"Out of my way!"
Alice cut down the martial artists and shamans blocking her path and rushed towards the red-haired man bound in iron chains.
"Sif! Sif!"
She broke the magic-imbued chains with her bare hands and called out to the red-haired man, "Sif!"
'That person...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the red-haired man called Sif.
'So that's Sif.'
The man had long, disheveled red hair hanging down like rags. His entire body was withered like old tree bark, and the wounds carved into his flesh reeked of foul magic.
'He's been through hell.'
Just as the branch manager had said, Sif must have endured brutal magical experiments. His natural aura flow was completely undetectable.
'Even so...'
He's not completely broken. Perhaps because they needed him for magic experiments, they didn't completely destroy his energy center and mana circuits. But given the prolonged, intense suffering he must have endured, it was hard to call this fortunate.
"Come on, get up!"
After breaking the handcuffs binding Sif's wrists, Alice grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
"You damn son! I said get up!"
She shouted for him to open his eyes, but Sif remained motionless.
"Talk."
Raon grabbed the Iron Chain branch manager's neck and lifted him into the air.
"Why can't he wake up?"
"Urgh..."
The branch manager bit his lip, refusing to answer.
"You think you can endure this?"
Raon sneered as he tightened his grip on the branch manager's neck.
"Gaaack!"
The branch manager groaned as if on the verge of death. His face turned red, and veins bulged on his forehead.
"We- we just put him to sleep with magic!"
One of the terrified shamans who had backed away shouted that they had cast a sleep spell.
"Then wake him up."
Raon waved his left hand, telling them to wake Sif.
"Th-the branch manager cast the sleep spell himself to prevent him from waking during transport. We can't undo it."
He turned his gaze, indicating that only the branch manager could undo it. With a thud, Raon flipped the branch manager over and slammed him to the ground.
"Gah! Urgh!"
The branch manager clutched his bruised neck and coughed up blood.
"Wake him. Try anything funny, and I'll make you wish for death."
Raon lowered his chin, his eyes burning with rage.
-Why don't you do it yourself?
'I'm still inexperienced.'
He could dispel the magic itself, but his lack of experience meant he might use too much force. Given Sif's fragile physical and mental state, Raon didn't want to risk causing any further harm.
"Urgh..."
The branch manager, seemingly cowed by Raon's aura, trembled all over before crawling on his knees to Sif.
"Aunt. Please step back for a moment."
"..."
Alice turned around while still holding Sif's hand. Her eyes flashed with a chilling gaze that looked ready to kill. Despite her mental and physical exhaustion, she exuded an icy killing intent towards the branch manager.
"J-just a moment!"
The branch manager shook his head, his wrinkled forehead trembling.
"I-I won't wake him unless you promise to spare my life."
He rolled his eyes, pleading for his life.
"If you wake him without any issues, I won't kill you. I'll let you go. I swear on my name."
Raon nodded solemnly.
"Hmm..."
The branch manager hesitated, unsure whether to trust Raon, but eventually decided to place his hand on Sif's chest. As red magical energy spread from his palm, the spell lingering in Sif's body slowly began to dissipate.
"Phew..."
After absorbing the remaining magic from Sif's body, the branch manager stepped back.
"He should be able to wake up now."
He rubbed his chin, saying Sif would soon regain consciousness.
"Now, will you let me go..."
"Vice Leader!"
Raon called for Rimmer without even looking at the branch manager. With a crash, Rimmer broke through the iron door and turned his head.
"What now? What's happened?"
"Nothing. Just subdue this guy for me."
Raon pointed at the branch manager.
"Huh...?"
The branch manager stared at Raon with wide eyes.
"W-what are you saying! You clearly said you'd spare me and let me go!"
"I wanted to let you go, but our Vice Leader disagrees."
"What kind of bullshit is that!"
"I'm keeping my promise by staying put. Don't argue."
Raon waved his hand, smiling.
"You damn swindler... Gah!"
As the branch manager ground his teeth and tried to curse, Rimmer struck the back of his neck, knocking him unconscious.
-Tsk tsk. Trusting this guy is like trusting an angel.
Wrath shook his head, saying he knew this would happen.
"I don't know what's going on, but it seems you've pulled another con."
Rimmer smirked as he looked at Raon.
"It's not a con, it's a righteous lie."
Raon shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah. I guess this time it is."
Rimmer nodded gravely as he observed Sif's condition.
"We don't have to kill him?"
He exuded killing intent over his sword blade, as if he wanted to kill the branch manager right away.
"We have a lot to ask him."
The location of the Iron Chain headquarters, their objectives, and how to heal Sif - there was much to ask the branch manager. It wasn't time to kill him yet.
"Then I'll clean up in here."
