Chapter 64
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: The Real Objective (1)
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This place was the Great Forest.
The territory of the elves, guardians of the World Tree.
Having strictly controlled outside access for thousands of years, there wasn't a single trace of humans to be found, even if you scoured every inch with your eyes.
Kwaaaang!!
In the heart of that Great Forest, an explosion roared out of nowhere.
A massive blast that shook the entire woods!
"What the..."
It was utterly impossible.
The elves had long since used their 'wisdom' to inspect the humans' belongings, confirming there were no fire-related items.
This process must have been exceedingly thorough to prevent a repeat of the 'Great Forest Fire Incident' humans had caused in the past.
So then.
There was only one implication.
"What did you just say?"
It wasn't an explosive.
"Mi... insane."
Crack.
Craaaack.
The tree was tilting.
Among the thick trees scattered everywhere, this one had stood especially straight and proud.
And against that tree was a fist.
The fist of a blonde woman.
"What do you think you're doing...!"
"Answer me."
"Humans are mad!!"
The elf shouted.
Roel Griffith, the culprit behind the rage, brazenly issued a declaration.
Attack this human.
"You dare destroy a tree?"
The elves of the Great Forest sprang into action.
They gripped bows and arrows woven from trees, charging through the woods at full speed.
"...They use tree bows too."
In an instant, the elves surrounded them from all sides and nocked their arrows in unison.
Some even used spirit power to hold the falling tree in place.
"This is crazy!"
"Roel, you're thinking straight, right...?"
The flustered Sera and Laila drew their swords.
With faces saying they had no idea what she was thinking, they nonetheless covered for Roel.
It was only natural they couldn't guess her thoughts.
Because right now, Roel Griffith truly had none.
"Shoot if they move."
The male elf who'd clashed with Roel earlier gave the order.
He seemed to hold a fairly high position, as the surrounding elves obeyed without question.
Roel coldly eyed the elves.
Then she repeated it to herself.
"I wish they'd all just die."
The horrific words she muttered like a mantra, she kept repeating.
"...Why would you say that?"
"What?"
"You cherish trees so much. Not just trees, either. Every kind of plant, flowers, weeds. Even small forest animals and beasts—you don't harm them. So why can't you show the same care for humans?"
"Ridiculous."
Hatred toward humans.
These elves surely had their reasons.
Word was, humans had committed grave 'sins' long ago.
"You humans kill animals when you're hungry. You dig up the land arbitrarily to divert waterways. You don't care if tree roots get damaged in the process! There's no way we can coexist with creatures who destroy nature for convenience!"
Until someone first seeks understanding, the chain of hatred never breaks.
Humans endlessly offered understanding, while elves endlessly refused it.
"And above all..."
Roel had held onto hope.
If this invitation stemmed from a desire for understanding, maybe one day the two races could get along.
"Humans are barbaric. Small ears, ugly too. Can't help but curse."
Finally, she realized.
It had been a vain expectation, a flimsy hope.
"Especially you!"
The elf pointed.
His finger aimed at Sera.
"You look like one of those eastern humans. Hate how unsettling you look."
Sensing danger, Sera urgently reached for Roel.
"Roel, I'm fine, so for now..."
She couldn't reach.
Sera couldn't grab Roel, who was already charging ahead.
"Hey, hey!!"
Sera thought.
This crazy bitch.
Told me to hold back, but not herself!
Kwaaaang!!
Another thunderous boom.
The difference this time: her fist didn't just embed in the tree.
It smashed straight into the obnoxious elf's face.
"Gahhk!"
The elf spurted blood as he flew back, crashing into a tree behind him.
At the same moment, arrows rained from all directions.
The accident Cigarette Lindelhart had most feared had erupted.
Roel stomped the ground hard.
A boom rang out, and mana spread like a curtain from her foot.
Most arrows lost power and plummeted.
The few that slipped through, she snatched one by one with her hands.
"That's a human...?"
"Damn, we're definitely supposed to capture her alive?"
Shocked voices echoed from everywhere.
Roel scowled slightly as she surveyed the elves.
The face of someone who'd spotted something 'odd.'
