Another World Reincarnation Chronicle

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The crimson light begins to descend upon the stained plains. A requiem for the departed, who lost their lives fighting against the army of the undead, begins to play.

The thunderous beat of a massive drum and majestic horn calls reverberate through the air. Following that, the soothing voices of the choir gently caress the hearts of the wounded.

As Rain and I approached, it was as if they had been waiting for us, and a makeshift tent was swiftly erected, creating a space for us.

The representative from the Holy Kingdom was an elderly priest with long, white hair.

“They call me Van Isitnel.”

“Hello, Mr. Van.”

The representative from Greenfall was a half-orc named Agul.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Agul.”

“Yes, it has been some time.”

Agul bowed his head with a heavy expression at my greeting. The naturally somber atmosphere grew even heavier around us.

I turned to look at Van Isitnel. After arriving here, I couldn’t help but have several questions.

Where have the paladins, praised as the Holy Kingdom’s top combat force, vanished to? Why did the Holy Kingdom engage in war against the undead without their strongest fighters?

Greenfall was somewhat understandable. The orcs, who lived for battle, would have undoubtedly rushed in without thinking as soon as an enemy showed up. Moreover, the internal strife that once occurred among their races was also likely due to the dark mages. The orcs must harbor a profound hatred for dark mages as well.

I approached the conversation as a wizard from the Mage Tower, not as the adventurer Seris. As I began to explain what I knew and what actions the Mage Tower was currently taking, Agul and Van Isitnel also started to share the information they possessed.

Greenfall, the Holy Kingdom, and the Mage Tower were three factions that had initially been on friendly terms. Their shared goal of defeating the common enemy, the dark mage, allowed for seamless conversation.

The first bit of news came from Agul.

“Greenfall has effectively fallen. The orcs, led by a shaman with a magic book who accepted the power of demons, have risen in rebellion once again…”

“Are you saying that history has repeated itself?”

“Yes. There was no time to prepare. It was as if they were waiting for their moment; rebellions broke out simultaneously, and the capital fell. Their aim seemed to be the Dragon’s Skull, which symbolizes Greenfall’s capital.”

Agul continued to explain with a calm expression.

“Everything has crumbled. Those who were once allies are now enemies engulfed in flames… We fought back, but the numerical superiority was overwhelming. In the end, we had no choice but to head to the neighboring Holy Kingdom, following the orders of the great warrior.”

Once Agul finished his explanation, Van Isitnel took his turn to speak.

“We fared a bit better. Perhaps it’s because the moon goddess was watching over us.”

Just as the dark mage and the undead had appeared in Greenfall, the undead started to surface near the Holy Kingdom as well. Naturally, the priests and paladins had to act to exterminate those undead.

“With the paladins there to protect us and the priests to support them, we had nothing to fear. In fact, we were able to deal with the undead without suffering any significant losses.”

“Then where have all those paladins gone?”

At my question, Van Isitnel let out a deep sigh, his expression darkening. He wiped his forehead with his hand and continued.

“Easy victories give rise to arrogance. Everyone was rejoicing. They spoke of paladins as if they were legendary figures from a crusade. Driven by this momentum, they shouted to drive out all dark mages and undead from this land.”

“And?”

“Then rumors began to spread. Word came that traces of dark mages were being found all over the nation. So, we organized an expedition. We could not turn our backs on those who needed help. But it was a mistake. It was a trap.”

“A trap?”

“Who could have known that a strong paladin order could be brought down by something as simple as a drug? They had been waiting. Waiting for the paladins to leave the Holy Kingdom. They were waiting for the blessings of Ellun to fade away.”

“A drug…?”

I recalled hazy memories at Van Isitnel’s words. A boy sprawled out in a deserted alley, intoxicated by hallucinogens, came to mind.

“They must have been preparing for a long time. Most of the paladins exhibited symptoms of addiction and withdrawal.”

What poured out of Van Isitnel’s mouth was a gruesome tale. Paladins who, under the influence of drugs, couldn’t distinguish friend from foe. As blood began to stain the holy sword that was meant to grant peace to the departed, the brilliant light that should have emanated from the sword began to lose its hue and fade.

“Many died and came back to life. A multitude of death knights arose.”

“Have the paladins been annihilated?”

“It would be safe to say they are effectively annihilated. Some have been reported missing and declared lost, so I dare to hold onto hope…”

“I see…”

“That’s all I can tell you.”

