Emperor of Steel

Chapter 154: Yggdrasil 1

Once Luke took the Kratos, he went back to the accommodation. He was visited by Erwin.

“What happened? You have been staying in your room all this time since the moment you stepped foot in the capital,” Luke said.

“…”

“It was said that the health of the High Elf Erenes is bad. Have you heard anything about it?” Asked Luke

Erwin was just silent in response to Luke’s questions.

Erenes was considered to be the Sage of all fairies. That was why he thought that Erwin was feeling bad after hearing those things.

But after some time, he found out that things were different between them.

“It doesn’t matter to you what happens to my teacher.”

“What? Erenes is your teacher?” Luke asked.

“You didn’t know? Ah, now that I think about, I never told you.”

Luke wasn’t able to hide his shock. An elven wizard who was persistently following him was the disciple of Erenes.

‘This is so tangled up…’

Luke looked up at Erwin and asked,

“Do you know that your teacher is in our estate?”

“I heard about it the last time through magic communication.”

“Then, aren’t you going to meet him?” Luke asked.

Of course, Erwin would have to go, but the answer she gave was unexpected.

“No, I will go later. I’ll have to leave.”

“Leave?”

At the sudden words from the elven woman, Luke’s eyes went wide.

“I have something I need to do all of a sudden,” she answered.

‘Why is this woman doing this?’

She stayed in her room the whole time while she was in the capital and suddenly wanted to leave? And she didn’t want to go and meet her teacher, who was sick?

It wasn’t like she didn’t know what was important.

“Can’t you let me know of the reason?”

“I don’t have to,” she responded.

“Well, you don’t have to.”

Perhaps Erenes and Reina met, so Erwin no longer needed the truth about the Earth’s tears.

With those thoughts, Luke sent her off.

Erwin looked over at Reina, who was beside Luke.

Reina nodded as she had already finished speaking with Erenes.

Erwin left the accommodation. Before disappearing into the darkness, she seemed rather sorry.

“I am sorry for not letting you know the truth. But I will do my best to protect that woman,” she mumbled to herself.

The day she arrived at the capital, she attempted a magic communication with her teacher, Erenes.

She came to know about him meeting Princess Reina, and that she was willing to cooperate in opening the door of the Spirit World.

Earth’s Tears, the key to the door of the Spirit World.

Using the tears was a huge problem for the one in possession of it.

In the worst-case scenario, one could lose their life.

After knowing that, she could never let Luke know of the truth.

If Luke found out, he was surely going to be against it to protect the woman he loves.

Erwin staying in her room after coming to the capital was to create a ritual for the ceremonial opening of the Spirit World.

The High Elf Erenes and his disciple Erwin were the ones representing the fairies.

‘I made an excuse, but I need to be prepared to go to the place where the ceremony has to take place. But first I need to see Sylvia.’

Erwin was determined and began to unfold her teleportation magic.

Her body, which was wrapped in bright light, quickly warped somewhere.

A week later…

Erwin, who had prepared everything, appeared at Lamer.

She immediately sent a letter to the manor, and Reina, who returned from the capital, went to an empty mansion outside the city to meet with Erwin as told in the letter.

“Are you fine with this? You’re not regretting it, are you?” Erwin asked.

“I have promised you. I learned to never go back on a promise,” Reina responded with a smile.

“Even then, if Marquis Luke knows of this, he will surely be disappointed…”

At the words of Erwin, Reina’s smile turned bitter.

Reina hadn’t told anyone about her appointment and promise with High Elf Erenes.

And if Luke or the people around her found out about it, they would become crazy.

That was why she decided to keep the promise a secret from them.

“If I could, I want to be with him and grow old with him. But because of my selfish greed, I can’t let the world trample the fairies who lived through their promises and faced nothing but suffering all their lives.”

‘Surely, the chosen one for the Earth’s tears is different,’ thought Erwin.

At her resolute reply, Erwin couldn’t help but admire her.

“One thing that is bound to happen is I’m going to hurt Luke a lot when this works. So, I beg of you, once the door to the Spirit World opens and the fairies regain their power, please look after Lord Luke,” Reina asked.

“Yes, I will do that.”

“Princess Reina, aren’t you losing hope so easily?”

A third person had entered the conversation. Reina and Erwin turned to the place where the voice came from.

It was High Elf Erenes, who was seated in a wheelchair.

“Cough! Cough! It’s is true that one has to be conscious of the danger, and it is clear that things can go wrong. But if you have someone special, don’t give up hope so easily.”

Reina smiled with sadness in her eyes while listening to Erenes speak.

“In the end… We’re counting on you.”

Erenes wanted to be the host of the ritual; that would leave him great glory in history.

However, his body wasn’t strong enough to withstand the distance between the place they would teleport in to.

Erwin, who looked at her teacher’s sadness, spoke in an indifferent tone,

“Don’t worry. Just take good care of yourself.”

“Huhu, sure,” responded Erenes.

She was a cold disciple on the outside, but she was well acquainted with emotions.

‘This could be the last time…’

Erenes’ body was broken by the magic of Lich Arsene.

No matter how many potions or elixirs he took, none of them worked.

No one knew if mythical herbs like the Ambrosia or the Nectar existed. Erwin knew very well that she couldn’t save her master anymore, so she decided to be strong.

‘Lich Arsene! I will make sure to make you pay for making my teacher suffer like this!’ She vowed to herself.

Although they were considered to be purer than humans, there was a saying that once they get stuck up on a grudge, they wouldn’t back down even if the world was about to end.

The pure emotion of Rage.

Burning with hostility toward Arsene, Erwin began to draw long-distance teleport circles in the mansion’s garden.

The long-distance teleport magic could be done by 7 circle wizards, but the complex part of placing the coordination calculations was done by an 8 circle wizard.

However, Erwin was one of the best elven wizards, who were superior to humans, so she was able to build the magic circles in just two hours.

“Please come this way.”

Calling Reina toward her, she disappeared after a while with a bright light.