Chapter 209



EP.209 Reunion (4)

“I remember the most brilliant times, Remia. All the elders who remember that era have crumbled to a handful of ashes… but I still remember.”

The Elder of the Elves.

The Elven who has lived the longest.

The king of the fairy race, Orbel.

He often told Remia old stories. Remia loved the fairy tales Orbel read to her every night. Even after decades, she remembered every word without a single mistake.

“A giant tree that shot up into the sky.”

“A fairy lake overflowing with starlight, a spring that never dries up, and jewelry that holds starlight.”

The elves in the fairy tales were beautiful, noble, and above all, radiant beings. Remia had always longed for those proud elves.

“Centuries ago, the era you call ancient was more brilliant than any other.”

To such a Remia, Orbel said.

“Unfortunately, all the elves who remembered that era have died. The civilization of the elves was crushed by the Demon Lord’s forces and reduced to ashes. All that remained in our hometown turned to ashes were children like me.”

The elves lost their brilliance. They lost all the knowledge and skills accumulated over millennia. Young Orbel, thrown into the ashes, could do nothing.

“It was bleak. Even I, who inherited the royal bloodline, could not remember much. It felt like I had black paint smeared on my mind.”

Orbel says it was bleak.

He had to take responsibility for the few remaining young elves, yet Orbel was too young to shoulder that burden. Thrown into the world at a young age, Orbel felt fear.

“Then someone approached me.”

Whenever he spoke of that person, Orbel would close his eyes gently. As if recalling someone nostalgic, a gentle smile appeared as he spoke.

“That person was unfamiliar yet familiar. They were an especially unique elf.”

An elf who refused the position of the next Elder and chose to live entangled with humans. The first elf to reach the realm of the Great Mage.

“That person guided me and the young elves into a forest. They planted the seed of the World Tree there and told me to take care of it.”

That place is right here, Remia. Orbel smiled warmly as he stroked Remia’s hair.

“After that, that person taught us many things. Only after I became independent as a leader did they leave us.”

Thus, they are the teacher of all elves.

Thus, they are called the benefactor of the elves.

“Remember, Remia.”

Orbel said to Remia.

“That person has silver hair like the moon in the night sky and golden eyes that resemble a dragon flying in the sky.”

An elf with silver hair and golden eyes.

The savior of all elves, the only elf who lived through the forgotten ancient times.

“Their name is…”

‘…Cardi.’

The savior of the elves, Cardi.

The ancient elf Remia had long admired.

Thinking of that great elf, Remia looked at the elf looking down on her. Her eyes trembled under the cold gaze.

“Ugh, uh…”

Remia struggled to lift her body.

Her once proud golden hair was covered in dust, wildly disheveled. Blood flowed from her broken forehead, obscuring her vision.

But that didn’t matter.

Remia bowed her head in front of Cardi. It was a gesture of respect more courteous than ever.

“I, a humble one, meet the great ancestor.”

As she greeted with utmost humility, the eyes of Raniel, who stood next to Cardi, widened. Her lips parted, and a sound escaped.

“Whoa, what the hell.”

That was a gasp of pure surprise.

The fact that this crazy ear girl could show respect to someone felt like a lie to Raniel. She blinked several times in disbelief.

‘Am I dreaming?’

It was reality. Amazingly.

2.

As Remia bowed her head, Raniel elbowed Cardi’s side repeatedly. Cardi squinted.

“…What’s up?”

“Why’s she bowing? Are you the great ancestor? Are you overemphasizing that you’re great?”

Raniel whispered in Cardi’s ear.

Cardi pondered how to explain it for a moment. It wasn’t hard to guess why that elf, who didn’t seem like an elf, was bowing her head to him.

‘Orbel must have said some unnecessary things to that kid.’

It was annoying that he emphasized unnecessary parts while neglecting the basic mindset of an elf that required education. Cardi pressed his temples.

“It’s a long explanation.”

So he decided to keep it brief.

“I’ve taught the elf king Orbel, that brat. She must be spouting off the useless things he told the next generation of elves.”

“Is that so…? You’re not the one who’s been emphasizing you’re the great one?”

