Chapter 552: A Sunday without Joshua
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Since that abrupt incident more than a month ago, the letters of gratitude from the Scarlet and Kaos families never stopped coming, while Joshua, Brandon, and Vale Dani grew even closer.
After his initial passing of the Dual Blades’ Legacy trial, Brandon attained considerable mories regarding the Glorious Era as well as a portion of Legacy related to the Sage. Amongst them include the secret language to unleash the true nas of the Dual Blades of Order which Joshua told him about a few years ago, although there was not much information apart from that—the warrior has ascertained that after several inquiries that the blonde swordsman definitely had not fallen into that vivid illusion as he did, eting part of the Sage’s soul firsthand.
It must be considered a pity as that ant Joshua had completely lost the possibility of eting the Sage once more. With the many doubts and issues plaguing the Mycroft continent that awaits solutions, he must study and investigate everything after in the absence of the Sage who was the most direct source of answers. However, that was sothing good in itself since most issues were almost solved, with the only major issue that awaits being the Abyssal invasion over twenty years later. But if there really was nothing to do in the anti, Joshua was bored.
It was presently the fifteenth of January, Starfall year 836. Joshua was already missing ‘as per usual’ in the morning, although Ying who was constantly beside him never showed any surprised expression—her own master basically vanished in such fashion every few days that she no longer felt surprised. Furthermore, according to that sa candid Master who never hid even the smallest details, the divine armant girl knew quite a lot—including the large-scale joint taskforce he would taking apart alongside other Legendary champions in the Void.
“Master isn’t here.”
In Joshua’s room that was rather empty and lacked decorations, the mild smile over Ying’s face abruptly turned cold and sinister. “It’s ti,” she chortled coldly as she placed the tray of hot tea over a closet.
Soon, Black, waking up groggily from her slumber felt that her posture was extrely uncomfortable and so tried to turn, only to discover in sudden shock that soone had chained her to a sitting position!
Quickly opening her eyes, the puzzled Black completely could not get a handle over the situation. Was she not still at the liege’s residence? The Moldavian main city was the safest place there is, right beside her Master! In fact, no one other than Master could tie her up!
As she looked around, she discovered that she was inside a mysterious square room without any doors, with each wall adorned with enigmatic and suprely complicated mithril and purple crystal runes. Each line of runic formation flashed with arcane light arcs, forming part of a multidinsional magic circle, while in the center of the room was a massive runic crystal that glinted in dazzling radiance—precisely where she was chained to. Around her was Ying and Zero-Three, whose expressions were equally cold and staring at her with an unusual gaze, as well as Ling who looked spent.
“Ding-Ring... Scary...”
A soft yet quivering voice rang from Black’s head. Only then did Black noticed that Light had been caught as well and bound with a minuscule energy field between Black’s two horns, causing the luminous orb that had learned a little human language to shudder, afraid to move.
“What’s... going on?” The usually bold Black wanted to scratch her head and act silly as she tried to ascertain why she was suddenly captured, only to notice halfway that the chains and sealing spell used on her was astonishingly sturdy. The mithril chains notwithstanding, the binding spell had to be cast in the very least by a Gold mage.
“Eh? Ling, why would you tie up—” Black, having finally understood that she had no way from freeing herself panicked, twisting her body and urgently aid her question at Ling, whom she always got along with. “There must be so misunderstanding!”
I didn’t steal food! Nor skip the training plans Master set in place! I even obediently learned humans’ swimming posture!
Hot tears were welling in Black’s eyes. She truly believed that she had been cute and disciplined, having done nothing that deserved punishnt—additionally, even if it was that ti she unwittingly reverted to her true form when everyone was prepared to dive into the sea and turned the coastal zone around them into a heated saltwater kettle, Master had only given her knock on her head! Although it was really painful as well.
But Ling rely responded to her question with a sigh—from his appearance that looked as if he was about to ascend into heaven, he had clearly been working overnight to manage a multitude of official docunts and administrative duties. Although the liege’s residence was recently prepared to emulate the Eastern Plains and establish a subordinating governing body to manage daily administration and free the liege’s residence itself from the innurable trivialities, that particular series of handover tasks were the most cumberso.
