Swoooooosh!Thud_"Ah!"Thud_"Arghhh!"Two groans echoed on a vast prairie."Achooo!""Princess, are you okay?!"Nea rushed to Karen worriedly."I'm okay Nea…it's just…"Karen trailed off and looked around her.The cold wind chilled her a bit.Though she was used to it as she was living in the Niveis Kingdom.But something felt off for her…"Where are we…?"She muttered in daze.The atmosphere was very different from Niveis and Lunarstella…"I don't know either, Your Highness…"Nea also looked around her but she could only see grass everywhere."But we are surely far from Niveis and Lunarstella."Then remembering something, Nea opened her eyes wide."Your Highness! Wh-what was that? I have never seen anything like that…"She said with a shocked expression.The space portal appeared out of nowhere and…"The Lord Commander jumped in as if he knew something about it…"The last words of Aita and their actions felt unfamiliar to both Karen and Nea.He was like another person."I don't kno
Thud_! Thud_! Thud_!A man ran on a sandy road fast."Move! Move away bastards!""Kya!"He pushed a woman aside and continued to run.His whole body was sweating.He was utterly exhausted but continued to run.He pushed a few more people away on his course.Of course, it angered a few people."Eh ?"The running man let out as he saw the foot of someone on his way below.But it was too late for him to dodge it.Crash!"Arghh!""Aahahaah! You are not running anymore, ha?!"A bearded man said mockingly.The people around laughed as well.The man who was on the ground stood up quickly.Ignoring the laughter, he resumed running, or at least he tried."Where are you going ?"The same man asked with a fierce glare."Shut UP IDIOT! I have an important message for King Harald!""E-Eh ?"The man stepped back immediately."D-Dont joke with m-""Soren Ragnarsson.""""!!"""The people around froze and their faces turned pale.Taking advantage of their state, he ran at full speed.Soon he reached a
"""..."""Tap Tap Tap"""..."""Tap Tap Tap"Soren."Harald, who was getting impatient, called out to Soren, who was seated on his throne.Tap Tap TapSoren didn't reply and continued to tap the armrest of the throne with his index finger.They were all getting impatient now.Finna, Harald's daughter, looked nervously at Soren.She was left surprised upon seeing his face from up close.He looked very young.Which was strange as Soren should be around twenty-three years old now if he survived five years ago.Even his face was different.The previous Soren had a very handsome face but the one before her had an average one.Though his eyes and presence were darker than ever…Soren glanced at Finna for a second, surprising her."!"She averted her blushing face from Soren's beautiful eyes."Soren!"Harald couldn't see this sight anymore, so he raised his voice.Soren looked back at Harald.Tap Tap Tap"Harald Fairhair.""...""Son of Halfdan the Black and King of all Norway.""..."A mock
Munch_ Munch_"""..."""Harald and his family looked at Soren, fiercely eating the meat.They were all around the dining table and eating.After agreeing to form an alliance, Harald invited Soren to eat but also to talk."Ahaha! You are quite hungry Soren! That's good! Eat as much as you want!"Harald laughed heartily.Soren continued to eat.The people around were still wary of Soren.He was still the man who killed thousands of thousands of their kind.It was still difficult to accept an alliance.But Harald had a good relation with Vanadis in the past.He knew Soren from a child as well.That was the main reason Harald accepted an alliance with Soren.Out of all Ragnar's children, Soren was probably the one he was the closest to.After Vanadis' death, Soren changed and he knew him well.Though Soren was hot-tempered, he wasn't the type to kill like a machine.But his mother's death made an irrecoverable hole in his heart.He became ruthless against anyone crossing his path.Runa's
"Soren Ragnarsson ?"At Zara's mutter, the man turned around and nodded."Yeah, he came that morning. He killed so many of our people…"He said with an angry expression."Eh ? But you said he was King Harald, right ?"Denis couldn't understand what was happening.He killed their people, but from what they heard he was talking leisurely with the King.""Sigh…Yeah, in the end we want our freedom more than a short vengeance.""Freedom ?"Zara got even more confused.The man frowned at their questions."Are you really merchants ? You are aware of nothing and you came here ?"Merchants were welcomed regardless of origin, so Zara and Denis could enter even though their faces were obviously different from Vikings.But merchants must have some knowledge about the kingdom they want to sell in."Ah! Yes! We are merchants, but before that I wanted to show my healing ability to the King…"Zara quickly spoke about her healing magic.She knew from their reactions before that in this kingdom, healin
"Aita!"Zara's loud voice echoed everywhere in the hall.They all had one question on their minds.'Who is Aita ?'Zara ignored them and looked at Soren happily.She was extremely relieved and happy to see Aita.She was worried about him when he jumped into the portal suddenly, but now he was there in front of her.She was confident that, with Aita, they could easily find Karen and Nea.Somehow, Aita had this atmosphere around him that made all of his allies think that he could do the impossible."Aita!"Zara ignored the curious gaze and rushed in front of Soren.They were all dumbfounded.Was she seeking death ?There was no doubt that Soren would kill anyone annoying him."You made me worry! Sigh…let's go, we have to save Karen and Nea."She grasped Soren's arm and tried to leave the place.She was so immersed in her happiness that she didn't think about the reason for Soren's presence there."Aita ?"Seeing that Soren wasn't moving, Zara turned around.Soren was looking at her with
