Chapter 109: The Hero’s Relic
Now that the meeting had begun, and Ryan had finally introduced the blacksmith from the dwarven nation.
The entire report received so far hadn’t been particularly bad; on the contrary, it was quite good.
The fact that they had coordinated so effectively while he was away filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.
After all, it wasn’t as if he were accustomed to the responsibilities of being a king, and if he had to worry about every single detail of the village by himself on top of everything else...
That would be one massive, terrible headache.
But now the elders, along with the alchemist and the dwarven blacksmith, were fixing their gazes on Ryan with intense scrutiny.
Ryan reached out his arm and placed the object onto the wooden surface of the meeting table.
Silence filled the meeting hall almost instantly, becoming so thick that even the breathing of those present seemed to echo loudly.
The tension reached such a peak that, in order to break the silence, Kenia decided to step away from her seat in the council circle.
The elderly elf walked with slow and purposeful steps toward the spot where Ryan was seated.
She didn’t ask for permission; she simply reached out her slender hands and took the relic between her fingers, lifting it to eye level to inspect it closely.
"This is the Hero’s Relic," Kenia announced.
She raised it above her head so that the rest of the elders could see it clearly.
The older men leaned forward, their expressions filled with shock and their eyes wide open. They began to murmur among themselves in hushed voices, their tones heavy with sheer disbelief, mentioning that they never thought they would see such a relic in the real world.
To them, that object belonged only in legends and the ancient books stored in the deepest reaches of the village library.
Even though many of them had lived for more than a hundred years, they had never come into contact with something of such immense magnitude.
"It is rumored that only three of these relics ever existed in the entire history of the races," commented one of the elders, his face pale. "And word has it that one of them was used in the war against the first demon king centuries ago. Though, to be honest, those details have never been entirely reliable, and we always treated them as simple bedtime stories."
Irina’s grandfather stepped in at that moment, resting his hands on the table while staring intently at the relic.
"If Ryan has one in his possession now, then the rumor circulating through the northern lands must be true," Irina’s grandfather said gravely. "It was said that the current demon king, Rohan, possesses one of these relics, which he took from one of the human heroes after killing him a couple of decades ago."
Runa, who was watching the scene from the side, had beads of sweat rolling down her forehead.
The dwarven blacksmith looked at Ryan with an expression that mixed fear with a sense of admiration.
’It seems that after all, you exceed any expectation I could have of you.’
Ryan noticed the dwarf’s tension and decided to get straight to the point that actually mattered for his plans.
"So, Runa, do you think using this thing will actually work for what you’re planning to forge?" Ryan asked.
She looked at him and nodded her head repeatedly, almost nervously.
"Yes, of course it works. In fact, the original purpose of that relic is to seal the power of a demon king or an entity of a similar rank. So, if we can use it as a core, we won’t have any energy problems at all"
the blacksmith replied.
Mika, the elven alchemist, also had eyes full of wonder as she observed the dark glow of the gem.
However, her analytical mind made her hesitate for a moment regarding the use they were going to give a treasure of such value.
"We should think this through more carefully before integrating it into a relic," Mika intervened cautiously.
"If we could actually use that relic against a demon king in the future, saving it would be the most prudent choice. It’s a weapon that could save us from something unexpected."
Ryan cut in immediately.
His gaze became cold and focused, the same one he used when calculating risks in the middle of a battle.
"There is no point in saving something for a future that might not even arrive if our current location is so compromised," Ryan stated firmly. "The day the Church or the demon lords decide to attack this forest with all their might, they could simply wipe us out if we stay anchored here. A seal for a demon king is useless to me if we all die before he even appears."
Ryan tapped the table lightly with his finger, reinforcing his decision before the elders and the girls listening to him.
"The absolute priority is to move the village and turn it into a base. I would rather use this resource now to ensure our safety than wait for them to corner us," the young man added with determination.
The elders nodded, understanding Ryan’s logic. They knew that their king was not someone who allowed himself to be swayed by sentimentality or the historical value of objects.
To Ryan, everything was simply a tool to reach his objective. One of the elders, who had remained silent while reviewing some maps, looked up at Ryan with a question.
"We haven’t discussed this in detail because we didn’t think it would be possible to obtain a power core so soon," the elder commented. "But if we find a way to move the entire village, where exactly will we be moving it to? We need a destination that is safe."
"I admit I hadn’t thought about that," Irina commented, turning her gaze toward Ryan.
The council sat in anticipation of more details. They already had the core and the blacksmith. And of course, the alchemist was there as well; all of them were gathered in one place.
It was then that Ryan gave a brief smile, an expression indicating that he had already processed that variable long before stepping into the room.
"I have the perfect place for that," Ryan said with great confidence.