C824
"...I see."
After hearing the recent events, Alice lowered her head.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea."
She pressed her lips tightly as she looked at Sia lying in bed.
"I said I would protect you all, but I guess I was too focused on my own affairs."
Alice let out a deep sigh, as if filled with regret.
"You don't need to apologize."
Raon approached Alice and shook his head.
"The Head of House deliberately didn't inform you because if this incident spread outside, it could become a weakness for the Five Demons."
Seeing that Alice seemed to blame herself, he explained why they hadn't sent her the news.
"That's right, sister."
Sylvia called Alice 'sister' in a slightly trembling voice.
"Everyone is safe. We're really fine."
She smiled brightly, momentarily putting aside her worry for Sia.
"..."
Alice frowned, still only looking at Sia, as if her self-reproach hadn't lessened even after hearing Sylvia and Raon's words.
"Aunt."
Raon lowered his gaze as he called Alice "aunt" to change the atmosphere.
"What were you doing that made you inaccessible? The Head of House said he sent letters even before I went to the Holy Sword Alliance."
"Ah..."
Alice let out a short sigh and looked up.
"I was trying to find that damn son of mine."
She ruffled her hair and clicked her tongue.
"You mean Sif."
Sylvia narrowed her eyes as she looked at Alice.
"Is he still out of contact?"
—Yes. I went to the place where they supposedly saw Sif two years ago, but it turned out to be a damn dungeon.
Alice gritted her teeth and said she had been completely deceived.
"You went to a dungeon?"
Raon asked Alice, repeating her words.
-Yes. It was a dungeon full of traps and monsters. But that wasn't the real problem...
"What do you mean?"
"It looked like it had been made just a few days ago, but also like it had been dug hundreds of years ago. No, that must be true. The time axis was a little different."
Alice nodded, lowering her eyebrows.
“We were in the dungeon for a week, but when we came out, more than two months had passed.”
She shook her head, saying it was a very strange place.
"Then what did you find there..."
—Nothing. There was no trace of my damn son, nor any treasure.
"Hmm..."
Raon stroked his chin as he watched Alice click her tongue.
"She must be worried."
The usual Alice would have welcomed such a dungeon and adventure, but she seemed nervous about Sif's absence.
"Ugh."
Alice leaned back in her chair and looked towards the ceiling.
"Actually, I didn't want to live like my father, so I planned to train Sif moderately and then give him freedom, but..."
"His talent was too good."
Sylvia let out a short sigh as if she understood.
"That's right. He was a child who understood ten things when taught one, so without realizing it, I got serious. From his perspective, it might have seemed similar to our father."
Alice clicked her tongue as if feeling pathetic.
"I realized my mistake belatedly and gave him freedom to do as he pleased, but I guess it was too much. At least I should have created a way to keep in touch."
She lowered her eyebrows and said she regretted it.
-Mmm...
Wrath scratched his cheek as he watched Alice cover her eyes.
-Even this troublemaker is a mother, it seems.
-I suppose so.
Raon thought one of the reasons Alice cherished him was because she longed for Sif. He had been curious why she wasn't actively searching for him, but it seemed it was due to her guilt for pushing him too hard with training when he was young. He had always thought she was confident and acted freely in everything, but as Wrath said, Alice was also a mother.
—But didn't Sif dislike training?
Sylvia tilted her head as if confused.
"I didn't see it myself, but I heard that that child was also very diligent."
"He was."
Alice nodded calmly.
"But since I started training him from a very young age, he probably didn't know it wasn't normal."
She lowered her gaze and said she regretted not giving Sif a choice.
"Everything will be alright."
Sylvia shook her head with a gentle smile.
"Children understand their parents' hearts better than we think."
She placed her hand on Alice's as she looked at Raon.
"Sif, and our Sia too, will be fine."
"Yes. That's how it should be. Sia, and our damn Sif too, should live a long life."
Alice nodded softly, as if following the atmosphere Sylvia had created.
"Aunt."
Raon took this opportunity to completely change the subject by asking about the Soul Crystal.
"Did you really see the Soul Crystal?"
