Chapter 107
Chapter 107
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: Warrior, Meets the Queen
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Before Elfrida entered the dungeon again.
Right after her resurrection, she had been plunged into deep shock.
"Silvia…."
Had her childhood friend truly hated her that much?
Elfrida felt her heart freeze at that utterly cold gaze.
She sat there in a daze in the church.
Then her guards, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, hurriedly escorted her back to the residence prepared in the city.
While she was pulling herself together, the news spread throughout Laiter that the elves' queen had died in the mini-dungeon.
"Wasn't the elves' queen supposed to be incredibly strong? Why in Sky Island, where there are only spirits…."
"Yeah, right?"
"Some folks who were on Sky Island with Her Majesty said a light tail came down from the sky and fought her one-on-one."
"Is that for real?!"
Out in the world right now, no one had a clue what that light tail—regarded as the manager of Sky Island—actually was.
And now, someone had actually encountered it firsthand!
Elfrida thought she should share what she knew about it.
But to a nation's king.
'Hey! I just got wrecked in the dungeon—mind telling me which mob did it?'
Who the hell would say something that insane!
Worse, if she blabbed carelessly about this, the elves would brand her an enemy.
In the end, even though everyone was frustrated, aside from a few idiots, they all kept their mouths shut.
So how did the elves see this incident?
Their queen had led by example and died in the dungeon.
On top of that, Elfrida had long built an image of being kind and pure—completely unlike her younger brother, the culprit behind the Great War.
In the end, the foolish masses' hearts blazed with fervor.
And so—
"Gaaazuaaaa!!"
"To the dungeonnnn!"
"I'll give this body to revive our race!!"
The elves launched a racial revival movement.
Now holed up in her room, Elfrida could have just returned to her kingdom.
But Orek from Sky Island kept lingering in her mind.
‘…How could an orc wield so many spirits and the power of nature?’
She recalled that moment.
The upper spirits filling Sky Island's skies like stars.
Plants moving as if following the orc's will.
Even powerful transformation magic on animals.
And finally… Silvia, a top-grade spirit just below the Great Spirits.
He was an orc truly loved by nature itself.
Afterward, Elfrida felt envy toward Orek.
But that emotion soon coiled like a snake and morphed into jealousy.
Of course, she knew this feeling was pointless.
But after pouring so much effort since the Great War, nature had rejected her, so her dark heart kept growing.
Finally, she decided she couldn't let it go on like this and took action.
‘Right, like the Empire's letter said—I'll go meet the boss of that dungeon.’
The Empire had successfully negotiated with Balak.
Of course, the prevailing theory was that Balak had witnessed Beren from the state letter being humiliatingly captured by the Empress, and since she came to repay a debt, he just went along with it.
Still, to confirm if Balak was truly their ancestor called the Spirit Lord.
To learn how spirits that vanished from the world ended up in the dungeon.
And finally, to find out what that nature-loved orc really was, she led her guards into the Abyssal Pit.
****************
Elfrida's party, having gathered all the info before entering the dungeon—and being strong to begin with—blasted through it quickly.
Now at the dungeon rest area, they decided to check if the item they truly wanted was there.
Elfrida soon ran into Ophelia at the shop and explained her race's plight.
But would an appeal to emotion work on a doll like Ophelia?
"Please… I beg you like this. Could you at least show us the Spirit Tree seed?"
"Ultra-high-value items carry a theft risk, so verifying authenticity before purchase is against policy."
Ophelia shot down the queen's plea without batting an eye.
Apparently, one of the guards took massive offense at her ignoring their lord's earnest request.
"How dare… you piece of trash!"
"W-Wait a second…."
"Do you even know who this is?! Do you know what noble cause she upholds?! Do you know what monumental feats she's accomplished?! Her Majesty Queen Elfrida has revived a kingdom with over ten thousand years of history—!"
"Black consumer detected. Neutralizing."
Piiing!
Slice!
"""……?!"
Just like that, one black consumer met instant death in another time flow, crumbling into blue powder.
Elfrida's party realized something had just happened.
But they couldn't even grasp what.
They just shuddered at how Ophelia handled something beyond their perception with ease.
After dusting the elf powerhouse in a split second and returning to her spot, Ophelia addressed the stunned group.
"Remember this: out there, you could be anyone—any rank, any fame. In here, it means nothing."
"H-How…?"
"And a final word of advice from the last specimen. You're just 'ordinary sapients' here. Act accordingly."
With her mysterious power and total disregard for kings or nobles alike, Ophelia left Elfrida no choice but to back down.
And moreover….
"I'll let this slide once, but if it happens again, you'll go through black list registration."
