<h4>Chapter 577 - The Secret Quests (part 3)</h4>


    Cri was leading Mary, Roan, and Anry to the Wrath family mansion as the two humans were talking to each other in hushed voices while the griffin was listening in with unease.


    "That quest - it''s just like how it was with mine, right? But then why is this one so vague? at least mine had a concrete objective not just survive."


    Roan frowned, looking at the quest description on the active quests list.


    "...that is what worries me the most - survive? Survive what? Is this quest supposed tost all our lives? Why there is no time limit on it - it would make some sense then..."


    Mary nodded, nervously rubbing her hands together.


    Cri merely nced at them and furrow his brows one he turned back around.


    First of all, he had a detection+ [hearing] skill active, as did every single adventurer and guard protecting the city - amongst those who had that skill, of course - so he clearly heard every single word they said.


    To be fair - the man pointed that out to the royal prince and the griffin rider girl, but the two still seemed to prefer speaking in hushed voices - whether it had something to do with staying close together or simply because they felt better that way, the pair kept huddled next to each other, even after they all entered the mansion and were greeted by the head butler and head maid.


    ...Anry, as a well-behaved and trained tamed monster stopped before the front door and just sat down next to it like an oversize dog and waited patiently for his master''s return.


    "His majesty Roan Greed and his frienddy Mary Hope arrived."


    Cri reported to the two servants, showing a great deal of courtesy even though their position and level could hardly bepared to his own.


    "Although they did not arrive because of our summon, and they would want to discuss the topic with our young lord anddy."


    He exined after seeing the confusion on the faces of the two servants and smiled encouragingly.


    "At once, lord Cri."


    The maid and the butler bowed towards him and hurriedly left toplete their task.


    "...sir Cri...?"


    Once they turned the corner, the blond prince reached out and asked in a hesitant voice.


    "Yes, your majesty?"


    The former bodyguard of thete queen turned around and responded politely.


    "What did you mean by young lord anddy? I thought that we were going to meet the avatar of wrath, lord Pomegranate."


    The blond prince asked and the brown-haired heroine nodded her head vigorously.


    The secret quest clearly stated that they would need the avatar of wrath in their party, since the quest was already giving them both a bad feeling they really wanted to be prepared for it as soon as possible.


    "...you are going to see the avatar of wrath..."


    "...?"


    Cri straightened his back and looked the prince in the eyes.


    "The current avatar of wrath, young lord Corvus."


    "Huh...?"


    "Eh...?"


    He dered causing the pair to flinch and stare at him dumbfounded.


    "The emperor griffin attacking us is already a big problem, but not something that we of the Wrath family would ever think to bother other main families about. That was our initial thought at least."


    Cri sighed and started exining in a dispirited voice.


    "Considering that the avatar of wrath boasts the physical strength that is supposed to grow indefinitely as long as the person itself has enough mana to sustain the skill usage when the troublesome monster initially appeared, everyone thought that in the worst-case scenario - which at the time we merely considered as not being able to beat the emperor griffin by ourselves without lord Pomegranate - we would have to rely on his powers... then, the reality gave us the wake-up call rather quickly."


    The former bodyguard lowered his head in shame while the prince and the heroine stared at him wide-eyed waiting for his next words.


    "Lord Pomegranate was sick - he contracted the same illness that killed his older brother a few years back. It was making him weaker and weaker, so when the emperor griffin broke through our defense lines and attacked the mansion and he was forced to pick up the fight..."


    "..."


    Cri''s shoulders slumped as the grief squeezed his throat.


    "At first it looked like he will have no trouble with fist hitnding and almost knocking the monster out of the sky, but then almost immediately he started coughing up blood and the emperor griffin seized its chance without hesitation - the avatar of wrath can get ridiculously powerful all while thanks to the Ira skill negates the usual side effects that too much STR can destroy the yer''s body - lord Pomegranate DEF was affected by the illness the most which resulted in his... death..."


