My Love Debts Are Everywhere!

"Lucas, what happened to your left hand?" She inquired, her voice tinged with concern.

At Arshley's question, Edward, Louis, Victor, and Adam were momentarily stunned. They turned to the left sleeve of Lucas's robe, which hung loosely, revealing no trace of his left hand.

A look of horror quickly spread across their faces. They wouldn't have noticed it if Arshley hadn't pointed it out.

"What... What the hell happened, Lucas? Where's your left hand?" Louis exclaimed, his voice laced with fear as his brows furrowed deeply.

Noticing the concerned gazes from everyone, Lucas's expression remained unchanged. He smiled faintly and shook his head.

"You don't need to worry. It's nothing serious," he said nonchalantly, as though the loss of his left hand didn't bother him.

A flicker of displeasure crossed Arshley's face at Lucas's dismissive reply. Her eyes narrowed, and a subtle pressure began to build around her.

"Lucas, tell me—who did this? Was it someone's doing, or did something happen when you left the Holy Orthodoxy? Answer me," she demanded coldly.

Victor gave a small nod, his expression slowly turning serious.

"Saint is right, Lucas. Tell us who dared to do this to you. If it's your enemy, I'll mobilize a group of mages to track them down," Victor interjected in a calm yet firm tone.

Lucas was not just a Holy Orthodox Guardian but also a close friend. Anyone who dared harm him was defying the entire Holy Orthodox.

As one of humanity's greatest powers, they were unafraid to face anyone—even the Demon Empire.

Although Edward and Adam remained silent, the coldness in their eyes showed they fully supported Victor's words.

Their concern warmed Lucas's heart, but he had no intention of sharing the truth. He simply maintained his smile.

"Thank you for your concern, but this is a personal matter. I don't want to drag you into it, not out of disregard, but because I want to handle it myself. So, please don't worry," Lucas said calmly.

Lucas's stubbornness silenced them for a moment before they sighed in unison.

As those closest to Lucas, they understood his nature well—stubborn and inclined to keep his problems to himself.

No matter how serious the problem, Lucas always kept it to himself, never letting anyone—especially those closest to him—know about it. This created an emotional distance between them and Lucas, leaving them feeling uneasy at times.

Arshley shook her head, and the expression behind her veil gradually softened.

"Fine, if that's your decision. However, if you run into any obstacles or difficulties, please let us know right away, okay? After all, we're family," Arshley said gently.

At the word "family," Lucas's expression shifted slightly, a glint appearing in his brown eyes. But he quickly regained his composure, chuckling softly, and nodded.

"You're right, Saint. We are family," he replied quietly, his smile carrying a deeper meaning.

Edward, who had been watching silently, raised an eyebrow, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.

"Just now, I sensed a change in Lucas's expression and emotion. Am I imagining things?" Edward thought, feeling uncertain.

After a moment's reflection, he shook his head and dismissed the thought.

Afterward, Louis, Victor, and Adam continued their conversation with Lucas, eager to learn about his experiences during the years he had been away from the Holy Orthodoxy.

Meanwhile, Lucas calmly shared his story, leaving the Guardians both surprised and in awe.

"By the way, on my way back to the Holy Orthodoxy, I overheard people talking about the death of Sword Hero Leon," Lucas said suddenly, his expression turning serious. "Is it true?"

At that question, a faint smile appeared on Arshley's lips. With a quick shake of her head, she straightened up.

"You might not know, but Big Brother Leon was officially declared dead by the Holy Empire of Elysium," Arshley replied casually.

Lucas's face instantly tensed, and his body trembled with shock.

"How can that be? So, is Leon really dead?" Lucas inquired, his voice filled with anxiety.

Seeing his reaction, Arshley couldn't help but chuckle.

"Although many believed the news, it was false. In fact, Big Brother Leon is alive!" Arshley declared enthusiastically.

"Alive? Thank goodness." Lucas was momentarily stunned, then let out a relieved sigh.

Suddenly, a question crossed Lucas's mind, and he looked at Arshley with curiosity.

"Since the Empire declared Leon dead, how do you know he's still alive, Saint?" Lucas inquired, his voice tinged with skepticism.

"Hehehe…" Arshley giggled before replying, "Of course I know, because…"

Arshley then explained in detail how Edward had discovered an ancient book in the library. The book predicted the arrival of a figure called "The Fated One," someone destined to change the world's order.