"B-Black list?!"
"Anyone on that list is banned from entry. In simple terms, you'll be force-skipped straight to the next room."
Terrified of ending up on the black list, Elfrida's party apologized to Ophelia en masse, then fled the shop like their lives depended on it. Elfrida sternly warned her guards afterward.
The now-silent guards followed their lord Elfrida into the tavern next.
Thankfully, Ferguson had a gentle personality and heard them out to some extent.
"Impressive, though. It's rare to see a racial leader step up like this."
"Hahaha… thank you truly."
"But the shop thing is out of my hands. If we set a precedent for ultra-high-value items getting stolen, more would try it—and recovering them is a real hassle for us."
"I suppose so… sorry for the rude request. But you said it's not impossible, just difficult—does that mean you have a recovery method?"
"Don't you already know one doll from this dungeon, Your Majesty?"
"You mean the doll that killed that demon?!"
Anima was hugely famous outside right now for slaying a demon—a type of transcendent being.
Plus, with the Heavenly God's revelation confirming it as truth, no one could deny it.
If such a powerhouse hunted thieves, their fate was sealed.
"…This dungeon runs like clockwork."
"I'm amazed by Brother Balak's foresight every day."
"Um… Mr. Ferguson? I have a few more questions, if that's okay?"
"Of course. I'm here to answer heroes' doubts. Go ahead."
"Then, do you know about that light tail roaming Sky Island… I mean, the orc?"
"Ah, my sworn little brother. The poor guy always busting his hump managing Sky Island."
Elfrida's expression grew even more complicated hearing about Ferguson's sworn brothers.
Balak, the dungeon boss, was untouchable in raw power.
The wolf-man before her was obviously a monster too.
And the youngest orc was implied to be on their level.
She couldn't fathom the dungeon's power structure at all.
‘That half-vampire looks weak on the outside, but maybe she's hiding insane strength too?’
Elfrida started misunderstanding Kairel, who'd been lounging since they entered the tavern.
Anyway, she did ask about the spirits.
Sadly, Ferguson—being a cursed existence—wasn't close to them and couldn't give proper answers.
"If you want the real scoop on the spirits here, you'd have to face Brother Balak… Better to just accept you won't hear it."
"…I'll have to try talking anyway."
"One bit of advice: you'll regret it big time. Brother hates anyone yapping in the boss room instead of fighting."
Still, Ferguson respected Elfrida's choice.
Thanks to his buff potion recommendations, they broke through to the boss room fast.
*********************
Soon after, Elfrida faced Balak in the vast plain, but her stomach churned the moment she saw him.
‘M-My god, what the hell is that—?!’
Like Kairel puking when she first sensed his magic due to her sensitivity, Elfrida staggered, gritting her teeth.
But bloated with various potions, her pale skin turned deathly blue.
Seeing her, Balak lost his mood and sighed deeply.
"I thought some Iron Hero type came in this time. What a letdown."
Thud!
Balak gripped his massive greatsword one-handed and slowly approached the elves.
Elfrida, sensing he just wanted to get it over with quickly, spoke up fast.
"Wait! I have something I must ask you!"
"…Do all you lot think this is a chat room?"
Chilling!
No elf could speak under Balak's killing intent.
"I already know who you are, elf queen. And what you want to ask."
"Th-That’s…."
"You're obviously here to talk about the spirits."
Step. Step. Step.
"But I have zero interest in the grudge between you and the spirits. And I know meddling as a third party in others' fights is plain stupid."
"………!"
"So, you who aren't even challengers—get out."
As Balak reached the elves and raised his greatsword in earnest to strike.
Wooooom!!
"Hm?"
"Grraaah!!"
Her alien power halted Balak's blade.
Not divine power, magic, or spirit force—an unknown power surged in the boss room, making Balak grin.
"My little bro said you're a high elf. And high elves have mysterious powers… is this it?"
Elfrida, manipulating the mysterious force, trembled as blocking Balak's strength hit her limit.
Soon, white energy spread around.
Just as stones on the ground floated up like levitating.
"Pr-Protect Her Majesty, now!"
"Move!!!"
Defying orders to stay silent until commanded, the guards moved on their own to protect their lord.
The guards charged Balak and swung their weapons.
But massive weapons appearing from nowhere blocked them.
Balak shrugged off Elfrida's mysterious power, leaped back, and beckoned the floating weapons.
Like massive hunting dogs fawning over their master, they gathered around him.
"If you'd started like this, how nice would it have been?"
"Cough… cough…."
As things unfolded just like Ferguson's warning, Elfrida steadied herself without blaming her defiant guards.
She realized talking to Balak required fighting first.