# 64
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A huge valley higher than a four-story palace.
On its walls, the black aura was expanding like lightning, as if glass was shattering before the eyes.
A scattering of broken rock dust resulting from the passage of black magic in the wind.
Small spreading cracks gradually turned into huge cracks.
As if it was about to fall on the heads of those passing through the valley.
“Oh my God...”
Matthias muttered.
"Get away, everyone! The wall is collapsing!"
Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
As Mathias the horse turned quickly, the cliff behind them began to collapse.
“Run, fast!”
“Go away!”
The knights charged, striking their horses' buttocks.
The sound of huge rocks falling rang out from all sides.
Elinor shrank.
Primal fear took over her senses.
Just...just a little bit, just a little bit.
The moment the horse jumped over a huge rock.
Kwong-!
A massive sound, different from before, struck her ears.
At the same time, Elinor's vision darkened.
* * *
“Heck, heck, heck.”
“Who's crying?”
In total darkness where nothing can be seen.
Elinor heard the sound of sad crying from somewhere, and she looked around.
It was a very painful crying sound, difficult to ignore, and made the heart ache.
Elinor walked towards the source of the sound.
A faint light appeared in the darkness.
And there was Charlotte crying.
“Charles!”
Elinor called out to her loudly.
But Charlotte didn't hear her.
A familiar little golden bird was flying around Charlotte.
Elinor raised her voice.
"Charles! Come back! The child is waiting for you!"
Charlotte continued to cry without answering.
Elinor couldn't bear it, so she took a step forward.
But suddenly, the ground collapsed beneath her feet.
The ground turned into a swamp, tying her feet whenever she tried to get closer to Charlotte.
As if it was leading her to the world of death.
Eleanor felt a shiver and quickly got off her feet.
Meanwhile, Charlotte is also swallowed up by the swamp.
Charlotte, who had been shining in the darkness, gradually began to disappear into the black swamp.
"No! Charles, please, look at me!"
Her heart was beating with foreboding.
She wanted so badly to get Charlotte out.
But the darkness grew, as if it refused Elinor's approach.
The golden bird flew around Charlotte, crying sadly.
As if he was asking Elinor to save Charlotte.
“Charles!”
The moment Elinor jumped headlong into the darkness.
"Yes!"
"Miss Elinor! Are you all right?"
Elinor, who was unconscious, opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was a broad back.
Matthias was carrying her on his back and moving.
But Charlotte?
Charlotte was just in front of me?
“Charles, where is Charles?”
"What?"
“She was crying...”
Bieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
The golden bird chirped softly and landed on Elinor's shoulder, then began chirping words she could not understand.
After a moment, Elinor realized.
She never really met Charlotte, it was just a dream.
She also realized what happened before she lost consciousness.
“Hoo…”
Elinor felt frustrated and relaxed her body.
She had no strength in her body.
He heard a worried voice behind her back.
"Are you well?"
Elinor nodded.
“How long were you unconscious for?”
“About two hours.”
“The valley collapsed, didn't it?”
"Yes."
“What about the others?”
“Logan and some of the others managed to get through before the collapse, and the others...”
Matthias stammered.
They are dead. Elinor swallowed her moan.
“We had to run to avoid collapsing, so we moved further inland.”
"Where are we now?"
“Another crossroads out of the valley. You see, we can't walk with horses, so we walk.”
Hoo, Matthias exhaled a hot breath.
The narrow, ascending corridor seemed to make it difficult for him to walk while carrying Elinor.
Elinor, who was being carried on his back, realized this.
“Put me down now.”
“It's dangerous, stay as you are.”
“I will be careful not to get hurt. And if I am carried, it will be difficult to deal with any danger.”
“However, I'm worried…”
“Put me down.”
Although she was unconscious for a while, she was not hurt, so she was able to move.
She didn't want to be a burden in this critical situation.
Because of her resolute attitude, Matthias finally put her down.
“If you feel like you're about to break down, don't hide it and tell me.”
"Good."
“I'm going forward, so follow me carefully.”
Matthias and Elinor began walking single file down a narrow path in the valley.
Because of the tension, they didn't talk.
After a while of walking, a main road appeared leading out of the valley.
But Matthias stopped without entering.
“It's polluted.”
The distant road was covered in black magic.
Walking there means a death sentence.
Elinor asked anxiously.
"So what do we do? Do we go back to where we came from?"
“This is more dangerous. Instead…”
Matthias looked up at the sky.
After a moment of thought,
“We'd better go higher.”
"higher?"
“To the top of the valley. If we fall, they won’t find our bodies, but there is no other choice now.”
Matthias turned around indifferently after his terrible statement.
The summit was not far away.
Because Matthias had already climbed a great distance while Elinor was unconscious.
When they reached an open place, the wind blew violently from all sides.
Elinor grabbed her flying hair and opened her closed eyes.
“Oh my God...”
The huge valley was completely visible.
Almost two-thirds of it was covered in black.
All this is due to black magic contamination.
“Nothing was left intact.”
Matthias muttered sarcastically.
There was a slight anger in his voice.
But he soon began searching for an unspoilt path.
Now, escape was a priority over anger.
Elinor helped him examine the valley.
But something strange caught her attention.
“Wait?”
From a distance, the valley looked like a long dragon.
This environmental form was the reason why the legend of the First Dragon Emperor's founding arose here.
But from here, the shape of the valley looked like…
“Your Highness the Duke.”
"Yes."
“Do you know where this place is?”
Matthias frowned as he checked the part Elinor had pointed out.
"I know."
"where?"
“The place where my parents had an accident ten years ago.”
Elinor's eyes widened slightly.
“When the Emperor came to inspect Hilliard’s territory, an explosion occurred. It was the first place where black magic was observed.”
“Ah…”
“But why do you suddenly ask?”
Perhaps because the previous duke had died there, Matthias was sensitive.
Elinor swallowed.
“It...seems a bit strange.”
"strange?"
“In my eyes, this valley looks like a huge matrix. But in that place, the matrix is broken. It is as if someone’s waist has been broken.”