In the clear sky above the wide green plains and rolling hills, a pure white owl soared swiftly. It flew at great speed until it reached a luxurious palace—a rather large one, with a spacious garden. The owl entered through one of the open windows, behind which was a room.
A large room, filled with statues and bookshelves packed with books. In the middle of the room stood a desk cluttered with papers and books. Amid the room's silence sat a woman with long black hair, dressed in a black cloak and wearing a tall hat that clearly marked her as a witch. She was smoking a pipe while reading, and when the owl entered, she didn't even flinch.
"So that's how it is... Alright, I'll open the door," muttered the witch as she rose from her chair.
She descended to the first floor, where the servants were cleaning, and then opened the door. There, a group of knights stood. The servants welcomed them and offered sweets upon their arrival. They moved further into the palace, led by Sabrina, into a spacious room. Then, they all sat around a round table.
"We are here to discuss the abduction of Gaziel," said one of the knights, a serious-looking man with dark skin.
"Of course. Have you received any new information?" asked Sabrina.
"Yes. It seems the hero who escaped from the palace saw the same two female spies who attacked the princess—not a muscular man, as you told the princess."
"Really?! But I'm certain... This is strange," Sabrina replied.
"Indeed. Maybe those two girls handed Gaziel over to the man and then went off to do something else, but it's still odd. We're searching for them now, so if you see them again, please inform the kingdom with a message."
"Understood. Thank you for coming."
"Also, what about the attack launched by the Kingdom of Deryal? Did it reach the palace?"
"Luckily, no. But some trees were burned. They have skilled mages who specialize in ranged attacks... That's going to be a big problem. Tell them we need mages specialized in defense."
"Did they attack using only mages?"
"Yes."
"That's a declaration of war. I'll inform the king. Then we'll return with a number of soldiers... That damned kingdom never respects a truce. We must show them the price of messing with Yarum."
It seemed war was about to begin, and the spark was slowly growing into a massive fire. But far from Princess Tiana's palace and the events occurring there, something even more important was happening in the capital—right in the town square, where a massive crowd had gathered, as if they were witnessing the appearance of a hero. In the middle of the packed square stood a knight with a solid build and a serious expression. His other eye was shut, sealed by a long scar.
"Today, we deliver judgment upon the killer and his accomplice, Ponier, and Avilat!" Vinnel shouted to the crowd.
As the cries and chants rose, two knights stepped forward, each dragging along a hooded person. It was the Dark Eye and the guild master of Alis. They stepped into view, and Vinnel pulled off the hoods from their heads, revealing their faces: A young foxen, and an old human.
"These are the bastards who killed countless adventurers and innocent souls!"
"Curse you both! May the goddess curse you!!" the crowd screamed.
"Any last words?" Vinnel asked the kneeling criminals.
"Fuck you," muttered Ponier, while Avilat remained silent.
"Avilat, do you understand the mistake you made?" Vinnel asked.
"…"
"It's that you tied your identity too closely to the killer. Which means, once the killer's cover is blown, I can easily find out who's commanding him. And I did—when I learned that over twenty years ago, you adopted a foxen—whose real name is Ponier—from the orphanage. What a fool you are, old man."
"And as for you, you filthy animal... I won't speak another word until I see you die in front of me... Tie them up!!"
"Why did you heal me?" asked Ponier.
"You want me to kill you without the king's orders?"
After that, some knights came forward and tied up Ponier and Avilat. Then, they were crucified in the center of the square. It was a terrifying scene—everyone was watching, even the heroes, including Laos. He was the only one who couldn't believe what he was seeing. Standing side by side with Maris, both of them were in complete shock. They couldn't believe what was happening... or how things had come to this for Ponier... or why.
"Stone them!!" Vinnel shouted suddenly.
At that moment, people began to hurl stones at the crucified men with force. After a while, it seemed Avilat had died when a large rock smashed his head. But Ponier kept staring at the crowd with his cold eyes. Blood flowed freely from him, but he wasn't dead yet. He continued to glare—an emotionless gaze that the crowd came to hate.
"Curse you both! May the goddess curse you!"
"Pfft... None of you deserve to live," muttered Foxen, spitting out blood that flowed into his mouth.
Far away, an NPC was watching—his expression was one of shocked sadness, unlike Ponier's cold stare. As he stood there in disbelief, Maris grabbed his hands, equally as shocked. Yes, it was a harsh scene—one that was hard to witness, especially when it involved someone you knew. No... someone who wasn't just a friend, but maybe something more.
What? What? What is happening here??!! All this time, Ponier was the killer?! Fuck... this... this is truly terrifying! My heart was pounding for some reason, and I couldn't bear to look at that grim sight any longer. Their blood was dripping onto the ground, and people were stoning them without mercy. I don't blame them, but... Ponier, why?
"Ponier, WHY??!!!" I screamed as I stepped forward.
