CHAPTER 788: TALKING WITH SYRION

"Ladies, why stand so far away? Why don’t we have a talk?" Syrion was the first to speak, already noticing the presence of the two that have come to claim his life.

How could he not?

Gwen frowned as she and Alice looked at one another for a moment before standing up.

"What are you playing at?" Gwen asked cautiously.

She summoned a spear while deploying her Vision, ensuring that there weren’t any traps around them.

"Nothing much. I simply wish to converse with the one who’s been tasked to take my head.

"But please, no weapons near the house. I don’t want my old home to be destroyed in the process." Syrion chuckled, glancing back briefly before turning his attention back to the swing.

Gwen stopped walking, as did Alice.

"We’re here to fight, I don’t think words are necessary." Gwen was on guard. She hadn’t seen a beast that acted this way before.

It wasn’t the first time she’s seen a six star beast but one that wished to talk before they even fought? Almost unheard of.

Most of the time, they would make sure they have the upper hand before talking. Before that moment, they would focus on overpowering their opponent instead.

"You’re right, words are unnecessary. However, I do hope you can spare an old man a bit of time." Syrion let out a sigh, standing up while massaging his shoulders.

Seeing this, Alice drew her bow.

*BANG!!!

"!!!"

Before Alice could even fire, a blade dropped down from above, cutting off her shot.

"Not towards my house. Do so and I’ll drop my courtesy." Syrion warned, killing intent cold as ice flooding towards the two.

Gwen took half a step back unknowingly while Alice stood her ground.

A frown on her face.

The blade had evaded her Zone.

Either his attacks have a unique property or this man knew how to battle people with Zone.

"I see that you two are members of the Sun. Surely followers of protection and preservation understand when to fight and when to take a step back?

"So I offer an invitation, to sit down and talk like civilised people instead of barbarians. How this plays out is your decision." Syrion asked once more, retrieving the blade.

Gwen took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright, we can talk."

Alice dismissed her bow and followed behind Gwen who walked towards the beast.

The two took face to face and their heights were made apparent.

Syrion was even taller than Allura, dwarfing Alice.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to step into my house without risking its destruction, so let us sit outside. It’s my favourite spot when I was still alive after all. Not only could I train my sword but I could also watch my son play on his swing." Syrion chuckled, gesturing to a set of chairs and tables near the house.

As for him, he simply sat on the ground.

"So what did you want to talk about? I’m sure you know what we’re here for so why?" Gwen asked the burning question on her mind.

"Because I found my home. If you can track me, I’m sure you know of my travels. Walking aimlessly in search of something. Well... this was my something." Syrion smiled behind his helmet, his hand gently caressing the brittle wooden pillars holding up a portion of the roof.

"On my travels, I’ve depraved countless who had a family to return to. A bitter feeling. So, I thought to myself, if you were my supposed executioners, why don’t I get to know you a little better." Syrion laughed.

Both Alice and Gwen were shocked at his casual attitude. A man who could laugh even though he knew people were here to kill him. Was it confidence or was it simply who he was?

"But glad I am to see that you two can be reasoned with. A few folks found me before and attacked without care, even if it meant dragging my house along in the battle." Syrion sighed.

Beneath his sigh was an undercurrent of rage.

One could tell that this house meant everything to him.

Empty and worn it may be but it was his treasure.

"And in recent days, as the date of my supposed death approaches, I found myself remembering more and more about my life. Of who I once was. So instead of fighting like a beast, I’d rather go out as a man. To understand who I am fighting against.

"Therefore, why don’t we talk?" Syrion offered.

Alice was the first to speak.

"Can you drink?"

"Hah! Can I drink? Of course I can. What man can’t? Though I’m nothing but a husk of armour, I haven’t tried drinking liquor yet." Syrion bashed his fist against his chest as his armour let out a hollow rumble.

Regardless, Alice pulled out a bottle of mead. Not Ayrian mead but good mead nevertheless.

"Why do you have that prepared..." Gwen sighed. She could already feel a headache coming.

