Chapter 291
Chapter 291
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 291
Chapter Title: Elfheim (3)
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The elves were captured in no time.
"...The tide of battle is turning against Elfheim."
The female elf answered Demian's question with a face full of humiliation.
"I don't know what trick they used, but Pandemonium broke through the Illusion Barrier and launched a surprise attack on Elfheim. As a result, Elfheim suffered massive losses from the very start."
Elfheim had relied heavily on the Illusion Barrier for the island's defense.
They hadn't anticipated it being breached and had no countermeasures in place. The damage was inevitable.
'It’s unfolding just like in my past life.'
That said, it wasn't entirely the elves' fault.
The Illusion Barrier enveloping Elfheim had been created by the mighty World Tree.
The World Tree was a sacred entity that had existed since the dawn of time. Thus, the barrier it produced was extraordinarily powerful.
The fact that humans hadn't located Elfheim for centuries was proof of that.
"Already, half the island has fallen into Pandemonium's hands. They're holding on somehow for now, but it won't last much longer."
"It's hard to understand. Couldn't they just summon the Spirit Kings to drive out Pandemonium?"
Elf warriors gained their power through contracts with spirits.
Even the weakest spirit was a tremendous being capable of obliterating an entire mountain.
At the pinnacle of such spirits stood the Spirit Kings.
The Spirit Kings were fearsome entities often called nature itself incarnate.
Elfheim had no fewer than three contractors bound to such Spirit Kings.
"After Pandemonium invaded, the World Tree's power weakened dramatically. On top of that, one of the Spirit Kings was stolen away."
"Stolen?"
Demian wore an incredulous expression.
To forcibly contract a spirit, one first had to subjugate it.
Naturally, subjugating a being as mighty as a Spirit King was next to impossible.
The female elf gave Demian a strange look.
"...Are you pretending not to know? Or do you really not know?"
"I already told you I'm not with Pandemonium."
"...Pandemonium's great evil, the Ruler of Eternal Flames, stole the Fire Spirit King."
Demian couldn't help but be shocked at those words.
'The future has changed again.'
The Ruler of Eternal Flames was a great evil comparable to Sla, the Weapon Master.
In his past life, the Ruler of Eternal Flames had coveted the Fire Spirit King but ultimately failed to subjugate it.
"It's not just the Ruler of Eternal Flames. Pandemonium brought four incredibly powerful undead with them. Even two of them were monstrous enough to rival a Spirit King."
She was probably referring to the Four Great Demon Kings. No other undead could stand against a Spirit King besides them.
"If the Empire's Greatest Sword hadn't come to aid us, Elfheim would have already fallen."
"Wait, the Empire's Greatest Sword is here?"
Demian asked in surprise. It was that unexpected a name.
"...Seeing as you didn't know that either, you really must not be with Pandemonium."
"Just answer the question. Why is the Empire's Greatest Sword here?"
"The Empire's Greatest Sword is..."
The female elf trailed off and shut her mouth.
"...This is something I can't possibly speak of."
Demian stared steadily at the female elf. She cried out in panic.
"N-no matter what you do to me, I can't say this!"
"..."
"Even if you take my tribesmen hostage, it won't work!"
"Then there's no helping it."
As Demian stepped back, the female elf let out a sigh of relief.
From Demian's perspective, he could just ask the Empire's Greatest Sword directly, so there was no need to press her now.
"Do you know anything about a guy named Dorgo?"
It was time to get to the main point.
The female elf merely blinked at Demian's question.
"Dor...go?"
"Looks like you don't. Bantadi, you must know something, right?"
Demian turned to Bantadi.
Bantadi was affiliated with Pandemonium and knew Dorgo's name.
So there was a good chance he knew more about him.
"I'm sorry! I have no idea where that bastard is either!"
"You're the one who was attacking Elfheim on his orders."
"That's true, but all us grunts get are the orders themselves!"
Demian fell into thought again at Bantadi's words.
He hadn't expected to come all the way to Elfheim and still have to hunt for Dorgo.
"...You're really not with Pandemonium?"
The female elf asked cautiously. Demian made an annoyed face as he replied.
"How many times do I have to say it before you believe me... What are you doing now?"
At some point, the female elf had knelt before Demian.
"...I'll trust you and make this request. Please lend us your strength to rescue my tribesmen."
"Have your tribesmen been kidnapped?"
"Pandemonium razed the forests in the occupied zones to build fortresses. My tribesmen are being held captive there."
The female elf bit her lip and continued.
"Elfheim's warriors are tied up blocking Pandemonium's main force and have no spare manpower. I wanted to rescue them myself, but I'm not strong enough. So I'm begging you."
The female elf slammed her forehead to the ground and shouted.
"If we stay like this, my tribesmen will all be sacrificed to the black mages' experiments. Please help us!"
Demian stroked his chin.
In his past life, Demian had served as Dorgo's vanguard and attacked Elfheim.
He had slain countless elves, extinguished spirits, and ultimately destroyed even the World Tree.
Without the World Tree, the elves had all become test subjects for the black mages and met gruesome ends.
He couldn't ignore such a plea now, even if Dorgo was the priority.
"...Wait, a fortress?"
In that moment, an idea flashed through his mind.
