While Nico and Shivana were eating the meal they had prepared together, Shivana asked cautiously,
"I'm sorry for asking, Lord Nico… but I truly want to know. How were you able to defeat Queen Nira? For us, that would have been impossible."
Nico remained silent for a moment. Seeing that, Shivana quickly lowered her head, thinking her question had annoyed him.
"I'm sorry," she said softly. "I shouldn't have asked."
Nico replied in a calm voice,
"Do you remember that day, Shivana—the day I left you on the mountain and told you I had an urgent mission?"
"Yes," she answered after a moment. "I remember it very clearly… You returned that day with terrible wounds all over your body."
Nico nodded slightly.
"At that time, my mission was to confront Queen Nira. I tracked her movements until I eventually found her castle. I had already figured out the places she frequently traveled to, so I predicted where she would appear next."
"I infiltrated the castle and confronted her directly."
He paused briefly.
"But I lost."
"Her power was overwhelming. She also possessed an extraordinary regenerative ability, because she constantly drank the blood of your people. That blood greatly increased her capacity to heal."
Nico's gaze grew distant as he recalled the memory.
"I was truly defeated. She was about to throw my corpse into that deadly river of blood inside her castle."
"I was already on the verge of death."
"Then suddenly… a black energy erupted from inside me."
"That power lifted my body and began moving it on its own. I couldn't feel anything anymore. It was as if someone else had taken control of me."
"I lost consciousness for a while."
"When I finally woke up… Queen Nira was lying dead in front of me."
"Her body had turned pale and shriveled, as if something had completely drained the life out of her."
He looked quietly at his hands.
"I recognized that presence. I felt its power. It was far beyond Nira's—so overwhelming that I couldn't even comprehend what had happened."
"I don't know what occurred while I was unconscious… but whatever that entity was, I'm certain it was the one that saved me."
Shivana stared at him with wide eyes.
"I'm sorry, Lord Nico… I had no idea you went through all of that. You truly risked your life for us."
Nico shook his head slightly.
"It's fine. Sometimes sacrifice is necessary."
"If you avoid danger today without confronting it, you will only face it again tomorrow."
"So waiting is nothing more than delayed death."
Shivana asked quietly,
"But… do you know who that being was? The one who saved you?"
"No," Nico answered. "I don't know its identity."
"But what I do know is that it has appeared in this world before… and it may appear again at any time."
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"The real question is whether it will stand with us… or against us."
Shivana smiled gently.
"Don't worry, Lord Nico. If that being saved you, I'm sure it will become our ally."
Nico gave a faint smile.
"I hope so."
"But what matters now is that you and the others are safe. I can already see the smiles slowly returning to your faces."
He glanced around the house.
"I know that living in a place that resembles Queen Nira's castle brings back terrifying memories for you."
"But soon, you'll be living inside Nira's true kingdom."
"And before long… it will become your homeland."
Shivana's eyes widened in disbelief.
"That's impossible! Are you really planning to make Nira's kingdom our home?"
"But as far as we know, Queen Nira only had that moving castle."
Nico smiled faintly.
"That's what everyone believed."
"But in reality, she possessed a hidden kingdom—one that remained unseen by the rest of the world."
"Soon I will take you there."
"For now, I'm preparing it… making a few adjustments so it will suit your people."
Shivana's face lit up with joy.
"We are ready, Lord Nico. We will gladly become your loyal people."
Nico chuckled softly.
"You really are cheerful, Shivana."
"But honestly, all I want is for you to live safely… the life you always dreamed of."
"That's a right you deserve."
Shivana looked at him with deep emotion.
"You truly are kind, Lord Nico. I'm certain that if the world knew the truth about you… they would stand by your side."
Nico murmured quietly,
"I truly hope so…"
"I really do."
---
While Nico Sigmund spent his time taking care of Shivana until she fully recovered, other movements were taking place in complete secrecy.
