33 Adventure Time

One month later, I found myself sighing in exasperation as I reviewed reports detailing the initial skirmishes between the Darkblade clan and the Sylvans. These clashes were spreading throughout my territory, with the Sylvans strategically positioning their troops to set ambushes against the dark elves, fearing retaliation for Jenova's actions. The onset of war between the two elven races was brutal, and none of us dared to intervene, still recovering from the last major battle.

As humans, we were too weakened to mount significant resistance against either faction. Meanwhile, the demons were busy exploring another continent, and the undead were delving into their research on what they referred to as the Veil. Belketh had described the Veil to me as akin to an egg shielding our world from external interference, explaining why other cosmic forces hadn't meddled with the Life Lords' arrival.

Belketh had left to directly manipulate the Veil, a decision I vehemently disagreed with. Tampering with one of our primary defenses seemed reckless to me, but Belketh assured me it wouldn't pose any danger. Despite my reservations, there was little I could do.

A knock interrupted my thoughts, and I opened the door to find the new head of the church standing before me. Jeanne had stepped down from her position as Archbishop during these tumultuous times, passing the mantle to this man, Salomon Eria. I had grown to appreciate Salomon's pragmatic approach and his lack of zealotry for Elrath. His efficiency and competence had earned him the role of an Inquisitor during the war, a class with formidable offensive capabilities, albeit still weaker than mine.

One of the most remarkable abilities of his class was the power to detect lies, a skill invaluable for resolving conflicts in court or elsewhere.

"What brings you here, Archbishop Eria?" I inquired of the young, tanned man seated at my table.

"I have completed the rounds of all the villages in the Kingdom and provided aid to the sick and infirm, my lord," he replied in his usual monotone.

"Excellent work, Archbishop. Is there anything else you need to report?" I inquired, scanning through the reports of his treatments, noting the successful treatment of various non-life-threatening illnesses such as colds.

"No, my Lord. I did interrogate some individuals in Lumen whom I found suspicious. However, after questioning them, I found nothing noteworthy," he reported before taking his leave from my office, the sheen of his red armor catching my eye.

"He remains dedicated solely to his duties and his family," I remarked wearily to myself before returning to my paperwork. However, my attention was soon drawn to something of interest—an invitation from Vagran to visit the mysterious new continent. He claimed to have discovered a peculiar site there imbued with a unique form of spatial magic.

After swiftly completing my tasks for the day, I proceeded to create a portal using the spatial coordinates provided by Vagran. With a wave of my hand, an enormous portal materialized in my office, signaling the beginning of my journey. Before stepping through, I issued orders to ensure the smooth running of affairs during my extended absence. It felt somewhat selfish as a king to entrust Michael with continuing my reforms and governance in my absence, but I yearned for the opportunity to explore uncharted territories.

The weight of ruling and making constant decisions had left me feeling somewhat disconnected from the true essence of the world we inhabited. Someday, I promised myself, I would take the time to explore our own continent, with its natural beauty and wonders. But for now, the ongoing war prevented me from indulging in such luxuries.

Stepping through the portal, I found myself confronted by an imposing structure crafted from exquisite stone. The play of light upon its surface lent it an ethereal glow, captivating my senses as I emerged into this new realm.

I approached Vagran amidst the ruins, his dark armor stark against the white backdrop. He greeted me with a smile, his demonic features contrasting with the serene surroundings.

"Finally, Lucas, you took your sweet time getting here!" Vagran exclaimed with a grin.

"I was tied up finishing paperwork for my kingdom. Not everyone has subjects who are indifferent to paperwork," I replied, smiling back as I closed the distance between us.

He shrugged, his smile still in place. "Well, you are quite right, but the lack of paperwork is quite the blessing that I had," he laughed, gesturing for me to follow him.

I promptly trailed behind him, taking in the surroundings. The ruins were adorned with runes whose meanings eluded me, confirming Vagran's assertion that they were imbued with spatial magic.

"Here we are, the center of this ruin!" declared Vagran, leading me to a golden astrolabe engraved with intricate runes. The astrolabe emitted an overwhelming amount of energy, a sight I had never witnessed before.

"This Thing is insane, Vagran. This thing could obliterate an entire kingdom if misused," I remarked, my eyes fixed on the glowing astrolabe.

"That's why I called you. You, with Lyza and Malarion, are the only ones I fully trust. The natives of Ashan would undoubtedly misuse it," Vagran replied, stepping closer to the astrolabe.

"How did you discover this?" I inquired, inspecting the surrounding ruins.

"I stumbled upon it. My armies were marching east of these ruins when I detected strange signals. Curious, I investigated and found this," Vagran explained, pausing in front of the astrolabe.

"These are coordinates," I noted, examining the glowing runes on the astrolabe. "It has undoubtedly been utilized before." Glancing around at the remarkable construction surrounding us, I marveled at the incredible craftsmanship.

Suddenly, as Vagran touched one of the pillars, the ground began to tremble, and vapors rose from the earth. Startled, Vagran stepped back, summoning his sword, while I tightened my grip on my staff, casting [Heavenly Armor] and [Blessing] on us in preparation for potential combat.

The vapors coalesced into metal, forming a peculiar construct before us. Its arms rotated, crackling with magical energy as it loomed ominously.

"I didn't sign up for a fight, my friend," I remarked to the demon as I conjured a beam of light, directing it towards the golem's face.

In response, a beam of pure blue energy erupted from the glowing torso of the golem. I swiftly rolled to the ground, narrowly evading the attack as it grazed my shoulder. Despite my magical enhancements and armor, the beam pulverized a portion of my shoulder.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath as I rose to my feet, healing my injured shoulder with light magic. Just in time, I witnessed Vagran leaping towards the enormous golem, striking it forcefully with his flaming sword and causing it to stumble.

Before Vagran could land, the golem retaliated with a massive punch aimed at him.

"[Angelic Protection]!" I called out, conjuring an enormous shield of light to protect both Vagran and myself. Beneath his feet, I created a platform of pure light, aiding his movement as he leaped once more towards the golem. With a swift strike, Vagran plunged his sword into the golem's core, dismantling it effortlessly.

As the golem dissipated into smoke, it was absorbed into the astrolabe. In an instant, the astrolabe began to glow even brighter, and the circle above it started to rotate.

With a sense of urgency, I attempted to create a portal for escape, but found the space around us locked, preventing any spatial distortion.

"Vagran, we need to retreat! This thing is activating!" I called out, but before he could reach me, a blinding light enveloped us. When my vision cleared, the ruins were gone, replaced by a surreal, multicolored kaleidoscope.

Suddenly, Vagran and I found ourselves tumbling onto unfamiliar ground. As I quickly surveyed our surroundings, I was greeted by towering white trees stretching as far as the eye could see. Sensing with my mana, I realized that the trees were absorbing my magical energy.

"Where the hell are we?!" Vagran exclaimed, his voice echoing in the strange landscape.

"I wish I knew, my friend," I replied with a furrowed brow, scanning the area for any discernible details.

–

Well, sorry for the week-long wait, I was quite ill and had a lot of things to do for school.

I will restart uploading regularly, not one per day because I still have a lot of things to do but I'll try to post a chapter each 2 or 3 days.

And for you, where did the two lords end up ?