episode_0090

It was an outpouring of emotions that was almost like a scream. In an instant, both Sieta and Milicia, who were approaching, stopped in their tracks. Glenn slightly raised his magical power again, but fortunately, there was no major change in the surroundings.

What followed was Vidia’s almost desperate confession.

「To me, I, I… yes… I’ve always been like this. Always, caught up in misfortune and unable to do anything… always being saved by the hands of others… it’s been that way in the past… and it’s the same now. I, I… that idiot called me… has always been a series of failures! An elf who is nothing more than a pile of failures! Unable to save myself, unable to be by the side of the person I like, poetry, even… unable to confess, unable to surpass the person that person likes! In the end… because of a wrong choice… I fell for strange whispers and became a terrible being who drove my kind into danger… I became a piece of trash who drove myself to ruin!」

It was a speech that poured out her true feelings without any sort of emotional organization, without even an inch of falsehood. In the end, out of pity, Milicia called her name very quietly.

“Vidia…”

What Milicia, who faced Vidia with a feeling of pity, returned to was another sincerity pouring out while harboring the last of her venom.

「I’ll be honest with you, Millie. No, Saintess. From the moment I first saw you… I felt defeated. It was unfair. Why, why, why! How could there be someone more beautiful than me… no, more beautiful than an elf? How could a mere human give birth to someone so unbelievably beautiful… and why was that person, of all people, by the side of the person I liked… Because of that, I lost my courage before I could even try. And I twisted everything myself, and now I’m here. So, how do you feel, Saintess? You must be so happy to see this loser-like elf who has been defeated by you both in mind and body. The sight of someone who shouldn’t even be an obstacle in front of you breaking a taboo… and driving himself to ruin…」

“What…That’s not true! There’s no way I can enjoy seeing you like this!”

For the first time, Glenn could see the anger directed at Vidia from Milicia. A teardrop formed on the face filled with pity and sadness.

Tears. Yes. Milicia was shedding tears. At this, even Sieta, who was by her side, and Vidia, who was looking at the saint with a poisonous look, could not hide their surprise.

“From the moment I met you, from the moment I shared my name with you, the noble elf princess…I thought of you as a comrade and a good friend. Vidia, have you forgotten? The times when we crossed the line together to save the continent? Those moments!”

‘My name is Milicia Airgrants, and I am a mere servant who has been given the title of Saint of the Airgrants Church. It is an honor to meet you, Princess Vidia Dreamside of the Elves.’

‘Oh, that, that… I’m glad it’s an honor! But… please don’t call me by such a difficult name. Just call me Vidia is fine.’

‘Then… Lady Vidia?’

‘Oh, yes… Your Majesty?’

‘Hehe, please call me Milicia. I would be even more honored if you called me Millie.’

‘It’s an honor… Okay, Millie.’

At first, they only exchanged simple greetings without knowing each other. However, from the first meeting, Milicia felt it.

For some reason, I feel a kinship with this person.

‘I will create a barrier with holy power. Please be on guard around you… Lady Sylvia? Lady Vidia? Can you block attacks from a distance in advance?’

‘Ha, there’s no need for Sylvia to come out! Just trust this elf’s hearing and sight! Millie, I’ll leave the barrier to you!’

‘Thank you, Vidia.’

‘Oh my, so you know about the ‘Shepherdess’ too, Vidia… So that masterpiece has been passed down to the Elf Forest as well… Oh my…’

‘Ah, uh. It was one of the books that was given to me as a gift from the human kingdom that interacted with us a long time ago. Because of that, I was terrified of telling lies since I was little. For decades…’

‘Hehehe… Do you remember the phrase that came out there? If you lie…’

‘You’re swallowing a handful of goat hair, right?’

‘that’s right!’

Didn’t we form a sense of empathy, support each other, and work together to overcome the evil horde and defeat the root of evil?

“The days I spent with you…were more precious than any moment. I always wanted to leave them as a part of my memories. I wanted to reminisce about those days when we meet again, and laugh and talk with you! To you, those moments of yours…were they moments that were not even as big as a handful of sand? Was our relationship…so dangerous that it could be broken by just one person’s love? Please, Vidia. Please don’t push yourself into the abyss any longer! Because…”

“Be quiet!”

At the loud shout, Glenn felt a sense of crisis again. He was afraid that the phenomenon from earlier would repeat itself.

However, this time, the changes were minimal. Vidia seemed a bit angry, but she did not appear to be gathering the darkness around her or growing larger.

Instead, a sigh intruded into the space filled with silence.

“Millie… your kindness… is no different from before… no, rather… you’ve become more confident and less burdened. As expected, you’re an amazing saint.”

