Chapter 12 - The Forgotten History

KAEL chuckled as he reminisced about the past. "Man, I waited for you guys to wake up for a good while back then," he said.

He continued, "Initially, I planned to keep Wendy and Alexa safe until you guys recovered. But now, I am a part of this group. I was impressed by Elion's hacking skills and the mission that he set up."

Kael's unexpected skills surprised Elion and Laxus as well. With good communication, a talent for disguises, and a strong body, he was a good addition to the group.

Kael had considerably changed with Elion's training. However, he wasn't as enthusiastic about training as Elion and Laxus, so he didn't catch up.

As they arrived at Catheline's shop, the doorbell chimed. Catheline, a middle-aged yet good-looking woman, was behind the counter, deep into a history book. Her laid-back attitude was unexpected for a shop owner, piquing Elion's curiosity.

He checked the book's title and was suddenly flooded with information related to it.

The Tragedy of Solara: The Forgotten History.

Elion smiled as he began talking. The book Catheline read was part of his reading journey before his parents' death. "I never thought the Torin Empire would turn its back on humanity," he exclaimed. 

Catheline's expression was one of utter surprise. "How do you know about the Torin Empire, young man?" she asked, clearly taken aback. 

After all, the Torin Empire's true identity was a closely guarded secret, known only to the Supreme and Ancient Families.

The average person knew very little about such things, especially those uninterested in scholarly pursuits. 

Elion grinned and pointed at the book Catheline was clutching. "I've read that book before," he said, beaming with pride.

"Ah, that's good to know. Mind telling me more about it? This book is nearly putting me to sleep," chuckled Catheline.

"Of course, I'd be happy to," replied Elion before diving into the details, "The Torin Empire caused a lot of trouble by making a deal with the demons that attacked Solara ten thousand years ago. The Demon King Azroth, a mighty ruler in Netheron, a Level Two Planet, enticed the then ruler of the Torin Empire, King Sarun, with immense power that surpassed what Solara's Elementalists could achieve. This resulted in a major betrayal," explained Elion, pausing for Catheline's response.

Catheline nodded, satisfied with Elion's explanation. Although she wasn't a big reader, she always enjoyed a good story. "Tell me more," prodded Catheline, her eyes fixed on Elion with genuine curiosity.

"He had the power of Twelve Demon Commanders and an army of ten million demons. They attacked the Southern Region of Solara first, specifically the Supreme Labise Empire, one of the strongest empires at that time. In the aftermath, thirty million lives were lost, including thousands of Elemental Kings who were no match for the demons." Elion's tone turned serious as he recounted the tragic events of that time. 

Laxus and Kael were surprised by how casually Elion spoke of such a devastating historical moment. To them, history was never a fascinating subject.

They found it hard to relate to events thousands of years ago. Even discussing something that occurred five years ago felt like a stretch to them.

"I'm curious then. Since he was so powerful, how did they kill Demon King Azroth?" asked Catheline, turning their conversation into a history lesson.

"Ma'am, you might be confused, not reading it correctly, or just trying to test my knowledge. They did not kill him," Elion replied with a charming smile. He sensed that Catheline was trying to quiz him.

"He was actually defeated by the Five Elemental Guardians of Solara. The Fire Elemental Guardian, Solandar Solhart, sacrificed himself to close the portal between our world, Solara, and the demon world, Netheron. Most high-ranking demons could return to Netheron before the portal was sealed. However, many of them remain here in our world. As a result, several regions and empires are now completely under their control. We should not underestimate the threat they pose," Elion paused to make sure everyone could follow his explanation.

Kael was curious and looked like he wanted to ask Elion something after hearing what he said.

Catheline noticed his curiosity and said, "What's on your mind, kid? Hurry up and ask. I'm into this."

Feeling intimidated by Catheline's stern demeanor, Kael quickly turned to Elion and asked him, "What happened to the Torin Empire?"

