collided with a tree in front of the pub and started a fire. ¡°Ugh! You piss me off! You are fucking good at dodging!¡± ¡°Just where did you learn that kind ofnguage?¡± ¡°From a granny who is a regr at the pub. Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who is the dumbass here¡­¡± Although there was a loud ruckus happening right at that instant, the people of Iffa vige didn¡¯t evene out of their homes to check it out. Instead, it appeared they were still enjoying sleep through the morning. It was probably Andal¡¯s doing. ¡°Ao¡­¡± [Note: I have no idea what was meant to be said here. That¡¯s what it sounds like, and it is implied that the word was interrupted. It might be just a Korean variation of ¡°ugh,¡± although I have never seen it before. Perhaps it is name of a spell?] ¡°I got it. I got it. I¡¯ll pay you backter for this favor, all right?¡± Watching Andalining and grinding his teeth, Riley started tough again mischievously. Riley, who took a nce at Nainiae as he had a small quarrel with his friend, moved his eyes to direct toward the tree that was on fire. ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Although Riley didn¡¯t say it in words, Nainiae, who figured out what he meant, carefully walked toward it and used water magic on the tree. ¡°Tsk.¡± Nainiae was calmly suppressing the fire. Andal, who was watching Nainiae¡¯s ¡®ck colored¡¯ water magic, narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. [Note: In some chapters, the author says Nainiae¡¯s magic has gray color, not ck.] ¡°Hey, Riley.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll shoot a Teleport magic. So, as a debt¡­¡± Andal continued as he pointed at the back of Nainiae who was suppressing the fire, ¡°Give her to me.¡± ¡°Andal. I have been telling you for a long time now. If you want to enjoy your amusement trip, you need to ease up on your tendency to treat people like objects. Also¡­¡± Riley¡¯s tone toward Andal said he found the proposition to be ridiculous. Riley soon shook his head and refused. ¡°I can¡¯t give her to you. I¡¯m going to use her as air conditioner during summer and a space heater during the winter.¡± Riley responded while putting up a high and mighty pose. Andal looked at Riley as if he was looking at a weirdo. Andal asked, ¡°What the hell is an air conditioner? What¡¯s a space heater?¡± ¡°There are things like that. Anyway, I¡¯m telling you that I won¡¯t give her to you.¡± Having heard the response, Andal proposed something even more appealing, ¡°In that case, how about this? I have a guardian who¡¯s quite useful. She has higher number of Circles than thatss, and she is very diligent at work too. She is a spirit type whocks emotion, so she would be substantially more efficient at other tasks as well.¡± Andal was talking about a guardian that he had in his cave connected to the basement of his pub. This guardian was among the best. Andal was making a proposition to exchange the guardian with Nainiae. ¡°Did you say she has higher number of Circles than Nainiae?¡± Riley, with an intrigued face, looked at Andal. Andal shrugged his shoulder and nodded in a pleasant mood. He thought an agreement was about to be reached. ¡°I¡¯m not a human, so I don¡¯t know much about your kind¡¯s preferences, but I can proudly say that she is far prettier than Nainiae. Do you want me to show her to you?¡± With just a hand wave, Andal created a mirror in midair and asked. Riley cringed and pushed away the mirror. ¡°Hey. No thanks. Do I look like I would decide things based on just the appearance?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± ¡°So, you are saying that she is more skilled than Nainiae?¡± Riley asked after moving the mirror away. Having heard the question, Andal nodded and exined more about the guardian he mentioned. ¡°That¡¯s right. If she pushed herself to the limit, it is possible for her to use up to Eight Circles magic. She is an artificial spirit of the spirit king types. Because she is an artificial spirit, she doesn¡¯t have a specific innate type. She¡¯s very useful, I¡¯m telling ya?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Nainiae, who almost finished putting off the fire, even prepared a nt magic to raise the copsed tree back up. Root-like things grew from ck colored buds and carefully surrounded the tree that was split. The roots started to slowly raise up the tree. ¡°¡­Well?¡± Andal asked Riley again as he poked Riley with his elbow. It seemed Riley was thinking hard about this for a while. Riley had the same look on his face since a while ago. Soon, Riley shook his head firmly and responded, ¡°No.¡± It appeared that the answer was already decided before the proposition was made. ¡°No thanks.¡± ¡°Why?¡± It looked like Riley was intrigued, but the response that came back to Andal was still ¡®no.¡¯ Andal stared at Riley with a look on his face that said he doesn¡¯t understand Riley¡¯s thoughts. ¡°That girl¡­ She has a part that¡¯s simr to me. It doesn¡¯t feel right to hand her over to someone else. That¡¯s why.¡± Riley mumbled. A simr part¡­ To be precise, Riley was talking about himself from his past life. ¡°Simr to you?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Looking at Riley mumbling with a look on his face that Andal have never seen on Riley before, Andal suddenly¡­ ¡°Phup¡­¡± Andal suddenlyughed as he blocked his mouth with his hand. On the other hand, Riley¡¯s face was crumpled. ¡°What the hell?¡± ¡°Hey, that¡¯s a nonsense¡­ As you can see there, your servant is so diligent. What about you? You are here because you find it to be too much of a bother to go to Rainfield on a carriage. You are here throwing a tantrum at a dragon after waking him up from his sleep just to ask him to use Teleport magic for you. How could a runt like you im to be¡­ What was that now¡­ Simr to her?¡± Riley wiggled his eyebrows. It was because Andal wasn¡¯t wrong about it in any particr way. ¡°I have a reason. The kind that a dragon bastard doesn¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. It must be something quite extraordinary, Young Master Lazy Sword.¡± ¡°Stop yapping and just get the Teleport spell ready.¡± Riley, who had a vein popping up on his forehead, held in his anger and nagged Andal about the Teleport spell. ¡°You must be thinking everything will be easy if you just used Teleport. It actually takes nning.¡± By making fun of Riley, Andal was able to relieve some of the stress he incurred. Andal said, ¡°First, tell her toe over here.¡± Andal pointed at Nainiae, and Riley made a hand gesture to Nainiae to ask her toe. ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae, who restored the copsed tree using her nt magic, came toward Riley in light steps. ¡°Servant Nainiae, I¡¯ll exin this to you only once, so listen carefully.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Because Andal started talking to Nainiae so suddenly, Nainiae looked at Riley as if she panicked. ¡°Hear him out. He said he has something to tell you.¡± Nainiae acknowledged with a nod. Andal, who clicked his tongue, started to exin, ¡°Do you have a map?¡± ¡°Yes. I have it.¡± ¡°Bring it out.¡± Nainiae brought out the map from her pocket and opened it. The map had the path from Iphelleta mansion to Rainfield all marked up in wavy lines. It was the line that Nainiae drew with a pen. ¡°When you two get on the carriage, I¡¯ll use Teleport magic as requested by that wretch. I will. However, what do you think will happen if you guys suddenly appeared in middle of Rainfield City?¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s question, Nainiae, who thought about it for a moment, said what she thought might happen. ¡°Those that don¡¯t know about magic would panic, and others that do know about magic¡­would be wary of us. In the worst-case scenario, they might even think about arresting us¡­¡± ¡°You know very well.¡± Teleport was a Seven Circles magic. Even if that fact was ignored, it was certain that the responses from the people would not be good if Iphelleta House¡¯s carriage appeared in middle of Rainfield City out of the blue. ¡°Therefore, in order to avoid bothersome consequences or chaos from that, I¡¯m going to teleport you guys to¡­¡± Andal paused for a moment and raised his hand toward the map that Nainiae was holding. ¡°¡­this location.¡± The location that Andal pointed at was in middle of a nameless forest that was not far from Rainfield. ¡°You understood, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s exnation, Nainiae promptly nodded that she understood. ¡°You are bright. If it was Riley, he would not have understood it at all and asked me again.¡± ¡°Andal, cut the crap already. Seriously? I¡¯m going to kill you?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Andal, who sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink, looked at Nainiae. It seemed Andal was disappointed that he didn¡¯t get to have Nainiae. Andal pointed toward the carriage with his chin. ¡°Get on.¡± Having heard Andal, Nainiae, who nced at Riley, went ahead first and got on the carriage¡¯s driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Riley.¡± To Riley, who followed suit and was about to get on the carriage after Nainiae, turned his head in response to Andal¡¯s voice calling him. ¡°¡­What now?¡± ¡°About Nainiae, your servant.¡± Unlike his tone of voice until now, Andal¡¯s voice was serious this time. ¡°¡­¡± Riley vacantly stared at Andal¡¯s face. Andal just stood there with a dramatic pause. So, Riley asked first, ¡°¡­Is it about her lifespan?¡± ¡°As I thought, you already knew? Actually, it would be weirder if someone like you didn¡¯t know about it.¡± Andal mumbled like he figured as much and then continued, ¡°What are you going to do about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This time, it was Riley who fell silent. Because Riley was keeping silence just like how he was a moment ago, this time, it was Andal that spoke first, ¡°Of the human guests who I met yesterday¡­¡± Andal, who was on an amusement trip as a human, was currently working as an owner of a pub. ¡°I met someone who had a unique kind of profession. I became very interested in trying that once.¡± ¡°A unique kind of profession?¡± Listening to Andal continuing his story, Riley wiggled his brows. *** ¡®¡­It¡¯s taking him quite a while.¡¯ Meanwhile¡­ ¡®Shall I clean the carriage a little?¡¯ Nainiae, who was already sitting on the carriage¡¯s driver¡¯s seat, vacantly turned her gaze and looked at the carriage. ¡®No. I heard that it rains endlessly in Rainfield, so¡­ There is probably no need to wash the carriage. If there isn¡¯t anything to clean at the moment, is there anything I can get done while I wait?¡¯ Nainiae, who didn¡¯t want to just wait without doing anything, moved her eye around. Her eye eventually found the gift that Iris gave him before Nainiae and Riley departed for Rainfield. ¡®Should I open it now?¡¯ Nainiae took a quick nce at Andal and Riley. It looked like their conversation was not showing any sign ofing to its end. She figured she will have time, so she moved her hand toward the gift. It had been a long time since Nainiae received a gift. She couldn¡¯t remember how many years it had been. ¡®¡­I wonder what it is?¡¯ Nainiae traced back her feint memories of her childhood. The veryst gift that she received was during her ninth birthday. It was a chocte bread from her mother. That was all. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Opening the gift wrapped in a fabric, Nainiae confirmed what was inside. Her eyes opened wide. She was wondering what it was until now because it was something thin and hard. It was a mask. ¡°A mask¡­¡± It was the mask that Riley was wearing when Nainiae met Riley for the first time in Solia. The mask was modified by Iris. Now, over half of its coverage was cut off. The remaining coverage was just enough to cover Nainiae¡¯s scar. ¡°Ah¡­ Lady Iris¡­¡± Without her realizing it, Nainiae had a fragile and tender look on her face. Nainiae touched the mask. For a mysterious reason, from the mask, which was modified to hide the injury on the wearer, Nainiae thought she could feel warmth. She didn¡¯t know how others would feel about this gift. However, to Nainiae, it was the best and an incredibly warm gift. ¡°Thank y¡­¡± Cough! Nainiae was mumbling words of gratitude toward Iris for making this gift. However, Nainiae started to cough. ¡°¡­Cough! Cough!¡± In haste, Nainiae covered her mouth with the top of her hand. She continued to cough. ¡°Cough!¡± For some reason, the coughing was difficult to stop. Nainiae furrowed her brows. With one of her eyes squinting, she looked at the top side of her hand. ¡®¡­Ah.¡¯ Coughing barely came to a stop. Nainiae, who was looking at the top of her hand, couldn¡¯t do anything but open her mouth vacantly. There was lifelessly dark blood on the top of her hand. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae, who had her mouth open vacantly, recalled what Priesia said back in the Solia Holy Temple. ¡®I can¡¯tpletely cure the illness. I can extend your lifespan¡­ If it is short, it mayst until the summer. If it is really long, it mayst until the winter. I think it willst until the autumn.¡¯ Soon, Nainiae, who had her mouth open, smiled gently. ¡°Still¡­¡± Looking at the mask that she received from Iris as a gift, Nainiae was smiling. Her smile looked like she had never been happier. ¡°¡­I feel happy.¡± Nainiae murmured as she touched the mask, ¡°Thank you, Lady Iris. A magnificent gift like this¡­ Honestly, I think I don¡¯t deserve such a gift.¡± Nainiae was blushing in embarrassment as she smiled. Chapter 73 - Shortcut (Part 2)

Chapter 73: Shortcut (Part 2)

It seemed Riley finished his conversation with Andal. He was walking toward the carriage to get on it. ¡®Oh, right¡­¡¯ Nainiae, who was sitting in the driver¡¯s seat with a nk stare, was concerned that Riley might notice the ck blood on top of her hand. She hurriedly cleaned it up and pretended everything was in order. ¡°Are you ready?¡± Riley got on the carriage. Andal, who came to the front of the carriage after Riley, asked if the two people were ready. ¡°Yeah.¡± Riley, who just got on the carriage, said as he poked his thumb outside the window, ¡°Andal, when we areing back, I¡¯ll be asking for your help again, all right?¡± ¡°Stop talking bull crap.¡± Andal cringed big time, snapped right back at Riley, and turned around. Andal, who just looked at Nainiae sitting in the driver¡¯s seat, still had slightly crumpled face. It was because he noticed a little bit of blood stain that Nainiae did not manage to wipe off. ¡°Ready?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae, who had the area around her mouth hidden behind her right arm, nodded in response. Having heard it, ¡°¡­Teleport.¡± Andal moved his mana and cast Teleport, a Seven Circles magic. He didn¡¯t recite any spell. Arge magic circle was generated below the carriage just from Andal murmuring the name of the magic spell. Nainiae¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡®Incredible¡­ How is he able to do it?¡¯ If Nainiae was going to cast Teleport, she would have first closed her eyes to focus on the coordinates and then recited the spell for a long while. Only then the magic circle would have appeared and activated the magic. ¡®I don¡¯t think it is a normal method. It is definitely different from how us humans use magic.¡¯ The magic circle that Andal generated was at a whole another level from the Teleport that Astroa had been using. It was not for just moving within a city. Andal¡¯s magic was for teleporting a great distance to a different city. It was perhaps obvious that the size of the magic circle would berger. However¡­ Nainiae was still impressed. ¡®Could I be able to do it?¡¯ It was obvious why Nainiae would wonder about such a thing. After all, she was a mage as well. ¡°Buy me a gift there and bring it to me.¡± ¡°If I remember.¡± ¡°You rascal. You gross me out.¡± As Riley and Andal¡¯s conversation continued, the silver light exuding from the magic circle underneath the carriage was starting to intensify. Soon, when the light waspletely extinguished, let alone the carriage, there was no trace of Riley or Nainiae. *** Tsuwaaaaaa¡­. ¡®Is that the sound of rain?¡¯ Because of Andal¡¯s Teleport magic, Nainiae¡¯s vision was blurry at the moment. Nainiae, who blinked several times while sitting in her seat, could hear the sound of screams. ¡°¡­Kuuuurrr!!¡± ¡®What¡­is this sound?¡¯ ¡°Gosh. Of all ces to send me, why did he send us here?¡± Soon, she could hear Riley¡¯s voice. It was a voice mixed with a full dose of frustration. ¡°Uuwarrr! Kuurr!¡± As if it was in response to Riley¡¯s voice, the roar could be heard again. The roar was incredibly loud and fearsome. It was enough that Nainiae wondered if its breath could be felt on her face. Nainiae scrunched up her face and narrowed her eye. It was to regain her sight somehow. ¡®Just what is going on¡­¡¯ Sururung¡­ While Nainiae still didn¡¯t have her vision recovered, she could hear a sharp noise through the roar. Having been taught swordsmanship from Sera, Nainiae was well aware of what the ¡®Sururung¡¯ sound she just heard was. It was the sound of a sword being drawn. ¡°¡­Young master?¡± Stomp! Stomp! Nainiae felt the seat¡­no¡­the entire carriage being shaken. Arge something was shaking the ground. The shaking was growing stronger, and the roar was getting closer. They were telling Nainiae that there was something rushing toward them. ¡°You still can¡¯t see, can¡¯t you?¡± Riley asked Nainiae. Nainiae, ashamed, responded to him, ¡°Yes¡­ I still can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Gosh¡­ That bastard Andal¡­ He was going to send us to a crappy ce like this, yet he wants a gift? What a nonsense. Really.¡± Kiiiik The sound of the carriage door opening could be heard, and¡­ Step Step Sounds of someoneing down from the carriage by stepping on its stairs could be also heard. It was most likely Riley who was in the carriage. ¡°Wait quietly for a while. Keep your ears open.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Nainiae had no idea what was happening at the moment. However, Nainiae had made up her mind back in Solia that she will follow Riley unconditionally. So, Nainiae simply nodded and sat there quietly in waiting for Riley¡¯s next order. ¡°Kuuurrr!¡± Stomp! The sounds of steps that shook the ground stopped. Nainiae could feel a chill above her head. She figured that a giant existence must havee all the way to the front of the carriage. Despite that, Nainiae waited quietly. ¡°From the distance, I thought it was just a stick, but I see you are carrying an entire piece of tree plucked right out of the ground. You are pretty strong? Uh?¡± Riley¡¯s voice could be heard. The voice was somehow saturated with frustration. ¡°There will be blood stter to the carriage, so have a protectiveyer cast.¡± Nainiae immediately used a barrier. Surrounding the carriage, a round semi-transparentyer was created. ¡°Kuuarrr! Uuur?¡± Tsuwaaaaa¡­ Now that Nainiae listened to it more carefully, she realized it was not the sound of rain. It was the sound of leaves shaking in the wind. ¡°¡­Kuuur?!¡± In midst of the sounds of the leaves shaking, there was a very small sound. Nainiae had heard that sound before. It was the same sound she heard when Riley swung his sword back in Solia. ¡°Kuuuurrrr!¡± After hearing a beastly roar¡­ Pat Pat Something was dripping onto her barrier. It was not rain. It was something sticky. She could guess that it must be blood. ¡®Finally¡­my eye is slowly¡­¡¯ Nainiae opened her eyes. Her vision, which was blurry, gradually returned. She was finally able to observe her surroundings. The carriage was in the middle of a forest. ¡°Ah?¡± With her vision back to normal, the first thing besides the scenery that she noticed was a giant monster that had one of its arms cleanly cut off. The monster was taking steps back. It had yellowish peach colored skin. It had a huge stomach like a glutton. Despite that, its face and arms were wrapped in tough muscles. It gave off terrifying aura. The creature was¡­ ¡®Ogre!¡¯ It was about five times the height of an adult human and had an ugly face with fangs poking out from the lower lip. It even had strange tattoos pasted on its face. Everything about the ogre was a match to what Nainiae had seen in a book. Resting on his shoulder was the sword that he just swung. Having confirmed that Nainiae could see now, Riley turned around and asked about the identity of the monster, ¡°This is an ogre, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I believe it is.¡± ¡°Look at this. Andal dropped us in a ce with a monster. That lunatic bastard.¡± Riley, with an annoyed look on his face, tapped his shoulder with his de to massage his shoulder. He turned his head again and looked at the ogre that had an arm cut off by Riley. ¡°Kuuuuurrrrr!!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so noisy. Nainiae.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Nainiae nodded and used silence magic. The loud beastly roaring out of ogre¡¯s mouth was blocked, and the forest became quiet as if it regained its peace. ¡°That Andal, rascal¡­ No matter how I think about it, I think he sent us here on purpose.¡± ¡°Young master. This ogre¡­ If you don¡¯t finish it off quickly, it will go berserk.¡± Although the sound was blocked, it was still screaming with its mouth wide open. Nainiae noticed the ogre¡¯s eyes were gradually getting saturated in bloody red. She prepared a magic and asked for her young master¡¯s permission. ¡°Berserk?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Running berserk was an innate ability of ogres. It activated when an ogre¡¯s eyes turnedpletely red. When activated, ogre used all of its might. ¡°If you do not mind it, shall I finish it?¡± ¡°No. There is no need.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Actually, I was in middle of testing it, so¡­¡± ¡°Testing it?¡± ¡°Well, it is actually working pretty well.¡± Riley turned his body and shrugged his shoulder. When he did, the ogre, which had its eyes turnedpletely red and entered the berserker mode, charged toward Riley with its mouth drooling to below the chin. ¡°Young master! It¡¯s dangero¡­¡± Nainiae was going to shout that it was dangerous to stand there. However, Nainiae stopped before finishing the words. It was because the drop of drool falling from the ogre¡¯s mouth was gradually falling slower. ¡°I tried using the time magic, and¡­¡± The ogre¡¯s drool drop fell from its chin first. Following suit after it with a bit of time dy, the ogre¡¯s head slid off of the neck and fell. Perhaps it was because Nainiae¡¯s silence magic was still in effect, but the silent scene was somehow eerie to watch. ¡°Ah¡­¡± It started with the ogre¡¯s drool, then there was the head, and now, the head was faltering and tilting because the neck was cut. The scene was quite disturbing. ¡°Since I can do this much, will it be all right if we got started on the next step?¡± Thump! There was no sound from the impact because of Nainiae¡¯s silence magic, but the ground shook quite violently from the impact of the ogre¡¯s body falling. ¡°Y-Yes.¡± Nainiae looked at the ogre¡¯s shoulder and neck which were cut off clean, and then she looked at Riley¡¯s sword. ¡®As I expected, young master¡­¡¯ There was so much blood sshed on the barrier that Nainiae had cast. On the other hand, there was not even a drop of blood on Riley¡¯s sword. ¡°What are you staring at so hard?¡± Impressed, Nainiae was at a loss for words. Having heard Riley¡¯s voice, she woke up from her shock. ¡°I was thinking you are simply amazing.¡± ¡°Are you trying to tter me? So? What did you think of my time magic?¡± After she came to the Iphelleta mansion from Solia, Nainiae had be Riley¡¯s servant before long. However, when it came to magic, she was pretty strict. It was to make sure Riley didn¡¯t struggle in the future because of having learned faulty magic. However, in this instance, Nainiae had no choice but to give him a great score. ¡°100 points¡­ If I could give you more, I would. It was perfect.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Riley murmured satisfied. He put the sword back in the sheath and approached Nainiae. ¡°Where are we now?¡± ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± Because of Andal¡¯s Teleport spell, they should be at the forest near Rainfield. When Riley asked, Nainiae used Astroa¡¯s leather bracelet and brought out the map that was stored inside. ¡°I think we are near this area. However¡­ There isn¡¯t any definitendmark around us. So, making a hasty decision about which way to go is¡­¡± With her finger on the map, Nainiae double-checked the direction and path leading to Rainfield. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± Finding all this to be ridiculous, Riley made a hollowugh. Instead of Rainfield City, they were teleported to a forest near Rainfield for a reason. It was to avoid unnecessary chaos or bothersome consequences. ¡°Avoid bothersome stuff? Do dogs have horns¡­¡± Riley ground his teeth for Andal¡¯s not so considerate consideration. He scratched his head hard. Meanwhile, Nainiae said, ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I used the Search magic just in case, and I think there are a few carriages parked in a ce that¡¯s not far from here. I think they are headed to Rainfield¡­ Should we join them?¡± Riley was concerned that they might have to wonder around aimlessly. So, what Nainiae just told him was definitely a good news. ¡°Is that so?¡± Riley could not think of any other option. It was summer, and it was hot. Riley didn¡¯t want to stay in a forest in this weather any longer. He walked toward the inside of the carriage with a scrunched up face and said, ¡°All right. Let¡¯s join them. It¡¯s not like we have any other option, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Having confirmed that Riley lied down inside the carriage, Nainiae removed the Barrier that she had cast around the carriage and started to drive the carriage. ¡°¡­¡± It was after Riley left the scene. Perhaps several tens of minutes have passed. Ogre¡¯s dead body started to show strange symptoms. ¡°¡­!¡± Twitch! It moved. The dead body started to move and twist in all sorts of disturbing directions. Along with a sound of bones snapping¡­ ¡°Kuuoooo¡­¡­¡± The ogre, which was dead, opened its eyes wide. Its eyes werepletely ck like ck pearls. Chapter 74 - Nara Basilisk

Chapter 74: Nara Basilisk

There were roughly eight or nine carriages that were parked and resting in a pretty wide empty space in the middle of the forest. ¡°¡­I think this should be enough.¡± Nainiae parked the Iphalleta¡¯s carriage next to other carriages, put on the mask that Iris gave her, and approached the people gathered there. ¡°Excuse me.¡± The people gathered there, who were engaged in loud chatter, all stopped talking and looked at Nainiae. ¡°¡­Huh?¡± People, who had discovered Nainiae in maid uniform, all tilted their heads side to side with different expressions on their faces. ¡°A maid? She¡¯s a maid, right?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a maid doing here?¡± ¡°What are the mercenaries doing?¡± ¡°Hey. Hey. It¡¯s not like an orc showed up. Why are you getting angry again?¡± ¡°What brings you here?¡± Was it because of the mask that Iris prepared for her? Thanks to the mask, Nainiae was able to avoid the worst first impression possible. Sighing in relief, Nainiae went straight to the point. ¡°By any chance, are you headed to Rainfield?¡± ¡°Yes. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°In that case, will it be all right if we followed you? This is the first time I¡¯m traveling to Rainfield, so I¡¯m confused about the path¡­¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, the people gathered in the open area all exchanged gazes and then looked at her. ¡°Are you alone?¡± ¡°No. There is another.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s response, the people exchanged gazes again. Some were shaking their heads left and right. It seemed like not everyone was in agreement. In middle of it, a young man that appeared to be the representative of the group smiled like a good man and asked, ¡°Excuse me, but if the other traveler is a nobility, then we will have to ask the name of the family. Is that all right with you? It would be even better if you could show us an identification.¡± ¡°An identification?¡± ¡°To put it bluntly, it could be that you are trying to scam us, you get it?¡± Of the group, a boy that appeared to be the youngest of them all said it stingingly while ring at Nainiae. ¡°Ugh. This runt is talking like this again. Excuse me, miss. Please don¡¯t think of him too badly. You can see that it would be very bad for us if we ran into bandits. That¡¯s the reason why.¡± The man that appeared to be the representative of the group exined why he asked what he did. ¡°I see.¡± Looking at it from their perspective, Nainiae and Riley were definitely more of unweed guests than anything else. They had no way of knowing who Nainiae and Riley were. To put it bluntly, she would have been at a loss for words even if she were used of being a henchman of some bandits. ¡°I understand. We are the ones asking you for the favor of leading us the way, so I see no reason why we can¡¯t show you something like an identification.¡± Nainiae nodded as if she epted the terms. She sent mana to Astroa¡¯s leather bracelet and opened the dimensional space. ¡°Huk?!¡± ¡°That, that is?¡± People who witnessed the dimensional space opened their eyes wide. It seemed that this was their first time seeing it. ¡°My young master is inside the carriage at the moment, so I cannot introduce him to you. However, I believe you probably have heard of him at least.¡± Having finished her exnation, Nainiae put her hand inside the dimensional space, brought out a badge that symbolized Iphelleta House and showed it to the people gathered. ¡°This symbol is definitely from a House of count¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a symbol of Finn Iphelleta from Solia.¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s famous for swordsmanship!¡± ¡°Yes. My young master was heading to Rainfield for a vacation. However, because I started this job only recently¡­¡± Nainiae ced the badge back into the dimensional space and bowed properly. ¡°Please. Can you lead us the way?¡± Could it be that all the training she received from Sera finally showed its effectiveness? People exchanged looks with each other, mumbled ¡®it¡¯s probably fine,¡¯ and nodded. ¡°All right.¡± *** After talking to the group for a while, it became apparent that the carriages that were resting on the forest¡¯s open field were not for people on a vacation trip toward Rainfield. ¡°We are not famous, so I¡¯m not sure if it is worth mentioning this to you, but we are a small tradingpany that was established recently. We happened to have a business in Rainfield, so we are going there to sell goods that are in peak season.¡± It was middle of summer. The summer¡¯s heat wave was in full force. Because of it, there were people from all over the worlding to Rainfield. If the group sold merchandise in Rainfield at this time, they would be able to make a good profit. That was the exnation by Reitri, the group¡¯s representative. ¡°So, what you are saying is, you are going to suck on the honey.¡± Having heard what Reitri said, Riley, who apparently came out of the carriage possibly due to boredom, mumbled as he got a piece of sandwich that the group was eating. ¡°Oh. This is tasty.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Soon, he even took the group¡¯s brown sugar beer. Riley leisurely enjoyed the drink, but he felt a gaze ring at him from the side. Riley turned toward the gaze and narrowed his eyes to re right back. It was a ¡®what are you staring at?¡¯ look. ¡°You got something to say?¡± Riley asked. The tradepany¡¯s boy asked with his eyes strained, ¡°You are supposed to be a nobility from a count¡¯s House. Don¡¯t you have any conscience?¡± ¡°What is this kid talking about?¡± Riley chewed on the sandwich as if there was nothing wrong, turned his head, and asked. ¡°Ahah. My apologies. Horai, this rascal is still young¡­ Also, he grew up in a city without any nobilities, so he is not used to this kind of things. Please understand¡­¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s voice trying to mitigate the situation, Horai, the red-haired boy with a stern look in his eyes next to Riley, got up abruptly with a frustrated look on his face. ¡°Uncle! Are you a sap? A tool? You are a merchant. What are you going to do if you give everything away for free? If you give something, shouldn¡¯t you receive something in return!¡± ¡°Horai, you¡­¡± ¡°Uncle¡­ You don¡¯t know anything! Damn it!¡± The body yelled and turned around. With his teeth locked, he started running. It was an exemry behavior for of an immature child. [Note: The author was being sarcastic with the word ¡®exemry.¡¯] ¡°Horai!!¡± Reitri hurriedly got up and put forth his hand, but he scratched his head awkwardly after looking at Nainiae and Riley. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. He is still young¡­¡± ¡°Indeed. It shows.¡± Horai tripped over a rock and fell while he was running. Watching this, Riley cracked a smile and mumbled. ¡°He is like that because he is the type who only believes what he can see immediately in front of him. Does he know that his uncle is doing business right now on making connections?¡± ¡°Haha. Was it¡­obvious?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a basic foundation for merchants, so¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha¡­¡± A few sandwiches and a few sses of brown sugar beer¡­ With just those, Reitri was being given an opportunity to make an impression to the Solia¡¯s Iphelleta House in person. Although he could not be certain about it, and even if that was not possible, this was an opportunity to have a conversation with a nobility. To Reitri, it was certain that this was a profitable business. ¡°I see that you have one¡­two¡­three¡­ Huh? Weren¡¯t you going for a big score? These carriages aren¡¯t all that big, and there aren¡¯t many carriages either. What do you n to sell in Rainfield?¡± Having counted the number of carriages with his fingers, Riley turned to Reitri and asked. ¡°Ah, they are umbres.¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s response, Riley, with his head tilting side to side, asked back, ¡°Umbres?¡± It rained endlessly in Rainfield. It didn¡¯t skip a day for many long years. If Reitri was going there to simply sell umbres, Riley could say with certainty that it was not going to be a particrly good choice. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not just an ordinary umbre. It¡¯s made to be a little special. It could be considered as an invention. That would make it easier to describe it.¡± ¡°Is that so? An invention¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to see it?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to buy one.¡± Reitri had a bright look on his face in excitement for the opportunity to show Riley his umbre, but hearing Riley refuse so leisurely made Reitri to sulk. ¡°What about guarding?¡± Riley asked Reitri who had a disappointed look on his face. It was because he didn¡¯t notice anyone around the carriages that looked like mercenaries or knights. ¡°By any chance, are the ones on the outer perimeters all you have? Four¡­ No. About five people?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Mercenaries?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley looked toward the outer perimeter of the open area after widening his senses. Looking at the direction where Horai ran toward, Riley was asking about the guards. Having heard his question, Reitri responded awkwardly, ¡°This is my fourth time traveling with them. How should I say this? Quality over quantity? It feels like they are each worth a hundred guards. Instead of traveling around with many guards, I find this to be a far better arrangement. I can save on food as well.¡± Having heard Reitri exining while scratching his head, Riley mumbled with a mischievous look on his face, ¡°Each worth a hundred guards? I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley soon turned his gaze. His gaze met with Nainiae¡¯s, and Nainiae turned her head side to side, blinking her eyes and wondering what it was about. ¡°To im that they are worth that much, I think they allowed our carriage¡¯s approach too easily. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Reitri flinched as if he just got stabbed right at the weak point. ¡°I guess¡­so.¡± Riley asked because there was no sign of any guards while Nainiae drove the carriage toward where the tradepany group was resting. ¡°Where could they have gone?¡± It was when Reitri mumbled on in panic. Footsteps of approximately four people could be heard. ¡°¡­Hey!! Mr. Reitri!!¡± Everyone¡¯s gaze, including Riley and Reitri¡¯s, were turned toward where the voice wasing from. ¡°Uncle! Uncle! Take a look at what Basil hunted! Look!¡± Horai, the one who ran off with gritted teeth, was among the footstep sounds. His face was full of excitement. How he was talking seemed like he just saw something intriguing. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Mr. Reitri, I think this ce is no good. In this area¡­ I think there are ogres roaming about. I killed one that wasing this way, but if there is a partner, another bastard mighte this way.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes after observing the appearances of the peopleing with Horai. It was because there was another boy, who was walking in front of the group, holding the head of a monster. It was an ogre¡¯s head. ¡°So, I think it would be best if we got ready fast and get goi¡­¡± The boy, who had the ogre¡¯s head on his right hand, quickly turned over the head to the back and moved his hand toward the spear that was hanging on his back. ¡°¡­What¡¯s this? An unweed guest?¡± Noticing the boy¡¯s words and behavior, Nainiae, who was standing by behind Riley, narrowed her eyes and focused mana. ¡®Three seconds¡­¡¯ Nainiae was going to make a preemptive strike against the boy using a wind magic if the boy tried to swing that spear to Riley or didn¡¯t let go of it within three seconds. ¡°Ah Ah! No! No! They are guests!¡± Reitri hurriedly got up and waved his arms around. The boy let go of the spear and sighed. ¡°What¡¯s this? I was worried that something happened while I was out killing an ogre.¡± ¡°No! Basil! These guys are unweed guests!¡± ¡°What? They are?¡± Having heard Horai¡¯s words, the boy was not sure what to make out of the situation. He looked at Reitri again. ¡°No!¡± Reitri immediately said that was not the case. Reitri came right up to Horai, made a tight fist, and gently nudged the top of his nephew¡¯s head. ¡°Kek!?¡± ¡°They are guests! They are from pretty high nobility!¡± The boy with the spear wasughing from looking at Horai in tears after getting a nudge from Reitri. Having heard what Reitri said, the boy tilted his head side to side and asked, ¡°High nobility?¡± ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t made introductions yet.¡± Reitri was nudging Horai¡¯s head again, but he got a grip and started to make introductions. ¡°This is Mr. Nara Basilisk, the representative of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group. He is currently guarding our tradepany group.¡± Reitri finished introducing Nara Basilisk, the boy with a spear. Reitri turned his head to introduce Riley. ¡°This is¡­¡± ¡°¡­Iphelleta.¡± Reitri was going to introduce Riley, but he stopped talking. It was because the boy named Basilisk spoke first. ¡°You¡­knew?¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s question, Basilisk pointed to the badge on Riley¡¯s clothes and narrowed his eyes. ¡°That symbol. It¡¯s the symbol of Iphelleta House, a House of count, right?¡± Riley, with a ¡®so what¡¯ kind of look on his eyes, tilted his head side to side and asked back, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that moment, Basilisk moved his hand toward the spear on his back. Noticing this, Nainiae used Blink, a close-range teleportation magic. Nainiae, who appeared in front of Riley in blink of an eye, widely opened the eye on the side that was not covered by the mask and had her right hand raised. ¡°Ian¡­¡± Basilisk drew his spear in an instant and was in a stance to thrust the spear. Basilisk murmured someone¡¯s name. ¡°What?¡± Riley, who furrowed his brows, asked back. Basilisk asked again by saying the name of someone. ¡°Ian, the mercenary hero¡­ I heard he is currently residing there. Is that right?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s name being abruptly mentioned, Nainiae, who was shielding Riley¡¯s front, narrowed her eyes. Chapter 75 - Nara Basilisk (Part 2)

Chapter 75: Nara Basilisk (Part 2)

Nainiae had her right hand raised to the front and her left hand near the handle of a de on her waist. Facing Basilisk who was wielding a spear, Nainiae asked, ¡°You know¡­Mr. Ian?¡± ¡°Of course I know who he is. There isn¡¯t anyone among those who make living as mercenaries that doesn¡¯t know his name.¡± With the tip of his spear aimed diagonally toward the ground, Basilisk answered. His eyes were still as fearsome as before. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Basilisk¡¯s attitude said to go ahead and fight him if she had anyints. Noticing this, Nainiae looked toward where Riley was sitting. ¡®If he is someone that knows who Mr. Ian is, I don¡¯t think I should be rude and treat him carelessly. However, if I let it be like this, young master¡¯s position will be¡­¡¯ Nainiae was hesitating for a while. Having decided that she could not let this be, she was about to demonstrate her abilities. It was at that moment, Riley, who had sessfully finished eating a whole sandwich while sitting leisurely, dusted off his hands and got up. ¡°So?¡± Although there was a spear aimed at him, Riley¡¯s attitude was still leisurely as if he was on a pic. ¡°Why are you aiming your spear at me? You even mentioned Ian¡¯s name. Why? You probably know that I¡¯m a young master of a count¡¯s House, don¡¯t you?¡± Since he knew the House¡¯s name, Iphelleta, and Ian¡¯s name, Basilisk probably knew Riley is a high nobility from a count¡¯s House. Basilisk¡¯s behavior was most certainly rude. ¡°Rainfield may be a city without nobilities, but still, don¡¯t you think you are being rude?¡± Riley was right. ¡°I¡¯m a guest of your employer. Can¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± After that, Riley crumpled the look on his face that was leisurely only a moment ago. Riley red at Basilisk and created a cold atmosphere. Because of this, Reitri, who was watching from the side, started to break in cold sweat. ¡°¡­The mercenary hero¡­¡± Responding to Riley¡¯s gaze, Basilisk also narrowed his eyes and said, ¡°Ian was¡­a mercenary that I admired the most.¡± Guwak [Note: sound effect for someone tightening one¡¯s grip on a handle.] Basilisk tightened his grip on the spear and said with his crumpled face toward Riley, ¡°However, when I heard that a hero like him retired, and he is now working at some nobility House as a butler¡­ That felt like everything in me was being shattered.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So, I want you to show me.¡± ¡®Show what?¡¯ Before Riley could ask back, Basilisk¡¯s spear charged forward. ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae was not able to respond to the situation that urred in a blink of an eye. Concluding that it can¡¯t go on like this, she decided to use her Six Circles magic and fight back. It was when she was about to use magic and send Basilisk¡¯s head flying away from his body, Riley sent a message directly in Nainiae¡¯s head, ¡°¡­¡± Wheec! Slicing through the wind, Basilisk¡¯s spear charged toward Riley¡¯s face. It stopped just before his nose. ¡°Show me. Prove it to me that it was the right decision for Ian to work as a butler in that family.¡± ¡®Using what method?¡¯ It seemed like there was no need to ask that question. The spear that was stopped right in front of Riley¡¯s nose was exining how to prove it. ¡°All you are saying is that you just want to have a fight. Why are you going about asking it in such a brutal way?¡± Cracking a smile, with the corner of his mouth twisted, Riley took a step forward. He stepped forward despite having a spear aimed at him right in front of his nose. Seeing this, Basilisk shriveled and took a step back without realizing it. The distance between the tip of the spear and Riley widened by that much. ¡°Seeing you asking me for a favor made me curious.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley took another step forward, and the tip of the spear moved another step back. Noticing Basilisk narrowing his eyes, Riley asked, ¡°¡­Why should I?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the question that Riley tossed, Basilisk vacantly opened his mouth. It seemed he was not understanding Riley. ¡°Why should I fight you?¡± Riley tossed the question at Basilisk and tilted his head to the side. It was because Riley had no reason to fight him. ¡°What do I gain from fighting you?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t anything, is there? In that case, get that out of my face.¡± Basilisk was not able to answer right away. Watching this, Riley waved his palm with a disappointed look. Chalsak! With that sound, the wide side of the spear¡¯s tip was pped. ¡°There probably isn¡¯t any reason to have this conversation go on further.¡± Riley arrogantly pped Basilisk¡¯s spear, vacantly turned his body around and started to walk toward the carriage. ¡°Ugh. I¡¯m sleepy¡­ I¡¯m going to take an afternoon nap. Nainiae, wake me up when we get there.¡± ¡°Ug¡­ Ug¡­!¡± Riley stretched widely, yawned and started to walk away. Watching this, Basilisk started to grind his teeth. It seems he felt quite humiliated by how his spear¡¯s tip was pped by Riley¡¯s palm. ¡°Commander. Wait! Wait!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t time to be waving a spear around in this ce!¡± ¡°Have you forgotten about the ogre that you hunted down a moment ago? We need to pack up and move!¡± It seemed that others thought they could not afford to let this continue. Two of the members of Lightning Boulder, a small mercenary group, came to Basilisk, each grabbed his arms and started to drag him away. ¡°You think ogres matter in a moment like this? Let go! You guys remember Mr. Ian too, don¡¯t you? You have not forgotten him, right?¡± ¡°He is our mercenary hero, of course! Still, it is no time to be indulging in such nostalgia! Don¡¯t you see?¡± ¡°Commander! If we idle around like this here, what are you going to do if ogrese and attack us?¡± While being dragged away by hisrades, Basilisk started to struggle. ¡°¡­Who cares about ogres! Who cares!¡± ¡°Did you say who cares? Nonsense! If a battle broke out near the carriages, that will destroy them all! It¡¯s not like you can cover for the aftermath! Stop your whining and just go help people with packing!¡± With Basilisk now gone, taken away by hisrades, Reitri, who was watching the situation with an anxious face, sighed in relief. * * * The carriages started to move. Coming out of the forest, the carriages were running on open field. Their destination was Rainfield, a city with endless rain through all seasons. ¡°Perhaps I should say it was as expected of an ogre? We hunted it together, but I think it still took 30 minutes to kill it. I¡¯m saying it was that tough!¡± Basilisk, who was driving his carriage rtively further in front of everyone else, was telling others about the ogre that he ran into in the forest. ¡°¡­After a long battle, the final blow was delivered by me with my spear. It was a clean end.¡± ¡°Wow!!¡± Of the three carriages in front, Horai, who was on the left side, was tuning into Basilisk¡¯s tale of bravado. ¡°Horai. If you keep on sticking your face out like that, you might fall off from the driver¡¯s seat!¡± ¡°Ah,e on, Uncle! It¡¯s fine. You know how long I have lived my life riding the co-driver¡¯s seat!¡± [Note: Normally, I would have said ¡®shotgun seat,¡¯ but since they don¡¯t have guns or shotguns in this world, I cannot say that.] ¡°Hahaha! Mr. Reitri, please don¡¯t worry. I just need to catch him when he falls!¡± ¡°Gosh! I said I won¡¯t fall!¡± Reitri drove the carriage on the far left. Basilisk drove the one in the center. Perhaps it was odd to call it naturally, but, to the right, Nainiae was driving her carriage. ¡°Excuse me. Miss maid.¡± Having heard the voiceing from left, Nainiae slightly turned her head. ¡°Yes?¡± It was a dry and uninterested response. Nainiae was still cautious against Basilisk, the one who aimed his spear toward her young master. ¡°What do you think? I¡¯m talking about how our mercenary group killed an ogre.¡± ¡°Are you talking about¡­an ogre?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ogre! You have heard of it, right?¡± Basilisk was asking with a proud face. Nainiae looked at him with a nk stare. With an unimpressed look, Nainiae answered, ¡°Yes, I have heard of it.¡± Actually, she did run into one earlier today as well. ¡°Kuuu! As expected! Actually, now that I think about it, would it be odd if someone didn¡¯t know what an ogre is?¡± There was an old saying that if you tell a crying child that an ogre wille if the child didn¡¯t stop crying, the child would stop crying. Just like that, it was a famous monster. [Note: There is an old saying exactly like this in Korea about a tiger.] The sound of the ground shaking from its steps, generated by its mountain-size body, was fearsome, but it was most famous for its ridiculous strength. Ogres were about as famous as orcs, the main foes of human race. ¡°We are always ignored because we are made of few elites. After this mission is over, if we toss this ogre¡¯s head in front of the guild, even the guild members will see us differently.¡± Dulkung The carriages were driving through the field. One of them ran across a bump and shook. Basilisk, who was mumbling on his own, turned his head toward Nainiae and asked, ¡°Miss maid, you work at Solia¡¯s Iphelleta mansion¡­ So, at the same ce as Mr. Ian, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°How is he?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Nainiae, who still didn¡¯t rx her face, asked back toward Basilisk with a face full of wariness. ¡°I wonder if he is still in good health. He is quite old now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The mercenary hero. Ian was like a god to mercenaries. Not just from Riley, but from Sera as well, Nainiae have heard a bit of stories about Ian¡¯s past. Nainiae struggled because she could not think of a way to respond. Eventually, she answered honestly, ¡°He is doing just fine. If you don¡¯t count the fact about his back giving him a bit of trouble.¡± ¡°Is that¡­so.¡± As if he was feeling awkward, Basilisk scratched his cheek after hearing Nainiae¡¯s response. Basilisk¡¯s response was like a child who just received a gift. Noticing this, Nainiae eased her wariness a bit and asked him, ¡°Do you admire Mr. Ian?¡± ¡°He is so cool! If we were to go over all of his exploits during the Great War, there would be no end to the conversation.¡± ¡°That much?¡± Because Nainiae had heard about Ian from Sera and Riley, she had some awareness to the fact that Ian is a skilled warrior. However, she believed it was exaggerated a little. ¡°Recapturing a forbidden herb field, rescuing a kidnapped queen, ughtering orcs, hunting down silver witch¡­ Beside those, there are several dozen other smaller exploits. Also, number of towns he saved are in order of hundreds. Despite all that, he had no greed for wealth or entitlements. That¡¯s why he is even more legendary.¡± Basilisk proudly exined Ian¡¯s aplishments. Listening to his stories, Nainiae had an impressed look on her face. She thought about Ian who stayed behind in the mansion. ¡®Is it because I only saw Mr. Ian hanging out with Young Master Riley in the mansion?¡¯ Ian seemed to grow ever so weaker in front of Riley. On the other hand, there was a different Ian that Basilisk was describing to her. Comparing the two different versions of Ian in her head, Nainiae made a bitter smile. ¡°So? What do you think of the ogre?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the ogre that we killed!¡± Actually, of all mercenaries, there were only few that could kill an ogre in 30 minutes. ¡°Hu¡­ This is the first time we ran into one. I didn¡¯t think it would only take 30 minutes!¡± With just three mercenaries from the Lightning Boulder, cutting off that monster¡¯s head in just 30 minutes was definitely a jaw dropping story. ¡°Yes. Well¡­¡± The problem was that it was Nainiae who was listening to the story. ¡°I guess about 30 minutes is pretty fast.¡± She was the designated maid of Riley, the one who worked a red dragon as a friend. Also, she was a Six Circles mage who was not even in her 20s. ¡°About 30 minutes?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Pretty fast?¡± Basilisk, who was driving his carriage, looked at Nainiae and flinched his facial muscles. In response to his question, Nainiae said with an uninterested voice as if there was nothing wrong with her statement, ¡°Yes, it definitely is.¡± Those who knew Nainiae well probably would have thought there was nothing wrong with her talking like that. However, Basilisk didn¡¯t know anything in detail about Nainiae. ¡°Ha!!¡± So¡­ It seemed Basilisk found Nainiae¡¯s response to be ridiculous. He sighed heavily toward the sky and hardened his face like the first time he met her. ¡°Miss maid, are you full of exaggerated sense of worth like your master?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard the provocative question, Nainiae, who finally had just managed to rx her face for the moment, narrowed her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m talking about making people angry just with words. That.¡± Basilisk put up a violent look on his face and red at Nainiae as if he was going to punch a hole through her face with his ring. ¡°Are you¡­trying to pick a fight with me?¡± The look in Basilisk¡¯s eyes seemed like he would have grabbed the spear on his back and attacked if he was not driving a carriage right now. ¡°It was probably your side that picked a fight with me first.¡± Although Nainiae merely told him the truth, Basilisk was not able to acknowledge it. Instead, he was exuding his intent for a fight. Looking at him, Nainiae didn¡¯t just sit back and watch either. ¡°¡­Back then, you said to prove it, right?¡± Nainiae, who just remembered how Basilisk was aiming his spear at Riley, asked casually. She continued before a response could be heard, ¡°All right. I¡¯ll really show it to you.¡± Chapter 76 - Nara Basilisk (Part 3)

Chapter 76: Nara Basilisk (Part 3)

Riley noticed the carriage had stopped. Of all the carriages stopped in middle of the field, Riley, who was inside the Iphelleta House¡¯s carriage, poked his head out the window with his hair in a sleepy mess. ¡°Uuuu¡­ Are we there now?¡± ¡°No. Not yet¡­¡± The one that answered was not Nainiae. It was Reitri sitting near the window. Noticing this, Riley tilted his head side to side and looked around. ¡°In that case, why have we stopped?¡± ¡°That is¡­ It will be veryplicated to exin.¡± Reitri mumbled as he scratched the side of his head. Riley, who had been looking around the area, found Nainiae and Basilisk standing face to face in the distance. ¡°Ah.¡± Nainiae had a heavy atmosphere. Basilisk looked like an infuriated bull. He was scratching the ground with tips of his feet to rx his legs. Riley roughly figured out what was happening. With a quizzical look on his face, he asked, ¡°That¡­ Is that what I think it is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although Reitri was new to being a merchant, he was a merchant. He was pretty quick with his senses, so he knew what Riley was talking about. He nodded and said yes. ¡°Gosh, that kid¡­¡± Rileyfortably leaned his arm on the carriage¡¯s window frame. He supported his chin with his right palm and looked at Nainiae. ¡°She said she could not stand someone badmouthing about her young master.¡± ¡°What about the other side?¡± Riley asked about Basilisk. He figured that, if what Reitri was saying was the case, then the cause of it all must be Basilisk. ¡°You know about that ogre, right?¡± ¡°The one with a fat stomach?¡± Reitri was confused for a moment and gave a nk stare when Riley said ¡®the one with a fat stomach.¡¯ Soon, he collected himself and answered, ¡°Yes. That monster with a fat stomach. Mr. Basilisk was telling a story about how he killed it in 30 minutes¡­and Ms. Nainiae said that is pretty fast. That¡¯s how it came to this.¡± Riley cracked a smile and twisted a corner of his mouth. It felt like they both agitated parts they should not have. In Nainiae, it was Riley. In Basilisk, it was pride. ¡°It¡¯s not like they are little children.¡± Riley still didn¡¯t change the look on his face. He was still smiling. He casually turned his head and looked at Horai, who was sitting next to Reitri. ¡°What? What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it¡­sir?¡± It seemed like he was scolded harshly while Riley was not looking. He was pouting big time as he corrected himself and used respectfulnguage. ¡®Anyway¡­this sure is a bother.¡¯ Turning his gaze away from Horai, Riley looked at where Nainiae and Basilisk were having a face-off. Riley moved the index finger of the hand supporting his head and started to tap his cheek. ¡°Now that I think about it, that runt¡­ He seems a little short. How old is he?¡± Basilisk was definitely on the shorter side. His body was about the size of Horai, who was watching the scene from the side. Despite that, his hands had traces of training that indicated he had swung his spear countless times. It was hard to tell his true age. ¡°He is about¡­15?¡± ¡°Yes. He is 15 this year.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Reitri asked a mercenary from the Lightning Boulder group. Having received the question, one of its members nodded and answered. ¡°15?¡± Riley turned his head toward the mercenary and asked again with a look of disbelief. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear that wrong, did I?¡± Basilisk looked a little short and his face looked rather young, so Riley figured he just looked young. It seemed that was not the case. ¡°He is just 15, yet he is running a mercenary group as itsmander? Do mercenaries not have any talented individuals to fill themander positions? Just what kind of screwed up ce is this city?¡± It seemed the mercenary knew Riley was going to ask that question. He exined with a bitter look on his face. ¡°That is¡­ It was thest will of the formermander who passed away.¡± ¡°Formermander?¡± ¡°Count Riley¡­that is not right, is it? Will it be all right if I called you young master?¡± The mercenary was not introduced to Riley yet, so he was confused about his title. He carefully asked Riley, and Riley nodded. The mercenary continued, ¡°The one you are looking at over there is Commander Nara. Histe father¡­Garf Basilisk was the formermander of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group.¡± To put it simply, Nara had inherited the leadership from his father. ¡°Garf Basilisk?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you know him?¡± ¡°No, it is just¡­¡± Riley shook his head and asked a different question. ¡°It¡¯s about the name, Basilisk. It is a family name. Were they a nobility in the past?¡± What Riley wanted to ask was about thest name attached after Nara¡¯s first name. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ They are not anymore though.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The mercenary responded with a saddened face. Judging from the look on his face and his tone, it seemed there was a circumstance that lead to that. Riley didn¡¯t pry on it. With his hand supporting his head, Riley turned his gaze toward Nainiae and Basilisk. ¡®Now that I think about it, there was one too back in my past life. There was a bastard with a spear that wanted to have a duel with me.¡¯ With a vacant look, Riley thought about his past as he stared at Basilisk. Riley slightly furrowed his brows and wandered through his memories. ¡®Back then¡­ What did he say?¡¯ Although he was born again in this world with all of his past memory intact, Riley was still a human. It was impossible for him to remember everything of the past like a machine. He wasn¡¯t able to remember everything clearly. ¡®I remember the big parts¡­¡¯ A sense of burden, responsibility, guilt, worries, and etc. There were manyplicated emotions involved in it¡­ So, in the end, Riley didn¡¯t join the man wielding a spear. Also, that man had a horrific end. Those were the things that Riley remembered. ¡®Somehow¡­ I think there is more that I should be able to remember¡­but it is not quiteing to me.¡¯ Those were all of memories that Riley could recall about ¡®that man with the spear.¡¯ ¡°T-Two of you¡­ Are you ready? Ms. Nainiae, Mr. Basilisk?¡± Perhaps¡­he should be called the judge. Horai was standing between Nainiae and Basilisk before anyone realized. Horai was going back to his crassnguage, but feeling a suffocating atmosphere, he changed his attitude. ¡°Anytime.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Basilisk and Nainiae both answered at the same time. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll count down.¡± Like the swordsmanship tournament in Solia, Horai started to count down from five seconds, ¡°5¡­ 4¡­¡± The rule was to make the opponent incapacitated. Still, in order to prevent idents, the weapons were wooden sword and spear instead of sharpened real weapons. ¡°3¡­ 2¡­¡± Nainiae was wielding a wooden sword. Basilisk was wielding a wooden spear. ¡®Is Nainiae going to use a sword?¡¯ Riley, who was looking at the two, narrowed his eyes. It was because it had not been long since Nainiae started to learn swordsmanship in Iphelleta mansion. ¡®Is she going to be all right?¡¯ Unlike Nainiae, Basilisk had been wielding a spear since his childhood. It seemed certain that he was a specialist in spear. Just looking at his callused hands and mana unintentionally being exuded from his body, Riley could tell that Nainiae was definitely going to lose if the duel was going to be just with a sword and a spear. ¡°¡­Start!¡± Horai shouted ¡®start!¡¯ with his eyes tightly closed. He then promptly turned around and started to run toward where Reitri and Riley was. It was because he was instructed to do so by Nainiae and Basilisk. ¡°¡­Kuk?!¡± It was Nainiae who furrowed her brows as soon as the match begun. Basilisk turned his body as soon as Horai¡¯s hand fell. Basilisk attempted long range first attack using the spear¡¯s length. ¡®As I expected, is he trying to squash the opponent using the distance?¡¯ Nainiae was in trouble from the start. Riley tapped the cheek with his index fingers as if he knew this was going to happen. ¡®Still, if she learned it properly from Sera, she probably knows what to do after this.¡¯ It was right after Riley mumbled like that inwardly. Using her wooden sword, Nainiae swept away the wooden spearing at her with a narrow margin. With her sword still touching the spear, she charged toward Basilisk. ¡®Too slow.¡¯ Her form was clean. There was nothing to fault. However¡­ There was a hesitation in her first movement. It was because this was her first time fighting with a sword. ¡®She should have charged in sooner.¡¯ Before Nainiae could get close to Basilisk, he dragged his feet toward his back and increased the distance. He swung his spear from the opposite direction and turned his body again. ¡°What¡¯s this? Your moves are full of awkwardness?¡± Turning his body, Basilisk wiggled the corners of his mouth and swung his spear in arge motion toward Nainiae. It was arge and confident movement. It seemed Basilisk was trying to show that spears are not just for stabbing. ¡°By any chance, is this your first fight?¡± Nainiae quickly moved her arm and blocked the wooden spearing at her. Having heard what Basilisk said, Nainiae gritted her teeth. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems I was right? Judging from how you are scrunching your face!¡± Basilisk, who was trash-talking toward Nainiae, took another step back and widened the distance. He turned his wrist, fixed his grip on his spear, and attempted to stab Nainiae again. ¡®This one is too much¡­¡¯ Riley furrowed his brows. The stabbing move¡¯s power and speed was quite different from the first attack that Basilisk used in the beginning of the match to keep Nainiae in check. ¡°Kuk?!¡± Although Nainiae blocked the first stab by a narrow margin, the problem started with the second strike. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I am not the type that goes easy on someone just because it is the first fight!¡± Basilisk wasn¡¯t a knight. He was born as a son of a mercenary, so he was obviously a mercenary. Showing consideration for the opponent? That kind of generosity was perfect for getting oneself killed on the battlefield. Therefore, Basilisk was merciless. He tried to stab Nainiae with his spear. Second, third¡­ He kept attempting it. ¡®¡­Fast!¡¯ Nainiae¡¯s wooden sword, which was held on her left hand, moved diligently. Every time she blocked Basilisk¡¯s attack, not just the palm of her hand, but her fingers¡­even her arm, was aching. ¡®Also, it¡¯s heavy.¡¯ It was a proof that Basilisk, the one Nainiae was facing right now, was definitely a skilled warrior. Even when Nainiae was dueling against Sera who had a serious look on her face, Nainiae never had received a serious strike like this from her. Nainiae¡¯s face was gradually getting darker. ¡®Maybe¡­ He is more skilled than Ms. Sera¡­¡¯ Puk! Nainiae was not able to block every strike. Eventually, she was hit on her shoulder. If the spear that Basilisk was holding was a real spear with a sharp edge, one of her shoulder would not have been all right. ¡®Kuk. My shoulder¡­¡¯ This time, Nainiae retreated to gain distance. She looked at her shoulder that was hit. ¡°For now, that¡¯s one strike! You are a girl, but you seem to withstand pain pretty well?¡± It seemed Basilisk¡¯s attack had a spin to it. The tip of the spear was blunt. Being stabbed by it, Nainiae¡¯s maid uniform¡¯s shoulder portion was wrinkled as if there was a small twister there. ¡°If it was an ordinary person, he would be screaming and yelling about how much it hurts.¡± Basilisk drew back his spear. He had it rested on his shoulder and looked at one of the mercenary members who were watching the duel. Looked at him, Basilisk mumbled above. The mercenary, who was being stared at by Basilisk, said, ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± ¡°Nothing. I just remembered how you cried whole day about a bruise because you got hit by this once from me.¡± ¡°Gosh. That mouth of yours!¡± Basilisk joked as he looked around. Unlike Nainiae, he looked rather rxed with margin to spare. Basilisk may have been with hisrades during his fight against the ogre, but it seemed he was not lying about defeating it within 30 minutes. ¡®Um. With that level of skill, I wonder who he would be able to go up against in the mansion?¡¯ Watching the duel, Riley looked at Basilisk with an intrigued face. ¡®Sera? Nah. She is not even close. Ian? Lloyd?¡¯ Riley estimated Basilisk¡¯s skill was on par with Ian or Lloyd. He turned his gaze and looked at Nainiae. ¡°I¡¯m used to pain. This much is¡­well¡­¡± Nainiae straightened the wrinkle on her dress and said with an uninterested tone. ¡°Oh, used to pain?¡± Basilisk raised his eyebrow as if he was quite surprised and asked. Nainiae didn¡¯t answer his question. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± She was probably talking about the experiments she endured in the Magic Tower. She was subjected to pain that would be more urate to call torture instead. The idea of shedding tears from getting hit by a blunt tip of a wooden spear was not even worth augh to Nainiae. ¡®Is it about time she used it?¡¯ Watching Nainiae fixing her clothes and narrowing her eyes, Riley also narrowed his eyes and stared at Nainiae. ¡®Well. It is worthy of a praise that she managed to block until now using just her sword.¡¯ She never held a sword until recently. It has not even been two months since she started learning. Moreover, it was not like she was taught to the official capacity. She was casually taught by Sera¡­ Whenever there was time in between maid training. The fact that she managed as much as she had so far in this duel was worthy of praise. ¡®¡­Looks like she is going to use it.¡¯ Having confirmed the look in Nainiae¡¯s eye, he mumbled inwardly. Chapter 77 - Nara Basilisk (Part 4)

Chapter 77: Nara Basilisk (Part 4)

Nainiae was going to use magic. That meant Basilisk, the one Nainiae was fighting against, was not some nobody. ¡®What kind of magic should I start with?¡¯ After fixing the wrinkle on her dress, Nainiae aimed her wooden sword toward Basilisk again. She started to think hard about which magic to use. It was a different kind of question. She was not thinking about how to aim her sword, what angle to take, whether to stab or cut, or etc. Hence, the tips of her mouth was up a little. ¡®That¡¯s right. My young master is watching, so¡­¡¯ She casually turned her head. Her eye met with Riley who had his head resting on his hand that was resting on the window frame of the carriage. ¡®I think this one would be good to show to him as an example for his next study.¡¯ Having decided what magic to use, Nainiae moved her mouth, recited a spell, and charged forward. ¡°¡­Haste.¡± Basilisk had the wooden spear resting on his shoulder. Noticing Nainiae closing in the gap in an instant, Basilisk strained his eyes. ¡°¡­What?!¡± It was not that he was surprised by her action. It was her speed. ¡°Kuk!¡± Unlike before, her speed was increased to the point that the only thing Basilisk could do was tracking her movement with his eyes. Basilisk hurriedly, without enough time to react properly, swung his spear and blocked Nainiae¡¯s sword. ¡®What¡¯s this? All of sudden, her speed is?¡¯ In a blink of an eye, sounds of woods colliding could be heard four times. It meant she struck her sword four times. ¡°¡­Oh?¡± Riley, who was watching the duel between Nainiae and Basilisk, opened his eyes wide. ¡®Is that the Haste magic that I¡¯m supposed to learn next?¡¯ It was because Riley noticed that Nainiae used the time magic so she could show it to him. ¡°Tsk!¡± Meanwhile, Basilisk, who was skillfully angling his wooden spear and striking against Nainiae¡¯s sword strikes, clicked his tongue and swung his spear in arge motion like a windmill. ¡°Get off of me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae, who had one of her eye wide open to concentrate on the fight, bounced off all of the spinning spear movement and charged in again. ¡®What is this¡­ It¡¯s like she became apletely different person all of sudden!¡¯ With her right hand on her back, Nainiae was practicing all of the movements she learned in the Iphelleta mansion in wless motions. Watching this, the look in Basilisk¡¯s eyes changed. It seemed he felt he needed to do something different. ¡®All right. You want to get serious, is that right?¡¯ Bam! Wheec! The violent sounds of wooden weapons colliding or crossing past clothes could be heard. Except for Riley, people were watching the duel while forgetting to breathe. ¡°Judging from your moves, it seems like you have basics down to some extent. However, you are forgetting one thing. A spearman doesn¡¯t just use spear.¡± Basilisk, who now had his eyes open wide like Nainiae, started to move in a way that was different from how he was until now. He was not just using his arms and hands for swinging his spear. He started to use his legs as well to attack. ¡°¡­?!¡± Basilisk, who was skillfully handling Nainiae¡¯s swordy using his spear, suddenly turned his body in a wide motion and kicked with his right leg. ¡°Kuhup?¡± Nainiae was struck by an unexpected strike on the side of her body. She crumpled her face. ¡°¡­Kuk!¡± Nainiae¡¯s arm, which was swinging the sword, faltered for a moment. Noticing this, Basilisk ceased the chance and started to swing his spear toward Nainiae. ¡°You said pain is nothing, but it seems like you can¡¯t take much hit?¡± Unlike how he had been swinging and stabbing with spear from distance, he fought in close range. He started trash-talking again. ¡°Now.¡± ¡°Kuk?!¡± ¡°Immediately.¡± Once with the spear, another with his elbow, Basilisk pressured Nainiae as he continued talking. He said as he kicked in arge motion, ¡°Surrender.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was forced back by a kick. With a violent look on her face, she red at Basilisk. ¡°If you surrender now, I will go easy on you so you can avoid getting a broken bone.¡± The way he was demonstrating his hand-to-handbat skill as well was showing that he was not an ordinary mercenary. ¡®As expected.¡¯ Basilisk was definitely a skilled warrior. Nainiae decided to acknowledge that. She dusted off the side of her body and fixed her stance. ¡°You want to continue? I think the difference in skill has definitely been shown now?¡± ¡°Well, I think I got a feel for a real battle now. Swordsmanship is certainly a difficult discipline. I was reminded of it.¡± Also, she realized Riley, the young master she served, was at a height in swordsmanship that nobody else could top. Nainiae shook off the sword with a ¡®wheec!¡¯ sound. ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t we stop here?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s response, Basilisk gave a hollowughter as if he was thinking it was a nonsense. ¡°Ha. You are ridiculous? If I refuse?¡± Patronizing Nainiae, Basilisk acted high and mighty. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard his question, she didn¡¯t give a reply. She charged toward him again. ¡°No matter how many times you try, it will be the same¡­¡± ¡°¡­Grease.¡± Nainiae decided that was enough for warming up and getting a feel for the battle. She decided to use various magic. ¡°Ugh? What is this?¡± Basilisk had a look of panic. He waved around and struggled with his legs. ¡°¡­Were you thinking I would say that?¡± It seemed the look on his face and his struggle were all just acts. Basilisk calmly red at Nainiae, who was charging toward him, and stabbed the ground with the wooden spear he was wielding. ¡°¡­?¡± Basilisk¡¯s wooden spear, which carried his mana, pierced through the ground that had Grease magic cast on. The spear became a small pir for him. ¡°I already knew that you are a mage when I saw you using Blink magic!¡± Grabbing onto his spear with both of his hands, he lifted his leg from the ground and kicked Nainiae, who was charging toward him, with his right leg. ¡°Slippery magic like this¡­ I have seen it enough times.¡± Using Nainiae as the stepping stone, Basilisk used the reaction from the kick¡¯s impact to bounce himself off. While in mid air, he pulled out the spear and got out of the Grease magic¡¯s effective range. ¡®¡­This is the end!¡¯ Basilisk fixed his stance in mid air and pulled the arm holding the spear to the back. A spear was great for stabbing or swinging, but it was also a great weapon for throwing. So, Basilisk decided to end the duel with this throw. ¡®She may end up not being able to use a part of her body¡­ Still, she is the one that refused to surrender, so don¡¯t me¡­¡¯ Basilisk, who was straining his arm and ready to throw in midair, furrowed his eyebrows. ¡®¡­What the?¡¯ It was because he could see Nainiae¡¯s right hand. Until now, it was hidden behind her back. ¡®What is that? Why are her fingers¡­like that?¡¯ It was a horrible looking hand with middle and ring finger missing. With his gaze caught up on her hand, he had not thrown the spear yet. In that moment, a sharp wind came at his cheek. ¡°Ugh?!¡± Noticing the blood spewing out from the cheek, Basilisk broke in cold sweat. ¡®What?!¡¯ Looking at Nainiae mumbling with her mouth to recite spells, Basilisk anticipated that there will be another invisible attack and quickly turned his head. ¡®Right!¡¯ It was the experience from his work as a mercenary. The experience was telling him that something wasing from the right side. ¡°Kuk?!¡± Nainiae created another wind magic, Airhammer. The attack struck Basilisk who was in midair. ¡®What is this power?!¡¯ It was at a whole another level from getting struck by a sword. Appearing to be in pain, Basilisk scrunched his face and fell to the ground. He got up immediately, fixed a stance and charged toward Nainiae. ¡®I can¡¯t let her have time to recite spells. That would be a disadvantage for me!¡¯ One of his arms and entire shoulder felt numb. Looking at Nainiae wearing a mask on one side of her face, Basilisk decided to attack that side and pierced into the side. ¡®As quickly as possible!¡¯ Not targeting the opponent¡¯s blind side was going to be a foolish move for a mercenary. Bing of a mercenary who is all about practicality and achieving victory, Basilisk aimed for Nainiae¡¯s blind side. His spear charged toward Nainiae like a snake springing forward to bite its prey. ¡®Huh?!¡¯ Basilisk, who was going at it with his spear, suddenly had his face turn pale. He felt a deadly aura. It felt like something unknown was about to stab him in his neck. ¡°¡­¡± Before he realized, Nainiae raised the right hand to her left shoulder. Only a moment ago, she had the hand to the front. Her stance seemed like she was about to move the right hand in diagonal direction and cause something toe out. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous. I could be killed!¡¯ Basilisk felt that he would die if she swung that hand. He hurriedly retrieved his wooden spear and retreated. At the same time, Nainiae swung the right hand that she had ced next to her face in a powerful motion. ¡°Icicle Nova.¡± Nainiae waved her hand as she recited the spell name. Spear-like sharp icicles were formed around her in a ring formation. They looked like they would pierce through anything that came near her. ¡°Ugh. Kuhuk?!¡± Basilisk seemed extremely surprised. Basilisk even forgot to run. He even forgot to take steps back. He was petrified where he stood. ¡°¡­¡± Gulp. Looking at a ck icicle that stopped just before making contact with his neck, Basilisk gulped dry. There were cold sweat falling down his back to let him know he was not dead. ¡°Let¡¯s continue¡­¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s voice, Basilisk looked at her. ¡°¡­?¡± Like a hedgehog, protecting herself with a wall of sharp icicles, Nainiae held a ck me in her right hand and asked Basilisk, ¡°You are not going to say that, are you?¡± Before she realized, she was back to using her crassnguage from Lower Solia. Nainiae said as she stared down at Basilisk. ¡°Huh¡­¡± It seemed Basilisk lost strength in his legs. Basilisk, who was looking at Nainiae, plummeted down on the ground with a vacant look on his face. ¡°It would be best if you did not pester my young master.¡± Nainiae extinguished her ck me by closing her hand. Nainiae dered her victory. ¡°You most certainly have solid skills for someone of your age¡­ However, I only spoke the truth.¡± Nainiae also removed the icicles, walked toward Basilisk and tilted her head side to side. ¡°Young Master Riley is even stronger¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Stop! Don¡¯t get any closer to ourmander!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A sharp voice could be heard from where the spectators were gathered. A question mark floated above Nainiae¡¯s head and she looked in that direction. ¡°Why are you¡­¡± The Lightning Boulder¡¯s mercenaries had their bows tightly drawn and aimed the arrows at Nainiae. They had deadly looks on their faces. Nainiae tilted her head side to side with a confused look in her eye. She was aware that she used a pretty dangerous method to fight Basilisk, theirmander, but she did not expect that they would react in such a drastic way. ¡°¡­You¡­¡± Basilisk asked. The look on his face was not different from hisrades. ¡°¡­Are you a dark mage?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard the question, she asked back. ¡°Dark mage?¡± Nainiae, with a surprised look, observed the surrounding. ¡°What are you¡­talking¡­¡± Not just the mercenaries aiming arrows at her, but Reitri, Horai and others in the merchant group all had faces filled with terror as they looked at Nainiae. ¡°The dark mage that¡¯s been active around Rainfield recently¡­¡± Basilisk, who plummeted down with a vacant look on his face, supported himself with the spear and carefully got up. He red at Nainiae and murmured, ¡°To think that¡­ I would run into the dark mage here¡­¡± Although the atmosphere was serious during their duel, it was not as serious as this. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ It was not just serious. The atmosphere was full of wariness. Riley, who was checking out the situation while having his head resting on his palm, furrowed his eyebrows as he wondered what this was about. ¡°Y-Young master¡­¡± Unable to withstand all the gazes ring at her, Nainiae called Riley. ¡°¡­Ugh.¡± Realizing the situation got tangled up into aplex mess, Riley sighed heavily enough to make the ground sink. Chapter 78 - About the Dark Mage

Chapter 78: About the Dark Mage

¡®Gosh, Andal, that dumbass¡­ Really¡­¡¯ He should have teleported Riley and Nainiae to a ce that was easy for them to find the way. Instead, Andal ced them in a spot that was difficult for them to figure out the way. Riley resented Andal a hundred times inside, sighed and opened the carriage door. ¡°Dark mage? What¡¯s that about?¡± When Riley made his way down from the carriage in frustration, one of the Lightning Boulder mercenaries, who had the arrow aimed at Nainiae, aimed the arrow toward Riley and asked, ¡°Young master, are you on the same side with the dark mage?¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t aim your arrow at me.¡± Noticing the arrow aimed at himself, Riley, displeased, furrowed his brows. He then looked at her with a gaze containing deadly aura. ¡°¡­Ut?!¡± Noticing that Riley¡¯s rxed atmosphere unique to him has changed to deadly mood all of sudden, the archer petrified with a pale face. It felt like invisible hands grabbed tightly on to the neck and the heart. It felt like they were getting in the way of breathing. ¡°We need to know what¡¯s going on too? Being used as the dark mage out of the blue? We are the one who are finding all this ridiculous.¡± Riley slowly closed one of his eyes and rxed his deadly aura as he mumbled. The Lightning Boulder¡¯s archer, who was holding the breath hard, breathed out heavily. ¡°J-Just now, that¡­ Did you do that, young master?¡± Likewise, Reitri, who was also exposed to Riley¡¯s deadly aura, was also focusing on calming his breathing with a pale look on his face. ¡°Just answer my question.¡± Looking annoyed, Riley crumpled his face. Horai, who waspletely terrified, went into Reitri¡¯s arms and started to shake. ¡°That is¡­ The magic that Ms. Nainiae used¡­ It was ck color, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What about the ck color?¡± ¡°It¡¯s ck colored. ck color¡­ It is a unique treat that all dark mages have.¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s exnation, Riley looked at Nainiae with a confused face. Nainiae shook her head to say that this was not true. ¡°Is anyone and everyone with ck colored magic a dark mage then?¡± After seeing Nainiae shaking her head, Riley turned his head toward Reitri and asked. Reitri had his mouth open, but he was not able to answer. ¡°This is her innate color, so what is she supposed to do?¡± ¡°Young master, it is not due to my innate treat, it is due to experiment¡­¡± ¡°The fact that you are not a dark mage is still the same, isn¡¯t that right? That¡¯s that!¡± Riley yelled at Nainiae as if he was trying to tell her to stop talking. Riley looked at Basilisk and asked. ¡°Tell me. Why is she a dark mage? Besides the fact that her magic is ck colored, what else do you have?¡± Hearing Riley yelling at him, Basilisk was not able to answer. He turned his head again and looked at Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed she was embarrassed about her horrid looking hand. She hid her right hand behind her back, bit her lips, and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°Can you take responsibility for your im? I can put my title, Iphelleta, a House of count, on the line for my im. What will you put on the line for yours?¡± To the people of Reitri¡¯s merchantpany¡­ To the three members of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group¡­ Riley asked while mentioning his family¡¯s name. Nobody was able to answer right away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After looking around the people who were in silence, Riley shrugged his shoulder and continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know about Rainfield, but in Solia, if you are found guilty of insulting a nobility, the minimum sentence is a life of imprisonment. Did you know that?¡± Riley¡¯s atmosphere started to get deadly again. ¡°I was going to rx because this is my vacation. You runts don¡¯t know your ces¡­¡± His rxed tone of speech has left the scene somehow without trace. Riley, with his eyes narrowed, paused for a moment and opened his mouth again as if he was mumbling. ¡°If you still think she is a dark mage¡­ All right. That¡¯s fine.¡± Right in front of everyone to see, Riley was ring at Horai. With an annoyed look on his face, Riley scratched the back of his head and mumbled, ¡°We will just act like who we were used of. Like a dark mage would¡­ We will just kill all witnesses and get going.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s suggestion, the people flinched their shoulders. ¡°Isn¡¯t that what you all want?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Riley asked in a leisurely attitude, and Reitri got up while shaking his head left and right. He answered as the representative of the group. ¡°I also¡­hope Ms. Nainiae is not a dark mage.¡± ¡°U-Uncle!¡± Looking at his uncle working up the courage and getting up to respond, Horai tried to stop Reitri as he pulled on Reitri¡¯s sleeve. It seemed he was worried something terrible might happen to Reitri. Horai¡¯s eyes were filled with tears. ¡°Horai. I think¡­ Instead of sitting idly like this, I think it is only right that you should apologize first?¡± ¡°¡­Uncle?¡± ¡°You may be just a child, and you may have grown up in a ce without any nobilities. However¡­ Young Master Riley is someone who is clearly above us.¡± Horai, who was led to get up by Reitri¡¯s hand, started to shake his shoulders. It was because he never saw his uncle so angry. ¡°Even if Young Master Riley is not a nobility, the way you treat a guest is¡­ You were very wrong. Seriously wrong.¡± ¡°U-Uncle¡­¡± ¡°Hurry and apologize to Young Master Riley.¡± Reitri added because he knew begging for mercy wasn¡¯t going to be enough. He looked at Horai with a cold gaze. ¡°U-Uncle¡­ But¡­ Still¡­¡± p! Reitri¡¯s palm moved, and Horai¡¯s head was quickly turned. The sound of flesh making an impact could be heard loudly. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Hurry. Tell him that you are sorry.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ Uu¡­ Ah¡­¡± Reitri pped Horai for the sake of discipline. He was urging Horai to quickly apologize to Riley. ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± The atmosphere turned cold in a blink of an eye. The one who could not adjust to it the most was none other than Nainiae. ¡°E-Excuse me. Before it swells up, an ointment¡­¡± Toward Horai, who was crying because he was pped by his uncle, Nainiae came in hurry. She injected mana into her leather bracelet and opened the dimensional space. ¡°Ointment¡­ Ointment should be here somewhere.¡± With a concerned look on her face, Nainiae brought out an ointment from the dimensional space. She was about to touch Horai¡¯s swelled up cheek. It was at that moment. ¡°Just for a moment. I¡¯ll apply this for y¡­¡± ¡°¡­Get your hand off me!!¡± p!! Horai, who was tightly holding on to his tears, swung his right arm in a big motion and swept away Nainiae¡¯s arm. ¡°Ah.¡± The problem was that the arm, which was swung aimlessly, crossed Nainiae¡¯s face¡­ To be precise, it crossed the part where she was wearing a mask. ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae¡¯s mask was undone. Horai found Nainiae¡¯s scars below the mask and shook his shoulders. ¡°What¡­¡± With her injury revealed, Nainiae panicked. Using a simple telekinesis magic, she retrieved the mask from the ground and ced it back on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You must have been¡­shocked.¡± Nainiae, who was concerned Horai might be scared of her because of her scars, carefully extended her hand. On her left hand, which had all five fingers intact, had some of the ointment that she brought out from the dimensional space. ¡°You don¡¯t feel it now, but¡­ It might hurtter, so you must apply this now.¡± Nainiae gently applied the ointment to Horai¡¯s cheek. Looking satisfied, she took steps back. ¡°That¡­ That is¡­¡± Horai, with his face blushing out of embarrassment, carefully touched his cheek that had ointment applied by Nainiae. He looked at Reitri once and then Riley once. ¡°That is¡­ That¡­¡± Soon, Horai started to shed tears that were filling his eyes. His tears fell like chicken sheet. He bit his lips tightly and¡­ [Note: Comparing the tears to chicken sheet is a thing in Koreannguage. I think it is usually used when a person was subjected to unspeakable wrong and the person is hopeless against it. Perhaps it is not fitting the situation here since Horai was not subjected to such.] ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry.¡± Following Horai¡¯s tearful apology, Reitri also lowered his head and apologized to Riley. ¡°Please forgive us for our rudeness, Young Master Riley.¡± Reitri raised his head slightly and gave a look to Basilisk and everyone in the Lightning Boulder mercenary group. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed they understood. They lowered their weapons and apologized to Riley and Nainiae. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ Can we please hear your side of the story?¡± * * * ¡°¡­Kuhup. Kuhurng!!¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s story, there was a boy who started to jerk tears like a certain ¡®butler¡¯ from the Iphelleta mansion. ¡°I-I see¡­ So that¡¯s what happened to you! At the Solia¡¯s Magic Tower! That son of a b*tch Astroa¡­ Ugh!¡± It was themander of Lightning Boulter mercenary group, Basilisk. ¡°How could¡­ How could they! Ugh!!¡± The story about how she participated in Magic Tower¡¯s experiment for her mother¡¯s sake, the story about horrible experiments where she would have been better if she died, being abandoned by the Magic Tower as a disposable product after the experiment, being thrown away at the sewer, learning from the Solia¡¯s Holy Temple that she had a very limited life span left¡­ ¡°Is there anything I can do for you? Do you have any wish? If it is something our mercenary group can help you with, I will definitely¡­ Kuhup!!¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s story, Basilisk was pouring out tears. Nainiae brought out a handkerchief from the dimensional space and gave it to Basilisk. ¡°H-Here. Please use this.¡± ¡°T-Thanks!¡± Sneeeeeeeze! As Basilisk blew his nose into the handkerchief, Riley, who was sitting next to Nainiae, crumpled his face to the max. ¡°¡­Ha!¡± It was because that was his personal favorite. It was also because Basilisk¡¯s behavior was strikingly simr to someone. ¡®I came here to avoid Ian, but oh my¡­¡¯ Riley judged that it would be impossible to have a conversation with Basilisk at the moment considering that he was jerking tears. Riley turned his head away. ¡°So, has your suspicion been cleared?¡± ¡°If ourmander is sure of it¡­ We have no reason to be suspicious anymore.¡± Rorona and Isen, two of the Lightning Boulder¡¯s members, nodded in response to Riley¡¯s question. Riley was thinking they would still be doubting Nainiae, but to the contrary, they nodded in agreement so easily. That was actually making Riley feel suspicious toward their behavior. With his eyes narrowed, Riley asked, ¡°How could you be so certain?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because ourmander is a great judge of character. He had never been wrong. Although it is an ability that¡¯s limited by a few conditions.¡± ¡°Conditions?¡± When Riley asked back, Rorona of the mercenary group puffed out the chest and started to exin about themander. ¡°Yes, actually, themander is human¡­¡± ¡°¡­Rorona.¡± By Isen calling her name, Rorona, the archer of the mercenary group, turned the subject as she showed the palm of her hand. ¡°Ugh, anyway¡­ Should I say it is¡­something like his instinct? There is a thing like that. There is no need for further doubts.¡± Rorona opted for a wishy-washy exnation and clicked her tongue as she looked at Basilisk jerking tears as he firmly held both of Nainiae¡¯s hands. ¡°What about the dark mage near Rainfield? What is that about?¡± It seemed like they weren¡¯t going to tell Riley about the subject that Rorona brought up about Basilisk. So, Riley moved on to the next subject and asked about the dark mage. ¡°It is as the rumors say. An infamous dark mage that had been spreading terror for a long time is now active near Rainfield. It is a pretty well known news. I¡¯m sure it reached Solia too¡­ You didn¡¯t hear about it?¡± Having heard Isen¡¯s question, Riley tilted his head side to side. ¡°Um¡­ I feel like I have heard of it.¡± Riley rolled his head. He asked Isen to tell about it in more detail. ¡°About that dark mage. Are there people that actually saw the mage or were hurt from the encounter?¡± ¡°Yes, there were.¡± Isen responded with a darkened face. Rorona also added with a darkened face, ¡°Our formermander is one of the victims.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They must be talking about thete father of Basilisk. ¡°There are many other victims besides ourmander. The number is probably growing as we speak. I have a wanted poster¡­ Would you like to see it?¡± Riley extended his hand. Isen brought out a piece of rolled paper and gave it to Riley. ¡°What the hell?¡± Having checked the content, Riley furrowed his brows. The figure in the poster had a ck hood on top of the head. It was difficult to confirm the face. ¡°Characteristics: Uses ck colored magic. Animates corpses¡­ What the hell?¡± ¡°It is a little fuzzy in the details.¡± ¡°A little?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley returned the poster to Isen. He realized the situation was seriously tangled up. Riley scratched his head. ¡°God damn it. This means there is no guarantee that an incident like this would not happen again.¡± Riley was agonizing about Nainiae¡¯s ck-colored magic. Looking at him, Isen said, ¡°That dark mage had not been caught for ten years. I think it was fortunate that Ms. Nainiae was in Solia all this time.¡± ¡°Ten years?¡± ¡°Actually, we¡­have also been hunting that dark mage. We have been active in Ansyrium, but there was an opportunity, so we came to Rainfield with the merchant group.¡± Rorona added as she fiddled with her fingers that she had locked with both hands together. Riley turned his head and looked at Reitri¡¯s merchant group which was getting ready to travel. ¡°They are also selected by ourmander using his sense of judgment. You probably felt it too when he apologized to you first¡­ His roots are strong and true. He will be sessful.¡± Isenplimented Reitri. Hearing this, Riley, who was staring at Reitri with a nk look, rolled his eyes and peeked a smile. ¡°Well?¡± It was because Reitri smiled gently and bowed with head first. ¡°In that case, this characteristic? What is this about? It talks about reviving the dead? What does it mean?¡± ¡°It means exactly that. That dark mage has an ability to animate a dead body by force.¡± Kung¡­ Kung¡­ ¡°¡­Um?¡± ¡°Ability to force a dead body to move?¡± ¡°Excuse me. Please wait for a bit, young master¡­ Did you hear that just now?¡± Sound of the ground shaking could be heard. Isen raised his ears and focused on his hearing. Rorona, the archer, seemed like she felt the sound well before him. She was already looking at the direction of the sound with a serious face. ¡°What? You mean like a zombie?¡± Riley didn¡¯t give a damn. Although the sound of the ground shaking could be heard, Riley was only concerned about the dark mage¡¯s ability. ¡°O-Ogre!?¡± ¡°Why is an ogre here!¡± Stomp! Noticing an ogre approaching with ground-shaking steps, Rorona and Isen were not able to answer Riley¡¯s question. Instead, they picked up their weapons. ¡°Kuwaaarrrr!¡± It seemed the ogre found its food. Drolling, the ogre was charging toward where Reitri merchant group¡¯s carriages were gathered. ¡°Kuk. As I thought, is this the one paired with the other one earlier?¡± Basilisk, who was jerking tears from eyes and nose from hearing Nainiae¡¯s story, immediately picked up his spear and got up. ¡°It¡¯s an ogre!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t panic! First, get the carriages out of the way!¡± Although the people of the merchant group were hurriedly moving the carriages, Riley still only tilted his head side to side with a quizzical expression on his face. ¡°Wait,mander! That ogre¡­ He is in a bit of an odd condition?¡± ¡°It looks like his arm and head are loose¡­¡± Rorona, who narrowed her eyes as she looked at the ogre charging toward the group, noticed the ogre¡¯s eyes were ¡®pitch ck.¡¯ She mumbled, ¡°Look¡­!¡± It seemed there wasn¡¯t going to be time to exin in detail about what she noticed. The ogre was already near everyone, enough to cast its shadow to the people. ¡°Y-Young master! Hey! Young master! Get up! The ogre¡­ The ogre ising?!¡± Basilisk was breaking in cold sweat as he wielded his spear. Noticing Riley still sitting on the ground and thinking hard about something, Basilisk shouted at Riley, ¡°Young master!¡± ¡°¡­Kuuuuwaaaarrr!!¡± Ogre roared again with its fist raised up. Having heard it, Riley scrunched up his face. ¡°Gosh damn it¡­ That¡¯s loud you bastard!!¡± Riley moved his hand toward his sword that was sitting next to him. He swung his arm in what appeared to be an aimless motion. ¡°¡­?¡± Stomp! The ogre, which was charging toward the group with a loud roar, suddenly fell on its knees and raised dust clouds. ¡°¡­What?¡± Not just Basilisk and the mercenaries, but the people of the merchant group were blinking their eyes in disbelief. ¡°Just now¡­what happened?¡± The ogre¡¯s head was, literally in a blink of an eye, gone without any trace. ¡°So, what did you say? Force a dead body to move?¡± To people standing around dumbfoundedly, Riley asked again as if he didn¡¯t quite understand it. Chapter 79 - About the Dark Mage (Part 2)

Chapter 79: About the Dark Mage (Part 2)

¡°¡­Huh?¡± It was inside the forest. A man under a pitch-ck cape with a hood quickly turned his head and stared at what appeared to be just an empty space. ¡°What¡¯s this? There is a dead one here?¡± The man that mumbled raised his right hand, and he started to exude dark power from it. ¡°Who is it that died? Let¡¯s see¡­¡± The man stood there for a long while and looked at his right hand. He eventually cringed and mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s a dead ogre? Geez. You ungrateful fool¡­ I just revived you!¡± Tsk The man under the hood clicked his tongue. He lowered his right arm and started to walk again. ¡°It¡¯s hard toe across a dead ogre. I wonder how it died?¡± As if it was aplete mystery to him, the man, who was walking, crossed his arms as he held his chin with his hand. He tilted his head toward the side and said, ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I really don¡¯t. Do you have any idea?¡± The man with a quizzical expression slowly directed his gaze toward the ¡®corpse¡¯ that was walking next to him. ¡°¡­¡± Its face was pale, and its eyes were pitch-ck as if someone had poured ink in them. The corpse did not respond. With its mouth wide open, it only followed the man under the hooded cape. ¡°It¡¯s a waste. No matter how I think about it, it¡¯s such a shame! Instead of letting it roam around, perhaps I should have had it tag along with me? Should I have?!¡± The man crumpled his face. He wiggled his fingers in bizarre pattern as he turned his head. ¡°You insolent fool! I¡¯m asking you! Should I have had it tag along with me?¡± The man was asking to the corpse. Despite the scolding, the corpse didn¡¯t give any response. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! As I thought, I should have had it tag along with me, right?¡± Although there was no response from the corpse, the man nodded as if he heard it. He mumbled alone. ¡°Uuuuu! It¡¯s a shame! What a waste! I¡¯m too far away to go retrieve it¡­¡± The man under the hooded cape suddenly swung his hand, the one exuding dark power, and struck the neck of the corpse that was following him on the right. ¡°There is no answer to this. There isn¡¯t one!¡± Thump The corpse¡¯s head fell. ¡°No¡­ There is¡­an answer.¡± The man bent all ten fingers on his hands in all sorts of bizarre angles. He suddenly stopped it and said, ¡°I just need to do as much as I have lost!¡± The man vacantly lifted his head, and suddenly, a sudden sh of light shed in the sky, followed by thunder. ¡°That¡¯s right. An ogre!¡± Thook A rain drop fell on the head of the corpse that the man had cut off, and the man started tough with all of his facial muscles wiggling like a madman. ¡°¡­An ogre!¡± * * * ¡°So, this is it?¡± The three members of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group were ncing and trying to get a read on Riley¡¯s mood. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± It was because they knew that the headless ogre that was lying on the ground in front of their eyes was Riley¡¯s work. They knew Riley was the one that chopped off its head in a single strike. That wasn¡¯t all. Although they were standing right next to Riley, they were having a hard time properly assessing his de¡¯s speed or power. It was an obvious choice that they would be cautious to not spoil Riley¡¯s mood. ¡°I felt like I saw this runt a while ago.¡± Riley kicked the ogre¡¯s head, and ck blood poured out of its neck. This feels like taking a dump and not cleaning up the behind. Riley was cringing as if he was looking at something filthy. He turned his body away as if hepletely lost interest. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Although he only called her name, as if she understood, Nainiae took a step forward and put forth her left hand. With a sound of me burning up, a ck me bloomed on her left hand. ¡°Everyone, please step back for a moment.¡± In order to cremate the ogre that died twice, Nainiae had the people, who were watching, to move back and swung the hand that held the me. ¡°Huk!¡± Horai, who was watching while shaking, said ¡®huk!¡¯ It was because the me, which was the size of a palm when it was floating on top of Nainiae¡¯s hand, grew in size in an instant when it touched the ogre¡¯s corpse. ¡°As I expected, Big Sis mage¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Nainiae. How far have you reached in your magic?¡± Reitri, who was throwing his gaze at a de that Nainiae had on her waist, carefully asked. ¡°I¡¯m at Six Circles.¡± ¡°Huk¡­¡± Nainiae responded as if it was nothing. With the ogre¡¯s dead body fully cremated, she shook her left hand and extinguished the remaining me. ¡°Ah¡­ I was surprised when I learned that the story about Astroa was true, but¡­ To think you are at Six Circles¡­¡± ¡®No matter how I look at her, she appears to be under 20 years old, yet she is at Six Circles?¡¯ Basilisk shook his head as if he was sick of all this. Nainiae was a Six Circles mage and he just called for a duel against that Six Circles mage. Even in his second thought, Basilisk found all of these to be ridiculous nonsense. ¡°Excuse me¡­Ms. Nainiae?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°From now on, how about you let it be a little obvious for others¡­¡± Basilisk advised and suggested Nainiae to boast her height as a Six Circles mage. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Nainiae, who thought about it hard for a moment, continued in a leisurely manner and said, ¡°I should know my ce. My young master is keeping quiet. It would not be the right thing to do if I boasted about it, don¡¯t you think?¡± Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and asked back. Basilisk stood there with a nk look on his face. Around that moment, Reitri¡¯s shouting could be heard. Reitri said, ¡°We will slowly start heading out!¡± Nainiae said, ¡°Shall we get going?¡± She started to walk toward the carriage first. ¡°¡­Everyone is ready, right? We are heading out now!¡± The carriages were heading toward Rainfield again after a smallmotion. Inside a carriage, Basilisk was pouting. He looked like someone who was holding his pee. He carefully asked Nainiae who was driving her carriage. ¡°Excuse me. I am sorry.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae turned her head to the side and looked at Basilisk. As if she was asking what he was sorry about, she had question in her eyes. ¡°I feel like I should apologize to you again. About before, that¡­the usation I made¡­how I ran my mouth.¡± ¡°¡­Ah.¡± Basilisk was scratching his cheek as if he was ashamed and embarrassed. Nainiae realized what he was trying to tell her. She rxed the look on her face and smiled. ¡°It is all right. I was also able to clear some misunderstanding thanks to you, Commander.¡± Having heard her response, Basilisk sighed in relief and acknowledged Riley and Nainiae. ¡°I see. So, the mercenary hero thinks a man like the young master is¡­¡± ¡°¡­someone to be proud of.¡± Noticing that Basilisk blurred the end of his sentence, Nainiae opened her mouth. Having said that, Nainiae still had a pretty smile on her face. She was reminiscing about the days she spent in the mansion. ¡°Mr. Ian¡­has a strong pride about the fact that he is serving Young Master Riley. I even wonder if that is the strength that gives him the power to live.¡± Just in case Basilisk was wondering about Ian, Nainiae talked about him. She then turned her head, looked to the front with confidence and said, ¡°I am also a maid who serves Young Master Riley. I¡¯m sure my pride in our young master is not second to Ian¡¯s.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± Nainiae was driving the carriage as she continued, but she felt a drop of water from the sky. She gave a vacant stare to the sky and raised her hand to feel the rain drops. ¡°¡­Rain?¡± ¡°Huh? It¡¯s about to fall?¡± Noticing Nainiae, Basilisk looked up the sky and murmured, ¡°This means we will be arriving at Rainfield soon.¡± ¡°Rainfield¡­¡± The city of endless rain. As if the sky was trying to tell them that they are almost at Rainfield, the rate and intensity of raindrops started to grow. * * * Swuuuuwaaaaa¡­¡­ It was pouring rain. The sound of rain was filling the ears with its cool sound. Nainiae brought out an umbre from the dimensional storage and came down from the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°This ce is¡­¡± Perhaps it was due to the myst, but the scenery could be described perfectly by the word, ¡®mysterious.¡¯ ¡°¡­Rainfield?¡± The feel of the buildings and street signs werepletely different from what she used to see in Solia. Nainiae had her gaze taken by the sight. She vacantly looked around the ce for a moment. Having regained her senses, she started to walk. ¡°Young master.¡± Knock Knock She walked toward the front of the carriage and knocked on the door. She carefully entered inside and shook Riley who was asleep. ¡°Young master, we are here. We are at Rainfield.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ Really?¡± He couldn¡¯t quite open his eyes properly because he just woke up. He rubbed his eyes, heard the sound of raining from outside, and immediately smiled. ¡°Wow¡­ It feels cool already.¡± Looking at the scenery outside the window, Riley coughed out words of excitement, got off the carriage immediately, and got under the umbre besides Nainiae. ¡°Should I cast a Barrier?¡± ¡°No, it is fine. It¡¯s more like it to use an umbre where it rains.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Nainiae, who suddenly got to stand tightly next to Riley under an umbre, shriveled her shoulder. ¡®He will get wet like this.¡¯ With a smile on his face, Riley was watching the scenery of Rainfield. Nainiae was concerned Riley¡¯s shoulders might get wet, so she moved the umbre toward Riley and pursed her mouth. ¡°What about the other guys?¡± ¡°If you are talking about Reitri¡¯s merchantpany and Lightning Boulder mercenary group, we went our separate ways as soon as we arrived at Rainfield. He said he need to move quickly.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well, he is not here for a vacation, so¡­¡± Riley was going to ask Reitri about good restaurants serving delicious foods or good hotels to stay at since Reitri, a merchant, probably came here more often than Riley. Disappointed that he missed the opportunity, Riley clicked his tongue. ¡°Ah, and he told me to give you this.¡± Nainiae opened the dimensional storage and brought out a small piece of paper. She showed the paper to Riley and said, ¡°He said he will be staying in Rainfield for about a month. He said he will most likely stay in the hotel written on the paper, and also that we cane by anytime if we have any business with them.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Watching Riley narrowing his eyes, Nainiae added, ¡°¡­He said he will treat you for a big one.¡± ¡°Haha, great!¡± Riley smiled widely with satisfaction. He leaned the umbre toward Nainiae and asked, ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ We are here now, and the carriage is parked too. Let¡¯s set a destination right away then? Where shall we go first?¡± ¡°Pardon? What do you mean¡­¡± Her shoulder was getting wet from the rain, but now the umbre was there again to cover her shoulder. Noticing this, Nainiae tumbled and opened her mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ It¡¯s dinner time, so¡­¡± Koruruk As soon as Riley said it, someone¡¯s stomach was signaling that it requires sustenance. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­We should go eat dinner.¡± On their way to Rainfield, even when Riley was eating that sandwich, Nainiae was just watching from the back. Now, with her stomach growling, Nainiae dropped her head. ¡°¡­Please pardon me.¡± With an empty stomach, she had a duel against Basilisk, incinerated the ogre¡¯s corpse, the one that the dark mage probably had a hand in, and she had been looking after Riley all this time. Even though she did all that, her stomach didn¡¯t make a noise until now. It meant she was either ill or not human. Riley messed up Nainiae¡¯s head with his palm and smiled widely as he asked, ¡°This is your reward. Is there anything in particr that you would like to eat?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Nainiae, who was blushing, hesitated for a while, wondering if it would be really all right to ask. She eventually answered in a small voice, ¡°A warm fish soup¡­¡± Riley stroke Nainiae¡¯s head, smiled widely and asked again, ¡°What? Onion pancake?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Onion pancake! Onion pancake and liquors are perfect for a rainy weather. You know some stuff.¡± Nainiae had a question mark floating above her head. Riley took the umbre from Nainiae and wrapped his arm around Nainiae¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± It seemed Nainiae was surprised by Riley putting his arm around her shoulder in a natural motion. Nainiae flinched her shoulder. She mumbled inwardly that she can¡¯t beat Riley and said, ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Nainiae actually didn¡¯t know what kind of food Riley was talking about, but she smiled and answered that she would like them as well. Chapter 80 - Rainfield

Chapter 80: Rainfield

Riley had always liked rain. He liked rain in his past life, and he still liked it even in the new life. He loved listening to the sounds of raindrops. With his head resting on his hand, he loved to watch the scenery of the sky with dark clouds while being intoxicated by the mood of the atmosphere. Also¡­ ¡°Your order is ready.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Like this, he loved drinking and eating onion pancakes on a rainy day. He loved it very much. ¡°It¡¯s here. It¡¯s here!¡± When Riley came to a city called Rainfield for the first time before, on the first day of the visit, he discovered what appeared to be onion pancake on a menu just like what he used to enjoy in his past life. When he found it, he couldn¡¯t shake himself off from the shock for a while. There was a time when he ate onion pancakes for all three meals of the day. ¡°I get to finally eat it!¡± Until now, Riley always came here with Sera. So, he didn¡¯t get to eat Rainfield¡¯s rice liquor, a specialty drink that was simr to Riley¡¯s past life¡¯s rice liquor. Now, that was not a problem. [Note: The author is mentioning onion pancake and rice liquor, which are something unique to Korea. These suggest Riley was Korean in his past life.] With the food brought to the table, Nainiae just stared at t shaped food and asked Riley, ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a t fried dough.¡± ¡°t fried dough?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also called onion pancake. Well, this world doesn¡¯t have such a name for this. The name is good enough.¡± In fact, the menu had it listed as ¡®t fried dough.¡¯ The food was made of ttened flour dough that was fried with various vegetables and seafood. ¡°Now, shall we eat?¡± Riley gave a piece to Nainiae and also rmended a ck sauce that was on the table. ¡°You could dip on it. You can eat it without the sauce too.¡± It was only right that a world had a type of food that was bing of rainy weather. This food at Rainfield was exactly that, and it was a famous specialty food from the city. ¡°In that case, thank you for the food.¡± Nainiae carefully picked up a piece with a fork and brought it toward her mouth. The piece had steam rising from it. She started to chew. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Crunch! Along with the sound, Nainiae¡¯s eyes opened wide. Not able to wait any longer, Riley asked, ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Um! Um!¡± She was not able to speak because she had food in her mouth, but she nodded multiple times with her face slightly turning red from excitement. ¡°You are saying it is delicious, right?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Although Nainiae blew it to cool it down before eating, it seemed the piece was still too hot. She was still not able to speak. Instead, she just nodded once again. Nainiae swallowed what she just chewed, and exined her impression about the food that she just ate, ¡°By how it looks like, I thought someone threw up on the table¡­ Unlike how it looks like, it is pretty tasty.¡± ¡°Threw up? That¡¯s harsh.¡± Riley cracked a smile. Certainly, the food didn¡¯t look exactly like how it was in Riley¡¯s past life. The version in this world looked rather crude, so he could see how it could look like that to Nainiae. ¡°It¡¯s really delicious! Especially the crunchy part toward the edges!¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go eating just those parts.¡± Those edges were Riley¡¯s favorite parts as well. ¡°The insides are tastier. Eat the insides. They are soft and moist.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Nainiae wanted to taste more of the crunchiness of the edges, but she had to give in to Riley. So, instead of the edges, Nainiae started to focus on the insides. ¡°Excuse me. The rice liquor is here.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s here.¡± It was around the time when Riley and Nainiae had eaten about half of the food. A waiter with a friendly smile brought the drink that Riley ordered with the t fried dough. ¡°Young master, this is?¡± It was a white liquid. It almost looked like milk. Noticing the mysterious liquid, Nainiae looked at Riley. Despite Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley omitted a response. Instead, he just drooled while staring at the food and the drink on the table. ¡°¡­¡± On a rainy day, a rice liquor was perfect with a t fried dough. The rice liquor at Rainfield was made from the rain, so it was famous for its exquisite taste. ¡®Huhu¡­ Sera is not here. Today, I really get to drink it!¡¯ A rainy day, t fried dough, rice liquor. The three things were perfectly set. Corners of Riley¡¯s mouth were tilting up on their own. ¡°Young master. This is an alcoholic beverage¡­isn¡¯t it?¡± After fully preparing himself for the drink, he was about to quench his throat with it, but he flinched his shoulders after hearing Nainiae¡¯s question. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, young master. I don¡¯t believe you are old enough to¡­¡± Riley was 19. He was not yet old enough. It was not like there was aw about the age limit for drinking, so it didn¡¯t matter. However, Iris had been telling Riley ¡®You can drink when you are twenty or older!¡¯ countless number of times to the point there is a nail with that message stuck on Riley¡¯s ear. Of course, Sera and Ian always stopped Riley¡¯s attempts at drinking alcoholic beverages. [Note: This means the so called ¡®brown sugar beer¡¯ that he had been allowed to drink all this time is not an alcoholic beverage. Is it like a root beer?] ¡®Ugh, seriously¡­¡¯ Looking at Nainiae worrying about the rice liquor sitting on top of the table, Riley started toin inwardly. ¡®She sure was taught well by Sera all right. Really¡­ Uh?¡¯ With his eyes narrowed, Riley was ring at her. He quickly changed the look on his face and said, ¡°Ah, this is not an alcoholic beverage.¡± ¡®If I count the life I had in my past life, I¡¯m way past 20!¡¯ Although Riley had been keeping it a secret from the family or Ian, Riley had been drinking often with Andal. This was not his first drink. ¡°It is¡­not?¡± Having heard what he just said, Nainiae started to look around the other tables. The atmosphere was loud, busy and full of chatters. There were others drinking the same beverage that Riley ordered, and they all had the same look on their faces. Their faces were all saturated in red. The looks on their faces were like they were proudly saying ¡®Ah? I¡¯m totally drunk!¡¯ ¡°It seems to be an alcoholic beverage?¡± ¡°It sure does, right? But it is not.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s not going to kill me.¡± With his eyes narrowed, he red at Nainiae. The look on his eyes was somehow looking sensitive. Without realizing, Nainiae shriveled her shoulders. Not knowing what to do, she pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s not a matter of life or death. It¡¯s just that Lady Iris told me¡­¡± Nainiae thought about the list of things that Iris exined to Nainiae before she departed to Rainfield to tell her to watch out for. Nainiae fiddled with the mask that was hiding half of her face. It seemed Nainiae was still conflicted about the matter. ¡®¡­That¡¯s good enough!¡¯ If she was conflicted, that was enough for Riley. To him, it meant there was a chance. Having thought that way, he reached for one of the two empty dishes and poured the rice liquor to the dish. ¡°It¡¯s not a drink. Here, try it! You can confirm it for yourself, can¡¯t you?¡± Riley calmed the facial muscles on his face that was making small flinching movements. Hoping that this gamble would pay off, he rmended a ss of rice liquor to Nainiae. ¡°Um.¡± ¡°If you drink this and eat that¡­ Kuuuu! It¡¯s the best!¡± ¡°Ummmm¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you trust me? I¡¯m serious!¡± Having heard what Riley said, not able to refuse, Nainiae grabbed the ss. ¡°Try it first. If you think it is an alcoholic beverage, then I will not drink it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Riley saying it with confidence, Nainiae raised the ss and took a small sip. Its first taste was mostly sweet with some bitter tingling sensation. ¡°Oh? It is¡­tasty?¡± Riley actually ordered an extra sweeter version just in case something like this happened. He was d he did. Riley sighed in relief. ¡°Right?¡± Alcoholic beverages that Nainiae knew were the ones from Lower Solia that she drank because she was parched. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Nainiae knew them as something that were just really bitter and had terrible taste to them. She judged that this sweet liquid must be not an alcoholic beverage. She tilted the ss up once again. ¡°Hey, hey¡­¡± She finished the entire ss in one shot. Having finished it clean, Nainiae said ¡®Kuuu!¡¯ with satisfaction. Having witnessed it, Riley panicked and said ¡®Huk!¡¯ Riley said, ¡°That¡¯s not water, you rascal.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± For some reason, Riley was breaking in cold sweat. Noticing this, Nainiae tilted her head side to side as if she was wondering if there was a problem. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ It¡¯s not water. It¡¯s a sweetened beverage.¡± Concerned about being found out, Riley spoke carefully and then poured some into his ss. Riley enjoyed the t fried dough with the drink. ¡®This is the taste¡­¡¯ He filled his mouth with warm t fried dough, quenched his throat with the drink, and indulged himself in the sound of the rain. It seemed Riley could not be any happier. With a satisfied look on his face, he started to enjoy it all. Sound of the rainfall. t fried dough. Rice liquor. Also¡­ ¡°Um. Jup¡­ Kuhup. Jup!¡± He could hear sounds of someone chugging down the food. ¡°¡­¡± Rxed, Riley was enjoying the atmosphere, but the noise was ruining it. Furrowing his brows, Riley looked toward where the noise wasing from. ¡®Who is it?¡¯ The noise wasing from the table right next to where Riley and Nainiae were sitting. ¡°Jup. Um! Jup! Kuhup. Jup!¡± It was a man. He looked rather skinny for some reason. He was wearing a ck hooded cape that was soakedpletely wet. It seemed he starved for a few days. Instead of using utensils, with bare hands, he was making food disappear into his stomach in a hurry. ¡°You might upset your stomach. Please eat slowly.¡± Concerned, a waiter even brought water for him. The man with the cape seemed like he didn¡¯t hear the waiter at all. Instead, he was busy with hurriedly putting food in his mouth. ¡®Tsk. He is ruining the mood single-handedly¡­¡¯ Riley was attaining the peaceful state of mind from having the sound of cool rainfall, crunchy fried food and sweet rice liquor. However, with the unrefined chewing noise that was shattering the peace, Riley was cringing. ¡°More, more¡­¡± The man¡¯s mouth was full of food. His both cheeks were ballooned up. Despite that, the man was mumbling. ¡°More¡­ A lot more¡­¡± Riley, who was cringing, decided to listen carefully to what the man was saying. It was because Riley became curious about why he was eating in such a disturbingly disgusting manner. ¡°More¡­ I need to make a lot more.¡± ¡®More? Make more? What? Is he saying he need to make more poop?¡¯ Riley had a ss of rice liquor in one hand, and his head resting on the other. He took a sip from the ss. With an uninterested look on his face, Riley lowered his gaze. ¡°More¡­ More¡­¡± Riley was staring at the man¡¯s soaked cape. Watching the water drops falling to the floor from the cape, Riley decided on the next destination. ¡®Once we finish eating, looks like we should go there.¡¯ Riley figured that, once he get the must-have item in Rainfield, he should check in at a hotel or go to a library for a good book to read. ¡°¡­Y-Young masterrrr.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Riley, who was nning what to do next with a vacant look on his face, heard a stretched out voiceing from the other side of the table. He looked at Nainiae. ¡°¡­Ah.¡± ¡°My head is spinning and spinning. It is dizzy for some reason¡­ Is this¡­ By any chance¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s face was pretty much saturated in red. While Riley had his gaze turned away, Nainiae had been drinking the rice liquor as if it was water. Riley was certain of it. ¡°What?!¡± He had no idea when it happened, but he just realized that the rice liquor bottle waspletely empty. There were only few drops of the liquor left in the bottle. Looking at the empty bottle, Riley looked at Nainiae as if he was just robbed. ¡°Hey! I told you not to drink it like water!¡± ¡°Uuuuurrrr¡­¡± As if she was proudly advertising that she was drunk, she faltered left and right a few times. Soon, Nainiae suddenly¡­ ¡°¡­Ugh!¡± She brought her left hand to her mouth. Rileyined as he covered his face with his palm. ¡°Geez¡­¡± * * * It was not certain how long it had been. It was around the time when the man¡¯s soaked cape, which was dripping water when he first entered the restaurant, was about to drypletely. ¡°Huuuuaaaaa.¡± The man, who was putting away the food on the table into his stomach in hurry, stroke his tightly full stomach and leaned on the back support of the chair. ¡°Have you finished the meal?¡± Noticing that the man was finished with the food, a waiter came and asked carefully. ¡°Ah, ah ah¡­ Ah! They were delicious! Um!¡± Waving his hand around, the man said he was satisfied with the meal. The man with the ck cape tightly closed his eyes. ¡°It was a feast! It was absolutely¡­delicious!¡± ¡°Is¡­ Is that so? Haha¡­ Well then¡­for the food¡­¡± Rubbing his hands together, the waiter brought up the matter of the bill for the food. The amount of the food that the man ate was beyond anyone¡¯s wildest imagination. If he paid for it, it would have been enough to the point that the restaurant didn¡¯t need to open the next day. ¡°Oh? The bill? Um. Ah ah! Bill!¡± The man opened his eyes and murmured as if it slipped his mind. ¡°Of course. I should pay the bill! I can¡¯t be ungrateful andmit a crime!¡± ¡°Ah, yes. The total is¡­¡± ¡°By the way.¡± The waiter already counted the number of dishes, so he was going to tell the man the amount right away. However, he was interrupted. ¡°Where are the other customers? There were a lot of them a while ago?¡± The waiter had a petrified look on his face because the man who was staring at him had a haunting look in his eyes. The waiter smiled amicably and answered, ¡°You are the veryst customer. It¡¯s prettyte.¡± ¡°Thest? I am?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The man¡¯s face was crumpled when the waiter nodded. ¡°This is¡­ This is no good! I was too indulged in eating!¡± ¡°¡­Pardon?¡± ¡°Ah ah. It¡¯s too bad¡­but I guess I could only make ¡®one¡¯ here.¡± When the man murmured, the waiter started to step back with a pale face. ¡°¡­Huh?!¡± The waiter felt something tightly grabbing onto his ankle. He looked down. ¡®A-At my ankle¡­there is something¡­¡¯ Shaking in fear, the waiter looked down. What he saw was a tree root that prated through the restaurant¡¯s wooden floor. It wasn¡¯t an ordinary root. It was exuding dark smoke. ¡°Hey, Mr. Waiter?¡± Having heard the man with the ck cape, the waiter said ¡®huk!¡¯ and tried to look at him. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯ll pay here.¡± Thump The waiter¡¯s eyes were saturated in ck as if someone put ink in them. The waiter¡¯s head was already on the floor. Chapter 81 - Rainfield (Part 2)

Chapter 81: Rainfield (Part 2)

It waste evening. Unlike her usual self, Nainiae was all stretched out like aundry hanging on the string. She was being supported by Riley. ¡°Ugh¡­ My stomach¡­¡± Tricked by Riley¡¯s lies, Nainiae totally fell for it and had drank rice liquor as if it was water. She was not looking so well. ¡°Was that your first drink?¡± It seemed Nainiae didn¡¯t even have the strength to hold an umbre. Peeking a smile, Riley asked. ¡°No. That is¡­ I had some while I was in Lower Solia. However, they tasted so terrible, so I spat them out¡­¡± ¡°So, you are saying that this one was delicious?¡± Riley asked while suppressing hisughter. Nainiae responded with a downcast face, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± She was disappointed in herself because she drank with Riley despite the promise she made with Iris. So, in other words, now she was an aplice to Riley in drinking. ¡°Uuu¡­¡± Even though she didn¡¯t realize it, it still was a sin. She was feeling guilty. Also, she was dizzy from being intoxicated. Nainiae ced her hand on her forehead. She agonized over how she was going to go back to the mansion with this shame. She also worried about what to do with the pulsating headache. ¡®Of anti-toxin magic spells, there must have been one for removing intoxication too¡­ Of all things, I forgot that one.¡¯ She wanted to get a grip of herself even if it was now. Nainiae, who was following Riley, faltered due to intoxication. She also nodded her head around, and then¡­suddenly, she raised her head while saying ¡®huk!?¡¯ ¡°I¡­didn¡¯t doze off just now, right?¡± It seemed she realized she was tightly hugging Riley¡¯s arm. Nainiae, who had her face flushed red from drinking too much, fumbled and let go of Riley¡¯s arms as she asked. ¡°You were dozing off big time? Why?¡± It seemed Riley was having fun with this. ¡°That can¡¯t be¡­ Ugh.¡± Nainiae shook her head vigorously to wake up from intoxication. However, her pulsating head was giving her headache again. Riley, with suppressedughter, asked, ¡°What should I do? Should I get you a hotel first? Do you need to rest?¡± Riley was nning on going to do things on his own if Nainiae had a bad attitude after being intoxicated. Fortunately, she was on the quiet side. Nainiae, who pinched her waist and whipping her eyelids in order to wake up from intoxication and sleepiness, asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you nning on going somewhere?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I was going to a clothing store.¡± The must-have item for the vacation in Rainfield was there. ¡°A clothing store?¡± ¡°Look, look.¡± To Nainiae, who was tilting her head side to side, Riley exined by directing her gaze to the people passing by with his finger. ¡°What are they wearing?¡± It seemed she didn¡¯t know about raincoat. She asked with a question mark floating above her head, ¡°Cape¡­right?¡± Riley felt again that Nainiae was stillcking in basic knowledge on life. With his hand abruptly ced on top of her head, Riley exined, ¡°It¡¯s called a raincoat. It¡¯s a clothing that stops rain.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Looking at the people walking around without umbres, Nainiae was wondering if they were trying to catch cold. Nainiae nodded as if she finally understood. ¡°I need to get one for myself and another for you. I was going to get hotel afterwards. We can¡¯t go around here with just an umbre. Do you understand?¡± Riley asked as he fixed his grip on the umbre. Nainiae quickly lowered her head. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What is this? Is she really sleeping?¡¯ Riley tilted his head side to side. In order to confirm if Nainiae was really sleeping, he started to shake the hand that he had on top of Nainiae and mess up her hair. Nainiae, who had her head down, pursed her lips and murmured in a mosquito sized voice, ¡°It¡¯s fine with one umbre¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?!¡± Nainiae, who just realized what she just said, fumbled, lifted her head and responded. ¡°J-Just now¡­I was dreaming, right?¡± ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Nainiae, with a vacant look on her face, opened her mouth. ¡®Is this what people call drunk talk?¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry. For a moment¡­I was thinking about something else¡­¡± asionally, Nainiae watched Ian making a fool of himself after being drunk, and she had concerned look on her face as she watched. However, she now realized that she was in no position to worry about someone else. She bit her lips. ¡°Are you really all right? You aren¡¯t quite recovered from the drink, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m all right. You said you will be going to a clothing store, right?¡± Nainiae, who was walking along with Riley as she stepped on puddled water, quickly nced and checked Riley. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps it was because of dizziness from being drunk. Nainiae thought hard about if she should grab Riley¡¯s sleeves or not. In the end¡­ ¡®Nainiae, wake up.¡¯ She slowly shook her head and gave up on her young master¡¯s sleeves. * * * It was at Right Solia. While sitting on the resting area outside of the temple, the Archbishop Rebethra was looking down at the scenery of the city¡¯s center. Having heard footsteps from the back, he turned his head. ¡°Archbishop! You were here?¡± ¡°Yes, have you looked into it?¡± ¡°Yes! From what I found out, I heard that he departed to Rainfield two days ago by carriage.¡± Having heard what the priest said, Rebethra cringed, got up from the seat and asked again. It seemed he was hard of hearingtely. ¡°Um? Where again?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Rainfield. You know about the ce, right? It¡¯s a city where it rains whole day¡­ It¡¯s perfect for vacation during summer¡­¡± ¡°¡­Rainfield?!¡± ¡°Huk!¡± The priest, who was exining about Rainfield, flinched his shoulder after hearing Rebethra shouting all of sudden. ¡°Yes¡­ That Rainfield. That¡¯s what I have heard.¡± ¡°Why!?¡± Rebethra furrowed his brows and asked. The priest mumbled on as he broke in cold sweat, ¡°If you are going to ask me about the reason, I don¡¯t know¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra narrowed his eyes and leaned his face right toward the priest¡¯s face. The look on Rebethra¡¯s face was trying to say that he wanted the priest to make a conjecture on the reason behind Riley¡¯s trip. ¡°Ah! It¡­ It¡¯s hot, so won¡¯t that be it? It¡¯s summer.¡± ¡°Because it is hot?¡± Rebethra was still ring at the priest. It was certain that water was not enough to extinguish the fire in his eyes. ¡°R-Rainfield is a city with endless rain. It¡¯s cool there, and¡­there are a lot of things to see. Those would be plenty of reasons for Young Master Riley to go there¡­don¡¯t you think?¡± Hoping that he got the right answer, the priest smiled and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Ugh!¡± Furrowing his brows, Rebethra turned his face. Finally released from Rebethra¡¯s re, the priest sighed in relief as he turned his head to the side. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s so far to the Rainfield, so why?!¡± ¡°Well, it is pretty far.¡± When the priest mumbled, Rebethra red at him again. Rebethra then cringed, appearing to be suffering from a headache, and walked inside the temple. ¡°¡­It cannot be helped.¡± ¡°Uh? You are going?¡± ¡°I have to go! Is there any other way? He is the one in Priestess Priesia¡¯s divine message. If he is the one, then I need to go see him even if it is far!¡± Step Step Rebethra¡¯s steps echoed through the quiet temple. As if it was in response to his steps, from the other side, another set of footsteps could be heard. ¡°¡­Ah, Priestess Priesia.¡± Having discovered Priesia walking from the other side, the priest and Rebethra both bowed to express their respect. Priesia also bowed and called Rebethra, ¡°Archbishop Rebethra.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rebethra responded. Priesia, who had her face covered under a veil, lifted the veil and looked at Rebethra. ¡°Are you going to see Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I believe I have told you many times already. Nothing good wille from it.¡± Priesia narrowed her eyes and expressed indirectly that he shouldn¡¯t go. Having heard her words, Rebethra also narrowed his eyes and lifted his head that was lowered. ¡°Priestess. Is that from a ¡®divine message?¡¯ ¡± ¡®¡­¡¯ Having heard Rebethra¡¯s question, Priesia¡¯s fine eyebrows were furrowed. It was because she didn¡¯t want to say it was not the case. ¡°We should be focusing on Goddess Irsa¡¯s divine message now. We can¡¯t forego the message just based on your opinion. This is a matter where the fate of Solia¡­ No, the fate of the world depends on this.¡± Priesia lowered the veil she had up. With a frustrated face, she sighed. It was because she knew that saying things like ¡®it doesn¡¯t feel right, so don¡¯t do it¡¯ was not going to work. ¡°I certainly have told you many times already.¡± ¡°Yes, Priestess.¡± ¡°Nothing good wille from getting involved with Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Rebethra responded politely and fiddled with his chin. He smiled like a good man and said, ¡°Still, he is the one in the divine message. He would at least hear out ramblings of an old man¡­right?¡± * * * ¡°Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll dry it for you.¡± ¡°No.¡± Having arrived at the clothing store, Nainiae was going to use dry magic to dry Riley¡¯s soaked shoes and pants. Riley said there was no need, so she canceled the spells. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel icky?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not bad.¡± Riley also liked feeling wet this way, so he asked her to cancel the drying magic and entered the clothing store. ¡°Ah, wee! Are you here for raincoats?¡± It seemed the store was busy because it was the peak season. The owner figured out what Riley wanted just based on his appearance and clothes and asked about raincoats. ¡°Yes. We are here for raincoats.¡± ¡°By any chance, are you a nobility?¡± Riley nodded, and the look in owner¡¯s eyes changed. Rubbing his hands together, he started to pour out questions, ¡°By any chance, is there anything in particr you had in mind? Things like color or price range, or we can perform waterproof treatment for you as well.¡± Having heard the veryst part, Nainiae, who was standing behind Riley, tilted her head side to side and murmured, ¡°Waterproof treatment?¡± ¡°It¡¯s making your clothes waterproof. We can make it so that the clothes will not get wet from the rain.¡± If it was Solia, it sounded like something only alchemists could do. Nainiae could not believe that an ordinary clothing store could do something like that. Her eyes filled with curiosity. ¡°That is¡­possible?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s Rainfield!¡± Riley looked around the store while Nainiae and the store owner had a conversation about waterproofing. He picked up a white raincoat that appeared to be the right size and of decent quality. Riley walked to the cash register and said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy this one.¡± ¡°Oh my! You have an eye for things!¡± The shop ownerplimented Riley¡¯s taste. Meanwhile, Riley heard his words through one ear and let them leave through the other ear. He looked at Nainiae and asked, ¡°Did you pick one?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I¡­¡± Nainiae didn¡¯t even look at raincoats. It seemed she was still drunk. Her face was still red. Hesitant, she slowly raised her arm. ¡°Huk?!¡± Mana was sent to her leather bracelet, and dimensional storage space was opened above. Seeing this, the owner of the shop, who was doing the bill, opened his eyes wide. ¡°I would like to¡­get waterproofing.¡± ¡°Waterproofing?¡± ¡°Will that be all right?¡± Nainiae decided to ask for Riley¡¯s permission before the shop¡¯s owner. She asked carefully. ¡°All right. Go ahead.¡± ¡°Thank you, young master!¡± It seemed she was very excited about the permission. Nainiae smiled widely and brought out Astroa¡¯s cape. She handed it to the shop owner and said, ¡°This¡­ Please make this waterproof.¡± The cape, which had a hood attached, seemed like it would work just fine as a raincoat if it was waterproofed. ¡°Ah, yes! Could you wait for a while? I¡¯ll get it done right away.¡± The shop owner, who was handed the cape, went to the workroom behind the cashier stand. Riley, who had his arms crossed, turned and looked at Nainiae. ¡°By the way, why did you choose that of all things? It has a hole in it, and its design stinks.¡± The hole could be mended, so that was fine. However, even with that fixed, the cape¡¯s design was not something that could be considered pretty. ¡°Ah, because it is efficient?¡± Riley thought about the power that Astroa¡¯s cape has. He remembered that the cape allowed the user to be unaffected by the weather. ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± ¡°Really? Then why?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Riley crumpled his face, not able to understand the reason. Nainiae lowered her head a little and said, ¡°¡­Because it is something that you gave me.¡± Chapter 82 - Why it Rains Here

Chapter 82: Why it Rains Here

It was the next day morning. Riley slept in to his heart¡¯s content. He slowly,zily opened his eyes and then smiled as he listened to the sounds of rain outside. ¡°Ahah.¡± The fact that there was nobody to wake him up despite him sleeping in¡­ The fact that he didn¡¯t have to see Ian¡¯s face as soon as he woke up¡­ The fact that he didn¡¯t have to wake up in sweat and feel icky¡­ ¡°Is this peace?¡± From one to ten, everything about the situation was to his liking. ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Knock Knock A voice could be heard along with the door knocks. Riley turned his head toward the direction. ¡°Is it Nainiae?¡± ¡°Yes. Are you awake?¡± Nainiae might have been standing in waiting since morning, or possibly early morning, in front of the door. She was responding to Riley who was mumbling after just waking up. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Excuse me.¡± Having heard Riley saying that he was awake, Nainiae carefully opened the door, entered the room, and bowed to greet him for the morning. ¡°It¡¯s a great morning.¡± ¡°Morning? Um? It¡¯s still morning?¡± He slept for a long time, so he figured it was around lunch time. He tilted his head side to side. ¡°It¡¯s around 11 a.m. How would you like your meal?¡± 11 a.m. Riley thought it was a pretty odd hour to wake up. With a nk look on his face, he turned his head and look out the window to watch the rainy scenery. ¡°Um.¡± Because it rained here all day, the scenery was always dark. Warm street lights were lit even during the day time to light the city. It felt like he was at another world. ¡°If I eat now, would that count as brunch?¡± Riley vacantly mumbled, and Nainiae asked about the word as she tilted her head side to side. ¡°Brunch?¡± ¡°It means breakfast that¡¯s also lunch.¡± Riley got up as he exined. He cracked and rxed his stiff shoulders and turned around to see Nainiae. ¡°I should eat.¡± A beautiful person¡¯s ce of stay is also beautiful. Those were the teaching from Iris. Following the teaching, Riley, with his own hands, tidied up the bed that he slept in. Riley gave Nainiae the sleepwear that he took off and said, ¡°What should we eat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae held the clothes that Riley handed to her, opened the dimensional storage, and brought out the clothes that she had ready for Riley. She thought about what to suggest for the meal while at it. She answered carefully, ¡°Anything will do as long as it is something that you want.¡± There was the incident from yesterday, so it was an answer after a careful consideration. Somehow, the response was very much like Nainiae. Riley peeked a smile. ¡°What is it? Were you thinking about yesterday?¡± ¡°No¡­ Not in particr.¡± Riley wondered if Nainiae was feeling wronged by it. Having heard his question, Nainiae shook her head and responded. ¡°I got it. I got it.¡± Riley smiled mischievously and patted Nainiae¡¯s head to calm her down. He grabbed the clothes that Nainiae handed to him. ¡°So, what should we go eat? What would spread rumors that we had a great meal?¡± Riley ced his arms in the clothes and fixed the area around the neck. He was not quite awake from the sleep, so he was feeling strange still. Having finished changing clothes, Riley turned around and looked at Nainiae as he stepped outside the room. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Noticing Riley suddenly turning back to see her, Nainiae stopped walking and tilted her head side to side. ¡°How about a warm fish soup?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was not expecting it at all. Nainiae flinched her shoulder and bit her lips. ¡°That would be all right with you, right?¡± Riley smiled and asked, and Nainiae, who couldn¡¯t afford to not say anything in response, said, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± * * * ¡°Where would you like to go today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± Having finished brunch, Riley enjoyed Rainfield¡¯s coffee which was supposedly made from Rainfield¡¯s rain. Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley didn¡¯t quite answer. ¡°I do have a few ces I have thought about.¡± Since there was the atmosphere unique to the Rainfield, Riley was going to befortable and cool no matter where he went. The question at hand was where he should go to enjoy it. ¡°For now, shall we stop by at a library?¡± Nainiae was checking how much coffee was left inside Riley¡¯s cup. Tilting her head to the side, she asked, ¡°Library?¡± After thinking hard about it, Nainiae realized that she didn¡¯t pack any books for Riley to read. ¡°In Rainfield¡¯s library, there are a lot of fun books that you can read only in this ce. It would be hard to take them outside the city.¡± Riley took a sip of the coffee and enjoyed its aroma. He continued, ¡°Personally, I thought about yesterday. While we are on vacation, I think we should take a break from magic lessons.¡± Riley said it with his eyes closed. Nainiae floated a question mark on her face. ¡°Pardon? Why would you all of sudden¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not enough.¡± Riley narrowly opened his eyes, looked at Nainiae, and said that it was not enough. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Basic knowledge.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae seemed like she still was not sure what Riley was talking about. She tilted her head side to side. ¡°I understand that you didn¡¯t know about the rice liquor, but it is serious that you didn¡¯t know about the raincoats.¡± Riley put down the cup with a nk noise. He pointed at Nainiae, who had a vacant look on her face, and said, ¡°While we are on this vacation, I think I should widen your basic knowledge.¡± Riley said it with a serious face. As for Nainiae, she still had a confused look on her face. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°If we kept this up, I think I¡¯ll be having a hard time looking after you.¡± Nainiae blinked a few times with a vacant look on her face. She thought hard about it for a few seconds, finally realized her shorings, and quickly lowered her head. ¡°Ah¡­ Yes.¡± After even finishing the dessert, Riley and Nainiae left the hotel after taking their time. Wearing the raincoats they prepared the day before, they started to walk toward the library. ¡°How long will it take to get to the library?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure? Perhaps about 10 minutes walk?¡± Ssh, ssh¡­ Listening to the sound of rain filling his ears, Riley walked as if he was on a walk on a park. He turned his gaze and looked at Nainiae. To be precise, he was looking at the raincoat that she had on. ¡°By the way, about that raincoat.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Riley raised his hand and fiddled with Nainiae¡¯s raincoat, Astroa¡¯s cape to be precise, and asked about something he was curious about. ¡°I heard that the user¡¯s magic will not be affected by the weather, but I don¡¯t quite get it.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Realizing what Riley was trying to ask, Nainiae nodded and slowly put forth her left hand. ¡°Please watch.¡± Along with a sound of me burning, a ck colored me bloomed on top of her left palm. She created it after checking that there was nobody passing by in the area. ¡°As you can see, it is not being extinguished despite being in the rain.¡± There were raindrops falling on Nainiae¡¯s me, but the me was not showing any sign of being diminished. It maintained its heat. ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the cape, it would be impossible to maintain a me like this under rain.¡± Nainiae exined as she looked at the me dancing. It was thanks to the cape. ¡°As Mr. Andal said, this cape seems to have the power to make the user¡¯s magic be unaffected by the weather.¡± Nainiae tightly closed the palm and extinguished the me. She checked the area to confirm that there isn¡¯t anyone around and sighed in relief. Ever since the incident with Reitri¡¯s merchant group and Lightning Boulder mercenary group, it seemed Nainiae was quite concerned about being mistaken for a dark mage. ¡°That¡¯s quite a mystery.¡± ¡°Ah, is that the ce?¡± When Riley let go of Nainiae¡¯s raincoat, Nainiae pointed at a square shaped building in front of them. She was asking if that was the library. ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s been a year.¡± There was a pathway with street lights lined up in a straight path. It seemed that Nainiae and Riley were not the only ones headed toward the library. Now that they were at a fairly wide street, there were more people. * * * Nainiae thought the conditions of the books must be not very good because it rained endlessly in this city. However, the books in the library felt like they were surprisingly clean. ¡®Let¡¯s separate for a moment.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®We probably have different tastes on books. We should each go pick out books that we want to read and then meet at the center. The one that gets there first should find the ce to read.¡¯ ¡®But Young Master, I¡¯m supposed to be your bodyguard¡­¡¯ ¡®Basic knowledge¡­ You need to umte some basic knowledge about the world.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t go just picking out books you are interested in reading because I said so. If you do¡­¡¯ Pouting, Nainiae went over what Riley said. Nainiae started to carefully go over the books organized in arrays. ¡°This, and that¡­ They all sounds fun.¡± Same as Riley, Nainiae also had reading as the hobby. ¡°Should I get this one? No. that one seems more interesting¡­ Um¡­¡± When she was being experimented on in the magic tower, it could be said that she was able to endure the horrific pain because of a few books that Peruda gave her. Nainiae liked reading that much. ¡°For now, I¡¯ll take this one.¡± Nainiae took a book with dark-blue colored cover. She leisurely walked and picked out another book. ¡°¡­ and this one.¡± Having picked two books, Nainiae started to look for a book that had basic knowledge that people should know for living. Nainiae looked around with her head and¡­ ¡°Next is for basic knowledge¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± She ran into Reitri, the one from the merchant group that they came to Rainfield with. ¡°It¡¯s the big sis who is a mage!¡± It seemed he came here with Reitri. Horai, who found Nainiae, opened his eyes wide. He came to Nainiae in small steps like a puppy and bowed in arge motion. ¡°About thest time, thank you. Here¡­¡± Horai brought out something from his pocket and handed it toward Nainiae. ¡°It is all right if you don¡¯t give it back to me.¡± It seemed Nainiae was a little embarrassed. She smiled awkwardly. It was the bottle for the ointment that Nainiae applied on Horai¡¯s cheek. ¡°How¡¯s your cheek?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, thanks to you!¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Horai shrugged and said he was all right. ¡°How do you do, Ms. Nainiae? Somehow¡­ we got to see you again in the library. Are you here with Young Master Riley?¡± Reitri walked to front of Nainiae, lowered his head to greet her and asked about Riley¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Yes. He is not with me at the moment.¡± Nainiae stealthily put away two books to her back and asked, ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°Ah, I have heard a strange rumortely¡­ So, I came to learn about it.¡± Nainiae slowly lowered her eye and looked at the book that Reitri was holding. It was about medicine. ¡°Medicine? Why?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. They don¡¯t have a holy temple in Rainfield.¡± ¡°Pardon? They don¡¯t have a holy temple?¡± ¡°Haha. I figured as much based on the books you were holding, but since you didn¡¯t know about this, I guess this really is your first trip.¡± As expected of a merchant, Reitri already had looked at the title of the book that Nainiae held, which read ¡°About Rainfield.¡± Reitri exined with a smile, ¡°As you know, it rains endlessly in Rainfield. People of holy temple that worship Irsa don¡¯t seem to like it very much.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Saying the entire city is cursed, or other things¡­ Because of various excuses, there isn¡¯t any holy temple in Rainfield.¡± Reitri showed the medical book that he was holding and continued, ¡°So, when someone is hurt or ill, people rely on medicines made by alchemists or doctors specializing in medicines.¡± Nainiae, who just learned about this from Reitri, nodded as she murmured ¡®So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡¯ ¡°The raincoat you are wearing is the same. Because there isn¡¯t any holy temple in the city, things like alchemy are developed here. That¡¯s why people here can easily make special clothes that only mages could make in ces like Solia.¡± The raincoat that Nainiae was wearing was a special kind that was used in Rainfield. Nainiae fiddled with her raincoat and murmured, ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s how it is.¡± Rainfield¡¯s raincoats proudly featured its ability to be perfectly waterproof once the wearer wrapped it around the body. It was said that the raincoats were one of the greatest treasure of the Rainfield where alchemy was advanced because the ce didn¡¯t have a holy temple. ¡°The other one seemed to be about drinks¡­ May I ask what it is about?¡± Reitri asked what he was curious about as he scratched his cheek. Nainiae flinched her shoulders. ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡± Nainiae didn¡¯t know what to say. She spun her eye around. It seemed she was not able to figure out what to say as the excuse. She exined quietly, ¡°I think I should learn how to remove intoxication after drinking¡­ So¡­¡± ¡°Pardon me, but what did you just say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s all right! If it is something ufortable for you to talk about, you don¡¯t need to answer.¡± It seemed Reitri was not able to hear Nainiae because she said it in such a small voice. He was about to change the subject. ¡°¡­ Aaaaah!!¡± Somewhere inside the library, from quite a distance, a scream could be heard. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was a scream full of pain. Having heard it, Nainiae and Reitri turned their heads toward the direction. ¡®What is it?¡¯ It was a serious scream. It didn¡¯t seem like a joke. The scream turned the atmosphere inside the library into a creepy mood at an instant. ¡°U¡­ Uncle¡­ what was that just now?¡± Choking in fear, Horai grabbed on to Reitri¡¯s sleeves with a pale face Chapter 83 - Why it Rains Here (Part 2)

Chapter 83: Why it Rains Here (Part 2)

¡°Ms. Nainiae, the scream just now¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I heard it too.¡± Reitri had his face turned pale just like Horai. Wondering what was happening, he looked at Nainiae. ¡®This atmosphere feels like something is wrong.¡¯ After hearing a scream of an unidentified man, the area had fallen silent. It was scary quiet. This was a library, so it was natural to be quiet. However, the scream that was heard a moment ago was not bing of the ce. ¡®What should I do? Should I go to the ce of the scream¡¯s origin, or stay here?¡¯ With her eye narrowed, Nainiae started to think hard about what to do. ¡°This sensation is somehow¡­¡± After agonizing over it, Nainiae decided to wait on making a choice. She turned around toward Reitri and Horai and said, ¡°For now, I think it would be best if both of you stayed close to me.¡± It appeared that they were not the only ones who have heard the scream. One by one, other people in the library were starting to murmur ¡®what was that sound just now?¡¯ ¡°¡­ Kiaaak!¡± Again, as if she was struck by something inside the library, a loud scream of a woman, just as loud as the man from earlier, could be heard. ¡°U¡­ Uncle?¡± ¡°Horai¡­ It¡¯s all right. It will be all right.¡± The two were choking in fear from hearing the second scream. Having realized that Basilisk and the mercenaries are not around, Nainiae carefully allocated mana inside her body and looked around the surrounding. ¡®Where is Young Master?¡¯ Nainiae, thinking about Riley, narrowed her eyes. ¡®Let¡¯s meet up at the center area. The one that arrives first should find the ces to sit.¡¯ Remembering the promise made before going their separate ways to find books, Nainiae turned her body. ¡°For now, let¡¯s go to the center area.¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing it is because of Young Master Riley?¡± Reitri asked as if he figured out Nainaie¡¯s reason. Nainiae nodded and lead the way. ¡°Mr. Reitri, I could get lost, so please direct me to the ce.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Please take a right here!¡± The Rainfield¡¯s library was pretty wide. Although it was only five stories tall, each floor was a very wide square shaped area. The area size rivaled that of the Solia Castle¡¯s arena. ¡°Please take a left on the next bookshelf, and you will be able to see the center area. There is a store that sells sandwich and drinks, and there are lots of benches¡­¡± Nainiae was in the front while following Reitri¡¯s direction. After turning at thest bookshelf, she suddenly stopped with a vacant look on her face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Nainiae?¡± Reitri and Horai turned at the bookshelf and got to where Nainiae was. Also having witnessed what Nainiae was looking at, Reitri and Horai, shocked from the sight, held their breath. ¡°¡­ W¡­ What is this?¡± It was a cruel and horrible sight. In front of them, there were corpses of people who died in horrible pain. The dead bodies lying on the ground had their mouths wide open. ¡°Ugh?! Uuuuwheck!!!!¡± Because of the horrible scene, Horai, who was still young, could not hold it anymore and started to throw up. Meanwhile, Reitri opened and closed his mouth like a fish with a pale face. ¡°Who could have done this?¡± With a nk look on her face, Nainiae took a step forward, strained her eye and looked at each corpse. ¡®¡­ Magic?¡¯ One corpse had the neck sliced by a sharp wind. Another had been pierced by icicle. Another was burned to crisp by me. There was another who was killed by lightning bolt. The dead body was still twitching. ¡®Someone used magic?¡¯ Nainiae became certain that it was a mage that killed all these people. She opened her eye wide and looked around. ¡®Who?!¡¯ Her heart was pounding from seeing such a cruel sight. She barely managed to calm herself down. She spun her brain as she looked around. ¡®There weren¡¯t any sounds of explosions. It means the perpetrator did it while using silence magic. If that was the case, why weren¡¯t the screams silenced too?¡¯ There was the scream by a man, and then by a woman. Despite that, there weren¡¯t any sounds of magic being used. Nainiae couldn¡¯t understand how it came to be. ¡°Kuhum. Kuhur¡­¡± Horai stopped throwing up. It seemed he was in state of panic. Shaking, Horai got into Reitri¡¯s arms. ¡®Stay calm, Nainiae.¡¯ Looking at Horai shaking in fear, Nainiae shook her head and calmed herself down. She thought about the screams once again. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­ the screams didn¡¯te from the center area.¡¯ The screams of unidentified man and woman came from the direction of the library¡¯s entrance, not the center area. ¡®One more thing¡­ When Young Master and I entered the library, the atmosphere was not like this. It means all these happened in a very short duration of time.¡¯ Nainiae deduced that the unidentified mage, who killed and left behind dead bodies in the main area, must be still nearby, and the mage must be quite skilled. Nainiae unmasked and put the mask away into the dimensional storage. ¡°Mr. Reitri.¡± It appeared Reitri was also in the state of panic. He was breaking cold sweat like rain. Having heard Nainiae, he flinched his shoulders and responded, ¡°¡­ Yes?!¡± ¡°I know you are frightened to see my unsightly face, but¡­¡± Nainiae, who removed her mask and revealed the scars on the right side of her face, thought Reitri must be frightened from seeing it. She apologized and said, ¡°Can you please think about Young Master Riley right now?¡± ¡°No. Something like that¡­ Young Master Riley?¡± Reitri started his response with exining that he was frightened but not because of her face. Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Reitri tilted his head side to side, wondering why. ¡°He said he will meet me at the center area, but he is not here¡­ I think he got involved in a bothersome matter. I think I¡¯ll have to go find him myself.¡± ¡°I understand, but why are you asking me all of sudden to do that?¡± ¡®Why is she asking me to think about Young Master Riley?¡¯ When Reitri asked Nainiae why, Nainiae cringed and said, ¡°Cut your useless chatter. Hurry up.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Reitri nodded as if he understood. He thought about Riley, a young master who is always somehow very rxed. ¡®Above? Second floor?¡¯ Using her right eye, which had the tracking ability, Nainiae immediately determined where Riley was. She lifted her head up toward the second floor. ¡°We will need to go to the second floor. Where is the staircase for going ¡­¡± Nainiae was asking how to get to the second floor. However, she looked at Horai, who was vacantly staring at dead bodies, and furrowed her brows. ¡°Mage sis¡­ These¡­ people¡­ You didn¡¯t do it, right?¡± Wondering why he is asking such a question out of the blue, Nainiae, who furrowed her brows, directed her gaze toward where Horai was looking at. ¡®Now that I see it¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t confirm it on people who were killed using wind, fire or lightning, but she could confirm it on the one who was killed by a icicle. ¡®¡­ ck color.¡¯ The icicle on the dead body was ck colored. The color had a different feel from Nainiae¡¯s ck color¡­ However, this was most certainly not a good sign at the moment. ¡°Uh¡­ Ug¡­uuuuuu¡­¡± Only a moment after Nainiae started to stare at the dead bodies, creepy moans could be heard from among the dead bodies. ¡°Uu¡­ kuuuuuu.¡± There, a ¡®corpse¡¯ with loose head had its eyes saturated in ck. It was struggling and getting up. ¡°W¡­ What¡¯s that?¡¯ ¡°Uncle¡­ That¡­ That man¡¯s eyes¡­ It¡¯s the same as what we sawst time.¡± Horai murmured as he shook. Having confirmed the eyes of the corpse that struggled before getting up, Nainiae narrowed her eyes. ¡°Uuuuurrrr¡­¡± ¡°Kuuuuurrrrr¡­¡± Not just the one killed by the wind magic, but other corpses all started to stumble and get up. ¡°¡­ Oh my god¡­¡± Watching the dead starting to rise, Reitri, panicking, quickly covered Horai¡¯s eyes as he mumbled. The dead bodies all had simr feels to the ogre with dark eyes that had its head chopped off by Rileyst time. ¡®What is this? It doesn¡¯t seem like they are being animated by mana?¡¯ Nainiae used things like search magic and examined the dead bodies. Not able to figure it out, she furrowed her brows. The corpses, who got up after struggling to do so, made phlegm filled noises and looked toward Nainiae. ¡°Kuuuurrr¡­¡± Judging from the way they were all looking at the same direction, it seemed that they responded to living beings. ¡°Considering the situation, I¡¯ll give up moving on foot.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Hearing Nainiae mumbling in a cold tone, Reitri asked with a nk look. ¡°We will get to the second floor by flying.¡± Having her raincoat waving in the air, Nainiae swung her right arm. The three people¡¯s bodies started to float up in the air. ¡°Uh? Uhuh?¡± ¡°We are floating?!¡± ¡°Calm down. I merely used flight magic.¡± Horai and Reitri panicked from flight magic being cast on them all of sudden. They kicked their legs around in the air, not knowing what to do. It seemed the dead bodies were reacting to their movements. Drooling, the corpses started to walk toward them. ¡°Kuuuaaa!¡± ¡°Guuuurrrr!¡± ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Looking disgusted, Nainiae clicked her tongue. Nainiae also used wind magic. ¡°Kek!¡± ¡°Kuuurrrk!¡± Using fast wind magic, Nainiae sliced off the corpses¡¯ heads. She also lifted off from the ground and narrowed her eyes. ¡®They were killed twice, but they are still moving?¡¯ After having Reitri and Horai on the air, Nainiae checked the corpses that had their heads cut off. Noticing that they were moving again, she started preparing the next magic. ¡®If chopping off their heads is not the answer¡­¡¯ She raised her right hand and generated arge ice spear. ¡®¡­ Heart!¡¯ Wheec! Nainiae strained her eyes and swung her arm. The ck ice spear, which was exuding cold energy, pierced through the heart of a corpse and got stuck on the ground. ¡®Did that work?¡¯ The dead body fell to silence for a moment. However, betraying Nainiae¡¯s hope, it started to move again. ¡°Guuuurrr.¡± ¡®¡­ Tsk.¡¯ The dead body, which was stuck to the icicle on the ground, was not able to get up. However, it was struggling to break free. ¡®Piercing the heart won¡¯t do either?¡¯ Despite wind, ice, losing the head, having the heart pierced, the dead body was still moving. ¡®Fire¡­ is fire the weakness?¡¯ Incinerating the dead bodypletely. It seemed that was the solution. The dead ogre from thest time was disposed of by that method. Nainiae deduced that it would work. However, she was not able to do it. ¡®That¡¯s why the mage chose this ce¡­¡¯ It was a library. If just one book caught on fire, it would have spread to tens, hundreds and thousands of books. It could lead to arge disaster. ¡®First, we need to meet up with Young Master.¡¯ For now, Nainiae could not think of another way to handle the corpses. Leaving behind the animated corpses on the first floor, she joined Reitri and Horai who were already at second floor. ¡°Could it be¡­ that the dark mage is in the library?¡± Reitri, who was looking at the horrible sight on the first floor, asked Nainiae when she arrived at the second floor. ¡°Traces of magic, animated corpses with ck eyes¡­ It feels just like the ogre that we encounteredst time. I think¡­ it probably is.¡± Nainiae, who looked around while standing in the corridor, confirmed that the dead bodies are not yet at the second floor. She walked toward the stairs. ¡®Should I make a wall?¡¯ Nainiae thought about the possibility of survivors in the first floor trying to seek refuge on the second floor through the stairs. She shook her head and created a wall. ¡®If they were going to run, escaping to the outside through the window would be faster for the survivors. I don¡¯t know where the dark mage is. If I want to stop the dark mage froming to the second floor, this would be the best course of action.¡¯ After creating a wall, Nainiae joined Reitri and Horai again. Using her right eye, she confirmed Riley¡¯s location again. ¡°This way¡­¡± They had been running through the corridor for a long while. Eventually, Nainiae found Riley who was thinking hard with his arms crossed in front of a bookshelf. Nainiae shouted, ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°Um?¡± Perhaps it was fortunate¡­ It seemed he didn¡¯t run into any dead bodies. He was in front of the shelf and taking his time to pick out books. Riley turned his head and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Did you pick the books already? We were supposed to meet at the center area.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Young Master, the thing is¡­¡± ¡°Ah? Are the books that you want not at the first floor?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s face was full of sweats from having ran this far. Nainiae stopped talking for a moment to calm her breathing. ¡°¡­ What is it?¡± Riley moved his gaze and found Reitri and Horai who were standing behind Nainiae. Wondering what this was about, Riley tilted his head side to side Chapter 84 - Why it Rains Here (Part 3)

Chapter 84: Why it Rains Here (Part 3)

It was at the library¡¯s first floor. It seemed the cape was not waterproofed. The man¡¯s ck cape,pletely soaked in rain, was dragging on the floor and leaving water marks. ¡°Hm¡­¡± There was a man walking with the cape dragging on the floor. The suspicious man in ck cape didn¡¯t bat an eye for the smell of blood that was filling the air inside the library since a while ago. Instead, he was carefully going over the books on the shelves. ¡°No, no¡­ and no!¡± Thump. The man took a book from the shelf, but he cringed and threw the book in frustration. ¡°Damn it all! There are too many! Way too many!¡± It seemed he could not find the book he was looking for. He scratched his head hard instead to vent his frustration, but then he suddenly raised his ears in response to small sound of someone¡¯s breathing. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± Huup¡­ Huup¡­ The small sound of someone''s breathing shaking was indicating that someone had the mouth tightly closed with a hand. ¡°Ummmm?¡± The man had experienced situations like these many times, so he knew instinctively that there was someone hiding, choking in fear. ¡°Who could it be? Who is¡­¡± The man in ck capeughed like a madman and finished the sentence he could not continue a moment ago, ¡°¡­ ying a hide and seek like this?!¡± Wheec! The man in ck cape turned the corner and had his eyes met with those of the person who was hiding in the corner. Having confirmed the woman¡¯s clothing, he wiggled his eyebrows as if he was overjoyed. ¡°Ohoh?!¡± ¡°P¡­ please¡­ my life¡­¡± With an apron to the front, the woman was certainly a librarian who knew well about the library. ¡°A librarian! Ms. Librarian, you are exactly who I need right now!¡± After seeing the man speaking in loud roar-like voice, the librarian, who was holding her breath on the corner with her mouth closed with her hand until now, thought she was going to die now. She was shaking with her tears hanging on her eyes. ¡°Please¡­¡± It was because she witnessed how the man brutally murdered the people gathered at the first floor. ¡°¡­ Sir dark mage¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± Librarian pleaded with shaking voice. ¡°Um?¡± ck colored magic, ck cape¡­ The man that the librarian saw had just those two characteristics. However, they were enough to make her think about the infamous dark mage. That was the reason why she pleaded. ¡°Ahah! It¡¯s nothing, nothing!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having noticed the librarian in tears, the man waved his right hand and said, ¡°I think there must be a misunderstanding. I¡¯m not the dark mage.¡± The man smiled like a good man to the librarian and extended his hand to her. ¡°I¡¯m just a visitor who came to visit the library.¡± ¡°Is that s¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Quiet¡­¡± With hand extended toward her, he had the other hand¡¯s index finger to his lips. He walked toward the librarian and said, ¡°I¡¯m your customer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you treat me like one?¡± The man, who had a refreshing smile on his face, opened his eyes narrowly. The librarian was shaking in fear of the eyes looking down at her. She carefully grabbed his hand and stood up. ¡°There is a book that I¡¯m looking for.¡± ¡°A book?¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll be leaving quietly once I find that book!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man said again with a smile. The librarian nodded as she shook in fear. For now, it was best for her to just do as he asked. ¡°Please, spare my life¡­ I have a daughter at home. I¡¯m all that she has¡­ If I¡¯m gone¡­ She can¡¯t be without me. So¡­¡± For the sake of her daughter, the librarian had to survive this no matter what. The librarian pleaded again. ¡°I¡¯ll promise you. If you find me the book, I¡¯ll leave quietly.¡± The man smiled and promised. ¡°What is the book that¡­ you are looking for?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing special.¡± The man kicked a book that wasying around the ground. He exined the book to the librarian. ¡°Not these kind of books. That¡­ The book about the weather, you know? It would be best if it was about the Rainfield¡¯s weather! It would be even better if it was about the Rainfield¡¯s clouds!¡± Having heard what he said, she nodded as if she understood. Leading the way, the librarian moved toward where books of such subject would be. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind those people and just lead the way!¡± The librarian, who was leading the way, ran into a corpse with ck eyes. The man with ck cape, who was following her, gestured and moved the corpse. The man asked the librarian to hurry. ¡°If you look at the books in this area, you probably can find the book that you are looking for. Books pertaining to Rainfield¡¯s weather or rain clouds are all in this area.¡± Having heard the librarian¡¯s exnation, the man went over the books on the shelves. It seemed he found the book he was looking for. He opened his eyes wide and extended his hand towards the book. ¡°Ohoh! This is it!¡± The book he picked up was titled ¡®Regarding Rainfield¡¯s Clouds.¡¯ ¡°H¡­ have you found the book?¡± Noticing the man acting happy about the book, the librarian asked carefully. ¡°Yes! I found it! This is it!¡± The man put the book inside the cape, leisurely turned around and looked at the librarian. ¡°T¡­ then?¡± ¡°Yes! As I promised, I¡¯ll go, quietly.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± The man smiled big and walked away in back-steps. Watching the man, the librarian sighed in relief. ¡°That¡¯s goo¡­¡± Thump. The head of the librarian fell without being able to finish the sentence. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving quietly.¡± It seemed someone used wind magic. Her head was cut-off clean. On her face, the look of her sighing in relief was still there. ¡°¡­ quietly.¡± Looking at the librarian¡¯s head on the floor, the man whispered really quietly. ¡°As I promised, I¡¯ll leave quietly, but I didn¡¯t promise you that I won¡¯t kill you.¡± The man started to walk with a creepy smile. ¡°Kuuuu, Ku¡­ Kuuuuuuu.¡± The librarian¡¯s dead body twitched once, and she struggled and got up like other dead bodies inside the library, in order to turn other living beings into corpses. ¡°Ah, should I attach the neck for you?¡± With the book he needed now in his possession, the man no longer had a reason to be in the library. He turned around to look at the librarian¡¯s dead body, which had the head and the body separated, and asked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think you will need them together if you want to meet your daughter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The dead body was not able to respond. ¡°What? You say you don¡¯t need it?¡± ¡°¡­ Kuuuu.¡± ¡°Hm, how ungrateful.¡± The dead body barely responded with a sound. Responding to the sound, the man clicked his tongue and started to walk again. ¡°How ungrateful! You changed your mind so easily like flipping one¡¯s hand! You have no right to be a mother! You are totally disqualified!¡± The librarian¡¯s head, which was on the ground, started to shed ck tears as she looked at the man¡¯s back. Step, step. The man with ck cape casually walked out of the library. Fiddling with the book in his arms, he had a bizarre smile on his face as he said, ¡°Still, I should help you reunite with your daughter even if you don¡¯t care.¡± * * * ¡°Ang? Dead bodies areing back to life? What kind of bull¡­¡± ¡®What kind of bull crap are you talking about?¡¯ Riley was about to ask that. However, Riley followed Nainiae to the second floor¡¯s corridor and looked at the center area below. Riley didn¡¯t finish his sentence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What should we do?¡± Noticing Riley being silent, unable to wait any longer, Nainiae asked. ¡°Those guys¡­ They seem to be simr to the ogre that I sawst time. Am I right?¡± Riley asked as if he was not sure. Nainiae nodded and exined what she knew at the moment. ¡°Yes. I think that dark mage is inside the library.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Finding all this ridiculous, Riley cringed. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not like this is a zombie movie¡­¡± Having heard what Riley said, Reitri and Nainiae tilted their heads side to side. ¡°A zombie movie?¡± ¡°What¡¯s a zombie?¡± Riley would not have been surprised if they asked about the word ¡®movie.¡¯ However, Riley wasn¡¯t expecting them to ask the meaning of the word ¡®zombie.¡¯ ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Having realized that those words do not exist in this world, Riley sighed big enough to make the ground sink. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Riley decided to exinter. He looked at the corpses again in the center area. ¡®Their hearts are not beating, so they are definitely dead. They are not being influenced by mana either¡­ Still, they are moving.¡¯ With his eyes narrowed, Riley observed the first floor. He turned his gaze to a side. ¡®Is that¡­ a survivor? That person seems injured?¡¯ Riley found someone hiding at the corner. Riley stared at the survivor holding the arm dripping blood and asked Nainiae, ¡°By any chance, were the screams earlier rted to these?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡± Seeing Nainiae nodding, Riley asked the next question. ¡°How did the dead bodies attack?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like beasts, did they scratch, bite¡­ Did they attack like that?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. It was like that. They seemed to be a little stronger than ordinary people.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The exnation sounded like they were exactly fitting the descriptions of zombies. Dead bodies. ck eyes. Charging at living people and biting them. They were just like zombies from Riley¡¯s past life. ¡®If there is one thing different, that would be¡­¡¯ He looked at the injured survivor in the first floor again. ¡®Infection¡­ is not part of it.¡¯ The survivor had the injury, a bite, held for quite a while, but there were no symptoms of zombification. That made Riley certain of it. ¡®Is it more like controlling dead bodies? In that case, one condition for making those must be that the subject has to be a dead body.¡¯ Riley, who roughly organized the information in his head, slowly turned his head and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I roughly understand what is happening here, but¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t bat an eye although he heard two different screams earlier. ¡°It seems like this is not important enough to warrant youing to find me in a hurry like this?¡± Looking at the situation in the first floor, Riley furrowed his brows as if he found all this to be a bother. He mumbled with an annoyed voice. ¡°My apologies, Young Master. I¡¯ll need to use fire to neutralize them. However¡­ Considering the location, it would be difficult¡­¡± Ashamed to face Riley, Nainiae lowered her head and exined why she came to see Riley. ¡°Fire?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s concern for the books, Riley turned his head and looked at the library¡¯s ceiling. The top of the center area was covered in ss so people could see the rainfall outside. ¡°¡­ Reitri.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is ss expensive in Rainfield?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I don¡¯t think it is too expensive. Why do you ask that all of sudden¡­¡± Riley skipped answering. He turned to Nainiae and extended his hand. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He pulled away her raincoat. Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°Get going.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Soon, Nainiae figured out what Riley¡¯s action meant. She nodded and ced her hand on the corridor¡¯s ledge. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be gone for a moment.¡± ¡°M¡­ Mage sis?¡± All of sudden, Nainiae jumped down to the first floor. Horai, who was watching from the side, said ¡®Huk!¡¯ and looked below. ¡°Guuuurrrr¡­¡­¡± Nainiae, who jumped to the first floor, used gravity magic andnded gently. She said toward the corpses that were looking at her. ¡°¡­ Soon¡­¡± The corpses were all shedding ck tears. She narrowed her eyes and ignited ck me. ¡°I¡¯ll make youfortable.¡± Nainiae had ck colored, closer to grey to be precise, me on her right hand. On her left hand, she made a piece of ice with a simr color. ¡°Guuuuurrrr!¡± Dead bodies charged toward Nainiae. * * * ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± The man with ck cape, who escaped the library with the item he wanted, changed the look on his face after detecting that his ¡®puppets¡¯ were being reduced in numbers. ¡°¡­ Burned? They were burned?¡± A blood vein popped up on his forehead. It seemed he got quite angry because someone was interfering. ¡°Who¡­ How rude. Who dares to burn my hopes!¡± Badududuc. He ground his teeth loud enough to make the sound of rainfall feel ashamed. With his eyes red, he turned to look toward the library. ¡°How dare! Such insolence! They don¡¯t understand my grand n for the greater good! They dare to interfere¡­¡± The man with the cape was shaking in fury. From his back, Rainfield¡¯s guards passed him by and ran toward the library. They were entering the library in an orderly manner. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Having seen the guards entering the library, the man barely managed to stop being infuriated and put his hand inside the cape. ¡°That¡¯s right. It does not matter¡­¡± Urururung¡­ It seemed there was a lightning strike nearby. The sound of thunder filling the air erased the sound of man¡¯s mumbling. ¡®Regardless, under this rain, only mine will remain.¡¯ The man said those words during the sound of thunder. ¡°Huhu¡­¡± The man suddenly started to twitch his shoulders andugh. ¡°As much as I have lost, I just need to make more¡­¡± Ururururung¡­ Another lightning fell. ¡°¡­ more graveyards.¡± sh! The surrounding area was bright for an instant from the lightning and darkened again. At that moment, the man with the ck cape disappeared without a trace. * * * Loud steps could be heard inside the library. They were the Rainfield¡¯s guards that came to handle the horrible situation that unfolded inside the library. ¡°Freeze¡­ Huh?¡± The leader of the guards was about to shout in a loud voice, but he tilted his head side to side. ¡®Sound of rain?¡¯ It was because he could hear the sound of rain inside the library. Shuuuuwaaaaa. Noticing the sounding from the center area, the guards walked toward the area. What they discovered was a girl. ¡°Huh?¡± In library¡¯s first floor¡¯s center area, there was a girl in maid uniform. She was standing on the floor covered in broken ss where the ss ceiling was broken and letting rain to fall inside. ¡°Young Master, it is done.¡± Wharururuk. Concerned that the guards may notice, the girl moved her feet and extinguished a small ck me on the ground that still remained. She lifted her head up again. ¡°Oh, well done.¡± The girl was looking up toward the boy who was standing on the second floor. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike the look on the boy¡¯s face, the orange haired young man and child next to the boy said, ¡°¡­ Oh my god¡­¡± They seemed impressed by the girl who was looking up toward them. The two were not able to close their mouths Chapter 85 - Igniting

Chapter 85: Igniting

The Rainfield¡¯s library was surrounded by the guards. The people, who were injured from bites or scratches by the corpses, were being treated by the guards. ¡°Ugh, is there a better medicine?¡± ¡°This is the best one we have.¡± As for other people, they just sat there with vacant looks on their faces. They were waiting to give testimonials. Because of this, people who were in the library could not leave the ce. ¡°¡­ And then?¡± ¡°In the center area of the library, there was a man wearing a ck cape.¡± ¡°A man wearing a ck cape?¡± It seemed that people were shocked from what they have witnessed. The survivors were shaking as they responded to the questions by the guards. ¡°Yes¡­ When he appeared, suddenly, nothing could be heard from the surrounding area. All of sudden, there were mes and pieces of ice flying around, and people¡­ and people¡­¡± Most of the people were choking in fear. It was the same even for the people who have not witnessed the cruel massacre in the library¡¯s center area. ¡°I¡­ I entered the library¡­ but there was someone with pitch ck eyes charging at me, so I barely managed to escape¡­ but the person next to me got bitten¡­ From the neck, from that person¡¯s neck, blood spread out like¡­ a fountain¡­¡± The survivors from the direction of the library¡¯s entrance, in other words, the people who were near the screams, stuttered from being in the state of panic as they responded to the guards¡¯ questions. ¡°I understand. Thank you for your cooperation.¡± The guard took simple notes about the scene and witness'' testimonials. As thest thing, he called Riley and Nainiae, who were held up inside the library. ¡°So¡­¡± The guard, who was fiddling with his fingers, asked carefully to the two people in front of him. ¡°You are a nobility from Solia?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Riley was not paying attention because he was busy reading a book. Nainiae nodded and responded. ¡°I understand. This is not important at this time, so we will go over it quickly. First, I would like to express our gratitude.¡± The guard bowed. Nainiae, panicking and not knowing what to do, looked at Riley who was sitting next to her. ¡°¡­¡± Riley still didn¡¯t show any response in particr. He seemed to be still deep in the book. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Nainiae.¡± ¡°Again, thank you. Thanks to you, Ms. Nainiae, the harm to the citizens and tourists were minimized.¡± The guard bowed and expressed his gratitude. He started to ask about what happened earlier. ¡°By any chance, while you were neutralizing the situation at the first floor, did you see the dark mage?¡± From the citizens¡¯ testimonials, the guard was certain that it was the dark mage, so he asked about the mage¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°This is the picture drawn based on all testimonials.¡± On the paper, there was a man with a skinny build. His face had sunken cheek. ¡°He is estimated to be inte 20s to early 30s. By any chance, have you ran into him in the library?¡± Nainiae looked carefully at the man¡¯s face and shook her head to show that she was not sure. ¡°No. I didn¡¯t run into him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Having heard her response, the guard casually directed his gaze toward Riley, who was focusing on reading. ¡°Excuse me, young master¡­ by any chance¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± Nainiae carefully tapped on Riley¡¯s shoulder. Riley, who was focusing on the book, finally looked at the guard. Scratching the back of his head, Riley asked back, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. What did you say?¡± ¡°this man here, by any chance¡­¡± Before the guard could even finish his sentence, Riley responded, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him.¡± Riley didn¡¯t even nce at the paper. Noticing this, the guard was not sure what to do. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Excuse me, but you didn¡¯t even look at the paper¡­¡± ¡°We are done here, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? No, not yet¡­¡± The guard said it was not done as he blurred the end of his sentence. Annoyed, Riley got up from the seat and mumbled, ¡°Well, I am sorry about shattering the ss on the ceiling, but¡­ I did that because I was concerned about books catching on fire. As forpensations, that friend over there will take care of it.¡± Riley pointed at Reitri and Horai, who were waiting for their turn. ¡°¡­?¡± Noticing Riley suddenly pointing at them with his thumb, Reitri, who was waiting for his turn from quite a distance, tilted his head side to side. ¡°If you have questions about the dark mage or whatever, then go talk to that friend over there. He probably knows more than we do." Indicating that he was done with all this, Riley got up from the chair. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± As if there was nothing to it, Riley turned and left the scene. ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Nainiae tumbled and got up just like Riley. She bowed to the guard, who was sitting there with a nk look on his face, and went to follow Riley. ¡°¡­ Ah, is it my turn?¡± After Riley left, as if he was waiting for it, Reitri got up from the waiting bench and sat at the seats with Horai in front of the guard. ¡°Now, what would you like to ask?¡± Rubbing his hands together, Reitri sat at the table not as a witness but as a businessman. His eyes were sparkling. ¡°It seems like we will have a lot to talk about?¡± Reitri observed the guard in order to get on his good side. ¡°There is also the matter of the library¡¯s ss ceiling.¡± Reitri looked at Horai, and Horai immediately brought out three cups from his bag and ced them on the table. ¡°What are these? Cups?¡± ¡°Ah, it seemed that you didn¡¯t get a chance to drink anything while getting testimonies.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I just happen to have a famous tea. I¡¯ve heard that it is especially good for men¡¯s vitality, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Kuhum.¡± The guard bit the bait for making a good impression. Reitri was certain after hearing the man¡¯s fake cough. Looking at the bottle that Horai brought out, Reitri asked, ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk while you have a ss? Let¡¯s see, what should I tell you first?¡± * * * ¡°¡­ Excuse me, young master.¡± As already agreed, Riley escaped the library while leaving the rest to Reitri. Having heard Nainiae calling for him, Riley fixed the hood part of the raincoat and looked back. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything wrong, right?¡± ¡°Why do you think that?¡± Riley, who was walking in front, asked back. Nainiae thought about it for a moment and answered, ¡°I was thinking it would be all right to talk to the guard for a little longer. We could help them a little to apprehend that ck mage too¡­ Also¡­¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, Riley cringed and interrupted her. Riley mumbled, ¡°¡­ That will get annoying.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae, I¡¯m here on a vacation. I¡¯m not here to hunt some bastard called the dark mage or white mage.¡± Riley turned his face forward and murmured, ¡°There is no need to get involved in something so bothersome.¡± Riley ignored what was happening in the library¡¯s first floor. He was feeling guilty¡­ about that fact. ¡°¡­¡± Riley, who was walking in the front, had his face crumpled. He was feeling unnecessary guilt. Because of it¡­ it made him remember something from his past life. ¡®A brave hero? A brave hero saved us?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t make meugh! If he didn¡¯te here in the first ce, my son wouldn¡¯t have died like that!¡¯ ¡®Bring back my daughter! I said bring her back!!¡¯ ¡®Get lost! Get the hell out of our town right now!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t evere back!¡¯ ¡®Who said we needed your help!¡¯ There were thoughts of things that happened in his past life, people¡¯s voices¡­ Riley looked disgusted. He gritted his teeth. ¡°¡­ Excuse me, young master.¡± Nainiae, who was following right behind Riley, called for Riley carefully. ¡°What?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Nainiae seemed like she wanted to talk about something. She was blurring the end of her sentence. Frustrated, Riley raised his voice and asked what she was going to say. ¡°By any chance what?¡± ¡°By any chance, are you angry?¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley cringed and turned his head around. Flinching her shoulders, Nainiae answered right away, ¡°No, it is nothing. My apologies.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley realized that he was letting his frustration shown, although he was not intending to do so. He waved his hand as a gesture to say that it was all right. Riley said, ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. I have a spoiled look on my face because it is just¡­ I saw some disgusting things, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Disgusting¡­ things?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s answer, Nainiae raised her hand toward the right side of her face. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± She couldn¡¯t feel the hard surface. She realized that she still did not put the mask back on. She tumbled and brought out the mask. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, young master.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about that.¡± Riley exined that he was talking about the corpses in the library earlier. Riley sighed big and turned his head away again. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae, now wearing the mask, stared at the back of Riley vacantly. She started to fiddle with her fingers. ¡®Young master.¡¯ Just now, when she had her mask off, Riley was thinking about someone. ¡®You are¡­ okay, right?¡¯ The problem was, the people, the existance, who Riley was thinking about could not be located using her right eye. ¡°¡­¡± A situation like this had never happened until now. Nainiae, who was following behind Riley, was looking depressed from the sense of helplessness. * * * It had been about two days since the cruel incident in the library. As always, it was pouring rain in Rainfield. ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, tiding up the ends from that incident werepleted perfectly. Even if it ister, our Reitri merchant group, please remember us. I would really appreciate it.¡± Looking at Riley, who came as a customer, Reitri, who was feeling a bit awkward, scratched the back of his head and smiled. ¡°What is this? You sound like you are about to leave Rainfield tomorrow? I thought you wouldn¡¯t have sold all of your goods already?¡± ¡°Hehe, that is true, but¡­¡± Reitri flinched and mumbled. Riley deduced that Reitri¡¯s business of selling the goods didn¡¯t go well. Riley decided to not ask about it anymore. Instead, he changed the subject. ¡°So, up to what extent have you told them?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Reitri answered with confidence, ¡°Ah, as you told me before, to the guards, I briefly exined Ms. Nainiae¡¯s exploits. As expected of Ms. Nainiae¡­ they didn¡¯t even ask any question about you, young master Riley.¡± Riley seemed he was impressed. He looked at Nainiae and praised her. ¡°Wow, as expected, you are amazing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed. I feel like they are praising me beyond my worth.¡± Nainiae blushed. Reitri also started topliment her. ¡°It was about those grass, right? Even in Rainfield, the story about Solia¡¯s Astroa is quite famous. It¡¯s to the point that at every hotel you visit, you would be hearing about the story two or three times. There is no need for further introduction.¡± Having said that much, Reitri, now with a serious face, gave a book to Riley. ¡°Also, young master¡­ Could you please take a look at this?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is something I looked into after returning to the hotel after the incident¡­ That dark mage who came to the library took a book like this with him.¡± Riley received the book from Reitri. Riley furrowed his brows after reading the title of the book. ¡°About Rainfield¡¯s Rainclouds? He took a book like this?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Reitri nodded. Also, in a serious face, he asked Nainiae, ¡°Ms. Nainiae, you said you are at Six Circles, right?¡± ¡°Yes, why do you ask?¡± ¡°In that case, by any chance¡­ could you estimate the number of Circles of the dark mage that was at the library?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Nainiae put her hand on her chin and narrowed her eye. During that day, that tragic incident happened literally in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± Using silence magic, the mage sealed off the sounding from the center area. In less than five minutes, he killed the people in the area and left. He was no ordinary mage. ¡°Probably at least Five Circles¡­ and possibly Six Circles like myself, however¡­¡± Nainiae thought about the traces of magic left at the scene. She carefully deduced based on the facts. She shook her head and said, ¡°If he is a dark mage, a deduction like this is meaningless.¡± A dark mage. It was not yet known how someone could enter such a path. It was famous for making all of the mage¡¯s magic to turn ck. The title was referring to cursed mages. ¡°It didn¡¯t look like shooting a bucket load of magic is all he does? How he controls corpses must be a different kind of ability. I didn¡¯t feel mana at all.¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, Riley added his opinion. From the dead bodies, which looked like they were being controlled, Riley could not feel any flow of mana that would have signaled the use of magic. ¡°So, why do you ask?¡± Nainiae, tilting her head side to side, asked why Reitri was asking. Reitri, changing his look to a serious face, said, ¡°Actually, our merchant group is thinking about¡­ today morning at earliest, or tomorrow morning attest, we are thinking about leaving Rainfield. Chapter 86 - Igniting (Part 2)

Chapter 86: Igniting (Part 2)

¡°Leaving?¡± Having heard Reitri suddenly saying they will be leaving Rainfield, Riley tilted his head side to side. ¡°Are you saying you sold all of your goods?¡± The question he asked earlier was brought up again. Reitri shook his head and said, ¡°No, it is not like that.¡± Reitri added that he may have to sell the umbres at a bargain price or he may not be able to sell them at this ce at all. Reitri sighed big enough to make the ground sink. ¡°You are not acting like a businessman? Like the kid says sometimes, what are you going to do if you go bankrupt doing things like that?¡± Looking at Reitri sighing, Riley thought about how Horaiined to Reitri. Riley asked further. ¡°Well, is there something else more important that came up?¡± ¡°No.¡± Reitri shook his head again. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important to make a profit, but people¡¯s lives are more important¡­ That¡¯s what we thought.¡± Reitri answered with a bitter look on his face. Riley wiggled his eyebrows for a moment. He eventually understood where Reitri wasing from. Riley bought up the dark mage that they talked about earlier. ¡°Because of that bastard?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± As if he was getting a headache from all this, Reitri scratched his head and messed up his hair. He started to talk about the book that the dark mage took. ¡°It¡¯s about the raincloud.¡± ¡°Raincloud?¡± ¡°I gathered some information, and this is based on that. Soon, I think there will be acidic rain falling in Rainfield. On top of that¡­ it will be a very dangerous one.¡± Rainfield never had acidic rain before. Now, Reitri was talking about the possibility of acidic rain on the entire city. He sighed and exined. ¡°I think that dark mage is going to do something to the clouds and cause acidic rain.¡± Having heard what Reitri said, Riley looked at Nainiae and asked. ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°¡­ Theoretically, it is possible. Although it will take a very long time to prepare to make all clouds covering the entire city to be like that.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s exnation, Reitri nodded and exined more. ¡°If what Ms. Nainiae said earlier is true, this acidic rain is probably¡­ going to cause more than just little bit of hair loss or damage to properties.¡± Reitri murmured that the dark mage was going to cause arge-scale disaster. He shook his head, thinking there is no way to solve this. ¡°I think¡­ With this incident, the bounty on that dark mage is going to go up even further.¡± Judging from the tone of his voice, Reitri seemed to have given up. Listening to him talk, Riley asked with a confused look on his face. ¡°About what you are saying now, did you tell it to the Rainfield¡¯s guards?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Reitri looked like he was wronged. It seemed like he was thinking about when he tried to exin it to the guards. ¡°I said that¡­ the situation seemed very serious, so it would be best to have people leave the city for safety even if they n on hunting down the dark mage.¡± Reitri said that he didn¡¯t just go meet and talk to the guards, but he actually exined it to someone who was a higherup. Reitri tightened his fist. ¡°But¡­ they said it will be a little difficult.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of money.¡± Rainfield was currently enjoying the greatest peak season ever in the history. This summer was hotter than usual, so even more people came to visit Rainfield. It meant a lot of outside money flowing in to the city. ¡°They said¡­ it¡¯s just rain, and it falls every day, every week, every month, every year, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡± To summarize what Reitri was trying to say, it was something like this. ¡°The higherups have rotten heads on their shoulders, so they don¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about evacuating the tourists? Did I understand you correctly?¡± Reitri nodded calmly. ¡°When the acidic rain hits Rainfield, many people will die, and the dead will be, just like the people in the library¡­¡± ¡°Be puppets?¡± ¡°¡­ Probably.¡± Finding all this to be ridiculous, Riley started to flinch his facial muscles. ¡°Ha! Seriously, no matter where I go, there always are bastards like these.¡± If Ian was here, if he heard what Reitri exined, Ian would have chewed and spat out immediately the following, ¡®Those fucking runts! Who are they? What kind of boneheads are these bastards.¡¯ ¡°Ugh, it hasn¡¯t even been two weeks since I started vacation here¡­¡± ¡®Should I step in? It¡¯s such a bother, but still? What about the sheet-storm after I resolve this?¡¯ Riley agonized over all sorts of things. Reitri, who quenched his neck with a sip of tea, asked Riley. ¡°Young Master Riley, what are you going to do?¡± Riley was keeping from giving a response. Reitri started to exin what his group was going to do. ¡°First, we will be¡­ finding new mercenaries and try to move to a different city. An umbre could be used as a parasol too. Anyway, the loss won¡¯t be so severe that it will make us go bankrupt.¡± Having heard Reitri, Nainiae asked as she tilted her head side to side. ¡°New mercenaries? Aren¡¯t you with Lightning Boulder mercenaries?¡± Now that Riley thought about it, he didn¡¯t see any of the Lightning Boulder mercenaries in the hotel. ¡°About that¡­ I tried to convince them, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t go well. All three of them said they want to stay in Rainfield.¡± ¡°Stay here?¡± Nainiae asked back, and Reitri nodded. He said, ¡°Themander¡¯s life is tangled up with the dark mage. There is bad blood between them. He said he will take this opportunity to put an end to this bad blood.¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s exnation, Riley narrowed his eyes and thought about what one of the members of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group said. ¡®The formermander is one of the victims.¡¯ Riley understood why they chose to stay in Rainfield. Riley narrowed his eyes. * * * One of street lights on Rainfield flickered. ¡°¡­ Found him.¡± It seemed that the street light¡¯s lifespan was almost over. Under the flickering street light, there was a boy with his spear leaning against his shoulder. With a deadly look on his eyes, he was looking at the area in front of him. ¡°Um?¡± In the direction of his gaze, there was a man wearing a pitch-ck cape waving in the air. The man was looking back. ¡°One of the high grounds in Rainfield¡­ The ce that would be best for interfering with clouds¡­ As expected of Mr. Reitri. Although there were very few clues, he deduced the right answer just on these.¡± The boy said he came to find the man. Having heard the boy, the man under the ck cape peeked a smile and asked back. ¡°Are you a tourist?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This ce has a great view. In Rainfield, there is no ce better suited for vacantly watching the rainy scenery.¡± The boy, who was listening to the man talking, tapped the spear on his shoulder and tossed a question at the man. ¡°It looks like you are not done with preparations?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The boy warned the man to be ready. The face of the man, who was smiling until now, started to wiggle. ¡°If I sessfully pierce through your neck before you finish preparing, will I be getting a step closer to being a true hero like Mr. Ian?¡± The boy stepped closer as he mumbled. A puddle on the ground made sshing noise as if it was cheering for the boy. ¡°Pierce through the neck? Who¡¯s neck?¡± The man tilted his head side to side as if he didn¡¯t quite understand. Watching the man¡¯s arrogance, the boy started to grind his teeth. ¡°5 years ago¡­¡± The boy flipped over the hood part of the raincoat that covered his head and said, ¡°There was a bastard whoughed like a madman after massacring our ¡®kind.¡¯ Today, I¡¯ll be piercing through that bastard¡¯s neck.¡± With the hood turned over, the boy¡¯s face was revealed. The boy¡¯s face waspletely filled with fury and deadly intent. On his face, his eyes were changed to something inhuman, sharp like the eyes of snakes. ¡°Ah?¡± Facing the boy¡¯s eyes, the man in ck cape lifted his hood and opened his eyes wide. ¡°Ah! Those eyes?¡± The boys eyes, which became like snakes, were ring at the man¡¯s face as if he was going to punch holes through it. ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s face was most certainly the face of the man that wasughing like a maniac at the horrific scene that the boy witnessed five years ago. ¡°Ah, those eyes! I remember! I remember! It was incredible!¡± Having noticed the eyes, the man in ck cape started to wiggle his face. ¡°To avoid eternal life, they set fire on their own bodies and charged at me. It was really¡­ Wow, it was really incredible!¡± The man continued in an excited tone. The boy¡¯s hand, which was holding the spear, shook from fury. ¡°To think that there was a survivor among your kind!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is this revenge? Of course, this is revenge, right? Ah, how ungrateful! I merely tried to be generous in giving them eternal lives?¡± ¡°¡­ Shut up.¡± The boy murmured as if he was whispering. Perhaps it was buried in the sound of rain. The man was still wiggling his facial muscles as he looked at the boy. ¡°Are you going to set fire on your body and charge at me?¡± ¡°Shut up¡­¡± ¡°Ah, wait! This is Rainfield? Unfortunately, it would be hard to set fire on your body here!¡± The man in ck cape tapped his wiggling face. He started tough as if he was happy. ¡°Back then, I only managed to save ¡®one,¡¯ but to think a great opportunity like this woulde! Your kind will be ¡®two¡¯ now.¡± The man flicked his finger, and the street light, which was flickering, started to weaken. ¡°Now that I think about it, your face looks simr to the face belonging to the one I have with me.¡± Dududu¡­ The ground around the man under the cape started to shake. The boy, wondering what it was, narrowed his eyes. What he witnessed was¡­ a ck hand that suddenly came out of the ground. ¡°¡­ Guuuurrrr.¡± The hand, which came out of the ground, pressed on to the ground, and thereafter, a shoulder, a head with hairs missing here and there, and a face appeared. ¡°Coincidence is really¡­¡± The man with the cape mumbled, and the boy strained his eyes. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°As I thought, I was right!¡± p p! The man pped as if he was happy about this. ¡°Ah ah, I got to do two things in just one day! It¡¯s such a great day! I¡¯m getting closer to the goal, and I also get to help out on reuniting a father and a son with my own hands!¡± A corpse came out of the ground near the man with the cape. The corpse was rotten, but it had facial features that the boy knew very well. It was the person who the boy missed very much, and he was even in the boy¡¯s dreams often. ¡°Father¡­?¡± In an ufortable pose, the dark corpse was holding a spear. That corpse was¡­ not only a kin that he lost five years ago, but also his father. ¡°Of all of you, he was the one who was especially talented, right? I didn¡¯t want to lose him, so I worked very hard!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, to salvage the corpse, he ended up losing some hair and looks pretty bad, but¡­ Still, you can recognize him, right? You are his blood!¡± The man patted the corpse and smiled refreshingly. Watching the man doing this, the boy, Nara Basilisk, tightly grabbed the spear, enough to break the part he was holding. Ignoring the blood leaking out of his mouth, he said, ¡°I will kill you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Aw,e on¡­¡± ¡°Definitely¡­ I¡¯ll definitely kill you!!¡± Swuuuwaaaa. This time, his voice was loud enough to bury the sound of Rainfield¡¯s rainfall. Basilisk roared loudly. The man under the cape put up a scared look on his face. ¡°Aw¡­¡± Along with a scream like sound, from the caped man¡¯s blind side, an arrow came flying toward him. It was from Rorona from the same mercenary group as Basilisk. ¡°Oh my!¡± Before anyone realized, there was another corpse standing next to the man. Using its head, the corpse carried out perfectly the task of blocking the arrow. ¡°I allowed you meet your father again.¡± Along with his mumble, the flickering street lights were turned offpletely. ¡°Really¡­¡± Along with a long echoing sound, several red lines soared up to the sky. Boom¡­ Boom¡­ The waterproof fireworks, the specialty of Rainfield that were seen only in special asions¡­ started to decorate the sky. ¡°How ungrateful¡­¡± The man with the cape looked at Basilisk and smiled. It seemed Rainfield¡¯s fireworks started. Chapter 87 - Igniting (Part 3)

Chapter 87: Igniting (Part 3)

Rainfield¡¯s fireworks started. ¡°¡­ Wow.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so cool!¡± Boom! Boom! People cheered every time the firework exploded. Riley was also one of these countless people watching the fireworks. ¡°¡­¡± Every year, Riley came to Rainfield and watched fireworks decorating the sky to find peace in his mind. However¡­ ¡°It¡¯s so pretty.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s shaped like a butterfly!¡± For some odd reason, this year, he was not feeling great. ¡°¡­¡± Cutting through the rain, the fireworks rose to the sky and bloomed beautifully. Others were praising the fireworks, saying they are beautiful and magnificent. However, it was not making Riley excited. ¡®What is it? Why? Just why?¡¯ Boom! Watching bright fireworks exploding in front of him, Riley cringed. It wasn¡¯t because the fireworks were bright. It was just that unpleasant feelings were oveing him. ¡®I¡¯m here on a vacation, so why does it feel so awful?¡¯ Riley felt like a mosquito that he didn¡¯t kill out ofziness came back to bite him before he went to sleep. Boom! A firework decorated the dark-cloud covered sky once again and brightened the surrounding. Riley cringed even more. ¡°Ha¡­¡± Figuratively speaking, the part bitten by the mosquito was starting to itch. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Nainiae, who was standing next to Riley and watching the fireworks, turned her head toward Riley and answered. ¡°Is it fun?¡± Riley, with an uninterested face, asked her if she found the fireworks fun to watch. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae felt that she should think carefully before answering. With a nk look on her face, she turned her head toward the sky to look at the fireworks decorating the sky¡­ and then streams of water falling from roofs of buildings in the area like waterfalls. ¡®The fireworks in the waterfall pathway is incredible. I can tell you with certainty that it is one of the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen.¡¯ Nainiae thought about what Sera said about the fireworks before she came to Rainfield. ording to her, the scene before Nainiae was most certainly an incredible sight to behold and a precious memory to keep. ¡°Can I be honest?¡± Nainiae redirected the gaze away from the fireworks and looked at Riley who had a nk look on his face. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard from Ian? I can at least tell when someone is lying or not.¡± Riley responded with a bit annoyed tone. He was still looking at the sky with an uninterested look. Boom! Boom! Despite the fireworks exploding one after the other, his slightly furrowed eyebrows were not showing any sign of changing their angles. ¡°Could it be that I had too high of expectations? Honestly¡­ it is no fun.¡± As if he knew she was going to say that, Riley peeked a smile. ¡°I see.¡± ¡®Did I answer it wrong?¡¯ Nainiae shriveled her shoulders and fell to silence after noticing that Riley looked angry somehow. ¡°Why is it no fun?¡± Riley asked again. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not sure?¡± Riley believed that he should be happy andfortable since he is on a vacation trip. However, let alone beingfortable, he couldn¡¯t hide feeling icky. It was extremely unpleasant. ¡°Is it because I didn¡¯t realize some dumbass was going to do an incredibly dumbass thing to do that was beyond being a dumbass?¡± Watching the fireworks, Riley mumbled. ¡°I can¡¯t be certain little bugs flying in front of my eyes would bite meter or not. I¡¯m not a fortune teller.¡± ¡°¡­¡± From his quiet voice, Nainiae felt like she was watching a deadly predator who had his sleep disturbed. Nainiae gulped. ¡°If I kill the bug, then I have to go wash my dirtied hand, and I didn¡¯t want to go through the icky process. So, I didn¡¯t do anything, but¡­¡± Riley wiggled his eyebrows and continued. ¡°¡­ if that runt bites me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was exining why the vacation rapidly became no fun for him. Hearing his exnation, and sensing the chilling from Riley¡­ Nainiae couldn¡¯t do anything but to hold her breath. * * * Boom¡­ Boom¡­ In middle of the fireworks, there were sounds of a spear cutting or striking corpses mixed in. ¡°As I thought, you are incredible! Your kind is truly incredible! I can totally sense that you are a human but not a human!¡± The man in ck cape opened his eyes wide and watched the boy fight the corpses. ¡°Hm¡­ I think these are not going to be enough. How about I increase the number for you?¡± ¡°You bastard¡­¡± In a single strike, the boy spun the spear and cut-off the arms of three corpses charging toward him. Basilisk counted ever increasing number of corpses and sharpened his eyes. ¡°My father¡­ My father!!¡± Basilisk pierced through theyer of corpses guarding the man in ck cape. Basilisk thrusted the spear toward the man with all of his strength. ¡°Ah¡­ How ungrateful¡­¡± Despite the tip of the spearing toward him, the man was looking leisurely as ever. It looked like the man knew the spear was never going to reach him. ¡°Kuk?!¡± ¡°¡­ Guuurrrr.¡± It was because there was a tough bodyguard standing right next to him. A corpse whose skin had turned ck. It was Basilisk¡¯s father. ¡°No matter how much you want revenge, to think you would raise your spear against your father¡­¡± Basilisk¡¯s father¡¯s spear blocked his spear. Panicking, Basilisk¡¯s lips was shaking. The caped manughed. ¡°How ungrateful.¡± ¡°Ugh!!¡± ¡°Guuuu¡­¡± Basilisk wondered how could a corpse be so strong. The spear that Basilisk had against his father was shaking. It gradually started to get pushed back. Basilisk¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°Kuk!¡± ¡°You dare!¡± Wheec! Puk¡­ As if someone realized Basilisk was in danger, an arrow was shot from an angle and pierced the corpse¡¯s arm. ¡°Gurrr?!¡± It was Rorona. ¡°Rorona!!¡± Basilisk was shocked to see an arrow stuck in his father¡¯s arm. He opened his eyes wide and quickly turned toward Rorona to shout her name. ¡°Commander! Get a grip! Our formermander has already passed away!¡± Rorona shouted on top of her lung in order to cut through the pouring sound of rain and advise Basilisk. ¡°Ah ha, so that¡¯s where you were?¡± Noticing the voice, the caped man generated several dozen ice arrows above his head and started to shoot them one by one in an interval. ¡°Tsk!¡± Every time she tried to aim an arrow, another ice arrow came at her. Rorona cringed and quickly took cover in a building. ¡°Archers are scary, especially the skilled ones that could load the arrow with mana.¡± Archers were like arch-enemies to mages. Having suppressed the threat to some extent, the caped man shrugged his shoulders. ¡°As for your otherrade¡­ Um¡­ It seems like they are busy dancing.¡± There were three of Lightning Boulder mercenaries currently fighting the dark mage. ¡°Kuk!¡± Basilisk, Rorona and Isen were considered highly skilled warriors no matter where they were or what kind of standards were used to judge their skills. However, the opponent was a dark mage that was raising endless hordes of corpses from the ground. ¡°Commander! At this rate, we will get surrounded! I think we should fall back!¡± Isen, who was fighting the corpses that the dark mage raised, had his face covered in sweats as he shouted. ¡°¡­ But!¡± Basilisk responded in frustrated voice, ¡°But my father!¡± ¡°Commander!!¡± Watching the three shouting at each other, the caped man started to twitch his shoulders as if he could not hold it anymore. ¡°Hu¡­ Huhu¡­ Uh huhuhu!¡± The caped man¡¯s belittlingughter set fire on Basilisk. Basilisk, with his snake eyes, red at the caped man. ¡°Boy, yourrades are right. It is shameless of you to run when you have your father in front of you, but just you three are not going to be enough to beat me.¡± ¡®Who can¡¯t beat who?¡¯ Basilisk started to grind his teeth. ¡°You. Can you stab your father?¡± ¡°That mouth¡­ If you don¡¯t shut up¡­¡± ¡°How ungrateful?¡± [Note: This mage says ¡°How ungrateful¡± every 5 seconds. It probably is the intent of the author to make the character extremely annoying.] The caped manughed again. Watching him, Basilisk could not take it anymore. He charged forward. ¡°That mouth¡­¡± ¡°Commander! No! Stop!¡± It seemed the fuse was burned all the way to the end. Basilisk charged toward the caped man like a firework rocket. He focused all of his senses to the tip of the spear. The target was theughing caped man¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­ Shut up!!¡± It seemed Basilisk was not going to be able to resolve his fury unless he pierced through the caped man¡¯s neck right this instant. ¡°Ahah, how ungrateful.¡± Puk¡­ Basilisk¡¯s spear pierced through a neck. To be precise, it was a corpse¡¯s neck. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Gu¡­ ughuk.¡± ¡°Father¡­?¡± Basilisk¡¯s spear only pierced his dead father¡¯s neck, not his intended target. ¡°¡­¡± Basilisk was shocked. He was petrified there with a vacant look on his face. Noticing this, Rorona and Isen shouted. ¡°Commander!!¡± ¡°Commander! Dodge!!¡± It seemed the battle was decided. The mageughed as he looked at Basilisk who was standing there with a vacant look. Havingpleted the spell, the mage raised his right hand. ¡°Air Hammer.¡± Along with a sensation of dense air rushing toward him¡­ Basilisk was struck by something and was raised up to the air. ¡°Commander!!¡± Piercing through the sound of pouring rain that was filling the ears, there was a clear sound of something being crushed. It most certainly was the sound of Basilisk¡¯s right arm or shoulder bones being crushed. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Ssh! Struck dead on by the magic, Basilisk was up in the air for a moment and then fell to the puddle. ¡°This¡­ God damn it!¡± Isen and Rorona decided to ignore the corpses and ice arrows and just rush toward where Basilisk was. ¡°Commander!¡± ¡°Commander!¡± Fortunately, it seemed Basilisk was still conscious. Basilisk, who fell to the ground on his back, heard hisrades¡¯ voices. He strained himself to barely lift his head. ¡°Ku, ugh¡­¡± Unfortunately, it seemed the damage from hisst duel with the maid from a Count¡¯s house piled up with this one to bite him¡­ His right arm was mostly immobilized. ¡°Well, this is probably the limit for all of you.¡± The caped man made a hand gesture, and the corpses that were charging toward Basilisk¡¯s group stopped. The corpses slowly stepped back. ¡°This is why it is necessary. For eternity¡­¡± The caped man leisurely turned his head up to look up the sky that was pouring rain. Suddenly, he spread his arms wide toward the sky. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that your father was liking it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Due to pain, Basilisk was not able to speak. It was not certain if it was raindrop or tears that was flowing on his cheek¡­ The boy¡¯s face was aplete mess to the point that he could not cringe any further. ¡°Timing is just right¡­ The preparation is ready.¡± The man under the ck cape peeked a smile and said. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Rorona and Isen, who were supporting Basilisk, furrowed their brows in disbelief. They were not expecting the mage toplete the preparation so quickly. ¡°Now, only the eternity will remain in this city.¡± The caped man had his arms wide open toward the sky. He was the very definition of a madman. ¡°Also, we will be a step closer to our life long wish.¡± Not bing of a madman, the caped man¡¯s face was full of hope. Looking up at the sky, he started to count. ¡°Three seconds from now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the term, three seconds, Basilisk¡¯s group¡¯s faces became pale. They knew that at this hour, especially near the waterfall pathway, there were many people watching the fireworks. ¡°Stop¡­¡± Basilisk struggled and mumbled. ¡°2 seconds.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± Basilisk thought about the countless people who would be turned into walking corpses. They would never be able to close their eyesfortably after death. Basilisk started to shake his head left and right. ¡°One second.¡± ¡°Stop¡­¡± The man shouted in bliss filled voice, ¡°Now!¡± Three seconds had passed, and there was silence. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nobody was able to say anything. Not the caped man, not Basilisk and others. ¡®Everything seems to be the same?¡¯ Although three seconds passed and more time had passed since, there was no sign of anything happening. ¡°¡­¡± Above all, it was quiet. It was strange to not hear the sound that should be there naturally. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Basilisk was vacantly staring at the caped man, but he could see a raindrop. ¡®The rain is¡­¡¯ Slowly¡­ The raindrops looked almost like standing still instead of falling. There was no longer the sound of rainfall. ¡°The sound of rainfall¡­¡± In middle of silence that came along when the sound of rainfall stopped¡­ Basilisk vacantly murmured, ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± At the same time, someone shattered that silence. ¡°You were here?¡± The voice was¡­ despite suffocating atmosphere, the voice was overflowing with leisurely confidence. ¡®This voice is?¡¯ It sounded like a voice that he had heard before. Basilisk vacantly turned his head and looked at the man. ¡°¡­ I found you. You insect.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You¡­ are?¡± Along with the stopped rain, a young master from a nobility house made an appearance. His face was filled with deadly aura Chapter 88 - Extinguishing

Chapter 88: Extinguishing

¡°Huh? Mommy!¡± People who were watching the fireworks started to stare at the sky. ¡°Look! Rain stopped!¡± To be exact, the rain didn¡¯t stop falling. The rain was falling very slowly. ¡°How could this be¡­¡± The raindrops in front of people were falling so slow that they were making people think the raindrops were standing still. ¡°What happened¡­¡± The citizens of Rainfield blinked their eyes with confused looks on their faces. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± It was because they never saw rain falling this slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s happening here, but¡­¡± ¡°This is really¡­¡± People were staring at the sky with vacant looks on their faces. They started to show sparkles in their eyes. ¡°¡­ Wow.¡± A little kid looked up the sky with a vacant look and said, ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± Slowly falling raindrops were just as pretty as the fireworks decorating the sky. Like the child said, it was a pretty sight to behold. ¡°Look, the rain¡­¡± The raindrops were shining from the lights created by the fireworks. As if the raindrops were saying they have more to show, the raindrops started to narrowly shake. ¡°¡­ They are going up?¡± The raindrops were no longer falling by the gravity. Reflecting the lights from the fireworks, the raindrops now started to rise up toward the clouds. ¡°Wow¡­¡± Grand? Magnificent? No words could quite fit the scene. ¡°Huh¡­ This is really¡­¡± Not just the tourists, but the citizens of the Rainfield who saw the fireworks every year were just staring at the sky. ¡°¡­¡± They were staring at the scene of raindrops returning to the clouds as the raindrops reflected the lights from the fireworks. ¡°¡­¡± The scene was most definitely¡­ the most beautiful firework in Rainfield¡¯s history until now. * * * An uninvited guest who showed at the climax looked at slowly falling raindrops and mumbled, ¡°Time magic¡­ It¡¯s my first time, so controlling it is difficult, but this is pretty good.¡± ¡°¡­ Who are you?¡± The caped man looked at the uninvited guest who showed up at the same time as the slowed rain. The caped man asked with a violent look on his face. ¡°Did you ask who I was?¡± ¡°¡­¡± With the rain stopped and the atmosphere calmed, the uninvited guest¡¯s voice, which was leisurely somehow, was making the cape man feel anxious. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± A street light, which seemed like it ran out of its lifespan, started to flicker again. ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a need for you to know?¡± The flickering street light asionally showed who the uninvited guest was. ¡®¡­ Young Master?¡¯ Basilisk, who was in the puddle, confirmed the man¡¯s face and vacantly opened his mouth. ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that Basilisk was mistaking the boy for someone else. The ck haired boy that showed up was definitely the young master of Iphalleta house that they came to Rainfield with from the forest where ogres appeared. The boy was Riley Iphalleta. ¡°I wonder how it feels to be interrupted in such a spectacr way?¡± Ssh. The ck haired boy took a step forward as he stepped on a puddle. Riley looked at the caped man and tilted his head side to side. ¡°Interrupted?¡± Having heard the boy¡¯s question, the caped man vacantly mumbled ¡®interrupted.¡¯ ¡°I wish you stopped putting on a face as if you were wronged. You were the one thatpletely ruined my mood in the first ce.¡± The boy had his head slightly tilted to the side. Unlike his voice, the boy¡¯s face was exuding deadly aura as much as the caped man. ¡°By any chance¡­ by any chance¡­¡± With his eyes met with the boy, the caped man started to flinch his facial muscles. The caped man looked at the raindrops falling slowly. ¡°This rain, this cloud, my life long wish¡­ You are¡­ you are?!¡± The caped man twitched his ten fingers in bizarre angles. He started to shake uncontrobly. ¡°Why are you acting like you were wronged? If some bastard didn¡¯t ruin my vacation, I wouldn¡¯t have done it.¡± Riley red at the caped man. As if he was trying to show that this was not the end of it, Riley raised his right arm and flicked it loudly. ¡°Just do it.¡± Riley sent a signal to someone, and his clothes started to p upward. It wasn¡¯t like there was a strong wind that caused it. It was just¡­ ¡®¡­ Raindrops?¡¯ The gravity was changed. The gravity was changed slightly so that just the slowly falling raindrops would float up. [Note: From logical standpoint, this statement is absolutely wed. Water and human body have density greater than the surrounding air, hence we sink in air when gravity is present. Some people can float in water because their body density overall is lower than water. We, and water, are denser than normal air, hence we will always fall toward the source of gravity, which is the Earth. If the gravity was changed to the point that the raindrops are not falling anymore, only way to aplish this is to make the gravity zero. If that happened, everybody will be floating up.] ¡®It¡¯s her!¡¯ Basilisk thought of Nainiae, the one who was instrumental in defeating Solia¡¯s Grand Mage Astroa. Basilisk realized why the gravity changed and opened his eyes wide. ¡°This, this can¡¯t be! This can¡¯t¡­!!¡± Realizing the raindrops were rising to the sky, the caped man mumbled that he can¡¯t let this be and started to move his mana. ¡®Again! Again!!¡¯ With corpses in front of him, he tried to cast magic that would make the gravity heavy. He realized that his mana was moving slower. The man opened his eyes wide. ¡°It looks like this works well too?¡± ¡°What¡­ are you talking¡­?¡± Among the time magic, Riley cast the magic that made the affected mage take longer to cast spells. Riley seemed like he was d he learned the magic. With a proud face, Riley asked the man, ¡°How is it? Is it actually difficult for you to cast magic now?¡± ¡°¡­ Ungrateful, how ungrateful!¡± Realizing Riley was interfering again, the caped man said ¡®ungrateful¡¯ as if it was out of habit. ¡°Ungrateful? How could you say that after interfering with my vacation?¡± Hearing the man saying ¡®ungrateful¡¯ made Riley¡¯s forehead to have a vein popped up. ¡°Ungrateful! Ungrateful! You, you ungrateful!!¡± The mage with ck cape was shaking in fury from watching the raindrops rising back up to the sky. The mage tightened his fists, and the ground started to shake. ¡°W¡­ Watchout! The corpses that bastards raise won¡¯t stop moving no matter how you cut them! Only way to stop them is to set them on fire! Be careful¡­¡± Basilisk, who was watching the situation, struggled and raised his upper body to warn Riley. However, it seemed Riley was not listening at all. ¡°Guurrrr¡­¡± Pak! From below Riley¡¯s feet, a ck, rotten corpse¡¯s hand popped up and tightly grabbed Riley¡¯s ankle. ¡°How dare you, how dare you! How ungrateful! Our life long wish is¡­!¡± With red eyes, the caped man red at Riley. The man swung his hand wide and manipted the corpses. ¡°¡­¡± Riley looked at the corpses hand that grabbed his ankle. Finding it unpleasant, Riley narrowed his eyes and mumbled, ¡°About this thing you do, it is quite an intriguing trick.¡± Riley didn¡¯t sense any energy from the corpses. There was no mana or any kind of special energy. Despite that, the dark eyed corpses were moving on their own. They were certainly giving off a unique sensation. ¡°But¡­¡± Riley furrowed his brows as he looked at the ck hand and drooling corpses surrounding him and charging toward him. Riley finished his sentence. ¡°¡­ in the end, it is just a trick.¡± Riley leisurely finished the sentence. He focused mana toward his leg and exploded the corpse¡¯s ck hand that was grabbing his ankle. ¡­ Pop!! The ck hand of the corpse exploded as if it was a balloon that got struck by a needle. ¡®Huh?¡¯ From a distance, it looked as if he exploded the corpse¡¯s hand just by his gaze. Watching this unbelievable scene, Basilisk and others quietly gulped. ¡°Now, what¡¯s the next trick?¡± Having freed his ankle, Riley leisurely looked to the front. In front of Riley, there were corpses that the caped man just raised. The corpses were charging toward Riley with roars. ¡°Guuurrrrk!¡± ¡°Khaaaak!¡± ¡°Ah, so, this?¡± Riley was surroundedpletely, front, back, left and right. Still, he was not batting an eye. Riley started to move his legs again. ¡°This looks like the same trick.¡± There were wsing at him. There were teething at him. There were other corpses attacking Riley with swords or spears. However, Riley dodged them all leisurely. asionally, Riley tripped the corpses with his leg and made them fall over. ¡°At best, these are petty tricks.¡± Soon, Riley knocked over even the ¡®corpse wielding a spear¡¯ like it was nothing. Having gotten past all of them, leaving behind the struggling corpses on the ground, Riley walked forward. ¡°If I¡¯m to tell you my opinion of seeing it, it feels like a puppet show.¡± The corpse, that used to be a pretty famous warrior for his spear in his life, fell down without being able to touch even the tip of Riley¡¯s toe. The caped man ground his teeth. ¡°This, this can¡¯t be!!¡± The man flinched his fingers and raised even more corpses from the ground. ¡°Guuuurrrrr¡­¡± ¡°Kuuuaaak!!¡± There were corpses of monsters among them. ¡°Now, what are these?¡± Anyone would have turned pale from watching this happen. It was because¡­ each corpse possessed different abilities. ¡°Orcs, goblins, and there are ones that are even weirder?¡± There were unidentified, strange monster corpses. Also, there were corpses that were shooting arrows or magic attacks. However¡­ it seemed that these were not enough to make Riley¡¯s face turn pale. ¡°This was a bit more fun.¡± The corpses were increased in number and kind, but that was about it. The corpses were, yet again, not able to touch even a hair on Riley. ¡°Guuurrrr¡­¡± Having realized that they didn¡¯t grab Riley, the struggling corpses turned their body around and charged at him. ¡°Well, it is intriguing that you can do this without using mana. It is too bad that all you can do with it is putting up puppet shows.¡± There were dangerous things rushing toward him from all sides, but Riley¡¯s movements or tone of voice were still as leisurely as ever. ¡°How dare¡­ How dare you. You ungrateful! My curse¡­ You dare to belittle the present given by the one!!¡± It seemed the caped man had lost his mind. With his red eyes, the man red at Riley like he was going to kill him. The man opened his arms wide and shouted on top of his lung. ¡°If you are going to do petty tricks¡­¡± While Riley was leisurely mumbling, the corpses came right up to Riley. ¡°Guuurrrr!¡± They were very close¡­ It would have taken just one swing of a corpse¡¯s arm to have its ws tear off Riley¡¯s back. ¡°¡­ you should show at least this much.¡± Until now, Riley was maintaining leisurely atmosphere. However, now, it changed in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± Corpses¡¯ arms, which were raised high toward the sky, stopped all of sudden. ¡®My body¡­ it won¡¯t move?¡¯ Everyone, not just corpses, but Basilisk and others, were petrified from deadly aura choking their neck like chains. ¡°¡­ Ugh¡­ Kuuuu.¡± The man wearing ck cape, who was exposed directly to Riley¡¯s deadly aura, red at Riley with his eyes wide open. ¡°Since you are a mage, you have a rough idea of this, right? Just like you, who likes to do puppet shows, I did it without using mana. What do you think?¡± Riley stepped forward and asked in a violent tone. The caped man strained and opened his mouth. ¡°How¡­ how dare¡­¡± The caped man managed to move his mouth despite being crushed by the deadly aura. Riley, who walked all the way to the front of the man, asked as if he was impressed. ¡°Huh, are you holding on using your madness?¡± ¡°My life long wish¡­ our life long dream¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ I can¡¯t quite hear you very well.¡± ¡°How ungrateful¡­ Our life long dream is still¡­¡± The caped man struggled to say the words. As if he couldn¡¯t quite understand the man, Riley furrowed his brows and mumbled in an uninterested voice. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just die.¡± Thump. ¡°¡­¡± To the end, the caped man was trying to do something with his hands which had ck lights. However, his head fell. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± At the same time, the aura from Riley changed to his usual leisurely form. Basilisk vacantly opened his mouth. ¡°I finally got him, this insect bastard.¡± Riley mumbled, and the man under the ck cape lost bnce and fell to the front. ¡°Guuurrr¡­¡± Along with him¡­ the corpses, which were standing still, petrified, all became dust and slowly crumbled down. ¡°Let me livefortably. Seriously. Chapter 89 - Extinguishing (Part 2)

Chapter 89: Extinguishing (Part 2)

The rising raindrops was abined effort by Riley¡¯s slow magic and Nainiae¡¯s gravity magic. ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯ It was at the top of a clock tower. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Unlike Riley, Nainiae didn¡¯t have as much mana, so she was at a ce that would be optimal for using the gravity magic. She slowly took a deep breath. ¡®Slowly, slowly.¡¯ With a calm face, she closed her eyes and faced the wind at top of the clock tower. Her hands were exuding steady gray light much like the color of the storm clouds. ¡®I must not be negligent in focusing on either side¡­ Slowly, steadily, smoothly¡­ maintaining this¡­¡¯ She was using the gravity magic with her right hand and cleansing magic with her left hand. Nainiae, who was using both magic at the same time, furrowed her brows slightly. It seemed there was a problem. ¡®Kuk, at this rate¡­¡¯ Water was obviously going to be harder to clean than to spoil. ¡®At this rate, my mana will be depleted.¡¯ Nainiae calcted the amount of mana left andpared it to the amount of water left to be cleansed. She realized it won¡¯t work like this, so she changed the spell. ¡®I should gently push the rotten clouds away.¡¯ Both mana and time were at critical point. Like a surgeon, Nainiae¡¯s face was covered in sweats. ¡®Focus.¡¯ Nainiae quickly cancelled the cleansing magic on her left hand and immediately used wind magic. ¡°¡­ Kup.¡± It seemed she overexerted herself. A stream of ck blood started to flow from her lips and drop below her chin. ¡®Did it work?¡¯ The raindrops, which became lighter from gravity magic, started to get carried away by her wind magic. ¡®It¡¯s working.¡¯ Nainiae didn¡¯t even think about wiping off the blood flowing on her face. She smiled as she looked at the polluted rain being carried away to the distance. ¡®It worked.¡¯ The polluted rain was going to cause a huge casualty, but it was now moving far away from Rainfield. Relieved, Nainiae sighed. ¡°Ha¡­¡± On top of the clock tower, dizziness suddenly overcame Nainiae. Her legs started to falter, and the rainfall and wind started again after the gravity magic was canceled. ¡®I¡¯m d it turned out well.¡¯ She was having difficulty standing. She struggled to stand and grabbed the lightning pole to support herself. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s amazing¡­¡± Boom. Boom. She could hear the cheering crowd from below, and she could see the firework lighting the sky. Nainiae vacantly stared at the scenery in front of her. ¡°¡­¡± From the tall clock tower, she could see the waterfall pathway down below. There were people watching the fireworks. ¡°¡­ I saved them.¡± Nainiae looked at the people watching the fireworks. She smiled proudly and mumbled, ¡°I save them¡­¡± There were people that Riley and Nainiae saved. They were alive. ¡°I managed to save them.¡± Nainiae watched the people enjoying the beautiful scenery. To Nainiae, who came to Rainfield for the first time to see the fireworks, it was the most beautiful grand scenery. * * * The flipping sound of newspaper was like in response to the sound of rainfall from outside. [Slowed rainfall was observed in Rainfield. A phenomenon like this was the first in the history. Meteorologists and mana experts wondered if a dragon, which is only rumored to exist, passed by the city. The opinions were divided.] Flip The newspaper was turned to the next page. [Also, the slowed rainfall started to rise up, which was a remarkable phenomenon. Combined with fireworks, it created the most beautiful scenery in the Rainfield¡¯s waterfall pathway firework history. This became a big news.] The boy was vacantly reading the newspaper. ¡°¡­ Hm.¡± Meanwhile, a maid carefully prepared a tea for the boy so she wouldn¡¯t get in his way. She carefully set the tea cup down and said, ¡°Young Master, here¡­¡± ¡°Oh, leave it there.¡± The boy didn¡¯t even bother to turn to look at the maid wearing a mask. He checked the news. [The story is that the dark mage that appeared in the library recently was still not apprehended. The families of the victims, infuriated, confronted the guards, and this lead to injuries to people. The authorities involved in the investigation said they will quickly find his trace and apprehend him. However, the families of the victims didn¡¯t seem to be believing them.] Nainiae¡¯s voice could be heard from a close range. ¡°¡­ So, in the end, it looks like the official story is that the dark mage was not caught.¡± Having heard the voice, Riley looked at the maid¡¯s face and furrowed his brows. ¡°Don¡¯t talk to me from the side so close.¡± ¡°M¡­ My apologies.¡± Nainiae was reading the newspaper from Riley¡¯s shoulder. She stepped back, lowered her head and begged for pardon. ¡°Anyway, judging from the news, Basilisk is keeping his mouth shut.¡± Riley folded the newspaper and smiled. Nainiae scratched her cheek and mumbled, ¡°Personally¡­ I wish you got credited for the fact that you defeated the dark mage and saved the people in Rainfield. Just like how it was in Solia.¡± Riley didn¡¯t miss what Nainiae mumbled in a quiet voice. Appearing to be feeling unpleasant, he looked at her. ¡°Are you bing like Ian now?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I just¡­ It felt great when I realized I saved people. I was proud too.¡± Feeling Riley¡¯s stare, Nainiae avoided Riley¡¯s gaze. Fiddling with her index fingers, she mumbled in even smaller voice, ¡°I wish you could feel it too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed she struck a chord in Riley. Riley narrowed his eyes and looked at Nainiae. Nainiae pursed her lips. ¡°Come here for a second.¡± Riley slowly raised his hand and cracked his wrist. Looking at his hand gesture calling for her, Nainiae shriveled her shoulders and stepped toward him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Is he going to scold me?¡¯ She thought about what she did earlier and realized she overstepped the bound and ran her mouth. Nainiae was looking rather down. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ Nainiae went next to Riley who was sittingfortably on sofa. Riley bent his wrist to gesture Nainiae to lower her head. Nainiae carefully lowered her body. ¡®Not being acknowledged by young master is¡­ Looks like I¡¯ll be getting another knock on the head and told to stop lecturing him.¡¯ Thinking that, Nainiae closed her eye tightly as she noticed Riley¡¯s handing toward her forehead. ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae, who was prepared for a gentle knock on her forehead, felt Riley¡¯s palm on her head instead. ¡°Young Master?¡± Nainiae opened her eye and vacantly stared at Riley¡¯s face. ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you this.¡± ¡°¡­ What are you¡­¡± ¡°You have done a good work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was patting Nainiae¡¯s head and praising her. Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°How was that? Do you feel proud?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She blushed a little. Lowering her chin, she said in a tiny voice, ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Just keep doing as you have been.¡± Nainiae looked overjoyed, and that gave Riley vicarious satisfaction. He turned his gaze away from Nainiae and mumbled, ¡°Anyway, I got to enjoy the vacation afterwards¡­ I¡¯m satisfied with that.¡± Riley disposed of the dark mage that was causing annoyance like a flying insect, and since then, Riley had been enjoying sweet vacation in Rainfield. ¡°From time to time, I got to have you learn about the world too¡­ It will make my life easier as well from now on.¡± Riley swung his leg a little. He had a bitter look on his face, but he changed it and looked at Nainiae with a mischievous look. ¡°That¡¯s right, right?¡± Nainiae thought about the number of books she read while in Rainfield. She blushed and lowered her head deeply. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She read about twice more books than Riley had. ¡°Should I praise you again?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± She was here to serve Riley, but it felt like she enjoyed the vacation more than he had. It seemed like she was ashamed to face Riley. ¡°Well then, okay.¡± Nainiae looked down. Riley smiled and leaned on the sofa¡¯s back support. He closed his eyes. ¡°Huuuaaaam.¡± Listening to the sound of the rain as luby, Riley blinked slowly. He suddenly mumbled, ¡°Now that I think about it, it is about time we went back.¡± ¡°Although we saved time with Mr. Andal¡¯s teleportation, it has been a while since we came here. Soon¡­ it will be autumn.¡± Nainiae smiled lightly and said it. Riley thought about home and asked, ¡°I guess everyone would be worried, right?¡± Having heard the question, Nainiae opened her eye wide as if she was forgetting something. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae was just standing there with a nk look on her face. It was afternoon nap time for Riley. He was blinking his eyes from sleepiness. He had a question mark on his face as he asked, ¡°¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We¡­ have something we had been forgetting about, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Something we had been forgetting about?¡± Riley looked up the ceiling and thought about what he could have forgotten. He tilted his head side to side and rolled his brain. ¡°Um.¡± If she was talking about the dark mage, Riley turned the corpse to dust, so that couldn¡¯t be it. ¡°Um.¡± ¡®Is there a book that I missed?¡¯ Is there a food that I missed? In Rainfield¡­ in Rainfield¡­¡¯ ¡°No, I can¡¯t think of anything?¡± All questions returned the same answer, no. ¡°Just what is it? Why are you saying it with such a serious face? If it is something trivial, handle it yourself, ok?¡± Frustrated, Riley demanded an answer. Not knowing what to do, thinking she made a mistake, Nainiae cringed and said ¡°About that¡­¡± ¡°About that what?¡± Riley asked her to hurry up. Almost in tears, Nainiae said, ¡°¡­ We didn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t do what?¡± ¡°Contacting them.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°About that, to the mansion¡­ We never contacted the mansion ever since we arrived at the Rainfield.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s mouth opened on its own. It was because what Nainiae was saying was correct. He couldn¡¯t recall a time when he contacted the mansion. ¡°You really didn¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Not even once?¡± ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley fell to silence. Nainiae injected mana into her leather bracelet and brought out a small mirror. ¡°It¡¯s this.¡± It was a hand mirror that she had gate magic installed before leaving to Rainfield. It allowed face to facemunication from a long distance. ¡°How do I use it?¡± Riley asked, and Nainiae asked back almost in tears. ¡°What should we do?¡± ¡°¡­ T¡­ To begin with, it is your fault that you didn¡¯t contact them!¡± Riley thought he was not at fault for this. With his face full of panic, he pointed at Nainiae. ¡°I¡­ I beg your pardon.¡± Nainiae bit her lips hard and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master.¡± Of course, it could not be said that Riley was meless on this one. However, Nainiae was thinking it was all her fault. Looking at Nainiae apologizing sincerely, it was stabbing Riley¡¯s conscious. He made a strange sound and shook his shoulder. ¡®¡­ Riley? What are you doing?¡¯ ¡°Ugh!?¡± From behind Nainiae, he thought he saw his mother¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ Ah, no, it is fine.¡± Riley gulped big time and stopped scolding Nainiae. He reached for the hand mirror. It wasn¡¯t that he was scared of his mother. It was just that there wasn¡¯t going to be answer for this problem even if he talked to her. ¡°T¡­ this. How do I use this?¡± Riley¡¯s voice was shaking without him realizing it. Riley asked Nainiae about how to use the mirror. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a signal when you open the mirror. When I used the magic and the other side opens the mirror as well, you can have a face-to-facemunication through the mirror. Please wait for a moment. Young Master, you are sweating¡­¡± He was about to do a face-to-face chat with his mother through the mirror, and it had been months since he saw herst time. If he looked ill, that would not have led to a good conversation. ¡°I¡­ is it all right now?¡± Nainiae, who wiped off the sweat from Riley, nodded and raised her hand. ¡°Yes¡­ I¡­ I¡¯ll cast the magic.¡± Nainiae was nervous just like Riley. She cast the gate magic to the mirror. ¡°¡­¡± After a few secondster, he could see the view inside the mansion. It looked like it was inside Iris¡¯ room. - Riley? It is you. Phew. - Lady Iris, did you just say¡­ What did you just say? Did you say it is Young Master?! - Young Master? Young Master Riley? Not just Iris¡¯ voice, but Ian and Sera¡¯s voices could also be heard. Nainiae, who was hiding behind and looking at the mirror in secret, shriveled her shoulders after hearing Ian and Sera¡¯s voice. - Mr. Ian! Mr. Ian! Please stand back¡­ a little! I can¡¯t see Young Master¡¯s face! - Young Master! Why! Why are you contacting us sote! I thought something happened! I should have gone there with you! Huuuurrrrrng!! They were not giving any chance for Riley to open his mouth to speak. Riley was initially looking nervous. Listening to Sera and Ian making noises from the other side of the mirror made Riley¡¯s face rxed. - Ian. You were so sure that nothing bad will happen to Young Master. Why are you so agitated¡­ Ian? Ian¡¯s face, which was filling the mirror until now, was pushed aside all of sudden. Instead, Iris¡¯ face appeared. - Did something happen to Ian? From beyond the mirror, Iris, Riley¡¯s mother, asked with a concerned face. - ¡­ Silence continued. They could not be sure how long it had been quiet like that. Soon, someone whimpering in pain could be heard. - Kuk, my back¡­ - Mr. Ian? Ugh, really! It¡¯s not like you are a child! Why are you doing that! Seriously! It wasn¡¯t much of a response, but Riley could hear Ian whimpering and Sera clicking her tongue. ¡°¡­ Nice going, really.¡± ¡°Puhup!¡± - Puhup! Nainiae, who was looking at the scene beyond the mirror, and Iris beyond the mirror broke in toughter. Chapter 90 - How is everyone doing?

