NOVEL WEB Chapter 69: Return
Richard felt the power of the sword—it seemed to possess the ability to absorb all kinds of elements and then unleash slashes in the form of those very elements.
"Richard, is this a gift from Lilith?" Lisa asked, astonished as she looked at the sword.
"Yeahhh..." Richard nodded with a faint smile.
"What did you ask from her?" Lilith was curious.
"Only four items," Richard replied casually, then listed what he had requested.
Lisa rolled her eyes, as if she hadn't expected the boy she had raised since infancy to already be so skilled at extorting others despite only being seven years old.
Richard continued observing the sword to understand it better so he could wield it properly.
From his observation, using the sword would drain his Aether. That was the risk of wielding a weapon two levels above his own. Normally, people only used weapons one level higher.
However, that great risk was balanced by terrifying offensive power, so the trade-off could be considered worth it.
Time passed. On the journey home, there wasn't a single attack, though Richard constantly felt as though he was being watched.
By his estimation, the one watching was likely a bird-type creature with sharp eyesight like an eagle.
Of course, it had to be a Primordial Beast, but one specialized in reconnaissance, possessing high speed and excellent stealth capabilities.
After nearly half a day, they arrived near Purple Rose Village.
Athena reverted to her normal form and began walking slowly.
Having spent several days in the city, Richard felt a strange sensation upon returning home.
He gazed at Purple Rose Village from afar. Naturally, nothing had changed.
The villagers were still busy with their work as farmers.
Richard even spotted Mr. Joe picking grapes, looking more energetic than usual.
As they entered the village, the villagers' eyes turned to their carriage.
Instead of stopping in front of the orphanage, Lisa halted the carriage before one of the villagers' homes.
"Richard, you can go back on your own. Take your horse. I'll return this carriage first," Lisa said.
Richard nodded and leapt down from the carriage.
Lisa, who sat on the driver's seat, had already unhitched the carriage from Athena, so Richard could leave right away.
Mounting Athena, he asked her to carry him to his ancestor's place.
That was more important—of course, his ancestor had to be the first one he visited.
To his surprise, the hut his ancestor had built had now become a massive three-story house with a rooftop higher than the surrounding trees, making it a place suitable both for leisure and for keeping watch over the area.
His ancestor was still there, simply grilling fish on his own, looking even younger than usual.
When he saw Richard, he was still taken aback.
"Boy, where have you been? Gone for so long without giving me word," he said.
Richard gave a wry smile at his words and answered, "Grandpa, my caretaker from the orphanage suddenly took me to the big city. I went along, and it was just too much fun there."
"Too much fun, yet in the end you still came home. Must have been because of some trouble, right?" Aldric replied.
Richard scratched his head at that.
This old man truly had so much life experience that it was all too easy for him to guess the situation.
"But boy, you've truly grown much stronger. Truly unexpected," Aldric added.
"Hehehe, I got really lucky..." Richard chuckled.
He looked around, then showed a puzzled expression.
"Grandpa, where is the Fire Spirit Queen?" he asked.
He didn't see the old woman, nor could he sense her presence.
With his strength, he should have been able to sense her if she was hidden within the house, given that she was merely an old woman who had lost her power.
"Out wandering," Aldric answered.
"What?" Richard was stunned.
"While you were gone, a pink-haired girl came to your village and then came to my hut. Do you know what she did after realizing my uniqueness? She actually tried to use a Slave Seal on me—but failed. I took her Slave Seal, beat her until she ran away crying. After that, I used the Slave Seal on the Fire Spirit Queen. With that, I didn't hesitate to help her recover. Surprising, isn't it? At my age, to encounter such great fortune." Aldric grinned widely as he explained everything, while Richard could only stand frozen.
'A pink-haired woman with a Slave Seal? That must have been Olivia, right?' Richard thought.
He couldn't believe there was anyone else with the same characteristics.
"Does the Slave Seal also work on people at your level, Grandpa?" Richard asked.
"Yes, even people at my level can become slaves because of that item. You could say it's a serious problem for many. But if your soul is strong enough, you can still resist the seal's orders, though at the risk of death without hesitation. Death or obedience—only two choices. Remember to be careful with that thing." Aldric warned Richard.
Richard unconsciously nodded, increasingly aware of how terrifying it was.
Fortunately, Olivia hadn't used the Slave Seal on him back then.
Unexpectedly, the woman had truly come to his village.
Who knew what ill fate she had planned? But perhaps fate itself did not favor her. She had the misfortune of encountering Aldric.
Her fortune had ultimately transferred to someone else.
"Boy, tell me, what trouble befell you that made you choose to return home?" Aldric asked.
"So, it's like this..." Richard explained everything—that he had become the target of a Mad Magus who wanted to advance to the Life Aether Realm as quickly as possible.
"You really are good at stirring up trouble..." Aldric couldn't help but laugh upon hearing the story, clearly considering this Richard's own fault—and indeed, it was.
"Grandpa, you'll help me, right, if the enemy is stronger?" Richard asked.
"Don't worry, don't worry..." Aldric patted Richard's shoulder.
"You are my descendant, a truly rare genius. There's no way I'd let anyone else oppress you," he said.
Hearing that, Richard beamed with joy.
'So, what trouble is that?' he wondered.
"Eh..." He was caught off guard as he suddenly sensed someone behind a tree.
When he turned his gaze there, he saw a stunning woman with long red hair, looking as though she was still in her thirties, with such graceful bearing despite wearing only a simple dress.
Richard couldn't say she was more beautiful than Lilith or Olivia, but compared to the two, she clearly possessed an unrivaled aura that would make them seem like ordinary women if they stood beside her.
This wasn't an aura of temperament or personality, but an aura of sheer power that had transformed into limitless charm.