Chapter 23 - Piece
After the room calmed down again, Mireth turned to Darwin and Evelyne with a firm yet sincere gaze.
"Darwin, Evelyne... starting today, I and the entire Dawnery Merchant will help you search for Liriel. I promise," she declared resolutely.
Darwin looked at the old woman closely, a glimmer of relief and emotion in his eyes.
"Thank you, Lady Mireth... I truly appreciate it."
"But for now... both of you need to rest," Mireth continued. "You'll need your strength for the days ahead. We'll begin the investigation tomorrow morning."
But Darwin immediately shook his head.
"No, I can't rest now. Liriel is still out there, and she might—"
Zero's voice echoed in his mind.
Darwin closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath, then nodded.
"All right... just for tonight."
That night.
In the room provided by Dawnery, Darwin lay staring at the intricately carved wooden ceiling. Evelyne was asleep in the other bed, her breathing steady.
But Darwin remained restless. Liriel's face kept flashing in his mind.
"Is she okay...?" he whispered to himself.
Darwin felt a bit more at ease, closing his eyes slowly and allowing drowsiness to take over.
The next morning.
Darwin and Evelyne returned to the main hall with Velmira. There, Mireth was already waiting—her expression more serious than usual. In her hand was a crumpled letter that looked like it had been read many times.
"This morning... I received something unexpected." Mireth placed the letter on the table. "Someone wants to negotiate with me."
Everyone turned to her, tense.
"They... demand I hand over the ancient artifact I've been keeping." she continued. "In return, they will give back an elf girl named Liriel."
Darwin clenched his fists. "Who sent it? Did anyone see the person?"
Mireth shook her head.
"No. The letter... was just lying there on my bedroom table. No signs of a forced entry. No teleportation or tracking magic traces. They knew exactly how to bypass all security."
Velmira fell silent. Evelyne looked puzzled.
"Wait… ancient artifact? You… you've been keeping it all this time?"
Mireth nodded slowly.
"This artifact has been in my care for years. Only a handful of people know it exists… and even fewer know what it does."
Everyone watched as she raised her left hand, revealing a simple, dark red ring.
"This artifact... is one of the three pieces of Durnhallow, a summoning relic from another dimension."
"Oh, so the artifact still exists…"
Zero's voice echoed with a touch of nostalgia, as if recalling a memory long buried in time.
Darwin turned his head slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"You know about that artifact, Zero?"
There was a brief pause. Then, Zero answered, his tone calm but weighty.
Darwin frowned, unease flickering across his face.
"What do you mean? What exactly is that thing?"
The room fell silent instantly.
"Long ago, the previous king shattered the artifact into three pieces after defeating the creature it summoned. One piece was kept beneath the royal castle, another hidden in a location only the king knew... and the last piece—was entrusted to me. I hid it… disguised as a simple ring."
Velmira gasped.
"You... you could disguise something that powerful as a ring?"
Mireth gave a small smile.
"My unique skill... [Transmute Illusion]."
She twisted the ring, and in an instant, it transformed into a dark red orb inscribed with ancient symbols.
"With this skill, I can alter both the form and aura of an object… even beyond magical detection."
Everyone stared at the artifact in awe.
Suddenly—a sharp voice cut through the tension.
"That's enough."
Everyone turned.
Olive, who had been quietly standing in the corner of the room, now drew her dagger. She grabbed Mireth from behind, pressing the blade to her throat.
"Olive! What are you—" Velmira stepped forward, but Olive glared at her.
"Don't move. Or your grandmother gets cut."
Mireth remained calm, even smiling faintly.
"So… this is why you stayed by my side all these years. You were waiting for the right moment."
"Exactly." Olive sneered.
"I never expected you to have a skill like that. No wonder I couldn't find it even after turning the entire place upside down."
Darwin stepped forward, magical energy starting to pulse around him.
"Let her go. Now."
"Don't make a wrong move, kid. Or…" she pressed the blade harder, a thin line of blood appearing on Mireth's neck.
"Olive…!" Velmira gritted her teeth.
"You're betraying us… after everything Mireth did for you?"
"You're wrong," Olive replied coldly. "I was just waiting… and you fools helped open the path. Now, the artifact… is ours."
Mireth closed her eyes and spoke quietly,
"You really think they'll give you what you want, Olive?"
"I do," Olive answered with confidence.
The night before the betrayal.
In a dimly lit room, a small lantern cast dancing shadows on the walls. A woman sat at the edge of the bed—Olive, her long brown hair loose, her leather jacket draped over the chair. She stared blankly into a hovering metal mirror—an advanced communication artifact reflecting the face of a silver-haired man with a scar across his left temple.
