‘To the north of Tempest should be nothing but an endless range of mountains that goes on further than the eye can see. It’s true that there are a few mountain tribes that live in those mountains; however, their strength is nowhere near being to the point of threatening a powerhouse kingdom like Tempest.’
“Hmph, how could you have heard of it? Let alone you, even among those in my Tempest kingdom, besides the members of the royal family and a select few noble families, its existence is unknown.” Ranazera scoffed.
‘I suppose if it’s under those conditions, it makes sense that its existence could stay hidden for so long. Still, why go to such great lengths to keep it a secret?’
For a kingdom to completely bury the potential presence of another major power in the Mortal Realm was virtually unheard of in RML. Besides, this went against one of the books Izroth came across in the Amaharpe Palace Library about what lay beyond the seven major kingdoms of the Mortal Realm.
To the north lay the Endless Mountain Range, the south a vast sea, the east the Wild Lands, and to the west the Dark Plains.
For what Ranazera said to be true, it would mean that beyond the Endless Mountain Range was another force of unknown power, ability, and purpose.
Izroth had read through all the books on the first and second floors of the Amaharpe Palace Library. Yet, he had never once come across anything that even remotely mentioned the Northern Wild Lands or its inhabitants. Not even as a fairy tale or storybook, which often contained some rare insights into the history of RML.
Nonetheless, even if Izroth did take Ranazera at her word, there was one issue that needed to be addressed.
“Alright, let’s say that these Northern Wild Lands exist. With the natural terrain barrier provided by the Endless Mountain Range north of Tempest, it would have to be located tens of thousands of kilometers away from Tempest’s borders. For an enemy so far out of sight, does it make any sense to build a fortress just on the off chance they may cross the Endless Mountain Range one day? It seems like a bit of overkill.” Izroth stated.
Ranazera’s expression turned serious as she replied, “That is because you do not know the truth.”
She then explained, “Around two hundred years ago, a group of explorers from Tempest set out on a mission to view the edge of the Mortal Realm. At the time, it was believed to lie at the end of the Endless Mountain Range. However, what those explorers found instead was something thought to be impossible. A fertile land that existed beyond the Endless Mountain Range—a place our Tempest ancestors have deemed the Northern Wild Lands.”
Izroth listened intently to Ranazera. So far, he did not sense any sort of deception from her words.
“According to our ancestors, it is a place with a vast abundance of resources and habitable land. That’s why when the group of explorers returned and delivered this news to the royal family, the Emperor of the time decided to send the first prince, a Legate by the name of Temulus, along with his troops to gain a footing in this new region. But, instead of gaining a solid footing, it is more accurate to say that they only met with disaster.” Ranazera said as her expression turned somewhat gloomy.
“Legate Temulus and the 80,000 Tempest soldiers under his command—they were all wiped out. That is, all except one man, who was able to return to Tempest with a message.” Ranazera clenched her fist tightly as she spoke.
Although she had not been born when it happened, Ranazera could still remember the words engrained into every member of the Tempest royal family from a young age.
“Never return—the royal family must never set foot on or past the Endless Mountain Range again. Those were the messenger’s final words before the last of his life faded away. And, that message came from none other than the first prince, Legate Temulus himself. Since then, it has been forbidden for any member of the Tempest royal family to journey to the Endless Mountain Range.” Ranazera stated.
‘Legate Temulus… This name—can it be the same Temulus from the Heroes of the Past?’
On the Amaharpe Palace Library’s second floor, Izroth read a book called “Heroes of the Past” which listed several famous historical figures throughout the Mortal Realm’s history. It also described their accomplishments and, of course, their unrivaled combat prowess.
The historical figures in that book all came from one of the kingdoms of the Mortal Realm that existed at their respective points in history. However, there was one person whose origins were listed as unknown.
‘Spear of the Heavy Gale, Temulus. It did not mention his origins in the book Heroes of the Past, but based on his title and name, it’s unlikely to be a mere coincidence. It would also explain the line at the end of the page that mentioned Temulus regarding his sudden disappearance from the world.’
From what Izroth knew, Temulus was considered to be one of the most naturally gifted warriors ever to grace not just the kingdom of Tempest but the Mortal Realm.
It was even believed that he would one day reach past the limits of the legendary realm and become a Plane Ascender.
For Temulus to meet his demise at the hands of another was probably inconceivable for the Emperor of that era.
But what was even more unbelievable was the fact that Tempest buried Temulus’ legacy to the point that he was not mentioned as being a part of their kingdom.
What kingdom did not want to hold its head up high in a prideful manner when it came to the ancient heroes who fought for them? More importantly, that person was also apparently a member of the royal family. How could the royal family accept their own ancestor being written off the pages of the Mortal Realm’s history books?
‘If Legates back then were the same as the ones now, it means they possessed strength on par with the Warlords of the War Brigade.’
In the entire allied army, there were only two individuals who donned the title of Warlord, and both were existences capable of laying waste to tens of thousands of troops single-handedly.
‘Temulus was considered a prodigy of the spear. If the records written about him in the Heroes of the Past are true, it means that he wielded the strength of someone who reached the peak stage of the legendary realm. It’s even possible that he was only one step away from becoming a Plane Ascender. Yet, such a person was not only defeated but suffered total annihilation? It’s no wonder Tempest reacted the way they did in building the Gates of Aegis. If such a powerful foe truly emerged at their backs one day, it wouldn’t take long for chaos to rain down.’
“I have to admit, it is an interesting story. That being said, what does that have to do with us proceeding through the Gates of Aegis? There is indeed a path on the other side that leads to the Endless Mountain Range, but our destination is the kingdom of Malentansium. Not to mention, even if we had to pass through the Endless Mountain Range, the enemies you are concerned about are located tens of thousands of kilometers away from here. Making preparations is good and all, but is there a need to live in constant fear over something that occurred over two centuries ago?” Izroth said unhurriedly.
“That warning may be over two hundred years old, but the words of our ancestor is not to be taken lightly. The Gates of Aegis is proof of that very fact.” Ranazera warned.
She then scoffed, “As for what it has to do with us traveling through the Gates of Aegis, I am not surprised that someone like you from Amaharpe is unaware.”
“Oh? Then, do enlighten me.”
“Over the last decade, the Cursed Grounds of Malentansium has expanded outward to the foot of the Endless Mountain Range. This means that in order to get to Malentansium from Tempest, we first have to make a brief detour through the Endless Mountain Range. Otherwise, we will succumb to the plethora of curses that reside in the Cursed Grounds and perish.”
