"What is that?!" Marion stared at the descending beast with terror running through her body. "Is that thing responsible for this storm?!"
"Kushala Daora! That is an elder dragon that controls the wind and is an 8 star monster at the very least!"
"Elder dragon!? 8 stars!?" Scarlet could not believe what she heard. "We are already struggling with 4, 5 or even 6 stars monsters. How are we going to fight against that!?"
Kushala Daora flew atop the battlefield menacingly; swooping down with blinding speed, it latched onto the Banbaro's back while knocking it down. The storm emanating from its body screeched and froze the air, forming hundreds of icicles that tore the scenery. A powerful roar accompanied the ferocious storm as the Elder Dragon turned its attention towards the knights.
Sensing danger, the captain ordered everyone to scatter, just in time before Kushala Daora unleashed a powerful breath that expanded into a tornado that circled around the plain. Several knights were unfortunately caught in the violent wind and flew around like rag dolls.
"This storm is worse than what Barioth produced when we fought it! It is on a whole different category!"
"It is an Elder Dragon known as the Tempest Dragon, Marion! Its presence is akin to a natural disaster capable of wiping out cities and villages! Worse, this is a variant that has not shed its skin! Rusted Kushala Daora!"
"Variant? Worse? Rusted?"
"It has not shed its rusty skin, making it much more aggressive and territorial!"
"You 2! Stop with the explanation! It is destroying the knights!" Scarlet planted her magic staff into the ground to maintain her stance in the violent wind. "We should escape while we can!"
"And leave them to die!? Not an option!" Marion protested while glaring at the beast that had landed in the midst of the knight order formation. "Now that 3 of us have the insignia, we should be able to at least repel it!"
"The 2 of you were half dead when fighting against that 6 stars Tigrex! It was me who saved your ass! Stop being reckless!"
"Guh..." Marion gritted her teeth. "Aria, what do you think?! Can we repel that dragon?!"
"Unlikely! We are still too weak to fight against that beast! In that state, we need water element to further rust its metallic body, but our magic are insufficient to deal the needed damage!"
"Damn it! What should we do-!" Marion was in the midst of her dialogue when a knight crashed down in front of the trio. The sight of the knight's mangled body sent shock to the girls as he looked up, barely clinging to life, trying to mouth out help. Several more knights came crashing down from the violent storm; body parts, equipment, icicles, stones and tree branches collided with each other in a grotesque mess.
A female knight fell down in front of Marion with blood drenching her face that painted the sheer terror that she felt. She reached out her hand towards Marion in desperation. "Hh-Help! Help me-"
A large figure planted its left fore limb on the head of the female knight, crushing her skull. Its head loomed over Marion as the latter felt fear running within her vein. However, Marion steeled herself and readied her stance, remembering her ideals of being a chivalrous knight that protected the weak. "Enough of your rampage!"
Aria and Scarlet leapt into action the moment Marion shouted her war cry. Scarlet picked up a spear that was tossed from the storm and threw it towards the dragon. Aria chanted her wind magic and launched herself towards the head of Kushala Daora in an effort to slash it with her Pulsar Hatchets. Marion aimed for its leg that crushed the head of the female knight.
Their attacks did not reached the intended target as the wind armour around the dragon repelled the incoming blow with both Aria and Marion being thrown back. The beast took off and let out a guttural roar that shook the surroundings as the hail intensified.
"Water! Rise up from the depth of my soul! Aqua Sagitta!" Water wrung out from the air and enveloped Scarlet's magic staff before shooting out towards the beast.
"Water! Coalesce around my arm! Water Arrow!" Aria prepared a similar spell to Scarlet, albeit with larger quantity and force.
The magic spell hit the beast right on its head, but the wind barrier dampened the power as it was barely affected from the attacks. Letting out another roar, it flapped its wings and formed 2 miniature tornadoes that glided around, lifting debris from the battlefield. Without a pause, it spat out a powerful wind blast that exploded into an icy fractal that blew everything away. Aria and Marion slid sideways and continued their assault while Scarlet remained at a distance, running around the beast.
