NOVEL NEXT Chapter 216: Back to Raid
***
The next day.
Sky Sword 25th HQ.
"Make sure you can fulfill the item requirements that the merchants want. Increase requests for general item-finding missions at the city guild office so the supply of items can be fulfilled," Eloise ordered.
The woman sat on her throne chair wearing her Sky Sword uniform. That day, quite a few guests came to visit her.
They came to pursue cooperation and other matters, but there were also merchants coming to complain about something.
Emily was beside her, keeping Eloise company as the top official of the 25th Sky Sword. Although Eloise sometimes did not fully need Emily's advice, the girl's presence made Eloise's mood calm.
The Sky Sword member before Eloise nodded, understanding the woman's orders. He said goodbye by stepping away from the place, replaced by other guests who walked into the throne hall room.
It was a surprise to both Eloise and Emily, even causing Emily to rise from her seat. The next guests to visit the Sky Sword 25th HQ were Aaron and Aerith. The two stepped in with a stride, Aerith walking right beside Aaron.
"Aaron?" asked Eloise, surprised.
Aaron nodded while keeping a flat expression. He stopped his steps as he bowed his head, slightly showing his respect to Eloise as the ruling woman of Sky Sword 25th and this district.
Eloise glanced to the side, asking Emily to return to her seat quietly. Eloise asked Aaron and Aerith to tell their purpose of coming, the woman didn't know anything since the two came so suddenly.
"What I want to talk about is important. Do you mind?" asked Aaron, while turning his head to the side, intending to tell Eloise to send the guards away for a moment.
Eloise was a clever woman. She knew the meaning of Aaron's request. She ordered the throne hall guards to leave the place, giving Aaron and Aerith more privacy to tell her why they had come to Sky Sword 25th HQ.
"We can't stay any longer in Lilith City," Aaron declared, firmly without any ado.
"What? Wait! You're leaving?" asked Eloise, startling Emily.
"That's right. The Night Liberators have found out about our presence in this district. They'll also probably focus their attention on the Shadow Ruler," Aaron replied.
"If I stay here too long, I'm afraid a fight will inevitably ensue for both sides. It will cost many lives and the ruin of this city," Aaron replied.
Eloise rose from her seat, her face still shocked by Aaron's unexpected statement. Still, she had indeed heard the news that Max had sent some spy mages to the Sky Sword district.
The woman also guessed that those spies were sent solely to track Aaron's whereabouts. She had expected that Aaron would say so, but not so soon.
"If you're leaving, then Emily should—"
"No."
"No? What do you mean?"
"Emily will stay here. Lilith City is a safe place for her," Aaron explained, glancing at Emily.
Emily's feelings were mixed at Aaron's words, between being happy not to separate from her sister and sad for fear that Aaron would forget the deal. Aaron took a step closer to the 12-year-old girl, instantly being right before her.
Aaron gently stroked Emily's hair, a smile of reassurance spread across the man's face, "Right now, she is 12. Her lifetime is only up to 20, less than that age, I will come with an antidote for the curse."
[Secondary Talent Activated]
[Sub Talent Activated]
[Seal Defense]
[MP -80000]
[Name: Aaron Lewis]
[MP: 1295000/1375000] [-80000]
A purple magic circle appeared above Emily's head. Her body felt painful and warm, hot steam emerged from her body to frighten Eloise.
"What the hell are you doing to her?!" yelled Eloise, shocked.
Eloise stepped quickly towards Emily to stop what Aaron was planning. However, Aerith surprisingly arrived before Eloise and pushed the woman's body forcefully backwards.
The woman bounced against the throne hall wall. Realizing there was a threat to Emily, Eloise called for the rest of the Sky Sword 25th to arrive. At once the place was filled with mages with their talents.
"Let her go or I will do something bad to—"
[Seal has activated]
[Seal Type: Defense]
[Seal Command: Resist the impact of the curse on the target's life]
[ERROR!]
[Curse is high and binding!]
