Chapter 219. Blood is Thicker Than Water (1)

The lord of the County of Kandle, Count Kandle, found his hand trembling without realizing it as he poured the tea.

"Mmm, it has a lovely aroma. What kind of tea is this, Count Kandle?" a woman asked.

"It's... made from the dried petals of a flower called Lapin, which only grows near Riad," Count Kandle replied.

"I like it," the woman said with a nod.

"It is also mixed with vodka," Count Kandle offered carefully.

"I like it even more. Could you mix mine with vodka at a ratio of nine to one?" the woman requested.

"Y-Yes, of course," Count Kandle said.

Pour.

He filled the woman's teacup with vodka until it was far more alcohol than tea. Whatever was in that cup now, it could hardly still be called tea.

The blonde woman with piercing blue eyes took a sip and gave a pleased nod, then said, "Excellent."

"T-Thank you," Count Kandle answered. He couldn't help but be nervous.

And understandably so—this woman had once commanded the entire continent. She was Sabina Leston, the White Empress. She was the younger sister of the great hero, Grand Duke Halo, and a woman famous for her fearsome temper.

People say that once a warrior reaches a certain level, they can reclaim their youth...

Count Kandle recalled as he watched her.

There wasn't a single trace of age on Sabina's face. She could easily pass for someone in her late twenties. That alone spoke volumes about her standing—Sabina Leston had clearly reached an astonishing level of mastery.

And now, such a legend had shown up here in person.

...Is she here to punish me for leaking information to the royal family?

Count Kandle wondered.

It was entirely possible that the Ducal Family of Leston had come to exact retribution on the County of Kandle. And that thought alone made Count Kandle go stiff as a board.

"I... I am sorry," he said, summoning every ounce of courage he had to ask for forgiveness.

But Sabina looked genuinely confused, her eyes widening slightly. She asked, "What are you sorry for?"

"...Regarding the Imperial Guards, I—" Count Kandle began, but Sabina stopped him.

"Ah, forget it," Sabina interrupted with a wave of her hand. "Aside from guarding the North Sea, I have no interest in meddling with house affairs. I'm only here to pick up my adorable grandnephews. You've probably realized by now—they're quite the troublemakers."

Sabina drained her teacup and gave a warm smile, then kindly added, "I'd like to spend a little time with my family. Would you mind giving us the room?"

"Of course," Count Kandle said.

"When we're done talking, I'll take them and leave right away. You've already spoken with Caron, haven't you?" Sabina asked.

She was clearly well-informed when it came to Caron.

Count Kandle gave a respectful nod, then stood up and carefully left the room. Now, only members of the Ducal Family of Leston remained inside.

Sabina poured herself some of the vodka Count Kandle had left behind and casually said, "Mixing it with tea is fine, but vodka is best enjoyed in its purest form. Caron and Leo, you boys have a drink too."

The two had already drunk more than enough before Sabina arrived.

"It would be rude to refuse a drink from our elder," Caron said with a smile as he accepted the glass.

The three glasses were swiftly filled, and Sabina lifted hers lightly.

"To a long-awaited reunion," she said.

Clink.

A clear, ringing sound echoed through the room as the glasses met.

Sabina downed her drink in one swift motion and broke into a radiant smile. She remarked, "How does this go down the throat this smoothly?"

She still loved her liquor; that hadn't changed.

With a contented nod, she turned her gaze slowly from Caron to Leo and back again, taking in the sight of her grandnephews for the first time in a long while. When she had left Azureocean Castle, they'd still been boys. But now, they stood before her as young men.

Children truly did grow fast. And these two had grown far beyond what even she had hoped for.

Caron had reached the pinnacle of 7-Star. And as Halo had once mentioned, the mana flowing from him was distinctly different from the Ocean Dominance Arts. It was more pure, more potent—an overwhelmingly strong and untainted power.

Sabina had little doubt that Caron would awaken his Eighth Sea during his Coming of Age Ceremony. But that didn't surprise her. Caron had always been that kind of child.

What did surprise her was Leo, however.

"Leo," she began.

"Yes, Lady Sabina," Leo answered politely.

"You've really been through a lot, haven't you? Well done," Sabina said.

"...Thank you," Leo replied.

Leo had been born with only average talent. Yet now, he had grown to a point where few among his peers could match him.

