Though he'd only spent a day with this supposed great-great-great-great... granddaughter, Gawain already had a deep impression of Rebecca. More than once, he wondered if this child had somehow managed to get her head squeezed in something as a kid…
Logically speaking, it shouldn't be possible. Setting aside the elite education all noble children received, her status as a mage should also suggest a certain level of intelligence. After all, the average person couldn't casually conjure large fireballs.
But as for the others, none of them had the energy to worry about Rebecca's mindless chatter at the moment. Even Herti, who was normally strict with Rebecca, was left with a deep sense of worry. "Are you saying… the creatures appearing in Cecil Territory are the same monsters from seven hundred years ago?"
Gawain sighed, "Judging by how unfamiliar you all are with these creatures, it seems they haven't been seen in hundreds of years."
"After the Expansion Era, those years of war with monsters became just history," Herti shook her head gently. "While recorded in the archives, the latest entries are from at least six hundred years ago… According to what I know, the monsters that wandered out of the old empire's wastelands did indeed harass Ansu for a long time. But ever since the elves helped humanity build those Sentinel Towers, the monsters faded into legend…"
Gawain frowned slightly. "The Sentinel Towers… The elves' handiwork shouldn't fail so easily."
"We must inform His Majesty about this," Rebecca suddenly clenched her fist and said solemnly. "Creatures that disappeared centuries ago reappearing within the empire's borders… we must get this information back as soon as possible. And the devastation in Cecil Territory from this disaster is severe… We… we must seek aid from the royal family…"
Thinking of "his" legendary achievements from centuries past, Gawain grinned with confidence. "Don't worry. Given the Cecil family's standing in Ansu and the influence I left behind, Saint Sunil should spare no effort in helping you rebuild the territory."
Unexpectedly, as soon as he said this, Herti and Rebecca's faces didn't relax. Instead, they looked at him with strange expressions.
Gawain was puzzled. "Uh… what's going on?"
Could it be that after seven centuries, no one in this country recognized the name of the legendary founder, Gawain Cecil?
"Ancestor…" Herti looked extremely uncomfortable. She bit her lip several times as if struggling to say something before finally gathering the courage to speak. "I wanted to tell you something back in the tomb, but… I couldn't bring myself to say it."
Gawain had a vague sense of foreboding but nodded anyway. "Go ahead. I'm listening."
"The glory of the Cecil family is no longer what it once was. While you're still regarded as a legendary founding duke across the kingdom, the reality is…" Herti glanced awkwardly at Rebecca, "the title Rebecca currently holds is only that of a viscount. And this Cecil Territory… it's the family's last remaining piece of land."
Gawain was dumbfounded. "...What?! When I 'died,' I held the title of duke, a hereditary title at that! My territory stretched from Cecil to the Sacred Plains… what in the world did the later Cecils do? Regicide? Rebellion?"
Herti lowered her head in shame. "…Seven hundred years is a long time, for both the family and this country. Ansu is no longer under the First Dynasty but the Second. The Cecil family is no longer among the royal family's great vassals but rather outcasts, bearing shame and banished by the royal court."
Rebecca took over, "A hundred years ago, the last king of Ansu's First Dynasty, Darian III, died of a sudden illness without an heir. At that time, internal conflicts were already rife in the royal family, and even Darian III's own claim to the throne had been contested. After his death, neither the queen nor the regent managed to control the situation, leading to the 'Mistmonth Uprising.'
"Members of the royal family with collateral rights to the throne vied for power during Mistmonth of 635, turning the palace conflict into a full-blown civil war by the third week. The royal family members and the powerful nobles backing them began open warfare—and the Cecil family was dragged into it…
"It all started with Marquis Grumman. At that time, the Duke of Cecil was elderly but still healthy, though his relationship with his eldest son, Grumman Cecil, was tense. Perhaps sensing a crisis, Grumman hatched a secret plan and got involved in the civil war. Lacking the full authority of the family, he leveraged the legacy of his legendary ancestor…"
Gawain rubbed his forehead. "I remember now… he took my shield, didn't he?"
