Chapter 263   - Epilogue (2)

She stood atop a windy mountaintop, and her long black hair fluttered in the wind.

The owner of the long hair was a young and beautiful Dragon Demon woman. It was Niberis. She had been watching the horizon for a long while.

Someone approached her. He was a Dragon Demon with beautiful blonde hair. It was Kieren.

“Niberis.”

After Saibein and Reygus had destroyed the pillar of Darkness, Niberis and Kieren had escaped to the Albatan forest. When they arrived at the Albatan forest, they were told of Atein’s defeat at the hands of Azell.

The two of them resided in the Albatan forest as guests for the next month.

Kieren spoke.

“Albatan-nim is looking for you.”

Niberis turned around to look at him. There was a soft smile on her lips as she spoke to him.

“I’m sorry for always doing as I please Kieren. I’m sure you would have enjoyed living here....”

“No, I.......”

Kieren looked away as he scratched his cheek. When she smiled towards him, she was stunningly beautiful. It was an expression that he would have never seen in the past.

Kieren called up his courage as he spoke.

“I’ll go wherever you want to go.”

“Thank you. However, if you are doing this because you feel obligated to honor my father’s words.....”

“Niberis.”

Kieren furrowed his brows as he called out her name. He looked straight into her eyes as he spoke.

“You know that’s not the case.”

“Then why?”

“Uh.......”

“Please tell me in no uncertain terms.”

“Uh. Mmm. That is....”

Kieren’s face turned red, and he floundered. Niberis watched him struggle for a brief moment. She let out a small sigh as she started walking.

“Let’s go. We shouldn’t make Albatan-nim wait on us.”

The two of them didn’t bother walking down the mountain. They used magic to fly down towards Albatan’s abode.

Albatan was a Dragon, who had acquired wisdom. He had his head perched atop his talons as he waited for the two of them. When Niberis arrived in front of him, she gave an elegant bow. Albatan spoke.

“I heard you are leaving today.”

“That is correct. I came here because I wanted to give my final farewell to you.”

“Will you consider becoming a resident of my forest?”

“I want to thank you for your offer, but I’ll have to decline.”

Saibein had bargained for his freedom for the price of teaching Albatan the Extreme Extinction technique. He had also asked Albatan to accept Niberis and Kieren into the forest if they decided to come to the forest after the fight.

Albatan was willing to grant that request, but Niberis revealed her intention of leaving for the outside world.

Albatan asked her a question.

“Why? You guys aren’t part of the human society. Also, there is no one left inside the Plain of Darkness.”

Albatan know the result of the final battle, and he was aware of what had occurred afterwards. He had passed on the information to Niberis.

She had nowhere else she could return to.

“I’ve never had a place I can return to.”

When Atein was revived, she had impulsively ran away from the Plain of Darkness. Afterwards, she clearly chose to walk down the path of treason. Even if the Dragon Demon king worshippers hadn’t left for the Pioneer plan, she wouldn’t have been able to return to them.

“This place no longer feels the same to me. My father isn’t here anymore.”

Niberis let out a sad smile.

When she resided here before, it might have been the most peaceful and happiest time in her life. When she first came here, she was able to reunite with her father, who she had wanted to see for a very long time. When she returned to the forest after the fight, she saw the traces of her father, and it had soothed her sadness.

However, that wasn’t enough. If she stayed here any longer, the sadness and longing for her father would continue to grow. She knew she would feel tormented here.

“My father gave me so much.”

On that day, she couldn’t hear what Saibein had said before she lost consciousness. His words had been drowned out by the sound of the explosion. However, she had a good idea as to what he was trying to say to her.

“I do not want to stay in a shelter provided by someone else. I would like to find my own answers as I travel the world. By doing so, I’m hoping I’ll be able to find my path forward.”

“I’ll respect your wishes, Saibein’s daughter. However, there will always be a place here for you. Remember this. Your father gave me something that’ll guarantee that.”

“Understood. Oh wise Dragon, I hope you peace until we meet again.”

Niberis nodded her head. She turned around, and she left. Kieren followed after her as he asked a question.

“Where do you plan to go?”

“I’m not sure.......”

Niberis had expressed her wish to leave the Albatan forest, but she hadn’t talked about any specific destination. She thought for a brief moment as she looked to the north.

“Kieren, where do you want to go?”

“Uh? Me?”

“If you tell me, you’ll go wherever I go then I’ll refuse to listen to such an answer. This time I’ll give you the same statement you presented me with. I’ll go wherever you want to go.”

“N...Niberis?”

Kieren was flustered. Soon, he realized that there was a change to Niberis’ usual expression.

Her face was red as if she was embarrassed. Despite being embarrassed, she looked straight at Kieren as she waited for his answer.

Kieren suddenly woke up from his stupor. She was being brave by giving him such an opportunity. If he tried to avoid answering her question with a half-assed answer, how pathetic would he be?

“This might be sudden, but.... I would like to answer the question from earlier first.”

“Which question?”

“Mmm. That is.... You asked why I’m doing all this?”

“Ok.”

When he heard her words, Kieren took a deep breath. He mustered up his courage as he spoke.

“I’m doing all of this, because I love you.”

“.......”

“Even if Saibein-nim hadn’t made the request, I would do the same. I love you. If it is for you, I’m willing to do anything.”

Niberis’ expression froze for a brief moment when she heard his honest confession.

She stared at Kieren for a brief moment, and her face started to heat up.

“Ah. Understood.”

“What?”

“Kieren, your words.... I understood it.”

It was Niberis’ turn to take a deep breathe. Her face was beet red from embarrassment, yet she didn’t look away from Kieren’s gaze.

‘Wow. This is so like her.’

