Fallen Chronicles



Miyuki's ALL 3 form has been posted in Chapter 00 Characters *

--------

"Reddish-brown skin... Is that someone from the Ancient Wolf Clan!?"

"I think I recognize him, it's Betura! The chieftain of the Ancient Wolf Clan!"

"Quick, tell the others to get their weapons ready! Prepare for battle!"

"No, wait a minute, it seems like he's alone."

"What? Alone?"

The Ancient Wolf Clan's chieftain, Betura, paid no heed to the wary revolutionaries surrounding him. Recognizing Betura's identity and seeing that he was alone, the revolutionaries were unsure how to react. They quickly sent someone to report to Nozomi.

Although Renji was the nominal leader of the revolutionary army, his frequent absences on missions with the dragon women and others meant that day-to-day affairs and minor orders were usually handled by Nozomi, the second-in-command.

Only issues deemed important and beyond Nozomi's capacity were reported to Renji for final decisions.

Clearly, the unexpected solo visit by the Ancient Wolf chieftain fell into this category.

Soon, when Renji and his group appeared, Betura frowned.

"You're their new leader? A... human?" Observing the slender human in front of him, who seemed fragile in his eyes, Betura even thought that he could easily assassinate him.

However, he quickly suppressed this thought, remembering that this person was whom the High Priest desired to meet. Betura put aside other thoughts and straightforwardly addressed Renji:

"Our Ancient Wolf Clan would like to invite you to visit us. The High Priest wishes to meet with you."

"Meet with me?" Renji was initially surprised, but then his face showed interest. The Ancient Wolf Clan was his next target, and unexpectedly, they were now inviting him instead of him having to confront them.

"You should feel honored. The High Priest, the most revered being in our clan, wishes to grant you an audience, something many demi-humans dream of."

Before Betura could finish, a female human voice interjected, causing his brow to furrow.

"Pfft! Do you think we're fools? Just go to your lair because you say so? Isn't that like walking into a trap? If your so-called High Priest wants to meet us, why doesn't she or he come here instead?"

Seeing that Eileen seemed ready to protest further, Renji raised his hand to stop her.

'When something unusual happens, there must be something behind it. Now that I know the Old Alliance is operating behind the scenes in the Dragon Nation, and that the Ancient Wolf Clan is a crucial part of it, probably with the Forgotten Ones as well, it's not too hard to understand this unexpected situation.'

'Therefore...'

"Does your High Priest have anything else to say?" Renji immediately inquired.

"The High Priest did have one more thing 'she' wanted me to give to you."

Betura carefully retrieved a palm-sized pocket watch from his pocket and handed it to Renji.

"What is this?"

Renji accepted it and opened the pocket watch, revealing a portrait inside. A portrait of a... 'female figure'?

The figure in the portrait was a female demi-human. If Renji had to describe his initial impression of her in one word, it would be " gorgeous"

Whether it was her elaborate butterfly-shaped hairstyle, which appeared to take a significant amount of time to arrange with numerous hairpins, or her elegant attire that resembled a kimono adorned with various patterns and embellishments, Renji found himself somewhat surprised. If it weren't for the wolf ears perched on her head, he might have mistaken her for a human courtesan.

This was perhaps the first time he had encountered a demi-human who had taken such meticulous care of her appearance.

'So... what did this mean?'

"Is the High Priest depicted in this portrait?"

Facing Renji's question, Betura remained silent and simply nodded. This was precisely what the High Priest had emphasized—no further words were to be spoken after handing over the portrait.

Renji carefully examined the female demi-human in the portrait several times. He searched his memory thoroughly, but it remained blank. He was certain that this was not a character he had interacted with in his game.

After all, characters with such beautiful illustrations and card art, even if they had low star ratings, were sure to leave an impression.

To be on the safe side, Renji discreetly showed the pocket watch to Nova, but her response was the same as his—a shake of the head, indicating that she didn't recognize the person either.

'Could it be that I was mistaken? Was this High Priest not a character with a lingering attachment to the Fallen Chronicle in the game? Or perhaps... she is a descendant?'

With the portrait in hand, Renji couldn't help but wonder about the purpose behind the High Priest giving him this image. After some brief contemplation, he couldn't arrive at any conclusions.

But at this point, it didn't matter much. If this were any other time, Renji might have considered his decision more carefully. However, with Nova by his side, he had no fear of going anywhere.

Without making the Ancient Wolf Clan's chieftain wait any longer, Renji gave his answer.

"All right, I agree. Shall we leave now?"

Renji's swift and resolute response immediately prompted opposition from many high-ranking members of the revolutionary army around him. However, he quickly quelled their objections.

The decision was indeed risky. Originally, Renji had planned to go with Nova alone, but due to Eileen and 86's insistence, he ended up forming a four-person team.

On the other side, Betura was a bit surprised by Renji's bold and enthusiastic acceptance. Soon, that surprise turned into admiration. After all, demi-human greatly admired two kinds of people: the strong and the courageous.

He didn't care how many people Renji brought, or rather, he was impressed that Renji only brought three guards.

Now that their objective was set, Betura wasted no time. He mounted his riding beast, and Renji and Nova shared another. Eileen and 86 shared a third. Under Betura's guidance, they began their swift journey toward the Ancient Wolf Clan's territory in the Orc Plains.

Once they left the Tribe Forest, their surroundings opened up, and the plains became more suitable for large-scale tribal living than the forest.

Riding their camel-like mounts at a rapid pace, they arrived at the territory of the Ancient Wolf Clan one day later.

Because they were led by Chieftain Betura, they encountered no obstacles along the way. They easily crossed various checkpoints and eventually reached the heart of the clan.

As they entered, Renji felt a festive atmosphere within the clan, and it seemed like a celebration was underway. Many members of the Ancient Wolf Clan were busy with something, eagerly anticipating something, and they seemed to pay little attention to the arrival of outsiders.

Later, Chieftain Betura simply placed them in a guest village and left without saying much.

It wasn't until nightfall that he reappeared, knocking on their door.

"The High Priestess invites you to join the Song Praise Ritual."