Chapter 20: Da Vinci's Secret Identity
Lene revives Sigurd using Heaven's Gospel from her Divine Dagger Rune, stating that Sigurd is not yet ready to die. Everyone watches including Mason and Seed realizes that she can resurrect dead people as he thought.
The only Rune can revive dead people is the Resurrection Rune. How come Lene has this kind of an ability? Lord Riou can utilize his Bright Shield Rune to heal everyone but without reviving others.
Seed looked to see Asher had already disappeared when Lene had revived the fallen leader as Sigurd slowly wakes up and the wounds being impaled by Adelbert was healed and it was left a shred behind his clothes and Lene smiles to see him alive.
"Your highness... I'm glad that you're safe. Where's the Silverian Army?"
"They already retreated when Adelbert got wiped out over the red head's Watery powers. He got mad when he witnessed Lene was nearly killed by him." Sean said reminding him about Seed's Flowing Rune.
"His Flowing Rune?" Lene said as he looked at Seed who is about to get suspicious over Asher's behavior.
"Sigurd, what about the people in Rockaxe...? They already witnessed that you were killed by them." Mason said informing him about the people of Rockaxe.
"I guess that I need to keep this incident where I was revived by the princess as top secret, Mason. They will figure it out once this war is finally over." Sigurd said as he happily looked at Lene. "Your highness... since you gave me a second life. I decided to join at your side."
"Me too, your highness." Mason said decided to join with Lene along with Sigurd which she agrees.
"Yes..."
"You better move Sigurd... I'll rally up the remaining Knights after the Silverian Army had made the attack on us." Mason said letting Sigurd to come with Lene's group.
Returning back to the outskirts, Seed remains serious since Asher had immediately left them after repelling against the Silverian Army as Sean teases him.
"You seem pretty preoccupied or something, red head. Is it because of Professor Asher?"
"Yeah... I'm began to suspect him since he's on our side... He even uses his Lightning Rune to make a combination attack on me. I know Culgan would do that if he executes this."
Therefore, Lars arrives to see them along with Tougou and Lene sees her father who is relieved that he is here.
"Father, why are you here with Tougou?"
"I let Tougou to assist me to check upon you, Lene. It seems that the leader of the unified Matilda Knightdom is here with you too." Lars said as he looked at Sigurd who formally bows.
"It's a pleasure to see you, Your majesty?"
Both Seed and Sean saw Mason arrived with many knights to join with Lars and Lene and he tells them.
"I finally rallied them up for the princess, Sigurd and It's good to see you too, King of Silveria."
"We must get back to the Higheast Palace, right away." Lars said telling them. As they leave the premises, Seed watches and he decided to find Asher once they get back to the Higheast Palace.
At the Higheast Palace, Lars was surprised when he learns from Sigurd that Lene has a power to resurrect the dead. Meanwhile, Lene was worried when Seed disappears without even telling them as Sean and Damian looked to see her.
"Still looking over the red head, Lene."
"Yeah... after we came back here, Seed just left without saying to us."
"I heard he went off to Kyaro to search for the old man. I saw him mounting a horse to get through." Damian said which makes Sean laughs at his words.
"He can mount a horse to get through Tenzan Pass. But he was forced to walk toward it. It takes many hours to get through that town."
"I think we should go there..." Lene said telling them.
Back at Kyaro, Seed revisits Asher's house, remembering the times he got transported accidentally in his home where he uses the dimensional portal device. He checks upon the entire house and at the drawer he has the Water Rune which he had thought.
I never check his entire house after I got accidentally transported and recruiting him to join us. That's weird how come he has a Water Rune left in his house?
To his horrible shock, a picture of a young man who closely resembles Culgan along with a woman and a baby in a photo frame.
"Is it really you, Culgan?! I know you're not married! How come you're in a picture with that woman and a child?!"
This can't be... I maybe in Lene's world... why is Culgan doing here?
Seed then continued to check within the rooms until he checked on Asher's room where he keeps his inventions and his firearms consisting of rifles and shotguns and on his closet it was the royal military uniform hanging on his closet. Seed could not believe what he had seen despite he and Culgan are already dead on their timeline as Asher surprises him.
"You look like you were seeing a ghost, young man. A time-displacement man, who never understands about his current situation."
