Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Silvia's Requiem
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Queen Charlotte showed me the orb.
Inside it, a blood-soaked battlefield came into view.
A large number of elves were locked in combat against skeleton soldiers.
I scratched my head.
“You're saying that I created this war?”
“No one knows for sure.”
I could certainly tell that all the skeleton soldiers inside were ones moved by a necromancer.
But they definitely weren't soldiers I'd summoned.
The skeleton soldiers had orc faces instead of human ones.
That meant the summoner who called these guys must ultimately be an orc.
“Your Majesty, if you look closely, the faces of the skeletons inside are orcs.”
“...You're right.”
“Humans can't create orc skeletons.”
“No one knows for sure.”
“...Pardon?”
At a glance from the elf queen, Blant brought over a single orc skull.
“...What is this?”
Blant said irritably.
“What else? It's one of the summons that humans brought.”
“...A human made this?”
“Yeah.”
Absurd.
Absolutely impossible.
“How could a human make orc soldiers?”
“Well, with the power of a necromancer somehow. A human who visited this village definitely controlled these skeleton soldiers.”
“No, you have to make sense. Isn't everyone just seeing things wrong?”
Charlotte cut into the conversation.
“Cheonjae-ssi.”
“Speak.”
“I'm sorry, but even if the necromancer in this orb isn't you, if someone with the necromancer class stays here, everyone will feel uneasy.”
My mere existence was a threat to everyone.
I nodded.
Because I understood what she meant.
“...I get what you're saying.”
I acknowledged her words.
There was no reason for me to stay here if the elves wouldn't cooperate with me.
Charlotte continued.
“Then, will you leave Elf Helm?”
“Yes. But could you allow me to stay somewhere in this forest?”
“The forest?”
“I just need a place to rest.”
“...Understood. Just please stay somewhere not too close to Elf Helm.”
“Yes.”
['Blant' raises his vigilance toward you by one level.]
After the conversation ended, I was the only one made to leave Elf Helm.
Leaving Chakan i and Kim Yeonhee behind.
It was a situation where I could leave since we weren't in the same group.
I decided to leave Elf Helm without regret.
Even without sticking with the elves, I could create my own storyline flow.
* * * * *
Escorted by the knight order, I left Elf Helm. To be honest, it felt less like an escort and more like they were following to keep an eye on me.
Blant looked at me with an unpleasant expression.
“Then don't let me see you around here. If it weren't for Her Majesty's orders, you-”
“You annoying bastard.”
“...What did you say?”
“You annoying bastard. I'm not even staying in Elf Helm anyway, so no need to suck up to you.”
“You little...”
I raised Dragon Fang and aimed it at him.
“Wanna go?”
The soldiers guarding behind him raised their bows.
Srrk.
Blant waved his hand to hold them back.
“Enough. Everyone, withdraw.”
“Scared?”
“Think what you want. We don't take lives without Her Majesty's orders.”
“Hah... Is that so?”
As expected of Lake Knight 'Blant'.
Even on a chaotic battlefield, he never lost his reason and made cool-headed judgments.
He didn't take my bait.
“Necromancer, consider this a warning. Orcs are prowling around here, so if you don't want to die, head over to the dwarf gorge.”
“Yeah, yeah, got it. Now get lost?”
“...”
Blant ground his teeth, then returned to Elf Helm with his subordinates.
I was left alone in the dark night forest.
“Damn it.”
I lit a cigarette and walked through the woods. Unidentifiable insect noises and the footsteps of wild animals echoed from all around.
Aooooh—!
A wolf?
I pushed through the dark path and returned to the World Tree.
A meteor shower poured down over the hill. Seeing this beautiful sight in person made me sigh in admiration.
“Amazing.”
As I watched the falling stars, I summoned Daeho and Park Gyuhwan to this world.
I'd left the rest of the troops back in the fourth round.
The trolls were hunting diligently in my place, so no need to call them.
Ding.
A golden light circled above my head.
“Good...”
As I tried to cross over to the dwarf gorge beyond the World Tree, a barrier blocked me. Blocked by the transparent wall, I sent Park Gyuhwan inside.
‘...He goes in?’
Summons were allowed.
“So that's how it is...”
Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Someone approached near the World Tree. I'd definitely circled around to avoid the watchtowers.
Who was it?
‘...An orc?’
We hid between the World Trees. Even if an orc had come, I wanted to pass quietly without making trouble.
‘...An elf?’
A white-haired elf who looked like a fox approached in front of the World Tree. She kept stroking the tree, then sat on a root rising from the ground and played a grass flute.
I held my breath and watched her.
The flute sound was so enchanting it felt ecstatic.
“...No way.”
The princess, 'Silvia'?
The face looked familiar, and the fluttering silk clothes. It hadn't been rendered this detailed in the game, so I was confused.
White hair, silk clothes, masterful grass flute playing—definitely Elf Princess Silvia.
Why was the princess here?
Wandering the forest at night without guards was extremely dangerous.
Even elf knights didn't stray from designated paths during orc and wild animal hunting hours.
‘Lost her way?’
-Grrrr.
A faint orc growl came from the forest.
That phlegmy voice was the unique signal they made when searching for prey.
The elf princess didn't seem to notice.
I glanced toward the watchtowers.
The elf and dwarf soldiers weren't asleep, but they were too far to rescue the princess.
