(…Where am I?)
In the midst of battle, I was suddenly teleported by a Teleportation Magic Circle that appeared beneath my feet. When I came to, I was inside a dimly lit building.
The place was clearly not a Dungeon. Stone floors and stone walls… but while Dungeons themselves emit a faint light, preventing complete Darkness, here, natural Darkness prevailed.
Could it be a castle or a fortress somewhere? There was no sign of Monsters, nor even a human presence. …No, I sense only one strong Mana. However, contrary to the strength of the Mana, which is like that of a high-ranking Monster, its life force was surprisingly faint.
Could it be a weakened spiritual life form, like the Water Spirit I fought before…? That’s the only presence I can sense in this place. I quietly wiped the blood from my Knife, erased the smell of splattered blood with [Purify (Clean)], and then used Stealth to approach that presence.
Ideally, I shouldn’t be approaching danger myself. But if the one who teleported me with the Teleportation Magic Circle—the “voice” I heard at that time—was a Dungeon Spirit, then I felt that meeting the master of this presence would be meaningful.
Inside the building, there was a lingering scent of life, indicating that people had clearly lived there. But I felt an overwhelming “odor of death” that made me more cautious.
And then…
“…Who is it at this hour?”
That “person” was standing alone in the middle of a particularly large room, on a wide-open terrace, illuminated by the moonlight.
The handsome Dark Elf, with long silver hair fluttering in the night breeze, possessed terrifyingly powerful Mana, yet his eyes were terribly fragile… devoid of ambition, and directed at me, hidden in the Darkness.
“…Who are you to be here?”
When I retorted, he widened his eyes slightly, as if surprised.
“You speak as if you’re lost… It seems you’re not one of those who came to take my life.”
“I’m not bored enough to kill someone who’s already half-dead.”
“I see…”
He gave a self-deprecating, faint smile at my words, then collapsed into a chair on the terrace, sighing as he uttered,
“If you’re a thief, take whatever you want. I’ve only left the bare minimum, but it could be troublesome if you’re found… guh.”
He took a swig from a goblet on the table, which seemed to contain alcohol, then choked as if spitting up blood.
Who is he? I have some idea, but why did the Dungeon Spirit send me to this person?
“Do you want to die?”
I couldn’t sense any will to live from him. Loneliness… despair… negative emotions entangled his heart, and he seemed to wish for death himself.
He gave the impression of a recluse who had given up on everything, but for some whim, he answered my question.
“Want to die… perhaps. When my wife… the woman I loved, died, my heart probably died as well.”
Clang…
He tried to take another sip from the goblet but slipped, and as he watched it roll away, he leaned back deeply in his chair as if resigned.
“She was everything to me. At first, it was just an obsession. But she saved my foolish heart, gave me hope, and loved me.”
“…Then all that person’s feelings were in vain.”
“What…?”
A slight Killing Intent burst forth from him, whose life force was fading.
But it was I who felt anger. My father and mother also died to protect me. When I was young, I was just sad. I even cried, wondering why they left me alone. But… now I can understand their feelings.
“You wish to die because nothing remains within you, right?”
“What do you know…!”
Anger overflowed, and Killing Intent that would have killed an ordinary person just by being near it was directed at me.
I also accepted it with the anger towards him that was born within me, and took a step forward while glaring at him from the Darkness.
“I don’t know your circumstances. But did that person die hating you? Did that person leave nothing for you?”
“That is…”
His anger wavered slightly at my words. A child like me probably couldn’t understand his grief. But I couldn’t forgive him for trying to discard the life that had been saved.
“If I hadn’t brought her to this land, she wouldn’t have died! I thought everyone would eventually understand… I wanted them to know that, like me, they could join hands with the human race! But she died at the hands of those who didn’t think well of the human race. I couldn’t protect her…!”
“…Are you making a fool of her resolve?”
“What did you say…?”
A human woman who married into the Evil Race that was fighting with the human race… Would such a person come to enemy territory with a naive mindset?
I’ve never met her, but for some reason, I understood her feelings a little.
There’s no logic to risking one’s life. I thought she came to this land to be close to the heart of the person she loved, understanding everything.
“If you want to die, do as you please. But don’t use others as a reason for suicide. I choose to continue resisting until I die, to live up to the feelings of those who kept me alive.”
“You are…”
He stared at me, who had revealed myself from the Darkness.
“That hair… I see.”
He looked at my hair illuminated by the moonlight and fell silent, covering his face with his hand. And after a time it would take for the moon floating in the night sky to tilt slightly, he opened his mouth again.
“…Did she… send you to me?”
“What are you talking about?”
“…No, forget it. I just remembered her scolding me like that…”
“I see.”
I don’t know if my words really reached him. I don’t know what kind of answer he found with them, but even so, there was a faint light of will in his eyes when he raised his face.
He looked up at the moon with tearful eyes. Was it my imagination that the faint moonlight momentarily made it look like the smile of a woman with reddish-pink hair…?
It’s just my presumptuous opinion, but I conveyed what I wanted to say. I don’t know what the Dungeon Spirit wanted me to do by teleporting me here…
“!?!”
“What’s wrong?”
Suddenly, Teleportation Magic Circles appeared not only beneath my feet but also beneath his, and I threw the Knife I had drawn out in a fit of anger at being manipulated, even though I knew it was futile, at the space itself.
KIIIIIIIIIIIN!!
An ear-piercing sound echoed, and the Knife was repelled in a pure white space.
“…Again?”
When I came to, I was in a pure white fog with nothing in it.
What was the reason for sending me to that man and then summoning me again using a Teleportation Magic Circle?
