Volume 3 Chapter 160 Hope
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Demete was urgently summoned, and soon after, Umar was called to the courtyard as well.
At the same time, a message was sent to Rufna and Sarah, who had gone to the Beastmen’s camp to inform Eleonora and the others, requesting that they bring the Wolfmen negotiators too.
”Sir Kian, Lady Eleonora has arrived.”
From the large temple hall, Natra and Linca stepped out, followed by a red-haired woman in casual clothes—Eleonora.
Though she had been visibly depressed for some time, her expression had softened now, showing signs of recovery.
”Lord Kian,” Eleonora said as she stepped forward, “thank you for allowing Lady Linca to tend to me. The stab wound in my leg has fully healed, and the bite mark on my shoulder is gone. She’s incredible. Could it be… is Lady Linca a renowned priestess from the East?”
”It’s said Linca’s ancestors once served as priests in the Eastern lands,” Kian replied, glancing her way. “Isn’t that right, Linca?”
”Yes,” she answered with a small nod.
”I see… I’m grateful,” Eleonora murmured, her hand lightly brushing her thigh. “I had prepared myself to never walk the same way again…”
But as her words trailed off, her eyes dropped to Kian’s expression—and then to Serena, sitting quietly on the flower bed nearby. Her face stiffened.
”…What happened?”
”Have you heard about Lady Colinna?” Kian asked.
”Yes,” Eleonora replied slowly. “Lady Linca and Lord Demete explained. They said she was handed over to the union as the one behind all this. Is something wrong with her?”
”We’re still confirming the details,” Kian said with a lowered gaze, “but… Serena says she took poison and ended her life.”
”What!?”
”…Huh?”
”Eh…?”
Eleonora, Natra, and Linca all froze in shock.
Linca parted her lips, as if to speak to Serena, but no words came. Her gaze simply drifted into the distance.
Natra cast a glance toward Serena and then spoke up.
”That’s absurd. Lady Linca was bound and kept in the enemy’s cage, wasn’t she? How could she have taken poison? Where would she even get something like that? Are we supposed to believe she carried it herself, just in case?”
”I don’t know,” Kian replied, shaking his head. “Serena said that’s what she was told… by the Wolfmen.”
”It’s not just something they said,” Serena murmured, her voice trembling through her tears.
”Juji and the others were frantic. Everyone was in a panic, and… the way their hearts were pounding—it didn’t feel like a lie.”
”Hmm… That’s why we’re still investigating,” Kian said, folding his arms.
Eleonora nodded silently.
Just then, footsteps echoed from the corridor. Yelmar entered with several Wolfmen behind him, surrounding a middle-aged man in black armor—Juji. His magic spear was being held by Yelmar.
A moment later, Umar appeared, pushed in a wheelchair by Rufna. Sarah followed after, looking confused.
Among them all, only Umar wore a calm expression.
”Ah…”
When everyone had gathered near the edge of the courtyard, Juji pressed his lips together, then opened his mouth with a strained breath.
”Colinna is dead. This morning, her body was found cold inside the cage. A subordinate discovered her. After checking, we found resin lodged in one of her back molars. Likely poison.”
”You’re not trying to fake her death and smuggle her away, are you?” Kian asked, narrowing his eyes.
Yelmar and the female warriors beside him quickly shook their heads.
”He’s not lying.”
”There’s no reason for us to lie about this,” one of them said flatly.
”Tch…” Juji clicked his tongue, then continued with a bitter scowl. “We made a vow to the alliance—to capture the mastermind and bring them before the chieftains. I swore on my honor. And now she just dies, without explaining anything, without taking any responsibility… What kind of selfishness is that?”
”Don’t speak ill of my mother!” Serena cried out, her voice shaking.
”Serena,” Juji said, turning toward her, “your mother unleashed the Bloodsucking Kind and brought chaos to innocent lives. Beastmen lost their homes, their jobs… Even the ‘Storm Herd’ was branded a criminal gang, nearly crushed under alliance pressure.”
”Ah…”
”She never gave us any answers. No apology. Nothing. And now she’s just… gone. If that’s not selfish, what is it?”
