Is This Seriously a Trend Now?

Demon King Otilib's 'Authority of Life' was inherently tailored for overwhelming numbers.

That was how the lore book framed it, and the game had depicted it roughly the same way. Though, ironically enough, the actual boss fight against Otilib had been a solo encounter. In any case, judging purely by the current situation, we were clearly at a disadvantage. When you don't know where the enemy is or when they'll strike, your only option is to fortify your guard and wait.

Yet if you knew every detail of what means the enemy possessed, how they thought, and what condition they were in, you could turn that knowledge against them. A plan had already begun taking shape in my head, leaving me thoroughly relaxed. My companions, on the other hand, wore grim frowns and fidgeted nervously.

"...Hey. Can we actually beat someone like that?"

"He's far more terrifying an opponent than I expected..."

"Mmh..."

Those reactions had come immediately after I explained Sukra's abilities. True to a high demon, Sukra possessed physical capabilities on par with a Master rank, along with the unique trait of 'Plague' and the demonic 'Authority of Life.' Combined, his might was undeniably formidable—far too much for one or two Master ranks to handle on their own.

Even so, that was hardly enough to trouble our party.

"There's no need to be so tense, so wipe those looks off your faces. The elves will cooperate, so we'll be able to bring him down without casualties."

My confident reassurance softened their expressions a touch, though it didn't completely dispel their anxiety.

"So, what is this plan of yours? Give us the details."

At Weller's prompt, I grinned and nodded.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Step one: solidify the unity of the elves.

Sure, they had been thoroughly thrashed by our party, but that was solely because our lineup was ridiculously overpowered. By themselves, the elves were an exceptionally formidable force, especially with the World Tree in the equation. That was precisely why Sukra, even backed by a Demon King's power, had avoided a frontal confrontation and slunk into the shadows to hatch his scheme in secret.

"Ohhh, the Avatar of Nature...!"

"To gaze upon him... the honor is so overwhelming my heart feels like it will burst...!"

"Sob, tears won't stop falling. What breathtaking beauty..."

In the clearing at the heart of the village—hardly worthy of being called a proper plaza—a sea of crowded elves hyperventilated and wept openly at the mere sight of me. Even the dark elves huddled in a far corner, looking gaunt and pitiful in their tattered state, were no different.

"......"

What an utterly absurd spectacle. No matter what the World Tree had planted inside me, watching them react like this made me feel as if I'd cast mass hypnosis over the entire crowd.

"Quiet down and listen up."

"...Gasp."

"Ah...!"

"...Gulp...!"

With just a single quiet command, the clearing that had been buzzing with feverish clamor plunged into dead silence—so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Some clamped hands over their mouths, others held their breath entirely, while their pupils constricted like startled cats. It took everything I had to choke back a hollow laugh.

"...You can hear me fine at this volume, right?"

"Yes, yes! Perfectly!"

"Our hearing is exceptional!"

"We won't miss a single syllable!"

"Right..."

Waving an awkward hand, I let out a breath and took a deep swig from my bottle.

"Uh... right, I should start with an explanation. Everything I'm about to say is the truth. Hear me out, even if it gets confusing."

At my words, hundreds of pointed ears twitched toward me and eyes went wide, focusing on me with terrifying intensity. To be perfectly honest, having hundreds of unblinking gazes pinned onto me was a little unnerving. If I'd faced this without knowing the context, I might have pissed myself a little.

"Right now, the elf village and the World Tree face an unprecedented crisis. It is all the work of Sukra, a high demon dispatched under orders from a Demon King to annihilate the elves. The curse afflicting the dark elves was also Sukra's doing. You've all been dancing in the palm of a high demon's hand."

"What...?!"

"How could that...!"

Even after dropping such an abrupt bombshell, not a trace of doubt surfaced on their faces. Believing a human's words without a second thought... were these really the haughty elves I knew?

"Yet there is no cause for despair. We are strong, and the elves are strong. If you put your faith in me and obey my commands as if they came from the World Tree itself, this crisis will cease to be a crisis and become an opportunity instead. A once-in-a-lifetime chance to strike down a vile high demon that brings nothing but ruin to the world."

Scanning the elves, I continued.

"Can you believe in me?"

A unified roar of assent instantly shook the entire clearing.

"Can you obey my orders?"

Once again, an even louder roar thundered across the woods.

...I felt like the supreme leader of some bizarre cult.

"Good. Then first, you must apologize to those you have discriminated against and persecuted."

I pointed toward the corner where the shabby, haggard dark elves were huddled.

"The curse placed upon them was engineered by the wicked designs of a high demon. Your discrimination and persecution were born of a misunderstanding. They share the same roots as you; they are your kin. Am I wrong?"

"...You speak the absolute truth!!"

"Then go apologize to them directly and feed them well. After that, solidify the village's defenses. Double the elf warriors on sentry duty and patrol the surrounding forest continuously. Use magic and spirit arts to guard against ambush, and submit organized reports directly to Latipi and Benoite."

"Yes, sir!"

"We shall do as you command!"

Looking down at their bright, glistening eyes, a sudden wave of mischief welled up inside me. Just how far would these people go to indulge my words?

"...Ah, and those of you not assigned to combat, excluding children, go back inside and have as much sex as you please. Be fruitful and multiply—for that is the will of the World Tree."

"Ohhh...! Understood!"

"We shall obey the will of the World Tree!"

"Darling, we must conceive our second child today."

"Yes, let's. It is a day blessed by the Avatar himself; our baby is sure to be beautiful."

"......"

They just bought that? Without question?

