Up ahead, Daiope and the pale Quartzman named Daiowon stood still with perfect balance, unaffected by the rolling road.
Ulon noticed something.
The two Quartzmen were making small sounds to each other.
Clink.
Krk.
Grn.
Short bursts of grinding and tapping noises.
Ulon frowned as he listened.
"Can you even call that talking," he muttered.
He leaned forward slightly and raised his voice.
"Hey, Mr. Daiope!"
Daiope turned his head calmly.
"Yes?"
Ulon pointed between him and Daiowon.
"Does every Quartzman know how to speak human language?"
Daiope shook his head, "No."
His tone remained patient, "Only a few of us can speak it."
He gestured lightly to himself.
"Mostly elders like me."
Ulon blinked, "You?"
He squinted at Daiope's smooth stone face.
"You don't look old."
For a moment, Daiope looked almost amused.
"We age differently," he explained.
"Our color darkens as time passes."
He tapped his own deep-blue arm lightly.
"I am already a millennium old."
Ulon nearly lost his footing.
"A thousand years?!" he shouted.
Maddy rubbed her temple.
"Please stop yelling."
But Ulon was already leaning forward excitedly, "So you've seen the Great War then?"
Daiope tilted his head slightly, "The Battle of Nap?"
"No," he shook his head. "That happened millions of years ago."
Even Klaus looked mildly impressed.
Daiope continued calmly, "The only being who might know that battle is the Great Golem Archon."
He pointed somewhere far above the cavern ceiling.
"That old rock giant has existed almost as long as Ghaneia itself."
Ulon blinked.
"…I meant the other one."
The atmosphere changed.
It was subtle at first.
But Shane noticed it immediately.
Daiope's smile faded.
His expression hardened.
"The War of Regression?" he asked quietly.
"Yes," Ulon said.
Daiope looked forward again.
"Of course," he said. "I was there."
Beside him, Daiowon turned his head slightly toward him.
For a moment, the old Quartzman said nothing.
Then he added quietly,
"Luckily… war is long gone."
Ulon shook his head.
"No, it isn't."
The reaction was instant.
Daiope froze.
Then.
His voice exploded across the cavern.
"IT WAS!"
The shout slammed into the walls like thunder.
The cavern shook.
Cracks shot through several crystal clusters.
A rain of tiny shards fell from the ceiling.
Petra flinched and ducked.
Shalotte almost dropped his staff.
"Ah!"
Even the moving pavement seemed to tremble under their feet.
Daiope froze, as he was shocked by his own outburst.
For a moment, he stood perfectly still.
Then he slowly exhaled.
The anger faded from his face as quickly as it had appeared.
"…Forgive me."
He rubbed his forehead slowly.
"The war…"
He shook his head.
"Our war ended after the War of Regression."
His voice lowered.
"Please do not bring the matter of war into our domain."
Shane was about to step forward to calm the situation—
But Ulon spoke again first.
"No, Mr. Daiope."
Shane closed his eyes briefly.
Ulon continued.
"The next Great War will drag everyone in."
His voice was strangely serious now.
"It may not happen today… but it will."
Daiope let out a quiet snort.
The sound was full of cold disapproval.
"And you humans… no."
He corrected himself.
"Demonkins."
His amethyst eyes glimmered.
"You will stand at the center of it."
Ulon frowned.
Daiope continued. "Your kind's endless greed started everything."
His voice was calm again, but heavy.
"You enter lands that are not yours."
"You call the defenders monsters. Orcs, goblins, lizardmen, even few of our fellow quartzmen."
"You kill those who protect their homes and take what they own…with the cover of the word 'peace.'"
He looked directly at Ulon.
"You even kill your own kin. I saw it a couple of times. The other day was the latest."
Silence followed.
Then he sighed.
"Do not treat war like a game, young one."
His voice softened slightly.
"How many have you killed?"
"How many have you buried?"
"How many laughs have turned into screams?"
Kiel looked down at the pavement.
His grip tightened on his guns.
Daiope's expression became solemn.
"I know what war means."
"And I will not place my people in danger when it can be avoided."
Beside him, Daiowon turned his head toward the group.
He spoke slowly.
Each word sounded careful, like someone learning to form them.
"We… want peace."
He paused.
"But… never… bullied."
Another pause.
"But… if war… bids…"
His crystal eyes hardened.
"We… fulfill."
Shane raised his hand before Ulon could answer again.
"I apologize for my subordinate's bluntness," he said calmly.
His voice was steady and respectful.
"We also desire peace."
Daiope nodded slowly.
"After you speak with your friends," he said, "please leave this place."
"We do not want unnecessary trouble."
Shane reached into his storage ring.
A moment later, he pulled out a chunk of bluish-gray metal.
Cold mist curled faintly around it.
"Ice Gold," Shane said.
He held it forward, "A gift of sincerity. And an apology."
Daiope accepted the metal piece carefully.
He examined it briefly.
"Apology accepted," he said. "And appreciated."
He handed it to Daiowon.
"But it does not change our stance."
He looked back at Shane.
"I hope you will not mention war again."
Shane nodded.
"You have my word."
"Good."
Behind them, Ulon snorted quietly. "Pacifists."
Maddy instantly slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Idiot," she whispered sharply. "Do you want us buried here?"
Luckily, Daiope had already turned away.
"We are here," he said.
The moving pavement slowed as the end of the tunnel approached.
The crystals ahead glowed brighter and brighter—
Until the group passed through the last stone arch.
And a new world opened before them.
What the Quartzmen called a sanctuary looked more like an entire hidden world. Massive crystal formations rose from the ground like mountains, their surfaces glowing in deep blues, greens, and soft amber. Trees clung stubbornly to the crystal slopes, their roots wrapped tightly around the stone as if embracing it.
Waterfalls poured from somewhere far above, thin silver streams falling through the open space before breaking into mist across the rocks below.
Shane slowly lifted his gaze upward.
The ceiling couldn't be seen.
It simply vanished into darkness.
Birds circled through the open air—some small enough to rest in a palm, while others were enormous creatures with three wide wings and long ribbon-like tails trailing behind them.
Ulon whistled softly.
"…You call this small?"
Daiope spread his arms calmly.
"Welcome, visitors," he said.
"To our small sanctuary."
He paused, then spoke the name with quiet pride.
"We call it Lumicryst Hollow."