"...I see."
After hearing the recent events, Alice lowered her head.
"I'm sorry. I had no idea."
She pressed her lips tightly together as she looked at Sia lying on the bed.
"I said I'd 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 be blaming herself, he explained why they hadn't sent her the news.
"That's right, sister."
Sylvia called Alice 'sister' with a slightly trembling voice.
"Everyone's safe. We're really okay."
She smiled brightly, momentarily setting aside her worry for Sia.
"..."
Alice furrowed her brow, still looking only at Sia, as if her anger at herself hadn't subsided 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 unreachable? 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 raised her gaze.
"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?"
"Yeah. I went to where Sif was supposedly seen two years ago, but it turned out to be a damn dungeon."
Alice gritted her teeth, saying she had been completely fooled.
"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 seemed like it was made just a few days ago, but also like it had been dug hundreds of years ago. No, that must be right. The time axis was a bit different."
Alice nodded her head, 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 you found there..."
"Nothing. There were no traces of my damn son, and no treasure either."
"Hmm..."
Raon stroked his chin as he watched Alice clicking her tongue.
'She must be worried.'
The usual Alice would have welcomed such a dungeon and adventure, but she seemed on edge because of the missing Sif.
"Phew."
Alice leaned back in her chair and looked up at 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 would understand ten things when taught one, so I unknowingly became serious. From his perspective, I might have seemed similar to our father."
Alice clicked her tongue as if she found herself pathetic.
"Belatedly realizing my mistake, I gave him freedom to do as he pleased, but I guess it was too much. I should have at least made a way to keep in contact."
She lowered her eyebrows, saying she regretted it.
-Hmm...
Wrath scratched his cheek as he looked at Alice covering her eyes.
-Even this troublemaker is a mother, it seems.
'I suppose so.'
Raon thought that one of the reasons Alice cherished him was because of her longing for Sif. He had been curious why she didn't actively search for him, but it seemed to be 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 like training?"
Sylvia tilted her head as if confused.
"I didn't see it myself, but I heard that child was also very diligent."
"He was."
Alice nodded calmly.
"But since I started training him from a young age, he probably didn't know that it wasn't normal."
She lowered her gaze, saying she regretted not giving Sif a choice.
"It'll 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, they'll be fine."
"Yeah. That's how it should be. Sia, and our damn Sif too, they should live long lives."
Alice nodded gently, as if going along with the atmosphere Sylvia had created.
"Aunt."
Raon took this opportunity to completely change the topic 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 as she turned her gaze.
"He's not the type to lie. You can probably believe it."
She clenched her fist, saying she'd 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 sure they could find it.
"Shall we go? We've lingered too long."
Alice smiled faintly as she pushed back her disheveled hair.
"I'll definitely get the Soul Crystal for you."
She gently stroked Sia's forehead and then stood up.
"Well, I'll be going,"
As Alice was saying goodbye to Sylvia, she made eye contact with Edgar, who was standing blankly behind them.
"Ahem..."
Edgar cleared his throat and bowed his head.
"Si-sister-in-law. It's nice 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 shocked.
"How am I supposed to greet someone if you don't even give me a chance?"
Alice lightly hit Edgar's arm, telling him to snap out of it. Although it didn't seem like she used much force, it sounded like hitting a rock with a bat.
"I-I'm sorry. I'm thinking too much and I don't even know what I'm saying. It's just coming out..."
Edgar stammered incomprehensibly, his face turning red.
"There are good people and bad people everywhere. I know that."
Alice nodded as if it were obvious.
"Let's have a drink when this is all over."
She lightly patted Edgar's 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 tapped my arm, I thought my bones were going to break!"
Edgar shuddered, saying he needed to get checked right away.
"O-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 like Alice had done.
"R-really?"
"Yes. If aunt really dislikes someone, it shows on her face."
After reassuring him, Raon went back to packing his things.
"Well, 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'll be going."