I nodded and rose from my seat. Though I was here as a wizard from the Mage Tower, I had no authority to make any significant decisions.

First, I should report the information gathered from here back to the Mage Tower.

“Thank you for your words. I will return to the Mage Tower and relay what I’ve learned.”

I exited the tent with Rain. The metallic scent of blood wafted through the air as burnt ash rose with the wind into the sky.

“The situation is serious…”

“Indeed.”

I boarded the Gold Return Ship with Rain to return to the Mage Tower. There was no reason to hesitate, so I drew the Golden Sword for the journey.

“Whoa…”

Rain ducked flat on the ground as if bracing for impact. Looking at her, I channeled the powers contained within the Golden Sword.

Like a slime oozing from the ground, golden liquid began to rise. The gold that surged formed a small chair.

“What’s… this?”

Rain looked up at the suddenly emerged golden chair. I chuckled softly and responded.

“I’m sorry for not preparing for you. If you sit in the chair and buckle the safety belt, you won’t end up rolling on the floor anymore.”

“R-really?”

“Yes.”

At my response, Rain’s face brightened with a smile. She sprang up from her seat and enveloped herself in the long safety belt of the golden chair.

“Then I’ll get going.”

“Okay…!”

Our destination was the Mage Tower. I plunged the Golden Sword into the ground.

Boom—!

With the shockwave of a sonic boom, the surrounding scenery stretched and turned into lines. The airship, wrapped in the turbulent storm, arrived at the Mage Tower in an instant.

As I retrieved the Golden Sword, I glanced at Rain to see if the chair and safety belt we prepared were effective. Rain’s expression appeared more relaxed than before.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Very good.”

Rain and I exited the Gold Return Ship and headed towards the Tower of Dawn. As the massive storm revealed the golden airship, several wizards looked up from below, though none seemed particularly alarmed.

By the way, the number of wizards had significantly decreased. This was likely due to many being dispatched to investigate the traces of dark mages, as noted in the paper Rain had handed me.

Upon reaching the Tower of Dawn, Rain and I were able to meet Haiven without any formal procedure. He welcomed us as if he had been waiting for our return.

“Welcome back, Seris. And Rain.”

On Haiven’s desk were stacks of documents that appeared to be reports from other wizards. Even now, at this moment, a small slate shimmered, imprinting words onto a new sheet of paper, which suggested that Haiven too was in the midst of a busy schedule.

“We completed the mission perfectly. As noted in the report, we recovered Lord Leonis’ belongings, but…”

Rain was tasked with reporting the mission completion. I, while leaving Rain and Haiven to converse, began to sift through the piles of documents on the desk.

[New plague outbreak in the Hairan Plateau]

[Multiple undead sightings near the Karma Empire]

[Request for assistance on the Burning Road]

[Discovery of a magic circle for a ritual in the Abandoned Mine of Raoum]

[Urgent request for support against the emergence of liches]

[Confirmation of numerous mages corrupted into dark mages]

The large, crimson letters were impossible to ignore. I continued to frown while looking down at the ever-growing pile of documents.

“…Ris…Seris?”

“Oh, yes.”

Haiven’s calls pulled me from my thoughts, awakening my consciousness quickly.

“I apologize for what I’m about to say to you, especially after returning from your mission…”

Haiven hesitated, as if genuinely regretting his words. I could guess what was to come next.

“Are you able to take on the next mission immediately?”

“I’ll do it.”

“Really…?”

Was this unexpected? Haiven looked at me with a skeptical expression that wouldn’t fade.

“It’s my fault that all of this happened. I have to take responsibility.”

“You say it was your fault…?”

I began to briefly explain to Haiven what had occurred in the Lower Realm. The magic book I had obtained by chance and my intention of utilizing it to create the Core of Mana.

While Haiven quietly listened, his eyebrows twitched, and he spoke up.

“Indeed… I find it hard to say you are without fault.”

“So…”

“However, it cannot be deemed entirely your fault. The demons of the Grimshade Kingdom have always targeted this land.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course, that incident may have served as a catalyst. But didn’t you hear? They have been working for a long time to turn the Holy Kingdom’s paladins into drug users. They sought to dismantle their most threatening faction. This has been in the works for quite a while. It was all predestined, really.”

“Hmm…”

“Well, if your views haven’t changed, then you can simply put in the effort with that sense of responsibility, can’t you?”