Chapter 33. Why Are You Here?
Harpe, an Imperial Guard Knight, recalled being summoned by his superior, Dominic, before beginning his night watch.
“Harpe. It seems the time has finally come.”
“By the time, you mean……?”
“Shane. That boy is an exceptional talent. But he is a talent humanity is not yet prepared for. Regrettably, we will have to eliminate him here.”
Harpe did not look closely at Dominic’s expression, but he could hear genuine regret in his voice.
Still, it could not be helped.
The grand undertaking currently being prepared by the Imperial Family was an achievement that had to be accomplished even if it meant sacrificing a talent of Shane’s caliber.
It was only natural that Dominic, who possessed a strong desire to recruit talented individuals, would find it regrettable.
“……Understood.”
“There should be an opportunity tonight. They will assist you, so afterward, remain hidden for the time being.”
Then came the night watch.
Just as Dominic predicted, the opportunity presented itself before long.
Dark Elves charged out of the darkness.
Harpe drew his sword and began moving in accordance with their attack.
“I’ll hold the enemies here! Go ahead and inform the Knight Order of what happened!”
“Understood.”
Even in such circumstances, Shane showed little sign of panic and ran back as Harpe instructed.
Following the plan, Harpe deliberately allowed two Dark Elves to slip past him.
Without making a mistake, they rushed after Shane and drove their blades into his back.
“Ugh……!”
Shane collapsed with a short groan.
“……It’s over.”
Shane lay on the ground after being stabbed by the Dark Elves’ daggers, without so much as twitching.
Worse still, a violet flower had bloomed from his waist.
Death.
After confirming beyond doubt that the target was dead, Harpe looked toward the Dark Elves standing around Shane.
“Your role is finished.”
Without the slightest hesitation, Harpe cut down the remaining Dark Elves.
Three Dark Elves lost their heads in an instant and collapsed to the ground.
“The others will handle the rest. I should hide myself now as well.”
Deep disgust filled Harpe’s eyes as he looked at the corpses of the Dark Elves that had just murdered Shane for him.
Demi-Humans were enemies of humanity.
He had temporarily joined hands with them only because it was necessary for the Imperial Family’s grand undertaking.
Even that had been revolting to Harpe.
He looked once more at Shane, who remained motionless on the ground, and muttered to himself.
“Tsk. I’m sorry. But this, too, is for humanity. I will remember your sacrifice.”
Had this been a different time, Shane would have been a talent the Imperial Family would have gladly given an important position.
Unfortunately—
He had chosen to bring up the Dragon Heart of the Mezaia Great Forest.
Harpe turned away with that lingering regret.
Then—
“I’ll remember as well. Your revolting hypocrisy…… and those memories of yours.”
“……!!!”
Shane’s voice rang out when it should have been impossible for him to speak.
Before Harpe could even react in shock, the darkness clinging to him swallowed him whole.
—
Contrary to the steadfast image the Imperial Family presented to the outside world, its internal situation was currently in considerable turmoil.
The current Emperor’s health had unexpectedly deteriorated.
For now, the Emperor still sat upon the throne.
But before long, he would collapse unconscious and never awaken for the remainder of his life.
And the person currently closest to becoming the next master of the throne was the Crown Prince—
Jepher di Wyatt Samuel.
Crown Prince Samuel had spent years secretly increasing the number of people under his control.
His method was simpler than one might expect.
Unlike the current Emperor, the Crown Prince encouraged human greed and selfishness.
Those who refused to follow him were purged without anyone ever knowing.
With his health worsening by the day, the current Emperor remained unaware of the Crown Prince’s true nature.
Later, if history proceeded as Shane remembered, Samuel would become Emperor.
He would become the most violence-addicted Emperor in human history—
A war-crazed warmonger who brought an enormous disaster upon humanity’s future.
But that disaster had never been a mere coincidence.
It was a predetermined catastrophe created through countless misfortunes and the Organization’s preparations over many years.
Countless knights who knew nothing of the truth had become captivated by Crown Prince Samuel’s grand vision of ‘Unification.’
The Imperial Guard Knights dispatched with this expedition were among Samuel’s agents as well.
‘If only His Highness the Crown Prince had not taken such a profound interest in the Dragon Heart…… I truly do not like this.’
As someone belonging to the Imperial Family, Dominic genuinely regretted having to eliminate Shane, who was both a noble and a genius.
But when he thought of the ‘Unification’ that would come in the future, this was a necessary sacrifice.
If this operation succeeded, it would provide considerable assistance toward achieving that Unification.
Was that not what the sacrifice was for?
‘I should buy Harpe a drink someday. I gave him such unpleasant work.’
Dominic knew perfectly well that he was a disgusting hypocrite.
Still, he had no choice but to console himself in that manner.
“Haah. I wonder when we will finally find the light.”
In any case, by now Harpe should have followed his orders, disposed of Shane and the Dark Elves, and gone into hiding.
Morning eventually arrived.
When Shane and Harpe, who had been assigned the night watch, were nowhere to be found, confusion briefly spread through the group.
Before long, however, they discovered the corpses of several Dark Elves not far away.
A grim silence descended.
“……Truly unfortunate. But if we search for those two now, we risk becoming separated from the main group. For now, we must continue moving.”
The others nodded at Dominic’s words and resumed their advance.
Thus far, everything had proceeded according to plan.
Dominic continued walking, taking a small measure of comfort in that fact.
But somewhere beyond his awareness—
A major flaw had already appeared in his plan.
—
Delilah and Aneis, fighting back-to-back, could not hide their amazement as they watched Klein’s performance.
‘I’m jealous.’
‘Is this what they mean when they call someone a genius?’
Klein stood at the very front, practically massacring monsters as Mana poured from his body.
