The day waiting turned into two, then three. Dallion did not complain, for it gave him a chance to rest and heal thanks to Lux. Getting used to his new ability was somewhat more difficult, but thanks to enough guidance from Nil and Vihrogon, he learned to ignore the talk of the plants most of the time. The greatest mental obstacle was getting used to living in a world in which everything from food to firewood to objects spoke back. It definitely gave a whole new perspective on the world. Everything taken or destroyed had to be gone for a reason, and nothing had to be wasted. Following the path of the empath had become all the more difficult. No doubt this was what the Green Moon had meant during its brief conversation with Dallion.

Several times Dallion considered attempting to use the time to level up, but Nil was against it. In his words, going through a trial until he had a proper grasp of things would only make things worse and more difficult in the long run. It didn’t take much for Dallion to agree.

“I guess they aren’t coming,” Dallion said during the third night.

“Guess not,” March replied, remaining close to the fire in her suit of armor. Since the end of the fight, the aura sword hadn’t left her side, almost as if she were afraid that someone would appear and try to steal it. Dallion could understand her; as far as the world was concerned, the sword had the power to create a new plague. Only Dallion and Eury knew the truth, just as they knew they had become the new owners of the weapon. That was going to require some explaining.

“Are we going to explore the sword?” Dallion asked.

“No need. It’s flawless.”

“They’ve given us all the other swords.”

The woman looked at him through the campfire flames.

“Two swords,” she corrected. “The guild was entrusted with two swords, but neither of you are from the guild anymore. Whatever happens, it’s for the Archduke to decide.”

“Can we go in for a bit?” Dallion asked.

Surprise emanated from both March and Eury. Thanks to his heightened perception, Dallion could all but see it.

“You have the sword. We won’t have any chance after you hand it in.”

March glanced at the sword. There was no telling whether she suspected they had done something to the realm or not. Being who she was, it was likely they didn’t find out.

In the blink of the eye, the sword was drawn, then tossed to Dallion. Out of habit, he burst into five instances, catching it with every single one of them.

“Go for it,” March replied. “Just don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

A bit late for that, Dallion thought as he nodded. Given the alternative, though, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice.

“Eury?” he looked at the gorgon.

Instantly understanding what he had in mind, the gorgon went up to him and placed her hand on his cheek. That was all Dallion needed.

WORLD ITEM AWAKENING

The wilderness gave way to the magnificence that was the world of the sword. It was still morning there, one full of calm and warmth, and—for the first time in a while—absolute quiet.

I could get used to this, Dallion thought.

Some would call that a sad thing, Nil said. You’re aware that guardians and echoes spend their entire existence trying to escape their realm?

That’s the difference, Nil. Now that I can get out of here anytime, I like it.

“It hadn’t changed too much,” Eury said, looking in all directions. “This part of it hasn’t changed at all.”

“It’s changed.” Dallion smiled. He could feel the presence of hundreds of creatures, from insects to small rodents, and even a few predators. Almost none of them were awakened. “And it’ll be a lot more different further on. You gave them a sea, remember?”

“It’ll take us a while to get there. Dark’s no longer with us.”

“We don’t need Dark.” Dallion knelt, placing the palm of his hand on the ground. “When we left, we put one sole guardian in charge. And as owners, we get to call him.”

Barely had Dallion said that, when a series of trees sprouted around them. Trunks shot up to the sky forming columns that spread branches, creating the ceiling of a temple. In a matter of seconds, Dallion and Eury were no longer standing on a field of grass, but in the halls of a structure, one with a large altar and several doorways to other areas. Most remarkable of all—two wooden sculptures were also present; one had Dallion’s appearance, while the other was a copy of Euryale.

“Flashy,” the gorgon remarked.

“I try to accommodate,” a new voice said.

Looking at the altar, a dryad was standing. However, it wasn’t the guardian himself, but rather an echo.

“I thought you might return. That’s why I set up for such an eventuality.”

“The cities are doing well, I take it?” Dallion stood up.

“City. There’s only one big city now surrounding where my original temple used to be. I didn’t want any reminders of the Star, so the tower cities were knocked down half a century after you left.”

Time sure flies, Dallion thought.

You’ll get used to it, dear boy. One day, you’ll be able to tell exactly how much time has passed in a realm compared to the real world.

But not now.

Patience is a virtue. Besides, at your current level, you won’t be able to understand a thing.

“I hope you haven’t made us the new deities of the realm.” Euryale went to the statue depicting her. As she reached out to touch it, the wooden form changed, shrinking back to a small tree.

“There’s been enough of that for a while. The Star, The Moons, mage emissaries…” the dryad waved his hand. “For the moment, it’s best that they didn’t worry about such things. In a few more generations, I’ll tell them about the Moons. Hopefully, things don’t get messed up this time.”

