D-Day, Five.
Upon reflection, I think the true source of the demons’ formidable strength lies in their strict hierarchy and absolute obedience.
Even the Fourteen Demon Lords tremble before the Archdemon, so it goes without saying that the lesser demons do as well.
In fact, their discipline is so extreme that even I find it a bit over the top.
Sure, there was that brief civil war when they fought over the captured Iron-Blooded Queen, but that was an exception due to differing factions.
But there’s one other race with a system almost as rigid and formidable as the demons’.
The fairies.
I’ve heard that once a fairy is chosen as queen, she is revered almost as a sacred figure, worshipped without question.
In terms of being “one above all others,” their reverence might even surpass that of the demons.
Think about it: what sets the fairy queen apart from ordinary fairies?
There are many differences, of course, but I want to focus on their “awakening.”
Ordinary fairies experience a single awakening as they transition into adulthood.
At that moment, they realize their own power and join a role group suited to their abilities.
But the fairy chosen as the next queen is different.
She undergoes the first awakening like any other, but then she experiences a second awakening.
In other words, she awakens twice.
This second awakening is the most crucial test of her qualifications as queen.
So what exactly is this second awakening, and how does it happen?
Here’s where I discovered something fascinating.
The first awakening comes naturally with age and growth.
But the second awakening, reserved only for the queen, is entirely different.
It requires a sacred artifact unique to the fairies.
This artifact is the “Crown of Thorns,” a kind of crown originating from the World Tree—Yggdrasil—which, unfortunately, was lost due to the current user, Kim Suhyun.
[Excerpt from “Before the Promised Shrine…,” by the renowned Northern Continent explorer, User Yang Giduk]
There’s a saying: the “grand opening effect.” For example, when a new restaurant opens, curiosity draws crowds eager to try the food. After a while, those who like it keep coming back, while those who don’t simply stop visiting. You can’t please everyone, so a decline in customers is inevitable.
Though the circumstances differ, a similar principle applies to the New Continent. At first, users flood in, driven by dreams of quick riches, embarking on expeditions almost daily.
But this enthusiasm doesn’t last forever. The resources—achievements and rewards—are limited and not easily found, especially compared to the endless supply of users. (Of course, exceptions exist, like those who use secret libraries in the Northern Continent.) Over time, interest inevitably wanes.
From this perspective, the timing of the rumors was actually quite good. The initial excitement about the New Continent had cooled somewhat, and people were beginning to accept it as normal. It was about half a year after the conquest of the Orc Castle and the discovery of Ragnarok.
No one knows where the rumors started or who spread them. They simply began to surface quietly in various places. The main topic was war. The rumor was that the Odin Clan, the ruling family of the Inner City, was planning to conquer the Eastern Continent.
Given the gravity of the matter, users quickly took notice. Most initially reacted with skepticism. Even though they operated on the same whole plane, they had always kept to themselves, and the prevailing opinion was: why stir up trouble in the peaceful Eastern Continent?
Then another rumor began to spread. It said that once the four continents each succeeded in their colonization efforts, they would inevitably compete for control of the central region. Alongside this, explanations emerged justifying why the attack had to happen “now,” as well as details about the Eastern Continent’s current development.
And that wasn’t all. Secret whispers also circulated about the benefits to be gained if the conquest succeeded.
Rumors tend to get distorted as they spread, and this was no exception. As the stories grew more elaborate, debates intensified. Moreover, after the second rumor took hold, a small but growing number of people began to support the war.
As a result, the “Eastern Continent Conquest” was no longer dismissed as mere gossip or baseless hearsay. As if deliberately fanned, the rumors spread like wildfire across the entire Ragnarok region.
With the flames stoked, public attention naturally turned to the Odin Clan. Everyone wanted to know if the rumors were true—if they really intended to invade the Eastern Continent.
Of course, amid the chaos, many users visited the shrine to verify the truth. It was only natural that the angels would become aware of the situation.
Throughout all this, the Odin Clan made no official announcements. They remained silent, choosing to wait and observe reactions rather than act rashly.
As the situation evolved day by day, the D-Day finally loomed just ahead.
It was a clear, quiet morning. Beneath a cloudless, bright blue sky stood a magnificent palace, its vibrant blue walls stirring the heart just by sight. On a terrace extending from the upper floors stood a blonde woman, her figure blending with the scenery to create a picture-perfect image.
Of course, that was only from an outside perspective. Whether the woman on the terrace felt as calm and beautiful as the view, or whether her mind was tangled and troubled, only she knew.
“How did it come to this…?”
A cool breeze stirred her shining blonde hair.
