“What?! The Sanctuary?!”


    Even Jano, who had seen and experienced much as a time-traveler, was momentarily stunned by the question.


    He hesitated, looking at the human girl in front of him, and asked cautiously, “Why do you say that?”


    The human girl, seeing his reaction, momentarily showed a disappointed expression. She quickly shook her head, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing, respected Winged King. I misspoke.”


    She lowered her head, her heart filled with complex emotions. The "Sanctuary" referred to high-tech shelters built by humanity at the end of the previous era to escape catastrophe and preserve their bloodline. At that time, human technology far surpassed that of other species, and the sanctuaries were scattered across the land of Ferland to ensure the survival of their people.


    However, over time, many of these sanctuaries had collapsed, and the survivors had quietly disappeared. The facilities inside these sanctuaries had long since fallen into disrepair.


    The girl had heard of the Winged Ones'' appearance and characteristics, and her intuition told her that there might be a deep connection between the Winged King and humanity. She thought that perhaps this was her only hope.


    But now, looking at Jano, who resembled humanity but wasn’t human, her hope faded. She forced herself to smile and shook her head.


    Jano watched her, frowning slightly, suddenly realizing that he might have touched on a sensitive topic.


    “Wait a minute,” he murmured, recalling some fragments of history from his past life — there had been mentions of the "Sanctuary" in the historical data of Ferland.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.He smiled and softly said, “Airships, trains, sailing, steam!”


    The girl’s eyes immediately lit up, as if hearing a long-forgotten call.


    She looked at Jano, her eyes filled with surprise and curiosity. “You know about our past?”


    Jano gave a faint smile, shaking his head. “I didn’t come from a Sanctuary, but I do know your past. You could say, I was once human too.”


    The girl paused, stunned for a moment, before calming down. She sighed softly. “Regardless of whether you have the blood of humanity, your soul undeniably belongs to us.”


    She stepped closer to Jano, her eyes full of determination. “Dear kinsman, if the descendants of humanity ever forget our glorious past, please remind them that no matter how difficult it becomes, they must endure and wait for the moment of resurgence.”


    She paused, her gaze intense. “And in times of need, please protect us.”


    Jano remained silent for a moment, feeling the deep conviction in her eyes. He spoke softly, “I will.”


    The girl looked at him with deep gratitude. “If humanity is ever in peril, please, assist us.”


    Jano nodded, responding quietly, “I will help you.”


    After a slight pause, he asked, “Then, can you tell me your name?”


    “My name is Christina.” The girl smiled as she answered.


    The next morning, the delegation of the Goblin Envoys bid farewell and prepared to return to the Goblin King’s court.


    Jano stood atop Mount Celestia, watching them leave.


    His gaze lingered on Christina’s retreating figure, and he couldn’t help but think:


    “In my previous life, I often heard rumors about ancient ruins. Scholars in Ferland speculated that the last era was a steampunk age. But what they didn’t know is that, during that time, humanity was the true master of the continent!”


    Jano sighed deeply. “Come to think of it, if the system were functioning properly, I might have triggered a legendary-level quest by now.”