Chapter 15: Mistral's Den III

ARTHUR LEYWIN'S POV[Hoho~, Looks like we have a special guest here~], A voice, melodic and filled with ancient wisdom, echoed through the chamber. I knew instantly that this was no ordinary being.Turning slowly, I saw her—a figure cloaked in shimmering mist, her presence both ethereal and commanding. The being in front of me is an imposing, colossal wolf with a length of approximately five meters. This wolf features a striking pair of horns on its head, adding to its formidable appearance. It possesses the ability to command wind attribute mana, which manifests as a green-hued mist that radiates from her. This mystical aura envelops the wolf, enhancing its otherworldly presence and emphasizing its control over the wind element."Who are you?" I managed to ask, trying to steady my nerves despite the surreal circumstances.She chuckled softly, her laughter like wind chimes on a gentle breeze. [I am known as Mistral,] she replied, her voice resonating within my mind. [Guardian of the wind.]I swallowed hard, my mind racing with questions. "Why did they fall asleep?" I gestured towards my unconscious companions, worry etched on my face.Mistral regarded me with a knowing gaze, her eyes shimmering with ancient wisdom as she spoke. [They are fine,] she assured me, her voice resonating softly in the chamber, [only asleep due to the mist infused with a sleeping essence.]Her words brought a wave of relief, and I sensed no deception in her tone. The aura emanating from Mistral was potent, conveying both power and an undeniable grace. I understood intuitively that she possessed the ability to dispatch everyone present, myself included, effortlessly.Despite the tranquil assurance in her words, I couldn't shake the weight of responsibility that settled upon me. I had inadvertently awakened an ancient guardian, disrupting centuries of hibernation designed to safeguard profound knowledge."I didn't mean to disturb your rest," I murmured, overwhelmed by the gravity of the situation.Mistral's expression softened, a gentle smile playing at the corners of her lips. [Fear not, young mage,] she reassured me, her voice a soothing melody. [You have awoken me with purpose—a purpose that has been long awaited.]"Um, what kind of purpose, if you don't mind me asking," I asked trying to figure out what she was talking about. Mistral regarded me with a knowing gaze, her eyes shimmering with ancient wisdom as she spoke. [The symbol you activated is an ancient safeguard,] she explained, her voice echoing softly in the chamber. [It was intended to keep me in hibernation until a worthy candidate for the knowledge of the ancient truths emerged, which you will come to know with time.]"Hibernation, you mean, you were in a way, sealed in there, or the safeguarded as you say, and it opened with my mana? How is that even possible? Also if you know what type of knowledge you are talking about, can't you just tell me what it is?" I asked, bombarded her with questions, confused as to what she meant. Mistral regarded me with a patient gaze, her presence calming despite the weight of her words. [Indeed, young mage, the safeguard was designed to remain dormant until a worthy candidate such as yourself appeared,] she explained, her voice carrying a hint of reverence for the ancient mechanisms that bound her. [Your mana, resonating with the symbol, triggered its release, awakening me from my long slumber.]I absorbed her words, trying to grasp the implications of what she was saying. The idea that my actions had set in motion events spanning centuries was both thrilling and daunting.[As for the knowledge,] Mistral continued, her voice softening with understanding, [it is not my duty to tell you the that nor am I able to tell you, this is your journey of discovery and enlightenment. The ancient truths held within the forgotten history of this world are not easily imparted; they must be earned through trials and contemplation.]"But, how am I a worthy candidate for knowing the ancient truth, that, you speak of?"[That is for neither me nor for you to decide, it has been decided by your fate, young mage.] I affirmed my understanding of the seriousness of the situation. It appeared that I wouldn't be able to obtain the knowledge she mentioned. I recalled Sylvia's message to me, indicating that I would receive some information once I surpassed the white stage. The significance of this knowledge was not uncertain to me, given that it was among the final words spoken by Sylvia. I shook my head to dispel the bitter memories that lingered. It appeared that there was a lot more to uncover in the world than I had expected, so much so that even this supposedly mythical being was not permitted to share it with me.Mistral's gaze softened, her eyes reflecting ancient wisdom and a hint of warmth. "[Tell me, young mage, what is your name?]""I am Arthur Leywin," I replied, a sense of determination rising within me despite the uncertainties that lay ahead.Mistral nodded thoughtfully. "[Arthur Leywin, seeker of truths,]" she said, her voice carrying a gentle encouragement. "[Let me accompany you on this journey as your bond. Together, we can navigate the trials that await and unlock the secrets that have long disappeared from this world.]"Her proposition caught me off guard, but I detected honesty in her words. Mistral displayed a strong and knowledgeable presence, far surpassing my own, and her advice would surely be crucial for the journey ahead. Regrettably, I couldn't agree, not due to a lack of desire, but because I already had Sylvie, who was far more valuable than anything in this world. "I am honored that you gave me such an opportunity, but unfortunately, I cannot accept your proposal as I already have a bond."[Oh my~ What a shame~. Anyway, who is lucky enough to be your bond, Arthur?] she asked, her tone mixed with surprise and a bit of disappointment."It isn't her but me who is lucky to have her as my bond. I named her Sylvie," I told her the truth. It wasn't because Sylvie was a dragon but rather because she has become family to me, more specifically my daughter. I would rather die a million times than lose her.[I see, it seems you cherish your bond a lot,] Mistral said, staring directly at my sternum where my core was. [And I can see an unusually powerful will in your core, to which even my current power falls short.]I was completely surprised by what she said. I had been concealing Sylvia's will for such a long time that it had become a part of my everyday routine. I never expected that she would somehow know that I was holding onto a will inside my core.[Haha, no need to be surprised, Arthur. While it is true that you had hidden it certainly well, someone with enough knowledge and experience would be able to tell that you have a beast will,] she said with a knowing smile. [But enough of that. It seems it's time for your companions to wake.]"Oh," I had forgotten about everyone and that they had been unconscious. I started thinking about how to explain the situation to everyone once they awakened, not having much of an idea I looked towards Mistral and asked, "Um, how do I explain the situation to everyone?" Her shape suddenly shifted as she took the small shape of a wolf of about a little more than half a meter and the place where she came from returned to its original form. [Well, once your companions wake up, you can tell them there were sleeping leaves as you can see on the other side and they caught a small fire resulting in smoke infused with sleeping essence being released.] [Now then Arthur, I will be going, as you certainly don't want me to be seen by your companions. We will meet again once you are alone outside the dungeon, I will remain close by though.] Mistral said and disappeared into the mist. Following her instruction, I lit a small part of the place where the leaves, with fire, and the fire didn't last long as I threw a ball of water mana on it. Soon, I went toward everybody and sprinkled some water on them, I had a little grudge about today's morning prank that they played on me, so I dropped a large bubble of water on Noah and Jasmine's faces. While William, Henry, and Emma opened their eyes slowly, Jasmine and Noah woke up startled.Once everyone was awake, I explained the situation as planned, some were skeptical but they believed it, as there was no other way to explain it. We did find some small treasures while searching the dungeon a bit, but there was not much so we prepared to leave the dungeon. It took us about half a day to leave the dungeon, on our way back we took whatever good stuff we could get from the Griffin, Sonic Leopard, and Sonic Hawks corpses. This will probably be worth a small fortune and, it was a very successful raid. Not to mention, the feeling I have that, meeting with Mistral will be very useful in the future. I have gotten a lot of beast cores, While I do plan to sell the the C-class ones, I am going to give the B-class beast cores to Sylvie.~~