kscans

Chapter 179 - The Raid on the Elven Palace and a World That Can't Reach Peace

Standing next to Augustus, Claire’s face was taut, completely drained of color.

"What are you doing?" she asked in her fluttering language. I have to wonder why I'm able to understand it so fluently in these extreme situations.

"I came to take his daughter," I replied, making a dove with my hand shadows.

"You won't be angry if I pretend not to know you?"

"I won't. Just wait a moment. I'll solve this."

"I believe in you." As we nodded to each other, Cecily jabbed me in the head.

"What are you two discussing?"

"Oh, just that from now on, we're strangers."

"Huh? You're the one who brought her here. Besides, who do you think you're fooling by fluttering at each other?"

While we were talking, knights surrounded us. Most of them were elves. This must be the magic corps Maryanne mentioned. It was unlikely any of them possessed a special skill. From what I'd gathered from the people around Mo, elves protected the purity of their race.

"Where is Wake?"

Augustus asked, confirming he wasn't among us.

"...He was in the way, so I tied him up on the way here,"

Mo said. At her words, Augustus gave a signal. Two knights broke away from the group.

"It's strange to continue this conversation here. Shall we move?"

he suggested.

"I thought a conference room would suffice for a discussion, but if we're going to fight, cleaning up the blood would be a hassle."

The place they led us to was a courtyard. I scanned our surroundings. It was a well-maintained garden. A fountain stood in the center, with waterways branching out from it. In a place like this, even if someone was hiding in the mansion to snipe at us, they would be within range of Laciel's bow.

"Do those words mean you intend to draw your sword against the One-Land family?"

Maryanne asked.

"A little late to be asking that, isn't it?"

Augustus said, tapping the hilt of his sword. It was a gesture that suggested confidence in his swordsmanship.

"So, what was the reason for dropping a giant rock in the front garden and shattering the facade's windows and the furnishings inside?"

He turned his gaze to me.

"A small thank-you for kicking me out yesterday. I had a feeling this mansion wasn't designed with enemy attacks in mind, so I thought I'd let you know."

"I see. A reply to our discourtesy, then. However, you abducted my only daughter. You can't complain if I take your head for it."

Yesterday, he was kneeling before me, calling me 'dono,' and today I've been demoted to 'you.'

"I hear elves come of age at twelve. By that custom, Mo isn't a child, is she? Aren't you the one ignoring her will? And you call yourself a parent?"

"I don't need to hear that from you. My daughter has a fiancé. She understands this."

"The guy who wants to change Mo's personality to his liking, you mean? You might never see this Mo again. Are you really okay with that?"

Augustus's eyes widened for a moment, and he glanced down at Mo.

"...Mash. I want to be the one to explain the situation,"

Mo said.

Mo's betrothed, the Leafkraut family, was also a clan skilled in magic. However, unlike the Star Union family, they did not operate in the open. That was because their research was focused on immortality. The current head of the family and Mo's fiancé, Zeno Leafkraut, was a man whose name was whispered alongside her mother, Marina, as one of the strongest mages.

The union of the two houses was a matter of elven circumstance. Their total population had fallen below three hundred, and in the last two hundred years, Mo was the only child to be born. She was called the last child of the elves, and to avert the extinction of her race, it was decided she would be entrusted to Zeno.

"So research into immortality is also research into creating life? Isn't it just that their long lifespans mean they have a long cycle for childbirth?"

Mo shook her head at my question.

"...Our, the elven race's, roots lie in the Great Forest to the far west. There is a hidden village, Yuri, which is governed by a council of elders."

There were others, like Mo's family, who lived away from Yuri. It was possible that fewer than two hundred even lived there anymore.

"...Among them is one who possesses the ability of prophecy. My future was decided by her words."

"And this Zeno fellow agreed to it?"

Mo nodded.

"...An agreement was made that I would go to the Leafkraut family, and any child born would be given to the Star Union family."

It seemed Mo's engagement was decided not for political reasons, but to solve a racial problem. But could that truly be called a marriage? Wasn't she just an experimental subject?

"I have a few questions."

Mo nodded at my words.

"First, if you give birth to a child, that child will be the last. That doesn't solve the problem, does it?"

"...That's a possibility. But we believe there's some reason why elves can no longer have children. We think there's a chance for our race to survive if Zeno can uncover that cause."

Was it an environmental problem, or perhaps a disease? There was also the possibility of a curse, like Famu's. The more I thought about it, the more the possibilities seemed endless.

"Is fortune-telling a form of magic?"

She shook her head.

"...I don't really know. I think it's something like a Divine Grace."

"In that case, there's a high probability that fortune-telling is wrong. I know someone with a similar special skill. Multiple people can't possess the same special skill."

If you considered fortune-telling the ability to read the future, then Wake had it. It also overlapped with the ability of the nomadic tribe's chief. Still, there were an immense number of special skills. I couldn't deny the possibility that some skills were simply very similar.

"If you're going to bet on a possibility like that, then I'm still taking Mo with me."

