Book 1 Chapter 666
666.
“No matter how many times I look at that sky, I can’t get used to it.”
Ar muttered softly, looking up at the sky.
Arion’s world and Dweno’s world.
And including this time.
It was Ar’s third experience, but the sky of the era of ominous calamity was utterly impossible to get used to.
“How could you get used to it?”
Kyle also shook his head, clicking his tongue.
Besides them, all party members had tense expressions.
The hero’s world began to erode reality.
On top of that, if it was Dweno’s world, it was obvious that immense trials awaited them.
Chelsea glanced back at Leo, who was leading the way with Artian, following Dweno and Enniha.
“Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself.”
Enniha slapped her forehead and said.
“My name is Enniha. I am a painter who captures the beauty of this world on canvas.”
“Wow. You’re a painter. I also love looking at paintings.”
At Enniha’s introduction, Artian clasped his hands together in admiration.
Enniha looked at Artian with a slightly subtle expression.
“You look completely different from a moment ago. 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 are generally ill-tempered.”
Just then, Dweno, who was walking ahead, tossed out casually.
“Even if they pretend to be kind on the outside.”
“Oh, no. I’m kind. Right? Leo, student?”
“Yes, well…”
“What kind of reaction is that?!”
Normally, Artian would have become even more boisterous due to the possession, but she was quiet.
That’s because her opponent was none other than a Great Hero.
A being with influence comparable to a god in modern times.
She couldn’t treat him carelessly.
“By the way, where on earth did you come from?”
“I’ll tell you the details once we get to a safe place.”
“Hmm. Some outsiders came to our fortress recently. Are you related to them?”
‘Outsiders? Is he talking about the advance scouting party?’
“I don’t know who they are, but there might be a connection.”
“They are friends with many mysteries.”
He said that, but he no longer regarded Leo’s group with suspicion.
Following Dweno and Enniha, Leo’s group traveled for a long time and soon reached the distant city walls.
“A fortress?”
“…Amazing.”
Seeing the fortress, which looked extraordinary at first glance, the party members exclaimed in admiration.
At that, Leo glanced at Artian.
Artian, whose gaze met Leo’s, nodded slightly.
That place was originally a ruined fortress where Leo’s party had planned to rest.
That ruin was now perfectly rebuilt and stood firm.
‘…Considering the architectural style, it’s a structure from the era of calamity.’
Leo carefully examined the fortress.
‘It wasn’t just built in the architectural style of the past.’
Its appearance resembled a fortress of the past.
The city walls had the feel of Gardsron.
But subtly, it also had the feel of the current era.
‘I see. Did they rebuild the fortress?’
While Leo nodded.
As Dweno approached the moat of the fortress, *drr-rrr-ruk*! A bridge lowered.
*Kung-!*
With a heavy sound, the bridge lowered, and Dweno looked back.
“First, I welcome you, outsiders. I would like to hear your story.”
***
*Ka-ang- ka-ang- ka-ang-!*
The sound of a hammer hitting an anvil loudly reverberated.
Hearing that sound, the party members exclaimed in admiration.
“There are so many dwarves?”
“There are quite a few beastfolk too.”
“Are all these people from the era of calamity…?”
The group moved and looked around.
Around the fortress entrance, there were countless blacksmiths.
Dwarves were busy producing weapons there.
Leo muttered inwardly as he watched them.
‘Ivaldi.’
“They are artisans of an amazing level.”
As Driana muttered blankly, Enniha smiled brightly.
“Of course. Our blacksmiths of Ivaldi are the best in the world.”
Ivaldi.
During the era of calamity.
It was one of the few fortresses that resisted Tartarus’s offensive until the very end.
The main forces were dwarves and beastfolk.
They produced countless armaments, and the armaments made there occasionally flowed into Gardsron.
‘These are the ones.’
Leo stopped walking and looked at the artisans of Ivaldi.
During the era of calamity.
For those who stood on the front lines of the battlefield, the armaments of Ivaldi’s artisans were essential.
‘Because they were the only armaments that could counter the armaments made by the Giant King Gyas.’
Leo, during his Kyle days, also received much help from the armaments they made.
In a way, they saved his life on countless battlefields.
However, this was the first time he actually saw the artisans of Ivaldi.
‘Except for one person.’
Leo silently watched the back of a dwarf walking ahead.
Dweno.
One of the four heroes chosen by Licinas, he was the guardian of Ivaldi and Ivaldi’s Master Smith.
Even then, his fame was as high as that of Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky.
This distance was different from the distance Leo remembered.
It couldn’t be helped.
This wasn’t Ivaldi.
But the actual Ivaldi Leo saw didn’t have this kind of vibrancy.
“What are you doing? Are you not following?”
At Dweno’s question, Leo took a step.
“Coming now.”
***
The place Dweno led the group to was the center of the fortress.
It was originally the building where the lord’s office was located.
Seeing that even that building was perfectly rebuilt, Kyle’s jaw dropped.
“Wasn’t this completely ruined? How is the building so intact?”
Dweno chuckled at Kyle’s shocked mumble.
“Yes. Even when we were suddenly teleported here, this fortress was completely ruined. *Oop-cha*!”
Dweno, seated in a chair, said.
