Make Dark Fantasy Great Again

Chapter 267 Want to know more about elves? I think I've told you pretty much everything there is to tell. What's left... Well, maybe I could tell you about elves' preferences? Oh? You seem interested. Was this your original purpose? Did you develop an interest in some elf? Well, to be fair, elves are basically quite beautiful. How else would the term 'elfine' have become an idiomatic expression for beauty among humans? But you know what? Elves think of humans like you... Oh, no. The story went off track for a moment. There's nothing worse than trampling on feelings that haven't even bloomed yet, so let's stop this story here. What elves like is simple. Spirits. Plants. Nature magic. Fresh vegetables and green grass. How about it. Can you see the common standard that binds all these things together? That's right. Purity. Elves love pure things. Why? Because the World Tree is like that. Conversely, what they hate is the same. Elves despise impure things. Yes. Despise. You must know about elves' prickly nature, right? That expression, hehe. Yes. You know. Look at my expression too. I know too. In fact, most people know. Anyway, that too can be said to be an expression of the purity that elves pursue. They strive to express themselves as they truly are as much as possible. They consider it a virtue of purity. So when elves treat you purely, it would be best for you to become as pure a person as possible. Elves whose trust has been betrayed can't be stopped even by High Elves. What? How do I know? Haha. -Crawling Library Eloran <Dialogue keyword: Elf>- *** -Dogmatic things. The Nad'ga Hera expressed the elf race in such a way. Perhaps if life were molded from the material of dogmatism, the result would be those elves. They pursue purity and reject and despise things that go against that value. But they place the standard of that purity on themselves. Could anything be more dogmatic and arrogant than this? Hera did not like the elves. Even so. Hera could not despise the elves. As elves do to other races, she could not look at them with contemptuous eyes. No matter how much she belittled them as dogmatic and arrogant- The purity and beauty that elves possessed could not be belittled. Their ancestors are nature and their parent is the World Tree. Their existence, blessed with nature's grace, inherently contains extreme purity. That presence. That aura. That they evoke thoughts of green forests is not merely a matter of mood. Elves were beautiful. It was a self-evident fact that did not need to be proclaimed by denying the laws and principles of the world. Even the Nad'ga, who claimed to be the incarnation of beauty, could not deny that beauty. She was not free from that beauty. That's why Hera immediately contacted them upon hearing news of the expedition. That's why Hera felt immense pleasure when she encountered the elf group. Those dogmatic and arrogant beings blinded by 'the blessing', praising the beauty of the Nad'ga! Elves cannot be the greatest race. The Nad'ga, who are born with inherently higher Status and power, knew this fact clearly. However, elves could be the most beautiful race. They could outright reject and despise the Nad'ga while flaunting their beauty. Before being affected by the 'blessing', they certainly would have done so. But now it's different. The elves' praise! That was evidence that the 'blessing' had been reborn as a strict law of this world. It was proof that there no longer existed any adversary to deny it. The time had ripened. Finally, the time had come for the Nad'ga to reign as the true rulers of the world. -Elves... beautiful yet insignificant beings... you will serve us... Like that. For the Nad'ga who proclaimed themselves incarnations of beauty, the existence of elves as the true race of beauty held special meaning. Through this encounter with the elf group, Hera planned to form deeper connections with them. Furthermore, she planned to more deeply imprint the existence of the Nad'ga onto the elves. For example. The Nad'ga Hera craved deeper respect and praise from the elves. From Hera's perspective, this was why 'that human' absolutely had to disappear. His existence, which denied the blessing, would be an obstacle to the relationship with elves that Hera pursued. So Hera decided to eliminate the human. It was a necessary thing, and a very easy thing. Yes. An easy thing. She certainly thought so. 