At my words, Augustus's expression twisted.

"You mean to tell me you knew nothing of this until now, and you were planning to take my daughter away without knowing a thing about her? And you think you can take her in this situation?"

"I don't give a damn. I want to take Mo with me because I like her. That's all. Besides, you're the one who doesn't understand the current situation. I don't know the abilities of the people here. But I'm confident I can beat all of them. Stop with the pointless intimidation. If you want to make an enemy of a god, then draw your sword. I'll wait that long."

After hearing my words, Augustus glanced at Wake, who had appeared at some point. He gave a small nod, confirming that I wasn't lying.

"That's enough,"

said Mo's mother, Marina.

"Sir Hero from another world, if you and my daughter are of that mind, then you are free to take her. However, you say you will take my daughter on a journey. Will you protect her from danger and guarantee her safety?"

Marina asked. Her gaze was much gentler than the one I had seen in the library.

"I can't guarantee her safety. But I will protect her. And if there is anything she wants to do, anything she wants to achieve, I will help her."

"As my daughter just said, she has a mission for the elven race."

"That they've stopped having children? I have an idea about that, too."

She nodded at my words, and I decided to continue.

"It's in the myths. That the human race interbred with various creatures and increased their numbers."

"That is a fictional story created by humans. The elven race has its own legends."

Hearing that, Myra came over, about to interject. I stopped her with a hand.

"I don't think it's the truth, either. The dog-eared and cat-eared races I can understand, but the Flower Folk seems impossible. Well, a hundred people will have a hundred different views on love."

I looked at Patricia. She was as stiff as a board, as usual. If I made a lewd comment right now, would she come over and punch me? I wanted to test it, but I restrained myself.

"However, I don't think it's a complete fabrication, either. I believe that myths contain a certain amount of truth and hold some kind of suggestion. What I want you to consider is the point that humans interbred with many races. The depravity of the human race incurred the wrath of the gods, and the divine punishment began. In other words, humans have enough vigor to incur the wrath of the gods."

"That is—"

Marina started to speak but stopped herself.

"There's one more thing I want you to consider. It's about the founder of the Star Union family, was it Mama Marmi Mam Star Union...?"

"Mama-sama, Mama Marmi Mam Star Union, yes,"

Patricia informed me, her voice strained.

"Right. She left the elven village of Yuri and traveled, didn't she? And now her descendant is said to be the last child."

"Surely you're not suggesting that the reason elves can no longer have children is because they do not permit marriage with other races?"

I didn't know how far back in Mo's ancestry she was, but there was an anecdote that Mama had a child with a human. Seeing Marina's surprise, I guessed it was probably true. Protecting the purity of the race meant closing oneself off in an isolated world, which could lead to a loss of diversity and eventual extinction.

"And you intend to solve this problem with my daughter?"

"It's just a possibility. But even if Mo becomes the last of the elves, I won't leave her alone. Even after we're gone, our descendants will always be by her side. I will create such a world."

Marina smiled at my words. Had I finally managed to quell her anger?

"In that case, you must become a ruler, as Maryanne-sama says."

"That's impossible for me."

"Why is that? I have met several people transferred from other worlds. This world, I am told, is similar to a historical period you call the Middle Ages, is it not? If you connect the two worlds, you all come from a future world with advanced civilization."

"It's true that this world resembles the world of over five hundred years ago from my time, so perhaps that's one way to look at it."

"Then, for you to become a ruler and guide the world in that direction—"

"The world I lived in has a larger population and more advanced science than this one. Laws are established, and under them, equality and freedom are guaranteed. People have the right to vote so that their opinions are heard, representatives are chosen from among the candidates, and politics are run."

"The thing you call democracy?"

"To get to that point, we repeated wars over and over again. The scale gradually increased, and in a single war, ten million, or even forty million people died."

"..."

She didn't so much as twitch a brow at the number of deaths. Perhaps it didn't feel real to her, or maybe another transmigrator had already told her.

"I don't think it was necessary. And in the end, peace did not come to the world."

I paused, gauging Marina's reaction, but she just stared at me silently, waiting for my next words. She had a beautiful face, reminiscent of a work of art or a craft piece. Would Mo grow into such a beauty in my lifetime? I cleared my throat to bring my thoughts back.

"Many other political systems were born in my original world, but there was no right answer. I don't know if maintaining peace is the right way for the world to be. It's meaningless if the people living there can't lead satisfying lives. It's not like I'm trying to be stingy with the knowledge I have. But I can't be the one to decide. I think the people of this world should decide things for this world."

I have neither the philosophy nor the spirit to create an ideal society. Hearing my words, Marina started to laugh.

"Fufufu, Sir Hero from another world, it seems Maryanne-sama's assessment was correct. But that is a matter for the future. For now, let's put that discussion aside."

With that, Marina raised her wand and pointed it at Mo.

"Mo. Ready your wand. Let us test if you are a mage worthy of accompanying the hero from another world."