"Since Lawaine saw it, I'm not sure, but..."
Alice waved her hand while turning her gaze.
"He's not one to lie. You can probably believe him."
She clenched her fist and said she would kill Lawaine if it wasn't true.
"That's right."
Raon nodded. The Lawaine he had seen wasn't a man who would talk nonsense. He was confident they could find it.
"Shall we go? We've delayed too long."
Alice smiled slightly as she pushed back her disheveled hair.
"I will definitely get the Soul Crystal for you."
She gently stroked Sia's forehead and then stood up.
"Well, I'm off."
As Alice bid farewell to Sylvia, she made eye contact with Edgar, who was standing expressionlessly behind them.
"Ahem..."
Edgar cleared his throat and bowed his head.
"Sister-in-law. It's a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Edgar, and as you've heard, I'm from the Holy Sword Alliance. The Holy Sword Alliance isn't really such a bad place. Of course, there are some bad guys, but there are also many good people. Now that we're in contact with Zieghart, we're improving our relationship..."
"You talk too much."
Alice frowned as she looked at Edgar.
"Ugh..."
Edgar closed his mouth tightly, as if in shock.
"How am I supposed to greet someone if you don't even give me a chance?"
Alice gently hit Edgar's arm, telling him to snap out of it. Although it didn't seem like she had used much force, it sounded like she had hit a stone with a bat.
"I'm sorry. I'm overthinking and don't even know what I'm saying. It just comes out..."
Edgar stammered incomprehensibly, and his face turned red.
"Everywhere there are good people and bad people. I know."
Alice nodded as if it were obvious.
"Let's have a drink when all this is over."
She patted Edgar lightly on the shoulder and then left the hospital room.
"Why are you stammering so much? Were you that nervous?"
Sylvia chuckled as she looked at Edgar, who seemed extremely tense.
"More than that, it hurt! When she touched my arm, I thought my bones were going to break."
Edgar shivered and said he needed to get it checked immediately.
—Of course, I was nervous too. I don't know why, but I felt more nervous than in front of my father-in-law. I think I made a bad first impression...
"Don't worry. It's a good reaction."
Raon laughed as he patted Edgar's shoulder, just as Alice had done.
"R-really?"
"Yes. If your aunt really dislikes someone, it shows on her face."
After reassuring him, Raon went back to packing his things.
—Alright. Take care. For some reason, I'm not worried.
Edgar smiled awkwardly, saying he suddenly felt at ease.
"I feel the same. Seeing my sister makes me feel relieved."
Sylvia nodded, erasing the dark expression from her face.
"Then I'm off."
Raon said goodbye to the two and went outside.
"Let's go."
Alice took the lead with light steps, as if eager to leave quickly.
"Yes."
As they walked down the main road, Martha, who was standing in front of the fifth training ground, shook her fist.
-Hey, bastard!
Martha frowned and shouted that he was very late.
-Why are you so late! The sun is already up... huh?
She was scolding him but then opened her mouth wide when she saw Alice beside him.
"W-why is Alice here...?"
"I told you to call me aunt."
Alice smiled sweetly as she patted Martha's head, as if she had never been downcast.
"Gasp! Aunt?"
Burren also opened his eyes in surprise when he saw Alice.
"Aunt..."
Runaan, who wasn't even her niece, called her aunt and hugged Alice first.
"Y-yes. It's been a while, you guys..."
Alice blinked, nervous for the first time.
-Well, it's fortunate.
Wrath nodded briefly as he looked at Alice.
'What is it?'
-It will be useful to have that woman around when this king can't use his power properly.
The guy seemed to welcome Alice's arrival in his own way, apparently after having used too much power when expelling the Holy Sword Alliance Leader.
'Is your condition that bad?'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Wrath.
-It's not so bad that a young man like you should worry.
Wrath gestured to tell Raon to worry about himself. Seeing his usual behavior, it seemed he would recover on his own with time.
"What is this?"
Rimmer approached Raon with a blank stare.
"Why is that troublemaker here?"
He tilted his head as if he couldn't understand.
