Chapter 76
Chapter 76. For a Benefactor, Of Course
Within a conference chamber located in Elysium’s main administrative hall, the three council elders who governed the city sat with grim countenances, joined by Adil—who had been captured while recovering Bellium’s Tear—and Araven, who attended to provide testimony.
The opening remarks came from Renon, a dwarven member among Elysium’s three governing elders.
“Before we deliberate on our course of action, we must obtain a clear account of the incident. Adil, commence your report.”
“Following the retrieval of Bellium’s Tear, I reached out to Araven to confirm its discovery. While awaiting the arrival of the protection detail, an unknown assailant abducted me. My recollection of the moments immediately preceding and succeeding the capture remains vague.”
Adil remarked further that he suspected an arcane hex had been cast upon him.
Recalling those events brought a momentary look of anguish to his features, but he promptly gathered his resolve and shared everything he had witnessed and endured without holding back any detail.
Having absorbed the testimony and weighed the implications, Renon posed a subsequent inquiry.
“What became of the necromancer’s remains?”
“Our forces collected them. They are currently placed in an abandoned subterranean vault.”
Araven provided the response on Adil’s behalf.
“Understood. That matter is accounted for. Regarding Bellium’s Tear… does Adil’s description truly reflect what occurred?”
“I witnessed it plainly with my very eyes.”
“Araven, did you observe any sign that this individual intentionally drew in Bellium’s Tear?”
This inquiry originated from Heset, an elven elder on the council.
“Not in the slightest. Mr. Minjun appeared utterly bewildered by the phenomenon himself.”
Araven paused in contemplation before offering an additional thought.
“Furthermore, even though Mr. Minjun is mortal, he commands draconic power. One cannot completely disregard the notion that Bellium’s Tear willingly yielded itself to be integrated into him.”
Though scholarly efforts had never succeeded in drawing power from it, Bellium’s Tear unarguably held an intense reservoir of refined draconic essence attributed to Bellium.
Consequently, one might suspect Minjun had actively summoned his strength to claim the relic, yet the alternate possibility carried equal weight.
“What grounds lead you to suspect that Bellium’s Tear chose him willingly?”
“It remains mere speculation, yet it could have manifested an instinctive repulsion toward the dark arts of a necromancer.”
“Theories, conjectures… We possess not a single concrete truth.”
Heset rested his brow in his hands out of sheer exhaustion.
Had there been even a lone comparable historical record, it would have served as their guide.
Yet neither chroniclers who had spent their entire lives studying Bellium and Elysium nor the most seasoned arcanists had ever witnessed such an anomaly, leaving them devoid of any standard protocol.
Strictly speaking, the blame for this dilemma rested entirely upon the necromancer who provoked it, yet that perpetrator was already slain.
Summoning Minjun for a rigorous interrogation presented just as many complications.
From the accounts of Adil and Araven, Minjun was just as ignorant of the underlying cause.
Furthermore, every piece of evidence pointed toward his complete lack of malicious intent.
“Our predicament here… is truly delicate.”
Demanding the return of Bellium’s Tear was unfeasible, not only because he lacked any means to surrender it, but because he had voluntarily stepped forward to rescue the people of Elysium on two separate occasions across yesterday and today.
Conversely, letting him keep such a relic without a word posed its own challenges.
With this artifact absorbed, merely two of Bellium’s Tears remained in existence.
The council members rubbed their temples and sighed as they pooled their wisdom in an effort to reach a resolution.
A variety of ideas were brought forth across the discussion, yet none proved persuasive enough to win universal support.
As the gathering dragged on without resolution, a heavy silence descended upon the chamber.
Adil cautiously raised a hand to present a thought.
“I cannot speak for how everyone gathered here might view it, yet perhaps our best path is simply to acknowledge the reality before us.”
“Acknowledge the reality?”
Renon cast an inquisitive glance in his direction, prompting him to elaborate.
“Elysium already bears an immense obligation toward Mr. Minjun. Given that the artifact has merged with him and no known method exists to extract it, and taking the broader picture into account, I would argue Mr. Minjun has legitimately earned the privilege to hold it.”
Just yesterday, Minjun’s heroic actions against the massive swarm of beasts had spared Elysium from catastrophic losses.
No one disputed the significance of his deeds.
