"Sigh… tell , why did you ask that question?" Solareth asked, his tone unusually calm, yet tinged with curiosity and a trace of sorrow.
Hearing that, Ash slowly began to speak. He recounted everything—how Elysia had been gravely injured, how he had left the academy to search for a way to save her, and how the demons had attacked them.
His voice held no hesitation, only the weight of a boy carrying more than he should.
Once he finished, Solareth looked at him for a mont before asking, "Then why are you here? Shouldn't you be sowhere within the territory of the elves?"
To that, Ash replied calmly, "There was sothing I wanted to do here first, before heading there."
Although Ash still wasn't revealing his true intentions, Solareth didn't question him further. What Ash had shared was filled with truth, and that was enough for now.
"Alright, fine," Solareth muttered. "As for your earlier question… about curing life force which entangled with demonic energy… I'm afraid I can't heal sothing like that."
He leaned back slightly, his gaze turning distant, as though old mories were surfacing.
"You rember what you told earlier, about losing soone precious? That wasn't a lie. Those demons you spoke of… they ca in my ho once too. It was during a ti when I wasn't ho. Not even my wife was around. That day… only my first daughter was there, alone."
He paused, his voice tightening, the grief behind his words slowly bleeding through.
"They didn't just co to cause chaos. They ca specifically to hunt her. And they weren't alone—so of them… were humans. By the ti I returned, the battle was already over. Sensing they'd fled, but not before corrupting her with demonic energy."
"I did everything I could. I tried every healing thod known to . Nothing worked. I even journeyed to the elves, begging them for help. But those arrogant bastards dismissed . They said the caretaker of the world tree was too young and inexperienced to handle a case that severe."
His eyes darkened.
"In the end, she died."
He clenched his fists, the sorrow in his voice giving way to restrained fury.
"I was on the edge… ready to destroy everything. But then, in the middle of that storm, my wife told she was carrying our second child."
A long breath escaped his lips, as if he were trying to release the weight of the past.
"That one piece of hope pulled back. I took her away from it all. We ca here to this distant continent, far away from betrayal and bloodshed, hoping to begin anew."
Hearing his story, Ash remained silent. He didn't speak, not because he lacked words, but because he understood that kind of pain all too well—the kind of pain that cos from losing soone you love deeply, soone you could never replace.
After a short pause, he looked up and asked gently, "So, those humans… do you have any idea who they were? Anything that might give a clue?"
Solareth shook his head with a tired expression. "I don't. I couldn't recognize them, and I've never seen them before. But there's one thing I clearly rember—they carried an energy, sothing vile and unnatural. It was twisted, just like the demons', sothing that didn't belong in this world."
Were those people demonic humans?
Ash couldn't help but consider the possibility. Demonic humans were those who willingly allowed demonic energy to enter their bodies.
The reason was rather simple, though grim—demons usually chose humans who were already strong but had limited potential to grow further.
By accepting demonic energy, those humans could gain a massive boost in strength and potential. But, in exchange, they would pay with their souls.
The demonic energy would bind them, making them slaves to the demon that marked them.
There's definitely a chance those attackers were demonic humans… but even then, why go after his daughter specifically? What made her a target?
"Do you know why they attacked your daughter?" Ash asked, trying to keep his voice calm and respectful.
Solareth frowned slightly, then shook his head. "I really don't. I've thought about it for years, but I never found a clear answer."
"Was there anything… unusual about her? Sothing rare, or unique?" Ash asked again, trying to piece the puzzle together.
Solareth's eyes softened with pain, his voice lowering. "My daughter was a genius. She was born with both of my eyes and the three horns inherited from her mother."
"Even in all the bloodline mories passed down to —mories that span generations—there was nothing recorded about a child like her. She was the first of her kind. I believed she would grow into the strongest queen in our history. But in the end… she was taken before that future could happen."
His expression dimd, a deep sadness crossing his face.
Wait… both the traits of the King and the Queen? That's not normal. That's sothing extraordinary. A child who inherited the peak of both bloodlines? That's more than rare—that's dangerous, at least to the demons.
Did the demons eliminate her to stop her from becoming a future threat? Did they fear the power she might grow into?