It was downright astonishing that not a single person so much as knitted their brows. According to the game's lore, elves had extraordinarily low libidos to match their immense lifespans, supposedly making them reluctant to engage in such acts... but seeing this now, apparently that wasn't quite the case.

"Sir Alzen... everything sounded fine until the middle, so why did you veer off into madness at the end?"

Princess Arpe let out a heavy sigh, and Cecilia poked me sharply in the ribs.

"It's fun, isn't it?"

"It's not fun at all! If you possess such divine power, please use it properly!"

"What's wrong ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with telling them to breed? Elves live forever, yet their numbers are pitifully small. Expanding their population like this is the only way to build up their strength."

"...And what do you plan to do after building up the elves' strength?"

"Use them, obviously. I just happened to unlock something akin to a mass hypnosis cheat, elf-exclusive. If I put it to good use, we ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠can hunt down the Demon God that much faster."

Whether that could truly measure up to the sacred relic left behind when the World Tree died in the original game remained to be seen... but now that things had turned out this way, squeezing every drop of utility out of them was the only way to break even.

"...Sir Alzen. Thank you."

While everyone else stared at me in disbelief, Nemeth stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"Don't mention it. It's not like I've actually lifted the curse yet."

"Perhaps... but it is only a matter of time. I have complete faith in you."

"......"

Looking into Nemeth's eyes, overflowing with trust, I let out a soft sigh. I couldn't tell whether that adoration was born of her own thoughts and feelings, or if it was artificially induced by whatever status the World Tree had grafted onto me. Everything else was fine, but that felt a little uncomfortable. I'd have to have a serious talk with the World Tree later.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

An elven dwelling was hardly an engineered piece of architecture.

Naturally so. They simply hollowed out the trunks of colossal trees grown through the blessing of the World Tree and used them as shelters. Calling them proper houses was almost an embarrassment.

And what that meant in practice was...

—Ahhn! Haaahn! Ahhnn!

—It feels so gooood...! Hnngh...!

—Ahhhck! Ooohhh!

...Unabashed, graphic moans penetrated the wooden walls with absolute ease.

"......"

The three kids who usually chattered up a storm sat in pin-drop silence, heads bowed low. Their faces were flushed scarlet like ripe apples, blushing so furiously I half-worried their heads might burst.

"Could this count as... some form of sex education?"

"As if! Honestly! You go out of your way to expose kids to the worst things imaginable!"

Weller delivered a resounding smack across my back. Wincing, I turned a scowl toward Muriel.

"Ow, damn... Hey. Your master is getting beaten here. What are you doing? Why ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠aren't you blocking her?"

"I believe there are times when Lord Alzen truly needs a beating."

"What kind of logic is—"

Before I could even shake my head at the absurdity, Cacciola slipped up quietly and threw her arms around me, burying her face straight into my stomach.

"...What are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just wanted to rest a bit."

"If you want to rest, go lie down on that bed over there."

"Don't wanna. This is comfier."

"...You haven't relapsed into crazy mode, have you?"

I lifted her face by the chin to meet her gaze. Her eyes, shining clear and bright like green starlight, looked straight back at me.

"Doesn't seem like anything's wrong in that head of yours..."

"Clinging to you every day while I was crazy turned into a habit. Take responsibility."

"Oh, please."

When I snorted, she pouted and buried her face right back into my stomach.

"Ahem, Lord Alzen..."

Seeing her chance, Rebecca subtly drifted over and locked her arms around mine.

"It's hot... Hey, seriously. The kids are watching..."

"It's not as if we're doing anything scandalous; ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠we are merely hugging you. Surely this much is acceptable?"

"W-We're fine, Orabeoni!"

"Cough, hem... Well, if it's just hugging..."

Despite their protests, Vivian and Cecilia covered their fiery red faces with their hands, peeking shamelessly through the gaps between their fingers.

"......"

Only Princess Arpe glared at me with blatant disapproval. Her eyes, swirling with possessiveness and jealousy, laid her tangled inner feelings entirely bare.

"What's with that face now? What are you so displeased about?"

"Sir Alzen. We are friends, aren't we?"

"...Maybe?"

"We are. We're friends. That means Sir Alzen is mine, and I am Sir Alzen's. Is that not so?"

"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"Therefore, I alone have the right to stroke and embrace your body. Because you belong to me. Am I wrong?"

"Listen to yourself. I already told you no... and for the record, I don't have a thing for kids."

"I don't have a thing for someone like you either, you know?! I was merely confirming the definition of friendship! So! What I'm trying to say is—!"

Pointing an accusing finger straight at me, she narrowed her eyes fiercely.

"As long as you are mine, you must not carelessly permit others to touch that body!"

"Do you honestly think that makes any sense? You can't just bend the word 'friend' to justify whatever you want... Enough nonsense. Go to sleep."

When I pointed toward the door, Arpe pouted and glared for a moment before turning on her heel and marching out in a huff, heading toward the treehouse assigned to her.

"Uh... well then, Orabeoni. Good night!"

"I-I'll take my leave as well..."

For the record, Vivian, Cecilia, Weller, Lira, Wendy, and Nazareth Nemeth shared a room with her. The rest—Muriel, Rebecca, Cacciola, and Lampon Pashtra—shared a room with me.

...At least, that was how it was supposed to be.

"...Why are you still standing there instead of leaving?"

Nemeth lingered behind, fidgeting with her fingers while wearing a conflicted, bashful expression.

"Sir Alzen."

Then, as if steeling her resolve, her face hardened. Without warning, she threw off her clothes in one swift motion, boldly baring her healthy, sun-kissed bronzed skin to the room.