And the moment a 'thought' occurred to her.
"...Alright, let's try it."
Roel, who'd frozen, now moved.
Her target: the male elf barely staggering to his feet.
"Take it back right now!!"
"Sh-shit, stay back—"
Kwaaaang!!
The third thunderous boom.
The elf collapsed unconscious, limp on the ground.
But Roel wasn't done; she clenched her fist again.
She just couldn't swing it.
Not because of the elves descending from trees to surround them.
It was because Professor Cigarette appeared, rushing desperately to Sera and Laila's side.
"Wow, you really pulled that off."
A voice she hadn't heard in a while played its part too.
She couldn't fight with her head ringing nonstop.
"Not like you."
"We agreed not to talk anymore?"
"Felt like returning to basics after so long."
"I see."
"You know you've made the situation tricky, right?"
"Yes."
The Demon asked.
"Why'd you do it?"
Roel refused to answer.
"I don't know either."
"I know."
With Roel behind her, Sera, Laila, and Cigarette stepped forward.
A formation to provide cover.
"You're not mad because of Sera, are you?"
"Oh, sharp as ever. But we should probably stop chatting. Situation's not great."
"Why act so cold?"
Roel ignored him, but the Demon kept yapping excitedly.
Every word scraped at her nerves.
"...Roel, conversation over?"
"Yes. Sorry."
"Save the apologies. Let's think how to salvage this."
"I'll go with them."
"Pardon?"
"They seem to want to take me."
Cigarette gave Roel an incredulous look.
Roel smiled flatly, walked past the three, and headed into the midst of the elves.
She held out both hands as if inviting them to bind her.
"Take me away."
"Not a damn sweet potato."
I thumped my chest in front of the screen.
In this urgent need for some catharsis, there's nothing I can do—talk about frustrating.
Damn elves. The moment they show up, instant dislike.
Sure, I poked a bit thinking it was my chance, but if we're splitting hairs, the elves started it—so I'm innocent.
"What on earth is she thinking..."
I let out a worried sigh watching Roel meekly get led away.
Our protagonist had overcome quite a few trials so far.
So I'd vaguely assumed the territory incident would turn out fine too.
Roel had indeed shown a decent performance, but it seemed her insides were still rotting away.
This outburst was proof.
The real Roel would've held back the moment Sera said she was 'fine.'
That she didn't meant...
"I wish they'd all just die."
That line must've been the trigger.
Maybe thoughts of the people she couldn't save resurfaced.
"...Maybe time to turn on subtitles."
I hadn't needed to read her inner thoughts before.
Conversations were cut off anyway, and I'd thought Roel's state was fine.
But now I knew better, so it was time.
After some deliberation, I activated subtitles.
[ 'Something's off.' ]
"Huh?"
[ 'Why just drag her off?' ]
Roel's inner thoughts after so long.
They took a form a bit different from what I'd imagined.
"Now that you mention it..."
It was weird.
A human-hating race openly dragging off someone who'd smashed their precious trees?
From what I knew, elven law wasn't that systematic.
For fellow elves, maybe, but for human rampages, 'summary execution' was the norm.
[ 'No plans to treat nicely, but not killing or chasing off either?' ]
[ 'Definitely some other goal.' ]
"...I was wrong."
I'd thought Roel was breaking down.
That she couldn't overcome it easily, making her emotional.
No.
Roel had already overcome it for the fourth time.
The rampage just now wasn't even a 'spur-of-the-moment crime.'
[ 'And it's sketchy as hell. Weird, right? My gut says so.' ]
Tsk.
Maybe it was spur-of-the-moment...
[ "So you're the one who caused the commotion?" ]
[ "You're the elder?" ]
Snap.
Roel lightly snapped the vines binding her wrists.
To clarify: those weren't ordinary vines.
Infused with elven power, permitted by spirits, woven through a rigorously strict process—'insanely tough' vines.
Not something you snap easily.
The elder's eyebrow twitched faintly.
[ "I'll get straight to the point." ]
Roel boldly pressed on regardless.
[ "What's the 'real objective' for inviting us here?" ]