'What the hell are these things saying!?' Hera quietly watched the situation. The elves were only confused for a moment. She thought they would quickly come to their senses and raise issues about that human. However, such expectations from Hera went astray. "Strange! Why did we only realize now that Risir is not human?" "Are you confused, Observer Ratsil?" "Not at all, Lunadien! Rather, I feel relieved! It's like a thorn that's been stuck in my throat has finally come out!" "A thorn that's been stuck in your throat has come out... quite an appropriate expression." "Lady Karoer!? Right!? Right, right, right, right!? As expected, I wasn't the only one thinking this!" Far from raising issues- They were sharing joy as if a problem had been solved. "Everyone!" Hera couldn't bear it and cried out. "Did you all know that he was not human?" "...No. I don't know why now, but we definitely believed Risir was human." Karoer answered. Then Hera raised her voice as if to say 'exactly'. "Then is it okay to leave things as they are!?" It was a moment when the position of the Nad'ga, who had once again stolen the dragon's status, shone brightly. Even though Hera had poured cold water on the atmosphere, the elves calmly listened to the outsider's story. "You have formed close relationships with him. You accepted him as a member of the group and made him participate in the expedition like this! All of this was possible because you embraced 'human' Risir with faith and trust. Isn't that right!? But in fact, his true identity is not human!?" Hera's indirect yet blatant rhetoric was highlighting Risir's 'impurity'. That element that elves could never tolerate! "Hera. I clearly understand what you want to say. Your kind concern as well." Guardian Karoer stepped forward and spoke. She fell into contemplation for a moment with her characteristic detached expression, then spoke to Hera. "I hope this answer will ease your concerns." Hera was inwardly delighted. It was none other than the Nad'ga's advice. She thought it was natural to listen and respond with sufficient sincerity. She believed that the answer she wanted would come from the High Elf's mouth. "Risir. Whatever his true identity may be, you can trust him. This is guaranteed by us elves." Hera was blindly ignoring 'that human' as an inferior race. She thought that the method by which he had gained the elves' trust was also insignificant. "..." But now. The Nad'ga thinking of him was speechless and froze in place. 'The elves trust a human... no, an outsider whose identity is unknown to this extent...?' It was beyond the scope of her thinking. Hera couldn't even fathom how that human had manipulated the elves. "How about it. Is that all your business?" Karoer spoke after exchanging glances with the elves once. If she answered 'yes', she seemed ready to dismiss the elves right away. 'Don't make me laugh!!!' Hera screamed inwardly. She had used even the power of a relic just to eliminate one inferior race. All of this was to ensure there would be no slight disruption in the plan related to elves. But the result of using the relic's power was merely this? "W-wait a moment...!" She absolutely could not accept it. Hera raised her hand to stop the elves while beginning to devise a new plan. The Nad'ga was a guest who had come to the Illatdein expedition. More precisely, she was an outsider who had suddenly barged in. For such an outsider to not only separately summon the expedition group but also take up their time? Under normal circumstances, this would never have been allowed. "It seems there's another problem. We'll wait here, so please organize your thoughts calmly and speak." Even so, Guardian Karoer spoke. She was Nad'ga. She was of the great race that had dedicated everything to protect the world's harmony and balance. She deserved to be respected. "..." The sight of so many elves directing complete respect and trust toward her! Hera felt her heated head calming down somewhat. Hera bowed to the elves with a gentle smile. She calmly savored the elves' reaction to that bow. That's when the Nad'ga unconsciously lost focus. "Lady Karoer!" The atmosphere of the place suddenly changed. The tent opened and a new figure appeared. Risir. That human man appeared accompanied by the dragonkin girl Alenza. 