The Shadow of the Night Goddess
"Phew..."
I wiped the blood splattered across my face and looked back.
...
...
...
The arena was dead silent.
"Nairin."
I beckoned to Nairin with a flick of my finger.
"Yes, Lord Taepyeong."
Nairin snapped her fingers.
A sphere of water materialized in the air.
It floated before me, swelling to the size of a fist.
Splash!
I quickly washed my face with it.
"Hey."
I called out to the referee, who stood there with his jaw practically hanging to the floor.
"Where's my prize money?"
"T-T-The..."
With trembling hands, the referee pointed toward a leather pouch hanging on the wooden railing.
I snatched it up.
It felt satisfyingly heavy in my hand.
"For a merchant, you sure have terrible intuition."
"...!"
"I guess your money-making days are over."
I patted the dazed referee on the shoulder and vaulted over the railing.
The surrounding elves flinched and scrambled backward.
Unlike before, they couldn't get away from me fast enough. They truly were the textbook definition of a race that cowered before the strong and bullied the weak.
"Let's go, Nairin."
"Yes, Lord Taepyeong!"
Since I had made some unexpected pocket change, I decided to stop by an elven artisan's stall on the way back and bought a star sculpture.
It was a neat little trinket that floated slowly in the air while emitting a soft, twinkling glow. I figured it would make a perfect nightlight, so I bought a few to hand out as souvenirs back home. After all, you couldn't find stuff like this on Earth.
"Here, you take one too, Nairin."
"Thank you so much, Lord Taepyeong!" Nairin bowed deeply and carefully accepted the star sculpture.
"I wanted one of these so badly when I was a child," she murmured.
"Really?"
"Yes. But we were poor, so it was nothing more than a pipe dream."
Ah, right. I forgot she grew up dirt poor.
"I will treasure it forever, Lord Taepyeong."
"Sure."
With nothing else to see, we headed back to the palace.
"This way is a shortcut."
We veered away from the bustling festival square and slipped into a quiet, deserted alleyway. There, slumped against a wall, was a young elf wrapped in tattered rags.
His stomach growled pitifully.
He looked to be about ten years old, roughly the age of an elementary schooler. His hair was a matted mess, and his face and limbs were caked in dirt. He looked so gaunt and haggard that I wondered if he was even an elf at all.
"Are there beggars here too?" I asked Nairin.
"Yes. They are lazy losers who refused to work."
Hmm. I looked down at the young elf in silence.
He didn't beg for help, nor did he get angry at being called a beggar. He just sat there with his head bowed, his eyes completely devoid of life. He was so severely malnourished that his bones practically jutted out of his skin. He looked more like a skeleton than an elf.
He's completely given up.
I knew that look all too well.
I've been there myself.
Back when I got hit by that lease fraud.
"Nairin." I pointed to the coin pouch hanging from her waist.
"Lord Taepyeong...?" Nairin handed it over with a puzzled expression. It was a bit lighter after buying the souvenirs, but there were still plenty of coins left inside.
I tossed the pouch right in front of the beggar elf.
The young elf stared up at me, his eyes wide with shock.
"T-Thank y—"
"Let's go, Nairin." I turned around before he could even finish his sentence.
"...Yes." Nairin quietly followed behind me.
"Lord Taepyeong," Nairin spoke up hesitantly after we had walked a short distance.
"What?"
"...Why did you give him the prize money?"
She looked at me as if I had lost my mind. "There is no need to show mercy to such losers."
"..."
"It only makes them weaker..."
This is why I can't stand elves.
"I have more than enough money anyway. What's wrong with sharing a little?"
"But..."
"It's not like I can take it with me when I die."
"Still..."
"It's just pocket change."
"..."
"It's better spent on a hot meal."
I clicked my tongue and looked at Nairin. I guess she was still part of this psychopathic race after all.
Nairin kept her head down, silent. I suppose a psychopath couldn't comprehend basic charity.
Do I need to beat some empathy into her?
While I was contemplating this,
"...You truly possess a remarkably generous heart, Lord Taepyeong."
Wait, what? Why were her eyes welling up with tears?
"If only I had met you a little sooner..."
"..."
"Ah, no. I am just so incredibly grateful to have met you now..."
Nairin choked back a sob, unable to finish her sentence. Was she always this emotional?
"Whatever. Just lead the way."
"Understood... *sniff*."
She did say she grew up poor. I guess seeing that kid brought back some painful memories. Well, look at that... maybe she wasn't a total psychopath after all.
I gave Nairin a gentle pat on the shoulder. She wiped her tears with her sleeve as we leisurely made our way out of the alley.
"Let's go."
We walked away, completely unaware that someone was watching us from the shadows.
"...A human?" a low, elegant voice murmured from behind a veil.
"Yes. At first, I thought he was just a petite elf, but I was mistaken."
"..."
"Judging by his ears, he was undoubtedly human," reported the Dark Elf kneeling before the veil in a calm, steady voice.
