Episode 635 Doubts Remain Unresolved 1

Ereneth sat by the window every day, staring outside.

Her face betrayed no emotion, yet anyone familiar with her would notice the subtle change in her demeanor.

She was enveloped in a profound void, wrapped in loneliness. The only friend who remembered the war of a thousand years ago was now gone.

"Arterion... So, even you have left now."

She didn't regret telling Ghislain about Arterion.

She had fought for humanity. If she and Arterion had annihilated humankind, the sacrifices and battles of a thousand years ago would have lost all meaning.

That's why she had not stood with Arterion. She wished for the world to continue as it was.

"Only then... can we say we made the right choice."

But not regretting her choice didn't erase the grief of losing an old friend. She sat there every day, drained of energy.

Although she did not express her pain violently, her heart had long been exhausted.

Click.

The sound of the door opening reached her ears, but Ereneth didn't turn her head.

After all, there was only one person in this kingdom who would dare barge into her dwelling so recklessly.

Without looking away from the window, she finally spoke.

"...You've returned."

"Yes, thanks to you, we captured him without casualties."

"...I see."

If Ereneth hadn't forewarned them, the devastation might have mirrored that of her past life. Her information had allowed them to act at the perfect moment.

She had chosen her convictions over an old friend.

Scrape.

Ghislain dragged a chair over and sat beside Ereneth. Only then did Ereneth turn her head.

"Have you come to suggest we throw a celebration?"

Her indifferent gaze met Ghislain's, who shook his head.

"No, I know you're not in the mood for that, especially since Arterion was your friend. First, let me thank you."

"You don't need to. When you live as long as I have, you inevitably bid farewell to those you hold dear. That's... just my life."

"..."

Though elves lived far longer than humans, Ereneth had endured a span of time even greater than most of her kind. She must have seen everyone she cared about pass away.

The weight of such accumulated pain over countless years was beyond anyone else's understanding.

After a pause, Ghislain slowly broke the silence.

"Why was the dragon in such a state? He was completely unhinged. Even when I suggested we seek the adversary together, he refused and wanted to kill all humans."

"...I don't know."

"Do you truly not know?"

"Yes. I can only assume it was fury over the loss of his kin."

"I don't understand. Is the adversary's curse truly so potent? Enough to annihilate an entire race and manipulate both you and the dragon?"

"The power of a curse depends on its wielder. If someone filled with profound hatred for the world wields the Demon God's strength, it wouldn't be surprising for it to have that kind of effect."

"Then wouldn't it be simpler for the curse to just destroy humanity altogether?"

"...That's why the adversary seeks to return—to bring about the end of this world."

Ghislain let out a deep sigh. The curse of the adversary, while formidable, didn't seem sufficient to destroy the world outright.

Instead, the adversary was resurrecting to personally deal with those who had escaped the curse's grasp.

This was the only explanation Ghislain could surmise. The adversary's motives were shrouded in knowledge far beyond his grasp.

"What exactly happened a thousand years ago? If there's anything I don't know, I want to learn it."

"I already told you. A war broke out, and we won. The hero and the saintess sealed the Demon Realm, and the world regained peace. That's all there is to it."

"No matter how I think about it, there seems to be more to the story."

Ereneth replied with emotionless eyes.

"The Salvation Order has returned and seeks their king. They want to destroy this world and create their own paradise. What more explanation do you need?"

"..."

"Because we won, the Salvation Order spent centuries in hiding. And now, Duke Fenris, you've crushed their ambitions once again."

"..."

"Is there more to doubt? If the adversary revives, all you need to do is kill him. Then humanity will find peace once more."

"Hmm..."

"This is the truth, plain and simple. I don't see what else you think is necessary to know."

There was no flaw in Ereneth's logic.

Put simply, there was an enemy seeking to overturn the world, and once that enemy was defeated, the matter would be resolved. What transpired in the past didn't matter as much.

Ghislain had sought out Ereneth out of personal curiosity, driven by what he had seen in the saintess's dream.

It wasn't an urgent matter. He had planned to slowly unravel the mystery through his dreams.

But something from Arterion's body had burrowed into Julien. If that was the reason for the dragon's madness, he couldn't ignore it.

Ghislain decided to share his dreams, feeling he needed to reveal part of his secret to get Ereneth to open up.

"After acquiring this necklace, I saw someone in my dreams. I believe it was the saintess from a thousand years ago."

Hearing this, a flicker of curiosity crossed Ereneth's otherwise indifferent face.

She was familiar with the necklace. She had been there when Ghislain had taken it.

At the time, Ereneth had feigned ignorance, claiming it resembled something used by an old companion.

Observing Ereneth's reaction, Ghislain recounted a condensed version of his dreams.

"I saw the hero and the adversary in my dreams. But the person who resembled Julien wasn't the adversary—it was the hero."

"I also saw dragons and minor deities battling. And I saw you fighting across countless battlefields."

"...Through these dreams, I've come to see the heroes of that time and even learned their techniques."

Even though he kept it brief, Ghislain's story grew lengthy due to the sheer amount he had witnessed.

Ereneth listened with wide eyes, though disbelief soon replaced her expression as she smirked.

"The saintess appeared in your dreams?"

"Yes."

"And you saw her companions? Including me?"

"Yes."

