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"What! Was that really a dragon that just disappeared?"
Martha narrowed her eyes as she looked at the clear sky.
"Why is there a dragon in Sepia?"
She bit her lip, seeming to sense something sinister.
"A dragon..."
Burren clenched his fist, revealing a fierce killing intent. It seemed he still harbored anger towards the dragons that had destroyed the walls of Zieghart.
"A golden dragon. And it was much larger than an adult dragon..."
Runaan nodded and said it was an advanced-class Golden Dragon.
"Then, could it be the Dragon Lord?"
Dorian's eyes trembled as he gasped.
"The Dragon Lord is a Golden Dragon, and it's the largest!"
"It's not the Dragon Lord."
Raon shook his head as he looked down.
"The Dragon Lord is even bigger than the Golden Dragon that just disappeared."
Having encountered the Dragon Lord in his true form several times, he knew approximately its size. The Golden Dragon that had just vanished was of a higher class, but it was not the Dragon Lord.
-That's right.
Wrath nodded quickly.
-Unlike the previous one, this one seemed quite lively. *slurp*
'Why are you suddenly drooling?'
Raon tilted his head as he watched Wrath wipe his mouth.
-The lizard's meat looked so tender that this king couldn't help it. *slurp*
He was already drooling again, seemingly imagining a roasted dragon.
-Sorry, but it's already gone.
Raon sighed with cold eyes.
'Awaken.'
In truth, there was much to ask the dragons. Why they had destroyed the walls of Zieghart, why they allied with the Five Demons, what hidden purpose they had. They needed to punish the dragons and uncover mountains of information, but there was no time to chase one that had already vanished to fight it.
As Karoon had warned, there was no guarantee that he would win unconditionally.
-It seems that we will eat it again. No, we will find it again. *slurp*
Wrath blinked with dreamy eyes as if he longed for a roasted dragon.
'This glutton, really...'
Raon shook his head and turned around.
"Let's go. We will know what is going on when we get to Sepia."
He gestured to the Light Wind division and entered the path opened by the trees and underbrush. He headed towards Sepia, recalling his previous visit with Rimmer.
"Stop."
Raon halted after walking through the forest for about 30 minutes.
"What’s happening?"
Burren quickly looked around with his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Someone is coming."
Raon lowered his hand and flexed his fingers slightly. Although still far away, he sensed very faint presences ahead. It was the movement of elves who could use nature like wild animals. As they waited, the dense foliage on the opposite side opened up, revealing elves armed with bows and swords.
They were the guardians protecting Sepia. Their breathtaking beauty shone even more elegantly under the sunlight filtering through the forest.
"We greet our benefactor."
The blue-haired elf leading the Guardians bowed his head to Raon. It was Erian, Rimmer's friend and the leader of the Guardians. Since Raon had summoned Ifrit to save Sepia, he referred to him as benefactor.
"We greet our benefactor!"
The other Guardians followed Erian's example and bowed to Raon.
"Hello."
"Are you all well?"
Dorian and Yua waved at the familiar faces, but their expressions were not cheerful, as they had come to deliver sad news.
"It has been a while."
Raon nodded in response to Erian and the Guardians.
"And I'm sorry. We entered first because you didn't come even though we were waiting for you outside the Great Forest."
He first apologized, as it was essentially the same as entering to steal, even if they had been invited.
"No, not at all. We should have come, but we were delayed due to a problem."
Erian shook his head politely, unlike when he came with Rimmer.
—If it’s a problem, does it relate to the dragon?
Raon asked, noticing the hint of irritation in Erian's eyes.
"...So you saw it."
Erian sighed briefly as if he were embarrassed.
"Yes. We had a brief visit."
He admitted that a dragon had come, as it had been witnessed.
"May I ask what happened?"
"...I'm sorry."
Erian shook his head firmly.
"Even if you are our benefactor, it is difficult to discuss our private matters."
He apologized by joining his hands together, saying it was something he could not speak of.
-No, I shouldn't have asked.
Raon gestured with his hand to Erian.
"...I heard what happened."
Erian's lips trembled slightly as he looked at Rimmer's sword at Raon's waist.
