As the first rays of sunlight fell in the morning, the clock tower of Milicion was struck, its deep chimes echoing throughout the city.
Myricentia is the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Millis, a city steeped in religious tradition, with a solemn and peaceful atmosphere throughout.
As soon as it was light, believers of Millis were sweeping the streets for free at their doorsteps. People came and went on the stone-paved road, and occasionally the sound of morning prayers could be heard from the church.
A group of three were walking towards the tavern.
" Eris, wait! Don't do anything, okay?"
" Rujierd, sigh... I know how many times you're going to say it."
Eris tossed her hair impatiently; the bruises on her face hadn't completely faded—the result of being forcibly dragged away by Rujierd yesterday.
The three crossed the stone bridge over the island in the middle of the lake and arrived at the entrance of the tavern.
Eris was about to follow him inside when Rujierd blocked her way with one hand.
"You wait outside."
"Huh? Why should I--"
"You'll only mess things up if you go in."
Eris clicked her tongue, crossed her arms, and turned her head away, ultimately deciding not to force her way in.
Rujierd glanced at Rudeus and nodded.
"Wait for me, I'll be right back." Rudeus took a deep breath, pushed open the door, and went inside.
Since it was early morning, there weren't many customers in the tavern. The morning light shone through the windows, making the dust motes in the air clearly visible.
Rudeus spotted Paul sitting at the corner table immediately.
Paul saw him too.
The father and son's eyes met in mid-air, and the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
"You've arrived."
"Yes, I'm here."
Rudeus walked to the table and sat down opposite Paul.
" Rudeus... arrived a little earlier than I expected."
"Because I didn't sleep all night."
"Yeah..."
Paul lowered his gaze, his fingers unconsciously tracing the surface of the table.
He had thought about his apology all night, rehearsing it countless times in his mind, but now, sitting in front of his son, the words seemed stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them no matter what.
" Rudeus, what are your plans next? Like, what's the strategy or something...?"
"I plan to take Eris back to her hometown, and then I'll set off to search for my mother's whereabouts."
"I see..."
That's good.
The father and son chatted casually, their conversation drifting further and further away, neither of them touching on the topic that truly needed to be addressed.
The middle-aged, bald boss, who was wiping the table nearby, listened as he did so, and finally couldn't help but sigh.
"Young man..."
Under the guise of delivering alcohol, the bald shopkeeper reminded Rudeus, "I may not know the situation, but you should at least look up and see the other person's face, right?"
"Huh?"
Rudeus paused for a moment, then looked up and looked at Paul's face seriously for the first time.
Paul's expression stunned him.
His face was filled with guilt, his lips trembled slightly, and there was something Rudeus had never seen before in his eyes.
The feeling was like that of a child who had done something wrong, wanting to apologize but afraid of being rejected, feeling restless and helpless.
Rudeus couldn't quite describe what that look was, but it seemed like he'd seen it before.
He noticed that Paul was nervous.
It's that kind of nervousness stemming from the fear of rejection.
At that moment, all the grievances and anger that had been building up in Rudeus's heart melted away like ice and snow.
He smiled.
He stood up, walked over to Paul, and called out, "Father."
Paul looked up, somewhat bewildered. "What's wrong, Rudeus? Is there a problem?"
Rudeus put his hand on Paul's shoulder and smiled, "Father... let's forget about yesterday! Let's start over today."
He gestured for Paul to crouch down, then rushed forward and pounced on Paul, embracing his father tightly.
"Ugh... Father, I miss you so much."
Paul's body stiffened for a moment, then his arms slowly closed, pulling Rudeus into his embrace.
The feeling was like holding a lost treasure that had been found again.
" Rudeus..."
His voice trembled slightly, and his eyes were a little red.
The father and son hugged for a long time in front of everyone.
The bald boss next to him silently wiped the table, a slight smile playing on his lips.
After a long while, Rudeus and Paul walked out of the tavern's main entrance, their arms around each other's shoulders.
Both of them had drunk quite a bit, their faces flushed, and they were laughing like two fools.
Eris was completely dumbfounded when she saw this.
She was still holding an extremely long machete, and was prepared to rush in and fight Paul.
And the result?
The father and son came out arm in arm, laughing so happily.
" Rudeus, you--"
Eris's words came to an abrupt halt.
" Eris, I've made up with my father." Rudeus smiled at her, a clean and bright smile, completely different from yesterday.
Eris opened her mouth, but couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
She sheathed her knife in frustration, snorted, and turned her head away. Although she was annoyed, Rudeus had already chosen to forgive her, so what could she say?
"Then, Father, I'll be going now..."
" Rudeus, how about... you stay a few days? Putting aside Lilia... you should get to know your two younger sisters, shouldn't you?"
