Book 1 Chapter 666
666.
“I can’t get used to this sky, no matter how much I look at it.”
Arga muttered softly, looking up at the sky.
Arion’s world and Dwenow’s world.
And this time.
It was Ar’s third experience, but he couldn’t get used to the sky of the era of dire disaster.
“Why would you get used to it?”
Kal also clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Besides him, all the party members had tense expressions.
The hero’s world, which had begun to erode reality.
Moreover, if that were Dwenow’s world, it was as clear as day that immense trials awaited them.
Chelsea glanced at Leo’s back, following Dwenow and the elf from the front with Artian.
“Ah, right. I forgot to introduce myself.”
The elf slapped his forehead and said,
“My name is Ennitha. I’m a painter who captures the beauty of this world on canvas.”
“Wow. You’re a painter. I love looking at paintings too.”
Artian clasped his hands together and exclaimed at Ennitha’s introduction.
Ennitha wore a slightly subtle expression as she looked at Artian.
“Your image is completely different from before. Are all spirit summoners like that?”
“Perhaps I’m a bit of a special case? The spirits I’ve contracted are a bit aggressive.”
“Spirit summoners usually have difficult temperaments.”
At that moment, Dwenow, who was walking ahead, said casually.
“Even if they pretend to be nice on the outside.”
“Oh, no. I’m nice. Right? Leo student?”
“Yes, well…”
“What’s with that reaction!”
Normally, it would have become more chaotic due to possession, but Artian was quiet.
It was only natural, as the opponent was none other than a great hero.
A being with influence comparable to a god in modern times.
He was someone who could not be treated carelessly.
“By the way, where exactly did you guys come from?”
“I’ll tell you the details when we get somewhere safe.”
“Hmm. Some outsiders came to our fortress a while ago. Are you connected to them?”
‘Outsiders? Are they talking about the scouting party?’
“I don’t know who they are, but there might be a connection.”
“They are a mysterious group.”
Even as he said that, he no longer suspected Leo’s party.
As they followed Dwenow and Ennitha for a long time, Leo’s party soon reached the distant castle walls.
“A fortress?”
“……Amazing.”
The party members exclaimed in admiration as they looked at the fortress that seemed anything but ordinary.
Leo glanced at Artian.
When their eyes met, Artian nodded slightly.
That was the ruined fortress where Leo’s party had originally planned to rest.
That ruin was now perfectly rebuilt and stood firm.
‘…Looking at the architectural style, it’s from the era of disaster.’
Leo examined the fortress closely.
‘It’s not just built in the style of a past building.’
The exterior resembled the fortress of the past.
The castle walls had the feel of Gardsron.
But it subtly had the feel of the current era.
‘I see. Did they rebuild the fortress?’
As Leo nodded.
When Dwenow approached the fortress moat, the drawbridge creaked and lowered.
*Thump-!*
As the drawbridge lowered with a heavy sound, Dwenow looked back.
“For now, I welcome you, outsiders. I want to hear your stories.”
***
*Clang- Clang- Clang-!*
The sound of a hammer striking an anvil echoed loudly.
Listening to the sound, the party members marveled.
“There are so many dwarves?”
“There are quite a few beastmen too.”
“Are all these people from the era of disaster…”
The group walked around, looking at their surroundings.
Around the fortress entrance were countless blacksmiths.
Dwarves were busy forging weapons there.
Leo muttered to himself as he watched.
‘Ivaldi.’
“The craftsmanship is incredible.”
As Driana muttered blankly, Ennitha smiled.
“Of course. Our Ivaldi blacksmiths are the best in the world.”
Ivaldi.
During the era of disaster.
It was one of the few fortresses that fought to the very end against Tartarus’s onslaught.
The main components were dwarves and beastmen.
They produced countless weapons, and the weapons made there occasionally made their way to Gardsron.
‘These are them.’
Leo, who had stopped walking, looked at the artisans of Ivaldi.
During the era of disaster.
For those on the front lines of the battlefield, the weapons from Ivaldi artisans were essential.
‘They were the only weapons that could contend with the weapons made by the Giant King, Gias.’
Leo, in Kyle’s era, also received much help from the weapons they made.
In a way, these people had saved his life on countless battlefields.
However, this was the first time he had actually seen the artisans of Ivaldi.
‘Except for just one person.’
Leo silently watched the back of a dwarf walking ahead.
Dwenow.
As one of the four heroes chosen by Lisina, he was the guardian of Ivaldi and Ivaldi’s master smith.
His reputation at that time was already as high as that of Argon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky.
This street was different from the street Leo remembered.
It had to be.
This was not Ivaldi.
But in the Ivaldi Leo had actually seen, there was no such vibrancy.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
At Dwenow’s question, Leo started walking.
“I’m coming now.”
***
Dwenow led the party to the center of the fortress.
It was originally the building where the lord’s office was located.
Seeing that building perfectly rebuilt, Kal’s mouth fell open.
“Wasn’t this place completely ruined? How is the building still intact?”
At Kal’s astonished muttering, Dwenow chuckled.
“Yes. When we were suddenly teleported here, this fortress was completely in ruins. *Heave-ho*!”
