kscans

Chapter 227 - Clovis and the Elven Fief

The fief of the Leafkraut family was a fortress city surrounded by high walls. The city existed within the great plains that stretched between Miglutt and Heilon. The journey here had been uneventful. We hadn't passed through this city on our journey from Heilon. That was because it lay off the main road, to the east. I had heard it was a small city of less than a thousand people, so I had pictured a modest village, but its imposing presence surprised me. The walls looked sooty and ancient at first glance, but the stonework showed no signs of damage. They probably practiced controlled burns in this area, so maybe the walls just looked dirty from the ash. A flock of crows was perched atop the two gate towers flanking the main gate, looking down on us. One of them let out a sharp cry, and the others began to caw in unison. The scene overlapped with my impression of Clovis Leafkraut, the man we were about to meet, and felt deeply ominous.

"Alright, let's go home."

As I turned my back, Mizuki grabbed me by the collar.

"What did we come here for?!"

"We definitely came here to do something, but in the end, I couldn't think of anything to do!"

She let out a deep sigh at my words.

"...Let's just enter the city for now."

As Mizuki said this, dragging me along, the other members of Levante nodded and headed toward the gate. A guard was stationed there, and he asked to see our adventurer cards.

"A party of adventurers? The dungeon in this city is off-limits to anyone but members of the Leafkraut family. What's your business here?"

The guard was a very muscular, stern-looking man. His question left me at a loss for words.

"Uh, umm... sightseeing?"

Following my lead, even Famu shot me an exasperated look. I had come all the way to this city mainly for their sake. Stop leaving everything to me, I thought, slightly annoyed. Just then, a commotion arose behind me.

"Marmi Mume Mo Star Union? Is she an imposter?!"

"N-No, she's definitely an elf, and her build is similar..."

"She's a fake! There's no way someone from the Star Union family would visit this city without any prior notice!"

The guards started making a fuss, surrounding Marmi. In the middle of it all, her brow began to furrow. She was secretly clutching her wand. Was she planning to strike them down for their insolence? Did this empire even have such a rule? As I was pondering this, I remembered I had the letter from Clovis. I took it out and handed it to the guard.

"D-Don't cause any trouble... I mean, w-we will call for someone from the castle, so please wait a moment."

The guards' attitude changed completely after seeing the letter. A messenger then ran off into the city.

"No, just letting us into the city would have been fine. We'd appreciate it if you could just point us to a decent inn."

More than anything, I wanted to discuss and finalize our plan for meeting with Clovis, especially with Myra.

"What are you saying? That would be out of the question. Lady Marmi and Lady Petra are with you. We will take full responsibility for guiding you."

As if to apologize for his earlier rudeness, the guard bowed his head respectfully.

Inside the city walls, wooden houses were prominent. Flanked by guards, we proceeded down the stone-paved road leading to the castle, like prisoners being escorted. The streets were sparsely populated, with most of the people we passed carrying farming tools. Since it was almost harvest time, most of the residents were likely working in the fields outside the city. It seemed what Clovis had written in his letter about the busy farming season was true. They stopped to stare at us with curiosity. I had imagined that being the Leafkraut family's city, the residents would be hostile and sullen, but everyone I saw seemed perfectly ordinary. The city's rulers were elves, but all the residents I saw were human.

I glanced down a side street and noticed the alley was unpaved. It seemed only the main street was paved with stone. I thought that might serve as a guide for invaders, but I suppose daily life took precedence.

"Where are we going?"

I asked a guard walking nearby.

"Lord Clovis is waiting for you at the castle."

"We've just come from a long journey. We'd like some time to freshen up."

The guard looked me up and down, from head to toe, and then sniffed.

"You seem to be dressed more cleanly than we are. And... you don't have that... particular smell."

