Summoning the Holy Sword

Chapter 1287: Time for a Break

After speaking to his younger sister, finding the last two holy sword cards became the top priority for Rhode. Meanwhile, he also learned from his younger sister the holy sword cards existed not only because of their power, but because of their 'attributes'. The truth was that after the Order Star was destroyed, his younger sister came up with ways to recreate a device that could truly resist and convert Chaos.

That was when Cassidy was created. However, without the need for his younger sister to mention it, Rhode knew that her experiments failed because Cassidy's power was 'contrast'. In that case, no matter how much Chaos she converted to Order, she would also create an equal amount of Chaos at the same time. Besides, there was only one Cassidy, and there were times when she couldn't hold on.

That was why his younger sister eventually came up with the idea to create an enchanted field that manifested all elements of the Dragon Soul Continent, blended them perfectly into one, and protected the entirety of the continent. In the end, her ambition was to seal 10 powerful heroic spirits of different races onto individual weapons, gather them, and form an enchanted field that wouldn't be invaded by Chaos from various 'theoretical perspectives'.

For that reason, the younger sister entrusted this task to Karin. As a matter of fact, Karin had indeed found ways to seal heroic spirits into weapons, which led to the holy sword cards being created. Apart from Celia who guarded his younger sister, the rest were all asleep in various locations in the Dragon Soul Continent.

That was also why the Void Dragon created the class of Spirit Swordsman. With the existence of Spirit Swordsmen, the heroic spirits could be awakened from their sleep and gathered in one place. And now, Rhode had awakened seven out of 10 holy sword cards. As long as he awakened the last three cards, he could begin the construction of the enchanted field.

But despite that, the remaining three cards were tough to deal with.

According to Celestina, as the three heroes were overly powerful, Karin sealed them in three individual books. Amongst them, Rhode was fortunate enough to rely upon Lapis's luck in retrieving the Book of Death. The last two, Book of Life and Book of Elements, were nowhere to be seen. Rhode had asked the twin dragons and Lilian, and their responses made him almost bang his head onto the wall. The twin dragons stated that the Book of Elements existed and was always safeguarded by the elves. But after the Creation War, the book went missing. On the other hand, the Book of Life was much easier to find. Lilian said she had seen that book. However, that book was on display in Casabianca's palace as some kind of antique treasure.

So… You know…

After hearing their answers, Rhode felt completely helpless. It had been years since the Creation War and since the Book of Elements was missing, the chances of finding it back was close to zero. Meanwhile, even though he confirmed the location of the Book of Life, the problem was that Casabianca was reduced to ruins after it was trampled on and bombarded by the undead army and his magic warships. The only thing Rhode could do now was pray that the Book of Life was still waiting to be excavated by him under the ruins. If it were taken away by some undead creatures along the way… Rhode felt like he would be on the verge of committing suicide.

Despite that, what had to be found must be found. Shortly after, Rhode informed the Queen Elf to search for the Book of Elements. Since the Book of Elements was safeguarded by the elves before, relevant information had to be written and documented somewhere. Moreover, elves were also a long-lived race, where perhaps some 'immortals' among them knew its whereabouts. Of course, for safety's sake, Rhode also checked with Nell and Lapis. No matter what, the dark elves and alchemical elves branched out from the main elf race, after all. If the Book of Elements wasn't in elf territory, it might also be possibly snatched by the breakaways.

As it involved the future of the continent, the three of them agreed to Rhode's request without much hesitation. The Queen Elf mobilized her subjects to search for information about the book. Nell gathered intelligence from the dark elf families. On the other hand, Lapis didn't need to go through all the trouble. She just had to recall the residual memories that the Behermes left behind would do the job. But despite that, it wasn't a task that could be done in a short period. All Rhode could do now was to wait for their findings.

As for Casabianca, Rhode decided to head there personally. Not only that, but he also brought along all the holy sword cards. Since they had telepathy with one another, perhaps they would discover the book's location much easier.

But…

"Say, we aren't here for a field trip."

Gazing at the huge group ahead, Rhode was utterly speechless.

