Ereneth’s thoughts drifted to the similarities between her situation and Arterion’s. Just as she had been bound to the World Tree’s Forest by a curse, Arterion was similarly confined to the Shadow Mountains, unable to leave.
But his immense power had not diminished.
The great white dragon’s roar shook the cavern walls.
“I have been fighting endlessly!”
Arterion had spent countless years spreading his influence over the surrounding monsters, driving them into a state of madness, forcing them to breed uncontrollably.
He was convinced that the Adversary had been reborn. Since he could not move himself, he unleashed the monsters, hoping to kill the Adversary while he was still young and powerless.
“Are you telling me I was wrong?!”
It was sheer obsession.
And Arterion knew it.
The goblins had reported back to him that the Turian Kingdom was successfully fending off the monster waves. Yet, he refused to stop. His overwhelming rage needed an outlet, no matter how irrational.
“Even if all humans must die because of this, I will not stop. This is vengeance for my kind, abandoned by the goddess!”
The dragons were extinct. It had been over two hundred years since the last known corpse was discovered.
For now, traces of their existence remained, but one day, dragons would fade entirely, remembered only as myths.
Such was the curse that befell their race.
Ereneth stumbled slightly, pressing a hand to her forehead as she watched Arterion’s fury boil over.
“This is wrong.”
She had come to the Shadow Mountains for one reason: to prepare for the Adversary’s return by uniting the forces that remained.
Her plan was to convince Arterion to join her and, once his curse was broken, to bring him to Ruthania. Together with Ghislain, they might stand a chance against the Adversary.
But the dragon before her was no longer the wise, noble being she had once known. No longer the mediator who had maintained balance in the world.
Only now did she realize:
The proud dragon had been driven half-mad by his thirst for vengeance.
Arterion’s gaze softened momentarily, his voice shifting to a more melancholic tone.
“Ereneth, my old friend, fellow hero of the war that saved this world... we are the only ones left who remember it.”
“...”
“Our victory meant nothing. We failed to save ourselves. So now... at the very least, we must have our revenge.”
“...Arterion.”
“You came here to fight alongside me again, did you not? Then go. Go and find him. With your skills, it should be possible.”
“...How am I supposed to find him?”
“There must be humans in the Turian Kingdom whose names have risen to prominence. Among them, the Adversary is hiding. The relic will confirm it. Surely it will react to him!”
“...And if the relic is not found?”
Arterion’s massive eyes loomed closer to Ereneth, his breath a chilling frost that enveloped her.
“Then just kill them all. Every human who gets in the way.”
The dragon’s once-icy blue eyes now burned a deep crimson. Blood-red tears streamed from his gaze as his voice reverberated throughout the cavern.
“If I am freed, I will destroy the Turian Kingdom first. And if the Adversary is still alive, I will slaughter every human on the continent!”
Ereneth gazed at Arterion with sorrowful eyes.
She stood there for a long moment before finally turning away.
She needed to return ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) to Ruthania and inform Ghislain of what she had learned.
A mad dragon was about to break free and would seek to annihilate humanity. They had to be ready.
With a resolute expression, Ereneth left the cavern.
Behind her, Arterion’s voice thundered one final time, echoing through the mountains.
“I will find him! I will tear him apart with my own claws!”
***
Ereneth let out a weary sigh as she retraced her steps down the mountain.
The monsters continued to ignore her, behaving as if she weren’t even there. Thanks to that, the descent was far easier than the climb.
As she reached the base of the Shadow Mountains, her subordinates rushed to meet her.
“Are you alright, my lady?”
Ereneth, observing their worried expressions, asked calmly, “How much time has passed?”
“An entire month, my lady.”
“A month...”
To Ereneth, the time she spent in the mountains felt less than a single day. But Arterion’s domain existed within a temporal rift where the flow of time differed from the outside world.
The same was true of the World Tree’s Forest, allowing her to remain untouched by the passage of time in the outside world.
One of her elves hesitated before asking cautiously, “What will you do now?”
They all knew whom she had gone to meet. The course of their journey would change based on her decision.
Ereneth paused, deep in thought, before asking, “What’s the current state of the war?”
“The latest report said the Allied Forces were engaged in battle with the Atrode army in the Grimwell Kingdom.”
“Then let’s head there. It seems best to assist in the war effort for now.”
“As you command.”
Ereneth and her party moved swiftly and discreetly to avoid detection.
However, upon arriving in the Grimwell Kingdom, they were met with surprising news: the war had already ended. The Allied Forces had left only a small contingent to secure the area and had returned to the Kingdom of Sardina.
“Victory!”
“The Allied Forces have won!”
“It’s all thanks to Duke Ghislain!”
The people were jubilant, celebrating the defeat of the Salvation Church.
Ereneth listened to their cheers, her expression softening with pride.
“Duke Ghislain... he did it after all.”
She had seen his potential while fighting alongside him in Ruthania.
To halt the spread of the rifts and annihilate the main forces of the Salvation Church that had swept across the continent—such a feat was beyond extraordinary.
Even in the great wars of the past, stronger individuals had existed. But few could lead a war to such a decisive victory.
“If only you had been there back then... would the outcome have been different?”
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Her voice was tinged with bittersweet regret.
During the ancient war, Ereneth had suffered great losses and unimaginable sorrow.
Ghislain’s remarkable achievements brought her a mix of joy and longing for what might have been.
