Chapter 821
Episode 205: The Call of the Story (3)

October 27, 1805.

Two days had passed since Elona’s seal was broken. Since the moment Elona escaped, Thalaris had been shuttling back and forth between the Sub-palace and the Holy Kingdom. She couldn’t stop repairing the damaged parts of the Sub-palace and maintaining the seal on Jito.

“I always thought this day would come eventually… but having the seal break during my time still hurts my pride,” Thalaris sighed. Sitting upright, she channeled the power of the Eternal Ice throughout the Sub-palace. Slowly, the damaged areas began to mend as the ice’s energy seeped in.

“Hmph. At least it’s not the worst timing. We live in an era where our son-in-law, Runkandel, and the Bamel Alliance stand strong. Heh, I suppose it’s thanks to my early recognition of his potential and my investments… Damn it! Why did it have to happen during my reign? Why now, of all times?”

“Please calm down, Mother.”

“Daughter! Do you think I’m not upset? I struggled so hard to maintain that seal. Of course, it was bound to break someday. As I told your husband before, it seemed inevitable that either Jito or that woman would awaken. But couldn’t it have waited a bit longer? Maybe a thousand years or so?”

The small beastfolk nearby exchanged uneasy glances before approaching Thalaris. They broke into a cold sweat as they gently massaged her shoulders and back.

[It may not be much comfort, but I understand how you feel. Don’t blame yourself too harshly. It’s better to focus on what lies ahead. I’ve guarded the boundary between the surface and the underworld—the Demon Seal Wall—for probably hundreds of times longer than you have. Still, I try to think positively.]

“Ugh, I’m just a mere human. It’s hard to have the broad-minded heart of someone like Ameris.”

Inevitably, the seal would break someday.

Thalaris had always believed that about Elona, but facing the reality was unbearably painful.

During the Gliek War, even in the most desperate moments, it was Thalaris who kept Elona Ziphl’s existence hidden until the very end. Maintaining Elona’s seal was the highest duty of the Sub-palace’s mistress.

[You’re right. The timing isn’t all that bad. Maybe it’s even a good time. Elona Ziphl is a burden that must be dealt with eventually. In that sense, now is the right moment.]

“I think so too, Mistress of the Sub-palace. When Elona Ziphl first awoke, I lost my composure as well. I tried to maintain the seal at all costs, even risking my life. But looking back, maybe it’s for the best. If I had died fighting Elona two days ago, that damned younger brother of mine would never have returned to the mortal world.”

After Ameris and Misha patted her shoulders in comfort, Thalaris could no longer voice her frustration. These were people who had sacrificed themselves for the balance and order of the world far longer than she had.

“It’s a huge relief that no one was hurt in the Sub-palace. Lord Ruil’s arm has recovered, and the others’ internal injuries aren’t fatal. I also agree that the timing of Elona’s awakening isn’t all that bad. The Akmyung tribe will find it difficult to use Elona Ziphl to launch another conquest war.”

When Jin spoke, Valeria nodded.

“The records left by Elona Ziphl are somewhat hopeful. Upon awakening, Elona seemed to have a conscious effort to avoid killing and struggled with confusion about her own purpose.”

Valeria opened a record window.

“It seems she made some kind of decision when she left the Sub-palace, but Elona Ziphl was clearly not in a normal state. As we saw in the recorded footage, she didn’t display the psychology of a ruthless killer. Perhaps, like Veradin Ziphl, Elona was used by the Ziphl and suffered internal damage. It’s possible she won’t be as easily controlled as we think.”

[That’s what I see as well. That mortal didn’t grow strong just through training and experience. If she reached the pinnacle of creation, her inner self can’t be so fragile. She likely carries the strongest lingering will of the Sun God—far stronger than what Veil or Hedda possess.]

Ameris was certain of this. Otherwise, Elona’s power couldn’t be explained. She wasn’t someone who reached the pinnacle normally; she was born with a special ability, like Yona.

“Most strangely, Elona Ziphl’s history had been erased until recently. The ones who manipulated history must have been the Ziphl, so perhaps Elona was their shameful secret. They wouldn’t have erased a proud family’s archmage from history otherwise.”

For the Bamel Alliance, this was the most hopeful assumption.

