Aftermath & Return [LEON]

Leon woke up.

Same room and same bed.

The moments of battle still lingered within Leon’s mind, but he didn’t have the leisure to be lost in thoughts all day.

So, the same mundane day continued, and the night came again.

As he closed his eyes, he traveled back to the other world.

As Leon arrived, not long after, the group was invited by the Lizardmen’s Chief.

The chief honored the human guests with hospitality.

“Humans, we thank you for your help.”

Leon and the group didn’t say anything as they realized that there had been many deaths.

The chief noticed their uneasiness.

“Humans, please do not feel too burdened about the loss of our kin. If you weren’t present to help, then who knows what would have happened to us? The survivors told us all about everything that happened. Without your help, our entire tribe would have probably been slaughtered by the hands of those monsters and that demon. Of course, the deaths of our children, our kin, and the scarred one is saddening, but their deaths weren’t futile. They gave a noble sacrifice to save their tribe. So, even if it may be to honor their sacrifices, I hope you all don’t feel burdened.”

With chief's words, Leon and the group’s uneasiness settled down a bit.

The chief continued, “I am assigning a group to venture to the ruins to collect the remains and other things. So, I hope you accompany them as well.”

Leon and the group agreed.

They ventured to the ruins once again with a lizardmen group. The ruin was silent now. There was no sign of monsters nor any malicious energy. They still encountered one or two gargoyles, but they were manageable. Finally, they reached the place of battle with the demon.

The fallen bodies of the lizardmen were still there. The lizardmen group collected the remains of their kin.

The demon’s body, however, was not present. It had turned into ashes before fading away. The only remains were its horns, crimson eyes, claws, and a black heart. The group collected these items.

They ventured further into the ruins, only to find a dead end. The walls at the end contained some symbols that depicted something like three-horned humanoid monsters battling against different races. No one knew what it truly meant.

They returned to the lizardmen’s village. The party now had to return to Redlaw estate. The lizardmen and the chief insisted on giving the remains of the demon to the humans.

But the triplets retaliated, saying it was of no use to them and not a good omen to carry something related to such a sinister demon. As the lizardmen continuouly insisted, Leon decided to take only the eyes of the demon.

The lizardmen thanked the group once again and said that they would aid them in their time of need. An unnatural relationship was created between monsters and humans. The triplets were concerned by it, though they didn’t say anything.

Leon and the group returned. Their adventure to the ruins had been filled with excitement, discoveries, and the formation of a unique relationship.

As usual, they traveled, battling monsters on their way, crossing rivers and mountains. Then, at night, as always, the Red-Eyed Shadow would appear, and Leon would return to his world. His days there were as mundane as ever. At night in that other world, he would travel back to the side of Noel. Leon and the group’s days of travel continued with the same cycle.

After days of travel, the group finally returned to the Redlaw estate. This journey was unlike any other for the group.

Marquis Redlaw, Noel’s uncle, along with others, welcomed their return. Leon and Noel were excused to rest. The triplets stayed with the Marquis and his brother to report the events.

They explained everything that had happened. Their travels. Their battles. Leon and Noel’s strength. They also spoke about the unusual interaction with monsters like the lizardmen, the ruins, and the battle with the demon.

Marquis Redlaw and his brother were shocked by such information.

"Impossible."

"Humans communicating with monsters?"

"A lizardmen village?"

"The demon?"

There were multiple things that left them in disbelief. The triplets were also excused. Only the two brothers remained in the room. The Marquis and his younger brother.

The uncle spoke. "These things are all strange, but I am glad that Leon and Noel can hold their own now. Noel has been trained since childhood, so it makes sense. But Leon is really a fast learner, I guess."

He continued. "Brother, who exactly is Leon? That boy seems to have unique attributes too. Chantless magic. A fast learner, unlike a regular person. And now, communicating with monsters? What in the world is he?"

The Marquis replied. "Even I do not know the exact details, brother. You know how we adore Noel, so I thought this was just fulfilling one of her requests. I never really questioned her judgment. One day, she suddenly told me we were going to have a guest. That guest was Leon. I do not know how or where she met him. She just said it was about returning a favor. There was a different kind of happiness in her after meeting him, so I did not pry."

The uncle nodded slowly. "Even I did not question his presence at first because there was no hint of malice inside him. That still holds true. He is an honest, earnest boy. That has not changed. But something about him is just otherworldly."

The Marquis sighed. "There is no use dwelling on it too much. I am just glad they had a valuable experience and did not get hurt. Still, this new side of monsters that no one has ever known about, and the matter of the demon, still concerns me."

The uncle frowned. "I do not really care about the demon, but I refuse to believe such things about monsters." There was an unknown anger in his expression.

The Marquis looked at him gently. "I know how much you have suffered, brother. I do not intend to deny your past but think about it. There was no one before who could literally communicate with monsters. We cannot deny that fact."

The uncle turned and walked away, unable to fully accept the Marquis's words.