Ascension and Homecoming (1)
A sharp blade pierced through his heart, twisting mercilessly.
Blood gushed from his mouth in a frothy torrent.
The light slowly faded from the eyes of the giant with the head of a bull. Everon, panting heavily, withdrew his sword.
“Tsk.”
The battlements were a sea of blood.
Amidst the scattered corpses of monsters lay the torn bodies of the guards. The soldiers who survived the fierce battle were finishing off the high-ranking monsters that still clung to life.
Everon spat out the blood that had pooled in his mouth. The monster’s blood was bitter and metallic.
”…Too many have died.”
Cries for medics, screams of agony, and the wails of families mourning their dead blended into a chaotic requiem.
Even though Dalen’s miracle had revived all the troops, the ensuing battle was far from easy.
Most of the monsters had been deployed to fortify the Golden Palace, but the city was still teeming with their forces. They had even seized key positions like the walls. What had been a struggle to defend now had to be attacked.
Should they be grateful for their victory, or wary of the strange events at the battle’s end?
As Everon pondered, his lieutenant approached, her face smeared with blood.
“It looks like this area will be cleared soon.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’ve heard it’s the same elsewhere. The monsters that were charging at us without a second thought suddenly turned tail and scattered. It’s… strange.”
Her tone was skeptical, as if she couldn’t believe her own report. Everon felt the same. Just moments ago, the battle had been evenly matched, if not slightly in the monsters’ favor.
The monster army, under the demons’ command, had been exploiting every defensive advantage to hold the walls. Each creature was formidable on its own, and with proper tactics, they were a nightmare to face.
Yet, as the battle reached its most intense moments, the monsters and demons abruptly retreated from the city.
“Could it be a trap?” the lieutenant asked cautiously. It was a reasonable suspicion, given the inexplicable situation.
“Who knows.”
Everon ordered the troops to remain vigilant and headed for the tower on the wall.
The tower, half-destroyed by siege weapons, looked precarious. A girl stood atop it, staring blankly at the sky.
Amidst the scattered monster remains, she was covered in black blood, her white eyes darting around. To an outsider, she might have seemed like a demon herself. Even Everon, who had served her for decades, found her appearance unsettling.
“Old lady, the wall’s almost cleared.”
”…”
“The demons have all retreated. It’s not a trap, is it?”
The girl smiled, not turning her gaze.
“Everon, what do you see?”
”…What?”
“Tell me what you see.”
Everon scratched his head and looked around.
From the tower’s height, the view was wide open.
He saw burning streets, collapsed buildings, people in chaos, and soldiers trying to maintain order.
Raising his eyes a bit, he saw the silver and bronze walls, pockmarked with holes. On the opposite side stood the relatively intact platinum walls.
Beyond those walls lay the Golden Palace, fallen to the evil god.
If the demons had fled, now might be the chance to reclaim the palace…
“Not that way, Everon. Look up.”
The seer’s gentle voice prompted Everon to lift his gaze.
Only then did he understand her question. His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.
”…The sky is clearing.”
“Yes. The evil god’s clouds are dispersing.”
The red clouds that had covered the sky were thinning.
It was a fact unnoticed during the fierce battle, but now it was clear with a bit of focus.
The change was slow, visible only to those with transcendent sight. But the sunlight was beginning to peek through.
Turning his gaze, he saw the red vortex above the Golden Palace dissipating. Above it, an otherworldly hue swirled, as if the sky itself had cracked.
“Isn’t that the seventh sector?”
“Yes. It’s where Dalen dragged Enaxagus out by the scruff.”
Aliat nodded. Her feet lifted off the ground, and a mystical resonance began to hum softly.
[The battle between the evil god and the hero in the sky has moved to the next chapter, as they were both drawn into the gates of hell. The power of the great hell, centered on one evil god, clashed with the hopes of hundreds of worlds, centered on one man.]
Her eyes gleamed with cosmic colors, the prophecy’s power clear atop the tower.