Simmon.
His deep voice came first.
"The original plan is canceled. We're changing methods."
Olive flinched slightly.
"Canceled? But I… I've almost gained her full trust! Give me a little more time, I can—"
"There is no more time," Simmon cut her off coldly.
"We've waited too long, Olive. Years. And you still haven't found the artifact piece."
Olive lowered her head, fingers pressing against her throbbing temple.
"Mireth... she's hidden it too well. I've searched the entire warehouse and secret rooms of Dawnery with no success. She's hidden it somewhere else."
Simmon sighed heavily, his voice nearly a growl.
"No matter how. Tonight, you will write the negotiation letter and leave it in her room. Make her believe that Liriel is the only path to getting the artifact."
Olive clenched her fists. Her breath caught. Then, with a much softer voice, filled with bitterness and despair, she asked,
"…Is our deal still on?"
Simmon tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"The deal… to bring back your brother?"
Olive swallowed hard, her face pale.
"Aldo... you promised to resurrect him. With the power of the artifact… you can—"
"That depends on your performance tomorrow," Simmon replied firmly.
"Bring the artifact to us, and you'll get what you want. Fail… and your brother stays buried in the ground."
The communication ended. The mirror faded, leaving behind a dim reflection of Olive's broken expression.
With trembling hands, she opened a small drawer beside the bed and took out a worn photo album. On the first page, an old photo—of a young girl with braided hair sitting on the grass, smiling brightly at the camera. Beside her, a boy around ten laughed, holding a small wooden toy.
Aldo.
Her only brother.
Olive gently stroked the photo with her fingertip. Her eyes turned red, her voice trembling as she whispered,
"Just a little longer, Aldo... Big sister will keep her promise… I'll wake you from your long sleep…"
A silent tear fell onto the photo. That night, beneath a quiet sky full of stars, a woman chose to trade loyalty for a shattered hope—for the sake of one soul long lost.
Back to the present, in the Dawnery Merchant meeting room.
The once calm room now bristled with tension. Olive, who had stood quietly beside Mireth all this time, now gripped the old woman's shoulder with one hand while holding a long dagger to her throat with the other.
Olive's eyes were sharp. Her gaze no longer that of a guardian, but of someone desperate—willing to burn every bridge for a single goal.
"Don't move," she said flatly, but clearly. "I don't want to hurt anyone... but I won't hesitate if you push me."
Darwin, Evelyne, and Velmira froze. Their breaths caught. Even Mireth remained still, simply gazing calmly at Olive.
"Hand over the artifact, Mireth," Olive said coldly. "You know I'm serious."
Mireth stared at her for a moment, then with a heavy sigh, slowly raised her hand. A faint glow emerged from her finger, and the old ring transformed once more—into the dark red piece of the artifact, etched with ancient runes.
Olive took it carefully, her eyes glistening.
"Finally…" she whispered.
But she wasn't done yet. Olive reached into her pocket and pulled out a small device—an artifact shaped like a cracked crystal ball, humming softly with a dim red light.
"That's…" Darwin frowned. But before he could react—
Zero's voice rang in his mind.
"Everyone, behind me! Now!!" Darwin shouted.
All of them rushed behind him, just as Darwin activated his protective artifact. A transparent dome flickered into place with a loud BZZT!—just as the device in Olive's hand flared with blinding light.
BOOOMMM!!
The explosion shook the entire building. Walls trembled, glass shattered, part of the ceiling collapsed. Hot wind blasted through the meeting hall, flinging debris in all directions. But the dome held—trembling, but unbroken.
As the dust began to settle, the shield faded. Everyone was safe. But the room lay in ruins.
Darwin staggered slightly. The shield was powerful—but could only be used once per day. And now, it was spent.
Velmira coughed, while Evelyne exhaled shakily, her heart racing. Mireth clutched her scraped arm but nodded toward Darwin.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Moments later, hurried footsteps echoed from outside. The door—barely hanging from its hinges—swung open, and several armed guards burst in. Leading them were two striking figures.
One was a young man with fiery red hair, wearing a long blue coat with the royal crest—Gerald, the prince.
Beside him, a silver-haired woman in a mage's robe bearing the crest of a layered star—Maevina, the kingdom's chief sorceress.
Gerald looked around in shock and alarm.
"What happened here?! It looks like a meteor hit this place—" Then his eyes locked onto someone among the wreckage.
"...Evelyne??"