Chapter 313: Chapter 310: Battlefield Among the Ruins

Beneath the sallow sky stood rows of crooked, crumbling walls.

This place was even more desolate than the Deep Diving Area. The waters around the Holy Land at least had creatures like deep-sea Giant Beasts constantly roaming about, but this place held nothing but a boundless expanse of architectural ruins.

They ventured deeper into the ruins, with the other two following Rorschach. On the map in his hand, a point of light glowed steadily, marking the location of the rift.

A closer look revealed that many of the walls bore the marks of sword slashes, as well as splattered bloodstains.

As they rounded a corner, they saw words smeared in blood on the wall. Though some of the plaster had peeled away, the message was still legible: "In the name of the Protector."

As they walked on, similar signs grew more frequent: scorch marks, brick walls shattered by cannonballs, and scattered crates, all evidence of numerous battles fought here.

Caroline had never seen scenes like this. She had been exploring from the Core Area toward the Ancient Ruins Area, so what she had seen were ancient castles and artworks buried in dust. On this side, it turned out, lay a battlefield.

Benedict recalled the history he knew. "Istani once had a Protector, who was also called the Executioner. He could lead the Kingdom to endless victories against the enemies of El Island, the sea, and the continent. But at the same time, his blade was just as fierce when pointed at the members of his own Kingdom."

The story goes that after the Protector died, everyone, fearing the rise of a second cold and ruthless Executioner, formed a council and welcomed the King back to be Istani’s head of state.

The council of that era was quite naive. They believed that since they were the ones who had invited the King back, he would have to listen to the council members and obediently act as their puppet.

"Everyone originally thought the age of terror was over, but the Queen and the council then clashed over power. Her Knight Orders violently disbanded the council once, establishing the ’Round Table Conference’—composed of representatives from the Twelve Knight Orders—as the Upper House, and the reconvened council as the Lower House. At that point, some people started wishing for a return to the era of the Protector’s rule. Heh, but that was just a wish, nothing more."

A flag lay on the street, embroidered with a burning lion. It was majestic, its mane a roaring inferno, its mouth gaping to reveal sharp fangs. The very ground beneath its paws was also bursting into flame.

As fierce as a lion, as destructive as a searing wind. This was the banner of the "Burning Lion," one of the Twelve Knight Orders.

"The Queen? How long ago did this history take place?" ’Has Istani always been ruled by women?’ Istani had always been isolated from the continent, and its Royal Family never made visits abroad, so the people of the continent knew very little of the royal lineage.

"Er... two hundred years ago? No, not that long ago." Benedict was also confused. In the education he’d received, "the Queen" was simply "the Queen," a singular entity. Even the resistance organizations didn’t question her dominion over Istani.

’Are the Queen from history and the current "Pure Queen" one and the same? Impossible. Who could live that long in this day and age...’ Benedict shook his head, as if trying to fling the confusing thoughts away.

Rorschach offered a different version of history. "Originally, the Knight Orders were the twelve legions under the Protector, who waged war at home and abroad for many years. After the Istani Kingdom was completely pacified, past glories and the spoils of war were no longer enough to satisfy them. So, the moment the Protector died, they installed the Queen as the master of the Kingdom, restoring the monarchy. In return, the Queen essentially handed the Kingdom over to the Twelve Knight Orders and placed the Round Table Conference above the council."

"Nonsense! The council chose to bring the Queen back—history books and poems all record it the same way... Otherwise, wouldn’t that mean the Kingdom has always been ruled by violence?"

"And it hasn’t been? Especially when those council members were neither Divine Benefactors nor Casters, and hadn’t yet amassed enough power." Rorschach had no desire to argue with Benedict. He shrugged. "I just heard this on the grapevine after entering the Shadow City. If you say I’m wrong, then I’m wrong."

Caroline didn’t join the argument. She simply stared at Rorschach, silent.