Inside a sealed and heavily guarded room within the headquarters of the Black Spear, General Akaria and Zorua were meeting with a delegation from the Frost Shadow Empire.
A tense silence filled the room until it was broken by Melisia Zographit, the vice-ruler of the Frost Shadow Empire.
"So," she asked directly, "are you confirming that the source of these problems is currently among you?"
Akaria answered calmly,
"Yes, Lady Melisia. He is a member of the Black Spear."
"I was the one who invited him to join us. At the time, I knew very little about his past. But recently… we discovered the truth."
"This man, Nico Sigmund, first appeared in the Desert of Death, where he was encountered by one of our scouting teams."
She continued,
"At that time we discovered the corpse of a desert lizard that had been killed in a very strange manner. According to the scout Joy Vargas, Nico eliminated that creature without even moving."
"And desert lizards are extremely dangerous beasts. Their speed beneath the sand makes them almost impossible to defeat."
Zorua then added in a measured, analytical tone,
"However, there is something suspicious about that incident."
"According to ancient lore, desert lizards possess unique eyes that allow them to perceive things ordinary creatures cannot. They can detect the flow of mana with extreme precision, enabling them to locate prey from great distances—even through obstacles."
"By studying the structure of their eyes, we were able to develop devices that measure mana levels and classify combat ranks."
He paused briefly.
"So the real question is this…"
"How did Nico Sigmund kill that creature without touching it?"
"Our examination of the body revealed no wounds, no strikes, and no physical damage whatsoever."
Melisia looked at him coldly.
"What exactly are you trying to imply, Mr. Zorua?"
Zorua answered firmly,
"What I'm saying is simple."
"This man is undoubtedly one of the strongest warriors of the ancient eras."
"He is Nicholas Dunomgis… now hiding behind the name Nico Sigmund."
Melisia remained silent for a moment before speaking calmly.
"I see… then we are dealing with a true catastrophe."
"What is your plan to deal with this threat?"
Zorua's gaze sharpened.
"In short… Nico Sigmund must die."
"He is the main reason the monsters of the Dark Age have begun appearing again."
"Ruler Kaizen. The Red Knight. And the demon in the Blue Sapphire Kingdom—whose name, according to reports, is Jessie."
"To stop these terrifying beings, we must close the gate that allowed them to return."
"And that gate… is Nico."
"If he dies, it will cut off the path for any other monster to emerge."
"And more importantly, it will prevent the greatest catastrophe of all…"
"The Moon Queen."
"If she ever reaches our era… nothing will stand in her way. The world will drown in oceans of blood."
Melisia Zographit slowly stood up.
"Very well. Then it's settled."
"As for Nico Sigmund… I will deal with him personally."
"As for you, remain fully prepared and ensure that this information is not leaked to anyone."
"Prepare your armies and gather every resource you have."
"I will handle the rest… even if it requires forming an alliance with the Angels of Heaven."
She turned toward the door.
"This meeting is over."
"And remember—act normally around Nico. Do not reveal any suspicion until the right moment arrives."
Akaria and Zorua bowed respectfully.
"You may rest assured, Lady Melisia. We will follow the plan precisely."
The vice-ruler left the headquarters.
From that moment on, secret preparations began for the confrontation against the beings emerging from the Dark Age—starting with Nico Sigmund.
Akaria and Zorua left the meeting room, their expressions serious.
Zorua asked in a low voice,
"Do you really believe Lady Melisia can defeat Nico? You know how powerful he is."
Akaria answered firmly,
"Yes. But we are not talking about an ordinary person."
"That woman is Melisia Zographit—the one who holds the rank of **High Dragon**."
"Her control over frost is overwhelming."
"So don't worry. No matter how powerful Nico may be… he will not be able to stand against her."
She looked ahead coldly.
"The time has come, Zorua."
"It's time to restore stability to the world… and eliminate this cursed threat."
[End of Chapter 54]