When Roel Ascart’s name echoed in those pitch-black ears, the ancient treant finally managed to link the significance of the current situation to a family name in its river of memories. It understood what this family name signified, and the knowledge of it finally eased its tensed nerves.

  “He’s not an enemy.”


  A hoarse voice sounded from the ancient treant, and it made the demonic creatures and werewolves heave a sigh of relief. Shadows swiftly flitted across the darkness of the forest as these guards quickly left the area in packs.

  Roel calmly looked on as the shadowy figures hiding in the darkness of the forest swiftly departed one after another. In response, he released the manifestation of the crimson giant behind him, causing the crimson mana to dissipate into the surroundings, and the golden snake resting on his arm slowly slithered back into the Nine-headed Serpent Staff.

  With a gentle breeze, the forest reverted back to its usual calm, as if nothing had happened at all.

  “I’m grateful for your hospitality despite my abrupt visit, Mister Kayde.”


  “No, it’s only right for me to do this. But the Ascarts, hm? There have been quite a few interesting things going on recently……” remarked Kayde.

  It raised his head to gaze into the distance. Perhaps it was an illusion, but Roel felt that the ancient treant’s eyes were gleaming brightly. A moment later, the latter spoke once more.

  “Before we get to that…… boy, do you have any alcohol? I’m pining for some.”
……

  “Ahh, it tastes as nostalgic as ever. Like Ousen’s black soil, it really is an unforgettable flavor……”


  The ancient treant poured vat after vat of the pale yellow alcohol into its tree hole as it moaned in pleasure and delight, though the weird analogy used here left Roel with a bizarre look on his face.

  When Kayde asked Roel for alcohol, the latter revealed a ‘Heh, I got it all prepared’ smile and gestured for Cynthia and the others to bring ten vats of alcohol forward. He thought that it should have been enough, but to his surprise, the ancient treant drank alcohol not by sucking it up through its roots but by pouring directly into its tree hole.

  The alcohol was consumed quickly, but fortunately, it was enough to satisfy Kayde’s craving. The Cadi wine had scratched him right at where it itched, and just like any satisfied drunkard in a bar, he began sharing his story.

  “Isabella? No, I don’t know that name, though I have heard of ‘Queen’. I’m actually a member of the Twilight Sages Assembly too, going by the alias of ‘Chronicler’. Erp!”


  Roel was surprised to hear that the Assembly actually accepted treants too. It was within his expectations that Kayde didn’t know that Isabella was ‘Queen’ given the high level of secrecy maintained within the organization…… but why would it be familiar with the family name ‘Ascart’ then?

  Kayde pondered a long while over this question as it downed another vat of wine before sighing deeply.

  “The answer is simple. I’m one of the founding members of the Twilight Sages Assembly, and the first leader of the Assembly is named Lucent Arde. He’s your ancestor.”


  “Hm?”


  Roel’s eyes widened a little, perplexed over what he had just heard.

  Wait a moment, Ascart and Arde…… Do treants have bad hearing?

  Kayde noticed the confused look on Roel’s face, so he elaborated further on the matter.

  “The Arde House existed in an era you would term as the Second Epoch. It’s one of the secret houses holding up the Austine Empire, working behind the shadows to ensure the peace and prosperity of the human civilization. They were the ones who first created the Twilight Sages Assembly and brought the other houses onboard in order to deal with all sorts of calamities.

  “But just as how plants blossom in spring and wither in autumn, the Twilight Sages Assembly found itself faced with a catastrophic failure nearing the end of the Second Epoch, and the Austine Empire fell soon after. In order to avoid the pursuit of the Savior’s believers, it split up into seven separate houses, and the core of them is the Ascart House.”


  “W-wait a moment, give me some time to digest the information first……”


  Faced with the huge influx of explosive information Kayde was conveying in a summarized manner, Roel quickly raised his hand to stop it for a moment. He rubbed his temples as he slowly broke down what he had just heard.

  First and foremost, the Twilight Sages Assembly was started by the ancestors of the Ascart House? It’s a little weird how I’ve never read any records about the Arde House in the Ancient Austine Empire before…… and most importantly of all, what’s the ‘Savior’?

  “Kayde, is the Savior a god? Why would his believer pursue the members of the Arde House?”


  “You’re asking about the Savior? Well, I do know that His existence predates my birth, but I don’t know too much about His identity. But if one thing is for sure, He is a being far greater than what the concept of ‘godhood’ encompasses.”


  A solemn expression appeared on Kayde’s face as he continued with a deep voice.

  “He is an ancient being who embodies the most terrifying mania and depravity, the destroyer of civilizations. He is in slumber at the moment, but He played a huge role in the extinction of many of the mythical races existing in the legends. One of the key goals of the Twilight Sages Assembly is to prevent His awakening. Other than that, I’m afraid I don’t really know anything else. Due to the nature of my race, I’m not too actively involved in the affairs of the Assembly.”


  “.……”


  Kayde’s explanation left Roel with a chill running down his back. He took some time to calm himself before turning his attention toward the more important matter here.

  While the notion of a terrifying existence waking up and laying waste upon the world was frightening, the more direct enemy he had to be wary of here should be the believers instead.

