Swordmeister of Rome

"It made me feel even more desperate. I knew that there were a group of superhumans, but finding a trace of them moving up to the Great Forest at once… I thought something was going to happen in this land. Some disaster maybe."

It was a possible explanation if one did not know about the existence of the northern continent so Sian nodded.

"So you thought about going after them?"

Kukutaran shook her head.

"No. Why would I? I know the forest is dangerous and I don't know what exists beyond. Besides, I love this world. I was just curious about the reason for such a quick depart."

"Hm."

"I would need to prepare if something had gone wrong in this world. Or follow after them."

Sian shook his head. "It's safer here. You should stay."

If something really happened it would be because of those Alphas, so Sian told her to stay.

"You know something. So, where have you been during those five years? It seems you have returned through the Ra-Shar-Roa… are you two only ones who returned?"

"Yes."

"Why is that?"

Sian frowned as he remembered what he had gone through on the upper continent. Sian answered, "Well… I just came home. I didn't go on purpose anyways."

Kukutaran became intrigued.

"So there's something… up in the north."

Sian nodded as he answered.

"Yes, but it's better you don't go. There are too many evil beings there."

It was a wonderful choice that Lagaope made for himself for not explaining about Drakuns or Lukra. If he knew, he would not have gone there.

"Hmm…"

Kukutaran narrowed her eyes as she did not receive a detailed answer, but shook it away and talked about different matters. After a while, Kukutaran thanked Sian.

"Thank you. At least I have achieved my small goal. I was really worried that something might happen."

"Well… you don't need to be worried."

Sian said that because if something happened, Kukutaran wasn't enough to handle the situation so he thought it was worthless to worry. However, Sian didn't go into the details.

'But what am I going to do with those Alphas?'

Sian was only one able to fight those when something happened. He was told that the land was in balance so it was peaceful for now, but it didn't change the fact that the continent was being surrounded by such beings even now.

Sian sighed and began moving toward Chrotia. Kukutaran cleaned up the tent and began to return. Stiel asked Sian as she saw Kukutaran going away.

"Sian, are you going to let her go?"

Sian nodded.

"Yeah. She had been good to Rian. Besides…"

"Huh?"

"I realized that I am too unlucky."

Stiel looked at Sian as she seemed shocked that Sian just realized it.

"I can't be by Rian's side every time. He should take care of himself. If that woman had a grudge against me for beating her up, who knows what she'll do to Rian when I'm gone?"

Stiel then answered casually. "Then why not kill her?"

"No, I don't want to do that. Isn't that what YOU want to do?"

"Hmph."

Sian spoke as he shrugged it off and Stiel scoffed.

"I'm going to train. Oh, but I'll need to talk with my family first."

"Train?"

"Yeah."

Stiel looked at Sian. She had never seen Sian training until then.

"Your Majesty, you have returned."

Kukutaran went straight to the meeting room when she returned. She usually despised having a meeting so it was weird. But she came because she needed to talk about her future.

She wanted to talk with Dekaduin, the leader of Great Magical Council, who became the new leader after Takion's disappearance. He was the First Grade Magic Priest but he was strongest among all priests when Takion is excluded and also had many followers. He also knew a lot of secrets as he helped Takion closely.

"Yeah, I'm back."

"So, what was it like?"

Kukutaran shook her head.

"No, I can't beat him. I was going to kill him if I had to but… No way. I thought it was going to be easy since I heard he's only twenty-seven."

"Was it that much?"

Kukutaran answered.

"I actually don't know about that Sian, but I had some kind of feeling that I can't fight him. Besides, the woman next to him was even scarier."

"Does she seem stronger?"

"I don't know who's stronger, but she didn't like me. They are both much stronger than me."

She could see it at the moment. Her soul was telling her that if she were to fight them, she would be ripped apart. Dekaduin laughed.

"That's fortunate."

"Right. It's good that I didn't do anything bad to Rian, just like you told me to."

Kukutaran wasn't being nice to Rian because she liked him. She did like him, but she was a type that liked to rule over all things. She only had been nice to Rian because of Dekaduin's advice.

<That brother of Rian's is probably a superhuman. And he loves his brother. It doesn't matter if he doesn't return or is weaker than you… but you must prepare in case he is much stronger and returns.>

<Right. Should I send him back then?>

Dekaduin shook his head.

<No, keep him for now. Besides, it seems that Rian is weak against any woman who's nice to him. It's good to befriend him.>

<Hm… okay. I'll let him do what he wants for now.>

And that was the right choice. If Rian had something bad to say about Kukutaran, Sian would have probably pounded her on the spot. Dekaduin asked Kukutaran, who was shivering at the thought.

"Was there anything you found out?"

Kukutaran narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah… I found a few things. First is that I should never touch them and second is that they did not disappear because something bad was going to happen here."

"That's a relief."

Dekaduin sighed. He was the right-hand man of Takion, but he never spoke much about his plans. It was as if Takion thought it was pointless for Dekaduin to know of his plans as Dekaduin won't be much of a help. This made Dekaduin feel worthless.

Dekaduin was scared when Takion disappeared. He did not know why they went, but he knew that it was a very dangerous attempt and if they did it anyway, there was a possibility that there was something going on that he did not know about.

Now, he knew that the land was safe.

Kukutaran wasn't one to leave behind anything that could pose a threat. She had been relaxed when she knew that she was the only superhuman here. That was why she went to check on the new superhuman at once. She needed to prepare. Unfortunately, these new superhumans weren't people that she could handle. They weren't hostile but they were still a great threat to Kukutaran's reign.

"Oh, and did you find what's up on the north?"

Kukutaran shook her head.

"No, they didn't tell me. It was as if they were thinking I wouldn't be able to do anything even if I knew. Dammit. It makes me mad to think about it."

Kukutaran frowned and Dekaduin smiled bitterly as he knew how that felt.

"But it seemed that those won't be much of a threat here. We'll just leave them be and go back to our business."

Dekaduin nodded.

"Understood."

"I'll be at home. Oh, and tell me if you find any more resistance."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Dekaduin smiled bitterly. There was no one left after Kukutaran wiped out any resistance left within the council while ago. The superhumans were all too violent. Unlike others, Kukutaran was very much interested in human affairs. Dekaduin had no other choice but to stay with her for a while longer.