End of Childhood
The figures of the adventurers who were entangled in the ivy and left to die were like a work of art in bad taste. The ivy plant took root in the flesh of the adventurers and blossomed into countless red flowers, a sight that could only be described as demonic.
The faces of the twelve men and women who had fallen prey to Eltharion while still alive were, without exception, cloaked in expressions of near-death terror and despair.
As if watched over by them, Ulrika is sleeping on a bed of ivy.
With Christo treating her, it objectively looked as if a dark ritual was being performed on a human woman. Anyone who saw this scene was sure to recognize not only Eltharion but also Christo as a non-human.
"Okay. The nerve regeneration is complete. The damaged area was small, so there will be no aftereffects. She will remain unconscious for a while, but if we leave her alone, she will wake up."
Christo stood up from the ivy bed, and the blond man, who had been leaning his back against the trunk of a nearby oak tree, also got up.
"Take Ulrika and go back."
When Eltharion came in front of Christo, he turned his green eyes back to Christo.
Where was the beastliness that had been there a moment ago?
He said again as his long blond hair fluttered in the night breeze.
"Get out of here. Tonight is dangerous."
"Ulrika came all the way here to see you, knowing the risks. You would waste her courage? If you have a heart of mercy, wait until she wakes up."
"In that case, I have to do something about those bodies over there."
"Then why don't you do something about it? In any case, if you're going to add her to your clan, you'll have to explain what happened tonight. Why did you kill those adventurers? What was your dazzling appearance earlier? The more days pass, the easier it will be for Ulrika to misunderstand you as just another monster."
When Christo said so, Eltharion clapped his hands twice.
Then a huge werewolf lurking in the shadows of the trees appeared.
Werewolves are usually about two meters long, but this one was three meters tall.
The muscles in its hind legs were well developed, and it walked on two legs.
In exchange for its mobility, it seems to have gained upper body muscle strength, sharp claws, and high intelligence.
It asked in a hoarse voice, [Can I eat them?].
"You must share your food with the wolves. Don't fight with them. And you can't have it all to yourself."
"I understand."
After Eltharion smiled charmingly,
"――Who said you could touch her?"
A chilling low voice resounded.
Ulrika's belly, lying in front of Christo's eyes, was covered with spider silk as long as a child's arm. Eltharion bared his canine teeth and, in a voice reminiscent of a lion's roar, growled at the giant spider clinging to the back of an oak trunk, [Get lost right now!].
The giant spider, however, clicked its scissors and began to reel in the thread.
Perhaps it did not have the brains to understand Eltharion's command.
Eltharion narrowed his eyes.
"――――"
The trees swayed at high speed.
The sound of twigs snapping rang out countless times.
The next thing Christo saw was a blond man coming back from the tree with the spider toward the bed of ivy.
In his right hand, he held the head of a giant spider that he had torn off.
Still alive with nerves, the spider clicked its large shears and attacked Eltharion's arm with poisonous body hairs and claws from its paws that had been torn off together.
Eltharion did not seem to care that his arm was covered in blood and released the spider's slowly weakening head at the adventurers' feet. The ground of decaying leaves bobbed and splattered with the impact.
(Even though he's an elf, he's also strong against poison.)
Christo thinks so as he looks at the super-regenerating blond man's arm.
He regenerates unusually fast.
A normal slash wouldn't do any real damage.
It is a physical ability that can be said to be the top of the ecosystem of this region.
(He seems no weaknesses. But that does not mean that there is nothing I can do. First of all, I know one thing. That is――)
"I know the secret of your super speed."
"Super speed?"
Eltharion asked back as he watched the five large wolves pull the bizarre objects and into the forest.
"It's your authority."
"I don't mean to move fast, though."
"You're right. You're not moving fast. You're slowing down the perceived speed of the creatures around you."
"――――"
Christo continued.
"Whenever you seemed to be moving fast, the scenery in the distance was always moving at high speed. The noises coming from far away were also overlapping and resounding continuously. This strange perception of events occurred because my own perception speed was significantly reduced while the actual flow of time remained unchanged."
"You're the first person to notice my authority on their own."
Eltharion's body disappeared when he said that.
Christo looks back without panicking.
Then there was the figure of a blond man staring at Christo.
"Well, those who have experienced my power are usually dead the next moment, so there is no way they could have known. In that respect, you were fortunate enough to observe the activation of my powers more than once. It would not have been surprising if you had noticed."
