THE ADVENTURER OF EDEN
4.13 "Traitor (I)"

In great surprise, Shiki looked at the old man she had been looking for for these few weeks. White straight hair that indicates he is old. A long brown dress and a star symbol with the words "Stardust" on the back of her clothes.

Shiki must be surprised, why he is here, how he is here, what this all means, it is all the questions that are in Shiki's head now.

"Duke Robert Stardust..."

"I see you haven't changed at all. You used both eyes of the fairy well and you proudly enjoyed the nickname I gave you two years ago" Duke Robert Stardust said.

Shiki looked with both her fairy eyes. Eyes that could not trick him, seeing Duke Robert Stardust in normal circumstances and no "opportunity" he moved to attack Shiki.

It is very strange to see him here. Is he really in this castle? No, Shiki wasn't sure. The only thing that makes the most sense is that Duke Robert Stardust did come here when Shiki and Reina were looking for him.

"You really are Duke Robert Stardust...?" ask Shiki seriously.

"Of course, I'm Duke Robert Stardust. Do you doubt those two eyes, Shiki-kun? You always rely on those two eyes when fighting, and make you the, perhaps, strongest human in the Kingdom."

Duke Robert Stardust said again. "But I don't want to talk to you. My time is limited, I won't tell you everything, but at least I'll tell you about Reina that I believe she's not with you right now."

"That's right, I have a lot of questions about Reina!" Shiki knew this was the most important topic he had to talk to Duke Robert Stardust about.

"Is it true that Reina destroyed Paradise 13 years ago?! When he was 5?! Did you ask him to do that?!" ask Shiki yell.

Duke Robert Stardust closed his eyes. "No, it was Reina who decided to do it back then."

Shiki was a bit surprised to hear this old man's answer. Duke Robert Stardust told Shiki again. "But after that, Reina asked me to seal her memories back in the fourth GATE."

"Sealing memories...because he regretted doing it?!"

Duke Robert Stardust raised both shoulders. "Perhaps, I myself don't know what the specific reason she asked for it was. But she asked it while crying to me."

"So I did, I sealed his memories in the fourth GATE and spread at least 70% of his power in each GATE. The moment Reina touched GATE, it meant that she regained her power and in the fourth GATE, ALL of the memories of that woman returned to her."

Shiki silently heard that. "Then what is Reina planning? He said a crazy thing that wanted me to hate him!" It was still incomprehensible to Shiki, but Duke Robert Stardust seemed to have the answer.

"Oh, that's simple, Shiki-kun. Reina doesn't want you to love her, and she loves you back. If that happens, then he will betray himself." Duke Robert Stardust replied.

"Huh??" Shiki was confused hearing that.

"After this, go to the Valhalla Tower, Shiki-kun. When you meet Reina, she'll tell you everything." Duke Robert Stardust said.

"It's up to you whether you want to stop Reina's plan or not. Although I think you should stop him... You have to save him from his past... You have to make Reina love you, Shiki-kun."

"That's my request to you, as a father who's been taking care of her since childhood." Duke Robert Stardust bowed to Shiki.

Shiki looked at Duke Robert Stardust seriously, and answered the request. "I see, that's what I want to do."

"But you have to come with me. I promised him I'd take you back to him. It was my last quest, and I will do it because I am the "adventurer"..."

Duke Robert Stardust smiled hearing that, but he replied. "If the situation is normal, I'll go with you. But the present me is not the real me."

"Listen, Shiki is the Strongest Adventurer... Stop that woman's plan. Don't worry about me. If Reina met me, she would definitely kill me immediately." Duke Robert Stardust was about to leave, Shiki was shocked to hear the answer and the old man's "vibes" became different earlier.

"I'm not her real father, and my relationship with Reina is not as good as you think. Reina knew from the beginning that I was a traitor to mankind." Duke Robert Stardust went into the dark back alley.

"You...Traitor of mankind?!" Shiki was startled and his wildest opinion was immediately thought of.

However Duke Robert Stardust instantly disappeared without a trace and Shiki with an annoyed face lost the old man.

"Damn!" Shiki hit the wall next to him until it cracked.

The conversation with Duke Robert Stardust was very important. Reina's plan, her past, Shiki must save her. Plus, Duke Robert Stardust gave her an important code.

"Duke Robert Stardust is a member of NARAKU, yes."

***

The next morning, in Shiki's room at the Thousand Stars Castle.

"Are you still dreaming? You met Duke Robert Stardust last night?" Alicia asked in surprise.

Shiki was astonished and annoyed the comic heard that. "If you don't believe it, then yes! I'm serious about meeting him and that's why I'm going to the Valhalla Tower!"

"I'm going to meet Reina there, she's one of my nakamas and also my client. I need to know all about him." Shiki said again.

Alicia and Yui were silent at Shiki's decision. Judging from Shiki's nature, it was no surprise that he chose to save Reina instead of "stop" doing this quest because Reina had left him.

"I'll go with you, Aniki! Wherever!" Yui answered clearly. But Yui's face looks worried, she feels Shiki is too attentive to Reina, and she thinks far away that Shiki might have feelings for her client.

"But the Valhalla Tower, you know... The tower has very strict guard. Only the Sanctum can get in there." Alicia tell Shiki. "But with that woman there, she can indeed let us in easily."

"Right, we don't need to look for a storm with the Sanctum. We can solve Reina's problem fine." Shiki agreed with Alicia.

"Yup." Alicia nodded, and said. "But I'm not coming, I still have more business than taking care of that stupid chick."

"WHAT?!" Shiki and Yui were shocked to hear that.

"Govie! Two Princesses!" Sarah came in a hurry.

Alicia saw that. "What's up, Sarah?"

"Adventurer Guild Chief, he's here... He wants to see you, Shiki!" The short-haired black female knight told me.

Shiki was certainly very surprised to hear that. "Chairman Silva...come here?!!!"

***

In a mansion in the Capital, the tenth-seat Star Knight, Goorner Voord was there with Freddy, one of the members of Parliament.

"What happened in the Adventurers Guild two days ago was truly shocking, right? They were only lucky to defeat the attacks of those Monsters! And now, they're on the verge of destruction...!" Freddy was happy.

Goorner's just quiet in there. "Well, the Guild Leader panicked and asked us to drive him to the Capital to meet Shiki the Strongest Adventurer."

"It's only natural that he would come here and tell Shiki that. I also don't think that Guilds will be destroyed because of this" Goorner said. "They're strong, you underestimate them too much."

"Well!" Freddy sat there with his opinion different from that of the Goorner.

"And what are you really planning? You don't think you want to go with NARAKU, do you?" goorner asked, with his great armor, he pulled out his greatsword pointing it at Freddy.

***

Shiki along with Alicia and Yui arrived at the place where Chairman Silva had been waiting for them since earlier. Silva looked at Shiki seriously, and Shiki also got serious, asking the middle-aged man;

"What's up, chief? You came all the way here. If there's a Call Chip, we can easily call each other, but-"

"Yes, even if there's a Call Chip, I can't tell you this from afar. I am the head of the Adventurers Guild, Silvaria Noorthman, and I am in charge of everything."

"What do you mean?" Shiki frowned hearing that.

"Shiki, I'm sorry about you. We, the Adventurers Guild, failed to protect Anna." Silva said Shiki's face was shocked and the Guild's chairman said again; "Anna has been killed."