Cardi frowned.

“Why would I engage in such ugly behavior of gilding my face? What’s so pleasing about being called a great ancestor?”

“Uh…”

Raniel lowered her head.

That gaze was somehow filled with disappointment. It seemed she realized that someone she felt a kinship with was completely different from herself.

‘…What’s with her again?’

For a moment, he wondered but quickly shook it off. Raniel always had her quirks. It was exhausting to try to understand all her actions, so Cardi shook his head and shifted his gaze.

“So.”

His gaze fell on Remia.

Cardi opened his mouth toward the bowing Remia. His tone was different than when addressing Raniel.

“Are you the Archery Master of your time?”

A surprisingly cold voice.

So cold that the back of Remia’s spine trembled as she bowed her head.

“Yes, I…I am Remia.”

“Seeing you use moonlight arrows seems to indicate that you are indeed the Archery Master of your time. Truly unfortunate.”

Cardi let out a short sigh.

“I’d emphasized to Orbel: those blessed by the World Tree tend to become arrogant with their superiority. Thus, education is crucial…”

Cold sweat gathered on the nape of Remia’s neck.

Not daring to lift her head, she gulped dryly. Cardi’s chilling voice seeped into her ears.

“You’re disappointing.”

An unspecified remark.

“I’m truly disappointed.”

That statement wasn’t directed at Remia. It was directed at the elf king who raised her, and perhaps at the entire generation of elves.

The savior of the elves speaks, as the king’s teacher.

‘Disappointing.’

You all are disappointing.

Hearing words from the person she admired made color drain from Remia’s face. Slowly, she raised her pale face.

“…W-well, that…”

She tried to say something, but the moment she made eye contact with Cardi, her words halted.

The king of the elves said that his golden eyes resemble those of a dragon. Remia felt fear from those eyes, which resembled that of a beast yet held a chill.

“My generation, the Archery Master you call ancient was an Elder of the elves. That person lived for seven thousand years and was more beautiful and proud than anyone else.”

Cardi said.

“That person sacrificed their life to protect the current generation of elves, including your king, Orbel. What they used until the very end was…”

He pointed his finger.

The finger pointed at the bow sprawled on the floor, made from the branches of the World Tree.

“It’s the bow you’re using.”

Then he pointed at Remia’s heart.

“And the moonlight arrows fashioned by the blessing of the World Tree. Do you understand the meaning of my words?”

Remia swallowed hard.

Cardi wasn’t asking the question in hopes of an answer, so he immediately provided it.

“To hold the title of Archery Master means to carry on that person’s will. It means committing to not tarnishing their pride.”

Once again, Cardi asked.

For Remia, it felt like her breath was being choked.

“Do you think you have the qualifications to inherit the name of Archery Master?”

Remia could not answer.

Cardi left a moment of pause before continuing.

“You don’t have the pride; thus, it’s an undeserved title for you.”

The person she admired rejects her.

Remia’s pride was crushed. She could barely lift her head but then bowed it down again as a whoosh sound was heard; the great elf’s disdainful whistle wasn’t that of a noble being.

“Good for you, ear girl!”

It was the voice of a girl standing behind the elf with the most satisfying smile. Remia’s eyes widened. She turned her head sharply to glare at the girl.

“Why, got a problem? Want to fight?”

The girl burst into laughter.

Heat rushed to Remia’s head.

‘That crazy girl?’

Though she couldn’t act out because the savior was present… Remia strongly wished to slap that girl’s cheek right now.

“Why are you staring so wide? Got a problem?”

“N-no. Just got some dust in my eyes…”

But her glare didn’t last long.

With her head bowed, Remia bit her lip tightly.

3.

“Whoa…”

I, standing a few steps behind, tilted my head watching Cardi. Could it be that the ancient stiff from a millennium’s worth of grumpiness can silence even Remia?

‘Is that the essence of a grumpy old man?’

Even as I marveled, Cardi’s sermon continued, mostly about the mindset of elves.

“Back in the ancient times.”

“In my era.”

“Our generation’s Elder said…”

All that lecturing began from the basics, so it was the kind that couldn’t be dismissed. At some point, Remia knelt and sat upright, fully attentive to Cardi’s words.

