“Did you… notice?” Shaela asked, her expression stiffening.
“Of course, how could I not notice? It has been several years since you last returned ho,” Lucion replied.
Shaela had the option to co back to Cronia, whether she was at the Magic Tower or elsewhere.
However, she chose not to.
Ten years ago, when Lucion was kidnapped, Shaela was in the mansion in Cronia.
“I…” Shaela’s face contorted. “How can I co back?”
Lucion let out a sigh, his voice tinged with self-reproach. “Why couldn’t you co back? Cronia is your ho.”
“If only I had gone with you back then,” Shaela said, biting her lip forcefully.
“…What’s the point of studying magic? It was useless magic anyway, a failure. What good is that magic?”
“I told you I’m fine,” Lucion reassured her with determination.
“I can’t forget that day. You were so beautiful… and then you turned into a re shell covered in scars. You looked like a withered leaf, ready to crumble at any mont…”
Shaela’s head slowly dropped.
“But how can I go back ho? How can I face everyone?”
By the ti she found out about Lucion’s situation, it was already too late.
She felt helpless, unable to do anything.
As guilt consud her, she felt like she was standing there like a fool.
“…!”
Tears fell from Shaela’s eyes, catching Lucion off guard.
She had never shown tears before.
“When you were born, I promised your mother to protect you, Lucion. I learned magic… I learned it to protect you.”
Unaware of this fact, Lucion’s body stiffened.
‘She learned magic to protect ?’
“I’m such an idiot,” Shaela sniffled.
She imdiately stood up, but Lucion forced himself to move and held her back.
“Lucion! Are you crazy? How can you move with that body…?”
“You can co back ho. It’s more inconvenient for you to stay like this.”
“…I was planning to go back anyway. I wanted to go back, so don’t strain yourself.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Have I ever gone back on my word?”
“You did. You lied about not eating my macarons.”
“I’ll buy so for you! I’ll buy as many as you want!”
“Okay. That’s good.”
Finally, Lucion let go of her hand.
He attempted to get up again, but he stumbled montarily, and Shaela caught him and helped him stand.
“Your love for macarons hasn’t changed since you were a kid.”
“You gave them to for the first ti, didn’t you?”
“Ah… Do you rember when you cried because you had a few missing teeth and couldn’t eat cookies? I gave you one then. Do you rember?”
“I rember. Do you see? I’m still eating them now.”
―Hop! Lucion didn’t have any teeth?
Ratta, who was enjoying her al next to them, raised her head.
Russell struggled to hold back his laughter.
―Say ‘ah,’ Lucion. Ratta wants to see.
As Ratta attempted to climb onto the bed in a hurry, Shaela grabbed her by the back.
“No! You can’t climb up when we’re eating.”
Lucion’s ‘no’ and Shaela’s ‘no’ had different tones.
Even though the words were said lightly, Shaela’s words sounded quite strict.
―Lu, Lucion!
Ratta looked at Lucion pleadingly, her legs splayed.
“My fox is smart, so how about letting her go?”
“She doesn’t seem so smart when she climbs on the bed during alti, does she?”
―No! Ratta is smart! Look, Ratta is going to eat now.
As Ratta’s feet touched the ground, she tapped the floor with one foot while looking at Shaela.
“Oh! I take back what I said. Is she really smart?”
Shaela grinned at the sight of the black fox finding her food bowl on her own.
―Right? Ratta is smart!
Ratta’s tail, which had stopped, wagged.
Shaela turned her head and looked at Lucion.
“Lucion, I’m leaving now.”
“Already leaving?”
“Things have gotten complicated. I’ll sohow make those captured wizards talk, so let’s et at the tower.”
Shaela waved her hand.
“Take care of yourself.”
“I have sothing to tell you, Lucion. Send my regards to Father… Oh, and to our brother as well.”
Shaela left the room without even looking back.
How typical of her.
Hu and Heint, who had been waiting outside and unable to enter, finally entered the room.
“…Did you get hit by my sister?” Lucion unconsciously asked when he saw the torn area around Heint’s mouth.