    Cri said and straightened his back, looking at the blond prince and the brown-haired heroine with eyes full of grief and anger.


    "But... that also brought something good - although we have all expected that lord Pomegranate''s daughter, youngdy Mika, who received the Ira skill at an early age, will be the one to receive the avatar title, but in a curious turn of events, the young prodigy taken in by the previous avatar and then brought up as a son by lord Pomegranate ended up receiving Ira while witnessing lord Pomegranate''s death, bing a second candidate - and from then on luck decided which one of them would gain the title."


    By the end of his speech, Cri allowed himself for a soft smile, as if mentioning Corvus and luck was some sort of old inside joke of the Wrath family.


    "..."


    "..."


    Roan and Mary exchanged surprised looks.


    "When did all of that happen?"


    The blond prince asked while Mary was clenching her fists.


    "Two days ago - we would be mourning lord Pomegranate''s death, but the emperor griffin keeps attacking our city... that is also why you were shot at the moment you showed up at the sky."


    Cri raised his hand, straightening two fingers and answering with a bitter smile.


    "...two days... alright then, then that means that our quest is definitely about lord Corvus... lord Cri, could you tell us how old is the new avatar of wrath?"


    The brown-haired heroine asked while ncing at the blond prince who seemed just as tense as she was - the story about the previous avatar dying was of course sad, but the brief mention about the person who became the new avatar was almost perfectly fitting all the clues that both of them had on Roan''s long lost older brother.


    "Well, he''s around twenty-two and up, but not over twenty-six, no one is sure about it since he was living on the streets before he was found by the previous avatar - who also happened to rescue me and my two other friends from the life in poverty."


    The man exined, making a curious expression and raising his brow.


    "...so the age roughly matches too..."


    "...and since he already is an avatar of wrath, he shouldn''t feel bitter about me being the avatar of greed..."


    "..."


    Mary and Roan huddled back together and whispered to each other, leaving Cri really confused whether those two were actually aware of their surroundings since they clearly didn''t pay attention to him and informing them about his detection skill being active.


    "Lord Cri - young lord anddy are waiting for the visitors."


    The head maid returned and approach respectfully approached the concerned Cri.


    "Perfect. Thank you very much - your majesty,dy Hope."


    The man bowed to the maid with just as much respect as she showed him, and turned to the murmuring prince and the brown-haired heroine.


    "Please, follow me."


    He added and lead the way as the head maid hurriedly bowed her head towards the guests and walked away to her other duties.


    After one flight of stairs and two hallways, the trio arrived at a certain unassuming door with a wooden te spelling Mika.


    Cri knocked on the door and waited.


    "Come on in."


    The voice inviting them ining from the inside certainly didn''t belong to Mika - which only left Corvus as the possible person.


    "...!"


    Hearing his voice Mary straightened her back and leaned towards the blond prince.


    "My prince, he sounds very simr to you...!"


    She gasped, grabbing onto Roan''s hand.


    "...it''s nothing certain yet - plus, we have that special quest to worry about too..."


    The blond prince responded under his breath but ended up squeezing Mary''s hand back, just in time for Cri to open the door and let the two of them in, while he stayed politely stayed outside.


    The pair entered the room, which turned out to be a bedroom, and their attention was instantly caught by the two people in the corner of the room.


    An ashen-haired girl wasying in a princess bed, ring at the two of them as if they were nothing but intruders messing up her ns, and a white-haired young man wearing only ck and white clothes who was cutting up an apple, undoubtedly to feed the indisposed girl by his side.


    "...your majesty, what an honor..."


    Corvus nodded his head towards Roan but that gesture look more like he was greeting some acquaintance he passed on the street and not a human prince and soon to be king.


    "..."


    Roan froze, staring at Corvus in disbelief.


    Hundreds of questions were popping up in his mind, but one seemed to be more relevant than all the others.


    "... besides the color of your hair and eyes, you look just like our mother..."


    "!!!"


    Roan spoke up without actually realizing it, and the atmosphere in the room changedpletely....