As soon as Lilia got off the Dragon, Eris was the first to approach, with a smile on her face.
"Lilia!" she called enthusiastically, enveloping her in a warm hug.
Lilia was a little surprised by the sudden reception; her body stiffened for a moment, but she soon relaxed and returned the gesture, albeit in a restrained manner.
When Eris stepped back, still holding her shoulders, she said with a smile:
"Those tips from that time were really useful!"
Rygar, who was farther back watching the scene, raised an eyebrow.
"What tips?" he asked in a neutral, suspicious tone.
Eris only smiled faintly, waving her hand as if it were something irrelevant.
"Nothing!" she replied quickly.
Rygar had the impression that he knew what those tips were about.
What was Lilia saying to Eris? At that time, she was only eleven or twelve years old! Even so, he said nothing.
Lilia also forced a somewhat puzzled smile, avoiding Rygar's direct gaze.
"It's been a while, Lord Rygar…" she said respectfully, but with a slight hesitation in her voice.
Rygar looked at her more seriously for a brief moment, and then answered lightly:
"No need for 'Lord', Lilia... but yes… it has been a while, we have a lot to talk about."
Without prolonging the subject there, he and Eris began introducing her to everyone present who did not yet know her.
And after all the introductions, everyone entered the house, the atmosphere slightly charged by the reunion.
Ghislaine, always with an impassive expression, did not seem particularly excited to meet her old friend again, but her tail betrayed her emotion: it wagged from side to side in a cheerful manner.
It was her discreet way of showing joy at seeing Lilia again after so long.
Verdia, Selene, and Ruby were meeting Lilia for the first time, but thanks to already knowing more or less about her from stories, the meeting was friendly.
The Sacred Beast Leo did not seem to care much about the new guest and continued sleeping near Ghislaine.
Hontar was not present; he was on a mission in a relatively distant place and could not attend.
For a while, heavy topics were set aside.
Everyone simply focused on sharing all kinds of news and stories about the time they had been apart.
It was only when Rygar noticed Zenith approaching that the atmosphere began to change.
Subtly, he signaled to his mother, who immediately understood the meaning.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Selene took Ruby by the hand and both went home.
Shortly after, Zenith entered through the door, holding Norn's hand firmly.
Her steps were hesitant, and her expression betrayed tension.
Lilia, upon seeing her, became rigid, her face wearing a bitter expression.
Silence fell in the room.
The two women stared at each other for long seconds, as if each were searching for the right words but could not bring themselves to say them out loud.
Rygar remained impassive, but noticing that they were a little tense, he glanced at Aisha, who was also watching from the sidelines.
The girl, always perceptive, immediately caught the message.
Aisha clapped lightly, drawing both of their attention.
"What an awkward reunion!" she exclaimed, in a tone half amused, half reproachful.
"Shouldn't you be hugging or something?!"
Zenith and Lilia turned to the young girl. Both had a deep connection with her: Lilia was her biological mother, and Zenith had grown closer to her over the last year.
In a way, she was now the link that still held them together, now that Paul was dead.
The two women stared at each other once more.
Neither of them really had reasons to have any conflict with the other — on the contrary, they were bound by memories, pain, and familial ties.
However, the instability their family had experienced and was experiencing left both tense and uncertain about how to treat one another.
But, faced with the simplicity of Aisha's words, they relaxed a little more.
The fact was that both of them were alive.
After the Teleportation Incident, somehow, both were there, persevering despite everything.
Finally, both took a few steps, met in the center of the room, and embraced. Tears came naturally, silent at first, then more intense.
Deciding to let the two talk alone for a moment, the others left the room.
Rygar, outside, didn't need to worry about distance: if there were something really important, he would hear it anyway.
For him, the essential thing was to grasp Lilia's position regarding Paul and Rudeus. That was the real point that mattered.
Outside, Norn snorted, clearly annoyed.
"Why am I not part of the conversation?" she complained, clenching her fists.
