国产午夜亚洲精品AⅤ

Chapter 334

Since Eleris was heading to an extreme region during winter, she made sure Radia Schmidt wore a thick coat and warm clothes.

Eleris only packed the most essential items.

She felt no particular emotion about leaving the capital. After all, it was a place she could return to anytime.

However, she knew that her return to the Vampire Council marked the beginning of something significant.

Something was about to start. Whether this event would be a path to saving the world or destroying it, she didn’t know.

Hoping that Baalier’s words were true, Eleris cast a mass teleportation spell.

Whoosh...

They arrived at the snow-covered castle known to humans as Epiacs, but which was originally used as a gathering place for the Vampire Lord clans..

“... Where is this place?” Radia asked.

“Have you been here before? His Highness mentioned that he came here when on a group mission assigned by the Temple.”

“No, this is my first time here...”

“There shouldn’t be anyone else here, but just in case, don’t stray too far from me.”

Radia hesitantly followed Eleris, who led the way into the cold and desolate castle.

Sob... Sob...

“Is... is someone there?”

Radia was startled by the sound of sobbing coming from various directions.

“Those are just wandering spirits.”

Though they were low-level spirits, the sounds they made were unsettling. Radia Schmidt turned pale as she saw the ethereal ghosts passing through walls at will.

‘What kind of place is this?’ Radia thought.

Normally, her first thought would be to eradicate such unholy beings, but the deep-seated fear in her consciousness made her weak.

The cold and gloomy hallway echoed with the calm footsteps of Eleris.

“From now on, I won’t be monitoring you closely. You don’t know where you are, and even if you try to escape, there are no human settlements within hundreds of kilometers. If you run, I’ll come after you, not to punish you, but to save you from dying. Keep that in mind.”

Radia Schmidt could only nod blankly at Eleris’s words.

“Of course, I’ll take care of your food, clothing, and shelter, so don’t worry about that.”

It was impossible to reach this place without the assistance of a mage who could teleport. If Eleris left Radia here, she would simply wither away.

“But if you decide to commit suicide because I’m not watching you, I’ll resurrect you as a vampire out of spite.” Eleris turned to look at Radia as she said this. “Understood?”

“... Yes.”

“If I deem you safe and His Highness permits it, I’ll let you go without harming you. I can’t say when that will be, but you won’t be held forever.”

Radia seemed to find a small glimmer of hope in those words.

The vampire in front of her was not the evil creature she had imagined.

Whether or not the being was evil, its nature was not inherently wicked.

Radia Schmidt finally accepted this as she looked at Eleris’s kind and sorrowful smile.

Thus, Radia Schmidt held onto hope, unaware that it was always the precursor to greater despair.

Tap, tap, tap.

Eleris halted her steps at the sound of approaching footsteps from afar.

“Oh dear, it seems we have a visitor...”

Someone other than the wandering spirits was present in Epiacs.

Eleris stopped in the castle corridor and saw someone approaching from the darkness. She looked at Radia and placed a finger on her lips.

“Don’t say a word. Don’t even look.”

Radia nodded with a tense expression and lowered her head at what seemed like a warning.

The person approaching from the corridor soon emerged from the darkness.

A white-haired, black-eyed elderly gentleman dressed in a black suit, holding an elegant, dark brown wooden cane.

“It’s been a while, Eleris.”

“... Indeed, it has. Antirianus.”

Though the elderly man appeared much older, it was strange for Radia Schmidt that he was addressing Eleris, who looked like a young woman, so respectfully.

“I heard there was going to be a meeting, so I arrived a bit early. But... you’ve brought something peculiar with you.”

The man called Antirianus looked at Radia Schmidt, who was standing behind Eleris, trembling and silent.

“And after this, you’re planning to bring someone even more peculiar to us?”

“Please don’t describe him as peculiar. He is my lord.”

At those words, a smile appeared on Antirianus’s lips.

“Your lord you say... your lord...”

“...”

Eleris’s expression hardened at his barely concealed amusement.

“Does the young Demon King know who you are?”

“He does not. And he never will.”

“Oh dear. Then everyone on the Council will have to be careful with their words.”

Radia Schmidt had no idea what the conversation was about.