"Are you shocked that your authority has been discovered? Don't worry about it. There is a first time for everything."
"I'm not shocked or anything. I've given you hints many times."
Eltharion's body disappears.
This time too, Christo looked up at the branches of the oak tree without panicking.
There, leaning against the trunk of the tree, was a young elf.
He is gradually getting used to the sensation of being slowed down.
Still, his authority was a threat because he was still exposing a fatal opening.
Christo's Authority―― Although the enchantment of the surrounding creatures was also quite heinous, there are ways to attack it, such as using a male warrior who has been affected by [Blue Ashes] and lost his normal reproductive ability, having someone else charm him beforehand, or having a saint with the [Holy Sword that Breaks Temptation and Slays Devils] nearby. It was also possible to resist with one's mind for a short time (although it is highly likely that one would become crippled afterward).
In contrast, since Eltharion's Authority cannot be resolved with a pseudo-holy sword, the only way to attack him is to have an inanimate object such as a golem fight him or bury him with a long-range attack from outside Eltharion's range of perception. Since a golem would not be a match for Eltharion, the only way to defeat him would be to strike him by surprise from outside his perception.
But in front of his super regenerative ability, it is difficult to aim for a one-hit kill.
His body must be destroyed by repeatedly inflicting fatal wounds, scraping off flesh, bones, and blood until regeneration is impossible. In that case, It is then difficult to avoid triggering the ability.
If he fights him for the first time, he will die in an instant.
There is no countermeasure to fight him even after knowing the contents of his Authority.
Considering all these factors, it is fair to say that he is almost invincible.
From the human point of view, it was a foul-level ability.
"Giant spider, Burn, meat, delicious"
"You must burn it well. If any poisonous hairs remain, you will suffer."
"Yes."
Werewolves and wolves drag their prey and disappear into the forest.
All that remained was the smell of blood.
"I've cleared the bodies, but I'm not going to wait for Ulrika to wake up. Take her with you and get the hell out of here."
"Well, wait. I have something for you, too."
"Have you found the Primordial Elixir?"
"Yeah. ――Here it is."
From an inside pocket of his coat, he brought out a clear liquid in a crystal bottle.
Eltharion's eyes changed color.
"Great job!"
"I didn't say I'd give it to you yet."
"What?"
"This is a deal. What can you offer me? Are you going to ask me to take the armaments that are buried at the bottom of the swamp?"
"I have said so from the beginning. I'll give you anything you want."
"You mean to tell me that the labor to excavate in the swamp is ours? Who will take care of food and safety during that time? Do I have to do it myself?"
Christo continued.
"In the first place, what kind of equipment is buried in the swamp where you live? As it is now, it's a complete black box. At least make an inventory of the equipment in the swamp. As accurate as possible. If I find any equipment of interest in that inventory, I can trade it for the Primordial Elixir."
"Inventory? What the hell... I want you to stop saying troublesome things."
"I am just saying what is normal in doing business. I am at too much of a disadvantage as it is. I'm offering you the [Primordial Elixir], but I have to pay for all the excavation costs, and there's a certain percentage chance that I won't get the equipment. This is not a proper exchange contract."
"Is that so? I don't think so."
"Now, you bring the finest equipment you can get your hands on in the swamp. In contrast, I will bring a raffle box containing one hundred pieces of paper. You draw a piece of paper from the box, and if you win, you get the [Primordial Elixir]. If you don't, you get nothing."
"That's absurd. How could I possibly accept such a ridiculous condition? Don't you dare to play games with me, you filthy swindler!"
"That's a terrible thing to say... but you're offering a worse condition exchange than me, a swindler. I won't accept it."
"I get it. I understand your point well enough."
Eltharion interrupted Christo, rubbing the crease between his brows.
"I can't stand it when a heretic like you call me a fraud. I will have the oracles dig up the swamp and make a list of what is buried there. But since you're making me go through all that trouble, don't complain if the equipment is a little short."
"Of course, you'll say that. You're an idiot."
Eltharion's blood vessels floated on his temples when Christo replied without a pause.
Without giving it a second thought, he continued.
"Listen. I'm not doing business with you to buy a lucky bag. What I'm looking for is a fair exchange based on the visualization of the object of the contract. For that purpose, an inventory is essential. If you don't know what you're getting in exchange, you can't make a proper exchange, can you? And it is that side, who were in the swamp, that can make the essential inventory. If that is the case, it is only natural for them to make the inventory in order to make a proper exchange contract. It is normal to assume that the cataloging is included in the contract from the beginning. It is not acceptable to ask for an exchange minus the cost of cataloging. It is only natural that you should make a catalog. It would be insane not to. You know what I mean, don't you?"
