Transmigrated to a Dark Fantasy World of SSS-Rank: King of the Void-Chapter 80: Save the Herald?

Ellegaard first examined the area near the doors while Jeanne amused herself by inspecting the display armors. She closely observed the impact marks on the wall above the doorway, then the dried blood lying beneath it.

She frowned as she crouched down and touched the blood with her fingers.

"It’s a few weeks old..." 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

She stood up and looked around. The throne was empty, the windows shattered, and there were signs of battle across all the walls—but these were far older than the blood at the entrance to the throne room. Though there had been a recent fight here, it hadn’t caused much damage, as if one side had been defeated in a single blow.

She walked toward the throne, hoping to find something more. There, in the ashen crater before the marble throne, was a thin groove where a slender object might have once been embedded. She touched the crater with her fingers, frowning at her discovery.

"Divine presence..."

The clanking of armor falling echoed behind her. Ellegaard glanced at Jeanne, who was trying to put everything back in place. She sighed, shaking her head, and continued her work.

She raised her staff and struck the crater once. A small golden light formed, taking the shape of a sphere before floating into her hand. She grasped the glowing object and clenched it in her fist.

"What’s that?" Jeanne asked, now sitting on the old throne.

"Divine Magic—at least, its remnants."

"Isn’t that something you don’t like?"

The elf shook her head.

"All magic leads to the origin. This is no exception. The residue belongs to a magical object—a sword, from the looks of it."

"A sword... You mean that sword?"

"Yes. It was said that Prince Arthur of the Kingdom of Holylight was blessed by the gods and the world itself, and that they, together with the fairies, gifted him a relic imbued with divine power so he could defend his land. With this weapon, no enemy could stand before him—but even that wasn’t enough."

Jeanne looked toward one of the great stained-glass windows, where the figure of Arthur’s father, King Uther, was depicted.

"It wasn’t enough because wherever Arthur went, misfortune followed him..."

"Exactly. He earned the infamous title of the Prince of Misfortune, and his own people began to distrust him. In every battle, every war, there was always death and defeat for Arthur."

"That must be horrible, having that kind of luck. I mean, how would someone live if happiness couldn’t exist around them?"

Ellegaard glanced at the dried blood.

"That’s what I wonder as well." She walked toward the throne where Jeanne sat and lightly waved her staff, signaling her to get up. "Putting aside the depressing life of a dead prince, I’ve unfortunately confirmed something."

The princess tilted her head, watching Ellegaard, who studied the throne intently. Then the elf looked up toward the ceiling as she spoke:

"The Herald of the Unnamable was here—at least, the probability is high. Just as the prophecy states, they absorbed part of the curse’s power. That explains why the presence of the Ashen Curse is so diluted in what should be the origin of the Mystery of Cinder."

"How are we going to tell the townspeople? No, I mean... how are we supposed to let the entire world know about this?"

"By telling the truth as it is. There’s no other way. Besides, if the Herald has appeared, that means they should still be in Nemoria right now, seeking to absorb all of the Ashen Curse. At some point, they’ll free another kingdom, and that will be undeniable proof of their existence."

"Do you think they’re weak? I mean, if the Herald came into this world from beyond the stars to obtain their power, shouldn’t they have started off weak?"

Ellegaard shook her head.

"If they eliminated the curse here, that means they could already be among the most powerful beings in the world. We might be able to put up a fight together with Aslan, but someone who controls the curse could easily turn all of us into ash."

"So that means we’re doomed," Jeanne said with a smile.

Ellegaard didn’t understand what was so amusing, but the princess explained it herself.

"The prophecy said the Herald has a very fragile heart, and that their tears are the answer. It also said we could either save them from our world or kill them—those were our only options."

"What are you implying?"

"What if we try to save the Herald? Since the world will perish anyway, why not at least try? Maybe the Herald is just a very lonely being searching for companionship. If we save them, not only will we save the world—we’ll give one of the most powerful beings in history a second chance."

. . .

"Are you insane? Even if we could do what you’re suggesting, that would mean continuing to explore Nemoria—which carries a great risk to my life. I don’t want to die so young. I still have to shatter the limits of Arcane Magic."

"I know, woman. We’re not strong enough to survive in the Land of Ash—but do you know who is?"

"It can’t be..."

"The Herald of the Unnamable. Just imagine how strong we’d become if we fought by their side and became their friends. Imagine everything we could accomplish. The idea excites me."

"You’re talking nonsense. I’ll go back to investigating. You can keep thinking your stupid ideas."

As if everything the princess had said offended her, Ellegaard ignored her and continued her investigation. Jeanne, on the other hand, turned her gaze back to the king’s figure in the window with a smile.

"It doesn’t sound that far-fetched, honestly."

***

The next morning, Mitsuki and the rest of the group resumed their journey. They walked for a few hours along a large forested cliff until they finally spotted the next village in the distance. It was a fairly large settlement, with long stone walls enclosing the area. The dark vegetation seemed to be devouring the stone, as countless plants and roots had overtaken much of the town.

"Finally, we’re here. I was starting to get bored," Azel said.

’A village in the middle of a forest doesn’t exactly sound like a safe place... With the things we ran into before getting here, it’s hard to imagine this was ever inhabited.’

Safe or not, they were going in anyway.