If he couldn't find Dorgo's location, couldn't he make Dorgo come to him?
Razing Pandemonium's camps would surely provoke a reaction from Dorgo.
'The prisoners are the problem, though.'
He wanted to charge in and smash the fortress right away.
But doing so might prompt Pandemonium to take the elves hostage and threaten him.
Suddenly, he recalled the incident with the hammer dwarf.
'Ah, no need to worry.'
Demian turned to Bantadi and asked.
"Bantadi, are you good at acting?"
***
A short while later, Demian had arrived at Pandemonium's fortress alongside Bantadi.
'A fortress, huh... It's quite the scale.'
A towering wall had been erected atop a clearing where all the trees had been felled.
Dark Knights stood guard atop the wall, exuding a menacing aura.
As Demian surveyed the fortress, the female elf asked in a reluctant tone.
"...Is this really the only way?"
It couldn't be helped. She and the other elves were bound in iron chains.
Demian had also donned a robe turned inside out to impersonate one of Bantadi's subordinates.
Demian's name was already well-known within Pandemonium. If he didn't conceal his face, someone might recognize him.
"I'm going to use the excuse that I captured you all to get close to the prison, so bear with it."
"..."
The female elf looked at Demian with clear unease.
By then, the group had reached the fortress gates. Demian whispered to Bantadi, who stood at the front.
"Bantadi, I'm counting on you."
"Yes, just leave it to me!"
Bantadi cleared his throat and shouted toward the wall.
"You bastards! I'm here! Open the gates now!"
"Oh, isn't that Bantadi? Any luck on your hunt?"
"Can't you see? I bagged a heap of elf scum!"
"Impressive. Opening the gates right away."
With the sound of pulleys, the firmly shut gates began to open.
"Lord Demian, let's head inside."
Demian followed Bantadi into the fortress.
The first thing he saw was soldiers bustling about. They were transporting weapons for the war and materials needed for black magic rituals.
'What’s that?'
Next to catch Demian's eye was a structure in the center of the fortress.
A massive pulley system had been erected in the middle. Beneath it yawned a deep, wide pit.
"Bantadi, what's that?"
"My noble lord, I'm sorry. I haven't heard anything about it. Only that it's an extremely important facility."
The more he heard, the more suspicious it seemed. Demian found it hard to tear his eyes away from the pulley.
"Lord Demian, I'll guide you to the prison."
Bantadi's words snapped Demian out of it. The pulley intrigued him, but rescuing the elf prisoners was the priority now.
As Bantadi started walking,
The sky above the fortress suddenly split open. A rift formed at its center, like a door, and a woman stepped out.
Her appearance was undoubtedly beautiful, yet it evoked an inexplicable discomfort—like the unease from something too perfect.
'...Sita.'
It was Sita, one of the Four Great Demon Kings.
As soon as Sita appeared, the black mages and Dark Knights of the fortress gathered.
One of them asked her politely.
"Lady Sita, what brings you here?"
"I've come to check on the progress by his command. How far has 'that' infiltrated?"
"The amount you provided last time has all seeped into the underground."
"I suppose I should verify that."
Sita headed toward the pit. The black mages and Dark Knights followed.
Suddenly, Sita stopped. She glanced toward Demian and Bantadi.
"...You there, come over here?"
Bantadi glanced at Demian for a moment. Demian nodded.
Even one of the Four Great Demon Kings wouldn't recognize him.
Demian had completely suppressed his presence right now.
Bantadi led the group over to Sita.
"What are you doing right now?"
"We were transporting the captured elf prisoners to the prison."
Bantadi gestured to the bound elves. But Sita didn't even glance their way.
"Is the man next to you a subordinate?"
Instead, she pointed at Demian. Bantadi answered promptly.
"Yes. He's useless in skill but quick on the uptake, so I keep him around."
"I see. You're free to go."
Bantadi bowed his head and moved on. Demian followed.
As Demian passed by Sita's side,
Suddenly, Sita swung her hand like a blade. Black magic energy surged toward Demian.
Demian swung Yeomyeong to block it. He wasn't hurt, but the robe he wore tore open.
His face was exposed as a result. Sita stared at it and said.
"So it is you."
"How did you know? I hid my presence perfectly."
In response to Demian's question, Sita pointed to her ear.
"I have good ears. I remembered the sounds your body makes from our last meeting."
Demian let out a scoff.
Every human organ produced unique sounds. Sita had identified him through them.
Anyone else might have dismissed it as nonsense.
But Demian knew exactly what abilities Sita possessed. It was child's play for her.
He just hadn't expected her to memorize his sounds in that brief encounter.
"I wanted to meet you again."
Sita spread her hand. Smoke gathered in the air, forming a longsword.
Demian tilted his head at the weapon she drew.
'She used a greatsword in my past life, didn't she?'
In his past life, Sita had wielded a greatsword. He still remembered it well since it was similar in size to the one he used.
"As one swordswoman to another, care to teach me a move?"
Demian twisted his lips at Sita's question.
For a mere undead to challenge him with a sword?
He knew it was provocation, but he had no choice but to bite.
"For an undead to play at being a knight."
Demian raised his mana. Sita drew up her black magic energy in kind.
In that instant, both figures vanished.
Two swords clashed in midair.