“Well, then…Vidia…”

「But! Even if I say that… Even if I lecture you from the perspective of the victor… You see, I’m finished, I’m finished! My last shred of chance, hope, and love have all fallen apart! Now there’s nothing but despair and darkness before me! That’s right! Just because of my desire for one person… An elf girl who joined hands with the power of darkness and did such a foolish thing… What kind of treatment am I going to receive from now on…」

The words that came out of Vidia’s mouth were a more realistic lament than expected. This self-proclaimed Vidia was seriously imagining her future quite realistically and hopelessly.

After a while, when I swung my sword at Glenn, he became tense again, but judging from the way his fingertips were trembling, he felt that it was not a hostile act, so he relaxed.

“It sucks, but… that damn strong brat was right… It’s all my fault… The splitting of the soul, the jealousy, the hand in hand with the dark energy… And… The defeat… I’ve finished with myself… The nobility of being an elf… Has disappeared from me… Just because, just barely… I didn’t get the love of one person… I’ve driven myself into despair… Aaaah…”

It’s okay to blame yourself, but why are you pointing at me and lamenting?

The complaints were boiling over, but it was not Glenn’s turn to speak. Milicia spoke in an urgent tone, trying to save Vidia.

“That’s not true, Vidia. If you purify the dark energy of that forest right now and return with us…there will be no problem. Because you…you just made a little mistake…with that powerful energy! ”

And instead of the silent Sieta and Glenn, the one who desperately extended a helping hand was none other than Milicia. That’s why Glenn couldn’t say anything. How could he raise an opposing opinion or complain when the person he served and loved was trying to reach out for help? It might have been okay a little while ago, but now in this situation.

However, Vidia seemed to feel reality more keenly than expected. She repeated her story of despair in a tone that was almost inorganic.

「Haha, hahaha… Millie… You still worry about me so much… But you know, I… understand my position… damn well… The elven code states that those who once held the hand of darkness are considered corrupted, and even if they return to their race, they must be judged by the hand of the Moon Goddess… As someone who has inherited royal blood since I was young, I’ve heard it so many times… Look, at my older sister… Why would I remain silent?”

“Ah, si, sieta…nim?”

Now that I think about it, Sieta has been unnaturally silent for a while now. It was a completely different appearance from her usual chatty appearance, so Glenn unconsciously turned his gaze to Sieta.

And then, Glenn and Milishia held their breath. It was natural, because they had a hard time accepting that the person they were seeing was the same Sieta who was bright, cheerful, and didn’t hesitate to make slightly odd remarks.

The bright green hair that seemed to represent nature was now covered in darkness, and the eyes were emitting a blue light colder than ice. It was a much more cynical and pale atmosphere than the hostile attitude he had displayed when confronting the water people not long ago.

“City, Sieta!”

Feeling an ominous premonition, Milicia unconsciously approached Sieta.

However, Chuck and Sieta raised her right arm to show her refusal, stopping Milicia. Milicia looked at Sieta with an incredulous face, and Glenn could only look back and forth between Sieta and Vidia.

And then suddenly, the surroundings began to brighten up a little. No, it was clear that Glenn’s keen sense had really shined. Glenn could clearly see the darkness around him gradually disappearing.

And then, without thinking, I suddenly raised my head. Light was coming in through the tall trees of the forest. That was…

“The sun? Why all of a sudden…”

“Ah…no way…!”

As if she had suddenly had an epiphany, Milicia was shocked. But before she could even suggest anything to Sieta, Sieta spoke first. Not to Milicia or Glenn, but to her own sister.

“Yes, Vidia. As you said… Elves who have been tainted by the Corruption or have joined hands to commit evil deeds are no longer allowed to enter the Elven realm. If the damage caused by their evil deeds is serious, they must receive a terrible punishment. And it is difficult to tell just by looking at someone’s appearance whether they have been tainted by the Corruption or if they were simply kidnapped and used and then escaped and returned. So…as you know…the descendants of our Moon Goddess have been passed down a kind of ‘purification’ method to distinguish them…you know that well, right?”

“…”

Vidia nodded her head in silent agreement. Milicia swallowed hard and covered her mouth with her hand. In an instant, she understood Sieta’s intentions with just that short conversation.

“Moonlight is originally… something that reflects sunlight and shines on us… That is, we, the descendants of the moon goddess, can manipulate sunlight to illuminate and purify evil energy. Yes, just like right now!”

“iced coffee…”

Little by little, Glenn’s vision began to see the surrounding light gathering in one place. It was clear that the sunlight illuminating this area was forming a circle and narrowing its range. It was clear who was creating this situation. Sieta was using her power as a priestess to manipulate the sunlight.

‘Eh, does the elf priest have this kind of power?’

And Glenn saw.

I could clearly see that the narrowing area of sunlight was focused on someone. It was so plain in a way, but the ability to control and focus sunlight at will was a power that was worth seeing.

And, Vidia’s flinching seemed to be properly affected by the sunlight.

“Ahhh…ahhh!”

No, thanks to the scream that was finally let out, the aftereffects of the sunlight were properly transmitted to the three people. Milicia now had a sufficiently pale face, and unconsciously approached Sieta and tried to grab her shoulder.

