The simultaneous arrival of bad news and good news must be God’s mischievous prank.
Those who heard Haltbin’s report unanimously cursed the gods.
“His Highness David has awakened. And he has expressed his willingness to take charge of Gate 2.”
There was no better news among good news.
“Flames believed to be Ragnaros’s breath were seen at Gate 3. Should we assume Ragnaros has awakened?”
This was the worst of the bad news.
The expressions of those who encountered hope and despair simultaneously were peculiar.
It was an ambiguous moment, neither entirely joyous nor sorrowful.
At times like this, there’s only one thing to do.
“Let’s depart as soon as we’re ready. Is two days from now possible?” Elise made a bold decision.
“Even if it’s not, we’ll make it possible. We’ll depart.”
“We’ll open the teleport,” Ilaria suggested, standing up with Parrish.
“Will that be possible?”
“It might not be possible for everyone, but we’ll do our best.”
Ilaria looked back at Elise. Elise nodded and smiled.
“We’re grateful for the Ivory Tower’s support and dedication.”
“We’re thankful for the opportunity you’ve given us.”
Teleportation, while simple in principle, was a notoriously mana-consuming and inefficient magic.
That’s why even magicians rarely used teleportation. It often completely depletes mana, and recovery is slow in such cases.
This made Parrish’s decision more meaningful. It showed the Ivory Tower’s willingness to actively support the Continental Alliance.
“If teleportation is possible, we might be able to reduce the preparation time from two days to one,” Elise finished her calculation.
“But didn’t we say we need to attack simultaneously? How do we coordinate the timing?”
“No problem. Everyone, take one of these.”
Karan held out smooth gems that fit perfectly in the ear. The gems had magical patterns engraved in mysterious colors.
“They’ll connect us no matter where we are.”
These were communication stones created jointly by Elise and Karan.
“So, never take them out of your ears.”
“Good luck to everyone.”
Elise shared a light embrace with Ilaria, while Karan and Parrish exchanged formal bows.
The farewells were brief. They firmly believed they would meet again soon.
“It’s finally starting, Elise.”
Karan placed a communication stone in Elise’s hand.
“Remember. If you need help, call for me. Don’t hesitate.”
Karan fiddled with Elise’s fingers. These were the fingers imbued with his magic. He hesitated before speaking.
“Once the Ragnaros issue is resolved…”
Karan’s gaze intensified.
“I have something to tell you.”
“Something… to tell me?”
Karan had decided to properly confess his love for Elise after the subjugation of Ragnaros.
He also intended to tear up the contract they had written before their marriage.
If Elise doubted his feelings, he was prepared to reveal everything about his past self.
“Is it important, Your Highness? You could tell me now.”
Elise’s eyes wavered.
For a moment, a flicker of anxiety crossed her face, but Karan failed to notice it.
“No, Elise. After we subdue Ragnaros. It has to be then.”
“Why?”
“Well… because everything will be settled by then.”
When your past is completely over, that’s when you can truly move forward.
“Settled… you say.”
Elise’s voice lacked energy.
“Elise, are you nervous? Worried we won’t catch Ragnaros? Don’t worry. I will definitely catch him.”
“So, it’s for the sake of settling things?”
Karan nodded.
Elise gave a faint smile. However, the smile didn’t last long. Her solar plexus kept aching.
****
With the help of the Ivory Tower, Elise’s group was able to return to Tetris in an instant.
“Brother! Lady Elise!”
Cowett and Tyllo, who had been waiting after receiving prior notice, greeted them.
Karan embraced the approaching Cowett with a stiff face.
“Don’t run around. You’ll fall.”
“Yes, brother. More importantly, how are you? I heard you went through rough times in Dex territory and Bedrokka.”
While the clever Cowett inquired about Karan’s well-being verbally, Tyllo checked with his eyes.
“All preparations for the expedition are complete.”
They had prepared 100 warriors for Elise and Karan.