The storm dragon took off and glided around the battlefield, spreading its destructive hail upon everything in its path. The distressing howl of the wind displayed the oppressive atmosphere felt by the knights. The beast unleashed several more of its destructive breaths and the knights had to abandon their formation in order to avoid the powerful blast of icy wind. The knight captain made the decision to split his forces into several units with a commander leading each of them in order to increase their mobility. With their formations, the knights were able to route the dragon away from the village and dealt some damage onto its rusty scales with their spears.
"Contin' ta strip away its scales!" The knight captain led his unit upstream, towards the North of the village. "Youn' missy! Yer doin' great! Contin' ta assault!"
Aria, Marion and Scarlet did not hear the complement since they were totally focused on avoiding and attacking the Kushala Daora. They combined both physical and magic spells to maneuver around the icy wind. Their coordination were impeccable even for knight's standard, impressing the captain who was thinking of recruiting them into his rank.
The irritated dragon was now furious and let out a loud roar. Almost immediately, the icy wind turned more ferocious as debris seemingly remained airborne, giving the wind a darker ominous hue.
"Marion! Scarlet! Do not let your guard down even for a second! The storm will now get more ferocious!"
The storm grew wilder as darkness infiltrated the sky and the monster flew high up among the clouds, shooting several icy breath onto the arena. Each attack gouged the earth with swirling gust of wind akin to razor.
In the midst of such intense barrage, Aria skillfully dodged and chanted her spell simultaneously. "Wind! Be my wings, bring my soul to heaven where you reside! Air Walk!"
Powerful gust of wind appeared with every steps that Aria took and left the ground. With her body feeling lighter, she picked up her pace as she ran mid-air, gaining altitude and catching the dragon by surprise. She unleashed a powerful downward slash with her dual blades onto the head of the beast where its wind armour did not cover. Aria followed up with more slashes mid-air and spun along the dragon's back with her blades, ending with a powerful slash on its tail.
The damaged caused by Aria's rampage staggered Kushala Daora and it spiraled down to kiss the earth. Following the knocked down elder dragon, Aria landed another downward slashes and began wailing on the beast with more cuts.
"Nice!" Marion leapt in and joined Aria.
"Now's da time!" The knight captain roared and traversed through the harsh wind with his unit to attack. He thrusted his spears several times onto the same spot on the dragon and finally, his efforts were rewarded when his spear tip pierced the dragon's skin, creating a small wound. He and his unit increased the pressure, despite having to fight against the emanating wind.
The elder dragon regained its stance and roared while pushing out a powerful gust of wind from its body. It took to the air again and flapped its wings to generate multiple tornadoes, throwing off its attackers. Many flew from the wind and lodged themselves away from the arena. The storm worsen as the wind pressure rushed across the exposed skin akin to knife scrapping off their outer layer.
"Damn it!" Marion cursed as she was pushed back. "Our blades were dulled from its wind armour!"
Scarlet and Aria fired off several more water spells that further rusted the elder dragon's scales. However, the beast lunged forward with tremendous speed that caught them off-guard; landing on the ground, with snow flinging onto the air, it tried to bite Scarlet, but she managed to use her staff to defend. The powerful jaw bit down with deadly force that shattered the magic staff. Without missing a beat, the dragon swiped its claw that connected, hurling Scarlet back a considerable distance away. Aria tried to close in while it was distracted, but the monster turned its head and shot out a powerful blast of wind that blew Aria into the air.
"Aria!" Marion jumped towards Aria and caught her as she was falling. She laid the injured Aria against a fallen tree and returned to the battlefield, but was rammed by the dragon when she was about to turn around.