She also explained that "The Fated One" would emerge from three heroes. Based on Edward's calculations, he concluded that the figure was her big brother, Leon.

As Arshley spoke, Edward, Louis, Victor, and Adam remained silent, each wearing a small smile but saying nothing.

However, Lucas's expression seemed to shift, and a strange glint appeared in his eyes.

"So, Leon is 'The Fated One' from the ancient book? Is that true?" Lucas asked cautiously.

"Um! Something like that," Arshley replied casually.

Lucas fell silent for a moment, then raised his gaze to Leon's hero star, which shone with dazzling golden light on the star map. His brows furrowed slightly.

Noticing Lucas's unusual demeanor, Edward raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What's wrong, Lucas? Why the serious expression?" Edward asked, his curiosity piqued.

At Edward's sudden question, Lucas quickly regained his composure. He chuckled softly and shook his head.

"It's nothing. I'm just a little surprised by news like this," Lucas admitted with a small sigh.

Edward smiled and nodded. "I understand. This news is certainly a lot to take in after your return. But I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"You're right, Edward," Lucas replied with a faint smile.

They resumed their conversation, but since there were still many questions they wanted to ask Lucas, they eventually sought permission from Arshley to leave the Hall of Gods early.

Arshley, understanding their curiosity and the importance of hearing Lucas's full story, kindly granted them leave.

After Victor, Louis, Adam, and Lucas departed, only Arshley, seated on the throne, and Edward, who remained standing, were left.

Arshley cast a curious glance at Edward. "Aren't you joining them, Edward?" she asked.

Edward turned to her and shook his head. "No, Saint. I'm not interested in joining them," he replied with a chuckle.

Arshley blinked and gave a small nod, saying nothing. She knew that Edward disliked gatherings and preferred avoiding lengthy conversations.

"By the way, Saint, did you sense anything strange about Lucas?" Edward asked suddenly, catching Arshley off guard.

"Strange? What do you mean?" Arshley furrowed her brow, confused by his question.

After a brief silence, Edward shifted his gaze toward the direction where Lucas had disappeared, then finally spoke. "I can't explain it, but I get the sense that he's hiding something big from us."

Arshley's eyes widened slightly at Edward's words. She stared at the entrance of the Hall of Gods with a sharp, narrowed gaze.

"Hiding something big, huh?" She murmured quietly.

At first, Arshley hadn't thought much of it. But after Edward raised the issue, she couldn't help but recall the odd expression and demeanor Lucas had shown earlier.

Noticing her serious demeanor, Edward folded his arms across his chest and offered a light smile.

"You don't need to dwell on it too much, Saint. After all, Lucas has always been like this," Edward said in a calming tone.

Arshley snapped out of her thoughts and gave a small nod, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"You're right, Edward. He never changes."

...

Two hundred kilometers from the ruins of the ancient town, a stretch of black tents stood. These were the tents of the demon army, still recovering from their defeat in the battle a few days prior.

Among them were the tents of the demon soldiers who had fought alongside Leon two days ago. By Leon's previous order, they had gathered here once more.

In one of the larger tents, Leon, Garan, Terran, and Lilith sat around a large round table. On the table lay an assortment of food—fruits, cookies, bread—and four cups of hot tea.

With all the food before them, one might have expected a small celebration. But instead, an awkward silence hung in the air.

Leon casually folded his legs and took a sip of tea, glancing around at Garan, Lilith, and Terran.

"Why the silence? Don't you want to eat?" Leon inquired indifferently, setting his cup on the saucer.

Garan, sitting on his right, scratched his head, his expression uneasy.

"Sorry, General Leon. It's just… We're not used to sitting near you," Garan admitted honestly.

He had heard about the outcome of the battle two days ago from the demon army that returned yesterday, and he hadn't expected such a decisive victory over humanity's forces.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

What made the victory even more remarkable was knowing that it had been achieved thanks to the person sitting nearby, which filled him with awe and wonder.

It wasn't just him—Lilith and Terran seemed to share the same sentiment. Their admiration made them feel awkward and uncertain around Leon.

Leon was momentarily stunned, but then he chuckled. "I didn't expect that to be the reason. Relax; there's no need to feel so awkward around me."

His words eased their tension, and they began to relax.

Leon smiled, picked up a cookie, and took a bite. After chewing and swallowing, he adjusted his posture and spoke calmly.

"Alright, no more wasting time. I actually called you three here for a reason."