Yet Another Cave

Several events before the explosion occur, the group of Christa, Edle and the others are heading for a cave that connects to the whole underground area created beneath the entire Kingdom of Kruule.

"Itsuo?"

"What is it, Christa?"

"We're heading towards another cave, you know?"

Itsuo was suddenly reminded of the very first quest he took and the next day after. Both are which related to a cave that Itsuo finds himself in near death situations. After those horrendous ordeals, he was, without a doubt, traumatized.

"You little...! Don't remind me of those traumatic days! It's bad enough thinking that we would get trap again inside the cave!"

Selene giggled on the background.

"We would."

"Huh? Christa?"

"I can feel it. Something will happen once we get inside this cave. Just remember that monsters aren't the only enemies you and Selene are going to face."

His dreaded face turned concerned over Christa's warning. They are indeed entering another cave. But this time, monsters aren't the only enemy they'll face. Humans, too. Humans that are ready to kill others without mercy.

"All right."

Itsuo, the guy who had been in some horrifying and bizzare adventure with Selene and Christa, erased his fear and kept walking bravely as he and the others approach his nightmare.

"We're here. The cave that'll lead us to where those things are hidden. The Gates."

Finally, they've reached their destination. The cave that connects to the entire underground of Kruule. Without any further delay, Susun invited everyone to follow her. One by one, they entered the cave. Some of them used their magic to provide light. Including Christa and Selene.

For the past few minutes, they followed the path that continues to go further. While on their way, Christa sensed the presence of monsters deep inside the cave. She then immediately warned everyone the monsters' presence not far from them.

"Careful. I sense monsters deeper inside."

The entire group raised their guards as they continue to move deeper inside the cave. The cave that seemed too narrow the first time they entered had begun to slowly spread wide. Giving the ones behind the line the chance to catch up to the ones in the front. Now they are marching through the dark and quiet cave with two rows.

Edle, following Christa's lead. It reminded him of what she and the silver haired woman told him during their long travel.

...

While everyone's eyes are looking forward, Edle who is standing behind everyone sees a glass-like barrier with a shape of a snake's scale but larger surrounding him.

"Edle."

Before he could speak out of concern, Christa's voice called him from behind. He turned around to see her standing beside the silver haired girl named Susun.

"Can we have a minute to talk with you?"

"Christa? This thing is...?"

She then told him that it was an ability of her friend that they are currently riding. And that no one else but only the three of them can hear each other.

"Friend? Why can't we see her at all?"

"It is better that way. More importantly..."

"The Queen of Kruule is alive?!" Edle's tone raised in shock.

From what Edle and the others outside of Kruule knows, the Queen of Kruule was supposedly dead. The cause of death was after she gave birth to Celestine, her daughter and the Princess of Kruule. However Christa heard a different story from someone she knew in the village of Eisvel.

"I happened to know the mayor of Eisvel Village. And while I was in their village, I learned that she was actually a resident of the Kingdom of Kruule in the past. I also happened to learn from her the thing that started the war."

From what the mayor of Eisvel Village, Mitou, told her. The war started after finding the lifeless body of the Queen of Kruule along with an elven man by Castile himself. The death of his beloved Queen scarred his heart. And seeing the dead Elfman alongside the Queen sparked his hatred towards Meleia. Thus, he brought the head of the dead elf and declared war towards them. The war that spilled blood and killed countless elves and humans, the war that grew and affected the other countries which led into the decade war 17 years ago.

"Aside from inhereting his Mother's traits, Castile was always been a genius with brainwashing and instilling fear, even before he became the King."

Susun stated.

"He must have brainwashed the people of Kruule's emotions through the fake death of their Queen to follow him and fight for his cause."

"If the death of the Queen really happened that time, then Celestine wouldn't be born and alive right now."

Christa followed Susun as she strengthened her opinion.

"I agree but... I don't think assuming that her being alive is out of the option." Edle replied to the two. His response made Christa and Susun's eyes wide in wonder.

"Susun, was it? If you were a henchman of Celestine and was already in the Kingdom of Kruule, you should've known that she had died after giving birth to Celestine and was buried in peace. Alongside those people who witnessed the burial, there are the rulers of the other Kingdoms, including me and my Father."

"Even the ones who are born perfect also has their own flaws."

During the war, Susun and the others were captured from a remote village outside the boundaries of Kruule and Reilaea. As a slave soldier, she must obey every orders given to her, whether she like it or not. Forcing to join the decade war as a frontliner. She was one of the few that survived the blood filled war and her will to live was recognized by Castile.

The curse that was binding her from disobeying and going against Castile was removed and was changed into an invisible lightning collar. This time, just a single thought of rebellion will get her killed, however, she was given the chance to talk, act and lived the way she wanted. Eventually, at the end of the war, Susun fell in love to a fellow slave and gave birth to her own child.

"You had a child...?" Edle mentioned.

"Crazy, right? Seeing how small she is." Christa replied as though she was mocking Susun for her unusual small height.

"Shut up, listen to me."

