When I finished telling Leroy, Andre, and Richard about my encounter with the red-haired man, they all regarded with disturbed expressions on their faces. The latter two remained on their beds, while Leroy stood next to .
While I held so stuff back, such as the part about being a transmigrator, I told them everything else.
No one said anything for several monts. The stone walls of this room were thick, letting in no sounds from the outside world. Sunlight stread in through the room's narrow windows.
Now that I thought about it, why were Andre and Richard recuperating in a room like this? While it was private, that was all it had going for it. It was small and cold, with little furnishing or decoration. As a scion of House Leone, Andre deserved sothing less bleak. Hell, I was surprised that Lord Icefall didn't invite him to stay at Icefall Manor.
"A Seventh Star martial artist." Andre said, his words bringing back to the present. "I can hardly believe it."
"Are you sure you aren't mistaken, Lord Gabriel?" Richard asked, giving a skeptical look.
Leroy frowned at him.
"Brother." He said, a warning in his tone.
I shook my head.
"It's fine." I said. "In his position, I'd question myself too. It does sound fantastical. I almost can't believe it myself, and I experienced it." I looked at Richard. "To answer your question, I'm sure. I've t one other Seventh Star martial artist: my teacher. The red-haired man's presence felt similar to hers, at least in terms of strength."
The mood in the room plumted. Seventh Ranked Awakened were rare. Fifth Ranked were already considered quite powerful. The heads of most Houses and Clans were at this level, like my father. Sixth Ranked Awakened were considered powerhouses, whose actions could affect the entire Solarian Empire. For Seventh Ranked Awakened, this was even more true.
As for Eight and Ninth Ranked Awakened, beings at that level were the stuff of myth legend. The only ones I could think of were the Sun Emperor and the Moon Queen, the rulers of the Solarian Empire and the Lunarian Kingdom respectively.
"If the demon summoners have a Seventh Star martial artist on their side," Andre said, "then they're more dangerous than we expected."
I nodded.
"Yes." I said. "However, from what I gathered, the red-haired man is working with the demon summoners rather than for them." I frowned. "I'm more concerned about the demon summoners' master, whoever he may be. It sounds like this isn't the work of a small group or isolated cult. I suspect the demon summoners belong to a much larger organization."
I'm surprised that neither Anna nor Cally made any ntion of this. As regressors, they should know more about the situation. If they don't, then that boded ill for us.
"That's what people suspect." Andre said. "Do you know what the attack force found when they assaulted the demon summoners' hideout?"
I shook my head. Andre proceeded to tell . In summary, when the attacking force assaulted the demon summoners' hide out, they encountered no resistance. The place was empty. That's when they realized that they had been tricked and that Icefall City was in danger. However, the demon summoners' left behind a trap that prevented them from leaving.
While the attacking force worked to break free, a few of them explored the demon summoners' hideout. At the center of the tunnel complex, they found so kind of temple.
"Was it the building that Aurora ntioned?" I asked. "The one with the symbol?"
Andre nodded.
"We believe so." He said.
When my friends and I explored the demon summoners' hideout so we could convince everyone that the demon summoners were still a threat, I had Aurora scout ahead of us. At the deepest part of the tunnel complex, she found a building with a symbol on it.
"Damn it." I said. "We're dealing with demon worshipers."
Demon summoners were bad enough. They summoned demons for their own selfish ends, but they didn't worship the damned things. However, demon worshipers were far worse. They venerated demons as divine beings and sought to beco demons themselves. To them, the Infernal Lands was a sort of paradise. Like their masters, demon worshipers reveled in pain, suffering, and misery.
In short, regular demon summoners were selfish idiots who often got killed by the very demons they summoned. Demon worshipers were religious fanatics who wanted to cause as much death and destruction as possible.
"We need to inform the Church of the Sun." I said. "Where's Paladin Charles? Is he still alive as well?"
Andre smiled and nodded.
"Yes," he said, "and he's already aware of what's going on. You don't have to worry on that front."
