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---------
After discussing for a small while, David finally had enough, saying with a straight face:
"I'm not joking Dale, beyond this door lies a deep and extensive passageway that will lead straight inside the Great Wall."
"The Church had always been deeply connected with the Southern Corps as a whole, from its origin to its development as proven by the Catacombs beneath it."
"So this passageway acted as a means for the commander and some of his elite troops to retreat in case of some sort of catastrophic event in the wall, but also for the Church clergyman to flee in case something happened in Resko."
"Or merely as a way for both sides to communicate fast."
"Are you saying that this goes on for several Kms?"
"Yes, it was all built by hand, carved from the very stone around us." David replied as he looked around
Hearing this made Dale respect the architects that projected this city, since he knew very well that the wall was many km further south…
This city was designed in a very intricate way with the Corps and the Church at the center of it.
"One question then, why was this Church of such importance? Couldn't they have chosen anywhere else?"
"Oh! That is a very good question..."
"In the past, when the Emperor set his eyes on the resources of the South, many tried to desperately stop him."
"Huh? Why?"
'I am aware of the story but not of that detail...'
"Because of the dangers and the likeability of failure, plus a few other Political shenanigans no one cares about."
"To complete his plans, he formed the 4 Corps, having the Southern Corp take over the area, though it wasn't named that at the time."
"He gathered the support of many many nobles for this task, but many also refused, giving whatever excuses they had in mind since they couldn't simply refuse the Emperor."
"After all, it was a dangerous task, and investing in its success didn't guarantee a return..."
"And this included the Churches and other parties not associated with the Empire directly."
"When all of the Churches refused to cooperate, ours offered help, and when the city was successfully built against all odds, together with the wall, people started to realize what they missed, flocking to take a portion of this place for themselves."
"The goods that were made in this place were of the utmost quality, and the wealth that circulated in this place was massive."
"People came in every day, to the point the city couldn't sustain them... Overall, things were going well, having too many people wasn't a bad thing in this situation."
"Everyone wanted a piece of the pie, but they couldn't get it, the Emperor wouldn't allow any sort of problems to rise in this territory at all, given the many reasons why he started his conquest in the first place."
"The Churches and Nobles that were forced to watch from the sides became livid, how could they not get a piece of these profits?!"
"They were forced to stay put while ours was making so much money that from start to finish, I think the Church made enough money to fund at least 2 more Resko's across the Continent..."
"This includes the construction of the Wall and the entire infrastructure you see today..."
"You can understand how big of a deal this place became since, after the creation of the Church, I was sent here to act as the holy relic."
"This Church became one of the most important temples in the entirety of the Ju-Arkesian Religion, probably only behind the holy grounds and some other important sites."
"This is the reason why the Church is so important, it was an important aspect of the City's creation, and both sides, the Corps and the Church trusted each other greatly."
"We were the only allies we had after all..."
"Unfortunately nothing lasts forever, and the city fell under the pressure of time."
"The rest is unimportant history for the current us, I'm sure we'll eventually stumble upon something and the rest will unravel itself then..."
"..."
Dale remained silent.
But David didn't...
"In front of you lies the so-called: Prosperity. This was the name of this door, and also, a clue."
"Though that is only in the case it needs to be opened without the key by one of the clergymen."
"Only those of considerable high enough status would understand the meaning behind these words... Unless they are retarded."
"This passageway has 2 doors, and each door has a seal."
"Although we don't have the keys for them, my existence in itself can be used as a key for this door…"
Once he finished, he whispered something else:
"Although I also know the 'secret way' to open the door."
"..."
'Do you have to be that dramatic about it?'
"As for the other key, I have an idea of where we can find it."
"If we can gather the two keys, we would secure a safe path to the wall and many of its secrets and resources would be easy for us to claim…"
"This was also one of my Boss' objectives."
Hearing this, Dale asked:
"Objective? Does God... Your 'Boss' have any plans for Resko?"
"I don't know much to be sure, but it seems there is something over there she wants you to… Seek out?"
"It could've also been something for you to protect, or to retrieve, or simply observe and experience..."
"... Why so vague?"
'I didn't get a Quest marker for this... Is there something missing? Or is it that special?'
"The situation called for quick actions as the window of opportunity was short, and as I said, my Boss' actions are limited."
