Chapter 858

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'Father and the expedition team have endured through such a long time, facing a situation where they could either die or become monsters. Are they still enduring it even now?'

Luna set out for the Black Sea with Chiron in early 1799. It was now the beginning of December 1803, so it had been almost five years.

However, Luna didn't have much to say about her experiences.

All she had experienced in the Black Sea was battling monsters, eating, walking on the dark land tainted by chaos, and fighting the king of the Black Sea. That was all.

"...That was it. Every day, I worried about our father as we traveled the Black Sea. In truth, both I and the others were almost certain that our father would eventually succumb to the demonization and become a monster. We believed that day would probably be the end of the expedition team. The only frightening thing was that it wouldn't be death, but everyone turning into monsters..."

If we had turned into monsters as well, then it would probably be you and the other siblings who would have to deal with us.

With a bitter smile, Luna held back her words.

Just as Chiron felt sorry for Jin, she felt the same way. She believed that either her father or herself should have been the one to kill the evil god.

"But our father suddenly overcame the demonization recently. He called it an enlightenment that even he can't understand."

"Even our father does not know the reason...?"

"You don't understand?"

"No, elder sister."

Anyone who gained enlightenment would understand why.

Naturally, Chiron was the one who had delved most deeply into the concept of 'martial arts' in this world. Jin, as his son, couldn't imagine a situation where his father couldn't understand his enlightenment.

Unexplained growth usually led to side effects.

'But I can't even imagine our father collapsing due to such side effects... It's just beyond imagination.'

Luna smiled.

"I think I know what you're thinking. The other knights and I thought the same way. Our conclusion was that the demonization ultimately failed to consume our father and instead vanished. In a way, it could be said that our father fought against it."

"Right."

"Maybe Father thinks the same way? In any case, what's important is the fact that Father has changed."

That part was indeed astonishing.

The supreme sword master, who had been so cold and emotionless, had shown a tendency to joke and laugh at trivial matters ever since he overcame the demonization.

"Even after entering the Black Sea, subduing the first king of Black Sea we encountered, Father had almost lost his humanity. However, recently, when he defeated Seu, he was almost... well, how should I put it? Ah, like great-grandfather? He felt like our great-grandfather."

Luna instinctively compared Chiron with Vallas, whom she had talked with earlier. Chiron had actually laughed lightly when defeating Seu.

"Still, for some reason, I'm worried."

"I'm also worried. However, if Father faces another problem. It's not our burden. It's a burden we can't handle, let alone share."

Jin nodded his head.

As he had always done, he had no choice but to trust and wait for his father. He was waiting for the day when his father would finally accomplish his mission and return to the clan.

-What kind of mission our father and the Black Knights of the expedition team were performing there, and why our father's Runcandel was so fixated on the Black Sea. Please find out for sure this time. For the sake of training, it is undoubtedly a half-truth.

Luna recalled the words Jin had said before she set out for the Black Sea.

"You must have speculated as well, having faced Glyek and experienced various things, that the reason Father is fixated on the Black Sea is because of them."

"Yes, there was an article like that when the evil god took over the clan. It said that our father had already died while fighting against the kings of the Black Sea, and the clan will carry out his will and subjugate the Kings of the Black Sea after conquering the human world."

"The evil god knew the reason why our father had to leave to face the kings of the Black Sea."

According to Luna.

Chiron took on the task of conquering the kings of the Black Sea because only he could accomplish that task.

"Father had encountered the kings of the Black Sea in his youth. They needed Father's power to unite themselves, who had split into five, into one again. They needed a being who could wield the power of the Genesis Knight, especially the power of the Genesis knight that can cut the will of gods who divided the Orb of Origin."

"Now that a new Genesis mage named Elona Zipfel has appeared, the kings of the Black Sea might make a similar request to her."

"Father also sensed the existence of Elona Zipfel. He also knew that an unknown force was invading the surface. Elona is a Genesis mage, and Zito is a transcendent being. However, Father said that even they wouldn't be able to unite the kings of the Black Sea into one. Only our father can do it. That's why the kings of the Black Sea are fixated on our father."

In other words, Chiron wasn't the only one fixated on the Black Sea.

On the contrary, the kings of the Black Sea were even more fixated on Chiron. They had consistently posed an invisible threat to Chiron and he didn't want that threat to spread throughout the entire clan.

Fundamentally, unless all the kings of the Black Sea were subdued, neither Chiron nor Runcandel could ever be truly safe.

Even when all five kings of the Black Sea were still alive, and even now with only Nirgand and Morganiel left.

The kings of the Black Sea were far more dangerous beings than the greatest nemesis of the clan, Zipfel.

