Fallen Leaves
Seeing the Silent Reaper wavering, Black Snake turned away.
"Don’t disappoint the Demon King this time. I’m going to start preparing to receive the hero’s party."
With a sound like wind scattering through dead branches, a black gate opened. Black Snake slipped through it in an instant, and the Silent Reaper stared after him, dazed.
Long ago, there had been a happy time when she ran across green fields with her kin. But when humanity in its earliest days began betraying the Goddess, her people’s homeland turned into a living hell. The fertile land that once brimmed with vitality became barren, unable to grow even a single plant, and those who were slowly corroded by demonic energy began dying in droves.
Eire, the first daughter of the Life Tree, had barely managed to preserve her people’s souls within their mother, the Life Tree itself, but by then the Life Tree had already been tainted by demonic energy and could no longer bear life anew. A hooded man approached her as the corruption crept over her body inch by inch.
"You look like hell, Eire. Kill as many humans as you can, and feed that hatred."
"Get lost. Like that would change anything. We elves are going to disappear into history."
"The Demon King himself has graciously decided to revive your people."
As the Silent Reaper remembered the conversation she had once had with Black Snake, she let out a self-mocking smile. Black Snake had used her like a tool for more than twenty thousand years. She had taken countless human lives, and more than once she had even struck down heroes. Perhaps because of all those lives she had ended, she had gradually changed from what she once was and become something that truly resembled a demon.
Would she forgive me for this?
The Silent Reaper shook her head. When she thought of the compassionate Goddess who had created the Life Tree and brought life into being, a faint pang of regret rose in her chest. But she hardened her heart. She had already piled up sins from which there was no return. Turning her head slightly, she saw the Life Tree, drained of vitality and dying before her eyes. Fortunately, it was still managing to preserve her kin’s souls, if only barely, through the long ages.
Her clenched fist trembled violently. She had been at Black Snake’s mercy all this time, but she had had no other choice. After the Goddess disappeared, the heavenly beings also shut their gates and never appeared again. Left alone in the world, she had been approached by the one called the Demon King, who had absorbed most of the demonic energy, and Black Snake had served as the messenger who reached out to her.
At last, the day when she could see her people, who had flickered before her eyes every single day, was not far off. This time, she would give everything she had to destroy the hero’s party.
The hero’s party advanced while cutting down monsters on their way toward the Silent Reaper. Thanks to the scouting spell they had cast in the north before she fled, they were able to cross Makyeong by the shortest route possible. After felling several large groups of monsters and covering quite a distance, the party finally halted their forced march when night deepened. The surrounding land stretched open and clear for miles, yet fortunately not a single monster was in sight.
At Hilde’s request, Edan opened his subspace and took out a pot and eating utensils. Hilde spread out a mat and arranged the utensils on top of it. The hero’s party rested while eating the soup Hilde had quickly prepared. Edan, meanwhile, felt as though his body grew lighter the deeper they moved into Makyeong.
"Oddly enough, the deeper we go, the thinner the demonic energy seems to get."
"Exactly. The concentration was actually heavier on the front lines where people had been holding the line."
The saint nodded in agreement with Edan. Hilde felt uneasy. Normally, once you entered Makyeong, the strength of the demonic energy should only grow stronger.
"That’s actually good for us. Demonic energy was starting to feel pretty suffocating, to be honest. If it keeps thinning out like this, it’ll be easier to deal with the Silent Reaper."
Lee Yu-seong said this with a bright expression. He had never imagined the members of the hero’s party would be this strong. High-tier monsters occasionally blocked their path, but they were defeated without much trouble.
As far as he knew, high-tier monsters weren’t the sort of opponents a newly formed hero’s party could take down. Normally, one would grow stronger by clearing various dungeons and monsters across Makyeong. But their abilities were already on late-game level, so the time it would take to grow stronger no longer mattered. They had only just formed, and already they were heading to face one of the Demon King’s four closest subordinates, a high-ranking demon.
Lee Yu-seong glanced at Hilde, then quickly looked away, embarrassed. She had tied her hair back to keep it out of the way while preparing the ingredients for dinner, revealing the slender line of her pale neck.
Every time he saw the lips she used while sipping her soup one spoonful at a time, he found himself having indecent thoughts.
She was stunning in a way he still couldn’t get used to. Even Edan, who had a cold personality, somehow couldn’t bring himself to be harsh with Hilde.
But her true worth wasn’t limited to her appearance.
When they faced higher-tier monsters, she always took the lead in directing them, allowing them to escape dangerous situations with ease. Even though she was only sixteen, the way she stood at the very front, blocking every attack and leading the party, was unmatched even among the hero’s party.
