Free Web NovelChapter 10: The Fool Who Worried About Me.
"Gerald, please escort the boy back to his home."
Solarius’ annoyed voice echoed from behind me. With one final bow, I turned around and left alongside the Captain of the Holy Knights.
Solarius was annoyed that I had rejected his offer but I didn’t really care. I mean, there were countless ways becoming his disciple could have benefited me.
But what kind of friend would willingly start calling another friend his master?
This situation was no different.
In my previous life, Solarius had been my equal. My friend. If I accepted his offer now, it would be no different from accepting that perverted bastard as someone greater than me.
Just the thought of it was enough to disgust me. Especially when accompanied by memories of that old geezer’s smug face from the previous timeline.
The hallway remained silent as we walked.
There was no one else around besides the two of us. Gerald made no attempt to start a conversation. So neither did I.
But just as we neared the portal chamber where the portal that would take me back to the Ruinbringer Estate was situated, Gerald finally spoke.
"How did you survive?" His voice was low. "How did you endure my attack? That wasn’t something you should have been able to survive."
I looked at him and smiled.
"Who knows what games our Goddess enjoys playing with us mortals?" I shrugged lightly. "She simply willed it and I survived an attack that should have killed me."
Gerald looked unconvinced and yet after a moment, he simply nodded.
I resisted the urge to laugh.
That was exactly why these fanatics were so easy to manipulate.
Mention the Goddess, wrap everything in faith and most of them would stop asking questions.
Of course, there were exceptions. Some people were far too perceptive to accept such an explanation. Solarius, for example.
Though I have to admit, [[Insight]] played an important role in all of this. Without it, there was no way I could have concealed my mana with such precision. While the flow of mana within one’s body was naturally hidden, monsters like Solarius could still sense the slightest disturbance without any difficulty.
So without [[Insight]], pulling off that little performance would have been considerably harder.
With those thoughts in mind, I finally arrived at the portal chamber. Gerald left immediately after escorting me there and a nearby knight pointed me toward the portal leading back to the Ruinbringer Estate.
Most of the nobles had already departed and I could still feel the gazes of a few lingering on me as they made their way out, but I ignored them and headed toward the portal.
But just as I approached it, I noticed I wasn’t the only one waiting there. Two women stood nearby, patiently waiting for me.
Amyra and Aunt Althia.
They immediately walked toward me.
Amyra remained silent, her fists tightly clenched as she stared at me without saying a word. Meanwhile, Althia carefully inspected my body from head to toe.
"Are you alright, Zen?" freewebnovel.cσ๓
"Yes, I’m fine, Aunt." I shrugged lightly. "His Eternal Radiance healed me back in the courtroom. Have you forgotten already?"
"No, but that attack..." She stopped herself midway through the sentence before letting out a sigh. "In any case, now isn’t the time or place to discuss it. Let’s head back. You need some rest. We can always catch up tomorrow."
With that, she guided Amyra and me toward the portal as the operator nearby activated it. The journey back through it was as uneventful as ever.
By the time we returned to the estate, not a single servant had come to greet us. Even Cedric, who would have been there with some snarky comment, was missing this time.
But that was hardly surprising.
The three of us quietly made our way through the halls until we reached my room. There, Aunt Althia finally stopped.
"I still have some matters to settle at the Church."
After saying her goodbyes, she turned around and left. She was in charge of the branch of the church in Ruinbringer Territory.
Throughout the entire walk back, Amyra hadn’t said a single word and simply stayed by my side. Our rooms were close to one another but even as I entered my room, she didn’t leave.
Instead she strode toward me and slapped me across the face.
Slap!
The sound echoed throughout the room. Before I could react, another slap landed.
"You insufferable bastard! Why don’t you just die already?! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
Slap!
"Do you know how terrified I was when you asked for something like that?! Do you know what it felt like to think I was about to lose the only family I have left?!"
Her voice cracked as she kept hitting me over and over again.
"Die! Die! Die!"
Slap!
"Just die already!"
My cheeks burned from the impacts and judging by how red her hands had become, hers hurt even more. I could taste blood in my mouth and my head spun from my pathetic physique but I didn’t stop her.
She needed this.
So I simply stood there and let her vent. Eventually, her strength faded and the moment she stopped, I pulled her into a hug.
"I am not going to die, Sis."
My voice was unusually sincere.
"Even if the Gods themselves came down and demanded it or even hunt me, I am not dying anytime soon."
I tightened my embrace slightly, patting her back softly.
"I will probably do plenty of reckless things. I will put myself in danger again. I will gamble with my life more times than I should."
"But I won’t die. Not now and not anytime soon."
A small smile appeared on my face.
"So unfortunately, you will have to put up with this annoying little brother of yours for a long time in this life."
The last of her composure shattered as Amyra clutched my shirt tightly and broke down completely. A few servants appeared after hearing the commotion but a single glare from me was enough to send them away.
Amyra cried for a long time. Long enough for her exhaustion to finally catch up with her. She probably hadn’t slept properly for days because of my trial.
Eventually, she fell unconscious in my arms. Carefully, I picked her up and carried her to her room before laying her down on her bed. After making sure she was comfortable, I quietly stepped outside and closed the door behind me.
"She really is a fool... worrying this much about me."
The words escaped my lips softly and yet despite what I said, a smirk refused to leave my face. Then I turned and walked back toward my room.
I needed some rest.
Because I already knew what was coming next. That bastard father of mine would call for me the moment he found some free time and when he does, I would have to be prepared.
