Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Sunhaven. The Eldorath Kingdom.

Siren's Sanctuary.

Labh Salem's nights were a spectacle to behold, adorned by the presence of its four moons. Each moon cast its unique array of hues upon the landscape, painting the skies with ethereal lights.

On this particular night, only two moons graced the heavens, both full and radiant. The others, obscured by clouds or waning in their phases, remained hidden from view.

The mingling moonlights cascaded upon the land, blending into a mesmerizing fusion of colors. This luminous fusion draped the surroundings like a mystical veil, suffused with the essence of the world's mana.

"A moment to relax. I should cherish times like these."

Amidst this celestial display, Eren sat upon the sandy shores behind Siren's Sanctuary, his footprints marking the path behind him. Having just completed his Tantra practice, he sought solace and reprieve from the tranquil sea.

"This world is beautiful. If it can even extract this compliment from someone like me, then its beauty has reached a certain standard. Um… wait a minute. I have just been to two worlds.

Perhaps all habitable worlds are beautiful in their own way?"

The butcher watched as the moonlight danced upon the surface of the water, casting intricate patterns that seemed to sing an enigmatic melody. The rhythmic lullaby of the waves crashing against the shore enveloped him, soothing his weary soul.

"Soon, this world too will face its own trials, akin to Anfang's Calamity Era. And this time, I'll get to witness it with my own eyes. An unrest of epic proportions."

Eren murmured softly, gazing out at the restless expanse of the sea. "Am I truly a harbinger of trouble wherever I tread?" he pondered, a wistful smile gracing his lips.

"No," he shook his head, dispelling the notion.

"Naah. I shouldn't inflate my own importance. Troubled times come and go, like the eternal cycle of day and night. Just like the ebb and flow of these waves. They are part of one's life.

As long as there's life, there'll be conflicts. As long as there's a pulse, a beating heart within someone, there'll be desires.

I am but a mere observer in the grand scheme of things, limited by my own perspective. I have the potential to be bigger than what I am now.

I'm still looking at these whole Existential Concepts of the boundless cosmos through the limitations of my own perspective.

No matter how much I try to understand them, they'll always have something to surprise me with," he reflected, a hint of ruefulness in his tone.

"My liege," a voice suddenly came from behind Eren. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was.

"Roza, come, sit with me," Eren addressed Roza without turning back, patting the sand beside him as if preparing a comfortable seat for her.

Roza joined Eren, her eyes following his gaze towards the sea waves. She, too, watched in a daze, not wanting to disturb Eren's peace.

Having just finished her Tantra practice, Roza had come to check up on Eren. She was surprised to find him taking a short break during his busy schedule, so she couldn't help but follow him.

Roza had almost always seen Eren working on one project or another. If he wasn't busy with his experiments, he was concocting potions. If he wasn't forging artifacts, he was studying Array Formations. It was as if he wasn't content with the limited hours each day provided to fit in all his work and various projects.

Roza couldn't help but wonder if everyone in Labh Salem became as industrious as Eren, all ongoing conflicts would cease to exist. After all, there would be little room for conflicts if everyone simply stayed indoors.

Even if one couldn't change the nature of those who actively sought trouble, imposing certain restrictions to limit their influence on others could significantly reduce conflicts in the world.

'He is acting a bit strange. Is he okay?' Roza asked herself as she watched Eren.

Eren said nothing but pulled out a rune-sealed jug of Whiteraven ale from his Inventory. This was the ale produced by his guild back in Anfang.

Eren had stored large quantities of the ale with him so that he could enjoy drinking it in Labh Salem on special occasions.

Soon, two glasses of ale were filled by Eren.

He silently offered one glass to Roza while he held onto the other without drinking it. Instead, he just inhaled the ale and found it to be almost odorless. Still, there was a hint of an indescribable hazy aroma that made his tongue tingle even before drinking it.

The supernatural effect of the elven ale was mimicked by the Whiteraven ale. Even after so much time had passed, the concoction still had plenty of potency left in it.

Roza followed Eren's actions and brought the drink to her nose to inhale it. She could tell by the composition of the ale that it was special and wasn't something Eren had bought locally.

"This is Whiteravean ale – something I had concocted in the past after studying the basics of elven drinks," Eren introduced the origin of the ale shortly, a nostalgic smile etched on his face.

"Do you know, Roza, I had to struggle in Anfang for quite a while before I made this brand of ale? At that time, I had to lie, cheat, steal, fuck, and kill my way before I became somebody with enough influence to have the right to make this brand of ale.

Keke. There was this one time that I even had to whore my way to get the things I want. Not that I consider that to be a bad thing. And that girl– Dianna. She is pretty. So I kinda don't have the right to complain. But still–

I conceded when I needed to. And I fought when I had to. I was pretty flexible, you see.

You can say that I have gone to extreme lengths to reach where I am now.

The drink that you have in your hand – it represents my struggle as a Ranker from Anfang."

Eren said as he lightly spun his drink inside the glass before taking a sip from it.