Chapter 269: Tears of the Elf Queen
Chapter 269: Tears of the Elf Queen
〈Record〉
Elves can be defined as supernatural beings who command entities known as ‘Spirits,’ which are distinct from ‘Users.’ They consider the World Tree, ‘Yggdrasil,’ their parent and live in harmony with nature and spirits. They are a dignified people who have formed their own distinct society. According to all reports to date, they have not been found on the Eastern, Western, or Northern Continents, and are known to appear only in a place called the ‘Elven Forest’ on the Southern Continent.
The appearance of an elf is very similar to that of a human, but there are clear differences. It is a widely known fact that they are all people of exquisite beauty, regardless of whether they are male or female.
Delving into more detail, their ears are not rounded like a human's but are more pointed, resembling a leaf. They have wings on their backs similar to those of a dragonfly, which can be seen as a standard for dividing the classes within elven society. Furthermore, their level of physical vitality is so great that they possess a life force far superior to that of humans.
So, what are the unique characteristics of elves? Users on the Southern Continent (England) often refer to elves as ‘the race of nature that sings of noble light.’ They are indeed a graceful and pure people who love music and peace. However, because they make rational and logical judgments in all matters, they can also be merciless toward those they have designated as their ‘enemies.’
The movements of an elf are incredibly light and agile. This is especially true in the forest, which is practically their sanctuary, where all their actions receive a positive correction. (Some say that elves possess an ability similar to the Blessing of the Forest. While this has not been officially confirmed, observing the few elves the author has seen suggests this theory is quite credible.)
Countless records have been reported confirming their appearance in the Elven Forest. While it is impossible to review them all, there is one common piece of advice found throughout. That is, if you are not confident in controlling your emotions, you must never lie in front of an elf.
The eyes of an elf are remarkably clear and pure. Their eyes are said to have an efficiency similar to Clairvoyance B Rank Zero, but above all, they are also said to possess an uncanny ability to read human emotions and perceive one's inner self with a calm gaze.
As mentioned briefly above, elves have a social structure similar to that of humans. Their class is determined by the wings on their backs. Generally, newborn baby elves are born with a small pair of wings, which take about 30 years to fully develop.
Furthermore, there is no ‘king’ in elven society. Traditionally, only females are given the right to become their leader, so only a ‘queen’ exists.
The queen of the elves. That position is reserved for a specially chosen elf from among the most outstanding, and her elegance and nobility are said to be comparable to the goddesses who descended a few times in ancient days. However, the position of the elf queen is currently vacant. There is an elf named ‘Margarita Dalant Vitrais’ who was elected queen about 300 years ago, but her current whereabouts are unknown.
Given that ‘Yggdrasil’ does not permit the election of a new queen, it is said there is a possibility she is still alive somewhere on the Northern Continent. (For more details, please refer to the records on the ancient magic city of Magia in the Hall Plain from 300 years ago.)
Occasionally, opinions have gathered among the elves to elect a temporary queen, but most elves have rejected this. In other words, the influence of the elf queen named Margarita continues to this day, 300 years later. That is how much sanctity and nobility she possessed, to a degree that other elves could not dare to aspire to.
The queen’s noble character and elegant beauty, revealed during the salvation of the Hall Plain, must have been a popular topic of discussion at the time, as records about her are still being discovered.
Reference: Mariposa Grand Library, Southern Continent Central Metropolis, Row E, 15th line, expedition record ‘Elven Forest.’
*
For now, the task of rescuing the Users on the first floor was complete. We had saved a total of seven people. Among them were some who looked as if they could breathe their last at any moment, but I did what I could for them. The rest depended solely on how tenaciously they could cling to life.
They all seemed to have suffered severe hardships, as every single one of them was unconscious. After laying the rescued Users neatly in a wider corridor, I stared silently into the inner passage. According to Ko Yeonju, who had just returned, there was a passage on the opposite wall that led to the right, and a quick check had revealed a staircase going down. If that was the case…
“Sob, sob…”
The crying, which hadn't stopped for a while, suddenly pulled me from my thoughts. The source of the sound was Ahn Sol. The shock of seeing the man with all his limbs amputated must have been immense, as tears and snot were streaming down her face. Seeing her stubbornly chanting healing spells even in that state, I spoke in a low voice.
“Kim Hanbyul, Baek Hangyul, Ahn Sol. You three will wait here. Don’t stop healing, keep at it. If any of the Users wake up during treatment, keep them absolutely calm. And Ahn Hyun, you stay here and protect them. Stay on high alert in case something unexpected happens.”
“Yes, hyung. Don’t worry. Ah, I’ll give this back to you.”
Ahn Hyun answered at once and handed the Sun and Moon Divine Sword back to me. After sheathing it, I turned to Ko Yeonju and Lee Yoojung and continued.
“Ko Yeonju. Please guide me to the passage you found earlier. The number of rescued Users is smaller than expected, so we need to check that area as well. And Yoojung, what will you do? Will you come with us or stay here?”
“I’ll go with you. Yes. I’m going…”
Lee Yoojung’s expression and voice lacked their usual energy. It made sense. She had only grown accustomed to being the one hunting monsters; she had rarely been in a position to be attacked by them or witness such a scene. As such, expecting her to have the same stomach for this as me or Ko Yeonju was a distant hope.