At that moment, I felt a hand grab me—it was the one-eyed knight. He stopped me from moving forward and looked into my eyes. I didn't care. I wanted to move. I had so many questions I needed to ask Ponier before he died. Then, suddenly, the knight said: "Hey, don't be reckless. If you hadn't been kicked out of the guild, you would've been involved in this case."
"Let go of me," I replied, staring into his eye.
Then, in a moment I never expected, the knight actually stepped back, as if I were some terrifying monster. I stepped forward at last, pushing through the crowd until I stood before Ponier's cold eyes. He was in a miserable state, but there was no fear on his face… Ponier...
"So, you weren't lying. That look in your eyes proves you're not afraid of death," I said.
"L-Laos… I don't want to die," Ponier muttered, tears mixing with the blood on his face.
"Then why did you do this? Why?!" I asked loudly.
"Is this supposed to be a lovers' farewell? Move aside. Looks like this foxen won't die that easily," said the knight, stepping toward us with his sword.
Then, right in front of everyone, he raised his blade and severed Ponier's head. He held it high for all to see, and the crowd erupted in screams. And just like that, Ponier was gone—the one who had welcomed me to the world of adventuring, the one I'd learned so much from, the one who walked the same path beside me for so long. This was how it ended… In that moment, I couldn't understand anything anymore.
◆ ◆ ◆
Birds chirped and leaves gently fell over a pristine cemetery. The graves were elegant, the ground covered with grass and flowers. A few people in fine clothing sat in front of certain graves. But at two graves stood two girls. The first wore elegant clothes and had long silver hair, while the other was a dark elf with white hair. The graves they stood before were ordinary, and it was clear they belonged to Ralce and Rommy. Lisa and Nowy had come to visit them.
"May you rest in peace," Nowy said, clasping her hands together.
Then Lisa placed a flower crown on the graves, and the two stepped back, both with sorrowful expressions. It seemed the strongest party in the town had come to an end. As they left the cemetery, they stopped abruptly. Nowy looked coldly at her shorter friend and asked: "What will you do now?"
"Return to Magica. My parents are sailing today," Lisa replied.
"Oh… Lisa..." Nowy murmured.
Suddenly, the dark elf hugged her friend tightly and broke into tears. Lisa cried as well. This was clearly too much for the two of them to bear. And of course, losing two members of your party—maybe more than just members—is deeply painful. As they wept together, a knight watched from afar, observing them with his one eye.
"Rest in peace, Ralce," the knight muttered as he turned away.
Far from the cemetery, inside King Adalos' palace, the atmosphere was burning with tension. The council was dealing with the outbreak of war. A wide hall with a long table stretched through the room, seated around it were high officials—generals, dukes, bishops, and other important figures.
"This is the flashpoint of the war. The attacks on my daughter's palace are becoming serious. If they want war, then let it begin," said Adalos.
"What about that Dragonborn? Should we avoid conflict with the kingdom of Dragnis for now?" one of the council members asked.
"No. It turns out she's using nemesis," Adalos replied.
"What?!" the entire council gasped in shock.
"Does that mean…"
"Yes. Slytha was a spy from Diablos and a Versin demon. And she may not be the only Versin in the kingdom," said Adalos.
"This is insane. This could become a huge threat."
"I know. But I don't want you spreading this information. We must protect the people—even from panic. And before that, you must not panic either. We are at the edge of war, and already within one. I know it's nerve-wracking, but hold yourselves together, Council of Yarum."
"Of course, Your Majesty. We will face our enemies with full strength."
"Good. Now then, let's move on to the plan."
"Sending ten thousand soldiers should be enough," said one of them, a man in silver armor.
"Let's send a larger number of mages."
"I think I have a plan. We'll fill the palace with soldiers and lure them in. Then our troops can attack—and we can also support them with reinforcements."
"What a shallow plan," said the one-eyed knight, Vinnel.
"Got a better one?"
"No."
"Then shut it."
"Quiet, quiet. I think the plan to fill the palace could work," Adalos said, "but what if most of their troops are mages? They won't even approach the palace. And if our soldiers attack, I believe they'll be killed before they even reach the enemy."
"You're right. And we don't even have enough mages to begin a magical conflict. What do you think, Sir Velmhor?"
"We'll need to rely on the heroes in this war as well. Splitting them up might be a good idea. Especially the new hero... Did he say if he'll join the war?" asked an old man with a white beard.
"He hasn't answered yet. He asked me for time to think," Adalos replied.
"Sounds like a rude hero."
"Yeah, did you see what he did at the execution?"
"Forget the execution—his aura was terrifying. I think he's the strongest hero right now," said Vinnel.
"Yes, he's interesting. In the end, he was chosen by one of the Seven Spirits, so it's clear he'll be someone special," said Adalos.
And so the council continued their discussion, and it seemed the war had already begun. Yarum would be facing many enemies this time. But for now, what mattered most was the role and fate of Laos. Amidst these clashes in this new world, Laos, the fallen hero, now held the choice—whether to join the war or not. In the end, either decision would lead him toward a new life.