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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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Having overcome the immediate crisis, they had a brief respite, but they soon set off for the dragon’s lair.
He released Mutre from the dimensional fragment, and the dwarf, looking relieved to be free, opened the entrance to the lair.
Golun, too large to enter, stood guard at the entrance.
They passed through the familiar, already looted areas of the lair and headed towards its depths.
“He said it’s down here. He said only he could open it, so he told me to force it open. He said it wouldn’t be easy, but I didn’t need to worry about causing any damage.”
Apparently, the gate was resistant to most forms of damage.
Kayla unleashed a barrage of Aura attacks at full power, and the entrance finally opened after she had nearly depleted her mana reserves.
“…It’s huge.”
They entered a vast chamber, where two gates hovered, overlapping slightly.
One was responsible for randomly pulling monsters from the Great Forest, and the other scattered them throughout the Barren Lands.
He had to seal both of them.
‘Now I understand why I can’t destroy them with my current power.’
Despite their massive size, they were incredibly stable.
Sealing them was definitely the right approach.
‘I wouldn’t want to accidentally trigger something by messing with them.’
Simply seeing the gates created by the dragon gave him a glimpse into the source of its arrogance.
He raised Elosette’s Staff.
The dragon had explained the sealing method, so it wasn’t difficult.
Countless black chains materialized, binding the two gates.
This would prevent further summoning, even if the monster population in the Barren Lands decreased.
“Let’s go back.”
“Already? That was easy.”
“It was easy because the conditions were right. We couldn’t even sense the gates before.”
“…That’s true.”
And the creator of the gates had provided the sealing method.
It was a method an ordinary mage couldn’t even use.
Several difficult conditions had been met, allowing them to seal the gates so easily. If even one of those conditions hadn’t been met, they would have been in a difficult situation.
After Mutre resealed the lair, Baldur spoke.
“I would like to return to the third oasis immediately.”
“Immediately?”
Baldur shook his head when he suggested they rest.
“I must go now. I can’t let the Zombies wipe out all the monsters in the area.”
With a Phantom Steed for himself and Skeletal Steeds for his Living Armors, he seemed eager to put his new mounts to the test and properly defend the oasis he had failed to protect before.
“You know there’s no Lake of Blood there anymore.”
While the Lake of Blood hadn’t been very useful before, things were different now. There wouldn’t be any more sudden summonings.
He planned to provide support if needed and create an escape route if the situation became dire.
He would improve the Lake of Blood, just like he had done with the walls.
He would make it more efficient and easier to activate, even without his direct intervention.
Despite his explanation, Baldur remained resolute.
Even the other Living Armors seemed to agree with him.
He sensed Baldur’s thoughts through the Living Armors.
‘…Regret, guilt, and revenge.’
Guilt over their failure to protect the oasis, regret over the loss of their comrade during their retreat…
Those emotions were driving them.
Unlike the second oasis, they hadn’t found any trace of their fallen comrade at the third oasis, which seemed to have amplified their feelings.
While such emotions could be a weakness, they could also be a source of strength.
While growth was difficult for undead, Baldur was different.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he agreed to Baldur’s request.
“I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you.”
Baldur bowed his head gratefully, seemingly not wanting to refuse his offer of transport.
-Master, should I stay there as well?
“No. You’ll replenish your forces and defend the second oasis.”
-…I won’t fail this time.
“That kind of resolve is admirable, but don’t let it become an obsession.”
-I understand. The mission comes first.
He considered telling Golun to prioritize his own safety, as he was more valuable than his subordinates, but he decided against it.
After dropping Baldur off at the third oasis, they returned to the main base, where his companions greeted them with surprise.
“What’s with the fog?”
-You’ve returned.
Orie appeared before them suddenly.
“Huh? I thought you stayed in your domain.”
-This area is also part of my domain now. Thanks to Master.
“…This far?”
-Yes.
While the bones beneath the walls had spread far and wide, he hadn’t expected them to reach this far already.
She was adapting quickly.
-Did everything go well?
“Yes. We reclaimed the lost oases and sealed the gate that was causing the summonings.”
He also mentioned that he had left Baldur at the third oasis.
“What about Annelise and Untinia?”
-They’re doing well.
It was time for Untinia to return.
He prioritized her return over deploying Golun to the second oasis.
He also needed to return to Desert Shield, as he had been neglecting it due to the recent crisis.
‘The priests from the Earth Mother Religion should have arrived by now.’
He was also curious about the outcome of the war between Doriem and Jutus and the progress of the talks between the Demihuman Alliance and the Six-Kingdom Alliance.
‘I hope they form an alliance.’
Now that he knew the true nature of the Goddess Religion, or rather, the Radiant Faith, he hoped the two alliances would join forces.