Chapter 90: How is everyone doing?

- So, Riley? Smile. Iris smiled from the other side of the mirror and called Riley. Riley, who had a stiff look on his face, flinched his shoulders. That pretty smile of hers was definitely carrying fury. Riley was certain of it. - There must be a reason why you contacted sote, right? Unlike her smiling face, her voice sounded deadly. Riley gulped big time and put up a forced smile on his face. He said, ¡°A¡­ About that¡­¡± - You must have a reasonable exnation, right? ¡°Ah, yes! Of course! About that, about that¡­¡± - ¡­ Riley smiled like a fool. He kept on blurring the end of the sentence. Iris, with a smile on her face, tilted her head side to side. - Why don¡¯t you exin it to me? It could be that Riley didn¡¯t know what to say. Riley¡¯s smiling face petrified. - Oh? Did this thing freeze? Nainiae? ¡°Yes! Lady Iris!¡± - Is this thing still working? ¡°Yes! Of course!¡± Riley red at back of Nainiae¡¯s head. ¡°¡­¡± With his gaze, he was saying, ¡®hey, after all those books you have read, how could you be so dense?¡¯ Riley said, ¡°About that, there were a few things that happened.¡± - A few things? ¡°Yes! It would be a bit disappointing to exin it through this, so I¡¯ll exin it all when we return. I want to do justice to the exnation by exining them all in person.¡± Riley brought up his n for exining it when he returned, which was about two weeks in traveling time. With his shoulder, Riley wiped off the sweat that was flowing on his cheek and smiled like a fool. - Ugh¡­ From beyond the mirror, they could hear Iris sighing. It seemed she was very worried. - Nothing bad happened, right? ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Iris. I can guarantee it.¡± Nainiae added promptly after Riley responded. It seemed Iris was relieved. She rxed her face. - Since Nainiae said so, I¡¯m relieved. Riley, who was flinching on every word his mother spoke, calmed his shaking heart and asked about her. ¡°How about you, Mother? Nothing happened, right?¡± - I¡¯m fine, of course. I¡¯m recovering from my illness too. ¡°That¡¯s great. How about the mansion?¡± - Other than you not being here, it is the same. Iris turned her head lightly to look to the side. She corrected herself on the words she just spoke. - Although Ian doesn¡¯t seem to be well. ¡°I was expecting that.¡± Having heard what his mother said, Riley shrugged as if he figured that was going to happen. At that moment, someone¡¯s cry could be heard. - Young masterrrrrrrr! Riley simply ignored the cry and looked at the mirror with a bright face. ¡°Anyway, we will being back to Solia soon. We will contact you again before we head out, so please keep the mirror in a safe ce.¡± - Okay. ¡°Also¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± - Um? ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t contact you until now.¡± Riley apologized, and Iris smiled proudly. - Huhu. If you know that, then it is all right. You know what to do after making an apology, right? ¡°Not repeating the same thing again.¡± - That¡¯s right. Iris was about to wave her hand to say that Riley can hang up now. At that moment, Sera asked from the side, - Ah, Lady Iris! Please wait! - Sera? - Young Master, before you hang up, can you please put Nainiae¡­ This time, Nainiae¡¯s shoulders flinched. He figured what was about toe. Riley smiled big and handed the mirror to Nainiae. ¡°Enjoy it?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Nainiae received the mirror. She looked like an animal going to a ughter house. With her shoulders shriveledpletely, she looked beyond the mirror. - Nainiae. ¡°Yes, Ms. Sera.¡± To be respectful, Nainiae took a step away from Riley and responded quietly. - Aren¡¯t you supposed to do your job right? As expected, the scolding started. Nainiae, on brink of tears, bit her lips. - Even if Young Master Riley forgot, still¡­ ¡°¡­¡± It seemed that Sera figured out Nainiae also forgot about contacting the mansion. It seemed Riley was feeling ufortable hearing what Sera was saying. It was stabbing him in his conscious. Riley flinched big. - Nainiae, you should have kept your mind sharp and contacted us! ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± - Seriously¡­ Young Master Riley went there for vacation. It¡¯s not like you went there on vacation, right? Nainiae turned the body so the pile of books that she read didn¡¯te into Sera¡¯s view. Having heard Sera¡¯s scolding that was piercing through her chest, Nainiae repeatedly said ¡®I¡¯m sorry.¡± She lowered her head toward the mirror. ¡°¡­¡± - Nainiae! Are you listening? ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± In light of Sera¡¯s scolding, Nainiae was ashamed, and she couldn¡¯t say anything. Nainiae lowered her head. Someone¡¯s voice, an old man in his dying breath, could be heard. - I¡­ I¡¯m disappointed, Nainiae¡­ When you return¡­ be prepared¡­ Kurrrk?! My backkkkkk! - Ugh, Mr. Ian! Please be still and lie down! - K¡­ Kuuuk¡­ Why should I get scolded¡­ Not just Nainiae, but Ian beyond the mirror was getting scolded. Riley, who was sitting in a sofa and listening in on the conversation, peeked a smile. - Anyway, Nainiae, stay sharp, all right? It looked like Sera was not done. She was pouring advice like a waterfall. Nainiae kept on lowering her head toward the hand mirror. ¡°Yes, yes¡­ I¡¯m ashamed. I¡¯ll reflect on this.¡± They lost track on the number of times Nainiae responded to this. Sera¡¯s voice was rtively calm now. - So, did you go see the waterfall pathway? How about the firework? After scolding, Nainiae was asked about the pretty things to see in Rainfield. ¡°¡­¡± - Nainiae? Nainiae took a moment of pause and responded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Yes, I saw them.¡± - How were they? ¡°To put it in a word¡­¡± Nainiae was certain. That day, the scene that she saw from the top of the clock tower, the waterfall pathway firework was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in her eighteen years of life. * * * After saying that they will be returning to Solia soon, Nainiae disconnected the gate magic. Exhausted, Nainiae leaned on the wall and sighed. ¡°Is it over?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Looking at exhausted Nainiae, Riley peeked a smile. He showed the empty cup and tapped on his wrist. ¡°In that case, get me a refill.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll right away.¡± Nainiae quickly came next to Riley and used magic and warmed up the tea pot. Nainiae told Riley what Sera said at the very end. ¡°Young Master, Ms. Sera said¡­ Solia Temple was looking for you.¡± Nainiae brought heated up tea pot, and Riley leaned his tea cup as he tilted his head side to side. ¡°From the temple?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae carefully poured the tea to Riley¡¯s cup. Nainiae continued as if there was more. ¡°Yes. Having heard that you went to Rainfield¡­ the Archbishop Rebethra started heading to Rainfield.¡± Riley was about to drink the tea. However, having heard that, he opened one of his eyes big and looked at Nainiae. ¡°All the way to Rainfield?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that he was traveling on a carriage¡­ It¡¯s about time he will be arriving at the Rainfield, so Sera said it would be good to let you know.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ on a carriage?¡± Riley was finding all this to be ridiculous. Right at that moment, he could hear approximately three people outside. ¡°Ah, could it be?¡± Nainiae mumbled as she wondered if it could be Rebethra. She looked out the window to see the front of the hotel. ¡°Is it here?¡± Kiiiik. The hotel¡¯s door opened with a squeaking noise. A boy wearing a raincoat entered the ce while holding a spear on his shoulder. ¡°Ah?¡± Riley vacantly opened his mouth as he looked at the three that suddenly came to visit him. Riley remembered the three. They were the people that he ran into before arriving at Rainfield. ¡°Oh, he is here.¡± It was the Lightning Boulder mercenaries. Of them all, the one standing in the front, a smaller framed boy, Basilisk, found Riley in the hotel¡¯s first floor, sitting on a sofa. Basilisk opened his eyes wide. ¡°Young Master, how do you do?¡± Basilisk walked toward Riley. He raised his hand, the one that wasn¡¯t holding the spear, and greeted Riley. It seemed he was d to see Riley. ¡°I think I didn¡¯t say hello to you, so¡­¡± Right after that, Basilisk also greeted the owner of the hotel. Basilisk casually walked toward Riley and set next to him. ¡°Should I get you some tea?¡± ¡°Ah, Ms. Nainiae, I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯ll be drinking something else.¡± It seemed like Basilisk came to the hotel as a customer. Nainiae nodded and stepped back. ¡°Can I have a cold one here?¡± ¡°Yes, yes!¡± Basilisk shouted toward the kitchen and looked at Riley. Riley couldn¡¯t be certain about Basilisk¡¯s reason foring here. However, judging from his looks, it seemed Basilisk didn¡¯t have any ill intent. ¡°You were still here?¡± Riley took a sip of tea and asked. Basilisk, with a bitter look on his face, responded. ¡°To us, Mr. Reitri was like our lifeline¡­ Finding a new client who is as good as him is turning out to be difficult. I feel like I¡¯m still tied to him. So¡­ we thought about it hard and¡­¡± After the dark mage incident, Basilisk¡¯s group became unemployed after Reitri left Rainfield. Basilisk exined it all to Riley and looked at him steadily. ¡°¡­¡± Noticing that theirmander was not able to continue, Rorona, the archer, spoke for him. ¡°Please hire us.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± Riley narrowed his eyes and asked back. ¡°Why should we?¡± ¡°If hiring us is not quite to your liking, then let us apany you at least. Please.¡± Rorona lowered her head and pleaded. Confused, Riley looked at the three people and looked at Nainiae who was standing on the side. She looked just as confused. She only shook her head left and right. ¡°You said we need to watch our mouths, right? In that case, won¡¯t it be more convenient for you to have us be at your side so you can watch us?¡± To convince Riley, Isen asked with a serious face. Having heard it, Riley cringed. ¡°Are you ckmailing me?¡± The mood took a sudden, downward turn. Having realized his mistake, Isen blurred the end of his sentence. ¡°No, we are not ckmailing¡­¡± If keeping their mouths shut was the goal, killing them all without anyone knowing like Tess merchant group, unknown even to rats or birds, was a way to go about it. ¡°Don¡¯t pester me.¡± To Riley, it was certain that they were pestering him. Riley narrowed his eyes. He was about to warn them again, but he felt another presence outside the hotel. ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± Nainiae saw who just walked into the hotel and called Riley quietly. Having heard Nainiae, Riley looked toward the entrance and cringed his face even more. ¡®Ah, that guy.¡¯ The old man in white clothing was the kind of man that was hard to see in a ce like Rainfield which didn¡¯t have a holy temple. ¡°Ah, Young Master Riley¡­ You were here! Haha! I asked around and barely managed to find you.¡± It was Rebethra, the Archbishop of Solia Temple. With him, an uninvited guest, making an entrance, not just Riley, but even Basilisk cringed. ¡°Oldman, you appear to be someone from a holy temple¡­ What business do you have in Rainfield which doesn¡¯t have any?¡± Basilisk had his arm resting on top of the back support of the chair. In a thuggish pose, Basilisk stared at Rebethra and asked. ¡°Ahah, you already had a guest. I should have introduced myself first. My apologies.¡± Despite Basilisk¡¯s violent attitude, Rebethra shrugged his shoulders, smiled and offered a handshake. ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Rebethra, the Archbishop from Solia¡¯s Holy Temple. I¡¯m here to see Young Master Riley, but¡­ Is there a problem?¡± With an awkward face, Basilisk epted the handshake. Basilisk wiggled his eyebrows and answered in an annoyed tone, ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m here for the same reason.¡± ¡°I see.¡± It seemed Rebethra was feeling awkward about it. With his hand retrieved, Rebethra looked toward Riley and lowered his head. ¡°Have you had a good vacation?¡± Riley was seeing through the man¡¯s question. Riley didn¡¯t like it, so he responded indirectly. ¡°It would have been good if it wasn¡¯t for meddlers.¡± ¡°Ah haha. Oh my¡­ My apologies. There was something I had to give you.¡± Rebethra broke cold sweat, ced the fabric wrapped item on the table, and stepped back. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± It must have taken him a long time to get here from Solia, but Rebethra was stepping away after just handing over a gift. Riley tilted his head side to side. ¡°As I said earlier, I came here just to give you a present.¡± Rebethra added that it was a high-quality raincoat as he smiled. ¡°I happened to have a business here in Rainfield, and I also heard that you were here on a vacation. I hope you wouldn¡¯t misunderstand me.¡± Having heard what Rebethra said, Nainiae narrowed her eye. His exnation was different from what Sera said. ¡°This is all thanks to the Goddess Irsa, who we should be grateful.¡± Rebethra prayed for a moment. As if he was really done with his business here, he turned around without hesitation and left the hotel. ¡°¡­¡± Riley vacantly stared at the fabric wrapped item. He slowly moved his gaze toward Basilisk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± Riley asked in annoyed tone. On the other hand, Basilisk mumbled somethingpletely unrted to the question. ¡°About that Oldman.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°He smells rotten?¡± Before anyone realized, Basilisk was staring toward the hotel¡¯s entrance as if he was going to punch a hole through it with his gaze. ¡°What?¡± He looked serious, so Riley tilted his head side to side, wondering why. Basilisk mumbled again as he turned his head. ¡°A rotten stench, stench. He smells like he is rotten inside.¡± Basilisk¡¯s eyes were changed to sharp snake like eyes. ¡°How should I say this? So¡­¡± * * * It was at an uphill on Rainfield. Of all dirt on the road, the man in white clothing carefully observed the parts that were especially dark. The old man furrowed his brows. ¡°Huh¡­¡± It was Rebethra. ¡°Huerial, I told you to be careful, didn¡¯t I?¡± Rebethra took a knee. With a frustrated face, he reached for the ck dirt, ash to be precise. ¡°Still, you were one of the hard-working ones among us all¡­ With you gone ahead like this, other parts won¡¯t be able to handle the aftermath. You knew that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Rebethra grabbed a handful of ashes on his hand. He ced the ashes into a pouch he brought with him and continued to mumble. ¡°Everything is¡­ For the sake of our life long wish.¡± The dirt inside the pouch started to vibrate. Rebethra peeked a creepy smile. Chapter 91 - An eye for seeing through people

Chapter 91: An eye for seeing through people

¡°How should I say this¡­ It feels like I can smell a familiar stench?¡± Basilisk, who was sitting in front of Riley, had a serious look on his face as he thought about the back of Rebethra. ¡°Stench?¡± Riley, who was sitting there in a rxed pose, furrowed his brows. It wasn¡¯t because of what Basilisk said. It was because of Basilisk¡¯s eyes, which turned sharp like snakes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure? From where I see it, I think your eyes are weirder?¡± With his finger, Riley pointed at Basilisk¡¯s eyes. As if he had totally forgotten about it, Basilisk returned his transformed eyes back to normal. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head and looked at Riley. ¡°This is¡­ How should I say it¡­ A habit? Should I call it my instinct¡­ When I shake hands with someone who has bad aura, my eyes turn like that.¡± ¡°Commander, please wait.¡± Rorona suddenly stepped in. ¡°You don¡¯t really need to exin that¡­¡± ¡°No. This Young Master is all right. If he is someone that Mr. Ian acknowledges, then it would be wrong of me to hide it. Also¡­ My father would have done the same.¡± Riley tilted his head side to side and mumbled. ¡°Habit? Instinct?¡± It was because Riley remembered what Rorona said before they arrived at Rainfield. ¡®Ourmander¡¯s intuition had never been wrong. Although the ability is limited to a few conditions, actually, ourmander is¡­¡¯ Regarding the intuition, and regarding the conditions that limits the ability, Riley remembered how she blurred the end of the exnation. ¡°You, by any chance¡­¡± Riley narrowed his eyes and red at Basilisk. Basilisk bit his lips a little and faced Riley. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡­ look like a human, but I¡¯m not a human.¡± It seemed it took a lot for Basilisk to say it. Basilisk bit his lips again and looked at Riley. Basilisk¡¯s eyes were sharp again like when he was looking at Rebethra earlier. ¡°¡­¡± Riley steadily stared at Basilisk¡¯s eyes. The boy¡¯s eyes were definitely well beyond those of humans. ¡°I¡¯m thest survivor of Basilisks¡­ the existence who were indebted to the Mercenary Hero Mr. Ian during the Great War.¡± Basilisk brought up Ian¡¯s name and continued in a serious tone. Riley¡¯s eyes were filled with interest. ¡°By Ian?¡± Riley became intrigued about the existence who Ian saved when he was called the Mercenary Hero in the past. ¡°The name, Basilisk¡­ It is not a name of a nobility?¡± Riley directed his gaze toward Rorona. Last time, she was wishy-washy about this question. Now, she nodded apologetically. ¡°Please forgive me. I couldn¡¯t tell you about ourmander back then. As he just exined¡­ ourmander is thest of the Basilisks.¡± Rorona exined that it was also because of the formermander¡¯sst will. She said she had done so in order to protect the young boy named Nara, thest of the Basilisks, from danger. ¡°It would take a while to exin about the Basilisks in detail. To tell you the most relevant part for the moment, they have an eye for seeing through people¡­ In other words, they can detect people¡¯s innate nature.¡± Nara pointed his finger toward his eyes. To exin Basilisks more easily, he looked at Nainiae and asked, ¡°There is such a thing called the innate type in magic, right?¡± Nainiae nodded as the response. Nara exined further. ¡°You can just think of it as something like that. I could say that we don¡¯t look at people through their appearances. Instead, we see them through their color.¡± ¡°Color?¡± ¡°There are people who are red, blue, or pitch ck. They are all different. For instance, Young Master, you are white¡­ no, more like silver color. Ms. Nainiae, you have the white color.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Noticing the color was changed in the middle, Riley red at Nainiae. ¡°Excuse me. Do you believe me? What I¡¯m saying?¡± Nara, who just revealed that he was not human, asked Riley and Nainiae carefully. ¡°Well, in the situation right now, It is not important for me to believe it or not.¡± Riley responded in an uninterested manner. Nainiae added awkwardly, ¡°I believe you.¡± Nara was worried he might be met with hatred. He sighed in relief and continued what he was saying earlier. ¡°Anyway, about that man who is an Archbishop¡­ His rear end stinks. He was purple¡­ and I think it would be best if you didn¡¯t go near him.¡± Having heard Nara¡¯s advice, Riley still kept his uninterested look on his face. Riley took a sip from the tea. ¡°I¡¯m already aware.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I already know. That oldfart wants something from me.¡± Surprised, Basilisk blinked his eyes. He asked, ¡°By any chance, Young Master¡­ Do you have something simr to¡­¡± Finding his question to be ridiculous, Riley crumpled his face. Riley interrupted Nara. ¡°You think I¡¯m the same as you?¡± ¡°In that case, just how?¡± ¡°An intuition.¡± ¡°An intuition?¡± ¡°How should I put it? Past experience? I have seen runts with rotten behind like him countless times. I¡¯m sick of them. Well, it¡¯s something like that.¡± ¡®I have plenty of experience from the past life. You think I can¡¯t tell them apart from the good people?¡¯ Riley thought to himself inside. Riley put his leg on top of the other and looked at Nara. ¡°What?¡± Nara, who had his mouth open vacantly, asked Riley with a confused look. ¡°You know he is up to no good, but¡­ you are letting him be? Although you know what that old man is up to?¡± Riley shrugged as if it was nothing and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I know what he is up to, but I¡¯m letting it be.¡± ¡°¡­ Just¡­ why?¡± ¡°They are giving me good stuff on their own.¡± With a rxed gaze, Riley directed his eyes toward the gift that Rebethra left behind. ¡°I can¡¯t gut him right away just because he is an eyesore. Taking advantage of him first beforehand is the wisdom for living this world.¡± Nara was still finding it all to be ridiculous. He had a confused look on his face still. Nara finally realized why Riley¡¯s color was silver. ¡°Well, the beings called Basilisks are interesting. I¡¯ll handle the things about Rebethra, so don¡¯t worry about it. Why don¡¯t you be on your way now?¡± Riley sipped on the tea and enjoyed its taste. He waved his hand as if he was asking them to leave. ¡°Young Master, please let us go with you to Solia. Just up to there¡­ Will you please let me see Mr. Ian¡¯s face once?¡± In response to Riley¡¯s hand gesture, Nara shook his head as if he couldn¡¯t let it end like this. He pleaded to Riley. ¡®So, that was the goal?¡¯ ¡°Young Master, please¡­¡± Nara bit his lips and lowered his head. Uninterested, Riley stared at the boy¡¯s head. In the end, Riley still didn¡¯t want to let them apany him back to Solia. Riley shook his head and said, ¡°No. You can¡¯t.¡± Riley didn¡¯t want to carry an unwanted bag on the way back home. He promptly said no. ¡°Young Master, please.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Nara pleaded again, but Riley refused cold heartedly. He shut his eyes slowly, signaling that the conversation was now over. ¡°I won¡¯t get in your way. Please allow us to apany you at least.¡± ¡°¡­¡± If he just wanted to see Ian, he just needed to visit the mansion as a guest. Nara was probably doing this so he won¡¯t get in Riley¡¯s wrong side. ¡°If we stalked you, that would be more of an inconvenience for you, isn¡¯t that right?¡± It was going to be more than just an inconvenience. Riley might pull out his sword out of feeling the inconvenience. ¡°Please¡­ I beg of you.¡± Because of his desperate voice and pleading look on his face, Riley cringed big time and asked Nara, ¡°Ugh, just why do you need to see Ian so badly?¡± Riley could understand that Nara wanted to see his savior, the Hero Mercenary that saved Basilisks¡¯ kind. However¡­ Riley couldn¡¯t understand why Nara was risking having his head chopped off. ¡°That is¡­ My father¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Here!¡± While Nara was blurring the end of the sentence, the hotel owner brought the cold rice liquor that Nara asked for and ced it on the table before rushing to get out of there. ¡®Drink¡­¡¯ Nainiae narrowed her eyes cautiously after seeing the drink. It seemed her memory of the drink from the first day at Rainfield was still clear. ¡°¡­ Ms. Nainiae?¡± Nara was about to continue talking about Ian, but he noticed her gaze. Feeling ufortable, Nara called her name. ¡°Drinks¡­ are dangerous.¡± ¡°Ignore her. Continue. What about your father?¡± Riley, who was cringing, interrupted the conversation. Thanks to that, Nara barely managed to redirect his gaze away from Nainiae. Looking at the rice liquor on the table, Nara continued with a bitter look on his face. ¡°As ast request¡­ My father said he wanted to see Mr. Ian.¡± Nara mumbled with a bitter look. He looked behind to see Isen. Isen nodded as if he understood what he was asking, and brought the leather pouch that he was holding in his arms. ¡°What is this?¡± It looked like it contained ashes. ¡°It¡¯s the ashes of my father¡¯s bones.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was his testament. Before he died, he said he wanted to see Mr. Ian. So¡­¡± Nara bit his lips for a moment. He chugged on the rice liquor and continued with hesitation. ¡°After showing this to Mr. Ian, I n to bury my father in a sunny ce.¡± Nara couldn¡¯t look more serious. With that look, Nara stared at Riley. ¡°To repay our debts for saving our kind, and also to find a good ce to bury my father¡¯s bones¡­ please allow us to apany you to Solia.¡± Nara bowed. Rorona also lowered her head. With a bitter look on her face, she also added her opinion on the matter. ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like a good idea to bury our formermander at Rainfield. It rains endlessly here¡­¡± The man was someone¡¯s father. He was also someone¡¯s strongmander. The three mercenaries¡¯ wish was to bury that man¡¯s bone ash at a sunny ce. Having heard this, Riley¡­ * * * It waste summer. Riley used the hand mirror tomunicate to the mansion that he will be heading home today. While getting on the carriage, Riley was cringing. ¡°Ah, in the end, I¡¯m going back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. By the time you are back, it would be not as hot in Solia. It¡¯s autumn soon.¡± Checking the carriage, Nainiae carefully checked all items necessary for the return trip. She casually turned her head and looked at the Lightning Boulder mercenary¡¯s carriage. ¡°Ms. Nainiae, are you ready?¡± ¡°We are ready. How about you?¡± Having heard her question, Nara sat on the top of the carriage as if he had a carpet there to getfortable on. He smiled and said, ¡°Have you heard of the old saying that says an unprepared mercenary is useless? It¡¯s one of Mr. Ian¡¯s statements! We are always ready thoroughly! Just say the word!¡± Riley, who was still just standing on the steps on the carriage, looked at the mercenaries¡¯ carriage. Having heard Nara¡¯s words, Riley cringed andined, ¡°Damn it all¡­ That guy¡­ that guy¡­ If he meets Ian, I think he is going to cause quite a scene.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± Nainiae peeked a smile and said, ¡°Just like how Mr. Ian says, ¡®Oh, Young Master!¡¯ and cries, I think Nara will say, ¡®Oh, Mr. Ian!¡¯ and cry.¡± Riley was acting all uncaring andining, but he was generous without knowing the bounds. Noticing this in Riley, Nainiae came to respect Riley even more. She smiled and mumbled, ¡°I think a strange situation will unfold once they meet.¡± ¡°Ugh, that sounds horrible. Don¡¯t even mention it.¡± Riley shook his body as if one of the raindrop went through the raincoat and fell on his back to give him a chill. He rushed to get into the carriage. ¡°Well then, we will be slowly heading out.¡± ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Nainiae closed the carriage door after Riley entered inside. She was about to get on the driver¡¯s seat. However, she suddenly flinched and became petrified. ¡°Ms. Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was flinching her shoulders with a pale face, breaking cold sweats. She was not able to answer Nara. ¡°Ms. Nainiae!¡± Having realized the voice calling her name, she quickly hid her hands and arms, which were shaking, and responded, ¡°¡­ Yes?!¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? You said we are about to head out, right?¡± ¡°Ah, Yes¡­ That¡¯s right.¡± She tried closing and opening her hands. She tried massaging her arms. Her body was screaming through shivering. Nainiae barely managed to calm her body down. She tried hard to smile and responded, ¡°We will be heading out now. I¡¯ll lead the way, so please follow me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Our Rorona had been driving carriages for years. That¡¯s right, right?¡± ¡°Commander. If you want to keep the space on the carriage¡¯s top for yourself, don¡¯t you think it would be a good idea to say things in a nicer way?¡± ¡°Ah, I got it! I got it!¡± Nainiae smiled as she heard them bicker and then worked away. She sat on the driver¡¯s seat. Finally able to hide her face from others, she bit her lips hard. ¡°¡­¡± Pain was spreading through her entire body. Through her lips, which was firmly closed, there was a stream of ck blood falling out from it. ¡®¡­ Just a little longer.¡¯ It waste summer. The fall was approaching fast. Chapter 92 - On the way back home

Chapter 92: On the way back home

They couldn¡¯t have Andal teleport them on the way back. So, that meant that they had to experience the long distance travel from Rainfield all the way back to Solia. ¡°So, back then, that happened.¡± Riley thought it would be a bother to have extra people tagging along. However, fortunately, it wasn¡¯t all bad. ¡°Really?¡± One of the good things was that he won¡¯t be bored on the way back. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he just smack him or something?¡± ¡°Because ourmander was the youngest there. In terms of skill, he was second to none. It was ridiculous.¡± Someone said that reality was more like a fiction than a fiction. The stories from the mercenaries were more interesting than fictions. Riley, who usually took a nap during the afternoon, opened his ears wide and tuned in to their stories. ¡°I really thought he was insane. He was telling us we should charge in to something we couldn¡¯t even tell if it was really there or not. We just gave up trying to convince him otherwise.¡± It felt like he was lying here and there. However, even when Nara was boasting about ying an ogre, he wasn¡¯t lying. Nara¡¯s stories felt real. ¡°Tell me more. So what happened?¡± ¡°What do you think happened? Ourmander couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He exploded in anger.¡± While the carriages were on the move during the morning and afternoon, they spent their time chatting on top of the carriages. ¡°Shall we rest here for a while?¡± ¡°Okay. The horses are exhausted too¡­ and the ce looks good too.¡± Whenever they had to give the horses some rest or had to stop because it was the nightfall, there was one more thing Riley got to see. It was another good thing about having them tag along. ¡°Well then, Ms. Nainiae, shall we go stretch ourselves?¡± ¡°If you are fine with me, okay.¡± While they were resting, while the campfire was going on, to make use of the free time, Nainiae and Nara decided to do sword practices together. It was Nara¡¯s idea. ¡°You can¡¯t use magic, okay?¡± ¡°I know.¡± Tadak. Tadak. [Sound of the campfire wood cracking.] With the campfire going on, Nainiae and Nara stood in front of the fire. They aimed their weapons, which were carved from woods, at each other. ¡°The time limit is three minutes. I¡¯ll be the judge. The side that scores most hits or disables the opponent is the winner. Do you understand?¡± Rorona, who was an archer with good eyes, took on the role of being the judge. After the countdown, Nara and Nainiae¡¯s duel began. ¡®As expected of Young Master Riley¡¯s servant.¡¯ Nara was exchanging blows with Nainiae. He spun his spear in circle and mumbled. ¡®She¡¯s not like the first time. Her skill improved substantially. It¡¯s surprising.¡¯ She was not using magic. However, Nainiae¡¯s skill was significantly improved inparison to their first duel. He was surprised. ¡®I¡¯m still better when ites to techniques. Still, she is no pushover¡­ She might surpass me eventually.¡¯ Although it was a practice, a duel was a duel. Nara decided he won¡¯t go easy on her anymore. He sharpened his eyes in the middle of the duel and charged in to strike her in the gap in her defense. ¡°Kuk?!¡± Nainiae cringed in light of Nara¡¯s calcted attack. She lost her bnce and tilted back. ¡°It seems like you are conscious about your right hand. In a real fight, if you mind things like that, you won¡¯tst long, Ms. Nainiae.¡± The duel was decided. Nara pulled away the tip of the wooden spear, which was aimed at Nainiae¡¯s neck. He tapped the spear at his shoulder and then tilted his head side to side. ¡°Ms. Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­¡± This was her third practice duel. Up to her second duel, she responded promptly to Nara¡¯s advices. However, this time, for some reason unknown, she was just sitting there with a nk look in silence, frozen. ¡®Is she upset about losing?¡¯ Nara got closer to Nainiae. He furrowed his brows. ¡°Ms. Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± Nara saw that Nainiae¡¯s face was full of sweats. Nara was going to tap her shoulders, but he retrieved his hand and called Rorona. ¡°Rorona, could you bring some towels here!¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± It seemed she noticed that something was not right. Rorona rushed to the carriage and brought a towel. ¡°Oh my¡­ You are sweating a lot¡­ Here. Please wipe it off with this.¡± ¡°Ah, Yes¡­ thank y¡­¡± Thump. Nainiae held the towel that Rorona handed to her. However, because of her shaking hand, Nainiae ended up dropping it to the floor. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Embarrassed, Nainiae blushed. She carefully picked up the towel and used the part that didn¡¯t get dirt on to wipe off her neck. ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± She responded promptly this time. ¡°By any chance¡­ Is it because of what you told us before? Is that why your body¡¯s condition is¡­¡± Nara only knew that Nainiae¡¯s lifespan was very limited. He didn¡¯t know exactly how long it wouldst. He asked carefully. ¡°No, it is not really¡­¡± Nainiae avoided Nara¡¯s eyes. She had her right hand hidden behind her back. Fiddling with the right hand, she blurred the end of her sentence. ¡°Not really? What¡¯s not really?¡± As a woman, Rorona could tell Nainiae was hiding something. Rorona brought out her bow and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Try holding it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Your sword.¡± ¡°Ah, okay¡­¡± Rorona was asking in a serious tone. Not able to say no, Nainiae held the wooden sword in front of her. ¡°You are holding it firmly, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was not able to give a response. Rorona tried pushing Nainiae¡¯s wooden sword with the side of her bow. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Her hands, which were shaking, were not able to hold the sword until the end. The sword was dropped to the ground. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s condition was more serious than it appeared to be. Nara cringed big time and looked at Nainiae. ¡°You fought a duel with me in that condition?¡± Nara thought that Nainiae¡¯s response was slower and her strikes were weaker. Nara had extremely infuriated look on his face. ¡°Ms. Nainiae, if you are ill, you should just say so¡­ Why did you fight in this condition?¡± Nara crossed his arms and scolded Nainiae. Rorona turned her body toward the carriage. ¡°Please wait¡­ I¡¯ll report this to Young Master Riley.¡± Perhaps because he didn¡¯t nap during the day, he was already asleep in the carriage for the night. ¡°¡­ Wait!!¡± Nainiae quickly raised her hand to grab Rorona¡¯s arm. Nainiae bit her lips. ¡°Please wait, Ms. Rorona.¡± Nainiae¡¯s hand was shaking so much that Rorona could hardly feel any strength in her grip. Feeling desperation in Nainiae¡¯s hand, with a saddened face, Rorona stopped and turned to look at Nainiae. ¡°To Young Master¡­ Please don¡¯t tell him.¡± ¡°Ah, why?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Frustrated, Rorona raised her voice. In response, Nainiae lowered her head with a downed face. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Please don¡¯t tell him.¡± * * * The two carriages took two short breaks around noon and one long break during the dinner time. As always, today, they found a suitable ce for the evening and were resting. ¡°Are you guys not going to duel today?¡± Riley didn¡¯t see the duelst night because he went to sleep early. Sitting on the carriage¡¯s steps, Riley asked. ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡± Nainiae, who was preparing lunch with Rorona, broke cold sweat and blurred the end of the sentence. ¡°My condition isn''t so good today. Nothing good wille of having a duel at this time, not to me nor Ms. Nainiae, so¡­ I told her that I¡¯ll be taking a break today.¡± Nara stepped in and answered for Nainiae. Nainiae secretly sighed in relief. She casually turned his head, but her eye met with Riley¡¯s. ¡®¡­ Ah.¡¯ Nainiae flinched and quickly turned her head away to hide her face. ¡°¡­¡± Although she quickly turned her head away, Riley was still steadily staring at the back of Nainiae¡¯s head. Nobody could tell what Riley was thinking. As if he was examining something, he was ring at Nainiae as if he was going to burn a hole through her with his gaze. Eventually, Riley turned his head, looking uninterested. ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Nainiae. Does the Young Master really know about it?¡± ncing over at Riley, Rorona asked Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae responded with silence. ¡°Just tell him. Your health is getting worse, so you will need to rest.¡± Nainiae shook her head left and right as the response. ¡°Young Master would understand that much! Driving the carriage is not very hard. Also, even if he doesn¡¯t, ourmander can drive it for you, so for now, you should rest and¡­¡± nk. Nainiae avoided the question by bringing out the dishes for the lunch. Avoiding Rorona, Nainiae walked away. ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the back of Nainiae, frustrated, Rorona sighed big enough to make the ground sink. ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s frustrating to watch Ms. Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Before she realized, Isen was next to Rorona. He picked up a sandwich and mumbled as he ate. Rorona, with her arms crossed, disagreed. ¡°I understand her a little.¡± Isen tiled his head side to side. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There is a thing like that.¡± Rorona decided to postpone exining it. Just like Nainiae, Rorona picked up some dishes and sandwiches and started to walk. ¡°Um?¡± Holding a dish with both of her hands, Rorona was about to give Nara his sandwich. She suddenly stopped walking and raised her ears. ¡®Something ising?¡¯ Riley noticed it before Rorona. With his ears wide open, he had his head turned to the direction of the sound. ¡°Carriage?¡± ¡°It is a carriage.¡± Rorona mumbled. Having heard that, Riley, now sure of it, picked up a sandwich that Nainiae prepared and said it. ¡°I think there are many of them. Should I go check it out?¡± The rumbling sound on the ground was pretty loud. It seemed like there were many carriages heading this way. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Riley was certain that the carriages were going to pass through where they were. He chewed on the sandwich with an annoyed face. ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out then.¡± Rorona gave the dish to Nara. She jumped up to a tree nearby. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± With Rorona gone to identify the carriages, Riley, who was taking care of a sandwich, quietly called Nainiae. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there something you should be telling me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard his question, Nainiae fell to silence for a moment. She smiled awkwardly and asked, ¡°Is the sandwich to your taste?¡± Having heard the question, Riley gave a nk stare at Nainiae. He peeked a smile and raised his hand. ¡°¡­ Yes. It¡¯s not bad.¡± He patted her on the head. Nainiae could not be happier. She was smiling, satisfied. She even forgot the pain. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± About three minutes had gone by. There were sounds of fallen leafs cracking. Rorona, who went to investigate, came back. ¡°Who was it?¡± Nara, who was chewing on the sandwich, asked. Rorona, whonded on the ground gracefully, swung her ankles around and responded. ¡°They were all mercenaries.¡± ¡°Mercenaries?¡± ¡°But why do you have that look on your face?¡± Rorona looked displeased somehow. Nara tilted his head side to side and asked. ¡°It was Kabal Mercenary group.¡± ¡°Kabal? In that case, that bastard Kabal is there too?¡± ¡°Yes, he was.¡± ¡°Ugh. That muscle head dumbass is there?¡± Riley was listening to the conversation. It was right around when Riley started to tilt his head side to side because of the stories about some mercenary he didn¡¯t know. ¡°¡­ Wow, look who is here?!¡± Swarming¡­ There were sounds of a few dozen carriages swarming to the ce. Kicking up the dust, they stopped in the open space where Riley¡¯s group was resting. ¡°Themander of the Lightning Boulder group is here?¡± Of the few dozen carriages, from the one in the front, there was a muscr man that jumped down from the driver¡¯s seat. He made ¡®boom!¡¯ sound uponnding. ¡°¡­¡± Concerned that dust might get on Riley¡¯s sandwich, Nainiae used magic and hid her hand. She fiddled with her hand, opening and closing it. ¡°Small world, really! I didn¡¯t think I¡¯ll run in to you again in just half a year. Are youing from Rainfield?¡± The man was wielding a mace that was bing of his size. Kabal came right up to Nara and asked. ¡°What about you, Kabal? Are you going to Rainfield?¡± Kabal was a giant. Nara had no choice but to tilt his head up and look at Kabal. In uninterested tone, Nara replied. ¡°You are just a 15 year old kid, but you sure know how to run your mouth? That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve heard that an old friend of mine is going to be in Rainfield. I just finished a job, and I¡¯m headed over there.¡± Kabal shrugged his shoulder and exined. Nara wiggled his brows and said, ¡°Is that so? In that case, won¡¯t it be best for you to get lost, fast? The summer is almost over. What are you going to do if you get there by fall and catch cold?¡± The boy was picking a fight with the man. Kabal tapped his thigh loudly andughed over it. ¡°Haha. Bullcrap! A cold? That¡¯s something a little pip-squeak like you should be worried about.¡± ¡°This works out well. There is an archbishop with simr aura as you walking around in Rainfield.¡± Nara was ring at Kabal with deadly eyes. When Nara mentioned the archbishop, Kabal furrowed his brows. Chapter 93 - On the way back home (Part 2)

Chapter 93: On the way back home (Part 2)

¡°They say there is no cure for stupidity. Looks like you just need to go see that archbishop.¡± ¡°An archbishop?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± While furrowing his brows, Kabal fiddled with his chin. With a strange look on his face, he nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Not liking Kabal¡¯s arrogant attitude, Nara clicked his tongue. Kabal casually turned his head and looked at Riley who was eating a sandwich. ¡°Who¡¯s that young man? A nobility?¡± ¡°Mind your own business. Quit it while I¡¯m still being nice to you.¡± Kabal, the giant, looked at Riley. Riley, who was chewing on a sandwich, narrowed his eyes to say ¡®what are you ring at.¡¯ ¡°Ah, oh my¡­ Looks like he has quite an attitude!¡± Kabal awkwardly scratched the back of his head and redirected his gaze to Nara. ¡°I don¡¯t think you and that young master are a good fit. Are you sure you are doing well? Should I help you a little?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mind others business. Just get lost.¡± ¡°Ah, all right,mander! Uuuhahahaha!¡± Kabalughed it off. Kabal was moving his hand toward the top of Nara¡¯s head, but his hand was pped. Kabal took steps back. ¡°Oh, how cold.¡± ¡°Get lost.¡± Nara, with cautious eyes, red at Kabal. Nara had deadly aura in his eyes. Kabal looked toward Riley once again and noticed the insignia on the carriage. Kabal wiggled his brows. ¡°That insignia. Is that Iphalleta from Solia?¡± ¡°Are you trying to say that you won¡¯t get lost?¡± Nara grabbed his spear. Kabal nodded as if he got the memo. Kabal smiled as if he figured something. His eyes met with Riley again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Kabal lowered his head to show respect to a nobility. Because of Nara¡¯s threats, Kabal could not stay here anymore. He walked to his carriage and got on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll get going. Basilisk? See you again?¡± ¡°Cut the bullcrap. I don¡¯t want to see your puke-inducing face. Just die somewhere in Rainfield¡¯s puddles or something.¡± Just like how loud they were when they first showed up, Kabal Mercenary group disappeared to Rainfield while kicking off dust. Nara spat to the ground as if all this was a foul luck. ¡°What was that? It looks like you know the man.¡± Having heard the question from Riley, Nara, who came next to Riley and picked up a sandwich, put down his spear and answered, ¡°Bad blood. It¡¯s bad blood.¡± Riley wanted to hear more. He was about to ask the same question again, but Rorona added, ¡°Kabal Mercenary group is pretty famous¡­ No. Right now, they are having a monopoly in almost all of the major exploits. They are famous for that.¡± ¡°Famous?¡± Rorona nodded. Holding an empty dish, Rorona continued. ¡°To exin how famous they are¡­ Some mercenaries think Kabal should be called the Mercenary Hero, following how Mr. Ian was called the Mercenary Hero. There¡¯s even rumors like that.¡± Having heard Rorona¡¯s exnation, Nara was infuriated. In anger, he spoke with sandwich still in his mouth. He said as he spewed out spits and pieces of the sandwich. ¡°Who is spreading bullcrap rumors like that?¡± ¡°Ugh, disgusting¡­ Swallow and then speak.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a rumor. A rumor.¡± ¡®He might get a title, following after Ian?¡¯ It was a pretty interesting story. Riley¡¯s gazes were saying they should tell him more. Rorona looked at hermander and continued. ¡°Well, as ourmander said, there is probably exaggerations. However¡­ I have witnessed the monstrous strength of that man named Kabal. I don¡¯t think all of the rumor is a lie.¡± ¡°Hmp.¡± ¡°Ah ha ha¡­¡± Displeased, Nara quickly turned his head away. Rorona smiled awkwardly. Isen, who was leaning against the carriage, started to exin Kabal¡¯s monstrous power. ¡°When I was working as a mercenary with him, one time, he lifted a house with his right hand and threw it. It was¡­ truly overwhelming.¡± ¡®Lifted a house and with one hand and threw it?¡¯ Nainiae, with a look of disbelief, tilted her head side to side. ¡°By any chance, is he a mage? Did he use something like the telekinesis?¡± Isen shook his head and answered no. ¡°No. He didn¡¯t use magic. It was using his raw physical strength. He is like a monster.¡± Isen couldn¡¯t exactly exin Kabal¡¯s monstrous strength, so he decided to move on to the next story. He shrugged his shoulders and continued. ¡°Well, that¡¯s not the only reason why ourmander hates him so much.¡± Riley and Nainiae both had question marks on their faces. Rorona said, ¡°He keeps on pestering.¡± ¡°Pestering?¡± ¡°Since a long time ago, he had been trying to hire ourmander. It¡¯s because ourmander¡¯s skill is well guaranteed.¡± Besides the fact that Nara was not a human, certainly, the fact that Nara was as skilled as he was with spear at the age of 15 was an incredible feat. ¡°That piece of sheet. I wouldn¡¯t be this infuriated if that was the end of it all.¡± Nara red at both Rorona and Isen. Nara pouted and made his eyes sharp like snakes. ¡°His aura is purple!¡± ¡°Ah, right. There is that too. He had such an appalling color when ourmander saw him with his eyes. So there is the fact that Kabal doesn¡¯t seem like a good man.¡± ¡°¡­ Purple?¡± Riley remembered that Nara said Rebethra was ¡®purple¡¯ when Nara saw him at Rainfield. Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡°How should I put it? His inside is different from his outside? It feels like he is scheming something? People like that have purple color.¡± Riley asked, ¡°Are people with purple colormon?¡± ¡°Common? I¡¯m not sure?¡± Nara stared at the empty space. He counted all the people he met that had purple color. He answered finally, ¡°They are notmon. So far, I met four of them.¡± ¡°Four?¡± Nara nodded. He started to exin each of them. ¡°In a nameless town, there was a homeless that had that color. There was that old fart archbishop that we met in Rainfield. There¡¯s that bastard Kabal¡­ and¡­¡± He paused for a moment and then said, ¡°That dark mage that you killed in Rainfield.¡± ¡°The dark mage?¡± ¡°Yes. That dark mage.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm.¡± Riley thought about all four people that Nara just mentioned. It looked like he was thinking hard for a moment. However, he picked up a sandwich with an uninterested face. * * * ¡°¡­ What?¡± Suwaaaaaaaa. [Sound effect for rain.] At Rainfield, a giant man was talking to an old man in white robe. He looked at a pouch full of ash and tilted his head side to side. ¡°This is Heurial?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The old man nodded as he fiddled with his beard. ¡°Crazy. If he was going to die, he should have died peacefully. He died in a fire? Did he die this way because of his ability?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± ¡°He had been overdoing things¡­ I had a fishy filling about it since he got listed in the bounty. I knew this was going to happen. Damn it.¡± The giant scratched his head as if he was getting a headache. ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°Considering the condition, a very long time. I can¡¯t be certain when that would be exactly.¡± ¡°This is just great. Great.¡± He seemed frustrated. He pounded on his chest with his right arm. He pointed at his right arm, cringed and said, ¡°This rascal lost his qualification to be the left hand.¡± ¡°Well, calm down.¡± ¡°How could I calm down? I thought I will get to see the faces of the parts after many long years, but only three of them are here, and the rascal called the left hand, who was carrying out an important work, became fertilizer?¡± Crack! The giant, out of frustration rushing through his head, took out the hammer from his back and destroyed a street light. He was breathing hard. ¡°We can assume the left leg guy is as good as being absent. However, what about the other two rascals? I, the great Kabal, came all the way here! Howe?¡± The giant, Kabal, was breathing hard out of anger. The old man in white robe took the pouch back and mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°By any chance, did they die somewhere?¡± Kabal did a neck slice gesture with his hand and asked the old man. The old man shrugged and said, ¡°You can hear the news about the head from anywhere, so you know well, right? Given her title, she is taking care of something very important, so she couldn¡¯te. You need to be understanding of that for her.¡± ¡°What about the right hand?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that.¡± ¡°Sheet. What a bunch of ungrateful rascals.¡± He ground teeth hard. Kabal crossed his arms and red at the old man. ¡°So, Rebethra, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not sure. For now¡­¡± Rebethra brushed his white beard and mumbled quietly. ¡°First, we need to decide on the order of things and proceed with the work.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ This means our life wish will be dyed.¡± ¡°Our left hand became like this, so it cannot be helped. Still, Heurial was the most hardworking of us all. It¡¯s too bad.¡± Rebethra fiddled with the pouch in his arms. He looked up the Rainfield¡¯s clouds and said, ¡°The right leg will join the head when there¡¯s a chance. They will go find the right hand. The heart will fix the left hand and wait for the ¡®moment.¡¯¡± ¡°Wait?¡± Kabal tilted his head side to side for a moment. Soon, he realized what Rebethra was saying. Kabal crossed his arms and asked, ¡°Ah ah, you are talking about that thing from the holy temple, right? What was it called? The Divine Message?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°By the way, thatss looked quite pretty. When you get the chance, introduce me to her, all right? What do you think? I think I¡¯m on her league?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra red at Kabal with a deadly look. It couldn¡¯t get any deadlier than this. Kabal clicked his tongue and pushed Rebethra¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Ugh¡­ It¡¯s fine. Fine.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget our life¡¯s wish, Kabal.¡± ¡°I have not forgotten it. I haven¡¯t.¡± Kabal and Rebethra, who were having a conversation, disappeared into the darkness of the Rainfield with the pouch of ck ashes. * * * ¡°Phew¡­ We are finally here.¡± Riley seemed he was exhausted from a long ride on the carriage. He looked like he was sick of it. Looking at the scenery of Iffa vige on the side, he seemed like he was feeling better. ¡°We are almost at home. Home.¡± It seemed like Nara heard what Riley was saying because he had the window open on the carriage. Nara, who was enjoying the scenery of Iffa vige, was mumbling Ian¡¯s name in pure excitement. ¡°Finally, finally¡­¡± Rorona, noticing the noiseing from the two men, casually turned her head and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae, how¡¯s your body?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s fine.¡± Ever since the summer came, the pain came without warning. It seemed she was fine now. Her face also looked like she was not in pain anymore. Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and responded. ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡± Noticing the look on Nainiae¡¯s face, Rorona smiled and continued, ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m looking forward to it. We will be meeting Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°Is he really that amazing?¡± Nainiae looked at Nara on top of the carriage who could not hide his excitement. Nainiae asked as she tilted her head side to side. ¡°Of course! I know I¡¯ve said it so many times, but he is a legend among the mercenaries. This will be my first time seeing him in person as well.¡± They went past Iffa vige and then the forest. In the distance, Nainiae could see the entrance to the Iphalleta mansion. The tip of her lips tilted up slightly. ¡®Ah¡­ We are almost at home.¡¯ Home. Without realizing it, just like Riley was mumbling inside, Nainiae also mumbled. Chapter 94 - About a Maid in Training

Chapter 94: About a Maid in Training

Maybe it was obvious. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t. Regardless, the very first person toe and greet Riley and Nainiae for their return from the trip to Rainfield was none other than Ian, the old butler. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± It seemed he was wondering around the garden all this time. His white hair headed toward Riley, who just stepped into the mansion¡¯s entrance. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°We are back.¡± Riley raised his hand to greet others lightly. Nainiae lowered her head to greet others respectfully. At that moment, Ian¡¯s eyes were starting to fill with tears. ¡°Hup. Kuhup¡­ Kuhuhup!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian¡¯s reaction was exactly as expected. Riley peeked a smile and opened his arms. ¡°Young Masterrrrrr!¡± Riley was sick of hearing that during the summer. Maybe it was because Riley was away for so long¡­ Riley opened his arms because it was so great to see Ian. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m back home.¡± ¡°Do you know how worried I was?¡± When Riley opened his arms, Ian poured out tears like waterfall. He ran toward him and hugged him. ¡°I think it would be weirder if I didn¡¯t know it.¡± Riley hugged Ian as if Ian was his own child. Riley casually turned his head and looked at the three members of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group who were walking toward the entrance of the mansion. ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°¡­ the Mercenary Hero?¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± In Riley¡¯s arms, Ian was crying like a little girl. However, his shoulder, his back, his arm¡­ With his white hair, his hardened physique indirectly exined how many battlefields he fought in. ¡°Stop crying so much. Get a grip.¡± Ian was pouring tears and runny nose. Having heard what Riley said, Ian barely got a hold of himself and cleaned up his face. Ian looked beyond Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­ Who are they?¡± ¡°They are guests.¡± ¡°Guests?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. They are here to see you.¡± ¡°Young Master, by any chance¡­¡± A man, a woman, and a boy¡­ They were each wielding a different weapon. Ian could tell with the first nce that they were mercenaries. The look on Ian¡¯s face became serious. ¡°That¡¯s right. They are mercenaries.¡± With Riley¡¯s introduction, Nara brought out the pouch that contained the bone powder of his father¡¯s remain. Nara looked like he might be smiling. It could have been that he was crying. It was a strange look. Nara tilted his head side to side. ¡°Mercenary Hero. It¡¯s a great honor to meet you. I¡¯m¡­¡± The boy¡¯s emotion was running wild. His eyes suddenly changed to a sharp inhuman shape. Noticing this, Ian remembered seeing it before. Ian¡¯s eyes became wide. ¡°Basilisk?¡± Ian said it as if he couldn¡¯t believe this. Nara nodded and answered, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± * * * ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Ian asked Nainiae to do his work for the moment. Ian mumbled in a bitter tone. ¡°Garf¡­ in the end, he was killed by that dark mage¡­¡± In the garden, on a table for tea, Ian had the Lightning Boulder mercenaries and Riley sit with him for a tea. With his thumb, Ian fiddled with the cup¡¯s handle and said, ¡°This is the reason why I hate mages. Mages took away people so easily¡­ The people who were precious to me.¡± Ian added that he doesn¡¯t hate Nainiae. Ian put his hand toward the urn that had the bone remains of Garf Basilisk. ¡°I don¡¯t know how Garf introduced me to you, but I think I should make certain for you to know this.¡± Ian couldn¡¯t bring himself to touch the urn. He lowered his head and said, ¡°I¡¯m retired, but I¡¯ll put my title as the Mercenary Hero on the line to say this. A Basilisk named Garf was definitely a great father.¡± Nara tightened his grab on his hand that wasying on top of this thigh. It wrinkled his pants. ¡°Nara, you should be proud of him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Mecenary Hero that Nara admired was praising his father. Nara could not imagine a situation that was more touching than this. Despite that, Nara couldn¡¯t say anything. "When I saw you in the photo, you were just a child. Now, you have grown¡­ You look magnificent like your father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Drop, drop. On top of the table with white cloth, thick stream of tears, which fell along Nara¡¯s cheek, dropped and made stains. ¡°You must have had it hard¡­ All by yourself.¡± He nodded, and nodded again. He bit his lower lips hard. Nara was still grabbing hard on to his thigh. He couldn¡¯t wipe off his tears. He nodded repeatedly to respond to Ian. ¡°¡­¡± He was still a child. A 15 year old boy was there. It seemed he was remembering all the hardships he endured. In Nara¡¯s face, there were not just tears, but also runny nose. ¡°¡­ Thank you¡­¡± Ian raised his right arm, which he couldn¡¯t bring himself to touch the urn that contained Garf¡¯s remains, to pat Nara¡¯s head. ¡°¡­ for surviving.¡± Ian said with a bitter smile. Nara strained himself to respond with a tearful voice, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Perhaps it had been about ten minutes since Nara was in tears. Ian left Nara be so he could calm down. Ian turned to Riley, who was sitting next to him, and asked about the mercenaries. ¡°About the Lightning boulder mercenary, I¡¯ll tell the Countter that they are here as your guests.¡± Ian said as he filled Riley¡¯s empty cup. Riley tilted his head side to side and mumbled, ¡°Later? Not immediately?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Actually, two days ago¡­ The Count received an urgent message from the Solia Castle. He left the mansion with his sword.¡± ¡°He left the mansion?¡± ¡°Yes. There was a story about the Solia¡¯s boarder being attacked. I think this might be about that.¡± ¡°What about my two big brothers?¡± ¡°Young Master Ryan and Lloyd are here in the mansion. Because you were not present at the time, they couldn¡¯t all leave the mansion empty.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Riley narrowed his eyes. He looked around the mansion and asked Ian. ¡°How¡¯s my mother? Is she doing well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed Ian had been watching out for Iris through the day and night. The dark circles under Ian¡¯s eyes were darker than usual. ¡°Actually, ever since the Count left, I was concerned something might happen, so I had been extra cautious. It had been strangely quiet.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes and got up from his seat, slowly. ¡°She¡¯s at her room, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley ordered Ian to have conversations with the mercenaries. Riley walked toward the inside of the mansion. * * * ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to let this slide because you are still in training. If you were no longer in training, I would not have gone easy on you if you made a mistake like that.¡± It was at the mansion¡¯s kitchen. Sera and Nainiae were preparing dinner. It had been a while since they got together like this, so they were having their girly chats. ¡°Seriously, I wish I could give you lectures for one or two hours.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Ms. Sera.¡± Before preparing the meals on the menu, Nainiae was doing the dishes. With a downed look on her face, Nainiae said, ¡°It won¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°Um. If you look so gloomy like this, it makes me feel sorry for scolding you instead.¡± It seemed Sera felt it. Sera broke cold sweat and said she was just joking as she picked up the dishes again. ¡°Anyway, how was it? How was the Rainfield?¡± ¡°Ah, it was great.¡± Nainiae, who was washing dishes, stopped her hands for a moment. She smiles slowly and said it was great. Sera had a mischievous smile on her face and asked, ¡°It was great?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae flinched without realizing. She strained her lips and froze. ¡°That¡¯s strange. Serving the Young Master by yourself would have not been easy. What was so great about it? You even forgot to contact the mansion?¡± Sera¡¯s mischievousness was getting activated. Not just her smile, but herugher was like that as well. Sera moved her legs and got right next to Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Was she nervous because Sera was standing right next to her? Nainiae was still petrified. Nainiae was still just holding the dish. She wasn¡¯t able to answer Sera. ¡°During the evenings, nothing strange happened, right? Ah, you said you had a separate room, so that probably didn¡¯t happen?¡± Sera wiggled her brows and asked. Perhaps because Nainiae was embarrassed, she started to shake her hands that were holding the dishes. ¡°Come on. Still, it is hard to believe that nothing happened?¡± Sera, with her mischievous look on her face, asked again. As a woman, perhaps it was only natural for her to be interested in things like this. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Nainiae, nothing really happened¡­¡± Before Sera could finish her question again, Nainiae¡¯s hands, as if they reached their limits, ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Crash! Dropped the dish she was holding. ¡°Nainiae?¡± The crashing sound interrupted Sera¡¯s thoughts. Sera vacantly stared at the broken pieces of dish on the floor for a moment and was about to redirect her gaze toward Nainiae. However, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Nainiae!!¡± It seemed Nainiae lost strength in her legs. She was faltering where she stood, right where the pieces of broken dish was. Sera quickly supported Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae? What¡¯s wrong? Nainiae!¡± Nainiae¡¯s body was not just shaking. It was almost at the state of shock. Having realized this, Sera, with a desperate look on her face, called Nainiae¡¯s name. ¡°What¡­ What¡¯s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?¡± The pain that came all of sudden had subsided a little. Her vision, which was filled with white for a moment, was gradually returning. Nainiae desperately tried to open her lips. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Looking at Sera¡¯s face, which was filled with concern for Nainiae, Nainiae squeezed out her voice and stumbled to say, ¡°I¡¯m¡­ not hurting.¡± ¡°Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine.¡± Sera was holding on to Nainiae¡¯s arm. Nainiae pushed Sera¡¯s hand away and tried to pick up the broken pieces on the floor. However, she ended up plummeting there. ¡°I¡­ just sat down so I could pick up the broken pieces. It is more efficient¡­ that way. So¡­¡± With shaking hands, she was reaching for the broken pieces of the dish. Her wrist was grabbed by Sera. ¡°Your hands are shaking so much. What could you possibly clean up with these?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera was holding Nainiae¡¯s right arm¡¯s wrist. Nainiae looked at her right hand. ¡°Ah, ahah¡­¡± Without giving it any thought, she tried to grab the pieces with her right hand. Her right hand was unlike ordinary people¡¯s hands. It was missing two fingers. Her right hand was grotesque. Looking at her right hand, Nainiae was¡­ ¡°I¡­ I am¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± Nainiae was shaking her head left and right. She was choking in fear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m terribly sorry. I¡¯ll work hard. I¡¯ll do my best. I¡¯ll work harder, so please¡­ please don¡¯t abandon me. Please praise me¡­¡± Sera wondered if Nainiae was seeing things through her right hand that was missing two fingers. Nainiae was constantly shaking her head and mumbling. Concerned, Sera shook Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae, Nainiae! Can you hear me? Get a hold of yourself!¡± ¡°No¡­ No more of experimental medicines. I won¡¯t be greedy anymore¡­ I won¡¯t expect anything. I won¡¯t hope for anything, so please¡­ please, no more of that. Not that medicine¡­¡± Nainiae was in a state of panic. She raised her severely shaking hand and stated to scratch the mask on her face. ¡°Ah, ahah¡­ No¡­ No¡­¡± Looking at her right hand that had fingers missing, re-experiencing the pain she felt in the basementboratory, Nainiae brought her right hand, her normal thumb toward her mouth. ¡°Nainiae!¡± Nainiae was about to bite off her thumb. Sera quickly stopped her. * * * ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± ¡°Um. There¡¯s still two hours left until the store opens.¡± Riley kicked the back of the red-haired young man who was still traveling through the dream world. ¡°Get up you rascal.¡± ¡°Ugh. What the hell? Who dares to¡­ Um?¡± Andal, the red-haired young man, woke up. As soon as he woke up, he found the cked haired boy next to him. As if he was extremely annoyed, Andal cringed. ¡°It¡¯s that dumbass.¡± Chapter 95 - About a Maid in Training (2)

Chapter 95: About a Maid in Training (2)

¡°Ugh, you¡­ I just fell asleep.¡± ¡°You live over 10,000 years. I don¡¯t want to hear that from a rascal like you. Do you understand? Just get the hell up.¡± There was a face looking down at Andal with the tip of his lips tilting upwards, full of mischievous atmosphere. Andal was annoyed all the way to the top of his head. He got up as he cursed at Riley. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Andal woke up with a fuzzy look on his face. The pub was a mess, but Andal cleaned it uppletely with a sweep of his hand and walked toward the kitchen. ¡°Why are you back so soon?¡± ¡°Soon? It¡¯s been months.¡± Riley looked around the cleaned pub and said the duration of his stay in Rainfield as he shrugged his shoulders. ¡°Not several years?¡± Andal was looking at Riley with ¡®why are you back so soon¡¯ look on his face. Andal was pouting. Seeing his face, Riley talked back, finding the idea to be ridiculous. ¡°Are you bragging about your several tens of thousands years lifespan?¡± ¡°Ludicrous¡­ I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m sure of it. There isn¡¯t a single dragon in this world that brags about one¡¯s lifespan.¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Riley sat on one of the chairs that Andal tidied up. Riley ordered the usual, locked his fingers and rested his chin on it. ¡°How¡¯s thatss?¡± Andal, who was preparing the drink Riley ordered, asked as he added ice into the ss. ¡°Lass?¡± ¡°Your servant¡­ What was her name?¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Nainiae.¡± He was talking about Riley¡¯s maid in training who had a very limited lifespan left because of drug experiments at the Magic Tower. It seemed Andal was curious about how she was. With a question mark on his face, Andal turned his head and looked at Riley. ¡°How is she?¡± ¡°What do you expect?¡± Riley took a sip from the drink that Andal handed to him to wet his lips. Riley continued as he tasted the sweetness of the drink. ¡°It¡¯s close.¡± ¡°Close?¡± Close. From Riley¡¯s perspective, it seemed to be the case. ¡°She can barely move her body, but she insists that she is not ill or in pain. It seems close.¡± Riley fiddled with the ice inside the ss as he leisurely mumbled Nainiae¡¯s condition. Watching Riley, Andal cringed big time. ¡°That¡¯s inefficient. The way humans think¡­ I cannot understand it. Won¡¯t it be morefortable to just say she is ill and then rest?¡± Andal was tilting his head side to side with a question mark on his face. Andal even prepared a ss for himself and sat in front of Riley. ¡°There are many different kinds of people in this world. There are foolish people like that who keep on working even when they are sick¡­ The fools who do not realize they are falling deeper into a swamp.¡± Riley looked at the drink in the ss wavering as he exined it about people. However, Andal still had a confused look on his face and tilted his head side to side. ¡°Um.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Past. Past life. Riley was like Nainiae once. There was a time when Riley struggled in futility without realizing he was in a swamp. ¡°Why do you think humans are humans?¡± Riley was thinking about his past, which was strikingly simr to Nainiae. Riley mumbled, ¡°Humans are humans because they are like that.¡± Riley was like that once. To save the people, to save the world, in order to live up to others¡¯ expectations¡­ There was a time when Riley marched on restlessly without caring for his own wellbeing. Shattered in pieces¡­ The end result could be summarized in those words. It didn¡¯t end very well. ¡°As I thought, humans are very interesting. Their way of thinking is different from dragons, way different. It probably is because of the lifespan?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± With Andal bringing up Nainiae¡¯s remaining ¡®lifespan,¡¯ Riley slowly narrowed his eyes and thought about Nainiae, a maid who was much like himself from his past life. ¡®Young Master, I wish you could feel this sense of having aplished something too.¡¯ Even if itsted long, her life was going tost until the autumn. Because she used magic excessively in Rainfield, her lifespan was shortened even further. If nothing was done, she would have burned out and became dust by now. ¡°Lifespan¡­¡± Her slightly extended time was from Riley patting her head. Riley thought of a different way to use the time magic that Nainiae taught her. However, in the end¡­ it was not possible for Riley to cure her illness. ¡°Hey, Andal¡­¡± Riley, who was sitting there in silence, called Andal as if he made up his mind. ¡°What?¡± ¡°By the way, it¡¯s about the thing you mentioned before¡­ Do you still want to try it?¡± ¡°Thing I mentioned before? Ah, that?¡± When Riley asked, Andal wiggled his eyebrows as if he was waiting for this. Andal nodded and said, ¡°Of course, I still want to try it.¡± It was about the idea that Andal discussed with Riley when he teleported Riley and Nainiae to Rainfield¡¯s nearby area. Andal said he was still interested in ¡®that profession.¡¯ Andal asked, ¡°By the way, what about it?¡± ¡°Try it.¡± Riley said as if he was tossing the words out. Andal, with a look of disbelief, blinked his eyes. ¡°Are you being serious? You were absolutely against it before. Why are you changing your mind now?¡± Andal was rubbing the palms of his hands. He was implying that if there¡¯s something that Riley want in return, then he should just spell it out. Riley, displeased with the gesture, cringed and said, ¡°Did I say I¡¯ll give her to you? I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m going to hand her over.¡± ¡°In that case, what is it?¡± ¡°You said you want to experience that profession, didn¡¯t you?¡± * * * It waste summer. The autumn was already almost here before anyone realized. The weather was pretty cool nowadays. It was perfect for Riley to sleep under the apple tree on the mansion¡¯s garden. ¡°Young Master, are you sleeping?¡± Looking at Riley leaning against the tree with his eyes closed, Nainiae asked carefully. ¡°¡­¡± There was no response. He had his eyes closed, and he was making regr light movements. They were telling Nainiae that the boy was taking a nap. ¡®It¡¯s pretty cold now. He might catch a cold like this.¡¯ Nainiae, concerned, turned around to go back to mansion to get a nket. However, ¡°¡­ Uuuuuu.¡± She heard a cry from Riley. She stopped walking and turned her head to look. ¡°Young Master?¡± Riley was furrowing his brows as if something was bothering him. Concerned, Nainiae turned around and came next to him. ¡°Young Master, are you all right?¡± Nainiae¡¯s mask was broken during the seizure she hadst time. With her scar fully exposed, Nainiae looked at Riley. ¡°¡­ Uuuuuu.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having noticed that Riley was asionally struggling as he slept, she looked at Riley with concerned eyes. Nainiae started to blink her eyes. ¡®Just now?¡¯ Through her right eye, which was no longer covered by the mask, she could see sceneries in her head. She tightly closed her eyes and shook her head. ¡®What is this? Just now, something strange?¡¯ She thought about the scenery, the people in Riley¡¯s dream to be exact, and opened her mouth vacantly. ¡®This is?¡¯ It was a very strange sight. ¡®This view is¡­¡¯ There were highly angr buildings made of stones. There were things with wheels moving around quickly. There were people walking around in strange clothes. They were all things that Nainiae had never seen before. ¡®Oh no, this is not the time for this.¡¯ Riley was struggling as if he was having a nightmare. Noticing this, Nainiae got a grip and realized perhaps it was not a good idea to go all the way back to the mansion. She used the leather bracelet. ¡®Instead of a nket, at least this¡­¡¯ She brought out her spare maid dress and covered Riley with it like a nket. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed he was spared from the nightmares thanks to the maid dress nket. The look on his face was back to normal. Nainiae sighed in relief. ¡®Young Master, the vision just now¡­¡¯ Nainiae looked at Riley with concerned look. However, a terrifying pain was creeping up again. With her left hand, she started to tightly grab her chest. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae¡¯s face waspletely crumpled. However, having heard Ian¡¯s voiceing from the back, it changed in an instant. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ian.¡± Nainiae straightened up the look on her face by force. With a normal look, she turned her head and faced Ian who was walking toward her. ¡°Rest today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I heard from Sera. She said you are not feeling well. Why didn¡¯t you tell us about it all this time?¡± Nainiae shook her head. Tightening her grip on her chest, Nainiae said, ¡°I¡¯m not¡­ ill. I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°You are not ill?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about saying that after your hands stop shaking?¡± ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Nainiae was able to put up a look on her face, but her hands and arms were shaking as Ian said. ¡°This isn¡¯t just for Young Master¡­ I¡¯m saying it as a family and an elder who had lived longer than you have. Rest today.¡± ¡°But¡­ Mr. Ian!¡± ¡°Silence¡­¡± Nainiae was gradually raising her voice. In response, Ian narrowed his eyes and said with a deadly aura, ¡°You¡¯ll wake up our Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having realized this, Nainiae had a look of panic on her face. Not knowing what to do, she bit her lips. ¡°Rest today.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She had no choice but to listen to Ian. With her shoulders down, she started to walk. ¡°Nainiae.¡± She was on her way back to her room in the mansion. Having heard Ian¡¯s voice, she stopped for a moment. ¡°One¡¯s health is very important. If you are going to continue to serve our Young Master, you need to look after your condition. It¡¯s one of important skills you should learn.¡± ¡®Continue to serve¡­¡¯ Nainiae stood there vacantly. She had a bitter smile on her face as she looked at the ground. ¡°Yes, Mr. Ian. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Nainiae figured Ian was looking at her back at this moment. However, she was not able to turn to look. She just answered like that and walked toward the mansion. ¡®If I¡¯m going to continue to serve Young Master¡­¡¯ Nainiae was thinking about what Ian just said. In order to get a hold of herself, she shook her head wildly and tightened her fists. ¡®Nainiae, get a grip. That¡¯s just being greedy.¡¯ Her life was going to end when the autumn came. She decided not to be pathetic. She decided not to cling on to her Young Master. She decided to firm her determination. As she thought that, she walked toward her room. However, she ran into someone on the way. ¡°Oh? Who is this?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Our very own famous Six Circles mage?¡± It was Lloyd, the second born Young Master of Iphalleta mansion. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Shouldn¡¯t you be right next to Riley at this hour?¡± To pay respect, Nainiae lightly lowered her head. She responded as respectfully as possible. ¡°Due to a personal circumstance, I was ordered to rest today. So Mr. Ian is serving Young Master Riley at the moment.¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, Lloyd opened his eyes wide. Soon, he put up a look on his face. It was saying that Nainiae was a fool. ¡°Huh, rest? Wow, this is just¡­ You are that Young Master¡¯s servant?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a low blow, unbing of a nobility of his status. However, Nainiae knew that nothing good wille from expressing anger here. So, she didn¡¯t fight back. She was going to just walk past him and go back to her room. However, ¡°¡­ Up. Cholok! Cholok!¡± Because of somethinging out of the throat, she couldn¡¯t hold it anymore and started to cough. ¡°What the?¡± She quickly closed her mouth with her hand. She was coughing hard as if she was about to cough blood. Watching this, Lloyd panicked and broke cold sweat. ¡°¡­ Cholok! Cholok!¡± It didn¡¯t look like her coughing was going to stop any time soon. Nainiae¡¯s eyelids started to shake uncontrobly. ¡®My sight¡­¡¯ Every time she blinked, her vision was getting whiter. Nainiae was desperately holding on to her consciousness. However, with each cough, that was getting harder. ¡°What, what is this? Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Having noticed the ck blood flowing out from Nainiae¡¯s left hand that was covering her mouth, Lloyd flinched his shoulder. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Cholok! Cholok!!¡± ¡°Hey¡­ Hey!!¡± Lloyd realized this was serious. In a hurry, Lloyd turned his head. He was about to call for someone. However, ¡°This is crazy. Hey! Is there anyone¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Stop it, Lloyd.¡± However, he was stopped by someone grabbing his shoulder. ¡°B¡­ Big Brother?¡± It was the eldest Young Master in the mansion, Ryan. ¡°¡­ Cholok!!¡± Nainiae¡¯s left hand could not take it anymore and fell. As if a dam broke, lumps of ck blood poured out and made a mess on the corridor¡¯s carpet. ¡°¡­ Khurhuk, cholok!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± The amount of ck blood pouring out from the girl¡¯s mouth was enough to make Lloyd flinch once again. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Lloyd panicked after seeing the ck blood that Nainiae spread to the carpet. He believed that calling for people was the right answer. However, ¡°¡­ Just let it be.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± However, he was stopped by Ryan once again. ¡°Just letting it be is the right thing to do.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Right in front of them, there was a girl, moreover, a person who was a part of the Iphalleta¡¯s household, was dying. However, Ryan was telling Lloyd that ¡®just letting it be is the right thing to do.¡¯ Lloyd questioned Ryan¡¯s judgment. ¡°But Big Brother!¡± Even though Nainiae was a formidable supporter of Riley in the sessorship¡­ Turning a blind eye to a dying girl was a disgraceful act that would taint the name of Iphalleta. It was unbing of the family name. ¡°If our father was here¡­ He would not leave her be like this¡­¡± p! With the sound, Lloyd¡¯s head was quickly turned to the side. ¡°Big¡­ Brother?¡± Lloyd, with a look of disbelief, looked at his brother. ¡°Get a grip, Lloyd.¡± The look on Ryan¡¯s face could not be colder. ¡°Thatss is going to die anyway.¡± Ryan was aware of this because he got a letter from his fianc¨¦e a few days ago, which exined that the Six Circles mage maid has a very limited lifespan, so they don¡¯t need to worry about her. ¡°¡­ Cholok, cholok!¡± Not able to endure it anymore, Nainiae suddenly fell to her knees as she poured out ck blood from her mouth. Ryan said once again. ¡°Let her die.¡± By his Big Brother¡¯s threat, Lloyd was petrified as he looked at Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Lloyd was not sure if this was the right thing to do or not. With a vacant look on his face, his lips was shaking. It was at that moment. ¡°¡­ Ah, you were here.¡± From the direction of Nainiae¡¯s back, there was a man with me-like red hair. He fixed the ss that fell almost to the middle of the nose as he showed himself in front of Ryan and Lloyd. Chapter 96 - About a Maid in Training (3)

Chapter 96: About a Maid in Training (3)

¡°That¡¯s quite a state you are in. Um¡­ Should I say you are lucky that you are still not dead yet? Ah! That¡¯s not it¡­ Riley, that rascal, probably did something, so it isn¡¯t just luck.¡± The red haired man with sses didn¡¯t look like a servant at all. Ryan and Lloyd, both with confused look, stared at the man. ¡®Who is this?¡¯ Other than the three members of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group, they were not aware of any other guests at the mansion. It was only natural that they had confused looks on their faces. ¡°Let¡¯s see.¡± The red haired man walked over to Nainiae in a leisurely pace. He came right behind Nainiae, who was coughing, and started to examine her condition here and there. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s super convoluted and tangled up. It doesn¡¯t look like hammering in mana is going to make it better¡­¡± Nainiae was not in good condition. The red haired man felt like he knew why a ¡®certain monster¡¯ that he knew was not able to make Nainiae better. The red haired man nodded repeatedly. ¡°¡­ Um.¡± There was ck blood on the floor that Nainiae coughed out. The man touched it with the tip of his finger to check its color and characteristics and slowly narrowed his eyes. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to examine this in detail.¡± The red haired man got on his knees to sit next to Nainiae and mumbled. At that moment, Ryan took a step forward and said, ¡°Who are you?¡± Like how a human being wouldn¡¯t care about what insects are up to, the red haired man casually ignored Ryan¡¯s words in the same manner and mumbled, ¡°Um. As I thought, this is quite something¡­ Although that kind of magic was not fiddled with, the color was changed like that.¡± Ignored, Ryan was not able to stand it. Ryan¡¯s hand was moving toward the sword¡¯s handle on his waist. ¡°I asked who you are.¡± Ryan was holding the handle of the sword. However, the red haired man wasn¡¯t even ncing at Ryan. ¡°There is no innate type or opposing type at all. This is impossible even for us¡­ With this, not just magic, but summon spirits could be utilized skillfully. Interesting. It¡¯s very interesting.¡± Toward Ryan, the response from the red haired man was smaller than that of an ant passing by. Not able to stand the insult, Ryan took out the sword. ¡°I asked who you are!¡± The sharp sound from the unsheathing of the sword filled the corridor. ¡°¡­?¡± The red haired man finally responded. Just like a certain young master in the mansion, with an annoyed look on his face, the man looked at Ryan. ¡°Andal.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you deaf? I said it¡¯s Andal.¡± Nainaie, who was still coughing blood, heard the name, Andal, among the voices that sounded very distant to her. The name made her shoulders flinch. ¡®Andal? Mr. Andal? Why is he here?¡¯ Was it because he did something? Nainiae¡¯s inside felt significantly better than before. Her blurred white vision was gradually returning, and her coughing was slowly subsiding ¡°Andal?¡± In light of the red haired man¡¯s response, Ryan furrowed his brows big time. With the sword still aimed at Andal, Ryan asked again. ¡°You runt. Is that your name?¡± ¡°Runt?¡± With his sword to the front, Ryan had a deadly look on his face. Watching this, Andal snorted, thinking how childish it looked. Andal said, ¡°That¡¯s right. That¡¯s my name.¡± ¡°In that case, what are you?¡± ¡°What am I?¡± Andal tilted his head side to side and mumbled. Ryan ground his teeth hard and poured mana into his sword. ¡°If you ask back again instead of answering, you better be prepared to be off with your head.¡± Watching the sword exuding steady light, Andal had the tip of his lips tilted up, finding it fun to watch. Andal straightened the leg he had bent from kneeling. Andal got up and said, ¡°I¡¯m a Doctor. Why?¡± Instead of choking in fear, the man was still smiling. With the man iming to be a doctor, now Ryan tilted his head side to side. ¡°A Doctor?¡± Andal was full of confidence. He even had an air of, ¡®what¡¯s your problem?¡¯, as he crossed his arms. Watching this, Ryan¡¯s face turned violent again. ¡°Are you messing with me¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, Doctor. There you were!¡± There was another voice from far away in the corridor. Everyone other than Nainiae turned their gazes toward the direction. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Big Brothers.¡± The person that just spoke walked past the corner of the corridor toward them. He lowered his head in front of Ryan and Lloyd. ¡°This is a famous Doctor from Rainfield that I went to vacation on. I asked him toe with us.¡± Along with Ian, Riley made an appearance in the corridor. He introduced Andal to Ryan, who was aiming a sword. ¡°¡­ A Doctor?¡± ¡°¡­ A Doctor?¡± Finding it to be suspicious, Ryan and Lloyd mumbled with strange looks on their faces. ¡°¡­?¡± Andal also vacantly looked back at Riley. He had a ¡®what the hell are you barking about?¡¯ look on his face as well. ¡°The thing is¡­ I brought him here because I was worried about my mother¡¯s illness. It seems Ian forgot to tell you about him.¡± Riley slowly moved his elbow to bump Ian¡¯s arm. Ian, who was nervous for some reason, flinched and responded right away. ¡°Ah, yes! I¡¯m sorry. I was supposed to report to you about the guests. After telling you about Nara and his group, I forgot to tell you about the Doctor. Please forgive me.¡± Ian lowered his head big time. ¡°You are saying you are a Doctor?¡± People who didn¡¯t know Ian would have thought that what he just said sounded like he was just acting. However, given the situation, the nervous look on Ian¡¯s face was that of someone who made a grave mistake. That¡¯s what Ryan thought. ¡°Rainfield doesn¡¯t have a holy temple. It¡¯s a city with advanced medical science, so I asked around to see if there was anyone who is an expert at the particr illness that my mother has, and this is the Doctor who is fairly well known in Rainfield.¡± Riley slowly tilted his head and looked at Andal. ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? Doctor?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± This was different from what they talked about in the pub. With a confused look on his face, Andal was going to furrow his brows, but soon, as if he realized something, he straightened his brows. ¡®Ah ah.¡¯ A dragon was a supreme being, yet Riley had no problem pouring out insults and crassnguage at Andal. However, now, all of sudden, Riley was treating Andal with the uttermost respect. ¡®Why? I think I get it now.¡¯ Having realized Riley was just acting and this was his scheme, Andal tilted the tip of his lips as if he understood. ¡®Moreover, it took a lot of effort to build what I have around me¡­ It would be a waste to fold my amusement life here because of this.¡¯ To Andal, it most certainly was going to be a waste. ¡®¡­ How? Did you watch some stage acting?¡¯ Riley smiled as he asked that with his gaze. Andal responded with his gaze. ¡®Of course I have.¡¯ ¡®So you know what acting is, right? I¡¯m counting on you to put up a good act on your own.¡¯ ¡®Hup. Who do you think I am?¡¯ After exchanging looks with Riley, Andal, with a confident look on his face, turned his head toward Ryan and Lloyd. ¡°You there.¡± Andal pointed at Lloyd, and he tilted his head side to side, wondering why he was pointed at. ¡°How many times do you do it per day?¡± ¡°¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°By yourself, twice¡­ or three times?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having realized what Andal was talking about, Lloyd¡¯s face turned red. ¡°Tsk. Take it easy. It will make your bones brittle.¡± Andal turned his gaze away, uninterested. This time, he looked at Ryan and said, ¡°You, do you have sleep deprivationtely?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You should reduce training at night. Like this third Young Master here, it would be good for you to get some sleep. Otherwise, it will shorten your lifespan.¡± Andal said as he narrowed his eyes. As if he was exactly right, the tip of Ryan¡¯s sword flinched slightly. ¡°¡­¡± Actually, everything Andal just said were urate. ¡®Is he really a doctor?¡¯ Ryan was not sure what he was talking about with Lloyd. However¡­ in fact, Ryan was not getting good sleep at night, and he closed his eyes only after exhausting his body from training. ¡®No. Even if¡­ even if this runt is a Doctor¡­¡¯ The look on Ryan¡¯s face became sharp again. Even though this Doctor came from Rainfield which didn¡¯t have any nobilities, the man was definitely being rude to Ryan. This was the reason. ¡°What are you ring at? Is there something you don¡¯t like?¡± The man was talking so carelessly toward a Young Master in a Count¡¯s family. There was a need for Ryan to teach him a lesson. However¡­ ¡°You are a funny runt. Just be grateful that I won¡¯t charge you.¡± However, Ryan couldn¡¯t talk back. It was because, when Ryan looked at Andal¡¯s eyes, it gave him the creeps. There was a sense of existence that could not be exined in words. There was an aura. Overwhelmed by Andal¡¯s red eyes, Ryan could not dare to speak. ¡°¡­¡± As a human, as a living organism, his instinct was¡­ yelling at him to say he shouldn¡¯t dare to challenge a predator above his level. It was obvious. Although Andal had the form of a human being, inside that shell, there was an incredibly fearsome being. ¡°Also¡­¡± Ignoring Ryan and Lloyd, who were not able to say anything back at Andal, his gaze now turned to Riley. ¡°Our third Young Master should cut down on the sleep a little?¡± ¡°Pardon? What are you talking about?¡± Riley smiled and looked at Andal, and Andal also smiled and said, ¡°I think it would be good for you to move your body.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A blood vein was popping out of Riley¡¯s forehead. Maybe he knew, or maybe he didn¡¯t, but Ian, who was standing next to Riley, was beating the drum along with what Andal said. Ian said as he sshed spit from his mouth. ¡°Yes! That¡¯s right! As expected of a Doctor from Rainfield! With just one look, you picked out the thing that our Young Master should improve on!¡± With Ian¡¯s support fire, Andal tilted up and wiggled the tip of his lips. He looked as refreshed as if he just chugged on a full ss of brown sugar beer. Andal advised, ¡°From now on, I think it would be best if you went easy on taking advantage of a certain friend of yours. You should move on your own, on your own.¡± Having heard this, Ian mumbled ¡®I agree. You are totally right.¡¯ Riley¡¯s forehead now had a few additional veins popping out. ¡°Ha, haha¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, did you get what I just said?¡± Andal asked as he twisted the tip of his lips. With all of his strength, Riley curled the toes that were hidden inside his shoes. With his facial muscles twitching, Riley responded, ¡°¡­ Yes. I look forward to having you here.¡± ¡­ as he said to himself that he will definitely make Andal pay for making fun of him today. ¡®Young Master¡­¡¯ Meanwhile, with a vacant look on her face, Nainiae was looking up at Riley while still in kneeling position. Unable to fight the eyes that were slowly closing on their own, Nainiae lost consciousness. * * * ¡®Nainiae, your mother is sorry. You must want to¡­ live like other kids your age too.¡¯ ¡®No mother. It¡¯s all right.¡¯ ¡®Sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®Please don¡¯t say that. I won¡¯t want it. I won¡¯t ask for anything more. So, just like this¡­ just hold my hand. That¡¯s my only wish.¡¯ ¡®Nainiae.¡¯ ¡®Just¡­ count on me.¡¯ The things she could see in front of her were very vivid. ¡®Please¡­ please no more!!¡¯ ¡®Now, you need to work hard for your mother¡¯s sake, isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ ¡®For my mother¡­?¡¯ ¡®We only emptied just one bottle. You need to keep up the good work. Today, we are going to empty seven bottles, so we need to hurry. Now, try drinking it.¡¯ ¡®For mother.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s good. Good. You are drinking it so well.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Hu¡­ Kuk. Ugh. Ugh.¡¯ ¡®As a reward, I¡¯ll give you a new medicine. Drink this and it will make you a little better.¡¯ ¡®It hurts¡­ Hurry. Hurry.¡¯ ¡®Oh? My hand slipped¡­¡¯ ¡®Ahhhhhhh!!¡¯ ¡®¡­ Yes.¡¯ ¡®Ku, Ugh¡­ Uuuuuaaauuuu¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry, sorry. Well, it won¡¯t kill you, not immediately.¡¯ ¡®Kill¡­ Kill me¡­¡¯ ¡®Hm, it got on the eye. It cannot be helped.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Please.¡¯ ¡®No, you can¡¯t die yet.¡¯ Her short life, things she experienced, were shing past her. It was horrible. ¡®¡­ Mom. I¡¯m back.¡¯ ¡®Who¡­ are you?¡¯ ¡®Mom?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know who you are, but¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s me. It¡¯s Nainiae.¡¯ ¡®Nainiae¡­?¡¯ ¡®Yes!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t lie¡­ to me.¡¯ ¡®¡­?¡¯ ¡®My daughter¡­ doesn¡¯t look like that.¡¯ ¡®Mom? Mom? Wait, please wait! Please open the door! Mom! Mom! I won¡¯t expect much! I¡­ I won¡¯t even ask you to hold my hand, so¡­ My hand¡­? Why is my hand like this? It¡¯s missing fingers¡­ No, this can¡¯t be, no!!¡¯ Maybe¡­ From the moment she had to drink the chemicals at the Magic Tower, ever since then, just like how she screamed and pleaded back then, she might have been thinking that way all along. She want to die. Just let me die. ¡®It¡¯s all right, Beta, even if I died here¡­¡¯ ¡®No, you useless b*tch!¡¯ ¡®¡­?¡¯ No! You still have work to do! You can¡¯t die yet! You can¡¯t die before finishing it all. If you died already¡­ then you will be just a garbage that could not return my good will of having high expectations for you! Do you understand?¡¯ ¡®B¡­ but, because you said you believe in me¡­ that¡¯s why¡­¡¯ ¡®If I saved you, if I rescued you¡­ if I fed you and gave you ce to sleep! You need to at least do your part, don¡¯t you think? Why do you think we picked you up? You make us puke just from looking at you! Why do you think we used all of our savings to buy you?! This! Useless runt!¡¯ ¡®No, no¡­ I¡¯m¡­¡¯ ¡®Ugh, ugh, you disgusting b*tch¡­ that¡¯s why you were thrown out from the Magic Tower.¡¯ If this was a nightmare, it would have been nice if Nainiae could wake up from it quickly. However, it was not a nightmare. She felt like she knew what these views were. ¡®How long will I be able to live?¡¯ ¡®That is¡­ I can¡¯tpletely cure your illness. So¡­ About that¡­ I can extend your lifespan, but¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s all right. I had my mind prepared for this.¡¯ That¡¯s right. She was prepared for this. From the moment she was suffering at the Magic Tower¡­ On the day she was abandoned by his mother¡­ On the day she heard all those harsh words from Beta¡­ Nainiae was prepared for it. ¡®If it is short, it willst until the summer. If it is very long, it willst until the winter. However¡­ I think it will be until the fall.¡¯ ¡®Fall¡­¡¯ What she was seeing right now was not nightmare. It was the light at the end of the tunnel. Nainiae was certain that this was what people saw before they died. ¡°Will I be able to die now?¡± Looking at the things quickly shing before her eyes, Nainiae mumbled quietly. ¡°Finally¡­ I can die.¡± It was the wish that she had for a long time. Her wish was finallying true. Finally, she was going to befortable. However¡­ However¡­ ¡°Finally¡­¡± As if they were broken, there were tears pouring out from her eyes. It was not certain if they were out of joy or sadness. Her ambiguous tears were flowing endlessly. ¡°¡­ Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± * * * Nainiae opened her eyes. She could see the ceiling that was familiar to her. ¡®This ce is?¡¯ ¡°Nainiae¡­ Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The area near her eyes were wet. Realizing that she was crying, Nainiae barely managed to turn her head to look toward the direction where warmth could be felt. ¡°¡­ Lady Iris?¡± ¡°It looks like you had a nightmare.¡± Her hand, which looked horrible because it was missing some of the fingers, was tightly held by Iris. Iris had a relieved look on her face. Chapter 97 - About a Maid in Training (4)

Chapter 97: About a Maid in Training (4)

¡°Nainiae, it¡¯s all right. A dream is just a dream.¡± Iris showed a refreshing smile toward Nainiae and gently wiped off the tears around her eyes. Iris continued and said, ¡°What did you dream about?¡± ¡°Dream?¡± Nainiae, with her mouth wide open, thought about what she just saw, and then bit her lips lightly. ¡°That was¡­¡± It didn¡¯t feel like a dream. It was the light at the end of tunnel. ¡°Nainiae?¡± Noticing Nainiae was just biting her lips and not able to say anything, Iris asked if Nainiae was ufortable in any way as she tilted her head side to side. ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡°It cannot be nothing.¡± While Nainiae was asleep, Iris heard what she was murmuring while shedding tears. Iris clearly remembered them. ¡°Tell me. I¡¯ll listen.¡± Instead of keeping it to herself, perhaps it would be better for Nainiae to spill it out. Perhaps that would make Nainiae feel better. ¡°Really, really, it is nothing.¡± Not able to look at Iris in the eyes, she directed her gaze toward the ceiling and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t tell her. There was no way she could. Nainiae could not tell Iris that she was going to die soon, that what she saw was her life shing before her eyes. Nainiae could not tell Iris that she won¡¯t be here with her when the falles. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, Lady Iris.¡± Nainiae, who was staring vacantly at the ceiling to calm her mind, felt the warmth reaching her hand. Nainiae said, ¡°About this¡­¡± Sitting next to the bed, Iris was holding Nainiae¡¯s right hand. Iris tightened her grip, keeping Nainiae¡¯s hand feel warm. It seemed like Iris knew that if she let go of the hand now, she may never get to hold Nainiae¡¯s hand again. ¡°Lady Iris?¡± Nainiae was embarrassed about her disfigured hand being held by someone. Nainiae pulled her shoulder. However¡­ despite that, Iris firmly held Nainiae¡¯s hand. She refused to let go. ¡°Riley told me.¡± Nainiae, who was trying to make her let go of the hand in any way she could, heard what Iris just said and flinched her shoulders. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It mayst until the fall, right?¡± ¡°What¡­ are you talking about?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about how long you will be able to stay with us.¡± Nainiae tried to feign ignorance, but Iris had a serious look on her face. Unbing of her, Iris¡¯ eyebrows were slightly bent. Her face almost looked angry. ¡°Why?¡± It was no longer looking like Iris just seemed to be angry. Iris really was angry. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard what Iris said, Nainiae¡¯s lips opened and closed again several times. ¡°That is¡­¡± Nainiae carefully moved her gaze and looked at Iris¡¯ eyes. Perhaps it was because Iris¡¯ eyes were gentle just like Nainiae¡¯s mother who she said goodbyes to a long time ago. ¡®¡­¡¯ Nainiae, who was about to say something, had her lips frozen shut. ¡°That is?¡± Nainiae had been longing for those eyes for a long time. Nainiae also had been wishing for the warmth as well. Nainiae could feel her heart being crushed in sorrow. Nainiae tightly grabbed on to the nket with her left hand so Iris would not be able to see and then said, ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t want to be a burden to you.¡± It was a lie. Nainiae managed to avoid Iris¡¯ gaze and gave an answer that was different from what she was really feeling. ¡°Nainiae.¡± Looking at Nainiae, who was trying to avoid her gaze, Iris tightly held Nainiae¡¯s hand again and asked gently. ¡°By any chance, did you want to die?¡± Nainiae, who had her true feeling found out, flinched her shoulder. ¡®How did she figure it out? Did I let it show on my face? Does Lady Iris have any special power?¡¯ Nainiae, petrified, was confused. Noticing this, Iris raised Nainiae¡¯s right hand and said, ¡°Your hand is shaking.¡± ¡°¡­ This is.¡± It was something Nainiae had not noticed. Having realized itte, she shook her head left and right and said, ¡°This is¡­ because of my condition¡­¡± ¡°As I thought, you are not well, right?¡± In the end, Iris got to the point. Nainiae was petrified again. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes, Lady Iris.¡± ¡°You are curious about how I figured out what you were thinking, right?¡± Honestly, Nainiae was curious about that. However, she couldn¡¯t just say, ¡®yes, I am curious.¡¯ Nainiae just pulled her chin and waited for Iris to continue. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s your eye.¡± ¡°¡­ Eye?¡± ¡°Nainiae, of many good qualities you have, one of them is that you do not avoid eye contact when having a conversation with someone.¡± With her thumb, Iris gently brushed the top of Nainiae¡¯s right hand. With boundlessly gentle and loving expression on her face, Iris continued, and Nainiae had a vacant look on her face. ¡°Just now, Nainiae, did you look at me in the eyes?¡± ¡°I was¡­¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t, were you?¡± Nainiae could not talk back. It was true. ¡®Why?¡¯ Nainiae felt that she might get greedy and dare to want to live longer if she looked into Iris¡¯ gentle eyes. So¡­ Nainiae could not look at her eyes. ¡°¡­ Lady Iris, how long have I been asleep?¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± Nainiae was still acting the same. Despite what Iris just said, Nainiae was still not looking at Iris in the eyes. Moving her left hand that was tightly holding on to the nket, Nainiae lowered the hand to below the chest and uncovered the nket. ¡°Looking at where the sun is, I think I slept through the whole day. It¡¯s way past the time I should be working. If I keep this up, I wouldn¡¯t be able to face Mr. Ian and Ms. Sera.¡± Nainiae used frictionless magic to free her hand from Iris¡¯ warm hand. Nainiae got down from the bed immediately. ¡°I¡¯ll be going to work now.¡± Nainiae reached for the bracelet sitting next to the bed and opened the dimensional space. Nainiae changed to the maid uniform inside and walked away as if she was running from something. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± Nainiae was about to escape from the room. However, she stopped after hearing Iris¡¯ voice. ¡°I wish you could stay with us.¡± It was a gentle tone like talking to her daughter. Nainiae¡¯s lips were twisted. It was not certain if it was out of happiness or sadness. * * * There were just Riley and Andal at the mansion¡¯s library. Riley sipped at the tea that Sera prepared, narrowed his eyes and looked at Andal. Riley decided to pospone paying back Andal for what he did at the corridor. Riley asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°So, what would you like to hear first?¡± Instead of tea for humans, Andal was fixated on books rolling around on the library. In response to Riley¡¯s question, Andal asked a question. He was asking if Riley would like to hear about Iris or Nainiae first. ¡°Andal.¡± Riley was annoyed. Riley, who was drinking tea, mumbled the name. Noticing the look on Riley¡¯s eyes, Andal had an exaggerated look on his face. Laughing mischievously, Andal asked again. ¡°Ah? I suppose I don¡¯t need to act anymore?¡± ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± As Andal said it like a fool, Riley had a vein popping up on his forehead. Riley started to click around the leg he had on top of the other leg. ¡°I¡¯m the one who is pissed, you rascal. I thought you said you will let me experience being a teacher, so I came here, but you made me into a Doctor? Unbelievable. You are working a dragon, you know that, right? You should be grateful that I¡¯m going easy on you.¡± Andal fixed the sses that slid down the nose. He decided to answer the question before Riley exploded. ¡°That child, Nainiae. Her condition was not looking good. With your permission, I think it would be best if we brought her to myir right away.¡± Having realized Andal had a serious look on his face, Riley leaned on the back support and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s that serious?¡± ¡°You had a rough idea already, didn¡¯t you?¡± Riley was not able to answer. He brought the tea cup to his lips and started to tap the arm rest with his left hand. ¡°It feels like there are more to her than what I can see with my eyes. How should I say this? There are more convoluted things tangled up inside? I also find it intriguing that humans were able to get a person¡¯s inside to be so messed up.¡± Andal was flipping through a book that he picked up in an uninterested way. Having lost interest, he put it down and said, ¡°Well, there¡¯s what you had me keep, but even without it, my personal opinion is that this child must be saved no matter what.¡± ¡°No matter what?¡± ¡°Yes, no matter what.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Riley, who had his chin resting on his hand, asked. Andal had a confident look on his face. He pumped up his shoulders and said, ¡°It¡¯s because I decided to have her as my pupil.¡± Riley found it to be ludicrous. With a look on his face, Riley kept silent for a moment and then asked, ¡°¡­ Are you still trying to y that role?¡± ¡°y?¡± Despite Riley¡¯s disapproving tone, Andal responded with a serious face. ¡°This is not a pretentious y.¡± Andal was the kind that just had to try what he wanted. He was a greedy and supreme being like that. ¡°Oh, is that so, oh great being?¡± ¡®If I remember, Andal said he found it intriguing when some of the customers introduced themselves as a teacher and a pupil?¡¯ Before Riley went to Rainfield, Andal was asking Riley about the profession called teacher. Thinking about it, Riley peeked a smile. ¡°So, what¡¯s the n?¡± ¡°Just say the word, and I¡¯ll take her to their and work on the tangled up things inside her body. Her lessons as my pupil will be after that.¡± ¡°How will the lessons be like?¡± ¡°For now, I¡¯ll be starting with the basics. I¡¯ll hammer in the basics in to her using my way. After that, I¡¯ll have her fight rtively weak guardian spirits to raise her skills.¡± Andal answered thoroughly without pausing to think once. It made Riley realize that Andal was really eager to do this. Sickened by it, Riley shook his head. ¡°So, can I bring her to myir now, right away?¡± ¡°Right away?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Right now.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Riley took a moment to organize his thoughts. He shook his head and said, ¡°No, now is not a good time.¡± Riley concluded that it would not be good for Nainiae if she left toote. Riley said, ¡°I think today evening would be good.¡± ¡°Today evening?¡± ¡°We should give her time to say goodbyes to the people in the mansion at least.¡± Not just to Iris, Ian and Sera, but she was close to other people in the mansion as well. Telling them that she will be gone for a while with a Doctor named Andal because of her illness was going to be enough. ¡°What about you?¡± Riley pushed the chair to the back and got up. Andal tilted his head side to side and asked what Riley was going to do. ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a nap for a moment.¡± Riley said he will be taking a nap as if he didn¡¯t care at all. Andal, surprised, looked at Riley and mumbled, ¡°Wow, sleep again? You are unbelievable, you rascal You sleep longer than dragons.¡± Having heard what Andal said, Riley, who was about to walk out of the library, slowly turned his body and raised his hand toward Andal. Toward Andal, Riley raised the middle finger. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s that?¡± Andal saw that gesture before, a fist with just the middle finger raised up. He tiled his head side to side and asked. ¡°It¡¯s apliment.¡± ¡°Apliment?¡± Riley peeked a smile. With the tip of his lips raised, Rileyplimented Andal. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s apliment. You were very good at acting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The shape of Riley¡¯s hand gesture was something that Andal saw often in the pub that he owned. ¡°Isn¡¯t that supposed to be an insult?¡± Andal saw customers swearing at each other and showing the middle finger. He saw it many times. Finding Riley¡¯s answer to be suspicious, Andal asked. Riley shrugged his shoulder and said, ¡°Come on, how could that be? There are times when what people do and say do not match. You know that, don¡¯t you? This is one of them.¡± Andal figured that Riley¡¯s exnation was usible. Andal scratched his hair and asked back, ¡°¡­ Is that so?¡± In fact, Andal did not have full understanding of people¡¯s hearts or emotions. ¡°It¡¯s something like that. You should know things like these in detail if you want to enjoy your amusement trip.¡± Riley continued like a pro. He winked and said with a leisurely face. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Andal thought it was strange. However, when Riley said the thing about the amusement trip, Andal asked again with a confused look, ¡°The middle finger meanspliment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯mplimenting you for the awesome acting you did at the corridor.¡± Riley smiled again as he flipped the finger at Andal. Andal¡¯s face became full of confidence. ¡°Huhu. That¡¯s right¡­ There is nothing I that I cannot do.¡± Andal was pumping up his shoulders as if he could take morepliments. Riley turned around and left the library. Riley had a dark smile on his face. It looked like he paid Andal back after all. ¡®You still have a long way to go, you rascal.¡¯ Chapter 98 - About a Maid in Training (5)

Chapter 98: About a Maid in Training (5)

Nainiae was dreaming. It was an incredibly blissful dream. However, a dream was just a dream. She had to get a hold of herself after waking up. ¡®Nainiae, get a grip.¡¯ Nainiae said that to herself over and over in her head. She checked again to make sure there was nothing out of shape on her maid dress. She started to walk. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m veryte.¡± She came to the mansion¡¯s dining hall and then followed the corridor to the kitchen. There, she met Sera and others who were busy doing dishes and preparing the dinner. ¡°Nainaie?¡± ¡°Oh my, Nainiae! I heard you copsed. Are you all right?¡± ¡°I heard Young Master Lloyd was shocked.¡± ¡°Let me see your face. You are all right now, right?¡± As soon as she entered, everyone turned to look at her direction. They all had concerned looks on their faces. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m all rig¡­¡± The emotions were rushing at Nainiae. She was about to have her eyes filled with tears. However, Nainiae kept the expression on her face in check. Maintaining a normal look, she lowered her head and responded, ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± Although she said that, it didn¡¯t change the concerned looks on people¡¯s faces. ¡°I think I took too long of a break. I¡¯ll get back to work right away.¡± Trying hard to ignore the people looking at her, Nainiae walked toward the dishes that still needed to be washed. She reached for the dishes, but then Sera snatched her wrist. Sera looked angry. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°M¡­ Ms. Sera?¡± Sera was biting her lips. Just like how she was when she woke up in front of Iris, Nainiae slowly avoided Sera¡¯s eyes. ¡°I heard everything.¡± Nainiae¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®Was it Lady Iris? Was it Young Master Riley?¡¯ She was not sure who, but Nainiae thought it was something they shouldn¡¯t have. Nainiae thought nothing good would havee from it. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have heard, but it must be very exaggerated, so¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae, I heard you are dying.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With difficulty, Sera said it. The kitchen became quiet as if someone just poured cold water on everyone. ¡°It¡¯s an exaggerated story.¡± Nainiae broke the silence and said it. ¡°I don¡¯t know who told you that, but it is an exaggerated story, so¡­¡± Unable to look at people in the eyes, Nainiae picked up a dish and tried to wash it. In the end¡­ Crash! Because of her shaky hand, she ended up dropping it. Because the kitchen was in silence, the sound of the dish being shattered sounded much louder than thest time. ¡°Nainiae.¡± Although someone called her name, Nainiae did not respond. She directed her hand toward the broken pieces on the ground. Usually, she would not have used magic, but this time she did. ¡°I cleaned it up.¡± She learned the ¡°Rewind¡± magic so she could teach Riley. She used the magic and restored the broken dish back to its former shape. ¡°Nainiae!¡± Sera grabbed Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and called her name. However, Nainiae only flinched her shoulder for a moment. She only focused on the dishwashing, ignoring Sera. ¡°You should rest. The Doctor from Rainfield said you absolutely need to rest.¡± She was probably talking about Andal. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I¡¯mpletely fine.¡± Crash! While Nainiae said she was all right, she broke yet another dish. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I just need to use Rewind again.¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae lowered her hand toward the broken dish. She was about to use the Rewind magic again, but she stopped after hearing someone calling her name. ¡°I¡¯m ordering you as the manager of all maids. I forbid you to enter this kitchen. I also forbid you to wear the maid uniform.¡± ¡°Ms. Wi¡­?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m perfectly fine¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying this because I¡¯m worried about you in particr.¡± Wi came next to Nainiae, steadily gazed upon her as she exined, ¡°You used magic, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s.¡± Nainiae knew that she couldn¡¯t make an excuse like ¡®it could not be helped.¡¯ The dish was broken because of Nainiae. If she denied it, it would make Sera look bad because it would imply that Sera didn¡¯t educate Nainiae properly. ¡°By any chance, did Sera taught you to be like that?¡± ¡°No! That¡¯s not it. That¡¯s not!¡± ¡°In that case, you have no objections, right?¡± Nainiae was afraid that it will be like facing a brick of ice if she faced Wi. She couldn¡¯t dare to look up toward her. Nainiae looked at the ground as she bit her lips. ¡°Why¡­¡± As if she was whispering, Nainiae started to speak. ¡°I just did it efficiently.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When I used magic for Young Master Riley, you left me be, didn¡¯t you?¡± Tightly grabbing on to the skirt with her hands, Nainiae slowly raised her voice. ¡°asionally, for the people who were in trouble¡­¡± What she had been holding down very hard started toe out of her eyes. ¡°For Ms. Sera, Sofia, Ms. Hellen, Laura, Gemini, Reba¡­ Mr. Ian, Terry, Allen, Mr. Albert¡­ When I used magic in secret to help them¡­ Ms. Wi, you didn¡¯t say anything back then.¡± Nainiae carefully spoke the names of the people she helped in the mansion. She spoke them carefully as if they were precious. Not able to hold it anymore, with tears hanging in her eyes, she continued. ¡°All of it¡­¡± Drop. Drop. The stream of tears flowing along her cheek started to drop on the broken dish. ¡°You saw all of it, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°This is not fair. You had been watching me do all that, so I thought¡­ you would allow me this much.¡± She was only 18. It was not going to be strange for an 18 year old to speak about something unfair being done to herself. This was the first childish tantrum she ever threw in her life. With a wronged look on her face, Nainiae lifted her head and looked at Wi. Her tears were flowing. They were like waterfall. The tears touching the scars on her right side was making it ache. However¡­ Nainiae was not able to stop crying. ¡°Is it being considerate?¡± Nainiae faced Wi, who was panicking, and asked, ¡°Is that what this is?¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± This was the first time for Wi to see Nainaie cry. Wi just managed to get a hold of herself, calmed her face, and was about to say something. However, ¡°We are¡­¡± ¡°It is trying to be considerate, isn¡¯t it?¡± She was stopped by Nainiae¡¯s question. ¡°Because I lost my parents, because I was subjected to chemical experiments in the Magic Tower, because I lived in filthy Lower Solia¡­ you think I don¡¯t notice things? No! In fact, I¡¯m great at noticing things because of that! I¡¯m filthy amazing at it! Because you can¡¯t survive there without it!¡± Without her realizing it, she had some of her foul mouth from Lower Solia mixed in her speech. Still pouring tears out from her eyes, she continued. ¡°Chasing me out of the kitchen because I used magic? Forbidding me from wearing the maid uniform because I used magic? Things like that¡­ Things like that!!¡± Her vision was blurred because of tears. However, she saw the looks on people¡¯s faces beforehand. ¡°Things like that¡­¡± Everyone was looking at her. Gently, with concern. Some maids were in tears. Some butlers had tight fists. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t need it.¡± It felt like her voice was going to grow without bounds. However, her voice rapidly calmed. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡®Don¡¯t expect things from people. Don¡¯t want things. Don¡¯t be greedy.¡¯ Nainiae was thinking those over and over. ¡°Such gentle, caring gazes¡­ I don¡¯t need them.¡± She was afraid. She was afraid that if she hoped for something¡­ she might lose the people who were with her, just like before. She was afraid that the warmth that barely managed to reach her might slip away like water through the sand. She was afraid and scared, so¡­ She didn¡¯t hope for such things. ¡°Can¡¯t you just tell me that you need my help¡­ that you are counting on me so it would be good if I kept on working¡­ Can¡¯t you just say that to me?¡± That was Nainiae¡¯s only wish. If someone was counting on her, and if she worked hard to return the favor of being counted on¡­ At least, while she worked hard to meet the expectations of others¡­ negative thoughts did not reach her mind. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Please do not abandon me.¡± While tightly grabbing on to her skirt, Nainiae said with difficulty. She did not want to be thrown away. ¡°Please count on me. I won¡¯t disappoint you, so¡­¡± There was something else she wanted to say. It came up to the top of the neck. However, she swallowed it back down. To shake off the tears, she shook her head hard. She said something that was different from what she was wishing for in her heart. ¡°Just let me die.¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae had her head lowered and was tightly grabbing on to the skirt with her hands. Her hands were shaking in sorrow. Her middle and ring fingers, which were gone because she bit them off while she was being experimented on at the Magic Tower, seemed to be more noticeable today. ¡°Leave the kitchen.¡± ¡°M¡­ Ms. Wi.¡± Wi said heartlessly. Having heard it, others called her in tearful voice. ¡°But, you can keep the maid dress on.¡± Before the looks on other people¡¯s faces brightened, Wi continued. ¡°Rest just for today. I heard Mr. Ian hurt his back, so after today, you will be taking off the maid uniform as scheduled.¡± Nainiae gritted her teeth. She quickly turned her body. With her tears scattering to the air, she ran out of the kitchen. ¡°¡­¡± Completely disregarding the proper manner she learned until now, she ran, opened the door hard enough to make ¡®bam!¡¯ noise, and got out. ¡°Ms¡­ Wi.¡± ¡°Why did you do that? That¡¯s not like you.¡± Others in the kitchen, with gloomy faces, started to express their disappointments in what Wi did. ¡°You know what her life was like. It would¡¯ve been better if you were just a little nicer, so why did you¡­¡± Wi did not answer. She just stared at the kitchen¡¯s door which was half open because it was not closed properly. ¡°This is too bad.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. This is too unfortunate.¡± ¡°We may never see her again.¡± ¡°D¡­ Don¡¯t say things like that!¡± ¡°It is true! She threw up a bucket full of ck blood on to the carpet! Even at a nce, it looked critical!¡± Maids that knew about Nainiae¡¯s condition, thinking about the fact that Nainiae¡¯s life could end today or tomorrow, finally broke into tears. Sera, who had known Nainiae for a long time, was the only one who was holding tears. ¡°¡­ She need to take off that maid uniform so that¡­¡± In silence, she was listening to the cries of the maids, but Wi spoke. ¡°She needs to take that off so she can leave the mansion.¡± ¡°Ms¡­ Wi?¡± And then, Wi, who had been acting cold all this time, started to show tears in her eyes. ¡°She¡¯s a strong girl. She is also kinder than anyone, so¡­ She will definitely¡­ Definitelye back. I believe in her. I believe in her.¡± Listening to her meaningful words, others started to tilt their head side to side in tears. ¡°Come¡­ back? What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Probably today¡­ Nainiae will be leaving the mansion.¡± ¡°Nainiae is?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Young Master Riley brought a famous Doctor from Rainfield.¡± ¡°A Doctor? You mean that red haired man?¡± Wi nodded and continued. ¡°I heard that Doctor can cure illnesses that the Holy Temple cannot. However, she needs to be hospitalized for it. I don¡¯t know how long it will take.¡± Wi wiped off the tears with her finger. She turned to the other servants and continued. ¡°Somehow¡­ Amongst ourselves, we should make a small, surprise party for her, don¡¯t you think? Bing of servants of Iphalleta Family¡­ Instead of a farewell, as a promise for seeing each other again in the future, we should hold a party for her.¡± Wi smiled and said that. Other servants, who had been just listening with their mouth wide open, said, ¡°¡­ Yes!!¡± ¡°¡­ Yes!!¡± All in tears, they agreed unanimously. Chapter 99 - About a Maid in Training (6)

Chapter 99: About a Maid in Training (6)

¡®After today, as scheduled, take off the maid dress.¡¯ Having heard maid manager Wi¡¯s words, Nainiae gritted her teeth, rushed out of the kitchen, and ran straight to the garden. It wasn¡¯t exactly because of the order. Her Young Master¡­ It was because she was certain that her Young Master would tell her differently. ¡®Young Master definitely would.¡¯ Nainiae just got out of the mansion¡¯s corridor and stepped into the grass on the garden. She suddenly stopped and opened her mouth. ¡®Wait¡­ am I¡­ being greedy?¡¯ Nainiae, who was standing there with tears flowing endlessly, rubbed her eyes with her sleeves in order to erase the greedy thoughts in her head. ¡®Just what are you hoping for, Nainiae? Wake up. That¡¯s right. Just don¡¯t think anymore. Just let things flow as they should. When the timees, you will be able to close your eyesfortably. You can hope for that much¡­¡¯ Having thought that, she even used water magic to clean her face so there wouldn¡¯t be any trace of tears left. ¡®It¡¯s for just a little while longer. Not much longer.¡¯ p! She tapped on her cheeks with her hand, got a grip of herself, and started to walk toward the apple tree where Riley lied down often. ¡®The fall will be here soon.¡¯ When the falles, she will be able to close her eyes. ¡°¡­ Ah, you are here.¡± In the garden, where the apple tree was, Nainiae walked to the front of Riley and bowed to tell him that she is now back to do her work, although it was going to be until just today evening. ¡°Ian, can you please excuse us for a second?¡± Riley, who had been lying on the ground with his fingers locked together to support his head, ordered Ian who was standing next to him. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Having heard the order, Ian lowered his head and stepped back away. Nainiae, wondering what this was about, tilted her head side to side. ¡®Mr. Ian, you didn¡¯t hurt your back?¡¯ Unlike what Wi said, Ian, who was on standby next to Riley, seemed to be quite all right. ¡®Nainiae.¡¯ Ian had his eyes met with Nainiae, but he remained silent, took a moment to steadily gaze on her face, and walked away. ¡®¡­ You have been crying.¡¯ It looked like she washed her face in a hurry, but her face near the eyes were swollen red, indicating that she cried her eyes out. Having realized this, Ian left the scene so others cannot see his face filling up with bitter sorrow. ¡°You are here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As usual, with a rxed, leisurely face, Riley greeted Nainiae. Seeing his face actually made Nainiae¡¯s heart moreplicated instead. ¡®I thought I would feel a little better if I saw Young Master, but¡­¡¯ She opened and closed the right hand she was hiding behind her back. As usual, she walked over to stand next to where Riley was lying down. ¡°¡­¡± Riley closed his eyes, and¡­ For a moment, silence flowed through the air. It appeared that he was taking a nap. Lying down, he waspletely still. Taking a nce at Riley, Nainiae asked carefully, ¡°Young Master, are you sleeping?¡± There was no response from Riley. Perhaps Nainiae was unconsciously hoping for a response. Nainiae unconsciously had a disappointed look on her face. ¡®That¡¯s right. Just like this.¡¯ Nainiae, in a respectful posture, stood by Riley. She was thinking, ¡®It¡¯s nice to spend time like this¡­ No, I wish the time could stop like this.¡¯ ¡°Nainiae.¡± At the end of the silence, Riley opened his mouth. ¡®Perhaps he was not sleeping, but then why didn¡¯t he answer earlier?¡¯ Nainiae had a lot in her mind, so she responded a littlete. ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°Autumn will be here soon.¡± Having heard what Riley said, Nainiae cast shadow on her face as she answered, ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Riley slowly opened his eyes and looked at the apple tree¡¯s leaves that were shaking in the wind. ¡°When the autumnes¡­¡± One, two, three, four¡­ There were countless leaves hanging on the tree. There were things besides leaves too. ¡°¡­ you have something that you are supposed to do for me, isn¡¯t there?¡± ¡°Something that¡­ I am supposed to do for you?¡± Having heard the question, Nainiae vacantly asked back. Riley didn¡¯t open his mouth anymore. ¡°¡­¡± He just lied down there with a nk look on his face. He just watched the leaves flowing in the autumn wind. ¡®Is he counting the number of leaves on the tree?¡¯ Noticing that Riley was very focused on staring up there, Nainiae followed Riley and looked up toward the apple tree leaves. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Above her head, Nainiae realized that there were things besides leaves that were shaking in the wind. Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley finally called Nainiae. Meanwhile, Nainiae was not able to answer because she was vacantly opening her mouth while looking up the tree. ¡°You do have something you are supposed to do for me, right?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question again, around Nainiae¡¯s eyes, which were alreadypletely swelled up, tears started to form again. ¡°¡­¡± With the wind blowing on her face, the tears rolled down. With a heartbreaking voice, Nainiae struggled and answered, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Riley dusted himself to remove grass on his back and butt as he got up. ¡°I livedfortably through my entire life as azy sword young master in Iphalleta House without ever having to lower myself to anyone. So, it would sound ridiculous for me to say this to you¡­ However, there was a time when I was having simr thoughts as you. I have a pretty good idea about how you must be feeling right now.¡± Riley mumbled monotonically without any emotion. However, Nainiae, who was still looking up, couldn¡¯t dare to turn her gaze away. ¡°Back in Solia, when I brought you under my wings, I think I said it like this? That I know the answer to the question you have been agonizing over. That you should take a step back and watch, and you will be able to find the answer from doing so.¡± Perhaps his shoulders were sore. He spun his arms around and said to Nainiae, who was still keeping silence in tears. ¡°So? Have you found the answer?¡± He said ¡®Have you found the answer?¡¯ Having heard the question, Nainiae, who had her mouth open vacantly, started to have her lips shake. She still couldn¡¯t find the answer. No, perhaps¡­ ¡°No, Not yet¡­ I have not found it yet.¡± Perhaps, finding the answer to the question was no longer important. There was something else now, something besides the question that she had back in Solia. It was because she now had something else that she was wishing for more strongly than that. It was¡­ ¡°Nainiae.¡± Riley took a step toward Nainiae and called her name. ¡°Don¡¯t you have something you should tell me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was not about having something that she should do for him. Instead, it was about something she should tell him. To that question, Nainiae was¡­ ¡°¡­ Actually, about ¡®taking a step back and watching from there¡¯ that you told me, I am not so sure.¡± There were tears hanging on her face. It was not certain if it was due to the setting sun or if it was due to her trying not to cry. With reddened cheeks, Nainiae continued. ¡°It¡¯s difficult. Honestly, I cannot get a feel for what it means at all. But¡­ but¡­¡± Like something that had been pressed down for so long was finallying out, her tearful voice cried out and said, ¡°Young Master, I¡­¡± In struggling voice, with great difficulty, she cried out and said, ¡°¡­ It is too hard¡­¡± ¡°¡­" ¡°I am miserable. There are still pretty things I have not seen yet, delicious food I have not yet tasted¡­ and there are so many of them. I have to say farewell forever to the kind people that I like. I¡¯m so scared.¡± Her tears, which rolled down along her cheek, hung on the chin before bing falling droplets, wetting the garden grass. ¡°The warmth was¡­ It is too brief. It was too brief. It is so unfair. I still¡­¡± Nainiae tightly shut her eyes. With more tear drops falling from her eyes, Nainiae tightly grabbed on to her skirt, hard enough to almost tear it apart, and cried out. ¡°¡­ Not yet¡­ I don¡¯t want to die yet.¡± Although she made up her mind to not expect more¡­ Although she had given up on her life¡­ Although that was the case¡­ ¡°For just a little longer.¡± Crying her eyes out, she was even showing her disfigured right hand that she always hid. Nainiae started to rub her face with both of her hands¡¯ top side. ¡°For just a little longer, just for a little while longer, I would like to be at your side.¡± It must be because she didn¡¯t want to hide her tears more than her disfigured hand. ¡°Soon¡­¡± During the fall, which was approaching fast¡­ During the fall where she was going to pass away¡­ During that fall, Riley asked if there was something Nainiae should do for him during the fall. ¡°Apples, which will be ripe soon¡­¡± A moment ago, among the leaves flowing in the wind above Nainiae¡¯s head, she noticed green apples that were showing their shy faces from the branches. She was staring up at them with nk look on her face. She was finally able to answer the question Riley asked earlier. ¡°¡­ I would like to pick them for you. I would like to peel them myself and feed them to you.¡± Sound of Nainiae crying her heart out could be heard. She must be overwhelmed with her heart full of sorrow. She even had runny nose from tears. Riley, who had been watching this, smiled gently. ¡°I¡­¡± In tearful voice, Nainiae told him her true wish. ¡°¡­ I want to live.¡± Actually, instead of the wish about wanting to die, her wish for wanting to live was desperately stronger. The scenery in Rainfield that she saw was so beautiful, and the daily lives in the mansion with the people were so happy. She wanted to see that scenery again, and even if it was going to be just a while longer, she wanted stay with the people she cherished. She wanted to gather good memories. ¡°Young Master, I¡­¡± ¡®Is it all right for someone like me to dare to wish for something? Will I just get hurt again?¡¯ She finally poured out everything she had been holding on out of fear. Nainiae¡¯s face was a mess, a face full of tears and runny nose. With her face toward Riley, Nainiae asked carefully, ¡°I¡­ will it be all right if I lived?¡± The sun was setting now. Nainiae¡¯s face was red from having cried so much for so long. Maybe he found her reddened face to look too simr to an apple that Nainiae mentioned earlier, but Riley was not able to hold it anymore but to break into suppressedughter. ¡°I said earlier, didn¡¯t I?¡± With a smiling face, Riley took a step toward Nainiae, raised his right hand and started to pat her head. ¡°You pick the apples.¡± Those words¡­ That one sentence¡­ Could it mean an order? Also, what could the gentle pat on her head mean? The answer was already out. ¡°I hate bothersome things, so I need you.¡± In that one sentence, there were, You have done well. Thank you. You worked hard. I need you. I¡¯m counting on you to continue to help me. ¡­ The sentence contained everything she had been longing to hear. ¡°¡­ Huup.¡± With her eyebrows pointed upward and her lips pursed, Nainiae was desperately trying to hold her tears. Now, she started to pour out the leftover emotions that were inside. ¡°Huup, huk¡­ Huhuk¡­¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be Ian. He makes me tired with his nagging.¡± ¡°Hu¡­ Huk¡­ Huuuunng!!¡± In silence, Riley slowly brushed Nainiae¡¯s head. He casually looked up at the apple tree. ¡°¡­¡± During this fall, the apple tree in Iphalleta mansion¡¯s garden was changing its color a lotter than before. It was as if someone rolled back the needles on the clock¡­ * * * It was at the corner of the garden. ¡°¡­ Hup, huhuhuhuk!¡± ¡°Uuuurrhuhuhu¡­¡± There were a few people hiding in the bushes, crying and sniffing. ¡°Hup¡­ Commander, Mr. Ian, please cry quietly. At this rate, those two will notice us.¡± ¡°But, but¡­ Ms. Nainiae is¡­¡± ¡°Kuhup, huhuhuk¡­¡± There were the three of the Lightning Boulder mercenary group, Ian that just left Riley¡¯s side, and also Sera who came here under Wi¡¯s order to watch Nainiae so their surprise party won¡¯t be found out by Nainiae. There were five hiding in the bushes. ¡°Nainiae, Nainiae¡­¡± Watching Nainiae crying with reddened face in the garden, Sera bit on to her handkerchief and tightly held her urge to rush out there. ¡°Lazy-Sword, Lazy-Sword, there were a lot of talks about that, but¡­ Looking at him like this, I think the rumors are just wrong.¡± ¡°He is a really¡­ magnificent person, Young Master Riley is¡­¡± Standing in the middle of the ocean of tears, Isen and Rorona murmured with smiles on their faces. Sera, who was biting off her handkerchief, nodded and agreed. ¡°Yes¡­ Mr. Ian, today, I got to respect our Young Master again.¡± ¡°I¡­ I have been since a long time ago¡­¡± It seems Ian alreadypletely forgot about ¡®it can¡¯t be Ian¡¯ment made by Riley earlier. Ian was mumbling like that with face full of tears. ¡°Kuhup¡­ As a fellow man, he is really cool. I understand why Mr. Ian is serving Young Master Riley.¡± Nara wiped off the runny nose with his sleeve and nodded. ¡°Right¡­ It¡¯s not the time for me to be doing this.¡± Ian, who was nodding his head after hearing Nara¡¯s words, quickly cleaned up the tears on his face and turned around in duck-like steps. ¡°Let¡¯s go help with the preparation too.¡± Sera realized Ian was talking about the surprise party for Nainiae. She slowly turned her head and looked at Nainiae who was still crying in front of Riley. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I think we won¡¯t have to worry about being found out.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Because Young Master is there.¡± Standing next to Nainiae, Riley directed his gaze toward the bush that Ian and Sera were hiding in. Riley winked and sent them a signal. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Perhaps it was as expected of the Young Master. Noticing Riley¡¯s wink, Sera couldn¡¯t help but to smile awkwardly. Chapter 100 - Ill come back

Chapter 100: I''lle back

Nainiae was standing in front of Riley. Riley touched Nainiae¡¯s face and wiped off her tear with his thumb. Riley was annoyed. ¡°Ugh, stop crying now.¡± Nainiae could feel the warmth on her face. That hand, the warmth, felt so good and happy. Nainiae was blushing from it. She had a hup and nodded. ¡°¡­ Hup. Yes.¡± It was not certain if Riley knew that the setting sun was not the reason why Nainiae¡¯s face looked red. Riley, who was looking at her face, opened his mouth with an uninterested look on his face. ¡°Anyway, after today, you will be living with Andal until you are cured of your illness, so that¡¯s all you need to know.¡± ¡°Pardon? With Mr. Andal?¡± This was the first time she heard about it. Nainiae, tilting her head side to side, asked Riley. Riley continued as he clicked his tongue. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Um, I guess you would not have. What can we do? That¡¯s how it turned out. He has a terrible personality, but you will have to stay there for a while so I can continue to have you do things for me, so¡­¡± ¡°Who has a terrible personality?¡± Riley realized there was Andal walking toward them with heavy steps. Riley stopped talking and shrugged his shoulders. ¡°¡­ You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°What a ridiculous rascal. Look who¡¯s talking. Hey, no matter how terrible my personality is, it couldn¡¯t possibly be worse than yours.¡± Andal ground teeth as he looked at Riley. Riley looked apologetic as he raised the middle finger toward Andal. ¡°What¡¯s thatpliment for?¡± ¡°Oh, this is apliment for your kind heartedness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Andal, dumbfounded, looked at Riley¡¯s middle finger. Still finding it to be suspicious, Andal asked, ¡°¡­ Are you being cynical?¡± Nainiae was surprised by Riley raising up his middle finger in middle of the conversation. Having heard Andal mentioning pliment,¡¯ Nainiae tilted her head side to side, confused. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being cynical.¡± Riley shrugged his shoulder and asked as he looked at Nainiae who had a question mark floating on her face. ¡°I¡¯m not, right?¡± Nainiae, who noticed Riley¡¯s eyebrows wiggling, roughly figured out what Riley was up to. She nodded and said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± If it was before she finished the trip to the Rainfield, she probably would not have realized the meaning behind Riley¡¯s facial gesture with the wiggling eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Andal, not able to dig in further into questioning, clicked his tongue, redirected his gaze upward, checked the color of the sky and got to the main point. ¡°Well then, can she go with me now?¡± ¡°No, not yet.¡± ¡°What? You said toe for her on the evening, didn¡¯t you?¡± Riley shook his head, and Andal had a confused look on the face. ¡°It¡¯s still evening, right?¡± Riley looked up the sky and asked back. The sun was almost set now. Instead of orange color, the sky was filled with dark blue color. The stars were starting to show themselves here and there. ¡°You are so fickle¡­¡± ¡°You are going to be living for several thousand more years. Can¡¯t you wait a few hours? Stop mumbling around and just wait.¡± Riley scolded Andal forining and then looked at Nainiae who was just standing there and watching what was happening. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°It¡¯s about time for you to go back to the kitchen area.¡± ¡°To ¡­ the kitchen?¡± Perhaps it was because of what Wi said earlier. Hearing Riley¡¯s order was making Nainiae¡¯s shoulder to fall down all the way. ¡®Get out of the kitchen.¡¯ Nainiae felt like she could hear Wi¡¯s voice. Hoping Riley will change his mind, Nainiae asked carefully, ¡°Excuse me, is there a reason for going to the kitchen¡­¡± Riley had an ambiguous smile that seemed to indicate there was something to it. However, he didn¡¯t answer. Riley grabbed Nainiae by the shoulder, turned her around toward the mansion, and ordered once again. ¡°¡­ Get going.¡± * * * By Riley¡¯s order, Nainaie ended up back at the kitchen. She was hesitating in front of the closed kitchen door. For no reason, she grabbed on to the tip of her skirt and checked her cloth¡¯s condition over and over, knowing already that it waspletely fine. ¡®Will it be all right?¡¯ For several tens of minutes, she hesitated about entering. Nainiae vacantly tried touching the cheek that Riley¡¯s hand touched. As if that gave her the courage, she nodded and raised her hand toward the door. ¡®That¡¯s right, this time, I should do it right.¡¯ Right now, she had a look on her face that was quite different from how it was when she entered the kitchen earlier today. ¡®I should look at them properly. To the people who I cherish, I should look at them in the eyes and say it properly.¡¯ That was the only thought in her head. She had her hand on the kitchen¡¯s door hand and carefully opened it. ¡°¡­ S¡­ She¡¯s here!¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s here now!¡± ¡°M¡­ Mr. Ian! What are you hiding there for? You should give it to her first!¡± ¡°Oh¡­ The thing is¡­ Maybe it would be better for Sera to go first¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, this is so stupid! Mr. Ian, you should be the one to go first!¡± ¡°Ugh, please act like the elder!¡± ¡°W¡­ wait!¡± It seemed like there was amotion happening inside, so Nainiae entered carefully. As soon as she entered, she saw Ian standing in the front. Nainiae couldn¡¯t help but to flinch her shoulders. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Ian?¡± For some reason, Ian had a petrified look. Nainiae looked confused. She flinched again when she heard a voiceing from the back. ¡°Ugh, the Mercenary Hero? What Mercenary Hero.¡± ¡°W¡­ Wi.¡± ¡°Step aside please.¡± Both Ian and Nainiae shriveled after hearing Wi the maid manager. ¡°Nainiae.¡± Ian was standing in front of the door, petrified. Wi pushed Ian aside and approached Nainiae. ¡°M¡­ Ms. Wi¡­¡± ¡®Try not to be afraid¡­ Think about how Young Master patted me on the head. Look at the people in the eyes.¡¯ Having reminded of herself of those things, Nainiae, with courage, lifted her head. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m sorr¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Perhaps it was because the look on Wi¡¯s face was not what Nainiae expected, not what Nainiae feared would be. Nainiae opened her eyes wide. ¡°Take this.¡± To Nainiae, who had a confused look on her face, Wi presented something that she was holding to Nainiae. ¡°What is this?¡± It was a piece of fabric that was neatly folded into a square. It was a handkerchief. ¡°The fact that I¡¯m giving you something I used to use gets me a little, but this is the only thing I own that is the most precious to me.¡± She couldn¡¯t exin the reason for the handkerchief being a little wet. It was because Wi wiped off her own tears with it. Nainiae was vacantly staring at the handkerchief. Wi said, ¡°It¡¯s basic function is handkerchief, but you can also use it as a scarf, so¡­ You are a girl. As bing of a girl, I wish you could put in effort into making yourself look your best too.¡± Nainiae had a look on her face. She was wondering what this was. She was also wondering what Wi was saying. With that look, Nainiae looked up at Wi. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You are not like how you look¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing. I was not talking about your scar.¡± Perhaps she realized she didn¡¯t say it correctly. Embarrassed, Wi corrected herself in the middle and continued. ¡°You cry a lot. You did earlier too, so¡­ I believe this handkerchief will be of use to you.¡± Unlike the advice she was giving, Wi turned her head away because her eyes were tearing up. She quietly wiped it off with her finger and ended her sentence. ¡°You use it. It¡¯s a gift.¡± ¡°A¡­ gift?¡± Wi nodded and stepped aside. To front of Nainiae, who still didn¡¯t quite figure out the situation yet, Ian tumbled forward. ¡°Ku¡­ Kuhum.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian, you need to understand what¡¯s happening here right now, read the atmosphere, okay?¡± ¡°You know what that means, right?¡± Pushed by others to stand in front of Nainiae again, Ian barked at the people behind him to say that they should just shut up. Ian put his hand toward the sword resting at his waist. ¡°¡­ Here. Take this.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian?¡± Ian brought out the sword that he loved. Along with the sheath, Ian presented the sword to Nainiae. ¡°When a swordsman trust another with his sword, you know well what that means, right?¡± Nainiae had been working in Iphalleta, a house of sword. Nainiae had learned at least that much basic etiquette from Sera. Still confused, Nainiae received the sword from Ian. ¡°Wh¡­y?¡± Nainiae knew that Ian¡¯s gesture was of a great significance. She was having a hard time understanding the situation. ¡°In this mansion, next to Young Master Riley¡­¡± Nainiae was standing there with a nk look on her face. With a serious look on his face, Ian continued. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll wait for your return.¡± Having heard those words, Nainiae¡¯s grips on her hands, which were holding the handkerchief and the sword, tightened. ¡°It¡¯s not for myself, but for our Young Master.¡± The serious look in Ian¡¯s face didn¡¯tst long. Perhaps his sensitive heart was at its limit. His eyes started to get wet. ¡°You must return.¡± Ian also wanted to say that there is no other talent that¡¯s better suited to look after Young Master than her, and it will always be. However¡­ Ian was not able to hold it anymore. He started to sniff like a child. ¡°When you return, my sword¡­ you can give it back to me then.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! I told you not to, but again! Again! You are ruining the mood!¡± Nainiae was vacantly staring at Ian who was crying. His body was pushed aside by someone. Nainiae blinked her eyes. ¡°Seriously! You are a man, so howe you are crying on a day that¡¯s a happy day? Nainiae isn¡¯t going there to die. She is going there to be cured! Why are you acting like you are never going to see her again?¡± With his crying, Ian was going to ruin the mood. Looking at the maid that pushed him aside, Nainiae mumbled her name. ¡°Ms. Sera¡­¡± ¡°That is¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Nainiae. I¡¯ll apologize first. I wanted to give you a present too¡­ Unfortunately, I found out about this today. I didn¡¯t have enough time.¡± Sera smiled awkwardly in front of Nainiae. It looked like she was scratching her hair. Along with a sound that seemed like something was untied, Sera walked toward Nainiae. ¡°Now that I think about it, I didn¡¯t get to give you a good ribbon on the day you arrived.¡± The sound just now was Sera pulling the ribbon that was holding her hair to the back. ¡°That day, because we were not close yet, I gave you a really old one on purpose¡­ but you didn¡¯tin at all.¡± Sera gave the same advice that Wi gave about how it would be good for Nainiae to start caring about looking her best. Sera stepped forward to stand right in front of Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae, I¡¯ll apologize again. I¡¯m sorry I gave you a worn out ribbon that day. Actually, I felt pretty guilty that day. It hurt me in the conscious when you looked happy about the ribbon and told me it was pretty¡­¡± Sera held the ribbon on her hand. Sera raised her hand above Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and started to fiddle her hand on Nainiae¡¯s hair on the back. ¡°If you asked me to give you a different one, I would have acted like I¡¯m just giving in and gave you a new one. I¡¯m not that bad of a person.¡± Sera and Nainiae¡¯s faces were getting very close. Their faces were close enough to hear each other¡¯s breathing. Nainiae, with overjoyed face, barely responded, ¡°Yes, I know.¡± ¡°¡­ When you return, when you do, I¡¯ll prepare another one that¡¯s even prettier.¡± Sera untied the old ribbon on Nainiae¡¯s hair and reced it with her own. Sera¡¯s voice was, before she realized, tearing up like Ian. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­ Hup.¡± Although she was finished with tying the ribbon, Sera was not able to take her hands back. Not able to hold it anymore, Sera tightly hugged Nainiae. ¡°Sera, I can¡¯t breathe.¡± ¡°Just for a moment¡­ just for a moment, like this.¡± It was so Sera won¡¯t have to show Nainaie her crying face. Nainiae knew that. ¡°I memorized it properly.¡± While crying and hugging Nainaie, Sera sniffed. Soon, with awkward face, Sera stepped back and said, ¡°I memorized it, your scent.¡± ¡°Ms. Sera¡­¡± ¡°You know I have a great sense of smell, right? You can¡¯t run. You better not dare toe back before your illness is cured.¡± With her eyes tearing up, Sera smiled big as if she was daring Nainiae on running. Sera slowly stepped back, and¡­ Other servants of the mansion, who were waiting for their turns, smiled big and greeted Nainiae. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Wi, Ian, Sera¡­ Not just the three, but others were also weing Nainiae. She vacantly looked around. ¡°All this¡­ just what is it for?¡± Nainiae was still confused. Looking at her like that, others started to tease Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae, I thought you said you learned somemon sense while you were at Rainfield?¡± ¡°What was that for? It seems like you are stillcking in the sense department!¡± It looked like they were just made. There were foods exuding steam. They were making people¡¯s mouth to water from just looking at them. There was also a chair-size cake. It was making people¡¯s heart flutter. ¡°This is a surprise for you, you dumbass!¡± ¡°Before you go, you should have a full stomach, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°A surprise¡­ party?¡± ¡®A party?¡¯ This was the first time for Nainiae. A cake made just for her, and gazes full of warmth were all new to Nainiae. Nainiae realized that the people she cherished were also caring about her like this. This was also her first time to experience it. ¡°For¡­ me?¡± Nainiae, who had her mouth open vacantly, mumbled with shaky voice. It seemed like she was being overwhelmed with emotion. She cried her eyes out earlier in front of Riley, but it seemed she still had tears to shed. ¡°Uh?! Nainiae is crying!!¡± ¡°Ugh, this is not good! Ms. Wi, you made her cry!¡± ¡°What? What are you saying? I don¡¯t have anything to do with this.¡± ¡°You made her cry earlier!¡± ¡°That was then, and this time, I think it is purely because of Mr. Ian or Sera.¡± ¡°Ku, kuhum!¡± ¡°Puhup. Mr. Ian¡­ looks like you know what we are talking about.¡± Listening to the people talking out loud to each other, Nainiae, with her face full of all the happiness in the world, said without hiding her tears, ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡± It was because she wanted to properly face the people that she cherished. ¡°Thank you, all of you, thank you so¡­ much.¡± Chapter 101 - Ill come back (2)

Chapter 101: I''lle back (2)

¡°Now, Nainiae! You can¡¯t leave before you try at least a bite of each of these food! I can¡¯t let you go!¡± ¡°This one, try this one first, Nainiae!¡± ¡°Nainiae! This is the dish I do best! How does it taste? Is it all right? I think today¡¯s dish turned out especially well.¡± ¡°Hey, if Nainiae knew how much it costs for the ingredients, should would be shocked.¡± Riley, who casually came to the front of the kitchen, peeked a smile without realizing after hearing the loud noisesing from inside. ¡°¡­ Unlike what I expected¡­¡± Riley was not thinking the surprise party was going to be this big. With his arms crossed, Riley leaned on the corridor¡¯s wall. ¡°They are giving her a grand party.¡± Actually, it had not been long since Nainiae started to stay in Iphalleta mansion. It was urate to say her time here was short. Despite that, having heard that Nainiae was leaving, many of the servants in the mansion were responding with grand gestures. All these meant that Nainiae was a great person. ¡®Ms. Nainiae¡¯s color is white.¡¯ Basilisks could see people through the colors of people¡¯s aura. Riley thought about what Nara, thest of Basilisks, said. Next to Riley, ¡°¡­ Looks like we will be heading out the next day morning.¡± Andal came next to Riley and also leaned on the wall. ¡°Well, it looks like Nainiae is happy, so I don¡¯t want to go get in their way¡­ It¡¯s not like her condition will worsen in just a few hours either.¡± Just like Riley, Andal was also leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Smiling leisurely, Andal said the above. Having heard what Andal said, Riley, with a little weary eyes, asked Andal, ¡°What¡¯s with you all of sudden? Only a moment ago, you were anxious and said you want her toe with you soon.¡± ¡°I have a big heart. I only wish for my pupil¡¯s happiness.¡± ¡°Oh my, really?¡± Andal was already putting on the role of the teacher. Finding it to be ludicrous, Riley clicked his tongue and then turned his gaze toward Nainiae who looked happy in the kitchen. ¡°It¡¯s delicious, isn¡¯t it? How is it, Nainiae? It¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s so delicious.¡± ¡°Ugh? Nainiae, are you crying again?¡± ¡°Did you use too much of spicy sauce?¡± ¡°No, Ms. Wi! I even tasted it myself to check it.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not why. I¡¯m just so happy¡­ and it is so delicious, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± All this time, Nainiae¡¯s heart was burdened with the thought of wanting to die. Now, she haveid it down and shouted out her true wish, that she desperately wanted to live. Riley watched Nainiae being truly happy while being surrounded by the people. Riley was able to confirm that Nainiae was definitely walking on a different path from his own from his past life. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s good now.¡¯ Riley, without realizing, had a satisfied smile on his face. Riley suddenly thought about a possibility. ¡®How would I have looked if I could smile like that in my past?¡¯ Riley thought that. ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Andal, who was vacantly staring at Riley, called Riley, smiled and shook his head. ¡°What is it all of sudden? You are acting like a human being?¡± ¡°How should I put it, I¡¯m slowly starting to understand the existence called human beings? I just thought that.¡± ¡°You crazy runt¡­¡± Andal was boasting about himself. Riley, finding it to be foolish, stared at him with a look. He heard stepsing closer from the kitchen, so Riley turned his head. ¡°¡­ Young Master, Young Master!¡± It was Nainiae. ¡°What?¡± Perhaps she used her right eye. As soon as she got out of the kitchen, she found Riley leaning on the corridor¡¯s wall. She had gleaming eyes, turned her head to the side and asked, ¡°Young Master, does this¡­ look good on me?¡± As she waited for Riley''s response, Nainiae showed him the ribbon on the back of her head and exined that it was a gift from Sera. ¡°¡­ Not bad?¡± Riley was not able to tell what changed, so he avoided her gaze and roughly answered. ¡°Really? Then, what about this one?¡± Not just the ribbon that Sera gave her, but Nainiae was wearing various gifts that other servants gave her. She was showing Riley all of them as she asked if they looked good on her again. ¡°Well, it looks pretty good.¡± ¡°How about this one?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Then, then, how about this one?¡± Looking at Nainiae, who was asking the same question over and over, Riley wiggled his eyebrows. Before she could ask the same question again, Rileyplimented her by saying, ¡°Ah, they all look good on you, so that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Before she realized, Riley¡¯s voice was elevated. Having realized thiste, Nainiae knew now that she was just scolded. However¡­ she had a blissful smile on her face. * * * It was early morning before the sunrise. At the entrance of the mansion, Andal was waiting outside. ¡°You packed everything you need, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Take care¡­ No, you have to get well, okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have toe back, all right? You promised, got it?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae hugged with all servants. Before leaving the mansion, she went to stand in front of Riley and Iris. ¡°Well then¡­¡± Next to them were Ian and Sera who were serving them. To Ian and Sera, Nainiae bid farewell with her gaze. With a bright voice, she said, ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll get going now.¡± And her eyes met with Iris. ¡°Nainiae, will you be able to contact us?¡± ¡°¡­ About that¡­¡± Having heard the question, Nainiae casually nced at Andal, who was waiting outside, and responded, all disappointed, ¡°I think that might be difficult.¡± Having heard her response, Iris also had a disappointed look on her face. ¡°In that case, something like¡­ that mask?¡± ¡°A mask?¡± Perhaps she was worried. Iris thought about the mask that was brokenst time and asked about it. Nainiae slowly shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right. It¡¯s all right now.¡± Looking right at Iris¡¯ eyes, Nainiae answered with pride. Iris still looked disappointed. Having noticed this, Nainiae slowly approached her. ¡°Lady Iris.¡± With her arms open wide, Nainiae walked toward Iris. Iris also opened her arms and tightly hugged Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Along with the hug, the two fell to silence. Nainiae spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nainiae was sorry for not looking at Iris¡¯ eyes when she woke up at the bed yesterday. Also, Nainiae was thankful to Iris for waking her up by holding her hand when she was having a nightmare, giving Nainiae a gift before she went to Rainfield, and many other things that Iris have given her. Her apology contained her gratitude. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all right. You are a family.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s apology, Iris, who was holding her tight, brushed Nainaie¡¯s head and continued in gentle voice, ¡°I think of you like my daughter. I¡¯ll always be waiting for your return.¡± Nainiae, who was happy to be held in Iris¡¯ bosoms, nodded and said, ¡°¡­ Lady Iris, I also think of you like my mother.¡± Nainiae, who sincerely thought so from her heart, released herself from Iris¡¯ hug, took steps back, smiled big and said, ¡°So, you don¡¯t need to have that look on your face.¡± The beautiful smile on Nainiae¡¯s face showed how much she have grown in just a day. ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± Now, Nainiae stood before Riley. The pain was starting toe again. Nainiae was trying to open and close her hands. At that moment, ¡°All right.¡± Riley lifted his hand, ced the palm on top of Nainiae¡¯s head, and said, ¡°Have you found the answer?¡± Although it was just Riley¡¯s hand on her head, the pain, which was about to peek its head out, disappeared like a ghost. ¡°¡­¡± Because of Riley¡¯s hand on her head, because of Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae pulled her chin and was blushing. Eventually, she faced Riley¡¯s gaze and said with pride, ¡°Not yet.¡± Although she didn¡¯t find the answer yet, the expression on her face looked like she aplished a lot. ¡°So, this time, I¡¯m going to go and try to find the answer on my own.¡± ¡°Well then, see youter.¡± Riley said leisurely as he retrieved his hand from Nainaie¡¯s head. Nainiae took steps back as she said goodbyes to everyone at the mansion who were looking at her. ¡°¡­ I¡¯lle back.¡± She felt light in her heart. She was smiling. Like that, she made promise to everyone that she wille back. Nainiae joined Andal who was waiting outside. ¡°Oh? You are here?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Instead of the maid dress, Nainiae was now wearing a regr dress. Perhaps she was feeling awkward about it. She walked toward Andal as she fiddled with the tip of the skirt. Nainiae asked, ¡°So, where are we going now?¡± ¡®Is it going to be the bar at the Iffa town? The cave underneath? Or another ce?¡¯ She didn¡¯t know where they were going, but Nainiae had her heart prepared. It was so she could return to the people she loved. ¡°You¡­¡± Before Andal cast teleport, Nainiae prepared the carriage so that the people at the mansion would not find it suspicious. Nainiae heard Andal¡¯s voice and turned her head toward him to look. He said, ¡°¡­ from today and on, you are my pupil.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± With his arms crossed, he was watching Nainiae preparing the carriage. Nainaie¡¯s face had a question mark floating up after she heard the word ¡®pupil¡¯ from Andal. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡®Pupil? I thought I was going with him to be treated for my illness? That wasn¡¯t it?¡¯ Nainiae, with confused look, asked back. Andal twisted the tip of his lips and said, ¡°Say it after me. Teache¡­ No, call me Master.¡± Andal looked like he was really looking forward to this like a child for some reason. Having noticed this, Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said follow after me. Call me Master.¡± The look on Andal¡¯s face was about to turn violent. Although Nainiae was not sure what it was for, she decided to go along with it. She carefully mumbled, ¡°M¡­ Master?¡± ¡°Um! Good! It¡¯s got a great ring too it! Hahaha!¡± It seemed that Andal remembered what Riley thought him wrong on purpose. Toward Nainiae, Andal flipped the middle finger and started tough in joy, not realizing that it was an insult. ¡°Ah, hahaha¡­¡± Nainaie smiled awkwardly. She started to drive the carriage as she looked back. ¡°¡­¡± The scenery of the mansion was gradually getting further. She was already starting to miss it. She steadily gazed on the scenery. With a nk look on her face, she mumbled what she said to the people earlier. ¡°¡­ I¡¯lle back.¡± She mumbled as she remembered that one day, she will return to them. Sera, who was like her real sister¡­ Ian, who was like her grandfather¡­ Iris, who was like her mother¡­ And¡­ Riley¡­ She thought about the day in the future when she will be reunited with them again. ¡°One day, again.¡± Inside the moving carriage, Andal used the teleportation magic. The carriage, which started its way from the mansion¡­ was engulfed in light and disappeared without a trace. * * * It was at the border between Solia and Ansyrium. ¡°So, from today and on, we are at a cease-fire?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Further collision between forces may cause Rainfield to intervene, so¡­ Even though they love making a huge mass, they will be a little careful.¡± On a field that smelled like dirt, inside a tent, men each wearing armors with different insignias were gathered there. They were in middle of a meeting. They were all nobilities who had their names widely known from their exploits in war or swordsmanship. ¡°Anyway, even though we are entering the cease-fire, we should not let our guard down.¡± ¡°Of course, Prince.¡± There was someone besides the nobilities. There was also Prince Daniel of Solia. ¡°Anyway, this is quite an irony.¡± Carefully looking at the map on the desk, Prince Daniel mumbled, ¡°To see Ansyrium attack our border first¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised too. I can¡¯t help but to think that someone must have had a hand in it.¡± ¡°The fact that our border is being attacked is a problem on itself, but the bigger problem is ¡®that mercenary¡¯ who participated in thest battle.¡± That mercenary¡­ It was the mercenary who was said to be umting exploits rivaling that of the mercenary hero. ¡°To think that he will interfere in this war¡­ It we didn¡¯t have Count Stein, we probably would have lost thest battle.¡± It was a brief conflict. It didn¡¯t evenst a month. ¡°The rumors. His monstrous strength was true.¡± The mercenary entered the battle since the middle of the conflict. Standing on Ansyrium¡¯s side, the mercenary appeared by himself in middle of the battlefield. Literally, he disyed his monstrous strength and disappeared only after he flipped the flow of the battle at an instant. The fact that Solia almost lost this battle because of that mercenary was¡­ It was still making the nobilities of Solia to feel the chill. ¡°He¡¯s just a mercenary that acts for money¡­ If we had Astroa¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± One of the nobilities mentioned the name of a criminal. Prince Daniel narrowed his eyes and red at that nobleman as if he was daring him to speak the name again. ¡°M¡­ My apologies, Prince. That was a mistake.¡± The nobleman immediately apologized. However, Daniel didn¡¯t change the look in his eyes. He corrected the nobleman and said, ¡°¡­ You shouldn¡¯t look down on mercenaries. Everyone gathered here take this opportunity to keep that in mind.¡± Daniel coldly advised everyone. He asked the secretary who was on standby behind him. ¡°How¡¯s Stein?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The secretary, who had a desperate look on the face, barely answered the question. ¡°He doesn¡¯t appear to be¡­ No¡­ He is not in a good condition.¡± The secretary corrected the sentence in the middle and said that Stein was definitely not in a good condition. Daniel, as if he was trying to tell the secretary to say it clearly, turned his head and red at the secretary. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That is¡­ In order to reattach the ¡®right arm that was thrown off¡¯ back to the original form, we need to retrieve the arm, but because that mercenary¡¯s monstrous strength was so incredible¡­ We thoroughly searched the area, but we couldn¡¯t find the Count¡¯s arm.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ we will be able to reattach it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Udududuk. Daniel ground his teeth and ordered the secretary. ¡°That mercenary¡­¡± Prince Daniel¡¯s eyes filled with murderous intent. All noblemen on the table held their breath. ¡°¡­ Send out a royal decree against the Kabal Mercenary group. Tell them Solia will bestow a medal of honor for the one that will bring that mercenary¡¯s head.¡± Chapter 102 - Its about time

Chapter 102: It''s about time

Late summer passed and early autumn came. A few days after Nainiae left, the people in the mansion calmed down a bit. Lloyd, who was walking on the corridor by himself, had a serious look on his face. ¡®Get a grip, Lloyd. Thatss is going to die anyway.¡¯ A few days ago¡­ Lloyd¡¯s older brother, just watched Nainiae coughing blood on the corridor. The look on Ryan¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be crueler. Lloyd was thinking about that moment. ¡®Was that right?¡¯ That day, Lloyd thought he should save the maid. Lloyd was agonizing over if he was really wrong that day. ¡®If our father was here¡­ Our father would have definitely¡­¡¯ Lloyd¡¯s father¡­ Count Stein Fin Iphelleta. Lloyd was certain that the Count would have thought the same as Lloyd. Iphelleta house was that kind of house. Lloyd was certain that saving Nainiae was the right answer. ¡®In that case, is it all right to think my big brother is wrong?¡¯ That day, Ryan pped Lloyd¡¯s face and told him to just watch and let the girl die. Thinking about Ryan¡¯s voice, Lloyd¡¯s face crumpled. ¡®No. My big brother always makes the right choices¡­ He could not be wrong. His choice must have been the right one.¡¯ Lloyd grew up always chasing after his big brother¡¯s footsteps. To Lloyd, Ryan was always right, and Ryan was always cool, magnificent. From a perspective, to Lloyd, Ryan was more of a father to him than Stein, Lloyd¡¯s real father. Thinking about Ryan, Lloyd bit his lips as he thought that his own conclusion was correct. ¡®It¡¯s for the sake of our mother.¡¯ It was for his mother, who was chased out of the mansion while being falsely used of wrong doings. Lloyd thought about his mother, but then he suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Falsely used of¡­¡± ¡®Falsely used?¡¯ Lloyd was not able to finish the sentence. He was well aware of what transpired duringst spring. ¡°¡­¡± Back then, he believed there must have been some misunderstanding. However¡­ looking back at it now, he couldn¡¯t help but to have a question mark float up. ¡°No, no, Lloyd! Don¡¯t think about it!¡± He was getting a headache. It was pulsating. He shook his head hard and got rid of the useless thoughts. He started to walk again. Ryan said they should just watch and let a dying girl be. His mother tried to make Iris eat poisoned soup. Lloyd believed that those were not wrongdoings. He believed that they all must had reasons. ¡°My brother did it for the sessorship. My mother did it for us. That must be why¡­ That must be¡­¡± Saying them through the mouth was making Lloyd feel like the reasons were even more ridiculous. Lloyd had a displeased look on his face. He slowly turned his head and looked out the window. ¡®¡­ Riley.¡¯ He could see the garden through the window. Riley, the third born son of Iphelleta house, looked sleepy. He was all stretched out on the chair as he sat with guests. Lloyd¡¯s eyes lowered all of sudden. * * * Cool breeze was blowing at the garden. There was an Archbishop that came to visit Riley. With the man sitting in front of him, Riley kept on yawning, big enough to wonder if he was going to tear his mouth from opening it too wide. It was not certain if Riley was listening to what the man was saying at all. ¡°¡­ So?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ So, now that it is fall, I¡¯m rmending that youe to visit Solia for vacation often.¡± ¡°To Solia?¡± Until recently, Rebethra had been saying things indirectly. Now, he was directly asking Riley toe to Solia. ¡°Because of that dragon?¡± With sleepy eyes, Riley, uninterested, asked about the dragon in the prophecy. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°It looks like it. Are you asking me toe to Solia because of the dragon that Priestess mentioned?¡± ¡°Ah, no! That¡¯s not why! No way. Ha ha!¡± Again, Rebethra brought numerous expensive gifts. He handed the boxes toward Riley and smiled like a good man as he continued. ¡°Still, it is true that the Priestess wants to see you. Pleasee for a vacation and see her just once. To her, you are the only one that could be considered a friend of opposite gender.¡± Rebethra said it with bitterness. He was saying the words with a look on his face as if he was guilty about something. Riley realized the man was obviously acting. Riley pressed his back on the chair and wiggled his brows. ¡®This guy¡¯s acting is top notch. Andal would have totally fell for it.¡¯ Andal¡­ He was the existence that everyone in Solia¡¯s Holy Temple, including Rebethra, was fearing because of the Priestess¡¯ prophecy. Riley was not certain if the dragon in the prophecy really was Andal. Regardless, Riley was certain Rebethra was trying to get Riley toe to Solia because of the prophecy. ¡°¡­ Ha ha. This is interesting.¡± Riley, who had been just staring at Rebethra, started tough. ¡°¡­ What is?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s just¡­ I think it is so funny that the Priestess said she wants to see me.¡± ¡®I threatened her like thatst time, yet she wants to see me?¡¯ Riley was certain that Rebethra was lying, and that was funny to him. However, that was not the only reason why Riley wasughing. ¡®A dragon¡­¡¯ The existence that the people of Solia Holy Temple were fearing was most certainly indulging in the master-and-pupil y right about now somewhere in an unknown mountain. ¡®He even handed over the pub management to the guardian spirit. Andal sure has it easy. It must be convenient to be a dragon.¡¯ Riley was smiling as if it meant something. Not knowing the reason behind the smile, Rebethra scratched his head and carefully said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you the truth.¡± ¡°All right. I got it.¡± Riley looked at the tea cup on the table, which was getting colder. He thought about the maid that left the mansion. ¡®That rascal. I wonder what she is up to right about now?¡¯ Riley wondered how it would be if Nainiae was here. He wondered if she would have used magic in secret and kept the tea warm. While Riley was thinking about it, he heard steps from the back. It sounded urgent. Riley turned his head around. ¡°¡­ Young Master!¡± The familiar voice contained urgency just like the sound of footsteps. ¡°Sera?¡± Having found the maid in panic, Riley tilted his head side to side and asked. ¡°Young Master, something terrible happened!¡± ¡°Terrible?¡± Although there was Rebethra, a guest, present in the garden with Riley, she was acting like this. It meant something big did happen. ¡°That is¡­ T¡­ The Count!¡± * * * It was at Stein¡¯s office. Riley sat in front of Stein as he wiggled his eyebrows, wondering what this was about. ¡°Count¡­ by any chance¡­ have you found the arm that was thrown off?¡± Rebethra, who happened to be there today as a guest, looked at Stein¡¯s shoulder. It looked rather empty without an arm. ¡°¡­¡± Stein shooked his head in silence as the answer. Rebethra, with a sad, disappointed look on his face, continued and said, ¡°It will be difficult without an arm.¡± ¡°You are saying it will be impossible, right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. I already heard about it, so I was expecting that answer.¡± Stein told Rebethra that he doesn¡¯t have to look at the shoulder anymore as a way to tell him to take his leave. Now, facing his three sons, Stein said, ¡°This is what happened.¡± He couldn¡¯t use his arm anymore. Stein Fin Iphelleta, the father of the three, said that. Having heard the words, each of the sons¡¯ faces changed differently. ¡°Who dared and did this to our father¡¯s arm¡­¡± Ryan, the first son, crumpled his face in fury. ¡°Father, are you¡­ really all right?¡± Lloyd, the second son, worried with a look of disbelief on his face. ¡°¡­¡± Riley, the third son, was in silence. He looked rtively calm. ¡°Who did it?¡± Ryan, facing his father, asked who it was that did it. Stein, using his remaining arm, brought out a rolled up paper and ced it on top of the desk. ¡°In the battlefield, I ran into a mercenary.¡± Stein talked about the mercenary drawn on the paper. Immediately, Ryan¡¯s gaze turned toward Riley. ¡°Are you talking about a mercenary?¡± One of Riley¡¯s servants was a former mercenary. Also, the guests in the mansion now, Nara¡¯s group, were mercenaries. This was the reason. ¡°Enough. Do you think I came back to see my sons bickering at each other?¡± ¡°But, father¡­ This is a sensitive issue¡­¡± ¡°Ryan.¡± With a hand gesture, Stein red at Ryan. He called Ryan¡¯s name to suggest he should quit it. Ryan, looking like he was giving in, lowered his head. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°By any chance, do you know a mercenary who is famous for¡­ his monstrous strength?¡± Having heard the question, Riley¡¯s eyebrows got bent out of shape. It was because Riley knew one. He didn¡¯t just know one. He ran into one. Riley was certain¡­ that during the way back from the Rainfield¡­ ¡°No, I am not sure.¡± ¡°Me neither¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ryan and Lloyd said they don¡¯t know. Riley, who was in middle of organizing his thoughts, just kept his silence and looked at Stein in the eyes. ¡°I ran into a man named Kabal of the Kabal Mercenary group.¡± Riley remembered the name. His eyebrows twitched once more. ¡°He is quite skilled, but I cannot say that he was skilled enough to make me lose my arm.¡± Lloyd, with a confused look, opened his mouth to ask, ¡°Then, how did it happen?¡± Stein was a swordsman who represented Solia. ¡®How did my father lose his arm? How could Iphelleta¡¯s sword be broken?¡¯ ¡°Strength.¡± Stein answered bluntly. ¡°Strength¡­?¡± ¡°His monstrous strength was somehow abnormal. While exchanging blows with weapons, he was so strong that he caused harsh whirlwind where I could barely keep my eyes open.¡± Stein exined that with each sh of weapons, there was whirlwind, and even though Stein poured mana into his attacks, each strike made his fingers, palms, arms, shoulders, and even his legs numb. ¡°If it was a simple one-to-one situation, I might have been able to handle it somehow, but¡­ it was a battlefield, so it wasn¡¯t just me in there.¡± Stein exined that Kabal¡¯s attacks were putting not just Stein, but hisrades in danger as well, and he lost his arm while trying to save them. ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± Stein said that it is considered an honor since he lost his arm in the battlefield. Ryan and Lloyd, unable to face their father, dropped their heads. ¡®So, if I summarize the situation, is it like this?¡¯ Riley, who lowered his head along with his brothers, narrowed his eyes. He figured he should ask Ian or Nara again, but¡­ Riley was certain that the one responsible for Stein¡¯s arm was the mercenary that Riley ran into on the way back from the Rainfield. ¡®In that case, should I tell him?¡¯ Riley was hesitant to tell Stein. In the end, he decided to set it aside forter. Riley tightened his fist and opened it. ¡®¡­ This doesn¡¯t feel right.¡¯ Riley decided to not tell his father about it for a reason. It was because of what Kabal said in front of Riley. ¡®Right. I heard that an old friend is going to stop by at Rainfield, so I¡¯m on my way there after finishing a job.¡¯ On the way back from Rainfield¡­ During that day when Riley ran into a mercenary named Kabal, who was carefully staring at Iphelleta¡¯s insignia¡­ Riley thought about how Kabal said he was heading to Rainfield to see ¡®an old friend.¡¯ Riley slowly moved his gaze. ¡®I came here because just happened to have a business at Rainfield, but I heard that you are here on a vacation. Please don¡¯t misunderstand me.¡¯ Riley looked at Rebethra, who was standing behind. Riley thought about what Rebethra said in Rainfield. ¡®¡­ So, there is something.¡¯ They had simrities. Riley was tying them together because of their simrities. ¡®There is something.¡¯ Moreover, there were two simrities. First one was that they both had businesses at Rainfield. The other was¡­ ¡®Are purple aurasmon? I¡¯m not sure? It¡¯s notmon. So far, I have only met four of them. There was a homeless at a nameless town, the old fart we met in Rainfield who is an Archibishop, that bastard Kabal who we just saw, and¡­ the dark mage that you put an end tost time.¡¯ It was the ¡®people with purple auras¡¯ that Nara mentioned. Chapter 103 - Its about time (2)

Chapter 103: It''s about time (2)

¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ Riley got the puzzles together and made a conjecture. There were two people with purple aura who were in the Rainfield around the same time. Riley narrowed his eyes and red at Rebethra. Before his gaze met Rebethra¡¯s eyes, Riley lowered his eyes and organized the rest of his thoughts. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Riley wanted to livefortably, not like his past life, leisurely. This was the reason why Riley didn¡¯t make any moves on small things. However, this situation was a little different. Last spring, Iris ate poisoned soup and coughed blood. Just like that moment¡­ someone close to Riley was harmed. This was the reason. ¡®Fool. I won¡¯t lose them like in my past life¡­ I was determined to that end, yet¡­¡¯ Riley, who had his head lowered, was cringing. It was because he believed that this was his fault. ¡®I never expected that this would happen to my father. If I have known, I could have asked Andal to keep an eye on the man.¡¯ Stein Fin Iphalleta¡­ That name was famous, and it wasn¡¯t famous for no reason. So, Riley never worried about his father because he believed Stein was a sword who would not break easily against anyone. Now, Riley was faulting himself for letting his guard down. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Riley spun his eyes to look at Rebethra again. Riley looked rtively calm, but inside, he was not in a very good mood. ¡®¡­ Should I make a move?¡¯ Rebethra was an Archbishop, the highest ranking official in Solia Holy Temple. Still, that was not going to be enough to make Riley just stand idle and suck on his thumb in fear. ¡®At the moment, I can¡¯t definitely show that this bastard and that mercenary are connected. If I do anything to the Archbishop, would I be risking butterfly effect from turning the Holy Temple upside down?¡¯ Despite that, carefully¡­ Riley thought about it for the second and the third time so it won¡¯t go wrong easily. To Riley, who was in middle of such thoughts, Stein¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°So, I think it is about time¡­¡± Having heard the voice, Riley slightly raised his head and met Stein¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡± There wereplicated emotions mixed in Stein¡¯s eyes. Looking at his eyes, Riley felt like he knew what Stein was going to say. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to name the sessor.¡± * * * ¡°I have never thought he would return with an arm missing.¡± Stein retired to the bedroom after telling his sons that they can leave now. Following after Riley who was walking toward the garden, Ian mumbled with bitter voice. ¡°About this man named Kabal who have thrown off the Count¡¯s arm¡­ I have only heard stories about this mercenary. I have never seen his face in person.¡± Ian was about to tell Riley that someone like Nara would know that mercenary well. However, Riley casually turned his head around, so Ian stopped talking. ¡°¡­ I met him.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That bastard named Kabal. I met him.¡± ¡°Y¡­ You met him?!¡± ¡°Quiet¡­¡± Riley blocked Ian¡¯s mouth to tell him to be quiet. With a serious look on his face, Riley continued. ¡°I ran in to him on the way back from the Rainfield. Don¡¯t tell others about this.¡± Ian slowly nodded, and Riley finally lifted his hand away from Ian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Still, Young Master¡­ Just how?¡± ¡°It was a coincidence¡­ probably.¡± Riley answered in an unclear way. It was because Riley was not sure if that was coincidence or nned. ¡°In that case, what are you going to do now?¡± Ian immediately moved on to the next question before getting an answer. ¡°Count also talked about the sessorship, didn¡¯t he?¡± Riley nodded and answered, ¡°He did.¡± ¡°Looks like a decision will need to be made.¡± Riley could go after Kabal. Riley could focus on the sessorshippetition instead. He had to choose between the two. ¡®Both Young Master and Lady Iris were never interested in the sessorship, so¡­ perhaps the answer is already out?¡¯ Ian realized Riley looked a little sharper than usual after seeing his father¡¯s arm missing. Ian fiddled with his sword¡¯s handle and had a longing look on his face. ¡®To think I already miss that child. Oh my¡­¡¯ For the time being, Ian gave Nainiae his most trusted sword. Since then, Ian had been carrying a new sword on his waist, but he was not quite getting used to the handle. ¡°Well, for now¡­¡± With Riley starting to talk again, Ian quickly hid the look on his face and waited for Riley to continue. ¡°I should focus on the sessorship.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± Having heard what Riley just said, Ian asked again as if he didn¡¯t quite hear that correctly. ¡®Perhaps I really am old now?¡¯ While Ian was worrying about that, Riley repeated the same answer. ¡°I said I should focus on the sessorship.¡± Ian, with a look of disbelief, asked again. ¡°J¡­ Just now¡­ What did you¡­ say?¡± ¡°Ian, finally, your ears¡­¡± Riley showed saddened look toward Ian, and Ian shook his head big to say that he was not getting hard of hearing. Ian quickly grabbed both of Riley¡¯s hands and raised them. ¡°Young Master, you made a wise choice.¡± Without realizing, Ian tightened the grab as he intensely stared at Riley¡¯s face as if he was going to burn a hole through Riley with the gaze. Ian¡¯s eyes started to tear up. ¡°Revenge never ends well. Of course, I am not saying Ipletely forgive Kabal. What I¡¯m saying is¡­¡± Ian started to mumble on his own. Riley just watched him for a moment. As if he was finding Ian to be ridiculous, Riley started to flinch his eyebrows. ¡°Ian?¡± Riley clearly said Ian¡¯s name, but it seemed Ian didn¡¯t hear Riley. Ian just had tears on his eyes. ¡°Count, Lady Iris, Nainiae¡­ Hukhuhu¡­ Our Young Master, Young Master is finally¡­¡± Whenever Ian teared up from being indulged in his emotions, Ian always mumbled Stein or Iris¡¯ name. Today, he was mentioning even Nainiae¡¯s name. As if Riley had enough, he unhanded his hands from Ian¡¯s grasp and lightly knocked Ian on the forehead. ¡°Ian, don¡¯t go counting the chickens before they hatch.¡± Along with a blunt sound, Ian pulled his head back. With his forehead reddened, Ian asked, ¡°What do you mean by counting chickens?¡± Riley, without thinking, used what he used to say a lot in his past life. He slowly avoided his gaze and corrected himself. [Note: The actual phrase used was ¡°don¡¯t go drinking Kimchi juice first,¡± as in drinking it while expecting avish dinner toe when it may or may not happen. It means the same as counting the chickens before they hatch. One thing to note about Korean culture is that nobody actually drinks Kimchi juice before a big meal or think it would be a good idea.] ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± Riley had three big reasons for choosing the sessorshippetition instead of going after the mercenary named Kabal. ¡®At the moment, I have no way of knowing where he is.¡¯ Even if Riley knew where Kabal was, it was going to be difficult for Riley to give a suitable reason to the people in the mansion as to why Riley was going to the ce where that mercenary was. This was the first reason. ¡®If Nainiae was here, it would be so much easier.¡¯ If Nainiae was here, Riley could find where that mercenary named Kabal or Kabab or whatever was instantly. However¡­ Nainiae was not here at the moment because she left with Andal so she could be cured of her illness and also get trained. ¡®I have never thought I would be missing someone¡­¡¯ Riley thought about Nainiae. However, he realized this was not the time to be thinking about wishing she was here. With a bitter look on his face, Riley shook his head. ¡®At the moment, putting an end to the Archbishop with purple aura who might be connected to this is too risky. There is the Holy Temple behind him¡­ It would be difficult to use the same method as how the Tess Merchant group was dealt with. I don¡¯t have the stuff for it either.¡¯ If the Archbishop and Kabal had nothing to do with each other, Riley had to consider the worst case scenario that could unfold from it. This was his second reason for choosing the sessorshippetition. ¡®If it is difficult to do anything to him, making a trap would be best.¡¯ That was the third reason. This was the biggest reason why Riley choose sessorship instead of going after the mercenary who tore and thrown off his father¡¯s arm. ¡°¡­ Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Riley, who had been thinking very hard with a sharp look on his face, suddenly turned to look at Ian. This made Ian flinch in surprise as he responded. ¡°Nara, that rascal, he is still in the guest room, right?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Nara?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Ian thought about what Nara said while answering that Nara was in the room. ¡°Yes, he said today will be hisst day here. Starting tomorrow, he will be looking around quality locations in Solia for Garf¡­ So, he said he will be looking for a ce to bury his father¡¯s remains.¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s exnation, Riley nodded. He started to walk toward the guest room as he mumbled, ¡°I introduced him to the person he admire. It would be all right if I asked him to do a simple quest for me, right?¡± Having heard Riley, Ian tilted his head side to side. ¡°Did you say¡­ a quest?¡± * * * It was during thete evening. At darkened garden entrance, Riley waved his hand toward Rebethra who was getting on his carriage. ¡°Well then, have a safe trip back.¡± Along with Ian, Riley came all the way to the entrance to see off Rebethra. ¡°Haha. You didn¡¯t have toe all this way¡­ Well then, I¡¯ll be seeing you in the Right Solia next time.¡± Rebethra smiled like a good man and got on the carriage. He asked Riley that he really shoulde to Right Solia. After asking that favor, Rebethra¡¯s carriage started to move. ¡°¡­¡± Riley stood there vacantly for a moment and watched the back of the carriage that was going back to Solia. Riley lowered his hand and mumbled. ¡°¡­ A trap¡­ You know how to set one, right?¡± It looked like Riley was talking to himself. With a cold look on his face, Riley was looking at Rebethra¡¯s carriage. Riley casually moved his eyes and looked at bushes in front of the mansion. ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to set one, then just bite on to him and don¡¯t let go. If there is anything suspicious, send Isen or Rorona.¡± As if the bushes were responding to Riley¡¯s voice, the bushes started to make cracking sound. ¡°¡­ Yes. I clearly understood.¡± It was night. Because of the darkness settling in, nothing could be seen in the bushes. There was something that was shaped like a human, and it had snake like eyes wide open in response to Riley¡¯s voice. ¡°As you asked¡­¡± In the bushes, the snake eyes slowly became smaller. To be precise, the eyes became further away from the mansion. ¡°A trap¡­ Would that child be able to do it?¡± The snake eyes were at a far distance from the view now. Ian, who was standing behind Riley, asked carefully. ¡°Ian, it is not like I have special eyes like Basilisks, but I do have eyes for people.¡± Riley mumbled slowly. Because it was dark, Ian couldn¡¯t see Riley¡¯s face very well, but he could tell that the look on Riley¡¯s face was more serious than ever. ¡®In times like these, I wonder just how old Young Master really is.¡¯ The glow in Riley¡¯s eyes was no different from the look on a veteran¡¯s face who survived various battlefields. Even Ian was getting the chill. Ian could not believe that such eyes belonged to a boy who was not even in his 20s, so Ian just kept silence. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®That¡¯s right. In the past life, there was something like this.¡¯ Riley sent a skilled mercenary after Rebethra¡¯s trail. However, Riley was not quite rxing his face. It was because he experienced something simr in his past life. Riley was thinking about what happened back then. ¡®Back then, to avenge arade, did I choose to abandon a city that was in danger?¡¯ The third reason why Riley was not going after Kabal personally and instead choose to focus on sessorship¡­ ¡®It¡¯s different this time.¡¯ The story of a father, who lost an arm to a mercenary, telling his three sons about sessorshippetition sounded too simr to one of tragedies that Riley experienced in his past life. ¡®I won¡¯t let it have the same oue.¡¯ In the darkness, Riley closed and opened his hand. Once again, he thought about things that happened in past life and narrowed his eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll never let it happen.¡¯ Riley, who was reincarnated with the memories of his past life intact, was determined. ¡®I won¡¯t live like my past life.¡¯ Instead of working hard and being in center of people¡¯s attention, he wanted to livefortably. Instead of losing people who were precious to him, he wanted to live while protecting them. He was never going to¡­ He was never going to live his life like his past life. Chapter 104 - Successor Competition

Chapter 104: Sessor Competition

¡®I have one assignment for all of you.¡¯ This was what Stein told his three sons two days ago. He had never gave his sons any assignments directly like this before, so this was practically their first assignment. ¡®Most of the nobilities are away from their ces due to the invasion by the Ansyrium. I¡¯m sure you all know about this well. My assignment for you is to go to estates or viges that became unstable due to their absences.¡¯ One of the rules of the Iphelleta was being impartial. Although Ryan and Lloyd¡¯s mother was kicked out of the mansion, Stein added that thepetition for the sessorship will be carried out fairly. ¡°This might be good for us. Riley had been acting suspicioustely.¡± Ryan mumbled with a serious face. Recently, Riley received a medal of honor from the Solia Castle. Also, with Nainiae entering the scene, Ryan was concerned he might be behind in thepetition. ¡°It would be best if thatss died, but that runt iming to be a Doctor from Rainfield took her, so¡­¡± Ryan clicked his tongue as he mentioned Nainiae, the Six Circles mage that Riley brought in. ¡°It would be good for us if she came back as a corpse.¡± Although thepetition was supposed to be fair, having or not having Nainiae in the scene could be a significant problem that may decide who would be the sessor. ¡°Anyway, I have exploits of my own that I have aplished so far¡­ Father wouldn¡¯t decide the sessor based on just this assignment.¡± Ryan, who had been fiddling with his chin,pared his own exploits to Riley¡¯s. Ryan looked at Lloyd and asked, ¡°Lloyd, what are you thinking so hard about?¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± Having heard the voice, Lloyd woke up from his useless thoughts. With somehow vacant look on his face, Lloyd answered. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s just¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry so much. Father¡¯s assignment is the kind that I¡¯m already well versed in.¡± Based on the vacant look on Lloyd¡¯s face, Ryan thought his younger brother must be concerned about thepetition. Ryan smiled and told Lloyd that he didn¡¯t need to worry. ¡°Ha, haha! That¡¯s right, right?¡± In fact, the assignment that Stein gave to the sons was the kind that Ryan had been actively working on a lot before Riley received the medal of honor. ¡°Still, I can¡¯t let my guard down. There must be a reason why father said he will conduct thepetition ¡®fairly.¡¯¡± Ryan supported his head with his hand and thought about the old butler who was looking after Riley. ¡°Ian will be a big obstacle.¡± Ian was the former Mercenary Hero. Now, he was Riley¡¯s butler. Ian was certainly going to be a big advantage to Riley in this assignment. That was because Ian was definitely more experienced in this kind of work than Ryan. ¡°I¡­ see.¡± Ryan was organizing his n in his head. Having heard Lloyd¡¯s downed voice, Ryan looked at Lloyd and asked, ¡°Lloyd, is there something else you are worried about?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lloyd?¡± ¡°Ah, yes?¡± ¡°You are not acting like your usual self. You are slow in responses. Tell me. What are you worried about?¡± Lloyd was avoiding eye contact and had been fiddling with his fingers. Having heard his brother¡¯s concerned voice, Lloyd carefully said, ¡°That is¡­ It¡¯s about our mother.¡± Lloyd looked vacant somehow. He said while looking like that. Lloyd continued. ¡°Big Brother. If you win the sessorship, then really¡­ will you be bringing our mother back?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard the question, Ryan vacantly blinked. ¡°Why are you asking about something so obvious? Seasons may have changed, but I still remember her face clearly¡­ Do you think I would abandon our mother?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Haha. You were worried about that. I have forgotten that you are a devoted son to our mother.¡± Ryan smiled refreshingly, patted Lloyd on the head, and said he didn¡¯t need to worry. ¡°Big Brother, really¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Trust me.¡± Ryan patted Lloyd¡¯s head to say Lloyd can trust him. Feeling his patting, Lloyd slowly lowered his gaze and fell to thoughts with a nk look on his face. * * * It was middle of autumn. Riley headed out from the mansion. Just like how Nara was, he lie down on the top of the carriage and looked up the autumn sky. ¡°We are currently headed to a small vige with less than 100 people living there. Just think of it as a vige half the size of Iffa Vige.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°The vige is called Alieve. It¡¯s surrounded by big forests¡­ I heard there had been suspicious orc activities nearby. We are going there to stop those orcs.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Young Master, are you listening?¡± Ian, who was driving the carriage, broke cold sweat and asked. Riley, as if he was listening, said in stretched out voice, ¡°Yes, I was listening.¡± ¡°What is the name of the vige?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley paused for a moment. Riley responded with a voice to act as much as possible to look like he was not fazed by it. ¡°¡­ Olive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Olive, right?¡± ¡°No. It is Alieve¡­ Alieve Vige.¡± Ian quickly corrected Riley. At a loss for words, Riley lie down vacantly. As if he thought it was an honest mistake, he whistled and said, ¡°It¡¯s just a few letters off.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Ian sighed big enough to make the ground sink. While he was driving the carriage through the forest, he reached for a bag tied to the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Young Master. I think it would be good to eat lunch soon.¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°We will be arriving at the Alieve Vige soon. We may not have the time to eat lunch when we get there.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Riley was going to say ¡®let¡¯s just take it easy.¡¯ However, Riley saw that Ian lowered his shoulder all the way down, so he spared the words as if he could not help it. ¡°Here. Take this.¡± Ian brought out a sandwich from the bag and tossed it toward Riley sitting on the top of the carriage. ¡°Here.¡± ¡®If Nainiae was here, getting the sandwich would have been easier with her dimensional storage on the leather bracelet¡­¡¯ Riley snatched the sandwich from the air as he thought that. ¡°Did you catch it?¡± Because Ian was driving, he couldn¡¯t look back, so he asked. ¡°Yes, I definitely got it.¡± Riley responded while cringing. It was because the paper wrap on the sandwich was wet. It seemed the sauce inside the sandwich leaked. ¡®It cannot be helped.¡¯ He carefully opened the wrap and bit the sandwich. Feeling the taste inside his mouth, Riley cringed. ¡°Hey, Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Ian was driving the carriage with one hand and held a sandwich on the other hand. ¡°Was this seasoned correctly?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Ian casually turned his head to look at Riley sitting on the top of the carriage. Ian nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s the same as how I usually make for you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian took another bite out of the sandwich and shrugged his shoulders as if there was no problem. Riley, who was keeping silence with an ufortable look on his face, said, ¡°¡­ It does not taste good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rileyined that the sandwich that he ate on the way back from the Rainfield, the ones that Nainiae made, were better. As if he was saying he had enough¡­ Riley wrapped the sandwich after eating just two bites. ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± From the top of the carriage, Riley looked down toward the driver¡¯s seat. He could see Ian¡¯s shoulder was shaking a little. Riley realized he made a mistake. He cringed and said, ¡°Hey, Ian. I was just kidding. Your specialty is meat, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for a meal you cook with meat, okay? Hey?¡± They said an old man¡¯s heart was like reeds. Riley felt that this old saying was very true. It seemed Ian was pissed. Having noticed this, Riley, with an awkward look on his face, looked at the front. ¡®Ah, is that the ce?¡¯ It felt like the number of trees rapidly passing by the carriages was gradually declining. All of sudden, the view to the front of the carriage widened significantly. ¡°Ian, is that the ce?¡± Ian, with a pissed look on his face, looked to the front. Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Ian nodded with his lips pouting all the way out. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the Alieve Vige.¡± It seemed Ian was seriously pissed. He was driving the carriage faster. The scenery of the vige in the distance got close to Riley all of sudden, and before even five minutes passed, they arrived at the entrance of the vige. ¡°¡­ Now, we are here.¡± ¡°Ian, don¡¯t be angry anymore. Everyone have different tastes, you know? When we go back to the mansion, let¡¯s ask Sera. I bet she will say your sandwich taste better.¡± Riley was certain that consoling this old man was going to be harder than consoling a child. So, Riley used his triumph card called Sera and patted Ian on the shoulder. ¡°S¡­ Sera?¡± Riley apologized to Sera inside. He smiled big and said, ¡°That¡¯s right! I bet she will say yours taste better if we asked.¡± The look on Ian¡¯s face started to rx. ¡°Hm. Kuhum.¡± No longer appearing to be angry, Ian did some fake coughs. It was at that moment. ¡°Uh, excuse me. By any chance¡­¡± A middle aged man, who they have never seen before, carefully approached them. ¡°Ah, we are from Iphelleta House. We heard that Alieve Vige needs help, so¡­ There should have been a messenger to tell you about our arrival?¡± Ian exined why he came to the vige with Riley. The man was tearing up as if he thought he was saved. The man lowered his head. ¡°Ah! You are from the Iphelleta House! Finally¡­ Thank you. Thank you!¡± The man repeatively expressed gratitude to Riley and Ian. As if he realized he didn¡¯t exin himself yet, the man awkwardly scratched his back and introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Malto, the Alieve Vige¡¯s leader. Thank you again foring.¡± The man quickly grabbed on to Ian and Riley¡¯s hands to express his gratitude by shaking their hands. Malto said he will guide them to his home and started to walk. ¡°By the way.¡± Riley was following Malto to the vige. Riley casually looked around the surrounding and asked, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are less than 100 people living here, is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, to be exact, there are 97¡­ No, Finya gave birth to her son two days ago, so there probably are 98 people now.¡± Riley was counting the number of houses and people that he could see. It seemed this was not making sense to Riley. He tilted his head side to side. ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be enough people here, is there?¡± Riley added, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there are suspicious orc activities nearby. It seems like they didn¡¯t invade here yet, but¡­ the number of people here is a little¡­¡± On the way back to Malto¡¯s home, Riley saw a little over ten people. ¡°No, not a little, but there are too few people. Don¡¯t you think?¡± The vige was in danger because of orcs. However, it was a little weird that only so few people wereing out to see outsiders entering the vige. ¡°Even if they are all hiding in fear¡­¡± This ce was not a city. It was a small vige with less than 100 people living in. Riley widened his senses and checked the poption. Riley tilted his head as if this still didn¡¯t make sense to him. The vige¡¯s leader said there were 98 people here, but when Riley checked it himself, it was not matching with the number. ¡°There are about thirty people missing.¡± It wasn¡¯t just a few people. The difference was around thirty people. It meant there was a problem. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s mumbling, the vige¡¯s leader stopped walking and turned his head around. ¡°You¡­ know very well.¡± ¡°He is from Iphelleta.¡± Ian shrugged and answered for Riley. The vige¡¯s leader bit his lips. He looked desperate. Malto said, ¡°Yes, as you said¡­ there are about thirty people that have gone missing.¡± ¡°Gone missing?¡± Malto nodded and started to walk again. ¡°It started around nine days ago. Initially, when I realized there were two or three people missing, I thought it was just because of the atmosphere, but number of children going missing started to increase.¡± Malto exined the vige was concerned because of people disappearing without a trace. Riley wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Children?¡± Malto nodded with a desperate look on his face. ¡°Yes, all thirty children of Alieve Vige are¡­ currently missing.¡± Chapter 105 - Successor Competition (2)

Chapter 105: Sessor Competition (2)

¡°They have gone missing? What do you mean?¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly as what you just said. Since nine days ago, children of Alieve Vige started to disappear. Now, all children are missing. We thoroughly searched the vige and the forest nearby, yet¡­ we couldn¡¯t find them.¡± Having heard Malto¡¯s answer, Riley bent his eyebrows. He turned his head and started to look at the path that they just walked on and the vige once again. Ian also had a deadly look on his face after hearing Malto¡¯s exnation. Ian too was thoroughly examining the vige¡¯s every corner. ¡°They are really gone.¡± Ian slowly mumbled. Riley, who checked it once again, looked at Malto and asked about the missing children. ¡°How old are the missing children?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, about that¡­ Children who are five years or older and eighteen years or younger are gone.¡± ¡°Regardless of gender, all children?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, but why do you ask?¡± Having heard what Malto said, Riley crumpled his face as if he knew it. Riley mumbled quietly, ¡°¡­ As I thought¡­¡± ¡°Have you figured something out?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s question, Riley kept silence for a moment. He slowly shook his head and said, ¡°No, not exactly, but¡­¡± Riley cringed and said ¡®as I thought¡¯ because Riley realized that what was happening in the Alieve Vige was very simr to what he experienced in his past life. ¡®This is pretty serious. When father gave me the assignment to save a vige, I thought it couldn¡¯t be, but now¡­¡¯ As if Riley was not liking the situation that felt simr to what he experienced in his past life, Riley opened and closed his hand as he asked Malto, ¡°Five years or older¡­ That means babies who are less than five years old are safe, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Malto nodded and gave an additional exnation about what the vige¡¯s men were up to. ¡°So, half of the vige¡¯s men are outside the vige to be prepared against orcs that might invade at any time. The other half are standing guard on their own homes to protect the children under five years old.¡± Having heard what Malto said, Ian turned his head again and examined the vige¡¯s scenery. His gaze met with a man through a window, and Ian narrowed his eyes as if he now understood what they were doing. ¡°It looks like everyone is on edges." ¡°That¡¯s right. They couldn¡¯t sleep at all through the night.¡± ¡°This means it is a total mystery as to when exactly the children disappeared.¡± ¡°The situation is not very good.¡± Riley roughly scratched the back of his head. ¡®This is trouble.¡¯ Riley was taking it easy because it looked like his father was going to send Riley to a suitable, easy ce for him. However, this was like getting struck by a lightning on a sunny day. Now, Riley had to be concerned with not just orcs, but also missing children. ¡®In my past life, I chose to abandon the city. The city that I didn¡¯t choose to protect was destroyed, and only the fallen city¡¯s children came back in bizarre forms and indiscriminately ughtered people.¡¯ Riley took lessons from what he experienced in his past life. As he organized his thoughts, as if he determined he didn¡¯t have enough information, he turned to the vige¡¯s leader and said, ¡°By any chance, can you show me something like the entire vige¡¯s map? It would be even better if it was something that shows the forest area outside the vige as well.¡± ¡°Yes. I happen to have one hanging at my home.¡± Ian realized the look on Riley¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be more serious. Without saying any words, Ian just followed Riley. * * * Riley liked children. Actually, instead of saying he liked them, it was probably more urate to say that he was feeling sorry and guilty toward them. ¡®Mister¡­ Mister¡­ Who are you?¡¯ ¡®Fool¡­ Cholok¡­ Take a look at the sword I¡¯m holding.¡¯ [Note: Cholok is the sound effect for coughing] ¡®Holy¡­ Sword? Then, are you a brave warrior?¡¯ ¡®¡­ That¡¯s right.¡¯ Riley felt that way toward children because in his past life, because of the choice that he made, the fallen city¡¯s countless children became murderous monsters against their will and shed tears of blood. ¡®Hehe. That¡­ is good¡­ Mister¡­ Then you came to¡­ kill us?¡¯ ¡®¡­ That¡¯s right.¡¯ In his past life, in response to the question, Riley said ¡®that¡¯s right¡¯ in cold voice. Riley was thinking about himself from that moment. ¡®Yes¡­¡¯ ¡®Fool. Why¡­ Cholok¡­ Why are you happy?¡¯ ¡®I should be happy¡­ Mister¡­ You said you will stop us, so¡­¡¯ ¡®Is that so? I guess that is right. You should be happy.¡¯ Being swept up in the ploy by the devil, the children ended up having their handspletely tainted with the blood of people. The children, who were sliced off by Riley¡¯s Holy Sword¡­ Riley looked at them with emotionless eyes. ¡®Mister¡­ I have a favor to ask. Can I ask you just one favor?¡¯ ¡®I am sorry, but I don¡¯t take requests from monsters¡­¡¯ ¡®We are not monsters.¡¯ ¡®Mister, we are not monsters. Really.¡¯ ¡®Huk¡­ Mommy¡­ I want to see mommy.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ The children were crying, telling Riley that they wanted to see their mothers. Watching the children, at that moment, for the first time, Riley thought that perhaps the real monster was not the children who were transformed but himself. ¡®We are like this now because of you.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Some cities told Riley that things would not have turned out badly if he was not there. Some cities told him that things would not have turned out badly if he was there. ¡®So, I¡¯ll ask you for one favor.¡¯ In his past life, Riley was cursed and hated regardless of the choice he made. Riley was at his limit at that time. In tears, the favor that the children asked of him was just one thing. ¡®Comfortably, without pain, kill us like that.¡¯ ¡®Mister, it hurts so much. We are suffering so much.¡¯ ¡®Mister, hurry.¡¯ Having heard their request, Riley¡­ ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Riley was thinking about his past, but having heard Ian¡¯s voice, Riley responded vacantly. ¡°Are you sleepy? You have a nk look on your face all of sudden.¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I was just thinking about something from the past for a bit¡­¡± Riley woke up from the useless thoughts. As if it was nothing, he shook his head and took a step forward. ¡°This job, I¡¯m going to handle it in a sh and go to sleep.¡± ¡°Young Master, you look a little different today.¡± Ian, who was following Riley walking in front of him, said Riley looked a little different today. Having heard that, Riley stopped walking. ¡°Really, how so?¡± ¡°When I told you that you may need to y some orcs, it didn¡¯t faze you at all. You looked like you were going on a walk in a park. But now that you heard about the missing children¡­ you are taking it very seriously.¡± During the day of fighting against Astroa to bring him down for once and for all¡­ Riley chose to ask kindly to the kid who Nainiae had with her during the battle. Riley chose that instead of just blocking the kid¡¯s mouth by force because of what happened in Riley¡¯s past life. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure?¡± Riley still remembered clearly about the city that he abandoned and the children who were turned in to monsters and had to be yed by the Holy Sword. ¡°Maybe it is just the atmosphere?¡± Riley was more concerned about the missing children than the scheming orcs hiding in the forest nearby because of this reason. It was to avoid repeating the same mistake from the past life. ¡°No.¡± Ian calmly shook his head and said, ¡°I am certain that it isn¡¯t because of the atmosphere.¡± ¡°¡­ Well, that¡¯s not important right now.¡± Ian was being sincere in his response, but Riley tried hard to ignore it. Riley started to walk again. ¡°Time is gold. Even at this moment, the children¡­¡± ¡°See? As I thought, you are worried about the children.¡± Riley mumbled without thinking. As if he was thinking he made a mistake, Riley corrected himself. ¡°¡­ The time for my nap is getting shorter.¡± ¡°Yes, that is true.¡± Ian figured he shouldn¡¯t question Riley about this anymore. He smiled gently and brought out the next question to change the topic. ¡°Well then, what are you going to do? We examined the map, but we didn¡¯t find any evidence that would lead us to finding the children¡­ The orcs that must be at beyond the forest look suspicious too.¡± Riley arrived at the barn and got to the luggage storage on the carriage. Riley asked Ian, ¡°What do you think I¡¯ll be doing? Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Riley picked up a few swords from the carriage¡¯s luggage storage. He showed the swords to Ian and wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°I said time is gold, didn¡¯t I?¡± * * * Hiding in the forest nearby, there were men surveilling the orcs¡¯ activities. Riley brought all of these men back to the vige and went to the forest with Ian. Riley was walking as he opened and closed his hand. ¡®Thirty children have gone missing, yet they disappeared without any trace. It is highly unlikely that orcs are responsible for this. They don¡¯t have the talent for kidnapping children that way.¡¯ Riley have read about orcs before in the mansion¡¯s library. He decided to be mindful of a few possibilities and pulled his chin. ¡®No. There could be an extraordinary orc among them. I can¡¯t discount the possibility of that special one being responsible for it, can I? If orcs took the children, this would be the most usible exnation. If the children were not taken by the orcs¡­¡¯ Riley, who was thinking about several possibilities, suddenly cringed. ¡°Tsk.¡± If Riley have chosen to save the city in his past life, he might at least have a feel for what to do at this moment¡­ Riley was having a hard time getting a feel for the situation. ¡®It is such a bother, but it looks like the answer won¡¯te out even if I rolled my brain some more.¡¯ ording to Malto, the children started to disappear since nine days ago, but they didn¡¯t disappear all at once. They disappeared over the course of a few days. If all of the remaining children disappeared yesterday, that meant the children are probably within Riley¡¯s reach. In other words¡­ ¡®¡­ It¡¯s a fight against time?¡¯ Eradicate the orcs at an instant and immediately search for the children¡­ That was the best course of action. If the children were found while ying the orcs, that was going to be the best case scenario. ¡°¡­¡± Without further dy, Riley moved his hand toward his waist and drew his sword in a slow motion. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to end this in a sh.¡± Riley mumbled. It was to prevent things from bing more bothersome. It was to prevent further dy. First, Riley was going to handle the beastly smell emanating from the beyond the forest. After that, he was going to find the children right away. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master.¡± Ian was walking with Riley toward the forest where orcs were said to be located. Ian stopped for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you really going to be all right?¡± Ian was asking if he was worried. Having noticed this, Riley, who was steadily leading the way, turned his head around and looked at Ian. ¡°What?¡± Once against a goblin¡­ Once against the Erengium¡¯s Young Master¡­ Ian got to witness Riley¡¯s abilities only twice so far. ¡°I¡¯m talking about wielding a sword. I have seen you in actionst time against the goblin and during what happened at the Solia Castle, but¡­¡± Ian was not worried like how he was when Riley was stepping toward the front of the goblinst time. However¡­ It seemed Ian was still worried. Ian carefully said, ¡°Still, I¡¯m a little worried. You have never properly held a sword until now, have you? Orcs are different from goblins. Without any preparation, entering their main colony through the front door like this is a little¡­¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s mumbling, Riley, with an annoyed look on his face, responded, ¡°You had been telling me I should wield a sword, so what now?¡± Riley was not wrong. Ian nodded and mumbled as if he was just wrongly used. ¡°That is true, but doing it like this suddenly is a little¡­¡± ¡°If something happens, stay close and protect me if you would like.¡± Riley, who was looking back toward Ian, started to walk again as if he couldn¡¯t afford to dy this anymore. Riley said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you are going to just stand there with a nk look on your face and watch, right? You need to do your part too. The situation here isn¡¯t ¡®just eradicate the orcs.¡¯ This is a part of the assignment.¡¯ As Riley said, they needed to not only eradicate the orcs beyond the forest, but also find the children who have gone missing from the Alieve Vige. ¡°You are not just going to watch, are you?¡± As if that was poking Ian at the conscious, Ian flinched. As if he couldn¡¯t help it, Ian drew the sword from his waist and came over the forest¡¯s boundary. ¡°Ugh, it cannot¡­ be helped. Now that it hase to this, I¡¯ll guard you as much as possible and fight¡­ Um?¡± Ian came over the boundary and stood along the side with Riley. He casually moved his eyes to look at Riley¡¯s waist and then had a confused look on his face. ¡®The swords¡­ why did he bring six?¡¯ On the belt that Riley took from the carriage and wore, there were total of six thin grand swords neatly ced. Chapter 106 - Successor Competition (3)

Chapter 106: Sessor Competition (3)

¡°Phew¡­¡± Riley sighed big. It was because Ian was staring at him from the side. Fortunately¡­ Ian¡¯s gaze was not about expecting something from Riley. It was a gaze of concern. ¡®Be calm.¡¯ It was barely noticeable, but Riley¡¯s hands were shaking. He tried closing and opening his hands to calm his hands and then closed his eyes. It was because the situation was different from how he swung swords while being on the vacation at Rainfield. Ian was right next to Riley. Riley was concerned Ian may never look at him the same after Riley demonstrated his swordsmanship. Riley narrowly opened his eyes and moved his left hand toward his waist. ¡®It¡¯s bothersome. Don¡¯t bother with thinking about all sorts of things. Ian is different. Unlike the past life, he is on my side.¡¯ What Riley gained after all the hardships he endured in the past life¡­ After his death, what he received as a reward after being reincarnated¡­ Iris and Ian could be considered as such. ¡®That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t think I could hide this forever, so¡­ Let¡¯s just trust Ian.¡¯ Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to think about it anymore. Riley decided to just trust Ian. His left and right hands each held a sword. Riley fiddled with the fingers as he took a deep breath again. ¡°Ian, we are going, all right?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Ian wasparing Riley¡¯s two-swords stance with Sera¡¯s stance. Ian vacantly asked back, but¡­ ¡°Ah? Y¡­ Young Master! Wait¡­¡± He tumbled and raised his hand. It seemed Riley was going to practice what he said about the time being gold. Riley was already charging forward with the swords lowered. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m going to finish this in a sh.¡¯ Ian unconsciously thought about what Riley said earlier. Ian tumbled and followed after Riley. ¡®He is fast?¡¯ It would have been befitting to call it an explosive speed. It appeared that Riley instantly sent mana to his legs. Instead of running, it looked like Riley was making huge leaps every time. Ian, who was following Riley, was impressed. ¡®This kind of movement is¡­ not in the textbooks?¡¯ The way Riley was charging forward¡­ The way Riley had his swords lowered toward the back¡­ Ian have never seen such moves before. However, interestingly, Ian couldn¡¯t find anything to fault on them. ¡°¡­?!¡± To Ian, who was following behind Riley and was impressed by Riley¡¯s stance, seemed shocked to hear the voice directly in his head. Ian opened his eyes big. ¡®Telepathicmunication?!¡¯ It was one of techniques used to send messages to another using mana. It was a technique that only those who were skilled in mana could use. Of all people, Riley was using it, and Ian was surprised. While Ian was thinking that, the sight of an orc¡¯s head being cut off and floating up was caught in Ian¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huk?¡± ¡°Huuk!¡± As they heard beforeing to the colony, as soon as they went over the forest¡¯s boundary, they could immediately see the orc¡¯s main colony. Now¡­ a ck haired boy charged in there and was dancing. ¡°Huuk? It¡¯s a surprise attack¡­¡± At the colony¡¯s entrance, with a ck haired boy making an entrance, an orc was going to tell others that the colony was under attack. However, along with a sharp sound piercing through the wind, its head was thrown off to the sky. ¡°The enemy is¡­¡± The other orc could not finish the sentence before its head was lifted to the sky. The head fell to the ground. ¡®Seven, eight.¡¯ Holding the swords in his ten fingers, Riley spun the swords in circr motion and turned his body in reverse, swinging his sword like a windmill. ¡®¡­ thirteen.¡¯ Since Riley charged in, quite literally in a sh, Riley handled thirteen orcs. He narrowed his eyes and moved his gaze. ¡®There are about¡­ 160 orcs in this colony? With the ones just killed ounted for, the remaining ones are¡­¡¯ While cutting down the orcs, Riley widened his senses and counted the number of existences within the range. He found another orc shouting to warn other orcs, so Riley swung his arm again. ¡°Supris¡­ Kuk!¡± A sword that Riley threw pierced right into the orc¡¯s neck. ¡®150¡­ The number is low.¡¯ Riley used mana to look around the surrounding. He calmly cut off the next orc¡¯s head and rolled his brain. ¡®Didn¡¯t they say there are about 200 of them?¡¯ Ian arrived at the colony around the time Riley already silently disposed of fifteen orcs. Ian stared at Riley with a look of disbelief. ¡°Ian, about the estimated number of orcs¡­ isn¡¯t it about 200?¡± Riley¡¯s memory about this was fuzzy, so he asked Ian. Ian, who vacantly looked at the orcs¡¯ corpses, said that was the case. ¡°Yes¡­ The number we heard at the mansion and what Malto said to us were both around 200, but¡­ why do you ask?¡± Riley walked over to pull out the sword that left his hand because he threw it and got stuck on an orc¡¯s neck. Riley said, ¡°A few of them are missing.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I think we will have to change the n.¡± Riley had to make a quick decision. Without hesitation, Riley promptly made a decision. Charging forward, Riley said to Ian, ¡°Ian, you move a little more.¡± ¡°Young Master? Just what¡­¡± Without any exnation, Riley shed to east to west. Ian was not sure if he was dreaming or not. To Ian¡¯s back, an unpleasant ¡®Huuuk¡¯ breathing sound through the nose could be heard. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Human! It¡¯s a human!¡± ¡°Corpses, there are corpses! Ourrades were ughtered!¡± With a group of orcs approaching from the back, Ian, who was about half focused, fixed his grip on the sword and narrowed his eyes. ¡®Where¡¯s Young Master?¡¯ Before having a big one against the orcs, Ian casually turned his gaze to look at the direction that Riley charged toward. Ian confirmed that Riley was gone without any trace. Breaking cold sweats, Ian opened his mouth wide. ¡°Huur¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a human. It killed ourrades!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a surprise attack!¡± ¡°Houk¡­ Revenge, take revenge!¡± Ignoring Ian¡¯s sigh, the orcs ground their teeth because of death of theirrades. The orcs, with their axes aimed to the front, only red at Ian. * * * Instead of describing it by calling it swinging the swords, it was more bing to call it a violent dance. Of the six swords that Riley brought, now only three of them remained. ¡®Tsk. The swords are not able to withstand the bit of intensity. They melted or got bent, geez.¡¯ Three of them left Riley¡¯s hands because they couldn¡¯t withstand Riley¡¯s strength. They broke, got bent or melted away. ¡®With this, that¡¯s now 90.¡¯ The edge of the sword on his right hand was broken. Now, Riley held two swords of different lengths, but it looked like this was not going to be a problem for him on fighting orcs. ¡¯91.¡¯ The sword on his right hand was broken in half, so it was shorter than the sword on his left hand. Riley threw the sword on the right hand and pierced an orc¡¯s neck. He looked around the area and narrowed his eyes. ¡®Ian is probably fighting the rest.¡¯ Riley narrowed his eyes and looked around here and there. He checked empty colony and corpses on the ground and furrowed his brows. ¡®The children are not here.¡¯ Even when he was swinging his sword, Riley had been diligently checking this. Having counted the number of swords remaining, Riley tightly closed his eyes. Even if it was just a little further and a little wider, he was trying to increase the range of his senses, hoping to find where the children might be. ¡®Is it this direction?¡¯ Cleanly cut weapons, orcs¡¯ corpses, empty tents, and other misceneous objects that orcs have been using¡­ Stepping over those things, Riley dashed and left the destroyed colony. ¡®In this direction, I feel about 96¡­ no¡­ 97?¡¯ The ce that Riley stepped in was a forest that was pretty far from the colony. It was a forest that was in opposite side of the one that Riley came through from the Alieve Vige. ¡®Um?¡¯ Riley, who had been charging toward the location where he sensed presence, noticed something unusual. He flinched his eyebrows as he charged forward. ¡®The number is decreasing?¡¯ It was because the number of presences was decreasing noticeably fast. 97¡­ 96¡­ 90¡­ 35¡­ It was decreasing in blink of an eye. Having noticed this Riley ground his teeth as he sent mana to his legs. ¡®Don¡¯t bete.¡¯ Tap. Riley had been running as if he was almost flying. His right foot kicked the ground while beingpletely filled with mana. Boom! The dirt ground formed a crater as if it was dug with a shovel and created whirlwind around the area. ¡°¡­ Is that ce?¡± With increased speed, Riley arrived at the location where he felt the presences. He dragged his two feet on the dirt ground to stop. ¡°A cave?¡± What he saw was a fairlyrge looking cave¡¯s entrance, located at the edge of the forest, below the cliff. ¡®The number of presences is¡­ 30¡­¡¯ It was an exact match to the number of children from the vige who have gone missing. ¡®It can¡¯t be¡­ Just like the past life¡­ will the same situation repeat where the children are beyond help and I need to end their lives with my own hands?¡¯ ¡°Um?¡± Riley decided that he will not believe it before seeing it with his own eyes. With is face crumpled, he started to walk to the front. However, he discovered something and tilted his head side to side. ¡°¡­?¡± He found something strange at the front of the entrance. ¡°What is this?¡± Perhaps it was best described by saying the scenery in front of Riley was exuding strange sensation¡­ Things painted in ck were pasted all over the cave¡¯s entrance, generating strange smoke. ¡°Is it mud?¡± Riley approached the stuff. Feeling the stench from the objects, Riley cringed. ¡®No. It is not mud¡­ this is¡­¡¯ The ck things were corpses. It could be said they were parts of the corpses. The pieces of muscles were saturated in ck and reeking stench. They were pieces of orcs that were torn apart. ¡°¡­ Poison?¡± Even now, some of the ck pieces were flinching. It was because of the poison. It was highly concentrated poison that was enough to make even Riley to cringe. Riley mumbled with his face crumpled, ¡°Who¡­¡± Riley widened his senses and detected a presence that was slowly moving away from the ce. Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡®Is that him?¡¯ He was probably the one who was responsible for making the orcs into poisoned pieces. Considering the situation, Riley assessed that must be the case. He thought about if he should pursue the man, but soon he shook his head. Riley could feel the presence of 30 inside the cave. Confirming them, which he thought to be the vige¡¯s children, came first. ¡®I hope they are all right¡­ Um?¡¯ What happened in his past life came to his mind. Riley closed and opened his hands and was about to carefully enter the cave, but he found something carved on the ground at the entrance. It read, [To the people of the Alieve Vige who came to rescue the children.] It was a writing. Next to the writing, there was a sharp rock, saturated in ck, that was rolling around. It looked like someone used the rock as a pencil to write it on the ground. The writing was quite strange. [I am sorry. With my abilities, this was the only way for me to save the children who were kidnapped by the orcs. I desperately controlled it so the children inside the cave would not be harmed. However¡­ children with weak immunity may have been poisoned, so please quickly take them to the Holy Temple and cure them.] Riley was reading the writing, but then he furrowed his eyebrows, thinking what this other thing was about. ¡°What is this now?¡± The writing didn¡¯t end there. Is seemed this other writing was not for the people who woulde from the vige. It seemed to be for the ones who would being out of the cave. The second part was written from the opposite direction of the one that Riley just read. It seemed it was written out of concern for the ones who would being out of the cave. The writing read, [Children, by any chance, if you can escape the cave before the adults from the vige cane to rescue you¡­ Go straight to the vige and tell the adults right away after seeing this writing. Tell them that you might have contracted an illness, and ask them to take you to the Holy Temple to be cured. Although I only met you for a short while, the warmth and kindness that you showed me while I was at the Alieve Vige¡­ I¡¯ll cherish them as I leave this ce. Thank you. Your friend who cannot breathe, Epidemic.] It seemed to be telling Riley that the children inside the cave were safe. Chapter 107 - Clock Spring

