Chapter 88

Chapter 88 – The Enveloping One, Minebris

A small clearing on the outskirts of the forest.

The Mountain Rabbits sat gathered quietly around a campfire. A piece of dried firewood cracked and split. Someone flinched, but silence soon returned.

The mission was half-complete.

The Elvra Holy Empire's letter had been delivered to the Viale side, and with that, only one official task remained. Visiting the mage and presenting the proof.

Yet now, they were deliberating. More precisely, it was the core members including Royce whose hearts weighed heavily.

"Two months."

The leader of the Mountain Rabbits lifted his head and spoke.

"Two months at minimum, just to wait for the results of the alliance conference."

Zahira clenched the hands resting on her knees. The Mountain Rabbits of a year ago would have seen it as a rest period and taken their ease. But circumstances had changed now.

"Two months is enough time for… Anything to happen."

That was the problem.

They had already ridden the crest of the wave. They had decided to step beyond the frame of a mercenary group and climb higher. The leader and Vice-captain, Calix and the ordinary members alike — all had agreed.

And so the momentum could not be allowed to break. Rest when resting, but until they reached a clear objective, they needed to stir up a fierce wind.

Just then, Basim offered a meaningful remark.

"If the boulder doesn't move, the river wears away the mountain. We completed today's task, but we haven't seized tomorrow."

His tone was indifferent, yet the weight behind the words was immense.

Vice-captain Marik let out a low murmur and added,

"He speaks truly. If it ends here, we may receive praise from the Order for our hard work, but we won't gain 'decision-making power'"

Calix looked out into the darkness beyond the thicket. The sound of insects drifted in from afar. The Mountain Rabbits' worries bore a striking resemblance to his own concerns about swordsmanship.

What comes next?

Without pause, Zahira stepped forward and drove the point home.

"That's right. We've only grabbed the hilt that Elvra extended. If we stay still, we'll be swayed by their will. The target simply changes — from Astria to Elvra. That, truly, is not good."

Silence settled once more.

Calix looked at each of his companions in turn. Everyone wore a grave expression. He didn't think that was necessarily a bad thing.

‘Everyone's been thinking bigger for a while now.’

Talk of the gold coins still owed by the Elvra Holy Empire, or the dangers of the return journey, no longer surfaced.

Still, there was something that had to be addressed. Seizing the initiative was only part of the process, not the goal.

And so he wished to point toward where the Mountain Rabbits truly aimed to arrive.

"Nothing changes from here."

Naturally, his companions' gazes converged on him.

"We must keep fighting. Not walking the roads others give us, but forging our own. And this time… We must persuade Viale."

"Persuade them? Us?"

Calix looked at the campfire. The flames were slowly dying down, yet their warmth still remained.

"Yes. In truth, we haven't been feeling all of this in our bones. The warnings that the Elvra Holy Empire is faltering, that the darkness from the east will blanket the continent… Still sound too distant, too abstract."

The veteran Mountain Rabbits nodded without a word. They had led lives of constant tightrope-walking. Which meant what they were willing to stake their lives for mattered greatly.

So it must not remain vague. It had to be certain.

And so Calix continued,

"But one thing has become clear. This is no longer someone else's affair. If Elvra falls, Niboria and Astria will be shaken, and the nomadic Kalahim will fracture once more. Viale will be isolated within the mountain range, and in the end, the flames will sweep everything away."

A heavy silence followed.

Volga asked carefully,

"…Can we stop that? With our own strength?"

Rather than answering immediately, Calix swept his gaze over those around him. He met every single pair of eyes without exception, and at the end, offered his answer quietly,

"We don't bow to anyone, and we're not bound to anyone. We don't move because someone orders us to, and we don't act in place of others. We have walked this path solely to protect each other's tomorrows. No matter what hardships arose, we pressed forward one step at a time, and that is how we arrived here."

"……"

"This time is no different. By persuading Viale, we must make waves and stand against a great evil. I believe that this path we walk ultimately comes down to protecting the companions who walk beside us. And that, in turn, will become the Mountain Rabbits' gain."

The words faded, yet for a long while, no one spoke.

It was a thing they had perhaps imagined privately, but never dared to say aloud. The veterans showed cautious expressions; the mid-ranks couldn't hide their bewilderment mixed with excitement.

