The Call to El Nergavil
After that, time crawled by at an agonizingly slow pace. I finished my meal and returned to my room, but I couldn't bear to be alone, nor did I have anything particular to do. Whether I wanted to or not, I found myself watching the others and thinking about them.
I drifted aimlessly through my thoughts. Fragments of old memories and scattered scenes mixed with vague emotional traces whose exact timing and context had long since faded, blurring together with the present in a dizzying swirl inside my head.
I tried to escape those thoughts by wondering whether Elena and Geil had already passed my message to Medrup, but that was information I had no way of knowing. Besides, it wasn't some profound philosophical question—just a fleeting, escapist curiosity that couldn't hold my attention for long.
When my emotional whims and pointless heaviness began to torment me alongside the surrounding circumstances, I realized I needed to look away from the "present." The current situation kept dragging up unpleasant memories, pulling in everything I didn't want to acknowledge and even the future I wanted to avoid.
Yet that was never easy. Like a song or melody that refused to leave, once a thought surfaced it circled endlessly, blocking any attempt to turn away.
Whenever I managed to push it out of my mind, the final scene from that dream rose again, growing more vivid each time.
Of all times.
Of course, I understood why I had such a dream. If anything, it was stranger that it hadn't come sooner. But the timing was terrible. Nothing had actually changed, yet it left me unsettled and on edge.
Yes. That was probably why I'd become so unnecessarily emotional. I shook my head. This mission was simple. Rescue Kainaknus, uncover the connection between Ryban, the Dark Temple, and Alsh Unak. That was all I had to do.
If I managed even that much, the rest—the unnecessary details—would be handled by others. Rowell would deal with Ryban's clones, while Medrup, Elena, or Kainaknus would handle the temple and the other summoners.
Right. Nothing had changed. These people had nothing to do with me. Whatever they wanted, whatever they'd been through, whatever they'd lost—it wasn't my concern.
Yes. How very like me to say that.
And at that exact moment, my mind went cold as the shadow I'd barely escaped from dragged me back down.
"……"
Naturally, the faces of Rowell, Aegina, and the other companions rose in my mind. I missed them.
Even after that, I remained trapped in that emotional turbulence for a long while. I tried shifting my gaze to follow the others' movements as if searching for something, but it was a meaningless effort. What finally pulled me out of it was an unexpected event.
"Brothers and sisters! Gather here at once!"
It was Olsidra. His voice carried urgency, yet also a note of ecstasy. Regardless, people followed it and stepped outside.
"What is it?"
"Is the gathering starting early?"
The crowd responded with visible anticipation. They, too, had been waiting for time to pass in this tedious limbo.
"Alsh Unak requires us."
Expectation appeared on the faces of Olsidra and several others. A few looked blank, not understanding what he meant. But for most of us—including me—the dominant feeling was unease.
"From now on, we will all proceed to the sacred temple, El Nergavil, and protect it according to the will of Lord Urshus."
Protect?
Neither the name El Nergavil, which I'd only ever heard in legends, nor the fact that we were heading there far sooner than expected, eased the ominous feeling that single word stirred in me.
Protect? Had they already realized Medrup was searching for them?
"Protect? Does that mean El Nergavil is in danger?"
I had to ask. Drawing unnecessary attention wasn't what I wanted, but I needed to know.
"Lord Urshus has given a revelation that El Nergavil will be attacked. However, this is neither danger nor threat. We will be victorious, and that victory will only add to the glory of the sacred temple."
It wasn't mere incitement. He spoke with absolute conviction. And no matter how absurd the words, when conviction and belief were mixed in, they carried a certain power all their own.
Most of the others were already elated, as if victory were assured, their hands tightening as though ready to summon at any moment.
"We will win!"
Especially that murderous underachiever—he'd swallowed the rhetoric far too easily.
"Now then, let us depart. Lord Alsh Unak awaits us."
Olsidra turned and began walking immediately. The lack of time to gather belongings or prepare made it clear the situation was urgent. Even a moment's thought revealed this was hardly a hopeful sign for battle, yet only two or three people showed any visible anxiety.
