[208] The Hero Has Returned 

Chapter 208: The Hero Has Returned 

Note: Always so close to the goals, but just not quite there. [310/350] this time. Regardless, I'll be posting two chapters since we've been closing for a while. Vote for more!

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Thalindra was in an uproar. Civilians ran far from the castle, and most adventurers also stayed away. The two clashing energies they sensed were leagues above anything they'd ever seen, which included the fight with the demons a few hours ago. 

So the Adventurer Guild's master positioned a large group at bay and ran around to gather the strongest in the city before rushing toward the castle.

There were twelve of them, one of the finest people in the continent, and the army that waited for their command back in the city was capable of threatening a nation if pushed. 

However, against all of them, a sole maid stopped them at the gate. Unlike the fire and destruction behind the gates, she stood solemnly and calmly. 

"Entry isn't permitted, sorry. The Duchess is fine, she and Lady Sieran will take care of the situation, so please return." Anoria said when the twelve powerhouses approached the gate.

"What nonsense! That other energy beside your Duchess is too dangerous, tell them to take the fight out of the city if the situation is as under control as you claim to be!" the Archmage of the White Tower yelled, his veins popping on his forehead. 

The Magic Towers spread across the world was an organization capable of matching an Empire, and even among them, the White Tower was mighty. The Master of the White Tower was more sensitive to Mana than normal; he could tell how dangerous the situation inside was.

He, including most of the other hot-blooded warriors, was willing to force their way in. The black elf warrior already held daggers in his hand, ready to act if required. They hadn't abandoned their important work to rush here just for nothing, they had to confirm the source of this big trouble at least. 

However, when the maid narrowed her eyes and a blood-red aura leaped out of her, their conviction faltered and they flinched back.

"I believe I've made myself clear, honorable guests," said the Elder Vampire, causing a few of them to tremble. "Please try to understand." 

A maid she was, indeed, but none in the empire, nor the entire world, would dare disrespect her. Vampires were also considered demons, but due to their high intelligence and noble history within the Empire, they weren't treated as harshly.

In the end, the large bulky man leading this crowd of people, the Adventurer Guild Master, cleared his throat and intervened. "...Since Lady Anoria said it's fine, we shall trust her and back off. Guys, let's not cause a ruckus and be civil about this." 

Although a few of them looked dissatisfied, a glare from the Guild Master made them look away. He then led the group back to the city. When the silhouette of the group vanished on the horizon, Anoria turned her senses there. She noticed they were on standby in the city, still with that large army they gathered. If the situation grew dangerous, they'd definitely come back.

Shrugging her shoulders, she slowly turned her head toward the destroyed castle, where the fight seemed to be slowing down. It didn't seem it'd rise back again, from the looks of it.

She smiled a little, a tinge of happiness in her heart. Maybe my Lady's torture of a life is finally changing for good. I'm glad. The sensation on her lips only made her feel better. Maybe things would change for the better for her too.

She turned her head forward again, keeping her senses alert to not let even a fly get in. Yet, despite her alertness, she failed to follow the veil of shadow that shot across the night sky, coming from within the castle.

The veil was so well hidden that Elara and even Aqua, despite having his Jade Perception activated, never noticed its presence. 

Who knew how long the figure had been within the castle? Now that it's been a minute since the battle ended, and two old lovers lay on the ground, the figure left the castle like a flickering shadow…

****

"Butterfly Suns' Bombardment!" Ai stood tall amidst the chaos, her eyes sharp with intent as she attacked the demonic angel before her. It was the last of its kind attacking the refugee camp, letting out a final screech before crumbling into ash. 

Ai exhaled deeply, wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, and allowed herself a small smile as she looked over the setting sun that cast a golden hue over the camp. Although her heart was clouded by confusion and questions recently, it felt great to save lives. To defeat beings of pure evil and elevate people's souls.

Leading Group 3, she and the others came to the Erebian Empire this morning. Due to the time zone difference, the sun was rising in this place when it must have just set back in Thyranais. Jasmine led them to the biggest refugee camp remaining in this ruined Empire, and out of luck, they reached just in time to save it from a bunch of demons that were attacking the place.

Around her, her allies were finishing off the remaining enemies. Ruby's nimble palms gleamed with a rainbow light as she cut through the air, Tsubasa's explosive gauntlets brightened the area around her, and Jasmine's holy aura shimmered, reflecting off the broken ground. Xenovia and Irina were helping the civilians, and Ranefer was just in the sky, watching out for any unforeseen situation.

The camp was secure, for now.

