Chapter 209
Chapter 209
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 209
Chapter Title: Reunion (4)
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"I remember the most radiant era, Remia. All the adults who remembered that time crumbled to ashes... but I still hold onto those memories."
The elf elder.
The elf who had lived the longest.
Orbel, king of the fairy folk.
He often told her old tales. Remia loved the fairy tales he read to her every night. Even after decades, she could recite every word without a mistake.
"Towering giant trees that pierced the heavens."
"Lakes overflowing with starlight, springs that never ran dry, and jewels infused with the glow of stars."
The elves in those stories were beautiful, noble, and above all, shining. Remia had always admired those proud elves.
"The era from hundreds of years ago—the one you call ancient—was more brilliant than any other."
That was what Orbel told Remia.
"Sadly, all the elves who remembered that time perished. Trampled by the Demon King's forces, elven civilization turned to ashes. In the ruins of our old homeland, only children like me remained."
The elves had lost their brilliance. All the knowledge and techniques accumulated over thousands of years were gone. Cast into the ashes as a child, there was nothing young Orbel could do.
"It was hopeless. Even I, who carried the royal bloodline, couldn't remember much. It felt like my mind had been painted black."
Orbel called it hopeless.
He had to care for the few surviving elf children, but he was too young for the task. Thrust into the world as a child, Orbel felt fear.
"Then, someone approached me."
Whenever he spoke of that person, Orbel always closed his eyes gently. With a faint smile, as if recalling a cherished memory, he continued.
"A stranger, yet familiar. She was an exceptionally special elf."
An elf who refused the role of next elder and chose to live among humans. The first elf to reach the realm of grand archmage.
"She led me and the young elves into a forest. There, she planted the seed of the World Tree and told me to nurture it."
That place is right here, Remia.
Orbel stroked Remia's hair with a gentle smile.
"Even after that, she taught us many things. Only after I could stand as a leader did she leave our side."
That is why she is the teacher of all elves.
That is why she is called the elves' benefactress.
"Remember this, Remia."
Orbel said to her.
"She had silver hair like the moon in the night sky and golden eyes like a dragon soaring through the heavens."
A silver-haired, golden-eyed elf.
The savior of all elves, the sole survivor of the forgotten ancient era.
"Her name is..."
"...Lady Cardi."
Cardi, savior of the elves.
The ancient elf Remia had always admired.
Recalling that great elf, Remia looked up at the elf gazing down at her. Her eyes trembled under the chilling gaze.
"Ugh... urk..."
Remia struggled to rise.
Dust coated her prized golden hair, now disheveled and messy. Blood trickled from a gash on her forehead, blurring her vision.
But none of that mattered.
Remia bowed her head before Cardi. It was a gesture more reverent than any before.
"Th-this lowly archer greets the great ancestress."
As she offered her polite greeting, Raniel's eyes widened beside Cardi. Her lips parted, and a voice slipped out.
"Holy shit."
It was a genuine exclamation of shock.
The idea that this crazy elf could show such respect to anyone felt like a lie to Raniel. She blinked repeatedly.
'Am I dreaming?'
It was reality. Astonishingly.
2.
As Remia bowed, Raniel jabbed Cardi's side with her elbow. Cardi narrowed her eyes.
"...What."
"Why's she bowing to you? Great ancestress? You go around emphasizing how great you are, like with me?"
Raniel whispered in Cardi's ear.
Cardi pondered how to explain. Guessing why this un-elf-like elf was bowing wasn't hard.
'Orbel, that brat must've said unnecessary things.'
Emphasizing irrelevant parts while neglecting the basic mindset elves needed—it irked her. Cardi pressed her temple.
"It's a long story."
So she opted for a simple summary.
"I once taught Orbel, the current elf king—that young punk. He must've blabbed pointless stuff to later generations."
"Oh... so not you bragging about being great?"
Cardi frowned.
"Why would I gild my own face with ugly lies? What's so great about being called a great ancestress?"
"Uh-huh..."
Raniel drooped her head.
Her eyes held an inexplicable disappointment, like realizing someone she felt akin to was entirely different.
'...Why's she like that again?'
A fleeting question crossed Cardi's mind, but she brushed it off. Raniel was always quirky. Trying to understand every action was exhausting, so Cardi shook her head and shifted her gaze.
"Anyway."
Her eyes landed on Remia.
Cardi spoke to the bowing Remia. Her tone differed from when addressing Raniel.
"So you're the Divine Archer of this era."
Her voice was shockingly cold.
So cold that Remia's back shivered as she kept her head low.
"Y-yes, I am Remia."
"Seeing you use Moonlight Arrow suggests you truly are this era's Divine Archer. What a pity."
Cardi let out a short sigh.
"I stressed it so much to Orbel. Those blessed by the World Tree often fall into arrogance from their superiority. That's why education is crucial..."
Cold sweat beaded on Remia's neck.
Unable to lift her head, she swallowed dryly. Cardi's chilling voice seeped into her ears.
"Disappointing."
No specific target.
"Truly disappointing."
It wasn't aimed at Remia. It was for the elf king who raised her—and perhaps all modern elves.
The elves' savior, the king's teacher, declared:
'Disappointing.'
You are disappointing.
Remia's face drained of color at words from the one she idolized. She slowly raised her pale face.
