The earth, too, gradually comes to understand the world.
And the earth gazes together upon the world’s new direction.
Terramont and his retainers were leading a small army across the northwestern plains.
After marching in silence for a long time, Terramont raised his head and looked toward the horizon of the Aqua Empire, faintly visible to the north.
“Come to think of it, even after Marinus appeared, it seems no great change has occurred in the world.”
Gaia asked,
“By Marinus, do you mean Aqua’s dragon?”
Terramont nodded.
“The black dragon summoned by Aqua. Ignis still has not summoned their dragon, and the dragons of Metallum and Silva fought each other and died together. At this point, the only surviving dragon is Marinus. In a sense, they possess the most powerful military force at present, but fortunately, that dragon does not seem to be causing any major incidents.”
Gorban also looked north and added in a low voice,
“It truly is quieter than expected. Almost strangely so.”
Terramont looked down at the soil beneath his feet.
Even he, who sensed and moved as one with the earth, seemed unable to feel any particular presence.
“Perhaps it is because there is nothing Marinus must do right now.”
“Must do……?”
“No role has yet been given to him. Aqua has recently been developing their empire smoothly without any major incidents, and ever since the war between Metallum and Ignis ended, the world has grown quiet again. When change comes to the world, Marinus will move.”
After the black dragon Marinus was summoned into this world, all he had done was visit Silva and bring rain to the forest.
At present, he was within Aqua’s deep sea, mingling among the citizens and guiding their flow.
But Gaia spoke with some unease.
“Shouldn’t we prepare a response as well? What should we do if that black dragon comes to us?”
“There is no need to worry greatly.”
Terramont answered quietly.
“The dragons do not aim for this center. Have we not already seen the movements of Silva’s dragon, Nemorensis? Nemorensis also passed by this center. Marinus likewise will not come to threaten us.”
Ratos slowly opened his mouth.
“Do you happen to know? It seems Silva has created some strange form. They call it a tier-four unit of the slime core, but its appearance is far too alien. What we should worry about may be that, rather than Aqua’s dragon.”
Terramont was silent for a moment.
Then he said,
“They crossed the line long ago. Those things will eventually return as the price they must pay.”
Behind them, the Mountain Giants and Earth Guardians followed quietly.
Their footsteps pressed down upon the ground, and the earth embraced them.
“We need only prepare until our time comes. Whether the black dragon moves, flames surge, or the forest is shaken…… the center is meant to accept all things.”
The sky was overcast, and there was almost no wind.
But the earth was breathing, little by little.
Gaia discovered something and cried out,
“Ah, I can feel the energy of water!”
Before the plains that had seemed as though they would stretch on forever, a certain place appeared.
It was a lake whose owner was unknown.
As though even time itself had been frozen, the lake remained a still, smooth plane.
Gaia continued,
“Water is opposed to us, so it would be best to be careful. If we draw too close to the energy of water, our power may instead weaken.”
Gorban also examined the lake and said,
“But I see no Aqua army.”
Terramont silently stared at the lake.
Indeed, the lake was only quiet.
The energy of water existed, but Aqua did not seem to be present.
And Ratos also sensed a presence.
“But doesn’t it seem like someone is up ahead?”
Everyone fixed their eyes around the lake.
There was someone who had arrived at the lake before them.
Unlike Aqua, those with solid bodies were gathered on the far side of the lake.
Gorban said,
“That is…… Metallum.”
Soon, heavy footsteps approached from afar.
Terramont also moved forward, and after a short while, they faced each other.
Terramont nodded calmly, as if he had expected it.
“So it is you.”
Before him stood Emperor Oruma of the Metallum Empire, his retainers, and the army of Metallum.
Oruma spoke bluntly.
“I have no business with you. I hope you will simply go on your way.”
Terramont looked at him and asked,
“This place seems closer to us than to your lands. What brings you all the way here?”
“Hm.”
Oruma’s eyes flashed briefly.
“What does that matter? We are merely expanding our influence in our own way.”
“If you have no business with us, then do you perhaps have business with Aqua?”
“That is none of your concern!”
Oruma glared at Terramont without moving.
“There is no need for long words. I learned of this lake’s existence and came to find it. So it would be best if you did not interfere with us and left.”
Terramont glanced toward the lake and said,
“I wonder what this lake is, for you to show such interest in it. We, too, were on our way to seek out regions like this.”
“We found this lake first!”
Oruma’s voice remained firm and dry.
“Though this place may have been closer to you, it is no longer so. Now it is closer to us. We have claimed this lake first. In any case, water is opposed to you, so it does not suit you, does it?”
Terramont only looked silently at the lake for a while before opening his mouth.
