Vol 5 Chapter 8

At the same time, the child standing holding the armrest spoke with a slightly anxious expression.

"If it's about the flower... that..."

"Remil."

At the old woman's firm voice, the child immediately shut their mouth, and the old woman exhaled deeply.

"The Flower of Rezul, you say. Where did you hear about such a thing?"

While looking at the gray eyes that were gleaming like the emotionless shell of an insect, in contrast to her still low voice, Kapros thought that how he answered this question would determine whether or not he could properly obtain cooperation. If so, he should answer properly.

"I happened to hear about it when I met the vice-leader of Born. It seems that it might have a significant connection to me."

"Grandmother, grandmother! If it's Born, that scary..."

"Remil. That's enough. Go out and play."

The old woman coldly replied to the child who had opened their eyes wide in surprise. There was a pressure in those words that felt too strong for a young child to possibly refuse. The tone was so stiff for speaking to a child that even Kapros was surprised, but the child didn't seem particularly shocked and just pouted slightly before casually saying "Okay" and going out through the front door.

After the child left, the old woman completely raised herself and sat up straight at a 90-degree angle. With a serious expression, the old woman's gaze had changed so much that it was impossible to imagine she was the same person who had seemed almost dying just moments ago.

"If you heard about it from Born and came all the way here, this old woman has no grounds to say anything. I understand. Then, you want to know where the flower in this Rezul is located, correct?"

"Yes. Along with that, I also want to know exactly what the Flower of Rezul is."

When Kapros nodded briefly, he saw the old woman's drooping eyelids, like her wrinkles, twitch slightly as if convulsing.

"I know the location. However, in truth... even I, as old as I am, don't know exactly what it is."

"Pardon?"

What did she mean by saying she knew where the Flower of Rezul was located but didn't know what the flower was?

"In fact, we can't even be certain if the Flower of Rezul is really a flower. The place where it's said to exist is inside a very large forbidden area, and in my lifetime, I've never seen more than three people who have entered that forbidden place, whether by accident or on purpose, and come out alive. The rumor that there's something like a flower inside is based only on the information those people let slip in passing."

The old woman glanced at Kapros, who was just blinking slowly, not understanding properly, and then let out a couple of long sighs before leaning back against the rocking chair's backrest.

"So I can't explain exactly what it is. But there is a legend related to it that has been passed down here for a long time, and I can tell you that story if you need it."

The old woman's words, looking at Kapros as if to say "what else can I do," were naturally something he had to agree to from his position. When he nodded, the old woman stared into space with an expression of searching through dim memories and then began to speak. The story she told was as follows:

A very long time ago, even in the era when there were kings and nobles, the lawless city of Bistale was almost no different from now. Bistale, where wretched and evil-ridden back-alley lives jostled. There lived a half-elf older brother with 50 younger siblings he cared for. Given that it's said there was only one older brother but dozens of younger siblings to feed, there's speculation that this "older brother" might have been taking care of Bistale's abandoned children, but the exact details are unknown.

The bread bought with money the older brother earned by working as a beater for the nobles' hunts, using his excellent archery skills, was never enough no matter how much he bought, and for the sake of his always hungry younger siblings, he had to seek out even more dangerous work.

Then one day, when the whole country was devastated and engulfed in the flames of war by the black demon god, the king issued a conscription order for the heirs of all the country's nobles to bring their private soldiers. The wicked lord of Bistale, who should have naturally responded to this, decided to find someone to act as a substitute for his son rather than participate in a war where death was certain.

And the one recommended as perfectly suitable for this proxy role was none other than the older brother of dozens of siblings, known for his excellent archery skills. The lord summoned the older brother and presented a false condition that he only needed to lead the soldiers to the royal palace to join forces and then return, before whispering about the sweet reward.

'If you take on this task, I will give you money and bread without reserve.'

'But if I'm gone for so long, who will take care of my siblings?'

'You need not worry about that. If you leave your siblings in this castle, we will take very good care of them safely.'

The small castle where Bistale's lord lived was located in the southwest, always with an exit to escape behind it, rather than in the vulnerable center exposed to attacks from all sides. At the promise that his siblings would be safely cared for in the castle, the older brother reluctantly accepted the proposal and soon had to leave for the south, leading the soldiers in place of the lord's son. By the time the older brother, who had arrived at the capital after much hardship, realized that the condition of just joining the soldiers and returning was a lie, the war had already begun.

The capital fell without even putting up a proper fight as monsters, which had been scattered in all directions for who knows how long, suddenly swarmed in. But the most terrifying event happened after that. The moment news spread that the northern part had been devastated by a black dragon that had spread its wings and risen from the quiet northern mountains, the older brother wailed in despair.

It was then that the White Knight and the Red Mage came to his aid. With their help, the older brother rushed back to Bistale where his siblings were waiting, and even seeing the city of death now full of monsters, he didn't lose hope and ran to the castle, flinging open the gates.

'They must have escaped. They must have. There's a passage to escape the city right behind the castle.'