”……!”
Serena’s breath caught in her throat. The truth of her mother’s actions, spoken aloud so plainly, shocked her to the core.
That was when Umar, who had remained quiet until now, finally opened his mouth.
”So, what will you do about the ‘Storm Herd’? Carry the body to the chieftains and beg for forgiveness?”
”There’s no way we can do something like that!” Juji shouted, as if the thought alone was unbearable. “We were supposed to hand over the criminal alive! If we show up with a corpse and say, ‘Sorry, she’s dead,’ the ‘Storm Herd’ will be exiled from Beastmen society. And according to our laws… we’ll all have to kill ourselves. But what would that even solve!?”
”…Huh,” Serena breathed out, stunned by his declaration.
Kian, having anticipated this much, showed no visible reaction.
”Did you inform Arminus and Fraus?”
”No! I couldn’t!” Juji snapped. He glared at Kian before running a hand through his hair in frustration.
”They’ve been arguing all morning, but no one knows what to do. I should’ve warned my team better… Damn it…”
Sarah stepped in with a tense voice.
”The Wolfmen have started hunting for suspects among themselves. They think someone leaked information to the lady. Since she couldn’t move, someone else must’ve fetched the poison. Now the group’s on edge, and things could explode at any moment.”
”Inter-faction fighting is forbidden under the rules,” Juji added. “But things are tense.”
Then he turned back toward Umar.
”You said you were going to investigate the gate, right? Could we join you?”
”What do you plan to do if you come along?” Umar asked.
”We find the rest of the masterminds—Hariette and the others—and drag them before the chieftains. No matter what.”
Hariette… Glen’s first wife. Ozeas’s mother.
She had worked with Tersea, the court magician and Barghest’s disciple, to open the gate.
According to Barghest, she had gone through it with her subordinates to escape Glen’s judgment.
Rather than chase Barghest, who fled to Azrael, it made more sense to pursue Hariette. She might still be close—just beyond the gate.
Umar gave a small nod of approval.
”Having the ‘Storm Herd’ with us is reassuring. Of course, we’d welcome your help.”
”It’s not like we’re officially joining your group,” Juji said, glancing at Yelmar, who frowned slightly beside him. “But… we’re still part of the ‘Storm Herd,’ right, Mr. Umar?”
Juji let out a breath, then added quietly, “One condition. Don’t let them know about Colinna. If word gets out, we’re done.”
”Understood,” Umar replied. “But the alliance seems to be planning to destroy the gate.”
”We’re not sure yet what their final decision is,” Juji said. “We’ll buy time through negotiations and use that window to sneak through once.”
”We tried tying a rope to a warrior monk and throwing him into the gate,” Umar explained. “The rope snapped halfway through. He never came back. If we charge in without a proper plan… we’re just throwing lives away.”
”Then we’ll move quickly,” Juji said firmly. “We’ll lend you three of our magicians.”
”Very well.”
Just then, Eleonora stepped forward between them.
”Lord Umar… and Juji, was it? I am Eleonora of Sunlightland, head of the negotiation team,” she said firmly, her back straight as she faced the others. “I’ll take full responsibility for the talks with Lord Arminus and the rest. Honestly, it’s best to be upfront about Lady Colinna’s death. After that, we should announce our intent to detain Lady Hariette inside the gate.”
”If it comes out that I allowed Colinna to take her own life, I’ll be blamed for mismanaging everything,” Kian replied, his expression tight. “We could be exiled… no way back from that.”
”I won’t let that happen,” Eleonora said, placing a hand over her chest. “Please, trust in my ability to negotiate.”
”Sorry if this sounds rude,” Kian muttered, eyes narrowing, “but I don’t trust you. Not even a little. We only met today.”
”Even so,” she said, voice calm, “the truth will come out sooner or later, whether you speak or not.”
Behind Umar’s wheelchair, Rufna looked stunned, unable to hide his reaction.
”In a few days, they’ll likely decide to send Lady Hariette to the Union,” he said. “What will you do then? Use a fake?”
”Before that happens, I’ll find the real Hariette inside the gate!” Eleonora declared.