“Let me ask you one thing. Do you know what this lake is? And how do you intend to use it once you take possession of it?”
Silence flowed once more.
Oruma narrowed his eyes.
“I already said it is none of your concern. You are the ones who should simply hold your place at that center, so why are you trying to come out into the surroundings?”
Terramont turned his head and looked at Oruma.
“Just because we are who we are does not mean we know everything about this world. We, too, have many things we are curious about regarding it.”
Then he slowly nodded.
“There is nothing bad about you possessing this lake. Do as you wish. If you truly want this lake, that is.”
His retainers looked at him at the same time in surprise.
Terramont continued in a calm tone.
“In any case, the world is vast, and compared to it, this lake is nothing more than a very small existence. And I feel that the moment this lake reveals its true owner is slowly, but surely, drawing nearer.”
Oruma found Terramont’s reaction unexpected, yet at the same time, he could not understand it.
“What on earth does that mean? Its true owner?”
“I cannot know yet, either. However, you are not unaware that this world existed long before our empires were born, are you?”
Oruma did not particularly retort to Terramont’s words.
When Terramont turned away first, their conversation ended.
The distance between Terra and Metallum gradually grew wider again.
Terramont’s party and their army changed direction and moved on.
His retainers could not fully understand Terramont’s words or intentions either.
Gorban spoke first.
“Your Majesty, I still do not know what that lake truly is, and for that very reason, we cannot know what may happen if it falls into Metallum’s hands.”
Terramont spoke impassively.
“There is no need to be uneasy. They have merely gained the energy of water.”
Gaia asked,
“Then will Metallum come to use that water energy in some way? But how would they use the energy of water……?”
“That answer is something Metallum must find for themselves.”
Terramont glanced up at the sky and continued as if murmuring.
“Metallum using the energy of water…… The world will become more interesting. Even now, the world is flowing toward a single point, but I can feel its speed increasing little by little. Perhaps the other empires have already discovered special places in the world as well.”
Ratos asked,
“Special places…… Are there other regions besides the lake?”
“We have already discovered one. The rocky ridge located east of the center is one of those places. The energy of earth dwelling within the rocky ridge grants power to us and to Metallum, while it had an adverse effect on Aqua and Silva. Thanks to our discovery of that place, it has now been incorporated into our territory.”
Earth cores were produced throughout the territory of the Terra Empire, but an especially large amount of earth cores was being produced from the rocky ridge, where the energy of earth was particularly strong.
Ratos asked again,
“No, then since Metallum just took possession of that lake, does that mean Metallum might be able to produce Aqua’s cores as well?”
“That is not the case.”
Terramont answered.
“Metallum merely possesses a place that emits the energy of water; that alone does not allow them to obtain Aqua’s cores. But someday, Metallum will come to obtain those cores without Aqua’s support.”
Ratos reacted with even greater unease.
“Then isn’t the situation becoming more and more serious? Each side’s cores have already spread throughout the world, and dual-attribute cores have all appeared, but even so, there were limits to producing those cores. Provided the other party no longer supplied them, that is. But if a single empire becomes able to produce two or more types of cores at the same time, then they will be able to create dual-attribute cores as much as they please, should they wish it. Furthermore, dual-attribute cores will become commonplace in the world.”
Gaia also added,
“On top of that, Metallum just took a region close to the center. This looks almost like they are slowly beginning to threaten us.”
Terramont was silent for a moment.
Then he took a handful of soil into his hand and quietly scattered it.
“The earth always embraces all things. If the world changes in that way, then we must embrace that change as well.”
Gorban, who had remained still, asked him,
“Then who is the true owner of that lake?”
Terramont answered in a low voice.
“They have not yet revealed themselves. Someday, they will appear.”
Terramont looked up at the sky and thought,
‘Perhaps all of us, too, have an owner……’
He did not voice that thought aloud.
Without a word, quietly, he kept his gaze on the sky and read the world.
As Terramont’s party continued moving, Gaia asked,
“But where are we heading now?”
Gorban stopped walking for an instant.
“This is…… north, isn’t it? This road leads toward Aqua!”
The retainers looked at one another.
But Terramont did not stop walking.
“What is there to fear? We are not going to fight Aqua. We are looking around the world.”
Though bewildered, the retainers followed behind him.
The two Mountain Giants and the Earth Guardian units moved with them as well.
Meanwhile, the Ignis Empire was also on the move again, in full swing, to kindle new embers.
The research into tri-attribute cores, which had begun as a conversation between researchers, had now drawn Emperor Vulcanus’s interest as well.
“Let me see, where was it again?”
Vulcanus sat upon his throne and examined the map.
Ignis, too, had already discovered several special places like the lake that Terra and Metallum had found at the same time.