I sighed with relief. Good. This ant that word would reach Grand Priest Darius, since he was the one who sent Paladin Charles to in the first place. With the Church of the Sun warned that there was a cult of demon worshipers on the loose, they'd be more prepared to face the oncoming invasion. At the very least, the Church of the Sun would make it more difficult for the demon worshipers to move and act.
"By the way," I said, "I've been aning to ask. Why are you in this room? Why not recuperate in Icefall Manor?"
Andre's expression fell and he looked down at his lap.
"I couldn't leave the warriors of my Clan behind." He said. "Only a third of them survived, and the rest were all injured. It would be wrong of to enjoy the comforts of Icefall Manor while they all remained here, suffering."
My blood went cold. Only a third of the warriors from Clan Leone survived the battle? While it was better than complete annihilation, it was still a significant loss.
"I'm sorry." I said. "If I hadn't asked you-"
"Don't." Andre said, glaring at . "Don't you dare. Those warriors knew what they were getting into. They knew the risks. They died defending Icefall City from the demonic incursion. Don't you dare dishonor their sacrifice by needlessly blaming yourself." He shook his head. "Besides, if anyone is to bla, it's . I'm the one who brought those warriors up here in the first place."
"Young Master Andre," Richard said, a sympathetic expression on his face, "it's not your fault."
Andre gave him a self-deprecating smile.
"No," he said, "but it is my responsibility." He looked back at . "So don't bla yourself or feel guilty. That burden is mine to bear, not yours."
I didn't know how to respond to that, so I changed the subject.
"How is Clan Leone going to react to this?" I asked. "Will you be alright?"
Andre chuckled.
"Don't worry." He said. "I'll be fine. My Clan will be unhappy with , and many will question my judgnt, but I'll weather it just fine." He paused. "In fact, I believe they'll be more upset with for involving myself with you."
I blinked at him in surprise.
"You're joking." I said.
Andre shook his head.
"I wish I was." He sighed. "You underestimate how much my Clan despises your mother, and the rest of your family by association."
I knew that Clan Leone held a grudge against Mother, but not to this degree.
"Speaking of which," I said, "my parents and I will remain in Icefall City for the next few days. After that, we'll leave for the Solarian Imperial Academy." I gave him an apologetic smile. "I wanted to warn you ahead of ti, in case I don't get a chance later on."
Andre gave a mock glare.
"So, now that I'm no longer useful, you're abandoning ?" He chuckled. "Jokes aside, I figured sothing like this might happen. Still, thank you for telling ." He paused with an intrigued expression on his face. "I've heard so much about this aunt of mine, but I've never seen her before." He gestured to . "Can you arrange sothing?"
I glanced at Richard.
"I can try." I said. "If she accepts and agrees to et with you, she'll bring her bodyguard along. Is that alright with you?"
Andre followed my gaze and looked at Richard.
"I don't know." He said. "Is it?"
Richard wore a complicated expression on his face. He opened and closed his mouth several tis, but no words ca out.
"We don't know when another opportunity like this may co again." Andre said in a gentle voice. "After we return to Clan Leone, they'll likely confine us for a long ti."
Richard clenched his jaw, before he nodded.
"There you go." Andre said, looking back at .
I nodded.
"In that case, I'll ask my mother." I stood up. "Now then, I've taken up enough of your ti. I'll leave you to your rest." I gave Leroy a questioning look. "Do you wish to stay here and spend more ti with your brother?"
Leroy hesitated, before nodding.
"Yes." He said. "If you'll allow it, Lord Gabriel."
I snorted.
"Of course I will. In that case, I'll see you later."
I headed towards the door, but stopped before I opened it.
"Thank you, Cousin." I said, looking back at Andre. "Without your help, we might have lost more lives."
Andre made a dismissive gesture.
"Yes, yes, I'm amazing. I know. Now shoo. You're interrupting my rest."
I chuckled, before I opened the door and left.
After leaving Leroy with Andre and Richard, I looked around for Paladin Charles. As one of the people who helped defend the north gate, I figured I might as well pay him a personal visit. It didn't take long to find him. He was helping the healers tend to the wounded. As soone who wielded Holy magic, he could heal people, though not as well as as an actual healer.