[Cannot withstand completely]
[Seal duration:]
[1094:23:59:45]
The purple magic circle disappeared from above Emily's head, the hot steam vanished and Emily could breathe a sigh of relief.
The pain and heat in her body no longer felt, Emily got up and asked them not to make a big deal out of this.
Aaron walked up to Aerith with his eyes focused on Eloise, "I have used my second talent to seal the curse's effects. Aerith explained the use of the seal."
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"However, I can't hold it longer because of the high type of curse. I can only hold it for three years."
Eloise felt embarrassed, she never expected that Aaron would do such a good thing to help Emily. By holding the curse for three years, the duration of the curse could be longer —11 years.
"I'm sorry, Aaron. I didn't know what you meant," Eloise revealed, ordering the members to stop being aggressive.
The Sky Sword members slowly stepped out of the place, leaving Eloise with them as before. Aaron didn't feel threatened or offended, he also sealed Emily's curse without telling Eloise. So, it was natural for Eloise to be angry and upset.
"It doesn't matter. This is my way of protecting her temporarily since she won't be coming with me," Aaron explained.
Aerith felt that the conversation and the purpose for which they had come was over. The woman invited Aaron to climb to the 26th floor immediately and join the monster raid there. Aaron nodded in agreement.
He headed up, stepping closer to Aerith to acknowledge what the woman had said. Eloise stepped closer, trying to hold the man off for a moment as she wanted to give him some useful items for their raid later.
"'It's fine, Ms. Eloise. We still have enough items for our journey."
"But we have to give you something to repay you, in return for—"
"You're enough to keep my group safe from any threats. That's more than enough for me."
Aerith didn't want to waste any more time. She swung her hand to the side, two fingers of her right hand emitting a maroon magic aura to tear the dimensional boundary, revealing a dimensional rift connected to the Dark Dimension.
Eloise and Emily gasped at the sight. Still, she entrusted everything to Aerith and Aaron. Eloise wished them the best, hoping they could find the materials to remove the curse on Emily.
Emily galloped over to Aaron and Aerith. Surprisingly, the girl hugged both of them like a daughter who was reluctant to part with those closest to her. Aaron was used to Emily's spoiled attitude, but not Aerith.
There was a change of expression on the woman's face, from the cold and indifferent look, to shock and sadness. Reflexively, Aerith brushed Emily's hair and stroked the woman's cheek gently and lovingly.
"Don't worry. We'll find the materials for you," Aerith replied, trying to soothe Emily's sad heart.
After the tearful farewell, they left by stepping into the dimensional rift. Slowly, the rift closed and shrank until it disappeared completely. Emily turned around and hugged Eloise's body tightly.
From Eloise's eyes, she could see that there was a purple magic circle in the form of a seal embedded in front of Emily's chest, useful for holding the curse longer.
"It's okay, Emily. I'm sure they can do it."
Elsewhere, in the area near the Dark Pillar, a dimensional rift appeared. Aaron and Aerith stepped out as the door of the Dark Pillar was opening. It had been open since five hours ago, with six hours left before it fully closed.
The two exited and watched as several mages left the Dark Pillar —finished with their raid. Aaron and Aerith's appearance from within the dimensional rift surprised them, they never knew such dimensional abilities existed.
"You? Who are you?" asked a man from the small group on the 26th floor.
Aaron turned his head. He was the captain of the raid team of a certain group, his raid team had 7 members including himself. Not answering his question, Aaron asked him back.
"Do you have a map of the 26th floor Dark Pillar?" Aaron asked.
The man turned his head right and left, looking at his members. He responded with a nod, showing the map slip in his hand.
"I do."
"Has it reached the floor boss?" asked Aaron, the man nodded.
"I'll buy it," said Aaron.
"Sorry, but I don't plan to—"
Aaron held up a large black pouch totaling 200000 RL to him, surprising him and his members. It was a huge amount for just a map that had reached the floor boss —not a map full of hidden treasure symbols.
"But this isn't a special map containing treasure locations. It's just a normal exploration map."
"I don't care!"
"I'll buy it. Are you gonna sell it or not?"