Eleris moved quickly. Suspecting that Charlotte de Gradias' pursuit might begin, Eleris took action.
"It's going to be cold. You need to dress warmly."
Since they were already heading towards the polar region in winter, Eleris made sure to dress Lydia Schmitt in a thick coat and winter clothing.
Aside from that, Eleris only packed the most essential items.
There was no particular sentiment in leaving the Royal Road for Eleris. After all, it was a place she could return to at any time.
However, the knowledge that her return to the Vampire Council marked the beginning of a significant shift weighed heavily on her heart.
Something was about to begin.
A path that would either protect the world or lead to its destruction, she couldn't tell which.
Hoping that Valier's words were true, Eleris cast Mass Teleport.
-Whoosh
The location was known as the Epiaux fortress among humans, but its original purpose was to serve as a gathering place for the noble vampire families.
Eleris arrived at the snow-covered fortress with Lydia Schmitt.
"…Where is this?"
"Have you been here before? I heard the last time His Highness visited was during the Temple group mission."
"No, this is my first time… here."
"There probably won't be anyone else here… but just in case, don't stray too far from me."
Shivering, Lydia followed Eleris as she led the way. Eleris opened the side door to the cold, desolate fortress and entered.
-Uhh… sob… sob…
"Wh-who… who's there?!"
Lydia was alarmed by the sounds of sobbing echoing throughout the place.
"Low-level spirits," Eleris replied.
Though merely low-ranking apparitions, they were irritating. Lydia Schmitt's face turned pale as she watched the ghosts phase through the walls at will.
What kind of place is this?
Ideally, she would think only of eradicating such impure beings, but the deeply ingrained fear within her made her feel weak.
The sound of Eleris's calm footsteps echoed through the cold, gloomy corridor.
"From now on, I won't be monitoring you closely. You won't even know where you are, and there's no human habitation within hundreds of kilometers of this place. If you try to escape, I will come after you, but not to punish you—it's because I'm afraid you'll die."
At Eleris's words, Lydia Schmitt simply nodded blankly.
"Don't worry, I'll take care of your food, clothing, and shelter."
Only a mage capable of using teleportation magic could even reach this environment. If Eleris were to leave Lydia here and go away, she would inevitably wither away and die.
"But if you commit suicide because I'm not monitoring you, I'll turn you into a vampire out of spite."
Eleris turned to look at Lydia as they spoke.
"Do you understand?"
"…Yes."
"When I deem you safe, and with His Majesty's permission, I will set you free. I can't say when that'll be, but it won't be forever."
At those words, a small glimmer of hope seemed to ignite in Lydia's heart.
The vampire before her was not the evil creature she had imagined.
Though her existence might be wicked, her disposition was not.
In the end, Lydia Schmitt surrenders to the tender and sad smile directed towards her by Eleris.
Therefore, Lydia Schmitt clings to hope.
Hope.
Unaware that it is always the precursor to greater despair.
-Step, step
Then, Eleris halts at the sound of footsteps echoing from afar.
"It seems we have a visitor."
Aside from the lower spirits, someone else is in the Epiaux.
Eleris stops in the castle corridor, looking into the darkness to see someone approaching. She glances at Lydia and puts her index finger to her lips.
"Don't say anything. Don't even look."
Heeding the seemingly cautious words, Lydia nods and lowers her head.
The figure soon emerges from the darkness of the corridor.
White hair, black eyes. An elderly man, clad in a black suit and carrying an antique wooden cane.
"It's been a while, Eleris."
"…It has, Antirianus."
Despite the old man appearing older at first glance, it was strange for Lydia to see him addressing the seemingly young woman Eleris with respect.
"I heard a meeting was to be held, so I came a bit early and have been staying here… And you've brought a curious one with you."
The man called Antirianus looks at Lydia, who stands trembling behind Eleris.
"And now, you plan to bring an even more bizarre one?"
"Don't use the term 'bizarre.' He is my liege."
At those words, a smile played at the corners of Antirianus's mouth.
"My liege… my liege, you say…"
"…"
Unable to suppress his laughter, Eleris's expression hardens.
"Does the young Demon King know who you are?"
"He doesn't. And he won't in the future, either."
"Oh, in that case, everyone in the Council must be cautious."
Lydia Schmitt couldn't understand the conversation.
