"Over a thousand years…"
With the groundwork laid by Duraga's earlier account, most of Roland's confusion vanished when these words, heavy with the weight of ages, rang out once more.
'It seems another being has mistaken me for Rudolph.'
A headache throbbed in Roland's temples as he thought about the man—a figure he still couldn't be sure was a past version of himself or an ancestor of his current body.
He turned to Duraga, who stood beside him, every muscle tensed and on high alert, and asked in a low voice.
"Duraga, this… behemoth claims to know me. Do you have any idea why?"
The Bottom-dwelling Demon Fish and the Gray Dwarves both dwelled deep within the earth. Given that, and Duraga's earlier reaction—which was clearly not that of someone facing such an ancient creature for the first time—Roland speculated the knowledgeable leader might have some information.
However, Duraga's reaction surprised him.
