* Raon POV *
"We are almost there Raon."
We arrived at the gates of the capital in our carriage. Through the windows, I could see people admiring our carriage and the emblem signifying our relation to the Ancient Village. The village Chief looked at me and said,
"It's amazing, isn't it? A mere village can gather such a reaction from an Empire."
"It really is. Why does the village garner such admiration?"
"It's because of our founder and history. Of course, our high military power also helps."
"I can understand the history, as you are the few remaining Ancient Humans and their legacy. But what does your founder have to do with it?"
"Well, that's because of our founder's legend. His tale spread all over the world. He slew dragons and phoenixes, deciphered a codex of mysterious origin, and was connected to the Astral Realm. He was—"
"Wait! Can you explain the part about the Astral Realm?"
"Sure, he was said to have the ability to connect to a mysterious realm. He kept the details about this ability to himself, but one document mentioned his opinions on it. He said that this ability was the sole reason he achieved what he did."
"I see. Did he ever mention anything else?"
"No, he did not. It was his greatest secret. However, he left one more document mentioning something else just before he disappeared. I'll have to look for it when we get back to our village. It should be in our village library."
"Alright, thank you, Village Chief."
"It seems we have arrived at the Palace. Come with me to meet the new emperor."
As we left the carriage, I noticed the grand palace, mostly white with gold lining. It was heavily guarded by numerous Tier 2 soldiers, with the guard captains being Tier 3. As we approached the palace gates, we were stopped by a lone soldier.
"Halt! No entry is permitted!"
"Azel, while I appreciate your dedication, you should watch your tone." said the guard captain that had appeared.
"What did you—"
"Azel, that's enough! Go back to the barracks; I'll deal with you later."
"Sir!?"
"Am I clear!?"
"Sir, yes, sir!"
"I'm sorry about that, Village Chief. The emperor has asked me to guide you to him when you arrive."
"Alright."
"May I ask who this is, Village Chief?"
"This is my heir, and he will be attending with me."
"Alright then, please follow this way."
As we walked through the palace halls, I started to feel uneasy, but I pushed that feeling to the back of my mind. Little did I know that ignoring that feeling would lead to a downward spiral of events.
Finally, we arrived at the throne room, and sitting upon the throne was a young man with golden hair and bright yellow eyes. His cunning and ambitious gaze made me uncomfortable. I realized that he was up to something, though I assumed it wouldn't be anything significant as we were equal in power.
But I couldn't have been more wrong.
He looked down on the Village Chief and said in a contentious tone, "I'm sorry, old man, but your era has ended. Our era has arrived, no, my era has arrived. I hope you can forgive me, old man. Lenart, kill him!"
"Huh? Wh—"
"Village Chief!!!"
As the Village Chief vomited a large amount of blood, he appeared to focus all his energy on casting a spell. The Emperor desperately wanted him to stop, but it was too late. As nothing seemed to happen, the Emperor assumed that the spell had ended in failure.
In that moment, everything clicked. The new emperor wanted war to expand his territory and legend. He didn't have a natural spark to ignite it, so he was going to create an artificial spark. By killing the Village Chief, he triggered a cycle of hatred with the Ancient Village. I realized that I was not part of his plans. He might have intended to pass this off as a great tragedy or twist the story to benefit him. However, my very existence disrupted his plans. He might kill me or imprison me, but I wondered if this outcome was what he had truly wanted.
He simply ordered his knight to incapacitate and imprison me. Yet, deep down, I believed that even he didn't expect what happened next.
At the moment the Village Chief of the Ancient Village died, the world started to change. Unbeknownst to most residents, the world was breaking down. The fundamental laws protecting the world were crumbling.
Earth and Astol were once a single, vast world. Evidence could be found in the presence of fantasy-like races on both worlds and the ancient tombs of beings discovered on Earth. While the marks of that ancient time had vanished in Astol's river of time, the ancient spell that separated the worlds was gradually eroding. That spell had been a temporary solution, and now it was becoming obsolete. The destiny of the world, long suppressed, would finally be unleashed—a tale befitting the highest form of life.
This tale was foreseen by the seers of old. It all began to take shape with the death of a mere village leader. His demise shattered the delicate balance of the spell, merging the two worlds. The races' fragile equilibrium, which had kept the spell intact, was broken when the Village Chief died. His death alerted all his followers to the impending war.
His death became the spark that would ignite the fuse. The once peaceful worlds of Earth and Astol would undergo tremendous changes. Landscapes would be torn apart, expanded, and transformed. Nations would crumble under the immense pressure. However, amidst the chaos, not everything would be bleak. There would also be opportunities for power, riches, and more within this new world. The intentions of those who seize these opportunities remain a mystery. They could further fuel the fire and chaos or strive to establish order and extinguish the flames.
Yes, war was imminent, but it was only the beginning of the chaos to come.