BRAND NEW WORLD-Chapter 60: A Reunion Before the New Storm Approaching

The New World Online, or TNWO for short, was an MMORPG beloved by players from all walks of life because of its freedom. Within it, players could do almost anything they desired. That was why many people didn’t see TNWO as merely a game, but as a new world—a place where one could live the second life they had always dreamed of.

For me, it was real as well.

It was a world where I met many people, went on adventures, and participated in boss raids. One of those people was Radhimar.

With his knowledge, I was able to witness wonders I had never seen before. Back then, I never once suspected that he might have been an admin playing alongside us. I simply thought of him as a hardcore player who knew far too much.

"So, what now, Lun?" Rima asked.

"We continue with our objective. Even with clues, finding him won’t be easy," I replied with a sigh.

"And you? What will you do now?" Rima asked Tiamat.

"I will return to guard the seal," Tiamat answered.

"Very well. Thank you for the information. If you meet him, please tell him to come home as soon as possible."

"Yes, Milady." Tiamat nodded. "If that is all, I shall take my leave."

He stepped into an open area, pressed his fingers together, and thrust them into the air before him.

CRACK!

A sound like shattering glass echoed as space distorted around his hand as it pierced it. Using both hands, he tore the air apart, widening the fracture until a rift formed. Wind rushed inward as a portal opened. Once it was large enough, Tiamat stepped inside, disappearing as the fractured space slowly sealed itself shut.

A Rift Portal...? That was a skill used by certain high-level enemy NPCs in the game.

Rima didn’t seem particularly surprised—she herself could use teleportation magic.

However...

When I glanced at Clive, Viscount Inda, and Guild Master Amara, the shock was obvious in their eyes. I had forgotten. Teleportation magic was ancient sorcery long thought lost.

Well... what’s done is done.

With matters concluded, we returned to them.

"How did it go? I hope everything was resolved smoothly," Viscount Inda asked.

"Yes. Thank you for lending us your place."

"You’re too courteous. You are Miss Rima’s sister—of course, I would assist however I can."

"That was teleportation magic, wasn’t it? It was my first time witnessing such a thing. Truly extraordinary. The acquaintances of Miss Rima are certainly no ordinary individuals," Amara remarked in awe.

"Guild Master Amara exaggerates," Rima replied lightly. "In any case, since our business here is done, we’ll be taking our leave."

We said our farewells and left the mansion.

Since it was still early morning, we decided to depart immediately. Rantjah City wasn’t much different from Zarua—both were border cities, constantly bustling with travelers.

I hadn’t paid much attention earlier, but now that I looked more carefully, humans were noticeably fewer here. The majority of the population consisted of non-humans, especially elves.

"Rim, why are there so few humans here? And why do other races—especially elves—dominate?" I asked through telepathy.

"Because non-humans dominate the nation’s leadership. From the Queen down to most of her staff, they’re non-human. In the past, there was a ’Human Supremacy’ movement—an organization that believed humans were superior to other races. It didn’t last long. The government suppressed it. Perhaps because of that, many humans feel uncomfortable living in Nyrranthea and choose not to stay. So don’t be surprised if you rarely see humans here," Rima explained.

"That’s... rather grim."

Soon we reached the city gates. Several horse-drawn carriages were lined up neatly, like buses at a terminal.

"Milady, I’ll go purchase the tickets," Clive said.

"Tickets?" I asked Rima.

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. In Nyrranthea, transportation services are managed by the Merchant Guild. Carriage drivers are salaried employees, paid weekly or monthly," she explained.

That sounds suspiciously similar to Earth’s system. Could the idea have originated from a player?

Clive returned shortly.

"Apologies for the wait."

"It’s fine. Did you get them?" Rima asked.

"Yes. A carriage will depart shortly."

"Then let’s go."

And so, the capital city of Nini-Anteh awaited us in the southwest.

Meanwhile, Somewhere in the Kingdom of Nyrranthea

Inside a stone-walled chamber, a silver-haired elf woman worked through stacks of documents at her desk, while a one-horned demon-man in a dark blue military uniform and a white-bearded dwarf dressed as a scholar stood before her, holding a bundle of papers.

"Haaah... these reports never end! Can’t one of you handle them instead?" the elf woman complained.

"You are the Queen. You must share the burden of your people’s problems," the demon man replied. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

"Especially matters concerning the Forbidden Land," added the dwarf.

The elf woman stopped writing. Silence filled the room.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Enter!" she called.

A cat-eared man dressed like a thief entered and knelt.

"Report! Clive has returned. He departed Rantjah City yesterday with two elves. One of them is Your Majesty’s Aunt—Miss Rimaria Oberyth."

BANG!