That's because I washed myself with cleansing magic, I thought as I listened to the guard. They were choosing their words carefully so as not to offend us. I didn't sense any hostility in their attitude. What was Clovis thinking? I couldn't even begin to guess. Eventually, the castle came into view. It was a building adorned with such ornate decorations that it was almost too much to be called a castle. The carvings and patterns etched into the walls created shadows that gave it an eerie atmosphere. The main doors, about twice a person's height, remained closed, but a smaller door to the side was opened. Stepping inside from the sunlit area, we entered a spacious hall with a grand staircase in the center. There was no sign of anyone, and the air was dim and chilly. Myra and Marmi remained impassive, but Famu and Mizuki were looking around curiously. I was wondering if they felt the same as I did when Famu gently squeezed my hand.

"Master, Sameim is here."

Hearing her words, I looked around again, but I still couldn't sense anyone else's presence.

"I can smell her."

"What kind of smell?"

"Like a blanket dried in the sun. A warm and ticklish kind of smell."

It was a unique expression of hers, one that I could almost understand, but not really at all.

"Do you know where she is?"

"No, I can't tell that much... but she was definitely here."

As she said this, she looked up at the ceiling, where a massive chandelier was hanging.

We were guided by the guard into a room that also felt lacking in light. We were all seated in a line on one side of a long table, in the order of Mizuki, Famu, me, Myra, Marmi, and Petra. The master of the castle, who was supposed to be sitting opposite us, had not yet arrived. Or perhaps the master of the castle was Zeno, and Clovis was acting as his proxy. The table and chairs were simple, unlike the other furniture I had seen in the castle, but this simplicity made the beautiful grain of the reddish-purple and dark-brown wood stand out. I instinctively traced the grain with my fingertip, but instead of the warmth I expected, I felt a cold sensation.

"That's rosewood. I hear it's a tree that grows in the far eastern regions. You almost never see it around the imperial capital,"

Myra informed me.

"Titan..."

"Ro-se-wood!"

Mizuki corrected my joke in a serious tone. Maybe it was because my body had been swapped with Hyakka's, but I felt like I couldn't endure anything without injecting some humor. No, I was just trying to escape the upcoming meeting with Clovis. I looked at Famu's and Mizuki's faces once more. I will grant their wishes. I don't want to see them disappointed. Just then, Petra took out a necklace and placed it on the table. It was likely made of bronze—a hexagonal metal plate about half the size of my palm, with a red stone set in it. The plate was engraved with fine patterns. There were six of them.

"I made these on the fly, so don't expect too much, but they can resist mental-type magic. The stone absorbs mana to activate the effect, so I want you to keep it close to your skin."

It seemed its effectiveness depended on the wearer's mana. Petra picked one up and put it around her neck, tucking the metal plate inside her clothes. Seeing this, we followed her example and equipped the necklaces.

"Will it run out of mana?"

"It's a very small amount, so you probably won't even feel the mana being drawn."

"Is this made of orichalcum?"

She shook her head and let out a small sigh.

"If you had told me sooner, I could have prepared something more substantial."

Knowing that the Leafkraut family excelled at mental magic, she must have hastily made these for us upon learning we would be meeting with Clovis. I hadn't seen her making them at all.

"Still, when did you make these?"

"I'm an alchemist, you know. I have a skill called [Workshop]."

As she was answering, the door to the room opened.

His long black hair was mixed with streaks of silver. The long ears characteristic of an elf. As he brushed his hair back, his skin, as white as porcelain, became visible. A multitude of ornaments glittered on his loose black robes. Clovis Leafkraut had appeared. Like Zeno, he looked young. However, Clovis's cheeks were thinner, and his features seemed more chiseled. Two other elves stood behind him, but only Clovis took a seat opposite us. From his slender eyes, black pupils cast a gaze that seemed to scoop us up.

"Clovis Leafkraut."

His expression didn't change at all. His voice was like that of an inorganic machine. He introduced himself, but he didn't offer a hand, showing no intention of being friendly. Just like Zeno.

"I'm Mash. I'm on a journey to change the world."

After saying something random, I leaned back in my chair, crossed my arms, and puffed out my chest in response. Another person, dressed as a servant, entered the room. My eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Sameim!"

Famu shot to her feet. Clovis glared at her with a cold gaze.

"If you wish to leave, feel free to do so."

