Chapter 100
Translator: uly
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Promnain
Elis leaned against Iveldra's kneeling embrace, lost in a deep dream.
Blood-soaked and staring blankly at a sky-veiled morning, she felt those black wings enfold her and slowly closed her eyes.
No thoughts came to her.
She bowed her head.
"Oh, Elis, knight of the Demon King."
With Iveldra's sweet voice as her last, she let out a deep breath.
"Is she dead?"
The King of the Wolfkin approached them, his wounds fully healed. Revanaharon seemed utterly unfazed, as if the battle with Elis had never happened. His pristine state made everything until now feel like a dream. Stroking Elis, Iveldra replied.
"No. She exists."
From her words, the Wolf King realized the kin of sin hadn't vanished yet. He pondered again. Should he kill her now?
But seeing how preciously Iveldra held her, there was clearly some deeper intent. Kneeling before the bloodied form, Revanaharon too bowed his knee.
"You did tell me that once the kin of sin is transferred, the ego-what revived Elis Hope-would disappear. That's why I had no choice but to kill her."
"I knew that too. But as she said, some divine will, or what we call story or fate, brought her back. Her who swore to kill a god. So we must show her the truth. She'll take on a new role in this tale. A hidden role in this world."
Iveldra didn't know what new role she'd play within the story either. It would be the Demon King and the witch to grasp that variable. But it was undoubtedly for the Demon King, so she would trust and follow.
Then, this flow she trusted and followed, or fate-could it be called a god? But that didn't matter anymore. She would now go to awaken the Great Demon King again. Sensing this, the Wolf King drew near and asked.
"Then what should I do now? I will follow."
The Wolf King bowed his head by Elis like he would a saintess. Iveldra stroked his head, looked again at Elis in her arms, and continued.
"I'm returning to Iven with the mad one. The demons and witch are hastening to gather the kin of sin. So you, take the necessary supplies from the Nightfiend Queen and the Red Blood Savages, prepare your kin, and wait. When I return next, it'll be with the Demon King. We will then set out to slay the Celestial Clan and enshrine Or's will within me."
Iveldra rose slowly, cradling Elis-whose body was mostly severed-like a newborn babe. She traced a finger under her eyes and said.
"With this child."
And so, Iveldra headed to Promnain.
***
"Ah..."
When Elis opened her eyes again, she was in what looked like a shabby inn room. Was she dreaming? She was sure she'd breathed her last in Iveldra's arms.
"Huh?"
Elis realized her pale hands and feet were fully attached to her body. She was even wearing what seemed like human clothes. Rising from the uncomfortable bed, she peered into the crude mirror. White hair, entirely white self. No trace of black on her pristine form. She hurried out the door. No one was in the inn-like place. She opened it again and headed outside.
"Where..."
People looked at her. Monk-like figures with demon marks on their foreheads all bowed to Elis and returned to their tasks. If this was hell, it was oddly kind-or so she thought when her eyes caught the stable.
Without knowing why, Elis headed there. Her bare feet met the snow, and the mourning clothes she wore offered no shield against the quietly falling flakes, but like one entranced, she went to the stable. There was the Hero.
"Cheret likes you. Touch him, Elis."
Was it a dream? But Elis couldn't resist. She approached the Hero and reached out. Amid the bard's song that had begun to play from somewhere.
«נֶצַח יָדַע נֶפֶשׁ (Netzach Yada Nefesh)
Ye who shall know the truth
נֶכֶר מָרָה (Nekher Marah)
Resisting fate
חָיָה (Chayah)
Live
יָרַד נֶפֶשׁ (Yarad Nefesh)
Ye who descended
מַעֲשֶׂה מָשַׁל (Ma'aseh Mashal)
Heed thy role
חָיָה (Chayah)
Live
יְרֻשָּׁה מֹצָא חָזוּת עָלַם (Yerutsa Motza Chazut Alam)
The thread of inheritance hides away
שָׁמַיִם אֲנִי אֶרְאֵל מוּת (Shamayim Ani Erel Mut)
That which pierced the heavens fades
כֵּן קָרָא (Ken Para)
Thus, receive
נָגַד נֶצַח (Nagad Netzach)
The truth revealed
אָוֶן כֹּהֵן פָּרָשׁ (Aven Kohen Parash)
The Demon King's knight
נֶצַח יָרַשׁ נֶפֶשׁ (Netzach Yarash Nefesh)
To her bound by truth
אפוס יָהַב (Epos Yahav)
Bestow the tale
שֵׂבֶר חָיָה (Sever Chayah)
Let hope live
גֵּיא בֶן־הִנֹּם רָוָה (Gehenna Ravah)
Gehenna is watered
חֶלֶד רָוָה (Helred Ravah)
Helred is watered
מוּת עוֹלָם רָוָה (Mut Olam Ravah)
The vanished world is watered
זֶה אָוֶן כֹּהֵן פָּרָשׁ צָוָה (Zeh Aven Kohen Parash Tzavah)
Now command the Demon King's knight
יְרֻשָּׁה רָת (Yerutsa Rat)
Sever the inheritance
יְרֻשָּׁה רָת (Yerutsa Rat)
Sever the inheritance»
Thud.
