Chapter 100: Aftermath IV

Leon left the collection point later that night after giving his name to the transport officer and confirming where he was going. He exchanged a few words with the others before leaving.

On the way home, he read some of the messages that had accumulated.

By the time he reached the house, he had slept through most of the drive.

His stepmother met him before he had properly stepped inside. She held his face briefly, looking him over, then pulled him into a hug that pressed his side bag between them.

"I’m fine," he said.

"I can see the bandage."

"It’s a scrape."

"You can tell me about it after you wash." She released him, took another look at his face, and called towards the sitting room that he was home.

Alice was on the sofa with a blanket over her legs. She had changed out of the clothes from the evacuation, but still looked tired enough that Leon stopped when she began to get up.

"You can stay there." He said.

She could only manage a smile, the summon had taken a toll on her clearly. The very fact that she was that calm said it all.

He went over, setting his bag down before she caught him around the waist. Her grip was weaker than usual. When she let go, she settled back against the cushions instead of immediately beginning a conversation.

Alyssa sat in the chair beside the window. She watched Leon for a moment, then nodded towards the empty seat.

"Sit down first. You also look tired." She said.

Leon was going to say, "So does everyone else." But looking at Alyssa, she didn’t look like someone who had been flying all about carrying the bulk of the responsibility at all. He had to wonder if she was even human.

Their mother returned with water and told him food would be ready soon. She had questions too, but for a while the conversation stayed without.

It was the first time since entering the dungeon that Leon could put his bag down without needing to think about where he might have to carry it next.

After a short while, he headed to his room, where he washed and frehsened up before returning back down.

Alice brought up the summons after he had washed and returned. Maybe it was because they were all exhausted, so it didn’t turn out to be a big deal as last time, even though this time it was even bigger.

They ended up more concerned about some minor injuries on him, after all, it didn’t make sense that he was sustaining all the inuries while having all the summons.

He had to explain that the Mage had stopped weaker attacks before. Against the Grade 5, the barrier had shattered, and the Swordsmen hadn’t been strong enough to hold it off on their own.

Alyssa had arrived before the situation became worse.

"Having them between you and a monster helps," she said. "You still need a way to survive if it reaches you."

"I know."

He had watched her pass through creatures his summons could barely delay. There had been no need to move a beast into position or wait for something to protect her either.

He also heard of Alice’s intervention. Even though he wasn’t there to witness it, he could imagine, after all, he saw a videon of someone recording the dragon as it flew over the city. He genuinely looked like a starship passed over, it was insae.

’Calling something strong enough is one thing. Keeping it useful is another... But I guess, with that kind of summon, even one minute is plenty.’ He thought to himself.

He looked down at his hand. The scrape was already less troublesome, but it had taken very little to injure him. A stone coming down at a slightly different angle could have done far more. He was as good as a regular human.

His army had done good work. He didn’t regret that.

’But Gates aren’t going to break every day. Most of my fighting will still be inside dungeons. Which civilians am I going to carry out of those?’

There would be companions sometimes, but that was the least of anyone’s worries. Sending more Warriors at something that could break them with one strike would only leave him with fewer Warriors.

’More can help. I still need better ones.’

The Mage had changed what he could do far more than another handful of skeletons would have. A stronger summon could hold a threat the rest couldn’t approach. Greater numbers and greater strength were both useful; he had no reason to pretend one would replace the other.

And even if he found something much stronger, he would still be standing behind it in the same vulnerable body.

He couldn’t Unify. Whatever he did next had to account for that, instead of making plans as though it would suddenly become available.

"The academy will probably want to see you," Alyssa said.

"Probably."

"And other people," Alice added. "Once they’ve finished watching all those videos."

Leon reached for his water again. "They’re already sending messages."

"Not those people." She said as she lay down again. "But don’t worry, even without the government, Mum will never let anyone harm you. You have us too."

’Ahh, I understand.’ He hadn’t actually thought about that, but she was right.

Their mother called them to eat before the conversation could move on to anything else. Alice started to push herself up, and Leon took the blanket from her knees while Alyssa moved closer to help her stand.

"I can walk," Alice said, though she accepted the arm Alyssa offered.

"Then walk to the table," their mother told her. "Slowly."

Leon followed them into the dining room. He could look through his summons properly after he had rested, work out what he still had, and start deciding how to improve from there. When he returned to the academy, he would need training that did something for him personally. As for his summons, they couldn’t really improve past their potential now, could they?

’Stronger summons, and a way to keep myself alive without one catching every hit for me.’