”That’s not realistic,” Sarah said, furrowing her brows.
Juji stood silent, jaw clenched as he bit his lip.
”Hey, Juji,” Yelmar said with a sly grin, “why don’t we walk the outcast’s path together? At this rate, you’re all gonna face the Horse Tear punishment, right?”
”Shut it,” Juji growled. “We’re not like reckless fools like you.”
”I see, must be rough~” Yelmar said, his voice light, but the tone cutting.
”────”
Juji shot a cold glare from his pale blue eyes at Yelmar’s mocking face.
Just then, Umar’s wheelchair creaked as he slowly stood up.
”I understand the situation, Lord Juji,” he said with a nod. “For this meeting, I’ve been in direct contact with Lord Malbodous and Lord Kakaka. Why not bring them in now? Sharing information will be vital. Without their help, deceiving Lord Arminus is next to impossible.”
”You… you bought off the Steel Tigers and the Cat Beastmen!?”
”That’s quite the accusation,” Umar replied, sounding almost amused. “It was simply peaceful negotiation. Besides, I had no prior connection with that hot-headed Steel Tiger—Marcomanni, was it? The only ones I knew beforehand were Malbodous and Kakaka.”
”…I see,” Juji muttered, letting out a slow breath. “I’ll go retrieve the magician. In the meantime, summon Malbodous and Kakaka. …Sorry for the trouble.”
”No need for apologies,” Umar said with a shrug.
Juji gave a small bow, took the magic spear from Yelmar, and turned toward the corridor. The guards called out in alarm—”Hey, wait!”—and rushed after him.
Kian turned sharply to face Umar.
”So the Steel Tigers and the Cat Beastmen were working under you?”
”Naturally,” Umar replied. “Did you really think I’d appear before Arminus without any preparation?”
”────”
”If you and Linca hadn’t gotten in my way, things would have gone much smoother,” Umar said, voice cold. “Even now, if you’re willing to follow my command, I might consider forgiving you.”
”I’d rather die than serve under you.”
”…You truly are nothing compared to Jibril.”
With that, Umar left the wheelchair behind and headed down the corridor, loudly calling for Demete and Katyusha in irritation.
”Master,” Rufna called out from behind, her tone oddly cheerful. “Even after a miraculous reunion in the far north, you two still don’t get along, huh?”
”I’ll never get along with him,” Kian said flatly.
”Is that so? I think… if you just talked it out properly, maybe something could change.”
”Rufna says that,” he added, turning to Natra. “What about you, Natra?”
Natra slowly shook her head, her expression serious.
”I’m not sure. When Sir Kian was exiled, I was only two years old. I’ve only heard scattered stories from Lady Sarah.”
”You should cherish your father, Lord Kian,” Eleonora said, looking slightly troubled.
She must’ve heard from someone like Maribel that Kian and Umar were father and son.
To her—someone who had once served in the Knights of the Sun, someone who clearly loved her own father—Kian’s coldness must have been hard to understand.
As Linca gently carried the unconscious Serena toward the Great Hall, Sarah spoke up, voice tentative.
”I also… I’m sorry if this is out of line, but I think you should talk to Umar. Really talk.”
”I won’t get angry,” Kian replied. “You’re right.”
As a general principle, he added silently to himself.
”By the way,” Eleonora said, “what will Lord Kian and the others do now? If the Rean the Rank 1 Adventurers are handed over, the only thing left should be Owl’s audit, right?”
”We’ll head to Ramsey,” Kian answered. “I’ll speak with Lord Owl, hand them over, then prepare the audit report. That should wrap up the Quest.”
”And after that? You’re coming back to help me, aren’t you?”
”I can’t promise that.”
”What…?” Eleonora frowned at his reply.
She must’ve heard the plan from Umar. The direction was already set—to leave Ramsey and the ancient temple behind, move to a safer area, and focus on gathering points.
Their stance was clear: If someone wants to fight or argue, they can do it without us.
”Aren’t you Princess Maribel’s knight?” Eleonora asked, narrowing her eyes. “You sure don’t act like it.”
