The Sea Guardian Chapter Seventeen: Return to Hell

That day, Chu Xuan ran to Little Malphite’s room to look for him and play, only to find him stuffing his face with snacks. She immediately activated that useless magical artifact, releasing a beam of blue flame, which at once seized Little Malphite’s attention. Then, in the tone of a neighborhood aunt coaxing children into trouble, she asked, “Isn’t it fun?”

Little Malphite nodded furiously, the snacks in his hands spilling all over the floor. Chu Xuan handed him the staff and said, “Go ahead, have fun with it. Study it yourself.”

This thing could only be used by someone well-versed in arcane arts, so for the moment she was simply giving it to Little Malphite as a toy. After all, she already had the Staff of Nemesis, didn’t she? Besides, all that effort before, going to find Aristotle and even plucking hairs from her brother’s head—had she really been making a fool of herself all along?

Then she thought again and felt that was not quite right. If she had not gone to Mount Agura, she would never have obtained divine power. Even if it was only the first and eternal layer of divine power, she had still obtained it.

While she was lost in her wild thoughts, a cold voice suddenly came from behind her. Big Malphite had sent Little Malphite away, and said to Chu Xuan in a faint tone, “I’m going back to Hell.”

“You’re going back to Hell.”

Chu Xuan stated it in the form of a question, because she had come to see Malphite today not only to give the useless artifact to Little Malphite as a toy, but also for this very purpose.

By her reckoning, the time for him to return to Hell was nearly here. In other words, Malphite was about to split off his route from hers. A few days ago, Chu Tian had said they would first make a trip to the Arctic ice plains, and by the time the story in Bun’s book reached this point, it was about time for Malphite to return to Hell.

Malphite glanced at her and merely replied, “Mm.”

“Why are you telling me?” she asked, blinking. In truth, she understood. These past days she had been staying with Malphite to play, and they had long since formed a deep bond of sibling affection. As for this big Malphite, she could only say that ever since she read Bun’s book, she had held him in very high regard. The reason she asked now was perhaps because she had begun to sense her own feelings.

Malphite did not answer. He simply looked into her eyes in silence. Perhaps even he did not know why he had told her. It had seemed only natural, and now that Chu Xuan had asked, he only felt a little ill at ease.

What he did not know was that even if he had not said it today, Chu Xuan would have found a way to ask him anyway, because she intended to go with him.

Chu Xuan did not press the matter. She only smiled and said, “I’m going to Hell too. We’re going the same way, so take me along.”

“No.”

Malphite refused without even thinking. He was going to fight, perhaps to his death. What use was it to take her along? That girl only caused trouble and made a mess of everything.

Unexpectedly, Chu Xuan guessed exactly what he was thinking, and with a grin said, “You think I’m going to make trouble and fool around? I’m helping my familiar find her mother. Her mother is in Hell.”

“Do you have a father and mother? Can you understand what it means not to see your family?” Chu Xuan’s smile faded. She walked to the window and looked out at the pale blue waters at the edge of the Blaze. Malphite gave a sudden start. After a moment, he heard her speaking to the sea with a calm smile. “I have a brother. He treats me very well. You have a younger brother, and you treat him well. But Fadil…”

She did not finish.

These days, she and Fadil had long since become as close as sisters, so when she thought of Malphite returning to Hell, she had already decided to take Fadil to find her mother.

And what Malphite was thinking at that very moment was this: tens of thousands of years ago, some little girl had smiled and asked him, “Don’t you have a father and mother either? But I have a brother…”

Suddenly, Malphite said to her, “I have a brother too. My brother is very good to me as well.”

Chu Xuan turned to look at him, and suddenly saw a trace of something different in his cold eyes, a kind of expression she could not understand. She felt as though she had just said something utterly pointless.

With a bitter little smile, she shook her head and asked softly, “Can you take me and Fadil to Hell? We’ll find her mother ourselves.”

The sound of waves striking the shore made Malphite’s cold expression seem even colder, but at that moment he felt more real to Chu Xuan than ever before. She did not hurry his answer. She only stood there, staring at him, listening to the rhythm woven by the sea. After a while, she saw a hint of a smile appear on Malphite’s icy face, and she knew then that he had agreed.