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Chapter 206: The Mother and Son Talk 2
Hearing his mother’s heartfelt words, he closed his eyes and pressed the back of his hand against them. A single tear finally slipped down his cheek, though he didn’t want his mother to see it. He thought that, in front of her, he always became a crybaby, unable to hold back his tears. Irene gently stroked her son’s forehead with all the affection of a loving mother. Watching him cry like this reminded her of when he was a child, sobbing in her arms.
After a few moments, Aldrian wiped away his tears and looked at his mother again. This time, he seemed to understand something.
"Yes, it seems I’ve been overthinking. Mother will always trust and support me," he thought, initially, he was afraid that if his parents learned about what he had done and what he planned to do, they would worry, potentially limiting his actions in the future. However, he had momentarily forgotten that his parents were both renowned and powerful cultivators with strong upbringings rooted in noble families.
Although his parents had their own opinions about their families, they could not deny their noble heritage and the strong personalities it fostered. Despite his mother’s worries, he knew she wouldn’t be soft on him even if he had to fight the strongest devils. If he could prove himself, she would believe in his strength. He felt certain his father shared the same mindset.
Irene smiled gently as she looked at Aldrian’s face, his eyes still red from shedding tears. In that moment, she wished time could stop forever, allowing her to hold onto this peaceful feeling.
"It would be so much better if Aldrey were here too," she thought wistfully.
For now, though, this moment was enough for her. She had finally reunited with the son she had missed so dearly. Letting out a soft sigh, her thoughts drifted to her parents. How would she break the news to them about Aldrian? What would she say?
As if sensing her thoughts, Aldrian spoke to her.
"Mother, please don’t tell your parents about my existence just yet," Aldrian said calmly. "I will reveal who I am to them myself when the time is right. When that time comes, I’ll make sure that, once everyone knows about me, you won’t face any backlash or humiliation from others. In fact, by participating in this war, I’ve already started laying the groundwork for my plan. My future appearance as your son will only bring you honor, not disgrace."
Irene was momentarily stunned by his words but quickly pulled him into a loving embrace, cradling his head tightly against her ample chest. Aldrian struggled to breathe for a moment, caught in the affectionate yet suffocating hug.
"You’ve really grown up," she said warmly, finally releasing him from her hold. "You’re even trying to help your mother with her concerns now."
Aldrian could only offer a wry smile, realizing she still didn’t seem to care how she acted around him, even though he was no longer a child.
"Well, as she said, I’m still the child of the secret realm from back then," he thought to himself.
"So, Eleine is now in Vicanti? I’ve placed so much burden on her by having her follow you around. She’s been with me for such a long time, and I hope you understand her situation and treat her well." Irene said.
"No, Mother, I take care of Eleine too, she’s been a tremendous help on my journey. After you and Father returned to the outside world, she was the one who took care of me. When I came out of the secret realm, she guided me and taught me how the outside world works. I’m deeply grateful to you for sending her to be my guardian, and I’ll never forget the effort she’s put into looking after me." Aldrian replied earnestly.
"That’s why I always make sure she’s taken care of as well. Whenever I find something useful for her, I make sure she gets it. Thanks to that, Eleine has grown much stronger—she’s even reached the High Earl stage now, Mother. She’s become one of the closest people to me."
Irene nodded, satisfied with Aldrian’s words. She understood Eleine’s dedication all too well. That was why, when Irene had instructed her to take care of Aldrian, Eleine had obeyed without hesitation, even though her duties extended far beyond what her role typically required.
Technically, Aldrian should have had his own retainer, as he was a direct bloodline descendant of the Rivas family. However, that was obviously impossible for obvious reasons.
Eleine had always followed Irene, even when she was trapped alongside her and the others in the secret realm due to the machinations of the devils. The order to stay with Aldrian was the first time she had been separated from her master for such a long period. Since that day, Eleine had acted more like a retainer to Aldrian instead. Irene was glad to see that Aldrian also took care of Eleine, just as she had.
