NOVEL NEXT chapter 38
38 – Trust (2)
For demons, morning is night, and night is morning.
Just as humans move at night, so do demons.
Unless engaging in a large-scale war, the timing of a surprise attack holds little significance.
Thus, time could easily be determined.
“We have to leave immediately.”
After visiting the mansion with no gains, Syceria, a rational monster, was supposed to be guarding Lucion who had visited the mansion. However, since they had visited and returned today, Syceria might have thought there was spare time.
Hence, Lucion decided to launch an immediate surprise attack.
“…But it’s night?”
Lucia asked with a worried expression, but Lucion was certain.
The longer they delayed, the more advantageous it was for the demons. At present, it was impossible to know how many people would die in a single night. In that case.
“We need to move now if we want to save more people.”
It was the very day they returned empty-handed.
Even a demon with intelligence would not easily anticipate an ambush on that day.
“Oh? Hmm… Alright!”
Lucion had no reason to lie. Although he was concerned about the sudden movement, there was no reason not to agree with Lucion’s words about rescuing people.
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The night streets of Panachia were lively.
Stalls lined the streets.
People selling dart games, people selling Boar’s Barrel Skewers, and people raising wooden cups filled with beer, toasting and creating a complex atmosphere.
It was a typical night in a peaceful village.
It was the last festival before winter arrived.
“In my past life, I didn’t have the chance to enjoy festivals because every day was a struggle for survival.”
It seemed nice to enjoy it a little.
Having experienced death once, Lucian now knew how precious this moment of being alive was. However, he couldn’t let his guard down.
“We’re in the middle of a war right now.”
No one had declared war, but even if Lucian tried to slow down his heart after being reborn, he couldn’t. Lucion was currently in a state of war.
The Demon King would also be busy working behind the scenes.
“Maybe it’s already almost finished.”
Wasn’t there such a saying? By the time the news reached me, it was already too late.
It had been over 10 years since I first heard the news of the Demon King’s appearance.
But it was not something I could give up on early. Giving up meant death. The Demon King had no intention of sparing anyone.
So if he wanted to live, he had to fight.
Hiding under their cloaks, Lucion and Lucia made their way through the streets of amusement, heading towards Dara Han’s mansion.
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Even at night, the mansion was quite bright.
They couldn’t enter through the main gate.
They hid behind the mansion’s walls and explained their plan.
Sekera was a species that excelled at escaping, so it was best not to be discovered until they caught the leader.
“I’ll explain the route.”
Without a briefing, even simple ones, judgments become clouded in urgent situations.
Lucia felt a bit resentful towards Lucion, who charged ahead without any explanation, but after she started explaining, her rigid expression softened.
“I already checked the structure of the garden during the day.”
Lucia felt a little disappointed. Was it really just a one-year age difference? Even if she grew one more year from now on, she was convinced she wouldn’t be able to match Lucion.
During the day, all Lucia felt while visiting the mansion was that there were people living in such a nice mansion, and that the flowers in the garden were pretty. It was a space where a tremendous amount of divine power was generated. That was all. Lucion seemed to have read the overall shape of the garden.
It might not be a bad idea to trust and follow him. Although he didn’t say it, Lucion seemed to be running towards some goal.
Lucia worried a bit about the day when she would become useless. The day when she would be discarded. But she couldn’t imagine Lucion without her by his side.
“No matter how smart or strong he is, if I don’t take care of him, he’ll cry and won’t be able to sleep…”
She was so happy about that fact that Lucia looked at Lucion with sparkling eyes.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Oh… it’s nothing.”
It was a bit embarrassing to meet his gaze so openly.
“Anyway, continue with the explanation.”
“Okay.”
Lucion pointed to the trees in the distance.
There were small shrubs forming a fence.
“If we climb over the wall, those trees will continue on. There may be gaps in between, but they won’t be easily visible from afar. Those trees will extend all the way to the side of the mansion.”
Lucia reminisced.
“Now that I think about it…”
She remembered the line of blue trees that reached up to her chest, without any flowers blooming yet, lined up straight to the mansion.
“Yeah, that’s how it was. So, what’s next?”
“We’ll hide ourselves among the trees and approach the mansion. It should be safe where the trees are. But once we get close to the mansion, we can’t say a word.”
We don’t know what kind of security system is in place. Lucion didn’t think it would be safe just because it was behind a wall. Luckily, it seemed that they weren’t being monitored outside the house. They weren’t the target of [Recognition].
It’s only natural.
“Artifacts all consume a lot of mana.”