“Soon, the others will start to gather. Once everyone is here, the meeting called by the head of the House of Fire will begin.”

Leaving behind a cryptic smile, the old man called Antirianus slowly walked away. Eleris looked at Radia.

“Radia.”

“...”

“You can speak now.”

“Oh, yes...”

Radia, who had been silent as if speaking would bring disaster, finally opened her mouth.

“I don’t think anyone here will harm you, but it’s best not to converse with anyone other than me,” Eleris advised Radia.

“Remember,” she said sternly, “you are the only human here.”

***

Southwest of the Empire’s second duchy, Kernstadt, near the borderlands... Most people wouldn’t even know this village existed.

It was the mountain village of Rijaiera, the hometown of Ragan Artorius and Ellen.

After a long time, Ellen had finally returned to her hometown, Rijaiera. The villagers welcomed her warmly, and Ellen, originally from the countryside, lived comfortably with her hair loosely tied, like the village girl she once was.

She chatted with old friends she hadn’t seen in a while and told them about the capital.

Everything that was mundane to Ellen was astonishing to the children of Rijaiera. The magic trains, for instance, were a marvel to them.

The village held a celebration to welcome Ellen back during her vacation. A feast with plenty of meat and bread was laid out.

After the grand feast, which was quite extravagant for a mountain village, Ellen went for a walk with her parents.

On the northern ridge of Rijaiera, Ellen sat between her mother and father under the night sky.

Ellen shared various stories with them. She talked about her experiences at the Temple and the new friends she had made.

Her parents were delighted to hear that Ellen was doing well and living an upright life.

These stories, though seemingly trivial, were hugely significant. As Ellen shared these stories, her heart grew heavier.

She had begun with light-hearted tales, but she knew that eventually, only the heavy ones would remain. There was something she didn’t want to say, but had to.

Ellen had returned home for the break. She had returned home seeking rest, but there waw something she had to tell her parents. There was something she had to say.

The full moon shone brightly in the winter night sky.

After sitting in silence for a while, Ellen finally spoke.

“It seems the Demon King isn’t dead, or a new Demon King has appeared.”

“...”

“...”

At those words, the expressions of both Ellen’s parents hardened. Just as Ellen had lost her brother to the Demon King, they had lost their son to him as well.

The title “Demon King” was not something they could take lightly.

“I met His Majesty the Emperor recently.”

Ellen’s parents listened quietly.

“He asked me if I was willing to fight the Demon King.”

Ellen’s mother gently took Ellen’s hand, and her father wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“I still can’t understand my brother. But if the Demon King is someone who wants to destroy the things I love, if that’s what the Demon King desires... I said I would fight the Demon King.”

Ellen looked at her parents.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

Having lost a son in the fight against the Demon King, they might now have to lose their daughter in the next battle. Ellen did not want to bring such sorrow to her parents.

But Ellen knew. If Ragan Artorius had been the only one who could oppose the Demon King, then she was the only one who could oppose the next Demon King.

But she wouldn’t be alone.

There were others who would fight alongside her, and so Ellen was able to make that decision.

If the world was forcing her to defeat the Demon King, she could do nothing but accept that fate.

Ellen sitting there and apologizing to her parents, and her parents, sitting with their daughter who had decided to risk her life at such a young age...

Ellen’s mother and father exchanged a brief look.

“Ellen, can your mother and I talk for a moment? Alone?”

“Sure.”

“Just wait here for a bit.”

Ellen’s mother and father left her sitting there and walked away to discuss something in private.

Ellen quietly looked up at the sky.

She didn’t know what her parents talked about while her brother had been out doing what he did.

Sometimes, he would come back late at night, quietly stroke Ellen’s hair as she slept, and then leave again.

Her brother always discussed important matters with their parents, and she was never included in such discussions.

Ellen didn’t know what her parents thought about her brother’s decisions and actions.

She only remembered the time she had cursed her brother just before he left home and was slapped by her usually gentle father.

It had been a rainy day.

Her mother and father must have been even more heartbroken.

Ellen still hated herself for that.

Time had passed, and now her parents were seeing their daughter make the same choice as their son.

Ellen couldn’t fathom what that felt like.

Would her parents oppose it?

Having lost a son in such a manner, would they say that they didn’t want to send their daughter into such danger?