Herti nodded, then continued the story for Rebecca. "Marquis Grumman first confined the Duke, then took your sacred relic, the Shield of the Kingdom's Protector, from the family tomb. He then declared his support for Prince Tosh in the name of the Cecil heir. In March of that year, Prince Tosh was assassinated. Grumman quickly shifted allegiance to Prince Fiddick, only for Fiddick to fall in battle and take his own life in April…"
Gawain: "…"
But there was more. Herti continued, "After that, Grumman sought an alliance with one of Darian III's uncles. He used his excellent rhetoric to forge a partnership, but two months later, the Northern Grand Duke, Byron Wild, suddenly introduced a young boy, claiming he was a long-lost royal child. Using this boy as a bargaining chip, the Northern Duke joined the civil war. By the end of Mistmonth in 636, the war concluded. Before Grumman could switch sides once again, he was slain on the battlefield, attacked by both allies and enemies."
"Thus, the Second Dynasty began. That term… remains sensitive," Herti said.
At this moment, Amber, who had been listening quietly, sighed, "That farce lasted only a year but reshuffled the kingdom's entire order… Everyone on the continent knows this part of history."
"Because the throne was claimed by an illegitimate child, it's commonly called the 'Bastard's War,'" Herti added. "Numerous major noble families were involved, but it was still part of the nobility's rules. And given the chaos at the founding of the Second Dynasty, the new king desperately needed the old nobles' support to stabilize order, so most families weren't completely eradicated… except…"
"Except for those who stirred the pot the most, right?" Gawain's lips twitched. The sheer absurdity of the story left even him, a soul who had observed humanity from the skies for tens of thousands of years, with a sense of discomfort. Real life was truly stranger than fiction—at least novels adhered to basic logic. How did Marquis Grumman manage to be so… gifted? "I doubt anyone could stir things up more than Grumman Cecil."
"The Cecil family has been in decline ever since," Herti lowered her head. "Were it not for your reputation and the old duke's efforts, the bloodline and this last piece of land would have been lost. But from then on, the name 'Cecil' never again took center stage in the kingdom, as you can see…"
Gawain followed Herti's gaze to the peculiar Rebecca Cecil.
Rebecca, noticing his look, turned to him. "Ancestor?"
"A disgrace to the family, truly a disgrace…" Gawain covered his forehead. Although he wasn't the real Cecil ancestor, the sheer scale of Marquis Grumman's blunders was enough to make anyone feel embarrassed. "And he even lost my shield…"
Herti & Rebecca: "…"
The ancestor cursed their great-grandfather again; as juniors, they knew better than to comment.
Fortunately, Gawain quickly steadied himself. In Herti's eyes, this looked like remarkable composure. He gave a small shake of his head. "No use dwelling on the past; it doesn't help us now. Those creatures, reappearing after so long, are a massive threat to humanity. The king of Saint Sunil might ignore the fallen Cecil family, but he can't overlook these monsters. As a result, he has no choice but to recognize us as survivors of this disaster."
Herti nodded firmly. "Wise words, Ancestor."
After that, Gawain had little interest in further conversation. The dim, narrow underground passage dulled any desire for talk, and all that remained was to pick up the pace.
Fortunately, the straight underground path allowed them to traverse Cecil Territory quickly. When they finally reached a suitable exit, Gawain used his memories to confirm their location.
Thanks to the blessing of the earth elementals, the old stairs had held up, and the area around the exit was remarkably clear. After removing some tree roots, vines, and loose dirt, fresh air finally brushed against everyone's faces.
They had finally returned to the surface.
Knight Byron and the soldiers climbed out first to ensure safety. After they signaled, the others followed. Rebecca climbed up and took a deep breath, joyfully whispering, "We made it out!"
Gawain was right behind her, equally elated, if not more.
A vast world stretched out before him.
His first instinct was to look up at the sky.
Unfortunately, it was night.
Yet he welcomed the darkness, for it allowed him his first view of this world's stars.
A faint light appeared on the horizon as dawn approached, and the stars grew faint and distant, shrouded in mist.
These were entirely unfamiliar stars.
The light on the horizon grew brighter,
signaling the end of night and the arrival of dawn. Everyone felt a profound joy at their escape, and Gawain, with a unique excitement, turned to face the rising sun. He opened his arms as if to embrace this world's new dawn.
And then he saw a massive, glowing arc slowly rise over the horizon, casting its light across the land.
It was not the sun.