Chapter 107: Clock Spring

Riley brought the missing children safely back to the vige. He made up a reasonable story to exin that the children need to be taken to the Holy Temple immediately. ¡°I¡­ I see. In that case, I¡¯m counting on you.¡± Having heard Malto¡¯s response, along with the children, Riley started to walk toward the prepared carriage. Ian, who was still next to Malto, exined the rest on Riley¡¯s behalf. ¡°We disposed of all orcs, so you probably don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ But, did just ¡®two of you¡¯ really handle that many orcs? Honestly, I cannot believe it.¡± Having heard the question, Ian thought about Riley¡¯s movements and the number of orcs that Riley yed. Ian was about to say ¡®no, most of them were disposed of by the Young Master alone.¡¯ However, he closed his mouth. ¡®That is, Riley wanted it.¡¯ It was because the request that Iris made during thest spring felt like it was ringing in his ears. What Riley did not want¡­ What Iris wanted¡­ Having thought about the two things, Ian put back what he was about to talk about. Instead, he said, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We handled them by ourselves, just the two of us.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Well then, we are going to make haste and go to the Holy Temple now.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Yes!¡± Inside, Ian asked ¡®Lady Iris, this much is probably all right, right?¡¯ With Malto to his back, Ian started to walk toward the carriage with thirty children. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Ian looked up at Riley sitting on the driver¡¯s seat and tilted his head side to side. ¡°Why are you not on the carriage?¡± ¡°Look at the back.¡± Riley used his thumb to point behind over his shoulder. Ian looked at the direction. As if he realized the reason, he didn¡¯t ask anymore and just sat on the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Look at this carriage. It¡¯s really amazing.¡± ¡°I think that big brother earlier must be a high nobility.¡± ¡°Children, don¡¯t be a nuisance. Stay still.¡± ¡°Big sis, you try touching this too! It feels really interesting!¡± ¡°This sofa is so soft.¡± The carriage probably was not designed for this kind of asion. However, there were thirty children inside the carriage and chatting about the soft sofa or the wall papers with patterns. ¡°Surprisingly, all of them got in there.¡± ¡°It looks a little tight in there, but it doesn¡¯t look like anyone isining.¡± Perhaps it was because they were raised in a small town with rough environment. It seemed they were so impressed that they got to ride on a carriage that they may never get to ride on in their entire life. Although it looked tight in there, the children didn¡¯tin. They waited for the carriage to start heading toward the Holy Temple. ¡°Well then, we are going to get going, all right?¡± Ian, who grabbed on to the leash, looked back toward the children and asked. The children, who were on the sofa or the floor, responded in excitement. ¡°Yes!!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± The carriage wasn¡¯t a carriage for a count¡¯s house for nothing. Although the carriage started to move, therge space was not rattling at all. The children, with their eyes wide, started to talk to each other. ¡°It¡­ it¡¯s moving!¡± ¡°It¡¯s so amazing. It¡¯s not rattling at all.¡± Riley focused on the voices of the children on the back, but it was only for a moment. Thinking he can rx now, Riley sighed and supported his chin with his hand. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m ruined.¡± ¡°Ruined?¡± Ian, who was carefully driving the carriage, asked what he meant by that. ¡°I worked too diligently today.¡± The look on Riley¡¯s face said all this was such a bother. His face was full of it. He sighed again and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep for the next two days.¡± Rileyined like that, and he sounded serious. Ian, who was looking at Riley from the side, smiled lightly and looked to the front. ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± ¡°What.¡± Riley, who was observing the sceneries passing by, responded in uninterested voice. ¡°It¡¯s about your swordsmanship. I always wanted to ask you once. What you showed us during the spring is strange, and what you showed today when you were ying the orcs are also strange¡­ Let alone training, you never once held a sword, so just when did you master all that?¡± When did you master swordsmanship like that? Judging from the content of the question, it seemed Ian concluded Riley learned it by studying it alone. The movements were definitely not in Iphalleta¡¯s textbook, and even Stein didn¡¯t show movements like that. It was not strange for Ian to think like that. ¡°I just roughly¡­ had been imagining them in my head. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡®Imagining in my head? Those swordys? Those movements?¡¯ Riley realized what he just said could be mistaken for something else very easily. Although he was the one who said them, even Riley thought perhaps he shouldn¡¯t have. However, Riley at least maintained the uninterested look on his face. ¡°In that case, how did you do that with the mana? A while ago¡­ you even sent telepathic message.¡± Having heard the question, Riley became stiff for a moment. Soon, as if it was nothing, Riley asked back, ¡°Telepathic message? What¡¯s that?¡± Riley decided to act like he didn¡¯t know about mana. Riley already nned to say ¡®Ian, maybe you are getting hard of hearing?¡¯ ¡°¡­ Haha.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ianughed, casually turned his head and looked at Riley. Riley furrowed his brows as if he was trying to ask ¡®what did I do?¡¯ ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°What, why.¡± Ian seemed proud somehow. He had that look on his face. Ian looked to the front again. With a voice with mixed emotions, Ian said, ¡°I think I was not wrong.¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s voice, Riley didn¡¯t respond. He just kept silence and looked at the direction that Ian was looking at and casually smiled. ¡°¡­¡± All the way to the Holy Temple, Ian didn¡¯t ask about that anymore. * * * Inside a cave that wasrge enough to make people drop their jaws in awe, there was a dark haired girl standing alone. ¡°¡­¡± The girl had this huge space for herself. With her eyes gently closed, she moved her lips, and a few dozen dark mes started to exude light around her. In the empty cave, only the girl could be seen. However, there was another voice that could be heard, the kind that was definitely different from the girl¡¯s voice. ¡°No, Not really.¡± The girl extinguished the mes and said that was not the case. ¡°Ms. Heliona, you are the one who is amazing.¡± The girlplimented toward the empty space. The voice, which appeared to be jealous of Nainiae, changed the tone instantly and said as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The girl, Nainiae, was having a conversation with the voice that could be heard from the empty air. Feeling a presence behind her, she slowly turned her head and looked at the man who was walking toward her. ¡°Ah, master.¡± The man was a good looking young man with me like red hair. ¡°You¡­¡± It seemed the man was not feeling awkward about being called a master. He continued to walk toward her. He asked her straight, ¡°You went to Rainfield with Riley during the summer, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ofcourse we did. You sent us there yourself, didn¡¯t you?¡± Nainiae tilted her head side to side, wondering why he was asking such a question, and asked back. A suppressedughter could be heard from the empty space. Having heard the voice, the red haired young man turned his gaze toward the direction where the voice came from. He threatened by saying, ¡°Unless you want to be unsummoned, it would be best for you to keep your mouth locked tightly, Heliona.¡± <¡­ Yes.> ¡°Spirits always have the problem with their mouths¡­ So, you definitely went there, right?¡± Andal looked at Nainiae again and asked the same question. As a recement for a verbal response, Nainiae nodded to tell him that she had. ¡°By any chance, did Riley cause an ident in Rainfield?¡± ¡°An ident?¡± Having heard the question, Nainiae tilted her head side to side again, looked to the cave¡¯s ceiling and had a look on her face as if she didn¡¯t know very well. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± She looked like she was trying to hide something. Andal was sure that Nainiae was sparing the words because of his friend. Andal sighed and exined why he asked. ¡°My kinfolks are going to gather. It has been a while since we have, but I have heard that the ce of gathering is Rainfield.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Andal narrowed his eyes as if that was not the end of it. With seriousness, Andal asked, ¡°I heard a suspicious energy was felt in Rainfield?¡± ¡°Really? By any chance, are they talking about the Young Master¡­¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s words, Nainiae flinched and mumbled with a concerned look on her face. Andal shook his head and said, ¡°No. It is not that rascal Riley. My kinfolks are already well aware of his existence. They just don¡¯t mind him because he is sitting around on his butt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know something, don¡¯t you?¡± Judging from the look on Nainiae¡¯s face, Andal knew something was up. He turned around immediately and made a gesture with his hand toward Nainiae toe along. ¡°Follow me. We are going to Rainfield.¡± ¡°M¡­ Me too?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gathering among my kinfolks, and it has been a very long time. While there, I¡¯m going to discuss the matter about the Rainfield and also tell them what I have been up to.¡± Nainiae tumbled and followed behind Andal. A whisper could be heard in Nainiae¡¯s ears. ¡°Heliona.¡± ¡°You follow me too.¡± <¡­ I¡­ Won¡¯t it be better for me to just stay here and watch their?> ¡°Follow me.¡± * * * After the carriage with the Alieve vige¡¯s children on board arrived at the next vige, Ian took the children to the Holy Temple. With a relieved face that said he just resolved a big case, Ian returned to the carriage. ¡°Young Master, I took the children to the Holy Temple. The priest said the illness is at the early stage, so there is no need to worry so much, but because there are thirty children, it will take a while¡­¡± As he returned to the carriage, Ian exined what he have heard from the temple. However, having noticed that Riley was snoring while lying on the top of the carriage, Ian stopped exining and sighed. ¡®That¡¯s all right. He worked pretty hard today, so¡­¡¯ Ian thought that Riley moved a lot today unlike his usual self. Ian gave up on waking up Riley and sat on the carriage¡¯s stairs. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m going to end this in a sh.¡¯ Ian was thinking about how Riley swung his sword without any fear despite facing over a hundred orcs. ¡°Kuhup, Young Master!!¡± It was a mystery how Ian managed to hold it in until now. Looking at Riley, who was lying on the top of the carriage and snoring, Ian started to tear up. Even at that moment, the magnificence and bravery that Riley showed was being re-broadcasted in Ian¡¯s head. ¡°I¡­ I am¡­!¡± Ian wiped off the tears using his sleeve. He could hear a long cry. It was a bird. A predator type bird with wide wings waving in the air was circling above Ian¡¯s head. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Ian was sniffling while being soaked in emotions. Having heard the bird above him, he turned his head up wide and looked at the bird. ¡°A messenger?¡± Ian noticed a letter tied to the bird that was circling in the air. He narrowed his eyes and raised his right arm. ¡°There.¡± The bird carefullynded on his arm. Ian noticed that the bird was a messenger that mercenaries used often. He carefully untied the letter on the bird¡¯s leg. [To Young Master Riley] Judging from what was written on the top of the letter, it seemed the message was for Riley. ¡®Did Nara send this?¡¯ There was a messenger bird that mercenaries used often. The letter was addressed to Riley. Based on those, Ian concluded that it must be Nara, who was heading to Solia, was the one who sent this. To read it in Riley¡¯s stead, he carefully opened the letter. [Young Master. It¡¯s that bastard.] After going over the first line on the letter, Ian furrowed his eyebrows, confused. ¡®That bastard?¡¯ Ian continued on to the next line. [The dark mage from the Rainfield was revived.] Dark mage? What dark mage? Having read the content and wondering what this was about, Ian didn¡¯t just flinch his eyebrows. At that same moment, his facial muscles started to flinch. Chapter 108 - Clock Spring (2)

Chapter 108: Clock Spring (2)

¡°What is this?¡± With the letter on his grip, Ian looked at the letters that said ¡®dark mage¡¯ several times. Ian turned his head while shaking his hand. ¡°¡­ Y¡­ Young Master!¡± Despite his loud calling, Riley was sleeping with his mouth wide open. He just kept on enjoying sweet afternoon nap. ¡°Young Master, Young Master! Please wake up!¡± Because Riley didn¡¯t wake up from Ian calling for him, Ian quickly jumped to the top of the carriage and woke up Riley by shaking his shoulder. ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°Uuu, um¡­ What is it? Are they done already?¡± Riley felt like it hasn¡¯t even been 30 minutes since he started to sleep. He cringed big, got up and started to rub his eyes. ¡°If they finished treating the children, we just need to get going, so why did you wake me?¡± Riley had his cringed face toward Ian. With the look on his face, Riley was trying to say it was such a bother. However, Riley saw the look on Ian¡¯s face. Ian looked as violent as an orc. Riley straightened his cringed face and gulped. ¡°Young Master.¡± Ian brought his face very close to Riley. It was getting ufortable. Riley unconsciously pulled back and stuttered, ¡°Y¡­ yeah?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Ian, with his eyes wide open, showed the paper to Riley. It was a thin piece of paper with a few lines of words written. The paper said, ¡®Young Master, it is that bastard. The dark mage from the Rainfield was revived.¡¯ ¡°¡­ What about it?¡± ¡°This¡­!¡± Having read the letter, Riley had uninterested look on his face. He tilted his head side to side and asked. Ian was going to shout something loudly, but he shut his mouth like a child with honey on his mouth. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Ian sighed big enough to sink the ground, and that somehow made Riley concerned. Riley got a hold of the paper that Ian put forward and read the content once again. [Young Master, it is that bastard. The dark mage from the Rainfield was revived.] The Solia Holy Temple¡¯s Archbishop. One of the men with purple aura. Riley was suspicious of Rebethra, so he had Nara to dig his background, and now, this letter came flying in. This meant¡­ ¡®The bait was bitten?¡¯ It meant Rebethra bit the bait that Riley tossed just in case. ¡®Thisplicates things a little since some other guy bit it instead of Kabal.¡¯ The dark mage from the Rainfield was also one of the people with purple aura that Nara mentioned. Riley thought about Rebethra, Kabal and the dark mage. Rebethra was the Archbishop from Solia. Kabal was a famous mercenary from Ansyrium. The dark mage was recently active in Rainfield. While thinking about them, Riley saw Ian¡¯s face in front of him and flinched. ¡°What, why are you like that?¡± ¡°Young Master, are you trying to hide it again?¡± Ian, with annoyed look on his face, was ring at Riley as if he was going to burn a hole through the face with his gaze. ¡°¡­ Hide what?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask me what this old man is talking about. You know well what I¡¯m asking about, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed Riley was at a loss for words because of Ian¡¯s gaze and tone. Riley just had his mouth open with a vacant look on his face. Ian raised his hand and suddenly grabbed on to Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young Master!¡± ¡°You are going to make my ear fall off.¡± Ian¡¯s loud voice was enough to make other people passing by to nce at them. ¡°Ugh.¡± Concerned about it leading to more bothersome things, Riley was going to handle this quietly by himself. However, with his butler persistently biting on to the topic and not letting go, Riley slowly rolled his eyes. ¡®I think this might cause me more exhaustion if I don¡¯t tell him.¡¯ Ian was holding Riley¡¯s shoulder tightly, and his eyes were in mes. They said he won¡¯t let go of this hand unless Riley exined what this was about. Watching Ian like this, Riley thought about an advice that Iris gave him a long time ago. ¡®Riley, there is no such thing as a secret that you can hide forever.¡¯ They said a mother¡¯s advice is always right. She was not wrong. In fact, in the process of the sessorshippetition, Riley gave Ian a glimpse of his swordsmanship skill. ¡°Ian, this is really nothing special, but¡­¡± Riley mumbled as if he was finding all this to be icky. Ian had a violent look on his face. As if he was trying to say Riley should still tell him, Ian brought his face closer to Riley¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll listen!¡± ¡°This will take a long time to exin.¡± ¡°We need to wait a long time anyway for the children to get treated ande out of the Holy Temple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please tell me!¡± ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± This time, Riley sighed like Ian from earlier. * * * Tsuuuwaaaa. It was autumn, but it was still raining in Rainfield. In an abandoned building with a pretty good atmosphere, there were several existences gathered there. It was unbelievable that they were all in the same ce. ¡°How many hundreds of years has it been since thest meeting?¡± ¡°Thest one was over a thousand years ago.¡± ¡°Really? I was sleeping, so I didn¡¯t know.¡± There was a blindingly bright silver colored elf, a shiny gold colored orc, a vibrant green colored tree, and an ocean blue colored mermaid. Four different kinds with each very different characteristics were gathered there and having a conversation. ¡°Where¡¯s Andal?¡± ¡°He is not here yet. He said he is bringing a pupil and asked us to wait.¡± ¡°A pupil? What¡¯s a pupil?¡± ¡°You know that thing that humans do. Things like education.¡± ¡°Ah, that?¡± ¡°That guy really is an oddball. An oddball.¡± ¡°I asked him to bring the pupil. Ah, I think he is here.¡± An elf was unting her silver hair. The beautiful elf turned her head and mumbled. The space that she stared at started to distort. ¡°Uu. I just can¡¯t get used to Rainfield. This humid air¡­ It is the worst.¡± The distorted space had a burst of light, and Andal and Nainiae made appearances. ¡°Wow, this is a surprise? Everyone is really here?¡± Nainiae stood next to Andal, confused. Andal patted Nainiae on the back hard and walked to the table where the four existences were sitting together. The silver haired elf said, ¡°No, one of us is not here.¡± ¡°One is missing? Ah, you are right? Howe?¡± ¡°It was impossible to get in contact. Even their was empty. Maybe it is because of an amusement tour.¡± ¡°Even so, shouldn¡¯t it be possible to contact each other? So busy to the point of not being able to reply to calls?¡± ¡°Perhaps.¡± The elf answered Andal¡¯s questions. She looked at Nainiae who was standing there all confused. The elf made a gesture with her hand to tell Nainiae she should sit anywherefortable. ¡°¡­¡± Having noticed the gesture, she lowered her head and carefully sat at a corner. The ones gathered at the table started to have a conversation with Nainiae as the main topic. ¡°Hum, so that¡¯s her, right?¡± ¡°Andal took her to be pu¡­ pu what again?¡± ¡°A pupil.¡± ¡°So, the human who Andal took to raise as his pupil is her?¡± ¡°I would like to have her fight a duel against my guardian spirit.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother. She appears to be a female and look all weak and fragile. Have you forgotten? Humans are weak? If you kill her, Andal is going to be furious.¡± They each said a line to discuss about Nainiae. Andal slowly walked to the table and sat. He butt into the conversation as if he was not going to let it continue like this. ¡°Don¡¯t make meugh. The orc that you took in is not going to be able toy a hand on even the tip of Nainiae¡¯s toes. There won¡¯t be need for a long fight. It will end in 30 seconds.¡± ¡°30 seconds? Puhahaha! Andal, it seems like the thousand years made you be more boastful!¡± ¡°Huhu, you think I¡¯m just full of empty air? Should I boast some more? It will take at least five high elves.¡± With his arms crossed, Andal mischievously smiled and said with confidence. A tree, a human with tree trunk skins to be exact, shook the head and clicked the tongue. ¡°Tsk. Tsk.¡± ¡°Now, now. Everyone, that¡¯s enough. We are gathered here for a different reason.¡± The silver haird elf calmed everyone by saying there is a more important matter than Nainiae. She promptly went into the main point. ¡°I asked all of you to gather here in Rainfield because, as I exined briefly earlier, I felt a strange energy in this ce.¡± ¡°Strange energy?¡± ¡°Just what¡¯s all this ruckus about?¡± ¡°It was a few days ago.¡± The elf in front of the table started to exin. ¡°This suspicious energy that I felt in Rainfield is¡­ simr to mana, but it waspletely different from mana.¡± ¡°Completely different from mana?¡± ¡°I am not sure how to describe it. Compared to mana, it somehow felt sticky and unpleasant.¡± Nainiae was sitting at a bit of distance from the table and observed the beings having conversations. Feeling the energy emanating from them, Nainiae gulped. ¡®Are they all dragons like the master?¡¯ Starting with the silver haired elf who was sitting in the main seat, golden skinned orc, a tree man with tree-bark skin, a mermaid with fishtail, and red haired Andal¡­ The energy felt from each of them were all extraordinary. Nainiae could be certain of this. ¡®They are dragons, right?¡¯ To resolve Nainiae¡¯s curiosity, a whispering voice could be heard in Nainiae¡¯s ears. It was Heliona, the spirit who lived with her in Andal¡¯sir. ¡°There were total of three humans who possessed that energy. They were here in Rainfield. If I didn¡¯t borrow the power of the spirit and watched the visual from the past, I would not havee to believe it.¡± Having understood this far, the dragons nodded and started to ask questions. ¡°You didn¡¯t make us assemble just for that, right? It is not like three humans roaming around in a group is all that unusual.¡± The dragon who currently assumed the form of a tree man asked carefully. The silver haired elf nodded and continued, ¡°Those beings with sticky energy showed movements that threatened the bnce.¡± Nainiae, who had been tuning in to the conversation, furrowed her brows. ¡®Threaten the bnce?¡¯ The silver haired elf sighed, and continued on to finish what she couldn¡¯t earlier. ¡°In other words¡­ they are interfering with the fate.¡± ¡°What?¡± Having heard her words, everyone, including Andal, crumpled their faces. ¡°Now, tell us, human child.¡± The silver haired elf turned to look at Nainiae who was sitting on the corner. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Through the spirit, I saw what happened there in the past. I know you were there at the Rainfield. About what happened there that day¡­ I would like you to tell us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Now, even other dragons turned their gazes to look at Nainiae. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, I could tell the story¡­ if you are okay with that.¡± Having heard the elf, Nainiae hesitated for a moment. She got up from her seat and carefully started to talk. ¡°So, I ran into a dark mage in Rainfield.¡± She exined that, ording to Riley who ran into the dark mage several times, the dark mage¡¯s ability was different from magic which used mana. It was like a separate ability that didn¡¯t need mana. Considering what they know so far, it seemed certain that this was the ¡®sticky energy¡¯ that was mentioned earlier. ¡°Like me, he used ck colored magic, and¡­ Separate from magic, he had the ability to raise the corpses and control them.¡± After her words, the silver haired elf nodded as if she was trying to say that Nainiae was telling the truth. The elf added to say there was more. ¡°Making a dead body to move at will is something that we dragons can do. It is just a puppet y. The problem is¡­ the soul.¡± ¡°¡­ Soul?¡± ¡°Your name is¡­ Nainiae, is it? How would you feel if you saw someone who died, andpletely became dust on top of that¡­ yet is standing right in front of you and very much alive?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae vacantly asked. The silver haired high elf lifted her finger and pointed at Nainiae¡¯s white eye. ¡°That eye can locate the existence that the person you are facing is thinking about, right?¡± Although she didn¡¯t know how it worked, Nainiae had that eye from the Magic Tower¡¯s experiment. Nainiae carefully nodded. ¡°How about a human who already died?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask in a different way. About the human that I¡¯m thinking about right now, by any chance, can you locate where he is?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Having heard the elf¡¯s question, Nainiae vacantly stared at her fair eyes. Nainiae suddenly opened her eyes big and turned her head. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae had her eyes wide open as if she was shocked. There were two reasons for this. ¡°How could¡­¡± First, the dark mage who was incinerated in Rainfield was found alive in Solia. The second thing was¡­ ¡®That man¡­ How did he?¡¯ The grand mage Astroa, the one who died in Soliast spring, was very much alive and moving around. Chapter 109 - Clock Spring (3)

Chapter 109: Clock Spring (3)

Perhaps it only took about 30 minutes. Perhaps it took as long as one hour. ¡°¡­ and that¡¯s all of it.¡± Ian didn¡¯t interrupt Riley from exining what transpired in Rainfield, not even once. When Riley finished exining, Ian fiddled with his chin and maintained silence for a moment. ¡°Well, you are free to believe it or not believe it.¡± Riley quicklyid down on the top of the carriage as if he had no more things to say. At that moment, Ian shook his head and finally opened his mouth. ¡°No.¡± An infamous dark mage with hefty bounty was roaming around controlling corpses, that dark mage appeared in the Rainfield¡¯s library, the dark mage tried to scheme using Rainfield¡¯s clouds, and Riley stopped that dark mage. The stories that Riley exined in detail about Rainfield were the kind that were difficult for people to believe. ¡°¡­ I believe you.¡± Despite that, Ian said he believed Riley in such a clear and confident voice. It was to the point of making Riley concerned. Riley casually moved his eyes and looked at the butler. ¡°Really?¡± Riley had his hands together to lock the fingers and ced them below his head. Riley looked at Ian in the eyes and closed his eyes as if he was trying to say that it was fine then. ¡°Well then, okay.¡± Watching Riley closing his eyes, Ian, who had been maintaining a serious look on his face until now, flinched his eyebrows and brought his hand toward Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young Master. Should you be going to sleep like that right now? You need to make a decision!¡± Although Riley showed himself swinging sword in front of Ian, and although Riley just told Ian unbelievable stories, this old butler was, surprisingly, not acting any differently from before. ¡°Why, what now again?¡± Riley was actually expecting this inside. As if he was giving in, Riley opened his eyes and asked back. Ian said with a serious face, ¡°If you will be okay with it, we can go to Solia right after taking the children back to Alieve vige.¡± ¡°Solia?¡± ¡°Yes. If what Nara said in the letter is true¡­ We should go to Solia immediately and¡­¡± With his fist tightened, Ian mumbled that they should beat that dark mage runt to death immediately. Watching this, Riley asked with a curious look. ¡°I¡¯m in middle of the sessorshippetition still, aren¡¯t I? Is it going to be all right to get out of it so carelessly?¡± Riley thought Ian might hesitate. However, without a silver of hesitation, Ian asked back like this, ¡°There is something else that is more important, isn¡¯t there?¡± For a very long time, Ian had been wishing for the Young Master he served to be the official sessor of the Iphalleta house. However, that man was saying without any hesitation that Riley should give up on it and they should head to some other ce. Something else that is more important¡­ Instead of looking after one¡¯s practical interest, the old butler was certain that stopping the dark mage who once lead the people of the Rainfield to the brink of death was more important. ¡®A Mercenary Hero, huh¡­¡¯ Riley looked at Ian in the eyes again and thought about what Nara said before. ¡®I can say this with certainty¡­ That bastard Kabal¡­ No matter how famous he bes using his monstrous strength, he can never obtain the title of the Mercenary Hero like Mr. Ian. Kabal can nevere close to the mindset that Mr. Ian has. That¡¯s why.¡¯ People had toe first before everything else. That was all that Ian was trying to say. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s question about there being something else more important, Riley supported his chin on his hand and thought hard about it for a moment. This news came by when Riley had Nara¡¯s group to tail Rebethra who appeared to be rted to Kabal the mercenary who thrown off Riley¡¯s father¡¯s arm because Riley wanted to catch Kabal. Now, the dark mage from Rainfield reappeared. This was not the news that Riley hoped for. However, it was an icky news for Riley to just nce over. ¡®Is going there the right choice?¡¯ Riley resolved the case in Alieve Vige where a kidnapping incident simr to what happened in Riley¡¯s past life had urred. He was nning on resting leisurely and go back to the mansion, but now, he fell to a deep thought with a vacant look on his face. ¡°¡­ Young Master, about that¡­¡± While Riley was in a deep thought, Ian, who was standing next to Riley, pointed to the right side with his finger as if he found something. ¡°Um?¡± Riley turned his head toward the direction that Ian pointed and noticed another Iphalleta house¡¯s carriage entering the vige. Just like Ian, Riley wiggled his brows. ¡®What is this now again?¡¯ Riley stared at the carriage with a dumbfounded look on his face. ¡°Ah, as I heard, you were here.¡± The butler that drove the carriage here was the one who served Lloyd, the second son of the Iphalleta house. ¡°¡­ Are we here now?¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master Lloyd.¡± Soon, Lloyd¡¯s voice could be heard from inside the carriage. Riley, wondering what this was about, raised his upper body from lying down position. ¡°Big brother?¡± Kiiiiic. The carriage¡¯s door opened, and Lloyd revealed himself from the inside. Wondering what this was about, Riley jumped down from the carriage. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley tilted his head side to side and asked. Ian, in silence, stood behind Riley and red at Lloyd. They were in middle of the sessorpetition. The fact that Lloyd, the one who had ill feelings toward Riley and Iris, came to see Riley at this time did not seem like a good sign. This was the reason why. ¡°Ian, I know what you are thinking, but¡­ That is not why I¡¯m here, so I would appreciate it if you did not re at me with that look on your eyes.¡± Ian had been looking at Lloyd carefully and noticed that the parts below his eyes were turnedpletely dark somehow. Having noticed this, Ian lowered his head as if he decided to yield. ¡°I just¡­¡± Lloyd now looked at Riley. Lloyd was going to say something, but after seeing Riley was tilting his head side to side, Lloyd just sighed big. ¡°I just have something I want to ask. That¡¯s why I came.¡± He came although the sessorpetition was in full swing. He probably had things he was working on, yet he came here while leaving all those be. Finding it to be unbelievable, Ian was going to ask. However, Riley reached out to Ian with his right hand and stopped him. ¡°Yes. If it is something I can answer.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s answer, Lloyd casually looked around the area and then said carefully, ¡°It does not feel right to talk about it here. Can we go somewhere else?¡± Because Riley and Ian had the Alieve Vige¡¯s children here at the Holy Temple for treatment, they were not in a situation where they could just leave the spot. Riley casually turned to look at Ian. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°When the children¡¯s treatments areplete, take them to the Alieve Vige ande back. I¡¯ll be having a chat with my big brother here.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s order, Ian started to open and close his mouth like a fish in panic. ¡°B¡­ But¡­ Young Master¡­¡± ¡°I think this conversation is not going to end quickly, so get going.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Could you ease up on your worries? You saw that earlier, right? You said you trust me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Despite the order, perhaps Ian was concerned about leaving Riley by himself. Ian was not able to leave his side so easily. Having heard what Riley said, Ian finally closed the mouth that he had open. ¡°¡­¡± Lloyd watched the two having a conversation that seemed to have underlying meanings. Lloyd started to walk first as he asked if this will be really all right. Riley followed suit and gestured to Ian. ¡°Get going.¡± * * * ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to ask me that you had toe to see me when we are in middle of the sessorshippetition?¡± Lloyd even had his own butler to be away from the conversation. Lloyd and Riley sat in a hotel with teas on top of a table. Riley fiddled with his fingers. ¡°Big brother?¡± ¡°Ah, right¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I think I¡¯m sleep deprived.¡± Lloyd was sitting there with a nk look on his face. It seemed he really was sleep deprived. The parts below his eyes werepletely dark. Lloyd rubbed that darkened part and respondedte. ¡°I want to ask you about¡­ my Big brother.¡± ¡°Big brother?¡± They were talking about Ryan, the eldest son of the Iphalleta house. There was only one person in the world that Lloyd would have addressed as his Big brother. ¡°Are you talking about Big brother Ryan?¡± Riley carefully mumbled the name, and Lloyd carefully nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I have something I want to ask you about my Big brother.¡± Riley closed his mouth as if he was trying to say Lloyd should continue. It seemed Lloyd was parched. He took a sip from the tea on the table and started to exin. ¡°I have been thinking about this a little bit by myself, but no matter how I think about it, I couldn¡¯t be sure. It was too much of a sensitive issue to ask to servants, and I couldn¡¯t ask our father either, so¡­¡± Lloyd couldn¡¯t sound more serious. Riley thought this was still not the time to say anything in response, so he kept silent. ¡°I think my big brother had changed recently.¡± ¡°Big brother had changed?¡± ¡°Recently¡­ No, perhaps he had been like that since a long time ago, but I feel that something had gone wrong with the big brother.¡± This was not really surprising to Riley. ¡°Do you remember when your maid was coughing blood on the corridor recently?¡± ¡°Yes, I still remember.¡± ¡°How my big brother reacted back then¡­ I wonder if his behavior was bing of our Iphalleta family¡¯s image.¡± Lloyd thought about how his big brother told him they should just watch a dying person be when they saw Nainiae coughing blood as if she was about to die. Thinking about it made Lloyd cringe. ¡°About my mother too¡­ Perhaps it is not right to say this to you, but I have a bit of suspicion toward my big brother because of the fact that he was not ashamed of our mother about that day.¡± After that, Lloyd¡¯s story unfolded in great detail. However, to summarize, it was as followed. It seemed Ryan waspletely heartless, devoid of blood or tears. Lloyd did not think Ryan¡¯s personality was bing of Iphalleta¡¯s image. So¡­ Somehow, Lloyd was strongly feeling that Ryan should not be Iphalleta¡¯s sessor. ¡°So, what do you think?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that question?¡± ¡°About our big brother bing the sessor.¡± Before long, Lloyd already emptied the tea, and now he was ring at Riley as if he was going to burn a hole through him with the gaze. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like how I have been acting. You didn¡¯t like me for years. I understand that hearing this from me out of the blue must sound very suspicious. However, I would like you to also know that I am¡­ telling you this after having thought about it and deliberated on it for a very long time.¡± Not quite at the age of the adulthood yet, Lloyd still had a bit of the look of a boy. The lower parts of his eyes were dark, and it must be because he had been agonizing over this countless times before telling this to Riley. After agonizing over and then some¡­ It seemed Lloyd barely managed to decide what would be the right thing to do. ¡°I had been following my big brother¡¯s back all this time, so I don¡¯t have much. So, instead of me, I would like you to stop him.¡± ¡°Big brother, just what are you talking about all of sudden?¡± Riley asked back, and Lloyd continued with a boundlessly serious face. ¡°¡­ Please, you do it.¡± ¡®Do it? Do what?¡¯ ¡°You have the medal of honor from the Solia, and you even have a High Circle mage who is loyal to you, don¡¯t you? Of course, she is away from the mansion so she could be cured of her illness, but¡­¡± Riley started to put Lloyd¡¯s puzzle pieces together. Having realized what Lloyd was trying to say, Riley furrowed his brows. ¡°I¡¯ll support you. Only then you will be able to beat big brother.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Please, you be the sessor.¡± ¡°Big brother, just wait¡­¡± ¡°Seeding the line after our father, I would like you to be the sessor of Iphalleta.¡± In the hotel room with just Riley and Lloyd, a pretty long moment of silence came by. ¡°¡­¡± Could it be because of the silence? In the quiet room, the ticking sound seemed like it was getting louder. Inside the clock, the clock¡¯s second hand and¡­ Inside the clock, the clock spring was¡­ Slowly, it was moving slowly. Chapter 110 - To Solia Again

Chapter 110: To Solia Again

¡°Riley?¡± Having heard Lloyd¡¯s proposition, Riley, who had been vacantly keeping silence, behind handedly woke up from his thoughts and said, ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°The answer to the proposition I just made¡­ I don¡¯t need to hear it, right?¡± Lloyd looked at Riley with tired eyes. Honestly, the word ¡®pitiful¡¯ fit them well. Riley stared at his second oldest brother vacantly. His tea still had a few sip left. Riley quenched his neck with it and carefully said, ¡°Big brother.¡± His voice was cautious. However, Lloyd looked like he knew what Riley was going to say. Lloyd¡¯s face looked rxed as if he was relieved a little. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Honestly, I am not liking your proposition.¡± ¡°I see¡­ Um, what did you say?¡± Lloyd was nodding as if he was trying to say he knew it. Having realizedte what Riley actually said, Lloyd opened his eyes big and asked back. ¡°W¡­ Why?¡± Lloyd panicked. Watching him, Riley smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head. Riley said, ¡°I¡¯m not declining it to get ill feelings from you. I have many reasons, but if I am to tell you the things that areing to my mind first¡­¡± Riley thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°First, I¡¯m sure you know well what I am called in this family.¡± Lazy-Sword. That was Riley¡¯s title. Unlike Ryan with the title of Strong-Sword and Lloyd with Swift-Sword, Riley¡¯s title of Lazy-Sword was most certainly not only shabby, but even a shameful title. ¡°If I went after the sessorship with a title like that, I think our ancestors would be ashamed.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s answer, Lloyd was going to say ¡®you are doing thepetition right now, aren¡¯t you?¡¯ However, he was blocked by Riley continuing to talk. ¡°Even if I became the sessor by some luck, I don¡¯t have the confidence to lead the family well. Honestly, it is such a bother too¡­¡± He could not hear the rest very well, but¡­ Watching Riley smiling awkwardly while scratching his cheek, Lloyd shook his tired face and talked back. ¡°No, you can do it. If I¡­ If I back you up!¡± ¡°Big brother¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s cut and dry voice, Lloyd¡¯s lips petrified like stone. ¡°We are Iphalleta House.¡± As Lloyd said earlier about his concern for Ryan, the bearer of the title had to shoulder the responsibility that was most definitely not light. In this house, before the swordsmanship, the character of the sessor was far more important. For instance, like Ian. ¡°I understand that you are genuinely concerned about big brother Ryan. However, I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯m up for it.¡± Riley said all sorts of things in great length. However, to summarize it in a sentence, it was a definite no. ¡°You knew well since several years ago that I have no ambition about being the heir, didn¡¯t you? Although Lady Oruli¡­ who is not at the mansion at the moment, did not think that was the case.¡± Lloyd, with his deep-set, hollow eyes, watched Riley¡¯s face vacantly as he slowly got up from the seat. ¡®Why?¡¯ At this moment, all Lloyd could remember were how he clicked his tongue orughed and made fun of Riley as he watched Riley just lying down on the garden. ¡°R¡­ Riley! Wait!¡± Following his little brother, Lloyd got up in a hurry. He quickly lowered his head and reached his hand to Riley who was about to leave the room. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, you are here?¡± Riley opened the door and got out, and Ian was there waiting for him. Riley pleasantly greeted Ian and started to walk. Now, there was just Lloyd in the room. ¡°¡­¡± Of the advices that were passed down in the Iphalleta House, there was one that said, ¡®If you are going to draw the sword, then you have to be determined for it.¡¯ It was an advice about actions. Perhaps it was perfect for Lloyd at the moment. He could not excuse and say he was still young or he didn¡¯t know things would turn out the way it did. ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± It was not like Riley declined because of that particr reason. However, at this very moment¡­ Lloyd was thinking his proposition was declined because he made fun of Riley in the past. ¡®If I apologize¡­ if I apologize for things I have done back then?¡¯ Lloyd started at the door that Riley left through. Lloyd bit his lips and shook his head. ¡°¡­ Just what did you talk about in there?¡± Meanwhile¡­ Ian asked questions as soon as Riley came out of the room. Riley waved his hand around to refuse makingments. He just walked through the stairs that lead to the entrance of the hotel. ¡°What about the children?¡± Before answering, Riley thought he should check what happened to the children from Alieve Vige. Ian said, ¡°Ah, yes. ording to the Holy Temple, the children were in the early stage of the illness, but because they came to the Holy Temple quickly, they said the children have nothing to worry about any more. But¡­ the priests said they have never seen this kind of disease before, so they were worried.¡± Riley was about to get out of the hotel aftering all the way down the stairs. Ian, standing right besides Riley, gave Riley something. Riley tilted his head side to side. ¡°And¡­ These¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley got a hold of what Ian was holding. They were fruits with vibrant color. Wondering what these were, Riley floated a question mark on his face. ¡°The Alieve Vige¡¯s children gave these. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t give me any. They insisted on giving them to the good looking big brother only.¡± Riley flinched after hearing the rest of what Ian said. As if Riley was trying to tell Ian to not joke about things, Riley tapped Ian on the shoulder and looked at the fruits. ¡°Good looking? I thought they were innocent and untainted because they live in the country side, but well¡­ I guess they would do well in the social life.¡± Although he said that like aint, he carefully ced the fruits on his side pocket so they would not get squashed. Riley casually turned his head. ¡®Well then¡­ how should I go about this?¡¯ Riley turned his head toward the hotel, to Lloyd who must be still inside the hotel to be exact. He started to walk again and got on the carriage that was parked in front of the hotel. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Young Master¡­ So, where are we going?¡± Riley picked up a fruit from the pocket and tossed it into his mouth. He said, ¡°To Solia.¡± * * * Solia happened to be not so far from the vige that they were currently at. Riley and Ian were able to arrive at Solia just before the sunset. ¡°¡­ Um.¡± Just before going through the gate to Solia, Riley casually turned his head and looked back at the path they just went through. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the other direction. ¡®Is he following me?¡¯ Although Riley clearly refused the proposition when he was at the vige, Ian could feel Lloyd still following. Riley had a mysterious smile on his face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Although they arrived at the destination, Riley was still noting down from the carriage. Ian tilted his head side to side. Having noticed this, Riley finally got down from the carriage. ¡°Now that we are at Solia, getting together with Nara¡¯s group would be the first order of the business, but since it iste¡­¡± Riley confirmed that Ian went to the stables and handed the carriage over. Riley walked toward the Main za and said, ¡°Let¡¯s fill the stomach first.¡± Watching Riley leisurely walking, Ian wondered if they should be doing this right now. He looked around the area and followed after Riley. ¡°Young Master. Judging from the content of the letter, it seems this is urgent¡­ Instead of dinner, don¡¯t you think getting together with Nara¡¯s group first would be best?¡± Riley didn¡¯t bother to answer Ian¡¯s question. He just kept on walking and stepped into the Main za. Only then he said, ¡°Ian, for now, calm down a bit.¡± Riley calmed Ian with a rxed voice and looked around the scenery. The Main za was not as busy as it was during the swordsmanship tournament. However, the ce was still booming with street vendors and people walking through. ¡°Making the move right away is also good, but if you want to avoid making things more bothersome because of the storming in the aftermath, making the preparationes first.¡± As Nara said, if they ran into the dark mage again in Solia, he was not sure if a collision could be avoided. That was not all. If they ran into Rebethra, the one who Riley had Nara to tail, there was a high probability of the situation getting even more convoluted. ¡°Officially, I am currently in the sessorpetition, right? That bastard Rebethra, who seemed to be rted to this incident, must think so too.¡± Riley wondered around the street vendors. As if he found the store he wanted, he started to walk toward it. Riley exined why he came to the Main za first. ¡°We have a need to move with stealth.¡± If it was not for this, Riley would be somewhere else in middle of sessorpetition. He was here in Solia to smack someone on the back of the head. The street vendor that Riley walked to was a mask store. ¡®Should I get the same one from thest time?¡¯ Riley thought about how Nainiae was happy to fiddle with the mask that he worest summer. To get a grip from the thought, Riley shook his head lightly. ¡®Why am I thinking about her out of the blue.¡¯ Riley picked the same mask with his finger and said, ¡°Two of these.¡± ¡°You made a great choice.¡± It was not certain if the store owner was remembering that the customer who came byst summer was here to buy the same masks. He just rubbed his hands, got the money and gave the masks. ¡°Here, take this mask.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian got a hold of the mask that Riley gave. He realized it was simr to what Nainiae had, so he tilted his head side to side for a moment. ¡°What are you doing? Put it away.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Having heard what Riley said, Ian, who was vacantly staring at the mask, awkwardly put it away in his chest pocket. ¡°Now, now that we have the masks for moving around, it is about time¡­¡± For the entire day, Riley only ate the fruits that the children from Alieve Vige gave and tasteless sandwich that Ian made. Because of this, his stomach was making the noise. He went straight to the ce that sold fried chicken and brown sugar beer. ¡°Should I fill my stoma¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master, wait!¡± Riley was not able to finish his sentence. His sleeve was grabbed by Ian¡¯s hand, putting a stop to Riley¡¯s walk. ¡°Ah, what? Why?¡± All sorts of foods on the Main za¡¯s various street vendors were exuding delicious smell. It was making Riley¡¯s mouth to water. After being stopped by Ian, he crumpled his face and expressed his frustration. ¡°There, please take a look over there.¡± Ian whispered and pointed to the left with his gaze. Riley¡¯s gaze turned to the direction. ¡®Um?¡¯ What came in to the view of Riley and Ian was a group that were busy marching toward the Lower Solia through the Main za. They all wore robes of different colors. Each held books or staffs. They were most definitely from the people from the Right Solia¡¯s Magic Tower. ¡®That is?¡¯ Of the mages walking through the Main za, there was one that Riley knew. It was the young man that became the head of the Tower after Astroa¡¯s death. It was Peruda. ¡°That¡¯s Peruda, right?¡± ¡°It is him.¡± Ian whispered to ask, and Riley answered as he nodded. ¡°The look on his face feels like something is up.¡± Somehow, Peruda did not look confident, which was the same look he had before. However, this time, for some reason, he was even breaking cold sweats. All who were watching him had worried look on their faces. ¡°Shall we follow them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the question, Riley casually turned his head to look at foods being roasted on the street vendor. He worked up the appetite as if he was having a hard time to pass them up. ¡°Young Master, I am terribly sorry to say this, but¡­ my instinct as an old man¡­ is saying we should follow them.¡± Ian was a veteran who had been in battlefields for a very long time. His mercenary instinct was telling him that it would be best to follow Peruda now. Having heard Ian suggesting that they should quietly follow Peruda, Riley sighed big enough to make the ground sink in the end. ¡°Ugh, Ian.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can I just¡­ go by myself?¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± Chapter 111 - To Solia Again (2)

Chapter 111: To Solia Again (2)

Having heard Ian yelling, Riley gave up on the street vendor¡¯s foods as if he was yielding. He blocked his ears and looked at the direction that Peruda was walking toward. ¡®Wait a minute. That direction is?¡¯ Peruda and others from the Magic Tower were headed to the number one ce that nobody should set foot on, towards Lower Solia. ¡°He is headed to Lower Solia?¡± ¡°Judging from the direction he is walking toward, I think he must be.¡± Ian said it with a serious face. Riley sighed again and started to walk first. ¡°We are going to just watch from the back, all right?¡± Riley thought that running into Rebethra would not be good, and running into Peruda from Magic Tower would not be good either. Riley mumbled while trying to stay unnoticed. Ian nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± Peruda was tumbling through his walk. As Riley and Ian anticipated, Peruda and the others from the Magic Tower were headed to the pathway that lead to Lower Solia. ¡°We are from the Magic Tower. Please step aside. Excuse me. We will be passing through for a moment. Please open the path.¡± As if there was an urgent matter, through the Main za¡¯s incredibly hectic crowds, Peruda had been pushing people in order to walk forward. It seemed he concluded he could not allow any further dy. He bit his lips and put forth his hand. ¡°Everyone. I am sorry. I have to get through.¡± From his raised hand, green vines that looked thin like strings came out and made their ways through gaps between people. ¡°What is this?¡± The green vines got through the gaps around people¡¯s waists or arm pits. When Peruda made another hand gesture, they slowly moved to the side. ¡°Uh? Uuuh?¡± ¡°What is this?¡± Pushed by the green vines that made their ways around people, the people that tightly filled the Main za were pushed aside to left and right. ¡°I am sorry. We will pass through.¡± A pathway where a person could barely go through was made. Peruda started to walk through the path in a hurry as he apologized to the people. ¡°Uh? That man is?¡± Peruda and the others from the Magic Tower ran through the pathway in a single pile. The people who were pushed aside started to mumble with their eyes wide. ¡°That¡¯s Peruda, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That newbie Head of the Magic Tower?¡± ¡°Where? Where?¡± ¡°Huk. It really is him.¡± Instead of getting past people, Riley had been following Peruda by going from roof to roof. As if he was surprised, Riley wiggled his eyebrows as he looked at the situation from above. ¡°¡­ That is?¡± As for Ian, as if running on the roof felt awkward, Ian ufortably stood behind Riley. Wiping off the sweat on his forehead, Ian responded to the question that Riley had. ¡°That is a nt type magic. I have seen it just once before, so I know about it.¡± ¡°nt type?¡± ¡°Yes. From what I know, only those who were born with that as the innate type can use it¡­ I didn¡¯t know Peruda had that innate type.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Riley brushed his chin as if he was thinking he just learned something. He jumped to another building¡¯s roof, and Ian, surprised, tumbled and followed suit by throwing his body to the next roof. ¡°E¡­ Excuse me, Young Master¡­ This is something only assassins would do¡­¡± ¡°Ian, please. It is not like we are going to be assassins by doing this. Anyway, if we went down, it will be just more bothersome because we will bump into people. We might lose sight of Peruda?¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Now that the path is open, they are definitely moving fast. We need to stay close. Follow me.¡± Having noticed Peruda and others were running at a faster pace, Riley made another leap and threw himself to the next roof. ¡°Ian? You said we should follow him.¡± ¡°I¡­ I understand, Young Master.¡± Perhaps Ian suddenly felt motion sickness. He felt dizzy looking at the ground far below. He gritted his teeth and followed Riley. ¡°Excuse me. Please move out of the way.¡± Leading the people of the Magic Tower, Peruda arrived at the entrance that connected the Main za to the Lower Solia. He then had the people gathered there to move out of the way. ¡°Is it starting from here?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± The entrance leading to the Lower Solia had stairs. It lead to the basement. The ce beyond the stairs was dark. The ce was hard to see, and horrible stench wasing from below. Sewer, trash, homeless, excrement, and dead bodies that are not mentioned with ease¡­ All sorts of dirty things of Solia were gathered there. It was obvious why it reeked. ¡°Starting from here, huh.¡± Peruda had the people from the Magic Tower to stand beside him left and right in a row, blocking the entrance. Standing in the middle, he narrowed his eyes and red down the stairway. ¡°¡­ Kuuuuuaaaaak!¡± While he was staring down the dark area below the stairs, a scream could be heard from beyond the darkness. ¡°W¡­ What was that just now?¡± ¡°A beast?¡± ¡°Illen, move people back.¡± There were people behind the men from the Magic Tower who were watching. Peruda ordered his men to have the people move back further. He had the uncertain look on his face as usual and pulled his chin. ¡®As expected. They say the asion makes the man.¡¯ Riley was hiding on the roof. Riley peeked a smile after seeing Peruda exuding an atmosphere that was pretty different from when Riley met him in person. ¡°Kuuua. Huuuuuaaaak!!¡± As Riley thought about the old saying and also thought hard about the sessorship, a suspicious scream could be heard again. The scream wasing from down below the stairs where Peruda was ring at. ¡°Kuk?!¡± A horrid stench could be felt from below. Peruda, who was ring toward beyond the darkness, cringed. ¡°¡­ Huuuuaaaak!¡± Along with the stench, something jumped out from beyond the darkness. It was a person. The problem was that¡­ ¡°W¡­ What in the world? What is that?¡± ¡°Uuup?!¡± The entire body was full of stab wounds. It looked like a rag. The body was also missing two legs. The body was using the arms to support itself to crawl up the stairs. ¡°Move them back. Back further.¡± Peruda waved his left arm and spread a few petals of flower. It was rare, but it was ¡®flower scent¡¯ magic that mages with nt innate type used rtively often. It was used for smelly rooms or dishes that got prepared without eliminating odors. However¡­ It could be also used in a situation like this. ¡°To the back. Please, everyone. Move to the back.¡± The flower petals that Peruda spread was sessful in subduing the stench from the Lower Solia to some extent. However¡­ It seemed that was not the problem here. ¡®That is not a human being?¡¯ Peruda looked at the person who was crawling up the stairs without legs. In disbelief, Peruda furrowed his brows. ¡°S¡­ Smell of corpses!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°That person is a corpse, a corpse!!¡± Of the people who were watching from the back, someone yelled that. Peruda rapidly turned his head and had his gaze met with a homeless. Still in disbelief, Peruda stared at the existence that was crawling up the stairs. ¡°A corpse?¡± Peruda looked at its eyes. They were pitch ck as if the eyes were spread with ink. Peruda opened his mouth vacantly in disbelief. ¡°¡­ Hu¡­ Uuuuu. Kuuuuaaaak!!¡± One of the people from the Magic Tower made a light above his hand and was about to lean it toward the front. However, having heard the scream, he panicked. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Peruda! There¡¯s another one!¡± Unlike the first one, which didn¡¯t have legs and was crawling, this one was a corpse with the legs intact. ¡°Tsk!¡± It was unknown as to how, but it was missing an arm. Just like the one that was crawling, this one had pitch-ck eyes and was charging while drooling. It was certain these things should not be left to roam free. ¡®As I thought¡­¡¯ The dark eyed corpses were charging in order to cut and bite living beings. Looking at the corpses, Riley was narrowing his eyes like Peruda. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master¡­ T¡­ That?¡± Ian panicked after seeing animated corpses. Standing behind Riley, Ian had his jaw dropped. ¡°Kuuuaaak!¡± ¡°Kiiiiaaaaaaak!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Before long, the corpses climbed the stairs all the way up. They charged in to bite Peruda. Peruda, who was cringing, raised his right arm toward the front. ¡°Ku¡­ Ah¡­ Ug.¡± Unlike thest time, the vines were definitely thick. Peruda poured out vines from his sleeves and tightly tied up the corpse that charged at him. This time, Peruda raised his right leg. ¡°Uu. Ku¡­¡± When Peruda mmed the floor loudly with his foot, making a ¡®bam!¡¯ sound, the floor around the tied up corpse started to twitch as if moles were passing through the ground. nt vines surged out of the floor and started to tangle up. ¡°¡­¡± Peruda¡¯s vines sessfully stopped the two corpses. He then waved his arms across each other. ¡®This cannot be helped.¡¯ Peruda concluded that these two corpses could not be all of them in Lower Solia. As if this could not be helped, Peruda mumbled. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll seal this ce.¡± When Peruda waved his arms, the walls and the ceiling of entrance to Lower Solia started to twitch like earlier. * * * It was at the Lower Solia. Near a sewer where excrements were flowing, three men were meeting in secret and having a conversation. ¡°Um¡­ Good! This body is?¡± Of the three men, two of them were old men. One of the old men was looking around his own body and was having the tip of his mouth tilt up in satisfaction. ¡°How ungrateful. Now I became simr age as you, but still.¡± With a shady look on his face, the old man looked at the other old man in priest getup. The old man shook his head as if he was fine with it and said, ¡°Left Hand, it would do you good this time to not lose your body so easily. The Right Leg was furious for a really long time. So stop running around.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes. I understand. I can¡¯t be ungrateful and die for the third time. That¡¯s right.¡± Noticing the two old men continuing their conversation, the young man, who was standing next to them and watching, carefully asked the two, ¡°You will keep the promise, right?¡± The young man was a homeless. The filthy getup that he wore showed that he was a veteran who had been living in the Lower Solia for a pretty long time. ¡°¡­¡± The young man¡¯s eyes were burning in mes. Passion? Determination? Love? It was none of the above. His eyes were not burning from such a warm emotion. Looking at young man¡¯s eyes, the two old man responded. ¡°Ah, of course.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t do ungrateful things.¡± The homeless young man was burning his eyes in full mes in the darkness. The old men turned to look at the young man and added with smiles as if they were trying to tell him he had nothing to worry about. ¡°Look forward to it, Hamil.¡± ¡°Um! This is a great body. It is a really great body. With this much, it is enough to get you your revenge.¡± Hamil. It was the name of a homeless young man. It could not be said that he was old. However, he had been living in Lower Solia since birth. ¡°You better not betray me. If you do¡­ I will tell everyone your true identity, Archbishop.¡± With a deadly look on his eyes, Hamil looked at the old man in priest getup and threatened him. The old man nodded as if he understood and then said, ¡°Ah, ah. I understand.¡± When the old man in priest getup nodded, the other old man put up a shady smile and put forth his hand toward the sewer next to him. ¡°Just wait, all right? That Young Master that killed your lover, and that ungratefulss that betrayed your expectation and ran off¡­ All of them¡­¡± As if it was responding to the old man¡¯s hand, apletely ck, rotten hand twitched inside the sewer¡¯s dirty water. A corpse with pitch-ck eyes struggled its way out of the dirty water. ¡°As your proxy¡­¡± The old man who raised the dead. The old man who was exuding pitch-ck aura¡­ ¡°I, The Great One¡¯s Left Hand, Hurial will exact revenge for you.¡± It was the Grand Mage of the Magic Tower who died in Lower Soliast spring from having his chest pierced. It was Astroa. Chapter 112 - Dark Layer

Chapter 112: Dark Layer

At the entrance ofLower Solia, there were green vinesing out of the walls and ceilings that tightly tangled up to block the path. ¡°I¡¯ll make the announcement againter, but please¡­ Everyone, please tell others as soon as possible what I¡¯m about to tell you, and please tell them exactly as I exin.¡± Peruda used his nt magic topletely seal off the entrance to the pathway that led to the Lower Solia. He turned around to look at the people who were watching what was going on. Peruda continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be temporarily forbidding ess to the Lower Solia. This is not an advice to say it is rmended not to go there. I am forbidding anyone from setting foot in the Lower Solia.¡± Perhaps everyone was too shocked by the corpse that just charged at Peruda. People who were gathered at the Main za and watching what was happening at the entrance to the Lower Solia could not dare to talk back. ¡°The five of you who are standing to my left¡­¡± Peruda turned to look at the entrance that he sealed off. He raised his left hand, and the five people from the Magic Tower who were standing to Peruda¡¯s left responded to his call. ¡°Yes, Mr. Peruda.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you to retrieve the corpses that are restrained. They are tied up, but they are still resisting, so please be extremely cautious when you transport them.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± There were two lumps that werepletely wrapped in vines like how burned victims were wrapped in bandages. The five people nodded as they looked at the lumps of vines and immediately carried out the order. ¡°The five of you who are standing to my right¡­ Please head to the Solia Castle immediately. I think we should report what has happened here to the castle.¡± ¡°I understand. What about you, Mr. Peruda?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look around the vicinity and seal off other entrances that leads to Lower Solia.¡± The five people who were standing to Peruda¡¯s right side nodded and headed off to Solia Castle. ¡®¡­ These are surprisingly appropriate responses.¡¯ Riley, who was watching the situation from the roof, was impressed by Peruda¡¯s quick responses to the situation. With an impressed look on his face, Riley moved his gaze toward the corpses that were restrained in vines. ¡®nt magic, huh¡­¡¯ Peruda looked very different from the na?ve man that Riley met before. Peruda looked very dependable. Riley, who mumbled ¡®not bad,¡¯ found a familiar face among the people. ¡®Ah, he happens to be here.¡¯ It seemed he was here by himself, away from the others. Nara was observing the situation from the Main za alone. Having found Nara, Riley nodded as if he thought it was good that he found Nara at this moment. Riley started to move his legs. ¡°Ian, it¡¯s about time we moved down. Nara happens to be nearby as well, so let¡¯s join him and listen to his story. Also, it happens my stomach¡¯s skin is about to stick to my back fromck of food, so let¡¯s do that while we eat something.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ian?¡± As if he became a stone statue, Ian stood there on the roof vacantly and stared at the corpses that were restrained by vines. Ian vacantly had his mouth open and was not able to say anything back in response to Riley. ¡°Ian!¡± ¡°¡­ Yes? Ah, yes!¡± ¡°What were you thinking so hard about? With a nk look on your face?¡± Riley went down from the roof first. Having watched it, Ian shook his head hard to get rid of useless thoughts. Ian followed suit and said, ¡°No. It¡¯s nothing. My apologies. It is just¡­¡± Ian slowly turned his head and looked at the entrance to Lower Solia again. Ian added, ¡°I just¡­ I just thought it was a little disgusting¡­ I just thought that, so¡­¡± * * * It was at the Solia Temple. Rebethra managed toe back only after it becamete evening. Having felt his presence, Priesia, who was praying in front of the Goddess statue, opened one of her closed eyes slowly and said, ¡°¡­ You arete.¡± Having heard the priestess talking to him, Rebethra, who was walking carefully to avoid having his steps heard, responded apologetically. ¡°Oh my¡­ I hope I didn¡¯t interfere with your praying?¡± Priesia closed the eye again and restarted her prayer. She skipped responding to his question and tossed him another question. ¡°It seems you are going out often?¡± ¡°Haha. It seems so.¡± Rebethra smiled awkwardly and responded as if he was ashamed. He didn¡¯t say why he was going out so often. He just started to walk toward his room. ¡°¡­¡± With Rebethra gone, Priesia was now alone in the area with the Goddess statue. She started to move her lips as she prayed. ¡®Goddess Irsa, what should I do?¡¯ Priesia felt she was daring to ask too much, but she thought that the divine message that she received from the Goddess wascking in detail. There was a message that said she should be weary of Rebethra, the Archbishop of the Holy Temple. There was a message that said there will be a dragon that wille to Solia soon, and the entire Solia could be ced in danger. There were only two messages. ¡®Let alone stopping him from doing suspicious behaviors, I don¡¯t even have any means of finding out what he is up to. I¡­ What could I do?¡¯ Rebethra was a problem, but the divine message about the dragon that was about to wreak havoc in Solia was also a problem. ¡®Just what could I do¡­¡¯ It had been a while since the divine message about the dragon. That meant it would not be odd if a dragon appeared right now and was flying in the Solia¡¯s sky right now as the message foretold. ¡®Only if that Young Master was more cooperative¡­¡¯ Priesia thought about the ¡®person who will stop the dragon,¡¯ the one mentioned in the divine message. She cringed, but shook her head to turn her face back to normal and then opened her eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± She was going to stare at the Goddess statue after the prayer and ask for advice again. However, she blinked her eyes with a question mark floated up on her face. <¡­ My child.> ¡®Ah.¡¯ There was a blindingly beautiful woman who only Priesia could see, the one who was invisible to others in the temple such as priests or holy knights, was looking down at her while floating in front of the Goddess statue. ¡°¡­¡± Priesia knew that the woman, who had simr appearance as herself, was the Goddess Irsa. Priesia lowered her head in silence. Having heard the voice, Priesia lowered her head further. The Goddess smiled lightly with ¡®huhu¡¯ sound and added, ¡°¡­¡± After that, the voice could not be heard. Priesia had her head lowered and waited like that for 10 minutes. She carefully and slowly lifted her head and looked up the Goddess statue. The beautiful woman was gone without a trace. ¡°A ck¡­ butterfly?¡± Priesia vacantly mumbled the hint that the Goddess gave her. Priesia straightened her knees and got up, but she was not able to leave the ce for a long time. ¡°¡­¡± She was not the only one. Archbishop, who was hiding behind a pir and was watching Priesia in secret, was also not able to leave the ce. * * * Of the three who sat in a hotel at the Left Solia, Nara asked with a concerned voice to Ian, who appeared to be not in a good condition, ¡°Mr. Ian, are you all right? Your face is not looking good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Is he thinking hard about something?¡¯ Ian had a serious look on his face. As if he was not able to hear Nara¡¯s question, he was not able to respond. ¡°He said he is afraid of heights. He said he does not like high ces.¡± Having noticed Ian was deep in thoughts, Riley figured it would be best to leave him be, so he gave out a rough answer and looked at Nara. ¡°¡­ Okay.¡± Nara saw that Ian¡¯s face was not pale or blue, so he thought that it was not a look of someone who was choke full of fear from heights. However¡­ Nara realized Riley was trying to say it would be best to stop prying on it, so Nara nodded and answered. ¡°Anyway, you saw it already, those animated corpses¡­¡± Having heard Nara, Riley nodded and poked a food on the table using a fork. He responded, ¡°It was the same as the ones we saw in the Rainfield? The fact that they were moving on their own without mana.¡± Nara nodded once again. ¡°They have pitch-ck eyes, they do not stop even if parts of their bodies are cut off, and they react to living people or animals¡­ They are indeed the same ones as what we saw in Rainfield.¡± Riley was chewing on the food he picked up with the fork. Having heard Nara, Riley asked, ¡°What about Rebethra? How far did you find out?¡± Nara sighed big to express frustration and shook his head. ¡°Other than the corpses, I haven¡¯t found out anything else in particr.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Riley was somewhat expecting that result. He nodded as if he understood. It was because it had not been very long since Nara had been tailing Rebethra after arriving at Solia. ¡°Still¡­ I have confirmed that the Archbishop does the temple business during the morning, sets foot in the Lower Solia duringte afternoon, andes back around the evening.¡± ¡°To Lower Solia?¡± ¡°Yes. As for how many times¡­ About two to three times a week.¡± ¡°It sounds like he is rted to that.¡± Nara nodded. ¡°What about that bastard¡¯s face?¡± Riley asked if Nara saw the dark mage¡¯s face. Nara shook his head again as if he was ashamed. ¡°No. I looked around Lower Solia with Isen to find that bastard, but¡­ The pathways were soplicated there, so we could not find him. That ce didn¡¯t even have things like maps.¡± Nara scratched his head hard as if he had a headache. Ian, who had been keeping silent all this time, said, ¡°Lower Solia has sewers, waste disposals and slums tangled up in a mess. Pathways there are soplicated that even the people who had been living there for a long time get confused sometimes.¡± Riley moved his eyes and looked at Ian. Ian, with a disappointed look on his face about not being able to locate the dark mage, continued. ¡°Hm. If Sera apanied you, perhaps it would have been a little easier. That child probably knows the way around the Lower Solia pretty well.¡± Riley turned to look at Nara again. To summarize everything, he asked Nara, ¡°You said you did not see that bastard¡¯s face, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°That means we cannot be sure if¡­ that runt from the Rainfield came back to life here or if there is another runt with the same power as him.¡± Riley mumbled about the two possibilities as he split the food on top of the dish into two even portions. ¡°Huh¡­ Now that I think about it, there is a possibility that there is another runt with the same power as that dark mage instead.¡± Nara, who have not thought about that, now had a serious look on his face. It was because that meant¡­ there could be a third or fourth human being with the same power as that runt. ¡°¡­ Well, it is fine.¡± Riley said leisurely. He poked at each portion of the food, brought both of them into his mouth and then said, ¡°You guys give up on tailing Rebethra from now.¡± Riley said as he pointed at Nara with his fork. Nara tilted his head side to side. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I am not saying your mission isplete.¡± Riley was about to put in another piece of food in his mouth, but instead, he swung his fork around and said, ¡°I am saying you should change the target of your tailing.¡± ¡°Target¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Change the target?¡± A familiar voice could be heard from the back. Having heard the voice, Nara slowly turned his head and pleasantly greeted arade who just arrived at the hotel. ¡°Ah, Rorona.¡± ¡°I just switched with Isen. The Archbishop is currently inside the Holy Temple.¡± Rorona came to an empty seat and sat down. She bowed to Riley and Ian and asked about what Riley said just now. ¡°By the way, you want us to change the target¡­ What do you mean by that?¡± As if he didn¡¯t see Rorona at all, Riley, who was fully focused on food, moved his fork toward cabbage and answered, ¡°You guys came this far, so it is a bother, but¡­¡± Riley cut the cabbage with the fork and said, ¡°I¡¯ll tail that bastard myself.¡± ¡°You will?¡± ¡°What about us then?¡± ¡°Follow my tail.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nara could not understand what Riley was talking about. He asked with a confused look. Riley added, ¡°There is someone who had been tailing me. From today and on, I would like you guys to mind this one.¡± Chapter 113 - Dark Layer (2)

Chapter 113: Dark Layer (2)

¡°Huh?¡± The group from the Magic Tower who went to the Main za with Peruda brought the corpses back to the Magic Tower. What they faced when they returned to the tower at the first floor was a mountain of corpses. ¡°H¡­ How could this be?¡± One of the group mumbled after seeing the Magic Tower¡¯s first floor in aplete disarray. An answer could be heard. ¡°¡­ Ahah, please pardon me for the intrusion.¡± The floor was full of blood, and there were theirrades lying there. The group, who were looking at the scene, turned their heads toward the direction of the voice. ¡°Y¡­ You are?¡± ¡°Having considered the situation, I figured I should stop by here, so¡­¡± In the direction, there was an old man with long grown white beard sitting on the chair and looking at the group. ¡°H¡­ How could you be here?¡± ¡°Please calm down.¡± In disbelief, the group panicked. The old man responded, saying there is no need to be surprised, raised his right hand. ¡°You will understand it soon.¡± The old man made a snapping noise with his right hand by flicking it, and the corpses that were lying all around the floor started to twitch. ¡°Gu¡­ Uuuuurrrrr¡­¡± The corpses started toe back to life. Some had burns, and some had frost bites. They all had unique characteristics. However, they all had one thing inmon, which was¡­ that they all had pitch-ck eyes. ¡°W¡­ What in the world¡­¡± The corpses were just like the ones they saw at the Lower Solia. The group anticipated how the corpses would behave. They carelessly tossed the restrained corpses from the Lower Solia to the side and slowly started to take steps back. ¡®R¡­ Run¡­ We must run. We need to tell Mr. Peruda about this¡­¡¯ When one of the group started to take steps back, as if the rest felt they should too, they started to do the same while being choked in fear. It was because, regardless of the fact that they were mages of the great Magic Tower, they could not possibly win against the old man who was sitting on the sofa. ¡°Ahah, that won¡¯t be allowed.¡± The old man sitting on the sofa looked at the five men who were trying to run. This time, he casually raised his left hand. With just that hand movement, just like what Peruda demonstrated, the floor around the group started to twitch, and disgusting tentacles poured out. ¡°Kuk?!¡± A tentacle tied the group¡¯s legs. In panic, they ground their teeth and red at the old man in front of them. The old man, with belittlingughter, said, ¡°That¡¯s for beautifully wrapping my gifts. It would be ungrateful of me to not pay you back for that, so¡­ This is your reward.¡± The old man was looking at the tightly restrained corpses that were tossed carelessly to the floor. He then started to close five fingers on his hand that he raised. ¡°Kiiiaaaaaak!¡± ¡°U¡­ Uuua? Uuuuuaaaa!¡± The group started to scream. It was because, in response to the old man¡¯s hand gesture, there were thorns growing in the vines that tied their legs. ¡°Um¡­ It seems the color that I used to have before was lost after I switched the body.¡± Looking at the color of vines and the thorns piercing the group¡¯s legs, the old man clicked his tongue as if he was disappointed. At that moment, ¡°Well, it does not matter.¡± ¡°¡­ Guuuurrrrr.¡± The corpses that twitched and got up earlier opened their mouth wide and looked at the group who had their legs tied. ¡°Ah, ahah¡­¡± The group felt like they definitely knew now what it was like to be frozen in fear. Tears started to form around their eyes. ¡°It is time for meals.¡± When the old man mumbled, the corpses started to limp their way toward the group. Of the corpses, it seemed one of them had been starving for quite a while. One of them was charging at them while dragging on the robe. All of the corpses were the group¡¯srades in the Magic Tower. Earlier today, the group had been smiling and chatting with them. ¡°Uuuaaa, uuuuuaaaaa!¡± Thinking they could not just die like this, the group from the Magic Tower, who were shaking in fear, raised their hands to their front. Whoooosh¡­ Along with spell incantations, lumps of mes were formed in front of their hands. They aimed the mes at the corpses that used to be their friends. ¡°Ah! You cannot do that.¡± As if the old man could not allow their franticst-ditch efforts, purple colored ring like things started to form in tight array on the old man¡¯s right hand, and they started to turn like a clock spring. ¡°Magic¡­ Cancel¡­¡± The five men from the Magic Tower, who were about tounch the mes, mumbled in tears. ¡°Ah, ahah¡­¡± ¡°Astro¡­!¡± ¡°Guuuurrrr!¡± As if he had lost his mind from the fear, one of the group was about to shout out the name of the old man sitting on the sofa. However, his neck was bitten off by the corpse that charged at them first. ¡°Kuuuuaaaak!¡± Crunch. Crunch. Munch Munch¡­ Along with the scream, there were rapid sounds of flesh being bitten off. ¡°Uuuurrrr, auuuuk¡­¡± The group¡¯s eyes, after the group was caught and bitten off by people who now became corpses to attack them, were slowly losing light. ¡°¡­ How ungrateful.¡± There were sounds of blood stter from flesh being bitten off. That gruesome scene was happening in front of him. Despite all that, the old man just mumbled leisurely. ¡°Being quiet during the meal is the right mannerism.¡± From the back, the old man leisurely watched the corpses eating their meals. He finally got up and continued, ¡°As always, the ones being eaten should fully focus on being silent.¡± The old man¡­ Astroa had a shady smile on his face. * * * It was during ate morning. On the hotel¡¯s bed, Riley opened his disheveled eyes. He found that Ian¡¯s bed was empty. Riley covered his face with his palm as if he thought this was such a headache. ¡°Ugh, Ian, please¡­¡± Riley put the nket aside and got down from his bed. He looked and saw Ian¡¯s bed was neatly organized. Riley looked around and said, ¡°Where did you go?¡± Ever since Ian faced the animated corpses on the Lower Solia, Riley thought something was odd about Ian. Riley scratched his head. ¡®By any chance, he is not out there causing a havoc trying to handle this on his own, right?¡¯ Riley thought about the worst case scenario that he could possibly imagine at the moment. He mumbled that it could not be. Riley was about to leave the hotel, but¡­ ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Ah, Young Master.¡± He ran in to Ian who was standing in front of the door. ¡°Ian?¡± Unlike Riley, who was about to leave the room, it seemed Ian was about to enter the room. Ian, who was standing in front of the door, tilted his head side to side as if he was wondering why Riley looked confused. ¡°Are you going to head out?¡± It seemed Ian just came back from washing himself. Instead of the butler suit that he always wore, he was in light clothing. There were some water on his face that he didn¡¯t manage to wipe off. Having looked at Ian, Riley mumbled he worried for nothing. Riley asked, ¡°Ian, you¡­¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± Riley was going to have a conversation with Ian about what happened yesterday. However, having noticed the serious look on Ians face, Riley stopped what he was going to ask. ¡°¡­ There is something I want to tell you.¡± Ian added that he had been agonizing about this all morning while taking a walk. Ian sighed big. ¡°Is it a long story?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll summarize it.¡± Ian changed to his butler suit, prepared a tea that Riley might like at the hotel¡¯s first floor, and brought it to him. Ian started to tell the story. ¡°It¡¯s about the corpses we saw at the Lower Solia yesterday. I have seen them. To be precise, not the corpses¡­ I have seen those pitch-ck eyes.¡± The pitch-ck eyes were the one thing that wasmon among all animated corpses. The entire eye was dark without any white. Ian was saying he saw them before. ¡°About 15¡­ No. 16 years ago, I think¡­ What happened that day is something I still regret about. It is something I remember very clearly as much as I regret it.¡± He was talking about when he was still young, before he obtained the title of the Mercenary Hero. There was a woman in a small town who had been used of being a witch. There were strange rumors about her, saying she worshipped bizarre gods and worked up appetite to kill and eat the children whenever she saw the them¡­ ¡°I met her when I was just a newbie. She also had pitch-ck eyes like those corpses¡­ There were no white on her eyes. Her eyes werepletely dark.¡± Ian said he followed her because perhaps he should not let her be just in case the rumors were true. Ian said he was going to stop her if she did something suspicious like the rumors, and he wanted to be acknowledged for the exploit. ¡°Witch¡­ Actually, calling her witch was a ridiculous thing to do because¡­ She wielded a sword.¡± ¡°A sword?¡± ¡°Yes. That woman with pitch-ck eyes was¡­ my master who have taught me swordsmanship when I was still lost in my ways.¡± Ian said he asked his pitch-ck eyed master one day. He asked why her eyes were filled with pitch-ck color when she had the appearance of a human being and swung a sword like a human being. ¡°She said it was a blessing.¡± ¡°¡­ Blessing?¡± Riley asked with a confused look on his face. Ian nodded and said she really did say that. ¡°Appearance wise, it looked more like a curse than a blessing. So I asked that ¡®it look like a curse of some kind.¡¯ When I asked¡­¡± Ian said the woman¡¯s response was¡­ ¡°She said she actually think that too.¡± ¡°And then?¡± Ian nodded and continued. ¡°Yes. Her pitch-ck eyes were¡­ not something she obtained because she wanted to.¡± It seemed Ian was about to tell the most important part. With a serious look on his face, Ian lowered his voice. ¡°About what I told you about my master and what I am about to tell you¡­ They are something nobody in this world knows, even Count Stein.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young Master. Can you keep this secret?¡± Ian asked with a petrified face. Riley was not able to answer. He just kept silence. ¡°Young Master.¡± Ian called Riley again. Riley, who was agonizing about something for a moment, put up an unusually sincere and serious face and looked at his butler. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± This was the first time for Ian to see Riley looking like this. Ian vacantly had his mouth open. Ian told the story with a serious face. ¡°Right now¡­ Underneath the world that we live, there is another world that people don¡¯t know about.¡± * * * It was at the Iphalleta mansion¡¯s garden. It had been a while since Iris stepped on to the grass. Standing on the grass, Iris vacantly stared up at the apple tree that her son had been using instead of sofa or a bed. ¡°The apples formed prettyte this year.¡± Sera, who had been standing next to Iris and looking up the apple tree with her, responded to Iris¡¯ment. ¡°I know.¡± Sera was thinking about a girl who was crying in front of the apple tree before she left the mansionst summer. ¡®The apples will form soon¡­ and I want to pick them all for you, Young Master. I want to live. Can I live?¡¯ Sera remembered the girl who was desperately pleading that she did not want to die as she looked up the apple tree. Sera bit her lips for no reason. ¡®The apples are ripe now. I wonder where she is and what she is up to? Is she doing all right?¡¯ It was because Sera was worried about Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you thinking about Nainiae?¡± Sera was in tears. Having noticed this, Iris smiled gently and asked carefully. ¡°Pardon? Ah¡­¡± ¡°You must miss her a lot?¡± As if she was found out, Sera blushed her cheeks. Without her ribbon, Sera¡¯s hair was flowing down to the side. Sera fiddled with her hair andined, ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s just that I need to get my ribbon back from her, that¡¯s all. That¡¯s all.¡± With her face all red, Sera was sshing spit as she talked. As if she was giving in, Iris waved her hand and made suppressedughing noise. ¡°All right. All right.¡± Sera could not say anything back at Iris forughing. To change the topic, Sera asked about something else. ¡°Young Master must be doing well, right?¡± ¡°It is Riley. We just need to think that he is going to have a good rest in leisurely manner like how he had when he went to Rainfield.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± It seemed Sera was more worried about Ian who went with Riley. There was sudden gust of wind, and Sera cringed one of her eyes. ¡°¡­ It is cool.¡± By the autumn wind blowing, instead of cringing, Iris gently closed her eyes and fully embraced the cool breeze. ¡°It seems so.¡± Sera¡¯s hair was blowing in the wind, so she pressed it down with her right hand. Sera suddenly looked confused. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Flowing through the wind¡­ Sera could smell a familiar scent. This was why. Sera, who had sharper senses, could tell. This sent was definitely¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± To the direction the wind was blowing from¡­ To where the scent that Sera longed for wasing from¡­ Sera vacantly turned her head toward the direction of the entrance of the mansion. Sera¡¯s lips was shaking, and her mouth slowly opened wider. Chapter 114 - Dark Layer (3)

Chapter 114: Dark Layer (3)

It was closer to the lunch time than morning. Riley finished talking to Ian and then came out of the hotel. What Riley saw outside was¡­ smokes going up in the distance towards Right Solia. ¡°What is that?¡± The scenery of Right Solia viewed from Left Solia looked suspicious. Riley furrowed his brows and looked around to check the situation. Other people in Solia who appeared to have been just passing by were all stopped as well. They were looking at the direction of Right Solia where the smokes wereing up. They had anxious looks on their faces. ¡°Excuse me. What happened?¡± Ian tapped on the shoulder of one of the people who were looking at Right Solia. In Riley¡¯s stead, Ian asked him what this was about. ¡°The Magic Tower is¡­¡± It seemed the man was worried. He had anxious look on his face. By Ian¡¯s question, the man vacantly mumbled, ¡°The Magic Tower copsed.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± The man mumbled in a low voice, so Ian didn¡¯t quite hear that. Ian asked again, and the man exined again. ¡°The Magic Tower, the Magic Tower copsed. At its top, there were what appeared to be lights shing¡­ All of sudden, the tower leaned to the side and just like that¡­¡± Having heard the man¡¯s exnation, Riley, who was looking at Right Solia, directed his gaze toward where the Magic Tower was. Having examined the view again, Riley noticed that the Magic Tower, which used to be eye-catching because its top peaked out above everything else, was now gone. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Looking at the copsed tower, Riley crumpled his face, wondering what was going on. Riley thought about Peruda, the current head of the Magic Tower who said he was going to seal entrances to the Lower Solia. ¡®Just what did he do to make the tower copse?¡¯ Even if the dark mage from the Rainfield was revived, it was probably impossible for him to copse the tower by himself. The building¡¯s wall was made of marble stones that were sturdier than ordinary things, which contributed to the building¡¯s stability. Moreover, inside the wall, there was a special protective spell that only the head of the Magic Tower could disengage. These were certain facts that Riley have heard from Peruda when he went to see the Magic Towerst time. ¡°The bigger problem is the direction which the tower copsed.¡± The man continued with concerned look on his face. ¡°The direction is¡­ toward the Holy Temple.¡± ¡°The Holy Temple?¡± The man raised his finger and pointed it to where the smokes wereing up. Ian and Riley directed their gazes to the direction. ¡°The direction which the tower leaned and copsed is toward the Holy Temple. In other words, the smoke is¡­¡± Not just the Magic Tower, but the Holy Temple was destroyed as well. Riley realized what the man was trying to say. Riley had a mysterious andplicated look on his face. It was because Rebethra, the one he was going to tail today, was a part of the Holy Temple. ¡®Just what¡¯s going on?¡¯ Confused, Riley looked at towards Right Solia and narrowed his eyes. The man who was standing next to them gathered his hands and started to pray as if he could not let things be. ¡°I am worried. At this time, the Priestess must have been praying there¡­ Ahah¡­ I hope the Goddess Irsa helped her.¡± It seemed he was a believer. The man started to pray to the Goddess of the Holy Temple. Riley looked at the man, and as if he thought he could not let things be, he promptly started to walk. ¡°Let¡¯s move.¡± Ian followed behind Riley. Looking at Riley¡¯s back, Ian asked what he was going to do. ¡°Young Master, what are you going to do?¡± Ian had a reason to ask. Their original n was to go straight to the Lower Solia after leaving the hotel. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s question, Riley postponed answering. Riley walked and rolled his brain. There were two choices. First one was going to the Lower Solia and finding out about the corpses. The second choice was going to Right Solia which was now aplete mess. ¡°What is your intuition telling you?¡± It was a hard decision to make, so Riley decided to trust a mercenary¡¯s intuition. ¡°I think we should¡­¡± Initially, before all this, Ian proposed that they should go check out the Lower Solia where corpses were instead of going to Right Solia where Rebethra must be at. Ian now took a moment of pause. He said, ¡°¡­ go to Right Solia.¡± Having heard Ian, Riley kept on walking without saying anything. He went to a corner with no traffic and brought his hand to his inner chest pocket. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll go there.¡± Riley put on the mask that he purchased two days ago and quickly moved in Right Solia¡¯s direction. Ian also put on the mask and followed him. * * * Complete chaos¡­ The situation in Right Solia could be summarized in those words perfectly. The Magic Tower was the tallest building there. With it copsed to the side, not just the Holy Temple, but several dozens of buildings were destroyed with it. ¡°There was a huge destruction like this here, but we didn¡¯t hear anything.¡± From the copse, there were injured people, crying child who lost the parents, and wreckage of the buildings here and there¡­ Riley looked around the mess and mumbled about the ridiculousness. Ian said, ¡°Have you forgotten? Right Solia has sound-proof device installed. We probably could not hear the sound when we were at Left Solia because¡­ of that.¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s exnation, Riley looked at Right Solia¡¯s entrance, the top of the stairs to be precise where the floating spherical marbles were. Riley clicked his tongue as if he was convinced. Riley was looking around the situation again. He then furrowed his brows as if he noticed something strange. Riley mumbled, ¡°Are the guards from the castleingte because of that too?¡± It was because he felt that there were far too few guards around the ce. ¡°Now that you mentioned it, that really is. Even with the sound-proofing, when something this big happened, they must have seen it¡­ I don¡¯t see that many of the forces from the castle.¡± It seemed Ian was thinking the same as Riley. He started to count the number of guards who were helping the injured and crying children. ¡°¡­ Kiiiiiaaaaak!!¡± It was when the two were observing the situation in Right Solia. Not too far from where they were, a scream in fear could be heard. ¡®It¡¯s near!¡¯ Having heard the scream, Ian opened his eyes big. Ian and Riley exchanged gazes in the split second and ran toward the direction of the scream. ¡°S¡­ Save me¡­¡± ¡®Oh god, here too?¡¯ In a single breath, Ian ran to where the scream came from. Having arrived at the scene, Ian discovered a woman who was about to get attacked by a corpse. Ian gritted his teeth. ¡°Guuuurrrr!¡± Fortunately, Ian was able to get there next to the woman before it was toote. He drew the sword from his waist and swung his arm. ¡°Hup!¡± Ian¡¯s sword exuded blue light from carrying mana. His swing created a long after image and sharp echo. ¡°Gu¡­ Uuu.¡± The corpse lost its head. The corpse seemed like it was hardening, but it was only for a moment. It seemed cutting off its head was not enough to stop it. The corpse started to move again. ¡°Guuurrrr!¡± When the fallen head on the ground screamed, the headless body charged toward Ian as if it was responding to the head. ¡°W¡­ Watch out!¡± The woman seemed to have suffered a leg injury. She was sitting there crunched down. Having noticed the dead body moving, she mumbled. Ian lowered his body as if he knew and then swung his sword. Blue light left many after images as it drew long tail. The corpse that was charging at Ian stopped once again. ¡°¡­¡± Two of its arms, which were cut vertically, fell and made thump noises. Its waist, which was cut horizontally, fell and made a thump noise. The corpse¡¯s body was cut for the second time, and the body parts fell to the floor. The woman was watching this. It seemed she could not stomach what she just saw. She quickly covered her mouth. ¡°Uuup!¡± ¡°You have no time to sit here and throw up.¡± As if he was trying to say not to watch anymore, Ian stood between the woman and the corpse so she could not see the corpse. Ian extended his hand toward the woman and continued, ¡°Unless the body is incinerated or cleansed with holy power¡­ this bastard will move again.¡± Woman looked at Ian who was wearing a mask and shriveled. Having heard what Ian just said, she panicked and asked, ¡°I¡­ It will move again?¡± ¡°Please get up for now. I¡¯ll support you, so please get out of this ce as quickly as you can.¡± The woman thought Ian was suspicious because of the mask. However, she changed her mind. She grabbed hold of the hand of the man that just saved her life and got up. ¡°T¡­ Thank you. Thank you.¡± Ian was helping the woman get up. Ian casually turned his head and looked at where Riley was standing just now. It was only for a brief moment, but the Young Master who Ian served was gone somewhere. He was gone from Ian¡¯s sight. ¡®Young Master¡­¡¯ Ian figured out why Riley left the scene. Ian left the woman in the hands of the guards and looked around. It was to check if there was anyone else who was in danger like the woman earlier. ¡°¡­!¡± Soon¡­ In the distance, Ian found an injured person crushed under rubbles and an existence that was approaching. Ian opened his eyes big and rushed out. ¡°Don''t you dare!¡± The existence in rags was approaching the person crushed under rubbles. Ian only saw the back, and he assumed it was a corpse. Ian was about to swing his sword and prevent loss of life. In Ian¡¯s ears, a voice could be heard. ¡°¡­ Are you all right?¡± ¡®A human?!¡¯ It was a human¡¯s voice. ¡°Back, back! Look at your back!¡± The injured man under rubbles noticed Ian and shouted to warn the person under the rag. The person in rag getup slowly turned the head. ¡°Pardon?¡± Ian, who jumped up into the air, was going to swing his sword as hended. However, having heard the voice of a girl that somehow sounded familiar, he narrowly stopped the sword in time. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± The girl under the rag, who turned to look at Ian, casually nced at the sword aimed at her neck. She vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Looking at the sword aimed at her neck, the girl broke cold sweat. She smiled awkwardly and asked politely, ¡°Could you please¡­ withdraw your sword?¡± ¡°¡­ Y¡­ You are?¡± Ian saw who it was under the rag. Finding it to be unbelievable, Ian furrowed his brows. The injured man under the rubbles asked in a hurry without a care of his own well being, ¡°A¡­ Are you all right, Priestess?!¡± ¡°P¡­ Priestess?¡± ¡°Quiet¡­ I am sorry. I¡¯ll introduce myselfter. He seems to be seriously injured, so¡­¡± The girl under the rag brought a finger toward her lips and said ¡®quiet.¡¯ Priestess Priesia put forth her hand toward the man who was crushed under the rubble. ¡°P¡­ Priestess. You should get away. That masked man¡­ He looks suspicious somehow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard that, Ian burst into anger inside. He got a vein bulging on his forehead as he put forth his hand. ¡°Hup!¡± Ian put his fingers below the rubbles that were crushing the man and then gritted his teeth. ¡°Uh? Uhuh?¡± The rubbles looked heavy enough that it seemed having a dozen strong men was not going to be enough to lift it. However, it started to get lifted slowly. The man who was under the rubbles opened his eyes big and looked at Ian. ¡°T¡­ This¡­ How could this be?¡± ¡°Come out.¡± ¡°Ah, ah, yes¡­¡± By Priesia¡¯s holy power, his legs, which were turned to pulp from being crushed earlier, were restored enough that he could walk. The man tumbled and got the legs out. The man lowered his head and said, ¡°T¡­ Thank you.¡± ¡°You can walk, right? Please go to the guards.¡± ¡°W¡­ What about you, Priestess?¡± ¡°I still have things to do.¡± It seemed she was being chased by someone. Priesia held down the rag further to hide her face. She casually turned her head and looked at Ian who was wearing a mask. ¡°I think it will be simr to what he was going to do.¡± ¡°I¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Also¡­ To the guards¡­ Please do not tell them that you saw me. Can you promise me that?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian looked at Priesia and tilted his head side to side, confused. Priesia continued, ¡°I beg of you.¡± Priesia was respectfully requesting them to keep this a secret. It was making Ian¡¯s headplicated. ¡®Why is that?¡¯ When the Magic Tower copsed, the Holy Temple was copsed as well. There had to be many people who were worried about her safety, but she was trying to keep her identity secret. Ian could not think of a reason for this¡­ no matter how hard he thought about it. Chapter 115 - Dark Layer (4)

Chapter 115: Dark Layer (4)

¡°Well then.¡± Priesia, who had been hiding her identity by covering herself in a rag, slowly turned her head and looked at Ian. ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Ian, who had his face hidden because of the mask, had his eyes met with Priesia. Ian gulped. There was no way to describe Priesia¡¯s face other than that she was truly beautiful, literally like an angel. Just facing her alone was enough to stop his train of thought for a moment. Ian just stood there with a vacant look on his face for a moment. He tightened his fist to barely wake up from his useless thoughts. ¡°I am sorry, but I¡¯m afraid I cannot tell you.¡± Ian shook his head and said he could not tell her. Priesia stared at the mask on Ian¡¯s face for a moment and slowly nodded. ¡°I understand. People have their reasons.¡± While Priesia mumbled, Ian looked around to check the corpses. Ian tossed a question. ¡°Priestess, why are you here?¡± The Magic Tower copsed, and the tower copsed on top of the Holy Temple and destroyed it. There weren¡¯t just a few people who were worried about her at the moment. It was a relief to know that she was safe, but on the other hand, it was strange. She was hiding her face by wearing a rag. She also just told the man she saved that he should not tell others that he saw her. Ian thought about the two questions, but they wereplete mysteries no matter how he thought about it. ¡°You should be telling others that you arepletely fine and alive like this, but instead¡­ You are trying to hide your identity. Why? People of Solia are worried.¡± Ian asked in worried tone. Priesia looked at the Right Solia inplete disarray, bit her lips, and mumbled an answer that had no relevance to the question. ¡°I won¡¯t ask who you are anymore. You must have a reason why you are wearing a mask.¡± Even her cringing face was so mesmerizing, so Ian was just standing there with a nk look on his face. Ian nodded his headte. Priesia said, ¡°In that case, it would be all right if I asked what you are trying to do here, right?¡± Ian wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°You are here to save people, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You were about to swing a sword at me, but you stopped. You saved the man who was crushed under a building. Actually, based on these two things, I think the answer is already out. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± As Priesia said, Ian was at the Right Solia to save people. The Young Master that Ian came here with was now gone without a trace to find the source that was raising the corpses while Ian saved people. Ian was certain of this. ¡°I am simr to you. I am here to save the people. There still are many who are injured.¡± ¡°In that case, why are you hiding your identity?¡± ¡°I cannot tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry. I cannot tell you why. All I can say to you is asking you to help me save the people.¡± She also added and told Ian to not tell others that she was here. As if she was ashamed, Priesia lowered her head. ¡°¡­¡± Ian vacantly stared at Priesia for a moment. He kept silence for a moment, and then extended his hand toward her. ¡°I understand.¡± After seeing Ian¡¯s hand asking for a hand shake, Priesia lifted her head with a bright face. ¡°I am wearing a mask right now, but as you guessed, I am staying here instead of my master to save the people. It is obvious this will be much more efficient.¡± Ian put the sword back in the sheath, tapped at the handle, and led the way. Priesia followed him. * * * While leaving the rest to Ian, Riley left the scene because he had a few things he had to find out on the side. At the moment, he was staring at the direction where angry voice wasing from. It was from behind a copsed building. ¡°About the story about the Lower Solia that was a big issue recently, I won¡¯t mention it, but I will presume everyone knows about it. About that incident¡­ who do you think caused it?¡± The voice was agitated. There were dozens of priests and holy knights gathered in front of the copsed Holy Temple. The old man who was standing in the front of them all was the Archbishop Rebethra, the one Riley had been looking for to follow around. ¡®I knew he was alive, but what¡¯s this?¡¯ The situation definitely looked like it was heading in a strange direction. It seemed the holy knights and priests barely escaped the copsing building. They were covered in dust. They were in shambles. However, for some reason, the look on their faces and eyes were full of fury. ¡°Dead people are being forced to stand up, and as if they are puppets, they are charging toward people who are still alive.¡± Standing in front of the holy knights and priests, Rebethra tightened his fist and spoke. The people gathered there started to grind their teeth. ¡°Who do you think is responsible for this?¡± Having heard the Archbishop, Riley crumpled his face. ¡®What?¡¯ While Riley was crumpling his face, Rebethra continued with even more heart broken voice. ¡°Solia Castle, Solia¡¯s Magic Tower¡­ They have not shown any signs of atonement about the Astroa incident. We can¡¯t just sit idly and watch like this forever.¡± Rebethra spoke ill of the Solia¡¯s Castle and the Magic Tower. He opened his arms wide and started to pour out tears. ¡°Instead of learning the lesson, they got greedy, and now the Magic Tower copsed, and they have taken away from us our Holy Temple¡­ and the daughter of the Goddess Irsa.¡± Having heard the speech, Riley narrowed his eyes. Rebethra was not just trying to stir up the priests and holy knights gathered there. He was trying to get everyone involved, even the other people gathered nearby who were watching him. ¡°We must not forget Goddess Irsa¡¯s teachings¡­ which says we should calm our anger and forgive the sinners. However!¡± Rebethra tightened his fist while being in tears. Bing sympathetic, there were people from the temple who were shedding tears just like him. Riley mumbled vacantly, ¡°¡­ That runt¡­ What is he trying to do here?¡± Rebethra continued. ¡°They are trying tomit unspeakable sins, and they aremitting unspeakable sins. They have abandoned the sense of humanity and moral. Do you think that just sitting idly and watching them be is¡­ truly the wish of Goddess Irsa?¡± As if people were responding in favor of Rebethra¡¯s words, the holy knights raised their swords and shields, the Holy Temple¡¯s priests raised their staffs, and believers of the Temple raised their hands. ¡°We can¡¯t just do nothing. Now, we won¡¯t just watch and do nothing either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can feel that even Goddess Irsa is infuriated. To those who have abandoned their humanity, give them the punishment from the God!¡± Rebethra shouted out loud with determination, and the people of the Temple responded with even louder voice in favor. ¡°Give them the punishment from the God!¡± ¡°They have taken away the daughter of the God! Give them the punishment from the God!¡± ¡°Give them the punishment from the God!¡± ¡°Punish them¡­¡± Rebethra filled people with fury. He slowly turned his body and narrowed his eyes. ¡®Now, Priestess¡­ I know you are alive. Are you still going to hide around despite this?¡¯ Behind the building, Riley, who had been in hiding and watching Rebethra smiling, also narrowed his eyes and started to spin his brain. ¡®Just what are you scheming?¡¯ * * * ¡°Mister, behind you!¡± ¡°Kuk?!¡± Ian¡¯s sword circled around once and cut off the head and two arms of the corpse that was charging at him from the back. ¡°Guuurrrr.¡± It was endless. Ian had been cutting the corpses again and again, but despite that, Ian and Priesia had been fighting a tough battle. ¡°Tsk.¡± There was a corpse that grabbed on to Ian. It was trying to bit Ian¡¯s arm. Ian used raw strength to push it away. He then twisted his body in arge motion and swung his sword. This time, three corpses rolled on the ground. ¡°Miss, please.¡± Instead of Priestess, Ian called her Miss and turned to look at Priesia who was supporting him from the back. ¡°Yes.¡± Priesia nodded and put forth her hand. She closed her eyes gently, and steady, soft white light exuded from her hand. ¡°¡­ Guuurrr.¡± When her hand started to shine, the corpse that was pushed off by Ian¡¯s monstrous strength and lying on the floor started to exude light. It was the cleansing light using her holy power. It was something that a priest from the Holy Temple could use, and because the Priestess was the one using it, its power was extra special. ¡°I finished handling one of them. I¡¯ll handle the next one¡­ Kuk?¡± Priesia just finished cleansing one corpse, but she saw a zombie that was charging at her from the front. She quickly changed the direction of her arm and created a barrier. [Note: For the first time, the author actually used the word ¡°zombie.¡±] ¡°Kuuurrr. Kuuuaaaa!¡± ¡°Mister!¡± The zombie that was blocked by the barrier started to scratch and bite the barrier. It was going wild. Priesia furrowed her brows as if this was such a bother. She turned to look at Ian. ¡°Hup!¡± However, Ian was held up in middle of fighting dozens of corpses. The corpses constantly grabbed Ian. He could only shake them off or dodge them. Actually, if cleansing the corpses was all that needed to be done, they would not have been having such a hard time, and it would not have taken so long either. The problem was the magic that was being cast by a few corpses wearing robes. ¡°Ice¡­ Arrow¡­¡± ¡°Fire¡­ Bolt¡­¡± There were heads of corpses just rolling around on the ground. However, when these heads mumbled with leaking wind like voices, the headless bodies cast magic and posed danger against Ian. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Ianpletely crumpled his face. In a hurry, he threw his own body behind rubbles of copsed buildings and rolled. Putting the sound of loud explosion behind him, Ian was able to hide behind the rubbles. It was a close call. Before Ian was able to catch his breath for a moment, Ian found a corpseing at him with its mouth wide open. Ian extended his arm. ¡°Guuurrrr!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Crunch. It showed up right in front of Ian, so he was not able to get away. Ian¡¯s arm was bitten by the corpse¡¯s teeth. ¡°Kuuk!¡± There were drops of sweats flowing on Ian¡¯s face. They fell to the ground like rain drops. ¡°M¡­ Mister! Just wait a bit! I¡¯ll heal you right away¡­¡± ¡°Fire¡­ Lance.¡± Surrounding herself in barrier, Priesia was trying to get to where Ian was hiding. However, from her behind, a corpse wearing a robe shot the Fire Lance, a pretty high level magic. ¡°Fire¡­ Lance.¡± ¡°¡­ Uuuk?!¡± Although she had the barrier on, being struck by the Fire Lance twice from the back took a toll on her. Priesia crumpled her face. Before she could walk a few more steps, she faltered. ¡°God damn it. What are the guards doing¡­¡± ¡®They are just corpses, so howe they can disy such monstrous strength?¡¯ Ian, who was struggling against the corpse that he ran into behind the rubbles, suddenly raised his ears. ¡®This sound is?¡¯ nk. It was the sound of armors nking. ¡®Are they finally here?¡¯ Ian thought that these heavy noises must be from the guards or knights from the Solia Castle arriving at the scene. Ian¡¯s face was about to be brightened, thinking he was saved. However, it immediately darkened. ¡°¡­ Guuurrr.¡± The armored things were approaching where Ian and Priesia were standing. Their eyes were pitch ck. ¡°¡­¡± They were corpses. ¡°At this rate¡­¡± ¡®At this rate, we will die.¡¯ Ian was almost certain of this. He desperately pushed off the corpse that wasing at him. He then ran toward where Priesia was struggling to stand up. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Last spring, she withstood dozens of magic from Astroa. However, now, she was covered in cold sweats and breathing hard. This was as result of repeatedly performing heal and cleansing. She healed the injured, cleansed the corpses, and had to defend against the nails and even magic attacksing from corpses charging at them. The burden was increased three fold. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­ M¡­ Mister. Are you all right? Your arm was bitten. Please wait a moment. I¡¯ll heal you first¡­¡± ¡°No. It is all right. A wound like this is something I always had hanging on my body while I was in the battlefield. It was like a medal of honor.¡± Ian pushed away Priesia¡¯s hand when she tried to heal him. Ian looked around the area and said, ¡°Besides¡­¡± He noticed that the number of corpses grew substantially. He narrowed his eyes. ¡®Their number is growing steadily.¡¯ Before they realized, Ian and Priesia, who were saving people in the Right Solia, were fighting against greatly increased number of corpses. Cutting, blocking and cleansing¡­ They were not sure for how long they had been doing this. When they came to their senses, they realized they could no longer hear the screams or cry in pain from anyone anymore from the area. All they could hear now were ¡®guuurrr¡¯ sound in irregr pattern that wasing from the corpses. ¡°We are¡­ surrounded.¡± Under his mask, Ian had a desperate look on his face as he mumbled. Priesia, with her face covered in sweat, looked around. ¡°¡­¡± The area waspletely filled with corpses. They could not see any particr path for getting past them. Moreover, right in front of them, there were corpses from the Magic Tower wearing robes. They each had different innate type magic attacks readied and floating on the air. It looked like they were going to fire the magic attacks at any moment. ¡®Goddess Irsa¡­ Is this the end?¡¯ Priesia tightly closed her eyes. For some reason, the veryst divine message that she received wasing to her mind. ¡®ck butterfly? What could she mean by that?¡¯ It seemed Priesia¡¯s strength was at its end. The golden barrier that she had to the front started to flicker. ¡°Mister¡­ I am sorry. Because of me¡­ this¡­¡± Priesia was trying to apologize to Ian who was supporting her to stand. Blurring the end of her sentence, she suddenly had a vacant look on her face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Priestess?¡± Since they were surrounded by corpses, Ian used the title, Priestess, instead of Miss. Wondering what was up with the Priestess, Ian tilted his head side to side. ¡°¡­ Butterfly.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The butterfly¡­¡± Instead of finishing her sentence, Priesia put on a vacant look on her face. She was chasing something with her eyes. It was a butterfly. On top of that, it was a butterfly with ck wings. p, p¡­ As if it was dancing, it was flying around in front of Priesia and Ian¡¯s eyes. As if the butterfly did not fear the corpses at all, it flew toward the bastards that was blocking the path behind the two people. ¡°¡­ I am relieved.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± From behind them¡­ From the direction where the ck butterfly was flying toward¡­ Someone mumbled ¡®I am relieved.¡¯ ¡°¡­ I was notte.¡± ¡®This¡­ voice is?¡¯ Ian had heard this voice before. Just like Priesia, Ian vacantly opened his mouth. Whooosh¡­ Standing in front of the zombies that were blocking the path she was trying to go through¡­ The girl wearing a scarlet coat on her shoulder had a ck me on her left hand and an apple floating on the air. Standing like that, she was smiling. Chapter 116 - Dark Layer (5)

Chapter 116: Dark Layer (5)

It was at Lower Solia. Peruda was fighting a tough battle. ¡°At this rate¡­¡± To exin why he was having a tough time, he was having a hard time escaping Lower Solia, which was like a maze. He was trying to stop the corpses from crawling out of Lower Solia and spread to the Main za and other directions. He had been sealing off every entrance that lead to Lower Solia. Now, he was trapped in Lower Solia and unable to escape. ¡®The pathways are tooplicated.¡¯ Thinking he should block the pathways more tightly and thoroughly, Peruda walked into Lower Solia just a little bit. However, by the time he realized it, before long, he was trapped in Lower Solia. He had been wondering around for a very long time. ¡°How many hours has it been¡­ No, how many days has it been?¡± He was not sure about his sense of time. Peruda could not know how long it had been since he was trapped here. However, he could tell one thing for certain. Somebody in Lower Solia was getting in his way of escaping this ce. He knew because¡­ ¡°Damn it, again¡­¡± It felt like he had been going in circles, so Peruda had been putting marks on the floor or the sewer walls so he would not get confused. However, someone had been tempering with the marks, and Peruda noticed this. ¡®Someone is changing the path marks.¡¯ It seemed Peruda was anxious. He mumbled with a serious look on his face. The direction of the dirty water¡¯s flow, locations of makeshift te bridges, narrow paths between buildings that look simr, and even sheets of fabrics that were ced to hide hidden pathways¡­ Everything was changing little by little. ¡°God damn it¡­ I can¡¯t get out.¡± ¡°¡­ Guuurrr.¡± Getting lost was not the only problem. There were pitch-ck eyes corpses swinging their ws at Peruda who was circling and circling Lower Solia. ¡°Tsk.¡± Having heard the crying from the back, Peruda cringed and twitched his fingers he had lowered earlier. ¡°Guuu¡­ Ugh¡­¡± There was a corpse that was approaching Peruda, but it was stopped by sharp vines that came out of the ground which pierced its legs. ¡°Could these things have done it?¡± The pathway in Lower Solia was changing. Wondering if it was done by the corpses, Peruda looked at it. Peruda shook his head. ¡®No, these runts do not have any intelligence.¡¯ Peruda used nt roots to pierce the corpse¡¯s body and restrain it. It was like kabob with meat. Peruda closely observed the corpse¡¯s body and ground his teeth. ¡®It is being controlled by someone, but it is definitely a corpse. It is a dead person.¡¯ The corpse was struggling while being pierced by the vines. It was moving its arm toward Peruda, struggling. The vine that pierced its leg had prated and came out above its shoulder. Despite that, instead of losing strength, the corpse was struggling even more. ¡®It is like a puppet.¡¯ Even when its arms were cut off, and even when its head was chopped off, the corpse moved. For the first time in his life, Peruda hated his innate magic type. ¡®Only if I could use some other type of magic¡­¡¯ To eliminate the corpses, what Peruda needed was actually me type magic. However, he was not able to use me magic. It was because he was born with the innate type that was the exact opposite of the me. With nt magic as the innate type, using me magic was impossible for Peruda. ¡°¡­ I have never been to Lower Solia. To think that it would be such a huddle¡­¡± Leaving the restrained corpse behind, Peruda started to walk again. He then heard someone¡¯s voice. ¡°Magic Tower¡¯s Head, Peruda.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± From somewhere inside the sewer, there was an echo of some man¡¯s voice. ¡°Let¡¯s do a trade.¡± Peruda was surprised. He started to walk toward the direction where the voice came from. ¡°It¡¯s pointless.¡± Peruda came to the ce where he thought the voice wasing from. However, it was just an empty ce. He looked around the area. ¡°In the Lower Solia, eye sight and hearing are not very useful. The only important one is the sense of smell.¡± Having heard the voice, Peruda put on a violent look on his face. With a weary look, Peruda asked, ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± After a brief moment of silence, a response could be heard from the man, ¡°I am the man responsible for making you go in circles in the Lower Solia right now.¡± Instead of an echo, this time, Peruda could hear the voice wasing from right behind him. Peruda opened his eyes big and rapidly turned his head. Peruda red at the man who was approaching him. ¡°¡­¡± After seeing the man who appeared behind him and hearing what he said about being responsible for making Peruda going in circles, Peruda was about to use his magic and restrain the man. However¡­ ¡°If you are intending to do something to me, it would be best for you if you gave up?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The man continued to talk, so Peruda stopped his finger movements. ¡°There are many watchful eyes in Lower Solia.¡± Having heard what the man said, Peruda moved his eyes and felt dozens of presence that he did not notice at all until now. Peruda ground his teeth. He was being threatened. ¡°I am sorry, but all of them are currently my eyes, noses, and mouths, so¡­ If you act carelessly toward me, you may never leave this ce.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Well, if you obliterated the entire Lower Solia, then that would be a different story.¡± The man closed his eyes and mumbled leisurely. He then narrowly opened his eyes all of sudden and red at Peruda. ¡°If you want to leave this ce, it would be in your best interest to listen to me. Peruda, the Head of the Magic Tower.¡± It was a bold threat. Peruda ground his teeth. He was going to talk back and say ¡®don¡¯t make meugh.¡¯ However, the man suddenly covered Peruda¡¯s mouth. Peruda furrowed his brows. ¡°I know you had been trapped here for quite some time now¡­ By any chance, don¡¯t you want to know what is happening outside?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Make a guess. Should I give you a hint?¡± The man who covered Peruda¡¯s mouth and was smiling continued. ¡°The Magic Tower copsed.¡± The man¡¯s eyes were burning with desire for revenge. * * * The one that appeared in front of the corpses at the Right Solia was a girl. She had ck hair and ivory-white skin that contrasted with her hair color. She had scarlet outwear on her shoulder like it was a cape. She had a ck me floating on her left hand. She threw the ck me to the front and moved her right hand. ¡°¡­ Guuurrr!¡± The ck me made a direct hit to one of the corpses that was surrounding Ian and Priesia. Along with a beastly roar, the corpse burned to crisp and became ashes. ¡°Guuurrr?¡± It was not certain if the corpses actually had a sense ofradery. However, when one of them was burned, as if they were responding to it, others turned to look at the direction where the me came from. In other words, they looked at the direction where the girl was standing. ¡°¡­ Kuuurrrr!¡± They saw the girl staring at them with a cold gaze. The corpses identified her as an enemy and started to charge toward her. Sururung¡­ The girl moved her right hand earlier. She drew the sword that was hanging on her waist. ¡°There are a little less than one hundred?¡± After drawing the sword, the girl estimated the number of corpses that were charging toward her. Her stance looked very leisurely with moments to spare. Maintaining her leisurely stance, she was watching the corpses running toward her. When there was about three steps between the corpses and herself, she started to swing the sword she held on her hand. ¡°Guurrrr, Keke!¡± The girl swung her sword, and¡­ me followed along the path of the de. It felt like she was waving a fabric made of me. Whoosh¡­ Everytime the de was swung, along its path, me appeared and burned the corpses that were charging toward her. ¡°Kuuuuaaaa!¡± The corpses were cut by the de, and they were immediately set on fire, preventing them from moving again. ¡°What in the world¡­¡± With her left hand ced on her back, she just had her right hand to the front and chopped down the corpses one by one as they came at her. Watching this, Ian and Priesia vacantly opened their mouths. ¡°Ice¡­¡± ¡°N¡­ Nainiae! The corpses are using magic¡­¡± Nainiae. Priesia called out the name of the girl who was swinging the sword. A gust of wind passed by Priesia¡¯s cheek. Surprised, Priesia stopped shouting. ¡°¡­?¡± Priesia was creeped out by the wind. She slowly turned her head. All of the corpses from the Magic Tower, which were casting spells, had their heads chopped off, and purple rings appeared on where their heads were. ¡°Kek, kuk!¡± ¡°Guuuaaaa¡­ Kek!¡± The girl in the scarlet outwear was leisurely cutting down the corpses as she twisted her body. Nainiae suddenly dragged her feet and moved her arm with the sword back in arge motion. ¡°Hup!¡± She then swung the arm forward with force. The sword left her hand and made a sharp sound as if an arrow was shot. ¡°Kuk!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Ian was vacantly watching Nainiae swinging her sword. Ian heard the sharp wind noise and flinched. He turned his head. ¡°Guuu¡­ Kuk¡­ Kuk!¡± There was a corpse that was quietly approaching Ian from behind to bite him. On the corpse¡¯s mouth, Nainiae¡¯s sword was stuck on it. ¡°¡­ Mr. Ian.¡± From front of Ian, Nainiae¡¯s gentle voice could be heard. Ian vacantly opened his mouth. ¡®I¡¯m wearing a mask to hide my identity. How did she figure it out?¡¯ ¡°The sword, I have used it well all this time.¡± While Ian still had his mouth vacantly open, Nainiae expressed her gratitude with voice full of thankfulness. Nainiae lowered her head. The sword that was currently stuck on the corpse¡¯s mouth, the sword that Nainiae threw, was¡­ Ian¡¯s most treasured sword that Ian allowed Nainiae to borrow when she left the mansion to be cured of her illness. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae?¡± The girl expressed her gratitude with pride. In response, Ian also vacantly mumbled Nainiae¡¯s name just like Priesia earlier. ¡°¡­ Well then.¡± Nainiae lifted her head and looked at the remaining corpses around them. She took a deep breath. ¡°Guuurrr¡­¡± It seemed the corpses decided that they needed to neutralize Nainiae first. The corpses ignored Ian and Priesia. The corpses all ran toward Nainiae. ¡°Rest in peace.¡± Nainiae mumbled. Although she didn¡¯t recite any spell in particr, dozens of magic circles appeared around her. Each and every one of the magic circles were gigantic. Their humungous sizes were enough to make Ian and Priesia gasp for air from the shock. ¡®Oh my¡­¡¯ Ian was shocked, but Priesia was shocked even more. The girl¡¯s lifespan was going tost until autumn at most even if itsted long. However, now that girl was using magic like that. Somehow, it looked very dangerous for the girl. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae¡­ You don¡¯t need to do that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± Out of concern, Priesia was trying to stop Nainiae from overexerting herself. Nainiae looked at Priesia and put on a refreshing smile on her face. The scarlet coat on her shoulder was waving in the air. Nainiae swung her left arm. ¡°I need to show off this much at least so that my Teacher¡¯s pride is not tainted.¡± ¡®Teacher?¡¯ ¡®Did she just say Teacher?¡¯ Ian and Priesia had no idea what she was talking about, so they floated question marks on their faces. Dark colored curvedyer appeared around Ian and Priesia. ¡°Guuurrr!¡± The corpses were not frightened by the dozens of magic circles that appeared around them. The corpses still charged toward Nainiae. Above the corpses¡¯ heads, bombardment of ck colored magic started. ¡®Oh my¡­¡¯ From above the protective barrier, magic attackspletely filled their view. Ian and Priesia vacantly opened their mouths. About a minute¡­ No¡­ It didn¡¯t feel like it took longer than even 30 seconds. ¡°¡­ Phew.¡± When the view outside of the barrier could be confirmed again, the sight around them was the kind where they could not see any trace of the corpses. ¡°I adjusted it appropriately. Are you all right?¡± Literally, at an instant, Nainiae eliminated the corpses. She canceled the barrier that she raised to protect Ian and Priesia and then asked the two. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae¡­ What happened?¡± ¡°Is it¡­ really you?¡± Nainiae confirmed that they were safe. She nodded and said, ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± She lightly dusted off her hands and approached Ian. Watching this, Ian just stood there with a nk look on his face. He was not able to respond. ¡°That¡­¡± There was an apple floating on Nainiae¡¯s right side. After that, Nainiae grabbed the apple with both of her hands. She covered her mouth with the apple and ask in a shy voice, ¡°Where is Young Master?¡± Chapter 117 - Secret Conversation

Chapter 117: Secret Conversation

After stirring up the people from the Holy Temple, Rebethra made all of them head toward the Solia Castle. He then said he had something else to do. Rebethra separated himself from the group, and he was now walking in a different direction. ¡®It seems the copse of the Magic Tower has something to do with this runt, but¡­ Just why is he trying to turn the Solia upside down?¡¯ It had been a while since the whole incident started. About now, the news about the devastation in Solia would have reached not just the royalty, but even other nobilities. The reinforcement would start to arrive from each region. Even without any of them, this was the Solia ¡®Castle¡¯ that they were headed. It was highly likely that the Solia would not copse so easily. Even the riot that was about to happen by the people from the Holy Temple could be subdued before long. ¡®Is it because of the corpses? Just like when he was trying to swallow the entire Rainfield in whole, is he doing this to make more people into corpses? This is a littleplicated? If I summarized it, would it be like this?¡¯ Nara said the dark mage that they met in Rainfield, Kabal the mercenary from Ansyrium, and Holy Temple¡¯s Archbishop Rebethra all had purple color. Because something stank, they had been digging around Rebethra¡¯s back, and¡­ The animated corpses, just like the ones from Rainfield, were sighted in Solia. Currently, with the Magic Tower copsed, Rebethra stirred up the people from the Holy Temple and sent them to the Solia Castle. ¡®No matter how I look at it, he is just trying to increase the number of corpses. Maybe he also has the ability to control the corpses.¡¯ Riley thought about the possibility that all purple colored humans might have the ability to control corpses. He then tried to figure out the next puzzle. ¡®Young Master, the people with pitch-ck eyes were¡­ some kind of sacrifices. My Master was also a sacrifice.¡¯ Riley thought about what Ian said. While he was tracing Rebethra¡¯s back, Riley furrowed his brows as if something was icky. ¡®A sacrifice¡­¡¯ While Riley was thinking about what Ian said and was furrowing his brows, a horrible stench went past his nose. Riley stopped thinking about it and looked at where Rebethra was headed. ¡®Lower Solia?¡¯ After making the people from the Holy Temple to go to the Solia Castle, Rebethra was going through the Main za and heading to Lower Solia. Riley wondered why as he rolled his brain continuously. In that moment, ¡°¡­ Hand over the information about thatss.¡± Having heard the voice, Riley stopped the thought and tuned in to the voices. ¡°Thatss?¡± There was another voice that could be heard. Riley thought it sounded familiar, so he looked toward the direction of the new voice. The voice belonged to the current Head of the Magic Tower, the one who Riley knew well. ¡®That¡¯s Peruda?¡¯ It seemed he wondered around Lower Solia for a long time. From the tip of the shoes to the top of his head, he was a mess. He was not in a good shape. ¡°I¡¯m talking about thess that you Magic Tower bastards dragged to the basement and experimented on!¡± Having heard the sharp remark from the man standing in front of him, Peruda flinched. As if he felt wronged, Peruda talked back. ¡°Why do you want that¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious what¡¯s happening outside?¡± ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± The man was not going to forgive Peruda for talking back. The man threatened Peruda. Having heard the threat, Peruda¡¯s face crumpled desperately. ¡°If you are talking about the people who were e¡­ experimented on¡­ There were so many of them, so even if you ask me, I would not know¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Nainiae. You should know thatss very well?¡± The homeless who was standing in Peruda was Hamil. Having heard the name of the girl, Peruda opened his eyes big and faced Hamil. ¡°How do you know her¡­ No. Why are you looking for her?¡± Peruda steadily stared at Hamil¡¯s face. It seemed Peruda just remembered the face. He pointed his index finger at Hamil and mumbled, ¡°Wait, you are?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the past, under Astroa¡¯s order, Peruda had been charged with selling the Magic Tower¡¯s broken or disposed failures to nobilities, merchants or mercenaries in secret. Peruda started to break cold sweats. ¡°Back then¡­ that¡­¡± Peruda was remembering the time at Lower Solia where he sold a girl with limited life span. ¡°If it is that child, you should know her better?¡± Now, Peruda crumpled his face and red at the homeless that purchased Nainiae with moneyst winter. Peruda asked, ¡°Why are you asking me that?¡± That girl did not have long to live. Her appearance and mind were in pieces. She was full of injuries and wounds. She had nowhere to go. She was literally waiting for her moment of death. The one who purchased her was the homeless who was standing in front of Peruda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Actually, I want to ask you. What child¡­ What happened to that child? Is she still alive? If she is¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Why!!¡± Hamil¡¯s eyes were filled with murderous intent. He was ring at Peruda and shouting at top of his lungs. ¡°How could you not know! ording to that runt, you would know where that b*tch is!¡± ¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Tell me! You are hiding here, aren¡¯t you? Tell me!¡± Hamil grabbed Peruda by the clothes near his throat and shook him. Peruda cringed one of his eyes as he looked around. While minding the others, he started to fiddle with his fingers. ¡°¡­ Looks like you abandoned her.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You abandoned that child. Isn¡¯t that why you are asking me? You guys said you needed her and bought her, and then you abandoned her. You guys alwaysin that the world abandoned you, yet in the end¡­ You are bing of the trash in Lower Solia.¡± ¡°Ugh, Ugh!!¡± ¡°As you said earlier, I did have many conversation with that child. That¡¯s why I¡¯m even more certain that¡­ she would not have done anything wrong first.¡± Despite being grabbed by Hamil near the throat, Peruda did not give in. Peruda red at Hamil¡¯s infuriated face and talked back. ¡°What about you guys?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°She would not have done anything to buy grudge from you. In that case, you guys must have betrayed her first. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°That mouth, shut up!!¡± Overcame by his anger, Hamil raised his right hand. It seemed Peruda seized the moment. He was fiddling with his fingers, and now he suddenly tightened his fist. ¡®I don¡¯t like this much, but if he is a resident of Lower Solia¡­ With him tied up like this¡­¡¯ With Hamil restrained in vines, Peruda was trying to find a way out of Lower Solia. Peruda¡¯s shoulders suddenly flinched. ¡®Ugh?¡¯ Puk! With a blunt sound, the fist that Hamil swung collided with Peruda¡¯s frontal face. ¡®Kuk?!¡¯ Peruda was rolling on the floor with dirty water. Peruda looked confused. It was not that he didn¡¯t understand that he was hit on the face. He was wondering why the magic he used was not activated properly. ¡®What is going on? Why is my magic¡­¡¯ With a look of panic on his face, Peruda looked down at his hand. He then opened his eyes wide. ¡®A High Level Silence Magic?¡¯ He noticed tightly packed purple rings around his wrist and other rings around his mouth. This was the reason why he opened his eyes wide. ¡°¡­ Oh my¡­ How ungrateful.¡± He could hear the voice. The voice sounded pretty familiar to Peruda. It felt like it had been a while since he heard the voice. It belonged to¡­ ¡°You¡­ are?¡± To see who said it, Peruda turned his head toward the direction where the voice came from. Peruda¡¯s jaw dropped out of shock. ¡°You¡­ how could you be?¡± The grand mage of Magic Tower that supposedly diedst spring was standing right in front of Peruda, very much alive. ¡°Astroa¡­¡± Peruda was not the only one who was surprised. ¡®What is that runt?¡¯ Riley had been watching the situation while in hiding. ¡®Why is that runt alive¡­¡¯ Back then, Riley threw his sword and pierced Astroa¡¯s heart. He definitely ended this mages life. However, Astroa was alive. Wondering why, Riley looked at the bastard¡¯s eyes first. ¡®His eyes¡­ are normal.¡¯ He wondered if Astroa had pitch-ck eyes like the corpses, so he checked. Having confirmed that the eyes were normal, Riley moved his eyes, thinking that something was not right. This time, he looked at Rebethra. ¡°Now, now. Please calm down for now.¡± Rebethra had been just watching the situation as well. Now, just like Astroa who just made an appearance, Rebethra also revealed himself. ¡°Rebethra? Why are you here too?¡± Peruda seemed shocked again from Rebethra entering the scene as well. Peruda was lying on the ground upside down. His eyes shook in disbelief. ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you get up, Peruda? Your cheek is seriously swollen up.¡± Rebethra came to front of Peruda, who was lying on the floor. Rebethra healed Peruda¡¯s cheek and extended his hand toward Peruda. ¡°You¡­¡± Given the situation, although Rebethra healed Peruda, Peruda was not grabbing the hand. He was on full alert. He red at the three men gathered there, going back and forth between them. ¡°I am disappointed. I was probably the one who congratted you the most when you became the new Head of the Magic Tower.¡± Peruda struggled and got up. He then took steps back. Watching him, Rebethra casually turned his head and looked at Astroa. ¡°Hurial, I think it would be best to withdraw the spell. Having a conversation while having a knife to the man¡¯s throat is a little¡­¡± ¡°Um¡­ That would be ungrateful.¡± Astroa was called as Hurial by Rebethra. Astroa smiled, nodded, and retrieved the mana. At the same time, purple colored magic rings that had been circling around Peruda¡¯s wrist and face disappeared. ¡®He is not Astroa?¡¯ Riley had been listening to the conversation in secret. Having realized something was up, he looked at Astroa once again. ¡®He is different.¡¯ Appearance wise, he did look just like the dead grand mage. However, the mana inside him felt a little different. It was a slight difference that would have gone unnoticed if Riley did not observe it closer. ¡®It is a little different.¡¯ If it was not for the conversation just now, Riley would have disregarded the difference as just a difference in mood. However, just now, Rebethra called Astroa as Hurial. ¡®This energy is¡­¡¯ A little bit more in detail, Riley observed Astroa a little bit closer, and he was certain now. The energy felt from the man was almost identical to the energy felt from the dark mage that animated corpses in Rainfield. ¡®That bastard¡­ revived Astroa?¡¯ When that dark mage animated the corpses, it felt like he was controlling them like puppets. Inparison, the Astroa that Riley was looking at now was, Hurial in other words, like the body and soul of a person was revived. ¡®No. That is not Astroa.¡¯ Riley narrowed his eyes. Astroa kept on saying ¡®ungrateful.¡¯ Considering that, Riley deduced that the shell and the inside were different. ¡®It is that runt.¡¯ The dark mage that Riley ran into at the Rainfield had the habit of saying ¡®ungrateful¡¯ a lot. This was how Riley could tell. ¡®In that case, that runt is the most likely one with the ability to control the corpses.¡¯ This time, riley looked at Rebethra. It seemed Rebethra was definitely rted to the dark mage. Although Riley could note to a hasty conclusion yet¡­ it was a possibility that Rebethra was the one who revived the dark mage from the Rainfield by covering it with Astroa¡¯s shell. ¡®Is the other runt not going to show up?¡¯ Judging from how they were having friendly conversation, it was certain the dark mage and Rebethra, the two of the purple colored men were close. ¡®If I could get them all at once, including that little runt, that would be great.¡¯ If the mercenary that cut off Riley¡¯s father¡¯s arm showed up here as well, that would have made Riley¡¯s job easier. However, unfortunately¡­ that mercenary did not show up at Lower Solia at all. ¡°¡­ It would be best to say nice things while the Solia¡¯s Magic Tower is the only thing that copsed.¡± Rebethra shrugged shoulder and continued. Peruda ground his teeth and asked the three in front of him. ¡°It could be that you are lying to deceive me. Why should I coorporate with you?¡± ¡°Um. If you don¡¯t believe us, then I have no choice but to show it to you in person.¡± Facing Peruda who was grinding his teeth, Astroa, no¡­ Hurial, put on a shady smile. He slowly turned his body and stepped aside. ¡°Show me? What¡­¡± When Hurial stepped aside, the corpses behind him, which were hidden behind him until now, showed themselves. Having noticed the corpses, Peruda stopped what he was about to say. He just vacantly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems the Magic Tower is corrupt and rotten to the core. How ungrateful. They are trying to attack the Head of the tower.¡± The corpses were wearing robes and ready to indiscriminately fire magic attacks toward Peruda. Hurial had his arms open wide andughing like a lunatic. Peruda had his fist tightened until a moment ago, but now, it just lost strength and fell to the floor. ¡°How¡­ how could this¡­¡± He was devastated. Peruda looked at the people from the Magic Tower who now became corpses with pitch-ck eyes. Peruda mumbled that this could not be. ¡°This¡­ this cannot be¡­¡± ¡°How about it. Would you like to cooperate with us before the Magic Tower¡¯s people act even more ungrateful?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t want to do this either, Peruda.¡± ¡°¡­ Guuurrr.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Hurial and Rebethra talked to Peruda, and the corpses from the Magic Tower scratched their own necks as if they are trying to tell Peruda toply. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Now, I am sorry, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When Peruda was hesitating and keeping silence, a voice could be heard from the other side to break the silence. ¡°Your secret conversation ends here.¡± There was a man wearing a mask. While fiddling with his mask, he revealed himself at Lower Solia. Chapter 118 - Secret Conversation (2)

Chapter 118: Secret Conversation (2)

¡®¡­ What?¡¯ A man suddenly appeared in the ce where they were having a conversation in secret. Not just Peruda, but Archbishop, mage and even the homeless had their eyes wide open. ¡®This runt¡­ he is stealthy¡­ I don¡¯t feel his presence at all¡­¡¯ Watching the man walking towards them step by step, Rebethra crumpled his face. ¡®Is he an assassin?¡¯ He wondered about that because he didn¡¯t feel his presence at all although it seemed this masked man had been tailing him. ¡°You are?¡± Before the sentence could finish, the masked man opened his mouth first and told them what he just heard from the secret conversation. ¡°You are the Archbishop from the Holy Temple, yet you are teaming up with a homeless from the Lower Solia and threatening the Head of the Magic Tower. As if that was not enough, a man whomitted treason is included in the scene? This is¡­ definitely a big news, right?¡± The man tilted his head slightly to the side and tossed the question. Rebethra had his face darkened for a moment, but he soon smiled brightly and asked back, ¡°Haha. Oh my¡­ I don¡¯t know where you are from, but I think there must be a big misunderstanding. Threat? That¡¯s not what¡¯s happening here at all. I am just asking him for cooperation.¡± ¡°Cooperation?¡± ¡°Yes, just cooperation.¡± Rebethra slightly nodded. The man in the mask, Riley to be precise, smiled as if he found this to be entertaining. He then asked the next question. ¡°You stirred up the people from the Holy Temple and sent them to charge in to the Solia Castle. Is that just cooperation as well?¡± ¡°Stir them up? What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s second question, Peruda looked confused. Meanwhile, Rebethra¡¯s face could not look more violent than this. ¡°Just how long have you been¡­¡± ¡°You are not denying this?¡± The voiceing from inside of the mask was echoing inside the mask, changing Riley¡¯s voice. It was making others unable to identify the voice. ¡°In that case, how about the fact that you put the dark mage inside the body of dead Astroa, the dark mage that is famous for controlling dead bodies?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s next question, Rebethra and Peruda both furrowed their brows. The man in the mask, who appeared to be an assassin, said something that could not be taken lightly. This was why. ¡°Um. You are showing wishy-washy response to this question.¡± Riley leisurely mumbled. He casually rolled his eyes and looked at Astroa. Astroa had been ring at Riley since a while ago. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Astroa¡¯s body was shaking. Riley was wondering why, but what he said right after made Riley realize why. ¡°You runt¡­ You were that runt!¡± Astroa¡¯s eyes were buldging with murderous intent. Riley wondered if he figured out who Riley was despite wearing a mask. However, it seemed that was not the case. Riley thought so because¡­ ¡°You dared to do this to me, Astroa¡­ How dare¡­ I am a grand mage¡­ Ugh¡­ Fuck. My body is¡­ moving on its own¡­¡± It was because his face¡¯s left and right each had a different expression. It was as if he was suffering from a mental illness. One side of the face was breaking cold sweat, trying to calm his body down. The other side was exuding thick deadly aura toward Riley. ¡°S¡­ Shut up! The owner of this body is now¡­ Astroa! No, Hurial!¡± It seemed that the body was losing control. It looked unstable. Riley twisted up the tip of his lips as if he found this entertaining. ¡°Just what is this?¡± Not able to figure out what was happening, Peruda and Hamil tilted their heads side to side. It was Hamil that decided to act first. ¡°¡­ Tsk!¡± With an uninvited guest making an entrance to the scene, it seemed Hamil thought something was not right. Hamil slowly turned his body and was trying to leave the ce. However, his ankle was wrapped tightly by vines and restrained him from walking. ¡°Where do you think you are going! You can¡¯t run¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Uuuaaa!!¡± While observing Astroa going berserk, Peruda used his vine magic. However, Peruda could hear shouting of an old man. It was close to a scream. ¡°I¡¯ll kill¡­ I¡¯ll kill you.¡± The old man had foamsing out of his mouth. It was hard to believe that this man used to be the grand mage of Seven Circles that represented Magic Tower. He looked pathetic. Looking at the masked man, Astroa kept repeating ¡®I¡¯ll kill you.¡¯ Not able to understand it, Rebethra turned his head with a confused look. ¡®Hurial is not able to control his body?¡¯ It meant the original owner of the body was showing a severe response. ¡®¡­ Is it because of that runt?¡¯ When the man in the mask made the entrance, Astroa¡¯s body went out of Hurial¡¯s control. It was going berserk, and it started when he appeared. In other words, it meant the man in the mask and Astroa have met before. Also, the fact that Astroa was showing such a severe response meant that the mask man was rted to Astroa¡¯s death. ¡®By any chance¡­ that runt¡­¡¯ Although it was not officially made knownst spring, those that should know already knew well that Astroa died. It was Nainiae, the girl with the scarred face, who killed the grand mage of Seven Circles. ¡®I always thought something was odd¡­ I thought that girl wascking in power to defeat Astroa on her own.¡¯ Rebethra had been suspicious of Astroa¡¯s death. After he died, Priesia quickly escorted to the Holy Temple the Six Circles mage girl who was full of scars and was on her way to death. Rebethra could not believe that this girl defeated Astroa. ¡°By any chance, are you the one who defeated Astroast time in the Lower Solia?¡± Having heard Rebethra¡¯s question, Peruda opened his eyes wide. ¡°If that is not it, there is no way Hurial¡¯s body would show severe response like this.¡± Rebethra asked in sly tone. Hurial was not able to stop it from going berserk anymore. In the end, the body put forth its arm and shot the magic that it had prepared earlier. ¡°Fireball!¡± Boom! Along with the sound of explosion, the ball of me wasunched forward, heating up the air along the path. The target was Riley. ¡°Um.¡± He slightly turned his body to the side to dodge the Fireballing at him. Riley started to walk to the front. ¡°How ungrateful. You ungrateful! Kill¡­ I must kill him!!¡± Riley dodged the magic attack as if it was nothing, and now he was slowlying toward Astroa. Watching this, Hurial, who was wearing the shell of Astroa, started to run amok, even more out of control. ¡°Judging from the response, I can be certain now. You are the man responsible for defeating Astroa. You used the girl with a backstory as the puppet and hid yourself¡­ Ah, by any chance?¡± While Rebethra was mumbling, Hurial, who had different expressions on each sides of his face, shot more magic attacks even though he was shaking his head hard left and right. This time, it was not just one kind. There were multiple magic attacks, each with different innate types. They were allunched toward Riley at once. ¡°Die. Die! Dieeeee!!¡± Riley clicked his tongue as if this was such a bother. There were attacks flying at him from the front, falling from the top, anding up from the floor. Riley dodged them all in order as he approached Astroa. ¡°¡­ Are you the Young Master?¡± Riley had been moving his body all over and dodging the magic attacks. Having heard what Rebethra said, Riley¡¯s face under the mask crumpled. ¡°The thing is, the timing was just too perfect. There was the word about Astroa being defeated by that girl, and¡­ Not long after, the girl disappeared from Solia, but she was found in Iphalleta mansion, right?¡± Rebethra asked the mask man as if he was just mumbling. Peruda, who had been just listening to the conversation, opened his mouth vacantly. ¡°Iphalleta mansion?¡± Besides Peruda, there was another that flinched his shoulder. ¡°Iphalleta¡­ you say?¡± It was Hamil. It was because Hamil collided with the people from Iphalleta House during the time of King¡¯s Swordsmanship Tournament. ¡°That¡­ That bastard!¡± Hamil was not thinking about the crime he hadmitted back then at all. He was only thinking that he lost someone he loved because they were done in by the people from Iphalleta Housest time. ¡°That bastard. Because of that bastard, Beta was!!¡± Because of the vines wrapped around on his ankle, Hamil was struggling at the same spot. Hamil started to yell at the top of his lung toward Riley. ¡®Tsk.¡¯ Riley clicked his tongue inside because there weren¡¯t just four people here. Aside from the four that had been having the conversation in secret, there were homeless who were hiding in Lower Solia and watching the situation. ¡°It is hard to believe it. You are the Lazy-Sword Young Master who people say iszier than a sloth¡­ To think that you are the one responsible for defeating grand mage Astroa¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That mask looks ufortable. How about you just take that mask off?¡± Rebethra barely managed to calm down Hurial who was huff and puffing toward Riley. Rebethra was talking while assuming with certainty that it was Riley who was under the mask. ¡°Actually, I did not believe the divine message from the Priestess that said you are the one who will stop the dragon that wille to Solia. However, if you really are the one that defeated Astroa here¡­ I have no reason to doubt it anymore.¡± Rebethra wiggled his eyes and continued. ¡°How about it. It seems you have something that you want to keep as a secret.¡± Peruda could not believe that this atmosphere wasing from a man who was supposed to be the Archbishop of a Holy Temple. Somehow, the man was creeping out Peruda. With a look of disbelief, Peruda stared at Rebethra. ¡°If you cooperate with us, we will forget everything that happened today.¡± ¡°What?! Rebethra, you son of a b¡­¡± ¡°Silence.¡± Rebethra raised his right hand. Hurial, who was huffing and puffing, waved his arm toward Peruda andpletely blocked the voiceing from Peruda. ¡°How about it?¡± Rebethra asked once again. ¡°Cooperation?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley asked back. Rebethra, with the creepy atmosphere from earlier, smiled brightly. ¡°¡­ I have nothing to gain from doing so. Why should I cooperate with you?¡± Facing Rebethra smiling brightly, Riley asked. ¡°¡­?¡± Rebethra floated a question mark on his face. Riley slowly tilted his head to the side and mumbled as if he found Rebethra¡¯s attitude to be overbearing. ¡°I am the one that finished Astroa¡¯s life. However, this is the first time for me to hear someone asking if I am the Iphalleta¡¯s Young Master.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°If you are trying to grab a hold of me and shake me, then it would be better for you if you gave up. Your deduction is way off, Archbishop.¡± Under the mask, Riley said with deadly look on his eyes. Rebethra also put on a deadly look on his eyes and engaged in a staring battle. ¡°Are you trying to bluff?¡± ¡°Bluff?¡± Riley made sounds of suppressedughter. ¡°If you would like, go ahead and spread the rumor. I have nothing to lose from that. Only one who would be hurt from that would be the whatever Young Master from the Iphalleta House.¡± Riley was actually breaking cold sweat, but his voice and eyes were steady. ¡®If you don¡¯t have the guts and are going to shrivel, then why don¡¯t you just die.¡¯ ¡®Was my guess wrong?¡¯ Rebethra could see the steady gazeing from behind the mask. Rebethra crumpled his face. ¡®I won.¡¯ Riley was certain that Rebethra was thinking he might have guessed wrong. Riley pushed him further. ¡°As for me, you didn¡¯t get the right answer, so it does not matter at all, but¡­ What about you? Will you be all right? Will you be okay with ending your career as the Archbishop?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra kept silent. With his finger, Riley tapped at the mask he was wearing and mumbled something that was going to be the most critical hit. ¡°To open the gate to the ¡®World Below,¡¯ you probably cannot afford to be found out by the people?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Having heard what Riley said, Rebethra and Hurial opened their eyes big and strained them. ¡°I made a rough guess and poked at it, but it seems this is the right answer.¡± ¡°You runt¡­ just where¡­¡± Until now, Rebethra was using honorary form ofnguage. Now, he started to use disrespectful form with a violent look on his face. Riley merely baited them using what he heard from Ian. However, it felt like Riley just caught the biggest fish immediately. ¡°Has the table turned? As for the cooperation, it is not me that have to cooperate with you. It seems like you guys will be the ones who have to cooperate with me¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master!¡± Breaking through the cold atmosphere, a girl¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There you were!¡± Riley turned his head toward the direction where the voice came from. Riley vacantly opened his mouth. There, a girl who could not be more overjoyed from being reunited after a long time was standing there while blushing her face. [Note: Nainiae¡­ That was adorable, but you really screwed everything up just now.] Chapter 119 - The Girl Who Returned (1)

Chapter 119: The Girl Who Returned (1)

A girl made an entrance to the ce of secret conversation. Looking at her, Riley¡¯s mouth opened vacantly. At a timing that waspletely unexpected, a person who he was not expecting at all showed up. This was why. She was not wearing the maid uniform that she always had been wearing at the mansion, so Riley almost did not recognize her at first. She was wearing a white cored button up shirt, beige colored long skirt and scarlet outwear resting on her shoulder like a cape. It was waving like a cape. The only thing that changed about the dark haired girl was her clothes. However¡­ Unlike before, she had a mysterious atmosphere to her. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae?¡± When she made the entrance, Peruda, who was looking around while restraining Hamil, also had his mouth open vacantly. ¡®That child is¡­¡¯ Her left hand, which looked shabby from missing a few fingers, and the right side of her face, which had scars and dead white eye, were as they were before. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ While even forgetting to blink, Peruda was just staring at Nainiae who was standing on the other side. ¡°I am sorry, Young Master¡­ I tried toe back as soon as possible, but the training ended up taking longer.¡± She seemed like she was feeling shy and overjoyed from being united after so long. She was blushing. Her face was as red as the apple she was holding. ¡®That child is?¡¯ Rebethra had been ring at Nainaie¡¯s face ever since she entered the scene. Having heard her voice, Rebethra narrowed his eyes and looked at the masked man. ¡®Wait a minute. That means?¡¯ The look on Rebethra¡¯s eyes were changing constantly. Riley furrowed his eyebrows, finding the situation to be a major headache. ¡°Young Master, it is an apple. It¡¯ste fall now, but¡­ Fortunately, there are some left.¡± Nainiae knew who it was under the mask. However, she could not also know the expression that the man under the mask. She showed the apple that she was holding on her both hands and smiled timidly. ¡°Nainiae¡­ You¡­¡± Riley felt like it was only yesterday when he told her to develop some basic sense for situations andmon knowledge while he and Nainiae were at the Rainfield. He was d to see her, but on the side, he felt frustrated. Sigh leaked out of Riley¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Right when Riley sighed, explosiveughter leaked out of Rebethra¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ha, hahaha! As I thought¡­ As I thought, it is you, Young Master Riley. You almostpletely fooled this old man.¡± Rebethra looked at Riley and Nainiae back and forth and started to make belittlingughter sound. Nainiae, who had been smiling timidly while holding the apple, floated a question mark on her face and tilted her head side to side. ¡°Who are you?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Rebethra waved his hand around as if he was trying to apologize. He extended his hand to the side and showed her Astroa, who was standing next to him. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae had only been staring at Riley until now, so she could not check the surrounding. She closed her lips. ¡°Thank you. I was about to get fooled by Young Master, but thanks to you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Nainiae!!¡± Rebethra wiggled his eyebrows with a shady look on his face. There was a shouting from a man behind him. Rebethra turned his head back as if he found the shouting unpleasant. ¡°Nainiae! You! Because of you, Beta is!¡± Before anyone noticed, the purple rings that had been circling around the homeless man¡¯s mouth to keep him under silence spell was gone. ¡°¡­ Hamil.¡± Nainiae also faced the man who was ring at her with deadly intent towards her. It seemed she did not give a damn about what Rebethra said or showed to her. ¡°How shamless of you¡­ You are wearing nice clothes, had been shoving good foods down your stomach¡­ It looks like you had been living well like that? If you cared about Beta at all, don¡¯t you think you should not be doing that? You useless¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Hamil.¡± ¡°Uuup?!¡± Hamil had been pouring out harsh insults toward Nainiae. Nainiae quietly mumbled his name and then continued in a rather low voice. ¡°Before I fall asleep, I always think about what happened to me in my past. Of course, I think about Beta still. Despite what happened, still¡­ I considered her as my family once.¡± Her eyes contained overpowering pressure. It was the kind that could not be exined in words. Hamil thought it couldn¡¯t possibly be from someone who was a human being. Feeling the pressure, he could only open and close his mouth like a fish. ¡°I could not protect Beta.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still, now¡­ I don¡¯t think I have done something wrong where I deserve being criticized and get fingers pointed at me by you or others.¡± Nainiae faded the end of her sentence. Before long, her face had already turned gloomy. ¡°It was pickpocketing. Although it was to make a living¡­ Hamil¡­ What you and Beta did were definitely wrong. Consider it as a punishment for what you have done. I also¡­ have things I have done wrong.¡± Nainiae was thinking about the time when she indiscriminately shot magic attacks at the Main za of the Solia because Beta asked her to. ¡°I¡¯ll pay for my sins one day. Still, I¡­¡± With determined look on her face¡­ Nainiae looked straight in Hamil¡¯s eyes and calmly continued mumbling. ¡°Still, I don¡¯t think I need to be subjected to criticism.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ You¡­¡± ¡°If you are still going to say I am selfish, then it does not matter. I am able to stand proudly. I used my magic only to protect someone, and I never used magic for any other reasons.¡± Nainiae paused for a moment. She gazed upon the apple she was holding. She looked at it with loving gaze, as if it was the most lovely thing in the world. Nainiae mumbled in a serious tone, ¡°I used to think I just¡­ want to die. I only had been suffering losses and enduring pain. I was exhausted from my life. I thought that I had been living just so I can die one day.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now¡­ I definitely want to live. I think that way now.¡± Nainiae grabbed on to the apple tighter. Her eye contained resolve that she never showed before. With that clear eye, she looked at Riley. ¡®Young Master, here, look! It¡¯s an apple!¡¯ With her sparkly eyes, she was telling Riley that with just her gaze. Riley sighed and looked at Nainiae. ¡®It is not the apple that I need right now?¡¯ Riley also responded just with his gaze. He looked at her with a dumbfounded look on his eyes. Nainiae tilted her head side to side as if she was trying to ask why Riley was responding like that. Finally, Nainiae discovered Rebethra and Astroa. ¡°¡­?¡± A question mark floated up on Nainiae¡¯s face. ¡°Shut up! I said shut the hell up! Beta¡­ Bring back Beta!¡± Thud, thud. Hamil kicked off the vines that had been restraining his legs. Hamil shouted at Nainiae who was standing on the other side and then started to charge toward her. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae turned her head again and looked at Hamil who was running toward herself. The expression on her face conveyed a sense of disappointment and pity. Nainiae raised her hand. ¡°I am sorry, Hamil.¡± Nainiae mumbled Hamil¡¯s name. Although there was no wind, the scarlet outwear resting on her shoulder waved once. ¡°B¡­ Bring her back¡­¡± Hamils steps looked like it was gradually getting slower. He eventually got on his knees all of sudden, and¡­ he fell forward starting with his head. ¡®Just now, what was that?¡¯ Peruda, who just witnessed what happened, opened his eyes big. He knew a sleep magic. However, the problem was that¡­ The spell that Nainiae just used was done without reciting any spell and without any trace of mana movement. It was done literally at a blink of an eye. ¡°Even if it is for a while, stay there and dream. Later¡­ I wish we could have a long conversation in front of Beta¡¯s grave.¡± Nainiae mumbled while looking at Hamil. Now, Nainiae turned to look at Rebethra and Astroa. She waved her right arm in arge motion from left to right. ¡°Young Master, I am sorry. How should I say this¡­ I was unable to resist? I was so overjoyed¡­ No, what I mean is, the situation was such that it was hard for me to realize what was going on, so¡­¡± Limply moving her right arm around, she made the apple to float in the air again. She looked at Riley. As if she was ashamed, she fiddled with her fingers. ¡°A¡­ Anyway, I fixed it.¡± Having heard what she just said, Riley slowly rolled his eyes and carefully looked at the space behind her. The scenery around the ce was distorted a little. Riley got a rough idea of what she meant when she said she ¡®fixed¡¯ it. As if he found the mask confining and stuffy, he took it off and revealed his face. ¡°It is good that you fixed it, but just don¡¯t cause the ident in the first ce. You get it? If you came back, why didn¡¯t you just stay in the mansion? Why did you follow me all the way to the Solia¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Because I missed you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°N¡­ No! It¡¯s nothing!¡± Riley kept his face hidden tightly behind the mask until now. Now that Nainiae could see his face clearly, Rebethra, who figured it was Riley all along, narrowed his eyes, wondering why they were acting like that. ¡°Space¡­ reversal?¡± Looking at the distorted space, Hurial mumbled. ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°It makes a kind of barrier on the area. It is a Seven Circles magic. Unless the caster disengages the magic or a stronger mage forces the magic to be canceled, nobody can escape this magic.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Hurial¡¯s exnation, Rebethra put on a violent look on his face as if he found the situation to be annoying. Rebethra ground his teeth. ¡®Space reversal?¡¯ Peruda, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, strained his eyes in disbelief and looked at Nainiae. ¡®She was at Six Circles justst spring. That child is now at Seven Circles?¡¯ It was hard for him to believe that the girl who used to be trapped in the Magic Tower¡¯s basement went from Six to Seven Circles in just two seasons. However, Peruda was more shocked about the fact that she used space reversal, a magic that was counted among the high level magic in Seven Circles, and still appeared to bepletely fine. ¡®Nainiae, you¡­ just how¡­¡¯ It was past the early autumn. It was nowte autumn. Magic Tower and Holy Temple both estimated that her life will notst until the autumn even if itsted long. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps Nainiae noticed that Peruda¡¯s eyes were full of worry for her. Nainiae¡¯s eye, which was looking at Riley, slowly moved to the side and met with Peruda. ¡®It has been a while, Mr. Peruda, my teacher.¡¯ Nainiae gave him a refreshing smile to greet Peruda. She looked at Riley again. ¡°Young Master. Can you please give me a quick summary of the situation?¡± Astroa, the one who Riley killed before, was alive and fine here. Rebethra was ring toward this direction with a violent look on his face. Nainiae was asking Riley to exin them. Having heard her request, Riley¡­ ¡°They are enemies.¡± He responded with just three words. Riley mumbled leisurely. Nainiae pulled her chin as if she understood it immediately. She asked, ¡°Well then, what should I do?¡± Her question reflected her confidence. It conveyed the confidence in herself. She was certain she could eliminate them immediately as soon as the order came. ¡°Can you do it?¡± She looked like she changed a lot from how she was before. However, she was also exuding atmosphere that felt the same as always¡­ So, Riley peeked a smile and asked. Nainiae also smiled big. ¡°I am not sure? They say you can¡¯t know for sure unless you put them next to each other and see which one is longer.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­ Did I say something wrong?¡± ¡°No¡­ I just thought you made a great progress, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Riley¡¯spliment, instead of feeling embarrassed, her shyness was taking the front seat. Nainiae started to purse her lips. ¡°Well, all right.¡± Actually, Riley didn¡¯t even bring a sword here. He shrugged as if he was trying to say that he will just sit back and watch. Because Andal said he wanted to y the part of being a teacher, Riley had Nainiae to be under his care for about two months. With a curious look on his face, Riley said, ¡°¡­ Try it.¡± Nainiae stepped forward and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Astroa¡­ Nainiae was aware that Astroa was a powerful foe that she could not have defeated by herself if this wasst spring. That was not all. There was Archbishop Rebethra as well, who Nainiae could not tell his true intent or identity. Rebethra was also one of the enemies that Riley exined earlier. Despite that, she thought, ¡®The apple, I should cut them for Young Master soon.¡¯ Her mind was full of only the thoughts about giving Riley the apple that she had floating using mana. Chapter 120 - The Girl Who Returned (2)

Chapter 120: The Girl Who Returned (2)

¡°Thatss¡­¡± Hurial and Rebethra watched the girl walking toward them, and they started to calm their breathing while flexing their shoulders. It was because they could not help but to acknowledge her power. It was her¡­ who used the Seven Circles level space reversal magic without even flinching her face by just waving her arm. ¡®Just what changed?¡¯ When Hurial acquired Astroa¡¯s body, he acquired all of his memories as well. He crumpled his face. ¡®She was well on her way to the grave, yet she is still alive. How? Also, as if that was not enough of a surprise, she came back with a step higher Circles. How?¡¯ Literally, they were mysteries. He could not even begin to guess how this was possible. ¡®Huk!¡¯ Rebethra was narrowing his eyes and ring at Nainiae who was walking toward them. Rebethra suddenly gasped for air and quickly tilted his head back. ¡®Her reciting speed is?¡¯ Rebethra panicked because magic attack came at him before he could even feel any mana movement. Going past his hair, an icicle got stuck in the dirty water far behind him. The icicle was exuding white mist as if it was showing off how cold it was. ¡®This¡­ I better get a grip.¡¯ Their opponent just sent them the first attack. Now that this happened, they could not just sit politely and die. So¡­ Rebethra and Hurial exchanged looks and nodded. ¡®First, we will use the corpses to draw her gaze away. After that, we can either prepare me magic for the counter, or¡­ we can choose to use the instant teleportation to escape¡­¡¯ Their n was for Rebethra to prepare the best barrier that he knew and Hurial to choose between the two options. ¡°I do not know how you were revived, but¡­¡± Nainiae¡¯s scarlet coat was waving. She pulled her left hand back and swung it in arge motion. When she did, a wave of me rushed toward Rebethra and Hurial from their rear. ¡°¡­ it does not look like the situation calls for a congrattion, so¡­¡¯ Having heard the sound of me burning up from the back, they took quick looks behind their backs. ¡®From the back?¡¯ It was a wall of fire, it was between beginners to intermediate level me type magic. However¡­ The wall was very wide as if it was pulling the burning path to the back. This kind of arrangement was not in Rebethra¡¯s or Hurial¡¯s memories. ¡®What a bizarre thing!¡¯ Rebethra had his barrier focused to the front. He tumbled and turned his gaze to block the wall of fire that wasing toward them from the back. However, he suddenly felt heating from the front. He held his breath. ¡°Uuuughk!¡± Before anyone realized, there were dozens of boulder-sized fireballs colliding with Rebethra¡¯s barrier. ¡°Tsk!¡± Having realized his ally was in trouble, Hurial promptly prepared water magic and had it ovepped on top of Rebethra¡¯s barrier. Hurial then started to recite another magic. ¡®Is the Young Master not going to step in?¡¯ The defense became a little easier with Hurial¡¯s water magic. Anxious, Rebethra looked at Riley who was standing with his arms crossed. ¡°¡­¡± He had a vacant look on his face. He was even yawning asionally. Riley was leisurely looking at where Rebethra and Hurial were standing. Having noticed this, Rebethra ground his teeth hard. ¡®Those eyes. He looks like he knows how this battle will turn out already.¡¯ Riley could not look more leisurely than this. Rebethra clicked his tongue as if he acknowledged that he really lost this one time, and then he started to prepare another blessing magic that he could use as an Archbishop. ¡®¡­ They got us this time.¡¯ Rebethra lived for a very long time. At the moment, he was the Archbishop of the Holy Temple who was revered by the citizens of Solia. However¡­ Throughout his past, he had tricked many people. He trickedmoners. He fooled nobilities. He even tricked a king. He even tricked a priestess. Just like how he had been sessfully lying to everyone, he figured he could be sly and fool everyone again and could make even the great Goddess to bite on her handkerchief. He was thinking that. ¡®Looks like I got very dull. I became dull.¡¯ However, it was arrogance. Because the boy named Riley was infamous for beingzy and even had the title of Lazy-Sword from the Iphalleta House, Rebethra underestimated him although he was the one in the divine message that the Priestess received. ¡°Hurial.¡± Rebethra, who was preparing the blessing, called Hurial, who was on a tug war of magic against Nainiae. ¡°Kuk.¡± Hurial was not able to answer. Nainiae was continuously bombarding them with magic. Against Nainiae¡¯s magic attacks, all Hurial could do was hitting back with barely enough magic to neutralize them. Nainiae was pouring out endless bombardment of magic. It was as if she was trying to not give Hurial any time to recite long spells. Because of this¡­ Hurial could not even dream of using Seven Circles magic that Astroa could use. ¡®How is it possible for her to cast magic like that?¡¯ Hurial hit back and neutralized Nainiae¡¯s magic attacks once again. He was sweating like a pig. He had a look of disbelief on his face. Hebined his own knowledge and Astroa¡¯s knowledge on magic and thought about this. However, he felt that what Nainiae was doing at the moment was impossible. ¡®She didn¡¯t even recite any spell, so how?¡¯ Waving her scarlet coat in the air, she moved her finger around in the air or briefly moved her lips. However, doing just those resulted in barrage of magic attacks. Hurial crumpled his face, thinking this was impossible. Meanwhile, hepleted a long spell he had been reciting. ¡°me Strike!¡± It could not be said that this was the most powerful attack he could use. However, it was a pretty destructive me type magic. It waspleted and shot toward the target. Hurial smiled contently. ¡®I did it! She cannot sto¡­¡¯ It looked like Nainiae was not doing anything in particr to respond to the attack. Hurial thought he was going to be able to finally get a good shot at her, so he smiled. However, the tip of Hurial¡¯s smile flinched. ¡°¡­?¡± Whooosh. Pop! The me swallowed her body in an instant. Along with a sound that felt like something huge was being popped, it became quiet all of sudden. ¡®Just what is that¡­¡¯ With his two ears and eyes, Hurial definitely heard his magic hitting the target, and he definitely saw his magic hitting the target. However, it seemed Nainiae was not affected by it at all. ¡®What the? Am I just seeing things?¡¯ Although she was engulfed in mes, she was firing barrage of magic attacks again with a leisurely look. Hurial and Rebethra quickly raised barrier and protected themselves. ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ Hurial looked outside the barrier. He saw that some of the me that he shot at Nainiae still remained on her. What was odd about it was that the me was on¡­ the scarlet coat on her shoulders. ¡®That coat¡­ The me?¡¯ The me died out on the coat as if it was absorbed by the coat. Hurial crumpled his face. ¡®That coat is no ordinary item.¡¯ Nainiae mumbled her lips again, and six magic circles of the very magic that Hurial just shot at her were drawn behind her. ¡®That crazy¡­ She is at a different height.¡¯ That perfectly described the situation. Hurial thought that her way of casting magic and her efficiency werepletely different from the people of the Magic Tower. ¡®At this rate, we won¡¯t be able tost 10 minutes. No¡­ we won¡¯t evenst 3 minutes.¡¯ Rebethra quickly nced at Hurial looking anxious. As if he was feeling this cannot go on anymore, Rebethra said, ¡°Hurial.¡± It seemed Hurial heard Rebethra. He was fully focused on the barrier, but he turned his head and looked at Rebethra. ¡°We will need to use ¡®that.¡¯¡± Crack! The barrier developed a crack from Nainiae¡¯s magic attacks colliding with it. Hurial cringed and asked Rebethra, ¡°You are going to bring that out already? You don¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen if you bring that out now. You are going to do it here?¡± ¡°Given the situation, we have no other choice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°30 seconds.¡± Rebethra whispered to Hurial and asked him to buy some time. After saying that, Rebethra gently closed his eyes and focused on imaging in his mind. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Of the twoyers of barriers, oneyer disappeared. Having noticed this, Nainiae¡¯s eyebrow wiggled slightly. She was not sure what they were up to exactly, but as if she judged that it would be no good to let this drag on any further, she started to rotate the magic ring of mana inside her heart to prepare a spell that was going to be a little taxing to herself. ¡®Nainiae, I am temporarily forbidding you from using magic that would overexert your body. Use lower Circles magic if possible.¡¯ Nainiae thought about what Andal, her master, said. Thinking this could not be helped, she bit her lips andpleted a Seven Circles magic. She held the magic floating on her left hand. ¡®I am sorry, master. I will overexert myself just this once.¡¯ Fire, ice, poison, lightning¡­ Because of the influence from her, all of them had almost ash-like color. Four spheres, each with different elemental type, circled around on top of Nainiae¡¯s left palm. Hurial knew that this spell was a Seven Circles level magic. He opened his eyes big and opened his mouth. ¡®¡­ Insane?!¡¯ It seemed it was going to take all of the mana he had, mana he didn¡¯t have, and all mana that he would be using in the future to keep his life through this. He didn¡¯t have long to be surprised. Hurial tumbled and prepared a Seven Circles level barrier that could withstand Nainiae¡¯s magic. He gritted his teeth and extended his arm. ¡®I need to block this!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to break through them!¡¯ Nainiae and Hurial each had opposing thoughts as they showed gleam in their eyes. At that moment, the magic that Nainiae shot collided with Hurial¡¯s barrier. ¡®Uuuuk?!¡¯ It was significantly more powerful than what Hurial expected. With his arm to the front, he had been maintaining the barrier. However, with his cheek swollen up, he got pushed and dragged back. ¡°Uuuuuweeeek!¡± Hurial had been standing his ground as he coughed blood. With his eyes cringed, he looked at Rebethra. ¡®Just a little longer.¡¯ ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± It seemed that holding out longer was not possible. Hurial was on his knees with pale face. The barrier, although it had cracks on it, was barely holding until just a moment ago. However, now, it was shattered into pieces. ¡®I did it!¡¯ ¡®I did¡­¡¯ Although both sides shouted ¡®I did it!¡¯ inside, the side that could rx the face was¡­ Rebethra¡¯s side. ¡°¡­?¡± The magic attack hit them right on. As a proof, along with the explosion sound, there were me, mist, lighting and poisonous gas dancing around where Rebethra was standing. ¡®What is this?¡¯ However, Nainiae was not able to rx her face. It was because she saw that Rebethra tilted the tip of his lips just before the magic hit them. ¡®¡­ Huh?¡¯ Because of the aftermath of the magic attack, she was not able to see the surrounding very well. With the scene calming down slowly, she was gradually able to identify what was happening. She narrowed her eyes and then soon opened her mouth vacantly. ¡°This¡­ What?¡± It was not just Nainiae. Riley, who had been watching this with his arms crossed from the back, also opened his mouth vacantly. ¡°¡­?¡± It was a gigantic head. As the dust settled, they were able to see things in the area, and the one thing that stood out the most was a gigantic head that rolled its tongue out all the way to the front. It was dead. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Next to the gigantic head that came from a dimensional space, there was Rebethra who was breathing hard. However, they were not able to notice him. The thing was¡­ The gigantic head that showed up was that shocking to see. ¡®¡­ A dragon?¡¯ It was a dragon. Just its head was out through the dimensional space, so it was shocking for the people to see. ¡®By any chance¡­¡¯ Its tongue was outside its mouth. Although it was directly hit by Nainiae¡¯s magic, its eyes were not moving. Its eyes werepletely white. The dragon was definitely a corpse. ¡°Huhu¡­ Huhuhu¡­¡± Someone¡¯s arrogant smile could be heard. Along with that sound, the corpse¡¯s eyes started to turn pitch-ck. Chapter 121 - The Girl Who Returned (3)

Chapter 121: The Girl Who Returned (3)

¡°Uuuhuu¡­ Uhuhuhu¡­ It is incredible. This one is really¡­¡± It was a creepyughter. Nainiae, who was vacantly staring at the head of a ck dragon that popped out through the dimensional space, turned her gaze toward Hurial who was making belittlingughter sound. ¡®¡­ It cannot be?¡¯ ¡°Truly ungrateful¡­¡± The one with creepyughter was Hurial, who just took Nainiae¡¯s magic with his barrier and fell on his knees. His white beard was full of red blood. He had mad smile on his face. Nainiae was watching while holding her breath. She was getting serious goosebumps. ¡°We should return the favor as much as we received.¡± Despite his condition, Hurialughed continuously without getting exhausted. He raised his right arm, which was shaking. The dragon¡¯s head was lifted with a heavy momentum. ¡®It is moving?¡¯ Nainiae was facing a pitch-ck dragon head. She opened her eyes wide and was petrified. It was the head of a dragon, the same being as her master. ¡°Gurururururururu.¡± With pitch-ck eyes, it was starting to make a sound. It was full of overwhelming pressure. ¡°No. We shouldn¡¯t be so ungrateful. We should return the favor in folds, shouldn¡¯t we? Huh?!¡± The gigantic dragon head opened its mouth wide as if it was tearing it open. It started to violently draw in the air from the surrounding. ¡°Ha, haha! Ahhahahaha!¡± The wind was pushing her from the back. It made her falter. Nainiae looked at the dragon¡¯s wide open mouth and opened her own vacantly. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ The dragon¡¯s mouth was not just sucking up the air or dirty water. The pure energy around the area, the mana, was being collected and lumped up or mixed at its mouth. Suuuuuuu¡­ Wind, dirty water, and mana were getting mashed up together in a round shape in front of the dragon¡¯s mouth. The sphere had grown to the size of a person¡¯s head, and it was gradually swelling up. ¡®Breath?!¡¯ One time, her master, Andal, mentioned a dragon¡¯s breath. Nainiae remembered it just now, and she became petrified. ¡°Since we brought it out¡­ For the Great One! For our life long wish! We shall gather more sacrifices and go back!¡± Hurial yelled as hi sshed blood from his mouth. Hurial started tough like a mad man again. Kuuuwwaaaaa. The sphere, which was initially small, was now swollen up to the size of the dragon¡¯s head. It was overshadowing the head. ¡°I, Hurial, the Great One''s left hand, shall take your bodies and definitely use them for the sake of achieving our life long wish, so¡­!¡± Along with Hurial¡¯s shouting, the gigantic sphere all of sudden becamepressed to a small size. ¡°Ha! Uhhaha! Ah hahahaha!¡± Breath of a dragon was something that the dragons, which were called great, ancient beings, used with pride. It had power beyond anyone¡¯s wildest imagination. Thepression was signaling that the technique was about to beunched. ¡®Tsk!¡¯ In his past life, he had seen a dragon using the breath once. He looked at thepressed breath and Nainiae and quickly moved. ¡®Damn it. I don¡¯t have a sword.¡¯ He gritted his teeth and threw his body to the front of Nainiae. Not sure of what could happen, Riley raised up the mana inside him and tightly held Nainiae who was petrified. ¡°¡­?!¡± Having realized Riley just hugged her, Nainiae was shaking her eyebrows and flinching as if she just came to her senses. ¡°Young Master?¡± Nainiae called Riley. However, she could not hear his voice. Along with incredibly loud sound of explosion, enough to make one go deaf, thepressed breath sphere in front of the dragon¡¯s mouth wasunched toward them. ¡®No!¡¯ She was overwhelmed by the dragon¡¯s head that was popping out of the dimensional space. Having felt the humongous energy emanating from the dragon¡¯s breath in front of her, she gritted her teeth and raised her right hand to the front. ¡®Block it!¡¯ Of the rings that were circling around her heat, a red ring started to spin rapidly. ¡°Force of Barrier!¡± Because of the sound of explosion, everyone¡¯s ears were going deaf. However, her voice could still be heard clearly. Having heard her voice, Riley looked at the top of her head with surprised look on his eyes. ¡®This is?¡¯ It was because it felt just like how Andal used magic when Nainiae did just now. ¡°¡­ Uk?!¡± Before he could continue to think, the dragon¡¯s breath collided with the barrier that Nainiae cast to the front. ¡®Oh my¡­ How could this¡­¡¯ She only have heard about the dragon¡¯s breath from her master. This was the first time for her to actually shield against the breath. She faltered to the back, but she managed to maintain bnce and stand because Riley was tightly holding on to her. ¡°¡­ Ah¡± She vacantly opened her mouth while being held in Riley¡¯s arms. She said ¡°¡­ Ah¡± but it could not be heard by anyone because of the explosive sound from the dragon¡¯s breath. ¡®I need to get a grip. At this rate¡­¡¯ The barrier suddenly cracked. Nainiae was in Riley¡¯s arms, blushing. She came to her senses and put mana into the essory on her arm. ¡®Young Master!¡¯ Because she could not hear his voice, she had been rubbing her head in his chest as she called out his name in her mind. As if he realized her desperation, Riley turned his gaze to the right. ¡°Ugh.¡± He saw a small dimensional space next to Nainiae. As if he was finding it to be a ridiculous idea, he clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Is this a souvenir gift from your traveling? Oh my¡­¡± Riley saw a handle that was sticking out slightly from the dimensional space. He extended his hand toward it and let go of Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± At that moment¡­ Instead of her right hand, which was extended to the front, she used her left hand and grabbed on to the back of Riley who was about to take the warmth away from her. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Riley was drawing the sword from Nainiae¡¯s dimensional space. Having noticed her hand, he asked. ¡°¡­ Ah, No. It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. She added that it was nothing, let go of her left arm and focused on the barrier that was cracked. ¡®Hold on just a little longer¡­¡¯ Nainiae bit her lips. A stream of ck blood came out of her mouth. As if he was trying to say Nainiae should take a break now, Riley turned his shoulder around in a circle and stepped toward the barrier that was on the brink of being shattered. ¡°But¡­¡± Nainiae did not wipe off the blood that came down to her chin. Concerned, she asked with a crumpled face. However, Riley shrugged as if it did not matter to him. He just turned his gaze toward the barrier. ¡®That¡¯s right. I should trust Young Master.¡± They were reunited after a long time. Nainiae resented the fact that a situation like this came to them at this moment. However¡­ She thought about how she was held in his arms, and she thought about the warmth she felt from him. Thinking about those, she thought that the situation was not a loss. She lowered the barrier. ¡®¡­ Not bad.¡¯ The dragon¡¯s breath was right in front of his nose now. Riley noticed that Nainiae had grown up noticeably. He peeked a smile and lightly grabbed the sword on his right. ¡®If she was like before, she would not have been able to get a grip at all. She grew up a lot.¡¯ Before the barrier could be lowered, Riley set his legs apart a little wider. He lowered the sword and fixed his stance. He narrowed his eyes and counted the timing. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯ll lower it!¡± Nainiae wiped off the blood on her chin and shouted. However, because of the explosive sound in the area, it was not possible for to be certain if Riley heard it. ¡°¡­¡± Taking a stance, Riley was not moving at all. Nainiae realized Riley was focused. She waved her right hand to the side and lowered the barrier. ¡®This brings back old memories.¡¯ The barrier was lowered. The breath that was shot by the dragon head summoned by Rebethrapletely filled Riley¡¯s view. ¡®What a burp. It¡¯s worse than Andal.¡¯ Perhaps it was because the dirty water from the Lower Solia was mixed in. Perhaps it was because of the smell of the rotting corpse. There was a horrid stench that was poking at Riley¡¯s nose. He narrowed his eyes and cringed. ¡°I think I¡¯m going to throw up.¡± At the moment Nainiae¡¯s barrier disappeared, when the dragon¡¯s breath came right in front of Riley¡¯s nose, a long and narrow line, so fine that it would have gone unnoticed without a close examination, was drawn on the dragon¡¯s breath. ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae was watching Riley¡¯s back. In a blink of an eye, Riley¡¯s stance was changed. Having realized this, Nainiae just blinked her eyes. Only a moment ago, his sword was near his left waist. Now, before she realized, it was above his right shoulder. ¡®A cross cut?¡¯ When Andal took her under his wings for training, she didn¡¯t just do magic training. She also did not skimp on swordsmanship training. Watching Riley¡¯s wless stance, she mumbled, ¡®I didn¡¯t see him move at all, so how?¡¯ Nainiae did not see the sword moving from the lower left to right above the shoulder at all. Nainiae opened her eyes wide. ¡®¡­ Huh?¡¯ As a result of Riley¡¯s swing, a whirlwind came blowing at Nainiae. It made her hair and her coat wave in the air. ¡°Young Master, just now¡­¡± Nainiae carefully called Riley, but she saw the dragon¡¯s breath beyond his shoulder. She gasped for air. ¡°¡­?!¡± It could be best described by saying the dragon¡¯s breath was cut in half. The dragon¡¯s breath, which waspletely filling their view to the front, was cut in half, left to right and they were shaking. The dragon¡¯s breath, now cut in two pieces, swallowed the Lower Solia¡¯s sewers or old buildings, turning the surrounding into a chaos. However¡­ it was not able to deal any damage to the original target. ¡°¡­ Kuk!¡± Coming after the whirlwind that was generated from Riley¡¯s sword swing, the aftereffects from the pieces of dragon¡¯s breath that were wobbling on the left and right sides came toward where Nainiae was standing. ¡®This was done by Young Master.¡¯ Covering her face with her arms, Nainiae had been looking at where Riley was standing. Now, Riley lowered the sword that he just had raised up. Nainiae could see that he fixed his stance again. ¡®That¡¯s right. I should do things without getting in Young Master¡¯s way.¡¯ Instead of just watching with a vacant look on her face, she decided to do something that would help Riley. She turned her gaze toward the dragon¡¯s breath on left and right which were sshing. She swung her left hand in arge motion above her head. ¡®I need to do what I can do.¡¯ With her hand swing, she distorted the surrounding space. She took a knee to the floor. With all of her might, she mmed the floor with her left hand. ¡®¡­ To the above, I¡¯ll deflect them!¡± When she mmed the floor with her palm, the slightly distorted space around her seemed like it was changing the angle. The stter from the dragon¡¯s breath had beening at them like rain. However, now, they were redirected to above. ¡®It worked.¡¯ Nainiae prevented Lower, Left and Right Solia from being in danger. She quickly turned her head and looked at the direction where Riley was standing. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was no longer standing there. Nainiae figured that he probably went after the two who were responsible for creating this mess. She just trusted him and started to focus only on wrapping up the dragon¡¯s breath. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± With her hand touching the floor, although she was still not skillful at it, she managed to block the dragon¡¯s breath by twisting or narrowing the space. She suddenly heard someone¡¯s voice from the back. She flinched her shoulders. ¡°I think I definitely told you not to overexert yourself?¡± The voice was low, heavy and extremely angry. She held her breath and turned her head around. ¡°Mast¡­¡± She saw a red haired man. ¡°M¡­ Master.¡± The red haired man was flexing a few blood veins on his forehead that bulged up. He was Nainiae¡¯s master. He was the red dragon who was on an amusement tour as a human¡­ It was Andal. He was looking down at Nainiae with a violent look in his eyes. Chapter 122 - Unprecedented Power

Chapter 122: Unprecedented Power

The power they were witnessing at the moment was simply unprecedented. They have never seen anything like it. His power was best described as overwhelming. Against his power, even the dragon head that they brought out from the dimensional space was not being much of a help. Riley, the boy who Hurial and Rebethra was witnessing right now, was the one who possessed this unprecedented power. ¡°That stench from the breath sure is horrible.¡± In front of the dimensional space, standing on top of the dragon¡¯s nose to be precise, Riley was tapping his shoulder with the t side of the sword which had be substantially thinner. ¡®Just where did someone like him pop out?¡¯ Rebethra knew the story about Riley very well. He was the brat young master who was born as the youngest in the Iphalleta House, the family which was most famous in Solia for the swordsmanship. The rumors said Riley was azy and foolish young master who never held a sword despite being born in the house of sword. That was the Riley that Rebethra knew. Before this boy was mentioned in the Priestess¡¯s divine message about a dragon, and after the message was received¡­ Rebethra actually never thought too hard about Riley. It was because¡­ ¡°It would be best for you all to keep your mouths shut, you disgusting little runts.¡± It was because he never knew that Riley was this strong. Riley cut down the corpses that were controlled by Hurial. He cut them down like they were nothing. When Riley saw Astroa¡¯s Seven Circles magic, Riley just yawned as if it was nothing. When the dragon¡¯s head appeared out of the dimensional space, Riley was now stepping on its mouth as if he was squashing a bug, annoyed. ¡°Well then.¡± They wondered if they were just dreaming. The boy¡¯s power was just too overwhelming. The boy slowly turned his head and looked at Hurial and Rebethra who were on their knees. ¡°It is you guys¡¯ turn, right?¡± Riley hopped down from the head of the dragon¡¯s corpse. He cracked his neck left and right as he approached the two who were sitting there vacantly. ¡°Uuuu. I wonder how long it had been since I moved like this. Thanks to Ian, I ended up this far.¡± Riley came this far because of a sincere request made by Ian, and this was the aftermath. With cold look on his face, Riley came to the front of Hurial. Riley raised his sword on his right hand. ¡°First, I¡¯ll kill the iron leech half way.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± sh. Riley¡¯s sword drew a blue line. It swept through Hurial¡¯s legs. ¡°Uuu, uuu?¡± Hurial¡¯s mouth slowly opened. ¡°Ahah.¡± The way his face was getting crumpled was somehow slow. As if someone used time magic, the blue line that was drawn on his legs was slowly separating his thighs and knees. ¡°Ahaak¡­¡± His scream was stretched out long. Hurial was certain now that someone had cast time magic on him. However¡­ he had no way of stopping any of what was happening. His legs were slowly being cut off, and his face was crumpling slowly along with slow scream that continued. ¡°Are you feigning pain? You are the one who had been working dead people who died in pain.¡± Although Hurial was screaming, Riley looked at him with a cold gaze. Without a moment of hesitation, Riley swung the sword again. This time, he aimed for Hurial¡¯s arms. Just above the elbows, starting with the tendons, he cut the bastard¡¯s arms clean. Riley then looked at Hurial¡¯s eyes. ¡°Uuuu, uuuu!¡± Noticing Riley¡¯s gaze, Hurial thought that this must not be the end of it. For the second time in his life, Hurial¡¯s eyes were saturated in fear. ¡°Pl¡­¡­ease¡­¡± His words continued slowly. Riley ignored Hurial¡¯s words. As if cutting off Hurial¡¯s arms and legs were not enough, he raised the sword again. Hurial¡¯s eyes were overflowing with fear. A long, blue line was drawn horizontally on his eyes and made the sound of wind passing. ¡°Kuuuuaaaaaa¡­ ak!¡± From his arms, legs and eyes, Hurial was drawing fountains of blood. It seemed he was affected by Riley¡¯s time magic. Hurial was experiencing pain for extended period of time. He was not able to cast any spell. ¡°Don¡¯t die yet. Sit tight and wait, all right?¡± Hurial¡¯s screams were not the only thing that was slow. The fountains of blood gushing from the cut ces were moving at crawling pace. Riley watched it all and told Hurial to die slowly. Riley leisurely turned his body and looked at Rebethra. ¡°What are you looking at vacantly like that? You will be just like him too.¡± ¡°¡­ Huuuu.¡± It seemed Riley was rough handling the sword until now. It seemed like the de was going to be gone soon with a few more swings. The de was that thin now. Riley mumbled as he examined the deteriorated condition of the sword. He noticed Rebethra was flinching his shoulders. Riley tilted his head side to side. ¡°Hu¡­ Huhuhu¡­¡± It seemed Rebethra had gone insane from the fear. Rebethra was smiling as he flinched his shoulders. Riley, with his cold gaze, raised the sword on his right hand once again. ¡°Hu¡­ ugh!¡± Unlike the Hurial¡¯s case, Riley cut off Rebethra¡¯s arms first. Riley casually turned his head and looked at the dimensional space where the dragon¡¯s head was still present. ¡®This runt¡­ does he still have a trick left up his sleeve?¡¯ Riley didn¡¯t have any ability to read people¡¯s mind. Finding Rebethra¡¯s behavior suspicious, Riley furrowed his brows and swung his sword again. ¡°Uuuup!¡± This time, he swung it against Rebethra¡¯s legs. ¡°Huu¡­ Huu¡­ Huuuuuu.¡± Just like Hurial, Rebethra was subjected to Riley¡¯s time magic. Feeling the pain from cut off arms and legs, he slowly shed tears. His eyes met with the boy¡¯s gaze. ¡°I can¡­ only¡­ say that¡­ you are¡­ incredible.¡± Unlike Hurial, who had gone mad from fear, Rebethra was maintaining his sanity. He struggled with words as heplimented Riley. ¡°To think¡­ you would meddle with our work¡­ this¡­ much.¡± Although the time magic was stretching out his words, although his face was crumpled from the pain, it looked like Rebethra was feeling refreshed as if he dealt a blow against Riley somehow. Riley furrowed his brows and directed his gaze to the side. ¡°You¡­ You are the Lazy-Sword, so how?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were Peruda and Hamil. It seemed they just saw what Riley did. The two men vacantly had their mouths open. Annoyed, Riley looked at his sword. Even if he was carefull, it seemed like the sword was not going tost after swinging two or three more times. ¡®It¡¯s fine. I can just kill them with bare hands.¡¯ Riley bit his lips. He then turned his head away from Peruda and Hamil to look at Rebethra who was struggling in pain. ¡°I had to ask. What is this life long wish you guys mentioned?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley asked toward Rebethra. Rebethra fell to silence. ¡°This dimensional space¡­ This is different from the dimensional space that I know about? Where did you get the corpse of a dragon?¡± Facing silence, Riley nodded and asked a different question toward Rebethra. ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra was silent again. ¡°About the world below, just what are you talking about exactly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± All Riley got in return was silence. Without hesitation, Riley swung his sword and tore up Rebethra¡¯s mouth wide. Riley promptly turned and walked toward where Hurial was. ¡°Uuu, uuuuu!¡± Hurial could hear slow screams from Rebethra on the side. He could hear Riley¡¯s stepsing toward himself. Hurial, choking on fear, held his breath and waited for Riley¡¯s question. ¡°I¡¯m going to give you an advice first. It would be wise for you to think carefully and answer straight. I¡¯m not going to tear your mouth. I¡¯m going to cut your neck.¡± Hurial, in state of being subjected to time magic, nodded slowly. ¡°What is the life long wish that you guys mentioned?¡± ¡°¡­ It is opening the world below by collecting human souls.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± It seemed Hurial was overwhelmed by Riley ever since he saw Riley cutting the dragon¡¯s breath in half. Hurial lowered his head and answered politely. Having realized this, Rebethra, who was shaking in pain, started to re at Hurial with violent look on his eyes. ¡°Where did you get the dead body of a dragon?¡± ¡°It was given by the Great One from the world below.¡± ¡°Hu¡­ ri¡­ al!!¡± Riley ignored Rebethra¡¯s voice from the back. Riley furrowed his brows after hearing Hurial¡¯s answers. He asked the next question. ¡°What is the world below exactly?¡± ¡°The world below is¡­¡± Before Hurial could answer, it looked like his face was bing squashy like a jelly. It looked like his head was boiling from inside. His entire face started to wobble. ¡°Uuu¡­ Uuuu¡­¡± With his face wobbling, Hurial turned his head toward Rebethra. Hurial started to wave around what were left of his arms after they were cut off, which were shaking. ¡°Pl¡­ ease¡­¡± With that as hisst word, along with a ¡®puk¡¯ sound, Hurial¡¯s head exploded and sshed ck blood in all directions. ¡®Self destruction?¡¯ Although the body now lost its head, just before Hurial died, its arms were desperately reaching toward somewhere. Having noticed this, Riley quickly turned his head toward the direction. ¡®That runt?¡¯ It was headed to where Rebethra was. ¡°You dare¡­ to¡­ tell¡­ our life long wish¡­¡± Rebethra was cringing, not from pain, but from fury. He breathed in the air along with an audible breathing sound. When he did, from Hurial¡¯s dead body, purple gas-like substance slowly came up, and it was absorbed by Rebethra as if snake crawled into him. ¡°Instead of your damn mouth, I should have torn off your head, right?¡± It looked like Rebethra was up to no good. Having realized this, Riley walked toward Rebethra as he raised the thinned sword. It looked like he could swing it just once more. He raised the sword, but then he realized Hurial¡¯s corpse was crawling towards him. Riley wiggled his eyebrows. ¡®It cannot be?¡¯ While Riley was wiggling his eyebrows, the dragon¡¯s corpse, which was turned to a rag from being cut by the sword, opened its mouth again in a heavy motion. It aimed its mouth toward Riley. ¡°So, you are saying you are going to go as far as you could possibly take this to, right?¡± Suuuuuuuuuuu. Once again, the mana was being collected toward the dragon¡¯s corpse. Riley ground his teeth and fixed his grip on his sword. ¡®Damn it. Only if the sword was a little better¡­¡¯ The sword was noticeably thinner now. Riley thought about the sword from his past life which was able to endure his mana. Riley realized he could not afford to let this drag on any further. He quickly moved his body. ¡®I¡¯m going to just smack away that ragged piece of mouth. As for the others, I¡¯ll end them with bare hands.¡¯ The dragon¡¯s head looked like it could throw up the dragon¡¯s breath in any moment. Facing the dragon¡¯s head, Riley, with deadly look in his eyes, was about to swing his sword. However, at that moment, a graceful but stern voice could be heard through his ears. ¡°¡­ Stop!¡± The voice wasing from the sky. It was not just ringing his eardrums. The voice was shaking his entire body. Riley, who was about to swing his sword, quickly nced up. ¡®That is?¡¯ What he saw was a being with long ears, an elf. She was floating in the air and looking down at Riley. ¡®What¡¯s an elf doing here¡­¡¯ Riley had read about elves in books. Riley thought hard about why an elf was here. With his eyebrows furrowed, he looked at the elf who was unting her silver hair. ¡®Wait. She is not an elf?¡¯ Elves were blessed with mana from their births. However, it was impossible for any elf to possess the humungous mana that Riley was sensing. It felt simr to what his friend had. Riley thought she might had more than Andal. Riley looked up at the elf. With a serious, straight face, Riley asked, ¡°What¡¯s a dragon doing in a filthy ce like this?¡± Riley had only known one dragon until now. This was the first time for Riley to meet another dragon besides Andal. Riley asked with a violent look on his face. The silver blonde elf, a dragon on an amusement tour in the form of an elf to be precise, lightly lowered her head to show respect. She then came down. ¡°Sir Riley, correct?¡± It seemed she knew his name. She came down andnded on the tip of the nose of her kin¡¯s dead body. The silver blonde dragon looked at the corpse of her kin and continued in a low voice. ¡°As the leader of my kind, I have a responsibility to stop further damage being inflected on my kin¡¯s head, so I stepped in.¡± The silver blonde elf took a knee to the floor. She gently stroke the dragon¡¯s nose. The dragon¡¯s breath looked like it was about to be shot toward Riley, but it withered away at an instant. ¡°¡­ Also.¡± When the dragon¡¯s breathpletely disappeared, the silver haired elf got up and turned to look at Rebethra who was grinding his teeth. The elf continued. ¡°As for this human¡¯s body, we will take it.¡± Chapter 123 - Unprecedented Power (2)

Chapter 123: Unprecedented Power (2)

The silver blonde elf said she will take this human, Rebethra to be exact. Having heard what she said, Riley lowered the sword he raised and asked, ¡°You are going to take him?¡± Riley seemed to not like the idea. He looked up at the elf who was standing on top of the dragon¡¯s corpse. His eyes were full of doubts when looking toward the elf. Not easing his gaze, Riley asked the elf, ¡°I don¡¯t even know who you are. Why am I supposed to just let you have this bastard?¡± Based on what the silver blonde elf mumbled earlier about being an elder, Riley figured she must be at the top of the dragon¡¯s kind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you just ask me why a dragon came all the way here?¡± Silver blonde elf faced Riley¡¯s gaze. It seemed she realized somethingte. She smiled lightly and lowered her head. ¡°Now that I think about it, this is the first time we actually met in person. I should have introduced myself in detail. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you. My name is Isilteru. We, the dragons, have a mission. It is maintaining the world¡¯s bnce and the wheel of fate. So¡­ I¡¯m here to take that man¡¯s body.¡± Isilteru said as she looked at Rebethra, who was in a gruesome state. Riley also casually nced at Rebethra. It seemed Isilteru and Rebethra were not allies. Facing Isilteru steadily looking at him, Rebethra red at her and ground his teeth. ¡°Are you saying you are going to take him because doing so is going to make the world¡¯s bnce or whatever safe?¡± With a question mark on his face, Riley asked about Isilteru¡¯s exnation. Isilteru thought the conversation was going to end well. She smiled lightly and said, ¡°Yes.¡± Riley peeked a smile like Isilteru. He took a moment of pause and said, ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to. What are you going to do about that?¡± Riley refused to cooperate. Before his response, Isilteru¡¯s eyebrows were elevated gently. Now, having heard his response, she slightly furrowed her brows. ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°I would like to say no to more bothersome things. That¡¯s why.¡± Having finished talking, Riley swung his sword. The target was Rebethra. ¡°Wait!¡± Isilteru panicked in light of Riley¡¯s sudden move. She hurriedly extended her hand and cast defensive magic to protect Rebethra¡¯s neck. Riley¡¯s sword was swung. Leaving a trace of blue line, the sword rushed toward Rebethra¡¯s neck. However, Isilteru barely managed to protect Rebethra¡¯s neck with her barrier spell. ¡°He can¡¯t die yet. Killing himter after getting enough information out of him first is not going to be toote.¡± Isilteru continued as she broke cold sweat from the sword strike she defended against just now. ¡®This is a blow from a mere human?¡¯ There was a long blue line drawn above the barrier. The sword that Riley was holding had grown even thinner. Also, there was the size of mana that Riley had. Having observed them all, Isilteru felt the chill. She continued in order to convince Riley. ¡°Of course. I understand very well that the current situation is not to your liking. However¡­¡± Riley crumpled his face as if all this was such a bother to him. He raised his sword once again and cut off Isilteru¡¯s words. ¡°¡­ If you understand, then don¡¯t butt in anymore.¡± The sword he raised didn¡¯t just get thin to the limit. It even had a long crack. ¡°This son of a b*tch even brought back dead bastards. You want to keep him alive? What for? Are you just messing around? I had enough of your nonsense. Don¡¯t make the problem any bigger than it already is.¡± Riley clearly expressed that Isilteru should not meddle in any further. Isilteru cast yet another barrier and ced it on top of the one that was already there. She tried to persuade him again. ¡°If you kill him right now, it might make things easier for the next hundred years or so. However, I can¡¯t guarantee that it will continue like that afterwards! For the sake of the future, it is best to keep him alive!¡± Having heard what she just said, Riley stopped the sword he was about to swing at Rebethra. Riley casually moved his gaze and started to writhe his brows. ¡°¡­ A hundred yearster?¡± It seemed Isilteru was relieved to hear Riley¡¯s question. She sighed and nodded. She was trying to convince Riley by asking him to think about the distant future instead of the present. ¡°Yes. Something like this had happened in the past. There is no guarantee that it won¡¯t happen again for the third time, so¡­ We need to stop thispletely this time. If this man died right now, it will not be possible for us to prepare for what could happen in the distant future¡­¡± As Isilteru continued her persuasion, she withdrew the barrier she cast to protect Rebethra. As soon as she did, Riley opened his eyes big without listening to the end of her speech. ¡°¡­ Wait!¡± Feeling his deadly aura, Isilteru flinched. She generated several dozens of light on her palm and weaved them into a chain. She used it to quickly restrain Riley who was about to swing his sword. ¡°You are just a lizard, yet¡­¡± In response to Isilteru annoying him with her action, Riley genuinely seemed infuriated. He ground his teeth hard and red at her. ¡°¡­ Ugh?!¡± Feeling Riley¡¯s deadly aura, Isilteru flinched again. She had a confused look on her face. She gulped. ¡®My body is?¡¯ It was because she was not able to move her body. ¡°Don¡¯t butt in. After one hundred years¡­ For that time, let the bastards who will be there one hundred years from now to handle it. I¡­¡± Riley mumbled with a violent look on his face. He snapped the chain of light from Isilteru that was restraining his arms and legs. He swung the sword toward Rebethra again. ¡°¡­ will just livefortably now.¡± ¡°NO!¡± Because she was petrified from feeling Riley¡¯s deadly aura, her magic on the chain of light waspletely undone. She raised up her mana and forced her body to move. ¡®As expected, should I say you are not an elder of dragons for nothing? I didn¡¯t think you would force your body to move at your current state. Still, now¡­¡¯ Rebethra had pitiful look on his face. It seemed he gave up on everything. Riley was swinging his sword toward Rebethra as he mumbled inside, ¡®¡­ this is the end!¡¯ It seemed Isilteru was trying to recover Rebethra. She drew magic circle below him. However, Riley¡¯s sword swing was faster than the rate ofpletion of her magic circle. The sword, which was swung multiple times while wrapped in Riley¡¯s mana, had be thin like an ice pick. The sword even had a long crack. It had be so weak that it looked like it couldn¡¯t be swung more than once. However, Riley estimated that it would be enough. ¡°¡­?!¡± Riley certainly was thinking that until he saw the surprised look on Rebethra, the one who was about to lose his life by Riley¡¯s sword. <¡­ I am disappointed, Rebethra.> At that critical moment¡­ A deep voice could be heard. The voice felt different from Isilteru, the leader of the dragons. The voice felt terrifying. It wasing from the dimensional space where the dragon corpse poped out from. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley was not the only one who was surprised. Isilteru, who was trying to recover Rebethra just now, was not expecting the deep voice from the dimensional space. She had her eyes open big and was staring at the direction. <¡­ You awakened me too soon.> It was just before Riley¡¯s sword reached Rebethra¡¯s neck. The dragon¡¯s corpse that popped out through the dimensional space disappeared without a trace. From the dimensional space, an arm suddenly came out. The arm¡¯s appearance had purple and ck colored light mixed in. ¡°Kuk?!¡± The ck hand mercilessly pierced Isilteru¡¯s shoulder while she had her arm extended to retrieve Rebethra¡¯s body. The hand immediately charged toward Riley. ¡®What is this?!¡¯ Riley used the time magic and made his body move faster. He turned the angle of the sword that he was swinging toward Rebethra. He then swung the sword toward the ck hand that was rushing toward his chest. ¡°Kuk?!¡± It was a close call, but Riley was able to stop the pitch ck hand that was charging at him. However, the problem now was the condition of his sword. The sword was already at its limit. The ck hand broke the sword like it was a cookie stick. The hand scratched Riley¡¯s waist as it passed by. ¡°Ugh!¡± Riley dodged fatal injury by deflecting the ck hand. He saw the hand snatching up Rebethra. Riley crumpled his face. ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ The arm, which stretched long like a rubber string, started to quickly shorten its length. It¡¯s hand held Rebethra that it snatched up just now. Isilteru, who was pierced by the hand earlier, quickly used teleport and came next to Riley. ¡°Kurhuk!!¡± Isilteru coughed blood and copsed to the front. However, it seemed Riley didn¡¯t even notice her. Riley watched the ck arm quickly reducing its length and getting sucked into the dimensional space. Riley¡¯s sword was snapped in half. Holding the sword, he dashed toward the front. ¡°I never gave you the permission to take that bastard alive¡­¡± Riley was going to cut through both Rebethra and the ck hand that were being sucked into the dimensional space. However, he heard the voiceing from beyond the dimensional space. Riley held his breath. ¡®¡­ What?¡¯ It sounded like belittlingughter wasing from beyond the dimensional space. Riley was dwelling over what he just heard from the voice, but then the ck hand changed the direction and smacked Riley¡¯s body like a whip. ¡°Kuhup?!¡± The top of the ck hand bashed Riley. His body was bent like a bow, and he got bounced off like a cannon ball. Boom, boom. Riley¡¯s body broke through Lower Solia¡¯s sewers and old buildings. His body didn¡¯t slow down. It continued to bounce off and flew through above the Solia¡¯s Main za in a parabolic trajectory. His body was plummeted at the outer wall of the Solia Castle. ¡°Up¡­ Kuk!¡± Riley didn¡¯t just sustain physical damage. The reaction from the deadly aura that he spread to restrain Isilteru came rushing back at him at the same time. He suddenly coughed blood. ¡°Kuhuk. Kuk¡­¡± Isilteru, who had her shoulder pierced and copsed to the front, was coughing blood like him. ¡®Without mana, just by swinging the hand, it generated that kind of power?¡¯ Isilteru watched Riley being thrown off from the Lower Solia all the way to the Solia Castle. She plugged her pierced shoulder with her hand as she red at the ck hand and Rebethra. They were being sucked into the dimensional space. ¡®Kuk. I can¡¯t lose him like this¡­¡¯ Isilteru floated light and was drawing something on the air with her finger. However, her consciousness was starting to fade. Unable to hold out, she was about to copse to the front again. However, someone came to stand next to her and support her. ¡°¡­ This is ridiculous. I don¡¯t know what the situation is at all, but¡­¡± Andal, the red haired young man, supported her. Having confirmed it, Isilteru seemed relieved. She closed her eyes. The girl who tumbled and ran to follow Andal came next to her and finished the sign that Isilteru was drawing. ¡°¡­ I attached it.¡± Isilteru¡¯s innate type was light, and Andal wascking in that type. On the other hand, Nainiae, who was blessed in all elemental types, was able toplete the sign for Isilteru. She looked at the ck hand and Rebethra disappearing into the dimensional space. ¡°¡­¡± She still had scars on her face, and she still had her dead white eye. Her white eye was ring at the dimensional space opening that was slowly getting narrower. ¡®Where to¡­¡¯ Soon, the dimensional space disappearedpletely. Nainiae, who was ring at it, opened her eyes wide. She vacantly opened her mouth as well. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Did you find it?¡± Only a moment before this, Andal had been giving Nainiae a storm worth of advices in backseat driver style. Now, he was here to support Isilteru. Andal asked if she found where Rebethra went. Nainiae, who vacantly had her mouth open, slowly nodded. ¡°Where?¡± Andal¡¯s leader was attacked. Because of that, Andal¡¯s eyes were burning in mes out of fury. Having noticed Andal¡¯s eyes, Nainiae bit her lower lips hard and turned her head. ¡°¡­ Where is he, where is that son of a b*tch.¡± In the direction that Nainiae turned to, Riley, who was thrown and plunged into the castle¡¯s wall, was walking toward them as he wiped off the blood with the top of his hand. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was also exuding terrifying aura from his gaze that was just as deadly as Andal¡¯s. However, instead of fear, Nainiae was feeling sorry first. ¡®Young Master¡­¡¯ Nainiae was biting her lower lips because¡­ The ck hand, which was engraved with a sign in the dragon¡¯snguage by Isilteru and Nainiae, was currently at the same ce that Riley thought about when he was having nightmares. Chapter 124 - Unprecedented Power (3)

Chapter 124: Unprecedented Power (3)

¡°You looked pretty cool flying off. Did anything break?¡± Andal was supporting Isilteru. Having noticed Riley walking toward them, Andal asked whileughing. ¡°That mouth¡­¡± Riley raised the hand he was using to wipe off the blood on his chin. Riley expelled his frustration at Andal. He then looked at Isilteru, the silver blonde elf, and crumpled his face. ¡®If she didn¡¯t show up, I would not have lost that son of a b*tch.¡¯ Riley soon corrected his thoughts and shook his head. ¡®No. Even if this b*tch was not here, at the moment I swung my sword¡­ that ck hand would have interfered.¡¯ Riley corrected the target of his anger. With deadly eyes, he turned to look at Nainiae. He asked, ¡°So, where did that bastard run off to?¡± Just a moment ago, the voice mentioned Riley¡¯s past life. Riley thought about what the voice said. The look on Riley¡¯s face was mixed withplicated emotions. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae kept silence. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± She just vacantly stared at Riley¡¯s face. She looked sad. She lowered her head and was not able to answer Riley¡¯s question. ¡°Tell me.¡± Riley mumbled in violent voice as he walked closer to Nainiae. Andal, who was watching from the back, seemed like he thought this must not continue. He raised his hand and grabbed Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Noticing his friend grabbing his shoulder from the back, Riley, while maintaining his violent look on the face, turned his head toward Andal. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I said that¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Now that it came to this, looks like I¡¯ll have to say things that I was going to exinter.¡± Andal tightened his grip on Riley¡¯s shoulder and pulled back to make Riley turn to face him. Andal had just as violent look on his face and continued, ¡°Stop working Nainiae. Stop making thisss do grunt works for you. It seems you had been making her do lots of it before you let her be under my care. Instead of getting better at taking care of herself, she developed bad habits. She keeps on trying to overexert herself. Can¡¯t you see?¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s backseat driving, Riley¡¯s eyebrow started to twitch. ¡°She did the same earlier too. Before she went off to Solia, I definitely told her not to strain herself, yet I saw her doing that by herself.¡± Having heard Andal, Riley twitched his eyebrows some more. Testing his own patience, Riley asked, ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What do you mean so what? If you are capable of doing some heavy lifting yourself, then don¡¯t just sit around your butt. Move your ass, you get what I¡¯m saying? Stop taking advantage of someone else¡¯s pupil, all right?¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± The two were ring at each other with vicious looks on their faces, and Nainiae was standing between them. She broke cold sweats, not knowing what to do. ¡°Did you just say, stop taking advantage of someone else¡¯s pupil?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, you rascal! You get what I said, right?¡± ¡°Ah, of course! I understood what you just said! So, is that all you wanted to tell me?¡± ¡°E¡­ Excuse me¡­ Everyone¡­¡± It seemed they could not hear Nainiae¡¯s voice at all. Andal and Riley red at each other. With just their eyes, it looked like fire sparks could ssh from the collision of their res. They were exuding violent energies. ¡°That¡¯s right. I said everything I wanted to say! What are you going to do?¡± ¡°Ah! Hey, Andal. Aren¡¯t you mistaking something a little?¡± ¡°Teacher¡­ Young Master¡­ Let¡¯s calm down for now¡­¡± ¡°You have no right to order me around.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It looks like you became full of yourself for acting as a teacher for a few months. This girl is actually¡­¡± Riley was twitching his eyebrows. He suddenly tilted the eyebrows in the other direction and extended his arm out. He grabbed on to the Nainiae''s shoulder, who was panicking and not sure about what to do to mitigate the situation, and pulled her toward himself. ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± Nainiae, who had her shoulder pulled, was held by Riley on his waist. Nainiae had a nk look on her face. ¡°She is mine. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°¡­ Ut?!¡± [Note: Two extremely powerful men of super natural proportions fighting over a teenage girl¡­For this chapter, this show just turned into Twilight.] Having heard what Riley just said, that she was Riley¡¯s, Nainiae shook her shoulders. She flinched because she remembered how Riley held her in his arms to protect her from the dragon corpse¡¯s breath. ¡°You rascal. You were the one who lectured me and said I should not treat people like objects. Are you going to act like this now?¡± ¡°I am not treating Nainiae like an object.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°I merely stated the obvious.¡± ¡°Riley, you¡­ It would be best for you to don¡¯t over do it.¡± ¡°What? What is it that I am not supposed to over do?¡± The atmosphere was bing more violent. Meanwhile, Nainiae was blushing in Riley¡¯s arms as she thought about what happened earlier. Having realized the worsening situation, she barely got a hold of herself and shouted, ¡°S¡­ stop¡­¡± Nainiae got out of Riley¡¯s arms. She took in a deep breath. Having noticed this, Riley and Andal both opened their eyes big. ¡°¡­ Please stop it!!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± She yelled in a ¡®unique¡¯ way. Riley and Andal faltered a little from the whirlwind that swept through the area. Nainiae went between looking at Riley and Andal. She then carefully asked, ¡°At the moment, a fight like this is meaningless. Both of you know this very well, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± ¡°Even so, still¡­¡± Nainiae got their attention. Andal and Riley both turned to look at her. Their faces looked like they were sick of this. ¡°Carelessly shooting the dragon¡¯snguage in a situation like this is a little¡­¡± ¡°That was the dragon¡¯snguage just now?¡± The dragon¡¯snguage could be expressed by voice or written words. It heightened the magic¡¯s efficiency and could shock the entire area. It was something that only dragons could use. It was a power of some kind. Using the dragon¡¯snguage alone exhibited power by drawing mana from the surrounding. Humans obviously could not use this power, and even elves, the beings blessed in mana, could dare to use this power. ¡°That is¡­ Two of you are friends, but it looked like you were having a serious fight. It looked like this was the only way to stop the fight, so¡­¡± Looking at the expressions on Andal and Riley, Nainiae lost confidence and withered. She started to mumble as she fiddled with her fingers. ¡°That¡¯s fine. It¡¯s the same old kind of bickering.¡± Still, it looked like the mood was vented. Riley rxed his face quite a bit. He scratched his head and responded. Andal said, ¡°Still, this brat really¡­¡± Having heard what Riley said earlier, Andal was pissed and reacted. He tightened his fist and shook his body in anger. Riley turned to look at Nainiae. He asked the question he didn¡¯t get to hear the answerst time. ¡°So, where is that son of a b*tch at?¡± It seemed Andal was curious as well. He stopped being angry at Riley. With a serious look on his face, Andal looked at her face. ¡°That is¡­¡± Nainiae was hesitant to answer. Instead, she kept on checking Andal and Riley. She threw her gaze toward Riley and walked toward him. ¡°Young Master, can you give me a moment¡­¡± Nainiae called Riley to step away from Andal for a moment. She then checked Andal again, who was tilting his head side to side. She hid her mouth with her hand and whispered to Riley in his ear quietly. ¡°¡­ I think I should tell you this separately.¡± ¡°¡­ Just hurry up and tell me the whole thing quickly.¡± Andal seemed to be not liking this. He cringed. Andal slowly turned away, waved his palm around and cast a magic. ¡°¡­ Hu¡­ Uk?¡± Before anyone realized, Peruda and Hamil were watching Riley and others. By Andal¡¯s gesture, they flinched once and copsed to the front as if they just fainted. ¡°I¡¯ll go wrap things up, so¡­¡± Andal was not just talking about the witnesses. Things for him to do included moving the leader of the dragons to a safe ce. Andal waved his hand once more and cast teleportation magic. Andal disappeared with Isilteru. Nainiae sighed big enough to make the ground sink. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Nainiae gave quick nces at Peruda and Hamil who were lying on the ground unconscious. Nainiae looked ufortable. She exined to Riley why they fell asleep. ¡°This is the teacher¡¯s work. When they wake up, they probably will think they had really weird dream.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Peruda and Hamil were not going to be able to remember their dreams very clearly when they wake up because the dream that people have when they sleep were quickly forgotten when they woke up. Of all options that Andal could take, it was the cleanest way of eliminating the witnesses given the circumstance. Nainiae would have chosen the same option. ¡°So, where did he run off to?¡± Riley furrowed his brows as if he was not interested in her exnation about the sleep spell. He asked about the ck hand that came out of the dimensional space again. ¡°¡­ Since we are on the topic of dreams¡­¡± Nainiae opened her mouth. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Young Master¡­ By any chance¡­¡± Nainiae had her back turned to Riley because she was looking at Peruda and Hamil. She carefully asked, ¡°Are you from another world?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley vacantly opened his eyes and tilted his head side to side. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Before¡­¡± Nainiae turned and looked at Riley. She had a bitter look on her face as she kept her gaze steady at the boy¡¯s eyes. She continued. ¡°One time¡­ I saw a world in your dream. It¡¯s about that world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Nainiae talked about that dream, Riley¡¯s face petrified like cold ice. ¡°The scenery from your dream about that world is the same as the world that the ck hand went to.¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, now not just his face, but Riley¡¯s entire body, starting with his shoulder all the way to the tip of his legs was petrified. ¡°How should I describe the scenery¡­ There were so many of huge and tall buildings. Buildings in our world like the Magic Tower or Solia Castle can¡¯t even bepared to the size of those buildings.¡± Nainiae continued to describe the world she saw with her right eye. ¡°There were these mysterious carriages. They all looked pretty simr and had ck wheels. The carriages didn¡¯t have horses to pull them, but they carried people and moved around very quickly. People wearing strange clothes walked around with small, rectangr shaped objects held next to their ears. Although they didn¡¯t use magic, fire came out of a device. There were boxes whereundry got done automatically¡­¡± Nainiae pursed her lips and paused for a moment. She thought about if she missed anything. It seemed she remembered. She said, ¡°Ah, there were boxes where people came out.¡± After that, she looked sad. ¡°But, in that world¡­ There were no trees ornd filled with soil.¡± With a gloomy face, she exined the scenery she saw. ¡°It was harder to find a tree than finding those buildings that were taller than the Magic Tower. The ground was covered in ck rock looking thing and suffocating. Also¡­¡± Nainiae looked at Riley. What she was about to ask was the thing that concerned her the most. ¡°Monsters and humans were fighting there. The fighting was far more violent and intense than here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should I call them¡­ monsters? They had horns, goat-like legs or bat-like wings¡­ I saw beings with things like that.¡± Nainiae mumbled as if she was whispering. She mumbled more about what those beings were doing. ¡°Those things were ughtering people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although her exnation continued, Riley still kept silence. ¡°The person you saw in your dream was living in that world.¡± Nainiae mncholically grabbed her chest tightly and asked, ¡°Is that person someone precious to you?¡± It was aughable question. If anyone else heard this, they would haveughed it off and told her to stop with the nonsense. However, for Riley, the question felt a little¡­ no¡­ a lot different from how anyone else would have felt. ¡°Young Master. Please tell me. The world I just described to you¡­ It is a world that you know well, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? asionally, you told me and Lady Iris about your dreams. The dreams you told us about are just like what I saw through my right eye.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae. He vacantly opened his lips, but then he bit the lips hard, hard enough that it was at the brink of bleeding. ¡°¡­ Nainiae.¡± Riley, who had been maintaining silence until now, intively called her name. With a very sincere face, Nainiae faced Riley and responded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°This is an order. Erase this incident from your head.¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Nainiae¡¯s mouth opened vacantly. ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s head was aching and pulsating. He held his head. He turned his body around from Nainiae and walked away. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae just watched Riley¡¯s back for a moment. She had a simr look on her face. All she could do was keep pinching at her skirt. Chapter 125 - Decision

Chapter 125: Decision

Riot. This incident, which involved chaos and destruction by animated corpses and followers of the Holy Temple, was summarized with that one word. With the Magic Tower copsed, there were talks about the incident being a conspiracy by the Magic Tower. However, it was found to be not true. Still, many of the Magic Tower¡¯s associates were found dead. Rebethra had gone missing. The associates of the Holy Temple, who were persuaded by the Archbishop Rebethra, were all imprisoned at the Solia Castle and branded as fanatics. As for the animated corpses with pitch ck eyes that moved around, people were told that it was an evil act carried out by the fanatics of the Solia Holy Temple. ¡°Hm¡­¡± All of the monarchs were shaken up by this incident. It was a huge incident that the newspapers on other cities had the news about the incident on the front page. What happened at the Solia¡¯s Castle, Magic Tower and Holy Temple were described in detail, also decorating second and third pages. ¡®So that¡¯s what they are going to say.¡¯ Riley sat at the chair as if he was lying on it. He carefully looked at the newspaper. He then casually turned his head. ¡®But why is she over there?¡¯ With a dumbfounded look, Riley looked at someone. He was looking at one of the four people who were gathered and having a friendly chat. Priesia. Of the four, she was wearing the shabbiest getup. The girl was at the center of worries by the people of Solia. She currently had a reward ced on locating her. ¡°¡­¡± The things from his past life kepting up in his thoughts, so Riley was not able to look at Priesia so fondly. ¡°I see. The parts I could not heal using my holy power could be cured using medical techniques¡­ Nainiae, I am so d you met such a superb doctor.¡± ¡°I am so d you are safe, Ms. Priesia.¡± ¡°Still, it looks like the face or the fingers could not be fixed.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Actually, I didn¡¯t have much expectations on those, so it is all right. I became left handed as well.¡± The three people who Priesia was having the conversation with were, starting with the one at far right, Nainiae, Ian and Nara. ¡°¡­ So, the treatments are notpletely finished.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, thatss is human, you know? If you make her strain herself already, it will be hard on her body. So, although she learned a lot of things, until it ispletely finished¡­¡± Sitting pretty far from where the four were, Riley and Andal were sitting and talking face to face. Sitting in front of Riley on the other side, Andal continued talking about Nainiae. He then suddenly tilted his head side to side. ¡°Riley.¡± Riley just vacantly held his head with his hand. Andal stared at Riley¡¯s side face and furrowed his brows. ¡°Riley, did something happen?¡± ¡°Ah, Uh¡­ No? Why?¡± ¡°What are you thinking so hard about? With a nk face?¡± With a nk face, Riley was just staring toward the table where Nainiae and others were sitting. Riley was deep in thoughts. Having noticed this, Andal asked what it was that Riley was thinking so hard about. Having heard the question, Riley closed his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was thinking about the past life that Nainiae mentioned. Riley was also thinking about the Priestess from his past life who had convoluted bad fate intertwined with his own. Riley was also thinking about the favor that Ian asked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything in particr. I was just thinking about what to eat for dinner.¡± With the index finger of the hand he was holding his chin with, Riley tapped at his cheek. Riley gently closed his eyes so that he won¡¯t stare at the table where Nainiae and others were sitting. ¡°By the way, what did you just tell me?¡± Riley opened his eyes again. He asked as if he could not remember what Andal just told him. Andal, with a frustrated look on his face, scratched his head to turn it in to a mess as he said, ¡°I was talking about my pupil. About my pupil.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s what it was?¡± It was not certain if Riley just didn¡¯t hear it or heard it but forgotten it. Riley was asking as he tilted his head side to side. Seeing Riley¡¯s response, Andal sighed. ¡°Ugh. I exined to you about Nainiae¡¯s condition. Oh my¡­ From what point do I need to exin again?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ That is¡­ I was reading the newspaper, so¡­¡± ¡°By any chance¡­ From the very beginning?¡± Andal looked like he was sick of it. When Andal asked, Riley scratched the back of his head and slowly avoided Andal¡¯s gaze. ¡°Wow¡­ You disgusting rascal¡­ If you make me exin this for the third time, I¡¯m going to do it in the dragon¡¯snguage, so listen up this time.¡± Andal turned to look at Nainiae who was having a conversation with others. He repeated the exnation he gave earlier. ¡°It can be said that her current condition is just as unstable as before. She had a limited lifespan. With magical treatment, I merely extended her life a little.¡± With his nail, Andal drew a horizontal mark on the table, and he made another horizontal mark. Having heard Andal¡¯s exnation, Riley flinched his eyebrow. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Riley flinched because what Andal just said meant the illness that Nainiae had was something that even dragons could not fix. ¡°Tsk. So, why didn¡¯t you listen to my exnations earlier? Hold on. I still have more to exin.¡± Noticing Riley¡¯s reaction, Andal clicked his tongue. Andal waved his palm around to say Riley should wait a minute. Andal continued. ¡°The treatment I gave her was pushing away all of the Circles she learned so far and teach her from the start again. Instead of human¡¯s method, I used the dragon¡¯s way.¡± ¡°Dragon¡¯s way?¡± ¡°Do you remember the shouting thatss didst time?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the dragon¡¯snguage.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Riley nodded. ¡°There must have been a problem with her Circles. Once I swapped everything inside with new Circles, it felt like her body¡¯s condition improved. However, the problem is here.¡± Andal brought his index finger to his eye and made tapping noise. ¡°¡­ The eye?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Her eye.¡± Andal was talking about Nainiae¡¯s right eye. The look on Andal got convoluted. He leaned on the chair¡¯s back support. ¡°Her eye is the problem. It¡¯s the eye¡­ Something even more convoluted and tangled up than what was spread on her body is there. It¡¯s like a lump of tangled strings, and it is rotting there. I can¡¯t fix it all at once at the moment.¡± Riley carefully thought about what Andal said so far. Riley had a confused look. He tilted his head side to side. Andal continued. ¡°I wish I could swap everything at once inside her eye just like what I did to her Circles and other parts. However¡­¡± Andal showed his left palm and scratched it roughly with his nails. He pretended to be digging on a dirt ground and shook his head to say it was not possible. ¡°If I recklessly attempt to clean up the lump of strings in her eye¡­ Instead of healing her or whatever, it will probably lead to her dying more quickly.¡± Andal shrugged his shoulder and added why Nainiae would die from doing that. ¡°It¡¯s because she is human.¡± ¡°Because¡­ she is human?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is because of the experiments that humans did on her or she is just natural at magic. Thatss is pretty quick at learning, so she mastered up to the dragon¡¯snguage in a sh, but¡­ The illness that she has is far from being rted to that, so¡­¡± Riley looked confused. Having noticed this, Andal decided to make an analogy to help Riley understand more easily. ¡°Let¡¯s say there is an old sword. It¡¯s super old. It has blood and rust on it. If you wipe it off clean with cloth or water¡­ for now, the sword will be clean, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°So, you polished the sword clean. You did, but you started to notice something on the sword that you didn¡¯t notice before. What would that be?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley kept silence. He said the very first thing that came to his mind. ¡°¡­ A crack?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Andal snapped his finger and made an exhrating noise with it. Andal continued. ¡°That¡¯s her current condition. All I have done is wiping off the impurities that piled up inside her and make her mana flow like us.¡± Riley thought about how Andal yelled at him and said not to make Nainiae strain herself. Riley furrowed his brows. ¡°So, what¡¯s going to happen now?¡± ¡°The problem is the crack.¡± There was a dish that wasying around on the table. Andal brought it closer to himself and pointed at the soup on the dish. ¡°This dish with the soup shatters like this.¡± Andal held the dish with two hands and tore it into two pieces. The soup fell to the table and sshed. How it happened was reminiscent of how Nainiae coughed off huge amount of blood on the corridorst time. ¡°Now, with the soup dropped on the table, nobody can eat it now. The dish is broken so it cannot hold the soup anymore either.¡± Andal carefully put the two pieces of the dish together and said, ¡°Nainiae is the same. Well, it is not like she is going to die right away if anything happens to the part where the crack is. I applied some measures so it won¡¯t happen. However¡­¡± ¡°However?¡± ¡°Even if you put the dish back together with sticky resin, would the dish be just as strong as before?¡± Having heard the question, Riley thought about several tens of thousands of swords that he had swung in all of his lifetimes. ¡®If a skilled cksmith mended a broken sword back together, could it still be just as strong as before? No. It cannot.¡¯ ¡°So, what we need is a stronger dish.¡± ¡°A stronger dish?¡± ¡°That thing that humans do often to armors¡­ What is that called? Coating? It¡¯s like that.¡± Andal ced the two pieces of dish together and put his palm on top of it. He then mumbled something as his lips moved. ¡°Like this.¡± It seemed the mumbling was a spell. The broken dish started to change into shiny golden color as soon as his palm passed by. ¡°¡­¡± When his handpletely left the dish, the dish looked nothing like earlier. Now, it was a sparkling golden dish. ¡°Now that I did this, the dish is stronger than before. It can even hold soup again.¡± Andal used telekinesis and slowly lifted the soup he dropped to the table. He ced the soup on the dish and looked at Riley. ¡°From the start, I broke apart the Circles inside Nainiae and fixed them for the sake of this process. It is just that¡­ this process is not something I should decide for her unterally.¡± Andal locked the fingers between his hands. He slowly turned his head and looked at Nainiae who was still carrying on the conversation with the others. ¡°Judging from what you are saying, it looks like you have not done the dish swap yet? You had been telling me not to make her overexert herself. You didn¡¯t even finish her treatment yet?¡± Andal nodded and said in a low voice, ¡°For now, I thought I might need your agreement. Thatss said the same thing too.¡± ¡°My agreement?¡± Andal nodded and said, ¡°For now, you are her master.¡± The tone of his voice sounded like he was not liking it, but the voice had some courtesy in it, which was not typical of Andal. Riley was agonizing inside because of his past life. Having heard this friend¡¯s voice, Riley showed respect in his gaze. He soon peeked a smile and asked, ¡°So, what do you need me to agree on?¡± Andal mumbled, ¡°She needs to give up being human.¡± ¡°¡­ What?¡± It was the most unexpected idea. Riley furrowed his brows and asked back. ¡°It¡¯s as I just said. With a human¡¯s body, she cannot withstand it much longer with that crack. I went through the trouble of showing you the broken dish and transformation analogy because I wanted to exin that the human body won¡¯t do and it needs to be changed.¡± Having heard the exnation, Riley vacantly turned his head. Nainiae was talking to others while smiling. Riley just stared at her. ¡°It is for you to decide. Thatss also said she will respect your decision.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Choose. Allow her to give up being human, or let her die as human.¡± Chapter 126 - Decision (2)

Chapter 126: Decision (2)

