Ch.277Chapter 277 – The Dark Elf’s Test (1)

It was the day after I had agreed to spare the two demon corps commanders at Sia’s request.

“……”

“……”

An awkward silence fell between us as the two demon corps commanders cautiously descended into the dining area of the inn we had hastily secured.

Behind them, Sia came down with a light greeting, received portions of the meal that Sera had prepared using the borrowed kitchen, and soon sat with them at the far end of the table.

With Sia sitting between the two commanders and us, a natural boundary had formed.

“This is awkward.”

“Can’t be helped.”

I quietly replied to Chris, who had somehow seated herself near me.

While I had agreed to spare the two demons as Sia requested, we couldn’t exactly carry on the next day as if nothing had happened.

Though they hadn’t objected to my decision, Eve and Beatrice were still wary of the two demons.

Both occasionally sent vigilant glances toward the demons, making them somewhat uncomfortable.

The awkward atmosphere hung over the table as we continued our meal in unusual silence.

“The mood is too heavy.”

Chris said bravely as she stood up.

“Chris?”

“Well, we may have had an unpleasant first meeting, but there’s no reason for us to be hostile to each other now, right?”

Chris looked at all of us as she spoke.

Soon, Vanilla seemed to consider for a moment before carefully saying:

“Well, I don’t intend to be hostile…”

“Right?”

Chris smiled, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Then, with everyone’s eyes on her, she continued:

“So, um, maybe we could loosen the atmosphere a bit by talking about things we’re curious about…”

Chris’s voice grew quieter toward the end.

Though she spoke confidently, her courage seemed to fade when no one responded.

For a moment, everyone just stared blankly at Chris.

Finally, as Chris lowered her head, unable to bear the stares, Eve cleared her throat and spoke:

“…It’s uncomfortable, but Miss Christina isn’t exactly wrong.”

“R-right?”

Chris’s face brightened, thinking she had found an ally.

Eve smiled gently at Chris, then looked at Vanilla and said:

“…May I ask how you two ended up drifting into Florence or the kingdom?”

“As you could tell from the situation when we met, we drifted in while fleeing from Sirius—that woman’s pursuit.”

Vanilla said, narrowing her eyes.

“After the Demon Lord impersonator took over, that bastard has been violently crushing those who supported the true Demon Lord and forcing them to pledge loyalty.”

“There are still those who resist, of course. To break their spirit, he’s been killing or torturing the Demon Lord’s loyal followers.”

“Torture?”

Sia asked with slightly widened eyes, and Vanilla nodded.

“Yes. Torture. …Thanks to that, Merry, who bought us time, was eventually captured.”

“Merry?”

“The one you know as Baphomet. A name that somehow seemed fitting for a sheep, you know?”

Now that I think about it, that does make sense.

She had goat-like body parts, yet her name was sheep-like.

Come to think of it, the dark elf before me was named Vanilla.

“Do demons have a naming custom that’s opposite to their appearance?”

“Absolutely not. What nonsense are you talking about?”

Vanilla responded with an incredulous expression.

Soon after, Sia quietly asked:

“…Is that all?”

“Rage, that lazy duke, surrendered to the Demon Lord midway. He was handed over to the vampires and imprisoned after a long time, I heard.”

“Actually, he drew attention while surrendering to help us escape. He diverted us away, saying it was better for him to be caught since he was too lazy to flee properly.”

The boy named Gigas said quietly.

“Fortunately, both Merry and Rage are still alive for now.”

“Because the two of us haven’t been caught yet.”

Vanilla and Gigas’s words made me curious about something.

“Why are those two being kept alive if you two haven’t been caught?”

At my question, Vanilla looked at me as if surprised.

Then she opened her mouth to answer:

“He likes to show off.”

Gigas said with a sneer.

“He wants to take all four of our heads at once. To demonstrate his power.”

“What a nasty preference.”

Both Gigas and Vanilla nodded at my comment.

Then Vanilla quietly said:

“Well, more than that, the Demon Lord…”

“Vanilla.”

Gigas stopped Vanilla as she was about to say something, carried away by the mood.

“The Demon Lord?”

“…It’s nothing. Actually, we don’t know the exact details either, so it’s just speculation.”

Gigas said quietly.

Then, as if trying to quickly change the subject, he continued:

“More importantly, we owe you our lives. Is there anything you want from us?”

“Want?”

At my question, Gigas spread his hands and said:

“It’s only natural to repay a favor, right? That’s the human rule. Isn’t it?”

“That’s correct, if you put it that way.”

Eve lightly affirmed Gigas’s words.

Gigas nodded and said:

“So I’d like to repay a little bit in advance.”

“But we’re currently injured and don’t have any human money. I’d appreciate it if you could consider that when making requests.”

