Chapter 213 The Jaw of the White Whale

“Leon… everything will be alright, I’m here with you, and so is Katya…”

Lilith's embrace tightened, her skin so soft and warm—it was clearly Lilith's scent, a scent I'd experienced countless times over the past year and a half…

But I've never felt more at ease than I do now.

Perhaps, he had long regarded Lilith as family.

Or perhaps it is Lilith's trust that has sustained me until now.

In short, the anxiety and fear caused by being rejected by family members seemed to have been completely erased.

“Lilith…”

I feel this emotion, a unique and sincere emotion. If I had met someone like Lilith earlier in my past life, I would surely have been saved.

Sylvia too... If only I could have met her sooner...

Thinking back on their little moments, I do indeed think of things like this.

But I also know very well that it's impossible... I'm afraid such feelings only exist in another world...

That's about it.

“Lilith…”

"Um."

"……Thank you."

I should have thanked Lilith a long time ago, both now and before; I should have properly said thank you.

But I used to take this feeling for granted and never realized it.

Thinking of this, I placed my powerless hands on Lilith's back, instinctively wanting to grab onto something, and hugged Lilith tightly as well.

"I'm so sorry... Leon, I'm actually not very good at handling these kinds of things."

"No... I am indeed saved, Lilith, thank you so much."

"is that so……"

Yes, under Lilith's embrace, his broken spirit rallied, and he regained some of his senses.

Where did that confident and brave boy go? I'm not sure if I can use that word to describe myself, but I'm at least a half-baked confident and brave guy.

It was only when I realized this that I felt the ease and joy of being trusted. After all, I used to be the kind of person who would wear a bra as a mask on my head and shout out declarations of justice.

Yes... what exactly am I losing?

Mother, Sylvie, Anna...

There's been no word from any of them, and yet I'm still feeling lost. That once warm little home is now facing a major historical catastrophe, so... shouldn't I be doing better?

"Leon...please pull yourself together! There's something you can definitely do."

"Yes... I'm sure there's something I can grasp!"

"We've already worked so hard so far, how can we give up because of this!"

Yes, whenever I am about to succumb to my inner weakness, those who believe in me stand in front of me to shield me from the wind and rain.

so……

"How could I give in so easily!"

In front of important people!

I cannot allow myself to be powerless!

Although abandoning this pessimistic thinking won't change things, continuing to hold onto this attitude will only lead to a more dangerous cycle in the future.

So...should I continue like this?

Of course not.

"Phew... Lilith, thank you so much!"

"Um."

As long as you can do your best within your "capability," even if the scope is very narrow, you should at least grasp the things within that scope first before considering other things.

Although it's a bit late, I've made up my mind. In short, as long as I'm aware of this, I won't be too bad off.

Even if it means death, I will never give up on the future!

Leon Cabendian, a King-level mage, is somewhat lecherous and has obvious weaknesses towards women. He has occasionally dabbled in swordsmanship and martial arts, but he is only a novice. However, he is very talented in clay sculpting.

In short!

Leon Cabadorn! Fully recovered!

~~~

"Dororo" "Port Luca"

The battle between the Adventurers' Guild and "The Tide" has officially begun.

The extermination squad, led by Peyballo Lanstrom, is putting up a full-scale resistance against the fish-headed, snake-bodied creatures that have fallen from the sky.

Although they initially learned that this monster could not be dealt with using magic, it was still sufficient to provide cover. Under his leadership, the extermination team gradually began to break through the encirclement.

With Seglade's superb swordsmanship, the situation gradually reversed. This would be the most perfect battle since the "Tide" began, at least ensuring that "Luca Port" was not destroyed.

It's important to understand that whenever a "tidal wave" occurs, it almost always means the destruction of a town.

Just as the situation was beginning to reverse, all the fish-headed snakes seemed to have suddenly received some kind of instruction and retreated. Or rather, they set their sights on something else and wandered in one direction, intentionally or unintentionally.

"What happened?"

Even though the attacks landed squarely on them, they still failed to attract the attention of the fish-headed, snake-bodied creatures, which moved in the same direction like puppets.

"Duke Lancelot! What should we do next?!"

Peyballo Lanster also noticed this strange sight, but instead of giving chase, he repeatedly weighed the direction of the city gate.

"Protect the citizens first! Haier! Take Team One and Team Three and head towards the city gate immediately. Make sure the citizens are safely evacuated!"

"yes!"

"Holdru! Take the second squad and search immediately for any civilians who haven't managed to escape in time!"

"yes!"

"Everyone else! Those who want to stay put, stand by! Those who don't want to stay, come with me to investigate!"

Peyballo Lansterrange, the third Duke of Lansterrange, was able to assume the dukedom at the young age of twenty-seven, which shows his talent. He immediately came up with a solution.

As soon as the words were spoken, the punitive expedition team rallied and dispersed in three directions toward Port Luca.

The first team, led by Haier, went to the city gate to be responsible for the evacuation of citizens.

The second team, led by Holdreu, was responsible for searching for and rescuing the remaining civilians.

The third team, led by Peybarro himself, continued their pursuit of the fish-headed snake-bodied creature and their attack on the "Tide".

It is worth mentioning that Seglade did not join Peybarro's expeditionary force, but instead followed Hel to the city gate. He was more worried about Leon's safety than about "Tide".

As the fish-headed, snake-bodied creature disappeared, for some unknown reason, the thick fog covering "Port Luca" began to dissipate, concentrating on a single point in the direction of Leon's previous inn. Looking out, a massive figure hung in the sky, and the piercing sound, like something scratching at glass, was exceptionally bright.

Peyballo Lansterrange had no idea what kind of enemies he would face next.

— "White Whale" and "The Calamity of the Tide".