There was no doubt that Caron had played a major role in that, watching over him along the way. But that alone couldn't explain it. Leo had to have worked himself to the bone to get this far.

In the end, the only one who could truly elevate a person was themselves.

Perhaps

once the Coming of Age Ceremony is completed... Leo may even become 7-Star,

Sabina thought.

That would be an achievement to rival prodigies like Hugo and Leon.

The two grandnephews she'd once taught personally had now grown into true monsters—remarkable ones. And as the one who had first introduced them to mana, Sabina couldn't help but feel proud to the very core of her being.

"When you arrive in the North Sea, you'll face things unlike anything you've experienced before," she said, her tone growing serious. "Are you prepared for them?"

The Coming of Age Ceremony of the Ducal Family of Leston was straightforward.

It involved a vision, an illusion that was crafted by the Guardian Dragon for the descendants of Rael's bloodline. Within that illusion lay a trial. To advance, one had to overcome it.

But there was a secret buried in that trial. It took on a different shape for each person.

More precisely, the illusion tested one's limits.

"The Guardian Dragon will prepare a trial tailored to each of you," Sabina explained. "But if your resolve is firm, you'll make it through."

That was why Sabina found herself a little concerned about Caron.

Caron had a level of talent unmatched in the entire history of the family. And because of that, the trial waiting for him would likely be no different from hell itself.

"But I believe you both will endure," Sabina said. "And more importantly... I want you to open your eyes to who our true enemies are."

Caron slowly met her gaze. He asked, "Has the situation in the North Sea... worsened?"

He now knew what lay beyond the North Sea.

There lay the Demon Realm. It was a cursed region where Demon Kings and their vassals reigned. The demonic monsters that crossed over from there regularly launched raids along the northern coast.

It had long been the mission of the Ducal Family of Leston to protect the continent from those horrors. That was why Sabina remained stationed there, and why Halo visited the North Sea so often.

At Caron's question, Sabina chuckled while refilling her glass, then answered, "Tides rise and fall. When the sea rushes in, it must eventually retreat. That's the nature of the ocean. Right now, the tide is simply rolling in."

She emptied her glass, then reached out to gently ruffle Caron and Leo's hair.

"One day, it'll be the sea you'll have to protect. So I thought, it'd be fun to use this chance to introduce you both to the North Sea. Let's rest well tonight. At dawn, we'll need to set off early and move fast," she continued.

"Yes, Lady Sabina," both Caron and Leo replied.

Just then, Leo hesitantly raised a hand and asked, "Um... Are we walking there?"

Sabina looked at him as if the answer was obvious and answered, "Of course."

"Wait... So you also walked all the way here...?" Leo asked Sabina.

"Of course I walked here," Sabina said with a nod. "It's good training for the legs, and for controlling your mana. This too is part of your training."

"Lady Sabina, I told him that walking was part of training too! And yet Leo kept complaining the whole way!" Caron complained.

"Tsk tsk. Leo still has a long way to go," Sabina replied.

"That's what I'm saying!" Caron chimed in, smirking.

Leo let out a long, weary sigh as he looked between the two of them, who were acting perfectly in sync.

Great, now there are two of them,

he thought.

First it had been just Caron, but now, even Sabina had joined in. That meant that the number of people who would torment him had increased to two. With the two most unstoppable people he knew joining forces, Leo could already tell that this upcoming journey was about to become pure hell.

Still, he silently nodded, accepting his fate.

"Master! Stay strong! I believe in you!"

Rigor's chipper voice echoed in his mind at the worst possible moment.

Leo exhaled deeply and shook his head.

"Hey Caron," Leo muttered, "Since we're walking anyway, maybe now's a good time to start taming Rigor, don't you think?"

"Ooh, that's a great idea. I've actually been curious about all the functions Rigor has," Caron replied.

"Just say the word. I'll help out," Leo said. He then turned to Sabina and said, "Lady Sabina, this sword right here is Rigor—the one we got recently—"

"It's the legendary sword," Sabina said, nodding knowingly. "I've heard bits and pieces about it."

"We might need your help," Leo said.

"Oh, really? Just say the word. I'll help with anything you need," Sabina replied.

"M-Master...?"

Rigor called out nervously.

Leo wasn't sure if sharing happiness multiplied it, but when it came to suffering, sharing definitely eased the burden. And knowing that someone else had it worse was comforting in its own way.

