Chapter 170
Chapter 170
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 170
Chapter Title: Chapter 5. Tree and Iron
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Not far away, he walked into the forest where the campfire's light barely reached. By the time dinner was over, night had already fallen heavily.
Judah looked at the nameless male elf.
"What are you curious about?"
"...What are you thinking?"
"?"
His words were hard to understand. Judah furrowed his brow slightly, mulling them over. What did he mean? After organizing his thoughts for a moment, Judah asked for confirmation.
"So, you're asking what I'm thinking right now?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm. Doesn't the Eye of Truth only distinguish whether the other person's words are true or false? Even without that, we haven't talked much so far—do you really need to ask about my thoughts...?"
"I'm curious about your intentions."
Ah.
Judah felt he understood what the elf was wondering about. He began voicing the questions he'd been harboring.
"Why did you save us? Why drag us into something so dangerous? That Roxin guy said that even if we return to the elf forest now, it won't end well. Humans have declared war on elves again. And yet, you're still trying to take us back to the forest."
"......"
"Why is a human like you showing us this kindness? What are you thinking? What’s your goal?"
"Does it matter? Even if I told you my thoughts, you couldn't tell if they're true or false, right? We'd be back to square one anyway."
With the trait <Player>, no elf trick could make Judah vulnerable to the [Eye of Truth]. Even a high elf with far superior physical and mental strength wouldn't work, and it wouldn't change even if the World Tree itself looked at him.
At Judah's words, the elf clamped his mouth shut. Judah shrugged at the sight.
"Fine, if you want, I'll tell you. Honestly. My goal, which you'll have no choice but to believe even without the Eye of Truth."
"...?"
"No need to look so suspicious. There's no lie in my saying I'll take you elves back to the forest. I won't sell you off to other humans like this."
As proof, he released all the sealing orbs binding the elves. If his aim was profit by selling them to nobles, he wouldn't do something foolish like unbinding their seals. Even if he earned their trust and took them along, without the seals, they could freely use their magic and scatter—Judah wasn't confident he could recapture them all.
On top of that, he provided them with clothes, food, and water. Above all, Arhil's presence gave them some trust. For humans, at least, priests who believed in angels were the most trustworthy.
"Then why show us this kindness—that's what you're wondering, right? I don't know if Roxin told you, but it's true that I've received grace from elves before."
"!"
His expression was blank, but his surprise was obvious.
"Simple. To gain your goodwill and enter the forest."
"...For what?"
"To recover the fragment you're carrying—or rather, the one entrusted to you."
"Fragment? You mean the guardian."
"Yes. That very fragment you first saw as a burden, something evil to be sealed away. Ironically, it protected the elves from human hands a hundred years ago. And you revere it as a guardian, even knowing it was made by a demon lord."
"......"
"Well, anyway, that was my only goal at first. But things didn't go as planned, so now I have one more."
As he spoke, Judah glanced toward the campfire's glow. It was distant, but through the scattered trees, he could see the elves and Arhil. Meeting Asmodeus, one of the seven deadly sins, was unexpected enough, but he hadn't imagined she'd become the Saint of Lust here. If left alone, with her trait [Qualities of an Apostle], she might even advance to Lust Apostle.
"If I save you and get you safely to the forest, I should get at least a drop of the World Tree's sap, right? I hear Gabriel's temple is there too."
The elf's eye twitched.
"...How do you know that?"
"Know what?"
"That Lady Gabriel's temple is in the elf forest! That's not something humans know. Unless they've been there themselves!"
The elf's voice boomed. It probably reached the others too. Judah worried they might think they were fighting.
"Shouting isn't good. Your kin will get scared. And it's not that hard to know. Perfect secrets are rare in this world. No need to be so shocked about one temple's existence."
The surprise point was off. He should be shocked about the fragment recovery, not Gabriel's temple. Judah couldn't understand it. It wasn't even that crucial info.
Judah rolled his eyes, wondering if there was more to say.
...Not really.
"Is this enough? Ask if you have more questions."
"What if I take some of my kin and leave on our own? Would you let us go willingly?"
"If you can't trust me even after I bared the truth like this, there's nothing I can do. Or if it's distrust of me as a human from your kin, same thing. Go if you want. I'll give you enough food to carry and weapons to protect yourselves. Quality's low, but usable."
Still, Judah wasn't thrilled about them leaving independently. If Silan Kingdom was gathering soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers, most flocking there wouldn't have good intentions. How many would let elves pass unscathed?
"But."
"?"
"Don't get caught by humans on the way and regret it. Better to follow me quietly. Much safer and easier. I feed you, clothe you, protect you... where else you gonna find a sucker like this?"
Judah turned to leave. The elf stood watching his back, then followed a beat later. As he approached, some elves gathered, whispering why he shouted. Judah glanced back, then went to Arhil, who was washing dishes.
"Oh, helping out?"
A few elves chatted with Arhil while cleaning dishes. Seeing her summon water with magic to wash them spotless, they seemed friendly as she'd hoped. They washed with warm water and dried with cloth—perfect to store in the <Bag>. He stuffed the stacked dishes into the <Bag>.
"That's the last one?"
"Yeah. Here."
Arhil smiled and handed him a dish.
"Thanks for the hard work. And thanks to the elves too."
"No, we're the ones who should thank you."
They bowed with smiles, and Judah—more as a return gesture—gave them fruits from the box preserved with cooling magic. Fresh, cold, and delicious-looking. He shared with them, then carried the box around to distribute to other elves.
When captured as slaves, they probably ate better food and fresher fruits in comfort, but without freedom. Which was better? He didn't know. Back with Arhil, they ate fruit and talked.
Awkward pauses happened midway, but they shifted topics easily. When she sang, the elves loved it—Judah thought she'd make a fine bard in this world.
After leaving Uruun that first night, Judah led the elves toward the elf forest. Days passed without pursuers. They encountered goblins and orcs—common forest monsters—but they were easy foes.
Still, their appearance warned of potential trouble, so Judah distributed weapons: bows and arrows to skilled archers, swords to sword users. No one wanted spears, axes, or maces. Checking the , he pressed toward the elf forest. Roxin's map showed a castle nearby.
'It's gone smoother than expected... lucky, but...'
No incidents so far made him suspect something was coming. Strangely, bad things he predicted always happened. He hoped to enter the elf forest uneventfully, had the elves pull their hoods low, and kept going.
In the distance, atop the forest trees, stood a castle—neither large nor small.