Aria got back on her feet and rolled away when the dragon lunged in to bite her. The dragon's maw gouged out a large chunk out of the log. Running across the snowy landscape in the midst of powerful storm depleted her stamina fast, making her unable to get away far enough from the beast. Noticing this, the dragon leapt and pinned Aria to the ground. Struggling, Aria tried to pry out of the dire situation, but was powerless; until a spear thrusted the dragon's head from the side. The knight captain scooped Aria in the last moment before the dragon could crushed her body.
"Yer brave missy! But yer exhausted! Stand back!"
"Thank you! However, we need all the manpower to repel that dragon!"
Kushala Daora roared and spewed out more tornadoes onto the arena while charging towards Aria.
Scarlet and Marion, having recovered, closed in with their dagger and sword respectively. They jumped in from behind and managed to crack a portion of its rusty scale with their sneak attack. However, the damage was minimal and the beast swung its tail that knocked both girls back; it then turned around and stood on its hindlegs, taking in a large breath and shot out an explosive gust of wind that hit both Scarlet and Marion who were on the ground.
"NO!!!" Aria watched in horror as both of her friends were tossed into the air like rag dolls. Both landed on the ground and were not moving. Her memories of Daniel's death flashed into her eyes and stirred her heart. She tried to run towards them, but the knight captain stopped her as the dragon returned its attention towards Aria and lunged in for a bite. Luckily, she was pulled away by the knight captain and dodged the attack.
"Missy! Yer gonna hav ta focus on ta beast!"
Aria remained silent and the knight captain carried her away while dodging the dragon's attacks. He jumped behind a large rock near the frozen stream and laid Aria down before returning to fight against Kushala Daora.
Aria stood back up in spite of her tired body and watched as the brave knights fought against the impossibility. The difference in power was tremendous, but even in the face of death, they stood their ground. She thought she had gotten used to seeing death, but apparently, she had overestimated her mental fortitude and started to well up tears.
In the midst of the stormy fight, Aria saw Marion crawling while clutching her sword. Her battered body spoke volume on the damage she had suffered, but she refused to stay still and moved towards the unconscious Scarlet, reaching into the latter's pouch to pull out a healing potion that she doused both herself and Scarlet in. She made eye contact with Aria and flashed a weak smile before closing her eyes again.
The knight captain stood in the forefront of the fight and led his unit to encircle the monster, but was repeatedly blown away from the gust of wind. The dragon ran forward and rammed the knight captain, disarming him while pinning him to the ground. "Ye foul beast!"
Aria swoop in with the wind magic and slashed the dragon's face, causing it to flinch and released the knight captain. She picked up the magnificent golden spear that was swiped away by Kushala Daora and began her assault.
Aria's hands were shining as she charged in with the spear, swiping it side to side in a beautiful circular motion, followed by a powerful upward slash onto the dragon's head. She continued her combo whilst dodging appropriately; when the dragon leapt back to gain distance, she plunged the spear onto the ground and vaulted herself onto the air to chase before performing a powerful downward slash.
"Water! Coalesce from the air and onto my arms! Water blade!" Water accumulated and flowed onto her spear; she wailed at the dragon's head and when she was pushed back by the wind, she stuck her spear on the ground to hold herself in place before resuming her combos.
The knights followed Aria's flow and assisted in any way they could. They crowded around the dragon while avoiding the tornadoes and thrusted their spears whenever they had openings. Aria on the other hand, remained as the protagonist in this battle as she performed her rising slash, reaping slash, double slashes and ended in overhead smash.
The dragon took off from the ground and a miniature tornado formed where it lifted off, pushing away its attackers. However, Aria vaulted up into the air, following the dragon. "Wind! Be my wings, bring my soul to heaven where you reside! Air Walk!"
With increased air mobility, Aria continued her attacks with an advancing slash that used the dragon's body as a pivot to re-position herself mid air, avoiding the bite that was aimed at her. She continued her mid-air combo and with a powerful thrust boosted by her wind magic, she knocked the dragon's head down, nearly making it kiss the ground. Despite failing to fell the beast, Aria ended up riding on the dragon.