That would be the only drawback of artifacts. That’s why they had to avoid wasting it.
But once they get close to the mansion, the defense will be tighter. The knights on guard duty would be patrolling at night. They had to evade their gaze and lure out Secera.
“The problem is, we don’t know where Durahan’s room is.”
Lucion planned to lure Secera without directly meeting Durahan.
“After reaching the mansion, we’ll stick to the building and run to the back of the mansion. We have to set the food warehouse on fire.”
Lucia covered her mouth.
Set the food warehouse on fire?
She thought about it again carefully.
Is Lucion in his right mind?
He believes in Lucion, but Daraan is a Grand Magician, and the mansion is Daraan’s home.
Setting the food warehouse of the Grand Magician on fire seemed like an insane idea.
From Lucion’s perspective, it was a natural strategy to eliminate the Sekara, and once you become a Grand Magician, defeating Sekara is considered more important than the food warehouse. However, this value judgment was too unfamiliar for Lucia, who lived an ordinary life, as Lucion could only think that way after living two lives.
“The back seems to be a cliff. So, to get to the food warehouse, we have to break through the side.”
Lucion could attempt to turn back alone, but it was challenging to do it with Lucia. Infiltration was no easy task.
Even sneaking a priestess who should grow up as a saint into the mansion was already far from the normal course. But Lucion was feeling a bit delighted. Just being able to fight alongside Lucia was satisfying enough.
Lucia asked about Lucion’s intention.
“Do we really have to burn the warehouse?”
Dealing with the aftermath of a fire would be difficult, no matter how you looked at it.
“It’s the way for Daraan and Durahan. It’s almost the only option.”
“Really… Is it really, really okay?”
Lucia asked with concern.
Burning the food warehouse, even after infiltrating the mansion of a Grand Magician, was a plan that could only be conceived if one had two lives. Getting caught after infiltration would end in punishment. However, setting the food warehouse on fire would result in significant damage to the property.
Since leaving the orphanage, Lucion had only camped in the woods and moved to Panathia, joining the Black Fang.
“It seems like there’s no other choice. Lucion, this time you have to stick to your guns.”
Hopefully, Lucion’s plan would work out. Lucion intended to walk a path far from safety.
‘Most importantly, Lucion has a history in Tritan.’
It was supposed to be okay, but it wasn’t.
This might happen again this time.
“Sia.”
“But Lucion always tries to do dangerous things!”
Lucion stood still in his place, blankly.
Is it receiving concern or giving concern?
Whatever it was, it wasn’t such a bad feeling, but it was certain that it wasn’t the time to be swayed by emotions.
Even at this moment, Duharan, tormented by Sekera, may be in pain, and perhaps an incident is happening.
‘Of course, Lucian didn’t hope for Sia to follow everything I say.’
Originally, Lucion wanted Lucian’s ego to be stronger. He wanted her to be more stubborn. However, when she didn’t follow his words, Lucion was shocked and came to a stop in his place.
It overlapped with the scene where his subordinate was shocked and received a slap from his daughter in the past, and his own appearance.
It feels like the world is ending.
Perhaps it’s a natural thing.
Lucia is not Lucion’s child.
It’s hard to call her a friend, and she’s not a lover either.
She was Lucion’s unilateral first love and the reason for his life. Among the many people he met, she was the only one he could trust and tell all his secrets to without reservation.
Ironically, to Lucion, Lucia was close to religion.
Even if everyone turns their backs, he believed that Lucia would trust him indefinitely.
So the shock might have hit him even harder.
‘Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise.’
It was a success in achieving the initial goal.
Lucia’s strong growth.
But it’s inevitable to feel a little melancholy.
‘Come to think of it.’
At that time, it also hindered the work.
The peace of the family brings peace to the world.
And then, how did that subordinate return to the battlefield?
Well, yes. I gave him a vacation.
That was a really good thing.
With my subordinate Aaron, we went together to Mia, my daughter, carrying a gift, and barely convinced her why her father couldn’t come home often.
Instead, my daughter was crying and apologizing.
I didn’t expect that kind of reaction, though.
At this moment, Lucion could clearly catch what he did wrong.
‘More explanation is needed.’
Lucia doesn’t distrust herself. She is just learning from past experiences that Lucion failed to convince Lucia.
But.
Even though Lucion realized it,
“It’s something that must be done.”
If it doesn’t work, I’ll go alone.
There was no time to explain.
Instead, he asked the opposite.
“I’ll explain everything once the job is done. But for now, will you trust me?”
A smile appeared on Lucia’s lips.
It was something to be grateful for.