Chapter 85

“This is a big deal. Priest, I’m sorry, but it seems like we’ll have to continue our conversation another time. Tsk, just when I thought I could finally relax a bit, the position of Emperor doesn’t allow even a moment of peace.”

His Majesty the Emperor has left. From what I could gather from his conversation, it seems something has gone wrong in the Citadel Republic.

What kind of trouble could it be? Even His Majesty doesn’t seem to know yet. But if the people of the Republic have expressed their intention to evacuate to the Capital through the gates, it’s clear that something truly catastrophic has happened.

‘Has Roka not returned yet?’

It feels like something similar happened at Duke Shimira’s mansion, but I pushed those thoughts away. Surely, the same thing wouldn’t happen again.

The child is probably in the Imperial Palace’s vault, agonizing over what to choose.

“Even though I’m playing the instrument so diligently, you don’t even glance this way.”

As I was about to get up and return to my room, someone spoke to me. A woman with a large wooden instrument hanging from her neck was looking at me with a sly smile. Her blonde hair made me wonder if she was of royal blood, but surely a princess wouldn’t be playing an instrument like that.

‘Pointy ears. Could it be…’

And those unusually pointy ears. They make her seem slightly out of place for a human.

The woman covered her mouth and giggled. She must have noticed my gaze lingering on her ears.

“Is this your first time seeing an elf? Well, it might be better if it is. Not all elves live as productively as I do.”

The instrument with a wheel and strings, also known as a hurdy-gurdy or drelei, was held by a woman who looked every bit the minstrel. An elven minstrel, no less. Truly, the Capital is a place where many people gather.

With her right hand, she turned the wheel to create friction with the strings, producing sound, and with her left hand, she pressed buttons on the instrument to create melodies. The drelei is an instrument mainly used by minstrels.

It’s not commonly used in court music, so the fact that this woman is here suggests she’s quite skilled.

“It’s my first time seeing a forest-dwelling race, so I was a bit flustered. My name is Kyle.”

“Rowena. No surname. Nice to meet you, Priest of the Ancient God.”

She looked at me with her purple eyes, then smiled.

“One of our distant ancestors also served the Ancient God like you. Before passing away, they pleaded with the Ancient God to leave us the World Tree, but that wasn’t entirely a blessing. I’m very curious if the one you serve is the same.”

Plop. She sat down in front of me without permission. Right where His Majesty the Emperor had been sitting just moments ago.

I looked around to see if anyone would stop her, but surprisingly, no one did.

“I’m also an envoy from Elvenheim. Being a minstrel is more of a side job. When you’re addicted to the drug of music, it helps ease the pain a little. The agony of immortality is something our minds can’t endure.”

Hahaha. She laughed. Well, I’m not sure if this is something to laugh about, but she introduced herself as a peculiar elf.

“The World Tree gave us a lifespan close to a thousand years, but you see, we elves waste most of that time doing nothing. The desire to achieve something only lasts for about a hundred years. Once you pass a hundred, everything becomes a bother. You turn into a pleasure-seeking machine in the shape of an elf.”

“What exactly do you mean by that?”

“There’s hardly an elf over a hundred who hasn’t tried drugs. I’ve tried opium, and even kids smoke marijuana. Some indulge in hashish and orgies. Hmm… My parents had me that way. They weren’t married. Elves don’t do things like marriage.”

The elves known to the continent are supposed to be pure and beautiful forest dwellers, but the elf I just met is beautiful but not pure.

Rowena smiled again.

“But my parents were responsible, for elves. They weren’t great parents, but compared to those who sell their children to slave traders to buy drugs, they were better.”

“Does that really happen?”

“Think about it. Even humans like you, Priest, can become endlessly evil if they want to. Why should elves be any different? Once you cross the line, you become the same.”

Rowena took a sip of her drink and chuckled. She seemed to think the alcohol level was more like a beverage, as she poured herself another glass and gulped it down.

It seems she wasn’t just into drugs in her younger days.

“Of course, even among us, selling your own kind like that is heavily criticized. So usually, it’s the half-elves born from humans and elves who get sold. The high elves completely turn a blind eye to it. Half-elves aren’t considered kin. Those high elves, from what I see, seem indifferent to worldly affairs.”

No qualifications, no experience, all I can do is play some music? And knowing the Imperial language is all I have. Do you see why I’m here as Elvenheim’s plenipotentiary ambassador?

Rowena asked me that. Indeed, she didn’t exude the aura of a high-ranking official. It didn’t seem like she held a high position in elven society.

“The truly qualified high elves… From what I see, they seem to have no attachment to life. There’s a secret passed down only to them, and once they learn it, they just give up and go wild. So, I’m curious too. What exactly is this cycle?”

…How did she know I was seeking the meaning of the cycle?

As I was taken aback, she laughed a hashish laugh.

“I told you. I’m Elvenheim’s plenipotentiary ambassador. No one was interested in this position, so I got it, but I still have the qualifications to meet with His Majesty.”

“His Majesty asked me about the cycle, and I said I didn’t know… But I don’t know nothing. I’ve heard the high elves mutter about the cycle among themselves.”

