2025-03-11 02:16:02"The Crystal Cave of Kruber is the grave of the Zu land god," Gistara said, not taking her eyes off Javier.
They both then fell silent for quite a while. They knew that the Kruber Crystal Cave was one of the most dangerous places in Terra, besides the slopes of Mount Damavand and the Moon Devil Castle. That place is even more dangerous than The Ruins of The Dark Dragon Temple.
"I have been assigned to that place once, with two of my teammates. But at the time, the Zu Fortress region and the Zu God Temple inside the cave were still far away from where we were on duty. Staying in that place for too long is just as dangerous as being exposed to miasma." Gistara tried to recall the memory of the mission she had undertaken 10 years ago when she was still part of Division III under the command of an S-rank defense specialist wizard named Dmitriy Borisov. Gistara and the three other people were sent to check out the mineral content of the rocks in the area of the Kruber Crystal Cave.
Javier remained silent. He is reluctant to say honestly that this is not the first letter he has received. Anthonius also sent several letters a few months ago asking to meet, but Javier kept ignoring them. Javier felt the need to meet his brother this time. Javier chooses to ignore Anthonius' request for an encounter, ignoring the reason behind it.
…
The dark clouds slowly drift towards the ruins of a building that only leaves a few pillars of white marble and the nearly shattered stained glass window frames. Row of decayed wooden benches still appears to be neatly lined up. The floor of the building, made of a mosaic of ceramic tiles forming a painting of gladiolus, appears cracked and destroyed in some parts by wild plant roots.
"This place has changed a lot," Javier said softly.
Javier went straight to the place where he and Anthonius were to meet as soon as he got to Euhron. Unfortunately, the weather that afternoon was unfriendly. Every inch of the city's sky was covered by dense gray clouds that drifted slowly from the east. The drizzle that falls does not cease, bringing with it a chill that is almost freezing.
Near the ancient piano, a shadow emerged from the wild-growing trees. Between the gaps of the trees, Anthonius's figure emerged dimly from the shadow. A gray ushanka, a one-handed sword tucked into his waist, and a black cloak made of bear fur.
"Didn't I say 9 o'clock? It's only seven o'clock! It's still too early," Anthonius said as he sat on a bench in the front. "That was like our usual meeting. Even Mother used to praise your discipline back then."
"There are hundreds, or even thousands, of places that would be much better for you to choose as the place for our reunion after eighty years apart, yet you chose the ruins of a church that is no longer recognizable. Just the strewn-about remains of a structure." Javier felt annoyed that his brother had chosen a place for the meeting that was far from ideal.
Anthonius laughed upon hearing his brother's complaint. "You are right, but you will only fulfill my request if I choose this place." Anthonius stood up, then turned around. Looking at Javier while smiling.
"Elves are indeed different. Even after 80 years passed, you haven't aged," praised Anthonius.
Javier, upon hearing it, just laughed. "Just say what you want," Javier said curtly. He doesn't like small talk. "I have to go back to Malang right away," he added.
Anthonius smiled as a mocking. "You don't need to go back there anymore!" Then, Anthonius threw a wooden box towards Javier, who instinctively used his left hand to catch it.
"Meuz formed a core investigative team that will be specifically assigned to handle the cases of witch murders occurring in Terra. The five members of this team will be made up of combination members from the Lazuardy Sword and Crimson Knight, and they are all rank S members in their respective specialties."
Javier fell silent. His heart was racing; his hands were trembling. Javier tried to calm himself by taking a deep breath, then exhaling slowly. Javier was about to refuse Anthonius's request, but the words he wanted to say seemed to be stuck in his throat.
"Are you out of your mind?" Javier said, raising his voice. Javier snorted in annoyance, then stood up while glaring at Anthonius. Javier intended to leave Anthonius alone in the ruins of the church, but he refrained from doing so. Javier could not hide his desire to be involved in the efforts to find the suspect behind the witch murders that occurred in Terra. "Will you also be part of this team?" asked Javier, then looked at Anthonius, who returned his gaze with an ambiguous smile.
"I am waiting for your decision..." Anthonius patted Javier's shoulder, then was about to step away, but Javier stopped him.
"What wage can I get?"
Anthonius laughed, mocking the words his younger brother had just uttered, as if it were something funny.
"What do you want?" asked Anthonius. “I will help you ask Meuz directly. If it's just a new weapon made of the best orichalcum in Terra, then I'm sure Meuz will grant your request immediately.”
"I don't need it…" interrupted Javier.
Anthonius looked surprised at what Javier had just said, but a moment later he smiled. "I heard you're still looking for that girl?"