"Gah! It's you, old man! Why did you leave us in Rockaxe?! And why Culgan is in the picture with a woman and a child!" Seed had shouted so loudly while raising his brow which Asher reveals of who he is.
"Why would I talk to someone like you who is already a hundred plus year old dead man who want answers about me? The man on the photo is me."
"You!"
"I'll spill it out if you don't clearly understand so much, you time-displacement man. I'm a descendant of your war buddy of yours." Asher said finally shows him his true identity.
Seed could not believe that Asher is in fact Culgan's descendant and the reason he carries the Lightning Rune on his hand during his travels.
"You can't be serious, you're my best friend's descendant? I'm shock... If you were then, why did you gave up swinging your sword just like Culgan does?" Seed said which Asher tells him.
"I stopped swinging with that slapstick you were wielding. I prefer to wield firearms and why I keep shooting my enemies into thinking I have many bullets. Because the bullets are crafted by myself with the use of the Lightning Rune. I became a renowned inventor because I'm able to make powerful inventions using the Lightning Rune."
"How come you leave your Water Rune behind? Don't you know it was come and handy."
"Ah the other Rune... I used that to make my hands clean." Asher remarked causing Seed to lower his head in disappointment.
"As a Rune user, it's very useful to heal or to protect anyone else. Culgan uses that to disperse the spy's attack. But why did you stopped wearing royal military clothes like mine in favor of wearing casual ones like Lene and the others."
"I used that during the events of the convention center. That's why I was became a popular person." Asher answered in a calm tone and he looked on the photo frame. "That photo you have seen... is between my wife and Lisa when she was still a baby. I closely resemble my ancestor at the time until my wife died from an incurable illness. My life is peaceful these days until this blood war had happened. My ancestor is a pretty serious and composed when it comes to war games. This is why I wore the military uniforms to make myself resemble as him at the convention center."
"..."
"I don't want if my ancestor or you are taking the pride to protect our country in the Higheast. Considering that this young boy and his group from the Dunan Republic were proven to take that right to put our country as part of the Republic. It seems that you don't even agree of what I'm saying." Asher said which Seed learns from their previous mistakes.
"I understand, old man... Culgan and I we proved to take our pride to protect our beloved country but we ended up getting defeated until we died our wounds along with our fallen country. And now... I've seen the Higheast Palace is just like how Lord Riou's headquarters had turn into a fortress. Now that I'm stuck in your place... I really don't know what I'm going to do next. I begin to get my boredom when I ended up like this."
"I sensed that you were not bored if you ended up hooking up with the princess." Asher jokily said making Seed blushes like a beetroot and yells at him.
"Don't mentioned about Lene, old man!"
"Stop kidding yourself, young one. I already seen you kissing at the princess by the time we watched the Dunan Conference. It reminds me as how my wife and I we always looking up together for our better future. I think it was the perfect time if you and the princess are always getting along together."
Seed was shocked when Asher tells him about his future with Lene and also reminded about Culgan's word about someday that he would have someone to be at his side once the war is already over and that's what Asher did to have his own family and living a peaceful life. This makes Seed to have his own decision.
"I maybe a temperamental person who acted rude to my own soldiers and a fiery adversary. When I tried to take hostage at Lene after you transported me in your world by accident and she elbowed me to let her go, now I finally found what Culgan had told me before we made our last stand in L'Renouille with Lucia and Han Cunningham. That person is always by my side is Lene because her father Lars had made me to look after her. It's more like a bodyguard job. Until she and I were getting in love with each other whenever I keep rescuing her. I decided to protect Lene and no matter what happens we're always together."
Asher sighs and smiles when he learns that he was in love with Lene and tells him.
"A lot of obstacles are about to come so soon, young man. A lot of people in your travels would always come and go to help the princess in dealing the blood war. Despite your hot-headed attitude, you seem to be passionate over the princess."
"Hey old man... how long can you keep your identity as a secret? You never told Lene and the others about the real you." Seed said who finally became calmer when he now learns of Asher's identity. "I guess that I'm the only one who has no descendant around in your world."
"You could inform her and her father Lars, young man. I hate if some other people would never knew of what I'm trying to do. I'm not a war veteran who always taking on war battles seriously and that's why I became a renowned inventor. But not on other people who were so close to the princess."
