Life didn't get easier, even in another world.

Chapter 380 What now?

"Oh man, such a scene!"

Darren snorted as if disgusted and turned away from the two brothers.

"Why is the tip of your nose red?"

"Huh? How would I know? Sniff."

Darren avoided Carlson's gaze. The three of them walked somewhere else to give the crying due some privacy.

"Uhhh, I still can't understand it. Some mysterious guy came and saved him then held him imprisoned for two years?"

"Not imprisoned."

"Then what?"

"You wouldn't understand."

Alan couldn't tell everything to these two swordsmen, so he just gave a vague explanation and left the rest to their imagination. He decided not to take responsibility for how they might understand his words.

"Anyhow, it's still unbelievable."

"Yeah."

"He isn't a hallucination, is he?"

"A hallucination shared by all of us?"

"It's not impossible though."

"Eh, it better not be a hallucination or anything like that..."

Darren shook his head as if in terror.

"What should we do now?"

The two swordsmen turned towards the golden-haired man who had asked that question.

"Take him to the headquarters? What else? We aren't even sure if his identity or whether he has any hidden dangers."

"Hmm..."

As someone who had lived a quite long life, Alan had confidence in his ability in recognizing people and their ill intentions. His power helped him out a lot on that task. When he first met Aaron, as the soil dude, in one of Philomns hideouts in the middle of the desert, he hadn't felt any ill intent from him. When he first approached Kairen and revealed some secret information to him, it was because he had judged him harmless and innocent. He was sure that he could trust his instincts when it came to dealing with people.

And now, once again, he hadn't felt any ill intent from that little boy, who claimed to have escaped death two years ago. The feeling he gave off has changed to some extent but he was still innocent and harmless.

That was why Alan brought him to his brother just as Kairen requested. If he'd felt anything wrong with him, Alan would've taken him to SMF right away, not here. He believed that this boy was the same boy that disappeared two years ago. He had no proof or proper reason but he just felt that way.

However, he couldn't use a feeling or an instinct to justify someone whom others suspected.

"You're right."

He nodded his head and glanced back at where the suspect was.

"Mmm... I guess we have to wait a little bit longer."

. . . . .

It'd been a few minutes since Aaron released Kairen, but there were not many words that were exchanged between them.

"I-I know it sounds unbelievable... I was saved before I could die and... Sniff. I'll explain everything, okay?"

Kairen said a few words to comfort his brother, but they didn't seem to work. His brother in his arms was as silent as a stone.

"Mmm..."

He decided to just keep hugging his brother until he calmed down.

"How many times..."

After a few more minutes passed, Aaron finally said something in a low and unstable voice. His hands once again grabbed Kairen's shoulders. Aaron pulled himself away from Kairen and whispered in a hoarse voice.

"...do you want to do this?"

"Huh?"

Aaron's eyes, looking up at Kairen through his ruffled hair, were wet with tears.

"How many times do you want to do this with me?"

Through his grip on Kairen's shoulders, Aaron slightly shook the younger sibling's body back and forth.

"Tell me already! Say it!"

Kairen couldn't say anything while watching Aaron's face. It was so distressed and desperate that it felt alien.

"Say! Why are you so cruel? Why do you keep doing this?"

Aaron didn't seem to care about his hair, wet with tears, sticking to his face. He wasn't like the brother Kairen always remembered, like the calm and collected Aaron in his memories. His older brother was shaking, weeping, and scolding him like a little, lost child.

"Say something! Do you enjoy it? Is it pleasurable?"

"Ron!"

"Tell me!"

"I'm sorry!"

"DON'T APOLOGIZE!"

His loud yell didn't make Kairen shiver like before. Instead, he once again reached out his hands to pull Aaron's hair to the back of his ears.

"...."

Aaron let go of Kairen's shoulder and pushed away his hands.

"You are so cruel. Always like this." He turned away while muttering under his lips as he wiped his face. "Always selfish and foolish."

"...."

"Stupid."

"...."

Kairen silently listened to his brother's insults.

. . . . . . . .

In an area shrouded with darkness, a tall building was standing firm. The building that resembled a king's palace was mostly empty except for a few people who resided in it.

Inside the largest office in the palace, a man was sitting behind a desk, all alone, reading some books and scribing some notes. It was unknown how long had he been doing this and how much more would he continue.

Just when he was about to flip the page to another one, the flash of a bright red light made him look away from the book and glance at the center of the room. A man with long crimson hair had appeared inside the office.

"You're back!"

Stefan placed his book on one side of the table and stood up with a smile.

"Did it go well? I didn't think it'd take this long to send him to his world."

The red-haired Reynold plopped down on a sofa without responding to Stefan.

"Hmm..." Stefan raised a brow as he sat in front of his old friend. "Is something the matter?"

"Uh?"

As if he just snapped out of his thoughts, Reynold looked up at Stefan with a dazed face. Seeing him like this, Stefan, who was good at reading his friend's face, didn't ask more and leaned back on the sofa in silence.

After a few minutes, Reynold finally began to talk.

"Hey, Stefan."

"Yeah?"

"Do you know of a way to...", Reynold tilted his head from side to side. "To seal memories?"

"Seal memories?"

"Or seal a life..."

Reynold completely ignored his friend's confused face.

"Or maybe steal all of the memories of a life from the soul..."

Thinking about different possibilities, Reynold said whatever method he could come up with.

"If you don't know of any, then find one."

He unbuttoned his cloak and tossed it to the other side of the sofa.

"I need it as soon as possible."