But unlike usual, the seer’s voice was faltering, her expression strained.
[Worlds eroded each other into oblivion. A pillar of the fantasy world has collapsed. One of the two fallen pillars was the darling of the sins we despise. The other was the hero we cherish…]
The resonance broke off. Her feet touched the stone floor gently.
“Dalen’s domain… the realm that held his power has vanished.”
”…”
“We have won, but… the hero of this victory is nowhere to be seen.”
The seer lifted her head again, managing a faint smile as she gazed at the sky.
“May his fate follow the path of the ancient ascendants, so he can hear our gratitude.”
Through the dispersing evil god’s clouds, a single ray of sunlight shone through.
It was the color of a crimson sunset.
The sun was setting.
Dusk in the great city of Falcion was a bustling time.
Merchants closing shop and heading home. High orc laborers returning after a long day. Elf kingdom caravans arriving just before nightfall, and restaurant owners opening their doors to all these people.
Children employed by the eateries dashed through the streets, eagerly touting their wares for a coin. Nearby, a well-dressed couple with two daughters searched for a place to dine.
Some headed home, others to shops, taverns, or gambling dens, while some made their way to the back alleys or city gates.
It was a scene typical of the bronze district, where people, races, and classes mingled.
A paladin, her hood pulled low over her dark robe, moved naturally through the bustling crowd on the main street.
Her destination was a large tavern straddling the main street and a back alley.
“Ha ha ha! So I grabbed that bandit’s beard like this…”
“Damn it, you said you’d pay last time. How long are you going to put it off?”
“Ugh! Bleeeh!”
She passed through the noisy, grimy tavern hall.
“So we’re looking for this guy’s brother, not him…”
“Shh. Someone’s outside.”
She continued through quieter rooms lined with doors and narrow corridors.
At the end of a corridor just wide enough for two people to squeeze past each other stood a plain wooden door.
[Raven’s Nest]
[Open: 6 PM - 4 AM]
The paladin brushed her hand over the old sign above the door, then pushed it open without hesitation.
Jingle-
Inside, the atmosphere was different from outside.
Neatly arranged tables and chairs. Soft lighting from magic stones embedded in the ceiling.
It was the kind of cozy bar you’d expect in the silver district, but only three people were inside.
An old man at the bar, a woman across from him, and a bartender skillfully polishing glasses.
”…Wasn’t Sir Lucia supposed to join us today? I ditched all my tower duties on Tommy to come here… Oh.”
The bartender noticed her first, and the old man followed his gaze to see her.
The woman with black hair, resting her chin on her hand, waved last. She smiled warmly.
“Speak of the devil, and she appears. Long time no see, Lucia.”
“It’s been a while, everyone. Lucia, Tower Master, and Bourbon. Oh, I’ll have a Melond Highlander, please.”
“Can a paladin drink?”
Sienna teased with a playful smile. Lucia chuckled and pulled up a chair.
As she removed her hood and robe, her long blonde hair cascaded down like a waterfall. Just then, Felber, who had been fiddling with his half-empty glass, asked suddenly.
“Took longer than expected. Was it a tough mission?”
“No. Those damn necromancers just hid too well. Relying on demons without an evil god, yet their hiding skills have improved since the war.”
“Five years since the war ended. Five years since the Holy Knights purged the demon worshippers. By now, you’d think they’d be experts at running away. They wouldn’t dare challenge the demon slayer and the sharpest sword of the war god.”
The archmage shrugged and downed the rest of his drink, a sly grin on his aged face. Lucia shook her head, amused.
“Yes, it’s been five years already.”
Five years since the Great Invasion, when Enaxagus led his demon army across the land.
It wasn’t a long time in the grand scheme of things, but the continent had changed rapidly since that pivotal moment.
According to the official announcement from the Golden Palace, the evil god Enaxagus had been vanquished along with the Five Hells.