"Everyone will begin to gather soon. Once they do, the meeting called by the Lord of Tuesday will commence."
Leaving behind an ambiguous smile, the old man called Antirianus slowly distanced himself from them. Eleris looks at Lydia.
"Lydia."
"…"
"You can speak now."
"Ah, yes…"
Afraid that speaking would cause trouble when told to be quiet, Lydia only opens her mouth after Eleris's words.
"I don't think anyone will harm you, but it's better not to converse with beings other than me."
Eleris spoke to Lydia, "Remember, you are the only human here."
Eleris sternly warned her.
——
Southwest of Kernstadt, the Second Empire, near the border in the frontier.
Few people knew of the existence of such a village.
A rural village, Rezaira.
The hometown of Ragan Artorious and Ellen.
After a long time, Ellen had returned to her hometown, Rezaira. The villagers welcomed her warmly, and Ellen, originally from the countryside, felt at ease with her hair tied back casually as before.
She caught up with her old friends and told them about the empire.
Everything that held no fascination for Ellen was a series of wonders for the children of Rezaira, such as the magic trains.
The village held a feast to celebrate Ellen's return during her break. Generous servings of meat and bread filled the banquet table.
After the surprisingly lavish feast for a rural village, Ellen went on a nighttime walk with her parents for the first time in a long while.
On the northern hillside of Rezaira at night, Ellen sat between her mother and father.
Ellen shared various stories.
The experiences she had at the temple, the tales of her many new friends.
Her parents were delighted that Ellen seemed to be living a pure and happy life.
However, as she shared these seemingly insignificant stories, Ellen's heart grew heavier.
Although the conversation began with light-hearted stories, inevitably, only the heavy stories remained.
There were things she didn't want to discuss, but she had to.
Ellen had come home for a break.
Although she had returned to rest, Ellen had something to tell her parents.
Something she needed to say.
The full moon shone brightly in the winter night sky.
After sitting quietly for a while, Ellen softly spoke.
"It seems the Demon King is not dead or a new one has appeared."
"…"
"…"
At her words, both of Ellen's parents' expressions hardened. Just as Ellen had lost her brother to the Demon King, they too had lost their son.
The name of the Demon King was not one to be taken lightly.
"I met with His Majesty the Emperor a while ago."
Ellen's parents listened quietly to her story.
"He asked if I could fight the Demon King… I heard such words."
Ellen's mother gently took her hand. Her father wrapped his arm around her shoulder.
"I still can't understand my brother."
"But, if the Demon King is the one who wants the things I love to disappear, if the Demon King is such an entity."
"I said I would fight the Demon King."
Ellen looked at her parents.
"I'm sorry."
They had lost their son in the fight against the Demon King and now, they might have to lose their daughter in the next battle. Ellen didn't want to bring such sorrow to her parents.
But Ellen knew it too.
If only Ragan Artorius could have stood up against the Demon King, then she would be the only one who could stand up against the next Demon King.
But she wasn't alone.
She had people who would fight with her. That's why Ellen could make that resolution.
If the world was going to force her to defeat the Demon King, she would have no choice but to accept her fate. She apologized to her parents, who were standing in front of their daughter.
Their daughter who had decided to risk her life in a battle at such a young age.
Ellen's mother and father exchanged glances.
"Ellen, can we talk to you separately for a moment?"
"Yeah."
"Just wait a moment."
As if they had something to discuss with each other, Ellen's mother and father left her sitting there and went off somewhere.
Ellen gazed up at the sky in silence.
She didn't know what her mother and father had talked about when her brother was outside dealing with various matters.
There were times when he would come back in the middle of the night, gently stroke her sleeping head by her bedside, and leave again.
Her brother always shared important matters with their parents, and she was never a part of those conversations.
Ellen didn't know what her parents thought about her brother's decisions and actions.
All she remembered was being slapped by her usually gentle father when she had badmouthed her brother's final moments.
It was a rainy day.
Her mother and father must have been more heartbroken.
Ellen still hated herself for that time.
Now, time had passed, and her parents were faced with a daughter who had made the same choice as their son.
Ellen couldn't imagine how they must have felt.
Would her parents oppose it?
Having already lost a son like that, they wouldn't want their daughter to be involved in such a dangerous situation, would they?
What should she do then?
