The Second Strongest Has Returned

Chapter 73

Holy Sword

Leo, who had been crying in her embrace for several minutes, suddenly grew curious. While the situation was definitely advantageous for him, there was something he couldn’t help but wonder about.

‘…Where did that old man go?’

The disappearance of the Sage—who had clung to him like a parasitic tumor—was suspicious. It was impossible for him not to question it.

“Ah… but, Miss…”

“Hmm?”

“Where are the others…?”

It was also a little strange that the other members of their group weren’t around. If something had happened, he needed to report that he had woken up as soon as possible.

Squeeze.

Maybe it was his imagination, but the arms of Ariasphil, who was still holding him, seemed to tighten a little at the mention of the others.

“Others?”

“…Yes? Uh, Lady…”

Squeeeeeze.

It wasn’t his imagination. The strength in her arms gradually increased, squeezing him tightly enough to restrict his breathing. Perhaps it was because of his scars, but he started to feel a bit of pain as well.

“Right now, I can only see you, Leo. Are you really thinking about someone else?”

That wasn’t what he meant at all. But more importantly…

“I think I need to punish you a little.”

Squeeeeeze.

She pinched Leo’s flesh lightly. Normally, since his body was made of nothing but muscle, it wouldn’t have hurt much…

“Aaaaaah…!”

But when she pinched the areas where scars were scattered across his body, even Leonardo couldn’t help but feel pain.

“Shouldn’t you only be looking at me right now?”

“I get it…! I get it, so…! Please, stop…!”

At his words, she finally let go, gazing at Leo’s face. His swollen eyes from the earlier sobbing and the tears still pooling there revealed another vulnerable side of the boy.

“…This might be fun…”

Her expression was enough to ignite Ariasphil’s sadistic tendencies.

“…What do you mean by…?”

Without warning, Ariasphil pushed Leo onto the bed. Normally, he might have been able to resist, but in his current state—exhausted and with mana stabilizers injected into his body—there was no way he could overpower the strength of the second-generation Hero who had drawn the Holy Sword.

“Don’t make too much noise.”

He grew uneasy. Ariasphil’s expression was more than mischievous; it was downright dangerous, almost more enticing than a succubus.

Snap.

Her hands moved with a blend of delicate skill and brutal force.

As she slid her hand along the edge of his hospital gown and pulled, the buttons came undone with just the blade of her hand.

“Wait, hold on…! This is…!”

His exposed skin, covered in scars and muscles, might not have been much to most, but to Ariasphil, it was an irresistibly appetizing sight.

Swoosh…

“Hah…!”

Her hand began to sensuously glide over the boy’s scars. Normally, this would have been the end of it, but as she touched the scarred areas, a mix of mild pain and intense ticklishness surged through his body.

“I told you, you can’t make any loud noises. Others will hear.”

Despite her warning, she only seemed to want him to make even more noise, as her hands moved rougher over the scars.

“Haah… please… stop now…”

Leo’s face flushed red, and his body, pinned beneath hers, was now slick with sweat.

“You have to take your punishment properly, don’t you?”

Ariasphil’s hands began to familiarize themselves with Leo’s body.

She wasn’t merely touching him roughly anymore.

“Stop…! Please…! No more…!”

She was learning which parts were sensitive and which ones caused him pain when touched.

Gradually, even Ariasphil’s hands became slick with sweat. When she finally paused, the man beneath her, whom she had been straddling, gasped for breath.

“…Is that… enough now…? Please… stop…! I can’t take any more…”

The boy who could easily cut down gigantic beasts was now gasping for air beneath her, begging for mercy.

As her sadistic streak played out, a strange sense of dominance surged within Ariasphil. A twisted desire to make him submit even further overflowed.

“I told you, didn’t I? This is punishment. Now, what should you say if you want the punishment to stop~?”

With a playful expression, Ariasphil slid her hands down from his thoroughly conquered chest and began to explore his still-untouched abdomen.

She shifted her hips backward, gradually preparing to touch his firm abs.

But as soon as she did, Leo’s expression changed drastically.

“Miss! I’m sorry, please get off right now…!!”

As he yelled, forcing his body to rise up, his lower half also jerked upward.

“Hiyah…!”

And since Ariasphil was sitting directly on his lower half…

“Ahhng…”

The most sensitive and delicate parts of their bodies inevitably made contact—both of them in their most heightened state.

“…Oh my…”

Ariasphil hurriedly scrambled off, her mind replaying the sensation of what she had just touched.

It was too soft to be bone, but too hard to be mere flesh.

Something long and thick, like a club.

“…I-I’m sorry!!!”

Shouting loudly, Ariasphil hastily apologized for the accidental contact and rushed out of the hospital room.

Luckily, since it was late, no one was around the ward.

‘…Did I… really touch it…?’

She had definitely felt something soft there. If she noticed it, there was no way Ariasphil could deny it either.

“…There’s no one around… right?”

The treatment room Leonardo was in was located in a remote part of the mansion, an arrangement Reinhardt’s family had made specifically out of consideration for Leo.

Once he was sure no one was around, Leo finally allowed himself to release the pent-up desires he had been holding back.

These were dark and private urges he couldn’t release when the Sage was around. The frustration of his swelling desires slowly subsided as he let them out.

As the pleasure washed over him, Leonardo finally managed to fall into a comfortable sleep.

It was a good night.

* * *

The next morning, the members of the Reinhardt family came to visit again. The news that Leo had woken up had spread, and they all rushed to see him, much to Leo’s surprise.

But what surprised him even more was—

“Are you feeling alright?”

“…You survived, it seems.”

“How’s your body? Are you okay?”

