Chapter 597
I Will Tell You an Old Story. (2)
At that time, the Salvation Church could be considered a clan that lived within the Demon Realm.
Aside from humans tainted by malice, there were others who chose to stand with them.
Whether it was through conversion and persuasion or by means of abduction and coercion, no one knew for certain.
Regardless, they spent a long time dwelling in the Demon Realm, forming their own faction and living as a tribe.
It was said that countless Riftspawn inhabited the Demon Realm, thanks to the people of the Salvation Church, who had, even if only briefly, gained the ability to open dimensional gates.
However, the Riftspawn could not leave the Demon Realm. This was because the energy of the Demon God, which had spread across the outside world, was gradually thinning.
Thus, the Riftspawn lived within the Demon Realm alongside the followers of the Salvation Church.
In any case, this suggested that, unlike now, the Riftspawn were either under the control of the Salvation Church’s people or had recognized them as their own kind.
When tens of thousands of Riftspawn gathered, the Salvation Church would break free from the Demon Realm and invade the world. Using their power, they gradually expanded the influence of the Demon Realm, enabling the Riftspawn to move more freely.
But that alone was not enough to conquer the world.
Humanity had grown stronger over the ages, and the dragons relentlessly eradicated anything that emerged from the Demon Realm.
In fact, humanity was already preparing to launch an assault on the Demon Realm in cooperation with the dragons.
It was then that a genius emerged from the Salvation Church.
He wielded the energy of the Demon God more effortlessly than anyone else and understood its essence better than any before him.
He established a systematic way to harness the Demon God’s energy and taught it to others. Most of the Salvation Church’s techniques originated from that time.
He was the last hope of the Salvation Church. Naturally, the followers of the church hailed him as their king.
Up until then, the Salvation Church had only been able to open minor rifts small and fleeting at best.
But the king was different.
Possessing overwhelming power, he could open rifts on his own. And not just any rifts - his were massive.
Countless Riftspawn poured out at once. Beasts that had been lurking within the rifts emerged alongside them.
The first creature the Demon God ever created to seize this world, Equidema, began to expand its domain.
Even the colossal otherworldly monsters that had been trapped within the dimensional fissures appeared.
With the king and the beasts spreading their energy throughout the world, an immeasurable number of Riftspawn were able to move without constraint.
Calamity.
Once again, a dreadful calamity descended upon humanity.
A gigantic white serpent with wings coiled around a dragon’s body, strangling it to death. A towering, snow-white giant with an elephant’s head and countless ornaments draped over its body trampled the land.
Beasts of unknown names and origins ravaged the world. Not even the mighty dragons could contend with them all.
Around that time, people began to understand.
The King of the Salvation Church was not originally of its lineage.
A man, consumed by his rage against the world, willingly entered the Demonic Abyss and seized the power of the Demon God for himself.
The King of the Salvation Church accepted the Demon God's will, condensed over countless years, into his mortal body.
A traitor to humanity, one who sought the destruction of the world.
And one who stood against the Goddesses.
Humanity called him the Adversary.
Despair filled the world. The power of the Demon God, wielded by a single genius, was far beyond what the people of this world could withstand.
Thus, the world hurtled toward its destruction.
Then, at last, the Goddesses intervened in this world.
Defying providence, the Goddesses bestowed power upon humanity to oppose the Salvation Church.
Thus, the first Saintess appeared.
And a Hero emerged to become her sword.
The Great Chieftain of the Elves and the King of the Dwarves led their people to fight alongside the Saintess.
Beyond them, countless warriors gathered around her. Even dragons came forth to protect her.
All the rulers of the world, too, led their armies in her name.
Thus, humanity once again found the strength to fight, with the Saintess and the Hero at their center.
The Saintess, the proxy of the Goddesses.
The Goddesses poured their power into her without restraint.
The Hero, her protector.
The world loved the Hero, and so it followed his will.
And the exceptional companions who stood by the Hero’s side.
Even the Adversary and the Riftspawn could not easily overcome them. United, humanity was overwhelmingly powerful.
Though they suffered immense sacrifices, in the end, humanity triumphed.
