Translator: Marctempest
Editor: Rynfinity
Chapter 207
The Queen of the Fairies, Titania.
She was one of the five ancient heroes of the "Guardians" who fought against the forces of the Fallen Lords, known as "Talos."
A companion of the Lord of the Sacred Fire, the God of Slaughter, the God of Law, and the founder of Florence.
However, she was also one who perished in a fierce battle against the Lord of Gluttony, who devoured the World Tree and became the Demon God.
That very woman now stood before Aden.
Aden wore a perplexed expression.
"......What do you mean by a junior?"
—We are the ones who fought against Talos to protect the world. So, considering that you live in this era and are fighting against Talos, and that you have a deep connection with our legacy, it wouldn't be wrong to call you our junior. Hehe.
She, who seemed to embody the concepts of nobility and beauty, smiled warmly.
For a moment, her smile was so picturesque that Aden's composure wavered, and he averted his gaze.
"......That doesn't really matter, but are you really the Queen of the Fairies that I know?"
Was she truly the ancient hero, Titania? The woman responded with an enigmatic smile.
—Yes, and no at the same time.
A puzzling, incomprehensible response.
Titania continued.
—I am the 'memory' that Queen Titania left behind on the branch of the World Tree. So, while I am Titania, I am also not her.
With a flash, Curse materialized and revealed his form.
Perhaps due to absorbing the demonic energy of the fallen divine beasts and the Giant Lords, he now took the appearance of a boy around fourteen or fifteen years old.
As if finally understanding, the boy nodded.
"Now I understand. You are Titania's mana."
Mana is the power of memory.
Just as the mana of fire holds the memory of fire and remembers its nature, mana records everything of the one it dwelled within.
What stood before Aden now was the mana of Titania that was embedded in the Fairy Tree.
According to the legends of the Ents, the Fairy Tree was a branch of the now-vanished World Tree, which the Ents had broken off and planted, preserving it until now.
The remnants of the World Tree, nurtured to the end despite being hunted by humans.
In that Fairy Tree, the last mana of the Fairy Queen had dwelled.
—You are correct, Florence. You are in a state similar to mine now.
"This body is no longer suitable to bear the name Florence. Call me Curse instead."
—Is that your name now? By the way, you look quite adorable in that form.
"......What can I do about lacking power? Don't mock me."
—Hehe, I apologize.
When Curse made a sullen face, she laughed as if she found it amusing.
Though she claimed to be just a memory, she was incredibly lively.
She spoke to Aden.
—I had originally been asleep deep within the Fairy Tree. Ordinarily, I would never have awakened.
"Then how did you wake up?"
—You once brought a child who wielded the Sacred Fire of my dear friend, and nurtured the Fairy Tree.
It seemed she was referring to the time when the little saint, Elise, used her power to germinate the Fairy Tree's seed.
—The Sacred Fire of my dear friend contains the blessing of the World Tree. The Fairy Tree's seed absorbed that blessing, and it became the catalyst that brought my dormant consciousness to the surface.
The source of divine power that the gods possessed was the blessing of the World Tree.
The divine power was created when the mana of those who became transcendents merged with the blessing of the World Tree.
‘I did think the Fairy Tree was growing unusually well back then.’
It was thanks to the power of the World Tree contained within Elise's divine power.
The remnants of the World Tree, the Fairy Tree, and the divine power, which was the blessing of the World Tree.
Naturally, they were highly compatible.
Anyway, the memory of Titania, which had been brought to the surface, fully awakened when the Gate of Hell, Tartarus, opened.
—When the light grows stronger, the darkness deepens. Conversely, when darkness arrives, the light also strengthens. I awakened sensing the spreading power of the corrupted World Tree, to deliver the key to stopping the disaster.
"The key to stopping the disaster?"
At Aden's question, she smiled bitterly.
—The Underworld, the Underlord, the Gate of Hell....... They are all burdens and karma that we couldn't properly handle, and that have been left to successors like you, our juniors. Therefore, at the very least, I should offer you some help.