『–It is because there is a “wish”–』
I stopped halfway as I was about to throw the Knife again at the “voice” that came from the area where the Knife had been repelled, which I couldn’t tell whether it was male or female.
It’s useless anyway… I know this “presence” that even reads the voice of my heart.
“…A Dungeon Spirit?”
『–You children of men call it that–』
It was vague when I met it before, but now I can understand the difference in power. If this voice is the Dungeon Spirit, then I can understand to some extent the meaning of calling us… but.
“I have no wish for you to grant.”
Dungeon Spirits have no wishes. When I said that, I received a presence… no, an image, as if the Spirit was nodding.
『–That is true of you. You are a child of man with hair the same color as the “Moon Rose” that we loved… You have a strong wish, but you will not rely on the power of others. Like that black-haired girl who arrived at the lowest level–』
“…………”
So it was her who reached the lowest level…
“Then why did you call me? What were you trying to make me do by sending me to him… the ‘Evil King’?”
Probably that person is Camille’s father, the Evil King who is said to be on the verge of death. But in the first place, I haven’t even reached the lowest level, so there’s no reason for me to be called. If the Spirit can read my heart, it should know that I have no wish. But this Spirit didn’t even call me here directly, but teleported me to the place where the Evil King is.
『–Child of man. To answer your question, you must first know about the Dark Elves–』
“Dark Elves… you mean the Dark Elves?”
『–That is correct. Their current suffering began thousands of years ago, from the wish of one king–』
The Spirit began to speak in a way that even I, a human, could understand.
Originally, there was no existence called “Dark Elves” in this world. There were only “Forest Elves” with white skin who lived in the forests, and “Iron Elves” with copper-colored skin who lived in the mountains.
In contrast to the Forest Elves, who shunned fire by making the forests their home and distanced themselves from the places where humans lived, the Iron Elves, who obtained iron from mines in the mountains, were good at using fire, possessed technology no less than that of the Rock Dwarves, created Demon Iron weapons, and actively interacted with humans.
However, minerals were needed not only by the Iron Elves but also by humans and dwarves. Fearing the Iron Elves’ strength would lead to their monopoly, the humans and dwarves, involving even the beastmen who sought cheap iron products, came into conflict with the Iron Elves.
The Iron Elves, forced to fight against various races, were gradually cornered, and the king at the time prayed to a high-ranking spirit for salvation.
“Whether it was truly a spirit, I do not know. Nor do I know what kind of contract was made. However, as a result, the Iron Elves were spared from destruction, but in exchange, their skin color was changed to ‘black’ like darkness.”
As a result of seeking salvation from a high-ranking being, the Iron Elves had their copper-colored skin turned black.
But it wasn’t changed out of malice, nor were they deceived. Spirits have values different from ours. Perhaps the price was not important enough for the spirit to mention beforehand.
As a result, the Iron Elves were saved, but after what kind of contract would that happen? From that day on, all the Iron Elves in the world became ‘Dark Elves,’ and because of that, the Dark Elves of this Searth Continent were judged as ‘evil’ by the Holy Church that came from another continent.
According to the teachings of the Holy Church, Dark Elves’ skin turned black because they sold their souls to an evil god, which is not entirely wrong, but the human race likely had political motives for defining Dark Elves as evil.
“When I, as the spirit of this dungeon, first encountered a Dark Elf who had been driven to this land by humans, he became the first king. But he did not ask me for [Divine Protection], but for the survival of his race.”
The same as my hair… Thinking that, I touched my peach-colored blonde hair, and again, I felt a sign of agreement.
“Indeed, but that wish was ambiguous, and I cannot grant the benefits to a clan like yours. Therefore, I have been fulfilling that wish when a Dark Elf or someone related to them reaches the lowest level. However, this time’s arrival had no ‘wish,’ so to fulfill the contract, I summoned someone with a strong wish.”
Besides the first Evil King, there must have been others who reached this place unnoticed. But because that guy had no wish, we were called instead…?
It’s an ambiguous selection, but the spirit seems to think that it fulfilled its ‘promise’ with the first Evil King with that. Dowhill and Charleschan were probably called for the same reason. They are clan leaders and have a reason to wish for the survival of their people.
The reason why their subordinates weren’t called is probably due to the difference in the will to wish, or because they placed more importance on winning? But even so, that doesn’t explain why I, who had no wish, was called.
“Despite the fact that the Dark Elves were fighting so much, there were multiple people with the same wish. For that wish, child of man, ‘your’ existence was necessary.”
“…What?”
Was doing something to the Evil King someone’s wish?
“By that person ‘living,’ several ‘wishes’ were fulfilled. But by fulfilling those wishes, one person’s wish disappeared, and a small wish became stronger. That Dark Elf is seeking your very existence.”
Seeking “me”? Is there someone who wants to settle things with me?
Who is it? Is it Ergrim, who was chasing after Master’s Shadow? Or is it Aishe?
“–!”
Suddenly sensing a distortion in space behind me, I turned around with my knife ready.
Someone is about to be summoned to this place. I braced myself to attack immediately, and the person who appeared before me was—
“…A, Aria?”
Looking around in confusion and calling my name upon finding me was Camille, who had separated in the upper levels of the dungeon and was supposed to be aiming for the lowest level.
It’s mostly Carla’s fault.
Next time: What does Camille wish for?
Behind the scenes:
In the Otome Game, this dungeon is used as a key point in the Evil Race arc.
There are two choices: defeat the Evil King and stop the war that seems about to begin, or build peace. If the Heroine’s abilities are insufficient, she can receive Divine Protection here. If she chooses peace, the Evil King’s background will be revealed.
After that, she will head to the Evil Race Nation, but she won’t try to persuade them by digging into their wounds this much (lol).