The soldier's face quickly turned back into one of disbelief. "You have to be kidding, of course he is. He is the ruler of a city after all."

"What does that matter, isn't it just something decided through politics?" Eldrian asked in confusion, having believed that the handling of these things would be similar to medieval times on earth. He had yet to really mingle with nobles, having only had short interactions with most, so he didn't really know how they differed from what he believed.

"No, that is something that would only happen with towns and villages. Cities are always controlled by the strong, this is common knowledge. How do you not know this?"

"Never came up before, I mean Pelaros is the first mayor I have met," Eldrian replied, adding in his mind, and the twins the first nobles I really talked to other than Vivian and Old Sword.

"How strong is he then?" Eldrian asked after a slight pause.

"Tier 8, naturally I don't know much more. But that is enough, it is actually insane. Back home only the king is Tier 8, yet here in Taurus, all city mayors are at least Tier 8. It is no wonder they have yet to lose a city." As the soldier spoke, Eldrian could clearly see the respect he held for this fact. There was even a slight look of zeal as the soldier spoke.

A moment of silence passed as Eldrian digested this information, the soldiers not minding this. As long as Eldrian didn't try to get past him, he could stand there all day. The NPC also wanted to learn more about the Chosen, so he hoped they could talk longer.

"Did the entire division come to reinforce this place, is Old Sword here?" Eldrian asked after looking around the square again. The number of people didn't seem that high, so he assumed that not everyone came here.

"No, we were sent to the three forts surrounding the forest. Not too sure about the other two, nor if they had been hit too. I don't think they would have been, seeing as they aren't inside the forest, and are actually quite a distance from it actually."

"Right, do you know where Old Sword went?" Eldrian asked next.

"I think he went to the western fort, something about that place having quite a few monsters roaming about and the eastern one being much safer. And well if with Pelaros coming here, it would be dumb for Old Sword to follow."

"I see..." Eldrian replied, wondering if that meant Vivian also headed to the other fort. He didn't quite want to see her so early, though he definitely didn't want her to be somewhere dangerous. The last time he had seen her he had kinda glossed over the danger of his mission. Eldrian now felt he was certain to get an ear full when they met again.

"Well, thanks," Eldrian said after s few seconds of thinking, as he started walking away the guard suddenly asked.

"Wait, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How does it feel when you die?"

"Um, well..." Eldrian paused, not having expected this question.

"Sorry, have you not died yet?"

Ah, so seems that is something all the NPCs really expect to have happened to us by now. Eldrian thought, quickly finding the question difficult since his experience was so different. "I am not too sure myself, I know I didn't experience it as the other Chosen. Possibly due to me being a High Elf." Eldrian replied.

"Then what does it feel like when you disappear by turning into fragments of light?"

I should have said no. Eldrian thought before replying, "Like I simply fall asleep, now I want to go find my friends."

"Wait! Does it hurt or feel uncomfortable when that happens?" The soldier shouted as Eldrian started walking away.

"Nope," Was all Eldrian replied with, and after leaving he wondered where he should go now. After a minute or two of simply wandering, he decided to head back to the inn for the time being. By now the innkeeper and staff had long since learned that it was safe and were busy fixing the damages caused by the night attack.

Luckily no undead had gone into the inn, and as such, they just needed to fix damage from collateral damage. This was in fact what had happened in most places, for some strange reason the undead hadn't aimed to kill as many people as possible.

If they had caught someone outside they would have gone after them, but if not they would ignore them. Likely because they wanted to put as much pressure on the soldiers. While defending civilians would have been hard, they could have decided to just abandon them. Likely the undead's thoughts. Eldrian thought as he climbed onto a bed in one of the rooms and started reading one of the books he had gotten from Myropsis.

The one he chose this time was a collection of notes about The Encroaching Border and Vrikolas Drylands. While the notes didn't directly talk about the undead -and Eldrian wondered why Myropsis hadn't given him a book on undead- they did explain the aura often present in these areas.

Eldrian had only glanced at the notes before, having failed to understand the meaning in the words. He still failed most of the time, but he now had an idea of what he might be looking for.

He was looking for a physical description such as what he had witnessed on the skeletons and lich. He wished that they had made it into the corrupted part of the forest so he could better understand the feeling so often mentioned in the notes.

As Eldrain thought of this he wondered where everyone else was. He assumed Kydone had helped out somewhere in the city once the city had come under attack. He had no idea where to find her though, similar to the case with the twins.

Eldrian had no idea if Evules ever returned from his venture. He dearly hoped that Evules had not been turned into an Unwilling. Evale had also yet to return, and Eldrian had no idea what she was busy doing. He worried that she might have been killed and converted too. Luckily none of the night's Unwilling had looked like her, or rather none of them had used a bow. Which set his mind slightly at ease over this.

This is strange... Eldrian thought as he read a specific passage.

Much like divine magic, this aura filling the lands seems to be non-elemental. This fits with it being an undead creation, as that magic is also not of the aspect of elements. What is strange is that this seems to be a passive existence. This does not fit with non-elemental aspect magic. These aspects of magic always need a force, a will to drive them. Such as divine magic, without the faith of the caster, it is impossible to use.

I wonder then, does that mean it is actually elemental. Is it then the opposite of nature magic, or rather is it still nature magic? It certainly does not feel like that, it does not support life at all. Even as we venture in, I can feel my life being drained from me. No plants exist in this place and life is scarce, though not impossible to find.

Are our assumptions of non-elemental magic wrong then? If so how can we be so wrong? I need to find these answers, it might allow us to create a holy divine realm where undeath is struck from the world as my life is being thorned from me here.

Ilpas Elpine, Magus, 1248 ACT *1, Ávgustos 35th; alternatively, 2687 Athtar's rule

What is that supposed to mean, and that last part is quite the fantasy isn't it. Eldrian thought after reading this. Curious more about the person who wrote it than what he had written at this time. A Magus was not someone weak. For him to say that he had felt his life being torn from him is serious.

Which didn't make sense since many others had ventured into The Encroaching Border, all much weaker than him. What Eldrian had heard is that they simply felt their energy constantly being drained, not their lives thorn from them. Was it because they are too weak to realize that was what was happening? Eldrian wondered.

Eldrian was also curious about the dating method used here. He had never bothered to ask the NPCs about how they kept date or even if they did. Naturally, the first thing he was curious about was what ACT meant and how long ago 1248 was from now. Next was the fact that it said August 35th, which made no sense. The most interesting thing to him though was the last alternative date given.

Who is Athtar, and how can his rule have been nearly three thousand years? Eldrian wondered, certain that this must be someone extremely important. Most certainly of a long-lived race such as elves, dragons, or alicorns. Which Eldrian did not know and dared not assume, having learned that this world was far too expansive and diverse to allow that kind of narrow thinking.

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*1 After the creation of Taurus

*2 Translated to what the equivalent month would-be players. (8th month of the year)