Azimuth: The Elden Throne

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[DING]

[Your quest has been updated]

[Lone Saint

In the sight of the decaying conditions of her Church, Ju-Arkesios fears for the growth and safety of her Saintess.

As the one chosen to bear the Fate of a Champion, prove that Strength isn't the sole thing you're capable of and that you can also lead others to greatness.

>Requirements:

Protect the Saintess and help her grow her influence and abilities until she can proudly stand as the representative of God 2/???

*You successfully recovered the Sound Box belonging to the Saintess Ancestor, helping her uncover a part of her history she only heard about from her dear Grandmother, helping her connect and understand a part of herself and her family's origins.

*Still shaken by the revelation of her past and the truth about her bloodline, the Saintess worldview is beginning to change as she finds herself now at the center of a possible Revolution.

*There are no final rewards for this Quest, but appropriate rewards will be issued based on Quest progression and completion Rating.

]

[DING]

[Chain Quest, Royal Ancestry, has been activated!]

[Royal Ancestry

After many trials, the eldest daughter of the Lapiz Dukedom and the newest Saintess of the Arkesian Church, Erile Lapiz, reached the truth surrounding a past she once thought to be nothing but stories of an old woman.

But now, amidst this revelation, you find yourself with a Question peering into the depths of your mind, pulling and calling…

As if alive, this mystery seems to be drawing you towards it, so go forth, seeker, and figure out where blood flows from.

>Requirements

Learn the truth regarding the origin of the Royal Family's bloodline 0/1

Additionally, figure out the reason and goals of the assassins that slew Kings 0/1

]

[DING]

[Chain Quest, The Origin of Hatred, has been activated!]

[The Origin of Hatred

A century ago, the Corps fell as its soldiers dispersed from the onslaught of the deformed Devils from beyond the Sunken Archipelago.

Together with the soldiers, their superiors fell in valor and despair as they fought tooth and nail to the very bitter end.

Amidst them, the Infantry Commander, General Sarferato Feltrix, succeeded in his charge towards the desolate plains, slaying entire armies of monsters, returning alive with his own, only to find a besieged Wall, his compatriots dead and devoured.

Helpless, he gathered those he could and crossed the Wall, doing what he could to prevent more Devils from crossing over before settling down underneath the stump of the dead, Great Tree.

The Grand Artificer, Elriharad Qrubin, used his own life to fuel a foul ritual, turning himself into a Lich to seal away the beasts captured by the Corps of the past, to protect the Continent from their wrath and to preserve a legacy he was unable to pass on.

Whenever you look, the Corps played an intrinsic role in protecting the world above, shedding their blood and sacrificing their Souls for the sake of their people.

So… Why were they abandoned by those that sent them there in the first place? Why do they remain unsung for their valor and scorned for their bravery?

The Royalty… The Church… Their own people left once Resko lost its gleam…

Were they all truly just pieces to be sacrificed? Three centuries of unending war, only for them to be discarded?

Those questions now fill your mind, swelling hatred clouds your eyes…

Figure out the truth. Why did the Empire abandon its most loyal soldiers? What did they fear for them to turn their back and stab them to their deaths?

Find it, the Origin of their Fear.

>Requirements

Learn the truth behind the abandonment of the Southern Corps by the Royals 0/?

]

A series of popups chimed as they manifested before his eyes, unfolding like magical scrolls in the air.

Dale did not show any surprise, already expecting them to come, a well-executed plan.

'There they are. Two Quests that can only be solved by going to the North.'

'It's a bit of a shame… I can tell they're both crucial for the whole of Resko, but I don't have the time to pursue them. Especially the part about figuring out the assassin's goals, as regardless of how long ago it was, Erile is technically in great danger and it would be of great help if we could understand their intentions.'

'But for now, I'll leave them aside and pick them back up once I leave for the North.'

'It won't be tomorrow nor anytime soon, but one day, I'll make my way North. That'll be the day I'll figure out these questions and whichever ones I build till then.'

'Until then… I'll focus on what's ahead of me.'

