"..."
Eris.
"..."
Rudeus.
"..."
Rujierd.
The group exchanged bewildered glances, their minds momentarily blank, seemingly unable to understand why Luo Ge had suddenly launched into a tirade of profanities.
Even if someone has a problem with Eris, does that warrant such vicious cursing?
In an instant... the surrounding air seemed to freeze.
The three men stared blankly at Luo Ge, none of them speaking first.
Finally, Rudeus couldn't hold back any longer and tentatively began, "... Luo Ge, isn't this a bit inappropriate? It's fine to use insults on Eris, but there's no need to involve family members, is there?"
"Curse?"
"Huh? Rudeus... do you think I'd be that boring?"
Hearing Luo Ge's serious tone, Rudeus panicked a little. He glanced at Eris, who was silent beside him, and then shouted.
"Are you kidding me?"
"Really?... Luo Ge, what do you mean by that?!"
Luo Ge ignored Rudeus and turned to look at Eris, who was looking down and clutching her sleeves.
"What do you mean? The literal meaning, of course! My meaning is simple, Eris, your whole family is dead."
Luo Ge, who had been watching Eris intently, was somewhat surprised.
Eris's behavior was completely unexpected by Luo Ge. He had thought that a noble lady like Alice would burst into tears upon hearing such bad news.
At the very least, they would... feign an unwillingness to believe this cruel reality.
But to her surprise, Eris, this noble lady, was much more resilient and mature than she had imagined.
She didn't cry or make a scene; she just kept her head down, lost in thought.
Suddenly Eris spoke, her voice very soft.
Where is my grandfather?
"Dead."
How did he die?
"I heard that he was made a scapegoat and executed by Asura's Advanced Rank nobles, but I don't know the specifics of the political struggle..."
Where is my dad?
"Dead."
Where is Mom?
He's still dead.
"By the way, on my way to the Shirone Kingdom, I passed through the conflict zone... I heard that two nobles were executed as spies, I think they were your parents, Philip and Hilda..."
"Dead."
Luo Ge's words turned Eris pale. She stumbled back two steps and then slumped into a chair.
Her hands were resting on her knees, her fingertips gripping the fabric of her skirt tightly.
Seeing this, Rudeus immediately wanted to step forward and comfort her, " Eris..."
" Rudeus..."
"You don't need to comfort me. Actually, I was already prepared for this during my year in the Demon Continent."
"I just never imagined... that none of my family members would be left."
She paused, then looked up.
There were no tear stains on her face, only her eyes were slightly red. Something was slowly breaking in her amber eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let it spill out.
" Rudeus... I want to be alone. Please don't bother me tonight, okay?"
Eris's tone softened for once, lacking her usual carefree manner.
She turned and went back to her room, then slammed the door shut.
The sound of the door closing was exceptionally clear on the quiet first floor of the hotel.
If you listen carefully, you can actually hear a very faint sobbing sound coming from behind the door.
It was as if she was afraid of being overheard, or perhaps she simply couldn't hold back any longer.
She hid in her room and cried alone, burying her face in the pillow, her shoulders shaking with sobs, but she managed to keep quiet.
When Luo Ge saw Rudeus trying to chase after him to comfort him, he immediately grabbed his arm and shook his head at him.
Rudeus had no choice but to sit down again. He glanced at Luo Ge with a hint of reproach. "Ugh, the way you talk... can sometimes be really hurtful. Can't you find a gentler way?"
"Wen Wan?"
Luo Ge leaned back in his chair, his tone indifferent. "Heh, I have no obligation to care about other people's feelings. Besides, I think Eris is much more mature than you think."
"If you encountered something like that, you'd probably be even worse than a woman. I think you'd most likely be completely devastated and give up on yourself... a complete waste."
After briefly criticizing Rudeus, Luo Ge's expression suddenly turned serious. "By the way, Eris has finished her instructions, and I also have something to tell you."
"I hope... you, like Eris, are mentally prepared."
"Ha?"
Rudeus's heart leaped into his throat; he was incredibly nervous, never expecting that he was involved in this.
What's going on?
Is another piece of bad news on the horizon?
Sylphie?
Paul?
Zenith?
Norn? Or Aisha?
Names flashed through his mind one after another, Rudeus began to tremble, fearing that Luo Ge's next words would be about Sylphie, or that Paul was dead, or that Zenith Paul dead.
" Rudeus, are you mentally prepared?"
"Wait a moment!"
Rudeus sat up straight and interrupted abruptly, "That?! Am I not the only one caught up in the disaster?"
"Huh?"
Luo Ge was also taken aback by his sudden question, looking at Rudeus suspiciously, "No? What nonsense are you talking about? What's wrong with you?"
