Record of Lodoss War Next Generation ～Prelude～: Inheritors of the Flame (novel)

Record of Lodoss War Next Generation ～Prelude～: Inheritors of the Flame
Author	Ryo Mizuno
Illustrations	Haruhiko Mikimoto Yutaka Izubuchi (alternative cover)
Japanese title	新ロードス島戦記～序章～炎を継ぐ者
Romanized title	shin rōdosu-tō senki ~ joshō ~ en o tsugu mono
Publication information
Original release	17 May 1999
Chapters	Inheritor of the Flame (炎を継ぐ者) Forest of Demon Beasts (魔獣の森) Lord of the Dark Island (暗黒の島の領主) King of the Lifeless (生命なき者の王) Epilogue
Pages	256
ISBN-10	4-04-460421-5 (Izubuchi edition)
ISBN-13	978-4044604219 (Izubuchi edition)
Novels
Next →	Demon Beast of the Forest of Darkness

Record of Lodoss War Next Generation ～Prelude～: Inheritors of the Flame (dubbed The Heiress to the Fire Tribe on the intertitle-page of the Japanese release) is the first novel in the Record of Lodoss War Next Generation novel series.

Synopsis

Story 2: The Forest of Demon Beasts
　While in a forest, on his way from Zaxon to Nadar, running an errand for Slayn, Cecil finds himself facing a synthetic demon beast called a manticore. As Cecil and the manticore are about to fight, a young blond girl called Elena appears. Elena is a demon beastmaster and lives in the forest with the demon beasts, including the manticore.

　Back in Zaxon village, Cecil tells Parn and Deedlit of his encounter, who do not believe him until Slayn appears and tells them of a certain man from the Academy of Sages called Gugelmin who had discovered a book from the time of the Ancient Kingdom near Lenoana Lake which described the secret art of controlling demons. Because of the dangers of being able to control a being as powerful as a demon, the headmaster had the book sealed away. Gugelmin didn't share the headmaster's position and decided to leave the Academy. Gugelman had an apprentice named Landis, and a daughter named Elena.

　The party decides to try and find Elena, each with a different reason. Cecil believes the demon beasts may one day turn against Elena, thus he wants to save her. Parn and Deedlit are worried about someone possessing the power to control demons, while Slayn has heard rumours of a sorcerer with a sage's staff who arrived in Kanon, possible from Marmo. The next day the party departs the village of Nadar.

　In the forest, Elena is visited by her father's former disciple Landis. She has known Landis for a long time and has developed feelings for him, even sleeping with him three days prior. Landis is now part of Marmo, whose Dark Wizard had destroyed the Academy of Sages. Elena worries that Landis, seeking a promotion with the Marmo mages, may want to obtain her powers of controlling demons and thus she sends him away. Meanwhile, Parn and the others have arrrived at Nadar village and stand face to face with one of Elena's demon beasts; a chimera. The demon beast had a child in its mouth. Slayn, Cecil and Deedlit use their magic to suppress the demon beast's power, and then Parn slays it.

　In the forest, Elena notices she had been losing her connection with the demon beasts, hence why one had attacked Nadar village. Landis pays her another visit, and it appears it was he who is behind her losing her connections. Elena attempts to cast a restraining spell on Landis, but it has no effect. Landis' Slumber Cloud spell, however, puts Elena to sleep. He is after the demon control tome and Elena herself. Suddenly the manticore appears and the creature is about the attack Elena, but Landis stands between the two and casts a sharp magic net on the creature, cutting into its flesh as it moves. Despite this, the creature still manages to lunge at Landis and mortally wound him. Cecil suddenly appears and kills the manticore, saving Elena. Landis, however, had already died. Elena wonders why Landis protected her; was it because of love? Or his powers? Elena realizes being a demon beastmaster is nothing but a curse, and vows to stay in the forest alone until she dies, and the secret arts of demon control with her.

　Elena would stay in the forest for another ten years, before moving to Marmo.

Characters appearing

In order of appearance.

• Story 1
• Story 2
  • Cecil
  • Tetra
  • Elena
  • Landis
  • Parn
  • Deedlit
  • Slayn
  • Leylia
  • Little Neese
  • Nadar village chief

Gallery

Images from the novel.

Intertitle First part of the character card Second part of the character card Map of Lodoss (by Mikimoto) Map of Marmo (by Mikimoto) Nardia (by Mikimoto) Nardia (by Mikimoto) Elena (by Mikimoto) Parn and Deedlit (by Mikimoto) Little Neese and Spark (by Mikimoto) Spark’s group (by Mikimoto) Wagnard and Vael (by Mikimoto) Little Neese (by Mikimoto) Intertitle of Izubuchi edition (by Izubuchi) Nardia (by Izubuchi) Spark and Little Neese (by Izubuchi) Nardia (by Izubuchi) Nardia (by Izubuchi) Elena (by Izubuchi) Little Neese (by Izubuchi) Spark (by Izubuchi) Minea (by Izubuchi) Wagnard (by Izubuchi)