Having heard what Andal just said, Riley, who was staring at Nainiae, looked like he was deep in thoughts for a moment. Riley carefully asked, ¡°If she gives up being human, what¡¯s going to happen to her?¡± ¡°What do you mean what happens to her?¡± ¡°You said she will not be human anymore. That means¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I get what you are asking.¡± Andal nodded as if he understood what Riley was asking. He exined what would happen if Nainiae gave up being human. ¡°If Nainiae chooses the path of giving up being human, she will be an artificial summon spirit from that point.¡± ¡°Artificial ¡­ summon spirit?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know much about spirits?¡± Because it was going to take a very long time to exin it all from the start, Andal scratched his head as if he found this annoying. Andal chose to just show a spirit to Riley. ¡°Heliona.¡± When Andal mumbled the name to the thin air, a small me was ignited in front of Andal. The me gradually changed its shape and started to take form. Soon, a tiny human with wings of mes stood in front of Riley and greeted him. While striking an adorable pose, the palm-sized human introduced herself. Riley red at Heliona as if he was going to punch a hole through her with his gaze. He then furrowed his brows as if he was asking what the hell this was. Andal exined, ¡°She is a summon spirit.¡± ¡°Spirit?¡± ¡°The humans and orcs aren¡¯t all who live in this world, right? Now that I think about it, there is a basilisk there as well.¡± With his chin, Andal pointed at a young boy who was sitting with Nainiae on the table in the distance and continued exining. Riley looked at the palm sized girl again. It seemed Riley was intrigued by the girl. ¡°This is a summon spirit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Heliona was twisting her body and was getting embarrassed. It seemed Riley was not liking it. He crumpled his face. Having heard Heliona¡¯s clear but high pitched voice, Riley was going to quickly extend his hand out and grab the dder mouth spirit. However¡­ His hand only grabbed air. ¡°¡­?¡± Heliona looked down on the hand that just went past through her body. It seemed she got scared. She pped the wings behind her back and hid behind Andal¡¯s head. ¡°You cannot touch her. She didn¡¯t manifest herself yet.¡± ¡°Manifest?¡± ¡°It is a special ability of the spirits. The spirit world is a ce where we cannot physically touch. From that world¡­ No. That¡¯s enough! If I am to exin this too, it will make the exnation too long.¡± Andal stopped exining. Instead, as if he was annoyed, he just shook his head. Heliona, who was hiding behind Andal¡¯s head, started toin as if she was hurting. ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°I said shut up, Heliona.¡± <¡­ Uuuu. Master is such a pissy face. You are azy bum.> ¡°Thisss!¡± Andal shifted his eyes into dragon form and showed his fang. Heliona screamed. She then quickly pped her wings and flew to where Nainiae was. ¡°That¡­ Thatss¡­ If she was not the heir to the Spirit King¡­ I would just¡­¡± Heliona hid behind Nainiae as if she was the shield. Andal made a tight fist. He continued exining about the artificial summon spirit. ¡°Anyway, she is a normal spirit. The path Nainiae will take is artificial spirit. There is no need for me to exin things like the history of the spirits.¡± Andal turned his eyes back to human form. He blew away his bangs and added, ¡°You just need to think of it as Nainiae bing something like thatss over there.¡± Although it was just a matter of adding the word ¡®artificial¡¯ to the mix, Riley felt that it was a huge difference somehow. Riley asked, ¡°Is that very different from her?¡± ¡°Ahah, artificial spirit will be very simr to her, but also very different.¡± Andalpared the differences between the normal spirit and artificial spirit as he bent his fingers. He exined it in a way that was going to be easy for Riley to understand. ¡°An artificial spirit¡¯s body is going to be based on the natural body before bing the artificial spirit, so¡­ The appearance won¡¯t change much.¡± ¡°Wait, that means?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Artificial spirits, whether they used to be humans, orcs, or elves, have the form of their original individual species preserved. What do humans call this?¡± Andal continued as if he remembered what a few drunk people shouted out when he was running the bar. ¡°Ah! Reborn!¡± ¡°Reborn!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It is going to be like being reborn.¡± Andal continued, ¡°With her native species as the basis, the best features of being spirits will be swapped in.¡± Andal exined that Nainiae will have human form, wings, although he was not certain what kind of wings they would be, and be semi-transparent like spirits. ¡°It¡¯s strange. There¡¯s only advantages?¡± Riley crumpled his face, thinking something felt off. He asked to go over the fine details, and Andal nodded and said, ¡°Of course, there are drawbacks.¡± There were many drawbacks to being an artificial spirit. If the two biggest drawbacks were to be selected, they were as following. ¡°First. It¡¯s the matter of the mana. Once she bes an artificial spirit, it bes impossible for her to move without mana like she could as a human. For example¡­ it will be like a golem.¡± Riley had seen a stone monster called golem inside Andal¡¯s cave. Riley nodded. ¡°So, artificial spirits always need a pretty substantial amount of mana.¡± ¡®Like the machines in my past life¡­ They need something like batteries?¡¯ ¡°The second drawback is being subjected to curses by the spirits.¡± Riley was thinking about the machines from his past life. Having heard the second drawback, Riley floated a question mark on his face. ¡°Curses by the spirits?¡± ¡°We dragons got permission from the bastard that wears crown among the spirits to create the new beings called the artificial spirits. However¡­ There were spirits who were opposed to the idea.¡± ¡°So, curses from those spirits who opposed the idea?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The Spirit King and elder spirits agreed to allow the dragons to create the artificial spirits. However¡­ Not all of the spirits acknowledged the artificial spirits. So, the ones who live as artificial spirits were subjected to the fury and hatred from some of the spirits, which was a little unfortunate that they had to embrace such through their entire life. That was Andal¡¯s exnation. ¡°In case of Nainiae, I¡¯ll have Heliona or other high ranking spirits to be on her side, so I think she will be all right on that regard. Still¡­¡± With a high ranking spirit befriending the artificial spirit, other spirits of lower ranks could not dare to act out against the artificial spirit, mitigating the second drawback to some degree. ¡°Fortunately, Nainiae is not just talented in magic. She is also pretty high in her ability to fraternize with spirits. Look at thatss. Thatss¡­ Just look at her sticking to Nainiae. Look.¡± Andal pointed at Heliona rolling around on Nainiae¡¯s hair. Andal clicked his tongue. Heliona¡­ Andal said that Heliona belonged to a very high ranking society. ¡°Well, those are about all of the most ring drawbacks. About the mana supply issue¡­ You won¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Andal narrowly opened his eyes and looked at Riley. Riley also narrowed his eyes and red at him as if he was trying to say what the hell he was ring at. ¡°Likewise, you won¡¯t have to worry about the second drawback. I think it would be best to have Heliona apany Nainiae. She chirps and chirps. It¡¯s not like she is a water spirit. She yapps away through out the whole day. I think it would be better to assign her for that role soon. Seriously.¡± Riley carefully went over all of the advantages and drawbacks of Nainiae being an artificial spirit. It seemed he thought it was too much of a bother for him to think about it any further. He thought about the greatest advantage. ¡°Anyway, this is the only way for thatss to live, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Dururuk. Andal pushed the chair back and got up as he answered. ¡°What is this? Where are you going?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to the west for a bit¡­ Before I got to the Solia, I saw something suspicious. I¡¯m thinking about going to check it again.¡± Andal got up and looked at his wrist watch. Having noticed this, Heliona, who was ying around on top of Nainiae¡¯s head, pped her wings and asked, ¡°You stay here with Nainiae. It looks like the thing we talked about before are approved as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the conversation between Andal and Heliona, Nainiae, who was having a conversation with the other three people, slowly turned her head with a concerned look on face. She looked at Riley. ¡°The thing?¡± Having heard Andal, Riley tilted his head side to side. Andal waved his palm around and exined, ¡°What we just talked about. That thing.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Andal checked the time and was about to slowly walk away. Riley suddenly extended his arm and grabbed Andal¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Hey. Wait¡­ What¡¯s this? Aren¡¯t you going to do it?¡± Riley stopped Andal because Riley thought Andal was supposed to turn Nainiae into the artificial spirit to cure her illness. ¡°Why should I? You should handle it from here, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You told me yourself before, didn¡¯t you?¡± Andal turned and looked at Riley. Andal had some veins popped on his forehead. He wiggled the veins and said as if he was mimicking what Riley said before. ¡°You said¡­ You are her teacher, and I am her Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± <¡­> ¡°¡­ As for the detailed exnation, you can hear it from Heliona.¡± It seemed Andal was embarrassed. He flexed the facial muscle, shook off Riley¡¯s hand holding on to his sleeve and left the hotel like that. <¡­ I don¡¯t know what to say.> Watching Andal leaving the scene, Heliona sighed as if she was frustrated. * * * The outer border of the Solia was near a desert town. Space at a corner of the hill seemed to be distorted a little, and Andal, a red haired young man, appeared with light. ¡°¡­ You are here?¡± A golden skinned orc, who was watching the desert¡¯s scenery, greeted Andal. ¡°What about the culprit?¡± ¡°Not yet¡­¡± The two dragons were looking around the desert. Instead of the scenery being deste, it was such a mess that the word ¡®disarray¡¯ was better fitting as the description. ¡°I still cannot believe it¡­ Just two humans did this?¡± The scenery was as what Andal saw a few days ago. He looked at the ce once again carefully. It seemed he thought this was unpleasant. He cringed and mumbled. ¡°I am certain.¡± Golden skinned orc also mumbled. ¡°Although I just cannot believe it.¡± In the messed up desert scene, to pick a few unusual things that could be seen, the first thing was the sand. The sands originally must have had tan color. However, for some reason, all sands turned ck, and the sands were exuding abhorrent stench, enough to make ordinary beings feint. ¡°¡­¡± This was also the reason why Andal was cringing. The stench was so bad that even dragons were crumpling their faces. In fact, this meant the smell was close to being extreme poison. Sickening epidemic that could do way more than just leading all living things on this desert to extinction¡­ As if it was trying to let its existence known, it turned the water on the oasis into poison. It also turned fine sands into ck mud bath. ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± Andalined in disbelief. ¡°I know.¡± The entire area¡¯s sands tuned ck. As if that was not enough, forest in far distance, well beyond the desert, were dying in ck color before having had the chance to turn their color for the autumn. An epidemic of incredible proportion had spread here. It was hard for them to believe that this was done by a human being. ¡°We have to catch these people. We absolutely have to.¡± In the messed up desert¡¯s scenery, if they were to pick another thing besides the sands¡­ It was the cracks. As if there was an earthquake, they could see several ces withrge cracks on the ground. ¡°He probably could not attend the meeting because of something rted to this.¡± The golden skinned orc thought about his kin who was found as a corpse. Andal slowly pulled his chin and started to show deadly aura. ¡°That¡¯s right. This time¡­ we definitely will¡­¡± Chapter 127 - Decision (3)

Chapter 127: Decision (3)

¡°Excuse me. Can you please help me for a while?¡± At the moment, the recent incident at Solia was mostly wrapped up. To be precise, the Iphalleta House¡¯s sessorshippetition wasing to an end at the moment. Riley and Nainiae were heading back to the mansion, and Priesia pleaded. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please. Due to a circumstance, I cannot show myself to the public. Also, with the Holy Temple copsed¡­ There is nothing I can do even if I went back.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Priesia gathered her hands together and showed sparkles in her eyes. Riley dug his ear with his pinky as if he thought all this was such a bother. He blew his pinky and refused her request. ¡°I don¡¯t want to?¡± It was because it was such a bother for him. However¡­ It was also because Riley had such a terrible history with an existence called Priestess in his past life. He didn¡¯t want to get tangled up with another Priestess. ¡°I won¡¯t cause troubles to you. I¡¯m just seeking shelter from the rain¡­ If you help me just this once, I¡¯ll definitely return the favor to youter.¡± Priesia was showing brilliant shine in her eyes. Nara and the mercenaries who were packing their luggage had look of sympathies on their faces. They started to side with Priesia. ¡°Young Master, why don¡¯t you take her with you just this once?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you just think of it as taking home a beautiful woman?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such a ridiculous stuff.¡± Riley waved his palm around and refused, and Priesia looked disappointed. ¡°Young Master really is something.¡± ¡°You know he is stubborn.¡± ¡°Hm. With a beautiful woman like the Priestess, Isen would have begged and asked her to follow him.¡± ¡°Rorona?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not exactly a lie, isn¡¯t it? You were staring at the Priestess¡¯s face like a fool earlier. I saw it all. You think I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± ¡°Hey! D¡­ Do you have proof? I asked, you got proof!¡± ¡°Could you two stop doing embarrassing sheet? Priestess is watching.¡± When the mercenary group¡¯s Isen and Rorona bickered with each aother, Priesia was watching them and breaking cold sweat. Embarrassed, she lowered her head and sighed. ¡°Ugh. It¡¯s all my fault. If I was just a little more alert, this would not have happened.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You still didn¡¯t quite grow up yet.¡± ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± ¡°You grew up in the Holy Temple while being pampered by a bunch of yes-men. You probably thought I¡¯ll listen no matter what just because you asked. You need to fix that attitude.¡± ¡°¡­ Uuu.¡± ¡°Y¡­ Young Master¡­ Please be gentle with your words.¡± ¡°Why? It is not like I said anything wrong¡­¡± Riley was excited and belittling Priesia to his heart¡¯s content. Nainiae pulled his sleeve from the side, so he turned his head and flinched his shoulders. ¡°Hup¡­ Huuu¡­¡± Priesia was biting hard on to her lower lips and shedding tears as she red at Riley. This was why. ¡®W¡­ What is this? Why is she crying?¡¯ Riley panicked and checked other people¡¯s faces. It seemed like everyone was not thinking too kindly of what Riley had done. ¡°I am so sorry. Because I was just a brat, the Holy Temple copsed, and I didn¡¯t even get to protect the people of the temple.¡± Priesia was wearing a rag on her head. She tightly held the rag and spoke. Meanwhile, Riley floated a question mark, wondering why she was crying, and looked at Priesia. ¡°If you helped me just a little as the divine message foretold, I would not have¡­ I would not have been cornered like this¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I really agonized over things a lot! Every night, I couldn¡¯t even sleep. All alone, I tried to do something! Huk¡­ Huhup!¡± ¡°Ah¡­ Hey¡­¡± Riley put his hand out and had a dumbfounded look on the face. Nainiae checked Riley and then went next to Priesia to console her. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Please don¡¯t cry. Young Master didn¡¯t mean anything ill by what he said. You know that, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed everyone¡¯s heart was shaken up from seeing a gorgeous woman¡¯s tears. The three mercenaries including Nara and even Ian narrowed their eyes and red at Riley. ¡°Ugh. Young Master, you have gone a little too far just now.¡± ¡°Young Master, I know well that you are not interested in religion. However¡­ Priestess is a dignitary of high status. She is treated like the monarchs of the Solia Castle. To the people of the Holy Temple, she is even more important than the monarchs. How you spoke to her just now was not bing of a gentleman.¡± ¡°The thing is¡­¡± Having heard Ian¡¯s advice, Riley crumpled his face. He looked at Priesia who was crying in Nainiae¡¯s chest. Riley knew very well that this Priestess, a young and na?ve girl named Priesia, was a different person. She was not the scheming, sly Priestess that he faced in his past life. ¡°Ugh. Enough.¡± As if he was sick of watching her, Riley quickly turned his body around. He got on the carriage that was getting ready to go. He was trying to hide away. Ian was about to reach for Riley¡¯s back with his hand, but he withdrew his arm. ¡®Young Master¡­¡¯ Riley wondered if something happened to Ian after they went their separate ways at the Right Solia. Lately, Riley felt that Ian was asionally showing vacant looks or suddenly bust into anger. It made Riley concerned. ¡°¡­ Ian.¡± ¡°Ah, yes?¡± Wheeec. Along with Riley¡¯s voice, something hard was tossed at Ian. Ian tumbled and raised his hand to the front to catch the object that Riley threw. It was a mask. ¡°What is this for?¡± ¡°If you are going to bring her with us, have her wear that.¡± With those as hisst words, Riley went into the carriage. Ian thought Riley just cannot help himself after all. Ian tilted up the tip of his mouth. ¡°As usual, he cannot be honest with himself." * * * They returned to the mansion. While the carriages were being parked, Riley came to Nara¡¯s group that followed his carriage. Riley massaged his stiffened neck and asked Nara, ¡°You did as I asked, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I did as you asked, but¡­¡± Riley asked something important for Nara to do while they were in Solia. Having heard the response, Riley nodded and turned around. ¡°In that case, that¡¯s enough.¡± Priesia was wearing the mask that Riley tossed at Ian for her to wear. She was pretending to be a mercenary. Riley gave a quick nce at Priesia and sighed briefly as he walked toward the main entrance of the mansion. ¡®Well, I¡¯m sure Father will make the decision.¡¯ Among all three brothers, it seemed Riley was the one who was mostte. At the Iphalleta¡¯s garden, there were Ryan and Lloyd standing to greet Riley¡¯s arrival. ¡°Wee back, Riley¡­ I hope the results of the sessorshippetition are fair and square.¡± ¡°Yes, Big Brother.¡± Ryan crossed his arms and greeted first. Riley nodded and responded. ¡°You think so too, right? Lloyd?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes!¡± Lloyd had been standing there with a vacant look on his face. Having heard his older brother¡¯s voice calling him, Lloyd tumbled and responded half a tempote. ¡°Ah, of course. Father will be deciding it, so it certainly will be fair.¡± Lloyd also lowered his head a little and responded to show respect to his older brother. ¡°Well, Riley¡­ considering your growth rate¡­ I¡¯m guessing you had Ian do everything to y out your schemes, but¡­¡± ¡°B¡­ Big Brother¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right! When I came back to the mansion and heard the maids talk, I heard your maid came back to mansion as well¡­ You must be happy. I am d she is all right, so I would like to congratte her too.¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°Hm!¡± Flinching the facial muscles around his cheek, Ryan had been trying to get on Riley¡¯s nerves. Ryan shrugged his shoulder and turned around. Lloyd nced around and then tumbled to follow Ryan¡¯s back. ¡°Excuse me, Big Brother.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°The thing is¡­¡± Lloyd was walking toward Stein¡¯s office where Stein was most likely there and waiting. Lloyd was about to tell Ryan what he saw, but then he shook his head. ¡°Ah, no. It¡­ It¡¯s nothing.¡± Lloyd was not able to tell him. He couldn¡¯t tell Ryan about how Riley suddenly went to Solia. He couldn¡¯t tell Ryan that he lost track of Riley around the middle and instead witnessed the disaster that struck Solia. He couldn¡¯t tell about how he drew sword during the Solia disaster because the mercenaries asked him to. Also¡­ * * * They were at the Iphalleta mansion¡¯s office. ¡°¡­ I see.¡± Stein had his three sons in front of him. It seemed he became conscious of his cutoff arm. He massaged the shoulder and said, ¡°All three of you, good work. Thanks to your efforts, I think a sense of vitality was brought back to some extent to Solia when they were shaken up.¡± Stein heard of their exploits from the butlers who served Ryan, Lloyd and Riley. Stein looked at a piece of paper on the desk and said, ¡°First, Ryan.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It seemed Stein was going to talk to his eldest son first. Stein called Ryan¡¯s name, and Ryan opened up his chest wide and responded energetically. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you saved many viges.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ryan responded. It was the truth. He was not trying to show it off. Ryan actually diligently had been going to ces to save the viges that Stein asked him to go help. After having visited all of the viges mentioned, he even went to ces that Stein didn¡¯t mention and helped them as well. ¡°I see. You did magnificent work.¡± Stein lowered his gaze and looked at the paper on the desk. It was as if he was trying to say Ryan could step back now. Stein called his second born son. ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°Yes, Yes!¡± It seemed he was nervous. Lloyd shriveled and stuttered. He carefully walked to the front. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a while, without saying anything, Stein just stared at Lloyd as if he was going to burn a hole through Lloyd with the gaze. All of sudden, he peeked a smile, tilted the tip of his mouth up, and said one simple sentence. ¡°¡­ Well done.¡± Having heard the response, Lloyd¡¯s face turned red. It seemed he didn¡¯t know how to stand still. He promptly lowered his head and expressed gratitude. ¡°Oh, it was nothing.¡± Noticing Lloyd¡¯s response, Ryan, who was standing next to him, blinked and wondered what it was about. Ryan¡¯s response seemed to indicate that he was too focused in the sessorshippetition that he didn¡¯t know anything about what transpired in Solia recently. ¡°Lastly, Riley.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was looking at Ryan. Having heard Stein calling his name, he quietly came forward without saying anything in response. ¡°¡­ You¡­¡± Stein gave a nk stare at his youngest son. Stein was going to say something, but he shut his mouth as if something was getting in his way of saying it. Stein started to massage the temple on his head instead. ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Riley only waited for his father to speak. Riley could not look more leisurely than now. Riley¡¯s response¡­ Father¡¯s response¡­ Ryan checked their responses back and forth. Ryan slowly tilted the tip of his mouth. He felt certain about the result now. ¡®It is done!¡¯ Ryan was certain that he won the sessorshippetition. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Stein waved his hand to tell Riley that he could step back now. It seemed Stein didn¡¯t want to talk anymore. Riley lightly nodded and took back steps to stand along his two brothers. ¡°As for the result of the sessorshippetition, I¡¯ll announce it in two days, two days from today. Three of you¡­ Be careful and keep yourselves in check until then. That is all.¡± With that as hisst words, Stein spun his chair around. The three brothers bowed and left the office. ¡°Riley! Wait!¡± After leaving the office, Riley was trying to move away from the brothers. Riley was walking toward the garden with heavy steps. Lloyd called Riley and stopped him. ¡°Um? What is it?¡± Having heard his older brother¡¯s voiceing from the back, Riley quickly turned his head. He looked at Lloyd and tilted his head side to side. ¡°You¡­¡± Lloyd stared at Riley as he crumpled his face. Ryan, who had been ncing at his brothers, watched the situation with a question mark floated up on his face, wondering what was happening here. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ If you have nothing to say, can I go now?¡± Silence continued for a while. Riley was just standing there. He carefully started to walk again and asked. ¡°O¡­ Okay.¡± Lloyd noticed Ryan ncing at them from the side. Lloyd apologized to Riley for holding him up for the moment. He added that Riley can go. Having heard what Lloyd said, Riley promptly lowered his head. He started to walk toward the garden. ¡°Lloyd¡­ It seems you changed a little.¡± ¡°Do you¡­ think so?¡± Lloyd was acting a little different from the usual. Ryan was finding his little brother¡¯s behavior suspicious. Ryan tilted his head side to side. Meanwhile, Lloyd tightly held on to the ¡®something¡¯ that he had in his side pocket and just smiled awkwardly. Chapter 128 - Decision (4)

Chapter 128: Decision (4)

It was the daybreak. Today was the day of the Iphalleta House¡¯s sessorshippetition result announcement. It was early morning, but the carriages of many nobilities who were interested in the result wereing in through the mansion¡¯s entrance. ¡°This is amazing. Morgared, Yusiel, Snowdrop, wow¡­ Philisnion from the Duke¡¯s family is here too.¡± Sera, Iphalleta House¡¯s maid, had been diligently preparing food. She couldn¡¯t help but to mumble in excitement as she looked out the window and noticed carriagesing in one after the other. ¡°Well, we were expecting this much guests. Today is about deciding the sessor of the Iphalleta family, you know?¡± ¡°Also, the situation at the Solia had been shakytely, you know? There was the skirmish at the border, riot by the fanatics of the temple, and many other things.¡± ¡°In middle of all this, Count Stein is going to announce the sessor for the Iphalleta house, the family that represents swordsmanship of the Solia. It is no wonder why many nobilities are interested.¡± Sera looked out the window and counted the number of carriages, and other maids were having a conversation with her, each adding a sentence or two. ¡°Well then, who would be the sessor?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be Young Master Ryan?¡± ¡°Probably, right?¡± ¡°I feel that Young Master Lloyd had worked hard, but I can¡¯t shake the feeling that he is not quite catching up to Young Master Ryan.¡± ¡°What about Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°Um¡­ I am not sure.¡± ¡°He even received a medal of honor from the Solia Castle. Sera, you know about this well, right?¡± ¡°Um? Ah, I am not sure? I don¡¯t know very well¡­¡± All of her fellow maids¡¯ gazes were directed at Sera. Sera, who was vacantly looking outside the window, flinched her shoulders a little and mumbled that she didn¡¯t know very well. ¡°Actually¡­ He has that Lazy-Sword title, so it will be hard.¡± ¡°Still, he is younger than Young Master Ryan and Lloyd, so that might be an advantage for him?¡± ¡°Perhaps. Madam Oluli was kicked out of the mansion because of that incident. You never know?¡± ¡°Ah, now that I think about it, that happened too.¡± ¡°There is Lady Iris too.¡± Listening to her fellow maids talking, Sera flinched her facial muscles. She rapidly turned her head toward them and let out her frustration. ¡°Ugh! You guys, won¡¯t you all watch your mouths?¡± It was because Sera was the designated maid for Iris that they just mentioned. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sera is here too.¡± ¡°This is Count Stein we are talking about. He won¡¯t choose the sessor based on something like that.¡± ¡°Yeah, you are probably right.¡± ¡°What do you think, Nainiae?¡± The fellow maids turned their gazes away from Sera and now directed them at Nainiae, the dark haired girl who was diligently cleaning dishes. ¡°¡­ Yes?¡± ¡°About the sessorship! Sessorship!¡± ¡°Nainiae, who do you think will be the sessor?¡± ¡°Idiot. If you ask Nainiae, you know there is only one answer, don¡¯t you know? Right, Nainiae?¡± Nainiae had been hugged by all maids of the mansion several times since she returned. It seemed she was feeling awkward about the winter maid dress she received. She fiddled with the tip of the clothes and hesitated. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Oh? This is unexpected. You are not answering right away?¡± ¡°Should I tell Young Master Riley about this?¡± ¡°Ah, ahhahaha.¡± Nainiae watched the growing number of people outside. She also noticed the mansion¡¯s atmosphere was turning into festivities as well. She carefully said, ¡°I am not sure? I¡­¡± * * * It was dinner time. Most of carriages had arrived at the mansion now. Riley, who didn¡¯t like themotion, hid himself on the mansion¡¯s roof corner. ¡®Are you still thinking about your past life?¡¯ Thinking about what the voice beyond the dimensional space said when he was at the Lower Solia, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°Who would think about such¡­¡± If anyone asked Riley how it felt to be born again with the memories of his past life intact, Riley could have exined in a few dozen ways to say how filthy it felt. ¡°¡­¡± Riley thought numerous times, dozens of times, that it would have been so much better if he was born without remembering anything. Even if he had forgotten all of swordsmanship he learned in his past life¡­ Riley was certain he would had been better off without the memories of his past. Riley felt that way because his past life was full of suffering. ¡®Young Master. Please tell me. The world I just exined to you¡­ It is a world you also know about, right?¡¯ The garden was in celebratory atmosphere at full swing. Riley looked down at the garden from the roof as he thought about what Nainiae said. He wrapped his head around with his hands. ¡®Isn¡¯t that right? asionally, you told me and Lady Iris about your dreams. The dreams you told us about are just like what I saw through my right eye.¡¯ What she described was not a dream. It was from Riley¡¯s past life. ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley couldn¡¯t evenugh. When he hated his past life so much¡­ Riley, time to time, brought out the stories about his past life in front of his mother, Ian or Nainiae. ¡®Why? Why did I talk about things rted to my past life with a smile on my face, and why am I feeling so icky about it?¡¯ ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s voiceing from his side, Riley was awakened from his distracting thoughts. He looked at Nainiae. ¡°What is it? You came?¡± Riley thought he was hiding pretty well. It was not like his mother found him. It was Nainiae who found him so quickly. Having realized this, Riley bluntly greeted her. ¡°I told you not to use the eye, didn¡¯t you?¡± Riley said as he looked at her right eye. Nainiae smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Yes, so¡­ I didn¡¯t use it.¡± Nainiae smiled and said she didn¡¯t use it. Doubting her, Riley narrowed his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Really. I looked everywhere in the mansion but could not find you. The garden was full with the guests. The library was in a simr situation. I thought about where you could possibly be, and I thought you might be here.¡± Nainiae scratched her cheek with her index finger. Riley closed his eyes and thought it was enough. He lied down. ¡°Would you like to rest your head on my thigh?¡± Riley was using his crossed hands as the pillow behind his head. Having heard Nainiae carefully asking him, he lightly raised his upper body and made space. ¡°Well then, for a while¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t ask in words. He merely had his upper body raised. Nainiae lightly smiled and crunched down to sit. ¡°I¡­ Is it all right?¡± Riley ced his head on Nainiae¡¯s thigh. He then slowly closed his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. He just lied there and was in deep thoughts. ¡°There are a lot of guests.¡± It seemed Nainiae decided theck of response meant it was all right. She rxed the concerned look on her face a little. She looked at the scenery below to the garden and mumbled, ¡°For me, this is a little awkward. I think this is the first time for me to be in an asion like this.¡± Of the food on the table at the garden, there was one that Nainiae made. She was talking about that one. ¡°Ah, that pie and fruit pudding are something I made for the first time by following Ms. Sera. Everyone said mine are better, so Sera¡¯s cheek got swollen up like a balloon.¡± Riley vacantly lied there without any response. Despite this, Nainiae mumbled on, all excited. ¡°Nainiae.¡± It was around the time when Nainiae yapped away for ten minutes by herself. ¡°Yes, Young Master?¡± ¡°You¡­ Are you fine with it?¡± Nainiae tilted her head. ¡°I¡¯m talking about the artificial summon spirit. I heard you were asked to give up being human. Is that right?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae pulled her chin. She had mncholic look on her face as she said, ¡°Of course I¡¯m notpletely fine with it. I had been worrying about it.¡± Nainiae wondered if she should raise her right hand and brush Riley¡¯s hair. Nainiae withdrew her hand and continued, ¡°I¡­ feel more strongly toward continuing to being a human.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s response, Riley¡¯s face was crumpled slightly. Nainiae added, ¡°It¡¯s because I did have one thing I was concerned about.¡± Because her right hand was too horrid looking for brushing Riley¡¯s hair, Nainiae just waved her right hand in the air. Instead, she ced an apple on her palm and continued. ¡°Once I am no longer human, I am concerned you may not want to have me around you anymore, so¡­ I felt more strongly toward being a human.¡± She turned her upper body slightly toward the right and held a carving knife on her left hand. She carefully peeled the apple on her right hand and said, ¡°Still.¡± Slice, slice¡­ The sound of the apple skin being peeled could be heard. Nainiae stopped talking for a moment and fell to silence. Perhaps it was so she could focus on the apple. She peeled the entire apple without the peeled apple skin being disconnected in the middle. She looked proud of it. Nainiae put away the peeled skin in the dimensional space. ¡°If I want to be by your side even for a little while longer, this is the only way. Master Andal told me.¡± She was missing two fingers on her right hand. It must have taken quite a bit of concentration to peel the apple so clean. Nainiae looked at the apple proudly and smiled. She then cut the apple into small pieces so they will be convenient for eating. She gave one to Riley with apologetic look on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her apology was out of the blue. Riley slightly raised his chin and looked at Nainiae who was letting him rest his head on her thigh. ¡°This apple¡­ I got to give it to you veryte.¡± The season had gone by so much now. The autumn was almost gone. It was almost winter now. asionally, white mist could be seen from Riley and Nainiae¡¯s breaths, which indicated the seasonal change. ¡°¡­¡± Responding to Nainiae¡¯s apologetic behavior, Riley grabbed the apple piece that Nainiae gave him. He took a bite out of it and mumbled, ¡°¡­ I know.¡± After that, for a long while, Nainiae didn¡¯t say a word about what happened at the Lower Solia. Instead, she mumbled on about misceneous topics. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Next year¡­ I¡¯m counting on you again.¡± Having heard Riley, Nainiae smiled big and said, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± * * * Around the time the garden¡¯s celebratory mood was reaching its peak, Count Stein, the owner of the mansion, appeared with Iris. ¡°Oh my¡­ Count Stein¡­ I¡¯ve heard that he lost an arm during the battle at the border against Ansyrium. It was true.¡± ¡°The sessorshippetition was probably because of the arm. Anyway, the Iphelleta family must feel like fire dropped on top of their feet.¡± ¡°Considering the time, I thought it would be next year or the one after that because the situation in Solia is not very good at the moment.¡± With Stein making the entrance, all nobilities started to talk amongst themselves. ¡°So, who do you think will be the sessor?¡± ¡°It probably will be Young Master Ryan. First of all, he is the eldest son. Also, rumors are everywhere saying he brought the best results.¡± ¡°Because of the rumors about the Madam Oluli recently, I was thinking it would be Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°Riley? Who is that?¡± ¡°You know, the one who received the medal of honor from the Solia Castle and has a Six Circles mage serving him¡­¡± ¡°Ahah! I remember! However, that Young Master¡¯s title is definitely¡­?¡± ¡°I know. He never once held a sword¡­ Still, Young Master Ryan has the problem due to Madam Oluli.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Hm¡­ I see.¡± The nobilities chattered away about who would be the sessor to the Iphalleta house. They slowly turned their heads and looked at the tform ced on the garden. Stein stood on the tform and brought out a small piece of paper from his chest. He started to deliver the speech that was written on the paper. ¡°Thank you all for brightening this ce today where the Iphalleta house¡¯s sessor will be announced.¡± It seemed Stein came prepared. His formality continued, and the nobilities didn¡¯t stop chattering amongst themselves quietly while Stein delivered his speech. ¡°Judging from the mood, as I thought, I think it will be Young Master Ryan.¡± ¡°You never know. I think it will be Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°Huhu. Looks like you will have to ride the right rope here? I think the one standing over there must be Young Master Ryan. Where could Young Master Riley be?¡± A young woman aroundte teen to early 20s nced at the nobles whispering on the side. She then picked up the fan she had hanging on her waist, opened it, hid her mouth with it and started to snicker. ¡°Huhu. It¡¯s interesting.¡± The nobilities slowly moved their eyes to look at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s nothing. It is just¡­¡± The woman peeked her eyes above the fan. She seductively narrowed her eyes and continued. ¡°You are all acting like imbeciles, unbing of nobilities. You all look like jesters.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ What.¡± A few nobilities were furious. Some tried to step up with tightened fists. At that moment, it seemed Stein was finished with the speech. He got to the main point. ¡°¡­ The sessor is¡­¡± The sessor who will inherit the Iphalleta family name¡­ Stein said the name of the sessor. ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The sessor is Lloyd, Lloyd Fin Iphalleta.¡± Chapter 129 - The Successor (1)

Chapter 129: The Sessor (1)

The one who was confirmed to be the sessor was not Ryan, who had aplished numerous exploits, or Riley, who received medal of honor from Solia Castle recently and had a skilled maid by his side. ¡°Lloyd,e forward.¡± Of all people gathered at the garden, Stein looked directly at where Lloyd was standing. Stein peeked a smile and gestured toward him to call him to the stage. ¡°B¡­ But¡­¡± Having heard his father, Lloyd look around and hesitated, not knowing what to do. Iris looked at Lloyd and nodded with bright smile. ¡°That is, how could¡­ I¡­¡± Although Iris looked at him and nodded, Lloyd was not able to start walking. When he was being hesitant like that, he could hear someone pping slowly. ¡°Uh? Uh?¡± p, p, p¡­ It started at a corner of the garden. Smiling in response, Iris also raised her hands and pped. Sound of ps, which started with just one person, became two, and it spread as if it was infecting others. The number of people pping grew to four, five and continued to grow. ¡°No, I¡­ I don¡¯t¡­¡± Overwhelmed by the apuse, Lloyd looked left and right, not knowing what to do. Someone came behind him and pushed his back lightly to make him move forward. ¡°Uuuaa. Ah?¡± Wondering who it was, Lloyd turned his head around to see his back, but there was nobody there. He turned to look at the tform again. ¡°Come on up.¡± Stein was telling Lloyd toe up. Lloyd looked at Stein¡¯s eyes and then redirected his gaze again to a group of people at the garden. ¡°¡­¡± There were Ryan, his fianc¨¦e Anabel, and other nobilities who were supporting him. They had look of disbelief. Lloyd, feeling awkward about it, turned his gaze away. ¡®Where¡¯s Riley?¡¯ Lloyd could not find Riley at the garden. Lloyd was still just standing there vacantly. As if Stein couldn¡¯t stand to wait anymore, he extended his arm and called his second born son. ¡°Lloyd.¡± ¡°Ah, yes?!¡± ¡°How long are you going to make us wait?¡± Having heard his father, Lloyd tumbled and started to walk. He finally got up to the stage. With many people¡¯s gazes directed at him, Lloyd stood on the stage. He shriveled after running into Ryan¡¯s ring eyes. However, Stein wrapped his arm around Lloyd¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°There might be many people who are not able to ept this result, so I would like to tell you this.¡± Stein looked around at the people gathered at the garden. He put his hand inside the pocket and brought out a medal to show to people. ¡°This is the medal of honor that Lloyd brought home.¡± Looking at the medal, the nobilities gathered at the garden started to mumble. It seemed some already figured out how Lloyd got the medal. Some nobilities were talking quietly to each other with their mouths covered. ¡°A while ago, the unsavory incident that happened at the Solia Castle¡­ I¡¯m sure most of you are aware of them. This medal of honor is what Lloyd earned for his active part in subduing that incident.¡± Lloyd merely kept his mouth closed while Stein talked. The people at the garden, who were looking up at the tform, started to mumble amongst themselves again. ¡°Now that I think about it, I think I¡¯ve heard about this¡­¡± ¡°The riot by the holy temple¡¯s fanatics was subdued by a brave nobleman and mercenaries, so Prince Daniel bestowed him a medal of honor. I heard about this.¡± ¡°The situation was in such a disarray at the time, so it was not told in detail¡­ So, that was Young Master Lloyd?¡± People were talking about it, and Stein was making a speech about how proud he was of Lloyd. Meanwhile, Ryan, who was standing quietly and looking at the stage, just tightened his fist. ¡°¡­¡± * * * ¡°Young Master, will you be all right?¡± At the mansion¡¯s corridor, having heard that Lloyd became the sessor, Ian came to ask Riley. Having heard Ian¡¯s voice from his back, Riley nodded and asked, ¡°What about you? You had been up in arms and saying I should be the one to be the sessor. It¡¯s not like you? You look rather calm?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just pretending to be calm.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°The medal of honor that Young Master Lloyd received¡­ It should¡¯ve been you that received it.¡± It was Riley who asked Nara¡¯s group to divert Lloyd, who was tailing Riley, to the Solia Castle during the day of the incident at Solia. ¡°Is there a need to put it like that? Nara said it too, didn¡¯t he? Lloyd ran around all over the ce to save people.¡± ¡°¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°Ian, I¡¯m going to say this again, but I¡¯m not interested in inheriting the position of the sessor. I can actually say I hate the idea.¡± It was because it was going to bring him even more annoying things to deal with if he was seated at the sessorship. To start with, there were things he had to learn as the sessor. Also, there was the problem of mountain of paperworks. He would be summoned often by the Solia Castle. Finally, he even had to keep up the appearances and formalities with other nobilities. It was impossible for Riley. ¡°My mother knew that as she pped.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you that pped first?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying that my mother agreed. Are you going to nitpick on everything?¡± It seemed Ian was telling the truth when he said he was just pretending to be calm. He kept on nitpicking at everything Riley said. Riley growled at Ian, but he stopped walking after hearing a voiceing from over the corner. ¡°¡­ Why!!¡± ¡®Um?¡¯ Because Riley stopped, Ian also stopped walking. Also having noticed the voice, Ian tilted his head. ¡°I think that¡¯s Young Master Ryan¡¯s voice?¡± Ian whispered quietly so only Riley could hear it. Riley killed his presence and got close to the end of the corner. He stuck close to the wall and started to listen in to the conversation. ¡°Why did Lloyd get it instead of me?!¡± ¡°Lower your voice, Ryan. There are guests still at the mansion.¡± ¡°Please tell me!¡± It seemed Ryan was not the only one over there. Stein¡¯s voice could be also heard. ¡°Why did Lloyd be the sessor instead of me? I¡­ I cannot ept this.¡± ¡°As I said earlier, he received a medal¡­¡± ¡°Father!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Stein was about to talk about the medal. Ryan interrupted his words in the middle and raised the voice. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, that makes me unable to ept the oue even more! That medal has nothing to do with this sessorshippetition! I¡­ I save more viges than anyone!¡± Hearing Ryan¡¯s shouting, Riley, who was hiding behind the corner, also became certain Ryan was unfit to be the sessor. ¡°Ryan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the same time, Stein called his son¡¯s name in deadly tone of voice. ¡°While I was going over the results of the work I have given you all, what I looked most closely was the differences. What do you think is the difference between you and Lloyd that made me decided to choose Lloyd as the sessor?¡± ¡°Difference?¡± Ryan could tell his father¡¯s voice was agitated. Ryan slowly bit his lips. He cautiously said, ¡°Is it the medal?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°In that case, is it the difference in swordsmanship?¡± ¡°No.¡± Stein said no to both answers. With serious look on his eyes, Stein exined the biggest difference. ¡°It¡¯s the heart.¡± Ryan¡¯s shoulder flinched. Stein red at his eldest son and said, ¡°There is a saying that states one should be a human being before wielding a sword. Ryan, I¡¯ll ask you this. I am not asking this to a son. I am asking this to you as a man to man.¡± ¡°Father?¡± ¡°Why did you do what you did during the sessorshippetition?¡± In light of his father¡¯s gaze, Ryan was petrified. He was not able to answer right away. Ryan merely moved his lips around without words. ¡°Did you swing your swords just to get the sessorship or did you do it to save people and viges?¡± Stein was asking what came first as his motivation. Stunned, Ryan was not able to say anything. ¡°I know you are brilliant. Your swordsmanship is superior to Lloyd and Riley, and I also know you had been working several times harder than them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, your sword¡­ You had been wielding them for the sake of obtaining the sessorship instead of the people, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I had told Lloyd before the announcement.¡± Surprised, Ryan dithered around. Stein continued. ¡°Last night, I asked him toe to the office. I told him I needed to have a long discussion with him. It was about the sessorship.¡± Riley and Ian were both new this. They perked up their ears and listened in to what Stein said. ¡°I told Lloyd that I¡¯ll be giving him the sessorship. When I told him this, do you know what Lloyd said?¡± Lloyd¡¯s response today during the announcement was that of someone who was not expecting it. Riley was finding this to be contradictory, so he listened carefully to what Stein said next. ¡°Lloyd said that the medal should be given to Riley instead of himself.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Lloyd said he came to Solia in middle of the sessorshippetition because of Riley. Lloyd said Riley would be better suited for the position than himself. That¡¯s what Lloyd said.¡± Riley ground his teeth big time and also face palmed with one hand. Ian killed his breathing and started to snicker. ¡°Lloyd¡­ said that?¡± Ryan¡¯s face crumpled out of feeling betrayed. Stein steadily red at Ryan¡¯s face and nodded. ¡°Lloyd rmended Riley instead of himself, but I still choose Lloyd as the sessor. Why do you think I did that?¡± ¡°¡­¡° ¡°This was also because¡­ As I said earlier, his mindset was different. He had the desire to save people. Also, he understood well what it meant to be humble and courteous.¡± Stein looked at Ryan and said with cold voice, ¡°Look at your own face now. You¡­ you are resenting Lloyd right now, are you not?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Stein¡¯s question, Ryan fell to silence. ¡°Why are you resenting your own younger brother? Had he not been supporting you and wishing you to be the sessor all this time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In that case, I must tell you even more clearly that I cannot give you the position of the sessor.¡± Stein added that a person whocks the heart and righteousness cannot inherit the Iphalleta name. As if he had no further business with Ryan, Stein just quickly turned around. ¡°Why¡­¡± Riley had only been listening in. Now, he slightly peeked his face beyond the corner to look at Ryan who was flinching his shoulders. ¡°¡­ I cannot ept this.¡± Despite Ryan¡¯s mumbling, Stein didn¡¯t stop walking away. Ryan was breathing heavy in anger, and his eyes started to show deadly intent. ¡°I¡­¡± Ryan¡¯s fingers moved once. He slowly brought his hand toward his waist. Ian followed Riley and peeked out of the corner, and Ian opened his eyes big. ¡°¡­ I¡­!¡± Ryan¡¯s right hand grabbed on to the handle of the sword he was carrying. Having noticed this, Ian opened his eyes big, and Stein, who was walking away, casually turned his head to look back, wondering what all the noise was about. ¡°¡­?!¡± Sururuurng¡­ Sound of a sword being pulled from the sheath could be heard. Stein opened his eyes wide just like Ian. It looked like he never expected that his own son would draw sword against him. ¡®Kuk?!¡¯ If it was like his usual self in the past, Stein would have been able to easily subdue his first born son regardless of how skilled Ryan was. However¡­ this was no longer the case. ¡®My arm¡­¡¯ It was because he was missing an arm at the moment. ¡°Count! Look out¡­!¡± With a shocking development happening in front of him, Ian quickly came out of the corner and tried to charge at Ryan. At that moment, Riley, who was still sticking close to the corner¡¯s wall, said in a low voice, ¡°Ian. I¡¯ll borrow this for a moment.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian¡¯s waist felt lighter after Riley¡¯s voice was heard. Ian was charging toward Ryan, but he looked down at his waist and was shocked. Before he realized, the sword that was on his waist was gone. ¡°¡­ I cannot ept this!¡± For the sake of obtaining the Iphalleta house¡¯s sessorship, Ryan had been diligent and even abandoned his own mother. Now, as if he was letting everything he had been holding down finally explode, Ryan screamed out loudly and swung the sword. ¡°Kuk!¡± Looking at the sword raised up high, Stein resigned himself to the fate. However, he could hear something flying in from the back. ¡°¡­?¡± Shooook. The something that came flying made a sound. Stein looked at the sword that Ryan raised up and blinked. ¡®Sheath?¡¯ Only a moment ago, Ryan¡¯s sword, which was drawn from his sheath, was exuding light from its edge. For some reason, now, it had its sheath on it again. Chapter 130 - The Successor (2)

Chapter 130: The Sessor (2)

¡®Sheath is¡­ Why?¡¯ There was sheath on Ryan¡¯s sword. It was a very narrow opportunity, but it was more than enough for someone as skilled as Stein. ¡®I am not sure how, but¡­¡¯ Ryan, who was possessed by murderous intent, seemed like he was still not aware of the sword being covered with the sheath. He still had his eyes strained and ring at his farther, ready to swing the sword. ¡°How dare!¡± Stein¡¯s eldest son was about tomit sin. Stein was infuriated to the tip of his head. He put forth his remaining arm and charged in. ¡°¡­?!¡± Noticing Stein¡¯s movement, Ryan was about to strike down the sword, but he gritted his teeth and looked surprised for a moment. ¡°¡­ Kuk!¡± ¡®This imbecile finally decided to cross the line.¡¯ Not just Stein¡¯s arm, but it seemed Ryan was going to cut through his body as well. Ryan was swinging his sword with tightly gritted teeth. Stein also gritted his teeth and extended his arm toward the swording at him. Puk! The swung down sword, the sword covered in sheath to be exact, was blocked by Stein¡¯s arm and made a blunt sound. It seemed Ryan finally realized his sword was covered in sheath. His eyes shuddered. ¡®What is this? Why is the sheath there?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think about the sheath issue for long. Mad to the core, Stein¡¯s face was red. His face came into Ryan¡¯s field of view. ¡°I am disappointed, Ryan. Considering what happened with Oluli, it is not like I never thought this could happen, but to think you would do this instead of Lloyd¡­¡± Even more agitated by what his father said, as if he thought he couldn¡¯t let himself to be stopped like this now, Ryan started to inject mana into the sword. Bing of the Strong-Sword title¡­ It was to swing the sword like this and cut the target without being blocked by anything. However¡­ ¡°I¡¯llmand you for the surprise attack. However, your method is no different from that of an assassin.¡± With violent look on his face, Stein also poured in mana into his arm and threw off the sword to the side before Ryan¡¯s sword edge could be sharp. ¡°Kuk?¡± ¡°To call you an assassin,pared to your upper body, your lower body iscking in strength.¡± As if it was Stein¡¯s final expression of love for his son who tried tomit sin, Stein pointed out Ryan¡¯s faults as a skilled swordsman observing a lesser skilled swordsman. Stein tripped Ryan¡¯s legs and made him fall. ¡°Lloyd would not have such weak lower body.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­ Uuuuuuu¡­¡­!¡± ¡°Just because you received the title of Strong-Sword!¡± Ryan fell to side. Stein stepped on Ryan¡¯s shoulder and neutralized him. Looking down at Ryan, Stein said, ¡°You only trained your upper body!¡± As if he was still trying to swing the sword, Stein¡¯s eldest son was crumping his face. Stein kicked Ryan¡¯s wrist with his remaining foot and continued to point out Ryan¡¯s faults. ¡°That¡¯s why you are in this predicament!¡± ¡°Kuuu!¡± The sword left Ryan¡¯s hand, and Stein quickly kicked away the sword. He then quickly put his hand down, grabbed Ryan¡¯s head and smashed it to the floor. Crack! It was an incredibly hard smash. Along with that violent sound, the floor where Ryan lied cracked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Choose. Die here or get kicked out.¡± It seemed Ryan was having difficulty talking. Ryan stuttered as he grabbed on to the tip of his father¡¯s pants. ¡°F¡­ Father¡­¡± ¡°Choose.¡± It seems looking at his son grabbing on like this reminded Stein about kicking out Oluli, his first wife, during thest spring. Stein slightly furrowed his brows. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Choose.¡± As if this was hisst disy of mercy, Stein spoke with strength carried in his voice. ¡°¡­ Kuuk.¡± Ryan only had one option. Being kicked out. Just like what Oluli choosest spring. ¡°¡­¡± Without saying anything, Stein withdrew his hand that was pressing down Ryan¡¯s face and got up. Ryan struggled and got up. His tight fists were shaking. ¡®We will see about this.¡¯ Ryan mumbled like that inside. He grabbed the Iphalleta insignia on his clothes and tore it out. Heid it down on the floor and turned around. ¡°C¡­ Count.¡± ¡°Ian¡­¡± Stein watched the back of Ryan who was leaving the mansion. Feeling the gaze on himself, Stein faced Ian who was vacantly staring at him while standing on the corridor. ¡°Did you do that?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, that is¡­¡± Stein looked at Ryan¡¯s sword rolling on the floor, the sword covered in sheath to be exact, and asked. Ian pursed his lips and looked at the corner behind him. ¡°That is¡­¡± Ian thought about what Riley said earlier when he charged out of the corner. Riley snatched Ian¡¯s sword and said ¡®I¡¯ll borrows this for a moment.¡¯ Ian broke cold sweat and said, ¡°¡­ Yes. I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I did it.¡± Ian repeated and said it was him that did it. Stein red at Ian, picked up the swordying on the floor and asked, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Because you¡­ appeared to be in danger, so¡­¡± Ian responded as he nodded. Stein slowly turned his gaze and looked at his waist. ¡°I understand about the sheath, but what happened to your sword?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Your sword. There is just the sheath here. What happened to your sword that was originally ced in your sheath?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± Having heard the question, Ian fiddled with his waist for no reason. Again, Ian slowly turned his head and looked at the corner where Riley was standing. He was no longer there. ¡°Ah! T¡­ There it is! I dropped it there! Oh my¡­ Because I¡¯m old, it seems my memoryes and goes sometimes. Hahaha!¡± Looking at the swordying on the floor of the corner, Ian sighed in relief inside. He walked over there to pick it up. Stein took out just the sheath from Ryan¡¯s sword and handed it toward Ian. ¡°Try cing that here.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Your sword. Just like how you did it before, try putting it here.¡± ¡°Count Stein¡­ Just what are you asking?¡± Ian tilted his head to the side and asked, not able to understand what Stein was asking. Stein waved around the sheath on his hand and exined slowly. ¡°I am asking you to re-enact it. What you just did earlier.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard what Stein said, Ian put on nk look on his face for a moment. ¡°Huk!¡± Ian looked at his sword and gasped for air. ¡°N¡­ No! How could I do that with sword to you, Count Stein?¡± ¡°You did it only a moment ago, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­ That is!¡± ¡°Show me.¡± With a serious face, Stein was ordering Ian to show him what Ian did earlier. Ian broke cold sweats like a water fall. Ian said, ¡°That was¡­ possible because it was a sheath. It was honestly a gamble. I would not have betted on it unless it was a sheath.¡± At this very moment, Ian was thinking about thest time when an assassin came to the mansion. At that time, when Ian was struggling with the assassin, a short sword was pierced in at the assassin¡¯s chest. Ian just realized it was Riley who threw it. This was why Ian was thinking about that moment. Ian was able to realize this because of what he just saw. ¡®At that split second¡­ He threw the sheath and ced it precisely on the sword that Young Master Ryan was about to swing. This is not something that can be done with simple luck.¡¯ During that time with assassin, the short sword that pierced through the assassin¡¯s heart after flying in diagonally could not have been aplished with pure luck. Also, during the sessorshippetition, when Riley was ughtering orcs targeting Alieve town¡­ Riley threw the swords he was wielding without hesitation, and they pierced through monsters necks. Moreover, Riley used six swords back then. ¡°You can¡¯t do it?¡± ¡°I fear that¡­ you could get hurt, Count Stein. So, I think it would be best not to try it again¡­¡± ¡°It is just that you can¡¯t do it.¡± Ian was petrified. ¡°Was it Riley?¡± Ian¡¯s shoulder flinched. ¡°It was Riley.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was Riley who did it, right?¡± ¡°N¡­No.¡± ¡°Ian, you had always been clumsy at lying.¡± Stein tossed the sheath to Ian and sighed. ¡°I wonder if I raised my children wrong¡­ I am worried.¡± Ian ced his sword inside the sheath that Stein gave him. Having heard Stein¡¯s mumbling, Ian had a concerned look on his face. ¡°Two of my sons had been hiding their true selves to me all this time¡­ It is a little¡­ heavy to think about.¡± ¡°Count Stein¡­¡± ¡°He must¡¯ve had a reason, right? Does Iris know?¡± Ian¡¯s head felt heavy. He nodded his head as a recement to a verbal reply. ¡°I see.¡± Stein massaged the shoulder that was missing the arm. He slowly turned his body. ¡°Will you¡­ be all right?¡± Ian carefully asked about the punishment that Stein dealt to his eldest son who was about tomit sin. ¡°Surprise attack for the second time will not work, so it does not matter.¡± Stein¡¯s eyes were gleaming with deadly aura. Ian lowered his head as if he understood. * * * ¡°Ian probably wrapped it up correctly?¡± For some odd reason, his hand was numb. Riley repeated closing and opening his hand. He mumbled as he walked toward the library. ¡°I feel like I¡¯ll be found out somehow. Should I go there again?¡± He was half worried about if he should go back to wrap things up himself. The other half of his worry was about if he should have just thrown a sword and killed Ryan. Riley stopped walking. ¡°Um?¡± From the other side of the corridor, there was a woman who was wondering around. It seemed she got lost inside the mansion. ¡°¡­ Ah!¡± It seemed the woman noticed Riley who was walking toward the library. She brightened her gloomy face and came toward him in light steps. ¡®Uuuu¡­ I get the feeling this will be annoying.¡¯ Feeling what ising, Riley crumpled his face. He looked around to see if there were any butlers or maids. ¡®Howe they are always not here when I need them like this?¡¯ Having realized there were no butlers or maids around, Riley resented Nainiae for no reason, who must be working at the kitchen at the moment. Riley looked at the womaning toward him and cringed. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I am sorry. I got lost in the mansion. Can you please lead the way for me?¡± The woman was wearing a dress. Her legs werepletely covered, but her chest area was very low cut. It fully showed off her cor bones and voluptuous chest. The design could be mistaken as a bar maid dress, but the dress, which had the design that could make men¡¯s heart to flutter, seemed to be letting it be known that the wearer was of a high nobility. The dress hadces of graceful design here and there. The dress gave an unapproachable impression. ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± Riley looked up and down at her dress. He then found a man who was quietly following her on the back and narrowed his eyes. ¡®Is he a bodyguard? Judging from the mood, she doesn¡¯t appear to be a daughter of some ordinary nobility.¡¯ The man didn¡¯t say anything. He merely stood behind the woman. Riley, who was looking at the bodyguard, turned to look at the woman again and asked, ¡°Where are you headed?¡± ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± Hesitant, the woman started to twist her body as if she was embarrassed. ¡°Toilet?¡± ¡°N¡­ No! Not toilet!¡± She held both of her arms tightly around her chest and twisted her body. Watching this, Riley popped a vein on his forehead. ¡°If you have no business, then I¡¯ll just get going. I am busy.¡± It was not that he was busy, but he was sick of annoying things, so he was just trying to escape the scene. Having heard what Riley said, the bodyguard who was standing behind the woman furrowed his brows as if he was finding Riley¡¯s words unpleasant to hear. ¡°Ah, wait! Please wait a minute!¡± Riley¡¯s clothes was quickly pulled to the back. It was because the woman grabbed his sleeve when he was about to walk away. ¡°¡­¡± Riley seemed annoyed and disinterested regardless of what kind of body the woman had, what kind of dress she wore, or how she was behaving. Riley flinched his eyebrows and stared at her as if he was trying to say she should hurry up and get to the point. ¡°What is it? If you don¡¯t make it quick again, I¡¯ll just get going.¡± Rileyined. The bodyguard ced his hand at his sword handle. ¡°Stop. Don¡¯t even think about causing amotion at our host¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman ordered in a low voice. The guard lowered his head and withdrew the hand he ced on the sword handle. The woman carefully said, ¡°The thing is, I am looking for a specific room.¡± ¡°Is it your room?¡± The woman shook her head and said that was not the case. ¡°No. It¡¯s not my room¡­ It is¡­¡± Riley was about to explode. The woman blushed and smiled big. She exined the room she was looking for. ¡°I¡¯m looking for Young Master Riley¡¯s room.¡± ¡°My room?¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± Riley pointed finger at himself and asked. The woman opened her eyes big as if she was shocked. She also pointed at Riley. ¡°By any chance, are you Young Master Riley?¡± Riley nodded to say that he was. ¡°Huk!¡± The woman gasped and stepped back. She started to quickly check her clothes and hair. ¡°Uuuuaaa. What do I do! What do I do!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Watching the woman not knowing what to do and panicking, Riley floated a question mark on his face. The woman quickly fixed her dress and her hair. She then lowered her head. ¡°This is my first time meeting you! I am a daughter of Duke Philisneon House¡­ Reutlina Philisneon!¡± ¡®You are from the Duke¡¯s family?¡¯ Her position was significantly higher than what Riley thought. Riley lowered his head properly and greeted her. The woman, Reutlina Philisneon, lifted her head and said with red tinted face, ¡°I am supposed to meet you tomorrow for prospective marriage, so I thought it might be good toe and say hello to you first, so¡­¡± Hearing hear word made Riley¡¯s thought process to halt for a moment. ¡°¡­ What?¡± Prospective marriage¡­ It was because of those two words. Chapter 131 - Prospective Marriage Meeting

Chapter 131: Prospective Marriage Meeting

Reutlina Philisneon. She was the daughter of Duke Philisneon House, the one who had many dismaying rumors in Solia. Some said she had incurable illness. Some said she was incredibly ugly looking. With various excuses, she had never once showed herself in ces of official business. Of all rumors, the rumor about her being hideous was most prominent. Because of this rumor, despite being a daughter of a Duke, she was famous for never had been discussed about marriage. ¡°¡­ No. It¡¯s not like that.¡± The woman sat in front of Iris and Stein. Reutlina shook her head and continued as if it was an unnecessarymotion, ¡°Actually¡­ there had been several marriage proposals. However, I just didn¡¯t like the ones who were rmended to me.¡± Although it could be taken lightly as what¡¯s expected for a young girl,bining all the rumors surrounding her family and what she just said definitely meant it should not be taken lightly. Bing of the title of Duke¡­ What she just said meant that they had done nothing about rumors on incurable illness or being incredibly ugly. Instead, her family only had been pressuring to make sure no rumors about her marriage discussions spread. ¡°In that case, why did youe all the way here? You are a daughter of a Duke.¡± ¡°The situation just ovepped with many things. A messenger came from the Iphalleta House, so I was pondering about if I should respond or not. At that moment, I also heard about the announcement for the sessor. Moreover¡­ I was actually curious at the moment. I was wondering who it was that received the medal of honor from the Solia Castle.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I was quite surprised when you said Young Master Lloyd also received a medal. It is terrible that you lost your arm, Count Stein, but¡­ congrattions.¡± ¡°Well, it is nothing. It is not like you should be congratting me.¡± Stein gave proper responses to Reutlina. He slowly turned his head and looked at Riley who was sitting next to her with a dumbfounded face. Stein gave a sharp re at Riley. ¡®Say something, will you?¡¯ ¡®Why should I?¡¯ ¡®This is an important meeting.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Riley ground his teeth from noticing his father¡¯s gaze. As if he was seeking help, Riley looked at Iris who was sitting next to Stein. ¡®Son, keep up the good spirit.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Riley felt betrayed. He opened his mouth wide. Still with the dumb face, Riley turned his head and looked at Reutlina. He then asked the question he was most curious about. ¡°By any chance, can you please exin about the messenger from Iphalleta that you mentioned just now?¡± ¡°Ah, that was about this prospective marriage meeting.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Riley had his right fist tightened. His right fist carefully mmed the table. ¡°By any chance¡­ You don¡¯t¡­ like me?¡± Riley was showing agitated response. Having noticed this, Reutlina put up an awkward smile and asked carefully. She was definitely different from the rumors. She was overflowing with vitality and health, contradicting the rumors about being deathly ill. Also, she had magnificent appearance. It made one want to go criticize the people who spread rumors about her being the ugliest woman in the world. Her skin¡­ Her facial features¡­ Her body line¡­ Not just her looks, but she also had the title of Duke. Also, she looked sharp and intelligent. Any men would have been begging her to go on a date. There was no other way to describe her. She was the most eligible bride to be. ¡°It¡¯s not that I hate you in particr.¡± Having heard the exnation about the Iphalleta messenger that went to Philisneon¡¯s house, Riley looked at his father once and his mother once and mumbled. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed Iris didn¡¯t know what to do, which was reflected on the expression on her face. She kept on ncing to the side. Meanwhile, Stein sat there proudly as if he did nothing wrong and there was no need to exin anything. ¡®This is the work of my father.¡¯ Riley realized this prospective marriage meeting was the work of his father alone. Riley added one more sentence to his mumbling earlier. ¡°It¡¯s just that I am not used to a meeting like this.¡± Still, Riley was educated by Iris to have the bare minimum manner. Struggling inside, Riley calmed Reutlina¡¯s worry to some extent. ¡°I am relieved. I was worried again¡­ about my intrusion earlier. I was concerned that may have spoiled your mood.¡± It couldn¡¯t really be considered rude or intruding, butst night¡­ She ran into Riley at the mansion¡¯s corridor. It seemed she was still concerned about that. ¡°First impression is half of everything in deciding a person. As for me, I would appreciate it if you could give me a second chance.¡± Blushing, Reutlina timidly smiled. She suddenly turned toward Riley and lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, Young Master Riley. I am Reutlina Philisneon, Princess of Duke. If my name is too long¡­ It would be all right if you called me Reuna.¡± [Note: The actual word for title trantes to daughter of Duke House, but that would be too long to be used every time. More appropriate adaptation is Princess of Duke, and just Princess from that point for simplicity.] Riley looked ufortable. He stared at the top of her head. Knowing the situation could not be helped, Riley responded to her greeting. ¡°I am Riley Fin Iphalleta. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you, Princess Reutlina.¡± * * * It was at the mansion¡¯s entrance. There were nobilities who were headed back to their manors and mansions. Just like them, Nara and the Lightning Boulder mercenaries hadpleted their preparation to leave the mansion. ¡°So you are leaving now.¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be in debt indefinitely. We are mercenaries, and we live in a world that¡¯s different from Young Master Riley¡¯s.¡± Nara put all of the luggage on the carriage. It seemed he was really ready to head out. He looked back at the mansion with a refreshed expression on his face. Nainiae, who was there to see them off, asked Nara, ¡°Where are you headed? If I know where you are going, you never know if we may ran into each otherter again.¡± Having heard her question, Nara looked up the sky and paused for a moment. He responded, ¡°Um¡­ I think we will end up going to the west. We are thinking about finding the Horai Merchant Group. If he already found recement mercenaries, then that could not be helped, but¡­ We are few and good people, so I¡¯m sure he will take in four of us.¡± There were four. The group used to have just three members, but with Priesia hiding herself under the rag, there were four. ¡°Will you be all right, Ms. Priesia? Instead of straining yourself, it would be all right if you stayed at the mansion a little longer¡­¡± It seemed Nainiae was worried about Priesia starting the life of mercenary with Nara¡¯s group. Nainiae looked at Priesia who was wearing a mask and asked. Priesia responded awkwardly, ¡°No. It¡¯s all right. It looks like Young Master Riley is not pleased with me for staying here. I don¡¯t want to intrude further. I think it will be better for me to move.¡± Just like Nara, Priesia looked at the mansion and walked inside the carriage. ¡°Well then, we will get going now.¡± ¡°I am sorry. Young Master was supposed toe and see you all off¡­ I wish Mr. Ian could havee at least¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, all right! We know they are busy!¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s apology, Nara smiled exhratingly and said it was all right. Rorona, the mercenary group¡¯s archer, pouted and entered the conversation. ¡°What about you, Nainiae? Will you be all right?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae tilted her head. Noticing Nainaie¡¯s response, Rorona corrected her question while grabbing tightly on to her chest out of frustration. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Young Master. Young Master!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Nainiae blinked as if she didn¡¯t know what Rorona was getting at. Rorona sighed deeply. ¡°Hey. Why is Rorona acting like that all of sudden?¡± ¡°I am not sure? You are the captain. If you don¡¯t know, how would I know?¡± Nara and Isen were not on the carriage yet. It seemed they were not sure why Rorona was acting this way. They had question marks on their faces and clicked their tongues. ¡°Ugh. I am talking about prospective marriage meeting! Young Master is having that meeting with a Princess of Duke right now? Are you all right with that?¡± Unable to handle her frustration, Rorona asked directly. However, Nainiae¡¯s response was the same. As if she was trying to ask why that was a problem, Nainiae blinked her eyes naively. She only acted like she was notprehending the question. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Ahah. Seriously! This is so frustrating! Young Master is going to get snatched away from you, don¡¯t you get it?¡± ¡°Snatched¡­ away? By who?¡± Having heard the words, Nainiae flinched her shoulder and put up deadly look on her face. Now, instead of tightly grabbing on to her chest, Rorona started to pound at her chest. ¡°I¡¯m going to die from the frustration.¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master is¡­¡± Rorona pounded at her chest and turned around. Toward Rorona¡¯s back, Nainiae mumbled quietly, ¡°Young Master is not an object, so¡­¡± Her voice was small, but the voice was full of confidence. It carried trust and care. ¡°There isn¡¯t anything to be snatched away to begin with.¡± Nainiae finished her words with a light smile. Rorona was about to get on the carriage, but she stopped and turned to look at Nainiae. As if she was giving in to Nainiae, Rorona rxed her face. ¡°Nainiae, still¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°No. It is nothing.¡± Rorona looked like she was going to say something like an advice, but she held back. Rorona saw Nainiae¡¯s smile, shook her head and got on the carriage¡¯s driver seat. ¡°Well then, we will really get going now. Please tell Young Master Riley that we are thankful.¡± ¡°We will be going now, Nainiae.¡± ¡°Please take good care of your health.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± The carriage with three of Lightning Boulder mercenaries and Priesia left the mansion. Nainiae bowed toward them to see them off. ¡°Haaaaaa¡­¡± Nainiae lifted her head and looked at the carriage that was moving further. It seemed she felt her hands were cold. She raised her hands and blew breaths at them to warm them. She had a gloomy look on her face. ¡®Nainaie, will you be all right?¡¯ It was not just because the question that Rorona asked earlier zapped through her head. It was because of her right hand which was missing two fingers. Anyone who saw her hand for the first time would have cringed their faces. Her own right hand was that horrid looking. ¡®It¡¯s all right. As long as I could be by his side, that is enough.¡¯ She punished herself by tightly holding her right hand. She turned around and walked toward the inside of the mansion. * * * ¡°¡­ Young Master¡­¡± They moved to the garden area. Now, there were just Riley and Reutlina. Reutlina brought up a question first. ¡°Is it really true that you never once swung a sword?¡± In front of Riley was a woman that would make any men¡¯s eyes pop out. However, Riley had uninterested look on his face. He just read a book instead. He lightly nodded and answered, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Um? I heard that there isn¡¯t anyone born in Iphalleta House who never held a sword before?¡± ¡°In that case, I guess I am the first one in the history.¡± ¡°Young Master, then what about that medal of honor? How did you receive that from the Solia Castle? Can you please tell me how?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± With one hand supporting his chin, Riley just read the book. Looking at Riley, Reutlina asked more questions, but¡­ It was not certain if Riley was listening or not. He didn¡¯t take his eyes off from the book and responded as if he was mumbling. ¡°I am sorry, Princess Reutlina¡­ I am at an important part.¡± ¡°Ah, ah haha¡­¡± It seemed Reutlina was feeling awkward about continuing to talk like this. She started to put up a bashful smile. Ian, who was watching them from the side, face palmed as if he could not bear to watch it anymore. ¡®Ugh¡­¡¯ This was a prospective marriage meeting with a Duke¡¯s daughter. It was not a meeting that could be arranged easily. ¡®Young Master, please read the atmosphere¡­¡¯ It was not certain if Riley understood the situation or not. As soon as Stein and Iris left, Riley went straight to the library and picked up a book. He have not said a word with a gorgeous woman named Reutlina sitting in front of him. ¡®Even a decorative statue inside the mansion would not be like this!¡¯ It looked like Ian didn¡¯t know what to do. He looked at Reutlina. Although Ian was well aware of all of Riley¡¯s strong suits, Reutlina only knew him as indolent Lazy-Sword. Ian was certain of this. ¡®Even if you are not interested in woman, to think he is this disinterested¡­¡¯ Ian thought about how Riley didn¡¯t even bat an eye when he saw Priesia at the Holy Templest time. It seemed Ian knew this was going to happen during this meeting as well. Ian made emptyughter. ¡°Huh¡­ huh huh¡­¡± Reutlina casually turned her head and looked at Ian¡¯s defeated look. It seemed Reutlina was intrigued. She held her chin on her hands and started to re at Riley¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence continued for a moment. ¡°Young Master Riley.¡± Reutlina held her chin with both of her hands and stared at Riley¡¯s face. She suddenly smiled refreshingly and called his name. ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer this time either. He merely nodded his head and flipped the page. ¡°Can I try to guess what you are thinking right now?¡± Reutrina asked as she tilted her head slightly to the side. Having heard her voice, Riley¡¯s hand which was flipping the page, stopped momentarily and moved again. ¡°¡­ This meeting, it is such a bother, so I wish it could end soon. That¡¯s what you are thinking right now, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard her question, Riley didn¡¯t nod his head this time. He moved his eyes and looked at her face. ¡°Instead of reading, you rather take a nap?¡± Reutlina asked with seductive expression on her face. Riley¡¯s eyebrow wiggled once. ¡°Um¡­ It seems you have not been able to get much sleeptely. Is there something like a nightmare you do not want to have?¡± ¡°¡­ You, what are you?¡± ¡°Am I right? Haha. I guess I was right?¡± Reutrina smiled with her eyes. Looking at her face, Riley furrowed his eyebrows, closed the book he was reading, and started to re at her. Chapter 132 - Prospective Marriage Meeting (2)

Chapter 132: Prospective Marriage Meeting (2)

¡°Um. From the look on your face, it seems I poked you where it hurts, Young Master. I would appreciate it if you didn¡¯t get too mad at me.¡± Reutrina hid her mouth with the back of her hand and smiled seductively. To calm Riley, she added, ¡°It is what you get for angering a princess first¡­ You can think of it that way, can¡¯t you?¡± Reutrina lowered her hand and moved it toward the tea on the table. She then gracefully tasted what was on the cup. ¡°Ah, this tea has a pretty good aroma?¡± Reutrina was leisurely continuing on about tea. Having noticed the reaction, Riley, who was shocked earlier, asked again as he opened and closed the left hand that he had hidden under the table. ¡°How did you do it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What you did just now.¡± ¡°That?¡± Reutrina tilted her head and acted like she knew nothing of it. Riley wiggled his eyebrows and said in a lower voice, ¡°Princess.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ Are you trying to threaten me now? Still¡­ I think you are quite cool in a way!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lazy-ass, never held a sword, takes nap through whole day¡­ Because of all of those rumors, there are other ones questioning if you are a vegetable. The rumors about you being azy sword is¡­ I think they are just smoke screens just like how mine are.¡± This time, instead of the hand, she used the cup to hide her mouth. She smiled with her eyes and asked, ¡°Am I right?¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. He clicked the tongue and opened the book that he closed earlier. ¡°If you are that curious¡­ Should I tell you how I was able to read your thoughts, Young Master?¡± Unlike his usual self, Riley was being dragged by someone else. Because the conversation felt like that, Riley decided to ignore her question and look at the book. However, perhaps because of the nightmares that she just mentioned, which refused to leave his mind alone, Riley was simply not able to keep his eyes on the words. ¡°However, I have a condition.¡± ¡°A condition?¡± ¡°Yes, a condition.¡± Riley thought Reutrina must be trying to ask something, so he kept silent as if he was saying she should go ahead and ask. Reutrinaid down the cup on the table. She then tapped the table with her finger. ¡°Yes, princess.¡± It seemed that must be how she called her guard. Her guard, who was on standby at a corner of the garden, nodded and came to where Riley and Reutrina were sitting. ¡°If you could step on my guard¡¯s pride, then I might tell you.¡± Reutrina said jokingly. Confused, Riley stared at Reutrina. ¡°I don¡¯t think that was hard to understand. Young Master, with a sword¡­ give my guard a beating. If you do, I could tell you.¡± Having heard what she just said, Ian, who was vacantly staring at the guarding this way, stepped in, wondering what this was about. ¡°P¡­ Princess? Just what are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Why should I?¡± Ian¡¯s words were interrupted by Riley. ¡°Ahah¡­ The thing is, the guard that I brought had never once lost to anyone in our Duke¡¯s House, so he is pretty full of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, I would like you to straight him out so he will learn a little that it is a big world. A human being needs to know the bitter taste of defeat in order to grow stronger, right?¡± Reutrina slurped at the tea. She then stopped drinking and winked at Riley. ¡°What do you think?¡± Step on her guard¡¯s pride¡­ There were two things Reutrina could gain from this. For her guard, there was something to be learned from the duel regardless of the oue. The other thing was getting a feel for the skill level of Riley, the one who held the title of Lazy-sword. The request was the kind that had more for Reutrina to gain than simply asking Riley by saying ¡®please show us your skills.¡¯ ¡°Please don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯m not trying to do something to you. This guard had been stepping in too often without knowing his ce, so I am concerned it may lead to troublester.¡± As if she read Riley¡¯s thoughts again, Reutrina seductively narrowed her eyes. She looked at the guard standing next to her and said, ¡°Remember yesterday? This guy tried to take out a sword against you at the corridor without knowing his ce. There had been many instances like thattely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it was not inside mansion but a market instead, he probably would have swung the sword right away.¡± Having heard what she said, Riley steadily looked at the guard and asked in a low voice, ¡°Are you sure he is not just insane?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reutrina¡¯s guard flinched in anger. He was moving his hand toward the sword handle. Ian, who was also standing, quickly moved his hand toward his own sword¡¯s handle. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s enough. Do not move further.¡± With murderous aura in his eyes, Ian red at Reutrina¡¯s guard. The guard did the same toward Ian. ¡°You are the princess¡¯s guard. However, this is the inside of Iphalleta Mansion. Violent behavior cannot be allowed. Please know that.¡± Reutrina watched Ian ring at her guard. She snickered and said, ¡°Unlike what he is saying¡­ It seems your butler is also looking forward to seeing you show off your skills?¡± ¡°Ut?!¡± ¡°¡­¡± She somehow read Ian¡¯s mind. Having heard her piercing exactly at the heart of what Ian was actually thinking, he flinched his shoulders big time. ¡°No! Young Master, I really am not!¡± ¡°What do you mean you are not.¡± Riley, who knew Ian better than anyone, double face palmed, sighed big and looked at Reutrina¡¯s face through the gaps between his fingers. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll tell your father.¡± ¡°My father?¡± Reutrina smiled and said, ¡°To Count Stein.¡± As if he can¡¯t even take it as a joke, Riley closed the gaps between fingers andpletely covered his face. ¡°I thought this is supposed to be a prospective marriage meeting. Is it actually an engagement meeting?¡± ¡°I am interested in you, Young Master. As for an engagement, I can always break it, so it does not matter either.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take you seriously. Tell my father? What are you going to tell him?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Riley asked as he lowered the hands he had to cover his face. Reutrina, who was smiling, blushed for some reason. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him that you had been having trouble sleepingtely, so¡­ I think¡­ you will need¡­ someone to be beside you in bed.¡± As if she was embarrassed, she was twisting her body. It was a threat that didn¡¯t sound like a threat. Having heard her words, Ian panicked and looked at Riley. Meanwhile, Riley wiggled his cheek muscles and red at her. ¡°¡­ Just you try.¡± ¡°Ah, right! It seemed Lady Iris was also hoping to see a grandchild soon.¡± The mention of Iris lead to Riley¡¯s shoulders flinching and shivering. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I had never experienced it, so I am afraid, but still, if it is with you, Young Master Riley¡­¡± Against Riley¡¯s threat, she responded with threat. She was blushing, and she held her head with her hands. She was acting like she didn¡¯t know what to do. Unable to stand it anymore, Riley suddenly extended his hand and took out the sword that was hanging on Ian¡¯s waist. ¡®I¡¯ll make you spill out everything, whatever you have or not have.¡¯ Ian panicked. Ian knew Riley doesn¡¯t usually show his serious self. Now that it came to this, Ian was concerned about what he should do now. He started to look around. ¡°Set him straight¡­ Princess, that¡¯s what you said earlier.¡± Having borrowed the sword from Ian, Riley spun it once to rx his wrist and got up. ¡°Will it be all right if I kill him?¡± Having heard the question, Reutrina broke cold sweat and looked at her guard standing next to her. ¡°Ah, killing him would be a little¡­¡± ¡°How about an arm?¡± ¡°That would be also a little¡­¡± ¡°Go easy on him. That¡¯s what you are saying?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes.¡± Princess Reutrina¡¯s guard seemed he was not liking Riley who was asking questions after questions. He was ring at Riley with deadly eyes. The guard also started to ask the same questions. ¡°Princess. You are saying it won¡¯t matter if I killed him, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It would be unfortunate for the Count Stein, but would an arm be all right?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go easy on him.¡± Along with that, the princess¡¯s guard also drew the sword from his waist and started to calm his breathing. ¡°Ian, you be the judge.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I said, be the judge.¡± ¡°Young Master¡­ but¡­¡± Ian got to face Riley¡¯s murderous eyes. Ian gulped and walked toward the middle between the guard and Riley. ¡®This is not like Young Master. He is being pretty sensitive.¡¯ Ian was worried. However, he decided to be the judge. Standing in the middle, Ian raised his hand, and Riley and the princess¡¯s guard each took stances. ¡®I had gotten a lot of stress built uptely anyway¡­¡¯ As he red at his opponent, Riley tightly held the sword handle as if he was going to crush the handle. ¡®¡­ Wait.¡¯ Riley furrowed his brows and looked at the guard standing in front of him. ¡®Why am I¡­¡¯ Riley got a hold of himself just before Ian¡¯s arm fell. He reflected on why he got so angry. He lightly shook his head and threw the sword to the ground. ¡°I am sorry. I changed my mind.¡± Riley did that in middle of a tight atmosphere. Both Reutrina and her guard opened their eyes and mouths big. ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± Riley looked at the sword that he dropped to the ground just now. Still reflecting on his behavior, he slightly crumpled his face. He crumpled only slightly to the point that others could not have noticed. ¡°I won¡¯t do this.¡± Riley could not understand why he was so worked up earlier. He shook his head and refused the duel. Reutrina¡¯s guard ground his teeth. ¡°You¡­ won¡¯t?¡± Riley faced the guard¡¯s eyes with a cold gaze. Riley then turned to look at Reutrina and said, ¡°It¡¯s because I am not confident.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± The guard, unable to stand the sudden turn of the event, was about to charge in and grab Riley just below the neck by the clothes. However¡­ ¡°¡­?!¡± He suddenly shook his body once, and then became as stiff as trees on the garden. ¡®What? My body is?¡¯ His body was not moving as he wanted. He couldn¡¯t even move his fingers and toes. Panicking, the guard moved his eyes to look at the princess. ¡°¡­?¡± He looked like he was trying to say something, but he was unable to. Instead, he was just standing there, petrified. Having realized something was up, Reutrina got up from the chair and said toward Riley who was turning around. ¡°Young Master.¡± Riley turned around with uninterested look on his face. Having heard Reutrina calling him, Riley just turned his head and looked at her. ¡°I need to use the toilet, so¡­¡± ¡°Before you go.¡± Reutrina asked, ¡°How did you do that?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Just now, my guard¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Riley was smiling. Looking at Riley, Reutrina could not finish her sentence. It was because they just had a conversation that felt simr to this only a few minutes ago. ¡®How did you do it?¡¯ ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ ¡®What you did just now.¡¯ ¡®That?¡¯ A question asking how something was done, and the responses feigning ignorance¡­ The conversation now felt simr to the one earlier, but the table was turned in this instance. ¡°If it is not something urgent, then excuse me for a moment.¡± Riley did a hand gesture to tell Ian to stay here. Riley leisurely walked away, and the guard who was petrifiedpletely bent forward and breathed hard. ¡°¡­ Ughuk?! Huuuk! Huuuk!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Copsed to the floor, the guard was struggling to catch his breath. Reutrina observed her guard and then turned her gaze to vacantly stare at the back of Riley who was walking away. Chapter 133 - Prospective Marriage Meeting (3)

Chapter 133: Prospective Marriage Meeting (3)

¡°Thank you for the corporation. So, it was true.¡± After the meeting between Riley and Reutrina ended¡­ With the sun already set, it was not just Stein who was in his office. ¡°¡­ I know.¡± As if she was responding to Stein¡¯s mumbling, the woman sitting at the office sofa tilted the tea cup, made slurping noise, and continued. ¡°Count Stein, I actually had been very much against it because you made such a strange request, but¡­¡± She was wearing a low-cut dress. Gracefulness could be felt from the way she was drinking the tea. The woman was Princess Reutrina who had the prospective marriage meeting with Riley today. ¡°About the exploit regarding the Astora incident, I thought Young Master Riley received recognition by chance for being with the maid. However, it seemed like that may not actually be the case either.¡± Slurp¡­ Reutrina enjoyed the tea on the cup and described the impression she got from Riley when she met him for the marriage proposal meeting today. Stein looked at the garden beyond the window and carefully asked, ¡°Could it be that you were mistaken?¡± Reutrina shook her head and said, ¡°No. I couldn¡¯t have. The guard¡¯s response was quite a response, but the Mercenary Hero who was standing next to Young Master Riley showed responses that were more definite evidences.¡± Reutrina was thoroughly observing Ian, the butler who was attached to Riley. Based on what she saw today, Reutrina realized Riley was hiding his true strength. ¡°My original n didn¡¯t include that kind of proposal. Because of the favor you asked, I ended up getting points deducted against me from Young Master, so you will have to take responsibility for this, Count.¡± The Princess said as she ballooned up her cheeks. Finding it suspicious, Stein turned to look at the Princess. ¡°Hm¡­ Princess, I thought you are here because you are interested in the family¡¯s sessor?¡± As Stein asked, the reason why Reutrina stepped inside the Iphalleta Mansion during the day of the sessor announcement was¡­ to have prospective marriage meeting and propose the engagement. ¡°The schedule for today changed, so you had the prospective marriage meeting with Riley instead, but¡­ actually, I thought you would be a little more interested in Lloyd?¡± Having heard Stein¡¯s question, she held the cup with one hand, and twirled her hair with the other hand. Reutrina took a dramatic pause for a moment and responded. ¡°I saw the sessorship announcement too. I thought it might be Young Master Lloyd who will be the sessor, so I made sure to check too. In the process, I ended up having some scuffle with other nobilities, but¡­¡± Thinking about themotion that transpiredst time, Reutrina cringed for a moment. As if she thought that was not important, Reutrina continued. ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important. Young Master Lloyd is also definitely magnificent, but¡­ I don¡¯t feel that special something rushing at me.¡± Reutrina looked at Stein and carefully murmured, ¡°Please excuse me for saying something like this, but to take the heart of a princess, Young Master Lloyd is a little¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Young Master Riley seemed pretty good.¡± ¡®To the world, Riley is known as thezy-ass. Why are you blushing? What do you like about him so much?¡¯ Noticing Reutrina blushing, Stein filled his face with question marks and waited for her next words. ¡°Personal taste¡­ I am embarrassed to use the words, but my personal taste is someone older, not younger. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Someone older?¡± ¡°Hoho.¡± As if she was embarrassed, she smiled as she mentioned it. Stein carefully asked, ¡°Princess. How old are you?¡± ¡°I am 20. When this month passes, I will be 21.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The number of question marks on Stein¡¯s face increased by three folds. ¡°Princess. Do you happen to know Riley¡¯s age?¡± ¡°19¡­ right?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Stein slowly nodded and responded. Riley was definitely one year younger than Reutrina. Despite this, Reutrina was not taking back what she said earlier about liking someone who is older than her. ¡°So¡­¡± Stein didn¡¯t know what to say. He just thought really hard about it. Princess put down the cup that was on her hand and said, ¡°As a reward for doing what you asked me when I met Young Master Riley today, I would like to ask you for a favor. Would that be all right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Please go ahead.¡± Stein decided to think that the princess must have been kidding about what she said earlier. Stein waited for the princess to speak. ¡°About the invitation to the end of the year banquet at our family, the invitation was supposed to be given to the sessor, but I wish it could be given to someone else.¡± Reutrina mumbled while fiddling with her chin. Stein figured out what she was asking and cringed. ¡°Princess, by any chance¡­¡± ¡°Count! As I thought, you are quick on catching on!¡± p! She pped in joy and exined, ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a favor. I¡¯m just asking you to gently switch the person who will be getting the invitation.¡± ¡°However, Princess¡­ Riley is¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Please.¡± Stein wanted to exin that there is a high probability of Riley not going to go no matter who asked. However, he was interrupted by Reutrina. ¡°I would really like him to visit. During the banquet, I get bees getting tangled up with me even when I try to hide.¡± As if she was done with the conversation, she got up from the sofa and walked out of the office right away. ¡®This is a difficult situation.¡¯ It was a favor asked by none other than the Princess of Duke. Stein couldn¡¯t just say no so easily. He was getting a headache. He crumpled his face and clicked his tongue. * * * It was at the mansion¡¯s library. Riley had Nainiae sit at the sofa. To calm is pulsating headache, he was lying on the sofa with Nainiae¡¯sp as the pillow. ¡®I strained myself too much.¡¯ Feeling the pain inside, Riley thought about the power that he had been using sincest spring. It was a technique that he mastered in his past life. Using his energy, the technique allowed him to oppress anyone that he red at, making thempletely immobilized. The technique was useful in many ways. However¡­ it had one drawback of causing great strain on the user. ¡°Young Master, are you all right?¡± It seemed Nainiae noticed Riley was not looking well. With Rileyying on herp, she asked as if she was concerned. ¡®Damn it¡­ I got worked up and angry for no reason.¡¯ He was tired both mentally and physically. With both of them ovepping, Riley was struggling with pain as he cringed. Nainiae bit her lower lips and asked carefully, ¡°Earlier, I heard from Mr. Ian. The prospective marriage meeting¡­ At that meeting, you were about to have a duel against the Princess¡¯s guard, but you suddenly stopped.¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley rxed his crumpled face. Looking at Nainiae from thep, Riley said, ¡°That¡¯s right. What about it?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­ I was wondering if you were agonizing over ittely. That¡¯s why I asked.¡± Her question was loaded with concerns. However, Riley, the one who received the question, didn¡¯t really have a pleasant expression on his face. ¡°¡­¡± Instead, the look on Riley¡¯s face got even darker. ¡°That¡¯s enough. Instead¡­¡± As if he was trying to casually move on to a different topic, Riley got his head off from Nainiae¡¯sp. Holding his pulsating head, Riley mumbled a certain summon spirit¡¯s name. ¡°Heliona.¡± Whaarurururuk! A tiny me started to burn next to Nainiae¡¯s face. A palm sized fairy responded as she pped her wings. Riley looked at Heliona and got straight to the main point. It seemed he was trying his best to avoid the hot topic that Nainiae mentioned earlier. ¡°About the artificial summon spirit, don¡¯t you think it would be good to start getting ready for that?¡± ¡°Where, when and how¡­ Tell me about them.¡± Heliona nodded and took a moment to pause and choose what to say. She exined it such that it would be easy for Riley to understand. ¡°Next spring?¡± ¡°What¡¯s this perfect spirit for Nainaie about?¡± Riley figured it might be better to just ask all of his questionster. Riley said, ¡°Okay. Continue.¡± ¡°To the west¡­¡± Furrowing his brows, Riley organized what he heard from Heliona. He asked the first question. ¡°You are telling us to just go to west without anything specific. Aren¡¯t you being too impolite? Where in west exactly?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard Heliona¡¯s response, Riley got annoyed. He said in frustrated tone, ¡°Exin it in human¡¯snguage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I think I understand why Andal did it.¡¯ Riley got to think about Andal thanks to Heliona¡¯s ck-faced bunting bird like mouth. Riley started to grind his teeth. It seemed Heliona was afraid of the look on Riley¡¯s face. Heliona pped her wings and hid behind Nainiae. Heliona added in a small voice, Riley was chasing Heliona with his eyes. In the process, he naturally ended up meeting Nainiae¡¯s eyes. Riley unconsciously avoided his gaze and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°I already prepared my heart for this. Also, if I could be next to you, Young Master¡­ I would try anything, even something else that would be even moreplicated. I am fine with it.¡± Nainiae said it withposure. Having heard the response, Riley nodded as if he was fine with it now. This time, instead of Nainiae¡¯sp, Riley leaned his head on a sofa and closed his eyes. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Although Nainiae called Riley, he did not respond. She carefully continued. ¡°About the prospective marriage meeting with the Princess¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae was talking about something other than what Riley was expecting. Riley narrowly opened one of his eyes and looked at her. ¡°That Princess¡­ Is she very pretty?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nainiae¡¯s voice was at the level of an ant¡¯s voice. Because of this, Riley couldn¡¯t hear the question correctly. He opened both of his eyes and asked back. ¡°She is the daughter of a Duke Family, so¡­ She must be graceful, ssy, and anyway, she is probably very¡­¡± Hesitating, Nainiae avoided Riley¡¯s eyes as she fiddled with her fingers. She started to mutter in even quieter voice. ¡°Just what are you saying? Can you speak up?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Heliona exined what Nainiae said. Nainiae, who was ying with her fingers, suddenly blushed, turning her face red hotpletely and instantly. ¡°Princess?¡± ¡°Ah ah.¡± Nainiae hurriedly blocked the mouth of Heliona that was chirping away on the side. With her face blushing, she turned to look at Riley. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°T¡­ This is the problem with Ms. Heliona! Mr. Andal pointed out this problem to you already, so it is about time you fixed it!¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± ¡°I am sorry, Young Master. I¡¯ll be stern and go over this problem with herter.¡± Before Riley even had a chance to say anything, Nainiae tumbled and got up from the sofa. She then lowered her head toward Riley and quickly escaped the library with Heliona still held on her hand. Chapter 134 - Chaos

Chapter 134: Chaos

Following Heliona¡¯s instruction, Riley was about to head out to the west with Nainiae. However, his father suddenly called him, so Riley stopped by at his father¡¯s office. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve heard that you wanted to see me.¡± Riley opened the office¡¯s door and stepped foot inside. In there, Riley¡¯s gaze met with Lloyd who was getting educated on being the sessor. Riley lightly nodded to greet Lloyd. ¡°Ah, you are here.¡± Having noticed Riley entering the office, Stein, who was teaching Lloyd various things, greeted Riley. Lloyd took a step back and said, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡± ¡°All right. About the task that I gave you just now, it would be good for you to thoroughlyplete it today. If it gets dyed, it could turn into more work.¡± ¡°Yes, Father.¡± Stein made a hand gesture, and Lloyd lowered his head in a big motion and left the office. On the way out, Lloyd took a nce at Riley¡¯s face. ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°No. It a way to say have a safe trip¡­ I just wanted to take a look at your face. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean, have a safe trip?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have my Big Brother anymore, so¡­ How should I say this, it is rather empty here? No, it is nothing. Please forget it.¡± Riley couldn¡¯t understand what Lloyd was trying to say. Riley tilted his head. However, Lloyd left the office without resolving Riley¡¯s curiosity. ¡°So, Riley.¡± Stein used his left arm to press on the desk as he got up. He pointed at the sofa for Riley to sit. ¡°Sit down for now.¡± Having heard him say Riley should sit down first, Riley figured this was going to be a long conversation. Hiding the icky feeling he was having, Riley sat on the sofa. ¡°What is it, Father?¡± After Riley sat down, Stein also sat on a sofa while facing his son. Between Stein and his son, there was a table, and Stein ced a letter envelope there. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The letter is for you.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Riley tilted his head as he looked at the envelope. Riley checked the look on Stein¡¯s face and picked up the envelope. The envelope looked pretty thin. However, as if it was trying to prove that the letter was sent by someone very high up, the feel of the paper indicated it was a very high-quality kind. ¡°Um¡­¡± Riley checked the front and back of the envelop. He casually moved his eyes and looked at Stein. ¡°Is this really for me?¡± Stein nodded as the response. ¡®Just who?¡¯ Riley thought about a few people that could sent a letter like this to him. He carefully opened the envelope. Inside the envelope was another piece of perfectly t paper that was just as luxurious in quality. ¡®An invitation?¡¯ The top of the paper had the word ¡®invitation¡¯ written on the top. Riley lightly shook his eyebrows as he read the rest of the letter¡¯s content. Riley read that far and put the letter down as if he didn¡¯t need to read the rest. Riley said, ¡°¡­ I am not going.¡± As if Stein knew Riley was going to say that, Stein covered his eyes with his palm and sighed without making any sound. ¡°What is your reason?¡± ¡°It is such a bother. Even if I went there, it will just tickle my ear holes. Why should I¡­¡± Stein was actually thinking the same. Riley was famous with many poor rumors about him thanks to the Lazy-Sword title. Someone like him going to the banquet held by the Duke? Riley bingplimentary snacks for drinks for the nobles in their gossiping would be a fortunate scenario. Riley could be insulted right on the face if he went there. This was why Stein didn¡¯t want Riley to go either. ¡°Father, by any chance?¡± Stein suddenly closed his mouth tightly. Having noticed this, Riley had a bad feeling. Finding it suspicious, he crumpled his face and asked, ¡°That¡¯s not it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite the question, Riley¡¯s father didn¡¯t open his mouth. Riley suddenly got up from the seat. ¡°I am not going.¡± ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°¡­ To begin with!¡± Riley suddenly got angry and yelled. The stacks of papers piled up at the office waved in the wind that came through the window in response. ¡°To begin with, that prospective marriage meeting a few days ago was also¡­ too sudden without any prior notification, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡®It is too much of a bother.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to do it.¡¯ Riley always said foolish things like that or disappeared from important moments as if he was ying hide and seek. However, he never once let out frustration like this before. Having seen Riley¡¯s response, Stein vacantly stared at his son. ¡°¡­ I!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed Riley read his father¡¯s eyes vacantly staring at him. Riley, who just shouted all of the sudden, also lost words to say. He moved his gaze away in silence. ¡®Damn it. Again¡­¡¯ Again¡­ Riley realized he suddenly got angry again during an unexpected situation. For no reason, Riley made tight fists with his hands. ¡°Riley.¡± Stein looked at Riley and called his son in a low voice. ¡°I will also ask you this as your father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was somehow afraid of his father¡¯s serious voice. He was not able to look in his father¡¯s eyes. Riley just waited for Stein to continue. ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± ¡°What do you mean, hide it?¡± ¡°It would be good for you to stop feigning ignorance. I have things that I¡¯ve heard from Iris, Ian and even Sera.¡± Stein said that he had heard things. Riley was petrified and not about to open his mouth. Having noticed this, Stein got up just like Riley. He then picked up a sword that was leaning on a corner of the office. The sword was in its sheath. ¡°Try drawing the sword.¡± Unable to say no, Riley drew the sword, held it and looked at Stein. ¡°Back then, it was further away than this, right?¡± It looked like Stein was about to do something. He just held the sheath on his hand and took a few steps away. Stein took a stance as if he was about to throw the sheath. Until this point, Riley showed no movement on his face, but now, he slightly crumpled his face. ¡°Was it like this?¡± Stein took an awkward pose, and he threw the sheath hard. The direction of the throw was¡­ It was toward the sword that Riley just grabbed a hold of. ¡°¡­?¡± Riley floated a question mark on his face as he watched the sheath flying toward him. He saw the sheath striking the sword and being bounced off. Riley now understood what Stein was trying to do. ¡°It is not easy.¡± Stein muttered as he looked at the sheath that fell on the floor. ¡°Although it got in smoothlyst time.¡± Stein was talking about the sheath that was ced on the sword that Ryan was about to swing at the mansion¡¯s corridor during the day of the sessorship announcement. ¡°Riley, was it you who did it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why did you hide it despite possessing masterful skills?¡± Although his father asked again, Riley was not able to open his mouth easily. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again.¡± Riley was not showing any signs of opening his mouth. Stein took a step toward Riley and asked again. ¡°Why did you hide it?¡± He was asking about Riley hiding his skills. Why? For what reason? Having heard the question, Riley was agonizing inside about how to respond. In the end, Riley thought about the reason. It was his past, his past life before this one. It was because Riley did not want to repeat what happened in his past life. So, Riley lived a loose life without revealing his skills. ¡°Past¡­¡± Riley was going to answer with mention of past life being part of the response. However, Riley¡¯s lips became hard. The situation was the same as when Nainiae asked. When Riley thought about his past and tried to talk about what happened back then, it was difficult for Riley to breath. Also, he felt extreme urge to swear and curse that he could not take it. These were the reasons. ¡®Haven¡¯t you heard? It has to be you, don¡¯t you get it? Why are you taking a knee? Get up! Haven¡¯t you heard? The children are going to die! Get up! I said get up!¡¯ ¡®If you were not here in the first ce, this would not have happened in the first ce.¡¯ ¡®You promised you will protect them, didn¡¯t you? Then dust yourself off and get up!¡¯ ¡®A brave hero? Instead of a hero, I think you are a walking disaster!¡¯ ¡®Please don¡¯t die. Please survive.¡¯ ¡®Get lost! We¡­ We never asked you to save us!¡¯ ¡®As long as I am with you, I don¡¯t care what happens to the world¡­¡¯ ¡®The children died because of you.¡¯ The voices from his past life still felt clear in Riley¡¯s head. Riley was cringing as he thought about his past life. While Riley was standing like that, Stein took another step toward Riley and called him. ¡°Riley.¡± Because Riley slightly lowered his head, Stein could not see Riley¡¯s eyes. With proud look on his face, Stein looked at the medal of honor that Riley received from the Solia Castle duringst spring. Stein said, ¡°That medal of honor that you received must be also not something you got out of pure luck.¡± Having heard what Stein said, Riley also looked at the medal that was hanging on the office wall. Riley vacantly murmured, ¡°¡­ Medal?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. The medal that you brought home.¡± ¡°The one¡­ that I brought home?¡± Riley was furrowing his brows as he looked at the medal. Realizing something was up, Stein tried calling his son¡¯s name. ¡°Riley?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without any response, Riley just stared at the medal on the wall. With a confusing look on his face, Riley turned to look at Stein. ¡°What do you mean I received it? That was¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley furrowed his brows and asked back. Stein also opened his mouth with a question mark on his face. ¡°What are you talking about? That medal was the one that you showed me when you brought Nainiae home for the first time, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Riley?¡± Riley just stood there in silence as if he was lost for words. Stein also crumpled his eyebrows. ¡®When I brought Nainaie home?¡¯ Riley was busy tossing questions to himself, so he just stood there vacantly, unable to answer to Stein¡¯s questions. ¡®How did I meet Nainiae?¡¯ She was the maid who was with him now. She had scars on her face. Also, she was missing two fingers on her right hand. She was subjected to experiments at the Magic Tower. Recently, she became the patient and a student to Andal, his friend. Although he was trying hard, Riley could not remember how he met the girl named Nainaie. ¡®How?¡¯ Riley rolled his brain around to remember what he could not. He could hear the voices from his past life again. ¡®We trust you. If it is you, it can be done.¡¯ ¡®We are ming you. If you were not here¡­¡¯ Could it be that Riley was feeling light headed? His head was hurting badly. He ced his hand on the sofa¡¯s arm rest for a moment. He was breaking cold sweat all over his face. Riley lowered his head and looked at the floor. His memories were faint. ¡®It¡¯s all right. Even if they died because of you.¡¯ ¡®No. I¡­¡¯ ¡®You are a brave hero, isn¡¯t that right?¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right. It could not be helped.¡¯ ¡®Because I survived.¡¯ ¡®Please keep it up. We will cheer for you.¡¯ Riley didn¡¯t know what to do because of the voices in his head. Stein carefully extended his arm toward Riley. ¡°Riley¡­ What is it?¡± Riley realized that there was a handing toward himte. He swept away Stein¡¯s hand with the top of his hand and yelled, ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t kill them!!¡± It was fury, or perhaps from being wronged¡­ Along with cold sweats, Riley was also shedding tears. Riley looked up to face his father and questioned what he just did. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Riley?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill¡­¡± Riley muttered vacantly. The voices could be heard in Riley¡¯s ears again. ¡®Now, two.¡¯ ¡®Young Master Riley. Please, I beg you. Even if you are going to kill me¡­ My daughter¡­ At least spare Oluli¡¯s life.¡¯ ¡®The limit is about four minutes¡­ No, five minutes?¡¯ ¡®This child certainly has done a terrible thing, but she was not always bad. She is actually kind inside! It¡¯s just that, just that!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s as I thought.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Uuuuu.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Ah.¡¯ ¡®End¡­¡¯ Although his memories were faint, the voices were incredibly sharp and clear. Riley wrapped his head around with his hands. It felt like his memories of the past life and current life were mixing inplete disarray. ¡°Riley, are you hurting somewhere?¡± Riley¡¯s condition didn¡¯t just look bad. It looked serious. Concerned, Stein looked at Riley¡¯s eyes. Riley¡¯s eyes were shaking. In the past, Riley said foolish things like ¡®it is such a bother,¡¯ or ¡®I am sleepy,¡¯ but his eyes never shook like this. ¡°Father, I am sorry. The condition of my body is a little¡­¡± Riley was turning while holding his head. Stein was about to extend his arm and call his son, but he put his hand back down. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think¡­ I need to rest for a bit.¡± Stein always took notice of Riley¡¯s sharp eyes. Because of this, Stein had hopes for Riley despite him always showing hiszy side. Now, with concerned face, he watched the back of his son. ¡°Riley¡­¡± Riley was about to get out of the office. Having heard his father¡¯s voice, Riley stopped walking for a moment. ¡°¡­ I believe in you.¡± Stein muttered in low voice. ¡°¡­¡± Despite what Stein just said, the expression on Riley¡¯s face was not turning better. Today, Stein actually called Riley to just praise him instead of talking about the prospective marriage meeting with Princess Reutrina or the banquet invitation. Now, the expression on Stein¡¯s face didn¡¯t look good, just like his son. Chapter 135 - Winter Trip

Chapter 135: Winter Trip

After talking to his father at the office, Riley¡¯s memories from the past life and the present life were starting to get all jumbled up. Riley realized he was no longer in good condition, so he said to his mother, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to go on a travel for a while.¡± Every winter, Riley always barricaded himself in the library and enjoyed reading books in front of the fire ce with cocoa. Now, out of the blue, he was talking about going on a travel when it was winter, not summer. Iris tilted her head to side and asked, ¡°Travel?¡± ¡°Yes. Now that Big Brother Lloyd became the sessor¡­ I just¡­ For a few reasons, I would like to go enjoy going on a trip during the winter.¡± Concerned that his mother will be worried about him, Riley didn¡¯t mention anything about the problems with his memories. He just said he wanted to organize his stuffy mind. ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll allow it, but¡­¡± Thinking what Riley just brought up must be the confusion and doubt during the puberty that camete for him, Iris nodded without any objections. She then watched her son with concerned look on her face. ¡°It is cold, so you are probably not going to the Rainfield, right? Where are you nning on going? Have you decided on a destination?¡± It seemed Iris was worried. She asked several questions at once. Riley put up an awkward smile and asked her to ask one question at a time. ¡°I didn¡¯t decide a ce in particr, but for the general direction, I would like to try going to the west.¡± West¡­ It was the ce that they had to go to handle the business rted to Nainiaie. ¡°to the west¡­¡± Riley also didn¡¯t mention the matter regarding Nainiae. Riley avoided his mother¡¯s gaze and moved his eyes away slowly. ¡®There is no need to make her worry, so¡­¡¯ Iris watched her son who was hesitant to look at her in the eyes. It seemed she was finding it suspicious, but she brightened the look on her face soon and said to Riley, ¡°My Riley¡­ you won¡¯t do something like not contacting like before, would you?¡± For a moment, Riley didn¡¯t understand what Iris was trying to say. He asked carefully, ¡°Like before?¡± ¡°Like what happened when you were at the Rainfield.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Riley opened his mouth vacantly like someone who just remembered something. Riley apologized to Iris with ashamed look on his face. ¡°I am sorry. During that time, there was a circumstance that could not be helped.¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s all right.¡± Riley smiled like a fool. Watching his son, Iris stroke his son¡¯s head as if she just could not help herself. ¡°You just need to make sure to not repeat the mistake.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Do not repeat the mistake¡­ Having heard Iris, Riley nodded with a bitter look on his face. Iris finally got to face Riley. She smiled gently and said, ¡°If you repeat the same mistake?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°When that happens, you need the courage to reach out to another for help¡­ the courage to ask for help to not repeat the mistake.¡± Having heard her gentle advice, Riley, who was vacantly opening and closing his hand, rxed the bitter look on his face a little and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± * * * The night when Riley told Iris that he will go one a trip, Iris asked Sera toe by. Iris steadily red at the cup of tea that Sera poured before speaking. ¡°Sera, are you aware that Riley will be going on a trip tomorrow?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! I think I definitely heard that¡­ he will be heading west? Nainiae told me. Now that they have Lady Iris¡¯ permission, she will be preparing so they can leave immediately tomorrow. Is there a problem?¡± This time, Sera asked, and Iris responded with a bit of hesitation. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± As soon as Iris said that, Sera got excited as if she thought it was so unexpected, about as unexpected as the sun rising from the west. Sera looked at Iris and waited for her to exin the favor. ¡°When Riley leaves the mansion tomorrow, I would like you to go with him.¡± ¡°Pardon? Me too?¡± Sera pointed to herself and asked back. ¡°It seems Riley looks a little¡­ unstable. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Young Master is?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Iris nodded. With concerned look on her face, Iris asked Sera again. ¡°Can you please do that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be okay, but¡­ If I do, there won¡¯t be anyone beside you?¡± Now, Sera also looked concerned. Iris responded right away as if she thought there was no need to worry. ¡°It¡¯s all right. I asked Wi.¡± ¡°To Ms. Wi?¡± Wi was Sera¡¯s boss. Thinking about her strict maid boss, Sera gulped. ¡°She said she got some spare time now ever since Lloyd was dered as the sessor.¡± In middle of the sentence, it seemed she thought about Ryan who was kicked out of the mansion. Iris showed gloomy face for a moment before continuing. ¡°Anyway, Sera. Please, I¡¯m counting on you. Ian is verycking in fine details. As for Nainiae, she still has things she is not so experienced in. I feel uneasy with just Nainiae and Ian apanying Riley.¡± Compared to the butler who served Riley, Sera had a smart, snappy personality. Iris thought having her go with Riley along with everyone would be helpful. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Sera figured out what Iris was trying to say. She made tight fists and nodded. ¡°¡­ By the way, what do you mean by Young Master Riley not looking so stable?¡± ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± Iris had a mysterious look on her face as she thought hard about something. Iris said, ¡°I really think he is going through¡­ puberty.¡± ¡°Puberty? Young Master is?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Sera snickered after hearing what Iris said as if she understood. Sera said she will thoroughly carry out the task given to her and left Iris¡¯ room. ¡°¡­¡± After Sera left the room, Iris gave a nk stare to the empty space as she wondered if she should not have told Sera honestly about the puberty. She pondered about it for a long time before she fell asleep. * * * ¡°Ms. Sera, we are about to head out soon!¡± It was right before the lunch. Sera, who was now going with them on the trip, was nowhere to be found. Nainiae shouted in front of Sera¡¯s room to call for her. ¡°Ah, wait just a minute! Just a minute! I¡¯m almost done!¡± It seemed she had a lot of luggage. Her bag looked like it could tear open at any moment. Carrying the bag on her back, Sera responded to Nainiae¡¯s call and tumbled to walk to the garden. ¡°Thatss, geez.¡± ¡°Sera, are you trying to move and settle on a new house?¡± There were a few maids and butlers there to see the Riley¡¯s group off. Having noticed the size of Sera¡¯s bag, they eitherughed or clicked their tongues. Sera, who was struggling because of the bag, snapped back. ¡°There is nothing wrong about being thoroughly prepared. Why don¡¯t you all mind your own business?¡± ¡°Sure, you are the expert, aren¡¯t you?¡± Sera walked to the corner of the garden. Having noticed that the area looked like they had not prepared anything for the trip, Sera tilted her head to the side. ¡°Excuse me¡­ We are going today, right?¡± There was nothing. To be precise, Sera looked at Riley and Nainie vacantly staring at the garden wall. Ian was also just holding his chin, wondering what this was about. ¡°Young Master, if you are going on a trip, shouldn¡¯t you prepare a carriage? We need to check the conditions of the wheels and the horses too before heading out¡­ Also¡­¡± ¡°No. There is no need. We are going to walk there.¡± Having heard Riley interrupting Sera and stating they will be traveling by foot, Ian and Sera had their eyes turned into huge circles. They had a good reason. It was none other than Riley who just proposed traveling on foot in this cold winter. This was why. ¡®He really is going through puberty.¡¯ Sera mistakenly believed now that Riley must really be going through a stormy period. Sera smiled proudly and nodded. ¡°Of course, west is pretty far, so I don¡¯t n on just walking.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think you mentioned exactly where you are intending to go? Are you going to just travel on foot without a particr destination?¡± Although the trip was for Nainiae, Riley didn¡¯t bring that up. He responded half a tempote. ¡°Um? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Young Master, shall we get going now?¡± It seemed Nainiae just finished preparing the thing that Riley asked. Nainiae, who had her eyes closed and focused on something, turned around to face the others and asked. ¡°Go? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Ah, by any chance¡­¡± Sera tilted her head to the side. It seemed Ian got a bad feeling about it. He started to break cold sweats. It was not certain if Riley noticed the look on the two behind him. Riley just nodded, and Nainiae turned to face the wall again as she said, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll open it.¡± Nainiae waved her left arm in arge motion. The space around her started to distort. The wall, which had nothing, suddenly developed a hole. ¡°The doorway will be maintained for about a minute, so we need to enter before the time is up.¡± When Nainiae mentioned the doorway, the hole, which was the size of a palm, started to grow. It spun like a vortex and became erged enough for a person to go through. ¡°This is¡­¡± From what Riley said earlier, the hole in front of them definitely looked like a teleportation magic. ¡°By any chance¡­ Is this¡­ magic?¡± Ian have heard before about a magic spell that allowed one to travel a long distance instantly. Ian carefully asked, and Nainiae nodded. ¡°Yes. It is teleportation. To make the move easier, instead of a magic circle on the ground, I made it in the form of a gate.¡± Teleportation was something that Nainiae was not capable of performing before. However, she was not even breaking sweat now. Instead, she just casually exined the magic she just used. ¡°Oh my¡­ What is this?¡± ¡°She said it is t¡­ teleportation.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that incredibly difficult to cast?¡± Witnessing otherworldly sight happening at the corner of the garden, the few servants who came to see Riley and everyone off had their jaws dropped as they stared at the doorway. ¡°¡­¡± Riley also vacantly stared at the doorway that Nainiae made for a while. He then quickly entered the door. ¡°Ah, like Young Master¡­¡± It was not certain if Riley heard Nainiae. He didn¡¯t stop walking. Instead, he walked through the door and disappeared without a trace. Ian gulped. ¡°W¡­ Well then, we will get going now!¡± Unlike Riley, who got sucked into the doorway without saying anything to the people, Nainiae said goodbye to everyone. She gestured to Sera and Ian to follow her. ¡°Ms. Sera, Mr. Ian, pleasee over, quickly. When it closes, it will take a while to open it again. It will be a little dizzy for the moment when you cross through it, but you won¡¯t throw up¡­ Well then, I¡¯ll go first.¡± With that as herst words, Nainiae walked to the door and got sucked in just like Riley. She disappeared without a trace. Now, there were just Ian and Sera left. They started to nce at each other. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come on! I¡­ It¡¯s not like this is going to kill us, right?!¡± They both stood there vacantly in front of the door. Of the two, Sera closed her eyes tightly and charged in. sh! It sounded like a whirlwind. Along with that sound, Sera also disappeared, and Ian flinched his shoulders. ¡°Uuuuu, Uuuuuuu¡­¡± The door was getting smaller. Looking at the door, Ian was still hesitating about if he should enter or not. ¡°Excuse me, Mr. Ian? It is about to close?¡± ¡°Will it be all right if you don¡¯t go?¡± Fellow butlers carefully came behind him and asked Ian. Ian shouted like a hedgehog raising the needle spikes. ¡°S¡­ Shut up! I am going!¡± * * * ¡°¡­ You are here. Where¡¯s Ian?¡± Having gone through the doorway, Riley was waiting for the rest to arrive. He asked Sera who arrivedter. ¡°Pardon? I¡­ I am not sure¡­ I just charged in, so¡­¡± Sera said she didn¡¯t look back when she went through the door. Nainiae stared at the doorway with concerned look. The doorway was gradually getting smaller. ¡°Excuse me. Young Master, somehow, I am getting a bad feeling about this.¡± It seemed Riley was also thinking the same. He quietly watched and waited for Ian to show himself through the doorway. ¡°¡­¡± It was not certain how long they waited in silence. Five seconds¡­ Ten seconds¡­ When about 30 seconds have passed, the doorway that Nainiae made had be narrow. It was now at a size where only a small child could go through. ¡°Uh? Uhuh?¡± Sera watched the doorway getting smaller. Concerned and wondering if it was all right to let it be like this, Sera looked at Nainiae. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae¡­ Could Mr. Ian¡­ get swept up in the magic the wrong way and¡­¡± Sera carefully muttered. Nainiae shook her head and said, ¡°The magic didn¡¯t fail. If it failed¡­ Mr. Ian¡¯s body would had been transported here all mixed up or only a part of his body would have been transported.¡± The results were terrifying and horrible just to think about. Sera gulped. ¡°The fact that nothing is happening means¡­¡± Although it could be said nothing happening was a good thing¡­ the problem was that nothing, even something so horrible, was happening. ¡°Mr. Ian?¡± The doorway that Nainiae opened was getting smaller even as they thought about this. The doorway was now so small that only a baby could pass through. Looking at the shrinking door¡­ Sera vacantly mumbled Ian¡¯s name. Chapter 136 - Winter Trip (2)

Chapter 136: Winter Trip (2)

¡°Ugh¡­¡± As if he knew something was going to happen, Riley covered his face with one of his hands and sighed. The teleportation doorway eventually became small to the size of palm. As Riley thought, until the doorway that Nainiae opened disappeared¡­ Ian didn¡¯t show. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master¡­ W¡­ What do we do? Mr. Ian¡­ Mr. Ian didn¡¯te? Should I say he couldn¡¯te? Uuuuaaa!¡± Sera started to tear up. With pale face, she shivered as she looked at Riley. ¡°What do you mean what do we do?¡± As if he had no answer either, Riley furrowed his brows. Wondering if there was a way to resolve this, he then turned to look at Nainiae. ¡°That is¡­ As I said earlier, the dimensional doorway that I open takes quite a while before I can open again, so¡­¡± ¡°How long?¡± ¡°Two weeks at least¡­¡± ¡°T¡­ Two weeks?¡± Sera flinched her shoulders. She looked like she just lost her soul. ¡°It¡¯s Ian¡¯s fault for not timing it right.¡± He was thinking the old saying, reap what you sow. Thinking about Ian who must be crying out loud at the mansion, Riley put a bitter smile on his face as he walked. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master? Are you really going to just leave here?¡± ¡°It cannot be helped.¡± As he said, it was impossible for Nainiae to go back to the mansion right now and bring Ian. ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Nothing will get solved by us hesitating and standing around here. It would be better for us to move. As for Ian, we can contact the mansion during the dinner time.¡± Riley muttered as he looked around the area. He breathed out long. The frosted breath made it look as if he was smoking. Looking at the long, frosted breathing out, Riley seemed satisfied. He tightened the scarf on his neck a little. ¡°Anyway, this ce is pretty nice.¡± The ce they arrived through Nainiae¡¯s Teleportation magic was a wide-open field that was covered in snow. It was not snowing right now. However, perhaps because it was snowing until just now¡­ the field in front of Riley¡¯s eyes was white and soft snow field. ¡°Hwuaaaaaa¡­¡± Like Riley, Sera tried blowing out the frosted breath. Sera put on a bright look on her face after realizing the sceneryte. ¡°¡­ It is.¡± No matter where they looked, everywhere was white. Sera enjoyed the sound of the snow being crushed as she walked. She turned the bag on her back toward Nainiae and asked, ¡°Nainiae, can you please bring out the map from my bag?¡± ¡°A map?¡± ¡°Yes. It is probably already sticking out from the bag. It is rolled up.¡± Nainiae approached the bag and found the map that was sticking out like a tongue. She drew the map from the bag and opened it. ¡°Did you pull it out?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae answered as she opened the map. Sera turned around to look at the map together. ¡°Can you guess where we are?¡± Although they moved instantly using the Teleportation, Sera thought it would be best to confirm for sure about their current location, so she asked Nainiae. ¡°Um¡­¡± It seemed Riley was also curious about the current location. He stopped looking around for a moment and joined them. ¡°I think we are around here.¡± They were at quite a distance from the Iphalleta mansion and the Solia Castle. The area around where Nainiae pointed was surrounded by mountains. The area didn¡¯t have a name. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was looking at the part that Nainiae pointed with her finger. Before anyone realized, he was furrowing his brows. ¡®It was near?¡¯ He was not sure if this was just a coincidence, but Riley found words that read ¡®Duke Philisneon Manor¡¯ not far from where they were on the map. This was why. * * * Podududuk. Podududuk. Thanks to the magic that Nainiae used, they had been stepping on snow. Still, they were able to walk without slipping or falling. The group found a suitable ce to rest, so they started to unpack there. ¡°¡­ Is he nning on walking aimlessly and going back?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the Young Master.¡± Of the two maids who were getting the dinner ready, Sera opened her mouth first and asked. Nainiae flinched and said, ¡°¡­ I am not sure?¡± From what Sera just said, Nainiae noticed that Riley must have not told Sera the truth about the trip. Nainiae pretended to be busy and worked on the potato she was handling. ¡°Well, he is going through the puberty, so I can understand something like this.¡± ¡°Puberty?¡± This wasn¡¯t something like puberty. Nainiae thought about what happened duringst fall at the Lower Solia. Nainiae suddenly fell into deep thoughts. Meanwhile, Sera asked as if she was just muttering to herself. ¡°Now that I think about it, Nainiae, you are around the same age as our Young Master, right?¡± Having heard what Sera said, Nainiae looked at Riley who unpacked and just sat there with nk look on his face. Nainiae stopped her hands which were handling the potato. ¡°Lady Iris was worrying about him. She said he looked anxious somehow? That¡¯s why I came. I¡¯m sure you know too, but Mr. Ian is somehow¡­cking in sensitivities? You know?¡± ¡°Yes, well¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Um¡­ I really think wandering around aimlessly is a little¡­ Still, I think it would be good to move with a destination in mind. Ah! If we get the chance, I think it would be fine to stop by at the Duke Phillisneon¡¯s Manor. There happens to be an invitation too.¡± ¡°An invitation?¡± With the mention of the Duke¡¯s Manor, Nainiae asked what the invitation was about. Sera nodded and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s the end of the year banquet. Young Master Riley was invited to it, although I think he said he won¡¯t go in the end. I saw the map earlier, and it seemed pretty close? Ah, right. Without the invitation, being allowed in will be highly unlikely¡­ I guess it will be hard.¡± Slice¡­ Slice¡­ It was not certain what Nainiae was thinking. She was vacantly handling the potato, but she dropped the carving knife she held. ¡°¡­ Att!¡± ¡°Um? Ah ah, what are you doing!¡± Nainiae was thinking about the scene of Riley and Reutrina being on the prospective marriage meeting at the garden. While thinking about this, Nainiae cut her thumb. ¡°Are you all right? Did you cut deep?¡± ¡°Ah, Yes¡­ I¡¯m all right.¡± Putting up a look on her face as if she was fine, Nainiae put her thumb inside her mouth. Sera sighed in relief and asked, ¡°Ugh! What were you thinking about so vacantly?¡± ¡°I was just¡­¡± Nainiae was blurring the end of the sentence. Sera brought out the emergency herb from the bag that was full of stuff. She rubbed the herb and got the juice out of it. Sera snatched Nainiae¡¯s thumb. ¡°If Ms. Wi saw this, you would have been scolded by the bucket load, you know? You should be careful. Nainiae, your hand is quite pretty.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°Your hand. It is pretty.¡± Sera tightly held Nainiae¡¯s hand that was missing two fingers. Nainiae¡¯s thumb had a pretty deep cut. Sera applied the herb juice on it and continued, ¡°It will sting a little.¡± Unlike what Nainiae said earlier, the cut appeared to be deep. With concerned look on her face, Sera looked at Nainaie¡¯s face. Although this herb was definitely going to make the cut wound to sting, Nainiae¡¯s face lookedpletely fine. It was to the point of being weird. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes, a pain like this is¡­¡± Nainiae had endured significantly worse pain at the Magic Tower. When it came to a cut on her thumb, she couldn¡¯t even call it pain. It was more like tickling. However, for some reason¡­ Nainiae couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. Instead, she cringed. ¡°Excuse me, Ms. Sera.¡± With the herb juice applied, Sera carefully wrapped bandage on Nainiae¡¯s thumb. Sera looked at Nainiae¡¯s face and tilted her head to the side. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°My hand, is it really pretty?¡± When Nainiae was at the Magic Tower and being experimented on, in order to withstand the pain and hunger, she chewed off and swallowed her own fingers without realizing. This was why she didn¡¯t have two of her fingers. ¡°You know¡­ It is definitely hideous.¡± With her hand, she couldn¡¯t even wear the precious treasure that Riley gave her some time ago. Nainiae mumbled as she looked at her hand. ¡°You don¡¯t need to say nice things that you don¡¯t really mean. Please tell me honestly. My hand¡­ it is definitely hideous, right?¡± Sera¡¯s first aid was perfect. Nainiae looked at her thumb which was neatly wrapped in bandage. She picked up the carving knife she dropped to the floor and started to clean up the potato again. ¡°¡­¡± Sera watched Nainiae working on the potato again. She then grabbed her carving knife as well and said, ¡°I was being honest?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to use that hand, but you use it to swing sword, pour tea for the Young Master, doundry, and even now, like this¡­ you are cooking too?¡± Facing Nainiae who was vacantly staring back at herself, Sera greeted with bright smile as she continued, ¡°Nainiae, your hand is a pretty hand. If you get it injured more, it really will be ugly, so you shouldn¡¯t let it get any more scars, all right?¡± Nainiae watched Sera¡¯s smiley face. Nainiae¡¯s cheeks were red from the cold weather. Now, they were even more red. ¡°O¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In that case, would it be all right to use this hand to¡­ brush Young Master¡¯s hair?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± The question was so out of the blue. Sera showed a stunned response for a moment. She then snickered. Sera said, ¡°I am not sure? I don¡¯t know about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s response, the expression on Nainiae¡¯s face changed rapidly. ¡°Puuuhup.¡± As if Sera found it fun to watch, Sera snickered again. She looked at Riley, who was just sitting and enjoying the snow field view, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask Young Master yourself? No, instead of asking¡­ just do it.¡± ¡°Just do it? That would be a little¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s so bad about it? If you get scolded, then you¡¯ll get scolded¡­ If Mr. Ian heard about this, he might cause ruckus for a bit, but Mr. Ian is not here for the moment. As long as you mean well, I don¡¯t think Young Master would get angry?¡± Riley had his chin resting on his hand. He was enjoying the snow field view. Now, his eyelids were flickering, and his head was knocking. Perhaps he was tired. He appeared to be sleepy. Sera pushed Nainiae¡¯s back hard and pointed with her chin as if she was trying to tell Nainiae to go for it. ¡°We readied the vegetables. We just need to boil them, so¡­ You can leave the rest to me. Please get going.¡± Despite Sera¡¯s suggestion, Nainiae still was not able to put down the carving knife. Sera tapped on Nainiae¡¯s back hard once again. Unable to say no, Nainiae finallyid down the knife and started to walk. ¡°¡­ Excuse me. Young Master.¡± What Sera did was cheering for Nainiae in a way that was not really cheering. Because of what Sera did, Nainiae ended up walking to front of Riley. She carefully looked at Riley¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was staring at the snow field with a nk look on his face. There was a dark shadow casted on his face. Although this winter trip was to fix Nainiae¡¯s illness, this was a trip still. Riley should be enjoying the trip, but his face had a shadow casted on. Having realized this, Nainiae felt frustrated inside. ¡°Young Master?¡± Could it be that her voice was too small to be heard? Nainiae looked at Riley with concerned face. She raised her voice and called him again. ¡°Um? Ah ah. Nainiae.¡± It seemed her voice finally reached him. Riley turned his head and looked at Nainiae. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked, ¡°Is the food ready?¡± ¡°No, not yet¡­ The stew is being prepared. I think it will take a bit to boil it.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± As if she was hurting inside, she lightly crumpled her face. It was because of what she noticed under Riley¡¯s eyes. They were something others would not have noticed without taking a closer look. It was a minor part that only Nainiae would have been able to notice. They were pretty dark and deep. ¡°Young Master, are you all right?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It seems you have not had good night sleep in the past few days. Your face does not look so¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Nainiae looked concerned as she asked. Riley acted like there was nothing wrong and said, ¡°No. Nothing in particr¡­ You saw me yawn all the time, haven¡¯t you? Why are you asking me that all of the sudden?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°In that case, now that you brought it up, should I get some shut eyes for a bit? You said the stew will take a while, right? Can you bring yourp down here?¡± Having heard what Riley said, she sat to turn herp into a pillow for Riley. Riley leaned his head on Nainiae¡¯sp and closed his eyes, and Nainiae stared at him. ¡°Young Master.¡± With his eyes closed, he was breathing like a sleeping baby. Having noticed him being like that, Nainiae called him in quiet voice. ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. If anyone else saw him, they would have thought that Riley was asleep. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ sleep?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer this time either. It looked like he was sleeping. Nainiae bit her lower lips. ¡°You can¡¯t¡­ No, you are not sleeping.¡± Riley, who had his eyes gently closed, twitched his eyebrows once. It was as Nainiae said. Riley was trying not to sleep. It was to the point where he could not remember how long he had been doing this. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Don¡¯t bother me.¡± Riley answered. Of course, he had no intention of actually going to sleep. He was nning on just closing his eyes and killing time before opening his eyes and saying ¡®Ah, I slept well!¡¯ ¡°Young Master, I¡­¡± Nainiae looked at Riley sympathetically. It was at the moment when she was going to continue her words as she fiddled with her right hand. ¡°¡­?¡± Uurururung! They could hear the sound of beastly roar from nearby. Chapter 137 - Winter Trip (3)

Chapter 137: Winter Trip (3)

¡®This sound?¡¯ Riley, who had his eyes closed, perked up his ears because of the sound. To detect the ones responsible for the roar, Riley widened his senses. The sound wasing from the left side of the group. Fortunately, it didn¡¯t look like there were many of them. ¡®About two?¡¯ Urururung¡­ The roar could be heard again. ¡°This¡­ This sound is¡­ It can¡¯t be?¡± Sera had been preparing the stew after getting the vegetables prepared. Having heard the beastly roaring from the bushes on the left, Sera flinched her shoulders. ¡°Could they be¡­ wolves?¡± It seemed Nainiae also noticed the sounds. She mumbled in low voice and steadily gazed toward the bush. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae. I think there must be wolves? This smell is definitely¡­¡± It seemed she was right. After a few crackling soundsing from beyond the bush, they noticed sharp eyes unique to the wolves. ¡°Hiiiik?!¡± Sera turned pale after finding the wolves¡¯ eyes. Riley, who was pretending to be asleep with his eyes closed, narrowly opened them and got up from Nainiae¡¯sp. ¡°Do wolves here not have any sense of fear?¡± Riley¡¯s eyes, which were drenched in exhaustion, started to re at the wolves beyond the bushes. ¡®I need to kill them.¡¯ The wolves growled toward them again. Facing the wolves, Riley also started to grind his teeth. He got annoyed about the fact that his rest was interrupted. Also, he thought an incident like this will repeat againter if he didn¡¯t kill them. ¡®If I kill them¡­¡¯ Riley had memories of a time when sparing the lives of things snarling with bare fangs lead to bloodshed. To not repeat the mistake he made in his past life, he was about to move his hand toward his waist. However, his wrist was tightly grabbed by someone. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The hand was a horrid looking hand that was missing two fingers. It was Nainiae¡¯s hand. Although it looked horrible, the hand holding his wrist felt warm. Perhaps that was the reason? Riley¡¯s eyes shook for a moment. ¡°There is no need to kill them.¡± Nainiae stared at Riley and said that. Riley fiddled with the fingers that were headed to his waist. ¡°If I don¡¯t kill them, these bastards wille again¡­¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± Nainiae called Riley again. ¡°These children are not humans.¡± Unlike Riley, who thought the wolves growling at them from beyond the bushes should be killed, Nainiae was saying¡­ he should let them live. ¡°If I tell them in words, they will definitely understand.¡± She said to talk to them in words. Finding it to be ridiculous, Riley opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± Riley wondered if she knew humans and wolves backwards. It was such an absurd response. ¡°You seem to be¡­¡± As if he was trying to tell Nainiae to cut the nonsense, he shook off Nainiae¡¯s hand and tried to draw his sword. Nainiae got up from her seat. ¡°Young Master.¡± She called Riley again. ¡°Drawing sword every time incidents like this happens and causing bloodshed¡­ That is¡­ That¡¯s not what you want, right?¡± Having heard Nainiae, Riley¡¯s eyes shook big again. It was because he couldn¡¯t find an answer for that question right away. To avoid annoying businesses, the kind he experienced in his past, to pre-emptively extinguish things that could lead to problemster, Riley had been swinging his sword without hesitation. This was a path that was clearly different from his past. ¡°Please sit and rest.¡± Nainiae raised her right hand on Riley¡¯s shoulder and pressed down lightly to get Riley to sit down. She then walked toward the bush where the growling sounds could be heard. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae!¡± Sera turned pale because of unexpected appearance of wolves. She held thedle, which was on the pot, on her hand like a sword in tears. ¡°H¡­ Hurry! Chase them away!¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s frightened voice, Nainiae turned her head to nce at Sera. Nainiae smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± It seemed she was feeling ufortable having Riley and Sera¡¯s gazes being aimed at her back. Nainiae broke cold sweat. She walked to right in front of the bushes and got on her knees. ¡®Is there just two?¡¯ Nainiae sat on the ground and leveled her eyes with two wolves. As if she felt something was up, she furrowed her brows. ¡®This is?¡¯ She found something she couldn¡¯t see when the wolves were hiding in the bushes. There were ck stains on their fur. Weary of Nainiae, the wolvespletely crumpled their mouths and were growling at her. They had a lot of ck stains on their fur. ¡°Quiet. I am not trying to hurt you.¡± Nainiae brought her index finger to her lips and said to the wolves. As if they were actuallymunicating, the wolves rxed their faces a little and started to reduce growling sounds. ¡®They are talking¡­ to each other?¡¯ Riley, who was watching this from the back, narrowed his eyes as if he was unable toprehend the situation. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over here.¡± Nainiae extended her hand. Two wolves, who were steadily looking at her eyes, very carefully walked to the front and started to rub their mouths on the top of her hand. ¡°How did you do that?¡± Riley asked. Nainiae, who was gently brushing the wolves, turned toward Riley and said, ¡°My teacher¡¯s cave is full of spirit animals who protect the ce. I learned how to talk to animals from them.¡± Riley thought Nainiae simply overwhelmed the wolves with her power or intensity. Having heard her answer, Riley realized he made the wrong guess. He clicked his tongue. ¡°Young Master¡­ For a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± As if she was trying to tell Riley toe over, Nainiae made hand gestures with a serious look on her face. Riley tilted his head to the side and walked over to her. ¡°¡­ This is?¡± Riley looked at the wolves while standing behind Nainiae, and he also furrowed his brows just like Nainiae had earlier. It was because of the ck stains. The stains were tangled up on their fur like mud. The pitch-ck stains were twitching irregrly as if they were alive. ¡°This stain¡­ It is the same as the phenomenon I observed at the desert area near by the Solia Castle.¡± ¡°Desert?¡± ¡°Young Master, by any chance¡­ have you seen it before?¡± Riley nodded. During the sessorshippetition, Riley saw traces of stains simr to this at a cave near the Alieve vige. It was highly acidic, made boiling sound, and smelled so horrible that even Riley had to snap close his nose¡­ The stench was at epidemic level. ¡®Let¡¯s see.¡¯ Riley brought his nose close to the stains on the wolves and checked the smells. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It reeked. It was puke inducingly horrible. The stench was definitely the same as the one he smelled at the cave near the Alieve vige. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯ve seen this before.¡± It seemed it had been a long time since the stain got on the wolves. Compared to what Riley saw before, the stains were weakened. However, the stench was most certainly the same one. ¡°This stain¡­ If it is what I think it is¡­ It must be left by the two people that my teacher and Lady Isilteru are pursuing.¡± ¡°People they are pursuing?¡± ¡°They are people who are simr to Rebethra or dark mages who can raise the dead.¡± Using the wind magic, Nainiae carefully cut away the dark stains clumped on the wolves¡¯ fur. She cringed as she dropped the stains to the ground. Bubble bubble¡­ The ck stains were getting absorbed into the ground while exuding horrible stench. This was why. ¡°The mercenary named Kabal, the one who took away our Count¡¯s arm, is suspected to had been at that desert.¡± Nainiae brought up the name as she watched the ground and grass dying. ¡°Kabal?¡± She carefully eliminated the stain on the other wolf. Having heard Riley¡¯s question, she described the scenery she saw at the desert. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I said they are simr kind of people.¡± She described that the sands on the desert were all soaked in ck stains, the oasis had gone dry, and there are several craters as if several tens of explosion magic spells were cast there. On top of that, she also said the locations of the hills were changed in disarray. ¡°As you suspected, they are people who can use special abilities other than magic, and they are doing it without mana.¡± Riley thought about the dark mage who raised the dead. His thoughts naturally got to Rebethra and the voice that came from beyond the dimensional portal. Riley started to grind his teeth. ¡°A¡­ anyway¡­ These two children¡­ it will be all right if I took them in, right?¡± Nainiae realized Riley¡¯s face was starting to crumple. To change the subject, she proposed taking in the wolves. Riley rxed his face and started to scratch his head. ¡°Won¡¯t it be fine to just let them go?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae shook her head and said, ¡°Young Master, I didn¡¯t make this choice just to save them.¡± Nainiae stopped Riley when he was trying to draw his sword. She then walked toward the wolves that were snarling and extended her hand toward them. She did it all, but it wasn¡¯t exactly because she valued the wolves¡¯ lives. ¡°It¡¯s for you, Young Master.¡± ¡°For me?¡± Nainiae answered as she brushed the wolves. Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°I read on a book while I was at the Rainfield. It said wolves are pretty useful on snowfield.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, I thought they might be helpful to your travel. Instead of killing them¡­ doing this is far better, right?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s answer, Riley rubbed his face with his right hand and sighed. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± It was because he realized that he was mentally exhausted. He realized it with certainty at this very moment. ¡®If it was me from before¡­¡¯ Riley felt that the choice that Nainiae rmended was more like him than the idea of just killing the wolves without thinking. Riley used to be able toe up with such ideas with ease before. Now, he was not able totely, and this was the reason why Riley sighed just now. ¡°Do as you wish.¡± Riley answered as if he was muttering. Nainiae slowly nodded. ¡°E¡­ excuse me¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley and Nainiae turned their heads toward the direction of the cautious voice. There was Sera hiding herself behind the pot and holding thedle tightly. With her face full of tears, she was looking at the two. ¡°Can we just send them away?¡± * * * It was nightfall in the forest. They took care of dinner with the stew. Of the people next to the bonfire, there were just two who were awake. ¡°Come on, Nainiae. You said you will give Young Master thep pillow so he could sleep soundly. How could you fall asleep instead?¡± The ones awake were Sera and Riley. In particr, Sera was looking frustrated as she watched Nainiae sleeping while leaning on Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°You are not angry about the wolves, right?¡± ¡°I am not, you know?¡± Near Nainiae¡¯sp, two wolves rolled themselves up and were sleeping. Sera was watching them, and the wolves¡¯ tails rose up all of sudden. Sera flinched her shoulders. ¡°I¡­ I really am not, you see?¡± ¡®Sera¡¯s sense of smell is like wolves¡­ No, her sense of smell might be better than wolves, yet she is the one who is afraid of wolves?¡¯ Riley learned something fun. He peeked a smile. Meanwhile, Sera pouted and started toin. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Actually, I am a little afraid of dogs.¡± Sera hugged her knees and brought it up. Riley jokingly mumbled, ¡°These are not dogs, you know?¡± ¡°A¡­ anyway, they look simr!¡± Sera shouted all of sudden. One of the wolves got up and blinked its eyes, and Sera stopped acting up. Instead, she started to hold her breath. ¡°¡­¡± The awakened wolf stared at Sera and then rolled its body back up. It went back to sleep. ¡°¡­ Puuuuaaaaa!¡± Sera coughed out the breath that she was holding. In tears, she continued what she mentioned earlier. ¡°When I was young, I was bitten by a dog. The memory is still there as a trauma, so¡­¡± Riley thought about how Sera was shaking while holding adle. Riley nodded as if he understood. ¡°I think I can understand that.¡± ¡°Young Master, do you not have any?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Things like trauma.¡± In light of Sera¡¯s question, Riley vacantly stared at the bonfire. Tadak. Tadak. He merely tuned in to the sound of the woods burning. In the end, Riley didn¡¯t answer her question. Chapter 138 - Winter Trip (4)

Chapter 138: Winter Trip (4)

¡°Um¡­ I guess you wouldn¡¯t have any.¡± Still hugging her knees, Sera vacantly stared at Riley¡¯s face from the side while he did not answer. ¡°I have them.¡± Sera steadily gazed at the bonfire and mumbled. ¡°I have quite a few of them.¡± Tadak! The piled-up firewood fell to the side of the fire and flew up sparks. ¡°Not just about dogs, but many other things. So, I always try to be careful, but¡­ when ites to dogs, I am still not very good at it.¡± While listening to Sera, Riley thought about her cold eyes toward the pickpockets that came at them when they were at Soliast spring. ¡°Is Lower Solia one of them?¡± Riley agonized over it for a while, thinking it might be a question that didn¡¯t need to be asked. Unable to stand the curiosity, he asked anyway. Sera had a bitter smile on her face. She picked up a wood stickying around her. ¡°Yes.¡± She used it to poke and move around the firewood inside the bonfire which were burnedpletely. She nodded and asked, ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°Notpletely. Duringst spring, at Solia¡­ I saw your eyes turning scary cold. So, I thought it might be rted.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Sera smiled awkwardly and turned back to bitter smile. ¡°You saw that.¡± Tadak. Tadak. It seemed the smell of firewood was bothering Sera. She touched her nose as she said, ¡°My nose¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°The reason why my sense of smell is a little better than others¡­ Have I told you before?¡± Riley¡¯s ability to recall things had deteriorated severelytely. He shook his head as if he was not sure. Sera said, ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to tell you this because it was from a long time ago. I used to live at the Lower Solia for a time. I am not sure how long I was there, so I am not sure if I should call that ce my second home. Still, it was for quite a long time.¡± Riley thought Sera came from the Left Solia. With a surprised look on his face, Riley looked at Sera¡¯s face. ¡°For a time? You mean?¡± ¡°When I was a kid. When a was very little¡­ It¡¯s a memory I do not wish to remember. I am not sure how old I was, but I think I was around 10 years old.¡± She said she lost her parents through an ident. She poked at the bonfire with the stick and continued. ¡°Struggling here and there, begging to people here and there¡­ At the Lower Solia, calling it desperate would not be enough. I lived with grit, clinging to life like that.¡± Sera brought up absolutely horrifying things that were difficult to mention. She nced at Riley who was keeping silent as she continued. ¡°Anyway, my nose became good while living there. It¡¯s because one cannot survive there without good sense of smell. Others who didn¡¯t develop their sense of smell were eaten by other people or survived by using their sense of hearing.¡± She then continued the stories about the Lower Solia. When the stick she held broke, she added that her sense of smell was not the only thing she got from there. ¡°When a man¡¯s hand ising toward me, the sound of steps on a puddle, echo at a dark, wet ce, sealed off ces¡­ Although there are a few other things.¡± Folding her fingers, she told Riley about her traumas. Sera eventually buried her face on top of her knees. ¡°Well, I know you are not going to change your attitude just because I told you these things, but¡­ Now I¡¯m embarrassed to having told you these things. I feel like I¡¯m bing sentimental.¡± Riley looked at Sera with respect. He was being honest. Riley always thought it was impossible to tell one¡¯s own trauma to people who were close. ¡°Hey, Sera.¡± Riley called Sera in serious tone. Sera lightly lifted her face from her knees and looked at Riley. ¡°Sera, by any chance¡­ did you ovee those traumas?¡± His voice sounded more serious than ever. Sera ced her forehead at her knees and shook her head. ¡°No.¡± Her answer was, ¡®I did not ovee them.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You saw earlier, right? The dogs earlier¡­ I mean the wolves. I was shaking just from looking.¡± There was not even an ounce of confidence in her voice. Riley also had a bitter look on his face. ¡°Is that so?¡± Could it be that Sera realized his bitter voice? Sera looked at Riley again and said, ¡°¡­ Still.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m living well.¡± Riley vacantly looked at her. ¡°Everyone has weaknesses, right? The Six Circles mage sleeping next you¡­ no¡­ is her Circles higher now? Anyway, our grand mage girl has several weaknesses, you know?¡± Sera proudly looked at Nainiae¡¯s face which still had scars. Sera directed her gaze back to Riley and said, ¡°Young Master, although you said you don¡¯t have any¡­ Honestly, when carefully looked at¡­ Oddly enough, you have many weaknesses?¡± Riley furrowed his eyebrows, wondering if he was found out. Sera snickered and started to talk about Riley¡¯s weaknesses she thought about. ¡°You hate bothersome things. You take naps a lot. You will do anything when ites to Lady Iris. You cannot say no to Mr. Ian when he pesters you¡­ Ah, perhaps these are not weaknesses. Maybe they are your good points?¡± ¡°Sera¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they are bad. Living with weaknesses. The thing is¡­¡± The bonfire was growing weaker. Sera carefully lifted a firewood and ced it inside the fire as she spoke. It was as if the bonfire cried for help toward Sera and she helped out in response. ¡°It¡¯s not bad because I can ask for help?¡± Sera smiled lightly. ¡°A person without any weakness won¡¯t be able to get help from others easily even if the person extended the hand and reached for help. However¡­ a person with weakness can get help. That¡¯s why.¡± She shuffled the firewood and grew the fire. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll handle the fire, so please get some sleep.¡± * * * Next day morning¡­ The wolves they met yesterday woke up first, and Nainiae got up next. ¡°I¡­ I am sorry. I am so ashamed. To think I would fall asleep first¡­¡± Nainiae continued to apologize through the breakfast and until they started to be on their way again. ¡°I got it. I got it. Please, it is all right to stop apologizing now. I figured you must¡¯ve gotten tired from using that¡­ Teleport? Magic.¡± Sera smiled as if she thought Nainiae could not be helped. She exined to Nainiae that she didn¡¯t need to apologize anymore and calmed her down. Nainiae sighed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°If you are that sorry, please tell the wolves this for me. Please tell them to don¡¯te close to me.¡± ¡°Um? You don¡¯t need to worry so much¡­ Ah¡­ If it is all right with you, would you like to try bing close with them? They won¡¯t bite even if you pat them!¡± ¡°Huuuiik?!¡± Sera became pale and walked back. Riley, who was watching this from the back, pulled Nainiae¡¯s ear. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Thinking she was saved by Riley, Sera sighed in relief. Nainiae realized her mistake and made amends. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll definitely tell them.¡± Riley scolded Nainiae several times, and Nainiae tumbled. She withdrew the wolves that were trying to get close to Sera. ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­¡± It seemed she was feeling very guilty about falling asleep firstst night. Nainiae looked gloomy again, and Sera noticed this. Still, it seemed befriending wolves was going to be difficult for Sera. She lightly moved away and put distance between her and the wolves. ¡°By the way, these wolves had those ck stains on them, right?¡± Sera was blushing and widening the distance with the wolves, and Riley smiled in secret as he watched. Nainiae was having a conversation with the wolves, and Riley asked her about the stains. ¡°Where did they say they came from?¡± As if she understood the request, Nainiae, who was watching the wolves that put distance from Sera, carefully said, ¡°Ah, about that¡­ They are from pretty far.¡± ¡°Both of them?¡± ¡°Yes. They are from at least two mountains away from here. Unfortunately¡­ it seems their kinds all died from the epidemic¡±. ¡°They are only survivors?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae added that not just the wolves, but the forest that they used to live also rotted and died. She carefully asked, ¡°Are you¡­ going to that direction?¡± Having heard the question, Riley diligently rolled his brain. Riley looked toward the direction beyond the mountain where the wolves said they used to live. Riley asked Nainiae, ¡°What about the direction that Heliona said?¡± ¡°It¡¯s different. If the wolves¡¯ former habitat is beyond that mountain, the ce I¡¯m supposed to go to is straight this way.¡± ¡°Make a left turn or go straight¡­ So that¡¯s the question.¡± Riley nodded after hearing the exnation. It seemed he was deep in thoughts for a moment. He looked to the front and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go forward.¡± Forward¡­ It meant Riley was saying they should handle Nainiae¡¯s matter first. Nainiae didn¡¯t ask why. She just nodded. ¡°¡­ Excuse me, both of you? What are you talking about in secret? Can you let me in on it too?¡± Sera was weary of the wolves on the front, but she felt excluded as she watched Riley and Nainiae whispering to each other. She asked, hoping to know what they were talking about. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. We were just talking about which direction to go.¡± ¡°Ah ah.¡± ¡°Yes. We decided to go straight.¡± Nainiae raised her palm to the front and created fire. ¡°Ms. Heliona.¡± Sera didn¡¯t understand why Nainiae suddenly put forth her palm. When the me on her palm spoke, Sera flinched her shoulders. ¡®W¡­ What is this now?!¡¯ * * * ¡°Uuuu¡­¡­ That arrogant little bastard¡­ that arrogant little bastard¡­¡± Kabal the mercenary was a mess. His hammer had turnedpletely ck, and over half of it melted away. He tossed it without care and spat out phlegm. ¡°How could a little bastard like him be the Left Leg. I really cannot understand why. Chopping his head off after killing him won¡¯t be enough to quench my anger.¡± Kabal confirmed that the phlegm that he spat to the ground was pitch ck. As if he was disgusted, he stepped hard on it with his left foot andined. ¡°God damn it. If it wasn¡¯t for that blind b*tch meddling on it!¡± Wheeeec. Wheeeeec. From left and right, snow wind was blowing. Sitting there, Kabal let out his frustration. From his back, sparks started to fly along with ¡®zizizizik¡¯ sound. ¡°Um?¡± Kabal casually turned his head back to look. Wondering what that was about, he red at the area. <¡­ Heed my words, Right Leg.> Ominous voice could be heard from the ce where sparks flied. Kabal, who was sitting at a boulder, quickly got up and lowered his head toward the direction of the voice. ¡°Right Leg is listening to your voice.¡± Kabal called himself the Right Leg. Kabal¡¯s body was shaking before he noticed. Some may have assumed he was shivering from cold. He was at top of a snow-covered mountain after all. However¡­ He wasn¡¯t shaking from cold. It was the voice. ¡°¡­?!¡± Having heard the words, Kabal, who had his head down, opened his eyes big. ¡®Hurial died? That is not possible? Rebethra would have retrieved that guy¡¯s corpse?¡¯ The voice continued. Kabal lifted his head and looked toward the ce where the voice wasing from. Zizizizik! From the space where lightning was pouring out, something that looked like a hole appeared. From the hole, an orb, size of someone¡¯s fist, suddenly popped out and dropped to the snowfield. ¡®This is!¡¯ It was ck. Inside, there were purple gas like thing swarming around. Looking at the orb, Kabal¡¯s eyes became red. ¡®Really¡­ Hurial¡­ That bastard is?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Kabal had his two hands on the snow field. Having heard the words, he tightened his fists. The words meant that¡­ Not only Hurial, hisrade, but Rebethra was also attacked. ¡®Who¡­¡¯ Soon, the sparking sound started to subside. The hole disappeared, and the frightening voice could no longer be heard either. Kabal lifted his head. ¡°Who! I¡¯ll tear you apart to pieces!¡± Kabal opened his eyes big. The gleam on his eyes had purple light lingering there. The light was as frightening as the voice earlier. Chapter 139 - Winter Trip (5)

Chapter 139: Winter Trip (5)

¡°¡­ What did you say?!¡± Because of snow storm that started in middle of their path, Riley and others decided to rest for a bit at a cave nearby. One of them screamed. ¡°J¡­ Just now¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°Ms. Sera, please calm down.¡± ¡°Do you think I can calm down?!¡± While resting, they decided to prepare lunch too, so they were at it. However, it looked like something was up between the two. Riley, who was looking outside the cave, scratched the back of his head. He looked like he was not sure about what to do. ¡°Y¡­ You are not yet cured of your illness? You are notpletely well? I thought you came back after being healedpletely!¡± It seemed Sera was very shocked by what Nainiae just told her. Sera strained her eyes in concern and looked at Nainiae. Facing Sera, Nainiae had apologetic look on her face. Before Sera worried more, Nainiae said she won¡¯t be dying at least. ¡°I¡¯m on this trip so I can be healed.¡± ¡°Young Master! Did you know about this all along?¡± It seemed Sera was feeling she was tricked. She quickly turned her head and started to stare at Riley. Riley avoided her gaze and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°So, this trip is also for that?¡± Sera asked in disbelief, and Nainiae nodded. ¡°It¡¯s because of me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t even know this and¡­¡± There was a me that was flying around the area. To be precise, the me was Heliona, the summon spirit. Sera looked at Heliona and put up dumbfounded look on her face. She then turned her face red as if she was mad as she red at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae! Nainiae, you really¡­!¡± Sera was half shocked and half upset. With those feelings in her heart, Sera red at Nainiae. Sera tightly grabbed on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and started to talk as if she was disappointed. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything to me?¡± ¡°I was concerned you might worry like this.¡± It seemed Nainiae was sorry. She was unable to look at her in the eyes. Nainiae merely fiddled with her fingers. Watching this made Sera even more angry. Sera shook Nainiae¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Still!¡± ¡°Actually, we were never going to tell you, but¡­ since you ended up going with us on the trip, Young Master said it would better to tell you, so¡­¡± ¡°Young Master did?¡± Sera was yelling at Nainiae while holding her on the shoulder. Sera casually turned her head and looked at Riley who was sitting near the cave¡¯s entrance. Shrug¡­ Riley¡¯s eyes met with Sera¡¯s, and he shrugged. ¡°¡­ Ugh!¡± It seemed seeing Riley shrug made Sera feel a little better. She sighed big time and looked at Nainiae again. ¡°All right. At least you told me now. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nainiae, with sincere look on her face, apologized. Sera ced her hands to rest on her waist and said, ¡°I knew something was up. It was not like our Young Master to say he wants to go on a trip during the winter. I thought it was so out of the blue that I wondered if the sun was going to rise from the west the next morning¡­¡± ¡°Ah, hahaha.¡± ¡°In that case, I guess Lady Iris was wrong about her worries. That¡¯s unusual also¡­¡± ¡°Lady Iris?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ Actually, I was added to this trip because she was worried about our Young Master. She asked me to go with you.¡± Sera didn¡¯t cause ruckus for long. She went back to preparing the lunch again. She watched Riley who was sitting at the cave entrance and slowly blinking his eyes. ¡°Well, looks like maybe Lady Iris was just overly concerned.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Listening to Sera mumbling, Nainiae steadily watched Riley as she thought that Iris¡¯ worries were not baseless. Anxious, Nainiae bit her lower lips. ¡®The trip¡­¡¯ While Nainiae was deep in her distracted thoughts, Sera wiped off her hands with the apron. It seemed she was done with preparing the lunch. She went to Riley. ¡°¡­ Young Master? Young Master!¡± Riley was blinking his eyes as he watched the snow storm outside. He was about to doze off, but because someone shook his shoulder, he opened his eyes big and turned to look who it was. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°H¡­ Here is your meal.¡± Somehow, Riley appeared to be on the edge. Sera shriveled as she gave him lunch. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s almost 1 pm. You were awake only a moment ago. Did I wake you up at the wrong time? Would you like to go back to sleep?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ It¡¯s fine.¡± Last night, although he left Sera to be on guard through the night, Riley merely had his eyes closed without actually falling asleep. He was awake through the entire night until the morning. Riley rubbed his sleepy eyes and got up. ¡°It smells great.¡± It seemed they made a different course from the stew yesterday. The delicious smell made Riley smile. He walked to the inside. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°A¡­ Are you all right? You look very tired.¡± Now, not just Nainiae, but even Sera could notice the tired look on Riley¡¯s face. It looked that bad. It had not been long since they started the travel, yet he was already like this. Let alone handling the rest of the trip, it looked like Riley should be concerned about how he would look when he contacts the mansion through the mirror. ¡°It¡¯s nothing! It¡¯s not like they have seen me looking sleepy only a few times, right? If you are that concerned¡­ I¡¯ll get some shut eyes after eating.¡± Riley¡¯s hand was shaking due tock of sleep. He forced himself to have his hand calm down and lifted the spoon. Having seen this, Nainiae bit her lips as if she was worried. ¡®If I used sleep spell on Young Master¡­ No, that¡¯s no good. Young Master will be angry with me if I did.¡¯ In the past few days, or perhaps weeks, Riley was not getting sleep. Having noticed this, Nainiae tightly grabbed on to her skirt. It seemed she looked upset. ¡®What should I do? Is there anything I can do¡­ Is there nothing?¡¯ Nainiae mumbled inside. As if she read Nainiae¡¯s mind, a me bloomed on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder. It was Heliona. ¡°Yes. A little¡­ No. I am very worried.¡± ¡°Uuu¡­¡± Because of what Heliona just pointed out, Nainiae rubbed her face and corrected her expression. Wondering if Heliona had any suggestions, Nainiae looked at the summon spirit. Having mentioned even Andal, her master, Heliona stared at Riley, the human who was fighting off sleep, as if she was disgusted by him. Instead of chewing on food, Riley was eating as if he was biting off a piece of rag. Heliona fiddled with her chin and turned again toward Nainiae who looked very anxious. Heliona asked, ¡°That is¡­ I do have one reason I can think of, but it is not something I can tell you without his permission, so¡­¡± Wondering if there was any great idea, Heliona leaned on Nainiae¡¯s cheek and thought hard about it together. Heliona mumbled, * * * It seemed the snow storm outside was pretty strong. Although it had been a while, the storm was not showing any sign of winding down. Riley made a suggestion to Nainiae, ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s keep going.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Wheeeeec. Having heard the sound of the wind outside the cave, Sera didn¡¯t know what to do. She asked with concerned look on her face. ¡°It cannot be helped. We don¡¯t even know how much further we have to go either, so¡­¡± Riley got up from his seat and mumbled. Nainiae, who was rolling her thumb around, had simr look on her face. Nainiae said, ¡°Young Master, even so¡­ don¡¯t you think it might be a little dangerous? In a snow storm like this, we could get separated from each other too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why we took in two wolves. If not¡­ you can use magic too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s get going. My body aches because I had been trying to sit still.¡± Having heard Riley, Nainiae and Sera both nced at each other. ¡®Of all people, Young Master just said that?¡¯ This was quite the contrary to what Riley was doing earlier. Earlier, Riley was dozing off, blinking his eyes with nk look on his face as if he was mesmerized by something. ¡®I need to move.¡¯ If this was any other day, Riley would have spent the time away taking day time naps while lying down. Now, he was saying his body was aching to move. He didn¡¯t really mean that. He was trying to keep his eyes wide open by forcing himself to move continuously. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get going first. Follow me.¡± ¡°Young Master!¡± Riley got outside into the snow storm. Sera, who extended her arm toward Riley, turned to look at Nainiae, not knowing what to do. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae¡­ shouldn¡¯t you stop him?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae spared the response. Contrary to what Sera was hoping for, she straightened her knees and got up. ¡°Now, we should head out too.¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± ¡°It will be all right.¡± Unable toprehend Nainiae, Sera was about to have an argument with Nainiae about this. However, Sera noticed the determined look on Nainiae¡¯s face. Sera rxed her crumpled eyebrows. ¡°Ugh.¡± It seemed Sera trusted Nainiae. Sera followed suit and got up. She also got out of the cave, in to the snow storm. ¡®Uuuu¡­ the snow storm is¡­¡¯ Sera faltered because of the harsh wind. The snow storm was so severe that she couldn¡¯t see what was right in front of her. She started to look for Riley who went out into the open first. ¡°Young Master!¡± Sera covered her face with her arm and called Riley. She realized the intensity of the snow storm that was harassing her had subsided substantially. Sera opened her eyes big. ¡°Ms. Sera, are you all right?¡± It seemed Nainiae used magic. Unlike how the scenery looked, something was resisting the snow and wind. It suddenly became easier to move. Sera lowered the arm she used to cover her face and called for Riley again. ¡°Young Master!¡± Unlike them, Riley was walking through the snow without Nainiae¡¯s magic. Having noticed Riley, Sera quickly followed him. ¡°Young Master, please wait! I¡¯ll cast resist magic for you!¡± Nainiae operated mana inside her body and extended her hand toward Riley. ¡°Resist magic?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Having heard what Nainiae just said, Riley turned. As if he understood it, he made an okay sign with his right hand. ¡®¡­ Ms. Heliona, help me.¡¯ Having noticed Riley¡¯s hand, Nainiae nodded lightly and looked at her own shoulder. Despite the snow storm, the summon spirit of me was burning up in full force. The spirit locked her eyes with Nainiae and nodded. ¡®All right.¡¯ With her hand to the front, Nainiae prepared magic and casted not the resist magic but sleep magic. ¡®Please.¡¯ Although she said it was resist magic, she cast sleep magic instead. She felt guilty inside, but hide her emotion and hoped she would not be found out. ¡®Please, he must not notice this.¡¯ Nainiae thought Riley would withstand the spell if she just cast the sleep spell, so she chose this method. Heliona was helping Nainiae to use the magic. Heliona mumbled as she broke cold sweat. ¡®If I get scolded for this, that¡¯s that¡­ I can¡¯t just sit and watch this anymore.¡¯ Nainaie apologized inside. She gathered up all of her mana, even ones she didn¡¯t know she had, and used them all to cast the sleep spell on Riley. ¡°You don¡¯t need to cast something like this for¡­¡± Riley was standing there and looking back toward where Nainiae was. His eyes slowly closed. At the same time, his body also slowly tilted. ¡°¡­ me.¡± Because Nainiae said it was resist magic, Riley let his guard down. Also, it seemed the exhaustion from days worth ofck of sleep came rushing at him at once. Riley copsed to the front as he fell asleep. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master?!¡± Sera didn¡¯t know what was really happening. She saw Riley suddenly losing consciousness and copsing. She tumbled and rushed toward Riley. ¡°Young Master!¡± Fortunately, he fell to the snowfield, so he didn¡¯t fall hard. The problem was that it looked like he just fainted. ¡°Nainiae! Young Master has¡­ Huh?¡± Sera turned to look at Nainiae who cast magic on Riley. Sera had a question mark on her face. Only a moment ago, Nainiae was behind Sera. Now, she was gone without a trace. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± Only a moment ago, Nainiae was behind Sera, but now she could hear Nainiae¡¯s voice from the front. Sera blinked her eyes vacantly and turned to look at where Riley was. Nainiae was there. It seemed she used a short-range teleportation magic. Nainiae instantly appeared in front of Riley. She supported Riley who was a sleep. It looked like Nainiae could cry. ¡°I am sorry. I¡¯ll receive the punishmentter.¡± ¡°Ugh, I thought you disappeared.¡± Sera was worried how they were going to move if Nainiae was gone. She sighed in relief and came next to them. ¡°How¡¯s Young Master?¡± ¡°He fell asleep. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Did you do it?¡± Nainiae nodded. ¡°Yes. I¡­ did it.¡± Nainiae held Riley a little tighter in her arms. She bit her lips and said, ¡°In the past few days¡­ no¡­ few weeks, he didn¡¯t get proper sleep. I was concerned about his wellbeing, so¡­¡± ¡°Few weeks? I definitely saw him sleeping during the morning?¡± ¡°He probably just had his eyes closed.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°For now, let¡¯s go back to the cave.¡± Nainiae looked at Riley sleeping. This time, she used a more powerful resist magic. Chapter 140 - Guests without Invitations

Chapter 140: Guests without Invitations

It¡¯s been about a week since Riley fell asleep by Nainiae¡¯s spell. Sera¡¯s bag, which was once full of food ingredients and expendable items, was gradually being depleted. Sera was taking care of Riley who was lying down, and the look on her face didn¡¯t look so good. Perhaps she was concerned about the supplies. ¡°¡­ This is really bad.¡± Unlike a week earlier, Riley¡¯s face looked quite red. She was also concerned about Riley. He was feverish. Riley never once caught cold, even when he took naps in the garden during middle of the winter. Now, he was suffering from a serious fever. He was making aching sound in pain in irregr intervals. ¡°He does not appear to be getting better¡­¡± She checked the bonfire and reced the wet towel on Riley¡¯s forehead. She was anxiously biting on her lips. It was around that time. She could feel someone¡¯s presence at the cave¡¯s entrance. ¡®Um? Is it Nainiae?¡¯ Bam. Bam. Sera turned her head toward the direction. Having heard the heavy steps, she realized the one that came into the cave was not Nainiae but some unweed guest. ¡°¡­ Kuk. Again?¡± She picked up her dual swords she had leaning on the wall and got up. She mumbled toward Riley who was asleep. ¡°Young Master. Please wait for a bit. I¡¯lle back after handling it.¡± She ced the swords on her waist and drew both them out from the sheaths. With muddled look on her eyes, Sera stared at the shadow of the unweed that appeared near the cave¡¯s entrance. She opened and closed her fingers holding the swords as she widened the distance between her feet to her shoulder width. ¡°I am sorry, but¡­¡± Gururururu! The unweed at the cave entrance found Sera and started to exude frosted breath while drooling from the mouth. It was showing animosity. It had its entire body wrapped in white and bluish fur. On its rugged, bumpy hand, it was wielding a huge bone as a bat. The unweed guest was Yeti, a famous monster around snowy area. ¡°We had the dibs on this ce first, so¡­¡± It didn¡¯t care what Sera had to say. Yeti lowered its body so the head won¡¯t hit the ceiling. It waved its bat around and made ¡®Bam! Bam!¡¯ sound with its feet. ¡°¡­ I cannot hand it over to you?¡± ¡°Guuuurrrr, guuurrrr! Uuuuurrrrrrr!¡± Yeti roared, and Sera ignited mes on her swords. It was aura de technique, the one that only the swordsmen with understanding of mana could use. ¡°¡­¡± Sera have not fought that many monsters before. However, perhaps because she improved upon the points that Riley brought to her attention, Sera was pretty high in swordsmanship among the servants of the Iphalleta mansion. Bam. Bam. To demonstrate her skill, Sera didn¡¯t panic at all despite seeing Yeti charging at her with heavy steps. She tightly held her swords and waited for the optimal timing. ¡®Come!¡¯ It looked like she found the timing. With her eyes wide open, she slipped past the bat that was swung toward her head from above. It was when she was about to swing her swords. ¡°Explosion.¡± Along with someone casting a spell, dark me bloomed in front of Sera. ¡°¡­ Uuhuk?!¡± Yeti¡¯s body was engulfed in ck me. Along with explosive sound, it disappeared without a trace. Sera broke cold sweat with dumbfounded face. ¡°¡­ Uu¡­ Uuuuaaa.¡± The me suddenly appeared in front of her eyes and then subsided. Sera, who was wielding swords, vacantly stared at Nainiae who was walking into the cave. ¡°Hey. Nainiae, if you are going to use magic, tell me first before you do. I was shocked.¡± ¡°Ah, I am sorry.¡± ¡°If I get mixed up in it and we end up with two patients, then¡­ really¡­ I don¡¯t even want to think about it.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. I always use my magic by controlling it.¡± Her teacher was no ordinary one, so Nainiae was not going to make mistakes on that kind of things. ¡°Anyway, that was unexpected. To think a Yeti woulde into the cave¡­ In that case, I think I should cast barrier on the cave.¡± Nainiae cast severalyers of protective magic and an illusion magic at the cave entrance. She dusted off the snow on her head and shoulders as she walked. ¡°How¡¯s Young Master?¡± ¡°He is still the same.¡± It seemed Nainiae was worried. She went straight to where Riley was. She used her magic to raise the bonfire¡¯s me. The dish had the water and the towel inside. She changed the water to new one and got on her knees. ¡°The fever is¡­ Ah ah¡­ I think it might have gotten hotter. Just¡­ Just what should we do¡­¡± Feeling Riley¡¯s forehead, Nainiae looked like she was about to break into tears. Sera sighed, set next to them and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s question, Nainiae shook her head left and right and bit her lips. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae went outside for Riley, and she was saying it was a wasted trip again today. ¡°Uuuu¡­ This is seriously bad. The fact that he is feverish is a serious problem, but¡­ the bigger problem is that he is not able to wake up even though it¡¯s been over a week.¡± It was not the fever that was causing this. It seemed like he was having nightmares. He was mumbling things as he slept, and he had been continuing to be like this. ¡°If we could get him to regain consciousness, mana could be moved to improve his condition, but¡­¡± With the same look on her face as Nainiae, Sera looked at Riley who was struggling. ¡°¡­ he is not able to wake up¡­¡± ¡°The effect from the sleep magic dissipated a long time ago. I guarantee it. Why¡­ Why isn¡¯t he waking up¡­¡± Nainiae was tightening her fist and ming herself. Having noticed this, Sera said, ¡°Please stop crying, Nainiae. I don¡¯t think this is your fault.¡± Noticing Nainiae faltering, Sera instead put up a determined look on her face. Sera asked Nainiae about ways to resolve the situation right now. ¡°Nainiae, until you can use the Teleportation again to go back¡­ How long do we have?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I think we will have to wait for another week. I used the sleep spell on Young Master Riley, and I had used magic here and there, so¡­ To collect enough mana to reach all the way back to the mansion, we will need about that long¡­¡± ¡°A week¡­¡± To spin her brain, Sera fiddled with her chin. Thinking that this must not continue, Sera shook her head lightly. ¡°We cannot wait that long. We are almost out of food. Moreover, since we don¡¯t know when Young Master would wake up from sleep¡­ his illness will only get worse in a ce like this.¡± Having heard Sera saying this was not a good ce for Riley to be at the moment, Nainiae, who barely managed to calm down, started to me herself again. ¡°If I was a skilled member of the Holy Temple¡­¡± If she was like Priesia, if she was at least on par with a bishop of the temple, she might have been able to help Riley¡­ However, Nainiae was just a mage, and she had no abilities like the people from the Holy Temple to heal people. She was hating herself because she realized she didn¡¯t possess such abilities. ¡°Like I said, there is no need for you to criticize yourself like that.¡± Nainiae looked upset. Sera pinched and pulled Nainiae¡¯s cheek to make her get a grip. However, Sera was anxious just like Nainiae. ¡°If you are going to me yourself, it won¡¯t be toote if you did it after Young Master woke up first.¡± Riley had been asleep for days, which was a problem. However, the snow storm outside was also a problem. To help Riley heal, they needed to go somewhere at least. However, because of the snow storm, the chance for them to make the move was noting. ¡®We can¡¯t let it be like this.¡¯ It seemed like Riley was having a nightmare. He was struggling. Watching Riley struggle, Sera, who was hesitant until now, said to Nainiae as if she was certain of something, ¡°We need to get to another ce.¡± Sera got up. Nainiae, who was tending to Riley, looked at Sera, wondering if that would be all right. ¡°Anywhere¡­ We need to go to a better ce. With your magic, you can provide us with some protection from the environment, but¡­ the problem is the supplies including the food. We are about to reach the limit.¡± Sera got up and went to her bag. She realized the bag was now substantially lighter than it was when they first headed out from the mansion. She anxiously crumpled her eyebrows. ¡®There¡¯s about a day worth of food. Nainiae brought in a bit in the past few days, but¡­ they are not even close to being enough. We don¡¯t have enough.¡¯ Last night, they lied and told the mansion that ¡®Riley¡¯s fine.¡¯ Now, the situation was so dire that Sera was even regretting it. She wondered if she did the right thing or not. ¡®Sera, be calm. You need to somehow.¡¯ Sera brought out the map from the bag and went next to Nainiae. Sera asked, ¡°Nainiae, where are we approximately?¡± For the past few days, Nainiae had been going out of the cave to make up for the diminishing food and find nearby ces that could help them. Nainiae said, ¡°We are probably around here.¡± Nainiae pointed at a ce on the map with her finger. Sera looked around the ce and narrowed her eyes. ¡®This ce is?¡¯ Duke Philisneon¡¯s Manor. She found the letters not far from where they were. ¡®Duke Philisneon¡¯s Manor¡­ Certainly¡­ If it is the Duke¡¯s mansion, the ce is probably better than the cave¡­ No, that ce would obviously be better than here.¡¯ There would be soft beds, and they would even have food for patients instead of the kind that they had at the moment for travels. The ce was definitely better than here beyondparison. The problem was if the Philisneon Manor was going to let them in. ¡®Young Master was invited to the Duke¡¯s end of the year banquet, but Young Master didn¡¯t bring the invitation because he didn¡¯t feel the need to go¡­ We don¡¯t even have any insignia to prove the Iphalleta name¡­¡¯ Sera was furrowing her brows as she looked at the map. It seemed Nainiae realized what Sera was thinking. With concerned look on her face, Nainiae asked, ¡°Ms. Sera, are you¡­ going to go there?¡± Now that they have found a ce that was different from the cave, a ce that was far better and suitable for stay¡­ They had to go no matter what. ¡°We can¡¯t stay here like this.¡± Sera folded the map and ced it back in the bag. She started to wrap up the luggage that were unfolded on the cave here and there. ¡°Let¡¯s try going there. If we exin the situation, they might listen.¡± * * * ¡°¡­ I am sorry, but¡­¡± The snow storm was blowing in full force. ¡°Those without permission cannot enter this ce.¡± They were at the Philisneon mansion¡¯s entrance. The Iphalleta mansion couldn¡¯t even bepared to this ce. The mansion was almost the size of a castle. In front of the mansion, Sera tightened her fist and argued. ¡°Why? I am telling you, we are from the Iphalleta family?¡± ¡°You would not have been able to enter the mansion now even if you said you are the royalty from the Solia Castle.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the end of the year banquet is in session right now.¡± Perhaps because of the cold winter weather, the guard was wearingyers afteryers of insting clothes. He looked rather fat because of that. The guard mumbled with uninterested tone. ¡°High nobilities are having conversations inside right now. It will be hard to deliver messages to them in person. Also¡­ if it is Young Master Riley from the Iphalleta family, I am certain an invitation was sent to himst time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even bring the invitation, yet you are just asking me to let you in¡­ Can¡¯t you see I cannot help but to feel suspicious about this? Wouldn¡¯t you think so too?¡± The man had no idea how difficult it was for them to get here, yet¡­ The snow storm was even worse now than when they were at the cave. Sera¡¯s breath was creating frosts like clouds. Her face was frozen red. She started to argue some more with the guard. ¡°Still¡­ Still, we have a patient here, so how could you!¡± ¡°Please try to understand from my perspective. Even if he is a patient, it is not confirmed if he is a nobility or amoner, isn¡¯t that right? If I let people like you in and said ¡®Oh my¡­ are you all right?¡¯ the Duke may say off with my head right away. My life could be in danger.¡± ¡°Huuu¡­ How could¡­¡± Sera bit her lips in front of the guard. She came this far, thinking they would not be denied entrance, but¡­ Her expectation was heartlessly stepped on. She was feeling sorry for Nainiae and Riley who came all the way here because they believed in her. She was disappointed about being denied by the guard. It was obvious she was devastated. ¡°¡­ Huuuu.¡± Tears started to form around Sera¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huuuk¡­¡± Standing in front of Nainiae who was faltering, Sera thought to herself to stay strong all this time, however, she was also a fragile woman. She was in a very pressing situation. The tears that started to form around her eyes was like a dam that was about to burst. ¡°¡­ You really cannot let us in?¡± Nainiae had been watching Sera trying to negotiate with the guard. Having heard Sera suddenly crying, Nainiae was unable to just stand there. She stepped forward. nkets, clothes, and all sorts of warm things¡­ Riley was wrapped in them all. Nainiae was carrying Riley on her back. ¡°Ugh, youdies¡­ I said you cannot go in.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°If I said you cannot, that means you cannot go in.¡± The guard looked at Nainiae who wasing toward him with frosted breaths. The guard crumpled his face as if he ran into something unpleasant. The scars and missing fingers¡­ Because she was standing behind Sera all this time, the guard didn¡¯t realize this. He now discovered her horrid face and the hand which only had three fingers. This was why. ¡®Seriously, you are ugly to the extreme.¡¯ ¡°Ms. Sera, please step back for a bit.¡± The look on Nainiae¡¯s face looked colder than the snow storm. With that look, she faced the guard and talked to Sera. ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard her voice, Sera stopped crying, looked at Nainiae¡¯s back for a moment and walked back. ¡°You cannot let us in no matter what?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, the guard fixed his grip on the spear he held and answered, ¡°What is this? Are you trying to go at it?¡± It seemed Nainiae was not concerned with what the guard had to say. Nainiae took another step toward the spear which was aimed at her and said, ¡°If you won¡¯t let us in¡­¡± As she said those words, at the same time, the spear¡¯s tip started to melt and fall as if it was ced inside a smelting furnace and pulled out. ¡®Huh?¡¯ The tip of the spear melted down in ck. The guard¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°W¡­ what the hell?¡± Nainiae warned with deadly look on her face. The look could not be more fearsome. ¡°¡­ I shall be demonstrating my power.¡± Chapter 141 - Guests without Invitations (2)

Chapter 141: Guests without Invitations (2)

¡°Demonstrate your power?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s warning, the guard dropped the spear, which had its tip molten away, and looked around. ¡®She is a mage?¡¯ He checked how the spear tip was molten. He judged that it must be magic, and he started to slowly step back. It was to ring the bell behind him. He thought he could not fight the mage girl in front of him. ¡®Uuu¡­ ung?¡¯ The guard was trying to ring the bell near the garden entrance. He felt something solid on his palm and opened his eyes wide. ¡®What the?¡¯ The bell could not be pressed. ¡®Ice?¡¯ The guard quickly nced at his back. The bell was frozen solid by gray tinted ice. ¡®This¡­ how could this be?¡¯ The guard was panicking because the bell could not be pressed. Nainiae raised her right arm and asked the guard, ¡°Are you going to step aside or are you going to continue standing there?¡± Wharurururuk¡­ There was a gray me that was burning on top of Nainiae¡¯s right palm. It was the same color as the ice that covered the bell with ice. <¡­ Mister.> At the same time, another me bloomed next to Nainiae¡¯s face, however¡­ Unlike the gray me, this one was burning in ordinary red color. There was a mysterious human who had wings of fire on the back. The being was shorter than a person¡¯s face. The one that made entrance surrounded in mes was the daughter of the Spirit King, Heliona. She was in charge of looking after Nainiae. Heliona emphasized the word ¡®seriously¡¯ and red at the guard who was standing there in panic. A spirit was able to share the emotion with the being who the spirit was with. Heliona was giving advice to the guard as if she was worried. However, the look on Heliona was unusually sharp, and this was the reason. ¡®Now what is this¡­¡¯ It appeared the guard didn¡¯t know what a summon spirit was. Dumbfounded, the guard just stared vacantly at Heliona. He then realized that he was sweating a lot on his face. ¡°Huk.¡± The me. ¡°¡­¡± The me that Nainiae had on her palm to threaten the guard instantly grew to several ten folds in size. It was burning right in front of the guard. ¡°T¡­ This is the Duke¡¯s Manor¡­ W¡­ What do you think you are doing now¡­¡± Nainiae asked again. ¡°Are you going to step aside or are you going to continue standing there?¡± Her intensity felt like she might throw the me and destroy the guard and the door immediately. ¡°A¡­ All of you¡­ Do you realize what you are doing now? This ce is the Duke Philisneon¡¯s!¡± Nainiae cut off the guard¡¯s words. ¡°What of it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What of it? How does that matter in this situation?¡± Nainiae closed the fingers on the hand that had the me floated on as she asked. The guard¡¯s shoulders flinched big. ¡°Because this ce is the Duke¡¯snd, we cannot enter, and that¡¯s why you are blocking this ce?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is the final warning. Step aside from there.¡± As if things like that didn¡¯t matter, Nainiae looked displeased. The expression on her face was much like how her teacher would look. Nainiae warned the guard for thest time that he will be burned if he refused to step aside. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± It was no empty threat. She was being serious. Her gaze looked deadly. It looked like she would throw the me if he didn¡¯t yield. The guard was shaking. He started to move aside in undignified steps. He was facing a mage who could cast such arge me without reciting the spell, and the mage was not even batting an eye. The guard could not help the situation. ¡®I am sorry, but it could not be helped.¡¯ It seemed the guard was choking in fear. The man stepped aside with anxious look on his face. Nainiae apologized to the guard inside as she tightened her right fist. ¡®Oh my god¡­¡¯ Just from tightening her fist, the boulder size me above her hand disappeared without a trace. The guard was ncing around quietly and gasped for air. ¡®She is no ordinary practitioner.¡¯ The guard had met a mage from the Solia Magic Tower once before, and he realized that her skill was extra ordinary. ¡°Unlock.¡± Afterwards, just from that simple mutter, Nainiae instantly unlocked numerous locks on the mansion¡¯s gate. She quickly stepped foot inside and looked back. ¡°Ms. Sera.¡± ¡°¡­ Ah, yes.¡± The atmosphere exuded by Nainiae was lethal, which was not something that happened often. Standing on the back, Sera had been holding her breath. She responded half a tempote by nodding and then followed Nainiae. * * * ¡°The incident during thest fall was too huge, so¡­ I am not sure what to do from now on, so I think it will cause headaches.¡± ¡°I think we may have to request reinforcements from ally cities.¡± ¡°The anxiety among the citizens are soaring to the sky. If we don¡¯t wrap this up soon, the public trust will plummet to the ground.¡± ¡°There are even rumors of rebellion.¡± In the banquet hall where the Duke Philisneon family¡¯s banquet was being held, the nobilities each had a ss of wine as they talked about the rebellion by the fanatics which transpired at Solia during the fall. ¡°Tsk. That ursed Solia Temple! I never liked that ce from the start!¡± ¡°Please calm down. People are free to believe in a religion or not. Actually, the holy power isn¡¯t for nothing, you know? Many were saved by that power.¡± ¡°Still, if an incident like this happen again, then we really won¡¯t be able to contain it.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ The Priestess¡¯s absence is a serious problem.¡± ¡°Her corpse was¡­ definitely not found, right? Because of this, I heard it is impossible to confirm if she is dead or alive. Is that right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why we put up a bounty.¡± ¡°We need to hear the truth from the Priestess about the incident involving fanatics storming the castle. We definitely need to.¡± The nobilities talked about Priesia, the one who might know about the cause of the incident, and sighed. It was because the Right Solia, the ce that they had so much faith in, copsed first before the Lower Solia, the ce that should have crumbled a long time ago. ¡°The absence of the Holy Temple, absence of the Magic Tower¡­ Ugh¡­ Just why do we even have the Right Solia?¡± ¡°I know. As if the Count Stein losing his right arm was not enough, we lost many of the Solia¡¯s mages and Holy Temple priests. The Solia is definitely in serious danger, more than ever before since the establishment of the kingdom.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I had been forgetting about the Count Stein¡¯s arm. I heard that the sessor of the family had been decided? Definitely¡­¡± ¡°I heard Lloyd, the second born, became the sessor.¡± ¡°Huh? I thought Ryan, the first born, would definitely be the sessor?¡±¡¯ ¡°About that Ryan¡­ The rumor is that he drew sword at Count Stein when he didn¡¯t be the sessor.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Well, it looks like he got kicked out, but¡­ Count Stein probably choose the second born because he was aware of Ryan¡¯s character.¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned the Iphalleta Family¡¯s sessor, I must mention the following too.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°At that ce, Princess Reutrina was there as well.¡± ¡°P¡­ Princes Reutrina?¡± ¡°Really? Wasn¡¯t she supposedly a vegetable like the youngest of the Iphalleta Family?¡± ¡°Apparently not. In fact, she was incredibly beautiful.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°I am curious what kind of beauty she is.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, even though this is the banquet held at Duke Philisneon¡¯s Family, I can¡¯t even get a glimpse of the Princess.¡± ¡°Mysticism¡­ perhaps it is something like that? Anyway, that is not important.¡± The conversation was going off the tangent. The nobilities redirected it back to the discussion regarding how to ovee the danger that befell on Solia. ¡°Not only should we seek assistance from ally cities, we should try every method. Lately, Ansyrium¡¯s movement had been very suspicious.¡± ¡°You must be talking about that mercenary.¡± ¡°He is no different from a mad dog. It doesn¡¯t look like he is making his move based on countries either.¡± ¡°That means even we can hire him with money¡­ That¡¯s how it is.¡± ¡°He is the mercenary that tore off Count Stein¡¯s arm. We need to get him.¡± Holy Temple¡¯s fanatics, Priestess¡¯ unknown whereabout, Princess Reutrina who is not making appearance on the banquet, mercenary who is said to be ridiculously strong¡­ and other stories could be heard. ¡®Boring¡­¡¯ Meanwhile¡­ The Princess, who was the talk of the banquet, was walking around the banquet hall with a fan hiding her face. Reutrina¡¯s face was filled with boredom. ¡®They are all uninteresting stories.¡¯ It seemed she realized there was nothing to gain from walking around further. She sat at a corner of the banquet hall where it was away from the people¡¯s eyes and sighed big. Boredom, repetitiveness, and disappointment¡­ Because of those emotions mixed in, she looked down. It looked like she was muttering ¡®this is the least interesting banquet ever.¡¯ ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Although none of the conversations were fun, she walked around the banquet hall in high heels for one reason. It was to find where the Young Master of a Count family who she personally wrote the invitation letter to was. ¡®In the end, he didn¡¯te?¡¯ Although he was nowhere to be seen, Reutrina was thinking about when she met him at the Iphalleta mansion for the prospective marriage meeting. Back then¡­ Young Master Riley had uninterested look on his face despite having her sit in front of him. ¡®Well. Considering his personality, I figured he would note, but¡­¡¯ It¡¯s such a bother. I rather take an afternoon nap. I rather read one more letter on a book. ¡°Puup.¡± Reutrina thought about her prospective marriage candidate who did note to the banquet using various excuses. She vacantly held her head by the palm andughed briefly. ¡®Really, he is an interesting person.¡¯ Riley was definitely different from Young Masters of other nobility families. ¡®He didn¡¯t seem interested at all.¡¯ A boy of his age would have his eyes instantly drawn to the dress with fully exposed cleavage. However¡­ Riley¡¯s response indicated he didn¡¯t have even the slightest interest in a woman¡¯s bare skin. ¡®Moreover, that¡¯s how he was really feeling.¡¯ Not only that Riley was really not interested in such, he was truly thinking that it was such a bother as well. To Reutrina¡­ those facts are the reason why she was interested in him. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Reutrina was snickering as she thought about Riley. However, she found a servant who was looking all over the banquet hall in search of someone. She tapped at the table and let the servant know that she was there. ¡°Ah!¡± Philisneon Family¡¯s servant found Reutrina because of the tapping sound. ncing around at other nobilities, the servant carefully approached Reutrina. ¡°Princess, something big happened.¡± ¡°Something big?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Uninvited guests showed.¡± ¡°Uninvited guests?¡± Reutrina put up bored face again and looked at the servant. The servant nodded and said, ¡°Yes. They said¡­ they are from Iphalleta Family. The uninvited guests are now¡­¡± Having heard the word ¡®Iphalleta,¡¯ Reutrina got up immediately. ¡°Iphalleta?!¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes¡­¡± Because Reutrina shouted, other nobilities who were engaged in conversations opened their eyes big and started to stare at her. ¡°These people¡­ Where are they now?¡± Not caring at all about other nobilities staring at her, it seemed Reutrina was only interested in the uninvited guests. She had sparkles in her eyes as she asked. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes¡­ One of them were ill, so we gave them a guest room with a bed. Why do you ask?¡± ¡°A guest room? You said a guest room, right?¡± Reutrina looked like she was about to go over there right now. The servant reached for the Princess to stop her and shouted, ¡°P¡­ Please wait, Princess!¡± The servant uttered the title of Princess. The nobilities who were looking at her started to mumble. ¡°Did you hear that just now? That servant called her Princess?¡± ¡°That means, that woman is?¡± ¡°Oh my god, she is a beauty like that?¡± ¡°Just who spread rumors about her being ugly¡­¡± Having noticed the nobilities mumbling amongst themselves and staring, Reutrina furrowed her brows and red at the servant. ¡°About the responsibility for this incident, I¡¯ll ask youter.¡± The servant flinched after hearing there will be punishment for this mistake, but regardless, the servant delivered the message that the servant didn¡¯t get to finish exining. ¡°Princess, you will need to be careful.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I heard that a skilled mage is with these uninvited guests. Go with at least one of your designated guard¡­¡± Before the servant could finish talking, Reutrina headed toward the guest room where the uninvited guests were said to be at. ¡°P¡­ Princess! Princess! Chapter 142 - Guests without Invitations (3)

Chapter 142: Guests without Invitations (3)

It was not certain if this ce should be called a guest room or an infirmary. Compared to other ces, the ce was quiet. Nainiae ced Riley on the bed for him to lie down. It looked like she was feeling they just got past a major problem. ¡°¡­ This ce is a lot better than the cave, right?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Sera, who unpacked the luggage on the room, ced a new wet towel on Riley¡¯s forehead and nodded. ¡°Yes, definitely.¡± Riley was still asleep, but Sera assessed that they won¡¯t have to worry about his condition getting worse from the fever. ¡°Now, the problem is when the Young Master will wake up.¡± Almost immediately after Sera said that, Riley uncovered the nket that was up to his corbone. He started to struggle. ¡°¡­ Uu¡­ Uuu.¡± It looked as if he was having a nightmare. Perhaps it could be that he was suffering from fever still. Hepletely crumpled his face and scratched at the bedsheet. Nainiae anxiously bit her lips. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Sera also looked concerned as she looked at Riley who was suffering. Sera said, ¡°I really can¡¯t figure out the cause. If your sleep magic¡¯s effect has run out¡­ then he should wake up. I wonder if we should contact Lady Iris too.¡± Sera thought about Iris who was concerned about Riley before they set out for the trip. Sera anxiously bit on her nails and looked at how Nainiae was doing. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Is there anything you can think of that might be causing this?¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s question, Nainiae looked at Riley, who was struggling, with her right eye. Nainiae, unable to help it, nodded eventually. ¡°Yes, I do. There is something, but¡­¡± The problem was that the people that Riley was thinking about right now were people who Nainiae could not locate with her eye. ¡°This problem is not something you or I can resolve.¡± Although this was just a guess, Nainiae thought Riley must be suffering because he was dreaming about the people who didn¡¯t live in this world. ¡®He was probably thinking about them even before falling asleep.¡¯ Nainiae deduced that the matter regarding these people must be something Riley really didn¡¯t want to think about to the point of giving up sleep for many days. Riley finally stopped struggling. Having noticed, Nainiae pulled up the crumpled nket back up. ¡®Because he sees things he does not want to think about when is asleep, so¡­ That¡¯s why he is trying not to sleep.¡¯ After covering Riley with nket, Nainiae was unable to lift her head. She started to just look at the floor. ¡®¡­ I didn¡¯t notice it.¡¯ Drop¡­ A water drop fell on the nket and made a small water mark. ¡®No, actually¡­ I was avoiding it too.¡¯ Nainiae was curious about the person Riley was constantly thinking about. However, because Nainiae was afraid that she might get hurt from finding out¡­ She had been avoiding asking him about the truth. Nainiae thought Riley ended up like this because of her weakness. Nainiae started to shed teardrops. ¡°Nainiae?¡± Concerned, Sera ced her hand on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and asked, ¡°Why are you crying?¡± ¡°Ah, I am sorry. It is not¡­ the time to be crying like this.¡± Nainiae tumbled to wipe off the tears on her hand quickly. To get a grip, she slightly pped her cheeks and thought hard about what she could do. ¡®Is waiting all I can do at the moment?¡¯ Not long after Nainiae started to think hard about this, she could hear two knocks on the door. ¡°Um?¡± After much trouble, they did manage to have Riley rest on a bed. However, this ce was Duke Philisneon¡¯s mansion. To put it nicely, what Nainiae did was to protect a patient. However, to put it harshly, what she did was no different from breaking in. Having heard the knocks, Sera prepared for themotion that could happen soon. With hardened look on her face, Sera said, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± In response, the door handle rotated, and the door opened. A woman in dress entered the room. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sera recognized who the woman was. She was the daughter of Duke Phillisneon Family who visited Iphalleta Mansionst time. The woman was Princess Reutrina Phillisneon. ¡°P¡­ Princess.¡± Sera lowered her head and greeted the Princess to show respect. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed Nainiae was not interested about the Princess entering the room. Nainiae just looked at Riley who was lying on the bed. She didn¡¯t move an inch. ¡°That insolent!¡± ¡°¡­ Stop.¡± ¡°However, Princess!¡± The Princess raised her right hand and made the guards and servants to close their mouths. With deadly gaze, the Princess looked back at them and said, ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that this room has a patient? Disrespecting the patient can only be tolerated so much.¡± ¡°Still, for you to be so respectful to them, they are!¡± ¡°If they are lying or not¡­ How can you be certain? Do you all have blessed eyes like the Priestess Priesia?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll confirm it myself. All of you, please leave.¡± ¡°P¡­ Princess! Even so, I think you should at least have the guards!¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say it for the second time.¡± With violent gaze, Princess Reutrina red at the servants standing outside the door. ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± The servants could not withstand her re. The servants were about to ce their feet inside the room, but they withdrew. They all looked concerned. ¡°Princess, if anything happens, you must scream. We will wait here until youe out.¡± Watching the servants stepping back after seeing Reutrina¡¯s eyes, Sera thought it was unbelievable. She looked at Reutrina. Even if it was the Princess¡¯ order, it was hard to fathom how they would agree to leave her alone in a room full of strangers. ¡®Is that¡­ all right?¡¯ It seemed Reutrina noticed what Sera was thinking about. Reutrina looked at Sera and peeked a smile. Reutrina walked toward a pot at the corner of the room and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right, because you are really from the Iphalleta Family. That is¡­ Your name is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Sera. Her name is Nainiae.¡± ¡°Sera and Nainiae¡­ Although we didn¡¯t get introduced to each other, we have locked eyes with each other, haven¡¯t we?¡± Feeling awkward, Sera scratched her cheek. In fact, in hiding, Sera was watching Riley and Reutrina having prospective marriage meeting, and Sera¡¯s eyes ran into Reutrina¡¯s briefly. ¡°I am sorry. It must¡¯ve been difficult to enter without the invitation, right? It¡¯s because of what happened recently at the Solia Castle, so please don¡¯t think too much about it.¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes.¡± Reutrina immediately brought up the matter of invitation paper. She then picked up two cups of tea that she prepared. Reutrina walked toward Sera and handed her a cup. ¡°It seems the mood was quite deadly. I am d there was no casualty.¡± Reutrina also walked toward Nainiae and rmended a cup of tea. ¡°Would you like a cup of tea?¡± ¡°No. I am fine.¡± Because Nainiae refused the tea, Reutrina put up awkward look on her face. She then brought the tea cup to her lips and apologized again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to say. I am so ashamed. I¡¯ll apologize again for there being so much trouble when you tried to enter the mansion.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°It seems Young Master is¡­ not in a good condition.¡± Nainiae was wiping off sweat from Riley¡¯s face using wet towel. Watching this, Reutrina had saddened look on her face. She said, ¡°I thought he would note, but he arrived. When I heard the news, I wondered why, but¡­ I was not hoping he coulde like this.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Sera tilted her head to the side, wondering about how Reutrina seemed like she was hoping Riley woulde. ¡°Since he came without the invitation, he is not here for the banquet¡­ Right?¡± Reutrina turned to look at Sera. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ The thing is¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Sera.¡± Nainiae stopped Sera from talking. Nainiae slowly shook her head toward Sera. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Princess. I am not at liberty to discuss this without permission, so¡­¡± Having realized Nainiae¡¯s opinion that it would be best to be sparing with words, Sera lowered her head, looking ashamed. ¡°Um¡­ Are you saying you are not at liberty to say? It¡¯s fine. I can understand that much.¡± Reutrina scratched her cheek and said she understood. She put the tea cup back to where it originally was and said, ¡°I¡¯ll personally talk to other people in the mansion, so please tell the servants at the door if there is anything you find ufortable. If it is something I can help you with, I will.¡± Sera opened her eyes wide and looked at Reutrina. Reutrina was being surprisingly considerate. It seemed Reutrina noticed what Sera was thinking. She smiled and said, ¡°Are you thinking the situation is being resolved too easily?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­ It¡¯s not like¡­¡± ¡°Haha. Please do not worry so much. I am interested in Young Master Riley too, so¡­¡± Having heard what Reutrina just said, Nainiae, who had her eyes narrowed, quickly turned to nce at Reutrina. ¡°Even if Young Master Riley is not here, we have right here the grand mage of Six Circles who killed Astroa of Solia Castle, isn¡¯t that right? I was actually thinking the hospitality of this level is not good enough.¡± Sera and Nainiae¡¯s eyes opened big. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was because the higher ups announced to the public that the grand mage named Astroa was imprisoned in Solia Castle for viting thew about Narcotics. ¡°Just how do you know that?¡± ¡°Well, there are many people who wonder why Philisneon has the title of Duke, but¡­ Unlike what¡¯s known to the people, our family does possess power that makes the family worthy.¡± Reutrina ced her fist just below her lips. Reutrina had a mysterious smile as she added, ¡°Just like the two of you have secrets that you cannot tell me, I also have things I cannot discuss. Ah! A woman¡¯s secret¡­ I suppose I could call it that!¡± Reutrina looked at Nainiae who had her eyes big. Reutrina snickered again. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll excuse myself for a while. The banquet is still in session, so¡­ I can¡¯t just leave the ce easily.¡± Nainiae watched Reutrina leaving the room. She then sighed quietly and turned to look at Riley who was still unable to wake up. Nainiae had bitter look on her face. * * * There was a human being who was born with the blessing of sword, the kind that happened only asionally in a very long time. He was the one who could swing the holy sword and cut down evil. ¡®We need to leave it to him.¡¯ ¡®He can do it.¡¯ The brave hero was the human being who was trusted by the people¡­ He was the one who would always ce the sense of justice first and help the weak. He must never be defeated by evil, and he must never falter. ¡®That cannot be.¡¯ ¡®He lost? That¡¯s impossible.¡¯ When he didn¡¯t live up to the people¡¯s expectations somehow, he had to prepare to face outcry that was far more than the expectations he received. ¡®By any chance, did he lose on purpose?¡¯ ¡®If he was not here, things would not have turned out like this.¡¯ The boy was thinking about his past life where he made his name known to the world as the brave hero. ¡°¡­¡± From the birth and to the moment of death¡­ From the moment he grabbed hold of the sword and when he shoot down the demon lord that was attempting to take the sky¡­ Riley was thinking one after another about the events from his past life. ¡°Just what are you telling me to do?¡± When he made moves to save people, he was told not to do it. When he didn¡¯t do anything to save people, he was told to go save them. The boy was watching the brave hero like that from the back. ¡°They will die this way, and they will that way.¡± Because of what people were saying, the brave hero was holding his head with his hands, uncertain about what to do. The young boy was watching him from the back. ¡°Instead of trying so hard to do something, it would be far better to not do anything.¡± The boy had bitter look on his face. ¡°Lower your body so others won¡¯t be able to see you at all. If there are others who might get in your way, kill them before they be troubleter. Like that, just keep quiet and¡­ livefortably. That¡¯s better.¡± The young boy mumbled, but his former self in his past life seemed like he didn¡¯t hear it at all. The former self only swung his sword. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s enough.¡± The boy said to himself in the past life. ¡®If I was faster¡­¡¯ As if he didn¡¯t hear it, himself in the past life started to criticize himself. The boy crumpled his face. ¡®If I was just a little bit¡­¡¯ Himself from the past life was thinking people died all because of himself. To repent for their death, he had been relentlessly swinging or throwing the sword although his body was being drenched in curses. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough. It¡¯s about time for you to stop¡­¡± Riley extended his arm out to stop himself in the past life. At that moment, something small came flying toward him and started to show off its wings. ¡°¡­?¡± It seemed like it was trying to show off its beauty. It was constantly pping its wings. It was a butterfly. ¡°¡­ Butterfly?¡± Every time it pped its wings, it spread small firefly lights. One thing unique about the butterfly was that its wings were¡­ ck. Chapter 143 - Finger (1)

Chapter 143: Finger (1)

The banquet being held at the Duke Philisneon¡¯s Family was tost for a week. There were nobilities who stayed there for two nights and three days. Some stayed through the entire week before heading back. However, somehow, the number of people heading back after a short visit decreased substantially. Most of them were still at the mansion for the fourth day and blooming conversations. ¡°Until this time, it was Young Master Ryan that came to the banquet, right?¡± ¡°I thought Young Master Lloyd, the one who became the sessor, woulde this year, but Young Master Riley came.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t see him around at all? Where is he?¡± ¡°That is¡­ I¡¯ve heard he was not feeling well.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­ That¡¯s a concern.¡± ¡°Should we be worried about him? I¡¯ve heard he is azy one who never once held a sword. Even Count Stein must not be thinking about him much, so I think worrying about the Lazy-Sword would be a waste.¡± ¡°Well, don¡¯t get so worked up.¡± It was because of disasters that happened at the Solia Castle recently. ¡°The situation is dire enough to even worry about that Lazy-Sword.¡± The nobilities were holding the meeting to fill the gap because the Solia¡¯s Magic Tower and Holy Temple now lost their functions. ¡°Why is everyone so focused on that Lazy-Sword? What does he have? Instead of him, won¡¯t it be better to discuss about Young Master Lloyd who became the sessor¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Riley, the Lazy-Sword¡­ has a triumph card that could overturn this situation, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°A triumph card?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± One of the nobilities who didn¡¯t like Riley put up a curious look on his face after hearing the conversation. He started to listen carefully. ¡°By any chance, have you seen Young Master¡¯s maid?¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Lately, there were two maids from the Iphalleta house that could be seen asionally at the Philisneon Mansion. The nobility was not certain which of the two was being discussed and tilted the head to the side. The other nobility who asked the question fiddled with the middle finger and said, ¡°This part¡­¡± ¡°Ah! That hideous looking one?¡± The nobility figured out who based on the gesture about the finger and then put on curious look on his face, asking what was so important about her. ¡°Her face is not bing of a maid. When I first saw her face¡­ I almost had to run to the restroom because of her scars.¡± ¡°To save the master¡¯s face, they should either make her quit being a maid or it would be good to have her wear a mask.¡± The nobilities thought about her appearance. They all clicked their tongues. ¡°Anyway¡­ The important thing about the maid with the scars is who she really is.¡± The nobility who brought up the maid locked the fingers between two hands and ced them just below the nose. ¡°Do you remember the Astroa incident during the spring?¡± ¡°Ah, of course I remember. It was one of the major incidents this year. Some are thinking the horrible incident during the fall may had been caused by the fact that he was imprisoned.¡± ¡°Are you aware that the maid who Young Master has right now is¡­ the grand mage who stopped Astroa?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Other nobilities who were not aware of the maid¡¯s true identity opened their eyes big. ¡°Huh¡­ That horrid looking thing is? How?¡± ¡°Did she use some kind of underhanded method?¡± ¡°Was she just lucky? No¡­ If she was just lucky, you wouldn¡¯t have said she is a triumph card.¡± The nobility who brought up the maid nodded and exined, ¡°I heard that she is a Six Circles mage¡­ who survived the experiments at the Magic Tower.¡± ¡°S¡­ Six Circles?¡± ¡°Oh my god, is that true?¡± ¡°That maid¡­ she looked younger than my own daughter¡­ This is so unexpected¡­¡± They were talking about Nainiae who was Riley¡¯s maid and also famous as the grand mage. Sera happened to be passing by. She hid herself behind a pir and tightened her fist in fury. ¡°We need to use her as a weapon. She is only 18 or 19, yet she is at Six Circles. Just having her at the top position of the Magic Tower would be effective in deterring other cities from targeting our Solia! Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s there to second guess about? She is a great weapon!¡± ¡°However, her appearance is a little¡­ Don¡¯t you think Solia would lose face if we ced her as the one who represents the Magic Tower? How about lightly spreading the rumor about her and finding another way?¡± ¡°First, we should talk to the Solia Castle and then¡­¡± The nobilities were bringing up all sorts of things about Nainiae. Sera was unable to stand it anymore. She left the scene. ¡®They are branding a person as a weapon. They are saying her appearance makes her unworthy of a certain position¡­ Seriously¡­¡¯ Sera¡¯s face was red. She took grumpy steps back to the room. Reutrina watched Sera from the back and put on mysterious smile. ¡°Hm¡­¡± * * * ¡°Nainiae. How about you take a break and leave the room for a bit?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°You had been in here for the past three days. Aren¡¯t you feeling ufortable being cooped up?¡± Regardless of Riley being awake or not, Nainiae never left his side. Nainiae tilted her head to the side after hearing Sera suggesting Nainiae to go get some fresh air. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel cooped up¡­¡± Sera leaned all the way. With her face right in front of Nainiae¡¯s, Sera looked at Nainiae¡¯s eyes. Sera shook her head and said again, ¡°You are definitely looking fine, but how should I say this? You need to refresh your mind asionally to make your head run properly, you know? Go take a walk ande back.¡± Sera snatched the water towel from Nainiae and shrugged, telling Nainiae she should really go take a walk. Unable to say no, Nainiae got up. ¡°I am really fine¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­ I got it. I¡¯lle backter.¡± Once again, Nainiae looked at Riley who was sleeping soundly and then left the room. When Nainiae got out of the room, Heliona appeared as if she was waiting for this moment. She stretch-yawned and insisted Nainiae should get some fresh air outside. ¡°You don¡¯t need to hush me. As you can see, I am on my way out.¡± Heliona was yapping away while pulling on Nainiae¡¯s hair. Nainiae smiled as if she just could not help how Heliona was. Nainiae was heading toward the outside of the mansion, but she stopped. ¡°Ah, Nainiae?¡± ¡°¡­ Princess.¡± Nainiae ran into Reutrina. It seemed Reutrina was also intending to head outside for a walk. She was wearing rtively simpler clothes. Nainiae lowered her head, and Heliona whispered quietly to Nainiae¡¯s ear. ¡®Quiet.¡¯ They were indebt to Philisneon¡¯s family at the moment. Nainiae did not want Heliona¡¯s words to be heard. Nainiae asked Heliona to keep her mouth in check. Nainiae raised her head and asked, ¡°Are you going out for a walk?¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Nainiae, are you about to as well?¡± Ever since Nainiae was pointed out as the grand mage of Six Circles, Reutrina had been addressing Nainiae respectfully. ¡°Yes, I am for a bit.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Would you like to go together? I spent my whole life in the mansion, so I know a good ce.¡± Reutrina said she will be running into other nobilities everywhere because the banquet was in session. Reutrina said she knew a pathway that didn¡¯t have many people around. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ept your generous consideration.¡± ¡®Ms. Heliona, quiet¡­¡¯ <¡­ Ugh.> Heliona was blowing up her cheeks. Nainiae barely calmed down Heliona and walked to the back door of the mansion by following Reutrina. ¡°When will it end?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking about the banquet.¡± Reutrina walked out of the back door first and was stepping on the snow. With her hands resting on her back, Reutrina turned to look at Nainiae who followed her. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, the banquetsts for a week¡­¡± Nainiae was wondering why Reutrina was asking her that question. Nainiae chose not to ask why. Instead, she gave a suitable answer. ¡°Yes, there were several strange incidents this year. The banquet is supposed to be for a week just likest year, but¡­ the mood is suffocating. It ispletely different from thest time.¡± Reutrina used her right arm in fan shape swings to drag on the snow that was piled up in front of her. She then breathed out to form frosted mist as she put up an awkward look on her face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How is Young Master Riley?¡± Nainiae looked up the sky and watched the snow falling. Having heard the question, Nainiae looked at Reutrina. ¡°It looks like nothing is happening. There does not appear to be any good progress.¡± Although the fever subsided, Riley was still not waking up. Nainiae went around and described his condition indirectly. She looked upset. Nainiae started to fiddle with her fingers. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Reutrina vacantly watched Nainiae¡¯s response. She then leisurely crouched down and started to form a lump of snow with what she brushed earlier with her right arm. ¡°Nainiae, by any chance¡­¡± It seemed what Reutrina was about to ask was going to be a delicate matter. Reutrina paused for a moment, but then she asked directly. ¡°¡­ do you like Young Master Riley?¡± The area fell to silence. ¡°¡­¡± At the pathway behind the mansion, there was just the tranquil sound of the snow falling and the crushing sound of the snow on Reutrina¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­ It would be good for you to give up.¡± Nainiae was about to open her mouth. However, Reutrina broke the silence faster. ¡°Solia¡¯s Sword, Iphalleta¡­ The name is not to be taken lightly. It¡¯s very likely that Count Stein will be against it too.¡± Crush¡­ Crush¡­ Reutrina crumpled the lump of snow and continued. ¡°What about your appearance? I suppose I can rate your skin as fair, but the scars on your right¡­ They cannot be healed, right?¡± ¡®Ms. Heliona¡­¡¯ ¡®Please calm down.¡¯ Heliona wanted to unload a mouthful to Reutrina. However, Nainiae was shaking her head and stopping Heliona. Heliona looked frustrated. ¡°In that case, as I thought, it would be good for you to give up.¡± Reutrina added that it would be good for Nainiae to give up. Nainiae stopped fiddling with her fingers. She looked at Reutrina¡¯s back and opened her mouth which remained silent for a long while. ¡°Even though I am a Seven Circles mage?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Her response was unexpected. Reutrina looked surprised when she looked back to see Nainiae. ¡°Seven Circles¡­ If that is true, then I am a little surprised. At your age, you are at Seven Circles¡­ I think others might mistake you as a dragon. Maybe your name will be mentioned in history books.¡± Reutrina dusted off her hands and got up. Reutrina turned her body toward Nainiae and said, ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think it will be hard?¡± Nainiae vacantly stared at Reutrina. Reutrina silently smiled and started to fiddle with her own fingers just like how Nainiae was earlier. ¡°A ring¡­ you cannot wear one, can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Reutrina was piercing at the heart of the matter in Nainiae. Nainiae¡¯s face crumpled for the first time since they came out for the walk. ¡°You had been concerned about that for a long time, haven¡¯t you?¡± Nainiae was not able to talk back. She just pulled her chin. Reutrina narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°In that case, I guess it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± Reutrina once again said it won¡¯t work. Having heard what she said, Nainiae tightened her fist. ¡°¡­ Puup!¡± Perhaps Reutrina thought Nainiae¡¯s reaction was adorable. She broke intoughter, waved her hand around and said, ¡°Nainiae, wedding ring is to be worn on your left hand. You wear the engagement ring on your right hand.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± It seemed Reutrina found making fun of Nainiae to be amusing. She steadily smiled and looked at Nainiae¡¯s left hand. As if there was nothing to be concerned about, Reutrina said, ¡°If you were concerned about your right hand, then don¡¯t worry too much. Your left hand is fine.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nainiae blushed. ¡°Puuhup¡­ You are adorable.¡± Reutrina held her stomach andughed. There were some tears on her eyes fromughing so much. Reutrina wiped them off with fingers and asked, ¡°Of the books you read at the Rainfield during the summer, it seems there wasn¡¯t one about a basic knowledge like this? Is that right?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Not only did Reutrina find out about something Nainiae had been worrying about for a long time, Reutrina was asking a very specific question about something that happened. Wondering what it was about, Nainiae furrowed her brows. Chapter 144 - Finger (2)

Chapter 144: Finger (2)

¡°It looks like you are wondering how I knew. I am sorry, but I cannot tell you. It¡¯s a family secret.¡± It seemed she read Nainiae¡¯s mind again. With a smile, Reutrina brought her index finger to her lips. She leisurely walked to the front of Reutrina. ¡°What I said earlier, please think of it as a joke.¡± Reutrina put up a fox-like expression on her face and said, ¡°I¡¯m also interested in Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°Princess¡­¡± In less respectful tone, Nainiae called her and stared at her. Reutrina mumbled as if it was an excuse. ¡°As a woman, I threw a hissy fit because I was interested in Young Master¡­ Please think of it like that.¡± To not show the look on her face, Reutrina walked past Nainiae. She dusted off the snow that umted on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and walked toward inside of the mansion. ¡°¡­¡± Reutrina breathed out frosted mist as she walked back. Nainiae just stood there and watched Reutrina. Heliona, who was hiding behind Nainiae, showed her self and yelled, It was ringing in Nainiae¡¯s ear. Nainiae looked like she was hurting from hearing the shouting right at her ear. Nainiae started to pad Heliona¡¯s wings to calm her down. ¡°You held back well.¡± ¡°I am not supposed to do that.¡± With her arms crossed, Heliona was breathing hard. She changed her target of anger and started to re at Nainiae. ¡°Self-awareness?¡± ¡°Ah, ah haha¡­¡± Heliona was lecturing Nainiae as she ground her teeth. Feeling awkward, Nainiae avoided the gaze and fiddled with her finger. ¡°By the way, the conversation earlier, didn¡¯t it seem like there was more to it than the surface?¡± Although Nainiae brushed Heliona¡¯s wings, Heliona was still perked up in anger. Heliona tilted her head. ¡°Usually, when people tells a joke, they just say ¡®it was a joke.¡¯ On the other hand, the Princess said to think of it as a joke.¡± Nainiae thought that this could be interpreted as not a joke but take it as one. She asked for Heliona¡¯s opinion. ¡°Am I reading too much into it?¡± Heliona, who hated Reutrina, ced her fist at her chin and started to think hard about this. It seemed Heliona came to a conclusion in the end. She lifted her head from the fist. She turned to look at Nainiae and asked, ¡°Pardon?¡± * * * ¡°Between w¡­ white snow¡­ and then what did you say?¡± ¡°¡­ Um¡­¡± Sera carefully thought about what Heliona said. Not able to figure out what it was about, Sera scratched the back. ¡°Summon spirit¡¯snguage is difficult.¡± In response to Sera¡¯s reaction, Nainiae also looked at Heliona on her shoulder with confused look. ¡°What¡¯s the ck wings flying between white snow? I presume the white snow would mean winter. As for the ck wings¡­ a crow?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the bright song without sound about? It¡¯s strangely worded, don¡¯t you think? A song needs to have sound.¡± The two deduced through the words like detectives. Heliona looked at the two back and forth and described the ce. Heliona was saying that the spirit that could make Nainiae reborn as an artificial summon spirit was nearby. Nainiae asked, ¡°Not too far from here?¡± It seemed Nainiae thought of something. Nainiae rolled her brain diligently. She then turned her head and looked at Riley who was sleeping. ¡°Ms. Heliona, you said you have met that spirit before, right?¡± [Note: Earlier, Heliona said she had never met the spirit in person before. This statement is contradictory, but the author never corrected it. Conversations from here on assumes Heliona had met this spirit before.] ¡°Ms. Sera, while I am not here¡­ can you please look after Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°Nainiae, by any chance, you¡­¡± Sera was blurring the end of the sentence. Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°I think I should go meet that spirit myself.¡± Nainiae asked Heliona what would be the problems that she would face when she meets the spirit. ¡°The problem is that, after I meet the spirit, if our Young Master is in this state, would it be hard to proceed?¡± Nainiae looked determined. She was asking with serious look on her face. Heliona seemed satisfied to see the determination in Nainiae. Heliona crossed her arms and shook her head. She said, Heliona answered what Nainiae was curious about. Now, Heliona asked what she was curious about. Heliona was asking if Nainiae figured out where ¡®the ce where the ck wings fly between white snow. The ce where bright song surge without sound¡¯ was. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Nainiae shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m going to use the eye.¡± Nainiae lightly brushed away the long hair to her right. She showed her right eye and asked again. ¡°Ms. Heliona. You said you have met that spirit before, right?¡± Heliona was facing Nainiae¡¯s white eye. Heliona had vacant look on her face and nodded. ¡°Please think about the spirit. Please think about the spirit in as much detail as possible.¡± Nainiae strained her right eye as she spoke. Heliona had awkward look on her face, and Nainiae started to re at her with piercing gaze. It seemed Heliona was feeling ufortable with facing Nainiae¡¯s gaze. Heliona avoided her gaze and started to think about the summon spirit that she was supposed to introduce to Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Strange atmosphere was flowing between Nainiae and Heliona. Sera looked back and forth between the two. It seemed Sera realized she should not step in. She took a step back and checked up on them. ¡®This is the first time for me to use the eye on a summon spirit, and I had never tried to locate a summon spirit with this either, but¡­¡¯ It seemed Nainiae was nervous. She firmly closed her lips and looked at Heliona. Gradually, the outlines of the scenery started to form in Nainiae¡¯s head. ¡®I¡¯ll definitely¡­¡¯ Rumors about her spread recently inside the mansion. The Nobilities were talking about her as if it was a snack for their drinks. Nainiae was doing this so they won¡¯t be saying this like ¡®it is too bad, but that Lazy-Sword will have to part ways with that maid.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll definitely!¡¯ It was also because she won¡¯t remain silent about the things Reutrina said and added that they were jokes. Nainiae gathered power in her eye as much as she could. ¡®¡­ I can see it!¡¯ The outline of the scenery became clear. What appeared to be fireflies could be seen in her right eye. ¡°Kuk?!¡± It seemed the visual was too bright. Nainiae cringed, and Sera asked out of concern. ¡°Nainiae!¡± Concerned, Sera and Heliona asked. As if there was nothing to worry, Nainiae put forth her right arm and said, ¡°It¡¯s all right. Jut for a moment¡­ I felt throbbing pain for a bit, that¡¯s all.¡± She felt pain inside her eye, so she cringed for a moment. However, Nainiae have not blinked once. It was still steadily gazing upon Heliona. ¡°I found it. Almost¡­ Just a little further.¡± Heliona looked at Nainiae¡¯s eye. Nainiae¡¯s right eye was shaking, unable to focus. Heliona raised her hand, trying to say that Nainiae was going to overexert herself at this rate. To ask her to hold just a little longer, Nainiae raised her hand and cast barrier. She continued to gaze at Heliona. ¡®I found it!¡¯ She screamed in pain. Nainiae covered her right eye with both of her hands and lowered her upper body. ¡°¡­ Uuuuk.¡± ¡°Nainiae!¡± Nainiae was faltering. Sera came to support her and asked as she wiped off the sweats on Nainiae¡¯s face. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°I have told you so many times, haven¡¯t I? I told you not to overdo things! Young Master would not be pleased with this either!¡± ¡°I am sorry. I was being stubborn just now¡­ I admit that. However, I found it.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Sill covering her right eye with her hands, Nainiae raised her upper body back up. With her left eye, Nainiae looked at Heliona and said, ¡°The ce where the ck wings fly between white snow. The ce where bright song surge without sound.¡± She looked exhausted, but the look on her face seemed Nainiae was overjoyed when she mumbled the riddle. Still supported by Sera, Nainiae slowly turned her head. ¡°That ce is¡­¡± As she said, the ce that Nainiae turned to after looking at Heliona was really not far. ¡°¡­?¡± <¡­?> Out of the blue, Nainiae was looking at Riley. Sera and Heliona both had confused look on their faces as they tilted their heads. * * * ¡°Um¡­¡± Although it was for a brief moment, Reutrina got to go on a night walk with Nainiae. Reutrina narrowed her eyes as soon as she returned to her room. ¡°She is at Seven Circles? How fierce.¡± Having realized that the maid from the Iphalleta Family was at Seven Circles, not Six, she was thinking she should alter her ns. ¡°If she is at the same level as Astroa, I think it will be tough. I heard she was at Six Circles during spring¡­ It¡¯s only been half a year, so how could she grow so fast?¡± She untied the string that was tying her hair. Reutrina shook her head and unted her hair waiving in the air as she walked toward the terrace. ¡°Should I have stayed there and try to read her thoughts some more?¡± The terrace was filled with snow piled up. ¡°No.¡± Just like what she did when she was out for a walk, she gathered and lumped up the snow. With cold look on her face, Reutrina muttered, ¡°Nothing good wille from doing too much.¡± It was hard to believe that Reutrina right now was the same person that spoke with Nainiae earlier. Reutrina was exuding unbelievably deadly aura. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Soon, Reutrina found something that flew through the snowing night sky. She extended her right arm out. ¡°A carrier pigeon?¡± It was a ck winged eagle. It had a long, folded letter that was attached on its leg. ¡°There, there.¡± With its talons wide open, the eaglended on Reutrina¡¯s arm. As if it was trying to tell Reutrina to check the message quickly, it screamed once. ¡°All right, is it sent by our mad dog?¡± It seemed Reutrina figured out who sent the letter. She had a shady smile on her face as she opened the letter. ¡°¡­ It is.¡± She slowly read the content of the letter. She then clicked her tongue and let out frustration. ¡°I thought this will happen, but still, looks like they didn¡¯t catch him. How foolish.¡± She started to flinch her shoulder. ¡°¡­¡± To summarize the content of the letter, which had two main points, ¡®we lost the bastard we had been chasing, and two of ourrades were done in.¡¯ ¡°Huh.¡± The good news she was expecting were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the letter only had bad news. Reutrina started to crumple the letter mercilessly. ¡°Huh¡­¡± Reutrina was looking down at the letter and shaking her shoulders. The following words were reflecting on her eyes. [From the Right Leg, to the Head] Wondering if she read the letter wrong, Reutrina slowly looked over the letter once more. It seemed she was agitated. ¡°haah¡­ haah¡­¡± She blushed and started to moan in excitement. ¡°Ah¡­ Ah ah¡­ As I thought! I didn¡¯t see it wrong!¡± Between her lips which was moaning just now, her tongue slowly came out and started to lick around the lips. ¡°¡­ I want¡­¡± morously, as if she was seducing someone, as if she was trying to hold down something boiling inside her, she bit her finger. She licked the finger and muttered, ¡°¡­ I want to have¡­¡± Like a fox full of lust during the mating season, she was blushing red and mumbling as she licked her finger. Her eyes were¡­ burning with purple light. ¡°Even more, I must have¡­¡± Chapter 145 - Black Butterfly (1)