"There is one thing I would like to know."
"Please ask."
"Rimmer. Is that bastard really dead?"
"Yes, that is correct."
Raon took a deep breath before saying that he had personally bid farewell to Rimmer.
"I see. So indeed..."
Erian's expression darkened like a shadow falling on a tree, and the atmosphere among the other Guardians also became heavy.
'This is a bit strange...'
Raon frowned, feeling the suddenly oppressive air. It was different from what Rimmer had said about elves accepting death naturally.
-It is certainly peculiar.
Wrath nodded in agreement.
-Even when that fire ghost appeared and Pointed Ears died, the mood wasn't like this.
He narrowed his eyes, referring to the attack of the Crimson Flame Demon.
'So was the Master really a special existence?'
Looking into the eyes of Erian and the Guardians, it seemed that Rimmer had been a special person to all of them.
"I will guide you to Sepia. Ah, before that, may I ask you one more thing?"
Erian stopped as he was about to turn around.
-How did that bastard meet his end?
He turned his head back, as if that was the only thing he wanted to hear.
"He was smiling, as if he had left behind all his regrets."
Raon smiled bitterly, recalling Rimmer's last appearance.
"I see. Thank you for telling me."
Erian nodded with slightly brighter eyes before moving on.
"This is frustrating."
Raon bit his lip as he watched Erian's back. If Erian, who seemed molded from the word "elf," was in that state, he worried about how Siyana, who had been greatly influenced by humans, would react. He sighed deeply as he held Rimmer's sword.
'What should I do, Master?'
***
The true sacred land of Sepia where the World Tree had taken root.
"No."
An elf whose very existence shone golden, as if wrapped in sunlight, abruptly lowered her hand.
"This is absolutely unacceptable!"
She shook her head, saying it was something that couldn't even be considered.
"That's it."
Sterin, the guardian of Sepia, pronounced the name of the golden-haired elf with a brief sigh. He seemed immersed in the remnants of time, with flabby muscles and a face lined with wrinkles.
"The situation is not good. If they attack suddenly, we have no way to stop them as we are now."
"But grandfather!"
Siyana stamped her foot and bit her lip.
"Don't get angry, think calmly."
Sterin shook his head gently.
"I am getting weaker even now, and you can't summon Elayim, can you?"
"That is..."
Siyana bit her lip, unable to refute.
"In the last war, Elayim and Ifrit descended in an unstable state to stabilize the spiritual realm, so they have not been able to respond to your calls until now. Sepia has lost both its sword and shield at once."
Sterin shook his head and closed his trembling hand into a fist.
—Then we should ask for help, like Zieghart or the other five kings.
Siyana clenched her fists, suggesting they contact others.
"For how long?"
Sterin replied briefly.
"To protect this place, one must be at least a transcendent warrior. In a situation where war could break out at any moment, there is no place that can keep sending transcendent warriors here. Even Zieghart's situation is not good."
He sighed and asked if they had not heard of the circumstances.
"Siyana. One must protect the tree with their own hands. If we rely on the hands of others, the land will begin to wither."
Sterin shook his head and said there were limits to borrowing the strength of others.
"For now, let's think in various directions..."
When he was about to continue, Leylan approached and bowed his head.
"Guardian, I apologize for interrupting, but Raon is coming this way."
"Raon?"
Siyana raised her head as if startled.
Has he arrived already?
—Yes. Erian went out to greet him while you two were talking.
Leylan nodded, saying they would arrive soon.
"I see..."
Sterin nodded and stood up slowly.
"Let’s continue this conversation later."
He said they should go out to greet Raon, opening the door that led to Sepia.
"...Alright."
Siyana nodded, biting her lip. She looked toward the World Tree before stepping out.
***
A mystical vision, as if the forest itself had transformed into a village instead of being cut down to build one. Raon smiled slightly as he looked at Sepia, unchanged.
'This place is still the same.'
Many areas had been burned in the previous battle with the Crimson Flame Demon, but it seemed to have recovered to its original state through the power of nature.
"No, not everything is the same."
Unlike before, the natural energy seemed to merge into his skin, drawing closer. It felt like a sensation he could perceive because he had reached Transcendence.