Thanks to the funds Elise had invested, they were able to gather ample supplies despite the rush.
“We can depart anytime.”
Karan checked the time. They had gained time thanks to the teleportation.
“I’ll wash up and have a meal first.”
Karan put Cowett down.
Karan and Elise headed to their respective bedrooms.
“I’ll see you at dinner, Your Highness.”
“Can’t we stay together?”
Karan was concerned about Elise, who seemed particularly downcast.
“I want to rest a bit too. And I want to wash up.”
We could wash together, couldn’t we?
Karan quickly dismissed the thought that suddenly occurred to him.
Tomorrow was truly an important day. So tonight, at least, he needed to let Elise rest comfortably.
“Alright. I’ll see you at dinner. You should rest well. Don’t think about anything.”
Karan left a kiss on Elise’s forehead and turned away.
Elise only entered her room after Karan had completely disappeared from sight.
“Lady Elise! You look terrible!”
Ruo and Fiona, who were tidying Elise’s room, rushed to her. The four, including Regina, had a warm reunion.
Ruo and Fiona seemed curious about what Elise had been through, but they didn’t ask.
Instead, they started filling the bathtub and unpacking the luggage they received from Regina.
“Wait, Ruo. Could you run an errand for me?”
“Yes.”
Ruo put down the dress she was holding.
“Call Feu for me.”
“You mean Feu the restorer, right?”
“Yes. He should be in his workshop. Tell him to bring his work as it is.”
“Will he know which item without me specifying?”
“Yes. I only entrusted him with one thing.”
Elise had sent the book she received from David to Feu for restoration.
Elise wanted to confirm something in that picture book.
‘There was definitely a scene of Ragnaros falling.’
If there was a scene of him falling, it meant there was also a scene of him being defeated.
‘Perhaps this picture book is not just a simple picture book.’
From ancient times, pictures were used as a means to convey wisdom.
Elise believed that this picture book was also a gift left by ancestors.
‘There was a magic circle that released Karan’s magic seal.’
So there might be clues to defeating Ragnaros in that picture book.
Elise decided to look for hope in the picture book.
****
Feu only came to see Elise after she had bathed and changed clothes.
He emanated intense fatigue.
Feu brought the book tightly wrapped again this time. It took a while just to unwrap the book.
“I couldn’t restore it completely. But I managed to restore over three-quarters. There shouldn’t be any difficulty in understanding the content through the pictures.”
“You’ve worked hard, Feu.”
Elise brought the picture book forward. She carefully turned the pages.
The lines and colors were certainly clearer than before, making it easier to view.
“About that book,” Feu began very cautiously. Elise’s hand stopped turning the pages.
“I found something strange. It looks like a magic circle, but I lack knowledge in that area, so I couldn’t touch it.”
Feu closed the book, expressing apology with his expression. He lifted one side of the cover, revealing another cover underneath.
“They hid this magic circle by attaching another cover on top. It was so well done that I only discovered there were two covers recently.”
Feu added that whoever made this book was truly skillful.
Elise nodded absently while closely examining the magic circle.
“It’s a magic circle related to language.”
Magic circles had patterns specific to their types.
“Regina, could you bring me a pen?”
“What are you planning to do, Miss?”
Regina hesitantly held out an engraving pen. Elise took it and infused it with mana.
The mysterious-colored mana quickly filled the engraving pen, forming a shimmering droplet at its tip.
“What else? I’m going to activate it.”
“Miss, isn’t that dangerous?”
Regina got scared in advance. Elise smiled lightly and deliberately exhaled slowly.
The tip of her pen touched the magic circle. Elise’s magic was sufficient to activate such a small magic circle. As Elise applied pressure, the split pen tip opened, allowing mana to flow into the magic circle.
A slight vibration was felt through the engraving pen, but nothing happened.
Regina took a deep breath and sighed in relief.
“Looks like it was nothing, Miss….Miss?”
But Elise’s reaction was strange.
