66 - CHAPTER IX "All Out"
Oldwood, a land of elves in the Sea of Trees.
It is the name of a country with a particularly long history among the Elven nations, and is inhabited by a large number of Elves who have lived for more than a hundred years.
The elves are one of the four major races on the continent with the longest life span and the greatest magical skill, but unlike humans, who are more numerous, the total population of elves is small. The population of the Oldwood is particularly small compared to other Elven nations, due in part to the importance placed on maintaining the old bloodlines. Although the Oldwoods have a long and unbroken history, if we only look at their population, they can be called a small or medium-sized nation.
Humans call it an old-fashioned country with an elf supremacy policy, but the elves who live in Oldwood brush off the slander as "nonsense.
It is not that they are said to be elven supremacists.
It is that humans themselves are (・・・・・・・) stupid.
We cannot help but sigh in sorrow at the greed of mankind that has been expanding its population unchecked, forcing its living space to expand, and even reaching out to the great sea of trees.
Their attitude (stance) toward human beings is basically <
Certainly, people who can only judge the beauty or ugliness of things by their external appearance are objects of contempt, and I wish they would perish, but it is a waste of time to get involved with them in the first place. Even though we have a long life span, it is a waste of time to spend it on stupid people.
The same goes for half-elves.
For those of us in the Oldwood who are willing to carry on the old bloodlines and study the old wisdom, the half-elves are the ones we do not need to have anything to do with. Naturally, since they have human blood in their veins, they have no intention of acknowledging them as fellow human beings, and it is almost as if a new species of wild animal has settled in the forest. To Oldwood, half-elves are just like that.
However, if the half-elves were to venture into the depths of the Great Sea of Trees, then that would be a different story.
"Hmmm ...... that's an interesting story."
The Great Spirit Tree towers over the heart of the Oldwood.
In the center of the room named <
He is a man who holds an important position in Oldwood, and is called a Grand Elder. This country, like other Elven nations, has a king, but he is more of a symbol, perhaps because of the over-emphasis on keeping the old blood alive, and the council of elders has a lot of say in the actual running of the country. And as the one and only Grand Elder who coordinates the five Elders, it is no exaggeration to say that he is the representative of Oldwood in this place.
He is the only representative of Oldwood in this place.
It is unusual for an elf who is in the prime of his physical life, whose youth lasts for a long time, to show some outward signs of aging, even if only slightly.
It is a sign that the man who sits so majestically before him is an elf who has lived a good deal longer.
"But at the same time, it is a story that is hard to believe. Shall you understand my inner doubts, my precious forest friends with whom I share my roots?
Oldwood respects old blood.
And a fellow countryman who has lived a long time deserves respect for that alone.
But that was not the only reason he respected the man in front of him, for he was a man in the same position as himself, a Grand Elder.
Halwell-Winus Noblele Leaf, a mature man visiting from Noblewood, opened his mouth with a nod of affirmation.
Your suspicions are justified, old woodsmen with whom you share your roots. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard it. But it is true. The "defiler" has foolishly taken up arms and bared his fangs against us Noblewood.
Halwell speaks these words without raising his voice and without hesitation.
The content of what he says should be resentful from their point of view, but strangely enough, on the surface, he is calm. The elders of Oldwood are even more skeptical.
"We all know that a faction of half-elves who settled in a corner of ...... the forest gathered stragglers from other races and founded a nation. However, we have not ventured into the depths of the Sea of Trees, and we have watched the situation in that place close to the Abyssal Forest, not daring to pay attention to it. And so it must have been the same for you, precious woodsmen. You say that this quietness has caused them to grow?
"I am afraid you are right, old woodsman. We underestimated the stupidity of the Unsullied. It was a great mistake to show them tolerance.
Hmm," growls the great elder of Oldwood. He looks at the elders in attendance, who also look more than a little puzzled. The Elder asks the question that has been on his mind since the beginning.
"If it is ......, why don't we just clean it up as soon as possible?"
We know that the Noblewoods harbor hatred and loathing toward mankind. It is not surprising, considering the war that took place a hundred years ago, even though it was started by the Noblewood themselves.
And I know that they despise the half-elves as "filth" as well.
The half-elf faction, or Rattestwood, was founded by the descendants of those who were born to Noblewood elves and humans who were taken captive.
Fortunately, there is not a trace of Oldwood blood in them, but from their Noblewood point of view, it is natural for them to call half-elves "Unsullied".
And half-elves are basically weak.