"I'm horrified that in the outside world, people have to think about such troublesome things every time they make a promise. It's horrifying."
"I don't care what you think"
"Ha, ha, ha"
Eltharion let out a dry laugh and bloody eyes.
"That's right. It didn't matter whether I had an unconcealed dislike for you or not."
"When you have the inventory, fly the bird to the guesthouse in the village. After that, I will examine it carefully and decide what to exchange."
"Very well. Unless you are a pig who does not understand the value of things, this contract should be mutually beneficial. Are we done?"
"A message from Ulrika. Everyone in the village is divided because of the Trials of the god of the swamp. At this rate, the village will sink into a sea of blood, and she wants you to contact the god of the swamp before that happens. She believed you could do something about it."
"I understand. I'll let it know."
Eltharion's answer is light.
The way he answered was as if he was saying that he would tell it but would not persuade it.
He knows from experience how the average human would react in such a situation.
As Ulrika's friend, he should have at least said something to him.
"Don't forget that she mustered up the courage to come to this square."
"I don't call it courage to come to visit me on such a dangerous night. It was a foolish act that risked her life for nothing."
"It is a request for your future wife."
"Isn't Ulrika's wish to go and plead with the god of the swamp, right? I cannot let her see the god of the swamp."
"Why not?"
"Because it's dangerous"
"Can't you tell the god of the swamp, [Stop bullying the pioneer villagers]?"
"I can not"
Eltharion answered immediately.
He doesn't know if he really can't do it, or if he simply isn't willing to do it.
"Isn't it [I won't do it] instead of [I can't do it]?"
"You can interpret it however you like. I don't care what you think."
"Right. One more question I need to ask you to convince Ulrika."
"…………"
Eltharion silently urged him.
Although he avoids replying and is displeased, he has listened to everything Christo has to say so far. Eltharion seems to be an elf with a disciplined and diligent personality.
"You were eating humans earlier, but if Ulrika mutates, will she become a cannibal in the same way?"
"What about you, Christopher. Are you a cannibal?"
"I've never eaten a human so far..."
"Why is that?"
"Because it's not necessary. And it's inefficient."
Nourishment can be obtained from other foods without eating humans.
Rather, it is better to keep humans alive to absorb negative emotions.
Eltharion nodded, [Same].
"I don't eat people unless I have a reason. It's not like my body needs human flesh. It's up to Ulrika whether or not she eats people after she mutates."
"In the first place, elves are herbivores."
Eltharion shook his head when Christo said so.
"The elf's stomach is neutral, but mine is highly acidic. Therefore, the microorganisms that make up muscle cannot exist in my stomach. The mutated Ulrika will need a certain amount of meat, just like me."
"So you're an elf mutation?"
"So do you, Christopher. You're a devil, but you're something more."
"One last thing. This has nothing to do with Ulrika, it's just my personal advice."
"Just in case, I'll just listen."
"Your existence has been discovered by the lords of this region and the Holy Tree Church. Now that the war with the dragon race in the north is over, powerful human individuals will visit this land to subdue you."
"You think I need to be afraid? The adventurers I defeated earlier called themselves Class A, but they all took less than a second."
Christo shook his head.
"That's just a group of idiots. From now on, the [Blue Ash] will be scattered in the forest, and your power will be greatly limited. On top of that, you will be facing a user of the [Holy Sword that Slays Fairies]."
"No matter who comes, the result will not change. If they face me, no human being will be able to resist at all. The presence or absence of a pseudo-holy sword is a trivial difference."
"Hmm. I see. Personally, I recommend leaving this land with Ulrika, but you'd rather have a full-on confrontation with humans."
"All I have to do is to get rid of the fire that is raining down on us. If I scare them a few times, they'll realize the difference in power and stop trying to touch us."
(That would be true if it were a wild beast.)
But humans are different.
If they can't win a head-on fight, they will try to use their wits to break through.
A powerful individual like Setanta will challenge it over and over again.
It may not be particularly strong, but it will destroy Eltharion's peaceful life.
However, Eltharion, like Christo, hates trouble and is not willing to take the option of living in hiding in human society.
It may be that he cannot take it because of his race.
