Chapter 65: Echoes of the First Emperor

The forest was silent.

No birds sang.

No insects chirped.

Even the wind seemed unwilling to disturb the ancient altar.

Kael remained motionless.

His breathing was uneven.

The vision still burned into his mind.

An army...

Not of one kingdom.

Not of one race.

But of the entire continent.

Standing beneath one banner.

Walter grabbed Kael's shoulder.

"You scared us."

"What happened?"

Kael looked back at his companions.

For a moment...

He considered telling them everything.

The ruined world.

The united races.

The endless battlefield.

Instead...

He simply shook his head.

"I don't fully understand it myself."

Darius studied the altar.

"What did you see?"

Kael looked toward the shattered stone.

"A warning."

The Ancient Altar

Leon crouched beside the broken monument.

His fingers brushed away centuries of dirt.

"There are carvings."

Iris knelt beside him.

"They're old."

"Very old."

Most of the inscriptions had been destroyed.

Only fragments remained.

One image survived almost untouched.

A dragon with eleven stars surrounding it.

Beneath it...

Figures of different races stood shoulder to shoulder.

Humans.

Elves.

Dwarves.

Orcs.

Beastmen.

Sea Folk.

Others whose shapes had long since eroded away.

Walter frowned.

"I thought humans have always ruled this continent."

Grom slowly shook his head.

"No."

Everyone turned toward the old goblin.

"My grandfather..."

"My grandfather's grandfather..."

"They told stories."

He looked at the carving.

"Stories everyone thought were myths."

"They said..."

"There was once an age..."

"...when all races fought together."

Silence fell over the group.

"They called it..."

"The Age of Unity."

Forgotten History

Darius folded his arms.

"I've never heard of it."

Grom nodded.

"Because humans burned those stories."

"Orcs changed them."

"Goblins forgot them."

"Every race rewrote history."

Walter blinked.

"Why?"

"Because after the war ended..."

"They went back to fighting each other."

Kael stared at the carving.

"History repeats itself..."

The Imperial System

The familiar blue window appeared.

Ancient Knowledge Discovered

Historical Record Found

Current Completion:

1%

The Age of Unity

Information Restricted

Unlock Requirement:

Continue exploring the world.

Recover lost monuments.

Kael frowned.

"The system knows..."

"It's been waiting for me to find this."

An Unexpected Discovery

Hugo called from deeper within the ruins.

"Your Highness!"

"I found something!"

Everyone hurried over.

Hidden beneath collapsed stone...

Was a narrow staircase.

It descended into darkness.

Walter smiled.

"Well..."

"I guess we're going underground."

Darius raised his hand.

"No."

He looked toward the sky.

"The sun is setting."

"We don't know what's down there."

"Half the village needs our help."

Kael nodded.

"We'll come back."

He looked at the staircase one last time.

"Seal the entrance."

"No one enters."

The Black Dragons immediately began piling heavy stones over the stairway.

Not to bury it forever.

Only until Kael returned.

Returning to Ashfall

By the time they reached the village...

The fires had finally been extinguished.

Smoke drifted lazily into the evening sky.

Villagers worked beside Black Dragons.

Not because they had been ordered.

Because everyone had chosen to help.

Kael watched quietly.

Walter carried lumber alongside farmers.

Leon repaired damaged fences.

Even Iris...

Who usually avoided crowds...

Was helping children search for lost belongings.

The old village elder approached once more.

"Your Highness."

Kael turned.

The elder held out a small wooden box.

"It's nothing valuable."

"But..."

"Our village wishes to thank you."

Kael opened it.

Inside...

Was a simple dragon pendant carved from oak.

Handmade.

Its edges were rough.

Far from perfect.

The elder smiled.

"Our craftsmen made these generations ago."

"They were never sold."

"They were only given..."

"...to people this village considered family."

Kael looked at the pendant for a long moment.

It wasn't worth gold.

Or silver.

Yet...

It felt more valuable than any jewel.

He accepted it with both hands.

"I'll treasure it."

A Soldier's Choice

As the Black Dragons prepared camp outside the village...

One of the younger soldiers approached Darius.

"Captain."

Darius looked up.

"What is it?"

"I joined because I needed money."

He looked toward Kael.

"But..."

"I think..."

"...I'd follow him even without it."

Nearby...

Another soldier overheard.

"So would I."

A third nodded.

"I've served under three nobles."

"He's the first one who fights beside us."

Darius smiled to himself.

He had heard enough.

Later that night...

He walked toward Kael's tent.

Kael was studying the map of the surrounding provinces.

Without looking up, he asked,

"What is it?"

Darius stood at attention.

"I've served the Empire for thirty-two years."

"I've fought in border wars."

"I've trained knights."

"I've watched princes compete."

He knelt.

Not because Kael was royalty.

Because of the man he had become.

"From this day forward..."

"My sword..."

"My life..."

"And my honor..."

"Belong to you."

Kael immediately stepped forward.

He grasped Darius by the shoulders and helped him stand.

"I don't want servants."

Darius met his eyes.

"I know."

"I want comrades."

A smile spread across the old commander's face.

"Then..."

"You have one."

The Emperor Receives News

Back in the Imperial Capital...

Commander Severus Kane entered the Emperor's private study.

He handed over a sealed report.

The Emperor read it in silence.

One page.

Then another.

Finally...

He reached the last line.

Prince Kael successfully defended Ashfall Village.

No Black Dragon fatalities.

Relief efforts personally organized by the Prince.

Refused monetary reward.

Accepted only a handmade wooden pendant from the villagers.

The emperor slowly closed the report.

A faint smile appeared.

"He chose the pendant."

The chancellor looked confused.

"Your Majesty?"

The emperor stood and walked toward the window overlooking the capital.

"When a ruler begins valuing the hearts of his people..."

"...more than the treasures in his treasury..."

"He has taken his first true step toward becoming emperor."

Far away...

Unknown to everyone...

Deep beneath the sealed altar...

Something stirred.

Two crimson eyes slowly opened in the darkness.

A voice, ancient and weak, echoed through the forgotten chamber.

"...He has come..."

"...just as the prophecy foretold..."

The chains binding the unseen figure rattled softly.

"...At last..."