Chapter 594
We're the Only Ones Left (2)
Just as Ereneth could not leave the Forest of the World Tree, Arterion, bound by a divine restriction, could not escape the Shadow Mountains.
But that didn’t mean the immense power he possessed had vanished.
Arterion roared so loudly that the cave trembled.
"I have been fighting without rest!"
Over countless years, he had gradually assimilated the monsters around him, driving them into a state of madness where they did nothing but breed endlessly.
He had undoubtedly sensed the Adversary's rebirth. That was why, in his immobilized state, he had sent out the monsters instead.
He had hoped however slim the chance that he could kill the Adversary before he regained his strength, while he was still young and weak.
"Are you telling me that I was wrong?!"
It was nothing more than an obsession.
And Arterion knew it, too.
From the goblins, he had heard that the Kingdom of Turian had successfully defended against the monster wave.
Even so, he refused to give up. He needed to vent the seething rage within him, even if this was the only way.
"Even if this means the complete annihilation of humanity, I will never stop. This is also vengeance for my kin, abandoned by the Goddess!"
Dragons were extinct. It had been over two hundred years by human reckoning since the last dragon corpse was discovered.
For now, traces of them still remained, keeping their memory alive. But one day, dragons would be completely forgotten, reduced to nothing more than legends.
That was the curse placed upon their race.
Seeing the fury in Arterion’s eyes, Ereneth pressed a hand to her forehead and staggered.
‘He’s lost.’
She had come here for one reason.
If the Adversary had truly returned, then they needed to gather their strength once more.
She had hoped to persuade Arterion. If the divine restriction on him was lifted, she planned to take him to Ritania. With Ghislain by their side, she had believed that even if the Adversary reappeared, they could stop him.
But Arterion was no longer the wise dragon she once knew.
He was no longer the mediator who had once upheld the balance of the world.
At last, Ereneth understood.
The once-noble dragon was now half-mad with vengeance.
Arterion’s eyes curved slightly, his voice turning unexpectedly gentle.
"Ereneth, my old friend, my fellow hero who once saved this world… We are the only ones left who still remember that war."
"……."
"Our act of saving the world was meaningless in the end. We couldn’t even save ourselves. So… shouldn't we at least see vengeance through to the end?"
"…Arterion."
"You came here to stand with me once more, didn’t you? Then hurry, hurry and find him. With your abilities, it should be more than possible."
"…How do you expect me to find him?"
"There must be those making a name for themselves in the Kingdom of Turian. Among them, the Adversary will be hiding. If we find the relic, we can confirm it. The relic will surely react to him!"
"…And if there is no relic?"
Arterion's massive eyes loomed closer to Ereneth.
Each time he opened his mouth, an icy chill swept over her.
"Then I'll simply kill them all. Every last human who gets in my way."
His once-blue eyes had turned completely crimson. Blood-tears streamed down his face.
His eerie voice echoed through the cave once more.
"If I am freed, the Kingdom of Turian will be the first to fall. And if the Adversary still lives, I will exterminate every human on this continent."
Ereneth gazed at Arterion with sorrowful eyes.
She watched him in silence for a long time before turning away.
She had to return to Ritania. She had to inform Ghislain.
A mad dragon would soon be unleashed upon the world, intent on slaughtering humanity. They had to prepare.
As she left with a resolute expression, Arterion's voice thundered behind her.
"I will find him! I will rip him apart with my own hands!"
* * *
"Haa…"
Suppressing her exhaustion, Ereneth retraced her steps.
The monsters still pretended not to see her, allowing her a peaceful descent down the mountain.
As she reached the base, her waiting subordinates approached.
"Are you all right?"
Ereneth looked at their worried faces and asked,
"How long has it been?"
"It has been a month."
"I see…"
To Ereneth, the time she had spent in the cave had felt like less than a single day.
But Arterion’s dwelling existed within a tear in space-time. The flow of time there differed from the outside world.
The same was true for the Forest of the World Tree, which was why she, too, remained unaffected by the passage of time in the outside world.
One of the elves cautiously asked her,
"What… will you do now?"
Everyone knew whom she had gone to meet. Her decision would determine the course of their journey.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Ereneth asked,
"What is the state of the war?"
"The last we heard, the United Army was battling the Atrodean forces in the Kingdom of Grimwell."
"Then let’s head there. For now, it would be best to support the war effort."
"Understood."
Ereneth and the elves moved in secret, avoiding the eyes of others.
