Chương 62: The Mountain's Price (II)

The hall was immense and filled with people. But unlike the palace parties little Saelith was used to, the atmosphere this time was solemn. Everyone present wore long red robes. The only exceptions were the two figures lying among flowers on an altar at the center of the hall. Theirs were white. Sae knew those two figures. They were her parents. The little girl, who could not have been more than six years old, looked around, trying to find some explanation for what was happening.

That was when she felt one of her hands being gently squeezed. When she looked up, she found the warm smile of her grandfather, Archon Thaelor. But while that reassuring smile was filled with affection, the Archon's eyes hid a sorrow as deep as the waters surrounding Atlenia. Sae, who had always been sensitive to the emotions of others, took her grandfather's hand between both of her small ones and squeezed it tightly.

Thaelor was surprised for a moment, not expecting so much strength from his little granddaughter, but it did not take him long to bend down and embrace her. As she felt her grandfather's arms around her, Sae's vision began to blur, just as a funeral choir began to echo softly through the hall.

"Mm?" An older Sae rubbed her eyes as she sat up on the grass.

"Why... that dream again, now?"

"Ah! Sae! You're finally awake!" Ily ran over to her, followed by Nerez and Cerys, whose gaze was lost in the distance.

"I'm very sorry, Lord Nereziel. I was the one who insisted on accompanying you to explore the valley, and now I'm making you waste your time..."

"That's right, Sae!" Ily scolded her, hands on her hips.

"This is one of the last chances we'll have to accompany Lord Nereziel before he continues his journey through the underworld. We have to make the most of it!"

"I have no idea what you're hoping to accomplish... but I'm sure it's nothing good," Nerez sighed.

"Lord Nereziel! How could you say that about the intentions of a girl as cute and pure as me?!" Ily lifted one leg and stuck out her tongue, trying to strike some sort of pose that was probably very adorable in her mind.... If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Well, ignoring Ily..."

"Don't ignore me!"

"Sae, you don't need to worry. It's only natural that you needed some rest," Nerez continued, definitely ignoring Ily.

"In fact, even if the visiare have far greater physical capabilities than humans, it's surprising that you were able to keep up with Cerys and me. Ily is the exception, of course. I don't know what she's made of that she still hasn't gotten tired."

"Of pure cuteness?"

"I'm not particularly knowledgeable about humans, but thank you, Lord Nereziel!" Sae replied, also ignoring Ily, as she got to her feet.

"I'm all right now. That little nap restored all my energy."

"That's great and all, but I think we should end the exploration here." Cerys approached them with her gigantic scythe already summoned and an expression more serious than usual.

"Did something happen?" Sae asked, while Ily, beside her, also looked at the redhead curiously. Cerys merely pointed in one direction, the same one where the camp was located. Nerez had already turned his gaze that way. The Godscript had given him bad news. Sae and Ily focused their gazes and could make out columns of smoke beginning to rise from the familiar fork in the river.

"Let's hurry."

"Wha-?!" In a single movement, Nerez scooped Sae into his arms, ready to break into a run.

"And me?" Ily asked, but the answer came immediately. More specifically, Cerys appeared and slung her over her shoulder. Ily did not even have time to complain before she found herself in the air after Cerys's tremendous leap. The four of them rushed back toward the camp at full speed.

The smell of blood and charred bodies filled the gigantic cavern. The war cries were quickly being replaced by groans of pain. Little to nothing remained of Morokar's proud army, and the gigantic orc knew he was defeated. His vision was somewhat blurred from all the blood he had lost, but that did not make him grip his axe any less tightly when he heard approaching footsteps. By then, though, it was more an act of pride than anything else, since his knees had given out long ago and he was kneeling on the ground.

With difficulty, he raised his eyes, and the figure of a young demon watching him with a cruel smile took shape in his dull gaze.

"Is this the first time you've faced demons, beast?" Drazel asked with morbid curiosity.

"Otherwise, I can't explain how you even thought you could stand against us." The gigantic orc managed a smile, and a thin line of blood slipped from the corner of his lips and ran down his neck. After that, he muttered a few words in his own language, incomprehensible to Drazel. Their languages might have been different, but Morokar knew he had just been insulted. Once he finished speaking, he spat on the demon's polished boots. That only made Drazel's smile widen, now with a deranged edge to it.!!

For an instant, the light returned to Morokar's eyes. The next moment, the warlord lunged at his opponent with his axe raised high. Swoosh But it truly was only an instant, because the light vanished again at the same time Morokar's head rolled across the ground. At his side, Drazel licked his long, bloodstained nails with an expression of sadistic delight.

"Drazel!" Drazira descended beside him with a troubled expression on her face.

"What is it, dear sister? Why so startled?" The smile disappeared from Drazel's face as he shook the remaining blood away with a casual gesture of his hand.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Drazira exclaimed. Her raised hand pointed at a pair of demons moving across the battlefield with glowing stones in their hands.

"Do you mean the netherite stones? As you can see, they're absorbing some of the souls of the fallen."

"I'm asking why you're doing it!" Drazira snapped furiously.

"You know our father forbade interfering with souls! That is the domain of the gods!"

"Why am I doing it?" Drazel let out a dry laugh and took a few steps forward, leaving his sister behind.

"Because serving the Titan is only the first part of my plan. My ambition goes far beyond that."