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The two of us had a brief chat. Paladin Charles told that now the demonic incursion had been dealt with, he planned on leaving Icefall City once his people recovered. Many of them had been injured or killed when the red-haired man destroyed the north gate. However, half of them had been at the south gate, so they suffered less casualties than the warriors of Clan Leone.
We also discussed the temple that had been found in the demon worshipers' hideout. Paladin Charles said he would report this to Grand Priest Darius. After that, the Church of the Sun would send people to investigate this temple. With any luck, they would find out more about this group of demon worshipers.
After that, I thanked Paladin Charles for his aid. Without him and his people, it would've been more difficult to defend the north gate.
"There is no need for thanks, Lord Gabriel." Paladin Charles said. "It is our duty to protect the innocent from any and all demonic threats."
"Even so," I said, "I am grateful for your help, and I imagine the people of Icefall City feel the sa way."
After that, I left the local Church of the Sun and headed towards Icefall Manor. The two House Sturm retainers that my parents assigned to followed along. I wanted to talk with Cally and figure out if she knew anything about the group of demon worshipers behind this incursion.
When I arrived, I learned that Father was still talking with Lord Icefall in the latter's office. anwhile, Cally was eting with Anna in the drawing room. My heart fluttered when I heard this, and I headed over.
To my surprise, when I arrived, I found Captain Shannon guarding the entrance to the drawing room. She gave a bow when she saw .
"Welco, Lord Gabriel." She said.
"Captain Shannon." I said, gesturing to the door to the drawing room. "May I enter?"
Captain Shannon frowned.
"My lady ordered to prevent anyone from entering." She said. "However, considering the nature of your… Relationship with her, you might be an exception. Let ask."
Captain Shannon knocked before entering the drawing room. I heard so muffled voices, before the door opened again, revealing Anna. Captain Shannon stood behind her. Anna stared at with wide eyes, before she gave a bright smile.
"Gabriel!" She said. "You're awake!"
Before I had a chance to react, Anna grabbed and pulled into a deep kiss. By the ti I realized what was going on, it was already too late for to break free. Not that I wanted to. Anna's lips felt warm and soft, and at this point I was pretty much addicted to her vanilla scent.
Anna kissed for so long, that by the ti we pulled apart, both of us were a little out of breath. I stared at her, in a bit of a daze. Anna grinned at , her cheeks flushed. Neither one of us said a word.
"Will you two at least try to hold yourselves back while in public?" An acerbic voice said. "Have so decorum!"
I glanced over and saw Cally standing next to Captain Shannon, an annoyed expression on her face.
"Hey Cally." I said, giving her a wave.
Cally scoffed.
"Wipe that dopey smile off your face and get in here." She said. "We need to talk."
She turned around and headed deeper inside the drawing room.
"Don't mind her." Anna said with a snort. "Despite all appearances, she's happy to see you awake. She was almost as worried for you as I was." She reached over to hold my hand, intertwining her fingers with mine. "Co one, let's go."
I snorted.
"Unprotected hand holding." I said. "How bold."
Anna laughed, before the two of us headed inside the drawing room. However, just after we crossed the threshold, I turned towards the two House Sturm retainers. They stared at with shocked expressions on their faces.
"Stay out here and guard the door with Captain Shannon." I said.
Neither of them reacted. Captain Shannon scoffed, before she exited the drawing room and closed the door behind her.
Cally sat on a couch, with a small wooden table in front of her. A tea set with two cups of tea sat atop the table. Anna and I walked over and sat on the couch across from Cally's, holding hands the entire ti. Cally took a sip of her tea before speaking.
"It's about ti you arrived, Gabriel." She said, giving an annoyed look. "I expected you to co sooner."
Anna snorted.
"She's miffed that you didn't arrive with your father." She said.
Cally glared at Anna, but didn't refute her words.
"Is there sothing in particular that you wished to talk about?" I asked. "Or are you just happy to see a friend?"
Cally scoffed and looked away, pouting.
"She was worried that you wouldn't wake up, though she would never admit it." Anna said in a quiet voice. "We all were. It's been a rough week." She kissed the back of my hand. "Seeing you awake is a cause for celebration."
