Chapter 385

Godthrone, humanity's final stronghold and the spark that ignited hope.

A fortress once hailed as impregnable, the very embodiment of resilience.

However, Godthrone had not always been great.

No, at first, it was a complete mess.

Seated in a dimly lit tavern, Leo let out a dry chuckle.

Godthrone had been no different from any other last-standing city on the brink of ruin. However, it had survived not because of divine intervention or inherent superiority.

It was just dumb luck.

Tartaros's forces had never reached this place, and that alone had kept it standing.

Though now spoken of with awe, at this point in time, Godthrone had been just another desperate refuge. The city was overrun with refugees. Security was nonexistent. Resources were scarce.

And above all, a paralyzing fear loomed over everything, the knowledge that destruction could come at any moment.

Yet, it was still a city, and where there were warriors fighting on the front lines, there were taverns where they could drink and eat.

Drinking might have seemed foolish in a world that could collapse at any moment…

But in those days, if you didn't drink yourself into oblivion, it was impossible to get through each day with your sanity intact.

That was how hopeless the world had become.

This was the edge of the abyss.

Leo had arrived in an era where there was no longer even the illusion of hope.

The great invasion of Tartaros had ended, and this was normally the time when taverns would be packed with people. Yet, the inn and tavern where Leo now sat were completely empty.

Aside from him, there wasn't a single customer.

The elf who ran the place placed two large, rough-hewn mugs on the table before heading back to her counter, where she sat with her legs crossed.

This place had been the favorite haunt of the Surviving Hero, Kyle.

Even before his final journey, he had spent time here.

Leo smiled bitterly at the thought of an old acquaintance.

"Sorry, sorry." Lysinas descended from the second floor, looking slightly out of breath. "I was busy with something."

Leo eyed her carefully.

Did she just finish writing in her journal?

Lysinas had documented everything about the Age of Calamity in her journals, and today was the day he had officially joined the party.

Leo smirked inwardly at the thought of that particular entry.

"Today's a historic day, after all," Lysinas said, settling in across from him. "It's the day we form the subjugation party. Drink as much as you want. I'd buy everyone a round if I could, but…"

She glanced around the empty tavern. "Seems like with you and me here, no one else wants to come in."

"The Surviving Hero is seen as a symbol of misfortune, and the foolish lizard beside him is ridiculed for spreading naive hope," Leo said.

"That's how things are now," Lysinas said firmly. "But soon, they'll see us differently. This city will change."

Her voice carried unwavering conviction as she raised her mug.

"But before we get into the serious stuff—this is the beginning."

She smiled.

No, this is the end.

"To our journey and the hope of the world… Cheers!"

"To our journey and the hope of the world… Cheers!"

Five thousand years ago, when they had shared their last drink together, Lysinas had spoken the same words.

Leo silently looked at her.

"…Kyle?" Lysinas gave him a puzzled look.

"Cheers," Leo finally said.

Thunk.

The wooden mugs clanked together.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd come back to this moment thousands of years later, after everyone had died.

"Kyle?" Lysinas sipped her drink, her voice tinged with confusion. "You look like you're enjoying yourself. What's so funny?"

Leo blinked, then rested his chin on his hand, grinning. "I just… like this."

Lysinas frowned. This… isn't like him.

She knew Kyle's personality well. She had spent weeks chasing after him, trying to recruit him into the party. His personality was twisted beyond belief—she'd learned that the hard way.

This guy has done nothing but call me a fool and a lizard, spewing insults nonstop.

More than once, she had wanted to punch him in the face, but she had held back, trying to make a good impression. Yet now, after barely surviving Godthrone's siege and officially joining the party, he was…

Something feels off. Well, whatever. What matters is that he's part of the subjugation party now.

The Surviving Hero, Kyle's strength was already known throughout the world, and the demons feared him.

A warrior who has survived countless battlefields.

Lysinas had sought exactly this kind of comrade. Seeing him fight firsthand had only solidified her decision.

An unprecedented all-class warrior. He'll be an invaluable asset in the fight against Erebos.

Clearing her throat, Lysinas sat up straight. "Alright, Kyle. Let's talk seriously now. About what comes next."

She set her mug down and crossed her arms, her expression growing firm.

"As you know, my goal is to defeat Erebos and save this world. You're crucial to that goal. That's why I recruited you."

"Yeah."

"But you and I alone won't be enough to save the world."

She took a deep breath before continuing. "We need more strong allies."

"Do you have anyone in mind?"

"Of course. First, we need a mage."

Lysinas opened her spatial storage and pulled out a map of the world from five thousand years ago. Most of it was blackened. Those were lands burned and lost to Erebos's forces.