However, upon reaching the Kingdom of Grimwell, they learned that the war had already ended. The United Army had left only a small force behind to secure the region and had already returned to the Kingdom of Sardina.
"Hooray! The United Army has won!"
"As expected of the Duke of Fenris!"
"The Ritanian army took care of everything!"
People were celebrating the annihilation of the Salvation Church.
Listening to their cheers, Ereneth’s face filled with emotion.
"Duke of Fenris… You did it in the end."
She had sensed it even when she was in Ritania, he was truly an extraordinary man.
To halt the expansion of the Rift and crush the main forces of the Salvation Church, which had once swept across the continent…
Even in the great war long ago, there had been those stronger than him. But never had there been one who led a war so brilliantly.
"If only you had been there back then… would the outcome have been different?"
Ereneth muttered with a bitter expression.
In the war long ago, she had lost many of her kin and endured countless sorrows.
That was why the astonishing achievements of the Duke of Fenris filled her with both joy and regret.
Shaking her head, Ereneth pushed aside her thoughts.
She could not dwell on the past. If she allowed herself to be consumed by rage and pain like Arterion, she would lose herself as well.
Instead, she chose to embrace the voices of the people around her. The spirits of the wind flitted about, carrying their conversations to her ears.
"Man, it’s not just the Duke of Fenris who made an impact. The people who fought alongside him were incredible too!"
‘That’s right. The Ritanian army had many outstanding individuals.’
Ereneth nodded with a pleased smile. Having fought alongside them against the Duke of Delfine’s forces, she knew their strength well.
"And that one! Lady Vanessa, they say she’s an incredible mage! She and the Duke of Fenris wiped out the Order of the White Hawk!"
‘Of course, Vanessa is nothing short of a genius.’
"And what about Lord Gillian? He lived up to his title, the White Lion! He cut through everything in his path!"
‘Gillian… A man of unwavering loyalty and strength.’
Ereneth had even helped him reach the realm of transcendence, making her feel all the more proud.
"Hey, have you heard about Lady Parniel? She’s a Saintess, but she’s crazy strong! They say one swing of her mace destroys everything!"
‘…Hmph.’
Ereneth intentionally ignored that comment. She didn’t like the Saintess, and the feeling was clearly mutual.
"Lady Belinda’s swordsmanship is said to be the strongest on the continent!"
‘Indeed, she’s that remarkable.’
"Oh, and that one-armed knight! He’s not just great in battle, but his leadership is incredible too. And the Princess of Ritania? They say she’s an absolute monster! She tore through everything in her path!"
‘They’ve all achieved incredible feats.’
Ereneth smiled warmly.
In a way, they were the first companions she had met upon stepping into the world. Seeing them receive such praise from the people filled her with immense joy.
"Even Lord Kaor has become a transcendent!"
‘…Huh? That guy reached transcendence?’
Ereneth’s eyes widened in surprise. She had thought it impossible for Kaor to ever reach that level.
At first, she assumed the stories were exaggerated, but she kept hearing the same account from different people.
‘It seems Kaor experienced some great realization in this war. What could have happened?’
Kaor’s convictions lay in a realm Ereneth’s imagination could never reach.
"Lord Jerome is the strongest of them all! He single-handedly held back an Undead army, and now they say he even used divine magic!!"
‘Hmm… Is he the mage I’ve only heard of in rumors? He must be quite powerful.’
"And what about Lord Claude? They say he’s a genius strategist, a true mastermind! Even his bribery was all for the sake of the kingdom! He was just gathering war funds! A true patriot, I tell you, a patriot!"
‘Ugh… That guy… Let’s not think about him.’
Ereneth ignored the comment once again.
There was no doubt about Claude’s abilities. His strategic prowess was undeniable, and even she had fallen into one of his bizarre contractual traps.
It was just that the man himself was… odd.
"Do you know Lord Alfoi? The White Mage who defeated a god! They say he’s actually Ritania’s ultimate secret weapon. A 100-circle mage, they say. 100 circles!"
‘…Excuse me???’
Ereneth’s head started pounding, and she stopped listening. As expected, ridiculous rumors were spreading along with the truth.
But then, a particular comment made her ears perk up again.
"Hey, but at the end of the day, the real deal is the Prince of Turian. They say he’s insanely powerful!"
‘Turian?’
At that moment, Arterion’s words echoed in her mind.
