LRIC Chapter 80

Do-joon and his party returned to the village.

For now, meeting the dark elves who were supposedly somewhere in the village seemed like the only way to learn anything. At least they’d know more than Do-joon or Elayna.

“Whoa~”

Hwang Hyun-woo exclaimed in amazement as he looked around the village.

It was still astonishing to see. The sight of various monsters like goblins, gnolls, and orcs living together in a village.

“How do they get along without fighting?”

“The monarch in that castle must be managing them well.”

“I guess so? It’s really amazing.”

The village was nothing more than a primitive settlement. The huts could barely keep out the morning dew, and the tools they carried were crude.

Nevertheless, a clear community had formed.

The sight of them drying hunted meat and gathered fruits to store in warehouses or distribute was quite far removed from the typical behavior of monsters.

“……”

Do-joon suddenly looked at Siwalin. She had a deeply nostalgic expression.

Perhaps she was thinking of the temple people who had left.

After briefly looking around the peaceful village, they quickened their pace.

Their destination was where the dark elves were staying. Elayna took the lead in finding the place.

Soon after.

“Over there.”

They found them in front of a tent.

It wasn’t very difficult. They could see the elves hanging laundry in the yard.

Seeing their faces, Elayna smiled. It was someone she knew.

“Lord Dien, how have you been?”

“Hm?”

The dark elf called Dien turned around at the sudden voice. Then, seeing Elayna’s face, he frowned in disbelief.

“Elayna? How are you here…?”

“A lot has happened.”

Elayna smiled bitterly.

Seeing her expression, Dien looked even more puzzled. Why was Elayna, who had definitely gone outside, here in front of him of all places?

As he turned his confused gaze, he saw Do-joon and his party. Instantly, his expression hardened.

“Those behind you… are outsider humans?”

Elayna nodded.

“…Yes. I’ll explain everything.”

A while later.

Do-joon’s group and Dien sat in a circle inside the tent. There was a table and chair, but only one, so everyone just sat on the floor.

There, Elayna explained what had happened.

While destroying roots outside, she was discovered by humans – specifically, Do-joon. Unable to shake him off as he pursued her, she was eventually caught, but through some negotiation, she was released.

The deal was that in exchange for guiding Do-joon to the Flame Monarch’s territory, he would help conceal her whereabouts and assist in destroying the roots on the outside.

Since the humans also considered the World Tree an enemy, they somehow formed a cooperative relationship.

Dien listened to Elayna’s story, occasionally nodding or exclaiming in amazement.

Especially when she mentioned how Do-joon subdued her and killed Eldora, he asked if it was true twice.

“Was Eldora such a famous elf?”

“Of course. Knights are those who have been raised from a young age solely for combat. Even among them, only the most skilled can receive the title of knight after being carefully selected.”

Dien looked at Do-joon with fresh eyes.

When they thought of outside humans, they mostly considered them weak beings who would become fertilizer for the World Tree.

But such a human killed Eldora? A knight who had devoted themselves to training for at least decades?

‘Is this human special? Or… are all humans this powerful?’

Dien tried to gauge Do-joon’s party with a stiff expression.

However, it wasn’t easy. After all, he had come here as an envoy, so combat wasn’t his forte.

“Mr. Dien?”

“……”

“Mr. Dien.”

“Ah! Oh, my apologies. I was lost in thought… What did you say?”

Dien, who had been distracted observing the party, missed Do-joon’s question. He asked while scratching his head in embarrassment.

It might be considered rude, but Do-joon wasn’t particularly angry. He simply repeated the same question.

That question was.

“Have you ever met the Flame Monarch?”

Naturally, it was about the Fire Monarch who was supposedly holed up in that castle.

“Yes. I have met them, but they didn’t grant my request. I was driven out immediately, hahaha…”

A bitter smile crossed Dien’s face when the monarch was mentioned.

The mission to obtain fire that could burn the World Tree, or at least its seed.

It was a smile tinged with self-reproach for not being able to properly carry out that mission.

