Chapter 184: Shaela (3)

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.

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.