NOVPUB
Chapter 204: Found Out?
Aldrian entered his mother’s room and saw her still sleeping peacefully on the bed. Even as he approached, she remained motionless, a testament to how drained her strength was. He could only imagine the desperation she must have felt when facing the Lust Devil. Sitting beside her bed, he gazed at her exhausted yet beautiful face and gently touched her hand. Emotion welled up within him, this was the first time he had touched his mother again after so long.
He then checked Irene’s condition while channeling his golden energy into her body. True to his guess, her dantian was completely drained of energy, and even her muscles were too exhausted to support her. He surmised it was due to the Rivas family’s secret technique, whose side effects had already taken a toll on her body. She would need an extended period of rest—not only because she had used the secret technique, but also because she had pushed herself beyond her limit by unleashing that huge ice-element technique despite already lacking energy.
However, his golden energy possessed healing properties, which would at least alleviate her exhaustion and mend her injuries because of the side effect. He continued channeling his energy until he noticed her expression becoming more relaxed. Smiling softly, he remained by her side, healing and guarding her like a devoted son.
---------------------------------
At the Vicanti, Xin Haotian and the others had already arrived in Ilyon town after receiving information from multiple sources that both Ilyon and Fanalis had been liberated. The news shocked the entire guild and coalition forces—how could the towns have been freed without any plans for their recapture? However, after examining the traces left behind and hearing the testimonies of those Aldrian had saved, they finally identified the person responsible.
For now, the Mercenaries’ Guild had been tasked with assisting in establishing security in Ilyon and Fanalis. The teleportation station connecting the two locations had finally been reactivated after being shut down for obvious reasons. They had previously disabled it to prevent the devils from exploiting it—it would have been disastrous if the devils had used the teleportation station to launch a surprise attack from behind.
After Xin Haotian, Sylphia, Eleine and Baek Jimin arrival, the situation in Ilyon was "much better" than when Aldrian had first arrived. The bodies of the war victims and devils had already been moved to designated areas, so the gruesome scenes that Aldrian had witnessed were no longer present. The survivors among the town’s residents, who had been prisoners saved from the devils’ grasp by Aldrian, were also being treated with care.
From the survivors’ accounts, they learned that Aldrian was now in Sazim—a place they never expected him to go. Had Aldrian really invaded the devil’s territory alone? However, when they saw a brilliant golden light pillar in the distance, they felt reassured that Aldrian could handle it. Even so, Eleine remained somewhat worried about her young master and Irene. If Aldrian was in the devil’s territory, it meant Irene was there as well. She was well aware of the challenges Sazim posed—the harsh terrain, the unforgiving environment, and the oppressive effects of the negative energy.
They continued helping the Mercenaries’ Guild members clean up the town and heal the people Aldrian had saved. At that moment, a group of individuals emerged from the town’s teleportation portal. When the people saw them, especially the person leading the group, they immediately bowed in respect.
"Grand Duke Rivas! Welcome. I apologize that the cleanup isn’t yet complete; we still need time to reorganize the town," said Ryusei Collins, the guild master of the Mercenaries’ Guild, to the man leading the group.
"No, it’s alright. You can continue with your work. I only came to inspect. Do you know anything about my daughter’s situation?" Grand Duke Rivas asked, his face etched with worry.
"We haven’t received any information about Lady Irene yet, but we’ve already dispatched my men to search for any trace of her," Ryusei replied.
Grand Duke Rivas gritted his teeth, still unable to find any positive news about his daughter, but he maintained a tough expression.
"Good. Thank you for your hard work. I hope you can continue to help us. From here, the Rivas family will begin the rebuilding process of the town, and we will need a lot of manpower," he said.
"Yes," Ryusei replied.
Grand Duke Rivas then walked around, inspecting the area and even speaking to the people Aldrian had saved. He was shocked to hear that someone had the power to subdue Sazim, and that the person seemed to be the same one who had helped them defeat the devils in the Battle of Vicanti. Not only that, but this individual had also gone on to liberate Ilyon and Fanalis. He wasn’t sure if these people were exaggerating, but all their testimonies were the same.