Using her dagger that she stabbed onto the rusty scales of the dragon, she held on while using the spear to continuously slash. The dragon flew around violently, trying to shake off Aria, but when it almost succeeded, Aria used her magic to regain balance and mounted it again. She moved along the body to avoid attacks and she found a spot on which the knight captain had previously pierced. She focused her slashes onto that spot, weakening Kushala Daora from the accumulated damage.
The elder dragon flew up and down before hovering in exhaustion; taking her chance, Aria held her spear with both of her hands and plunged it deep into the wounded area of the dragon. With an elegant move, Aria twirled around while holding onto the spear; using her whole body to gain momentum, she drilled the spear into the open wound, damaging Kushala Daora and plummeting it onto the ground.
Aria, having landed on the ground as well, jumped in immediately and began to rapidly attack the fallen dragon. Her vigour and brutality were presented to the knights who shuddered, not from the cold, but from the power that Aria showcased.
The attacks continued even after Kushala Daora regained its stance and roared. However, the attacks that it took was far from debilitating and instead, increased its annoyance. A powerful flap of its wing blew out a violent tornado that pushed Aria away. Several knights that had come closer to attack were also blown away. It flew into the air, took in a large breath and unleashed a powerful icy breath that exploded onto the arena; blowing and shattering anything on its immediate vicinity, Aria suffered the most damage as the razor-like ice shrapnel tore through her flesh with several lodged into her body.
Aria laid motionless on the icy surface with severe injuries. She could not feel her legs and her arms were sore; her eyes were fuzzy as red covered her face and body. With sheer will power, she crawled along the ground, trying to get up while still fixing her eyes upon her enemy. She gritted her teeth in frustration as she saw the dragon flew higher into the atmosphere with rampaging storm. Slowly, but surely, she felt her consciousness fading away as her vision turned completely black and finally, her senses shut down.
***
Flashes of vision kept on illuminating the darkness. Aria was bombarded all over with a strange numbing sensation that paralysed her body. However, her mind was sharp, and she was grasping all of the information that was transmitted from the visions.
She saw pieces of the visions slowly materialising into beings; some formed into human-like silhouette while others into creatures of varying sizes and shapes. Several of the creatures felt familiar to Aria as they gathered around and moved towards a particular direction. The human-shaped silhouette also floated towards the migrating creatures, but they crowded on either sides, forming a pathway and preventing them from going astray. The bizarre visual puzzled Aria, but was captivated by it.
In the next moment, some of the silhouettes burst into glowing dust. The silhouettes of the creatures sunk while those of the human-shaped floated up. Soon, each silhouettes turned into dust; the lights that sunk formed land on which Aria could finally walked on while those that floated painted the sky with shining stars. As Aria walked, an orb of light grew from a distant and as Aria walked closer, the light shone brighter, engulfing her...
Light pierced into Aria's corneas as she slowly opened her eyelids. An unfamiliar ceiling filled her vision and as she remembered the latest event, she jolted up from the bed.
"Oh, you're finally awake."
Aria turned and saw Scarlet sitting on a wooden stool besides her bed. She had bandages and some bruises that had yet to heal. Similarly, Aria herself was covered with bandages made of cloths; some was stained with blood.
"Where?"
"Relax, we are currently in the capital of Ponterim County, Nessoria. Those knights were able to save us and carried us all the way here to their castle barracks. We ought to thank them."
"What about that dragon, Kushala Daora? The village?"
"So that's ta name of ta beast."
"!"
The door opened and the knight captain entered the room with a downhearted Marion. He continued to talk while approaching Aria. "Unfer'tanatly ta vill's gone. Or, ta be precise, Edrom vill got blown ta bits by ta storm. But good thang tha most escaped and ta dragon fly away."
