The journey back to the Abyssal Domain was quieter than the one that had brought them to the Royal Archive.

Each member of the expedition carried more than relics.

They carried questions.

Questions about the First Era.

About the Sovereigns.

About the System itself.

And about who had rewritten the world's history.

The gates of the Abyssal Domain opened to cheers.

Word of the expedition's success had arrived before them.

Goblin children raced through the streets.

The Stonehide Minotaurs saluted with raised hammers.

Ashwing Harpies circled overhead before disappearing into the crystal-lit skies.

Vespera smiled.

Home.

She had only lived here for a short time.

Yet it already felt more like home than the life Priya had left behind.

That evening, the Grand Council assembled.

Representatives from every allied clan filled the circular chamber.

For the first time...

It truly resembled the ancient council described in the journals.

Vespera stood before the gathering in her human form.

Behind her rested the First Royal Key Fragment.

Its golden glow illuminated the room.

"We recovered more than a relic," she began.

"We discovered proof."

"The world was not always divided."

Murmurs spread throughout the chamber.

Lirael stepped forward and carefully placed copies of several translated pages from the Sovereign's Journal upon the council table.

"Our ancestors fought beside one another."

"Not against one another."

Sylvana nodded.

"The forest remembers."

"So do the spirits."

Kragga crossed her arms.

"My grandmother used to tell stories about an age when monsters traded openly with humans."

"I thought they were myths."

Darius quietly replied.

"They weren't."

The discussion continued late into the evening.

Some leaders welcomed the revelations.

Others remained skeptical.

Centuries of hatred could not disappear in a single meeting.

Vespera expected that.

Trust had to be earned.

Not demanded.

The System suddenly interrupted.

────────────────────────

Domain Report

Population:

5,482

Allied Clans:

3 / 6

Public Order:

Excellent

Food Supplies:

Stable

Military Readiness:

High

New Event Detected

────────────────────────

A young Ashwing Harpy rushed into the chamber.

"My Queen!"

She bowed quickly, struggling to catch her breath.

"A merchant caravan has arrived."

"Human?" Darius asked.

The harpy nodded.

"They're asking for permission to enter the Domain."

The room fell silent.

Kragga's hand instinctively rested on her axe.

"The first merchants."

"So soon?" Lirael whispered.

Vespera looked around the council.

"What do you think?"

An elderly goblin elder spoke first.

"If we refuse them..."

"They'll think we're hiding."

Gorvak nodded.

"If we welcome them..."

"They'll carry stories home."

Sylvana smiled.

"Stories grow faster than armies."

Vespera made her decision.

"Open the gates."

"But search every wagon."

"No exceptions."

Darius smiled faintly.

"Cautious."

"But fair."

The next morning...

Five merchant wagons entered the Abyssal Domain beneath the watchful eyes of Ashwing sentries.

The merchants looked terrified.

Not because they had been threatened.

Because nothing they saw matched the stories.

Children played openly in the streets.

Markets bustled with trade.

Goblin blacksmiths sold tools beside human craftsmen who had chosen to remain after previous expeditions.

One elderly merchant removed his hat.

"I've traded for forty years..."

"I've never seen monsters living like this."

Vespera greeted them personally in her human form.

"Welcome to the Abyssal Domain."

The lead merchant blinked.

"You're..."

"The Queen."

"I expected..."

He hesitated.

"A monster?"

Vespera smiled.

"You found one."

She allowed her golden eyes to briefly become slitted, and dark mist curled around her fingertips before fading.

"But monsters come in many forms."

The merchant laughed nervously.

"I suppose they do."

Trade began cautiously.

Crystal ore was exchanged for fine steel.

Rare herbs cultivated by Sylvana were traded for books and farming tools.

The merchants departed carrying wagons heavier than when they arrived.

More importantly...

They carried new stories.

That night...

As the Domain slept...

The Sanctuary Core pulsed unexpectedly.

The First Royal Key Fragment floated into the air.

Golden light spread across the council chamber.

The System appeared before Vespera alone.

────────────────────────

Hidden Quest Updated

Legacy of the Sovereigns

The Second Royal Key has awakened.

Location Confirmed:

The Sunken Citadel

Distance:

Fourteen Days

Warning:

Another faction has begun searching for the Key.

Estimated Arrival Advantage:

Nine Days

────────────────────────

The map shifted.

A second marker appeared.

Far to the south, beneath an inland sea.

Vespera studied it carefully.

"We're not the only ones looking anymore."

Early the next morning, the Council gathered once more.

"The Second Key has revealed itself," Vespera announced.

She pointed toward the glowing map.

"The Sunken Citadel."

Darius' expression became grave.

"I know that name."

"It was once one of the greatest cities of the First Era."

"What happened to it?" Lirael asked.

"No one knows."

"One night..."

"It simply vanished beneath the sea."

Kragga grinned, resting her axe across her shoulder.

"So..."

"Another ancient ruin."

Sylvana smiled.

"And another chance to learn the truth."

Vespera looked around at her companions.

Each had chosen to walk this road beside her.

Not because they were commanded.

Because they believed in the future they were building together.

She nodded.

"Prepare for departure."

"This time..."

"We're racing someone else."

Far away, inside the towering Cathedral of Light, the High Archbishop stood before a glowing map identical to Vespera's.

He placed a white game piece upon the marker representing the Sunken Citadel.

Then he smiled.

"Send the Inquisitors."

"The Queen has made the first move."

"Now..."

"It's our turn."

End of Chapter 35