Chapter 46: Aftermath
The palace traitor was yet to be found, and Raiden trusted no one within those walls, hardly anyone beyond them. What he did trust was that King Hannes would take action after receiving his message. And if his prediction held true, they had yet to face the kingdom’s most devastating attacks.
With the message to the royal palace sent, he and Ash, who continued resting silently on his shoulder, began their exit from the training room.
But the moment they stepped outside, Freya closed in on them. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"
Raiden turned to her, startled, but gestured for her to speak. "I want you to know that I’ve given reasonable thought to what you said, and I’ve decided to give it a shot. I’ll work with everyone else to bring back Free."
Raiden smiled—not only would this lift Freya out of her depression, but he was relieved he wouldn’t have to endure her sorrowful expression daily. Still, his expression changed the instant Freya’s did, her eyes darting downward to the floor.
"You’ve already explained my amnesia, which I understand perfectly." Her eyes shifted downward. "But regarding Free... I can’t just let his death go without feeling grief."
She lifted her gaze and locked eyes with Raiden. "I can feel it inside—he was so important to me. You know? It’s something I don’t need anyone to tell me to remember. It’s already there."
Raiden raised an eyebrow, his gaze remaining fixed on her. He understood completely. As Jack, transforming into Raiden, there were aspects of Raiden’s life that he found impossible to release—his family’s reputation and, above all, his duty as the bookkeeper. These weren’t memories he had to recover; they felt embedded in Raiden’s soul itself.
"Free feels like the only thing that matters to me right now." Freya paused for a moment. "So I will help. We’re going to bring back my familiar."