What would she do then?

If she didn’t fight, Reinhart would have to fight alone. Although Reinhart wouldn’t be alone, in a situation where every person who could wield a holy relic was needed, if she backed out...

If the world needed a second hero and Ellen wasn’t there...

Reinhart would be forced to become the second hero.

If she avoided the fight against a yet-unknown but powerful entity, Reinhart would be in even greater danger, facing an already perilous battle.

Therefore, Ellen couldn’t choose to avoid the fight.

After a long while, her parents returned.

Her mother took Ellen’s hand, and Ellen met her mother’s sorrowful eyes.

“My dear daughter. Can’t you change your mind?”

“...”

Of course they would oppose such a decision. Having already lost a son in a similar situation, the thought of their daughter wanting to follow the same path would be heart-wrenching.

Ellen lowered her gaze.

“... I’m sorry, Mom. Dad.”

She couldn’t avoid the fight.

If she was to face her destiny alone, then maybe. But if she didn’t step forward, Reinhart would be left to face the Demon King alone.

Ellen felt even more guilty in the face of her parents’ sorrowful plea. Her mother and father remained silent for a while.

They didn’t try to persuade her to change her mind or beg her not to follow through.

They knew their daughter had resolved to do this, and that they wouldn’t be able to change her mind.

Parents know their children well.

“Then, how about we go somewhere with Mom and Dad for a bit?”

“Where?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

Her mother took Ellen’s hand and led the way.

Ellen’s parents were used to hiking, and navigated the path without any trouble, even in the dark.

The family arrived at a valley near Rijaiera.

It was a familiar place. Ellen had often played in the river here as a child.

Her mother slowly approached a large, frozen waterfall in the valley and gently touched the frozen wall of water.

“...?”

Ellen was bewildered by what she saw.

The center of the frozen waterfall suddenly split open, as if space itself had been distorted.

It wasn’t the ice breaking; it was as if space itself had been pried apart to create a gap.

“W-What is this? What’s happening?”

Ellen, having witnessed something she had never witnessed before, was at a loss for words. But her parents calmly held her hands and led her into the waterfall.

Ellen had lived in this village her entire life.

But she had never known there was a hidden space behind the waterfall she occasionally visited.

She had seen the back of the waterfall many times, and it was always solid.

This time, though, there was a cave behind it.

“Ellen, just follow us for now.”

Her mother led the way, and her father manipulated something, causing a dim light to fill the cave.

In the pale blue light, Ellen slowly walked into the cave, still unable to comprehend the situation, while being guided by her parents.

“Your brother didn’t set out to become an adventurer from the start.”

“What... do you mean?”

“He originally left the village to find a certain item. It was the village council’s decision, since Ragan was exceptionally skilled.”

Ellen had no idea about this.

She had always thought Ragan Artorius had gone wandering because he loved adventure, but that wasn’t the case at all.

What kind of place was Rijaiera?

Ellen realized she knew nothing about the place she had lived in her entire life.

“In the process, he naturally met many people, experienced many things, and made many friends. Eventually, he came to prioritize the world’s issues over the village’s...”

“What... what do you mean? What is our village?”

Her mother squeezed Ellen’s hand.

“Later. I’ll tell you later, my dear,” her mother said.

“One of the items Ragan went to find was Lament. The one you now possess, Ellen,” her father added.

The natural rock formation of the cave soon gave way to a more crafted interior.

The walls in this section were man-made, and numerous passages and corridors illuminated by the pale light came into Ellen’s view.

She couldn’t see where they led to, but her parents seemed to know exactly where they were going, leading her to a specific chamber inside the cave behind the waterfall.

Flash!

As the light illuminated the chamber, Ellen saw something in the center of the empty chamber.

There, a cloak glowed like a burning flame, flickering like fire.

“This... this is...”

Ellen’s eyes widened and almost popped.

“This was one of the two items that Ragan went out to find, along with your Lament.”

The Cloak of the Sun God. Lapelt, the relic of Shalam.

It was right in front of Ellen.

Her mother picked up the Cloak of the Sun God. She slowly approached Ellen and gently draped it over Ellen’s shoulders.

“May the blessings of the Moon and Sun be with you,” she said, as she kissed Ellen lightly on the forehead.