When the wingless wyvern Ashborn arrived near the village, it was already dark. It was pitch black and nothing could be seen, so fortunately, the village did not cause a commotion thinking a dragon had appeared.
“Thank you, Ashborn.”
“I will await you at the tower.”
The wingless wyvern returned to where Verzig was. While they were exploring the Demon Mine and Verzig, the guild had already returned to the city, and the bustling inn was deserted except for a few villagers.
Of course, the mercenaries were eager to talk and recounted their experiences with the innkeeper. Naturally, they didn’t seem to easily believe the mercenaries’ stories.
Verzig, which has been passed down as a legend, was actually buried underground in the Demon Mine.
Suddenly, spirits appeared to the wingless wyvern Ashborn and gave him wings.
Verzig, which had been underground for a long time, sprang out to the surface.
The dragon handled the curse that had been dormant for four hundred years inside Verzig.
It lifted Verzig into the air and returned it to the hill in just one day.
They rode the dragon to the village.
“F*ck, we really did experience something unbelievable.”
After telling their story, even the mercenaries slapped their foreheads, wondering who would believe this. Even if only one of these events was mentioned, it might be hard for people to believe.
Yuric and Bella immediately started writing a thesis about Verzig when they returned to the village. They detailed every step of how they found it again.
So, after spending a day in the village, the expedition team found a young coachman and took his carriage back to the city.
Upon arriving at the mining city of Frianor, Yuric and Bella bid farewell to the four mercenaries who had accompanied them.
“Thank you very much for everything.”
“Thanks to Captain, I’ve had an unforgettable experience. Thank you.”
The mercenaries shook Yuric and Bella’s hands vigorously, sharing their farewells. Although they hadn’t spent much time together, they had shared a special experience as comrades.
After parting ways with the mercenaries, the two headed straight to the mercenaries’ guild. During their journey to the city, they entrusted several papers they had written during their trip to be sent urgently to the Magic Academy in the east and the Mage Tower in the center.
Even if sent at the fastest speed, it would take at least two and a half months for this news to reach the Mage Tower. Considering the travel time, the verification team would likely arrive here only by next spring.
Deciding to wait in Riander, the eastern last stronghold rather than in Frianor, the two headed back to Riander. Despite being a mining city, Frianor was more like a capital city compared to other places.
In Riander, the two enjoyed a relaxing bath in the hot springs, rested from their long journey, and studied leisurely. Yuric used his old connections from hosting lavish banquets with the Golden Hand to find a job as a private tutor. He had spent a lot of money preparing for the expedition and couldn’t rely on Bella forever.
Though Yuric and Bella lived separately, they met periodically to exchange information.
“This item came from a sealed box found in the baron’s underground storage, right?”
Bella examined a crystal seal about the size of her middle finger.
This was an item that came from a sealed box Yuric had brought from the east. The box contained fifteen circuit diagrams of sealing magic.
When they arrived at the Mage Tower city of Ronadium, three seals remained, but they managed to break all the seals while living in the city. That was how this crystal seal was discovered.
While the item seemed simple compared to the complex seals, there wasn’t much that could be deduced from it alone. With the discovery of Arcanum’s headquarters, interest in the crystal seal waned.
Still, he believed this item must have some use somewhere.
“It looks like it’s part of some device…”
Inside the crystal seal, there were indeed circuits carved. However, it was far from being considered magic. The seal looked like a part of a massive circuit.
Although Bella was an expert in history, even she found it difficult to discern anything significant from just this item. The crystal was also made over different eras, making it hard to pinpoint a specific period.
Yuric took the crystal seal to a shop that specialized in buying and selling magical items, hoping to find out where it was produced.
The old man, who had handled crystals for over fifty years, scrutinized the crystal seal thoroughly, examining it from all angles, touching it, and even tasting it.
“This is definitely from Hrueldelphia in the north.”
“Hrueldelphia?”
“There are three famous places for producing crystals on the continent: Krelton in the center, Frianor in the east, and Hrueldelphia in the north. While they may look similar to ordinary people, those who handle crystals for a long time can feel slight differences.”
The old man held the crystal seal up to his eye level.
“The crystals from Hrueldelphia have a clearer reflection, a clearer sound, and taste less bland.”
“I see.”
“This is a high-quality crystal from Hrueldelphia. This alone could fetch tens of gold coins.”
Yuric thanked the old man and paid for the inspection before leaving.
“Since this seal was made in the north, there must be more to learn there.”