"Where the hell did this man come from? To have this much power despite being only at the Peak Earl stage... Aldrian, huh? I’ll remember that name," Grand Duke Rivas thought to himself.
He continued walking when suddenly he stopped and looked in the direction of a woman he had spotted.
---------------------------
Eleine, who was still helping mend some of the people’s injuries, suddenly felt a gaze from behind and turned to look at its source. To her shock, she saw Grand Duke Rivas staring at her with narrowed eyes. She quickly turned her face to hide her expression, never expecting Grand Duke Rivas to be here at this time. Trying to act as naturally as possible to avoid drawing his attention, she knew she couldn’t run or hide, as that would only make her seem more suspicious.
"Why is Lord Rivas here?! Damn it, I’m screwed!" Eleine thought.
She sensed Grand Duke Rivas walking closer to her, but suddenly she realized that Xin Haotian was already beside her and speaking to her.
"Miss, please help at the northern camp. We’re lacking people there. Let me take care of things here," he said to her.
Eleine felt confused, but when she saw the knowing look in Xin Haotian’s eyes, she understood that he was trying to help her.
"Alright." She then walked further away, leaving Grand Duke Rivas to watch her retreating figure.
"Strange, why do I sense a familiar aura from that woman? Ah right, that’s the aura of Eleine, Irene’s retainer! But I’ve never seen her face before. Wait, what if it really is her? Is she in disguise?" Grand Duke Rivas thought. He had heard from Irene that Eleine might still be trapped inside the Everlasting Silent Forest, as they had been separated. He hadn’t yet received any reports from Rivas City regarding the appearance of the Direct Bloodline’s Retainer token, so at this point he couldn’t be sure or connect the dots to confirm if the woman was truly Eleine.
He wanted to speak with her, but he noticed a man had already approached her, and she seemed to be heading in the opposite direction. He considered following her, but then the man came toward him and cupped his hands in greeting.
"It’s an honor to see Grand Duke Rivas here. Can I help you with something?" Xin Haotian said.
Grand Duke Rivas looked at the man, and although he sensed that he was a Marquess stage cultivator, his instincts told him that this man was not simple. He then asked him,
"Do you know who that woman is?"
"Oh, she is my friend. She has been with me and my group for a long time. Is there something wrong, my lord?" Xin Haotian answered.
"No, I just felt she was somehow familiar, and I wanted to make sure. But since it seems she’s busy, I’ll speak to her another time."
"As you wish, my lord. Thank you for your understanding." Xin Haotian cupped his hands and went on with his own activities.
Now, Grand Duke Rivas turned his attention to observe Xin Haotian.
"The way he stands and the way he looks at me... he doesn’t regard me as someone of higher status. His eyes don’t show the nervousness that is usually visible in those who speak to me. Instead, they are serene, full of confidence. He is an experienced cultivator, and an expert at that." Grand Duke Rivas continued observing Xin Haotian until he disappeared from sight.
"Ah, right. I can always ask the Mercenaries’ Guild master about it later." He said, resuming his inspection.
---------------------------------
While Grand Duke Rivas was inspecting Ilyon Town, still worried about his daughter, Aldrian remained by his mother’s side, continuing to channel his golden energy into her body. After a few moments, Aldrian noticed his mother’s eyelids flutter. Seeing this, he felt it was enough and gently released her hand, preparing to stand up. However, he was surprised when he suddenly felt a grip on his wrist. His body tensed as he tried to move, but his mother’s hand tightened around his wrist. He could have easily freed himself, but it seemed his mother was already half-awake, responding with her grasp.
He watched as her eyelids slowly opened, revealing her blue eyes that shimmered in the dark room, illuminated by the faint light of the night. Her gaze settled on his face, devoid of expression, yet her eyes as clear as water, held a quiet clarity.
"Aldrian?"