They might have been hiding their unease out of pride or concern for others' opinions, or perhaps they were more seasoned warriors than I'd assumed. Either way, one thing was certain—this wasn't good for me.
I followed Olsidra and the others, hoping Granbipra would somehow signal that he was keeping up. I knew he would, but the anxiety refused to leave.
What if this was a trap? And that Alsh Unak—I'd managed to fool Olsidra and the rest, but I couldn't be sure the same would work on him.
The only things I could rely on now were the artifacts hidden in my clothes and Granbipra. Especially while heading toward El Nergavil, the sacred temple of Urshus.
We walked along forest paths, then took a narrow trail hidden by vines and trees until we reached a cave lined with totems. As we entered, the eyes of the totems glowed, and I guessed they served as some kind of guards.
A little later, right after I passed one, its eyes seemed to dim slightly. I genuinely wanted to know whether that was because of Granbipra or the artifact I wore.
But I kept moving deeper. The cave was quite deep, its walls decorated with strange ornaments and tiny statues tucked into every crevice. Most were mere decoration, but a few carried faint traces of mana, suggesting spells had been placed on them. I could also feel those mana flows gently stirring the air currents inside the cave.
It reminded me of the first time we'd entered the battle ents' lair. That experience had been anything but pleasant—like walking into a tomb. A place that could collapse at any moment, where attacks could come from anywhere.
Deeper and deeper we went. At last, beyond the line of people ahead, I spotted the figure waiting for us—a demon with bat-like wings.
"Lord Alsh Unak."
Olsidra and the others bowed their heads in reverence. I did the same, trying to hide my face. A demon with bat wings—exactly like the low-ranking demons casually created and used by high-ranking ones. Far too common and stereotypical.
Neither the Demon King nor any of the Demon Commanders I'd seen during the great war had possessed bat wings. At most, some mid-ranking demons had something resembling wings on their backs.
Come. Children of Urshus.
At least the magical power and presence radiating from him were nothing like a mere mid-ranking demon. He couldn't compare to a Demon Commander, but he carried the full oppressive weight and overwhelming presence unique to high-ranking demons, along with that subtle sense of otherness that marked the truly powerful.
……
Then, suddenly, his gaze landed on me. It was my own fault for looking up while observing his appearance and aura. I quickly lowered my head, but I could feel his eyes still fixed on me. Slowly, I moved my hand toward my chest.
Granbipra was here, the artifacts were ready, and I'd layered on a new barrier, but if the worst happened, I'd have to flee to the study.
Something felt off. He said nothing. Gathering my courage, I raised my head again. Sure enough, he was still watching me. But there was no hostility in that gaze—only curiosity and goodwill.
It was so intense I almost wondered if he was looking at someone else, but there was no doubt.
"……?"
At that moment, he gave a faint smile. It was natural enough that the others wouldn't think anything of it, but I knew it was directed at me. My hand tightened around the crystal. I wanted to know exactly where Granbipra was right now, and several summon names flashed through my mind, ready for the situation.
But Alsh Unak looked away as if nothing had happened. He turned to Olsidra and the others, slowly spreading his wings.
Now the time has come. All of you will set foot in El Nergavil according to the great will of Lord Urshus. Today you will ascend to the sacred temple of the great Dark Priests—the place where you can feel Lord Urshus closest upon this earth.
His voice was intensely powerful. Not because it carried conviction like Olsidra's, but because the voice itself seemed to hold some kind of force. It reached even me, as though shaking the soul directly.
Now go! You shall become the flames that illuminate the glory of El Nergavil!
Alsh Unak's hands sliced through the air, and dark flames burned through the space like fire consuming paper from the middle outward. The flames became a portal—the portal leading to Urshus's temple, El Nergavil.
Follow. Become your own flames!
With those words, Alsh Unak stepped into the portal. Olsidra and the others followed like rats leaping off a cliff after their leader. It didn't take long for my turn to come. With several people waiting behind me, hesitation or stopping wasn't an option. Even though I'd already been walking forward with the others, they were giving me looks that asked why I wasn't jumping in faster.
"I hope you follow well."
I spoke to those behind me—though in truth, the words were meant for Granbipra, wherever he was listening—and leapt into the portal.