BRAND NEW WORLD

Chapter 76: New Ashes Beneath the Heavens

[A Short While Earlier...]

At a barracks in Zarua City, a number of soldiers were undergoing physical training on an open field.

"Alright! That’s enough! Good work, everyone!" shouted a soldier at the front of the formation.

"Huh... finally over," muttered Soldier A, wiping away his sweat.

"As usual... Vice Commander Ryman’s training is truly Spartan," complained Soldier B, lying sprawled on the ground, his breathing uneven.

"You may now rest and have lunch. I’ll return to my quarters first," said Commander Ryman.

"..."

"Amazing, isn’t he? At just 25 years old, he’s already the youngest commander," remarked Soldier C.

"I heard he’s been a genius since childhood. Even though he wasn’t born into a noble family, he’s highly talented in both magic and swordsmanship," replied Soldier A.

"Not only handsome, but also talented. He’s probably received countless love letters from various women... unlike us," grumbled Soldier B.

"Hey! Don’t lump me in with you!" retorted Soldier C.

"Alright, alright... let’s just go eat lunch before time runs out," said Soldier A.

Just as the three were about to leave the training ground, suddenly...

"Hey, look at the sky!" shouted a soldier.

Hearing this, the three of them looked up.

"Huh? Stars?" murmured Soldier B.

"But why in the middle of the day?" asked Soldier C.

"..."

"Oh? The stars are multiplying...?" said Soldier A.

Not just the three of them, but everyone around the barracks was witnessing this rare phenomenon.

"..."

"Is it just my imagination, or are the stars getting bigger?" asked Soldier C.

"Not just you; I see them getting bigger too," replied Soldier B.

"It’s not that the stars are expanding, but rather that they seem to be approaching us," said Soldier A.

Hearing this explanation, the three fell silent for a moment.

"..."

"AH! This is bad!" shouted Soldier B, panic etched on his face.

"Don’t tell me those stars are heading this way!?" cried Soldier C.

Still reeling from the shock...

BOOOOM!!!

A tremendous explosion echoed in everyone’s ears, accompanied by a violent tremor that shook not only the ground but also the entire buildings.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Several more explosions and quakes followed over the next few seconds. Some soldiers dropped flat on the ground, while others crouched down on the floor or earth.

"..."

After a while, the explosions and tremors finally stopped.

"Everyone! Is everyone alright?" called Commander Ryman.

"We’re fine, Commander," answered a soldier.

"Everyone! Check the barracks for anything unusual. After that, put on your armor and weapons, and gather everyone here," ordered Vice Commander Ryman.

After some time, everyone assembled on the training ground. Several soldiers then reported that there was no major damage—only some items on shelves or in cupboards had broken, such as plates and glasses in the kitchen.

"Very well. I will divide our forces into two groups. Lieutenant Bagir will lead the first group. Your task is to spread out, inspect the city, assist the citizens, and strengthen the city’s defenses. I will lead the second group to the location where the stars fell. Any questions?"

"..."

"Good. Now, move out!"

With that decided, Ryman and several of his men set off toward the site of the falling stars on horseback.

Along the way, Ryman spotted a large bird, five meters tall, flying not far from him.

*A monster!?* —Ryman was startled.

Then a yellow sphere shot through the air and struck the bird, causing it to fall to the ground. Shortly after, a woman flew in from the north.

*Flying!? Could it be!?* —Ryman thought.

Ryman watched as various spells were unleashed back and forth—fire, water, wind, earth, and even dark magic. He also saw a woman floating in the sky, dressed in a purple gown, casting several incantations. The sound of explosions came from afar, and the ground and trees trembled in response.

The explosions and tremors finally ceased as Ryman and his troops drew closer to the site of the falling stars.

After a while... the view became clearer, and he saw a number of people there, surrounded by countless monster corpses. Cautiously, Ryman ordered his men to stop at a distance away from the scene. He then saw the back of a silver-haired woman in a purple gown.

"Lady Ri...ma?" Ryman called out. He stopped mid-sentence upon seeing *two* Rimas. His face was filled with shock.

• •

"Vice Commander Ryman?" Rima said.

Disbelief showed in his eyes as he glanced alternately between Rima and me. Still recovering from his surprise...

"P-Princess Vernotta!" exclaimed Vice Commander Ryman, immediately kneeling.

Seeing their commander kneel, the other soldiers followed suit.

"You may rise," said Princess Vernotta.

Ryman and the others then stood.

"What exactly happened here?" Ryman asked, surveying the chaotic battlefield strewn with corpses.