He gestured with his palm toward the door.

"Tch."

Seeing Famu sit back down, Sameim distributed the glasses on her tray and went around pouring a grape-colored liquid. The entire time, Famu's gaze was glued to Sameim. When Sameim was setting down Famu's glass, their arms and shoulders brushed for a moment, but Famu remained perfectly still.

"This is from our local harvest. It's last year's vintage, but it's a good one. This year's harvest will begin in about a month."

While Clovis was reaching for his wine, Sameim left the room. Out of courtesy, I took a sip myself, but I was so nervous I couldn't taste anything at all. I was worried Famu wouldn't drink, but she was glaring at the door Sameim had left through and didn't even touch her glass.

"So, you've come all this way to apologize?"

"That was the plan, but you guys attacked us on the forty-ninth floor of the Crystal Palace. If it was just once, I'd call it even, but the second time is your fault. So I came to complain. Sorry if you were expecting a gift."

I shrugged my shoulders theatrically.

"That wasn't aimed at you. It has nothing to do with you. Besides, they were the ones who attacked our vanguard first. The second attack wasn't a trap for some idiots either."

It was true that since I was in Hyakka-chan's body when we were attacked, I had mistakenly thought Levante was the target. But if their target was New World, then it couldn't be helped. Just as they were targeting Yuki, it was clear that Yuki and his group were also targeting them.

"You said it was a trap? You set it up?"

"One of Yuki's special skills, Kokū Sanzō, allows him to possess and use up to three special skills from enemies he has defeated."

I instinctively held my breath. That was Emma's special skill. The fact that he was telling me this so casually must be a ploy to shake me, knowing about our connection with her. Was she killed by Yuki?

"Did you kill the user?"

"Along with the other transmigrant,"

Clovis said with a faint smile. He was probably trying to provoke a reaction. But his words actually brought me a sense of relief. Whether he was the original or a clone, I didn't know, but he didn't know that she was still alive. Also, I had been considering the possibility that Emma was on Clovis's side, so that also eased my mind.

"Well, either way, if you're calling us idiots, then it's your fault. You didn't have a foolproof function."

He probably didn't expect me to be so composed. Clovis's eyebrows shot up slightly. But it was only for a moment, and he let out a short breath.

"Very well, I shall hear your demands."

"I want to buy Sameim. And I want you to create an opportunity for Mizuki here to speak with Yuki."

"Impossible. I have no interest in pocket change,"

Clovis replied dismissively.

"Won't it be difficult for you to return to Miglutt, being an enemy of the gods? The high priestess, Elisha, was it? I can change her mind."

"Did you not study the lay of the land on your way here? This city may be small, but it can serve as a bridgehead for the Demon Kingdom's army. If this city were to fall to the Demon Kingdom, Miglutt, which has no fortress functions, would be finished in no time. Of course, Miglutt is the land where Lady Laciel descended. I am not worried."

He took a swig of wine.

"Clovis, what is your goal? Why are you killing the otherworld heroes? Can't we join forces?"

"It is not my goal. Kill the otherworld heroes summoned by the five goddesses and fill the Jar of Holy Oil. Then, your wish will be granted. Is this not something you need as well?"

"Did you hear that from Yuki? Unfortunately, that's doubtful."

"However, if the situation doesn't change, you will die in ten years."

"What, you know?!"

I recoiled.

"Consider the lifespan of the elven race. How many hero transfers do you think we have witnessed? However, I only just now obtained confirmation. This is something even Yuki did not know."

He claims my shock confirmed it for him. But it wasn't like it would put me at a disadvantage if he knew. Still, the elven race, living for a thousand years, and the transmigrants, living for only ten. The disparity was so great I couldn't help but laugh. To hide it, I took a drink of wine. I could feel the alcohol more than before. Clovis was watching my face with a puzzled expression.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing. Clovis, I still haven't heard your goal."

For a while, he continued to swirl the wine in his glass. Then, as if a thought suddenly struck him, he placed the glass on the table.

"Very well. Then I shall tell you the tale of the gods as passed down by the elven race.