"Are you okay, Lady Zara ?"Denis asked, concerned by Zara's unusual state.One hour ago, they met Aita and it didn't end happily.Zara was the most distraught about what happened.Even Denis didn't know what to say.Though he didn't know Aita that well, he felt that there was something strange about the behavior he showed today.He had always been cold, but in front of Zara, he never acted like that.And there was this strange feeling.He felt ashamed to acknowledge it, but he felt fear upon seeing Aita today.He also noticed that he wasn't the only one either.They all seemed to fear him.But they also nearly worshiped his origins…It was quite strange."I don't know, Sir Denis."Zara replied.She swept her gaze around the hall.They were currently in the hall where they talked to Aita before.Night fell but the hall was still bustling with people.The people were drinking a lot…A lot.Zara put both her hands on the table and put her head on it."I knew that he was hiding something
Gulp_A man gulped nervously.He wasn't the only one.Several people around him felt nervous.The atmosphere felt heavy yet normal."It has been a while, Sigurd."A blue-eyed man said with a big smile.The green-eyed man, Sigurd, glanced back at his brother."Why did you come here, Hvitserk ?"Sigurd asked as he leaned on his throne.They were currently in Sigurd's domain in Lejre, the capital of the Denmark Kingdom.Sigurd Ragnarsson was the absolute King there.In front of him, Hvitserk's smile was erased."You have become too cocky since you took that throne."Killing intent oozed out of Hvitserk like a mortal wave.All the men around stepped back fearfully.Sigurd narrowed his eyes at his brother.A green hue came out of his body and clashed against Hvisterk's mana.Crack!The wall started to crack from the sheer pressure.Crack!Seeing the damage, Sigurd clicked his tongue."Enough."He retrieved his mana.Hvitserk smiled and did the same."So why did you come here and…"Sigurd's
The Nychterin Empire, once overshadowed by hardship, had transformed into a beacon of power and resilience on the Dreamland continent. This remarkable evolution was a stark contrast to its past, a past marred by the scars of a war that had ravaged the nation hundreds of years earlier. During those tumultuous times, the Nychterin Empire had borne the brunt of the conflict, losing countless knights to the enemy's clutches.The aftermath was even grimmer, marked by a scarcity of labor and, more poignantly, a pervasive sense of desolation that had settled over the populace. Widows mourned, children became orphans, and the Empire seemed to teeter on the precipice of despair. Yet, amid this darkness, a glimmer of hope emerged.The Solaria Empire, a benevolent force, extended a compassionate hand to their beleaguered neighbors. Without seeking recompense, they aided in the Empire's reconstruction and dispatched healers to tend to the wounded souls. Although the specter of gloom lingered, the
“You-You want to take part in the tournament?”Selena stammered, speechless at Aita’s demand.“Yeah.”Aita nodded casually.“Why, suddenly? You told me yesterday you were not interested?”Selena tried her best to keep her calm.“I want the reward.”“!”Shock filled Selena’s face. Did he want the reward? So Princess Evelyn? She couldn’t believe it.“Wh-Why? You already have me…”Selena started to doubt her own worth now. She didn’t want to brag about it, but she considered herself not less beautiful than Evelyn Nychterin. Or maybe Aita liked the innocent-type more?“What?”Aita, as dense as ever, wondered what the hell she was speaking about. He only wanted the second reward, the other part of his spear after all.“Can I use you in need every day? Would you be with me any time?”Aita said in a mocking tone. She wasn’t a weapon after all.“Idiot!”-Thud!Selena threw the cup of coffee in Aita’s face and ran away with a tomato-red face.***“Princess.”“...”“Princess?”“Ah!”Selena brok
“Ahhhh…He’s taking his time.” Daisy yawned as she rubbed her sleepy eyes. More than an hour had passed and Aita still hadn’t come out. She was on the verge of sleeping on the floor but held back. She could wait for Aita. Aita had still saved her best friend and her. “What the hell is he doing?!” Anna, still hidden in the corner, was reaching the limits of her patience. “Anna, seriously, we should go…I really want to sleep…” Isabel leaned on the wall and was on the verge of falling asleep like that. “No! Wait a little mor-” “Daisy?” “““!””” “Le-Lena?” Daisy was surprised to see Elena here. She was sure Elena would play or speak with Aura for a few more hours at least… “What are you doing outside and you will catch a cold like that.” Elena sighed, seeing Daisy standing there in a negligee. Elena was also wearing a blue negligee but she was wearing a jacket on it. “A-Ah, well…” Daisy scratched her head, not knowing what to do. Aita was still inside the room after all. Still,