"She came to greet us."
Raon shrugged as he looked at Rimmer.
"Greet? That sounds a little different from the word I know."
Rimmer let out a dry laugh as if he found it absurd.
"But it's reassuring to have her from the start of the mission."
He smiled and said the journey would probably be comfortable.
"Yes."
Raon nodded softly as he watched Alice pinch Dorian's cheeks.
"It really does seem very reassuring."
* * *
"We can see the sea now. Of course..."
Raon looked at the calm coastline, then turned around and let out a dry laugh.
"Of course, everyone else is on the verge of death."
Instead of moving towards the coastline closest to Zieghart, Alice had used consecutive Dimensional Gates. To reach where Lawaine was, they also had to use consecutive Dimensional Gates to traverse the Light Wind division. As a result, the Light Wind division swordsmen suffered severe motion sickness even before boarding the ship, their faces turning a sickly blue.
"You really came in a hurry."
Raon let out a dry laugh as he recalled the messy and twisted route of the Dimensional Gates.
"Yes. As soon as I received the letter telling me to bring you with me, I found the nearest Dimensional Gate."
Alice laughed refreshingly, as if she had already recovered her energy.
"I also want to take that route!"
Martha nodded with eyes full of admiration.
"It's not about momentum. Just move according to your instincts."
Alice raised a finger and advised her to act on instinct.
"Yes! I'll try!"
Martha clenched her fist, saying she would do so from now on.
"Hmm..."
Runaan also nodded softly as if she had learned something.
"Mmm..."
Raon's lips trembled as he looked at Martha and Runaan.
«If those two live more instinctively...»
-They would simply be beasts...
Wrath immediately replied, seeming to agree with his thoughts.
"The ship is over there."
Alice pointed to the larger sailboat docked at the port. It was the Azure Wind, which he hadn't seen in a long time.
"But..."
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at the Azure Wind's sails.
"You left the pirate flag up."
It was absurd that they had left the pirate flag up in a normal port city on the opposite side of Alice's territory.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of."
Alice smiled and said they could beat anyone who messed with them.
"I suppose..."
Raon nodded and let out a dry laugh. That confidence always seemed to be a source of strength.
"Then let's go aboard."
Alice moved her finger, saying that the preparations for departure should be complete.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and climbed the wooden stairs onto the Azure Wind.
"Hmm? You're back sooner than expected."
Lawaine, who was tidying the deck, bowed to Alice.
"There's no need to waste time bringing the kids."
Alice smiled and said she had spent some money, but speed was the most important thing.
"That's right. What did the Head of House say?"
"The Head of House? I didn't see him."
She tilted her head, wondering why she should have seen Glenn.
"Eh...?"
Raon's jaw dropped.
"Didn't you pass by there before coming here? The Head of House said he sent letters even before I left."
"No, why should I go see that old man? I don't want to hear his complaints."
Alice waved her hand, saying that hearing complaints from dawn would bring bad luck that day.
"Sigh..."
"I should have known."
Lawaine let out a sigh, while Rimmer chuckled as if he had expected this.
"You guys. Guide the Light Wind division members."
Lawaine quickly regained his composure and gave orders to the crew, as if this were commonplace.
-Yes! This way, please.
The crew members collected the Light Wind division's luggage and led them down to the crew's cabins. Affection already reflected in their eyes, for they had fought together in war.
"It's been a while, Lord Raon."
Lawaine bowed politely to Raon.
"Your impression has improved since the last time I saw you, Sir Lawaine."
Raon smiled as he returned the greeting.
"It seems my complexion has improved a bit since I haven't had anyone causing trouble for a while."
Lawaine lowered his voice and glanced at Alice.
"But..."
Raon took a step closer to Lawaine and raised his lips heavily.
"Did you really see the Soul Crystal?"
"Yes."
Lawaine nodded without hesitation.
"When the sun and moon crossed, the stone I was standing on shone with rainbow colors. Even though my life was in danger at that moment, it was so fascinating that I couldn't forget it."
He explained the situation when he faced the White Blood Religion because of Alice.