"From your stories, it sounds like you have your own group now—consisting of the princess of the Ivory Empire, the Sword Saintand the daughter of one of the sect masters of the three great sects of the demon territory. I really want to meet them. I want to see your friends. You know, when you were in the secret realm, you had little to no friends because of how different you were," Irene said, her curiosity piqued.
"Yes, they’re with Eleine now, so we’ll have to go back to Ilyon first," Aldrian replied.
"We’re still in the devil territory, without a teleportation portal, we can only reach the closest town from the border, Falanis, in about a week—more or less. That is, if we don’t encounter any problems, like those devils, on our journey." Irene said.
Aldrian smiled, "You don’t have to worry, Mother. Those devils won’t be a hindrance to us anymore. No, even if they try something funny, I’ll take care of them. So you can just watch and relax." He reassured her.
Irene smiled warmly as she pinched Aldrian’s nose. "Alright, alright, my son is really dependable now," she said, her tone filled with affection. However, her expression quickly shifted to one of worry.
"But are you sure? You really killed that Lust Devil? I don’t want to doubt you, but that man was really cunning and troublesome. What if he escaped and comes back for revenge?"
"No, Mother, I can confidently say that he’s really dead," Aldrian replied. "But unfortunately, he didn’t die by my hands. It was the Devil Lord who killed him instead."
Irene’s eyes widened in surprise, hearing a name she hadn’t expected to be involved.
"The Devil Lord? Why would the Devil Lord kill the Lust Devil? What did you do to make the Devil Lord make that decision?"
"Well, I guess he tried to keep the confidential information that only the Seven Deadly Sins knew, it’s a pity that I only managed to gain part of his memories before the Devil Lord killed him." Aldrian said as he closed his eyes.
Irene sighed as she looked at Aldrian. Her son had already attracted so many strong enemies, and many of his stories were mind-blowing to her. From killing numerous high-level cultivators to unleashing techniques that sent shockwaves across the continent, the scale of his actions was overwhelming.
To think that her son was actually the mysterious swordsman—the very one who had already gained enough strength to be considered among the great swordmasters of the continent, his power even rivaling that of the Sword Saint.
She felt like she was dreaming. Her son was already famous, even though the people of the continent didn’t know his true identity. However, it was also a good thing. The stronger and more famous he became, the easier it would be for her to convince her parents about Aldrian.
"Ah, right, then you must know what kind of gift I want to give you, since you said that you already saw us in the Forgeheart Kingdom." With that, Irene took out a small box from her storage ring. Aldrian, already knowing what his mother was about to give him, sat back and simply nodded his head, waiting for her to present it.
"What an embarrassing thing," Irene said with a slight blush, her tone playful. "I wanted to give you a surprise, but since you already know, take this now. It will help you immensely."
She handed the box to Aldrian, who took it carefully. Once he opened the box, the fragrant scent of spiritual herbs instantly filled the entire room. As the aroma wafted through the air, Aldrian’s senses sharpened. He gazed at the pill inside, marveling at its complexity.
Unfortunately, Aldrian knew that the pill would be useless for him, given his unique circumstances. But regardless, he would accept whatever his mother gave him with gratitude. 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
"Thank you, Mother. I really appreciate it," he said sincerely, closing the box and storing it in his storage ring.
Irene smiled warmly at him before standing up and looking at him with a thoughtful expression.
"This is Sazim Fortress, right? I want to take a walk and look at it before we head back. This place has really caused a headache for the Rivas family." Irene asked, her gaze sweeping over the surroundings.
She and Aldrian stepped out of the room, and as they did, they noticed that the sun was beginning to rise over the eastern horizon. They hadn’t realized how quickly time had passed as they’d talked to each other, completely absorbed in their conversation.
They walked through many parts of the fortress, taking in the surroundings. Aldrian had already disposed of the devils’ bodies, so the fortress was now free from their presence. However, the remains of what they had done inside the fortress couldn’t be erased. The torture chamber and the prison dungeon, places that had claimed many victims, still stood as grim reminders of the horrors that had taken place there.
As they walked, Irene suddenly asked Aldrian, "Then when are you going to meet your father?"
