The elder, unable to reach a decision, finally shook his head.
“For now, that matter must be decided through the Council of Elders. I will inform you of our answer later.”
“I leave it in your hands.”
Since it was not a matter that could be rushed, Schreckheimer resolved to wait calmly.
When the Great Elder rose, Olivier followed behind him with a deep frown.
Damon looked at Catroi with a strange expression. Yuliana, who had been trailing after him everywhere, had already been put to sleep with sleep magic. Looking at Yuliana, who had lost consciousness and gone limp, Catroi clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. What astonishing zeal. What on earth does that girl like so much about you that she clings to you so desperately?”
Damon’s expression turned grave.
“That isn’t what matters right now. There’s something I want to ask you.”
Catroi looked at Damon as if surprised.
“What are you curious about?”
“Do you happen to know anything about black magicians who gained power by making contracts with Demon Kings?”
“……”
“Of course, I know that if a Demon King descends, they cannot resist and become its puppet. What I want to know is when that happens. Since you’re a dragon who has lived a long life, I thought you might know something……”
Catroi, who had been listening quietly, looked into Damon’s eyes.
“I don’t know much about that either. As you know, five hundred years ago there were no humans living in Arcadia. But I have heard that the descent of a Demon King is, statistically speaking, extremely rare.”
“I know that too. It has already been five hundred years since I made a contract with Cherubim, a Demon King, and I also carry the sealed orb of the Great Demon King Nidelhark within my body. And yet, nothing has happened so far.”
Catroi seemed quite surprised by Damon’s words.
“Astonishing. But why are you revealing such a secret to me?”
“Lately, something incomprehensible has been happening to me. Well, it’s not as though you and I are on particularly good terms, but if you swear never to reveal it, I’ll tell you.”
After thinking for a moment, Catroi silently nodded.
“I swear on the name of a dragon that I will not reveal it.”
Damon nodded and formed hand seals to create a barrier. It was so that no one except him, Catroi, and the deeply sleeping Yuliana could hear their conversation.
“Good. Then I’ll tell you one of my secrets first. The truth is, I have a body that cannot kill under any circumstances. It’s because of a prohibition placed on me by someone long ago. Because of that, I can never kill people. Monsters, of course, are an exception. Judging from what I experienced earlier, elves are not subject to the prohibition either.”
The secret Damon had happened to reveal seemed to interest Catroi greatly.
“I never imagined you had such a secret.”
“The problem arose recently. A few days ago, while fighting orcs, I felt an inexplicable murderous intent. It was a fundamental hostility toward living beings with flowing blood. If the prohibition hadn’t been placed on me, I think it was a murderous intent that would have made me kill even humans without hesitation. Well, it’s not as if I’ve never killed people before, but I don’t think it was ever to this extent.”
“From what I see, humans have a certain instinct for slaughter. Aren’t you taking it too seriously?”
“No. Even when I search my memories, I don’t think it was ever this severe. So what I’m saying is……”
Damon’s gaze darkened.
“Could it be that I’m under the influence of a Demon King right now?”
“……”
“I can’t stop thinking that perhaps that is why I’m feeling this groundless murderous intent. The Demon King Cherubim, who made a contract with me, must certainly harbor an unbearable hatred toward humans.”
Catroi, who had been listening silently, shook his head.
“You’re wrong. Though I have never met them, the beings of the Demon Realm do not slaughter with any clear murderous intent. If it is a Demon King, a ruler among them, that difference would be even more distinct. They reap human lives while smiling without thinking anything at all. In other words, they have no guilt whatsoever about murder. Feeling murderous intent means there is at least some hesitation toward killing.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s a pointless worry. If you were under even the slightest influence of a Demon King, there is no way the elves would fail to notice. They are a race exceedingly sensitive to mana. There is no reason they would not know if you were being controlled by a Demon King.”
“Then was it because I had been suppressed by the prohibition all this time that this inexplicable murderous intent surfaced?”
“That may be so.”
Perhaps he had not reached a particularly satisfactory conclusion, for Damon shook his head desolately. Suddenly realizing the conversation had gone on for a long time, he turned his head to check on Yuliana. After confirming that she was deeply asleep, he turned away in relief.
But immediately after Damon’s gaze left her, the corners of her eyes trembled faintly.
That was all, however. Until Damon woke her, she remained limp and motionless.
Among the party, those who had not entered the talks were receiving simple hospitality from the elves. The party found the elves’ dwelling, located inside a tree trunk, utterly fascinating.
Contrary to its outward appearance, the inside of the tree was hollow. The walls and floor were exceedingly smooth, and wooden furnishings were placed throughout every corner of the room. Above all, the tree’s unique scent was indescribably fresh. Simple food had been prepared on the table: fruit, vegetables, and a drink that seemed to be fruit juice. The party was busy marveling over everything and touching this and that.
“Could this tree really be alive?”
“I wonder? Since it’s hollow inside, wouldn’t it be unable to live?”
Though the party kept talking loudly, the elves, as if they did not understand the human tongue, simply remained quietly silent. Among them, however, only Mitchell was having a cozy conversation with an elf who could understand him. Naturally, his conversation partner was Illumina.
“I’m very glad I didn’t have to fight you.”
At Mitchell’s words, Illumina looked puzzled.
“Why is that?”
Mitchell was momentarily at a loss for words. Even with his eloquence, it was not easy to explain the reason. Instead of answering, he threw a question at Illumina.
