V6.C20 Curtain falls, Impostor

After the one-sided battle ended in Leo's overwhelming victory, he turned to the mass gathered below.

They still stared at him, albeit with more worship. This battle etched a deep sense of respect into their bones.

"O Children of this world. Do you wish for me to live in this world?"

Most of them hesitated for a moment since the current situation was also caused by a God.

"Fear not children. I shall pledge myself to protect this world from any invasions and this young lady also desires me to become an Emperor and unite the World under a single banner. I shall do so if a beautiful lady asks me."

"Yes. It'll be the best for prosperity for our world… and for me too..."

The cheat-class charisma of the princess melted away their reluctance as they yelled loudly in agreement.

"Well, young lady, we shall meet again soon."

He used instant movement to directly teleport himself and his new Angel Army back to girls.

"Leo-sama… sob, I was ignored once again… even though I'm a princess."

---

Leo appeared outside the Royal Palace. He froze for a moment before yelling,

"Yue."

Yue showed a pained expression as tears slid down her face. He noticed her standing in front of a handsome middle-aged man. His blonde hair and red eyes resembled Yue's.

"Aletia, sigh, how did you forget your own uncle? I was the one who brought you up after your parents passed away."

Strangely, the other girls weren't present here. He probed with his territory to find them helping others with students inside the palace.

She must have sneaked away from them...

"...Leo?"

He pulled Yue in his embrace and caressed her back, as if treating the most fragile thing in the world. Her importance in his heart surpassed Eri to an extent. Yue was always there when he needed some companionship in Orcus. She was the woman he spent the most time here in Tortus.

"What happened? Tell me alright."

"Oh my, so you are my son-in-law. Quite a dashing man my niece grabbed."

Leo turned his head and glared at the self-proclaimed uncle. "Do you want to die?"

The cold glare chilled Alv to the core while his next words stuck in his throat.

Leo kept stroking her back. "Yue, this is not your uncle. He is possessed by Alv, the servant of Ehit. He is just an impostor."

"...Nn."

"Do you want me to use my skill... to bring him back?"

Yue raised her head, her lips arched upward in a small smile. "...No. It would change too much in our past…"

"I know… Oh, I remember now. Let's go there!"

He grabbed her hands and teleported with Alv. The next moment, he appeared in a dark hall planted with two rows of pillars.

The rubble formed with craters crumbled under his feet as they arrived at the place where he first met the Vampire princess. He squeezed Yue's hand, who also firmed her grip in response, feeling the warmth through them.

Smiling, he activated spirit magic to its full extent. For a few seconds, the Labyrinth looked still since nothing happened here after Leo left. Yue ignored everything and gazed at their first memory, her face wearing a gentle smile.

"It sure brings back memories."

"...Nn. True."

As the image of that time faded, Leo poured more mana to increase the speed by more than millions time. The image of Yue sealed in stone ticked him off for obvious reasons.

Seconds passed by, they eventually arrived at the time before Yue's uncle sealed her. He played the scene at normal speed.

Dienleed (Yue's Uncle) entered the room while carrying unconscious Yue on his back. His genuine gentle expression nowhere resembled the imposter lying unconscious.

"...Oji-sama?"

She called out in a daze. He gently squeezed her hands to convey his presence. As if understanding his meaning, she nodded and resumed watching. Then her uncle put her down on the ground.

He put his hands on the surface and a golden light enveloped the ground. *Click!* *Click!* He created some sort of mechanism with Creation Magic.

After that, her uncle took out a transparent diamond-shaped ore from his pockets and made it shine with his mana. He looked at the ore and began to talk while Leo and Yue moved to stand in front of him.

"Aletia. Long time no see I wonder if saying that is a little wrong. I think you must be hating and despising me for this. This is my last will so to speak."

He formed a self-deprecating smile for a moment before coughing and continued his story.

The truth behind sealing Yue shook both of them for more than one reason especially Yue who expected it but didn't dare to believe it. She knew she wasn't immortal and her uncle had no reason to even seal her instead of killing her until her mana ran out.

The reason was the special power of Yue as an Atavist and Ehit desiring her body as a Vassal like Leo already guessed before. To protect Yue, her uncle sealed her here, far away from the eyes of Ehit.

Looking her Uncle's expression filled with gentleness and kindness, yet an apparent sadness, pierced her heart with anguish.

"I love you, Aletia. I love you from the bottom of my heart. I have never thought of you as bothersome, not even once. I always thought of you as my daughter."

"I too, I too thought the same… Dien otou-sama!"

She nearly yelled as the burst of emotions gushed out in the form of tears. All Leo could do was to hug her tighter to console her.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything but entrust you to someone in the future. I'm sorry I act like… a pathetic father."

"No! That's wrong! You are the best father I could hope for…"

Even if the scene was just a memory, Yue couldn't stop herself from sobbing.

While stopping the tears threatening to leak from his eyes, Dienreed continued,

"I wanted to be at your side, seeing your figure when you grasped your own happiness someday. It was my secret dream to punch the man standing at your side once. And then, after that, I wanted to exchange sake with him, and say 'Please take care of my daughter'. It was the partner that Aleytia chose. Surely, he would make a firm promise with a serious face."

He turned his gaze from ore and looked at Yue of the past lying barely unconscious.

"It will be time soon. There are more things that I want to talk about, various things that I want to convey but…with my creation magic, I can only make an artifact of this degree."

"Please don't, Otou-sama!"

Yue stretched her trembling hand toward the image of her father as if trying to grasp him. Her body shaking in his embrace.

Dienreed's gaze wandered in every direction. Imagining the person standing with Yue.

"To you who are very close to my beloved daughter. It doesn't matter what kind of shape it is. Make that child, to be the happiest girl in the world. Please, I beg you."

Leo grabbed Yue's outstretched hand and pulled it closer to his face. Softly kissing the back of her hand, he gazed into her eyes.

Yue stared back into Leo's confident eyes. Her mouth turned round in surprise, the usual human pupils turned into thin vertical slits of dazzling gold. They vaguely resembled Tio's eyes in her dragon form.

"Yue, I swear I'll bring your father, no, my father-in-law back. Not this cheap imposter, but the real one. I'll train my hardest and become powerful enough to revive him. So please… don't be sad…"

[Quest available: Revival]

Dragons never forget their promise. As one of Dragon, you shall find a way to revive your father-in-law.

Difficulty: SSS

Rewards: 1x Skill Evolution coupon, 1x Tier 5 Artifact

'Accept.'

Yue stared at Leo's words filled with utter confidence. A warmth

"...Thanks, but we'll do it together and Leo... I love you."

His eyes turned back to normal as he nodded with a smile.

"I also feel the same."

Yue cuddled closer, relishing the warmth while watching her uncle completing the seal. She still vaguely remembered the scene.

"Let's go home. Others might be worried about us."

"Nn. I'm sorry for not telling you about it."

He stroked her hair while eying the impostor. He granted him a painless death using territory and stored the body.

I might end up needing the body in the future...