Chapter 106
Despite the language barrier, Caron eventually managed to find the relay station and connect with Azureocean Castle. He immediately reported to Ulrich, the Third Elder, who had been responsible for assigning Caron this mission directly from the Council.
"...Let me summarize. So, a dark mage attempted to summon the Gate of Chaos, and a Demon King was personally involved. Is this correct?" Ulrich asked after listening to Caron's full report.
"Yes, Third Elder," Caron replied.
"And the others? Are they safe as well?" Ulrich asked.
"They were only minor injuries without aftereffects, so there's nothing to be overly concerned about," Caron answered.
"That's nothing short of a miracle," Ulrich said, his voice heavy with relief. "It's astonishing that you survived, even fighting alongside the elves... I'm thankful you're alive. Truly."
Caron could hear the sincerity in Ulrich's words.
"There has been increased activity among demonic monsters recently, but this is the first time the Demon King has moved directly... We should never have sent only you three from the start," Ulrich said regretfully.
"At least it was just a fragment," Caron said.
"No, you're saying that only because you don't truly understand a Demon King's nature. Fragment or not, a Demon King is still a Demon King. It wouldn't be strange even if all of you had died there. This... This must be nothing less than the First Ancestor's blessing," Ulrich said.
It was clear from Ulrich's reaction that this was a matter significant enough to unsettle even a high-ranking elder. The appearance of a fragment of a Demon King warranted such concern.
"Caron, if any of you are seriously wounded, you have to be honest with me. We can delay the search for Kerra Acht if needed," Ulrich continued.
"I'm really fine, Third Elder, but thank you for your concern. Oh, there is actually one other thing I haven't mentioned," Caron said.
"Tell me right now," Ulrich demanded.
"There was a slight run-in with the Holy Kingdom..." Caron began.
Then Caron told Ulrich everything, from the clash of words with the Saint to the moment he drove his sword into the side of a paladin named Hapiel. There was no benefit in hiding anything that could be turned against him later, so he explained it all.
I might end up being disciplined for this, Caron thought. Given that it involved a potential diplomatic conflict with the powerful Holy Kingdom, he'd prepared himself for a scolding. But instead, an unexpected response came his way.
"Those fanatic mongrels! They had the gall to try to take away our family's future? Those religious fools have grown far too bold!" Ulrich roared.
Even through the communication magic spell, Caron felt Ulrich's fury ringing in his ears.
"And what's else?" Ulrich continued, his anger mounting. "They dared to call Guillotine a demonic sword? Have they regressed to the point their brains no longer function? To refer to the sword our First Ancestor wielded as demonic... I'd see them all dismembered for this insult!"
"...I thought you'd be scolding me," Caron said quietly.
"Scold you? Of course I should scold you! Why didn't you slice through every one of their necks?" Ulrich shouted.
It seemed Caron had made the right choice in reporting to Ulrich directly. With Duke Halo away from Azureocean Castle on business, perhaps it was fortunate this matter had come to Ulrich's attention, not Halo's.
"Don't worry about the Holy Kingdom's response," Ulrich assured him. "I'll handle it myself if any official statements come our way."
"Thank you, Third Elder," Caron said.
"I'll consider your weakened state in all this. But next time anyone dares insult our family, you behead them on the spot. Understood?" Ulrich said firmly.
"I understood, Third Elder. I will remember that," Caron replied.
There was no doubt that Ulrich, who had once been the harshest critic of Caron, now stood firmly on his side. But that was only Ulrich's stance. The views of the First and Second Elder, and the other family members such as the first and second heirs, could be entirely different.
There might be some political maneuvering, Caron mused. His family would likely be quick to seize this as an opportunity to attack, waiting like wolves to tear him down.
Of course, Caron's father, Fayle, would block what he could. But even Fayle could struggle to hold them back alone. Just before Caron came here, he had already caused a disruption in Reben, so he felt sorry for his father.
"I'd like to hear your plans for locating Kerra Acht," Ulrich said through the relay.