Of course, the disappearance of the evil god didn’t mean eternal peace for the continent.
The dark mages and cultists who had been lurking in the shadows were weakened, and the Holy Knights, having reclaimed their headquarters, launched a massive campaign to root them out.
Led by the demon slayer Lucia and the young swordmaster Farn, skirmishes between the Holy Knights and dark mages erupted all over the continent.
The southern empire, now in ruins, was no less chaotic. The nobility had fractured, each establishing their own realms, and full-scale war had raged for five years.
In the east, the dwarves of the Blade Mountains welcomed the return of the Kaladrakum dynasty and declared a kingdom. Rumors circulated that they were preparing for war to reclaim their ancestral lands from the Eastern Tri-Kingdoms.
“You’re adding that drink to my tab, aren’t you?”
“Technically, I refilled it myself.”
“But it’s our bar’s liquor. You just turned back time on it.”
“So, how long is Akasha planning to continue her training? Didn’t they say a blue dragon only needs a year or two to shed its skin?”
“Stop changing the subject.”
Felber, caught red-handed by Sienna as he secretly rewound time on his drink, chuckled. Lucia listened to their banter, a smile on her lips, but her thoughts drifted once more.
The past five years hadn’t been all about war. There had been significant positive changes too.
The elves from across the eastern sea, prompted by the refugee ships sent during the Great Invasion, began to engage in earnest trade with the continent. The previous limited trade and diplomacy couldn’t supply the labor and materials needed to rebuild the fallen kingdoms.
In a humorous twist, dozens of high orc laborers spread across the continent ended up in the land of the vegetarian elves, demanding meat with every paycheck, reviving a hunting tradition that had been dormant for centuries.
In the northern Tsar Kingdom, royal intrigue was rampant following Tsarina’s death. In the west, expeditions to the Great Desert in search of ancient ruins became all the rage.
Amidst these national upheavals, the city-states that controlled the central trade zones were rapidly rising in prominence.
The labyrinth city, too, had swiftly healed from the scars of war and was now entering a period of growth rather than recovery.
[You’ve always been a thoughtful one, but today you seem even more lost in thought. Here’s the drink you ordered. It’ll help you settle down.]
“Thank you, Bourbon.”
Lucia took the glass from the bartender and sipped slowly. The amber liquid slid down her throat, leaving a pleasant tingle.
“Ahh…”
Despite the chaotic times following the Great Invasion, it was also an exciting new beginning. At least, that’s how it seemed to Lucia, who knew better than most how close the world had come to ending.
And whenever such thoughts crossed her mind, she couldn’t help but think of someone she missed dearly.
A man with shaggy hair, as tall and broad as a high orc, yet with eyes that held a depth and warmth unmatched by anyone else. Once, they had spent most of the year together on battlefields and journeys, but now, in these peaceful times, they were apart.
“Hmm?”
Her hand brushed against something as she set down her glass. It was a small, curious-looking bottle.
The bottle was made of completely transparent material, wrapped in a strange red cloth with indecipherable black and white script. Inside, black liquid bubbled gently. As she stared at it, Bourbon spoke up.
[A regular left that drink for you.]
“What?”
[He stopped by last week, asked about you, and left some messages. Listen to them while you drink.]
”…”
[Honestly, how do you two always manage to miss each other? I’m not a messenger pigeon, you know. Do I really have to waste my powers like this?]
Ignoring the dragon’s grumbling, Lucia reached for the bottle. After fumbling with it for a moment, she twisted the cap off, releasing a satisfying hiss.
As she took a sip, a faint sweetness hit her tongue, followed by the sharp fizz that tingled her mouth and throat.
“Ugh…”
[It can be quite a shock the first time. It’s similar to the western mineral water, but stronger.]
As she stared wide-eyed at the bottle, a familiar voice began to flow through Bourbon’s telepathic link.
[You’ll get used to it after a while. I hope you like it. It’s my favorite drink.]