Semua Bab Goodbye, Saintess.: Bab 611 - Bab 620

Emin held Susan's hand tightly. Emotion swelled in his chest."Why is he doing so much for us, honey? You're just his bodyguard, aren't you? Why would he do so much for a bodyguard's wife? How are we ever going to repay him?" Susan whispered, her eyes red and glassy."We'll never repay a debt like this in our lifetime, Susie," Emin croaked as he wiped his eyes. "The only thing I have to offer in return is my life.""Atta boy," Susan said softly, her voice firm with pride.…They waited until I finished my phone call. Then Emin suddenly dropped to one knee. The move startled me."Hey, what's going on?" I said as I pulled him up. "Up. Get up.""From now on, you own my life, Mr. Grimwald!" he declared. "I won't let anyone harm you. They'll have to kill me first. You're saving my wife. I'll do anything to repay that. Nothing is off-limits if it's for you."He bowed his head again. "Thank you so much, Mr. Grimwald. You're the kindest man I've ever known."The words hit harder than

"Looks like your skin's grown thicker. I didn't expect you to show up with these louts and try to beat me into submission," I finished.Jackie felt as though the Ashera's spirit had slapped him through my words."No! Not at all, no! I would never!" He hurried to explain."This is all Drake's fault. This dumbass never told me who his so-called enemy was!" Jackie added with a sheepish smile.…Setting Sebastian's power aside, this was the man who had helped care for his beloved sister. He was also the sole reason the Goddess of Medicine had agreed to save his life. Hell, the fact that Ashera and Sebastian were close was reason enough to forbid Jackie from ever laying a hand on him.…"You look pretty good. Your recovery must have been quick," I said, waving dismissively with a smile.The misunderstanding did not bother me in the slightest. "What brings you here?"Jackie replied with deference. "Thank you for your concern, sir. My sister told me I was only brought back to life be

"Alright, Mr. Grimwald." Emin still could not believe the lengths I was willing to go for him."We'll come back later this evening to pick up the two of you. Bye for now!"After that, Jackie and I took our leave of the Candors.At my very specific request, Jackie chose to bring me to a massage parlor rather than to see Julia. There, we enjoyed a proper massage while exchanging information.I learned that Ashera now held complete control over Beauclab's criminal underground and had begun pushing the Dragoons' reach beyond the city's borders. Her power and influence had grown so vast that even the city authorities treated her with caution.Even so, Jackie claimed that Ashera seemed dissatisfied with her conquest. These days, she appeared unusually disheartened. The only moments when she showed any spark of energy came when she resolved problems that threatened Sleeping Giant."I know it's a lot to ask," Jackie said, hesitating. "But if it's possible… could you please let Dr. Fay ex

"These two are Sazaar residents who were terrorized by Drake and his goons today. Mr. Grimwald defended them." Jackie smiled at us. "And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the don of the Excalibur, Torfinn Sundt."Torfinn Sundt? That name sounded far more intimidating than his appearance suggested. It carried a distinctly Viking air, far removed from whatever style he seemed to be aiming for."An honor to meet you, Mr. Sundt! I hope you understand why I had to do what I did to Drake and the others. They were coercing good, innocent folks like the Candors. I couldn't abide it."Torfinn replied, thumping his chest, "Oh, I think you did the right thing. Don't worry. I sent Drake and his subordinates back to where they came from after I received word of the incident. They will never show their faces in Sazaar again."As for Mr. Candor… if you ever run into trouble in the city, you can always ask for my help. This is my number."Emin took down Torfinn's number in a daze. He still could not

Anna grinned with a hint of mystery. "Rather than asking me for an answer… you should ask the old man himself."The old man? What old man?I followed her into a private room at the restaurant. An elderly man sat behind the table, waiting. He wore finely tailored clothes, and a quiet, majestic presence filled the room.He looked familiar. Uncomfortably so. In fact, he looked a bit like me. "Who is this?" I asked.Anna did not answer. She turned to the old man and inclined her head with clear respect. "I've brought him here, Mr. Grimwald.""That you did. Atta girl," the old man said with a grin. He lifted a hand and waved me closer. "My precious Ian, come to your grandpa!""W-What?!" I blurted out. I pointed at myself. "Did you mean… m-me?"Who was this man? Had I heard him right? His last name was Grimwald?A strange sense of familiarity clung to me, one I could not shake. It felt as though I should be close to him, as though that closeness had been taken from me long ago.An