77 – 33. Reunion (1)
The battle between demons and humans was inseparable from the history of this continent.
The moment they recognized each other’s existence. Relentlessly, they clashed, and in the process, many sacrifices were made.
‘Of course, the ones who suffered the most were the humans.’
Unlike those who used magic as naturally as their own bodies from the moment they were born, humans had to exert effort even to manipulate mana, as if drawing blood.
Even if one became skilled at handling mana, the situation didn’t improve.
While wasting time on training, the demons weren’t just sitting idly by.
‘Because of the demons multiplying like crazy and those who betrayed humans, the number of enemies skyrocketed.’
Defending against endless foes was nearly impossible, and miracles were not a common occurrence.
In the end, humans found themselves in a situation where they had to prepare for the ultimate battle.
It was the moment when words like ‘it’s over’ and ‘there’s no chance of winning’ naturally flowed from their mouths.
‘The one who handled that was none other than the hero.’
The moment the long-awaited miracle happened.
Heroes, beings awakened by the grace of Eris, the goddess of peace, appeared, and change began.
‘They swept away the surging demons and reclaimed all the territories that had been captured.’
After that, it became a cycle. Demons attack, heroes appear to resolve the crisis, and after a few decades, it repeats.
Humans and demons fought tirelessly until the current Callos Empire was established, and many heroes were born throughout the grand history.
‘People didn’t forget the efforts of the heroes who created a salvation-like mission, and they began to honor them.’
Forgetting history was not an option. And so, Edenria decided to take action.
They designated the weapons used by the previous heroes, excluding Elysion, as national treasures and stored them in the hidden vault of Edenria.
‘Yes. It’s nothing less than the highest level of security, all in honor of the heroes.’
That was the reason.
‘But why on earth should this be here in the report?’
The reason Ian was surprised at the identity of the object Raymond had presented.
Inside the box was a small ring. A plain silver ring with no special decoration,
However, Ian knew well what the object was.
‘The Guardian’s Silver Ring…. I’m not exactly sure, but wasn’t it an item used by the previous hero?’
The moment you put it on, it not only granted divine power but also allowed you to convert your attributes into the attribute of light for a certain period.
Unlike previous heroes, who were awakened as heroes through the attribute of light, Ian, born with the attribute of darkness, couldn’t use the holy sword, so he created this item.
Did Raymond really prepare such a precious thing as a gift?
‘Ah… no, it can’t be. No matter how it’s Raymond….’
He couldn’t possibly hand over Edenria’s national treasure to someone from the Empire.
Even if the hero Aria herself came, it was a difficult item to see in person.
“Why are you showing this to me?”
Surely he wasn’t trying to give it to him. Thinking that, he shifted his gaze. However, Raymond just smiled, seemingly pleased with something.
“Yes, the Guardian’s Silver Ring. This is the reward we’ve decided to give you, Ian-nim.”
“You’re giving me the Guardian’s Silver Ring? Why on earth….”
“I understand what you want to say. It’s not an ordinary item.”
Raymond, with a smiling face, looked at the silver ring with a benevolent expression and continued.
“In fact, the Guardian’s Silver Ring is a recently discovered item. Originally, we planned to designate it as Edenria’s national treasure and move it to the report as scheduled.”
The peerless weapon of a hero no longer in this world. It was such a precious item in Edenria’s position that they had prepared to transport it as safely as possible.
But Raymond did not like the idea of the item being put into the report and becoming a mere ornament.
“It is undoubtedly a precious item… but I do not believe that the value of the Guardian’s Eunha is limited to being a treasure.”
The world is in a dire state. Not only are the demons launching fierce attacks, but even the Demon Kings are descending upon us.
If we continue to remain idle, it is highly likely that a major war will break out soon. Raymond believed that it was crucial to seize the initiative.
“Although it is an artifact from the past, it is still a powerful item that can be fully utilized even now. Among the things we can offer, we prepared this item because we believe it is the most suitable for Ian.”
It may seem like a somewhat irresponsible request to ask Ian to capture the Demon King in exchange for our support… but when I made a rational judgment, it was clear that Ian, not Ariane, was the most trustworthy figure in the current situation.
I simply thought it would be better to support him.
After all, Ian was born with the Dark attribute. It would be more advantageous to use the Holy attribute against the demons.