"White Blood Religion..."
Raon swallowed dryly after hearing Lawaine's explanation.
—Which apostle did you face, Lawaine?
"It was the Second Apostle. Even then, he was stronger than me, so it was really dangerous."
Lawaine shook his head and said he barely survived.
"Did the Second Apostle also see the Soul Crystal?"
"Well, I was thrown there by chance because of the damn energy..."
He clicked his tongue as he tilted his chin to the side.
"The light wasn't that strong, but since he's such a powerful individual, there's a chance he saw it."
Lawaine lowered his eyebrows and said he probably did see it.
"I see..."
Then there's a possibility that the White Blood Religion is searching for the Soul Crystal. Glenn had released information about the Soul Crystal, causing many people to learn of its existence.
This meant that the Second Apostle, who knew nothing about the Soul Crystal before, might have heard of it, making the White Blood Religion a potential enemy.
"It seems..."
Raon let out a murky sigh as he looked at Lawaine.
"We should depart immediately."
* * *
Raon stood at the bow of the Azure Wind, which was cutting through the waves, biting his lip.
"You suddenly seem urgent..."
Alice approached from the side and tilted her head.
"Did something happen?"
"I heard from a reliable source that others besides us have started searching for the Soul Crystal."
Raon fiddled with his fingertips as he mentioned the information provided by the Thespian Emperor.
"Ah, then..."
Alice's eyes widened as if she now understood.
"Yes. The White Blood Religion might be moving, or they might have sold the information."
Raon nodded and said it would be best to move as quickly as possible.
"It's a very high possibility, no doubt. I didn't even know what a Soul Crystal was."
As Alice clicked her tongue in agreement, a huge ship, larger than the Azure Wind, appeared from the east with a fierce wind.
"That's..."
Raon frowned as he looked at the ship's flag.
"A pirate ship?"
The ship's flag had a much more intricate skull drawn on it than the Azure Wind's. It was the mark of a pirate ship.
"There are cases where they come even after seeing the Azure Wind's pirate flag. Incredible..."
Raon let out a dry laugh as he watched the approaching ship.
"After all, this isn't our territory."
Alice nodded calmly, as if she had already known the pirate ship was approaching. The pirate ship's cannons began to glow with an intense light. It seemed they were going to attack before any dialogue.
"How annoying."
Alice clicked her tongue briefly and gripped her sword hilt.
"I'll block it."
Raon shook his head and placed his hand on the Heavenly Drive's sheath.
-Oh, yeah? Then let's see how much our nephew has grown.
Alice nodded and stepped back. The moment the pirate ship fired its magic cannon, Raon took a deep breath and used Sword Control.
The Heavenly Drive, automatically drawn from its sheath, advanced like a ray of light enveloped in faint flames. The sharp blade of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation - Crimson Slash, unleashed through Sword Control, split the magic cannon in half.
As the halved magic cannon fell into the sea, a huge wave rose. The violent tsunami caused both the pirate ship and the Azure Wind to sway as if they were about to capsize.
Raon didn't stop at defense; he unleashed the Fangs of Madness with Sword Control, completely tearing off three of the pirate ship's steel magic cannons.
"Light Wind division, charge."
After maiming the enemy, Raon gave orders to the Light Wind division. The swordsmen, who had already drawn their swords, leaped from the deck and boarded the swaying pirate ship.
"W-what is that...?"
"Crazy..."
"Sword Control?"
The Azure Wind crew members turned to look at Raon with wide eyes. Their expressions clearly showed their surprise at the Sword Control.
"Ugh..."
Alice also let out a sigh as she looked at Raon.
"I heard you used Sword Control with a dagger when you caught the Crimson Flame Demon before, but this is the real deal..."
"Still lacking."
Raon shook his head as he sheathed the Heavenly Drive that had returned.
"What do you mean you're lacking? It's amazing that you can use it in real combat! I didn't expect it at all!"
Alice shook her head, repeatedly exclaiming how impressive it was.
"But you know..."
Her eyes began to gleam with interest.
"How about you put one in that Sword Control of yours?"
-
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