It was almost as if she weren’t an NPC at all, but someone who actually knew this game.
After the meal, everyone spent a little time on their own. Since monsters could rush them at any moment in Makyeong, resting properly was important too. Hilde gathered the dishes left over from the meal and moved to put them away. To earn a few points, Lee Yu-seong hurried over to her.
"Hilde, you even prepared the meal yourself, so at least let me help with the dishes."
"Then thank you, hero. Edan, could you send some water over so I can wash them?"
At Hilde’s request, Edan, who had been reading a book, sent a stream of water through the air without even looking up from the page. Strangely enough, the stream arced through a parabola before straightening into a neat line as it reached Hilde. It was Edan’s application of spatial distortion magic, compensating for the fact that the water he launched came down with enough force to splash everywhere. Lee Yu-seong clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Using two spells at once just to wash dishes... Edan’s amazing."
"For a mage at his level, that much is nothing. He even uses spatial distortion to block enemy attacks in battle all the time."
"Hmm... then why was he so helpless against the Silent Reaper?"
The saint, crouched beside Hilde, tossed the question out casually. A vein rose faintly on the arm of the mage holding the book.
"Spatial distortion isn’t omnipotent. It can easily deflect attacks whose path doesn’t change direction, but it has limits when it comes to stopping attacks that keep driving forward with force."
Spatial distortion was magic that could divert an attack’s trajectory elsewhere. It was excellent for dealing with projectiles, but against attacks that applied force directly, the spatial distortion would give way if it couldn’t withstand the pressure.
"So that means we’re the ones who have to protect him."
"Well, I’m a mage positioned in the rear, after all. You’re stating the obvious."
"Uh... you two aren’t actually fighting, are you, Saint and Edan?"
In response to Lee Yu-seong’s question as he washed the dishes, the saint answered immediately.
"Of course not. We’re how close to each other, after all? Right?"
The mage said nothing for a moment. After glancing into the empty air, Edan finally spoke.
"We may be facing the Silent Reaper tomorrow. For some reason she’s been sitting still all this time, but she may already know we’re coming."
Lee Yu-seong and Hilde, who had finished washing up, moved the dishes onto the rack and stood.
"She may already be fully prepared."
Lee Yu-seong thought back to the Silent Reaper they had met in the north. Her speed had been so great it was hard to see, as she evaded every one of his attacks and relentlessly targeted Edan. He had grown stronger since then, but catching up to the Silent Reaper still seemed like a distant dream. He was tense at the prospect of facing her, but he wasn’t alone. His companions were more than reliable enough.
As Hilde placed the dishes into Edan’s subspace, she thought. The weakening of the demonic energy was not natural. It was eerily similar to the prelude to Black Snake’s ultimate technique, one of the Demon King’s closest subordinates. In the game, high-ranking demons were always fought one at a time to control the difficulty, but this was not a game. They had to assume the worst and prepare accordingly. Hilde gathered her companions together.
"It may not be the case, but there could be one more high-ranking demon here."
"In that case, shouldn’t we retreat right now?"
Lee Yu-seong’s face turned pale. So far, Hilde had never said anything without reason. Even fighting one high-ranking demon meant risking their lives; two would be impossible.
"No. If I’m right, this could actually be our chance. Edan? Even if we’re in danger, could you leave us about a third of your mana reserve?"
Edan placed a hand on his chin and thought it over.
"That could interfere with the battle. But I’ll take it under advisement."
"It’s only a theory for now, but if we prepare for it, it could help us a great deal."
The Silent Reaper opened her eyes. In a few hours, she would have to fight the hero’s party. The plan she had heard from Black Snake was to lure them to the checkpoint.
She could feel the storm of concentrated demonic energy that only demons could sense. The ultimate technique Black Snake had prepared was a blow no high-ranking paladin or saint would be able to stop.
The Silent Reaper had been born not long after this world came into being. She had no qualms about killing humans, but the thought that she would have to kill the hero’s party filled her with resistance.
The being chosen by the will the Goddess left behind. The hero’s party was one of the arrangements made in preparation for the day she would disappear, so that the world might continue to prosper. What she was doing now was defying the very existence that had given her life and breath.
If fate existed, she thought it was terribly cruel.
Faint memories surfaced of the days when she had met the Goddess in person and followed her. Back then, angels, humans, elves, and the rest all lived happily, without worry.
The Goddess had loved the creations she had made with boundless affection, striving to ensure that not a single life would know misery.
"Eire. You are an elf who will accomplish great deeds for your kin."
The Silent Reaper steeled her heart. It had been so long since that person disappeared, and now it was time for her to do what she must.
Before long, I’ll be able to see my people again.
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