He decided that a more detailed investigation should start in the north and put the crystal seal back in its case.
After a month of working as a tutor and researching magic, someone from the Magic Academy in the east came first. Though the academy was small compared to its size, it had research facilities.
The director of the historical research lab, who was affiliated with both the academy and the Mage Tower, warmly greeted Yuric upon seeing him. He had visited the headquarters of Arcanum in Ronadium several times. Yuric recognized him by face even though he didn’t know his name.
“How long has it been, Mr. Yuric!”
The director, named Irihian, was genuinely surprised by the paper, feeling as if he couldn’t breathe.
“But is this all true? Of course, I’m not doubting you, but it’s such an incredible event…”
Irihian struggled to understand how to interpret Yuric’s paper. Even when Yuric discovered Duran’s treasure or the headquarters of Arcanum, he didn’t find it unbelievable.
However, this paper about Verzig… it surpassed Irihian’s imagination as a historian.
If all of this was true, it would create an unimaginable impact on the field of history, and Yuric’s name would be immortalized.
“There is no exaggeration; it’s all true.”
Yuric confidently affirmed. Hearing this, Irihian almost collapsed.
It wasn’t just about uncovering the history of Verzig. Not only did they find Verzig, which had vanished mysteriously four hundred years ago, but they also returned it to its original place. This was undoubtedly a historic event that would never happen again.
“Mr. Yuric… this isn’t an ordinary matter. It will cause more of a stir than when the headquarters of Arcanum was found.”
Yuric was prepared for this.
But first, he thought he needed to do something else.
“I want to inform Lord Duke Morifrid of this and first recover the remains of the victims inside Verzig.”
Those who met untimely deaths due to unforeseen accidents.
They were heroes of the east and of humanity.
Before revealing the truth of history, he believed it was important to honor and recover their sacrifices.
Irihian agreed with this reasoning and helped Yuric seek an audience with Lord Duke Morifrid. The response came sooner than expected, within just a few days. They were ordered to appear before the grand hall immediately.
Yuric, along with Irihian and Bella, went to meet Lord Duke Morifrid in the castle.
Even though it was late, the matter was too serious for Lord Duke Morifrid to retire.
“It’s been a while since we last met, Your Grace. I am the mage Yuric.”
“Oh, it’s been a while. Welcome.”
Remembering him as the dragon knight introduced through the Golden Hand, Lord Duke Morifrid clearly remembered him.
“Is your letter truly accurate?”
“Yes, everything is true.”
The courtiers sitting nearby gasped softly. The legend of the guardian tower of the east disappearing overnight was something they had heard from their grandparents.
“Your heart for remembering our ancestors is truly commendable.”
“Without their sacrifice, how could humanity have reached this point?”
Lord Duke Morifrid nodded contentedly.
“Our Morifrid family will spare no expense or effort for this matter.”
“Thank you very much.”
“Thank me. I’m truly grateful for finding Verzig.”
Of course, he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, but considering the dragon knight and the lab director from the Magic Academy were present, there was little room for doubt.
Thus, Lord Duke Morifrid drafted a large-scale order to recover the remains inside Verzig. He even included his eldest son among the personnel, demonstrating the respect shown by the Morifrid family.
With over a hundred people preparing, the news spread rapidly in Riander. Verzig had returned to its original location. Naturally, the easterners were skeptical. The content was too unbelievable to accept based solely on rumors.
“Really! There were even mercenaries who rode dragons!”
“That brat Gegan Dagin sure likes to brag.”
“Kieran and Giranos said the same thing. It was a secret mission carried out by the mercenaries’ guild! And why would the baron act this way unless it was true? They’re going to recover the remains inside Verzig.”
Amidst the rumors, the Morifrid procession set out for the cliffs of Verzig. It was a grand procession with twenty carriages.
And after twenty-one days of traveling, they finally arrived at the cliffs of Verzig.
“It’s real! There really is a tower!”
Even a wyvern was flying around on top of the tower. The eldest son hesitated whether he should approach, but Yuric reassured him and called Ashborn.
The wyvern flew swiftly to Yuric and landed. Everyone was in awe, unable to believe they were seeing a wyvern with their own eyes. The knights reacted similarly.
“You have come, dragon knight.”
Yuric climbed onto the wyvern’s head. Ashborn soared into the sky instantly. Everyone watched in disbelief.
The hero of the current age. The hero of the present era.
This thought crossed everyone’s minds simultaneously.