"How bad are things?" I asked.
Cally sighed, before looking back at .
"The damage to the city itself isn't too bad." She said. "We'll repair it all, in ti." Her expression darkened. "However, we lost a lot of people. My people. It's more painful than I expected, despite everything I've been through."
"Losing people is never easy." I said. "Rather, it shouldn't be. It's painful, but it shows that you still care. I've t so people who showed complete disregard for human lives."
Anna and Cally nodded.
"So have we, in the First Tiline." Anna said. "At first they were rare, but they beca more common as things grew worse." She wore a guilty expression on her face. "I almost beca one of them, though the people around kept from crossing the threshold."
A heavy silence fell over the drawing room.
"Well then," Cally said, breaking the silence, "now that we've sunk everyone's spirits, let us get down to business." She looked at . "There is a particular reason why I wanted to see you. What happened at the north gate? We have so idea after questioning the others, but we don't have all of the answers. We're hoping you can fill in the blanks for us."
I nodded, before I told them about my encounter with the red-haired man. Unlike with Andre and Richard, I held nothing back. To my surprise, when I described the red-haired man's appearance, Anna and Cally's expressions beca unsightly. I found this strange, but continued with my story. After I finished, neither one of them said anything for a long while.
"Blood Demon." Anna spat out. "Of course. No wonder that last attack seed familiar. It was him."
I blinked at her in surprise.
"You know this man?" I asked.
Anna and Cally nodded.
"In the First Tiline," Cally said, "Blood Demon was a transmigrator from First Murim who fought alongside the demons. He was one of the biggest reasons why we lost. We could never defeat him." She shook her head. "However, in the First Tiline, he showed up years after Icefall City fell. I never expected him to show up so soon." Her expression turned complicated. "Though, as selfish as this sounds, I'm glad he did. Otherwise I would've lost my ho again."
"He's one of the reasons why it was almost destroyed in the first place." Anna pointed out. "If he hadn't destroyed the north gate, we would've held out."
Cally sighed.
"I know." She said. "But still, he ensured Icefall City's survival, and that's all that matters to ." She frowned and looked at . "Though I'm curious as to why. What is your teacher's relationship with Blood Demon?"
I shrugged.
"I don't know." I said. "Teacher never told much about her history." I mulled it over for a mont. "Though I doubt they were enemies. Otherwise, he wouldn't have spared my life."
"Were they lovers?" Anna asked.
I grimaced.
"That's a disturbing image." I said. "I hope not."
"Regardless, Blood Demon is a threat that we'll have to deal with," Cally said, "otherwise, history will only repeat itself." She gestured to . "Given what happened, you are likely our best chance at defeating him. Unlike with others, he may hesitate to kill you."
I bared my teeth at her in a smile.
"Don't worry." I said. "I already planned on facing Blood Demon."
Cally nodded.
"Good."
I looked between her and Anna.
"Now I have a question for you two." I said. "In the First Tiline, was a cult of demon worshipers behind everything? If so, why didn't you tell ?"
Neither answered right away.
"We suspected there was, but we didn't know for sure." Anna said, frowning. "We never found any concrete evidence. That's why Cally and I didn't ntion it before."
"You have to understand how chaotic things were, Gabriel." Cally said. "The demonic incursion we faced was just the beginning. Things are only going to beco worse from here on out. You've seen how well our enemies are at covering their tracks. They used the chaos to keep their existence hidden, even until the very end."
I frowned.
"So you don't know anything about them?"
Anna and Cally flinched.
"As ashad as I am to admit it, yes." Anna said.
"However, this is a lead worth looking into." Cally said. "If we deal with this cult of demon worshipers, perhaps we can slow down the invasion." She paused. "If we're lucky, maybe we can stop it altogether."
Both Anna and Cally wore expressions of intense longing on their faces.
"Paladin Charles is going to report their existence to Grand Priest Darius." I said. "That's a good start."
"It is." Cally said. "However, it won't be enough. Many people betrayed humanity and started working with the demons before and after the demonic incursions even began. They infiltrated every part of Luminian society, including the Church of the Sun. They'll do everything they can to hinder the church's investigation into the cult of demon worshipers."