”I only swore to fight in the Oswald battle for her,” Kian replied. “This time, I’m here because I was hired. I won’t risk my companions any further than that.”
”Risk?” she repeated, glancing around.
Her gaze passed over Natra, Rufna, and Sarah—all of them radiating strength—and then to Kian’s own weapons: the Silver Ice blade, Windsong, and the Misty Magic Sword.
”With that kind of power,” she said, “you’re just going to walk away? Return to East End?”
”Or maybe head to the western capital, Franz. I’ll talk it over with the others first.”
Linca returned to the courtyard, having sent Serena to the Great Hall.
Eleonora’s eyes flicked to her briefly, then turned back to Kian.
”Those with power have a responsibility,” she said, her voice calm but firm. “If you can help others, you should. Lord Kian, with your strength, you could bring peace to Ramsey.”
”Duty comes from contracts,” Kian replied, unmoved. “If power alone makes someone responsible for everything, then power itself becomes a kind of sin.”
”That might be true… but, still…”
”In the East, maybe. But in the West, we follow contracts. What you’re saying, Lady Eleonora, doesn’t match our society.”
”A-ah, but…”
Kian cut in gently, seeing she had more to say.
”I’m not saying I’ll disappear and leave it all behind. I’ll make sure the handover is complete. Within reason, of course. Specifically, I’ll speak to Lord Owl, arrange food supplies from Sunlightland, and send Guild staff to the temple. But that’s the limit. Please don’t ask for more than that. ──Everyone, let’s go. First, we need to find Rean and complete the handover.”
”Roger.”
”Understood.”
”Got it.”
”As you wish, Lord Kian.”
The four women stepped in behind Kian without hesitation.
From a distance, Eleonora and the Guild staff watched them go, feeling as if even the sunlight had dimmed in their wake.
”W-Wait, Lord Kian!” Eleonora called out, stepping forward.
Kian slowed his pace, turning slightly to glance over his shoulder. “…What is it now?”
”What is your ‘justice’?” she asked, her voice sharp.
Kian turned his body halfway, facing her with a faint frown. “Where’s that coming from all of a sudden?”
”I want to know,” Eleonora said firmly. “What purpose do you intend to use that power for?”
”I’ve always said the same thing,” Kian replied, folding his arms. “I’ve never changed sides. I’m my only ally. This power of mine will be used however I see fit—nothing more, nothing less.”
”Then why did you save the princess from Oswald? Why go so far to help her if it was just on a whim?”
”It was a whim. And some personal reasons,” he said bluntly. “It has nothing to do with you, Lady Eleonora.”
”A power without justice is the most dangerous thing of all!” she snapped. “If saving the princess was a whim, does that mean you might hurt her on a whim too?”
”I wouldn’t,” Kian said quietly. “That would make saving her pointless.”
”Then… if it were for your own sake, would you abandon the princess? Abandon Izerland too?”
”No. I wouldn’t abandon them,” he answered calmly. “I’ll help if I can. But this time, it’s just… too far beyond what I can handle. Or are you asking me to throw myself into a sea of Beastmen and die for nothing?”
”A true knight does not hesitate!” Eleonora shouted. “You should fight to the death for the princess! If it’s you, even with losses, surely you could turn the tide!”
”With nothing in return?” Kian asked, his tone dry.
”A knight doesn’t fight for reward!” she retorted.
Kian looked her dead in the eyes, indifferent. He saw right through her.
A noble knight, beloved by the people, from a proud house. But in the end, she was just another one repeating pretty words.
Pride didn’t fill empty stomachs.
Honor couldn’t fix broken armor or mend wounded comrades.
In the end, they were just tools for the nobles—used until they were spent.
Just like Eleonora.
”Lady Eleonora,” he said flatly, “can you say the same to Renaud de Châtillon?”
”I can!”
”Then why didn’t you ask Renaud for reinforcements before you came here?”
”Th-that’s…”
Her voice wavered. Her eyes fell.
”Even if I asked, he has his own reasons… He’s retired. And Lord Guy basically runs Châtillon now. Convincing him would be… impossible for me…”
”We have our reasons too,” Kian said. “I can’t force my companions to march into a slaughter, and I wouldn’t do it myself.”
