The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 86: Speeding – 1

The return to the mansion was postponed.

In fact, it was more of a superficial postponement.

In reality, it was closer to making preparations to properly return home.

“What kind of revelation did you receive, Hero?”

The most important thing was what kind of revelation had been received. That would determine the course of action moving forward.

When the Holy King asked, Aria hesitated a bit before opening her mouth.

“‘Meet the darkness and confront the great evil’… it was something like that.”

At those words, everyone had puzzled expressions. At first glance, it seemed to mean to confront a great evil within the darkness, but there were many uncertainties.

“…The revelation was that detailed?”

The first thing Lumine considered was the peculiarity of the revelation. It was distinctly different from the revelations received by past Saints and even the first Hero.

“…Yes? It’s also inscribed on this scabbard…”

She extended the scabbard that Leo had crafted for her. On the scabbard, as if engraved with a branding iron, were the words:

[Meet the darkness and confront the great evil.]

Such a form of lettering was rare unless it was inscribed on a holy relic.

“…Meet the darkness and confront the great evil…”

[Why? Is it different from the previous revelations?]

Taking advantage of the crowded moment when Ain couldn’t strike him, the Sage took the opportunity to manifest his spiritual form.

The revelation Aria had received before her return had been ‘Confront the evil.’ This one was certainly along the same lines, but the addition of the phrase ‘meet the darkness’ was particularly concerning.

<…Could the effects of the regression be influencing the revelation?>

[Who knows? I’m not sure if the God can sense the changes in the past and future.]

Was the God of Light merely altering the revelation because the past had changed, or was He issuing this revelation because He had foreseen both His tasks and events that had yet to occur?

Only the God Himself could truly know.

“Then how should we interpret this revelation?”

“That is up to you, Hero. Revelations are originally closer to enlightenment than commands.”

In that sense, the unusual nature of this revelation was emphasized even more. Most revelations until now had been limited to just one or two words.

“In my case, it was ‘Learn the teachings.’”

Learn the teachings it was a paradoxical revelation, but at the same time, it seemed that the current Holy King had faithfully followed it.

“What about you, Priestess Lumine?”

“Oh, mine was ‘Make whole.’”

Even without further explanation, it was a revelation that made perfect sense. Physically and socially, Lumine was dedicated to healing and making things whole.

“…It really is unusual for me.”

Aria’s voice had dropped a tone, likely because she was a bit anxious. Given the unprecedented nature of the revelation, it was understandable for her to feel uneasy and afraid.

“So, what does this mean? Do we need to interpret the revelation?”

When feeling scared, the first thing was to figure out what needed to be done. By doing so, the fear of the unknown would dissipate, and a solution would come to mind.

“Ah, Lady Ariasphil, as I said before, you are free to return.”

“Huh? Right now?”

Even though she had long anticipated her departure, Aria was taken aback by the overly straightforward permission. In the past, whenever she pretended to receive a revelation or tried to sneak away, the Holy King had caught her and held her back, as if he had the eyes of a god.

“Keeping promises is important, Hero. Isn’t that right, everyone?”

At that meaningful advice, Ariasphil forced an awkward smile. However, it was a bit puzzling that even Leonardo wore a similarly awkward expression.

“The moment you received the revelation, Lady Ariasphil, you were essentially acknowledged as the Hero. As a mere representative, how could I possibly break a promise with the incarnation of light?”

Though it was a valid point, considering the Holy King’s usual disposition, there was likely a subtle jab hidden in his words. But this, at least, was good news.

“I can really go back?!”

“Of course. If you’d like, we could even have a farewell”

“No need!! Let’s just go!!”

Aria brushed off the mention of a farewell and eagerly planned an indulgent party of desires and pleasures in her mind, eager to escape this holy prison even a moment sooner.

“Lady Aria”

“Miss Aria…!!”

“Let’s go! Back home!!”

The guests of her imagined party clung to both of Aria’s hands as she dashed out of the room. Her unabashed display of eagerness was amusing, yet Lumine couldn’t stop the nervous sweat from trickling down her forehead.

“…I never mentioned that I’d be going with her… Is that okay?”

Now that Ariasphil was officially recognized as the Hero, Lumine, as a Saint, was obliged to assist her. This meant that accompanying her was essential.

“We did explain it a few times during the temple lessons, so it should be fine. Probably…”

It should be fine. Probably. If luck was on their side, that is.

***

“Sigh…”

A heavy sigh echoed.

“Siiigh…”

A deep sense of frustration seeped out through each breath.

