Unfazed by the Fourteen Archmages
A composed demeanor that casually brushed aside the combined pressure radiating from fourteen powerful sorcerers who had reached or were approaching the 7th Circle by human magical standards.
Watching him, the elf grand elder's eyes gleamed.
"A mental fortitude that far surpasses the aura you exude? At the very least, I can see that your reputation isn't exaggerated."
Tiny's expression shifted slightly at those words. He'd braced for something more like hostile interrogation.
"However, Illein, who died by your hand, was one of the most exceptional young elves. We can't easily accept even the temple's report that she was a black mage. I hope you can understand our desire to test you ourselves."
The grand elder's words were unexpectedly amicable. Not everyone shared that sentiment, though.
"Grand Elder, this was done by humans. They must have some ulterior motive! One of our elves a black mage? And poor Illein...!"
An elderly female elf with a stern face and slender build—harsher in demeanor than the grand elder—shouted, glaring at Tiny. The grand elder frowned at her un-elf-like outburst, but someone else spoke up first.
"Eurina, put aside your preconceptions. We elves should handle this rationally, as always—in accordance with Mother World Tree's will."
"Derun, you're a elder now, and you dare speak to me like...!"
"You're getting too worked up, Eurina. It's not befitting an elf."
"Urk."
Chided by the male elf with snow-white hair but a wrinkle-free face, Elder Eurina—biting her lip—sank back into her seat.
With voices rising from three directions, each with distinct tones, Tiny's head jerked side to side, following their words.
But even this brief exchange revealed the dynamics of the elf elders' council. The other elders remained silent, merely observing, so those three likely spoke for the group.
Grand Elder Truel remains as steadfast as ever. Friendly toward other races... So Eurina's the hardliner, and young Elder Derun's the moderate. Don't recognize their faces, though.
All three appeared to be 7th Circle-level sorcerers of immense power. The rest seemed weaker, so his guess was probably spot on.
The world saw orcs as a warrior race, but elves bore the racial duty to purge the demon realm, so their leaders were typically the strongest sorcerers—and warriors. Here, "warrior" meant combatants, not like Estina, a rare mana user among elves whose frail bodies made such power uncommon.
And they aren't even using Elvish.
They were deliberately conversing in the common tongue to show him their stance.
That initial pressure was just a probe.
As if confirming his hunch, the grand elder raised his staff again, pointing it at him—not rudely, but as elven courtesy to refocus attention on the center of the matter.
"As you see, even we are divided. Would you accept coming here as agreeing to our will—and to this test of your abilities?"
"Yes, Grand Elder."
His calm reply brought a spark to the watching elders' eyes. They sensed the confidence in his voice.
Even Eurina, who'd raised her voice moments ago, merely furrowed her brow without further protest.
Grand Elder Truel nodded steadily and clapped. Growls began echoing from outside.
Tiny turned toward the entrance.
"Woof!"
"Grrrrrr."
Elves holding vine leashes dragged in two wolves.
Elves? With wolves on leashes?
Elves, friends of nature, rarely restrained animals. Animals forgot their predator-prey instincts in the elves' harmonious home.
Yet here they were, leashing wolves that exuded anything but peace.
Ranger wolves, no less...
Wolves bred by elf rangers to patrol the Great Forest. One wolf kept lunging at the other, which only dodged passively. The leashes likely prevented their clash.
- Grrrrr.
I know, stay calm.
Seeing the wolves triggered Wolrang's immediate reaction, and Tiny instantly grasped the nature of the elves' test.
And it made him frown again.
Why...?
As he tilted his head in thought—
"Hmph, as expected..."
Eurina snorted, catching his eye. Grand Elder Truel, with a faintly worried gaze, asked steadily,
"One of those two wolves is tainted by demonic energy. It caused major trouble recently—killed a young elf and several fellow ranger wolves. Do you know which one?"
All eyes in the chamber turned to Tiny.
The fierce one on the right seemed the obvious culprit.
But without hesitation, Tiny pointed to the left—the meek one merely evading attacks.
"That one. No demonic energy is detectable on the surface."
His unhesitating choice left the elders exchanging bewildered glances.
"That..."
"Eurina, ♪♬~."
"♪♬."
Suddenly, bird-like humming filled the grand hall. The elders singing amid the interrogation was absurd, but this was true Elvish.
A variant of ancient fairy tongue, they say.
A language no outsider could mimic or learn.
The chirping voices faded abruptly.
"How can you be so certain?"
Eurina's sharp gaze pierced first, in the common tongue.
"The other one's far more aggressive. Why that one?"
"As I said, I can detect hidden demonic energy. Precisely, it's my contracted spirit's ability. I knew the moment I saw it."
To be exact, it smelled souls.
"And that aggressive wolf... it's reacting to the scent of family blood on the meek one's fur."
Thanks to their kinship, Wolrang had sniffed out even the reason for its rage.
"Such..."