"Oh! That’s wonderful news!" the elf woman exclaimed, slamming the desk.

The demon and dwarf stared at her.

"Ehem... I mean, thank you for the report. Return to your post," she corrected herself calmly.

After the cat-eared man left, the dwarf sighed.

"I know you’re excited, but could you at least wait until he leaves the room?"

"Well, it concerns Miss Rima. Of course, she’s excited," the demon shrugged.

"Wait. He said Clive came with two elves. One is Miss Rima. So who’s the other?" the elf woman asked.

The dwarf and demon exchanged sly smiles.

"Ah! That look! You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?" she accused.

"We have no idea what you mean," they replied almost in unison.

"Hmph! You’re insufferable!"

"If you finish all these documents before sunset, we’ll tell you," the dwarf said with a grin.

Her eyes sparkled instantly.

"Fine! I’ll do it!"

"You sly old geezer," the demon muttered with a smirk.

Our journey proceeded smoothly. We encountered almost no monsters. If any appeared, other adventurers—or Clive—handled them. With assassin-like precision, Clive struck vital points efficiently.

Rima and I barely had to act. I grew bored, though Rima remained composed, eyes closed, arms folded.

Ten days have passed since we left Rantjah City.

Ahead of us, colossal city walls rose into the sky, with a magnificent castle crowning the summit.

"It seems we’ve arrived," Rima said softly.

My chest tightened with anticipation. I had no idea what awaited us.

At the gate, the walls were even taller than those of Nuzantra’s capital.

"We’ll get off here. Thank you, driver," Rima said.

A cat-eared guard approached immediately.

"Welcome, Miss Rima!"

"I’ll head straight to the palace."

"Understood, Miss."

"Lun, do you want the welcoming ceremony, or shall we skip it?"

Huh? Welcoming ceremony?

That sounded exhausting.

"Let’s skip it..." I replied hesitantly.

"Alright. Clive, we’ll go ahead."

"Yes, Miss!"

EH?!

Rima took off into the air. I hurriedly followed.

The palace guards moved to kneel, but an unseen force kept them upright.

"Y-Your Maj—" one began, only to fall silent when Rima pressed a finger to her lips.

Was he about to call her Your Majesty?

"We wish to see the Queen," Rima said calmly.

Inside a luxurious office stood a silver-haired elf woman, along with the demon and dwarf from earlier.

We stared at one another in silence.

The elf woman’s face glowed with barely contained excitement.

Suddenly, she ran forward and threw her arms around me.

"Aunt! I’ve finally met you!"

EH?! Aunt?!

I glanced at Rima.

"Surprise," she whispered telepathically, wearing a mischievous smile.

"Aunt!" the elf girl cried as she held me tightly.

Wait... why is she calling me Aunt?

But thinking about it, Rima said this was a surprise. The guards almost called Rima "Your Majesty." If I piece all the clues together... it makes sense.

Could she be Rima’s daughter? But then why would Rima hide that from me? A child from some forbidden romance?

No, no, no... but if she really is Rima’s daughter, then our family just got bigger.

I glanced at Rima, who was still smiling.

After reaching my conclusion, I returned the embrace. The girl tightened her hold. I could smell the faint fragrance of her hair. Her body trembled slightly. Without realizing it, I gently stroked her head.

The room fell silent, filled only with the sound of her emotional sobs.

For some reason, I felt my own eyes sting.

After a few moments, she slowly released me.

She stepped back two paces, wiping her tears. The demon man handed her a handkerchief from behind.

Sniff... sniff...

"I’m sorry for behaving so improperly," she said.

"It’s fine. You did nothing wrong. The one at fault is Rima—for only telling me now," I replied, giving Rima a faint, accusing smile.

"Hey, how did this become my fault?" Rima protested. "You were busy with Daisy. I didn’t want to ruin your moment."

That was true. Ever since Daisy joined us, she had always wanted to stay close—especially during visits to the capital. But after a few months, she gradually adapted.

So this was Rima’s real reason for bringing me here.

"Lun, allow me to introduce them properly. On the left is Brudack, Prime Minister of Nyrranthea. On the right is Izzat, Commander of the Royal Knights. And lastly... the Queen of the Kingdom of Nyrranthea—Shanyrria Oberyth," Rima said.

Shanyrria? That name sounds familiar...

"You probably already know my name, but allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Lunaria Oberyth. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Brudack and Izzat excused themselves, saying they would give us time to reunite.

"Aunt, when did you return? I was so relieved when I learned you were alive. It’s a shame Uncle hasn’t returned yet. Please be patient," Shanyrria said as she sat beside me.

"I returned about a year ago. Thank you for worrying about me."

Uncle? She means Radhimar?