Back at the main base, he told his companions to rest and summoned Annelise and Untinia.
Kayla, as always, stood by his side.
With the immediate crisis averted and their isolation effectively ended, he informed them that Untinia would be able to return soon. Untinia’s expression was difficult to read.
She glanced at Annelise, suggesting they had grown close.
However, she didn’t object.
“I suppose I have overstayed my welcome.”
“We’ll leave tomorrow. There’s no danger, so don’t worry.”
“I’m not worried. I have an Archmage with me.”
Naturally, Annelise would accompany them to see Untinia off.
After hearing about Baldur’s party, Annelise requested to be transferred to the third oasis after Untinia’s departure.
While Cereo, her protector, was gone, she had developed a rapport with Baldur’s team and wanted to continue working with them.
Since she didn’t have anywhere else to go, he agreed.
There wasn’t much to prepare, so they left for Desert Shield at dawn.
It was a small group.
Just himself, Kayla, Athena, Untinia, and Annelise, but they were safe.
Untinia didn’t seem concerned about their safety. In fact, she seemed impressed by the Phantom Steeds.
“So this is the legendary Phantom Steed. It’s quite comfortable. Completely unaffected by the terrain.”
He had lent her one, of course.
“I heard they were ghost horses, but they do have physical bodies. And wings, strangely enough.”
While they were classified as ghost-type undead due to their ability to become completely intangible, the wings were a result of the Hippogriff base.
They encountered monsters along the way, but Kayla and Athena easily dispatched them.
After that, it was his turn, and their group of five quickly grew into a force of over a thousand.
Upon reaching Desert Shield, he dismissed the undead, and someone from Desert Shield, alerted by the sudden appearance and disappearance of the large undead force, came out to greet them.
Among them was an unexpected guest.
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“My lady? And beside you…”
It was a demihuman, a strange-looking creature with partially human and partially reptilian features.
The aura it exuded was powerful.
It was at least as strong as him.
“…Councilor-nim.”
“Councilor?”
“The highest authority in the Council, one of the three branches of government. Only two individuals can hold this position, and only nobles of 2nd rank or higher are eligible. Currently, one position is held by an elf, and the other by a dragonian.”
Untinia quickly explained when he voiced his question.
‘With that appearance, it’s not an elf… a dragonian, then.’
It was the first time he had seen a dragonian up close.
‘Its face isn’t that different from a human’s.’
The vertical pupils and the horns on its head were striking, but its face wasn’t particularly repulsive.
Of course, that was just its face.
Its exposed hands were covered in dragon scales, and its tail, wrapped around its waist, clearly indicated that it wasn’t trying to hide its heritage.
“Councilor Adias-nim.”
“I’m glad you returned safely.”
The dragonian, called Adias, addressed Untinia calmly.
“If you had been any later, I would have sought permission from the lord here and come looking for you.”
“That’s…”
“It was necessary. Don’t forget that you’re a member of the Common Council.”
It seemed Untinia had a hidden status he wasn’t aware of.
Adias then turned to him.
“Of course, if this individual had been with you, there wouldn’t have been any problems.”
Just as he had sensed Adias’s power, Adias had also sensed his.
‘A warrior…?’
Adias didn’t seem to be a mage.
It wasn’t surprising.
Dragonian were known for both their magical prowess and physical abilities.
“I presume you’re Do Inha.”
He nodded slowly in response to the Councilor’s words.
“That’s correct.”
“I wasn’t informed that you were an Archmage… did you recently break through?”
“Yes.”
‘Is this individual the leader of the secret envoy?’
It was highly likely.
Judging by the title, Adias held a high-ranking position, which meant the stakes of this meeting were high.
He had even come here personally, despite the strained relationship between their factions…
‘The fact that he came here openly suggests the talks went well?’
It was a hopeful interpretation.
“I heard about the unforeseen incident. I won’t hold you responsible. I give you my word that neither your house nor the Common Council will face any repercussions.”
“Thank you.”
“It seems it wasn’t a wasted trip after all. I’ve learned that the kingdom has such a valuable asset.”
He seemed surprised by his youthful appearance.
“It’s reassuring to see that our new ally isn’t so weak after all. I apologize for the intrusion. I appreciate your cooperation, Countess Lineta.”
“I’m glad your companion returned safely.”
“Companion. That’s not inaccurate, considering she came here as an envoy.”
The countess and Councilor Adias exchanged a few words. Judging by their interaction, they didn’t seem to be well-acquainted.
“I’ll hear her report today and visit you again tomorrow.”
“I’m available. I also have much to discuss.”
They agreed to meet the following day and parted ways.
‘An alliance.’
It seemed things were progressing in the direction he desired.
He was satisfied.
After Untinia and Adias left, Prina approached him.
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