"Whatever it is, we'll find out once we're there."
"For now, bring me closer to the door and I'll…!"
But David quickly shut up, going back into his stony state.
"Hm?"
'He shut up so…'
'Wait…'
There would be only one circumstance where David would shut up suddenly like this, and that is when there is someone nearby!
Since there was only one way to this corridor, Dale grabbed his spear and stood his guard with his back facing toward the door.
/Step step…/
…
/A few minutes earlier, somewhere far away…/
Next to a lush and beautiful flat land, filled with all sorts of flowers blooming beautifully under the sun, a massive castle town could be seen shining in golden glory.
It had a Gothic architectural style, being massive and magnificent…
However, below the brightest lights lies the darkest shadow as right next to the Church stood a small town…
Filthy and dark, with the castle blocking out the entire light of the sun.
This town wasn't actually a town, but more of a disorganized assortment of tents and houses built from mud and wood.
The streets were dirty and they smelled of piss and dung, and there were all sorts of thugs and bad-looking people walking around with sharp eyes or hiding, observing the people that passed by, having one of their hands by their waist in case anyone dared to approach them...
But despite this entire filth, a beautiful black carriage made its way into the Castle at high speeds.
Filled with golden decorations and depictions of mythological creatures and plants, it clearly didn't belong in this place…
Perhaps, the worth of the carriage was larger than that of this entire town...
"Milady, we've arrived." Said the carriage driver, a middle-aged man with a butler outfit as he reigned in the unusual pure black horses
They were gorgeous, having long dark manes and brilliant blue eyes...
As for the butler, his semi-white hair was long and he showed no signs of baldness.
And despite having a long mustache and a thick pair of eyebrows, he had no beard.
/Whispers…/
From inside the carriage, faint sounds of discussion could be heard as the butler stepped out to open the door.
/Creak…/
And as he elegantly opened the door, a gentle yet firm tone resounded from inside the carriage:
"... is over!... I don't want to hear about this any longer, Fey." Said a beautiful girl as she grabbed onto the edges of the carriage's door, getting ready to step out
She seemed to be reprimanding another person, someone named Fey.
"Wait a minute M'Lady." The butler replied as he took something from a hidden compartment of the Carriage
It was a large, strange disc...
/Gasps…/
Meanwhile...
/Whispers.../
"It's her…" Whispered someone on the streets
"She's here again…"
"So beautiful…"
"Tsk!"
Soon enough, a beautiful lady in a fancy green dress descended from the carriage, but she did not step onto the muddy ground, instead, she waited for the butler to finish what he was doing.
He carefully laid the disk somewhere at the end of the Carriage's stairs, and against it all odds, it remained there, floating above the ground!
Once that was done, the girl took a step forward without hesitation.
And as she did so, someone followed:
"My lady, if you hate this filthy place, why do you insist on coming here every day?" Asked another girl but with a deeper voice from within the carriage
Soon enough, the owner of the voice appeared, another beautiful lady with short-cut dark hair and grayish medium plate armor.
She had the looks of a warrior with her muscles and equipment, even her eyes were sharp.
The small scar on her neck also seemed to prove that she wasn't inexperienced.
"I don't hate this filth, what I hate is the very existence of this place and the reason behind it." Replied the young lady without showing repulsion
Her hair was red, making a deep contrast with her green dress.
She had a collar on her neck with a dark gem at the end of it.
Her eyes were blue and she was extremely good-looking…
But her eyes were sharp, she didn't look naive.
(Image for all 3?)
"Another thing that I hate is how you and Xon are always forcing me to wear these fancy things, don't get me wrong, I find them all lovely, but this isn't the place nor the situation for me to wear them."
"Just let me use my other clothes, or do you want me to ruin them so much?" She asked as she looked at both the warrior girl and the driver, Xon
"My apologies milady, I just…" Said Xon with an apologetic expression
Seeing this, the red-haired girl let out a sigh before she said:
"I don't mind, we talked about this way too many times already…"
She looked at the beautiful castle with a bit of resentment and said:
"Let's go... Xon..."
"I already know M'Lady." He replied with a slight bow
Xon stayed behind to look after the carriage while Fey and the young woman approached the gates of the castle with their floating disk.
...
As they approached the gates, the filth became less and less prominent until it completely disappeared, as if the people were too scared to approach the castle past a certain point.