And there lay her sword. Everything until moments ago had been an illusion, after all. She wasn't in mourning clothes but still wore Iveldra's black wings; no wounds, but her body reeked of blood. She picked up her sword, [Rachab], from the stable and returned to the village.
This wasn't hell.
Promnain, a human city on the western continent.
"You and all survived the battle with the Wolf King. Are you compos mentis?"
In the central plaza, Iveldra greeted Elis. Surrounded by black cliffs, with a floor of black rock, snow fluttered quietly here without settling. Elis looked at her hands again. Now they were dark. She answered Iveldra.
"Yes, just now."
Iveldra turned her serene face to gaze at the central altar. The altar and Iveldra beside it felt like a mountaintop, but why look at a statue not of Rah, the kin of sin, but someone else? He looked like a young, gaunt, weary scholar.
"Who's that?"
"Promnain. Brother to the first Hero, Sonain."
Elis examined the statue closely. In her knowledge, no man named Promnain existed. And brother to the first Hero? Then why did he lend his name to this western city? But that wasn't what puzzled Elis now.
"What happens to me now?"
Iveldra answered slowly.
"I can't explain much. I'must go awaken the Great Demon King through Rah. But while in this city, you'll learn this world's truth. The tale of the Demon King, Hero, and Saintess who lived in the age of Mir and gods. The truth from a millennium ago, and the story of Promnain piercing it all-and the demons and witch descended from him."
As she spoke, an elder with a bronze staff approached Elis from behind. Dressed like a high priest of the Secula Church that worshipped Miflas, but in all-black, shabby robes, torn cloak and garments that were hardly comparable.
He spoke in a low voice.
"I am the bishop of this city."
Bishop. The Wolf King had called himself that too. Then whom did they worship?
"We are priests of the Bouker Faith, following the dawn of the vanished Nesheph."
"Bouker Faith..."
"The last followers of the faith founded by first bishop Promnain, worshipping a god long gone."
They were the pilgrims' true identity.
If saving Elis was fate or divine will, it wasn't Miflas of the Secula Church. It was the lingering will of Nesheph, worshipped by the Bouker Faith.
The Bouker bishop approached Elis, pointed at her sword, and said.
"Now you are both kin of sin and its gatherer. If you truly intend to resist this fate and slay the false god of harmony, offer this sword to Promnain and begin the pilgrimage. May the dawn of vanished Nesheph accompany you on that path of trials."
Put down the sword? As Elis hesitated, Iveldra continued.
"Elis, trust the bishop and discard your sword. Sever that inheritance and confirm why you were reborn. Fulfill the true inheritance of Promnain's sword."
The real reason I was reborn.
"This way."
Following the bishop, Elis placed her sword before Promnain's statue. The bishop approached, made the sign of the cross like a baptism, and ordered acolytes carrying an ancient chest to open it. They did, and the bishop drew forth a black blade that still held its edge, handing it to Elis as he spoke.
"This is Promnain's sword that slew the kin of sin, 'Nasa,' bearer of atonement."
Elis took Promnain's black blade. In that instant, she felt vengeful power slowly fill it. Red light swirled along the black edge.
"How is any of this happening? What truth is this?"
To her question, the bishop smiled like a faded sun and replied.
"Demon King's knight, the first to bear that role was Promnain himself. Now that you've inherited his sword, in Nesheph's name, gather all kin of sin and put the false god Miflas to eternal sleep. Slay him. That is your role."
Elis finally understood why she'd been reborn. To stand beside the Demon King when he one day defeats the Princess and saves the Hero-as the Demon King's knight for the Hero.
"Now I shall tell you that tale. The truth of this world."
Not Demon King nor Hero, but the role to judge the god held by the Princess.
The true hope of this world.
"In the beginning, there was the great El..."
The bishop raised his hands, using Nesheph's lingering power to show Elis visions.
"Next will be the turn of the final Hero."
Watching, Iveldra melted into the shadows to let the story flow once more.
***
Thus, the Hero gazed upon the source of his power.
"El Or..."
And in the destination of the Hero's departed adventure, the tale began to flow anew.