Fighting for a 'greater cause'.

It was quite a grand statement. In a way, it felt like an ill-fitting coat. And yet they had already done it, in practice.

Not long ago, they had saved three thousand refugees. Months before that, they had severed the Elvra Imperial Army's supply lines and given the Astria Kingdom room to breathe. They had escorted the Prince of Latia — Adrian Deconti — to the far side of the Storm Forest, and going back further still, they had defeated the Draug and slain Viscount Erchi.

The layers upon layers of past experience converged into a single answer.

Every time, the reason had been the same.

To protect each other's tomorrows.

And wherever they had reached out their hands, someone else's tomorrow had always been there as well. Great purpose and personal gain may seem divided, but they could advance together.

The Mountain Rabbits accepted that truth.

"Then what do we do now?"

Dwarf Basim voiced what everyone was feeling.

Calix answered as if he had been waiting for exactly that.

"We must produce results beyond expectations. We'll need to persuade Viale to enter the war. It certainly won't be easy, but I don't think it's impossible. In fact, Luen Silius never used the word 'refusal'. He acknowledged that a malevolent force was approaching and left room for possibility."

The key lay in flipping the perspective.

"He believed there was a chance. I agree. Only, we must be the ones to set the other side in motion. Actively, and on our own initiative."

"For that… We'll need to gather information first. We know far too little about the other side."

"Yes. Which is why, Basim, your role is crucial."

The dwarf jolted his short frame when his name was suddenly called out.

"Together with some of the members, please build a rapport with the elves of the Silant Tribe. Whatever means you use, whatever you hear — it doesn't matter."

"You're telling me to go mingle with those big-eared lot?"

Rather than reply, Calix held his gaze to convey trust. Of course, the characteristic grumbling didn't easily subside.

"You have no idea how rotten those lot's temperaments are. Maybe it's from living buried in the forest — they're all single-minded fanatics."

"That is precisely why I'm asking you. I know you can do it."

"Damn it… Fine, fine. But what are you doing?"

For his part, he had his own plan.

"I'll be seeking out the highest being."

Most of the members didn't understand what that meant, but the dwarf grasped it clearly and let out a short murmur.

"…The Enveloping One, Minebris."

Yes — he intended to meet yet another mage.

His gaze met the leader's briefly.

Then Calix's eyes turned toward the forest, some distance away. Within the deep darkness, a violet light flickered.

It was Airien Silius, daughter of the elven chieftain.

He looked away without a word. The other party had surely listened in on everything discussed up until now, but he didn't mind.

In truth, he had let her.

* * *

In the early hours of morning, Calix prepared for a short journey.

According to Airien the elf, reaching the mage's location would take half a day. And since it turned out only a few could go, he and Royce would make the trip together.

In the meantime, the Mountain Rabbits were faithfully carrying out Calix's request. They were approaching the younger elves with curious natures — and Volga was at the center of it.

"When Master Imran Akran moved to harm the child, the hero Calix shouted out loud!"

"……"

"Master? Why aren't you interpreting quickly?"

"You little—"

Before Basim could stop him, he snatched up a burning stick. He filled his cheeks with oil, both sides puffing out roundly.

And then —

Pffwhoooosh!

He spewed a crude burst of flame into the air.

"Behold……. Falling Fire!"

"Eeeaaargh!"

"Ah……. Kids? Where are you going!"

He had put in considerable effort for the performance, but the results were poor. The little ones screamed and scattered in every direction. Dwarf Basim buried his face in his thick palm.

"Pulling fire tricks in front of elves. What kind of idiot…"

He muttered as if lamenting.

Still, good is good, isn't it. Even as Calix let out a low murmur, he held firm in his faith in his friend. By the time they returned, new information would surely have been obtained.

* * *

Some two hours later.

A morning when a pale-blue dew made the smell of earth all the richer. Calix crossed the forest holding the reins, Royce at his side, with Airien Silius at the lead.

The elven woman drew a brief breath.

Maintaining a measured pace, she seemed hesitant about something. Her expression was that of someone holding back a question.

Calix ignored this.

At times, silence becomes all the more powerful a pressure. Royce was the same. He exchanged glances at most twice, but didn't open his mouth first. Both knew what the other was curious about.

