Dancing with Elves (4)
Getting stronger is important. It's important for those around me to grow strong too, but my own strength matters more.
I can't very well order Lady Mente to assassinate the crown prince, after all.
Lady Mente was one of the Eight Divine Generals, but if truth be told, she ranked near the bottom. The emperor's eight masters each had their own hierarchy, and their levels of power varied greatly. Lady Mente had only just become a master right before the war, claiming her spot by the skin of her teeth. Yet even now, at this point in time, the emperor—then the crown prince—had already begun gathering masters to build his power.
If I asked Lady Mente to risk her life on a mission, the most I could expect would be for her to hold off one of the Eight Divine Generals when I went after the emperor. That was why I needed to grow stronger. And to do that, I accepted the Platinum Lord's offer.
Thanks to her—
"Flying through the skies looks familiar to you."
"Yeah, well."
I was riding behind the Platinum Lord, soaring through the heavens. With a mighty flap, enormous white wings beat left and right. Anyone seeing this would think it was a bird—and honestly, that's what I'd thought the first time I saw it—but reality was different.
"Platinum Lord."
"What is it?"
"Is this the unicorn I've only heard tales of?"
A horse with white wings. A yellow horn sprouting from its forehead. A beast of legend effortlessly carrying two people through the air...!
"Not a unicorn, but a heavenly horse breed. A Pegasus."
"......"
"Unicorns can't fly. And even I couldn't ride one."
"Ahem."
Maybe it was her age, but the Platinum Lord's speech was even coarser than Lady Mente's.
"Platinum Lord."
"What is it?"
"I'm fifteen."
"To an elf over five hundred years old, fifty or fifteen makes no difference."
"You know human customs, don't you?"
"Just two hundred years ago, fifteen was old enough to marry and have a child."
I realized it then. This being was what they'd call a "boomer" back in the empire without batting an eye.
"More surprising still."
"What's so surprising?"
"This body is undoubtedly alluring enough by human standards to make one pounce, yet you show no stirring of desire whatsoever."
"...If we weren't flying right now, I'd have let go of that hand on my waist and gotten off immediately."
"Oh? So older women aren't your type?"
"It's not that older women aren't my type—it's that someone else has already claimed a place in my heart."
"Hmm... A fitting answer for a Gibraltar."
"I hear that a lot."
Objectively speaking, the Platinum Lord was right.
"Some romanticize love with elves, but alas, I'm not one of them."
But with my convictions firmly rooted in subjectivity, there was no reason for my heart to waver for her.
"Sorry to disappoint you, Platinum Lord."
"Your tone is as insolent as can be. No different from Cardian."
"Were you and Lord Cardian ever... involved like that? If we're going there—"
"Hardly. He was more like an enemy."
"......Pardon?"
The Platinum Lord turned her head.
"That man dared to threaten me."
Her head swiveled nearly 180 degrees, her gaze locking directly onto mine.
"That's why I've gritted my teeth and honed my blade for centuries in revenge."
"......"
"When an elf holds a grudge, it lasts a lifetime. Watch yourself."
"I don't think I've wronged you yet."
"Not so far, but mind yourself going forward."
"......"
I'd have to watch my words, at least. She might torment me later under the pretense of teaching swordsmanship, like Father did before my regression.
"Truth be told, I didn't expect you'd come so willingly."
"......"
"Before you're even part of a guardian family, for a mere child to be invited to the elf forest out of the blue—and accept? That's no everyday occurrence."
"......That."
I pointed ahead.
"Everything else is fine, but with your body facing forward and your head twisted back like that, it's a bit scary for me."
"Is it? Then... here."
With a smooth motion, the Platinum Lord spun around on the horse's back to face me directly.
"Better?"
She even crossed her legs, resting her knee on my thigh.
"What, were you hoping for a hug?"
"Forgive me, but if I ever seat someone in front of me, it'll only be the one I love—and face-to-face at that."
"Hahaha. What fine resolve. Your future partner will be fortunate indeed."
The Platinum Lord chuckled softly, meeting my eyes head-on.
"Anyway, you seem ready to talk, and the barrier's drawing near. Shall we walk and converse from here?"
With a snap of her fingers extended to the side, the Pegasus slowly folded its wings and began descending.
Flap, flap. Like a bird alighting on a branch, the Pegasus beat its wings grandly before gently touching down in a forest clearing.
"Follow me. Beyond this point, the paths are known only to elves—humans can easily lose their way."
"I've heard no one has ever entered the elf forest and returned alive..."
The moment I saw the forest entrance, chills ran down my spine.
"Do the elves just leave the dead like that?"
Beneath a massive tree lay scattered bones.
"Yes. But rest easy—it's not intentional."
If they were animal bones, I'd shrug it off, but the skull shapes and everything screamed human remains.
"They starved before even reaching the maze entrance."
"Don't you bury them?"
"We leave them. They're part of nature now."
Nature. Elves might resemble humans, but their worldview was worlds apart.
"At least with those around, the timid turn back at the sight."
"Those who press on despite their fear, seeking elves..."
"End up like that."
A little ways into the forest, more bones appeared. A skeleton face-down, collapsed—reminding me of those who starved to death in Sevillea territory.