We talked for quite some time. She asked me to call her Shany—it sounded warmer, she said.

"Mother will be so happy when she hears you’re alive," Shany said with a smile.

"Mother?" I blinked in confusion. "Why speak of your mother that way when she’s right here?"

"Huh? My mother is here?" Shany asked, equally confused.

I turned toward Rima. "Isn’t she your daughter?"

Shany and Rima burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha—"

"Why are you laughing?" I asked, bewildered.

"Sorry, sorry, Aunt," Shany said between giggles.

"So you thought Shany was my daughter?" Rima asked, still amused.

I explained my reasoning.

"Ah, I see. That makes sense—but no, Shany isn’t my daughter," Rima replied.

"Then whose child is she?"

"I’m the daughter of Shaenarah, Aunt," Shany answered.

That name echoed in my ears.

The sounds of the palace faded. My breathing caught in my throat. The world seemed distant. The room blurred—

It was midday in TNWO. I had arranged to meet a friend in front of the plaza fountain.

"Big Sis Luna!" someone called.

I turned. A silver-haired elf ran toward me.

Oh, Shaenarah... she changed her hair color?

"Look, Big Sis! Since I registered you as my sibling in the system, I wanted my hair to match yours, hehe," Shaenarah said proudly.

"It suits you."

"Thank you, Big Sis!" She hugged me.

"So, where are we going today?"

"Help me out, please. I’m stuck on a request," she said with a pout.

"Alright. I’ll help."

"Yay! Big Sis Luna is the best!" She hugged me again.

"Oh, right! I used the adoption system and created an NPC child. Her name is Shanyrria. She’s a high elf like us. If you have time, please come visit her!"

I snapped back to the present.

Ah, right. Shaenarah once told me she adopted an NPC child—Shanyrria. So I had misunderstood.

If Shanyrria is here, does that mean Shaenarah is in this world as well?

"Lun!"

"Aunt!"

"Aunt, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?" Shany asked anxiously.

"No, I’m fine. I was just remembering your mother," I replied softly.

"You must miss her, right?" Shany laughed lightly.

"Yes... It’s been a long time since we last met. By the way, where is she now?"

"Mother? She’s in the Elf Village."

The Elf Village... so she truly exists in this world. What is she like now? I can’t wait to see her.

"Ahem." Rima cleared her throat. "Have you two finished your reunion?"

Shany and I immediately straightened.

"I don’t mean to interrupt, but we have something important to discuss, don’t we?" Rima said.

"Ah! Right! The reunion made me forget," Shany admitted sheepishly.

"So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" Rima asked.

"Just a moment. Brudack! Izzat! Please come in!" Shany called.

The two men entered and took their seats on the sofa after Rima shifted to sit beside me. Shany nodded at them.

"Very well. Let us begin," Brudack said.

"Approximately two weeks ago, cracks began to form in the barrier of the Forbidden Land. Several monsters escaped," he continued.

Two weeks ago? That was two days before I fought the Orc Hero.

"Miss Luna defeated the monsters," Brudack added.

"Actually, I only defeated the subordinates. The boss was defeated by someone else," I corrected, glancing briefly at Rima.

"There was a boss monster?" Izzat asked, startled.

I explained the entire sequence of events. They listened carefully.

"...This is more complicated than I anticipated," Izzat muttered.

"I was aware that Miss Rima’s connections were vast, but Miss Luna’s are equally extraordinary," Brudack said.

"Lun, remember the goblin that nearly wiped out an entire battalion of knights?" Rima asked.

"I remember. Don’t tell me that was also from the Forbidden Land?"

"Exactly. The location was between Zarua and Tazik."

"A few months ago, monsters also spread through the sea. Two villages were devastated by sea monsters," Izzat added.

"Two villages?" I gasped.

Shany clenched her fists. Rima lowered her gaze.

"But their rampage was halted at the third village—by Miss Luna," Izzat continued.

Ah... so the monsters that attacked Sivanto—Daisy’s village—came from the Forbidden Land as well.

Everything was connected.

"The threat of the Forbidden Land is severe. If left unchecked, Nyrranthea will be the first to fall. We have requested aid from neighboring kingdoms. Therefore, we humbly ask Miss Rima and Miss Luna to lend us your strength," Brudack said solemnly.

Rima and I exchanged glances.

"Of course we’ll help, right, Lun?" Rima said.

"Yes."

One village is already too many. There must never be another Daisy.

"When will the barrier collapse?" I asked.

"We do not know. That uncertainty weighs on us every single day," Izzat answered heavily.

Shany and Brudack wore the same troubled expression.

"We should speak with Tiamat," I whispered to Rima telepathically.

"Agreed. He may know the timing," she replied.