Chapter 168
Chapter 168
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 168
Chapter Title: Guardians of the World Tree (3)
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Kadim decided not to travel with Ilenia any longer.
To put it nicely, that was the story; to be blunt, he chased her away.
Ilenia forced down her bitterness and accepted it. Claiming they'd come in handy later, she left behind a few mysterious blue leaves before listlessly departing from the group and vanishing somewhere.
"……."
"……."
Duncan didn't dare ask what happened. Kadim wore the same feral, murderous expression as when they'd first met.
Taking into account her guidance so far, it was clear he was desperately suppressing the urge to kill her. Now that Ilenia was gone, bearing the brunt of that killing intent fell squarely on him. Duncan followed Kadim with trepidation, feeling like he was walking on a floor studded with needles.
- Screeeeech!
- Caaaaaaw!
That was why, when the flock of monstrous birds targeting them appeared, it was almost a relief. If he butchered them all, it might vent Kadim's rage and improve his mood.
But after inspecting the fallen bird, that feeling evaporated.
"Eh? M-Master, th-this isn't a bird, it's a p-person……."
"……."
And not just any person. Transparent skin, glossy hair—even though the axe blade had mangled the facial features, those long, pointed ears confirmed it…… That 'race' without a doubt.
The legendary race said to have vanished after the Mythic Era: elves.
Duncan never dreamed his first elf sighting would be a freshly killed one. His mind reeled with the potential fallout. Meanwhile, Kadim indifferently raised his axe again.
Whiiirrr…… Thunk!
- Squeak!
Whiiirrr…… Thunk!
- Caw!
The monstrous birds plummeted one after another under axe throws faster than arrows. Feathers flew with each hit, revealing elven bodies beneath. Though the birds belatedly fired arrows in retaliation or gained altitude, it was futile. Arrows were swatted aside, and thrown axes reached higher than the mountaintops.
Duncan cried out in stunned horror.
"M-Master! Th-those things aren't just birds, as you can see—they're elves transformed into birds! Is it really okay to keep k-killing them like this?"
"……Probably not."
"Pardon? Th-then why……."
"If I hadn't thrown first, we wouldn't have been okay. Didn't you see them aiming their bows as they dove? You didn't want your skull turned into a pincushion, did you, Duncan?"
"……."
Kadim dismissed the concern with one curt line.
"Those birds are harmful."
He ignored that they were a legendary race unseen even in his first playthrough, that they transformed into birds to fly, or that there were quite a few of them. If they bared their claws and threatened him, he would simply kill them.
After about an hour, most of the birds had been felled by axes. The sole survivor was the largest one, cloaked in pale blue feathers and a turquoise aura.
- Screeeeeech!
It climbed above the clouds and fled north in panic. Given its size and bearing, it seemed like the leader…… Letting it go would surely bring reinforcements.
Kadim clicked his tongue and turned to Duncan.
"Finish off all the ones on the ground, Duncan. I'll catch that one and come back."
"Pardon? M-Master? How am I supposed to chase a bird from the ground……."
Boom!
Before Duncan could finish, he kicked off the earth violently.
As Duncan had rightly questioned, it was an impossible pursuit by any normal logic. How could anyone chase a bird soaring through clear skies while navigating dense forest—not even flat terrain? Moreover, the bird's flight speed rivaled the swiftest raptors.
Yet the pursuer defied logic, steadily closing the distance.
Kadim knew he couldn't catch it with ordinary pursuit. The moment the chase began, he drank demon blood and activated the 'Hydra's Tattoo'.
Boom! Rumble rumble rumble!
Using that as the signal, a rampage began that flattened the forest into plains.
Intoxicated by surging bloodlust, he smashed through obstructing trees and undergrowth indiscriminately. His densely packed leg muscles coiled like springs, propelling him into leaps as dizzying as any bird's.
The turquoise aura trailed like a contrail, making it impossible to lose track. Trees snapped or ground cratered—it didn't matter. He focused solely on pursuing that trajectory through the sky. Like a massive armored tank, he bulldozed a new road through the great forest at high speed.
The bird belatedly noticed its pursuer. Spotting the thick dust cloud rising from its feet, it panicked and beat its wings furiously. But having flown far already, its energy waned. Wing feathers molted from its arms, and its altitude gradually dropped.
Kadim seized the chance, exploding upward and igniting a thunderbolt.
Boom! Crackle crackle crackle!
Lightning boosted his propulsion, launching him like a cannon-fired beam of destruction.
Flash!
- Squeal!
――――――――― Kaboom!
The upward thunderbolt struck the target dead-on. It stiffened rigidly, shed its singed feathers, and plummeted.
Thud!
Kadim had finally caught up to his airborne quarry.
"Huff, huff, haa……."
Steadying his ragged breaths, he approached the elf. He'd assumed it dead, but surprisingly, it still clung to life. Toughest of the bunch I saw. Gripping its charred ankle, he began retracing his path.
Thus, the pale-winged swan that had ruled the skies became a charred elf roast, dragged ignominiously by the barbarian.
*
The elf barely recovered from its wounds and regained consciousness. But interrogating it hit a major snag from the start.
"……Where are you lot from?"
"Urgh…… Remi-bol skent-mor…… Bel-hes-illia karahemka?"
"Why'd you attack us on sight?"
"Hic, nas-k-dore mohkel, kuh…… Bens-dera ashubhta……."
"……."
……No clue what it was saying.
It wasn't that strange, really. Humans and elves had no contact since the Mythic Era, so mutual intelligibility would be the anomaly.
Still, the frustration was unavoidable. If that archaeologist had stuck around…… He'd have made some sense of it.