They have not studied magic for a long period of time like elves, and they are not able to fight with their numbers like humans do. Even if Oldwood were to go head to head with a faction of half-elves, they would win a crushing defeat without much damage. The same is true for the Noblewood, which has a large number of skilled practitioners and hunters.
After all, if the half-elves were against the Noblewood, all they would have to do is to wipe them out now. But Noblewood has brought it to them. It doesn't add up.
"You make a good point. But there's a reason why we can't. Much to our chagrin, the Unsullied have enlisted the help of a mysterious alien.
"Gentiles? What's that supposed to mean? I don't think so, precious woodsman, but you wouldn't call them rare, would you?
"I do not intend to discuss here the lore of the Abyssal Forest, whose authenticity is uncertain. The important thing is that this Gentile possesses extraordinary power. --For our hero and chief hunter, Sarawin Welt Nobleleleaf, has returned to the forest at their hands.
"...... What a surprise!"
As one would expect, the Grand Elder peeled his eyes away. The elders in the room reacted in a similar manner. Sarawin, the chief hunter of the Noblewood, was a well-known hero in the Sea of Trees. It is said that he was at the forefront of the war a hundred years ago and hunted hundreds of people.
A man of that stature was returned to the forest at the hands of an unknown person. .......
"Perhaps by foul means. But still, old woodsman, it is a certain fact that his hero has returned to the woods. And with the "filth" not knowing what they will do, this is no concern of yours either, is it?
"MU......"
If this is the case, it would be hard to ignore the fact that the half-elves, who are not content to live in a corner of the forest, with the help of the gentiles and others, will invade the inner part of the Great Sea of Trees. If the Noblewood were to be defeated by a faction of half-elves, its neighbor, the Oldwood, could be the next target.
Common sense tells us that this is an unthinkable scenario. To fall behind a mere faction of half-elves is a kind of delusion that is laughable even as a joke. However, the fact that the elves of Noblewood had uttered these words weighed heavily on the Great Elder's shoulders.
It is well known to all the inhabitants of the Great Sea of Trees that Noblewood hates half-elves and has an extremely strong self-esteem among the elves.
The great elder of Noblewood, who had personally traveled to other lands, spoke of the disgrace of having lost his chief hunter to a faction of half-elves.
It would have been the height of humiliation for him to say such a thing. At least, it is not something that can be uttered in falsehood. Nevertheless, he dared to expose this information to the elves of other countries.
--In other words, this is no idle talk. The impossible events he mentioned are undeniably true. The Grand Elder, who was well aware of his high self-esteem, was convinced of this.
"...... I see. Now we know why you, without warning, have come to our country in person. Certainly, there are things happening that cannot be overlooked.
The Grand Elder nodded his head and looked around at the members of the council of elders gathered there.
No one was foolish enough not to understand the meaning in his gaze.
The representatives of the Old Wood answered in silence.
"We understand the situation. We have shown mercy to the Abyssal Forest as one that will soon be destroyed, but now that the half-elf faction has grown, it seems that we too will have to take up the arrows of attrition.
Well?"
"If full cooperation is required, I cannot give you an immediate answer here without the king. However, we should be prepared for any emergency. I will inform the king to that effect.
The Grand Elder gave the best answer he could on the spot.
Of course, I don't intend to take the brunt of it, but it never hurts to be prepared.
That was my response to his question.
"--Oh, I feel so relieved, my old forest friends. After all, you are not like the others, you are the ones who understand our reason.
Halwell replied with a cheerful expression. There was even a hint of relief in his voice.
The Grand Elder, who had expected a solemn response from a man of his stature, was somewhat surprised by Halwell's response, which even brought a smile to his face.
If you had said no, we would have regretted it. And there must have been hesitation, suffering, and pity. For you are of the same old blood as we are."
Smiling, Halwell spoke fluidly.
There was a certain emotion in his voice, and it reached our ears with a serious tone.
With a sincerity similar to that of a devout believer praying to a sacred tree, he continued.
But now all doubts are gone. I am cleared, you of the old forest! Of course, we knew that you would come to that conclusion, but it was worth it to check just to be sure.
--Thanks to you, we can offer our prayers without any hesitation.
"......? Wait, precious woodsman! What is that?
The great elder's words were cut off there.
A shrill cry interrupted him.
The elders in the room looked at each other at the sound, which was clearly different from that of humans.
"Was that ...... a hexenbiest?"
"Nonsense. They have stepped into a position where their howls can be heard this far away?
"What's the hunter doing. What is the hunter doing? We are in the middle of a guest visit and ...... negligence is not the best word to describe your failure.
There is no need to make a fuss about the invasion of monsters and beasts.