Rorschach picked up the dust-covered "Burning Lion" banner. Its flagpole was broken, but he found a shattered crystal at its tip. Clearly, this was more than just a battle standard; it had been imbued with Magic or a Divine Art.

He channeled energy into it, and a lion’s roar erupted. However, the crystal, flooded with Magic Power for the first time in centuries, instantly shattered, causing the broken pole to explode in Rorschach’s hands.

"Seems to be a Magic Array with a ’Stimulate’ effect. Might have also had an intimidating effect on enemies..." The Magic didn’t fully cast—only a brief sound was produced. After sensing the fluctuation in Magic Power for a moment, Rorschach immediately let go, tossing the twice-damaged relic aside. "The Knight Orders don’t have these anymore. At least, not at the Holy Artifact Level."

With that said, they continued on, only to come across an unusual sight: a suit of armor that had been effortlessly torn apart, with skeletal remains scattered nearby. A closer inspection revealed bite marks on the bones.

Something had opened the armor as if it were a can, then "enjoyed" the "delicious" meal inside.

"Looks like the Ancient Ruins Area isn’t as deserted as it appears?"

"Hey! Who are you? There are obviously spawn around, didn’t you see my fallen brother? Get to cover, quick!" As the three were observing the dead man, a harsh voice shouted from behind them. It was another fully armed warrior. Seeing a man and a woman flanking an Elf, he immediately changed his tune. "Oh, my apologies. Warriors who’ve captured a spawn."

"?" Benedict was utterly baffled. ’Wait, am I the "spawn"?’

"If you want to claim the reward, just kill it and cut off its ears. If you don’t act now, it’s going to transform." The warrior raised his sword, advancing step by step on the poor, weak, and helpless Benedict.

Rorschach stepped between them. "My name is Heisenberg, and this is Lady Caroline. We’re Mages, and we’ve captured this spawn for research." To prove his claim, he summoned a ball of light and made it float in the air.

The warrior’s assessment was complete: anyone who could perform the Light Technique was a Caster. He nodded. "James, Apprentice Knight of the Burning Lion Knight Order. You have to keep that spawn under control. If it starts to corrupt, eliminate it immediately."

"Alright." With a wave of his hand, Rorschach made it so Benedict was suddenly bound and unable to speak.

Damn it! He could only curse Rorschach in his mind, but before he could even form the words, a sudden, needle-like pain lanced through his temples.

The trio continued to follow the glowing dot on the map. The Knight, having collected his comrade’s remains, followed behind, his route seemingly coinciding with theirs. As they drew closer to the sealed rift, more and more knights appeared. Collapsed buildings had been repurposed as camps, and a glance inside one revealed a blacksmith’s forge, with the CLANG-CLANG of weapons being repaired.

"Halt!" Just as they were about to enter the camp, Rorschach’s party was stopped by a sentry. James stepped forward to explain for them.

"But spawn can’t be brought into the camp, not even ones that haven’t corrupted yet!" The sentry’s attitude was firm.

Just as Rorschach was preparing to take matters into his own hands, a powerful lion’s roar echoed from the camp. Before the sentry could finish shouting "Enemy attack," countless dark monsters appeared around the camp. Their faces were melted masses, and they scrambled on all fours, leaping and climbing between the walls and the ground. Flaunting tentacles sprouted from their backs.

They charged toward the camp’s defenses. A few arrows struck the ones in the lead, and the other spawn stopped their charge, instead letting out low growls as the tentacles on their backs began to tremble.

From Rorschach’s perspective, the ambient Magic Power also began to tremble slightly. The spawn seemed to be communicating with their tentacles.

’These are the spawn? How can humans lump me in with these monsters?’ The bound Benedict was indignant. He couldn’t speak, so he could only cry out in his mind.

Rorschach glanced at his "captive" and used the Communication Skill to send a message directly to him: "Didn’t you see? Their ears are long and pointed. Just like yours."