Activation

That surge of magical radiance was so brilliant that, against the dusk light already gradually fading, it resembled a giant pillar connecting heaven and earth. No creature with vision could possibly have missed it, and the soldiers atop Stone Fortress's walls, who had been keeping watch on the north, certainly could not ignore it.

An elite unit quickly departed the fortress, following the magical radiance into the wilderness at the edge of Pompeii Territory. Before the radiance faded, they found the source of this extraordinary magical eruption.

A "statue" made of rock and crystal stood upright in the wilderness, holding a longsword and facing east. Near it, the soldiers discovered a huge boulder covered in writing.

The news was swiftly sent into Stone Fortress. Sir Wald Perich, the fortress commander, arrived at the scene before the sky had fully darkened. The old knight stared at the sight before him in shock—he recognized the statue's face, for he had seen that young visage in certain records.

"This statue is... Marquis Belk Loren?" Walde murmured in disbelief. "This..."

At first, he instinctively assumed it truly was a statue, but he soon began to doubt it, and dreadful associations came to mind. The statue was so lifelike that every strand of hair and every fold of clothing was rendered in perfect detail. Series of translucent crystals, still gleaming faintly, were embedded across its surface as though they had grown from the "statue's" "skin," making for a terrifying sight.

It reminded the old knight of intelligence reports that had recently arrived from the north.

And the words on the boulder near the statue seemed to confirm his judgment.

After carefully examining the engraved marks on the boulder, the dependable old knight immediately turned to his adjutant. "Knight Margarita, contact Grand Duke Gawain at once!"