"The village is gone...?"
"Ye... But nat wat ya think. A'ter yer 'tacks, tha dragon fly round n release wind tha coz havoc round ta area, as a final curse ta us all. Som of em vill'gers gone, but thank ta lord tha most ran out on time." He took a nearby wooden stool and sat down across Scarlet.
"I see... That is indeed unfortunate... But I am glad that most survive, especially the 2 of you, Marion, Scarlet."
"We've been adventuring longer than you. We're tougher than we look." Scarlet blushed a little as her eyes looked away in embarrassment. "Anyway, Marion, what are your plan for now?"
Aria turned towards Marion with a puzzled look. "What happen? Come to think of it you have been silent for a while now. Is there... ah!"
"Ya know this lit girl has a history wit me. Almost can't recog 'er wit 'er short hair."
"Well..." Aria gave out a wry smile. "I mean... she has her own ambition and dream to fulfil, so maybe it would be best to let her off."
"Easy fer ya ta say. Wat shall I say when I saw 'er ol' man 'gain? Be ta embarrass ta see 'im in ta eyes."
All 3 girls in the room remained silent.
"Anyways, enough 'bout this. Thos beasts round ere tha we neva seen. Yer knows bout em, rite?"
"Yes..."
"Alrite, once yer all got yer rest n fill yer belly, we gonna meet wit ta Count." The knight captain stood up and place his hand on his chest. "Me name's Ludwig, Ludwig Wolfheart. Yer handling of ta spears r magnificent. Tha spear's yers now."
"!" Aria looked further left of Ludwig and saw the golden spear leaned against the wall. "Are you sure?"
"Ye... it must hav ta called out ta ya. Do wat yer want wit tha." Ludwig walked and left the room.
Marion, who had been silent the whole time, sat beside Aria and let out a long sigh. "Haaah..... I got an earful from him."
"It is about time that someone older lectures you on your recklessness."
"That is mean, Scarlet." Marion slumped her shoulder. She had several bandages and bruises covering her skin.
"How long have I been out? Looking at the light coming from the window, I surmised that it should be around midday."
"This is exactly the next day after we encountered that Kushala. You've been out for almost an entire day. Well, both of us as well, since we have just woken up several hours prior."
"I see... Well, my body seems fine right now and, even with feeling a little bit of aching pain, I think I can meet up with the Count. Although-"
Growl...
"""!"""
Aria's stomach rumbled as she was about to finish her sentence.
"-I do feel hungry..." Aria blushed in embarrassment as her voice slowly lost its amplitude.
"Umm... well, I think we should go and meet the Count now; he is definitely going to treat us lavishly." Marion gave out a wry smile. "So, Aria, could you use your healing magic on us? We need to at least look a little bit more presentable."
Aria casted healing spell on all 3 including herself and removed their bandages. She followed both of them out of the room towards the nearest well where Scarlet heated the icy water and washed themselves clean. With Marion leading, they headed towards Ludwig's office where Marion was apparently lectured.
Knocking against the sturdy wooden door, Marion requested a permission to enter and the trio entered once they received the permission.
"Yer got up earlier than I tho ya would."
"Well, Aria has Holy magic attribute and so, she healed us all in a blink." Marion proudly puffed out her chest.
"Why do you seem so proud?" Scarlet gave Marion a side-eye.
"Oh... Thas rare ain't it. Yer great missy. If yer want, I can get ya in ta knight order when yer 15."
"Ahahaha..."
"No! Aria is my precious comrade! Not even you can take her away from me."
"Marion, she is not your possession."
"Aye... Anyway, ye all ready ta meet ta Count? He's bouta hav lunch. Why duncha join im eh?"
"I was about to propose that! We are all hungry! I believe we should get a lavish feast for our hard work!"
"Marion, please be more subtle in your request."
