Throw in the Folklorist

Whether it's a tablecloth, a cloth to wipe hands, or even a torn apron.

In any case, tightly bind the cloth to the wound, and Mialanze gave René first aid.

It is uncertain how effective ordinary first aid would be in this space or if conventional methods make sense at all.

 

"Am...am I... going to die?"

 

René, lying on top of the torn curtain, seemed to be struggling to breathe.

Her upper body, wrapped in makeshift bandages, was oozing blood.

 

"...I won't let you die. Absolutely not!"

 

Mialanze lightly stroked René's feverish and sweaty forehead and stood up.

In reality, René should already have been dead, but that didn't mean the current situation could be ignored.

 

—Something's not right! What was that...? This space trapped us with strange mechanisms, but it didn't directly harm us. Why did it suddenly...

 

It was just intuition, but Mialanze felt that something was off. It didn't fit with what they had been subjected to so far.

First of all, if it could do such a thing, it should have done it from the beginning. Why now?

 

"René, I will look for an exit. We must get out as soon as possible."

"...Don't go..."

 

As she held René's hand, looked into her tearful silver eyes, Mialanze felt a sense of guilt.

It would be best to take her along, but it seemed unwise to move her with such a serious wound. For now, she needed to leave René here and investigate the situation.

 

"Please understand. I can't...heal that wound. I have to find someone who can, a doctor, as soon as possible. I will search for a way out. I will definitely come back."

 

Squeezing René's hand tightly, Mialanze quickly left the kitchen.

 

Ahead, there was something like a distorted tunnel.

 

"What is this!?"

 

The corridor was distorted.

The space, more cylindrical than square, with a carpeted floor and wallpapered walls that seemed sooty, twisted like a scene seen during intoxication.

Dressers and cupboards floated in the air, appearing as if torn apart by something.

 

—The world... is broken!?

 

Looking back, the corridor behind was pleasantly squared, unlike the strangely distorted path in front of Mialanze.

And from the distorted space, faint light seeped through.

 

—Rather than being broken... is it being broken? It feels like something beyond the rules of this "Hidden Village" is happening.

 

Mialanze hesitated for a moment before heading towards the strange space. It was certain that some anomaly was occurring ahead.

But if there was a clue to escape this otherworld, she couldn't afford to stand still.

 

Mialanze started running.

She rushed through the hallway with a bizarre texture, passed under the game board where weapons flew around, and squeezed through the gap in a twisted door with a keyhole.

Running through the fallen dance hall, the strong light from the hole in the wall made her eyes dizzy.

From there, voices seemed to be coming, as if someone were having a conversation...

 

◇

 

At the foot of the Great Spirit Tree, inside the sacred cave for the ritual, an unusual number of elves gathered.

 

The space, existing at the base of the enormous tree, was a vast underground dome.

Walls, floor, ceiling — all made of intricately intertwined roots of the Great Spirit Tree, bathed in a bluish-white light.

At the center, the altar was set up... it was scattered, and roots resembling thick vines extending from the floor and ceiling entwined something in the air.

It was something like a giant reddish-black gem, bound in the air like spider silk enveloping its prey.

 

This enormous and ominous gem-like object was the gate to another world.

Originally, the place where the ancestors returned to the forest to rest quietly. Overlapping with the Gesenfall Great Forest, it existed as a "Sanctuary”.

But now, it functioned as a cage capturing the "Rose Princess of Hellrage”.

 

The gate to the otherworld, now tangible with ominous hues as evidence of harboring a tremendous evil within, defied its usual intangibility, kept in check by the power of the Great Spirit Tree to prevent the overflow.

 

 

Through the tendrils binding the gate to the otherworld, weapons such as swords, spears, and arrows were thrust towards it. Though these weapons were intricately adorned with craftsmanship surpassing human understanding, they rapidly faded, eventually shattering into sand and dissipating.

 

"Oh, our cherished possessions bestowed upon us by God..."

 

Jibalmagza, witnessing this scene, was dumbfounded.

Each weapon impaled into the gate had been a divine gift from God during the great war 400 years ago.

The tribe's warriors had valiantly wielded these weapons, defeating hordes of demonic forces numbering in the millions. Although they had long since fallen out of use, these gifted weapons remained a symbol of the tribe.

Now, they were shattering into insignificance.