Vanilla said this with her eyes half-open for some reason.

Then she focused her gaze on me and soon smiled, saying:

“I said that, but it seems I do have something I can offer you.”

“To me?”

I asked since she was looking at me while saying that.

It must have been true, as Vanilla nodded and said:

“You’re dying, aren’t you?”

It was a calm response.

I was slightly surprised but maintained my composure as I asked:

“Why do you think that? I’m perfectly fine, how could I be dying?”

“Well, you might look fine on the surface.”

Vanilla said with a smile.

“But I can see the flow of magical power. I can tell you’re dying, white dragon.”

Vanilla pointed at me with her finger.

“I’ve only just noticed it clearly, but magical power emanating from your heart is moving your heart and entire body, isn’t it?”

“……”

“But that magical flow is quite unstable now. And it’s weakened. In that state, your body will gradually die, and once you pass a certain point, even moving around will become very difficult.”

Vanilla said with a fierce smile.

Looking at her, I replied:

“Yet my body moves well and feels healthy. You saw me fighting earlier, didn’t you?”

“That’s because your body has changed to somewhat resemble a dragon’s nature, so you don’t feel it.”

Vanilla said quietly.

A magic circle had appeared before her eyes.

She seemed to be using it to examine my body.

“Various organs from different creatures have been used throughout your body. It’s incredibly intricate—I’d believe it if a god did this. Anyway, thanks to that, you’ve been able to withstand the magical power from the dragon’s heart. The magic from that dragon heart moves your entire body, causing dragonification to progress… that’s why dragon characteristics are manifesting in you.”

Vanilla shrugged and said:

“According to texts I saw in the demon realm, dragons can fight well even when wounded or injured. The reason is that when their lives are in danger, their magical power develops a powerful analgesic effect for survival.”

“Analgesic effect?”

“It seems to be an instinct to keep fighting and survive no matter what. I can’t properly verify it since I’ve never seen a real dragon, but…”

But looking at you, it seems to be true, Vanilla added.

“Because of the dragonification, you can move normally even though you’re practically dying. You’re essentially drugged up, you know?”

Vanilla said quietly.

“You probably sense it intuitively, but that state can’t last forever. At the very least, when your magical power is depleted or becomes insufficient, pain will overwhelm you. When that moment comes, it essentially means death.”

“I see.”

I responded while watching Vanilla, who seemed oddly pleased as she spoke.

Some of what she said was information I already knew, and some was new to me.

As she spoke, the expressions of my companions, except for Sia, darkened slightly.

Then Vanilla smiled as if she had been waiting for this moment and said:

“But, should I say this is lucky?”

“Lucky?”

Vanilla continued with a wicked smile:

“Actually, looking at your condition, a method occurred to me. I think there’s a surprisingly high chance you could survive.”

“Really?”

In response to Eve’s question, Vanilla smiled as if she had caught something.

“I personally think the chances are high.”

“Then…”

“But I don’t want to just tell you.”

Vanilla said leisurely.

Watching her, Eve quietly asked:

“What do you want?”

“Going straight to negotiations? I like that attitude.”

Vanilla said with a grin.

“But don’t worry. I’ll offer you a fantastic price right now.”

“What do you mean by fantastic?”

“I won’t ask for anything too extreme. Our situation is what it is, after all.”

Vanilla’s eyes showed a hint of sadness.

Then she quietly continued:

“Gigas and I are in a very poor state right now. No money. So, I want a comfortable hideout where we can stay until our bodies recover. That’s my condition for the trade.”

“…I see.”

“Plus, unlimited food, shelter, and clothing would be even better.”

Vanilla said with a sly expression.

“You might know other methods, but hmm. I think what I’m offering will be easier.”

Vanilla smiled in a demon-like way.

Then after looking at me once and smiling, she extended her hand to Eve and said:

“Choose, human. If I change my mind, you know what happens.”

“Indeed. It seems we don’t have much time.”

Eve nodded and then looked at Sera.

“Miss Seraphina.”

“Yes.”

After exchanging glances with Eve, Sera stood up and approached Vanilla.

She took Vanilla’s outstretched hand, smiled brightly, and said:

“Shall we shake hands?”

+

“First of all, it’s impossible to improve this condition as it is. Since you’re forcibly moving a dead body using magical power, it’s essentially a corpse.”

Vanilla said with a dejected face while wringing her hands.

“So fundamental treatment is impossible. Not in that state.”

“If you don’t get to the point, you’ll be shaking hands with me again, you know?”

Eve said with a smile, and Sera also smiled as she raised her hand.

