Liebe said, "He sounds like a great man. Quite unfortunate that he died when I was seven."
Lilith said, "It is. He may not have been as strong as myself, but he was stronger at heart."
Liebe said, "I don't care who he was to others. To the Novelist Faction, he might have been a thief, but to me, he was everything a parent should be. I couldn't care less about others, to whom he was a hero or villain."
As Liebe left the chamber, Lilith said, "Quite unfortunate that he left. I wish I got the chance to talk about Tenebris a bit more."
Gelda said, "You don't deserve that after what happened."
Lilith said, "Whatever happened is between myself and Liebe. I can't allow that to affect how I treat Marks."
Gelda said, "Even if you think that, you can't repent for what you did. Even if you begged Liebe for forgiveness for the rest of your life—"
Lilith said, "I know. I don't deserve it, and seeking it is a luxury I can never afford. But even so…"
Gelda said, "Don't even try it. Showing affection isn't wrong, but thinking that doing it in front of Liebe is acceptable to anyone is disgusting. On top of that, you have already spoiled that child. The only reason Liebe turned out like this is because of Tenebris, but Mark's father is just shit. And now you tried to fill that void in the child with gifts and time, spoiling him in the process—yet Liebe didn't even receive either. Since when Tenebris was around, he took care of Liebe while you ran off to missions. Even though you loved him, you barely saw him four to seven hours a day. Liebe spent his childhood waiting for you to come home—and when Tenebris died, you stopped doing that too."
Lilith said, "I know. Tenebris was the best thing that happened to me, yet I ended up throwing it all away for revenge. I have no right to look Liebe in the eye."
Gelda said, "Good. Even though I'm partly responsible for not stopping you, I can at least take pride knowing I helped Liebe grow as much as I could. Soon, he might even be dwarfing me in terms of strength. That will be the day I can state I have completed my mission as his guard. And even though I wasn't a fan of Tenebris, he earned my respect."
Lilith said, "I know. The harsh truth is, if he ever becomes a great hero, I have no right to it. But if he ever becomes evil, it will be my fault as the one who abandoned him."
Gelda said, "We should get going as well. No point in staying here, especially since you can't hear it anymore."
Outside the cave, Liebe looked at the sky and said, "Thanks, Dad, for everything. It's time I started my own tale. It may be a bit more grand than yours, but I will definitely be cool."
As his communicator began to ring, Liebe picked up and said, "Go for Liebe."
Stal said, "Acting Captain, we have trouble. We are under attack! The island is being approached by seven giant figures, each walking here—estimated height, 30 meters—and they are being followed by a fleet of 20 ships from the personal forces of the remaining Sins from the North Sea. And from the north, the world's greatest swordsman, Black Blade, is approaching."
Liebe said, "Has Sloth, Pride, or Wrath been spotted yet?"
Stal said, "No, sir. Not yet."
Liebe said, "Figures."
As he flew up, he saw the giants. Liebe said, "Stal, inform Eldrie to stop the ships with his ice. Lara is on standby. And you create your own clay monsters to combat them."
Stal said, "Understood."
Liebe said, "I'll handle Black Blade on my own. The Captain and Vice Captain need more time."
Stal said, "Sir, it can't be—"
Liebe said, "What? What the hell happened?"
Stal said, "We have a ship approaching from the west."
Liebe said, "Okay, then what?"
Stal said, "Sir, it has the Crimson Hearts emblem. The God-Knights are here."
Liebe said, "Have Lara investigate them. Show we intend no hostility—we treat them as unknowns until proven otherwise. For now, you and Eldrie focus on the giants. I will hold back Black Blade myself with my team. Tell Licht and everyone to prepare for sortie."
Stal said, "Understood, sir."