"......"
"This forest has no animals. Only plants."
The Platinum Lord smiled faintly.
"No animals means no insects either."
"......"
What a terrifying maze.
Elf Forest. End.
"We're here."
"......"
About two hours on foot, perhaps. The term "maze" felt laughable as the Platinum Lord navigated it effortlessly.
If the forest proper is just two hours away, it's no wonder people get lost.
With a maze like this, any half-baked intruder would die inside. Bones littered the early paths, heavily weathered, but midway onward, no human traces remained at all.
In other words, most starved long before reaching the elf forest itself. No matter how much food they packed—surviving on plants alone wouldn't cut it.
"The maze troubles you more than the elf city itself. Worried I'll make you find your way alone someday?"
"No."
It made me a touch fearful, all the same.
"I'm just wondering how anyone could breach it."
How had the crown prince and his Eight Divine Generals done it?
"Plenty of ways. Disable the barrier inside the elf city, kill the maze's architect—me—or destroy the entire maze."
"You can just tell me that?"
"I thought you knew. Heh heh heh."
"......"
I was trying not to let my guard down, but every word cut like a knife.
"Stay alert, but not too tense. The elves here won't pay you much mind... or maybe they will."
"......?"
"First, off with this cumbersome thing."
The Platinum Lord flung off her robe—
"What are you doing?"
"What does it look like?"
I barely caught her hand before she stripped further.
"What are you doing?" I repeated.
"What else? This is the elf forest, and that's human garb."
"Wait—this is elf clothing, isn't it?"
"Just ceremonial wear for dealing with humans."
Was this woman pulling some advanced deception on me right now?
"Strange. Do you think elves wear clothes?"
"......"
"Anyone who's been to the elf forest once would know."
"I'm fifteen. I've never been."
"Exactly. But even at home, do you wear stuffy clothes to bed? Sleep in your coat, socks, and boots?"
"No, but you're the host—surely you won't wander around so scantily with a guest here?"
"Scantily? Your imagination runs wild."
The Platinum Lord shook off my hand and tugged at the inner layer of her dress-like outerwear.
"Think there's anything underneath this ceremonial robe?"
"If you're testing my true nature, maybe just stop?"
This was going too far, even so.
"I've never been to the elf forest before—this is my first time. First time meeting you too. Satisfied?"
"Hmm... No hint of a lie. Very well."
The Platinum Lord released her ceremonial robe.
"Honesty suits you. Of course—you'd know lies don't work on elves anyway."
"I do."
"How much do you know about elves?"
"......"
The Platinum Lord's expression shifted gradually.
"No."
Seriously.
"Let me rephrase."
She approached the cliff edge, gazing down at the lush green forest beyond.
"This is the elf forest. The city of spirits guarding the World Tree, axis of the world."
"......"
Between the trees stood an ancient city of intricately molded gray clay, harmonizing perfectly with the woods.
"If this place fell, how do you imagine it would happen?"
"...I don't know the details."
It filled me with dread to even voice it, and I wouldn't blurt it to just anyone.
"Say I heard it as a rumor in a dream."
I couldn't say I'd regressed, but—
"One day, the world's strongest man casually boasted of it. That he'd burned the elf forest and slaughtered the elves."
"......"
"Whatever else, he wasn't a vampire kin or demon-blooded—just a pure 'human.'"
What terrified me most about Hapsburg von Tersian wasn't his actions or ideology.
"He bragged how he'd destroyed the elf forest."
By species, he was undeniably human-born.
"Is that so."
The Platinum Lord gazed wistfully at the gray city below, a bitter smile on her lips.
"If true, that human must've allied with traitors—or had some hidden ties you don't know from that dream."
"......"
I had no idea. The only link between the empire and vampires I'd found was Silver Dust. My regression had only clarified it further, letting me infer more from her words now.
Vampires were nothing beside the emperor and his Eight Divine Generals to begin with—
"......"
"What is it? Something come to mind?"
"......"
Just a possibility, but—
What if he'd purged all internal threats, preparing solely for a human war?
The emperor had wiped out the elves.
"Platinum Lord."
"Yes."
"The vampires humans call bloodsuckers. Not the corrupted spawn, but the true originals..."
"They call themselves 'True Ancestors.' Pathetic lot."
"......"
"You seem to have a hunch, but no certainty."
Dealt with the elves. All the elves.
Vampires could be killed and recycled into ash.
"...Ha."
It wasn't impossible—a hollow laugh escaped me.
He prepared thoroughly.
The realization only deepened my fear—and my desperation.
"Let's go, Platinum Lord. There's something I want to show you."
"Very well. But..."
The Platinum Lord hesitated, eyeing me up and down.
"You don't mean your body, do you?"
"......Pardon?"
"No, just... I thought you'd decided to embrace elf customs."
"Wait—"
"Look."
She pointed ahead, where elves began appearing one by one on the rooftops of the gray buildings.
"The spirits of nature, in the elf forest."
"......"
Their utterly natural forms left my mind reeling.
"Platinum Lord."
"What now."
"Don't elves have a clothing culture in your civilization?"
"Ha."
Nature.
"You."
Another name.
"Sound just like Erwin."
Feral. Wild.