Shaking her head, Ereneth dismissed the thoughts. Dwelling on the past was dangerous—it could consume her, just as it had consumed Arterion.
Instead, she turned her attention to the people’s lively chatter, carried to her by the wind spirits moving through the air.
“Duke Ghislain wasn’t the only one who achieved great things! The people fighting alongside him were incredible too!”
‘Of course, the Ruthanian forces were full of exceptional individuals.’
Ereneth nodded in satisfaction, recalling her time fighting alongside them against the Delfaine Duchy.
“Have you heard of Lady Vanessa? She’s an extraordinary mage who destroyed the Silver Order Knights alongside Duke Ghislain!”
‘Vanessa truly is a prodigy,’ Ereneth thought fondly.
“And what about Sir Gillian? They call him the White Lion—he’s a monster on the battlefield!”
‘Gillian, steadfast and loyal to the end.’
Ereneth had even aided Gillian in achieving his ascension to superhuman strength, and the memory filled her with pride.
“Oh, and Parniel! She’s a saintess with insane strength—one swing of her mace, and everything crumbles!”
‘...Hmm.’
Ereneth consciously chose to ignore this comment. She and the saintess hadn’t exactly been on friendly terms, both openly disliking each other.
“Lady Belinda’s techniques are said to be the strongest on the continent!”
‘She is undoubtedly formidable.’
“And that one-armed knight? I heard he’s not only a great fighter but an exceptional strategist as well! Oh, and Princess Ruthania is a literal powerhouse—she destroyed everything in her path!”
‘It seems everyone excelled in their roles.’
Ereneth smiled. These people had been among the first allies she met after stepping out into the wider world. Seeing them praised brought her a sense of joy.
“Even Kaor ascended to superhuman levels!”
‘What? Kaor? That fool reached superhuman status?’
Ereneth’s face twisted with surprise. She’d believed such a thing impossible for him.
She dismissed it as exaggeration, but the same rumor came from multiple sources.
‘Kaor must have had some great revelation during the war. What could have sparked it?’
As Ereneth pondered, another snippet of conversation caught her attention.
“You know who’s really amazing? The prince of Turian. They say he’s incredibly strong.”
‘Turian?’
Arterion’s words echoed in her mind:
— “The Adversary has been reborn in the Turian Kingdom. I felt that cursed presence unmistakably.”
— “Among the celebrated names in Turian, the Adversary will be found.”
— “If I am freed, I will destroy the Turian Kingdom first.”
‘Could it be...?’
She had dismissed Arterion’s claim at the time, but hearing people talk about Turian’s prince made her pause.
Ereneth focused on the conversations around her, seeking more information about this prince.
“They say he’s incredibly handsome.”
“Just one look from him, and you’ll faint.”
“His black hair gives him such a mysterious aura.”
‘...’
Most of it was about his appearance.
Ereneth and her party gathered more concrete details.
‘His name... is Julien?’
Her heart pounded in her chest.
There could be people with the same name. But for someone with that cursed name to hail from Turian... it couldn’t be mere coincidence.
How had someone of his caliber escaped her notice all this time?
‘A prince locked away in a tower... no wonder his identity remained hidden.’
Determined to act, Ereneth spoke decisively to her subordinates.
“To Sardina Kingdom. We’re heading there at once.”
Their journey was swift, with Ereneth eliminating any bandits foolish enough to cross their path with overwhelming force.
Upon arrival, they discovered that the post-war negotiations were still underway, and the Allied Forces remained in Sardina.
Thanks to her reputation, gaining an audience with the leadership was a simple matter.
“Lady Ereneth!”
Many among the Ruthanian forces knew her and welcomed her warmly, escorting her straight to Ghislain’s strategist, Claude.
“Ah, why did your vacation take so long, Lady Ereneth? The war is over!”
“...”
“Really, what was the point of our contract if you vanish when we need you most?!”
“...”
Ereneth barely held back her growing irritation. Claude’s complaints were grating, but she couldn’t deny that her presence might have made things easier.
After enduring his tirade, she cut him off with a commanding tone.
“I need to see Duke Ghislain immediately.”
Her words, laced with unmistakable authority, silenced Claude, and he led her to Ghislain without further protest.
Ghislain, training in the practice yard, greeted Ereneth warmly.
“Well, looks like you’ve finally finished your business.”
“Yes. I heard about your victory. Congratulations.”
They exchanged brief pleasantries before Ereneth, unable to hide her urgency, asked, “Can I meet the prince of Turian?”
“Hmm? Why?”
“I’ve heard rumors along the way. I need to confirm something.”
Ghislain studied her for a moment, then nodded knowingly.
‘So it’s come to this.’
Her request wasn’t as simple as she made it seem. Ghislain suspected there was far more to it.
In their past lives, Ereneth had attacked Julien on sight.
Ghislain led her to a large open field, summoning key figures to gather there.
Julien arrived last, his expression cold and unreadable as he approached.
The moment their eyes met, however—
Drdrdrdr...
Ereneth’s face hardened, and an immense aura erupted from her, forcing those nearby to step back instinctively.
Drkk! Drkdrkdrk...
Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around her body and forming a full suit of natural armor.
Fwaaang!
Without a word, Ereneth launched herself forward, her hand glowing with green light aimed straight at Julien.
Julien, unfazed, drew his sword and swung it through the air with precision.
Kwaaaang!
An explosion of light and sound engulfed the battlefield, scattering energy in all directions.