”So, in the end… you really are Azraelian,” Eleonora said bitterly.
Kian narrowed his eyes. “That’s abrupt. What are you implying now?”
”We’re of different races, sure,” she said, trembling. “But I thought, at least, we could still share the same love for our homeland. But you—you’re the kind of knight who would abandon the people! Why not admit it?! You tried to seduce the princess to steal Izerland for yourself, didn’t you!?”
”L-Lady Eleonora!” a mustached knight called out, rushing forward to hold her back. The knights from Sunlightland stood up as well, bowing their heads toward Kian.
”M-My Lord Kian, please forgive her. Lady Eleonora has been under tremendous mental strain…”
”It’s fine,” Kian replied, shaking his head. He turned back to Eleonora, eyes sharp.
”So that’s the kind of gossip they’re whispering in their fancy salons, huh?”
”────!?”
”I have no plans to take over Izerland,” he said coolly. “I’m not even interested in being Defense Minister. I’m just traveling, visiting countries at my own pace.”
Eleonora’s lips trembled.
”If I wanted to manipulate the princess, I would’ve joined hands with Oswald and taken the castle by now. But I didn’t. I protected her—and the castle—from him. And now, those same lords who sat safely in their domains have the nerve to suspect me of treason? That’s laughable.”
She knew it too. Deep down, she was just like them.
To protect her land, she watched the chaos from afar. Even if Oswald’s lies had reached her ears, she still hadn’t done anything different.
She was just another noble. One who acted in her own interest. One without true “justice.”
If she really wanted to accuse Kian, she should’ve at least sent the Beastmen delegation back first. Without that, her argument held no weight.
Realizing that, Eleonora looked away, her face pale with shame.
”Kian, let’s go,” Sarah said softly beside him.
Rufna, standing a short distance away with his hands folded, gave a silent nod.
”Yeah,” Kian replied. “Let’s find Rean and hand things over to him.”
Leaving Eleonora frozen in place, Kian walked away from the courtyard.
* * *
They found Rean not long after, in the middle of spinning the roulette while hunting Bloodsucking Kind.
After some resistance, he was dragged to the Guild staff.
Sarah explained the situation with Ninini and Vestacia to the staff in detail. During that conversation, Rean dropped a bombshell: he had offered his soul to the roulette in exchange for buying Lyritisse back.
He claimed that since the spirit was already dead, Lyritisse wouldn’t be consumed. But according to Sarah, Lyritisse’s soul had ended up in an unknown place—and they needed to retrieve it before it disappeared for good.
Apparently, after being away for so long, Rean lost control of himself in the rush of spinning the lavish roulette.
Following his request, the Guild staff were left unaware of the spirit or contract details, and the transfer was approved. Most likely, Rean would keep spinning that roulette, taking advantage of the staff’s kindness.
But now that the handoff was complete, there was nothing more they could do.
All they could do was pray for Rean to control himself.
After the transfer, the group decided to regroup at the temple entrance in an hour and parted ways for now.
To lend some help, Sarah handed over the beetle golems to Demete. Rufna worked on reinforcing the temple’s barrier, and Natra went to set traps in the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, Kian and Linca began packing their things, preparing to leave the temple.
Linca was still inside the women’s wing, getting her things together.
Kian carried his backpack back into the courtyard, where the fire from dinner had long since gone out. He’d expected to run into Guild staff or even Eleonora, but the place was strangely quiet.
He nodded to the female Wolfmen warriors standing nearby and continued toward the temple’s right wing.
That’s when he saw her.
Serena was kneeling in the flowerbed, where Sven’s remains had been buried.
The summer air in Nordende still carried a chill at night. But Serena was wearing nothing but a simple head wrap. Her hands and feet were caked in dirt as she quietly dug into the soil.
”Serena,” Kian said.
”…Kian,” she replied softly.
”If you’re digging, why not use magic?” he asked, walking over. “You learned the basics from Ms. Aliona, didn’t you?”
He placed his backpack on the ground and looked down at the small pile of items next to her—clothing, trinkets, and other belongings left behind by Lady Colinna. That was all that remained of her.