Chapter 145: ck Butterfly (1)

¡°Why the Young Master?¡± Out of the blue, Nainiae was looking back at Riley. Wondering what it was about, Sera asked. Heliona realized why Nainiae was looking at Riley. Heliona, in disbelief, vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°Young Master is the key.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Because Nainiae and Heliona were having iprehensible conversation, Sera was the only one who still had confused look on her face as she tilted her head to the side. ¡°It may appear to be¡­ from the outside.¡± ¡°The spirit is at a ce that is hidden from sight.¡± Heliona mumbled, and Nainiae nodded. ¡°Excuse me. What are you talking about? Could you two please exin to me too?¡± Sera got tired of just checking what they were up to. She got right between Nainiae and Heliona and asked them to exin to her too in detail. ¡°Please exin it in a way that I can understand too.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nainiae realized she didn¡¯t exin enough. She apologized and got to the main point right away. ¡°I found where the summon spirit who will help me is at. I found the ce, but¡­ I think the ce is rted to Young Master.¡± ¡°Rted to Young Master?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae nodded and pointed at her right eye. She briefly exined the power of the right eye and looked at Riley who was lying on the bed. ¡°The problem is that the location is somewhere that cannot be seen with ordinary methods.¡± Sera looked confused. Nainiae exined in a simpler way. ¡°It¡¯s inside a dream.¡± ¡°In a dream?¡± Sera tilted her head to the side. Heliona, who had been fiddling with her chin, also asked Nainiae as if she didn¡¯t get it either. ¡°We should find that out from now on.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae tightened her fist and rxed it as she walked toward Riley. Heliona barely grabbed Nainiae and said as if she was trying to calm Nainiae down. Sera was surprised after hearing what Heliona just said. Sera also grabbed Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and shook her head out of concern. ¡°Wait, Nainiae. Are you intending to overexert yourself again?¡± Nainiae looked at Heliona, who was pulling at her own hair, and Sera, who was pulling at Nainaie¡¯s shoulder. She then lightly bit her lips and struggled to say, ¡°Please let me go.¡± ¡°Young Master is suffering. Despite having known that all along, I only stood behind and watched him. Let me make up for it.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Sera. If I don¡¯t find that spirit, I won¡¯t be able to cure my illness either. Of the things that Young Master told me, there is one that says it is better to receive punishment sooner thanter. Now, I want to do what I can right now.¡± Her voice was wet. However, her face looked determined and desperate at the same time. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just sit back and watch anymore.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having seen the look on Nainiae¡¯s face, Sera sighed big and retrieved the hand on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­ All right.¡± Heliona pped her wings big and started to cause a ruckus. ¡°No. Ms. Heliona, we cannot stop her.¡± Sera shook her head. Watching Sera, Heliona ballooned up her cheeks as if she was saying she just don¡¯t understand humans. To stop Nainiae on her own, Heliona started to nag Nainiae with verbose lectures. Nainiae nodded. Heliona looked at her as if she was questioning Nainiae¡¯s sanity. ¡°I am prepared for that.¡± ¡°My teacher is not that kind of person. He will understand.¡± Heliona started to pull out her own hair. She looked at Sera, seeking help. However, it seemed Sera already had made up her mind as well. Sera only shook her head. ¡°Ms. Heliona.¡± Heliona pleaded with Nainiae. However, Nainiae kept silent. It appeared she had no intention of changing her mind. <¡­ Ah, ah ah! Seriously!> Because Heliona was with Nainiae, she shared the emotions with her through their connection. Heliona had been pulling her hair out. Now, she started to scratch her head hard. Heliona had tears hanging near her eyes. She snorted and turned her head away quickly. Nainiae raised hear hand carefully and started to brush Heliona¡¯s wings. Sitting on Nainiae¡¯s palm, Heliona was letting Nainiae pat her wings. Heliona looked as sad as a child who was about to part way with her mother. ¡°I¡¯m not going into Young Master¡¯s dream simply because I need to be an artificial summon spirit. Young Master had been asleep for several weeks now. I must go.¡± <¡­> ¡°Actually, I agonized over this. I wondered if I should have used this method sooner¡­ We cannot afford to hesitate anymore. The reason why Young Master is unable to wake up¡­ I need to go find it myself in his dream.¡± Nainiae looked at Riley who was asleep and asionally struggling. She was aware that he was thinking about someone. However, she didn¡¯t know what kind of nightmare he was having. This was why she was trying to confirm what it was. Finding out what kind of nightmare Riley is having, and finding out why he is suffering so much¡­ These were far more important than finding the spirit that would turn her into an artificial summon spirit. ¡°Ms. Sera.¡± Heliona looked gloomy as if she had given up. Nainiae gently brushed her wings. Nainiae turned to look at Sera and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡± ¡°That means?¡± ¡°Defenseless?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll probably fall asleep like how Young Master is.¡± Sera understood the exnation. With petrified face, Sera nodded and opened her arms to hug Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± Sera, without saying any words, embraced Nainiae. She released Nainiae from her arms and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for your return. Come back with Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± In stiff voice, Sera said to Nainiae toe back. Nainiae also said she wille backter in stiff voice as she walked toward Riley who was lying on the bed. ¡°Well then¡­¡± Nainiae looked back at Heliona and Sera for thest time. She nodded lightly and started to move the mana inside her. ¡®Dream Link.¡¯ It was a magic that she learned after bing Seven Circles mage. Nainiae¡¯s body started to get surrounded by feint silver light. ¡®Just a little while longer¡­¡¯ With gentle look on her face, Nainiae looked at Riley. She got on her knees in front of the bed and brought her hands together to lightly grab on to Riley¡¯s hand. ¡®Wait just a little while longer.¡¯ The silver light, which was surrounding Nainiae gradually, slowly moved, and it moved toward Riley through the joined hands. ¡°Nainiae!¡± As if she was sending a prayer, Nainiae was on her knees with both of her hands together. Her body looked like it was about to tip over to the side. Sera barely supported her before it happened. <¡­ I think the spelled worked correctly.> Asleep, Nainiae was in Sera¡¯s arms. Heliona looked at Nainiae and redirected her gaze toward Riley who was still asleep soundly on the bed. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± * * * Nainiae opened her eyes inside the darkness. ¡°¡­¡± The darkness came to her so suddenly, and Nainiae was not used to it yet. It was not easy for her to regain her sight. She extended her right arm to the front and recited a spell. ¡°Light.¡± She used Light, the most basic magic where the caster floats a sphere of light on the palm. Although she cast Light, for some reason¡­ nothing appeared above her palm. ¡®I cannot use magic here?¡¯ She could not feel mana either, so she realized she could not use magic here. She lowered her arm and started to look around. ¡®It¡¯s dark.¡¯ She looked everywhere, but the entire area was just darkness. She started to strain her eyes. It was in hope that her eye would get adjusted to the darkness sooner, even if it was just a little bit. Unfortunately, she could not see anything even though several minutes have passed. ¡°¡­ Young Master!!¡± With her vision still not restored, she decided to try sound. She put both of her hands together in front of her mouth and called Riley in loud voice. Young Master¡­ Young Master¡­ Only echoes came back. She didn¡¯t get any other response. She started to walk aimlessly. ¡®As Ms. Heliona said¡­ This ce is like a maze.¡¯ It didn¡¯t feelplicated like a maze, but the fact that she couldn¡¯t tell the directions apart, left, right, top or bottom, was the problem. All there was just endless darkness. It was to the point where she was not certain if she was walking forward, backward, onnd or sky. ¡®I don¡¯t have any other way in particr.¡¯ Nainiae tried stepping hard on the floor. She also tried hopping on where she stood. She tried many ideas, and she came to the conclusion that walking would be best. She started to move her legs. ¡®For now, walking aimlessly is the only thing I can do.¡¯ Inside dark space where she could not even use magic, Nainiae walked alone for quite a long time. Instead of sense of fear, sadness and pity came forward on Nainiae¡¯s face. ¡®Young Master was in a ce like this all by himself¡­¡¯ Because the ce she entered was Riley¡¯s dream, Nainiae naturally was concerned about Riley first. She bit her lower lips and tightened her fist. ¡®Don¡¯t me yourself, Nainiae. You have made up your mind, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ Nainiae shook her heads left and right and was about to walk again. However¡­ ¡°¡­ Huk. Huhuk!¡± She heard the cry of a childing from somewhere. Nainiae raised her ears. ¡®This sound¡­¡¯ She looked around everywhere, and the space was still filled withplete darkness. However, she could hear the cry clearly. She slowly walked toward the direction where the cry wasing from. The sound was bing more clearer as she walked, and she started to walk faster. ¡°¡­ Haaah, haaah!¡± Soon, she found a small firefly light at where the sound wasing from. Nainiae was having hard time catching her breath as she looked at the firefly light. ¡®A firefly light?¡¯ ¡°Huhuk¡­ Huk¡­¡± Nainiae thought the crying sound wasing from the light. She slowly extended her arm out to the front. ¡°Young Master.¡± Perhaps it got scared because Nainiae had horrid looking face with scars, her hand was missing fingers and her voice was torn a little from exhaustion. The firefly light tried to go away into the distance. Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Watching the light moving further away, Nainiae med herself who wascking in many ways. From behind Nainiae, a small butterfly pped its wings and approached her. ¡°¡­?¡± It came flying in silence. Nainiae, who had gloomy look on her face, turned and looked at the butterfly. The butterfly¡¯s wings were ck. The ck winged butterfly came flying like that and sat on Nainiae¡¯s shoulder. As if it was resting, it started to p its wings lightly. p, p¡­ The wings were moving in a regr pattern. It was like a clock work. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was watching the butterfly on her shoulder. Out of curiosity, Nainiae carefully reached for the butterfly with her left hand¡¯s index finger. <¡­ You are Nainiae, right?> ¡°¡­?!¡± Breaking through the silence, the voice could be heard, and Nainiae flinched her shoulders. She started to look around the surrounding. At the same time, it seemed the butterfly on her shoulder was surprised. It started to p its wings and fly away from her. ¡°Who is it?!¡± It was not Riley¡¯s voice at least. It sounded like she had heard the voice before. The voice was beautiful like a pearl rolling on a silver te. It was a woman¡¯s voice. Nainiae started to look around her surroundings. It was still all nothing but pitch-ck. As if she became weary, Nainiae narrowed her eyes and said, ¡°Who could you be?¡± When she asked, the ck butterfly that flew off from Nainiae earlier started to spread small firefly lights around with ps of its wings. <¡­ Please follow me.> The butterfly lightly pped its wings and flew toward her back as if it was trying to show her the way. Nainiae looked back at a firefly light where the crying sound could be heard. She eventually could not help but to follow the ck butterfly. As if it forgot something, the voice said that. ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae was following the butterfly. Now, she vacantly blinked her eyes. The scenery, which was nothing but ck until now, started to be brighter slowly. This was why. ¡®Number of firefly lights are increasing?¡¯ The firefly light where the crying sound came from, the firefly lights that were being spread by the ck butterfly¡­ their numbers started to increase one by one, and the scenery was starting to form. Along with the voice, the view in front of Nainiae¡¯s eyes becamepletely clear. Nainiae, in disbelief, vacantly opened her mouth. The ce that she saw after the darkness cleared was the ce where ¡®the ck wings fly between white snow¡¯ and where ¡®bright song surge without sound.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± It appeared to be winter. There was snow falling on the street. The road was covered in small, dark pebble like substance. There were carriages that looked simr but where different from each other. The carriages were moving around very quickly. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ There was a building with chimney that was bigger than a house. ck smoke wasing out of the chimney. It was piercing through the snow like ¡®wings.¡¯ There were buildings that were soaring to the sky, as if they could reach the sky¡¯s ceiling. They had signs and windows that exuded various lights. They looked like they were ¡®singing¡¯ together. They were the darkness and the firefly lights that Nainiae ran into when she first entered the dream. ¡°¡­ By any chance¡­¡± Nainiae vacantly mumbled. The voice answered, <¡­ his past life.> Chapter 146 - Black Butterfly (2)

Chapter 146: ck Butterfly (2)

¡°Young Master¡¯s past life?¡± Nainiae had seen the scenery before through Rileyst time. However, she could not close her mouth easily even though this was her second time to see it. Truly, the scenery was out of her world. Standing in mid-air, with empty space as tforms, Nainiae walked to follow the ck butterfly. She vacantly looked around the area. ¡°¡­ This ce is?¡± Carriages running around with speed despite not having horses, buildings made of sses, people wearing clothes she had never seen before¡­ Everything about the ce were mysterious to her. ¡°Wait. Did you just say this is Young Master¡¯s¡­ past life?¡± Nainiae had her sights robbed by the fantastic visual below as she followed the ck butterfly. Thinking about what the butterfly said earlier, Nainiae asked, ¡°What do you mean¡­ by past life?¡± As if she could not understand the current situation easily, Nainiae rolled hear brain. She covered her right eye with her right hand and muttered, ¡°Still, Young Master is definitely¡­¡± Riley, in his head, was thinking about this particr scenery. That meant Riley was aware of his past life. ¡°¡­ Yes. He remembers his past life.¡± An answer could be heard before Nainiae got thrown into chaos. ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae was mumbling as she looked below. Having heard the voice, she looked to her front. ¡°Nice to meet you, Nainiae.¡± The voice was not like Heliona¡¯s. It didn¡¯t have short echoes like her voice. The voice sounded like a human being¡¯s voice. Nainiae said to the woman in ck who appeared in front of her. ¡°¡­ You are?¡± She had long ck hair and was wearing a ck veil. She felt mysterious somehow. ¡°It is important to tell you who I am. However, unfortunately, we don¡¯t have a lot of time¡­ so I¡¯m afraid we will have to get to the main point right away.¡± The woman in ck bowed toward Nainiae and apologized. She then slowly swung her arm upward like how Nainiae swung her arm when she used magic. ¡°I have things I would like you to hear and see.¡± When the woman in ck swung her arm, at the same time, the firefly lights, like the ones that Nainiae saw earlier in the darkness, started to appear one after another around her. ¡°¡­ These are?¡± Their brightness was simr to basic Light magic. Nainiae vacantly stared at the lights and then redirected her gaze toward the woman. ¡°You are here because of Young Master Riley, right?¡± Nainiae vacantly stared at the lights that were floating around her. Having heard the woman mentioning Riley, Nainiae quickly came to her senses and nodded, ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right! Young Master¡­ Is Young Master here?¡± The woman in ck nodded and gave a quizzical answer. ¡°He could be here. He could be not here.¡± It was a nonsensical answer. Nainiae tilted her head to the side. As if the woman was trying to tell Nainiae that she should hold the questions untilter, the woman in ck brought her two hands forward and sent one of the firefly lights to Nainiae. ¡°Would you try catching it?¡± Nainiae stared at the woman in ck with suspicious eyes. However¡­ Nainiae had no other choices at the moment. She decided to do as the woman said and extended her arm out. As soon as Nainiae grabbed the firefly light, there were voices and visuals that zapped through her head. Nainiae was startled. She let go of the light and blinked her eyes. ¡°That just now was?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Mr. Riley¡¯s memories from his past life.¡± ¡°Memories from¡­ his past life?¡± Excited voices and expressions¡­ Nainiae thought about what she just saw, which had people staring at Riley. In disbelief, Nainiae looked at the woman in ck. ¡°You, just who¡­¡± ¡°To him, I had always felt sorry.¡± The woman in ck said in apologetic tone. ¡°In his past¡­ in that ce¡­ I wonder if too much burden had been ced on just his shoulders.¡± The woman watched the view below and muttered. Nainiae also looked at the view below their feet. ¡°This ce is¡­¡± ¡°The view looks very different, right? It¡¯s because this ce is another world from yours. However, this ce is¡­ far more dreary and dangerous than you could ever imagine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard what the woman said, Nainiae moved her eyes and started to carefully observe the ce, including buildings at far distance. ¡°I think this ce looks¡­ beautiful?¡± There were countless lights of various colors brightening the dark streets. Nainiae told the woman her honest opinion. ¡°It just appears to be. However, this ce is far more rotten and dangerous than how it appears to be.¡± As if she could not believe it easily, Nainiae had confused look on her face. The woman asked, ¡°Nainiae, can you see a forest?¡± ¡°A forest?¡± Nainiae looked around the view, but she realized she couldn¡¯t find a single tree in this beautiful scenery. ¡°How about mana, which flows in abundance in your world?¡± ¡°Now that you mentioned it¡­¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t any, right?¡± Earlier, Nainiae realized that she could not use magic when she entered this ce. She looked around to find mana, but as the woman said¡­ Nainiae could not feel even a tiny grain worth of mana. ¡°Actually, the scenery below looks as beautiful as it is now because of Mr. Riley. Before him¡­ it was horrible.¡± ¡°Horrible?¡± ¡°Oh, it started.¡± ¡®What started?¡¯ ¡°There, please look below. The narrow street below the red sign.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Nainiae looked at where the woman was pointing at with her finger. There was a severely drunk man. He was stumbling as he walked toward the narrow street. ¡°It¡¯s about to happen. Please observe carefully.¡± Almost immediately after the woman said that, as if the ground developed a crack, it opened red. ck hands popped out of the crack and ambushed the man. ¡°¡­ U¡­ Uuuup?!¡± The man got dragged away by the hands. He didn¡¯t even have the chance to scream. With surprised look, Nainiae strained her eyes big. ¡°Just now¡­ what happened¡­¡± ¡°Those hands¡­ They are the ones that Mr. Riley fought in his past life. To exin more precisely¡­ he fought against the beings who were trapped underground where those hands popped out.¡± ¡°Young Master did?¡± Nainiae muttered. Instead of a reply, the woman sent another firefly light toward Nainiae. In the memory from this firefly light, Nainiae saw men holding ck staff looking objects on their shoulders and aiming at the monsters in front of them. Frustrated, the man threw away the staff that he held on his shoulder. He tightly closed his eyes, thinking this was the end. It was at that moment. A voice, familiar to Nainiae, could be heard. <¡­ Everyone, please move back. I¡¯ll fight it from now on.> ¡°Ah¡­¡± Nainiae mumbled after hearing the voice. The men who were wielding the staffs muttered. ¡°¡­ Young Master!¡± Facing arge monster that wasing to kill him, and with the gazes of the people with high expectations behind him, Riley was drawing the sword from his waist. ¡°¡­¡± Although for a brief moment, Nainiae¡¯s face brightened after hearing Riley¡¯s voice inside the memory. However, having discovered the look on Riley¡¯s face, which was in shambles, Nainiae turned back to the vacant look as if she just lost her soul. ¡°¡­ How was it?¡± The woman in ck, who was watching the look on Nainiae¡¯s face, carefully asked. ¡°He looked¡­ exhausted.¡± Nainiae said as she bit her lips. The woman in ck nodded and started to exin about Riley from his past life. ¡°When he was three years old, he held the Holy Sword, the sword that can only be held by the one allowed by the fate. With that, be became the Brave Hero. Since then, he had swung sword without a day of rest, and¡­¡± ¡°Brave Hero?¡± Nainiae muttered, and the woman in ck continued in low voice. ¡°When he was seven, he killed a human being for the first time. It was a criminal.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°When he was nine, he was betrayed by the teacher who promised to lead him to the right way. He lost his own sister because of that teacher. That man raped Riley¡¯s sister.¡± ¡°Wait, just what¡­¡± ¡°When he was eleven, he killed his teacher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When he was twelve, including the demons he yed, the number of heads he cut down was nearing a thousand.¡± The woman in ck took a moment to breathe and continued with the rest. ¡°When he was fourteen, he lost his parents because he was betrayed by a friend he trusted. Even at this moment, just because he ¡®held the Holy Sword,¡¯ to live up to people¡¯s expectations, he was ying the demons.¡± ¡°To live up to¡­ the people¡¯s expectations?¡± ¡°When he was sixteen, he finally learned that the friend he had been with all this time killed his parents. Having lost his mind, Riley hunted him down and killed him. However¡­ while he was away, many people who were expecting his arrival to save them were killed by the demons.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°When he was seventeen, people started to say that people are dying because the Brave Hero existed. Because of this, he stopped taking actions. As of result, half of the humanity lost their lives¡­ Ironically, it was the Brave Hero who got all of the me and punishments.¡± ¡°Punishments? How?¡± ¡°After this, he was blessed by¡­ No¡­ He was cursed by the Priestess of this world so he could notmit suicide. Since then, he had been swinging sword like a ve. Also¡­¡± Every story was a tragedy. Nainiae¡¯s lips was shaking since a while ago. ¡°When he was neen, many innocent people were branded as demons or witches because of bad judgments of the Priestess. They cursed him as they were in by his sword.¡± As if there was more, the woman in ck continued. ¡°The Priestess¡¯ blessing and curses from the demons and the citizens¡­ With all of them mixed in, he held all of the pain in his chest and continued to swing the sword. However, he only had one body¡­ asionally, there were instances where he could not save a side because he could not be everywhere at once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When he was twenty-two, the children from a city that he could not save came back as demons¡­ In the end, he had to cut those children down with his own hands.¡± The woman in ck handed one of the firefly lights to Nainiae. The woman quietly pulled her chin. <¡­ That¡¯s right.> <¡®Hehe. That¡­ is good¡­ Mister¡­ Then you came to¡­ kill us?> <¡­ That¡¯s right.> ¡°¡­¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s voiceing through the head, Nainiae tightly grabbed her chest as if she was going to tear off her heart. <¡­> <¡­> In Nainiae¡¯s eyes, there was Riley, who was raising the sword with tears in his eyes, being reflected on. Watching this, Nainiae also ended up shedding a drop of tear. ¡°¡­ There are more. Would you like to hear?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The scene from earlier, which showed Riley swinging sword in tears, disappeared. Now, the woman in ck appeared again and asked. Nainiae lowered her head and shook it left and right. ¡°¡­ When he was twenty-six, he lost his life when he defeated the demon lord.¡± As if she was trying to say that this was thest, the woman in ck muttered in quiet voice and gave Nainiae another firefly light. <¡­> <¡­ I¡¯m tired.> The firefly light allowed Nainiae to hear thest words that Riley spoke in his past life. The woman wiped off the tears from Nainiae¡¯s eyes. ¡°I had always been feeling sorry toward him.¡± The woman in ck repeated what she said earlier. ¡°The fact that he didn¡¯t lose his mind to the very end¡­ I still cannot believe that. Now¡­ it seems the memories which he had been suppressing tightly are in danger of bursting.¡± Nainiae realized why Riley was refusing to sleep. With piercing gaze, Nainiae looked at the woman. ¡°So¡­ at least in this life¡­ I tried to let him rest. I tried. Unfortunately¡­ The situation came to where I now have no choice but to seek his help again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If we left it be, many people will die. Not just the people in this world, but the people in your world will also be in danger.¡± The woman in ck looked at the view below once and then Nainiae once. She unveiled her face and showed her white skin as she lowered her head down. ¡°You are¡­¡± The beautiful face that was behind the veil was very simr to someone¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ not a summon spirit?¡± Nainiae asked the woman. The woman looked at Nainiae and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. I ended up deceiving Andal and Heliona, but¡­ I am not a summon spirit.¡± Standing in front of Nainiae¡¯s eyes, there was a beautiful woman who ¡®looked exactly like herself.¡¯ It seemed Nainiae figured out the true identity of the woman. Nainiae pointed at her right eye and asked, ¡°You¡­ You gave me this eye to me, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Unlike myself, who has horrid looking appearance, you are the most beautiful person I had ever seen¡­ You must be¡­¡± Chapter 147 - Black Butterfly (3)

Chapter 147: ck Butterfly (3)

She was incredibly beautiful. More beautiful than anyone. She was beyond and above all, regardless of gender or age. She was more breathtaking than Priestess Priesia or Princess Reutrina. Looking at the woman, Nainiae asked, ¡°Are you¡­ a goddess? A goddess of this other world?¡± In the past, Nainiae felt pain when she tried to locate Goddess Irsa when Priestess Priesia was thinking about the goddess. When Nainiae tried to locate this woman through her right eye when Heliona was visualizing her, Nainiae felt pain that was simr to that incident. This was why she wondered if the woman was a goddess. ¡°¡­ No.¡± The woman with simr face as Nainiae shook her head left and right and said, ¡°I am too shabby to be called a goddess.¡± She had bitter look on her face. The woman covered her face under the veil again and said, ¡°Even now, all I can do is having a conversation with you through help of Irsa.¡± The name of the goddess from Nainiae¡¯s world was mentioned. Nainiae muttered ¡®as I thought¡¯ inside and tuned in to the rest of the exnation. ¡°To answer what you asked earlier¡­ Yes, that¡¯s right. I gave you that eye.¡± The woman in ck looked at the horrible looking right eye of Nainiae and said, ¡°You must have been pointed fingers at a lot. It must have been difficult as a woman. I have done such a horrible thing to you¡­ I¡¯ll understand if you resent me. I am sorry.¡± Having heard the woman¡¯s words, Nainiae shook her head and interrupted her. Nainiae said she didn¡¯t resent the woman for giving her the eye. Nainiae asked, ¡°It was for Young Master, wasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed the woman was surprised by the question. She nodded. ¡°Yes. Of the things that I could do¡­ After having thought hard about what I could do to help Young Master, the result was you, Nainiae.¡± The woman in ck said she made Nainiae to be born in that world, lead her to go to the Magic Tower, made her get the scar on her right eye, and made her meet Riley. ¡°I want to ask you one thing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Below her feet, Nainiae was looking at the scenery of Riley¡¯s past life. Nainiae asked, ¡°My fate in the future¡­ will it flow in the way that you already set?¡± The woman in ck smiled lightly and shook her head slowly. She said, ¡°The fate that I prepared for you was¡­ only up to when you met Mr. Riley. From that point andter was made by you. As a proof of that, you came all the way here only for his sake, didn¡¯t you?¡± The woman said that she thought it might happen but didn¡¯t think Nainiae could reallye and find her. ¡°In that case, it is all right.¡± As if she was satisfied, Nainiae closed her eyes. She organized something in her mind and looked at the woman in front of her again. ¡°Please tell me. What is it that I should do.¡± It seemed Nainiae had made up her mind. Clear and sharp eyes were directed toward the woman. Feeling the gaze, the woman looked back at Nainiae and got to the main point. ¡°First, I¡¯ll heal you.¡± ¡°You mean, by turning me into an artificial summon spirit?¡± ¡°I am not a summon spirit, so you will not be able to be an artificial summon spirit. However, it won¡¯t change the fact that this will resolve the problem that you are having.¡± The woman¡¯s body suddenly started to be faint. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t have much time. I am sorry, Nainiae. I don¡¯t think we have enough time to exin this in detail.¡± Only a moment ago, the woman was able to deliver her voice clearly. Having noticed the woman¡¯s body suddenly bing faint, Nainiae also wondered what was going on as she tilted her head to the side. Like before, the woman sounded echoing voice and desperately pleaded to Nainiae. ¡°I don¡¯t think Young Master would listen to you now?¡± Having heard the woman¡¯s question, Nainiae thought about the dark mage from the Rainfield and nodded. ¡°That means¡­¡± The woman exined the events that could urter. She then gathered her hands together and pleaded to Nainiae. ¡°¡­¡± In silence, Nainiae was not responding. The woman bit her lips and took a step forward. The woman asked again, <¡­ Please.> The woman asked for the third time. It was not a plead from another human like Nainiae. It was not from the summon spirit that Nainiae expected either. It was from the goddess of this other world. ¡°I¡­¡± Nainiae took a moment of pause. With a serious look on her face, Nainiae looked straight at the goddess in front of her and said, ¡°¡­ I do not wish to make things difficult for Young Master.¡± Having heard her response, the woman, who was looking at Nainiae through the veil, could not look more disappointed. ¡®I have done unspeakable things to her and him¡­ so this is an obvious oue.¡¯ Nainiae still had the serious look on her face and looked at the goddess in front of her. Nainiae took in a short breath and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you this.¡± <¡­?> ¡°Right now, Young Master is suffering because of the memories from his past life, right?¡± Wondering what Nainiae was getting at, the woman was not able to respond right away. She was deep in thoughts to figure out the reason why Nainiae asked this. Nainiae judged that the silence must be the answer. She made a proposal right away. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go with them too.¡± ¡°The burdens that Young Master is shouldering¡­ The things to worry about¡­ Allow me to shoulder them with him.¡± * * * ¡°Nainiae is¡­ not waking up.¡± It was at the Duke Philisneon mansion¡¯s infirmary. A boy and a girl were lying next to each other on the bed. Sera was looking at them. With her head supported by her palm, she sighed deeply. ¡°It¡¯s already been two days.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you are a summon spirit, Ms. Heliona! I am a human. I grow ever so anxious with passage of time, so I cannot stand still!¡± Heliona flinched after hearing Sera¡¯s shouting. Heliona realized that the passage of time felt by a human being was different from a summon spirit¡¯s perspective. Feeling awkward, Heliona scratched her cheek. Heliona mumbled as she proposed the idea. Sera shook her head to say that was beyond her. Sera said, ¡°No, that is¡­¡± It was said that even talented ones took five years to get to Three Circles, yet going for the Seven Circles? Sera came to sudden realization just what kind of incredible height Nainiae reached. With disappointed look on her face, Sera dropped her head. ¡°¡­ Yes. I am sorry.¡± It seemed Sera was thinking what she said earlier was too much. Sera lowered her head and apologized. Heliona blushed as if she got embarrassed. She fetched another idea. ¡°Pray?¡± ¡°Well, that is true, but¡­ I¡¯m the kind that doesn¡¯t exactly believe in religions, so¡­¡± Sera exined that she came to not believe in the existence of the goddess while she lived in the Lower Solia. Sera then asked a question that came up in her head. ¡°By the way, where did you hear that? Sighing will reduce lifespan, and people pray when things are tough.¡± Her master¡­ She was talking about Andal, the dragon who transformed into a human form to be on an amusement tour in the human world. She had picked up all sorts of stuff about humans from him. Heliona stopped in middle of the sentence. ¡°¡­ Master?¡± It was because she was not supposed to disclose things about her master. She quickly changed her words. Instead of Andal, Heliona now said that she heard it from Nainiae. Sera was epting her response, saying ¡®I see.¡¯ Having noticed that Sera bought it, Heliona secretly sighed in relief. <¡­ Phew¡­> Sera was nodding as if she believed her, and Heliona was sighing. At that moment, sounds of steps could be heard outside the door. It wasing closer to the room. ¡°Um?¡± It sounded like the steps belonged to a woman. It made tap sounds. Sera turned her head toward the door and went ¡®sniff sniff¡¯ with her nose to check the smell that was approaching. ¡®This scent¡­ Is it the Princess?¡¯ Sera got up from the chair that she had ced at the front of the bed. She then carefully approached the door. Knock Knock As soon as Sera got to the door, two or three knocks could be heard. ¡°Excuse me. Are you there?¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°For the past few days, both Sera and Nainiae¡­ I don¡¯t think I have seen any of you. I came to ask if things were all right. Is Young Master¡¯s condition still the same?¡± Nainiae was practically like a lifeline. Now, even Nainiae was at a state where they had no way of knowing when she would wake up, just like Riley. So, they decided to keep this a secret. Sera even decided not to leave the room for the time being. Having heard Reutrina¡¯s question, Sera pulled her chin and said, ¡°Yes. His condition worsened, so¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll contact you when there are any improvements.¡± With that as the end of her response, Sera was going to move away from the door. At that moment, Reutrina asked carefully from the outside, ¡°¡­ Excuse me. Is Nainiae in there?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sera was going to take back steps and go back to the bed. She flinched her shoulders after hearing the question. ¡°Sera?¡± Sera hesitated, not knowing how to respond to the question. With her voice full of panic, Sera asked, ¡°J¡­ Just now, what did you say?¡± ¡°Nainiae. I would like to speak to Nainiae for a moment.¡± Talkak ¡°¡­?!¡± With that sound, the door handle turned. Sera, who took back steps to move away from the door, got petrified. ¡°¡­ Excuse me.¡± ¡®I was sure I locked the door?¡¯ The locked door opened as if it wasn¡¯t at all. Reutrina in a dress leisurely waked in. ¡°Princess¡­ Just what are you¡­¡± Reutrina opened the locked door and entered forcibly. Sera was going to question Reutrina for her actions. However, feeling that Reutrina¡¯s atmosphere was definitely different from the usual, Sera lost her words. She merely opened her mouth vacantly. ¡°¡­ What¡¯s this?¡± Having entered the room, Reutrina seemed she was not interested in Sera who was just standing there vacantly. Instead, Reutrina saw Riley and Nainiae lying next to each other on the bed and wiggled her brows. ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no fever either.¡± Reutrina looked at Riley and muttered in low voice. ¡°¡­ Just sleeping?¡± Afterwards, she looked at Nainiae. The tip of Reutrina¡¯s mouth got twisted in bizarre angle. ¡°Two of them are, next to each other?¡± It was not certain if she was satisfied or angry about Riley and Nainiae lying next to each other. Reutrina¡¯s smile was to the point of sending chills down the spine. With that look on her face, she turned and looked at Sera, who was petrified. ¡°Ha, ahhaha¡­¡± ¡°P¡­ Princess?¡± <¡­?!> When Sera carefully called Reutrina, Heliona, who was hiding behind Sera¡¯s shoulder and watching the situation, panicked and screamed, <¡­ Sera! Watch out!!> Despite her shouting, Sera, who was standing there vacantly, did not manage to respond. Her body was bent like a bow. ¡°Uuuubup?! Khuuuurk!!¡± Her stomach was struck. Sera coughed out blood from her mouth. She got thrown outside as she shattered the ss window. Having seen what just happened, Heliona tumbled and flew outside the window. ¡°Well then¡­ With the hindrance now gone¡­¡± Reutrina shook off her right fist that she swung at Sera and dusted it off. With seductive look on her face, Reutrina turned to look at Riley. ¡°Well then, shall we leisurely enjoy ourselves?¡± She extended her white finger as if it was a snake. She started to use her finger to brush over Riley¡¯s cheek. Reutrina¡¯s eyes were saturated in purple. ¡°It¡¯s such a waste that I¡¯ll be throwing away the title of Princess, but¡­¡± She let out her tongue and licked her lips. Reutrina smiled as she looked at Riley who was asleep. ¡°If it is you, Young Master, you will show me a wonderful memory, right? So that I won¡¯t feel that losing my title was not a waste?¡± Chapter 148 - Metamorphosis (1)

Chapter 148: Metamorphosis (1)

Nainiae proposed that she would also like to shoulder the burden that Riley was carrying. The woman in ck, who was bing fainter by the minute like a mirage, asked back as if she didn¡¯t quite hear it. <¡­ What do you mean?> Although the woman heard Nainiae, the woman was asking as if she didn¡¯t hear it. Nainiae asked once again clearly, ¡°The things that are making everything difficult for Young Master¡­ The things Young Master is suffering from¡­ I¡¯ll share the burden with him. I want to do that.¡± Despitecking a few fingers, with strength, Nainiae pointed at the woman with her right hand. She then added that she will not cooperate with the woman¡¯s world or this world if the goddess didn¡¯t ept her terms. The woman saw that Nainiae was looking at her with steady eyes, without saying anything back. The woman hesitated for a moment and asked, The woman was asking again to confirm Nainiae¡¯s intention. However, her sentence stopped. It was Nainiae¡¯s eyes. Although the scars on Nainiae¡¯s face made her exude very different atmosphere from the woman, the girl¡¯s face was very much like the woman¡¯s face as if they were copies of each other. The girl was looking at the woman with steady look on her eyes. The woman called the girl¡¯s name. The girl closed the hand that she had raised to point at the woman and said, ¡°In the past¡­ I¡¯ve heard from Young Master that sadness bes half when shared. I didn¡¯t understand it back then. Now, I think I can understand it a little.¡± <¡­> ¡°I want to do that for him.¡± Nainiae¡¯s voice sounded sincere. It seemed she had made up her mind. The woman was gradually bing fainter like a mirage. Aware of her body shaking with glitch, the woman warned for thest time, <¡­ You will need to prepare your heart for it.> Nainiae responded right away. ¡°I was always prepared.¡± This year, during thete summer¡­ Just like how Riley extended his hand toward Nainiae and said ¡®I need you,¡¯ Nainiae extended her hand out and had shy smile on her face. ¡°I had been prepared since thest summer when Young Master held his hand out for me.¡± <¡­ Huhu.> Having heard the girl¡¯s response, the woman smiled as if she was dering defeat. The woman sent all of the firefly lights around to Nainiae and started to exin, The firefly lights came to Nainiae. Surrounding Nainiae, the lights steadily exuded light. Nainiae looked around the lights and then looked at the woman in front of her. The fading image of the woman was shaking more than earlier. Concerned, Nainiae asked, ¡°Will you be all right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed the woman was hurting somewhere. She suddenly bent over and started to cry in pain. However, having confirmed again that the woman didn¡¯t have much time left, Nainiae saved the questions. Instead, she waited for the woman to speak so she could heed her words. ¡®Holy Sword?¡¯ Her voice was getting choppy. The ck butterfly that was resting on the woman¡¯s shoulder pped its wings and flew toward Nainiae. The woman glitched as if the time was up. Without being able to finish her words, she disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­¡± Afterwards, the scenery from Riley¡¯s past life that was visible below Nainiae¡¯s feet started to turn pitch ck like before. ¡®What about Young Master?¡¯ Nainiae looked around the darkness that fell around her again. It was around this time where Nainiae was worried about Riley. The firefly lights that came next to Nainiae started to move slowly. ¡®¡­¡¯ The firefly lights started to exude light. The ck butterfly that came flying toward Nainiae flew to Nainiae¡¯s right eye and¡­ ¡°¡­Ah¡± Nainiae opened her eyes. ¡®This ce is?¡¯ Awakened, Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. The ceiling looked familiar. The room was the infirmary at Duke Philisneon¡¯s Manor where she used the Dream Link magic. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae woke up with someone¡¯s memories. She looked like someone who had been lost in terrible nightmare for a long time. She woke up as she shed tears in silence. Buildings¡­ Cars¡­ Demons¡­ She opened her eyes with the memories and knowledges from Riley¡¯s past life intact. Her head felt unusually heavy. She moved hear head and got up from the bed. ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Instead of wiping off her tears, she felt that checking Riley who was on the bed was more important. She got up, called for Riley and turned to look. ¡°¡­?¡± A question mark floated up on Nainiae¡¯s face. It was because there was just her instead on the bed where Riley was supposed to have been lying. ¡°Ms. Sera?¡± Wondering what happened, Nainiae called Sera, the one who she asked to look after them in her absence. Wheeeeeee¡­ There was just the sound of the wind. Nainiae didn¡¯t get a response. She looked toward the window and got out of the bed. ¡°Ms. Heliona?¡± Nainiae muttered the name of the summon spirit. Looking at where the wind sound wasing from, Nainiae noticed that the room¡¯s window was shattered. The ce was a mess. ¡®What happened¡­¡¯ Because of the wind, only the curtain was flowing in the air and made noise. However, there was no response from anyone. ¡°Is there nobody around¡­¡± Nainiae muttered. She was wiping the tear on her cheek, but she suddenly stopped mumbling. ¡®What is this?¡¯ It was because the sensation she felt on her hand as she wiped off her face was different. It was different from sticky and bulging skin that she had from the scar. It felt smooth and soft. That was not the only thing that was different. Something different could be felt from the hand she was using to wipe off the tears. ¡®¡­ Ah.¡¯ She lowered the hand that she was using to wipe off the tears and checked the hand. Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. She realized that the two fingers, the ones that she lost because she bit them off during the experiment at the Magic Tower, were attached on her hand soundly. * * * Sera, who was bounced off to the outside of the window, was flinching the area near her eyes. She barely managed to get up. ¡°Uu¡­ Uuuuk¡­¡± It could be said that she was fortunate to have fallen on soft snow. Feeling the snow wind grazing her face, she was barely able toe to her senses. In pain, she cringed and started to groan. ¡®Ribs are¡­¡¯ Holding her side, Sera checked how seriously injured she was. She realized that the situation was quite dire. Sera looked at the window she flew off from. ¡®Just now, my body refused to move.¡¯ Earlier, Sera did hear Heliona¡¯s warning. However, Sera was unable to move. She was about to ponder why, but she knew that there was a more pressing matter at hand at the moment. Sera stopped her thoughts and got up. ¡°¡­ Young Master¡­ Nainiae.¡± It was because Sera was concerned for Riley and Nainiae who were left inside the infirmary. She was worried about what Reutrina would do to them. ¡®That intensity¡­ It¡¯s dangerous.¡¯ Sera thought about how Reutrina quickly closed the distance and struck her on the stomach. Thinking about Reutrina¡¯s arm, Sera felt the pain in her ribs and cringed once again. Sera faltered. Tak! With the sound of snapping fingers, the sound of me burning up could be heard. Sera, who was vacantly staring up at the window at the infirmary, looked to the side. ¡°Ms. Heliona.¡± Heliona had serious look on her face. Sera struggled and nodded. Sera blew out frozen mist and said, ¡°I am all right, so Young Master¡­ and Nainiae¡­¡± Sera asked Heliona to quickly return to the room and stop Reutrina. With serious face, Heliona shook her head and said, ¡°Why¡­ Kuuuk!¡± It was a dare situation. However, it seemed Heliona was maintain herposure. She slowly exined why it was impossible. ¡°In that case!¡± ¡°A seed of fire?¡± Heliona fiddled with her chin and organized her thoughts. She looked back at Sera and muttered as if the situation could not be helped. ¡°A temporary contract? What¡¯s that about¡­¡± ¡°Ms. Heliona?¡± Sera flinched after hearing Heliona¡¯s question. Sera nodded as if she understood. Heliona spread her wings wide and said, With that, Heliona closed her eyes slowly and raised her right hand to the front. Heliona mumbled iprehensible words and put forth her hand. Sera put forth her hand forward as well as if she was mesmerized. She touched Heliona¡¯s small palm with her own. <¡­ It¡¯splete.> With their hands touching, their hands both burned in me. ¡®This is?¡¯ Sera was a little surprised by the fire on her hand. However, she realized it was not hot to her hand. Surprised, Sera opened her eyes big and looked at Heliona. Heliona sat on Sera¡¯s shoulder and took a brief moment to calm her breathing. Heliona looked at Sera and said, ¡°Really?¡± Sera was shocked to hear what Heliona said. With hardened look on her face, Sera drew her swords from the waist. Whooowaaarurururuk. Soon, just like what was on her hand, the swords that Sera drew also started to burn up in majestic me that was of same color as Heliona¡¯s wings. ¡®This is?¡¯ ¡°Break through? What¡­¡± With the pain in her ribs, Sera faltered against the snow wind as she asked. However, Heliona did not answer. ¡°Ah¡­ I see.¡± With her own eyes, Sera confirmed what she had to break through. ¡°¡­¡± At the entrance of the mansion that Sera was trying to go back in, there were guards with eyes thatcked focus. It was as if they were mesmerized, under influence of something. The guards were wielding swords and spears and standing against Sera. Chapter 149 - Metamorphosis (2)

Chapter 149: Metamorphosis (2)

Heliona mumbled in a serious tone. However, her voice contained confidence in Sera. Heliona was certain that Sera will be victorious. ¡®Do as I usually do¡­¡¯ Having heard Heliona¡¯s confident words, Sera looked at her swords and the edges burning with me in full force. Nervous, Sera bit her lips. Heliona added that Sera should enjoy thising battle. It seemed hearing that was like igniting the fuse. Sera tightly held the swords and started to march forward. Step, another step¡­ Initially, she moved as if she was just walking. Her legs started to move faster. Soon, she was charging in full speed. ¡®I feel like my side is going to break down, but¡­¡¯ Sera¡¯s swords shed sharply with the guards¡¯ weapons, and the collision spread the me from her swords. ¡®¡­ I don¡¯t have the time to¡­ hesitate.¡¯ Melting the wind blowing around her, Sera charged toward the entrance of the mansion. She fixed her grips on her swords. With force, she swung the swords toward the spears that the guards were aiming at her. ¡°¡­!¡± When the weapons collided, half a tempoter, Heliona¡¯s me on the swords shook and engulfed the guards. ¡°Uk.¡± The guards all had somewhat dense look on their eyes. After being engulfed by Heliona¡¯s me, one after the other, they started to regain their senses. ¡°Uuuak!¡± ¡°F¡­ Fire! Fire!¡± Aftering to their senses, the guards rolled on the ground in hurry to put out the fires on their bodies. Sera observed other guards who were charging at her. ¡®What is this? Their eyes¡­ something is off.¡¯ Somehow, their eyes looked as if they were all hypnotized. While swinging her swords and looking at the guards¡¯ eyes, she thought about how she could not dodge Reutrina¡¯s strike earlier. ¡®As if they were mesmerized by something, they are¡­ being controlled?¡¯ They had emotionless expressions. They were not making any sounds through their mouths. They just kept quiet and swung their spears. Having noticed this, Sera gritted her teeth and swung her swords in wide sweep to deflect the tip of the spears that wereing at her. ¡®Kuk¡­¡¯ In middle of therge swing motion, Sera felt the pain on her broken ribs. Sera crumpled her face. ¡°¡­ Uk.¡± Sera cringed after hearing what Heliona said. She endured the pain and continued her next movement. ¡®That¡¯s right. I can¡­ endure this.¡¯ She turned her body in circle and fixed the grips on her two swords. She swept away the weapons that wereing at her once again and started to dance. She spun her fingers and changed the stance on one of the swords. She moved her legs to get to different spots. After her swords were swung, half a tempoter, the mes followed and waved as if they were cheering Sera. It was like a fire dance. ¡°¡­ Aaaaak!!¡± Because of the pain, she roared as if she was screaming in pain. She pushed away four guards at once and finished her move. ¡°Uuuuuaaak!¡± ¡°F¡­ Fire!¡± Following the swords¡¯ trajectories, the mes cameter and got on four guards who were charging toward Sera. The mes made the guards toe back to their senses. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± Sera swung the sword and dusted off her wrist. There were guards, who finally got a grip, staring at her. Not giving a damn about their stares, Sera looked around to check the situation. ¡°You are¡­ a maid from the Iphalleta Family?¡± One of the guards remembered that this was Sera, the one he metst time at the gate who pleaded with him to let them in. The guard, wondering what was happening at the moment, vacantly blinked his eyes. ¡°Pardon? But¡­¡± ¡®¡­ Certainly¡­¡¯ Sera must have been thinking the same. Sera nodded and said to the guards who had confused looks. ¡°Can you get up?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Sera had one of her swords pierce the ground and then extended her hand toward one of the guards. Meanwhile, she swung the other hand with the sword to her back. Whuwaaaarurururru! Following the sword¡¯s trajectory, the empty air got caught in fire and repelled the vacant-eyed guards from charging in. ¡°Uk?¡± ¡°Those guys, why are they?¡± The guards were ordered by Reutrina to treat the Riley¡¯s group well. The guard was confused from seeing his fellow guards¡¯ behavior. ¡°I am sorry. There is not much time.¡± She helped the guard to stand, drew the sword she had stuck on the ground earlier, and asked for help. ¡°Can you please help me? Please stop those people for me.¡± The guard was trying to remember what he was doing until earlier. He tried, but he couldn¡¯t remember. He asked Sera, ¡°Just what is happening? Can you please exin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I am about to go and find out. I need to protect my Young Master.¡± The guard looked at Sera and gulped. ¡°¡­¡± Her clothes were crumpled as if she was struck by something blunt on her stomach. Things on her hair and shoulders were not snow. They were broken ss pieces. These were the reasons why. ¡°Please.¡± Despite the broken ribs, she endured the pain and lowered her head. It seemed her sincerity worked. After a brief moment to think, the guard tightly grabbed his spear and said, ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± ¡°Just one thing. Please exin to us what happe¡­¡± The guard was gazing on his fellow guards¡¯ eyes as he continued words. It was at that moment. ¡°¡­ Kiiiiaaaaaaak!!¡± A creepy scream, almost like a beastly roar, could be heard from inside the mansion. ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± <¡­?!> Having heard the scream, not just guards and Sera, but even Heliona, who was being next to Sera and protecting her, flinched. It was that sickening to hear. ¡°This scream is?¡± The scream sounded like someone was cringing in pain. Sera, who was standing there with nk look, soon guessed who it must be and mumbled in low voice, ¡°¡­ Princess Reutrina?¡± It was Princess Reutrina¡¯s scream. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you!¡± ¡°W¡­ Wait!¡± Sera could not bear to stand there anymore. She dashed past the guard and ran into the mansion. The guard, who put his hand forward in her direction, realized his fellow guards approaching from behind. The guard ground his teeth. ¡°Kuuk? Hey! What¡¯s wrong with you!¡± The guard shouted in panic. However, as if the other guards were deaf, they tumbled around with dull eyes, only interested in catching Sera who just ran into the mansion. * * * Awakened from her sleep, Nainiae was alone in the room. She barely managed toe to her senses and run out of the room. ¡®¡­ There¡¯s nobody around?¡¯ Although she was outside of the room, she didn¡¯t see any of the servants who were there to keep them under surveince. Nainiae narrowed her eyes and looked around. She checked to the ends of the corridor to the left and right. She realized there was nobody around. Nainiae thought about the broken window earlier. ¡®Something is happening.¡¯ Instead of wondering about how her face and fingers changed¡­ she was more anxious about Riley, Sera and Heliona. Nainiae tried putting her hand on her chest near the heart. ¡®Mana is¡­ still running normally.¡¯ Unlike inside the dream earlier, her mana was running normally in full force. Having confirmed this, as a test, she tried spinning a ring inside her heart. ¡®There isn¡¯t any resistance. Well then, really.¡¯ Having confirmed her body¡¯s condition, she raised her right hand and quickly brought it down. Huuuuk! A high-level wind magic was activated. Along with the sound of whirlwind, Nainiae¡¯s skirt waved in the air. In circr pattern, the wind spread through the corridor and caused a small crack on the wall. ¡°I am¡­ fully healed?¡± If what the woman in the dream said was true, Nainiae was now something a little different from an artificial summon spirit. However¡­ the important thing was that the illness waspletely cured now. ¡°All right, then.¡± Until now, Nainiae had been holding back on her magic. It was like enduring thirst by a few drops of water. Now, she decided to use magic to her heart¡¯s content. She started to spin three of the rings in her heart. ¡®First¡­¡¯ Nainiae used three magic spells at once, and the corridor, which had nobody around, started to distort. ¡°¡­ Kiiiiaaaaaaaak!!¡± Watching the distorted space, Nainiae was able to hear the sounds echoing through the mansion clearly. She realized who it was that just screamed and mumbled her name. ¡®Princess Reutrina?¡¯ Because Nainiae only just woke up, she had no way of knowing what happened prior to this. With a question mark on her face, Nainiae walked toward the distorted space. ¡°¡­ Kuuuuk! Hey! Get a grip!¡± Nainiae walked into the distorted space and moved to the mansion¡¯s entrance instantly. She looked at the guards who were fighting each other and then looked for Sera. ¡®Ms. Sera is¡­ not here?¡¯ Along with the blink magic, she also cast summon spirit tracking magic to find traces of Heliona. Having noticed that Sera was not around, she again distorted the space behind her and prepared blink magic. ¡°Uuu um?¡± After Sera left, the guard, who was struggling against vacant-eyed fellow guards, felt a presence behind him. He turned to look and flinched. ¡®What?!¡¯ As if a ss developed a crack, the space behind him was starting to shatter along with cracking sounds. That was not all. There was a beautiful girl who he had never seen before, someone who he would have believed if she imed to havee from a fairy tale book, was breathing out frozen mist and looking around the area. ¡°W¡­ Who are you?!¡± Nainiae was widening the space behind like shattering a ss window and was about to move to a different ce. She turned to look at the guard and tilted her head to the side. ¡°What do you mean who?¡± It was because she had met the guard before. It was the guard who she threatened to let them inside the mansion. He was the one who they didn¡¯t make a good first impression. ¡°Ah.¡± Nainiae was about to exin who she was. However, she noticed a spearing at the guard from his back. She waved her right hand in the air and drew something. ¡°¡­ Look behind you, behind.¡± It seemed Nainiae¡¯s magic was faster than the spear. The spear that was swung by a vacant-eyed guard turned soft like a rubber. It was rubbing the guard¡¯s back. The guard, who was mesmerized by Nainiae¡¯s beauty and just staring at her, finally got a grip and pushed his fellow guard away. ¡°Kuk!¡± Afterwards, the guard turned his head and tried to chase the girls face with his eyes. However, ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was already long gone to a different ce by piercing through the space. ¡°Hu¡­ uuuhup! Uuuuuu¡­¡­¡± After opening the space, Nainiae instantly teleported from the garden to somewhere inside the mansion. She finally had visual confirmation of the two that she had been looking for. ¡®Ms. Sera and¡­ Ms. Heliona¡­¡¯ It was pretty dark, but there was an orange colored light steadily glowing there. It was not hard to check the area, so Nainiae found them quickly. However, she was hesitant to call them. Instead, Nainiae just bit her lips. It was because she was worried. She was concerned they may not recognize her just like how the guard did not. <¡­?> It seemed Heliona felt the gaze. Heliona, who was sitting on Sera¡¯s shoulder, turned her head and vacantly opened her mouth. <¡­ Nainiae?> Sera watched the mes on her swords disappearing. She also opened her mouth and turned her head. ¡°¡­?¡± Sera was not able to recognize Nainiae. She was about to carefully call out the name. At that moment, the scream could be heard again. It was making everyone there go deaf. ¡°Aaaaaaaak!!¡± It was Reutrina¡¯s scream. ¡°Ah¡­ ugh¡­¡± Having heard the horrible scream, a boy crumpled his face and blocked his ears. He rubbed away eye boogers andined, ¡°What¡¯s happening¡­ What was that for? Also, where is this ce? Moreover, what time is it?¡± It was Riley. ¡°Uuuu! Uuuuuaaaa!¡± ¡°Ugh. That¡¯s hurting my ears.¡± Reutrina was pulling her hairs out and suffering as if she ate something wrong. From a while ago, she was muttering strange things and screaming as if she was having seizures. ¡°That cannot be! That cannot be!¡± Reutrina wasn¡¯t just pulling her hair out. Tears, drools¡­ Her face was a mess. She was struggling with the memories that she saw from Riley. Chapter 150 - Metamorphosis (3)

Chapter 150: Metamorphosis (3)

Princess Reutrina, the one in charge of the ¡®head¡¯ portion of the people who were referred in six parts, received a letter from herrade Kabal. A few minutes ago, she brought Riley, a guest who she gave the infirmary for him to rest as a patient, to her room by dragging him. ¡°Now.¡± The otherworldly power that she possessed was reading the other¡¯s thoughts and memories and controlling them. She dragged Riley here to use her ability. ¡°Young Master, show me your memories.¡± She ced her fingers on Riley like a snake. She then exuded purple light from her finger and started to touch Riley¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see.¡± Using her ability, Reutrina started to dig into Riley¡¯s memories, which were tightly hidden away in fogs. Reutrina furrowed her eyebrows after witnessing the very first sight. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ Going past the fogs, what Reutrina saw in Riley¡¯s memories was a ce that was drenched in red blood and leaked of blood. If anyone asked where it was¡­ ¡®A Holy Temple?¡¯ It looked like a church or a holy temple. ¡®Why does it leak of blood here?¡¯ Reutrina had smelled blood many times in the past, but it was the first for even her to smell this kind of blood. It was that strange. She tilted her head to the side and wondered, but then she saw the back of someone who looked familiar. ¡®¡­ This man is?¡¯ The smell of blood wasing from that man. ¡®Young Master Riley?¡¯ He was wielding a brilliant and majestic sword, but even the sword had the strange blood on it. One thing interesting about it was that the blood color was not red. It was purple. ¡°Your eyes look as if you are about to die at any moment. How could you havee all there way here, standing before me? I really¡­ cannot understand this.¡± Having heard the voiceing from somewhere in front of Riley, Reutrina, who was watching the memory in hiding, turned her gaze to the front of Riley. ¡®That is?¡¯ In front of Reutrina, in front of Riley to be precise, the being had red skin although he was not bleeding. The being had a palm sized ck horn on his head. ¡°That sure is.¡± Having heard the man with the horn, the man who appeared to be Riley shook his head and responded in a low voice. He looked exhausted. His voice was so weak that the one who just said ¡®That sure is¡¯ would not have looked odd if he just copsed right now. ¡°You may be a Brave Hero who were born with blessing, but¡­ Still, you are just a human. Nothing would look out of the ordinary if you died right now.¡± ¡°Instead of a blessing, it is probably a curse.¡± ¡°Curse. Certainly, you do have many curses cast on you, but they should only pale inparison to the blessings you have?¡± The man with the horn called Riley a Brave Hero. Riley, with bitter look on his face, muttered, ¡°Hu¡­ A Demon Lord is being concerned for a Brave Hero? You sure are something. This is unbelievable. The fact that a Demon Lord is kinder than Priestess¡­ I don¡¯t know who I should bring this up to.¡± Riley called the man ¡®Demon Lord.¡¯ The Demon Lord¡¯s lips crumpled. ¡°Did you say¡­ I am kind?¡± ¡°Ahah¡­ If I knew this sooner, I would have acted from being on your side instead. There won¡¯t have been anyone trying to trip me over, and I won¡¯t have had to worry about people¡¯s opinions either.¡± Riley roughly wiped the blood stained sword on his pants to clean it. The Demon Lord extended his hand toward Riley and made a proposal. ¡°In that case, even if it is from this moment and forward, how about standing on my side?¡± ¡°No.¡± Riley had a bitter smile on his face. He said, ¡°The bastard called God always does things as one pleases. The God is selfish too.¡± He was refusing the proposal. ¡®Just what is this? Brave Hero? Demon Lord?¡¯ They mentioned Brave Hero and Demon Lord. The conversation was iprehensible for Reutrina. She stood there like an invisible woman. It was around the time when she furrowed her brows. Riley aimed his sword to the front. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drag this out any further, so¡­ Regardless of who wins, I think it would be best to finish this soon.¡± The sword that Riley aimed to the front was engulfed in steady light. The Demon Lord, who had his arms crossed on his chest until this moment, lowered them and started to look at Riley. ¡°¡­ Before that.¡± To be precise, the Demon Lord was starting to look at the invisible woman who was standing behind Riley. ¡®¡­?!¡¯ The Demon Lord was looking at her with violent look on his eyes. Reutrina, who was standing there idly until now, flinched her shoulders. ¡°There is a kitty cat there watching us in hiding.¡± The man¡¯s eyes started to overflow with purple light. Reutrina, who had the same purple glow in her eyes, muttered in disbelief, ¡®Y¡­ You are?¡¯ He was simr to a great being that she knew and served. However, the pressure from Demon Lord was far more over overwhelming. Looking at the Demon Lord, Reutrina started to stumble back. ¡°You are just a trifle thing. You dare to pry on me?¡± ¡®Ah, ah ah¡­¡¯ ¡°I do not recall giving anyone the permission to watch me fight.¡± The Demon Lord extended his hand. Riley, who only showed the back of his head until now, also casually turned his head and looked at Reutrina who was stumbling back in fear. ¡°¡­¡± ¡®¡­ Ug.¡¯ His eyes could not look any deadlier. As soon as she had her eyes meet with Riley¡¯s, she could not breathe. Before she thought ¡®I¡¯ll die!¡¯, her vision was painted in darkness. It felt like she was deep under the sea where there was no light. ¡°You sure do handle a lot of annoying things although you are supposed to be a Demon Lord.¡± ¡°A Brave Hero has the qualification to fight me undisturbed. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s interesting!¡± With that conversation as thest thing she heard, Reutrina was kicked out of Riley¡¯s memories. She looked like she was frightened from a terrible nightmare. ¡°Kiiiaaaaaaaak!!¡± She screamed and took her hand off from Riley¡¯s head. Afterwards¡­ Riley opened his eyes. * * * Thanks to Reutrina, who was screaming at the moment¡­ Thanks to Nainiae to be precise, Riley was able to wake up from the long slumber. He was cringing as if his ears were hurting. ¡°That mouth needs to be plugged up¡­¡± He still looked sleepy. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked around. He felt gazes from his back, so he turned his head and found a beautiful girl with ivory white skin. ¡°Ah.¡± Soon, as if he turned his head just now in order to find this girl, Riley had bright look on his face. He opened his mouth and called the girl¡¯s name. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The girl flinched her shoulders. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She was concerned. The guard did not recognize her. Heliona took a moment before recognizing her. ¡®In that case, would Young Master recognize me?¡¯ She was concerned about that. In the end, it was unnecessary. Even though her face changed, and her right hand became whole again, Riley immediately recognized that the girl was the maid who served him. ¡°Did you say¡­ Nainiae?¡± Sera was standing there vacantly. Having heard what Riley said, she started to stare at Nainiae in disbelief. ¡°Before that one starts yelling again, can you please put a plug on her mouth?¡± Riley put up his thumb and pointed to the side. Having heard the order, Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She finally got to lock gazes with the man who she was concerned for so long because he was not able to wake up all this time. Also, he recognized her face immediately. Besides these, Nainiae had several otherplicated emotions surging through her inside. Still, she held in her tears and moved her right hand. ¡®Silence.¡¯ In the Dragon¡¯s Language, she used the highest-level silence magic that she could cast. After casting the spell on Reutrina, Nainiae immediately gathered her two hands and lowered her head to greet Riley. ¡°Young Master, have you¡­ slept well?¡± In tearful voice, Nainiae asked if he slept well. Riley asked back as if he found the whole thing bizarre. ¡°What¡¯s that? Why are you about to cry?¡± With her head lowered, Nainiae wiped off her tears. Soon, she showed smiling face and shook her head as if there was nothing to be concerned about. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Finally¡­ Finally¡­ It was because she finally got to understand just how painful the memories that Riley had. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Having heard her response, Riley moved his eyes and looked at Sera as he raised his arm to the front. ¡°Sera, hand me your sword for a moment.¡± ¡°Sword? Why¡­¡± ¡°Just give it to me for now.¡± Sera was vacantly staring at Nainiae, who had apletely different feel to her. Sera tilted her head to the side as if a wind blew in from somewhere. She then tossed one of the swords that she was holding to Riley. ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but¡­¡± Riley snatched the sword from the air. He vacantly stared at the sword in his hand for a moment. He then leisurely tried swinging it. Riley put up a puzzled look on his face. ¡°¡­ is it just the mood?¡± Meanwhile, Reutrina was growing more insane as she either pulled her hair out or drooled. She moved her lips and put her hand toward Riley. ¡®Young Master!¡¯ Reutrina¡¯s hand was glowing with purple light. Nainiae was going to use magic immediately at Reutrina¡¯s hand. However, she stopped her right hand before using the Dragon¡¯s Language in the middle. ¡°What the¡­ What¡¯s with the Princess?¡± With her head lowered, Reutrina was approaching Riley from the back. Riley avoided Reutrina¡¯s hand without even looking. He smoothly tripped Reutrina and made her fall over. He pierced her skirt with the sword he was wielding all the way down to the floor to get her stuck. ¡°¡­¡± Because of the silence magic, others could not hear what Reutrina was saying. They could only observe her mouth moving. Reutrina tore the skirt that was getting in her way and got up. She charged at Riley once again. ¡°Are you really that interested in me?¡± Riley remembered that Reutrina had been sending sticky gazes toward him ever since the prospective marriage meeting. As if he was annoyed, he dodged her hand and picked up the sword he had stuck on the floor. ¡°More importantly, we were at the cave. Now that I opened my eyes, we are here. So, what are we doing here?¡± The Princess was still unable toe to her senses and running wild. Riley dodged her hand several more times and looked at Sera and Nainiae, wondering what this was about. Sera was panicking from watching Reutrina faltering around as if she had let go of her sanity. Sera asked Riley, ¡°Y¡­ Young Master, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Remember or whatever¡­ I took a nap and got up, and the scenery changed. Do you think the situation does not warrant a question?¡± ¡°N¡­ Nap?¡± ¡°Ugh, what a pest.¡± It seemed Riley got annoyed by the Princess who kept on trying to stick to him. Riley cringed and lightly turned his body to the side. He used the side of the sword to smack the back side of Reutrina¡¯s knee. ¡®Um?¡¯ However, the sound that was generated from the impact was somethingpletely different from what Riley expected. Riley furrowed his brows. ¡®She is not falling down?¡¯ An ordinary woman would have lost strength in her legs and plummeted from this. However, for some reason, instead of getting on her knees, Reutrina was running even wilder now. It was as if what Riley just did only added fuel to the fire. ¡®Something is wrapped around?¡¯ Riley carefully checked Reutrina¡¯s legs and confirmed purple energy. Meanwhile, Sera, who was watching with anxious look on her face, shouted, ¡°Y¡­ Young Master! Look out! There¡¯s something about Princess Reutrina!¡± Riley dodged Reutrina¡¯s hand yet again. Having heard what Sera said, Riley narrowed his eyes and started to inject mana in to his sword. ¡®That is¡­¡¯ A steady light started to flow in to the sword that Riley was holding. Nainiae, who was quietly watching from the back, thought that this must be what she learned about Riley earlier. ¡®The one that Young Master have acquired in his past life¡­ The Blessing of Sword.¡¯ From Riley¡¯s dream, Nainiae got to hold all of his past life¡¯s memories in her chest. From the memories, she thought about the blessing that Riley had. He could wield the Holy Sword. He was without equal in swordsmanship. He could gather mana just from breathing or sleeping. It was a blessing that quite literally showered him with love from the sword. Riley had this since his past life, and he still had it wrapped in his hand. ¡®As I thought¡­ He needed sleep.¡¯ Nainiae recalled the passing remark by her teacher. Andal once said that ¡®This rascal is a fiend.¡¯ She also thought about why Riley slept so much. Having thought about both, Nainiae mumbled inside and tightened her fist. ¡®The feverst time must be also because of the blessing. His body requires sleep, yet he avoided it for so long¡­¡¯ Riley was making the move with the light engulfing the sword. With her eyes, Nainiae chased his moves. ¡°I don¡¯t know what kind of trickery that the Princess used, but¡­¡± Reutrina was still in panic. The side of the sword, which was endowed with mana, smacked the back of Reutrina¡¯s knees. p! This time, instead of a dull sound, a pretty loud sound could be heard. It seemed the strike worked this time. Reutrina lost strength in her legs and plummeted. She sat on her knees. ¡°As I thought, you are not my type.¡± Chapter 151 - Metamorphosis (4)

Chapter 151: Metamorphosis (4)

Puup Having heard Riley saying Princess Reutrina was not his type, Nainiae could not help herself but tough. Meanwhile, Riley was pouting big time as if he was not liking this. Nainiae looked at Riley. ¡®Type¡­¡¯ Having heard it being mentioned, Nainiae suddenly fell in to deep thoughts about the subject. However, her thoughts couldn¡¯t continue for long. ¡°What happened? Exin.¡± It was because Riley asked a question. ¡°That is¡­¡± Sera was not sure where to start. The situation was bleak. Around the time Sera tilted her head to the side, Reutrina, who appeared to havepletely lost it finally, flopped to the floor with her mouth wide open. ¡°We are not sure either¡­¡± Watching the Princess falling over, Sera thought about how the Princess attacked her at the infirmary. Trying to say she was not sure, she shook her head and blurred the end of the sentence. ¡°Where is this ce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a Duke¡¯s Manor. It¡¯s Phillisnion¡¯s.¡± ¡°Phillisneon?¡± Riley¡¯s eyebrows got bent out of the shape. ¡°Are you saying we instantly teleported here from inside of the cave? Nainiae, did you do this?¡± Nainiae flinched from Riley¡¯s gaze. However, having heard ¡®inside of the cave,¡¯ she thought that Riley must not know about the sleep magic. Nainiae carefully said, ¡°¡­ No.¡± Nainiae shook her head and responded. To add more exnation, she started to tell Riley why they were at the Duke¡¯s manor. ¡°That is¡­ You were taking a nap at the cave, but you were not showing any signs of waking up. At the same time, the condition of your body was getting worse too, so unfortunately, we ended up being in debt to the Duke Phillisneon¡¯s Manor which was nearby.¡± Nainiae lightly swapped the truth about the fact that she used sleep magic on him. She nced at Sera and waited for the response. ¡°Nap?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°You brought me all the way here because I was taking a nap? Two of you did? You guys carried me?¡± In disbelief, Riley furrowed his brows and asked. Sera nced at Nainiae and nodded. ¡°Yes. You suddenly fell asleep in the cave. Since then, you just never work up, you see? It seemed you also caught cold. You were boiling in fever. You have no idea how worried Nainiae and I were¡­¡± Sera bit her lips as she exined. Riley, who had confused look on his face, scratched his head and asked, ¡°How long has it been since I fell asleep in the cave?¡± ¡°Probably a little over a month.¡± ¡°A month?¡± ¡°Yes. Really¡­ We were so worried.¡± Sera was about to smile with tears in her eyes to say she was d he finally woke up. At that moment, ¡°¡­ Princess! Princess! Are you all right?¡± From outside, nking sounds of armors were getting closer. ¡®Guards?¡¯ Based on the voices asking if the Princess was all right, Nainiae thought that they must be the mansion¡¯s guards. She quickly waved her right hand in the air and cast magic. ¡°First, I¡¯ll move us to a different ce.¡± The Princess had tears on her eyes and nose, and she was kneeling. If the guards saw this, Riley and others would have definitely been branded as suspicious bunch. This was why. ¡°Ms. Sera, please take a deep breath.¡± ¡°Pardon? Nainiae, wait¡­¡± Riley figured out what Nainiae was about to do. He lowered the hand he had to hold his chin and went to stand next to Sera. Sera panicked and didn¡¯t know what to do. ¡°¡­ Uuuuaaaa!¡± Suuuuuk With that quiet sound, Riley and Sera¡¯s bodies disappeared from the spot without a trace. Immediately, Nainiae, who was still there, looked at Reutrina and slowly put forth her hand. It sounded like the guards were graduallying closer. Heliona, who was with Nainiae, called her. ¡°I need to fix it.¡± Nainiae brought her hand toward Reutrina¡¯s forehead. Nainiae spun two of the mana rings rotating in her heart and cast two magic spells at once. Kwang! The door behind Nainiae closed with a loud noise and locked itself although nobody touched it. It seemed one of the magic spell was cast. Having seen the door closing on its own and locking itself, Heliona asked Nainiae, concerned. ¡°Although I did hear harsh things from her¡­ I am not like the teacher who acts rashly.¡± Nainiae smiled and shook her head. Of the two magic spells she prepared, she activated the remaining one. ¡°As I said earlier, I¡¯m just going to fix it.¡± Nainiae¡¯s hand, which was ced on Reutrina¡¯s forehead, started to shine in grey light. Having realized what magic Nainiae was going to use, Heliona mumbled. Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°Earlier, when the Princess withstood the swing of the sword from Young Master, although it was for a split second, I definitely saw the purple energy clumped up in that spot.¡± Nainiae was thinking about what the woman in ck said in Riley¡¯s dream. ¡®When you wake up, please find Mr. Riley¡¯s Holy Sword. In your world, one of the purple people probably has it. Please find the purple human who will help you and Mr. Riley.¡¯ So, because Reutrina was spected to be a purple human, Nainiae used a spell rted to memory on her. It was to gather information from Reutrina and also fix the situation. ¡®Her memory is¡­ blurry.¡¯ With her hand on Reutrina¡¯s forehead, Nainiae went through her memories. The guards were banging on the door behind her. Having heard the noise, Nainiae cringed. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Other than the ability that Reutrina had as a purple human and the fact that her memories were all jumbled up, Nainiae was not able to find out anything else. She judged that there was nothing else to gain from reading further, so she used the teleportation magic. ¡°Yes. There is nothing else to gain. It seems that¡­ she suffered dearly for it when she tried to pry on Young Master¡¯s memories.¡± Nainiae was about to move to where she sent Riley and Sera. Having heard Heliona¡¯s question, Nainiae flinched inside. ¡®Oh no.¡¯ Riley¡¯s memories¡­ His past life to be precise¡­ It was because she thought it would be good to not mention that to others. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about thatter. Let¡¯s go back too.¡± Nainiae brushed it aside and used the teleportation magic. Along with Heliona, Nainiae disappeared without a trace. ¡°¡­ Princess!¡± Right after Nainiae disappeared, the guards smashed the lock and got in the room. They only saw Reutrina on her knees. * * * Nainiae joined Riley and Sera. Sera was ring at Nainiae¡¯s face, which was nowpletely fine. Leaving Sera be, Nainiae brought just Riley to the side and started to talk to him. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°Young Master, by any chance¡­¡± Concerned there might be someone listening, Nainiae used magic and checked the area once again. She carefully said, ¡°Do you remember purple humans?¡± ¡°Are you talking about bastards like the dark mage that we met at the Rainfield?¡± Riley furrowed his brows and asked. Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°Yes. The people who use strange powers without mana.¡± ¡°I remember. What about it?¡± ¡°I checked, and Princess Reutrina¡­ also have that power. I think she is one of the purple people.¡± ¡°She is?¡± As if he was surprised, Riley furrowed his brows and asked. Nainiae nodded and added, ¡°I fixed things without overdoing it, but I was wondering if it is right to leave things be at this point, so I wanted to ask.¡± Nainiae exined that she only checked Reutrina¡¯s ability and handled her memories beforeing back. She was asking if Riley was okay with letting Reutrina live. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley held his chin and started to think hard about the matter. It was because, regardless of all these, Reutrina was a Princess of Solia. ¡°From what I saw earlier, she seemed to be all hazy. What happened exactly?¡± ¡°To exin in detail¡­¡± To choose the answer, Nainiae thought about it for a moment and said in a quiet voice, ¡°She now has mental retardation.¡± ¡°Mental retardation?¡± ¡°In other words, she became a fool. I think it would be hard for her to do anything without servants from now on.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae¡¯s eyes and asked the next question. ¡°Did you do it?¡± ¡°No. I stayed within a reasonable bound and handled things. She was already like that before I had a hand in¡­¡± Nainiae lowered her head. She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence. It was as she just said. Considering the ability that Reutrina had, it was certain that Reutrina had gone insane while trying to pry on Riley¡¯s memories. ¡®It is that kind of memories.¡¯ If it was not for the woman in ck¡¯s help, Nainiae might have also wondered around in Riley¡¯s memories for eternity or be a fool like Princess Reutrina. It was highly likely. Nainiae had her head lowered. For some reason, another drop of tear rolled along her cheek. ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley wondered why Nainiae was shedding tears out of the blue. He tilted his head to the side. ¡°I am sorry. I think something¡­ must have gotten in my eyes.¡± Nainiae tumbled and wiped off the tear rolling down her cheek with her hand. However, her hand stopped in the middle. ¡°Hey.¡± Riley put his hand at Nainiae¡¯s face. He then pouted big time like a duck andined, ¡°I didn¡¯t make you cry, got it?¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°I said I am not the one who made you cry.¡± Riley said in gruff voice. He then wiped off the tear from Nainiae¡¯s cheek with his finger before turning away. ¡°So, don¡¯t say anything odd to my mother.¡± Riley wiped off the tear from Nainiae because of what Iris taught him. After Riley retrieved the hand, Nainiae, who was vacantly looking at his hand,ughed. ¡°Kuk.¡± ¡°It might cause troubles if you suddenlyugh while crying.¡± Having heard what Riley just tossed out, Nainiae was now certain that the lie about something getting in her eye was found out. Nainiae promptly apologized. ¡°Young Master, I¡¯m sorry for lying.¡± ¡°What were you thinking that made you cry like that?¡± Riley wiped his hand on his waist and asked. Nainiae strained her lips and slowly shook her head as she said, ¡°I am sorry, Young master.¡± Although Riley asked quietly, all he got in return was another apology. Riley put his face right in front of Nainiae¡¯s and red at her face with his piercing gaze. ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae panicked from having Riley¡¯s face so close. She started to hold her breath. ¡°Hm.¡± Could it be because she was holding her breath? Her face could not be redder. It was about when her face was going to explode. Riley pulled his face back and said, ¡°Well¡­ Everyone have things that are difficult to talk about.¡± Through her eyes, it seemed he read the thoughts Nainiae had. Riley didn¡¯t ask anymore. Looking at Nainiae gasping for air after holding breath. Riley peeked a smile and continued. ¡°So, Reutrina became a fool?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± To calm her chest, which was in state of panic, Nainiae tried to calm her breathing. She nodded and responded. ¡°What about the chance of her abilitying back or recovering because of other bastards?¡± ¡°I cannot be certain, but it is probably impossible. Just in case, I even had a seed of fire attached to Reutrina through Ms. Heliona, so¡­ if anything changes, we will be able to know right away.¡± ¡°We need to think about the possibility of the hand we ran into at the Lower Soliast timeing to snatch up the Princess.¡± Riley was carefully rolling his brain. It seemed he came to a conclusion. He said, ¡°I think it would be better to keep the Princess alive than have her killed. I think there will be some storm of aftermath from this situation, but keeping her alive will be easier than killing her. Also, if we are lucky, we can use her as bait to catch other purple humans.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It seemed Nainiae also left the Princess be because of the same reasons. She didn¡¯t ask questions or objected. Instead, she just waited for the rest of his words. ¡°Ah, right¡­ Now that I think about it.¡± It seemed he just remembered something. Riley lightly smiled and looked at Nainiae. Chapter 152 - Metamorphosis (5)

Chapter 152: Metamorphosis (5)

¡°As for the artificial summon spirit, has it been handled?¡± Riley finally observed Nainiae¡¯s face, which was now without scars. He asked as he remembered the real reason for this winter trip. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Ever since she woke up, she still had not had the chance to take a look at her face. She felt the face around her right eyes where the scar was gone and responded in shy voice. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to find the summon spirit that could help you? Did you get it all done in a sh while I was asleep?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae actually met someone who was a greater existence than a summon spirit. She omitted the part about it and nodded. She simply said all process was nowplete. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master.¡± Riley thought the conversation was pretty much wrapped up, so he was going to go back to where Sera was waiting. However, Nainiae called him. ¡°Um?¡± Riley casually turned just his face and looked at Nainiae. He tilted his head lightly to the side, trying to ask what was up. ¡°Have I changed a lot?¡± Riley was looking at Nainiae. Feeling conscious, she fiddled her face around the right eye and her fingers as she asked in mosquito sized voice. ¡°What did you say?¡± Because of the small voice, he could not hear her. He asked again, trying to tell her to say it again but louder this time. Nainiae mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t change a lot, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The guards and Ms. Sera did not recognize me. I¡¯m asking because¡­ I am worried. What if it is because my face look even worse now?¡± Even Heliona, the summon spirit who was with her for so long, didn¡¯t recognize her and just opened her mouth vacantly. First, Nainiae thought Riley, the one she served, recognizing her was enough. However, thinking back at what happened, she really did not feel at ease about this. ¡°Mr. Ian, Ms. Wi, Ms. Iris¡­ Do you think they will recognize me? Have I changed that much?¡± Nainiae let out her concern. She tightly grasped her right hand, which was made whole now, and asked Riley. ¡°Um¡­¡± He held his chin and carefully observed Nainiae¡¯s face again. He smirked and shook his head left and right. ¡°I am not sure?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a wishy washy response. Nainiae seemed disappointed. Her shoulders sunk. Riley was about to go back to where Sera was, but he added, ¡°Even if you changed a little, isn¡¯t that still fine? You are still you.¡± Nainiae was suppressing the look of disappointment. Having heard what Riley said, she regained the glow. ¡°Even if you changed, there probably isn¡¯t anyone who would hate it.¡± * * * Two dayster, a guard came to visit the infirmary at the Duke Philisneon¡¯s Manor. With a violent look on his face, he started to ask all sorts of questions. ¡°Young Master, during that night, where were you?¡± ¡°I was lying on the bed in the infirmary?¡± ¡°Are you certain?¡± ¡°I was boiling with fever? I couldn¡¯t even regain consciousness, so where could I have possibly have gone?¡± ¡°People said your maid was lurking around the entrance of the mansion while drenched in ss pieces¡­ What was that about?¡± ¡°People of the Iphalleta Family tend to take the swordsmanship training to the extreme. It is the same for the servants. Unless they are seriously ill, they do this much training everyday.¡± ¡°So, that was just training?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, training.¡± ¡°Hmmmmmmmmmmm.¡± It seemed the news about Reutrina situation reached the people in the mansion. The guard asked many questions and got answers. He turned around without finding any problem in particr. ¡°Anyway, what do you think happened to Princess Reutrina?¡± With the guard now gone, Sera, who was still at the infirmary, looked at the window that Nainiae restored and muttered. ¡°I really think it was odd, no matter how I think about it. Young Master, you said it would be best for us to keep quiet, but the Princess was a little odd that day. When she swung her arm and struck me on the stomach¡­ It felt like an ogre punched me, you know?¡± Sera cringed. It seemed she was still hurting on the ribs. She continued to chatter away. ¡°I held on to the ribs in pain and got over the mansion to get to where the scream wasing from, and¡­ Young Master, you were awake, and the Princess was screaming away to flood the entire world. As for Nainiae, she came back as a different person.¡± Sera thought about all of the things that happened during the day Riley woke up. Finding it suspicious, she asked Riley with a serious face. ¡°Young Master, could it be that, the Princess¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley thought Sera¡¯s sense as a woman was about to do its thing. Riley started to tighten his shoulders. ¡°¡­ is possessed by a ghost or something?¡± Riley rxed his shoulders. ¡°A ghost?¡± ¡°Yes, a ghost!¡± Sera tightened both of her fists. She didn¡¯t see the hollow look on Riley¡¯s face. Instead, she continued. ¡°Everything that happened would be hard to exin unless it was a ghost, don¡¯t you think? About the Princess, although she was foxy, I could never shake the feeling that she was very intelligent, yet¡­ All of the sudden, she became a bulging ogre and entered the room. Also, only a littleter, she became mentally retarded.¡± Sera ced her hand on her waist and took a stance as if she was trying to ask what Riley thought of her deductions. She snorted and was asking Riley topliment her. Finding it to be ridiculous, Riley shook his head. ¡°I am not sure?¡± ¡°It has to be the ghost! A spirit of the Duke Philisneon Family who had been wondering the mansion for a long time¡­ must have taken possession of Princess Reutrina¡¯s body! Uuuuuu¡­ How scary!¡± ¡°That sure is¡­ interesting.¡± That sure was a very Sera like story. Riley peeked a smile and got up. He walked toward the door. ¡°Ah, are you going to go out?¡± ¡°You said today is thest day of the banquet, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley nodded and opened the door. He exined why he was going. ¡°I¡¯lle back after taking a walk.¡± Sera was going to go with him, but Riley asked her to organize the luggage instead. Riley leisurely walked by himself and got to the garden inside the Phillisneon Family¡¯s mansion. The garden was booming with nobilities trying to enjoy thest day of the banquet. Most of them were talking about a girl who appeared at the mansion. ¡°That girl is the girl?¡± ¡°The one who defeated Astroa of Solia?¡± ¡°The Six Circles mage?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ She is definitely worthy of being the Magic Tower¡¯s master.¡± She was the prime suspect of what happened to the Princess Reutrina, so she was asked to stay in the mansion until the end of the banquet and be investigated. Nainiae sat on the garden and vacantly killed the time. ¡°Excuse me. Miss¡­ If it is all right with you, would you like to have a drink with me?¡± ¡°If you would like, would you like to go for a dance with me in the center? I¡¯ll lead.¡± Although she was sitting there with nk face, she looked like a work of art on a canvas. Men from other nobilities came by one after other and rmended drinks or dance. ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°In that case¡­ Please remember my name. My name is¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s all right.¡± She declined all men. It seemed she was ufortable with the gazes of the peopleing her way. She signed lightly and started to fiddle with her clothes. ¡®I like the maid uniform better¡­¡¯ Because of a request from the mansion, instead of her maid uniform, she ended up wearing a dress. Sheined inside as if she found it ufortable. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s awkward.¡± The dress she was wearing, the ce she was sitting, the gaze of the people, the face that was changed, and everything she was feeling in this situation¡­ They were all ufortable for her. ¡°Ms. Nainiae, if it is all right with you, how about youe to visit our manor around next spring?¡± ¡°Ms. Nainiae, I think this dish is quite delicious. Please try some.¡± ¡°Ms. Nainiae, you are truly¡­ beautiful. If it is all right with you, would you like to have a conversation in private with me?¡± Most of the noblemen were trying to talk to her. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Unlike the past, none of the gazes seemed to be indicating that people were looking at her and thinking ¡®disgusting.¡¯ They were all responding positively and taking interest in her. This was unthinkable when she still had the scar on her face. She should be happy, but surprisingly, she was not all that happy. ¡®I was so happy when Ms. Seraplimented me, but¡­ why?¡¯ Nainiae tossed the question at herself inside. She got up and asked the men around her to make way. ¡°Ms. Nainiae, please wait!¡± ¡°Ms. Nainiae, can you please answer?¡± ¡°I will wait for you!¡± She got countless love calls from the noblemen. However, she refused them all. She walked away as if she was annoyed. However, she found someone who had the arms crossed leisurely. She opened her eyes big. ¡°Young Master.¡± From her mouth, for the first time, something other than ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ came out. The noblemen who were surrounding Nainiae all directed their gazes to where she was looking at. ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°If you are calling him Young Master, then¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, the Iphalleta Family¡¯s¡­¡± It seemed they recognized Riley. They started to mumble among themselves. They said things like the Lazy-Sword or bum. Most of what they said were harsh. Finding it unpleasant to hear, Nainiae crumpled her face. ¡°Speaking ill of the Young Master is¡­¡± Nainiae was going to get apologies from the noblemen who spoke ill of Riley. However, having noticed Nainiae who was about to do this, Riley shrugged, telling her that it was fine. He gestured with his hand to ask her toe over. ¡°¡­¡± Having noticed the hand gesture, Nainiae, who was about to use magic, could not help it but to walk over to where Riley was instead. The noblemen around her made ways as if they noticed the mood she was exuding earlier. Dumbfounded, they nced around. ¡°How was it? It¡¯s a bother, right?¡± Riley peeked a smile and asked quietly so that others could not hear it. Nainiae lightly nodded. ¡°See? It is such a bother.¡± Riley added that this was the reason why he always did not try to stand out in a ce like this and snuck around. He then pulled Nainiae¡¯s hand. ¡°Still, if I don¡¯t step in, I thought things will get bothersome for you, Young Master. So¡­¡± While she was being lead away, Nainiae mumbled quietly as if she was trying to make excuses. It seemed the people around them misunderstood the whole picture. They were showering Nainiae and Riley with sharp gazes. ¡°What¡¯s this? Look at those two?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, Ms. Nainiae is definitely¡­ a maid from Iphalleta Mansion, that Lazy-Sword Young Master¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that true?¡± ¡°Yes. So, there was that talk before.¡± ¡°If you are talking about Young Master Riley¡¯s maid, isn¡¯t that supposed to be that girl who had a scar on her face? How could she look like that?¡± ¡°If I knew this would happen, I should have made good connections with the Iphalleta Family.¡± The two were exuding mysterious atmosphere. Some clicked their tongues in regret. Some were showing gleaming eyes, saying they could take on the challenge. * * * It was at the Karuta desert. The desert was located on the boarder of the Solia. Currently, the ce was in a disarray with dead, pitch ck sands. Number of living beings on this ce and people who passed by had decreased substantially at the moment. ¡°What a horrible stench.¡± Through the middle of this desert, Kabal the mercenary was carrying a hammer on his back and walking with his subordinates. ¡°Hurry up. Before we lose the track, we need to catch up.¡± ¡°Commander! Ugh, Commander! Wait. Let¡¯s slow down a bit! Just who are you trying to find? Why are you doing this,ing all the way to a deste desert? Why?¡± Because this was desert, each step sunk deep into the sand. A subordinate was following slowly. He asked Kabal where they were headed in such a hurry. ¡°Lightning Boulder Mercenaries.¡± ¡°Lightning Boulder Mercenaries?¡± Kabal responded to the struggling subordinate as if he was shooting an arrow at him. It seemed Kabal found something. He narrowed his eyes and took a knee. ¡®Is it around here?¡¯ What he was looking at was a track left by a carriage. It seemed it had not been long since the carriage passed through here. The track was still clear. ¡®Damn it. Where is thatss doing and what¡¯s she up to? If she got the letter, she should join us right away.¡¯ Kabal thought about Princess Reutrina of Solia and cringed his eyes. Kabal got up. ¡°Looks like we almost caught up.¡± After getting up, he started to walk again and went over a hill on the desert. It was night fall now. In the distance¡­ he could find a group of mercenaries who were camping in front of bonfire. ¡°¡­ I found them.¡± In the distance, of the mercenaries, Kabal found a girl who was the only one wearing a hood. Kabal muttered quietly. Chapter 153 - The Remaining Work (1)

Chapter 153: The Remaining Work (1)

Now, Nainiae¡¯s illness waspletely cured. Riley woke up from his sleep as well. Sera finished organizing the luggage. She fixed her grip on the bag on her shoulder and asked the two, ¡°Well then, shall we get going?¡± With her illness cured, Nainiae no longer had limitations on the teleportation magic. It would not have been odd if they immediately returned to the mansion. ¡°Thinking about how Mr. Ian would panic after seeing your face makes meugh! Ah, I want to show him soon!¡± It seemed Sera could not be more proud of Nainiae¡¯s changed face, or her face without scars to be precise. She snickered and added they should go back soon. Nainiae, who was keeping silence, carefully said, ¡°¡­ Excuse me.¡± Sera already had the bag on her back. She was singing while moving her shoulder up in excitement. Having heard Nainiae, she tilted her head to the side. ¡°I am sorry, but can you to return to the mansion first? I still¡­¡± With her hands to her back, Nainiae was fiddling with her hands and blurring the end of the sentence. She carefully said, ¡°I still have something left to do.¡± ¡°Something you need to do?¡± ¡®She was cured of the illness, and she even had the scars gone from her face. What was left to do? Why is she asking us to go back by ourselves first?¡¯ Wondering why, Sera asked, ¡°Even if you stayed here, you will just get a load of nces.¡± ¡°No, I am not saying I¡¯ll stay here.¡± Nainiae thought about what the woman in ck said in Riley¡¯s dream. She wondered how she could exin all that to her. Soon, she thought of a good way to avoid it all and started to exin what it was that she still had to do. ¡°My teacher¡­ No, the doctor who helped me heal before¡­ I was thinking about visiting him to say hello. Although he didn¡¯t heal mepletely that time, I am still indebted to him, so¡­ I think it is only right to visit him.¡± Nainiae realized she made a mistake when she said ¡®teacher.¡¯ Nainiae quickly corrected herself and smiled. Sera tilted her head again and put up a puzzled look on her face. ¡°By any chance, that red haired man who visited the mansionst time?¡± It seemed Sera remembered Andal from the visitst time. Sera pounded on her palm with her fist and asked. Nainiae quickly nodded and said, ¡°Ah, yes!¡± It seemed Sera was convinced by Nainiae¡¯s exnation. She turned to look at Riley. She figured this could not be helped. She said, ¡°In that case, just us¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m going too.¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± Sera was going to say just her and Riley should go back, but she didn¡¯t get to finish the sentence. Riley said he will go with Nainiae as well. Surprised, Sera asked, ¡°Young Master, you too?¡± Sera was not the only one who was surprised. Nainiae also panicked and broke cold sweat. ¡°There is no need to be so surprised, is there?¡± Riley looked at both maids who were surprised by his choice. Riley shrugged and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, I have forgotten to say hello to him. He is the doctor who helped healing my maid. I think it would be good to go express my gratitude at least.¡± Riley emphasized on the word ¡®doctor.¡¯ Having heard him, Nainiae hesitated for a moment. She slightly lowered her head and said, ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± ¡°I can understand Nainiae, but¡­ Young Master, are you really going to go?¡± ¡°What else? Could I go but not for real then?¡± Nainiae raised her head and looked at Riley again. She was thinking about what the woman in ck said. She told Sera and Riley that she is going to go meet the doctor, Andal to be exact. However, Nainiae¡¯s real goal was¡­ finding Riley¡¯s Holy Sword that the woman in ck asked to find before the winter ended. ¡°Sera, you go back to the mansion first. Please say hello to my mother and Ian.¡± Riley smiled mischievously. Riley smiled and waved good bye toward Sera, wishing her safe trip back. Sera extended her hand out as if she needed a moment. She said, ¡°Wait. That means¡­ this winter trip is not over?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± After saying that, Riley, who was standing next to Nainiae, bumped at her arm with his elbow. It seemed Nainiae realized this and made a dimensional portal behind Sera. ¡°Ang? Uuuang? No! Wait! Then you shouldn¡¯t be sending back just me? If anybody is going to go back, won¡¯t it be better for all to go back together!¡± Sera panicked and waved her arms around after noticing the dimensional portal behind her. Not able to stand still, Riley extended his arm out toward Sera to push her in into the portal. ¡°Young Master! Wait! Lady Iris was worried, you know? Having just Nainiae alone won¡¯t be enough!¡± ¡°She does not have any restrictions on using magic now, so well¡­ I think having just Nainiae will be enough as a guard. Don¡¯t worry. Have a safe trip back.¡± ¡°This is not about being a guard! As an adult, the problem with puberty¡­¡± Sera was not able to finish her sentence. She was pushed by Riley and got sucked into the portal that Nainiae made. Just like how it was when they first started the winter trip, she probably appeared all of sudden in the mansion¡¯s garden. ¡°Puberty? What puberty? She is talking about some strange stuff.¡± Riley looked at the dimensional portal and clicked his tongue. Riley turned to look at Nainiae and said, ¡°I thought about this, and¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m certain I didn¡¯t start this winter trip just to heal your illness.¡± Riley rubbed his chin and muttered. With puzzled look on her face, Nainiae looked at him and waited for what he was going to say next. ¡°Besides that, I am sure there was something else as the reason why I started the winter trip? Nowadays, my memories are fuzzy. Could it be that I have dementia in my age?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard his question, Nainiae vacantly opened her mouth. She knew why his memories wereing and going as if he was suffering from forgetfulness. Even before Riley fell asleep, he appeared to be like a patient with forgetfulness symptoms. This was because of the memories from his past life. It was because he could not contain all of the memories from his past and this life. ¡®Will he be all right?¡¯ It was not certain if Riley was aware that Nainiae was worried about him. Riley mumbled in low voice, ¡°Ah, right¡­ the purple people.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard his words, Nainiae barely managed to get a grip from her distracting thoughts. She looked at him again. ¡°I just remembered. I¡¯m talking about the reason why I bothered to get up and go on this trip in this cold winter.¡± Looking at Nainiae, who had surprised look in her eyes, Riley shrugged and exined why he was being active in this winter instead of hibernating. ¡°It¡¯s because of that bastard.¡± Nainiae was vacantly staring at Riley. She then firmly closed her lips that she had open lightly earlier. ¡°Kabal the mercenary¡­ Was that the name? I¡¯m talking about the bastard who took away my father¡¯s arm during the collision at the border. I should have him pay dearly forying his hand on my father.¡± It was because of his eyes. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master.¡± It seemed Nainiae was concerned about the look in his eyes. Nainiae carefully called Riley. However, Riley was not able to respond right away to her calling. He was in middle of thinking hard about the reason why he decided to go on this winter trip. ¡®To be precise, it was because of the thing that Ian asked me to, but¡­¡¯ The thing that Ian asked, the matter regarding the world below which may have something to do with his past life¡­ This was what Riley was thinking hard about. ¡°Your right eye¡­ You can still use it, right?¡± After thinking hard, Riley decided that he could not tell Nainiae about it. She looked at Nainiae and asked. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°That bastard named Kabal¡­ Try finding where he is now.¡± Riley ordered Nainiae to find Kabal, the bastard who threw off Stein¡¯s arm. Nainiae took a moment of pause as if she was hesitating. As if she could not help the situation, she looked at Riley. ¡°¡­¡± Using her right eye, she tried to find the mercenary named Kabal. She suddenly covered her eye with her hand and crumpled her face. ¡°¡­ Kut?!¡± She was suffering. Having noticed this, Riley approached her and ask, wondering what was happening. ¡°What is it?¡± Having experienced gruesome experiments at the Magic Tower, Nainiae was the kind that didn¡¯t even bat an eye from most pain. However, she was feeling incredible pain. It was making even her cringe. ¡°No, it is¡­¡± She had no idea what was the cause of the pain. She uncovered her eye, but she froze like that vacantly. ¡°¡­¡± She was shedding tears. There was no change in facial expression. She was not sobbing either. She just had vacant look on her face as she shed tears. ¡°Nainiae?¡± Riley wondered why she was crying. He could not understand why. With puzzled look, he called Nainiae. Nainiae barely came to her senses. She flinched and said, ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°You are crying again? What is it?¡± It seemed Riley thought something was seriously not right. Riley asked in concerned tone. Nainiae tumbled and wiped the tears away. She put up an awkward smile. ¡°No. It is nothing.¡± She could not tell him that she was crying because of sad memories from his past. Nainiae brushed it off casually. She moved her right hand and used magic. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡± * * * Through her teleportation, Riley instantly moved to a new ce. Smelling horrible stench in the air reaching his nose, Riley immediately crumpled his face. ¡°Ugh. What is it?¡± There wasn¡¯t just the smell. The sand was making his legs sink deep, so he crumpled his face for the second time. He asked Nainiae who came through the dimensional portal after him. ¡°Where is this ce?¡± ¡°I am not sure?¡± Although she used the teleportation to move to this ce, she was unaware of where exactly this ce was. She tilted her head to the side and started to look around. Wheeeeeeee The wind sounded like someone was sobbing. The light sand was blowing in the wind as it made noise, which was quite eye catching. ¡°From the looks of it¡­¡± There was nothing here besides the sand blowing in the air. As she checked the ce, she carefully guessed, ¡°I think we are at a desert?¡± ¡°A desert?¡± Having heard Nainiae, Riley kicked the sand under his feet. He saw the sand which turned pitch ck and kneeled down. ¡°If it is desert, why is the sand¡­¡± While cringing his face because of the stench, Riley extended his hand toward the sand, but he quickly dropped the sand that he picked up and dusted his hands after feeling the sensation on his hand from the sand. ¡°This is poison?¡± ¡°Poison?¡± Having heard Riley, Nainiae kneeled down and touched the sand just like Riley. She opened her eyes big. ¡°It¡­ really is. These are not ordinary sands.¡± It was not just where they were standing. The entire desert area within their view range was all drenched in pitch ck color. Because of this, instead of feeling like being at a desert, they felt like they could mistake and think they were in a cave with open ceiling. ¡°That bastard is here?¡± Riley got up and looked around the desert as he mumbled. ¡°Yes. When I saw him with my eye¡­ until just a moment ago, he was here. Judging from the mana used in this teleportation, I think we are at the border of the Solia.¡± Because she didn¡¯t have a map, she could only deduce that they were somewhere in the desert. Having heard the response, Riley scratched his head and estimated where this ce must be. ¡°Outer edge of the Solia¡­ In that case, I think we must be at the Karuta desert.¡± The problem was that this ce was a desert. Even with a map, it was not going to be easy to tell what¡¯s where in middle of a desert. Finding Kabal in this ce was going to be the same as trying to find a needle in a sand field. ¡®The fact that this ce is a desert is a problem, but¡­ the sand here¡­¡¯ Riley lowered his gaze and looked at the sand which was drenched in dark color. He remembered the trace of epidemic that he found at the Alieve Vigest time and started to roll his brain. ¡®What was it called?¡¯ He was trying to remember the words that were written at the cave nearby the vige. He was trying to move his memories which became very fainttely. He barely managed to remember the nickname and muttered. ¡°The friend who cannot breathe¡­ I guess that one could be here too.¡± ¡°The friend who cannot breathe?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about another bastard who is suspected to be one of the purple people. They might be together¡­¡± Along with that purple human¡¯s nickname, Riley thought about what the children at the vige said. ¡®By any chance, do you guys know who that is?¡¯ ¡®Yes, we know him.¡¯ ¡®It was a homeless man.¡¯ ¡®Still, he was a very kind homeless man. He yed well with us.¡¯ ¡®He taught us numbers.¡¯ ¡®He is a good person.¡¯ Riley organized what the children at the Alieve Vige told him. Eventually, he decided to set aside the thoughts about this friend who could not breathe and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Anyway, finding that Kabal bastard is our priority. There is the favor that Ian asked personally as well, so Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s use your eye one more time. Where is he?¡± ¡°Young Master, the thing is¡­¡± Having heard Riley asking Nainiae to use the eye again, she paused for a moment. Nainiae found it hard, but strained herself to say it. Chapter 154 - The Remaining Work (2)

Chapter 154: The Remaining Work (2)

¡°I don¡¯t think I can use the eye.¡± It seemed Nainiae was ashamed to tell him this. She was unable to look at Riley in the eyes. Instead, she lowered her head and told him she couldn¡¯t. Wondering why, Riley said, ¡°You don¡¯t think you can use it? Why?¡± She interlocked her fingers and didn¡¯t know what to do. She responded in mosquito sized voice, ¡°About that, the pain is¡­¡± Before they teleported here, when Nainiae used her right eye, she cringed in pain. Remembering this, Riley had troubled look on his face. ¡°You didn¡¯t have pain like this before, right? Why is this happening all of sudden?¡± Nainiae bit her lips and paused for a moment. It seemed she didn¡¯t know why either. She shook her head as the answer. ¡®Things just got difficult.¡¯ Although it was the desert, perhaps because of the season, it was not so hot that Riley, who was weak against heat, would be struggling. However¡­ the problem was that there was nothing around them. ¡®We don¡¯t even have a map.¡¯ Riley thought hard about this. He casually turned his head and looked at Nainiae who still had her head lowered. ¡®Um¡­ Did you not like having your face changed that much? It seemed like she didn¡¯t appear to be in good conditiontely.¡¯ Nainiae had gloomy look on her face. It seemed she was sorry that she could not be of help to Riley. However, the mood was far more low-spirited than the past. ¡®Is something troubling her?¡¯ Looking at Nainiae¡¯s gloomy face, Riley thought hard about this. He then remembered what Sera said earlier and wiggled his eyebrows. ¡®By any chance¡­ puberty?¡¯ Riley thought about the age of the maid he had been working with. With odd look on his face, he stared at Nainiae and corrected the thought. ¡®No, that is not it?¡¯ Sadly, the girl named Nainiae had grown up way before other girls of the same age. After the experiments at the Magic Tower, which were filled with nothing but horrifying pain, she was abandoned by her mother and abandoned again by the homeless of Lower Solia. She was the girl who wished for her death more than living. The idea of a girl like her being troubled with thoughts in puberty now was hard to believe. ¡°Hm.¡± Riley rested his fist on his waist and looked up the sky. He sighed briefly and made a proposal. ¡°It cannot be helped. It¡¯ste now.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley was pushing the sands away to make the ground t. He looked at Nainiae and said, ¡°Let¡¯s think after sleeping for a bit. We don¡¯t have a map, so we can¡¯t move right away. I had been rolling my brain around, but I can¡¯t think of any good idea in particr, so¡­¡± It was night in the desert. The desert sky was somehow tranquil and beautiful. ¡°It would be nice if something could be done about the floor.¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± Riley closed one of his eyes and nced at Nainiae. As if she understood it, she nodded right away and moved her hand to use magic. ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± it seemed Nainiae decided that cleaning the sand would be difficult. Instead, she chose to create a transparent floor above the sand. She opened the dimensional space and started to bring out items useful for the stay. ¡°It is done. I ced ayer above the sand, so it will block the smell or poison. Would you like to¡­ try sitting there?¡± ¡°On theyer?¡± ¡°Yes, on theyer.¡± Nainiae added that the sand won¡¯t get on even if hey down or sat on it. She made a simple bonfire with her fire magic and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± Riley tried sitting on theyer that Nainiae made above the sand. He confirmed that the sand didn¡¯t get on him and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Having heard his response, Nainiae rxed her face a little from the gloomy look she had earlier. She raised the fire on the bonfire some more and asked Riley, ¡°Excuse me, Young Master. Are you hungry? It¡¯s the dinner time, so if you would like¡­¡± Riley shook his head and said he was not particrly hungry. Nainiae asked something else. ¡°Well then, a map¡­ Should I go get it now? I think it is in Ms. Sera¡¯s bag.¡± ¡°You are going to go search Sera¡¯s bag? Now?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae asked anxiously, wondering if it was not okay. Riley said, ¡°Do you know what you are saying? If you returned to the mansion, Sera will ask you to take her with you?¡± Sera currently believed that Riley and Nainiae went to see the doctor who helped healing Nainiae. However, they were currently in pursuit of the purple people on this trip because of a different reason. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Since they were in pursuit of the purple people, Nainiae thought that something might happen to Sera if she came along. She vacantly opened her mouth. In particr, because Sera had exceptional sense of smell, there was a chance that Sera could faint from the stench of the sand that was covered in poison. Nainiae also had to consider this factor. ¡°Are you going to bring Sera?¡± ¡°No.¡± Nainiae concluded that bring Sera here would not be a good idea. She shook her head and made a different proposal. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll go to Solia for a bit ande back. Maps are sold in Left Solia or the Main za, so¡­ If I bring a new map from there!¡± ¡°At this hour?¡± Riley was enjoying the bonfire. He peeked a smile and asked. Nainiae opened her mouth vacantly once again. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s veryte. Even if there was a ce that sold maps thiste, since I already decided to sleep, let¡¯s do it tomorrow¡­ Starting tomorrow¡­¡± Nainiae appeared to be anxious. Riley calmed her down and called her with his hand. He was trying to tell her she should sit down as well. With ashamed look on her face, she bent her knees. ¡®We won¡¯t lose him at least.¡¯ Since the scars on her face disappeared, Nainiae no longer had any restrictions on using magic. Because he had her, Riley thought that it won¡¯t bete even if they started looking tomorrow instead of right now. Riley plummeted andy down. ¡°¡­ Young Master.¡± Riley interlocked the fingers and ced the hands behind his head as hey down. Having heard Nainiae calling, he just moved his eyes and looked at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Riley was thinking he should give her a lecture if she was going to talk about going somewhere or getting something anding back again. Nainiae asked, ¡°Would you like me to lend you myp?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She asked carefully. Riley vacantly stared at Nainiae. He thought it was a very Nainiae¡¯s kind of idea. He smiled and said, ¡°¡­ In that case, shall I borrow yourp for a moment?¡± Rileyy on Nainiae¡¯sp and closed his eyes gently. Thirty minutes¡­ An hour¡­ When about two hours passed, Riley, who had his eyes closed, just could not fall asleep. He opened his eyes narrowly. ¡°Um¡­¡± Zzzz Zzzz Because he was lying on Nainiae¡¯sp, he looked up toward Nainiae¡¯s face. He saw that she was knocking her head and dozing off. Riley had a look on his face as he thought there was no way to stop Nainiae on this. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right. Sleep. Sleep.¡± To make sure Nainiae won¡¯t wake up, Riley carefully raised his head. He looked around the empty desert scenery and sat next to Nainiae. ¡°You sure sleep soundly.¡± Riley had been sitting there and staring at Nainiae¡¯s face from the side for a long while. However, it looked like Nainiae was not going to wake up any time soon. He carefully brought his hand toward Nainiae¡¯s clothes and pulled it. ¡®Oh no.¡¯ He was going to pull at it lightly, but it seemed he pulled too hard. Nainiae¡¯s upper body leaned a lot. Riley hurriedly raised his arm and gently supported her neck. ¡®Is she awake?¡¯ ¡°¡­ Um¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed she was talking in her sleep. When she was tossing and turning, Riley thought she might wake up. However¡­ ¡°Young¡­ Master¡­¡± Fortunately, it seemed she was in pretty deep sleep, more so than Riley thought. She was still breathing like a baby and not opening her eyes. ¡°You startled me. Geez.¡± He moved his arm and decided to switch the roles. He had Nainiae¡¯s head on top of hisp. He looked like he just got over a big huddle. With relieved look on his face, Riley looked at Nainiae below. ¡®Have I changed a lot?¡¯ Nainiae no longer had the scars on right side of her face near the eye. Her look was definitely beautiful now. She was so beautiful that it was to the point where any boys of her age or young men would have fallen for her in the first sight. ¡°Changed¡­ huh.¡± Riley was concerned that it might be ufortable for Nainiae because hisp was hard. However¡­ Nainiae was sleeping soundly. Looking at her face, Riley gently brushed away the hair on the front of her face. Riley vacantly muttered, ¡°I think you are the same as always. Why did you even bother asking?¡± Riley looked at Nainiae below. There was no indecency in his face. Riley felt that it was just the scars that were gone. He didn¡¯t think her face changed significantly. He always judged people by their hearts. He never measured people over their appearances before. He never had in his past life, and he never had in this life as well. ¡®What changed is¡­¡¯ Riley thought about what he heard from Serast time and nced at the sword he had untied and ced next to him. ¡®Yes. You suddenly fell asleep in the cave. Since then, you just never work up, you see? It seemed you also caught cold. You were boiling in fever. You have no idea how worried Nainiae and I were¡­¡¯ ¡®Probably a little over a month.¡¯ Riley was thinking about Sera saying he slept for a month. ¡°¡­¡± He was dreaming. He was not sure how long he was dreaming. However, since Sera said it was for a month, it was certain he dreamed for a long time. The dream was about his past life. The moments where he wielded the Holy Sword where he said he will swing it to save the people and swung it even when he was coughing blood¡­ The moments where he was pointed fingers at and criticized and was told to not butt in to save people¡­ Riley was watching himself in those moments in his dream. ¡®I am probably the one who had changed.¡¯ The mindset that he had when he was wielding a sword in his past life inparison to the mindset he had now in this life¡­ Riley was going over how much he changed. * * * It seemed the ce used to be an oasis in the past. There were traces of people¡¯s dwelling in the ruined vige. The boy entered the vige and asked as he tapped his shoulder with the spear he was holding in his hand. ¡°Ms. Priesia, is this the ce?¡± The girl who was called as Priesia slightly removed the hood she had to cover her head and nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± She pulled up the hood and revealed her beautiful face. The girl looked around the scenery slowly once again and muttered that this ce was the source as she exuded white light from her hand. It was Holy Power. It was a unique power that was different from mana, and it was something only those devoted to a Holy Temple could use. ¡°Commander, this ce¡­ could this ce really be cleansed?¡± The boy took a step back to help her focus. The boy¡¯srades carefully came to him and asked. ¡°She probably asked us because it is possible. We got help from Reitri merchant group too. Anyway, this is a good deed, so let¡¯s definitely get it done.¡± Nara quickly nced at Rorona and Isen, hisrades, and looked at the girl who was focusing with her eyes closed. Currently, there was a ginormous bounty on her. The beautiful girl had wrapped her body with Holy Power and was exuding mysterious atmosphere. She was the Priestess of Solia Holy Temple. ¡°Cleansing, huh¡­¡± Having heard what Nara Basilisk, their young Commander, said, the mercenary group¡¯s Isen looked around the desert scenery. He lightly lowered the mask that he had to cover his nose and mouth, but he cringed. ¡°Uuuk. I hope it works soon.¡± The sand on the desert had the color changed to pitch ck. It had vertigo inducing level of stench. Also, the poison drenched on the sand was so strong that it would have worn off their shoes in a day if no special treatments were done. ¡°¡­ Mr. Nara!¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Priesia had been focusing with her eyes closed. She suddenly hand gestured at him and asked him toe near her. Nara walked over to her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I think the cleansing work will take quite a bit of time. While I¡¯m doing this, I would like you to¡­ protect me, so¡­¡± Having heard what she said, Nara tilted his head to the side. For now, he said he understood, and then he asked, ¡°In that case, how long will it take?¡± ¡°Not just the Karuta desert, but it seems the epidemic had spread to the forest at the end of the desert. I think it will take about¡­ four to five hours.¡± ¡°F¡­ Five hours?¡± Through the travels, Nara had seen Priesia praying in asions. He sent gaze of respect toward Priesia and rolled his tongue. ¡°We will bepletely okay with protecting you, Priestess, but will you really be all right? You haven¡¯t even had your breakfast yet?¡± ¡°During the fasting week, I had not had anything to eat for a whole week. It¡¯s all right.¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± Nara thought that she didn¡¯t be the Priestess just because of her beautiful face. He renewed his resolve and nodded, ¡°Yes, leave it to us.¡± ¡°Thank you. I received a divine message a few days ago, but the message was a very troubling kind.¡± ¡°A divine message?¡± Priesia nodded. ¡°The message said that a leg is targeting me and walking toward me, so I should be careful. Nothing happened so far, but¡­ I am still concerned, so¡­¡± A leg is targeting the Priestess and is walking toward her? It was such a puzzling sentence. Nara tilted his head to the side and wondered. For now, he said he got it and nodded. He looked at his spear and said, ¡°Please do not worry. Please focus on the cleansing.¡± There was the request from Priesia. Not only that, there was the request from the Reitri merchant group. Also, there was the fact that he could contribute to restoring the nature. Nara vowed that he would make this cleansing work a sess. ¡°What did she say?¡± After making Priesia feel safe, Nara returned to hisrades on the back. Having hard the question, he shrugged his shoulder and said, ¡°She said it will take about four to five hours.¡± ¡°F¡­ Four hours?¡± ¡°She will be standing like that and pray through it, right? She is not even wearing a mask, and¡­ she is barefooted¡­¡± Watching Priesia starting the prayer right away, Rorona muttered as if she was impressed. She shook her head left and right. ¡®Anyway, what¡¯s a leg?¡¯ Nara tilted his neck left and right and did a light stretch. He then started to ponder about the divine message that the Priestess mentioned earlier. A leg is targeting the Priestess and walking toward her? To figure out what this meant, he tilted his head side to side as he thought about things. To Nara¡¯s back, sounds of steps on sand could be heard. ¡®Um?¡¯ It was a little over ten people¡¯s worth of steps. Nara turned his head, and his eyes had be sharp like a snake. ¡°Oh? Look who¡¯s here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Haha! It¡¯s Nara?¡± Of the ten people who were approaching, the man on the front was dragging a human-sized hammer on the sand and greeting as if he was d to see Nara. Chapter 155 - The Remaining Work (3)

Chapter 155: The Remaining Work (3)

The daybreak at the desert was quiet because there were no sounds of chirping birds. The stars in the dark night sky disappeared one after the other. The sky was gradually finding its original color, and this was the only indication that signaled the approaching morning. ¡°¡­ Um.¡± Asleep, Nainiae was tossing and turning. Still looking sleepy, she opened her eyes. ¡®Was I a sleep¡­ for a moment?¡¯ Her memory was blurry. Nainiae thought about what she didst before she fell asleep. She remembered that she gave herp to Riley for him to lie on. Having remembered this, she had a vacant look on her face. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For some reason, her back wasfortable. Nainiae was just lying there, but she saw Riley¡¯s face that was looking down toward her. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes big. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s morning, you rascal.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± It seemed she finallyprehended the situation. Nainiae, who was lying on Riley¡¯sp, quickly got up and fixed her hair and clothes that got out of shape. ¡°I am sorry, Young Master. I¡­ for a bit¡­¡± Embarrassed, she bit her lips and apologized immediately. Watching Nainiae, Riley struggled and got up. He stretched big and said, ¡°If you are awake, then we should slowly get going.¡± Nainiae barely managed to get over the embarrassment. She looked at Riley and asked what they will be doing. ¡°Excuse me. Should I go get the map first?¡± With just one gesture of her hand, she put all of the items they usedst night in to the dimensional space. She let Riley know that she will go immediately to the Solia and get a map if he wanted. ¡°What about your eye? Can you use it?¡± Nainiae touched the face around her right eye. ¡°¡­ Um.¡± Nainiae checked her condition as she touched her face around her eye. To try it out, she looked at Riley with her right eye, but she flinched her shoulders. ¡°Is it still not yet?¡± ¡°I am sorry. Even I¡­ don¡¯t know what¡¯s causing this.¡± The pain was so severe that it was impossible for her to even force herself to use the right eye. Nainiae wondered if it had something to do with her face being healed. She swallowed her worries inside and used magic. ¡°I don¡¯t think this can be called a recement for my right eye, but I¡¯ll spread detection magic. If the man named Kabal is still in this desert, we should be able to notice him within time.¡± She said it will not be as urate as the right eye, but it will be able to help. Right after, she made a portal to Solia and said, ¡°While at it, I¡¯ll also bring some food we could eat as breakfast. It might take a while¡­ Would you like toe along?¡± She suggested they should stop by at Solia ande back to desert. Riley looked around the dark sand and raised his right hand as if he was asking Nainiae to wait for a moment. ¡°Wait¡­ Over there¡­ Are those carriages?¡± Riley was asking with his right hand raised. Nainiae closed the portal on the back. She narrowed her eyes and looked at the group of carriages on the move. ¡°Yes. I think¡­ they are carriages.¡± Using the detection magic that she used earlier, Nainiae was able to get close to the carriages to observe them. She exined what kind of carriages they were. ¡°I think they are¡­ Some kind of merchant group¡¯s carriages.¡± The carriages had loads of food and water, the crucial items for travel across desert. ¡°Would you like to see?¡± She made a mirror-like thing in mid-air so Riley could also see the carriages and showed him the scene that she was observing through the detection magic. ¡°They have food and¡­ water¡­ and wooden boards? That¡¯s no ordinary amount.¡± There were numerous boxes on the carriage. Riley was checking the contents of the boxes. He found a box that had different color from the rest and looked at that one. ¡°Um?¡± In the box, there were umbres. ¡®Umbres?¡¯ The umbre looked familiar to him. Riley furrowed his brows and went over his fuzzy memories. ¡°Judging from the things on the carriages, it does not look like they have a business in the desert. Could they be trying to get out of Solia?¡± Nainiae, who was observing the carriage, moved her gaze toward where Riley was looking at. ¡°Um? They are umbres?¡± Nainiae learned that carriages didn¡¯t just have food and drinks, but also boxes with umbres. She opened her eyes wide as if she just realized something. ¡°Ah, those umbres¡­ I know those.¡± ¡°You know those umbres?¡± ¡°Yes. It had such a unique shape, so I remember it. They are the umbres that Reitri from the Reitri merchant group had.¡± It seemed Riley also remembered after hearing Nainiae¡¯s exnation. With intrigued look on his face, Riley looked at the umbres again and said, ¡°Reitri¡­ You mean the one we know?¡± Thinking about the orange haired young man he met on the way to Rainfield, Riley asked. Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°Yes. Young Master, you remember Horai, the one who wasining a lot about you¡­ right?¡± Riley remembered the brat whocked manners. He muttered with bitter look on his face, ¡°Should we follow them?¡± ¡°Follow the Reitri merchant group?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t want you to waste mana going to the Solia and back. If it is just map and food, we can get them from them. The rascal would treat us that much for the debt.¡± Reitri¡¯s group was indebted to Riley at the Rainfield. It seemed Riley decided what to do. He was looking at where the carriages were headed. Nainiae carefully brought her hand toward Riley. ¡°Young Master, your hand¡­¡± ¡°Hand?¡± It was not a long distance teleportation. It was moving short distance. So, Nainiae judged that it would be more efficient to just go instead of opening a portal. ¡°Here.¡± Riley quickly gave her his hand. Nainiae pursed her lips and hesitated for a moment. She then grabbed his hand and used the teleportation magic. * * * ¡°¡­ Uuuuhk?!¡± Suuuuuuuk It seemed like a whirlwind was blowing, and a super natural phenomenon of strange fabrics being clumped up in midair was happening in the front. The driver who was on the very front end¡¯s carriage was surprised as he pulled the lead. ¡°W¡­ What is this?¡± ¡°Wor¡­ wor!¡± Having noticed the front end¡¯s carriageing to an abrupt stop, all carriages following behind hurriedly stopped one after the other. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, there¡¯s something to the front¡­¡± The driver tumbled and tried to exin the phenomenon. Around that time, the fabric looking things that were waving in the air disappeared. A boy and a girl made appearance. ¡°Uuuuak? P¡­ People?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley scratched his head once and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Hey. Why did you put us in the path of the carriages? What were you going to do if we got run over?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s criticism, Nainiae fiddled with her fingers in gloomy face. She whispered as if she was excusing herself. ¡°We would not have gotten run over¡­ Really.¡± Riley didn¡¯t respond to her whisper. He walked closed to where the driver was. Looking at the driver sitting at the seat, Riley asked, ¡°Is Reitri here?¡± There was a young boy, way below the driver¡¯s age, casually asking where the owner of the merchant group was. The man instantly figured that Riley must be a nobility. He nced at hisrades and asked Riley, ¡°I don¡¯t know which nobility family you are from, but why is a Young Master asking about our leader¡­¡± Because they appeared out of the blue, the driver thought they were ghosts. Now, he realized Riley was not a ghost but a Young Master from a nobility family who is with a mage. He gulped and waited for Riley¡¯s response. ¡°Is he here or not? Just tell me that.¡± Riley figured it would be faster to just talk to Reitri, so he said the above and cringed one of his eyes. At that moment, a voice could be heard from the back of the carriage. ¡°Young Master Riley?¡± It was a familiar voice. Riley looked at the direction. Riley wiggled his eyebrows after finding a young boy who lightly had his face leaning out of the carriage. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°Horai.¡± Nainiae, who followed Riley to the back, pped and called the boy¡¯s name in excitement. The boy flinched his shoulders. ¡°W¡­ Who?¡± A beautiful girl who he had never seen before was acting like she was so happy to see him and calling his name. He could not help but to panic. ¡°What is it? Why are we stop¡­¡± Afterwards, just like how Nainiae followed behind Riley, an orange haired young man came out of the carriage from behind Horai. He found the two people blocking the carriages¡¯ path and opened his eyes big. ¡°Uh?¡± It was Reitri. ¡°Young Master Riley!¡± Reitri saw Riley¡¯s face. He weed Riley and was walking toward Riley. However, he also found Nainiae who was standing behind Riley and stopped for a moment. ¡°and¡­ is she a new maid?¡± Thinking about the maid uniform of the girl he metst time, Reitri tilted his head to the side and asked carefully. Riley smirked as if he found this fun and asked, ¡°I am not sure? Try guessing who it is.¡± Pointing at the beautiful maid who Reitri was not familiar with, Riley asked Reitri to guess. Finding it hard to believe, Reitri mumbled, ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± The look on Reitri¡¯s face was growing more puzzled gradually. As if she was embarrassed, Nainiae lowered her head. She lightly lifted her right hand and ignited fire above her palm. The fire was gray in color. It was the same color that Reitri mistook as that of a dark mage during thest summer. ¡°¡­ Ahah!¡± Horai was not quite sure until now, but he was certain after seeing the me. He pointed at Nainiae and opened his mouth. ¡°That time¡­ That big sis maid?¡± She closed her hand to extinguish the me. She nodded toward Horai and greeted him. ¡°It¡¯s been¡­ a long time.¡± * * * Reitri had the carriages start to move again. He had Riley and Nainiae be on the biggest carriage and served them snacks and tea with great aroma. ¡°You received treatments. Congrattion.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Really¡­ You are a lot better now.¡± Nainiae said she will pour the tea herself, but Reitri stopped her. He handed her the tea he made and smiled. Riley looked at Reitri and asked about him. ¡°What about you? I¡¯ve heard that your merchantpany became quite famous?¡± ¡°The Tess merchant group case that you informed me aboutst time helped us out, that¡¯s all. There is not much that I have done.¡± ¡°Come on. There¡¯s no need to be so modest.¡± Even with good information, there were people who knew how to use the information and there were those that didn¡¯t know how. Reitri was one who was the kind that knew how. Using the information Riley slipped him, rumor was that Reitri efficiently utilized it and let his name known widely in the merchant world. ¡°Anyway¡­¡± Horai brought the map that they requested. Riley watched him handing it to Nainiae and asked Reitri, ¡°Have you met Nara? When I saw himst time, he said he will go find you. It looks like he is not here?¡± Until he got on the carriage, Riley could not find Nara, so he asked. Reitri nodded and said, ¡°I met him. Actually, he is working for our merchant group now. He is not here because the Lightening Boulder Mercenary Group has a new mercenary, and they are out to help that person, so¡­¡± ¡°Priesia?¡± ¡°Ah, you know her?¡± It was a secret that he was trying to hide, but Riley asked about Priesia. Reitri promptly exined the situation. ¡°Yes. Nara is not here because of a request by the Priestess. We are also moving our carriages to help her.¡± ¡°Help her? What exactly?¡± ¡°You probably already saw what the sand is like in this desert, right?¡± Riley nodded and thought about the dark sand. ¡°It¡¯s hard to see anything in this desert now. Let alone any people, animals like camels ormonly found scorpions and snakes are hardly seen anywhere. I don¡¯t know how it happened, but the Karuta desert became quite literally and of death, so¡­ Priestess is currently trying to resolve this.¡± ¡°When you say resolve this¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I think she is trying to cleanse the entire desert.¡± It seemed Riley was sick of it. He muttered, ¡°She sure has a generous heart.¡± ¡°Anyway, so, we are going to make the first move once she sessfully cleanses the desert.¡± Remembering the things loaded on the carriages, he looked at Reitri as if he knew what Reitri was talking about. Reitri looked like a na?ve young man from the country side. However, in the core, he was the leader who was inmand of the Reitri Merchant Group. ¡°Young Master, you would like to go with us? Ms. Rorona said she will let us know of her location by shooting a re arrow during the lunch time. Considering the time, it is probably about now¡­¡± While Reitri was talking, the carriage rattled once. The man who was driving the carriage on the front said in loud voice, ¡°M¡­ Mr. Reitri! It¡¯s the arrow!¡± ¡°Ah, looks like they just confirmed the arrow.¡± ¡°¡­ Uncle! Uncle!!¡± As if he was waiting for this, Reitri got up. He looked at Horai who was watching the outside through the window and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Horai?¡± ¡°Uncle, something terrible happened!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The arrow, the arrow¡¯s color!¡± Chapter 156 - The Remaining Work (4)

Chapter 156: The Remaining Work (4)

Along with saying something terrible had happened, Horai also mumbled that the color of the arrow was strange. Having noticed Horai¡¯s response, Reitri rushed to the window that Horai had his face peeking out. ¡°Why the arrow¡­¡± Reitri peeked his head out to the outside of the carriage through the window just like Horai. He saw the lighting arrow that was shot to the sky and put up a serious look on his face. ¡°That color is not right.¡± ¡°What does it supposed to mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After discovering the arrow¡¯s color, Reitri fell to silence and was petrified. Wondering what this was about, Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s red.¡± ¡°Red color?¡± Riley had no way of knowing what the color was supposed to mean. He furrowed his brows as if he was trying to tell Reitri to exin properly. Nainiae, who was looking at the map she got from Horai, strained her eyes. It seemed she detected something. ¡®Near us?¡¯ She seeded in finding something using the search magic she used earlier. She tapped on Riley¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young Master.¡± Riley turned to look at her. Realizing that Nainiae had serious look on her face, Riley got up. ¡°You found them?¡± ¡°I cannot pinpoint the exact location, but¡­¡± Nainiae held Riley on the shoulder and used a short-range teleportation magic. They instantly got on the top of the carriage. She pointed at the lighting arrow that was rising to the sky in the distance that was shot by someone and said, ¡°Over there. At that ce, something is happening.¡± The rising smoke¡¯s color was red. It was the lighting arrow that Reitri mentioned earlier. With the search magic, Nainiae was able to recognize loud sounds or traces of battles there. She narrowed her eyes and said something was off. ¡°That arrow is definitely the lighting arrow that Ms. Rorona told us she will use to contact us. However¡­ the color is different.¡± Having heard Nainiae, Reitri, who had his upper body out through the window, looked up and exined about the lighting arrow. ¡°If things were going as nned, the smoke¡¯s color should be green. Unless there¡¯s something wrong with my eyes, that color is¡­¡± The smoke¡¯s color was red. ¡°If it is red, then what does it mean?¡± ¡°It means we should note.¡± ¡°Don¡¯te?¡± ¡®It means it is an emergency and dangerous, so we should note¡­ That¡¯s what it means.¡± They could not know what was happening at the ce where the smoke was rising from. However, it was certain now that they were in a dire situation. ¡°Young Master!¡± Nainiae quickly assessed the situation and decided what to do. Nainiae extended her hand toward Riley and moved her mana. Riley seemed like he was thinking the same thing. He promptly grabbed hold of her hand. ¡°Two of you? Wait!¡± When Nainiae and Riley just grabbed hold of each other¡¯s hands, Reitri realized they were about to teleport just like earlier. Reitri quickly called them. ¡°¡­¡± Although he called to stop them, it seemed the timing was not right¡­ Despite the calling, the two could not be seen on the top of the carriage. They were already gone without a trace. ¡°W¡­ What should we do, Sir?¡± With vacant look on his face, a merchant was watching the two disappear through teleportation. He moved his wide-open mouth and asked Reitri. ¡°Huuuu.¡± Reitri sighed. It was like a habit when he had to demonstrate his intuition as a merchant who leads a group. ¡°What are you going to do, Uncle?¡± Now, even Horai was asking what he was going to do. Reitri thought hard about this for a moment. It seemed he made a decision after using his merchant instinct. He opened his mouth with serious look on his face. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°R¡­ Really? Are you really going to go there?¡± ¡°We need to at least check what happened there. However, I¡¯ll go there myself ande back afterwards.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Having heard that he will go there, other merchants jumped up and asked him to reconsider. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Reitri¡­ Won¡¯t it be better if one of us or other mercenaries went to check it out?¡± ¡°I think so too. If it is red arrow, that means it¡¯s an emergency and we should note, right? Instead of going there, I think it would be a better idea to turn back and wait for Mr. Nara and everyone from the Lightning Boulder Mercenary group toe back.¡± ¡°No.¡± Reitri shook his head. He turned to look at the ce where the red smoke was rising. Reitri said, ¡°I think it would be best if we went there.¡± ¡°Mr. Reitri¡­¡± To the merchants, a figure like Reitri was hard to run into. Reitri was a great man. He didn¡¯t look down or belittle people under him. Also, as a merchant himself, he made sure to get all that the merchants wanted. He was a good man and skilled in the business. The merchants didn¡¯t like the idea of him getting involved in a dangerous situation like this. ¡°Do you have to go?¡± ¡°Just why do you need to go to such a dangerous ce¡­¡± ¡°¡­ It¡¯s an intuition.¡± Reitri borrowed another merchant¡¯s personal carriage. He grabbed the lead and said, ¡°My intuition is telling me that.¡± A merchant making his move based on intuition was actually a very ridiculous idea. However, Reitri shrugged. It seemed he didn¡¯t change his mind. He just swung the lead and had the carriage start to move. * * * Nainiae and Riley moved from the top of the carriage to the middle of desert. They quickly directed their gaze toward where the red smoke was rising from. ¡®What is this¡­¡¯ Before she found the red smoke, Nainiae found the surrounding in utter disarray. Finding it hard to believe, she opened her mouth. ¡°Young Master, this is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley also found the surrounding in disarray before finding the smoke and had serious look on his face. The sand in the area had craters as if there were explosions. Moreover, there weren¡¯t one or two craters. There were several dozens of them. ¡°¡­ Kuuuu.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± While they were looking around, they heard someone moaning in pain. Riley and Nainiae both had their heads turn toward the direction. ¡°Ms. Rorona!¡± The moaning in pain wasing from Rorona, the archer of the Lightning Boulder Mercenary. She was copsed on the ground. ¡°¡­ Who?¡± To Rorona, her bow was like a part of herself. However, her bow was broken into three pieces. Also, her body was in shamble just like her bow. She was drenched in blood and sand. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Rorona¡¯s consciousness was still only faint. She was not quite able toe to her senses. Nainiae brought out herb from the dimensional space and had Rorona bite on it. Nainiae asked Rorona if she was all right as she washed ck sand on Rorona¡¯s body. ¡°¡­?¡± Because of blood and sand on her face, Rorona was not able to open her eyes properly. Now, thanks to Nainiae, she was barely able to regain her sight. However, she was still not able to recognize Nainiae. ¡°Someone like you¡­ Why?¡± Nainiae figured it could not be helped that Rorona was not recognizing her. She raised her hand and had a small me bloom on her palm. The me had grey color. It was the color that the mercenaries, including Rorona herself, misunderstood during thest summer. ¡°Ah¡­ By any chance¡­¡± At first, Rorona was weary of her, but having confirmed the me¡¯s color, Rorona recognized Nainiae. Rorona was tearing up. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°What happened? What happened here?¡± Supported by Nainiae, Rorona opened her eyes. She bit her lips lightly and turned her gaze away. ¡°¡­ We were ambushed.¡± Cringing, she barely managed to say those words. She struggled to hold in tears. ¡°Isen was the first one. After that¡­ It was the Commander, and then the Priestess¡­¡± In brink of tears, Rorona exined what happened. Riley brought his face close to Rorona and asked who were the ones responsible. ¡°By any chance, is it that mercenary named Kabal?¡± Rorona was surprised, wondering how he knew. In anguish, she nodded. ¡°Because of a favor asked by the Priestess, we were here to help cleanse the desert, and that bastard came. Probably¡­ It seemed he was tailing us for a long time¡­ but I didn¡¯t notice.¡± Due to injuries, it seemed Rorona was having difficulties. She stuttered as she continued exining. She took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Many of the Kabal¡¯s Mercenaries came. The small fries were not the problem. It was Kabal.¡± Rorona mumbled that they were powerless against Kabal¡¯s incredible battle strength. She looked at the crater ridden desert in disarray. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve only heard about him in rumors, but his monstrous strength is¡­¡± Rorona looked around the craters as she talked. It seemed she was parched in her neck. She tightly closed her eyes and started to shed tears. ¡°That man is?¡± Nainiae also directed her gaze toward one of the craters. She found a man there who was in shambles just like how Rorona was earlier. Nainiae muttered, ¡°Mr. Isen¡­¡± He was the middle-aged man in Lightning Boulder Mercenary group who always carried a shield. Isen was lying on one of the craters. ¡°I could not¡­ protect him.¡± Having realized the man was not breathing, Rorona pulled her chin as if she could not look anymore. Tears dropped from her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was looking at Isen¡¯s corpse. He redirected his gaze to Rorona and asked. ¡°Where are the two?¡± They could be corpses now. They could just be copsed somewhere. Regardless, they should be nearby, but Riley couldn¡¯t find them. ¡°As for the Commander and Priestess¡­ They were captured.¡± ¡°Captured?¡± ¡°I think that was their goal to begin with.¡± ¡°When?¡± ¡°Just now¡­¡± Riley responded immediately to her words. He widened his senses and checked if there was anyone moving away from the area. ¡®To that direction?¡¯ There were about seven to eight people who were moving away from the location. It seemed certain that they were the Kabal Mercenary group, Nara and Priesia. ¡°Young Master, wait!¡± It looked like Riley was going to head there immediately. Nainiae, who was supporting Rorona, rushed and extended her hand toward Riley. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Riley already took off after kicking the ground. * * * ¡°Tsk¡­ Nara¡­ That rascal sure makes things bothersome for me.¡± Kabal pulled out the spear that pierced through his shoulder. Annoyed, he threw it away as he looked back at his subordinates and the two who were being carried by them. ¡°Well, anyway, we grabbed what we wanted. I guess what¡¯s left is convincing them. The Head needs toe soon.¡± Kabal was looking at his subordinates who were carrying people on their waists. Kabal cringed and approached them. ¡°Hey. What are you doing?¡± ¡°Pardon? As you ordered¡­¡± It seemed Priesia was unconscious. She was just hanging there with her eyes closed. Having heard Kabal, the mercenary who was carrying Priesia flinched and started to step back. ¡°That hand¡­ It would be good for you to not massage her the wrong way unless you want me to choke you.¡± Kabal leaned his face right at the man. Kabalpletely forgot about the hole on his own shoulder and put up violent look on his face. ¡°C¡­ Commander. There is no need for you to create such a violent mood¡­¡± ¡°Why are you being so careful with her as if she is the most precious one in the world? Who is she?¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going to sell her as a ve? She is quite pretty. I think she is a high-quality product. If you sell her to a nobility¡­ No, before we sell her, if we have fun with her first¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ve, high-quality product¡­ The subordinate was yapping away at will. Kabal red at him and quickly walked toward him. ¡°¡­ Kuuuaaak?!¡± Kabal swung his tightly made fist at him. ¡°Uuuhuk?¡± ¡°C¡­ Commander!¡± The mercenary who was hit by Kabal¡¯s fist was thrown off to the far distance over the hill. Other mercenaries, choking in fear, were petrified. They looked at their Commander. ¡°Fools. You just like pretty faces¡­ You guys still haven¡¯t figured out who she is? Who thisss is?¡± The girl was now on Kabal¡¯s waist, but she was stillpletely loose. She wasn¡¯t moving at all. The mercenaries were merely mesmerized by her beauty. They had no idea who she was. They merely tilted their heads to side. Frustrated about his subordinates¡¯ stupidity, Kabal ground his teeth and said, ¡°She is the Priestess! The Priestess! There is a reward ced on her recently by the Solia. She is the Priestess of Solia Holy Temple.¡± The mercenaries finally learned who she was. They panicked and started to mumble. ¡°P¡­ Priestess?¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°She is. She really is! This is the real deal.¡± The subordinates were all excited. Kabal calmed them down and said to the mercenary who was holding Nara on his waist. ¡°The same goes for Nara. He is thest survivor of the Basilisks, humanoid beings. He will be useful in many ways, so be extra careful about how you handle him.¡± Nara waspletely loose like Priesia. He was unconscious while being held on the mercenary¡¯s waist. However, unlike Priesia, Nara was in shambles. His small body was full of bruises. The hands that held the spear before had he fingers twisted in wrong ways as if someone twisted them by force. The fingers were just hanging there. ¡°Ah, Yes¡­ I understand.¡± Despite the bleeding on his shoulder, Kabal didn¡¯t even bat an eye and continued with violent look on his face. The mercenaries gulped and nodded. ¡°Be extra careful when handling¡­¡± The mood rapidly got heavy. There was someone who was mixed in middle of the mercenaries. The man quietly mumbled. ¡°¡­?¡± They never heard this voice before. They all floated up question marks on their faces and turned their heads toward the voice. ¡°Huh?¡± There was a boy. ¡°How kind of you.¡± The boy had chilled look on his face. Chapter 157 - The Remaining Work (5)

Chapter 157: The Remaining Work (5)

¡°¡­ What the?¡± A boy who they never saw before made an entrance. Kabal and other mercenaries were surprised as if they just saw a ghost. ¡°W¡­ Who are you?¡± The mercenaries had vacant looks on their faces for a moment. They took a few steps back from the boy and brought their hands toward their weapons. The boy started to look around them. ¡°¡­¡± Of the mercenaries, he found one who was holding Nara on the waist. The boy stopped moving his gaze. He confirmed Nara in shambles and muttered inside, ¡®Is he alive at least?¡¯ He was a mess from the tip of the head to the end of the feet. Only his fingers, which were twisted out of shape, asionally twitched lightly. ¡®¡­ Looks like he is still breathing.¡¯ Basilisks could see the color of people¡¯s aura. To find the rest of the ¡®purple people,¡¯ the boy still needed Nara. ¡°I asked who you are!¡± It seemed the mercenaries could not stand the boy keeping silence for so long. They started to yell. ¡°Commander, what should we do?¡± The mercenaries were asking theirmander what to do about the boy who suddenly appeared. ¡°Should we kill him or capture him alive?¡± They were talking about violent things loudly so the boy could hear. However, instead of cringing his face, he still had calm look. He was exuding violent mood. ¡°Commander?¡± While the strange atmosphere was continuing, Kabal handed the Priestess to a subordinate and raised his right hand. ¡°¡­ Haha.¡± Having noticed Kabal¡¯s gesture, the mercenaries put away their hands from the weapons and started to nce around. ¡°Oh my¡­ Who is this?¡± Kabal suddenly walked toward the boy and leaned his face right on the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Aren¡¯t you a Young Master of Iphalleta Family in Solia?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a while? Right? Last time we met, it was during summer, right?¡± Having heard the family name, the mercenaries started to mutter. ¡°Iphall¡­eta?¡± ¡°If you are talking about Iphalleta, isn¡¯t that the name of the Count who fought with ourmander during the border skirmishst time?¡± The mercenaries remembered the battle from the border skirmish. Having noticed the mood bing even heavier, they even forgot to gulp. They just nced at the boy and theirmander. ¡°Well, about your father¡­ I am sorry about that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh huh. There is no need to make such a face! That ce was a battle field¡­ He should feel fortunate that it was an arm that got thrown off instead of his life! Well, you are still young, so you probably don¡¯t understand this well.¡± Kabal tilted the tip of his lips up and looked at his subordinates. The mercenaries had been quietly ncing around to figure out what Kabal and the boy were thinking. The mercenaries started to smile awkwardly after feeling Kabal¡¯s gaze. ¡°So, what brings you here?¡± Riley was crumpling his face as if he was displeased about something. Toward the boy, Kabal asked as he peeked a smile. Still, he was not letting his guard down. A moment ago, although Kabal didn¡¯t feel anything, the boy suddenly appeared in middle of the mercenaries and talked to them. This move made Kabal weary. ¡°Young Master? Why don¡¯t you say something?¡± ¡°Commander, could it be that he is choking in fear because he is still just a kid?¡± ¡°Ah ah. Indeed! After seeing the state that Nara bastard is in, anyone would be scared!¡± The mercenaries wereughing. Standing in the middle, Riley was staring only at Kabal. Annoyed by the ruckus, Riley started to exude deadly aura. ¡°¡­ Uk?¡± It was as if the time stopped. All Riley did was exuding his aura. However, the mercenaries were petrified as if they were frozen solid. They could only move their eyeballs. It looked like they were wondering why they could not move and why they could not voice anything through their mouths. ¡°¡­¡± Kabal was experiencing the same condition. Of the Six Powers of otherworldly nature that should not exist, this was one of them¡­ Even Kabal, the one who possessed the Right Leg, could not help but be petrified. He was unable to continue his words. ¡®Deadly aura?¡¯ Kabal¡¯s subordinates were not able to figure this out because the power was so overwhelming. Still, the Young Master from the Iphalleta Family was exuding deadly aura. ¡®He immobilized us using only his deadly aura?¡¯ In disbelief, Kabal, while petrified, faced Riley¡¯s cold eyes. ¡°One, two, three¡­ If I kill you, would that be four?¡± Riley muttered in low voice. ¡®Did he say¡­ four?¡¯ Kabal started to digest what Riley just said. ¡°Last time, that bastard said there were six. After I catch the Friend Who Cannot Breathe, then there will be just one left.¡± Listening to what Riley said, Kabal¡¯s eyes started to be bloodshot. ¡°You¡­ you bastard¡­¡± In heavy, slow steps, Riley walked toward Kabal. All mercenaries started to re at Riley. ¡°Well then.¡± It didn¡¯t take many steps before Riley got to the front of Kabal. He slowly moved his right hand. ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s hand was headed to the handle of the sword on his waist. ¡®First, I¡¯ll cut this bastard, and then¡­¡¯ Holding the handle, drawing the sword, cutting Kabal¡¯s arm, stomach, neck, or anywhere¡­ Riley thought that¡¯s what he should do. ¡®If I cut him¡­¡¯ Riley¡¯s hand, which was headed to the sword handle, suddenly flinched and stopped. ¡°¡­¡± His hand lightly shivered. ¡®After cutting him with sword¡­ what will happen?¡¯ His sword handle was only a few inches away, but he was unable to draw the sword that was hanging on his waist. ¡®Young Master, have I changed a lot?¡¯ Before he grabbed the sword, he thought about Nainiae¡¯s question. It was because of the sword. Riley had been swinging the sword throughout his past life and even in this life. He stopped his hand and thought about the reason why he wielded sword. ¡®To begin with, why am I wielding a sword¡­¡¯ In his regret filled past life, because of a sword, he was grinding away and then some for nothing. While he was at it¡­ He swore that he will never hold a sword ever again and will never have hope that he would be able to save someone by wielding it¡­ However¡­ ¡®Why?¡¯ To himself who swore never to wield a sword ever again, Riley asked why, and he found an answer soon. ¡®Why? Isn¡¯t that obvious? My father¡­ My father lost his right arm because of this bastard. I can¡¯t leave a bastard like Kabal be when he hurt my family. So, that¡¯s why I¡­¡¯ In his past life, due to hisck of attention, he lost all of his family. When Riley was born in to this new life, he swore that he will protect his family no matter what. So¡­ Duringst spring, when Oruli made Iris eat poisoned soup, he felt his heart sink. Unable to sit still, Riley picked up the sword. ¡®Now is no different. It is the same. This bastard hurt my family. He is the bastard who took away my father¡¯s arm. He is the bastard who hurt my family. To him¡­ I should¡­¡¯ Looking at Kabal in front of him, Riley, who had his hand just inches away from the sword handle, started to twitch his fingers again. Thinking about what would result from this action, Riley feared about his current life ending up just like his past life, a life full of regrets. ¡®Which one is it?¡¯ Riley asked himself another question. ¡®Do you want to rest easy? Do you want to continue swinging sword? Which one is it?¡¯ He could not make up his mind. Sometimes, he justy down, saying he didn¡¯t want to bother with the problems. In other times, he swung the sword, saying he won¡¯t sit back and watch. It was as if he was trapped in a maze. Riley could not make up his mind. ¡®I¡­¡¯ During this year¡¯s spring, since when he saw his mother coughing blood after eating a poisoned soup and picked up a sword¡­ Riley had not been able to make consistent decisions. It was because he never quite decided clearly if he wanted to wield sword again or not. It could be that he had a foolish desire left. In his past life, he swung the sword to the very end and defeated the Demon Lord. However, his life ended before he could hear anyone telling him that he had done well or that he worked hard. It could be that he just wanted to hear some words of recognition as a reward. Like a ghost with grudge or obsession¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Facing the question, he was not able to make a decision quickly. A phantom voice could be heard in his ear. Coward. Lazy bum. The voice was criticizing him. Listening to the voice, Riley was hesitating about holding the sword. It was around that time. Kabal, who was immobilized because of the deadly aura, started to move slowly. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Of the purple people, of the six parts, the power that he possessed was the monstrous strength. Last time, although Stein possessed superior skill, he still lost an arm because of Kabal¡¯s ability. ¡°You dare¡­¡± Although Riley was restraining Kabal with his deadly aura, Kabal started to move his body using his monstrous strength alone. His face waspletely red in fury. Kabal snorted toward Riley. He was like a bull in a bull fighting arena. Not just his face, but the white parts of his eyes were bloodshot. Using his strength, he made a fist with his right hand and punched Riley¡¯s stomach with it. ¡°¡­ Kup?!¡± Riley was still organizing his thoughts about his past and his reasons for wielding the sword. Feeling the shock in his stomach, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°Huuuaaaap!¡± Along with the shouting, Kabal swung his arm with all of his strength. Riley¡¯s body was bent like a bow and got thrown off to the other side. ¡°Kuuuhuuuu!¡± ¡°huk, huk¡­¡± After Riley got thrown off to the distance by Kabal¡¯s fist, the mercenaries, who were unable to move until now, plummeted on their butts and started to grasp for air. ¡°How did this happen?¡± ¡°C¡­ Commander¡­ was it you?¡± Kabal omitted the answer to his subordinates¡¯ questions. His face was still red. Leaving it be, he started to walk and said, ¡°Take good care of Nara and the Priestess and wait at the meeting site. It would be good to tie him up well. That kid Nara might be young, but he is better than you all when ites to quick thinking, so you can never know what he might do.¡± ¡°Commander? What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going topletely finish off that rotten Young Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Theirmander was exuding murderous intent to the maximum. The mercenaries gulped and nodded. ¡°I warned you earlier, but it would be good for you to not touch the Priestess other than having her tied up. If you don¡¯t want to receive the heaven¡¯s punishment from me that is.¡± Kabal turned his head and warned. Facing his violent eyes, the mercenaries¡¯ faces turned pale. They repeatedly nodded and swore that they won¡¯t touch her. ¡°¡­ Get going.¡± Kabal gestured with his chin. The mercenaries held unconscious Nara and Priestess on their waists and continued on their path. ¡°Well then¡­ Now¡­¡± Kabal watched his subordinates leaving. He looked to the direction where Riley was thrown off as he put his hand toward the hammer hanging behind his back. ¡°Shall I go greet our adorable Young Master who imed to havee to avenge his father?¡± Udududuk Kabal tilted his head left to right to crack it. He haphazardly stopped the bleeding on the shoulder caused by Nara¡¯s spear piercing it. He started to walk. ¡°Young Master?¡± He was thrown off very far by Kabal¡¯s monstrous strength. Kabal had to walk for a long time to get to Riley. He looked at Riley, who was unconscious, and snorted as he muttered. ¡°Hng. He¡¯s alive?¡± Riley was lying down as if he was buried under the sand. Riley had vacant look on his face, but he was definitely breathing. ¡°If you were dead, I was going to at least cut off your head and take it with me. This is fine too. Actually, this is better. I have a few things I wanted to ask you, Young Master.¡± Kabal put his hand toward Riley and grabbed him by the cor to pick him up. ¡°It would be better to answer clearly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that someone is meddling in our goal toward the life long wish. Is that someone¡­ you?¡± Riley was being shaken by Kabal who was holding him by the cor. However, Riley didn¡¯t answer. Instead, he just had that nk look on his face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Answer!¡± Kabal had veins popping up on his forehead, thinking he was being ignored. He put the hammer down and swung his fist at Riley. ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± Riley was punched on the face by Kabal¡¯s fist. Riley¡¯s face was turned rapidly to the side. Puk! Another punch struck Riley and made his upper body falter. ¡°Tell me, Young Master¡­ If you do, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± Breathing down on Riley, Kabal threatened him again. However, Riley still showed no response despite being grabbed and picked up by the cor or being punched. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ You¡­¡± Kabal hated being ignored. Unable to stand it anymore, he swung the arm that was holding Riley by the cor. He swung it big and shouted, ¡°You rotten brat!!¡± Riley was swung around like a kite. Kwang! With that violent noise, his body was thrown to the ground. ¡°¡­ Ug.¡± Riley collided with the ground on his back. That kicked the air out of his lung. Riley cringed and moved his gaze. The sand formed arge crater as if an explosion happened there. This was a good example that demonstrated Kabal¡¯s monstrous power. ¡®The scenery around Rorona earlier, what that also this bastard¡¯s doing?¡± Riley thought about how Nara must have fought this monster with ridiculous muscr strength. However, feeling the blunt shock in his stomach again, Riley cringed his face. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I said tell me!!¡± Kabal got on top of Riley and started to swing his fist at Riley¡¯s face. Puk Puk It seemed each punch he threw was carrying his monster strength. With the sound of each blow, the depth of the crater and the diameter was slowly increasing. ¡°Kuk¡­ Kuk¡­¡± Riley¡¯s face waspletely swollen up. It was full of bruises and cuts. He looked horrible. Even though his face was turning into a pulp, Riley was still just agonizing about his past and current life. He was not able to find a definite answer. ¡°Huuk. Huuk¡­¡± Sitting on Riley¡¯s stomach, Kabal mercilessly swung his fists at Riley. Kabal realized that the boy¡¯s head should have been turned into a pancake and then some by now. Instead, the boy was still breathing. Kabal could not hide the surprised look on his face. ¡®What the? Howe¡­ he is still alive?¡¯ He had absolutely no clue why the boy¡¯s head was still attached and so was his breathing. After taking a beating from him like this, even the great existence like the dragons would have fainted or died. However, Riley was holding out. As if he was thinking hard about something, with vacant look on his face, Riley was looking up in the sky instead of Kabal without any response. ¡°You little¡­¡± Kabal, still infuriated, got his ass up from Riley¡¯s stomach. He raised his right leg. Puk Crush Violent sounds could be heard. Kabal¡¯s leg repeated the stumping motion, and it started to stter blood. It was Riley¡¯s. ¡®Hold the sword or not¡­ Just what should I go along with? What are you trying to say?¡¯ Half of him wanted to just rest. The other half of him wanted to avoid the phantom voice. His head was all jumbled up. It seemed Riley was suffering from the headache more than the pain from beaten up face. He moaned in pain. As the blood made his vision red, Riley furrowed his brows. Riley¡¯s mind was in chaos. Ever since the nightmarest time, even now¡­ His head and mind were being indecisive. ¡°You runt! You little!¡± Kabal struck Riley on the face multiple times. He kicked and punched Riley¡¯s face, but Riley was not losing consciousness. That made Kabal even more agitated. ¡°¡­ Die!¡± Kabal shouted at the top of his lunge, enough to make his neck explode. Kabal stumped with his right leg again. This time, unlike the ¡®puk¡¯ sound, a different kind of crushing sound was heard. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the sound, Kabal thought it was finally done. He smiled victoriously and moved the leg again. Crack It sounded like Riley¡¯s cheek bone was being crushed. ¡®Well then, like this¡­¡¯ ¡®If it is something I cannot find the conclusion, perhaps it would be best to just stop thinking¡­ If I close my eyes like this, then maybe everything will end¡­¡¯ Riley was muttering those thoughts in his head. It was at that moment. ¡°¡­ Young Master!!¡± A voice could be heard. ¡°Um?¡± It was a delicate voice of a young girl. Kabal slowly turned his head and looked at the maid who appeared in the distance. ¡®A maid?¡¯ Wondering what a maid was doing here, Kabal stopped. Maid bit her lips lightly and started to run toward them. ¡°Now what is this¡­¡± At first, because she was at quite a distance, he could only figure out her getup. Now, as she approached them, he was able to confirm her face. Surprised, Kabal wiggled his eyebrows. ¡®Huh?¡¯ Of all women he had ever saw throughout his mercenary life, she had the most outstanding beauty. She was even more beautiful than famed bar maid who revived a dying pub. She was more beautiful than renowned daughters of nobilities. She was more astonishing than the Priestess of a Holy Temple. Kabal even thought she might be a Goddess. With an adorable look on her face, she was running this way. ¡®Well, I don¡¯t know where this cake dropped from, but¡­¡¯ Kabal decided to redirect his anger toward Riley at someone else. He licked his lips and turned toward the maid. ¡°Oh my? Are you this Young Master¡¯s maid?¡± With open arms, Kabal walked toward the maid. However, he blinked after feeling sudden wind. ¡°¡­?¡± In a blink of an eye, the maid disappeared. ¡®What¡¯s this? Was I imagining it? Was it a mirage?¡¯ Kabal thought maybe he just saw a mirage because this was desert. He thought about when was thest time he drank any water. However, that was not a mirage. ¡°Young Master!¡± It happened because Nainiae used magic and swapped the locations with Kabal. ¡°What the?¡± He heard Nainiae¡¯s voice from the back. Kabal turned his head to look. Having realized he got done in, Kabal crumpled his face. ¡®A mage?¡¯ After swapping the spots with Kabal, she held Riley in her arms. Looking at Riley¡¯s face, which was a mess, she bit her lips again and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you fight back?¡± She couldn¡¯t know what happened exactly, but Nainiae knew well that Riley was not some weakling who would have been hurt like this one-sidedly. ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. He didn¡¯t want to tell someone about his troubled thoughts of his past life. He also just didn¡¯t want to speak. He didn¡¯t want to be treated like a mentally ill person. ¡°¡­¡± With no response, Nainiae red at Riley¡¯s face again. His cheekbones were cracked. His skin was torn and messed up. However, she could still see the gleam in his eyes. She muttered quietly. ¡°¡­ Is it because of your past life?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± There was something empty about Riley¡¯s eyes. However, having heard the question, Riley¡¯s eyes shook. ¡°What did you¡­ just say?¡± ¡°Is it about the Holy Sword you wielded in your past life? Because you had to watch many people die as result of it¡­ Because you fear the things of your past life might repeat¡­ You were agonizing over them, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Wondering how she could have known about his past life, Riley looked at Nainiae and muttered vacantly. ¡°You had been avoiding holding swords, but still¡­ isn¡¯t it true that you still want to wield it?¡± She was not sobbing. She had serious look on her face as she started to shed tears. She looked at Riley directly and asked. ¡°¡­ Sword.¡± Although she was crying, her strong eyes were unwavering. It seemed she had agonized over this several ten thousand times in that brief moment and came to a decision. ¡°I thought hard about this all along. Ever since I learned about your past life, I wondered if I should tell you that I know or not.¡± Nainiae briefly took a deep breath and continued, ¡°Until now, I couldn¡¯t decide, so I couldn¡¯t tell you. I was worried you might find it ufortable. However¡­¡± Nainiae lowered her gaze and looked at Riley¡¯s right hand. His hand was shaking lightly. It would have been hard for anyone to notice without taking a close look. ¡°I thought that¡­ I should definitely tell you now.¡± Kabal, who switched ces with Nainiae earlier, pounded at the barrier that Nainiae cast and muttered, ¡®What is this? What are they talking about?¡¯ Because of the barrier, he could not hear anything from the inside. Frustrated, Kabal picked up his hammer. ¡®I don¡¯t know what they are up to, but I can¡¯t just sit back and watch.¡¯ With intent to shatter the mage¡¯s barrier as if it was nothing, Kabal wrapped himself in purple energy and raised the hammer up to the sky. ¡°Young Master.¡± It seemed Nainiae was not interested at all about what Kabal was doing on her back. Nainiae continued in quiet voice, ¡°You told me once before. If I be afraid of being criticized after working hard to live up to others¡¯ expectations¡­ The solution is taking a step back. Instead of receiving expectations from people, it is better to watch from the back.¡± Back then¡­ Nainiae said she could not find the answer and said ¡®I am not sure.¡¯ Now, like a person who had the answer, she smiled lightly and said, ¡°I am a little different.¡± She said the solution she found was a little different. ¡°I am not sure if what I found is the answer you had been seeking, but this is what I think.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I thought¡­ No matter what happens, no matter what the result is, just doing what I want keeps my heart at ease the most.¡± Behind her, Kabal¡¯s hammer was smashed on to the barrier. Nainiae had been talking calmly until now. However, she crumpled her face slightly. The sound of cracks developing on the barrier could be heard. ¡°It is so that I won¡¯t have any regrets for the choices I made.¡± Nainiae had been following Riley because she wanted to. She was giving a lecture to Riley at the moment, knowing she was in no position to do so, because she wanted to. Just because she wanted to. So she won¡¯t regret itter¡­ This was the answer that Nainiae found for the question from thest autumn. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to draw the sword, then you don¡¯t have to. If you want to wield it, then that¡¯s fine too. You don¡¯t have to be wondering around about it. It¡¯s simple.¡± Using wind magic, Nainiae dusted off the sand that was on Riley¡¯s clothes and added the following with smile. ¡°Regardless of your decision, I respect you, Young Master.¡± Nainiae was intending to be Riley¡¯s sword if he chose not to draw the sword. If he decided to wield the sword, then she intended to reduce the burden of other people¡¯s expectations in his ce. ¡°I¡­ I will do what I want to do.¡± She was just a maid, yet she gave such lecture to the Young Master she served. If Sera or Ian knew this, they would have been shocked. It was also possible that Riley might tell her off and say that he thinks she is an eyesore and should get lost. Still, Nainiae was daring to think that she definitely won¡¯t regret it. It was because she chose on her own what she wanted to do. ¡°¡­ Break!!¡± The barrier was littered with cracks. Kabal thought it will take just one more hit to break the barrier. Along with the shouting, Kabal smashed the barrier with the hammer he raised up. ¡°¡­?!¡± Nainiae was going to attack as soon as the barrier shattered. However, she opened her eyes big and stopped. ¡°Um?¡± Kabal¡¯s hammer fell. To be precise, Kabal¡¯s right arm fell to the ground. ¡°¡­?!¡± Riley drew his sword. Chapter 158 - The Remaining Work (6)

Chapter 158: The Remaining Work (6)

¡°Ah?¡± In that split second, Kabal, who was only looking at the barrier being split in half in front of him, lowered his gaze. ¡®What is this?¡¯ He eventually realized that the muscr arm lying on the ground was his. With look of disbelief, he turned his gaze to the front. ¡®Why is my arm¡­?¡¯ A gentle breeze tickled his face. He finally realized the situation he was in. He held his shoulder, where his arm had been - which was cleanly cut off - and started to take a step back. ¡°Kuuuuk!¡± As he stepped back, Kabal was staring beyond the barrier that was just split in half. There, he found Riley who was holding a sword. Kabal had no idea when had Riley gotten up and drawn his sword. Kabal gritted his teeth. ¡°As I thought, you were¡­¡± Riley was holding the sword in his right hand. With the arm fully extended to the back, he had taken a standby stance. Facing Riley, Kabal exuded the purple light energy and started to swing the hammer in his left hand. ¡°You were the bastard!¡± As if something snapped and he lost his mind, Kabal was charged at Riley like a beast. Nainiae, who was vacantly staring at Riley, showed a concerned look on her face for a brief moment. However, it was a baseless concern. ¡°Uuuk?!¡± Only a moment ago, Riley was being held in Nainiae¡¯s arms. Now, Riley was already standing and parring the hammer that Kabal mmed down. Nainiae watched this happen in front of her. ¡°Kuk! Petty tricks!¡± Watching Riley quickly closing the distance and deflecting his own hammer, Kabal huffed and puffed as he changed the angle of the hammer and swung it with his left arm, as if he was going to send Riley flying. ¡®Young Master.¡¯ Watching Riley parry the strike again by pushing the pole portion of the hammer with his sword, Nainiae mumbled inside. ¡°¡­¡± Although Kabal was missing an arm, the monstrous strength drenched in purple light was definitely not something that could be ignored. Despite this, Riley only maintained emotionless face as he moved his sword and deflected Kabal¡¯s attacks. It was as if he was testing something. He parried attacks from above by having them sent below and he dodged the attacksing from the side. Riley was dancing with Kabal, as if Riley was toying with him. ¡°You little!¡± It looked like Kabal almost had him, but he didn¡¯t. Somehow, in various ways, Riley was evading Kabal¡¯s attacks. Infuriated by Riley¡¯s belittling moves, Kabal looked at the ground. It seemed his target had changed. ¡®The ground?¡¯ Nainiae realized Kabal was about to smash the ground with his hammer to bring about a quake. She hesitated as she thought whether or not she should prepare her magic. However, Riley responded faster than the smashing of hammer on the ground. ¡°¡­ Uuuu, uu?¡± Raised high above, the hammer was just waiting for the smashing motion to the ground. However, the hammer was stopped in that angle. To be precise, Kabal¡¯s body had be stiff. Because of the deadly aura that Riley exuded, his entire body was not budging at all as if it became a lump of ice or a boulder. ¡®It cannot be¡­ Again?¡¯ With his body immobilized, Kabal was not able to do anything but move his eyeballs to chase the culprit responsible for his current state. ¡®Something petty like this¡­¡¯ Like thest time, he was trying to use his strength to shake off the deadly aura that was suppressing his body. It seemed this was the right answer. His body, which was struggling, slowly started to move again. ¡°¡­ Ha.¡± Kabal shivered and started to move again. Watching Kabal, Riley snorted. ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡®Done? What¡¯s done?¡¯ Kabal¡¯s consciousness ended there. ¡°¡­¡± Next to Kabal¡¯s right arm that had been cut off earlier, Kabal¡¯s head, which still had confused expression on the face, fell. After that, his body, and then his hammer, fell in that order. ¡°As I thought¡­¡± Riley tossed the sword on top of the corpse and muttered. The voice was unlike before. It felt like his heart had be significantly lighter. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s such a bother.¡± Afterwards, he turned to look at Nainiae. Seeing the look on Riley¡¯s face, it seemed she felt relieved atst. She rxed the anxious look on her face and put on a faint smile. ¡°Now¡­¡± Having finished off Kabal, Riley walked to Nainiae, stared right at her face and said, ¡°I think I need to hear a few things from you.¡± It seemed like Riley was not going to ask about the advice Nainiae gave earlier about the things that troubled Riley. As if he had things he wanted to hear from Nainiae that were unrted to those, the expression on Riley¡¯s face changed to refreshed look. He moved his hand toward Nainiae¡¯s white cheek. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Feeling Riley¡¯s hand gently holding her own cheek and creating a sweet mood, Nainiae blushed out of embarrassment. However, the moment didn¡¯tst long. ¡°Uuuuu?¡± Her blushing cheek was stretched out like marshmallow. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master.¡± Feeling the skin on her cheek being pulled, Nainiae cringed her eyes. She started to struggle. It looked like she was begging him to stop. ¡°What happened? Howe you know about it?¡± Riley had asked how Nainiae knew about his past life. ¡°T¡­ That is¡­ That is!¡± It seemed she was asking Riley to let go of the cheek first. Nainiae was struggling with tears in her eyes. Riley brought his face close to Nainiae and smiled violently. He was implying it would be good for her give straight answers. * * * To prevent what happened at Solia, thest time from repeating, Nainiae put away Kabal¡¯s dead body in the dimensional space. She organized the crater in the area as she told Riley about the things that had happened so far. ¡°¡­ You received them in the dream?¡± ¡°Yes. A woman in ck¡­ She said she was the Goddess of the world that you used to live in your past life. I met her in the dream. I received the memories of your past life from her as well.¡± Having heard the exnation about what happened in the dream, Riley crumpled his face. Noticing this, Nainiae carefully asked, ¡°By any chance¡­ have you met her before?¡± She asked because she was worried about Riley. However, because the Goddess¡¯ face was very simr to her own, Nainiae was concerned that Riley might hate her because of it. That¡¯s why she asked. ¡°No. I resented her, but I had never met her.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°I wish I could see her face just to see what she looks like. What an ungrateful b*tch¡­isn¡¯t she? If she took advantage of me that much, it should have been enough. Yet, she is trying to put me to work again?¡± It seemed that he didn¡¯t like this. Riley ground his teeth and poured out curses at the Goddess in ck dress, the one who they had no way of knowing what could have happened to her now. While at it, he listened to the rest of the exnation from Nainiae. He listened to everything as Nainiae exined that the power used in Riley¡¯s past life is creeping into this world and how the Goddess said it would be best to handle the situation quickly. Nainiae also mentioned what the Goddess said about the Holy Sword. ¡°As I thought, there is something to the ¡®World Below¡¯ that Ian was worried about, but it was that. I see.¡± Rile had a rough idea based on the purple colored people and what Ian had told him. With an annoyed look on his face, Riley started to scratch his head. ¡°What about Rorona¡¯s side?¡± Riley was scratching his head to organize his thoughts. He asked about Rorona, the mercenary who they had seen, beforeing here. ¡°Fortunately, Mr. Reitri followed us, so I left her in his care and came to find you. On the way, I ran into Kabal mercenaries who were carrying Ms. Priesia and Nara on their backs, so I also left the two of them in Mr. Reitri¡¯s care.¡± Nainiae exined these were the reasons why she ended up joining Rileyter than she expected. She rubbed her cheek, which had turned red and asked, ¡°Is there anything else that you want to know about?¡± Now that he was finished with Kabal, he was going to go back and check on Nara¡¯s and Priesia¡¯s situation. Riley turned to look at Nainiae. ¡°Ah, I have one more thing.¡± He said he almost forgot to ask this one thing. Riley came closer to Nainiae and asked, ¡°About me taking a nap inside the cavest time¡­¡± Riley had an angry look in his eyes. Facing Riley¡¯s re, Nainiae flinched her shoulders and slowly avoided the gaze. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°About that, I rmend that you tell me honestly about what happened?¡± Riley said it with a refreshing smile. Following his lead, Nainiae also smiled awkwardly. She then carefully opened her mouth. ¡°That is¡­ I was worried about you, Young Master. So, I had no choice but to use a sleep spell¡­¡± Nainiae muttered in mosquito size voice. However, Riley definitely heard what she said. He ground his teeth big time and brought his hand toward Nainiae. ¡°Ah, ah ah¡­ Young Master, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Riley pulled Nainiae¡¯s cheek. Suppressing the frustration that he was feeling, Riley asked, ¡°I see. So, was that another choice that you made because ¡®you wanted to¡¯?¡± ¡°Young Master, about that¡­¡± ¡°I also feel like I want to pull someone¡¯s cheek.¡± For a long time, Riley grabbed Nainiae¡¯s cheek and stretched it out as he ground his teeth. It looked like he had enough. He let go of Nainiae¡¯s cheek and forgave her. ¡°Uuu. So¡­ What are you going to do now?¡± At first, it was her right cheek. And now, it was her left cheek. Nainiae rubbed her cheeks with her hands and looked at Riley¡¯s back. ¡°Do you even need to ask? First, let¡¯s go get free lunch from Reitri, and then¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not asking about that.¡± ¡°Um? Ah¡­ ah!¡± It seemed Riley understood the question. Like Nainiae, Riley was rubbing his face which had bruises. He corrected himself and replied, ¡°It¡¯s such a bother. I won¡¯t.¡± He had organized his mind which was in chaos. Unlike before, he now answered without hesitation. Watching Riley like this made Nainiae think about what had happenedst spring at the Solia Castle. Nainiae snickered and smiled. ¡®I¡¯m telling you to leave me alone. Let me rest a bit.¡¯ All this time, although he was agonizing over the things that happened in his past life, perhaps Riley¡¯s answer had already been set since then. ¡°¡­ Ugh. I wish I could eat a sweet bean soup.¡± It was a dish that didn¡¯t exist in this world. Riley muttered the name of a food that existed in the other world as he walked and worked up an appetite. Nainiae followed him and asked, ¡°Sweet bean soup? Ah, are you talking about that sweet soup?¡± ¡°Can you make it?¡± ¡°For the ingredients¡­ sweet beans will be needed. I think I¡¯ll be able to make it somehow.¡± ¡°Uh? Really?¡± Perhaps because she had the memories of Riley¡¯s past life, Nainiae said she thought that she could make food from the other world. ¡°In that case, try it.¡± ¡°Should I also try making that thing we ate during the summer too?¡± ¡°That thing?¡± ¡°What was it called? Ah! t fried dough!¡± ¡°No, we should eat that only when it is raining.¡± * * * At the Iphalleta mansion, shunned by Riley and Nainiae, a maid who ended up returning to her ordinary life stopped after sweeping the ground for a while. She sighed big. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± It was not because the work was tiring. She was just worried about the Young Master and the new maid who were both younger than her. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sera heaved a big sigh again. There was a woman who was looking at Sera cleaning. The woman said, ¡°Sera, you are going to make the ground sink.¡± ¡°Still, I think I didn¡¯t resolve what you were concerned about. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Sera, what I asked you was to watch over the two. I didn¡¯t mean you should resolve the concern. If it is those two, they will be fine.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Even if you don¡¯t take it upon yourself to resolve it, they will be fine. Instead of worrying, don¡¯t you think they would want you to trust them? Riley and Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°Ummm.¡± Iris added that worrying so much will instead lead to problems that really warrant concern. Having heard her, Sera put a stop to her worries and continued sweeping the floor. ¡°In that case, it cannot be helped.¡± ¡°Huhu. Right? Actually, I said the same to Mr. Ian recently. I was concerned you might react the same way as him.¡± Iris brought it up as she smiled. Sera peeked a smile, indicating she could imagine. She stopped sweeping for a moment and asked, ¡°Now that I think about it, Mr. Ian¡­ I haven¡¯t seen him in days? Does he not know that I have returned?¡± After she came back, even when she was all excited and told everyone that Nainiae¡¯s face had be unbelievably beautiful, she didn¡¯t see Ian. Thinking about him, Sera tilted her head to the side. ¡°Did he go somewhere?¡± ¡°Um? Did nobody tell you?¡± Iris was reading a book. However, noticing Sera tilting her head to the side, Iris casually turned her head toward Sera and asked back. ¡°What do you mean?¡± It seemed she had no idea. ¡°Oh my. Itpletely slipped my mind¡­ I forgot to tell you.¡± After seeing Sera¡¯s reaction, Iris covered her mouth with her hand. She looked surprised. She rushed and brought her hand to the drawer and picked up a piece of paper that was there. ¡°Here¡­¡± It was neatly folded. It appeared to be a letter. Iris handed the letter to Sera and Sera put the broom against the wall and carefully took the letter. She opened it. [I am worried about Young Master. I feel so anxious and I cannot take it anymore. I¡¯ll go to find Young Master. I don¡¯t think I can rest easy with just Sera. I¡¯lle back with Young Master. - Ian] Sera¡¯s hand, which was holding the letter, flinched. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Sera¡¯s face was covered by the letter. She peeked from above the letter; Iris had an awkward look on her face. She roughly exined the situation regarding how she had received the letter. ¡°About that¡­ On the morning of the day you returned to the mansion¡­ Ian vanished. He left that letter.¡± Sera¡¯s mouth was opened vacantly. Chapter 159 - Leading a Carefree Life

Chapter 159: Leading a Carefree Life

Riley and Nainiae returned to the Reitri Merchant Group¡¯s carriage. They decided to have a funeral for Isen, the mercenary who had lost his life in the battle against Kabal. ¡°To think Mr. Isen would end up like this.¡± ¡°At least we have the Priestess with us to perform the funeral.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so sad.¡± The merchants also joined the funeral. They maintained a solemn atmosphere and were not able to suppress the sad looks on their faces, saying that it was a shame that Isen died. ¡°I know. Now, the desert cleansing work has been postponed too.¡± ¡°Damn it all. If those bastards from the Kabal Mercenaries didn¡¯t show up¡­¡± ¡°Quiet everyone.¡± They noticed that Priesia was in the prayer position. The merchants firmly closed their mouths and lowered their heads to pay respect. ¡°¡­¡± Priesia, the Priestess, closed her eyes gently and began to use her holy power. With her hands gathered together, her holy prayer to send off the dead could be heard. Nara and Rorona, who were standing by Isen, bit their lips and lowered their heads. ¡°Will Nara¡­ be all right?¡± The prayer was over. Nainiae was watching the funeral from quite a distance. She carefully asked Riley who was sitting next to her. ¡°I am not sure?¡± Riley was holding his head by the palm and thought about countless funerals he had attended in his past life. ¡°Anyway, since the Priestess personally performed the funeral ceremony¡­ He won¡¯t be going to Hell or something.¡± Nara and Rorona lifted the torches. Their faces were stricken with grief. However, they didn¡¯t cry and no tears were visible. It seemed Nara and Rorona had hardened their hearts from living the life of a mercenary. They were enduring the death of their dearrade. Riley was watching them with his head held by the palm. ¡°He is probably not all right, but he seems all right.¡± Having heard what he said, Nainiae looked at Nara and Rorona. Nainiae felt like he could understand them somehow. She nodded with bitter look on her face. ¡°I guess so.¡± To the logs that Isen was lying on top of, Nara and Rorona brought their torches and set the logs on fire. Rorona, who had been holding it in well until now, could not endure it anymore. She broke into tears. ¡°Huhuk¡­ Isen¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Rorona.¡± ¡°Because of me¡­ Because of me¡­¡± Nara watched Isen¡¯s body being engulfed in the me. Nara tossed the bandages into the fire that he had wrapped on his body earlier and said, ¡°Don¡¯t me yourself. Isen would not want that.¡± ¡°I know¡­ I know¡­¡± Rorona was holding the torch with both of her hands. She bit her lips and nodded over and over. * * * Under Priesia¡¯s guidance, they held a brief funeral for Isen. When the funeral ended, Nara and Rorona walked to where Riley was and joined him. ¡°Are you all right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Because she cried, Rorona¡¯s eyes were all swollen up. Nainiae consoled her and pointed at a seat to invite Rorona to sit down. Rorona sat down and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Young Master, you came.¡± Nara sat down as well after Rorona. Looking at Riley, Nara finally got to greet him. ¡°I didn¡¯t get to greet you sooner. My apologies.¡± ¡°Your body was crushed. Is it alright now?¡± Given the situation, Riley acted like it was nothing. He looked over Nara¡¯s wounds and asked. ¡°Yes, more or less¡­ Thanks to the Priestess.¡± Nara said he was able to recover quickly thanks to the Priestess although he was turned to pulp. The wounds still hurt and Nara cringed lightly in response. ¡°The Priestess and I opened our eyes in Mr. Reitri¡¯s carriage. It is¡­ thanks to you I presume, Young Master?¡± While Priesia was in middle of the prayer, Nara lost her because of Kabal making the entrance to the scene. He looked ashamed. Riley said he is not the one who should be thanked in particr. He turned his head to the side instead. ¡°No.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°She did.¡± Riley pointed at the maid with his eyes. Nara had his eyes met with astonishingly beautiful woman who was making his eyes pop and twist. He blushed and lowered his head. ¡°Ah¡­ Th¡­ Thank you.¡± Nara didn¡¯t recognize Nainiae. Wondering who she was, Nara directed his gaze at Rorona. Here was a maid he had never seen before, yet it looked like Rorona knew who she was. ¡°Who is she? Do you know her?¡± Nara quietly asked, and Rorona peeked a smile and said, ¡°Yes, I know her.¡± ¡°You do? You mean like you saw her or were introduced to her earlier today?¡± ¡°Commander, she is someone you know as well?¡± ¡°What?¡± Nara furrowed his brows, wondering what Rorona was babbling about. Nara looked at the maid next to Riley again carefully. ¡°¡­?¡± She was blindingly radiant. Simply looking at her face once again was difficult for Nara. Her facial features were that gorgeous. ¡°¡­ Who is she?¡± Nara¡¯s face was still full of question marks. He looked at Rorona¡¯s face; he was asking her to tell him. ¡°Seriously? You really cannot recognize her?¡± ¡°Uuu¡­¡± Not just Rorona, but even Riley smirked and asked. It seemed Nainiae was a little disappointed. She blew up her cheek. ¡°The thing is, even if you ask, I cannot recognize her¡­¡± ¡°Commander, I thought you of all people would be able to recognize her.¡± Rorona was looking at him with disappointed eyes. Nara panicked. As if he was trying to tell them to just sit back and watch this, he narrowed his eyes and stared at Nainiae who had her cheeks ballooned up. ¡°¡­¡± For a moment, Nara¡¯s eyes turned to those of snakes and then, became human-like again. ¡°Uh?¡± Nara observed the maid using the Basilisk¡¯s eyes. He recognized her color and put on vacant look on his face. Of all people he had met in his life, very few had colors as pure as this. The maid of Iphalleta who he ran into during thest summer clearly had the same color as her. ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± Her name is¡­ ¡°Ms. Nainiae¡­?¡± Instead of a face with horrid looking scars attached, she had ivory white skin and beautiful features. She was wearing the same maid dress and had the same dark hair as the maid named Nainiae he remembered. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Nara.¡± Nainiae finally rxed her face and smiled refreshingly as she waved her hand at Nara. ¡°N¡­ Nainiae? Is it really you, Ms. Nainiae? The thing is, I was so sure that you must be a new maid in the Iphalleta Family, so¡­¡± Nara muttered as he looked at Nainiae¡¯s face. Meanwhile, Priestess Priesia, who was away from everyone, came to join them. ¡°Excuse me. Mr. Reitri would like to express his gratitude to Young Master Riley foring all this way¡­ Um?¡± Priesia found Nara with a vacantly open mouth while staring at Nainiae. Wondering what that was about, she tilted her head to the side. Riley asked Priesia as well. ¡°You never met her before, right?¡± Having heard the question, Priesia looked at Nainiae. Thinking hard about the question, Priesia crumpled her eyebrows and floated up a question mark on her face just like Nara earlier. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Young Master¡­ This¡­ Could you please stop doing this?¡± Nainiae dropped her head with a gloomy expression. Riley snickered and said he understood. ¡°Excuse me, by any chance?¡± Based on their conversation just now, it seemed Priesia got a feel for the right answer. She had a quizzical look on her face as she carefully asked Nainiae, ¡°Nainiae?¡± Hearing Priesia calling her name, Nainiae nodded as recement for a verbal response. She looked relieved. ¡°Is it really you, Nainiae? Oh my¡­ What happened to your face? You were healed? You were, right?¡± It seemed Priesia could not look happier to see that her friend came back with her facepletely healed. Priesia actually came here to see Riley, but she directed her attention to Nainiae instead. ¡°It¡¯s so fortunate. Your illness is cured too, right? Completely?¡± Priesia suddenly grabbed Nainiae¡¯s hand and Nainiae panicked. Meanwhile, Priesia was pouring out questions after questions. To calm her down, Nainiae said she will go prepare tea and got up. ¡°It really was you, Ms. Nainiae¡­ You look like apletely different person.¡± ¡°I think she looks the same. What¡¯s all this ruckus about.¡± ¡°The same? What are you¡­¡± Riley was leisurely shrugging. Nara started at him because he couldn¡¯t understand Riley. Nara tilted his head to the side. ¡°Young Master, you changed a little too?¡± ¡°Who, me?¡± Riley wondered if the bruised-up face was not healedpletely yet. He felt his cheek. Watching Riley, Nara shook his head to say that was not what he was talking about. Nara exined what it was that changed. ¡°It¡¯s your color.¡± ¡°My color?¡± ¡°Yes. Compared to before, how should I say this¡­ You have be cleaner? You had a bit of a tainted color before.¡± ¡°Tainted? Who¡¯s tainted.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying that¡¯s how your color was like! I¡¯m not saying you have a dirty personality¡­¡± ¡°Dirty?¡± Nara shriveled his shoulders. Thinking he can¡¯te back from this one, Nara just shut his mouth. Riley was not liking this. He red at Nara, but he soon changed the look on his face and said, ¡°Anyway, I have something I want to ask.¡± ¡°Yes? What is it?¡± ¡°Nara, it¡¯s about the purple people you mentioned before. How many did you say there are?¡± ¡°The purple people? Let¡¯s see¡­ So¡­¡± With his fingers, Nara counted the purple people he met so far. ¡°That Kabal bastard, the dark mage who we met at the Rainfield, The oldfart who ims to be the Archbishop of the Hotly Temple, a homeless we met at some nameless country vige¡­ and¡­¡± Based on the six parts that the purple people talked about, Riley thought there must be six people. Nara just mentioned Kabal the mercenary, Hurial the dark mage, Rebethra the Archbishop and Epidemic the friend who cannot breathe¡­ and the Princess Reutrina who had been hiding her true identity. Together, there were five of the purple people that Riley knew. It meant there was one more. ¡°I don¡¯t know who this person was, but I saw someone who looked rtively suspicious recently. That person was also purple.¡± Nara just said he saw the remaining one. Riley narrowed his eyes and asked about this suspicious person. ¡°Suspicious looking person?¡± ¡°Yes. Because of a very thick hood on the head, I couldn¡¯t see the face in detail.¡± ¡°By any chance, was it a woman of nobility?¡± Riley asked because he wondered if the one he saw was Reutrina. Nara shook his head and said, ¡°No, this person didn¡¯t appear to be a nobility. There wasn¡¯t any guard either.¡± Nara tilted his head to the side because he couldn¡¯t remember very well, and Rorona, who was sitting next to him, added, ¡°What really caught my eyes was that there was silver hair sticking out of the hood.¡± ¡°Silver hair?¡± ¡°Yes, silver hair. It was long, loose silver hair. Because the face was covered by the shadows, I don¡¯t have anything to tell you about the face.¡± Having heard the exnation, Nara was more surprised than Riley. Impressed, Nara looked at Rorona. ¡°Rorona, how did you see that?¡± ¡°Commander, you cannot underestimate an archer¡¯s eyesight. I may not look the part, but I am quite the expert¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sure you are.¡± Rorona flexed her shoulders and tilted her chin up. Nara clicked his tongue to tell her that is enough. Nara turned to look back at Riley. ¡°By the way, Young Master. Why are you asking about the purple people all of the sudden?¡± Riley organized his thought and answered in terse terms. ¡°I just thought it won¡¯t be a bad idea to know about them.¡± It was as he said. They were rted to the so called the world below. The purple people were trying to break the boundary between this world and the modernized world that Riley lived in his past life. Riley thought it would be such a bother to go and pay a visit to each and every one of the purple people and beat the sheet out of them one at a time, so he was not thinking about such a n, but¡­ He thought it won¡¯t hurt to know about them beforehand, so that¡¯s why he asked. It was also to prevent bothersome things from happening in the future. ¡®The dark mage and Kabal have been handled. As for Reutrina, she became a fool and we had surveince attached to her, so¡­ There are three whose whereabouts are unknown? ¡¯ Rebethra, who had been taken by the ck hand, the epidemic homeless man who Riley crossed paths with in Allieve Vige and another suspicious individual who wears a full body hood and has silver hair¡­ They seemed to be the remaining three of the purple people. ¡®Of the remaining three, the one who is most likely to bother us soon is¡­ actually all of them¡­¡¯ Riley thought about the three remaining purple people. Finding it to be such a bother, he furrowed his brows. Meanwhile, Nara asked, ¡°Young Master, what do you n to do from now on?¡± ¡°Me?¡± Riley was holding his head with his palm. As if he already had thought about the answer for this question before-hand, he answered immediately. ¡°This winter trip¡¯s theme is to rest and express gratitude, so we are going to go see the doctor who healed Nainiae.¡± The said doctor who had been running a pub at Iffa vige near Iphalleta Mansion was currently away somewhere else. To check out what he was up to and also say hello to the man, Riley chose to do this. ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Young Master.¡± Having heard him, Priesia nced around as she fiddled with her fingers. She carefully raised her right hand up. ¡°I have a favor to ask. Can you please help me?¡± Chapter 160 - Leading a Carefree Life (2)

Chapter 160: Leading a Carefree Life (2)

¡°A favor?¡± Having heard the Priestess saying that she had a favor to ask, Riley tilted his head to the side and asked her back. ¡°Yes, a favor.¡± The flow of the conversation felt like something that he had experienced somewhere before. Finding it suspicious, he red at Priesia. Before hearing what she had to say next, he warned her, ¡°If you are going to ask me something weird like thest time, won¡¯t it be better for you to just keep it to yourself? I clearly warned youst time, didn¡¯t I?¡± The situation now felt simr to the one which happened in the Solia Castle¡¯s restroom duringst spring. That¡¯s why Riley warned her. ¡°Instead of pestering me, it would be better for you to go and look for someone els¡­¡± ¡°N¡­ No! It¡¯s not like that!¡± Concerned that she would be refused before even having the chance to exin what it was that she wanted to ask for, she said that this favor was not like the one she had asked before. She promptly went to the main point. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Young Master, are you currently traveling?¡± It seemed that she remembered the deadly threat fromst spring. She was not able to look at Riley in the eyes. With cowering voice, she asked. Riley frowned and asked back, ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°If you are traveling, I was hoping¡­ if you could allow me to tag along with you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley¡¯s eyebrows rose in surprise. He had dumbfounded look on his face. He walked to Priesia as if he was daring her to say it again. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master, still, she is the Priestess¡­¡± ¡°Do you realize you look like aplete dirtbag thug?¡± Noticing Riley ring at Priesia with violent look on his face, Nara and Rorona pulled Priesia behind their backs. It was kind of like the woodcutters hiding the deer from an evil poacher. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. What¡¯s all this? I just looked her, that¡¯s all.¡± After watching Nara and Rorona pulling Priesia behind them, Riley shrugged and said they were overreacting. However, the two mercenaries shook their head and retorted, ¡°Just looked at her? You looked like you were going to eat her alive?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be more urate to say you were ring at her?¡± Having heard their retort, Riley shrugged once again. He slowly turned his head and clicked his tongue. He wasn¡¯t liking this at all. ¡°Tsk.¡± In fact, Riley didn¡¯t like the Priestess named Priesia. It didn¡¯t matter how pretty her face was. It didn¡¯t matter how kind her heart was either¡­ Regardless of those factors, it was all because of the Priestess he met in his past life. Although he knew very well that Priesia was a different person from the Priestess he knew from his past life¡­ And although he was well aware that she was different in every aspects, her face, appearance, personality and even the Goddess she worshiped¡­ Riley couldn¡¯t just smile and tell her ¡®ah, is that so?¡¯ ¡°To start with, don¡¯t you think it is ridiculous that she is saying she wants to follow me? She is currently a member of the Lightning Boulder Mercenary. She thinks she can just leave as she wishes?¡± Riley turned and looked at the three again and tsked. Nara scratched his cheek and nced at Priesia to check her mood. ¡°Well, since I am the Commander of the group, I have the authority to decide on letting a member go, but¡­ If it is the Priestess we are talking about, don¡¯t you think that changes the situation a bit?¡± Having heard what Nara said, Riley started to re at Priesia again. ¡°Wow, you sure get lots of sweet treatment from everyone. Maybe I should be a Priestess too?¡± ¡°No¡­ Young Master, not everyone can be Priestess, you know. Before that, to start with, your gender is going to be a problem¡­¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Riley kicked his tongue again. ¡°So? Why are you saying you want to follow me?¡± It was not going to be about killing a demon lord, beating up a dragon or saving the world. Anyway, since this favor was not one of those kinds, Riley decided to endure it once. He thought to himself that he won¡¯t endure it for the second time as he asked. ¡°Ah, yes! That is¡­ There was a divine message.¡± ¡°A divine message?¡± Having heard the words, his eyebrows twitched once. ¡°Aroundst week, I received a new divine message¡­ I think I should follow you and Nainiae.¡± A divine message¡­ Priesia had just brought up one of the reasons why Riley hated Priestesses. Riley didn¡¯t liking this. He furrowed his brows and asked what the message was. ¡°What message?¡± ¡°The message said I should follow the child of the ck butterfly.¡± ¡°Child of the ck butterfly?¡± [Note: Due to ambiguity of Korean wordings, this could also mean a child who is a ck butterfly.] Riley tilted his head to the side. Nainiae, who left the scene a while ago to get some tea, just returned and said, ¡°If you are talking about the child of the ck butterfly¡­¡± Nainiae blurred the end of the sentence because she had a guess on what this could mean. Nainiae looked at Riley. Priesia nodded and said what Nainiae didn¡¯t. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m talking about Nainiae.¡± To give supplementary exnation to Riley, she whispered to Riley in the ear, ¡°I think she must be talking about what happened in the dream.¡± Last time, Riley heard from Nainiae about the dream where the ck butterfly appeared. It seemed Riley had already guessed that this was about the dream. He nodded. ¡°Still, Priestess¡­ If it is Nainiae who you need to follow, doesn¡¯t that mean you don¡¯t need to ask the Young Master for permission in particr?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, that¡¯s true¡­ Why are you asking Young Master Riley? You can just ask Nainiae.¡± ¡°Still, he is the one who Nainiae serves, so in the end, I thought I should get his permission, so¡­¡± ¡°Come on¡­¡± ¡°In that case, that even more reason for you to ask Nainiae first. Asking Nainiae first would have made the conversation faster.¡± ¡°Pardon? That would be faster? What do you mean?¡± Riley was exchanging whispers with Nainiae. He could also hear the three talking in front of him. Annoyed, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°These guys, seriously¡­¡± ¡°Rorona, I was wrong. We can¡¯t say things like that. After all, Nainiae is Young Master Riley¡¯s maid.¡± Nara slowly directed his gaze to the side. Rorona felt betrayed. With hardened face, she red at her Commander, who made excuses that really weren¡¯t excuses. ¡°A¡­ Anyway¡­ Priestess seems to be determined to follow Nainiae as the divine message said. I don¡¯t n to object to this, and¡­¡± Feeling Rorona¡¯s gaze, Nara was avoiding it and pretending as if he didn¡¯t notice. He went back to the main point. ¡°Well, to start with, we are a small group, so I guess we will really feel Isen¡¯s absence when Priestess leaves. His empty seat will feel bigger.¡± Nara thought about what it would be like with Priesia gone. There will be just two people left in the mercenary group. Nara had a sad look on his face. ¡°With just two, I think it would be a bit odd to call it a mercenary group, right? I guess we should call ourselves a duo from now on.¡± Rorona rxed her face and added in gloomy voice. ¡°¡­¡± The mood became mncholy at that instant. Even Riley and Nainiae were unable to open their mouths easily. Nara pped hisp hard and said, ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t have any objection in particr. I know that joining our mercenary group was a temporary measure for the Priestess to stay in hiding, but¡­ I was proud to have her in our group. As proud as I was, I was also feeling the weight of the responsibilities and burden.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t have any objections.¡± ¡°Commander, Ms. Rorona¡­¡± Nara looked at Priesia and shrugged. Nara asked toward Nainiae, ¡°Ms. Nainiae, what about you?¡± He was asking if it would be all right with Nainiae to have Priesia follow her. ¡°I am not sure.¡± Nainiae scratched her cheek and hesitated on answering. It seemed Nara and Rorona were surprised to see this. They opened their eyes big and exchanged looks with each other. They expected Riley would refuse and say it would be such a bother. However, they thought Nainiae would dly allow it. However, instead, Nainiae was taking a moment and thinking hard about this. They never thought Nainiae would do this. ¡®A Priestess¡­¡¯ If it was before, Nainiae would have said ¡®Of course, if you are okay with following me.¡¯ However, Nainiae was agonizing over this right now because of the memories from Riley¡¯s past life that were contained within Nainiae¡¯s head. ¡®Will it be all right?¡¯ Unlike before, Nainiae hade to understand very well just how much Riley hated and loathed the Priestess from his past life, so¡­ Nainiae was hesitating from promptly saying ¡®it will be all right for you to tag along.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll follow Young Master¡¯s decision.¡± Priesia believed Nainiae would be her ally in this, but instead, her friend had avoided responding. Although Priesia was hoping for a favorable reply, she nodded, understanding that this could not be helped. Priesia looked at Riley. ¡°What about you, Young Master?¡± Riley was enjoying the aroma of the tea that had Nainiae prepared. Noticing Priesia¡¯s gaze, Riley paused for a moment and said, ¡°I refuse.¡± He paused for a moment, but he didn¡¯t think about it at all during that moment because he had decided the answer beforehand. There was the thing about him just not liking Priestesses, but more importantly, he thought it would be such a bother to have another girl tagging along with him. There was a reward ced on her and finding out her location. The reward was ced not just in Solia, but also in other cities as well. Riley was certain that there would be trouble. Besides this, Riley had one more reason as to why he had refused her. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you have many reasons, but¡­ If you are the Priestess, don¡¯t you have something else left to do before following me?¡± It looked like he was really enjoying the tea¡¯s aroma. He closed his eyes gently and said that. Wondering what was the thing she still had to do; Priesia floated a question mark on her face. ¡°¡­ This.¡± Nainiae poured the tea for everyone else, including Priesia, Nara and Rorona. Instead of Riley, Nainiae answered for him by pointing below with her finger. ¡°This?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The three had puzzled looks on their faces. Of the three, it was Priesia who figured out the meaning first. She bit her lips. ¡°¡­ You are right.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°What does it mean?¡± ¡°I was careless. I was so focused on following the divine message that I forgot about something else very important.¡± Priesia handed the tea cup back to Nainiae. She bent down on her knees and picked up a handful of the sand from the ground. ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡± Finally, Nara and Rorona also realized what Riley was talking about. They vacantly stared at the sand that Priesia picked up. The sand was ck. As if it was trying to prove that it still contained the epidemic, it was sizzling lightly, trying to melt Priesia¡¯s hand. ¡°I still have something left to do here.¡± Holding the sand in her hand, she gently closed her eyes. Using her Holy Power, she cleansed the sand that was in her palm. Slowly¡­ The sand regained its original color. The cleansed sand left Priesia¡¯s palm and fell to the ground, above the ck sand, making a crumbling sound. It was just a handful of sand. In this huge Karuta desert, that was just a handful of sand. The ck sand waiting to be cleansed was still rotten and covered quite a distance. ¡°Because of Kabal, she didn¡¯t get a chance topletely cleanse the desert.¡± The prayer that Priesia performed to cleanse the desert was interupted because of Kabal¡¯s interference. Remembering this, Rorona muttered. ¡°I know.¡± Nara directed his gaze toward the merchants of Reitri¡¯s group who were organizing their goods. ¡°Priestess?¡± ¡°I think the answer is decided.¡± Priesia said in quiet voice. Meanwhile, Riley asked for another cup of tea. Watching Riley, Priesia had bitter smile on her face. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master. After I finish cleansing the Karuta desert¡­ Would it be all right if I followed Nainiae then?¡± ¡°How long will it take to finish the cleansing?¡± ¡°Probably about three days¡­¡± ¡°Three days?¡± Because the cleansing was interrupted once already, Priesia said she thought it will take quite some time on the second try. She asked carefully, ¡°Will it be all right?¡± Riley held the tea cup at one hand and fiddled with his own chin with the other hand. Soon, it seemed he decided on the answer. He said with smile, ¡°No.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I said no. It will be a bother.¡± Hurururuk. Enjoying the tea, Riley still said no. Priesia was hoping he might approve this time. Having heard the response from Riley, Priesia¡¯s head fell. ¡°The two over there said they are feeling empty, so stay with them.¡± Riley looked at Nara and Rorona and said three will be better than two. Nara shook his head as if he thought there really was no way to convince Riley otherwise. Nara asked, ¡°Young Master, are you going to leave right away?¡± ¡°I am not sure.¡± He finished the second cup of tea. He looked up the sky. He said as he stared at the twinkling stars above in the night sky, ¡°Now that things turned out like this, I might as well rest for another day. I personally have something to tell Reitri, so¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Reitri?¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t it almost time for dinner? I guess I can talk to him over dinner.¡± Riley got up, saying it was almost time for dinner. Nainiae, who was watching him from the side, lightly turned her head and looked at her shoulder. ¡®It¡¯s already dinner time, yet¡­¡¯ For some reason, the summoned spirit had not shown herself throughout the whole day. Nainiae was concerned about her. Chapter 161 - Leading a Carefree Life (3)

Chapter 161: Leading a Carefree Life (3)

Nainiae stood there vacantly for a moment before tumbling and following Riley who was walking toward where Reitri was. ¡°¡­ Reitri!¡± It looked like Reitri was not thinking about heading out yet. He had left the ropes that tied the horses as they were. Reitri was looking around the other merchants in his group that he was leading. Having heard Riley¡¯s voice calling him, Reitri turned his head. ¡°Ah, Young Master Riley.¡± It seemed that Reitri had also cried during Isen¡¯s funeral. His eyes were red. Reitri rubbed his eyes and weed Riley. ¡°Have you had a pleasant conversation with Commander Nara? He must be very sad because of what happened to Mr. Isen. I hope that his heart is not hurting too much.¡± Actually, Reitri appeared to be suffering from the loss much more than Nara. Riley peeked a smile and walked closer to Reitri as he said he had something to talk about. ¡°Something to tell me?¡± ¡°I would like this to be just between us.¡± ¡°Just between us?¡± Reitri tilted his head to the side. He looked around what the merchants were doing. Thinking it would be all right, he nodded. ¡°Yes, well¡­ All right. It¡¯s just¡­ Before we do, just for a moment¡­¡± Reitri asked Riley to wait for a bit. Reitri waved at a boy who was busy running around other merchants. Reitri shouted, ¡°Horai!!¡± ¡°Um? What is it?¡± ¡°I have something to talk about with Young Master, so I¡¯ll be gone for a bit. Handle the wrap up work well!¡± ¡°I got it! What about dinner?¡± ¡°Start without me!¡± Reitri told his little brother Horai that he should start eating dinner first. That was all he wanted to do before taking his leave. Reitri turned to look at Riley and said, ¡°If you want to have a private conversation, inside the carriage would be good, right? I¡¯m thinking about a soundproof carriage. Would that be all right with you?¡± Riley asked, ¡°It doesn¡¯t need to be soundproof. Instead, I would just prefer a nice carriage? While you are at it, a carriage with the best bed¡­ I would like to be in your debt for the night and use it as a hotel.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°The interior would be more important than the exterior size. Since I don¡¯t know about your carriages, I¡¯ll leave it to you to decide.¡± Riley was listing features he wanted in the carriage. Having listened to them all, Reitri scratched his head and asked carefully, ¡°Will that be all right with you?¡± Reitri asked again because he wondered if it would be all right to not have the soundproofing. It was because Riley said earlier that he wanted the conversation to be just between him and Reitri. Meanwhile, the maid who was standing behind Riley took a step forward. ¡°Please.¡± Nainiae smiled softly and asked. Reitri realized why there was no need for soundproofing and nodded. ¡°Yes. In that case, I will.¡± Following Reitri¡¯s lead, Riley got to the best carriage and walked inside. When Riley and Reitri were walking into the carriage, Nainiae said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring you dinner as soon as it is ready.¡± She added and said to enjoy the dinner while having the conversation as she closed the door and cast soundproof magic. ¡°The bed looks nice. I¡¯m satisfied.¡± ¡°I¡¯m proud to know that the Young Master of Count¡¯s Family is satisfied with the bed.¡± For the conversation, Reitri brought out a desk and chairs and offered the seat to Riley. ¡°So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?¡± The topic could be something trivial or serious. Regardless, it looked like Reitri was ready to listen attentively. He brought out a paper and pen from his pocket. ¡°You still have that habit.¡± Watching Reitri bringing out a paper and pen from the pocket, Riley smiled and muttered. Reitri smiled awkwardly and said, ¡°Information is the lifeline for a merchant, so¡­¡± ¡°Well, I am not saying it is a bad habit. However, today will be an exception. If you are nning on using it to organize the thought, that would be all right, but if you are going to summarize and write what we are about to discuss, then I cannot allow it.¡± Reitri opened his eyes big. ¡°Uh? Is¡­ Is it that serious?¡± Riley was implying that what they were about to talk about was so heavy that he could not allow Reitri to write any of it down. Having realized this, Reitri gulped. ¡°If it is something that will put my life at risk just from hearing it, then I would like to refuse beforehand.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will put your life at risk. I¡¯m going to tell you this because I think it might help you. I also have a favor that I want to ask from you.¡± It was a give and take¡­ What Riley wanted was a trade with Reitri. ¡°A favor?¡± ¡°I am certain that this will not be a losing business for you at least. Since I am the one who proposed the trade, I¡¯ll tell you the information. You can decide afterwards if you want to take on the favor or not.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The moment to make a decision came. As a merchant, Reitri fiddled with his chin and took a moment to think hard about this. He nodded as if he understood. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s hear it first. Since I¡¯m acquainted with you, Young Master, if you are going to tell me the information first, then I have no reason to avoid it.¡± It was possible that Reitri could take his leave right after hearing the information. However, Riley knew Reitri was not that kind of a man. That was why Riley was telling him the information first. As for Reitri, he was aware that Riley was not some nobody Young Master who would give him useless information and take advantage of him. That was why he epted the trade. ¡°Duke Philisneon Family of Solia¡­ You know about them, right?¡± ¡°Of course. I also know that they had the end of the year banquet amongst the nobilities of the Solia there. The most talked about subject was most likely¡­ the Solia¡¯s border which was threatened recently.¡± ¡°You know about it? Where did you hear about it?¡± Riley was surprised by Reitri¡¯s answer. Reitri shook his head and said, ¡°No, that was just my guess. After all, that¡¯s what¡¯s happening in Solia right now.¡± Riley thought inside that not everyone could be merchants. He got to the main point. ¡°What about their Princess. Do you know about her?¡± ¡°The Princess?¡± ¡°Reutrina Phillisneon.¡± ¡°Ah, that mystery princess? I am not sure?¡± Reitri tilted his head to the side. ¡°Nothing is officially known about her. Rumors say she is the ugliest woman of the century or the stupidest woman of the century¡­ Well, there are full of rumors like that, but I have never seen her in person, so I am not sure.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Not just other merchants like myself, but I think other nobilities also probably don¡¯t know about her. She is that kind of person. Only her gender is known¡­ Ah! Now that I think about it, ording to what I have heard recently, she made an appearance at Iphalleta Mansion during the announcement of the sessorship¡­¡± While Reitri continued, he said ¡®oh no!¡¯ inside and nced at Riley to check on his mood. ¡°As for the sessorship¡­ It is unfortunate.¡± ¡°No, it is fine. I never wanted the sessorship anyway.¡± Riley acted like it was totally fine and went back to the main point to talk about the Princess Reutrina Philisneon. ¡°Actually, she seemed like a brilliant woman. As for her face too, well¡­ she didn¡¯t deserve the rumor about being ugly.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± Having heard what Riley just said, Reitri was going to move the pen, but he realized what he was up to and put the pen down. Reitri scratched his head. It was tomit what he had just heard to the memory. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Wondering why Riley was adding more to the story, Reitri tilted his head to the side. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°She was until a few weeks ago.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Now, as the rumor said, she became a fool.¡± Riley said with serious look on his face. Unable toprehend what he just heard, Reitri had puzzled look on his face. ¡°Big change won¡¯t be felt immediately from the outside, but eventually, because of this, the Duke Family will crumble.¡± Reutrina was one of the purple people. She had the ability to read other people¡¯s minds and use it to control people. Now, she had suddenly be a fool and so this would result in the Duke Philisneon Family¡¯s downfall. ¡°Practically, the Duke¡¯s Family was able to stay in power because of Princess Reutrina. This is no exaggeration.¡± She probably had the Duke¡¯s Family in her grasp with her power. Now, with her missing from the picture, the family was going to falter for sure. It was as obvious as watching the fire spread. ¡°Is she that important? To think that the family will falter without her¡­ Even if she was a mysterious figure¡­¡± ¡°You are free to believe it or not. It¡¯s just that it will be good for you to pay attention to the Duke Philisneon Family.¡± If what Riley said was true, this could be a huge opportunity for Reitri. It was because there could be a huge profit to garner from carefully checking the merchants and goods that were connected to Philisneon Family. ¡°I¡¯ll keep this in mind.¡± Although it looked like Reitri was not sure about this, he was, actually believing most of what Riley had said just now. The Tess Merchant Group case that Riley had told him aboutst time was not a lie either and Reitri had certainly reaped a big profit from that. ¡®All right. With this, I have two insurances.¡± Riley muttered inside while watching Reitri who was nodding as he supported his jaw with his hand. The reason why Riley leaked the information about Philisneon Family was not just about helping Reitri. Nainiae had a surveince magic cast on Reutrina, but he was not feeling easy about this with just the surveince magic. Riley told Reitri about Reutrina, one of the purple people, so he could watch her through twoyers of surveince. It was instation of this trap that Riley was after. ¡°Well then, what is it that you want to ask me to do? If it is something our merchant group can do, we will help you as much as we can.¡± Reitri had organized what he had just heard about the Phillisneon Family. He locked his fingers between his hands and asked about the favor that Riley said he was going to ask for. ¡°I want to ask you for information.¡± ¡°Information?¡± Just like how he had given Reitri information, Riley also wanted information in return. Riley went straight to the point. ¡°It¡¯s about the Karuta desert¡¯s sand.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because of an epidemic, right?¡± Riley asked with serious look on the face. Reitri nodded to say he was right and directed his gaze toward the sand in the desert outside. ¡°It¡¯s definitely an epidemic. Actually, I was concerned as well, so I had some people ask the Ansyrium¡¯s Magic Tower and the researchers of the Rainfield to investigate, and¡­ It is definitely an epidemic. It is quite longsting and it has that foul stench and is highly acidic¡­ It is definitely poison.¡± Riley nodded after hearing the exnation and said that was the information he wanted. ¡°I need information about what made the desert to rot. To be precise, I need information about that epidemic.¡± ¡°Information about the epidemic¡­¡± Reitri started to fiddle with his chin. While he was organizing his thoughts¡­ Knock knock¡­ They could hear someone knocking on the door. ¡°I brought dinner. May I enter?¡± Reitri did not respond. He was thinking hard about what to say first. ¡°Come in.¡± Reitri was thinking so hard that he didn¡¯t even hear the knock, so Riley responded instead and told Nainiae that she coulde in. Nainiae opened the carriage¡¯s door and walked into the carriage with dinner on the te for the two people. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Nainiae nced at Reitri who was in deep thoughts while holding his chin on his palm. She carefully ced the te down and nced at Riley. ¡°Just wait here.¡± With her gaze, she was asking if it would be all right for her to stay here. Riley gestured to say she could stay and she might as well sit on the bed and wait. Riley started on the dinner on the table and waited for Reitri to finish organizing his thoughts. ¡°¡­ Ah, when did the dinnere?¡± ¡°Just now.¡± ¡°Huk!¡± It seemed he was finally done organizing his thoughts. He finally found the dinner on the table. Surprised, he also found Nainiae who was sitting on the bed and greeted her by lowering his head. ¡°Ah¡­ Thank you, Ms. Nainiae.¡± ¡°The merchants prepared the dinner. I only brought it here. I should be the one to thank you for your generosity.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll dly eat it. It¡¯s just that, before I do¡­¡± Before eating the dinner, Reitri decided to tell Riley the information he had asked for. He carefully opened his mouth. ¡°Young Master¡­ This may sound really¡­ It may sound like a bizarre tale, but¡­¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­ If epidemic is alive and moving¡­ would you believe it?¡± ¡°Epidemic is alive and moving?¡± Nainiae tilted her head to the side and asked. ¡°Yes, honestly, it is hard to believe. It is a very strange story, but¡­ It is a rumor that¡¯s been going around recently and its credibility had been rising too.¡± ¡°What¡¯s making the rumor¡¯s credibility rise?¡± ¡°Only few know about this, but¡­ I heard that some people saw the epidemic moving.¡± ¡°People saw it move?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that the people who witnessed the epidemic didn¡¯t live long. I heard that they said the following before they died.¡± Reitri could not look more serious. He continued. ¡°The epidemic was breathing out ck breath. It said, ¡®please, I beg of you. Kill me.¡¯ Chapter 162 - Leading a Carefree Life (4)

Chapter 162: Leading a Carefree Life (4)

¡°It asked to be killed?¡± ¡°It¡¯s strange enough for a living, moving epidemic to be talking, yet¡­ it asked to be killed. Honestly, I cannot believe this story, but¡­¡± Afterwards, Reitri started eating the food. He chewed and swallowed a piece of bread and continued. ¡°I received information that the epidemic is headed to Ansyrium. Because of this, people of Ansyrium were given evacuation order.¡± ¡°It¡¯s headed to Ansyrium?¡± ¡°Yes, it is just that¡­ It seems Solia had not noticed this yet. If Solia knew about this, they would have taken advantage of the epidemic and sought vengeance for the border invasionst time.¡± Riley thought about Epidemic, the one who was called the friend who cannot breathe by the children of the Allieve Vige. This one was one of the purple people. With nk look on his face, Riley organized his thoughts. ¡°A living epidemic¡­¡± Considering what happened before, it was certain that what Reitri just exined was not baseless rumor. ¡°The stories about living epidemic and people iming to have met this epidemic are just rumors, but¡­ The story about the epidemic heading to Ansyrium is a definite fact.¡± It seemed Reitri was thinking Riley must be confused because of the nk look on Riley¡¯s face. This was the reason why Reitri added more exnation. ¡°Please stay for the night in this carriage. Starting tomorrow, you will be traveling again¡­ No. You said you will be going to see the doctor who healed Ms. Nainiae, right?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°In that case, I think it would be best if you avoid going in Ansyrium¡¯s direction. If the rumor is real, if you run into the epidemic¡­ it might be dangerous even for you or Ms. Nainiae.¡± Hearing Reitri¡¯s warning, Riley wondered if the epidemic was that dangerous. He nodded for now. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± Riley was not sure if this epidemic, which turned the sand ck, could really cause serious damage or not. However, he was certain that it would be such a bother if he ran into the epidemic. ¡°Anyway, I asked about the epidemic so I won¡¯t run into it, so¡­¡± Having heard the response, Reitri nodded. He saw the te was almost empty. Reitri said, ¡°That¡¯s all information I could give you about the epidemic. Is there anything else you want to ask?¡± Riley shook his head and got up. He said, ¡°No. It¡¯s all right. That was enough. I just need to avoid going toward Ansyrium, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± Sitting on the bed, she was tuning in to their conversation. She responded to Riley¡¯s calling. ¡°Andal¡¯s cave¡­ No. About where the doctor is at, it is not toward Ansyrium, right?¡± The pub was empty. Not only that, the secret passage way underneath the pub was sealed as well, so Riley decided to go to the cave directly. He asked Nainiae about the cave¡¯s location. ¡°Yes, it is pretty far from Ansyrium.¡± Because Riley said the word ¡®cave,¡¯ Nainiae flinched. She smiled awkwardly and responded, and Riley nodded. He thought that was fine. ¡°In that case, we have no problem here.¡± Riley got up and walked toward the bed. Reitri also got up and asked, ¡°Excuse me, Young Master. Do you really have nothing else you want to ask? Compared to the information I received from you, what I told you in return is quitecking. It doesn¡¯t feel right.¡± Reitri thought it was not an even trade. To preserve the moral of a merchant, Reitri asked. Riley plummeted andy down next to Nainiae on the bed. He moved his eyes around, wondering if there was something else he could ask. ¡°I am not sure.¡± He moved his eyes and looked at Nainiae. He was asking if she had something she wanted to ask. Nainiae tilted her head to the side. ¡°Um.¡± She wondered if she should ask about the remaining purple human who was not yet identified or if she should ask about Riley¡¯s Holy Sword. She eventually shook her head and said, ¡°No. I don¡¯t have anything in particr.¡± Reitri nodded as if he understood. He walked toward the outside of the carriage as he said, ¡°Well then, let¡¯s talkter if there is anything else you want to talk about. Please think of it as me owing a debt to you.¡± Reitri said he will tell Riley one more information anytime. Reitri got out of the carriage. ¡°I¡¯ll get going now. Please enjoy restful sleep.¡± ¡°Uu, Uu! My back!¡± Immediately after Reitri got out of the carriage, Riley stretch-yawned big time. He looked at Nainiae who was just sitting there with vacant face. Riley wondered what she was up to. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°The thing is¡­ I wonder if something happened. Ms. Heliona have not appeared for a long time.¡± ¡°Heliona¡­ You mean that chatterbox?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae¡¯s shoulder and realized why Nainiae looked concerned through whole day. Riley put on an enigmatic look on his face. ¡°Since she is a summon spirit, isn¡¯t she staying at the summon spirit world or whatnot and eating and sleeping there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­ Ms. Heliona is not the type who would not show up for a whole day like this.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Unless it was something very urgent, she would have at least told me something before disappearing¡­ I am worried.¡± What would be the urgent business that Heliona had to disappear for without even saying goodbye to Nainiae¡­ Nainiae could not help but to be concerned. She had hardened look on her face. She shook her head and continued. ¡°Well, she is a tough person, so I¡¯m sure she will be fine. Once I see the teacher, I¡¯ll be able to learn about her situation as well.¡± Nainiae extended her arm toward the brightly lit light on the ceiling and used a simple telekinesis. The light made a small pop sound. It shook and was extinguished. * * * ¡°Young Master, please get up. It¡¯s morning.¡± It was the next day morning. It seemed the exhaustion from the day before was notpletely gone. Riley was still sleeping in even though the sun hade up a while ago. Having heard Nainiae¡¯s voice, he struggled to open his eyes and faced the morning. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little after 11 am.¡± Having heard the answer, he buried his head at the pillow again. He sighed lightly and muttered, ¡°In that case, it would be all right for me to sleep a little longer.¡± Riley muttered he will sleep a while longer as he covered himself under the nket. Nainiae was not sure about what to do. She started to nce at the outside. It was because the Reitri Merchant Group and Nara¡¯s Mercenary Group members all finished breakfast and getting the carriages ready for heading out. They were all waiting for Riley. This was why. ¡°Young Master, everyone is waiting.¡± Nainiae knew this might be rude of her to do so, but she decided to uncover the nket. She waved her hand in the air and used magic to start neatly folding the nket. ¡°Ugh¡­ Damn¡­¡± Riley quickly put his hand out. He was trying to grab the nket that was being taken away. He saw the fabric slowly escaping his grasp. Riley crumpled his face. ¡°Isn¡¯t using magic cheating?¡± It was one of the basic magic. It seemed Nainiae used the spell that temporarily disabled friction to make the opponent slip and fall. She used the magic spell on the nket. Nainiae lowered her head and apologized. ¡°I am sorry, Young Master¡­ However, I think it would be best for you to get ready to go out quickly.¡± Nainiae neatly folded the nket. Riley had frustrated look on his face. He looked like he was going to close his eyes again. Nainiae broke cold sweat. ¡°Young Master?¡± Regardless of absence or presence of the nket, as if he was trying to say that this was not going to stop him from the slumber¡­ Riley raised mana and wrapped his body in it. He was trying to fall asleep again. Nainiae put his hand toward Riley. ¡°Young Master, please get up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Annoyed by Nainiae¡¯s hand shaking his shoulder, Riley crumpled his face. Nainiae¡¯s voice was growing gloomier by the second. Having realized this, Riley gently opened his eyes. ¡°¡­?¡± Her face looked as gloomy as her voice. She had her head down. Riley asked what this was about. ¡°Come on. I¡¯m merely saying I would like to get some more sleep in the morning. Why does the mood feel like we are at a funeral?¡± Having heard his question, Nainiae tried hard and hid her sad face and answered in whisper like voice, ¡°That is¡­ I was concerned you may not be able to wake up like thest time.¡± With her hands to the back, she looked like she didn¡¯t know what to do. Riley looked at her with hollow look on his face. As if he was giving in, he acted out the frustration and got up. ¡°Are you trying to disturb my sleep?¡± ¡°No, that is¡­ I don¡¯t mean to¡­¡± Nainiae shook her head. Riley ced his hand on top of Nainiae. He said it was fine and put on the shirt he had hanging on the hanger. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside.¡± Nainiae still had confused look on her face. Leaving her be, Riley came down from the carriage. He moved around his stiff neck to rx it and looked at the people who were waiting. ¡°Ah, he came out.¡± ¡°Young Master, shall we get going?¡± To merchants, time was money. Reitri was waiting for Riley to empty the carriage. He rubbed his hands together and asked respectfully. ¡°That¡¯s right. Go ahead. Go do it¡­ By the way, where are you going?¡± ¡°We are going to help out with cleansing the Karuta desert which didn¡¯t getpleted. It¡¯s just that the Priestess said she thinks she will need to move to a different location, so¡­¡± ¡°Hm, so, as I thought, that¡¯s what happened?¡± Nara, Rorona and Priesia, the three members of the mercenary group who were ncing around from the side lowered their heads after Reitri¡¯s exnation to greet Riley for the morning. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s what we decided.¡± ¡°What about you, Young Master? Are you going to get going right away?¡± Nara looked at Nainiae who also came down from the carriage after Riley. Riley shrugged and said, ¡°I should get going right away.¡± Riley turned to look at Nainiae who came to stand right behind him. Riley lightly nodded. As if she understood, Nainiae also nodded and prepared teleportation. ¡°You know where to go, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley said that they had to go to the cave where Andal would be at, not the pub that he managed. He checked Nainiae who had her eyes gently closed to cast the magic. Riley turned his head. ¡°Well then, we will get going.¡± ¡°We will wait to hear from you. Please visit us anytime, Young Master.¡± ¡°All right. Next time, I don¡¯t need the carriage. Just carry some delicious food. It was fine with me, but I thought the food was quitecking to be served to nobilities you might meet on the road.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Riley was saying that the food that was served to him, which Reitri provided, was totally not on par with his taste. Reitri flinched. ¡°See, uncle? What did I tell you?¡± [Note: Inst chapter, the author referred to Horai as Reitri¡¯s little brother. Maybe he just made a mistake.] It seemed that this concern was already pointed out to Reitri before. Horai was also there with Reitri to see Riley off. Horai poked at Reitri with his elbow and lectured him. ¡°Excuse me, Young Master!¡± Priesia stepped forward and shouted. However, it was when Nainiae used the teleportation. They could not confirm if Riley heard Priesia or not. ¡°¡­ He left.¡± ¡°It is incredible. This so called teleportation¡­¡± ¡°Young Master Riley is also amazing. Six Circles¡­ No. He has Seven Circles mage as his maid.¡± Along with light, Riley and Nainiae disappeared without a trace from the spot. * * * It was at the entrance of some nameless forest. ¡°Uu¡­¡± Along with sh of light, a boy and a girl came out of the light. ¡°What the¡­ Hey¡­ Why did you use the teleportation directly instead of making a doorway?¡± The sudden teleportation made Riley feel a little dizzy. He turned toward Nainiae and asked. Meanwhile, Nainiae was looking around the scenery. With puzzled look, Nainiae said, ¡°No. I also tried to open a doorway, but¡­¡± There was a question mark showing on her face. Riley also put on puzzled look on his face. He slowly checked the surrounding. ¡°Um?¡± They were wondering what was going on. It was the scenery. They were going to teleport to Andal¡¯s cave. However, they were standing at the entrance of a forest where they could hear bird cries. ¡°It¡¯s a forest?¡± ¡°Yes. We were supposed to be teleported to the teacher¡¯s cave, but we were teleported to somewhere else.¡± Wondering if the magic was not properly controlled, Riley looked at Nainiae. She looked around the forest and mumbled, ¡°This ce is where I trained?¡± ¡°ce where you trained?¡± ¡°Yes. This is the ce where I learned magic. This ce is¡­ the entrance to the forest that leads to the teacher¡¯s cave.¡± Perhaps the ce was affected by the big bad oldman who resided here. Even though it was winter, the leaves were dyed in me like color. Looking at the leaves, Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡°¡­ Ah!¡± Riley was holding his chin as he looked around the leaves. Having heard Nainiae from the side, he turned to look at her. ¡°What is it?¡± Nainiae was vacantly staring to the front. Riley followed suit and looked to the front, and he found a bear that was slowly walking toward them. ¡°That is?¡± ¡°¡­ A guardian.¡± ¡°A guardian?¡± Chapter 163 - Leading a Carefree Life (5)

