novelraw Chapter 133 : Chapter 133
Chapter 133 : Chapter 133
Chapter 133. Heading Towards Reubungwo (1)
In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed.
It was neither a dense forest nor a vast plain.
What pierced my nose was the smell of death and ash-gray ruins.
Aman instantly recognized where he was.
‘Isn't this the Principality of Polotsk? The land of the fallen kingdom that I barely passed through after walking for days and nights.’
But how?
He was supposed to be in Lumen Fortis, which was in the center of the continent.
Or close to the northernmost tip, bordering the Demon Territory.
He looked in horror at the faint remnants of magical power surrounding him and his party.
The transition magic cast by the Hero's youngest daughter, a girl named Noemi.
To Aman, who had never considered a means of transportation other than walking, this magic, which leaped hundreds, thousands of kilometers in an instant, felt like a miracle of God.
‘To use such incredible magic so nonchalantly!’
Aman dared not open his mouth.
Just how strong were the Hero and his companions?
With such overwhelming power, perhaps they could stand up against that evil Lich King who had mercilessly murdered his family and relatives and turned them into undead.
And Primus, the being behind it all who sought to destroy the world.
The dying embers of hope began to burn again in his heart.
He unknowingly clenched his fists.
Just then, the Hero approached him.
The Hero of this era, whom the elf elder who had saved him had spoken of.
He introduced himself as Frank.
And Aman then learned an even more surprising fact.
The being who had translated his words was the Queen of Dragons, Anonymous.
‘Even the Queen of Dragons is a companion of the Hero?’
Aman's mouth fell open.
Frank conveyed his opinion through Anonymous.
“It's a shame, but this is the easternmost point we can reach with transition magic. It seems we'll have to walk from here to the eastern end.”
But Aman was not disappointed at all.
On the contrary, he smiled brightly and replied.
“It doesn't matter! To be able to move here in an instant is a truly great achievement! Thank you so much, Hero!”
Frank nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, and this time, he looked at the elf escort who had come with Aman.
“What will you do? You have completed your mission, so you can return to your hometown, Lake Kalle.”
At Frank's words, the elves exchanged glances among themselves for a moment.
They seemed to understand the continental language used by humans, but their expressions still held a sense of caution and slight displeasure.
One elf stepped forward as a representative.
“Our mission was to guide Aman safely to you. The mission is complete, so it is right for us to return, but……”
He paused for a moment and then spoke with difficulty.
“We cannot leave him alone in this harsh land.”
The other elves also nodded.
Frank smiled warmly and proposed to them.
“Then how about accompanying us to our destination? Since our paths are the same, we might be of help to each other.”
Then he added these words.
“As you have seen for yourselves, I am now creating a place in Lumen Fortis, which I rule, where everyone can live together peacefully, regardless of race. I hope that in the distant future, the elves can also live there together.”
But at Frank's proposal, the elves reacted immediately.
Their voices were filled with strong rejection.
“That will never happen! Are you telling us, the noble elves, to live with lowly demons, greedy dragons, and filthy vampires? What do you take us for!”
They still had not let go of their distrust of humans and other races.
“That's enough of that talk. However, since we cannot send Aman alone, we will accompany him to the destination, Reubungwo. This is purely to escort him, so please do not misunderstand.”
Frank nodded as if he understood.
Aman expressed his gratitude to the elves, and at the same time, his heart swelled with respect for Frank.
‘A place where all races live together in harmony!’
Wasn't that the very ideal utopia that his own ancestor, the Sage from the East, had devoted his entire life to achieving!
Although the elves couldn't accept it right away, a man named Frank was dreaming the same dream as his ancestor, and was even making it a reality.
‘This person might be able to do it. The great feat that my ancestor could not achieve, this Hero will surely be able to accomplish it!’
Aman looked at Frank with even deeper and more trusting eyes.
He firmly believed that this man would surely save his hometown, Reubungwo.
And this world, from the threat of Primus.
In Aman's heart, anxiety had disappeared, and only a firm faith in the Hero remained.
***
A cold wind swirled over the ruined city.
The Principality of Polotsk, which was once his hometown.
Douglas Junior could only be dumbfounded in front of the gruesome scene that unfolded before him.
His hometown in his memory was a vibrant and peaceful place.
A place where laughter never ceased under the warm sunlight, and where friendly neighbors greeted each other.
But what was before his eyes now were the debris of collapsed buildings and the traces of fire.
And only the silence of death.
‘Father. Mother.’
He recalled the faces of his beloved family.
His reliable father who had always believed in and supported him.
His mother who had held him with a warm smile.
And his immature younger siblings who had followed him around annoyingly, yet looked up to him like a hero.
All of that had been turned to ashes in an instant by the hand of Nox, by that evil undead army.
