Awakening the Great Chapter 87

Chapter 87: The Hidden Palace

The wind had shifted.

Calix gently pulled the reins. The warhorse leading the column let out a short snort and ca to a halt. Since Basim had lost his way, Calix had taken over and was now guiding the group.

The Mountain Rabbits' destination was the highland forest behind Sasingya—a place blanketed in evergreen trees and snow-dusted boulders year-round.

He paused to steady his breath. A distant energy was rising and unfurling through the air. A biting cold, and beyond it, a soft tremor. Warm yet carrying a weighty gravity.

'It's mana. The force that guards the mountain range.'

Then, the core within his heart resonated faintly. It wasn't a defensive response. It seed to have sensed the external force, communicated with it—even welcod it.

Calix raised his head. From sowhere, he felt a gaze watching over the mountain range. An unnad presence, yet one that carried both severity and generosity intertwined.

"Definitely……. We've stepped into the Viale Mountain Alliance."

He murmured quietly. They had crossed entirely out of the Niboria Empire's territory. They were nearly at their destination.

And at the sa mont—

He registered once more that the presence of 'it', which had always hovered at the edge of everything, had grown faint.

Draug.

No longer was there any ear-splitting whisper, nor any threat squeezing at his heart. Only far away, so very far away……. A faint shadow crawled in the distance.

With that, Calix pressed forward. Past the snowy trees, over the rocky ridge, through a shallow stream—and it was right at that mont.

In the distance, a massive structure erged from within the thick mist.

A towering arched gate.

Its surface was carved with delicate engravings, blending harmoniously with the surrounding landscape without disturbing nature's beauty. It was as though a giant, broken by the passage of ti, had bent its knees and fallen into slumber.

* * *

Royce raised his hand and brought the group to a stop. The Mountain Rabbits fell silent as one.

The surroundings were quiet.

Dense mist dragged itself across the ground between white snowy trees, and snowflakes had settled here and there. The towering old-growth trees of the highland forest stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a magnificent wall, and between their gaps, ancient stone pillars and carvings lay intertwined.

Nature and man-made architecture had rged into one. As though the forest itself were a single fortress, breathing in quiet stillness.

And soon, several shadows seeped out from within the mist.

Swish, swish.

Their footsteps were almost inaudible.

Elven sentinels.

Draped in silver cloaks, they glided down through the trees like ghosts. Not even the moss-covered rocks or the gnarled roots could impede them.

Their hands carried bows, though loosely. But their eyes alone glead with a piercing sharpness as they swept over the uninvited guests.

Shing.

The Mountain Rabbits reflexively drew their weapons. Calix too tensed, placing his right hand on the hilt of his sword.

Then, the elves whispered in a language no one could understand. The aning was unclear, but the hostile atmosphere was easy enough to read.

Within their words lay wariness, suspicion, and the weight of old grievances.

"Don't move."

At that, the dwarf Basim stepped forward. With a low word of warning, he moved to the front and began to speak in an unfamiliar tongue. When Royce gave a nod, the Mountain Rabbits slowly lowered their weapons.

"……It's an elf. An actual elf."

"I'd heard they looked like fairies—turns out it was true."

Even while maintaining their guard and tension, so among them couldn't conceal a quiet curiosity. Beings they had never once encountered. A single eting was enough to lend an air of unreality, as though they had stepped into legend.

Yet beneath the outward beauty lurked a disposition as cold as frost.

Crunch, crunch.

One of the elven sentinels stepped forward. Long flowing silver hair, finely sculpted features, blue eyes, and pointed ears. In particular, her eyes held the quiet dignity of starlight in a night sky.

Soon, the elven woman examined the insignia that Royce had handed over. Again ca words that were difficult to comprehend.

"It's the genuine insignia of the Elvra Holy Empire. So then, humans—what is your purpose?"

"Tell her: letter delivery."

Just as Basim was translating in his distinctly dwarven cadence, so among the sentinels let out a scoffing sound. The elven woman frowned slightly, but paid it no mind and continued.

And the impromptu interpreter……. remained faithful to his duties. Even if it was an insult directed at himself, he conveyed every single word into the human tongue without omitting a single syllable.

