Thus, Eris had found her family.
Besides Ghislaine, the renowned Black Wolf Sword King who was also the red-haired girl's first swordsmanship master, Eris was reunited with her father and mother, Lord Philip and Lady Hilda.
Unlike when she reunited with the Black Wolf Sword King, where the Boreas young lady had hugged the beastfolk tightly and even cried tears of joy, Eris was much calmer when meeting her parents. This time, it was Hilda who cried tears of joy. Meanwhile, her father simply stood beside them with a smile.
As for the second Sword King present in that mansion, this was exactly the reunion scene he had wanted the Boreas family to have.
"I heard their daughter was also a swordswoman. But I didn't expect her to be strong enough to give you a hard time," Henry, standing by the guest room door with Triss, commented to the blonde girl. "You didn't hold back or anything, did you? Oh wait, you never hold back against anyone. Even a pretty beauty like Nina was once-"
"Shaddup." Triss clicked her tongue. "I'm not in the mood to joke around with you."
"Hmm?" The boy's lips curled into a highly punchable smile. "In battle, there are wins and losses. You- gah!"
"I already warned you."
Normally, a person stabbed in the liver by a North Saint would surely die. But Henry, despite being struck, only clutched his stomach for a moment before letting go. There was no blood, and not a single wound.
This happened quite often in Philip's mansion here in Astraea, but to an outsider like Sándor, the knight found it somewhat peculiar. His crimson eyes flashed meaningfully. However, before he could ask or question anything, Henry spoke up first.
"It's thanks to a magic item I am wearing," the brown-haired young man grinned, pointing at the scarf he was wearing. "Cool isn't it, good sir?"
"It truly is fascinating," Sándor agreed. "This is my first time seeing an item capable of such a thing. But blurting out your secret to an outsider like that is quite careless."
"Outsider?" A massive question mark practically appeared over Henry's head. The young man looked around. "Are there any outsiders here?"
"He's talking about himself, you idiot," Triss sighed.
"Haha! How could he be an outsider? You're the idiot here, Triss." Henry slapped the girl's back heartily. "He is called master by Lord Philip's daughter. And Philip is Atur's father-in-law, and since Atur is like a brother to us, he is practically our master as well!"
"Sure sure. Acknowledge him if you want. Don't drag me into this..."
Triss backed away, retreating into a corner of the room. She was truly displeased about being defeated so easily. Henry probably knew he shouldn't press the matter with her any further. More accurately, he had more important things to do.
"Ah. I'm Henry, the Brown Bear Sword King. It's a pleasure to meet you, Master."
Henry bowed and extended his hand straightforwardly, an extremely strange gesture for people in this region. Rather, this style of greeting was unlike anything Sándor had ever seen before. A polite gesture, exceedingly polite one might say, yet lacking the pretension typically used by Asuran nobles. It was almost as if it came from another world.
Sándor was not one to judge people solely by their gestures. Although he had his thoughts and partial deductions, he reached out and warmly reciprocated, displaying equal friendliness.
"And I am Sándor von Grandeur. Being called master by you is a bit beyond my reach, Sword King." The wandering knight's tone sounded genuinely humble. "I am just an ordinary adventurer."
"But didn't you train a student capable of defeating a North Saint?" The young man raised an eyebrow.
"That is solely due to Eris's own abilities and efforts."
"Is that so?"
Henry was clearly not very satisfied with that explanation. But no matter how foolish he might be, the Sword King knew better than to pry into things the other party wished to hide. It would be a waste of time and would only sour their relationship. In any case, his brain was already steering toward another topic.
Then again, considering she was Atur's fiancée, it wasn't too surprising that she was so strong.
In the eyes of the Sword King, the friend who had once saved his life was an outstanding individual with extraordinary courage. He also possessed the ability to subconsciously push those around him to work much harder. Perhaps it was because of the way Atur constantly sought to push his own limits to new heights as well? Regardless, Henry's goal in becoming a powerful warrior was rooted in the hope that one day he could reunite and fight alongside him once more. The same went for Triss.
Now, meeting Atur's family like this made Henry feel quite proud and even more eager than before for some reason.
…
As for Eris, she had finished recounting the events of the past few years to her parents and Ghislaine. After hearing the entire story, everyone had different reactions. The Beastfolk Sword King clenched her fists with a face full of indignation. The lady covered her mouth, trying to hide her sorrow. Only Philip managed to maintain a calm expression.