“I did. I let you shine. Do you think Shaela would have let go if it weren’t for that?”
Heint answered with an apologetic expression.
“Regardless of the circumstances, I’m sorry, Lucion.” He soon lowered his head.
“No, thanks to you, I’m alive.”
[No, you should say thanks to you, I almost died.]
Russell gritted his teeth as he recalled that ti.
It was a close call, to say the least.
If Lucion didn’t have resistance to light, it might not have been a joke but a near-death experience.
Even now, Lucion’s fever was almost entirely caused by the light.
Heint inford Lucion of what he already knew, as if giving a report.
All of the people who were drawn and Twilo were captured, the wizards who attacked them were dead, and so were being interrogated.
“Lucion.”
Heint still called Lucion with an apologetic expression, but there was no trace of resentnt in Lucion’s eyes.
He was a genuinely kind person.
Heint felt even more burdened in his heart.
“Yes, brother. What is it?” Lucion responded.
“The divine beast has been waiting for you to wake up. Can you et him for a mont?” Heint asked.
“That’s fine, tell him to co in,” Lucion replied.
“Okay, just a mont,” Heint said, stepping outside to call for Troy.
After taking the dicine given by Hu, Lucion waited for Troy’s arrival.
Soon, Troy entered the room along with a gentle light.
―Uncle Troy! Ratta exclaid happily.
Troy couldn’t help but feel regretful and speechless when he saw Lucion.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Troy was once again at a loss for words at Lucion’s imdiate concern.
Isn’t it obvious who is injured and who is okay right now?
-Seeing you makes my heart ache.
Troy finally managed to speak.
“I will recover. But you, Troy, are you not well?” Lucion replied, concerned.
The divine beast had ntioned that it would disappear when a certain amount of damage accumulated.
Forever.
-I can be born again.
“That’s not Troy, right?”
-Indeed. It won’t be Troy. But since mories can be inherited, I…
“Are you saying that by inheriting mories, you beco Troy? I don’t think so. So please don’t get hurt.”
-You are truly kind.
Hearing these words for the first ti in a long while, Troy approached Lucion and gently stroked him with his front paw.
―That’s right! Lucion is kind! Ratta chid in, extending her front paw to pat Lucion’s arm.
“That’s right. Young master is a kind person,” Hu added.
Lucion’s eyebrow raised slightly at Hu’s comnt.
‘Kindness…’
If he was kind, then kindness must have disappeared from the world.
He had simply stated the obvious.
“What is the reason for wanting to see ?” Lucion asked, getting straight to the point.
He needed to rest deeply now in order to move around at night.
-At that ti, I couldn’t say anything due to the situation, but it’s about the black hand that reached out from the Sea of Death.
Troy lowered his front paw.
-It’s mixed with the scent of ‘that guy’ inside.
A heavy silence fell upon everyone present.
The impact of Troy’s words felt like a blow to the head with a mace, leaving Lucion speechless, his lips without easily letting out a voice.
[Crazy.]
Russell was the first to break the silence.
[I knew the Sea of Death was no ordinary place, but was it influenced by ‘that guy’s’ power?]
“The bell didn’t ring,” Lucion finally spoke up.
The bell did not ring.
As soone who couldn’t easily accept the fact that ‘that guy’ had co right in front of him, whose identity he didn’t even know, it was difficult.
-Yes. Not now, but he may have discovered your location, so it will be difficult for you, but you’d better leave quickly. I’ve been waiting to tell you this.
As soon as Troy finished speaking, Lucion calmly took a breath.
Seeing him already preparing for what cos next, Troy couldn’t hide his concern.
-I would like to give you more of my blessings, but it would be difficult because you are now too weak to withstand my blessings.
‘Shit.’
Lucion clenched his jaw tightly.
Tonight he had another reason to move.
But rather than avoiding ‘that guy’ who could co at any ti, it was more important to prepare for Troy, who was ready to sacrifice himself for his sake.
-Lucion, whatever happens, you co first. Stay safe.
“Are you… leaving already?” Lucion asked, feeling uncertain about Troy’s words.
The festival was ending today, but it was true that he needed to remain in the Sea of Death a little longer.