Raon said goodbye to the two and went outside.
"Let's go."
Alice took the lead with light steps, as if eager to depart quickly.
"Yes."
As they were walking along the main road, Martha, who was standing in front of the fifth training ground, waved her fist.
"Hey, you bastard!"
Martha frowned, shouting that he was very late.
"Why did you come so late! The sun has already risen... huh?"
She was scolding him but then opened her mouth wide when she saw Alice next to her.
"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 depressed.
"Gasp! Aunt?"
Burren also widened his eyes in surprise when he saw Alice.
"Aunt..."
Runaan, who wasn't even her niece, called her aunt and hugged Alice first.
"Y-yeah. It's been a while, everyone..."
Alice blinked, flustered for the first time.
-Well, it's fortunate.
Wrath nodded briefly as he looked at Alice.
'What is?'
-It will be helpful to have that woman around when this king can't use his power properly.
The fellow seemed to welcome Alice's arrival in his own way, apparently having used too much power when driving out the Leader of the Holy Sword Alliance.
'Is your condition that bad?'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at Wrath.
-It's not bad enough for a youngster like you to worry about.
Wrath waved his hand, telling Raon to worry about himself. Seeing his usual behavior, it seemed he would recover on his own with time.
"What's this?"
Rimmer approached Raon with a blank look.
"Why is that troublemaker here?"
He tilted his head as if he couldn't understand.
"She came to welcome us."
Raon shrugged as he looked at Rimmer.
"Welcome? That seems a bit different from the word I know."
Rimmer let out a dry laugh as if he found it absurd.
"But it does feel reassuring to have her from the start of the mission."
He smiled, saying the journey would probably be comfortable.
"Yes."
Raon nodded gently as he watched Alice pinching Dorian's cheeks.
"It does seem very reassuring."
* * *
"We can already see the sea. Of course..."
Raon looked at the calm coast, then turned around and let out a dry laugh.
"Of course, everyone else is on the verge of death."
Instead of moving to the nearest coast from Zieghart, Alice had used consecutive Dimensional Gates. To reach where Lawaine was, they also had to use consecutive Dimensional Gates to cross the Light Wind division. As a result, the Light Wind division swordsmen were suffering from 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 haphazardly twisted course of Dimensional Gates.
"Yeah. As soon as I got the letter telling me to bring you along, I found the nearest Dimensional Gate."
Alice laughed refreshingly, as if she had already regained her energy.
"I want to follow that drive too!"
Martha nodded with eyes full of admiration.
"It's not about drive. Just move according to your instincts."
Alice raised a finger and advised her to act on instinct.
"Yes! I'll try that!"
Martha clenched her fist, saying she would do so from now on.
"Mm..."
Runaan also nodded gently as if she had learned something.
"Umm..."
Raon's lips trembled as he looked at Martha and Runaan.
'If those two live more instinctively...'
-They'd just be beasts...
Wrath immediately responded, seeming to agree with his thoughts.
"The ship is over there."
Alice pointed to the largest 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've left the pirate flag up."
It was absurd that they had left the pirate flag up in a regular port city on the opposite side of Alice's territory.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of."
Alice grinned, saying they could just beat up anyone who messed with them.
"I suppose..."
Raon nodded, letting out a dry laugh. That confidence always seemed to be a source of strength.
"Then let's board."
Alice wiggled her finger, saying the preparations for departure should be complete.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and climbed the wooden stairs onto the Azure Wind.
"Hmm? You've returned sooner than expected."
Lawaine, who was tidying up the deck, bowed to Alice.
"There's no need to waste time bringing the kids."
Alice smiled, saying she spent some money, but speed was the most important.
"That's true. 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.
"Huh...?"
Raon's jaw dropped.
"Didn't you stop by our side before coming here? The Head of House said he sent letters even before I left."
"Nah, why would I go see that old man? I don't want to hear his nagging."
Alice waved her hand, saying hearing nagging from dawn would bring bad luck for the day.
