Kapitel 108: Reveal

When Leo woke after the full moon, he didn't return to the city, but instead started moving towards the meeting point. Waiting there already was Natalie, jack, Felix, and the dwarven army. She looked at him with half closed eyes, and said,

"You seriously couldn't wait for us to arrive?" Leo just shrugged in return, as she still didn't know why he and Iris were so desperate to act. They planned to explain that night however, while also contacting elder grandma and Hilda to inform them of what happened the last week. They then caught up a bit while waiting, and a few hours after lunch time the head of the caravan of the freed slaves came into view.

At its head was Iris, Alice, and Theos, who now carried an even larger aura of intimidation after turning into a werewolf. Right behind them was almost every dwarf they freed, as they informed them who they were meeting with. Seeing their kinsmen, the dwarves in the caravan let out a cheer, and started hurrying forward. When Iris got to him Leo immediately pulled her into his arms, and nodded his thanks to Theos. She then started catching up with Natalie, while Alice looked quite shy at the moment surrounded by all the new people. After a few minutes Leo said,

"Let's go somewhere quieter, we have to discuss our travel plans." They looked confused as they all thought they were taking to labyrinth again, but Leo just gestured to an isolated area, and they started a meeting. The attendees were Leo, Iris, Alice, Theos, Natalie, Jack, Felix, and Yvan; Iris also pulled out the mirror, and used it for the first time since before Leo got captured. He looked at those gathered and the ones in the mirror, and said,

"First of all we need to explain the exact details of what happened the last couple of months, so that everyone is one the same page." They all nodded, and elder grandma started first, reporting any significant events that happened while they were gone. Thankfully except a few more beastman refugees, nothing of note happened. Then Natalie and Jack started reporting what happened in the tunnels.

Apparently when Leo and Iris didn't bother with the corpses of the monsters they killed it drew others when the meat started rotting. That combined with the entire company of dwarves, they had to fight nearly continuously since leaving. It was mostly just because of the magic muskets that they didn't have many casualties, however there were many injuries, including Natalie and Jack themselves. Then not long after they arrived at the exit Iris found them alone, and explained that Leo got captured. When she heard they couldn't help him right away, she then fled back towards Heliantis before they could stop her.

This was the first time elder grandma and Hilda heard about him being captured, so they both looked at him intensely wanting details. Leo sighed, and started explaining what happened after the two of them arrived at Heliantis. He talked about going to the colosseum, the slave auction, and finally when he saved Alice. When he got to the part where they captured him, several people looked at him through half closed eyes. But when he mentioned that the one who was always torturing him was Curly, the ones from the village became alert.

"Curly was there?!" Elder grandma demanded. Leo nodded and explained,

"He said something about getting caught, and was about to be sold in the city. But when they started passing word around about Iris, he caught their attention and sold information to them. He also informed them of the village, so that they could capture the rest of us if we were still there. Don't worry though, he was the first one I took care of when I escaped." Elder grandma sighed in relief when he said Curly wasn't a problem anymore, but then turned another stern eye on him and Iris, and said,

"But still, I don't understand why you waited so long to escape, and Iris, you should have thought about your actions better." She was about to continue scolding them, but Leo interrupted her and said,

"I didn't escape because I decided to use my position to move on the palace when the attack happened. But then after a week the king brought some new information to my attention. It was because of this I moved when I did, and Artemis as well demanded their death." He didn't say what it was yet, and elder grandma almost shouted,

"Well? Out with it!" Leo simply smiled, and pulled Iris close once more and started rubbing her abdomen. Those gathered were confused for a moment, before everyone's eyes besides Alice's and Theos's widened. Hilda practically shoved elder grandma out of the way to see them better, and said,

"Are you serious?!" But her eyes were shining, as she anticipated seeing her grandchild. Natalie immediately pulled Iris away to offer congratulations, and Jack clapped Leo on the shoulder. Elder grandma was the one most affected by this information, and took her several minutes to recover from it. Soon they got back to the discussion, and Iris started explaining,

"I found out the day before Leo got captured. I planned to tell him when we left the city, but as you know it didn't happen. It was also why I was so desperate to get him out as fast as possible, and left when I saw I couldn't get help from the army. I decided to attempt it myself, but knew I was sorely out numbered, and most likely outmatched. So I went to the colosseum to recruit the gladiators to help, and met Theos there. After showing my own strength, and him pledging himself to my service, they also joined me and we went to attack the palace. But things didn't turn out that way." As she finished her story, she turned to Leo, as if waiting for him to explain. Leo then awkwardly started explaining,

"You see, the healer you saw reported your visit and the diagnosis to the king, and he turned around and used it to taunt me. When I heard that you were pregnant, and what they were planning, I went ballistic. He also used it to taunt Artemis, saying it was a "hunt" in her honor, and even went as far as to call the gods themselves cowards. She then granted me the new power, but I can't use it unless it's a blood moon, and I destroyed every person who would participate in this "hunt" in her name, and for the sake of my wife and child."

At Leo's words everyone nodded in understanding, as any father would most likely react similarly in the same situation. Plus it was also understandable he would act independently when Artemis decided to enact divine punishment on them.

After that they made introductions between Theos, Alice, and he rest, before they started talking about the travel arrangements.