Despite being Glen’s former mate, it was barely anything.
Serena shook her head. “If I use magic to dig her grave and bury her… it wouldn’t feel right,” she murmured. “I want to do it with my own hands.”
”What about her body?”
”…It’s not coming back,” Serena said.
Her voice was empty. Her tear-streaked face had gone still, expressionless—as if even sorrow had faded.
”Juji and the others… they’re bringing back my mother’s body. Then they’ll tear it apart… and feed it to the birds,” Serena said, her voice trembling.
”I see,” Kian replied quietly.
”I’m pathetic, aren’t I?” she murmured, her hands curled into fists. “No strength, no power… A weak person like me can’t even give her mother a proper grave.”
”You plan to bury her, right?” Kian asked, stepping closer. “If you’re okay with it, let me help. I won’t use magic… Actually, I can’t use it anyway. But I’m good at digging graves. People call me a garbage scavenger for a reason.”
”…I can’t drag Kian into something so pointless,” Serena whispered to herself. “I’ve already caused him enough trouble…”
”It’s fine,” Kian said, crouching. “I want to do this.”
Without hesitation, he plunged his hand into the hard ground, scooping the soil aside with powerful movements. Serena blinked in surprise at the first thrust, then quietly knelt beside him, overturning the dirt with her bare hands.
”Hey, Kian,” she asked softly, “why are you so kind to me?”
”Kind?” he echoed, raising a brow. “I feel like I’ve done nothing but awful things to you.”
Serena shook her head sharply.
”You’ve helped me, no matter what,” she said, her voice low but steady. “You’re even digging my mother’s grave with me… I have nothing left. No strength, no title. From your perspective, I’m probably just someone useless. Juji, Yelmar, Barghest… they only ever talked to me because I was Glen’s daughter. Now that I’ve lost everything, no one says a word to me. The others just watch from a distance… like I don’t exist.”
Kian didn’t say anything. He simply kept digging, listening to her fragile voice. In her words, he saw a shadow of himself—a boy once kneeling before a nameless grave, burying a mother whose face he couldn’t even remember.
He still didn’t know if she had truly been his mother.
That day had carved a deep scar into his heart. Even Sarah’s warmth couldn’t erase it. From then on, Kian stopped facing his pain. He buried everything that hurt and acted like it had never happened.
That was how he survived—by turning away from the world.
”…What will you do now?” he asked quietly. “Honestly, I don’t think you’re in the right state of mind to come with us on the quest.”
”I don’t know,” Serena muttered. “I have nowhere to go. And in this condition, all I’d do is drag you down.”
”That’s not true,” Kian said firmly.
”It is,” she replied, her voice tight. “I’m not stupid. I know what I’ve become.”
She forced a bitter smile, then took a breath and straightened her back.
”…If I took responsibility for everything that happened, maybe the others wouldn’t have to suffer. Juji and the rest might not have to throw their lives away.”
”And what about your own honor?” Kian asked, frowning. “Even if you do that, Juji and the others won’t thank you. They’ll just remember you as the daughter of Silverwooloo who brought ruin to the Storm Herd. That’s the story that’ll be passed down. If you want to help someone… you need to choose the right people, or you’ll only destroy yourself.”
”…But I owe them,” Serena said quietly. “Juji and the others helped me. Rather than dying alone and forgotten, I want to be useful to the herd… even if it costs me everything.”
”Neither your mother nor your father would wish for that,” Kian said. “And what about the crystallized Silverwooloo? The Ladies Hariette? Maybe you’re the only one who can still understand their feelings.”
”I’ll never understand,” Serena snapped. “Not those who caused the Stampede of the Bloodsucking Kind… My father… my mother… They all left me behind. Did they care more about the herd? Did they want my brother? Did they expect me to protect their honor too? I don’t understand any of it!”
Her voice broke, and she clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face.
”…They probably hated me.”
”────”
”That’s why they looked so calm when they left. No goodbyes. No hesitation. Everyone just disappeared… like I never mattered.”
Serena, that’s not true—! Kian shouted in his mind.