"So, Father is dead. I understand." The man closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself sink into his thoughts. Only a few seconds later, he opened them again. "You have been through a lot, Eris."
"..."
The girl said nothing. She simply lowered her head. Her eyes were still filled with feelings of resentment, helplessness, and pain as that scene replayed in her mind.
Philip stood up and unexpectedly bowed deeply to Sándor.
"Thank you for bringing my daughter back to her family. I will certainly repay this favor."
Not only Philip, but Hilda also immediately did the same. The easygoing knight knew he would be owed a debt of gratitude, but this reaction was truly beyond his imagination. It had been a long time since a noble had bowed before him like this, let alone members of a major Asuran noble family.
"It was nothing. Please, there is no need for such formalities. I only did what I promised. If we are speaking of repayment, Lord Sauros already gave me far more than I could have asked for."
"Even if you say so, bringing our daughter all the way here from Ars was a long journey," Philip added. "I will host a celebratory banquet tomorrow evening, and I hope you can attend as our guest of honor."
It was quite ironic, at least from Sándor's perspective. He had once been hailed and praised as a hero in this very city, even though he was the one who had shattered it. Well, at least this time nothing terrible had happened yet.
"If that is the case, it would be my absolute honor, my lord," the knight replied.
"Then it is decided."
Philip immediately signaled a servant, and thus, the banquet was arranged.
...
Now, it's Philip's turn to talk about their story.
It was only now that the young lady learned a portion of what had happened to her parents. They too had been caught up in the Mana Calamity that occurred in Fittoa and were teleported to this Strife Zone without a single weapon to defend themselves. It was quite similar to Eris's situation when she was sent to Begaritt. In fact, it was arguably worse, as neither Philip nor Hilda had any combat experience whatsoever.
Fortunately for them, during that critical moment, the Brown Bear Sword King Henry and the Phantom Knife North Saint Triss happened to be nearby and recognized a familiar connection. Or rather, Henry had recognized Philip's association with Atur through a magic tool the Asuran noble had used.
Not long after that, the Black Wolf Sword King Ghislaine also found them. As a result, Philip and Hilda were backed by three outstanding individuals whose combined strength could match, or even surpass, the military force of any nation in this Strife Zone.
Once the Red Kingdom caught wind of this, they immediately proposed a collaboration with Philip. Before long, the noble from Asura was granted the position of Prime Minister.
Eris was not good with politics. More accurately, she didn't care, so when it came to this part, it sounded like complete nonsense to her. The only thing she cared about was why her parents hadn't returned to Asura.
There were many reasons for Philip's decision to stay. First and foremost was the opportunity for advancement. Eris had never been particularly close to her father. However, Atur had mentioned him to her a few times in the past. 'Ambitious' was probably the adjective used most often. At the time, the red-haired girl didn't understand what that meant. But over the years, she had come to understand exactly what an ambitious person was like.
Therefore, applying that trait to Philip, Eris knew that if he was given the chance to become a powerful figure in a small nation, returning to be a petty mayor of a city erased from the map would obviously be a far less wise move. Besides, the Red Kingdom was a nation dependent on Asura, so Philip would certainly be well protected here. That was what Sándor had told her upon learning that Eris's family was residing here.
"So that's the reason you two didn't go back?" she asked.
A part of the young girl blamed her father for staying here. Even if this place was dangerous, if Philip had been back home, perhaps there would have been one more person trying to protect Sauros. Yet, a part of her also knew that even then, it probably wouldn't have been enough to change the outcome.
But abandoning Fittoa and leaving Alphonse to handle everything on his own like this did seem a bit irresponsible.
Philip likely knew that as well, so he had no desire to argue or justify himself.
"That is indeed one of the biggest reasons," the Prime Minister replied. "However, we have an even greater reason why we cannot return."
The man's gaze shifted to the woman sitting beside him. Hilda understood his intention and took over.
"I gave birth to another child." Hilda grasped Philip's hand as she spoke those words. Her red lips trembled slightly, forming a contented smile. "It's a boy. You have a little brother, Eris."
"A little brother?"
Eris asked, her eyes—filled with exhaustion and sorrow—widening upon hearing this news. The red-haired girl was supposed to have a younger brother, and even an older brother. But due to the rules of the Boreas household, both children had been sent away to the Royal Capital shortly after they were born.
"Yes. That is the reason why your mother and I cannot return," Philip explained.