Javier was startled. He was absolutely sure he had never said anything about Luda to Anthonius, especially about the search for Luda's whereabouts that he had been conducting in secret for almost 100 years.
"I don't understand what you're saying." Javier tried to evade, but it was clear that Anthonius was not so easily deceived.
"Have you ever met Wisteria?" asked Anthonius, which immediately made Javier look confused. "She was a girl who used to follow one of the kitchen maids working for the Volkova family. A left-handed girl, and she has hearing problems."
Javier fell silent for a moment. He tried to remember all of the memories from the events that happened almost a hundred years ago. Recalling all the memories of the people he met while with Luda, especially all the servants and workers in the Volkova family. That was not easy, as Javier had only visited Luda's house a few times. A few years after Luda disappeared, Javier even only visited Volkova's house secretly.
"The little girl was named Wisteria... Her entire life was spent serving the Volkova family, even after the last descendant of that family passed away."
Anthonius took out a piece of paper and then wrote something on it. "Try to meet her once and exchange stories from the past. Her memory might have faded due to her age. So… try to be patient to get information from her!"
Javier stared at Anthonius with a shocked expression, as if he couldn't believe what his older brother had just said. His hands were still trembling just to take a piece of paper that Anthonius handed to him.
"You... you're not playing with me, are you?" asked Javier, who still didn't trust his brother. "What do you really want from me?"
Anthonius smiled again. "Join the core investigation team and complete this task immediately!" commanded Anthonius. "Currently, Meuz has not yet appointed the other four members. When I was given the opportunity to choose one of the best wizards of Terra, I felt that you were someone I could trust to complete this task. Besides that, I also believe I have a reward that is quite worthy, which I can give as an appreciation for your hard work."
Slowly, Anthonius's body faded into thousands of fireflies that gradually flew into the sky. At that moment, Javier realized that the figure who had been speaking to him was merely a swarm of insects that Anthonius had deliberately sent to meet him. Between being angry and happy because he obtained information about Luda's whereabouts, Javier chose to remain silent and ignore the fireflies that kept scattering all over the ruins of the church.
…
"He's not playing with me, right?"
Without wasting any time, Javier immediately headed to the address written on the paper that Anthonius had given him. The distance was only a 20-minute walk from the ruins of the church where they met, and when Javier arrived, he immediately realized that Anthonius had planned everything from the very beginning.
'KKRIETTT...!!'
The heartbreaking creak of a wooden door hinge just opened by a woman in her early 90s caught Javier's attention. The woman walked slightly hunched over her slow steps. Wrinkled, pale, white skin also has hair that has completely turned white. 'That Wisteria?' Javier wondered. Javier has long lived among humans. He really hates dramatic physical changes in humans. This often leads him to misidentify his friends, even getting their names wrong. Javier recalled Anthonius's words about one of Wisteria's traits, which is being left-handed, but this condition can only be known when someone performs certain actions. For example, writing or eating.
"Excuse me…!" Javier gathered his courage to greet the elderly woman who had just entered the front yard of a simple cottage-style house with a spacious garden filled with rose bushes.
The old woman that Javier called also turned around. He then looked at Javier with slightly squinted eyes, perhaps due to her diminished eyesight.
"Did you call me?" the old woman asked with a confused expression.
Javier nodded, smiling. "Yes, Ma'am. I was the one who called you earlier. I would like to ask about this address." Javier immediately showed the address that Anthonius had given him.
The old woman fell silent, carefully examining the writing on the paper that Javier had given her. "This is my house. I am Wisteria ...," said the old woman with a smile. "This is the second time in my life that I can see an elf. I truly feel very grateful," said Wisteria.
Previous Chapter
Related Chapters
Promise The Red Forest. Chernobyl.
