Chapter 111: Guild War – Sunlight (4)
Chapter 111: Guild War – Sunlight (4)
“What kind of elf are you, Kar?”
It was some time after we had cleared the [Earth Elf’s Tomb], while I was lounging around the house doing absolutely nothing.
On a certain day when the sunlight was unusually bright, Marlin suddenly asked me that question.
“Why are you suddenly asking that? Half-elves are all equally incompetent anyway.”
“I’m just curious. Your hair and eyes are gold… are you a Golden Elf?”
It was a creative deduction that only someone with insufficient knowledge could come up with.
Lying blankly across the sofa, I replied,
“Marlin, elves are divided into a total of seven clans. There is no such thing as a ‘Golden Elf.’”
Elves were a race created by the touch of Meterd, the god of nature and abundance.
Fire, sea origin, vegetation, jewel, earth.
Five elven clans created based on the five attributes of nature.
Then, immediately after the divine authority of the sun, Solmiran, and the divine authority of the moon, Selvaran, split into two, each created one new clan.
“And so the Sun Elves and the Full Moon Elves—known collectively as the ‘High Elves’—were born.”
High Elves.
The elves who, if compared to humans, would be nobles.
Perhaps because the term had already become archaic by the present era, Abel, who had been bringing over some tea, tilted his head.
“I have never heard that term before.”
“You wouldn’t. The High Elves are practically extinct.”
The Sun Elves had not appeared in the world since they were massacred during the Valterium Empire’s unification of the three continents.
Meanwhile, the Full Moon Elves, cursed by Selvaran due to a certain incident, had mostly fallen into monsters.
Undead monsters called “ghouls,” who were vulnerable to moonlight.
And the very few who survived barely continued their lineage as “Crescent Elves.”
“Now then, a question. Which elf lineage do you think I have?”
After thinking for a moment, the siblings answered at the same time.
“The sun.”
“It seems like the sun.”
Placing my hands on both of their heads, I asked again,
“Why do you think that?”
“When you carried me at the [Fire Ant Nest], your body felt warm for some reason!”
“Because to us, you’re like the sun.”
“Abel Shop: 1 point. Marlin: minus 10 points.”
“Why?!”
Pressing down on the protesting Marlin’s head, I looked out the window.
The sun of Solmiran, riding in a chariot drawn by divine beasts, shone especially dazzling and hot today.
‘Why did I choose Sun Elf again?’
When creating a character, half-elves could personally select their lineage.
It made absolutely no difference in performance—more like a customization feature.
Yet at some point I began insisting on Sun Elf alone.
Perhaps due to the effect of my body changing when I became ‘Cultist Kar,’ I could not recall the reason at all.
“….”
What had I been thinking in the past?
Why did it have to be a Sun Elf?
I could not recall the reason at all, but I had no desire to try to figure it out either.
After all, lineage was not such an important element for a half-elf.
“The weather is unusually bright today. Perhaps Solmiran is in a good mood?”
“It certainly seems so.”
“The day really is warm.”
I wanted to remain faithful to the present and the future rather than the past.
Perhaps ordinary half-elves lived each day with the same thought.
Half-elves were a race of sorrow and misfortune.
They possessed neither the innate mysteries of elves nor the diverse talents and intelligence of humans—beings abandoned by the heavens.
Even if they were fortunate enough not to be killed during childhood, most half-elves lived pitiful lives where they had no choice but to make use of their one advantage: beauty.
“It truly is rather fateful.”
One of the Six Apostles—the Schemer.
The half-elf ninja Kairas Selun spoke quietly.
“Even though you’re a half-elf with golden hair and golden eyes, I wasn’t sure until now. After all, encounters like this—people like us meeting as explorers—are practically impossible.”
“That’s generally true.”
Sun and Crescent.
Because the High Elves of the two clans were nearly wiped out in the past, they were extremely sensitive about “maintaining bloodline purity.”
As a result, even now, whenever a filthy mongrel like a half-elf was born, they never allowed the child to live.
“At least those of us who were sold as ‘goods’ were extremely, extremely lucky cases, wouldn’t you say?”
“Not at all.”
Kairas the Schemer snorted.
“You were probably sold to some evil god’s cult as a living sacrifice. I was dragged into a ninja organization and, from the age of five, forced to undergo horrific training where children killed and trampled each other. It would have been better to die when I knew nothing.”
Livestock raised as preliminary offerings.
Disposable ninja tools raised by injecting them with killing techniques.
We had both grown up in equally miserable environments where it was difficult to determine which was worse.
Perhaps because of that.
The murderous gaze the Schemer had been directing at me until now noticeably softened.
“…Honestly, I wanted to kill you, but my killing intent vanished.”
Kairas the Schemer let out a small laugh.
It was such a clear smile that it was hard to believe he was the same ninja who had been glaring murderously at me just moments ago.