“Ah, how’s your condition?”

“Sorry I’m late. The meeting ran long… Leonardo, are you alright?”

What shocked him was that no one scolded or reprimanded him.

At the time, Leo didn’t know, but the reason the situation had escalated so much was due to the upcoming hearing to discuss his punishment. The Reinhardt family had been considerate enough to give him a reprieve from that.

Thud!

“Ack…!”

Of course, not everyone was gentle.

“Captain!!”

Marquen lightly smacked Leo on the head, holding him accountable for his actions.

“Just checking the state of your head.”

Considering Marquen’s usual temperament, this was an extremely light punishment.

“Is that your excuse?”

“I’m just checking if there’s something wrong with your head, seeing as you raised your hand against the lady you serve.”

Marquen remembered how Leo had beaten up Ariasphil.

“It’s fine. I wasn’t as badly hurt as Leo was…”

In reality, most of the injuries Leo inflicted were from blunt impacts and blows during their fight. Though it made it difficult for her to move at the time, the treatment had been simple, and unlike Leo, she didn’t even have scars left behind.

“Even so, it’s a punishment well deserved. So…”

Marquen knew this very well.

“Don’t even think about quitting as a knight and running away.”

“…Grandfather, when you put it like that, it’s even more embarrassing. Couldn’t you just say something nice instead…?”

Thud.

Rios got a much firmer and clearer check to his head.

Meanwhile, the family head, Gladio, spoke up once again.

“…Honestly, it’s us who should be apologizing.”

With that, the entire group, led by the family head, bowed their heads.

“We deeply apologize for the trouble we’ve caused.”

It was an apology.

Nobles, descendants of the Hero’s family, bowing and apologizing to a commoner knight—something that would have been unprecedented, both in history and in Leo’s previous life.

The family head raised his head again and explained the reason for their apology.

“We placed far too many burdens on you. Being capable and taking responsibility are two entirely different things.”

To their eyes, Leo was still a fifteen-year-old boy. The tasks and responsibilities Leo had taken on were far too heavy for someone of his age.

“We’re truly sorry. It’s only natural if you feel resentful or disillusioned.”

Leo hadn’t been particularly angry, but he felt like a weight was being lifted off his shoulders.

“No, I’ve never resented the family.”

It was important to express such feelings immediately, if at all.

“Actually, when I was on the verge of giving up on finding my mother, it was this place that gave me a new goal. I’m grateful for the burden, really. It made me feel trusted.”

Everyone’s eyes began to tremble. From the family head to the lady of the house, all of their pupils widened.

What’s going on?

“…You were looking for your mother?”

“So, the reason you became a mercenary was… because of that?”

Their expressions showed utter shock. The story behind Leo’s words held more depth than they had realized.

“…Wait, you didn’t know? I never mentioned it…?”

Upon reflection, Leo realized that in his previous life, he had explained his story to Chris right away when they met. However, in this life, he had become a knight purely through his accomplishments and skills, so he never had the proper chance to explain his background.

Besides, Ariasphil seemed to have some inkling of it, so Leonardo had mistakenly assumed that he had already mentioned it to everyone.

“Explain. What happened?”

“Uh, well… so, roughly 3 years ago… no, wait, about 5 years ago now…”

The story he recounted was exactly the same, word for word, as when he had told it to Chris.

Exactly the same.

“…Hnnng…”

“…Sniff… We didn’t even know…”

But now, the atmosphere in the room felt like a funeral.

There was nothing to pinpoint specifically, but a combination of various events and circumstances made the sadness and tragedy of Leo’s story resonate even more deeply with everyone.

“Please… don’t cry…”

“I’m not crying…! These are just… the tears of my heart!”

For some reason, Chris’s metaphor made perfect sense today. It was as if the sweat pouring from his entire body was being channeled through his eyes in a flood of tears.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry! I didn’t even know… and I was just spouting nonsense…!”

Rios was also sobbing, tears flowing from his perpetually squinted eyes. Leo found himself more curious about how Rios could even shed tears from such narrow eyes than actually feeling concerned for him.

“…You did well.”

Marquen patted Leo’s head while staring up at the ceiling. As much as Leo appreciated the gesture, he wished Marquen would either look at the ceiling or pat his head, not do both. Especially since the spot Marquen was patting was the exact spot he had smacked earlier.

“…I’m sorry… You’re the one who probably wants to cry the most…”

Even the family head, Gladio, had tears in his eyes. But since the incident had happened decades ago for him, the tears didn’t flow as easily as they once might have.

“…We may not be your parents, Leo. But please, lean on us when you need to. You’re at an age where it’s okay to do that.”

Silica, the lady of the house, embraced Leo and gently stroked his back. Her words were kind, but Leo couldn’t help feeling a little uneasy, as his mind flashed back to the rather inappropriate events of the previous night.

“…Leo, if you’re struggling, just let us know. We’ll always be here for you.”

The only one who didn’t cry and managed to maintain her composure was Ariasphil. Her warm words were appreciated, but it bothered Leo that she kept glancing at his pants.

‘…I really don’t want to think about it either…’

[…Why does it feel like a funeral in here?]

Suddenly, the voice of the Sage echoed in Leo’s head, instantly dissipating the tense, emotional atmosphere.

But the Sage wasn’t visible anywhere.

[I can’t maintain a physical form right now. The divine power from the Holy Sword entered your body and is disrupting my mana.]

Finally, the mystery was solved. No wonder the Sage hadn’t appeared since Leo had come into contact with the Holy Sword.

[But seriously, why does it feel like a funeral in here? Did someone die?]

[Just leave them be.]

Honestly, it’s understandable why they’d cry.