Nono had promised Niveus she would be honest and tell everything Niveus was curious about.
Everything except the future, because being all-knowing didn't mean one also knew the future. However, despite saying this, Nono dropped a huge ticking bomb of information.
"The world will end soon."
She didn't elaborate on how short the "soon" was, which caused Niveus to overthink it for a few days when he finally recalled his comic's prologue.
It was a bizarre thought to link the prologue in "Saving The World Once Again," where the protagonist's world was nearing its ending with Nono's word of prophecy.
But he couldn't help but think that way.
All this time, fragmented settings of the game and comic were mixed up in this world. And maybe the event in that prologue could well happen here.
It was not like he could know what or when something in his game and comic appeared—no, it was more like he didn't remember clearly how the story was in both titles.
Well, unless he stumbled upon them accidentally. Sometimes, it seemed like the memory was just unlocked when that happened.
Fortunately, Niveus could now confirm some facts he remembered from the game and comic, which all existed in this world, to Nono.
Back to what Nono had said about the world would end soon, Niveus recalled the prologue of his comic. But after some thought, he discarded the suspicion as the comic's world setting was set in a modern world.
'Then what could it be? How would this world meet its end?'
There were too many scenarios to consider, which was wasteful if Niveus thought about them. So, on the day the invitation letter was sent to him, Niveus stopped thinking about Nono's words and focused on the present.
The trio, Niveus, Alphonso, and Eliana, boarded a horse carriage heading to the only city in Salhju County.
Of course, they were not just free-riding. They also escorted and guarded it, ready to drive away anything that dared to attack the carriage.
It would take a week to reach the city at their current, normal travel speed, assuming no obstacles delayed them.
However, in Salhju, a remote region bordered by three foreign lands—Snow Desert to the north, the Great Forest to the west, and Mountain Ranges to the south—the chances of a safe journey were extremely low.
Adding to the danger, beasts and bandits prowled within the county itself, constantly on the hunt for prey. Due to these threats, the kingdom's special troop—Glacend Knight, formerly Vanguard—was likely stationed in the region.
Salhju was a small county with only two baronies. The castle and fortresses were strategically built along the outer border, while the city was safely nestled near the inner border.
Speaking about danger...
It had been only a few days of travel, but the carriage was suddenly stopped by those stupid bandits, who thought they were scary just because the knights of the respective fortresses didn't chase them.
The area where the trio's carriage was intercepted by the bandits was another fortress's responsibility. But it seemed they didn't do their job correctly.
But as expected from the trio, they swiftly resolved it without breaking a sweat.
"Wait! Are we killing them?" Eliana, still new to the idea of killing bandits on the spot instead of subduing and capturing them, hesitated.
Eliana had no problem with injuring humans, but killing them was too much. Yes, she did kill monsters and beasts, but to her, they were different.
"Is that how you do it in the empire?"
Eliana was stunned by Alphonso's question. Indeed, she was in the empire no more. She shouldn't have viewed the method and life in the kingdom, especially in a remote region like Salhju, the same as in the empire.
Stabbing one of the bandits in the heart, Niveus turned to Eliana, his expression hidden beneath the full-faced armor helmet.
"Bandits have no right to life. They are irredeemable," he said as he ended another soul.
Alphonso also ended one of them, pulling his sword and glancing at Eliana with a smirk.
"Do you want to try bringing judgment to them?"
Eliana looked at Alphonso and Niveus back and forth. Her expression was as if saying, "These people are insane," but still ended up executing one bandit.
After all the bandits were killed on the spot, they resumed their travel.
Eliana couldn't stop staring at her hands. The very hands that just killed a person. Her own kind. She couldn't believe she just did that.
Noticing Eliana's bitter and guilty face, Niveus said abruptly.
"Within the Elven Society, there are many kinds of Elves. Among them are Wood Elves, Dark Elves, and High Elves. Then, among the Dwarves, there are Highland Dwarves, Earthborn Dwarves, and Urban Dwarves."
Alphonso raised an eyebrow at Niveus when he started speaking. Meanwhile, Eliana glanced at him, curious what he was going to say.
"We humans are no different."
"Vyrmorian," Niveus gestured at Eliana. "The bloodline-bearing humans."
After that, he gestured at Alphonso and himself. "Aetherian, the magic-vessel humans."
Then he turned in the direction of where they had encountered the bandits. "And those guys, the worthless insignificant humans that wouldn't harm the world even if you killed them."
Eliana fell silent, absorbing Niveus's words.
She had been raised in a society where every life had some value, where even criminals were given a chance at redemption. But here, in this remote and unforgiving region, the rules were different.
Bandits were seen as irredeemable, a blight on the land, and their deaths were not only necessary but expected.
Still, her hands trembled slightly as she stared at them, her mind replaying the moment when she had ended a life.
She felt Alphonso's gaze, but he said nothing.
Niveus, on the other hand, seemed completely unfazed. His calm demeanor, even in the face of such brutality, made Eliana wonder just how much he had seen—and how much he had endured.
["You're a bit harsh, but I approved,"] Nono's voice suddenly echoed in Niveus's mind.
'Well, it'd be better for her if she changed her view slightly, right? Especially after you told me the world would end sooner or later. But before that happens, the world will be in chaos, which is not the place for the faint heart.'
["You're right."]