“But… can you really give me such an important item? Even if I have dealt with Leviathan, giving me the equipment of a legendary hero…”
“To be honest, it’s not okay. I received a lot of criticism for that decision.”
Raymond remembered that time when he always obtained the trust of the Church.
The moment when the Pope, with a compassionate expression, poured his anger on him in the conference room.
Even though he had defeated the Demon King, he was constantly criticized for handing over the national treasure to the citizens of the empire.
It didn’t end with mere verbal abuse. He was on the verge of promotion to Archbishop. That was also about to go down the drain.
Handing over the Guardian’s Eunha to Ian was such a big problem.
“No matter how high I am in the position of Archbishop, it is impossible for me to personally compensate the national treasure. But… fortunately, there was someone who had a similar thought as mine during the conference.”
“Someone with a similar thought? Who could it be?”
Was there such a person in Edenia?
For a moment, he thought of Perez Arcana, but it didn’t last long. He was nothing more than a trainee. He couldn’t raise his voice in the conference.
“Who could it be?”
Curiosity surged within him, but Raymond did not easily reveal the name.
In fact, it would be correct to say that there was no need to disclose it.
“You will find out soon enough. Or even in a few hours from now.”
With a pleased smile, Raymond stood up from his seat.
“Well then, I hope we can continue to work well together. May Eris’ grace be with us.”
“…I will make good use of the gift you have given me.”
Ian, holding the Guardian’s Eunhwan, also stood up from his seat.
***
“I’m not sure if I should like this or refuse it.”
Even after leaving the room, Ian wandered the corridors for a while, letting out a deep sigh.
Even in that moment, the Guardian’s Eunhwan, nestled in the pendant, emitted a brilliant light.
“It’s definitely a good item, but I never thought I would receive it.”
Honestly, even if Raymond had prepared a treasure, he didn’t think it would be anything special.
While the position of Archbishop was high, it didn’t grant him the authority to make all decisions on his own.
Furthermore, even if they had established friendly relations with the Empire, Edenria was still in a position no different from a foreign country, so he didn’t expect to receive anything particularly good.
Given the circumstances, it was only natural to be even more bewildered by the gift he had received.
“But I can’t refuse it, as Raymond said it is something I need.”
The fact obtained from the conversation with Velfeugor was clear.
The two remaining Demon Kings would soon launch a full-scale attack.
They would surely target him, the most troublesome obstacle, in order to execute their plans.
‘Certainly, if that time comes, there’s nothing as good as this.’
Even if the hatred of the blade and the seal of Rebrion were to be lifted, there was no certainty that they could withstand the combined onslaught.
Excluding Velfegor, if we talk about strength, it’s not an exaggeration to say that they are the strongest in terms of power alone, but if it’s the two of them, it would be a tough fight.
In such a situation, the emergence of a new weapon called sanctity could be of great help.
‘Yes… It’s definitely a good situation.’
However, he couldn’t be satisfied while grinding his teeth.
Isn’t there a saying? There’s no such thing as a favor without a price.
Even if Raymond solved the Florian Mansion, if he couldn’t find out who agreed to hand over the Guardian’s Ephemera, he couldn’t be at ease.
Ian’s hand, which was stroking the Guardian’s Ephemera, stopped abruptly.
‘Who could it be… Someone who has the kindness to hand over the national treasure to me, but also has the power to make such remarks against the Pope.’
It was a moment when he was struggling to contain his confusing emotions while rolling his head.
“If you’re just going to stand there and keep fidgeting, it seems my gift was quite to your liking, wasn’t it?”
A clear voice came from behind.
Was there someone in the corridor that he thought was empty?
Even though he didn’t hear any footsteps?
‘Who on earth is it? Approaching me while deceiving my senses?’
To confirm the identity of the voice, Ian turned his head. And he could see.
“You….”
A woman dressed in a dress with a perfect combination of white and golden colors.
The gaze of a woman with long white hair cascading down to her waist, looking at Ian as she twirled her hair.
She was aware of her true identity, Ian.
“Gleandia?”
“You haven’t forgotten my name, have you? Well… it wasn’t an ordinary relationship, so it’s understandable. Anyway, it’s nice to see you again, Ian Volkanov.”
Saint Gleandia.
It was the moment when Ian reunited with the members of the former hero party.
TFTC
Ngentot