Most of the colossal beasts from the Otherworld were slain, and the survivors fled into the Rift. The Rift was sealed, and at last, the Demonic Abyss collapsed.
The United Human Army succeeded in sealing the Demon God's corpse deep within the earth.
The war that had tormented humanity for so long finally came to an end. Most of the Salvation Church's followers perished, with only a few surviving, scattered across the continent.
Stripped of their accumulated knowledge and land, they were left barely clinging to existence.
However, the Adversary did not simply die.
With the last of his strength, he cursed those who had fought against him before perishing.
The Goddesses, now weakened, could not prevent his curse.
Because of that curse, the Elves and Dwarves, who had once fought alongside humanity, became their slaves.
The Dragons were either hunted down by humans or trapped somewhere unknown, perishing without ever understanding why. They faded into forgotten legends.
Thus, many of those who had fought against the Adversary either died in agony or vanished from history.
Despite having saved the world, they met a miserable end.
And the Adversary spoke his final words.
— I will return. Without fail. And I shall bring about the extinction of all humanity....
This was the war that took place a thousand years ago.
* * *
Ereneth continued speaking with a calm expression.
"I am the Great Chieftain of the Elves who fought in that war a thousand years ago. Because of the Adversary’s curse, I was bound by a restriction that kept me from moving. That is why I have lived far beyond my natural lifespan."
"……."
Everyone remained silent, utterly dumbfounded. The story was so absurd that they couldn't even begin to process it. Yet, it was just as difficult to dismiss outright. The person standing before them was claiming to have experienced that very war firsthand.
Claude whispered to Wendy.
"SHe’s lost her mind. She’s finally gone senile. How does any of this make sense?"
"……."
For once, Wendy couldn’t immediately refute Claude’s words.
The idea that the person before them was some mythical being who had lived for over a thousand years was harder to believe than Claude’s claim.
Ghislain pondered for a moment before asking,
"Let’s say everything you said is true. Then why is there no record of it anywhere?"
A thousand years. It wasn’t a short span of time, even compared to the history of mankind.
But no matter how long ago it was, the fact that there were neither records nor traces of that war was suspicious.
Ereneth answered, still with the same composed expression.
"In the end, the world came under the rule of humans. The rulers erased and concealed all records of the war. They destroyed every trace of it."
"Why?"
"……I don’t know the reason. But the Empire collapsed, and countless kingdoms emerged in its place. I suspect they tampered with history to assert their own legitimacy."
‘That’s a lie.’
Ghislain’s eyes narrowed. He had seen that era in his dreams.
The power of the Saintess and the Hero had been beyond miraculous. There was no reason for their deeds - their fight for humanity - to be completely erased from history.
And the idea that all records of a dangerous organization like the Salvation Church had been wiped out?
Even a single king could never achieve such a thing. Every ruler in the world would have had to agree upon it.
‘Now that I think about it… There are no founding records of Ritania, nor any documentation on the three great families.’
He had already found that strange. No one even knew of their existence.
Sure, human records could have been lost over time. But Ereneth, who had lived through that era, should have known why the records had disappeared yet she was hiding something.
Parniel growled.
"That’s because you made it all up. Even if the rulers were involved, there’s no way every single priest of the Church would agree to conceal such a glorious history."
"……."
"Speak. Why are you telling such blatant lies?"
"Believe it or not, it makes no difference to me. I am only telling you the truth of what happened. So that you may understand."
KWOOM!
Parniel gripped her weapon tightly and took a step forward. Ghislain quickly stopped her and asked,
"Alright, I get the general idea about the Salvation Church and the Adversary. You’re saying that the Adversary, who claimed he would return, is Julien, right?"
"……That’s what I believed."
"What's your proof?"
At Ghislain’s words, the others also looked at Ereneth with curiosity. They wanted to know why she believed Julien was the Adversary and had fought against him.
After a brief hesitation, she spoke.
"The Adversary's name was also Julien."
"……Just because of a name? Do you have any idea how many people on this continent share similar names?"
"He looked exactly the same."
"……It could have just been someone who resembled him."
Ghislain wasn’t fully convinced by Ereneth’s words.
In his dreams, Julien had been the Hero. The Adversary's face had never been shown.
