Chapter 135: Elf (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 135: Elf (4)
To be honest, I had let my guard down.
The "Joint Investigation Team of the Elves and the Empire" sounded like a grand title, but just look at the actual members.
There was some nameless Count from the Empire acting as the figurehead.
Then there was Uncle Aeryun, who was actually handling all the practical work.
Representing the students was Senior Loreliya, the "power" of the group who could use her family’s influence to hush things up if trouble arose.
Add the Elves, including a High Elf, and that was it.
No RoFan female lead, no male lead candidates.
At most, there was Senior Loreliya, who occupied the "Villainess" position. However, after witnessing the sheer majesty of the RoFan female lead—whose stats had been massively buffed compared to the original work—she had long since tucked her tail between her legs.
In other words, she had already retired from the main plot and possessed zero presence in RoFan-related incidents.
I figured she couldn't exert any influence on the narrative.
That’s why I didn't think anything major would happen.
Tracking Dark Mages was something the Empire had been doing since long before this became a RoFan world.
Sure, it would be difficult without Daisy, who acted as both the perfect bait and a tracking device for Dark Mages, but I assumed that also meant it wouldn't escalate into a massive event.
“……”
But I was wrong.
I had vastly underestimated the diligence of Dark Mages.
“……”
I drew my sword and tapped the wall.
The hollow thud that echoed back suggested that even if I struck it with all my might, the result wouldn't change.
“So this is that thing…”
The special barrier that had once sparked gay rumors among the original RoFan male lead candidates when they were trapped inside.
Princess Ruelle, who had been trying to hook up the Magic Spammer and the Fire Spammer, had eventually given up after getting scolded by the Commander over that incident. The Flower Arrangement Club had even been forced into a temporary hiatus. I had quite a few memories regarding this particular barrier.
—How do you deactivate this?
—From the outside, it’s possible if someone knows the structure of the barrier. If they don’t, it’ll take some time, but it’s still doable.
—What about from the inside?
—Unless you’re a Dragon, it’s probably impossible.
Princess Ruelle had given a very long-winded explanation, but if you stripped away the magical jargon, that was the gist of it.
Thus, I quickly reached a conclusion.
“Analysis complete.”
We’re stuck.
“Hieeeek!”
As I plopped down on the floor, the only other person trapped with me—the High Elf—let out a shriek and pressed herself against the wall.
“W-What is this?!”
“A barrier.”
“I-I can see that!”
For someone who was supposed to be a High Elf, she was panicking quite a bit. I tilted my head and offered a further explanation.
“It’s a ‘Room You Can’t Leave Without XX’ barrier, created by Dale and used by Dark Mages.”
“Hieeeeeeek!”
Her reactions were certainly lively.
“This is the absolute worst-case scenario!”
“Oh.”
I nodded at her perfect conclusion.
Setting aside the Dark Mages, she considered Dale to be the "worst" too.
As expected of an Elf.
Despite their claims of superiority, it seemed they maintained the correct attitude of hating Magic Spammers.
“Something is wrong here… the spirits aren't responding…”
Judging by her tearful mumbling, it seemed the barrier completely severed the space from the outside world.
I didn't know that part.
“S-So, what do we have to do to get out?!”
“I don’t know.”
I’d heard that in the past, the barrier would announce the escape conditions to those inside.
However, despite a fair amount of time passing, there was no sign of what we needed to do.
“W-Why am I alone with a human…”
Now that she mentioned it, how did it end up like this?
Everything seemed fine two hours ago—no, even just an hour ago.
“Hieeeek!”
I couldn't help but sigh as the High Elf recoiled in horror just from our eyes meeting.
*
Hieeeek
Four hours before Adam Smith and the High Elf Yerisha fell into the Dark Mages' trap.
Until then, the joint investigation team had been running surprisingly well.
“We’ve found traces of the Dark Mages.”
“Already?”
“We managed to tag a few of the ones who fled last time…”
Adam Smith thought to himself:
The Empire… isn't failing?
Usually, in an Academy setting, it was standard for defenses to be breached and for every operation to end in failure.
“…It feels like a trap.”
Adam wasn't the only one thinking this. Aeryun also looked at the agent who brought the intel with eyes full of suspicion.
“It’s not a trap this time!”
When the agent shouted with such confidence, Aeryun had no choice but to nod.
Of course, it wasn't that he actually believed the agent.
We have other races with us. I can’t let us look incompetent.
In front of the young lady of House Jeyka whom he served, the clueless Imperial nobles, the Elven delegation, and the Dragonkin, what would they think if he showed a lack of trust in his own Imperial agents?
Therefore, Aeryun followed the agents with the mindset that they would just handle whatever happened.
“How did you find us?!”
“Damn Imperial dogs!”
“……?”
They had discovered the Dark Mages' base so smoothly that even the ones who found it were bewildered.
Adam muttered with an incredulous expression.
“Wait, they were this close and you didn't know?”
“…Shut up.”
It was a bit of a flaw that the base was located so close to the Academy, but hey, they found it, didn't they?
“It looks clean. Must have been built recently.”
“Maybe the Dark Mages are just really into hygiene…”
“Shut up! Kill them all!”
