Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Elf Helm in Chaos
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Elf Helm was in an uproar.
With the battle against the orcs demanding their full attention, most of the knight order had gone out on reconnaissance in the forest.
Did they really think the players would defend this place? The main base was left utterly defenseless.
It was like a shattered glass cup, the story broken and scattered everywhere, leaving me wondering where to even begin piecing it back together.
Of course, for a gaming master like me, I knew how to handle it.
‘It’s going to be a bit of a headache, though.’
I’d have to reset the board or abandon reviving the cup and choose something else entirely.
In the end, that meant giving up on this event and repeating the same storyline.
Instead of pushing forward, I’d have to sacrifice something.
‘...Someone’s going to have to make a sacrifice.’
Truth be told, I’d planned to tweak the story’s flow a little.
Save the Elf Helm that Jo Youngki loved, then wait until the final main event kicked off.
‘...Well.’
In the end, Elf Helm hadn’t fallen, so could I call it a success?
Thud thud thud—
Blant, who had gone scouting toward the World Tree, hurriedly returned to Elf Helm.
Charlotte came out to greet them.
“Did you find Silvia?”
“...I’m sorry.”
“Haa—”
Faintly, ever so slightly, Silvia’s scent lingered on Blant’s body.
Was he lying?
Blant continued.
“But we found traces of Lady Silvia. This grass flute—it was lying at the base of the World Tree.”
“...!”
Charlotte took the grass flute from him.
“And no sign of Silvia herself?”
“...Yes. Chilang, the leader of the wolf pack, is currently tracking Lady Silvia’s scent starting from the World Tree.”
Unlike the anxious Charlotte, Blant’s expression didn’t so much as twitch.
He’d rushed out of Elf Helm at first, but he’d quickly regained his composure.
“Blant, could you request aid from the Dwarf Gorge?”
“It’s possible, but if we ask, we’ll have no choice but to meet their demands.”
“You mean their demand to attack the orc fortress?”
Blant nodded.
“Yes.”
“...If that’s the condition, then we’ll accept. We’ve already decided, after all.”
“...Understood. The dwarves already know our situation and movements, so they’ll welcome the queen’s response.”
Charlotte tapped Blant’s shoulder lightly with her staff.
“...Please convey it as politely as possible. And make sure to push for swift progress on anything related to Silvia.”
“Yes, ma’am. Then I’ll head straight to the Dwarf Gorge.”
“Go carefully, very carefully.”
Blant knelt and gazed at her feet.
“While I’m away, Blonso of the 2nd Knight Order will defend Elf Helm. If anything happens, please seek him out.”
“Don’t worry and go. If need be, I’ll move myself.”
Blant slowly raised his head, reading her eyes, then stood.
With a final bow, he led his knights out of Elf Helm.
It was just like the elf warrior, the “Lake Knight” Blant—quick to judge the situation and never swayed by emotion.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.
My newly acquired radar pinged.
An ancient relic?
A red dot was moving away from my position. Judging by the speed, it had to be Blant’s knight order.
One of them must be carrying an ancient relic-grade item.
‘...I’ll check it out when he gets back from the gorge.’
* * * * *
“Ugh...”
Climbing the hill beyond the forest, every joint in my body creaked.
I’d wanted to rest more in Elf Helm, but somehow my body had drawn me here.
‘Silvia...’
The light had faded, and darkness had fallen. Looking around the forest, elves were dashing about here and there with their wolves.
—Roarrr!
Fire erupted at the Tower of Peace.
The elves’ side and the dwarves’ side.
Both were aflame.
The signal to unite—their forces would now gather at the World Tree and march on the orc fortress.
‘The event’s proceeding without finding Silvia.’
To go ahead without Silvia and Don Vito, the core of the main event.
What would happen?
I circled the World Tree, searching for any traces of Silvia.
Just in case Blant had missed something.
“Hm?”
Silvia’s clothing was slightly torn, caught on the World Tree’s roots. I rushed over and scanned the surroundings.
“...”
Signs of resistance.
She’d struggled against someone. Who? Had she come here alone again to summon with the grass flute and gotten captured by orcs?
I crouched low and examined the ground closely.
The hard earth around the roots had been dug up—clear signs of a fierce struggle.
‘With that frail body of hers.’
It was too dark to see well, but bloodstains speckled the nearby tree roots.
“This is...”
A familiar footprint caught my eye on the ground. Blant and his men, maybe? But no.
Looking closer, it wasn’t.
These weren’t elf footprints—they were orc. The sole patterns and size were completely different.
I followed the tracks.
They headed toward the orc fortress.
“...So that’s how it is.”
Silvia had been dragged to the orc fortress. If the wolves were tracking her, it’d come to light soon. Blant would learn of it shortly too.
—Groooar.
Not far from the World Tree, I spotted a single orc. It was sniffing around the forest like a dog.
I suppressed my presence, approached, and slammed my fist into its solar plexus.
Thud!
“Guhk!”
Its armor crumpled. Then it collapsed with a wheeze.
Seizing the moment of its carelessness, I snatched its axe and pressed it to its throat.
“Shh. Move, and your head flies.”
A two-handed axe—pretty heavy, but not too much for me.
“H-Human?”
