CHAPTER 266: THE WAR-FORGED PAST [PART 2]

After Alex left for battle, Latifa decided to ask her shield maidens, Kara and Runa, if they knew anything about the Verdant Throne.

"I’ve only heard of the Verdant Throne from stories told by my grandpa," Kara said. "He said that before our great ancestors settled here, the UL-Khazir Mountain, they once lived in a place called the Verdant Valley.

"Unlike most dwarves, who built underground cities and kingdoms, our ancestors lived a life similar to elves. Within the Verdant Valley, a towering tree, which many believe was similar to the World Tree of the Elves, stood tall and proud.

"Our ancestors ‌lived in its roots and built houses around it. But then, a monster stampede broke out and attacked our valley.

"While we managed to resist the first wave, the second and the third wave caused many of our people to die en masse.

"That was when the Dwarven King decided to leave. He realized that the powerful life force coming from the giant tree was the reason for the waves of monster stampedes. But before leaving, they took away the tree’s one and only seed, which they called the Verdant Seed.

"After our great ancestors migrated here, the King had planted that seed. A day later, the seed grew into a small tree shaped like a throne. Since then, people started calling it the Verdant Throne. Unfortunately, the Verdant Throne apparently disappeared all of a sudden, and no one had seen it again."

Runa nodded because this was also the story that she knew. "Princess, shouldn’t the royal family have more information about the Verdant Throne than us?"

"I-I might still be a little muddle-headed due to the shock I felt when the fighting began," Latifa replied. "But we need to find the Verdant Throne. It might be able to stop this war and protect our people from the Barbarians."

Kara and Runa nodded in understanding, remembering a certain prophecy. The gist of it was simple—once the Verdant Throne was found, a hero would emerge among their people and protect them from those who wished to bring them harm.

A moment later, the princess flinched as she held her head. Her synchronization rate had once again gone up.

But this time, clues of where the Verdant Throne was located appeared inside her head.

’39%,’ Latifa thought as the blue window once again informed her of the increase of her synchronization level.

But unlike Alex, her status window didn’t have any notes with added information.

"We’ll search the Inner Sanctum first," Latifa declared after regaining her composure. "If the Verdant Throne is tied to our ancestors, then it must be hidden in the deepest part of the fortress, where outsiders can’t defile it."

Kara and Runa exchanged glances, both understanding the weight of their mission. "Understood, Princess," they said in unison.

"Also..." Latifa paused, touching her chest as the faint pulse of synchronization still lingered, "Alex—I mean, Kael—will be buying us time. We mustn’t let his efforts be in vain."

"Don’t worry, Princess." Runa grinned, patting the pommel of her blade, which she had picked up from the armory. "If anyone or anything tries to get in our way, we’ll cut them down."

The trio exited the room, traversing ‌the dimly lit stone hallways of the fortress.

Every so often, the ground would quake from the catapults and battering rams hammering the outer walls. The defenders’ shouts echoed through the corridors, but the Inner Sanctum remained eerily quiet, as if untouched by the chaos outside.

———

Meanwhile within the courtyard of the Fortress...

The sound of weapons clashing against each other drowned the cries of the dying and the scream of those who wish to kill their foes.

Alex swung his hammer with strength and accuracy, dealing decisive blows to his enemies.

To his astonishment, his cracked shield, Everguard, had received a few blows but still didn’t break.

At first, the young man did his best to not use the shield. But time soon came when he could neither parry with his hammer nor evade in time, leaving him no choice but to raise the dilapidated shield.

Since this was war, Alex didn’t have the leisure of fighting enemies one-on-one. Sometimes, it was two against one, and even three versus one.

Of course, this also applied to his enemies as well.

Dwarves would always help their comrades who were in need, and he received plenty of help from Fokar, as well as the other Reavers fighting alongside him.

Still, the number of death among the dwarves continuously rose as the battle raged on.

Even some of Fokar’s subordinates perished, making the dwarven captain fight more mercilessly, as if to avenge his fallen comrades.

As for Alex, while he fought valiantly, he didn’t dare to use his shield to block more than necessary. After blocking a couple attacks, the shield’s cracks had widened to the point where they encompassed the entire surface area.

Just as he was about to look for another enemy to fight, he heard a notification sound inside his head, and a blue window screen appeared in front of him.

———

[Optional Quest: Seek the Verdant Throne]

— Princess Yvraine has triggered a hidden clue!

Hint: The Verdant Throne slumbers where roots once breathed life into the stone.

———

’A place where the roots once breathed life into the stone?’ Alex frowned as he wracked up Kael’s memory for any places that matched the hint that was given to him.

But what he saw in his memory was a small room within the fortress where he and Princess Yvraine shared their first kiss, which heated the young man’s cheeks.

Since the image of the princess in his memory was none other than Latifa, the young man couldn’t help but feel his heart skip a beat.

———

Synchronization Rate increased by 4%

Current Synchronization Rate: 40%

Note: Now I know what you did last summer, you sweet summer child.

———

Alex let out a low groan, frustrated at the intrusive notification.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on his embarrassment.

The hint had been delivered, and the synchronization rate wasn’t going to stop climbing unless he acted fast.

He glanced toward the western walls, where the Barbarians were pressing hard against the defenders. The second gate was visibly buckling. Once it fell, the courtyard would undoubtedly be overrun.

He was torn whether he should go to where the Princess was at, or stay with Fokar to defend the courtyard.

Perhaps knowing that they were in great danger, Fokar ran in Alex’s direction and grabbed his arm.

"Listen, Kael," Fokar said in a serious tone. "Someone must defend the princess, and I can entrust that task to no one here but you. Go to her, and leave this place to us!"

"But..." Alex felt his eyes moisten as his synchronization rate once again rose.

Fokar was more than just a dwarven captain to him.

He was someone who took care of Alex as if he were a family member. Hearing the captain ask him to leave the dangerous battlefield knowing that he himself might die fighting, Alex uncontrollably felt sad.

"Go." Fokar said, pushing Alex away. "If something happens to her, I’ll piss on your body after I kill you."

Alex hesitated a bit as he watched the dwarf let out his war cry and charge at the enemy with his maul raised high.

In the end, Alex gritted his teeth and left to look for the princess, rushing to the location where they had shared a very intimate moment together.

It was a place that only the members of the royal family could access, for their blood was a requirement to undo the seal leading to the underground cistern that had been declared off-limits for hundreds of years.

———

As Alex ran toward the location in his memories, Latifa, Kara, and Runa had reached the entrance to the old Root Cistern, deep within the Inner Sanctum.

The entrance was sealed by a heavy stone door, inscribed with ancient runes that glowed faintly as they approached.

"This is it," Latifa whispered. The pulse within her chest grew stronger, guiding her like a heartbeat in sync with the fortress itself.

Kara and Runa immediately moved to inspect the door. "It’s sealed tight. We’ll need to break it open," Runa said, already unsheathing her sword.

"No," Latifa said, placing her hand on the runes. "It doesn’t need brute force."

The moment her hand made contact, the runes pulsed in response. A blue window screen appeared before her.

———

[Synchronization Threshold Met: 40%]

— Bloodline Resonance Detected.

— Verdant Cistern Access Granted.

———

The massive stone door rumbled as ancient mechanisms awakened after centuries of slumber. Slowly, the passage opened, revealing a dim, root-laden tunnel that descended deeper into the earth.

"Let’s go," Latifa said, her determination unwavering.

Something was calling out to her deep within the tunnel, so she followed her instincts and headed down with her two shield maidens.

The stone door closed behind her, as if to make sure that no one else would be able to enter aside from those who possessed the bloodline of the Verdant Royal Family.