“I couldn’t even bring up the ‘W’ in World Tree. I’m helplessly waiting until I’m granted another audience.”

As he made a gloomy expression, Elayna’s face also fell. It wasn’t good news for her either.

However, Do-joon’s objective differed from theirs.

He looked at Elayna and asked,

“What exactly is this rumor?”

“Rumor?”

Elayna asked back in confusion.

“The thing you were talking about earlier in front of the castle.”

“Ah.”

Only then did Elayna nod in understanding.

Earlier, in front of the castle, she had muttered something about it seeming exceptionally small compared to other monarchs’ territories.

“If it’s a rumor, it must be that one.”

Dien spoke up. As a man who had come all the way here to negotiate with the monarch, inferring the topic from the conversation was easy for him.

Elayna asked, as if it shouldn’t be overheard by others, in a greatly lowered voice.

“Lord Dien, is that rumor true?”

“It seems to be the case.”

Then Dien also answered in a small voice. Moreover, he looked around, surveying the surroundings.

Finally, certain that no one was around.

“The Flame Monarch, also known as the Fire Spirit King, or…”

He spoke while making eye contact with Do-joon.

“Vulcanus, called the Crimson Flame Dragon. There’s a rumor that the reason he’s in seclusion is that he’s actually lost his power.”

***

It was a dark place.

A vast great hall that was strangely full of dark energy despite the fires lit in various spots. A place where the walls and pillars were adorned with mythical murals.

A gigantic being lay there.

A black and red dragon with scales like lava rocks.

Flames rumbled from its mouth with every breath, its body emanating heat. That being lay there all alone.

Lonely and powerless.

“I’m back!”

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.

It was Sallion.

“Your Majesty! I’ve returned from my mission!”

In complete contrast to her grumbling in front of Do-joon, she spoke in an energetic voice. Her presence alone washed away all the heavily settled silence in this space.

Vulcanus glanced at her.

“Well done.”

“Hehe.”

Sallion wriggled happily at the praise.

Seeing that, Vulcanus chuckled and asked,

“Who are those humans?”

At the word “humans,” Sallion faltered. Then, carefully gauging Vulcanus’s reaction, she spoke cautiously.

“About that…”

The story of encountering a group of humans while leading the Baku clan, the story of fighting for a long time before being caught by a newly intruding human, the story of somehow finding out that human’s destination was here and guiding them.

“What brings them here?”

“They said they were looking for an elixir imbued with your energy, Your Majesty.”

Do-joon had said an elixir containing the energy of fire, but to Sallion, fire meant her master Vulcanus himself.

At those words, Vulcanus scoffed.

“An elixir… I thought it had been a while since a human other than elves had visited, but in the end, it was just a common fellow found everywhere.”

The slight interest that had been on Vulcanus’s face quickly faded. Those who came to his territory with such intentions had always been numerous.

“You must have had a hard time.”

“Hard time? Hmm… Not really?”

Sallion tilted her head as she spoke. She had been worried about what would happen when Do-joon caught her, but other than that, there was nothing particularly difficult.

Moreover, she rather liked Do-joon… Thinking that far, she shook her head vigorously.

Vulcanus had no way of knowing what she was thinking, but judging from her expression, it didn’t seem like she had a bad experience. Fortunately.

At that moment.

Plop.

A sound came from one spot. The sound of a water droplet falling.

Their gazes turned in that direction.

There was a clear, blue lake that didn’t fit the grandeur of this great hall of flames. Though small in size, its presence was no less than a vast ocean.

Zap.

Venom immediately flashed in Sallion’s eyes. A venomous expression that had never been shown in front of Do-joon.

Shortly after, the lake water bubbled up and began to take shape on its own.

Eventually, what formed was the figure of an elf with long ears.

Sallion seemed to mumble something but gave up and tightly shut her mouth.

The one who spoke first was the elf of the lake.

“It’s been a while, Vulcanus.”

“Nael.”

Vulcanus also replied in a completely different tone than when speaking to Sallion. A very irritated, curt tone.

