Awakening the Great Chapter 91

Chapter 91: Rise

The evening sky stained the walls with the color of dusk.

The tribal chieftains of the Viale Mountain Alliance entered the council hall one by one, each wearing a heavy expression. Representatives of five Dwarf tribes and eight Elf tribes filled their seats amid tension. The Alliance Chairman's seat at the center stood empty.

The Mountain Rabbits had also taken their places as observers. Captain Royce, Vice-captain Marik, Calix, Basim, and the priestess Ella — five in total. For now, there was neither welco nor condemnation directed at them. Only cautious scrutiny existed.

Inside the hall, sounds echoed — the stroking of axe handles, the rustling of banners in the wind, and the scraping of chairs against the floor. A taut tension hung in the air.

Tap, tap.

At that mont, Luen Silius, the leader of the Silant tribe, broke the silence.

"This is a Alliance council eting for the first ti in no less than two hundred years. I thought it would take at least two months to convene, yet everyone has gathered before the fifth night has passed. That alone speaks to how grave the situation has beco. The envoy sent by Kalahim, the collapse of the barrier, the crisis beyond our borders — today, we must discuss and decide the future of Viale."

Calix swept his gaze around the room. The colors that t his eyes were nothing short of brilliant. Perhaps because these were all figures of leadership — the hall was filled with a great many violet hues and a rare few golden ones.

Yet even as the eting's opening had been announced, no one opened their mouth.

"Ahem."

The Dwarf across from him wore a thick suit of armor draped with a cape embroidered with a hamr crest. He stroked his beard roughly with one hand and murmured with those beside him. Between his deep wrinkles lay a strong undercurrent of discontent.

By contrast, an Elf man with leaf patterns sewn along his sleeves was coldly scanning the other leaders. It was then that Basim whispered his na.

"The stubborn-looking one from before is Ulrick Snob, who leads the Snowbrack tribe. That Elf is Feriel Vanel, the head of Belarin. Calculating-looking bastard, right?"

Before long, those who could be won over and those who could not were clearly sorted.

The opposition moved first.

"We must tread carefully. Now is the ti to watch and wait."

"Agreed. It won't be too late to decide after the humans have fallen."

"Exactly. Rather than acting hastily, isn't it better to first gain a clear picture of the current situation?"

The brief exchange of silent glances was short-lived.

The neutral faction began to intervene in earnest, and debate broke out.

"Isn't waiting until after the humans fall already too late?"

"What I an is, let's hold off until the dark forces reach the western edge of Astria. Even fighting there would be a problem, really. What do we do about food? Who supplies the weapons? Don't forget that we live at the far western end."

"Hmm, that's a fair point. But a delayed response could be what tips the scales of war."

"I was just about to say the sa. Just whose war is this, exactly?"

The Dwarf chieftain, Ulrick Snob, slamd down hard on the armrest. He was unmistakably in the opposition. But that only served to provoke a backlash.

"The very desire to avoid it may fan the flas of war even higher."

"That's how fire works, after all. Once it starts to grow, there's no stopping it."

"Wouldn't it be better to form a joint army?"

Imdiately after, the council devolved into disarray.

The tribal leaders argued endlessly over when and how to fight, and whether any coordination with Kalahim or the Elvra Holy Empire was even possible. The fact that the Holy Empire had already t a great crisis was sothing none of them could have imagined.

"Fighting by drawing them into the mountain range — have these damned fools lost their minds entirely!"

"It is you who are the fool. Now, more than ever, is when we must stand united!"

"And for that you'd join hands with humans? How can you trust those people? Is it because you live on nothing but grass? Your thinking is just as thin!"

When the quarrel reached its peak, a single cry silenced all the chaos.

"Wait! Let us first make clear where all of this began. The real problem is that the barrier is gone, is it not?"

A montary silence filled the council hall. Every gaze in the room converged on a single point. The five humans — the Mountain Rabbits.

Calix felt that he was facing a question he could not avoid. His heart beat heavily.

Shortly after, one of the Elf tribal leaders ca at him with a sharp thrust.

"What you did was truly lawless. It was a unilateral act that disregarded the consensus of us all. That barrier had been maintained since the Covenant. Humans had no authority to decide its fate."

In turn, a Dwarf leader added in an equally hostile tone.

"And that's not all. We are not prepared. Our forces are insufficient, and our resources are not plentiful. Can you take responsibility for this? No. Of course not. Humans — all you think about is taking what belongs to others for your own imdiate gain."

Airien watched this unfold with an expression that was difficult to read. She cast her eyes downward, her lips trembling almost imperceptibly, the signs of deliberation plain to see.

At that, Calix t Royce's gaze.

Taking responsibility — that was his place to occupy.

It was ti to step forward.

***

Airien watched the young human walk to the center of the council hall. He was handso, yet that was not why her heart stirred.

'Can you… Change things?'

Doubt and anticipation crossed within her.