***
"To think that I would be accompanied by the young lady of Savion Marquisate for a meal in my own establishment, this is quite the honour." The Count of Ponterim took a sip of water from his goblet. "I have read the report from Ludwig and from it, the 3 of you displayed extraordinary feats when fighting against that dragon."
"Thank you for the praise, but we did not perform as well as we would have wanted. We all got knocked out by its icy blast." Marion bowed her head a little, acknowledging the praise without sounding too arrogant. "What is important right now, is the recovery of the Edrom village and its inhabitants."
"Indeed. You are quite humble and as a Lord, I thank you for your help during the crisis." The Count similarly bowed his head a little. "Now then, shall we feast?"
With a clap, the butler who had been standing behind the lord bowed in acknowledgement and headed towards the large wooden door entrance. He knocked the door in a particular rhythm and stood aside. Soon the door was opened by 2 guards on each side and a group of servants came in with lavish meal. The food was placed on the large dining table and when all had been placed, the servants quietly left, closing the door for the lord, his family and the guests to enjoy in peace.
"Now then, let us give our prayer to Lord Flare and his Angelos for providing our meal." The Count placed both of his hands on his chest, closed his eyes and faced up towards the ceiling. Others followed and began their own prayer.
"Now, let us begin the feast." The Count announced to the table as he took a piece of freshly baked flat bread with beautiful crust and char. He tore onto it and lathered it with honey butter from a jar before popping it into his mouth, savouring the delicious waft of flavour and smell. Seeing that the host had swallowed his first bite, the rest began to eat.
Marion grabbed a small round piece of bread and tore it into half; the moment she opened it, the center oozed out with delectable melted cheese that dripped onto her wooden plate. Following the Count's example, she grabbed the jar with honey butter and used the spoon to drizzle the cheesy bread. The butter gave the honey a silky texture and as it touched the bread, the thick liquid spread out, giving the crusty bread a shiny sheen. She took a hearty bite and chewed with a silly grin. "The bread seems to have been baked in smoldering charcoal since I can taste the smoky char and smell the sweet aroma of the Elder wood. This is delicious!"
Aria took a big scoop of a hearty bean stew and placed it on her plate. The aroma of the stew tingled with Aria's senses and she reflexively smiled. Using a piece of flat bread as a spoon, she scooped up the stew and devoured the entire piece. The bean, having been cooked for a long time, had a crumbly texture that melded together with the other ingredients that consisted of smoked-cured meat, potatoes, Red Elder berries and local aromatic herbs. The melody of flavour sang aloud within her mouth as she enjoyed the smooth creaminess that had come from the butter and milk that was reduced in the stew. The medley of hearty ingredients warmed Aria's body as she let out a satisfying moan.
Scarlet used a large 2-pronged fork to transfer a slice of roasted meat onto her plate as well as taking a small scoop of Red Ringan berries jam. She also took a scoop of roasted potatoes with local herbs cooked in butter. Scarlet used her provided wooden knife and fork to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces; when she took a bite of the meat, the juice exploded with savoury fragrant that perfumed her nostril. The herbaceous aroma eliminated the gamey smell typically found in meat and the Ringan berries jam cut through the richness of the fatty meat with its sharp sourness and sweetness. The potatoes, cut into small pieces, had been cooked together with the meat juice drippings collected during the roasting process of the meat; the tender flesh of the tuber broke out into a creamy mush inside Scarlet's mouth and with every bite, the salty burst of flavour coated her tastebuds.
The Count and his wife also indulged in the meal. After finishing his flat bread with honey butter, he grabbed a slice of frozen fish and took a bite. The flaky cold flesh of the fish melted once it hit his tongue. The delectable taste of the sea from which the fish was caught spread throughout his mouth and once he had swallowed, it prompted him to take more bite off the fish. The texture reminded him of high quality butter, the butter of the ocean. "Please, try this fish. It is the local delicacy of the northern provinces called Stragana, a frozen fish caught from the northern seas and eaten raw."