 

"Due to the severe use during the previous great war and the passage of time, it seems the embedded power has faded. However, no matter. Well done. The weapons that vanquish evil have certainly fulfilled their purpose."

 

Kurususarina, who observed this spectacle, remained unimpressed and spoke calmly. Rather, it was apparent from her aura that she was no Kurususarina.

During ceremonies, priests sometimes allowed their bodies to be vessels for the spirits of their ancestors. However, this situation went a step further, as if Kurususarina had entirely surrendered her body, becoming a puppet manipulated by the will of the great ancestors.

 

In Kurususarina's long green hair and the eyes that should have been green, a radiant and glorious sun-like light resided. When looked at with those eyes, one felt instinctively that she was confronting something inconceivably powerful, and Jibalmagza couldn't help but feel a mixture of awe and fear.

 

“You killed it... the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage'?"

"No."

 

Denying the intention behind the confirmation, Jibalmagza couldn't believe his ears.

Elders and the elite warriors around him were also taken aback.

 

"What?"

"While inflicting significant damage to serve as a restraint, the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage' has not been annihilated. The power of miracles was insufficient. The miracle bestowed upon her by the Evil God was stronger than the miracles granted by the gods to you all... But rest assured. In the Khenis Empire, there are those who have resolved to confront and defeat the evil. They likely possess more miracles than us. 'The Rose Princess of Hellrage' is their enemy too. Rely on their strength. Then, the destruction of the Silver Calamity shall be achieved."

 

As Kurususarina spoke calmly, everyone present was dumbfounded.

 

"In that case, the story is different...! Wasn't the plan to defeat the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage’, seize her power, and use it as sustenance to protect the forest!?"

"Such a task is beyond our capabilities. However, had we not presented it in that way, would you all have cooperated with us? The fault lies with you. You refused to listen to our words."

 

Without a hint of remorse, Kurususarina declared.

She manipulated the tribe's sacred treasure by preaching the benefits of defeating the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage’, but it was all a grand lie.

 

"There is no turning back now. The sanctuary is still under external interference... Eventually, the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage' will escape from the sanctuary. At that time, her anger will be directed towards both us and you. Collaborating with those who embrace evil is impossible. We must join hands with the empire and eliminate the 'Rose Princess of Hellrage’. There is no other way."

"What about the forest then! If even a single step is allowed, the empire will take it away...!"

"What matters now is to exterminate the followers of the Evil God seeking revenge in this world. Whether one owns a single forest is trivial.”

 

From somewhere, a voice resembling a tense scream echoed.

It was the realization of an irreparable mistake.

 

—Is this really the collective will of our ancestors...!?

 

Jibalmagza, his face devoid of any emotion, glared at the priestess who seemed to have wiped away all feelings. He struggled to support his shaky legs.

Where could they go if they lost this forest? Living a normal life would be impossible.

Protecting the forest, protecting the tribe — it was supposed to be paramount.

Yet, Kurususarina... The soul within her spoke of it as if it were an inconsequential matter.

 

Jibalmagza had doubted the judgments of his ancestors, but he believed in their love for the forest and the tribe. After all, they had once been members of the tribe.

However. However...

 

A chilling sound, like a heartbeat, made Jibalmagza abruptly look up at the gate to the otherworld.

The grotesque red gate, entwined by thick vines, pulsed.

 

Shortly after, light danced around, and humanoid figures formed by a brilliant white light appeared in such numbers that they filled the outer edge of the vast void. They held bows made of light that seemed to integrate with their bodies.

 

"The ‘Projections’...?"

"Take up your weapons, warriors! The forces of evil seek to break free from the scars on the sanctuary! The sanctuary is also damaged from the earlier attack. Repairs won't be in time—"

 

 

As Kurususarina shouted, the warriors raised their weapons in readiness, puzzled by what was happening.

Slipping out between the entwined vines, as if giving birth to a creature, something black descended.

 

In this space filled with pure light, the woman appeared otherworldly.

Clad in a human servant's outfit of white and black, reminiscent of what humans would wear, her lustrous hair had a fur-like texture, with triangular black ears protruding from it. Her bloodless, pale skin contrasted sharply with eyes that glowed red like blood, burning with anger.

As she spread the membranous wings on her back, her evil presence tainted the previously pure and serene atmosphere.

 

"...Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhh...!"

 

She hunched her back, emitting a threatening sound like a cat.

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