"...Perhaps Father was trying to find a way to kill them along with himself."

"He was, until he overcame the demonization and the situation changed."

Jin felt a desire to go meet his father in person immediately.

However, the reason Luna and the returnees were able to escape from the deepest parts of the Black Sea so quickly was because Chiron had released his energy throughout the entire Black Sea. That energy formed a path that extended from the deepest parts of the Black Sea to the surface world.

Naturally, that path was now closed, and Chiron and the remaining expedition team members were moving deeper into the Black Sea. In the first place, forcibly opening such a path was something Chiron couldn't do as he pleased multiple times.

"To temporarily release energy throughout the entire Black Sea and open a path... It's not easy to imagine which realm our father is currently reaching."

"You should now consider him not just a demigod but a god. How many beings among the gods do you think could accomplish such a thing?"

While the fact that Chiron had achieved an 'unexplained' enlightenment still bothered him, thinking of it as an ascension somehow put his mind at ease.

"Nirgand and Morganiel. Is there any indication of how much time it might take to subdue the remaining two kings of the Black Sea? Even a rough estimate?"

"Nah, father didn't say anything about that. Father just said he'll definitely deal with all of them and come back, so we'll have to do our tasks and wait. And perhaps... on the day our father returns."

You're going to inherit Barisada.

Luna added that. You'll inherit Barisada and finally become the true master of the sword masters.

Even though Jin was aware of this, he still felt a bit stunned.

"At that time, isn't it possible that you might take it away, elder sister?"

"Oh... what would you do if I did that?"

"I would give it to you."

"It's a bit bland. Are you for real?"

"Of course, it's a joke. Even if you are my elder sister, that's a bit much."

While the siblings bantered, the sound of footsteps running down the hallway could be heard.

"Luna unnie!"

"First flag... No, El-Elder sister!"

"Can we also call you elder sister!?"

It was Mary and Tona brothers.

In the past, Luna hadn't interacted much with her siblings other than Jin. Most of her siblings had some degree of resentment toward her back then. This was due to the conflict that arose when she relinquished her name from patriarchy and Joshua's ascent.

Luna had never actively tried to make her intentions clear to her siblings either. So, the relationship between Luna and her siblings had been mostly strained, but it wasn't the case now. Both Luna and the siblings who had come to visit were welcoming each other more warmly than ever.

It wasn't just because the strongest knight of their era had returned, but also because their 'sister' whom they missed had returned.

It was because they had understood the past by going through trials in their respective positions. The once chaotic family had finally centered around Jin, and the siblings had grown. They had faced various trials in their respective positions, growing as individuals.

"What should you call me? First flagbearer? Dame Luna? Daytona, Haytona. Don't worry about these things, just treat me comfortably."

"Oh, thank you, Elder Sister!"

"I actually wanted to get closer to you, elder sister, for a long time! We couldn't because we were lacking."

"You don't need to be grateful for that. It wasn't just you who were lacking; I had my share of issues too, so let's not worry about it."

"Unnie, will you have a match with me later in the evening?"

"Wow... Mary, you really aren't normal."

"Now, you have to take over some of the responsibilities that Diphus Oraboni had, unnie. I can't ask our younger siblings for help, right? So I've been waiting for you to come back."

"...Yeah, I can't replace him, but I'll do my best. Even if it's just for that guy who collapsed under the weight of a heavy burden."

Indeed, it had been a long time since the siblings had gathered like this. Jin smiled quietly as he looked at the bustling atmosphere around him.

Seeing the siblings laugh and chat together like this, both in this life and the previous one, was a sight he hadn't seen before.

"Unnie, you won't talk to the youngest separately like you used to, okay? Now you need to tell us what you only told the youngest in private, right?"

"Okay."

"Elder sister, when you spar later, please give elder sister Mary a good beating. She's always beat us."

"Hehe."

"Ah, you surprised me!"

Daytona looked startled as he glanced beside him.

Yona suddenly appeared there. Jin and Luna had already been smiling when they saw her quietly enter the entrance.

"Hehe, unnie. I'm Yona... Can I talk to you?"

"I really... was so harsh on you. Come closer, Yona."

Luna patted her shoulder, and Yona giggled. She then suddenly recited a list of people she had killed while Luna was absent.It was to let Luna know that she never killed the people who weren't supposed to be killed.

"And also, the imperial meat..."

"Stop, stop. Yona, I should have taken better care of you, especially. Instead, I just scared you. You did a great job by killing those bastards."

For a moment, conversations like these flowed among the siblings. It was a moment of sharing affection among the reunited family members.

Soon, Jin looked at his siblings and brought up the name of the one remaining person.

"Now that we're all here, let's go meet elder sister Luntia."

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