Finally, I can Retire, Or so I Thought

By early evening, after Dion had cleaned himself up alongside Gina and finished dinner, he placed the massive magic crystal onto the dining table. Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria stared at it in awe, while Cleo stood silently with her arms crossed, her expression anxious as her foot tapped rhythmically against the floor.

”Tell us what happened first and how you got your hands on that crystal,” Cleo urged impatiently.

Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria immediately turned their eyes toward Dion, their faces burning with curiosity.

”Sigh... fine,” Dion sighed, recounting everything that had transpired and translating the words Gina communicated into his mind.

Gina was actually the first to realize they had been kidnapped because she woke up trapped in a netting, her neck bound with anti-magic cuffs. Terror-stricken upon waking, she instantly expanded into her colossal dragon form, causing the ground beneath them to collapse into the underground ruins due to her massive weight. Dion picked up the story from there, detailing their battle against the S-rank Cave Leviathan.

As they listened, the expressions on Luna, Sheila, and Aria’s faces turned grim, while Mei kept her head lowered, trembling so violently that the twin blades at her waist rattled in their sheaths.

”That means... King Araki has made his move... He must have ordered my father to hunt me down... and my presence here has already been exposed,” Mei said, her voice shaking.

”I don’t think it’s that simple... If they were just looking for you, why would they kidnap Dion and Gina? There has to be a much stronger reason than you killing Prince Yugo,” Luna analyzed, narrowing her eyes.

”I was thinking the same thing... Gina, when you woke up, were they trying to kill you?” Cleo asked, turning to the tiny dragon sitting on the table right next to the crystal.

Gina paused for a moment, clutching her head with her tiny paws, before turning to look at Dion.

”Kyuuu,” she chirped.

”Hmm... I see... According to Gina, they were talking about a ’seal’ and found me sleeping next to her, but she couldn’t hear the specifics clearly,” Dion explained, voicing Gina’s thoughts.

”A seal?” Mei asked, her face turning pale as she raised her head to look at Dion.

”Hey... Why are you suddenly getting so tense, Mei?” Sheila asked, puzzled by Mei’s sudden shift in demeanor.

”Sheila... You’re a royal princess, so you surely know about the seal guarded by the three kingdoms, right?” Mei asked.

”Oh... the seal in the south? Of course I know about it... Wait... hold on a second,” Sheila trailed off, entering deep thought after hearing Mei’s question.

”Hmm... Just as I suspected. There’s something off about this place. The moment I set foot here and saw that artifact tower, I was certain something was hidden here because I could feel a strange resonance,” Cleo chimed in.

”Oh... When I first arrived... I felt it too. If I recall correctly... you felt it as well, didn’t you, Mei?” Luna added, joining the discussion.

”Yeah... that’s right,” Mei replied quietly.

”Hmm... I didn’t feel a thing, but as for the eastern seal, I know about it because my family has a legend about it too,” Aria chimed in.

Silence fell over the room as each girl became lost in her own thoughts. Only Dion and Gina remained totally unbothered, looking back and forth at the five girls in complete confusion.

”What’s going on? Don’t tell me my land is haunted,” Dion said casually.

Luna, Cleo, Mei, Sheila, and Aria all snapped their heads toward Dion so fast it made him flinch.

”What?” Dion asked defensively.

”You were born here, weren’t you, Dion?” Luna asked directly.

”Huh... Why are you asking that? You already know I was,” Dion answered, baffled.

”Just double-checking,” Luna replied.

”This is serious... In the Eredor Kingdom, there’s an ancient warning: if the Calamity Dragon is released, it must never be allowed to reach the seal, or it will unleash an ancient cataclysm,” Mei explained, casting a glance toward Gina.

Instantly, Luna, Cleo, Sheila, and Aria also turned their eyes toward Gina, who was sitting next to the crystal, a dragon barely larger than the gem itself. Feeling the weight of five intense stares, Gina felt put on the spot and scrambled straight into Dion’s lap to hide.

”It’s not just Eredor... The Northgard Kingdom has that exact same warning,” Sheila added.

”Yeah... In the Thetor Kingdom, that warning is passed down in our royal legends,” Aria noted.

”Okay... this is getting creepy. Please stop making up scary stories,” Dion requested, pulling Gina close to his chest.

”But if the Shadow Hand kidnapped you and Gina... and they were discussing the seal... that means they believe Gina is the Calamity Dragon because of the ancient illustrations... And why didn’t they kill her? Because according to tradition, if you encounter the Calamity Dragon, you must bring it back alive to be sealed within the kingdom to secure ultimate prosperity,” Mei stated firmly.

Hearing Mei’s explanation, everyone realized that the situation Dion had stumbled into was far more dangerous than a simple hunt for a rogue assassin. Sheila turned her attention back to Mei.

