Chapter 52: Strax Vorah has returned.

It wasn't hard to see that Strax was worried, not only about reaching the Ducato d'Vorah but also about Beatrice, who had disappeared and still hadn't given any news since he left Steinhardt. While the system had blocked his progress, he was lying in an inn late at night; in his arms, Samira slept peacefully after another round, but he, on the other hand, couldn't fall asleep.

Many concerns had already begun to arise and disturb him beyond what he expected, especially regarding the next day, the day he would arrive at his home, at the Duke D'Vorah's house... It wasn't something he really wanted, but he was being forced by his sister. Although he wasn't just Strax Vorah at this moment, he was still Strax, and he knew everything that had happened in that place.

Despite harboring only resentment, he knew he couldn't just kill everyone; he didn't have the strength, and that led to his next concern.

The Assassin Queen, a woman whose name he didn't even know, whose appearance he didn't even know, if she was really a woman at all. Was he lucky to find Carlos? That's relative; in fact, he was impulsive and used his sister as a threat even though he wasn't sure what she could really do if he revealed the attacks... In fact...

"She must already know that this group came after me," he thought. If he knew his sister as he remembered, she was a perfectionist, and if something went against what she did, she would cut it off immediately. And that could apply even to her siblings; if she knew that something had happened within her order, she would go against whoever made the attack, and that was the reality.

Xenovia was a cold, calm, and patient woman, but... when something involved her own interests, she was irrational, to the point of killing armies if necessary. That was the difference between her and Strax's other sisters and brothers. Xenovia was the driving force that worked only for herself; no one, not even the patriarch, had the right to order her, and that was something beyond normal.

Although his father was much stronger than Xenovia, he never interfered.

"A man who barely cared about his youngest son... Did he really allow my return, or was it just my sister's pure insistence?" Strax couldn't help but question, especially because everything was so cloudy now. He hardly knew anything about his mother, his father, and his siblings; to him, they were just names and empty relationships. "My only family is Beatrice and Samira, the rest...

is the Rest," he said as he stroked the woman's head.

"The problem will be the Assassin Queen. Carlos may have pretended to be afraid to lure me to that assassin, but I find it difficult, especially because of the exaggerated reaction; it seemed like real fear."

"For some reason, I have a strange feeling about this person..." Strax commented to himself; sometimes talking to himself made him feel more relaxed.

"Mm..." Strax heard a grunt from the woman in his arms, who lightly sat up, rubbing her eye. "Wh-what are you talking about?" She questioned sleepily as she yawned. "Nothing, just thinking out loud," Strax said as she lay back down. "You're very worried, aren't you?" She asked, feeling the caresses on her long orange hair.

She neighed lightly at him and approached, asking for affection on her head. He complied and petted her.

"You seem tired," Strax heard the voice approaching, Jason already seemed ready to leave at any moment. "I didn't sleep last night; I'm trying to focus on something," he said. Jason nodded, commenting, "Are you sure it's okay to take Samira with you? I mean, as Malik said, that could cause a war." He commented.

"Tell me, why didn't you inform me about Samira and her family, Jason? I'm sure you knew about her," Strax said seriously. If Jason hadn't told him, why should he still trust what he said? He felt betrayed, but he had avoided talking about it because he was constantly with Samira, and it could provoke a misunderstanding.

"I'm sorry, Young Master, I avoided saying to not worry you; I already knew the rumors about Samira and judged her as someone who wouldn't threaten you for not following the Blaze Dogmas." Jason admitted and bowed. "I'm sorry. But when you...

decided to stay together, it was too late to talk about it, and I'm sure that wouldn't matter to you, so I just stayed quiet not to stress you out." He apologized bowed, Strax looked at the scene and couldn't help but sigh. "Next time, don't withhold the facts; I would like to have more confidence in you," Strax commented. "You can stand up," he ordered.

"I'm sorry, young master, but this is probably the last time I will serve you." Jason revealed, and Strax raised his eyebrows. "What do you mean by that, Jason?" Strax asked.

"I need to go back to training, and I will ask to be removed from my position. I have observed that I will not be able to accompany you on your journey, so I want to get stronger." He admitted. It had been a while since he had been thinking about it; he was basically useless the whole time he was with Strax; he just watched while his Young Master solved the problems himself.

Strax looked into his eyes and saw determination; he didn't understand what lit that flame, but he just smiled. "So it'll just be me," he smiled faintly. "I hope you come back well," Strax commented, and Jason bowed, "Yes, my Lord."

After that scene, little happened. Returning to Carlos's side, a member of the group of assassins, they rode for two hours. Samira accompanied him, and finally, they had a view of the Gates of Justice, a wide gate marking the entrance to the Ducato.

"It seems the journey is over," Strax said, Jason and Samira at his side and Carlos following in front. As agreed, he would contact him later to discuss the meeting with the Assassin Queen.

"I'll stay at a hotel until Beatrice buys a house for us; go to your family," Samira commented still on the road before approaching the Gate... "I'll meet you at night."

"I'll be waiting," she smiled...

Finally, Strax was returning to the world he once belonged to.