Elves lose power in proportion to the destruction of nature and the spread of civilization throughout the world.
Human prosperity and elf prosperity are opposite concepts.
"Then do your best to shake off the firestorm that is about to descend upon you."
"You'd better worry about yourself than mine. If you continue to insist after I have the inventory, I will not let you leave this land alive."
"Then I'll be very careful to make sure I make it back alive."
The conversation ends.
Christo took Ulrika in his arms and Eltharion turned his back on him and disappeared among the trees.
Finally, Eltharion muttered as if he remembered.
"When you go back to the village, take the long way around. It is dangerous to go back the way you came."
× × ×
As he was told, when he was returning from the direction of the village's communal sauna, Ulrika woke up after passing by the sauna building.
"...Christo?"
"Yeah, it's me. How are you feeling?"
"――――.......! W-where is Eltharion?"
"He already left. He told me to get the hell out of here and go back to the village, so I'm carrying you in my arms as we head back."
"Humans! A lot of adventurers have died! Eltharion is... Eltharion is..."
Ulrika's voice fades out as she glances around at the darkness around her.
It seems that the memory of what happened just before she fainted has come back to her.
"Did you have some horrible dream? You fell on a tree root and fainted. Eltharion and I took care of you, but fortunately, you're not injured."
"That's a lie.... I certainly saw it. I remember the smell. In the end, a monster with the hair of Eltharion grabbed me by the neck."
"That's a dream. I haven't seen Eltharion like that. If I had encountered Eltharion like that, I would have been killed by now."
"Yes... I guess that's true too. Then, a dream...? A lie... What kind of dream did I have..."
"Have you awakened from a hundred-year love?"
"I and Eltharion have not been together for a hundred years."
"It's a metaphor, of course."
"It's fine if it's a dream. If it's a dream..."
"If Eltharion's true nature were the monster you saw in your dreams, would you still love him?"
"Eh...? Y-yeah... I-I like the kind Eltharion..."
Ulrika kept silent with a blank expression on her face.
The human brain isn't made to go into heat for monsters.
Her reaction was normal.
(I was able to fool her for now, but from the looks of it, if I give it some time, she'll realize that she is not misremembering. I'll keep my distance from Ulrika from now on so that she won't make it difficult for me to say that she hates me.)
"Somehow Eltharion seemed to be on edge tonight."
Christo said as he lowered Ulrika to the ground.
Ulrika whispered, [I'm sorry I caused you trouble. Thank you].
"If you plan to visit him tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, as you did tonight, you might want to stop."
"But, the village."
"I've already told Eltharion about the possibility of negotiating directly with the god of the swamp, and I'm sure I am able to persuade him to go to the god of the swamp. If he is allowed to meet with the god of the swamp, he will contact the village at a later date.
"Christo did all the work. I am sorry for everything. I should thank you in some way, but I don't have anything that you would be happy to receive."
"Then sell me chamomile, bay leaves, etc. I'll use them as a catalyst for magic."
"If that's what you want, I'll give it to you for free."
"Incidentally, if you have bear fat or potassium nitrate, give me that too."
"Uh....... It is a painful expense, but I must thank you. I understand. We don't have much potassium nitrate in stock, but I'll take what you need."
"Then I'll take all in the inventory."
"You're a demon..."
After walking for a while, the end of the forest came into view.
The road leading to the village.
Christo and Ulrika returned to the village along the road.
When they reached a small hill near the village, Christo suddenly noticed that the pioneer village was noisy.
When Ulrika and Christo entered the northern forest, the village must have been dead silent.
He wondered what was happening.
However, he was escorting Ulrika and couldn't just leave her behind and run off to see what was going on. Christo was concerned about Melvina, who was resting at a guesthouse in a field in the village, a long way from the forest. He knew that Patricia was with her and that she would be fine, but just in case something happened to Melvina.
Christo walked fast enough that Ulrika did not notice.
As they entered the pioneer village, even Ulrika seemed to notice something unusual about the village.
A number of torchlights were gathering in the direction of the village on the forest side of the village.
Looking toward the back of the village, they saw a pit dwelling whose roof had collapsed, exposing the beams.
From the group, he could hear countless sobbing voices.
"What's wrong?"
Christo asked the villagers as he strode up to them.
"There's been a troll. Pontus' house has been attacked."
"Pontus!?"
Ulrika, who was catching up late, let out a scream.
"Is Pontus safe?"