"……Dwarf, I rember your face. Did you not leave the mountain range of your own choosing? To return now on a whim. You are not of our tribe, but you make quite a wretched display of yourself."

"……."

The atmosphere solidified in an instant.

The Mountain Rabbits would not stand idly by while their comrade was insulted. They placed their hands on their weapons and let killing intent leak out, and in turn, the elves' bowstrings drew taut.

A ferocity that could draw blood at any mont.

Right at that instant, Volga strode forward. Both fists planted on his hips, chin raised high.

"So what? We're the Mountain Rabbits! Basim is a small but mighty Mountain Rabbit! He's the kind of man who wouldn't flinch even before Emperor Caracal! He's not soone the likes of you can mock—a dwa…… He's not a dwarf!"

A brief silence followed.

The few elves who understood the human language made strange expressions, while the Mountain Rabbits nodded along and couldn't help but laugh despite themselves.

Thanks to that subtle crack, the tension that had been hovering in the air quietly dissolved.

Basim let out a sigh and grumbled.

"……Can't even understand what's being said, yet here we are."

Even so, he let out a small laugh, as though he found it utterly absurd.

His disciple was, sohow, an endearingly dim-witted fool.

* * *

Before long, the sentinels opened the path.

"They've said to let us through."

"Who did?"

"Luen Silius. The leader of the Silant Tribe who guards the highland forest—the fellow."

At Basim's blunt remark, the elven woman walking ahead furrowed her brow. But she said nothing in the end. She was leading the Mountain Rabbits into the 'Deep Forest'.

The surrounding air felt alien. The leaves trembled gently, as though whispering, and a mist as light as snow blossoms tickled their ankles before dissipating.

There was no brick-paved road, yet stone lanterns lit the way ahead. Along either side stood moss-covered sculptures in a row.

Trudge, trudge.

With every step forward, a quiet gaze followed behind. Between branches, within the shadows of ancient trees. The eyes of the forest's inhabitants swept over the group. The older elves showed their wariness openly, while the younger the elf, the more evident their undisguised curiosity.

'Humans……. They're humans.'

'Why have they co all the way here?'

Not a single word was exchanged, yet the eyes alone said everything.

And a mont later.

Reaching the heart of the forest, the Mountain Rabbits let out exclamations of wonder.

"Wow!"

"Would you look at that. It's no different from a palace!"

Calix stared in silence at the awe-inspiring sight before him.

His entire field of vision was filled with the image of a hidden court. The roots of towering trees were woven into the ceiling, and the floor was blanketed with damp moss like a carpet. Unlike outside, a warm breeze circulated through the corridors—it was, truly, a structure fashioned by nature itself.

And it was there that the leader of the Silant Tribe waited.

Luen Silius.

He regarded the Mountain Rabbits with a tranquil gaze. Silver hair carrying a faint radiance, a face that was clear yet cold. He exuded a deep, ancient dignity—like a living old-growth tree.

The color Calix perceived was golden. On par with a Supre-Rank Swordsman. A quiet, layered pressure, built from the accumulated weight of countless years.

"You have traveled far, strangers. I have been awaiting your arrival."

He welcod the visitors in fluent human tongue. At that, Royce stepped forward in his capacity as representative. At last, from within his breast, a single letter erged.

"I am Royce of the Mountain Rabbits. On behalf of Sier Lagrin, Doctrinal Chancellor of the Elvra Holy Empire, I deliver this letter."

Luen received it.

But he did not unfold it.

He rely gave a slight tilt of his head before speaking in a deep, resonant voice.

"I know what they desire."

A single brief remark, spoken with unwavering certainty.

The gazes of Royce and Calix crossed for a fleeting mont. He already knew of the Holy Empire's desperation.

"Then……. Will you offer your assistance as requested?"

And so, to the question that followed, he answered with a composed manner.

"Viale is a kingdom where elves and dwarves live together. In terms of tribes, there are eight leaves and five rocks, so to speak. And we have forgotten how to gather beneath a single banner. That is a rare thing—sothing experienced long, long ago."