Even so, taking an objective view, granting Bellium’s Tear purely as compensation for yesterday’s conflict appeared vastly disproportionate.
Because of this, Adil supplied another justification.
“Above all else, had Mr. Minjun not stepped in, Bellium’s Tear would have already fallen into the clutches of that necromancer.”
Had Minjun stayed his hand, today’s gathering would have been focused on mounting a pursuit to reclaim the stolen Bellium’s Tear.
Under those conditions, their frustration would have been far more acute, and the council would have spent the entire day consumed by outrage.
Weighing Minjun’s deeds alongside the broader circumstances, allowing him to retain Bellium’s Tear stood as an entirely reasonable outcome.
“Reflecting upon that, we seem to have ignored a crucial perspective.”
Attempting to seize Bellium’s Tear under such terms would be tantamount to killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.
“We lack an alternative solution regardless. I propose we proceed with Adil’s recommendation.”
“We may designate it as a token of our appreciation toward the visitor who defended Elysium.”
One by one, the three elders found themselves aligning with Adil’s viewpoint.
“We must likewise remember that we narrowly escaped a far graver catastrophe: the desecration and theft of Bellium’s remains beyond the city walls.”
Araven offered one final consideration to the assembled elders.
In the end, the necromancer had exploited Adil and Bellium’s Tear as bargaining chips entirely to lay hands upon the remains of Bellium.
While Bellium’s Tear represented a revered relic, within Elysium’s heritage, Bellium’s actual remains carried immeasurably greater importance.
“Framed in that light, the proper course is unmistakable.”
“Apart from permitting him to keep Bellium’s Tear, we ought to consider presenting an additional token of appreciation as well.”
“Then our decision is made.”
As twilight settled across the city, Adil still had not arrived to meet with me.
His parting remark had warned that the council’s discussions could take quite some time, so I decided there was little use in fretting and resolved to simply wait.
The dinner hour had arrived and my appetite was growing, prompting me to head back to the lodging house for a bite to eat.
The establishment conveniently ran a small tavern on the ground floor, which spared me any unnecessary travel.
Estelle had previously informed me that the populace had arranged to handle about thirty days of my room and board, meaning I would not need to stress over meals or shelter for the immediate future.
Naturally, I had no intention of lingering for an entire month. My goal was to make my way back to Earth far sooner than that.
Such matters could wait until Adil delivered his report. At the moment, satisfying my hunger took precedence.
The proprietor brought forth my dish once I took a seat, but moments later, a band of youngsters came rushing over from across the room.
“Champion! Champion! We heard you took down another villain today!”
“Will you tell us how it happened?”
“Please! Tell us the way you fought him!”
The story had clearly circulated through the streets already.
A cluster of youths from various races encircled my table, eagerly pleading to learn the details of today’s encounter.
“Children! Mr. Minjun is trying to eat his dinner. He must be famished, so do not pester him.”
“Aww…”
“Just a tiny bit! Can’t he share just a short piece of it? Please?”
A young tavern worker who appeared to be in her late teens caught sight of the commotion and stepped in to disperse them.
It seemed that even within a parallel realm, ordinary life functioned much the same as back home.
“I apologize deeply. One of those little ones is my younger kin, and the rest are their companions. I instructed them not to interrupt your meal, yet they rushed over anyway.”
“There is no harm done. Listen, everyone, once I clear my plate, I’ll recount what happened. Will you give me just a few moments?”
“Hooray!”
“That’s a promise! You can’t take it back!”
Heeding the young attendant with slight reluctance, the pack of children retreated to a corner table.
With the distraction cleared, I managed to finish my meal in peace.
Just as I took my final bites, the front entrance swung open and Adil’s voice called out my name.
“Mr. Minjun!”
“Did the council finally conclude its business?”
“Yes! The gathering just wrapped up. I came straight to find you.”
“What was the outcome?”
“I believe it would be wiser to speak in private—perhaps up in your quarters rather than down here.”
Given the gravity of the subject, discussing it away from an open dining area made good sense.
“Right away?”
“Indeed. Wouldn’t you rather have clarity without delay?”
“I would, though… shouldn’t you eat something first, Adil?”
Having endured being taken captive followed by an exhausting council debate, Adil had to be thoroughly drained and starving.
I had deliberately held back out of consideration for his well-being.