"Right now, everyone is in the process of removing the pillars and the collapsed roof. I can hear Pontus and the others, so I know they are alive."
"Pontus, Pontus!"
I followed Ulrika through the villagers toward the collapsed house.
As he stepped out of the crowd, Christo stood there for a moment.
When he thought about it calmly, he didn't think that there was anything going on that would have stunned him.
However, at that moment, the act that was taking place in front of Christo's eyes deeply penetrated his heart.
It gouged deep into his heart as if he had received a wedge that would never come loose again.
In front of Pontus' collapsed house, the men of the village were moving around, each bringing broken wooden poles and farming tools to remove the crushed roof.
"Pontus! Are you safe! Stay strong!"
The frantic voice of the village chief echoed through the village.
The village chief was an elderly man, not as physically strong as the young farmers.
However, he was leading the men, swinging farming tools, or lifting fallen pillars.
Old or young, it made no difference.
Even helpless women and children held high the light of their torches and shouted encouragement to Pontus and his family left behind in the collapsed houses.
Just a few days ago, the village had been split in half.
Even though Pontus and the others had even said to kill all the old people, including the village chief.
Together they were desperately trying to save a dying life.
"Hang in there, Pontus!"
"We're almost there!"
"Don't give up! Just a little more!"
Because they were weak.
Because they were fragile.
Everyone helps each other.
There is no profit and loss.
It does not lead to enjoyment or pleasure.
Just a mindless, meaningless effort.
"Old man! You get out first!"
After Pontus' desperate voice, his grandfather crawls out.
A big round of applause broke out.
It's a clear contradiction of his intention to kill the old people.
Why did he help him?
Was it an exception because he was a relative?
What's in it for Pontus――?
(I don't know. I knew humans were like that, but now that I'm here, I don't understand.)
"Damn it, no! The biggest pillar can't be lifted!"
"Enough, everyone get out of here!"
Pontus shouted.
"The fire that I left for warmth has spread! Soon the house will be on fire! Everyone get out of here before that happens!"
"What? Hey, let's cover the field with dirt so the neighboring houses won't catch fire!"
While those who were available left, the village chief, Ulrika, and the men who were continuing the removal work got under the big pillar and tried to push it up with their backs.
It's too dangerous.
At this rate, everyone will be under the pillar.
"――――"
Christo silently took out a mistletoe and threw it in a triangular shape around the corner of the collapsed roof.
Mistletoe needles pierce the ground, completing the field for the use of magic.
"Everyone, please stand back."
He shouted in a clear voice.
"I will lift it with magic. Village chief, Ulrika, get out of the way."
The magic is activated.
It was the general-purpose magic [Rock Spear] that Christo used on a daily basis in the frontier.
The spear leaped out of the ground and easily lifted the thick, pillar of the house, revealing Pontus and his brother and sister, who had been trapped underneath.
The villagers erupted in cheers.
"C-Christo, you."
"Quickly get out of there."
"Yeah!"
With the demon's power, it's a piece of cake.
The villagers here can't even do such a simple thing.
They are too weak as living creatures.
(But)
Christo stares down at Pontus, Ulrika, and the village chief, who embrace each other with tears in their eyes.
He could not take his eyes off them, even though he had sealed the fire with rune magic and killed the fire's momentum.
(These are humans.)
"......"
Illusion.
A delusion arises in Christo.
Imagining elves, devils, and vampires among those who are embracing each other.
From the top of the hill, he recalls Baron Ixel―― the old man watching over the village with a gentle gaze.
What Christo saw was a possibility.
A future where not only humans but also races join hands.
Coexistence.
The future is reflected in Christo's inhuman eyes.
A world in which weak human beings and spirits of all kinds join hands with each other.
The moment Christo had this premonition, he felt an indescribable feeling of fear welling up inside him. When many individuals come together, they give birth to great power. That is how great power is born. Even if it is a huge violence, can he really resist it?
Reflexively, he almost skewered everyone in the village.
But he stopped himself just before that.
The reason was the smiling faces of the village chief and Pontus.
They were muddy, sooty, and dirty faces.
But to Christo, standing there stunned, it was more beautiful than any jewel in the world.
The instinct to kill and the instinct to be moved by the beauty fought each other.
At that moment, something changed in Christo.
As the villagers put their shoulders on their shoulders and rubbed their heads violently, Christo's whole body emitted a feeling of near-murderous intent.
(This heart that feels so beautiful is love.)
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