So naturally, he trusted his own dreams more.
Ereneth furrowed her brow in frustration.
"The name is the same, and he looks identical. Though… his hair color and a few other details are slightly different."
"……."
No one knew how to respond.
Was she really branding someone who had fought for humanity as the Adversary, just because they looked alike?
Claude leaned toward Wendy and whispered again.
"When people get old, they get stubborn. They can’t admit when they’re wrong."
"……."
Wendy ignored him this time.
Ereneth pressed her fingers to her forehead. She knew exactly how she must have sounded.
To these people, her words likely seemed absurd.
The myths and ancient wars she spoke of might be dismissed as nonsense.
But she had no choice.
Even she herself felt on the verge of madness from the confusion and frustration.
Seeing her troubled expression, Ghislain decided to work through the problem step by step, using the knowledge he already had.
"Alright. Let’s set that aside for now and talk about the urgent issue. You said a dragon will attack soon. How do you know that?"
He didn’t question whether it was true.
After all, this had happened in his previous life as wellmeaning the dragon’s invasion was inevitable.
Ereneth bit her lip a few times before answering.
"I heard it directly."
"What…?"
"That dragon was once my comrade and friend. The reason I came here was to meet him."
The people around her gasped.
They already knew she was an extraordinary figure, but to be friends with a dragon?!
Claude nervously bit his nails and muttered to Wendy.
"Everything she says is absolutely right. No flaws whatsoever."
"……."
Truthfully, Claude was terrified.
Ereneth alone was powerful enough to be considered one of the strongest beings on the continent but her friend? He must have been even more terrifying.
Ereneth glanced around at the group and continued.
"The dragon’s name is Arterion. A White Dragon, residing in the Shadow Mountains of the Turian Kingdom."
"The Shadow Mountains?"
"Yes. The reason the monsters there go berserk is because of him.
He believes that the Adversary has been resurrected in the Turian Kingdom… and so, he has been sending monsters to destroy it."
Julien’s eyes darkened.
So, the reason the people of the kingdom had always struggled to fight was because of a dragon.
Then… wouldn’t that mean that killing the dragon would solve all their problems?
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Ereneth glanced at Julien before letting out a sigh and continuing.
"He holds a deep hatred toward the Adversary. He is willing to destroy the entire Turian Kingdom just to kill him."
Ghislain’s expression twisted in disbelief.
Destroying an entire kingdom just to kill one person?
"What if the Adversary isn’t even in the Turian Kingdom? No, we don’t even know if he’s been resurrected yet."
"If he can’t find him, he’ll just wipe everything out. He’s not in his right mind anymore."
Ghislain let out a hollow chuckle.
That dragon had been insane in his past life as well so much so that reasoning with him had been impossible.
With a grave expression, Ereneth spoke.
"If we offer Julien to the dragon, his rage might subside. He will see him as the Adversary."
If what Ereneth said was true, that meant that the dragon had also fought against the Adversary a thousand years ago.
So naturally, he would react the same way Ereneth had.
Ghislain dug through his past life’s memories carefully.
‘That dragon…’
The dragon had unleashed an overwhelming fury upon the humans.
At the time, it had been unclear who that fury was directed toward. After all, a massive number of people had gathered to hunt the dragon.
It had certainly seemed like he was attacking Julien more than the others but at the time, it had simply seemed logical since Julien was the strongest.
Even knowing now that the dragon’s rage had been because of Julien, Ereneth’s suggestion was still utter insanity.
Who in their right mind would sacrifice a comrade they had fought alongside?
Everyone would oppose it.
It would shatter the morale of the soldiers.
But Julien’s thoughts seemed different.
"If what you’re saying is true, then that would be the best course of action. That way, everyone else will be safe."
"What?"
Ereneth’s brows furrowed as she turned toward Julien.
Even she hadn’t expected him to say such a thing.
But Julien remained calm, as if it were no big deal.
"I’ll go to the Shadow Mountains. Tell me the location."
"And what do you plan to do alone?"
At that moment, Julien’s eyes darkened even further like a bottomless abyss ready to swallow everything.
A cold voice slipped from his lips.
"I’ll kill the dragon."