"...Th-that's."
She tried to speak, but meeting Cardi's eyes silenced her.
The elf king had said her eyes resembled a dragon's. Beast-like yet chilling, they filled Remia with fear.
"In my era—the one you call ancient—the Divine Archer was an elf elder. She lived seven thousand years, the most beautiful and proud of all."
Cardi continued.
"She sacrificed her life to protect modern elves—to protect your king, Orbel. Her final technique was..."
She pointed a finger.
At Remia's bow, lying on the ground. Made from World Tree branch.
"The bow you wield."
Then at Remia's heart.
"And the Moonlight Arrow forged from the World Tree's blessing you possess. Do you understand?"
Remia swallowed dryly.
Cardi hadn't asked expecting an answer; she provided it immediately.
"Holding the title of Divine Archer means inheriting her will. It means resolving not to tarnish her pride."
Cardi asked again.
Remia felt her breath catch.
"Do you think you deserve to bear the name of Divine Archer?"
Remia couldn't answer.
Cardi paused briefly before continuing.
"It's a name too grand for you, without pride."
The idol denied her.
Remia's pride shattered. She bowed her head again. A whistle pierced the air—not from the noble ancient elf.
"Serves you right, you elf bitch!"
It came from the girl grinning triumphantly behind the elf. Remia's eyes bulged. She whipped her head around to glare.
"What, pissed? Pissing yourself?"
The girl sneered.
Heat rushed to Remia's head.
'That crazy bitch?'
Before her savior, she couldn't curse or act undignified... but Remia desperately wanted to slap the girl's cheek right then. Intensely so.
"Why the glare? Got a problem?"
"N-no. Just some dust in my eyes..."
But her defiance didn't last.
Remia bit her lip, head bowed.
3.
"Whoa..."
I watched Cardi from a few steps back, sticking out my tongue in awe. Could even Remia be silenced by the boomer energy from a thousand years of experience?
'The essence of boomer?'
As I marveled, Cardi's lecture continued, mostly on elven mindset.
"In ancient times."
"In my era."
"Our elder said."
All rooted in fundamentals—impossible to ignore. At some point, Remia knelt in seiza, listening intently.
'Never thought I'd see this in my life.'
Wishing for gum to chew, I sighed shortly. Rolling my stiff shoulders from the exertion, I thought.
Remia came here.
From her response to Cardi's question, she'd clearly come for the Holy Grail—somehow knowing about it.
'And that means...'
It led to another inference.
'Remia wouldn't come here alone.'
She's a skilled ranger, but no way she'd enter unknown ruins solo. Her presence meant...
'He's here too.'
Not great news.
I clicked my tongue.
'...Dealing with Remia wasn't hard.'
Facing a disarmed archer is easy. Not just matchup; I held initiative start to finish because I knew all her habits.
'Always aims for ankles, looks down on foes... switches to rapid fire after one or two blocks.'
And above all.
'Saves Moonlight Arrow. Too much.'
Her biggest weakness.
To her, Moonlight Arrows are treasures, not ammo. So she doesn't lead with them.
'...Underestimates opponents.'
In our party days, I'd curse her out to force an early Moonlight Arrow... but now, no one fills that role.
'If the ambush started with Moonlight Arrow?'
I couldn't have dragged the fight so easily.
Probably some injuries expected.
'And...'
If he'd charged with her from the start.
If I'd faced them together.
"......"
Imagining the 'what if,' I looked up at the half-ruined stairs. My eyes widened.
A moment of fluster.
Followed by a hollow laugh.
"Ah-ha."
Coincidence or inevitability?
He'd already arrived.
"Already here."
The sole entrance to the church basement.
The only exit.
Whoever you are, you must pass those stairs. Someone stood there. I recognized the face instantly.
No way I wouldn't.
"...Kyle."
Kyle Toben.
Facing that damn hero's mug, my expression turned blank. Complex emotions sank instead of surfacing.
And he was the same.
He stood still on the half-ruined stairs, looking down calmly. No movement. Just watching me and Cardi.
'Like he's assessing the situation.'
Suddenly, I wondered how this looked to him. Easy to guess.
Injured comrade.
Mysterious man lecturing the kneeling one... and another by the pillar, watching him.
It resembled holding a comrade hostage. At least in his eyes. Funny how it wasn't entirely wrong.
And in this situation, he would...
'Probably.'
Crack, craaack.
'Charge in.'
Headlong, no holds barred.
BOOOOM!
The stairs shatter. He charges over the debris toward me. His body glows with the Saintess's blessing... and in one hand, his signature holy sword spews starlight.
"...Ha."
A smirk tugged my lips.
I twisted my mouth watching Kyle approach amid the light. I pulled my robe hood deeper.
"What a pain in the ass."
The stocked spell on my forearm ignites.
Against the rushing starlight, blue mana erupts around me. Thud—I stomp one foot, pull back my fist.
...I know it's not a good choice.
Emotional. No real need to clash with him.
Talk might resolve it; if talks fail, I could fight later.
But seeing that damn face erased other options.
'There might be other ways.'
None I wanted. Blue mana trembled fiercely from my clenched fist with a crunch.
'First, land one punch. Then think.'
Sometimes emotion trumps reason.
Especially against a damn bastard.