Chapter 120 - Guide's Gift (6)

It had been awhile, since Niberis had returned to the Plain of Darkness. The wound inflicted by Azell was so deep that it took four days for her to regain consciousness. Even after waking up, she had to refrain from moving. She had to focus only on healing.

Two weeks had passed by like that.

Niberis was north of the Dragon Demon castle. She was visiting the resting place of the dead. It was where the truly revered members rested in eternal peace. These were members acknowledged by the Plain of Darkness

According to some stories she had heard before, this space had been quite desolate. It was a place where thousand soldiers could hold a parade, but only a few individuals had been buried here.

However, one or two headstones were added as time passed. The number of graves placed here grew. Currently, there was still a lot of empty space, but there were 300 headstones here. It wasn’t a small number.

Niberis was looking for a specific headstone.

‘Dragon Demon Prince’s Consort Elveris’

On the bottom, there were flowery words added eulogize the dead.

Niberis’ mother was buried here. She had been much young than Saibein, and as a Dragon Demon, she had been weak in constitution. When one was part of the nobility class in the Plain of Darkness, one had to carry out duties that was befitting one’s station. However, her mother was unable to do anything. All she could do was wither away in the cold land, which was separated from the rest of the world.

Niberis remembered the story told to her by her mother when she was young.

‘This might be silly for me to say, but your father was very prince-like. The humans tell of a prince on a white horse in their stories. You father was that prince on a white horse.’

In Niberis’ memories, Elveris had always looked labored and tired. Her weak constitution wasn’t the only cause behind this. She had always lived with immense pressure placed on her. She was of high station, yet she couldn’t carry out her duties. There was always pressure from the outside for her to bear more children.

When she was young, Niberis had lived a carefree life compared to Kieren and Jeffers. Niberis was only child between Saibein and Elveris. This was why she didn’t have to fight others to ascend to her position as the heir. Moreover, her father hadn’t been strict, and he didn’t want her to suffer by witnessing death and suffering.

Despite this fact, Niberis insisted on living a difficult life even at an early age.

Niberis witnessed the elders berate her mother. They didn’t hesitate to speak insulting words like how she should be propagating the great bloodline by having more children if she couldn’t fulfil her other duties. It lit a fire inside Niberis’ young heart whenever she heard those words. The ancient and honorable blood flowed through Niberis’ veins. If she proved her ability, she had thought her mother would no longer hear such words…. She had thought that.

Elveris spoke.

‘If it wasn’t for your father, I would have died much earlier. In the past, I felt as if I was living in a cold prison. However, after meeting your father, I was able to breathe for the first time.’

Saibein had been a kind man.

The marriage between the two individuals had been a pure political match. Saibein had been born before the Dragon Demon war, but Elveris had been born after the surviving remnant of the Dragon Demon army settled in the Plain of Darkness. There was an age gap of 100 years between the two. Moreover, Saibein hadn’t even known what she had looked like until the marriage ceremony was underway.

Still, Saibein came to love Elveris, who had become his wife. His love was reflected in his actions. He didn’t hesitate to act like a fool just to make her laugh.

When Elveris died, Saibein went missing. When Niberis awoke from her slumber, she had learned the tragic news that her mother had died, and her father had gone missing.

‘Mother, I….. I lost the person left behind by father.’

Niberis spoke to her mother’s grave inside her heart.

‘He always tried to give me everything I wanted… I couldn’t do anything for him.’

After she had lost her parents, Niberis’ heart had frozen over. She had given her affection to noone. She acted cold and ruthless towards others as she moved towards the power that was her birthright.

However, a crack had formed on the cold castle wall that had been protecting her heart. She had lost to Azell in a way that didn’t leave any room for doubt, and she had lost Duran. She didn’t know what to do right now.

“…….”

Niberis was deep in her thoughts when she flinched. A very bleak energy reached her senses.

<Hmmm.>

It was a voice that was unique to the Undead. It sounded fiendish. Niberis’ eyes turned towards the source of the voice, and she saw a big Dragon Demon undead, who dwarfed all Dragon Demons. He was over 3 meters tall.

An Undead that looked like a Skeleton Knight was being very careful with his words. It was somehow a bit gross. However, Niberis quickly calmed her agitation as she gracefully gave her greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir Reygus.”

The large Undead was none other than the legend from the Dragon Demon war. He was the Dragon Demon general Reygus.

Reygus had been about to scratch his cheek when his hand paused in mid-air.

<Ah. Damn it. I can’t fix my habits.>

He had been awake as an Undead for a good amount of time now, but the habits he had in life appeared naturally. He awkwardly dropped his hand as he spoke.