Continuing where they stopped. 2 years later, the first rulers' conference happened, during that time, the Queen of Kruule was carrying Celestine inside her and was about to give birth to her.

The day Celestine was born there are people who celebrated the princess's birth. However, the same time Celestine let out her first cry, the Queen had lost her life.

Onto her final moments, all the rulers were present, including Edle, Elena and his Father. Susun was also there. Everyone witnessed the burial of the Queen of Kruule with their own two eyes.

"Yes. That's what everyone sees. And that's what everyone believed. However, that burial was nothing but a cover up." Susun stated.

"Ever since then, I was tasked to look after young Celestine. I became her first henchman. Back then, as she was slowly growing up, we would frequently visit her Mother's grave. Every time we find a chance to go, we would visit her majesty with only the two of us. But as time goes by, Celestine's interest to pay a visit to her own Mother slowly diminished and the same personality of King Castile grew to her. No, it was worse."

The last time Susun asked Celestine to come with her and visit the late Queen, the young princess's response shocked her.

"I don't want to visit and talk to someone that can't even talk to me. It's a waste of time. I'd rather use that time to learn more about creating a bunch of poison with Father."

Celestine's response doesn't have any remorse. She cared more about learning things she deemed fun and useful rather than her own Mother who gave birth to her.

After that, Susun never mentioned visiting the Queen to Celestine ever again. However, she still takes her time to come to the grave even though she's alone. Thinking how painful it is for one's own child to not give attention to their Mother.

Every time she gets a chance, Susun would go to the Queen's grave to pay her respects. Until one day, while she's on her way to visit the Queen once again, she heard two high rank soldiers talking about something related to Celestine's late Mother.

"Is it true? The Queen finally woke up?"

"Yeah. I heard she was being held inside the chamber and they're doing some things to her."

As it turns out, the Queen that was thought to be dead was actually poisoned. A poison that makes her heartbeat stop and all her functioning organs fail. Making it seem like she actually died. To confirm this information, Susun reported the two soldiers gossiping about the Queen and that someone happen to hear what they are talking about, she then immediately given the task to assassinate the two and the one that heard the soldiers talking.

"You killed two people just to confirm that the Queen is alive?" Edle asked with a concern look into his face.

Susun looks at him without any regret of doing what she has done in the past.

"If you want to live under Castile's control, you gotta be wiser with how you act and talk around. I only did that because I knew I couldn't ask Castile directly about the Queen. Still, I can't assure that she's alive as I haven't seen her face ever since that faked burial."

She replied to the Prince of Reilaea.

"We can't assure that the Queen is still alive at this point. But if she does, only she can reunite the people that Castile brain washed, the Kingdom that was brought to ruin by Castile. And so, along with Queen Elena and the others, we gotta save the Queen of Kruule."

...

"The Queen is still alive and we must save her to end Castile's tyranny..."

Edle murmured to himself while looking at Susun's back. At the same time, another word from Christa came to mind.

"That said, we gotta save Queen Elena, the Queen of Kruule and the others. But in order to do that, we must overcome some obstacles that our enemy placed on the way. Right now as of this moment, there are five obstacles standing alongside us..."

"Right now... There are five obstacles standing alongside us... Alongside us...?"

"Since Christa sensed monsters not long ago, I was sure that we would at least see a few of them by now. But strangely enough, we haven't seen at least one." Jinrah's sudden words brought Edle back to his senses.

At that point. Susun gestured her arm to stop everyone from moving forward. Itsuo who is cautiously looking around didn't noticed it and hits Selene as a result.

"What are you doing, Itsuo?"

"S-Sorry..."

"Quiet!"

Susun ordered.

Their eyes hovers around every corner of the cave. But since it was too spacious, they are too many blind spots the lights they're making couldn't reach.

"Christa, can you make a bigger light?"

And so, Susun asked Christa to make her flames bright enough to light the entire area. She wordlessly agreed to the silver haired girl's request and proceeds to make her fire bigger.

With Crimson Eye's scorching flames, the whole area reveals itself. There are no tunnels, no other path to take, let alone monsters that Christa sensed just earlier. It was a dead end.

"What's going on?"

"A dead end? Did we miss a path?"

Everyone began wondering around, looking around if they could find a path somehow. But as everyone can see, they are inside a space with thick walls and only the same path they took as an exit.

The feeling of doubting Susun's plan and the path they took rose up.

"What should we do? There's no other way?"

"Hey, you're the one that brought us here. Don't tell me you brought us here so you and your allies can kill us all here?!"

Sasha angrily said to Susun.

At that exact moment, Christa felt a faint tremor on the ground. The second she felt that, she knew something is coming beneath everyone.

"Be careful, everyone!"

"W-what's happening?!"

The tremor grows stronger, enough for everyone to feel it all the same. At the middle part of the ground, earth cracks showed. Which alerted Susun and Christa.

Without wasting any second, Susun quickly leaped through Christa where she pushes the girl towards Edle, Kaien, Itsuo and Selene. The ground shakes with a strong magnitude as a giant wall splits Susun, Sieghart and Ronan's party apart Christa and the others.