It had been a long time since the destruction of Casabianca, and now, it was almost like a dead city. However, not everything perished alongside it. Humans avoided the area instinctively, but plants didn't abandon their roots. At that moment, Casabianca was like a paradise for plants. Fresh green grass topped the heavy stone slabs. Broken walls were littered with creepers. Large holes that formed under the bombardments of magical warships turned into clean ponds. Bright, dazzling lakes by the side shimmered under the sunlight. At a glance, this run-down, dead city before them actually unveiled life in a whole new form. According to his younger sister, this was the result of Lillian's deepest and sincerest hopes. After all, she was the dragon soul heir of the Light Dragon. It was only natural that the city transformed to her wishes.

But now, this place became like an amusement park. At least for some people.

"I don't remember coming here for a field trip."

Rhode stared at the group of young ladies having fun, turned around, and spoke sternly to his younger sister who sat beside him. Upon hearing his words, his younger sister twitched her brow and revealed a calm smile. Then, she lifted a cup of tea from the stone table, took a sip, and replied.

"So what, Big Brother? It's about time for everyone to catch a break. We must strike a balance between work and rest. They will collapse sooner or later if they continue to tense up all day."

"That's true…"

Facing the younger sister's words, Rhode didn't have much of a response. He gazed ahead with an odd expression and shrugged.

"But I don't see how they are here to help."

That's right. It was just like what he mentioned. Thereafter, he decided to bring the seven holy sword spirits to Casabianca and find clues regarding the Book of Life's whereabouts. But after the others learned about this, they changed for the worse.

First, it was Anne who threw a tantrum, insisting she tagged along. Second, Mini Bubble Gum dragged her original self along, as well as the two Canarys. Then, Lize and Marlene heard about this news under Mini Bubble Gum's wide promotion, which was why they looked for Rhode, hoping that they could visit Casabianca together. Not only that, but Christie and Lapis also raised the same request. On the other hand, since they were headed to Casabianca, Lilian and Sonia also wouldn't let this chance go to waste. And apart from them, his younger sister was surely interested in tagging along too.

As a result, Rhode, whose brain was being tossed around by the crowd, simply waved his generous arm and announced.

"Just join me if you want!"

In the end, he didn't expect every single one of them to join him!

As of now, the two Mini Bubble Gums were making a big fuss in their fishing contest by a distant lake. Marlene and the two Canarys sat down and leaned against a tree to read books and rest in the peaceful atmosphere. Meanwhile, Anne dragged Christie, Bell, and Lesa to the lawn on the other side. Rhode was unsure of what they were up to. Lilian and Sonia said to go for a stroll after arriving in Casabianca and shortly after, they were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps they had gone somewhere to reminiscence. On this side, Lize and Lapis were preparing lunch for everyone, but…

Ladies… Are all of you really here to help me look for the Book of Life?

"Forget it. Let's just relax."

As much as Rhode wanted to criticize them on the inside, he had to admit that it was also about time for everyone to let their hair down. Everyone was so busy with their own matters this whole time. Lapis and Lesa were occupied in preparing for the earlier battle. Christie was working on strengthening herself. Marlene had even more on her plate. Not only did she have to make sure the plan was foolproof, but she also had to ensure there were no issues within the Void Territory. With Sonia's assistance, Lilian also did her best in dealing with immigration from the Country of Light. It was indeed hectic enough to say that it had been a tiring period for everyone.

And it was about time for them to finally relax.

But… This serene, beautiful scene left Rhode deeply moved…

It was especially so after he considered the fact that many of them had 'intimate encounters' with him, which made him feel rather proud. A man would normally be proud embracing women in both his left and right arms.

Look at me… The number of them here is enough to form a raid party. If we were on Earth, I wonder how it would turn out if I brought this group of ladies out to the streets.

"Are you not gonna check everyone out, Big Brother?"

"It…"

Upon hearing his younger sister's question, Rhode couldn't help but feel awkward. Even though it was good news that his younger sister was revived, having to make a choice between her and someone else also gave him a bit of a headache. Of course, he couldn't possibly neglect the rest after having his younger sister back. After all, they were all his responsibility, so he had to take care of them. But he seldom cared for others in front of his younger sister, that was. As a matter of fact, he also rarely behaved intimately with other women in the presence of another because he was well aware that women got jealous easily—unless they slept in the same bed countless times with him together, like Lize and Marlene, or were like the carefree Anne who didn't care about others. It was especially so for the seemingly meek, honest, and quiet type of women. Even now, Rhode had chills all over his body whenever he recalled the time Lapis answered him 'shyly' in the Darkness Capital. Fortunately, he always did good deeds. If not, he would have angered Lapis and cause her to detonate the Plane Destruction Bombs, so as to be with him forever. And that would be the worst ending of all.