'Damn...!' Hera belatedly regretted her own foolishness. This was not the time to leisurely enjoy the elves' admiration. "G-guard! What are you doing!" Hera shouted toward the entrance of the tent. Then the guards who had been guarding the entrance entered the tent. "W-what's the matter, Hera!" "We were in the middle of discussing a crucial matter! But to let an outsider in so indiscriminately!" "Ah, Hera. Please calm down." What calmed such Hera was Star of the Garden Lunadien. That gorgeous red-haired elf carefully grasped the Nad'ga's arm and spoke. "He's not like an outsider. He's clearly our companion and member." "That's right! Hera! Since it's come to this, how about sharing your concerns with Risir!? I don't know what you're worried about, but Risir might be able to solve it!" These stupid things. What are they babbling about!? Hera unconsciously glared at them. 'How can they suggest consulting with that thing after just hearing that story!?' The elves' faith toward the Nad'ga. The elves' faith toward Risir. It was the result of these two combining. For the elves, they couldn't even dare to gauge what position the Nad'ga and Risir were in toward each other. "Lady Karoer!" Risir didn't miss that moment when Hera was flustered. He immediately seized the initiative that she had momentarily lost. "Wait, we have urgent matters to discuss among ourselves! Could you order that Nad'ga to leave!?" "Karoer! You're not really going to drive me out, are you!?" "Y-you two- what happened...!?" Ratsil's reaction represented the elves' bewilderment. Seeing Risir and the Nad'ga appear to be at odds, they were flustered and didn't know what to do. Risir and Hera were equally bewildered. They looked at each other in shock. It was a moment when their thoughts aligned. Risir couldn't believe that the elves trusted the Nad'ga as much as they trusted him. Hera couldn't believe that the elves trusted the human as much as they trusted her. '...Ah!' At that moment, Risir recalled what the dragonkin girl Alenza had said. Nad'ga. They had stolen the dragon's status. Risir felt troubled. At the same time, he understood the elves' reaction. 'Then this current situation... is that essentially what it is?' A benefactor of the race is at odds with the continent's guardian. In the elves' eyes, the current situation would appear that way. "Risir... how about calming down first and talking calmly? Whatever misunderstanding there might be between you two, it might be resolved through calm conversation." As if to prove this, Ratsil took a stance of calming both Risir and Hera. 'Damn. It's natural that they can't rashly take one side... Then what should I do?' Risir grabbed Ratsil's arm strongly, hoping for something. "R-Risir!?" Furthermore, hoping that her 'curse' would be lifted, he poured his energy into her with all his might. "How is it, Ratsil!?" "What do you mean how- what!?" "How does this friend look!?" Risir pointed to the dragonkin girl Alenza who was beside him. "How does she look-" Ratsil trailed off. Risir didn't miss her expression being tinted with subtle disgust. 'Damn, it doesn't work this way after all? Then I need to find and destroy the source of that curse... But do I know where the source of that curse is!?' That's when Risir turned his gaze toward Hera. "Everyone, snap out of it!" "Alenza!?" The dragonkin girl shouted in frustration. "That monster is deceiving all of you! Don't you see it yet!?" The goodwill from others that she had experienced after a long time boosted the dragonkin girl's confidence. She appealed to the elves with sincerity. With the faith that perhaps they too might believe her! "...!" And that faith was immediately betrayed. Alenza stepped back, breathing heavily. The moment she called the Nad'ga a monster, some elves showed clear hostility. Even Ratsil, Karoer, and Lunadien were barely managing their expressions while watching Risir's reaction. "Ah, ah..." The power of the curse that had brought down the guardian of harmony and balance was so absolute. "..." Then, Hera, who had been agonizing like Risir, lifted one corner of her mouth. The elves' hatred toward dragons. The dominance of the blessing. It was something that even the man truly couldn't do anything about. Observing the series of events, the Nad'ga gained confidence. "Everyone!" Having shaken off all confusion, she raised her voice. "Now you will see what I was concerned about." The Nad'ga pointed at the dragon and human with one hand and shouted. "Look! That one's atrocities! He said he would heal a slave for me and took the dragon away, but he was plotting to slander me together with that hideous monster!" "Nad'ga! Please calm down... surely there's some mistake-..." Guardian Karoer urgently tried to dissuade Hera. "..." Hera felt sick to her stomach. Even at this point, that High Elf was trying to mediate between the great Nad'ga and the human. Her pride as a Nad'ga could no