There, with this the empire is as good as finished.
I know that I have done something outrageous. But it was necessary. Only one loose end was there . it was Bullion… at first I thought that he was a hardcore villain but then I felt like he was something more.
The 50 thousand that the emperor had gathered were all the well known bad guys in the empire. It wasn't a coincidence that all of them gathered at one spot. They were shown the way to gather there. And the schemer was Bullion. He really was like water.
Forming any shape while in any container. As such I had to make a difficult decision.
Iliya… I will take her with me… I have come to like her in the time we were together…. If she wants to leave me, I can let her go too… but for now, I should help her get out of the empire. if I can sufficiently help her with building her strength up a little more and give her some good equipment, when she leaves, there won't be any problem that she couldn't fix, she did live in the empire all alone and protected herself.
As I finished storing the whole castle, I looked at the emperor. He lost everything in this fight. His two sons, his country, his retainers, his soldiers, his daughter…. Or well I was taking her with me… so to let him know that his daughter would be serving me, he still thought I was a vile criminal... well to him I really was, but I already made a deal with Iliya saying I will help her getting out of here.
Now that I think about it… I feel like I am doing something awful to the guy…
[Remember what he did to the pope….]
Well you're right, this is just a pay back…
[Yes it is karma at work.]
Amanori and I convinced ourselves like that and I opened my portal to get home.
...….
Merlins POV- the night that the prince's army was massacred.
"Melinda… I feel like Rekka is doing something wrong. he hasn't returned yet and hasn't contacted anybody..." I said to Melinda who was sitting beside me. her peaceful expression looked so beautiful today... well she had a beauty that surpassed many, but maybe since I love her, I am even more affected by it.
"If the empire bothers him that much, he can do whatever he can do with it." but not being bothered at all, Melinda was cool as a cucumber.
Today morning Rekka left saying he would go hunt for ducks. But as the night fell, he still didn't come back. I was sure he got himself involved in the empire. But I had no Idea what he was thinking. I don't want him to get in a fight with dragons, they are prideful beings.
Still he was a force of nature himself.. Even if he made that decision, I could hardly stop him. I don't know if he can stop the empire at once, but if he really was serious, then he could take his time and kill the empire's soldiers one by one, he had infinite stamina to work with. at least after seeing his capabilites he should be able to do that.... no... he will do it just like that if he were to go and fight the empire.
I have seen him fight strong for several days to no end. But what if something bad happens? He should have told me what he wanted to do…. But would I have let him go? He was my precious grandchild...
...….
After that night, the coming day also went by…. Then at night Leila came with a grave face… I felt my gut hit rock bottom looking at that.
"Master, the Empire's Prince's soldier encampment was found today…. It was a massacre. 100 thousand soldiers were all defeated. The prince was sitting on a rock made throne. His arms and legs were dismembered. The whole army was cut down the same way…" as Leila stopped saying, Merlin looked at her but Leila read the remaining report with more calmness than before.
"It was a report from the Empire's capital adventurers guild, the castle seemed to be attacked today and the Emperor was left powerless. Right now the emperor is frantically recruiting individuals saying he will reward them with new territory and money and titles. The attacker seemed to have been reported as, he was still staying in the castle, Having seized it."
"That grandson of our's is really going all out this time….." Melinda said hearing all this… she didn't look surprised one bit.
"Melinda… he had already told you what he was going to do hadn't he?" As I asked while clutching my head.
"he did not... but when I found out what he wanted to do, Yes of course he did then, I am his granny. The first time I hugged him I promised myself I would always help him."
(Had Melinda not had a compulsion of stalking her grandson, even she might have not realized… although when she did… she didn't let go of the opportunity one bit. Rather than stopping him from doing reckless things… she ushered him to the road of Chaos with delight. She really was the Storm everyone called about.)
"But he killed countless humans!..." as I said so….
"No grandfather…. That prince's army had all the corrupt individuals and lords in them.. And seeing the reports. He killed each of them painfully. They groaned till they died from the pain." Leila looked like she was with Rekka with what he did….
"I see…. It seems I was the one ignoring reality…" In my early days, I would have attacked that army long ago but now thinking of the consequences….. I backed out… I can't blame my grandson… or rather I might be angry because he didn't even say that he was going to do something like this….
Melinda on the other hand looked prideful… but to think he could deal with an army of 100 thousand in a single night… just how? the way he killed each one... that had to take a lot of time? were did he even begin? and why was there not a single survivor?
"Don't fret Merlin, your time will also come." Melinda said so looking at me with a smug face. Rekka… might have followed Melinda for this reason… who wants to think so much when you can do what you can…
"Still to attack the castle in broad daylight, then kick the emperor of his throne. Following that he even told the emperor to prepare an army if he liked to. Then even saying that he will take the emperor's daughter and entertain himself until the emperor is done with his preparations… he did all this in a day…." as Melinda read through her own letter that was somehow there, the contents shocked even Leila…
"He even took the princess, did he?" That's what you're worried about?
Women were dangerous. Disregarding all that killing, fighting , seizing the castle, even letting the emperor go free to prepare an army while waiting for the outside helper to come. I was flabbergasted by all that. But it seemed that Leila was worried for a whole other reason.
