The Black Flame's Embrace
The demon known as Alsh Unak lightly stamped his foot before stepping onto the brazier where flames still burned. The red fire within seemed to swallow him whole, climbing up his entire body. Watching the flames rise along his form, he wore a cruel smile. The fire that touched him soon turned black and began to rage far more violently than before.
"Foolish and pitiful creatures. You have forgotten the flame in your hearts for far too long. I can see the wretched hesitation in your eyes. But do not worry. I shall restore to you the true light."
People fell to their knees before him. Some out of ecstasy, others out of fear, and still others simply overwhelmed by the atmosphere. The one who had stepped forward with courage was dead. Only those consumed by madness and those who remained silent had survived.
The old man's remains were nothing more than fleeting soot on the floor, and his final words faded from people's hearts without even leaving a brief echo.
"Behold this flame. This is the glorious fire that once burned in the hearts of those blessed by the great Urshis. Though it was extinguished once, it shall burn again—and it shall burn for all eternity!"
As he moved his hand, the black flames climbing his body split into countless sparks and slowly drifted toward the people.
"Accept it. Accept the flame that was originally yours. Accept the great Urshis."
The people reached out toward the flames. They knew that refusing it would turn them into mere ash. The fire twisted like a cunning serpent, climbing up their hands before rearing its head right before their faces.
Then the flames followed their fearful breaths, slowly dispersing and seeping into them. The people trembled at the unfamiliar sensation, feeling the black fire fill both body and soul.
Their eyes and expressions, once clouded with fear, anxiety, and a trace of guilt, now held a strange ecstasy. It was power—the certainty that they could bring their enemies to their knees, a whisper that awakened the rage and hatred in their hearts.
Watching this scene, the man on the altar and Alsh Unak smiled. With this, many more had joined the ranks beneath the Dark Temple.
"O Thanatos, O Goddess Nyx. How foolish of you to try to return the middle realm to the cycle of circulation just because you are somewhat losing ground in your struggle for influence with the heavenly realm. And even that attempt has failed."
"Oh, indeed. They were truly foolish."
The man on the altar agreed as if entranced, yet the very reason they could now expand their influence was because of the great war caused by Thanatos and Nyx.
Countless people had perished in the last war, but at the same time, many had witnessed the overwhelming power of the demon realm and the Demon King's army with their own eyes.
Summoners had felt their own powerlessness before that overwhelming force and had simultaneously confirmed the dark domain they had once reached. Even after the war ended, the absence of the old order had left many regions in chaos, allowing them to grow their numbers in this way.
"Lord Urshis would never make such a foolish mistake. Soon this middle realm will follow Urshis, and when that time comes, you shall be rewarded. You will receive positions higher than any king in this land, and you will obtain anything you desire."
There was no longer any fear in the people's eyes. They approached the altar seeking even more of the black flames, and Alsh Unak continued to bestow the fire upon them.
* * *
"A half-elf?"
Upon returning to my room, I headed straight for the library. Tomorrow I would once again have to move with Rowell, so today was the last time I could spend with her before arriving at the Ayman Kingdom.
"Yes. The half-elf Elena is an extremely renowned summoner. Before the great war, she was considered one of the greatest summoners of this era alongside Lord Kainaknus and Lord Neiku."
"And after the war, that would be you?"
At her playful question, an awkward smile naturally formed on my lips. It wasn't entirely wrong, but if I had to be precise, about a third of it was accurate, another third was incorrect, and the remaining third was something I reluctantly agreed with.
In reality, I was the only summoner from the last war who could truly be called active. My companions were all considered the best in their respective fields, so my name occasionally came up as one of the greatest summoners as well.
However, that was only the opinion of those who knew of my existence to some degree, or of certain regions and organizations. Most people had no idea who I was.
Moreover, even among those who called me the greatest summoner, it was only because the other three were absent. Quite a few people believed my abilities were inferior to theirs.
"By the way, Lady Rofena, have you ever heard of the Sage of the Forest, Lord Neiku? There has been no news of him since the great war."
"I don't know. Never heard of him."
I had asked because I thought she might know if he had been harmed by the Demon King's army, but she had never even heard of his existence. Then again, given her personality, she wouldn't have paid attention to such minor details. If it hadn't been her own doing but rather the Demon King or one of the other commanders, she wouldn't have known about it either.
Well, in any case, if she didn't know, then the chances of Lord Neiku still being alive had increased somewhat. That was at least good news.
"So what are you going to do now?"
"Pardon?"
