Through Unknowns

Emersyn stopped before the last room in the bas.e.m.e.nt.

She almost took two whole days just to check every room in the castle. She diligently checked then left for another room. Now, she could certainly feel the mental fatigue that she acc.u.mulated just checking these rooms.

She opened the huge pitch black door and saw… nothing.

It was empty.

Suddenly, the key on her c.h.e.s.t and the jewel embedded on her forehead shook. There was pain, but it was something she could handle. Then, she heard a friction of stone against stone as she looked warily on the pedestal coming out of the floor. Then, a keyhole appeared. Emersyn furrowed her brows as she took a step towards the pedestal. She removed the necklace from her neck then inserted the key on the keyhole. The key disappeared and was replaced with a pitch black pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It hovered then flew towards her. She caught it in her hand and wore it around her neck. Then, the floor opened and... mountains of gold... came out.

Emersyn put her palms against her face and sighed.

"Gold… again."

She couldn't even bother counting them since it only hurt her head. Everytime she did something huge, gold would voluntarily come to her. Though she was one of the people who liked to ransack every place for money. But now, she had too much money. Still, she would like to loot every money she gained after a day's work.

Anyway, she activated the inventory system then all the gold disappeared into her inventory. She left the castle behind her without looking back as it became a haze. Her wings came out from her back. However, there was something familiar in the sky. A flock of flying monsters kept chasing a huge dragon. Emersyn became dumbfounded. She pressed her hand on her forehead and casually rubbed the jewel embedded on it out of frustration. Well… when she left Tamel, she couldn't see or feel Ignis and the babies. So, it might be her fault that they came out of Tamel and were pursued once again.

She pressed her index finger on her chin as she gazed up.

"Kwaaa!!!"

Her eyes widened when she saw a small dragon swiftly escaping through the numbers and the huge dragon flinching when it left him behind. The small dragon immediately became a baby as it fell down and stretched his short arms towards Emersyn.

"Reagan?!"

"Mama!"

Emersyn panicked and her eyes never left Reagan as she found a spot where she could catch the baby. However, there were some monsters that were targeting the baby as they bared their fangs. Emersyn immediately summoned a gun from her inventory and took aim then shot through their heads in great precision. Then, she caught him in her arms with a little help from the wind.

"Mama!"

"That's dangerous, you brat!"

Reagan smiled brightly as he buried his face in her c.h.e.s.t. Emersyn sighed in exasperation then immediately wrapped him around her with a cloth then began exterminating the monsters around the huge dragon when it stopped.

"... Emersyn," Ignis mumbled in his dragon form.

Emersyn flicked the sword in her hand to remove the blood then brandished it once again. The numbers of the monsters seemed to be lesser than when she first exterminated these groups. Now, monsters kept on piling in her inventory. When she saw the astronomical number, she felt faint. No, she could do it every now and then. Yes, she had an endless amount of days too to dismantle these monsters. She sighed then turned towards Ignis who was covered in wounds.

"Sup. How ya doin', bro?"

"... why are you speaking like that?"

"Nothin' out of somethin'. Anyway, I'll treat your wounds," Emersyn said then mumbled, "Should I just buy a potion…? Yes, that would be best."

"No, thank you. It'll be good once I get rest. I have good regenerative ability. Don't worry."

However, Emersyn ignored him then threw a bottle of potion towards him.

"There. You have deep wounds. It'll be a problem for you, me and Reagan. By the way, where are Alrich and Chelsea?"

"... I hid them."

"Bring me there."

"Yes."

Emersyn's folded wings spread open then it flapped. After Ignis drank the potion and his wounds healed, his wings also came out of his back in his human form then flew towards where he hid the other babies. However, when they arrived there, they couldn't find them. Emersyn spread out her energy and was shocked for a moment. She shook her head then proceeded to look for Alrich and Chelsea's energies. Then, a huge presence trembled under her scrutiny. It emerged from the earth with two small dragons in its hands.

Its maw opened then spoke.

"Is this.... Oh my. Ignis, is it? So, these are your children?"

Ignis narrowed his eyes then widened.

"Mr. Carnash! What are you doing here?"

"Well… they are also looking for me. So, I have no choice but to hide or they will catch me. How's Missus Gerania? She didn't get caught, right?"

"... mother died."

"...."

"So, I concluded that they will also catch me then kill me. After all, Faria didn't come for me. She only killed mother in our lair."

"It wasn't that long since we escaped, so these children are Gerania's."

"Yes, sir."

Meanwhile, as they conversed, Emersyn was fending off monsters that were coming their way while talking animatedly to Reagan. Monsters kept on piling in her inventory that she was killing with a heavy expression. She shook her head as she tried to ignore whatever was weighing in her head. When the monsters' number dwindled and there were no more in the vicinity, she took out a small table and began mushing bananas with a small amount of milk. Reagan looked back and was watching Emersyn do her work but soon found it a pain.

"Mama!"

"... yes?"

"Do?"

"I am making your food. You must be hungry."

"Foo?"

"Yes. Food. It will be good for your health. Here. Do you want to taste it first?"

Reagan tilted his head and Emersyn only smiled. When she was done, she sat Reagan down on the table then bought a small spoon for him. She took a spoonful and fed the baby. Reagan's doe eyes widened then began anticipating the new taste of food like a baby bird. She finished feeding him, but the baby looked like he still wanted more. So, she bought a jar of baby food in the store.

"Nu."

However, it seemed like Reagan didn't like it even when he just smelled it. Emersyn tilted her head then tasted it. Well… there wasn't any difference? She gazed at Reagan as the baby reciprocated her gaze. Then, she smiled and bought avocados then began mushing it. She added a small amount of milk then fed the anticipating baby. He smiled widely as he munched the soft food with his toothless gums.

"Great job, Reagan," Emersyn said as she swept back the baby's rich red hair.

Then, his small, doe eyes started dozing off as he attempted to reach out to Emersyn with his cute arms. Emersyn smiled widely then took him in her arms and settled him on her c.h.e.s.t. She patted his back as Reagan s.u.c.k.e.d on his thumb before sleep claimed him completely.

Ignis, having his conversation with Carnash done, he took back his other two siblings and went towards Emersyn with a middle-aged man in tow.

"Hello, young miss," Carnash greeted warily.

Emersyn nodded her head as she continued patting Reagan.

"So… should I greet you formally?"

"What for?"

Carnash looked above her head then to her forehead.

"You have a crown above your head that signifies the crowned ruler of the dark."

Emersyn's eyes went wide then immediately reached up as she touched the cold crown hovering on her head. She sighed in exasperation as she grumbled.

"What should I do to remove this huge responsibility on me?"

"All the members of the Imperial family were killed. The jewel on your forehead meant that you are recognized as their direct descendant. If you are here, then it means that someone escaped and produced an heir. So, if you have another person that is recognized as a direct descendant, then you can transfer the crown."

Emersyn smiled wryly.

"Then I can't."

"Are you the only one?"

"Yes."

Carnash nodded.

"Also, it seems like Ignis' sibling isn't afraid of you…."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… you have this oppressive aura around you and a very thick bloodl.u.s.t. Even I could only handle it when I saw how you took care of this baby."

"... even I was afraid of you at first," Ignis interjected. "Though I still am, I can handle it."

Emersyn looked at the peacefully sleeping Reagan and smiled warmly. She gently rubbed her cheek on his small head then pressed a loving kiss on his forehead. The baby smiled widely then continued s.u.c.k.i.n.g on his thumb.