She made a small gesture with her hand, waving it through the air.
Srrrk!
The Fairy Tree, which had grown into a giant tree.
As if it had a will of its own, the branches of the Fairy Tree extended like snakes.
Then, forming a graft between Aden and Titania, the branches took the shape of a cocoon.
—The reason the Queen of the Fairies left me in the Fairy Tree was to leave hope for the future generations.
Fwaaash!
Her form scattered into particles of light.
The light particles seeped into the wooden cocoon.
Then, something extraordinary happened.
Crack.
Like a butterfly breaking out of a cocoon, the graft cracked open...
Blaaaaze!
A brilliant light exploded forth.
And then, it shattered into pieces, revealing what was inside.
"A dagger?"
What emerged from the broken cocoon was a beautiful platinum-colored dagger.
—This blade is called the Dagger of Purification.
Titania's voice emanated from the dagger.
—It is a blade containing the complete power of the World Tree, preserved by the Fairy Queen who burned her last soul to protect it. Use this blade to pierce the avatar of the Demon God.
"What happens if I do?"
—The corrupted World Tree, tainted by the Demon God's will, will be purified.
"......!"
—Once the corrupted World Tree is purified, the Underworld will disappear, and the earthly realm will gain complete freedom.
Aden remained silent.
The Dagger of Purification.
If what she said was true...
‘I can win this for sure!’
He now had a trump card to defeat Kalsis.
In that realization, Aden's heart raced with excitement.
—However, before you use this dagger, there is something you must know.
Titania's memory, embedded in the Dagger of Purification, spoke.
—This dagger will purify everything corrupted and connected to the World Tree. The Underlord will disappear as well. Along with all the powers derived from it.
"Why is that a problem...?"
Aden began to ask why that was a problem, but he paused.
"Could it be...?"
"Yes. It is as you suspect, Dragon Slayer."
Curse nodded, looking at Aden.
Then he spoke.
"This body is a curse born from the curse of the Underlord. While I have gained an independent consciousness, I cannot escape my origin. The disappearance of the Underlord means that this body will also vanish."
Curse spoke calmly of his own demise.
Seeing Aden's indescribably shocked expression, Curse smiled leisurely.
"Dragon Slayer Aden Albireo, I have a request for you."
No, it wasn't so much a leisurely smile...
"I hope you can grant me peace."
It was a smile of someone who was exhausted and had no lingering attachments, wanting to end it all.
---
And then, time flew by, and the day of the decisive battle arrived.
On the thirtieth day since the dark clouds swallowed the sun.
The world was still shrouded in darkness.
The clouds of demonic energy had stolen the sun from the lives of those on the Western Continent, leaving only shadows in the world.
In the central region of the Western Continent, the Gate of Hell still gaped its black maw.
Amidst all this.
The imperial capital, Immortalityum, was surrounded by the countless forces of the "Western Continent Alliance Army."
In the northern camp of Immortalityum.
Fwoosh!
The flag symbolizing the Sias Grand Duke family fluttered in the north wind.
"We are those who have fought against the cold winds and frost for hundreds of years."
The strongest knight in the continent, Grand Duke Vernan Sias, spoke to the thousands of knights who followed him.
"Prove with your swords what it means to be the shield of Sias that stands against the frost of the frozen land."
"Hooouuuuuung...!"
The knights of the Grand Duchy of Sias raised their swords with a roar.
"For the glory of Sias!"
"Waahhhhhh!"
Booooom!
Their sword aura erupted with a brilliant light.
Watching that sight, Grand Duke Vernan Sias thought for a moment.
‘Sylbeta, you foolish one.’
The rebel force that occupied the imperial capital and opened the Gate of Hell had lured his eldest son onto a path he should not have taken.
And then, he, along with the knights who had pledged loyalty to him, met their demise at the hands of Prince Aden Remes.
Vernan Sias did not regret that fact.