Lysinas pointed to one of the few remaining regions untouched by the flames. "Here. The southern elves' homeland. A cursed land, tainted by the Demon Queen. But within it is a genius mage—Luna Luminance. You've at least heard of her, right?"

"Yeah."

"They say she's the most noble of all elves."

…Right. That ridiculous rumor was already going around back then.

"If we explain our cause, I'm sure such an honorable elf will gladly join our journey."

What was it she said when we first met?

"Are you insane? What the hell did you eat to make you think like that?"

Leo had only conveyed Lysinas's words to Luna exactly as they were. Yet, somehow, he was the one who got called a lunatic.

The injustice of it still lingered.

His gaze drifted to Lysinas, who stood with a serious expression, looking out over the terrain that would one day be known as the Monster Forest.

Back then—at least until they met Luna—Lysinas had held high expectations for her.

It was only natural. The first person she had managed to recruit into the party was Leo, whose personality was twisted beyond belief.

She has no idea yet. That Luna would be the most disobedient, most unmanageable member of our party.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

Lysinas narrowed her eyes suspiciously but continued speaking. "The next person we need to recruit is Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky, in Raysar."

Agon, the Guardian of the Azure Sky, was Aaron's mentor and a renowned hero even before the Age of Calamity. He earned his title because he had defended the skies for countless years.

But when Lysinas, Kyle, and Luna sought him out, they found a man whose spirit had already been broken. Instead of Agon, Aaron had joined their party.

"Agon is a remarkable hero who has repelled countless demons. He's always proud, always brave. He'll be a solid frontline fighter for us."

Instead, we got Aaron. He lived up to Lysinas's hopes in the big battles, serving as a reliable vanguard. But in smaller fights, he was the least trustworthy person in the group.

His overwhelming skill and courage in dire situations made him indispensable in the subjugation party…

But I'll never forget Lysinas's face during that first battle.

Aaron had cowered behind her in sheer terror.

He had already possessed immense power back then, but he had still been an inexperienced boy. It wasn't surprising.

However, having already dealt with a thug like Luna, Lysinas had been desperate for a party member she could actually rely on. So when Aaron—her supposedly fearless frontline fighter—hid behind her, she had worn an expression so close to tears that Leo almost felt bad for her.

Luna, on the other hand, laughed herself sick over it.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you pity me."

"I don't."

At Leo's response, Lysinas furrowed her brows. "The next thing we need is a blacksmith—someone who can craft powerful weapons for us. But since we're outnumbered, this person also has to be a warrior with overwhelming strength. There's only one man who fits that description. A bit eccentric, or so they say. But undeniably brilliant."

A bit eccentric? That's putting it lightly.

"Dweno, we need your strength. Please join us on our journey."

Lysinas delivered her request with the utmost formality, even performing the dragonkin's gesture of respect.

Dweno, staring at her, turned his gaze to Leo and asked, "You there."

"What?"

"Are you and this dragon girl lovers?"

"This human and I have no such relationship," Lysinas cut in.

"Truly?"

"Absolutely not."

"Hmm…" Dweno stroked his beard, eyeing Lysinas with skepticism before nodding. "Alright. But I have one condition, Black Dragon."

"Name it, Blacksmith Dweno."

With an expression so solemn it was almost reverent, Dweno said, "Be my nude model."

"Did I hear that correctly?"

"You did. The beauty of your form must be preserved for future generations."

Lysinas looked like she wanted to set the world on fire. "Let's go, Kyle. This man is not the one."

Kyle, meanwhile, had picked up a sword that had been discarded on the floor of Dweno's forge like trash. "This is incredible. Why'd you toss it aside?"

"That's a failed piece. It lacks beauty."

"If your failures are this good, I'd say they're plenty useful."

"We already have a twisted bastard, a thug, and a coward! I refuse to add a pervert to the list!", Lysinas insisted, desperate to stop Leo.

"Hey, old dwarf. We have an elf in our party who's even more beautiful than this one. Want to join?"

"Oh? If she's truly that stunning, it may be worth my time!"

"Kyle!"

Lysinas had practically screamed in despair as Dweno joined the party.

Leo cast a sympathetic look her way.

"Seriously, why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"…Just thinking that saving the world won't be easy."

"Of course it won't. So, what do you think of our potential new allies?"

"…They sound like quite the bunch."

"Right? At least they won't have a rotten personality like yours."

Still bitter about earlier, Lysinas added a bit of venom to her words.

"…Yeah. They definitely won't have a personality as rotten as mine."

Later, Lysinas would confess over drinks that, out of all the people she had recruited, the one whose first impression seemed the worst, had actually been the most normal of the bunch.