Chapter 578: Reunion
(A few hours later, Chaosbringer’s POV)
The moment Chaosbringer laid eyes on the man waiting by the gates, his throat tightened and his eyes instantly brimmed with tears.
He had pictured this day a thousand times in his mind.
He had dreamed of it, prayed for it, begged the stars for it, and now, finally, it was here.
“Are you the man who will take me to meet Lord Boss?” Chaosbringer asked, his voice trembling like a pilgrim who had reached the gates of a sacred temple.
Su Pei’s brow creased slightly. “Lord Boss? You mean Master Leo?”
Chaosbringer gasped, clutching both hands to his chest as if the name itself were a divine blessing. His lips curved into a serene, almost blissful smile. “You… you even know the Lord’s true name… He must trust you a lot.”
Then, with the sincerity of someone thanking a prophet, he whispered, “Thank you… thank you for coming here to take me to my Lord and Savior.”
The way he gazed at Su Pei made it seem as if the man had sprouted angelic wings right there on the spot.
‘What’s wrong with this weirdo?’ Su Pei thought, fighting the urge to take a step back. Still, he kept his tone flat and business-like as he turned and instructed Chaosbringer to follow him.
————
Not even five minutes had passed since the duo began their journey, when Chaosbringer suddenly slowed and raised a hand.
“Wait… wait a moment please kind sir,”
He requested, as Su Pei stopped, watching in mild confusion as Chaosbringer reached into his storage ring, produced a delicate white tissue, and dabbed it carefully across his forehead, wiping away each bead of sweat as if they were an insult to his existence.
He then straightened his robes with precise flicks, moistening his lips like an actor preparing for a stage debut before nodding solemnly and walking on.
Su Pei said nothing the first time. Or the second. But by the third halt in less than twenty minutes, his patience finally gave way.
“Why are we stopping so often?” he asked, frowning.
For a moment, Chaosbringer didn’t answer. He simply tilted his head back, gazing at the evening sky with a soft, almost nostalgic smile, then lowered his gaze and locked eyes with Su Pei.
“I’m not a great warrior like you,” he began earnestly. “My body tires out after only a few steps. My clothes wrinkle. Ugly sweat beads form on my forehead. However…” His voice softened, reverent. “…I refuse to meet Lord Boss looking like some hillbilly. I must look my most dignified when I stand before him. So I stop to correct these minor mistakes.”
Su Pei’s left eye twitched.
If it were Dupravel here instead of him, he had no doubt in his mind that Chaosbringer would already be unconscious and slung over a shoulder.
But Su Pei was, unfortunately, a polite man.
So he just sighed, adjusted his pace, and continued walking toward the Skyshard Mansion at something closer to a crawl.
Nearly fifty minutes later, they finally reached the estate’s boundary.
“Climb on,” Su Pei instructed, crouching slightly. “I’ll sneak you in.”
Chaosbringer obeyed with all the hesitation of a maiden boarding her first horse.
He mounted gingerly, draping his arms around Su Pei’s shoulders with the daintiest, most feather-light grip imaginable, before feeling his strong back muscles.
“Oh my…. You’re strong.” He said, sounding shy, as a shiver of panic ran down Su Pei’s spine.
‘Nope… nope… NOPE!’ Su Pei thought, as without another word, he bolted past the security measures and deposited Chaosbringer at the front porch like unwanted cargo before vanishing in a blur, determined to have nothing further to do with the bizarre man ever again.
———–
*Ding* *Dong*
Chaosbringer nervously pressed the bell to the Skyshard Mansion, as Jacob walked up to the door to open it.
*Click*
Jacob took one good look at Chaosbringer, before turning back as he shouted “Leo, your right hand man is here….”, as he moved aside and gestured for Chaosbringer to come in.
‘Right hand man?’ Chaosbringer thought, his chest swelling with pride, as he walked into the Skyshard Mansion as if it were holy land.
‘This is where he lives…. This is Lord Boss’s house!’ Chaosbringer thought, as he resisted the urge to just fall to the floor and worship the wood he walked on.
As instead, he remained upright, and waited for Leo to show up.
*Step*
*Step*
*Step*
He heard the sound of someone descending down the steps, as his heartbeat rose from the anticipation.
A couple seconds later, Leo walked into view, wearing a simple jeans and tshirt, and with a calm smile on his face, as Chaosbringer immediately fell down to his knees then and there.
“This lowly servant greets the Lord,” Chaosbringer said in the most reverent tone his voice could muster, dropping to both knees and bowing so low his forehead nearly touched the polished floor.
Leo didn’t hesitate for even a second. His voice rang out warm and certain, carrying the weight of command and familiarity.
“Chaosbringer… my right hand man!”
He stepped forward and placed a firm hand on each of Chaosbringer’s shoulders, giving them a solid, almost brotherly tap.
The simple gesture shattered what little composure Chaosbringer had left.
As a choked sob tore from his throat, and in the next instant, the dam broke entirely.
Tears streamed down his face in unrestrained waves. His shoulders trembled beneath Leo’s grip as he tried and failed to speak, only managing broken fragments of gratitude.
“My Lord… you… you still…” His voice cracked again, and he gave up on words altogether, bowing his head as the tears fell freely, dripping onto the wooden floor like offerings at an altar.
Leo allowed him the moment, his hands steady on Chaosbringer’s shoulders, the faintest smile tugging at his lips.
“You’ve done well to find your way here. Now stand, you’ve been away long enough.”
Chaosbringer obeyed, but his eyes never left Leo’s face, drinking in every detail as if trying to etch it into his very soul.
“I would cross every world, face every blade, and burn in every hell if it meant serving you again, my Lord” he whispered, voice still shaking.
“Then you’re right where you belong,” Leo replied simply, as he embraced Chaosbringer with a warm hug.
Of all his followers, Leo had no doubt in his mind that Chaosbringer was the most loyal.