Cutting off Adam’s attempt to debunk his excuse, Aeryun drew his sword and charged.
The other Imperial agents followed suit, engaging the Dark Mages.
“D-Dark Mages must all be destroyed!”
“It is Lady Yerisha’s command!”
“Do not forgive those who defile the World Tree!”
Even the Elves, who were guaranteed at least several centuries of life even if they lived lazily, joined the fray. No matter how much the Dark Mages were icons of diligence, they stood no chance.
As several Dark Mages were killed and others captured:
“Urgh. I can’t let it end like this!”
One Dark Mage grabbed a staff that was still under development, intending to use a last resort.
“Who said I’d wait for you to finish?”
“H-How?!”
Adam Smith, who had been just watching, thrust his sword through the mage's heart, killing him instantly.
“Oh. Loot.”
Adam picked up the staff made from a branch of the World Tree (under research).
“That!”
Yerisha, sensing the energy of the World Tree, rushed over and locked eyes with him.
“Hiek!”
“…?”
She recoiled instinctively, but she squeezed out every ounce of her courage to step toward Adam again.
And then:
“T-That is an object made from a part of the World Tree! Therefore, the Elves must take custody of it!”
“Excuse me.”
“No matter what you say, the answer is no!”
“No, it’s not that…”
“T-This is non-negotiable, even if Lady Irin herself steps in! No means no!”
“No, if you have eyes, just look…”
Yerisha still lacked the courage to look a human—especially a human male—in the eye while speaking.
T-This brat, who isn't even a tenth of my age, has so much to say!
It was a combination of her pride as the Elven representative, her sense of duty to recover a World Tree artifact from a wicked Dark Mage, and the sheer power of Elven "seniority" that finally made her lift her head.
“Huh?”
The World Tree staff was glowing.
Even though her head had been lowered, it was glowing so brilliantly that she couldn't help but think, How did I not notice this?
And then.
“What is this?”
At Adam’s question, which sounded almost innocently stupid:
“How should I know?!”
The moment Yerisha screamed:
“Ah.”
“Hieeeeeeek!”
Along with a flash of light, the two of them vanished on the spot.
*
Aeryun Klein - I’m Screwed.
I turned my head at the sudden flash of light.
What I saw was…
“Wasn't there something there just now?”
Nothing.
“……”
Cold sweat began to pour down Aeryun’s spine.
Something had definitely been there.
Something very important!
All that remained was the corpse of a Dark Mage on the floor.
“Lady Yerisha!”
“You bastards! Where have you taken Lady Yerisha?!”
He was on the verge of losing consciousness, but being grabbed by the collar and shaken made mental escapism impossible.
An Elf had disappeared.
And not just any Elf, but a High Elf, who was essentially Elven royalty.
This wasn't a simple problem.
Calling them "royalty" was the Imperial way of putting it; to the Elves, who already considered themselves superior to other races, a High Elf was a being on an entirely different plane.
And this wasn't just a matter of belief; it was a biological reality.
From their lifespan to various other traits, they were a "different" race from regular Elves.
Some researchers of heterogeneous species even classified Elves and High Elves as entirely different species.
Because they were so distinct, High Elves were literally objects of worship for regular Elves.
Not only that, High Elves managed the World Tree, the sacred tree. In human terms, they held a position close to a High Priest.
In short, to an Elf, a High Elf was an idol, royalty, and a religious leader all rolled into one.
And such a being had vanished.
Along with a human…
“Wait!”
I made a split-second decision.
Fortunately, thanks to the usual behavior of the guy who vanished, I could make a quick judgment.
“The one who disappeared is not a citizen of the Empire!”
I’m not part of the Empire.
That was what Adam said whenever something happened.
Thus, I could cut ties with Adam without feeling a single shred of guilt.
“What?!”
“What do you mean by that?!”
This gave me a chance to talk to the Elves.
“The man who vanished is from Leon. He has absolutely no connection to the Empire.”
“Leon?”
“I’ve heard of it from the Dwarves. They said it’s a country of sword-obsessed maniacs.”
“Isn't that dangerous?”
“At least they said they don’t like magic.”
“They don’t just ‘not like’ it; they loathe it.”
“Then isn't it dangerous?”
“Lady Yerisha is a Spirit Magic specialist.”
“Then is it okay?”
Fortunately, it seemed Leon had a decent image among the other races.
“For one thing, they really hate Dale.”
“Then are they good people?”
Or maybe Dale’s reputation was just that bad…
Historically speaking, it wasn't that Dale was without original sin.
But that would have been long before Dale was even founded… It felt like Dale was taking the fall for everything.
“That’s right. They really hate Dale.”
The one who vanished was Adam, and Fire—no, Marie—wasn't here.
So, while feeling a slight pang of guilt unlike Adam, I managed to avert the crisis by selling out Dale.
“……”
But I hadn't actually solved anything; I had just postponed it.
“So, where is Lady Yerisha?!”
Before half a day had passed, the Elves began to protest again.
“You’re saying Mr. Adam vanished after falling into a Dark Mage’s trap?”
And the one person who absolutely shouldn't have found out, did.
“Sigh.”
Seriously. I want to retire…