"Why would a human be wandering around the Empire...?"
"..."
"Is he a slave?"
"It did not appear so. In fact, the human seemed to be the one looking after the elf accompanying him."
"..."
"Furthermore, I heard a strange rumor."
"What is it?"
"Regarding the Emperor's youngest son."
Snap.
The sharp sound of a folding fan closing echoed from behind the veil.
"If you mean his youngest son, are you referring to that weakling he had three hundred years ago?"
"No. I hear he recently adopted another son."
"It seems that old relic still hasn't given up on finding a successor."
"..."
"No doubt he is just another weakling."
Flick.
With a click of the tongue, the shadow behind the veil unfurled the fan once more. The kneeling Dark Elf kept his head bowed and continued.
"Actually, this one is different from the others."
"In what way?"
"He is human."
"..."
"The Emperor's youngest son is a human."
"His youngest son is... a 'human'?"
"Yes."
The Emperor's youngest son, a human? There was no way the Emperor would allow such a scandalous rumor to spread unchecked. Normally, he would have decapitated anyone whispering such nonsense and impaled their heads on the city walls. Which meant... the rumor was highly likely to be true.
"I also heard rumors that this 'human' was the one who emerged victorious in the recent promotion match."
"That cannot be..."
She had heard that only two candidates had passed the Empire's promotion match this time. She had also heard that, unlike previous matches, nearly a thousand elves had perished. She had assumed it was simply an exceptionally brutal trial. But for a 'human' to have won?
It sounded just as absurd as the rumor of the Emperor adopting a human son.
"Do you remember the three Dark Elves who failed to return from the Snowy Mountains?"
"Why should I bother remembering such trash?"
"If they, too, were defeated by this human..."
"..."
"It is hard to believe, but if all these rumors are true..."
"..."
"...then we must prepare ourselves."
Of course, with 'that' in their possession, the Dark Elves' victory was practically guaranteed. But just in case... if an unexpected variable were to arise...
"...I grant permission."
He had to be eliminated. For the glory of the Dark Elf Kingdom.
Dawn approached, and the feverish excitement of the festival had finally died down. Pale moonlight filtered into the room.
I felt a strange presence near the window and opened my eyes. Standing there in the moonlight was the translucent, bluish figure of Alteon.
"Ah, damn it..."
He scared the crap out of me. Why did he always have to pop up out of nowhere like this?
Alteon stared out the window, his expression unreadable.
"Grandfather, what are you doing here all of a sudden?" I asked, sitting up in bed.
Alteon spoke slowly.
"So, this is the Empire."
"Yeah, it's the Empire."
"It has been a long time since I last saw this view."
The imperial palace was built on high ground, overlooking the main square. Because of this, one could see the entire capital city just by looking out the window. Was that why he had manifested?
"It seems the martial arts tournament will be held soon," Alteon remarked, his gaze fixed on the fluttering flags outside.
I nodded.
"The tournament originally began as a friendly contest of strength between her and me," Alteon said, looking lost in thought.
Who is 'she'? And more importantly, I didn't ask. Is this just what happens when you get old? They just start rambling about their past out of nowhere.
"The victor would host a grand banquet, which eventually evolved into a festival."
"..."
"We laughed, sang, and wished for each other to grow stronger."
Hmm. That sounded a bit different from the 'martial arts tournament' I had heard about. Nowadays, it wasn't about wishing each other well; it was a bloody deathmatch. It felt more like a war.
"Are you participating in the tournament as well?"
"Yeah. That's the plan."
"Good."
"Is it?"
"You are more than qualified."
I scratched the back of my neck and stared at him.
"Are you nervous?"
"Why would I be? The elves are all weaklings anyway."
"..."
"And it's not like the Dark Elves will be any different."
"True. Fundamentally, they are of the same origin."
"I'm just going to get it over with quickly and claim the Blessing of the World Tree."
"The Blessing of the World Tree... Yes, that will certainly be of great help to you."
Of course it would. After all, a trait like this wasn't something you could just pick up anywhere.
"With your abilities, you will surely..." Alteon trailed off, stopping mid-sentence.
"What? Why did you stop?"
"..."
Alteon stared up at the moon in silence for a long moment. Then, he spoke.
"If it is around this time..."
"...?"
"...it should be about time for 'that' to be born."
'That'? What is he talking about now?
"Grandfather, speak so I can actually understand you."
At my words, Alteon fell back into deep thought. Seriously, why is his loading speed so slow? He needs to spit it out so I can go back to sleep.
"Have you not heard of the 'curse' of the Dark Elf Kingdom?"
"...A curse?"
"Yes."
I shook my head. At that, a somber smile played on Alteon's lips.
"It is similar to the 'power' that slumbers within you."
The Heavenly Slaughter Star?
"Just as the star of slaughter chose you,"
"..."
"the Night Goddess must have chosen her own servant."
Who the hell is the Night Goddess?
"So, be careful," Alteon whispered in a low voice.
"For that entity will possess a power that rivals your own."