"Good job, everyone," Ai said, her voice reaching far thanks to mana. "Let's gather the leaders of the camp and see what we can do to help."

The group walked towards the center of the camp, where a makeshift meeting area had been set up. The refugees, ragged and weary, looked at them with a mixture of hope and reverence. Among them, a group of leaders stepped forward, their faces etched with lines of worry and fatigue.

"Your Highness," one of the leaders, an elderly man with a bent back and wise eyes, said, bowing deeply to Jasmine. "We are honored by your presence and grateful for your assistance."

"Yes," another agreed, "some of these fools were saying you abandoned us, that you fled, but your presence has reassured our hearts as always. We're grateful to you for saving our poor lives, your highness."

Jasmine frowned and shook her head. "Please, stop calling me 'Your Highness.' I don't deserve that title anymore. We're here to help, not to be revered."

"But-"

"No."

The leader hesitated but nodded. "Then… as you wish. Hero Jasmine. We are the last survivors of the Erebian Empire. We've been holding out here, but the demonic attacks have been relentless. We've lost so many…"

After listening to his story, Ai placed a comforting hand on the man's shoulder. "We understand. We're here now, and so is the Goddess, as well as other impressive people. We'll do everything we can to protect you and reclaim your lands."

Ranefer stepped forward, looking quite nonchalant despite everything. "When are we going to attack the Blood Towers? The longer we wait, the more time those Outer Gods have to regroup." She was used to war, and most recently in the Devil Civil War, she had seen her own people kill each other, this was nothing. 

However, since Ai didn't know that, she frowned at Ranefer's cold-heartedness. She scowled but said nothing. 

Noticing the tense situation, Tsubasa cleared her throat. "Let's claim the country first. Although this person here just said this is the last refugee camp, there might be smaller ones spread around the Empire that we're not aware of. We shouldn't overlook them."

"Finding them will be an issue though," Jasmine said, crossing her arms.

"Mom, can't you detect prayers? I'm sure they're praying to be saved, as a Goddess you might be able to detect it?" Ruby suggested, causing Ai to be blind. A moment later, she closed her eyes and reopened them.

"It's hard, but if given time, I think it should be possible," she said.

"Great," Tsubasa clapped her hands. "Then we save the empire, secure the towns and cities, and only then move to the towers. Aqua would probably send us plans for his next movements by then too."

The group exchanged looks and nodded. They knew the importance of reclaiming the land before tackling the strongholds of the enemy. Just rushing to the towers won't do, since the [Gates] that randomly opened wouldn't be stopped, nor would the monsters already in the wild.

"So it's better to deal with the monsters first when they're still following a pattern. If we deal with the Outer Gods first, the monsters will run amok and will be harder to predict without a leader commanding them. We should deal with them when we can still predict them," Ranefer added, and Ruby nodded.

Ai scratched her chin, pondering for a moment. Then, she took a deep breath and addressed her allies. "Then we should do this faster. We'll split into smaller groups to cover more ground. Ruby and Tsubasa, you'll take the northern sector. Irina and Xenovia, the east. Ranefer will handle the south, Jasmine will handle the west, and I'll take the center. We three will move alone since we're strong."

"But how do we find the refugees without you?" Ranefer asked, "We aren't some human emotion radar."

Ai scowled, "You guys just focus on destroying all demons in sight. I'll be moving alone, searching for the refugees and saving them."

Ranefer shrugged, not opposing the decision any longer. The leaders of the camp looked at them with renewed hope. Ai's calm demeanor and clear plan seemed to infuse them with a sense of purpose. Maybe things can return to normal after all…

"We'll regroup here in a day to reassess the situation and plan our next move since my son said we should reclaim Erebia in three days," Ai continued. "Stay vigilant, stay strong, and remember… You must run if you meet an enemy out of your league."

"You too, Mom," Ruby said, putting her hands on her waist. "Just because you have the Empress' template and stuff doesn't mean you should take big risks."

Ai smiled at that, pulling her into a hug. "I'll be okay, you cute little girl." 

What Ruby didn't know was that the Empress wasn't the strongest template she had. Aqua had given her an 'Absolute Win' template too, except it came with some major side effects. Namely, going crazy and attacking her own allies. That's why she was choosing to travel alone, since if things turned serious, she'd have to tap into that.

With their plan set, the group dispersed, each heading in their designated direction. The camp, though still scarred by recent battles, buzzed with a newfound energy and hope. They awaited their heroes' return in a day.

****

A new morning came to Thalindra. It was a lot brighter than usual as if it was a special day.