‘Father wants something that the Mountain Rabbits can provide.’

One sentence kept cycling through Airien's mind.

By now, the forest had pushed mist up to the animals' knees. The moss-covered stone steps were damp and slippery, and ancient trees cast their shadows across the dirt path.

Thud.

Then, out of nowhere, Calix felt a pulse in his heart. A sensation mingling caution and rapture. This was not his own emotion. It was a vibration rising from somewhere deeper — a tremor originating from the Core.

That resonance was not a simple warning. It was a premonition that something enormous, an ancient breath, was drawing near.

It was at that moment.

"Do you… Truly believe you can move Viale?"

At last, Airien could hold back no longer and opened her mouth. Her voice was low and firm, without a tremor. She too had experience accumulated as the heir of her tribe.

Calix did not answer.

Instead, Royce gave a brief response.

"It's worth making the effort."

"…Effort alone is not enough."

"Is that so?"

"……"

She sealed her lips briefly, then let out a thin exhale and continued. This was the reality of the allied nations — and a question she had harbored for a long time.

"…Dwarves believe what they can grasp in their hands. Elves move only when they feel it in their hearts. Both are different, but there's one clear commonality. They don't nod their heads easily."

Her footsteps didn't stop, yet her voice carried an unmistakable undercurrent of resignation and lamentation.

"Even among elves themselves, even among dwarves, intentions diverge. Our world is bound by memories older than any promise, and split apart bearing different wounds."

What grazed the end of her words was neither a warning nor sympathy. It was the cold weight of truth. Calix only then lifted his gaze to look at Airien.

"Father dedicated his whole life to suturing those wounds. In truth, he still strives to this day. But there are things that cannot be done by effort alone. Isn't that so?"

The eyes that turned back to look at him held complex emotion. In words she had diminished her father's efforts, yet the essence of the question reached toward the Mountain Rabbits.

She was asking — aren't you the same?

He neither denied nor affirmed it. He simply pressed on in silence, quietly advancing along the mist-laden dirt path. Calix took in only what was important, and let the rest wash over him.

I've gained information. But it's still not enough.

He would take it as reference, but would not trust it completely. The road ahead remained hazy still.

* * *

The forest gradually thinned. A faint shimmer of water glimmered through the gaps in the trees. Before long, the brush parted and a small waterside revealed itself.

Leaves and small branches drifted in disarray across the placid surface.

And beyond it, stood a quiet sanctuary.

A place only the permitted could enter.

It bore little resemblance to any man-made structure. Tree roots coiled around stone pillars, and where cracks had formed, vines had wound themselves in to fill the gaps. Ancient elven script was faintly etched across the surface, and at its center, a blue-green orb floated.

"…A Core."

The orb hovered in the air without a sound. A gentle radiance. Even before drawing close, a subtle vibration spread like a heartbeat and touched the skin.

All of it was mana.

Royce held his breath and whispered,

"Indeed — this must be the heart of the mountain range."

"Yes. This is as far as I can help you. Minebris is an exalted being — take care not to be rude."

Airien offered the cold words, but Calix paid no heed and stepped forward. His eyes clearly captured the flow of mana.

In one place, two Cores existed. His was small and dense, while the other was vast yet… precarious.

[Confirmed: Core of Minebris, The Enveloping One]

[Abnormal activity pattern detected]

[Phase mismatch in central waveform, signs of stability collapse]

Just as the Neural Accelerator indicated, something appeared gravely wrong.

It was then.

Sssss.

The wind brushed the tips of their ears, announcing the arrival of its owner. Turning toward the far side of the water, a white silhouette came into view.

The woman had pure white hair. She regarded her visitors with clear amber eyes, then slowly crossed toward the sanctuary. Her steps were light and careful, yet they gave the illusion of gliding across the water.

She seemed less a living being and more a single flowing current.

"Strangers."

A clear, quiet voice rang out.

Like a brick wall that shields one from a harsh wind, like a hearth that pushes back the cold of winter — merely hearing her words caused warmth to spread.

"What do you seek, to have come all this way?"

Calix and Royce fell silent at once.

The Enveloping One, Minebris.

