Chapter 261: Ch 260: Talk about the truth

"I will be heading back to the temple to start preparing for the next assault against the corruption. I hope you won’t miss me in the meantime."

Seraphina told him with a smile on her face, but there was worry and sadness beneath her expression that made Kael want to reach out and hold her.

He did not like seeing Seraphina in such a low mood.

But there was nothing he could do for her either.

"Seraphina, I—"

"It’s fine. We will meet again soon. I will protect you when the time comes."

She promised before she left.

Next, it was time for Lyra and Elena to head back as well. But Lyra did not seem to like that idea very much.

"I don’t want to head back! This feels unfair. Before you ask, I know that I cannot stay here for much longer. But that does not mean I cannot complain about it!"

Lyra sighed as she started to head back. But it was Elena who looked at Kael with a longing expression. She bit her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something, but decided not to in the end.

Kael did not want her to regret anything, so he decided to ask her what was wrong.

"Elena, is there something you wish to say? There is no need to hold back, alright?"

Kael told her, and Elena sighed before she spoke.

"I...will tell you next time we meet. Just know that I am incredibly happy we got to meet each other. Who knows what would have happened to me if you had not been there in my life?"

She asked, and Kael felt a smile spread across his face at Elena’s words. He did not know what had happened to make her feel so grateful toward him, but he wanted to live up to her expectations.

"I see. That makes me happy—"

Elena wrapped her arms around Kael’s waist before pulling him closer. It was a half-hug that was neither too tight nor too loose.

"I will miss you, Mother. Please keep yourself safe and alive. I want to see you again when I come back next time."

Elena told him as she pulled away, and Kael suddenly felt worried for her.

She had already been affected by the corruption once, so what if she became affected again when he was not there to help her?

His concern must have shown on his face because Elena let out a chuckle and cupped his cheeks before she spoke.

"Don’t worry so much about me. I am a strong person, and thinking about you makes me feel even stronger. I won’t let the corruption beat me."

[Calamity Name: Elena Noctis]

[Mental Stability: 100%]

[Affection: 100% (Destruction Prevention Route Entered)]

[Trust: 100%]

[This individual will no longer be affected by corruption.]

There could not have been a better message from the world magic, and seeing it made Kael feel relieved. He was sure that Elena would be fine now.

He squeezed her shoulder one last time before watching her leave. Then it was time for him, Leon, and Iris to head home as well.

"Home sweet home! Finally, we are back. Ugh, I missed this place."

Iris sounded nostalgic as she spoke in a low but tender tone. She headed inside first, followed by Kael and then Leon. But Leon grabbed Kael’s hand before he could go too far and tugged him into the back room.

The door slammed shut behind Leon, and he gave Kael a wide-eyed look that told him they were finally going to talk.

"Should we invite Iris—"

"How much do you know about the corruption and your current condition? I am sure you have noticed by now that something is wrong with you. I want you to tell me everything from the beginning."

Leon’s words were firm as he asked the question, and Kael almost wanted to distract him by asking what he meant.

But the look on Leon’s face warned him not to try anything like that. So Kael took a deep breath and decided that he would finally tell him the truth.

"If I say that I remember dying in this world, living another life, and then being yanked back into this world, would you be surprised?"

Kael asked, and he watched as Leon’s expression shifted slightly. But the shock he expected never appeared on his face. Instead, Kael saw calm understanding in his expression.

"I see. So this is what happened. I had a feeling you remembered a lot more than you let on. Ah, don’t worry. I do not think you have lost your mind or anything like that. Instead, I believe you far more than you expect."

Leon told Kael in a calm voice, and Kael looked stumped. He was not sure how he felt about Leon believing him...but did this mean Leon knew more about this issue than he had let on?

Kael turned his curious eyes toward Leon, and the younger man finally spoke again.

"Ideally, I did not want to tell you any of this because I wanted you to live a carefree life. But I am sure you would find out sooner or later."

Leon took a deep breath to brace himself, and Kael felt curious to know what kind of world-shattering secret he was about to reveal.

He was ready to hear anything, and Leon finally spoke.

"What if your return from the other world was not a coincidence, but a well-planned magical experiment? Hypothetically, what if there were a group of people who refused to accept that you were dead and kept conducting experiments to bring you back? Would you feel sorry for them? Or would you hate them forever?"

Leon asked a hypothetical question, but he sounded far too serious for it to be a made-up scenario.

Kael was starting to piece together what Leon meant, but he wished he had not.

"Leon, what did you do?"

Kael asked as he felt a headache building behind his temple.