Chapter 236 - The Best Guide (2)

Rumble-rumble-rumble-

It was a strange vibration.

A tremor that seemed as if it might stop but continued on without end. The man, who had been sitting as if lifeless, began to slowly open his eyes at the persistent tremor, one too prolonged to be merely an earthquake.

"...So, it's finally happened."

It was a dark place where not even a ray of light could enter.

Yet, Frausen naturally rose to his feet, as if he could see perfectly in the darkness.

"Sarnus."

Frausen's world was one that had long since lost its luster.

However, he could glimpse the world of dragons through the carvings embedded in his chest. Through Frausen's left eye, which was now closed, he could see Sarnus slowly taking the form of a dragon, and Vlad trying to flee from him.

"In the end, you've broken our pact and swallowed the dragon's fragment."

Frausen, watching the scene with a stern expression, began to smile quietly.

The presence of the oldest dragon grew darker, while the traces of the most perfect dragon attempted to escape from him.

Frausen felt an almost hollow satisfaction as everything unfolded exactly as he had predicted.

"Without knowing it was poison."

After speaking his final words, Frausen silently stepped forward and stood before the door leading to the corridor.

Now that the oldest dragon had consumed the true fragment, it was his turn to act.

"It was indeed a good decision to let you live, Sarnus."

Even when the door opened, Frausen was only greeted by darkness, but he stepped into the shadows on the ground without hesitation.

He had forgotten so many things as he walked this path, but now he had to finish what he had scattered.

***

Chiik-

With the sound of a match being struck, the dark cave was illuminated.

The group began to sigh in relief as they finally recognized each other in such a narrow and deep cave that they had to brush shoulders.

"What is all this? Why did this hole open up?"

"I don't know. If you, a mage, don't know—"

"Damn it! I almost had a heart attack!"

Radu, who had been falling for what seemed like an eternity, shook his head as if he didn't want to recall the sensation.

However, despite the horrible feeling of freefall, everyone was unharmed, probably thanks to the small mole that was still glowing.

Kyu-!

The group's eyes, now regaining their senses, naturally focused on Vlad.

More precisely, on the glowing mole sitting atop Vlad's head.

"What is that damned rat?"

"It's not a rat, it's a mole. A mole."

"Why is it glowing if it's a mole? Does it think it's a firefly or something?"

The group muttered as they looked at the strange-looking mole, but the little creature began to shrug its shoulders as if it thought they were praising it.

Seeing this, Nibelun, almost without thinking, offered a piece of bread from his pocket.

"…You're just feeding crumbs to it, bastard."

Vlad, who had finally regained consciousness, looked up at the mole squeaking on his head and frowned.

But despite his irritation, he couldn't bring himself to knock it off, as he didn't want to imagine what might have happened if not for the hole that had saved them.

"But where do we go now?"

"We should ask the one who dug this hole."

Even though the tunnel had only one direction, they didn't know which path to follow.

Without knowing which way to go, Vlad raised a finger and bluntly poked the side of the mole.

"Where do we go now, huh?"

Kyu-!

The mole straightened up as if surprised by Vlad's finger, then immediately raised its short arm and began pointing somewhere.

It was a completely dark cave, but the direction it pointed was towards the mountain they had tried to escape from earlier, and it was also the direction where the Ruga tribe, who had fled the city, was heading.

"Let's go."

After deciding which direction to take, Vlad lifted his head for a moment and looked towards the entrance from which they had fallen.

The ground now looked like a hole in a black curtain.

Vlad thought of the Dragon Duke who was above that ground, but he turned his head and began to walk in the direction the mole was pointing.

'I'm sorry for fleeing and leaving you in my place, Kihano.'

[…Don't worry.]

Even though his emotions were complicated, the mole's tunnel stretched out straight and clear.

Vlad felt comforted by the fact that there was a path he could follow without overthinking, and he quietly thanked Kihano for taking his place.

***

When the group emerged from the cave, they found themselves right at the mountain they had seen earlier.

It was a mountain not far from the city of Namarka, and it was also a place where the dark army of Dragulia, still gathering in the distance, could be seen.

"They survived."

At that place, Vlad met the Great Mother of the Ruga tribe, who had been waiting for him.

Despite the risk of being discovered, she had lit a small fire that emitted a bit of smoke, and her forehead was damp with sweat, as if she had been using magic until just a moment ago.

"It's an earth spirit. I didn't expect one to appear."

The Great Mother watched with curiosity as the glowing mole sat atop Vlad's head.

"Did you summon it, Great Mother?"

"I called for it, but… I didn't expect an earth spirit to appear."

It's a mystery because it can't be explained, and it's magic because it's unpredictable.

Although the Great Mother of the Ruga tribe had invoked that magic, she seemed surprised to see the mole atop Vlad's head, as it was not the result she had anticipated.

"It seems there's a bond between you two. Normally, it would take a lot of preparation to summon a creature of that level."

Though it was just a vague assumption, the Great Mother was right.

The glowing mole, which had descended from Dobrechiti, following the mountain range from the north to this place, was able to arrive here not just because of the Great Mother's magic but also because of the possibility residing in the Dragon-Slaying Sword and its bond with Vlad.