The bushes block the road. The trees grow tall, reaching for the sky with their deep red trunks like blood, yet barren without a single leaf. People call it the Red Forest, but the place is actually just an area that has been exposed to radioactive waste due to the nuclear reactor explosion that occurred in April 1986.Amidst the dense bushes and branches of trees left to grow wild, the Romanov twins appeared to be engrossed in conversation while smoking cigarettes. They seemed indifferent to the exposure to radioactive waste that still enveloped the area, even after several decades had passed."Ugh… you're cheating!" Zirael said while handing a black-skinned frog to his sibling. "That was supposed to be mine, right?!" he complained. Because he felt dissatisfied with Kael's decision."Hey…Who is older here? I am your older brother!" said Kael curtly.The Romanov twins are fighting over the frog they caught. It seems that the poisoning they experienced a few days ago did not deter the R
Promise A cup of tea and biscuits
Wisteria invited Javier into her house."Sir.., consider it your own home!" said Wisteria while inviting Javier to sit in one of the chairs in the dining room. With a smile that never left her lips, Wisteria poured a cup of rose tea and served several jars of biscuits. Not to forget, Wisteria also prepared a slice of apple pie for Javier. Complete with honey on top.Javier feels happy because Wisteria accepted him well. That was in stark contrast to what he had thought before. Wisteria even served almost all of her baked goods, filling the dining table in front of them with jars of various types of cookies and biscuits. However, Javier could not taste any of those cakes. Elves only consume honey and a type of cake made from flower pollen mixed with nectar. Nevertheless, Javier can still drink the rose tea that Wisteria poured into his cup."Can you sit down and chat with me for a bit?! There's something I want to ask you," said Javier while sipping tea from his cup.After placing the l
Promise Kelana Field's Salt Traders' Camp
The meadows outside the City of Filanesia's main gate have turned white due to the first snowfall of the early winter. Along the road leading to the location of the old temple ruins, a number of salt traders' camps and rows of wooden barrels filled with the best salt Terra has to offer from the Black Sea were carefully arranged at the edge. Under Meuz's direction, a historical monument is immediately guarded with a barrier that is even comparable to Terra's guardian. It is the home of the black dragon, one of the ten harbingers of death that hundreds of years ago brought about a major disaster on Terra.The sun has not yet risen, and it is just now dawning. Anthonius stood by himself in the middle of the motionless, silent meadow, staring at the city's main entrance. Anthonius's expression was composed, but he could not fool himself. His heart was restless, and his mind was a mess. Anthonius kept his fear to himself. Even Anthonius was baffled by the recent loss of senior forensic phy
Promise Terra's first snowfall and two front guards
"Learn, creating... let alone destroying an antimatter shield is an impossibility for wizards in our time. Even today, very little is known about the antimatter magic we possess. Thus, instead of attempting to destroy the crystal, I would suggest that you stay away from it. Instead of attempting to destroy the amethyst crystal,” Anthonius advised the members of the investigating team to stay away from it."Moreover, we still do not know the specific side effects caused by the miasma produced by antimatter crystals. Therefore, for the time being, it would be wiser to concentrate on locating the individuals on the list and, if still feasible, helping them rather than wasting time on something that is impossible for us to accomplish. If it is still feasible,” Anthonius requested that the main investigating team concentrate only on locating and aiding the victims. In order to learn more about the murder case they are working on, they will also perform a preliminary examination of the scen
Promise Holy City Abandoned. The City of Winnei's Ruins
As soon as they were two kilometers from the shore of Lake Nyos, the elderly man ordered Anthonius and Omar to disembark from his boat. The old man left after being rewarded with a few silver coins in accordance with their earlier arrangement.Thick fog appeared, eroding the limits of visibility, and raindrops fell with grains of ice crystals. Omar touched the lake water gently beneath his shoes. "Blizzard...!" Omar whispered. "Even though this is just common magic, I think it's strong enough to support our bodies," Omar remarked as a layer of ice formed, slowly creeping from beneath his palm towards the edge of the lake, creating a path three meters wide.Anthonius seemed indifferent to what Omar had just said."Why?" asked Omar, who noticed Anthonius's change in attitude since they met the old man who had guided them across the lake."This is too quiet!" Anthonius exclaimed as he pulled the finest orichalcum blade from the sheath of his sword. "Too quiet…," he added."You are right!
Promise Banshee?
