Emperor Of Steel [EN]: Chapter 66

10. The Crisis of Erewin

In a deep valley east of the Volga Republic, nestled among layers of magical barriers, stood an ancient temple.

The temple was formed by colossal trees, their trunks like pillars and their branches interwoven to create a roof. Beneath them, smaller trees grew densely, forming natural walls.

This temple, a testament to nature’s artistry, had only one artificial feature: a door at its entrance.

Creak!

The door, adorned with intricate antique vine patterns, opened, and an elven woman entered the temple.

“You’re late, Erewin Lesa,” a sharp-featured fairy with two pairs of wings said, addressing her from among the various fairies seated around a round table.

Erewin bowed her head in apology. “I’m sorry, Elder Nanas. But why did you summon me?”

Representatives from each fairy tribe were gathered in this temple. It was a kind of council meeting, and Erewin was curious as to why she had been called from the far south.

“Was the ritual to open the gate to the Spirit Realm a success? Or was it a failure?”

She was puzzled by the question, but she maintained her composure and answered calmly. “Of course, it was a fail…”

She stopped mid-sentence, noticing the strange looks on the fairies’ faces. Their eyes were filled with distrust, displeasure, and suspicion.

As expected, Elder Nanas slammed his fist on the round table, his voice rising. “If it was a failure as you say, how could Princess Reina have returned alive?”

Clap, clap!

The beastkin representative next to Elder Nanas clapped his hands, and the back door opened, revealing a familiar dark elf woman.

“Sylvia!”

“I’m sorry, Erewin. I thought it was for the good of our fairies, so I reported it,” Sylvia said.

Three months ago, Sylvia had discovered that the new Pope of the Holy Artenia Empire was Princess Reina and had informed her friend Erewin. Upon hearing the news, Erewin had told Luke, asking Sylvia to keep it a secret.

If the fairies found out that Reina was alive, they would surely try to use her to open the gate to the Spirit Realm again. Touching Reina would incur Luke’s wrath, and Erewin did not want the fairies and Luke to become enemies.

“If his anger turns towards us, the future of the fairies is doomed. So, never antagonize him.”

Even without her teacher Erenes’s warning, Erewin knew that Luke was no ordinary person. Even if that wasn’t the case, she didn’t want to turn against him.

That was why she had asked Sylvia to keep it a secret, but it seemed she had betrayed her trust and tattled to the fairy elders.

“Erewin, you, the successor of Erenes, of all people, deceived us. Why on earth would you do that?” the Lycanthrope chieftain, who attended as the beastkin representative, asked.

“It’s because Princess Reina should not be further involved,” Erewin replied.

“Involved! We just intend to have her fulfill her promise.”

“She has already fulfilled her promise.”

“But the gate to the Spirit Realm is still not open! The promise can only be considered fulfilled when the gate to the Spirit Realm is opened!”

Seeing the other fairy representatives nodding in agreement, Erewin shouted angrily. “How dare you force Princess Reina! Do you have no pride as fairies!”

“Of course, we do. But have you forgotten how many of our kin have sacrificed themselves to survive against humans? Even now, fairy hunts by slave hunters continue all over the continent! For the sake of our descendants’ future, the gate to the Spirit Realm must be opened. We can endure a small sacrifice for that.”

“That’s a fallacy! What you’re saying is a fallacy!” Erewin protested.

The fairy representatives sighed at Erewin’s opposition. “I didn’t expect you to oppose us like this. Then, there’s no other way. Have Erewin confined.”

At Nanas’s command, the beastkin warriors in the meeting room stepped forward and grabbed Erewin’s arms.

“Lightning Shock!”

Zzzap!

The warriors holding her were electrocuted and thrown back by the sudden electric magic Erewin unleashed.

The Lycanthrope chieftain, seeing this, glared and rose from his seat. “How dare you resist our decision!”

“Hmph, only I can decide what happens to my body,” Erewin retorted.

With those words, Erewin’s body vanished in an instant. She had teleported out of the temple.

“Damn it, catch Erewin! We can’t let her go to Princess Reina!” the elders commanded, and the fairy warriors and mages in the valley began to pursue Erewin.

Erewin couldn’t escape far. The numerous magic spells and barriers in the valley were interfering with her teleportation.

To shake off the fairies chasing her fiercely, she ran without rest, deactivating the security barriers.

“They’re crazy! They’re all out of their minds!” Erewin repeated as she fled.

It would have been better to join forces with Princess Reina or Duke Luke for the survival and benefit of the fairies. Yet, the fairy representatives were not only forcing the opening of the Spirit Realm gate but were also ready to kidnap her.

This was not a struggle for survival. Under the guise of survival, they were trying to revive the glory of the magical empire of Avalon, which had flourished thousands of years ago.

‘Has their resentment run so deep?’

After the fall of the Avalon Empire, the fairies had been oppressed by humans for a long time. Not only were they deprived of their fertile lands, but they were also frequently captured by humans and forced into slavery.

The elves, with their outstanding beauty, became playthings for humans, and the dwarves, with their exceptional craftsmanship, were confined to forges and workshops for life, making weapons and crafting jewels. Even the fairies were treated as pets, and the beastkin were treated like livestock. Some fairies were not even treated this way and became extinct.

These atrocities by humans had continued for thousands of years and still continued to this day, even with the fairies hiding in deep mountains or underground cities. Their resentment was understandable.

Even she, an elf, sometimes couldn’t control her anger when she saw human nobles using fairy slaves.

‘But we must never create another resentment to resolve our own!’

The humans who were committing atrocities now were also enslaved and treated like livestock by the fairies during the time of the magical empire of Avalon. Revenge only repeats the same history.

Even if they resolve their resentment now and usher in the era of the fairies, the era of humans will return someday. Therefore, they must acknowledge what is wrong and strive to prevent it from happening again.

In Erewin’s opinion, Princess Reina was the only one who could hold the key to such a new era. She had never oppressed the fairies, and even though it was because of a promise, she had participated in the ritual to open the gate to the Spirit Realm without hesitation. She had compassion for the fairies and wanted them to live in a better world.

That didn’t mean she abandoned or disliked her own kind. To Reina, humans and fairies were all the same. She didn’t want anyone to live an unfair life. It was wrong to force and oppress such a kind person under the guise of a promise.

‘I must inform Duke Luke of this. I must prevent another tragedy from happening!’

With gritted teeth, Erewin ran with all her might towards the Holy Empire’s capital, Bles, where Luke was.

(To be continued in Volume 8 of Steel Emperor)

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