Late at night, Aita left his room. He wandered in the corridor of the palace aimlessly. The guards roaming around would bow to him upon seeing him, otherwise they would let him. They probably thought he wanted to take a breath of fresh air.After an hour or so, he started to walk toward the section reserved for the girls in his class. Like Daisy had promised, she would leave him in their room. Waiting for the right time, he went to the ladies' side. He made sure to erase any sound of his steps with his wind. He didn’t want to cause another uproar and be labeled with another cringe nickname. He already wanted to erase his memories just thinking about what he was doing. Infiltrating the ladies’ dormitory at night? Anyone would label him as human trash.Reaching the room of Daisy and Elena, Aita knocked on the door. He was having a hard time keeping his face from distorting. All his actions seemed like he was going to sleep with a woman late at night…“Look, Isabel, I knew it!”At the en
“You had a tough day, Aita.”Selena said with a glare.They went back to the palace and the first person who welcomed Aita was Selena. She had an exhausted complexion but she still looked like a perfect princess. Her sapphire eyes were staring angrily at Aita and mostly the knights of Lunarstella. She told them to look after Aita so he wouldn’t do anything, threatening their truce, but they couldn’t do anything. They all averted their faces in shame. They couldn’t tell that Aita at that time was too scary to speak to. More than that, they were also angry at Rex and the others for what they had done.“...”Aita stared at Selena. Her face overlapped with the mature Selena of the recording. Her tears, her sad expression, her helplessness, everything overlapped with the current Selena. He couldn’t understand why that woman he didn’t know at all was making his emotions stir that much. He cared for Selena Luna Lunarstella, but not her great-great-aunt.“Aita?”Selena called out to Aita sinc
“What happened…”Aura asked. Behind her were all her classmates, the knights of Solaria and Lunarstella. They were silently waiting for two people to answer. The two people were, of course, Aita and Elena who, after two days, finally reached the entrance of the rift. Austin, Jake, Jaxon and Daisy had already arrived as well the day before, so everyone was there. Well, everyone except Gaut and Rex, who were killed by Aita. By the way, Bein was sitting with a blank expression in a corner ignoring them. Anyway, most of the stares were gathered on two people. Aita and Elena. Aita had his black mask off but he still had his skin mask, which didn’t please him in the slightest as he felt uncomfortable with it, so his current annoyed expression. Right behind, strangely close to him, was Elena, who seemed to be happy to finally reunite with her classmates.“Nothing.”Aita replied clearly, showing that he was annoyed at her question, and walked ahead. “Hmpf!”Aura harrumphed and went to Elena
“...”“...”Silence reigned in the empty hall. The runes weren’t glowing anymore. Aita and Elena were not speaking. Elena had a pained expression, a little more and she’d have cried. Remembering Selena’s face and her words, she felt despondent for her. She glanced at Aita. He was playing with a little stone. It was the White Crystal that was inside the coffin with the book. The book disappeared as soon as the recording was over. As for the skeleton, Aita had put Selena’s remains inside his space ring. Elena looked at the stone with a complicated expression. She needed four of them to go back on Earth. No. She needed five of them. Four to destroy the space rift, once on the other side, she needed another one to finally reach Earth. In any case, the one in Aita’s hand didn’t belong to her, in the first place, so right now she had nothing.-Gurgleeeee“...”“...”Elena buried her face in her knees, not daring to look at Aita’s current expression. She depleted her mana, so she was exhau
“I am going with the name of Selena Mona Lunarstella. The First Princess of the Great Lunarstella Empire.” Her domineering voice echoed. Looking at her, Aita started to understand why she was hailed as a heroine back then and even now. He could understand how she alone was able to defend Lunarstella from enemies everywhere. She really had the aura of a leader. “I do not know who you are, but I know that you are here with the help of my blood. How many years had gone since the war ? I just hold the hope that my Empire is still there flourishing like it should…” She said in a nostalgic tone. “You, who discovered my tomb. I am going to reveal what I discovered in the hope that you are my blood, or at least someone of my Empire. I gave my spear to my brother so he could give it to his children. I engraved runes on my spear that will serve as key to entering this place when the time will come. I transmitted this emplacement to my brother before leaving the Empire forever.” Selena spoke
“I did nothing! B-Believe me, please!”Elena’s quivering voice kept ringing in the hall. She was speaking to Aita, who was standing, looking at his surroundings. He didn’t seem to care about Elena’s words. Stretching his limbs for a minute, he removed his shirt.“Ah! W-What are you doing, Lord Aita?!”Elena turned her head away with a flushed face.Aita ignored her and took out a new white shirt and put in on while making sure to hide his pendant so Elena wouldn’t see it. He glanced at the ground and saw the silver spear. Stooping down, he took the spear. As usual, it looked like a newly crafted spear as its silver color shone with purity. Swinging the spear a few times, he turned around. Elena was looking at him nervously.“How long have I been out?”He asked. Vivid memories of Artemis were still present in his mind. Memories he shouldn’t have as he wasn’t even born at that moment. Why had he the memories of other people? Anyway, it felt like years had passed, so he wanted to know.