Chapter 666
Chapter 666
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 666
Chapter Title: Ivaldi
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“No matter how many times I see it, I can’t get used to that sky.”
Ar murmured softly as he looked up.
Ar-on’s world and Dweno’s world.
And now this one.
For Ar, this was his third time, but he could never get used to the sky of the ominous Age of Disaster.
“How could anyone get used to it?”
Karl shook his head, utterly dumbfounded.
The other party members also wore tense expressions.
The World of Heroes had begun to encroach upon reality.
On top of that, if this was Dweno’s world, it was as clear as day that a tremendous ordeal awaited them.
Chelsea glanced at the back of Leo, who was following Dweno and the elf at the forefront alongside Artian.
“Oh, right. I forgot to introduce myself.”
The elf slapped her forehead and spoke.
“My name is Enniha. I’m a painter who captures the beauty of this world on canvas.”
“Wow. A painter. I love looking at paintings too.”
Artian clasped her hands together and marveled at Enniha’s introduction.
Looking at Artian, Enniha wore a slightly peculiar expression.
“Your image is completely different from before. Are all Spiritmancers like that?”
“Perhaps I’m a bit of a special case? The spirits I’ve contracted with are a bit on the aggressive side.”
“Spiritmancers are generally ill-tempered.”
Dweno, who was walking ahead, remarked nonchalantly.
“Even if they pretend to be nice on the outside.”
“N-No. I’m nice. Right, Student Leo?”
“Yes, well…”
“What kind of reaction is that!”
Normally, the possession would have made things even rowdier, but Artian remained quiet.
It was only natural, for she was facing none other than a Great Hero.
In the modern era, he was a being with influence comparable to a god.
She couldn’t afford to be reckless.
“By the way, where on earth did you all come from?”
“I’ll tell you the details when we get somewhere safe.”
“Hmm. Not long ago, some outsiders came to our fortress. Are you connected to them?”
‘Outsiders? Is he talking about the advance reconnaissance team?’
“I don’t know who they are, but we might be connected.”
“You’re a mysterious bunch.”
Despite saying so, he no longer seemed to view Leo’s party with suspicion.
Following Dweno and Enniha for some time, Leo’s party soon reached a fortress wall visible in the distance.
“A fortress?”
“…Incredible.”
The party members let out gasps of admiration at the sight of the fortress, which looked formidable at a glance.
At that, Leo glanced at Artian.
Their eyes met, and Artian gave a slight nod.
That was the ruined fortress where Leo’s party had originally planned to rest.
Those ruins were now perfectly rebuilt, standing strong.
‘…Judging by the architectural style, it’s a structure from the Age of Disaster.’
Leo examined the fortress closely.
‘It’s not just built in the style of a past era.’
Its appearance resembled a fortress from the past.
The walls had the feel of Gardsrone.
But there was a subtle hint of the modern era.
‘I see. They rebuilt the fortress?’
While Leo was nodding to himself.
As Dweno approached the moat of the fortress, the drawbridge lowered with a rumble!
Thud!
As the bridge came down with a heavy sound, Dweno turned around.
“For now, I welcome you, outsiders. I would like to hear your story.”
***
Clang— Kang— Kang—!
The sound of hammers striking an anvil rang out loudly.
Listening to the sound, the party members were filled with admiration.
“There are so many dwarves.”
“There are quite a few beastmen, too.”
“Are all these people from the Age of Disaster…?”
The group moved on, looking around curiously.
Countless forges surrounded the fortress entrance.
There, dwarves were busy producing weapons.
Leo watched the scene and muttered to himself.
‘Ivaldi.’
“They’re blacksmiths of incredible skill.”
Driana murmured in a daze, and Enniha smiled brightly.
“Of course. Our blacksmiths of Ivaldi are the best in the world.”
Ivaldi.
During the Age of Disaster.
It was one of the few fortresses that resisted Tartaros’s offensive until the very end.
Its core was comprised of dwarves and beastmen.
They produced countless armaments, and the weapons made there occasionally found their way even to Gardsrone.
‘So these are the ones.’
Leo stopped and looked at the artisans of Ivaldi.
During the Age of Disaster.
For those who stood on the front lines of battle, the armaments of Ivaldi’s artisans were essential.
‘Because they were the only weapons that could stand against those made by the Giant King Gias.’
Leo, in his time as Kyle, had also received much help from the weapons they created.
In a way, they had saved his life on countless battlefields.
But this was the first time he had actually seen the artisans of Ivaldi.
‘With the exception of one person.’
Leo silently watched the back of a dwarf walking ahead.
Dweno.
One of the four heroes chosen by Lisinas, he was the Guardian of Ivaldi and its Master Smith.
Even back then, his fame was already high enough to rival Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky.
This street was different from the one Leo remembered.
That was inevitable.
This wasn’t Ivaldi.
But the real Ivaldi Leo had seen lacked this kind of vitality.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming?”
At Dweno’s question, Leo started walking.
“Coming now.”
***
Dweno led the party to the center of the fortress.
It was the building that originally housed the castellan’s office.
Seeing that even that building was perfectly reconstructed, Karl’s jaw dropped.
“Wasn’t this place a complete ruin? How is this building so intact?”
At Karl’s astonished mumble, Dweno let out a hearty laugh.
“Indeed. When we were suddenly teleported here, this fortress was in utter ruins. Oof!”