Nael Lockade. An elf who lived in the southern forest relatively close to Vulcanus’s territory.

But that wasn’t all. She was.

“I see you’ve brought the Baku clan to your territory. My monarch has sent me to inquire about your intentions.”

The king’s contractor.

A being who had formed a bond of contract with the Water Spirit King Nereid.

“What I do has nothing to do with that wench.”

Vulcanus answered irritably.

The Fire Spirit King and Water Spirit King had always been on bad terms for generations, but this generation was exceptionally worse. He and Nereid truly wished for each other’s annihilation.

However, despite being in what could be considered enemy territory, Nael didn’t bat an eye.

Although her main body was in the forest and only her spirit body was here, for an ordinary elf, even standing on two feet in front of an angry Vulcanus would be impossible.

She spoke in a monotonous voice,

“I’ll be frank with you. My monarch suspects that you may be gathering military strength.”

“……”

Vulcanus’s eyes narrowed. Still, Nael continued.

“That greatly troubles them. If you break your promise to stay put and do nothing like this…”

“No.”

Vulcanus cut her off. Nael asked in confusion.

“No?”

“It’s not to gather military strength. I just wanted to create a village because I was lonely.”

“……”

She fell silent. It was an unbelievable excuse.

However, without saying anything, she soon let out a deep sigh.

“I understand for now. I will report as such to my monarch.”

“It’s not ‘for now,’ it’s the truth.”

“…You should be aware that it’s not just my monarch who is displeased with you. Please refrain from going against their nerves for trivial reasons.”

Splash.

Immediately after, the lake turned into ordinary water and poured down.

The ripples continuously spreading on the lake reflected the face of a dragon who seemed to be in a foul mood.

“That, that insolent elf who doesn’t know her place! Your Majesty, are you alright!? Should I go and burn down the entire forest right now!?”

As soon as she disappeared, Sallion began spewing words as if a seal had been released.

Seeing her making a fuss and fuming, Vulcanus’s expression softened.

“Enough. As long as Nereid is behind her, burning the forest is impossible.”

“Still…”

To her, who seemed regretful, Vulcanus said,

“Forget about her. Tell me about your journey instead. I want to hear your stories.”

At those words, Sallion’s ears perked up, and she soon spoke with a bright smile.

“Ah, yes! When I first entered the neutral zone…”

Sallion chattered away.

The Crimson Flame Dragon lay lazily, listening to her story.

The flames flickering before his eyes were reflected in his pupils.

***

“Lost his power…”

Do-joon sat on a hill a short distance from the village. Gazing at Vulcanus’s castle in the distance.

‘What does it mean that he lost his power? Can spirits lose their power?’

He had expected being turned away at the door, given the monarch’s reclusive nature. However, he had never anticipated a development where the monarch had lost his power.

Then what about the elixir? Was it properly intact?

‘If I were a fire spirit, lost my power, and there was an elixir containing fire energy nearby.’

I would naturally seek out that elixir. Hoping to regain even a little bit of power.

If Vulcanus was the same, it meant there was no such fire elixir in this area. Rather, he might have eagerly consumed it all, making this place even more barren than others.

In other words, this entire journey was in vain.

Crack!

The branch in his hand snapped in half. The splinters pricked Do-joon’s hand, but not a single scratch appeared, let alone a thorn getting stuck.

Still, there was a sensation of something piercing him.

‘Let’s not jump to conclusions.’

Phew. Do-joon took a deep breath and stood up, brushing himself off.

Nothing was certain yet. The loss of power was just a rumor, and the assumption that he would supplement his lost power with an elixir was mere speculation.

‘At least it’s clear there’s no elixir on this hill.’

Thud.

Tossing the branch aside, Do-joon began descending the hill.

In any case, meeting Vulcanus came first. Nothing could begin without accomplishing that.

As he came down, lost in various thoughts.

“Hm?”

Something caught his eye. Do-joon bent down and picked it up.

It was a rock with an information window.