Chapter 17

"Master, the first young miss is back."

"Got it. You may return."

Well, since Swallow's back I'll push this back a bit. It's not too important anyways.

I spread my senses to find Swallow and walked to the part of the house, it seemed she was in the dojo for some reason.

When I approached the dojo, Snow came from behind the door and saw me.

"...I wanted to delay you a little but... never mind just don't get too angry at her."

"Okay?"

On the surface I was a little puzzled, but deep down I could already feel a sense of dread.

What had happened?

Entering the dojo, Swallow sat on her knees and she turned to look at me.

Within her eyes held mixed emotions which startled me.

They contained hints of fear, anxiety, regret and other emotions.

Why?

A little worried I used my senses to probe her body, was there an injury she wanted to hide?

Not a moment later I stalled.

Swallow was... pregnant?!

I quickly adjusted myself and sat down before her.

I stared into her eyes and she returned my stare, glancing away occasionally.

I didn't know how to feel.

I thought I would've felt pure anger, but... it was only worry.

Though I did have slight anger within me it had stemmed from worry.

After a while of looking at each other I eventually broke the silence.

"I expect an explanation."

My voice was deeper than normal, a little grainy maybe.

Swallow seemed to want to speak, but I guess she was unable to think up anything.

She opened her mouth and closed like a gold fish gasping for air.

I stayed silent and gave her time to collect her thoughts. Meanwhile I tried to rein in my aura, it might've leaked when I found her state.

Eventually, she started talking.

"I... father I'm sorry."

Starting with that, she started telling me the story.

"A year after I left, I found a secret realm and entered it alone. The realm was hidden and nobody was there when I entered.

The hidden realm contained the remnants of a demonic sect, and held trials that would reward me if I completed them.

When I wanted to start a trial, the realm spirit told me that the time within the realm was sped up by a hundred times.

So a hundred years within the realm was a year outside.

For the next two hundred years I overcame trial after trial and received rewards from the spirit.

Then at some point, my husband joined the hidden realm.

We spent the next hundred years together. At first, I just helped him with tips and hints but eventually we grew closer.

At the end of it, I was rewarded a treasure that allowed me to look forward into the future by three hundred years.

When we left, we were already in a relationship.

My husband wanted to introduce me to his family, and I agreed so we headed to his clan.

I lived there together with him for a year, when he suddenly died.

I...

The clan said that he died due to an illness, but he was the picture of health the day before!

I enjoyed my days with him too much and had neglected what the clan had thought of me.

He also hid the clan's rejection away from me, wanting to let me live without worries."

Swallow had her head hung low, her hands balled into fists on the top of her knees. Tears slowly dripping down her face, hidden away from me.

"I used the treasure to see what would happen in the future, maybe I would've gotten a clue to get revenge against them.

Instead, I saw my child, taken away from me by the clan.

The clan took him away and in exchange for resources sold my son!

My son! Sold to a disgusting and heartless sect!

I had no way to avenge myself in the future, they poisoned me as I waited for the return of my child...

So I returned here..."

She returned her stare at me, more emotions in her eyes.

Anger, hate, murderous intents.

Within me, an anger festered deep in my heart.

But it wasn't time to show it, and not before my child.

I stepped forward, and brought my arms wide.

Bringing myself before her I pulled her into a tight hug.

"You're safe here now. Your mother and I will help you take revenge alright? Relax. You're home now. No one can hurt you here. I won't let my grandson be taken away."

Swallow sniffled in my arms, a soft crying.

Snow who had stood outside the dojo, listening the entire time entered and joined in on the hug.

[Don't be hasty, I already sent the intelligence team to find them.]

Snow said to me through a transmission.

[I know.]

Swallow eventually cried herself to sleep.

Snow carried Swallow back to her room, and told me to go find the intelligence team.

The team worked fast and a rough report was already presented to me when I arrived.

Scanning through it, my suspicions were confirmed.

Snow joined me an hour later, having put Swallow to bed.

A more detailed report had come in and I read it together with Snow.

The report stated that there were no hidden realm that Swallow had visited.

Rather she had joined some treasure hunt with a big team and returned with only one other guy.

They didn't have an official marriage but considered themselves married.

They returned to the husband's clan and lived there for a bit.

The husband was poisoned and subsequently died.

Swallow stayed with them for a few months, before suddenly returning to us.

I had the suspicion something else was going on and checked my inventory.

There were points where her story did not fit.

For one, despite the invalidity of her claims of a hidden realm her soul was three hundred years older.

However, her body was still in her twenties.

Another was the whole situation.

It was reminiscent of something, the transmigration stories of young maidens into terrible clans and what not.

Though, the biggest factor was the item in my inventory.

One of the many many items I had received one was in essence a transmigration ticket.

The dying user would use it to return to a certain period in time.

In all likely hood, the real story was along the lines of, her son was given to a sect which she then took it upon herself to leave the clan and retrieve her son.

Somewhere along the way she encountered something which caused her to die, even with my presence.

This meant, that either my sigil was suppressed or she was tormented to the point where the sigil did not recognize the damage done to her.

When I arrived I would then be unable to rescue her, so I would've used the ticket and wished to send her back to when she was happiest.

Within my inventory, as I had guessed I was down one ticket.

Since I used one in the future, and the effect took place now the ticket was used and disappeared.

I left Snow to deal with the clan.

The anger within me had started to rise since I confirmed my suspicions.

Entering the dojo, I reinforced everything with my energy and let the anger flow through me.