“No, my stomach is in knots anyway. When I finally reach my house, I will likely collapse straight into bed without dinner.”
“In that case, let us head upstairs.”
The second I pushed my chair back, the children who had been trying to catch every word scampered across the room.
“Mr. Minjun! You swore you would tell us about today after finishing your dinner!”
“You’re breaking your word…”
“Forgive me, everyone. Once I wrap up this discussion with Adil, I will come right back down and share the tale. I am truly sorry.”
After offering my apologies to the youngsters, I climbed the staircase with Adil toward the room I occupied.
The second the door closed behind us, Adil pulled out a vacant seat and went straight to the point.
“To present the core outcome immediately: the council has resolved to officially validate your possession of Bellium’s Tear.”
“Is that true?”
I had harbored concerns that the matter might spiral into a massive headache, yet it appeared fortune had favored me after all.
Adil proceeded to outline every argument raised throughout the council’s deliberation, detailing why the elders had arrived at their verdict.
He furthermore shared that they intended to grant me an extra gesture of goodwill completely separate from Bellium’s Tear.
“In return for this, the leadership has a singular, modest favor to ask of you.”
“A modest favor?”
“They hope you might provide a couple of ordinary items originating from the realm you hail from. There is no requirement for them to hold high value.”
Originating from an unfamiliar realm, it was only natural that the residents of this land harbored curiosity regarding my homeland’s culture, crafts, and advancements.
“They didn’t name anything in particular?”
“Nothing specific.”
Evidently, the simple gesture of acquiring curiosities from another world carried significance for them, meaning a few miscellaneous trinkets would suffice.
“A request like that is simple to fulfill.”
“Splendid.”
Adil dipped his head with respect upon receiving my confirmation.
“Moving forward, Mr. Minjun, how does your body feel at present? Have you noticed any differences after taking in Bellium’s Tear?”
“My internal dragon energy certainly feels more potent than before. The sensation of advancement is unmistakable. Had that relic been a high-grade medicinal potion rather than a sacred treasure, I would have gladly poured every piece of coin I possessed into obtaining it.”
That remained the sole regret in my mind.
Could I locate a concoction or magical relic granting an equivalent surge, I would purchase it without a second thought.
“Understood. Now then, please tell me what you wished to discuss with me earlier. I was told you sought my assistance, but we lacked the opportunity to address it.”
“I wish to learn about the monument of Bellium standing in the plaza’s center—the one under your care.”
“That monument? Sharing its history is no great challenge, but your interest feels somewhat out of the blue. Might I ask what prompts it?”
I laid out my thoughts for Adil.
I shared my conviction that an unseen thread bound that monument to myself, and that unraveling this mystery might serve as the path back to my own world.
I likewise described the strange phenomena I had experienced throughout the preceding two days.
Adil gave steady nods as he absorbed every word.
“Understood. While I could speak on it right here, unloading scattered lore would be far less helpful than gathering only the records that truly serve your goal. I ought to rest for tonight, rise early tomorrow to compile the relevant texts, and return to see you then.”
A single glance at his weary expression was enough to see how spent he was.
Sustaining a deep dialogue was likely beyond him in his present state anyway, making a solid night of rest the clear priority.
“That sounds like the best approach. I appreciate it. Go and get some proper rest.”
“I am the one indebted to you. You preserved my life. Please accept my sincere gratitude once more.”
Adil bowed low from the waist and moved toward the doorway.
Right as he reached the threshold, he paused.
“Ah, one moment. A crucial detail nearly slipped my mind.”
“What might that be?”
A gentle grin crossed Adil’s lips, and his voice dropped to a quiet murmur, as if guarding against any stray ears nearby.
“There exists an underground sanctum beneath the effigy, constructed by the hands of Lord Bellium himself. When the sun rises tomorrow, let us step down there together.”
“An underground sanctum?”
That revelation took me completely off guard.
Perhaps I would uncover answers extending far beyond my original expectations.
“Travelers from outside are normally barred from crossing that threshold, yet you stand as a savior to Elysium, do you not? I have already secured the consent of all three elders, and… there remains an additional reason as well. I shall elaborate on that tomorrow.”
Though I had anticipated finding answers to clear my doubts, Adil departed the quarters, leaving an even deeper riddle hanging over my thoughts.
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