When they had first entered the Cradle, his rate of growth had not been particularly different from Aneis’s.
Yet the moment he was separated from Shane, Klein began demonstrating explosive growth as though something had suddenly been released.
He was not simply overwhelming his enemies with raw Mana.
Every individual strand of that Mana moved with the purpose of threatening an enemy’s life.
There was not even the slightest hesitation in his sword.
Just as Shane had taught him before, Klein followed the most efficient routes possible and targeted only vital points.
Then the remaining expedition members could finish off the monsters whose vital points Klein had already struck.
The expedition members, who had previously paid him little attention, gradually found their eyes drawn toward his brutal fighting style.
“Incredible…….”
“I heard the rumors that he was the greatest genius in history, but……”
“Haah.”
Some gazed at him with pure admiration.
Others showed brief despair before the cruel wall known as talent.
Perhaps thanks to Klein’s serious participation, the expedition, which had been making poor progress until then, began moving much faster.
But danger came for them once again.
“DARK ELVES!!”
It was already the fifth day since the expedition had been divided.
The Dark Elves, who had not shown themselves during that time, finally returned to the battlefield.
But something was clearly different from before.
Their presence had changed completely.
They no longer charged forward recklessly, surrendering themselves to instinct.
Instead, they observed the expedition’s condition.
Then the battle began.
The unease they had felt beforehand proved correct.
The enemies dodged attacks.
They blocked them.
Some opponents received only minor injuries from them.
Others were given certain death.
“Ugh, these annoying bastards!”
Raviata’s eyes widened as she released her Mana.
Flames instantly poured over the area where the enemies stood, obscuring the battlefield from view.
Meanwhile, Orca, who had been watching the battle from one side, found herself confronted by a Dark Elf who had approached without her noticing.
[Orca, Leaf of the Thirty-Second Branch.]
[……!]
[I came here in accordance with that person’s will. I was told to deliver a message.]
[That person?]
[There is no time. I will relay it now. The message is──]
[Wait. What in the world does that mean……?!]
Before Orca could ask the Dark Elf anything after hearing the message, he disappeared back into the smoky haze.
By the time the haze cleared, none of the Dark Elves remained.
Orca stood there in confusion.
“Anyone who can still fight, do not lower your guard! Those with minor injuries, move the seriously wounded first!”
“Aaaagh, Jacob!”
“Damn it!”
The expedition burned with a desire for vengeance over the new casualties from the battle.
Some had even begun looking at Orca with hatred simply because she was also an Elf.
The expedition’s mental state was steadily deteriorating.
—
Delilah, who had been asleep, opened her eyes when she sensed someone approaching.
Perhaps it was because they could never truly lower their guard inside a Cradle.
By now, Delilah had become accustomed enough to their current circumstances that even something this minor could wake her immediately.
She slowly turned around.
“Huh?”
Orca was there, crouching down and looking at her.
“Uh…… Miss Orca? Did you want to tell me something? Ah, right. You can’t speak our language.”
Orca, the Elf of the Mezaia Great Forest.
Throughout the expedition, Delilah had repeatedly attempted to strike up conversations with her.
Orca had never once so much as looked her way.
And now she was the one who had approached Delilah.
“But why did you……? Not that you can answer me. Ugh, this is frustrating.”
Just as Delilah once again realized how precious a shared language was and wondered how she was supposed to communicate—
Orca picked up a small stone and began drawing on the ground.
“Oh, right. You can draw.”
Delilah carefully studied the picture Orca was making.
“This is me, and this is Miss Orca. Hmm…… So you want me to go somewhere with you? Ah! The bathroom?”
Orca frowned briefly at Delilah’s words.
Then she nodded.
“Well, I guess things have been…… tense lately, right?”
Ever since the Dark Elves appeared, the expedition had begun looking at Orca less favorably.
If she went off somewhere alone now, there was no telling what accusations might arise.
The Imperial Guard Knights who had been separated from Dominic had even lost one of their companions in today’s battle against the Dark Elves.
Their gazes toward Orca had become particularly hostile.
Whether Dark Elf or Elf, they probably simply needed someone to blame.
Delilah glanced toward the area where the Imperial Guard Knights were staying before getting to her feet.
“Okay, let’s go.”
Perhaps she was pleased that Orca, who had shown about as much emotion as a doll until now, had finally approached her like this.
Delilah sprang to her feet, informed those on watch, and left with Orca.
“Ahem. I guess constantly talking to you finally paid off. Hehe.”
How many times had Delilah tried to talk to this Elf while they traveled together?
She had received nothing but merciless silence in return, but Delilah never gave up.
Living among humans was difficult enough already.
Would it not be nice if two Demi-Humans could at least talk to each other?
And judging by Orca’s missing fingers, she had clearly endured a difficult past.
Delilah assumed Orca’s coldness toward her came from a deep wariness of other people.
That was why she had continued trying to speak with her.
While thinking that—
“Uh…… Haven’t we gone a little too far? Miss Orca, how far are you planning to go? Come on. There’s nobody else around here…… You don’t have to go this far away.”
Delilah began wondering whether they had moved too far from the others.
But Orca did not stop walking.
“Miss Orca? Hey! If we go any farther, this is going to get dangerous!”
Delilah called after her for quite some time.
Then Orca abruptly stopped.
She had sensed a familiar presence.
“Ah, finally! Seriously, just to use the bathroom, why did we have to come all the way…… out…… here…… Huh?”
By then, Delilah also had no choice but to stop.
Someone was slowly emerging from the darkness ahead.
“Ah?”
And the person who appeared was someone Delilah knew very well.
“Y-You’re…….”
The problem was that he had not appeared alone.
More than a dozen Dark Elves stood behind him.
“Why are you here……?”
A man wrapped in black energy, wearing a plain white mask.
It was Shane.
