Alex's words did not reach them so much as his presence himself. The guy was a living legend and they had just heard about his return.
"O-oh, of course." The lead guard said and made way for Alex and Ross to pass. The guards stared at him with nervous expressions as they realized he was the one who stopped them in their tracks.
They were guards with levels ranging from Class B to Class A, professional hunters of the Knight family. Yet they were incapacitated just like that!
"Thanks," Alex replied and made his way to the mansion. Having been here numerous times since his academy days, Alex knew exactly where he needed to go.
No one stopped them as they walked past the many workers, only catching their attention as they took in Alex's new appearance after many years away.
Sometime later, Alex arrived at Julia's bedroom entrance and stopped. He didn't have the access codes to unlock her room, and with the girl asleep, he couldn't wake her up.
'Why do I even bother.' Alex shook his head and then disappeared with Julia, leaving Ross stunned and alone.
"Right…" Ross chuckled. "What was I even thinking." The couple had been separated for a long time. It was only natural they'd want to spend some time alone.
"Then why am I even here?" With no choice left, Ross turned around and went to the training area.
Inside Julia's room, Alex moved towards the large bed and tried to lower Julia onto the bed. But the girl refused to budge.
"You won't let go, huh?" Alex found her actions cute. "I'm amazed how your body refuses. It's like it has a mind of its own."
Left with no choice, Alex had to lie on the bed with Julia. Only then did the girl relax herself on top of Alex. Even then, she didn't take off her hands that were around his neck.
Alex's gaze was filled with affection and warmth as he looked at Julia's peaceful expression.
'You've been through so much.' He thought and placed a kiss on her forehead. An act that brought a small smile to her face.
His thoughts continued to trail as he gently caressed the girl he loved. 'Looking back to how we were, I never really expressed just how much I loved you.
'I was mostly focused on myself and how to level up. And in all that, you stood by my side in silent support.' Alex shifted a lock of hair to the side, caressing her face.
'Now that I'm back, I'll do everything in my power to show you how much you mean to me.' Alex made a silent vow as he closed his eyes.
He couldn't remember the last time that he slept, and this was as good a time as any. Of course, he wasn't tired and doubted if he would ever need sleep again.
However, simple pleasures like these would keep him grounded and remind him of his roots as a human. Eventually, Alex was able to fall asleep.
...….
A few hours later.
Julia's eyes slowly fluttered as she opened her eyes, feeling particularly refreshed and weightless. She couldn't remember the last time she had such a good sleep.
Looking around, she noticed she was in her room. 'How did I get here?' she wondered with a frown, but quickly realized she wasn't alone.
She turned around to see the person and she froze in shock. Quickly, the memories of welcoming Alex back returned to her. Her hands moved over her lips as she couldn't believe it was real.
'He's really back!' Julia would have screamed if Alex wasn't sleeping. Her hand moved towards his face as she caressed his cheeks.
"Hehe…" She giggled like a little girl. 'I fell asleep, huh?' She couldn't remember much of what happened after she hugged him with all her might.
It was still daytime outside, but Julia had no intention of leaving. She lay her head back on Alex as she got comfortable and closed her eyes.
"I'm not leaving your side." She muttered with a satisfied smile as she tried to go back to sleep.
Everything felt right and in place with Alex's presence.
However, Alex woke up the moment she did but pretended to still be asleep. He may have fallen asleep, but he wasn't truly asleep.
'And I'm not going anywhere.' Alex thought inwardly.
...….
James, Lucas and the Class S hunters returned to the Knight Mansion after they were done with their work.
Evelyn and Charlotte were surprised to hear Alex was here in the Mansion and in Julia's room. James smiled in delight while Lucas furrowed his brows, not particularly liking that.
"Really?" Charlotte uttered, beating Lucas to the punch. "I thought he would spend more time with his family."
"He returned with the young miss sleeping in his arms." The head servant explained and Lucas signed in relief.
James could tell what his lord was thinking and couldn't help but laugh. Of course, he had to hold it in or face the wrath of his lord.
"Well, that makes our job easier." Charlotte smiled while Evelyn disagreed. "I don't think so. It hasn't even been a day yet. Give the kid a break."
"Right. I got ahead of myself." Charlotte admitted her short-sightedness. "So what do we do now?"
Her question, however, received a response that made them tremble slightly, completely taken by surprise.
[Stay out of sight.]
The voice was a familiar one as it belonged to the person they were just talking about.
Moreover, the voice didn't come via sound waves but through mana. Alex sent a voice transmission through mana. That also meant he was aware of what they were saying.
[Whatever it is you want to talk about can wait till I'm ready.] The transmission left no room for a counterargument.
[For now, I just want to be left alone.]
The hunters were left flabbergasted, their expressions morphing into shock and disbelief. The servant was confused seeing this but remained and stood aside.
"Okay… I think I'll go to my chamber now." Charlotte gulped and quickly disappeared. Evelyn didn't say a word and also left.
"I think I need a drink," Lucas muttered and also disappeared, leaving behind James.
"Alexander is no more a kid," James chuckled with a nod and was the last to leave.