"According to that little elven lover of Akibard, they seem to believe that the World Tree's leaves and the Sunwell's power can counter the Armageddon's Blade. But… in my opinion, that's unlikely. After all, their fundamental natures may be opposing, but the levels of power they possess are not the same. Suppressing the sword's power to some extent might be possible, but to completely counter it? Absolutely impossible."
After a long moment of stillness, Asa finally let out a deep breath. He stood up, nodded to Moriel, and said, "Thank you for telling me this. I finally understand what's going on."
That breath was indeed a long one—at least a year or two's worth of suppressed weight. No matter how much he had tried to adjust his mindset, no matter how much he had forced himself to take on the responsibility, none of it compared to the relief of knowing that those responsibilities were never truly his to bear. A moment of clarity.
And since this was a relief felt before death, it made it even lighter.
Everything that had happened had already left him lost and bewildered to the point of despair. That was why he had made up his mind to have Moriel tell him everything. But when Moriel actually began to speak relentlessly, Asa regretted it. He deeply regretted yelling at the ill-tempered black dragon. He regretted saying, "Do as you wish."
These matters absolutely could not be known by others. And since she had already told him… she probably would have to kill him.
He had considered escaping or resisting, but judging from the sheer power Moriel had just displayed, he knew he didn't have a chance. The fully restored black dragon seemed to be beyond even Akibard's abilities. Rather than struggling in vain, it was better to calm down and listen carefully to the information he had risked his life to obtain.
He wondered what that old man Sandru would think if he heard these words. The thought of his reaction almost made Asa want to laugh. Too bad he probably wouldn't get to hear it.
Ayime had Talice to look after her—there shouldn't be any problems. As for Elaine… she was so capable that he didn't need to worry about her at all. Sandru, Grandma Ail… they were also people who didn't need his concern.
And Talice… that foolish girl. If he ever got the chance, he should apologize to her. It was actually a good thing she hadn't followed him… Yet, thinking about it left Asa with a vague sense of discomfort.
But after waiting for a while, Moriel remained sprawled atop her golden hoard, unmoving. There was no sign that she would rise, slap him into a pulp, or incinerate him with a breath of dragon fire.
"You're… not going to kill me?" Asa couldn't help but ask.
"What? Do you want to die?" Moriel replied indifferently.
"You've told me all this, yet you won't kill me… Aren't you afraid I'll spread this information to other necromancers? If that happens, no one will ever complete the Meditation Art again, and your seal…"
"If I've decided to tell you, then I'm not afraid of you speaking out." Moriel let out a long sigh, her voice no longer carrying the weight and menace it once had. "Besides… I probably won't live much longer."
"What?" Asa was stunned.
"I have long since reached my limit, having been separated from the life and soul within that drop of blood for so long. Especially after this last battle—I was already on the verge of true death. If you carried the Mark of the Black Star and could partially lift the seal, things might have been different. But now… at most, I have two or three years left to live."
"Someone who hasn't appeared for five hundred years… is there really any hope they'll show up within the next two or three?" Moriel sighed. "If this knowledge dies with me, it would be unfair to Akibard… Especially since you fools who came after him don't understand him at all. That's why I won't kill you."
She smiled at Asa—a dragon's smile, one that looked more terrifying than most beasts' snarls. Yet, for the first time, there was genuine kindness in it. A true smile. "Besides, you saved my life. Even if it's only for two or three more years, I should still thank you for it. Did you really think dragons have no emotions, that we don't know gratitude?"
"You… but just now… didn't you say…" Asa felt dizzy. He wasn't sure if it was from the overwhelming relief or if Moriel was simply making his head spin.
"Akibard once said something very wise: Don't argue with women, and don't expect to reason with them. The same applies to female dragons. And you—although you're a bit of an idiot—you're not unpleasant. You have a rare kind of straightforwardness and simplicity that most people don't. It's amusing to tease you. I've been bored down here for far too long."
Asa opened his mouth, but no words came out. He struggled for a moment before awkwardly forcing out, "Then… I really should… thank… thank you."
"Since you say you want to thank me, you must show it with action."
"Action? What kind of action?"
Moriel rummaged through the treasure pile beneath her and produced a small crystal about the size of a fist for Asa.
"This is something left behind by the Elven Empire. All you need to do is use magic to activate it in that Glory Fortress of the Church—just like using a magic scroll."
"Is this… some sort of magic scroll?"
This was a perfectly uniform, sixteen-faced crystal, radiating a gentle red glow throughout. Holding it, Asa could feel a familiar pulse of natural magic.
"Those humans had the nerve to aim their schemes at me. I originally thought that by killing you, I could lift part of the seal and go myself. But now I still cannot leave Nigen, so you'll have to run the errand for me. And while you're at it, retrieve the sword's hilt and return it to Dehya Valley. Tell those disciples and followers of Akibard that he is not a god—just a truly remarkable man."
After devouring the corpses of the temple knights, the two Dread Knights had regained enough mobility. With Hilika and Rodhart in tow, Asa retraced his path and left Moriel's cavern. The thick ice sealing the entrance shattered completely with a single spell from Moriel—what had once been an impenetrable barrier, created with the temple knight's full magical strength, was no more than a fragile sheet of paper before the dragon.
The journey back was eerily calm. There were no signs of temple knights, nor were Talice and Ayime anywhere to be seen. It didn't take long before Asa reached the entrance to the underground passage.
Shante's small hut was now nothing more than ruins. The vast graveyard outside had been reduced to chaos—what was once a resting place for the dead had become a battlefield of destruction. The corpses that had once lain undisturbed were now hacked apart, their remains piled together in a mass pyre. Thick, black smoke curled skyward, carrying with it the stench of burning flesh and decay.
Yet, Asa did not find Shante's body. Instead, he found a letter.