More accurately, Hilda absolutely refused to go back. After all, what mother would want to be separated from her child? Twice was already far too much. Thus, they decided to stay here permanently. Even if Philip's failure to return meant the child would not be considered a legitimate heir, it seemed the couple no longer cared about such matters.
"Do you want to go see Aegis?" Hilda asked.
Eris nodded.
The young lady was then taken to the child's bedroom. Aegis Boreas Greyrat is his name. He was a toddler, just over two years old, with vibrant red hair identical to hers and their mother's.
"He's so small," Eris said.
The child's tiny body truly elicited a protective instinct from anyone who saw him.
"Yes," Hilda smiled gently. "Because he's still a baby. He may look like this, but he's just as mischievous as you were back in the day."
"...Mhm."
To be precise, as she used to be.
At that moment, the young lady suddenly thought of a boy. It was Atur, the one she had promised to marry. He was also the boy who had taught her what it meant to have friends, how to be patient, and even gave her a reason to live when she was stranded in the deserts of Begaritt. Eris also wanted to have children with him, just like the sleeping child before her.
Eris was nearly sixteen now, meaning a year had passed since her birthday. If the Mana Calamity had never happened, she would probably be married by now, perhaps even having a child of her own like this. Red hair—no, if it had silver hair like their father, that would be wonderful. Eris always had a fondness for that peculiar silvery-platinum hair, anyway.
But that never came to be. The boy is also teleported like the rest of Fittoa.
Eris had no idea where Atur was right now. Her family was here, and neither Ghislaine nor the two people who claimed to be Atur's friends had any news. In cases like this, most would be presumed dead.
Yet, no one in this mansion who knew him believed that.
Ghislaine said that Atur was the type of person who could survive anywhere. Even if he was teleported to the Demon Continent, he would undoubtedly survive.
Like a rat, Henry did say so. It's kinda offensive but Eris also agrees with that comment. She did call him a rat back in the days too.
A rat is a creature which can live anywhere. As so Atur.
Eris believed that too. She believed that he was searching for her as well. And then, when they met again, they would get married just as they had promised. After all, that was what Sauros had told Eris before leaving her forever. Her grandfather believed that the boy would be able to protect his granddaughter and give her a happy life.
And right now, holding the hand of her little brother, Aegis, Eris knew what goal she wanted to achieve.
It wasn't just taking revenge for Lord Sauros, but also what would come after.
She wanted to build a family with Atur. And she will find him.
...
Meanwhile, in the backyard of the mansion.
It was getting late in the afternoon. The sunset illuminated Henry's precious sword, making it shine like a descending phoenix. On the opposing side, Sándor stood holding his metal staff, looking incredibly bizarre.
They were sparring, naturally. It was Henry's idea.
"How is a guy with a staff supposed to fight a Sword King?" someone among the guards commented.
"What a weird weapon," another added.
However, to those with true strength—like Triss and Ghislaine, who were watching from the sidelines—they knew full well that the man named Sándor was definitely not ordinary. This was even before Eris told them he had once smashed the head of a mighty Desert Scorpion with a single strike.
So this was the perfect opportunity to see exactly what this man's true capabilities were.
"Alright, here I come!"
Longsword of Light, the strongest technique of the Sword God Style, was unleashed. A slash so fast it exceeded a fraction of a blink. Yet, after Henry swung what seemed to be an invincible strike, it completely failed to hit Sándor.
It was just like a gust of wind, rushing past the target, missing by a mere hairsbreadth.
"Wait… What? How!?"
The observing guards thought it was a slight miscalculation. But the others knew exactly what had just happened.
Sándor had dodged it, effortlessly.
The one who understood this best was Henry himself. The young man sheathed his sword. Without hesitation, he bowed his head.
"I've lost. You truly are much stronger than me."
"You are being modest." Sándor did not put on airs and bowed in return. "Your speed and power far exceeded my expectations."
"But that's still not enough, and I have a lot more to work on." He gave a thumbs-up, flashing a wide grin. "Please teach me more, Master Sándor!"
"Aren't you already a Sword King? Someone like me would just-"
"Sword King is just an empty title. What I care about is true strength. And to forge true strength, one must constantly learn!" The boys talk passionately. "From now on, please instruct me, Master!"
Sándor also seemed intrigued. The North God was quite fond of interesting and powerful individuals. Someone like Henry perfectly suited his taste for taking on disciples. It seemed this trip to Astraea wasn't going to be as boring and gloomy as he had initially thought.
"If you insist that much, refusing would simply be disrespectful," the knight joked along. "Let's support each other from now on."