“Golden Crow Kar. How much were you sold for?”
“Well, since I at least have High Elf blood, perhaps about one gold coin?”
“I was probably around the same.”
“They say the price of half-elves hasn’t changed much since the days of the Valterium Empire, correct?”
“I’ve even heard stories of mercenaries who made a name for themselves in the Northern Continent being captured and sold as slaves for cheap….”
The atmosphere suddenly became friendly.
A relaxed conversation shared with an enemy.
The shared resentment and misfortune of being half-elves created a strangely warm atmosphere.
“I have a proposal for you.”
Kairas spoke with a much softer expression than before.
“I have no idea where your knowledge comes from, but you seem to know quite a lot about ‘us,’ don’t you?”
“That is correct. I could even list every member of the Six Apostles one by one.”
“…Then further explanation won’t be necessary.”
The Schemer slowly raised his arm.
In his pale hand—pale due to the blood of the Crescent Elves—was a statue that had not been there a moment ago.
A fish-shaped sculpture with ten eyes of unknown species.
《A statue crafted by fools who serve Ernysiv, the Ascetic of Equal Balance. It is strongly recommended that you stop looking at it immediately and take no interest in it whatsoever.》
“Golden Crow Kar. Devote yourself to Ernysiv. And share in the authority of the Great Demon Beast with me.”
“….”
A religious invitation and a recruitment proposal.
A hidden event that occurred when one met the Schemer as a High-Elf-blooded half-elf after accumulating a certain level of fame.
“Actually, the [Ritual Usurper] was also a masterpiece created through the power of the Great Demon Beast by one of our fellow Six Apostles.”
The Schemer lifted one corner of his mouth.
“To be honest, that monster residing on the top floor of the [Nightmare Dungeon] is an utterly disgusting and unpleasant creature. But the power it possesses is real.”
《This is worthless nonsense! Block your ears immediately! >:(》
Crackle!
Black lightning violently surged from the tattoo at my collarbone, but it could not drown out the Schemer’s voice.
“The Great Demon Beast has the power to bring ‘future possibilities’ into the present.”
Kairas gazed at Ernysiv’s statue with rapture.
“In my case, I gained a mystery capable of realizing the Keeper’s ideal. A mystery drawn from the future where Ernysiv has conquered the surface world.”
The Six Apostles did not revere the Great Demon Beast of the [Nightmare Dungeon], but when orders came down, they executed them with all their strength.
That was how extraordinary the power of the Great Demon Beast was.
“And what about you? You’re a very promising half-elf. You could become an incredible explorer in an instant.”
“That may be true.”
“Then there’s nothing more to discuss. Golden Crow—join me, and let us fundamentally remake this world that is excessively cruel to half-elves!”
As he spoke, passion filled his thin voice.
“Honestly, aren’t you dissatisfied as well? The reality where some live blessed lives and others crawl through cursed ones simply because of ‘birth’—something they never chose!”
Thud!
Kairas stomped the floor of the cavern.
“Why does Meterd stand by while countless half-elf infants die!”
The handsome face of the half-elf ninja filled with fierce emotion.
“Why does Solmiran care only for those who create, while refusing to shine sunlight upon the weak who need protection! Why does Selvaran care more about prey than the believers who worship her!”
Resentment, hatred, disillusionment, vengeance.
All the negative emotions that half-elves were prone to surged through Kairas’s speech.
“The evil gods who lack divine power yet still fail to come to their senses aren’t even worth mentioning. Heaven and earth are filled with absurdity. Irrational laws cover the world.”
After delivering his impassioned speech, Kairas looked directly into my eyes.
“But the Keeper is different from those gods who only care about their own safety. You already know that, don’t you?”
A different emotion appeared in his silver eyes.
Fanaticism and excitement.
His face flushed red as he struggled to contain his overflowing joy.
“The Keeper longs for harmony among all intelligent beings! He desires a true order where everyone stands at the same height! How could one not worship him!”
Harmony and order.
The ideology pursued by Arteine was roughly aligned with that.
However, while the destination might be the same, the means of travel were not.
They were completely different.
“Golden Crow Kar. Climb upon the earth borne by the Keeper. You can worship other evil gods as well anyway, can’t you? You seem to possess the constitution [Fanatic].”
“Well, in theory there’s nothing stopping me.”
《The Wise One urgently intervenes! Any god is fine, but Ernysiv absolutely must not be accepted!》
Crackle!
Squirm…!
Every evil god except Okail—who rarely paid attention to me—simultaneously displayed rejection and tried to stop me.
And it wasn’t only the evil gods.
Softly.
The two Arteine also sent their will.
— …Do not listen any further.
— That tongue needs to be ripped out!
Both the righteous and evil gods expressed the exact same opinion across faction lines.
I absolutely must not become a cultist of Equal Balance.
“I’m already a cultist who worships four gods simultaneously. There shouldn’t be any reason to object if one more is added.”