"For now, I plan to gather information through the elves here in Galad," Caron replied.
"That is a wise approach," Ulrich said.
"Oh, and we're meeting with the local regent tomorrow," Caron added.
"The mission is in your hands. But remember this, Caron," Ulrich said seriously. "If there's any immediate threat to your life, abandon the mission and return at once."
"Yes, Third Elder," Caron answered.
"As for the incident involving the Demon King... I'll call an Elder Council meeting soon. Let's end the report here. If there are any changes or requests, contact us immediately," Ulrich said.
With that, the transmission ended. Caron exhaled, then stood up. Now that Azureocean Castle was aware of the Demon King's appearance, they would likely plan a countermeasure soon. It was also Caron's role to relay such information.
Now I can focus on Kerra for a while, Caron thought.
He had to find that stubborn fool, who had refused to leave and fought beside him until the bitter end. He was convinced that Kerra Acht was out there. He couldn't imagine Kerra meeting some random, miserable end. The real search would start tomorrow, right after he met with the regent. Now that he'd reported back, his priority was to return to his lodging and get some rest.
With his plans set, Caron opened the door and stepped into the hallway. As he passed the front desk, he gave a polite nod to the female elf waiting behind the counter and said, "Thank you for letting me use the station."
Then with a soft voice, the elf replied, "Thank you for visiting."
Caron's eyes widened. He said incredulously, "You... You know how to speak human? When I arrived earlier, you didn't say a single word...."
The struggle he'd gone through to find this place flashed through his mind. He had practically mimed his way through the elven crowd, desperate gestures leading him here.
In response, the elf only smiled brightly and replied, "I thought you must have had a reason for not speaking, so I simply respected your silence."
"...Well, that was a waste of effort," Caron muttered, shaking his head. Come to think of it, she had seemed to be smiling when he first arrived.
As Caron mumbled to himself, Guillotine teased him with a chuckle.
"When the brain's slow, the body pays for it. You were quite the clown earlier. You may have a talent for it," Guillotine teased.
Shut up, Caron replied mentally.
When Caron sighed, the female elf smiled and said softly, "But you were adorable."
"Is that a compliment?" Caron asked.
"Of course," the elf answered.
Caron Leston was now forty-six years old as of this year, if his previous life was also counted. Apparently, that was just the right age to be happy about being called cute.
***
After wrapping up their affairs, Caron and his group returned to the lodge Orion had arranged. It was a beautiful wooden residence situated close to the World Tree. Upon arriving, they quickly realized that Orion's choice hadn't been made purely for aesthetics.
"This must be all-natural Dew of the World Tree," Leo remarked, marveling.
"Leo, the Dew of the World Tree is always natural," Caron responded.
"It was just an expression," Leo said.
Everyone—except for Utula, who didn't use mana—was captivated by the pure mana flowing through the house. It felt as though simply breathing in the air enriched their own mana reserves.
"Even with all this abundant mana, it can't match Azureocean Castle. There, we can absorb Azure Mana directly, whereas here, it takes some effort to convert it. Still, aside from Azureocean, this place is the best," Caron noted.
It was no wonder elves were called the blessed race. They were gifted with an overwhelming amount of mana from the transcendent World Tree, which also granted them significantly longer lifespans. The average elf, they'd heard, lived well past two hundred years. Had their population been greater, they could have dominated the continent long ago.
"Come to think of it, I don't recall seeing any knights among the elves," Leo said, recalling their last battle, where elves had fought using only bows and Spirit Magic.
Leon quickly answered, "That's because elves don't have mana cores. Knights have to process mana through cultivation techniques to use it, right?"
"Why don't elves have mana cores?" Leo asked.
"Elves are one with nature, while mana cores are organs humans developed to surpass their limits, bending natural laws. They're fundamentally different," Leon explained.
Leon's insight impressed Caron. There was no need to add anything.
"So elves can't condense mana?" Leo asked.