However, Sieta moved more quickly. She raised her right arm into the air and aimed it at her sister.

And then, in a chilling voice, he shouted, in a language that Glenn and Milicia could not understand.

[satani, ke moire de sistera!]

And then, with a flash, the sunlight became so strong that Glenn could no longer look ahead.

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The evacuation should have continued in the elven realm. The reason it did not continue was because many elves who were rushing to escape were just staring blankly at the sudden change.

When the darkness that was about to engulf their territory began to tremble, the elves almost panicked.

But as the darkness slowly, very slowly, receded, I found it difficult to accept the momentary change and just blankly watched the forest appear ‘properly’.

“I guess you’re somehow succeeding. Is it unfortunate or fortunate…”

“Hmm, Estil. You’re still here?”

Estil Sabre, quite boldly, did not join the evacuation procession. Instead, she sat on a bench made of recycled wood with only the stumps left, looking out toward the forest, worrying about the whereabouts of the suicide squad. When the dark aura trembled, she was startled, but soon she let out a sigh of relief when she saw it slowly receding. However, there was someone who happened to overhear the worry that she had unknowingly let out.

“Ah, Mr. Leones…? What are you doing instead of evacuating? In such a dangerous time…”

Leones Dreamside, the leader of the elves and a man with a carefree smile, approaches with a hearty laugh (although he has no beard).

“Hahaha. Don’t you think it’s too hasty to rush to evacuate even after seeing the current situation?”

“You just asked me why I’m here, and what are you… Also, in a situation where the wave of darkness is already right in front of you, isn’t it more appropriate to call moving a delayed response?”

“You hit the nail on the head, you idiot.”

Trying to be witty.

Estil pursed his lips, but did not take his eyes off the forest. The darkness was clearly fading away, but he still did not know it.

That darkness, which had been seething dozens of kilometers away from this elven territory until yesterday, had surged all the way here overnight.

“If it weren’t for the tides at the beach, wouldn’t it be strange not to notice the instability of this phenomenon?”

“Even if you take that into account, it’s overly optimistic!”

“Hahaha, my precious daughter jumped in to solve the situation herself, so I can’t help but think positively!”

“Wow…”

Estil was taken aback.

I also had a strange feeling that this was a luxury that only elves who had lived for thousands of years could have. After all, it was impossible for a human who could barely live for even 100 years to fully understand elven culture.

To begin with, didn’t they not even have a proper army until a few years ago, when the Demons were running wild in the middle of the continent? Now that the Demons have disappeared, there’s no way to know what kind of guts they have.

“Aren’t you trusting your daughter too much? Both Sieta and Vidia… Oh, come to think of it, is Vidia okay? You carried her on your back during the evacuation, right? You didn’t leave her behind, did you?”

As if a memory had suddenly occurred to him, Estil asked about the elf princess’s whereabouts in a demanding manner.

“Of course. My wife was the first to take the child. However, she said that he was in a deep sleep and that his condition was a bit strange. She said that she would take him to a shelter and then check on him.”

“That’s fortunate, but…there shouldn’t be any problems. I didn’t know that Vidia-sama would have such a bad heartache. I’m also worried about Sieta-sama who entered…what if…”

As befitting a scholar, Estil was unable to shake off negative assumptions. He suspected that Vidia’s condition was related to the dark energy.

“Haha, you… aren’t you worrying too much about our daughters? Those children are also descendants of the Dreamside royal family. The strength and nobility that has been passed down through generations of the Dreamside family are not so weak as to succumb to this level of energy, let alone the Demon King.”

No, how can you say ‘just’ when you’re looking at a national crisis like this?

Estil was genuinely curious about what kind of elf path this old man had taken to survive, but he didn’t think this was the place to ask.

“Don’t worry too much. Even if they were affected by that dark energy, even if they got caught in its midst… those kids won’t break down easily. Talent is talent, after all… the people of our family have noble souls that can stand up to the power of the demons. ”

“I really hope that’s true…huh?”

Estil was about to answer in a slightly sarcastic tone, perhaps a little bored with Leones bragging about himself, but was unable to continue speaking due to a sudden change. With his gaze fixed on the forest, he caught a glimpse of a tremendous change.

“That…sunlight seems to be focused somewhere right now…am I wrong?”

“Umm…”

Yes, because the waves of darkness came rushing in and the sunlight that returned seemed to be focused on a specific part of the forest.

At this moment, Estil turned his head for the first time and looked at Leones next to him.

“Huh, sir?”

And Estil saw. It was not the relaxed old man Hoho who had been speaking just a moment ago, but the cool-headed leader Leones Dreamside who was looking at the forest in front of him with serious and sharp eyes.

“Why… the power of purification in that vicinity… There’s still quite a distance to the altar…”

And Leones’ mumbling words were enough to increase Estil’s anxiety.