  “Who are the believers of the Savior?”


  “There are far too many of them. Most of them are transcendents who have traded their judgment for greater power. They used to exist as an organization named Savior’s Convene back in the Second Epoch. As numerous as autumn leaves are the transcendents who fall into depravity during chaotic times mired in fear. ”


  “.…… I see.”


  Roel nodded in realization. He had read about the Savior’s Convene in the historical records, and it was known to be an evil cult active in the final years of the Second Epoch. However, there was no record about the god they worshiped at all. Looking at it now, it was possible that even the book’s author was unable to gather any information about it.

  He felt that the things he was hearing from Kayde were crucial secrets of the past, but it wasn’t too meaningful to him right now. They had happened too far back in history that they weren’t as relevant in the present era anymore. So, after a moment of contemplation, Roel decided to pull the timeline a bit close to the present age.

  “Have you ever heard of the name ‘Winstor Ascart’?”


  “I’m afraid not, but I’m guessing that you’re referring to ‘Fief Lord’?”


  “Yes, that’s him!”


  “I’ve attended Assembly meetings in the years he was active, though I don’t know his name. He’s aware of my affairs though, and he has even gifted me alcohol before. Ah yes, it’s the same Conti wine you brought to me.”


  As the ancient treant reminisced the past, its branches reached out for yet another vat of alcohol and began pouring it into its tree hole.

  “This is the wine of reunion. It’s only at times when descendants of acquaintances visit that I get to savor its wondrous flavors…… I believe the last one who came by was a young man named Ro. He didn’t bring much wine with him though.”


  “Ro?”


  “Indeed. It was around three hundred springs before, around this time too. He came to inform me that the Twilight Sages Assembly has ceased to exist. He seems to have found this place through the information left behind by ‘Fief Lord’.…… Well, I’ve guessed as much since it had been some time since anyone brought any wine to me, but his words confirmed my suspicions. The Assembly…… has finally met its winter,” remarked Kayde lamentably.

  On the other hand, Roel was surprised to hear that Ro Ascart had also managed to find this place by following Winstor’s footsteps in the Twilight Sages Assembly.

  The towering treant continued gazing upon the black-haired boy as it gulped down on its wine. Over the past few centuries, the members of the Ascart House who managed to awaken their bloodline had found their way to the Karon Forest to stand before it. For a moment there, the blurred silhouette of another man from centuries ago overlapped with the black-haired boy before it, though this illusion only lasted for an instant.

  Then, the dazed eyes of the treant slowly regained their clarity.

  “Is this the heritage of bloodline?” muttered the treant under its breath wistfully.

  On the other hand, Roel was still deep in thought.

  Wait a moment, Ro Ascart traced Winstor’s footsteps back then. Isn’t that the exact same as what I’m doing now? In other words, wouldn’t that mean that……

  “Kayde, what did Ro tell you when he looked for you back then? Was he looking for the Assembly’s token too?”


  “Yes, indeed. He wanted my Oak Pendant,” replied the treant. “He said that he was heading off to the faraway Country of Scholars to look for more clues.”


  Indeed! His goal was to look for ‘Academic’!

  Roel widened his eyes upon hearing this news.

  “Did Ro tell you the results of his investigation? I believe that the Twilight Sages Assembly should have just gone under in his time, so he should be able to gather some information about it.”


  The Ascarts’ bloodline, the disappearance of the Twilight Sages Assembly, the sudden downfall of the human civilization back in the Second Epoch, as well as the Arde House; these mysteries shook Roel’s heart greatly. He knew that he had to seek the answers to these questions.

  To his surprise, the ancient treant before him suddenly began patting its own body.

  Hm? What’s it doing? Are there worms on it or something?

  “Kayde?”


  “Give me a moment. Let me see where I placed it…… Ah yes, I tucked it over here.”


  The massive tree twisted sideward a little to reveal the left side of its body to Roel. It pointed toward its trunk with its branches.

  “It should be somewhere here. He left a message.”


  “What?”


  “As I’ve told you, my alias in the Assembly is Chronicler, though ironically, I’m actually the one being ‘chronicled’ on. Hahahahaha…… Anyway, I’m able to retain any marks on my body, and my lifespan is far longer than any humans, so many of the Assembly’s members chose to inscribe important pieces of information on my body so as to ensure that they would be passed down to the future generations. Ro left a message back then, and I recall him mentioning that he’s leaving it for the future members of the Ascart House. You can try looking around a bit.”


  Roel was taken aback for a moment before quickly getting to action. Using his mana, he was able to swiftly leap from branch to branch all the way up to the area where Kayde had pointed out.

  It took a bit of searching, but he soon found some deep, solemn word carvings. He quickly read the message, but it made his eyes narrow in astonishment.

  【To those who have come after me, do not trust the Ackermanns-

  Ro Ascart】


  —


  Just to mention, the noun that has been used for gods thus far has been a gender neutral term that doesn’t exist in English, which is why I’ve been using capitalized ‘He’ and ‘She’ based on contextual clues. In other words, the Savior might or might not be a woman.