Pillar of Yita

The girl had once encountered him in a dream.

Although to this day he knew only her name—Misu—he imagined her surname might be ancient and glorious, passed down through withering times, narrated in a deep, vicissitudinous voice—

Cadmos, an ancient admonition.

Her skin was a bronze reminiscent of sand, like the dying sun—her hair, a tidy braid, and in her pale grey eyes, a golden Dragon Flame hid.

A horizontal battle scar stretched across the bridge of her nose and cheek, a mysterious reddish-brown, exuding confidence and severity.

This was the daughter of Istania.

The familiarity in her eyes and brows, as seen by Fang Hong, conjured another shadow deep within his memory—a man standing tall and mighty as a spear, towering like a great tower—that seemed to be an ancient Mark inscribed in his bloodline that even the passage of thirty years could not erase.

This was Mazak Cadmos, the owner of Traveler’s Rest today.

Could they be brother and sister? Or perhaps sister and brother?

Fang Hong couldn’t help but speculate boldly in his heart.

The sole name left behind in that dream, Fang Hong looked towards the young man with black curly hair—Luen Linxiu.

And so, all the fragmented clues suddenly seemed to connect.

The identities of the three, the two puzzles over thirty years past, now seemed to be on the brink of revelation. Fang Hong fell silent for a moment, involuntarily gazing at the only face among them he recognized:

An obstinate, older Knight, with a stern expression, his silver hair meticulously groomed, sword in hand, wearing armor that, though ancient, was pristine.

Present and past merged as a continuous stream of Moonlight, serenely silent in this dim room, converging upon each other.

Yet the Knight no longer recognized him, seemingly not even seeing him, following close behind Misu as they entered the office.

Fang Hong stood rooted to the spot, motionless as the three passed him by like a Shadow or a fleeting moment of beauty, a grain of time.

Intangible.

Hilveld stood quietly by the side of the maid, watching this extraordinarily mystical scene under the moonlit water.

Xiesta’s usually expressionless face also showed a hint of emotion.

But from beginning to end, the three of them never glanced their way, their gaze piercing through Fang Hong as if he didn’t exist at all, fixated on the desk in front of them.

There, only a brooch reflected the Moonlight, casting a dim glow.

Misu quietly approached the desk, silently contemplating it.

Her gaze seemed to traverse thirty years of darkness and, in the same moment in time thirty years later, overlapped with this tiny brooch.

Then she reached out as if to pick up the brooch.

Fang Hong was momentarily startled and instinctively wanted to remind her verbally. He knew in his heart how absurd it was, but as the scene unfolded before his eyes—it was irresistibly compelling.

A faint sound.

So slight that without close attention, it wouldn’t be perceived.

But the girl simply and directly lifted the brooch from the desk. She held the brooch up to the Moonlight, or perhaps to everyone in the room.

Fang Hong incredulously watched this happen.

He instinctively turned his head, finding Hilveld with the same shocked and astonished expression.

The boundary between Phantom and reality blurred—

”Nikopolas,” the girl said in a low voice, holding up the brooch, ”Father and brother didn’t lie to me, it really has come back...”

”Miss Misu, what is this?”

”It’s definitely a follower of the Dark Giant Dragon; they’ve been plotting its revival here all along, and we’ve arrived too late,” Misu said, furrowing her brows as she clenched the brooch in her palm, turning back to the others, ”We must take this evidence to the rulers of Dolifen, this is our last chance!”

”But Earl Hustings has already warned us; he said we’d best not cause trouble during the celebration,” Luen said, scratching his head, ”Miss Misu, a mere brooch can’t prove anything. Besides, we better leave this place quickly, if the people of Manlo discover us, we’re done for...”

He said, shivering uncontrollably.

”Stay calm, Luen,” Misu glanced at him, ”There’s nothing to fear from Manlo’s people; Nikopolas too was faced and defeated by my ancestors.”

”But Earl Yoshude has the Fairy Holy Sword Galapeya, what do we have? We only have the top of our heads!” the young man exclaimed nearly frantically.

While murmuring in a low voice, he complained, ”I shouldn’t have agreed to let you travel with my Merchant Group; now we’ve stirred up so much trouble! Miss Misu, I’m still on probation with the Colin Commercial League, if they find out I dare do these things, my life, and my family’s lives are over!”

Misu sighed and reassured him gently, ”Luen, listen to me. I know your business is important, you have a sick sister to take care of, but there are some things we can’t compromise on. I told you about the Dark Giant Dragon, you know what that means—do you remember what you said when you saw those students’ corpses, your bravery and righteousness were admirable.”

Luen frowned, wrestling intensely within himself. He clenched his fists and then released them, pacing anxiously back and forth in the office.

Misu watched him and, feeling helpless, could only whisper, ”I will ensure your safety, Luen, I swear.”