Chapter 70
The great nations of different races had gathered together in one room within the grand hall of the Heart of Valekoris Kingdom. It was an unprecedented assembly, bringing representatives of the world's most powerful races under one roof.
Representing Humanity was King Raoul Kain. Representing Elevenity was Milan, the High Elf. Finally, representing the Dragonian race was none other than Zhurong Bahemot.
"Hmmm? Princess Zhurong? I assumed Giang or Lady Xilang would be attending, but the princess herself?" King Raoul Kain asked, raising an eyebrow as he glanced towards the young Dragonian princess.
Zhurong paid little attention to his remark. Her eyes remained fixed on what lay before them. She studied the enormous corpse resting in the middle of the hall, her expression calm but her eyes betraying a hint of disbelief.
It was a creature that had taken ten Triple S-class adventurers to bring down. Five had lost their lives, two had sustained serious injuries, and the remaining three had been devoured by the very creature now lying lifeless before them.
"Nagarians... Those lizards are still alive," Milan muttered, her expression growing solemn as she examined the remains.
"It's been a hundred thousand years. The Nagarians came out of nowhere back then, and all they did was hunt... and hunt," Milan continued, her voice carrying a mixture of disbelief and resentment. She slowly lowered her gaze towards the creature, as though an unpleasant memory had resurfaced.
"I've heard stories about them from my parents and my late grandparents. Even the academy taught us about their existence. I never expected to see one in the flesh, let alone witness the destruction it could cause," Zhurong remarked.
Her gaze remained fixed on the corpse. Although she maintained her composure, the implications of its existence were difficult to ignore. A species believed to have disappeared for a hundred thousand years had suddenly resurfaced, and its return had already claimed the lives of several powerful adventurers.
Before anyone could continue the discussion, the enormous doors to the hall slowly swung open.
The sound of their hinges echoed throughout the chamber, drawing everyone's attention towards the entrance. One by one, the representatives turned their heads. Their expressions changed almost immediately, their eyes widening in disbelief at the individual who had just arrived.
"No way... How? Why? But..." King Raoul stammered, struggling to find the right words. His usual composure had completely vanished, and he stared at the newcomer as though he were seeing a ghost.
Milan was equally stunned. Even Zhurong, who had remained relatively composed throughout the meeting, widened her eyes in surprise.
Standing before them was Ashely Burnwill.
"Greetings. I'm Ashely Burnwill, representing the Dwarven race of Járnheimr," she introduced herself politely.
The room fell completely silent.
After a hundred thousand years of isolation, the Dwarven race had finally decided to step forward and confront the very enemy whose existence had haunted the other races for generations.
Ashely Burnwill walked towards the table where the Nagarian corpse lay. Its blue scales were as hard as tungsten, and its head bore a resemblance to that of a dragon, while the rest of its body had the appearance of a humanoid lizard.
"Hmmm... Well, looking at it now, it's a hatchling," Ashely remarked as she examined the creature.
"You're kidding me! A hatchling?!" King Raoul Kain exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"What do you expect, human?" Malvera responded.
Before anyone could continue, another sound echoed through the hall. Instinctively, everyone reached for their weapons, their attention shifting towards the entrance.
The Demon Queen had arrived, accompanied by her son, Malric, the current King of the Demon Race.
"You're not welcome... parasite!!!" Milan immediately snapped, her expression turning hostile.
She could never forget what they had done three years ago. The invasion of the Academy had left her clan without an heir to the World Tree of their kingdom. The one next in line had been none other than Lytharis, her deceased daughter.
"Do you think I would come here if I hadn't received that communication about those Nagas? I think not. All of you know who can take them on, and they're all extinct."
Malvera tapped her cane against the floor before pointing towards a map laid out on the table. Her finger landed on a deserted wasteland, an isolated island far away from all the other regions.
That very island, large enough to accommodate an entire civilisation, belonged to none other than House Alderman.
"They all went extinct due to the prophecy their goddess foretold. A plague, the fall, and the rise of their return," Malvera, the Demon Queen, explained.
"Not all, actually."
Everyone turned towards King Raoul Kain.
"No!" Zhurong slammed her fist against the table, causing a loud thud to echo throughout the hall.
"He has already done enough for us, making sure your Demon World was weakened!" she declared, glaring at the Demon Queen standing before her.
"Then who do you suppose can take on the Nagarians, Zhurong?" Milan asked, her expression growing serious.
"You three are so gullible."
A voice echoed through the hallway as Ingrid Von Balmung entered the hall and approached the gathering.
"You... The traitor," Zhurong sneered at Ingrid Von Balmung.
The former Sovereign of the Dragonian race. Even after all these years, her mere presence was enough to send a chill down their spines. There was something unsettling about having such a powerful and ancient figure standing among them.
Ingrid approached the corpse and carefully examined it before reaching her conclusion.
"A hatchling indeed, human dwarf."
She then turned towards Ashely Burnwill.
"But something isn't right. A hatchling capable of killing ten Triple S-class adventurers? Something has changed."
Milan turned towards Ingrid, questioning her statement.