I sighed. Saving Icefall City was just the beginning. We still had a long road ahead of us. I felt tired just thinking about it. And it was worse for Anna and Cally. They already lived through all this once before. Now they had to go through it again.
"Anyway, that's a problem for later." Anna said with a cheerful smile on her face. "Let us focus on the present and enjoy ourselves while we can."
Cally frowned at her.
"We don't have any ti to waste." She said. "The sooner we prepare for what's to co, the better."
"Yes, but we also need to rember what we're fighting for in the first place." Anna said, gesturing to Cally. "We saved your ho, which was destroyed in the First Tiline. Your family is alive, Cally. However, instead of spending ti with them, you're worrying about the future."
Cally bit her lip and looked down. She clenched her hands so hard that her knuckles turned white.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
Cally didn't answer right away.
"I'm afraid." She said after a while. "What if none of this is real? What if all of this is a dream?" She took a deep breath and unclenched her hands. "I'm afraid that if I let my guard down, I'll wake up and this will all disappear. I've wanted to save my family for so long, and now that I have, I'm afraid that they'll be taken away from again."
I gave her a gentle smile.
"That's all the more reason to spend ti with them." I said. "The world is a cruel and fickle place. You never know when you might lose your loved ones. That's why you need to cherish them while you have the opportunity."
Cally furrowed her brows at .
"You're terrible at comforting others." She said. "However, you're not wrong."
I shrugged.
"I understand what you're going through," I said, "at least a little bit. While I didn't lose my family the way you did, I was still separated from them for twenty five years."
Cally sighed.
"Fine," she said, "we'll figure out what to do later. Let us enjoy this peace while we can. It won't last for long."
Now that didn't sound ominous. Not at all.
"My father plans on holding a morial service for those who died defending Icefall City." Cally said. "There will be a feast afterwards, to celebrate our victory. Will you be attending?"
"That depends." I said. "When is it?"
"The day after tomorrow."
I nodded.
"Then yes, that should be fine, though my family will have to leave the next day. We're heading down to the Solarian Imperial Academy to see Kaylee." An idea popped into my head. "Why don't you co with us? I'm sure my parents would be willing to bring you along."
Cally mulled it over.
"No." She said. "As much as I wish to see Kaylee, I want to spend more ti with my family first." She paused. "And that's assuming Kaylee is a regressor like Anna and I. If she's not…"
Cally didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to. If Kaylee wasn't a regressor, then she had no connection to Cally. Perhaps the two could still end up becoming friends, but it wouldn't be the sa.
"I'll send you a ssage, letting you know either way." I said. "Assuming Kaylee doesn't send one herself. Regardless, you're always welco at Sturm Manor."
Cally gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Gabriel," she said, "I appreciate it."
Anna bumped her shoulder into .
"What about ?" she said, pouting at . "Why don't you invite ?"
I gave her a sardonic look.
"What's the point?" I asked in a dry tone. "Our families are about to et in order to discuss our engagent."
"And? I'd still like it if you invited to co with you."
I sighed.
"Would you like to join us, Anna?" I asked.
Anna smirked at .
"I would love to, but I can't." She said. "My parents want to et with a suitor they picked out for . I'm eting him and his family in Sunheart."
I rolled my eyes at her.
"You're not as funny as you think you are." I said.
"What are you talking about?" Anna asked. "I'm hilarious."
Cally scoffed.
"Don't you an delusional?" she asked.
The three of us spent the next hour like that, just talking and enjoying each other's company. We never talked about anything important, but that was the point. It was just simple and inconsequential banter.
However, an undercurrent tension ran beneath every word and action. We knew that we would need to deal with the looming invasion from the Infernal Lands. While we put it aside for now, we knew that the current peace was just the calm before the storm.
Over the next few days, we dealt with the aftermath of the demonic incursion. I pitched in to help as much as I could, even if it was just as an extra pair of hands. While this was far beneath my station, I didn't care. It felt wrong to just stand back and do nothing.
And so, before long, the day of the morial and subsequent feast arrived.
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