Chapter 73

EP.73 Side Story, The Apostate (1)

There is a race called elves.

'A race that lives in harmony with nature.'

While this is what the world knows, the reality of elves is a bit different. It would be more accurate to say that they are blessed by nature rather than living in harmony with it.

Elves are born under the protection of the forest.

By being blessed by the World Tree, they gain very sensitive senses and superhuman bodies.

'It doesn't make sense, this protection.'

The bodies blessed by the protection are different from those of humans.

Elves have sharper eyes than ordinary people. Their legs are faster, and their movements are agile. Regardless of age, elves possess the bodies of excellent warriors.

The protection of the forest makes this possible.

The advantage of having a naturally strong body is significant. Without much effort, elves can become powerful warriors.

'Especially, elf rangers have a tight grip on the roles of archers and scouts.'

Remia, that girl, was also called a master archer.

Setting aside her terrible personality, her skills were quite outstanding.

Elves, anyway, elves.

The story has taken a bit of a turn.

I suddenly started talking about elves because... I was reminded of the special treatment I received from them on the battlefield.

'The tea that the elf alchemists gave me as a gift.'

The tea they made by blending various herbs.

"What was it called again?"

I muttered, trying to recall.

"Was it green tea?"

The light green liquid.

I remember the warm green tea tasting quite good.

'A feeling of calm and relaxation.'

After subduing the two crazy women, enjoying a cup of green tea was not a bad time. I would often ask the elves for it.

"..."

Thinking about those old days, I lowered my gaze. At the end of my lowered gaze was a cup of tea.

'Is this really green tea...?'

To be honest, I'm not sure.

It is green, at least. Green, but...

The color was a bit strange.

It wasn't a soft light green but a thick, potion-like dark green.

"Ugh..."

I tried it, thinking the taste might be different. As expected, it tasted terrible.

"Ugh..."

I spat out the tea and put down the cup. My mouth felt sticky. Swallowing hard, I looked up.

"Hey."

"Why are you calling me?"

"Are you really an elf?"

"Can't you see my ears?"

"Damn, don't elves make good tea?

A race that lives in harmony with nature.

Born and raised in the forest.

And if you're an alchemist, shouldn't you be able to brew good tea?"

Looking at the elf in front of me with a doubtful gaze, he smirked.

"Prejudice, Laniel."

"Damn..."

"I only made the tea because you asked me to. Don't complain. Do you want more?"

I shook my head without a word. Pushing the cup to the side of the table, I glanced around. Dust was piled up in various places. Spider webs hung, and the shop felt quite old.

A shop located deep in an alley.

A secluded place where few people visit. I had a reason for coming here.

'There was something I wanted to ask.'

I turned my head and looked at the elf in front of me.

The silver-haired elf, Cardy.

An elf with eyes that have a beast-like yellow hue.

Looking at this old friend who knows as much as he hides, I sighed.

"Sometimes, I wonder if you're really an elf."

"There's no elf more elf-like than me."

"Creatures that live in the forest in harmony with nature. Agile warriors blessed by the forest. That's what elves are, right?"

"Prejudice."

"Damn, you're an elf-like elf, you say."

"The elves you're talking about are probably the ones after the Catastrophe."

Cardy shrugged.

"Elves from hundreds of years ago, like me, weren't particularly close to the forest. It's just laughable to talk about 'elf-like' qualities using examples of those who haven't even lived a thousand years."

"Right..."

You never stop talking.

I shook my head.

'An elf who has lived for over a thousand years...'

Now that I think about it, it was strange.

It was hard to find elves who had lived over a thousand years, even among the long-lived elves.

'Was there one?'

The king of the elves, Orvel, perhaps.

I remember he was over a thousand years old.

"Hey, Cardy, do you know Orvel?"

"Orvel? I know him. That kid is the king, right? A lot of time has passed."

...Kid? That guy?

As I tilted my head, Cardy sighed and spoke.

"So, Laniel."

He tapped the table a few times with his fingers.

"What brings you here this time? You didn't run out of medicine, did you?"

"Do I need a reason to visit a friend?"

"You only come when you have a reason. You talk a lot."

"...If you say that, I have nothing to say."

I rested my chin and continued.

"Just, there's something I want to ask."

Cardy nodded, as if saying, "Go ahead."

"First, remember what we found in the underground waterway? I just came back from taking down the guy who set it up."

"Are you talking about Skeval?"

"Yeah, while taking down that skull, I learned a few things..."

I extended my hands forward.

"Skeval called the curse on me 'Shadow.' He called it a larva of Shadow. And..."

I clapped my hands.

As I slapped my palms together, gray mana squirmed between them.

The mana of the curse.

Invented to counter the Demon King's curse.

I pointed at it and said.

"According to him, this is what the Sword of Death uses. Something that can be used in the domain of Shadow."

Shadow.

"What exactly is Shadow? It seems to refer to a curse, but..."

