“What is this…”
At the moment René emerged from the otherworld, she felt a strange sensation that she was “accepted by the world”.
Within the vast, dome-shaped cavern tainted by evil energy, the bodies of elves and those who would soon become corpses were scattered about.
The walls and ceiling were constructed with thick tree roots like pipelines, now dyed black to the point where their original color was indistinguishable.
René took a deep breath, sensing the evil energy pervading the surroundings.
“It feels unconditionally comfortable… Like, ‘Have I been living in a vacuum all this time?’ No, I’m not alive, but maybe it’s because the evil energy is drifting around.”
“It’s not necessarily because of an excess of evil energy; it’s because even the land veins are thoroughly polluted, making it comfortable. The Demon King’s territory in the northeast has a similar atmosphere, being firmly within the domain of the Evil God.”
“Did Mialanze do this…”
Beside René, Everis held a heavy, coffin-like vessel.
Inside it was Mialanze, somehow captured and placed there by Everis as she crumbled.
“Hey, can you… reverse this?”
“Well, to be frank, I froze her just before disappearing. I haven’t thought about how to revert it. It’s quite reckless, attempting a Soul Source Magic all of a sudden.”
Mialanze performed a miracle.
She escaped from the otherworld through a rift created to attack René, dealt a blow to the elves, and created a path for René to escape.
At that moment, Mialanze activated a Soul Source Magic Primal Spell, causing a miracle.
Due to that power, the central part of Gaisenfall Great Forest was contaminated with evil energy, and as compensation, Mialanze was on the verge of disappearing…
“Well… I think it’ll work out somehow. After all, I’m here.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
René silently struggled with her emotions.
That moment. Regardless of the strategic importance, René simply couldn’t afford to lose Mialanze.
However, harboring such emotions was dangerous. Petty emotions would dull the blade.
Helping her was a matter of course. As a lord, René had to repay the loyalty shown by a vassal who risked their life.
That’s all it was, René told herself as an excuse.
“…So, that’s the culprit, huh?”
René pointed her crimson sword at one of the elves lying on the ground.
A female elf in a simple priestess outfit, adorned with gold and gemstone decorations. Her skin was marred by evil energy, and she was barely breathing.
The newly appointed high priestess, supposed to be named Kurususarina. The high priestess served as a religious leader and sometimes led ceremonies as the tribe’s top mage.
“Are you going to kill her?”
“Yeah.”
In response to Everis’s straightforward question, René gave a straightforward answer.
The retribution for showing her such a pointless nightmare had to be delivered.
“…Wait… please…”
Someone called out to René as she approached with the red blade.
The voice came from close to the ground.
A female elf warrior, wearing leather armor that outlined her body, struggled to lift herself up. Her face, marred by evil energy, was hidden by hair.
“Oh my, to have the guts to speak up after taking such a beating.”
“Don’t… don’t kill Kurus… Don’t turn her into… that kind of thing…”
With a trembling voice that seemed to wear down her life, the plea was made.
René sneered down at her with a disdainful expression.
“Do you understand your position? Betrayal, rebellion, you losers who lost in a fight have no negotiating power. Not to mention, expecting mercy is out of the question.”
“She didn’t do it… on her own… It was the will of her ancestors… moving her…”
“Well, I have a rough idea about that. But everyone still followed, right?”
Everis casually remarked, not mocking.
She simply dealt with the situation as a task that needed handling.
The female elf warrior was at a loss for words.
She made no excuses. Just a rare request.
“If there’s anything I can offer… I’ll give anything. My life…, my body…, my soul…!”
“N-no…!!”
Interrupting the desperate plea was an elderly elf wearing what seemed like self-important armor.
Coughing violently, the elf, identified as Jibalmagza, a teacher or vice clan leader, managed to prop himself up somehow.
He was trying to crawl, writhing like a caterpillar.
“We… a human… species… Liella… mires… must not cross that line… We must not… cough, cough… cross the line!”
“Everis, can you shut him up? It’s annoying.”
“Well, he’s still a vice clan leader. I understand it’s unpleasant, but let’s wait a bit longer; he might still be of some use.”
A sigh. Ignoring Jibalmagza, Everis leaned over to address René in front of Liellamires.
“Elf Warrior-san, I understand your determination. Witch-san is a bit moved. I want to talk to you about something important. Do you want to protect this forest and your friends?”
Speaking in a gentle tone, like a con artist’s sales pitch, Everis addressed the elf warrior.
“You’re going to take her first?”
“If Princess-sama doesn’t mind.”
“…Well. I guess it’s fine.”
It felt like going with the flow, but it wasn’t a bad thing that she was the one here and now. It was part of the plan anyway.
Rene glanced at the half-dead head priestess. She felt like she had to put her through some horrible experiences, but she didn’t necessarily have to kill me.
René decided that if she was useful as a hostage, it wouldn’t be a problem to keep her alive.
Everis pointed with her thumb over her shoulder, indicating Kurususarina.
“Over there, she’s collapsed. If we let her go here, she’ll probably die soon. People can’t survive in a forest contaminated with malevolence. Moreover, with that much evil energy exposure, death from weakness is imminent, and the Imperial Army will attack. The same goes for you.”
“That… is…”
Liellamires seemed unable to find a response.
The situation had become critical with the forest malfunctioning and the tribe’s leadership succumbing to evil energy.
It was a dire circumstance where even prolonging one life wouldn’t make much difference.
“But you know, there’s a means to solve that entire problem.”
Everis’s mouth split into a crescent moon shape.
“Just embrace the fall. Become residents of the Forest of Ruin, followers of darkness who pray to the new moon… Dark Elves.”
