Interlude 2

My daughter, Lithia…

Lithia, Lithia…

My arms stretched out like an infant, probing through the darkness. Before I knew it, I had set myself in a semi-delusional state and almost mistook illusions born from my hallucination as reality.

I calmed myself before they noticed.

It has been a day and a half already, and I have yet to find her.

Damn it, they have really taken her somewhere which I cannot find.

How can I find her!?

My worries and anxieties have already blended into a horrible whirlpool within me and causing an unease to rise. I clench my teeth in the darkness, hiding my terrible expression unfitting of me.

I was never blessed with fortune. My life was not too bad, but whenever I wanted something, it never went my way. Often, I had to overwork myself to achieve what I set out to do.

Unfortunately, there are things out there in this world which cannot be fulfilled without fortune. Somehow, even though I was decent with my social connections and – not to brag – my popularity among women exceeds my expectations, my luck didn't grant me a child. My first wife left me because of our inability to conceive, and my second wife succumbed to illness while the child was still unborn. Both couldn't be saved.

That's why, because of this, I believed that the gods above have damned me to never have a child in this life.

Before I have completely given up, I had come across a slave auction on one of my travels.

I've always detested such an industry due to its nature, but the way the world works required the market of slavery to exist. It is where some criminals go to in order to pardon their crimes under a contract, but such rules have twisted and distorted when we entered the warring era. Now, even innocent people are dragged into it due to things like kidnapping or raiding.

I quickly moved away from it to avoid that abhorred place, but a sight caught my eye as though preordained by fate.

A young girl is chained at her hands, dangling on the chains in the air just as her dregs of cloth dangled over her nude body. Her body, covered in filth and dried blood, depicted the amount of cruelty and lack of mercy showered onto her.

Encompassed in rage and the urge to enact justice, I almost went ahead and destroy the place to rescue her, but stopped myself before I destroyed my image and reputation which I worked so hard to build. Instead, I forked out a chunk of my own wealth and purchased her without questions asked.

I took the dazed, young girl into my carriage and tried to converse to her, but she appeared too haggard to even look at me, less open her mouth.

I could still remember her transformation then.

I took her to my place and quickly washed her up, identified all her wounds and hailed the best healing mage to aid her recovery. In no time at all, her skin became lustrous and wonderful as though nothing happened in the first place, and she is enjoying the best food which I could offer. Although, it still pains me then since her eyes have yet to recover the light of hope within.

After that, due to my stubborn persistence in improving her life, as well as my show of retaliation against life, I took steps to bring her up myself.

I took her out to places to play and enjoy beautiful sights.

I took her to streets and allowed her to experience different cultures, entertainments and bought gifts for her during my travels.

I schooled her and taught her many things.

Slowly, I saw my effort take root within that small body and the determination to live shining within her eyes. I saw the expressionless face slowly change to a one full of smiles. I saw the lifeless body transform into one full of energy.

As if to reward my hard work, I found myself looking at her in shock and surprise one day.

"Father."

A simple word it is, but one that meant so much to me.

Lithia has grown up to be a splendid lady.

She is loved by those who know her, and praised by those who interacted with her.

But now, I have lost my only daughter.

To a single truth that people have uncovered about her nature.

Despite her purity, innocence, compassion and so many other values, a single unsightly but harmless truth has led to this.

This unfairness shredded my heart and made me burn in rage. My mind is barely grasping hold onto any form of sanity, but I forced myself to calm down before I lost it.

If I couldn't do it, who could search and rescue my daughter for me?

"Sir, are you alright?"

"Do not waste time over sparing consideration for me. Lithia's safety is my utmost concern and priority." (me)

"Understood!"

We continued bashing through the forestry, following whatever tracks we could gather. The mage specialised in tracking is currently tracing remnants of mana which Lithia had on her, leading us in this chase.

Soon, we found the forestry growing less and less dense, and a plain came to view.

"What…" (me)

The first thing I noticed was traces of battle.

There were marks of magic projectiles hurled, and the ground is carved with a pair of parallel lines that looked to be someone dragged or pushed over a distance on his resisting two feet.

A body lay not too far away. Its arms were precisely disabled in battle, and it lost an eye. The killing blow seems to be a stab to the neck.

It isn't until I saw the face did I realise who it is.

"Cain?" (me)

Cain, the B-ranked adventurer known for killing Mountain Bears alone with only the skills of wielding short sword, is slain in battle?

My shock quickly got over as I noticed two people nearby. The one with long lustrous hair sat down silently, while the other one seems to be bloodied and beaten with a mangled arm quietly laid his head on her lap.

I felt myself froze as I finally noticed her staring at me with her sharp eyes.

I heard her mutter words under her breath, but I understood none of its contents.

But I'm sure that my identity as the Earl of Flurea has been seen through.