00851 Meanwhile, Same Time: Seven
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What’s the story behind Odin rising to become the top clan leading the Southern Continent?

Most would say it all started with the meeting between Eldora, the head of Odin, and Melinus, the revered prophet. But if you look closer, that’s not the whole picture. Just as the Northern Continent has its “Ten Strong”—a group of ten exceptional users—the Southern Continent has a similar circle.

When Eldora was first summoned to the Whole Plain about six years ago, she was just a young girl. No matter how much potential a user might have, what could a mere fourteen-year-old child possibly achieve in such a harsh world?

That’s when Melinus appeared as her savior. Already famous across the Southern Continent, Melinus happened to be overseeing the care of prospective users and immediately recognized Eldora’s potential the moment she arrived. Without hesitation, he took her under his wing—deciding to raise her himself.

Under the prophet’s protection, Eldora began to fully reveal her potential. In truth, Eldora’s role was simple: go where Melinus sent her, do what he told her. But it wasn’t as if she was a puppet. Melinus was always careful not to make her feel that way. He treated her with respect at all times and always provided clear reasons for any task she was asked to do.

Bright and perceptive, Eldora understood this and faithfully met his expectations. Following Melinus’s guidance never did her any harm—in fact, it only ever worked out well.

Two years passed, and Eldora had quietly become the eye of the storm in the Southern Continent. Among users, the name of the blonde girl began to spread, and more and more people watched her every move with keen interest.

Of course, this was exactly what Melinus intended. He skillfully managed the attention of other users—who might have otherwise turned jealous—in two ways.

First, Eldora acted solely for the public good, never for personal gain. From minor issues to major crises, whenever the Southern Continent faced trouble, Eldora was always at the forefront solving it. For example, she forged an alliance with the reclusive fairies and opened their forest to outsiders, or more recently, led the assault on the Orc fortress and made significant discoveries.

Slowly, users across the Southern Continent began to rally behind Eldora’s actions. Even if the benefits didn’t directly reach them, there was a certain romantic allure in watching a delicate, beautiful girl meet an old sage and embark on adventures to build a new power. It was almost like a fantasy tale come to life. Before long, Eldora was receiving recognition akin to official endorsement.

Second, she didn’t act as a lone wolf but gathered respected users as comrades. Like any continent, the Southern Continent had its share of famous users, and Melinus actively recruited them—calling on acquaintances or seeking out others to persuade them to join. There was even a dramatic incident where a user joined after dueling Eldora.

Whether individuals or factions, those who had made names for themselves in various regions came together, becoming a major point of interest. Eldora treated them not as subordinates but as equals. Whenever important matters arose, they gathered around a round table to discuss without hierarchy, always steering the council toward the right decisions.

The users of the Southern Continent called this group the Knights of the Round Table.

*

The place Olivia mentioned wasn’t exactly close from Ragnarok, but the expedition’s march was going smoothly enough. They had long since left the stabilized zones behind, and even entering the semi-stabilized areas, no real threats had appeared. Besides Olivia, the guide, the group consisted mostly of secret-class users—including Eldora and thirteen knights—so it would take a truly formidable monster to even blink at them.

Moreover, driven by Eldora’s eagerness to find a sheath for her sword, the expedition pushed forward relentlessly, reaching near their destination earlier than planned. Still, when Ian repeatedly asked for rest, Eldora couldn’t just ignore him and paused halfway up the mountain. While the melee fighters didn’t mind much, Ian was the only non-combat user among the Knights of the Round Table, so some consideration was necessary.

Akirof, looking relatively relaxed, glanced around before approaching Olivia, who was resting against a large rock.

“Elfin Lord, I think I heard you say we’re almost there?”

“Yes, just beyond that point.”

Olivia swallowed hard but didn’t look up, instead pointing toward the mountain’s peak. There, a steep path cut sharply into the slope like a blade, and a ridge shrouded in pale clouds stretched out gently.

Akirof nodded a couple of times and continued.

“I see. But tell me—though I didn’t expect a welcome party, why aren’t there any other users around? Are they waiting beyond that ridge?”

“…A welcome party? Who?”

“Who else but the Elfin clan members?”

“They were all withdrawn.”

“What? Why? Then what about the guide?”

“She was badly injured near the entrance, so I told her to turn back. I’m handling the guidance.”

Akirof crossed his arms and wore his usual arrogant smirk.

“Hmm…”

“Why the hesitation?”

“Nothing, just… I acknowledge the skill, but it feels like you’re taking the easy way out.”

“Oh? For a Knight of the Blazing Flame, that’s quite a stingy remark.”

Akirof snapped back sharply, but Olivia was quick to retort. Just as Akirof was about to fire back with even harsher words, he suddenly turned his gaze elsewhere. Someone quietly parted the bushes and appeared.

Blending almost seamlessly with the forest, draped in leaves, with a figure so slender that even a tight fist might squeeze the flesh away, and ears peeking through her hair, exuding an air of mystery—this was Erwin, the fairy.

“Tsk.”

Akirof immediately frowned, glaring as if seeing a blatant nuisance. But as Erwin kept walking forward, he clicked his tongue and turned away, clearly unwilling to engage. Once she disappeared among the trees, Olivia chuckled softly. Watching Erwin approach with an apologetic expression, she smiled and shook her head.

“Don’t worry. He’s done this more than once, hasn’t he? Well, to be fair, he’s not entirely wrong.”

“No one thinks that way. Eldora is deeply grateful to you, Olivia.”

