Chapter 129: Position(2)
Chapter 129: Position(2)
The Elf Queen looked down at Lina from her throne and spoke.
“You wish to obtain the Spirit Sword Endymion?”
“Yes.”
“Pfft… Puhahaha! The hero says the most amusing things. Did you think the Spirit Sword was an item that could be handed over so easily?”
The queen, who had worn a bored expression the entire time, was now laughing.
It wasn't a mocking laugh, but one of genuine amusement, as if she had just discovered something entertaining.
“I am well aware that it is not an easy task.”
“For a human to obtain the Spirit Sword is not just difficult, it is impossible. Has becoming the hero made you arrogant? I understand. Still, thanks to you, I’ve had an enjoyable jest for the first time in a long while.”
“…I am serious, Your Majesty.”
“…”
The queen stared intently at Lina.
Her deep, profound eyes seemed to speak of the long ages she had lived.
“Are you truly saying that you can obtain Endymion?”
“…We won’t know until I try. I have only asked for the opportunity.”
“Let us say I grant you the right to obtain Endymion. What, then, can you, the hero, do for me?”
“…I believe Your Majesty already knows what I can do. The plague that is currently spreading among the elves. I will solve it for you.”
“…”
The queen propped her chin on her hand, as if in deep thought.
“How do you know of our plague? No one outside our people should be aware of it.”
“I cannot say.”
“I heard you have an elf friend. Who might that be?”
“I cannot say that, either.”
“And how do you propose to cure this plague?”
“I am sorry, but I cannot say. The moment I told you, Your Majesty would try to resolve it yourself.”
“…”
The queen looked at Lina.
People have a certain air about them. The hero’s was noble, yet pure.
She did not seem like someone who would lie.
“Very well. Give it your best. I shall grant you the right to obtain Endymion.”
The moment she spoke, the elves in the banquet hall rose to their feet.
“You mustn’t, Your Majesty! Give away Endymion!”
“It is the treasure of our people!”
“Our ancestors would never have permitted this!”
The queen’s face twisted in annoyance as she shouted, her voice thundering through the air.
“Endymion is my treasure, the treasured sword of my house! Who are you to question what I do with my own possessions!”
At the queen’s roar, the elves clamped their mouths shut. I like this woman’s style. She’s bold. And now that I look, her breasts are huge, too.
She was a queen who possessed the charisma and mettle to back up her arrogance.
Lina gave the Elf Queen a small bow.
With that, the banquet came to an end. It was unlikely to continue for long with all the elves wearing such funereal expressions.
It was just as Lina’s party was about to return to the lodgings the elves had prepared for them.
A voice called out.
“Uh… um… hey!”
It was Arwen. She had stopped Lina’s party.
“Are you… are you really going to save us?”
“Of course.”
“…”
“But you’re human, aren’t you?”
“Not all humans are evil.”
Arwen wore a complicated expression. The humans she despised so much were going to save her people.
Some humans bought and sold elves as sex slaves, yet these ones were willing to act for the elves’ sake.
Indeed, not all humans were evil. Arwen knew this, but her words often betrayed her thoughts.
“…Let me introduce myself. I am Arwen, the 27th descendant of the Wensle family of High Elves in Scandinavia. And… believe it or not, I’m a princess.”
“I know.”
“I’m sorry for being rude to you, even if it was just for a moment.”
Arwen blushed and held out her hand.
Though it was extended to Lina, it felt like a gesture to the entire party.
Lina, of course, took her hand.
Seeing the two beauties in such a heartwarming scene, I couldn’t help but smile like a proud dad. Still, I really want to have sex with Arwen.
Just then, Arwen looked at me. What now? She’s not going to tell me to ‘get lost’ again, is she?
“…I saw you before, didn’t I?”
“Finally acknowledging my existence, are we?”
“You… you have to work hard, too, okay? If you really solve the plague, I won’t hate you anymore…”
If she’d just let me fuck her once, I’d be willing to risk my life to solve this.
Of course, I couldn’t say that out loud.
“Is there anything I can do to help? I want to do something. I’m a princess of Scandinavia, after all! I might not be of much help, but…”
“Then will you come with us?”
