CHAPTER 225: CHAPTER 158 RETURNING HOME_2

The residents of the small town saw Alka return and greeted him warmly.

It seemed that in just a year, Alka had matured considerably.

The most significant change was that Alka, returning after a year away, no longer felt the need to pretend to be his old self.

Alka responded to each greeting and, after some small talk, made his way back to his old courtyard along the path.

He pushed open the courtyard’s low wooden gate, which resembled a fence, and walked into the small house.

It still looked the same as before.

The inside was very clean, without the thick layer of dust usually found in places left uninhabited for a long time.

Aunt Marsi must have been here.

Since I’m here anyway, I should go see how her family is doing.

Otherwise, if Aunt Marsi finds out I returned without visiting her, she’ll definitely give me an earful later.

He closed the door again and followed the path to Aunt Marsi’s house, only to find the door tightly shut.

Looks like no one’s home.

Alka had no choice but to continue along the path towards the center of the island.

He eventually arrived at the great boulder.

Parker, the Priest, seeing Alka safe and sound, rushed over. He placed his hands on Alka’s shoulders, looking him up and down before, finally relieved, patting his shoulder.

"You’ve returned safely, that’s good. I heard news about your group from the Church earlier, and I didn’t know how to tell Marsi."

After all, Parker was a member of the Church. Even though news traveled slowly here, over half a year had passed since the incident, so he knew something about it.

Especially when he learned it was Andre’s Treasure Hunting Team that had met with disaster, his heart had leaped into his throat.

Andre was his former subordinate, and they were like mentor and friend to each other.

As for Alka, he was a resident of Home Island; Parker had watched him grow up.

Moreover, he was the one who had recommended Alka join Andre’s Treasure Hunting Team, yet disaster had struck less than half a year later.

It was hard for him not to feel responsible for this incident, so he had been anxiously awaiting definitive news from the Church.

He had even prepared himself for how to break the news to Marsi gently, and to accept her inevitable resentment.

Now that Alka had returned safely, the great stone pressing on his heart was finally lifted.

He couldn’t help but ask, "What about Andre? How is he?"

"Captain Andre is relatively safe, but he lost an arm."

Upon hearing this, a hint of regret touched Parker.

However, he nodded and said, "That’s good. As long as he’s alive, that’s what matters. Didn’t he come back with you this time?"

"No," Alka shook his head. "I accepted a mission from the Church and just stopped by on my way."

Parker looked at the Alka before him, his gaze lingering for several moments.

He had been so focused on Alka’s safety that he hadn’t noticed before, but now, standing next to Alka, he actually felt a sense of threat.

To think, he himself was a Three Spirals, yet he could feel a threat emanating from Alka.

...Could it be?

Honestly, this was beyond his imagination. Alka had only been at sea for a little over a year. Was I mistaken?

Nonetheless, he asked, "Alka, how strong are you now?"

Since Parker was an elder from his island and the one who had guided him, Alka didn’t hide it. "Three Spirals," he replied directly.

"..."

Parker was silent, genuinely silent.

So it really is Three Spirals. He had suspected it, but he hadn’t dared to truly believe it until now.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again.

To reach Three Spirals so quickly... in my memory and understanding, only one kind of situation could make that possible.

Forget it. This is completely beyond my ken. What’s the point in asking?

He quickly changed the subject. "So, what brings you back this time?"

"I want to build another grave next to my mother’s."

"Next to your mother’s?" Hearing this, Parker couldn’t help but furrow his brow.

Then, as if realizing something, he asked, "Could it be you found..."

"Yes," Alka nodded. "I have my father’s ashes."

Upon hearing this, Parker nodded and silently patted Alka’s shoulder.

"Go ahead, I won’t disturb you."

Alka nodded, picked up a shovel from beside the cemetery, and began digging next to his mother’s grave.

After digging a pit, he took out the ashes and placed them inside. Then, he went into the small wooden hut nearby and retrieved an unengraved tombstone.

He set it at the head of the grave and then began to secure it firmly with his own hands.

He began engraving on the tombstone.

"A husband, a father, a Warrior."

After finishing the engraving, a long-handled dagger appeared in his hand, sheathed in a cloth scabbard.

This was the dagger his father had used to stab his mother in the back. Its original name was no longer important.

Sifus himself had engraved the words ’Wife-Killer’ on it, as a constant reminder of his sin.

Looking at the dagger in his hand, Alka pondered for a moment.

He spoke to the tombstone as if in conversation, "As for this dagger... let’s not leave it here. Placing it here might negatively affect the relationship between you two."

Saying this, he removed the scabbard and tied the cord, originally meant for hanging it at the waist, onto the tombstone.

"I remember Mother personally stitched this scabbard for you; it doesn’t even match this dagger. Let’s leave this instead. This might improve your relationship."

Looking at the Magic Dagger in his hand, Alka inscribed another line on it.

’Father-Killer.’

Finally, he placed it into his Pocket Ring.

He took out the wheat ears he had prepared and placed them beside each of the two graves.