"Exactly. That's why they have many spirit summoners and mages. Spirit summoning uses pure mana, and most magic here doesn't require mana manipulation," Leon continued.
Caron nodded and added, "It's advantageous for elves to use mana as is. Their bodies can hold a far larger amount than humans. But humans... With our limits, we're always striving for efficiency."
For that reason, human and elven mages used very different techniques. While elven mages were overflowing with sheer mana power, human mages relied on secret methods to amplify spells. Those distinctions had created the divide between elven and human civilizations.
"Alright, let's end the knowledge-sharing here," Caron said, standing up from the couch. He looked at Leo and Leon, then said, "It's time for mana training, don't you think?"
Leo and Leon exchanged uneasy glances, swallowing hard.
"Neither of you have had proper mana training since our battle with that demon, right? As your younger cousin, I will help you both with the training," Caron said.
Leo's expression froze; he then began looking around, trying to find an excuse. "Ahem, I wonder where Utula is right now?"
"Utula doesn't use mana, remember? He went to stretch and warm up at the training grounds behind the mansion, so you don't have to worry about him," Caron answered.
During the recent battle, Caron had learned a valuable lesson: That his comrades' growth was just as crucial as his own. Though he wouldn't always be with Leo and Leon, in future battles, their strength would be indispensable.
Leo has grown stronger than I expected, but there's still room for improvement, he thought.
Leo's growth was impressive enough that even Caron acknowledged it, but Caron still expected more from his cousin. As a member of the Ducal Family of Leston, battling demons was inevitable.
I hope I can also knock some sense into Halo's first and second sons... Caron thought. They seemed oblivious to the reality that some things mattered more than family politics. Of course, shifting their priorities wouldn't be easy. The allure of power was hard to let go.
However, their children—Hugo, Leon, and Leo—were different. They had potential. Having seen the world on their missions, they were still open to change. So Caron turned to his two cousins and said, "While we're here in the Great Forest, think of it as a chance to be born again and start fresh."
Caron hoped they would achieve meaningful results here. After all, they had gained valuable experience in the battle against the Demon King.
"To be honest, I was the only one who managed to land a solid blow on the Demon King. That's proof that you two still have a long way to go," he added pointedly.
Leon nodded quietly, while Leo sighed in reluctant agreement.
"We'll train in between our search for Kerra Acht. If you have any questions, please speak up now," Caron said.
Leon raised his hand and asked, "Caron, why do you keep switching between formal and informal tone?"
"That's because you're here, Leon. If it were just Leo, I'd be speaking informally," Caron replied.
"From now on, just talk casually. It makes me uncomfortable. I've always been particular about that kind of thing," Leon said.
"But the age difference..." Caron started, only to trail off when he saw Leon's expression harden. Clearing his throat, he chuckled and said, "Alright, got it, Leonsis. Better?"
"Much better. You should've been like this a long time ago. I'm ready to start," Leon said, crossing her legs in a meditative pose. With a sigh, Leo followed her lead.
Having so easily secured their cooperation, Caron smiled and said, "I've got a special plan, actually. I'm going to strengthen your mana pathways with my own mana. It's my first time trying it, though so there might be some side effects. Leo, you're up first."
"Why am I going first?" Leo asked.
"Because Leon is 6-Star and you're 5-Star. If it goes wrong, it's better for a 5-Star to take the hit, right? Now, take a deep breath and start training. Just follow my lead," Caron instructed.
"...At least let me write a will first," Leo said.
"Hey, don't you trust me?" Caron asked.
"Trust you? Do you think you would?" Leo shot back.
"No, not at all," Caron interjected dryly.
Leo was left speechless. He shut his eyes tightly, then muttered, "Let's just get this over with."
As soon as Leo began practicing the Ocean Dominance Arts, Caron's mana flowed into him, and Leo grunted in pain. Watching him struggle, Caron turned to Leon with a bright smile.
"You're next, Leon. Brace yourself," Caron said.
The mischievous glint in Caron's eyes made Leon shiver.
That night was a long one.