“If a fight had broken out, you would have shot arrows at me, wouldn’t you?”
Illumina answered without the slightest hesitation.
“If the order had been given, of course I would have. But you still haven’t told me why.”
Mitchell gave a bitter smile. He was now seriously suspecting that his feelings were one-sided—in other words, unrequited love. Even by common sense, there was no reason for Illumina to feel favor toward him. Not only had they already fought once, but most decisively, the two of them were not of the same race.
Though they looked similar, the two had lived until now in utterly different environments and societies.
‘Then why can’t I take my eyes off this elf woman?’
Mitchell, who had been absorbed in thought, suddenly came to his senses and answered.
“Well? I suppose it’s because you’re too beautiful, and I didn’t want to face you in battle.”
At Mitchell’s answer, Illumina tilted her head.
“Isn’t the word beautiful used for flowers?”
“You are far more beautiful than any flower.”
Mitchell mustered his courage to say it, but Illumina merely nodded perfunctorily. If she had been a human woman, she surely would have been delighted, but she only nodded and showed no particular reaction. Feeling awkward, Mitchell changed the subject.
“From the look of it, the others don’t seem to know the human language.”
“Not many of my people know the human language. I learned human speech from my mother.”
At those words, Mitchell’s eyes flashed.
“By the way, when do elves get married?”
Illumina’s answer was simple.
“Elves do not marry.”
At her answer, everyone in the party’s eyes went wide. Women this beautiful did not marry…… Flustered, Mitchell stammered as he continued.
“T-then how do you have descendants?”
Illumina looked at Mitchell with profound eyes, then began to explain. The elves’ unique method was more than enough to shock the party. They were rendered speechless when they heard that elves did not marry, that once a year they had relations with male elves, and that only nobles of the third rank or higher were allowed to have children.
“S-such a thing in the world…… Then Illumina too?”
Perhaps understanding Mitchell’s meaning, Illumina quietly nodded.
“Unfortunately, yes. Fourth-rank Sentinels like me are forbidden even from holding hands with male elves.”
The question of whether she did not want to have children nearly slipped out of Mitchell’s mouth, but he desperately stopped himself. From an elf’s perspective, such words would be plainly rude. Remembering that they had come to seek an alliance and must not commit discourtesy, Mitchell barely managed to put his confused emotions in order.
“Amazing. Elves truly form a society utterly different from humans.”
This time, Illumina showed curiosity.
“How do humans live?”
Mitchell quietly explained human customs to her. Illumina listened with sparkling eyes as he told her that men and women were joined as husband and wife through marriage, had children, and raised them together by combining their strength. It seemed that human customs were just as unfamiliar from an elf’s perspective.
“That is quite fascinating. Wouldn’t there be a shortage of men for that?”
“That almost never happens. Well, if a great war breaks out, it can happen, and there are rare cases of men taking several women as wives, but most people form a one-to-one bond as husband and wife.”
“Then, Lord Mitchell, do you have a wife?”
Mitchell answered with a slight blush.
“Not yet.”
Illumina, who had been listening silently, suddenly grew serious.
“To tell you the truth, I had a rather poor prejudice against humans. My friend Iris suffered tremendous pain because of humans.”
What then came from her mouth was an incident that made the party feel unbearably ashamed. As her explanation continued, the party’s faces stiffened.
When Illumina finished speaking, Mitchell clenched his fist.
“What wicked bastards! We cannot tolerate people like that either.”
“I’ve heard that humans all have different personalities. Fortunately, all of you seem to be on the good side. Isn’t that right?”
At Illumina’s question, Mitchell found himself at a loss. He could not very well openly declare himself a good person. After racking his brain for a long while, Mitchell barely managed to answer.
“I can’t say I’m that good a person, but I don’t think I can be seen as bad either.”
“Then should I say you are neither bad nor good?”
At the bold question, Mitchell had no choice but to answer while sweating profusely.
“You could put it that way.”
While Mitchell was undergoing his ordeal, the Council of Elders of the Luminous tribe came to an end. After finishing the meeting, Great Elder Schneider hurried to where Schreckheimer was.
Captain Olivier did not attend this meeting. It seemed he was displeased with the outcome. Schreckheimer greeted the entering Great Elder warmly.
“Has a decision been made?”
Elder Schneider nodded with a bright expression.
“It has. The Council of Elders has reached the conclusion that we will form an alliance with the humans. In exchange for recognizing our territory, we of the Luminous tribe will provide support in the form of Sentinels. They are not numerous, but every one of them is an exceptionally skilled archer.”
“An excellent decision.”
Unlike Schreckheimer, who showed no change of expression due to his nature as a lich, delight spread across Kasim and Crancia’s faces.
“However, I think we must be cautious regarding the matter of reactivating the Dark Portal. That was the issue the elders were most concerned about.”
“What decision was made?”
Elder Schneider quietly swept his gaze over the party’s faces.
“We intend to have Sentinels led by Captain Olivier accompany you. To the place where the Dark Portal is.”
“You mean to monitor the reactivation of the Dark Portal. Understood. We shall do so.”
Schreckheimer nodded without hesitation. Since he had not harbored any ulterior motive from the start, there was no reason for him to be reluctant. Once the decision had been made, Schreckheimer rose as if every moment mattered.
“Then we will make our preparations.”
“Very well. We shall prepare as well.”
Schreckheimer, accompanied by Kasim and Crancia, hurriedly left the place.