Chapter 28

"What's going on here?"

A hole opened up deep inside the ruins.

Ange held up a lantern, but couldn't see the bottom.

The sound of gunfire could be heard, indicating that a battle was taking place inside.

Zilc immediately began preparing to descend.

"I'll get the rope right away!"

Gregg shouldered his spear,

"I'll go down first. Marie and Baltfalt might be down there. We need to hurry and help them."

Rivia also stepped forward.

"I, I'm going too!"

"You can't. Stay here."

"I'm going!"

Just as Ange was about to go down, the village chief, who had run over, raised his voice.

"What are you doing!"

Ange glared at the village chief.

"Who said there was nothing? There's a hole leading underground right here."

"That, that... I apologize. We will take care of it immediately. Please stay outside."

Gregg, worried about Marie, couldn't accept the village chief's suggestion.

"They might be fighting down there! What will you do if something happens to Marie!"

"Then I'll go."

The village chief, holding the rifle he had been carrying, slid down into the hole.

Ange felt a sense of unease at the sight.

(That village chief, is he going alone without knowing what's there?)

◇

As we fell into the underground.

While Luxion illuminated the surroundings, Marie and I walked down the corridor.

Part of it had collapsed, and soil and rocks had spilled out, creating a maze-like path.

Turning my head to look back at Marie,

"Did you use the healing magic? You're walking so slowly."

While complaining about Marie, who was dragging her feet, I had to adjust my pace to match hers.

Marie, who was getting angry, didn't seem to notice this.

"Injuries hurt for a while even after they're healed! Walk more slowly!"

"Rivia could make the pain disappear. That's why you're a fake."

"Hmph! Just because that girl is a bit cute, you're infatuated with her like an idiot. No one would bother with a nobody like you."

"That's not true. I'm actually becoming popular with girls. I often receive letters."

Though they were mostly not very pleasant letters, I pretended to be strong, and Marie looked genuinely regretful.

I tried to bring up the topic from earlier.

"…Why did you even think of a reverse harem?"

"Complaints? If happiness is within reach, wouldn't a human grab it?"

Happiness?

"Kicking others down to feel good? You should apologize to Rivia."

Marie, in the dark corridor, looked down and muttered.

"What do you know? In my past life, I wasn't happy. In this second life, what's wrong with living as I please? I... I just want to be happy."

The method is so cruel it's not funny.

"Tricking Rivia and trapping Ange. You're the worst."

Then, Luxion, who had been illuminating the surroundings, said I was the same.

'Those words can be said to Master as well. You discovered me and took me from Olivia. Furthermore, you humiliated those five in public and felt great! ...That was also said by Master.'

This time, Marie blamed me.

"You're the worst. Look in the mirror before complaining about others."

"I don't want to hear it from you! Besides, because of you, I've had a hard time! What do you plan to do in the final battle? The probability of the principality attacking is low, but—"

As long as the kingdom has Heltrude and the magic flute, a lost item, we should be safe. But if it's stolen, it's over.

If the final battle starts from there, it will be very troublesome.

"Such things can be handled by my power as a saint."

"Huh? Can you handle it with just your power as a saint? What about Rivia's power?"

"…What are you talking about?"

"Because!—"

Just as we were talking, Luxion interrupted our conversation.

'...Master, it seems one of my doubts has been resolved.'

A door opened, and the scene that spread out was...

Cylindrical capsules filled with liquid lined up, and inside were something resembling human forms.

Elves were waiting for us, aiming rifles and pistols.

Marie stepped forward because there were many things I needed to ask this guy. I had to protect her.

The elf with the rifle was smiling at me.

"What, a male and female human... and a strange round thing too."

It was as if he was looking at experimental animals.

"Are you the ones who created monsters?"

If they were monsters, they would disappear when defeated, but the creatures underground didn't disappear when defeated.

This means that what we've been defeating so far weren't monsters.

The elf who seemed to be the leader answered me, holding a pistol in his hand.

"You understand quickly. I thought you wouldn't even be able to imagine it."

The man touched the capsule.

Inside was a large plant flower—there was a human face in the center. It looked creepy, and even the elves found it disturbing.

"We have stepped into the domain of the gods, the birth of life, in these ruins. You humans wouldn't understand, but in ancient times, there was a highly advanced civilization. It was likely not the barbaric humans but us elves who ruled. There is evidence of this. In this underground, there were elf bones. Not a single human bone."

The thought that the elves have been creating monsters for a long time is chilling.