Chapter 163: Leading a Carefree Life (5)

Nainiae nodded and exined. ¡°You can think of him as a gate keeper¡­ who protects the teacher¡¯s cave. He is one of the many who helped me train.¡± It seemed Nainiae was d to see the guardian. She had not seen him ever since she left the cavest autumn. Nainiae was about to start walking towards the bear that wasing toward her. However, she suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Mister?¡± Nainiae hardened her face. ¡°¡­¡± She felt that the bear was exuding animosity. ¡°Mister, can you hear me?¡± To the red-haired bear that was slowly approaching them, Nainiae asked if he could hear her. Guuuuuuuu! The bear sounded as if he was scratching his neck. Nainiae looked at the bear and crumpled her face. ¡°Do you guys really know each other?¡± It seemed that the bear was not happy to see Nainiae. Riley asked what this was about. Nainiae didn¡¯t look confident as she nodded. ¡°Yes, I am certain. That scar¡­ I definitely remember.¡± The bear was sauntering toward them. Nainiae pointed at the area around the bear¡¯s eye. She touched her own face for no reason as she mumbled, ¡°Can it be that he cannot recognize me because my face changed too much?¡± ¡°Wait, since he is an animal, shouldn¡¯t he have recognized you by your scent somehow?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± While they were talking, the red-haired bear hade quite close to them. The bear roared loudly and quickly stood up tall. ¡°As I thought, I don¡¯t think he is recognizing you?¡± ¡°Mister, it is me!¡± The bear was exuding dangerous re as he stood on his two feet. The bear looked down toward Nainiae and Riley and bared his teeth. He then raised up his arm, which were sharp like a weapon. ¡°It¡¯s me! I¡¯m Nainiae!¡± Wharurrururu It looked like the ws would strike down Nainiae anytime. The ws were engulfed in red hot mes. Riley thought he couldn¡¯t just let things be. He poked at Nainiae¡¯s arm. ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be. There certainly are many violent guardians on teacher¡¯s mountain, but¡­ He is not the kind who would do this.¡± Thinking this could not be helped, Nainiae moved mana with a disappointed face. It was to dodge the bear¡¯s w attack. The bear wasing at them for no apparent reason. ¡°I am sorry.¡± Nainiae used magic to blow off the red mes on the bear¡¯s ws. She then used a close-range teleportation. Suuuuuuc Along with what sounded like wind, Riley and Nainiae¡¯s bodies were instantly teleported to behind the red bear. ¡°Grease. Swamp.¡± Having moved smoothly to the back, she used two ground type magic spells to make the bear fall. She also used the swamp magic to make the bear fall into a mud bath. ¡°¡­ As I thought¡­ Is this not enough?¡± The bear fell on his back first on the mud. After plummeting to the mud, the red bear engulfed his entire fur in mes and started to burn the mud to ck crisp. Having noticed this, Riley muttered in quiet voice, ¡°He really is a red bear.¡± The red bear burned the mud in mes and roared. The ground was now stained ck from the me. The bear stepped on it and started to charge at the two people again. ¡°It doesn¡¯t smell like booze in particr. If he is not drunk, maybe he just lost his grip on his sanity?¡± ¡°I am not sure. For now¡­¡± With piercing gaze, Nainiae red at the red bear. She used magic again. A water type magic. A wind type magic. Nainiae used two magic of elements that were opposite of fire. She used water to trap the bear¡¯s mouth and four limbs and used the wind to blow away the me on his fur. ¡°I think I should talk to him.¡± Unlike the usual, the bear¡¯s eyes were saturated in red color. Having noticed this, Nainiae had a rough idea of the cause. She swung her hand once again. Churjurk¡­ Along with the sound, the wind that was blowing around the bear slowly froze. Soon, rectangr shaped walls started to form. She looked at the tightly packed ice walls that she created. Nainiae dusted off her hands and looked at the trapped bear inside. She mumbled, ¡°Is it done?¡± Wharurururu¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Between the walls, the me was gushing out. However, the ice was not melting despite the me. Nainiae concluded that she sessfully trapped the bear inside. She approached the ice prison that she created. ¡°¡­ Mister?¡± It seemed the bear was still full of energy. The bear was running wild inside. Nainiae observed the bear for a moment. She asked Riley to please wait for a while and looked inside. ¡°Uuu, uu uu¡­¡± The bear was struggling inside the prison in an attempt to get out of it. Eventually, it seemed the bear was exhausted atst. He stopped struggling. Instead, he just plummeted andy down on the spot. ¡°Mister, can you hear me?¡± Nainiae confirmed that the bear¡¯s eyes had turned back to their normal color. She tried talking to the bear, and the bear slowly moved his eyes to look outside the ice prison. ¡°¡­?¡± Kungkung Wiggling his nose, the red bear smelled Nainiae. The bear looked at Nainiae and asked in human tongue, ¡°¡­ Nainiae?¡± ¡°He can talk?¡± Riley came next to Nainiae and was staring at the bear trapped inside the ice prison. It seemed Riley was surprised that the bear had talked. The bear nced at Riley and looked at Nainiae again. ¡°Nainiae, how did you get here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m so relieved. It seems like you have regained your senses. I¡¯m here to see the teacher. What happened?¡± ¡°Uuuu. Cold. First¡­ can you please remove these?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Nainiae removed the water shackles and ice prison walls and gave back the bear¡¯s me that she blew away earlier with wind magic. Nainiae asked again, ¡°What happened? I never thought you would show such a violent side.¡± Nainiae tilted her head to the side and asked, and the bear apologized and answered, ¡°That is¡­ It¡¯s because of the order from my master. I was ordered to be weary of anyone who approaches the cave.¡± ¡°Be weary?¡± ¡°That Andal said that?¡± Riley, who was listening to the conversation, crossed his arms and furrowed his brows. ¡°That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t get full details about what happened from my master, but anyway, he said that, instead of taking it easy¡­ I should stop anything thates this way.¡± After saying all that, the bear scratched his stomach and exined why he lost his mind. ¡°Because of that, unlike the usual, I was on high alert, and¡­ some human bastards came by.¡± ¡°Humans?¡± ¡°For some reason, although I tried to scare them, they kept looking for opportunities to get in. So, I tried to end it by just chasing them away, but¡­ They were surprisingly good at running. In the process, I eventually¡­¡± ¡°Went berserk.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize it. I am so ashamed to face my master.¡± The bear exined that he ran into Nainiae and Riley while he had gone berserk and was chasing the humans. Riley casually widened his senses and checked the forest. ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ about four of them?¡± Riley counted the number of people who were not so far from here. As if he was disappointed, he shrugged his shoulder and asked, ¡°What about Andal?¡± ¡°Just who the hell are you? Why are you so disrespectful and terse with your words?¡± The red bear was about to crumple his face while staring at Riley. Nainiae tumbled and stepped forward to exin. ¡°He is the Young Master! The one I told you about!¡± ¡°Ah, that one?¡± It seemed her exnation was effective. The bear changed the look on his face immediately. Unlike a moment ago, the bear lowered his stance. With his head lowered as well, the bear started to walk toward him slowly in light steps. ¡°Kum. Hm. It¡¯s a pleasure meeting you.¡± ¡°So, how¡¯s Andal?¡± Riley decided not to care about the change in the mood. Instead, he just asked about Andal. The red bear licked his front paw and said, ¡°I am not sure. Ever since hisst order, I have not seen hime out of the cave, so¡­ He even cast an istion barrier.¡± ¡°Istion barrier?¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Why?¡± The look on Nainiae¡¯s face seemed like she noticed something. Looking at Nainiae¡¯s face, Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°It was because of the istion barrier. That¡¯s why we were teleported to the outside of the cave instead.¡± Nainiae looked at the top of the mountain that they could see above them. ¡°Still, it is weird. I believe he has never cast an istion barrier before.¡± It seemed she could not figure out why Andal would have cast the istion barrier. Nainiae tilted her head to the side. The red bear mumbled as if he was feeling the same. ¡°It is not easy for me to imagine what the situation is, but it looks like it would be best to check what¡¯s going on. You are here to see my master, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Will youe with us?¡± ¡°No. I have my orders, so I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll stay here, you go on.¡± ¡°Yes, well then¡­¡± Nainiae watched the red bear turning around and heading back to his original post. She turned to look at Riley and said, ¡°Let¡¯s climb.¡± ¡°Climb?¡± ¡°Yes, we must climb.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Nainiae led the way and started to walk, Riley vacantly stood there and maintained a frozen stance. Dumbfounded, he asked Nainiae, ¡°Are you saying I have to do mountain climbing now?¡± At the top of the mountain, there was a cave. Riley looked at the cave and pouted, thinking it was such a bother. Nainiae, who was leading the way, had already started to walk, said to Riley, ¡°Please don¡¯t worry, Young Master. I¡¯m good friends with all guardians here, so we won¡¯t have to ovee things like trials. We will probably just have to go up the mountain.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if they could just go up the mountain or had to wrestle with Andal¡¯s guardians along the way to climb the mountain. Riley was cringing just from the idea of climbing a mountain. He sighed big and went off on a tangent. ¡°What about that bear earlier?¡± ¡°He is an exception. He is usually very kind, but he can¡¯t tell friends from foes once he goes berserk. It¡¯s a special characteristic of his, so¡­ Young Master? Aren¡¯t you going to climb?¡± Having noticed Riley frozen solid and not moving at all, she wondered what this was about. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do a heavybor for no reason¡­ Is there a way to get to the topfortably?¡± Nainiae realizedte what Riley was trying to ask. With awkward face, she said, ¡°As exined earlier, the teacher has cast an istion barrier on this entire mountain area, so¡­ carelessly attempting long distance teleportation is actually dangerous. If something goes wrong, just legs or arms could be teleported, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the end, Nainiae was saying there was no way to avoid climbing. Riley sighed again. He hesitated for a long time, pondering if he should stay here or follow Nainiae. In the end, he followed after Nainiae. ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°About an hour? I¡¯m overestimating it, so it probably won¡¯t take that long.¡± * * * ¡°¡­ I think it¡¯s been about two hours.¡± ¡°It¡¯s only been one hour?¡± ¡°What? You said it won¡¯t take that long, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Yes, I did say that.¡± Nainiae, who was leading the way and walking the mountain path, said in small voice. Riley, who was following her, pouted with just his lower lips and blew air out to blow his bangs. ¡°Andal, you little bastard. As soon as I see his face, the first thing I¡¯m going to do is tell him to go swap the eyeballs of all guardian bastards, ugh¡­ Why is every single one we run into not able to recognize you? They are wasting our time.¡± Riley was thinking about the reason why climbing the mountain was taking so long. He counted the number of Andal¡¯s guardians they had run into so far and grounded his teeth. ¡°Uu¡­ As I thought, are they not able to recognize me because my face changed so much?¡± All guardians they ran into were hostile toward them. Because of this, Nainiae was conscious about her face which had changed. She lowered her head in disappointment. Inining tone, Riley said, ¡°No, I¡¯m telling you, you have not changed that much.¡± It seemed what the bear said about Andal¡¯s order was true. All guardians on this mountain were on high alert. They all appeared to be on the edge. Riley thought her changed face may have yed a role in the guardians¡¯ hostile responses, but he also thought it was more likely that Andal¡¯s order was the real cause. ¡°Anyway, why is that lizard making all his subordinates feel on the edge like this?¡± Wondering if something really big happened, Riley looked at the top of the mountain again. He thought being stuck at snail pace was more bothersome. He got past Nainiae and said, ¡°I can¡¯t take this.¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°If we climbed as if we were on a walk, I think it will take a lifetime. I¡¯m just going to run there.¡± Riley was saying that he was going to send mana to his legs and run up the pathway in a single breath. Nainiae proposed a method that she just thought of. She had forgotten about it until now. ¡°Young Master, we might as well¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley was about to move his mana and charge forward, but he casually turned his head to the back. ¡°¡­ Uh? People?¡± It wasn¡¯t just because of Nainiae¡¯s voice. ¡°There really are?¡± It was because four people had revealed themselves from the bushes. Chapter 164 - Leading a Carefree Life (6)

Chapter 164: Leading a Carefree Life (6)

¡°On top of that, I think she is a maid?¡± ¡°A maid?¡± They made bristling noise as they made their way through the bushes. The four people walked toward where Nainiae was. Based on their voices, based on their appearances¡­ The four appeared to be very young, unbing of the ce they were in. Even if their ages were overestimated, they appeared to be around the age simr to Riley and Nainiae. ¡°Why is a maid here?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The boys and girls each had either swords on their waists, bows or staffs. Having discovered the four, Nainiae nced around at Riley, checked his mood, and asked on his behalf, ¡°Who might you all be?¡± Having heard the question, a brown haired young man, who appeared to be the representative of the group, stepped forward and asked back, ¡°That¡¯s our line. What business do you have in this ce? This ce is the territory of Andal, the infamous red dragon. By any chance¡­ you are not going to say you got lost in your way, are you?¡± The young man was narrowing his eyes and bringing his hand toward the sword on his back. Nainiae had dumbfounded look on her face. She turned to look at Riley on the back and checked how he felt about this. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was also finding this to be ridiculous. With the gaze, he nced at Nainiae and the four people. The four people were ring at Riley and Nainiae as if they found the two to be suspicious. Riley, finding it to be such a bother, sighed. ¡®Just handle it.¡¯ Riley waved his right hand to deliver his thought to Nainiae. She nodded as if she understood and walked toward the four people. ¡®Wait. Four¡­¡¯ The number of people that Riley felt through his senses was four. Also, the number of people who were staring at Riley and Nainiae suspiciously was also four. ¡®Are these the humans that the Mister mentioned earlier?¡¯ The four humans who are very good at running away, the people who the red bear guardian lost in middle of pursuit seemed to be these four. Nainiae only kept silence. There was no response from her. The brown-haired young man drew the sword from his back and shouted, ¡°Hurry and spill it out! Who are you?¡± ¡°As you asked earlier, I¡¯m just a maid, but¡­ Isn¡¯t it only polite to reveal your own identity first before asking the other person?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This will be thest time I¡¯ll be speaking in respectful words. The four of you, where did you alle from?¡± Nainiae thought about how could such young people could have followed her and Riley. She thought about all guardians she just met so far and furrowed her brows. It was because she realized this happened because of her doing. Using magic, one after another, Nainiae neutralized guardians who showed fangs against them. Because she was climbing like this, the four people were also able to get this far and meet Nainiae and Riley. This was her guess. ¡°We are Brave Heroes.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Finding them to be such a bother, Riley was just going to ignore them and continue climbing. However, having heard what was just said, he perked up his ears and turned his head. ¡°Brave Heroes?¡± Nainiae also perked up her ears and tuned into what the brown-haired young man had to say. ¡°That¡¯s right. We are here to eradicate Andal the red dragon, the one who is threatening our vige¡¯s peace!¡± Peace and whatnot, eradicate and whatever¡­ The young man didn¡¯t look all that skilled, yet he was saying stuff like that. Riley steadily gazed upon their eyes. Dumbfounded, he shook his head and turned away. ¡°Ah! You there! Wait!¡± Riley was about to resume climbing, and the brown-haired young man thought Riley was trying to run away. He started to point his finger at Riley. ¡°Enough.¡± To block the finger aimed toward Riley, Nainiae walked to the front of the young man. She red at the four and said in low voice, ¡°Did you say you came here to eradicate Andal the red dragon?¡± Because Nainiae was blocking his front¡­ To be precise, because Nainiae came closer and he could clearly see her beauty, the brown-haired young man just had his jaw dropped vacantly. He responded half a tempote, ¡°T¡­ That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°Just now, you said your vige¡¯s peace was threatened¡­ Do you have any proof? I don¡¯t believe such would have happened?¡± Having heard the question, the brown-haired young man flinched his shoulders. However, refusing to lose, he talked back. ¡°It didn¡¯t happen yet, but it will soon!¡± ¡°It hasn¡¯t happened?¡± Nainiae was trying to say that he should give straight answers. She questioned in cold tone of voice, and the young man¡¯s face crumpled. ¡°Kuk¡­¡± Looking at his crumpled face, Nainiae lightly sighed and said, ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. This is not the first time people talked about eradicating the dragon. Scales, ws, teeth, heart¡­ Sticking all sorts of reasons up there as the reasons, there were a few instances where humans came by.¡± Nainiae mumbled about the story as she twirled her long hair to the front right of her face with her finger. ¡°Well, I have caused inconveniences to other guardians, so perhaps I should handle this for the day?¡± Twirling her hair, Nainiae mumbled quietly. Looking at the four people, she said, ¡°I am sorry, but now that I learned of your objective¡­ I cannot allow you to climb any further.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That maid, it cannot be¡­¡± ¡°No. I am not exactly a guardian of this mountain, but¡­¡± The four people were about to make strange assumptions about her, so Nainiae shook her head and said that was not the case. She blocked their path and exined, ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Nainiae swung her right hand with force, and ice walls with icicles formed to left and right of Nainiae. The walls were exuding cold energy. ¡°I¡­ Ice walls?¡± ¡°She is a mage?¡± The four people were quite surprised by her magic. They each drew their weapons and got ready for the battle. ¡°You just said you are all Brave Heroes. The words you spoke earlier¡­ I do not like what you have done.¡± Was she thinking about how Riley suffered in his past life? Nainiae was exuding atmosphere that was just as cold as the ice walls that were tightly packed next to her. She swung her hand once again. ¡°¡­?!¡± The sound of someone gulping could be heard. It was the brown-haired young man. ¡°I¡¯ll warn you.¡± Several hundred grey colored icicles appeared from the ice walls, and¡­ They were aimed at the four boys and girls who were looking at Nainiae. The icicles were like arrows on tightly drawn bows. It appeared as if they contained strong resentment toward the four people. The icicles looked like they would beunched and pierce the four targets as soon as Nainiae¡¯s order came. The icicle arrows were all very real. ¡°Please, all of you, turn back now and go down the mountain.¡± Several hundred icicle arrows were floating next to Nainiae. Watching her, the brown-haired young man appeared to be overwhelmed. His sword was shaking. With surprised look, he opened his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± Due to the shock, they were petrified. Despite the warning, it seemed they were not intending to move at all. Having noticed this, Nainiae shot one of the arrows as a warning. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± From where the boys and girls were, someone clicking the tongue could be heard. ¡®Um?¡¯ Immediately after the icicle arrow was shot, a girl charged forward. Watching this, Nainiae floated a question mark on her face. Kaaang! Afterwards, the arrow was deflected by the girl¡¯s sword with a shing sound. ¡®She defected it?¡¯ To save vacantly petrified young man, the dark-haired girl charged to the front and swung the sword. She quickly hid the sword behind her back and said, ¡°W¡­ We understand!¡± She deflected one, but there were still several hundred icicle arrows left. It seemed the girl who clicked her tongue earlier was scared as well. She was shaking as she lowered her head. ¡°We didn¡¯t know our ce. We are very young, so¡­ We were being foolish. As you advised, we will turn back immediately and go down the mountain. Please forgive us.¡± She dropped the sword and pleaded for forgiveness. Nainiae vacantly watched her and looked at the other three. ¡°P¡­ Please forgive us!¡± ¡°We will nevere back!¡± The other three followed after the dark-haired girl and lowered their heads. They turned around and started to go back down without ever looking back. ¡°¡­ Just now¡­¡± Of the four, instead of the brown-haired young man who introduced the group as Brave Heroes, Nainiae was more bothered by the ck-haired girl. Nainiae red at her back and mumbled vacantly, ¡°That swordsmanship. I think I have¡­¡± It was a warning shot, but the girl was concerned the brown-haired young man might get hurt by the icicle arrow, so she charged forward. Nainiae was thinking about her swordsmanship. ¡°I think I have seen it from somewhere?¡± Nainiae disengaged the ice walls and icicle arrows. She held her chin and thought hard about this. In middle of it, she shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s no time for this. I should follow after Young Master¡­¡± To catch up to Riley who went ahead, she used magic. It was the spell that she didn¡¯t think about earlier. If she had, climbing the mountain would have been so much easier. ¡°¡­ Fly.¡± She used the magic that temporarily allowed her to fly. Her body floated up to the sky. * * * ¡°¡­ What? Where did you say you just came back from?¡± ¡°We were at the mountain where Andal the red dragon lives¡­¡± ¡°You must have a death wish.¡± Inside an old worn-down house, in front of an old fire ce, a woman with light purple hair was poking at the fire woods with kindling as she scolded the ck-haired girl. ¡°Did you go there alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It looked like she was currently receiving a punishment. She had her arms raised straight up. The girl shook her head lightly. ¡°Who did you go there with?¡± ¡°That is¡­ There is a boy named Henson from the next vige¡­ There were lots of good rumors about him showing talent in his training to be a knight, so I wondered if he was the ¡®Brave Hero¡¯ we were looking for. That¡¯s why¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, so you tempted him to go there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wharurururu The light-purple haired woman was shifting the fire woods with the kindling. She sighed in frustration. ¡°If you are going to die, then you should die alone. If your meless friend got tangled up and died together¡­ then you will never be able to go to a good ce after your death. Have I not told you this clearly before?¡± The ck-haired girl bit her lower lips. Feeling wronged, it seemed she had something to say. ¡°But, grandmother, you also told me this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That there isn¡¯t much time left.¡± [Note: Please note the girl may not actually be biologically rted to the woman. In Koreannguage, people call very elderly woman ¡®grandmother¡¯ even when they are not rted to her.] Having heard the girl muttering, the light-purple haired woman put the kindling down and walked to the girl. ¡°¡­ Iril.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed she wanted to hear the girl¡¯s response. The purple haired woman raised her hand toward the empty air and called the girl¡¯s name again. ¡°Iril.¡± Iril answered. ¡°Yes, grandmother.¡± There was ck blind on the woman¡¯s eyes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Iril lowered her arms down. The woman was feeling up empty air because she could not see. Iril went to hold the woman¡¯s hand. ¡°There you are.¡± The woman¡¯s light purple hair was incredibly fine. Her skin was pure white without any wrinkles. The woman¡¯s appearance did not look old enough to warrant being called ¡®grandmother¡¯ by the girl. However¡­ It seemed she was not in good condition. As if she was suffering from frostbite, her skin was cold. ¡°Grandmother, please stay next to the fire.¡± It seemed Iril was worried about her skin, which could not be colder. However, the woman shook her head and faced toward where Iril was standing. ¡°Iril.¡± Looking at the woman¡¯s blind, Iril said, ¡°Yes, grandmother.¡± ¡°With the time to say goodbye approaching, I know you are feeling anxious, but¡­ I don¡¯t want you to throw away your life like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iril was holding the woman¡¯s hand. She bit her lower lips again as she held in tears. ¡°Still, you are¡­ myst pupil.¡± ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± The woman slowly turned to face the firece. ¡°Just wait.¡± Iril looked worried to hear that. She asked, ¡°But¡­ But what if the Brave Hero neveres?¡± ¡°If that happens¡­¡± She should not be able to see anything with the blind covering her eyes. However¡­ she was directly looking at ¡®a sword¡¯ that was hidden inside the firece. As if she was muttering, she continued, ¡°¡­ then that would be our fate.¡± Chapter 165 - Leading a Carefree Life (7)

Chapter 165: Leading a Carefree Life (7)

¡°Um?¡± Riley was going past a few dozen trees with each step. He felt a presence above him, so he casually tilted his head up to see what was there and stopped dashing. ¡°What is it?¡± Riley dragged his two feet on the ground and stopped the momentum. Watching a maid falling from the sky slowly like a feather, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°I said, what is it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her Young Master was looking at her as if he was asking what she was doing. The maid pressed down her skirt andnded on the ground. ¡°Hey. Why are youing down from the sky?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Right. Exin it.¡± Nainiae pursed her lips and carefully exined why she just fell from the sky. ¡°I used a magic spell.¡± ¡°What kind of magic?¡± ¡°Fly. It is a flight magic.¡± Having heard the exnation, Riley smiled refreshingly and asked, ¡°Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be not possible here?¡± ¡°It slipped my mind.¡± Riley was smiling, and¡­ Nainiae wondered if she should smile too or if she should maintain her apologetic face. Nainiae pondered about this. Soon, she decided to go with the apology and lowered her head. ¡°I am sorry. I just remembered, so I was about to tell you, but the four people suddenly showed up, so¡­ Also, you went ahead without me, so¡­ I had no choice but to use the magic so I could catch up with you. Although it iste, I can cas uu u uuuuuuu¡­¡± Her face was grabbed by two hands. Her cheeks were grabbed and stretched out like marshmallow. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± With stretched out pronunciation, Nainiae apologized again. Riley was letting out his frustration by holding her cheeks. Looking really pissed at Nainiae, Riley mumbled, ¡°You should have thought of it sooner. Sooner.¡± Gritting his teeth hard, Riley was pulling out Nainiae¡¯s cheeks. Having had enough, he unhanded her cheeks and growled at her. ¡°Grrrrrr.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± She raised her left hand to hold her reddened cheek. She raised her right hand to use magic. Nainiae felt around the empty space with her hand and made Riley¡¯s body float up first. ¡°You used it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Floating like cloud, his feet lifted off from the ground. Riley looked intrigued. He tried moving his feet in the air. One step, two step¡­ Unlike swimming, he realized that moving his legs didn¡¯t make his body move forward or backward. He looked at Nainiae who floated up after him. ¡°I can¡¯t move as I want?¡± ¡°The magic isn¡¯t giving us wings or the ability to direct the flight, so¡­ That will be hard.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s exnation, Riley grabbed the sword from his waist. For no apparent reason, he tried swinging it in front of him. Paaaaang. His sword spread blue mana to the air and caused a shockwave sound. Riley¡¯s body, which was floating in the air, suddenly moved as if he was pulled to the back. ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching Riley move in the air by swinging the sword, watching his ability to repurpose skills for the situation, it seemed Nainiae was at lost for words. She just vacantly opened her mouth. ¡°With a method like that¡­ I guess it is possible.¡± ¡°This is pretty fun.¡± Riley swung the sword several times and moved around in the air. Nainiae was already far from him. Looking at Nainiae, Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°That is¡­ Young Master, you are the one who is moving.¡± Nainiae vacantly muttered. She asked if she could be excused for a moment. She used telekinesis to pull Riley to where she was. ¡°As I thought, magic is mysterious.¡± With just hand gestures, magic could be used to make a person float up in the air or pull a person from the distance. Riley said muttered as if found magic very attractive. Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and said, ¡°I find the way you swing your sword to be more of a mystery.¡± Nainiae watched Riley¡¯s sword going back to the sheath at his waist. She used the float magic again. ¡°Well then, we will go straight to the teacher¡¯s cave.¡± ¡°All right. Let¡¯s go see his face soon. We came this far for a good reason, yet he won¡¯t evene out to see us. Gosh.¡± Nainiae swung her hand to increase the floating speed and moved toward Andal¡¯s cave which could be seen at the top of the mountain. ¡°Um?¡± They flew for about a minute. Nainiae¡¯s and Riley¡¯s bodies, which were floating in the air, started to fall by the gravity. ¡°What is this?¡± It seemed the distance to the cave was shortened substantially because Riley had been climbing by dashing huge distances. Realizing the ground wasing closer, Riley asked Nainiae, ¡°Are we there already?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Thanks to her flight magic, Riley was able to climb the remaining distance with rtive ease. He looked at the huge cliff in front of him and tilted his head to the side. ¡°This ce is not the top?¡± ¡°It is the top, but it is not the top.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk like a summon spirit. Speak like a human being.¡± ¡°It¡¯s as I said. I think you should be able to tell, Young Master. Can you tell?¡± Having heard Nainiae, Riley widened his senses and realized the scenery in front of him felt strange. He had a look on his face as if he understood. ¡°This is also magic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s an istion barrier.¡± To disengage the istion barrier, Nainiae was looking around the ce. She started to feel the ground and boulders around the cliff. ¡°As I thought, the istion barrier had been strengthened substantially since thest time.¡± She was fiddling with a boulder, and me suddenly surged from it. Surprised, she took a few steps back. She looked like she was not sure about what to do. She started to look around the ce again. ¡°To disengage this, I think it will take ¡­¡± Riley nced at Nainiae who was looking around the istion barrier. As if he didn¡¯t want to bother with waiting, he brought his hand toward the sword on his waist. ¡°We are going in.¡± His sword was swung without any sound. His sword went past the istion barrier as it drew long blue line. The istion barrier started to crumple in zigzag shape. ¡°¡­ some time.¡± Nainiae watched Andal¡¯s istion barrier being cut open by Riley¡¯s sword swing. Nainiae vacantly muttered, ¡°What are you doing? Let¡¯s go?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Watching Riley going in to the gap created by the cut, Nainiae, who was standing there vacantly, tumbled and followed suit. She thought, ¡®That¡¯s our Young Master all right.¡¯ Other than Riley, there probably never was any human being who could break the istion barrier cast by a dragon with a sword swing, and there probably never will be anyone in the future who would be capable of doing this. ¡°Andal?¡± Stepping inside the istion barrier through the cut, Riley called for Andal. He looked around the scenery inside which was slowly changing. ¡°Andal!¡± It seemed like they were at the right ce. It looked like the ce that he had visited before through the pub. Riley called for Andal¡¯s name again and let out his frustration. ¡°By any chance, it is not like he is currently absent from this ce when we came all the way here to visit him, right?¡± Riley called twice, yet no response could be heard, so he was thinking about the worse possible scenario. It was at that moment. He could hear the sound of me burning up. <¡­ Who are you?> It was a familiar voice. ¡°Ah, you showed up atst.¡± ¡°Ms. Heliona!¡± Riley turned his head with leisurely face. Nainiae turned her head with joyful face to look at the direction of the voice. Burning me in midair, Heliona was summoned starting from the tip of her feet. She found the two people inside the cave and started to rub her eyes. Nainiae missed Heliona. She opened her arms big. Heliona, who was just floating there in the air with nk look on her face, flew to Nainiae and was embraced. It seemed Heliona missed Nainiae too. ¡°Phew¡­ I¡¯m so d. I didn¡¯t know what I would do if you didn¡¯t recognize me too like other guardians.¡± ¡°This would be your second time to see her like this. If you don¡¯t recognize her¡­ then you should go see a doctor who specializes in summon spirit or something. Holy Power does not work on a summon spirit, right?¡± <¡­> Hearing Riley going off the tangent, Heliona flinched her shoulders. ¡°A¡­ Anyway! How did this happen? I thought you were at the spirit world, but to think you were actually here in the cave and guarding it¡­ What¡¯s this istion barrier for? Why are all guardians all on the edge? Where¡¯s the teacher?¡± Having heard Nainiae asking about what happened to Andal, her teacher, Heliona put up concerned look on face. Not sure about how she could handle this, she just avoided the gaze. ¡°About that¡­¡± It seemed it was a question that was hard to respond to. Heliona was blurring the end of the sentence. Riley shrugged his shoulders and asked, ¡°What is it? Is he molting his scales or something because he is a lizard?¡± ¡°Stripping¡­ No. I¡¯m asking if he is shedding his skin.¡± ncing at Nainiae to check on her mood, Riley changed how he worded the sentence and asked. Heliona shook her head and that was not it. Heliona got out of Nainiae¡¯s arms and started to fly toward a corner of the cave. She flew to a blind corner. She entered another cave inside the cave and showed a hand gesture to tell Riley and Nainiae to follow her. They walked to where Heliona was. ¡°Um?¡± Riley was following Heliona who flew ahead. However, he suddenly cringed and sniffed. ¡°This smell is?¡± Nainiae noticed Riley cringing. She also focused on her sense of smell and sniffed several times. Nainiae cringed her face like Riley. ¡°Young Master, by any chance, this is¡­¡± Nainiae guessed what the source of the smell was. She was about to say something to Riley, but Heliona spoke first. Riley and Nainiae stopped walking after hearing what Heliona said. They saw red scales in front of them and tilted their heads up. Huge talons, huge body, and huge wings bing of the body¡­ The appearances reflected on their eyes in that order. ¡°Andal?¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± It seemed the dragon heard their voices. The dragon withrge, red body struggled and opened his eyes. <¡­ Who is it?> Heliona was flying between Riley and Nainiae. She responded instead. Andal seemed relieved. He closed his eyes, but he appeared to be in pain. He struggled and started to turn his body. ¡°Are you trying to take winter nap out of the blue? Why did you transform back to your original form and¡­¡± Watching his friend looking lethargic, Rileyughed and teased him as always. However, he noticed something dark and stopped talking. ¡°¡­¡± While lying down, Andal turned his body to show his arm which had turned ck. In pain, Andal cringed his face. <¡­ I was done in.> Nainiae vacantly stared at his darkened arm. Finding it hard to believe, Nainiae muttered, ¡°T¡­ Teacher?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Andal briefly coughed and said, Riley nodded. Andal narrowly opened his eyes and looked at Riley and Nainiae. ¡°What did he say?¡± This was the same story that they heard from Reitri. As if he wanted Andal to exin more, Riley narrowed his eyes. However, Andal could not help but to close his eyes without continuing his words. It seemed he was not able to handle his body very well because of the infection in one of his arms. ¡°What is it? Hey! Shouldn¡¯t you finish what you were about to say?¡± It appeared that Andal was asleep. Although Riley shouted all of the sudden, there was no response from him. Riley asked Heliona, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with him?¡± ¡°Poison?¡± Heliona nodded and said, Nainiae understood what happened. With concerned face, she looked at Andal who was asleep. ¡°Teacher¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing Heliona¡¯s exnation, Riley vacantly stared at his friend lying down. Riley mumbled, ¡°I can¡¯t let this be. Now that it came to this¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae casually turned her head and looked at Riley who had his arms crossed. Riley said after a moment of pause, ¡°¡­ It¡¯s time for kidnapping.¡± As if he had no time to waste, he quickly turned around and headed to leave the cave. Nainiae tumbled and followed him. ¡®Kidnapping? Why all of the sudden?¡¯ His proposition was so out of the blue. Nainiae pondered who he was trying to kidnap. Soon, she figured out who. ¡°Ah¡­¡± She asked Riley as she thought about the prospective kidnap subject. ¡°Are you really going to snatch her away?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard her question, Riley flinched and stopped walking. As if he was at loss for words, he turned to look at her. Chapter 166 - Abduction

Chapter 166: Abduction

¡°Where did you learn a word like that?¡± Riley was about to leave Andal¡¯s cave. However, he asked Nainiae where she had learned the word that she had just used. [Note: There is no corresponding word for this, so I tranted it as ¡®snatching.¡¯ What Nainiae actually used is ??, a very crude word that describes abducting a woman and making her someone¡¯s wife against her will. The author describes the meaning below. I don¡¯t believe this word is actuallymonly used in Korea.] ¡°Pardon? If you are asking where I learned it¡­¡± As if she was not sure why Riley was asking such a question, Nainiae tilted her head to the side. She paused for a moment and said, ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t really learn it. How should I say it¡­ It is one of those things that came into my head? Isn¡¯t it a word that was used in the world of your past life, Young Master? Isn¡¯t it used in a situation like this?¡± From Riley¡¯s response, Nainiae thought perhaps she didn¡¯t choose the right word. Concerned, she asked. ¡°No, it is simr, but¡­¡± The word meant abducting a woman against her will in secret. The word she had used was simr to what Riley had said earlier about the abduction. However, the problem was that it was Nainiae who said it, not Riley. ¡°Of all things.¡± Riley thought he would not feel this awkward if it was Ian, Sera or anyone else. Riley avoided Nainiae¡¯s gaze and mumbled, ¡°Hearing you say such a thing is a little¡­¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± For some reason, Riley was looking elsewhere and pretending to be preupied. Nainiae, who had a concerned look on her face, carefully moved her hand toward his shoulder. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I was thinking about something else.¡± ¡°Anyway, you will be going back to the Karuta Desert, right?¡± ¡°For now, we should.¡± Instead of the word, he decided to focus on what to do now and nodded. Riley thought of a way. Abduction. Today morning, they took the effort to ignore and leave a Priestess behind at the desert when she said she wanted to go with them. Now, as the meaning of the word entails, they were going to snatch her and bring her here. ¡®Since I have already told her off to not follow me because she would be a bother, now I¡¯ll look super uncool, but¡­¡¯ Riley thought about the divine message that Priesia mentionedst time. He pondered if she was supposed to have followed him because of Andal. Riley slowly shook his head. ¡®My source of freeloading is ill. I can¡¯t just sit back and watch.¡¯ The dragon with red scale who was unable to open his eyes due to poison had been referred as such by Riley often. However¡­to Riley, Andal was his only friend in this world. Riley was indebted to Andal. He couldn¡¯t just sit back and watch Andal suffer in pain. This was the reason why Riley was about to make the move. Before going back to the Karuta Desert, Nainiae was working on the istion barrier to prepare for their returnter. ¡°I guessed this one must be pretty powerful considering he drenched the entire desert with the epidemic, but to think he put the teacher in that state¡­ Do you think Ms. Priesia will be able to cleanse him?¡± Nainiae asked, and in return Riley said, ¡°You saw her cleansing a handful of sand. From what she was saying about it, it seems, she was serious about cleansing the entire desert at once¡­ She probably was given the title of the Priestess for a good reason.¡± Riley had heard this before, but he was reminded again that there was a limit to detoxification through magic. Riley thought about the power possessed by a Priestess. Riley was holding his chin. Meanwhile, Nainiae looked like she was done with working on the istion barrier. Riley asked Nainiae, ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes. Shall we get going now?¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go right away.¡± Riley nodded and responded. Nainiae put forth her right hand and opened a portal that connected to the Karuta Desert. ¡°Do you think everyone is still at the same ce?¡± ¡°They said they were going to move, so probably not?¡± Riley and Nainiae thought about Priesia and the others who must be still at the desert as they walked toward the portal. It was when they had walked onward for about three steps after entering the portal; they immediately felt the air that touched their nose and lips was different. They both automatically crumpled their faces. ¡°¡­ Uuu.¡± Nainiae promptly used air cleansing magic to handle the stench. She closed the teleportation portal and started to look around the Karuta Desert which was covered in ck sand. ¡°Starting with the air, the ce is definitely different.¡± Compared to the mountain where Andal was, the air at the desert that was polluted by the epidemic was insufferable. Riley shook his head and looked to ce where the portal had just closed. He muttered, ¡°I want to go back.¡± Nainiae figured that Priesia¡¯s cleansing prayer must not be over yet. She looked around the area. ¡°It looks like Priesia and Reitri Merchant Group have already left.¡± ¡°They sure are diligent to an unnecessary extent.¡± Riley checked the ground, wondering if there were any carriage tracks left. However, it seems the wind had erased all traces of the tracks. The sands were only showing their even tness on the ground. ¡®I thought abduction would be incredibly easy, yet¡­¡¯ Riley was facing a problem - starting with finding the target of the abduction. Not sure about what to do, Riley turned to look at Nainiae while scratching his head. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Can you do it now?¡± Riley looked at Nainiae¡¯s right eye and asked. Nainiae touched the right side of her face. The look on her face indicated she was not certain. ¡°I am not sure?¡± Riley asked her to try it and thought about Priesia. ¡°Try it.¡± In the process, it seemed his thoughts got tangled up and made him remember the Priestess from his past life. Riley crumpled his face, and Nainiae also crumpled her face like Riley. She appeared to be suffering. ¡°Is it not working?¡± ¡°No. Please wait¡­¡± It seemed that she didn¡¯t cringe because of the pain. Nainiae ground her teeth lightly so that Riley wouldn¡¯t notice. She rxed her face and said, ¡°I think I can.¡± She took a deep breath and looked at Riley again while gathering strength in her right eye. She soon found where Priesia was and turned her head to the side. ¡°It¡¯s that direction. It appears to be pretty far too.¡± ¡°It looks like the eye worked?¡± ¡°I know. It worked this time.¡± Nainiae had a question mark on her face. She wondered why it worked this time when it hadn¡¯t worked thest time. She touched her face around her eye and immediately prepared a teleportation magic. ¡°Ah, wait.¡± Feeling Riley¡¯s hand on her shoulder, Nainiae stopped using magic. Wondering what this was about, she tilted her head to the side. ¡°We are literally going to abduct her. I thought maybe showing up in the open suddenly might pose a problem.¡± Riley held his chin to think. He started to think if it would be all right to show themselves to Priesia and the others by arriving there through teleportation. ¡°If they ask why we returned when we said we were going to see the doctor, what do we say to them?¡± Riley asked. Nainiae pondered about the response and asked what Riley thought of her idea. ¡°How about saying that the doctor has been infected with the poison and needs Ms. Priesia? Won¡¯t that work?¡± Since that actually was the situation, there was no reason for anyone, even those who didn¡¯t really know what was actually happening, to think the response was odd. ¡°What if the Priestess is still in middle of the prayer?¡± ¡°Prayer?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, while she is sending the prayer, she will lose her consciousness and will be unaware of what¡¯s happening in her surroundings. If she already started the prayer and if we show up out of the blue and then take her away, then that¡¯s literally¡­¡± The act would be no different from what the Kabal Mercenaries, who had ambushed Priesia and Nara, did. ¡°In that case, what do we do? As I thought, instead of abducting her, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just be honest and ask for her help?¡± ¡°No. This is not that kind of problem. If we tell her that way, she will bring up the divine message and what not and say ¡®As I thought, I should have gone with you.¡¯ She will nag at me that way, so¡­ Abducting her is the right answer.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°The problem is that we need to wait until the prayer is over.¡± Riley felt like he had fallen into a trap. With his arms crossed, he couldn¡¯t feel more ickier about the situation. He thought it was such a bother to think about it anymore. For thest time, he asked, ¡°Can you use the surveince magic to check the situation at Priesia¡¯s location?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Try it.¡± Nainiae canceled the teleportation magic. Instead, she used the surveince magic. She created arge mirror in the front and started to show the scenery around where Priesia was. ¡°¡­ As I thought.¡± Riley looked at the mirror and confirmed the scene. He muttered, ¡°It has already begun.¡± The scenery shown in the mirror was that of some ruined desert town. Nara, Rorona and other mercenaries were surrounding Priesia. ¡°What would you like to do?¡± Surrounded by the mercenaries, surrounded by light, the Priestess was standing there, motionless. She had just closed her eyes gently and continued to pray. ¡°¡­¡± Through the mirror, Riley confirmed that the sand near Priesia was not ck. As if he had seen enough, he took his gaze off from there and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the cave. Did they say the desert cleansing will take about four days?¡± ¡°Yes, about that long.¡± ¡°Andal is a lizard who is said to have lived for thousands or tens of thousands years. Couldn¡¯t he hang in there for just four days? If he can¡¯t, I can just use time magic.¡± Riley thought about the time magic that had slowed the speed of deterioration from an illness. It was a spell that he already had used on Nainiae before. Riley yawned big enough to make his mouth to tear off. ¡°It will just be exhausting to think any more. Four dayster¡­ Let¡¯s just decide to bring her with us during the early morning of the day the cleansing concludes. That will give us least amount of trouble afterwards.¡± Riley made a definite decision before pondering on it some more. Riley said they should head back to the cave. Nainiae, who was looking at the mirror, nodded as if she understood. She prepared a dimensional portal to return to the cave. * * * Four dayster. ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡± Through the mirror that Nainiae made, Riley was looking at the scenery in the desert. He found that the sand had regained its original color. Surprised, Riley opened his eyes big. ¡°Huh? The color returned?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks like Ms. Priesia¡¯s prayer definitely worked.¡± It seemed like her four days of prayer didn¡¯t go to waste. The desert had regained its former self. Nainiae pped in joy and opened the dimensional space. ¡°Young Master, here.¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a mask.¡± ¡°A mask?¡± Nainiae smiled refreshingly and added that he will need it when he abducts the Priestess in the morning. ¡°When did you prepare this?¡± Riley broke out in cold sweat at the back of his head and asked. Nainiae said with a proud look on her face, ¡°I made it while you were taking naps during the day. As for the fabric, I borrowed them from teacher¡¯s guardians. I made it so that it closely resembles that thing from your past life. How is it?¡± She leaned her head toward Riley, expecting praise. Riley stroked her head and stuttered, ¡°Y¡­ You did well.¡± Holding the mask that Nainiae had made, Riley looked at the mirror that she had made with her surveince magic. He noticed something that was not there before and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Um? Who is that bastard?¡± Besides Reitri Merchant Group, Two from the Nara¡¯s mercenary group and the Priestess¡­ there was one other human there who didn¡¯t seem to belong to any of those groups. From the tip of the head to the feet, the entire body was under a hood. Even at first nce, the individual looked suspicious. It was as if this person was proudly showing of their suspicious appearance by keeping their identity tightly hidden. The individual was having a conversation with Reitri. ¡°I am not sure? I just made the surveince mirror, so I don¡¯t know about the situation in detail.¡± Through the mirror, they could see what was happening there, but they could not hear through the mirror, so they didn¡¯t know what Reitri and this hooded individual were talking about. Riley noticed Reitri¡¯s expression. ¡°Judging from the look on Reitri¡¯s face, the hooded individual does not appear to be an uninvited guest.¡± Soon afterwards, the hooded guest lowered his head to Reitri and started to walk. It looked like the hooded guest might have been a vagrant. It was very early in the morning, yet the guest was already leaving. Riley shrugged and muttered, ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing.¡± Riley turned away from the mirror and fiddled with the mask. Having noticed this, Nainiae put away the mirror she had brought up and asked, ¡°Are you going to go now?¡± It was roughly a little after 1 am. Nara and Rorona looked like they were exhausted from guarding Priesia for four days while she prayed. They were zonked out. It was certain that now was the best time for the job. ¡°¡­¡± Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley fiddled with the mask and pondered about it for a moment. He looked at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you go there by yourself?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley pulled on the mask and avoided her gaze as he casually asked. Soon, it seemed Nainiae understood what he meant. With disappointed look on her face, she lowered her head. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. With a Seven Circles mage going there to abduct the Priestess, having one more person tag along could just get in your way. Get it done quietly by yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle back¡­¡± She lowered her head and put on the mask she knitted with cotton strings. She opened a portal that connected to Karuta Desert and entered the portal. <¡­ Ugh.> As Nainiae entered the portal, she briefly turned her head back to look at Riley before she disappeared. Riley felt guilty for some reason and he heard the summoned spirit¡¯s sigh. ¡°¡­¡± Half due to it being such a bother and the other half due to feeling guilty about it, Riley avoided Heliona¡¯s gaze and headed back to the bed in the corner of the cave. Chapter 167 - Abduction (2)

Chapter 167: Abduction (2)

¡°¡­ Wake me up when she returns.¡± Riley hit his back and moaned like an old man who was hurting. He was about to go lie down on the bed. Heliona stared at Riley, thinking what a fool he was. She casually turned her head. Just now, she felt a presence from the dimensional portal and Nainiae walked in with a gloomy face. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley had his hand on the bed. He just needed to turn and lie down. With surprised look on his face, he turned his head. ¡°What?¡± He looked at the portal; he then looked at the girl in white getup and the maid girl under the mask who followed behind. ¡®What the¡­ How could shee back so soon¡­¡¯ Nainiae found Riley who was about to lie down on the bed. She showed Priesia, the one she abducted. ¡°Young Master, first, as you requested, I abducted¡­ her.¡± Perhaps it was to do the abduction right. Priesia had blind on her eyes, and her hands were tied by a rope. Nainiae pointed them out as if she was showing them off with pride. Nainiae took off her mask. She looked like she was expecting praise from Riley. ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t have to worry about sounds. I put a sound-proof spell on her, so she should not be able to hear us.¡± Nainiae exined that shepletely blocked Priesia¡¯s vision and hearing. Nainiae pointed at Priesia who was shaking in fear. Priesia carefully said, ¡°W¡­ Who are you? What happened? I don¡¯t know why you are doing this all of sudden, but I am a Priestess. If you do anything careless to me¡­¡± Riley looked at Priesia. Dumbfounded, Riley turned to look at Nainiae. ¡®Weren¡¯t you guys friends?¡¯ It seemed Nainiae was clueless about her abducted friend shaking in fear. Instead, Nainiae was like a puppy waiting for her master to praise her. ¡°First¡­ untie this.¡± Riley pointed at Priesia¡¯s wrist and plummeted at the bed. ¡°Excuse me¡­ I don¡¯t know why you brought me here, but if you need my help, then why don¡¯t we slowly talk about it¡­¡± Although Priesia was currently abducted and could not see or hear, she was trying to negotiate with the kidnappers. Finding it to be ridiculous, Riley approached Nainiae. ¡°You were not discovered?¡± ¡°There were a few guards watching her, but I didn¡¯t want to resort to violence, so¡­ I handled it by making them fall asleep. It was easy afterwards.¡± Nainiae shrugged her shoulders and said it was nothing. Riley looked like he was impressed. He looked at her and said, ¡°It must have been. It didn¡¯t even take a minute?¡± ¡°I thought you would be waiting, so¡­¡± Riley was impressed because he thought the process and end result would have been just as efficient even if the setting was the Holy Temple or the guards were skilled holy knights. ¡®The Nobles always talked about mages, and now¡­ I really understand why. If a skilled mage can handle something like this by herself without leaving any trace¡­ I can definitely understand why they would obsess over having one.¡¯ The nobles had panicked big time during the Astroa incident and when the Magic Tower copsed. Riley had just experienced firsthand why the nobles cared so much about mages. Riley directed his gaze at Priesia. ¡°Now, then.¡± Riley used his right hand to point at his ear and his left hand to his neck. It seemed Nainiae understood what he was trying to ask. She cast two different magic at once. ¡°Ah, ah.¡± After seeing Nainiae using the magic, Riley checked that his voice had changed. He walked to Priesia and said, ¡°Can you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­ You are?¡± In fear, Priesia was shriveling. Having heard the voice, she carefully turned her face to where Riley was standing. ¡°In this situation, my identify is not important. What¡¯s important is that you have been abducted and you are a Priestess.¡± ¡°You are saying that you abducted me knowing that I¡¯m a Priestess.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Priesia muttered in weary voice. She put strength in her shoulders and asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Miss, it looks like we understand each other. Instead of saying things like ¡®save me¡¯ or ¡®spare my life,¡¯ I like that you are going straight to the point. I like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Listening to the belittling voice, Priesia bit her lips and warned Riley. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this first. If you are after money, then you are making a big mistake.¡± Riley was about to wear the mask that Nainiae gave him earlier. However, having heard what Priesia just said, he stared at her face for a moment as if he was dumbfounded. Soon, he figured out what it was about and said, ¡°Are you talking about reward ced on you at Solia, Ansyrium and other ces? There is no need to worry. I am not interested in money.¡± Riley covered his head with the mask and put his hand on the blind on Priesia¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­ Ah?¡± ¡°Hold still.¡± Someone¡¯s hand touched her face and her shoulders flinched because of that. Priesia was petrified after hearing the threatening words from Riley. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± Although the blind was removed, Priesia was still choking in fear and had her eyes closed. She slowly opened her eyes. ¡°This ce is¡­¡± Priesia finally realized that she was no longer in the desert with sand wind. Instead, she was in a dark cave. Priesia looked at Riley who was wearing a mask. ¡°H¡­ How?¡± Only a moment ago, Priesia was inside Reitri Merchant Group¡¯s carriage in middle of the desert. Now, she was inside a gigantic cave. Priesia could not understand how this was possible. She vacantly muttered, ¡°It had only been a while?¡± ¡°Nothing good wille from knowing where this ce is or how you got here. Priestess, you just need to do what we ask. If you do, we will send you back safely.¡± Riley figured it would be best to get the job done before Priesia rolls her brain some more. Riley pushed Priesia¡¯s shoulders from the back to go to a different ce. ¡°Here.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± They stopped in front ofrge red scales. ¡°This is?¡± Priesia looked up the sleeping red dragon. It seemed she was overwhelmed by the size. She vacantly had her mouth open. Meanwhile, Riley went straight to the point. ¡°Priestess, I would like you to heal this rascal¡¯s illness?¡± Having heard Riley, she looked back and forth between the mask and the red scales. Confused, Priesia said, ¡°W¡­ what is this¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since you asked, I¡¯m just telling you. He is a friend.¡± ¡°Friend¡­ You say? A red dragon is your friend?¡± With a look of disbelief, Priesia stared at Riley. Riley shrugged and said that was the case. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Priesia shook her head and said it was nonsense. Annoyed, Riley sighed. Instead of exining more, he skipped it and said again, ¡°We don¡¯t want anything of substance from you. This lizard is struggling due to an illness. We just want you to give him a shot of your holy power.¡± Riley pushed Priesia¡¯s back once again and showed Andal¡¯s arm to Priesia. His arm was infected with the epidemic. ¡°The part that¡¯s stained in ck¡­ You have seen it before, right?¡± ¡°That is?¡± Priesia confirmed that the dragon¡¯s arm that Riley pointed at was stained in ck color. She narrowed her eyes. ¡°It is the same bastard as the one you cleansed in Karuta Desert.¡± Having heard what Riley said, she thought about the ck sand at the desert. She carefully observed the dragon¡¯s arm and asked carefully, ¡°May I observe it¡­ from up close?¡± ¡°All right. It¡¯s not like we are kidnappers. We are asking you for a favor, so we can amodate that much.¡± She was allowed to do so right away. Priesia was not certain if the masked man was a good guy or a bad guy. Priesia tilted her head to the side and carefully walked to the red dragon¡¯s arm. ¡®This color, this stench¡­ It really is the epidemic. He is infected just like how it was with the sand in Karuta Desert.¡¯ She leaned her face toward the arm and cringed due to the stench. Priesia looked at Riley under the mask. ¡°This dragon¡­ Why are you healing him?¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­ Are you healing him with the intention of doing horrible thingster?¡± Priesia asked while ring at him. Riley also furrowed his brows and red at Priesia. ¡°Why are you asking such a question?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She didn¡¯t answer. ¡®By any chance¡­ Is it because of the divine message?¡¯ Riley remembered the divine message that he heard from Priesia duringst spring at the Solia Castle and crumpled his face. ¡®Well, as the divine message said, a dragon did cause havoc at Soliast time, so¡­ her concern is warranted, but¡­¡¯ Riley had once blocked the dragon¡¯s breath that was shot by the dragon with ck eyes that was summoned by Rebethra during the battle at the Lower Solia. Thinking about it, Riley cringed. ¡°Even if I told you that I am not healing him with bad intentions in mind, it doesn¡¯t look like you will believe me anyway? So what should I tell you?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t like seeing my source of freeload¡­ No, I just don¡¯t like to see my dear friend in pain. It¡¯s such a bother. That¡¯s all. I have no other motives. Because that¡¯s all there is to it, I don¡¯t have anything else to say to you.¡± Riley shrugged as he said that. Priesia¡¯s eyes had been staring at Riley. Now, her eye colors started to change slowly. ¡®Um?¡¯ From her original dark brown eye color, her iris color was changing to the color of golden light. Riley realized what Priesia was trying to do. Intrigued, Riley thought, ¡®Is it the power of the Priestess?¡¯ Her golden eyes¡­ They were the eyes that were said to be able to tell if the person she was facing was telling the truth or was lying. ¡°I¡¯ll ask again. Do you really¡­ have no bad intentions toward this dragon once he has healed?¡± Having heard the question, Riley felt there was no need to be concerned about it. He just shrugged and said, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± In silence, Priesia gazed upon Riley¡¯s eyes that could be seen through the mask¡¯s opening. She suddenly closed her eyes and sighed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Priesia ced her hand at Andal¡¯s arm and started to use her holy power. ¡°Honestly, I have a mountain of questions, but¡­¡± Riley was impressed. He thought Priesia was a Priestess for a good reason. ¡°First, I¡¯ll grant your request.¡± As soon as she started to use her holy power, Andal¡¯s scales, which were stained with ck because of the epidemic, started to regain its color rapidly. ¡°As a Priestess, I cannot just ignore a being who is suffering from illness.¡± Andal¡¯s scales were stained with ck on the ws, arm and the shoulder. Now, the partspletely recovered and regained their original color. <¡­ It worked!> ¡°I¡¯m so d.¡± Heliona and Nainiae were in a corner so that Priesia could not see them. In secret, they were watching Andal¡¯s arm being cleansed. After seeing the result, they both sighed in relief, but then they suddenly opened their eyes big. ¡°Ah?¡± The red dragon, who was asleep, opened his eyes. <¡­ Uu, Uum?> ¡°Oh?¡± The dragon¡¯s eyeball still looked unfocused as if he was still not quite awake. Facing the eyeball, Riley ced a hand at his waist and leaned his face at it. ¡°You sure were a bother. Are you awake?¡± Chapter 168 - Abduction (3)

Chapter 168: Abduction (3)

It looked like Andal was awake. He was trying to move his body, and Priesia hurriedly took her hand off from his arm. She took steps back to move away from Andal. ¡°Excuse me, was that enough?¡± Priesia figured that she won¡¯t be harmed since she was the one who healed Andal and she also used her eyes earlier to confirm Riley¡¯s intention. However¡­ Perhaps because of the atmosphere that was unique to dragons, she could not help but to get scared from seeing the dragon move. ¡°If it is done, then may I go back now¡­¡± It seemed Andal could not care less about Priesia who was cowering at the corner. Andal turned his head and looked at the boy under the mask. Andal vacantly blinked his eyes and said, <¡­ Riley?> ¡°¡­?¡± Priesia was overwhelmed by Andal¡¯s humungous size. She was shriveling. However, after hearing what Andal just said, she floated a question mark on her face. ¡°¡­¡± Riley was petrified. ¡®No.¡¯ Looking at Andal who just muttered his name, Riley said ¡®no¡¯ inside. He strained his eyes and started to flinch his facial muscles. Using a method that was closer to telepathy, Riley delivered his thought directly to Andal¡¯s head while carefully ncing at what Priesia was up to. ¡°Just now, what did you say?¡± Although Riley sent Andal a message, he was still tilting his head around as if he was clueless. Wondering what this was about, Andal said, Again¡­ Again¡­ Riley¡¯s name was tossed out from the red lizard¡¯s mouth. Riley¡¯s face, which was hidden under the mask, flinched once again. Riley felt like he knew why this red dragon had failed the amusement tour as a human being so many times. As if he was pleading for Andal to figure this out, Riley desperately called his name. ¡°¡­¡± Riley understood that Andal just woke up, so he could be confused with the dream state and the awakened state. However¡­ Instead of the response that Riley hoped for, Andal asked about the mask, which was not even close to what Riley wanted. Having observed this far, Riley was certain now that this dragon failed amusement tours as a human being so many times because hecked the quick sense. ¡®They said that one can make it half way by doing absolutely nothing, and¡­¡¯ Riley was thinking that it would not havee to this if Andal didn¡¯t do anything at all. Riley sighed. ¡°Just now, what are you talking about? Riley? Who are you talking about?¡± Andal was tilting his head around, but it was Priesia who had even more puzzled look on the face. She took a step forward and asked Andal. Having heard the voice from the back, Andal found Priesia. Andal lightly flinched his shoulder and stared at Riley, trying to ask what was this human doing in his cave. Andal asked, As if Andal was putting the veryst nail to the coffin, he mentioned Riley¡¯s name once again. With confused look on her face, Priesia went back and forth between the red scaled dragon and the masked man. ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Priesia was staring at Riley. Feeling the gaze, Riley looked hopeless. He sighed. ¡°¡­¡± Of all beings, Riley never thought he would be betrayed by the friend he saved. Feeling like he just got smacked on the back of his head, Riley just maintained silence. He then casually moved his gaze because of a presence he felt from the back. ¡°E¡­ Excuse me!¡± Nainiae had been watching the situation in secret. It seemed like she decided she should not let this go on anymore. Nainiae showed herself. ¡®Nainiae.¡¯ She was not in her usual maid dress. She was wearing shady getup of a kidnapper. She was even wearing the mask. Watching her walking in¡­ Riley was so impressed. He muttered inside, ¡®As I thought, you are the only¡­¡¯ ¡°Young Master. No, that¡¯s not right¡­ That is¡­¡± Riley was about to think ¡®As I thought, you are the only one I can count on, Nainiae.¡¯ However, after listening to Nainiae hurriedly changing her words, Riley could not take it anymore. He lowered his head to the floor. It looked as if he got smacked on the back of his head twice in a row. He felt like the head was so heavy that he could not keep it up anymore. ¡°¡­¡± Priesia looked at the mask man, Riley to be exact, and carefully asked, ¡°By any chance, are you Young Master Riley?¡± It was the right answer. * * * ¡°See! As I thought, it was as the divine message said, right?¡± Thanks to Andal whocked quick sense, and thanks to Nainiae who alsocked quick sense, Riley¡¯s identity was found out by Priesia in the end. Riley hung the mask on the top of his head as if it was a mask. He looked annoyed. ¡°Ah, yes¡­ Yes¡­ It was as the divine message said.¡± ¡°See. I told you that you might need me.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Priesia thought that she finally proved Riley wrong for once. She ced her fist at her waist. Full of confidence, she lifted her shoulders. ¡°Well¡­ Regardless of how things turned out, isn¡¯t this a good thing?¡± Andal had transformed to his human form. Looking at Riley who appeared to be ufortable about this, Andal scratched his hair and mumbled. ¡°It¡­ it worked out well.¡± Was it because she wanted to make Riley feel better? Nainiae, the one who made a mistake earlier, pped and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Anyway, I am indebted to you, Priestess. I¡¯ll repay you for this kindnesster in anyway I can.¡± It seemed even a dragon had to show respect to a Priestess. Andal spoke to Priesia in respectful tone. Priesia lowered her head and responded, ¡°About expressing your gratitude, I think you should do that to Young Master Riley. His method was not magnificent, but still, thanks to him, you got to receive the treatment.¡± Even though Priesia was praising him, Riley was digging his ears as if he was annoyed. He then sighed big again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master.¡± Nainiae was quietly standing behind Riley. Ashamed, Nainiae lowered her head. ¡®The divine message or whatnot doesn¡¯t really matter.¡¯ Riley thought about Priesia boasting how she was right all along about the divine message and how they should have just followed it. Riley thought about all the bothersome things that were lying ahead and clicked his tongue. ¡®That¡¯s not the problem after being found out.¡¯ Now, there was a possibility that Priesia would pester him about some divine message again. This was the reason why he was sighing since a while ago. ¡°By the way, why did you kidnap me? If you just told me about it honestly, I would have helped.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Now that I think about it, when I told you about a divine message during thest spring¡­ It was about a dragon, right? You were so angry at me back then. Was it because you are acquainted with Mr. Andal?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°Excuse me, Young Master? Are you listening?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± No matter what Priesia said, Riley kept on saying ¡®yes.¡¯ Wharrurururuk Suddenly, a me burned up in front of his eyes. He blinked and looked at Andal. ¡°What the¡­ What are you doing?¡± ¡°It looked like your mind had ran away from the host. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Ha, you dumbass bastard.¡± ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± ¡°Huh? Is that how you talk to the man who saved your life?¡± ¡°I think you know very well how many times I cleaned after the sheet that you pooped out. Isn¡¯t what you did for me already well deserved?¡± Andal and Riley was ring and growling at each other. Meanwhile, Priesia was between them. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she started to nce around. ¡°First, please have some tea.¡± Inside Andal¡¯s cave, Priesia was sitting at a round table. Nainiae came and offered Priesia tea from behind, and Priesia asked her by whispering to her ear, ¡°Excuse me. Is this all right?¡± ¡°Um? What is?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about Young Master Riley. He is picking fights with a dragon like that. I am concerned about him getting into a big troubleter.¡± Priesia looked pale. Nainiae looked at Riley and Andal. They looked like they were about to eat each other alive. Nainiae shrugged and said, ¡°They are always like this.¡± ¡°A¡­ always like this?¡± Nainiae responded like it was nothing. With look of disbelief, Priesia stared at Riley. ¡°To start with, I thought it was so ridiculous to hear that you almost died because of a human. I was speechless? Seriously. Did you fight him while picking on your nose or something?¡± ¡°Ha! Look who is talking. I¡¯ve heard that you received facial modification by a human? I wonder what was the Lazy-Sword Young Master doing at that time? Howe he got face stumped on without being able to do a thing about it? Why don¡¯t you tell me that you got hit while yawning, why don¡¯t you?¡± With violent eyes, Andal was exuding deadly aura. He was daring Riley to say one more word. Checking up on Andal¡¯s mood, Priesia bit her lips. ¡°Is it really all right for them to act like that toward each other?¡± Nainiae lifted the tea pot away from the cup and looked at Riley and Andal like Priesia. She shrugged her shoulders once again. ¡°They are friends.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± ¡°You heard him earlier, right?¡± Earlier, when Riley was wearing the mask, he called Andal as ¡®my friend.¡¯ Priesia remembered this, but she still couldn¡¯t believe it. She asked, ¡°A human and dragon are?¡± ¡°At first, I was shocked too, but¡­ Now, I don¡¯t find it all that surprising.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere turned deadlier by the minute. Now, Andal¡¯s magic and Riley¡¯s sword shed by once. Holding her breath, Priesia brought the tea to her lips. ¡°So? You are saying you are going to hunt that bastard down and kill him?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It won¡¯t end with just a desert, so I must.¡± She didn¡¯t know when they stopped fighting. The deadly atmosphere left the scene somehow. Instead, they were having a conversation in serious mood. Priesia had a sip of tea in her mouth as she filled her face with question marks. ¡°What if you get poisoned again when you go there again? Are you going to rely on me again? I am sorry, but I don¡¯t want to do something like this twice? I think the back of my head will go numb again if I did.¡± Just now, Andal was saying he was going to go meet the purple human that he encountered before. Riley mumbled that he won¡¯t save Andal for the second time. ¡°Hmp! An illness like that¡­ I can bepletely healed if I shed my skin once. The situation was not so dire that I would have resorted to getting help from you.¡± ¡°You are a rascal who takes one hundred years to shed skin. What nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Uk¡­¡± ¡°Well. If you are bent on hunting that bastard down, then I won¡¯t object to it.¡± Riley leaned on the chair¡¯s back support and crossed his legs. Andal enjoyed the tea that Nainiae poured. He then turned his head to look at where Priesia was sitting. ¡°Priestess. What do you think?¡± ¡°Ah, yes?¡± She was surprised. She asked back. ¡°I¡¯m talking about that human bastard who is spreading the epidemic as he strolls around. Have you ever seen him? From Nainiae, I¡¯ve heard that you cleansed the Karuta Desert.¡± Andal was asking if Priesia met the human who drenched the desert with epidemic. Priesia carefully shook her head and said, ¡°No. I have never encountered in to him. It is just that¡­ I had thought that I might have to chase him or I might run into him eventually. After all, there was the divine message.¡± Priesia said she heard about the issue from Goddess Irsa. She looked at Riley and Nainiae. ¡°That is why I asked you to allow me to follow you.¡± ¡°Why? Did that high and mighty goddess tell you that you will have higher probability of running into that human only if you follow us?¡± Riley fired right back at Priesia. She shriveled her shoulders. She was being passive and said her reason was not something like that. Priesia added, ¡°Of the¡­ beings I could trust, Young Master and Nainiae were the ones who I thought were the safest to be with.¡± Riley was not liking the part about the trust. He ground his teeth and shook his head as if he was so sick of this. ¡°I guess. I don¡¯t know about Riley, but my pupil is trustworthy. Priestess, you made the right choice.¡± ¡°Pupil?¡± ¡°Nainiae is my pupil.¡± Priesia was tilting her head to the side, and Andal exined that he was Nainiae¡¯s teacher. Andal shrugged and took a proud stance. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Surprised, Priesia looked at Nainiae. Nainiae was holding the tea pot while standing behind Riley, and she nodded lightly at Priesia. ¡°That exins things. At times, I wondered if Nainiae was a dragon¡­ So, you were Mr. Andal¡¯s pupil.¡± With his chin supported by his right hand, Riley watched the conversation that went off the tangent. He yawned big enough to stretch his mouth out and turned to look at Nainiae who was standing behind her. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about three in the morning.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± Riley crumpled his face. He took the hand off from his chin and got up. ¡°I had enough. I¡¯m going to sleep.¡± ¡°Hey. I¡¯m not done talking.¡± ¡°Go hunt him down or don¡¯t hunt him down. Do whatever you want.¡± Riley wished Andal good fortune, went straight to the bed that was prepared at the corner of the cave and closed his eyes. ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t know about that rascal, but Priestess, I think I¡¯ll need your help on hunting down that human. I think the holy power will be the key¡­ However, none of my kind knows how to handle holy power.¡± ¡°I see. Holy power¡­¡± ¡°I already received help from you, so I¡¯m ashamed, but it looks like you will have to help me again. Epidemic and poison were not all of his abilities. That bastard¡­¡± Using their voices as luby, Riley covered himself in nket and went straight to sleep. * * * ¡°¡­ Riley, get up.¡± It felt like somebody was tapping at his back with a foot. Riley cringed and struggled as he opened his eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± He narrowly opened his eyes and looked up the sky. The sky was still littered with twinkling stars. Looking at the stars, Riley let out his frustration. ¡°Is this a joke? It¡¯s still night time.¡± ¡°To be precise, it is early morning. Get up.¡± Andal brought the tip of his boots at Riley¡¯s back once again. ¡°There is a saying that early birds get the worms.¡± ¡°There is also a saying that outside of the nket is dangerous.¡± Now, even Priesia was urging Riley to get up quickly. It looked like Riley had enough. He crumpled his face and waved his hand to tell them to get lost. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Shortly after he woke up, Riley closed his eyes again to go back to sleep. However, he noticed something strange, so he opened his eyes. ¡°Wait. Stars?¡± He went to sleep at the cave. So, howe he can see the stars? That question was answered surprisingly easily. ¡°What is this?¡± Riley opened the eyes again. He finally noticed the stars in the night sky and forest around him and realized what happened. ¡°¡­ Why are we outside? Chapter 169 - Abduction (4)

Chapter 169: Abduction (4)

Riley realized that had he just woken up outside when he went to sleep inside the cave. As if he was struck by lightning, Riley started to look around. ¡°Nainiae? Nainiae!¡± Riley promptly looked for his maid and he found Nainiae who had her head lowered on her back. Riley got up from the ground where he was lying down. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Young Master, the thing is¡­¡± Nainiae was having a hard time lifting her face. Instead of her, Andal walked and came next to Riley. Andal snorted loudly and exined the situation instead. ¡°What do you mean what happened? Isn¡¯t it obvious? We dragged you here while you were sleeping.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley looked like he was not quite awake yet. He stared at Andal, and Andal added, ¡°We are near the border.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley asked again. ¡°Are you deaf? Are you not quite awake yet? I said we are at the border. Don¡¯t make me repeat myself.¡± Riley remembered that Andal¡¯s cave and the Solia¡¯s border were quite far apart. Still unable to believe it, he shook his head and denied the reality. ¡°Ah, I see. Am I still inside a dream?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Andal clicked his tongue and shook his head as if he pitied the fool. ¡°Well, I closed my eyes in the cave. There is no way I would be opening my eyes at the Solia¡¯s border. It is impossible unless I¡¯m dreaming.¡± Afterwards, Riley closed his eyes again. Watching this, Nainiae looked anxious. It seemed she was not sure what to do. She carefully corrected what had Riley said earlier. ¡°Young Master, this is not the Solia¡¯s border.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°This is Ansyrium¡¯s border.¡± Nainiae was saying that this was not Solia¡¯s border but instead the Ansyrium¡¯s border, which was located even further away from the cave than the Solia¡¯s border. Riley had a dumbfounded look on his face for a moment. He then smiled slowly and said, ¡°Ansyrium?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae responded in rat¡¯s tail size voice. Riley looked around the forest and found fruit that were known to be found only at the Ansyrium¡¯s region. Riley muttered, ¡°I see. This ce really is Ansyrium.¡± Looking at the fruits, Riley appeared to be amused. He scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°For a dream, it is constructed pretty well in detail?¡± Nainiae watched Riley still insisting on the belief that this must be a dream. She looked even more ashamed than earlier. Nainiae lowered her head and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Young Master. I tried hard to rmend that it would be better for us to resolve this without you, but¡­ My teacher is stubborn and I couldn¡¯t change his mind by myself.¡± Listening to her tearful voice, Riley forced himself to acknowledge that this situation was in fact not a dream. He couldn¡¯t look more annoyed when he raised his upper body. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± With a frustrated look on his face, Riley looked at the backs of Andal and Priesia who were having a conversation. He buried his face in his palms and mumbled, ¡°That son of a b*tch. I should have just left him to die.¡± Riley poured out curses at Andal and got up. Watching him, Nainiae tumbled and quickly came next to Riley to dust off the dirt on his back. ¡°So? Did you find that bastard?¡± It seemed resenting Andal was not enough for Riley. He decided to add one more individual to the list. He asked Nainiae with a cold gaze and she shook her head with the look of a sinner on her face. ¡°No, not yet.¡± Riley crumpled his face further and red at the back of Andal who was walking in the front. ¡°Someone like him is a majestic existence? Majestic my ass. He is more like a foolish existence.¡± At this point, Riley had three choices. First, he could leave Andal and Priesia be and escape this ce with Nainiae back to the mansion. Second, he could help Andal and Priesia and assist in hunting down the purple human named Epidemic. Third, ¡­ ¡°Nainiae, you have nket in the dimensional space, right?¡± ¡°A nket? I¡¯m not sure?¡± It was such a strange question to ask at the moment. Nainiae checked what she had in the dimensional space and carefully nodded. ¡°I think there is one, but¡­ Why would you want a nket all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just bring it out.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s order, Nainiae opened the dimensional space and brought out a nket. She held it in her two arms and waited for the next order. ¡°Lay it.¡± ¡°Lay it? On the ground?¡± ¡°Wide. Lay it down wide.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s order about making the nket as wide as possible on the ground, Nainiae wondered if it would be all right to do this. As ordered, she waved the nket in the air to have it spread wide. She then had the nkety on the ground. ¡°Is this good?¡± Riley nodded to say that it was enough. He haphazardly dusted off his lower body and bent down. ¡°Young Master?¡± The option that Riley chose was the third option. The third option was, ¡®Let¡¯s sleep first.¡¯ * * * There was a man who had his skin saturated in pitch ck color. He was screaming in pain as he dug the tunnel. ¡°Ugh. Ugh¡­¡± He was screaming in pain because of the fire. ¡°¡­ Uuuk!¡± Wharurururu, wharururururu¡­ Red me grabbed onto his ck body and it was eating away his body. ¡°No. Not here. It must not happen here.¡± The man with pitch ck skin mumbled. If anyone saw the man, some might have asked if his skin turned dark because it was burned by the me. However, that was not how it happened. It was the poison. Because of the special characteristic of his body, his skin was saturated to pitch ck color. Even from a distance, he was exuding a horrendous stench that made one¡¯s face crumple on its own. ¡°Kuk.¡± Bubble bubble¡­ It seemed the poison in his body and the me on his arm collided. ck colored smoke started toe off from him. ¡°Fuck¡­ I thought he could. I thought that dragon could definitely finish me off.¡± He mumbled as he dug into the ground with bare hands. ¡°Why? Why?¡± He must have dug very deep. It was a dark underground ce, but the fire on his arm was taking on the role of a torch. It was clearly revealing his anxious face. ¡°I cannot let this be. I cannot lose consciousness here¡­¡± It appeared that there was poison in even his sweat. When his sweat dropped to the ground, the sweat made bubbling up sound and caused ck smoke. ¡°¡­ Uuuuk. Uuuuk.¡± The man looked at the ground which had turned ck. He ground his teeth and shook his head. He thought he might faint if he didn¡¯t. ¡°Just a little deeper. I need to go down further.¡± The man mumbled. ¡°Until that dragon returns, I need to hold out as long as I can. Before the bastards¡­ Before they find me¡­¡± The man was currently exhausted from having gone through two different battles. First one was against a man named Kabal with ridiculous strength. The second battle was against a dragon named Andal, one of the beings who were known as gods of magic. His body was drenched in pitch ck color. His getup was in shambles, and his frame was¡­ It looked extremely weak. It looked like he would fall over if someone blew a breath toward him. ¡°Just a little further¡­¡± He looked desperate. As if he was running from something, he was digging. He was moving further down, deep below. ¡°Please. I don¡¯t want to kill.¡± Could it be that his voice was heard? Like the saving grace of a god¡­ Someone¡¯s voice could be heard from his back. ¡°¡­ Epidemic.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Having heard the voice calling his name, the man flinched his shoulders and turned around to look. There was not supposed to be anything there. However, for some reason, there was a horizontal tear in the space. It was exuding a shady purple aura. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± Epidemic had deadly intent showing on his face. ¡°You bastard. Why are you here?¡± ¡°Um, what an excessive greeting.¡± Someone suddenly peeked out their face through the purple space. The face twisted up the tip of the mouth and acted as if he was being weed very generously. The face said, ¡°You even have a candle light for me.¡± This someone looked at the fire that was still stuck on the man¡¯s arm and called it a candle light. Afterwards, he pulled out the shoulders, upper body and lower body from the purple space. ¡°Can I blow this candle light?¡± ring at the man, Epidemic called him by his name. ¡°¡­ Rebethra.¡± Although he was called by his name, Rebethra merely shrugged his shoulders. He didn¡¯t say anything in response. ¡°I think I expressed my intention clearly ten years ago? I don¡¯t want to talk to you guys. I don¡¯t want to join you guys either. Have I not made it clear?¡± Despite the deadly intent directed at him, Rebethraughed it off. He shrugged again and said, ¡°The position, the power¡­ You are the best match. What can I do? The Great One said you are a talent that may or may note in thousand, no, ten thousand years.¡± ¡°Match or whatever. An ability like this¡­ I never wanted an epidemic. Tell this to that one you worship. This crap¡­ Take it back immediately.¡± Epidemic grabbed on to his arm as if he was about to tear it off. He was ring at Rebethra with eyes full of resentment. ¡°Hm?¡± Thinking it could not be helped; Rebethra put on a bitter look on his face and shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s is unfortunate. It is so regrettable.¡± ¡°Ugh. Ugh¡­¡± It seemed Epidemic was at his limit. He was looking at Rebethra, but now, Epidemic lowered his head and started to breath with difficulty. ¡®Fuck. Here¡­ Here is¡­¡¯ Rebethra looked at Epidemic with pity. Rebethra extended his right hand toward Epidemic and said, ¡°I see. Our life long wish is a heavy burden. If you hate it that much¡­ I do not intend to force it on you. However¡­¡± Epidemic felt powering from the front. He strained his eyes wide open and red at Rebethra. ¡°We are in a bit of a hurry, so¡­¡± ¡°Kuk. You bastard¡­ Bastard!¡± ¡°As the Left Leg who is in charge of the stench, I¡¯ll need you to do your part that¡¯s befitting of the title.¡± ¡°Uu¡­ Uuu! Why¡­ Why!!¡± Epidemic raised his arm forward to stop Rebethra. He walked a few steps toward Rebethra, but he was suddenly on his knees. ¡°Stop. Stop¡­¡± His mind was fading slowly. Epidemic desperately extended his arm out and said stop. However, Rebethra¡¯s hand continued to glow with purple light. ¡°It would be a waste if you didn¡¯t obliterate a city at least.¡± ¡°¡­ Stop this.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you. If you lose your mind and run amok, even the Great One won¡¯t be able to handle it. You had been holding it in well so far. It probably will be all right to run around all excited once.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°While at it, I hope you take around three dragons with you.¡± Rebethra was trying to disappear in the space that was open behind him. Epidemic shouted at him. His voice was loud enough to make one wonder if he had torn his neck in the process. ¡°¡­ Stoooopppp!!¡± Epidemic lost consciousness after that. * * * ¡°¡­ It¡¯s here.¡± Lying on top of the nket that was held by Nainiae, Riley was being dragged like a fish inside a. Andal looked at this and clicked his tongue. Andal continued, ¡°Last time, I lost him in this spot.¡± Andal was leading the way and he stopped here. It was entrance of an underground tunnel at a nameless forest. ¡°Here?¡± The tunnel was big enough for just one person to barely pass through. It seemed the epidemic man went through here. The corners of the entrance were rotten ck. ¡°It seems to be the right ce.¡± Priesia carefully looked at the rotten parts of the tunnel. She used her holy power to cleanse the parts and looked at Andal. ¡°Will you be going in right away?¡± ¡°I should.¡± Having heard her question, Andal swung his arm and started to expand the tunnel¡¯s size. ¡°While I was fighting him, I ced a me on him. It probably didn¡¯t get extinguished yet, but¡­ it is probably better to not give him much time to recover.¡± Nainiae dragged Riley all the way here on the nket and stood behind Andal. With look of disbelief, Nainiae asked, ¡°You had your me attached on him?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He is that powerful? You had your me attached to him, yet we need to be in such a hurry?¡± Andal nodded and said, ¡°Also¡­¡± Andal was remembering what the pitch ck skinned human said in desperate voice. ¡®Please, kill me.¡¯ Andal remembered that the man was begging Andal to kill him. Chapter 170 - Epidemic Man

Chapter 170: Epidemic Man

Andal checked if there were any other people around. He nodded to say it was all right and took a step forward. ¡°I¡¯ll lead the way.¡± Because of his magic, the tunnel was now widened. Andal took a step in. Priesia, Nainiae followed with Riley who was being dragged by Nainiae on the nket. Andal checked them in that order and said, ¡°Please stay right behind me, Priestess. I would like you to defend us and cleanse the epidemic. Nainiae, you¡­¡± Andal looked at Riley who was snoring on the nket. Andal ground his teeth and said, ¡°You tend to Riley.¡± Earlier, when they were still at the cave, Nainiae proposed it would be better to resolve this by themselves without Riley. Andal thought about this and felt regret inside. He sighed as he went down the tunnel. ¡°A bastard like him is a friend¡­ Ugh.¡± Having heard his voice, Nainiae flinched. She looked at Riley who was being dragged along with the nket and whispered, ¡°Young Master, it is downhill from here.¡± Because Riley was lying on the nket, Nainiae warned that his body might get tilted. Nainiae carefully pulled the nket and walked into the crater. ¡°Do you know how long it has been?¡± Andal was leading the way. Priesia asked how long it has been since Andal met the epidemic man. Andal tilted his head to the side and thought about the time. He said, ¡°I think it¡¯s been about a week.¡± Having heard him, Nainiae asked, ¡°If it has been that long, then he must have turned to ashes by your me by now¡­ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Nainiae was well aware of the me that Andal controlled. She thought the epidemic man must have died, so she asked. Andal shook his head and said, ¡°No. that bastard is probably alive. I am certain of it.¡± As if the dead pitch ck soil in the tunnel was the proof, Andal looked at the tunnel and shared more information about the man he met. ¡°I used wind magic to chop off his head. I used ice magic to shatter his entire body. I burned his body with me magic. Despite all that, he was fine. I don¡¯t know what kind of trickery he is using, but no matter how many times I killed him, he kepting back to life. He continued to generate epidemic.¡± With looks of disbelief on their faces, Nainiae and Priesia asked, ¡°Kept oning back¡­¡± ¡°¡­ to life?¡± Andal nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right. He was one odd fe. He didn¡¯t have an ounce of fighting spirit in his eyes, yet¡­ He kept provoking me by saying ¡®kill me¡¯ over and over.¡± Andal¡¯s exnation was identical to the rumor that Nainiae heard from Reitri. She put her fist below her chin and started to think hard. ¡°What¡¯s funny is that, although I killed him as he requested¡­ he kept oning back to life and spewing out epidemic.¡± Andal was thinking about the man who kepting back to life and charging at him. Unlike the usual, the look on Andal¡¯s face was serious and heavy. ¡°Really?¡± Priesia asked and Andal nodded as he said, ¡°I can bet my heart.¡± Andal added that he never managed to find a way to kill the epidemic man and got infected in the end by the poison. Andal turned to look at Priesia. ¡°I utilized all methods that I could carry out, but the bastard still didn¡¯t die. That¡¯s why I think the answer lies in the holy power.¡± Andal mumbled that Priesia might be able to cleanse that man as well since she sessfully cleansed the rottennd of the Karuta Desert. Andal turned his head because he smelled the stench from the front. ¡°¡­ Is it the bastard?¡± He could smell the stench before, but the smell suddenly became much stronger. This was why. ¡°Ah, ugh¡­ What¡¯s this smell?¡± As a proof of this sudden change, Riley cringed his face big time and got up from the nket. He started to let out his frustration. ¡°Ms. Priesia, please be ready.¡± It seemed Andal found no reason to tease Riley who was expressing his annoyance from the back. Instead, with a serious face, Andal told Priesia to get ready. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Dragons were said to be without equals among all other beings, yet a dragon was asking her to be ready with a serious face. Priesia thought that things probably won¡¯t go smoothly. She gulped, gathered her two hands, assumed a prayer position and started to gather the holy power. ¡°¡­ Uu.¡± The tunnel they were going down was very long. They could not see the end of it. They spected that it was dug by the epidemic man himself. In this narrow tunnel, a beast-like voice echoed through. ¡®What was that?¡¯ Nainiae was creeped out by the voice from deep inside the tunnel. She stiffened her shoulders and looked to the front. ¡°¡­¡± Riley also thought the roar sounded unusual. He stopped yawning and started to stare at the front. ¡°That is¡­¡± The cry was getting closer. Andal had a light sphere floating, and he sent it to the front. A man with pitch-ck skin made an appearance. ¡°Huuuu¡­ Huuu¡­¡± He looked like an extremely agitated beast. He was exuding purple light from his eyes. There was a me burning on the man¡¯s right arm. It appeared to be the me Andal had cast. ¡°Kuuu. Uuuuu!¡± ¡°As I thought¡­ He was still alive.¡± The epidemic man was ring toward Andal. With his eyes facing the man, Andal turned his own eyes red and started to raise up mana. ¡°This time, I¡¯ll definitely end your life.¡± The epidemic man looked at the light sphere. Mistaking it as an enemy, the man swung his right hand. ¡°Kuuuaaaa!¡± Other than being able to exude light, the light sphere didn¡¯t have a solid physical presence, so the man¡¯s arm just swung through empty air. The problem was that the man¡¯s arm struck the tunnel¡¯s wall. ¡°¡­?¡± It seemed the arm swing carried incredible strength. Along with explosive sound, the ceiling above the man crumbled down and crushed him. ¡°What was that?¡± It was such a thoughtless behavior. It was hard to assume that it was done by a human being, so Andal cringed and muttered. Meanwhile, from the pile of rubbles where the man just got buried, ck smokes started toe out at an explosive rate. ¡°Kuk. Is it the epidemic? Priestess!¡± ¡°¡­ Yes!¡± Priesia was shocked to see the ck smoke rushing toward them. She quickly raised her hand to the front and used the holy power. ¡°Mr. Andal, please take a step back.¡± The smoke was spreading faster than she hoped, so she pulled Andal back. She put strength in her hand that was now saturated in golden light and gritted her teeth. ¡®It worked. I¡¯m certain of it¡­ Although it was heavier than any epidemic I had seen so far, it is not overwhelming.¡¯ Priesia cleansed all of the smoke and said, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°From now on, we will approach the bastard from a distance. When I give you the signal, please get close and deal a blow to him. Can you do it?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Priesia had used her holy power countless times in the past. However, it was a little different this time. It was not to save someone. This time, it was to kill someone. ¡°Please be ready.¡± Andal was nning on using blink, a close range teleportation magic, to get close to the man and fall back. Now, he nced at what the man was up to. The epidemic man was buried under the rubbles. ¡°Kuuuuuu¡­¡± Under the rubbles, he was generating smoke. He fiddled with his fingers, and then¡­ ¡°¡­ Kuuuuaaaa!¡± Along with a beastly roar, he jumped out of the rubbles. ¡°Now!¡± Sensing that now was the chance, Andal held Priesia by the waist and used blink to close the distance at an instant. ¡°Kurrrr!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It seemed the man had lost his mind. Unlike thest time Andal met him, the purple human wasn¡¯t even saying things about wanting to be killed. Andal cringed. ¡®His condition is a little weird?¡¯ Unlike before, Andal could not see the man¡¯s eyes. There was just purple light being poured out from where his eyes would be. Facing the man, Andal thought something was off. Meanwhile, Priestess put her hand toward the epidemic man. ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± It seemed just touching him was enough. Priesia shouted that it was enough. Andal used the blink again and put distance between them and the epidemic man. ¡°Kuuuuaaak!¡± It seemed the man was finding her touch unpleasant. The man swung his arm with all of his might. However, he failed at striking the target. Andal¡¯s blink magic was quicker. ¡°I¡¯ll cleanse him immediately.¡± With her light touch, she left a mark at the man. She started to pour in her holy power through the mark. ¡°Kuuu. Kuuuu! Kuuuu¡­¡± Unable to withstand her holy power, the purple human fell on his knees. With both of his hands, he started to scratch the part that was marked by Priesia. ¡°¡­ Is it working?¡± The holy power seemed to be working. The man¡¯s pitch-ck skin started to regain its original color. Andal mumbled, thinking he saw potential in their current strategy. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike Andal, Riley was still watching the man with a serious look on his face. Riley even got up all the way from the nket and stood next to Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae, give me a sword.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nainiae was watching the man with a serious look on her face as well. She brought out a sword that Riley had used before and handed it to him. ¡°¡­ It worked! I think it is working!¡± It seemed Priesia had no moment to spare to take a look at what Nainiae and Riley were doing. Priesia continued to send her holy power to the man without taking her eyes off from him. Andal carefully nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good. At this rate¡­¡± ¡°Guu¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ Guuu. Uuuuu!¡± Earlier, due to the holy power, the man faltered and got on his knees. Now, the man shook his body as he got up. Andal furrowed his brows. ¡°Reverse gravity.¡± Andal was not intending to just sit back and watch the man get up. He raised his right hand and used a gravity magic. The man¡¯s knee plummeted on the ground again. [Note: Andal really did say ¡°reverse¡± gravity. I don¡¯t know why. It is strange.] ¡°How? It definitely was working?¡± The man was being cleansed by the holy power. However, the man was still exuding the epidemic and struggling. Watching the epidemic man, Priesia mumbled in disbelief. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­ Huk!?¡± Priesia had no idea when Riley came next to her. Having heard his voice, she flinched her shoulders and then sighed. ¡°W¡­ What is it?¡± ¡°Layer this sword with holy power. You can do it, right?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Hurry up. There isn¡¯t much time.¡± ¡°However¡­ If I do that, then I¡¯ll have to stop pouring the holy power in that man. I cannot do both at the same time.¡± Priesia shook her head as she broke cold sweat. Riley cringed and warned her, ¡°In that case, just stop what you are doing. Pour in holy power into the sword first. I won¡¯t ask twice. We don¡¯t have time.¡± Priesia panicked. She didn¡¯t know what to do, so she turned to look at Andal. ¡°¡­¡± Andal was watching his friend. Andal said, ¡°I¡¯ll buy us time.¡± Having heard what Andal said, Priesia bit her lips and withdrew the holy power she was using on the purple human. Instead, she started toyer Riley¡¯s sword with holy power. ¡°Kuuuu!¡± ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Andal had no idea what kind of monstrous power was being used, but the man was fighting off Andal¡¯s gravity magic. It looked like the man was about to charge in again. Watching this, Andal gritted his teeth and surrounded the bastard with a barrier. ¡°How long will it take?¡± ¡°It¡¯s done!¡± ¡°¡­!!¡± When Priesia said her words, Riley opened his eyes big and immediately threw the sword to the front. It was sword-throw technique that he could use skillfully since his past life. Wheeec! The sword wasyered with Riley¡¯s mana and Priesia¡¯s holy power. It flew toward the target while scattering golden light, and the sword pierced through both the Andal¡¯s barrier and the man¡¯s throat. ¡°¡­ Kuk!¡± With his neck pierced, the man stopped moving. His body started to twitch as if he was having a seizure. ¡°¡­ Kuk. Huuuk. Kek. Kuuuurk!¡± ¡°As I thought¡­¡± With his neck pierced, the man was on his knees and shaking. Riley looked at the man, clicked his tongue and crumpled his face. ¡°We need to fall back.¡± ¡°We need to fall back.¡± Not just Riley, but Nainiae, who was watching the situation from the back, also said they should retreat. Andal and Priesia tilted their heads to the side, wondering why they should. ¡°Fall back? What do you mean?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this resolved now?¡± Immediately after Priesia asked, the man¡¯s pierced neck¡­ started to regenerate rapidly. It looked as if the time was flowing in reverse direction. Looking at the flesh rapidly regenerating, Andal cringed just like Riley. ¡°What is this? Does this mean even the holy power won¡¯t be enough?¡± ¡°Holy power is the right answer. No, it was the right answer.¡± Nainiae mumbled as she opened a dimensional portal to the back. Riley scratched the back of his head and added, ¡°Of all ces, what are the odds of running into that here.¡± Andal had no way of knowing what Riley and Nainiae were talking about. He got frustrated. ¡°What is it? What are you talking about?¡± Nainiae opened a portal that led to Andal¡¯s cave. She exined instead of Riley. ¡°There is only one way to kill that thing.¡± Of the memories from Riley¡¯s past, Nainiae thought of one horrifying instance. She retreated to where the portal was open and continued, ¡°We are saying that we cannot kill it here. First¡­ Let us retreat. We have no other option at the moment.¡± Chapter 171 - Epidemic Man (2)

Chapter 171: Epidemic Man (2)

¡°We can¡¯t kill him here?¡± Priesia had no clue why Nainiae was saying that. Andal saw that the epidemic man¡¯s neck was regenerating rapidly and pulled Priesia¡¯s arm. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s ask questionster.¡± The epidemic man¡¯s neck was restored to its former state in a blink of an eye. Andal held Priesia¡¯s arm and quickly used Blink. ¡°¡­ Ah!¡± Priesia panicked and shut her eyes because she was pulled back without warning. She screamed. When Andal and Priesia moved back through Blink magic, the epidemic man swung his arm at where Priesia was standing a moment ago. ¡°Kuuuuaaaa!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Initially, the epidemic man was at quite a distance. However, he closed the distance in an instant and swung his arm. Priesia opened her eyes and gasped for air as she watched him. ¡®How?!¡¯ Priesia couldn¡¯t figure out how the man could charge in so quickly. She vacantly had her mouth open. Meanwhile, Andal cringed and muttered, ¡°Is this bastard really a human? How could he demonstrate such power and speed with physical abilities alone¡­¡± Use of mana could not be felt from the man. Despite this, the epidemic man was showing fearsome physical abilities. Andal broke cold sweat. ¡°Kuuuu. Uuuuu!¡± The man huffed and puffed after realizing that he had missed his target. He turned his head toward where Andal and Priesia had retreated to and opened his mouth. ¡°Kuuuuaaaa!¡± Nainiae was certain the bastard was about to charge in again. She shouted from inside the teleportation portal. ¡°Teacher, hurry!¡± Retreating twice in a row was crumpling Andal¡¯s pride as a dragon. However, he thought that he had no other choice at the moment and listen to Riley and Nainiae. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Andal clicked his tongue and raised a thick wall of fire in front. With Priesia, he used the blink again to fall back to where the portal was. ¡°Kuuuaaak!¡± As if he was incapable of feeling pain, the epidemic man passed through the wall of fire as if it was nothing. ck drool fell from his mouth. The man charged toward Andal and Priesia again. ¡°Kuk!¡± ¡°Ugh. What a bother! If you are going to retreat, then do it in one step!¡± Riley saw that the epidemic man was extending his arm toward them from a distance that was too close. Riley was already inside the portal with Nainiae. He injected mana into the nket he had been lying on and swung it to the front. ¡°¡­ Kuuuaaak?!¡± Along with waving sound, the nket swung and it pped the face of the epidemic man who was charging at Andal. ¡°Kek!¡± After being struck by the nket, the epidemic man was thrown to a wall and got stuck. At the same time, the teleportation portal created by Nainiae disappeared without a trace. * * * In the other world¡­ In the world of Riley¡¯s past life to be precise, due to the advancement of civilization, many people possessed guns or des that possessed great firepower. However, as for the mana that was spread in abundance everywhere¡­ Instead of being used, only extreme few could even feel the mana. ¡®The beings called dragons, the ones who realized the power of mana first and started to use it¡­ do not exist in that era, so¡­¡¯ Riley, the brave hero who wielded the holy sword, was the only human who could use mana and fight. ¡®Instead, there was a different kind of power.¡¯ In his past life, the red skinned humans called the ¡®demons¡¯ existed. They were described as an enemy of humanity and said to exist for the sole purpose of destroying humans. To stop the demons or the red skinned humans, ordinary humans shed tears of blood for a long time. ¡®To stop a demons that could not be stopped by weapons, the humans gritted their teeth and opened their eyes to a new power.¡¯ The priestess in Riley¡¯s past life could see the future and had the ability to heal or strengthen people. There was a man who was called the human methrower because he could shoot me from his bare hands. There was a girl who was called ice steps because just walking caused icicles to from along the path. Besides these people, there were many others¡­ ¡®They were¡­¡¯ They possessed super natural powers. They were the espers. ¡®That bastard probably¡­ No, it must be one of the powers they had.¡¯ Super natural powers that could be used without mana¡­ It was the kind of power that should not exist in Riley¡¯s current world. However, the purple people who appeared in this world were using such power. ¡®Of them all, why this one¡­¡¯ There was a human who could not control his power and had run amok. The man possessed such an unusual power that even the brave hero with the holy sword found it difficult to deal with this man. In the end, the man met his horrific end while shedding ck tears. ¡®To think the epidemic breathe is here¡­¡¯ Epidemic breathe¡­ It was the name given to him because he spread a horrifying epidemic in all his surroundings. He was unable to control his own power because of two reasons. ¡®On top of that¡­¡¯ First, he waspletely overwhelmed by his own epidemic. He was experiencing gruesome pain everyday to the point of begging to be killed. ¡®¡­ he is alreadyplete.¡¯ Second, the esper original powers were only the stench and the epidemic, but someone had forced another supernatural power into him. ¡®I don¡¯t know who was the bastard that did it, but¡­ He was already awakened. He didn¡¯t just have the power of epidemic.¡¯ The man didn¡¯t even bat an eye when he was caught on Andal¡¯s fire. The sword with holy power pierced through his neck, yet the wound rapidly regenerated. These were the proofs. ¡®We might as well drop a nuclear bomb on him.¡¯ Riley thought a nuclear bomb, a weapon from his past life, would be better. The epidemic man was that dangerous. Epidemic breathe was literally called a walking cmity and he had showed himself in this world. * * * Instead of Riley who was no good at conversations, Nainiae, who knew about Riley¡¯s past, exined the human cmity who was called epidemic breathe. ¡°Epidemic breathe?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Of course, Nainiae omitted everything about Riley¡¯s past life. She only exined briefly about the man¡¯s epidemic breathing. ¡°The fact that he is spreading epidemic is a headache as it is, but he doesn¡¯t have limits oning back to life?¡± ¡°Having unlimited life¡­ That¡¯s against the order of the world. There is no way Goddess Irsa would ignore this either.¡± Having heard Priesia, Riley narrowed his eyes and thought about all purple humans he had met so far. Riley mumbled, ¡°Order of this world huh¡­¡± Being able to raise the dead and control them like puppets, being able to read other people¡¯s minds, being able to use monstrous strengths and others¡­ The supernatural powers that had only existed in his past life were being used in this world. It was right to assume that the natural order of this world was already out of bnce. ¡°So, how are you going to hunt him down?¡± ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s question, Riley crossed his arms and avoided his gaze. As if he was not sure, Riley blurred the end of his sentence. ¡®If this was before he awakened, we would have been able to end him after pouring in the holy power.¡¯ Riley thought about how the man was drooling as if he had lost his mind. He was roaring like a wild beast and charging in. Frustrated, Riley clicked his tongue. ¡®In the current situation, the only way to kill him is¡­¡¯ As far as Riley knew, there was only one way to end the epidemic man. ¡°¡­ As I thought, I don¡¯t know.¡± Riley, the one who knew the answer, shook his head and said he didn¡¯t know. ¡°You don¡¯t know? In that case, how are we supposed to kill this bastard? He keepsing back to life no matter how many times we kill him.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he is a walking cmity? If we don¡¯t stop him soon, many people will die!¡± ¡°He is stuck in an underground tunnel. Maybe he will roam around freely in there. If we are lucky, he might go down deeper by digging some more tunnels.¡± Riley casually muttered. Priesia tightened her fist and shouted, ¡°But!¡± Andal extended his arm out to gesture Priesia to calm down. Andal asked Riley, ¡°In the worst case scenario, the opposite could happen and he might run out of the tunnels then¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t answer. ¡°As I thought, this situation won¡¯t end with just one human.¡± Because Riley was keeping his silence, Andal judged that the situation must be serious. Priesia was standing next to Andal. He pushed her toward Riley and Nainiae and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine. From here on out, we will handle it on our own.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After being pushed to Riley¡¯s side, Priesia turned to look at Andal and asked. Andal looked at Priesia, took a long pause and said, ¡°It¡¯s as I said. We will handle it on our own.¡± Afterwards, Andal turned his eyes into red mes. He ignited fire from the bottom of his feet and used teleportation. Wharrururururu! Andal disappeared after arge me surging up. Priesia vacantly blinked her eyes and turned her head. ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Andal?¡± ¡°Others¡­ What I mean is, he probably went to see the other dragons. That¡¯s probably what he meant earlier.¡± ¡°Other dragons?¡± Nainiae thought about the other dragons she had met before and directed her gaze to Riley who was vacantly staring at empty air. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°Nainiae.¡± It seemed Nainiae was also thinking what Riley was thinking. They had simr looks on their faces. ¡°As I thought. You need the sword, right?¡± Nainiae whispered quietly so Priesia could not overhear it. Riley nodded and said, ¡°As I thought, you knew?¡± ¡°Your past life¡­ I remember it too.¡± Thinking about Riley¡¯s past life that was ced in her head only a while ago, Nainiae asked what Riley was going to do now. ¡°Are you going to find the sword?¡± Because Nainiae had told him about one of the purple humans having his ¡®holy sword,¡¯ he thought about it and pondered about what to say to Nainiae. ¡°That epidemic breathe was not in possession of the sword.¡± Riley would have known immediately if his sword was near him. ¡°It was the same with everyone else. It means the other bastards didn¡¯t have the sword either. In that case¡­¡± So far, Riley had met five purple humans. Toplete the Six Parts that they had mentioned, Riley needed information about the remaining part. ¡°Then it is very likely that the remaining one has the sword.¡± Riley was unable to finish the sentence. So, Nainiae, who had her fist touching her lips, mumbled. ¡°That¡¯s probably how it is.¡± Because he was not sure what to do, Riley scratched his head. Wondering if there was any new information, he asked Nainiae, ¡°What about Reutrina¡¯s side?¡± He wondered if any fish had been caught in the called Reutrina, so he asked. However, Nainiae shook her head. Her answer was, ¡®nothing in particr.¡¯ ¡°Tsk. This one¡¯s current location is unknown and there is no clue. It is not like we could go around the world with Nara. How are we supposed to find this one?¡± Finding it to be such a bother, Riley messed up his hair. Priesia was trying to sneak up on him, so Riley turned his head toward her. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. You were here too?¡± ¡°Since a while ago, the two of you have been whispering things to each other. What were you two talking about?¡± ¡°They are secrets. Private matters.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Priesia narrowed her eyes and was about to fill her eyes in golden light. Riley crumpled his face and raised his hand. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± ¡°You are trying to hide it, so I have no other choice.¡± ¡°Are you saying you can pry into other people¡¯s private life because you are a Priestess? Before I sell you to Solia, change your eyes back.¡± ¡°Ah, I got it. I got it.¡± She sumbed to Riley¡¯s threat. She changed her eye color back to normal. She looked disappointed. ¡°I don¡¯t find itfortable to threaten a Priestess either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite the words, the look on Riley¡¯s face was telling aplete different story. Nainiae was peeking at Riley¡¯s face from the side. On his behalf, Nainiae asked Priesia, ¡°Ms. Priesia, what are you going to do now? You got here because we abducted you to heal my teacher, but¡­ The situation now is a little different.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Having heard her question, Priesia pondered about it for a moment. She asked Riley a simr question. ¡°Young Master Riley, what are you going to do now?¡± ¡°Me?¡± The question circled around and came to him. He wondered about what to say. It seemed he was still undecided. He shrugged his shoulders and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t make any decision in particr yet.¡± Earlier, he said he was not sure about how to stop the epidemic breathe. Now, he had no way of finding the holy sword either. Because of this, due tock of any alternatives, Riley was thinking if he should just return to the mansion. ¡°Is that so?¡± Having heard his answer, Priesia remembered something she had been forgetting. She floated an exmation mark on her face and said, ¡°Ah! Now that I think about it¡­¡± Riley was still indecisive about whether he should wonder around or just return to the mansion. Having heard Priesia, Riley looked at her. ¡°Have you met Mr. Ian?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°What?¡± Chapter 172 - That Rascal is at it Again

Chapter 172: That Rascal is at it Again

In the desert, the Reitri Merchant Group¡¯s carriages stopped so that people could rest, but a sudden gust of wind came along with arge dimensional portal that opened. ¡°Huk!?¡± ¡°W¡­ What is this?¡± ¡°Call Mr. Reitri now!¡± The group was restless sincest morning because the Priestess had disappeared all of the sudden and now a portal had appeared. The merchants were packing their luggage and the appearance of the portal was enough to make them panic. Having heard the merchants, Nara and Rorona, the ones in charge of protecting the merchants, quickly went to the ce. ¡°Please don¡¯t panic and go back to what you have been doing.¡± Nara looked at the outer rim of the round portal and confirmed that it was the gray color that he had seen many times before, so he asked the merchants to calm down. ¡°Commander, that color is grey, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s Ms. Nainiae¡¯s magic.¡± It seemed they were right. The portal opened in middle of the ce where the carriages had gathered. Through the portal, Iphalleta¡¯s maid showed herself first. ¡°Ms. Nainiae!¡± ¡°Ah, Commander.¡± Nainiae found Nara as she came out of the portal. It seemed she was d to see him as well, so she brightened her face, walked over to Nara and Rorona and lowered her head. ¡°It¡¯s been a while.¡± ¡°Although you are saying that, it has only been a few days.¡± Nara was looking at the portal which hadn¡¯t close yet. He found that Riley and Priesia followed suit and sighed in relief. ¡°Ah, Ms. Priesia.¡± ¡°Commander!¡± ¡°As I thought, the Young Master and Nainiae had taken her.¡± After Karuta Desert¡¯s cleansing prayer waspleted, that morning, Priesia had disappeared without any notice or sign and that threw the group into chaos. Now, Priesia came back and seeing her return made everyone, including other merchants, sigh in relief. ¡°I¡¯m d that our guess was correct.¡± ¡°I was so worried that some outsider might have taken the Priestess like what happened with Kabal.¡± Nara and Rorona rxed their shoulders all the way. They seemed relieved to know that Priesia was safe. Priesia looked ashamed. She lowered her head and apologized. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There is no need for you to apologize.¡± Nainiae said there was no need for Priesia to apologize. Nara and Rorona looked at Nainiae and asked what had happened. ¡°Was it something very important that you had to take the Priestess?¡± ¡°It would¡¯ve been better if you had just told us beforehand.¡± ¡°I am sorry, but it was a situation where we could not tell you about it.¡± Nainiae nced at Riley and lightly lowered her head. ¡°What happened?¡± Nara took a step back and asked, ¡°¡­ Pardon?¡± ¡°I said, what happened.¡± Riley stepped in as much as Nara stepped back. Riley leaned in his flinching face and asked again. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Frustrated, Riley flinched his facial muscles. He gritted his teeth and asked about what he has just heard from Priesia. ¡°I¡¯m talking about Ian.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian? What about Mr. Ian¡­¡± Nara was stepping back. He was trying to ask back again while being clueless. Rorona quickly butted in and exined the answer that Riley wanted to hear. ¡°Yes! He was here!¡± It was not a perfect answer. However, it seemed it was not the wrong answer either. Riley turned his gaze at Rorona and asked, ¡°When?¡± ¡°A few days ago. It has not been long.¡± She said that Ian, the butler of Iphalleta Family and a famous hero among all mercenaries, had visited this ce a few days ago. Riley clicked his tongue. ¡°Ugh.¡± A few days ago, when Nainiae and Riley were still in the cave, Riley thought about the scenery of this ce that he had seen just before kidnapping Priesia. There was a man who had hid his entire body under the hood. Thinking about this vagrant, Riley asked Nainiae, ¡°This is¡­ that from that time, right?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Nainiae carefully nodded and looked at the orange haired young man who wasing this way. ¡°The merchants were all getting excited about there being guests. I wondered who came, and I see it was you, Young Master.¡± Reitri was scratching the back of his head with awkward look on his face. Riley figured it would be quicker to just ask him. He grabbed Reitri by the shoulder and dragged him to a carriage. ¡°Uuuhk? Y¡­ Young Master? Wait! What are you doing all of the sudden?¡± * * * ¡°Ian was here a few days ago?¡± Riley borrowed the same carriage he had used thest time. He mmed the desk with his hand and asked Reitri. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes¡­ He was here.¡± Riley leaned his face all the way to Reitri¡¯s face and asked. Reitri gulped and nodded. ¡°What did he say was the reason for the visit?¡± Last time, his old butler hadn¡¯t managed to pass through the teleportation portal. Now, the butler was not at the mansion but instead in the desert. Riley wanted to know why. ¡°If you are asking why, don¡¯t you know about it better than I do? Wait¡­ By any chance, did you two not meet?¡± Reitri figured out the gist of the situation based on Riley¡¯s reaction. He broke out in a cold sweat and asked. Riley mmed the table again. ¡°Meet him? How am I supposed to meet him!¡± Riley and Nainiae appeared through teleportation and disappeared through teleportation¡­ There was no way Riley and Nainiae would have run into Ian in the process. Riley let out his frustration and scratched his head big time because the situation was getting convoluted. ¡°Uuuu. Ian is¡­ again! Again!¡± Reitri had absolutely no idea about what to do. He carefully opened his mouth and exined what happened when Ian hade to visit. ¡°It was about three days ago. The Priestess¡¯s cleansing prayer was notplete at that time. A man who hid himselfpletely under the hood was walking to our group, so I went to greet him.¡± Because the cleansing of sand in the desert was notplete yet, the traveler, who was apparently going through this desert regardless, looked suspicious to Reitri. Reitri remembered this. ¡°There was no food or water in the desert at that moment¡­ Instead, there was just ck sand in Karuta Desert at that time, yet there was a traveler. I wondered why, so I checked his face, and¡­¡± Riley was still messing up his hair. He finished the sentence that Reitri could not. ¡°You are saying it was Ian.¡± Riley realized that his butler hade all the way to the Karuta Desert, where Reitri Merchant Group was to be precise and then had disappeared. Riley sighed big time and asked again, ¡°So, did he say why he came?¡± Riley was asking why Ian was wondering around the desert while covering himself under the hood. Reitri carefully answered, ¡°That is, he said he was on his way to meet you, Young Master¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley figured as much. However, it seemed he was hoping that was not the case. Riley dropped his face immediately. He covered his face with his palm and shook his head. ¡°Ian¡­ you did it again¡­¡± Riley muttered quietly. Meanwhile, Nainiae knocked on the door to let them know she will be entering the carriage. She entered. ¡°Young Master.¡± ¡°What.¡± ¡°I think Mr. Reitri is telling the truth.¡± Riley lightly opened the gap between his fingers and looked at Nainiae. ¡°As you ordered, I just visited the mansion. I asked Ms. Sera and Lady Iris, and¡­ they said Mr. Ian really did leave the mansion to find us¡­¡± Riley closed the gap between his fingers and buried his face in his palm again. He muttered again, ¡°Ian, you did it again¡­¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± Riley lowered his palm a little and pulled the lower part of his eyes. Riley looked at Reitri and asked, ¡°Ian, that rascal¡­ Do you know where he went?¡± ¡°I¡­ I am not sure?¡± Reitri tilted his head to the side and pondered about it for a moment. He said he could make a few guesses and said, ¡°Perhaps he went straight to the Rainfield? I told him that you and Ms. Nainiae went to see the doctor who healed Ms. Nainiae.¡± It looked like Riley was feeling trapped. He was about to leave the carriage, but he tilted his head to the side and asked back, ¡°Rainfield?¡± ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you say that the doctor who healed Ms. Nainiae was there?¡± ¡°Rainfield huh¡­¡± From Iphalleta Mansion, Karuta Desert happened to be along the path to Rainfield, so Reitri¡¯s conjecture could be considered urate. ¡°By the way, from Iphalleta Manor to Karuta Desert¡­ How did Mr. Ian know ande to find us by himself?¡± Reiri followed Riley and wasing down from the carriage. He thought about Ian who must be walking around the desert by himself. He muttered as if he was impressed. Nara was waiting outside the carriage for the two toe out. Nara said, ¡°Because he is a mercenary.¡± ¡°Because he is a mercenary?¡± ¡°He is no ordinary mercenary, you know? He used to be called the mercenary hero. Tracking down and catching up to someone by himself¡­ I don¡¯t think that is impossible. It is just that¡­¡± Nara nced at Riley¡¯s mood and added, ¡°Young Master has a Seven Circles mage with him, who can teleport around the world at will. That was the unusual variable.¡± Riley casually turned and red at Nara. His gaze was saying ¡®why don¡¯t you go ahead and keep on talking.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Nara pursed his lips to indicate he was not going to speak anymore. Riley turned to look at Nainiae and said, ¡°For now, we have no other choice but to go there, to Rainfield.¡± ¡°We could go there first before him and wait. We could also catch up to Mr. Ian who is currently headed there. Which option¡­ would you like to go with?¡± Nainiae was aware that Riley was feeling ufortable, so she asked as carefully as she could. Riley narrowed his eyes and muttered, ¡°Will it be very cold there?¡± Having heard him, Reitri told him the information he had on Rainfield as a merchant. ¡°Rainfield is a city where it rains through whole day even during the winter. It will feel colder there because of the rain as usual. However, I was informed that it had not been this cold in 17 years.¡± After hearing Reitri¡¯s exnation, Riley thought about how Rainfield must look like, the icy scenery that is drenched in frozen rain everywhere. He was not liking it at all. ¡°Ian¡­¡± It seemed the answer was decided. Nainiae lowered her head slightly and whispered to Reitri. ¡°I think I¡¯ll have to be in your debt again.¡± ¡°I¡­ It¡¯s all right.¡± * * * It was at the entrance of the Rome vige. There was a girl who was leaning against arge boulder to sit down. She was pouting big time. ¡°She doesn¡¯t even have much time left, yet she is talking about fate? Who¡¯s fate? Once the time is up, it won¡¯t matter¡­¡± She was wearing a big, round hat to cover her face. The girl had her hair parted in two. She held a sword that was leaning on her shoulder. She was fiddling with the sword andining. ¡°Just wait¡­ I¡¯ll definitely find the brave hero who will save grandmother.¡± It seemed Iril was a famous figure in Rome vige, enough that everyone passing by greeted her in a friendly way. ¡°It¡¯s a great morning, Iril. Are you standing watch again today?¡± ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Thank you for your hard work.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just crunching down and sitting here.¡± ¡°I heard that you dragged Hanson along and went up the red mountain? Just what were you thinking? Next time, don¡¯t go there.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t give up.¡± Each and every one from the vige was saying something to her as they passed by. Iril was deflecting them in clear and terse words. However, she narrowed her eyes after noticing a hooded man walking toward the vige. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± His way of walking looked suspicious. Also, he was carrying a sword on his waist. Iril grabbed the sword she had in her arms and got up. ¡®Let see¡­¡¯ Fiddling with the sword, she was standing in the path of the man who was walking in. She twisted her eyebrows and the tip of her lips at the same time and muttered, ¡°I think this guy is not bad?¡± On the traveler¡¯s cape, there was an insignia of Iphalleta. Chapter 173 - That Rascal is at it Again (2)

Chapter 173: That Rascal is at it Again (2)

¡°You there¡­Wait.¡± It seemed the traveler had also noticed Iril who was standing in his way to the vige. The traveler stopped walking and stared at Iril. ¡°You¡­You have a pretty nice sword hanging around your waist. You appear to be a swordsman¡­ Is that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that right, sir?¡± The traveler kept his silence and Iril crumpled her face. Thinking it could not be helped, she asked respectfully but the traveler still kept his mouth shut. There was no response from the man. ¡°Well, it is fine. I prefer silence over useless chatter.¡± With that, Iril shrugged. She brought her left hand toward the sword she was holding in her right hand and drew the sword slowly from the sheath. ¡°I do have a suggestion though.¡± Wheec. Cutting through the wind, she drew the sword and spun it once. She aimed the sword at the traveler, who was looking at her and said, ¡°Actually, it is not a suggestion. I insist. If you want to enter the Rome vige, you must get my permission.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. I am not asking for money. What I want is¡­¡± She had quite an adorable face but she was using that face to produce a violent look like that of a mountain bandit. She tilted the sword up and down as she exined what she wanted. ¡°Your swordsmanship skill¡­Can you show it to me?¡± Iril leisurely shrugged her shoulders. The traveler had been silent all this time. Now, he lightly lifted his cape and brought his hand toward the sword on his waist. ¡°I am sorry but when ites to the matter of sword, I am not the type who would go easy on someone just because they are a girl. If you take back what you said earlier, I¡¯ll overlook this.¡± Using his left hand, he pressed down the hood and hid his face and warned in low voice. Wheeeee Iril whistled and asked back, ¡°You¡¯ll overlook this?¡± As if she was amused, she asked back about the warning that the traveler had given. She fiddled with the sword handle, opening and closing the fingers on it and asked, ¡°As I thought, you must be quite confident about your skills?¡± Iril tightly grabbed the sword, changed the leisurely attitude in her eyes and warned the man, ¡°Your sword, please draw it.¡± The girl was blocking the way to the vige. Her atmosphere had be sharp like a sword¡¯s edge. The hooded traveler realized the girl was not bluffing, so he drew his sword. ¡°How far are you willing to go?¡± Taking a stance, the traveler asked. Facing the traveler, Iril responded naturally as if she heard the same question many times in the past. ¡°Until I am satisfied.¡± With that as the end of the conversation, Iril charged in toward the traveler. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± ¡°That Iril, she is at it again.¡± There wasn¡¯t a signal to indicate the start of this swordsmanshippetition. People of the Rome vige, who were walking around the entrance, muttered and gathered around to watch the duel. ¡°Is Iril at it again?¡± ¡°Who is the one fighting Iril?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know? An outsider?¡± The girl appeared to be around 15 to 16 years old, and she was wielding a sword and about to sh swords with a traveler under suspicious getup. However¡­It seemed the vigers were not worried at all. With rxed faces, they watched the duel while standing behind the girl. ¡®Hm. You are just a little girl¡­ It seems you want to show off your swordsmanship because you learned a lot, but unfortunately, I am¡­¡¯ Laughing at the audacity of the girl who was daring to fight a duel against him, the man under the hood suddenly raised his sword up. A vertical cut. It was the most basic move he had learned. It was a simple vertical swing of the sword where the sword was swung downward. However, to the traveler, it was the move he was most confident about and the move also contributed to him earning the title he had. ¡°Huuuapp!¡± Along with energetic shouting, the traveler swung down the sword in powerful swing. ¡°¡­ Not bad.¡± Charging in, the traveler¡¯s sword struck down like lightning to target her head. Iril had her gaze directly fixed at the sword. She lightly mumbled and twisted her head. ¡°¡­?!¡± It was a close call. The traveler¡¯s sword missed the girl. Iril¡¯s sword was swung from the side and it smoothly made contact with the traveler¡¯s sword. ¡®What?!¡¯ The traveler helplessly watched his sword missing the target and the girl¡¯s sword shed with his sword. The traveler¡¯s eyes looked shocked. In a split second, the traveler watched his sword being pushed to the side by the girl¡¯s sword. Meanwhile, he could hear the girl muttering. ¡°With this much power¡­¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± Still, as if he was trying to show that he won¡¯t lose in raw strength, the traveler raised his mana. He forced his deflected sword and tilted its angle. ¡°Huuup.¡± The girl was surprised by the traveler¡¯s strength. She opened her eyes big briefly. She then pulled her sword to the back and changed its angle. With that, she twisted the trajectory of the sword that wasing at her waist. ¡°As I thought, you do have skill that¡¯s worthy of giving out a warning first¡­¡± It seemed the girl was not confident about a fight of raw strength. She was pushed by the traveler¡¯s sword that came at her from the side. She stepped to the side. She suddenly moved her leg forward, got very close, and pierced into the traveler¡¯s back. ¡°¡­ You really do have it!¡± Her steps were faster than the traveler¡¯s sword swing. She positioned herself behind the traveler in an instant. She used her sword handle to smack her opponent¡¯s elbow. ¡°Kuuuk?¡± Due to the shock from the impact on his elbow, he almost dropped his sword. To chase after the girl behind him, he gritted his teeth, turned his body around and swung his sword. ¡°It seems you have the tenacity as well!¡± Having noticed the traveler trying to catch her, she leaned her leg forward to trip him off. The traveler lightly changed the position of his feet in response. Iril seemed entertained by this. She looked like she was having fun. ¡°That¡¯s good!¡± They were facing each other from the front. Again, the situation looked like there could be another round of sword sh. Iril¡¯s face was littered with sweats. With piercing gaze, she red at the traveler¡¯s face under the hood. ¡°Your eyes are worthy as well!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about since the beginning, but!¡± The traveler shouted and swung his sword again. ¡°¡­this is the end!¡± This time, the traveler was bent on getting this girl to surrender. As shown on his cape¡¯s insignia, the traveler started to demonstrate the swordsmanship of Iphalleta House. ¡°¡­?!¡± The traveler gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Meanwhile, he confirmed that the girl was breaking into a sweat but still had the leisurely look on her face. He unconsciously thought, ¡®I¡¯m being stopped?¡¯ The traveler thought it was just luck when the girl bounced off the first attack with such a narrow margin. However, the second, third and even at the seventh attack, the girl¡¯s sword deflected them all with narrow margins. Watching her swordsmanship, the traveler was certain now. ¡®¡­ I am being stopped.¡¯ The ninth move, which was his best technique, was also deflected by the girl. Watching the girl doing all this, the traveler took off his hood. ¡°You, what are you?¡± With the hidden face under the hood now revealed, Iril put her sword away in the sheath and asked back. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The traveler didn¡¯t have an answer. To be precise, the young man didn¡¯t have an answer. Iril shrugged and introduced herself first. ¡°My name is Iril. I don¡¯t have a family name.¡± The young man with Iphalleta cape was crumpling his face. After the girl introduced herself, the young man muttered in a low voice, ¡°¡­ Ryan.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± It seemed she didn¡¯t hear the man because he said it in such a small voice. Iril ced her hand at her ear and leaned her head toward the man. The young man said his name in a louder voice. ¡°Ryan Fin Iphalle¡­ No. I don¡¯t have a family name either.¡± * * * The Reitri Merchant Group¡¯s carriages were split into two groups and they were crossing the desert. ¡°Thanks to Ian, I get to go to Rainfield during winter. I sure have it good. Really good.¡± Inside the carriage, Nainiae was practicing her knitting. She nced at Riley who wasining while sitting next to her. She touched her face around her eye. ¡°I am sorry, Young Master¡­ If I could use my eye, this would not have happened.¡± Nainiae had used her right eye when they abducted the Priestess. Since then, Nainiae exined that it would take some time before she could use the eye again. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It is not like this is your fault. It is just¡­ I¡¯ll have Ian take responsibility for this.¡± Don¡¯t pester me¡­ Please just leave me be¡­ Riley hadined all the time to Ian. However, he had always cared about Ian. Having noticed this, Nainiae smiled quietly and continued knitting. ¡®I feel jealous of Mr. Ian.¡¯ She was feeling jealous of Ian who must have served Riley for almost 20 years. She felt a gaze on her, so she turned to look. ¡°What is it?¡± Rorona was sitting next to her and she was the owner of the piercing gaze that was ring at Nainiae. ¡°No, it is just¡­ I was just thinking you changed a lot.¡± Nainiae stopped her knitting and started to look disappointed. ¡°As I thought, did I change a lot? Is it beyond recognition?¡± Having noticed the disappointed look on Nainiae¡¯s face, Rorona quickly shook her head and corrected herself. ¡°I don¡¯t mean in a bad way! I mean in a good way! Good! You are blindingly different. It is to the point I am jealous as a woman.¡± ¡°In a good way?¡± Nainiae felt around her face. She was conscious about the side that used to have the scars. Nainiae muttered, ¡°I am not sure, I don¡¯t think much has chang¡­¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t Young Master like it?¡± ¡°Young Master?¡± Having heard the question, she casually moved her eye to look at Riley. He was stillining about Ian. Nainiae shook her head as if she was not certain and turned to look at Rorona. ¡°I¡¯m not sure? I don¡¯t think the change to my face was the reason why he was happy¡­ Why do you ask?¡± Nainiae¡¯s face was full of question marks. Rorona shook her head. She looked like she was giving up. Rorona said, ¡°I asked for no particr reason.¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master is¡­¡± Based on the look on Rorona¡¯s face, Nainiae figured out what Rorona was trying to say. Nainiae said as she started knitting again, ¡°Young Master is not the kind of person who judges others by their appearances. So, he treats me the same now¡­like he did when I had scars on my face.¡± With mysterious andplicated expression on her face, Nainiae exined Riley¡¯s good point. It looked like Rorona had decided that there was no need to hear more answers about this. Instead, Rorona lightly touched Nainiae¡¯s shoulder to give a quiet encouragement to Nainiae. ¡®Is that why?¡¯ Because Riley had been treating her same regardless of the scars on her face¡­ Rorona thought that must be the reason why Nainiae had that look on her face. Rorona smiled lightly. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± The carriage was running along fine. Now, she felt the carriage slowing down. The bodies of the people inside the carriage leaned a little and returned. Rorona looked outside the window and said, ¡°I think the carriage stopped?¡± The scenery outside was not moving, so Riley pulled out his upper body through the window to the outside. He shouted at Reitri who was driving the carriage and asked why they stopped. ¡°Did something happen?¡± Reitri casually turned his head from the driver¡¯s seat and pointed to the front with his finger. Reitri responded, ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for a bit before traveling again. The next vige is pretty far from here. We need to switch horses too.¡± Reitri said he could not keep on using the same horses that they had been using since the desert. He got down from the driver¡¯s seat and stated another reason for why they had stopped. ¡°Of all viges near the Karuta Desert, this vige is the biggest one. Mr. Ian could have visited this ce. There is also a good chance that he might be staying here at the moment.¡± Having heard Reitri¡¯s exnation, Riley rolled his eyes and found letters at the vige¡¯s entrance, which read ¡°Rome.¡± It looked like Riley was convinced of the n. ¡°I see. It would be best for us to rest here before we head out to Rainfield. That Ian¡­ he sure made things bothersome for me¡­¡± Riley was grinding his teeth while thinking about Ian¡¯s face. Reitri smiled awkwardly and said that they should be able to get some information even in the worst case scenario. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s think of this as fishing.¡± Riley decided to go with Reitri¡¯s idea. He got out of the carriage. Riley was about to stretch and yawn. However¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± He felt a strange sensation in his palm. Riley hardened his face. Chapter 174 - That Rascal is at it Again (3)

Chapter 174: That Rascal is at it Again (3)

¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Nainiae hade out of the carriage after Riley to follow him. From the back, she saw that Riley was vacantly petrified. She approached to him and asked carefully, ¡°Are you hurting somewhere? What is it?¡± Nainiae looked concerned. Riley absent-mindedly lowered his right hand and said in quiet voice, ¡°It¡¯s here¡­¡± Perhaps because the subject wasn¡¯t included in what he had just said, Nainiae tilted her head to the side as if she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I think it is in this vige.¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Riley took his gaze off from his palm. He looked at the sign that read ¡®Rome¡¯ in front of the vige and mumbled. Nainiae seemed to have figured out why Riley stopped. Nainiae asked, ¡°The sword is?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley nodded in response. ¡°Um? Young Master? Did something happen?¡± For some reason, Riley and Nainiae were just standing in front of the vige. They were not moving from there. Reitri had found them like this. He was organizing the carriages, but he stopped and asked. ¡°Reitri.¡± While staring at the vige¡¯s sign, Riley called his name. Reitri decided to leave things to Horai for the moment and responded, ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let me ask you for a favor.¡± ¡°A¡­ favor?¡± Reitri tilted his head to the side and wondered what this was about. He asked, ¡°If it is about information regarding Mr. Ian, I was going to even if you didn¡¯t ask.¡± Having heard the man, Riley shook his head. ¡°No. Besides Ian, I have one more thing I want to ask you to do for me. You said there is an informant in this ce, right?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes¡­ that¡¯s right, but¡­¡± ¡°This might be a vague request, but if it is you, then you should be able to find it on your own.¡± Reitri broke out in a cold sweat and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you having too much faith in me? Compared to others, I¡¯m pretty new at this¡­¡± * * * ¡°¡­ I¡¯m back.¡± They were at the Rome vige¡¯s pub. Because of Riley¡¯s request, Reitri had been gathering information for the past few days. He looked rather exhausted when he returned to the pub. Reitri sat next to Riley. ¡°Good work. I¡¯ll treat you.¡± Unlike Reitri, it seemed that Riley had a satisfying vacation in Rome vige for the past few days. Unlike the look on Reitri¡¯s face, Riley was looking very refreshed. ¡°Ugh.¡± Looking at Riley, Reitri thought to himself why he was not born as a noble. Riley handed him a wine. Reitri rxed his stuffy face and drank a sip from it. ¡°So, any progress?¡± It seemed Riley was feeling guilty for working Reitri so much. He decided to order the most expensive snack for the drink. Riley asked the waiter for a menu and asked Reitri. ¡°That is¡­¡± It seemed Reitri was very thirsty. He chugged on the wine and blurred the end of the sentence while avoiding Riley¡¯s gaze. ¡°I have one useful news, and¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®and¡¯?¡± ¡°I have two bad news. What would you like to hear first?¡± Reitri said he had useful, not ¡®good¡¯, information and two rtively bad news pieces. Riley had been looking calm so far, but now he frowned. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± It seemed Reitri had been expecting this response. Reitri sighed with an ufortable look on his face. Riley turned his eyebrows back to the original angle and said, ¡°It was not like I was not expecting this at all but to think there are two bad news pieces¡­¡± Perhaps due to insufficient sleep, Reitri looked tired. Because of this, Riley couldn¡¯t let out his frustration at Reitri. He thought hard about this for a moment and chose the second option. Riley said, ¡°Well, they say it is better to just get the beating first¡­ Let¡¯s hear the bad news first. Why are you so concerned about them?¡± Reitri took another sip of the wine and started to exin. He looked anxious. It seemed like he was hoping that Riley would not be infuriated after hearing what he was about to exin. ¡°First¡­ I would like to tell you first that it seems Mr. Ian ¡­ has not been to this vige yet.¡± As expected, Riley¡¯s face hardened again. ¡°¡­ What?¡± It looked like Reitri was expecting this to happen. The man was about to cry. He was not able to look at Riley in the eyes. Reitri just directed his gaze at the empty ss and continued. ¡°Maybe Mr. Ian went off to somewhere else on the way. Otherwise, maybe something happened to him¡­ Although we won¡¯t be able to find that out, it seems he has not arrived in Rome vige yet. I asked around and people said nobody like that hade here.¡± Riley flinched his facial muscles and said, ¡°Ian, this rascal is really¡­¡± Riley mumbled ¡®doing all sorts of things¡¯ inside and waited for Reitri to speak. ¡°A¡­ Anyway! I intend to keep on searching for more information about Mr. Ian. Maybe he went straight to Rainfield without stopping by at the Rome vige or he didn¡¯te this far yet. Regardless, we probably won¡¯t miss him.¡± Reitri asked Riley to wait a little longer for information about Ian. Now, Reitri started to talk about the other bad news. ¡°The next one is about the great danger that¡¯s about to reach Rome vige.¡± ¡°Danger?¡± Riley tilted his head to the side and asked. Reitri nodded and continued. ¡°Yes. About the epidemic fromst time¡­ you remember it, right? This is happening because of that.¡± Riley thought about the epidemic man, the pitch-ck skinned purple human. Riley put on a serious look on his face. ¡°What about that epidemic?¡± ¡°Because of that epidemic, the monsters that had been living at the border started to migrate.¡± ¡°Migrate?¡± ¡°Yes. Because it was an incredibly fearsome epidemic that drenched the entire desert in ck. The monsters probably started to move to survive.¡± Reitri nodded and started to exin about the great migration of the monsters. ¡°Perhaps because of the monsters¡¯ migration, Solia and Ansyrium are currently under cease-fire. Well, Ansyrium probably agreed to it because they have their hands full with trying to stop the epidemic that¡¯sing towards their country.¡± It looked like Riley was getting what Reitri was saying. He thought about monsters that must be migrating to avoid the epidemic and asked, ¡°So, the monsters that are on the great migration are¡­¡± ¡°Yes. The word is that they will show up at the vige in a few days. This is urate information. So, because of the great migration of the monsters, I am afraid it might get more difficult for us to cross paths with Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you said it is a bad news.¡± Riley turned his head away after hearing Reitri¡¯s exnation. Riley looked around the pub and put up a question mark on his face. ¡°For a vige that is about to be overrun by monsters, the mood here is¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master! Young Master!¡± Riley was about to ask something he found curious. However, Nainiae rushed to the table, so Riley flinched his shoulders. ¡°What is it?¡± She brought the food he ordered earlier on a te. She ced it on the table and said, ¡°This!¡± ¡°This?¡± Nainiae pointed at something that was on the te. Riley and Reitri¡¯s gazes automatically leaned toward the direction. She was pointing at ck liquid inside a clear ss. Its tingling taste was the best, so Riley liked this drink especially. It was the brown sugar beer. ¡°I just figured this out. The thing called c that you mentioned¡­ It was the brown sugar beer?¡± She had made an entrance out of the blue and the question was also out of the blue. As if he was at a loss for words, Riley had his mouth open vacantly. Reitri tilted his head to the side and wondered what this was about. ¡°C?¡± Pointing at the brown sugar beer, Nainiae uttered a word that Reitri had never heard before, so he asked. Riley red at Nainiae and said, ¡°No, it¡¯s an inside joke between me and Nainiae.¡± Feeling his gaze, Nainiae broke out in a cold sweat and promptly lowered her head to apologize. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Nainiae had a gloomy look on her face. Having noticed this, Reitri smiled awkwardly. He got a piece of the food from the te, put it in his mouth and said, ¡°Well, as long as Ms. Nainiae stays here¡­ It looks like I won¡¯t have to worry about the vige being in danger because of the monsters migrating.¡± Riley waved his hand around to indicate he had enough of that discussion. He had Nainiae sit next to him and asked what he could not earlier. ¡°Setting aside Nainiae for now, if the information about the vige being in danger soon because of the monsters approaching is true¡­ I think the vige¡¯s atmosphere feels too peaceful?¡± Having heard the question, Reitri nodded as if he was waiting for this. Reitri exined why. ¡°Ah, yes! It seems there is a reason, although it is a rumor thatcks credibility.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the reason and what¡¯s the rumor?¡± ¡°I think this is rted to the useful information that I will be telling you, so I think it will lead to that.¡± Reitri was saying that the useful information he mentioned earlier might be closely rted to the reason why the vige was so peaceful. He ate another piece of meat and exined, ¡°Because of the great migration of the monsters, their vige could be destroyed soon, yet they are not panicking at all. Why do you think they could afford to be like this?¡± Reitri pointed at Nainiae with the fork that he used to pick up the meat and asked. Nainiae seemed to be thinking for a moment. She responded based on the conversation earlier as the hint. ¡°Because they know the vige won¡¯t be destroyed?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Reitri lowered the fork and said that was the answer. Riley furrowed his brows and asked, ¡°What is this? Did you run your mouth and let everyone know in this vige about her identity?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t say anything to anyone about you or Ms. Nainiae.¡± ¡°In that case?¡± Riley looked puzzled. ¡°In Rome vige¡­ At the outer bound of the vige to be precise, I heard that a witch lives there.¡± ¡°A witch?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reitri nodded, took a moment to calm his breathing and continued. ¡°They don¡¯t mean in a bad way. They mean in a good way. In other words¡­She is a witch who the vigers do not shun away from.¡± ¡°There are witches like that?¡± Riley knew that the title of a witch was never a good one to have in this world. He tilted his head around with puzzled look on his face. ¡°The news about the monsters¡¯ migration has spread among the vigers, but they are feeling safe and continuing their daily lives probably because of that witch. They believe that the witch will protect the vige.¡± ¡°A good witch¡­ That is what you are trying to say?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Reitri nodded and responded. This time, Nainiae asked Reitri, ¡°If she is a witch¡­ Does she use magic? What¡¯s her Circles?¡± Reitri shook his head. ¡°No. I heard she does not use magic.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°What? Why is she called a witch if she cannot use magic?¡± Riley had a look on his face. He looked like a seasoned fisherman sitting in front of the fishing pole who just noticed the fishes were nibbling at the bait. Riley asked why she was called a witch. ¡®By any chance, is this¡­?¡¯ Riley wondered if this witch was thest purple human that he had not encountered yet. Reitri said, ¡°I¡¯m also looking into why she ended up with the title of ¡®witch.¡¯ However¡­ the elders who grew up in this vige called her by the following title.¡± Reitri took a dramatic pause for a moment and said, ¡°Rome vige¡¯s sword witch.¡± ¡°Sword¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Witch?¡± Riley and Nainiae asked and Reitri nodded, adding ¡°It seems that she might be¡­ rted to the thing that you asked me to find, Young Master.¡± Chapter 175 - The Sword Witch

Chapter 175: The Sword Witch

Riley concluded that he had no reason to hesitate. The next day, he got out of the inn and straight away went to the outer edge of the Rome Vige to find the Sword Witch who supposedly lived there. ¡°I wonder if I will be able to find her quickly.¡± Riley got out of the inn, enjoyed the chirping of the birds and stretched and yawned. He looked at the people busily walking around the town and muttered. Nainiae said, ¡°I wonder too. I feel like we arecking in information a little.¡± Even among the people of the vige, they only had rumors about such a person circting around. Reitri said nobody had actually seen her in person. That was why. ¡°They said she lives at the outer edge, right? Get me a map.¡± Reitri had gone to gather more information about Ian and Riley said that he would go find the Sword Witch. He looked at the map that Nainiae had brought and narrowed his eyes. ¡°What a bother. The vige is really big.¡± The size of Rome Vige was several times bigger than the Alieve Vige that he had gone to before. Rome Vige was moreplicated too. ¡°Where should I start the round?¡± To find the witch that was rumored to live at the outer edge of the vige, the right answer would be searching the outer edge. However¡­ The problem was that there were many ces that could be considered as the outer edge. ¡°If we are unlucky, this means we might end up going around the entire vige. If we pick a ce and check the ces in clockwise direction¡­¡± With his finger ced on the map, Riley checked out the outer edges of the vige. It seemed that he had decided to trust the instincts of a woman. He looked at Nainiae and asked, ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°Certainly¡­ If we think about the possibility of not finding the ce despite searching everywhere¡­ That would be a waste of time.¡± Nainiae looked at the map that Riley was holding. She held her chin and thought hard about this. She pointed at where they were standing and asked, ¡°We are here, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is there any change in the sensation on your palm inparison to when you were at the inn?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be thinking about this problem if that had happened.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± After hearing what Riley had just said, she wondered if they really had no other choice but to guess. She directed her gaze back to the map. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s start from the left side, counter clock wise.¡± ¡°Left side?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m getting a feeling.¡± Riley folded the map and looked at the direction. ¡°Left side¡­¡± The left side of the vige had rtively more houses. Beyond the vige was the scenery of the Karuta Desert that had regained its former self. ¡°Well then. Okay.¡± With her opinion under consideration, Riley decided to make the round starting from the left side. He immediately started to walk toward the left side of the vige. ¡°Starting from here?¡± After getting to the outer edge on the left side of the vige, Riley thought about the number of people and houses he just passed by along the way. He casually looked around the scenery and walked. ¡°Um?¡± To find someone called the Sword Witch, Riley started to go around the vige slowly. He looked at the scenery of the vige on the side and tilted his head to the side. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± ¡°Is there anything¡­ you feel?¡± Having heard his question, she wondered if she should tell him or not. She nodded to confirm it to Riley and also nced at the scenery of the vige. ¡°Are you talking about the people¡¯s gazes?¡± Nainiae asked back and Riley nodded slightly to answer. ¡°I don¡¯t think we are being watched, but¡­ They seem to be weary¡­ of us? I feel that their gazes are not so kind toward us.¡± Riley and Nainiae got to the vige only a week ago and now they were lurking around the outer edges of the vige. It was obvious why the vigers were weary of them. However¡­ their cautious eyes were a problem. ¡°Is it because of you?¡± Riley put up sleazy face and picked on Nainiae. She pouted andined. ¡°I have worn the proper clothing for the asion?¡± To not stand out, instead of the maid dress, she was wearing casual clothing. Riley nodded and pointed at her face. ¡°I¡¯m saying that if we are drawing attention, it is because of your face.¡± ¡°Is there something on my face?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was acting like she was clueless. Riley shook his head and muttered. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Of the vigers who were staring at Riley and Nainiae, gazes from young men were focused on Nainiae in particr. ¡®It could be because of her looks, but if that was the only reason, then there would be no reason for the women to nce in this direction too. There is definitely¡­ something.¡¯ With both of his hands nted solidly in his pockets, Riley lurked around the outer edges of the vige. He looked back to see the path he had walked on so far. ¡°Nainiae, how far have we walked?¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even cover half of the path yet. This ce must really be the biggest vige in this area.¡± Following Riley, Nainiae also looked back at the vige. Finding all this walking around to be a bother, he clicked his tongue and started to walk again. <¡­ Nainiae.> While walking, Riley used telepathicmunication to Nainiae. While looking at the corner of a building that wasing up, he said, Although she was still not quite used to it, Nainiae was able to use telepathicmunication after receiving Riley¡¯s memory. She responded with telepathicmunication. While walking, she was already at the building¡¯s corner. For now, she decided to do as Riley asked. She carefully moved her fingers to prepare the invisibility magic. Nainiae figured there must be a reason why Riley had asked her to cast invisibility through telepathicmunication. She went right next to him and waited for the next order. ¡°¡­¡± They waited at the corner. Before long, two vigers came by. They were in shabby clothes. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°What the? Where did they go?¡± It seemed the two vigers were tailing Riley and Nainiae. They were looking around to find them. ¡°Did they sink to the ground? Did they fly up to the sky?¡± ¡°Hur¡­ It is not like they are ghosts. How could they suddenly disappear?¡± They looked around the area to find Riley and Nainiae. As if they could not afford to let it be like this, they tightened their fists and said, ¡°Still, this is Rome Vige. Let¡¯s keep searching.¡± ¡°Right. They are still only outsiders.¡± Could they have business with Riley and Nainiae? They were about to move away from the corner to go search for Riley and Nainiae. ¡°Huh?¡± Question marks floated up on their faces. ¡°What¡­ What is this?¡± For some reason, their feet were stuck on the ground. The feet refused toe off the ground. ¡°Thatss called Sword Witch¡­ Did she swallow the entire vige in a whole or something?¡± From their side, from an empty space, a voice could be heard. The vigers who had been tailing Riley and Nainiae flinched their shoulders. ¡°Considering how it was like with Princess Reutrina, that won¡¯t be so surprising, right?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t jump to a conclusion. We cannot be certain yet if thisss is one of the purple humans or not. It is too early to tell. First¡­¡± The vigers wondered if ghosts were having conversations next to them. They were shaking in fear. The boy and the girl who had been using invisibility magic to stay hidden suddenly revealed themselves. ¡°I should extract information from these bastards.¡± ¡°Huk?!¡± There was definitely nothing there. Now, the two outsiders had suddenly showed up from nowhere. The vigers gasped for air. ¡°W¡­ what are you people?!¡± One of the vigers struggled with his legs that wouldn¡¯te off the ground and shouted. Riley cracked his neck left and right to rx it and said, ¡°That¡¯s my line.¡± Nainiae promptly cast temporary istion magic and went next to Riley¡¯s back. ¡°Now that it came to this, you will have to tell me everything you know.¡± The vigers were panicking. Riley took a step toward them and called Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± After casting the istion spell, she waved her right hand and cast her third magic. With gray light floating on her hand, Nainiae walked toward the vigers who were shaking in fear. * * * ¡°In the end, we didn¡¯t get much.¡± From the memory she obtained from the vigers, Riley was able to extract information about the Rome Vige¡¯s Sword Witch. With a satisfied look on his face, Riley looked at the vigers below who were asleep. Riley said, ¡°The information is more or less the same as what we heard from Reitri.¡± The fact was that the vigers didn¡¯t know much about the Sword Witch. Riley clicked his tongue and scratched his head. ¡°To point out the one thing we have learned is that these bastards are not being controlled by the witch¡­¡± The Sword Witch was rumored to have appeared when the vige was in danger from monsters and disappeared after cleaning up all monsters. Riley muttered out the information he had gotten from the vigers¡¯ memories. He crumpled his face because the most important information that he needed was not there in their memories. ¡°Of all things, they don¡¯t have information about where she lives?¡± Rileyined how nice it would be if they could get a clue at least. Thinking it could not be helped, he turned to look at Nainiae and said, ¡°It cannot be helped. Let¡¯s go on fishing once more.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Nainiae broke out in a cold sweat and asked back. ¡°What are you doing? Hurry and cast it.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°What else? I¡¯m talking about the invisibility magic. Let¡¯s try catching another viger until we get the right bait.¡± ¡°Young Master, that is a little¡­¡± Nainiae thought it was poking at her sense of morality. She was about to tell Riley that it did not seem like a good method. However, instead, she suddenly put up a puzzled look on her face. With a question mark on her face, she said, ¡°Ah! Young Master, how about we just check from above?¡± ¡°Above?¡± ¡°Instead of walking around the outer edges of the vige, we could look at the vige from above. We can check if there are any ces where the Sword Witch could be or not¡­ As for the bait method, how about we try it after checking from above first?¡± Having heard her proposal, Riley looked up at the sky and wiggled his eyebrows, thinking that was a pretty good idea. ¡°I see. We could observe from above.¡± Riley figured Nainiae was going to use fly magic. Riley nodded. ¡°All right. Let¡¯s take a look from above.¡± With Riley¡¯s permission, Nainiae nodded and cast invisibility magic and float magic immediately. ¡°We will be going up.¡± With float magic, Riley floated up to the sky. He watched the ground that was gradually moving away from him. He then turned his gaze to look around the outer edges of the vige. ¡°Tsk. We should have started this way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I thought of it now at least.¡± Nainiae thought about how they walked around the mountain at Andal¡¯s ce for nothing. She muttered and started to look around like Riley. ¡°Young Master, over there. At 2¡¯oClock.¡± ¡°There is one in this direction too.¡± To be precise, there were four¡­ Riley found old, secluded houses in four different locations on the outer edges of the vige. Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Should we say that our search range had been narrowed now?¡± ¡°I am not sure? I cannot discount the possibility that searching those ces might turn up nothing. It is too early to tell.¡± Just like how they startedst time in counter clockwise direction. Riley decided to start searching from the remote house on the left side first and pointed his finger at the direction. Nainiae nodded as if she understood and used teleportation magic. ¡°¡­ The third and fourth houses¡¯ locations¡­ You memorized them, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I prepared them.¡± In case nothing turned up at the first house, Riley said that they should go to second, third and fourth houses in that order right away. Nainiae nodded and said that she had already finished preparing them. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Knock knock¡­ Riley knocked at the first door and felt someone¡¯s presence inside. He waited for a response. ¡®There is one person inside¡­ Mana is not particrly high. This person appears to be an ordinary civilian, but¡­¡¯ However, since purple people weren¡¯t rted much to mana, Riley didn¡¯t ease his suspicion. He red at the door, and a fragile voice could be heard. ¡°Yes, who is it?¡± Tagak, tagak¡­ Along with the response, they could hear the sound of a staff being used on the ground. Riley and Nainiae both tilted their heads. ¡®This sound is?¡¯ Soon, the old door made a creaking sound. A woman in tattered clothing showed herself. ¡°I am sorry I came to answer the door sote. I don¡¯t have the children here now, and I¡¯m alone¡­ What brings you here?¡± The woman¡¯s eyes were covered in a ck blind. She had light purple hair which was held together in a side braid, which was a striking feature. Riley looked at the woman and furrowed his brows. ¡®A blind woman?¡¯ Chapter 176 - The Sword Witch (2)

Chapter 176: The Sword Witch (2)

From the first impression, the first thing that Riley noticed was the ck blind on her eyes and the staff. He then noticed her tattered clothing and pure white skin. Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Riley was not certain. Perhaps it was a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. Maybe something just felt mysterious. He felt a strange sensation that could not be described in words. ¡°Excuse me¡­ Everyone?¡± The blind woman tilted her head to the side. Because Riley had not responded, she was wondering if she had heard something wrong and mistaken it as peopleing to visit her home. ¡°Ah, the thing is¡­¡± Riley kept silent and just stared at the woman. Instead of him, Nainiae opened her mouth and started to nce around. She was not sure if she should just ask straight out ¡®are you the Sword Witch?¡¯ or if she should ask indirectly by saying ¡®do you know about the Sword Witch?¡¯ ¡°If it is a long story, then why don¡¯t youe in? I¡¯m not able to endure the wind from outside for long¡­¡± Riley was sure that the woman couldn¡¯t see because of the blind, yet it looked like the woman was not weary of the visitors. Instead, she was trying to invite the guests in. Panicking, Nainiae started to ramble on. ¡°Ah, well¡­ That is¡­ Young Master, what would you like to do?¡± Nainiae whispered and asked. Riley pondered about it for a moment and took a step forward. He said, ¡°Well then, we will ept your generosity.¡± ¡°Yes, pleasee in.¡± Tagak¡­ tagak¡­ Perhaps she had difficulties with her vision. The woman with the blind on her eyes used the staff to feel the ground and went back into her home. Riley exchanged a look with Nainiae and followed in. ¡°Earlier, you said ¡®the children are not here.¡¯ So, I presume you do not live here by yourself?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, the woman walked toward the firece and sat on the chair nearby. She said, ¡°Yes, because my eyes are like this¡­ It can¡¯t be helped. My pupil is helping me in daily living.¡± The woman looked bitter and sad as she muttered. She was fiddling with her blind. Riley entered the home as he looked around inside and sat at an empty chair. He asked, ¡°A pupil?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ She has a tendency to rush things, butpared to other children of her age, she is a good child.¡± The woman was feeling the warmth from the firece. It seemed she was thinking about her pupil. There was a faint smile on her face. Nainiae, the one who entered the house after Riley, made a suggestion as she looked around inside, ¡°Excuse me. If it is all right with you, can I please use the kitchen? If you are ufortable with me doing so, then I won¡¯t, but¡­ Since you allowed us toe in, I was wondering if I could make tea for you.¡± Having heard Nainiae, the woman with blind on her eyes turned her head toward Nainiae and nodded. It seemed she was pleased with the idea. The woman said, ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± With the woman¡¯s permission, Nainiae promptly moved toward the kitchen. She noticed that the kitchen was a mess. She looked around the kitchen in disarray and sighed. ¡®Should I tidy it up a bit?¡¯ Because she was trained as a maid, she was unable to leave such a mess be. Thinking it could not be helped, Nainiae started to show off her stuff. ¡®I am sorry, Ms. Wi. I don¡¯t have time, so I¡¯ll use it for a moment.¡¯ Nainiae apologized inside to Wi, the head maid of the Iphalleta House who must be at the mansion at the moment. She used two telekinesis magic spells at the same time and cleaned up the mess at the kitchen and the living room as she boiled water. ¡®You didn¡¯t have to bother with those.¡¯ Riley watched Nainiae quickly starting the cleanup. He then redirected his gaze at the woman. ¡°The house looks pretty old. It looks like you had been living here for a long time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman was keeping her mouth firmly closed. Having heard Riley¡¯s question, she lifted her head which was directed at herps. She directed her face toward where Riley was and asked back, ¡°Excuse me, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Where did youe from?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Inside, Riley thought, ¡®you are finally asking me that?¡¯ andined. ¡°I am thankful for being treated with tea even though I¡¯m just a stranger. Still¡­ I need to ask why you havee to meet an old woman like myself.¡± Listening to the woman, Riley wondered where she was getting at. He furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°Old?¡± ¡°I should know if¡­ you are here to steal gold jewelries or just here to be a conversing partner to an old woman, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there is anything here that¡¯s worth stealing, but still¡­¡± For some reason, the woman was not concerned. She seemed to be assured with lots of margins to spare. Riley stared at the woman and responded as if he was making an excuse. ¡°If we are thieves, then we wouldn¡¯t be sitting with you and talking to you or making tea for you. We would have bounced after packing what we came for.¡± ¡°Huhu. That makes sense.¡± In response to Riley¡¯s answer, sheughed quietly. Facing Riley, the woman asked again, ¡°Then can you please tell me?¡± The woman was asking where they came from and why they wanted to see her. Nainiae was bringing the tea. Riley nced at her and sent a message through telepathicmunication. She tilted her head to the side and responded in telepathicmunication, Riley asked Nainiae to give a brief summary to Nara and have himeback with her. Riley gently slid the tea cup toward the woman and said, ¡°Please have some tea.¡± ¡°The aroma smells wonderful. It must be the winter herb. It probably was not easy to extract the vor from it. She must be very skilled.¡± The tea didn¡¯t have a particrly strong smell, yet she figured out what it was. Nainiae looked quite surprised. She looked at the woman. ¡°The scent¡­ You can smell it?¡± ¡°As blind as I am, my sense of smell is quite good.¡± Having heard the woman, Nainiae thought about Sera, her fellow maid. She sniffed and sniffed, but her gaze ran into Riley¡¯s gaze. She tumbled and prepared teleportation magic. ¡°¡­ First, how about we introduce ourselves?¡± The woman felt around the table and grabbed the tea cup. Riley also followed suit and grabbed his tea cup and introduced himself. ¡°My name is Riley.¡± He thought about giving a fake name. However, he felt like she might notice, so he decided to tell her his real name. However, he skipped his family name. ¡°Riley?¡± ¡°I believe this is my first time meeting you. Do you know that name?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman with the blinds shook her head. It seemed that she was thinking hard about something. She said, ¡°No, this is my first time hearing that name. However, I think it has a great meaning.¡± She promptly introduced herself. ¡°My name is Inaril Esodams.¡± ¡°Esodams?¡± ¡°It is not a nobility¡¯s name. It¡¯s just a name.¡± Earlier, the woman had praised Nainiae for her superb tea brewing skills. She realized she could no longer hear Nainiae¡¯s breathing. The woman perked up her ears. ¡°The youngdy who came with you¡­where did she go?¡± ¡°She went to the restroom.¡± It seemed Riley had prepared a response. He answered immediately. Riley asked the next question right away. ¡°This is a question I didn¡¯t get to finish asking earlier. Have you been living here for a long time? The building is pretty old and the furniture¡¯s are pretty old too. Everything looks very old?¡± ¡°Yes, it has been¡­ quite a while.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Inaril fiddled with top of the cup. She nodded and said that was the case. ¡°Ever since I became blind, my sense of time had been fading. It would be difficult for me to tell you how long it has been since I settled in this ce.¡± She added that it had been pretty long since she had settled here. Next, she asked about Riley. ¡°So, Mr. Riley¡­ Considering how your voice sounds, you must be quite young?¡± ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°That youngdy earlier¡­ Are you two lovers?¡± ¡°What the, that¡¯s so out of the blue¡­¡± ¡°Um, what should I say? The atmosphere?¡± ¡®You can¡¯t even see, so just what atmosphere are you talking about¡­¡¯ Riley looked dumbfounded. He felt a presence from the rear, so he casually turned his head. ¡®¡­ They are back?¡¯ ¡°Um? Wait¡­¡± Riley turned his head around to look, but he casually moved his eyes back because of what Inaril said. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°That just now¡­ Perhaps it was just my mood. The youngdy who brew me a cup of tea must be a mage. She is quite skilled on top of that¡­¡± Inaril¡¯s blind was directed exactly at Nainiae who had just appeared before Riley. ¡®How did she know?¡¯ She talked about the atmosphere between two people. Although she shouldn¡¯t be able to see, she figured out exactly who it was that had just appeared through teleportation. Riley narrowed his eyes and red at Inaril. ¡°Are you really blind?¡± ¡°Yes, I cannot see.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Inaril brought her hand toward the blind on her eyes. She started to slowly untie the blind that was wrapped around her eyes. ¡°What are you doing all of the sudden¡­¡± The blinds that covered her eyes was untied, and¡­ her face that was hidden underneath was revealed. Riley¡¯s mouth opened on its own. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will this be enough as the proof?¡± On Inaril¡¯s face¡­ On her eyes to be precise, there was a long cut wound. It appeared to be the result of someone cutting across her eyes with a sword. She showed her scar which went across both of her eyes. She covered her eyes with the blind and said, ¡°¡­ Sound of the breathing¡­¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°I think another guest came? Am I right?¡± Inaril faced toward Nara who had just arrived here by following Nainiae and tilted her head to the side. Nara still had not figured out the situation yet, so he started to whisper to Nainiae. ¡°W¡­ Who is she?¡± ¡°First, can you please check her color?¡± ¡°Color?¡± Nainiae said she will answer his questionter. Inaril had a small smile on her face. ¡°Huhu¡­¡± It was not that she wasughing to belittle and let it be known that she knew what they were up to. It was a bitter, sad smile. To let them know she heard it all, she added something about Nara. ¡°Since you are talking about colors, it seems you also brought someone who is a basilisk. I was not trying to hear it, but I ended up hearing it. Because my eyes¡­ are like this¡­¡± Nara looked at Inaril, the woman with blinds who was sitting at front of the firece. Nara furrowed his brows, took a step toward her and asked, ¡°¡­ You, what are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was not because it had been found out that he was a basilisk. ¡°Is the color purple?¡± Nara was standing behind Riley. Riley asked Nara as he red at Inaril. Nara opened and closed his mouth a few times like a fish and said carefully, ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡®No?¡¯ ¡°This woman¡­¡± As if he could not believe it, Nara blinked his eyes several times and stared at Inaril. He exined about her color that he tried to observe. ¡°¡­ does not have any color.¡± * * * It was at the entrance of the Rome Vige. There was Iril, a girl who was wearing a wide and t hat. She looked back at the young man who was following her. She clicked her tongue. ¡°Ryan. Stop dragging your feet. Follow me quickly.¡± ¡°No, wait. Just what are you trying to do so suddenly? Also, the master is by herself, isn¡¯t she? If it is not something important, won¡¯t it be better for you to go by yourself¡­¡± ¡°Grandmother is all right. On the contrary, it is better to take care of things like this quickly. Grandmother does not have much time left.¡± ¡°Um? Not much time left? What do you mean?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t understand unless you exin properly.¡± ¡°There will be a test.¡± ¡°A test?¡± Iril was leading the way. Having heard what she was saying, Ryan had a puzzled look on his face. He suddenly stopped walking. ¡°Um? What are you doing? I told you to follow me quickly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ryan was following Iril to the outside of Rome Vige. He had a reason for stopping all of the sudden. It was because he found someone he knew. Among mercenaries, this old butler was more famous across thend than Count Stein, his father. The butler was walking toward the Rome Vige. Their gazes met and the butler stopped walking. ¡°¡­ Young Master Ryan?¡± Iril floated a question mark on her face. ¡°Uuuing? What¡¯s this? Someone you know?¡± The mercenaries called him the mercenary hero. ¡°Ian¡­¡± The Iphalleta Family¡¯s butler was facing Ryan in hooded cape who was on his way out of Rome Vige. Chapter 177 - The Sword Witch (3)

Chapter 177: The Sword Witch (3)

¡°As I thought¡­ It was you, Young Master Ryan.¡± Again, Ian carefully observed the face of the young man who wasing out of Rome Vige in front of him. With an intrigued face, Ian started to walk forward. ¡°Since the incidentst time¡­ I figured you would be staying with the Mogared Family?¡± The incident on the day of the sessorship announcement¡­ Ian was recalling the incident where Ryan was infuriated like lightning in the corridors of Iphalleta Family mansion. Ryan was looking at Ian. When Ian casually asked, Ryan tightened his fists. ¡°I was shunned by them. It seems the Morgared House learned about the incident. They were essentially saying they don¡¯t need a hunting dog that has lost his teeth.¡± Ryan opened his tightened fists. He looked bitter somewhere. Ryan casually nced at the sword that was hanging on his waist and asked back, ¡°What about you? What brings you all the way out here? You aren¡¯t even with Riley? You are alone?¡± ¡°Ah, I am¡­¡± Ian agonized over how to respond to this question. He decided to just give a wishy-washy answer. Ian said, ¡°It just so happens that the Count told me there is an errand that he wanted me to handle near the Rome Vige, so I¡¯m currently carrying out a mission.¡± ¡°Riley won¡¯t like having you separated from him. Ian, I am surprised that the rascal allowed this.¡± Having heard Ryan¡¯s question, Ian flinched his shoulders. Ian avoided Ryan¡¯s gaze and answered as if he was muttering. ¡°Well, I am also¡­ like you, Young Master Ryan. Perhaps I should also say that I became a hunting dog who lost his teeth? I have been surpassed by a new servant. I am not saying I could never catch up, but¡­ That new servant happens to be so incredibly skilled, so¡­¡± He was rambling on. In addition to him being surpassed by Nainiae, he was also quietly suffering the incident where he didn¡¯t get past the teleportation portal that she made. Ian asked Ryan, ¡°Who would she be?¡± ¡°Ah, this is¡­¡± Thinking that he waste in introducing her, Ryan was going to quickly introduce Iril to Ian. However, his lips were blocked by her arm. ¡°Hey, Ryan.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Wondering what this was about, Ryan floated a question mark on his face. Iril whispered quietly to Ryan so Ian would not be able to hear it. ¡°That man¡­ Is he strong?¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°That grandpa. I¡¯m asking if he is strong.¡± [Note: In Korea, people often address any elderly man as ¡°grandfather¡± or ¡°grandpa¡± even if they are not rted.] Ian waited for Ryan¡¯s response. ¡°Is he strong? That is¡­¡± It would be odd for anyone who lived in the Iphalleta Mansion to not know how strong this old butler named Ian was. In the past, the man used to be called the hero mercenary. There were even rumors that, besides Count Stein, the only one who was skilled enough to fight Ian would be Ryan, the first born. Even though Ian didn¡¯t learn swordsmanship from the Iphalleta House, the old butler had acquired a solid swordsmanship over his life. He was acknowledged as magnificent by not just mercenaries but the people of the mansion as well. ¡°¡­¡± Ryan replied with silence, so Iril decided on her own. She tilted the tip of her lips and mumbled in sleazy way, ¡°He must be pretty strong?¡± Intrigued, she looked at Ian. Iril took a step back and said to Ryan, ¡°All right. Actually, this turned out preety well. Let¡¯s do it right away.¡± ¡°Right away? Do what right away?¡± Looking at Iril¡¯s smile, Ryan had a bad feeling about this. He waited for her next words. ¡°This is the second test.¡± ¡°Second test?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian was not able to hear what they were whispering about. Ian furrowed his brows. Iril handed over something that she had been hugging to her chest. ¡°Here.¡± It was long and t. It was wrapped in bandages. With the object handed to him, Ryan looked at Iril, wondering what this was. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°Try fighting with that.¡± It was a mysterious object. Ryan stared at it and furrowed his brows as if he still didn¡¯t understand. Watching the man¡¯s reaction, Iril pointed at Ian with her finger and said, ¡°Against that grandpa.¡± Ian flinched his shoulders. ¡°G¡­ Grandpa?¡± Perhaps it was to agitate Ian. Unlike the whispering voices they used earlier, the words could be heard a lot better. Feeling wronged, Ian looked at Iril. ¡°Excuse me, youngdy. I don¡¯t know how you know Young Master Ryan, but¡­ I¡¯m not at the age to be called a grandpa.¡± Ian was requesting Iril to correct what he had just heard. However, Iril ignored him and just stared at him. Again, in a barely audible voice, she said to Ryan, ¡°My grandmother can live only if you pass this test.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard her whispers about her grandmother¡¯s life being on the line, Ryan stared at her face from the side. Ryan directed his gaze at the object that was handed to him from Iril. ¡°Young Master Ryan?¡± Ian was looking at Ryan and Iril. Ryan¡¯s eyes were gradually showing animosity and Ian also narrowed his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m old enough to be senile. Young Master Ryan¡­ Your hostility is¡­ directed at me?¡± Ryan didn¡¯t answer. He untied the tightly wrapped object and realized what it was. He gasped for air. ¡®¡­ A sword?¡¯ It seemed Ian was also surprised. His narrowed eyes suddenly widened. ¡°That is?¡± Ryan held the sword. He felt a solid sensation through his palm. Ryan gulped and said, ¡°Now that I think about it, when I was at the mansion¡­ I don¡¯t recall ever having a duel with you. This turned out well.¡± Ryan aimed the sword, uncovered from the bandages and continued. ¡°I wanted to fight a duel against the famous figure who made his name known across thend as the mercenary hero.¡± Ian was intensely staring at the sword that was aimed at him. He then moved his gaze to look at Ryan who was burning with hostility. ¡°Young Master Ryan.¡± ¡°I am no longer a bastard who deserves to be called a young master. Aren¡¯t you already well aware of that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your sword¡­Please draw it.¡± Having heard what Ryan had just said, Ian crumpled his face and brought his hand toward the treasured sword he had hanging on his waist. * * * ¡°There is no color?¡± Dumbfounded, Riley looked at Inaril who was sitting on the other side. He slowly got up. ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ There probably isn¡¯t.¡± Before Riley could ask Nara, Inaril, the woman with blinds on her eyes who was sitting in front of the firece, spoke. ¡°It is obvious that I do not have a color.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae had been holding her breath and observing the three people in front of her. Having heard what Inaril said, Nainiae carefully walked toward Inaril. ¡°Excuse me. May I touch your hand for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Sitting in her chair, Inaril smiled gently and nodded. ¡°Of all tea I ever tasted, your tea was among the best with great aroma. How could I not allow you such a simple request?¡± Riley didn¡¯t understand why Nainiae had asked such a question. Soon, Riley saw the hand that was on the armrest of the chair and furrowed his brows. ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ The strange feeling that Riley had been sensing ever since he had first met this woman was due to her hand¡­ To be exact, it was because of her skin that was pure white like snow. Riley had just realized this. ¡°¡­ Ah.¡± Nainiae carefully touched the top of the woman¡¯s hand that was on the armrest. Nainiae was surprised all of the sudden and took the hand back. ¡°It¡¯s cold¡­¡± ¡°C¡­ Cold?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Just like Riley from earlier, Nara asked with a puzzled look on his face. Nainiae bit her lips and nodded to respond. ¡°Wait!¡± Nara tumbled and walked toward the firece. Just like Nainiae had done earlier, Nara also touched Inaril¡¯s hand. ¡°T¡­ This is?!¡± Nara stared at Inaril with an intense gaze and repeatedly opened and closed his mouth like a fish. Inaril could not stand the awkwardness and the silence. She broke the silence first. ¡°Yes. Mr. Basilisk shouldn¡¯t be able to see my color. That¡¯s because my body¡­¡± She rested for a moment and continued in serious tone, ¡°¡­ already died 30 years ago.¡± Nara and Nainiae were holding both of Inaril¡¯s hands. Having heard her voice, they mumbled in order, ¡°30 years ago¡­¡± ¡°¡­ body already died?¡± Having hearing Nara and Nainiae, Inaril had a bitter smile on her face. She slowly nodded and exined briefly about how she died. ¡°By the sword of a very magnificent Hero.¡± ¡°A¡­ Hero?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Below her blinds, a teardrop rolled down along her face. Having noticed this, Nainiae thought it would be better not to ask any questions. Nainiae shook her head toward Nara. ¡°¡­ If you really are someone who has already died 30 years ago¡­¡± Riley was not interested in why or how she died. Riley asked in serious voice, ¡°¡­ then why are you here?¡± With a sad look on their faces, Nara and Nainiae watched Inaril cry. They held their breaths and turned to look at Riley. ¡®Uuuu. Young Master!¡¯ ¡®Please!¡¯ Riley didn¡¯t give a damn about the gazes he received from Nainiae and Nara. Riley didn¡¯t take his eyes off from Inaril who was sitting in front of him. He crossed his fingers between his hands and continued the questioning. ¡°How could you have a conversation with us? Are you a ghost or something?¡± ¡°No.¡± Riley was no longer talking to her in a respectful tone. Inaril turned her head toward where Riley was. She shook her head. ¡°In that case, are your eyes drenched in pitch ck color?¡± Nainiae and Nara¡¯s shoulders flinched. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master?¡± ¡°Eyes being drenched in pitch ck color? That is¡­¡± Despite Nainiae and Nara¡¯s reactions, again, Riley didn¡¯t mind them at all. Thinking about a purple human who he had run into before, Riley said, ¡°A dead person is alive and moving. That¡¯s a little strange, don¡¯t you think? Even that famous Priestess does not possess the ability to revive the dead.¡± Feeling the tension, Nainiae and Nara looked at Inaril who was sitting in her chair. ¡°By any chance, could you show us your eyes¡­Could it be that you cannot show them to us because of a sword wound?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Inaril vacantly opened her mouth. However, somehow, she looked relieved. Inaril said, ¡°¡­ It is you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley crumpled his eyebrows. ¡°I have a responsibility that I must fulfill even in my death.¡± With a smile, Inaril got up. ¡°It was definitely here¡­¡± She was trying to get to the firece and extended her hand toward it. Wondering what she was trying to do, Riley hardened his face. ¡°Wait! Your hand! Hand!¡± There was fire burning in full force in the firece, yet Inaril was putting her hand in there. Nara panicked and tried to stop her. However¡­Inaril¡¯s hand was quicker. Her hand was already inside the mes. ¡°Uuuuaaa, ak?!¡± Inaril was putting her hand into the fire, and Nara tightly closed his eyes. However, even after a while, he couldn¡¯t hear anything. Nara tried opening his eyes a little. ¡°Excuse me¡­ What are you doing now?¡± ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Inaril tried opening and closing her hand that she just put inside the firece. This time, Inaril furrowed her brows. ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°I¡­ Isn¡¯t that hot?¡± Inaril went back to digging inside the mes with her hand. Nara asked if she was all right. However, he could not hear the response for that question. ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not here.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Huh? Why is it not¡­¡± Inaril stopped her words before finishing the sentence. She suddenly turned her head. ¡°¡­ Iril!¡± * * * It was at a forest on the outer edge of the Rome Vige. Breaking out in a cold sweat, Ian was pushed back. ¡°¡­ Kuuuk?!¡± With a vacant look on his face, the young man there had no choice but to watch the old butter being pushed back. He had been chasing the swift movements of the girl¡¯s arm. ¡°Gramps. What are you?!¡± ¡°Uuuuk¡­¡± ¡°I said what are you!¡± Iril the girl swung her sword in arge motion and pushed back the old man once again. She then shouted at the old butler that she was fighting. ¡°That swordsmanship¡­Where did you learn it!!¡± Chapter 178 - The Sword Witch (4)

Chapter 178: The Sword Witch (4)

The young man was well aware that the old butler possessed formidable muscr strength. Watching the butler being pushed back, the young man had impressed look on his face. ¡®It may look like the girl is swinging recklessly, but each and every move¡­ They are all wless without any gaps. They are magnificent.¡¯ It seemed that the girl was not too concerned about the difference in physical size and strength. She was swinging her sword and pushing back the butler. Watching this, Ryan struggled and got up. ¡®Still, how¡­¡¯ Earlier, during his duel against the butler, Ryan was being beaten with quite a substantial difference. Remembering this, Ryan turned his gaze toward Ian. ¡®¡­ Howe Ian is using the same swordsmanship as the master?¡¯ He was curious about this. ¡®Just how?¡¯ A few days ago¡­ After being kicked out of his own family and being abandoned by the family of the fianc¨¦e he was with, what Ryan had decided to search was the sword. Wondering around aimlessly, he had been helping people or ying monsters. He was living like a vagrant. The reason why he settled in Rome Vige was because he met a girl named Iril and a woman named Inaril. ¡®So, did you say your name is Ryan? I heard from Iril that you are from a family that is famous for swordsmanship. In that case, you must have swung swords for a long time.¡¯ Ryan challenged the woman who couldn¡¯t even see because she had a blind on her eyes. Although he challenged her numerous times, the results were all same. One sided defeat. It was a shock for him to face defeat from someone who was blinded. Also, what was even shocking was that the sword that the woman swung never once carried mana. ¡®How did you do it?¡¯ With just pure swordsmanship techniques, the blind woman maintained perfect victory records. Ryan asked the woman because he thought the woman seemed to know very well the ¡®answer to the sword¡¯ that he had been seeking through his aimless journey. ¡®That swordsmanship, please teach me too!¡¯ ¡®Ryan.¡¯ The woman asked Ryan like this. ¡®You have spent countless days with swords, right? I could tell from shing swords with you.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s right.¡¯ ¡®While you were swinging your sword like that, through those days, how often have you wielded your sword with the heart of wanting to protect someone?¡¯ He asked a question about his heart. The question was like the one that Count Stein, his father, asked before. ¡®If you had been swinging your sword with just the intent to win, then I cannot teach you the swordsmanship.¡¯ Having heard her words, Ryan bit his lips. ¡®However¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­?¡¯ ¡®I can teach you the heart you seek.¡¯ She said she could teach him the mindset. Having heard her words, Ryan decided to serve the blind woman of the Rome Vige, the one who was called the Sword Witch, as his master. He had been staying here ever since. ¡°¡­ Gramps, I¡¯ll give you three seconds. Tell me in three seconds where you learned your sword. If you don¡¯t, I really might kill you.¡± Listening to the voice from the little girl, who was his senior in swordsmanship, Ryan got a grip from the sidetracking thoughts. He looked at Ian¡¯s side again. ¡°¡­¡± It seemed he was gasping for air. He calmed his breathing. With intrigued eyes, Ian looked at Iril, the girl who had her sword aimed at him, and finally said, ¡°Actually, I would like to ask you that question, youngdy.¡± Ian wiped off the sweat that was flowing below his chin. He asked what he was curious about. ¡°Howe you are using the same swordsmanship as me?¡± With his eyes narrowed, Ian was asking the same question. Wondering what was happening, he looked at Iril. ¡°¡­¡± The look on her face was exuding more violent atmosphere than ever. ¡°¡­ Also.¡± As if she could not go easy on him anymore, Iril was about to charge in at Ian with deadly intensity. At that moment, Ian said, ¡°The owner of the sword that Young Master Ryan is holding in his chest right now¡­¡± Iril was about to charge toward Ian, but before she could even take any steps to kick the ground toward him, her legs petrified. ¡°The owner of the sword¡­ must be dead¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a sword of a dead person. Howe you? How?¡± Listening to Ian, Ryan held his breath. ¡°¡­ Shut up.¡± Just like the firece at the master¡¯s home that never ceased to burn, Iril looked like she was burning up in intensity. However, after Ian¡¯s mumbling, her intensity froze like a frozenke during middle of the winter. ¡°Not dead¡­¡± ¡°Iril?¡± Ryan was trying to take a step toward Iril. Iril was holding her sword on her right hand. She swung it widely through the air. She raised her head that she had pulled down a moment ago and shouted. ¡°My grandmother is!¡± Ian opened his eyes wide and strained them to stare at Iril. He confirmed the purple eyes on Iril¡¯s face and tightened his grip on this sword. ¡®It¡¯sing!¡¯ ¡°¡­ not dead!¡± It seemed what Ian muttered inside was right. Iril stumped on the ground to charge toward Ian. She wasing at speed that was several levels faster than before. * * * ¡°Iril?¡± Riley muttered as he wondered if the woman simply forgot to include the ¡®na¡¯ sound in her own name. Inaril shook her head and grabbed her staff for the blind. ¡°I am sorry. I think I¡¯ll have to save the detailed exnation forter.¡± Tagak, tagak¡­ Feeling the ground with the staff, she was trying to get out of the house. Riley extended his hand out to grab her. ¡°Hey, wait a min¡­¡± Not just his hand, but his words stopped in the middle. Nara and Nainiae were standing to left and right of Riley. Wondering what that was for, they had question marks on their faces. ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Riley, please follow me too.¡± Just now, from Inaril, Riley was able to detect something. He was staring at Inaril¡¯s back. Inaril opened the door and breathed in the air outside. She added in a calm voice, ¡°The sword I am supposed to give you is missing.¡± The sword disappeared¡­ ¡°By any chance, are you¡­¡± Having heard her words, Nainiae furrowed her eyebrows like Riley. She remembered what the goddess told her in Riley¡¯s dream. ¡®When you wake up, please find Mr. Riley¡¯s holy sword. Of the purple people who live in your world, one of them should have it.¡¯ Inaril said she died 30 years ago and the sword that she was supposed to give to Riley was missing. Riley and Nainiae put together the puzzles in their heads and found answers. They tumbled and headed out to catch up to Inaril who left the house earlier. ¡°What the¡­ Just what¡¯s happening?¡± Nara was the only one who still didn¡¯t understand the situation. Breaking cold sweat, he also left the house and followed after Riley and Nainiae. ¡°I¡¯ll help!¡± Inaril was using the staff to feel the ground as she walked. Nainiae caught up to her and said she will help Inaril. Nainiae then promptly asked, ¡°The Holy Sword, that is the one that went missing, right?¡± ¡°How could you know that?¡± Riley was the only one who supposed to know about this, yet Nainiae was also aware of this, so Inaril panicked. She turned to where Nainiae was standing and asked. ¡°This kid became my aplice.¡± Riley said Nainiae was his aplice. Nainiae put on dissatisfied look on her face. Meanwhile, Inaril put on a puzzled look on her face. ¡°An aplice¡­ You mean more like a help.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Anyway, hurry up and tell me. Tell me what happened.¡± Riley added that it was all right for Inaril to tell Nainiae. Thinking it could not be helped, Inaril sighed and exined why she quickly left the house. ¡°I have a granddaughter.¡± ¡°A granddaughter?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that she is rted to me by blood, but she is as precious as a real granddaughter to me. She is a child who I took in. To be precise, that child found me, but¡­ The important thing is that I think that child, Iril, took the Holy Sword.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae and asked, ¡°Your eye?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± ¡°Tsk.¡± Riley crumpled his face and clicked his tongue. He looked around and asked Inaril this time. ¡°About this girl who is your granddaughter, what¡¯s her age?¡± ¡°About fifteen to sixteen¡­¡± ¡°What does she look like?¡± ¡°She has her hair tied to the back. She has parted bangs to the front. She is probably wearing a round and t hat. The hat probably looks pretty strange because I made it myself.¡± Based on her description, Riley started to look around the vige. Inaril shook her head once again and suggested, ¡°That child¡­ She is quite famous in Rome Vige. I think it would be faster to ask the vigers.¡± Having heard her words, Nara decided to do so right away. He found a viger who was walking by. He quickly went to the viger and asked, ¡°Hello, excuse me! By any chance¡­ have you seen a child named Iril?¡± ¡°Iril? Why is an outsider asking about Iril?¡± The viger was a farmer. He looked at Nara with suspicious gaze. However, he found Inaril behind Nara and asked, ¡°Do you know Ms. Inaril?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! She said she was looking for Ms. Iril.¡± Nara nodded, and the farmer muttered that he should have just said so earlier. He pointed at the opposite side of the path he just came from. ¡°If you are asking about Iril, she was headed to the entrance of the vige with some young man. Now that I think about it, I heard he is a new pupil that Ms. Inaril took in recently? He looked strong and appeared to have the good-looking face of someone from a nobility family! Um, um. Now that I think about it, Iril is at the age where she should start thinking about her future!¡± Having heard the farmer¡¯s exnation, Riley turned his head toward the direction that the farmer pointed at. He then looked at Nainiae, ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With her response, Nainiae was trying to swing her arm wide. Nara quickly turned to go back to where everyone was. ¡°Huk! W¡­ Wait! I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Nara was aware that Nainiae¡¯s movement was a preparation for the teleportation magic. He tumbled and extended his arm out. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Not just Nainiae, but Riley and Inaril were¡­ Along with a burst of light, they were gone. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± Nara was extending his hand toward an empty space. He was petrified like that. The farmer, who told Nara the whereabouts of Iril, was also petrified like Nara. * * * ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± On her hat and shoulders, she was drenched in blood. Iril looked at the ground where the corpse was lying down. Her breathing was rough. ¡°Iril¡­ You¡­¡± Because it was winter, every time she panted, her breath came out visibly like smoke. Ryan vacantly stared at Iril. Ryan looked like about half of his soul was out of his body. He directed his gaze down to the dead body that was stepped on by Iril¡¯s feet. ¡°¡­¡± The dead body was silent. ¡°¡­ I am well aware.¡± It was not certain if Iril had calmed down. She started to mutter in low voice. ¡°I know at least that grandmother already had died. I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know that grandmother is a dead person. I¡­¡± Looking down at the dead body, she tightly held on to the sword. She bit her lips and tried to suppress her fury. ¡°I wish you could just die, but¡­¡± Iril was huffing and puffing. She slowly moved her eyes and looked at the old butler who was looking down at the dead body. ¡°¡­¡± The dead body could not speak humannguage. To be precise, Ian was looking at the dead body of a monster. With sorrowful eyes, Ian looked at Iril. She opened her mouth. ¡°If you died, then grandmother would be sad.¡± The opponent that Iril swung her sword like a lightning earlier was not Ian. Ian had a long journey here. He then had to duel against Ryan and then Iril right afterwards in a row. Ian was exhausted, and there was a monster behind Ian that was about to ambush him. This was the reason why Iril suddenly gritted her teeth and swung her sword. ¡°¡­ You are the Hero, aren¡¯t you?¡± Iril lowered her sword. With bitter look her face, she asked Ian. ¡°Before I saw your sword, I didn¡¯t notice it at all, but¡­ The one who was said to have be a Hero after cutting my grandmother, the Sword Witch¡­ You are that magnificent Hero, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian didn¡¯t answer. ¡°¡­ Please follow me. I¡¯ll introduce you to my grandmother.¡± Iril lowered her head all the way down and muttered that she would introduce Ian to her grandmother. Ryan extended his hand toward her. ¡°Iril¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry, Ryan. I think we will have to stop the test for a moment.¡± Thump¡­ Thump¡­ Iril was walking. Her steps werecking in strength. Watching her walk like this from the back, Ryan saw ck mist forming behind Iril. Ryan furrowed his brows. ¡°¡­ That is?¡± While Ryan was vacantly staring at the mist forming behind Iril, Ian, who was looking at Iril with bitter look on his face, suddenly crumpled his face and charged forward. ¡°¡­?¡± Because of Ian¡¯s sudden movement, Iril put on a question mark on her face, and red liquid was spread on her face once again. ¡®Huh?¡¯ An unidentified purple hand made of vapor didn¡¯t pierce through Iril¡¯s heart, its intended target. Instead, it pierced Ian¡¯s heart. Chapter 179 - The Sword Witch (5)

Chapter 179: The Sword Witch (5)

¡®What the¡­? Why?¡¯ Feeling the blood drops sttered on her face, by the hand encased in purple light that filled a part of her vision¡­Iril¡¯s thought process came to a sudden halt. ¡°This¡­ This is¡­ Why all of the sudden?¡± As if it was disappointed about missing its target, the hand fiddled with its fingers. Ian looked at the hand. Having managed to hold on to his consciousness, Ian muttered, ¡°As I thought, there are still¡­ remnants¡­¡± Blood was gushing out from Ian¡¯s pierced chest. He looked at Iril in front of him and struggled to talk. ¡°Please¡­ run.¡± Ian had a nk look on his face. It seemed that he was unable toprehend the situation. With a pale blue face, he started to open and close his mouth. ¡°Ah, ah ah¡­¡± Was it because Iril was not able to get a grip? Ian crumpled his face to stay conscious despite the pain. He pushed Iril away hard and said, ¡°The one¡­ that this hand is targeting is¡­ you. So¡­ please¡­ run away¡­ as far as you can¡­¡± Even after being pushed by Ian¡¯s hand, Iril was still petrified as if she hadn¡¯t snapped out of it yet. ¡°That is¡­ Just what are you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Young Master Ryan!¡± Ian concluded that he could not let this be. He quickly turned his head towards Ryan and shouted. Ryan also had his mouth vacantly open. Having heard the shouting, he flinched his shoulders. ¡°Take the youngdy to safety¡­¡± Even though Ian¡¯s chest had been pierced and was gushing out blood, he was still conscious and thinking hard to make the right decision. Watching this, Ryan realized why Ian was called a hero by the mercenaries. Ryan gritted his teeth and started to move his legs. ¡°Iril.¡± After getting a grip, Ryan came to Iril and started to pull her arm. ¡°G¡­ Gramps¡­ Gramps!¡± Iril started to struggle and extended her hand out desperately towards Ian. ¡°I¡­ Inaril¡­¡± Ian was holding on to the hand that had pierced his chest. Toward Iril who was being dragged away by Ryan, Ian said with great difficulty, ¡°To my¡­ To your master¡­ Please deliver this message for me.¡± Based on the sword and the response that the girl showed, Ian thought that the master who fell by his sword must be still alive. Ian pulled together his fleeing consciousness and said, ¡°Please tell her I am sorry.¡± Ryan, who was pulling Iril away, looked at the butler¡¯s face. ¡°Ian¡­¡± Considering the hand that had pierced his chest and the amount of blood loss, Ryan was sure that Ian definitely knew that this was going to be his death. However¡­Ian could not look more determined. ¡°¡­ Please tell her that¡­¡± Ian struggled to continue. ¡°¡­ I adored her.¡± The light in the butler¡¯s eyes was growing lifeless. Ryan bit his lips. He nodded and started to pull Iril away again. ¡°G¡­ Gramps! Let¡­ go! Gramps!¡± Iril was being pulled back. She shouted and struggled. ¡°My grandmother! He is the one who my grandmother longed to meet again for so long! I must bring him to her! I cannot let¡­ I cannot let it be like this!¡± ¡°Iril, we must go.¡± ¡°Instead of me¡­ That old man needs to be brought to grandmother! Let me go¡­ Let go! Ryan! Ryan!!¡± Ryan was born with exceptional muscr strength. With that, he earned the title of Strong-sword at the mansion. Iril was ahead of Ryan when it came to skills and fine movements. However, when it came to raw strength, Iril could not win against Ryan. ¡°We must leave!¡± Ryan shouted at Iril. It seemed the purple light hand realized that it missed the target. The hand started to move back. ¡°¡­ Kuuuhuuk.¡± Ian was desperately trying to hold on to the hand. Now, he faltered and got on his knees. ¡®Damn it. Just what kind of ability is this? Is it rted to dimensions? It takes physical form when it attacks and disappears like smoke when it isn¡¯t attacking? Is that a part of its abilities?¡¯ Back in Ian¡¯s prime, he had run into a few ¡®purple humans¡¯ with simr powers. Ian was shaking his eyes to desperately hold on to his consciousness that was bing fainter. ¡®It¡¯s dangerous. I must warn Young Master Ryan¡­ It will close the distance in an instant and target her again.¡¯ The purple space appeared behind Iril in a blink of an eye and the hand jumped out of it. Thinking about this, Ian raised his hand toward Iril and Ryan who were moving further away. ¡®If that youngdy is Inaril¡¯s¡­ my master¡¯s will¡­ No¡­ If she dies here, the tragedy might repeat.¡¯ To be precise, Ian was trying to reach for them with his arm. ¡°Huuuk. Huuuk¡­¡± Now, his vision had already gone dark. His body fell to a pool of his own blood. ¡®Am I¡­ going to die like this?¡¯ Perhaps it was the weather. Perhaps it was the winding into the hole in his chest. Ian thought it was getting cold. Before he died, he thought about Riley. ¡®¡­ It¡¯s cold.¡¯ Thinking about Riley who must be on a winter trip with Nainiae, Ian mumbled inside, ¡®Young Master, please watch out for¡­ cold.¡¯ He was going to think about the people from the mansion and other mercenaries he had met so far. However¡­Sadly, his dying wish would not continue to the end. ¡°¡­ Ian.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was because he could hear a voice. ¡®Am I hearing things?¡¯ In the utter darkness, the voice wasing from above. The voice sounded familiar. It was the voice of the youngest son of Count Stein in Iphalleta family. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Ian could clearly hear the voice. Ian figured the phantom voice before death must be extra special. He smiled and waited for the end. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Thatss is at the inn, right?¡± ¡°Yes, she is probably there.¡± The voice of Riley, the Young Master he had missed so much, was not the only voice Ian was hearing. Now, Ian could also hear Nainiae¡¯s voice. Ian was now thinking that the phantom voices were quite generous considering that he was on his way to death. The voices could be heard again through Ian¡¯s ears. ¡°Hurry and take this rascal there. He is still breathing. As long as you take him there, she should be able to save him. He is one tough rascal.¡± ¡°What about you, Young Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ian was smiling while facing death. The tilted-up tips of his mouth were bent the other way after sensing something terrifying. ¡°I will go find the one¡­¡± Ian¡¯s consciousness was faint because he was on brink of death. However, the sensation was enough to shock him awake. The deadly intent was so sharp that it felt like just breathing was enough to get one¡¯s neck cut. ¡°¡­The little bastard who did this to Ian¡­¡± The sound of a sword being drawn¡­ It was barely audible. The one responsible for the deadly aura said, ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to hunt down and beat the sheet out of the bastard.¡± * * * At a forest near the Rome Vige, a blind woman was tightly holding her staff and running through the grass. ¡®Iril!¡¯ As soon as she moved to the forest with Riley and Nainiae, she felt the smell of blood. Inaril tumbled and rushed to the direction. Now, she felt an evil energy not so far from here. She was chasing after it. ¡®Ryan!¡¯ As for the man who was copsed and bleeding, she had left him to Riley and Nainiae. To find her granddaughter and her pupil, she was rushing through the forest. Inaril quickly turned to the right. ¡®Someone is targeting me¡­ Who could it be?¡¯ Instead of the energy from her granddaughter or her pupil, Inaril was chasing after the energy from a sword that was simr to her own. She felt a presence that was catching up to her in fearsome speed. Inaril turned her head around. ¡®This is?!¡± Without any sound, a sword was flying toward her with mana. Inaril detected the sword. She stopped running and swung her staff on her right hand. ¡°¡­ Kuk.¡± Kwang! Because it contained mana, the sword¡¯s power was as deadly as its speed. When it collided with Inaril¡¯s staff, her body was pushed far back. ¡°I would like you to exin in detail what happened and what is happening.¡± Soon, from the direction that Inaril was facing, a low voice could be heard along with footsteps. ¡°The thing is, my butler almost died.¡± ¡°Mr. Riley.¡± Inaril realized it was Riley who threw the sword at her. She mumbled his name. ¡°Although I don¡¯t like bothersome things, I don¡¯t like my own people being messed with.¡± He drew another sword from his waist and aimed it at Inaril. Riley asked a question to Inaril. ¡°My butler was with your granddaughter and your pupil. Howe he is on the ground with a hole in his chest? I would like to definitely find out why.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you do it? Is that your specialty?¡± Having heard his question, Inaril was going to shake her head, but instead, she quickly twisted her upper body. ¡°¡­ Well then.¡± It was because another sword had been thrown toward her face. ¡°What is it? You better exin properly.¡± Riley had thrown two swords at her to threaten her to speak. The look on the man¡¯s face was cold as ice. ¡°Mr. Riley, what happened to your butler is very unfortunate. However, it probably wasn¡¯t my pupil or my granddaughter who did it.¡± Riley wiggled his eyebrows. ¡°Are you saying you did it then?¡± ¡°Please calm yourself. I was with you the whole time.¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you had a hand in it.¡± ¡°No.¡± Inaril shook her head once again and said, ¡°The purple humans that the Basilisk mentioned¡­How many of them did you say you have met so far?¡± Riley thought about the purple humans he met so far and said, ¡°Five.¡± ¡°In that case, you are one short of all six parts.¡± It seemed Inaril was well aware of the purple humans. Riley subdued his deadly aura toward her a little and heeded to what she had just exined. ¡°Please follow me. We don¡¯t have the time to do this here right now.¡± Inaril started to move. Riley retrieved the swords he had thrown at Inaril and followed her. ¡°Mr. Riley, of the purple humans you have met so far, how many did you finish off for good¡­What I mean is, how many did you incinerate?¡± Riley said, ¡°Two.¡± The dark mage Hurial who controls corpses and Kabal the mercenary with monstrous strength¡­ Riley had made certain of their deaths. He exined about the other purple humans. ¡°One bastard ran off. One became a fool. As for thest one, that one cannot be hunted down at the moment. That makes five.¡± Having heard his exnation, Inaril, who was pulling her chin and running, said in a low voice, ¡°That must be the Left Leg, the friend named Epidemic.¡± ¡°It looks like you know him well.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She paused for a moment and added, ¡°I am no longer a part of them, but I used to be one of the purple humans in the past.¡± Riley and Inaril were running side by side. With piercing gaze, Riley red at Inaril¡¯s face. ¡°Six parts¡­ Right Hand, Left Hand, Right Leg, Left Leg, Head, and Heart¡­ The people with special powers who appear to be purple in Basilisks¡¯ eyes were called by those names.¡± ¡°In that case¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I was the Right Hand.¡± Riley felt a presence in the front. He redirected his gaze to the front. ¡°Kuruk?¡± Along the path that they were running through, there was a monster with the face of hyena. It was lurking around with a il. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll handle this.¡± Although she could not see, it seemed that she could detect the smell or roar of beasts. She tightly grabbed the staff. She swung her right hand as soon as she closed the distance. ¡°Khe, Kuk! Kuuuu¡­ Kuk!¡± The monster revealed its animosity toward the two humans that were running toward it. It swung its il to smash the Inaril¡¯s head who was charging towards it. However, the il missed its target. It merely grazed the empty air. ¡°¡­?¡± While running with Inaril, Riley opened his eyes big after seeing Inaril demonstrating her swordsmanship. ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ Thump¡­ The monster¡¯s head fell. ¡°This was¡­ my ability as the Right Hand among the purple humans.¡± After cutting down the monster, Inaril started to run again. She said in a quiet voice, ¡°The Blessing of the Sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, the ce I lived must have beenpletely different from where you were, so the swordsmanship couldn¡¯t be identical down to the fine movements, but¡­ It is like the blessing that you have.¡± Chapter 180 - Salvation (1)

Chapter 180: Salvation (1)

A blessing much like the one he had received in his past life. Inaril said that she had the Blessing of the Sword. With a look of disbelief, Riley looked at her. ¡°That cannot be¡­ The Blessing of the Sword can only be possessed by just one person.¡± Inaril was dashing forward. Having heard Riley, Inaril pulled her chin and exined briefly why she also possessed the same blessing. ¡°We each lived in different worlds.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You are right. One person in the world where you used to live and one person in this world¡­ The Blessing of the Sword can only be possessed by one human.¡± Still unable to understand, Riley had a question mark on his face, remaining silent. Inaril added, ¡°I used to have the blessing¡­¡± Having heard that, Riley realized what she was getting at. Riley furrowed his brows and looked at her. ¡°The sword technique I just showed you is¡­ like a memory from when I had the blessing.¡± If everything was as she had stated, then after she died, nobody would possess the Blessing of the Sword. ¡°Considering how your voice sounds, you must have been born into this world not long after I died. It was¡­as intended by the ck Butterfly.¡± It seemed Inaril was aware of the ck Butterfly, the Goddess from Riley¡¯s past life that Nainiae had met in his dreams. Getting a rough idea of what was happening, Riley nodded. ¡°When you died and I was born, the Blessing of the Sword was returned to me¡­ Is that what you are trying to say?¡± Inaril nodded. ¡°It is a guess, but that¡¯s probably right. Young Master, as you said earlier, the blessing can be possessed by only one person in the world. It is an ability from the World Below.¡± The World Below¡­It looked like Inaril also knew about a few things regarding his past life. Riley casually asked, ¡°It looks like you know about certain things very well?¡± ¡°Yes¡­it is also the reason why I¡¯m still alive. The one who enable me to move gave me an order along with an exnation that you wille and find me.¡± ¡°An order?¡± ¡°The Holy Sword¡­¡± Inaril muttered the words ¡®Holy Sword¡¯. She paused for a moment and finished what she could not earlier. ¡°Deliver the Salvation to you. That is the order I was given.¡± ¡°Salvation? Were you the one who possessed it? Still, that sword doesn¡¯t exist in this world¡­¡± ¡°The power from your past world is killing the people of this world. There is nothing to be surprised about a sword from your past world existing in this one.¡± Inaril stopped walking. She looked around and turned to the right. ¡°This way!¡± Following Inaril, he found what appeared to be a trace of someone having passed through the grass. He found more traces and furrowed his brows. ¡®This is¡­?¡¯ He saw a few trees that were pulled out in a mess. He caught up to Inaril and said, ¡°About the one you call as your pupil¡­I don¡¯t know who she is, but I think her situation is quite dire. We should hurry.¡± Unlike the path earlier, this area had many obstacles, so Inaril was not able to run as well as before. Riley extended his arm out and held Inaril by her waist. ¡°Go straight in this direction?¡± ¡°Yes, she is continuing to move. She is probably running.¡± ¡°From what?¡± Being held by Riley, Inaril felt the wind on her face. She said, ¡°Mr. Riley, you said earlier that three of the purple humans are still alive, right?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°By any chance, is a figure named Rebethra, among them? The man who is in charge of being the Heart.¡± Riley thought about the mysterious arm that hade through the dimensional space and had taken the Archbishop away. He confirmed that Rebethra was among the ones who were still alive. ¡°It is likely to be him.¡± ¡°That bastard?¡± ¡°He must be after the Salvation.¡± She was saying the Salvation, his Holy Sword, was being targeted. Since a while ago, the jolting sensation in his palm refused to stop. Riley looked at his palm and started to pour in mana into his legs. * * * ¡°¡­ Ugh, Ugh!¡± Inside the forest, Ryan took a quick look behind him to see that the ck space was gradually closing the distance from the back. Ryan gritted his teeth and started to pour in mana into his legs. ¡°Damn it¡­ Damn it¡­¡± He held Iril on his waist. He thought that running away might be easier if Iril snapped out of it. However, Iril bit her lower lips with tears in her eyes. She was unable to get a grip. ¡°If I¡­ If I died instead¡­¡± Iril was mumbling that she wished she had died instead of the old butler. Ryan looked at Iril. It seemed that Ryan had reached the limit of his endurance. He hid behind arge tree and gasped for air, panting. ¡®Just what is that thing?¡¯ It was not like the chaser had eyes. It was a ck space floating in the air. It asionally had a hand jumping out of it. This monstrous object was¡­ing toward their direction. It was precisely targeting Iril. ¡®It won¡¯t cut with a sword either.¡¯ Ryan¡¯s sword had passed through the bizarre object. Meanwhile, as it was closing in with a violent intensity, the object tore off and stumped the grass and trees along its path. ¡®Am I seeing things? If that¡¯s not the case¡­I don¡¯t feel any mana from it, so how could it do all that?¡¯ Leaning on the tree, Ryan was trying to catch his breath. Tranquility came to the forest. Wondering why it was so quiet all of the sudden, he slowly peeked out from the side of the tree. ¡®What the?¡¯ The ck space that was flying through the air to chase them until a moment ago, the ck hand¡­ had disappeared without a trace. ¡®It disappeared?¡¯ Ryan wondered if everything that he had seen so far was just him hallucinating. Also, he thought that maybe he was dreaming. However, he could hear a sound. It sounded like something was being grinded. ¡°¡­¡± Crunch, crunch¡­ Holding his breath, he focused on the sound. He realized that the sound wasing from the tree that he was leaning on. ¡°A squirrel?¡± Perhaps it was a bug instead. Ryan thought about what could make such a grinding noise through the tree. He suddenly opened his eyes big and pulled Iril. Crack! Soon, therge tree developed a crack. Through the crack, arge purple light hand appeared and chased after Iril. ¡®Damn it. I wasn¡¯t hallucinating!¡¯ It killed Ian. It destroyed the tree. It was chasing after them. Ryan realized that the ck hand over there was not an illusion and he wasn¡¯t dreaming. He put his hand on the sword on his waist. Wheeec! Containing mana, the sword was swung at the ck hand which hade very close to them. However, the ck hand didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Kuk. Damn it! Iril! We can¡¯t continue like this. It is too much to run while holding onto you! Get a grip and run with me! Or if you are going to have that vacant look on your face¡­¡± Taking a few steps back, he tried to convince Iril to run. However, he found Iril¡¯s enraged face. She was biting her lips. Ryan stopped what he was going to say. ¡°It¡¯s because of that bastard¡­ isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That bastard killed the one who my grandmother was longing for.¡± Iril pressed down on her hat with her right hand. She put her hand toward the other sword wrapped in bandages that Ryan had been carrying separately. ¡°I¡¯ll avenge him¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ Iril?¡± ¡°Instead of my grandmother, I will!¡± The sword was not tightly wrapped in the bandages. Iril swung the sword in arge motion and unwrapped the bandages. Toward the hand that came right up to her face, she swung the sword toward it. ¡°Iril, no! That hand won¡¯t!¡± As Ryan feared, the sword she swung was unable to make an impact on the ck hand, just like the time when Ryan tried it before with his sword. Iril¡¯s swing went through the empty air. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Ryan was watching Iril from the back. Thinking he could not let this continue, he extended his hand toward her. It was to pull her away from there somehow and protect her from the ck hand¡¯s reach. ¡®If she dies like this, then I won¡¯t be able to face Ian.¡¯ Ryan thought about Ian¡¯s face just before he died. Ian had begged Ryan to protect Iril. Ryan was able to grab onto Iril and pull her. However¡­He realized that there was a bigger problem now. ¡®What the¡­¡¯ Another ck space had appeared behind Ryan and another ck hand jumped out of it. ¡®¡­ Is this the end for us?¡¯ More than death itself, Ryan regretted not being able to carry out Ian¡¯s dying wish. Ryan tightly closed his eyes. ¡®I feel like I can understand a little about what the master told me.¡¯ Inaril once asked Ryan if he had ever suffered the desperation of not being able to protect someone. Ryan thought about her words. However, he could hear someone¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not how you use the sword.¡± ¡°¡­ We will handle it from here.¡± Ryan suddenly opened his eyes big. ¡°Uk?!¡± Giiiiiiiiiic Along with the sound of someone¡¯s feet dragging on the ground, Ryan and Iril¡¯s bodies were spun around once and raised up to the sky. The woman with blinds pierced Ryan¡¯s arm sleeve and Iril¡¯s clothes with her staff to hang them on her staff. She swung her arm in arge motion to send them flying to the sky. Afterwards, the woman took a stance. ¡°M¡­ Master?¡± ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± Ryan and Iril saw the woman who had appeared at the scene and sobbed. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps because the objects didn¡¯t have eyes, the two ck hands were unaware of the fact that Iril and Ryan were gone. The hands were charging in. Now, their target had been changed to the blind woman. ¡®Now there are two.¡¯ Just like the ck hands, Inaril could not see. However, she had the senses that allowed her to feel the energies from the hands. ¡®Salvation¡­¡¯ Inaril turned her face toward the sword that Iril dropped. She raised her right arm. Pac! The sword was under Inaril¡¯s feet. With that sound, the sword was stuck on her palm. ¡°Master! Be careful! Those hands! They are bizarre ones that dematerializes when attacked!¡± Ryan shouted as he fell back down to the ground. Inaril nodded as if she understood. ¡®Will it work? Like before?¡¯ She ced the staff behind her back. With the sword close to her chest, Inaril seemed to be calm her breathing for a moment. She tried swinging the sword in her hand. It was like a dance. ¡®¡­ As I thought, it is not working.¡¯ Cutting through the wind, the sword was swung in clean motions. However, unfortunately, it seemed that it was not possible to stop the ck hands that wereing toward her. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Even his master¡¯s sword was not able to cut the ck hands. Feeling like there was nothing left now, Ryan vacantly opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ Please take it. It seems to be longing for its original owner. The sword is probably wishing that it wasn¡¯t being held by an old woman.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Grandmother?¡± Inaril was saying things that didn¡¯t make much sense. Ryan and Iril floated question marks on their faces. ¡°¡­ No. It¡¯s not that there is anything wrong with you. This bastard only cares about the blessing. Do you think it cares about the person who wields it? It¡¯s been sitting around and grew fat¡­It looks like a young master who grew up the wrong way?¡± Ryan realized that there was another voice besides his master¡¯s voice in the mix. Ryan flinched his shoulders. ¡®Wait. This voice¡­ I have heard it somewhere?¡¯ Ryan had no idea when he showed up. Without any presence, he had just shown up out of the blue next to Inaril. The man haphazardly nced at the ck hands and grabbed hold of the sword that Inaril handed to him. ¡°That¡¯s an interesting analogy. Still, it must be a treasured sword that has spent a lifetime with you¡­ Why don¡¯t you say something after being reunited with it?¡± The ck hands, which had trampled over even huge ancient trees, were right in front of his face. However, the boy and the blind woman could not look more leisurely. It was as if they were on a pic. ¡°Say something after being reunited with it¡­¡± In a respectful stance, as if she was serving a king or a god, Inaril ced the sword on her two hands and handed it to Riley. Ryan had never seen anyone being so respectful and proper. He moved his gaze. ¡°¡­ I am so sick of it.¡± The one who received the sword from Inaril was the youngest son of the Iphalleta Family who Ryan knew very well. Chapter 181 - Salvation (2)

Chapter 181: Salvation (2)

¡®Riley?¡¯ Riley that Ryan knew was the kind of person who refused to leave the library during the winter and stayed right next to the firece and cocoa. However, Riley was in the forest near Rome Vige. Ryan couldn¡¯t figure out why Riley was here. ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ Before Ryan had the time to think about it some more, Riley tried swinging the sword left to right. He snorted through his nose and looked at its old edge. ¡°I really am so sick of it.¡± It truly had been a long time. He was wielding the sword only after dying and being revived. He peeked a smile and looked at the ck hands that wereing toward him. ¡°Step back for a moment.¡± Inaril had taken a knee to the ground in a respectful pose. Having heard his voice from above, she nodded lightly and got up. ¡°I delivered the sword to the sessor.¡± ¡°All right. I said I got it.¡± Wielding the sword, he swung his shoulder as he responded and Inaril suddenly disappeared as if she had suddenly sunk to the ground. ¡°¡­ Master.¡± ¡°¡­ Grandmother.¡± After being thrown to the sky, Iril and Ryannded on the ground. They were trying to find where Inaril went. They felt a presence behind themselves, so they turned their heads. ¡°Both of you watch carefully.¡± To her granddaughter and the pupil she had taken in not long ago, Inaril told them to watch the boy who was swinging the sword. She turned her face toward the boy and added, ¡°He is the master of the sword.¡± ¡°The master¡­of the sword?¡± ¡°Riley is?¡± It looked like her pupil knew who Riley was. Inaril tilted her head to the side for a moment. However, she was not able to ask him if he knew Riley well. ¡°Ah.¡± Suddenly, mes started to catch onto the bandages that wrapped the sword. ¡°mes on the sword¡­¡± Inaril was not able to see this. Instead, Iril watched the bandages burning up in mes. She muttered with a look of disbelief. Wharurururu Ryan also vacantly stared at the sword burning up in mes. Now, the bandages were allpletely gone. They had be dust. Ryan finally got a grip and looked at Riley. ¡°The bandages are gone¡­¡± Now, there were just the de edge and the handle on the sword. Iril observed the sword, snapped out of her shock and looked at Riley. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know who you are trying to please, but¡­¡± After burning away the bandages by setting his sword in mes, Riley swung the sword at the ck hand that was almost right in front of his face. ¡®W¡­ What the¡­?¡¯ It was literally in a blink of an eye. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ Riley looked like he was still standing in the same spot. His clothes waved lightly in the air. It felt like a sharp light had just swept through the area. That was all that others could feel. ¡°The arm¡­ is cut off.¡± The ck hands were unstoppable. So far, it didn¡¯t matter how they swung their swords at it. However, this time, without any sound, a thin line was drawn on the ck arm and the cut off part fell to the ground. ¡®It¡¯s working!¡¯ Until now, cutting it or trying to deal blunt damage to it only resulted in a sensation of passing through the empty air. This time the ck hand had been cut in half by Riley¡¯s sword and fell to the ground. Iril and Ryan saw a glimmer of hope. With hope in their eyes, they started to follow Riley¡¯s movements. Not as a girl and a young man, but as swordsmen¡­ their desire to witness and remember Riley¡¯s movement was more important than everything else. ¡°¡­¡± Again, Riley swung the sword. He was trying to cut down the other ck hand that wasing from the back. Whal¡­ whal¡­ Even after all bandages had burned away, the sword was still burning in white mes. The swing of the sword looked like a g was flowing through the air. The sword grazed past the second ck hand. ¡°Ah.¡± It seemed Iril and Ryan were not able to follow his movements again. They just had their mouth open vacantly. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Now, both the ck hands were on the ground. Riley clicked his tongue big time all of the sudden and quickly turned his body around. Dragging the tip of his foot on the ground, he made a circle with it and swung the sword at the ck space that was still floating next to him. ¡®I cut the ck hand with Salvation and yet this ck space is still here. It means it is not over yet.¡¯ Riley generated a quick, swift and powerful whirlwind with the sword to push the two ck spaces near to him. He then promptly moved his legs and moved to where Inaril and others were. ¡®If these things were connected to the owners of the hands, there should have been a flinching reaction when the arms were cut off. There was not even the slightest reaction. That means these things do not have the ability to connect the hands to their owners¡­They must be controlled by someone else.¡¯ Riley was standing in front of Inaril and the other two. He looked at the ck spaces which came together to form a bigger space. Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡®Theybined, but the ck space is still smaller than the one I had seen in Lower Solia. It might be possible for more small ck spaces to open nearby. It is just that¡­¡¯ The Holy Sword was already in Riley¡¯s possession. It was correct to assume the party responsible for controlling the ck spaces and the hands was unable to achieve their initial objective. ¡®He failed to achieve his objective and yet these things are still here. There are two possibilities.¡¯ They could be staying here to kill Riley who had taken possession of the Holy Sword. The other possibility was that they were here to aplish a goal separate from the Holy Sword. ¡®¡­As I thought!¡¯ Riley felt an energy from behind. He opened his eyes big and turned his head around. Inaril quickly turned her head around the same time. ¡°Uuuuk?¡± ¡°Kiiiaaaak?!¡± Inaril quickly tripped off her granddaughter and her pupil to get them to fall over. Inaril twisted her upper body in arge motion. ¡®Even if I add the other ck space that has just appeared in the mix, it would be still smaller than thest time.¡¯ Riley projected that a few more spaces would appear. He cut off the third ck hand with the sword and brought his hand to his waist. ¡°You are using dirty tricks, Rebethra.¡± Having confirmed her pupils¡¯ safety, Inaril faced the ck space and spoke. Through the ck spaces, a resonating voice could be heard. ¡°¡­ No.¡± Inaril pulled her chin. It seemed that she was expecting a response. Toward the man beyond the ck space who must be infuriated about now, Inaril said she will rectify his misjudgment. ¡°I merely chose the right path.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Inaril kept her silence. The one beyond the ck space poured out curses at Inaril and used his ability on Iril who was on the ground with sharpened eyes. ¡®Again!¡¯ Another ck space was forming in front of them. While on the ground, Iril held her breath and became petrified. ¡°Ah, by the way, this bastard¡­¡± Whoooooc Wind blew at Iril¡¯s face. ¡°¡­ is still not trying to save his own ass yet. He must be confident?¡± It was Riley. <¡­ Uuuk?> Shooooc Again, the sword engulfed in white me was swung. The ck hand that charged toward Iril was cut off clean. ¡°Last time, you poked at my nerves, so I had a hard time for a while. You could not have been the one to yap all that directly¡­Who was the runt?¡± In an instant, Riley cut off fifth and sixth ck hands that appeared shortly afterwards. He predicted where the next ck space was going to appear. He quickly turned his head toward the direction. After that, Riley neutralized the seventh and eighth spaces with sword throws before they could do anything. Riley gritted his teeth and said, ¡°About me getting hit that one time¡­ All right! I just need to think of it as stepping on a poo. All I need to do is clean it off. However¡­¡± Riley thought about his precious butler who was lying on the ground, drenched in blood. Riley¡¯s face twitched with deadly intent. He continued to talk to the one beyond the ck space. ¡°I cannot stand my people being messed with.¡± It seemed that Riley still had not found out about Ryan being there. Riley was grinding his teeth toward someone beyond the space. Ryan held his breath. ¡®Have you ever fought to protect someone?¡¯ Ryan was not sure if Riley was the very definition of that but he was certain that Riley was fighting with the heart to protect someone. ¡°¡­¡± Iril was also holding her breath. ¡°I¡¯ll make you pay dearly for making a hole in Ian¡¯s chest.¡± Iril was overwhelmed by Riley¡¯s deadly aura. However, she was also thinking about the old man who had his chest pierced because of her. This was why she was holding her breath. ¡°¡­ Ian?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s words, Inaril¡¯s lips trembled as she said Ian¡¯s name. ¡°Did you just say¡­Ian?¡± Riley was huffing and puffing at the one who was controlling the ck hands by opening the ck spaces. He turned his head and looked at Inaril. Below Inaril¡¯s blind, a teardrop rolled down. The teardrop followed down along her chin and fell down. It wet the forehead of Inaril¡¯s granddaughter who was vacantly sitting there. ¡°Ian¡­ why is Ian¡­¡± ¡°Grandmother¡­¡± Not sure what to do, Iril¡¯s lips trembled. She thought she should tell Inaril what happened. She held back her own tears. ¡°Grandmother, the truth is¡­ Because of me¡­ he¡­¡± Because of her, the butler named Ian, the Hero that her grandmother had been looking for, was dead. Iril was going to exin all that. However, Iril heard someone¡¯s voice. It sounded like the voice was running out of breath. ¡°¡­ Young Master!!¡± Iril turned her head towards the direction of the voice. There, she found a girl who she had ran into before, recently. Iril opened her eyes big. ¡®Huh?¡¯ The girl was wearing a maid uniform. It seemed she had gotten there through teleportation. There was a dimensional portal open which was swirling in shape. ¡°Red Dragon¡­Andal?¡± ¡°What?¡± Ryan knew who that maid was. Surprised, he opened his eyes big. He looked at Iril and tilted his head to the side. ¡°That big sis¡­ I definitely¡­ She was the one who used magic on Andal¡¯s Mountain¡­¡± Iril was muttering that Nainiae was a dragon. Ryan, still with his eyes open wide, looked at the maid who had just appeared at the scene. ¡®Wait, now that I think about it¡­ She is a Seven Circles mage at that age? Something is off?¡¯ The maid girl didn¡¯t notice Iril and Ryan staring at her. She bowed toward the master she served and took one step to the side. ¡°Mr. Ian is all right.¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± Iril¡¯s eyes shook wildly. ¡°Fortunately, it was not toote.¡± After the girl stepped aside, an old man with herbs on his chest was walking forward while being supported by someone. ¡°Ugh. Ugh¡­ Young Master!¡± ¡°Ian¡­¡± It seemed that Riley had been worried all along. With a vacant look on his face, Riley stared at Ian. Sighing in relief, Riley looked angry. ¡°You really¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m sorry. Again, I ended up¡­causing problems!¡± In a loud voice, Ian shouted his apology. Riley stared at Ian. As if he had seen enough, Riley sighed and shrugged. ¡°Do you feel like living?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Then that¡¯s good enough.¡± Riley stared at Nainiae. He had a look that questioned why Nainiae had brought Ian here. Nainiae lightly lowered her head and exined, ¡°That is¡­ Mr. Ian¡­ insisted that he muste here¡­ So, as soon as Ms. Priesia¡¯s treatment wasplete, we came here.¡± Having heard the exnation, Riley looked at Priesia who was supporting Ian. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He made it past the difficult part. Perhaps because his fundamental constitution is so strong, he recovered quickly even with a little bit of prayer.¡± Priesia lifted her shoulder and told Riley that he could rx. It seemed that Riley was finally relieved. He sighed and moved his gaze toward Inaril who was standing next to him. ¡°¡­ Ian?¡± Inaril carefully tried calling out his name. ¡°¡­¡± Ian was looking at Riley. He turned his gaze to the side and looked at the blind woman with light purple hair. ¡°Master?¡± His voice was full of longing. ¡°I¡­ Is it really you, Ian?¡± ¡°The blind¡­ You are still wearing it.¡± ¡°Ian¡­¡± They were reunited after several decades. It seemed they were being ovee with emotions. Inaril¡¯s voice was choking as she called out his name. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what the situation is here, but¡­¡± The emotional reuniting scene continued. At that moment, an emotionless voice could be heard that shattered the mood. ¡°I would like you to postpone it for ater time.¡± It was Riley. ¡°Nainiae, wrap this up.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master.¡± She waved her right hand and formed an istion barrier. At the same time, she collected the people who were separated in two groups to one safe location. She opened a dimensional space behind her and brought out the swords that Riley had been using. ¡°Ian is safe, so that¡¯s that.¡± There were several dozens of ck spaces. Riley was standing in the middle of them. He spun his Holy Sword, the Salvation, fixed his grip on the handle and said to the man who must be listening from beyond the space. ¡°As for the rest that should be done, they should be done.¡± It seemed the sword was responding to the owner¡¯s will. The Holy Sword named the Salvation started to grow the size of the me on its edges. Chapter 182 - Salvation (3)