“I’m in a very bad mood right now. From here on, all you do is answer. One useless word, and your head’s gone.”
No need for long talks.
I just wanted to know where Silvia was.
“Grrr...”
“Question one. Where’s Princess Silvia?”
It just rolled its eyes, no answer. I pressed the blade to its throat, and the orc reluctantly spoke.
“W-We can’t answer if we don’t know who Silvia is!”
“Elf princess.”
“Elf princess? Why ask us orcs about that?”
A completely unexpected response. Orcs, as I knew them, were simple creatures who’d celebrate even the smallest victory.
They’d brag about kidnapping an elf princess, so it didn’t make sense that they didn’t know.
“...Don’t play dumb.”
“Play dumb? Why are you asking orcs about the elf princess? Go ask the elves!”
“...Because orcs took the princess—that’s why I’m asking you.”
The orc looked utterly baffled.
“What? We took the princess?”
This was genuine ignorance.
“I said no questions.”
Whoosh—
Crack!
The axe severed its right arm. It screamed and writhed. I pressed my foot down on its abdomen and said,
“C-Crazy bastard.”
“Next question. Does Kabata have any brothers?”
“What?”
“Your chieftain Kabata. Does he have brothers?”
If the one I killed wasn’t the real Kabata, there had to be another identical one.
The orc’s lips parted and closed several times before it spoke.
“Kill me.”
“...What?”
“Kill me. Better death than this shame.”
“...I said answer only.”
Whoosh—
Crack!
Its left arm flew off. This time, no scream—just ragged breaths.
I kicked its ribs and continued.
“You’re dying anyway. Only the how changes.”
“Hahk... Hah... Uhk...”
“One more time. Does Kabata have brothers?”
“...”
“My words amusing? No answer.”
“Kill... me.”
I’d thought it an easy question, but it chose death.
Impressive loyalty.
Nothing like the orcs I’d met at the waterfall.
If only the others were this loyal to him.
The torture continued.
I needed Kabata’s weakness somehow to make this battle easier.
Whoosh—
Crack!
Still no words.
“Whew—”
While extracting a confession, I saw dwarves and elves already climbing toward the World Tree.
The dwarf king, Deniro, and the elf queen, Charlotte. Both forces advanced to the Tower of Peace with overwhelming presence.
I lit a cigarette.
White smoke drifted past my eyes. In the end, the orc hadn’t confessed while alive.
“...Revive.”
If it wouldn’t talk in life,
I’d make it talk in death.
* * * * *
On the hill at the center between Elf Helm and the Dwarf Gorge, stars rained down.
[The main event of ‘Hill Where Stars Fall’ begins.]
[Will you participate?]
[YES/NO]
Of course.
“YES.”
[Players who selected from Elf Helm and Dwarf Gorge are summoned.]
Flash!
My vision flashed, and participants in the main event gathered before the World Tree.
Familiar faces appeared.
I tried to call out, but my mouth and body wouldn’t move.
‘Everyone’s combat-ready.’
I scanned the other players. No maladapts here, and by looks, they were all fresh out of newbie stage.
Still, having cleared the fourth round, they weren’t average.
[Main Event Start]
[Alert to all players deployed in the ‘Grand Battle! Breach the Orc Fortress’ operation.]
[Reward: 10,000 Jenii]
[*Warning: This event can be retried on failure, so please don’t overexert yourselves.]
They’d nurtured us players this far—guess the devs didn’t want to lose us.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Clanking armor and roaring cheers echoed.
“Units—atten-TION!!”
Dwarves and elves massed on either side of the World Tree.
No need for strategy meetings on the orc fortress assault—we’d discussed it plenty.
Just a quick word between aides Blant and Duval.
Deniro said to the queen,
“Took long enough.”
“...I thought the Hundred Years’ War would be our last battle, yet here we are again.”
“Humans say history repeats. This must be the flow of divine causality.”
Charlotte showed a gentle smile.
“The flow of causality. At last, I understand your heart.”
“We’ll get Silvia back from the orcs—no need to worry.”
“I know worry won’t solve it. It’s time to move.”
Deniro nodded.
“Then let’s march. Duval! Ready?”
Duval waved the large flag emblazoned with the dwarf crest.
“Yes!”
Charlotte asked Blant,
“Are we ready?”
Blant nodded, then swung his flag wide to signal readiness.
Dwarf warriors formed tight ranks at the front. Behind them, elf archers spread out in a wide formation.
Deniro mounted a massive boar and charged to the front of their lines.
“Can you all hear me!”
—Yes!
“In the past, dwarves and elves triumphed over demons. Today’s orcs are nothing by comparison. True or false?”
—True!
Deniro swung his axe skyward.
Whoosh—
“Those who fear the night, leave now. I won’t stop you.”
Not a murmur.
Only silence as they hung on his words.
Deniro swept his gaze from left to right over the troops, then continued.
“Today! We drive out the darkness and claim the light. My comrades, don’t aim to be stars.”
—Yes!
“All dwarves and elves here will greet tomorrow’s sun and eat breakfast. Understood!”
—Yes!
Deniro grinned faintly, then pointed his axe at the orc fortress.
“Let’s gooooo!!!!”
—Raaaah!