She showed a warm smile on the surface, yet from within it radiated a pressure that defied description. Should one rashly open their mouth, a terrible price would be exacted.

Instinct whispered as much.

‘Yet one cannot simply stay silent.’

Calix felt the pulse of his heart and gathered his thoughts.

Just as the Pointing One, Yelayen, is what he is — she is the 'Enveloping One'. That is to say, the being before him possessed the power to embrace. Yet at the same time, she was also one who bore a weight nothing could resist.

Every single word had to be uttered with care.

* * *

Minebris regarded Calix for a long while. She had not particularly sought an answer. She could read intent without exchanging words. A mage was, by nature, such a being.

"I am Royce of the Mountain Rabbits. I have brought proof from the Holy Empire."

It was the leader of the Mountain Rabbits who spoke first. At that, those clear amber eyes turned to him, and a crack — the sound of a back molar biting down. Savagery dwelling within gentleness.

And shortly after, Minebris's lips parted.

"You emit light, yet you are precarious. Your mind is clear, but your body has grown frail. You may walk alongside others, but you will not make it to the end."

No pause was given to reply.

Next came Calix's turn.

"Child who denies, resists, and presses on. Why have you come to my land carrying a wicked thing?"

His thoughts were being read. He knew it instinctively without having spoken a word. No deception would pass between them.

"The Draug. I had intended to rid myself of it entirely before coming… But I failed. It is a clinging, tenacious thing, and could not easily be cast off."

At the candid reply, a faint smile appeared and swiftly vanished.

"Indeed so. To shed it entirely, your soul has not ripened enough."

Then the mage's expression changed. It went beyond a mere shift in complexion — contempt, mockery, and revulsion seeped through.

"That thing received power from De Generitum. Even those who reached the pinnacle of humanity could not dare annihilate it. It has become an existence entirely unlike what it once was."

Calix held steadily to her amber gaze. In terms of Core size, there was no comparison — he was overwhelmingly outmatched — yet in spirit, he would not yield.

"Yet child, you are weak. You stand in a brilliant moment, but you have put down roots in a perilous place."

"I know. But that was not something I chose. So I think there's nothing to complain about."

"Your fate has already been stained by darkness. You will become prey for the wicked lord."

"That too I know. But I will not be consumed by fear because of it."

Had he not secured his 'heart', he would have broken.

"…Destruction will come. A shadow that not hundreds, not thousands of hands could hold back is drawing near. Even the mages tremble and hide — how could a mere human's strength stand against it?"

"Then when does that final day arrive?"

"It is now. Elvra has fallen, and armies rise in the Land of Shadows — a great war has drawn up to the very threshold. The cold reality is already upon us."

Royce's eyes widened.

"You mean Elvra has fallen? How could you know…"

Doubt is rude at once. The words trailed off, but Minebris was not bothered and generously explained,

"The eyes and ears of a mage reach anywhere. 'The Wandering One' conveyed it. The Pope has entered eternal rest, and monsters are pouring forth from the Land of Shadows. Darkness is pressing in from the east."

Yet Calix did not waver to the very end. Now that he had laid the cornerstone of conviction, truth was visible to him. All those many harsh words were not, in reality, a prophecy of his own fate.

The Mind's Eye.

He perceived through the eye of the heart. Mana spread across every corner of the space was being steadily drawn into the Core. This was by no means a natural phenomenon. It was barely being maintained — the dissipation of power could not be stopped.

The mage's authority was flowing in reverse.

Calix did not speak in circumlocutions.

"Are you afraid?"

"…I, afraid?"

"Yes. Just as you peer into my heart, I too sense your existence. I am facing a woman who struggles to hold her ground. She endures for the sake of those who have made their home in this mountain range. And yet — all of us know it."

At the center of the blue-green Core, a turbid energy swirled. Immense mana blanketed the entire mountain range, yet at its core, it was corrupted.

Power born of the Land of Shadows had infiltrated it.

"In the end, it will collapse. And when what you have guarded is gone… You can no longer be the 'Enveloping One', can you."

At the very back of the party, the elf Airien shot a gaze full of disbelief, but the one it was directed at said nothing.

Simply by sinking into deep silence, she affirmed it.

The guardian deity of Viale stood on the verge of extinction.