“My lady, no matter how things are, it would be better not to sigh so openly in front of her, wouldn’t it?”

“…Sorry… Ha…”

Even apologizing and acknowledging her mistakes had become almost routine. Without much surprise at the improved level of this skill, Aria began to speak.

“Still… I just wanted to get along with my family… and go home.”

Aria now referred to them as “my family” so naturally that it no longer felt embarrassing. Even Leo seemed to have given up on correcting her, choosing instead to focus on defending Lumine.

“I appreciate the sentiment, but please consider Priestess Lumine’s position as well.”

[My position!! To be stuck with this damn woman 24 hours a day?!]

In contrast, [the wise, bluntly speaking evil spirit] snapped back, fuming.

{Brother Lumine! Please think it over once more!! If things keep going like this…}

Likewise, {the angel resolute in executing good} was visibly upset, showing clear signs of resistance.

“Umm…”

From Lumine’s reaction, it was easy to tell what she was feeling.

“Ain.”

“Yes, Father.”

Crack, Whump

The evil spirit and the angel each received a blow, causing their faces to cave in as their forms dissipated. It would likely take about an hour for them to recover.

“You should try to understand Lady Lumine. She must be so exhausted from not getting proper sleep.”

Leonardo understood that feeling better than anyone else. After all, he had an evil spirit chattering non-stop at his side, 24 hours a day, without ever seeming to tire.

“Haha, thank you for your concern. But because of that kindness, I was able to get some proper rest.”

Though it wasn’t just kindness but also Ain’s semi-physical iron fist that helped, Leo understood the desire to keep that a secret and nodded in understanding.

He added a gentle pat on Ain’s head as a bonus.

“Then, Father, I’ll prepare for our departure.”

As the group, now fully packed and ready, gathered, Ain lowered the hood of her robe. If the others saw this, they would certainly be astonished.

“Shall we begin, then?”

“Yes.”

Leo pulled out a small dagger from his pocket. It wasn’t made of metal or wood, but rather had an ivory blade resembling a beast’s tooth or claw.

“Leo? Why are you pulling out a dagger all of a sudden…?”

“I’m going to show you the method I used to get here.”

Thunk

As he said this, the blade of the dagger plunged into Ain. The action was so sudden and out of place that neither Lumine nor Aria even thought to stop him.

“…Wh-What…! What are you doing?!”

Aria was the first to react. She grabbed Leo by the collar, her voice frantic.

“Why…! Why would you stab our daughter?! Ain, who’s more precious than anything…!!”

Anyone watching would have thought she was a mother who had carried and raised Ain for years. In reality, they had only known each other for about a month, but the misunderstanding was understandable.

“Ain! Are you okay?!”

Lumine, seeing the dagger lodged in Ain’s hand, rushed to heal it with her holy power. Since the blade hadn’t gone all the way through, the treatment should have been simple.

“I’m fine.”

That is, if it had truly been an injury.

With a calm expression, Ain grasped the dagger embedded in her hand. For her, pain wasn’t so much a sensation of agony but more of a warning signal.

And, most importantly, this wasn’t an act of aggression.

“You’re okay…?! My dear Ain…!”

“I’m fine. So, please step back for a moment.”

Then, Ain extended her right arm. Starting from the pierced hand, scales began to spread, and soon her entire body swelled, forming a massive shape.

“Ain… Ain is…!”

“…This is…”

A body covered in scales, wings like those of a bat stretching out from her shoulders and back, and a reptilian face reminiscent of a giant lizard.

“A dragon…!”

“Technically, the species is called a Sylphid Wyvern. Not a dragon, but one of the most commonly used wyvern breeds for riding.”

Flicking out a reptilian tongue, Ain explained in her usual calm voice. The sight was so bizarre and jarring that Lumine and Aria both stood with their mouths agape in shock.

“Believe it or not, Ain is a familiar recognized even within the Magic Tower.”

Sage’s Legacy

Type-Diat

The Type-Diat ability Ain possessed allowed her to absorb the genetic information of living beings and temporarily integrate their components into her body.

Initially, her physical information would deteriorate due to long-term storage, resulting in a form resembling slime. However, by consuming Aria’s hair and her own blood, she had managed to take on a human form using the same principle.

“Of course, to initiate the transformation, I have to pierce my body with a substance like this something resembling a tooth or claw. It’s because the contract and understanding are still incomplete…”

“…Leo.”

Even after his explanation, Aria’s grip on his collar showed no sign of loosening.

