NOVEL WEB Chapter 387
The land of North Romania was still suffering from the scars left by the Demon King’s claws.
There were skeletal remains on the roads left unattended, the farmlands lay desolate, overtaken by weeds, and the villages were stained with the sorrow of the dead.
To wipe away such scars, nobles with responsibilities, priests guided by the gods, and the survivors were trying their best… but it wouldn’t be washed away in just a day or two.
The Hero Party was facing such devastation.
“Wow… that’s brutal.”
No, to be precise, only the Lizardman named Quartz was facing that brutality.
“As we go further north, these scenes will only get worse.”
“It’s because we’re getting closer to the Demon King’s castle…”
Pinna and Lily spoke, seemingly trying to console Quartz.
Come to think of it… everyone except Quartz had already witnessed such devastation before.
Hero Eric and Beastman Erika had directly experienced the horrors while fleeing from the Demon Army, and Elf Lily and Dwarf Pinna lived close to their ancestral homelands adjacent to North Romania.
The Dragon Priestess Alice had also witnessed such horrors on her journey to repel the Demon King.
In the end, only Quartz, who couldn’t stray far from his hometown due to being hopelessly directionally challenged, was seeing this devastation for the first time.
Being that the Lizardman’s territory was located in the southwest of South Romania, it was difficult for him to know about the horrors in the north.
“I didn’t expect it to be this brutal… Huh…”
Quartz shook his head slightly, closed his eyes for a moment to pray over the skeleton by the roadside.
May this deceased find rebirth without the world’s grudge, may they live a new life without pain.
Even though that soul had long since passed to the underworld, Quartz prayed nonetheless.
“One good thing is… the Demon King has already been defeated.”
“Hmm. There are still remnants, but…”
“There shouldn’t be another being like the Demon King.”
At those words, Alice flinched slightly, but no one had noticed her movement.
“Such scars… will require a long time to slowly heal.”
“Yeah. The Church of Life is also putting all their efforts into recovery and restoration.”
If Alice had no issues, she would have put all her energy into dealing with the aftermath.
Not just the Church of Life, but priests of other gods were also working on disaster recovery. Even countries that hadn’t directly suffered were lending a hand.
Many were making efforts to heal these scars, so over time, recovery should be possible.
“I’m sorry. The deaths of the weak, who are not warriors, feel like a failure on my part, like I’ve not done my duty as a warrior. I’ve unnecessarily halted our steps.”
“No. It’s okay. Anyone who sees such devastation for the first time would naturally feel pity. It’s only natural.”
“Hmm. Still, I’m sorry. Then let’s keep moving.”
Quartz resumed walking, and the rest of the Hero Party followed suit.
Their destination was Betelgeuse. The city of the arena.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
The city of Betelgeuse was unchanged in many ways.
It was a city where Elves and Dwarves lived together, sometimes growling at each other, sometimes wagering drinks and living life.
Blessed by the Goddess of Life, it was a city that maintained its vigor using an arena that never dies, like a burning torch.
Countless individuals aspiring to one day step on that arena fought in various arenas, elevating their own fame in this city.
Even though the structure dominated by Elves and Dwarves had changed decades ago to allow participation from other races, no winners other than Elves and Dwarves had emerged yet.
The Hero Party entered the city and looked up at the statue erected in the square.
“What’s this statue?”
“It’s a statue made to commemorate an event during the reign of the Foolish Emperor.”
A beautiful girl adorned with horns was sitting on a pure white horse, holding a flag and staff on her lap, depicted in a marble statue.
It even depicted a human ensnared by thorny vines being dragged in a miserable state.
“Indeed, she is the Dragon Priestess.”
Eric said this and stole a glance at Alice behind him.
Though she looked slightly younger, was her beauty one of the traits of the Dragon Priestess?
Both the statue of the Dragon Priestess and Alice radiated a similar youthful beauty.
“When Betelgeuse was under threat from the Empire, thanks to the aid of the Dragon Priestess, it secured its independence. The Dwarves carved this statue from the finest marble in gratitude for that event.”