The orc voices grew closer. Footsteps could be heard. Even if I called for help from the watchtower now, reinforcements wouldn't arrive in time.
Maybe because of the flute, the princess still hadn't noticed.
‘...Is she testing me?’
When the princess stopped the flute, the orc sounds suddenly vanished. A monster as adept at hiding its presence as wild animals.
Orc warrior technique.
“Kraaaak!”
Suddenly, an orc burst from the bushes and pounced on Silvia. The princess was so startled she couldn't even scream before being caught.
The orc clamped her mouth shut with its massive hand.
The grass flute fell to the ground.
Silvia struggled fiercely, shaking her body. The orc punched her in the stomach.
“Urk!”
The princess lost consciousness and went limp.
The orc slung Silvia over its shoulder and let out a vile chuckle.
“Grrr, the boss will like this.”
[Sudden Event Triggered!]
[Rescue Silvia, captured by the orc.]
[Success: Silvia feels gratitude toward you.]
[Reward: 1000 Jenny]
‘...An opportunity has come.’
I whispered slowly.
“Park Gyuhwan. I order you to hunt the orc.”
* * * * *
I shook the unconscious Silvia's shoulder.
“Hey, wake up.”
“Mm...”
Silvia looked up at me with half-open eyes. Then she saw her disheveled clothes, touched her throbbing stomach, and screamed.
“Kyaaak!”
I covered her mouth.
“Quiet. This is orc prowling time right now.”
Silvia nodded.
I removed my hand from her mouth and continued.
“Is your body okay?”
“...Yes. What happened?”
“You don't remember?”
“Uh... An orc attacked me...”
“Right.”
I pointed at the orc's severed head on the ground.
Silvia covered her mouth in shock.
“Th-that orc...”
“Hey.”
“...Yes?”
“What's your name?”
Silvia straightened her clothes and answered me.
“I'm Silvia.”
Bingo.
“Silvia? Pretty name.”
“Ah... Thank you.”
Wary eyes toward me.
That was understandable—the black aura around me was visible even to a princess.
To reassure her, I removed my helmet and set it aside, then said to her.
“Why were you here at this hour?”
“...”
No answer.
While she was out, I'd thought about it. In this twisted storyline flow, why had she come here?
Of course, I hadn't found the answer.
Just speculation.
“You don't want to answer? Fine. Then I'll be going.”
I stood up to leave.
Silvia grabbed my wrist.
“Wait.”
“...Why?”
“Today... is an important day, so I came.”
“Important day?”
“Yes...”
What day was today?
She hesitated with her answer. In the fifth round, there was only one important day.
The joint dwarf-elf assault on the orc fortress.
‘...I see.’
The one driving force that moved the princess.
The prince.
I nodded.
“Did you have plans to meet the prince here?”
“...”
“Why? Did I hit the nail on the head?”
“You're human, right?”
“Not a monster.”
Silvia picked up the fallen grass flute.
“I see...”
“Meet the prince tomorrow morning. I'll take you to the watchtower, so go back with the knights.”
As I headed toward the watchtower, she grabbed my wrist again.
“Wait!”
“...Why?”
“Please. Can you stay here with me just a little while?”
I waved my hand.
“Sorry, but I'm the necromancer you all despise.”
“...”
“If your mother found out, she'd flip out? You and I can't be together.”
“I-it's okay.”
“...Why do we need to be together?”
“Just... I want to play. Stay by my side until I finish one piece on the flute.”
Frog with googly eyes? I couldn't understand her obsession with the flute.
She looked at me with desperate eyes.
With a reluctant expression, I said to her.
“...Fine, one piece. I'll wait that long.”
Silvia clapped her hands.
“Thank you!”
['Lady Silvia’s' gratitude index rises by +10!]
In truth, I'd have granted any request of hers.
But to make her feel even a bit more gratitude, this kind of conversation was necessary.
The higher her gratitude index, the less she'd be able to refuse my requests.
Silvia sat back on the World Tree's root and played the flute again.
My mind grew calm.
The previous piece had felt like tree branches rustling in the wind. This one felt like leaves falling from the branches, struggling to stay afloat in the air as long as possible.
Frogs and crickets chorused loudly.
Fireflies with glowing butts gathered at the World Tree.
Just flute playing, yet so grand.
Silvia's flute performance soon ended.
After finishing, she approached me.
“Thank you.”
“...What piece was that?”
“Requiem of the Forest.”
“Requiem of the Forest...”
Requiem?
I closed my eyes slowly.
The four-year gap since our late arrival. The twisted storyline flow must have created a situation different from the hill with shooting stars I knew.
‘No way...’
“Did the prince die?”
“...”
As expected.
Just from exchanging a few words with the princess, I'd learned a piece of the twisted flow.
No answer meant the prince was dead.
“Attacked by orcs?”
“...”
“Or another monster?”
Silvia bowed her head.
“No.”
“Then?”
Silvia's eyes turned red. Tears welled up. Her lips trembled. She clenched her fists to hold back sobs.
I didn't know what happened, but one thing was clear.
In the fifth round I knew, the elf princess and dwarf prince got married.
The two formed an alliance.
Players joined the 'Orc Fortress Raid,' defeated the enemy, and brought peace—that was the main event.
But
The core of the event, the prince, was dead.
‘...They want me to create a new flow.’