"Sigh..."
"I should have known."
Lawaine let out a sigh, while Rimmer chuckled as if he had expected this.
"Boys. Guide the Light Wind division members."
Lawaine quickly regained his composure and gave orders to the crew, as if this was a common occurrence.
"Yes! This way, please."
The crew members took the Light Wind division's luggage and went down to the crew quarters. Their eyes already showed fondness, having fought together in the war.
"It's been a while, Lord Raon."
Lawaine bowed politely to Raon.
"Your impression has improved since I last saw you, Sir Lawaine."
Raon smiled as he returned the greeting.
"It seems my complexion has improved a bit since there's been no one causing trouble for a while."
Lawaine lowered his voice, glancing towards 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 intersected, the stone I was standing on shimmered 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 had clashed with the White Blood Religion because of Alice.
"White Blood Religion..."
Raon swallowed dryly after hearing Lawaine's explanation.
"Which apostle did you clash with, Lawaine?"
"It was the Second Apostle. Even then, he was stronger than me, so it was really dangerous."
Lawaine shook his head, saying he barely survived.
"Did the Second Apostle see the Soul Crystal too?"
"Well, I was thrown there by chance due to the bloody energy..."
He clicked his tongue as he tilted his chin sideways.
"The light wasn't that strong, but since he's such a powerful individual, there's a possibility he saw it."
Lawaine lowered his eyebrows, saying he probably saw it.
"I see..."
Then there's a possibility that the White Blood Religion is looking 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 hadn't known about the Soul Crystal before, might have heard about it, making the White Blood Religion a potential enemy.
"It seems..."
Raon let out a turbid sigh as he looked at Lawaine.
"We should depart right away."
* * *
Raon was standing at the bow of the Azure Wind, which was advancing while parting the waves, biting his lip.
"You suddenly look 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 looking for the Soul Crystal."
Raon fiddled with his fingertips as he mentioned the information given by the Thespian Emperor.
"Ah, then..."
Alice's eyes widened roundly as if she now understood.
"Yes. The White Blood Religion might be on the move, or they might have sold the information."
Raon nodded, saying it would be best to move as quickly as possible.
"That's certainly a high possibility. I didn't even know what the Soul Crystal was."
As Alice was clicking 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? Unbelievable..."
Raon let out a dry laugh as he watched the approaching ship.
"This isn't our territory, after all."
Alice nodded calmly, as if she had already known the pirate ship was approaching. The pirate ship's cannons began to glow with intense light. It seemed they were going to attack before any dialogue.
"How annoying."
Alice clicked her tongue briefly and grabbed her sword hilt.
"I'll block it."
Raon shook his head and placed his hand on the scabbard of the Heavenly Drive.
"Oh? 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 short breath and employed Sword Control.
The Heavenly Drive, automatically drawn from its scabbard, advanced like a beam of light wrapped 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 up. The violent tidal wave caused both the pirate ship and the Azure Wind to rock as if they might capsize.
Raon didn't stop at defense; he brought down the Fangs of Insanity with Sword Control, completely tearing off three of the pirate ship's steel magic cannons.
"Light Wind division, charge."
After tearing off the enemy's limbs, Raon gave orders to the Light Wind division. The swordsmen who had already drawn their swords sprang from the deck and boarded the rocking pirate ship.
"W-what is that..."
"Insane..."
"Sword Control?"
The Azure Wind's crew members turned to look at Raon with wide eyes. Their expressions clearly showed their shock at the Sword Control.
"Whew..."
Alice also let out a breath as she looked at Raon.
"I heard you used Sword Control with a dagger when catching the Crimson Flame Demon before, but this is the real deal..."
"It's still lacking."
Raon shook his head as he sheathed the returned Heavenly Drive.
"What do you mean lacking! It's amazing that you can use it in actual 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 sparkle with interest.
"How about putting one in that Sword Control of yours?"