Nonetheless, the divine armant youth hesitated a little as he saw that Black was about to cry, only to shake his head. “Black, I’d advise you to be as honest as possible. Master did once say ‘honesty invites leniency, resistance invites severity’ when he interrogated cultists, after all.”
Black was instantly left dumbfounded—when had she beca a cohort of cultists? But before she could press on, the frosty Ying folder her hands across her chest beside them. “Alright, no more.” She said impatiently. “Master could return anyti, we must hurry with our interrogation.”
As she spoke, the silver-haired girl briskly took a step ahead and arched her back, reaching out to lift Black’s chain and level her icy gaze at the black dragon girl’s damp eyes. “Speak! Black, how did you get Master to bring you along last ti!”
Black: “???”
“Not talking?” Sighing, Ying pulled back, shaking her head while seemingly prepared to draw sothing sinister from her hip. “Looks like we have to do this the hard way–”
“No! I’ll talk!”
Though unsure what Ying was about to bring out, Black’s instincts told her that it was definitely very dangerous! As such, she could only follow her head and divulge everything without hesitation. “But... Sister Ying, you must at least specify which ti!”
“You’re actually asking which ti!” This ti, even Zero-Three’s expression changed despite her silence throughout. Her mana projection kicked up waves of ripples while the purple crystals around them glimred in fluctuating light. Then, the artificial intelligence (AI) girl clenched one fist and increased the mana output of the seal, before speaking viciously. “Say, how many tis you’ve even gone out with Joshua for the last six months?!”
“Just... that one ti apart from training–” Still uncertain over why she faced such treatnt, Black was truly helpless. She did her best to recall, before speaking slowly. “It’s also more than half a year ago, that ti I traveled with Master to the Abyss—but that’s already seven to eight months ago, you guys shouldn’t be asking about that now, right?!”
“Exactly that!” Ying and Zero-Three bellowed at once, while Ying mumbled ‘can I rest now?’ with a grudging expression beside them. Even the luminous orb on top of Black’s head contracted by an entire layer while rolling where it was.
“What Master said? There is revenge even for the grudge of ten centuries!” The silver-haired girl said, after of which she coughed once as if to hide the awkwardness just now, before starting to recite a jumbled ss of Joshua’s proverbs. “I would rember clearly even if it was a thousand years, much less seven to eight months! Alright, Black, tell us how you did it—how you left us behind and went on a trip alone with Master!”
“Speak and we’ll free you,” Zero-Three added beside them. Unlike Ying’s fearso and imposing deanor that was remarkably similar to Joshua’s, the AI girl’s appeared more serene and elegant. “And Light,” she added chillingly as if suddenly rembering about the luminous orb, “how did Joshua co across her, and how did he bring her back?”
Light: “???”
“I really don’t know about that!” Unable to understand why she was chained up for such matters, Black felt bitter and wronged even if she could not say it. However, under Ying and Zero-Three’s cool pressure, she recounted the events obediently. “I rember I was lingering in a corner of a wall, and Master asked what I was doing there when he passed by...”
Having heard that, Ying swiftly withdrew her expression that was not at once clear who was imitating who, taking out a notebook from a little waist pocket and began to record everything down. Zero-Three’s eyes too flashed with pale-blue data radiance, seemingly to record both video and audio.
“...Then, I said it was really boring to stroll the icy plains which we visited over umpteenth tis, and we should go for a stroll by the Ural Mountains next ti. Master thought about it but said not—there are many rchants there and we could easily scare soone.”
Black was having trouble recalling their conversation, just as anyone would for sothing happening over seven months ago. But she must—one silver and blue silhouette stood before her, striking a pose as if execution awaits the mont she stopped talking, which was why the black dragon girl could only rember what happened rather disjointedly. “...I was rather disappointed on that occasion, which was why Master thought about it and asked if I wanted to beco stronger.”
“Beco stronger?” Ying stopped taking notes and frowned, muttering quietly. “What does that an...”
“I said ‘yes’,” Black rely continued guilelessly, “So Master said ‘good’, and then took along.”