“Really? Is that really okay?”
“Of course.”
Kerry was surprised. He hadn’t expected Lina to take Arwen along. He thought Lina’s personality would lead her to refuse, saying it was too dangerous.
Or maybe this isn’t as dangerous as I thought.
He could see the fond look in Lina’s eyes as she gazed at Arwen. So, something happened between them in the past life, too. Even if they weren’t companions.
Arwen, her expression now a little softer than before, waved to Lina’s party.
The group returned to their residence. The late-night banquet was over. It was time for everyone to sleep.
Gathered in the living room, Lina addressed the party.
“Tomorrow, we will be moving through the elven forest on our own. And I must apologize to all of you. Not only did I try to recruit Sir Arein into the party on my own authority… I also failed to mention the Spirit Sword beforehand.”
I get it. It must have been a difficult situation. She probably couldn’t explain to the party how she knew about the Spirit Sword, and while it was a shame she didn’t mention recruiting Arein earlier, she must have had her reasons.
So Lina was determined to recruit Arein after all. This is a problem. I have to do something. I’ll be damned if I let that bastard join our party.
The rest of the party didn’t seem to mind. They didn’t even press her for details.
After all, it was a common occurrence for Lina to suddenly come up with new information. The party trusted her.
It was as Lina was explaining the next day’s schedule.
There was one person not focusing on the important discussion. It was Victoria.
Victoria was making an obscene gesture with her hands. She made a circle with one hand and poked a finger from the other through it.
Judging by her sultry gaze, her switch had been well and truly flipped.
Please. I wish she’d restrain herself during important conversations. It’s so distracting.
“Understood, Lina. I think I have a rough idea of how things will proceed.”
Lina nodded at Kerry’s words.
Even then, Victoria continued sending her lewd signals. But it was impossible.
The house was just too small!
Being built entirely of wood, it didn’t seem like it would be very soundproof.
It was obvious that if Victoria got lost in pleasure during sex and caused a scene, it would be unmanageable.
Kerry shook his head at Victoria, who kept sending him signals.
Victoria pouted with a “tch,” but it couldn’t be helped.
That night, for the first time in a while, Kerry just slept peacefully. A man needs his rest sometimes.
The next day, Lina’s party investigated the elven forest. Of course, it was more like they were pretending to investigate.
Lina already knew the cause of everything.
Arwen acted as their guide, helping the party. At the end of their search, they found a small spring.
“What’s wrong with this?”
“If my guess is correct, this spring is the cause. It’s why the forest is sick, and why you elves are ill.”
Kerry had already seen it once before.
The mottled spots on Arwen’s arms and legs. He hadn’t noticed them until now because her clothes had covered them.
“Someone has placed a curse on this spring. It may be just a small spring, but it connects deep into the forest and is linked to the water you use for drinking. It’s a curse that slowly sickens the forest. It’s designed to make you, who drink the forest’s water, fall ill so gradually that you don’t even notice.”
Natasha’s eyes widened. This method was familiar.
“My tribe… my tribe was attacked like this at first, too. Making people sick little by little… cursing and poisoning them…”
“Yes. It is almost certainly the work of The Organization.”
Natasha gritted her teeth.
The horrifying nightmare was about to repeat itself here.
“But don’t worry. Once we lift the curse on this spring and strengthen the forest’s wards, there shouldn’t be any more major problems. Saintess, I ask for your prayer of purification.”
Arwen stood silently for a moment before bursting into tears.
“Sob… Thank you. Thank you so much! You really are good humans. And we were so mean to you.”
Seeing her cry like that, she must have been through a lot.
From what I’d heard, the stronger elves were managing, but the younger and weaker ones had even started to die.
Arwen threw herself into Kerry’s arms, who was standing right next to her, and sobbed.
It didn’t seem to be out of any special affection, but rather an overwhelming surge of emotion.
Kerry patted Arwen’s back. Her breasts are bigger than they look. Does she hide them under her clothes?
Seeing Arwen like this pained Lina.
In her past life, the reason Arein had joined her party was because of the annihilation of the elven village.
If Lina hadn’t stopped it, the elven village would have met the same fate as Natasha’s tribe.
