Danmachi - Infinite Mana System! - Chapter 174 - Enemies on all sides.

[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV
Altena.

...

...

A week had passed since Lucius and Riveria had left Athena, continuing their journey northward. Their next destination was the Empire, located in the northeastern part of the continent, where many independent nations had once existed. Over time, these territories united, forming a vast kingdom hundreds of years ago.

This empire was built with the help of certain gods who had descended to the mortal world a thousand years ago, some of whom played crucial roles in the rise of this powerful nation. Today, the Empire was one of the most organized forces on the continent, perhaps even stronger than the Rukian Empire itself, ruled by Ares.

No one knew exactly what Lucius and Riveria's goal was in that region, apart from the fact that they were heading north. However, rumors quickly began to spread. Most high elves had already heard that Riveria had been in Altena with a human, and the news soon reached their kingdom. This information was confirmed when the Royal Guard returned empty-handed after being attacked by the human accompanying the princess. They had insisted on taking her back, but their failure sparked a great controversy.

"You are saying what?!" a voice roared in rage at that moment.

The shout echoed through the castle at the very heart of the elven kingdom, beneath the grand Sacred Tree, where the royal family’s castle stood. Or rather, where its last remaining member resided—the king, Riveria’s father.

He was an elf who lived up to his title. He had green hair and eyes of the same color, much like his daughter’s. His appearance resembled that of a man in his fifties, but his actual age spanned centuries—at least three hundred years. On that day, however, he seemed to have aged even more, as if the weight of a century had fallen upon his shoulders. After all, he had just discovered that his only daughter—the sole heir to his bloodline, even after centuries of existence—had disobeyed his orders to return and explain herself.

What he heard from his royal guard only frustrated him further. Riveria had simply turned her back on her royal inheritance. According to the Royal Guard, that human—that arrogant human, whom the king already despised more than any other human in his life just for existing—had attacked them and declared that he would obey no orders. Furthermore, Riveria was with him of her own free will.

‘Unacceptable!’ the king thought. He could not believe it. First, Riveria had already freed herself from her royal duties when she decided to leave for Orario. The goddess Loki had been the one responsible for tearing her away from her homeland, and that had already been difficult enough to accept. Now, on top of everything else, she was in a relationship with a human?!

"This is heresy against our lineage!" he muttered to himself. "I cannot accept this under any circumstances!"

His gaze fell upon the man kneeling before him, alongside other guards who had returned in defeat. Surrounding them, the king’s Royal Guard remained at their posts throughout the kingdom. The king, Eldrin Ljos Alf—a high elf of noble blood and a direct descendant of Elf, the great elven mage of the past who had reached the pinnacle of magical power in the mortal world—was visibly displeased with his men’s failure.

"I beg your forgiveness, my king. There was little we could do against that mage. He was far too powerful and easily overwhelmed us. They say he is the strongest mage in the world..." the guard murmured, still kneeling.

"That does not change the fact that he took my daughter!" the king growled in disdain. "No race in this world should be with her!"

The guards lowered their heads, unable to face their king’s wrath.

"My king... what should we do?" one of the advisors cautiously approached. "Surely, these men are not to blame..."

The king remained silent for a moment, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. His hatred was overflowing, but he needed to maintain composure. Even so, the outcome remained unchanged. Eldrin struggled to contain his fury. “I must do something!”

"But what do you plan to do, my lord? Princess Riveria is the last descendant, she still carries your blood, and she is the only candidate for the throne. But... if she truly said she would abdicate everything..." The advisor murmured cautiously, unable to even finish his sentence.

This was a crisis for the entire kingdom. As more people became aware of the situation, it became increasingly clear that Riveria had not gone into hiding. On the contrary, she had passed through several cities, showing a closeness to that human that went beyond mere team companionship. Naturally, this led to rumors. And among the elves, in particular, whispers began to spread about how the princess was romantically involved with a human.

"I must speak with her personally and make her stop this madness! After all, we have no one to take the throne when I die!" the king said with disdain.

His gaze returned to the kneeling soldier before him—the same one who had been sent to retrieve Riveria.

"You said that human mentioned something? What exactly?" he asked.

"Yes, my king. He stated that he would come here personally to deal with this situation," the man answered hesitantly.

"What stubbornness..." The king clenched his fists. "Very well, then. Prepare our forces, activate the defenses, and even the magical traps. Let's see if he can truly deal with us." His voice was dark and filled with fury.

"Capture them, my king?" one of the advisors asked, surprised.

"Obviously! I will not allow my daughter to be tainted by a human!" he declared firmly. "Soon, that arrogant mage who dares to oppose the elves will pay for his insolence. It doesn't matter what title he holds today!"

Elsewhere, in the West...

An imperial-flagged ship docked at the port. It was a vessel from a powerful kingdom on another continent, having traveled for an entire month before finally arriving in this new land. Even after announcing their diplomatic mission to Orario, they had taken several months to act, and now, they were finally approaching the continent of the Dungeon.