Leo grasped Rigor's hilt gently and gave a bitter smile before saying,

Time for you to suffer a little too.

"You're a demon in human form..."

Rigor said.

As expected, Leo was quick to learn bad habits.

And so the three of them—Sabina, Caron, and Leo—spent the rest of the night catching up, talking about all the things they hadn't had the chance to share until now.

***

The next morning, at the northern gate of Riad, Count Kandle and the nobles from the lord's castle had gathered to see Caron and his group off.

"We'll be seeing each other again plenty of times, won't we? So let's keep the farewells brief," Caron said as he shook Count Kandle's hand.

"Our first meeting wasn't exactly pleasant... but I suppose time will smooth that out," he added, not forgetting to throw in a subtle warning glance.

Count Kandle caught the unspoken message and forced a tight smile, nodding, then said, "I hope you'll achieve what you're seeking in the North Sea."

"Ah, and thank you for the generous supply of liquor," Caron said.

"A good drink only becomes complete when it meets the right owner," Count Kandle said with a small chuckle.

The night before, Caron and his group had thoroughly emptied the castle's liquor cellar. But considering that they had saved the city, it was a fair trade from Count Kandle's perspective.

Going forward, he knew there would be frequent exchanges between Riad and Azureocean Castle. After all, in Lord Fayle's grand plan for developing the northwestern region, Riad was bound to play a key role.

After exchanging parting words with Count Kandle, Caron turned his gaze toward the count's younger sister, Natasha. Had it not been for her, things wouldn't have gone nearly as smoothly.

"Natasha," Caron said. "You're the one who saved this city. Be proud of that. You deserve to be. Is there anything you'd like in return?"

Natasha offered an awkward smile as she replied, "Not really. As long as the city is safe, that's enough for me."

"From now on, all diplomatic dealings with the County of Kandle will go through you. Count Kandle, you don't mind, do you?" Caron asked.

"Not at all," Count Kandle answered. "In fact, I'm the one who should be grateful."

As a child born outside of wedlock, Natasha had always been a point of vulnerability for Count Kandle. And yet, the count genuinely cherished her. Caron respected that about him.

"We'll be counting on you," Caron said.

"And we'll be counting on you as well," Count Kandle replied.

With those final words, the modest farewell ceremony came to an end.

"Well then, let's get going," Sabina said, looking at Caron and Leo.

They nodded, then turned and began walking through the gate.

Behind them, a few voices rang out.

"Thank you for saving us!"

"Please come back safe!"

Being thanked—Caron always found it a pleasant feeling. He smiled faintly and gave a wave. Leo raised his arm high in a similar gesture.

Sabina watched her two grandnephews with pride in her eyes. "I've heard so much about you two, even up north," she said warmly. "Rescuing elves, saving dwarves... You've really been keeping busy, haven't you? You're both good boys."

Caron scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "We just got lucky."

"In any case, I've mapped out a route for our journey to the North Sea," Sabina continued. "As you know, the harsher the land, the more likely it is to shelter those who've strayed from the right path. The treacherous mountains in the empire's northwest are especially popular hideouts."

Caron immediately understood what she was getting at. In the north, bandits were just as prolific as vodka.

In other words, Sabina was suggesting they clean up a few bandit dens along the way.

"It's a great opportunity to test how much real combat experience you've gained—and we'll help maintain order while we're at it. Wouldn't you say that's worthwhile?" Sabina remarked.

"But Grandfather said we should finish our Coming of Age Ceremony as soon as possible," Leo reminded her.

"Don't worry. We'll only be swinging our swords as we pass by. Nothing more," Sabina said with a reassuring smile.

"...Understood," Leo replied.

"Excellent," Sabina said. She beamed with satisfaction, then turned to the boys and instructed, "Focus your mana on your legs. From here on, we run at full speed."

"Yes, Lady Sabina," Caron answered.

"Understood," Leo added.

Whoosh!

All three channeled mana into their legs simultaneously. And with Sabina taking the lead...

Fwoosh!

They blasted forward in a blur, their speed nothing short of astonishing.

***

Four days later, rumors spread that ten large bandit groups in the northern region had mysteriously vanished. And along with those words, the grandsons of Duke Halo arrived at the North Sea.