"Are you going to deal with that Dark Temple?"
"No, no. I have to go to the Ayman Kingdom with Rowell."
Lord Kainaknus, Elena, and the other summoners were already handling things well on their own, and honestly, I had no desire to get involved. Even if they tried to return to being Dark Priests now, they could never regain the same influence they once had.
In the first place, despite their long-standing infamy, the period during which the Dark Priests had actually wielded significant power had lasted less than a hundred years. Their authority had stemmed solely from the charisma and ability of the single outstanding summoner who had first opened the path of the Dark Priests. The rest had merely ridden on that momentum.
Even if some people now wanted to return to the era of the Dark Priests, there were only four renowned summoners in this age—including myself. One of them was missing, and the other three were here. They wouldn't have any outstanding summoners or leaders on their side, and the number of summoners themselves would be far too few. What could they possibly accomplish?
If Lord Kainaknus, Elena, and the other summoners took action, they could handle it on their own. Even in the worst-case scenario where they failed, Rowell could step in and resolve everything cleanly. There was no need for me to interfere now.
"Still, wouldn't it be better to deal with it? The longer you leave it alone, the worse the perception of summoners will become. If you step in, it would be resolved much faster."
"Well, that's true, but..."
I was about to nod absentmindedly when I felt something was off. The Rofena I knew wouldn't have cared about something like this.
"...Lady Rofena?"
"Yes?"
"Are you saying this because it would mean I could visit here more often?"
At my question, she gave me a playful smile.
"Who knows?"
Or was it shyness disguised as playfulness?
"Still, I can't. I don't particularly enjoy fighting in the first place. This time, I want to relax at the palace and watch Rowell and Aegina enjoy themselves."
"Tch."
Smiling at her reaction, I headed toward the desk in the corner. I needed to remove all the artifacts I was wearing and restore my bag to its original state.
The next day arrived—though it was already night—when I reached the inn in Winzes. Jequirac possessed far better directional sense and memory than I had expected, allowing us to save a great deal of time.
"Ah, you've arrived."
The innkeeper recognized me and bowed his head.
"Your companions have already arrived. Shall I call them for you?"
I shook my head at the innkeeper's words.
"That won't be necessary."
Bagloros was already descending the stairs. Though I couldn't be certain, he had likely sensed my presence the moment I arrived near the inn.
"Did everything go well?"
Rowell and Aegina followed behind him. Even though their faces were more than familiar by now, the sight of them made the old inn seem to brighten in an instant.
"Where's Lady Jane?"
"She's sleeping in her room. She seems a bit tired from the long journey."
That made sense. No matter how comfortable a carriage ride might be, such a long journey was bound to bring fatigue. Especially with her chronic illness weakening her body, it must have been even more exhausting.
"Did everything go well?"
Aegina's question carried many layers of meaning.
"Well, more or less."
I led them toward the dining area. Thanks to Jequirac's rough flying habits, I hadn't eaten since morning and was quite hungry. Besides, properly explaining everything would take some time.
"So there are summoners trying to return to the ways of the Dark Priests?"
Both Aegina and Rowell took the story I told them far more seriously than I had expected.
"Yes, but there's no need to worry. Lord Kainaknus is pursuing them, and from what I hear, there are other summoners involved as well."
I deliberately spoke in a calmer tone to keep them from worrying unnecessarily. We were finally going to the Ayman Kingdom to meet their family after so long—I didn't want to drag them into chasing remnants of the Dark Temple.
"Besides, just because they want to return to being Dark Priests doesn't mean they can do so right away. Most of the related records and materials have already disappeared, and the few that remain have been designated as forbidden texts and are strictly managed. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't."
And the materials that weren't forbidden were safely stored in Denatel's library with me.
"So don't worry."
Though Rowell and Aegina nodded at my words, the concern in their eyes didn't fade. They had heard plenty about the atrocities committed by the Dark Priests and had even witnessed some of the forbidden arts through me during the great war. It couldn't be helped.
When they first heard what I had done at Orsia Hill, they had wept. Those tears had been for the victims, for me, and also as a form of self-reproach.
"So when is Lady Elena coming?"
Rowell asked, clearly trying to change the subject.
"I'm not sure. She'll probably arrive tomorrow evening?"
As I had said, pegasi weren't particularly fast.
"But Anak, are you really okay with this?"
"I told you, I'm fine. In the first place, it was only a few skilled individuals who worsened the Dark Priests' reputation, not ordinary summon—"
"No, that's not what I meant. I meant them using your name."