Chapter 55: I’ll leave with you

After managing to survive the ordeal, the group now has a good amount of specimens to work on, while Leon had other things to look at now.

He spent his days in the Library. He had no leads as to where Snow had gone, so he put that behind him for a while and simply focused on finding out what he could about the past.

He read up on all the books on Archmage Cane, and they all said the same thing: Cane betrayed humanity.

"With the way the stories are set, I’d totally believe that Cane was the bad guy. Except I have the true knowledge of what had happened."

He placed the last book he read down.

The details of what happened were simply that Cane had turned his back on humanity. The devils offered him something that he could not refuse, and he took it.

"Urghhhhh, this isn’t bringing anything," he complained and slammed the table.

"Seems you are having a hard time," Sophia spoke. She leaned on a shelf, arms crossed and a smile on her normally cold face.

"Yeah, I can’t find what I am looking for."

"Well, I would have asked what you were looking for, but I’m sure that you are not going to tell me," she said and walked over, sitting down and facing him. She placed both her elbows on the table and raised her head with her palms.

"You are a fascinating young man," she said with a smile.

"What would you do if you knew I had information that could scare a lot of people, news that would shake things, but would also cause me to be captured and locked away?" Leon suddenly asked.

She raised her brow. "Hmm, knowing you, you must have weighed it in your mind, but the fact that you have not said it means it’s a lot to say," she stated, then proceeded to lay her head on the table with her hand stretched out. "I wish you could tell me, though. You and I are friends after all."

Leon took a deep breath. "Sigh, I have an idea on when the next attack from the pillar will be," Leon said.

Her head shot up and she stared at him. "What?"

"Fifteen days from now, the pillar will activate again, and it might be worse than before," he said right to her face.

"And you know this for certain?" She asked.

"Yes, I do," he responded and then bowed his head. "I have known when everything would happen right from the very first one, but I’ve never told anyone."

"I see." Her expression turned heavy. She took it all in slowly and then looked at him. "I understand why you would keep it hidden, and I suggest you keep it that way."

Leon looked at her in shock when she said that.

"You are not going to force me to tell the group what I know?"

"No, the group and humanity can survive without that information." She stretched out her hand and grabbed his own. "I have been in this group for years now, and I have not had the connection that I have with you with anyone else.

"I get it is weird. I am twenty and you are ten, and yet somehow you are the most mature person that I know. I am able to communicate with you on levels I have not been able to with anyone else.

"I have also shared with you more than anyone else, and it’s safe to say, you are my closest friend. Can’t believe I said that to someone that’s ten years old," she said and then smiled. "If we told them, they’d try to find out what is wrong with you, especially Roger.

"In as much as he is a good guy, I would not trust him with that information. He works for the Church of Light now.

"To ensure that you are safe, let’s keep this between you and I, and whatever happens in fifteen days, we are going to deal with it," she said.

Leon looked at her hands. He smiled and then replied, "I guess I was worried for nothing."

"What are your plans after that day comes?" she asked.

"I want to leave Oden. I have to head towards the east and find some people that my mum said will be waiting for me, spirits, and I’ll find out more about my mum there.

"There are also a few monster hunting grounds and dungeons on the way there, and I want to check them out," Leon said.

"Hmm? But isn’t there the Badlands before you get to the east directly, or do you have plans to go all the way around?"

"No, I’ll go through. I’m sure I can make it there. I came here to find information on my friend, but it seems she is, like, gone from here, and there is no point being here anymore.

"I’ll take it a bit slow for the next two years as I head to my mum’s home. I’ll gather as much information as possible as well on my friend," he explained.

"Well, that sounds like a great adventure. Might as well come with you for it. I have nothing to do here anymore."

"Wait, are you not trying to uncover what the pillar and the undead are for?" He asked. After all, that was why they hunted undead.

"That’s what they want to do now. We were simply a party before. It’s Roger and Kira who want that. Not me.

"As for me, I’ll continue searching for one best and greatest version of life I live, and as of now, your plan seems to be the best one, and so I’ll follow along. Think of it as travelling with your big sister."

"Alright then, you can come with me. It’s going to be much better than travelling alone."

She nodded and left him to his reading. Leon sat there for a few minutes and then got up to leave himself.