Another thing that started to appear was the people prostrating on the ground, praying.
"..."
This made the young lady even more resentful, but she pressed on.
Eventually, they arrived at a beautiful garden right in front of the front gate of the castle, where a beautiful statue of a man with a hammer and a sickle stood as he looked at the distant horizon.
It was a very detailed statue and it stood over 12 M tall. But there was one feature that was worth pointing out, and that was the fact its face was the perfect copy of David!
Upon looking at the statue, the woman also prayed, her words silent and short.
"... Why do you remain silent despite this suffering…" She muttered amidst her prayers
But before she could continue, she recovered her bearings and strict gaze.
The disk landed on the ground, allowing her to take a step forward and confront whatever she wanted to face...
Her guard looked at the gates and let out a disappointed sigh before she said:
"It's of no use milady, they closed their gates over 4 decades ago, and even now they rarely ever communicate with the outside…"
"They won't open the gates nor send a representative even after we sent them letters and waited."
"It isn't even worth it anymore to be angry at them..."
"..."
But the girl remained silent…
Her guard saw this and couldn't help but sigh again.
"Sigh…"
'It has already been a week… I wonder why the lady is so fixated on this…'
'It was too sudden... The Esteemed Lady, her grandmother, passed away recently, and she suddenly decided to come here of all places...'
'And things are starting to become dangerous, we've remained here for too long… If she doesn't set her mind on leaving within the next 3 days I will have to force her to.'
"..."
/Tremble…/
"Hm?"
Suddenly, the woman's collar started to vibrate and faint light started emanating from it…
/FIUM!/
"AH?!"
A golden beam was suddenly released from the statue's eyes, penetrating right into the girl's forehead…
/Thud…/
She fell weakly to the ground… Clutching her head with a frown.
But she did not utter a single word after her first surprised gasp.
"Erile! What happened?!" Exclaimed her guard as she kneeled on the ground quickly, trying to help her master
She opened her small backpack, taking out several colorful bottles filled with strange liquids and gasses...
"I'm… Okay… Just give me a few seconds…" The girl said as she massaged her temples gently
"But… That light!..."
"I'm fine, thank you for worrying… Just give me some time..." Erile replied as she got up, closing and opening her eyes as she regained her balance
When she got up on her feet, she looked at the statue with a complex gaze before she turned around and said:
"Let's go back."
"P-Pardon?" Asked Fey, confused
"Let's go back home, there is something I need to do." Erile added as she took a step back into the floating disk
"Y-Yes!" Fey said, still a bit confused due to how quickly things were progressing
/Tap tap/
/Tremble.../
She tapped with her foot on the disk, and with a slight tremble, it took off the ground.
And as the disk moved, Erile said with a serious tone:
"Also, start preparing for another journey as we won't remain there for long."
"We'll depart quickly soon after arriving."
"Wh... Really? But where are we going this time?"
The lady remained silent for a few moments until she said:
"The South… Way down South… To a place forgotten by most…"
This made Fey frown.
"Are we going to the border city of..."
"No, we're going past that, beyond the Mountains and the Desert..."
"Huh?... B-But why?! The South is extremely dangerous and it has been mostly abandoned since… Since..."
She didn't have the courage to continue with her words.
"It doesn't matter, we won't be going into the wild to explore."
"We'll be going there to mostly observe... And potentially, help."
"Observe?"
'Just... What is she on about this time?…'
But Erile didn't reply this time, opting to remain silent no matter how many times her guard asked…
Her eyes were clear, what she had to do was clear.
She may not understand, but she would follow the will of her grandmother... Wherever it led her.
…
/At the same time back in the Castle…/
"..."
Someone could be seen, hiding in the dark observing the two ladies leaving from within a window…
Not much could be seen of his face due to the angle the sun was in, but an elderly beard could be seen together with a pair of sickly fingers.
Without turning his back, he said:
"Call the Argons..."
"The trigger has been set…"
He looked at the two girls for a long time as they disappeared back into the slums before deciding:
"Send someone to tail after them as well, to see where they are going, but make sure to not be discovered."
"Mistakes won't be tolerated... We cannot afford to."
"Once their final destination has been discovered, report back to me."
"We'll proceed from there."
Without saying anything else, he turned around and left the room he was in.