longer tolerate it. "No, it's not a mistake or anything like that." Hera put her hand into her bosom. Before long, something in the form of a platinum-colored egg was held in her hand. It was the 'Shell', a relic of the Nad'ga. "...!" Risir's eyes flashed brightly. A signal of intuition. He immediately rushed at the Nad'ga and tried to seize that shell. "Where do you think you're going!" "Ugh...!" It happened in an instant. When the Nad'ga swung her arm violently, the overwhelming power possessed by that higher-Status being took form and sent the human body flying. "You saw it, everyone!!! With what eyes that one looked at our Nad'ga's sacred relic!!!" At this point, Hera corrected her assessment of Risir. That damned guy. That inferior race was a more dangerous existence than she had thought. A dangerous element that was worth eliminating by any means necessary- So the Nad'ga tried to borrow the power of the shell once more. "Everyone must open your eyes!!! That thing is an evil existence that deceives you!!!" Crack. An even larger crack appeared in the shell than before. "...!" Gasp! Blood poured out from Hera's mouth and nose along with coughing. The exercise of enormous divine authority. The price of this affair would certainly damage Hera's Status. Perhaps to the extent that she couldn't even handle that one 'Star of the Garden' alone. The moment things went wrong, she would face an insurmountable crisis. But it was okay. Nothing would go wrong. A more certain and powerful transformation of thought than before. It would not merely leave room but would surely drive the human's existence to destruction. "Everyone, watch clearly, I will reveal that thing's true identity with my power...! That thing's true identity is-" The thoughts of the elves in the surrounding area were transformed. Risir. He was a demon. "Do you see! That one's true identity!!!" The Nad'ga's face was already colored with joy and anticipation. The situation that would follow was as clear as fire. A demon! The elves would try to eliminate that evil existence without a moment's hesitation. Hera quietly waited for the elves' actions. "Kyaaah...!!!" Such a scream leaked from the Nad'ga's mouth. Suddenly, vines that sprouted from the floor strangled her limbs. An invisible force struck her hard. Observer Ratsil and other elves immediately drew their weapons and aimed at Hera. "Nad'ga!!! You fool, how dare you attack him!!!" Guardian Karoer. That detached elf rarely raised her voice in anger. Hera shouted in confusion. "Everyone!!! What is this... That one is a demon, a demon!!! Why are you targeting me instead of the demon-" She couldn't understand. Could it be that the relic's divine authority didn't work properly? If not, there was no explanation. The great Nad'ga. An impure demon. To take the demon's side between the two. "That doesn't matter!" "...What?" No. The relic's divine authority had definitely transformed their thoughts. There was no doubt. In the elves' minds, Risir had become a complete demon. Yet the elves said. "No one! No one will be able to harm him!" There was firm belief that they would follow him even if the target was a demon. The Nad'ga's expression was colored with shock and terror. She looked at the human who had been blown outside the tent by her attack. The Nad'ga is not affected by the thought transformation. But why? "Y-you, what the hell did you do to the elves...!!!" That gaze seemed to be directed at that transcendent and evil existence, the demon. What on earth must be done to make elves follow a demon!? "I-is that so...!!! You!!! Were you really a demon!!! Using Mental Interference on the elves...-" The Nad'ga's ranting was no longer allowed. Hera lost consciousness from the elves' attack. "Risir, are you okay!?" "Ugh-" Then, Risir stood up with Ratsil's support. The first thing that entered his eyes as he stood up was the appearance of the dragonkin girl filled with terror. "Now it's okay-" "Eek...!" "?" Alenza trembled and backed away from him. She asked carefully with upturned eyes. "A-are you really a demon...?" "...Were you also affected by that power?" "N-no- it's not that-" "Then why..." "D-didn't you really use Mental Interference magic on the elves? Then how on earth-" Risir told the confused dragonkin girl the truth. "...So you made the elves believe that you are the Mother of the World Tree? Through the power of Mental Interference?" (E/N: Huh. Is that what happened? It makes sense! I finally understand! That dragongirl is smart!) "No-" The dragonkin girl didn't understand.