I, Princess Verni, and Rima took turns recounting what had transpired. Ryman listened intently before sinking into his own thoughts. Ryman also shared his perspective from before arriving here.

"..."

Ryman then raised his head and turned to look at me.

"Oh, by the way, this is my twin sister who disappeared for 200 years," Rima said.

"Luna... Lunaria Oberyth. But you can just call me Luna."

"It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Luna. My name is Ryman. I am the vice commander of the Nuzantra Knights," Ryman said, placing one hand over his chest and bowing slightly.

"Where will you go after this?" asked Vice Commander Ryman.

"We’ll return to Tazik City first to report what happened, then head back to the Capital," Rima replied.

"In that case, may we accompany you?" Ryman asked.

"Of course," Rima answered.

With that agreement, we all headed back to Tazik City.

• •

Before long, we could finally see the gates of Tazik City. In front of the gate, a number of people stood on alert, anticipating the monsters’ arrival. Not only city guards and knights, but also adventurers were present.

When they saw us, the anxiety on their faces eased. Upon reaching the city, we headed straight for the Adventurer’s Guild.

In a room with wooden walls, a wooden table, and wooden chairs, we sat down to discuss matters. Present were all the important figures and those who had fought in the battle: the Guild Master, local officials, and Vice Commander Ryman. The only exceptions were Princess Verni and Lenti.

• •

"Rim, isn’t the information about the Forbidden Land supposed to be a secret?" I asked via telepathy.

"Indeed... but it can’t be helped. Given the situation, every kingdom needs to know the danger hidden behind the Forbidden Land," Rima replied, her voice echoing in my ears.

For the next thirty minutes, Rima and I recounted what had happened, including the situation regarding the Forbidden Land. Everyone listened intently. A slight tension hung in the room after hearing our story. When the discussion ended, we all dispersed.

[The Next Day]

For the safety of the students, we decided to cancel the camping activities and return home.

"Gale... thank you once again for helping us yesterday," Ryda said.

"No need to thank me. Besides, it’s our duty as players to clean up the mess caused by other players," Gale replied.

"Are you ready, Gale?"

Gale nodded.

With a snap of my fingers, a magic circle enveloped Gale’s body, and he disappeared along with the light. After Gale returned to Arvastan, it was our turn to leave. We stood on the barren ground. After saying goodbye to everyone, including Molly, Roter, and Dirra, Rima snapped her fingers, and a massive magic circle appeared beneath our feet. Light enveloped our bodies before sweeping across our vision. A few blinks later, our surroundings had changed.

"This is..."

"This is the west gate of the Capital," Rima replied.

We all then headed straight to the academy. Our early arrival naturally surprised everyone, including Rania, the headmistress. Rania’s face was slightly tense after hearing our story.

"Thank goodness, Mother and Mama Rima are safe," Rania said, letting out a long sigh.

"Very well, I will inform the royal court about this. For today, you should all go home. I’m sure Daisy has missed you all," Rania added.

With Rania’s arrangements, I, Rima, and Putih returned to Lake Dewata. Ryda and Hellen returned to the palace with Princess Verni and Lenti. As for Axxel and Key, they decided to stay in the capital for the time being.

• •

When we arrived at Lake Dewata, I saw Daisy playing with someone—but that person was...

Hah? Ringga?

"Look, Mother is back," Ringga said.

Daisy then turned around.

"MOTHER! MAMA!" Daisy cried, running toward us and hugging us.

"Were you a good child while we were away?"

"Mm!" Daisy exclaimed, smiling.

Rima then turned to look at me.

"Come, Daisy, Mama has brought you something," Rima said.

"Yay!" Daisy cheered. "What did you bring?" Daisy asked.

"Let’s find a place to sit first," Rima said.

Rima then took Daisy away, leaving Ringga and me alone. We stood side by side at the lake’s edge, gazing at the beauty of Lake Dewata. The cool breeze touched our skin, and the lovely chirping of birds brought tranquility to the soul.

"..."

"When did you come back?"

"Yesterday. After seeing that you and the others were safe, I decided to come back early," Ringga answered.

Hearing this, I immediately felt annoyed and turned to look at his face. My heart pounded wildly.

"What did you say? Say that again!"

"Y-yes, I arrived here yesterday after watching your battle near Tazik City," Ringga replied wryly.

My breathing became heavy. I clenched my fists.

"So, you were there just watching and didn’t help?"

Panic flickered across his face after hearing my question.

"Erm... I-I’d better go. It sounds like Daisy is calling," Ringga said, then slowly backed away and turned around.

"Wait!"

Ringga immediately ran into the back porch, where Rima and Daisy were sitting.

"Hey! We’re not done talking!"

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