In truth, she had felt the need for change for so ti now.

'Viale is dying.'

The age of Elves and Dwarves was drawing to a close. These races, who had represented nature and craftsmanship, had long since ceded their place to humans. If ti continued to pass like this, decline would beco inevitable.

But there were clear limits inherent to each race that made bringing about great change difficult.

Airien's eyes traced the leaders of each tribe. Her own father, Luen Silius, had passed three hundred years of age. The chieftain of Wesaria was considered relatively young among them, and even he carried more than two centuries within him.

The Dwarves were no different. They may not have lived as long as Elves, but there was not a single leader among them who was under a hundred.

'They are all afraid.'

That was why the relatively younger heirs had stepped forward. They had argued that they needed to engage with the outside world, but in the end, they had retreated without any real gain.

The desire to cling to the present state of things — they had simply never been able to break through it. The young man before her was trying to persuade exactly such people.

"I am Calix, of the Mountain Rabbits."

Naturally, the atmosphere in the hall was as cold as if frost had settled over it. Calm, heavy gazes poured in from every direction.

Then, suddenly, soone pointed at him and let out a sound almost like a groan.

"The Return of Oros! How could that human…"

The necklace gifted by the mage held a luminous light. Even those who had been displaying open hostility lost their words and fell silent.

It was proof of recognition bestowed by Minebris.

Every eye in the room was drawn to him naturally. Soon, Calix spoke his first words. It was sothing Airien had not expected at all.

"First, there is one thing that must be addressed. There will be no help from the Elvra Holy Empire. They have already fallen. Minebris, the Guardian, told

directly. Unless we go to their aid, the reverse is not possible."

"……!"

"Then the only place left to form an alliance would be Kalahim. With luck, we may also be able to bring over the nobles governing western Astria."

There were no excuses. He did not even utter the brief words that he had removed the barrier with Minebris's permission.

Instead, he spoke only what was unfavorable to himself, plainly and without adornnt.

'Why?'

Her question was quickly mirrored by Luen Silius.

"…An uncomfortable truth. Why say this? It is content that works against you. This only makes persuading us all the more difficult."

"I said it in order to achieve my goal."

"Your goal? You an getting us to intervene in the war?"

"No. Moving all of you is nothing more than a short-term objective. What I want is victory. Lies are of no use in achieving that purpose."

A strange silence fell. An unexpected response. In that brief instant, a cold voice cut through the council hall. It was Aris Tirfen, an Elf who stood with the opposition.

"Quite the impressive way with words. But human — real-world problems cannot be solved by honesty alone. We have built our ho within the mountain range. Where is the reason for us to be drawn into the chaos beyond?"

Several chieftains nodded in agreent.

Calix did not yield, and held his ground. He t her gaze directly, and drove deep into a point she had not recognized.

"Perhaps so. With only one exception."

"What?"

"Will this war truly end as nothing more than a human problem? If you hide within the lofty mountain range, will your safety be guaranteed?"

The faces of the chieftains hardened. A small murmur spread. Without missing that opening, he continued.

"Even if humans manage to hold back the first wave, a trendous aftermath will follow in its wake. I am not speaking of the Corrupted Lord. Those who have lost their hos to live in will pour westward — into the mountain range. The elderly and children, and soldiers of the Niboria Empire, will all co through."

The hall stirred. The tension rose unmistakably. Along with it, Calix's voice rang out ever more clearly.

"The mountain range is a place to live — not a rampart. Those in desperation will knock at your door, and routed soldiers will flood in and sow chaos. Naturally, not all of them will live according to Kriya's teachings."

Dozens of pairs of eyes beca completely fixed upon a single person.

"That is precisely why you must go out and fight. If you reach out first, you can take the lead. But if you sit still and try to hold back what cos bearing down on you, that is not a fight — it is the road to ruin. This may well be the very mont to expand Viale's influence."

Calix looked around the room once, and then continued.

"So please — stand with us. Viale must no longer be a legend sleeping within the mountains, but an alliance that determines the future of the continent."

At that mont, a surge moved through the outer seats.

Silant, Albant, Heimrak, and others. The tribal heirs let their eyes burn. They exchanged quiet glances, and so leaned in to whisper their thoughts to one another.

"Is that man the Calix the wanderers spoke of?"

"That's him. They said he killed untold numbers of Niboria's soldiers. Apparently it's all anyone talks about these days. I even heard he's revered within Niboria itself."

"Revered by the side that lost? Humans really are strange creatures."

"That just ans he has remarkable ability."

A subtle sense of anticipation and curiosity spread among the young warriors. Airien too was feeling it through her skin.

Slowly, but unmistakably, the tide was turning.

But that brief hope soon collided with fierce opposition. The Dwarf chieftain of Snowbrack, Ulrick Snob, shoved back his chair and let out a roar.