Vanilla immediately put on a frightened expression and quickly opened her mouth:

“That’s where the idea comes from. If fundamental treatment is impossible, then fundamentally change it. That is, reconstruct the body. Reconstruct the body anew to rebalance the physical system. That’s the only option now.”

If that’s the case, it’s not much different from what Lumen suggested.

‘Did I get my hopes up for nothing?’

It felt like a betrayal of trust.

The saying that you can’t be betrayed if you don’t trust in the first place came to mind.

Seeing all our expressions darken and become ambiguous, except for Sia’s, Vanilla slightly read the room and said:

“Um, hmm. It seems you’ve already figured out that much? Well, this is…”

“Shall we shake hands again?”

At Sera’s words, Vanilla quickly put her hands behind her back and continued:

“Ahem. Anyway, there are almost no safe ways to reconstruct the body. Many of the materials are currently unobtainable or have few substitutes, so the difficulty is high.”

Indeed.

As Vanilla said, there was one method Lumen had previously suggested.

Namely, reconstructing the body through the Hero’s Awakening.

But the problem is that this awakening requires a material called the Philosopher’s Stone.

And since the whereabouts of the Philosopher’s Stone are still unknown, the Hero’s Awakening is an extremely difficult treatment method to prepare.

“But I’ve thought of a treatment method that has a pretty high success rate and requires almost no materials.”

“What is it?”

In response to Eve’s question, Vanilla looked at me and answered:

“Becoming a demon.”

Eyes that seemed to be searching for something were looking at me.

“By making a soul-staking deal with a demon, becoming a demon.”

From somewhere, I heard a small mutter about “bad habits.”

With that, the atmosphere in the room changed.

“…Is that even a reasonable suggestion?”

Chris’s face, which had been gentle until just now, turned cold.

Whether uncontrollable or not, golden divine power began to flow out from her and back in repeatedly.

Beatrice and Eve, who were about to get angry first, seemed momentarily taken aback by this unexpected behavior from her.

“You want Kei to become a demon? Do you not understand what that means?”

Chris had been smiling and trying to converse with the demons just moments ago.

But even for her, this method must be unacceptable.

“…Are you trying to make me regret my decision to show mercy for Lady Sia’s sake?”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d calm down, little goddess. Despite appearances, I have no ill intentions.”

Vanilla looked up at Chris and said quietly.

“Of course, from your perspective, demons are cursed beings, so I understand why you’d be so averse.”

Vanilla said with a smile.

“‘Sacrifice your life to a cursed existence to save your life’—that’s how you’d interpret it, right?”

“Honestly, it sounded to me like you’re returning kindness with enmity.”

Chris said quietly.

Vanilla nodded and said:

“But he needs to survive, doesn’t he?”

“……”

Chris was momentarily at a loss for words.

As if to admonish her, Vanilla quietly said:

“Divine power can’t heal this man. Magic is the same. I’m not sure about life force, but whatever it is, it would be nothing more than a temporary measure that won’t last long.”

Vanilla said this while looking at me.

“Especially if magical power is depleted or disappears, tremendous pain will overwhelm you. I told you, right? It only appears healthy at a glance because of the dragonification. Even that won’t last long.”

Vanilla looked back at Chris.

“I can suggest plenty of methods for simple life extension or pain relief. But to survive, the body must be reconstructed. I’m merely suggesting what I know to be the easiest method for healing purposes.”

“No matter what, I have no intention of turning Kei into a demon.”

Chris stated her position quietly but firmly.

“Besides, becoming a demon isn’t really without consequences, is it?”

“That’s right. Because you’re making a deal by staking your soul. With bad luck, you might live a life subordinated to a demon.”

Vanilla spoke quietly, but seriously.

“But the survival rate is quite high, you know?”

To Vanilla’s words, Chris replied with quiet anger:

“There are still other methods left. We can’t take such a risk without trying everything else first.”

“But the question remains whether that man will still be alive while you implement those methods.”

Vanilla said this while looking at me.

“Why, there’s a saying that even rolling on the ground is better than leaving this world. You might think, ‘I’ll do anything to survive,’ right? Even sacrificing everything to live.”

Vanilla’s eyes changed slightly.

“And I said ‘with bad luck,’ but surprisingly, even if your soul is mortgaged, nothing much might happen. …There are kind-hearted, benevolent demons too. I could introduce you to one.”

Vanilla paused briefly and looked at Sia.

Then, with eyes that seemed reminiscent and nostalgic, she looked back at me and said quietly:

“The important thing is life, white dragon. Surviving is more important than anything else.”

Vanilla extended her hand to me and asked:

“So, let me ask you. What do you think, white dragon? Are you willing to survive, even if it means becoming a demon, even if it means being cursed?”

A demon offered a deal.

And the answer:

“No.”

It had been decided from the beginning.