Rimmer sighed briefly before approaching the shamans and martial artists cornered in the room.
"Aunt. Try waking him now. The spell is gone, so he should be able to wake up."
Raon stepped back and pointed at Sif.
"Hmm..."
Alice couldn't bring herself to wake Sif immediately and just bit her lip.
"Aunt?"
"It's just..."
She looked at the ground and let out a long sigh.
"I'm scared."
"Scared?
Raon looked at Alice with wide eyes.
"Yes. I'm scared he won't wake up this time, and I'm afraid he'll resent me for coming too late."
Alice sobbed as she gently touched the scars etched all over Sif's body.
"Aunt..."
It was the first time Raon had seen Alice so vulnerable. Even she, who was always as refreshing as the sea, seemed to shrink when it came to her child.
"You still have to wake him."
Rimmer shook his chin after subduing the shamans and martial artists.
"Whether he resents you or thanks you, he's still your son."
"The Vice Leader is right."
Raon nodded as he took Alice's hand.
"He won't resent you for coming late. He'll be grateful you saved him. If he does resent you, I'll slap him myself."
He smiled at Alice, telling her not to worry.
"Heh..."
Alice chuckled and nodded.
"Getting comforted by my nephew, I must have gotten too weak. Alright, I'll do it."
She wiped the tears from her eyes and transmitted her aura to Sif. A blue light, as if containing the sea itself, spread in all directions as Sif's shoulders trembled.
"Ugh..."
With a groan as if his breath was about to stop, Sif's eyelids opened. The distinctive red eyes of the Zieghart family glowed faintly.
"Sif!"
Alice cried out Sif's name, her voice filled with emotion.
"M-Mother? How are you here..."
Sif gasped as he looked at Alice, seemingly unable to believe his eyes.
"You stupid son!"
Alice gritted her teeth and pulled Sif into a tight embrace.
"Why were you suffering like this here!"
She shouted in anguish as she hugged Sif even tighter.
"Ah..."
Sif's scabbed lips trembled as he seemed to grasp the situation, looking at the fallen branch manager and shamans.
"You saved me, Mother."
He nodded with his eyes tightly shut, his emotions seemingly overwhelming him.
"Thank you. And I'm sorry..."
Sif raised his right hand to caress Alice's back. Though his fingers trembled from weakness, it was the most comforting touch Alice could have felt at that moment. Raon took a step back, silently watching Alice and Sif's embrace.
In his past life, he might not have understood why they were crying instead of rejoicing, but now he felt he could understand the color of their emotions.
'I guess I've changed a bit too.'
-Hmm...
'It's true, you know?'
-Hmm...
* * *
"Phew..."
Sif exhaled heavily as he drank the water given to him by Dorian.
"Don't drink it, spit it out first! If you suddenly drink water, you'll upset your stomach!"
Alice, seemingly calmed after crying, immediately started nagging Sif.
"Ha..."
Sif chuckled as he lowered the water bottle.
"I used to find that nagging annoying, but now it's welcome."
He smiled faintly, his voice choppy as if he wasn't used to speaking at length.
"Ah, sorry."
Alice shook her head, touching the back of her hair.
"Look at me nagging when we've just reunited. I can't believe myself."
She wrinkled her nose, apologizing.
"It's okay."
Sif looked at Alice with a soft smile.
"I missed your voice even in my dreams. You can nag more if you want."
He waved his hand, saying he was happy to hear Alice's voice again.
"Are you really my son? You didn't have this kind of personality before."
Alice let out a wry laugh as she looked at Sif.
"Back then, I was in my rebellious phase. Plus, I've been here for over two years, so I'm not exactly in my right mind."
Sif ran his hand through his disheveled hair, saying he wasn't even sure of his own personality anymore.
"In any case, I'm just glad and happy to see everyone now."
He said he was happy to regain his freedom, licking his lips. However, a chilling killing intent could be felt in his eyes. It seemed that anger and resentment towards the Iron Chain were intensely brewing within him.
"Let's focus on your recovery first. We can think about revenge later."
Alice, seemingly sensing Sif's killing intent, held his hand tightly.
"You're right. I need to recover as quickly as possible and..."
Sif glared at the shamans, grinding his teeth.
"I'll erase the Iron Chain's very existence."
He exhaled a breath tinged with the scent of blood, vowing to wipe out every last remnant of the Iron Chain hiding in the shadows.
-Hmm...
Wrath let out a groan as if in pain while looking at Sif.
'Why have you been whining since earlier? Are you a puppy?'
-I feel like I've seen that guy somewhere, but I can't remember.
'You mean Sif?'
-Yes. But then again, maybe not.
He shook his head, saying that his own state wasn't normal and the magical energy embedded in Sif's body was too strong, making him confused.