If she didn't fight, Reinhardt would have to fight alone. Of course, Reinhardt wouldn't be alone, but in a situation where they needed someone with a sacred artifact, if she backed out…
If the world wanted a second hero and Ellen wasn't there…
Reinhardt would be forced to become that second hero.
Avoiding a battle against a powerful, unknown entity would put Reinhardt in even greater danger.
That's why Ellen couldn't choose to avoid the fight.
After a while, her parents returned.
Her mother took Ellen's hand.
"My daughter."
Ellen met her mother's sorrowful eyes.
"Can't you change your mind?"
"……"
Of course, they had no choice but to oppose such a decision. They had already lost a son in a similar situation, and the thought of their daughter doing the same would be devastating.
Ellen lowered her gaze.
"……I'm sorry, Mom. Dad."
She couldn't not fight.
Especially since she wasn't alone.
If she didn't step forward, Reinhardt would have to stand alone in front of the Demon King.
That's why Ellen felt even more guilty in front of her grieving parents' plea. Neither her mother nor father spoke for a while.
Ellen did not try to persuade or plead for long.
When her daughter spoke to that extent, it was as if they knew they couldn't change her stubbornness.
Parents can't help but know their child well.
"Then let's go somewhere with your mother and father for a moment."
"Where?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Her mother took Ellen's hand, helped her up, and led the way.
Being familiar with hiking, both Ellen's mother and father found their way easily, even in the middle of the night.
The place where Ellen's family arrived was a valley near the village of Rezaira.
It was a place familiar to Ellen as well, for whenever she played in the water as a child, it was always here.
Her mother slowly approached the rather massive frozen waterfall in the valley and gently touched the icy wall.
"…?"
Ellen couldn't help but be flabbergasted by the scene unfolding before her eyes.
As if the space itself had become distorted, suddenly, the center of the frozen waterfall split wide open.
It wasn't that the ice had shattered; it seemed as if the space itself had been intruded upon and a gap had been created.
"W-what… What is this?"
Ellen, seeing this spectacle for the first time in her life, couldn't find the words to say. However, her mother and father calmly held Ellen's hand and stepped into the interior of the waterfall.
It was Ellen who had lived here all her life.
But it was the first time she had seen this space behind the occasional waterfall in the valley.
She had seen the waterfall blocked off several times.
But there was a cave behind it.
"Ellen, follow us for now."
Her mother led the way, and as her father manipulated something nearby, a dim light began to swirl around the cave.
In the pale blue light, Ellen, unable to understand the situation, slowly walked into the cave, following her parents' lead.
"Your brother didn't intend to go on an adventure from the beginning."
"What… do you mean?"
"He originally left the village to find 'a certain item'. Because Ragan was so talented, the village council decided on it."
Ellen was completely unaware of this.
She thought Ragan Artorius was just a free spirit who enjoyed adventures, but that wasn't the case at all.
What kind of place was Rezaira?
Ellen realized she didn't know anything about the place where she had spent her entire life.
"So, he met many people, experienced many things, and made many friends. Eventually, he came to think of the world's matters as more important than those of the village… That's what happened."
"What is… what is it? Our village… what is it?"
"Later."
Her mother held Ellen's hand.
"I'll tell you later, my daughter."
It was her mother's words.
"One of the things Ragan set out to find was the very Lament you possess, Ellen."
It was her father's words.
Soon, the cave began to take on a structure similar to a building.
In the corridor with well-polished walls, numerous passages and hallways appeared before Ellen's eyes, following the pale light.
Ellen couldn't see what was in that place. As if there was a predetermined destination, her parents led her through the cave inside the waterfall toward a specific location.
-Pop!
As the light illuminated the cavity, Ellen could see something in the middle of the empty space.
There, a cloak emitting a blazing light like flames flickered as if it were fire itself.
"This… this is…"
Ellen's eyes widened as if they were about to tear apart upon seeing it.
"This is one of the two items Ragan set out to find, along with your Lament."
The Cloak of the Sun God.
The Holy Relic of Shal'am.
Lapelt.
It was right in front of Ellen's eyes.
Her mother, holding the Cloak of the Sun God, slowly approached and carefully draped it over Ellen's shoulders.
"May the blessings of the moon and sun be with you."
With those words, her mother gently kissed Ellen's forehead.