"He said she had unusual white hair and a small body even though she was as old as you guys… yeah he also said teasing her was the only fun there was while he waited…" Melinda read through the letter giving us the summary.
"Sigh…. That man…. I have to give him a good beating after he comes back… he even sent nearly a thousand young girls to the mansion." hearing Leila, I was surprised..
"When did that happen…?"
"Oh didn't you know? He found those girls trapped in the empire's army encampment.." Melinda answered as a matter of fact…
"Yes and for some reason, those girls nearly worship Rekka… to that point surpassing even the maids." Leila said so with a troubled expression.
"Even more than the maids huh… they must have been close to death, then Rekka finding them was like a godsend…" I could actually see Rekka saving the girls of an enemy nation without even batting an eye.
As we stopped our meeting, Leila headed for Rekka's mansion. Me and Melinda were left here.. I still couldn't fathom what was reported to me…
As the 2nd night passed and the third day of Rekka not returning came. I suddenly felt like Rekka was at last home.
Even though I should be angry, I feel relieved for the most part. My grandson was more than strong, it seemed that I was underestimating him too much.
...….
As I got near the entrance of my mansion, I saw Mai coming out in a short while. She really might be psychic.
"Welcome home master." it was the same way she did everyday but I could sense she was angry. It was inevitable really, I didn't tell her anything at all before going. Then I sent a bunch of girls and then I came home after 3 days.
"Y-yes thanks.." I felt nervous really… but following after Mai who was unusually silent, I got inside to find Leila standing, she had an imposing stance.
"Hey Leila, how are you?"
"How do you think I am?"
"Th-that's quite hard to… imagine I just returned you know, with the ducks?"
"Hoo.. then where have you been these days? Hunting ducks in another world?" Leila's sarcasm hit me like a rock… her joke kinda felt possible if I tried.
"I am sorry for not telling you before asking for the saint?" I tried out my apology but got a chop on the head… at moments like these I really did feel she was older than me.
"You think I care about that? more than to think my beloved went to battle alone and then went straight to the enemy nation's heart and followed that he even destroyed it single handedly?" Leila said, forming expressions of anxiety.
"I see you were worried…"
"Yes, I was… who even does that!?" as I got a hard lecture, I murmured under my breath.
'If you guys hadn't hidden the truth, then this wouldn't have happened…'
"You think I hid it for no reason?"
"Whoa you heard that?" I was surprised but it seemed that hearing the lecture after coming straight from the battle was too much for me and I let out my thoughts….
As I was feeling depressed, Leila stopped the lecture and looked at Iliya.
"So you're the saint?" suddenly being pulled into our conversation, Iliya got bewildered.. I guess she wouldn't want to get into a lovers quarrel…
"Y-yesh.. Ma'am…" Poor girl bit her tongue in nervousness.
"Ha ha … I see, thanks for keeping him company…. Long battles are hard for the human mind.."
She was unusually nice to Iliya… Mila on the other hand was already far from our quarrel and was having a chat with Mai. as similar as those 2 were, I wondered what they talked about.
"You're not off the hook yet." as if getting back on the main topic, Leila looked straight at me.
"I am sorry… if I had told you sooner you wouldn't have to go through this alone…" she gave a total apology to me while bowing.
"No, It was my fault I never told you guys what I was capable of."
"That is true too… then we will have a mutual understanding in this case." as Leila said so I felt her gaze soften a little.
"Oooh! Leila I missed you!" as I embraced her after 3 long days which felt especially long because of the long fights, I felt like I had ascended to heaven.
"Yeah… I was so worried, how can you so brazenly go and take such a big risk huh? You have me here, don't you fear for your life?" It looked like she was really worried... her eyes had tears in them… well I should think more before doing something like this again. Leila was right, my life was now connected with the girls I love, even if I die alone, they will suffer through it too.
As Iliya saw us, she got a bit flustered…
"You guys are… too much… shouldn't it have only been 3 days?" maybe Iliya looked jealous a as she sharply looked at me with disdain, but me who had entered a hug with Leila already lost myself in her. her scent, her long hair that fell on my face when she leaned on me, even the sound of her breathing that was a bit quicker since she was crying. I felt each and every little emotion from her, the blessing of the goddess of love reacted most strongly with Leila, in the future, we might end up unlocking more of the blessing potential this way, but for now, I felt glad that I could feel each and every emotion from her.
after a long long hug, that probably went passed 30 minutes, we finally let ourselves go, if we stuck together any further, I might try to push her down. Leila as precepted about my feeling as ever, separated just before that happened, I know we haven't had our first time yet, we were waiting for the right moment, and since Leila was also slowly getting used to skin ship, we were steadily making progress, but after the empire incident... things were going to become busy, I think we have to keep waiting a lot longer now.
"Ahem! Now Rekka, since you have yet another girl, I do hope you remember the next time you go and do something like this!" getting the last chop on the head, I got in the mansion and started a new day.
A man can stand up to a dragon but standing up to his Lover's lecture is something completely different. That's what I am saying, it doesn't mean that I am weak before my girlfriends.