But the words never left his lips.
Even if he denied her pain out loud… there was nothing he could say after that.
Because he didn’t know his parents’ love either.
”…I said too much,” Serena muttered. “But maybe that was enough to clear a little of the mess in my chest.”
At that moment, Linca returned to the courtyard, carrying a small, elegant sword and a folded piece of paper. A tanuki trailed behind her with Sarah and the others’ luggage piled on its back.
Behind them, Yelmar and the girl warriors followed silently.
When they saw Serena, they all looked away.
”Oh, the one who gave me medicine and money,” Serena said quietly.
”Linca. Ms. Serena.”
”Ms. Linca… I’m sorry for everything. Thank you. I returned the money to Kian.”
”You didn’t have to. That wasn’t important,” Linca replied. “More than that, I found something in the lady’s room.”
”A sword… and a letter? From my mother?” Serena asked, her face hardening. “Someone who left without saying anything—what do they expect me to feel?”
Linca shook her head and gently handed over the sword and the letter.
”It’s from your father. Mr. Glen.”
”…From Dad?”
Serena took the letter, her hands trembling. As she read it, her brows furrowed in anger—then, slowly, her eyes overflowed with tears again.
”What did it say?” Kian asked.
”…Dad… Glen told me to live. To stay healthy.”
”────”
Serena clutched the letter to her chest, her hands shaking.
”He said he loves me. That he’s sorry… that he regrets everything.”
Sarah, Natra, and Rufna returned just then, pausing at the edge of the courtyard as they watched quietly.
As Serena held the letter, another paper slipped out—a second note tucked beneath the first.
It was filled with single-line messages. Small, clumsy, yet heartfelt. Dozens of names were written across the page—Sage, others from Silverwooloo.
No one knew when or why they wrote it.
Maybe even they didn’t know what fate awaited them, or Serena.
But the paper was filled with love.
It felt like they were all reaching out from beyond, telling her not to give up. Not to disappear.
Yelmar walked over to her.
”That sword has no name. The leaders probably planned to let you name it yourself.”
”…”
”Give it a name. It’s a gift from them… no, from all of them.”
Serena stood, tears still flowing, but now her legs were firm. She leaned on the sword’s pommel, breathing deeply.
She wiped her face with her sleeve and looked up.
Kian, for a moment, saw it—a vision of countless hands resting gently on Serena’s shoulder. The hands of Silverwooloo.
Serena looked down at the blade in her grip.
Then, softly, she whispered its name.
”Hope.”
Notes:
• Demete – A male dark elf shaman and a servant in the Umar household.
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Serena – Wolfmen Girl
• Colinna – Serena’s mother.
• Juji – Male. Leader of the Wolfmen’s ‘Jinsou’. A skilled warrior with sharp senses and combat abilities. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Arminus – Male. Leader of the Black Panther Tribe. Possesses extraordinary physical abilities, enhanced by the tribe’s unique technique that repels energy and magic attacks. His speed and strength surpass those of High Warlord Isthbaran. Wields the magic sword Balmung, capable of cleaving through an ice dragon with a single strike. His black fur provides camouflage in low visibility, making him nearly undetectable. Relationship: Leader of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Fraus – Male. Son of Arminus. Member of the Black Panther Tribe. Shares his father’s enhanced physical abilities and combat prowess. Relationship: Subordinate and family to Arminus.
• Ozeas – Son of Glen, involved in forbidden experiments.
• Tersea – A shaman who assisted Barghest and is connected to the summoning ritual.
• Malbodous – Male. Member of the Steel Tiger Clan. A formidable warrior with significant combat experience. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Kakaka – Male. Top warrior of the Cat Beastmen Tribe. Known for his agility and precision in combat. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Marcomanni – Male. Member of the Steel Tiger Clan. Known for his strength and tactical skills. Relationship: Part of the Beastmen Alliance’s delegation.
• Katyusha – A female warrior monk of the black panther race and a follower of Abbas Hashmalik Shakerdoust.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
• Sven – The Wolfman warrior, appears to be a leader or prominent figure among the warriors. Assisting Kian to the Ancient Temple.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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