Kyu-?

In the brief silence after their conversation, the mole made a sound as if asking, "What do we do now?"

Vlad, hearing the sound, looked around and then spoke.

"…How many are there in total?"

"About 300."

"Do they have anywhere to go?"

Vlad scratched his cheek as he observed the Ruga tribe refugees gathered together.

However, when Vlad asked if they had any place to go, the Great Mother merely shook her head without saying a word.

"This is all because we lost our home. Anywhere other than the land of our roots, who would welcome us with open arms?"

Because of their magic, the Church rejected them, and because of their different appearance, they were driven out by others.

The story of the Ruga tribe was a story of wandering. The rootless city of Namarka had allowed them to settle briefly, but now even those dirty alleys had been destroyed by the arrival of the dragons.

"But for now, let's get out of here. If we move north, we might find a solution."

Vlad couldn't help but feel responsible for the Ruga tribe, who had lost their home because of him.

However, he knew they had to leave, so he looked up at the mole on his head.

"I want to go as far north as possible."

Kyu-?

"Don't you know of any place where we can all go?"

The glowing mole began tapping its tiny paw as if thinking about Vlad's question.

Though Vlad found its behavior irritating, he had no choice but to suppress his growing frustration, as that creature was his only hope of finding the way.

"…Think fast."

At Vlad's cold insistence, the mole finally seemed to remember something and rolled down from his head to stand in front of the hole it had dug.

Kyu, kyu-!

The mole waved its tiny paws as if indicating that they should go that way.

Seeing those small but energetic movements, Vlad and the Great Mother of the Ruga tribe exchanged silent glances.

***

The room was spacious, with large windows through which warm sunlight poured in.

Joseph gazed at the decorations visible through the light and quietly lifted the teacup in front of him.

"It seems you have a great interest in Elven culture."

The room that Joseph observed was filled with objects related to the Elves.

The Elven ornaments, which might seem unusual at first glance, had an antique charm that made one feel as if they could fetch a good price at auction even now.

"There was a time when that was the case. I tried to please them as much as I could."

With those words, Count Vitskaya set down the teacup he was holding and smiled as he looked at Joseph sitting across from him.

He must have taken a deep sip of the tea he had just drunk because the tea water in his white beard had turned as black as night.

"There was a time when Elven products were the lifeblood of my territory and the center of our economy. But now all of that is in ruins."

The city of Tanobo, which had once been the epicenter of trade with the Elves, was now in decline.

Count Vitskaya, who had been the ruler of that city, licked his lips in disgust, remembering those days.

"The damned Elves cut off all trade with us, and the Dragon Duke blamed us entirely for Absilon. No matter what I did, there was no way to resist."

The self-pitying Count Vitskaya started to look at Joseph for a moment.

It was amusing to see the Count behave like a man who had been cast out of his own family, but this was not a situation where he could question such things.

"But even in these difficult times, there are those willing to extend a helping hand. It seems one is never truly meant to die."

"Is that so."

The man named Joseph, sitting across from the Count, was an emissary sent directly by darkness itself.

Count Vitskaya knew that, now that the support from the Dragon Duke had been cut off, he needed Joseph's help to save his territory and monopolize the Elven resources.

"Anything you want from Elven lands, including the World Tree, is at your disposal. During that time, I won't hesitate to provide you with a place to stay, food, or anything else you need."

"…"

Joseph, listening to the Count, began to look at him without saying a word.

The Count's eyes began to glow darker, as if the tea he had just drunk was starting to take effect.

Joseph began to nod as if understanding the Count's gaze, which did not conceal his desire at all.

"Understood."

Darkness originally arrives when a person is in their darkest moment.

Even if they couldn't escape on their own, it was the darkness that silently approached them, covering their eyes when no one else was there to help.

"The Count's firm will. We will definitely fulfill it."

That's why people have no choice but to take its hand.

Because darkness appears at the most crucial moment, offering exactly what they desire.

Like the Baron of Moshiam who wanted to save the life of his young son, or like now, with the Count, who is on the brink of death.

Ramashutu's hand, offering what one desires at just the right time, is nothing less than a strong temptation that is hard for anyone to resist.

"Thank you! If everything goes well, I will reward you generously."

Seeing Count Vitskaya express his gratitude repeatedly and nod his head, Joseph began to pick up the teacup he had set down earlier.

Joseph still found it difficult to get used to the taste of the tea, which was as bitter and fishy as its pitch-black color, but he still needed the dark aroma the tea carried, so it was inevitable.

Rumble-

"Hmm?"

However, Joseph's outstretched hand could not reach the teacup.

It stopped as he felt a subtle vibration in the building.

"An earthquake?"

The city of Tanobo, under Count Vitskaya's rule, rarely experienced earthquakes.

But today, a tremor strong enough for the entire city to feel began to rise from the ground.

The shaking, which began with a mound of earth being lifted as if someone were digging underground, started from the southernmost point and continued all the way to Ausurin, where the Elven forest was located.