— He was reborn in the Kingdom of Turian. I can feel that cursed energy, without a doubt.
— There must be those rising to fame in Turian. Among them, the Adversary will be hiding.
— If I am freed, I will destroy the Kingdom of Turian first.
‘…No way.’
She had been skeptical when she first heard it from Arterion. But now that she was hearing talk of a prince from the people, she could no longer dismiss it outright.
Focusing, Ereneth listened carefully to the conversations about the Prince of Turian.
"He’s ridiculously handsome."
"Just one look from him and people faint on the spot."
"That black hair of his? Absolutely breathtaking."
‘…….’
Most of what she heard was just people gushing over how attractive he was.
With her subordinates, she gathered more concrete information.
---
‘His name… is Julien?’
Her heart pounded violently from the shock.
There could always be people with the same name.
But for someone bearing that cursed name to hail from the Kingdom of Turian of all places?!
How had she, someone who had been keeping watch over the world, never heard of such a powerful figure until now?
---
‘A prince who had been locked away in a tower… That’s why his existence remained hidden all this time.’
His overwhelming strength had only been revealed through battles against the Rift.
Which meant there were few who actually knew of his past.
Rumors could only provide so much. Seeing it firsthand was always best.
She had planned to seek out the Ritanian army anyway.
Ereneth turned to her subordinates and gave a firm order.
"We’re heading to the Kingdom of Sardina."
---
Their destination was the United Army’s base in Sardina.
Along the way, bandits attempted to ambush them.
But they posed no threat.
Ereneth, impatient to reach her destination, simply obliterated them into dust with her power.
Fortunately, the post-war meetings had not yet concluded, meaning the United Army was still in Sardina.
Reaching the Sardina Kingdom and meeting the high command was not difficult.
"Lady Ereneth!"
Most of the knights and soldiers in the Ritanian army knew her well.
They greeted her with great respect and immediately led her to Claude.
---
"Come on, why did your vacation take so long?! The war’s already over!"
"……."
"This completely defeats the purpose of our contract! What’s the point if you’re not around when you’re needed?!"
"……."
As Claude kept nagging, Ereneth focused all her energy on suppressing her rising anger.
Regardless, it was true that they had a contract. And it was also true that if she had been here, the war might have been easier.
So, instead of smashing Claude’s head in, she decided to delay that pleasure for another 30 years.
Cutting off his complaints, she spoke.
---
"I need to meet the Duke of Fenris first."
As soon as she unleashed her aura, Claude flinched and immediately shut his mouth, leading her to Ghislain.
At the training grounds, where he had been honing his skills, Ghislain brightened upon seeing her.
"Hey, so you're finally done with your business?"
"Yeah. I heard you won the war. Congratulations."
The two exchanged simple greetings.
But Ereneth, unable to fully conceal her urgency, got straight to the point.
---
"Can I meet the Prince of Turian?"
"Hmm? Why?"
"I just heard some rumors on the way… There's something I need to confirm."
"Hmm…"
Ghislain nodded.
So, it’s finally happening.
She was obviously lying. There had to be a real reason she was looking for Julien.
After all, in the previous life, the moment Ereneth saw Julien, a battle had broken out.
---
'We’ll need a more appropriate location for this.'
Ghislain led her to a large open field. He also summoned the key figures of the territory to join them.
Many greeted Ereneth warmly, exchanging pleasantries and catching up on recent events.
Only Parniel simply nodded slightly, showing no particular enthusiasm.
Ereneth graciously acknowledged everyone’s greetings.
But to Ghislain, she looked… tense.
---
'Let's see what happens.'
In his past life, he had merely watched their fight for amusement.
But now, after uncovering so many suspicious things, he had no intention of standing idly by.
That was why he had deliberately summoned Julien last.
---
When Julien finally appeared in the open field, he carried his usual indifferent expression as he gazed at Ereneth.
And the moment their eyes met—
---
Rumble…
Ereneth's face hardened as an overwhelming force erupted from her body.
The sheer pressure made those around them instinctively step back.
---
Creak, crunch…
Vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around her body.
In an instant, she was fully armed.
---
Fwoooosh!
Before anyone could stop her, Ereneth lunged.
A brilliant green light burst from her hands, aimed directly at Julien.
---
But Julien did not flinch.
With deep, unreadable eyes, he simply drew his sword and swung it through the air.
---
BOOOOM!
An earth-shattering explosion erupted, blinding flashes of light spreading in all directions.