-To replenish the consud light, the light of Veros and other priests wouldn’t be enough. I don’t want to leave this place either, but I have no choice but to go to the Great Light Temple to quickly prepare for ‘that guy’.
Among light, darkness, and mana, darkness undoubtedly recovered the fastest, while light was the opposite.
[If that’s the case, it can’t be helped. But couldn’t you have at least inford us before leaving?]
Russell’s voice wavered slightly.
If Troy’s words were true, they wouldn’t have wasted the past two days idly, for whatever reason.
[Russell, you may not know, but the divine beast wasn’t idle. It scattered light at the boundary of the Sea of Death.]
Unlike Russell, who was bound by Lucion, Bethel had seen the Sea of Death.
She witnessed the brilliant light scattered into the sea and felt the power of the divine beast.
[…Ah. I’m sorry.]
Russell quickly lowered his head to Troy, his expression filled with embarrassnt.
-No matter the reason, it bothers to leave my post in a situation like this.
Troy rubbed his face against Lucion, the touch soft and warm, akin to Ratta’s fur.
-Lucion, may only happiness be with you.
Troy bestowed another blessing upon Lucion and vanished.
Lucion’s gaze shifted to Russell.
[…Are you moving because you don’t have ti?]
“You’re right,” Lucion grinned. “I’m moving tonight.”
[Think again.]
“If I think again, it’s still today.”
[So think again.]
“Yes. It’s today.”
In frustration with Lucion’s unwavering decision, Russell smacked Lucion’s forehead and exclaid.
[…You stubborn fool!]
* * *
‘My wounds are well-bandaged, and I’ve taken the dicine.’
Lucion flexed his hand.
He had also rged with Bethel.
He felt the familiar effects of possession as his once heavy body now felt lighter.
[Lord Lucion.]
Bethel couldn’t hold it in any longer and barely opened her mouth.
“Why?”
[How could you even consider moving with this body?]
[Hah. Didn’t you agree with Lucion to move?]
Russell scoffed from the side, finding it absurd.
[I did agree, but I regret it now. I’m regretting it.]
Her voice held deep regret, as she had claid.
“It’s already too late.”
Lucion chuckled, calmly waiting for his n.
Below the hill, there was a small, seemingly abandoned hut that served as the entrance to the enemy’s hideout. They used ghosts and created undying soldiers there, which Bethel had discovered and confird.
That entrance led to a mansion near the hill, and the owner of that mansion was none other than the Marquis of Tefellow Selga.
Tefellow Selga had competed with Lucion for a bracelet at the auction house, and he was one of Twilo’s subordinates.
“… young master.”
Hu looked down the hill and spoke up.
“Why?”
“You must never enter during a raid.”
The surprise attack was simple.
They were divided into two groups, with one infiltrating through the entrance to attack from inside, while the other group waited to catch those who escaped.
According to Bethel, there were hardly any ordinary people inside the mansion, with most of them being warlocks.
This made the raid easier.
What happens when a warlock is exposed to light?
The outco was certain.
Lucion was confident in that.
“If we’re going to use light, why would I go in there? I’ll be staying here.”
Hu’s eyes widened as Lucion stamped his foot on the ground.
“Don’t make any big movents.”
“I just kicked the ground.”
“Don’t even do that.”
―Oh! Right! Lucion, don’t even kick the ground! Ratta wishes for you to lie still here in the grass field.
Ratta, who had been running around in the grass, rushed over and listened to Hu’s words.
Huh.
Lucion let out a laugh.
Then why did he co here?
“Please stay here for today and only co in at the end to speak.”
“What’s gotten into you today?”
Lucion almost wanted to take off his mask right away and let Hu know how embarrassed he was.
“I knew the young master would ask.”
Hu focused his gaze.
“Ask…?”
“You, my master, are soone who doesn’t know what danger is.”
“…What?”
“It is the duty of a butler to respond to the master’s danger. I finally realized that and took action.”
Hu’s resolute attitude left Lucion speechless.
It was as if Hu, the model student, had suddenly declared himself a runaway.
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