Dale turned to Erile as she grabbed the now silent Sound Box, gently twisting it as she locked it back in place before coming back to Dale with a half-serious expression, her thoughts drifting far away as she thought of something.

/Step…/

"?!"

Because she was so distracted, Erile ended up walking too much, tripping and falling directly onto Dale, who smiled slightly as he caught her and the Soundbox, looking straight at her eyes, now only a palm from his.

"Careful… This isn't the first time this happened, is it? Should I be concerned?" Dale asked as he helped her get up

"Eh? I… ?!?!"

Erile's expression turned quite red as she got up quickly, adjusting her clothes as she turned away from Dale.

For reference, Erile was currently wearing the clothes Dale gave her, an attire a priestess would use, it was very fitting, but the coupling of the dress and her lack of attention led to this situation.

(Image?)

[Erile's intimacy has risen considerably]

"... Anyhow, do pay attention, otherwise, I'll have to come back more often to pick you up whenever you fall." Dale joked again as he chuckled

"You! I won't fall again!" She replied in a frustrated tone as she lightly turned her head to face him, only to turn back to the wall, still too embarrassed to face him

"Well, I'll have to come back a few more times to see if that's true then."

"..."

[Erile's intimacy has risen slightly]

"..."

'... She's too sweet and innocent… Modern girls aren't like that anymore…' Dale thought as he exhaled, taking a step forward as he walked past her, turning around to face her again

"... This was quite the revelation, if you aren't bothered by it, would you permit me to share what we found today with the other Elders?"

"I don't quite understand all of the innuendos mentioned by the Commander. So it would be best if the others got the chance to think about it too." Dale said as he raised the box to her, holding it for her to grab it

"I don't mind it, a Sound Box was made to allow others to listen to the words of the past… This is what its creator would've liked." She said with a light smile as she touched Dale's hand, pushing it back to him, only for her to realize what she did, causing her face to grow even redder

But she didn't let go of his hand, only pulling out after she pushed the box to him, holding her embarrassment within her as she tried to maintain her composure…

"That's great, I learned a lot today and it was about time I gathered the others."

'I've decided that going clean with everyone is the best way to progress from here on out.'

'I'll tell them of the future I know, not that I've regressed or anything, I'll just… Pin the blame on Ju-Arkesios.'

'The people already seem to believe I'm the chosen one of the Church, and once I'm done with my words, everyone will likely believe that.'

'I don't know how the Goddess will react to what I'll say, but hopefully, she won't mind it too much…'

'If I say I've received an Oracle, a similar thing to what Erile received, the people will be more inclined to believe as compared to me saying I've regressed.'

'At the same time, I plan on reveling some details and advancing some Quests, but most importantly, to push my training and studies forward.'

'It's time.'

Dale looked at the sound box with a serious gaze before storing it in his inventory. However, he did not leave yet.

/Creeek…/

He took another thing from his inventory, placing it gently atop the wooden table, causing it to creek slightly, surprising Erile.

"This is?..."

"Something else I found in the Commander's Office, at first, I thought this was a paperweight, but it's too heavy for that… No, heavy wouldn't be the right word to use…" He said, pensive as he touched his chin, pulling a chair for both him and Erile to sit

"Then what is it?" She asked with curiosity as she tapped the crystal

Its pure color gave her a mesmerizing feeling as if she was looking at a still lake…

"I have an idea thanks to Commander's words, but I can only confirm it by opening it." Dale said as he tapped the table with his fingers

"Open it? Are you going to break it?"

"No, there's no need for that."

Dale looked at the crystal, smiling lightly.

He knew what it was and the secrets it held within.

In the past, he only opened the crystal by luck just a week before he left for South America. This time, he would open it ahead of time.

This was one of the things he was unaware how much it would change the future.

Was this the correct choice? He didn't know, he was afraid... But wasn't that exactly what he was looking for?

To change the future he would need to make even greater choices.

And it would all begin from here.

With a focused gaze, Dale opened his mouth to say the password:

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Notes