I narrowed my eyes.

"But it doesn't seem to be just that. And, I thought you might know something about it."

I looked at Cardy with narrowed eyes.

He sighed and replied.

"...I do know."

"Will you tell me this time?"

"Even if I want to tell you, I can't reveal everything. I need to see if the stars permit it."

"...What does that mean?"

"There are such things. The restrictions on me are numerous."

Cardy smiled bitterly and stood up.

Then he brought out a bottle and a glass from the display.

"Do you like alcohol?"

"...Why alcohol all of a sudden?"

"Before I answer your question, I want to hear a story from you. And, from my experience, such stories are better with alcohol."

He placed the glass on the table and said.

"I heard you killed the Black Dragon, Berial."

"I did. It was tough, but I managed to kill it."

"Have you encountered any other calamities besides the Black Dragon?"

"Hey, Cardy."

I smiled bitterly.

"Five years on the front lines. I've met them all. I only saw the Sword of Death a couple of times, though."

"You managed to survive."

"I almost died a few times."

Cardy filled the glasses with alcohol.

One for me, one for himself.

"Then, let's talk."

Cardy lifted his head.

"...Can you tell me their story?"

"I can. Who should I start with?"

"Gleria."

"...What?"

"The Martyr, Gleria Bell Armias."

"The Apostate, Gletus, you mean?"

The silver-haired elf nodded silently.

I glared at him.

'...A martyr?'

I had reviewed all the records to deal with the calamities, but... the name Martyr, Gleria, was something I heard for the first time today.

'I'm curious, but... he probably won't answer even if I ask.'

I sighed and spoke.

"Alright, whatever. The Apostate, Gletus."

A mad alchemist.

A summoner like a nightmare.

I recalled the moment I first met that madman.

"I think I first met that crazy woman not long after we exterminated the Black Dragon."

Right after exterminating the Black Dragon, Berial, the Black Storm.

When our party's reputation was at its peak, we were involved in an operation.

"The operation to retake Rodimel Fortress."

An operation that ended in complete failure.

Recalling that operation, I spoke.

"At that fortress, we met the Apostate, Gletus."

2.

There is a fortress named Rodimel.

The fortress, named after the ancient superhuman swordsman, is located at the edge of the Black Plains on the western front.

The Black Plains, the entrance to the Demon World.

The role of Rodimel Fortress is to detect and report the advance of the Demon King's army from that place.

The watchtower on the front lines.

The eyes of the knight order.

Rodimel Fortress, known as such, is a strategic stronghold. Therefore, numerous knights are stationed there. Each of them is a veteran who has seen countless battlefields.

Rodimel Fortress, which they guard, is not easily taken down. Everyone thought so.

"Did I hear wrong?"

Therefore.

"...Rodimel has fallen?"

The knight commander, Heinzel, couldn't understand what he had just heard.

"Yes, all communications were cut off in a single night. Now... it's difficult to even approach it."

A single night.

Rodimel Fortress fell in just one night. No communications were received. It means it fell without even the time to send a message.

'...Does that make sense?'

Heinzel rubbed his forehead.

He felt a headache coming on.

"No communications at all?"

"...There was one, just one."

The knight pulled out a piece of paper.

The mana that connects the letters is severed. This is a hastily scribbled letter, written just as the connection was about to break.

"Intruder: one, Apostate G... "

The letter was cut off there.

Does it make sense that a fortress with so many knights couldn't even complete a single letter?

'...It does.'

Ironically, the moment Heinzel saw the severed name, he understood the situation.

"The Apostate, Gletus."

A calamity that appeared only a few times on the front lines but caused massive damage each time.

"That summoner took over Rodimel Fortress."

Heinzel closed his eyes.

Rodimel Fortress is the wall that guards the western front. We cannot allow that wall to fall.

'Can we deal with the calamity with the forces we have?'

Ordinary knights can't.

Calamities are beings that transcend common sense. No matter how excellent the knight, they cannot deal with a calamity.

In the end, the answer is set.

"Summon them."

Heinzel gave a short command.

"Only they can deal with the calamity."

The highest fighting force of the knight order.

The ones who cut off the head of the Black Dragon, which had reigned as a calamity in the eastern region for hundreds of years, can do it.

The master archer, Remia.

The holy maiden, Sara.

The sage, Laniel von Trias.

And.

The hero, Kyle Toven.

"Summon the hero."

To deal with a being that transcends common sense, we need to summon those who transcend the human realm.

Author's Note (Afterword)

This is the side story about the past that I mentioned.

I expect it to be around 3-4 episodes.

Actually, it's a side story, but it's not completely separate from the main story. Laniel is telling the story to Cardy. :D

*It's a bit late, but...! I still managed to post five times this week!

It was a monumental week, with two consecutive daily updates. Actually, one of them was a break day followed by a double update... so it might be a stretch to call it consecutive updates....