When I looked at Luxion, he shook his one eye sideways, denying it. It seems Luxion didn't know either.

But the boasting didn't end there.

"We will reclaim the world stolen by humans, and the elves will lead and guide all races—"

Luxion interrupted the elf, who was drunk on his own words.

'That's not true. The humans ruled the ancient civilization you speak of. And what was being created in this facility—were the elves themselves.'

Marie tugged on my clothes with her fingers and looked up at Luxion.

"Hey, what is your familiar?"

"This is Luxion, a cheat item. You understand, right?"

"I don't know that. Besides, a cheat item is unfair. Give it to me."

"...You really have a good personality."

The elves' expressions twisted.

"What, what is that strange round object saying?"

'This room is connected to the dormant AI, and I have shared information. This island is an experimental site. To counter the new humans, people delved into the forbidden and artificially created the elves—creatures capable of using magic.'

A voice came from the surroundings, different from Luxion's, a more feminine electronic voice.

'That's correct. The elves on this island are wild versions of the individuals created here.'

"An AI?"

Even as I looked around, I couldn't see its form.

'Yes. Meeting you, who possess the genes of the old humans, is fortunate. It proves that our battle was not meaningless.'

The elves, looking around, seemed to be hearing this for the first time and were flustered.

"Who, who are you! You're lying! We elves are superior to humans. We have longer lifespans and are better at using magic!"

The AI calmly stated the facts.

'The long lifespan is to ensure a longer period of service. It would be inconvenient if you died too quickly. Furthermore, your proficiency in magic is due to how you were created. However, due to the effects of wildness, you seem to have degraded compared to the initial elves we created.'

The elves were stunned, but the man standing in front of us intensified his anger.

"Ridiculous! There is no such fact. We—"

I sensed a presence behind me and turned to see the village chief there.

But he looked strange.

"What are you doing!"

The village chief, who shouted, was not angry at the same elves but at us.

"Ah, village chief... huh?"

The village chief, aiming his rifle, pointed the barrel at Marie's face.

Luxion seemed oddly convinced.

'So, it seems the village chief wasn't lying about everything.'

The village chief gave orders to the flustered elves. It seems this was his true nature.

"Dispose of these people here. Make it look like they were killed by the artificial creatures."

The elves released the capsules, and the monsters emerged from the capsules as the liquid was drained.

'Should I praise you for being able to operate the device?'

Standing next to the calm Luxion, I aimed my rifle.

"You're going to kill us and cover it up. Elves are as treacherous as they look."

The village chief laughed at me.

"Don't get too cocky, human. You inferior beings should bow to us!"

The AI sighed.

'...I will initiate emergency protocols.'

Immediately, weapons emerged from the walls and aimed at the artificial creatures that were charging at us, shooting and killing them.

In the midst of the elves' confusion, I shot the village chief's shoulder with my rifle.

"Ah!"

As he dropped his rifle, I stepped in front of Marie and hit his face with the butt of the gun.

The elves shouted.

"Sh, shoot!"

As bullets and magic rained down on us, Marie clutched her head.

"I don't want this anymore!"

While finding it annoying, I ordered Luxion.

"Do it."

'This level of attack can't even scratch Master.'

A wall of light appeared around us, deflecting all bullets and magic.

Aiming my rifle at the village chief, I looked at the elves, who realized that their guns and magic were ineffective.

"Are you still going to fight? Do you noble and wise elves prefer the aesthetics of destruction?"

Realizing they couldn't win, the elves dropped their guns and raised their hands.

"Restrain all of them. You help too."

"Hey! I'm a saint, your superior!"

"...I can shoot you in the head and blame it on them if I want."

I didn't intend to do it, but threatening her made Marie smile.

"Stop being angry. I'll, I'll do it properly, so don't shoot."

...If you had said that from the beginning, it would have been better.

◇

When the elves were restrained.

The AI spoke to Luxion and me.

'...I understand that we have been defeated. In that case, this facility needs to self-destruct.'

"You guys like self-destructing. It's the same reaction as Luxion."

The AI explained the role of this facility—this ruin.

'Originally, it was a facility to counter the new humans. Now that it's useless, there's no reason to keep it. If we leave it, it will be misused by people like the elves here.'

The elves who created artificial creatures.

Indeed, it's a facility that shouldn't be left behind.

"...As an AI, is this okay for you?"

The AI, which had managed this place for a long time, had to choose self-destruction upon waking up. For some reason, it felt a bit sad.

'No problem. Luxion, I will transfer all my data to