At the bow of the ship, a woman observed the solid ground with a calm gaze. Her black hair swayed in the wind, and her expression held a subtle interest as she gazed at the harbor.

"We have finally arrived," she murmured serenely.

"Yes, Goddess-sama. We have finally reached the continent. From here, we will head straight to Orario," said a young woman with blonde hair, stepping beside her, lost in her own thoughts as she watched the port draw closer.

This young woman was none other than Princess Elara Drakenar, princess of the Eldoria Empire, sent by her father on a special expedition to this continent.

Her objective was to find her brother, Lucius Drakenar, who had left the empire years ago. Now, he acted as a mage and had been rising to prominence in recent months. His name had already spread far and wide, even reaching the ports of the empire. Merchants spoke of the war against monsters in Orario, even after the War Game where Lucius had defeated the Apollo Familia months ago.

"Are you thinking about your brother?" The sudden question interrupted the princess's thoughts. She turned to look at the goddess beside her—the Grand Matriarch and Patron of the empire, a feared and respected entity.

"Yes, I was. I wonder how much he has changed..." Elara said, caressing the medallion she carried, a gift from her brother long ago.

"From what we have heard, he has changed quite a bit. But surely, he will be happy to see you... Unlike me," the goddess replied with a calm expression.

"I see no reason for Lucius to dislike you, Goddess-sama," Elara murmured, thoughtful.

The goddess smiled, but her gaze remained unchanged.

"Not everyone likes me... I am certain Lucius has his reasons," she responded enigmatically.

The princess remained silent, observing her. To her, this goddess had always been a powerful and benevolent figure. Even her own father deeply respected her, though there was always a certain unease when people spoke of her. How could someone so grand be viewed with suspicion?

Even without fully understanding, Elara decided that she would find the answers as soon as she reunited with her brother.

"Perhaps if he has matured, he might reconsider his past decisions," the princess said in a supportive tone.

"Well, I will be eager to see your brother then and discover what he has become... even if he does not like me," the goddess spoke calmly, while the princess smiled and looked ahead, unaware of a certain glimmer in the goddess’s eyes.

‘Perhaps he is the one I have been waiting for this entire millennium. After all, he was right under my nose all along... I should not have let him leave back then. Lucius... I am eager to see you,’ the goddess murmured to herself, gazing at the horizon beyond the port and mountains with a contemplative look.

"You know things are going to get complicated, don't you?" the princess suddenly said, pulling the goddess from her thoughts. The deity then looked at her calmly.

"You are referring to the political crisis that may arise with your brother’s return?" the goddess questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Yes, that could complicate matters. After all, your brother has gained the reputation of being the most powerful mage alive. Clearly, his supporters will be in turmoil within the Empire. Even though they nearly disappeared after his departure years ago, many are now returning. This could threaten your brother’s throne and might even spark a civil war within the Empire."

"But... this can be prevented, right, Goddess-sama? A war will not just start out of nowhere without your approval. Everyone obeys you—even my father cannot go against your decision," the princess murmured, almost pleading. The last thing she wanted was to see her family tearing itself apart.

"I cannot guarantee that, Princess Elara. After all, I do not interfere much in political affairs unless the Empire itself is in danger. In the end, I created this empire centuries ago merely as a way to pass the time. I would not like to see it destroyed so easily, but I will not intervene if there is a war between brothers," the goddess stated openly, watching the princess’s worried expression.

"Goddess, please... I beg you to stop this. Do not let my brothers fight each other," Elara murmured, nearly in despair.

The goddess simply shook her head and gave a faint smile.

"I do not interfere much in human affairs within the Empire, young Elara. After all, other gods may see that as a threat..." the goddess said, touching her chin as she reflected. "But I doubt Prince Lucius will want the throne. After all, he already fled from the Empire once."

She then looked ahead, preparing to disembark from the ship. Their destination was Orario, and soon, they would arrive.

...

Meanwhile, in the northeast of the continent, where a grand castle stood at the heart of the capital of the Northwestern Empire, a sudden explosion erupted in the middle of the night, catching everyone off guard.

The blast reverberated throughout the city, destroying one of the towers and causing complete chaos among the thousands of inhabitants who watched in horror. Amid the flames and debris, two figures emerged into the sky, fleeing swiftly.

"Did you get it, Riveria?" Lucius asked as he held onto her.

"Yes," she responded, looking worriedly at the destruction they had caused.

"We had no choice, Riveria. We needed to retrieve this book," he said, noticing her expression as they continued their escape.

However, amid the flames consuming the tower, a figure revealed itself. A woman with slightly tanned skin, long black hair, and a crown adorned with a serpent emerged from the fire. Her eyes gleamed with a deadly glare as she fixed her gaze on the direction in which the two were fleeing.

"You think you can escape after this?" her voice echoed with authority and fury. "Listen well, both of you... We will hunt you down. You have no idea who you are dealing with."

Lucius and Riveria vanished into the sky, leaving the Empire behind. But that woman continued to watch them, her eyes filled with determination and an undeniable desire to destroy them.