Fantasy Dark Eden: Epilogue | Soulbringers

[Xethyrion]

NinetaiIsIX ERode lunar_moth Worthlessplebian Reinhardt Mqueserasera​

Chapter I. Prologue

LOCATION: Cathedral of Yurtivel, Hyperion Sanctuary, Aeslengard Empire

The Hyperion Sanctuary, famously known as the Arcadian Haven by the people of Aeslengard.

A dazzling sky island that flies just above the western region of Aeslengard, held in the atmosphere by lost magic from thousands of years ago. It existed for the sole purpose as Aeslengard's symbol, embodying the empire's benevolence.

In the past, the island was used as a haven for civilians during natural disasters. Due to its magical ability to hide from plain sight, it was one of Aeslengard's key terrain during Man's conflict.

The Sanctuary is now used by the Remnants Soulbringer, as their base of operations.

「08: 10 am, aeslengard standard time」​

Yutera's health was slowly growing worse. The treatment provided by Aeslengard's greatest mages couldn't break through the curse, although her life force remained unaffected. It was a strange case for certain, Gunther thought. Her health was showing signs of declining, yet, her life expectancy was unreasonably high, due to her organs functioning properly as they should.

Few experts that visited the princess had said that the curse was implanted in both her heart and the brain, forcing Yutera to hallucinate her illness while her body was also under an illusion. It didn't make much sense for anyone that heard their possible explanations. Amongst them was Gunther, who was furiously looking for possible cures for his commandant's sickness.

"Thank you for your help as always, Doc. I'll make sure to compensate for your troubles in the future."

Gunther shook hands with the doctor who had recently examined Yutera's health, whom the latter had to slouch to accept the marsupial's hand.

"I wouldn't dare to ask for compensation for something that I couldn't even help with, Gunther. The Princess is doing more than I ever could in this damned era, so I don't have any room to complain. If I find any clues that could aid with the curse, I'll make sure to contact you right away."

It was a short reunion between the two. They haven't seen each other since the days of the Heroes Guild's prominence, when Gunther traveled the world to recruit the most promising individuals from every culture, hoping to strengthen the guild to reach their goal of defeating the Demon God, Astaroth.

But now, those days were long gone. Their objective was ultimately achieved - but at the cost of the Hero betraying the entirety of humanity for the sake of their unknown ambitions. His heart ached in melancholy every moment he daydreamed about the days of the past when life was fulfilling and purposeful.

Now, whenever Gunther left the Hyperion Sanctuary to gather supplies and information, he was met with faces of despair and misery.

A man had recently lost his brave son to a vile beast, and could only receive a severed hand as a memorial by the Aeslengard military. A woman had recently lost his husband due to a similar fate, except the perpetrator was that of a Vragathian mad man. And a child was starving on the streets, after losing his parents to a desperate burglar.

Needless to say, it also infuriated Gunther, who couldn't understand his former master.

"I was never a hero. You all had expected much more than what I had sought since the day of my origin's reincarnation. And today, you will witness the results of your prolonged mistakes—the wrath of Hercules and my own."​

Sigurd's final words to the Heroes Guild during the battle in the Volcanian throne were permanently scarred within Gunther's head, the dark tone of his voice embodying those words like a curse on itself. It happened to also be accompanied by his brutal tactics used to defeat his former companions, who had trusted in him before—and still did despite the odds, expecting him to return home after speaking with Yutera.

But it was clear that fate had already been decided the moment Sigurd summoned the Herculean Blade, using its powers to utterly shatter the confidence of the Heroes Guild and its allies.

Truly, he was a despicable man from the start, especially after hearing the tales of Sigurd's first manslaughter from the Knights Grandmaster of Aeslengard.

But it wasn't the time to relive the past, as Yutera's health was too important. If he could give his life to save her's, he would've done it in a heartbeat—as his loyalty to the princess could never be severed no matter the situation.

After guiding his acquaintance to the sky dock, Gunther made his way to Yutera's bedroom, where she would be laying on her bed, unable to use her legs no more after last night. The curse that was imbued within her heart had gone through an evolutionary phase, starting to affect her nerve system—immobilizing her legs as its first victim.

"Thanks for watching over her, Hákon. Just what would I do without your help, courtesy."

Gunther hopped onto the nearest wooden stool, taking a seat next to Yutera's bed, where the occupant was barely awake due to the curse's efforts of draining her mana onto the surface. Thankfully, a crystal-powered machine was able to collect these mana particles and distribute them back into Yutera, enabling her consciousness and ability to talk.

The marsupial then spoke to the commandant.

"As per your request, I announced your order for all active Soulbringers to gather in your bedroom for the group's next assessment. They weren't informed about the details of the directive, just like you asked."