‘So this is what living feels like.’

I wished for something to chew on as I let out a short sigh. Having moved around violently, my shoulders felt a bit stiff as I thought.

Remia had come here.

Watching her answer Cardi’s question, it was obvious that she had arrived here for the Holy Grail.

‘And that means…’

It leads me to another inference.

‘Remia can’t have come here alone.’

She might be an excellent ranger, but she wouldn’t set foot alone in the unknown area of the Ashes. The mere fact that Remia had come here implied…

‘That guy is here too.’

It wasn’t good news.

I clicked my tongue softly.

‘…It wasn’t hard to deal with Remia.’

It’s easy to deal with an archer without deployment. Of course, it wasn’t just about the matchup. The main reason I could dominate from start to finish was because I understood all her habits.

‘She always targets the ankles and looks down on her opponent… If a shot gets blocked or two, she instantly fires rapidly.’

Also, above all.

‘She’s stingy with moonlight arrows. Excessively so.’

That was Remia’s greatest weakness.

To her, moonlight arrows were treasure. Remia regards her arrows as precious rather than consumables. Therefore, she would never fire a moonlight arrow as her first shot.

‘She looks down on her opponent.’

Back in the days of war, I would hurl curses and make her use her first shot on a moonlight arrow… But now, there was no one to take my place in handling Remia.

‘What if her first surprise attack was a moonlight arrow?’

The battle wouldn’t have gone this easily otherwise.

She would have had to endure some injuries.

‘And…’

Had she charged in with that guy from the start.

If she had to face me alongside her deployment.

“…”

As I envisioned a ‘what if’ situation in my mind, I lifted my head to stare at the broken staircase. My eyes widened in a moment of astonishment.

A moment’s surprise.

What followed was a hollow laugh.

“Oh ho.”

Was it coincidence or fate?

He had already arrived.

“He’s here already.”

The only entrance leading to the church’s basement.

The only exit from this place.

No matter which way you choose, you must pass through that staircase, and there stood someone. I recognized the face of the person standing still there in an instant.

There was no way I could not recognize him.

“…Kyle.”

Kyle Toven.

Now facing that damned hero, my face was utterly expressionless. An emotion I can’t express appeared rather than on my face slowly sank below.

And he was the same.

He stood still on the broken staircase, looking down at me. His gaze was calm. He showed no signs of movement. He simply stood still, observing me and Cardi.

‘As if trying to grasp the situation at hand.’

Suddenly, I thought about how he might see the situation through his eyes. Guessing that wasn’t difficult.

An injured ally.

A mysterious man saying something to the kneeling ally… and someone who appeared to be his companion watching him from a pillar.

It resembled a scene where a comrade was being taken hostage. At least, it would probably look that way to him. The amusing thing was that it wasn’t exactly wrong.

And if it were Kyle in such a situation.

‘Most likely,’

He would charge straight in without hesitation.

Ka-pow!

The staircase crumbled. As the broken remnants of the stairs crumbled underfoot, he charged toward me. His body glowed with the blessing of the Saint, and in one hand, his holy sword, symbolizing him, emitted starlight.

“…Ha.”

A smirk curled at the corner of my mouth.

As he approached with a trail of shimmering light, I twisted my lips while looking at Kyle. I reached to pull my robe a bit deeper over my head.

“Damn annoying.”

The spells stored in my forearm flared up.

In counter to the incoming starlight, blue mana erupted from me. Boom, as one foot sank into the ground, I pulled my fist back.

… I know this isn’t a good choice.

This is an emotional choice, and I know there’s no reason for me to clash with him.

It might be resolved with a few words, and if things go awry, it wouldn’t be too late to resort to force then.

But once I faced that damned face, all other possibilities were as good as gone.

‘There might be alternatives.’

However, none were options I wanted to choose. A crackling sound erupted from my tightly clenched fist as blue mana surged wildly.

‘For now, just one punch, and I’ll think after.’

Sometimes, emotions take precedence over reason.

If the opponent is a goddamn bastard, even more so than usual.