"I feel like my aura is increasing even while I’m standing."
Perhaps because the World Tree was nearby, pure mana naturally filtered into his body. The mana circuits throughout his body were filling with pure mana. However, he wasn't particularly happy. The person who would have been most delighted with this was not by his side.
"We greet our benefactor."
The elves at the entrance of the village bowed their heads to Raon. They too, like Erian, did not seem to be in good spirits.
"It has been a while."
Raon nodded to the other elves with a rigid expression.
"Hello!"
"Have you been well?"
Dorian and Yua, who had arrived together before, also greeted the elves.
"Nice to meet you."
"The atmosphere is different from that person."
"Hello... to you too."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan also nodded to the elves who had fused with nature. The Light Wind division maintained a calm aura, not forgetting that they had come to deliver news of Rimmer's death, and they didn’t even avert their gaze to the other side.
As Raon nodded with satisfaction at the Light Wind division, the elves at the front of the village took a step back, and Sterin and Siyana walked forward.
Siyana trembled, her eyes red as if she were forcefully holding back her sadness, while Sterin seemed to have aged decades since the last time they met. Their emotions seemed to transmit directly, making Raon's heart ache.
"We greet the Guardian."
Raon bowed his head to Sterin along with the Light Wind division, biting his lip.
"Rise."
Sterin nodded calmly.
"I was about to call you, so thank you for coming."
He waved his wrinkled hand as if to say they had done well to come.
"Raon."
Siyana greeted him with her gaze while her sleeves were tucked into her pants. The fact that the word "handsome" did not come from her mouth made Rimmer's death feel real once more.
"Follow me."
Sterin turned his back after making a light gesture. His steps seemed to lack strength, which made Raon's heart constrict.
"...Yes."
Raon followed Sterin, unable to say everything he wanted. They stopped in front of a small house that did not seem suitable for a guardian's residence.
"Well."
Sterin nodded as he leaned against a tree that seemed to reach the sky.
"I heard that bastard died, but the reason was not written well. It seems you have been through a lot. Can you tell us?"
He nodded, seeming to have already sensed Raon's level, asking to hear the circumstances.
-Yes, I will explain from the beginning...
Raon nodded, and his lips trembled slightly. Perhaps because he had consoled the children on the way there, it was difficult to mention that incident again. As he tried to control his breathing, he felt a warm sensation on his back. Runaan had placed her hand there, as if she sensed his emotions.
"It's alright."
Runaan nodded slightly as if to say: take your time.
"Thank you."
Raon released his repressed emotions with a small smile.
"I will explain from the beginning. In the previous war..."
He told them everything that had happened so that Siyana and Sterin could understand all the circumstances.
"Ah..."
Siyana's chin trembled as if she couldn't imagine such things had happened.
-That was how it was. Then he is surely dead...
Sterin said briefly.
-But why did it happen like that?
Erian narrowed his eyes as if he did not understand.
"...I'm sorry."
Raon knelt before Sterin.
"If I had been a little more sensible or stronger, this wouldn't have happened. I’m so sorry."
His lips trembled as he bowed his head. Realizing the death of her master and communicating it to her family were very different things. His hands and feet trembled with pain, as if his heart were being stabbed.
"It's alright. He died protecting you all, so he must have been satisfied. That is why he probably left with a smile."
Sterin gently extended his hand and grasped Raon's shoulder.
"Moreover, didn’t you hear before? Elves become one with nature through death. It is not an end, but the beginning of a new beginning."
He shook his head and told Raon not to worry.
"The reason we are so serious is not because Rimmer died."
Erian sighed as if he were frustrated.
"What? Then..."
"The elves return to this World Tree to purify their souls before merging with nature, no matter where they die. But..."
Siyana shook her head and bit her lip.
"The soul of the elder brother has yet to return."
She shook her head and said that was why everyone was worried.
"He's a truly troublesome bastard. He makes us worry whether he's alive or dead."
Sterin frowned deeply.
"......"
Raon frowned at the expressions of the people before placing his hand on the Blade of Requiem and swallowing dryly.
'Wait a minute, then...'
Is this elf really trapped here?
-
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