Although the monsters around the town are regularly thinned out and protected by good hunters, stragglers do stray into the city on rare occasions.
The reason why the elders are frowning now is because they are proud of the fact that a scandal occurred while they had a guest of honor, and not because they feel threatened.
However, the Grand Elder was seized by a strange chill that sent shivers down his spine.
The reason for this was the expressions on the faces of the Noblewood elves seated before him.
They had just been interrupted in a sacred meeting between nations, yet not a single eyebrow moved.
And just as the Grand Elder was about to ask a question, it happened.
"----!
A huge hole suddenly opened in the wall of the temple.
Something thick and wild came through the hole and caught one of the hunters who was between the trees, pulling him back with the same force as if he had smashed through the wall.
Immediately afterwards, a deafening scream echoes outdoors, and the area is filled with a roar of rage.
The Elders, momentarily unnerved by the unannounced change, come to their senses and quickly take action.
The eldest of the elves is a position held by a person of solid blood who has studied hard, accumulated experience as a hunter, and has been recognized as an outstanding person. It is undeniable that there are some political reasons behind this position, but unlike human nations, which are infested with intrigue and manipulation, the eldership is strongly based on merit, if we exclude the fact that blood is a prerequisite for the position. .
In other words, the elven elders are both wise and powerful. They have the most abundant magical power among the elves, and even though they have retired from the front lines, they are still capable of doing so. At the very least, they can kick any magical beast that wanders into the area with just a handful of hands.
However, even they could not resist it.
Without being able to chant, one by one, they were sacrificed, and the temple was stained with fresh blood. The room where they should have quietly exchanged their arguments was now exposed to violence, and there was no longer a shadow to be seen.
And yet, even in the face of such a catastrophe, the elves of Noblewood showed no sign of panic. Halwell, seated at the head of the group, speaks to the last remaining Grand Elder with a cheerful expression on his face.
"From the bottom of my heart - and I thank you from the bottom of my heart, my dear brethren - I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Your decision to cooperate with us in the exorcism of the Unsullied has been accepted.
Hereupon the Elder of Oldwood understood. He had arrived at the truth behind Halwell's words, which were so humiliating, but which he had spoken so plainly without becoming agitated.
He had not maintained his composure from the beginning, but rather the opposite. He had been so passionate that his expression had simply disappeared in a roundabout way. Halwell was on the edge of insanity even before the meeting.
As soon as he realized this fact, the Elder turned around fearfully, sensing a presence approaching behind him.
A large hole in the wall of the temple.
There, he saw a pair of red, blood-colored, eyes...
"Do not be afraid. Your old and righteous veins will be transformed into a sure power that will purge you of the foulness of the foulness.
Those were the last words the Grand Elder heard.
Dozens of fangs dug into his lean frame, spattering fresh blood.
Before the Elder could realize what had happened to him, he ended his life, as did the other Elders.
Soon, screams and shouts begin to emanate from all parts of the city.
But contrary to the bewildered people of Oldwood who flee, the elves of Noblewood do not make a move.
In the heart of the Oldwood, which is quickly enveloped in mayhem, their representative, Halwell, lets out a muddled, throaty voice.
"...... must not be. It must not be that we Noblewood have suffered defeat at the hands of the Unsullied. ......
The eyes, which had lost their smile, were lit up with the color of madness.
+ + +
<--That's all I have to say, my friend. I expected a few things, but it seems they chose the best (・・・・) of them all.
Helian received the report in his private room in the pavilion, which had been converted into a store.
In front of him floats a "chat window" set to voice chat. The name of the person he was talking to was inscribed in the name field, and the name of Camilla, Commander of the 6th Corps, was inscribed in the name field.
The report she gave was within the expected range.
However, it is also true that I was surprised that she would resort to such short-sighted measures.
Helian asks Camilla through the chat window.
"Just to make sure, you are not doing any kind of mental interference or brainwashing, are you? They definitely started acting of their own free will, didn't they?"
Interference with the soul and spirit is a specialty of Camilla, the "Nightmare Empress.
It is often used in espionage activities, and in the [Reporting Phase] of a spy unit in [Tactics Chronicle], <
However, such techniques are now banned for several reasons.
Not that he thought Camilla would violate the order lightly, but still Helian asked the question as a kind of final confirmation.
<
"...... I see."
Helian answered with a sigh.
He took a few seconds to chew over Camilla's report again, and to acknowledge that it was a fact that could not be misinterpreted.
Having reached a conclusion in his mind, Hélian made a solemn voice and told Camilla
"--Okay. I will return to my home country."