"I'm part of the family too! Even if I don't know Miss Lilia very well, I should be there, right?!"
Before she could continue, Eris gave her a light bonk on the head.
"Ouch!" Norn brought her hand to the spot, pouting.
"Aisha is there to mediate," Eris replied. "At most you would be throwing fuel on the fire!"
Norn opened her mouth to retort, but closed it soon after, afraid of taking another hit.
All she could do was puff out her cheeks in silent protest.
Minutes later, the voices inside the room ceased. When Zenith and Lilia returned, their faces were still a little wet from tears, but there was relief in their expressions.
Rygar smiled slightly, satisfied. From what he heard of the conversation, it was clear that Lilia had not turned against him — quite the opposite.
Technically, she had chosen his side.
Zenith, of course, was still hurt by Paul's death, but her pain was something she could manage. What remained in her heart was the determination to try to save Rudeus.
Lilia, for her part, agreed to help, and said she would try to convince Rygar in that regard.
But, for him, that mattered little.
'If I had the time, I would have already crossed the sea and killed both — Rudeus and Sylphiette — just to be sure.'
After all, there were many who considered Rudeus an open enemy in Gaia, and Sylphiette was even worse, since she herself held immense rancor.
Still, he knew time could change hatred.
If, in the coming years, Rudeus did not become a real threat, perhaps it would be possible to simply ignore him.
But Aisha, Eris and even Ghislaine did not share that view; they each had their own reasons to want Rudeus's head, and Rygar would not stop them if they decided to act.
For now, there was no hurry. Fate seemed to have placed Rygar and Rudeus on two opposite continents.
The inevitable confrontation, if it happened, was still possibly a few years away.
Lilia did not try to speak directly to Rygar at that moment.
During the conversation she had had with Zenith and Aisha, it became clear from her daughter's stance that any attempt at immediate dialogue would be useless.
For Aisha, her half-brother Rudeus, who had tried to kill Rygar and had been responsible for hundreds of deaths during his passage through Milis, did not deserve forgiveness.
This stance left Lilia and Zenith unsure of what to do.
It was a matter of a single perspective. At that time, they had simply ended up on opposite sides, and the conflict inevitably sprang from that moment.
Therefore, Lilia decided to adopt a more patient approach: she would speak with Rygar gradually, little by little, to try to make him reflect over time.
But that was based on Rudeus staying quiet; if Rudeus took the initiative in another conflict, she would have no arguments to defend him.
Thus, the afternoon conversations moved on to lighter topics.
Everyone allowed themselves to relax and get involved in pleasant memories. They remembered Eidar, recalled travels from years past, and there were even laughs among the memories.
Lilia even trained with her daughter, Aisha.
The result of the sparring was, actually, somewhat unexpected. Although almost everyone believed the young woman would outperform her mother, Lilia managed to surprise.
She ended up winning the fight, which made her quite proud; after all, she had spent the last five years training to improve to that point.
Aisha praised her with a smile, even after the defeat.
Rygar realized that Aisha had let Lilia win, but said nothing, since she was so happy.
The pride, however, did not last long.
Lilia agreed to face Eris next — and was defeated in a single move. Eris did not go easy, knocking her sword away with such force that the impact echoed in the courtyard.
"You've improved a lot, Lilia!" the redhead said despite having won easily.
Despite the defeat, Lilia did not seem upset.
On the contrary, she was pleased by the compliment, after all, Eris was already one of the best swordswomen in the entire world.
After that, she spent a good amount of time talking with Ghislaine, especially about pregnancy.
The two exchanged experiences, and Lilia became worried due to the special nature of the beast-woman's pregnancy; she sought to understand details of what Ghislaine was going through.
Time passed quickly, and by the end of the gathering it was decided that Lilia would stay provisionally with Zenith and Norn.
She even offered to work as a servant in Rygar's house, perhaps out of habit or not wanting to be a burden.