"That is nonsense! Don't be deceived, any of you! The point is that he removed the barrier! He's wagging that snake tongue of his to cover up his own wrongdoing. We will not be taken in by human sophistry!"

Several chieftains lent their voices to his words.

"Those words are truly right. You still have not given an answer. Why did you remove the barrier? To act without consensus — is this not truly a lawless thing?"

At that, Calix stepped forward. The look in his eyes burned like a fla.

"If you had truly wanted consensus, you should have made at least so show of movent. Look at your own reflections in a lake right now. Not one of you steps forward, not one of you tries to take responsibility. The outside world is already crumbling, and yet you do nothing but stay locked in the mountains and asure everything."

His voice gradually rose. It was not anger, and yet within it lay firm reproach.

"That is precisely why I forced your hand. Yes — I did that. I made a request of Minebris, I showed sincerity, and in the end received permission. That is, without question, a heavy responsibility I must bear myself."

"……"

"But, all of you — even just once, look back upon yourselves. Silence is not neutrality. It is nothing but looking away. Those who wait up in the mountains cannot see the flas rising below. Inside a well, the sky looks small — you look up at a single scrap of cloud and deceive yourselves into thinking all is peaceful."

He paused for a mont. He reminded himself inwardly that he could walk forward together, and at the sa ti, he gave the others room to think.

Imdiately after, a low voice followed.

"To say I am not afraid would be a lie. I too am afraid that this may be a foolish choice. But this fear is the fear we all share, and I have decided to carry it and move forward."

Before anyone realized it, the entire council hall had fallen still as though holding its breath.

"I heard from my companion Basim. In those days, you were driven into the mountain range, and you despise humans. I understand your inability to trust. But when darkness descends, that is precisely when the stars shine. Constellations must form to guide those who have lost their way, to point toward the path that leads to tomorrow. The Viale I envision is exactly that kind of existence."

In that mont, Calix's Divinity responded. Reacting to the earnestness of his conviction, a concentrated torrent of mana rose up from within his core. It moved gently through the interior, where not a breath of wind had stirred, and softly patted the shoulders of those who were wounded.

"Please help us. I will not turn away. I may not be able to save everyone, but at every mont I will remain until the very end and be the last light."

"……"

"Prove it. That we can join hands. That when we face sothing wicked, there is courage within us to stand against it."

"……"

"Let us walk together. I am Calix, one of the Mountain Rabbits. We will fight together, weep and laugh together, and beco those who point the way. So now—"

The final words were both a desperate plea and sothing akin to a solemn command.

"Rise."

The chieftains let out low, muffled sighs. Their hearts beat fiercely, yet they barely suppressed it beneath dignity and accumulated years. Then the leader of the opposition, Ulrick Snob, forced out a roar.

"Fine words — but I cannot believe them! What is there to guarantee that promise?"

Scrrrrape!

The one who answered was an Elf standing at the back. Eirak Alban, heir to the Albant tribe, rose from his seat and spoke with composure.

"He has proven it."

"What do you——"

"I heard. That against Niboria's butchers, he saved the elderly, the children, the won. With a re fifty people, the Mountain Rabbits rescued three thousand lives. Indeed — just as he said, he did not turn away."

The old Dwarf's face reddened. He slamd down the armrest to express his rage, but the young Elf's words carried far greater force.

"That is — that is a false rumor!"

"Kalahim said the sa thing."

"……"

"They have earned the right to make that promise."

At that instant, Airien gently closed her eyes. She realized her hands were trembling. She could feel the current of change. It was trying to shatter a frawork that had been rigidly set for hundreds of years. She knew that if she rose, an era would change.

Her mind was filled with hesitation, yet her heart had already made its decision.

Slowly, she rose to her feet.

"It is not your place to——"

"Minebris spoke. That De Generitum had awakened, and that at this rate she would certainly perish. So the disappearance of the barrier was only ever a matter of ti. It is not that human's fault. He only pointed toward tomorrow."

"……"

"Above all — the Guardian of the Mountain Range has acknowledged his path. She has accepted his mission."

There is no answer. No rebuttal, no agreent. Not a single word was spoken.

What broke the silence was not words, but motion.

Thud!

A Dwarf, son of Grim Mogdan, exhaled sharply through his nose and stomped his foot.

Thud!

A Dwarf, nephew of Valo Haim, struck his own chest with a fist.

Thud!

The warriors of Dwarf tribe Dorma Brumak struck their axe handles against the floor.

Thud!

Ulrick Snob's eyes filled with shock. He appeared to have never expected that even his own children would respond.

And they were not alone.

The Elf tribal heirs wore flushed expressions. Their shoulders trembled slightly. One among them quietly rose to their feet. As though it were a signal, those present — opposition and support alike — reacted in unison.

Scrrrape.

Everyone in the hall, save for the chieftains, rose from their seats.

Through unified action, they were urging a decision.

***

Three days later.

A star rose in the western sky.

Viale had broken its centuries of silence, and decided to move.