Sieran stirred awake, rubbing her eyes groggily. "Mhm…" 

As her vision cleared, she took in the sight of the room—or what was left of it. She paused, staring blankly.

"...."

A huge part of the wall was missing, clearly the result of an attack. The lingering aura in the air pointed unmistakably to Elara as the culprit. A shimmering blue bubble of protection surrounded her, indicating she must have activated it in her sleep to remain harmless from the battle.

"What the… ah, right." With a sigh, Sieran recalled the events of the previous night. 

She had woken up around midnight to the sounds of a fierce battle. Noticing the husband and wife duo clashing, she had chosen to go back to sleep, knowing there was nothing she could do. She was too tired and drunk to join a trifle that she knew would resolve itself on its own.

The defensive spell must have activated on its own to protect her from the collateral damage.

"Since not all of the castle is destroyed, that means they resolved things between each other…" Sieran concluded with a yawn. 

With another yawn, she got off the bed and stretched. Too lazy to walk, she floated out of her broken room, heading towards the presence of Seriphoth and Elara. She stopped before the door and knocked.

"Come in," a familiar voice called.

Sieran pushed open the door, watching a grand royal bedroom greet her sight. Her nostrils filled with the fragrant scent of romantic candles, along with something else. Ignoring these mundane details, she blinked at the scene inside. 

Her green eyes widened and she scowled. There was Seriphoth, his hair now black and eyes purple, though his hair was longer than it had been in his previous life. He did that for her…? He didn't bother to do that for me though…

Elara was beside him, both of them under a white blanket, clearly naked. Now it made sense what that smell was.

"Oh, Sieran~" Elara noticed her. She had been chatting and giggling with Seriphoth, smiling in a manner that Sieran hadn't seen her do in the last 300 years.

She looked like a completely different woman than yesterday.

Seiran's heart thrummed with warmth at the sight, but she controlled her expression to give them a blank look. "...You lustful creatures," Sieran muttered, frowning. She turned around, about to leave.

"Hey, not so fast, we missed you last night~" Elara yelled, raising a hand. Before Sieran could react, she was pulled into the room with a telekinetic force and flew into Elara's arms. 

She struggled to escape, but before she knew it, she was sandwiched between the two lustful humans. "Hey, let me go!" Sieran protested, her voice muffled by their embrace.

"Just stay a little longer," Seriphoth teased, ruffling her hair.

Elara grinned, holding Sieran tight. "Yes, stop acting asexual if you really want kids."

"W-what?!" she shot Seriphoth a look, "You told her!" 

"Erm…."

"Just relax a bit, won't you? I'll help you fulfill your wish…"

"H-hey! You woman! Not there! Aaa-"

The morning in the castle ended like that, with Sieran's futile attempts to escape only making Seriphoth and Elara chuckle more evilly. Yet, despite herself, Sieran found a small smile creeping onto her face, the warmth of their embrace and affection breaking through her usual stoicism.

****

Hours had passed since the chaotic events of the morning, and the sun was now high in the sky. The grand hall of the Thalindra castle was full of activities today, as the Chancellor of the Duchy knelt before the throne. 

However, unlike yesterday, today the Chancellor wasn't bothering to hide his gaze as he gaped at the throne. Because today, the throne was not occupied by Duchess Elara, but by a man.

The Chancellor's eyes were wide, and his mouth hung agape as he stared at the person seated on the throne. Although Duchess Elara and Sieran the Wise were perched on each of his hips, such a sight didn't hold the Chancellor's attention, it was his appearance that did. A young man with black hair and eyes a striking purple sat confidently. 

Could… could it be?

Elara, noticing the Chancellor's shocked expression, laughed. "Eriksson," she said, addressing him by name for the first time in his life. "Please go to the Daily Times' office and tell them to print a news article. I want the paper to reach every corner of the world by tomorrow, no matter the cost. Understood?"

The Chancellor's shock was palpable. He shakily nodded, struggling to find his voice. "I-it's possible, Duchess. However, w-what's the news? Could it be that..." 

His gaze shifted to the man on the throne, his mind racing to comprehend the implications. There is no way, right?

Elara grinned, giggling, her eyes gleaming with excitement. She jumped off the man's leg, standing over the staircase of the throne.

"You're an observant man. Yes, it's exactly what you're thinking—"

She confirmed in a voice of pride and joy. The next words that came out of her mouth set ablaze a commotion across the entire world in the next few hours. 

"The Hero Has Returned."

The presence of a [Sage] filled Pangeal to the brim.

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