“Yes.”

This was the first time the two of them had met. However, everyone within the Plain of Darkness knew about Reygus. This was why she was able to identify him at a glance.

<Actually, I’m here, because I wanted to ask you about something…. It seems this isn’t the right time to do so. I’ll meet you at a later date.>

“You wanted to speak to me?”

Niberis looked at him in confusion.

What did he want to ask her?

Reygus didn’t speak as his stride quickly brought him near the headstone. He mumbled to himself.

<I’m a corpse walking through amongst the graves. It is funny… On the other hand, there are a lot of name here that I know.>

The first to be buried here were the surviving forces of the Dragon Demon king’s army. These were the beings, who died after returning to the Plain of Darkness. However, as time passed, those who died an honorable death in the Dragon Demon war was place here as a way to respects them. Their corpses weren’t buried here, but they felt duty bound pay tribute to them.

The silence went on for a while.

Reygus turned away as he spoke.

<I’m sorry I bothered you. I’ll find you again at a more suitable location.>

“No… We can speak.”

Niberis also turned away from the headstone as she spoke.

“Let us have the conversation somewhere else.”

Reygus walked away as he took big strides. He suddenly turned around to look at her.

<Ah. Damn it. I keep forgetting I walk unnecessarily fast. Whether in life or death, that hasn’t changed.>

Reygus had been a mountain of a man, so he walked very quickly with his long strides. In the past, his lieutenant Chanes had to run to keep up with him. Reygus still had this habit, so even at his old age, Chanes had to run to keep up with him.

Reygus didn't care if a males had difficulty keeping up with him or not. However, he wanted to be respectful towards this young lady.

The two of them left the final resting place of the dead, and they started walking. They walked across a large hallway that was flowing with cold air. Niberis asked a question.

“What would you like to hear from me?”

<It’s just that…. I heard you inherited prince Saibein’s ‘Book of Darkness.’>

At his words, Niberis flinched. Everyone in the Plain of Darkness knew about it, so she didn’t have a good reason to react this way. However, she felt a complicated emotion wash over her as she remembered the old memories she had thought about in front of her mother’s grave.

Reygus spoke.

“…yes.”

This had occurred before Laura was sent out to kidnap Seigar. Niberis received orders from her elders to to search for her missing father Saibein. After she conducted a diligent search, she had found a trace leading her to his whereabouts.

However, it wasn’t easy to approach this location. It was one of the land of demons. It was a place that was known to be difficult to penetrate akin to the Plain of Darkness. The elders attempted to send in troops into this land several times to find Saibein. In the end, all of them went missing or they returned as corpses.

It was a very dangerous mission, yet there were two reason why she was chosen. Niberis was Saibein’s daughter, and she was talented enough to extract herself from danger.

However, Niberis wasn’t able to meet Saibein in the end.

“You probably heard this already…. It really was a strange event.”

“It was a Water Dragon.”

A Water Dragon lived in a body of water, and it could freely control the flow of water. This being had appeared in front of her, and it delivered Saibein’s Dragon weapon to her.

“It was as if I was dreaming. I never expected such a thing to be possible. However… The water dragon retreated, and the Book of Darkness was passed on to me. I could feel the faint imprint of my father’s thought resting within it.”

It delivered his will for her to take the book. It also told her to return to where she came from. The voice didn’t have any substance. It was a feeling that was delivered to her, so it was hard to tell if Saibein was still alive.

Still, she felt the urge to follow his instruction. Niberis returned to the Plain of Darkness with only the Book of Darkness to show for her efforts.

Reygus’ voice was filled with sadness. Now that he had talked to her directly, he confirmed that Niberis had not been lying.

“Wait a moment.”

Niberis grabbed him. Reygus turned to look at her, and she couldn’t decipher his emotions. Niberis asked as she looked into the eye sockets of the skull.

“Do you know if humans…….”

<Humans?>

“I’m talking about the past. When the king conducted his holy war to right the world order…..”

Niberis hesitated for a moment as she brought up a story regarding the Dragon Demon war. She had grabbed Reygus on impulse, but she was unsure if she should ask this question. However, her curiosity won out.

“…did humans use an insulting title to refer to my father?”

“That is…….”

Niberis hesitated once again. When she heard the title for the first time, she felt so angry that it felt as if her blood was flowing in the wrong direction. She felt humiliated by the fact that she would have to repeat such words with her own mouth.

“Simpleton Prince….”

<…….>

Reygus was speechless for a moment. Niberis was embarrassed as she looked at him. However, she had no idea what the Undead was thinking. She couldn’t read his expression.

After a brief moment, Reygus asked in a harsh tone.