If there was some problem between Elona and the Ziphl that led to the historical manipulation, Elona would have no reason to fight for the Ziphl.

Still, the sudden appearance of an uncontrollable pinnacle mage was an enormous burden. Records showed Elona had left for the Tower of Stories, meaning the Ziphl’s power had suddenly surged.

[We must watch the situation carefully. Unless the Ziphl have lost their minds, they wouldn’t send Elona to attack our alliance in this situation.]

Even with a pinnacle mage added, the Ziphl could never recklessly attack the Bamel Alliance. There were too many variables: the Akmyung invasion, whether Elona was under perfect control, and so on.

Especially the sheer strength of the Bamel Alliance itself was intimidating. It was impossible to say Elona could easily overpower the warrior Ban and Murakan’s forces revealed in the Dark God War.

“Hmph. Among the spells Elona used was one that restricted spatial movement. That’s why neither I nor your husband could come to the Sub-palace immediately. If that works on the Akmyung tribe too, they’ll have to be cautious not just when attacking the Tower of Stories, but elsewhere as well.”

[That also means Elona can’t easily leave the Lutero Federation.]

“True. But do the Akmyung even have the ability to face such a monster? From their past records, they seem somewhat weak against top-tier superhumans. They’re so afraid of your husband that they’ve decided not to touch the Bamel Alliance at all.”

[They probably do. So far, they’ve been defeated by top-tier superhumans or artifacts like the Demon Stones, but the Akmyung haven’t fully regained their prime strength. Aside from the warrior and Bakarun Yung, no one seems a match for Elona. But if they add their flying fortress, that changes things.]

“You mean that thing that’s on a whole different level from airships? I heard it completely razed the Lisrit Autonomous District of the Federation during the last invasion.”

[Having a powerful individual doesn’t guarantee victory in war. The Akmyung are truly tenacious and ruthless.]

“But the Akmyung are afraid of your husband, so they’re targeting the Ziphl instead of the alliance. What if they see Elona Ziphl as stronger than your husband? Could they change their invasion target from the Federation to the Alliance?”

[I wouldn’t do that. Unless the Ziphl can move between dimensions as freely as our alliance, no matter how strong Elona is, she can’t support invasion areas faster than Jin.]

According to records, Elona’s prime strength was estimated to rival or surpass Temar’s.

But there was no guarantee she was still that strong just after breaking free from the seal. Even if she gradually recovered and reached her prime again, the Ziphl’s greatest asset wasn’t Elona Ziphl—it was the Demon Stones. Perfecting historical manipulation through the Demon Stones was the Ziphl’s ultimate goal. There were clear limits to what could be done by sheer personal power alone.

Still, Jin knew Elona could play a crucial role in ‘historical manipulation.’

-<Three thousand twenty-six mages, including Elona Ziphl, attempted to alter the history of Temar Runkandel but failed to overcome his immense power.>
-<On March 3, 797, five Ziphl mage towers in the Palein Kingdom remain intact and operational. These towers have never been attacked since their completion and look exactly as they did 57 years ago.>

These were records found in the Third Tomb.

At that time, the Ziphl failed to alter Temar’s history but erased the record of Temar and the Ten Knights destroying the five mage towers, making it a ‘nonexistent history.’

“Judging by the circumstances, Elona Ziphl’s influence was the greatest in erasing the history of the destroyed mage towers. So if the Ziphl can fully control Elona Ziphl, they could accelerate their historical manipulation… I need to meet Elona at least once. I have to find out why she was erased from history.”

And if possible, Jin wanted to make her an ally someday—just as he had resolved before the Dark God War.

“I’ll have to meet Elona Ziphl myself soon. If she’s in a state like Veradin, maybe I can help her somehow. The Ziphl won’t let me meet her easily, so I’ll have to think of a way.”

It was a dangerous plan in many ways, but his comrades didn’t question Jin’s judgment. They knew that without meeting her, they couldn’t truly understand Elona or her relationship with the Ziphl.

Besides, they weren’t overly worried. Even if a battle broke out, they believed Jin wouldn’t die in vain. Even if he faced Elona at her prime.

Most importantly—

Jin didn’t plan to meet Elona alone.

“Misha will soon return as Solderet’s deputy. It would be best to move with Murakan then.”

Murakan was finally set to return to the Balmel Alliance.