Chapter 635
She Hadn’t Completely Let Go of Her Doubts. (1)
Ereneth sat by the window every day, gazing outside.
There was no change in her expression. However, anyone who had known her for a long time would have noticed that something was different about her.
She was enveloped in deep emptiness and loneliness. After all, the only friend who remembered the war from a thousand years ago was now dead.
"Arterion... Now, even you have left."
She did not regret informing Ghislain about Arterion.
She had fought for humanity. If she had joined Arterion in exterminating mankind, all the battles and sacrifices from a thousand years ago would have lost their meaning.
That was why she did not stand with Arterion. She wanted the world to continue as it was.
"That way... it means we made the right choice."
But just because she did not regret it did not mean she was free from the grief of losing an old friend. Every day, she sat there, listless.
Though she did not express it outwardly, her heart was utterly exhausted.
Clack.
The door creaked open, but Ereneth did not turn her head.
There was only one person in this kingdom who would dare enter her quarters so unceremoniously.
Still looking out the window, she finally spoke.
"…You're back."
"Yeah. Thanks to you, I was able to capture him without any casualties."
"…I see."
Had Ereneth not warned him in advance, the battle could have ended in disaster, just as it had in his past life. Thanks to her information, he was able to strike at the right moment.
In the end, she had chosen her beliefs over an old friend.
Creak.
Ghislain pulled a chair over and sat beside Ereneth. Only then did she turn her head toward him.
"Did you come here to suggest we celebrate?"
Her indifferent gaze met his, and Ghislain shook his head.
"No. I know you're not in the mood for that, considering Arterion was your friend. First, I just wanted to say thank you."
"You don’t need to concern yourself. When one lives as long as I have, they are bound to lose those they care about, one by one. That is… my life."
"……."
Elves already lived longer than humans, but Ereneth had lived for an even longer time, far beyond their natural lifespan. She must have lost every person she had ever cared about.
The sorrow that had accumulated over such a long period must have been too immense for anyone else to truly understand.
After a brief silence, Ghislain slowly spoke.
"Why did the dragon end up like that? He had gone completely mad. Even when I suggested we search for the Adversary together, he refused and tried to kill all humans instead."
"…I don’t know."
"Do you truly not know?"
"Yes. I can only assume it was due to the anger of losing his kin."
"I don't understand. Is the Adversary’s curse really that powerful? Powerful enough to annihilate an entire race and force both you and the dragon into submission?"
"A curse’s power depends on who wields it. If someone harboring deep resentment toward the world were to command the power of the Demon God, it wouldn’t be surprising for it to have that level of effect."
"Then why not just wish for the destruction of the human world altogether?"
"…That is why the Adversary seeks to resurrect. To destroy this world."
Ghislain let out a deep sigh.
Even if the Adversary’s curse was powerful, it did not seem capable of destroying the world on its own.
That meant it was resurrecting in order to personally eliminate those who had broken free from the curse.
That was the only way to interpret it. This was knowledge beyond his comprehension.
"What exactly happened a thousand years ago? If there’s something I don’t know, I want to learn more."
"I’ve already told you. A war broke out, and we won. The Hero and the Saintess sealed the Demonic Abyss, and the world regained its peace. That is all."
"No matter how I think about it, it feels like there’s more to the story."
Ereneth spoke in the same emotionless tone.
"The Salvation Church has resurfaced, and they seek to find their king. They wish to destroy the world and create their own paradise. What more explanation is needed?"
"……."
"Because we were victorious, the Salvation Church had no choice but to remain hidden all these years. And Duke of Fenris, you were the one who severed their lifeline once again."
"……."
"Is there anything left to doubt? If the Adversary is resurrected, we simply have to put an end to it. Once that is done, the human world will know peace again."
"Hmm……."
"That is the truth. I don't understand what more you could possibly need."
There was no flaw in Ereneth’s words.
Simply put, there was an enemy trying to overturn the world, and once that enemy was eliminated, everything would be over. The details of the past were ultimately unimportant.
Ghislain had come to Ereneth out of personal curiosity because of what he had seen in the Saintess's dream.
Originally, it wasn’t an urgent matter. He had intended to uncover the truth gradually through his dreams.
But something from Arterion’s body had burrowed into Julien. If that was the reason the dragon had gone mad, he couldn’t just ignore it.
Making up his mind, Ghislain decided to speak about his dream. He figured that revealing some of his own secrets might help move the conversation forward honestly.
"Ever since I obtained this necklace, I’ve been seeing someone in my dreams. I think it’s the Saintess from a thousand years ago."
At those words, Ereneth’s expression shifted slightly, showing a hint of curiosity.
She knew that necklace well. After all, she had been there when Ghislain took it.
Back then, she had pretended not to recognize it, making an excuse that it merely resembled something an old comrade once used.
Ghislain observed her reaction closely before summarizing the visions he had seen in his dreams.
"I saw the Hero and the Adversary in my dream. But the one who looked like Julien wasn’t the Adversary it was the Hero."
"I also saw dragons fighting against lesser gods from another world. And I saw you, battling in countless wars."
"…Through these dreams, I’ve witnessed the heroes of that era and learned the techniques they used."
Even though he had condensed the story, it still turned out to be quite lengthy. He had seen a lot over time.
Ereneth listened, her eyes widening in disbelief. But the moment her gaze met Ghislain’s, she quickly adjusted her expression and sneered.
"Are you saying the Saintess appeared in your dream?"
"Yes."
"And that you saw her comrades? Including me?"
"Yes."
"Ha, hahaha. Duke of Fenris, are you seriously telling me that someone of your caliber believes in such dreams?"