Even though the one in front of them was someone close to becoming a Lord, Alice was still acting relaxed.

Gwen couldn’t sit still, worried that he might attack at a moment’s notice.

"Why wouldn’t I have some mead? You never know when it might be your last drink so might as well be prepared." Alice shrugged, tossing a glass to Syrion who caught it in surprise.

Alice’s attitude had baffled him as well, but he welcomed it.

Too long has he endured bloodshed on his journey.

Now that he was home, he simply wished to relax.

Alice took the first drink, leaning back and letting out a satisfied sigh.

After throwing up poison recently, she needed this.

Gwen was the next, surprised at the sweet liquor that Alice preferred while Syrion was last.

He simply did it out of respect and expected it to only be a gesture.

But to his surprise, he could... taste it.

This drink...

"A gift." Alice winked.

"Ah... So it is." Syrion chuckled.

He wasn’t actually drinking it.

Rather, a memory, a hallucination.

To make him think he was, to experience what the sensation was like.

With all of them taking a drink, Syrion started the conversation.

"You know, as someone who remembers my life as a man, a husband, it never occurred to me that I would become a beast. It makes you wonder doesn’t it? Souls." He began, looking at the swing.

"The Moon Church’s focus is all about souls. To ferry you into the sweet beyond. Yet here I am, walking the wretched earth. It makes a man think, makes a man wonder. If my wife and son were waiting for me, or if they were in a similar situation."

A heavy topic that Gwen didn’t know how to approach.

"Perhaps you didn’t die but rather transformed when you were alive." Alice replied, taking another drink.

There were a few ways to become a beast and succumbing to side effects was simply one of them.

"Haha... You’re right, that is the ideal scenario. Not becoming a beast of course, but rather the fact that I haven’t died yet." Syrion let out a laugh.

Talking to himself during his journey has been ever so dull. Even his conversation with his old friend was brief.

It felt like she was doing it because she owed him, because she felt guilty.

They couldn’t have a heart to heart.

So he was grateful, grateful that Alice was behind honest with him.

It made him feel alive and human rather than a beast.

"Truly, what a horrible world we live in. With my hands I have deprived so many of their chance to return home... Do you think that when I die, I’ll see my family?"

In a sense, he felt like he was asking for forgiveness. For the things he’s done during the years of wandering.

The guilt he feels knowing that people were simply attacking him because he’s become a beast.

If it was him, he would probably do the same.

But now that he was a beast, he knew the perspective of the other side.

Even beasts had feelings. Thoughts of their own.

"I don’t know. But I hope you do." Alice spoke honestly.

"Thank you... What about you? Do you have a family to return to?" Syrion asked hesitantly.

If it could be helped, he wished they would walk away. A bounty was a bounty, walking away was not an option.

"I do. I got friends and family that I treasure more than anything." Alice chuckled.

There was a softness in her expression, one that Gwen hadn’t seen before.

A piece of her true self.

She didn’t want to dwell on it.

"What about you young lady? You got someone waiting for you as well?" Syrion turned to Gwen who nodded.

"Mnm, I do. My father."

Hearing this, Syrion turned to the duo and reached out, patting both of their heads.

"You two are strong, stronger than most that I’ve already seen. Keep that feeling of returning to your family close to your chest and it will grant you strength like no other."

Despite his cold armour, his hand felt warm.

A father’s hand.

"So, which one of you are here to claim my head?" Syrion retracted his hand, asking fearlessly with an invisible grin on his face.

"Bit of a brutal question don’t you think? We’re still drinking here." Alice raised an eyebrow but Syrion shrugged.

"What use is there to dodge the issue?"

"That is true..." Gwen sighed. "It’s me. I’m the one who accepted your bounty."

"Hou? A young lady like you are already taking on someone like me? The new generation are truly talented haha! So I ask you, why do you want my power?"

Gwen contemplated. She knew that he wanted the truth from her, a moment to reflect on what she wanted to do.

In the end, there was only one choice. Her true desire after all these years of servitude.

"So I can kill Solaris if I have to."