…
/Somewhere in the Continent, a bit later that day…/
A man with a simple red garb, flowing red hair, and a thick beard made his way to a small wooden hut in the woods of an isolated forest.
/Knock knock knock.../
/Creaaak.../
He knocked on the door several times and eventually, the door opened on its own…
/Step.../
/Clack!/
...
As soon as he entered, the truth about this place was shown as a massive library revealed itself in front of him.
How could there be such a massive library within a simple hut?
Regardless of it all, there was no room for regrets as the door behind him had already closed.
"Hehehe..."
From within the labyrinth of bookcases, a raspy laugh echoed.
"You choose quite the time to visit…" Said an elderly voice somewhere from within the mountains of books
She couldn't be seen, but her voice echoed in the place, making determining her position impossible.
It was as if she was right in front of the man, but at the same time, everywhere.
"... You told me to come when the time was right." The man said as he pulled a book from a nearby shelf
"And you believe that time is right now?" The old lady asked, still not revealing herself
"Yes, I do."
"It has started, and I need to know where I should stand. For the sake of my people, of my Family, my Kingdom, and my legacy."
"Ohohoho… You come here in the name of the people, but not in the name of peace?"
"As long as my people are happy and well, then that is peace."
"Ohoho..."
"It is the fate of man to follow their heart and it is not my place to argue…"
"But so be it, as per my promise, my vow, and the duty bestowed upon me, I'll tell you what you desire." She said with a surprisingly gentle voice
/Step step…/
Slowly from within the depths of the Library, someone covered in a dark brown cloak walked towards the man.
"If you came to me during such times..."
"I want to know where I should stand... I cannot fail, I need assurance."
The old lady raised her tiny hand and shook her finger, negating him.
"There can be no assurance, as fate is unpredictable."
"The river of fate keeps diverging..."
"So what can you tell me?" He asked plainly
She remained pensive for a minute before she pulled a book from one of the shelves nearby.
This shelf was a bit strange, it floated in the air aimlessly, each book within it was different from the other...
She read through the book before closing it.
"When sleeping Demons awake… Amidst the setting sun… Beyond a broken dream..."
Her voice was constantly being cut, making the man feel as if someone was blocking his ears...
"Abandoned by those who once relied on it… Standing now in the center of the world..."
"Beyond our time, seeking the shadow of a Throne..."
/Tremble.../
The library started to tremble a little...
"As prophetized by those who carved the jade, and foretold by those who rejected the stone... Cursed by the ones who live below..."
"Red scales in the mist, dropping down from a floating tree..."
"In the place where the skies and the oceans meet, forgotten giants resurge!"
"Felt by the one who made the first song, and scorned by the first to cast metal..."
"As it has been foretold in the tales of old, the …"
/TREMBLE!/
But before the old lady could finish, the entire library started to shake, sending books flying all around and making several shelves collapse.
"It seems this is all I can say." The old lady said in disappointment
She turned around, walking back from where she came, saying:
"What a mess… Couldn't they have been a bit more gentle with this old woman?"
Meanwhile, the red-haired man stood there in deep contemplation, with a frown on his face.
"Oh! Because we were interrupted, I will give you a tip. Do what you wish with it." The old lady said
"Think deeply about how you're going to act from now on, do not be afraid of taking a step back to advance two..."
And she vanished beyond the falling piles of books.
"... A tip huh..." The man mumbled
He stood in place for a few more minutes before turning around and leaving.
His steps were heavier than before, but his expression was lighter as if he had taken a heavy weight off his shoulders.
The next day everyone would hear:
"THE PREVIOUS EMPEROR HAS RESIGNED, EMPEROR DAMILIER HAS RISEN TO THE THRONE!"
A new Era was coming...
...
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Notes
There is a lot to discuss, and I think I'll post an auxiliary chapter tomorrow talking about some of my predictions and thoughts about everything that has been going on.
See you tomorrow everyone! If you have any suggestions or thoughts about this, tell me in the comments!
I already made the new volume, but the name is temporary, I have to think about some things first...
It is a bit messy, but depending on what I do and decide I may have to change her prophecy a little.
It's simpler to make alterations to this prophecy than to be a complete slave of it.
Even though I thought about it a lot, who knows where this will go?
So please, take this calmly.
Peace