Chapter 182: Salvation (3)

¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that right?¡± Lightly swinging the sword that was on fire, Riley asked. However, no response could be heard from the ck space, which only had a cut off arming out from it. ¡°All right. Don¡¯t bother responding¡­For now that is.¡± Riley causally rolled his eyes and looked at Nainiae. With his nce, he gave her a different order. He then cut off another ck hand that wasing from behind. ¡°We might as well talk face to face, so¡­¡± Although it looked like Riley had his feet nted on the ground, his body slid forward. The group who was watching this opened their eyes wide. ¡®That is Riley?¡¯ His speed was so incredible that Ryan could barely follow Riley¡¯s afterimages. He thought he knew Riley well, but now, Ryan felt like he had just gotten struck by a hammer on his head. He had a vacant look on his face. ¡®This is unbelievable.¡¯ With the group behind him, Riley was cutting off every ck hand that wasing toward them and burned them with the white mes. Before he realized, Nainiae came to stand next to Riley through teleportation. Riley muttered toward Nainiae, ¡°Will it be possible?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t know for certain until I try.¡± Having noticed Nainiae suddenly appearing next to Riley, Iril rubbed her eyes and checked where Nainiae was standing only a moment ago. ¡®W¡­ When?¡¯ She could only figure that Nainiae must have used magic. Iril thought, ¡®As I thought¡­ She is a dragon.¡¯ Nainiae was a beautiful girl, but Iril thought Nainiae must be Andal the dragon who she had run into on Andal¡¯s mountain. She gulped and looked at Riley who was with Nainiae. ¡®In that case, who is he?¡¯ The boy appeared to be three to four years older than her. He was swinging her grandmother¡¯s sword. Iril¡¯s eyes were gleaming as if she was mesmerized. ¡®He could be a dragon, or someone who can handle a dragon?¡¯ Ian also looked surprised, not so different from Ryan or Iril. Ian was blinking his eyes. However¡­He was not sobbing or seriously agitated. He looked calm. He narrowed his wide open eyes and watched Riley¡¯s movements and Nainiae supporting Riley. That¡¯s all he did. ¡®Young Master¡­¡± Just like how he wrote in his journal once, just like he expected, spected¡­ the Young Master of a certain Count family that he served was swing the sword in a way that was more magnificent than Ian had ever expected. ¡®Does that one make the total count 20?¡¯ Riley thought about how many ck hands he had cut down so far and mumbled. There were 27 ck spaces. Initially, there was just one ck space with an arm. Now, there had increased to 27. ¡®I think it was about this much.¡¯ Riley estimated that the one responsible for these ck spaces must be running out. Nainiae was supporting Riley from the back by shooting magic to keep the hands in check. Riley signaled Nainiae with his eyes. ¡®I¡¯ll try it.¡¯ Nainiae read Riley¡¯s eyes, lightly nodded and swung her right hand. ¡°Huh?¡± Because Nainiae was speaking in Dragon¡¯snguage that she had learned from Andal, as Iril watched Nainiae floating several rounds of mes in the air, she opened her eyes big and said, ¡°That is¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t the mes that made her mutter. It was the ck spaces. They were disappearing one after the other. ¡°It¡¯s done. All 27 of them¡­¡± Nainiae had a serious look on her face. It seemed that she had just used another magic. Nainiae put forth her right arm toward the direction where Riley was looking at and said, ¡°I gathered them all.¡± <¡­ What?> Having heard Nainiae, the one beyond the ck space realized that something was off. He sounded like he was panicking. ¡°It looks like you never ran into any mage who could do this.¡± Nainiae asked the question to the one beyond the space and started to exin what it was that she had just done. ¡°It¡¯s dimensional distortion.¡± Looking at the ck spaces that wereing together, she exined that shepiled all ck spaces that were scattered about by folding and opening spaces. ¡°Well, I guess you would not know about it. Magic did not exist in the world that Young Master came from¡­¡± Even in this world where magic did exist, there probably wasn¡¯t any other human mage who could manipte space. The scattered spaces started toe together as if they were drawn to each other like mas. Before the voice had echoed throughout the area because it hade through multiple sources from the scattered spaces. Now, the spaces had been collected into one and the echo had been subdued quite a bit. Riley didn¡¯t give a damn about what the voice said. He just observed the size of the space that wasbining. When itpletelybined, Riley was certain that the size was identical to the one he had seen in Lower Solia. Riley tightened his grip on the sword. ¡°Come out.¡± Riley spoke to the one beyond the space. ¡°I saide out.¡± It seemed Riley¡¯s provocation worked. The ck arms that had been cut off by his sword earlier all twitched around like earth-worms. They also started tobine into one like the ck space. With lightning sparks, the handsbined into one. It was the same hand that had smacked Riley in Lower Soliast time. ¡°It is your master who does not know.¡± The hand in front of him was the one he had seenst time. However, the voice was not. Riley narrowed his eyes and to get information out of him, said ¡°About the leader of the bastard that you serve¡­ I¡¯m certain I squashed him like a bug beforeing here? Is a fox pretending to be the tiger of a cave that¡¯s missing its original master?¡± Riley thought about the Demon Lord that he had ended by making him fall to the ground after a life long struggle in his past life. He thought about who could be causing this ruckus from the other world. ¡°I must admit that it was my mistake to not clean up the restpletely. I assumed everything would have been solved if I just killed the Demon Lord.¡± It seemed the one behind the space was agitated to hear this. The ck hand, which was exuding a violent energy, flinched. ¡°Now that I think about it, thatss Reutrina¡­ Was her power being able to read people¡¯s mind? I heard that she is the Head? I¡¯m certain?¡± At the Duke Philisneon family¡¯s mansion, when Riley was having nightmares during the long winter hibernation, Reutrina had peaked at his memories. Now¡­ Reutrina had be a fool. ¡°After peaking on my memories¡­ What do you think happened to her?¡± ¡°You know what happened to her, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m sure you checked.¡± The ck hand stopped moving. Riley took a step forward and continued to ask. ¡°The bastard who is controlling you all from behind¡­ What¡¯s the bastard¡¯s name? There must be a proper name, right? I¡¯m sure you are not just worshiping this bastard because of the power.¡± Riley figured that the Demon Lord that he defeated was not the type to do this kind of thing, so¡­ Riley was certain it could not be the Demon Lord who was behind this. He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°Is it Agara? Wiciel? If not, is it Kdiac? Nemoph? Is it one of those bastards? If not, then who is it?¡± Riley listed the names of demons he knew from his past life. Inaril, who was standing outside the istion barrier, answered the question. ¡°The name is Helena.¡± Riley opened his eyes big and red at Inaril. ¡°¡­ What?¡± ¡°Helena is the name of the being who was captured and enticed into six beings from this world to do her bidding as the Six Parts. She granted them the abilities. She is the one who is trying to reveal the world below to this side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was ring at where Inaril was with a piercing gaze. The one beyond the space started to curse at Inaril with a voice full of fury. The ck hand was overwhelmed by Riley¡¯s deadly aura. However, it quickly turned its direction and extended toward Inaril. However¡­ it was blocked by the istion barrier that Nainiae engaged. After that, the hand was cut off in half by Riley¡¯s sword. ¡°Young Master, Helena is¡­¡± Nainiae was standing next to Riley to support him. With a concerned look, Nainiae looked at Riley. ¡®Only the Brave Hero can. This world¡­ please save this world.¡¯ The name of the Priestess who asked Riley to save the world in his past life was none other than Helena. ¡°Helena¡­¡± Riley pulled his chin and gritted his teeth as he muttered the name. The one beyond the ck space thought Riley had let his guard down. The one beyond the space finally revealed himself. ¡°Now that it hase to this¡­¡± The one who came out from the ck space was a handsome young boy with blonde hair. ¡°I, Rebethra shall judge you all for the great one¡¯s sake and wash away the disgrace created up to this point.¡± The boy called himself Rebethra. It was not just Riley and Nainiae who were shocked. Ian and Priesia who were watching this from outside the istion barrier also opened their eyes big. ¡°That¡¯s ¡­Rebethra?¡± ¡°Howe Rebethra is¡­?¡± He was supposed to be an old man with old white hair and long beard who worked as the Archbishop of the Holy Temple. However¡­ for some reason, he was now a handsome boy with blonde hair. ¡°Really¡­¡± Priesia already had her eyes turned to golden color. She was looking into the area inside the istion barrier. Having confirmed that this was true, she muttered vacantly. ¡°That¡¯s¡­! He is really Rebethra!¡± Iril and Ryan were shocked. They turned to look at Priesia who shouted from the back. ¡®Why is the Priestess here? Now that I think about it, isn¡¯t Rebethra¡­ the one who is the Archbishop of the Holy Temple?¡¯ Ryan remembered the Archbishop who hade to the mansion as Riley¡¯s guest. The situation was unfolding with surprise after surprise. In disbelief, he was not able to close his mouth. ¡®Riley¡­ just who¡­¡¯ Riley still didn¡¯t notice Ryan. Riley was ring at Rebethra with a piercing gaze. Rebethra was still walking out of the space. Riley muttered quietly, ¡°Helena¡­¡± Nainiae watched him mutter. She soon felt the deadly aura that was making her skin feel like it was getting burned. She held her breath. Riley must be enraged. Nainiae was well aware what kind of hardship Riley had been subjected to in his past life. Nainiae could tell how Riley must have been feeling. She bit her lips and took a step back. ¡°Young Master Riley, please excuse me for everything so far. I only intended to take that corpse b*tch¡¯s right hand, but it seems that now you know our great one¡¯s name¡­ So, I have things I would like to ask you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think I might have to resort to more regrettable actions. Well, if you answer willingly, then I won¡¯t have to go that far.¡± The blonde boy opened his arms wide and walked toward Riley. The boy¡¯s refreshing smile felt like it could make anyone who saw it feel at ease and feel safe. ¡°All right.¡± However, it didn¡¯t seem to work on Riley. ¡°I now have a few things I would like to ask.¡± As he said those words, Nainiae, who was standing behind Riley, used telekinesis to ce a spare sword on his waist. It was the sword had she brought out of the dimensional space earlier. She lowered her head and asked, ¡°Shall I step back?¡± ¡°No.¡± Riley took a short breath to maintain hisposure and told Nainiae, ¡°It will end quickly anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra was smiling with his eyes. Now, with narrowly open eyes, he stared at Riley and Nainiae. ¡°You make sure that bastard doesn¡¯t run off with his ass.¡± Concerned that Rebethra might escape, Riley stared at him, even forgetting to blink. Riley quietly said, ¡°Watch him carefully.¡± Nainiae would have swung her sword in fury if she was in Riley¡¯s position. Instead, Riley was calmly trying to get information out of the opponent. Nainiae was impressed. She nodded to respond. ¡°That bastard¡¯s memory, clues about Helena, reason for looking rejuvenated and everything else¡­ even his soul¡­ I need to shake him downpletely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make sure he isn¡¯t dead. I¡¯ll be careful so that he will be left barely alive and breathing, so¡­ Have Priesia ready toe too.¡± Riley was saying all that while tightly gritting his teeth. Having heard the voice, Nainiae wondered if she should take back her thought about feeling impressed earlier at Riley¡¯sposure. She nodded again. ¡°¡­ Yes. Chapter 183 - Salvation (4)

Chapter 183: Salvation (4)

After ordering Nainiae to watch the bastard to make sure he does not escape, Riley made the me on his sword to burn more intensely and said, ¡°Wow¡­ Your rejuvenated self looks great?¡± As the Archbishop of the Holy Temple, Rebethra had eye catching white beard in the past. Remembering this, Riley observed Rebethra who hadn¡¯t just gotten a little younger but hadpletely reverted to being a child. Riley asked him, ¡°What¡¯s your secret?¡± ¡°It¡¯s thanks to the great one. I was reborn.¡± It seemed that he was trying to pay respect to the one he served. He lowered his head a little and praised the being he served. Noticing his response, Riley¡¯s eyebrows flinched. ¡°Wow¡­ I never knew.¡± Rebethra walked toward Riley. Riley was facing him. While suppressing his anger, Riley asked as if he was patronizing Rebethra, ¡°I never knew that the b*tch was¡­ also an expert in stic surgery.¡± ¡°stic¡­ surgery?¡± It seemed Rebethra didn¡¯t know what that was. He tilted his head to the side. As if he was trying to say never mind, Riley shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Even if you knew what it meant, you will just yell at me saying I spoke ill of your great one or whatever. It would be better for you to not know what it means.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra narrowed his eyes to say that he did not like what Riley just said. Of the two arms he had open wide, he lightly closed his right hand. ¡°¡­ No. Wait.¡± Kwang! It sounded like something had been shot. Phang! Sounds of explosions in the air repeated. ¡°Did you think I was just sitting around because I didn¡¯t expect you to try pulling off a sneak attack?¡± Kwang! Again, it sounded like something wasunched from behind Rebethra. Phang! Again, from the sword that Riley swung, what sounded like a balloon pop could be heard repeatedly. ¡°Tsk¡­¡± Having realized that his surprise attack had failed, Rebethra clicked his tongue. Instead of using one at a time, this time, he used the ability to generate multiple of them to pour down at Riley. To drawparison to the magic of this world, it was like a magic arrow, which was a basic magic. However¡­There were a lot of them and one thing unique was that they were invisible. ¡°You think increasing the number a bit is going to make a difference?¡± Riley asked lightly. Surrounding Riley, the sounds of things being shot and popping explosions continued. ¡®How did he figure it out? Is it not some ordinary senses?¡¯ Rebethra could not understand how Riley noticed his ability, which is supposed to be invisible to naked eyes. Rebethra looked at the sword with white me that was on Riley¡¯s hand. ¡®Is it because of the sword?¡¯ In the past, Inaril, the Right Hand, had this bandage wrapped sword hidden. Now¡­ in Riley¡¯s hand, it was exuding white me for some reason and showing off how majestic and brilliant the sword looked. ¡®When the great one asked me to bring that sword, I wondered why she was so interested in that sword that didn¡¯t seemed to have any significance, but¡­ I see. It was a weapon that was worth worrying about.¡¯ His ck spaces and hands¡­ They were things that should have been impossible to cut. However, the sword did. Remembering these, Rebethra red at the sword and prepared his next ability. ¡®Should I try that? Or this?¡¯ Rebethra was rolling his eyes around. Looking at his face, Riley seemed amused. Riley said, ¡°You seem to have a lot of margins to spare? Are you considering your options?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°Everything you can do, everything you can use¡­ It would be best for you to try them all.¡± Before Rebethra realized, Riley¡¯s voice wasing from his back. Rebethra gasped for air. He saturated his hand with purple light and swung it. ¡°I might made a mistake, controlling my power, and¡­¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± Rebethra¡¯s eyes were opened wide. ¡°¡­ if you died, then that would be bad for me!¡± As he finished speaking, Riley swung his sword. Riley cleanly avoided Rebethra¡¯s purple light hand, and at the same time, he cross cut Rebethra¡¯s shoulder in a long diagonal line. ¡°Uuuugk?!¡± In an instant, his shoulder was cut off clean. Rebethra¡¯s face filled with pain. ¡®When did he move to the back?¡¯ He gritted his teeth due to pain. To retrieve the right hand that was cut off, Rebethra quickly extended his left hand. ¡®First, I must retrieve the arm! As long as I have it, I can always attach it back and handle the rest!¡¯ He reached for it, but his left hand didn¡¯t reach the right arm. ¡°I¡¯ll hold on to this.¡± From the side, Nainiae was watching Riley and Rebethra¡¯s duel. She moved her lips a few times to use telekinesis. ¡°Kuk. Thatss¡­¡± His cut off arm floated up in the air and was moved away to a distance by Nainiae¡¯s telekinesis. Rebethra¡¯s pain stricken face turned toward Nainiae. ¡°Well done.¡± Riley would not have had any problems even if Nainiae hadn¡¯t done this, but to maintain the mood, Riley praised Nainiae and proceeded to his next move. ¡°Your other arm. I¡¯ll cut that one clean off from you as well.¡± The voice wasing from right in front of his nose. Rebethra cringed and quickly used another ability. He managed to barely dodge the sword with white me that came at him to cut off his left arm. ¡®Is it a teleportation?¡¯ It didn¡¯t allow him to move long distance like Nainiae. However, regardless, Riley realized Rebethra could teleport a short distance. Finding it to be a bother, he clicked his tongue. ¡®From the looks of it, this bastard doesn¡¯t just have a few tricks?¡¯ Rebethra was using the supernatural powers that were used by espers from Riley¡¯s past life. Riley gave a look to Nainiae who was standing behind him. He then started to chase after Rebethra who drew a distance using teleportation. ¡®First, there is the ck space which can be used to hide or reveal one¡¯s body. Second, there is the hand of ck energy that could be drawn from the ck space. Third, he canunch something invisible. The teleportation makes four¡­¡¯ Thinking about the abilities Rebethra had demonstrated so far, he felt something flying at him again. Riley swung his sword. Phang! Phang! Something invisible collided with Riley¡¯s sword and popped with explosive sounds. ¡®In addition, he probably still has the abilities he had as an old man. Back then, the abilities that he might have possessed are¡­¡¯ Using the soul like thing of the dark mage who was killed at the Rainfield, Rebethra attached it to the corpse of Astroa. Remembering this, Riley swung his sword and moved in. ¡°Damn it. If I knew you were such a hindrance¡­ I should have eliminated you back then.¡± Watching Riley gradually closing the distance, Rebethra muttered quietly as he narrowed his eyes. Amused, Rileyughed through his nose and said, ¡°That¡¯s my line. Why are you telling me that instead?¡± Long ago, Riley had seen that Rebethra had ced Priesia, the Priestess of this world whocked quick senses, in the front. Since then, Riley had guessed that the old man must have had some ulterior motive at least. However, it seemed the look on Riley¡¯s face was saying that he had made a mistake. Riley said, ¡°Well, I enjoyed all of the expensive gifts you served up to me, but¡­ As I thought, eliminating you would have been the right move. I have be quitecentpared to the past. I was thinking about getting free gifts by keeping a rotten one alive.¡± Something invisible came towards Riley again. He cut it and caused yet another explosive sound. Riley swung his sword at Rebethra who was just standing there. ¡°Hm. I¡¯m sorry, Young Master, but a second time¡­¡± Riley closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword. Rebethraughed through his nose, formed a visibleyer around himself and said that. However, ¡°¡­ Kuk?!¡± Rebethra was not able to finish the sentence. ¡®What the? Why is the barrier?!¡¯ Along a diagonal line, Riley¡¯s Holy Sword engulfed in me cut through everything, including the barrier and his chest. Riley nced at his Holy Sword. ¡®This rascal¡­ Although it was transported to this world, it is just like the old times?¡¯ Riley wasparing how it was in the past life and this life, and¡­ he concluded that it was the same. As if the sword was responding to his question, the sword expanded the white me. ¡®Unlike you, I¡­ I am not sure if I changed or stayed the same.¡¯ The Holy Sword¡¯s name was Salvation. ¡®If you are the same as before¡­¡¯ In Riley¡¯s past life, the Holy Sword existed to hunt down the espers who gave up on being humans and the demons who were called the mortal enemies of humanity. The Holy Sword had two distinct advantages. ¡®¡­ then you should be able to handle this!¡¯ Riley injected the Salvation with his mana. He then swung the sword at Rebethra who was trying to form another barrier. ¡°Kuk. Huuurrrk?!¡± With Riley¡¯s mana, the Salvation exuded blue light. The sword was swung in diagonal direction while waving its white me in the air. ¡°H¡­ How?!¡± Rebethra was shocked. Along with his barrier, his chest was torn apart. ¡®¡­ It is the same.¡¯ The first advantage that the Salvation had was that it was an incredibly sturdy sword that could handle being swung while being endowed with Riley¡¯s mana. ¡°Howe¡­ why isn¡¯t the reflect working?¡± The second advantage was that the sword could neutralize the powers of espers and demons from his past life. ¡°Reflect? Was there an ability like that?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley walked toward Rebethra, grabbed him by the cor, cringed one of his eyes and asked, ¡°Never mind that. Now, spill it out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You lost, so act like a loser. Just answer the questions that the winner asks.¡± Rebethra was ring at Riley. Rebethra snorted. ¡°You areughing?¡± ¡°You closed the distance between us. That¡¯s a mistake, Young Master.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Please go to hell first and wait there. That maidss, that corpse b*tch¡­ I¡¯ll send them all to your side soon, so¡­¡± With those words, Rebethra¡¯s body melted down as if it became molten rubber. After that, as if he was an egg on the verge of hatching, his skin started to protrude all over and shake. ¡®Ugh, this bastard is really¡­¡¯ Watching this, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°Is self-destruction¡­ the final move that you chose?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, I thought you would use some other moves, but you are giving up pretty fast.¡± Riley noticed that Rebethra was intending to self-destruct and sacrifice his body in the process. However, Riley didn¡¯t let go of the cor. He merely stared at Rebethra with thinly opened eyes. ¡°This is it for me too.¡± Holding Rebethra with his left hand, Riley lifted his right hand which wielded the Salvation. ¡°If you won¡¯t spill out the answers willingly, then I have no choice but to force you to.¡± ¡®¡­ What?¡¯ Rebethra was at the brink of explosion. His face was mashed up beyond recognition, but he floated a question mark on his face. ¡°¡­ Khuuuuk?!¡± Along with the sound of a sword piercing the flesh, Rebethra¡¯s face turned back to its original handsome form. Rebethra¡¯s face was filled in pain. Tadac Tadac¡­ A sword had pierced his chest. Rebethra looked at the me that was burning in full force on the sword. It seemed that he had finally realized it. Rebethra red at Riley. ¡®It cannot be?¡¯ ¡°You finally figured it out?¡± Riley let go of him from his left hand. He raised up his right hand which wielded the Salvation. Looking at Rebethra who was in the air and had been pierced by the Salvation, Riley said, ¡°This is the Sword of the World Below that you bastards desperately searched for.¡± Riley used his left hand to draw the spare sword he had on his waist. He then used the sword to brush the de edge of the Salvation. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance.¡± The other sword caught white mes just like the Salvation. Riley used the other sword and poked at Rebethra¡¯s chin as he muttered. Riley suddenly threw the sword to the front. ¡°Are you going to tell me yourself?¡± The sword spun in the air as it flew through. Its handle struck the body of a tree, made a blunt noise and started toe back. ¡°Otherwise¡­¡± The spare sword came flying toward Riley. It had pierced the ck hand that was slowly approaching Riley from the back. ¡°Would you like to have all of your memories drawn and be a fool?¡± The giant ck hand that was formed frombining all other hands earlier¡­ had been pierced by the spare sword which was burning in white me. As if the hand had be just a stone, it became stiff. It was not moving as Rebethra wanted. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± Riley¡¯s Salvation was piercing his chest as if Rebethra¡¯s body was a part of kabab. Rebethra looked at the Salvation and his ck hand had been immobilized due to being pierced by the spare sword. Rebethra started to grind his teeth. ¡°You bastard¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you are done. You are done, so¡­¡± Riley waved his hand at Rebethra as if he was done with Rebethra. With his eyes saturated with murderous intent, Riley asked Rebethra, ¡°¡­ Helena.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rebethra¡¯s lips shook. ¡°Helena. Where is that woman now. What is she up to¡­ What is she eating, who did she meet¡­ Everything you know, everything you can guess, things you don¡¯t know¡­ You will have to tell me everything in detail.¡± Chapter 184 - Someone

Chapter 184: Someone

Riley put his face right in front of Rebethra¡¯s and exuded a deadly aura. It seemed that Rebethra was overwhelmed by it. Rebethra¡¯s eyes became blurry. He also started to open and close his mouth like a bass. ¡°The great one¡­ the great one is¡­¡± ¡°The great one?¡± Riley noticed something was odd about the way he was talking. Riley narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°You keep saying the great one? Looks like she is not a human being?¡± ¡°The great one, the great one is¡­¡± Rebethra kept on repeating the same thing. Riley shook Salvation in his right hand and asked again. ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°The great one is¡­¡± ¡°Helena, thatss¡­Is she still human?¡± Riley asked if the Priestess who had made him hold the Holy Sword in his past life was still human. Rebethra¡¯s eyes started to roll to the back. ¡°The¡­¡­ g¡­ great¡­ one¡­ The¡­¡± Riley was not sure if Rebethra had lost it because of his deadly aura. Puzzled, Riley pulled his chin and muttered inside. ¡®What is this? I didn¡¯t send that much deadly aura?¡¯ Riley wondered if he should p Rebethra to make him get a grip. He was slowly lifting his left hand. However, at that moment, Rebethra¡¯s face started to melt down like how it had earlier when he had tried to self-destruct. ¡°¡­?¡± There was no precursor movement, but suddenly, his face was getting mashed up like y. Riley turned to look at Nainiae. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Young Master. This is¡­ Don¡¯t you think it is simr to something you have seen in the past?¡± ¡°Something from the past¡­?¡± Nainiae looked at Rebethra and mentioned that it might be simr to something from the past. Riley stared at Rebethra¡¯s melting face of and thought of his past. ¡®Now that I think about it¡­¡¯ In his past, when one of the followers of Helena had run his mouth carelessly, his face had melted down like this. Riley had seen it happen. Riley raised the intensity of the white me on the Salvation and turned to look at where Priesia was. ¡°No, Young Master. This cannot be healed with the Salvation or Ms. Priesia¡¯s power.¡± Rebethra¡¯s face, neck and entire body were melting down. Nainiae said this could not be stopped. She used Blink, a short-range teleportation magic and closed in instantly. ¡°If my calction is correct, he will melt awaypletely and disappear in a few seconds. In that case, before that¡­¡± Nainiae stood next to Riley. She paused for a moment and ced her hand above Rebethra¡¯s melting head. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll recover his memories.¡± Nainiae said she will extract his memories before his body melts away, before the soul in his body disappears. With her hand above Rebethra¡¯s head, she closed his eyes gently and said, ¡°Young Master, the time magic¡­¡± Riley realized what she was asking for. He ced his hand on Rebethra like Nainiae and used time magic. Slow magic. Rebethra¡¯s body was melting down rapidly. However, the melting slowed down significantly thanks to his time magic. ¡®You have about 30 seconds.¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s enough.¡¯ It seemed Riley had an extraordinary amount of mana. It looked as if Rebethra¡¯s body¡¯s melting process came to an almostplete halt. Iril was watching this from the outside of the istion barrier. She brought her hand toward her mouth to cover it and thought, ¡®A¡­ As I thought¡­ He is a dragon!¡¯ Iril thought that Riley was also a dragon. She looked like she was asking what they should do when she pulled Inaril¡¯s sleeves. ¡°G¡­ Grandmother¡­¡± ¡°Um? What is it?¡± ¡°Grandmother. Do you know those two?¡± ¡°I could say I know or not know them.¡± ¡°Are those two¡­ dragons?¡± Iril whispered and asked. Ian and Priesia were listening to their conversation from the side. Dumfounded, they looked at Iril. ¡°Dragon?¡± ¡°Young Master and Nainiae?¡± Ian and Priesia looked at each other and tilted their heads to the sides. They muttered. For a moment, they put looks on their faces as if they thought it was a possibility. However, they soon peeked smiles and shook their heads. ¡°No, they are not dragons.¡± Ian, who had been with Riley since his birth, responded. ¡°I can guarantee it.¡± Priesia, who was with Nainiae when Nainiae had been under the care of the Holy Temple briefly, also responded. ¡°You can guarantee it? What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Iril had puzzled look on her face, questioning how that was possible. Instead of Iril, Ryan asked the two. ¡°You two seem to know those two very well?¡± ¡°I am not sure¡­I don¡¯t think I can im to know them very well.¡± ¡°I can just say that they are not dragons.¡± Ian and Priesia strongly imed that Riley was a human. Unable to ept this, Ryan asked again. ¡°He is the rascal who sat around and did nothing except take naps. Let alone ever wielding a sword, I have never once seen him do mana training. Yet¡­How could he do all this?¡± Having heard Ryan¡¯s question, Ian looked at his face and said to prove that Riley was a human. ¡°I have watched Young Master Riley since the time he in Lady Iris¡¯s womb. Young Master Ryan, if you think Young Master Riley is a dragon, then that means Lady Iris must be also a dragon.¡± ¡°If Lady Iris is really a dragon, then did we really need to worry about her illness, which would have been trivial to a dragon?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°She coughed blood after eating the soup that was poisoned by Madam Oruli.¡± Ian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Are you going to say that there are things we don¡¯t know about that as well? As for how Count Stein met Lady Iris¡­ You know about that very well yourself, don¡¯t you?¡± Ryan avoided Ian¡¯s gaze. It seemed he was not interested in questioning Ian anymore. Meanwhile, Iril was still not satisfied. Priesia looked at Iril and said, ¡°I can understand to some extent why you think that Nainiae may be a dragon. I wondered about that myself at first. However¡­She is not a dragon. She is a human.¡± Priesia remembered when she visited Andal at his cave thest time. Andal the dragon had called Nainiae his pupil. However, she buried this detail and instead, took a roundabout approach. ¡°Around spring, I spent a few days with Nainiae. Back then, I confirmed that she is a human being.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°That is¡­ back then¡­¡± Having heard the question, Priesia turned her eyes to golden color and said, ¡°It is because I confirmed it with these eyes.¡± Iril vacantly stared at Priesia¡¯s eye color changing to gold. It seemed that Iril had remembered something very important. Staring at Priesia¡¯s face, Iril looked shocked. ¡°By any chance¡­ You¡­¡± Until just a moment ago, things were so chaotic that Iril was not able to check out Priesia¡¯s face very well. However, now that she observed Priesia¡¯s face in detail, the face was¡­ almost identical to the face she saw on the board recently at the vige. ¡°Are you the Priestess of Solia?¡± Because she had disappeared, there was a reward for finding her. Looking at her face, Iril pointed at Priesia with shaking finger. Priesia nodded and said that was the case. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, I can guarantee it. I can put my title as the Priestess on the line to say this. Nainiae is not a dragon. She is a human being. As for Young Master Riley¡­I am not sure.¡± Priesia nced at Ian as she said that. However, it seemed Ian didn¡¯t really mind it. With a serious look on his face, he just crossed his arms and watched Riley and Nainiae. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Young Master.¡± The clothes that Rebethra was wearing only a moment ago were now on the ground. Looking at the clothes, Nainiae apologized to Riley. ¡°No. It¡¯s fine. This is not your fault.¡± Riley shook his head as he also looked at the ground. The owner of the clothes seemed to have wondered off somewhere. There were just clothes on the ground. ¡°It is thatss who did it, right?¡± Although she was not able to extract all of the bastard¡¯s memory, it seemed Nainiae was able to find out some things. Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae nodded. Shepared the memories from Riley¡¯s past and the memories from Rebethra and said, ¡°Yes, definitely¡­ It was the method used by that woman, Helena.¡± As soon as Rebethra was about to say something, he started to drool from his mouth. Thinking about how it all had happened, hepared it to how the followers of the Priestess from his past life melted away. Riley clicked his tongue. ¡°The self-destruct earlier was done by Rebethra himself. However, this one was done by Helena¡­ or someone who is helping her. So¡­¡± ¡°So, we could not stop the bastard from melting away, even with the Salvation or Priesia¡¯s healing, because I didn¡¯t pierce the one responsible for the ability.¡± Nainiae nodded. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Riley was going to ask what Nainiae had gained from Rebethra¡¯s memories. However, he felt a gaze from behind, so he slowly turned around. ¡®Ah, there was Ian. I totally forgot.¡± Riley then saw Priesia who was standing next to Ian, Iril with vacant look on her face as if she just got up from asleep, Inaril who was wearing the blinds, and¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± He found Ryan. Riley had his eyes meet with the big brother who had been chased out of the mansion. Riley¡¯s head became vacant for a moment. * * * ¡°Big Brother, why are you here?¡± ¡°I would like you ask you that instead.¡± The situation was wrapped up for the most part. Sharing tea at Inaril¡¯s house, they talked about what had happened so far. Of the people gathered here, the people who were feeling the most awkward were Riley and Ryan. ¡°I thought you would be at the Moregard Family Household?¡± ¡°Ian asked me the same question earlier. As for the answer, you can just hear it from Ian.¡± Ian was standing near the kitchen and ncing around. Ryan nced at him and said to Riley, ¡°I have a mountain of questions. I think staying awake through the night won¡¯t be enough to talk about them all, but¡­¡± Ryan paused for a moment. He then started to re at Riley with a piercing gaze. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll ask you just one thing.¡± With eyes that had many emotions mixed in, Ryan looked at his younger brother and asked, ¡°Are you really¡­Riley who I know?¡± Ryan chose the one question out of the countless questions he wanted to ask. With just one kind of emotion, he stared at Riley. ¡°¡­¡± Although Ryan was a big brother who was born from a different mother, still, he was the big brother who Riley had grown up with under the same roof. Riley just stared at Ryan with a steady gaze and said in quiet voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Just in case there was not enough exnation, Riley added, ¡°In the past, present and the future, I am Riley Fin Iphalleta. I¡¯m the youngest son of the Iphalleta Family. I have never lived the life of another person.¡± Riley said with a serious look on his face and Ryan watched him while leaning on a wall. He stopped leaning and turned. ¡°¡­ In that case, that¡¯s enough.¡± Ryan was about to leave Inaril¡¯s home. Riley was about to ask something like he did earlier. However, he kept it inside and closed his mouth. ¡°Did that bastard die?¡± ¡°Yes, practically speaking.¡± The rest of the group was having their conversations elsewhere. Riley looked at them and walked toward them as he tuned into their conversation. ¡°Grandmother, I didn¡¯t know that you were fighting such people.¡± ¡°Someday, before I be unable to speak, I was going to tell you. I didn¡¯t know that the day would be today.¡± Nainiae and Ian seemed to have decided to focus on their roles as servants. They were in the kitchen, preparing tea and fruits. Inaril, Iril and Priesia sat around the table so that they all could face each other. They were talking about what they had experienced just now. ¡°Ah, Young Master.¡± Nainiae weed him. ¡°Have you finished¡­the conversation?¡± ¡°Yes, probably.¡± There was must left unsaid. However, Riley thought they would have the timeter to talk about them slowly. He nodded and Nainiae lifted a tray which contained tea cups. She said, ¡°Well then¡­ I guess it is Mr. Ian¡¯s turn.¡± ¡°W¡­ What are you talking about?¡± Having heard her voice, Ian flinched his shoulder and started to nce at Riley. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ian looked at his chest where a hole had been created earlier. With a refreshed look on his face, Riley asked, ¡°Have you told your teacher about your feelings?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Ian flinched his shoulder again. He brushed and started to act like he was busy with something else. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about?¡± ¡°You had been singing about it, yet¡­¡± ¡°Sing? Who sang about what?¡± ¡°Huhuhu¡­¡± Covering her mouth with her fist, Nainiaeughed lightly. However, she suddenly turned her head toward the door. ¡°Um?¡± Since the Rebethra incident, Riley also had widened his senses, just in case. He also felt someone quickly approaching Inaril¡¯s house and looked toward the door. ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Someone wasing toward Inaril¡¯s home. Chapter 185 - Someone (2)

Chapter 185: Someone (2)

¡°Who is it?¡± Inaril was listening in to their conversation. She had felt the presence of someone approaching this way as well. She turned her head toward the door. ¡°Should I go check?¡± Nainiae thought it might be a good idea to see the face of the one who was approaching this way. So, she asked as she moved the mana inside her. Riley shook his head. ¡°We will know soon enough anyway. There probably is no need for that. Just get other magic ready.¡± Nainiae nodded. She hid her body by sticking to the wall. She then prepared the restraint magic that she was nning on using on the guest who was going to arrive here soon. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Only until a moment ago, there were warm, friendly conversations going inside Inaril¡¯s home. Now, only silence was left in the ce. Breaking that silence, footsteps could be heard. It seemed to be in a hurry. Soon, the firmly shut door was opened wide. The guest revealed their identity. The guest was sweating heavily, especially their face. ¡°Ugh¡­ Ugh¡­¡± The face was familiar. Riley and Nainiae, who had been on full alert, rxed their faces. ¡°What the, it was you?¡± Riley¡¯s voice had no hostility in it. Inaril realized the one who hade wasn¡¯t anyone bad. She lightly sighed. ¡°Mr. Nara?¡± Priesia was sitting. She muttered the name after discovering the face of the boy who had entered the house. ¡°Ugh¡­ Oh man. As I thought, you all came back here.¡± With his palm on the door, the boy greeted everyone. He took a moment to calm his breathing and entered. ¡°Come on. You left me behind?¡± Nainiae was hiding in the kitchen. She started to pretend that she was busy and picked up the tray that she had ced in the kitchen. ¡°Who left who behind? It¡¯s just that you werete.¡± As if he had done nothing wrong, Riley ced his fist on his waist and acted proud. As if he was trying to say he couldn¡¯t beat Riley, Nara dered surrender. However, he stopped walking in. ¡°Um?¡± Nara realized there were a few more people here inparison to when he was dragged here thest time. So, he wondered what this was about. He blinked his eyes. ¡°M¡­ Mr. Ian? Ms. Priesia too?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Riley figured there would be many things to say and hear. Finding it to be a bother, he pointed at an empty seat. ¡°Sit first. I think there will be much to talk about.¡± * * * The conversation continued until nightfall. So, Riley and others decided to just sleep at Inaril¡¯s ce. They made ces to sleep on the floor byying nkets. Everyone was traveling through a dream world of his or her own. ¡°They sure are sleeping soundly¡­¡± ¡°A lot of stuff happened today.¡± Nainiae and Riley had left the house for a moment. Nainiae had used a phrase from Riley¡¯s past life and shrugged. ¡°To think thay you would use that phrase.¡± ¡°Compared to before, I have gotten better at it, right?¡± She was asking if hermon sense had improved since summer. Riley looked at her and then broke into a smile. ¡°All right. Yes. You have gotten better.¡± Having heard the response she wanted to hear, Nainiae also smiled. She started to think about the things she had heard in Inaril¡¯s home today. ¡°My head is a bit overwhelmed because I heard so many things today.¡± There were the memories she had extracted from Rebethra. In addition to this, she had heard many things from Inaril and Ian. It seemed her brain was overwhelmed because she was trying to organize them all. Nainiae sighed lightly, and Riley said, ¡°I know. Things are tangled up in aplicated mess.¡± Inaril was once called the Right Hand in this world. She said she was already dead and was only waiting for her body to disintegrate. At that moment¡­Ian just stared at her with a vacant look on his face. Riley was thinking about the Ian from that time. ¡°What would happen to Ms. Iril when Ms. Inaril¡¯s added lifespan is exhausted?¡± Unlike Riley, who was thinking about Ian, Nainiae thought about Iril. She was thinking about the brief conversation she had with Iril on Andal¡¯s mountainst time. It seemed that Nainiae was finding the situation regrettable. ¡°Well, she could continue living in Romera Vige or she could leave this ce, one of the two, don¡¯t you think? She probably will inherit her grandmother¡¯s house or something.¡± Inaril looked like she was inte 20s to early 30s at most. However, she was older than Ian. Thinking about this, Riley emphasized that Inaril was a grandmother as he muttered. ¡°She is a grandmother huh¡­¡± In his past life and this life, he had never met anyone he could call grandmother. He shook his head. ¡°So, how long did she say she had left?¡± ¡°She said she had about a week left.¡± Those were the number of days remaining for Inaril. Her body had died a long time ago. To warm her cold skin, she always kept near the firece. Even at best, she had a week left. Because Riley had brought up Inaril, Nainiae brought her hands together and started to fiddle with her thumbs. ¡°I feel like I am seeing my former self.¡± Nainiae felt like she knew how someone who was prepared to die was feeling. Riley scratched his head and asked, ¡°What is it? Does it bother you?¡± ¡°It would be a lie if I said I was not bothered by it.¡± Nainiae stopped fiddling with her thumbs. Now, she thought about Ian, the senior butler who must be snoring inside Inaril¡¯s home. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Mr. Ian too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He must have longed to meet her for a very long time.¡± Nainiae said in regrettable tone. Riley nced at her face from the side and asked, ¡°It does not matter, don¡¯t you think? Ian thought she had already died. Despite that, he got to see her face and talk to her again once, so¡­ I think he¡¯s got to resolve the feelings that piled up inside?¡± Nainiae also nced at Riley¡¯s face from the side and responded in terse words, ¡°Even so¡­¡± Her response, although short, contained many meanings. Riley put on a perplexed look on his face. ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Nainiae turned her head to the sky as she asked. Riley said, ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± He had many things to do. He also felt like just going back to the mansion. There was the case of the Epidemic, the purple human who they had not resolved yet. There was also the matter of Helena. For reasons unknown to them, Helena had turned her back on humanity. In his past life and this life, Riley had never gone to school, but¡­ Riley felt like a student who hadn¡¯t done any of his homework although the vacation was almost over. [Note: In Korea, students are hammered with loads of homework to do during vacations.] ¡®If I really yed around all this time, then I wouldn¡¯t feel so wronged about this.¡¯ Instead of ying around and doing nothing, this time, Riley could say he had been running around and working diligently. With a bitter look on his face, he looked at the Holy Sword hanging on his waist. ¡°The most urgent matter is Epidemic, which is rted to the migration of the monsters.¡± Thinking about Epidemic, he thought about Helena¡¯s case which also needed to be handled next. ¡°At the moment, I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m going to chase down that Helenass.¡± They had no idea how to get to the world below that Ian and Inaril spoke of, the world that Riley hade from to be exact. ¡°If we do find a way, are you going to go there?¡± Having heard the question, Riley pondered about it for a moment. He looked up to the sky like Nainiae had done earlier and said, ¡°I should. I will go.¡± Toward the night sky, Riley breathed out, making frosts in the process. He then added why he nned to go there. ¡°I need to go finish the conversations I didn¡¯t get to resolve. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep soundly unless I do.¡± Kiiiiiic ¡°¡­ Mr. Riley?¡± Nainiae and Riley turned their heads toward the sound. ¡°Ms. Inaril.¡± She wasing toward them without the staff. Nainiae quickly went next to her and supported Inaril. ¡°You are not even using your staff¡­¡± ¡°If I did, that will awake anyone who is asleep.¡± Inaril smiled in relief after being supported by Nainiae. Inaril turned her head toward where Riley was and carefully approached him. ¡°Mr. Riley, you are there, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley stared at her blinds which was facing him. Inaril pulled her chin. It seemed she was hesitant. She carefully opened her mouth. ¡°I have a favor to ask.¡± ¡°A favor?¡± Perhaps this could be considered herst will before disintegration. She nodded and said, ¡°The sword¡­ Would you like to share the sword with me?¡± Wondering what this was about, Riley carefully listened to what Inaril said. Dumbfounded, he just stared at her. ¡°Sword?¡± ¡°It is a very simple and personal desire. Mr. Riley, you had lived your life with the blessing of the sword as well. In that case¡­ perhaps you thought about it once at least too?¡± Having heard Inaril¡¯s question, Riley thought about his past life in which he had swung the sword quite frequently. He realized what she was asking and peeked a smile. ¡°Have you ever lost before?¡± ¡°At least, when it was a matter of the sword, I have never lost once.¡± Inaril responded, full of confidence. She soon shook her head and corrected herself. ¡°No. I have lost once. It would be right to say I lost on purpose.¡± Riley thought about the sword wound on her eyes and the story that Ian had told him back in the mansion. He figured he could understand what she was talking about. He nodded. ¡°It was Ian?¡± ¡°It is an embarrassing past for an old woman like myself.¡± Inaril blushed. She then asked Riley again. ¡°Will you please grant this request from an old woman?¡± Hearing her desperate plea, Riley sighed briefly as he looked toward her house. ¡®To simply put, my teacher¡¯s swordsmanship was unmatched in the entire world. Although I am serving Iphalleta House¡­I am certain that my teacher¡¯s swordsmanship is superior.¡¯ One time, Ian had said those words with pride. Thinking about this, Riley turned to look at Inaril. ¡°¡­All right.¡± ¡°Young Master.¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s response, Nainiae pulled Riley¡¯s sleeves, concerned if this was a good idea. ¡°Will it be all right?¡± Nainiae didn¡¯t think Riley would lose. She was concerned about Inaril. Inaril didn¡¯t have long to live. Nainiae was concerned about Inaril overexerting herself or getting hurt badly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Riley patted Nainiae on the shoulder, telling her she should just focus on being a good referee. Riley added, ¡°I¡¯ll adjust properly.¡± After that, Riley and Inaril moved to an empty space behind the house. They faced each other and extended their hands. ¡°¡­ Both of you¡­please do not overdo it.¡± From the dimensional space, Nainiae brought out two practice swords that were made of wood. Nainiae handed one each to Riley and Inaril. Nainiae pierced the ground with the Holy Sword in the middle of the empty area and started to count down. ¡°Three, two¡­¡± With just one more number left, Riley and Inaril each started to take a stance. Their stances were different from the other¡¯s. ¡®The stances are different.¡¯ They both had received the blessing of the sword, so they both could wield the Holy Sword. However, because their ways of holding the wooden swords were different, Nainiae¡¯s eyes filled with curiosity. ¡®I wonder¡­¡¯ Who would win? Initially, Nainiae was leaning toward stopping this duel. However, she was a servant of the Iphalleta House after all. This was a matter of the sword. Even Nainiae could not help but get excited with anticipation. That feeling was ahead of all others inside Nainiae. Also, this was a duel between two individuals with the blessing of the sword who have never lost a battle. So, she was feeling that way even more. ¡°¡­ One.¡± Pang! With thest number, Nainiae used a simple noise magic to dere the start of the duel. Riley and Inaril both dashed toward each other. ¡°¡­¡± Pak! Sounds of wooden swords shing could be heard. Using this opportunity, someone carefully walked next to Nainiae with his index finger ced on his lips. ¡°¡­ You are?¡± Nainiae looked at the young man next to her and crumpled her brows. ¡°I¡¯m not here to pick a fight. I just¡­¡± The young man vacantly stared at the duel and whispered. ¡°I just wanted to watch.¡± The wooden sword of his younger brother and the wooden sword of his teacher¡­ The young man was diligently chasing after the swords. It was Ryan. Chapter 186 - Someone (3)

Chapter 186: Someone (3)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two didn¡¯t say anything. Only their wooden swords shed with each other and that signaled the start of the duel. It seemed they were very focused. They didn¡¯t notice that Ryan hade to stand next to Nainiae. They both lightly pulled their wooden swords from the shed standoff position as they dragged their feet. ¡®As I thought.¡¯ Inaril and Riley were dragging their feet in opposite directions from each other. Riley spun his body around once and swung his sword in a diagonal angle. He didn¡¯t use mana. He had decided to fight Inaril with pure swordsmanship alone. Inaril¡¯s clothes were making pping sounds in the air. Her sword was making a sweeping sound through air as well. Riley started to chase these noises with his ears. ¡®I think I understand.¡¯ By making decisions based on the visual, sound and intuition, Riley was going to avoid Inaril¡¯s sword and deal a blow. However, Riley¡¯s sword was not able to strike the target. Instead, it collided with something solid. It was Inaril¡¯s wooden sword. It seemed she was also surprised by Riley¡¯s move. She opened her mouth lightly and then turned her body. For the third strike, her footing changed. ¡®He is¡­¡¯ Inaril muttered inside. She raised her senses to the edge in order to read Riley¡¯s next move. Inaril swung her arm. Pak! Against an ordinary opponent, she would have dealt a strike well before the third attempt. However¡­only another blunt collision sound could be heard, much like earlier. ¡®¡­Someone who was blessed by the sword.¡¯ ¡®¡­Someone who was blessed by the sword.¡¯ They both muttered those words inside. It looked like they were dering that the warm up was over. They both tightened their grips and elerated their speed. ¡®I¡¯ll end it in next five moves.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll end it in next four moves.¡¯ ¡®No, three moves!¡¯ ¡®No, two!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll just end it now!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll finish it now!¡¯ The two had a conversation through their swords. They either red or gritted their teeth and started to swing their swords. Their swings were so fast that they were invisible. The only thing that others could confirm from their movements was that they could hear the sounds of something being swung through the air. It was to the point of being impossible for them to check what was being swung to where and at what speed. ¡°Are they really¡­ not using mana?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Ryan was watching their duel. He asked Nainiae who was also vacantly watching the duel. Detection magic sparkled in her eyes; she checked the duel and nodded. ¡°Not even a little?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. From what I¡¯ve observed, I think so.¡± As if she was mesmerized, Nainiae watched the two swing the swords and twist their bodies. She then realized that there were others who had been inside the house, who were watching this by peeking from the window. ¡®Is everyone awake?¡¯ Nainiae had soundproof magic ced surround the area so the sounds of the swords won¡¯t leak out. She opened her eyes big and checked who it was. ¡®Mr. Ian¡­¡¯ Of the people who were watching through the window, he had the most serious face. Nainiae bit her lips and focused on their duel again. ¡®That woman¡­ She can¡¯t even see. How is she able to endure Young Master¡¯s sword like that?¡¯ ¡®That man¡­ He said he is not even a dragon. How is he able to endure my grandmother¡¯s sword like that?¡¯ Nara and Iril were watching the duel from the window. They muttered like that inside and gulped. ¡°¡­¡± Near the chin and the tip of a foot, their swords grazed past them very closely. Again, like snakes, their wooden swords started to get tangled up in strange ways. Pak! Pak! From the next exchange of blows, the wooden swords made a loud cracking sound and spat a piece of wood. The two both tilted their heads to the side to dodge it and started to swing the swords again. ¡®As I thought, she is incredible. I think I can understand a little why other peopleined so much about my swordsmanship.¡¯ Riley had never had a duelst this long in his entire life. He thought about how people had said he was ridiculous after facing his swordsmanship. Riley looked at Inaril. ¡®You are incredible, but¡­¡¯ Her way of swinging or the type of footing she used was very different, perhaps because she had lived in a different world from his. However¡­ she was evenly matched in skill. ¡®I think it would be good to end it here.¡¯ Before Inaril¡¯s body could be harmed as Nainiae was concerned about, Riley decided to end this duel now. He started to breath a little differently so he could move the mana inside his body. ¡°Will you be all right? After that¡­it could be dangerous for you too?¡± Because she was blind, her energy sensory was a little ahead of Riley. Having realized the mana movement, Inaril asked Riley. Riley responded, ¡°Who is worrying about who?¡± Riley wrapped his sword in a blue light as he asked back. Inaril alsoyered her sword with blue light. ¡°I already died once. However, Young Master, you¡­¡± ¡°Well, I already died once too.¡± Riley jokingly said that. He then pulled the wooden sword to his back and charged in. ¡°¡­ It¡¯sing.¡± ¡°What?¡± With a serious look on her face, Nainiae mumbled. Ryan asked while looking at her, wondering what that was about. However, he didn¡¯t get to hear an answer. Kwang! Unlike blunt noises so far, it was a more solid collision sound that echoed throughout the area. ¡°Uuuk?!¡± ¡°Kuuuk¡­¡± Ryan and Nainiae¡¯s bodies faltered. ¡®Just now, that was?¡¯ Their swords were wrapped in ample amount of mana and they were swung and collided. The collision caused a whirlwind which swept through the area. Ryan gasped for air and narrowly opened his eyes that he had tightly shut earlier. The whirlwind still continued. It was so powerful that Ryan was ashamed of the fact that he was titled ¡®Strong Sword.¡¯ He felt like he had finally seen a glimpse of real strong swords. It was at that moment. ¡°¡­?!¡± Again, two swords of blue light seemed to be drawing two lines across the air, and¡­ Once again, they caused a loud sound of explosion and whirlwind. ¡®What is this¡­¡¯ Ryan was pushed far back. He blocked his face with his arm and narrowed his eyes so he could see what was happening in front of him. Kwang! Kwang! The exchanges of blows were no different from earlier in speed and intensity. In fact, they were significantly faster. Ryan held his breath and strained his eyes. ¡®Is this really the height of swordsmanship achieved by human beings?¡¯ If it was Ryan who was performing such moves, then he would have exhausted all of his mana with a single blow of such kind. However¡­ as if Riley and Inaril were snorting at Ryan¡¯s inside question, they were pouring out mana into their weapons and swinging away. ¡®She can¡¯t even see, yet¡­¡¯ From the sh of the swords, Inaril¡¯s old house shook. ¡®He is so young, yet¡­¡¯ From the sh of the swords, the tree branches shook. ¡®Is this¡­ a dream?¡¯ Ryan watched the wooden swords crossing the air without finding their targets and asionally shing against the opponent¡¯s sword. He vacantly watched such moments continuing. He realized this was not a dream. He was impressed. ¡®¡­ This should be about the limit for her.¡¯ Riley still hadn¡¯t realize that there were people watching. He was only fixated on Inaril. He shed his sword with hers once again and muttered inside, ¡®Although it is from a past, as expected of someone who was blessed, I think I would have had to exchange blows for days if there was no handicap.¡¯ Riley was ring at Inaril who was parrying his sword blows. The handicap that he was thinking about was the time. He was not thinking about a minute or a second. He was thinking about her lifespan. ¡®My body is¡­¡¯ It seemed that Inaril had also realized this. She cringed her face a little. Her body was at its limit. The very first symptom that appeared as a response to this was her ivory white skin. Her skin was as white as it was before the duel. Now, her face was as pale as a corpse. Even Riley furrowed his brows because he felt bad about this. ¡®I¡¯m not saying this because she managed to do all this despite being blind. I¡¯m more surprised that she demonstrated such abilities despite having a dead body.¡¯ Riley thought about what Iril had told him. She said that Inaril was always next to the firece and keeping watch over the Salvation. Also, she had spent a lot of time covering her cold skin which was due to her dead body. While thinking about these¡­Riley pushed off Inaril. ¡®Um?¡¯ Inaril was pushed to the back. At the same time, Riley had a moment to spare. At that moment, he detected the gazes from various people who were watching them. He moved his eyes toward outside the istion barrier. ¡°¡­¡± He found the faces of people who were sticking close to the house¡¯s window. Riley¡¯s eyes ran into Ian¡¯s. Riley hesitated for a moment. ¡®He let his guard down!¡¯ It was a split second. However, among skilled swordsmen, a gap in defense like this was huge. Having found this, Inaril thrusted her sword toward Riley, aiming at his neck. ¡®¡­ I won!¡¯ Inaril thought she precisely pierced Riley¡¯s gap in defense. She was certain of the victory. At that moment, ¡°As I thought, you are sharp.¡± The tone of his voice sounded like he was thinking that was a close call. He avoided Inaril¡¯s sword with a paper thin margin. He put strength in his arms and bounced away Inaril¡¯s wooden sword from her hands. ¡°Kuk.¡± Inaril lost the sword from her hands. Wondering how it hade to this, her face moved towards Riley. ¡°How did you do it?¡± Inaril was sure that she had won. However, at an instant, Riley shifted his position to the side. She was asking about that. ¡°At an instant, your movement¡­¡± When she aimed for the gap in his defense, she was not able to read his movement. She muttered in puzzled tone. Riley responded, ¡°If I was my former self, the game would have been decided by that gap just now, but¡­¡± Riley pierced the ground with the wooden sword he had. He shrugged and added, ¡°I¡¯m different from who I was from my past life.¡± To resolve the curiosity that Inaril had, Riley exined that he had used time magic. ¡°Time¡­ magic?¡± Although it was only for a moment, Riley was able to move so fast that even Inaril¡¯s senses could not follow. It was because Riley had used eleration. ¡°I see. Magic¡­¡± ¡°If you think that was cheating, then you could think that too.¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± Inaril shook her head. ¡°I knew that you were holding out a move for the sake of me who is an old woman. Also¡­ it is not right to let good abilities or weapons rot away without using them.¡± Inaril thought about why she was able to aim for the gap in Riley¡¯s defense. She then realized that he was being considerate. ¡°That was magnificent.¡± Inaril bowed and expressed her gratitude. She looked at her hands. They were shaking. It was due to the reaction from the duel but also because she was ovee with emotions. ¡°I should be the one to say.¡± It seemed Riley also learned a few things from the duel against Inaril. Although it was hard to tell, his hands were shaking as well. To calm them down, he tried making fists and releasing them. Riley also lowered his head. ¡°I have resolved all of my longings. I have nothing left now.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Riley lifted his head and asked Inaril who was vacantly standing there. ¡°You really don¡¯t have anything left?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Having heard the question, Inaril aimed her face toward Riley. She then lightly smiled and said, ¡°I have a dead body now but I used to be a human before. It is not like I don¡¯t have any regrets left. However¡­Should I call this a lifelong wish¡­Something I had wished for a very long time that has been resolved?¡± Riley felt like he knew what her wish was. Riley asked as if he was trying to get her to spill the beans. ¡°You mean losing?¡± Inaril nodded. ¡°Yes. Losing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­In swordsmanship, to someone.¡± Riley was quite sympathetic to this. Since his past life, he also had been wishing he could lose to someone. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had lost once to Ian?¡± ¡°That was¡­¡± With a lightened heart, Riley shrugged. To switch the mood, he brought up Ian. Inaril hid her lips with her fist and started to snicker. ¡°Huhuhu¡­ Yes. That¡¯s right. That¡¯s true.¡± Inaril started to exin the other wishes she had that she was afraid that she might leave unfulfilled. ¡°Perhaps these are not regrets or dying wishes¡­I do have a few things that I could call my worries.¡± Inaril said she was aware that she was not in position to ask for favors, but she asked if she could leave them to Riley. Inaril started to exin what they were. ¡°First, it is about Iril, my granddaughter. So that she could protect herself, I taught her swordsmanship, but that¡¯s all I taught her, so she probably doesn¡¯t know much about how the world works. I¡¯m worried about that.¡± ¡°Since you said ¡®first,¡¯ then it sounds like you have another one?¡± ¡°Second, it is about Ryan, thest pupil that I took in. I took him in because Iril asked me to, but I have not yet taught him much¡­ You said you two were siblings, right?¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°I heard that monsters will swarm Rome Vige soon. I don¡¯t know if my body willst until then. I was indebted to many people, so I would like to step in, however¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Although Riley was waiting, the answer he wanted to hear was noting. He slowly moved his eyes and looked at Ian. He was stuck in the window like a cicada. Chapter 187 - Someone (4)

Chapter 187: Someone (4)

¡°You¡­ you said you are Ian¡¯s teacher, right?¡± Riley asked as he looked at Ian¡¯s face in the window. Inaril, who was blind, was wondering why Riley was asking. She tilted her head to the side and responded, ¡°Yes. He was my very first pupil. He is also my hero. I would have been tied to Helena longer, but he saved me. He is my hero.¡± Although not by much, she was older than Ian. A long time ago, Inaril had lost her life and she had been living her life since then as a dead body. She said she had taught Ian swordsmanship with the blessing of the sword that she had. ¡°I couldn¡¯t directly deliver him the blessing of the sword but I taught him my swordsmanship. Just like¡­ my granddaughter.¡± She asked Riley, ¡°Was I wrong to do so?¡± Inaril thought Riley must be the senior who had the blessing of the sword before her. So, to confirm, she was asking if it was wrong to do so. ¡°No.¡± Riley shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not forbidden in particr. It¡¯s your freedom to teach your swordsmanship to anyone you want as much as you want.¡± Riley also had once taught someone his swordsmanship. ¡°It¡¯s not something I should butt in.¡± Not just in his past life, but even in this life¡­ he had lightly tossed advice to Sera, the maid from the mansion. Also, recently, he had taught Nainiae, the maid who had been serving him, a few moves through demonstrations. ¡°What I want to ask you is something different.¡± Riley redirected his gaze from Ian. Now, he was looking at Inaril who had her head tilted to the side. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley was blurring the end of his sentence and Inaril tilted her head to the side. ¡°I heard you have about a week left?¡± Riley pondered hard about how to say this. In the end, he asked about that. ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Having heard the response, Riley scratched the back of his head as if he was finding this to be such a bother. He quietly continued. ¡°I¡¯ll just throw you a straight ball.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Ian said he wished you could live a little longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instead of finding a roundabout way to say it, Riley told her what Ian had said. Inaril¡¯s lips shook lightly. ¡°He said a week is too short. He has waited several decades for this reunion¡­ He said he doesn¡¯t want to wait again.¡± He thought his had teacher died. However, it turned out that she was alive as a corpse. Now, although she was here, Ian was going to have to say goodbye again. Ian wasn¡¯t even sure if there was such a thing as an afterlife and he was not sure if they could meet again even if there was one. With bitterness¡­Ian confided in Riley about it. Riley was thinking about the conversation. ¡°Ian said he has something he wanted to tell you. He said it is something he was not able to tell you before. He said he should definitely tell you now that the opportunity to talk to you hase again. However¡­ he said a week was too short and heined to me.¡± Riley had no idea what Ian wanted to tell Inaril. He approached Inaril and extended his arm out. ¡°My butler said he had a few things to say, so¡­¡± Riley moved his mana as he continued. ¡°Try living a little longer.¡± ¡°Mr. Riley?¡± Inaril realized Riley was using mana. Inaril appeared to be panicking. She opened her mouth and muttered Riley¡¯s name. ¡°Well, perhaps it is not right to say you should try living a little longer since you already have died? It would feel cold when your hand is held as well.¡± ¡°Mr. Riley¡­ Even so, this is against the way of the world¡­¡± Of his time magic spells, Riley used slow magic. He was extending the time that Inaril had left in this world little by little. He said to Inaril who was panicking. ¡°This is just out of a whim.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Gods are like that too, don¡¯t you think? That one who is called Goddess had me born into this world with all of my past life¡¯s memory intact. That¡¯s not supposed to have happen in the first ce. So¡­¡± Inaril was stepping back to avoid Riley¡¯s magic. However her back-step was stopped by Nainiae¡¯s hand. ¡°Even if another thing that is not supposed to happen does happen, it would be all right, don¡¯t you think?¡± Because of the duel earlier, Inaril¡¯s skin was pale as a corpse. Now, her skin had regained some vitality. Riley retrieved his hand and said, ¡°Huuuuaaaaa¡­ Uuuu. It¡¯s been so long since I exercised.¡± It was not certain if it was because it was morning now or if it was because it had been a while since he had exercised and hence he was tired. He yawned big time, enough to tear his mouth. He then gestured to Nainiae toe closer. ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Instead of here, I would like to go sleep on a nice bed.¡± Riley looked so sleepy that he could fall asleep on the street right now. He was rubbing his sleepy eyes. Nainiae thought that it could not be helped. She prepared a teleportation spell. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the rest to you all.¡± Inaril was standing there with a nk look on her face. Ryan, Ian and the others were looking at where they were. Nainiae said those words as goodbye toward those people. She then supported Riley and went inside the portal. * * * The year ended. The winter was almost winding down. The spring had juste around the corner at Iphalleta Mansion. A pretty faced maid came running to the Young Master who was sleeping in. ¡°¡­ Young Master! Young Master!¡± ¡°Ummmm¡­¡­ Five more minutes¡­¡± ¡°This. Please take a look at this.¡± It was his designated maid, Nainiae. By her calling, Riley woke up. He cringed in protest, wondering why she had to wake him up. ¡°Ugh, what is it¡­¡± ¡°This!¡± With a crumpling sound, she handed a paper to Riley. It was full of letters. Nainiae pointed at the part that was written in rtivelyrger fonts. [Due to the great migration of monsters which started from Ansyrium¡¯s Epidemic, thousands of monsters swarmed at Rome Vige¡­ The monsters were exterminated over night by mercenaries] It was a newspaper. ¡°Mercenaries? Are they talking about Nara?¡± The newspaper article didn¡¯t just have letters. It included drawings as well. Riley checked out the entire article. He found Nara in the drawing. As the representative of the mercenary group, Nara had his spear resting on his shoulder. Riley peeked a smile. ¡°If you continue to read further, it mentions Ms. Rorona, Mr. Ian¡­Ms. Iril and Ms. Inaril too. If you look here¡­¡± Although they were not on the drawing, the article included the name of Rorona, who was a fellow mercenary with Nara, and Iril and Inaril who Riley had met in Rome Vige. ¡°Rome Vige¡¯s Sword Witch, the most dedicated contributor who saved the vige¡­ Uncover her mystery? The blindingly bright light that surged from the Rome Vige, the missing Priestess was there? Appearance of the former mercenary hero, what is he doing now?¡± Riley read the rest of the article and other headlines. He furrowed his brows and looked at Nainiae. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It looks like they have done something big.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Riley now held the entire paper by himself with his own hands. He started to really read the contents of the newspaper. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t see Big Bro¡¯s name.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­ I didn¡¯t see Young Master Ryan¡¯s name there.¡± Perhaps because they were inside the mansion, concerned about someone listening, Nainiae said it in a quiet voice by whispering it next to Riley¡¯s ear. She added, ¡°Still, if you look at the bottom, there is a mention of someone¡¯s exploit. It is brief, but I think it might be about Young Master Ryan.¡± Having heard her exnation, Riley checked the bottom. He saw the part which read ¡®mysterious hooded cape.¡¯ He shrugged. ¡°I see.¡± The newspaper was about people who were still in Rome Vige. It didn¡¯t just talk about Iphalleta House¡¯s Ryan and Ian. It also mentioned Nara, Rorona and Priesia who were indebted to the Reitri Merchant Group at the moment. Also, the article even mentioned Inaril and Iril who lived in the vige. ¡°Now that I think about it, I forgot to tell Mr. Reitri that we met Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°He is quick at figuring things out. He probably figured that I returned to the mansion right after meeting Ian. I¡¯m sure he promptly directed his attention to find other ways to make money after that.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± After reading the entire paper, he folded it and handed it to Nainiae as if he was trying to tell her to take the paper away. Nainiae received the paper and smiled big. ¡°I¡¯m so d. They seem to be doing all right.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°¡­Mr. Ian and Ms. Inaril¡± With the newspaper held against her chest, Nainiae smiled. Riley put up a bitter smile and mumbled, ¡°Well, if it was anyone who didn¡¯t know about the circumstances for his absence here, they would think that Ian was neglecting his duty andmitting total thievery.¡± ¡°Ah hahahaha¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just think of this as giving him a winter vacation. When the time is up and when Ian gets to say everything he wanted to say¡­when he gives her a beautiful sendoff, he wille back.¡± Riley closed his eyes again. ¡°I¡¯m going to get some shuteye for a bit, so wake me up during the dinner time.¡± ¡°Are you going to sleep again?¡± ¡°Sleeping is the profitable business.¡± ¡°I guess that would be true for you, Young Master.¡± Nainiae knew that sleeping was closely rted to how Riley collected mana. It looked like Nainiae didn¡¯t know what to do. She looked conflicted. She started to nce around. ¡°¡­¡± It was because a guest hade to see him. ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± In the garden, while waiting for the spring that had note yet, Riley was trying to take another nap. However, his eyebrows got twisted after hearing the voice from above. ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Hey.¡± Top of Riley¡¯s head was hit by the tip of someone¡¯s foot. ¡°I know you are not asleep. Get up.¡± With veins bulging from his forehead, Andal, the red-haired young man, moved his foot again and kicked Riley¡¯s head once again. ¡°E¡­ Excuse me, teacher¡­ How about we wait a bit and have the conversation when Young Master is awake?¡± Nainiae looked like she didn¡¯t know what to do. She looked at Riley and Andal back and forth. ¡°Nainiae.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Andal called her name. Nainiae responded in a quiet voice. ¡°When did you change like that?¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­ changed?¡± ¡°I always told you that you should be proud and hold your head up high as my pupil, yet¡­ Take this to your heart once again. You are my pupil. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to lower your head to anyone, even to the Young Master you serve.¡± ¡°No¡­ I have always been like this.¡± ¡°Anyway, I need to wake him up. Step aside.¡± Andal walked towards Riley to kick his head. Nainiae broke out in a cold sweat and blocked Andal¡¯s path. ¡°N¡­ Now that I think about it. Is the case with Epidemic resolved? I heard that it is a big problem in Ansyrium. I have not heard anything new since¡­¡± Nainiae was ncing around and wondering what to do to prevent Andal from pestering Riley when he was trying to rest. She flexed her wits and asked Andal about Epidemic. ¡°I know. I actually came here because of that.¡± Concerned that there might be someone around the garden, Nainiae used soundproof magic in secret and started to focus on what Andal had to say, ¡°I learned that the purple human bastard who spread the epidemic is in Ansyrium, so I went after him. Hepletely destroyed a city. However¡­ a problem came up.¡± ¡°A problem?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Having heard what Andal was saying, Riley, who was pretending to be asleep, opened one of his eyes narrowly and looked at Andal. ¡°An arrogant human came to see us first, and¡­ He asked if we would like to negotiate.¡± ¡°Negotiate?¡± ¡°Yes, just a human said that.¡± He was saying that just one human recognized Andal and the other dragons and came first to talk to them. Finding it hard to believe, Nainiae asked, ¡°Was it like Mr. Nara¡­What I¡¯m saying is, was it a being who had a special ability like the Basilisks?¡± ¡°No.¡± Andal shook his head and said, ¡°That bastard was human.¡± Andal looked at Riley who had Nainiae standing in front of him. Andal added, ¡°Even that rascal over here, although he looks like he couldn¡¯t possibly be human, he is a human, isn¡¯t he? This bastard that I ran into in Ansyrium had the same feel to him.¡± Andal was saying he met someone who was like Riley, someone who was a human but wasn¡¯t like a human. Nainiae hardened the look on her face. Hoping for a more detailed exnation, she narrowed her eyes and asked, ¡°When he said negotiation, what kind was he talking about?¡± ¡°He said he wanted to go fishing with his old friend.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°So, he said that he will hand over Epidemic who we were looking for if we bring him his old pal.¡± ¡°About that, by any chance¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Young Master.¡± The words were nonsensical, so Nainiae tilted her head to the side. Meanwhile, Riley already had opened his eyes and was actively listening to what Andal was saying. Nainiae looked back at Riley. ¡°Was it a woman?¡± ¡°Woman? No. It was a boy. In human¡¯s age¡­ He appeared to be about twelve years old.¡± Riley was thinking it that might have been Helena, so he asked. Having heard the response, he thought about Rebethra when they ran into him in a forest near Rome Vigest time. ¡°A twelve years old boy?¡± ¡°The bastard said that his old pal is the most skilled swordsman in the world¡­ Of the humans I know, when it came to someone who is the most skilled swordsman, I could not think of anyone else but you. So¡­¡± Rebethra had once lost his life to Helena. Riley was trying to figure out how he hade back to life. Riley tilted his head to the side and asked, ¡°Friend?¡± If it was Rebethra who Andal met, Riley figured that Rebethra would refer to Riley as a friend. Pondering what this was about, Riley crumpled his eyebrows. ¡°¡­ Ah, one more thing.¡± Riley was thinking hard about something. Andal said he forgot to mention one more thing. He said, ¡°He said that the most skilled swordsman friend wille and find him if I told that friend the following. So¡­He told me to make sure to tell you this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That day¡­ The words that the Brave Hero said just before he fell from above to the ground¡­ He said he remembers them well.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Having heard what Andal had delivered, Riley furrowed his brows. Chapter 188 - An Old Friend

Chapter 188: An Old Friend

¡°Just now, what did you say?¡± ¡°Are you having memory problems? Don¡¯t make me say it twice.¡± Andal hated being asked the same question twice. He crumpled his face and let out his frustration. Nainiae, with a serious face, repeated what Andal had said just now. ¡°That day¡­ The words that the Brave Hero said just before he fell from above to the ground¡­ He said he remembers them well.¡± Having heard what Nainiae repeated, Riley thought about his past life. He covered his mouth with his hand and furrowed his brows. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Andal had never seen Riley acting this way. It seemed that Andal was more surprised and dumbfounded than anyone else. He broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°You look a bit odd too?¡± Wondering if something was up, Andal went back and forth between Riley and Nainiae, tilting his head to the side. Unlike Riley, Nainiae hade back to her senses. She shook her head and said, ¡°No, it is nothing.¡± Nainiae remembered the rule about being careful not to mention Riley¡¯s past life so easily. She nced at Riley who had a serious look on his face. She sent a signal. ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s eyes met with Nainiae¡¯s. Riley lightly nodded and said to Andal, ¡°It is just that I think I have heard that line somewhere. I think I heard that line before, but¡­ I cannot remember where from¡­no matter how much I think about it.¡± Andal, with a serious look on his face, checked Riley¡¯s face and asked, ¡°Your memory seems to being and goingtely. It is a bit unstable¡­ By any chance, are you suffering from that illness that old humans are known to suffer often?¡± ¡°An illness?¡± ¡°D¡­ D¡­ What was it? Dimension?¡± ¡°You mean Dementia?¡± ¡°Ah, right! Dementia!¡± It was a familiar word. Riley and Nainiae peeked a smile and rxed the heavy atmosphere a little. They started to roll their brains again. ¡°It is not dementia, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Of what the human that Andal had run into in Ansyrium said, Riley was thinking about ¡®Brave Hero¡¯ and ¡®Fall.¡¯ Riley thought about the conversation he had with a certain someone just before he died in his past life. ¡®If you are asking me how it feels, I¡¯m exhausted. Honestly, I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ Standing above the clouds, the man had blood-like red skin and ck horns. Riley remembered the conversation he had with the veryst demon that he had fought in his past life. Riley asked Andal, ¡°By any chance, can you show me how the guy looked like?¡± ¡°What? As I thought, you know something?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s request, Andal looked at Riley with suspicious eyes. Thinking it could not be helped, Andal used mirage magic to form the shape of the child he had met in Ansyrium. ¡°Here. This is how he looks like.¡± With piercing gazes, Riley and Nainiae red at the boy¡¯s face which Andal had formed with mirage magic. They furrowed their brows. ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ The boy looked young. However, somehow, that belied the true age of the being and it showed on his face. Riley and Nainiae exchanged gazes with each other. It seemed they had confirmed it and were okay with Andal disengaging the mirage magic. ¡°Anyway, it is not certain if the ¡®Old Friend¡¯ that this bastard is talking about is you. However, if you know something, then I would appreciate it if you helped us. You just need to show your face for a moment. As for the rest, ¡®We¡¯ will handle it.¡± He was talking about the other dragons beside himself who were making their moves concerning this incident. Nainiae checked Riley¡¯s mood. ¡°Is the situation so serious that everyone needs to be involved?¡± ¡°Riley said there was no solution, so this is the best we could do. If we let that Epidemic man live, ruining a city or two like Ansyrium or Solia would be the least of our problems.¡± Throwing the man into the sky or burying the man deep in the ground¡­Andal said they needed to eradicate that monster using any means necessary. Andal looked at Riley, ¡°Are you going toe along?¡± Having heard the question, Riley asked back, ¡°If I don¡¯te along, what is going to happen?¡± ¡°We would collide with the human we are supposed to negotiate with.¡± Andal said he was nning on killing the boy who seemed to be hiding the Epidemic man, the purple human that the dragons were chasing after and extract the memories from him. Having heard his n, Riley sighed big. ¡°It is not important to know how that bastard figured out our identities and approached us first.¡± Watching Riley sigh, Andal lightly lifted his right hand and ignited a fire above it. ¡°We are superior beings who are beyond this world.¡± Pak! He then squashed the me. Andal continued, ¡°Our task is maintaining this world¡¯s bnce.¡± Bnce of the world, our task¡­ Riley watched his friend huffing and puffing all agitated next to him. This time, Riley sighed briefly inside. ¡®What if¡­ What if that bastard who fell and died with me was also reincarnated in this world?¡¯ In Riley¡¯s past life, this being was called the Demon Lord. It was the demon who had finally and barely met his end after Riley went through all sorts of hardships. Riley was thinking about the possibility of the Demon Lord being reincarnated into this world along with himself. Riley supported his chin with his palm and agonized over this. ¡®If it really is that bastard, then this is dangerous.¡¯ Riley thought about how it would y out if Andal and his fellow kin members went to fight the bastard. Riley crumpled his eyebrows. ¡®It won¡¯t change anything even if Andal brought a few lizards with him. They will all die.¡¯ Nainiae, who had Riley¡¯s memories, seemed to be thinking the same thing. She nced at Andal to check on his mood. Andal was still huffing and puffing. ¡®I already have a headache because of Helena. Why do I need to mind that bastard too now?¡¯ Although Riley could not be certain, since Riley was living in this world with the Blessing of Sword and his memories still intact¡­Riley could not jump hastily to the conclusion that the Demon Lord from his past life was not in the same situation as Riley. ¡®What are you going to do?¡¯ Nainiae nced at Riley. ¡°¡­¡± Feeling her gaze, Riley agonized over this briefly. It seemed that he had found an answer. He messed up his hair and got up. ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Why are you surprised? I said I¡¯ll go too.¡± Riley had agreed to go with Andal so easily, so Andal wondered if he was just hearing things. He dug his ear holes and asked again. ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I think I can understand why you said not to ask twice.¡± Riley was not interested in repeating himself for the third time. Riley turned back to look at Nainiae and said, ¡°You stay here.¡± ¡°Pardon? However¡­¡± ¡°Stay.¡± Riley told Nainiae to stay at the mansion. He ced his hand on her shoulder and exined why. ¡°One of us needs to stay, isn¡¯t that right? Are you going to go instead of me?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°No matter how we look at this, it would be best if you stayed here. Use your magic to trick my family for the time being. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± While he was going to be in Ansyrium with Andal, Riley was asking Nainiae to trick his family for the time being by staying at the mansion. He looked at Nainiae. He was asking if Nainiae could handle it well. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um. If it was Ian, he would have said ¡®Finally, you have decided to work hard!¡¯ and shed tears of joy.¡± Facing Nainiae¡¯s silence, Riley pretended to be preupied. He bought up Ian for no reason and muttered. Nainiae had a dissatisfied look on her face. She took a step closer to Riley and raised her hand toward him. ¡°¡­ Ah, Uk.¡± Feeling the sudden pain from above his forehead, Riley cringed. He stared at Nainiae who was taking a step back. ¡°You, what was¡­¡± ¡°You asked me, didn¡¯t you?¡± Nainiae had taken a strand of Riley¡¯s hair out. Riley was going to argue and ask what that was for, but Nainiae asked him a question instead, so Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°I thought we might get found out if I don¡¯t do this properly, so¡­¡± Nainiae dropped the hair to the floor and drew Dragon¡¯snguage in the air. The hair she dropped to the floor disappeared, and instead, a doll that looked just like Riley appeared. ¡°Ms. Sera in particr¡­She has such great sense of smell, so I think we would be found out even with this, but¡­¡± It was a doll created with magic. It looked just like Riley. Intrigued, Riley stared at the doll. As if he was impressed, he turned to look at Nainiae. ¡°This is¡­ Me, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I tried to make it look exactly like you.¡± It seemed the doll could not talk. It just had its mouth vacantly open. It was one unfocused guy. Riley stared at the doll some more and changed the look on his face. Inining tone, Riley asked, ¡°By the way, don¡¯t you think this one looks a bit absent minded?¡± Having heard his question, Andal and Nainiae responded at the same time. ¡°No, it is just like you.¡± ¡°I think it looks just like you.¡± The doll¡¯s face looked like he was about to drool. It seemed that Riley was thinking that this wasn¡¯t right. He shook his head, smiled awkwardly and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Come on. Still, it is not this much.¡± ¡°That is¡­ I made it to look like you as much as possible¡­¡± Nainiae blushed. For some reason, she mumbled while pouting. Andal, who was watching the two from the side, snickered and joined in. ¡°What do you mean this is not it? It looks identical! The blurry, unfocused look on the face, the gaze that just screams ¡®let me sleep¡¯¡­ It¡¯s as if the doll came out of a waffle machine with your name on it. What¡¯s different about this doll inparison to you?¡± Andal looked satisfied. He insisted over and over that the doll that Nainiae made was just like Riley. Riley put a frustrated look on his face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What the, what¡¯s that look for?¡± Andal put on violent look on his face. He was daring Riley to voiceints. Andal pointed at Riley with his chin as he asked, ¡°That look in your eyes, are you saying that my pupil is not skilled?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley had a dissatisfied look on his face. With his crumpled face, Riley raised his middle finger at Andal. ¡®Y¡­ Young Master¡­¡¯ Watching Riley give Andal the finger, Nainiae gasped for air in silence and checked on Andal. Andal just stared at Riley and said, ¡°¡­ Huuut.¡± He smiled as if he was satisfied. ¡°See. You know whose pupil she is, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Despite the middle finger being aimed at the man, strangely, Andal was all happy. Nainiae wondered why Andal was acting this way. She tilted her head to the side and then remembered what had happenedst year. ¡®You. Starting today, you are my pupil.¡¯ ¡®Pardon?¡¯ ¡®Say it after me. Doctor¡­ No. Teacher.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Try it. Teacher.¡¯ ¡®T¡­ Teacher?¡¯ ¡®Um! Good! I like the sound of that. Hahaha!¡¯ ¡®Ah, ah haha¡­¡¯ Duringst year¡¯s fall¡­ Nainiae was thinking about the time when Andal had epted her as his pupil. Back then, Andal had raised his middle finger too. He looked happy. Remembering this, Nainiae looked at Riley. ¡®By any chance¡­ The teacher is¡­ still thinking that joke is¡­¡¯ ¡®This runt¡­¡¯ Riley, the one with the finger, was not expecting Andal to respond this way. Riley looked dumbfounded. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ ¡®Compliment.¡¯ ¡®Compliment?¡¯ ¡®The middle finger meanspliment?¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯mplimenting you for your cool acting in the corridor just now.¡¯ Andal still remembered the practical joke that Riley had tossed at him to make fun of him. Riley asked Nainiae with his gaze. <¡­> The two were having a conversation in secret so Andal wouldn¡¯t hear it. Andal was still flexing his shoulders. Nainiae and Riley saw Andal and nodded. <¡­ Of course.> The mood was more eased now inparison to earlier. Riley and Nainiae both broke intoughter. ¡°You will¡­e back soon, right?¡± Was it because of the mood? Unlike earlier, Nainiae¡¯s voice did not sound as worried as before. Having heard the question, Riley also responded in a voice that was not as worrisome as earlier. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Chapter 189 - An Old Friend (2)

Chapter 189: An Old Friend (2)

It seemed that Nainiae was satisfied with Riley¡¯s answer. She nodded and put away the doll she had made into the dimensional space. She bowed. ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± She believed that he would return. She had no doubt about it. She bowed, ending the conversation and returned to the mansion. Andal was vacantly staring at his pupil. He asked Riley, ¡°Are you guys scheming something behind my back?¡± ¡°Scheme? What scheme?¡± ¡°It is just that, just now¡­I felt something strange¡­that was unfamiliar to me?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go?¡± As if he had enough, Riley packed his personal stuff and looked at Andal. Andal was furrowing his brows, finding all this suspicious. Still, he couldn¡¯t help it. He moved his mana and prepared the teleportation spell. ¡°You guys are really not scheming anything, right?¡± ¡°Even if we were, would we tell you?¡± ¡°You are meticulous only in instances like these.¡± Andal had casted an istion barrier so that others in the mansion would not notice. From a distance, Nainiae saw them off. Andal waved at her and created a teleportation door. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The area beyond the gate was probably Ansyrium¡­ It was a city that didn¡¯t have a good rtionship with Solia, so Riley had never been to the ce before. ¡°You didn¡¯t leave anything behind, did you?¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t anything.¡± In secret, Nainiae had left him Astroa¡¯s leather bracelet. Riley wore the bracelet, tightened the belt for attaching the spare sword andstly, he ced Salvation, his Holy Sword, on his waist. Riley walked toward the dimensional gate first. * * * ¡°¡­ Hey.¡± From the mansion, Riley arrived in Ansyrium through the dimensional gate. Having heard Andal talking to him from the side, Riley moved his eyes to look at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°About that sword¡­¡± Andal nced at the sword that was hanging on Riley¡¯s waist. He said that he had not seen the sword before and asked, ¡°Where did you get it?¡± ¡°What are you going to do by knowing about it?¡± ¡°It looks pretty nice, so I asked.¡± Andal was quite focused on the Salvation. Riley could understand why. He wiggled his brows and said, ¡°I picked it up.¡± ¡°Picked it up?¡± To be precise, he had received the Holy Sword, Salvation, from Inaril who had been keeping it safe all this time. ¡°Hm.¡± Although it was not certain if Andal was simply intrigued about the sword or tempted to have it¡­Andal kept on fiddling with his chin as he walked the streets of Ansyrium. He carefully asked, ¡°Riley, if it is all right with you¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t let you.¡± Riley didn¡¯t even listen to the end of the proposal. He pulled his chin and smiled. Andal looked like a child who didn¡¯t get to buy the toy he wanted. Andal crumpled his face. ¡°What the¡­How could you make the decision even before hearing what I had to say first?¡± ¡°I can already tell from just looking at your eyes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s so obvious?¡± ¡°You have the same look you had when you were like this with Nainiae. If you are going to whine, then go find someone else. You im to be a superior being who is beyond this world, but what nonsense¡­ Considering what you are doing, you are on par with an armed robber.¡± ¡°R¡­ robber?¡± Riley didn¡¯t even look at Andal. He just waved his hand at Andal. Meanwhile, Riley was looking at Ansyrium¡¯s scenery. For reasons unknown, the ce appeared to be rather empty. Riley found something odd and stiffened his face. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lizard¡­ Lizard¡­ You had been calling me that, now¡­you are calling me an armed robber? Hey, fine, you rascal. Did I ever ask you to give it to me?¡± ¡°Hey, Andal¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just, Kuhum! Right! I was just going to ask you to let me borrow it for a bit. I thought it was a pretty nice sword, so I was going topare it to my other swords that are stuck in the depth of my cave, so¡­¡± ¡°Andal.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Riley was looking around the area and called his name. Andal stoppedining and looked at Riley, wondering what this was about. ¡°The mood here, is it always like this?¡± ¡°The mood¡­?¡± ¡°Presence of people¡­ The ce iscking of people¡¯s presence?¡± ¡°Ah ha.¡± Having heard the question, Andal also looked around the area. He then exined the strangeness that Riley felt. ¡°No. Although this ce is usually not as lively as Solia, it is not like the ce should be devoid of people.¡± While listening to Andal¡¯s exnation, Riley quickly looked around the houses and streets he had passed through so far and the overall scenery around him. He thought it was strange that he had not run into a single person so far. Riley had a puzzled look on his face. ¡°I can see why you are finding this strange. The houses around here¡­ Take a look. What color are they?¡± Overall, the city had a dull atmosphere. Riley was observing the city carefully. Having heard Andal¡¯s question, he realized that there were only gray and ck colors. Riley muttered, ¡°By any chance¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Andal nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s that bastard.¡± Riley realized that Andal was talking about Epidemic, the purple human that they had run into thest time. Riley looked around the city again. ¡®ording to the merchants, it is a living disaster.¡¯ Thinking about what Reitri had told him, Riley had a look of disbelief. The severity of the epidemic was far more serious than what he had seen in his past life. ¡®It was not this serious in my past life.¡¯ While Riley was thinking about this and muttering inside, Andal, who also started to look around the city, continued his exnation. ¡°I am not surprised that you didn¡¯t notice. The mostmon color in Ansyrium is gray. However, all ck color we are seeing here are¡­¡± ¡°Epidemic¡­ is that what you are trying to say?¡± Andal nodded. ¡°Right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The look on Riley¡¯s face hardened even more. The epidemic left ck stains. Riley realized that what he could observe with his eyes was not all of them. It seemed the city called Ansyrium had been absolutely devastated by this single individual. Let alone any presence, there wasn¡¯t even any trace of people here. ¡°It¡¯s all done by that one bastard.¡± The Epidemic man didn¡¯t just possess the power of epidemic. He also had immortality. Last time, they were not able to put an end to the man. Thinking about this, Riley crumpled his face. ¡°I had been wondering why there was no news from Ansyriumtely. Is this the reason?¡± Andal nodded. He took a knee to bend his upper body. He picked up a ck pebble that was rolling around in the ground. Andal said, ¡°I am not sure if I should call this a good thing, but that bastard¡¯s trace ends here. I haven¡¯t heard any other side suffering from epidemic.¡± It was a repeat of the exnation he had already heard at the mansion. Riley nodded and started to walk again. They walked and walked¡­ No matter where they walked, the visuals looked the same. ck colored epidemic drenched the entire city. It didn¡¯t just make the city¡¯s color look dull. A dark aura was circting around the city. ¡°While we were investigating, we met that human child with a strange atmosphere. He knew that we are dragons and he hade to talk to us first, saying that he was looking for an old friend.¡± Having heard Andal, Riley had an ufortable look on his face. ¡°An old friend huh¡­¡± With the Demon Lord, Riley could not say that their rtionship was a positive one. It was closer to being bad blood. Thinking about the demon from his past life, Riley mumbled. It seemed that he was still not sure about this. ¡®It is too early to conclude that this bastard really is the Demon Lord from my past life. I still need to consider the possibility that this is just another trick by Helena.¡¯ While Riley was muttering inside like that, Andal joined his kin members who were already inside Ansyrium, waiting for his arrival. Andal let them know: ¡°we will handle it by ourselves,¡± and continued to walk. ¡°By the way, how long do we need to walk?¡± ¡°We are almost there.¡± Andal was leading the way. Facing his back, Riley asked toward him. However, he felt someone¡¯s gaze on him, so Riley stopped walking. He started to move his eyes around. ¡®A gaze?¡¯ It was someone other than Andal¡¯s kin. Presence of humans, something that they could not feel in the rotten city, could be felt. ¡°Humans?¡± There weren¡¯t just one or two. It seemed there were at least 15 of them. Feeling their presence, Riley stopped walking. He slowly turned his body toward where the gazes wereing from. ¡°Huuuiiic?!¡± ¡°H¡­ He saw us?!¡± ¡°How?!¡± It was inside a rundown building. The windows were all shattered, so winds were blowing right into the building. There were three children in shambles inside. Their eyes met with Riley¡¯s and they tumbled to lower their heads to hide. ¡°Children?¡± Riley realized that the ones staring at them were children in hiding. Andal turned to look at Riley. ¡°What is it? You stopped all of the sudden?¡± Riley was looking at the building with the children. Riley said, ¡°No, there are children¡­¡± ¡°Children?¡± ¡°I saw children.¡± Andal followed what Riley did and stared at the building. He shrugged as if he understood something. ¡°They are abandoned ones.¡± The children were in shambles. From how the children looked, Riley thought about the time he had met Nainiae for the first time. As if he could not be sure with just this, he asked Andal, ¡°Abandoned?¡± ¡°What do humans say? Homeless?¡± ¡°Homeless?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right, the homeless people.¡± Andal exined that when the city was destroyed, the children who were abandoned by the higher ups of the Ansyrium city, saying that they were just burdens and the abandoned children were hiding in the buildings. ¡°Having special abilities or being one of the purple people¡­ It is not like that, right?¡± ¡°¡­ We are not.¡± It was not Andal¡¯s voice. Another young, frail voice responded to Riley¡¯s question. Riley¡¯s gaze was directed to the ce where the voice hade from. ¡°¡­?¡± The one who responded to Riley¡¯s question was a child in ragged clothing. The child had dark blue hair. ¡°You are?¡± It was hard to tell the child¡¯s gender based on the appearance. The child was a girl who Riley had never seen before. Wondering who this was, Riley furrowed his brows. The dark blue haired child asked, ¡°Mr. Andal, the red dragon, is this one ¡®the greatest swordsman in the world¡¯?¡± Andal nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. As far as we know¡­ there isn¡¯t anyone in this world who knows how to handle swords better than him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s exnation, the dark blue haired child looked at Riley who was standing there vacantly. The girl lightly turned her body and started to walk. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go.¡± The unidentified child who Riley had never seen before started to walk. Riley followed after Andal and asked quietly. Riley was asking for an exnation. ¡°What is this? Is this the kid?¡± ¡°No. She is not the one.¡± Andal shook his head and then started to exin about the girl. ¡°I don¡¯t know the detail either. I just know that she is quite close to the little one who asked us about his ¡®Old Friend.¡¯¡± Having heard the exnation, Riley applied energy into his eyes to examine the child. He realized he was not sensing any energy from the child. Now, Riley looked like he was finding this even more suspicious. ¡®I¡¯m certain there is no mana or special energying from the kid?¡¯ The child who was walking in front of them was really just an ordinary child. ¡°By any chance, have you considered the choice of taking that kid as the hostage and negotiating with the kid who came to talk to you? You said she is quite close to him, right?¡± Riley asked in a quiet voice so the girl who was walking in front of them won¡¯t be able to hear it. Andal crumpled his face and asked back, ¡°Do you think we didn¡¯t think about that? Some of my kin members said it would be quicker to try a hostage situation. However, we are only guessing that she is close to him. Also¡­ our lord was opposed to the idea.¡± ¡°Lord? That silver elf?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. She concluded that this is not something that could be solved by a hostage situation, although I think her emotions were leading her decision on this matter.¡± ¡°What emotion?¡± ¡°We are supposed to be the ones who maintain the bnce. It would be wrong for us to initiate violence. That was her stance. Some of us said that we should not mind such things at the moment and press on instead because the bnce will fall if we don¡¯t fix this soon. However¡­They were overruled.¡± Andal said he was also against the extreme measures. He continued to exin. ¡°So, I decided to bring you here. After the long discussion, we decided to bring you, a human who is a skilled swordsman and present you to the little one who recognized us. We are going to make a decision after that.¡± It seemed they had arrived at where the so-called ¡®little one¡¯ was. The dark blue haired girl who was leading the way lightly lowered her head toward Andal and Riley to show her respect before taking her leave. ¡°¡­ This ce is?¡± In front of Riley¡¯s eyes, there was argeke. Nearby, there was a young boy who was vacantly staring at a fishing pole. Riley had his mouth slightly open, but he closed his mouth. ¡°¡­¡± Andal looked like he realized Riley¡¯s mood had changed rapidly. Andal, who was standing next to Riley, said quietly, ¡°That¡¯s the bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is the little one who recognized us first and came to talk to us. He is the one who is suspected of hiding the Epidemic man.¡± Having heard Andal¡¯s exnation, Riley observed the boy who was vacantly sitting on a small wooden chair. Riley confirmed that the boy¡¯s appearance was significantly different from the Demon Lord that he had run into in his past life. However, Riley didn¡¯t rx. ¡®It is that bastard.¡¯ It was because Riley could tell from the atmosphere. ¡®This bastard was reincarnated in this ce too.¡¯ Riley was able to tell that the boy they were facing right now was the Demon Lord, who Riley had barely managed to make him fall in his past life. ¡°Hey, I brought him.¡± Riley was keeping his mouth shut. Instead of him, Andal spoke. ¡°¡­?¡± The boy finally turned his head and looked at Andal and Riley. ¡°Ah, you are here.¡± Perhaps he was sleepy. His eyes were half closed. When he turned to face Riley and Andal, he blinked his eyes. It seemed that the boy was d to see Riley. ¡°Um? You¡­have the same face that you had in your past life?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The child smiled refreshingly and asked Riley. Andal furrowed his brows, wondering what that was about. ¡°You¡­¡± Riley took a step toward the boy and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± Having heard the question, the boy turned his gaze toward the fishing pole again. The boy said in leisurely tone, ¡°This boy does not have a name.¡± The fishing pole that the boy was looking at flinched. ¡°Still, if I am to borrow the name from my past life¡­¡± The boy kept silent for a long time before finally opening his mouth. ¡°¡­ Abyss.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Call me that.¡± Riley was certain that he was the one. Chapter 190 - An Old Friend (3)

Chapter 190: An Old Friend (3)

Abyss. That was the name of the Demon Lord. ¡®Our sky is in danger.¡¯ ¡®We must not let the demons target our sky.¡¯ ¡®We will be destroyed if we do not stop Abyss.¡¯ The Demon Lord was trying to take the sky. People said that the Demon Lord was trying to take the sky because he wanted to ughter all humans on the surface. So¡­ ¡®Brave Hero, please help us. Only the Brave Hero, the one who can hold the Salvation¡­ is the only human who can defeat Abyss the Demon Lord.¡¯ In middle of a concrete jungle with high rise buildings, there was a white church with a cross. Inside¡­ there was a beautiful girl wearing a white priestess dress. She asked the boy who was sitting on his knees. ¡®P¡­ Priestess. People said that Great Demon had killed several tens or hundreds of people in a single breath. How can I y him? I could never¡­¡¯ The priestess showed a benevolent smile to the boy. She encouraged the young boy who was born with the blessing which allowed him to wield the Holy Sword. ¡®You can do it.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Priestess.¡¯ ¡®You can.¡¯ In the end, the boy seeded. Finally, he defeated the Demon Lord. ¡®So¡­ how does it feel to have defeated me?¡¯ When he was young and when he had not wanted to be away from his family, Riley thought he might have been better off if he had just died. Not a day went by without him thinking like this. His battles were that brutal. Literally, he was coughing blood, shedding tears of blood and fought in battles that seemed to have no end. In the end¡­ ¡®If you insist on asking¡­¡¯ In the sky, the Brave Hero had defeated the Demon Lord. Riley responded to the Demon Lord¡¯s question. ¡®I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ Ever since he held the Holy Sword, ever since many people had pleaded with him to defeat the Demon Lord, the Brave Hero had never been honest with how he had truly felt. For the first time, at that moment, he mumbled honestly. ¡®I said I¡¯m exhausted. Honestly, I¡¯m exhausted.¡¯ The Demon Lord met his end by Riley¡¯s Holy Sword. Soon, the Great Demon was going to fall to the ground and disintegrate. To the demon, Riley mumbled honestly. ¡®Finally¡­¡¯ The Brave Hero fell along with the Demon Lord. The Brave Hero closed his eyes. It seemed that he had shaken off all burdens from his shoulders. He looked so peaceful. ¡®Ah¡­ It is finally over.¡¯ * * * ¡°Well, there is no need for you to be so wary.¡± It seemed that the boy had felt Riley¡®s re on him. The young boy was staring at the fishing rod and vacantly reminiscing about his past life. The young boy mumbled, ¡°It has not been very long since I realized that you were also born into this world¡± The boy who had introduced himself as Abyss pointed to an empty wooden chair next to him and then nced at Riley. ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit down?¡± Riley was standing there with a nk look on his face. Abyss asked if he would like to sit down. After that, Abyss looked at Andal who was standing next to Riley. He then nodded his chin once. ¡°Ah, you there¡­It is fine if you want to leave.¡± ¡°What?¡± Having heard Abyss, Andal furrowed his brows. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on here, but if Riley is the old friend that you wanted to meet, then¡­¡± Andal suppressed his anger as much as possible. He then walked to where Abyss was sitting as he asked, ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t it about time you tell us what we want to know?¡± Abyss felt Andal¡¯s deadly aura. Abyss was still sitting in the chair as he looked right into Andal¡¯s eyes. Soon, as if Abyss was finding it to be such a bother, he scratched his hair and mumbled, ¡°If you are talking about what you lizards want¡­¡± Abyss said ¡®lizards.¡¯ That made a vein to pop on Andal¡¯s forehead. It seemed that Andal could not take it anymore. He was trying to use magic to attack Abyss. At that moment, Abyss lifted his right hand. ¡°What?¡± With that hand, Abyss opened his index finger and pointed at something. Andal was infuriated and was walking toward Abyss, but he flinched and stopped moving. ¡°I already handled it.¡± Having heard what he had just said, Andal asked back, ¡°You handled it?¡± Andal turned his head toward where the boy was pointing to with his finger. Andal had a look of disbelief. ¡°It cannot be¡­¡± ¡°¡­ She was suffering so much, so¡­¡± Abyss was pointing to the girl with the dark blue hair who had led the way for Andal and Riley to this ce. ¡°I took her under my wings.¡± ¡°You took her under your wings?¡± ¡°In the process, her memory became blurry, but it is actually a good thing.¡± It seemed Abyss had confirmed that fishes were biting. Abyss strained his eyes and carefully held the fishing rod. He was checking for opportunities. ¡°That rascal is¡­ excessively kind and innocent like a certain someone.¡± It looked like he felt something on the fishing rod. Abyss wiggled his brows and pulled the rod with all of his strength. However, the fishing hook had nothing on it. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Abyss saw the fishing hook dangling in the air. He crumpled his face. He then clicked his tongue before swinging the fishing rod to send the hook back into theke. ¡®There is no bait on it?¡¯ Without any bait attached to it, Abyss was fishing with just the bare fish hook. Riley wondered what Abyss was up to. It was when Riley was furrowing his brow. Abyss looked disappointed because he hadn¡¯t caught anything. He continued mumbling what he couldn¡¯t earlier. ¡°Her physical pain is over, but it looks like she won¡¯t be able to ovee the guilt of having killed people¡­ So¡­ it turned out well for her.¡± * * * During thest winter, at Ansyrium¡­ ¡®It¡¯s the Epidemic!¡¯ ¡®Run!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t breathe!¡¯ ¡®We must get away! If you get infected, you will die!¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a human, but¡­ like a y¡­ all wobbly¡­¡¯ ¡®Uuuaaaaak!¡¯ ¡®S¡­ Save me! Please!¡¯ The boy with sleepy eyes saw the people who were bumping into his shoulders and running away screaming. He then saw the human with ck skin who was screaming at him. ¡®Did some crazy lunatic perform a forbidden experiment again? Anyway, it looks like this city called Ansyrium is not a great ce to live¡­ It¡¯s so noisy all the time as if there is going to be no tomorrow. Let alone peace, I don¡¯t think I can even dream of an ordinary life here.¡¯ As if he was finding all this to be such a bother, Abyss scratched his hair. As if he was disinterested, he just walked past the ck monster. It was at that moment. ¡®¡­ Kuuuaaak!¡¯ ¡®Ah, ahah¡­¡¯ ¡®Hup¡­ Huk¡­¡¯ From the back, Abyss could hear the ck skinned human¡¯s scream. Also, he could hear the whimpering of the children on the street who were covering each other and shaking. ¡®¡­ Um?¡¯ They were all something he had seen, felt and experienced in his past life. So, Abyss was going to walk past them all quietly. However, he lost his mind for a moment and stopped. ¡®Ku¡­ Kek¡­ Ku¡­¡¯ ¡®Huhuk¡­ Please save us.¡¯ ¡®Uuuuuaaaang¡­ Mommy¡­¡¯ The human with ck skin looked like it had lost its mind. It was drooling and there were frightened children next to the monster. Abyss watched them vacantly. ¡°¡­Definitely.¡± Abyss muttered. ¡°I feel like I¡¯m watching that person¡­¡± It seemed like this one was not wishing to hurt the children. The body was flinching. As much as it could, the monster was suppressing the body and epidemic which were out of control. Abyss was staring at them with an intrigued look. He was thinking about the Brave Hero who had killed him in his past life. ¡°All right.¡± Abyss was just going to leave. However, in this ce, at Ansyrium where the city had been destroyed by being drenched in epidemic¡­ Abyss decided to show mercy to the ck monster that was crying out loudly, enough for its vocal chords to burst. * * * ¡°¡­ Are you expecting us to believe that?¡± Andal kept quiet and listened to Abyss¡¯s story. Finding it all to be ridiculous, he snorted and asked. Abyss was looking at theke. He smiled nonchntly and responded, ¡°You are free to believe it or not, child of lizards.¡± ¡°What? Lizard? Child?¡± The tone of his words was that of an adult to a child. Now, as if that was not enough of belittlement, Abyss was smiling widely. Andal tightened both of his fists and started to move his mana. ¡°Hey, pip-squeak¡­Say that again.¡± It looked like Andal was going to stuff mes into the kid¡¯s mouth if he didn¡¯t take it back. Andal was grinding his teeth big time. Riley took a step forward and stopped Andal. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Hey, Riley, step aside. I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m going to get scolded by my lord. I must correct how that runt runs his mouth.¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Riley raised his left arm to block Andal. Riley looked at the child with the dark blue hair. The child was looking this way from the back. Riley asked, ¡°Abyss¡­Did you say that was your name? Do you have any proof that this is the purple human that Andal and others have been chasing? The child¡¯s body frame ispletely different from what I remember¡± Abyss was looking at his fishing rod. He turned to look at Riley. He then smile slightly as if he found this amusing. ¡°You must know me. Why are you acting like you don¡¯t?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, because I¡¯m a human now and my face is different? Well, you are exactly as you were, but I am the only one whose appearance changed. I can see why you are disappointed. Of course.¡± ¡°Just shut it and answer the question.¡± Now, Riley furrowed his brows like Andal and insisted on Abyss answering the question. With a bitter look on his face, Abyss shook his head. He looked at the child with the dark blue hair and said, ¡°Take her with you and then you will know. If it is the children of lizards, they should be able to handle something like looking into a human¡¯s mind¡­ Well, they won¡¯t be as good at it as ¡®Us,¡¯ but¡­¡± Abyss¡¯s had mumbled ¡®Us¡¯ in the end. Riley realized that he was indirectly talking about their past life, the existences which were at power with super natural powers to be exact. Riley quietly clicked his tongue. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± Now, it was more than certain that the Great Demon Abyss, the one who Riley had battled against with his life on the line, had been reincarnated into this world as a human boy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Abyss looked at Andal who was standing next to Riley. Abyss moved his chin and asked. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take her?¡± Abyss had his gaze directed to the child with dark blue hair who was vacantly staring in their direction. The girl, who used to be one of the purple humans and was named Epidemic. ¡°Although her memories have been erased, that¡¯s just a matter of the mind. The memories should still be preserved within her. A human being¡¯s brain is surprisingly magnificent, so there should not be a problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Abyss¡¯s proposal was so out of the blue. Andal was getting nervous. He slowly moved his eyes and checked Riley¡¯s intent. ¡®Will it be all right?¡¯ ¡®Take her.¡¯ ¡®What about you?¡¯ ¡®I think I¡¯ll have to talk to this bastard for a bit.¡¯ Andal had never seen Riley acting like this. So, Andal carefully observed his face from the side. Soon, Andal nodded and turned around first. ¡®Contact me if anything happens.¡¯ ¡®Just worry about yourself.¡¯ With Andal gone, now only Abyss and Riley were left at theke-side. Riley slowly moved his legs, walking to stand next to the boy. ¡°I find this so-called fishing to be quite fun.¡± Abyss nced at Riley. He asked if Riley would like to fish together and handed him an unused fishing rod. ¡°Would you like to try?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley didn¡¯t say a word. He just stared at the fishing rod. Abyss lightly sighed. He put down the fishing rod and said, ¡°Fishing and your existence¡­ I came to learn about them only recently.¡± ¡°In that case, as I thought¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m just like you, although it waster for mepared to you.¡± It seemed like Abyss was trying to tempt the fishes that were swimming in theke. Holding the fishing rod with both of his hands, he was flickering it. ¡°After I fell to the ground and became just a ssh of ground meat, I opened my eyes as a human in this city.¡± Although the ce was destroyed now, Abyss said his birth ce was Ansyrium before the city became a mess due to the epidemic. He continued. ¡°The so-called reincarnation, which I only heard about¡­ That¡¯s what happened to me. I was reincarnated not as a demon, but as a human.¡± Abyss said he was reincarnated with all of his past life¡¯s memories intact just like Riley. He suddenly twisted the tip of his lips and asked, ¡°How old do you think I look?¡± ¡°I am not sure?¡± Riley was sure Abyss must have lived several tens of thousands of years at least in his past life. However, Abyss definitely looked younger. So, Riley asked back. ¡°12¡­ Perhaps 13¡­ About that age. I was born a few yearster than you were. This is the reason why my search for you was dyed. If we were both born around the same time, then I would have found you sooner.¡± ¡°You would have tried to find me? Why?¡± ¡°Um? I thought the child of red lizards was told about this?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Because he wanted to enjoy fishing with an old friend¡­Riley remembered what Andal had said before. Riley vacantly opened his eyes. ¡°I guess you did hear it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, In this ce, my age is 13 at the most. If you would like, I can even call you Big Bro?¡± ¡°Do not make me puke.¡± ¡°Huhu¡­¡± As if he was trying to say that now was his turn to hear some answers, Abyss carefully asked, ¡°So, Riley Fin Iphalleta¡­ Now, instead of being a Brave Hero, I heard you are a Young Master of a count family?¡± ¡°You knew?¡± ¡°As I said earlier, it has not been long since I learned about you, but you are quite famous it turns out.¡± Abyss snickered. He flicked the fishing rod and started to list the nicknames that Riley had. ¡°The worst talent in Iphalleta Family history. Lazy Sword. Vegetable, Lazy bum, Sloth, Scarecrow, Headache, and others¡­ You have all sorts of fun nicknames. Considering what I know about you from the past, I cannot believe in these nicknames.¡± Abyss was holding the fishing rod with both of his hands. He ced his right hand in his outer pocket. He brought out a page of a newspaper and gave it to Riley. He continued. ¡°¡­ This is?¡± ¡°I saw your face in there and knew right away that you were also in this world.¡± The newspaper said ¡®The Sword of Solia, the Iphalleta Family Finally Decided the Sessor!¡¯ There were drawings in ce of where photographs would have been in the modern day newspaper. The drawings had the faces of main figures of the Iphalleta Family. ¡°Actually, doing this by myself is a littlecking, so¡­¡± Abyss pointed at his own fishing rod with his gaze and said, ¡°As I said earlier, when I saved that kid who was suffering from the epidemic, I suddenly thought about you, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We were reincarnated to the same world with our memories intact just like each other. Since that has happened, we might as well do this once. It would be fine if we did, don¡¯t you think? Our past lives are just that. Past lives.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley still doubted Abyss. With sleepy eyes, Abyss leisurely asked, ¡°What do you think? You really won¡¯t try it with me?¡± Having heard the question, Riley turned his gaze toward the fishing rod that was not being used. Riley asked, ¡°Still, I killed you. Is this all right?¡± Riley lowered his body and picked up the fishing rod. Abyss held his chin with his right hand and peeked a smile again. He said, ¡°It hadn¡¯t even been 30 years. In that period of time, you could say such things. Perhaps I was envious. Instead of being angry¡­I felt sorry.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°At the veryst moment, when we were both falling¡­I saw your eyes. Only after that¡­After several tens of thousands of years¡­The one thing I barely managed to realize¡­¡± With a sleepy face, Abyss leisurely continued. ¡°I realized that I was also exhausted.¡± Chapter 191 - An Old Friend (4)

Chapter 191: An Old Friend (4)

Abyss was focused on fishing. He quietly said that he was also exhausted. Just like Abyss, Riley was holding onto a fishing rod. Puzzled by what Abyss had just said, Riley turned around to look at him. ¡°You are exhausted?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Abyss flicked the fishing rod and said, ¡°You killed me, but isn¡¯t that purely due to your abilities being exceptional? Despite having a feeble human being¡¯s body, you still reached such height¡­ I am astonished.¡± In Abyss¡¯s past life, Riley hadn¡¯t just cornered him. In the end, Riley had made it so Abyss would meet his end by Riley¡¯s sword. Reminiscing about the Brave Hero he had fought in his past life, Abyss shook his head and went to the main point. ¡°Anyway¡­ It does not matter if you were the one who killed me or not. I just want to enjoy fishing with someone who can understand me. That¡¯s all.¡± In his eyes, it looked like Abyss really didn¡¯t have any intention of fighting Riley. Also, unlike his past life, Abyss looked like he was not interested in killing humans either. The look on Riley¡¯s face said that somehow he felt like he could understand Abyss. Riley mumbled, ¡°A Demon Lord is saying that he is exhausted and wants to go fishing with the Brave Hero? If the demon bastards that I had cut down in my past life heard what you have been saying, I think they would faint from the shock.¡± Abyss was watching the waterline on theke. He had a hollowughter. ¡°Haha. I¡¯m sure they would.¡± ¡°You told Andal ¡®the oldest friend.¡¯ What was that about?¡± ¡°I referred to you as such because I thought we had be close in a way. In our past life, at the very end, we became pretty close, didn¡¯t we?¡± ¡°What a load of bullcrap¡­¡± ¡°Haha. It turns out there is a saying like this among the humans. Bing friends after a fight¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The so-called friendship of the humans¡­ I heard that it is something that grows bigger and stronger through bickering¡­ Am I wrong?¡± Abyss saw that Riley¡¯s face was crumpling. He nced at Riley¡¯s face and asked carefully if what he was saying was incorrect. Riley¡¯s face looked like he was getting a headache. Riley was massaging the temples of his head. ¡°You used to be a demon. Now you became a human. Did your insides change too? If this was your past life, you would have never said such things.¡± ¡°I am not sure? It could be that I¡¯ve changed. Perhaps I didn¡¯t change. Still¡­I think I have not changed much. Instead of me, you have changed a lot.¡± Abyss snickered and said Riley was the one who had changed more. Having heard Abyss, Riley thought about the conversation he had when he had been fighting the Demon Lord in his past life. ¡®Oh¡­ A Demon Lord is showing concern for the Brave Hero? Oh my, this is ridiculous. The fact that a Demon Lord is kinder than the Priestess¡­ I wonder who should I bring this up to?¡¯ ¡®Did you say I am kind?¡¯ ¡®Ahah¡­ If I knew about this sooner, I would have sided with you instead. Nobody would have tried to trip me off. I wouldn¡¯t have had to be concerned about people¡¯s gazes either.¡¯ ¡®In that case, why don¡¯t you side with me now?¡¯ It was not exactly just before Riley¡¯s death. The conversation had taken ce just before his battle against the Demon Lord. Thinking about the conversation, Riley had a bitter look on his face. He started tough but it was hollow. ¡°In the past, you were the Brave Hero who could not go a day without swinging his sword. Now, I have been hearing that you are living in a Count¡¯s Family and demonstrating the pinnacle ofziness. Honestly¡­ it was hard to believe.¡± Having heard Abyss, Riley thought about his second life in this world, starting from the moment of his reincarnation and up to this very moment. The look on Riley¡¯s face seemed to be saying that what Abyss had said was usible. Riley showed a hollow look on his face. ¡°Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true. Compared to you¡­ perhaps I have changed more.¡± Abyss was looking at Riley¡¯s face from the side. Abyss twisted the tip of his lips, smiling. He then exined his impression of Riley. ¡°Compared to the past, you seem to befortable.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying you look well inparison to your past life.¡± It seemed the fishes were biting. Straining his eyes, Abyss pulled the fishing rod. He saw a tiny fish hanging on the hook. Disappointed, he clicked his tongue. ¡°Hm. It is small.¡± Abyss saw the tiny fish that was struggling in the air while hanging from the hook. With just his gaze, Abyss freed the fish from a distance and released it into the water. Ssh The tiny fish looked as if it had been grabbed by something invisible. It was pulled from the hook, released, and floated in the air. It was set free and returned to theke. ¡°You are letting it live?¡± ¡°I learned to save the little ones.¡± ¡°From who?¡± Changing his mind¡­ Riley also thought that Demon Lord had changed a lot inparison to their past life. He casually asked where Abyss had learned this. ¡°I learned it from you.¡± ¡°From me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Riley thought Abyss was going to babble on about the order of nature or what not. Instead, Abyss said he learned it from Riley. Riley was not expecting this. He put a question mark on his face. ¡°So, I have been staying with the children of Ansyrium who were left behind. With your senses, I¡¯m sure you would have noticed them along the way¡­ By any chance¡­ did you not see them?¡± Riley had seen the children with ragged appearances who were peeking out of a ruined building. Riley said, ¡°I did see them.¡± ¡°They are the children I¡¯m talking about. After this city named Ansyrium was destroyed by Epidemic, the humans called adults abandoned them¡­ They are the children who have nothing left.¡± Abyss checked the fishing hook. He then started fishing again. Abyss started to exin about the children who were left behind. ¡°I¡¯m staying with the children. Regardless of who I am inside, still, my exterior is simr to these children. Perhaps it would be correct to say I have been protecting them. On a side note, Epidemic, the child of lizards had been looking for, is one of those children.¡± With a look of disbelief, Riley stared at Abyss. However, it seemed that Abyss did not really mind it. He continued. ¡°Although my decision started with seeing Epidemic struggling to not harm the children, fundamentally, the thought of wanting to help these children urred to me because of you. In the past life, I had seen you desperately trying to save children.¡± Protect them? A Demon Lord was? A Demon Lord protecting human children? As if that was not ridiculous enough, he was actually living with them? ¡°Enough with your ridiculous jokes.¡± With a cold gaze, Riley looked at Abyss. Riley demanded that Abyss should cut the lies and tell him the truth. ¡°Do you realize who was the one that toyed with the lives of those innocent children who knew nothing¡­ After all this time, what are you saying? Protecting children and living with them?¡± In his past life, the children who had been tempted by the demon¡­ came back as monsters that killed humans. They were shedding tears of blood. Riley remembered this. It made Riley tighten his grip. ¡®Mister¡­ I have a favor to ask. Can I please ask you this one thing?¡¯ ¡®I am sorry, but a request from a monster¡­¡¯ ¡®We are not monsters.¡¯ ¡®Mister, we are not monsters, really.¡¯ ¡®Hk¡­ Mommy¡­ I want to see mommy.¡¯ ¡®Kill us.¡¯ ¡®Mister. It hurts so much. We are in pain.¡¯ ¡®Hurry.¡¯ Riley was fond of children. He was kind to children. He was like this because of the children from his past. The Priestess from the past had not been able to cleanse them in the end, so the monsters, those children, had to die by Riley¡¯s sword. ¡°You made those children kill their parents with their own hands and tear apart their friends, and yet¡­after all this time?¡± The fishing rod that Riley¡¯s holding, looked like it was about to get crushed. Abyss was looking at Riley. The look on Abyss seemed to be saying that he could not understand why Riley was reacting this way. Abyss furrowed his brows and asked back, ¡°¡­ What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I have never done such things. I never ordered such things either.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± With a crumpled face, Abyss was saying that he had never done such things or ordered anyone to do such things. Having heard this, with a confused look on his face, Riley crumpled his brows. ¡°¡­ Exin to me once again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley was facing Abyss directly. Riley realized that he was starting to strain his own shoulders. ¡°Are you saying that we tempted human children, turned them into monsters and used them to kill their parents and friends?¡± The Demon Lord was infuriated. ¡°You may have changed since the reincarnation, but I am well aware that you are not the kind of the man to lie. Exin it to me again.¡± Abyss had the look of a young boy and his eyes were half closed as if he was sleepy. However, there was a deadly aura in his eyes now. They alerted Riley¡¯s senses. ¡°It is true that we had fought humans for a long time due to our differences. However, we ¡®demons¡¯ are not socking that we would resort to such despicable method.¡± Before Riley, Abyss broke the fishing rod that he was holding. With eyes full of deadly aura, Abyss faced Riley and continued. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know about other humans.¡± Abyss looked genuinely infuriated. Riley was facing Abyss with crumpled face, but Riley asked, thinking that perhaps it was not the case. ¡°Did you¡­ really not know about this?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t they do things that are worse than this?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Abyss stared at Riley with piercing gaze and asked back. ¡°I¡¯m asking. Don¡¯t humans often do horrible things that are even more horrendous than what you have just described?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± ¡°Past life or this life¡­ Humans are not all that different it turns out. The abandoned children of this ce, Ansyrium¡­ Looking just at them was enough for me to see that. The nobilities or whatever¡­ They are all talk. In the end, theypletely ignored the children. Watching their despicable side¡­ They made me puke.¡± Abyss¡¯s fishing rod¡¯s handle waspletely broken. He picked up the rod and said, ¡°Ever since I was reincarnated as a human, when I saw humansmitting despicable acts for the first time¡­ I absolutely hated the fact that I was reborn a human.¡± Solia Magic Tower¡¯s human experiments, the suffering of the ves of Ansyrium, suffering ofmoners, the nobilities who live just fine despite havingmitted all sorts of evil¡­ Also¡­ ¡°We demons never do such things.¡± Abyss rapidly fired away all disgusting things that he had seen humans do. He then added that demons didn¡¯t do such things. ¡°We merely let the powers collide and have the winner decide right and wrong. That¡¯s all. Despite our ways, no demon has ever voiced theirints.¡± It was a rough method, but Abyss said that no demon had ever voiced theirints. He exined why no demons would have felt wronged. ¡°When we believed that the loser¡¯s side was correct, other strong demons stepped in and helped. Otherwise, they just watched.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What about humans?¡± There was no response from Riley. So, Abyss continued on by himself. ¡°I have been living as a human now. I cannot say that all I have seen so far are the disgusting sides of humans.¡± Abyss was infuriated, but it looked like he was regaining his calm a little. He disengaged his deadly aura. He briefly exined the good things he had noticed in humans. ¡°Just like there are two sides of a coin, unlike the humans who only do disgusting things, there were other humans who made me smile. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Abyss sighed briefly. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure you know better than me when ites to the humans who do good in this world. You had been living as human longer than I have.¡± What Abyss was trying to say was probably that¡­ There are far too few humans who do good inparison to the humans who do evil or that the good humans are being persecuted by the bad ones. What about humans¡­ Abyss had said those words earlier. Riley thought about it. He then asked Abyss the following. The look on Riley¡¯s face could not look more serious. ¡°You are being honest, right?¡± ¡°If you are asking me if my demons and I turned human children into monsters in my past life¡­ I am telling you the truth.¡± Abyss nodded and said in stern voice, ¡°Let me make this clear. In my past life¡¯s tens of thousands of years¡­I have never done such and I never ordered anyone to do anything like that.¡± Riley looked at Abyss¡¯s face. To be precise, Riley red at Abyss¡¯s eyes. Riley confirmed that he was not lying. Riley said, ¡°In that case, just who¡­¡± Riley carefully went over what had happened in his past life. Soon, the look on his face stiffened. ¡®I am sorry, Brave Hero. It is toote for these children.¡¯ ¡®Toote? You said that you can definitely save them!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sorry. My cleansing is not enough.¡¯ ¡®¡­ Then¡­?¡¯ ¡®Young Master¡­ You will have to cut down these children.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®As soon as possible, please hurry. These children¡­no, before these monsters kill more people.¡¯ ¡®Monsters? They are children¡­¡¯ ¡®You need to harden your heart. Brave Hero, you are the only one who can.¡¯ It seemed that a big fish had bit on the hook. The fishing rod that Riley was holding started to flinch. Chapter 192 - Six People

Chapter 192: Six People

¡°¡­He was telling the truth.¡± Andal brought the child with the dark blue hair and examined her memories that were hidden inside her head. Andal checked the memories that the child was not able to remember. Andal vacantly muttered, ¡°This kid really is¡­¡± The kid really was thest of the purple humans who Riley and Andal had been searching for, the one with pitch-ck skin who was revived numerous times and roared loudly no matter how many times they killed her, the one who infected Andal with the illness. ¡°Epidemic¡­¡± The red-haired man was staring at the child and saying things that she didn¡¯t know anything about. The child was sitting in the seat quietly, but she tilted her head to the side and as if she was wondering why, asked. ¡°Are you not feeling well somewhere?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Andal?¡± It seemed he didn¡¯t hear Epidemic¡¯s question. Andal only maintained his silence. He had crumpled his face. ¡®Abyss said he had taken her under his wings?¡¯ Andal thought about the little one who had called him ¡®a child of lizards¡¯ and what not. Andal was carefully thinking about what he saw in Epidemic¡¯s memories about that little one. ¡®It cannot be¡­¡¯ The little one had abilities that rivaled those of Riley. ¡®To think there is another one in existence in this world who is as monstrously powerful as Riley.¡¯ Andal detected an unbelievable amount of mana from Abyss in Epidemic¡¯s memories. Andal muttered with a serious look on his face, ¡°Should I let our Lord know about this?¡± Andal pondered if he should let the Lord of dragons know about what he had just found out. However, Andal casually turned his head after hearing Epidemic¡¯s steps approaching him. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ Here.¡± What Epidemic had brought was a dish of steaming vegetable soup. ¡°Soup? Why did you bring this to me?¡± Andal had no idea why she had brought him this soup. Andal asked as he tilted his head to the side. Epidemic handed the soup to him as if she was pushing it toward him. She said, ¡°You couldn¡¯t hear my voice, and you were muttering. I wondered if you were ill, so I decided to bring this to you¡­¡± ¡°You thought I was ill?¡± ¡°Do dragons not eat soups like this?¡± Epidemic added that this was not a regr vegetable soup but had boiled medical herbs in it. However, her considerations only fanned Andal¡¯s anger. It looked like nothing positive was going toe out of this. ¡°Do you have any idea how sick I was because of an illness I contracted due to someone? It is like you pass the illness tome and then bring out the medicine¡­ What? Herbal soup? Ugh, you little!¡± Andal raised his arm. He was about to strike Epidemic¡¯s head. Ready to endure the pain that wasing, Epidemic closed her eyes tightly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Andal had no idea what had happened to the monster that had poured out the ck epidemic. That monster was gone without leaving a trace. She looked like a child who had grown up inside rather early. Having realized this, Andal, who was about to swing his arm at her, lowered his arm. Andal looked like he didn¡¯t feel up it anymore. He had an awkward look on his face. ¡°Never mind. What good would it do to beat up a powerless human.¡± Andalined inside that he should let out his anger on Rileyter instead. Epidemic was cautiously opening her eyes narrowly. Andal asked her something he was curious about. ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± She thought she was about to get beaten. She was relieved to know that it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°That little one who was sitting in front of theke. The one you led us to meet. How much do you know¡­ about that kid?¡± ¡°Are you talking about Abyss?¡± ¡°Yes, that kid.¡± Andal stared at her as if he was trying to ask her to exin who Abyss was in detail. Epidemic hesitated for a moment. She then started to exin carefully. ¡°He is a good kid. Although he is still very young, he seems to be very grown up, so¡­ Other children and I all follow him as if he is our captain.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°He says ¡®I¡¯m sleepy¡¯ or ¡®I want to sleep¡¯ a lot. He practically has those words always hanging from his mouth. Also, he is always leisurely. I had never seen him get angry once¡­ Somehow, I think he is very carefree.¡± She said perhaps Abyss¡¯ character was not bing of his appearance. Shepared Abyss to a grandfather who was sitting on a rocking armchair. Epidemic shrugged and continued. ¡°That¡¯s all. Sometimes¡­ What did he say? C? He said he wanted to drink c, which was strange. Other than that, I don¡¯t have anything in particr to say about him.¡± ¡°C?¡± ¡°Yes. Mr. Red dragon, do you know about it by any chance? This c that Abyss mentioned?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know about it well either.¡± Andal shook his head and said he didn¡¯t know. He was thinking about what his friend mumbled often. C¡­ Riley also oftenined and said he wished he could drink it. This was why. ¡®How many years has it been since you have been working in the pub business?¡¯ ¡®I am not sure. I have not been counting?¡¯ ¡®You are saying it has been quite long then.¡¯ ¡®Well, I guess so.¡¯ ¡®In that case, can you make c?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m talking about c. C.¡¯ A long time ago, Riley, the first human who Andal had be close to,ined about this when he hade to visit Andal¡¯s pub. Andal was thinking about this. * * * Riley had a conversation with Abyss while fishing together. Riley realized that many things he knew from his past life were very wrong in some ways. ¡°They are different¡­ Did anyone tell you about them?¡± ¡°No, not at all.¡± ¡°In that case, now we know for certain.¡± Of the things that Riley didn¡¯t know correctly, there were two biggest ones. First thing was that ¡®Abyss and demons had no intention of destroying the humans,¡¯ and the other thing was that ¡®Abyss had no choice but to move as someone else intended.¡¯ ¡°I cannot help but feel suspicious of a servant bastard that was closest to me. What about you? It seems like you also have someone you are suspicious of?¡± Throughout the conversation, Abyss and Rileypared their past lives. Abyss asked Riley after putting a serious look on his face. Riley nodded and said, ¡°The Priestess¡­¡± ¡°Priestess? The one who gave you the blessing?¡± ¡°The blessing was not the only thing she gave me.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes and thought about all moments he had encountered the Priestess in his past life. He then continued. ¡°Anyway, that has a high likelihood of being rted to this Helena. Others were probably stirred into it. A few dozen at first¡­ and then a few hundred, a few thousand, tens of thousands¡­ In the end, everyone of them.¡± Demons are trying to destroy the humans. Therefore, we must stop them. It will all work out if the Brave Hero kills the Demon Lord. That¡¯s how it was done. ¡°In the end, you and I¡­ met our ends side by side like buddies. Someone¡¯s n worked out magnificently.¡± Riley thought it was Helena who he found the most suspicious. Abyss thought it was his closest subordinate who he found the most suspicious. ¡°After that, one after the other, the purple humans started to appear in this world.¡± ¡°Epidemic is one of the examples?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°If what the Goddess that the girl named Nainiae mentioned said is true, then I am more than sure of it now. I was done in by a plot, and you¡­¡± ¡°¡­ It means I was tricked.¡± Riley and Abyss were watching the water. A fish jumped out and disappeared into theke. ¡°Could it be that they made a deal? If the Priestess and my subordinate schemed behind us, then everything fits. I supposed it means one of the two wanted this world.¡± For what? Riley narrowed his eyes. ¡°Something they wanted so badly that they killed both the Brave Hero and the Demon Lord for¡­ Considering what you have just told me, I think the Goddess of that world may not exist anymore.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes. Having heard Abyss, Riley asked with a puzzled look. ¡°No matter how rotten, she is a Goddess. How could she have died?¡± Abyss shrugged. He shook his head and said, ¡°Humans think that a god is all powerful and invincible, but¡­¡± Abyss looked up to the sky and said, ¡°¡­ a god is not all that powerful.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I said earlier, I aimed for the sky¡­ simply because I wanted to meet the Goddess of our past life. It was not to kill all the humans. If I wanted to kill all humans, then it would have been done.¡± Riley thought things would not have turned out so wrong if he had listened to the Demon Lord¡¯s story in his past life. Riley asked, ¡°In that case, why didn¡¯t you tell me when we fought?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Abyss thought hard about this for a moment and said, ¡°I had no moment to spare for the conversation. You did not have the time to spare for it either. You acknowledge it, right?¡± Riley could not object to that, so he clicked his tongue. ¡°¡­ Tsk.¡± ¡°Anyhow. Thanks to you, we got to enjoy fishing together while sitting next to each other like this, so¡­ I don¡¯t think you need to think too badly of what happened. Still¡­¡± Abyss cracked his neck left and right and said, ¡°To think that I was killed¡­ I cannot justugh about it.¡± Unlike what he said, Abyss was smiling big. He suddenly lowered the tips of his mouth and looked at Riley. ¡°¡­ Six humans.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°The six people who you find most trust-worthy and dependable. Can you bring them?¡± The question was so out of the blue. Riley furrowed his brows as if he was trying to ask Abyss what this was about. ¡°I have heard that you have been sitting around and doing nothing as a Young Master of a noble family. Still, you would have at least six people you can trust, right?¡± ¡°What are you getting¡­¡± ¡°The so-called ¡®purple humans¡¯ that you told me about¡­ the people who have a power from the other world¡­¡± Abyss remembered the exnation Riley had given earlier and continued. ¡°They were called Six Parts¡­ is that right?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Riley thought he could guess what Abyss was trying to say. Riley looked at Abyss as if he was trying to ask Abyss if he was being serious. ¡°Such petty creatures¡­ It seems that they tried to mimic me. I should show them the real thing.¡± Around Abyss¡¯ body, purple energy started to flow. ¡°Six people.¡± Abyss opened his right palm. Above the palm, six seed-like things were formed. ¡°That¡¯s right. With the six people you bring, we will show these bastards that the six parts we gathered are superior. That will do it.¡± Abyss showed the seeds to Riley and made the proposition. He continued as if this was no big deal. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you refuse this proposition. If that is the case¡­ then I¡¯ll raise the children of Ansyrium, including Epidemic, and head over to the other side. That should be enough.¡± Riley still didn¡¯t respond. Abyss asked, ¡°What will you do?¡± ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Finding this to be ridiculous, Riley broke intoughter. ¡°Now that we are already fishing, we might as well catch the big one and end it by any means necessary, don¡¯t you think?¡± Abyss asked again. Riley wasughing as if he was found this amusing. It seemed that he thought this was not a bad idea. Riley nodded and said, ¡°All right.¡± ¡°I knew you woulde along.¡± It seemed that Abyss was satisfied with Riley¡¯s answer. Like Riley, Abyss also had a smile on the tip of his lips. Abyss put away the six pieces of purple lights above his hand and started to talk. However¡­ ¡°Well then, first¡­¡± ¡°¡­Riley!!¡± His voice was blocked by someone loudly shouting from behind. ¡°Um?¡± Riley casually turned his head and found his red-haired friend who was rushing toward him. Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°Riley! That little one was right! He really took away the power of that epidemic human!¡± Andal came back after checking the inside of Epidemic¡¯s head. As if Riley was trying to say that he had a rough idea of what was going on, he calmed down Andal. ¡°Ah I see, I¡¯m sure that is the case.¡± ¡°What? You already knew? Why are you not surprised at all?¡± ¡°It was just a guess, based on the mood.¡± ¡°Um?¡± Andal furrowed his brows as if he was finding all of this suspicious. He checked Abyss¡¯ gaze and called Riley. ¡°Hey, Riley.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Andal waved his hand. It seemed that he was trying to say Riley should bring his ear closer to Andal. Thinking it could not be helped, Riley brought his ear close to Andal¡¯s mouth. ¡°What¡¯s¡­ c?¡± ¡°What?¡± The question was totally unexpected. Riley furrowed his eyebrows as if he was trying to say that the question was too out of the blue. ¡°I said what¡¯s c.¡± ¡°¡­ Huhu.¡± Andal could not look more serious when he asked about c again. Riley had his mouth open as if he was at a loss for words. Instead of Riley, Abyss responded instead. ¡°It seems that¡­¡± Abyss was watching Andal as if he was amused by this. Tip of Abyss¡¯ lips wiggled. ¡°¡­one of the six parts has already been decided.¡± Chapter 193 - Six People (2)

Chapter 193: Six People (2)

Although it made Riley feel uneasy, he chose to leave Andal with Abyss. Riley returned to the mansion and promptly went to find Nainiae. ¡°Ah, Young Master!¡± ¡°Sera.¡± Riley turned his head around in response to the voice that wasing from the rear. He found a maid who was quickly walking toward him. As if he was d to see the maid, he raised his hand. ¡°By any chance, do you know where Nainiae went?¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± Sera tilted her head to the side and asked why he was asking that. ¡°She isn¡¯t with you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard that you were taking a nap in the library? Nainiae told me that you said you were sleepy, so she ended up going back to her room.¡± ¡°She did?¡± Riley asked while floating a question mark on his face. Sera nodded and continued. ¡°Yes. Still, one thing was very odd¡­ It¡¯s spring now. If it is a nap, I think you would prefer to nap in the garden, but you didn¡¯t? I asked Nainiae why you weren¡¯t napping in the garden and she said you seemed to have an allergy.¡± Sera said she thought it was odd that her Young Master, who liked taking a leisurely nap in the garden around spring time, was napping in the library instead. ¡°Young Master, you don¡¯t actually have allergy, right?¡± ¡°Um? Ahah¡­¡± Riley figured out why Nainiae ended up mentioning ¡®allergy.¡¯ Riley rubbed his nose with his knuckles and said with a voice that sounded like he might sneeze any moment. ¡°Until now, I lived while never noticing anything like that, but I suddenly got a really runny nose¡­ It is so difficult to have this happen.¡± ¡°Runny nose?¡± ¡°Yes. Maybe it is not an allergy but a cold? The season is changing right now. The change in the temperature is quite extreme. My body feels a bit off, so perhaps I was careless¡­¡± ¡°Well. You had an extreme fever during thest winter when you were hibernating. In the end, Nainiae managed to fix it somehow, but still¡­¡± It seemed Sera wanted to go scold Nainiae for not even properly identifying if Riley had a cold or an allergy. The look on her face changed. She looked stern. ¡°I cannot let this pass. I should have a word with her¡­¡± ¡°Ah, wait. It¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sera was about to quickly head to the library. Riley hurriedly blocked her path and said he would do it instead. However, in Sera¡¯s eyes, she was burning with desire as the senior maid to go and give advice. The look in her eyes was not about to calm down. ¡°No. I really cannot let this pass. You are not in a good condition, yet she let you wander around in the corridor by yourself. Instead of nursing you, just where is she and what is she doing? I should go find out and bring this up to her for sure.¡± Having heard her stern voice, Riley was now certain that he had just stepped on andmine. Sera was about to walk away again. Riley went to block her path again and started to try to convince her otherwise. ¡°In that case, let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Together?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I have been looking for Nainiae as well.¡± Sera held her chin and pondered on this. She nodded as if she found the idea to be eptable. ¡°All right. I would be able to scold her properly with you present, Young Master.¡± She was even snorting as she vowed a hard scolding. Watching this¡­ Riley apologized to Nainiae inside and walked. ¡°First, should we go check out the library?¡± Based on what Sera had said, Riley wondered if they should visit the library first, so he muttered. Sera tilted her head to the side. ¡°The library? Didn¡¯t you juste from the library?¡± Having heard the question, Riley thought about the doll that Nainiae had made to look just like him. Riley flinched a little and responded as if he didn¡¯t know much about it. ¡°Ah, I think maybe we just missed each other along the way¡­ I was thinking about the possibility that Nainiae may havee back just after I left.¡± ¡°Hm. Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± As expected, although Riley couldn¡¯t quite figure it out, he felt like he could understand why Nainiae was so concerned about Sera¡¯s senses. Riley sighed inside in secret and asked Sera, ¡°In that case, what about you, Sera? Can you guess where Nainiae is?¡± ¡°¡­ Huhu.¡± She smiled confidently as if she was waiting for this question. She raised her index finger and waved it a few times as if she was trying to say that Riley should wait for a moment. She closed her eyes. Sniff, sniff sniff¡­ It looked like she was trying to utilize her sense of smell. Watching her sniff with her eyes closed, Riley thought she would be able to find where Nainiae was right away. ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Did you find her?¡± It seemed that Sera had found a strange smell. She cringed and tilted her head to the side. Riley also tilted his head to the side, wondering why she was being like this. ¡°I found her, but¡­ Something is¡­¡± ¡°Why? What is it?¡± Sniff Sniff¡­ ¡°Um? It is strange?¡± Now, Sera tilted her head to the other side and brought her face up close to Riley. She started to smell him. ¡°Young Master, you are definitely here?¡± She looked puzzled. Sera exined why she was thinking like this. ¡°There are two.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Your smell¡­ There are two sources?¡± Sera looked confused. Riley realized this was because of the doll that Nainiae had made. He flinched inside. ¡®Should I just tell her what really happened?¡¯ It was not going to be possible to hide it forever¡­ Riley wondered if it would be better to just tell her what happened now instead of being found outter and getting scolded. Leaving him behind, Sera started to walk first. ¡°Do I also have an allergy?¡± Sera wondered about that since spring had juste. She tilted her head to the side once again. ¡°Have you found Nainiae?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Riley thought it would be better to talk to Nainiae first instead of telling Sera what really happened. Riley asked where Nainiae was and Sera looked back at Riley. ¡°Please follow me. She is in the same ce. It is probably¡­¡± It seemed Sera was doubting her sense of smell because she could smell two different sources of Riley¡¯s smell. Sera blurred the end of the sentence as if she was not confident. ¡®They are in the same ce that means¡­¡¯ Having watched Sera¡¯s response, he concluded that the doll and Nainiae were in the same ce. ¡°Sera, isn¡¯t this the way towards the library?¡± ¡°Ah, it is.¡± With her eyes closed, she was focusing on her sense of smell as she walked. Sera didn¡¯t realize which direction she was walking towards. After hearing Riley, she nodded in agreement. ¡°In the end, your guess was correct. It looks like you just missed her, but¡­ why do I sense another source of Young Master¡¯s smell?¡± Sera had a puzzled look as if she was trying to figure out a maze. As if she was thinking that she just needed to check, Sera was trying to enter the library first. Riley panicked inside and flinched his face. ¡°Aaaaaachhhhh!!!¡± ¡°¡­ Kiiiaaak?!¡± Sera nervously had her hand on the library door¡¯s handle. Having heard the sound of his coughing, Sera screamed from being surprised. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master? You scared me!¡± ¡°How am I supposed to control sneezing?¡± Riley coughed loudly so he could let Nainiae inside the library know that he hade back. Riley moved past Sera. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Ugh, I thought my liver was going to drop!¡± ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m telling you that it was not intentional.¡± [Note: ¡®I thought my liver was going to drop¡¯ is something that people say to express how frightened they were in Korea.] Riley opened the library door while apologizing to Sera. He found Nainiae hurriedly putting away the doll¡¯s legs. He nced at Sera who was right behind him. ¡°Nainiae!!¡± Nainiae¡¯s shoulders flinched. ¡°Just where did you go while leaving the Young Master behind!¡± Standing next to Riley, Sera was scolding Nainiae in a loud voice. Riley sighed in relief inside. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Fortunately, Sera walked into the library a stepter than Riley. It seemed that she hadn¡¯t seen Nainiae putting away the doll. ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± Nainiae looked at Riley and then at Sera to check their moods. Like a person who had just got asked a very difficult question, Nainiae started to open and close her mouth like a fish. ¡°I went to the restroom for a moment while Young Master was sleeping on the sofa. In that brief period of time¡­¡± Veins popped out of Sera¡¯s forehead. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I¡­ lost track of Young Master.¡± Riley was sure Nainiae must have been feeling wronged about this. Still, Nainiae looked ashamed and lowered her head. ¡°¡­¡± Riley felt sorry for Nainiae. He directed his gaze away while whistling. ¡°And?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Other than that, didn¡¯t you do one more thing wrong? I think it would be best for you if you thought hard about this.¡± Nainiae discovered that Sera¡¯s eyes were burning in mes. The look on Nainiae¡¯s face looked like she was asking Riley why Sera was acting this way. Nainiae stared at Riley. ¡°Ah, the book in such a ce¡­¡± Riley was not looking at Nainiae in the eyes. He found a book that was rolling around on the ground. He picked it up and try to act like he was busy with something else. ¡°¡­ Nainiae!!¡± ¡°Uuu¡­ Yes!¡± Because of Sera¡¯s shouting, Nainiae stiffened her shoulders and responded. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you have be careless while Mr. Ian is away?¡± ¡°T¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°You should have done something, even magic!¡± ¡°However, Ms. Wa said¡­ She said it is against the rules to use magic while handling maid work, so¡­¡± ¡°Uuuuuuuum?! Are you saying you did the right thing?¡± ¡°N¡­ No¡­ That is¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t even tell if Young Master has a cold or an allergy?¡± ¡°¡­ Pardon? What are you talking about?¡± A question mark floated up on Nainiae¡¯s face. Sera was shaking the broom that she was holding. She looked infuriated. Sera quickly walked to Nainiae and extended her hand. ¡°Come follow me for a bit.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ M¡­ Ms. Sera! Wait! What was that about? Young Master has allergy?¡± Nainiae¡¯s wrist was grabbed by Sera. As Nainiae was dragged to the outside of the library, she extended her hand out toward Riley. ¡°Young Master? Young Master!¡± ¡°A¡­ Aaachhhhh!!¡± Riley had been avoiding her gaze. He opened his mouth big and coughed out loudly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae was being dragged away by Sera. It seemed that Nainiae was shocked. She was speechless. Riley, who was avoiding her gaze, also didn¡¯t say anything. * * * ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae returned to the library after being scolded big time by Sera. She pouted all the way out as she sat on the sofa. ¡°Ah, I said I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°You could have notified me through Telepathic messaging.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t ur to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley smiled nonchntly. Nainiae ballooned up her cheek and put on a pissed look. ¡°Hey. Last time, you thought about floating magic veryte while we were climbing Andal¡¯s mountain and that put me through a tough time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just say we are even.¡± Although Riley was the one who said it, even he thought that was ridiculously shameless. Riley broke out in a cold sweat in the rear of his head. ¡°¡­ Ugh.¡± Nainiae sighed. It seemed she had been seriously scolded by Sera. ¡°All right. I know that Ms. Sera¡­ didn¡¯t scold me because she hates me.¡± It seemed that she was scolded badly. Although she was saying that, Nainiae was in tears. Riley was feeling awkward about this. He scratched the back of his head. ¡°Still, I¡¯m d you came back soon.¡± ¡°¡­ You worked hard.¡± Nainiae wiped off the tears around her eyes. She looked happy. Riley looked sorry and said Nainiae had worked hard. He then started exining in detail about what had happened in Asyrium. ¡°At Ansyrium¡­ Abyss was there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nainiae was having a hard time believing this and asked. Riley nodded. ¡°I think it is caused by the fact that he died almost at the same time and through the same method with me in the past life.¡± Riley exined to Nainiae about the Demon Lord who had been reborn in this world with his abilities and memories intact just like Riley. He then also exined about the Six Parts that Abyss proposed. ¡°Six parts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The n was that Riley and Abyss will gather Six Parts and send them to the other side where Helena was at, using the same method. ¡°I wanted to ask for your thoughts on this.¡± Nainiae was sitting on the sofa. Riley presented her with a paper that had something written on it. He moved his chin to say she should check it. ¡°¡­ Um?¡± Nainiae looked at the paper and saw the names that were written there. ¡°Young Master, this is¡­¡± Chapter 194 - Six People (3)

Chapter 194: Six People (3)

One, two, three, four¡­ Nainiae confirmed that there were four names. She asked, ¡°You said you were preparing Six Parts. However, I only see four names here?¡± Riley pointed at her. ¡°First, there is one here.¡± Nainiae tilted her head to the side and wondered who the other one was. ¡°And?¡± Riley avoided her gaze and thought about the rascal with red hair who must be bickering with Abyss in Ansyrium right about now. ¡°There is another¡­ Anyway, what do you think?¡± Riley thought that there was no need to tell her about Andal. Instead, he asked Nainiae about the four people whose names were written on the paper. ¡°I am not sure¡­¡± There were people other than Andal or Nainiae. They were all the people who Riley had met two or three times at least. ¡°First¡­¡± Nainiae looked at Nara¡¯s name. She had guessed why they wanted to take Nara with them. Nainiae asked, ¡°The reason for takingmander Nara there is¡­ As I thought, is it because of his eyes?¡± Riley nodded. ¡°There is the eyes thing, but he is also skilled at spear techniques. He has a good sense as well. Once Abyss gives him powers, he will be dashing around just fine. Basing it purely on potential, he is the best among the four as well.¡± It seemed that Nainiae agreed with Riley¡¯s assessment. She nodded. ¡°He certainly is.¡± Last summer, when they had run into Nara for the first time, they confirmed Nara¡¯s skills. He was superb, more than enough for Nainiae to nod in agreement. He was a basilisk. However¡­ Other than his eyes, his basic physical abilities were not so different from humans. Despite that and despite his age, Nara possessed such talent already. It was the evidence that Nara possessed superior potential. ¡°I think Ms. Iril is the only one who has as much potential asmander Nara at such a young age¡± Iril was the adopted granddaughter of Inaril, who once had the Blessing of the Sword in this world. Iril was slightly ahead of Nara, but¡­ Nara had the eyes of basilisk, which Iril did not have. ¡°I have no objections.¡± Nainiae, someone who once had a duel against Nara, said she had no objections. She moved her gaze to the next name on the paper. ¡°The next one is¡­¡± Nainiae crumpled her eyebrows. ¡°Ms. Sera?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Initially, I was going to send someone else, but I just changed my mind.¡± Riley was impressed by Sera¡¯s sense of smell when he had run into her after just returning to the mansion. This was the reason why Riley chose Sera as the second person. ¡°Um¡­¡± It seemed that she was more concerned about Sera than Nara. Nainiae was not able to speak right away. She held her chin and was silent for a long time. She then said, ¡°Is she going to be all right? I am a little worried.¡± Compared to others on the list, Nainiae thought Sera was rtively weak. This was the reason. ¡°Why? I don¡¯t think it is a bad idea.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± Sera possessed an extra-ordinary sense of smell and other senses. Even Nainiae acknowledged those things in Sera. However, if anyone asked if Sera¡¯s dual des was stronger than Nara¡¯s spear¡­then Sera was not quite at that kind of caliber. This was why. ¡°Are you that worried about her?¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nainiae nodded carefully. ¡®Well, the other world is quite dangerous.¡± Nainiae was worried not just because of Sera¡¯s skill in swordsmanship but because of the dangers in the other world that she would be going to as per Abyss¡¯s proposal, in other words, the world of Riley¡¯s past life. ¡°I am not sure if Ms. Sera would be able to handle that ce¡­¡± Nainiae muttered carefully. It seemed that she thought she really could not let this be. She shook her head and asked Riley, ¡°Young Master, about this person named Abyss¡­ No, the Demon Lord¡­ Is he really trustworthy?¡± Nainiae thought about the great demon, who Riley had fought in the end of his past life. She muttered with a concerned look on her face. ¡°Still, this is the Demon Lord who fought against you in your past life. We need to consider the possibility of this being a trap, and¡­¡± Nainiae mumbled with a voice full of worry. Riley had a carefree look on his face as if he was trying to say that it was going to be all right. Riley suddenly ced his hand above her head. ¡°You sure worry about all sorts of things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Nainiae looked like she was feeling wronged. She looked up at Riley. ¡°If you are worried about Sera, then don¡¯t worry about her too much. I picked her because I have a n. Did you think that I picked her without giving it serious thought?¡± Riley added that Nainiae should skip her for now and asked her to check the third name. Nainiae figured that it could not be helped, so she turned her gaze back to the paper. ¡°Um?¡± She checked the third name on the paper and frowned. ¡°You are going to take Ms. Priesia too?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley nodded and exined why he was taking the Priestess. ¡°She is still considered missing, so even if we snatch her up¡­ No. Even if we kidnap her, I don¡¯t think there would be any problem. Also, she has the most selfless personality¡­where she would volunteer to help if we just exin the situation. Moreover¡­¡± Riley paused for a moment. He added that Priesia was needed to resolve the problem that Nainiae was concerned about earlier. ¡°As you said, I think there is a need to be certain of what that Abyss bastard is really thinking inside.¡± Until just a moment ago, Riley and Abyss had sat on theke-side and fished together. So, doing this to him could look petty. Still, it wasn¡¯t bad to have other options prepared. ¡®Considering that rascal¡¯s personality, I think he would flex his shoulders and tell us to go on right ahead to check, but¡­¡¯ Riley did have the conversation with Abyss face to face, while looking into the man¡¯s eyes. Through the conversation, Riley had be certain that Abyss was also feeling exhausted much like himself and Abyss was thinking that ¡®these runts dared to stab me in the back?¡¯ ¡°If anything happens, Priesia can heal the wounded with her holy power. Also, when ites to having someone who specializes in healing, it would be hard to find anyone who is superior to her.¡± Nainiae nodded and said, ¡°I see¡­ That certainly is the case.¡± Nainiae, who was friends with Priesia, carefully thought about this. It seemed that she came to the conclusion that it would be all right. She nodded once again and picked up a pen. ¡°Well then, first¡­¡± A circle for the first name - Nara. A triangle for the second name - Sera. A circle for the third name - Priesia. ¡°Like this, I suppose?¡± Riley looked at the two circles and a triangle that was added to the paper as he scratched his head. Nainiae checked the fourth name. ¡°Um? Young Master, the fourth name¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I have not decided on the fourth name. I wanted to get your advice first.¡± [Note: At the beginning of the chapter, the author definitely said Nainiae confirmed that there were four names. The author is being inconsistent.] Riley took back the paper that Nainiae was holding. He ced the paper on the library desk and wrote two more names in the ck space for the fourth name. ¡°Here.¡± Ian. Iril. ¡°¡­ Um. This is tough.¡± After seeing the names, it seemed that Nainiae was thinking hard about it. She furrowed her brows. ¡°There are simrities and differences, so¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you.¡± Ian and Iril¡­ They were both simr in that they both had learned their swordsmanship from the same teacher, Inaril. If they were to consider physical abilities alone, Iril was probably a little superior to Ian. However¡­ If the experiences umted were to be factored in, then Ian, who was once called the mercenary hero, could not be ignored. ¡°This question is worth thinking very hard about.¡± Nainiae brought out a separate piece of paper and wrote ¡®Myself, Commander Nara, Ms. Sera, Ms. Priesia¡­¡¯ Nainiae furrowed her brows and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Young Master, may I know who is the remaining one?¡± ¡°The remaining one? Why?¡± ¡°How should I put this? A goodbination¡­ A good match¡­ I want to check that.¡± Out of the blue, Nainiae was talking as if she was going to do some fortune telling with tarot cards. Riley was a little frustrated. Thinking that it could not be helped, Riley revealed the name he had been keeping a secret. ¡°Andal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Her crumpled eyebrows suddenly rxed. ¡°Pardon?¡± It was as if she had heard it but was acting like she didn¡¯t quite hear it. As if she was denying this, Nainiae¡¯s face looked vacant in a way when she asked. ¡°It¡¯s Andal. Andal decided to go too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Andal, you, Nara, Sera, and Priesia¡­ You can think that it is almost a sure thing that these five people will be going.¡± Nainiae¡¯s eyebrows started to wiggle. ¡°M¡­ My teacher is¡­ why¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean why?¡± Riley avoided Nainiae¡¯s gaze and said, ¡°It¡¯s because he caught Abyss¡¯ eyes.¡± It seemed Abyss liked the ¡®child of lizards¡¯ who his eyes had met. Riley remembered Abyss saying that he must take Andal with him. As if he was trying to say that Nainiae didn¡¯t need to mind it, Riley continued. ¡°The important one is the sixth person. We need to choose who thest one will be to go to the other world as a part of the Six Parts.¡± Nainiae was still in shock. To wake her up, Riley flicked his finger and left a red mark on Nainiae¡¯s forehead. Riley asked again, ¡°Is it Ian? Is it Iril?¡± Actually, Riley was leaning towards Ian who had stuck by Riley like a gum throughout all these long years. Still, he was not able toe to a quick decision. There was the incident in Rome Vige where Ian had almost died. Also, recently, he was reunited with the teacher he had been waiting for a long time, so Riley thought Ian must be happy. Riley did not want to interfere with Ian¡¯s happiness. ¡°I am not sure. I think¡­¡± Andal. Nainiae. Nara. Sera. Priesia. ¡­Ian or Iril. With five parts pretty much set, Nainiae was hesitant about choosing the veryst person. It seemed that she had finally decided. She moved the pencil. ¡°I think this side is better.¡± Nainiae moved the pencil and circled the sixth person¡¯s name. Riley looked down on the paper and sighed. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Watching Riley sighing, Nainiae snickered and then added in a small voice, ¡°Young Master, you will be making the final decision.¡± She was right. Riley had to make the final decision. ¡°Give me the pencil for me for a moment.¡± Nainiae handed the pencil to Riley and asked about what¡¯s toe next. ¡°Well then, what are you going to do?¡± With the pencil on the paper, Riley was scribbling something. Having heard Nainiae¡¯s question, he had a question mark on his face and asked back, ¡°What?¡± ¡°From now on.¡± ¡°From now on?¡± Nainiae figured that Riley had not thought about it that far yet. Nainiae put her hands behind her back and asked, ¡°About the idea of paying back Helena with the same Six Parts¡­I am not opposed to the idea, but the remaining five¡­ No. How are you going to convince the remaining four?¡± While talking, Nainiae thought about her teacher. It seemed that she figured that her teacher would definitely go, so she changed the number. ¡°Convince them? Ah¡­¡± As Nainiae guessed, Riley vacantly opened his mouth and became stiff. ¡°Don¡¯t you think the conversation will stretch out really long? I think this isn¡¯t a matter of exining just a thing or two? Starting with your past life, there is the story about Helena, and¡­¡± Even if some things were omitted, Nainiae thought there were quite a lot of things to exin. She looked at Riley with a concerned face. ¡°You are not nning on just taking them to the other world, are you?¡± Act first and then handle the rest afterwards¡­That was Riley¡¯s n. He fiddled with his hands as if he had just gotten poked by the heart of the matter. ¡°¡­¡± The answer ¡®no¡¯ was not heard from Riley. Nainiae figured that her guess was correct once again. She sighed lightly. ¡°You will need to talk to Lady Iris and Count Stein before you go so they won¡¯t worry. Once you head over to that world, you don¡¯t know when you will being back, right?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t need to worry about that part. From our frame of mind, we will be back in less than one minute.¡± ¡°Um? Is the time frame different there?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Nainiae quickly figured out from hearing Riley¡¯s exnation and asked. Riley nodded and summarized the exnation that he had heard from Abyss. ¡°If we are there for a long time, then we will have a problem, but¡­¡± ¡°By any chance, is it because of the physical age of the body?¡± ¡°Right. From this world¡¯s time, we wille back before even a minute passes. However, our bodies are not, so¡­We should handle things quickly over there so we don¡¯t end up aging beforeing back.¡± Riley added something on the paper and ced it inside his outer pocket. He then turned around. ¡°Let¡¯s get going for now.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Riley left the library and Nainiae followed suit behind him in quick steps. Half of her face was filled with worries and the other half was filled with doubts when she asked. ¡°First, we should start with the one who is closest to us.¡± Having said he will start working, Riley looked back to see Nainiae who was following him. ¡°Where¡¯s Sera?¡± Chapter 195 - Six People (4)

Chapter 195: Six People (4)

¡°She¡¯s probably¡­¡± Not long ago, Nainiae was harshly scolded by Sera thanks to Riley. She shriveled her shoulders and guessed where Sera might be. ¡°I think she is in the kitchen. It is time to prepare dinner too. Also, Ms. Sera is not exactly the designated maid for Lady Iris today, so¡­¡± Nainiae fiddled with her index finger. Riley was about to look at Nainiae and tell her to bring Sera here. However, Riley shut his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go.¡± Nainiae looked anxious about getting scolded by Sera again. On his face, Riley hid the fact that he was feeling sorry as he walked. However, Nainiae tumbled and followed him. ¡°Just wait in the library.¡± ¡°N¡­ No. I still think I should go with you!¡± It seemed she had bit her lips and worked up the courage. Nainiae had made up her mind, snorted, and even walked past Riley. ¡®You don¡¯t need to pretend to be brave¡­¡¯ At first, Nainiae marched on without hesitation. However, as she approached the kitchen, her steps slowed down substantially. ¡°Do you think Ms. Sera is not angry now?¡± Nainiae asked carefully. Nainiae was leading the way to the kitchen, but now, she was already walking right next to Riley. ¡°I¡¯m not sure?¡± They said a woman¡¯s heart was like a reed. Riley thought that maybe Sera was not angry anymore. However, he also thought that perhaps she was still angry. While he was thinking this, he heard Sera¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­ Seriously!¡± It looked like Nainiae had also heard the voice. She flinched her shoulders. ¡°Sera, subdue your anger when using the knife. She is human. She can make a mistake. Why are you being so hard on her?¡± Smash! The sound of a humungous kitchen knife striking the carving board could be heard. ¡°Do you think the situation does not deserve it?¡± The angry voice could be heard from the kitchen, and Nainiae flinched her shoulder in response. She unconsciously bit her lips. ¡®Ah, she is still mad.¡¯ It was not certain if Sera knew that her voice was leaking outside the kitchen or not. Again, Smash! The sound of the kitchen knife striking the carving board could be heard and Sera¡¯s voice continued. ¡°Wanting to go to the bathroom¡­ Well, I get it. Nainiae is a woman too. A few times in a month, I¡¯m sure she can also be in a situation where it cannot be helped.¡± While biting her lips, Nainiae was eavesdropping on Sera¡¯s words. Having heard it, Nainiae¡¯s face turnedpletely red. ¡°I am mad about her not recognizing Young Master¡¯s condition, but what¡¯s making me so angry is not her mistake!¡± As for Riley, he was scratching his cheek for no reason regarding the mention of ¡®situations where it cannot be helped.¡¯ Having heard the rest, Riley tilted his head to the side. ¡°She keeps on trying to hide things from me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure there are circumstances.¡± ¡°During the winter, she left me behind and¡­¡± With an edgy voice, Sera coughed out the heated words. All of the sudden, her voice became low and gloomy. ¡°Sera, that¡¯s enough. Do you think Nainiae did that on purpose? I¡¯m sure she did it because she didn¡¯t want you to worry. If you are that concerned, why don¡¯t you just ask her directly?¡± It seemed the head maid Wi was in the kitchen with Sera. When she asked Sera to go talk to Nainiae directly about this, Sera was silent for a while. In the end, she said, ¡°¡­ No.¡± Although Nainiae could not see it, she was certain that Sera shook her head with a gloomy face just now. ¡®Ms. Sera.¡¯ Knock¡­ Knock¡­ ¡°Ah?¡± Nainiae had a gloomy look on her face. Having heard the knocks, she stared at Riley with a surprised look. ¡°Excuse me.¡± ¡°Y¡­Young Master¡­ Wait!¡± Despite Nainiae¡¯s response to his action, Riley didn¡¯t mind it at all. He opened the kitchen door and entered. Nainiae didn¡¯t know what to do. She tumbled around with her feet. ¡°Oh my¡­ Young Master?¡± ¡°Young Master¡­¡± Having noticed Riley who had just entered the kitchen, Wi put a question mark on her face, wondering what brought Riley to this ce. As for Sera, she started to fiddle with her hair, wondering if Riley had heard the conversation earlier. ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sera?¡± It seemed she was lost in thought about something else. Sera was not able to answer right away. Riley called out her name again. Wi poked at Sera with her elbow. ¡°Pardon? Ah, yes! What is it, Young Master?¡± ¡°Are you really busy right now?¡± ¡°Ah, that is¡­¡± Having heard the question, she nced at the vegetables that were not fully handled yet. She was about to say that she was busy, but her mouth was blocked by a hand that ambushed her from the side. ¡°I am a litt¡­ Uppp!¡± ¡°No, it is fine. Do you need to see Sera?¡± Wi blocked Sera¡¯s mouth and asked Riley if he had business with Sera. Riley nodded and turned back. ¡°Come out.¡± Nainiae was hiding in the corridor. She peeked her head out and showed herself. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh my, Nainiae came with Young Master too.¡± Wi pped her hands together and weed Nainiae. Riley shrugged and said it was only obvious. ¡°She is my maid, so of course she is with me. I have a business with Sera. That¡­¡± Riley pointed at vegetables that needed more work. He said, ¡°Leave it to her for a moment. Let me borrow Sera for a bit.¡± Riley pointed his thumb behind his shoulder toward Nainiae. Wi had a puzzled look, but soon, she slowly smiled. ¡°Yes, I got it.¡± Now that Riley had the head maid¡¯s permission, he figured he could take Sera from the kitchen to talk. He extended his hand out right away and gestured at Sera to tell her toe closer. ¡°So that¡¯s how it is. Sera, see me for a second.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae, you make sure to finish the task.¡± ¡°Still, Young Master¡­¡± Nainiae knew why Riley was calling Sera. With her eyes, Nainiae asked Riley if he could exin properly as she looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll handle it on my own and exin well, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m better at this than you think so, go on.¡± Riley turned around and left the kitchen. He then pushed Nainiae¡¯s back into the kitchen. As Nainiae stepped into the kitchen, Sera left the kitchen. They crossed like that. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a brief moment, their eyes met. Leaving behind the awkwardness, they walked away. * * * ¡°¡­ W¡­ What did you say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s what happened, so get the stuff ready.¡± At the mansion¡¯s library, Sera listened to quite a long exnation from Riley. It seemed that she still couldn¡¯t quiteprehend the situation. She shook her head hard and¡­ Kwang! ¡­mmed the desk with her palm. ¡°N¡­ No! No! No! Wait!¡± ¡°What is it? Is there a part that you didn¡¯t understand?¡± ¡°M¡­ Mountain loads of them!¡± She looked like she was finding all of this to beplete nonsense. Riley sighed as if he figured that she would react this way. Riley sat down. ¡°Is that so? What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°From the first thing to the tenth thing¡­ All of them!¡± Sera was saying that she didn¡¯t understand anything. Riley rubbed the gap between his brows and exined again, ¡°Think of it in a simpler way. Think of it as going on a trip to a different country.¡± ¡°There is a limit to calling something a trip!¡± Riley couldn¡¯t exin things to her as they really were. So, he borrowed a term from Ian and called his past life as the ¡®world below.¡¯ He then said they needed to make a move to stop what was happening in that world. ¡°This is not a trip, but¡­ How should I say this? This is far more dangerous than a trip¡­ Anyway! This is not a vacation trip!¡± Whatever it was, Sera denied that whatever Riley had exined so far could be considered a trip in the least. Sera checked the paper that she was handed earlier. She shook her head left and right. ¡°Even Commander Nara and Priestess Priesia have to step in¡­ I see a name I don¡¯t recognize, but this¡­¡± From Riley, Sera had heard what kind of ce the ¡®world below¡¯ was. She asked with a concerned look on her face, ¡°Young Master, if the ce is that dangerous, won¡¯t it be better to bring someone other than me? If you want someone of high caliber, then there are veteran knights of Solia Castle, or¡­¡± Nainiae name was on the paper, so Sera did want to join. However, it seemed that Sera was concerned that she might end up only dragging and slowing down Nainiae or Riley. She was hesitant to say that she woulde with them. ¡°Also¡­¡± Sera shriveled her shoulders. Watching this, Riley said in a tone that said everything was fine. ¡°Why are you getting all scared for? You are one of the few in Iphalleta House who can wield dual swords.¡± ¡°Still, Young Master¡­¡± ¡°Even if you really werecking inparison to Solia Castle¡¯s veteran knights, you have something that those guys don¡¯t, right?¡± Riley decided to point out the good things about Sera. Riley tapped at his own nose with his finger and mentioned them. ¡°¡­ Your sense of smell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dumbfounded, Sera avoided Riley¡¯s gaze. ¡°Also, your intuition.¡± Sera could detect danger from around her surroundings and warn them even if nothing was visibly wrong. It was a power that was unique to just Sera. It was something that one could possess only by being born with it. This was one of the reasons why Riley had chosen her as one of the Six Parts. ¡°Are you still not confident about this?¡± It seemed that Sera didn¡¯t want to answer. She had her mouth firmly closed. Riley sighed briefly and said, ¡°I think I get why Nainiae was worried.¡± ¡°Nainiae was¡­¡± Sera thought about the junior maid. She suddenly opened her eyes big and held her breath. ¡®Huh? Just now¡­something¡­?¡¯ It could be that the ¡®intuition¡¯ that Riley mentioned earlier was being utilized. It was something like an instinct of a living person. Sera felt that it was sending her a warning. ¡°Look.¡± In response to Riley¡¯s voice, Sera used all of her might to turn her upper body around. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll be killed!¡¯ She didn¡¯t know why, but she judged that she would be killed if she stood still. ¡°Kuk?!¡± It seemed that Sera¡¯s intuition was right. She leaned far back. Above her face, a sword passed by without any sound. It really was very close. If Sera hadn¡¯t bent far enough, even by a few degrees, her nose might have been cut off. Sera had barely been able to see the sword. She directed her gaze to the one who had swung the sword. ¡®Y¡­ Young Master?¡¯ It was Riley. ¡®Why would Young Master¡­?¡¯ Having confirmed that it was Riley who had swung the sword at her, Sera could notprehend why he would do it. She stepped back with a puzzled look on her face. ¡°See?¡± She had no idea when Riley had drawn his sword. He was resting the sword on his shoulder as he watched Sera. Sera was breaking out in a cold sweat. Riley had a look on his face that said he knew this would happen. ¡°D¡­ Did I do something rude to you, Young Master?¡± Sera wondered if it was because she had scolded Nainiae earlier. Riley shook his head and that was not it. ¡°Just now¡­ You didn¡¯t see it, right?¡± ¡°Pardon¡­?¡± ¡°¡­My sword.¡± Having heard the question, Sera realized that she hadn¡¯t noticed Riley drawing the sword at all. At the same time, she started to wonder about Riley¡¯s abilities. ¡°Now that I think about it, just now¡­?¡± She had realized that Riley had been hiding his true abilities, but Sera had never thought that it would be to the point where Sera could not even follow them with her eyes. ¡°How¡­ did you do that just now?¡± With her intuition, she was able to recognize the pressure. Without realizing, she had been holding her breath. She didn¡¯t know when, but now, she also realized that the pressure that had felt like it was crushing her shoulder was gone. ¡°Actually, I want to ask you that question.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°How did you dodge it?¡± Sera floated a question mark on her face and said in a tone that said she didn¡¯t really know. ¡°I¡­ I¡¯m not sure?¡± Unlike earlier, where she even forgot to breathe, the mood had be much lighter. Sera stopped stepping back and said carefully, ¡°¡­Intuition?¡± ¡°Intuition?¡± Sera said that she had dodged it by sensing it with her intuition. Riley had a look that said she should have recognized this after all. Riley called her. ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Pack the stuff.¡± Chapter 196 - Six People (5)

Chapter 196: Six People (5)

After Riley told Sera ¡®I got stuff to tell you, so juste quietly,¡¯ he gave her time to have a brief conversation with Nainiae. Now, he was waiting for her toe back after packing. ¡°Excuse me, Nainiae¡­ What about preparing for the dinner?¡± ¡°The vegetables were handled. I just needed to put final touch, but Ms. Wi asked if I needed time to talk to you. So¡­ I shamelessly epted the offer.¡± It was to give the two the time to resolve emotional problems that they didn¡¯t get to resolve before leaving the mansion. Awkward mood was flowing in the air. Riley was waiting inside the library. Having noticed the voices of the two maids outside, he perked up his ears to listen. ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Ms. Sera.¡± ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Nainiae.¡± They both called each other at the same time. Riley, who was waiting inside the library for the two to return, peeked a smile without realizing. ¡°Please go ahead first.¡± ¡°No. Ms. Sera, please go first¡­¡± It seemed Sera decided to do as Nainiae said. Riley could hear her sighing briefly. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from the Young Master. You will be¡­ traveling to a dangerous ce?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve also heard that you are worried about me.¡± It seemed Sera was embarrassed. Her voice was a lot quieter than earlier. To hear better, Riley focused on his hearing. ¡°That is¡­ what is it again? Please do not get me wrong! It is not that being concerned for me is a bad thing! It¡¯s just that¡­¡± Riley smiled because he could imagine Sera¡¯s red face right about now. There was no need for him to check. He was sure of it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± With tremendous difficulty, Sera managed to bring out those few words. ¡°I was feeling anxious. That was why. Although we are not rted by blood, I thought we had be close. Despite that, you had been trying to do things all by yourself while hiding them from me, so¡­ that¡¯s why I was a little anxious. That¡¯s probably why I was angry.¡± Sera said she was not considerate of the fact that Nainiae didn¡¯t tell her out of concern for Sera. Sera also said that she let out frustration out of anxiousness. Sera exined how she really felt and apologized. Sera sounded ashamed for what she had done. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for apology.¡± In front of the library, Nainiae was facing Sera¡¯s apology. Nainiae shook her head and said, ¡°There is no need for it. I also had been thinking of you as my real big sister.¡± Fiddling with the ribbon that Sera gave to Nainiae as a giftst year, Nainiae timidly reduced the volume of her voice. She lowered her head and said she did wrong. ¡°I should be the one to apologize. I am sorry, Ms. Sera. If I really thought of you as my family¡­ my big sister, then it would have been the right thing to do to tell you about my worries and talk about it with you, but¡­ I didn¡¯t think of it.¡± ¡°Nainiae¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m still young, and bigger portions of my life was spent at ces like the prison or the Lower Solia, so¡­ I am still not used to the rtionships with people. I was afraid.¡± Nainiae tightly grabbed onto her skirt. ¡°Young Master already told me about this, but it is hard to correct my thoughts. I had been worrying about things that I didn¡¯t need to, and I ended up making the people around me worry¡­¡± Unable to stand it, Sera bit her lips, extended her arms out and tightly held Nainiae¡¯s head in her chest. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Please say no more.¡± ¡°Ms. Sera¡­¡± ¡°We both have done wrong. We both apologized. We just need to make sure something like this does not happen in the future, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While being held in Sera¡¯s chest, Nainiae seemed happy. She blushed and answered quietly, ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Meanwhile, Riley was secretly listening to the two¡¯s conversation. He sighed in relief and buried himself in the sofa. He thought about his mother. ¡®Those words from Sera¡­ I felt like I have heard that from somewhere. Is it thanks to my mother?¡¯ Thinking about his mother, Riley had a proud look on his face. However, although a long time had passed, Sera and Nainiae weren¡¯ting into the library. So, Riley erased the look from his face and got up from the sofa. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s enough. Could you guys¡­¡± Dulkuk. ¡±¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± ¡°¡­e in.¡± Riley opened the library door and red at two maid who were fullymitted to hugging each other. As if the two maids had no idea that Riley was inside the library, they hurriedly let go of each other. ¡°W¡­ Were you inside?¡± ¡°If you were, it would¡¯ve been nice if you told me¡­¡± They were scratching their heads. Watching the two, Riley looked dumbfounded. He said, ¡°What do you mean? I did tell you that I will be waiting at the library.¡± ¡°Ah, you did¡­¡± ¡°It slipped my mind.¡± Riley went back and forth between the two maids¡¯ faces. He pondered about if he should change two of the names in the list. After wondering about it for a brief moment, he went back into the library. ¡°Have you packed everything?¡± ¡°You told me to pack lightly, so I did bring just one bag.¡± Sera quickly showed the traveling size bag that she had on her back. Sera asked Riley, ¡°Excuse me, Young Master¡­ I did hear that we will be going on a trip, but did you tell Count Stein or Lady Iris?¡± Nainiae responded for Riley. ¡°No. We will be back very soon, so¡­¡± ¡°Very soon?¡± As if she had no idea, Sera tilted her head to the side. Riley packed his stuff and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Let¡¯s save the detailed exnation forter. First, let¡¯s get to our next destination. You know whose turn it is, right?¡± Nainiae nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get over there.¡± As if she was already ready for this, Nainiae moved her mana and opened a dimensional portal inside the library. She stepped aside to tell others to go in first. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master! Wait!¡± Riley went it first, and Sera went in second. Nainiae vacantly looked around the library and went through the portalst. * * * They were at the Karuta desert. The dark sands were purified in this ce. The oasis had regained its former appearance as well. When the desert was covered in dark sand, the stream of travelers going across the desert through the oasis had ceased. Now, the people were starting toe back. ¡°Huuuurrrrr¡­ I just cannot get used to Nainiae¡¯s teleportation. I think my inside feels nauseated a little too¡­¡± Right after Riley, Sera was the one who came after. She covered her mouth to calm her stomach and looked around the desert. ¡°¡­ This ce is?¡± There was only one desert that Sera knew, so she carefully muttered, ¡°Is this ce the Karuta desert?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Right at that moment, Nainiae also came through the portal, and the dimensional portal closed behind her. ¡°Why are we here?¡± To avoid being seen by anyone, they came to a ce in the desert where people didn¡¯t pass through. He put on the desert hood that he came prepared with and said, ¡°I have a business here.¡± Nainiae gave a desert hood to Sera and added to supplement Riley¡¯s deficient answer. ¡°Commander Nara and Ms. Priesia are here. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Sera thought about a news article that said the Karuta desert, which was drenched in ck and rotting, was cleansed recently. She nodded and muttered, ¡°I saw the news article about them stopping the swarm of monsters migrating through Rome Vige. So, I was certain that they were over there instead, but¡­ it looks like that is not the case.¡± Before Sera started to mumble, Riley already had started to walk toward oasis nearby. He started to exin why Nara and Priesia were at the desert. ¡°It¡¯s because Nara is working for Reitri as a mercenary. As for Priesia, thatss still has a reward on her discovery and whatnot, so she is being taken care of by Nara¡¯s mercenary group.¡± After cleansing the desert with Priesia, Reitri was the very first one to move his merchant group and dominate the business at the desert. He was currently the merchant with the biggest merchant group in the area. ¡°Coming to think of it, I think a lot has changed in the past one year.¡± ¡°What has?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about you, Young Master. Even duringst year spring, I never dreamed that I would be walking through the desert with you like this.¡± Having heard what Sera said, Riley felt the same. With empty look on his face, he said, ¡°I know.¡± By the time they chatted away for a few minutes, the three were able to see a town that surrounded the oasis in the distance. ¡°Ah, is that the ce?¡± It had not been long since the desert was recovered. So, the vige was small. There were only few guards watching the ce. The three entered the vige after going through a rather simple process. They checked out each building to look for the carriage that had Reitri merchant group¡¯s insignia. ¡°¡­ Young Master, over there.¡± Sera found it first. Riley and Nainiae, who were walking around while looking at other ces, turned their eyes to where Sera pointed at. ¡°That carriage over there. Isn¡¯t that Reitri merchant group¡¯s carriage?¡± Having heard Sera¡¯s question, Riley looked at the direction carefully. He nodded to indicate that she was right and then started to walk toward the carriage. ¡°It is.¡± At the mansion¡¯s library, Riley already had checked the whereabouts of Reitri. Riley was certain that this was the carriage that Reitri rode. ¡°¡­ Huh? Huh? Stop! Hey, stop him!¡± ¡°Look at this runt, seriously¡­ If you filled your stomach, then you should be leaving quietly after paying. Instead, you dare to make a scene? What did you say? It should be free since there was a centipede in the food? Why? Why don¡¯t you also ask the boss for psychological damage while at it?¡± ¡°What? Did you call me a runt? You little bastard, you dare to talk that way to me?¡± ¡°What? Little bastard? Come over here.¡± ¡°C¡­ Commander! Please don¡¯t break anything! If Reitri merchant group has to pay for the damages again, then we really won¡¯t be able to¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey! I said stop him!¡± It appeared to be a pub. It was loud there, and many voices could be heard from the direction. After that¡­ ¡°Uuuhuk?!¡± Smash! A giant was thrown out while smashing the door on the way. He plummeted on the ground. ¡°Kuk. How¡­ How could a little kid like him have such monstrous strength¡­¡± ¡°You runt. Little kid, little kid¡­ You still dare to call me a little kid? Let¡¯s see how much beating you will be receiving from this little kid.¡± Through the inn¡¯s door, a boy wearing a wide fabric clothing rushed out. The clothing was bing of the desert setting. [Note: Earlier, the author called the ce a pub.] ¡°Commander! Please calm down!¡± ¡°Come on, Rorona¡­ Did you not see the ufortable look on our boss¡¯s face? They are the ones at fault. Why should we just watch and do nothing?¡± ¡°Still! I know I said I would like to be on the newspaper again, but I don¡¯t want to be on it like this!¡± Riley and Nainiae found the two people who came out of the pub. They were the same as always, and that made Riley and Nainiae peek smiles. ¡°Do not worry. I¡¯ll adjust it properly so it won¡¯t get on the newspaper.¡± ¡°Ugh. Commander, please!¡± ¡°I said don¡¯t worry? If anything goes wrong¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The giant saw that Nara tilted his head to the side and floated a question mark on his face. Giant slowly turned his head and look behind himself. ¡°Young Master?¡± ¡°Ms. Nainiae?¡± Behind the giant, Nara and Rorona found the three. It seemed Nara and Rorona were d to see them. They weed Riley¡¯s group. ¡®¡­ Now¡¯s my chance!¡¯ The giant was thinking that Nara was letting his guard down. The giant gritted his teeth and promptly turned around. ¡®I should bounce!¡¯ It seemed that Sera figured out that the giant did something wrong and was about to take off. Sera casually put her foot forward. ¡°¡­ Uuuuhuk!?¡± The giant was tumbling with his legs to make a run for it from Nara. However, he tripped over Sera¡¯s delicate foot. He fell down once again. ¡°Y¡­ Youss!¡± The giant crumpled his face as if he was trying to say that he will really show what it would be like when he is angry. He brought out a small knife that he had hidden on his waist and swung it at her. ¡°¡­¡± As if she was staring at a bug, Sera had been looking at the man in silence. She casually moved her legs and smacked the giant¡¯s wrist. ¡°Kuk!¡± By just a kick, the giant lost the knife from his hand. Sera¡¯s next kick came, and the giant ended up making a hand print on the ground. The man screamed. ¡°Ah, ahhhk! Stop! Stop!¡± With the heel of the shoe, she stepped on the man¡¯s hand firmly. She nced at Riley, and he shrugged to tell her that Sera could do whatever she wanted. Riley went to Nara. ¡°It¡¯s been a while! I think we saw each otherst year?¡± ¡°Young Master, by any chance, did you see the newspaper? We were on it.¡± ¡°Do you really think I would not have see it?¡± Nara was watching Sera neutralizing the giant. He decided to leave the rest to her. Nara stopped huffing and puffing. He rxed his face and looked at Riley. ¡°By the way, what brings you all the way here, Young Master? Did youe to see Mr. Reitri?¡± ¡°No, not him¡­ I have something to discuss with you.¡± ¡°Something to discuss? With me?¡± Nara pointed at himself. Riley nodded to say, ¡®yes.¡¯ Riley started to look for another person. ¡°Priesia is with you guys too, right? It would be exhausting to exin twice, so give me some of your time.¡± Riley looked for Priesia, and Nara opened his mouth a little. ¡°Ah, about that¡­¡± Having heard Riley¡¯s question, Nara blurred the end of his sentence. As if he was trying to ask Rorona to answer for him, he kept ncing at Rorona. ¡°Young Master, Ms. Priesia is currently¡­¡± Chapter 197 - Six People (6)

Chapter 197: Six People (6)

Riley wondered if it was such a difficult question to answer. It wasn¡¯t just Nara who hesitated to respond. Even Rorona, who had a rtively straight-shooter kind of personality, blurred the end of her sentence. She carefully said, ¡°She can¡¯t have a conversation right now.¡± ¡°She can¡¯t?¡± Riley furrowed his eyebrows. As if he was trying to say that they should exin in detail, Riley looked inside the pub. ¡°She is not in here?¡± Riley looked for the presence of Holy Power, the kind that people of holy temple possessed which was different from mana. Riley confirmed that the power could not be felt from the pub. ¡°¡­ She is not here.¡± Riley muttered. Rorona nodded and nced at others passing by as she said, ¡°It¡¯s a little ufortable to talk about it here, so why don¡¯t we go to a different ce?¡± Rorona said she didn¡¯t think she could talk about Priesia out in the open because Priesia had a reward on her discovery. Rorona quickly turned to look at the pub that had its door destroyed. She smiled awkwardly. ¡°It hadn¡¯t been long since we arrived at this oasis. So, we don¡¯t know the way around very well yet. I have something I need to go ask Mr. Reitri real quick, so can you please wait here?¡± Riley stopped her and ask her a favor. ¡°Wait. Do not tell Reitri that I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Pardon? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I¡¯m trying to hide something. It¡¯s just that exining things multiple times would be such a bother. Just think of it that way.¡± Rorona tilted her head to the side, wondering what this was about. She nodded as if she understood. ¡°Okay. I understand.¡± * * * Along with Nara in the front, Rorona led the way to where Priesia was. ¡°Why is she so far away from everyone? It would be dangerous for her to be by herself. There¡¯s still a reward on her discovery.¡± Riley was following Nara and Rorona to where Priesia was when he asked. Nara said, ¡°That is¡­ Ms. Priesia said she will be all right by herself. We did ce guards around, but there probably isn¡¯t anyone right near where she is.¡± Riley and Nainiae thought a more detailed exnation was necessary. They tilted their heads to the side. ¡°You know where she is?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nara nodded and also added the supplementary exnation that he didn¡¯t get to give earlier. ¡°Since the epidemic drenched the Karuta desert, nobody had been setting foot in this ce, but¡­ There happens to be an abandoned holy temple nearby.¡± ¡°A holy temple?¡± ¡°Yes. Ms. Priesia is currently praying there.¡± Nainiae had seen a friend sending up prayers at a holy temple a few times duringst year spring. So, Nainiae mumbled as if she understood. ¡°She had said a few times before that she want to be alone. I wondered if there was something difficult going on with her, but¡­ She said it was not like that. She said it because there was a divine message.¡± ¡°When you say a divine message, you mean that?¡± ¡°Yes, the one she receives from the Goddess.¡± Riley remembered that even the priestess from his past life received divine messages sometimes. So, Riley¡¯s face had beplicated. ¡°You already knew?¡± Having heard what Nainiae said, Nara rxed his face because he realized there was no need for further exnation. He exined one more time briefly about Priesia¡¯s current situation. ¡°As I exined earlier, I think Ms. Priesia is praying because of a divine message, although we don¡¯t know what the message is about.¡± Nara also said he didn¡¯t know how long the prayer would take. He pointed at a ruined building to the front. ¡°That¡¯s the ce.¡± The building was made of marble stones, so it appeared to have been a holy temple in the past. Riley nodded as if it was making sense. He walked toward the ce. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master! Wait!¡± ¡°I told you. Ms. Priesia is in middle of a prayer?¡± Nara and Rorona both extended their hands toward Riley and told him to wait. Riley furrowed his brows lightly and turned to look at the two. ¡°Come on. It¡¯s not like I said I¡¯m going to go bother her?¡± Riley said he will just watch her praying. Nara and Rorona nced at each other. They looked like they were thinking this could not be helped. They followed Riley. ¡°Nainiae, go bring Sera. I think she woulde find us easily using her sense of smell, but it would be a bother if she ran into Reitri and end up having a long conversation.¡± Riley was walking into the ruined building, but he ordered Nainiae who was waiting behind him. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± Nainiae lowered her head after hearing Riley¡¯s order. She used the teleport to disappear from the spot, and Riley started to move his eyes around as he quietly entered the building. ¡®Is it because the building is rundown? Inside is rtively smaller than what I thought from how the building looked from the outside, yet¡­ She is¡­¡¯ There were rubbles blocking the path like obstacles inside. With his upper body lowered, Riley entered deeper and deeper into the ce. Riley momentarily stopped walking after he found light exuding from the inside. ¡®¡­ praying here.¡¯ In a building that was on the verge of copsing, Priesia was there all by herself, on her knees and praying. A steady, warm light wasing from her body. ¡®Her prayer pose and the atmosphere are most definitely different from that Helenass.¡¯ Riley was not sure if it was because Priesia worshipped a different goddess or if it was because Priesia lived in a different world. Priesia was very different from the priestess from Riley¡¯s past life. Riley sighed all of the sudden. ¡®That¡¯s why I should be extra careful. There definitely will be a problemter¡­ I need to think carefully if it is the right choice to pick her or not.¡¯ As the Priestess of this world, Priesia had the eyes that could pierce through to see the truth in the people. She also had the ability to heal the wounded. She definitely was one of the six that Riley needed. However, ¡®Um. I was prepared to ept some troubles down the road, but¡­ Now that I¡¯m here to really pick her to be a part of this, I am having a hard time deciding.¡¯ Riley thought about what would happen if he brought her to his past life¡¯s world. He had a rough idea as to what would happen as the result of it. This was why Riley was concerned. ¡®To make a rough guess as to what would happen¡­ A collision between her and Helena would be the very first thing that might happen.¡¯ Helena was a priestess just like Priesia. However, Helena had been frequentlymitting acts that she should not have as a priestess. Considering Priesia¡¯s personality, if Helena and Priesia came to face each other, Riley was certain that Priesia would not just stand still. ¡®Also, I am not certain if Priesia can use her Holy Power from this world in the other world. That is a problem as well.¡¯ Priesia was the Priestess who worshipped Goddess Irsa. It was not yet known if it was possible for Priesia to use her Holy Power in the world of Riley¡¯s past life. This concern was also worth pondering about. ¡°Um?¡± Riley vacantly rolled his brain as he watched Priesia praying. He suddenly furrowed his brows. ¡®What the? Why is she crying all of the sudden?¡¯ Priesia was praying while exuding light from her body, and she was receiving the divine message from the Goddess. However, Priesia suddenly had tears flowing. <¡­ My child, this will be my veryst message to you.> Priesia was unaware of who was watching. She was pouring out tears from hearing that this will be thest divine message from the Goddess Irsa. Priesia was born as a priestess. She had never even seen the faces of her parents. So, Priesia had been following the Goddess as if she was her mother. What the Goddess said was like saying that this will be thest time they will be seeing each other. So, Priesia was shedding tears, unable to stop. The bright light from Priesia¡¯s body was slowly subsiding. It seemed something sad had happened. With her eyes tightly shut, she was shedding tears of sorrow. Also, she started to tighten her two hands. ¡°Hu¡­ Huhuk¡­¡± She quietly started to cry. Wondering if she was all right, Nara and Rorona were about to walk over to her. However, they were blocked by Riley¡¯s arm. They broke cold sweats. ¡°Young Master, why¡­¡± ¡°Just let her be.¡± It was because Riley noticed that the sound of her moaning was simr to when someone lost a precious family. ¡°Hk¡­ Huuuk¡­¡± She had her hands gathered together and her fingers locked for prayer. Her hands were shaking. ¡®Her energy¡­ became bigger.¡¯ From the back, Riley was watching Priesia in secret. He also noticed that the energy that Priesia possessed had be significantly more powerful inparison to just before the prayer ended. ¡®Did something happen?¡¯ Priesia moaned like that for a long time before getting a grip. With swelled up and reddened eyes, she looked behind her. ¡°¡­ There, you are there, aren¡¯t you?¡± With choked up voice, she asked. Nara and Rorona, who had been waiting for Priesia¡¯s tears to stop, got up. ¡°Ms. Priesia¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Are you all right?¡± Priesia nodded lightly as the response. She then locked her gaze with Riley who was standing behind them. She lowered her head and greeted him. ¡°I see.¡± Riley lifted his right hand to greet her back. He nced at Nara and then said, ¡°I have something to tell you, so¡­¡± It looked like Priesia already anticipated this. She kept her mouth closed and waited to show that she was ready. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This involves me, doesn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Rorona, who was standing next to Nara, was not a part of the six parts. However, Riley decided it would be necessary to exin this to her as well. So, Riley had the three sit there and started to exin. * * * ¡°¡­ So, I¡¯ll need you toe with me.¡± Simr to how he did it with Sera, he mentioned the ¡®world below¡¯ and exined the situation. Riley waited for the two people¡¯s responses. ¡°As for me¡­¡± As if he was having a hard time understanding this, Nara had been tilting his head to the side. However, he was the one who responded first. ¡°As for me, if you need my help, I could go to even more dangerous ces for you.¡± Shrugging his shoulders, Nara quickly said he would go. Riley asked in a tone that questioned if Nara would regret it. ¡°Will you be all right?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Nara nodded responded. ¡°You helped me handle what happened after my father¡¯s death. You even enabled me to meet Mr. Ian who I had been idolizing. So¡­ I should repay you for your kindness. Honestly, I don¡¯t have a good head on my shoulder like Mr. Reitri, so I had been pondering about how to repay you¡­¡± Although Nara said he would go without hesitation, it seemed there was something that bothered him. He nced at Rorona who was sitting next to him. Nara said, ¡°It is just that I have the contract that I signed with Mr. Reitri. Also¡­ leaving Rorona behind is¡­¡± Nara was blurring the end of his sentence. Rorona sighed all of the sudden instead. ¡°Ugh. Commander. Just go ande back.¡± ¡°Rorona¡­¡± ¡°From Young Master¡¯s exnation, although it would be a long trip for you¡­ the time frame is different, so it would be no different from being gone for a bathroom break in our time, right?¡± It seemed Rorona understood Riley¡¯s exnationpletely in a single breath. She flickered with her index finger as she spoke. She poked Nara¡¯s forehead with the index finger and cheered for him. ¡°Please go to the trip. Just don¡¯t die like Isen.¡± Nara vacantly stared at Rorona who was his fellow mercenary. Nara broke into a suppressedughter. ¡°Kuk¡­ All right. I got it.¡± With confident look on his face, Nara asked, ¡°You gave me the permission, right?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t give you the permission to die.¡± Now, it became certain that Nara was going to join the group. Riley¡¯s gaze was directed at Priesia who was sitting next to Nara and Rorona. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± She was crying her eyes out only until a moment ago, so her eyes were swelled up. Still, she looked determined. ¡°There was thest divine message from Goddess Irsa. If Iplete this¡­ This world will be peaceful enough that there would be no need for more divine messages.¡± Priesia tightly grabbed onto her skirt. She looked directly at Riley¡¯s face and said once again, ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ll go. Please allow me to go with you.¡± Riley nodded. He looked like he had something he needed to check. Riley asked Priesia, ¡°Before we go, we need to confirm if you can use your power in the other world.¡± Priesia nodded. Instead of a verbal response, she raised her right hand. ¡°Do not be concerned about that.¡± From her right hand, a steady light started to exude. ¡°It¡¯s already ready.¡± Thanks to the divine message she received earlier, Priesia exined that she would be able to use her power in the other world. She lightly made a fist with her hand. ¡°¡­ All right.¡± While looking into Priesia¡¯s eyes, Riley nodded. He brought out the paper that had the ¡®Six Parts¡¯ written. ¡®Next is¡­¡¯ Andal. Nainiae. Sera. Nara. Priesia. ¡®¡­ Thest.¡¯ Of the six people, five spots were filled. The remaining one was¡­ Chapter 198 - Five people and (1)

Chapter 198: Five people and (1)

Now, it became certain that Nara and Priesia would be joining Riley. After that, Riley decided to leave the rest to Rorona. Riley and others joined up with Nainiae and Sera. ¡°The four on the top of the list are here?¡± Riley had the four people standing in front of him. He nodded as if he was liking the picture. ¡°They are all here.¡± ¡°Still, two people¡­ are missing.¡± Of the four, Priesia nced around left and right and then tilted her head to the side as she asked. ¡°ording to what you exined earlier, you are nning a counter strike with six people just like how the Six Parts from the world below came to cause problems in our world, right?¡± Riley nodded. He then exined the current situation briefly. ¡°Of the six, five were gathered.¡± ¡°Five?¡± Nara was standing far right of the group. He looked at the three people who were standing next to himself and then furrowed his brows. ¡°One, two, three¡­ four including myself¡­ There are four in total?¡± ¡°By any chance, does the six people include you, Young Master?¡± As if he was confused, Nara mumbled. It seemed Priesia was also curious about this. She wiggled her eyebrows and asked. ¡°No. I¡¯m not included.¡± Riley started to exin about the one who could not be seen at the moment. ¡°The one who is not here is waiting at a ce we promised to gather at.¡± ¡°A ce we promised to gather at?¡± ¡°Of the six¡­ This one was decided first.¡± ¡°First?¡± ¡°Even before Nainiae?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± It seemed the three people besides Nainiae were surprised. They had their eyes turned big as they stared at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae¡­ You knew about this too?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know who it is?¡± ¡°I know, but¡­ Yes¡­ Won¡¯t it be better to save this as the fun subject forter?¡± Nainiae scratched her cheek and avoided answering. Riley also broke cold sweat and thought about the ¡®red haired young man¡¯ who was having a conversation with Abyss at Ansyrium. Riley was thinking about ¡®the red dragon.¡¯ ¡®I wonder what the two are up to¡­¡¯ Riley was not sure about Abyss, but Andal was not liking the man, so Riley could only roughly guess that Andal was not going to sit quietly and be a good conversation partner with Abyss. ¡®If we sit around longer, the letters ¡®Ansyrium¡¯ might disappear from the map. I think I should hurry before that happens.¡¯ Even before something could happen because of Helena, Riley was having useless worries about half of the map needing correction soon because of Andal and Abyss. He folded his thoughts and said, ¡°Anyway, we will be moving right away to meet the remaining member. You packed your things right? I did say that it would be a brief moment in this world¡¯s time, but we would be spending quite a while in the other side, so¡­¡± Having heard his question, the four all looked at each other. They nodded as if they were ready. They all said at the same time, ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Anytime.¡± ¡°By the way, who is the sixth person?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll know that too when you get there.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae and signaled with his gaze. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll open the dimensional portal¡­¡± Under Riley¡¯s order, Nainiae was about to open the dimensional portal to find the sixth part. However, she heard footsteps from behind her. She stopped the spell and narrowed her eyes. ¡°¡­ Hey!¡± The steps were not just one or two people. Not just Nainiae, but everyone else at the spot turned their heads toward where the voice came from. ¡°Is it those bastards? The ones who picked fights with you?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°They said they are from some merchant group. As if interfering with our work was not enough, they broke my Big Bro¡¯s arm.¡± Nainiae saw that they were a group who all wore unique desert fabrics wrapped all around their bodies. ¡°I don¡¯t know which merchant group you all came from, but you cannot meddle with our business spot due collections.¡± Of the group, a man who appeared to be the leader was holding arge metal club on his shoulder. He tapped his shoulder with the club as he walked to Riley¡¯s group. ¡°Big Bro! Over there. It¡¯s the brown-hairedss over there! She is the one who broke his arm!¡± Men who appeared to be subordinates pointed at Sera and started to grind their teeth. ¡°Oh?¡± The man with metal club on his shoulder looked at her. As if he was impressed, he wiggled his brows and said, ¡°She looks quite innocent? How¡­¡± The man looked at Priesia and then Nainiae. The man¡¯s eyes were filled up with greed. He started to grin big time. ¡°About this¡­ I was thinking I was unlucky, but it isn¡¯t really the case.¡± The man raised the other hand that was not holding the metal club and flickered around his fingers. The subordinates behind him who were on standby all took a step forward with violent looks on their faces. ¡°Guys.¡± ¡°Yes, Big Bro!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s let out our frustration today!¡± ¡°Huu huu!¡± The men behind the one with metal club all started tough in creepy way. ¡°If you can, leave those two men alive as well. They have quite fair faces as too. We just need to sell them to nobilities with strange tastes.¡± Letting out their frustration, selling to the nobilities¡­ Riley¡¯s group just vacantly stared at these men saying strange stuff. It was Sera who showed a response first. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Sera sighed big and stared at Nainiae with dumbfounded face. Sera said, ¡°This is why I told you earlier that it would be best to wipe offpletely without leaving any dirty feeling behind.¡± [Note: In case it was not made clear, I¡¯m pretty sure Sera was making a reference to wiping one¡¯s butt after pooping to make an analogy about handling the thug earlier. This is simr to what happened with Beta and Hamil at the Lower Solia ages ago.] Earlier today, it was Sera who was left in charge of handling the rest with the giant who Nara had a fight with. Because Nainiae said Riley was looking for her, Sera could not help it but to leave it be without finishing it. Sera was now muttering that it was a mistake. ¡°I see. The right answer would have been taking care of the restpletely.¡± It seemed Nainiae was ashamed. She turned to look at Riley. The look on her face asked what should be done. ¡°Why are you even asking? The answer is already out, right?¡± With his arms crossed, Riley nced at Nara. As if he was waiting for this, Nara cracked his neck left and right and grabbed his spear. ¡°Ms. Nainiae. There is no need for you to go easy on them. They only exploit powerless people. They are the scums of the desert.¡± In particr, the giant with metal club was infamous for being evil. He was well known even among the mercenaries. The man was most definitely the leader of the desert thieves, and he had a bounty on his head. ¡°When I saw what the bastard was doing at the pub, I just thought maybe, but¡­ I didn¡¯t know he had someone with a bounty among the group.¡± With his spear on his hand, Nara was showing hostility. Riley was thinking hard about something. As if he wanted to tell Nara to wait a moment, Riley pulled Nara¡¯s shoulder. ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Nara wondered what that was about. He floated a question mark on his face and looked back at Riley. ¡°Let¡¯s save your performance forter.¡± Riley looked at Nainiae. He narrowed his eyes to tell her not to step in either. Nainiae understood and nodded. She took a step back. ¡°Young Master, just why¡­¡± Nara carefully asked. Riley looked at Sera and said, ¡°Sera, you didn¡¯t get to wrap it up. I can leave this to you, right?¡± Sera panicked and opened and closed her mouth like a fish. In a tone of voice thatcked confidence, Sera said, ¡°Excuse me, Young Master. Still¡­ Fighting dozens of such big men would be too much for me, don¡¯t you think? They are all wielding different weapons too¡­ Perhaps if I had someone who will support me¡­¡± Sera had worries on her face when she looked back at Riley. Riley shrugged and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that you don¡¯t want to make me or Nainiae worry?¡± ¡°T¡­ That was¡­¡± ¡°Try it out, alone.¡± Riley narrowed his eyes and told her to try it alone. Thinking it could not be helped, Sera sighed and brought her hands to her waist. ¡°Y¡­ Young Master. Still, asking Ms. Sera to fight all those bastards by herself is¡­¡± ¡°Those bastards¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to just stand back and watch. Can¡¯t you just let me fight?¡± Nainiae and Nara asked if it would be all right if they helped out little bit. Riley watched Sera drawing her swords. He only kept silence. ¡°Young Master, in that case¡­ how about healing¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Priesia asked if it would be all right if she used her Holy Power at least. However, Riley had a stern look on his face. In the end, Priesia had no choice but to look at the back of Sera while being very concerned. ¡°It¡¯s just that there is no need for any of them.¡± ¡°No need¡­¡± ¡°¡­ for any of them?¡± Nainiae and Nara could not understand. They looked confused. Like Riley, they watched the back of Sera. ¡®It¡¯s not like¡­ she is going to die from this, right?¡¯ As if Sera could not feel the gazes from the four people behind her, with her piercing gaze, Sera red at evildoers who were making their way toward her. She was wielding her dual swords. ¡®Be calm. Hu¡­ Be calm.¡¯ Her swords were rtively short and thin. When her swords revealed themselves, Nara¡¯s eyebrows bent the wrong way. ¡®Dual swords? She uses dual swords?¡¯ Although Nara had not lived long, he had met many people so far and seen all sorts of weapons through his life as a mercenary. With intrigued look on his face, Nara put the spear back over his shoulder. ¡®I think she has a pretty good stance. As expected, even though she is a maid, she is from Iphalleta.¡¯ Nara was examining Sera¡¯s stance who appeared to have the basics down. It seemed Nara was not satisfied with doing just that. He checked how many of the thugs wereing. ¡®The number of opponents she can handle by herself is roughly¡­ about thirty. I really don¡¯t think she can handle them all without a special weapon?¡¯ Riley did order them to just watch. However, it seemed Nainiae was ready to save her at a moment¡¯s notice if Sera ended up in danger. With serious look on her face, Nainiae had a protection spell ready. ¡®Ms. Sera¡­¡¯ It was when Nainiae was mumbling Sera¡¯s name in her mind. One of the desert thugs who were approaching Sera started to charge in screaming. ¡°Ha, how arrogant of you to stand alone!¡± ¡°It looks like we will have to make you feel the bitter taste!¡± ¡°On bed!¡± Onerge man was swinging a hook on a chain. There were others charging in with unique looking axe or des. There was another oneing with a metal. ¡®I think it would be easy if Ms. Heliona was here.¡¯ Sera was thinking about how she fought the guards who were brainwashed by Reutrina during thest winter. Back then, Sera was protected by Heliona, the summon spirit. As if Sera was whipping herself, she shook her head and fixed her grip on her swords. ¡®No, don¡¯t falter here, Sera. Young Master asked me to go with him, didn¡¯t he? If I don¡¯t want to be a burden after going to the other side, then I need to work hard starting now!¡¯ Sera was ring at the front with her eyes wide. The was thrown at her first. With her swords on her hands, she twisted her upper body in arge motion. ¡®First, one of them.¡¯ She avoided the by leaning back. She locked her gaze with the thug who was rushing in first. She swung her swords and neutralized him. She then quickly moved her steps. ¡°You stupid¡­ Uk!¡± The thug who was just behind the first one clicked his tongue after watching the man being subdued. However, the second thug was surprised to see his own body falling over to the front. He screamed. ¡°Kuk!¡± ¡°Kuuuaaak!?¡± Afterwards, third and fourth thugs fell over or knocked unconscious by Sera¡¯s swords or kicks. The thugs¡¯ leader, the man with metal club, kicked his tongue. ¡°Fools. You guys can¡¯t even handle ass with petty tricks.¡± The evildoers were feeling anxious after hearing their leader clicking his tongue. It seemed they judged that this was not going to work. Some got out of the frontline and fell back. ¡®It looks like thisss knows how to handle sword a bit¡­ Let¡¯s see if you are going to still run around all excited and have fun once I get a hostage.¡¯ Sera was chasing after weapons that surrounded her. However, she saw a few thugs were slipping out of the formation. She started to think hard about this. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ She wondered if she should let them head to where Riley¡¯s group was. She was hesitant. ¡®It¡¯s not like something would happen if I left them be. There¡¯s Nainiae there too. Also, there¡¯s Commander Nara and even Young Master. However, if I leave these thugs to get there¡­¡¯ Sera wondered if that was still considered handling the situation alone if she left these ones to slip away and reach Riley¡¯s group. ¡®However, in this situation, there is no way¡­¡¯ She had her hands full from just fighting off the surrounding formation. So, she was about to give up on the ones who slipped away. It was at that moment. Sera could feel it. ¡®I really¡­¡¯ Sera felt something strange zapping through her left hand. ¡®No, it will work.¡¯ She felt like she found the answer to the question she was thinking hard about. Sera was holding one of the swords in reverse. She spun it and held it to the front on her left hand. ¡®I can stop them!¡¯ She was constantly being attacked. She had no moment to catch breath. However, in that situation, she found a brief moment using her ¡®feel¡¯ alone. She swung her left arm with all of her strength. Chapter 199: Five People, and (2)

Chapter 199: Five People, and (2)

¡°Ugh?!¡± ¡°Eu Ugh!¡± Sneaking away stealthily from their ce the hooligan was approaching Riley when suddenly a sword came out of the blue, he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. ¡°What, What is this?¡± BANG! The tired and breathless hooligan saw that a sword mmed into the sand. When they turned their head they saw Sera, who waspletely involved in the battle. ¡°That, that b*tch!¡± The sword that she threw away some how managed to graze her face, the hooligans who were already tired, changed their facial expression and began to move in a bigger, louder and faster pace. ¡®Let us get hold of a hostage! I will give out a cry!¡¯ Sera who was blocking the stream of weapons that were flying towards her saw the sight of the hooligans who were approaching Riley and his associates, and bit her lip. ¡®The, the uracy rate¡­¡­¡¯ This was the first time that she had met someone who was worthy of being her opponent so she bit her lip. ¡®Just like that¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­ the sword?¡¯ Unlike Sera who was biting her lip out of regret, Nainiae and Nara who were watching her because Riley asked them to were astounded and surprised by the attitude of the girl in the field and had an absurd look on their faces. ¡°Master, young Master¡­¡­ That is¡­¡­¡± Nara who felt a little embarrassed called out to Riley, Riley who was quietly watching Sera fight smiled gently and muttered out. ¡°¡­¡­ This is a passing score.¡± Just a while back Nara witnessed the girl throwing the sword and she was more startled and disturbed than Nainiae. Sword. To throw the sword for meeting the desired goal, was a very though action and she knew how hard it was to do it. ¡®Miss Sera¡­ did she learn how to use a sword? I don¡¯t think so, no way¡­ I¡¯ve never been to the mansion¡­¡­¡¯ She too, could assert that in the magical cave of Endal Riley was practicing with his sword. Not a dagger, to pick up a sword which was very lengthy and to be able to hit the target is a tough thing to achieve¡­ I was barely able to hit the target even after imitating it by increasing the hit rate with the help of a magic spell. ¡®Almost hit it.¡¯ But eventually I did not¡­ yet it wasn¡¯t a problem. ¡®Only once?¡¯ In addition, it was done in such a way that I was surprised that the woman¡¯s swords almost hit it. ¡°Look at that. I can do it.¡± Sera who showed both her swords was praised and atst Riley decided to get in to the action, he picked up a sword that was attached to his waist. [Sera. I think you are a sensible person with a sword, tell me if you are not certain.] After hearing the sudden voice of Riley in her head, Sera who was surrounded by the hooligans raised her eyebrow awaiting for a sign. ¡°¡­ Young Master?¡± Sera peeped into the gap that was present between the hooligans saw Riley who warned her. [Because the sand is about to rise, when I signal you take a big step back.] ¡°¡­?¡± [Okay?] He drew the sword, ording to his premonition and his opinion of the sand to Sera took a stance without the three people near him noticing it. ¡®¡­ That¡¯s it!¡¯ Around thest spring, she saw Riley who pierced through the heart of Astro, now looking at the same posture that Riley took, Nainiae¡¯s heart started beating at an uncontroble rate. ¡°Shield, will it hit?¡± ¡°No, won¡¯t do much.¡± At the question of Nainiae if the shield will work against the shock, Riley answered that it wasn¡¯t necessary. ¡°¡­¡­ Intake¡± Waved his hands with a short movement. ¡°These bastards will freeze¡­¡± After disarming Sera, the hooligan who started to approach Riley and hispanions the whole body suddenly started to freeze and Riley took a breath. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Riley held the sword in his hand, and they witnessed a scenario where he swung his arm with the sword but it vanished immediately like a mirage. One. At the moment when a hooligan took the breath one could count the number ¡®one¡¯, a great gust of wind came from the back of towards the hooligans which made them ¡°Keuk?!¡± At the sudden gust of wind that came the hooligans were surprised and didn¡¯t know the reason for it, and Priesia who didn¡¯t know what was happening let out a loud scream. ¡°¡­¡­ Ugh!!¡± From the ce where the sword was thrown a sound ¡°Bang¡± was heard, Riley and hispanions were hit by arge sand wave. ¡°Oh?¡± The gust of wind was lighter than what he expected it to be, and Riley had a grim expression on his face after looking at the sand particles that werepletely filled in front of him. ¡®Like this, Sera will be able clear up her surroundings.¡¯ Riley who was beyond worried used the time magic to help them out, on one side the sand wave that wasing very speed slowed down noticeably as Nainiae stared at it. ¡°Be prepared for what¡¯s going toe.¡± He knocked on the opaque membrane that was stuck in the air as if he had a shield, knock, knock, he banged, Nainiae on it by concealing herself with a momentary move. ¡°¡­ Oh! OMG! OMG! AH!¡± The ruler embraced Sera in her arms as she came back. ¡°Miss Sera, are you alright?¡± ¡°Nai, Nainiae?¡± Sera who suddenly noticed that she was still in the arms of Nainiae looked at Riley and took a deep breath after seeing him realizing that she was alive. ¡°Dead¡­ I thought I was going to die.¡± Riley¡¯s dungeon sword was dashing out of his foot, however if it was thrown hard enough the shock wave could be great enough for a person to be blown around like a bomb, when she leaped back the image of new Sera who was rising from the ground came to his mind. ¡°Ha Ha Haa¡­¡± Nera who was in front of Riley just a while back, was muttering to herself as she was searching for the vanity that had disappeared somewhere due to the sword. ¡°Young Master, What did you do?¡± ¡°What I did? I pushed those troublesome guys out.¡± ¡°Wow, monster¡­¡­¡± In order for Sera to withdraw from the roundabout of the hooligans at once, I scattered them up with one strike with my sword and this exins how Riley¡¯s foot got hurt in the process. ¡°Monster, what¡­¡­¡± ¡°You are a monster! Young Master is a human?¡± At these words of Nera he looked like this made no sense, and Nera looked at Riley who had no change in his expression. ¡°You are really a monster right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m human. Yes! I¡¯m a human.¡± Persia who was in front of Nera immediately changed the topic by asking thepanions. ¡°No one¡¯s tired¡­ Right?¡± The girl who was blown by the sandy wind from the east dusted her white hat and Nera shrugged her shoulders and answered ¡°No one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s, it¡¯s a relief.¡± At the words that no one was tired Perisia took a breath of relief, Nera scratched her hair thinking that the wind which came a while back would have swept away the thieves. ¡®I have no idea what happened to those guys.¡¯ Scratching her heard Nera moved back not knowing that Sera was approaching in her direction. ¡°Excuse me, teacher¡­ I¡¯m injured.¡± ¡°Ah. Is that so? I¡¯ll treat you right away. Where are you hurt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s my heart¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°My heart¡­ Seems to be injured. I was too surprised a few moments back.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Joke ss, a person with a serious face was ¡®Joke!¡¯ing Perisia burst intoughter and almost immediately shrugged her shoulders and put up a nk experission on her face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That field is not my specialty.¡± ¡°Oh oh¡± ¡°Hahaha. It seemed like my heart was hurt too, but it is fine now.¡± Since the mess has been cleared, while they were taking breath Riley looked at the four people who still had traces of sand on them and said. ¡°¡­¡­Lets get back to the main topic.¡± At Riley¡¯s words of getting back to the main topic Nana who was in the conversation with Sera and Persia nodded her head. ¡°Then¡­¡­¡± To move the Mana that was inside their body, Nainiae who created a dimension of good source of that can maintain its efficiency even through five people, speaks while her arm has been shaking a lot. ¡°Please take a deep breath everyone.¡± Nainiae warned everyone to take a deep breath before passing the dimension because if not the inside of the body will turn into a torment for them, once the preparations werepleted she looked at Riley. ¡°Preparations are done.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s move quickly.¡± They were worried about Abyss and Endals that remained in The Anthirium, without any dy Riley was about to enter the dimension from a side, as soon as he put on foot in the dimension he spoke. ¡°¡­¡­ to Rom vige.¡± Before entering the dimension, while three people had an idea as to where they were going from now on, while the remaining members were wondering whom they were going to face from now. ¡°No way¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°Ian¡­ Sir? It is Mr. Ian?¡± Last winter¡­ In Ram vige, Nera and Persia who along with Mr. Ian solved a mojor event for the monsters were muttering his name when Nainiae opened her lips and said. ¡°Please enter first.¡± The dimension portal that she created a while back connects them to the Rom vige, when the three people were looking at her of exnation Nainiae shifted her gaze and started to sweat. ¡°Nainiae, it is Mr. Ian right?¡± ¡°Has it been decided that Mr. Ian is going to be thest, sixth member?¡± ¡°Wait a minute¡­ I saw, I saw it in the newspaper that Mr. Ian was in Rom vige! Why did he not return to the mansion?¡± Along with the questions of Nera and Persia, Sera also questioned her but Nainiae turned her gaze towards another side pretending not to know. * * * ¡°Uh! Every time we you go through Nainiae¡¯s portal¡­¡­ Miss Persia are you feeling alright?¡± ¡°Me? Do you think I¡¯m alright?¡± ¡°Miss Sera¡¯s stomach seems to be weak. I¡¯m having a lot of fun, is this how it is supposed to feel, it¡¯s like flying round and round in the sky?¡± Riley turned and looked at the people who were behind him and looked at the messy town and woods of Rom. ¡°You two were here thest time right?¡± At Riley¡¯s question Nera and Persia who were conversing with Sera nodded their head and answered him. ¡°It was not messy. I tried to stop in the forest, but the monsters came to one side of the vige¡­ Especially the big one were rushing towards the buildings.¡± Wielding the without any hesitation, Nera and Persia took a deep breath as they remembered the day they Holy Spirit all day long, they were through ¡®moments like that.¡¯ ¡°As a result all the members united and no casualties were produced. But the saint Persia was the biggest. ¡± If she had no divine power then the number of causalities would have increased during the outbreak, and Nera¡¯s absence would¡¯ve added hundreds of more causalities. ¡°Miss Nera made the right judgment to stop the tragedy. And was it Miss Nera who persuaded the people who were in a turmoil?¡­ The force¡­ I was smiling because it was not appropriate for some reason.¡± Nera was scratching the back of her head because the praises from Persia seemed too high for what she did and she started being praised by the people for her excellent work. ¡°I am more active than I look. She can be said to be in the stage of beingpared to young master Riley? It cannot be seen, but it is a fact that she showed dedication.¡± Sera who was listening to the conversation and the exnation of Nera whispered to Nainiae. ¡°Miss Inaril? What is this about her being skilled enough to bepared with Young Master Riley?¡± Nainiae who was concerned on how to answer the question that Sera asked wanted to exin in a simple manner like ¡®Last winter¡¯. ¡°Ah, That¡­st years winter¡­¡­¡­¡± Nainiae exined the story in a ofst years in a simple manner, after listening the incident of thest year¡¯s winter Sera had a grim look on her face and stared at Riley. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­ what are you looking at?¡± ¡°Nothing! Nothing at all.¡± Riley looked towards Nainiae and asked why Sera turned suddenly! And with the sound ¡®huh¡¯ began looking at him. ¡®What happened?¡¯ She thinks you are heart broken after hearing about what happened in the winter ofst year.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­ Oh.¡¯ Riley looked at Sera who seemed to know what happened and moved towards her direction to let her know that he was feeling better. ¡°Though Miss Inari is Miss Inari out of specification, It is amazing that she wasparable to Young Master Riley.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a pupil of Miss Inari¡± Riley started to walk from the woods to the town of Rom and two people in front of Sera broke her line of thoughts by starting a conversation with her. ¡°Just, just now you heard the story of Young Master Riley?¡± ¡°Miss Sera, Calm down. I will exin it I you¡± Sera didn¡¯t know what happened in the vige of Romalo, so Nainiae who was in front of her started to tell her the story of what happened in that ce. ¡°¡­¡­ Bring me a board!¡± ¡°Here, Nails aren¡¯t enough! Get me some more!¡± To avoid the confusion that might arise in the people Riley went into the forest and checked it near the entrance of Romalo, and after checking it he looked at Nera and Persia who wereing behind him. ¡°A few shattered building are here, there isn¡¯t much?¡± Chapter 200: Five people, and (3)