-Or maybe not? Just ignore it.
Wrath turned his head, saying he might have been mistaken.
"I can call you Sif, right?"
Martha approached Sif and looked down at him. Calling him casually right away, she was indeed as bold as Alice.
"Yes. You're Martha, right?"
Sif nodded, saying he was glad to meet her.
"How did you end up captured by these guys when you're a Grandmaster?"
Martha blinked, expressing her confusion.
"Martha!"
"No, it's okay. It's right to start with that."
After moistening his throat with water, Sif turned to face everyone.
"After being caught by my mother and training for so long, I was thirsty for travel. I especially wanted to see the ruins and dungeons I had only read about in books."
He smiled faintly, as if reminiscing about that time.
"As soon as I got permission from my mother to leave, I explored the continent's ruins, dungeons, and legends. Even now, I don't regret that time."
"So that's why we couldn't get any news about you."
Alice nodded, as if finally understanding.
"Yes. I only traveled to remote and secluded places. Thanks to that, I could understand why you said I needed strength."
Sif thanked Alice, saying that because of the training she had put him through, he was able to explore without difficulties.
'I can understand that.'
Raon nodded as he looked at Sif. He could empathize with Sif's actions, as he too had wanted to escape his life as an assassin in his past life and just live peacefully.
"I came here after hearing about a dungeon where time flows differently, thinking there might be hidden secrets. But..."
Sif weakly struck the ground with his clenched fist.
"This place was an Iron Chain hideout. Even though they were strong, I could have escaped, but the guide who was showing me the way turned out to be an Iron Chain shaman and ambushed me from behind."
He bit his lip as he pointed to the wound on his abdomen.
"More than my own pain, hearing the screams of others was harder. This place was a hell where they amplified magical power using people as sacrifices."
Sif lowered his head, covering his face, saying it had been an incredibly difficult time.
"Brother Sif..."
"Ah..."
Burren and Dorian bit their lips tightly, seeming to empathize with Sif's sorrow and anger.
"But thanks to that, I also learned something."
Sif looked at Alice and shook his head slightly.
"What did you learn?"
"Yes. It's about our family's blood."
"Blood? What do you mean?"
Raon took a step closer to Sif.
"That's... Ugh!"
Sif coughed up black blood mid-sentence. It seemed like the shock that had built up in his body had finally burst.
"Sif!"
Alice grabbed Sif and screamed.
"I-I'm okay."
Sif lowered his trembling hand.
"This happens often because the Iron Chain's magic has seeped into my very bones."
He shook his head, saying he could endure it.
"Let's get out of here first."
Raon frowned as he looked at the dungeon floor where strong magical energy still lingered.
"This space itself isn't good for you, Sif. I think getting out of the dungeon should be our priority."
"Yes, that would be best."
Alice nodded and supported Sif.
"Light Wind division, take the hostages from outside and the subdued shamans with you."
Raon instructed the Light Wind division while hoisting the unconscious branch manager onto his shoulder.
"Understood."
"I'll take the shamans. With my fists!"
"Leave it to me."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan immediately went outside to relay the instructions to the Light Wind division members who were comforting the hostages.
"I just need to take care of these guys, right?"
Rimmer led the shamans and Iron Chain martial artists from the room where Sif was rescued out to the tunnel.
"Dorian. Gather all the magical equipment and documents here, then come out last."
"Yes sir!"
Raon gave the final instructions to Dorian and headed out to the blood-soaked tunnel they had first entered.
'No matter how I look at it, I can't get used to this place.'
The overwhelming stench of blood made his head spin. If he hadn't reached his current level, even controlling his Sword Control would have been difficult.
'I should consider coming back later to destroy this place.'
The negative energy lingering here seemed too strong to simply burn away. It might be better to return alone after everyone had left and completely destroy the place. As Raon silently paid his respects to the dead while looking at the tunnel, a commotion erupted behind him.
"You're so skinny, really!"
Alice sighed heavily as she supported Sif.
"Why are you so light!"
"I'm sorry..."
Sif couldn't even lift his head, seemingly embarrassed.
"Sorry my ass! Shut up! As soon as we get back to the family, you're going to eat whatever I give you. Got it?"
Alice seemed to have returned to her usual self, bluntly cursing and pushing Sif.
'It's good to see.'
Thinking that he and Sylvia might look like this to others, a smile naturally formed on his face.
'The Saint should be able to heal him without much difficulty.'
Just as he was thinking about calling Federick as soon as they returned to Zieghart, a chilling sound like a blade piercing flesh came from behind.
"Huh..."
Raon turned his head, his teeth clenching. A dark sword protruded from Alice's chest, and behind her, Sif wore a twisted smile.
"Thank you, Mother."