Aria, being curious, took the fish and ate it; she immediately felt the tender salty flesh melting, making her devoured the entire piece while taking 2 more slices.
"Fufufu, you are quite the hearty eater." The Count's wife seemed pleased with the guests enjoying the meal. "Eating this fresh frozen raw fish is what apparently allow many to survive the winter in this chilly climate since not a lot of things grow on these lands. Potatoes, my favourite, are also a staple food for many."
"Hahaha, I still remember your surprised face when you first tried potato dishes. Despite being from the Southern region of the Empire, you actually prefer to indulge in food from the North."
"Oh, so the Count's wife is not local?" Aria gazed upon the beautiful lady with long black hair and brown eyes. "But then again, I notice that she does not have the accent or the cadence of the locals here in the North."
"Fufufu, indeed. Even though I have lived here for more than 7 years, I do not picked up the local ways of speaking. My dear husband Riinol is one whom you should be more amazed by though."
"Ahaha, well... I spend most of my life in the capital. I did not grew up here and as such, I did not develop the Northern way of speaking." The Count, Riinol Sur Ponterim, gave out a dry laugh. "I was unprepared when I became the head of Ponterim County after the death of my older brother and his heir. I went and lived with my mother's family in the capital where I can at least study to be a government official. That is why I speak in the same manner as the nobles of the capital. My wife Elra was also in similar circumstance as I am. I met her in the Imperial Academy and well... I fell in love in an instance due to how stunning she looked. Even after all these years, she still has not lost that beauty."
"Oh darling, you still have that sweet mouth for compliments." The Countess, Elra Sana Ponterim, blushed while looking away. The atmosphere had mysteriously warmed up despite being in the chilly North and the guests felt a little uncomfortable for being intrusive. They decided to continue their meal while ignoring the twinkling fairies hovering above the couple.
"Umm... I do not want to sound rude but, how did the previous Count and his heir died?" Aria was a little bewildered that both the father and child died one after another.
"I was in the capital at the time, so I am unsure about what had transpired, but from the report that I read, both were killed by a monster." After finishing his meal, Riinol dapped his mouth with a handkerchief. "It began when my nephew turned 15. Being officially an adult, he was tasked with handling the work of the Lord while my brother went out for territorial inspection. Although it was more of him wanting to take a break. However, being more adventurous, he decided to move up north beyond the icy plain of Planitia and beyond the Northern sea of Sil onto the frozen land of Niflheim where only several handful of people have ever set foot."
"That seems, a little..." Scarlet tried to express her thought, but held back for concern of sounding rude to the Count.
"It is foolish. I know. You do not have to be obtuse about it. My brother had always been the reckless type, but he is a very capable fighter and maybe he is trying to find some kind of glory that he ventured out into danger. He brought several knights with him on this expedition, but a few days later, one of the knight came back and sought help from the estate about the presence of a gigantic beast. My nephew, being similar to his father, raised his spear and went on the rescue expedition." Riinol took a gulp of water before continuing. "Only 2 knights managed to survive and made it back alive."
The atmosphere suddenly turned somber and the cold air pressed heavily upon everybody. The Count continued with a downcast expression. "The 2 knights who barely survived claimed that the beast caused the icy surface that they stood upon to shake, causing many to fall into the icy pit from the cracks. When my nephew arrived with his knights, his father and a handful knights were hiding away in a small cave further north. The monster was not on sight yet, but as they approached the cave, the beast appeared and chased them. Many lives were lost, but my nephew managed to reach the cave and reunited with his father."
"The beast just appeared?" Aria was puzzled.