Duncan felt it acutely. The mutterings she'd made in her sleep sounded just like this elf's words. But he kept it to himself—no need to scratch open wounds. Just mentioning the 'ar' in archaeologist would set Kadim off right now.
No clear solution emerged after a while. Just as the barbarian resolved to teach the elf gestural language through physical encouragement……
Duncan found the key.
"Ah, M-Master……! What if, uh, th-that, n-not her, b-but these leaves someone left behind…… Aren't they for a time like this?"
"……."
Kadim's piercing gaze made Duncan feel the weight of his words. After agonizing, he shut his eyes and popped a blue leaf into his mouth.
Suddenly, the elf understood him.
"Uh…… H-hey, elf? Can you understand what I'm saying?"
"……!! Tra-san-do repelorhin marta-den?? Hoo…… Ewite-land meun-sa-begrsi……."
"Ah, th-that means you can understand me, right?"
He still couldn't parse the elf's reply…… But at least the elf seemed to get him.
Thankfully, crushing leaves and applying them to the ears solved one-way communication too. To onlookers, it looked like they were just talking normally, but Duncan and the elf fluently conversed and comprehended each other. After thorough questioning, Duncan reported his findings.
"Master, this one's from the elves' city called 'Hesiliad'…… Not sure what it means, but he's a wild druid belonging to the 'Guardians of the World Tree'. They formed an investigation team to find who broke the 'World Tree's branch', spotted us, and attacked…… Want to handle the rest yourself?"
"……Nah, no need. One translator's enough."
Kadim chewed the leaves Duncan offered. Unsure of duration, they should be rationed. That woman ended up useful after all. A faint bittersweet shadow crossed his stern lips.
Anyway, the interrogation proceeded smoothly under Duncan's translation.
More precisely, under Duncan's translation and Kadim's torture.
Whenever the elf stammered, Kadim twisted its long ear viciously, as if to rip it off. The intimidation rivaled gripping a human's balls.
Other matters were important, but the key question was this.
"Uh, Mr. Elf……? Last one, then. Do you know anything about the great mage named 'Melissa'?"
"……!!"
The elf's eyes widened in shock, then suspicion. It rattled off excited, incomprehensible words.
Duncan translated instantly.
"Uh…… Melissa is the name of the 'World Tree Keeper'…… The Keeper is, like, the World Tree's proxy, receiving its will closest…… How do you know her name? Hurt her and you're dead—uh, spouting all sorts of threats……."
"……."
Kadim's brow slanted sharply.
What nonsense was this? Atheist Melissa as the World Tree's proxy? No, hadn't that woman said Melissa broke the branch and was using its power freely?
Further pressing yielded nothing more. Kadim unhesitatingly dispatched the expended elf to join his minions.
Thunk!
"Guh!"
"Heok!"
Duncan recoiled in horror. Glancing at the elf spewing red fluid from its bisected face, he paled and asked.
"M-Master, that tree we felled seems really important, and the elves hold a huge grudge…… Wh-what do we do now?"
"……Go to the elves' city. Sounds like Melissa's there too, from what he said."
"P-Pardon? B-but won't all the elves there try to kill us?"
"No need to worry. They said this was their investigation team for the incident, right? We wiped them out clean. Finish our business and leave before they send another."
"……."
Duncan was uneasy but ultimately convinced. Kadim's methods were brutal, but he'd neatly severed the aftermath.
But those words were just to keep the group from panicking. The unspoken truth Kadim foresaw:
Elves despised intruders, incident or not.
That proved true soon enough with more elves.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Like the last group, they attacked without warning. A vicious arrow storm poured like rain. Kadim hurled Duncan behind a rock and ducked cover himself.
"Hic! Huff, haaaah!"
Thud, thump thump, thump thump thump!
No, this was beyond mere rain. What rain pierced dead wood and embedded in boulders? Kadim narrowed his eyes sharply, snatching a flying arrow mid-leap.
Grab, splat!
Blood sprayed; his palm skinned halfway. Hiss, the turquoise aura on the shaft dissipated.
This aura was surely 'Hesilia's divine power'. Infused somehow to empower arrows. At this power, blocking barehanded was tough…… A deep furrow creased Kadim's brow.
But that was only 'barehanded'.
Kadim gripped his jet-black axe and recited the invocation. Simultaneously activating the tattoo on his arm.
Hummm……
His skin armored in bark tougher than steel, yellowish mist forging its surface solid. Duncan watched in awe as Kadim transformed.
Atala's divine power greatly boosted resistance too. With the 'Demonic Woodification Tattoo' as base armor plus divine overlay, mere arrowheads wouldn't scratch it. Kadim smirked crookedly and rose from cover.
The moment he stepped out.
Arrows stopped dead, like a lie.
"……?"
Sudden silence. Scanning intently, he spotted the elves in the brush, frozen in shock. They fidgeted like dogs needing to pee, then one by one dropped bows and arrows. Even holdouts yielded when their leader—an apparent captain—waved arms wildly and shouted.
"Nu-a ik-rudos ewite-land! Nu-a ewite-land! Buk-ren do me-kura druid! Me-kura druid! Al-menshon dra-hubul noe……."
"Me, me-kura druid……?"
"Me-kura druid……. Oooh, me-kura druid……."
Soon, elves prostrated en masse in reverence.
Not a ploy to lower his guard. Utterly baffling. Calling Duncan to translate the leader yielded this.
"Uh…… Th-they're saying the 'Great Druid' has graced us, drop weapons and show respect, Master……?"
"……."
Vast bewilderment spread across his bark-covered face.