“Thanks for saying that. Heh. By the way, perfect timing. Were you watching?”

“Well…”

Olivia’s cheerful words faltered as she noticed Erwin hesitating.

“Do you need to talk to me?”

Erwin nodded cautiously, then glanced around before lowering her voice.

“Have you noticed anything strange about Melinus lately?”

“……”

Olivia stared at Erwin silently for about three seconds, then tilted her head slightly, conveying unspoken feelings.

“Not really.”

“I see…”

“Why do you ask?”

“Just… he’s seemed anxious lately, sometimes tense…”

“Melinus?”

“Yes. And I’ve even heard him muttering odd things to himself.”

Olivia said that had been a habit for a long time. But seeing the worry still etched on Erwin’s face, she scratched her cheek awkwardly.

“I don’t know much, but if you’re really concerned, maybe it’s better to ask Eldora than me.”

“Sometimes a distant perspective is better than a close one.”

Olivia vaguely understood what Erwin meant.

“Alright. I haven’t noticed anything unusual myself, but if you say so, I’ll keep a close eye.”

Relieved, Erwin bowed her head slightly and turned away gently. Just then, Eldora’s call to move out reached them, and Olivia dusted herself off and stood.

But she didn’t move immediately. She paused for a moment, quietly watching Erwin’s light footsteps as she walked ahead.

*

After resuming the march, the expedition easily reached the summit and gathered to look down below.

Beyond the ridge lay a wide basin surrounded by mountain ranges, scattered with ruins of what appeared to be ancient structures. The only intact building was a massive tower standing alone in the center.

Yet even the tower showed signs of time’s relentless wear. Occasional sandstorms swept through, making the place feel like little more than a desolate ruin.

“This is more disappointing than I expected.”

Edward muttered to himself, and Olivia wagged her finger.

“You’d better not underestimate it. It’s actually quite dangerous. I never imagined there’d be traps on the path to the tower.”

“Then can I take the lead from here?”

Natalie brightened and tried to rush down, but Olivia quickly stopped her.

“Wait. I’ll guide us through here too. We’ll follow the path my clan members cleared. If we stray onto another route… well…”

Natalie pouted in displeasure, but when Eldora gave her a steady look, she quickly relented with a resigned expression. After all, since the path had already been cleared, there was no need to make things harder than they had to be.

Soon, the expedition party, now organized into formation, began descending the mountain with Olivia leading the way. When they reached the bottom, the basin was far larger and more complex than it had appeared from above. The ruins of half-collapsed buildings blocked the paths everywhere, giving the whole area the feel of a labyrinth.

Yet Olivia, experienced as she was, showed no hesitation. Skillfully weaving through the gaps between the buildings, she soon came to a stop about sixty meters from the tower. Ahead stretched a long wall, two meters high, blocking the path to the tower.

Olivia approached the wall, running her hands over its surface a few times before tapping it lightly with the back of her hand and turning to face the group.

“This is the mural I was talking about…”

Before she could even finish her sentence, Ian shot forward like a bullet. Someone muttered, “Here we go again,” but no one stopped him. Although Ian wasn’t a combat user, he had been selected as one of the Round Table knights because of his unparalleled knowledge of the ancient Hall Plain.

“Let me have a look too,” he said.

The rest of the party followed at a more leisurely pace, gathering around the mural. The wall was covered with strange, almost metaphysical symbols that reminded one of oracle bone script, alongside bizarre, indescribable images.

Most of the group shook their heads in frustration and gave up at first glance, but Ian was different. He started by scanning the wall at a brisk pace, but gradually slowed down, and near the end, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.

“Huh. This is…?”

After a moment, Ian’s expression grew serious, and his voice trailed off.

“Why? Did you figure something out?” Olivia asked, stepping closer.

A mature woman carrying a white cross-shaped shield approached quietly, her innocent demeanor belying her curiosity. “I’m curious about the interpretation from the esteemed scholar Ian.”

Ian gave a wry smile and continued.

“No, Elfin Lord’s interpretation is pretty accurate. Well, I’m not sure if it’s completely correct, but it mostly aligns with mine. This mural does seem to depict the sealing of a god. I also confirmed the depiction of a sacred relic.”

Despite his words, Ian glanced uneasily toward a corner of the mural—an area left completely blank.

“Oh, that part’s just empty space… I thought it didn’t need interpretation.”

“That’s not the case,” Olivia said calmly.

Ian shook his head thoughtfully.

“With ancient murals, it’s impossible to know the meaning behind every detail. If this particular section was intentionally left blank, it might carry some kind of significance in itself. Of course, it’s all open to interpretation. But a blank space… nothing there… emptiness… void… futility…”

Erwin, who had been watching Ian with a slightly uneasy look, suddenly spoke quietly, as if entranced by the words.

“That sounds like it’s referring to death.”

“Exactly,” Ian replied.

At that moment, a sharp clap echoed through the air. The users, who had been quietly listening, startled and looked around.

“Right. If this blank space represents death…”

“Oh, that reminds me—I think I read something about this once. It was from a very old record…”

Ian muttered to himself, then took a deep breath.

“So, putting together my thoughts and Erwin’s, this blank space might be an anthropomorphization of death, or rather, an abstract representation of it.”

“What do you mean by that?” Olivia asked.

Ian turned toward her.

“I don’t know all the details about this part, but… maybe…”

He paused briefly, then adjusted his glasses, which caught a glint of golden light, before continuing.

“In the terminology of this place, it might be referring to Thanatos.”