That was something Dallion could agree on. Personally, he thought that the world had a good chance, at least much better than the other world items. With luck, maybe it’ll flourish in a few centuries. Maybe the dryads would even be able to escape their own prison. After all, if Dallion had managed, maybe one day they would as well.

“But that’s not what you’ve come for,” the echo said.

“No. I’m here for the promise.” I’m here for the twi-crown.

That was part of the original promise made. However, events hadn’t allowed it to take place. When the guardian had been defeated and regained his form, he had cast out Dallion and Eury, freeing them from the realm. During its transforming state, the guardian didn’t have the ability to offer the second prize, however, now he did.

A pedestal emerged from the center of the room. Branches twisted, unweaving as if they were unwrapping a gift, until the wooden crown was revealed. It was identical to the ones Dallion had seen in the other words. Much to his surprise, though, this one still had a large gem on it.

“There you go,” the dryad said. “The twi-crown. Normally, I’d kill you for thinking of wearing it, but given the lack of candidates.”

“What’s that?” Euryale asked.

Dallion remained silent, eyes glued to the skill gem. He already had both skills already. Taking the gem was only going to grant him a single trait and skill increase. Even so, he considered the option.

No, he told himself. It’s worse than an achievement.

“That’s the crown left by the emperor,” the echo replied. “Each sword has one. It’s supposed to act as a symbol, making the one who’d lead the banished back to the real world. Of course, the goal was for that to happen after winning the war.” The dryad paused for a few moments. Regret emerged on the left side of his head like a deep blue sphere, before fading away again. “In more practical terms, the crown came with two skill gems in areas that dryads would be adept in. Zoology and herbalism. A leader, even one who’s forgotten everything, would be able to achieve a lot if he gained those skills.”

“Which one is it?” Dallion asked.

“The gem? Zoology. Herbalism was used to create the plague.”

That made sense. The plague had been created with the blessing of the guardians. A terrible plan in retrospect, but it required a gem. The following rulers must have had the self-discipline not to request the second gem. Either that, or the guardians hadn’t allowed it. One thing didn’t make sense, though: where had the Star taken the gem he had given to Gassil? If not this sword, it meant that the Star had it from somewhere else.

“Can I have it?” Dallion asked. He saw disappointment emerge within the echo, but also understanding. As much as the guardian didn’t want to part with the gem, he had lost the battle, so both the crown and skill gem were no longer his.

“You already have the skill,” the dryad said.

“I do. But Eury doesn’t.”

Is that a smart move, dear boy? Nil asked. Gifts are a good way to start a conversation, but they’re unlikely to keep someone close for long, especially someone like her.

“It’s a skill a hunter should have,” Dallion said, replying both to Nil and the question that Eury hadn’t asked. “It’ll be helpful.”

“You’ve learned too much to be reckless,” the gorgon said.

“I’m not. Things might change when we get back to Linatol, but you’ve earned this. The Archduke isn’t interested in the crown. He doesn’t even know it exists.” Besides, this way you’ll also have the protection of a Moon, Dallion wanted to add.

There were a handful of awakened with the empathy trait left in the world. It was natural for the green Moon to look after them, even those who’d earned the blessing through unusual means.

Giving the gem felt like a parting gift, but it also felt right. The gorgon had taught him a great deal in many areas. Now it was his turn to return the gesture in part.

“I’ll take some getting used to,” he told her. “But it’s worth it. Trust me.”

Eury could have made the obvious joke that this was a ploy for her to take care of the creatures that Dallion brought home, but she didn’t. Things had developed a lot past that point.

“Thank you. I’ll remember this.” There wasn’t a hint of hesitation. When it came to such things, she was quite pragmatic, as was the rest of her race.

The gorgon walked up to the gem and pressed on it with her finger. There was no glow or flash of light. The gem just disappeared from the grown leaving another empty space. Eury’s snakes straightened to the extreme, then returned to their usual state. The skill acquisition had been a shock, although she seemed to be handling it better than Dallion.

She won’t be able to increase the trail level by much, Nil said. You are aware of that?

It’ll be enough, Dallion replied.

“Do you want the crown as well?” the dryad asked as Euryale stepped back.

“The crown’s fine where it is,” Dallion replied. “Maybe someone from your city will reach the point to wear it?”

“Doubtful. If that happens, though, you’ll be the first to know.”

“Right. Just one more thing. Can you keep our achievement a secret? Technically, we weren’t allowed to take control of the sword… or do any changes.”

The dryad’s expression darkened.

“I take it someone won’t be happy that the plague is gone?” he asked.

“I’m not sure, but it’s a possibility.” Dallion could almost hear March saying that heads have rolled for less. “Can you do it?”

“I’ll do my best. Other than you two and the mage, only three people have been in the realm, most of them ages ago. As far as they’re concerned, it’ll be no different this time.”

“Thanks.” Dallion nodded. Hopefully, it was going to be enough.