"Has it been so long? You actually... thought you were the only one caught up in the disaster relocation?"
"Huh? Isn't it just Eris and me?"
Luo Ge was almost speechless at Rudeus's words. He covered his forehead and took a deep breath.
Then he looked up, his face screaming, "Are you an idiot?"
"No!"
"Idiot! Fool! Moron... Did you stuff a toilet seat in your brain? Or did a zombie eat it? How could such a large-scale disaster only involve you and Eris?"
Luo Ge paused, his voice turning somber. "This evacuation disaster affected the entire Fittoa Territory, resulting in at least hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries... and that doesn't even include all those who are missing."
" Rudeus..."
"Do you know what I saw when I rushed back to Fittoa's territory?"
Even Luo Ge showed a hint of heaviness in his expression.
"It's really... really... everything is gone, neither our home nor the village, nothing is left."
"The surrounding area was razed to the ground, barren of everything. How can I describe it? It was like the land had been bombed by a nuclear bomb."
Upon hearing this, Rudeus completely lost his composure.
He seemed to have thought of something, and his face instantly turned extremely ugly.
Could it be?
Could it be?
Could it be?!
Seeing Rudeus's reaction, Luo Ge looked at him speechlessly. "Hey, what's wrong with you?! You almost threw up?"
"Mmm..."
Rudeus, his voice trembling as he suppressed his grief, asked, "Where's Sylphie? Sylphie... and Paul, Zenith, are they all dead?"
Luo Ge did not rush to answer, but remained silent for a moment.
Seeing this, Rudeus was struck dumb, as if he had already guessed the outcome.
He couldn't help but break down.
Waaaaah... Seeing Rudeus suddenly break down, Luo Ge was completely dumbfounded.
"Huh??? Why are you suddenly yelling and screaming? What's wrong with you?"
"Sylphie... my lovely Sylphie is dead, and so are Paul, Zenith, everyone is dead! Waaaaah... how can I not be sad?"
"Screw you, you're in pain!"
Luo Ge covered his forehead, looking at Rudeus with disgust. "Is it possible they're all alright? None of them are alright?"
"Ah?"
Rudeus's sob caught in his throat, tears still clinging to his face. "Not dead? Didn't you just say that?!"
"What the hell did I say?"
"I never said they were dead from beginning to end. Seriously, what are you making up in your head? I just can't do anything with you... sigh."
Luo Ge covered his forehead, looking helplessly at Rudeus, his tone tinged with disappointment, " Paul, Zenith, Aisha, and Norn are all fine."
"However, Zenith is currently in some trouble. I came to the Demon Continent to find her."
"Wait, where's Sylphie?"
"Damn it, you idiot, is Big Head being controlled by Little Head? Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about women?"
"What a spineless guy... all he thinks about are women."
Despite his constant criticism of Rudeus, Luo Ge finally added, "Your Sylphie is alright."
"Phew... it turns out nothing's wrong."
It was a false alarm, and Rudeus couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. His emotions had just been as thrilling as riding a roller coaster.
After adjusting his mindset, Rudeus suddenly noticed Luo Ge standing next to him.
He was looking at himself with an expression of amusement, trying not to laugh.
"Huh?"
Rudeus.
Suddenly realizing what was happening, Rudeus flew into a rage. "Damn it! That wretched fellow... He always likes to be mysterious when he speaks, and he deliberately leaves things unsaid... Tell me honestly... were you doing this on purpose? Were you deliberately trying to make a fool of me?"
" Rudeus..."
Congratulations, you got it right!
"Too bad, no reward." Luo Ge narrowed his eyes, revealing a hint of barely perceptible cunning.
"..."
Rudeus's forehead was covered in black lines.
If it weren't for the vast difference in strength between the two sides, Rudeus would have loved to rush up and teach Luo Ge a lesson.
bad!
That's outrageous!
Their behavior is simply appalling...
I thought that after so many years, Luo Ge would have changed at least a little, but I never expected so many years to have passed.
This guy hasn't changed at all; he's a nasty fellow who's always bullied him since he was a kid.
I won't go into that.
What's even more outrageous is...
Even Paul and Zenith had fallen victim to this guy's schemes. He would time things perfectly in their room, then secretly put live frogs in their blankets, scaring Paul and Zenith into screaming.
Then... he blamed himself.
As a result, he was hit by a mixed doubles match between Paul and Zenith.
Even Teacher Roxy was victimized by this guy. He was the one who encouraged her to steal the sacred object, but then he pretended to be a good person, making her take the blame and frame her.
Damn it!
That's absolutely inhuman.
So many years have passed, and in the whole world... only Rudeus knows the true, cunning nature of Luo Ge, this evil little brother.
Sigh... it seems those with squinty eyes are never good people.