“Keuk!”
Douglas swallowed the groan that unknowingly escaped him and clenched his fists so hard that they bled.
Boiling anger and a heart-wrenching sorrow enveloped his entire body.
He had vowed to take revenge, but now that he was actually stepping on the land of his ruined hometown, the horror and powerlessness of that time came back to life and tormented him.
It was at that very moment.
Someone approached him and carefully placed a small hand on his trembling fist.
Douglas turned his head in surprise.
It was Noemi.
She said nothing, just looked at him with deep eyes filled with sadness and comfort.
And she held his trembling hand tightly with both of her hands.
It was a small and soft hand, but its warmth miraculously melted his frozen heart little by little.
“This is your hometown, right? Stay strong.”
A clumsy but sincere comfort from a young girl.
Douglas' throat was choked up, so he couldn't answer, and just lowered his head and held her hand back.
He had thought he was alone, but the fact that there was someone in this unfamiliar land who understood his sadness was a great comfort in itself.
“Thank you. I'm fine.”
He managed to squeeze out his voice and forced a smile.
Neither of them knew that Adel was quietly watching them with a complicated expression from a short distance away.
Adel no longer watched them and quietly turned her footsteps to go elsewhere.
***
Everything happened in the blink of an eye, so to speak.
The young man named Aman from Reubungwo and the elves appeared, and right after Father had a short conversation with them.
Father suddenly ordered all of us to prepare to leave for the East immediately.
“Right now?”
Adel asked in surprise, but her father's expression was more serious and firm than ever before.
He nodded and added.
That they had to stop Primus and Nox from destroying the towers of Reubungwo, and that they were running out of time.
‘So it's finally the final battle.’
It was a pity that she hadn't completely conquered the dungeon yet, but now was not the time to worry about such personal goals.
Adel immediately returned to her room and packed a minimum of luggage for the journey.
Her heart was pounding with a mixture of solemnity, a little fear, and excitement.
But when they all gathered again after finishing their preparations, an unexpected problem arose.
Iris refused to follow her father's orders and stood her ground.
“I'll be staying here for the time being.”
“What? What are you talking about now!”
Adel shouted, but Iris didn't even blink and said to her father.
“With my current strength, I won't be of much help even if I go. I'll probably just be a burden. So I'll stay here, conquer up to the hundredth floor, gain enough strength, and then join you.”
Her father nodded with a troubled face.
“If that's what you really want, then I can't help it. Instead, promise me that you will conquer the hundredth floor as soon as possible.”
Iris looked straight into her father's eyes and replied.
“No problem. I'll be sure to do that.”
Why was that?
After obtaining the Lion Heart, Iris had always been calm.
She rarely got angry, nor was she stubborn.
But recently, it felt like the old Iris was back again.
‘What on earth happened to you.’
In the end, it seemed her father had given up on breaking her stubbornness with a deep sigh.
That alone was a headache, but there was another scene that made Adel's heart even more troubled.
It was the sight of Noemi and Douglas Junior, who had recently become much closer.
Whether at the training ground or in the hallways, the two were often seen together, and each time, Adel had to feel a pang in one corner of her chest without realizing it.
‘What is this feeling? Why do I feel so uncomfortable?’
As she was lost in her confused thoughts, Alvarez quietly approached her.
He glanced at where Adel's gaze was directed for a moment, and then asked with an unreadable expression.
There was a hint of bitterness in his tone.
“Are you concerned about that fellow?”
“…I don't know either. This is the first time I've felt this way.”
Adel answered honestly.
Alvarez was silent for a moment, then said calmly.
“I see. But I'm sure you can overcome it, Lady Adel.”
He offered a short encouragement and then stepped back.
Adel nodded slightly at his words and tried to pull herself together.
Now was not the time to be swayed by personal feelings.
She asked Alvarez.
“When will the rest of the soldiers be joining us?”
“There is a limit to the number of people Noemi's transition magic can move at once. The mana consumption is also severe. In the end, the regular soldiers will have to move by land or sea as planned. It will take quite some time.”
Even transition magic was not omnipotent.
In the end, only about 50 of the most elite personnel, including her father, Master Rude, Noemi,
Number 1, and herself, Aman, and the elf escort, were leaving for the East right now.
Five of the top-ranking adventurer parties who had shown outstanding results in the dungeon had also decided to accompany them, but even so, the anxiety did not easily subside.
‘The opponent is the first child of God, and a being who is trying to destroy this world.’
Can we really stop him with this much power?
Worry came first, but Adel shook her head.
This was not the time to be weak.
‘We must succeed.’
She once again tightened her grip on Anceps.
For her father's sake, and to protect this world.
Her eyes shone with a firmer resolve than ever before.