“How did it come to this…?”
It had only been two or three months ago.
“How did it come to this…?”
The confident eyes that once looked down on the old city were now clouded with a hollow, colorless emptiness.
“How did things get this far?”
Eldora bit her lip softly, struggling to hold her thoughts together.
It had started so simply. She had only gone looking for a scabbard, and in the process, freed a sealed woman.
…Yes. That was all.
The problem began when it was revealed that the woman was Thanatos—a god. Things had grown far beyond what anyone expected. Before she knew it, Eldora found herself facing the current crisis. This was no longer just the Odin Clan’s problem.
“Really…”
At first, she had thought it plausible. Thanatos’s words matched the facts closely, awakening forgotten doubts and causing a huge stir. She was furious. It felt like a justified anger.
“Am I really doing the right thing?”
But when it came down to it, the pressure of fear weighed heavily on her entire body. It felt like being swept away by an uncontrollable, raging wave.
“I’m scared.”
To be honest, she never wanted things to reach such an extreme. It was more like someone had subtly pushed her from behind.
In any case, there was only one path left. What would happen next was no longer up to Eldora. Or rather, while humans make the decisions, the outcome depended on the angels’ true intentions.
“Ha…”
Eldora exhaled deeply and turned away. Just as she was about to return to her room, her steps faltered. Her gaze fell on a white bag left alone on the table beyond the terrace door. It was the bag Melinus had given her last night.
She stared at it for a long moment before slowly closing her eyes.
“What is this?”
“Well… you could say it’s your last line of defense.”
Melinus had said that. Not to trust Thanatos, but also not to blindly trust the angels. She needed to hear both sides and make her own judgment.
“Honestly… I’m afraid.”
“Melinus?”
“What will the angels do if our suspicions are correct, and they realize we’re trying to break free from their control?”
“That’s…”
Eldora wondered the same. Would they panic? Turn hostile? Or would they, as always, try to smooth things over with sweet words? She couldn’t predict, but ironically, she hoped for the latter.
“…Eldora. You are the protector of the Southern Continent, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then what is the role of a protector?”
“To lead the entire Southern Continent in the right direction.”
“Exactly. And to do that, two things are necessary: the ability to make the right decisions, and the courage to carry them out.”
“…”
There was still a way. They had come a long way, but at least it was still possible to turn back. They could pretend none of this had happened, explain to the angels that the war was just a rumor, reveal the woman’s true identity, and discuss her treatment. Everything would return to normal.
…But.
“Is that really the right path?”
To live as a puppet, a mere piece in the angels’ game?
As that thought crossed her mind, a sudden vision seized Eldora. When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurred. She should have been standing in front of her room, but thick white fog surrounded her. She stepped forward cautiously, but saw nothing beyond the mist.
“!”
Just then, as she wondered what was happening, two hands slowly emerged from the fog and stopped right in front of her.
In one palm lay a red pill; in the other, a blue pill. The scene was eerily reminiscent of a certain movie—not on the Whole Plane, but something she’d seen a few times in the modern world.
“If you want to know the truth, take the red pill.”
“If you want to see only what you want and believe only what you want, take the blue pill.”
A flicker of conflict clearly showed across the face she had been staring at blankly. The protagonist of that film hesitated and agonized for a long time, but in the end, chose the red pill.
Then, what about Eldora…?
It was at that moment.
Knock, knock.
“Ah!”
The knock came, and suddenly her blurred vision cleared. She closed her eyes once and opened them again, and the room’s scene came back into focus. Eldora realized, almost without noticing, that she had stretched out her arm on her own.
“…”
Her hand wasn’t on the red pill or the blue pill—it rested on her bag.
‘Eldora. From now on, listen carefully to what I’m about to say.’
‘The things inside this bag…’
Coincidentally, Melinus’s voice echoed in her mind more clearly than ever.
Knock, knock.
“Please come in.”
She barely managed to finish the words, as if exhaling a held breath. The door clicked open, and a man dressed in priestly robes stepped inside. Eldora had never seen him before; he was definitely not a member of the Odin Clan.
The priest spoke.
“User, Eldora Cornelius.”
Polite, yet cold and businesslike.
“This is a summons from the angels.”
The moment she heard the next words, her heart pounded wildly.
“As a Guardian, you are to attend the assembly.”
Her hand had, without her realizing, clenched the faded white bag tightly, as if squeezing it for dear life.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
Phew, only one episode left now.
The long, daunting journey through episodes 7, 6, and 5 is finally coming to an end.
I bow deeply to the readers who endured the dull parts because of my own ambition.
I’m sorry, and thank you.