"What do you mean?"
Ingrid glanced at her before explaining.
"A hundred thousand years ago, hatchlings were considered nothing more than ordinary C-rank creatures. Their strength was hardly anything worth worrying about."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"So, imagine a hypothetical scenario. What if we were facing the real head of their species instead?"
The room fell silent.
A new threat was approaching, and everyone present was left wondering the same thing.
Just how powerful was the true Nagarian King?
After the meeting, Zhurong approached Ashely, who was preparing to leave the hall.
"Wait!" she called out.
Ashely stopped and turned around, looking at the Dragonian princess with a questioning expression.
"Is there something you need, Princess?"
Without answering, Zhurong suddenly stepped closer and began sniffing her.
"Ms. Bahemot, that's rather inappropriate and..." Ashely trailed off, visibly confused by the princess's unusual behaviour.
"Why do you smell like him...?"
Ashely paused, confused by Zhurong's sudden remark.
"Him? Whose him?" Ashely asked.
"I mean, why do you smell like Maladeva?"
Zhurong questioned her, already aware that the Ruthwilfer Trial concerning her lover, Dante Ruthwilfer, was still ongoing.
"Maladeva...? Oh, him? Yeah, he actually came to Járnheimr about a year ago. I don't know how he managed to find our hidden kingdom, but he helped me regain full control over my manipulation and acknowledge my past wrongdoings. Why do you ask?"
Zhurong stepped forward, invading Ashely's personal space as she stared directly into her eyes.
"What is he to you?" Zhurong asked.
"A friend. Someone who gave me a reason to take responsibility for my actions and admit my mistakes," Ashely answered honestly.
Zhurong looked at her for a moment before letting out a small snicker.
"Keep it that way."
With those words, she turned around and left.
However, Ashely couldn't help but become curious about the princess's unusual behaviour. Was Zhurong somehow possessive of Dante Ruthwilfer?
She raised her hand and gestured towards a nearby Dwarven guard. The guard immediately approached her.
"Find out what the relationship is between Maladeva and Zhurong Bahemot," she ordered.
"As you wish, my lady," the guard replied.
Back in the Tianyu Dynasty, Dante made his way towards the very restaurant where the two individuals who had taken on the quest were waiting for him.
Upon entering, he spotted the two familiar faces and approached their table.
"Alright, let's go over everything we know so far," the blue-haired elven girl began, taking the initiative to organise their findings.
"We know this demon is a Commandment." She briefly glanced towards Dante. "And Maladeva has pointed out that the dying message was a clue indicating that it was a Commandment. Furthermore, it made its presence known by turning Cai Yok Tan, the Pig King, into a deformed demon maniac."
The elven archer laid out all the gathered information before them, carefully going through each detail.
"Now, the question is, what is its name, and what is its next motive?"
Dante listened quietly before pointing out something they might have overlooked. According to his findings, the Commandment had some connection to the royal castle.
"Are you saying this Commandment was once human and held royal status?" the samurai asked, narrowing his eyes.
"Was of royal status," Dante corrected him. "He conducted inhuman experiments, and eventually, he was cast out."
He paused briefly before revealing the name.
"Guang Dei Long was his name. And I suspect he might be a human who was turned into a demon."
Dante headed back to the tall tower where Ryu Shion Meilin resided after the meeting had concluded. Upon entering the room, he spotted Farah sitting quietly with several books and scriptures spread out before her, completely absorbed in her reading.
He approached her and stopped beside the table.
"Farah, how are you feeling?" he asked.
"Mmh..." she murmured, barely acknowledging him as she continued reading.
Dante decided to leave her to her studies and made his way towards Ryu Shion Meilin's room. He opened the door and found her sitting comfortably, tending to her fingernails as she carefully painted them black.
She noticed his arrival just as she finished the final stroke.
"I see you have more questions about Guang Dei Long. But for now, take a rest. You look like you haven't slept in days," she remarked.
Dante gave her a calm, stoic look before quietly leaving the room.
As he walked past the sleeping quarters, he noticed Kaen lying soundly in bed. She was snoring rather loudly, occasionally mumbling something about fish in her sleep.
"This girl..." Dante muttered, letting out a quiet huff.
He approached her bed and gently adjusted her blanket, making sure she was properly tucked in before heading to his own room.
Once inside, Dante closed and locked the door. He then raised his hand and summoned several normal and elite-grade Shadow Knights.
"You lot. Guard Farah's room without her noticing your presence. After what happened last time, I'm not taking any chances," he ordered.
The Shadow Knights bowed in acknowledgement before transforming into small, tadpole-like beings. They slipped through the walls like creatures swimming through water and silently took up their positions around Farah's room, ready to protect her from any potential threats.
With that taken care of, Dante finally lay down on his bed and allowed himself to drift into a deep sleep.
However, his rest did not last long.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing within his mindscape. Before him stood Kilamahi, the War-Goddess, waiting with a familiar expression.
"Yo, kid. You ready?" she asked.
Dante smirked, his expression shifting into one of determination.
"Yeah. Please train me, War-Goddess."
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Chapter 70 — End.