Dwenow said, sitting on a chair.
“But fortunately, there were countless materials left underground. We rebuilt it using those materials. It took about a month.”
“Is that possible?”
“Aren’t we dwarves?”
Seeing Dwenow, who smiled kindly as if it were nothing, Driana nodded.
“Of course. And besides, you’re here, Dwenow-nim. This is a piece of cake.”
*Mmm-hmm!* Driana nodded and her eyes sparkled.
“You’re a cute young lady, flattering me. What’s your name?”
“My name is Driana!”
“Haha! Yes, Miss Driana. Are you also a blacksmith?”
“Yes! I’m a blacksmith and an artist!”
“An artist?”
Ennitha’s eyes sparkled.
“A blacksmith. Will you show me the weapons you’ve made?”
At those words, Driana took out a longsword and approached Dwenow.
Dwenow, seeing the longsword made by Driana, marveled.
“Hoho, what great skill! You’re definitely a genius.”
“R-really?”
“Just be a blacksmith.”
“Huh?”
“With such excellent skill, isn’t it a waste? Focus more on your smithing skills. Hahaha!”
“Dwenow! You shouldn’t crush an aspiring artist in such a dark age! You said you needed to spread beauty to people too!”
Saying that, Ennitha approached Driana, put her hand on her shoulder, and said.
“Why do you call yourself an artist?”
“To spread beauty to later generations!”
“Wonderful! That spirit! Never forget it!”
Seeing Ennitha cheering Driana on, Kal said.
“The artwork I showed you earlier is her work.”
At that, Ennitha’s eyes trembled.
“I-it’s okay. It was original and good.”
“Ouch, my back.”
Kal rubbed his back, which he had been hit in the previous moment by Ennitha, but Ennitha ignored him.
Meanwhile.
Driana’s eyes, looking up at Ennitha, sparkled.
“Let me have you as my teacher!”
It was the first time someone had praised her work, and Driana was deeply moved.
Ennitha hesitated for a moment, watching Driana.
In this desperate era.
It had been a long time since she met someone with a dream of passing on beauty to future generations.
Ennitha, looking at Driana, who resembled her own eyes, nodded.
‘Yes. I can teach her. Even though her senses are a bit odd… I can teach her.’
“Okay.”
“Teacher!”
Watching them, Kal said to Ar.
“How long do you think it will last?”
“She’ll be excommunicated in two days.”
“Ho? Two days? You’re being generous?”
“How long do you think?”
“I think a day.”
“Shall we bet?”
“Okay.”
Driana, completely unaware that Ar and Kal were betting on her, smiled brightly.
At her lovely smile, Ennitha smiled gently.
“Let’s put the chit-chat aside.”
Leo opened his mouth.
“I know of a foolish man and a surviving hero.”
“I know. Aren’t they active in Gardsron? Why do you ask?”
“Have you met them recently?”
“No. Gardsron and Ivaldi are too far apart. Well, this isn’t Ivaldi anymore either.”
Leo’s words made Dwenow shake his head.
Leo, who was Kyle himself, knew that Dwenow had not met him yet.
Even so, the reason he asked such a question was to give the party members information about the current situation.
It would look strange to others if he conveyed the current situation without having any conversation with Dwenow.
Hearing Leo and Dwenow’s conversation, the party members quickly gathered information and began to assess the situation.
“I have one thing I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Where exactly is this place?”
“Southeastern continent.”
“Hmm. As I thought. I figured out the location by looking at the constellations, but the night sky was so unfamiliar after so long… so we were suddenly warped to the southeastern continent.”
Originally, Ivaldi was located in the central-northern part of the continent.
“It’s a miracle! In that state, we might have all lost our lives!”
Ennitha said with a bright expression.
At those words, Duran asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We were facing the Giant King’s all-out offensive until a month ago.”
Dwenow said seriously, with his arms crossed.
“We had been cut off from the outside for a long time. If it had continued like that… everyone would have died.”
At those words, Leo closed his eyes.
‘…When we arrived, the fortress had already collapsed.’
Just before Lisina, Kyle, Luna, and Arion arrived.
Ivaldi could not withstand Tartarus’s onslaught and collapsed.
Dwenow was the only survivor.
Dwenow, whom the four met for the first time, was already holding the funeral for his comrades.
‘It leaves a bitter taste.’
Knowing the future.
“I have something I’m curious about! There are stars in the night sky now! I don’t know how many decades it’s been since I last saw the night sky!”
Ennitha said with an excited face.
“We were surrounded by Tartarus and didn’t know what was happening outside. Has there been any change in the era of disaster?”
From the perspective of the isolated, it was natural to think that way.
It had become stagnant.
Or rather.
A world on the verge of destruction might have some hope.
‘…That’s a story for the distant future.’
Should I tell them?
This is the future?
If so, they would ask.
What happened to them.
“……”
Leo, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“Yes. We’ve regained the night sky.”
“As expected! ‘Then the end of the era of disaster is not far off!’”
Ennitha gave a bright smile, and Leo replied.
“Probably.”
They hadn’t even started yet.
After all of you sacrificed yourselves, after more sacrifices were made.
It would barely end in the distant future.
Leo couldn’t answer like that.