Chapter 57

: Ruler of Lagran
 
<That Narasha… he’s very smart.>
After the defeat of Talos without much effort, they were now advancing toward Lagran. The war had to be quick.
<I think… he earned the cooperation… without that one mistake…>
<That’s… no fault of his. Who would’ve known that he was a Pa-Harijan…>
The Fifth Elder spoke bitterly.
<Kirat… Is she still in hiding?>
They were people who continuously changed their forces that made them hard to track, even for the Pa-Harijans. Kirat was different. He knew what she looked like. There was a chance that the Pa-Harijan would not care about such a petty incident, just like other Pa-Harijans did in the past, and thus they hid Kirat for her safety.
<Yes… she left for another Kingdom… it was her request.>
<That is a shame… we shall call her once our job here is done…>
Kirat didn’t return to her people when she left, but the Fifth Elder didn’t disclose this and nodded. What was important was the war ahead.
<I see Gran-Latra. Is what the Great Elder and the Second Elder have prepared for?>
<Yes. The time is now…>
The Third Elder and the Fifth Elder looked toward Lagran Region. After four hundred years, they were now back at their homeland, <Gran-Latra>. It was time to reclaim <Granine’s> glory.
<Granine>
They were the people who lived under Sky Mountain four hundred years ago, at the current Lagran Region. The reason why they lived in that region was because their holy ground, <Gran-Latra>, was located there. The Well of Spirits, <Lavne>, was placed at the center of <Gran-Latra> and their people lived around it. There was a commune near the Well of Spirits and they returned to it after they died. It was through <Lavne> that they learned how to live and were reborn. Only the <Granines> could reincarnate with the Well of Spirits and that was what made them think that they were chosen.
They were also powerful enough to coexist with the Empire. However, things changed after the war against Kal-Gul. Only the <Granines> had the power to effectively fight against Kal-Gul’s shamanistic powers and that was why they decided to help the Empire. No one else could fight against the Kal-Guls if the Empire fell. Yet they didn’t expect their return to take… four hundred years.
After losing connection with the Well of Spirits, they lost the ability to reincarnate. Some who realized that they have no way to communicate with the spirits even committed suicide. But the younger generations who had little to no experience in communals and reincarnation did not give up. They worked hard to return to their homeland.
It wasn’t possible to go the commune, but they still felt the presence. That was what made them persevere for four hundred years. After fighting for so many years, they became strong. The weak were also left to die. Even the Great Elder and the Second Elder, who had become Pa-Harijans during those times, could not give up on returning to their land.
But there were problems. Their homeland was occupied by humans.
The land of <Gran-Latra> was blessed by the Well of Spirits, contributing to its prosperity. It did not matter that Taran, the most powerful nation among the Seven Kingdoms, was occupying the place. The Great Elder and Second Elder were enough to wipe them out with ease. Yet the problem lied with the human living at <Lavne>, near the Well of Spirits. She was no longer an ordinary human; she was now a Ra-Bander.
<Stahntal the First.>
She stayed at <Lavne> for two hundred years after invading the Lagran Region. She needed to be disposed of. Yet the Great Elder and the Second Elder felt him and realized it. Even with their combined powers, it would barely even the odds of fighting him.
That was why they couldn’t join the war. They must not be revealed.
The humans gave them information about this <Stahntal>, but it did not mean anything. Superhumans were not beings that ordinary humans could decipher.
That was why they needed help. It was not possible to arrive at <Lavne> without the two elders’ powers. That’s why they decided to help Narasha and made a deal. The deal was made to win back <Gran-Latra> and give all resources to Narasha in addition to helping and protecting each other.
Narasha made fine work out of it. And they were now finally at <Gran-Latra>.
It was almost time.
If <Stahntal> was strong enough, they would lose. If not, then they would be able to reclaim their land.
The enemy probably had the same thoughts.

Wow… so that’s what it was hiding.

Sian looked at the Lagran Region that was still very far away and began to realize what he had been sensing until now.
To the north of the Lagran Region, there was a small well on the way to Sky Mountain. It was a small, ordinary well that was located near the creek of Lagran. It was a historical ruin that gathered a small number of archeologists and historians, but even they didn’t pay much attention to the well.
Next to it was a small shack. A woman was looking at the well in the back.
She looked very rough and was very tall, broadly built like a man. She was like a lioness. She kept looking at the well while mumbling something. No, maybe she wasn’t looking at the well as she was closing her eyes.
After a while, she laid down on her back on the spot. She looked very tired.

Okay… so I beat him now. About three are left inside?

She looked tired, but also accomplished. She then stood back up and sat down in front of the well.

Seven during one hundred and seventy years… and there’s three more. I can still enjoy it for a hundred more years. Will I be alive til then?

The woman spoke and closed her eyes again, concentrating on the well. At that moment, she opened her eyes suddenly and turned to the foot of the mountain, over toward the Lagran Region. Something powerful was walking in her direction.

Oh… wow. So there are still interesting people left other than Groyn?

Groyn was too busy occupied fighting Harijans in the north, so she had no choice left but to fight the ones inside the well. There was no one powerful enough to fight against her. Fighting the ones inside the well was pretty fun after all. But it couldn’t match a real, physical fight.
What was more exciting was that these two powerful figures were on par with her own power. It was amazing that they had hidden it until now.

Wow, I didn’t really expect much, but they really slacked off.

If these figures managed to come here while hiding their powers, it meant that her kingdom had lost the fight. They probably retreated into a corner of Lagran, hoping she’d be able to get rid of them.

Ha… okay. I would’ve snapped their necks off for doing that, but I will let it go since I haven’t had some fun in a while.

The woman, Stahntal the First, moved into her shack and began watching over herself. She was a bit tired from fighting the one inside the well. However, there was still time before they would arrive. She had enough time to rest.
She loved fighting against the strong, but she hated losing. She needed to win and she always did.
And that was exactly what she planned to do.