Calix listened with bated breath.

"We know a wicked force stirs, yet we are still consud by confusion. And now—to join hands with humans. Is that……. Truly a thing that can be done."

At the end of his words, not even a bitter smile lingered. Only cold reality resided there.

"Of course, I understand it is a necessary thing. And yet the heart following along is an entirely different matter."

Luen held the letter in hand and gazed out at the vast forest.

"Long ago, we waged war against those from beyond."

"Those from beyond, you say……."

He steadied his breath. As though poison might seep onto his tongue if he weren't careful, he hesitated at length before murmuring in a low voice.

"De Generitum."

The space trembled at those few words. The surrounding air chilled, and an invisible weight bore down upon the leader's shoulders.

That na was no re word. A being that even after living centuries as an elf, he had not forgotten—and never would. It was, in itself, a curse, a disillusionnt, and a harbinger of ruin yet to co.

Luen continued, his gaze on the Mountain Rabbits.

"The one who rose from the black earth. The one who rejects all that is natural, defies it, and breathes life into dead things. He has not fully recovered—not yet. But it will not be long. Slowly, and certainly, he draws near. Minebris inford us of this personally."

"Minebris, you say——"

"I refer to the exalted one who protects Viale. Humans call them a 'Mage'"

For a mont, a heavy silence descended.

Basim furrowed his thick brows and muttered under his breath, while Hadiya let out a low groan, her complexion having drained to white. The sensation of every living thing instinctively shrinking in on itself. The heart constricted, and a chilling unease circulated through the veins.

It was because within that na dwelt a power of fundantal desecration and defiance—surpassing re strength or fear.

Calix too steadied his breathing in response. He felt a faint tremor within the core of his heart.

Once more, Royce asked.

"Then those words……. Do they an a refusal?"

The corners of Luen's lips curved faintly upward. Humans always demanded a clear direction. The beings before him now, the friends of the past, even the mage Yelayen had once been the sa.

But the smile vanished just as quickly, and in its absence, a hollow feeling took root.

"I am not refusing. I have rely spoken of reality."

"Reality, you say……."

"I rember. The mont we faced that wicked being. But those who experienced it are few. Fear does not last long, and with ti, it is forgotten. Then for what, exactly, are we to shed our blood?"

At that point, he t Calix's eyes. His clear pupils shone brightly, as though trying to illuminate the depths within.

"A council will be convened to deliberate on this. For all the tribes of Viale to gather as one, ti is needed. Given the distances involved, it will take at least two months."

"……Two months."

Royce rubbed his forehead and murmured quietly.

Two months. Short, if one chose to see it that way—long, if another.

Shortly after, Luen Silius swept his gaze over the visitors one final ti. There was no wavering in those clear eyes.

"Whether to depart or to wait—the choice is yours."

It was a plain answer, offered out of consideration for the humans. Neither persuasion nor coercion. Leaving only the weight of the choice behind, he stepped back a single pace.

Imdiately after, a brief proposal was added.

"If you have delivered the Order's letter, there should also be an insignia to pass to the Mage. If you do not intend to leave at once, seek them out first."

His gaze drifted slowly toward the outskirts of the court.

And then, with light and unhurried steps, a single figure approached.

Silver hair drifting softly in the air, sky-blue eyes shining with a deep and quiet light. Over black leather trousers and a simple cloth garnt, a slender silver dagger hung at the hip.

She walked forward with movents free of any excess.

Airien Silius.

There was no self-introduction. She simply bowed her head quietly in lieu of a greeting.

The Mountain Rabbits each regarded her in their own way. A woman they had encountered before. The one who had led the sentinels. Within their eyes lay wariness and curiosity intertwined. Perhaps, even a vague sense of expectation.

Luen inford them briefly.

"She is my child. She will guide you to the Mage."

Calix idly ran his hand once across the back of his hand. Royce and Marik exchanged glances and, without a word, gave a nod.

Ti and opportunity had been given.

And now, it was once again their turn to make a decision. The breath of the mountain range remained still as ever, yet the seedling of fate was once again lifting its head.