Elion sighed, knowing that it was tough to spill the beans, but he went on and said, "The Torin Empire is now called the Cursed Empire."

"The Cursed Empire?" Laxus chimed in, realizing there was much to know about Solara's past.

Elion nodded before saying, "Today, in Solara, we got three empires tagged as the Cursed Empire: Torin, Qorin, and Sorin. From their names, you can bet these empires are tied. They've been around for over five million years, once the big shots guarding Solara."

"The demons messed them up because they got too full of themselves, wanting more power. Now, as strong as or even stronger than the Supreme and Ancient Empires, all three empires live off the power the demons gave them. This is where the demons sheltered, spreading their influence in Solara," Elion said, tackling Kael's unsaid question.

Laxus expressed his frustration by saying, "Is there no way to kick them out?"

Elion looked at Catheline, anticipating her to add something, but she simply smiled and nodded at Elion to continue.

With assurance, Elion proceeded, being mindful of not overloading everyone with too much information. Once he started, it was difficult for him to stop.

"The Demon Gods Protection Array, a Defensive Elemental Array from Netheron, the Level 2 Planet, shields these Cursed Empires. Unfortunately, our knowledge of Elemental Arrays and Formations is insufficient to break that defense," Elion replied.

Elion then added, "They can wander freely, and we can't do anything about it. Therefore, many powerful families and empires maintain armies stationed around the edges, led by the top-tier Elementalists, either Grand or Supreme Elementalists. Any activity initiated by the Cursed Empires or the demons is monitored and dealt with immediately."

Laxus and Kael both nodded gravely, realizing the gravity of the situation. They now fully comprehended that there were still lingering threats from the demons and the super-powerful humans who had turned their backs on Solara.

This group was unlike any troublemakers they had dealt with before; they were some of the most powerful Elementalists and had a long history of causing trouble.

"Do you think they've gotten stronger over the past ten thousand years, together with the demons they protect?" Kael asked in a worried tone.

The realization had dawned on him. If the Ancient Elementalists, with all their incredible power, could be defeated, what chance did they, mere humans, have?

Elion nodded solemnly, his readings hinting that most demons who had not returned to their own world had likely reached the highest Elemental level possible in Solara: the Elemental King.

However, some findings suggested an even higher rank for Elementalists from the Level Two Planet — a rank regular Elementalists knew nothing about.

However, the accord they had reached stated that their powers would be naturally limited when Elementalists from higher-level planets descended to lower-level planets. 

It was the Universe's way of retaining balance in nature while implying that residents of lower-level planets could ascend to higher elemental ranks.

However, nobody knew how many Elementalists from the lower-level planet had to reach the said rank before the Universe upgraded their planet's power and level.

Laxus broke the silence with a grave tone, "Do you think they could return?" The possibility of their return filled him with apprehension.

Elion responded with a somber nod, "The chance of that happening is quite high. The demons' presence in Solara gives them an advantage in carrying out their wicked plans."

The group grew quiet as they contemplated the dire consequences of another demon invasion. The anxiety in the air reflected the fears of those familiar with the ancient legends, plagued by recurring uncertainties.

Would the demons come back, and if so, when? If they did, they would likely be even more powerful. The absence of the Elemental Guardians of Solara, the protectors from either the past or a new generation, only added to their worries.

Catheline was impressed by Elion's knowledge of history, and her applause broke the quiet. "Well done, young man. You've saved me a lot of time. Maybe the next time you come, I'll just let you tell me the story of any books I want," she said with a smile.

Elion smiled and replied, "Sure. I've no problem with that."

Although many knew of the Elemental Guardians and the demons, in-depth historical insights were rare.

The lack of historical knowledge led to the downfall of many empires in Solara. Catheline looked disappointedly at Laxus and Kael, who disregarded the importance of history.

Catheline grew frustrated, realizing that the younger generation was ignoring history, neglecting its lessons, and repeating its mistakes.

"Err…Not everyone loves reading, ma'am," said Kael awkwardly.