"Indeed, according to the report, the beast moved around at a speed that is surprising for its size. My brother and his son decided to escape, lest they ran out of supplies. They decided to split their forces into 2 where 1 distracted the beast while the other escape. Of course, even though it may be shameful, my brother and nephew were in the latter. However, they did not anticipate that the beast would be chasing them instead and they both perished in the maw of the monster." Riinol squeezed his hand into a fist which his wife gently grabbed onto to comfort him. "The knights who were supposed to act as a distraction tried to save them, but incurred even more loss that only 2 managed to made it back to the shore and escape. They were struck with guilt that after submitting the report, they took their own life by plunging themselves into the sea, unworthy of being cremated and joining Lord Flare in the sky."
"So that is the reason you were called back to occupy the position of the Lord..." Marion was understandably shaken from the tragedy.
"Yes, I was already married to Elra and have a son with her, but thankfully they were supportive. My son went to the capital a year ago though. He wanted to attend the same Imperial Academy that both of us went to. Perhaps, he is trying to shovel his own path."
"If any of you are going to the capital, please check up on him. I know he is older than you but, whenever he is focused on something, he tends to ignore everything else." Elra put on a wry smile, embarrassed in confessing her own son's flaws. "His name is Shorul Suna Ponterim and well, he looks a lot like me: black hair and eyes, but he inherited his father's height."
"We will. You can rest assure madam." Marion gave a polite head bow.
The atmosphere became lively again as the servants brought out dessert after clearing the plates and bowls. The servants placed a wooden bowl and spoon in front of each persons. Inside each bowls was filled with a rich fragrant cream topped with sweet Red Elder berries. All took their respective spoons to scoop out the soft, thick, creamy dessert that had been whipped with honey and frozen in the snow, creating a custard-like consistency that melted once it entered the mouth. The 3 girls who rarely had dessert since their days of adventuring were genuinely delighted with the redolent treats presented by the Count.
Aria, despite being entranced by the meal, had part of her mind wandered about the monster told by the Count. "Umm, I know that we have just finished the meal on a good mood but, if it is possible, may I read the report on the monster that reside in that Niflheim?"
"Of course. In fact, why don't you all come with me to my office. It seems that you know a little about the recently discovered monsters as well."
The Count, Aria, Scarlet and Marion proceeded to the office that was neat and well-lit from the various candles. A small fireplace was burning bright, keeping the entire room warm and cozy. The Count directed the girls onto the large sofa made of wood covered in soft fur and prompted them to wait while he reached deep within his shelf to pull out a small box. He opened the box and took out 2 scrolls made with imported papers and handed them to the ladies.
As the trio read through the report that described the nightmarish beast encountered by the expedition teams around 8 years ago, they trembled at the thought of facing against the monster. Aria in particular, had an alarmed face that both Scarlet and Marion picked up, indicating that the beast residing in Niflheim was more dangerous than any of them could have imagined.
"Aria, how many stars?" Marion nervously asked while still keeping her eyes on the report.
"Lord Count, may I ask if for the past 8 years or so, had there been more frequent rumbling of the earth, violent waves crashing from the Northern seas and a sudden change in behaviour of the local animals and monsters?" Aria kept her eyes on the report as well.
"... Yes. I have been receiving such reports but, they do not occur very often and for the past 6 years or so, those sort of phenomenon have disappeared. Is there any meaning to it?'
"The monster is currently sleeping. That is good news, but for the time being, please forbid anyone from stepping onto Niflheim. The entire provinces and countries that have access to Niflheim should be alerted. We do not want to disturb its slumber." Aria slowly stood up while wearing a serious expression. "And Marion, about the question you were asking just now..."
"Let me guess, it is definitely above 8 right?"
"Yes. This beast is a 9 stars monster, although I am tempted to bump it up to the maximum 10..." Aria walked towards the Count and with a pained smile she faced him. "Count, if what is written on the report is true, I may have a good guess on the identity of the beast."
"You do? Although the world is bigger than we think, the feats that the beast performed in the report seemed absurd. Unless it comes from the legendary dragons that have been absent since the history of the empire."
"The beast comes from another world..."
"! Another world..."
"The White God. Ukanlos."