Ereneth chuckled as if finding the situation amusing before declaring firmly,
"Such comrades never existed."
"…What?"
"Speak sense. I am the only one who remembers the heroes of a thousand years ago. And why would a Saintess who died a millennium ago appear in your dreams?"
"……."
"A knight resembling the Founder King of Ritania? An assassin wielding daggers with perfect precision? A mage who reminds you of the ancestor of Jerome’s Magic Tower? And the founder of the Ferdium family? Aha-hah-hah!"
"……."
"Duke of Fenris, your imagination is truly remarkable. But don’t you think all these figures just happen to resemble the people around you?"
"……."
"Gillian and Belinda, Jerome, and you. The Hero was Julien. And the Saintess what did she look like? Parniel? Or perhaps Piote?"
Ghislain crossed his arms and frowned. He had no rebuttal for that.
Maybe he shouldn’t have brought up the dream at all. He should have waited until he had more concrete information before pushing the issue. Right now, he had no way to counter Ereneth’s logic.
"Tsk…."
As he furrowed his brows in frustration, Ghislain stole a glance at Ereneth.
‘Even brute force won’t work here.’
She seemed even stronger than the last time they met.
It wasn’t that he thought he would lose outright in a fight. But she was strong enough that forcing the truth out of her would be nearly impossible.
Not that intimidation would work on someone like her anyway. And if they did end up fighting, the entire capital would likely be reduced to rubble.
Ereneth let out a sigh and spoke.
"I really don’t understand why you’re overcomplicating this. Don’t think too much about it. Just eradicate the remnants of the Salvation Church, and when the Adversary appears, kill him. Don’t you also wish for the world’s peace?"
"Hmm."
She wasn’t wrong.
Ever since Ghislain had returned to the past, he had been constantly moving to protect his family, friends, his domain, and his house.
Now, he had to protect the entire Ritania Kingdom. As long as the kingdom was safe, everything else was secondary.
But right now, he needed to uncover the nature of the energy that had infiltrated Julien’s body. If he let it go unchecked, it could turn into a major threat in the future.
‘How should I bring this up?’
As Ghislain was contemplating, he heard approaching footsteps.
Step. Step. Step.
Both he and Ereneth turned their heads.
Soon, Julien appeared.
It seemed he had overheard part of their conversation on his way here. Without hesitation, he spoke.
"Something from the dragon’s body transferred into me."
Ghislain's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
He hadn’t asked because Julien had been trying to hide it, yet Julien had chosen to reveal it himself.
Looking straight at Ghislain, Julien asked,
"You knew, didn’t you?"
"Well… more or less? I did sense something strange at the time."
"I see. That actually makes things easier. I’ve been trying to figure it out on my own, but I haven’t been able to make any sense of it."
"You don’t know what it is?"
"I can’t feel it, nor can I use it. It has completely fused with my body, as if it’s always been a part of me."
"Hmm…"
Ghislain blinked.
For someone as skilled as Julien to be unable to even perceive it?
That meant there was no way to identify it at all.
Ereneth, who had been staring at Julien with her usual emotionless gaze, finally spoke.
"I don’t know."
"You don’t?"
"That’s right. I don’t claim to know all the workings of the world. However…"
She paused for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing.
"During the Final Battle, the Adversary stabbed his sword into Arterion’s Dragon Heart."
"……."
"But he wasn’t able to kill him. The Adversary had exhausted all his power after the long battle and was dying."
"That’s it?"
"Yes. That final attack was the last thing the Adversary did before he perished. Arterion, severely wounded, was unable to return to his land."
"And the place he ended up was…"
Ereneth gave a small nod.
"The Shadow Mountains. Weakened, he retreated there to heal his wounds and fell into a deep slumber. While unconscious, he was cursed bound within the distortions of time and space."
"……."
Ereneth stared into Julien’s eyes as she spoke. For some reason, there was something chilling about her gaze.
“That thing that was absorbed into you it could be the lingering cursed energy left behind by the Adversary. Perhaps the remnants of that energy have simply found a new vessel.”
“Are you certain?”
“It’s only a conjecture.”
Julien’s eyes darkened as he fell into thought. He asked again.
“Then, do you also have this energy within you?”
“No.”
“You were both subjected to the same restriction. Why don’t you have it?”
“The World Tree protected me. It enveloped me, preventing the Demon God's energy from tainting me.”
“……”
“When the Adversary was resurrected, the restriction weakened. That’s why both I and Arterion were able to move again.”
Ghislain narrowed his eyes and asked,
“Why… didn’t you mention this before?”
Ereneth’s expression turned sour.
“Hah, must I really explain everything? Even things that don’t matter? Should I also tell you what I ate to survive during the war a thousand years ago?”
“Hm…”
Ghislain turned to look at Julien. If Ereneth was correct, then that meant the energy that once bound Arterion was now inside Julien’s body.
“You… Do you feel any discomfort when moving?”
“…Not particularly.”
“Then does that mean you’re fine?”
“……”
Without knowing what the energy truly was, they had no way to respond to it.
Hoping that more information might help them deduce something, Julien added another piece of information.
“Right after all the energy was absorbed, I briefly saw someone… She looked like a Saintess.”
“A Saintess?”
“I can’t be sure. She was wearing a necklace just like the one you have, so I only assumed.”
“Huh… Anything else?”
“She said, ‘It’s not about saving the world.’”
“What? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. That was all she said before disappearing.”
Ghislain frowned. That damn Saintess kept appearing here and there, spewing cryptic nonsense.
Since Ghislain and Julien were focused on their conversation, they failed to notice Ereneth’s reaction.
‘…!’
For the briefest moment, her face had gone pale like a child caught stealing