"Witch…!!" The creature seemed to ask in a faint voice. Almost resembling a whisper."Blood witch…?!" the creature said again."Is the creature asking us?" Omar asked Anthonius.Anthonius simply shook his head and told Omar to entice the creature to the spot beneath the crystal light, which was composed of sharp-tipped shards of perpetual ice crystal."Can you?" Anthonius whispered the question. "Leave it to me." Anthonius told Omar, "Just give me the protective magic barrier!"Omar became quiet for a while. given how risky Anthonius' strategy is for them both. Anthonius was referring to a crystal lamp that weighed several dozen tons. The second floor of the Dark Dragon Temple could be completely destroyed by the explosion that would result from the lamp falling from the ceiling height. At worst, the eternal ice crystal will be shattered into shards as sharp as mithril swords and thrown everywhere. Even though they were shielded by a two-layered magical barrier, the crystal shards cou
Promise The Death of the Dark Dragon
A whirlpool of ice crystals came toward the two as they were ready to exit the Dark Dragon Temple's second floor. Dima slowly emerged from the ice crystal vortex and approached Anthonius and Omar."Your manna detection is weakening. I came here at Alyosha's request to check on everyone." Dima became quiet for a while. Every scrape in the room caught his attention as he gazed about. Dima attempted to speculate as to Anthonius and Omar's fate. Dima then questioned, "You were attacked?"Omar grinned, perhaps making fun of what he and Anthonius had just gone through. "Almost died!" Omar muttered."Alyosha asked me to warn you about a creature resembling a banshee or something similar. That thing assaulted him a while back, but luckily Division II's Rudolf was on patrol close to where he passed out. I hope you don't go through what Alyosha did.""We just got it!" Anthonius exclaimed, shocking Dima at once.Anthonius handed Dima a crystal bottle that had been left by someone who had assiste
Promise Mithril Terra Mine
As the highest leader at the time, Afar established two major guardian warrior groups during Terra's early formation: Crimson Knight and Lazuardi Sword. The orichalcum sword facing upwards is the emblem of glory for Lazuardy Sword, whereas the orichalcum sword facing downwards is the symbol of glory for Crimson Knight.At that moment, the tasks of Lazuardy Sword and Crimson Knight were clearly divided by Afar. Crimson Knight will only operate outside Terra, with their headquarters in the city of Vorkuta, located in the Komi Republic, Russia. Their main task is to protect and ensure the safety of the witches who have lived in harmony with humans. Meanwhile, Lazuardy Sword has a narrower scope of power, which is to handle various issues concerning witches that occur in Terra. Lazuardy Sword has its headquarters in two major cities in Terra, namely Filanesia City and Andrea.There has never been a significant issue that forced these two groups of guards to be antagonistic toward one anot
Latest Chapter
Who is sealed?
Just as he was aiming his bow at the target, an archer stumbled. He passed out a bit later. In addition to asking the other archers to halt their training and take a short break, Javier rushed to his aid right away."We need a medical wizard; maybe an alchemist who can make a potion to replenish the reagent's mana rate would be fine too." One of the archers remarked, "Even though this magic is simple, it can drain our manna in just two to three attacks.""Alright," Javier said in response.Javier met Vanity by coincidence when he carried the previous archer, who had fainted, to Filanesia Hospital with the assistance of an archer. After escorting the previously unconscious archer to the treatment room, Vanity asked Javier to wait for her in the hospital lobby when she arrived. Shortly after Javier had been waiting, Vanity rushed over to him."What happened?" Still sporting blood-stained latex gloves, Vanity asked. She appears to have recently undergone emergency surgery."One archer fa
That Impossible Magic
The entire office was astonished and perplexed when Javier Mareq arrived at the Crimson Knight headquarters in the city of Filanesia. Numerous Crimson Knights stationed in the city of Filanesia exchanged whispers and questions with one another. They wondered why their supreme general's younger brother had physically visited the headquarters.It has long been known by all Crimson Knight members that Javier's despair, brought on by the death of one of his subordinates and his close friend Erel, led to his assignment outside of Terra. Furthermore, the younger brother of the young general had twice turned down significant roles offered by Meuz in order to join his older brother in Crimson Knight as the deputy general and royal guard. Every time he was given a significant assignment, Javier would always tell his brother that he should be treated like any other soldier and sent to the Crimson Knight's outer guard outside of Terra. After Anthonius gave his approval, Javier Mareq was given a
The Sorcerer of a Thousand Years
Among the seven great witches who have lived for over a millennium is Meuz. Compared to other wizards in Terra, Meuz has a higher maximum quantity of mana points because he has lived for an excessive amount of time. However, Meuz's magical barriers and shields deteriorate with age because he is a defensive magic specialist. However, a lot of wizards wonder how Meuz has kept his body in good condition for nearly a millennium. Many witches are curious about Meuz's appearance underneath the heavy cloak that covers every part of his body and the Orichalcum mask he always wears. What is the true appearance of Meuz?"Javier Mareq..., The presence of those crystals greatly disrupts the activities of the residents. I command you to minimize the side effects of the Rain Arrow, then gather the best archers in Terra and teach them how to apply the Rain Arrow by changing the size of the arrows so they can destroy the crystal shards and expedite the crystal-clearing process throughout Terra. Those