If so… then maybe the demons sohow know who can beco a hindrance to their plans. Maybe they have a way to see it before it happens.
Is that why they targeted Ray in the novel? To remove him before he could stand in their way?
But then, what about ? Up until now, they haven't made any move against . Maybe they truly didn't know I existed. But now that Zerak has escaped… maybe that's changed.
Then soone on the demon's side must be capable of divination—soone who can peer into fate, who can see glimpses of the future and find those destined to oppose them.
The more Ash thought about it, the more the scattered pieces in his mind aligned into a terrifying picture.
It explained why Ray had been targeted in the novel so precisely, why he himself had remained out of their radar until now, and why the unicorn girl—a once-in-a-generation miracle—had been hunted down before she could beco what she was ant to be.
"I understand…" Ash said quietly. He had connected the dots, but he chose not to share his theory aloud.
Revealing too much might only raise suspicion about how he knew so much regarding the demons, especially things not even Solareth could guess.
Solareth sighed, his voice growing distant. "Let's leave that aside for now. I wish I could help you heal the one you care about, but I truly cannot. As for how the elves might react to your request… I really can't say. Their decisions can be… difficult to predict."
Ash remained silent at that, his expression unreadable, but his mind was clearly lost in deep thought.
Then, as if a sudden spark ignited in his mind, he looked up and asked with a curious intensity, "Do you… know magic?"
Solareth looked at him with a hint of confusion, clearly surprised by the sudden shift in topic, but still answered honestly, "Yes, I do."
Ash leaned in slightly, his eyes lighting up with quiet eagerness. "Can you show ?"
Solareth still didn't quite understand why Ash was suddenly asking about magic, but he could tell that the boy wasn't soone who ant harm.
And even if Ash had so hidden motive, it was clear he didn't possess enough power to be a threat.
More importantly, he carried the sa kind of pain in his voice—the sa weight that ca from surviving an encounter with demons.
So, trusting his instincts, Solareth agreed.
He slowly extended his hands in front of him, fingers relaxed, and calmly whispered, "Ignite."
At that mont, the air shifted. A series of glowing, intricate symbols blood into existence—hovering gently in the space between his palms.
They shimred like ancient glyphs, rotating and intertwining as if pulled by unseen threads. And then, without warning, a small fla erupted into life in Solareth's hands.
It wasn't just any fire—it was a delicate rainbow-colored fla, pulsing with a soft radiance, and powered by pure Aether.
Ash stared, awestruck, barely able to contain the gasp that surged in his chest.
This is it… this is exactly what I've been searching for. I knew it… this is the real thing. This is the true form of Runic Magic.
His heart beat faster with excitent. Unable to contain the rush of emotion, he quickly asked, "What kind of magic is this? Does it have a na?"
Solareth looked at the rainbow fla in his hands, then slowly shook his head.
"This magic… I learned it through the mories passed down in my bloodline. It didn't co with a na. I don't know who created it or where it originally ca from. That part of the mory—it's missing. Just… blank."
Ash's thoughts spiraled.
Missing mories? Then… maybe my theory is right. Maybe there really was an ancient civilization—one that discovered and developed Runic Magic, spreading it across the world before vanishing.
If that's the case, could the missing mories be a result of their destruction? So kind of erasure?
He didn't have enough evidence to say for sure, but he knew, he was getting closer to the truth.
Looking up at Solareth with a serious expression that quickly turned into an awkward smile as he asked,
"Can you teach this magic? In exchange, I'll beco baby food for your kid like you said."
Solareth raised an eyebrow at Ash's words, unsure if the boy had actually thought through what he just said or if he had finally lost it.
"You do understand what you just offered, right?" Solareth asked, his voice calm but definitely amused. "My son is teething. And he bites with love."
Ash stood there brimming with confidence, completely unfazed. "How bad could it be? I've died once when my head was blown off and survived countless injuries. A magical baby can't possibly be worse than that."
Solareth's lips curled into a knowing smile as he replied, "Well, it's a bit late for introductions, but I suppose I should tell you—I am Solareth, the King of Unicorns."
He paused, eyes glinting with a mysterious light before adding with a strange, almost mischievous smile, "And if you're confident enough to beco my son's next al… well, that's certainly impressive."
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