It was the karmic retribution of a pitiful son who had abandoned the code of chivalry.
If left unchecked, it would have led to the creation of the Blood Knights, a false knightly order that would have dishonored the name of knights.
His son's end was so disgraceful that it was hard to believe he was his own blood.
It was truly pitiful.
However...
‘I will at least avenge you.’
For the warlocks who dared to lead the eldest of the Grand Duke's family astray and taint the name of the Grand Duke's family.
The Grand Duke's pale, blue eyes burned fiercely with anger.
The knights of Sias, hardened by the cold and frost.
The iron wall that had protected the empire from the bitter winds of the frozen land now marched southward.
---
In the western camp of Immortalityum.
—Keaaarrr!
Thousands of wyverns roared from the sky.
Surprisingly, these wyverns flew in perfect formation, with heavily armored riders on their backs.
Thud, thud, thud!
—Kraaaaarrr!
On the ground, hundreds of small drakes charged forward.
There were also riders mounted on their backs.
The dragon-worshipping nation, the Kingdom of Drathia's elite forces, the Dragon Cavalry.
They were warriors who had faced the Gate of Hell, the earliest in the world before Aden's return, and a combat group that suppressed the Dragon Mountains, one of the four great hazardous zones.
"The most noble being in this world, the great orchestrator of the earthly realm, has bestowed upon us a miracle!"
They were also simple-minded fighters and fanatical worshippers of dragons.
The Dragon Cavalry Commander shouted.
"Our great orchestrator has bestowed us the blessing of delaying the opening of that Gate of Hell, so that we may participate in this glorious battle!"
"Ohhh! O great dragon!"
"O great dragon! We thank you!"
The Dragon Cavalry, filled with emotion, shed tears as they praised Hermit.
They did not know.
That the dragon they worshipped found them so burdensome that it never came near Drathia, not even during its leisure.
"May the great orchestrator bless us. Warriors of Drathia, let us meet an honorable death!"
"O great dragon!"
"For you, we will fight to the death!"
"Waahhhhhh!"
They passionately charged forward, shouting things that would have made Hermit die of embarrassment if she had heard them.
---
In the southern camp of Immortalityum.
"Warriors of the Great Forest! The time for revenge has come!"
"Nature will reject the darkness!"
The warriors of the tribes from the southern Great Forest.
They had nearly lost their divine beasts due to the schemes of Chaos, and the resulting war between the Western and Eastern Forests had caused many to suffer.
As a result, they, who had never ventured outside the Great Forest in hundreds of years, formed an alliance and emerged of their own will.
The Southern Great Forest Alliance.
In the previous life, this alliance was formed to fight against the Tower of Magic, but this time, they marched with a different purpose.
"This battle is also to repay the debt we owe to the savior of the Great Forest. Let us repay that debt!"
"Hail to Aden Remes, the savior of the Great Forest!"
"Waahhhhhh!"
It was to repay Aden.
Since he was the hero who saved the Great Forest from crisis, the tribesmen of the Great Forest, who knew how to repay their debts, decided to join the allied forces.
—Kyaaak! This time, I'm going to give them hell, meow!
—I’ll cleanse them all!
—I’ll kill them all, boing!
The three divine beasts, who had regained their strength while staying with Aden, led the vanguard of the alliance forces.
The wild and strong warriors of the Great Forest, riding on monsters such as Warbears, Griffins, and Direwolves, marched northward.
---
Thus, the main forces of the Western Continent Alliance Army, who took charge of the north, west, and south, along with the private soldiers of noble families and elite knight orders of the kingdoms, gathered at the imperial capital, Immortalityum.
Tens of thousands of powerful beings had assembled for one single reason—to prevent the end of the world.
And finally, in the eastern camp of Immortalityum.
"Things are going well."
Aden Remes, the commander-in-chief of the eastern forces, the key to the imperial capital's siege, gazed at Immortalityum.
Today, everything would be decided.
Whether it be survival or the end.