Eurina bit her lip, flustered. Grand Elder Truel nodded slowly.
"...Correct. No—better than expected. A true demon hunter..."
Before he finished, Tiny pointed out another anomaly.
"But something stranger: the demonic energy in that wolf doesn't seem natural. Someone tampered with it."
"What!?"
"How..."
"Wait, ♪♬......"
Birdsong erupted again in the hall.
Moments later, Grand Elder Truel's face hardened as he asked,
"Say that again clearly. What do you mean?"
"...You didn't know?"
"We thought it was on the verge of mutating into a beast, showing ferocity early. A rare case before physical change. It emits no demonic energy now—it's been docile since."
The wolf at the end of his gaze meekly bowed its head amid its kin's hostility.
But Tiny's response was firm.
"Demon worshippers tampered with it. Because..."
"Watch your words. Many fates hang on your tongue!"
Tiny could only tilt his head at Eurina's shout.
Over a mere wolf...?
- Grrr.
Ah, sorry.
Apologizing inwardly to his soul companion, Tiny stated firmly,
"As you know, beasts tainted by demonic energy mutate physically and grow savage once it exceeds a threshold. They keep absorbing more. But that wolf..."
"We've been managing it—keeping it from demonic sources!"
"...Not what I mean. It's odd it hasn't mutated despite having enough demonic energy to have done so long ago. Like someone controlled it to mutate only when needed. Though causing an incident without mutating is strange."
His words carried shocking implications, but the grand elder latched onto the first.
"The demonic energy already exceeds mutation levels?"
"Yes. Kill it now, and its flesh would rot instantly, leaving bones—like other beasts."
"Ridiculous!"
"Enough, Eurina!"
"Grand Elder!"
"This human deduced the full context just by looking. We barely confirmed the demonic energy after thorough checks. What more proof do we need!?"
"We must acknowledge his ability to detect demonic energy."
As moderate Elder Derun interjected, Eurina hastily countered.
"But that tarnishes poor Illein's honor...!"
"Hidden just as thoroughly as that black mage elf. She pretended to be a normal sorcerer, using standard magic."
Eurina's eyes flashed at Tiny's sudden interjection. Yet—
"I didn't know they'd use their recent tricks on beasts too. Why waste the effort? The wolf didn't conceal it itself, so it must've taken work."
"Why would they...!"
Eurina, about to retort, paled as realization dawned, glancing at the grand elder.
The grand elder's face darkened too, asking gravely,
"A late question, but did you come here because demon worshippers' movements targeted Elvenheim?"
"Yes, that's my belief."
"Do outsiders know your path?"
"...I didn't hide my route."
"The Light Knight's fame reaches Elvenheim. A human thwarting demon worshipper plots draws attention. Then..."
"If another demon-worshipping elf lurks in Elvenheim, they'd avoid that human."
Young Elder Derun's heavy voice echoed through the hall.
"What elf would use a ranger wolf to kill one of our own children!? Not even a human would...!"
Eurina protested with a groan. Her anti-human bias lingered, but her voice lacked conviction.
"Demon worshippers would. It had to be big enough to mobilize all Elven Knights and rangers. A beast emitting no demonic energy... We were all caught off guard. So we sent out even reserves to find the cause."
Even as the seasoned grand elder replied—
"Impossible! Even if a demon worshipper exists, this would be suicidal! It implies an elf who's both a worshipper and an idiot!"
Eurina's trembling voice pushed her final resistance. But the grand elder shook his head calmly.
"Eurina, how do we normally handle animals causing incidents? Especially those mutating into beasts?"
"..."
"Immediate execution. We spared this one for study due to its uniqueness."
Derun continued gravely for the speechless, pale Eurina.
"They couldn't predict we'd show the beast we spared to this human. I didn't think of it until this morning. If Ludel hadn't insisted strongly..."
Ludel, who'd escorted Tiny, bowed her head pale-faced.
"How could this...!"
Eurina bit her lip and lowered her head too.
The hall's atmosphere shifted instantly.
"Among the Elven Knights... a traitor!?"
"No, it fits. Everything lines up."
"Recall the Elven Knights."
"But the monster wave..."
"They timed it for that."
"This is trouble."
Unlike before, all elders now used the common tongue, clearly intending Tiny to hear.
In other words—
Test passed.
Tiny exhaled softly in relief.
Thud.
Thud.
The grand elder tapped the wooden dais where Tiny stood with his long staff, quieting the clamor.
Then—
"Sir Tiny, Light Knight, one more question."
As attention refocused—
"If you can detect demonic energy, is there anyone like that among us?"
The unexpected query tensed the room. Some glances flicked to Eurina or Ludel.
Tiny shook his head steadily.
"...Fortunately, no one here."
Everyone sighed in relief.
But Tiny wasn't done.
"If everything I've heard is true..."
"Among the Elven Knights or rangers. Scattered across the demon realm and Great Forest to find the anomaly’s source."
The grand elder's words hung heavily in the chamber.