"So I guess that I need some time to tell her about it, right?"
"If you have a good timing, that would be good." Asher said telling him.
As Seed leaves Asher's house, he became relieved and seeing the difference between Culgan and Asher and they were a lot a like as he thought.
That old man is something else. He's just like Culgan when he spoke to me only that he calls me a young man. I feel terrified when he called me a hundred plus year old guy. Knowing I was really a dead person, my age ended up in the hundreds... because I'm a time displacement person. I feel like I'm not on a right track if Lene likes me in that age.
Seed lowers his head in upset while displaying his age crisis until Lene, Sean and Damian sees him.
"Hey, red head... still stiffy like a raccoon."
With that remark, Seed angrily raises his brow on Sean as Lene is with them.
"Quit your remarks, mockingbird! Uhhh, Lene... you're here too."
"It's okay, you three... He came here to see me for such a long conversation." Asher came out of the house and tells them. "Seems like another war battle is coming... If my ancestor is able to bombard the enemy then I guess I can do it."
Suddenly, a woman along with her robotic gadget pass by and seeing Asher in person much to the surprise on the group.
"So this is where you lived, Professor Asher. Are you saying that you were taking on war games?"
"Tch... why is someone always barging to his conversations." Seed complained and Lene sees her and ask Asher about it.
"Who is she, professor?"
"That's Mei... the daughter of my rival and fellow inventor Kuroudo. What brings you here?"
"I bring my Gadget DX along with me. I want to show the world that the trickster is much better than you're inventions, professor."
Suddenly the robot moves to see Lene is potential and decided to join up in fighting against the Silverian Army.
"INFORMATION COMPLETE. GREETINGS PrINCESS LeNE."
"Hmmm, this is interesting a robot can talk to the princess." Damian said making Seed getting confused.
"How come this pile of barrel can even talk to her like that?!"
"In other words, Mei... a trickster like you would like to join up with the princess. Besides, Gadget DX needs to pull off his fighting abilities of how strong it was." Asher said suggesting her to join at Lene which she faces her.
"I guess you wanna join us?" Lene asked which Mei simply agrees.
"All right... I'll join you group for now. I wanna make sure to show my tricking abilities into a good use. Right, Gadget DX."
"ROGER. PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, PRINCESS Lene."
"Your highness... I clearly forgot to tell you, Mei is the descendant of Belle who created the Gadget Z. She is the best trickster in the entire country." Asher said telling Lene that Mei is the best trickster of the country which she calmly nods.
Returning back to Higheast City, Lene decided to get back to the palace to discuss with her father Lars. At the bathhouse created by Baku, it was the first time Seed was relaxing at the cypress bath. Both Sean and Damian are gossiping about him regarding his current status as a royal general.
"Hey Sean... about the red-headed dude. I know he was a long dead guy."
"Quit saying that, Damian... that guy never take hot baths. Always taking over royal stuffs like bathing in the royal barracks." Sean shrugged.
"Are you kidding, Sean? You mean he never take hot baths like this." Damian said surprisingly which Sean snobbishly tells him.
"That's what happens when the red-headed wild dog who never gives a hot bath. Always sticking around and keep fighting in stupidity."
As both giggles about that remark until Seed is behind them who is furious about their remarks and immediately punches Sean in the face.
"You think I'm a wild dog and stupid, mockingbird! Now you got my head exploded because of you!"
"Calm down, we're just gossiping..."
"Hey hey! Enough of the break fights both of ya... no fighting inside at my bathhouse!" Baku warned both Seed and Sean while breaking each other up until Seed let Sean go, unconscious with bruises on his face as he mocks him.
"I maybe bathing on the royal barracks, it was my first time relaxing here and now I heard you tried to gossiping and giving me a heckle about me. You're just jealous because I already been there in the Highland Kingdom."
As Seed leaves, Damian was surprised when he beats up Sean as he gets up and tells him.
"I guess no more gossips when he was there, Sean. It will be a certain death for us."
Back at the Higheast Palace, Lene decided to travel to Forest Village which Asher observes her and knowing that Kuroudo would be there. He looked at both his Lightning and Water Rune which Seed had suggested to use it before the arrival of Lene's group as he smirks, decided to serve his ancestor's purpose.