"Lake Liurnia," The Seahorse, and the other ships finally docked safely in the harbor of the Fairies' Island. When they saw the golden tree, its branches and leaves spreading like thin, golden wings toward the sky, everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of peace.
"You've saved me again." Nordic took Niđhöggr's hands in both of his, shook them firmly, and said sincerely, "Please, come to Ys and allow me to fulfill my duties as a host."
Niđhöggr agreed. Perhaps one day in the future, he would journey to the Kingdom of Ys.
Nordic and the many survivors rescued from this disaster were settled in a large village built beneath the golden tree. Most of the inhabitants were soldiers or frontier settlers, along with merchants and sailors.
Many of the mages living deep in the forests of the Fairies' Island would occasionally travel to the villages and towns to trade when they needed something urgently. From here, they could also take a boat if they wished to go to the academy of magic for exchange and study.
The Knight, The Blacksmith, and The Maiden, the ships that had originally transported Niđhöggr and the others, became the three most frequent trader and passenger vessels plying the route between Junction and the Goblins' Island.
The soldiers and prisoners of Kush were also sent to a nearby holding cell under the guard of Junction's army, to be transported by boat to Junction later.
In any case, Niđhöggr had already abolished slavery in Junction beforehand, so the prisoners would ultimately just work there—draining swamps, building houses, and performing other labor for the people of Junction.
At some point, they would be able to earn back their freedom and either join Junction or leave of their own accord by ship.
"Niđhöggr." When Daiba was led away, he stood still, unwilling to leave, and stopped Niđhöggr, speaking in the lingua franca: "I heard you are called Niđhöggr, yes?"
"Yes." Niđhöggr stopped and turned to him. "Is something the matter?"
Daiba gathered his thoughts, nodded, and said, "The complete annihilation of the Kushan fleet will soon reach the ears of my fearsome monarch, the Terror of the Emperor."
"Currently, he is occupied with his invasion of the Kingdom of Midland and may not have time to pay attention to the sea, but once he fully captures Windham City, he will continue his expansion eastward. He will undoubtedly set his sights on your place called Junction and the Fairies' Island."
"Allow me to help you. I am a Great Sorcerer and the one who knows the Terror of the Emperor best. I can help you defend against the threat the Kushan Empire poses through the Terror of the Emperor."
Niđhöggr frowned, looking at the vicissitudes of life etched on his face, and asked, "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Because from beginning to end, the goal of my devotion was not the Terror of the Emperor, but my long-held desire: to create a great demonic empire in this world. And now, I see hope—not in the Kushan Empire, but in you."
"If I am to build a great magical empire, I need freedom. I do not want my magic to be buried and my time wasted in captivity."
As Daiba said this, he recalled another matter and sighed softly.
Perhaps it was also due to anxiety in his heart. Back then, I obtained a strange item. I knew it was dangerous, yet I still gave it to the Terror of the Emperor in exchange for his attention and trust...
"Behelit?" Niđhöggr said the word.
Daiba's murky eyes widened, and he exclaimed in surprise, "So you know of these things too..."
"Of course I do. And I also know what the emperor's true face really is," Niđhöggr said calmly.
Daiba was stunned, then shook his head and said, "Truly, I underestimated you. I always thought only people like me knew certain secrets, but I never imagined the number of people who know the truth extends far beyond my imagination."
"In any case, while this Behelit saved the Terror of the Emperor, who was betrayed by his son and found himself in a desperate situation, it also turned him into the evil he is today."
"He merely wanted to expand, to unify the entire European continent, and he didn't hesitate to draw power from the abyss. He created those accursed monsters and had me harness those monsters to his benefit."
"If this continues, the Great Demonic Empire will not have cast its shadow, and this European continent will be enveloped in a bloody wind, falling completely under the control of the minions of the abyssal monsters. This goes against my original intentions."
"Please, allow me to help you. I am willing to use my magic to atone for my sins. I want to witness the birth of a great demonic empire with my own eyes!"
Niđhöggr listened in silence, looked at Daiba, and said, "You have killed many innocent people. Even if you surrender, you must still pay the price."
"If you are going to undergo labor reform, there will be mages there who will regularly place restrictions on you. You will have to thoroughly experience the life of commoners who cannot use magic."
"After that, if you still feel the same way, someone will tell me, and we can continue this discussion."
When Niđhöggr finished speaking, he turned and walked away, ignoring Daiba's stunned reaction.
He headed toward the roots of the golden tree, where a castle had been built—the location of the Roundtable Hold.
But just before he reached the door of the Roundtable Hold, he thought he heard a dragon's roar, so he looked up.
However, the sky was empty; no dragon was to be seen.
Niđhöggr merely thought he had misheard and continued toward the castle of the Roundtable Hold. The guards at the castle gate saluted him one after another.
Entering the Roundtable Hold, bathed in the light of grace, Melina sat at the round table, acting on Niđhöggr's behalf to process all the information coming from Junction, the Fairies' Island, and the sea trade routes.
"You're back." Melina glanced at Niđhöggr, put down the paper and quill in her hand, and said, "It seems we've won the first naval battle on Lake Liurnia this time."
"It was a great victory," Niđhöggr replied. "A group of prisoners was captured, including one of the 'Great Sorcerers,' Daiba, whose skill in sorcery is noteworthy."
"Additionally, I also brought back a corpse infected with the Scarlet Rot, just now from a Kushan Empire warship outside."
Melina frowned. "Scarlet Rot... This is related to Caelid?"
"Yes, that man was from the Empire of Yoda," Niđhöggr said. "It's no wonder. Following our previous understanding, the spatial rift leading to Redmane Castle in Caelid is located within the Empire of Yoda."
Melina slowly nodded, then said, "This can be discussed later at the Roundtable... Ranni came by, and when she saw you weren't here, she left a message for you, asking you to go to the Dream Corridor to find her."
"The Dream Corridor? Is something wrong with Rennala?" Niđhöggr asked.
"She's awake. Fully awake," Melina replied firmly, which surprised Niđhöggr a little before she explained: "Dannan's Dream Corridor ritual has been improving her condition over the last few months."
"However, Dannan and Ranni were never able to find the final memory fragment. Later, they realized that Rennala herself had hidden that last fragment away; she herself did not wish to regain consciousness."
"So, Ranni spoke with her several times within the Dream Corridor, and finally, during the last session, she relinquished that final fragment of her memory, fully restoring her own sanity and memories."
"Ranni asked you to come so you could meet Rennala."