Chapter 998: Don’t Die Until I Come Back"Why did you keep it a secret from me?" Arthur asked. Lady Callista had just told his husband everything that had happened in the Aldebaran Continent. By the time she was done sharing the news, Arthur felt like his soul had left his body. "Well, the fewer who know, the better," Thirteen replied. "If I told you about it, you would have hurried back to the Aldebaran Continent and ruined everything." "Eight people died and dozens of our retainers were injured," Arthur said as he glared at his grandson. "Well, more would have died if you had gone there," Thirteen faced his grandfather's gaze without flinching. "Erasmus would have watched from the sidelines, letting you duke it out with Aaron and Norman. Do you really think you alone can make a difference?" "Zion!" Arthur grabbed his grandson's collar and lifted him off the ground. "You son of a…" "Words, grandpa," Thirteen interjected, preventing Arthur from finishing his sentence. "You and I both know I speak the truth." The teenage boy didn't bother to struggle and allowed his grandfather to lift him up because he understood that Arthur needed to vent his frustration right now. "You should have still told me!" Arthur growled. "If you explained your plan properly, I would have listened to you!" "No, you won't," Thirteen replied. "If I did, you might have died in your fight against the Rank 9 Sovereign, since you couldn't have concentrated on your own battle. "You would've constantly worried about the Leventis Family, clouding your judgment. Fighting in that state is suicidal, you know? Especially against an opponent stronger than you." "You really are good with words." Arthur was very tempted to smack his grandson hard because of how casually he treated the invasion of their family. "Did you not even consider that your grandmother, uncle, or your family would have died today?" "Not at all," Thirteen answered. "Them dying never crossed my mind since it was impossible for them to die. I made sure of that." The teenage boy then lightly tapped the hand that was grabbing his collar. "It's getting harder for me to breathe. Let go, gramps," Thirteen said. Arthur clicked his tongue before lowering his grandson back to the ground. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚 If not for the fact that Zion was very precious to his family, he would have already spanked his bum repeatedly to lessen the anger in his chest. "I'm going back to Aldebaran," Arthur said without even bothering to wait for Zion's reply. "Don't die until I come back." The Patriarch left the underground cavern angrily so he could go to the surface and return to Casimir City on his own. They were currently within the underground tunnels of the Planar Mountain Range, resting from the battle they had won a few hours ago. A few minutes later, Erica, Sherry, and Shana entered Thirteen's personal quarters and hurried to his side. "You're hurt," Shana said as she touched her lover's neck and used her healing magic. "It's nothing," Thirteen replied. "Grandpa was just carried away by his emotions. Rocky, take us to the mobile fortress." He didn't want anyone to overhear their conversation or see Shana being affectionate with him. Thirteen understood that the Saintess held a special role for the people, and now was not the time for their relationship to be known to the public. After Rocky complied and brought the group back inside the Mobile Fortress, Thirteen sighed and told his lovers about what transpired in the Aldebaran Continent. "Those two are the scum of the world," Erica, whose family was currently under the Protection of the Leventis Family, hissed in anger after learning what had happened. Fortunately, her parents were treated as VIP Guests of the Leventis Family and were given priority to enter their underground shelters. "I hope Erasmus doesn't give them a quick death," Shana said as she pulled Thirteen closer to her, letting his head rest on her chest while she lightly patted his head to comfort him. "That won't happen. Trust me," Thirteen replied. He and Erasmus had waited for hundreds of years for this moment, so giving the two Monarchs a quick and painless death wasn't an option. If Thirteen were there in the Aldebaran Continent, he would personally torture the two Monarchs, making what he did to Prince Zorren look cute in comparison. 'Erasmus must be having the time of his life right now,' Thirteen thought, feeling a little calmer as Shana cuddled with him. "So, what do you plan to do now?" Erica asked. "Are we going to continue staying here? The others don't feel too comfortable being surrounded by bugs." "Just like you?" Thirteen asked back. "Yes," Erica replied. "I have never been good with bugs. The first thing I want to do is set them on fire." "We will stay for one more night before we return to Casimir City to understand the current situation of the battlefield," Thirteen replied after careful thought. "There is still a chance that the Garuda Faction will try to attack tonight, so let's stay here just in case they come." "And if they don't?" Sherry inquired. "Then they will never come again," Thirteen answered. "Losing two Rank 9 Sovereigns in a single battle is a hard pill to swallow. I'm sure Prince Zepharion is seething right now." The Jinn Army had only retreated a hundred miles away from the Planar Mountain Range. This meant they could once again launch an attack if they wished. With Arthur leaving them behind, Thirteen could only rely on GANDAM Hyperion to fight the Rank 9 Sovereigns. It was quite unfortunate that it was no longer able to use its trump card, Celestial Breaker, which had insta-killed the Orc Disaster. That ultimate move was a one-time trick. Thirteen had fallen ill right after finishing the five robots, leaving no time for proper modifications. If worse came to worst, it could be used one more time, but the Hyperion's Core would shatter, rendering it unusable during the duration of the Jinn Invasion. The teenage boy then glanced at the basket on top of the table, where Tiona was still sleeping. It had been a long time since the black snake had gone into hibernation, and frankly, Thirteen was starting to miss her. Seeing where he was looking, the three girls' gaze softened. All of them were also worried about Tiona and hoped that she would wake up soon for Zion's sake. An uneasy night for both the Wanderers and the Jinns passed over the Cygni Continent. Battles were won and lost, and both sides now had a taste of what the other had to offer on the battlefield. Perhaps the exhaustion had finally caught up to him, for Thirteen fell asleep in Shana's embrace. Although he looked calm and fine on the surface, truth be told, Thirteen had always been monitoring the progress of the battlefield in both the Cygni Continent and the Aldebaran Continent. His mental strength had been stretched too thin since he was also very worried about his family back home. He might have planned everything, but he also knew that unaccounted variables could occur at any given time. This time, the labor of his efforts had paid off, allowing his trump cards to overcome the trump cards of his enemies. "Good night, my love," Shana planted a kiss on Thirteen's forehead and laid him gently on the bed so that he could rest properly. "Take care of him, Erica, Sherry." Although she was reluctant to part with Zion, she couldn't stay long inside the Mobile Fortress because she wanted to know what everyone felt after Arthur left the Planar Mountain Range. Now that everyone knew that a Monarch had been by their side all along, they might feel anxious now that he was gone. Shana needed to play her role as the Saintess and ensure that the hearts of his allies would not waver during this critical night, where everyone's life hung in the balance.