Ereneth laughed, a mixture of amusement and skepticism, before decisively responding.

"Those companions never existed."

"What?"

"Don't speak nonsense. I alone remember the heroes of a thousand years ago. Why would the saintess, dead for a millennium, appear in your dreams?"

"..."

"A knight resembling the founder of Ruthania? An assassin freely wielding daggers? A mage like Jerome, the progenitor of the Dawn Tower? And even the founder of the Ferdium family? Ahahahaha!"

"..."

"Duke Fenris, your imagination is remarkable. But don't all these figures resemble those around you?"

"..."

"Gillian, Belinda, Jerome, and yourself. The hero is Julien. What about the saintess? Was she Parniel? Or was it Piote?"

Ghislain folded his arms and frowned. He had no rebuttal to such an argument. It seemed discussing his dreams had been a mistake.

He should have gathered more concrete evidence before broaching the subject. Right now, he had no way to counter Ereneth's logic.

"Ugh..."

As he struggled with his frustration, Ghislain glanced at Ereneth.

'Even strength won't work.'

Ereneth seemed even stronger than before.

This wasn't to say he would lose in a fight outright, but forcing Ereneth to speak through sheer power seemed impossible.

And even if he tried, the ensuing battle would undoubtedly obliterate the capital.

Ereneth sighed and spoke again.

"I don't understand why you're overcomplicating things. Don't overthink it. Just eradicate the remnants of the Salvation Order and kill the adversary when he appears. Don't you also desire peace for this world?"

"Hmm."

Ghislain had been moving tirelessly ever since his regression, focused on protecting his family, friends, territory, and lineage.

Now, he had taken on the burden of safeguarding the entire Ruthania Kingdom. Protecting the kingdom was his primary objective; everything else was secondary.

However, he needed to uncover the nature of the force that had embedded itself within Julien's body. Ignoring it might lead to a greater threat in the future.

How should I explain this?

As Ghislain pondered, footsteps echoed closer.

Step, step, step.

Both he and Ereneth turned their heads. Soon, Julien emerged.

It seemed Julien had overheard part of their conversation as he approached. Without hesitation, he asked:

"Something from the dragon's body has transferred to me."

Ghislain's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He hadn't asked Julien directly, intending to wait for the right moment. Yet, Julien had revealed it himself.

Julien turned his gaze to Ghislain and spoke.

"You knew about this, didn't you?"

"Well... I had a hunch. I sensed something unusual at the time."

"Good. I've been trying to figure it out on my own, but I can't make sense of it."

"You can't?"

"I can't feel it, can't use it. It seems to have been absorbed into me, as if it's now part of my body."

"Hmm..."

Ghislain blinked, puzzled. If someone as skilled as Julien couldn't even sense it, how were they supposed to identify what it was?

Ereneth, still watching Julien with her usual detached gaze, finally spoke.

"I don't know."

"You don't?"

"That's right. I don't claim to know all the mysteries of the world. However..."

Ereneth paused, deep in thought, before continuing.

"During the final battle, the adversary thrust his sword into Arterion's dragon heart."

"..."

"But he couldn't kill Arterion. The adversary was already dying, having exhausted all his strength in the long war."

"And that was the end of it?"

"Yes. The adversary perished with that last attack. Arterion, gravely wounded, was unable to return to his domain."

"And so he went to..."

Ereneth nodded.

"The Shadow Mountains. Weakened, he sought refuge there to heal his wounds and fell into a deep slumber. During this time, he was cursed, trapped in the rift between time and space."

"..."

Ereneth's gaze bore into Julien, her eyes suddenly cold and unnerving.

"The force that's been absorbed into you might be a remnant of the adversary's curse. It's possible that this lingering energy has found a new vessel."

"Are you certain?"

"It's only a theory."

Julien's expression darkened as he processed her words. He asked again:

"Then do you possess this energy as well?"

"No."

"But you were under the same restriction. Why don't you have it?"

"The World Tree protected me. It shielded me, preventing the Demon God's energy from corrupting me."

"..."

"When the adversary revived, the restriction weakened, allowing both Arterion and me to act once more."

Ghislain narrowed his eyes and asked,

"Why didn't you mention this before?"

Ereneth's expression twisted in annoyance.

"Do I have to explain everything? Even the things that don't matter? Should I also tell you what I ate during the war a thousand years ago?"

"Hmm..."

Ghislain glanced at Julien. If Ereneth's theory was correct, then Julien now carried the same energy that had bound Arterion.

"Does it affect you in any way?" Ghislain asked Julien.

"...Not really."

"Then is it safe to assume it's not dangerous?"

"..."

Without understanding the nature of the energy, there was no way to determine how to handle it.

Hoping to uncover more, Julien added another detail.

"Right after the energy was fully absorbed, I briefly saw a woman who seemed like a saintess."

"A saintess?"

"I'm not certain. She was wearing a necklace identical to the one you're wearing, so I assumed she might be."

"Uh... Anything else?"

"She said something cryptic—'This is not about saving the world.' Then she vanished."

"What? What does that even mean?"

"I don't know. That's all she said."

Ghislain frowned. That damned saintess seemed to appear everywhere, spouting riddles that offered no clarity.

As Ghislain and Julien continued their exchange, they failed to notice the change in Ereneth's expression.

...!

Her face had gone pale, like a child caught stealing.