Chapter 200: Five people, and (3)

Could it be because the monsters returned? Apletely different sight of Rome Vigey before them¡­ Naraughed a little and mumbled, ¡°If only I could change like this¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Priesia who was standing beside Nara opened her mouth to recall those days when the vige was a mess because of therge movement from the monsters. ¡°At that time, we didn¡¯t have a mage like Miss Nainiae to either stop or protect us from the monsters, and there was no better way to repair the good side of the vige.¡± Priesia was reminded of the situation where she couldn¡¯t work with knives and colours justughed at this scenario like Nara. ¡°You cannot fix buildings with new powers.¡± After listening to the excuses that didn¡¯t seem like excuses, Riley looked at the side and started to walk once again towards the vige of Rome. ¡°Huh? Guests?¡± ¡°Familiar faces?¡± ¡°That¡­¡­ isn¡¯t that Captain Nara?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right! That¡¯s Captain Nara!¡± The residents who were in the midst of construction at the entrance of the vige looked at Riley and his party who were slowly walking towards them and their eyes went wide. ¡°Who are the people that are walking along with Nara?¡± ¡°Seems like I saw them somewhere?¡± ¡°Okay! That bachelor! The one who found Miss Inaril!¡± ¡°Oh? Ahah! I remember! I get it!¡± The vige people wanted to know what this group was up to as it wasn¡¯t just Nara and Riley, there were Nainiae and Sera, and Priesia who they saw once. ¡°Why in the world are those smooth looking friendsing to this side of the vige?¡± ¡°I can see Captain Nara¡­ Did you find Miss Inaril? They fought together. It¡¯s been a long time sincest I saw their faces.¡± ¡°Hey, it has been a while since we were mixed up with the big disaster¡­ It has been a while since Captain Nara hase to the vige.¡± ¡°Looking at them now, I don¡¯t see Miss Rorona, do you?¡± ¡°Uhm? Is that so?¡± Slowly, the voices of the Rome vigers reached Nara who was just behind Riley as they entered the vige. At this sight, Nara¡¯s stiff face turned red. ¡°You¡¯re a celebrity?¡± ¡°Uh huh¡­ this is such an embarrassment for me.¡± Nara avoided making eye contact with Riley as his face was turning red with embarrassment. This caused a slightugh from Sera and Nainiae. ¡°Like Mr. Ian.¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the sound of the two maids who were saying something about being identical to someone, Nara looked for the source of it. ¡°If Mr. Ian also recognizes who it was, even he might shrug his shoulders out of embarrassment.¡± ¡°See? Captain Nara¡¯s shoulders are also like¡­¡­¡­¡± Sera was smiling and covering her mouth with her left hand and stealthily held the shoulders of Nara. Nara was a little sick of the vige people who were tapping his shoulders as a sign of strength. ¡°Well, Surprise!¡± When you admire someone, you be simr to them. Imagining Nara puffed up after hearing that he was simr to Ian, Riley wanted his butler toe back since they hadn¡¯t met for a long time. ¡°Is Ian still staying with Inaril? The location of the house¡­¡­¡­ is it still the same?¡± Because of the monster invasion, theyout of Rome Vige waspletely different now. It was a question to confirm if Inaril¡¯s home was still in the same ce as before. ¡°Yes, Miss Inaril¡¯s home is still the same as before.¡± Inaril¡¯s house was located rtively in the middle of the vige so it was impossible for the monsters to enter that area. Nara described it by pointing to a house that was far away. ¡°The one over there.¡± Looking at the ce where Nara pointed, Sera eyes opened wide and her lips were shaking after she found the ce. ¡°That, that¡­¡­¡­¡± Riley and Nainiae turned their gaze to the ce that she was pointing to with a bewildered voice and shrugged their shoulders. ¡°Hahaha, it has been a while.¡± ¡°It was quite cold in the winter.¡± ¡°Does it feel like spring?¡± ¡°¡­¡­ yes.¡± Over there was Ian and Inaril. ¡°Young Master¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°What¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°That is Mr. Ian, right?¡± It was differentpared to the Vige of Rome where conservativeness was at its peak. And there was Ian with a boy-like appearance. *** ¡°Even being embarrassed¡­¡­¡­¡­ I showed you.¡± ¡°Why? Were there no rats?¡± The maids were discreetly enjoying themselves Ian started to slightly tilt his head to find a rat hole and Inaril smiled slightly and tapped his shoulders if he saw anything. ¡°No, I¡¯m too old¡­¡­¡­ enough of this.¡± This was a new thing about Sera who was preparing tea. While she seemed to be having fun and was excited, Ian put his head down with shrunken shoulders. ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t see Iril and Young Master Riley? Weren¡¯t you with them?¡± Nara wanted to divert the situation away from Ian who was a little embarrassed, so he asked them about the other two people who were in the house. ¡°Ah, those two are training.¡± ¡°Training?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ Last time, Mr. Riley and I have seen something and noticed that¡­¡­ after the monsters invasion those two are training to improve their skills.¡± Inaril exined that for a long time the two people used toe back home for lunch time and discuss stuff, buttely they have only been eating two meals a day and are practising all day long. ¡°By the way, why are you all here?¡± Without answering the question, Inaril asked them for the reason of their visit. All thepanions except for Riley turned towards him, awaiting his answer. ¡°This isn¡¯t about something else. We just came to look for Ian.¡± Upon hearing Riley¡¯s answer that they were just here to see Ian, all the otherpanions faces lightened up a little. The sixth member is surely¡­ ¡­ Mr. Ian. Hearing that they were here to see him, Ian¡¯s shuddered his shoulders and looked at Riley. ¡°Ah, yes.¡± He was here for vacation and rxation¡­¡­¡­¡­ he came to Rome Vige to spend some time with Inaril, but Ian was the butler of Iphelletha House. ¡°Do I need to return to¡­¡­¡­the mansion?¡± In response to Ian, who guessed that he was needed back at the mansion, Riley shook his head at the sight of his face and opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not like I made a¡­¡­¡­ disgusting look.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Ian who was nervous hid his relief at Riley¡¯s answer and waited for him to continue. ¡°This is going to be a long story.¡± Riley smiled after seeing that Ian understood that this is important. He continued, ¡°Let¡¯s talk when the kides back. I don¡¯t want to repeat this¡­¡± The kid referred to Iril. Riley wanted Iril toe back for him to talk to everyone. Meanwhile, the tea party in the kitchen started with Sera and Nainiae having the expression ¡®This is it¡­¡¯ on their faces. By any chance? Is it not Mr. Ian? Ian looked at them strangely as he didn¡¯t know why those two maids were looking each other and heard footsteps approaching from the outside. Finished with practising, Iril came inside. ¡°Uah! The winter is definitely nice! As soon as springes, it¡¯s be warmer¡­¡­um? What do you say, Sir?¡± It wasn¡¯t that cold outside but the narrow house felt cold for Iril, who found Riley sitting at the table with raised eyebrows. ¡°You, You are?¡± *** ¡°¡­¡­It is like that, I need your hands to go there.¡± The story about his past life was not brought up at all. Riley mentioned the ¡®World Below¡¯ that Ian spoke about and looked at Ian and Iril from his chair. ¡°What do you think?¡± Ian, who knew the story, had a serious face and was worrying about the answer, while Iril became nervous since she didn¡¯t understand the story. ¡°I¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°I will go.¡± Though Ian hesitated, Iril made answered decisively. ¡°Iril¡­¡­¡± ¡°Miss? Are you alright? Do you understand what kind of ce we will be going to??¡± Nara raised his eyebrows and looked at Iril who was leaning against the wall and asked her the question. ¡°Yeah I understand. What do you mean Captain Nara?Why can you go but I can¡¯t?Just between us, I have a total of 10 matches with 6 wins and 4 losses! Captain, there is a meaning attached!¡± On the forehead of Nara who wasughing tendon sprang up. ¡°Correction: you have 5 wins and 5 losses.¡± ¡°Ho? If you were an associate would you admit that you were winning?¡± ¡°One cannot win in a dirty game?¡± ¡°Dirty, Who was dirty?!¡± Iril growled at Nara with sparks from her eyes while Riley was sitting right across from them! She shook her head and began to exin the reason why she wanted to go. ¡°No matter what you say, I¡¯m going. There is no way I¡¯m not going when Captain Nara is going. Um. That¡¯s it.¡± In front of the firece, Inaril was seated in a rocking chair and was very nervous. ¡°It might be a great opportunity for you to improve your skill if you go¡­¡­ It¡¯s a different world out there, not like what you see here in Rome Vige. It will be a good chance for you to gain experience.¡± Iril clenched her fist with a determined look in her eyes that said that she wanted to see this through. Riley understood it and nodded his head. Then he looked at the person who was seated beside the girl, Ian. ¡°What about you Ian?¡± At Riley¡¯s question, Ian looked at Inaril who was seated in front of the firece with his mouth open. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°If it is hard, you don¡¯t have to decide.¡± To announce his decision, Ian stood up from his chair and pushed it back before sharing what he thought. ¡°Can you give me some time to think this over? 10 minutes. No, 5 minutes is all you need to give and I¡¯ll decide.¡± Seeing the old man with a serious face, Riley had an expression that said he had no choice so he nodded his head. ¡°Fine.¡± Ian who stood up from his chair once looked at Inaril who smiled softly at him and he went out¡­¡­¡­ the remainingpanions in the room breathed out as a sigh of relief. ¡°Young Master, didn¡¯t you say¡­¡­ six members?¡± At Nainiae¡¯s question, Riley shrugged his shoulders looked back at her and answered. ¡°It was that, but I changed my mind.¡± Riley said that he had changed his mind in the mid-way but it was originally ¡®seven members¡¯ that were on his mind. Ian and Iril. While Inaril was concerned about the what the two going to learn and the intense training, Riley decided to take both of them without any hesitation. ¡°If Ian says that he doesn¡¯t want toe, it¡¯s fine as I originally nned to leave with six members.¡± If Abyss had as much power he thought, he would not have any problems even he took more than six members. Though the idea of paying back Abyss with the same ¡®six¡¯ might possibly not work out. Even if the idea won¡¯t work out, since the original purpose would stay the same, Riley was thinking about the benefits that he would have if he could take all of them, including ¡®Ian and Iril¡¯ with him. I will do it if you bring me the feeling of a pair. As Riley looked concerned with something else while sipping from his tea cup, the otherpanions who saw this started to talk. ¡°I¡¯m caught up with the idea of ¡®six¡¯ people. I forgot that the Young Master was greedy.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s our Young Master.¡± ¡°If Mr. Ian is ready to go with us¡­¡­¡­ Then it will be seven people, right? It is going to be quite a lot of work.¡± ¡°Will Mr. Ian apany us?¡± ¡°Not sure, I somehow¡­¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the one to hesitate regarding things like this.¡± ¡°Miss Inaril will be worried.¡± It wasn¡¯t long after they started talking that Ian, who went out, came in with a stiff face. ¡°Have you decided?¡± Riley put down the teacup and asked Ian who came in. Ian nodded his head. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Everyone was waiting for the reply from that person. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ I will go.¡± Ian answered after a long silence. ¡°I have to see the end.¡± Not six people but it was seven people¡­¡­ after the answer from Ian, Riley decided that it was going to be seven people. Chapter 201: Before The Start (1)

Chapter 201: Before The Start (1)

¡°Master, are you¡­¡­ really alright?¡± Ian told Riley that he was going to leave for a moment but, even then Ian¡¯s anxious facial expression was questioned as to whether he was concerned with something. ¡°Have you heard the exnation? It is going to be a long time for you but¡­¡­ for the people in this world this it is going to be as short as if going to the bathroom.¡± They couldn¡¯t read the expression on Ian¡¯s face. Ianril, who could feel the Ian¡¯s concernby the sound of his voice, stretched out her hand. ¡°Ian.¡± Stuttering, Ian carefully caught the hand that was floating in the air. ¡°Yes.¡± Ashe held Inaril¡¯s hand, Ian¡¯s expression turned sour. ¡°I¡¯m not the person who is worried, you are. I might be the one saying this but, you¡¯re quite old youself¡­¡­¡­ please act while thinking about your present state.¡± There was no answer from Ian, Ianril touched his hand covered his palm and added, ¡°There is a story about putting yourself in someone else¡¯s shoes. Therein lies your answer, rather than asking someone else for a favor.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Since you decided to go along with Iril, Iril too please¡­¡­¡­ please try to do your best.¡± Inaril was wondering why Riley wanted to take both Ian and Iril together with him. after giving Ian serious advice, Inaril turned to face Iril. ¡°Iril.¡± ¡°Yes, Grandma.¡± Iril also before leaving. Iril was standing behind Ian to greet Inaril before leaving. ¡°Though you¡¯re good with the sword , don¡¯t go around swinging your sword everywhere and make sure to listen toIan and Mr. Riley. I hope it helps and that there won¡¯t be any casualties.¡± Iril looked at the Inaril¡¯s nk face and understood what she meant, and she nodded her head and asked ¡°Aren¡¯t I still a kid?¡± ¡°No, you are an adult.¡± ¡°Ugh, I get it.¡± Iril knew that she couldn¡¯t win against Inaril through words so she just sighed as if she lost. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± To give Ian and Ianril some alone time, Iril walked to the side where Riley and hispanions were waiting. Ian took a huge breath and opened his mouth. ¡°Okay¡­¡­ Me too.¡± The hand that he wanted to hold even if it was chilly¡­ Ian eventually put it down, took a step back and bowed his head. ¡°¡­I will be back.¡± ¡°I thought about it constantly. There isn¡¯t any need for you to be so formal. Besides, if you wille back soon¡­¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Ian lifted his head after bowing to her and answered her that it was not definite. ¡°For Iril and me, this could be a long trip.¡± Upon hearing Ian¡¯s reply, Inaril thought that the first part of it could be wrong and she tried to put up a small smile. ¡°Is that so.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Before leaving, Ian was touched the sword that was hanging down from his waist and started to walk away, hiding his expression which said it was really the time to go. ¡°I will be back soon.¡± Ian started to follow Iril and reached to the ce where Riley and hispanions were waiting. Inaril stood there till they started to disappear from her line of sight and released a huge sigh. ¡°Haaa¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­are you alright?¡± A young man approached Inaril from behind. Ryan took off the hood he was wearing and asked. ¡°What¡­¡­ are you talking about?¡± She didn¡¯t seem to know. So with a bitter expression on his face, Ryan asked her once again in a detailed manner. ¡°Listen, that guy Riley originally thought of taking six members with him¡­ so couldn¡¯t he have chosen to leave Ian behind?¡± Ian could¡¯ve been left behind. Ryan asked his teacher if that was what she wanted but he didn¡¯t hear an answer and only saw a face with a question mark on it. ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Instead of hearing a reply, there was only silence. Ryan looked at the hollow expression on the face of his teacher. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Chak. Chak. And sometimes it was just a soft sounding from the neighborhood. The silence continued for a while and Ryan looked the still figure of his teacher and spoke in a careful tone. ¡°Teacher¡­¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Only the reflected sunshine in her eyes. As since there was no reply for a long while, coupled with nk expression, Ryan¡¯s lips parted, trying to shed away the well of sadness hehad opened. ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­ah!¡± After a long silence, Inaril who was standing in the sun with her chin down, lifted her head. ¡°Te, teacher?¡± Ryan, who had waited in silence along with Inaril, couldn¡¯t hid his surprise and said, ¡°Teacher just now¡­¡­¡­¡± Anywhere, Ryan had a blurry reminiscent of thedy, the appearance of her was that of one who had traveled much farther than either Ian or Iril had. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ it was spring?¡± Inaril opened her lips with a nk expression and suddenly smiled a little and mumbled, seeing this Ryan¡¯s had a questioning look on his face. ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while, I was asleep for a while.¡± Just a while before, Inaril didn¡¯t provide an answer to the question that Ryan asked and simply turned her face to the direction where Ian and Iril walked away. ¡®Again¡­¡­¡­¡¯ Inaril knew the gift that someone had left and stayed quiet, she thanked under her breath to the boy who left her this present. *** ¡°Then¡­¡­ Except for one are all together?¡± Riley who had left something behind for ¡®that woman¡¯ as she let go of Ian and Iril turned his head and looked at the six members that were gathered in one ce. ¡°Yes.¡± Of the six people who stood side by side, Nainiae who was standing on the left as the representative bowed her head and answered. ¡°Young Master the selected six people, are all present.¡± Nainiae. Sera. Nara. Priesia. Ian. Iril ¡°Nice.¡± Riley looked at the faces that showed different expressions and Riley nodded his head as he liked this He then ordered Nainiae, ¡°The remaining one piece of the puzzle, the picture, must be gathered in order to bepleted¡­¡­ so let¡¯s go there. I see that everyone is curious.¡± They were curious about the one person who was upon decided at the beginning but not collected until now. Nainiae and the five others expressions seemed like they were waiting. She asked, ¡°Who is it? Are you really hiding that person?¡± ¡°I noticed that even Naniae knows it.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m curious¡­ The genderes first!¡± The five members were still conversing while Riley shook his head after he was reminded of Andal who was left behind in Ansyrium. ¡®Come to think of it, did the dragon have a gender?¡¯ It used the appearance of a human male when it needed to y the role of a human, Riley who didn¡¯t know if the dragons had a gender or they were genderless looked at Iril after hearing her voice. ¡°Me!¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m curious about thest person! Um, It would be nice if that person is younger than me!¡± ¡°If that friend is younger than Iril it¡¯s a little¡­¡­¡± At the Iril¡¯s words, Riley wondered about the Andal¡¯s real age and to get rid of his thoughts he shook his head and opened his lips. ¡°Well, You¡¯ll know once you meet that person.¡± As per Riley¡¯smand, Nainiae created a portal and stood beside it. ¡°Ah, note it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± Riley, who was the first to walk into the portal created by Nainiae, turned around and nced at Iril. He added, ¡°He¡¯s older than you.¡± *** Ansyrium - Lakeside ¡°This is a warning. One more time, If someone calls me a ¡®lizard¡¯ one more time I will evaporate theke. I don¡¯t need to r fish.¡± His irritation reached its limit, the words that wereing out had anger in them. ¡°Hum¡­¡­¡­ if not lizard, then what am I supposed to call you?¡± ¡°You can call me a dragon!¡± ¡°Dragon? Dragon kid¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kid? This idiot dares to call me a kid?¡± The figure of the boy who was in a rxed posture with his arms crossed was a matter of concern. A little while back Andal who was called as a ¡®lizard¡¯ by a boy furrowed his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What is it Abyss? Let¡¯s see, I seem to know something about someone¡­¡­¡­ what the hell does the guy do? There seems to be something going on between you and Riley.¡± At the question from Andal, Abyss remained in an rxed posture without answering and started to make a sound by tapping his arm with his finger. ¡®Tik tik.¡¯ ¡°What is my rtionship with this guy¡­¡­¡­? It¡¯s aplicated question.¡± Abyss, who was concerned about the answers he could provide, decided something and spoke. ¡°Riley is a long time friend.¡± Andal¡¯s eyes frowned. ¡°Are you kidding me right now?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t this the answer that you were looking for?¡± ¡°If that Riley guy is a ¡®normal human friend¡¯¡­¡­¡­ then why don¡¯t you let me look into your memory? How does that sound?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± In fact, from a while back the ¡®memory extraction¡¯ magic they were going to try on Abyss has been failingand for some reason Endal was feeling nervous. ¡°Riley has gatheredpanions, he is definitely going through with it. This feeling¡­¡­ isn¡¯t much different from when I first met that guy.¡± The feeling that I¡¯m getting from this guy, the ¡®the sense of difference¡¯ is because I met Riley. Inparison with Riley, my anger is a huge advantage. ¡°I will not allowyou to look into my memories. You want to know the rtionshipbetween me and Riley so won¡¯t it be fine if I exin? Will that be alright?¡± The exnation that Abyss wanted to give will take a long time. Endal answered that it doesn¡¯t matter. ¡°What, it doesn¡¯t matter to me even if it is going to take a few thousand years.¡± ¡°Haha, a few thousand years¡­¡­¡± ¡°What? Is it really going to take a few thousand years?¡± Andal thought that it was the truth and frowned. Abyssughed again and shook his head. ¡°No, if it was my story, then it could take that much time.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Enough of my jokes, let me start from the beginning.¡± Abyss, whose head was tilted back to get relief from his stiff neck,started to talk about the first encounter between Riley and him, and about Riley¡¯s past life. ¡°This is a story about the things that do not exist in this world. It¡¯s going to be an interesting one for a dragon kid.¡± Like an adult who was reading a fairy tale book to a child who had a lot of curiosity, after gathering his thoughts, Abyss opened his small eyes and began to tell the story. ¡°In simple terms, in another world that is different from this one¡­¡­ in a previous life with Riley and I, devils and human beings misunderstood each other for a long time.¡± The ¡®past life¡¯ and ¡®devil¡¯ that Abyss was talking about was hard for Andal to understand. He scrunched up his face, butdid not ask for rification. ¡°I was a devil.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± Andalpersonally hated to break the flow of the story by interrupting with a question.He thought that he would remember the things that he was curious about and ask them once the story ended, and Abyss who introduced himself as the devil spoke while looking down. ¡°If the one who stands above all the devils is the demon king, then the one who stands above all the humans is¡­¡­¡­ the devil.¡± As Abyss spoke, a strangeenergy started to flow around him. Andal started to tremble and watched Abyss warily. ¡°This me, this body of the Demon King of the devils, was controlled by a ¡®human youth¡¯ with a sword. He was born blessed by the saints.hat poor friend was carrying the hope of all of the humans on his sore shoulders¡­¡­¡­ He finally seeded in taking me down.¡± Endal guessed who it was. ¡°By any chance, was that ¡®human youth¡¯¡­¡­¡­¡­¡± Abyss nodded his head at Endal¡¯s mumbling, and said the name of the human youth. ¡°Riley.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± In Riley¡¯s past life, Riley had a rough approximation of the number of humans and devils that he killed by swinging his sword. Abyss, who was telling him about what Riley was going to do from now on, took a while to speak again. ¡°In my past life¡­¡­¡­ I didn¡¯t even know how the time went by.¡± Abyss looked at Andal¡¯s face after telling the story and turned his head, staring nkly. Chik. Chik chik. A small lightning sound seemed to have been heard. At the space, he stared at, Abyss saw a portal appear. ¡°¡­¡­ He hase?¡± Beyond the portal, Abyss saw that Riley had arrived and lifted himself from the chair and stood up. ¡°I guess he hase.¡± From the portal along with Riley, six other humans wereing through. Upon seeing those people, Abyss looked at Andal and spoke. ¡°That is how it was. You must use some power.¡± Abyss backed up quickly and said, ¡°Dragon kid, You were his first.¡± Chapter 203 - Before Departure (2) (Part 1)

Chapter 203 - Before Departure (2) (Part 1)

The Ansyrium-Lakeside, which would have be a sea of fire, was unaffected, which made Riley, who returned to Ansyrium through the portal, breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I thought that the character of Abyss would have made Andal¡¯s heart disturbed. Isn¡¯t that so?¡± After passing through the portal, Riley saw Abyss and Andal were standing side by side and stared at him. He felt that he might have thought wrong, so he couldn¡¯t help butugh. ¡°But it seems this little guy is saying what to do while jesting about it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley could only immediately stop his teasing manner. ¡°No matter what happened in his past life, it was over. How can the guy under the age of 20 talk so much here?¡± Although Riley didn¡¯t know what they had said during the period when he was absent, it was in ordance with his expectation to some extent. Looking at Andal, who was angry with Abyss, Riley sighed and walked over there. ¡°I will be back soon, please give me a sec.¡± In order to introduce Abyss and Andal, Riley intended to bring them both here. But every time Riley moved, the six people who followed him began to sway their heads and whispered. ¡°Is Andel the two over there?¡± ¡°Definitely not! I¡¯ve said explicitly that Andel is one person. I think it may be one of the two.¡± ¡°The young boy who looks younger than Iril¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it be him? I think Andel is definitely older than him.¡± ¡°Is it the red-haired one?¡± ¡°Wait a moment, the red-haired one¡­ I used to see him in the mansion¡­ Who is he?¡± Sera looked at the red-haired person with a puzzled expression. Nainiae thought if it would be better to tell the truth earlier, so he said with a sigh. ¡°He is actually the one who hase to the Mansionst time. He is the doctor who has healed me in Rainfield, do you remember?¡± ¡°The doctor? Ah! I remember it!¡± ¡°Doctor? Did the doctor appear for the first time?¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Sera, who was suddenly enlightened, pped his hands as he exchanged his eyesight with Iril, who nodded frequently, and Priesia, who had recognized Andal. Nainiae, who was watching them, briefly adjusted his breathing and pointed to Andal. ¡°As you have analyzed when you pointed at the first person, it is actually the red-haired one over there.¡± ¡°Oh, what a pity.¡± ¡°Why? Just because there is no reversal?¡± ¡°Commander, were you niggling us before?¡± ¡°No no!¡± ¡°¡­ cough cough!¡± Interrupting Iril and Nara¡¯s quarrel with a cough, Nainiae began the introduction with the name of the red-haired man he had just pointed at. ¡°That is ¡®Andal¡¯.¡± ¡°Andal?¡± ¡°What a strange name.¡± Crossing his fingers, Iril put his hands on the back of his head and murmured to himself with a smile. ¡ª ¡°Well, this name, I seem to have heard it before? Where did I hear it? I have known it clearly¡­¡± Because of this familiar name, Iril smiled and began to frown to try to figure out when and where she had heard the name. Very soon, she seemed to think of something, her expression hardened. ¡°¡­ Wait a moment.¡± Iril remembered where she first met Nainiae and Riley, and soon she looked palely at Nainiae, who introduced the name ¡°Andal¡±. ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± Nainiae nodded and affirmed her thoughts. ¡°¡­it¡¯s that Andal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley had been looking at Nainiae who was introducing Andal to the rest five people with a pity, now he walked over to Abyss. ¡°You are here.¡± Over Riley¡¯s shoulder, Abyss saw the five people bing excited due to the show up of Andal. He felt very interesting, smiling as greeting Riley. ¡°Riley.¡± Riley pushed Abyss¡¯s shoulder hard, and then Andal, standing aside, began to frown and red at Riley. ¡°I have heard your story.¡± Andal¡¯s words made Riley, who stood next to Abyss and gave Abyss a nce, sigh shortly and shrugged. ¡°So, it would also be fine for me not to introduce him to you.¡± ¡°You owed me a debt at that time.¡± ¡°Debt?¡± ¡°You said you would offer me a drink.¡± Abyss, who was pushed to Andal by Riley, smiled and said that he would drink a cup of wine to repay him. Meanwhile, Riley also shook his head with a smile. ¡°Forget it, that guy may have heard the general exnation. I will go straight to the point¡­¡± Riley had wanted to ask a question, but was interrupted by Andal, who was clutching his fist tightly. ¡°¡­when?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°The world you lived in! When to go there?¡± Riley, on the other hand, seemed to be angry because Abyss was too aggressive in asking questions. He replied with sweat. ¡°Today, definitely.¡± ¡°Today? Are you sure it is today?¡± Looking at Andal, who was as excited as a child, Riley looked at Abyss doubtfully. And Abyss just shook his head helplessly. ¡°I understand what you have said before now. I¡­ I know what Coke is as well.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cars, airnes, high-rise buildings¡­ Why didn¡¯t you say that the world over there has a civilization that this world hasn¡¯t?¡± After listening to Andal¡¯s question, Riley knew why he was so excited. Then he couldn¡¯t hide his tired expression and replied. ¡°You should calm down first.¡± It urred to Nainiae sometimes, and the same also happened to Salvation¡­ The desire to study the novelty encountered for the first time seemed to dominate the rationality of the Red Dragon once again . ¡°The little guy is not interested in the story of you and me.¡± Watching Andal turned the target of the question from him to Riley, Abyss was very pleased, once again looking at the five people who hadn¡¯t calmed down from the impact yet. ¡°Are these six people you brought then?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Riley pushed Andal away, who followed him closely and kept asking about the civilization of ¡°past life¡±, and answered Abyss¡¯ questions. Chapter 203 - Before Departure (2) (Part 2)

Chapter 203 - Before Departure (2) (Part 2)

¡°There is one person over there, shouldn¡¯t you only bring another five here?¡± Pointing to Andal who was pushed away by Riley, Abyss, with his head tilted to one side, asked. ¡°In this case, there would be seven people?¡± Unlike what was expected, when Abyss found that Riley brought one more person, he scratched his hair and asked Riley. ¡°Is it necessary to limit to six people?¡± ¡°How can you say that it is unnecessary?¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s words, Abyss squinted his eyes, thinking that he needed to give a more detailed exnation. Then he said. ¡°I mean with your ability, I don¡¯t think there will be any problems if you bring more people. I just thought it would be better to bring one more person at that time, so I did it.¡± ¡°¡­Oh, I see.¡± Abyss thought Riley¡¯s words were very funny, so heughed. Then he cleared his throat and then asked in a whisper. ¡°Are you going to use the trump card?¡± Will the seventh person be chosen as the potential card? When Abyss asked if Riley was going to arrange the seventh person this way, Riley nodded immediately. ¡°Yes.¡± After ncing at Riley who was nodding, Abyss asked while observing the six people who were looking over there¡­ ¡°So, those six people¡­Stop kidding me.¡± Nainiae. Sera. Nara. Priesia. Ian. Iril. And Andal. ¡°There are a total of seven people including the dragon¡¯s child. Who would you choose to be the potential card?¡± When Abyss asked him who he was going to choose among the fixed ¡°7 parts¡±, Riley turned his head and stared at the six people he brought, which seemed to indicate that he would not choose Andal. ¡°Guess who it is.¡± Riley asked a question in reply. Hearing his words, Abyss started to stimte Riley with words again. ¡°Sure enough, you can¡¯t win.¡± Riley looked at Abyss and sneered at him, then turned to Andal, who had just been pushed away. ¡°Andal.¡± ¡°Ah? Oh! Are we leaving now?¡± Riley muttered secretly. Compared to being anger and questioning why there was something concealed, Andal¡¯s attitude was really much better now. ¡°Before departure, let¡¯s visit your cave first.¡± ¡°Ah? What¡¯s wrong with my cave?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t Abyss told you? We have to prepare what we need to bring before we leave.¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s words, Andal¡¯s eyes, which were gleaming just now, suddenly lost their light and cooled down. ¡°Do you want to steal my treasures?¡± ¡°No, what are you talking about?¡± Replied Riley, who was reluctant to show weakness. ¡°Even if you are in the bar where you work, if you give me a ss of wine, wouldn¡¯t you also charge money? It¡¯s no different from that.¡± ¡°Hum¡­¡± ¡°Although you can go to a ce by teleport, but people in that world don¡¯t use magic, and you have to buy a ticket if you want to travel.¡± ¡°Buy¡­a ticket?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t go to that world without my help¡­ So if you want to go, you should pay me money.¡± Riley said that some items in the cave could pay for the ticket, and Andal had to use mana to open the portal to his cave. ¡°Why I¡¯ve got a feeling that you are cheating me¡­¡± ¡°Did I say I want everything in the cave?¡± Andal opened the portal to his cave and signaled Riley that it was all ready. Riley turned his head to the six people who were waiting for him and said. ¡°You stay here and chat for a while.¡± Riley said that he would go to the cave for a while ande back soon. Then he passed Andal¡¯s portal and disappeared with Andal. The six people who stayed on the spot swallowed and began to look around. ¡°Wh¡­what should we do?¡± ¡°Since he asks us to chat, then¡­¡± ¡°Shall we make some tea?¡± The six people had been shocked about the fact that the red-haired man who disappeared with Riley was Andal. They hadn¡¯t recovered yet and kept confusing expression. ¡°¡­Are you the six people that came with Riley?¡± When the six people, including Nainiae, stood there in a daze, the teenager, Abyss, who looked at them with his hands behind his back, walked leisurely and nced at the faces of the six people. ¡°The potential card¡­¡± Although Abyss desired to continue the conversation, he wanted to know who was the person Riley has just referred to as the ¡°potential card¡±. ¡°Excuse me, who are you?¡± Sera wanted to ask the boy who looked much younger than Iril. ¡°¡­Miss Sera, please step back.¡± Nainiae raised his right arm to stop her. Asking the other five stand behind him, Nainiae started to stare at Abyss. ¡°This person is dangerous.¡± Looking at Nainiae, who said the young man was a ¡°dangerous person¡±, the five people standing behind him became serious and all stared at Abyss. ¡°It seems you are right.¡± Being stared at by the six people, Abyss nced around with a smile and continued. ¡°Although I am not the kind of dangerous person you need to worry about¡­ but whether it is the sea or the mountain stream, warm-up activity is necessary before entering the water.¡± While stretching and rxing, Abyss said that before doing something dangerous, warm-up was necessary in order to avoid serious injuries. ¡°You can regard this as a warm-up activity before departure.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± Nainiae frowned and muttered to herself. ¡°I¡¯m not the same as Riley, and I would never say ¡®too troublesome, so that¡¯s it.¡¯¡± Abyss slowly lifted his right foot. ¡°But, in consideration of the rtionship with old friends¡­¡± His right foot mmed on the ground, and the ground began to sway and creaked as if there was an earthquake. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± Chapter 204 - Before Departure (3) (Part 1)

Chapter 204 - Before Departure (3) (Part 1)

Because of Abyss¡¯s words, or more urately, due to the huge momentum behind Abyss, Nainiae found that her breathing became difficult. ¡°This feeling of pressure¡­¡± Nainiae remembered the scene when she and Riley first met in Soliast spring, and she began to use mana with a serious expression. ¡°Is he going to kill us?¡± Nainie believed that if Abyss wanted to kill the six people brought by Riley, he would not refer to the fighting as ¡°warm-up activity¡±. Nainie clenched her teeth and created a defense in front of them. ¡°The so-called warm-up activity¡­¡± Being looked down, Nainiae raised both her hands and used different advanced mana to show her hostility towards the other person. ¡°I, Nainiae¡­¡­¡± Nainiae looked back at the five people standing behind, hoping they could protect themselves, and then she stared at Abyss again. ¡°Are you going to fight against me alone?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are too arrogant.¡± Looking at Nainiae, Abyss smiled slyly and raised his chin. However, differently, Nainiae, who was staring at him, pulled her chin and started to use her brain. ¡°Although he was evenly matched Young Master in his past life¡­¡± What Abyss didn¡¯t know was that Nainiae owned the memories of Riley¡¯s past life. Although Abyss had no weaknesses¡­ knowing what technique he would use will definitely be a big advantage for Nainiae. ¡°I have a chance to win. He doesn¡¯t know me, but I know him clearly.¡± In the two hands that Nainiae lifted up, the mana of different attributes burst into sparks and lightning, waiting for the moment of shooting. ¡°Even if Abyss was a demon lord in his past life, since he was born again as a human being, his physical strength must be limited¡­ As long as I use the mana he does not understand, I could handle it.¡± Nainiae thought the oue of the fighting depended on time. When she was going to start fighting and shooting the mana that floated in her hands to the front¡­ ¡°¡­?¡± Abyss hade to Nainiae suddenly. ¡°When?!¡± Let alone the movement of bending legs, Nainiae didn¡¯t even see Abyss jumping. Looking at Abyss, who smiled softly in front of her, Nainiae clenched her teeth. ¡°No, don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s a fighting depending on time. Just defend and fight. Be calm and distant from him.¡± After Nainiae fired the mana in her hand, she didn¡¯t even confirm whether the magic hit Abyss and then quickly used the magic to move backwards. ¡°If it could be a long-term fighting¡­¡± Nainiae, who used the moving mana to step back, looked at the ce where she had justunched a magical explosion. ¡°Sure enough, he was hiding away? Where has he gone?¡± Nainiae couldn¡¯t feel the presence of Abyss in the dust, and then Nainiae immediately widened her senses and began to look for Abyss. ¡°Where has he gone?¡± Nainiae began to concentrate on finding Abyss. When she found that Abyss had been standing in the same ce, her eyes popped out. ¡°Why are you there?¡± Abyss, who had just appeared in front of Nainiae, stood where he had been, as if he hadn¡¯t started fighting yet, and his expression was easy. ¡°It seems that you have seen illusion.¡± Hearing Abyss¡¯s self-talk, Nainiae knew that the mana he had just used was not targeted. ¡°I have to praise you. Being able to see the illusion just shows that your eyesight is good.¡± Abyss suddenly praised Nainiae and then quietly bent his upper body. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be serious this time!¡± Nainiae felt very flustered when she heard the illusion mentioned by Abyss. At this moment, the ground at the foot of Abyss suddenly fell and his body rushed out like an arrow. ¡°After hees to me, he¡­ he would also punch at me. Young Master sometimes also does that.¡± After Nainiae confirmed that Abyss would first attack from the middle, she concentrated the magic on there and then prepared to use lightning magic that was fast and easy to counterattack. ¡°He¡¯sing.¡± Just like the illusion did before, Abyss shortened the distance between him and Nainiae in an instant. Looking at Nainiae, he smiled gently and swung his clenched right fist. ¡°Sure¡­ he uses a fist.¡± While focusing on defense, Nainiae¡¯s fingertips began to glow gray thunderbolt as Abyss¡¯s right hand moved. ¡°Sure enough, you are really arrogant.¡± ¡°¡­What?!¡± Before Abyss finished the word, his right fist hit Nainiae¡¯s defense. Crack. It came the sound of something cracked, and the expression of Nainiae whose right hand was bolted with lightning was distorted due to pain. ¡°The power?!¡± Nainiae had seen Abyss¡¯s punching in Riley¡¯s memory of past life. She thought her defense could stop his first. ¡°¡­Crack!¡± She was wrong. Nainiae opened her mouth. ¡°Nainiae!¡± ¡°What¡¯s that¡­¡± His fist did not fall on Nainiae¡¯s defense. ¡°Look down on you.¡± Abyss¡¯s fist prated Nainiae¡¯s defense and stopped in front of her abdomen, and Nainiae¡¯s maid costume wrinkled like a whirlpool. ¡°The first attack, the first attack used the right fist¡­ When I was fighting Young Master, his fists didn¡¯t have such power¡­¡± As the air current caused by Abyss¡¯s fist twisted her face, Nainiae remembered what Abyss had muttered to himself. ¡°¡­I¡¯ll be gentle.¡± Nainiae felt that if she really moved, Abyss¡¯s fist would not stop in front of her clothes, but had already broken into her abdomen. Thinking of this, Nainiae got a goose bump. Chapter 204 - Before Departure (3) (Part 2)

Chapter 204 - Before Departure (3) (Part 2)

¡°For the sake of the fact that you are the most beloved subordinate of Riley¡­¡± Abyss then gave advice to Nainiae, who had floated up as the defense was broken. ¡°I wanna tell you, who is always arrogant, again.¡± Saying these words, Abyss turned to look at Nainiae and the other five people. ¡°Although fighting against me alone may be what you expect.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When Nainiae was thinking about why Abyss said these words, a voice came from behind. ¡°We, we have to help her.¡± ¡°How to help?¡± ¡°Shall we just stand by?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s cure Nainiae first.¡± Nainiae, who was so painful that her face twisted, turned around. ¡°No¡­¡± Nainiae, moving her lips, wanted to say ¡°No!¡±, but she was unable to make a sound because of the impact she had just suffered. ¡°In the world we are going to, the people or demons you will face will not listen to you quietly.¡± Once again, Abyss disappeared. ¡°Where has he gone?¡± ¡°He is in front of us!¡± Among the group of people who could not capture the traces of Abyss, only Sera, who had a better sense, barely noticed him. She pulled out the sword and waved forward. ¡°Eh? She shouldn¡¯t be able to find my illusion!¡± As Sera predicted, Abyss suddenly appeared in front of her, showing a serious expression and staring straight at her. ¡°So it is, is this your talent?¡± Abyss praised Riley for picking out such outstanding members secretly and meanwhile turned his body indiscriminately to avoid the double swords that were waved towards him. ¡°You little devil!¡± ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what you are doing!¡± At the same time Sera wielded the swords, Iril and Nara, who were behind Abyss, widened their eyes and stabbed their sword and spear forward. ¡°But you hurt Nainiae first!¡± ¡°So it¡¯s self-defense!¡± Shouted the two people in their mind. When they thought that Abyss would be stabbed by them, they increased power in their hands. ¡°¡­You guys really have a good rtionship.¡± The situation afterwards waspletely different from what was imagined by these two people. ¡°What?!¡± Abyss, who bent down the upper body, escaped Sera¡¯s sword while grabbing Nara¡¯s spear and blocking Iril¡¯s sword. ¡°Although the attack range of spear is long, but its shoring is that it¡¯s too long.¡± Abyss seemed to be advisung Nara. Talking to the horrified Nara, Abyss bounced the sword tip of Iril, which had been held in Abyss¡¯s hand. ¡°The sword is very sharp.¡± Abyss admitted that Iril¡¯s sword was quite sharp and then gave Iril advice. ¡°But this is the only advantage of the sword, and the sword is too straight.¡± At the moment Sera failed to stab Abyss, Abyss, who had given advice to Nara and Iril, arbitrarily avoided the attack of the two people. ¡°Eh?!¡± Using Nara¡¯s spear that had just been dragged as a handle, Abyss¡¯s body twisted in the opposite direction that he had just turned. ¡°Although Riley is professional in the field of swords¡­ let me teach you first.¡± While Abyss turned around, he dragged the spear and then Nara¡¯s body was pulled to the side. ¡°What is this body made of? Is there such a strange force?¡± As a Basilisk who was not human, Nara once confidently believed that she would not lose to everyone in strength except Riley, but now her expression became very anxious. ¡°Pull over!¡± While Nara bent forward, Abyss, who grabbed the end of Nara¡¯s spear, lifted his right leg to Nara¡¯s abdomen and kicked him out. ¡°Oh, Ah!¡± Like Nainiae just now, perhaps more painful than her, Nara¡¯s expression became very distorted, and her body was folded like an origami. ¡°¡­Th, this!¡± Iril, determined he would not fail to stab Abyss again, swung the sword once again. ¡°Sword is not just straight!¡± Kuang! ¡°Eh?!¡± Abyss, who had kicked Nara¡¯s stomach, leaned his upper body forward as if he was performing acrobatics. Instead of turning the spear, he punched the ground. ¡°The ground?¡± With the crushing sound of something, the bnce of Iril¡¯s body was broken. Iril, who nned to wave the sword again, started to struggle at the moment. ¡°Nara!!¡± Looking at Nara, who was kicked into the sky by Abyss, Priesia shouted her name and used holy power. ¡°¡­Huh!¡± At the same time, Nainiae, who had just been punched by Abyss, fell on the ground. ¡°We are not at the level to be able to battle with Abyss.¡± In this embarrassing situation, Ian, who had stayed next to Priesia and witnessed how Nainiae was defeated, frowned. ¡°He is not¡­¡± Looking at Abyss who arbitrarily avoided his sword, Iril thought. ¡°¡­human being.¡± Nara, who suffocated and was kicked by Abyss into the sky, muttered in her heart. ¡°He¡­ was once evenly matched Young Master¡­¡± Nainiae, who fell to the ground, seemed to have the same thoughts as Iril and Nara. She frowned and stared at Abyss. ¡°The demon lord¡­¡± ording to Nainiae¡¯s understanding, if Riley was the warrior who stood at the peak of swordsmanship in his past life, then Abyss in front of him was different. He was the demon lord who stood at the peak of wrestling with body. Chapter 205 - Before Departure (4) (Part 1)

Chapter 205 - Before Departure (4) (Part 1)

¡°The punching and kicking techniques were exactly the styles of Abyss.¡± The styles of Abyss. This was the unique techniques that Demon King constantly polished and finally achieved during the long years of struggle with Riley. Nainiae confirmed that the technique was the ¡°Abyss style¡± used by Abyss or the demon who was diametrically opposed to Riley in the past life. She gritted her teeth and straightened her upper body. ¡°Pri¡­¡± Nainiae found out who Abyss was going to tease next. She wanted to warn that person, but she only opened her mouth without making a sound. ¡°Ahem¡­ My voice!¡± Nainiae, who couldn¡¯t breathe normally and couldn¡¯t make a sound, felt that she should change her way, so she conveyed her voice to Priesia¡¯s mind. [Priesia, Abyss¡¯s next target is you. Please set up the defensework as soon as possible.] Hearing the voice of Nainiaeing directly from her mind, Priesia¡¯s shoulders kept trembling, but she didn¡¯t seem to panic. ording to Nainiae, the defensework was quickly built. ¡°Eh? Is there a priest?¡± Abyss kicked Nara¡¯s abdomen and punched on the ground. Because of that, even Iril sat down on the floor. Abyss then stared at Sera and asked the aforementioned question¡­ but didn¡¯t hear her answer. ¡°Even if I tell you, you cannot benefit from it!¡± Sera did not answer him but pulled out her own sword. ¡°This is also very sharp¡­ It¡¯s exactly the opposite from the previous one. But, it¡¯s still not sharp enough.¡± Abyss¡¯s gaze shifted from Priesia to Sera, seeming to want to teach Sera a lesson. When he frowned, Nainiae conveyed message to Sera¡¯s mind. [Sera, please meet with Priesia first¡­] After receiving the message sent by Nainiae, Sera¡¯s body immediately tilted backwards. ¡°Why can¡¯t I move my leg?¡± Unable to focus on Nainiae¡¯s message in her mind, Sera found her body falling backwards uncontrobly and she looked back in a panic. ¡°Teleporting?¡± Sera found that Abyss, who had been in front of her, instantly moved to her back and blocked her feet behind her ankles, so she fell. ¡°Want to meet with the priest?¡± Before Sera, who had been kicked by Abyss, fell to the ground, Abyss grabbed her ankle and asked the question. ¡°¡­?!¡± He just threw her out. ¡°Eh!¡± ¡°¡­Ah, Ah Ah!¡± Priesia finally set up the defense. However, when Sera flew over to her, in order to prevent Sera from being injured, Priesia hesitated for a while and then put away the defense. ¡°Foock, I forgot Priesiacks experience.¡± Looking at Priesia, who was on pins and needles after putting away the defense, Ian, who had been standing by next to her, felt that he had to take action, so he pulled out the sword. ¡°Priesia, start with the treatment of Nainiae and Nara, and then Sera and Iril¡­¡± Ian tried to catch Sera who was flying over here. However, when he found that Abyss had lowered his upper body again and was running over here, he gritted his teeth. ¡°Sheet, I¡¯m really caught between a rock and a hard ce.¡± If Ian caught Sera, he would be attacked by Abyss. If he didn¡¯t catch Sera, Sera would be seriously injured. ¡°If only I have two bodies.¡± Ian showed a helpless expression, threw the sword that had just been pulled out on the ground and opened his arms. ¡°Eh?¡± He has only one goal: to catch Sera. ¡°¡­Cough!¡± ¡°¡­Ah!¡± Abyss¡¯s face suddenly appeared in front of Ian who safely caught Sera. ¡°¡­¡± Ian gently held Sera who seemed to have been suffocating. Unlike the others, he didn¡¯t tremble, but instead he red at Abyss in front of him without regret. ¡°¡­¡± Perhaps Abyss was curious about the number of wrinkles on Ian¡¯s face. This time, Abyss, who hadn¡¯t moved, didn¡¯t say a word and started to re at Ian as if they werepeting. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the same time as Abyss and Ian started to re at each other, Abyss stopped moving, and Priesia, standing next to Ian, began to burp involuntarily. ¡°Burp.¡± From the time Nainiae fell to the ground, all things happened in less than a minute, so it would be easy to understand why Priesia burped. ¡°¡­You¡¯ve got wonderful eyesight.¡± From Nainiae to Ian¡­ Abyss made eye contact with everyone. He seemed to be very satisfied, praised Ian and then nced at the body parts around his neck. ¡°The female magician¡­ Is it Nainiae? If you can identify my weakness and defeat me, I will praise you. But don¡¯t you already know that you can¡¯t?¡± Nainiae made a me spear, which appeared around Abyss¡¯s neck, burning. It seemed it would prate his neck at any time. ¡°The winner has been determined.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Abyss turned around his face and whispered to himself. At the same time, the magic of Nainiae, who fell to the ground and tried to squeeze out the magic, was exhausted, and the me spear she made disappeared into the air. ¡°We¡­ failedpletely¡­¡± * * * Chapter 205 - Before Departure (4) (Part 2)

Chapter 205 - Before Departure (4) (Part 2)

Unedited [Ah, Young Master] After requesting Andal, Riley waved his hand at Heliona, who was nodding his head to wee him, but did not answer. [What happened in Ansyrium? ] Flying back and forth between Riley and Andal, Heliona asked what happened in Ansyrium and Andal frowned. ¡°Heliona, don¡¯t ask. Just some annoying things happened.¡± [Annoying things?] No matter how much nonsense Heliona said, she had never seen Andal like this. So she asked cautiously, and Riley replied. ¡°We met someone who is hard to deal with.¡± [Eh? So annoying? ] - Heliona didn¡¯t seem to understand what it meant and shook her head. Andal stared at Riley, who was giggling and seemed to feel very interested, as if he was warning him to be appropriate. Then Andal shouted. ¡°So, what is the ticket?¡± The shouting Andal asked what the ticket Riley had mentioned was, and Riley shrugged and replied. ¡°Six items.¡± ¡°Six?¡± ¡°I need something that the guys who go to that world could use. They don¡¯t know anything about that world. If they go there without preparation, they would be busy rushing from one to another, and there are likely to be dangerous things.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s words, Andal interrupted him and asked, frowning. ¡°Why six items?¡± ¡°Why six items?¡± ¡°I only need one ticket for me, why do you need six items!¡± ¡°Hey, I believe you have enough items.¡± Ignoring Andal who was angry, Riley followed Heliona and walked towards the corner of the cave where Andal had umted treasure. ¡°Why not just take him around.¡± ¡°The human beings dare to take things of the dragon. It¡¯s not funny at all.¡± ¡°It is not a funny thing at all.¡± Riley, who stumbled while Andal was muttering, began to look at the gold and silver jewels and treasures that piled up in the wide space. ¡°It will be teased by other nsmen.¡± Riley, who almost sneered at things that had nothing to do with him, forcibly held back hisughter and then answered Andal. ¡°I told you. Even if you spend a lot of time there and less time here¡­ It will not happen. ¡° Riley, under the gaze which was likely to burn his hair, ignored the gold coins and walked towards the ce where the treasure was piled. ¡°Swords, sticks, arrows, spears, and even decorations¡­ Andal, you¡¯re incredible! Wait, are most things here simr to these?¡± Riley looked at the weapons and decorations he had seen in the world for the first time. It seemed to be difficult for him to make a choice. Thus, he waved to Andal, who was staring at him. ¡°You can pick it yourself. Why do you call me over?¡± Andal, who had been angry because of Abyss and impatient because of the ticket, quickly came to Riley with a bitter expression as if he had relieved. ¡°I know nothing about it. Your eyes are more keen than mine.¡± Riley praised Andal¡¯s taste. His eyes passed the first and second floors, looking at the treasures stacked on the top of the floor, talking to himself. ¡°Two use swords, one uses double sword, one uses a spear, and one uses holy power.¡± Hearing Riley¡¯s words, Andal remembered that he had just confirmed ¡°six parts¡± in Ansyrium, so he nodded, frowning, as if he had agreed. ¡°Two, one, one, one¡­How about the other person?¡± Andal found that Riley only talked about items for five people, so he shook his head and asked the above question. ¡°Ah, I will personally pick something for Nainiae.¡± Riley replied that he would personally pick the things for the other person and then started moving. ¡°This seems to be very normal¡­ This looks good, but it has no sense of spirit at all.¡± In order to find something for Nainiae, Riley walked and suddenly saw Andal standing nearby, then he asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­¡­?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you look for something? The items for the five people.¡± ¡°Should I look for these items?¡± ¡°If you look for these items, it would take a shorter time.¡± Riley said that if he looked for these items one by one himself, he would spend a longer time. Then he continued to look for things carefully among the treasure. ¡°Ian and Iril each needs one sword? Since this guy likes sword¡­ Why not look for ornaments for him?¡± When Riley was meditating with his chin resting on the hand, Andal, who stared at him behind, seemed bored, shook his head and began to wander around the treasure. ¡°Why the ticket is so expensive¡­ This world will only disappoint people. No matter what the world is, the guy called Abyss will finally break all its rules.¡± Hearing Andal¡¯s words behind, Riley shook his head like Andal, lowered his head and selected a few nes and several rings, put it back, and sighed. ¡°Will clothes be better than nes and rings?¡± Looking at these ornaments which were either too gorgeous or too big for young girls, Riley turned his eyes to clothes. ¡°Nainiae has worn that red coat here. It¡¯s quite good.¡± Maybe realizing that Riley wanted to pick clothes for Nainiae, Andal, who was picking things for the other five people, nced at him and said. ¡°This one?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Riley picked up a red coat and wanted to ask something, Andal nodded and began to exin the coat. ¡°There is a kind of cherished animal called the fire sheep¡­whose whole body is covered with hair that is made of sparks, and this coat is made of its fur.¡± ¡°Fire sheep?¡± ¡°Especially, if the hair of fire sheep falls off from its body, the spark will instantly turn out and be ash, so it is very difficult to get the material.¡± ¡°This was produced by the fire elves and the tailors of the gnomes who are good at making weapons and armor.¡± added Andal. ¡°She seemed to wear this coat when we went down the mountain here.¡± Andal said that Nainiae, who had undergone trials here, wore this coat when she came out of the mountain, and Riley remembered the scene where he met Nainiaest year. ¡°¡­Young Master! You are here too!¡± At that time, she still had the ck marks on her face and the torn fingers¡­ When he saw her again, she wore this coat with a happy smile on her face. ¡°Yes, she was¡­ indeed wearing this coat.¡± Riley wondered why the coat Nainiae liked was here, so he asked Andal. ¡°Andal, maybe you gave Nainiae this coat and you got it back¡­¡± ¡°I thought it was you? I will not get back the things I have given to others!!¡± When Andal became angry as if his mouth was spurting fire, Heliona, who had been flying around him, exined the reason why the coat was hung in the treasure chest before Andal exploded. [After reuniting with Young Master¡­ I said to myself that it was a bit too much for me to wear this coat, so I used teleport and came in quietly, then I hung the coat back and went out immediately. ] Hearing the exnation of Heliona, Andal sneered angrily. ¡°If Nainiae is a disciple of Andal, of course she could be courageous with sufficient reason, but she would never be courageous. It¡¯s one of her weaknesses.¡± [I think it¡¯s cheeky rather than courageous with sufficient reason¡­] ¡°Look, remember what I said? It¡¯s also a problem that this guy is too bold.¡± [Ah¡­ Ma, Master! I¡¯m wrong! ] Riley removed his eyes from Heliona, who cheeks were pinched by Andal. Looking at the red coat, RIley squinted his eyes. ¡°¡­ Then you choose this?¡± Andal, who was pinching Heliona¡¯s cheeks in order to change her way of speaking, asked Riley whether he would give this red coat to Nainiae. Riley hesitated for a moment and replied. ¡°No,pared to clothes¡­¡± Riley seemed to be hesitating and hung the coat back on the clothes stand. Looking at Riley, Andal realized that the words he said (if he looked for these items one by one himself, he would spend a longer time) just now was not groundless. Chapter 206 - Before Departure (5) (Part 1)

Chapter 206 - Before Departure (5) (Part 1)

Complete defeat. The words that emerged in the minds of all the five people who had beaten by Abyss, were plete defeat¡±. ¡°We never seed in attacking him¡­¡± ¡°¡­ we were just beaten up by him.¡± Nara and Iril, who didn¡¯t know the identity of Abyss, had thought that they could beat Abyss. But at the moment, they were forced to face the huge impact of failure. ¡°I, I¡¯ll have you cured first.¡± The atmosphere became tense after the battle. Priesia, who had been standing by for a long time, carefully gathered the other five people to check their physical condition. ¡°I¡¯ll treat Nainiae first¡­ OK?¡± Nainiae smoothed her rumpled clothes caused by Abyss with his fist, and then stared at Priesia as if she was asking ¡°what¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like this?¡± ¡°Nainiae, are you not feeling well?¡± With an expression which made people feel that something strange had happened, Nainiae put down the rumpled clothes and replied. ¡°¡­ No. Nothing.¡± Hearing these words, Priesia turned to look at Nara and Iril and asked about their physical condition. ¡°Are you two feeling well?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know? It¡¯s hard to say.¡± Maybe the condition of the two people, who were confused about Priesia¡¯s question, were simr to Nainiae. With their head tilted to one side, they couldn¡¯t figure out whether they were feeling well. ¡°How about Sera and Ian?¡± Since Ian had just stared at Abyss, without any physical contact with him, it was likely that Ian was not injured¡­ But Sera may be seriously wounded as Abyss had grabbed her ankle and threw her away like a ball. ¡°Me, too¡­¡± ¡°Me, too. I¡¯m fine.¡± Even though they had rolled forth and back on the floor or fallen to the floor just now, they were not injured at all. ¡°Why¡­¡± Priesia, who had seen Nainiae and Nara being beaten up by Abyss, couldn¡¯t believe it and muttered to herself. At this moment, Abyss spoke. ¡°Priest, are the children feeling well?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± Priesia didn¡¯t feel strange when Abyss, who was much younger than her, directly called her Priest and she replied politely. ¡°I haven¡¯t used this body to fight for a long time, so to be honest, it¡¯s difficult for me to adapt to it.¡± Nainiae suddenly realized that what he meant was ¡°not to be hurt¡± and she remembered what Riley had said before they came here. ¡°I¡¯m really worried about you.¡± Nainiae was sure that Abyss would not do anything harmful to the five people including herself and Riley even though Priesia did not use the Eyes of the Saintess. ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s very nice that we¡¯re not injured.¡± Abyss looked at the five people who got together, nodded and sat down. He seemed to be relieved. ¡°The warriors¡­ Well, because Riley took you guys here, I think you must be excellent to some extent. But since you¡¯re so weak, I¡¯m wondering if you could be regarded as wonderful friends. It¡¯s very interesting.¡± Abyss, who talked to himself,ughed happily, but Nainiae and other four people showed a questioning expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to hurt you guys. I simply think we have to warm up before departure¡­ really, that¡¯s it.¡± Although Abyss looked very young, he stared at the expressions of the five people carefully in an old-fashioned way, and asked. ¡°Don¡¯t you say that you are fine? I want to tell you about your strengths and weaknesses when we were warming up¡­ Is that OK?¡± It seemed that the five people were still on guard against Abyss. As everyone looked at Abyss with a sceptical look, Abyss sighed helplessly and changed the topic. ¡°It seems you don¡¯t like this topic. Then I¡¯ll talk about something else. Maybe¡­ we can talk about something about Riley that you don¡¯t know?¡± Only Nainiae, who knew Riley¡¯s past life, frowned, and the other four were curious. ¡°The stories of the Young Master we don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°¡­ But I have always been with the Young Master since he was born. How could there be something about Young Master that I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Ian, who lowered his head, wanted to deny Abyss, and Abyss couldn¡¯t help butugh and looked at Nainiae. ¡°You seem to know about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes fell on Nainiae, and Nainiae, who frowned, looked at Abyss and asked. ¡°Should I call you¡­ Abyss? Could you please tell me why did you ask me that question?¡± Hearing that Nainiae talked to Abyss so cautiously, Priesia stared at Abyss as if she was saying ¡°there¡¯s indeed something interesting¡±. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, I¡¯ll tell them instead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have told lizard these things. Butpared to the stories, that guy seems to be more interested in the ces where Riley has lived.¡± The rest of the people who were listening to the conversation between Nainiae and Abyss began to look at each other as if they were saying ¡°what to do next¡±. They were curious about ¡°Riley¡¯s stories¡± that Abyss had mentioned, but they thought there must be some reasons why Nainiae frowned so distressed. ¡°I don¡¯t intend to hurt you guys. I just want to kill time.¡± ¡°Kill time?¡± ¡°In any case, we have to go to the world over there. It¡¯s better if you know more things about him before departure¡­ Since Riley is not here, don¡¯t you think I should tell you earlier?¡± Looking at Nainiae¡¯s disapproval expression, Abyss asked with a shrug. ¡°Does Abyss forbid you to talk about these things?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Riley had said that it¡¯s better not to mention his past life, but he did not forbid others to talk about it, so Nainiae was not sure about that. ¡°It seems that he just warned you.¡± Abyss seemed to understand something. He nodded and continued. . ¡°Nara may just do what you have done. It may cause unnecessary troubles if telling others these things. But the situation is different now¡­ You must know about his stories in order to avoid troubles when going to that world.¡± Looking at others who were curious about what they would talk about next, Abyss continued. ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing to conceal the truth from team members who will go to the other world together.¡± Even though Abyss mentioned that maybe the team members would quarrel due to these things in the future, Nainiae still kept silent. Abyss looked at Nainiae with regret and praised her secretly. ¡°It seems Riley is very popr.¡± Abyss praised Naniniae in an envious tone, then he nodded and continued. ¡°Well, it seems that I have to tell you guys by myself.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Nainiae moved her lips, her tone changed again, and meanwhile Abyss said to her without fear. ¡°If Riley asks what¡¯s going on, you can tell him that I said everything. I¡¯m not telling lies, I¡¯m just tell the truth, so I don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In our past life, we were deadly enemies. If Riley is angry and wants to kill me, I will run away¡­ but it¡¯s a pity to lose a friend who can fish together¡­¡± Abyss looked at the four people who were on a questioning expression and began to tell the stories of Riley that they didn¡¯t know. * * * Chapter 206. Before Departure (5)

Chapter 206. Before Departure (5)

Aplete defeat. The words that came to the minds of five people, including Nainiae, who fought the Abyss, werepletely defeated. ¡°I couldn¡¯t get it right even once¡­¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t believe we were beaten.¡± In particr, the two people, Nara and Iril, who had no idea who he was and were confident that they would win as he was young, looked nk as if they were shocked by the current defeat. ¡°I, I will treat you first.¡± When the atmosphere calmed down after the battle, Priesia, who was looking at the situation, carefully gathered the other five and checked their condition. ¡°First of all, I will start the treatment from Nainiae¡­ Hmm?¡± Tuk, tuk, she opened the hem of her clothes that had been crumpled like a whirlpool by Abyss¡¯s fist and looked at Priesia, tilting her head as if to ask what was going on. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nainiae, is there any ce where you feel ufortable?¡± To Priesia¡¯s question, Nainiae, who was looking at the crumpled part of her clothes, answered with a strange expression. ¡°¡­no, there isn¡¯t.¡± Responding to Nainiae¡¯s answer that there was no ufortable ce, Priesia turned to Nara and Iril and asked both of them as well. ¡°Both of you, are you two ufortable?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well?¡± The two people, who were confused by Priesia¡¯s question, raised question marks. They also tilted their heads like Nainiae, but didn¡¯t say they were sick or bothered. ¡°What about Ms. Sera and Mr. Ian?¡± Ian only had a snowball fight with Abyss, and he had never physically bumped into him, so there should be nothing ufortable, but¡­ In Sera¡¯s case, Abyss grabbed her ankle and threw her like a ball, so there was a high probability that her body was seriously injured. ¡°Me, me too¡­¡± ¡°Me too, no problem.¡± Even though they took a pratfall or rolled on the dusty ground¡­ Far from being hurt, everyone was in a state where they didn¡¯t even get a scratch. ¡°Th¡­ this¡­¡± Priesia muttered in disbelief as she saw Nainiae¡¯s body float in the air by Abyss¡¯s fist and saw Nara¡¯s body bend like a bow. Abyss opened his mouth. ¡°Priestess, are the children okay?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± It¡¯s not awkward at all for a child much younger than her to ask without honorifics, but Priesia asked back in honorifics instead. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I moved around with this unfamiliar body. Honestly, it was difficult to control.¡± Noticing that they weren¡¯t hurt, Nainiae recalled what Riley had said beforeing here. ¡®I¡¯m worried about everything.¡¯ Nainiae was convinced that even if Priesia didn¡¯t use her divine eyes, Abyss wouldn¡¯t do anything harmful to the five people, including herself¡­ and she was sure that Abyss wouldn¡¯t do that to Riley either. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m d you all weren¡¯t hurt.¡± Abyss, who was looking at the group, nodded as if he was relieved and sat there. ¡°The warriors¡­ no, I was expecting that since Riley brought you here, I¡¯m sure they are good friends. But I didn¡¯t expect you to be such good friends. It¡¯s fun.¡± When Abyss, who was muttering to himself, startedughing, question marks appeared on the faces of Nainiae and the other five. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do anything to all of you. I simply thought it would be better to warm-up and go¡­ That¡¯s it.¡± Abyss, who looked closely at the six faces, asked with a grandfather-like look with a young face. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯d like to tell you about your strengths or weaknesses with the warm-up we just had, is it okay?¡± They were still looking at him suspiciously as if the alertness had not beenpletely resolved. Abyss sighed and changed the topic as if he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like talking about it, so let¡¯s talk about something else. For example¡­ the story about Riley you don¡¯t know?¡± Only Nainiae, who knew about his past life, wriggled her eyebrows, while curiosity arose on the faces of the other five. ¡°The story of the young master that we don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°No way¡­ I have been with him since he was born. There can¡¯t be something about the young master that I don¡¯t know¡­¡± When Ian shook his head and tried to deny Abyss, Abyss burst outughing and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Looks like you know about that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nainiae?¡± As the group¡¯s eyes turned to her, Nainiae, who was frowning, looked at Abyss and asked. ¡°Are you called¡­ Abyss? Why are you asking me that question?¡± When Nainiae asked the boy in honorifics, Priesia looked at Abyss with a nce, ¡®As expected, there is something.¡¯ ¡°If you¡¯re not going to talk, I¡¯m going to tell them. For your information, I already told the lizard child his story. The child seemed to be more interested in where he lived than his story.¡± The rest of the group, who were listening to the conversation between Nainiae and Abyss, started to look around thinking what to do. They were curious about the ¡®Riley¡¯s story¡¯ that Abyss mentioned. They wanted to ask, but they couldn¡¯t because there must be some reason why Nainiae frowned. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t think badly. I¡¯m just trying to save time.¡± ¡°Save time?¡± ¡°By the way, if we want to go into that world together, it will be better for them to know his story to some extent¡­ Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to tell them in advance to save time while Riley is away?¡± When Nainiae crumpled her face with an expression of ¡®still¡­¡¯, Abyss shrugged and asked. ¡°Did he tell you not to talk?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± There was a time when Riley said it would be better not to talk about his past life, but Nainiae, who had never heard the word not to talk about it, blurred the end of her sentence. ¡°I guess you were warned.¡± Abyss, who nodded as if he understood, said. ¡°Well, I would have done that too. If it¡¯s known for no reason, you might get caught up in troublesome things. However, things have changed a little now¡­ They have to know his story and go. Doing so is a shortcut to avoid the ¡®annoyance¡¯ he¡¯s worried about. They know what¡¯s bothering him.¡± Abyss, who looked at the group with a look of curiosity, added seriously. ¡°It¡¯s not a good thing to hide secrets between colleagues who will go to the other side together.¡± Abyss, who said that there might be a splitter, looked sadly at Nainiae, who was still shutting her mouth, and praised her. ¡°He¡¯s got a good man.¡± Abyss, who praised her with envy, said while scratching his hair. ¡°Then, I have no choice but to say it myself.¡± ¡°But¡­¡­¡± When Nainiae bit her lips again and blurred her words, Abyss told her as if she had nothing to worry about. ¡°If Riley asks what¡¯s going on, this is it. Tell him, he¡¯s being exposed. It¡¯s not a lie or an excuse, it¡¯s telling the truth, so there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of. In my previous life, I fought like a horse. If it made me angry and tried to kill me, I¡¯d rather run away¡­ It¡¯s a shame to lose a friend to fish with.¡± Abyss began the story about Riley they didn¡¯t know, staring at the five people with question marks on their faces. ***** ¡°Not yet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you not done yet!¡± ¡°Just wait¡­¡± In Andal¡¯s cave, in the treasure trove¡­ Riley was pondering over and over again with a few items in front of him. ¡°Hmm¡­ what does she prefer?¡± Looking at Riley, who was contemting about what would suit her better than the one with better efficiency¡­ Andal managed to resist the urge to smack the back of his head and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± ¡°No, not what she likes¡­ I don¡¯t know what suits her better.¡± In his past life, in his present life¡­ Riley, who only gave gifts to his mother, was contemting about what to give Nainiae. ¡°What would you do if she liked either side? You said you¡¯re going to return it. When youe back, you have to turn it back, what are you worrying about while grunting like this?¡± When Andal nced, Riley nced back at him and opened his mouth nkly as if he had forgotten. ¡°Oh, right. It wasn¡¯t a gift.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s just rental, can¡¯t I just take it all?¡± When Riley asked with a bloody smile, Andal, who had tested his limits of patience several times from Abyss until now, opened his mouth, turning his eyes into those of the dragon¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯m going to kill you. For real.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Riley expressed his willingness to pay attention in silence, Andal muttered, turning his eyes back to a human. ¡°Specifically, I think that girl will like anything you give her¡­ or maybe you can use your finger and say, ¡®which one should I choose?¡¯¡± Riley, who was seriously contemting using that method, shook his head and began to ponder once again. ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°This jingle jingle rascal¡­¡± [Note: jingle jingle = used when you¡¯re sick of something, it¡¯s a stronger expression than the word ¡®tired¡¯] When Andal turned around as if he had lost and opened the portal leading to Ansirium, Heliona, who was flying by her master¡¯s side, flew to Riley¡¯s side as if she couldn¡¯t help it. Riley, who nced at Heliona who flew over his shoulder, nodded as if he would ept the favor. There were three treasures that Riley had on the floor. The first was the red coat he took first, the second was a white scarf, and the third was the ¡®two¡¯ small rings. ¡°Really?¡± What Heliona confidently pointed to was the third item, two small rings. On Heliona¡¯s finger, who chose the ring without hesitation, Riley¡¯s eyebrows were subtly distorted. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± When Heliona asked if there was any problem, Riley, who nced at her, scratched his cheek. ¡®It feels awkward.¡¯ The reason why Riley, who had given Nainiae the ¡®Astroa¡¯s Ring¡¯ as a gift around the end of springst year, wasn¡¯t able to choose the ring was no different. ¡®To me, the ring I gave herst year was very old ¡­ That¡¯s why I was trying to give it to her, but it won¡¯t look like it if you look around.¡¯ It was because he was slightly embarrassed. Riley, who was scratching his cheek, nodded and answered Heliona¡¯s question. ¡°There are.¡± ¡°A scarf¡­¡± As Riley turned his eyes from the ring to the scarf, Heliona shrugged and continued. Heliona nodded with her eyes closed, saying that it would be best to take the red coat, except for the ring and the scarf¡­ then a voice came from behind. ¡°¡­hey.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± With the voiceing from behind and the heat that seemed to burn her wings, Heliona turned her head. ¡°What are you doing? Now?¡± Heliona began to whistle to pretend she didn¡¯t know, but it seemed that it wasn¡¯t enough to extinguish the fireball on Andal¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­what should I do?¡± Choose it or not¡­ Riley was struggling, tilting his head as if he hadn¡¯t picked one of the three items yet. ¡°Ah, this rascal for real!!¡± It seemed that his frustration had finally exploded. Andal¡¯s eyes shed like those of a dragon, strikingly approached Riley, shoving the three items that Riley was struggling with into the bag he had in his right hand. ¡°Hey, what the hell¡­¡± ¡°Just eat it all! You rascal!¡± As Andal shoved things into his bag and swung it toward Riley¡¯s face, Riley¡¯s hair was messed up by the wind pressure from his mouth. <¡­> When Andal, who dragged the bag on the floor, walked into the portal that had been opened beforehand, there was only silence in the cave where only Riley and Heliona remained. Chapter 207. Before Departure (6)

Chapter 207. Before Departure (6)

*** ¡°UGH! That jingle jingle rascal, really!¡± An unusual-sized red portal appeared near the shore of the Ansiriumke, and from there, a young man, who was caught gantly walked out. ¡°You just have to choose an item, that¡¯s it! Ah-oh!¡± A young man and the spirit of fire came out of the portal. Andal, who ground his teeth as if he was depressed, caught the young man staring at the bag he was dragging. ¡°¡­Are you here?¡± Abyss, who found the two walking out from the portal, got up from where they were sitting. ¡°I have nothing left to tell you. For the rest, you¡¯d better hear it from him. If he doesn¡¯t tell you¡­ It¡¯s probably a way to find out for yourself in the ¡®That World¡¯ you¡¯re about to go.¡± Until a while ago, they still hadn¡¯t heard much more about Riley¡¯s story. Abyss, who had advised them to hear the story from the person himself or find out for themself, walked toward Andal. ¡°Those stories¡­ are they real?¡± ¡°Warrior, demon king, how do they¡­¡± ¡°But Iril, You saw it in person that evening. Mrs. Inaril and young master struck the sword with a whistle¡­¡± ¡°That kid¡­ Abyss¡¯s ability is also hard to believe if what he said wasn¡¯t true.¡± Behind Abyss, who was walking towards Andal, the rest of the group were panicking. They quietly turned their head and looked at Nainiae. ¡°Nainiae.¡± Not only did she know all of these facts, but she also knew more about Riley¡¯s stories. ¡°Tell me just one thing, just one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask you anymore.¡± Sera, who was sitting next to Nainiae, grabbed her hand and asked. ¡°The story of the young master that Abyss told us¡­ Is it all true?¡± The expressions of Nara, Iril, and Priesia, including Sera, were endlessly serious, but¡­ to what extent they were guessing this fact, they were staring only at a distant ce with an unconventional expression. ¡°¡­yes.¡± Nainiae barely nodded after hesitation. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± She thought that if she hid more, only doubts between each other would build up. She was honestly aware of it and said everything they had just heard was real. ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± ¡°Is this the past life, the present life¡­ right now¡­¡± ¡°Then we¡¯re going to go¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It is not the world below, but the world where he lived.¡± Ian, who looked at the group who made desperate expressions at Nainiae¡¯s words, spoke out. ¡°Well, those facts¡­ is there any reason not to believe?¡± ¡°Mr. Ian¡­¡± ¡°Have you ever heard the story that he hasmitted countless evil deeds in his previous life? No, he has lived a life that deserves praise, and he just hasn¡¯t spoken about it.¡± Without stopping, he swung his sword to rescue many people, and finally the unfortunate warrior died with the Demon King¡­ That was all about Riley¡¯s story that Abyss shared. ¡°You guys, I don¡¯t know what priestess Priesia is thinking. When I heard this story, I just wanted to help him more.¡± While listening to Abyss¡¯s story, Ian, who was sitting on the ground, stood up and looked at the group. ¡°I just follow.¡± Like a butler. After checking his sleeves, checking his tie, and then checking his own sword on his waist, Ian closed his eyes and recalled the moments he had been with Riley. ¡®Young master, let¡¯s hold the sword.¡¯ ¡®No, I won¡¯t.¡¯ ¡®Young master, the sword!¡¯ ¡®Annoying.¡¯ ¡®Young master!¡¯ ¡®Hide and seek is fun! Right?¡¯ ¡®Why the hell!¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Why the hell aren¡¯t you holding the sword?¡¯ ¡®I have killed the Demon King with great difficulty¡­¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®¡­Can I take a rest now?¡¯ At the time, he didn¡¯t understand what he was talking about, but¡­ now, he was proud to be able to understand a little bit of what Riley used to say when he was young. ¡°¡­Huhu.¡± Ian smiled quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not wrong.¡± When Riley was a kid¡­ Ian, who recalled himself excited to see his potential behind him, was relieved that he wasn¡¯t wrong. He was delighted. ¡°Mr. Ian¡­¡± Among the rest of the group, who looked at Ian nkly, Sera was the first to stand up with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. Nothing has changed.¡± Following Sera, Nara and Iril also got up from their seats and began to wander as if they were worried about it. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Basilisk who can¡¯t pick people¡­ Although the personality of the young master annoys people around him, he cares about them that much. I also know for sure. He didn¡¯t keep it a secret because he was trying to trick us.¡± ¡°My grandmother allowed him to hold her sword, so we can just follow him. My grandmother also told me to listen carefully, and have something to learn.¡± As the group got up one by one, Priesia, who was looking up at them, bit her lips with a gloomy expression. ¡°I¡­¡± Priesia was reminiscing about the momentst spring when Riley told her to live for herself. ¡®¡­you have power.¡¯ ¡®Power?¡¯ ¡®You have strong enough power to stop Astroa with a blow.¡¯ ¡®Power¡­¡¯ ¡®I heard it from Nainiae. Not only that, but I clearly remember what you just showed me.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®If you have the power, if you have received revtion¡­ Don¡¯t you have to use that power to protect people?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think so?¡¯ ¡®What? What is that¡­¡¯ ¡®What if I don¡¯t do it?¡¯ ¡®That, that¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡®Are you going to talk to the people around the neighbourhood? Young master of the Ipheletta family actually has tremendous power? But he¡¯s just fooling around?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Or are you going to follow me and bother me? Are you going to pour out your divine power into my dying body and bless my cursed body to force me to fight? Saying that I am not allowed to fall here because I have received revtion?¡¯ On that day, she came to understand Riley¡¯s feelings as she poured out her life for herself. Priesia¡¯s feelings were so heavy that it couldn¡¯t be summarized in a word because they were soplicated. ¡®Leave me alone¡­ I want to rest¡­¡¯ It was because Riley¡¯s words seemed toe to her mind over and over again. ¡°Did you telldy Iris?¡± ¡°No, I kept it a secret from her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t telldy Iris that either.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what we need to convince.¡± ¡°No, it seemed thatdy Iris was making some guesses.¡± ¡°Well, she has a good eye.¡± ¡°Maybe she¡¯s waiting. The moment when young master Riley tells her himself one day.¡± Priesia, who was overhearing the conversation between the members of the Ipheletta family, sighed with her head down. ¡®If he has lived that kind of life, it¡¯s understandable that he hates priestesses. Maybe¡­ maybe even now, he feels ufortable with me¡­¡¯ When Abyss told them about the bad rtionship with a priestess, Priesia hid her gloomy expression and sighed deeply¡­ Riley was back. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± The group greeted Riley with a fresh smile, except Priesia. ¡°Ah, young master.¡± ¡°Wee.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Riley, who frowned at the excessive responses, looked back at Abyss and walked backwards wondering why they were like this. ¡°Why are they like that?¡± Abyss, who was walking while looking at Andal who was huffing, turned to Riley¡¯s question. ¡°Hmm? Ahh.¡± Abyss, who looked at his friends who were smiling awkwardly at Riley, replied with a cackling voice as if he knew it. ¡°I told them.¡± ¡°Told them? What?¡± ¡°A little bit of your story.¡± When Abyss conveyed the words ¡®a little¡¯ by making the shape of a w with his thumb and forefinger, Riley, who had twitched his facial muscles without knowing it, looked at the part of him again. ¡°It was a shock at first, but it didn¡¯t change that much.¡± ¡°Young master is a young master, you know?¡± ¡°If you want to make a point here, you only told Nainiae and didn¡¯t tell them¡­ is it right?¡± As the words that were thrown word by word, Riley, who pouted his lower lips, fluttered his bangs, scratched the back of his head and blew his breath, ¡®Woo!¡¯ ¡°Tz¡­ what, okay?¡± He was going to tell the story someday anyway. Riley, who thought the timing was just a little earlier, pushed the bag in his hand forward to hide his sloppy expression. ¡°Enough with my story, first take the goods.¡± As Riley started rummaging through the bag, the group, who turned their gaze toward it, wondered what it was and question marks appeared on their faces. ¡°This?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a gift. Before going.¡± To be precise, it was a life jacket and a safety device so that it wouldn¡¯t be dangerous in ¡®that world¡¯. ¡°Sera.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Here, take it.¡± ¡°Young master, this¡­ It looks very expensive.¡± ¡°It¡¯s expensive. It¡¯s not mine, so you have to be careful.¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Riley, who presented the ¡®best twin sword¡¯ that Andal chose in his cave, called the next person to give the gift. ¡°Nara.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± When his name was called, Nara came to Riley in a sloppy manner. ¡°You have a spear.¡± Like Sera, the ¡®best spear¡¯ picked by Andal himself was transferred from Riley¡¯s hand to Nara¡¯s. ¡°For mercenaries who earn a day and live a day¡­ It¡¯s a little weird. If you don¡¯t just take this, young master¡­¡± ¡°Take it fast. My arm hurts.¡± ¡°Th, thank you. I¡¯ll cherish it as much as I can.¡± Riley, who delivered the spear to Nara, searched the bag like Santa us and looked for the next person. ¡°Iril.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± When Iril raised her hand and advertised that she was here, Riley, who twisted his lips, asked yfully. ¡°The gift, what do you think it is?¡± ¡°Hmm, a potion to grow taller?¡± ¡°Boom, unfortunately not.¡± Riley, who took out a straight sword from the bag and delivered it to her, looked at her as if he wanted to hear what she felt. ¡°Oh, thank you, but¡­ maybe it¡¯s a little too much for me.¡± When Iril, who smiled awkwardly at the mana flowing out from the sword, stepped back, Riley approached the next person to give him a gift. ¡°Ian.¡± ¡°Young master¡­¡± ¡°Sorry, but I don¡¯t have yours.¡± Ian¡¯s expression turned pale. ¡°Just kidding. Take it.¡± It seemed that Ian had already determined that it was a good sword. What Andal chose as a gift for him was ¡®one-eyed sses¡¯ with a wide shape. ¡°It¡¯s sses?¡± ¡°I will tell you how to use itter, so just keep it for now.¡± After spending a lot of time contemting Nainiae¡¯s gift in Andal¡¯s cave, Riley thought that he should deliver the gift quickly and go to that world before Andal could really explode, and next was Priesia. ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Priesia, who had been squatting alone and hugging her knees, carefully raised her head to Riley¡¯s voice. ¡°Yo,young master.¡± ¡°What are you doing? Looking miserable?¡± Riley put his hand in the bag and handed out a brown book to her. ¡°This?¡± ¡°Ah, my arm hurts. Take it quickly.¡± Priesia epted the book reluctantly and looked at the book nkly. ¡°¡­thank you.¡± ¡°Just in case, if it¡¯s because of the story that you heard from Abyss before¡­ you don¡¯t have to.¡± Riley turned around and added a little as he walked toward Nainiae, hisst turn. ¡°But if it¡¯s about you, I knew you were very good.¡± Leaving Priesia who was looking at his back nkly, Riley sighed and approached Nainiae. ¡°Young master.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to make that face.¡± As Nainiae was making a gloomy look, Riley, who raised his hand to his head, asked. ¡°He said you didn¡¯t say it until the end?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As I said before, it doesn¡¯t matter because I was going to say it anyway. And¡­¡± Then Riley, who moved his hand to her head to make her hair look messy, whispered while looking at the other five. ¡°¡­let¡¯s talk privately for a moment.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± The reason why he whispered was not because of the ring¡­ it was because she alone received three gifts, which was why he called her separately, afraid that the others would be jealous. ¡°¡­I have something to give.¡± Riley muttered inside. It was never like this before. Chapter 208. Before Departure (7)

Chapter 208. Before Departure (7)

*** ¡°I don¡¯t mind if I don¡¯t have that¡­¡± Nainiae, who replied that it was okay not to give her the gift, seemed to change her words as she saw her hand being pulled by Riley and asked carefully. ¡°Excuse me, young master, but suddenly where?¡± A question mark floated on Nainiae¡¯s face as Riley suddenly grabbed her hand and tried to move out of reach of other people¡¯s eyes. You can just give it to me, why do we have to¡­ Ansirium, which was ruined by Epidemic, had quite a lot of remnants of the building where the two could hide themselves from other people¡¯s eyes. ¡°Is here all right?¡± Riley, who decided to deliver the gifts as soon as possible, hurriedly lifted the bag, recalling the voices of his group whispering behind their backs as they moved. ¡°Here.¡± Nainiae, who was staring nkly at the bag that Riley had lifted, raised her gaze and looked at Riley¡¯s face. ¡°Do I take it out?¡± ¡°Oh my¡­¡± Riley, who frowned at Nainiae¡¯s question, tucked his hand into the bag, and pulled out a red coat. ¡°Here, take it.¡± ¡°¡­this?¡± A red coat popped out from the bag, and Nainiae¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°In teacher¡¯s cave¡­ It was in the teacher¡¯s treasure trove, right? How did young master get this¡­¡± When she saw the red coat that Riley gave her, which she used to wear in the past, Nainiae asked how he got this, but stopped talking. ¡°So, it turns out that everything young master gave us¡­ They seemed like the items I had seen in the teacher¡¯s treasure trove, but then¡­¡± Nainiae stared at Riley, realizing that all the items Riley had given to the group were items she had seen in Andal¡¯s cave. ¡°Young master, couldn¡¯t it be that you stopped by the teacher¡¯s cave?¡± ¡°¡­that¡¯s right.¡± Riley nodded reluctantly and exined why he stopped by Andal¡¯s cave. ¡°Before we go there, I thought it would be better to have insurance, so I stopped by to give them a life jacket. Apparently¡­ I heard you had a warm-up with Abyss while I was away?¡± Nainiae, who had a faceless look at Riley¡¯s question again, nodded with a gloomy look. ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°I heard that you were brutally crushed?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± When Nainiae, who was grabbing the shoulder of the coat with both hands, replied with her head down, Riley grinned and tucked his hand into the bag. ¡°Well, you could lose.¡± Riley, who took out the second gift for Nainiae, a ¡®white scarf,¡¯ wrapped it around her neck and spoke. ¡°If you won, I would have thought it was rather suspicious.¡± To the soft texture that wrapped around her neck, Nainiae, who was looking down with a gloomy expression, suddenly opened her eyes and looked at Riley, who was standing opposite her. ¡°¡­young master?¡± Nainiae¡¯s fingers, which were holding the coat, trembled lightly. ¡°This is, what¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t as good as the coat she had in her hand, but Nainiae, whose face was blushing enough to be spotted, stopped talking as if embarrassed. ¡°There was a reason why I asked to talk to you separately.¡± It was because Riley¡¯s face was close to her nose, perhaps to tie a knot on the scarf. ¡°Done. Well, it¡¯s good.¡± Riley, who took a step back and looked at Nainiae¡¯s scarf, nodded and praised her as he thought the scarf looked good on her. ¡°I gave everyone one, but if they saw me giving you three, I thought they¡¯d be grumpy about it because of their personalities¡­ I don¡¯t want to be bothered, so I am giving it to you secretly.¡± When Riley asked her not to tell the number of gifts to the group, Nainiae replied briefly. ¡°Yes¡­¡± After replying, Nainiae, who was nkly fiddling with her scarf, realized something strange about what Riley had just said and tilted her head with a question mark. ¡°¡­wait, three?¡± ¡°Yes. three.¡± With the two gifts that she had received, Nainiae¡¯s face blushed even more when Riley said he would give her one more gift. ¡°Well¡­ I am satisfied enough just with the coat and scarf. There is one left, but it¡¯s up to you to decide to use it or not¡­¡± Then Riley, who put the empty bag down on the ground, put his right hand in the pocket of his jacket. ¡°Don¡¯t say useless things.¡± When Riley¡¯s bag lightly fell to the ground, whether it was empty or not, Nainiae, who btedly realized that thest gift was not in the bag, looked at Riley. ¡°¡­thest thing I¡¯ll give you is this.¡± Riley¡¯s fist, which hadn¡¯t been clenched before it entered his pocket, was somehow clenched when it came out of the pocket. ¡°Hand.¡± ¡°Ah yes.¡± Nainiae, who nodded at Riley, put the red coat she had in her hands behind her shoulders, and carefully stretched out her hands. ¡°There¡¯s no particr reason. It¡¯s just¡­¡± Riley, who couldn¡¯t see Nainiae¡¯s eyes, looked aside and blurred the end of his words, slightly opened his right fist, and dropped what he was holding in his hand. ¡°It bothers me that you aren¡¯t wearing the ring I gave you before but just hanging it on your neck¡­ That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving it.¡± Seeing the two rings that fell on her hands, Nainiae¡¯s eyes began to tremble. ¡°Ring¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a ring.¡± Maybe she was embarrassed, Nainiae, who covered her lips with her chin buried in the scarf she just received, only blushed and couldn¡¯t speak¡­ Riley nced down and looked at the ring she had. ¡°That¡­ it¡¯s still hanging on your neck.¡± The Astroa ring that Riley gave her aroundst spring, she made it into a ne and kept it. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wear it on your finger?¡± Even though it was an efficient ring that helped the person wearing it to umte mana by themself, she was using it as a ne without wearing it on her finger. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Nainiae mumbled, burying her chin in her scarf and shrugged her shoulders as if she were Riley. ¡°Wear it. Don¡¯t hang it on your neck.¡± Riley gave her a new ring, wondering if she didn¡¯t like the design, because it bothered him if she wore it on her neck and not on her finger. ¡°I asked Heliona, and she said this shape was your taste.¡± Riley, who pointed to two thin rings with only silver without any decoration or pattern, added that she should use them well, and turned around. ¡°The shape of the ring is not the problem.¡± Nainiae, who looked at the rings on her hands, bit her lips, moved the rings to her right hand, and then stretched her empty left hand forward and pulled Riley¡¯s sleeve. ¡°¡­young master.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± After delivering the three gifts, Riley, who was going back to where the group were gathered, turned his head slightly. ¡°The reason I hung the ring from young master¡­ I was wondering if I dared to wear it. I¡­ I am¡­¡± Nainiae, who pulled Riley¡¯s sleeve with only her thumb and forefinger, lowered her head, biting her lips firmly. More than half of her face was buried in the scarf, glowing red as if it was spewing out steam. ¡°Two rings given by you, there were¡­ two.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I heard that two are one set.¡± Unlike Astroa¡¯s ring, which had only one, the ring that Riley gave to Nainiae this time was a set of two, so it wouldn¡¯t work unless two were worn. ¡°Excuse me, then¡­¡± Nainiae carefully pushed her right fist on her chest toward Riley. ¡°The one is¡­ couldn¡¯t young master take it back?¡± ¡°What?¡± At Nainiae¡¯s request to take one back, Riley looked at her, frowning as if saying what she was talking about. ¡°¡­¡± With her face lit red, Nainiae was waiting for Riley¡¯s answer without daring to look up. ¡°This ring, two are one set, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t wear one, it won¡¯t work unless you wear it at the same time, so if you wear one, it¡¯s usually half¡­¡± The ring Riley gave was not ¡®two people each one¡¯, but ¡®the ring that only worked when one person wore two¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley, who was trying to ask why she tried to return one of the rings to him, stopped speaking halfway, looking at Nainiae¡¯s fingers holding onto his sleeve. ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± said Nainiae with her head down. Riley epted one of the rings she gave back with an expression that he couldn¡¯t help it. ¡°As you wish.¡± Nainiae¡¯s fingers, which were holding onto his sleeve, were trembling lightly, very lightly as if they were representing her feelings. ¡°You are here?¡± When Riley and Nainiae, who had disappeared for a while, returned to their seats, the corners of the group¡¯s eyes that looked at them narrowed. ¡°What the hell have you been doing?¡± ¡°Why does it have a strange atmosphere?¡± When Nara and Sera asked what happened, squeezed their eyebrows, Nainiae avoided answering by covering half of her face with her white scarf as if she were possessed. ¡°Well, I just gave her the gift in the same way.¡± Unknowingly, Riley, who was flushing, looked at the two as if he was nervous, then approached Abyss. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± When Riley looked back at the group he had brought and replied that the preparations were over, Andal, who was venting his anger nearby, stepped forward and asked. ¡°Are we going now?¡± ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going now.¡± As one of the seven parts Riley decided, Andal, whoined that he had waited for a long time, screamed ¡°Finally!¡± and clenched his fist. ¡°Then, whoever¡¯s going to go, gather around me.¡± As Abyss beckoned toe closer to the group, he approached them with frequent steps from Nainiae, who was shy, to Sera, who was sneaky, andughing. ¡°The seven parts, including Riley¡­ soon will go to ¡®that world¡¯. Are you ready?¡± When Abyss asked, the whole group nodded. ¡°Good.¡± Abyss, who closed his eyes as if satisfied, spoke with a purple energy around his body. ¡°All parts, close your eyes.¡± Most of them closed their eyes when Abyss said that, but Andal stared at Abyss with his arms folded as if suspicious. ¡°Lizard child. You should close your eyes too.¡± ¡°¡­ Anyway, I don¡¯t want to.¡± After confirming that grumpy Andal closed his eyes, Riley finally looked at the faces of those who were going to go with him one by one and closed his eyes after them. ¡°¡­when you open your eyes again, before your eyes.¡± After saying that, Abyss stopped talking. ¡°¡­¡± Riley carefully opened his closed eyes. ¡°¡­did you call her by any chance?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m screwed! I¡¯m going to miss the subway!¡± ¡°The other time, I couldn¡¯t drink the coke because it ran out of steam.¡± After Abyss stopped talking, what they heard was the voices of people they had never heard before. ¡°I¡¯m back¡­ I¡¯m here¡­¡± Riley, who opened his eyes, discovered tall buildings and people wearing unusual attire that felt somewhat alien. ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± ¡°¡­here, what the hell?¡± Riley, who was looking around the high-rise building, turned to the familiar voiceing from next to him. ¡°Hmm?¡± There were two people. ¡°Th, that¡­ Is that a castle?¡± ¡°This ground¡­ what else is this?¡± Even though they only closed and opened their eyes, the world had changed, and the two people who couldn¡¯t hide their confusion continued to mutter something. ¡°Wait.¡± Riley frowned at the two. ¡°Where¡¯s the rest?¡± Chapter 209. The Beyond (1)

Chapter 209. The Beyond (1)

¡®Wear it. Don¡¯t just hang it on your neck.¡¯ The words Riley said, yed in her head again and again. After many times, Nainiae closed her eyes when she heard Abyss told them to close their eyes now. ¡®If we go over¡­ if we go over¡­ more than before, more than now, for young master¡­¡¯ Nainiae held the silver ring she received from Riley in her hand and listened to Abyss with her eyes closed. ¡°¡­when you open your eyes again, before your eyes.¡± Nainiae felt some special energy, which couldn¡¯t be said to be mana, was spreading widely from Abyss. When she couldn¡¯t hear his voice anymore, she opened her closed eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about the game room after school today?¡± ¡°Hey, Cole!¡± ¡°Just trust me and follow me. I¡¯ll win everything.¡± ¡°Again, I lost to Heo Eon-byeong again. That one.¡± The scenery, which seemed to bepletely reversed despite just closing and opening its eyes, boasted a different atmosphere as if it was a dream. Here¡­ As Nainiae was absentmindedly checking her surroundings, voices were heard stuttering beside her as if they were perplexed. ¡°Th, this, what the hell¡­¡± ¡°Are¡­ are we here?¡± Two voices were heard. One belonged to an old man and the other belonged to a girl. ¡°Mr. Ian, Ms. Priesia.¡± ¡°Ah, Nainiae.¡± ¡°We, we are here, right?¡± When she was asked if it¡¯s true that they came to the ¡®world where Riley lived¡¯, Nainiae scanned her surroundings and the people here then nodded. ¡°Yes, maybe¡­ it¡¯s the same as the scenery I remember.¡± After confirming that the scenery was the same as those of Riley¡¯s previous life, Nainiae suddenly tilted her head with a question mark on her face. ¡°What about the others?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Ian, who looked nkly at the scenery, also began to look around with a question mark like her. ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± As Priesia saw only two familiar faces, her lips began to tremble as if in a panic. ¡°Why¡­ are there only three of us?¡± Riley and Abyss¡­ and seven parts. Until she closed her eyes, nine people were standing around, but when she opened her eyes again, for some reason she could only see two people. ¡°Somehow¡­ it seems to be scattered.¡± Without any dy, Nainiae gave strength to her right eye. She began to use her ability to look for Riley and the rest of the group that Priesia thought of. ¡°¡­ugh!¡± Only the approximate location was confirmed. Nainiae, who wasn¡¯t able to confirm in detail, frowned in pain in her right eye. Priesia approached her and used her divine power. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I am okay.¡± When Nainiae replied that she was okay and pushed Priesia away, the people passing by around them began to mumble. ¡°Hey, look over there.¡± ¡°Are they capable people?¡± [Note: Capable person = A person who has the ability or skill to do something. A talented person.] ¡°Why are they dressed up like that?¡± Nainiae, who was holding her right eye, looked at Priesia and Ian¡¯s clothes as the people looked at them and gossiped about whether they were ¡®capable people¡¯. These clothes¡­ It might stand out. This was because people wearing clothes called suits or school uniforms were gossiping at them. ¡°Why do people look a little bit¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s like they¡¯re looking at a suspicious person¡­¡± Priesia and Ian also noticed something strange and looked at Nainiae with signs of uneasiness and gave her a look, asking what to do. ¡°Maybe¡­ it¡¯s probably because of the clothes.¡± ¡°Clothes?¡± ¡°Why are our clothes¡­¡± Priesia, who tried to ask if there was anything unusual, noticed that the clothes of those who looked at them were very foreign, and opened her mouth nkly. ¡°This ce, it¡¯s different from where we lived.¡± When the pain she felt around her eyes had improved to some extent, Nainiae exhaled lightly and began to look around. ¡°Is there anybody who wears such clothes these days?¡± ¡°A maid, a butler, a nun?¡± ¡°Wow, look at the two faces over there¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they capable of charming people?¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯ll be tempted.¡± Nainiae, who decided to get out of here for now, moved her mana when she found a particrly familiar building among the buildings around her. ¡°We¡¯re going to move.¡± As Nainiae swung her right hand, the ground shed from beneath the feet of the three! Blue light emanated at once. ¡°¡­oh?¡± ¡°What? They¡¯re gone!¡± ¡°Ah, what a pity. I should have taken a picture of those faces¡­ If I posted it online, it would have been a huge hit.¡± ¡°Looking at that movement, I guess they weren¡¯t charming people?¡± As the blue light that had emanated from the feet of the three disappeared as well as themself, the people who were looking at the Nainiae¡¯s group, stopped for a while and scattered again. Among the scattered crowds, to be precise, on the ground where the crowds were walking¡­ Several opaque heads with horns popped out, talking about the three people they had just seen. ***** ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Exin what happened.¡± ¡°Hey, Mr. Andal¡­? First thing first, calm down¡­¡± ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m going to calm down!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Abyss, Andal, and Iril, who had passed into the world where Riley lived in his previous life, were talking in a deserted alley. ¡°I was told to close my eyes so I closed it, and what is this?!¡± At the appearance of Andal screaming with fire breathed from his mouth, Iril, who was afraid of dragons, tightly closed her lips as if glue was applied. ¡°Even if we are scattered, why am I with these two¡­¡± At Abyss¡¯s exnation that they seemed to be scattered, Iril stared at Abyss and Andal alternately, her mouth trembling. One is a demon king and one is a dragon¡­ Even though she was just still silent, she felt suffocated by the atmosphere of the two opposites. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Now that we are scattered, there will be nothing good for us to move hastily. If something is going on, it will be faster for us to go there.¡± As Abyss mumbled casually with his arms folded, Andal twitched his eyebrows and grabbed Abyss by the cor. ¡°Hah?¡± ¡°All the seven parts Riley brought, the spec¡­ no, physicallypetent. Couldn¡¯t it be that you just didn¡¯t hear me?¡± ¡°Hahhh?!¡± ¡°If you heard it for sure, have you not noticed what I was talking about? Hmm, I couldn¡¯t say any easier than this.¡± At Abyss¡¯s heart-scratching words, Andal fluttered his hair, starting to spew his mana. ¡°If something is going on, we can go there? Ha! You¡¯re being ridiculous! We¡¯ll be the first one to make a fuss! You know why? If this body¡¯s going to crush this ce, then¡­ surely?!¡± Andal, who had been grinding his teeth while talking, suddenly stopped¡­ Iril, who was watching the two, trembled. ¡°¡­you must be sleepy.¡± While being angry like fire, Andal copsed¡­ Iril was trembling while looking at Abyss with a gulp. ¡°He looks tired, so I need to keep his eyes closed.¡± Abyss, who looked at the fainted Andal while leaning against the wall of the alley, turned to the stone-stiffened Iril and asked, ¡°Do you want to keep your eyes close too?¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± Iril hurriedly shook her head as if she was refusing to do so. Abyss shrugged and sat next to the fainted Andal. ¡°It seems like the problem was that we spent too much energy before we came over. Because you guys are quite¡­ good at warming up.¡± As Abyss nced at Iril, who had been stiffened, she approached him carefully as if she was still wary of him and asked, ¡°Everyone really¡­ scattered?¡± Abyss nodded at Iril¡¯s question, staring at his palm and muttering. ¡°All nine people, That¡¯s for sure. I guarantee it.¡± The problem was¡­ how many, how, and where the nine people who came here were scattered. ¡°Then¡­ the problem is how to find them.¡± When Iril, who had very little knowledge of the world here, muttered with a perplexed expression, Abyss replied with a bloody smile. ¡°It¡¯s not as wide as the world you live in, so we won¡¯t have to wait so long. In case we jointer, it would be more efficient to move around.¡± ¡°Efficient?¡± ¡°Yeah, efficient.¡± Abyss, who thought that she had somehow been relieved, picked up a small stone rolling on the ground. ¡°In the first ce, there was a lot ofnd like the world you lived in, but most of thend has sunk under the sea, so now¡­¡± Abyss, who drew a white line on the brick road with stones, continued to exin, drawing a rough map of the world where they were now. ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± ¡°Can youpare it to where we lived?¡± Perhaps it was out of curiosity, Iril, who had put her fear aside for a while, looked at the map Abyss drew on the brick road and asked. Abyss shrugged and drew another map. ¡°This is where you lived.¡± Iril, who wasparing the map of Solia, Rainfield, Ansirium, etc with the map on the other side, nodded as if she knew clearly. ¡°It¡¯s very small byparison.¡± ¡°Because it¡¯s narrow, so be careful. It means that there is a high probability that our existence will be discovered by the other person.¡± Abyss, who drew a solid line on the map of this world, pointed to the part where he just made the solid line. ¡°Here¡­ these ces, you should be especially careful.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Iril tilted her head as if she wasn¡¯t sure what he meant. ¡°Below the ground where this solid line is drawn is where the ¡®demons¡¯ described previously exist.¡± ¡°Demon? Like you?¡± ¡°My name is Abyss, so call it that way.¡± ¡°Ah, yes¡­¡± Abyss, who corrected the name that Iril called him, put down the stone he had in his hand and leaned his back against the wall of the alley. ¡°First, we need to know when it is now.¡± ¡°When¡­ is it?¡± ¡°Is this before or after Riley and I died¡­ You have to know it first and move. That way, you can move efficiently without stumbling.¡± Then, when fainting Andal leaned his head on his shoulder, Abyss continued with a bloody smile. ¡°Riley should be checking it out by now.¡± The ultimate goal here was the saint named Helena, so moving without being noticed¡­ would create a favorable situation for Riley and seven parts. ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Abyss smirked and opened his mouth again as Iril, with her fist under her lips, rolling her head. ¡°You don¡¯t have to roll your head to understand the situation right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Abyss, who didn¡¯t change his smiling face even though she asked himself ¡®why?¡¯, answered with a kind face. [Note: Iril asked ¡®why?¡¯ informally, not formally as usual.] ¡°Because you are the type that moves directly and learns through experience.¡± ¡°Abyss¡­¡± Iril, who stared nkly at Abyss¡¯s smiling face, praised him with a smile on her lips. ¡°You¡¯re a pretty good person¡­ (yo.)¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay to befortable. It would be morefortable if you could talk informally.¡± When Abyss said it was okay to befortable, Iril nodded with a bashful smile. ¡°¡­okay!¡± ¡°But, it would be better to be respectful to the dragon child. He¡¯s a pretty strong guy with pride and stubbornness.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ Mm¡­¡± Iril reluctantly nodded to the fainted and rtively gentle Andal. Abyss then added something he had almost forgotten. ¡°The reason why I knocked this child before he went violently was also this induction to avoid the demons, to move efficiently, but¡­ there is one more reason.¡± ¡°More?¡± ¡°Since there are seven, not six, we have to make good use of the hidden card.¡± ¡°Hidden¡­ card?¡± Chapter 210. The Beyond (2)

Chapter 210. The Beyond (2)

When¡­ Where¡­ ¡­I see. Riley now¡­ After checking the location and time of this world, he¡¯s just staring straight ahead nkly. I¡¯ve already¡­ died, huh? After all the efforts of the warrior, the Demon King fell. To the time where people believed that peace hade to the world lived¡­ Riley was back. ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°Is he not a foreigner? It looks like he was standing there nkly.¡± ¡°Seeing that he looks at the memorial stone nkly, I think it¡¯s right.¡± Passers-by were whispering, ncing at Riley, who was standing like a rock. Riley¡¯s atmosphere, who was standing and looking up at the ¡®memorial stone of a certain warrior,¡¯ was so usible that Sera and Nara were among the people who whispered about him. ¡°¡­young master.¡± ¡°Here¡­ is thest ce where young master fell in his previous life¡­¡± Sera and Nara, who were standing behind Riley and looking at the memorial stone of a certain warrior, looked sad as if their hearts were struck by an unknown emotion. ¡°What about young master?¡± Sera pulled her chin and asked Nara in a small voice. How does he feel? How does it feel to see his own tombstone? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not going to be a good feeling.¡± ¡°It is¡­ right?¡± She¡¯s whispering looking at Riley. She seemed to have no interest in the memorial stone¡­ Sera¡¯s lips opened nkly as she looked at the people passing by this ce like no big deal. ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly, Sera began to shed tears with her mouth open. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, Sera.¡± Nara was so sensitive and she thought he would cry like her, but instead, heforted Sera while looking at the memorial stone with a surprisingly calm expression. ¡°But, even though he saved the world¡­ there¡¯s no reward, and no one remembers¡­¡± Even though she only heard it in words, she struggled so much. She shed bloody tears like that. ¡°Young master¡­ young master is too¡­¡± No one knew. No one remembered. In honor of the warrior who would have reached the end alone, was only a single, scruffy tombstone that seemed to have not been managed for a long time. ¡°Huu, ugh¡­¡± It wouldn¡¯t have been that long because of the time difference. It must have been only about a year since the warrior fell to the ground with the Demon King¡­ people seemed to have forgotten it already. ¡°Huh? Is that person crying?¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look there.¡± As if there was no warrior from the beginning. Even the name of the tombstone was ¡®the memorial stone of a certain warrior¡¯. ¡°¡­he has us.¡± Nara nced at the weeping Sera then looked at the memorial stone again and said, We know. ¡°We¡¯ll know. We¡¯ll remember it.¡± If Riley could be satisfied with it, he wouldn¡¯t be there forever even if he died¡­ Nara, who was muttering inside, frowned slightly as he looked at the memorial stone. Hmm? It was because someone was approaching the memorial stone. A little girl? A little girl walked toward the memorial stone and Nara frowned at the bouquet the child was holding in her arms. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s bad. The bouquet held diagonally by the child was quiterge and colorful andpletely covered one side of her thin shoulders, but most of them were flowers that were dusty or in poor condition. Where¡­ such flowers¡­ Nara, staring at the bouquet the child was holding nkly, quietly rolled his eyes and began to look around the surrounding scenery. There was no nature here. All he saw was ck or gray, and he didn¡¯t even see green grass or a single brown tree¡­ It was colorful, but it was right to say that it was dreary because it was not fresh. ¡°¡­mister.¡± The little child nodded. She bowed and muttered the word ¡®Mister¡¯ nkly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was difficult to find flowers.¡± As if she boasted that it was a bouquet made by herself, the child quietly put the bouquet in front of the memorial stone and stepped back. ¡°¡­¡± Riley¡¯s mouth opened as he stared at the child nkly. This child¡­ It was that child. ¡®Save my friends before Helena¡¯, it was this child who asked him to save the children who had be monsters by Helena¡¯s twist. Ha, you¡¯ve grown a lot. Riley smiled bitterly, recalling the moment when he couldn¡¯t save them and ended their lives with salvation. You grew up¡­ a lot. The child was still young, but she was much taller than when Riley met her in his previous life. ¡°Someone still¡­¡± Sera spoke softly while wiping her tears away from her cheeks. ¡°¡­remembered him.¡± Sera and Nara didn¡¯t know the rtionship between the child and Riley, who was just standing still with a proud look. ¡°Ah?!¡± Sera and Nara, who were standing still and watching the child, clenched their fists at what happened in a sh. Rustle. The bouquet made a sound. It fell on the side by the foot of a passerby passing by in front of the memorial stone. ¡°Hmm? Aishh, what is it? Dirty¡­¡± Maybe he thought the petals on his shoes or his pants were dirty, so the passerby shook off his leg, trying to take it off¡­ Tendon popped out on Nara¡¯s forehead as he¡¯s watching the scene. ¡°How dare you, B*st*rd!¡± ¡°M, Mr. Nara! No!¡± Sera barely stopped Nara from running toward the memorial stone. She shook her head saying, ¡°Not now.¡± ¡°The bouquet¡­¡± The bouquet fell on the ground and became disorganized. The child began to reorganize the bouquet while lying her face down on the ground. ¡°Tch, are you a beggar?¡± One by one, the child picked up the petals that fell on the ground. The passerby, who had just walked, put his hand into his pocket and took out his wallet. ¡°There.¡± Several bills fell on the back of the child¡¯s hand, who had been collecting petals from the ground. ¡°Take this and get lost. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you.¡± Perhaps he became more brazen after spraying the bills, the passerby hurried his steps and stepped on the petals that the child hadn¡¯t yet picked up. ¡°Th, that¡¯s fryer B*st*rd!¡± Perhaps picking up flowers that were hard to see here, seeing her dirty hand to make that bouquet¡­ The passerby seemed to have misunderstood the child as a beggar. ¡°Sera, don¡¯t stop me! I just want that spoiled b*st*rd!¡± Nara, who was trying to tell Sera, who was hugging his arm, looked to the side and noticed that something was missing. ¡°¡­Sera?¡± Sera wasn¡¯t standing there. ¡­smack!! A light sound came into Nara¡¯s ears while he¡¯s trying to search for her. ¡°Wh, what?!¡± The passerby touched his cheek as if perplexed, looked at Sera who suddenly appeared in front of him, and made an unfair look as if asking why she was doing this. ¡°What are you, huh!¡± The passerby, who changed his look to an angry look, began shouting at Sera. ¡°What? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I guess she pped him on the cheek.¡± ¡°Cheek?¡± Someone said that watching a fight was the most fun in the world. People, who were passing by near the memorial stone, began to gather one by one at the passerby¡¯s shout. ¡°Apologize.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°To the child, apologize.¡± Thanks to Riley¡¯s help, Sera wasn¡¯t wearing a maid or butler¡¯s uniform. Sera, who was wearing a dress that wasn¡¯t very different from the people here, told him to apologize for kicking the child¡¯s bouquet just now. ¡°What, what are you saying?¡± Her words didn¡¯t reach the passerby. It was because the passerby didn¡¯t understand her words. ¡°A foreigner? I¡¯m going crazy, really!¡± Sera also didn¡¯t know what the passerby was saying, but she could guess roughly what the situation was like by the passerby¡¯s facial expressions, behavior, and atmosphere. ¡°Who? Is there anyone who can talk to foreigners?¡± When the man asked other people who were looking at them, the people quietly avoided their gaze or began to rush their way. ¡°Oh my God, it wouldn¡¯t make sense, but all of a sudden¡­ young, young master! What should we do?¡± At some point, Sera, who was standing in front of the passerby, looked at where Riley was standing in a hurry, wondering what she should do with Nara about this, but¡­ Riley wasn¡¯t there. ¡°¡­young master?¡± The child, who had no idea what to do with the passerby and Sera¡¯s snowball fight, turned and looked nk when she found someone sitting with his knees bent. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Someone in a hoodie, sitting with his knees bent over, was picking up the petals that had just fallen on the ground like the child. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± It was Riley. He hid his face with the hoodie on his coat. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Th, thank you.¡± Following Riley, she began picking up the petals. While Sera, who had a snowball fight with the passerby, nced back and her shoulder shook. Young master¡­ At Riley¡¯s appearance, silently picking up the petals that fell on the ground and filling them back into the bouquet, not only Sera but also the passerby, who was having a snowball fight with her, looked dazed. ¡°¡­huh?¡± Soon after, Riley picked up the bouquet and returned it to the child. The girl¡¯s eyes widened again when she received the bouquet. ¡°The bouquet¡­?¡± The dusty bouquet, kicked by the passerby and messed up¡­ had changed as pretty as new, as if someone had rewound time. ¡°What, what on earth?¡± The passerby rolled his eyes in a strange atmosphere. To secretly leave the ce, he began to sneak back away with an unknown resentment. ¡°So unlucky, really¡­¡± Then he stiffly turned around and tried to escape from the memorial stone. As soon as he turned around, he ran into Riley, who was hiding his face by pressing down on his hoodie. Wh, what? When? Until just now, he was handing the bouquet to the child in front of the memorial stone. How did he move so quickly? The passerby swallowed a gulp. ¡°Are, are you capable? You?¡± Rileyughed a little at the passerby¡¯s question and showed him what he had in his hand. What Riley showed to the passerby were several bills that the passerby had just handed over to the girl. ¡°You left this behind.¡± When a familiarnguage was heard from Riley, the passers-by began to pour out words with a relieved look. ¡°Ah! It, it makes a little sense! Hey! That girl, she is with you, right? You were staring at the memorial stone together before! Tell me! Why did she p me on the cheek¡­¡± The passerby, who appealed by tapping his cheek in unfairness, suddenly looked at Riley in a cold sweat as his mouth hardened like a stone. ¡°Take what you¡¯ve left behind, and get lost¡­¡± Riley, who was whispering small enough to be heard only by the passerby, returned the bills in his hand, squeezing it into the passerby¡¯s chest. The passerby began to tremble as he stepped back in a reaction. Wh, what? What! The passerby couldn¡¯t see his face inside the hood directly. He, who could only look at the nces beyond it, trembled in fear and ran away hurriedly. ¡°¡­¡± Sera, who was looking at the fleeing passerby, threw her gaze at Riley¡¯s back, then approached the child and asked. ¡°Are you okay? No injuries?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The child couldn¡¯t understand what Sera said. She just stepped back as if wondering what she was talking about. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s, I mean¡­¡± When Sera realized that she couldn¡¯tmunicate and struggled with a troubled look, Riley approached the child and talked to her. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for making a fuss.¡± Facing Riley again, whose face was hard to see because of the shadow, the little girl stared at him and asked. ¡°You guys, who are you?¡± ¡°Ah, we¡­¡± To the child¡¯s question, Riley replied a beatte. ¡°¡­ came here traveling for a while.¡± ¡°Travel¡­ing?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Riley sat down again with his knees bent and adjusted his eyes to the level of the child. ¡°So, by the way, do you happen to know a ce like a lodging that could amodate several people?¡± At the same time as the eye level was set, the child, who was staring deeply at Riley¡¯s face, which was shadowed by the hood, answered Riley¡¯s question with a question. ¡°¡­mister?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°At that time¡­ that¡¯s mister right?¡± Chapter 211 - Weird Capable People (1)

Chapter 211 - Weird Capable People (1)

*** The man was having a hard time. The reason was tardiness. ¡°No, I mean! I saw some weird capable people, you see.¡± As the man exined why he waste, the boss sitting across from him sighed and pressed his forehead as if he was tired. ¡°¡­haa.¡± ¡°They looked like foreigners, but there was something strange about them¡­¡± ¡°No, you¡­ If you want to make an excuse for beingte, you have toe up with a better excuse.¡± Seeing the gibberish and the appearance of his subordinate holding his flushed cheeks, the boss, who was sitting at the top of the table, sighed again after judging that he waste because of women¡¯s issues. ¡°Whether it¡¯s women¡¯s issues or capable issues! You¡¯rete, you¡¯re stillte¡­ because you¡¯rete, write me a written apology.¡± ¡°Yes? Then¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let you off once this time. Write it down now.¡± Perhaps it was quite unfair, his subordinate¡¯s eyes appealed desperately for reconsideration¡­ But the boss only waved his palm coldly, as if to tell him to stop. ¡°¡­haa.¡± As his subordinate, who sighed, left his room, the boss, who was staring nkly at the documents on the desk, muttered quietly. ¡°Capable person¡­¡± Soon, the boss pulled out his cell phone and started calling somewhere. ***** At Riley¡¯s request for a ce to stay, Mi-rae, a young girl who brought a bouquet to the memorial, was guiding Riley, Sera, and Nara to her house. ¡°I thought mister was dead.¡± ¡°This and that happened.¡± Riley, who didn¡¯t tell the truth, was following her, exining only thatplicated circumstances were intertwined. ¡°Mister is alive¡­ I can¡¯t tell this to others, right?¡± When Mi-rae, who was walking at the forefront, asked the question, Riley, who was wearing a hood, nodded. ¡°If the dead were known to be alive, people would be confused¡­ I would be like that too.¡± Especially if Helena found out, he couldn¡¯t use the things like the ¡®surprise¡¯ and ¡®part¡¯ operation that he had already talked about with Abyss¡­ Now he had to hide his identity. ¡°By the way, you managed to recognize me.¡± ¡°The atmosphere was just like mister.¡± ¡°¡­yeah.¡± Given the timing of this ce, Riley, who cut her friends to salvation aroundst year, stopped trying to ask the question, ¡®Don¡¯t you hate me?¡¯ ¡°What a relief. Mister came back alive because you see, now the flowers to bring to the memorial were really running out.¡± Because if she hated him, she wouldn¡¯t have put that pretty bouquet on the memorial. ¡°I think there¡¯s a lot I¡¯d like to ask you about the situation here since then¡­ is it okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind, but¡­¡± Mi-rae, who nodded at Riley¡¯s question, looked back at Sera and Nara, who were walking behind her, and continued. ¡°Are they two good people?¡± ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re foreigners, so you won¡¯t understand their words, but they¡¯re good guys. I¡¯ll exin it to youter.¡± A foreigner, in other words, an outsider. At the time when the Demon King was in full swing, it was a word used to refer to people with differentnguages ??and cultures that they encountered in the process of merging cities that had been divided into several parts. ¡°Have you been out of town all this time?¡± ¡°Well, you can say that.¡± Meanwhile¡­ Sera and Nara, who were looking at Riley and Mi-rae, who were having a harmonious conversation, were tilting their heads because they had no idea what they were talking about. ¡°What are they talking about?¡± ¡°A depressing, serious story¡­ no, it doesn¡¯t seem to be?¡± Unlike Riley, the two felt awkward because they couldn¡¯tmunicate with Mi-rae. Instead of hearing the story, they began to focus on staring at Mi-rae. ¡°Maybe looking at her atmosphere, I guess?¡± ¡°She looks like to know young master, right?¡± Riley slowly turned his head and began to stare at Sera and Nara, who were talking about Mi-rae in whispers. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t whisper like that, I¡¯ll tell you everything in a little while, so just follow quietly.¡± Sera and Nara flinched at Riley¡¯s scolding and bowed their heads with a grin. ¡°Here it is. It will be inconvenient for several people to stay, but if you don¡¯t mind, you can stay.¡± With Sera and Nara bowing their heads, Mi-rae, who was looking back, said that they had arrived at her house and walked in quickly. A shabby atmosphere. The future house that caught their eyes was all crumbling. It was so old and bleak enough to call it a haunted house rather than a house. ¡°This is¡­ her house.¡± ¡°There were many castles before¡­ why¡­¡± Sera and Nara, who had been walking around looking at the apartments and buildings built on concrete, looked worried at the infinitely shabby future house. ¡°¡­¡± Most of the fences copsed and couldn¡¯t do their job, and the garden was littered with dirt and dark weeds. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± Riley, who was looking around the garden, had a simr feeling. He looked around with a worried expression and followed Mi-rae into the house. ¡°I¡¯m home!¡± Mi-rae shouted brightly, followed by Riley, Sera, and Nara behind her. ¡°Mom, we have guests!¡± The inside of the house was still well-organizedpared to the outside. So, even though it looked a little messy, it didn¡¯t give off an eerie atmosphere as seen from outside. ¡°Take off your shoes ande in.¡± Following Mi-rae who went inside first, Riley took off his shoes and went inside. While Nara and Sera, who were about to go inside with their shoes on, sweated profusely and took off their shoes. ¡°Is your mother here?¡± Although Mi-rae allowed them toe with her, he didn¡¯t really think of making this ce their hiding ce¡­ Riley went to Mi-rae¡¯s parents to express his gratitude for being willing to take care of them for a while. ¡°Oh, yes¡­ she is here.¡± After receiving Riley¡¯s question, Mi-rae seemed to hesitate for a moment and pulled the hem of his sleeve. ¡°Mister, wait¡­¡± Riley, who was being pulled by Mi-rae, gave Sera and Nara a nce to wait in the living room for a while and then took a step. Walking past the living room to the master bedroom, Riley entered the bedroom, where he could hear the sound of thin breathing. When he found a woman lying on the bed, he frowned. ¡°Your mother¡­ right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Riley found her mother in aa and carefully approached the bed. ¡°She hasn¡¯t been able to speak properly for the past few days. The boiling heat on her forehead doesn¡¯te down at all¡­ I¡¯m worried about her.¡± Mi-rae added that she had been working at a restaurant and was eventually fired because she couldn¡¯t get out for several days. ¡°Mister, my mom¡­ will she be okay?¡± In response to Mi-rae¡¯s question, Riley, who was looking at Mi-rae¡¯s mother lying on the bed, put his hand on her forehead and then quickly pulled it. It¡¯s not a high fever¡­ Riley put his hand on her forehead again and let out a small amount of mana, then said. ¡°It seems like she has a cold, but she¡¯ll be okay.¡± ¡°Really? Really¡­ Are you sure?¡± ¡°¡­yeah.¡± Riley, who once replied ¡®It¡¯ll be okay when I save your friends¡¯, bit his lips under his hood. Pouring mana into her was only a temporary measure. I need Priesia who can use divine power or Andal who is knowledgeable in medicine. After taking off his hand, Riley looked back at Mi-rae, who had a gloomy expression on her face as if worried. He patted her head with a look that said, ¡®For sure this time.¡¯ ***** ¡°¡­that¡¯s what happened.¡± In the living room of Mi-rae¡¯s house, with Sera and Nara sitting in front of him, Riley briefly exined his rtionship with Mi-rae and her situation. ¡°There was such a thing.¡± ¡°Hiks, Hiks! Huu¡­¡± ¡°Nara, stop crying. She¡¯s watching you.¡± After listening to Riley¡¯s story, Sera urged Nara to stop crying by tapping him with her elbow, as if she was embarrassed by him, who was dripping with tears and a runny nose next to her. ¡°Oh, right. The child¡­ Mi-rae was watching.¡± Mi-rae, who couldn¡¯t understand what Nara was saying, smiled slightly as if she realized that the crying Nara wasn¡¯t such a bad person. ¡°This is Nara, this is Sera. Even though you can¡¯t understand each other¡­ You can take it easy. If you do something with your gestures, they¡¯ll understand.¡± Hiding in the kitchen and peeping her face out, Mi-rae bowed her head and greeted them when Riley introduced the two of them toote. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Sera and Nara, who had no idea what Mi-rae was talking about, looked at Riley. Riley shrugged and interpreted what Mi-rae said. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Oh, well, same here!¡± ¡°Please tell her, nice to meet you too!¡± Sera and Nara waved to Mi-rae and asked Riley to interpret. ¡°Likewise.¡± When Riley interpreted their words, Mi-rae smiled as if they were interesting and disappeared into the kitchen. ¡°Then, what do we do next?¡± ¡°Are you sure we¡¯re staying here for now?¡± Riley nodded at Nara¡¯s question. Maybe because he was trained as a mercenary, to avoid any confusion, he was drawing a map. ¡°Yeah, for the time being, we¡¯ll stay here and wait for the news of the others¡­ Finding others would be a priority. Finding Helena in earnest is the next step.¡± Because it was Abyss¡¯s power, there wouldn¡¯t be a situation where some of the nine couldn¡¯t cross. Riley, who assumed that they were simply scattered, continued. ¡°Among them, the ones with the highest priority we need to find are Priesia or Andal. The next would be Abyss and Nainiae.¡± Sera tilted her head at Riley¡¯s words and asked, ¡°Is there any particr reason for the priorities?¡± Riley nodded and replied. ¡°Because I need Priesia or Andal to heal Mi-rae¡¯s mother. Things don¡¯t look¡­ very good.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡± ¡°The reason why the next is Abyss and Nainiae is different. In Abyss¡¯s case, the reason is that he can attract the ¡®demons¡¯ that remain here. In Nainiae¡¯s case, the reason is that she can use magic. It is easier to find others using her eyes.¡± Then, thinking about the possibility that the scattered party might be wandering around without being able to adapt to ¡®this world¡¯, Riley began to scratch his hair as if he had a headache. ¡°Thinking about someone like Ian and Iril are scattered alone¡­ It¡¯s terrible.¡± Sera and Nara¡¯s expressions crumpled at Riley¡¯s self-talk. ¡°That¡¯s really¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡± ¡°First of all, they couldn¡¯tmunicate.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t Iril cry?¡± ¡°Iril is okay because she¡¯s strong, but Mr. Ian probably¡­¡± ¡°If a person who doesn¡¯t understand thenguage and has no knowledge of this world¡­ There¡¯s Miss Priesia, too.¡± ¡°Ah, she might be really crying¡­¡± ***** In front of the memorial stone of a certain warrior. A girl with a red coat over her shoulders, a girl with a white beret, and an old gentleman with one-eyed sses¡­ were staring nkly at the memorial. ¡°Is here¡­ the ce?¡± ¡°Maybe, you are right.¡± ¡°¡­right.¡± Nainiae, the girl with a red coat, took a step closer to the memorial and bent her knees towards the bouquet lying on the ground. ¡°Young master, he¡¯s here.¡± Nainiae, who found mana¡¯s traces in the new bouquet, began to look around nkly. Forest of buildings. Busy passers-by. The noise of cars. Ian and Priesia, who were with Nainiae, finally realized it. The culture and scenery here were significantly different from the world they lived in. ¡°This ce¡­¡± They had crossed to the world of Riley¡¯s previous life, where he was active as a warrior. ¡°¡­there, the three people!!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nainiae and her group, who were standing in front of the memorial stone, slowly turned their heads at the sound of a voice next to them and looked at the men in suits approaching. ¡°We have received reports that a person with a foreign ability is using his or her ability without permission. Please confirm your identity.¡± When the man in the lead took out a business card from his pocket and showed it to them, saying he asked for identification, Nainiae, who was staring at the man, furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°Identification?¡± Chapter 212. Weird Capable People (2)

Chapter 212. Weird Capable People (2)

[Capability Management Office] [Lee Han-seong, Team Leader of the West District] Nainiae looked down and looked at the words on the business card. Then, she asked Lee Han-seong, the man in a suit. ¡°Used an ability? You mean here?¡± When Nainiae, who had her eyes widened, asked politely, Lee Han-seong, who had given her his business card, coughed once and said yes. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It was a few hours ago.¡± ¡°A few hours ago¡­¡± Much more beautiful than the ideal type he had always imagined, Lee Han-seong blushed and couldn¡¯t find a ce to put his eyes on the girl who was more beautiful than a statue. ¡°¡­what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Gasp.¡± Then, as Priesia and Ian, who were standing behind Nainiae, approached, Lee Han-seong averted his eyes. ¡°Gasp!¡± Not one, but two¡­ It was because another beautiful woman with wide eyes appeared. ¡°Ah, Miss Priesia.¡± Priesia and Ian, who could understand what Lee Han-seong was saying thanks to Nainiae¡¯s ¡®interpretation¡¯ magic in advance, spoke out with innocent looks. ¡°We never used our ability.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not even capable in the first ce.¡± At the words of the two, Lee Han-seong, who put Ian aside and looked at Nainiae and Priesia alternately, gulped and said. ¡°You look suspicious enough of being capable.¡± Lee Han-seong, who had resisted the urge to ask for their phone number immediately, spected whether the two girls might be capable of charming people and continued. ¡°Anyway, you¡¯ll have to go with us. If you¡¯re foreigners, simple identification is required.¡± Half public and half private, Lee Han-seong gulped again and looked back. ¡°Take them.¡± When Lee Han-seong said he would take them to his office, Nainiae had her eyes widened, sighed briefly, and looked back. I¡¯ll take care of it. As if understood Nainiae¡¯s eyes, Priesia and Ian nodded their heads and took a step back. ¡°Ah, you two! Don¡¯t run away! Both of you will also be investigated¡­¡± Lee Han-seong¡¯s lips, who were about to shout, ¡®Where are you running away?¡¯, were closed again when he saw the two of them just took a step back. ¡°¡­?¡± Then, he felt like he had entered the ¡®maze of mirrors¡¯ that¡¯s often seen in amusement parks, where all sides are blocked by ss¡­ It was because he was overwhelmed without realizing it. What? Lee Han-seong looked around at his surroundings and realized that something was strange. He looked at Nainiae. ¡°¡­the barrier was set.¡± Didn¡¯t sure when she moved, but she told Lee Han-seong that she had set the ¡®barrier¡¯ with her right arm down which she had raised up, and started walking to him. ¡°Th, this¡­¡± There¡¯s no trace of the men standing behind him, the old gentleman and the girl with a beret standing opposite him, and anyone around the memorial, let alone the presence of a person. The panicked Lee Han-seong hurriedly took his hand to his waist. Don¡¯t tell me¡­ I didn¡¯t expect she would do something like this openly. Nearly distracted by Nainiae¡¯s beauty, he pulled out a pistol that he carried around his waist and aimed it at her. ¡°You there, you better stay put!¡± Lee Han-seong changed his speech into informal ones and warned her by twisting his eyebrows to a serious angle. ¡°If I don¡¯t stay put, are you going to shoot that gun?¡± Nainiae, who had received Riley¡¯s memories and knew everything about this world¡­ was well aware of the power of the pistol aimed at her and what would happen if she was hit. That pistol isn¡¯t an ordinary pistol. The purple people¡­ it must be a pistol that prevents those from using their abilities. Nainiae remembered one of several types of pistols in Riley¡¯s head and wiggled her lower left hand to use magic. ¡°I, warned you.¡± Lee Han-seong, who changed his speech again into formal ones, pulled the trigger towards Nainiae, who was walking towards him. Paang! As Nainiae guessed, the pistol that was aimed at her wasn¡¯t an ordinary pistol¡­ It emitted a blue me with a sound of a burst. ¡°¡­yes, I did warn you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He certainly fired it, and if she was shocked, whether she was capable or not, she wouldn¡¯t be able to open her mouth. But Nainiae, who walked up to Lee Han-seong, just mumbled as if nothing was wrong. Wh, what¡¯s going on? The bullet he had just fired stopped in front of Nainiae¡¯s face as if it was blocked by something. An opaque curtain. As if the curtain stopped the bullet that had been fired at Nainiae, the bullet was only ttened without hitting its target. As expected¡­ In a way, it was her first real fight since she came to this world. The existence of magic is not yet known in this world. Mana had been present here since the time she used the interpreting magic for Priesia and Ian. Nainiae, who had noticed that there¡¯s nothing wrong with using magic, narrowed her eyes slightly. Not only is it convenient to use, but there¡¯s no problem with using magic in real fights¡­ mana¡¯s sensitivity is not bad either. Nainiae, who blocked the bullet with her shield and ttened it with telekinesis, looked at Lee Han-seong¡¯s face and opened her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. In your memory and your men¡¯s, it will remain only as a walk.¡± Saying she wouldn¡¯t harm him, Nainiae pointed to Lee Han-seong¡¯s pistol, which was still smoking, with her left finger. Rattle. The smoke-breathing pistol made a rattling sound and froze in an instant. Lee Han-seong, who watched the entire process from ttening the bullet to freezing the pistol, gulped. ¡°As expected¡­ a capable person¡­¡± At the voice of Lee Han-seong who was muttering to himself that she was capable, Nainiae responded with a soft smile. ¡°No. We¡¯re not as capable as you think, but¡­ well, you might think we¡¯re in the opposite position.¡± Just like the ¡®purple people¡¯ Nainiae encountered in the other world, this time, they came to this world as Riley¡¯s ¡®part¡¯¡­ It wasn¡¯t unreasonable to put themselves in a different position. ¡°Opposite¡­ position?¡± ¡°We have a different way of doing things, so I don¡¯t want to be rted to them.¡± Unlike the purple parts that had no hesitation in killing people, they came to solve the problem with the least amount of violence, that¡¯s why Nainiae used magic to show that the six purple people and the seven themselves were clearly different. ¡°Then, excuse me.¡± Nainiae¡¯s memory maniption had begun to show its power, and Lee Han-seong¡¯s eyes began to glow nkly at some point. ***** In the living room of Mi-rae¡¯s house, while talking about the order of the parts that needed to be joined first, Riley¡¯s group looked back at Mi-rae who brought three cups on a tray. ¡°¡­umm, you can drink this while talking.¡± As Mi-rae put the tray down in front of the three, Riley looked at the three cups on the tray, then shifted his gaze to the drink that was served with it. ¡°This?¡± There was only one drink. ¡°Young master, what is this?¡± Served on the tray with the cups, Sera and Nara tilted their heads as if they didn¡¯t understand, looking at the can with something that looked like a button attached to it. ¡°We will drink. The drink.¡± Riley took the ¡®can¡¯ on the tray and pulled the opener that Sera and Nara thought was a button with his finger. Chig! When they heard the sound of steaming out, Sera and Nara, who were watching the process from the side, shook their shoulders. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s coke.¡± After opening the can and checking the color of the drink inside, Riley smiled and murmured. Sera and Nara, who shook their shoulders, asked what it was. ¡°Coke?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± To exin the drink called coke to the two who tilted their heads, Riley poured the drink from the can into a cup. Ttururu. As the ck liquid poured into the cup, it made a popping sound. Sera and Nara, who had seen it, opened their mouths with exmation marks on their faces. ¡°Ah! This!¡± ¡°ck sugar beer!¡± Their faces brightened as they saw the drink they used to see in their world in this world, ¡°Fortunately, the two seem to like it, too.¡± Mi-rae, who nced at Sera and Nara as they brightened, seemed to be smiling as if everything went well. She pursed her lips and bowed her head. ¡°I¡¯m d I prepared it in advance, something that mister liked.¡± Mirae nced at the cup of coke, and then nced at the rest of the empty cup, then she knelt down and started fidgeting. Riley raised a question mark wondering why Mi-rae acted like this, but soon he realized the reason and stopped his hand to bring the cup to his mouth. There¡¯s only one, huh? There were three cups on the tray, but only a can of Coke. ¡°When it became impossible to get a bouquet to the memorial, I was thinking of getting a coke that you like instead¡­ I had prepared for that day in advance¡­ but, that¡¯s the only one I have right now.¡± Mi-rae, who was fidgeting, looked at the cup Riley was holding in his hand and spoke carefully. ¡°Um, I¡¯m sorry to mister and the two next to you, but¡­ can¡¯t you share it and drink it together somehow? Giving a coke to one person and water to the other two is a little¡­ that¡¯s why.¡± At Mi-rae¡¯s request, Riley silently looked around her living room. Wasn¡¯t sure if it was a bluff about exuding an eerie atmosphere outside, but the view of the living room in Riley¡¯s eyes was more shabby than morous. Living room, one room, one bathroom. The furniture was shabby and no electronics were visible. Riley, who kept looking around in the atmosphere that perfectly suited the word ¡®poor house¡¯, narrowed his eyes when he found a red piggy bank lying alone in the corner of the living room. [Mi-rae¡¯s] On the small piggy bank, Mi-rae¡¯s name was written in small, straight letters. Its entrance was slightly opened, maybe because the inside was taken out. How can I drink it? This drink. Mi-rae was also gulping as she nced at the cup Riley was holding as if it had been a long time since she drank coke. ¡°¡­here.¡± Riley held out the cup he was holding to Mi-rae. Mi-rae blinked with a look on her face that was like asking him why he was giving it to her. ¡°Actually, my taste buds changed while I was away.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± As Mi-rae opened her mouth nkly, she tilted her head, not understanding what Nara, who was watching Riley¡¯s behavior, was doing. ¡°Young master, didn¡¯t you love brown sugar beer so much¡­ Eub.¡± Sera, who noticed the atmosphere, quickly shut Nara¡¯s mouth and smiled brightly toward Mi-rae. ¡°We¡¯re fine.¡± Her words were iprehensible, but Mi-rae, who was hesitating for a few seconds, realized that her smile contained the meaning of ¡®it¡¯s okay¡¯. So, she epted the cup Riley gave her. ¡°I can drink it in the future anyway. So, can you bring us water?¡± When Riley¡¯s permission fell, Mi-rae, who seemed to have been holding on until now, nodded with sparkling eyes. ¡°Yes!¡± Mi-rae smiled brightly and took the tray back to the kitchen. Sera, who was watching her back, sighed and lowered her hand that was covering Nara¡¯s mouth. ¡°Commander, how can you be tactless like Mr. Ian? It¡¯s good to idolize Mr. Ian, but you should be a little tactful.¡± Nara, who let out a heavy breath at Sera¡¯s scolding, acknowledged his fault and bowed his head. ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t understand what we¡¯re saying anyway, so I thought it would be okay, before I knew it¡­¡± Seeing Mi-rae¡¯s kindness, who tried to serve guests even in the midst of poverty, Nara, who had forgotten for a moment that she was younger than Iril, grumbled and tilted his head. ¡°¡­hmm? This?¡± In the corner of the living room, he found a gray piece of paper with a familiar shape. [Helena, the only Saintess in the city¡­ After taking the unrivaled first ce in the citizens¡¯ trust vote, she announced that she will take action in earnest from next year¡­] The gray paper, the newspaper, had the news of ¡®Helena¡¯, one of the reasons Riley came to this world. Chapter 213. Weird Capable People (3)

Chapter 213. Weird Capable People (3)

*** ¡°Give it to me for a second.¡± On behalf of Nara, who only tilted his head because he couldn¡¯t read the handwriting of this world, Riley took the newspaper he was holding and began to check its contents. ¡°It¡¯s her¡­¡± As Riley stared at the newspaper with his brows narrowed, Sera and Nara, leaning next to Riley, muttered as they looked at the woman in the newspaper who was smiling brightly and waving her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, this person?¡± ¡°Is this¡­ the saintess named Helena?¡± Seeing her smiling brightly amid the cheers of many people, Riley responded by returning the newspaper he was holding to Nara as if disgusted. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s right.¡± Sera and Nara swallowed their gulps at Riley¡¯s bloody expression and shut their mouths as if it would be better for them to remain silent for now. ¡°Nice fate.¡± In a ce she didn¡¯t know, she created a terrible situation that she didn¡¯t know¡­ After he died, she set up a memorial stone and was living a good life. Riley muttered, ¡°If I had known earlier that things were going this way, I would havee and caused a stir.¡± In Riley¡¯s mind, he wanted to show up right now and go after Helena, but it was clearly not a very efficient method. Even when I was still alive here, she was so meticulous that I didn¡¯t find out about her work. There must be dozens of ces where she dug holes to escape¡­ If I approach her haphazardly, there is a high chance I will miss her. The reason why the seven parts were brought here was also to hold her firmly and bury her past sins. I can¡¯t help but smile, thinking that this body has suffered. Riley recalled the words muttered by his now-friend Abyss beforeing over here. He clenched his palms and began to widen his senses. First of all, mana¡­ Find mana. Riley began to look for mana that was being used or absorbed by someone, not the mana that just existed there like nature. He focused his consciousness with his eyes closed. I may not be as good as Abyss, but I can easily find them if they use the same amount of mana as Andal or Nainiae. Riley, a warrior who had yed an active role here in his previous life, recalled that the people here weren¡¯t yet able to use mana. And so, he looked for traces of mana that Andal or Nainiae might have used. It¡¯s been a while since I got here¡­ Whether it¡¯s Andal or Nainiae, someone must have at least used interpreting magic. On the other hand, he was concerned about the parts that had been scattered without knowledge of this world, but first of all, he had to find the parts that could use magic. Come to think of it, being able to use magic is a huge advantage in this world. Not only quick interpretation but also telekinesis, search, stealth, etc¡­ It can be used in many ways. A single gesture would suffice to light a fire, no matter how far away, one teleportation would get you to your desired destination, and if there was information you wanted, it would be solved in an instant by using the magic of the memory system. ¡°¡­found it.¡± As Mi-rae returned to the living room from the kitchen with three sses of water on the tray, Riley opened his eyes and muttered. ***** ¡°¡­is it done?¡± When Ian entered the barrier and asked, Nainiae, who had her hand on Lee Han-seong¡¯s head, turned her head slightly and answered. ¡°Yes.¡± When Nainiae released her hand from Lee Han-seong¡¯s head, he fell backward like a doll with a broken thread and started snoring. ¡°Drool.¡± ¡°I think they are the people who stopped the ¡®purple people¡¯ in this world frommitting crimes.¡± Nainiae continued with a serious look, exining who the men in suits were. ¡°These people we encounter are simply doing what they¡¯re supposed to do, but the people they¡¯re serving¡­ It seems clear that there is something hidden in the top line.¡± ¡°Something hidden?¡± Nainiae nodded and told them the information she got from the man¡¯s memories. ¡°The area near young master¡¯s memorial stone was being watched. Long¡­ before we came over here.¡± At Nainiae¡¯s story, Ian and Priesia frowned and tilted their heads. ¡°The area near the memorial stone was being watched?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that in detail, but¡­¡± Nainiae knelt on one knee for a moment to forge their traces, and set up a fewplicated magic circles on the ground, then got up. ¡°For now, while erasing our traces, I will set a trap to identify those who are looking for us.¡± Nainiae even broke the surveince camera that was filming the memorial from the outside of the barrier by shaking her wrist lightly. Finally, she checked the magic circle she had installed and prepared for teleportation. ¡°Are we going right away?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t appear outside the barrier right now.¡± To exin where they¡¯re teleporting right now, Nainiae added. ¡°I looked through this man¡¯s memories, it seems that there are parts that have visited young master¡¯s memorial before us.¡± In Lee Han-seong¡¯s memory, the video of the surveince camera he saw before they came here showed three people guarding a girl holding a bouquet. ¡°That¡¯s good news.¡± ¡°Who were them?¡± Ian nodded, and Priesia asked who the three were. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The problem was that the image quality of the video the man saw was blurry. It was also difficult to determine because the group, who had arrived in front of the memorial before them, changed their clothes to blend in with the crowd. ¡°Based on the atmosphere, I think Miss Sera was there.¡± There were four women in the group who came over here¡­ The woman she saw in the video was not short, so Iril was automatically excluded. Nainiae and Priesia were here, so there was a high probability that the woman who appeared in the video would be Sera. ¡°I think there were two other people, but I don¡¯t know about the other two.¡± In the video, Nainiae noticed Sera¡¯s outfit had been changed and even realized that at least one among the two people next to her had knowledge of this world. If it¡¯s not young master, it must be Abyss. Or¡­ both. Nainiae, who thought she had gotten quite a lot of harvest from the memory of the man in a suit, used the teleport she had been preparing and nced at the barrier just before disappearing. ¡°For now, we will move.¡± In addition to what happened at the memorial, after the end of a certain warrior and the demon king¡­ Nainiae, who had been keeping information about what had happened in this world for a year, also disappeared with her group. ¡°¡­uh, hmm?¡± The barrier disappeared, and the hypnotic magic ran out of its effect. ¡°Wh, what?¡± As if waking up from a good night¡¯s sleep, Lee Han-seong stretched out and realized that he was in front of the memorial stone of a certain warrior when he opened his eyes. He had a nk look on his face. ¡°Why am I here?¡± Lee Han-seong rubbed his sleepy eyes and messed up his hair once as he didn¡¯t know what was going on, and grumbled. ¡°Well, I have to work overtime every day, so even if I get narcolepsy¡­ There¡¯s nothing strange about it.¡± ***** ¡°¡­we move.¡± Abyss, who seemed to kill time while leaning against the wall of the alley, turned his head slightly and muttered. ¡°Move? What?¡± Before they knew it, the awkwardness between them was reduced a lot. Iril, who was sitting next to him, tilted her head as he was saying something and asked. Abyss stood up and answered. ¡°One of the parts¡­ Either Riley or Nainiae used mana. Although the distance is quite far, we¡¯ll have to chase it anyway.¡± As Abyss rose from his seat and answered, Andal, who was sleeping drooling on his shoulder, floundered over the floor. ¡°Uh-huh, huh? What?!¡± Iril, who almost burst intoughter at Andal¡¯s startled look as he floundered over the floor, secretly turned her head and snuggled. ¡°You had enough hibernation, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Hibernation?¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s get going now.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When the person who was responsible for making him hibernate told them to move, Andal wiped the saliva dripping down his chin with his sleeve and looked at Iril as if something was suspicious. ¡°We, we have to move. Abyss¡­¡± ¡°Abyss?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since when did you two start talking casually?¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± As Iril blurred out the end of her words and avoided Andal¡¯s eyes, Abyss took a step forward and answered instead. ¡°We became close while you were hibernating. We can discuss thatter. The first thing we need to do is move quickly.¡± Perhaps he didn¡¯t like the way Abyss spoke in amanding tone to him, Andal began to grind his teeth with a tendon protruding from his forehead. ¡°D*mn demon king¡­ I give orders! Do you understand?¡± ¡°From here to the north, I sensed mana¡¯s flow about 15 minutes away. We have to go there.¡±. ¡°Hmm?¡± Andal, who was swearing at Abyss¡¯s words, also seemed to have grasped the situation. He turned his head to where he was pointing and concentrated his consciousness. ¡°¡­that¡¯s true.¡± Andal, who closed his eyes and sensed the traces of mana used there in more detail, murmured as if he had guessed who used mana there. ¡°It¡¯s not Riley, it¡¯s Nainiae.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go there at once, can you do that?¡± When Abyss asked him a question as if teasingly, Andal replied with a snorting. ¡°Heh! Who do you think I am?¡± Andal, who shrugged as if he could move right now, added that he was ready to teleport straight there right away. Abyss nodded in awe and said one more thing. ¡°Since we need to avoid confusion, I think we better move with the invisibility magic on.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why, who do you think I am?¡± Andal, who once again asked who he thought he was, flicked his fingers as if he had already prepared for that. Then their bodies including himself had changed to translucent. ¡°Good, excellent.¡± ¡°¡­hmph.¡± Andal put a lot of strength on his shoulders as if it was okay to praise him a little more, and Iril, who was looking at the two in turn, hurriedly turned her head and held back herughter. I feel like I was afraid for nothing. Recalling Inaril¡¯s words, Iril acknowledged her lesson: ¡®The scariest thing maybe people.¡¯ Devil and dragon. They¡¯re much more honest than humans. They acted in the direction they thought their feelings were right without any other feelings¡­ It turned out they weren¡¯t as terrifying as Iril thought. Like the power these two show, they¡¯re still a little scary, though. Still, if they were on her side, she thought there would be nothing more reassuring. ¡°Iril, are you ready?¡± Abyss looked at Iril, who was still sitting, and reached out to her. She stopped holding back herughter and grabbed his hand. ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Anyway, if we teleport over there.¡± Abyss, who lifted Iril, spoke to her. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of work you have to do.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Andal used teleportation and blue light began to emanate from the feet of the three of them. ¡°Work I have to do?¡± Iril asked back while teleporting and Abyss nodded and replied. ¡°You¡¯ll be in charge of the hidden card in the seven parts.¡± Chapter 214. Weird Capable People (4)

Chapter 214. Weird Capable People (4)

*** Riley, who noticed that someone had used mana from the direction of the memorial, was heading back there to join the part who used it. ¡°Young master, is it okay if we leavemander behind?¡± Because Mi-rae decided to not leave her mother, who was sick, Riley, who was worried to leave her alone, chose Sera to apany him, who had a good sense, when he had to decide either Nara or Sera to stay at Mi-rae¡¯s house. ¡°He doesn¡¯t understand thenguage¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better for me andmander to go, and young master stays with Miss Mi-rae¡­¡± When Sera asked as she was worried about Nara, who was as tactless as Ian, Riley, who had been moving toward the memorial, turned to her. ¡°What do you sense?¡± ¡°Ummm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look anxious, just judge with ¡®your sense¡¯.¡± When Sera, who frowned at Riley¡¯s words, was troubled, Riley continued to help her make a choice. ¡°Is it right or wrong to leave Nara there? Don¡¯t try to judge with your head, judge with your sense.¡± Because he believed in her ¡®sense¡¯ that he had kept an eye on beforeing to this world, Riley chose Sera, not Nara, to return to the memorial with him. ¡°I¡¯m taking you with me because I don¡¯t know if we will cross paths. And most of your senses are right.¡± Whether in this world or the other world, there was such a thing as ¡®a woman¡¯s sense¡¯ but¡­ the sense that Sera had was far more special than those that are publicly spoken. Her sense is almost at the level of prophecy that most choices lead to correct answers. As if proving what Riley was muttering inside, Sera thought for a while, then slowly shook her head and spoke. ¡°In my judgment, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong.¡± She just felt bad for Mi-rae for leaving that tactlessmander behind. ording to Sera¡¯s senses, giving Nara the task to guard her house was not wrong. ¡°I just¡­ should I feel bad for Miss Mi-rae?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a good child. She¡¯ll be fine.¡± Although Nara often had quarrels with Iril, he treated her like a little sister and often let her win. Riley, who thought Mi-rae would treat him as kindly as her brother, left him at her home and ran towards the memorial. Mi-rae was no different from Iril. Riley, who thought she would treat him kindly like her brother, left him at her house and ran towards the memorial. ¡°¡­hmm?¡± Riley suddenly stopped with a frown, hiding his face. ¡°Wait, stop.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± When Riley, who was running ahead, raised his arm to stop Sera¡¯s path, she stopped after him and tilted her head as if wondering why. ¡°There.¡± Sera, who was recently learning how to use her sense in Riley¡¯s advice, narrowed her eyes as she looked in the direction Riley was pointing. ¡°People are gathering?¡± Although there were people gathered, Sera couldn¡¯t feel anything with her ¡®sense¡¯ and asked as if she wasn¡¯t sure why Riley was pointing there. ¡°What¡¯s wrong there?¡± ¡°That.¡± To exin what Sera didn¡¯t know, he pointed to the carriage shing out blue and red lights alternately¡­ in other words, to the police car and continued, wearing a hood as if he were suspicious. ¡°That shy carriage, in this world, is driven by people like ¡®guards¡¯. The problem is¡­ there are too many carriages.¡± Sera, who stiffened as if she knew what was going on based on Riley¡¯s exnation, murmured as she looked at the street where dozens of police cars were gathered. ¡°The number of carriages is approx¡­ fourteen or fifteen.¡± After that, Sera noticed not only the police car but also the people wearing the same police uniform. She hid her presence and stood next to Riley. ¡°Let¡¯s test it.¡± ¡°What?¡± Riley nced at Sera next to him and suggested testing her ¡®sense¡¯ right here. ¡°What do you think? That sight?¡± For Mi-rae, who was worried about her parent¡¯s illness, the priority was to find parts that could heal, but¡­ there were police cars in front of them. ¡°In my sense, I don¡¯t think it should be overlooked.¡± Sera thought for a moment with an ambiguous look after noticing what Riley was trying to test, then answered without hesitation. ¡°Let¡¯s just pass it.¡± ¡°Is that your sense?¡± ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on there but¡­ at least, I sense that it seems to be a lower priority than joining the other parts or helping Miss Mi-rae¡¯s mother.¡± When Sera answered without hesitation, Riley nodded as if he knew it, pulled down the hood that covered his face more deeply, and hurried his steps. ¡°¡­what happened?¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s been a murder here.¡± ¡°A murder?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not just one or two, but a bunch of people died.¡± ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± ¡°They said all the bodies were torn apart.¡± ¡°Oh my God, Oh my goodness¡­ How could that be!¡± ¡°From what I hear, like the flesh of the dead that¡¯s torn apart¡­¡± The voices of the people were putting behind their heads. ***** ¡°Tsk, are we one stepte?¡± Andal, who had teleported in front of the memorial, was clicking his tongue as he looked at the magic circles around him and on the ground where only traces remained. ¡°It¡¯s right. It¡¯s Nainiae who stopped by here.¡± After looking at the ground and checking it, Andal identified it¡¯s really Nainiae based on the way she drew the magic circle. Abyss, who was holding his chin, asked with a sad look. ¡°Can you find any traces?¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Andal, who put a lot of strength on his shoulders, replied. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯ve never taught my disciple such a sloppy magic circle. There are traces, but it¡¯s hard to find out anything anymore.¡± ¡°You mean you can¡¯t find it.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡°What, you guys, isn¡¯t it time to praise this body?¡± He taught his disciple so brilliantly, yet these two people, who looked at him pathetically rather than praised him, sighed. Andal walked away with an unjust look. ¡°Praise¡­ Yes¡­ I will praise you.¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re great.¡± ¡°Haha! You can give me a little more praise! If you want to, raise your middle finger and praise this body!¡± ¡°Middle finger?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± The two of them looked at Andal, who put a lot of strength on his shoulders, with a strange look, and then slowly shook their heads and began to roll their heads to find another solution. ¡°What are we going to do now, Abyss?¡± Iril, who suddenly felt like they had be a dog chasing chickens thanks to Andal¡¯s ¡®ipetence¡¯, looked at Abyss. [Note: a dog chasing chickens = korean proverb that means can¡¯t achieve one¡¯s goal because of something.] ¡°We have two options.¡± Abyss lowered his chin and held out his two fingers. ¡°The first is to go back to the alley just before and wait for the other parts to show up.¡± ¡°No.¡± Abyss, who immediately heard the answer ¡®No¡¯, looked at Andal. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t say it to you.¡± ¡°Ha! It doesn¡¯t make sense at all!¡± Abyss, who lightly ignored the annoying Andal, talked about the second option. ¡°The second option is to act.¡± ¡°Act?¡± At Abyss¡¯s word of ¡®act¡¯, Andal became interested. He straightened his crumpled face and listened. ¡°Iril, have you ever acted? Do you have any knowledge of theater or actors?¡± When Abyss asked her, wondering if she knew the meaning of the word ¡®act¡¯ as she¡¯s still young, Iril nodded as if she knew about it, and answered. ¡°A little bit¡­ Among the books my grandmother read to me, there were animals that acted.¡± ¡°Hoo?¡± ¡°In the fairy tale ¡®blue hat girl¡¯, the tiger acted as a grandfather and tried to eat the blue hat. Or the wolf that acted in ¡®the Moon and the Sun¡¯, saying, ¡®If you give me a cake, I won¡¯t eat you!¡¯¡± Iril¡¯s story was enough to make Abyss smile. He nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s enough. The second option is¡­ Iril, you¡¯re the one who should be that ¡®tiger¡¯ or ¡®wolf¡¯.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She¡¯s weak, can she do it? Rather, I, who was trained in acting¡­¡± Abyss looked at Iril to ask what option she would choose, pushing Andal¡¯s face out with his right hand. ¡°Hey, Abyss¡­ the ¡®hidden card¡¯ you were talking about earlier is this?¡± Abyss nodded at Iril¡¯s question and exined what role she should y if she chose the second option. ¡°While warming up beforeing here, I realized that you were the most ¡®best sword-handling part¡¯ among the parts. So you have to act.¡± Abyss turned his head slightly, and looked at the memorial of a certain warrior, then continued. ¡°Riley.¡± Andal raised his eyebrows in the opposite direction, making a curious look, while Iril twitched her eyes with a look of incredulity. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Who?¡± Abyss shrugged and opened his mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to act Rileypletely. To be precise, you just have to act as the person who ims to be Riley.¡± Andal opened his mouth. ¡°¡­that¡¯s insane.¡± It seemed like Iril didn¡¯t have a different opinion from Andal. With aplicated look, she talked about the shorings of the second option. ¡°I heard we came here to catch Helena, the Saintess who put young master Riley and Abyss in trouble. If I act as young master¡­ Wouldn¡¯t the Saintess run away?¡± To refute Abyss¡¯s words, Andal built an arrogant image and intervened, talking about the third option he hadn¡¯t mentioned. ¡°There¡¯s also an option to deliberately step on the trap that Nainiae has set up. It¡¯s not a trap that does harm, but if we step on it, Nainiae will move.¡± Whether Nainiae moved alone or moved in a group was still unknown¡­ Andal shrugged and began to ponder whether there was a better solution. ¡°Well, until I came here, I thought the answer was to wait for the other parts to move, but¡­ it seems like most of the other parts are thinking the same thing.¡± If the hesitation continued, it was decided that the next stone bridge couldn¡¯t be crossed. So Abyss decided to reveal the hidden card called Iril first to keep the precipitation going. ¡°It¡¯s honestly a pity to y the card without Riley¡¯s permission, but there¡¯s nothing we can do about it.¡± Abyss then looked at Iril and answered the question she had just asked. ¡°Anyway, Helena, there¡¯s little chance that woman will run away when she sees you acting as Riley.¡± ¡°How can you be so confident?¡± When Iril asked, Abyss made a suggestion without answering. ¡°Can you repeat what I¡¯m saying in Riley¡¯s atmosphere?¡± ¡°In young master¡¯s atmosphere?¡± Iril, who frowned, nodded with a questionable look. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try¡± ¡°Ehem, ehem¡­¡± Abyss, who coughed with his fist on his lips, recited the lines. ¡°I¡¯m back. Finally¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At Abyss¡¯s voice that set the atmosphere, Andal made a disgusted look. ¡°I, I¡¯m back. Finally.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Andal, who was looking at Abyss disgustingly, turned to Iril with a look of ¡®what are you doing?¡¯. ¡°¡­wh, why?¡± When Iril blushed and asked why, Andal could see why Abyss was so confident that Helena would never run away. ¡°Certainly, acting like someone who ims to be Riley will be¡­ convenient, yes.¡± Then Abyss, who looked at Riley¡¯s memorial, opened his mouth, scanning the words ¡®memorial stone of a certain warrior¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s highly possible that the woman was involved in this memorial. Now that it¡¯s written ¡®a certain warrior¡¯, she probably doesn¡¯t want Riley¡¯s story to be discussed anymore.¡± Andal, who looked at the memorial stone¡¯s words like Abyss, frowned and muttered. ¡°Come to think of it, the name is nk.¡± ¡°At this point, if there¡¯s anyone who wants to get Riley¡¯s story out of the water¡­ For example, something like ¡®pseudo-religion¡¯ emerged, that must be worth seeing.¡± All of a sudden, Abyss began to emit a purple glow in his eyes. ¡°How dare you treat my friend like this, I can¡¯t stand looking at it anymore.¡± As Iril gulped, Abyss continued. ¡°¡­we move first.¡± Chapter 215. Impersonation (1)

Chapter 215. Impersonation (1)

Among Riley¡¯s parts that were recognized by Abyss, Iril, the hidden card, was currently standing on the memorial stone of a certain warrior and shouting loudly at those who overlooked her. ¡°Fi, finally¡­¡± Standing at the top of the memorial, Iril was ying ¡®The Person Who ims to Be Riley¡¯. ¡°Finally, I¡¯m back!¡± People¡¯s eyes were drawn to her because of her sudden speech. As a result, her face was flushed red, but she didn¡¯t stop shouting loudly. ¡°What¡¯s that kid doing?¡± ¡°He said he was a warrior? The one that had fallen before?¡± ¡°Warrior? Of that memorial?¡± Those who looked at Iril seemed to not understand her speech. They were just making question marks with puzzled expressions on their faces. ¡°Really¡­ such great acting.¡± Seeing Iril shouting awkwardly on the memorial, Andal muttered the exact opposite of what he was thinking with a tired face. ¡°Don¡¯t be too hard on her. There are times when being awkward like that can be an advantage.¡± Abyss, who was looking up at Iril silently with his arms folded, began to pay attention to a passerby, who was hurriedly making a phone call, among the people who were looking at the memorial. ¡°¡­yes, that¡¯s right. He ims to be the warrior.¡± A passerby was reporting to someone on the phone while Iril was speaking on top of the memorial. ¡°Now!¡± Iril swung her arms around once, pped her coat, and spoke passionately again in a loud voice at the passersby who were looking up. ¡°Now that I¡¯m back alive, let¡¯s get rid of this f*ck*ng memorial!¡± As the redness of her face became more severe, it was difficult to make a proper judgement at the same time, so from some point on, Iril was excited, stepping on the memorial until it made a sound ¡®kkak¡¯. ¡°Building a statue to worship me, who saved the city, forever¡­¡± She stopped talking midway. ¡°¡­?¡± Iril stopped shouting at the people and began to stare at a certain ce in silence, then slowly brought her right hand back. What¡­ is this! With a crumpled face, Iril pulled out the sword that was hanging horizontally on the side of her tailbone and swung it forward at the same time. Kaang! As the wielded sword made a sound of deflecting something and sparked, all the numerous passersby who were looking at her widened their eyes. ¡°Wh, what?!¡± ¡°Is that¡­ a real¡­ sword?¡± ¡°What should we do? Are we not running away?¡± ¡°Wa, wait! I¡¯m filming a video!¡± Thanks to Andal¡¯s interpreting magic, Iril could understand what the passersby were talking about and looked at the demon and dragon mixed among them. ¡°¡­¡± Iril, who had just shouted vigorously a moment ago, frowned, looking at her colleague who had attacked her without saying a word as if she didn¡¯t know what was going on. What? It was Andal who attacked Iril. The arrows of fire aimed at her were proof of that. Why are you doing this? Iril frowned as if asking that, and Abyss answered her question with ventriloquism, moving his lips. ¡®It¡¯s a so-called performance.¡¯ After thinking for a while about the word ¡®performance¡¯ in his ventriloquism, Iril realized that this scene was also a part of her ¡®acting¡¯ and pouted her lips. ¡­so mean! If he was going to do it, he would have done it in moderation. It was too many to bear because arge number of fire arrows were aimed at her. I did all these things¡­ How can you do that! Iril drew her sword, turned her sword in reverse, and splendidly caught it, and when her eyes shone as if telling him she was ready, Andal nced at Abyss, then clicked his tongue and flicked his fingers. ¡°Ah, ah ah!¡± As one of the passersby opened his mouth, dozens of fire arrows waiting to be fired began to fire sequentially. ¡°Danger¡­!¡± As soon as the fire arrows were fired, one of the passersby who watched her shouted, but Iril only danced. Sword dance. Having fixed the sword, Iril was dazzlingly wielding a straight sword that had been sleeping for a long time in Andal¡¯s cave, performing breathtaking acrobatics at the top of the narrow memorial stone. ¡°Crazy¡­¡± ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a capable person?¡± Iril didn¡¯t know if someone was shooting it, but she¡¯s clenching her teeth, deflecting all of the fire arrows that flew incessantly without spilling a single one. What on earth¡­ In the eyes of the passersby, her dance moves¡­ were gorgeous and beautiful in harmony with the appearance of the fire arrows being bounced off, but Iril¡¯s face wasn¡¯t so beautiful. Until when! Although Andal sent the fire arrows to some extent while looking after her, her stamina was slowly deteriorating, perhaps because of her young age. Should I do it?! Iril, who was dancing, nced at the side where Abyss and Andal were standing with a desperate expression. I only need her to show that she¡¯s capable of this. She needs to give off Riley¡¯s vibe, so I wish she could do it a little longer. But¡­ To tell the truth, Abyss wanted to continue this scene a little longer, but considering her stamina was still insufficient, he raised his right hand as if deciding that it would be better to do only this much. ¡®We¡¯re leaving slowly. I¡¯ll give you time to put the curtain down, so try to step back as gracefully as you can. Where to go¡­ on the rooftop of the building on the other side would be fine.¡¯ Even while she was deflecting Andal¡¯s fire arrows, Iril, who shifted her gaze and nced at Abyss¡¯s lips, nodded slightly as if she understood. ¡°Then, it¡¯s time to put an end to it.¡± At Abyss¡¯s words to give her the timing to step back by raising his right hand, Andal furrowed his eyebrows as if dissatisfied and slightly adjusted the fire arrows floating around Iril. ¡°¡­hub!¡± As if noticing Andal¡¯s consideration, Iril, who found a gap in the rain of fire arrows, swung the sword the biggest she had ever wielded. BANG! The fire arrows that were still around her exploded splendidly at the same time as the explosion. ¡°Kyakk!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± In broad daylight, as the sun was rising in the middle of the sky, the crowd of passersby eximed at the fireworks disy at the memorial stone of a certain warrior in the middle of the city. This much will do, right? Judging that this would be enough for the cheers of the people, Iril bent her legs to give her strength and leaped toward the building that Abyss had just pointed with his eyes. ¡°Huh? He¡¯s gone?¡± ¡°What? What?¡± The fire arrows that Andal made disappeared in an instant, and as Iril tried to hide by leaping, she murmured while seeing the people who stopped near the memorial stared nkly. This must have attracted attention! Because Abyss said that there are newspapers here too¡­ other parts will soon hear about this story and join us, and the saint named Helena must have seen it too! Iril, who thought the y had ended with some sess in response to people¡¯s reactions, breathed a sigh of relief as she leaped toward the rooftop of the building on the other side. ¡°You, what are you doing?¡± ¡°¡­?!¡± A voice suddenly heard from behind. What?! As soon as shended on the rooftop of the building, Iril, who was relieved without realizing it, hurriedly turned around and drew her sword to protect herself. ¡°Uh¡­ kughh!¡± Iril was about to swing her sword at the enemy who came close to her, but she was held by someone¡¯s arm on the neck, so she couldn¡¯t swing her sword and had no choice but to be pushed back. His movement! Although she had reached her limit, Iril¡¯s face darkened at the fact that she didn¡¯t notice her opponent at all until he approached her so closely. Kughh, Grandma¡­ Abyss¡­ Suddenly, the arm that was holding her neck loosened for some reason, and as he stepped back, a question mark appeared on Iril¡¯s face, who was grimacing at the thought that she was going to die. ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°It¡¯s me, you brat.¡± When the person, who pushed Iril¡¯s neck to the wall, showed his face, pulling back the hood that was over his head, Iril pursed her lips with a confused expression. ¡°Yo, yo, young master¡­¡± When Iril¡¯s face suddenly turned red and started to cry, Riley, who had pushed her against the wall, took a step back as if in bewilderment. ¡°Wh, what¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Young masterrrrr!¡± Iril tried to hug him with her arms wide open, but Riley, who had stepped back, stretched his right hand forward and pushed her forehead. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s a little¡­ No, what¡¯s wrong with you all of a sudden?¡± Riley turned his head slightly backward, leaving behind a question he was trying to ask if she was alone. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hghh, I thought, I would never see, young master, again!¡± Riley looked at Iril, who was struggling again in his palm. ¡°Iril.¡± ¡°Uh-wahhhhh!¡± He and Iril ??were the only ones who were standing on the rooftop of the building, but just now¡­ Riley noticed that someone else was approaching this ce. ¡°¡­Iril.¡± Riley called her name quietly, and Iril, who was sniffling, regained her senses and looked at Riley. ¡°Hic, yes¡­¡± Iril, who struggled to wipe away her tears, also felt someone¡¯s presence approaching the rooftop even though she was one stepte. She picked up her sword that had been dropped to the ground and took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s talkter, and get rid of them for now.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± When Riley moved to a ce suitable for hiding in the shadowed spot on the rooftop of the building while hiding his presence¡­ Iril, who was watching the scene, shook her head in disbelief. He must be over there, but why can¡¯t I feel anything? Was the Ipheletta family an assassin? Iril, who was muttering inside that this story would make his family members startled if they heard it, turned her head to the sign of presence that was approaching her. By the way, who are they? The presence that was approaching the rooftop wasn¡¯t Abyss or Andal, who would still be waiting at the memorial. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± When she heard cheok, cheok, the noise that was heard from the rooftop, about four or five people in ck clothes appeared. Assassin? Are there any assassins in this world too? She thought so because the attire of the assassins she had met in her world was simr to the attire of the people who appeared now¡­ Iril asked them with a sword against them. ¡°¡­who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four or five people, who were presumed to be assassins, each without answering, held out a ck cane or something to Iril. ¡°¡­?¡± As Iril looked at the ck canes, guns pointed at her, she wrinkled her eyebrows as if she didn¡¯t know what was that. And so, Riley gave her advice in a full note. When Riley advised that, Iril was aware of the sweat flowing down the back of her neck and controlled her breathing. That¡¯s not an ordinary forced march. Because of the y Abyss suggested, it was difficult enough to dance to Andal¡¯s magic, but she couldn¡¯t believe she also had to block attacks that were faster than arrows or magic. Hmm? Staring at the canes pointed at her, Iril¡¯s eyebrows were bent in the opposite direction. What? Magic? It was because the four or five people who were confronting Iril in ck clothes began to use different ¡®abilities¡¯. A sky-blue ball appeared in the empty air. The number of people who used to be four or five suddenly increased to seven. The body of one of the people was covered with blue electricity. Then, the body of one of the people who had grown to seven became transparent. Unknown phenomena urred one after another, and Riley gave advice to Iril, who thought it was magic. Ability¡­ What is that¡­ It¡¯s overwhelming just to be attacked by something faster than arrows and magic, but five purple humans? ¡°¡­what are you two doing down there?¡± Iril, who resented the two for making her y from below, lowered her body and gave strength to the hand holding the sword. At the same time as Riley warned her, the mysterious figures Iril was facing pulled the trigger. Chapter 216. Impersonation (2)

Chapter 216. Impersonation (2)

¡­their fingers! As her grandmother taught her, Iril, who knew what to do if the opponent used long-ranged weapons such as arrows or slingshots, looked at their fingers and swung her arm. Five figures¡­ I can¡¯t stop all of that! Judging that it¡¯s impossible to block all the bullets flying at her, Iril dropped a few shots and twisted her body, deciding that she had to avoid a few shots. ng! ng! At the same time as the sound of her sword deflecting bullets were heard, the four or five figures in ck clothes scattered in different directions. Tch! Seeding in avoiding or deflecting the bullets, Iril concentrated her consciousness by clicking her tongue to make a ¡®tch¡¯ sound at the sight of the enemies scattered. Riley¡¯s voice was heard in Iril¡¯s head, who had emptied her head to concentrate. ng! When the bullet that was shot from her blind spot bounced off by her sword and made a sound, another ck figure immediately fired lightning as if using his ability. How? It was a very brief exnation because it was a brief moment when the lightning attack came, but as she¡¯s a granddaughter who learned directly from Inaril¡­ She noticed what Riley¡¯s brief exnation was and acted. ¡°¡­?¡± When Iril, who received the lightning shot with the tip of her sword, turned around and swung her sword that was raised up down, the half that was on her sword smashed the rooftop floor instead of his original target. ¡°¡­what?¡± The person with the ability to fire lightning faltered as if in bewilderment, and Iril, who gave her full strength to her palm, which had be numb due to the exposure of the lightning, charged towards him. First, one! Iril, who charged forward with mana on her feet, cut off the ck figure in an instant and turned back at the same time. ng! ng! After blocking another flying bullet, Iril then faced the ck people running towards her with daggers. Facing the same person, not only in the outfit but also in the vibe of their eyes in that short time, Iril rolled her eyes at Riley¡¯s advice that came to her head. Main body? Realizing that there¡¯s no main body among the people she was dealing with, Iril furrowed her eyebrows in annoyance, and then Riley once again gave her advice. Iril, who didn¡¯t know what Riley meant, hurriedly swung her sword to block the surprise attack when a bullet popped out of the person¡¯s chest. What? They used their colleague as bait? Taken aback by their way of using their colleague as bait, Iril soon sensed another bullet flying towards her and twisted her body. No, they didn¡¯t use him as that, huh? When a bullet flew through and the hole on his chest disappeared without a trace like a mirage, Iril just realized what Riley¡¯s advice about the ¡®body¡¯ meant. It¡¯s a bait as he said! The ¡®split¡¯ person, who¡¯s capable of creating his own clones, began to attack her slowly with his own clones at the forefront. D*mn it, there¡¯s a guy too who could disappear suddenly! Iril¡¯s expression, which had to pay attention not only to the ability to make his body invisible but also to the sky blue bead floating in the sky, began to get worse. Am I getting pushed back? It had been a long time since she had reached her limit physically. Iril clenched his teeth, judging that she was getting pushed back. Ugh. If it were Inaril, if it were her grandmother, these guys would have wiped out a while ago and she would have enjoyed a cup of tea¡­ At the thought of that, Iril began to gradually feel angry. There are still three¡­ there are three more. There were four capable people who appeared on the rooftop¡­ Although Iril had dealt with the person with the ability to wield lightning, there were still six people that she had to deal with because there¡¯s a person with the ability to create clones. Even in the worst case, if there¡¯re no clones! Iril, who turned around like a windmill and sted the clones that surrounded her along with the bullets at once, rolled her eyes to find the main body in a hurry, but¡­ ¡­I don¡¯t know. In her eyes, she couldn¡¯t tell which were the clones and which was the main body. Riley¡¯s voice echoed in her head, and Iril nced at where he was hiding. Are you going toe out? Iril, who didn¡¯t want to think that Riley would show up unwillingly, bit her lip as if she was upset. But¡­ As if reading Iril¡¯s mind, Riley, who said that he wasn¡¯t going toe out, signaled to her as if he had found a gap. <¡­now.> As soon as Riley gave the signal, Iril jumped up, and the eyes of the capable people in ck clothes all followed her. But, I can¡¯t step in the air¡­ Had to deal with the floating ss bead, it was at that moment when Iril was about to put on an anxious look as if she was wondering how to move. ¡°¡­against a girl.¡± A voice was heard. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, four people are sticking together¡­¡­¡± Along with the sound of the skirt pping, a light brown-haired woman appeared on the rooftop where Iril and the capable people were fighting. This voice? Iril¡¯s expression brightened when she realized that the owner of the voice was Sera, one of the parts. Ms. Sera! With Sera¡¯s strong appearance! The expressions of the two in ck clothes, who turned their heads, were distorted in astonishment. ¡°¡­kk?¡± ¡°Kugh!¡± Suddenly, two thin swords were stabbed in their chests. The person with the ability to create clones. And the one with the ability to be invisible. Sera¡¯s swords were embedded in the chests of the two capable people. Ho, how?! How did she find out about the main body? How did she find out that he was there? Unless the opponent was a person with the ability to detect, there would be no way he would have been caught¡­ And so, that¡¯s the reason why their expressions were distorted in astonishment. ¡°Honestly, I was doubtful.¡± Sera, whose shoes sounded as she stepped on the floor of the rooftop, looked down at the two capable people lying with their faces down and continued. ¡°As he said, my ¡®senses¡¯ seem to be good.¡± After Sera ran up the wall of the building at Riley¡¯s call¡­ with his signal, she leaped onto the rooftop and at the same time threw her twin swords at the clone maker¡¯s body and the invisible man¡¯s chest, using her abilities. The sword¡­ that girl just threw the swords. The capable people who had been pierced through their chest by Sera¡¯s swords started exchanging nces. ¡°Heub!¡± After that, Iril, who jumped up, destroyed the unidentified ss bead floating in the air. Unbelievable¡­ is he really back? Thest capable person, who had been floating the ss bead to convey this scene to another ce, raised both hands as if they had lost and expressed their will to surrender. ¡°Are they all four?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± One was cut by Iril¡¯s sword, two were struck by Sera¡¯s swords, and one raised both hands to surrender¡­ Sera and Iril, who captured a total of four suspicious capable people, sighed in relief as if a great worry had lessened. ¡°These people¡¯s identity¡­ we have to ask them.¡± Sera, who was looking at the four captives, muttered with a troubled expression, and then Iril nodded her head. ¡°I will ask.¡± Sera hadn¡¯t received the interpreting magic yet, while she had received the interpreting magic from Andal¡­ that¡¯s why she couldmunicate with them. ¡°You, what¡¯s your identity?¡± When Iril pointed her sword at the person¡¯s neck who had surrendered and asked who he really was, the captive menughed unpleasantly, ¡®kug kug¡¯, and murmured. ¡°I was wondering, it turns out he¡¯s not. It¡¯s imperfect.¡± ¡°He couldn¡¯t finish us offpletely, could he?¡± ¡°And immature.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. If it were him, it wouldn¡¯t have taken this long.¡± As the men murmured, Iril and Sera¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. ¡°He¡¯s not that woman, huh?¡± ¡°She¡¯s just pretending. Right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that woman either. It¡¯s neither of them.¡± Neither of them. At the man¡¯s words, Iril recalled what Abyss had told her. There will be a side that approaches first. Whether it¡¯s the ones under me, the fox-like saintess b*tch, or the other parts who came over with us, either way¡­ There must be one approaching us with just one move. Perhaps what Abyss expected was roughly correct, the captive men were looking at Iril and Sera, and they continued tough unpleasantly, ¡®Heh heh,¡¯ like crazy people. ¡°You¡¯re not ¡®He¡¯.¡± Not ¡®He¡¯¡­ Realizing that the ¡®He¡¯ they were talking about was ¡®Riley¡¯, Iril wrinkled her facial muscles to act. ¡°Urgh, urgh¡­ eub! Keug! Urgh!¡± Looking at her and Sera, saying that they¡¯re not Riley¡­ The skin of the men, who had been murmuring over and over again, began to melt down along the way. ¡°¡­what?¡± When the men¡¯s skin suddenly began to melt down, Iril, bewildered by that, looked at Sera as if wondering what to do. ¡°¡­¡± As if even her senses couldn¡¯t find a way to prevent their skin from melting, Sera was also looking at the men with a reaction not very different from Iril. Riley, who was hiding in the blind spot of the rooftop and watching the men melt, narrowed his eyes. Maybe it was for the destruction of evidence, the men in ck clothes that seemed to be Helena¡¯s spy began to melt and soon disappeared without a trace. ¡°They, they¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°Are they dead?¡± ¡°Seeing that there¡¯s no sign¡­ maybe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the four captive men disappeared without a trace, bewildered Iril bit her lip as if wondering what to do. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be flustered. You¡¯ve seen it once.¡± Breaking the silence, Riley, who had been hiding in the rooftop corner, appeared. ¡°I¡¯ve seen it?¡± ¡°When Rebethra, in the Rome Vige forest.¡± ¡°In the forest? Ah! That time!¡± Iril, who recalled the moment when she mistook Riley and Nainiae for dragons, looked at the traces of only the clothes that were left as if she had just remembered. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s the same! Then, this too?¡± ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s Helena¡¯s way.¡± Riley nced at the clothes on the floor and turned his head. ¡°Looking at it earlier, it seems like you know how to speak thenguage here. You weren¡¯t alone, were you?¡± When Riley asked her, thinking that someone had cast interpreting magic on her, Iril replied as if she had forgotten. ¡°I was with Abyss and Mr. Andal. Seriously¡­ It was hard to breathe, you know! But now that I¡¯m with young master, I don¡¯t have to be that conscious anymore.¡± Although it was hard to move around, she grinned as if feeling better after joining Riley and Sera. ¡°Abyss and Andal¡­ Haven¡¯t you met any other parts other than those two?¡± ¡°Yes. I acted at the young master¡¯s memorial to join the other parts. Abyss came up with the idea.¡± ¡°¡­hmm.¡± Riley, who seemed to know what Abyss was thinking, asked with his hand on his chin. ¡°If there¡¯s Andal, it¡¯ll be much easier to move. Okay, where are they now?¡± Considering the mess that had just happened on the rooftop, it was surprising that the two didn¡¯t appear. ¡°Please wait. They¡¯re probably waiting for me downstairs¡­¡± Iril took a step and poked her face out of the rooftop. ¡°¡­?¡± When a question mark appeared on Iril¡¯s face as she looked down, Riley and Sera followed her, poking their faces out of the rooftop and tilting their heads as if wondering why. ¡°Where are they?¡± Iril muttered nkly. ¡°Whe, where¡­ are they?¡± Chapter 217. Impersonation (3)

Chapter 217. Impersonation (3)

Abyss and Andal, who were looking at her until she leaped onto the rooftop¡­ whether they had gone down to the ground or had risen to the sky, their nose was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Huh?¡± Riley, who was sticking his face out of the rooftop, could roughly guess what the situation was by Iril¡¯s stuttering who was as if in bewilderment and crumpled his face. ¡°They¡¯re gone?¡± ¡°No, that¡­ Up until just now, they¡¯re definitely¡­¡± Iril stuttered once again, pointing her finger at the road, to be precise, where Andal and Abyss stood before. ¡°They¡¯re¡­ definitely over there though?¡± Realizing that Abyss and Andal suddenly disappeared from Iril¡¯s reaction, Riley gently closed his eyes and began to widen his senses. Nothing. Even if he looked for them with his eyes, widened his senses, and looked around¡­ Neither Abyss nor Andal could be seen or felt. ¡°They¡¯re not here.¡± Riley told Iril, who was bewildered, that they were definitely not around here, then pulled his face back that had been sticking out of the rooftop and looked at Sera. ¡°You don¡¯t think so too, right?¡± ¡°Even if you ask me¡­ It¡¯s impossible to answer such a question simply by senses.¡± When Sera shook her head, Riley, with his arms folded, asked Iril while thinking where Andal and Abyss possibly were. ¡°Did these guys say something?¡± ¡°No, they didn¡¯t say they were going anywhere.¡± When Iril answered with a sullen look, Riley put his hand on her head as if it was okay, and slowly continued. ¡°It could also be a clue. There must be a good reason why they suddenly disappeared without telling you anything or giving a clue.¡± Iril, who had lost confidence, noddedboriously at Riley¡¯s words as she recalled thest conversation she had with them. ¡°If I act on the young master¡¯s memorial stone¡­ he said that a saintess named Helena mighte, and the other parts mighte here as well. No matter what movement you make, there will be ones approaching this way, so at that time¡­ ah?¡± Iril, who was muttering what Abyss had said, talked to Riley with an expression that she had remembered something. ¡°Whether it¡¯s the ones under me¡­ He said that, too.¡± ¡°Under?¡± ¡°Yes, Abyss¡¯s subordinate¡­the one he thought might alsoe to the memorial. He definitely said that.¡± Riley thought of several possibilities at Iril¡¯s words, then lowered his hand that was holding his chin and spoke. ¡°Anyway, it would be too much to find Abyss and Andal right now¡­ The acting he made you do was probably ¡®the follower who acts me¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah, yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Once again¡­ why did you say ¡®I¡¯m back!¡¯ on top of my memorial?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± Still, the cunning Helena must have missed it. It¡¯s definitely that if remembering that the four capable men who had just fought against Iril melted away in Helena¡¯s way. ¡°Abyss¡¯s strategy¡­ I think it¡¯s half sessful.¡± After pondering over the words of the masked men who muttered while looking at Iril, ¡®You are not him,¡¯ Riley looked out of the rooftop again to look at the memorial. ¡°As he said, either way, it will move.¡± In the middle of the city, Riley muttered softly as he looked down at the people who didn¡¯t care about the memorial. ***** Inside an abandoned building that rarely passed by people, a blue light shed and three people appeared there. ¡°¡­huu.¡± It was Nainiae¡¯s group. ¡°It might be a shabby ce to use as a hideout, but please understand. Because it¡¯ll be convenient in a ce where there aren¡¯t many people.¡± When the old gentleman in the group, who was teleporting supported by the girl wearing the white beret, asked for understanding, the girl, who had been staggering as if dizzy in the aftermath of the teleportation, answered with a slight smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ve slept in worse ces withmander Nara, you know? I¡¯m rather grateful if it¡¯s this much.¡± After teleporting, Nainiae, who had checked the safety of the two who were talking, slipped away and stopped at the end of the abandoned building. ¡°Is it¡­ evening soon?¡± Nainiae muttered as she looked up at the increasingly darkened sky and was worried about Riley and the other parts that scattered around. Will everyone¡­ be okay? Nainiae, who was lost in thought while fiddling with the ring in her pocket, squinted one eye when the back of her hand began to throb all of a sudden. ¡°This?¡± The trap she had set up on the side of the memorial informed her that someone nearby had used mana. Is there another part near the memorial? Knowing that people in this world couldn¡¯t use mana from Riley¡¯s memories, Nainiae noticed that the person who used mana near the trap was one of the parts that came over with her. We have to go back. It was when Nainiae turned her body from the sunset and went back inside the abandoned building to tell Priesia and Ian that the trap had been triggered. ¡°Ms. Priesia! Mr. Ian! The trap set on the side of the memorial¡­¡± ¡°¡­urrrr.¡± Inside the abandoned building, a throaty sound could be heard. ¡°Did you just hear something?¡± ¡°I heard it.¡± It sounded like an animal ¡®growling¡¯ and getting angry, but it¡¯s subtly different from that¡­ Ian narrowed his eyes, judging that it was like the sound made when a person mimicked an animal. ¡°Nainiae!¡± As Ian thought it would be better for her to join them, he loudly called Nainiae. Nainiae nodded and joined the two with a blink using close teleportation magic. ¡°Can you feel it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When Nainiae answered yes with a nod to Ian¡¯s question if she felt the ¡®living¡¯, he pulled out his beloved sword that had transparent magic on it. ¡°Anyway, it¡¯s unusual.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t the cry of an animal. It¡¯s human¡¯s.¡± Judging that the throaty sound they just heard belonged to a human, not that of an animal, Nainiae followed the presence hiding in the dark with her eyes. ¡°¡­light.¡± Nainiae lit up a certain ce inside the abandoned building that was getting dark as the sun was setting with a magical light that floated in a light sphere. Then she frowned when she found a ¡®human¡¯ staring at them. That? The human was covered in blood, and his suit was torn in tatters as if he had been through a thorny vine. ¡°Oh my God¡­¡± Priesia was terrified at the sight of the blood-stained man. She gathered divine power in her hand and as she tried to step forward to heal him. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Mr. Ian?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that.¡± When Ian grabbed Priesia¡¯s shoulder and said that there¡¯s no need to heal him, Priesia tilted her head as if asking what that meant. ¡°Because the blood that¡¯s on him isn¡¯t his.¡± Surprised by Ian¡¯s words, Priesia once again looked at the man who was staring at them. As Ian said. Although the man was covered in blood as if covered in red paint, only his clothes were torn while his skin was not showing anymon scratches. ¡°That means¡­¡± When Priesia nkly blurted her words, Nainiae swung her right hand once, creating dozens of fire arrows around her. ¡°It¡¯s an enemy.¡± Looking at the fire arrows behind Nainiae¡¯s back, the blood-stained man began to wriggle his eyebrows like a caterpir. ¡°¡­kikk!¡± As the man burst intoughter, exposing his yellow teeth, Nainiae, who was looking at the man with a cold look, fired the fire arrows that she had created all at once. ¡°Ms. Priesia, behind me.¡± As the blood-stained man bent his upper body and dangled to avoid Nainiae¡¯s fire arrows, Ian pushed Priesia back and fixed his sword. ¡°Be, be careful.¡± When the fire arrows burned the walls and floors of the abandoned building and made a ¡®bang!¡¯ sound, the blood-stained man, who nced back at it, giggled again and rushed forward. ¡°Is he a purple human?¡± Seeing the man move sleekly even without mana, Nainiae murmured, wondering if he was a capable person. As if wanting to find out the man¡¯s true identity, Nainiae turned her eyes and met Ian¡¯s. I¡¯ll buy you time. Ian nodded knowingly and swung his sword towards the blood-stained man who rushed at him. ng! When the man¡¯s arm and Ian¡¯s sword collided and sparked, Priesia, who was standing behind Ian and watching the two fight, opened her eyes wide. Arm?! Realizing that the man¡¯s arm was harder than steel, Ian crumpled his face openly. ¡°This guy¡­¡± As the sword and the arm collided and their faces came closer, Ian was able to make eye contact with the man and wriggled his crumpled facial muscles, and threw out his right foot. ¡°Keek!¡± The blood-stained man, who had been hit in the stomach by Ian¡¯s right foot, was pushed back with a strange scream. ¡°Kik, kik!¡± Even though there¡¯s mana on Ian¡¯s foot, which had kicked him in the stomach, the blood-stained man seemed to have no damage except to be pushed back. ¡°This guy, how many people did he kill¡­¡± Ian murmured as he saw his eyes filled with bloodthirstiness. ¡°Huu¡­ kik¡­ hungry.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Hungry¡­¡± When the man suddenly muttered ¡®hungry¡¯, a tendon grew on Ian¡¯s forehead. ¡°The old man¡­ isn¡¯t delicious. The girl¡­ looks delicious.¡± ¡°You¡­ no way¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ian¡¯s face turned red when he noticed that there¡¯s a lot of blood around his mouth, while Priesia¡¯s face turned pale. ¡°Someone like this needs to get his ass kicked!¡± Nainiae¡¯s expression grew colder when she realized that the reason the man hadmitted murder was to eat something that shouldn¡¯t be eaten. ¡­it¡¯s her work, huh? The man¡¯s behavior, the man¡¯s gaze, the man¡¯s atmosphere¡­ Nainiae, who thought she had seen it somewhere, recalled the ¡®children¡¯ Riley had encountered in his previous life. She made him like this. The man wasn¡¯t a ¡®purple human¡¯. ¡°It¡­ must have been a year¡­¡± That was¡­ Riley¡¯s most hated thing to do. And Riley¡¯s biggest regret. ¡°Still¡­¡± Since Riley shared his memories with her, Nainiae, who knew exactly how he felt while cutting down the ¡®children¡¯ who had be monsters, was genuinely angry. ¡°How dare¡­ you do something like this!¡± When Nainiae shouted, the blood-stained man who was facing Ian and Priesia sharply turned his head! ¡°¡­?!¡± The reason the man turned his head was not because of Nainiae, who had a few small fire arrows floating around. Hwaruru. Nainiae built a wall of fire so that the man couldn¡¯t escape to another ce. She walked towards the ce where he was standing, in a fiery rage like her teacher. ¡°Na, Nainiae?¡± As Nainiae had never been angry before and now she walked with a cold expression, Priesia and Ian, overwhelmed by her anger, shrank their shoulders without realizing it. Nainiae told the two not to move through their minds. Then she warned the blood-stained man standing opposite her. ¡°You were originally a human being, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Urrrr¡­¡± ¡°When it¡¯s young master¡¯s time, he couldmunicate with them though.¡± In Riley¡¯s previous life, the children who turned into monsters still had enough rationality tomunicate. ¡°Now, you didn¡¯t even let them do that, huh?¡± Perhaps he realized that Nainiae was not an ordinary opponent, the man¡¯s fingernails and fangs began to grow longer and longer. ¡°Ku, ugh, ughhh!¡± Moreover, when something like a ck horn sprouted from the man¡¯s forehead, Nainiae, who was clenching her fists as she watched the process, put her hand into her pocket. ¡°¡­I will help you.¡± Nainiae took out the ring she had kept in her pocket. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but she still put the ring on her ring finger and continued. ¡°On young master¡¯s behalf.¡± Chapter 218. Impersonation (4)

Chapter 218. Impersonation (4)

At the same time as Nainiae put the ring on her ring finger, a terrifying pir of fire erupted from the floor where the blood-stained man was standing and attacked him. ¡°Kugh, kuughh! Khuugghh!¡± The man, who had been engulfed in the pir of fire and charred, hurriedly ran out of there and rushed straight to Nainiae. ¡°Kakkkk!¡± There¡¯s a chirping sound, and the man¡¯s skin, which hadn¡¯t been cut even by Ian¡¯s sword, began to emit smoke as if it were burning firewood. ¡°The more you hold on, the harder it will be.¡± Nainiae advised the blood-stained man that it would be easier for him to just give up. Then, she flicked her fingers from time to time. BANG! BANG! Each time the blood-stained man took one step closer to Nainiae, a huge pir of fire rose from the floor he stepped on. ¡°Keek! Keekk!¡± The man was screaming while being hit directly by the pir of fire several times. He staggered with smoke as if his mouth were a chimney, and then rushed at Nainiae again. ¡°Garden tiger moth¡­¡± [T/N: Garden tiger moth is mainly used for a person who falls into temptation and pays a high price. Other than that, it is also used as a metaphor for those who walk into ruin on their own feet or score suicide goals.] Nainiae murmured pitifully as she looked at the blood-stained man rushing at her and moved behind the man¡¯s back using teleportation. ¡°Kekk?¡± Nainiae, who he thought had almost caught, disappeared in an instant and appeared from behind. The panicked, blood-stained man rushed back to her again. ¡°Puppet¡­¡± It¡¯s almost impossible to catch Nainiae, who was murmuring softly, with his hands. ¡°Tool¡­¡± If he managed to catch up with Nainiae, who was dodging by teleporting, the man¡¯s hand would be blocked by an invisible, transparent barrier, and he could no longer move forward. ¡°Kekk! Kakk!¡± Next, if Nainiae counterattacked with magic inside the barrier¡­ The man could only dodge the magic she shot in a hurry. BANG! BANG! Not only me-based magic but also ice-based magic that slowed movement. She even used invisible wind-based magic or telekinesis-based magic. ¡°¡­kekk!¡± A storm of icicles pouring around, wind hammer swaying with a terrifying roar, the ground wriggling and creating concrete thorns, transparent hands holding down his shoulders¡­ Because of that, the man, who had to receive a few more magics, couldn¡¯t stand it any longer and eventually knelt down. ¡°Now, live as a person.¡± To put an end to the man who was on his knees, Nainiae raised her right hand and created a gigantic spear. ¡°Mister, please kill me.¡± The voices of the children from Riley¡¯s previous life memories, who told him to kill them, could be heard in Nainiae¡¯s ears¡­ tears were forming around her eyes and she didn¡¯t even realize it herself. Don¡¯t hesitate, Nainiae. There¡¯s no one else who can make this manfortable but you¡­ Although Nainiae thought so, she couldn¡¯t easily throw the spear she had made in front of him. ¡°¡­¡± Thinking about how Riley felt when he wielded his sword at the children in the past¡­ She, who shed tears without realizing it, was hesitating. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Except this way¡­¡± ¡°Wait, please wait!¡± Nainiae had to stop herself from throwing the fire spear because Priesia standing in front of her all of a sudden. ¡°¡­Ms. Priesia?¡± Priesia, who hastily stopped Nainiae by dropping the beret she was wearing on her head, carefully opened her mouth. ¡°Nainiae, first of all¡­ calm down.¡± Priesia, who looked at the wall of fire that hadn¡¯t yet been extinguished, told Nainiae to calm down first. As she talked, Nainiae let out a short sigh. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Realizing that she was about to make a decision on her own without hearing Ian and Priesia¡¯s opinions by moving arbitrarily, Nainiae used different magic to extinguish the fire spear. ¡°Kekk!¡± At Nainiae¡¯s gesture, shackles of light appeared on the blood-stained man¡¯s neck and wrists who had been kneeling, tying him up. ¡°My emotions got me.¡± ¡°Why were you so enraged? It¡¯s not like you.¡± Ian, who was standing still as Nainiae advised so that he could avoid the pouring magic, approached her and asked her when the atmosphere had calmed down quite a bit. ¡°This man seems to have been subjected to the same kind of ¡®brainwashing¡¯ as the ¡®some children¡¯ that Young Master had dealt with before.¡± Looking at the man¡¯s horn on his forehead, sharp fangs and nails, Nainiae added that it seemed certain, but Ian and Priesia tilted their heads as if they were not sure. ¡°Brainwash?¡± ¡°Should I call it brainwashing or an experiment¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure, but this man wouldn¡¯t be the one who would have done this in the first ce.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Priesia muttered and Nainiae replied with a nod. ¡°Helena, it must be something she did.¡± Looking back at the man who had done something he shouldn¡¯t have done, Nainiae reached out toward his head and continued. ¡°The appearance and atmosphere of this man¡­ was simr to what Young Master experienced, so I think I acted emotionally without realizing it.¡± Nainiae reached out to find out about the man¡¯s memories while recounting briefly what Riley had been through in his previous life. ¡°Something like that¡­ happened, huh?¡± ¡°Disgusting, I also can understand why Young Master was angry.¡± Angry that it was only the tip of the iceberg, Ian mmed his fist against a nearby wall in anger. ¡°That¡¯s why this time she has to pay for her sins.¡± With information about Helena from Lee Han-seong, a man in a suit who spoke to them in front of the memorial in the afternoon¡­ Nainiae knew she was now enjoying living in clover. ¡°¡­undoubtedly.¡± After doing such terrible things, not only was she living in the cheers of the people, but the fact that she¡¯s still doing these terrible things¡­ Nainiae¡¯s fist clenched tightly. ¡°Tch.¡± Nainiae clicked her tongue all of a sudden and put her other hand behind the blood-stained man¡¯s head. ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t read him.¡± Nainiae replied that she couldn¡¯t read his memories, perhaps because of his unstable mind. She turned to Ian and Priesia to ask for their opinions. ¡°What should we do?¡± Priesia, who was pensive for a while at Nainiae¡¯s question, cautiously spoke out. ¡°Umm, Nainiae¡­ that person named Helena¡­ are you sure she¡¯s a saintess?¡± Nainiae nodded at Priesia¡¯s question and looked at her as if asking why. ¡°Certainly, using power like divine power to heal or bless people¡­ is she someone who uses that kind of power?¡± When Priesia asked one after another, Nainiae recalled Helena¡¯s image in Riley¡¯s memories and answered with a feeling of ¡®probably¡¯. ¡°She¡¯s certainly used powers like healing or blessings that add vitality to the body. Because Young Master had actually been healed by her.¡± Nainiae¡¯s expression darkened slightly as she recalled Riley, who was forced to fight thanks to her healing power, unable to rest even if he wanted to. ¡°By the way, why do you ask such a question?¡± ¡°In my case, after praying to Goddess Irsa, I healed people with the divine power I received from her¡­ ¡± Priesia held out her right hand, made light on her hand, and talked about how she used divine power. Then, she asked what she didn¡¯t understand. ¡°There¡¯s a god here too, right?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Since the world we live in is different, of course, the people are also different and the gods we worship are different too¡­ But somehow, I feel that there is no such god here at all. How did she get called ¡®Saintess¡¯ then?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At Priesia¡¯s words, a question mark appeared on Nainiae¡¯s face. ¡°¡­that can¡¯t be, I¡¯m sure there is.¡± When she entered Riley¡¯s dream, Nainiae clearly remembered the goddess of this ce she met there. The light, ck butterfly. Recalling the woman¡¯s appearance who had the same appearance as her and the conversations she had with her, Nainiae shook her head and looked at Priesia. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to pay too much attention to it. Maybe it¡¯s just my feeling¡­ but because the gods they worship are different, I might not feel it.¡± The woman named Helena seemed to be healing and blessing people with something other than ¡®divine power¡¯ that was talked about in the world over there¡­ Priesia was guessing that way. ¡°But¡­¡± Priesia, who walked towards the man in restraint, extended her right hand like Nainiae and started to use divine power. ¡°I think it¡¯s clear that the divine power that that woman uses is like an uneasy power.¡± When Priesia¡¯s hand filled with divine power and lit up, the man¡¯s ck horn which was in close contact with it¡­ started to evaporate slowly. ¡°The horn¡­ disappeared? ¡°Ms. Priesia, what is this?¡± When Ian and Nainiae were bewildered, looking at themselves as if wondering what had happened, Priesia, who used her divine power on the man, replied as she nced at the two of them. ¡°I¡¯m trying to purify it. In my own way.¡± Whether her purification was effective or not, as the man¡¯s horn disappeared, his sharp nails and fangs also began to be purified. He¡¯s returning? Recalling the children from Riley¡¯s previous life never returned, no matter what he tried, Nainiae realized that the man¡¯s bloodthirstiness gradually decreased. He¡¯s returning. * * * ¡°¡­they¡¯re noting.¡± ¡°¡­seems like they¡¯re noting.¡± Riley muttered while standing in front of the memorial, waiting for the other parts to appear there, and then Sera muttered too. ¡°Did Andal say that?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Andal was said to say that.¡± Andal said that there was a trap set up by Nainiae near the memorial and that she would return to the memorial if the trap was triggered¡­ That¡¯s the situation that Iril delivered to Riley and Sera. ¡°Khuu¡­ Um, um, grandmother¡­ Give me more of that¡­¡± Sera, who was sitting on a bench near the memorial, sighed deeply as she looked down at Iril, who was lying on herp as a pillow. ¡°She had such a hard time, so it¡¯s a little bit hard to wake her up.¡± ¡°Considering Nainiae¡¯s personality, the fact that the trap has triggered and they haven¡¯t appeared yet means that something has happened.¡± Riley stood up, deciding that he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. ¡°You wait here. I¡¯m going to look around for a second.¡± On therge screen on the building across the street, the appearance of Iril standing on the memorial and giving a speech was being broadcast on the news just a while ago. ¡°It seems like we¡¯re scattered by three.¡± ¡°How do you know that?¡± Sera tilted Iril¡¯s head to the other side, worried that people passing by might recognize her, who was lying on herp. ¡°I, you, and Nara were scattered in threes¡­ Iril, Andal, and Abyss are also scattered in threes¡­ Then the rest¡­¡± When Riley blurred the end of his words, Sera tilted her head and muttered the names of the other three instead. ¡°Nainiae, Mr. Ian, and Ms. Priesia¡­ Are you saying they¡¯re together?¡± Riley replied with a nod. ¡°It¡¯s very likely. I¡¯m sure of it just now.¡± The fact that the other three, whose whereabouts hadn¡¯t yet been found, weren¡¯t even showing their noses, showed that Nainiae cared so much about their whereabouts. ¡°I don¡¯t know about Ian, but Priesia is someone who would have been on the news at least once if she was alone. Because she can¡¯t be hiding all this time by herself.¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s because she looks so beautiful.¡± ¡°There¡¯s that too. And if she had encountered someone grunting on the street, she would have treated him without looking back and forth. Then she would have been right on the news. A person with the ability to ¡®heal¡¯ has appeared after the saintess¡­ they would have said that.¡± When Riley, who was watching the news that continued on therge screen, was about to take a step to patrol the surroundings¡­ [Breaking news. There have been a number of murders in the central region. Those in the guided area, please beware of the women wearing the above description clothing. Anyone who finds them should call the police or the capability office as soon as possible¡­] Therge screen changed, showing Iril and Sera. [¡­the criminal has been found to be a maniac who eats people and enjoys human flesh, so we rmend you to avoid them as soon as you meet them unless you are capable. I repeat. Anyone who finds them should call the police or the capability office as soon as possible¡­] Riley, who was watching the screen, suddenly furrowed one of his eyebrows. Sera tilted her head, looking at Riley as if wondering why. ¡°¡­Sera.¡± ¡°Yes, Young Master?¡± ¡°Do you perhaps¡­ like something like human flesh?¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Sera instantly made a face that said ¡®what kind of nonsense is that?¡¯. Chapter 219. Impersonation (5)

Chapter 219. Impersonation (5)

¡°Is that what you think of me?¡± ¡°You do? You don¡¯t, right?¡± Riley, who reconfirmed that the content on the big screen had been manipted by someone, clicked his tongue as if he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°¡­tch.¡± ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± ¡°Now, you and Iril have be killers who like eating human flesh.¡± ¡°What?¡± When Sera¡¯s expression turned even more bizarre than before, Riley, who added that she didn¡¯t have to worry about it, reached out as if he had decided it was better to hide. ¡°Iril.¡± ¡°Umm, euu¡­¡± ¡°Wake up.¡± Riley, who had said it was okay to fully enjoy her sleep for a little while, shook Iril to wake her up. ¡°Eu, what? It¡¯s still¡­ midnight, isn¡¯t it?¡± Iril narrowed her eyes and looked up at the night sky, and began to whine, saying, ¡°Why did you wake me up already?¡± A child is a child, huh? Sera supported Iril, who was still tired, to get up from the bench. She then exined that it was no longer a situation where she could sleep peacefully. ¡°Anyway, we need to join Commander Nara at once.¡± ¡°Nara?¡± Iril, who was still half-asleep, looked around, asking where Nara was, and Sera, who squeezed her shoulders as if to wake her up, spoke. ¡°Commander is waiting somewhere, not here.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Barely conscious from Sera¡¯s massage, Iril purrs like a wet puppy, wiping her face, and p! She pped her own cheeks with her palms. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m awake! Please say it again! What did you say?¡± Riley, who pointed to the ¡®serial killer who likes human flesh,¡¯ being introduced on the big screen due to breaking news, shrugged as if he was toozy to exin it again. ¡°Eh? What¡¯s that?¡± Whether Andal¡¯s interpreting magic was effective or not, Iril, who could read the tranted subtitles on the screen, frowned. ¡°Killer? Human flesh? What is that¡­¡± ¡°¡­for that reason.¡± Riley took the first step after confirming several things through Sera¡¯s sense to reduce the probability of missing each other with Nainiae. ¡°We must go back for now.¡± It was ufortable to go back like this because he couldn¡¯t find any parts to heal Mi-rae¡¯s parent, but he also couldn¡¯t stay like this because they were in a bad situation. ***** Priesia was able to restore the man who had be a monster back to normal through her purification. Thanks to it, Nainiae seeded in extracting some information from him. The first was the fact that it was Helena who made the man into a monster. The second was that certain conditions had to be met to turn a human into a monster. And the third was that it wasn¡¯t just one or two people that Helena wanted to turn into a monster. ¡°¡­the situation is more serious than I thought.¡± Looking down at the man who had now passed out, Nainiae mumbled, organizing the facts she had just discovered in her head, while Ian and Priesia muttered as if they couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°Didn¡¯t Young Master and Abyss, whom she originally intended to rule out, meet their end together a year ago?¡± ¡°Nainiae said earlier that the saintess lives afortable life now, so what else iscking? Why is she still doing such a terrible thing¡­¡± No matter where she went, she was praised by people to the extent that no one would nder her¡­ The three of them couldn¡¯t easily guess what on earth wascking. ¡°I will go to the memorial for a while. Just before, I sensed the trap I had ced there had been triggered.¡± ¡°Wait, what are we going to do with this man?¡± When Nainiae was about to return to the memorial again by teleportation, Ian caught her. ¡°Even though Helena turned him into a monster, he had done something he shouldn¡¯t have done¡­ shouldn¡¯t he be punished for it?¡± As Ian swelled with a serious expression, Priesia, who was standing next to him, bit her lip as if to disagree with Ian¡¯s opinion and spoke out. ¡°But¡­ it had nothing to do with his own will.¡± ¡°No, in any way¡­ he should be punished here.¡± ¡°It was done by a wicked woman who was not worth the title of saintess named Helena! If someone has to be punished, she¡¯s the one who has to be punished, so why should an innocent person be punished?¡± When Ian and Priesia confronted each other, saying that their opinions were right, Nainiae, who couldn¡¯t see it, intervened. ¡°It is not right for us to fight each other.¡± Nainiae looked down at the now-normally passed-out man who used to be a monster and replied that it would be better to decide by majority vote. Then she gave her opinion. ¡°I think Mr. Ian is right. After all, he was the one who made the mistake.¡± Even though Helena turned him into a monster¡­ he was the one who killed people and bit the flesh of the dead, so he had to pay the price for his crimes. ¡°Bu¡­¡± ¡°Please understand, Ms. Priesia.¡± When Nainiae asked Priesia to understand, she nodded helplessly and closed her eyes, putting her hands together to pray. ¡°Of course, Helena, that woman has to pay for her crimes too.¡± Nainiae added to Priesia, who was praying, and looked at Ian. ¡°Then, I will go to the memorial. If I meet the other parts, I will join them ande back. Until then, about Ms. Priesia¡¯s escort¡­ please do that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°The man will wake up in an hour or so. It¡¯s evening now, so maybe you could sleep and wake up in the morning.¡± Nainiae continued as if she had finished preparing for teleportation. ¡°I will be right back.¡± When the light shed because of teleportation, and Nainiae¡¯s vision returned to normal¡­ She was standing near the memorial. Let¡¯s see¡­ Since she had put the invisibility magic on in advance, there was no one around to recognize her, who suddenly appeared near the memorial. What about the trap? Nainiae walked in front of the memorial and checked the trap she had set up. After confirming that someone had used mana in this area, she looked around. Where is it? Which side did ite from? Looking alternately at the direction the trap was pointing, which was therge building near and on the opposite side of the memorial, Nainiae looked at the building carefully. Is it over there? Nainiae, who found traces of someone climbing up the wall using mana, stopped while trying to follow the trace. ¡­hmm? It was because of what she heard in her ears. [There have been a number of murders in the central region. Those in the guided area, please beware of the women wearing the above description clothing. Anyone who finds them should call the police or the capability office as soon as possible¡­] Nainiae turned her head and looked at the big screen on a building, then frowned when she found Iril and Sera on it. Iril and Ms. Sera? The screen changed, and Nainiae, who witnessed the scene when Iril stood on the memorial and gave a lengthy speech, put on an even more iprehensible expression. What on earth¡­ happened in this short moment¡­ Nainiae, who could clearly notice that the other parts had passed near the memorial, hurriedly followed the traces left by the trap. This stride¡­ this is Ms. Sera¡¯s stride. Nainiae used floating magic to climb up the building, following the trail to the top of the building. Then she found traces of a fight on the rooftop here and there and sat down with one knee bent. Bullets, ck clothes, bloodstains¡­ Nainiae looked around the site that hadn¡¯t yet been cleared. Then she sensed a sign of someone approaching this way and turned her head. Someone¡¯sing? After checking her invisibility magic, Nainiae hid her presence and moved to a blind spot on the rooftop, waiting for the main character to appear. ¡°Huu¡­¡± Shortly thereafter, the closed rooftop door opened and a man in a suit appeared. That man? ¡®Lee Han-seong¡¯, the man she met in front of the memorial in the afternoon and was said to be working at the capability office, appeared on the rooftop and was the main character whose presence she sensed. ¡°Why are the higher-ups making me do things when I don¡¯t even know what the situation is? Confidentiality b*llsh*t, bing a team leader only increases my chores¡­ sh*t!¡± Lee Han-seong, who had roughly messed his hair, looked around, picking up the ck clothes that had been left on the rooftop. ¡°Even in this murder case, yes. I mean, something smells fishy. We¡¯ve narrowed down all the criminals all night and the only thing we¡¯ve to do is to catch them¡­ then what happened all of a sudden? They threw two papers at me and said these two are the criminals? Ha! Really like a sh*t¡­¡± Nainiae, who had been listening, muttered to herself with a subtle look on her face. Is it rigged? ¡°Anyway, these b*st*rds have something to hide.¡± Lee Han-seong, who grumbled while cleaning up the clothes, bloodstains, bullets, etc. left on the rooftop, finished roughly and checked the site for thest time¡­ then he exited the rooftop through the door he had entered. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just you wait. I¡¯ll dig.¡± When the open rooftop door closed and silence came again, Nainiae, who had been hiding, came out. ¡°I guess there aren¡¯t only people who have a good impression on Helena¡­ This might be good to check.¡± Judging that there would be people who could be turned into allies, Nainiae returned to the subject once again and began to think about Sera and Iril¡¯s whereabouts. ¡°Judging from what that person just said, Sera and Iril used force here, and the two people who were present at the scene were linked with the recent murders that have be a problem in this world¡­ is it like that?¡± It had now gone, but Nainiae, who was once again scrutinizing the ces where the traces were left, looked out of the rooftop. ¡°Young Master now¡­ how is he moving?¡± In the evening, looking down at the night view and the people walking on the street, Nainiae murmured while fiddling with the ring she was wearing on her ring finger with her other hand. ¡°If it were Young Master¡­¡± Nainiae muttered nkly, thinking that if it was Riley, he might have moved more efficiently. ***** ¡°¡­ah, you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Returning to Mi-rae¡¯s home, Riley and the others found Nara sitting on the doorstep and furrowed their eyebrows as if wondering what happened. ¡°What is it? Why do you look like that?¡± It¡¯s because Nara looked pretty messy to say that it happened because of ying with Mi-rae. ¡°Ugh, euu¡­¡± When Nara, who was sitting on the doorstep, struggled to get up, using his spear as a cane, Iril approached the groaning man and asked. ¡°Oh my God, Commander? Why are you like this?¡± Iril¡¯s twitching eyebrows were mixed with half the joy of reunion and half the reaction of being satisfied. [Note: satisfied here refers to when seeing a person in trouble and you¡¯re happy seeing it.] ¡°You too, you must have been rolling around quite a bit, huh?¡± Nara also smiled and showed the same reaction as Iril at her appearance as if she hade from somewhere just like him. ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s Mi-rae?¡± When Riley asked Nara, who was in a mess, the closed front door opened slightly and Mi-rae cautiously poked her face out. ¡°¡­Mister?¡± Fortunately, Mi-rae looked fine. ¡°Huu¡­¡± Nara brushed off the dust on his clothes and said. ¡°There¡¯s someone who stopped by and went in.¡± Realizing that Nara looked like that because of protecting Mi-rae, Riley waited for Nara¡¯s next words. ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand what he said because I couldn¡¯t understand thenguage, but Mi-rae¡­ it seemed like he was looking for her.¡± Nara, enraged at the fact that someone visited Mi-rae¡¯s house and targeted her, continued, pointing to his eyes with his hand. ¡°Above all, his eyes.¡± Looking up at Riley so that Mi-rae couldn¡¯t see it, Nara changed his eyes to ¡®those of a basilisk¡¯ and talked about the eye color of the person who had just visited Mi-rae¡¯s house. ¡°It was red. It¡¯s very vicious.¡± ¡°Red? If it¡¯s red¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s definitely a crazy guy. The one who¡¯s on the killing side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Riley narrowed his eyes at Nara¡¯s words and recalled the dozens of police cars he ran into on his way back to the memorial this afternoon. ¡°So, I just decided that I shouldn¡¯t let him in.¡± Without knowing anything else and judging that if he gave Mi-rae to the guy, big trouble woulde, Nara said that he aimed his spear at the guy and tried to chase him away. ¡°But his skills¡­ seems like it wasn¡¯t normal?¡± Nara exined that he had seeded in somehow making him back off, but it was impossible to subdue him, then he sighed deeply. ¡°Even if he was cut or stabbed by the spear, he didn¡¯t get a scratch. It didn¡¯t look like he was using mana, but it also didn¡¯t seem like he was using his ability¡­ should I say that there is something strange about his physical ability?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Riley, who narrowed his eyes at Nara¡¯s exnation, asked quietly. ¡°Is there a horn on his forehead?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Nara, who blinked nkly at the question, answered a bitte. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. I was going to tell you that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± When Nara said yes, Riley¡¯s expression turned cold. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!