Chapter 184: Shaela (3)
“Did you… notice?” Shaela asked, her expression stiffening.
“Of course, how could I not notice? It has been several years since you last returned home,” Lucion replied.
Shaela had the option to come 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 come back?”
Lucion let out a sigh, his voice tinged with self-reproach. “Why couldn’t you come back? Cronia is your home.”
“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 mere shell covered in scars. You looked like a withered leaf, ready to crumble at any moment…”
Shaela’s head slowly dropped.
“But how can I go back home? How can I face everyone?”
By the time she found out about Lucion’s situation, it was already too late.
She felt helpless, unable to do anything.
As guilt consumed 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 me?’
“I’m such an idiot,” Shaela sniffled.
She immediately 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 come back home. 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 some 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 momentarily, and Shaela caught him and helped him stand.
“Your love for macarons hasn’t changed since you were a kid.”
“You gave them to me for the first time, didn’t you?”
“Ah… Do you remember when you cried because you had a few missing teeth and couldn’t eat cookies? I gave you one then. Do you remember?”
“I remember. Do you see? I’m still eating them now.”
―Hop! Lucion didn’t have any teeth?
Ratta, who was enjoying her meal 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 mealtime, 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 somehow make those captured wizards talk, so let’s meet at the tower.”
Shaela waved her hand.
“Take care of yourself.”
“I have something 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.
Hume 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 me 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 time.
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 informed 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 some were being interrogated.
“Lucion.”
Heint still called Lucion with an apologetic expression, but there was no trace of resentment 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 meet him for a moment?” Heint asked.
“That’s fine, tell him to come in,” Lucion replied.
“Okay, just a moment,” Heint said, stepping outside to call for Troy.
After taking the medicine given by Hume, Lucion waited for Troy’s arrival.
Soon, Troy entered the room along with a gentle light.
―Uncle Troy! Ratta exclaimed 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 immediate 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 mentioned 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 memories can be inherited, I…
“Are you saying that by inheriting memories, you become Troy? I don’t think so. So please don’t get hurt.”
-You are truly kind.
Hearing these words for the first time in a long while, Troy approached Lucion and gently stroked him with his front paw.
―That’s right! Lucion is kind! Ratta chimed in, extending her front paw to pat Lucion’s arm.
“That’s right. Young master is a kind person,” Hume added.
Lucion’s eyebrow raised slightly at Hume’s comment.
‘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 me?” Lucion asked, getting straight to the point.
He needed to rest deeply now in order to move around at night.
-At that time, 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 someone who couldn’t easily accept the fact that ‘that guy’ had come 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 comes 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 come at any time, it was more important to prepare for Troy, who was ready to sacrifice himself for his sake.
-Lucion, whatever happens, you come 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 consumed 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 informed 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 embarrassment.
-No matter the reason, it bothers me 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 time?]
“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 exclaimed.
[…You stubborn fool!]
* * *
‘My wounds are well-bandaged, and I’ve taken the medicine.’
Lucion flexed his hand.
He had also merged 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 claimed.
“It’s already too late.”
Lucion chuckled, calmly waiting for his men.
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 confirmed.
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.”
Hume 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 outcome 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.”
Hume’s eyes widened as Lucion stamped his foot on the ground.
“Don’t make any big movements.”
“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 Hume’s words.
Huh.
Lucion let out a laugh.
Then why did he come here?
“Please stay here for today and only come in at the end to speak.”
“What’s gotten into you today?”
Lucion almost wanted to take off his mask right away and let Hume know how embarrassed he was.
“I knew the young master would ask.”
Hume focused his gaze.
“Ask…?”
“You, my master, are someone 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.”
Hume’s resolute attitude left Lucion speechless.
It was as if Hume, the model student, had suddenly declared himself a runaway.
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