The time thief, and the deceiver of death. Antonnie Xander
Many witches are still reluctant to interact with Tsabitha Youenha and Antonnie Xander, two alchemists who have been on the run in Terra for a long time. Although many rank S witches are reportedly close friends with both of them, these witches are unwilling to discuss their past. As they do with Tha's status, which is not all that different from Antonnie's, they act as though they are unaware of Antonnie's status as a Class 1 fugitive. The S-rank witches claim that dealing with Antonnie is equivalent to dealing with death; therefore, the problem with Zamman has nothing to do with their wish to avoid Tha or Antonnie.Children are frequently hired by Antonnie to labor for him. He used to do the same thing to Tha and Leah, who is currently Lazuardy Sword's highest general. Several decades ago, Leah and Tha were sold by Antonnie to Azalea to deal with a case. Azalea, the sole daughter of Naar, the king of hell, was even involved in this significant case. Azalea gave both orders to murder
Without any guidance, beginning from scratch
A guard came up to them. He said, "Excuse me, could you please show me your assignment letter and your identification cards?"Anthonius gave the officer their identification cards and duty letters right away, as did every member of the core investigating team. The gatekeeper ran to the guard position a bit later.Omar said, "Has something bad happened in the city?""Shut up, and stop asking me!" Dima's voice was sharp.Omar, who had been instructed to keep silent, simply pouted and gave Dima a displeased look. "This old man...!" complained Omar.Shortly afterward, the security guard who had asked for the witches' task permits and identity cards came back. As he gazed at the faces of every member of the core investigating team in front of him, his face appeared pale.As the guard handed Anthonius his duty permit, he said, "What has happened? Why has the city's security been tightened to this extent?" he continued."The Shadow-man was spotted roaming about the town square a few days ago
Short-term withdrawal
"Can we still continue this mission?" Anthonius was asked by Javier."We're going back to Filansia to have a face-to-face meeting with Meuz. We are waiting for more deaths to happen in order to gather bodies that we ought to have been able to save if we keep the current system in place. Because I cannot make a decision for this team, because the main investigative team has indeed been under the auspices of Meuz from the beginning." Anthonius made the choice to pull out and return the main investigating team to the City of Filanesia. They even disregarded a few of the victims' bodies that are currently waiting at the Charon River."Can I know what happened to the mithril mine?" Omar questioned, "Is what actually happened exactly like what we saw, or am I just having hallucinations? Did the mine collapse?""Isn't it obvious?!" Vanity answered. "The mine indeed will not last long. Since ten years ago, many people have anticipated that the mine would eventually be dismantled."Terra is al
Zamman's prohibited chant and Shadow-man
For a minute, Anthonius stopped and gazed at the young girl next to him. Abruptly, he recalled something. "Did you tell this child to hide his magical powers?" Anthonius said, turning to face Dima.With astonished looks on their faces, everyone turned to face Dima."That child? Hiding magical energy?" Dima returned the question to Anthonius. "Even before you all came, I was struggling to fight that creature on my own. How could I possibly have time to do that?!" Dima shot back at Anthonius.Anthonius was taken aback by Dima's response. Anthonius initially believed that Dima was the one requesting that the youngster they had saved conceal their magical abilities."Sweet little girl... who was with you before these two uncles arrived?" Vanity whispered. offering the girl a box of candy and encouraging her to share what she had gone through.The little girl was both afraid and perplexed. Without saying a word, she gazed at the faces of every member of the main investigation team before t
Initial assumption
Meuz had ordered Leah and Lazuardy Sword to create an illusion spell on the only mithril mine they had, but it seems that S-rank wizards are still quite difficult to deceive. They will soon know that the mine has actually been devastated. Of the 4 mines that existed, with 2 of them being the main mines, now only 1 mine is still operating. Anthonius even estimates that the last mine will not operate for long after the main mine is destroyed.After they arrived at the settlement located about 8 kilometers from Fort Solfini, Anthonius asked Alyosha to buy some travel supplies for them. At first, Alyosha was silent, as if he were dazed, even failing to respond to Anthonius's orders. The anxious Anthonius then invited Alyosha to rest at a simple eatery to regain their energy.…"How are you doing now?" Anthonius asked while handing a cup of warm tea to Alyosha. "You kept silent the whole journey. That makes me anxious. Let's take a break first!"Alyosha looked at Anthonius, but then he loo
Examination
The creature doesn't appear to be moving from its spot. Although the amethyst crystals that covered the creature's body were constantly eroding, the creature genuinely paid attention to Anthonius's Rain Arrow. Alyosha, who had successfully moved Anthonius's body away from their former battlefield, saw this but said nothing, staying hidden.Anthonius asked Alyosha, "Can you hide your magical power for as long as possible? The creature will target someone with the greatest magical power in this area.""I can." Alyosha instantly concealed his magic, though it might not last long."Even if you walk in front of it, as long as you don't have any magic, the creature won't be able to find you. We return to Fort Solfini right now. That is the nearest safe place we can reach." Anthonius advised Alyosha to go back to Fort Solfini."Are you sure?" Alyosha questioned doubtfully as he observed the creature that had only moments before attacked them. "I might not be able to face it. You and Dima hav