“…Yes…? Why are you… suddenly tightening…?”

“Did you use Ain as a mere mount? My daughter?!”

Though it wasn’t an entirely incorrect statement, phrasing it that way made Leo feel like utter trash. He hadn’t done it out of choice, after all.

“Big sister Aria, this was actually my suggestion.”

“…Huh…? Ain, it was…?”

“I wanted to show that I could also be of help to Father. Plus, I needed to demonstrate to the Magic Tower that I have value beyond just being a subject for dissection.”

Seeing Aria’s displeased expression, Ain quickly reverted from her wyvern form and ran over to Leonardo. Perhaps her control was still a bit rough, as her claws, teeth, and even horns were still those of a wyvern.

“So, please don’t be angry. I believe a harmonious family is a good thing.”

“…Ain…”

As Ain completely wrapped herself around Leo, Aria finally let go of his collar and, following suit, embraced her family.

“Alright… So, you wanted to be helpful too, didn’t you?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Ain is always helping out. So, let’s take a little break for now. Even your mom isn’t quite used to it yet.”

“…Understood.”

Ain didn’t correct Aria’s use of “mom.” It wasn’t just to avoid causing conflict; there was also a certain curiosity, as Ain had noticed that Leo’s heart rate sped up when he heard it.

***

“Is this a train?”

The alternative they opted for was the train. They had considered using a warp gate, but due to some friction between the temple and the Magic Tower, operations of the nearby warp gates had been temporarily halted, leaving the train as their remaining option.

“Your first time on one?”

“Yes. I’ve read about them, but I’ve never actually ridden one.”

“This brings back memories. Ain, you know, your dad once took a train to visit his hometown.”

Even though it was quite an old memory, Aria remembered it vividly. After all, it was the day she spent the night in the same bed as her husband, so there was no way she could forget.

“Really? I’m curious now.”

“Curious, huh?”

“Yes. I’m curious why Father’s expression looks so gloomy.”

“…Hm?”

With Ain’s sharp yet tactless observation, everyone’s eyes turned toward Leo.

“Are you alright, Leo?”

“If it’s motion sickness, I can heal you. Would you like me to?”

“Ah… no. It’s just that it reminded me of something from the past.”

Hearing him mention “something from the past,” Ain’s eyes widened, which was rare for her.

“What happened, Father?”

“Well… it wasn’t as pleasant as it was for the lady. I just got caught up in a train accident.”

“…Ah… that time…”

Aria’s thoughts drifted to the train terror incident involving dark wizards. Not only that, but Leo had experienced a fair share of troubles like robberies and attacks while using public transport, which made it hard for him to wear a bright expression.

Especially now, with the concern of what kind of excuse he’d need to come up with once they returned to the family.

“It’ll be fine. If you’re too tense about it, you might find it harder to respond when things actually happen.”

Lumine’s reasonable advice managed to ease Leo’s expression a little. He secretly hoped that, with a Saint accompanying them, no one would dare to go as far as to attack them a little secret wish he kept to himself.

“Would anyone like a drink? I can go get it.”

“Oh, I’m fine.”

“Same here. We had tea before we left.”

“I would like one.”

Surprisingly, Ain was the one who accepted Lumine’s offer, prompting everyone to turn their eyes toward her in surprise.

“I’d like to buy some bottled water and explore the train a bit more.”

Seeing Ain’s rare display of childlike curiosity, everyone smiled warmly and let her go along with Lumine. Surely, there wouldn’t be any problem with her accompanying Lumine…

Splash

“What?! Kid!! Are you alright?!”

“Ah, I’m okay…”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

At the sudden commotion, the two parents sprang out of their seats as if cannonballs had been fired.

Ain’s body was soaked with a yellowish drink, dotted with bits of ice. The owner of the lemonade, who was standing by a toppled cup, looked flustered as he glanced between the spilled drink and Ain.

“To my child…?!”

Leo was about to get angry, but then he was taken aback.

“I… I’m really sorry… It’s been so long since I’ve been on a train…”

The owner of the drink, a large wolf beastman, bowed deeply, apologizing. Beside him, an elderly man also bowed his head, checking on Ain’s condition.

“…I’m sorry… kid… Are you hurt…”

And that’s when Leo found himself at a loss for words.

“…Chief Anus…? Dean…?”

“Huh…? I am Anus, yes… but how do you know our names…?”

As their eyes met, the gap between time and appearances closed in an instant.

“…Are you… Leo…?!”

“…Leonardo…?”

After all, that’s just how family was.