”How do you know so much about this, Mei? Isn’t that confidential lore known only to royal bloodlines?” Sheila questioned.

”We in the Shadow Hand are privy to that information,” Mei answered.

”No... not every member of the Shadow Hand knows about that.”

Hearing a deep male voice echo from the far end of the dining table, Dion—who was still holding Gina, along with Cleo, Luna, Mei, Sheila, and Aria, immediately spun around to face the head of the table. Standing there, shocked, they saw a middle-aged man sitting comfortably in the end chair. He wore all-black tactical gear, a demon half-mask covering his nose, and a cloth mask obscuring his mouth. Behind him, two similarly clad figures stood guard by the open window.

Seeing him, Mei immediately unsheathed her twin blades and stepped forward.

”Father?” Mei gasped.

The middle-aged man stood up, unbuckling his demon half-mask and pulling down his cloth mask to reveal a calm smile.

”Indeed. It is I,” the man said smoothly.

”Who is he, Mei?” Luna asked, dropping into a combat stance.

”Haruto Sion... my father,” Mei answered, keeping her guard up.

”Oh... So you’re her dad! Nice to meet you, I’m Dion von Oswald,” Dion said, stepping forward with his hand outstretched for a handshake.

”Hey... Hey, Dion!” Sheila warned in a hushed panic.

Seeing Dion step forward so casually, Haruto immediately leapt backward, landing near the window sill, ready to vanish into the night.

”Huh... Why’d you pull back?” Dion asked, utterly confused.

Luna, Sheila, Mei, and Aria immediately formed a defensive line in front of Dion, while Cleo stood beside him, ready to cast magic while keeping Dion from doing anything reckless. Meanwhile, Haruto observed Dion with a razor-sharp gaze before shifting his eyes to Gina perched on Dion’s shoulder.

”I see how it is... No wonder eleven of my elite operatives failed to return to the border despite using the shortcut. There was a monster lurking here all along,” Haruto noted calmly.

”What is the meaning of this, Father?! Why are you here?! If you came to arrest me, I will come back to the kingdom willingly and face the consequences, just please leave my friends out of this!” Mei yelled, taking a step forward.

Haruto looked at Mei and offered a soft smile. He turned to glance at his two subordinates, who gave a silent nod before leaping out the window into the darkness. Haruto turned back and took a step toward Dion. Sheila, Luna, Aria, and Mei tightened their grips on their weapons, but Haruto kept his eyes fixed on Dion and smiled, extending a hand for a handshake.

Seeing the gesture, Dion smiled back, stepping past the girls to shake Haruto’s hand.

”My apologies... What was your name again?” Haruto asked politely.

”Dion von Oswald,” Dion replied.

”Haruto Sion... Though in your realm, I would be Haruto von Sion. Since Mei is residing here, I ask that you look after her and keep her safe. I will return to report to the King that the seal remains secure as long as you are here,” Haruto stated sincerely.

”Wait, what exactly is this ’seal’ everyone keeps talking about?” Dion asked earnestly, genuinely out of the loop.

Haruto didn’t answer. He simply smiled, released Dion’s hand, and turned to look at Mei, who was standing there in complete disbelief.

”Mei, do not return to the kingdom. Remain here, you are far safer in this territory. Do you understand?” Haruto instructed.

”I understand, Father... But is it really okay? Even after I... killed the prince...?”

”Say no more. I am fully aware of what transpired back then. And judging by the bodies left in those underground ruins, the one who rescued you back in Phobos was Dion, correct?” Haruto interrupted, raising a hand to cut her off.

Dion and Mei both stiffened in shock. Dion’s secret identity as the Berserk Monk had been completely exposed. However, Haruto lowered his hand gently.

”Rest assured. The King bears no grudge over that matter. In fact, His Majesty explicitly entrusted Mei to your care. Dion, please protect my daughter,” Haruto said, bowing deeply.

”Um... sure thing,” Dion replied, completely at a loss for words.

”Very well. I shall take my leave. My mission here is complete. Farewell,” Haruto said smoothly.

In the blink of an eye, Haruto vanished into thin air, and the window slammed shut, leaving the dining hall in dead silence.

Clang!

Mei dropped her twin swords and collapsed to her knees. Aria and Sheila immediately rushed to her side, kneeling down to comfort the trembling girl. Cleo and Luna remained still, turning their gazes toward Dion, who stood there scratching his head in sheer bewilderment.

”Wait a second... Why is the King the one asking me to keep Mei here? Wasn’t Mr. Haruto her father? And I still don’t have the slightest clue what this whole seal business is about... But out of all that, there’s something way more important: how on earth did they manage to break in here...? Man, this is bad. That means literally anyone can just waltz into my territory whenever they want. I need to crank our defenses up to a whole new level of crazy,” Dion thought to himself in total confusion.