“Wow…”
Pinna’s eyes began to sparkle as she looked at the statue.
As a blacksmith who specialized in working with metals, Pinna didn’t fully comprehend the skills of stone masonry, but she could make out the hints of craftsmanship engraved into that statue.
The statue was intricately carved with delicate strokes. Despite being made in the ancient past, it showed no signs of damage, a perfect statue.
The craftsmanship of the ancestors held remarkable precision that hadn’t faded even after so much time.
“Speaking of which, how did that story of the Foolish Emperor end?”
At Yurica’s question, Lily answered.
“Hmm. In the fairy tale I read, he got beaten up badly and was chased away.”
“Some records from that time mention that the Emperor had disappeared, leaving no trace.”
Pinna chimed in.
“I read that record too, but its authenticity is uncertain. It’s from the perspective of a noble who opposed the Emperor at that time.”
Quartz replied.
“So… he might have been killed by someone?”
“Who knows? Hmm… Since the Dragon Priestess was involved in that incident, she might know something.”
At that, the Hero Party’s attention swiftly turned to Alice.
Alice stared blankly at the statue, as if she had no particular thoughts.
“The Emperor at that time…”
Receiving their gazes, Alice opened her mouth.
“It’s not recorded, so I don’t know.”
“Don’t know? But you’re the Dragon Priestess?”
“But really, I don’t know. It was never conveyed to me.”
Alice spoke as if she didn’t know anything. The Hero Party seemed a bit disappointed at her words.
“Although the Emperor was a tyrant, perhaps it was deemed problematic for the record to note if a nation’s Emperor met a pitiful end, so it might have been erased.”
“Or he might be somewhere, living in disguise.”
“I’ve read a novel based on that story! It’s about a boy living in the countryside who was actually a descendant of the tyrant in disguise… and through a prophecy revealing his identity, he becomes a prince after the broken royal line!”
“That would apply to charges of defaming the royal family, wouldn’t it?”
At Quartz’s words, Pinna replied nonchalantly.
“The beginning of the book says, ‘This novel is fiction and has no relation to reality!’ so I think it’s fine!”
“Is that really okay, just because of one line?”
“I wouldn’t know. But judging by how it’s circulated even to Sagarmatha, it seems to have sold quite well.”
Hmm… does that mean it’s like an alternate history? Well, the setting where someone living as a lowly citizen turns out to be a royal bloodline is rather spicy.
“That would fit well with the background of weakened authority of the Emperor in North Romania. Or perhaps, it was intentionally spread to further disgrace the already weakened authority of the Emperor.”
“It’s just a novel, isn’t it?”
“It’s just a novel, indeed.”
Well… the perceptions spread through books can significantly influence reality.
So potent that a wizard with tremendous abilities could ascend as a god of magic.
“So… in the end, even Alice, the Dragon Priestess, doesn’t know the fate of that tyrant.”
“Yeah. There’s no way to know if she doesn’t tell.”
Just saying he ran away and died in a miserable way, with his soul seized and used as material for one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Demon King… hmm, many would probably be appalled.
Indeed, it’s best to keep the death of that foolish Emperor a secret. Right?
As the Hero Party conversed in the square, it was the leader, Hero Eric, who neatly wrapped things up.
“Anyway, we’ve arrived in Betelgeuse, so let’s first secure lodging. We’ll need to make a reservation to meet the person governing Betelgeuse. It would be impossible to meet them today.”
“Isn’t it simple if we mention the names of the Hero and the Dragon Priestess?”
“If that were the case, we wouldn’t have come to Betelgeuse but headed straight to the Great Forest instead. Hmm… If it’s alright with you, Mr. Quartz, can I borrow the name of the Lizardman Great Warrior for a moment?”
“I don’t mind.”
“Good. Then we’ll secure our lodging first. It should be getting tiring soon.”
To be precise, it would soon be tiring for Alice.
Everyone other than Alice had superior physical capabilities, and since Alice’s body was weakened without using magic, keeping up was slightly burdensome for her.
Thus, the Hero Party headed towards the finest lodging in Betelgeuse.