“But fortunately, countless materials remained underground. We rebuilt it using those materials. It took about a month.”
“Is that possible?”
“Aren’t we dwarves?”
Driana nodded, looking at Dweno, who smiled benignly as if it were nothing special.
“Of course. And Lord Dweno is here, isn’t he? This much is a piece of cake.”
*Mm-hmm!* Driana, who nodded, her eyes sparkling.
“A cute young lady is gilding my face. What’s your name?”
“It’s Driana!”
“Haha! Yes. Miss Driana. Are you also a blacksmith?”
“Yes! I’m a blacksmith and an artist!”
“An artist?”
Enniha’s eyes sparkled.
“A blacksmith. Would you show me the armaments you made?”
At those words, Driana pulled out a longsword and approached Dweno.
Dweno admired the longsword Driana made.
“Oh, what excellent skill! You are definitely a genius.”
“R-really?”
“Just be a blacksmith.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it a waste to have such excellent skill? Focus more on smithing. Hahaha!”
“Dweno! In such a dark age, you shouldn’t crush an aspiring artist! You also said that you need to spread beauty to people!”
Having said that, Enniha approached Driana, firmly grabbed her shoulder, and said.
“What is your reason for calling yourself an artist?”
“To spread beauty to future generations!”
“Excellent! That heart! Never forget it!”
Kyle said, looking at Enniha, who was cheering on Driana.
“The artwork I showed you earlier was her work.”
At those words, Enniha’s eyes trembled slightly.
“I-it’s okay. It was unique and good.”
“Ouch, my back.”
Kyle rubbed his back, which Enniha had hit earlier, but Enniha turned away.
Meanwhile.
Driana’s eyes, looking up at Enniha, were sparkling brightly.
“Please let me serve you as my teacher!”
Driana, for whom it was the first time someone praised her work, was greatly moved.
Looking at such Driana, Enniha pondered for a moment.
In this desperate age.
It’s been a really long time since she met someone who had a dream of spreading beauty to future generations.
Enniha, who looked at Driana, who resembled her own eyes, nodded.
‘Yes. I’ll teach her. Her sense is a bit strange, but… I’ll teach her.’
“Good.”
“Teacher!”
Seeing that, Kyle said to Ar.
“How long do you think it’ll last?”
“She’ll be excommunicated in two days?”
“Oh? Two days? You’re seeing it long?”
“How long do you see it?”
“One day for me.”
“Wanna bet?”
“Sure.”
Driana, completely unaware that Ar and Kyle were betting on her, smiled brightly.
Enniha gave a gentle smile at her lovely smile.
“Let’s put the chatter aside.”
Leo opened his mouth.
“You know about the foolish ones and the surviving hero.”
“I know. Aren’t they the ones active in Gardsron? Why do you ask that?”
“Have you met them recently by any chance?”
“No. Gardsron and Ivaldi are too far away. Well, this place isn’t even Ivaldi currently, but.”
Dweno shook his head at Leo’s words.
Leo, being Kyle himself, knew that Dweno hadn’t met him yet.
The reason he still asked this question was to give his party members information about the current situation.
It would seem strange to others to spread information about the current situation without any conversation with Dweno.
Hearing the conversation between Leo and Dweno, the group quickly gathered information and began to grasp the situation.
“I have one thing I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Where exactly is this place?”
“Southeastern continent.”
“Hmm. So that’s it. I had figured out the location by looking at the constellations, but it’s been so long since I saw the night sky that it was hazy… We really did warp to the southeastern continent suddenly.”
Originally, Ivaldi was located in the north-central part of the continent.
“It’s a miracle! If we had stayed in that state, we might have all lost our lives!”
Enniha’s face lit up.
At those words, Duran asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“We were facing the Giant King’s full-scale offensive until a month ago.”
Dweno said solemnly, crossing his arms.
“We had been cut off from the outside world for a long time. If we had stayed like that… everyone would have died.”
At those words, Leo closed his eyes.
‘…When we arrived, the fortress had already fallen.’
Just before Licinas, Kyle, Luna, and Arion arrived.
Ivaldi could not withstand Tartarus’s offensive and fell.
Dweno was the sole survivor.
The Dweno the four first met was already holding a funeral for his comrades.
‘It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.’
Knowing the future was…
“I have a question! Stars are in the night sky now! I don’t know how many decades it’s been since I’ve seen the night sky!”
Enniha said with an excited face.
“We were surrounded by Tartarus and weren’t well aware of the outside situation, you see? Has there been a change in the era of calamity?”
From the perspective of those isolated, they couldn’t help but think that way.
That the world, which had been stagnant.
No.
The world that was perishing had a little hope.
‘…That’s a story from the distant future.’
Should he tell them?
That this is the future?
If so, they would ask.
What happened to them?
“…”
Leo, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“That’s right. We’ve reclaimed the night sky.”
“Exactly! ‘Then the end of the era of calamity must not be far off!”
Leo replied, looking at Enniha’s bright smile.
“Perhaps.”
He couldn't bring himself to say that it hadn’t even begun.
After all of you sacrificed yourselves, and after many more sacrifices.
It barely ends in the distant future.
Leo couldn’t bring himself to answer that way.