It really was like her, yet this was a side of her he had never seen before. She was so lovable right now that it was driving him crazy. Kieren wanted to hug her right now, but he resisted against such impulse.

Niberis spoke.

“I love you too, Kieren.”

“Uh, uh.......”

“I hope you won’t ask me if I’m speaking the truth.”

At her words, Kieren swallowed the words that he had almost blurted out in a reflexive manner. It had been very close.

Niberis took another deep breath as she raised her hand. Soon, Kieren realized that Niberis wanted him to take her hand. He quickly held her hand. Niberis took the lead as she spoke.

“We share the same fate now. That is why I’ll decide where we should go.”

“What? Wait a moment. I thought you wanted me to decide on a destination?”

“Even if I choose the destination, you don’t plan on going against my decision. Isn’t that right?”

“I guess so.......”

“My plan is simple. Let’s start with somewhere close.”

In the outside world, the Iellos kingdom was closest to the Albatan forest If they didn’t want to travel through the Atisan mountain range to the Plain of Darkness, they had to go through the Iellos Kingdom.

Niberis spoke.

“That place will be our starting point. We’ll take a tour of the continent, then we can choose our next destination. What do you think?”

“It.......”

Kieren didn’t answer immediately. When he hesitated, Niberis whipped her head around to glare at him. Kieren smiled as if he was waiting for her to do so. He spoke.

“It is the best of plans.”

They were freed from the madness that had shackled them from birth. The two started a long journey to find a new life for themselves.

“Youth. This is why the young ones are fun to watch.”

Albatan was far away, but he had heard the whole conversation between Kieren and Niberis. He mumbled to himself. As soon as he spoke, he heard a reply.

“You were listening in on a conversation between lovers. If they found out about it, they’ll cuss you out, Albatan-nim.”

The one to speak was a young Dragon Demon woman with straight blonde hair. She was the woman who had greeted Azell’s party when they arrived at the Albatan forest.

Albatan laughed.

“I don’t remember my youth. That is why it pleases me when I see such sights. It is like listening to a great story. I can live vicariously through it.”

“Maybe, it is time for you to woo a charming female Dragon.”

“I wish such a woman would show up. It would have been great if Libatan was female.”

In the history of this world, the second Dragon to acquire wisdom was Libatan. Libatan was male.

Mirnel shook her head from side to side as she spoke.

“We’ve received news from Azell Karzark.”

“What did he say?”

“There are only two pillars left.”

When Atein was defeated, there were five remaining pillars of Darkness.

Azell’s party and the Guardian Shadow replenished their supplies, and they killed another transcendent being sealed within the Plain of Darkness. He was the god of pestilence named Limas. At that point, the suicide squad was disbanded, and most of the members went back home.

The remnants of the Dragon Demon king worshippers had left this land, so the role of the Guardian Shadow had ended. Each member had to go back to their own country, and they had to clean up the mess within their countries. This would also be another long, hard fight.

Azell’s party understood why they had to return to their home. If help was needed in destroying the pillars of Darkness, the nearest members would be enlisted for help. For the time being, everyone went on their separate ways with such an understanding.

After one month passed, two additional pillars had been destroyed.

Albatan spoke.

“The world’s greatest magical legacy is being destroyed. It is a miraculous item that’ll never exist once again.... It is a pity.”

“We’ve inherit its power, so it won’t be completely gone.”

“No, the system that’ll be created in this forest will never hold a candle against the Great Darkness. The Great Darkness was a tower of wonder that had been built up by Atein, who was the embodiment of magic and its history.”

Albatan received a copy of the Great Darkness when he made a deal with Carlos. For the past dozens of years, he had slowly laid down the foundation for his own system. His efforts were starting to come to fruition. He was finally seeing some tangible results.

However, he was merely a single magician, so he had to be realistic about his own limitations The Great Darkness was made by sealing twelve transcendent beings, and it was a miracle that’ll never be recreated once again.

Suddenly, Minerel spoke.

“I’ve reviewed the recent events, and I feel uneasy about it.”

“What are you thinking about?”

“We might have to leave this land someday. We’ll have to leave like the Dragon Demon king worshippers.”

Atein and his followers had been an alien presence that had been incompatible with humanity. Atein had attempted to control the fate of humanity, and he had failed. His followers were no long welcome in this land, so they had to leave for an unknown land. It had been an inevitable choice.

Minerel observed the fall out, and she was reminded that the Albatan forest was also considered to be an alien presence to humanity.

The only difference was the fact that they had never openly fought against humanity like Atein and his followers. Their land was considered to be one of the Demonic lands that couldn’t be encroached, but would that remain true in the future?

Albatan spoke.

“We might have to move. It is a possibility.”

“.......”

“At some point, humanity would become so strong that we won’t be able to stop them. Their minds aren’t mature enough, so they’ll try to eliminate everyone that isn’t like them.... At that point, we might be chased out of this land.”

Albatan had always worked to fight against such a future. However, it wasn’t a guarantee that he’ll be able to protect this land indefinitely. No one could make such a guarantee.

He let out a soft smile towards the gloomy Minerel.

“However, you don’t have to worry about it. It won’t happen in your lifetime.”

“Albatan-nim.......”

“It won’t hapeen during your son’s lifetime. The humans have too many enemies they have to fight beside us.”

Soon, Minerel left. Albatan looked up at the sky as he murmured to himself.

“Will my race disappear first or will humanity face the calamity predicted by Atein first? I have no idea..”

Minerel was talking about the distant future. She would be dead, and her son would also be dead by that time.

However, it was a reality that Albatan would have to face some day.

“I am still a green pup compared to you, but I somehow understand what you were feeling, Atein.”

Albatan let out a bitter laughter as he muttered to himself.