“We will return once the Saintess has finished her purification. Please, begin.”
“…I understand, Hero.”
The Saintess dipped one hand into the spring. Then, as if offering a prayer, she began to murmur.
Lina spoke to the party.
“It will likely take some time, even for the Saintess. This is a great curse, powerful enough to contaminate the entire forest and all the elves. Let’s wait here together.”
Just then, Arwen spoke up.
“Can I go back to the village first? I want to deliver this news to Scandinavia as soon as possible.”
“Yes, you may, Arwen.”
“Thank you!”
As soon as Lina gave her permission, Arwen ran off through the forest. Her steps were so light, she must have been in an incredibly good mood.
Natasha watched her go with a lonely smile.
“I’m glad. I’m glad another victim like me wasn’t created.”
It seemed Natasha saw herself in Arwen.
Judging by Lina’s grim expression, she was blaming herself again for not being able to save Natasha’s tribe. Honestly, Lina worries too much.
The party waited for the Saintess to purify the spring. Kerry yawned and said.
“Saintess. Are you not done yet? We’ve been waiting for quite a while.”
“Don’t rush me! No… that’s not it. Please don’t hurry me, Sir Kerry. I must concentrate. This spring is small, but it holds a curse powerful enough to contaminate the entire forest.”
According to Lina, the forest and the elves were one and the same.
If the forest sickened, so did the elves. But did the Saintess just talk back to me? I don’t like that.
‘Ego. Are you administering her punishment?’
[Yes, Master.]
‘Double the intensity, and make sure the Saintess finishes the purification as quickly as possible.’
[Understood.]
At that very moment, the Saintess, who was chanting a prayer with her hand in the spring, let out a moan.
“Hah… Haaah!”
“Saintess!”
A startled Lina rushed to her side in an instant. Naturally, Kerry also approached, feigning surprise.
“I… I’m fine. The… the forest’s… hnnngh! The forest’s curse is stronger than I… haaah… thought!”
Her body trembled, but she was quick with her excuses.
The Saintess let out a soft moan and resumed her prayer.
When is this going to end? It’s taking forever. The party had already found comfortable spots to sit and rest nearby.
Victoria started sending the same obscene signals from last night. This is bad. It feels like Victoria’s lust cooldown is about to be up.
Kerry knew that the longer her lust cooldown went on, the stronger the backlash would be when it was finally released.
He remembered the time he’d been separated from the party and couldn’t relieve her urges, causing Victoria to go on a rampage.
It’ll be a problem if she loses half her sanity like last time.
He’d managed to get through it then thanks to Natasha’s obedience training, but there was no guarantee it would work next time.
About two hours passed. The Saintess finally rose to her feet.
“Hahh… haa… haa… The purification is complete…”
“You’ve worked hard, Saintess.”
The Saintess glared at Kerry, her face flushed.
Seeing her bright red face made my dick throb. Looks like Ego followed my orders and administered the punishment properly.
“Let’s return to the village now.”
At Lina’s words, the party began to move. Lina’s steps seemed light.
It seemed she was pleased that she had managed to prevent disaster this time.
But this wasn’t the end. The finest of swords choose their own masters, just as holy swords do.
Endymion, said to be second only to the holy swords, had been without a master for nearly a hundred years.
It was because Endymion had chosen no one.
Even Lina, who had never wielded Endymion before, had no guarantee that she would be chosen.
Lina’s party returned to Scandinavia.
But the atmosphere was strange.
Several elves were glaring at them with sharp eyes. What now? I thought we were finally getting along.
A few other elves looked at the party with fear in their eyes.
In the midst of it all, Arein approached them.
“You’ve returned, Heroes.”
Lina answered for the group.
“…Yes, we have. But the atmosphere in the village is strange. Did something happen?”
“…”
Arein’s eyelids twitched. He took a deep breath and spoke.
“My sister, who went with you… where is she?”
“Hasn’t Arwen returned yet? She said she was coming back ahead of us.”
“…”
Arein said nothing, simply holding out his hand. In it was a torn piece of cloth and a brooch.
It was Arwen’s brooch.
“…The Queen summons you.”