So, instead of going to the Arctic, should I change my route to Elvenheim?

This is certainly very useful information. Going to Elvenheim would be a much safer adventure than heading to Polaris Fortress. As I bowed my head in gratitude, Rowena waved her hand.

“But those folks are so closed off, I’m not sure if they’ll share information with you, Priest. Well, if they refuse, try threatening them. Say that the blessing of the World Tree given by the Ancient God might be taken away by the one behind me. If you get angry, I think they might negotiate.”

Haha, you’re quite the character.

Even though what you said isn’t something to laugh about…

Then maybe there’s no need to go to Polaris Fortress after all? I’ll need to discuss this with Roka when she returns. If we go to the Arctic, I’ll have to leave the child behind, but if it’s Elvenheim, that won’t be necessary.

I don’t think it’s highly likely, but maybe Roka will make an elf friend.

‘Then I’ll have to talk to Her Highness again.’

I wish I had known this earlier, but now everything is a bit tangled. Her Highness was appointed as an envoy to the Arctic because of me, and if I change our destination here, her plans will have to change too.

I think I’ll need to coordinate with His Majesty and Her Highness again about future plans.

“By the way, why is it so noisy outside? There’s been some earthquakes, but people wouldn’t be this restless over just a bit of shaking.”

Suddenly, Rowena left to use her ambassador status to find out what was happening. A moment later, she returned, her face pale.

“It’s a disaster. Grimudo… the Primal Demon King has attacked the Citadel Republic! The Republic is on the brink of destruction!”

And my face probably changed color too.

“Did he come out himself?”

“No. But Grimudo’s crown-like entity has emerged. The King of Monsters… Phoenix is inducing an explosion in the Caldera Mountain Range. Who else could be behind it but Grimudo!”

“Then perhaps this isn’t the worst-case scenario.”

If Grimudo hasn’t come out himself and it’s just the monsters causing chaos,

This is just like when the Manticore attacked Pumpkin Vine Village.

The Primal Demon King usually lets monsters roam freely, and he doesn’t care about the damage they cause. Perhaps it’s not Grimudo but Phoenix acting on his own that has put the Citadel Republic in crisis.

Either way, I knew this wasn’t the time to be sitting around.

“Please tell me more. Exactly what has happened?”

*****

“So you’re that Roka. I’ve heard about you from His Majesty.”

“Old man. Then I’ll be on my way.”

The Imperial Chamberlain who brought Roka bowed to the old man guarding the treasure vault. It wasn’t because he knew the old man was Elder Geher, one of the strongest among the Masters.

But he did know that even the Emperor treated this old man with respect. And that this extraordinary old man’s skills were top-notch even within the entire Imperial Palace.

This old man, who guards the vault without any desire for power, is someone he has no reason to antagonize. There’s no benefit in making an enemy of him.

“I’ve verified your qualifications. Now go inside. You can choose anything in there, but if you try to take more than one, don’t get caught by me. At my age, I don’t want to scold a child.”

The old man guarding the Imperial vault examined the documents from the Chamberlain and spoke with clear annoyance. Roka nodded. She felt a powerful aura from the old man.

The female knight behind the Third Prince was incomparable, and even Princess Ardein, the strongest she had ever seen, paled in comparison to his profound and majestic power.

There’s no need to pick more than one item and tussle with someone like this.

As Roka was about to enter through the open door, she asked the old man.

“Which item is the best?”

Well, it’s better to ask an expert, right? The old man has been here for a long time, so he should know more about these things than Roka.

“You fool. They’re all good. They’re just in different fields, so how can there be good or bad?”

That’s what I thought when I asked, but all I got was a lecture. Roka rolled her eyes, but the old man, unfazed, started reciting an old story only he knew.

“Long ago, the Swordsman without a Master said, ‘Everything in the world comes from the universe, so nothing can escape the principle of mutual creation and destruction.’ No matter how great something is, it will always have a weakness. Do you understand how foolish your question was?”

The old man looked at the girl with a blank expression as if she were his cute granddaughter and laughed.

Only then did he offer some useful advice. Since it had already been discussed with the Emperor, he could share it.

“But if I had to recommend something, it would be the sword left by that person in the vault. No one has been able to pull it out yet, but give it a try. Maybe you’ll realize something if you hold it.”

“Swordsman without a Master…?”

“There was once a swordsman who trained with the world as his teacher because no one taught him how to wield magic. It’s such an old story, I’m not sure if it’s true.”

But there must be some truth to it.

The old man also felt something when he held the sword and sensed the sword’s aura. Geher was once strong enough to call himself the Grand Master.

Such a strong person, not even a swordsman himself, held the sword left by that person and advanced his own skills. He couldn’t help but realize that the person who left the sword was on a completely different level.

After that, Geher and Leyman stopped calling themselves Grand Masters.

Thinking back on that time, all I feel is shame. There’s always a higher sky, and one must always remain humble.

“That legend probably isn’t entirely false.”

So there’s a sword.

Roka thanked him and went inside. If holding it could help, she thought she’d give it a try. Of course, she didn’t have high expectations.

Things easily obtained rarely carry heavy expectations.