“Excellent decision!”
“But.”
I quietly looked at the fish-shaped idol.
“I do not wish to see the world destroyed.”
Ernysiv’s ideal was apocalypse.
More precisely, a living hell equivalent to the extinction of intelligent beings.
A dream that closely aligned with the goal of the Great Demon Beast residing on the top floor of the [Nightmare Dungeon].
That was why the Schemer, a follower of Ernysiv, had willingly accepted recruitment into the Six Apostles.
“….”
The warmth that had filled Kairas’s expression vanished, turning cold once more.
“It is not destruction. It is a ‘harmonious’ utopia.”
“That is absolutely not the case.”
I shook my head firmly.
“How is a world where all intelligent beings suffer endlessly in equality a utopia? The great divine authorities of heaven and the underworld have already agreed to call such a dreadful world ‘hell.’”
Sometimes people misunderstood, like Astrimia did, but I never enjoyed pain itself.
Pain had value only when it accompanied the hardships and adversity required to pursue a goal—and when it illuminated the fruits finally obtained.
“I’m sorry, but if enjoying meaningless, eternal pain is the qualification for becoming that god’s cultist, then I already fail the test.”
There was no place in my Undying Cultist build for Ernysiv’s mysteries.
“And I have no intention of serving under the Great Demon Beast either. To me, a future that has already been revealed isn’t worth even a single copper coin.”
Prophecies and foresight that glimpsed the future were the most worthless abilities in the world.
They were vile thieves that stole away the thrill of stepping toward an uncertain tomorrow.
“I will carve my future with my own strength.”
“…Even if you fail to overcome a crisis and die?”
“That would be one of my ideal futures. Especially if such a tragedy occurred in an A-rank labyrinth—then truly…”
Unable to suppress the trembling running through my head and heart, I paused before continuing.
“It would be the best possible ending. Just imagining it makes my chest flutter.”
“….”
Kairas stared at me with shaken eyes before letting out a long sigh.
“…Then it can’t be helped.”
Muttering quietly, Kairas pulled a scroll from his robe and unfurled it.
Various items were drawn across the long vertical sheet of yellowed paper.
A paper-type subspace artifact.
Flap.
With a light shake of the scroll, the countless tools that had been drawings leapt out into reality.
Dozens of shuriken floating beside their master, a giant ninja-dog golem, and daggers engraved with strange patterns.
The Schemer picked up one of the daggers.
《Masterpiece — Companion of the Lord》
《The higher the owner’s Agility stat, the sharper it becomes.》
The Schemer’s primary weapon.
Its performance itself wasn’t particularly extraordinary, but it perfectly suited the combat style of a ninja whose life depended on speed.
Whoooosh—!
Soon a dense blue aura began swirling around Kairas.
“Ernysiv, I shall spread your order upon the surface.”
[Will That Devours Malice].
The Schemer’s unique mystery brought from the future through the authority of the Great Demon Beast.
When activated, it temporarily removed all negative status effects and greatly increased the user’s Agility.
In exchange, unbearable pain spread through the entire body.
《The Schemer’s presence has changed drastically. Be careful!》
Suddenly the blue aura vanished.
The calamities that had been binding the Schemer’s body and mind disappeared all at once.
Even the Corruption Sprouts gained from serving evil gods, and the numerous restraints meant to limit disposable ninja tools.
“After all… you must die.”
The more numerous and higher-level the calamities removed by [Will That Devours Malice], the greater its effect.
In other words.
By devouring calamities of both quality and quantity, the Schemer’s Agility had reached the realm of transcendence.
“At least I’ll send you off quickly.”
The moment he finished speaking—
《Danger: an attack aimed at your neck from behind!》
Kairas had already reached my back.
Stab!
Before I could even react, the dagger pierced toward my neck.
Pain surged through me as if my head might fall off at any moment.
If not for the [Deferred Wound Barrier] written by Jinshili through [Insight That Sees Chaos], I would already be dead.
“You’re fast….”
Until now the Schemer had fought with his body dulled by Corruption Sprouts, relying only on skill and mastery of mysteries.
Now he was finally fighting at full power.
If not for the long charging time required for [Will That Devours Malice], he would have eliminated me during our first encounter.
“You are already dead.”
The blade dug deeper.
Blood dripped down.
An enemy far beyond my current level.
A fatal crisis.
“…Ah, ha.”
I tried to hold it in, given the situation.
But laughter kept escaping my mouth.
Crackle!
The Exalted One sent a powerful will.
‘Pretty one, crush that handsome thing’s face and grind it into the ground!’
Quite a violent request.
Not because he was a follower of Ernysiv—an evil god feared by all divine authorities—but probably due to personal taste.
Still, I had no intention of refusing.
“Suejes, please trust in me.”
I will fulfill your request.
In the way the Schemer prefers—
slow, thorough, and absolutely certain.