“Ah, there she is, the ‘elf beauty’!”
“Yagi, you think we players will accept any unreasonable request if you throw an elf beauty at us?”
“Hmm. So you’re going to refuse her request?”
“Of course not, you idiot.”
It was nostalgic.
The scene of playing “D&B” more than twenty years ago came back to my mind.
I forgot what the request was, but I can’t forget Yagi’s smug face (although we didn’t have such a term back then).
At that time, it was a kind of aesthetic that “players would accept requests from elf beauties”.
But when I actually see a real elf beauty in front of me…
Well, I can’t blame them.
“The war tribe’s priestess”, “the true elf”, “the woman who preserves knowledge”.
The girl with three names was that captivating.
It wasn’t just that she was beautiful or cute.
Her eyes, her voice, her figure, they all exuded a charm and allure that stirred up my protective instinct.
This might be what they call a “charm spell” in the original sense.
I’ve seen enough adult service ladies as a middle-aged working man, but this is something else.
If I hadn’t remembered Yagi’s smug face, I might have been as dazed as Sedam next to me.
“To explain the situation of this blunder, I need to tell you how we perform prophecies.”
The priestess said with a voice that was strangely soothing to my brain. …This is not the time to be enchanted.
I felt the tension return, and I secretly swallowed my saliva.
“…That’s very interesting. Please, tell me more.”
“As you wish.”
The story that the priestess told me smoothly was as follows.
The dark demons are the vanguard of “different worlds” that cross the corridor called “focal point”.
The first “focal point” was born in the heart of an entity called “god king” when he was consumed by despair and hatred.
The “hero” once destroyed the “focal point” that the “god king” emitted.
At that time, the “sage” was the one who gave power to the hero.
What the “sage” gave to the hero were the “holy sword”, the “elf maiden”, and the “god soldiers”.
The “god soldiers” were warriors who fought against the dark demons. The “holy sword” was a powerful weapon that could destroy the “focal point”. And the “elf maiden” gave them immense magic power in exchange for her life.
After the battle, the “hero” served the northern kingdom of Shulendal.
The “god soldiers”, who were known to the public as the “dark warriors”, became a clan of dark demon hunters under the command of the sage… in other words, the war tribe.
The “woman who preserves knowledge” was the second generation of this “elf maiden”.
The “sage” gave various techniques to the war tribe to fight against the dark demons.
One of them was a ritual to communicate with the spirit of the “elf maiden” and obtain prophecies about the movements of the dark demons… but…
“To tell you the truth. This is a ritual to ‘read the memories and consciousness of dark demons from their corpses’.”
“…”
What she told me with her voice that sounded like pleasant music was a secret that approached the origin of this world, Sedia.
I knew the outline of the heroic story of how the hero prevented the first “great breeding” by researching or asking people. But, for example, I had never heard of things like how the god king became a focal point or the existence of a sage.
There was no evidence that her story was true, but it wouldn’t be surprising if a “true elf” had been living for hundreds of years.
…Well, I appreciate that kind of so-called “historical truth”.
But she just casually said something amazing.
“The dark demons, in fact, do not have individual selves. They form a single consciousness by becoming a swarm like ants or bees. That is what the sage taught us.”
The priestess continued to speak, ignoring our astonishment.
“Therefore, even if it is a corpse, by touching your own consciousness to the dark demon’s brain, you can read the ‘will of all dark demons’.”
The priestess paused for a moment.
I took the opportunity to look around and see the reactions of others.
Sedam, Claura, and Leiha were rigid with surprise and disgust. Irudo didn’t seem to follow the story very well.
On the other hand, Kambelis and Leid, the war tribe members, had bitter expressions, but they were not disturbed. Perhaps only a few of the war tribe knew this behind-the-scenes story.
“…I get what you’re saying, but isn’t using the dead bodies of dark demons the same thing as what the dark demon worshippers, Demonists, do? “
Yes, the priestess’s story reminded me of Baron Koval, who offered sacrifices on an altar made of dark demon corpses, and Diane’s mother, who was swallowed by the “focal point” under the influence of the Demonist.
The source of information for the war tribe, who were created to hunt down the dark demons, was the dark demons themselves.
“Of course, there is danger. But until now, we have been able to fulfill our duty without any trouble, thanks to the grace of the Creator God. And that is because through the corpse, we could hide our existence from the ‘will of all dark demons’.”
“Until now, huh.”
“Exactly.”
The priestess nodded slightly.
This gesture alone seemed to reflect her deep regret and guilt.
“When we obtained information about you, the wizard, there was no difference from the usual ritual. But probably…”
Here, the priestess let out a small sigh. It might have been the first time I saw her real emotion.
“The ‘will of all dark demons’ gave us that information to harm you, the wizard.”
“…I see.”
It seemed that the priestess’s explanation was over.
I nodded and leaned back deeply in my chair.
As I did so, I reviewed what I had just heard in my head and thought about what to do next.
I still don’t have an answer to the question I was thinking about earlier, the interpretation of the word “focal point”.
Well, originally, the war tribe side didn’t know anything about my magic gate, and judging from the reaction of the “seeing demon” during the interrogation, there was no point in concluding that the information from the dark demon under the name of prophecy was false.
That should be a reason for me to rejoice that my suspicion has been cleared.
“I take full responsibility for this blunder. I heard that you, the wizard, are trying to build a system in the world to fight against the dark demons… I know that it is unforgivable to cast suspicion on such a great person, but please calm your anger with one of our lives. I beg you on my knees.”
The elf girl bowed down again as soon as she finished speaking.
The men of the war tribe behind her did the same.
“…”
Claura looked at me with a slightly troubled expression.
To be honest, I was also troubled.
I didn’t know much about the dark demons until now, but I got this much information here. Moreover, I was curious about the words I didn’t know that came out in various places in the priestess’s words.
If I overlook this kind of information, I’ll have trouble later.
“As a warlord, I apologize as well. As a token of apology, I brought some of the war tribe’s treasures with me, so I hope you’ll accept them.”
Kambelis also said in a serious voice from behind the priestess.
Leid was silent, but he bowed down like everyone else.
When they first came here, they made me feel angry and anxious. But I don’t intend to bring that up again.
If I look left and right, Sedam and Claura are nodding.
“Let’s accept their apology. Priestess.”
“Your kindness, truly, truly thank you.”
“Thank you.”
As I watched Kambelis and the priestess raise their heads with relief, I thought.
“God King” “Sage” “The will of all dark demons”…
There are too many things I want to confirm, and this will finally allow me to move forward with the alliance with the war tribe.
In that case…
I have to go. To the war tribe’s headquarters.