“That simple?!” Zero-Three had an expression of disbelief after the recording was completed—the mana projection shook her head, causing her long blue hair and little wings on her back to shake as well. “Impossible, how could it be... but if it were Joshua...”
Her voice gradually softened, as both Ying and Zero-Three frowned when they thought about Joshua’s usual behavior. The silver-haired girl even chewed the end of her pen as she considered the matter seriously, and mumbled with a stifled voice. “It could really be possible if it were Master...”
anwhile, Ling yawned, utterly uncertain why he was summoned. It was pure folly to interrogate a dragon over such complicated matters, and he would rather study from cooking recipes with his ti.”
Can I rest now?
“That’s all... Uh, can I go now?”
Black shifted uncomfortably on her chair, feeling vexed for being chained so tightly—especially that severe pressure on her chest. However, both Ying and Zero-Three rely replied with a cold stare and subsequently pondered.Becoming stronger? For that reason alone?
“Master certainly has such a personality...” the divine armant girl said quietly, believing it to be Joshua’s usual thinking. “Black felt bored, Master definitely feel that she did not train enough and so asked if she wanted to beco stronger. Then, it was expanding her training regi and taking her out for live combat... everything fits!”
Both live combat experience in the Abyss and the exponentially raised training regi after they returned pointed to the indisputable truth! Zero-Three nodded in agreent with Ying’s hypothesis as well, and the pair abruptly left Black behind amidst her shouts of ‘Eh? Hurry and help unbind these chains’, moving to a corner of the room to analyze their findings.
After a calm and ticulous examination, both Zero-Three and Ying’s expressions paled as they realized the problem. Hell, aren’t we completely screwed?
They were one divine armant girl and one AI—for them, becoming stronger has nothing to do with combat and training!
“Damn... Damn it!”
Taking a deep breath, Ying stamped her feet, her face white with anger. “I won’t yield!” She seethed. “We’ll know only after we tried!”
Zero-Three’s reaction was not that exaggerated, however. “Looks like the research process must be stepped out,” she muttered to herself quietly.
anwhile, Black asked tentatively, “Can I be freed now? It’s really tight!”
There was still no response.
*****
Soon, Joshua returned to the liege’s residence from the Void Star-Observatory. When he calmly stepped out of the portal to find the divine armant siblings, black dragon, luminous orb and Zero-Three waiting on the top level for him, he could not help feeling rather surprised. Moreover, Zero-Three and Light had a curious expression, while Ling looked entirely exhausted.
“Why are all of you here?”
In truth, Joshua’s heart was a little touched. Without a word, he moved up and patted the silver-haired girl’s shoulder as she approached—having the whole family waiting for himself when he returned was a feeling he had not experienced in a long ti.
At the sa ti, Ying’s hesitated for a mont before throwing those frivolous stuff away from her mind.
“Master!” She declared sonorously. “I want to beco stronger!”
Although Zero-Three said nothing beside them, that gaze of hers was unquestionably saying the sa thing.
“Huh? It’s fine that you guys have the heart... but.”
Though he felt that sothing was out of place, Joshua was still moved by the girls’ desire to improve. “Relax,” he laughed, speaking like a teacher encouraging his students while looking upon the quintet with a pleased gaze. “I’ll be eting Barbarossa and the others in the Eastern Plains in a few days. He’s the current leader of the Skypiercing White Tower, and with the technological reserves of the Eastern Plains it wouldn’t be a problem for all of you to strengthen fundantally!”
“Furthermore, Ling, Ying, I am going for a long journey after his month—you two best prepare.”
Having said that, Joshua also poked Black and the luminous orb that were shuddering in a corner. “Light is coming too—it is probably needed for this operation.”
Not minding Ying who was clenching her fist in excitent, or Ling who looked lost, or Zero-Three who looked shocked and betrayed, as well as not actually knowing what he actually did, Joshua’s thoughts returned to the huge news that Nostradamus had just inford him about.
“That bunch from the Earth Temple recently planned to placate , huh.”
He understood what that ant, and could not help rembering that girl whose betrayal got her killed by his hand in the Bloodmoon Abyss.
He shrugged.
Hopefully, they would be sincere enough.
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