The battle against "Tides" is not over yet. The expeditionary force led by Duke Peybaro Lanstrom is engaged in a fierce battle with the fish-headed snake-bodied creature. But unsurprisingly, the battle has ended with the enemy suffering eight hundred casualties and the enemy suffering a thousand casualties themselves.
In the past, the powerful combination of mages and swordsmen could easily kill even high-level magical beasts, but now they are finding it increasingly difficult to deal with fish-headed snake-bodied creatures, and can only retreat to advance, turning it into a protracted battle.
Meanwhile, Katia and Julius's situation was not optimistic either. Although their fighting skills were decent under Lilith's tutelage, they were still just mages, and their physical strength was naturally much weaker. They continued to pull against each other through the intersecting alleys.
A thick fog blanketed the sky, and wails of agony filled the air. Above it, a colossal figure loomed, blotting out the sun and plunging the already gloomy Port of Luca into despair and fear.
While everyone was frantically fleeing "Port Luca," a familiar figure kept moving through the alleys, his eyes wandering around. Because the fog obscured his vision, he would stop from time to time to sniff the air. Although the scent was faint, he was always able to find his way.
She was Lilith. Although she was carrying a little girl in her arms, it did not affect her speed at all. She jumped from one broken wall to another and soon arrived at the dwarf blacksmith shop.
Unfortunately, the small forge had collapsed, and Lin Liang's forging tools were buried under the ruins. Although it was unclear whether Guildford had escaped in time, Lilith did not smell any trace of him.
Ignoring all that, Lilith realized that Leon's aura didn't come from the blacksmith shop, so she turned and ran towards the depths of another alley.
There was a narrow alleyway with low houses on both sides, and on the roof of one of the houses, a figure was sitting.
"Hmm... How arrogant. I'll leave the rest to the Six Desires."
The figure on the eaves seemed extremely impatient, clicking his tongue to himself.
"——"
Seemingly sensing something, Lilith suddenly turned around and looked at the roof, but there was nothing there, or rather, due to the thick fog, she couldn't make an immediate discovery.
"What's going on...?"
Lilith felt a sense of vigilance mixed with confusion. She didn't like the feeling of being spied on. Unlike open eye contact, this was a gaze as sharp as a venomous snake, making Lilith feel extremely uncomfortable.
But she didn't think much of it, and the current situation was critical, so Lilith couldn't afford to waste any more time. So she turned around and ran towards the other alley.
"Hmm, that was close... I almost got discovered. How arrogant! But... this little girl, she's that guy's apprentice, right? The god of man really has big ambitions."
"Hmm... Hahahaha, utterly arrogant!"
Although the thick fog would impair visibility, a closer look would reveal that the person was the blue-haired boy who had appeared in the alley earlier.
~~~
By the time I came to my senses, the fog had begun to dissipate, and it wasn't as thick as before. Although I didn't know what had happened, I didn't have much time to think about these trivial matters anymore.
"Hmm..."
I tried so hard to cheer myself up, but I still caused Jessica's death. It's all my fault.
My mind went blank. When I saw Jessica's body, I could imagine how terrible my father's face would look, and how he would scold me in a tone that made me very uncomfortable.
Yes, it was all that kind of reprimand.
Although the fault is not one's own, it mostly means something similar.
"Leon...!"
At that moment, someone shouted from not far away, and then a faint smell of blood entered my nostrils, making me feel nauseous.
"Hmm...who is it...?"
Only then did I realize that I had completely forgotten what this tasted like.
"Are you alright, Leon?"
Yes, I could clearly hear someone running towards me, and the voice was familiar, but in this moment of crisis, who could it be?
Although the fog had thinned, I could still only vaguely make out the figure of a woman. Was it Luna? Or another woman of my father's?
"Leon!"
Finally, the woman in the thick fog became clearer and clearer, until she finally appeared completely in my field of vision.
Bronze skin, extremely revealing soft cloth clothing that barely covers the vital parts, and a tail like a tiger's.
"Lilith..."
Yes, I haven't seen her before. The person in front of me... is Lilith.
“Leon…”
I don't know if it's because of the keen senses of an orc or because of the extraordinary intuition of a woman, but in any case, Lilith can easily see through my thoughts.
To be honest, I was quite surprised to meet Lilith here. I hadn't told her I was going back to "Port Luca," nor had I informed her through anyone or in writing, yet she still managed to find me immediately.
“Lilith…you…”
She didn't answer me. After putting down the girl I didn't recognize, she pulled me into her arms.
“Lilith…”
"Leon, you're alright... I'm so glad..."
"..."
I don't know why, but when Lilith hugged me, I was powerless to struggle, nor did I want to. It was just a simple hug, but it made me feel very safe and warm.
She didn't ask me too many questions, nor did she ask why I was there. But seeing Jessica's body beside her, Lilith seemed to be there, keenly sensing my unease.
“Lilith…”
"Um...I'm here..."
"I...I really...have tried my best..."
"Mmm...I know, Leon."
Lilith's voice seemed to carry a special rhythm, and the restless negative emotions seemed to find a place to belong, gradually dissipating under such comfort.
yes……
When did I forget all of this?
Mother, Sylvie, Anna, Lilith, Katya...
Despite being so utterly half-baked, they...
I always choose to believe in myself unconditionally.
When exactly did I forget even this sincere feeling?
"What happened, Leon?"
At this moment, Lilith finally spoke up and asked.
“Father… Father is also in this town.”
After answering her question, Lilith's expression suddenly became very serious.
"...Did he say anything really hurtful to you?"
"……Um"
Yes, there are indeed mistakes, but... I also made some mistakes myself.
"How could that be... Haven't you two not seen each other for a long time? Besides..."
I know Lilith is referring to the "Clins Town relocation incident".
"Yes."
"Did you two have a fight?"
"……Um"
"Leon, just pull yourself together. I know it's not your fault."
That's what I say, but I simply don't have the time or inclination to worry about anything else right now.
"I……"
“Leon, now is not the time to be discouraged. Do you want to see Port Luca end up like Collins Town?”
"...No, I don't want to..."
That's definitely true.
"Well... let's cheer up! Katya is still waiting for us."
"...Katia?"
Yes, at some point, it seems like she saved me too, when I was just as listless.
But... in this situation, I actually forgot about them all. I really deserve to die.
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