Luckily, Lapis didn't bash her head against a brick wall…

"I mean to look for our daughter."

Upon realizing his awkwardness, his younger sister stopped teasing him, let out a chuckle, and spoke. After hearing her words, Rhode returned to his senses, nodded, and gazed at the young lady playing in the flower field ahead with complicated emotions.

"Frankly… I'm not mentally prepared yet…"

"Me too…"

The moment Christie was mentioned, Rhode and his younger sister seemed torn and the reason for that was simple. Even now, they didn't know how to explain to Christie where she came from and that they were her real parents. Rhode had a hard time explaining his side of the story. On the other hand, his younger sister initially decided to acknowledge Christie as her daughter, but after hearing from Rhode about Christie's horrible encounters, his bewildered younger sister began to hesitate about her decision.

The reason why she sent the unborn spirit to Christie using her final power was so she could produce a child that was the result of her love with her big brother. His younger sister always thought that it wasn't tough to acknowledge their relationship later. But in the end, upon learning that Christie suffered so much after being born and wasn't healthy even now, his younger sister was at a loss for words. Just like Rhode, she was afraid that Christie would hate them after learning the truth. After all, they brought her into this world, but weren't there for her when she needed them, leaving her to suffer on her own instead. That was why it wasn't entirely impossible that Christie harbored some hatred toward her biological parents. And that thought of their biological daughter expressing disgust toward her, not even Rhode or his younger sister, who was a former Void Dragon, would be able to accept it. Even though the seven deity wardens were also created by his younger sister as dependents, dependents were still different from a life born from love, after all…

That was why both of them were depressed at the thought of facing Christie. Even though Rhode and his younger sister were in a favorable relationship with Christie, they were still lacking in confidence… To a certain degree, Rhode felt like he and his younger sister were a pair of foolish parents.

"I'll go."

Rhode let out a helpless sigh, stood up, and headed toward the flower field.

As Rhode stepped onto the flower field, he heard Christie's and Anne's crisp, melodious laughter right away. At a glance, the two young ladies were picking colorful flowers and seemingly making a wreath, while Bell and Lesa sat silently beside them. Bell and Lesa were more quiet compared to the lively Christie and Anne. However, perhaps after spending a lot of time with Christie, Bell tried to help a little. Meanwhile, Lesa put aside her silver staff and looked at the three of them having fun as her adorable face remained expressionless. Upon seeing Rhode's arrival, Lesa's eyes glinted. She lifted her head and looked at him in silence.

"Ugh…"

Rhode couldn't help but feel awkward upon detecting her gaze. Ever since that night in the Darkness Capital, Lesa kept following him around without making a noise. According to her, psychics existed to serve the Creator Dragons, and the previous 'ritual' was the equivalent of Rhode acknowledging her identity. Therefore, as a qualified psychic, Lesa had to stay by his side to satisfy his desires at all times, so to speak.

Judging from this, Anne and Lesa were somewhat similar. However, Anne was active, while Lesa was passive. The latter followed Rhode around and as long as he wanted it, she wouldn't reject. But after that incident in the Darkness Capital, Rhode didn't lay hands on her again. As for the reason… After all, things happened for a reason back then, and Rhode wasn't only thinking using his lower body.

"Christie, how are you feeling?"

After raising his arm and waving to Lesa, Rhode turned to Christie. Upon hearing his voice, Christie looked up hurriedly and revealed a gentle smile.

"… Rhode… Good… I'm happy… That everyone is accompanying me…"

"Great."

Rhode nodded with a smile as soon as he saw hers. But at that moment, his heart grew bitter. Christie's smile grew happier, and it made it even harder for Rhode to tell her about her true background…

Must I keep it from her forever?

At that moment, Christie stood to her feet, raised her arms, and scuttled toward him with an excited grin. Rhode saw two small, nifty wreaths in her hands.

"Big Sister Anne and I… made this together… I want to give it… to you… and Big Sister…"

"Thank you, Christie."

After accepting her gift and pinning it on his hair, Rhode stroked Christie's head tenderly. The young lady narrowed her eyes in blissfulness upon hearing his praise, and Rhode let out an inward sigh.

Looks like this can wait. It won't be too late to tell her the truth after we transmigrate the Dragon Soul Continent to the solar system.