Rygar refused at first, but said he would think about it in the future.
When everyone had already dispersed, Aisha found Rygar in the house's courtyard.
He looked at her for a moment and asked:
"So... what do you think?"
The girl reflected for a moment before answering:
"The mere fact that my mother came here already shows that her decision is more to stay on our side than anything else. Over time, I can convince her gradually... but Lady Zenith will be more difficult."
Rygar nodded. Aisha's opinion reflected his, although the girl had a much more intense desire to kill Rudeus.
For her, this matter was of utmost importance. For Rygar, however, it was only secondary.
Later, he changed the subject, asking about the Academy. He asked how her studies were going, if she needed any additional resources.
He also clarified doubts about magic and suggested materials she could seek to deepen her knowledge.
Aisha also asked about the new sword he was carrying now that she had had the chance.
Rygar spoke about the forging process of the Doomsday Terror Sword, the materials used, the forging process itself, and the fact that the weapon had a will of its own.
Aisha listened enchanted, as if hearing about the creation of a legend.
When the topic seemed to have ended, Aisha mentioned something that had been making her uneasy:
"In recent days, the master has asked a lot about Taes and Kilian's investigation. Is there something about the Sea Race that the master is cautious about?"
Rygar couldn't help but smile. The girl's cleverness was impressive. He took a deep breath and explained:
"Recently I obtained some new information. I already passed it on to the Intelligence Division, but you might not know yet... the Kraken I killed years ago, Zeroth, the Lord of Storms... he was considered a deity by the Sea Race."
Aisha's eyes widened. Rygar then told everything he had learned through Ilya, his suspicions, and how he had been carefully observing the movements of the Sea Race.
"Master..." Aisha said, serious. "Lady Ilya said that Hitogami always fights with borrowed weapons, right? If he can see what happens in the world, the chances of him being behind the Sea Race are high. But... what if he has another card hidden?"
Rygar crossed his arms and nodded.
"I've also considered that. I can be confident in dealing with the warriors of the Sea Race, even with their guardian deity, Esterópes. But... if there is more than one enemy, or if they attack from different sides... I won't be able to block everything."
Aisha frowned, thoughtful.
"Has the master already warned the high-ranking fighters?"
"Yes," Rygar answered. "But after investigating all around the Beast Territory, I found no signs of spies. And since Taes and Kilian did not activate the Vivre Stone, it shouldn't be urgent. Besides, given the nature of that race, if something happens, it will almost certainly be a frontal attack."
For a moment, Rygar glanced where Ghislaine, Eris and Verdia were sitting, talking normally. His eyes narrowed.
"Aisha... I already told you how I have a bad feeling about leaving Ghislaine and Verdia alone, right?"
The girl nodded, listening attentively.
"When it was only Ghislaine, I thought it was just because she carries a child of mine. But now, with Verdia in the same condition, I think it may be related to the pregnancy itself. It's as if... during gestation, their safety becomes unpredictable. I can't confirm it yet, but I can't ignore the feeling."
The tone of his voice made Aisha become even more serious. She had known her master long enough to know his premonitions were rarely in vain. Ignoring them never brought good results.
"So, I won't investigate the Sea Race unless Taes or Kilian send a direct request for help. I can't risk their safety, even if Eris is here to protect them."
Aisha nodded in silence.
They continued talking at length.
Even at Aisha's age, her knowledge, cleverness and analytical capacity made her a reliable interlocutor.
At times, Rygar felt she understood his concerns better than many nearby adults.
Naturally, the conversation drifted to other topics, and Rygar focused on teaching her Gravity Magic.
He even manipulated her mana directly, adjusting the internal flow so she could better understand the principles.
She was still far from initial mastery, but her progress was remarkable.
When night approached, Aisha said her goodbyes and returned to Zenith's house. Rygar remained a while in silence, reflecting on everything.
And so, night naturally fell over the Great Forest.
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