Dawn of Vengeance — Chapter 53

ELDER.

WHAT WERE YOU ABLE TO TRANSLATE?

THE LEGIBLE PORTION IS NOT VERY LONG.

IT BEGINS HERE...

'A LIGHT TORE THROUGH THE HEAVENS, FRACTURING INTO THREE TO BREATHE LIFE INTO THE WORLD.'

'FROM THE WESTERN EDGE WHERE THE SUNSET DIES, THE BLACK WOLF EMERGED TO RACE ACROSS THE CONTINENT...'

THE NEXT SECTION IS TOO WORN AWAY. I CANNOT DECIPHER IT.

'THE INCARNATION OF THE BLACK WOLF APPEARED HERE, BESTOWING BOUNDLESS GRACE.

RADIANT IS ITS BRILLIANCE, YET CHAOS LURKS BEYOND THE SHADOW.

MOONLIGHT FALLS UPON THE PLACE THE INCARNATION LEFT BEHIND...

...BLOCKING THE PATH TO HARMONY.

THE MOONLIGHT BLOCKS HARMONY?

DOESN'T THAT SOUND A LOT LIKE...?

IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S REFERRING TO THE FULL MOON'S CURSE.

INDEED. IF THIS LEGEND HOLDS TRUE...

THE INCARNATION OF THE BLACK WOLF...

...MEANING, THE LYCANS' GOD ABANDONED US, WHICH TRIGGERED THE CURSE.

THAT IS WHAT I HAVE DEDUCED.

THE MIDDLE SECTION IS MIXED WITH PICTOGRAMS, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO DECIPHER...

HOWEVER... I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THIS FINAL PASSAGE IS THE MOST CRUCIAL...

RUIN SHALL BLANKET THE EARTH BEFORE A SINGLE SOUL TAKES NOTICE.

ONLY THE DIVINE BEASTS, UNITED IN HARMONY, SHALL HOLD BACK THE PRIMORDIAL FLAMES.

WELL, THAT'S QUITE AN ABRUPT SHIFT IN SUBJECT.

...TO BE HONEST, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IT MEANS.

WITHOUT THE MIDDLE SECTION, IT IS DIFFICULT TO INFER THE FULL CONTEXT.

IT'S FINE. YOU'VE DONE WELL TO DECIPHER EVEN THIS MUCH.

PICTOGRAMS, THE ANCIENT TONGUE...

I EVEN SEE TRACES OF THE NORTHERN DIALECT.

IT LOOKS LIKE A CIPHER WOVEN FROM MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.

IF WE CONTINUE INVESTIGATING THE TEXTS AND THESE RUINS...

...WE MAY BE ABLE TO UNCOVER THE EXACT DETAILS.

MEETING YOU HERE IS A STROKE OF DIVINE FORTUNE IN ITSELF. BUT...

...IF YOU WERE TO GRANT US YOUR AID...!

ARE YOU SAYING THE LYCANS' CURSE CAN BE BROKEN?

I AM CERTAIN WE CAN FIND A CLUE.

NO.

WE WILL FIND IT.

PARNASSUS...

...BOASTS A LYCAN MILITARY FORCE DOUBLE THAT OF ANY OTHER NATION.

THIS IS PARTLY DUE TO THE GEOGRAPHIC ADVANTAGE OF BEING SURROUNDED BY MOUNTAIN RANGES...

...YOU ARE SOLDIERS,

NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS.

THE BELIEF THAT A SOLDIER TRANSCENDS RACE...

...IS A DIRECT REFLECTION OF THE GRAND GENERAL'S PHILOSOPHY.

...IF WE CAN ACTUALLY BREAK THIS CURSE...

...NOT ONLY WOULD IT SLASH DEFENSE SPENDING, BUT OUR AVAILABLE TROOP NUMBERS WOULD SKYROCKET.

...AGAINST THE EMPIRE...

...AND DOPANE.

...ENOUGH TO FIGHT ON EQUAL FOOTING WITH BOTH NATIONS.

THE PROBLEM IS SECURING THE RIGHT PERSONNEL.

COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED

Your... Your Majesty...

Please! I beg of you...

I NEED SOMEONE CAPABLE OF TRANSLATING THE ANCIENT TONGUE...

...SOMEONE WELL-VERSED IN LANGUAGE, CULTURE, AND HISTORY...

...WHO ALSO HAS A DEEP INTEREST IN MYTHOLOGY AND RELIGION.

OH, RIGHT!!

THERE'S EXACTLY ONE PERSON...

...WHO FITS THAT DESCRIPTION PERFECTLY.

VERY WELL. I WILL SUPPORT YOU BY EVERY MEANS AT MY DISPOSAL.

TH-THANK YOU... THANK YOU, YOUR MAJESTY!

I expect good results.

SETTING THAT ASIDE.

AS FOR THOSE BASTARDS FROM DOPANE...

HOW EXACTLY SHOULD I CRUSH THEM...

...TO ENSURE WORD SPREADS THAT THEY WERE TAUGHT A PROPER LESSON?

EVEN IN THE SOUTH, THE NIGHT AIR IS QUITE CHILLY.

IT IS COLD OUT. WHY HAVE YOU COME OUTSIDE?

THE PERSON WHO SAID THEY'D ONLY STEP OUT FOR A MOMENT WAS TAKING FAR TOO LONG.

Ah, so warm..

MY APOLOGIES.

I LOST MYSELF WHILE LOOKING AT THE STARS.

WITH NO CLOUDS IN THE SKY, THE CONSTELLATIONS ARE EXCEPTIONALLY CLEAR TONIGHT.

...I THOUGHT YOU WENT OUT FOR A SMOKE.

STARGAZING? I SUPPOSE THAT IS JUST LIKE YOU, WALTER.

I'VE NOTICED IT BEFORE, BUT STILL...

...HE BECOMES COMPLETELY UNGUARDED WHEN WE ARE ALONE.

HE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA HOW THAT COMES ACROSS.

WHAT HAS YOU SO DEEPLY LOST IN THOUGHT?

JUST...

...I WAS JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW WE NEVER SEEM TO HAVE A QUIET DAY.

AND TODAY WAS CERTAINLY NO EXCEPTION.

...I AM DEEPLY SORRY FOR CAUSING YOU SUCH HARDSHIP.

HARDSHIP? HARDLY.

I ONLY FEEL PITY FOR THE AFFECTED LYCANS.

ARE YOU NOT TIRED?

I HEARD YOU'VE BEEN INSPECTING THE BORDER OUTPOSTS SINCE DAWN.

IT IS AN ANNUAL ROUTINE, SO I AM ACCUSTOMED TO IT.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, YOUR MAJESTY...

SO MUCH HAS HAPPENED...

...YOU MUST BE EXHAUSTED.

I HAVE OVERSTAYED MY WELCOME IN YOUR MAJESTY'S QUARTERS.

I SHOULD TAKE MY LEAVE NOW.

IT'S BEEN A WHOLE WEEK SINCE I LAST SAW YOU...

STAY WITH ME A LITTLE LONGER.