So I left four people behind and proceeded with just three toward the other underground passage Ko Yeonju had discovered. On the way, I had to pass by a section of the prison I hadn't seen before. Of course, only traces of it remained now. But seeing the stains splattered everywhere, I could easily imagine what the imprisoned Users had endured.
Soon, we found the entrance leading down to the second basement floor that Ko Yeonju had discovered. We opened the door and slowly descended the stairs. We exchanged no words as we went down. It was likely because the increasingly pungent stench of blood assaulting our noses gave us a rough idea of the situation on the second floor.
It didn't take as long as it had to get from the castle to the first basement floor. In less than five minutes, we found another door, shimmering with a silver light, that led to the second basement. The moment we stood before it, a nauseating stench of blood washed over my entire body, intensely stimulating my sense of smell. The odor, incomparably stronger than on the first floor, emanated an immense ‘malice.’
The door was locked. I could faintly sense some kind of magical treatment on it, but a check with Third Eye confirmed it wasn't a dangerous trap. With a Strength of 96, it was something I could handle with my raw stats alone. Just as I was about to force the door open, I paused, relaxing the strength I was building, and looked back. I had intended to warn Lee Yoojung to brace herself before we went in. It was then.
“…Yoojung.”
“Huh, yes? What, what is it, Oppa?”
Lee Yoojung answered, her head snapping up in surprise like a child caught doing something she shouldn't. She quickly hid her right hand, but I had already seen it. Though her right hand was trembling, she was gripping Skurepf tightly. I quickly approached her and forcibly took the sword from her grasp. I felt a faint resistance as if she didn't want to let go, but with a bit of force, the demonic sword was soon in my hand.
Lee Yoojung looked up at me with wavering eyes. Her pupils were stained a deep red.
“Oppa…”
“Just throw up if you have to. I won’t say anything. I understand how you all feel, and I’m not going to be that hard on you.”
“That’s not it…”
“I told you before, didn’t I? Don’t depend on it, and don’t let it sway you. But you’re relying on Skurepf right now. You were about to do it again just now. Weren’t you?”
I had thought she was holding up surprisingly well against the horrific sights, but it seemed she had been relying on the demonic sword all along. If she couldn't control it, it was no different from pouring poison into the vessel of one's disposition. Lee Yoojung hung her head low, with nothing to say. I sighed at the sight of her. “You and I are going to have a talk when we get back,” I said, then tucked Skurepf away and stood before the door again.
Placing my hand in the center, I felt a heavy resistance travel up my palm. I slowly leaned my body forward and pushed the massive iron door open.
*
The second basement floor was not structured like the first. It wasn't divided into multiple cells with iron bars, but was one large room that could be considered a great prison. It was about 2,100 square feet in size. The room was filled with torture devices, and the jarring contrast with the occasional bed or bathtub created a sense of imbalance. It was certainly a situation one would find strange, but such thoughts had to be put aside. The scene inside was that shocking.
The room was filled with the smell of blood. The source of the stench was the corpses hanging or scattered everywhere. As I calmly observed them, the words of Kwon Sora and Mavolo came to mind.
‘As for the second one, men get their limbs amputated! And for women, rape comes as an extra!’
‘If you run that pretty mouth of yours one more time, I’ll personally spread your thighs and rip you in half, starting from your crotch.’
Their words hadn't been lies. Perhaps they could speak so casually because they had already done it before.
Just as Kwon Sora had said, various human body parts were neatly arranged on one side of the floor. A severed head had been set apart from the rest; looking closely, I saw the face of a man. His eyes were closed, and his expression was strangely peaceful amid the surrounding horror. Beside it stood a triangular wooden horse that appeared to be a torture device, with a woman’s corpse draped over it in exactly the state Mavolo had described.
That wasn't all. The scene here was like looking at a butcher's shop. It was a sea of corpses. Human bodies hanging in pieces, sorted by body part, corpses piled in large containers, and so on. The floor was so soaked with blood dripping from the hanging bodies that it had pooled and was beginning to flow. As I stood there for a moment, I felt someone gently tug at my arm.
“Soohyun. Over there… Look.”
“What is it?”
Ko Yeonju was also speechless at the horrific carnage before her. The moment I turned toward where she was pointing, I gasped as well. I had experienced more than enough horrors over ten years, so I was not easily sickened. But what I saw next went well beyond my expectations. An adult unicorn lay there in a truly miserable state—its horn had been ripped out, all four legs had been severed, and its belly had been split open.
“Uweeeghhhhh!”
Finally unable to hold it in any longer, Lee Yoojung bent over and began vomiting violently. In a way, it sounded like a grief-stricken wail at the tragic sight. Clear saliva dripped from her mouth, while tears fell in heavy drops.
“Uwegh, uweeegh! Uwaaah!”
“……”
I watched her retching repeatedly and was about to approach to pat her on the back.
Rustle, rustle rustle.
Just then, I heard the sound of someone stirring, pushing aside a dry blanket. The sound came from the bed. I immediately turned my gaze to the bed in the corner of the room.
“Mmm…? Master, you’ve returned…?”
And as I heard the beautiful, calm voice, I saw fine, silky silver hair cascading down smoothly.