"That's true."
Rudeus thought about it and felt that what Paul said made a lot of sense. Since his two younger sisters were born, he had been away from home for too long... and he hadn't really gotten to know them well or fulfilled his duties as an older brother.
"Yes, Father."
See you tomorrow!
Paul stood at the tavern entrance, watching Rudeus and his two companions walk away into the distance.
The sunlight fell on him, warm and comforting.
He had never felt so relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and he felt much lighter.
Back at the hotel, Paul immediately shared the good news with Lilia.
Lilia was surprised at first, then smiled with relief.
Paul even went to the street and bought a lot of delicious food. He also personally instructed Norn and Aisha to give their brother a proper send-off in a few days.
Aisha didn't say anything, but Norn's face clearly showed his reluctance.
Paul was completely unaware that he was simply sitting by the window, staring blankly at the street outside.
Luo Ge's image resurfaced in his mind.
I wonder what happened to that child in the Demon Continent.
Meanwhile, on the vast ocean...
In the ocean of Lingus, a large ship is cutting through the waves, sailing towards the Millis Continent.
Luo Ge stood on the deck, the sea breeze ruffling his hair.
The two-month voyage was faster than he had imagined. The sea monsters tamed by the sea creatures were incredibly fast, dragging the ship through the sea almost day and night, which shortened what would have been a long journey considerably.
Along the way, the team suffered losses time and again, not from battles, but from casualties.
After all, with Luo Ge, the Wise Demon King, three veteran adventurers, and the six-person Nanahoshi team, there are very few people in the world who can stop them.
The first person to disembark and leave was the Demon King Badigadi.
He disembarked midway, supposedly to visit an old friend on Ghost Island.
To Luo Ge's surprise, Elinalise also followed.
I don't want to see Paul.
That's what she said, with a hint of disdain in her tone, "I get angry just looking at that guy's face."
So, Elinalise chose to leave midway with Badigadi and boarded a small boat to leave.
The third person to leave was Talhand, the dwarven magician... He was the last to leave after arriving on the Millis Continent.
It is said that his hometown was in Great Forest, so he bid farewell to everyone after landing.
The team started with six people, but after a short two-month journey, only three remained.
Luo Ge, Roxy, and Nanahoshi...
After successfully arriving at Zant Port, we bid farewell to Talhand in the afternoon.
The three of them found a hotel to stay in that night, each getting a room.
Luo Ge stood at the hotel entrance, looking up at the somewhat faded sign.
It's been over a year.
More than a year ago, he and Nanahoshi set off from the Millis Continent, heading to the Demon Continent to find the whereabouts of the Demon Emperor.
If he remembered correctly, this was the hotel where he and Nanahoshi stayed back then, but unexpectedly, more than a year had passed since then.
Now, he's back.
As he was admiring the night view of the seascape outside the window, he suddenly heard Roxy's voice behind him. " Luo Ge, what are you looking at?"
"Nothing."
Luo Ge looked away and shook his head. "... I just feel a little nostalgic."
Don't worry.
" Luo Ge, I'll definitely be with you, I'll definitely help you find Zenith... Good luck, Luo Ge."
"Yes, teacher, I will."
Just as Luo Ge and Roxy were talking, the outer door was suddenly pushed open.
It is the Nanahoshi holding food and water.
Seeing Luo Ge and Roxy chatting happily, she froze on the spot.
"Sorry to bother you, perhaps I've come at the wrong time..."
"No, Nanahoshi."
"You've come at just the right time."
Luo Ge smiled and waved to Nanahoshi: "Perfect timing! I was just about to discuss the rest of our journey with my teacher. Why don't you join us in our discussion?"
"Is this alright? Will it disturb you?"
"No, Miss Nanahoshi."
At this moment, Roxy also spoke, her tone very gentle.
Nanahoshi hesitated for a moment, but finally closed the door and went in.
With Elinalise no longer with them, the atmosphere in the group became much quieter.
Nanahoshi finally had her own room. After discussing it with the two people, she washed up early and went to bed.
According to her, this was the first time in two months that she had been able to get a good night's sleep.
Goodnight, Luo Ge!
Goodnight, Ms. Roxy.
Nanahoshi rubbed her eyes and closed her bedroom door.
Only Luo Ge and Roxy remained in the corridor.
Roxy stood at the door of her room and glanced back at Luo Ge.
You should get some rest too.
"Okay, teacher."
Luo Ge watched as Roxy closed the door, then stood in the hallway for a while.
He walked to the window, opened it, and looked at the night view of Zant Port.
The harbor lights twinkled, and ships entered and left the port in the distance, their horns faintly audible.
He'll be able to reunite with Paul and the others soon.