Dweno said as he sat down in a chair.
“But fortunately, there were countless materials left in the basement. We used them to rebuild. It took about a month.”
“Is that even possible?”
“Are we not dwarves?”
Driana nodded at Dweno, who was smiling benevolently as if it were nothing.
“Of course. And you’re here, Lord Dweno, aren’t you? This must be a piece of cake.”
Nodding emphatically, Driana’s eyes sparkled.
“The cute young lady is singing my praises. What is your name?”
“It’s Driana!”
“Haha! Right. Miss Driana. Are you a blacksmith as well?”
“Yes! I’m a blacksmith and an artist!”
“An artist?”
Enniha’s eyes lit up.
“A blacksmith, you say. Would you show me a weapon you’ve made?”
At those words, Driana took out a longsword and approached Dweno.
Looking at the longsword Driana had made, Dweno was impressed.
“Hoh, what incredible skill! You must be a genius.”
“R-Really?”
“Stick to blacksmithing.”
“Pardon?”
“With such fine skill, isn’t it a waste? Focus more on your smithing techniques. Hahaha!”
“Dweno! You shouldn’t crush an aspiring artist’s dream in these dark times! You said yourself that we need to spread beauty to the people!”
Having said that, Enniha walked over to Driana, placed a hand on her shoulder, and said.
“For what reason do you call yourself an artist?”
“To pass on beauty to future generations!”
“Wonderful! That spirit! Never forget it!”
Watching Enniha encourage Driana, Karl spoke up.
“The work of art I showed you earlier was her creation.”
At his words, Enniha’s eye twitched.
“I-It’s fine. It was original and good.”
“Ouch, my back.”
Karl rubbed the spot on his back where Enniha had struck him earlier, but she ignored him.
Meanwhile.
Driana’s eyes, looking up at Enniha, were sparkling.
“Please let me call you my master!”
It was the first time someone had praised her work, and Driana was deeply moved.
Looking at Driana, Enniha was momentarily lost in thought.
In this desperate age.
It had been a long time since she had met someone with a dream of passing on beauty to future generations.
Enniha looked at Driana, whose eyes so resembled her own, and nodded.
‘Right. I can teach her. Her sense is a bit odd, but… I can teach her.’
“Alright.”
“Master!”
Watching the scene, Karl spoke to Ar.
“How long do you think it’ll last?”
“She’ll be excommunicated in two days.”
“Oh? Two whole days? You’re being generous.”
“How long do you give her?”
“I say one day.”
“Wanna bet?”
“You’re on.”
Completely unaware that Ar and Karl were making a bet about her, Driana smiled brightly.
At her lovely smile, Enniha gave a gentle one of her own.
“Let’s set aside the idle chatter.”
Leo spoke up.
“You know of the Fool and the Surviving Hero.”
“I do. Aren’t they the ones active in Gardsrone? Why do you ask?”
“Have you met them recently, by any chance?”
“I have not. Gardsrone and Ivaldi are too far apart. Well, this place isn’t Ivaldi at present, anyway.”
Dweno shook his head at Leo’s words.
Leo, being Kyle himself, knew that Dweno had not yet met him.
The reason he asked such a question was to give his party members information about the current situation.
It would seem strange to others if he just relayed the current state of affairs without having any conversation with Dweno.
Listening to the conversation between Leo and Dweno, the party quickly gathered information and began to grasp the situation.
“There is one thing I’d like to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Where exactly is this place?”
“The southeastern part of the continent.”
“Hmm. Just as I thought. I had figured out our position by looking at the constellations, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen the night sky that I was a bit hazy… So we really were suddenly warped all the way to the southeast.”
Ivaldi was originally located in the north-central part of the continent.
“It’s a miracle! In that state, we might have all lost our lives!”
Enniha’s face lit up.
At her words, Duran asked.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Until a month ago, we were facing an all-out offensive from the Giant King.”
Dweno said gravely with his arms crossed.
“We had long been cut off from the outside world. If we had stayed there… everyone would have died.”
At those words, Leo closed his eyes.
‘…By the time we arrived, the fortress had already fallen.’
Just before Lisinas, Kyle, Luna, and Ar-on arrived.
Ivaldi had been unable to withstand Tartaros’s assault and had collapsed.
The sole survivor was Dweno.
The Dweno the four first met was already holding a funeral for his comrades.
‘This leaves a bitter taste.’
Knowing the future.
“I have a question! The stars are out in the night sky! I don’t know how many decades it’s been since I’ve seen the night sky!”
Enniha said with an excited expression.
“We were surrounded by Tartaros, so we didn’t know much about the outside world. Has there been a change in the Age of Disaster?”
From the perspective of those who had been isolated, they had no choice but to think that way.
That the world, which had been at a stalemate…
No.
That the world, which had been heading for ruin, had found a little hope.
‘…That’s a story for the distant future.’
Should he tell them?
That this is the future?
If he did, they would ask.
What happened to them.
“…”
Leo, who had been silent, opened his mouth.
“That’s right. We’ve reclaimed the night sky.”
“I knew it! Then that means the end of the Age of Disaster isn’t far off!”
Seeing Enniha’s bright smile, Leo replied.
“Probably.”
It hasn’t even begun yet.
After all of you are sacrificed, after countless more sacrifices are made.
It will finally end in the distant future.
Leo couldn’t bring himself to answer like that.