New Game
-x-X-x-
…I'M dead.
Those were Takuto Ira's final thoughts.
Darkness had consumed his consciousness and he'd long since lost control of his senses. Telling people he had an incurable disease sounded nice and dramatic, but it did nothing to help him accept a meaningless life confined to bed.
Dying at just eighteen sucked, to say the least, but surprisingly, Takuto was at peace with his fate.
He was content with the years he'd lived and grateful for the miracle that introduced him to a game that he'd become so passionate about these last few years, it'd made his doctors and nurses worry.
He had so much more to say, but Takuto died satisfied with his life.
Or…so he thought.
"…Huh. Is this the afterlife? It's kinda chilly." His consciousness sparked back to life.
Takuto opened his eyes to see greenery all around him. Shafts of sunlight spilled through the trees towering overhead.
His back was resting against something hard. He ran his hand over its smooth, solid surface and inferred it was some kind of stone dais. While he was still wearing the hospital gown he'd spent the better part of his life in, those burdensome IV bags and needles and ventilator mask were gone.
Heck; he felt healthier than ever.
"Haha! The air is so fresh."
Cool air filled his lungs when he took a deep breath, and the vibrant green landscape sprawling in front of him prevailed over his memories of that suffocating hospital room.
Takuto was convinced this was the afterlife now that his illnessaddled body felt as light as a feather. Just moving a finger had been a herculean task before he died.
"Have you awoken, my lord?"
Someone suddenly spoke to him as he patted down his body to ensure everything was in its proper place.
If his guess was right, the respectful voice belonged to a girl. Maybe she was an angel like he'd read about in stories. Sure, it was a ridiculous presupposition, but the impossible had already set in when he'd become self-aware after death.
I can't be rude if she's an angel here to guide me through the afterlife.
Takuto hastily straightened out his hospital gown and looked up in the direction of the speaker.
But the true impossibility was the girl herself.
Wait, what? What's going on here?
Could his shock even be measured? No matter how many times he blinked and rubbed his eyes, the sight before him stayed the same. The girl stood there, silently waiting for him to come to grips with his inner turmoil, as if she knew what he was thinking.
Mousy white hair, somewhat like ashes, bore striking contrast against her jet-black dress. Gold accessories accentuating different sections of her body twisted in ways that seemed to defy the laws of physics, yet worked in perfect harmony. More than anything else, it was the fathomless depths of her inhuman eyes that confirmed her identity.
Takuto knew the girl. Not only did he know her, but she was the one thing he wouldn't forget, even if he died.
She was one of the Hero units from the dark fantasy empiremanagement strategy game Takuto had played unceasingly throughout his illness: Eternal Nations.
"Could it be you…Atou?"
"Yes, my king."
He could never forget his favorite character from the game he'd played to his death.
Whether she intuited his bewilderment or not, the girl called Atou answered him with a soft smile and a gracious bow.
"'King…?'"
Takuto was overcome by a slight sense of uneasiness and a wave of confusion. He didn't have enough time to figure out what was happening to him, but the one thing he did understand was that she was showing him respect. He didn't want to disappoint.
Disappointing a character from his favorite game was the last thing he wanted to do. It was nothing more than vanity, but to the boy who'd lived knowing only the walls of a hospital room, not upsetting her meant everything to him.
Coming across as pathetic wasn't an option.
If she views me as a king, then I must act the part.
Such thoughts hewed more toward deep-rooted delusion than sound thinking, but they quickly became Takuto's conviction and the most important thing for him to achieve.
H-How do I do that though?! Roleplay?! If she thinks I'm a king, then I think that means I've become Mynoghra's commander… Maybe I just have to act like one? But how?!
"Hehe…"
"…?"
Her soft laughter caused his heart to throb painfully. If Takuto had been in the hospital, a team of doctors and nurses would be racing into his room about now. Fortunately, his current body didn't fall apart that easily. Not that it did anything to help him understand the meaning behind the girl's smile either.
"It's all right, King Takuto."
Her gentle words were enough to diffuse the tension. But the next thing she said shocked him even more.
"You are the legendary player Takuto Ira! Renowned for being the first player to clear Nightmare Difficulty while playing as the hardest civilization, Mynoghra the Civilization of Ruin. Your brilliant strategies had you shining at the top of the official leaderboards!"
"H-How do you know that?!"
That was the legacy Takuto had left behind.
It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he'd spent most of his life in the hospital. He'd rarely had a moment to rest between all the tests and medications he'd undergone every day. His family was wealthy, but his parents didn't seem to care about their sickly son. By the time they'd pushed him out of their minds, keeping their visits to the bare minimum, isolation had become his way of life.
But in his loneliness, he discovered his one joy in life: the 4x strategy game Eternal Nations. It was a turn-based game set in a dark fantasy world where players could play as various races and civilizations in their quest to conquer the world. A single playthrough requiring over a dozen hours made it an oddly ideal match for Takuto's lifestyle.
He'd become so enthralled with the game, he'd eventually forgot all about his isolation—or rather, it left him no time to think about it. And then he'd made it onto the leaderboard, where he'd become so renowned, any player who took ranking seriously knew his name.
Indeed, Takuto's greatest accomplishment that he'd prided himself on was clearing Eternal Nation's Nightmare Difficulty, which was said to be unwinnable, with the hardest to use civilization, Mynoghra. He became a legend among players with his use of the unit called Atou—AKA the girl standing before him.
"I remember everything too."
Her pithy remark cleared all of Takuto's doubts—except for those concerned with the surrealness of the situation.
"I remember every word you said to me in all the times we conquered the world together. And after each 'Game Over,' King
Takuto."
At first, her tone came across as flat, but he could sense the emotion behind her words.
She probably feels the same way I do.
Every part of him was deeply moved.
"Please set your mind at ease. I remember everything about you, King Takuto."
Takuto felt the corners of his eyes grow hot. Maybe he was crying without realizing it. He wanted to say something impressive, but in his current frazzled state, he could only manage to hoarsely express himself.
"Using you—using Atou—was my policy and playstyle."
"Yes, I was pleased to always join you for campaigns." Atou was a Hero unit full of countless possibilities.
Each civilization had its own unique, powerful unit called a Hero unit. Mynoghra's Hero unit, Atou, had the frustrating trait of being the weakest unit early in the game. On the flip side, she also had the ability to grow into the strongest unit of all. As someone who'd pined after the outside world, freedom, potential, and the future, it was easy to see why Takuto became attached to her.
"I think I always wanted to be like you because…I was born with a weak body."
"Your stories broadened my horizons, King Takuto."
"It's…kinda embarrassing to learn you were listening all those times that I was talking to you on the other side of the screen."
"I was always waiting for you to talk to me."
"…I'm happy to finally speak to you in person."
"It's more than I could have ever hoped for to do the same, King Takuto."
Their conversation flowed more like they were old friends rather than two people who'd just met in person for the first time. Then again, while their dynamic was different, the trust between them had been fostered over many years.
Takuto was reveling in this unexpected, happy development when he began to wonder if such miracles were a common in the afterlife, which brought up a whole slew of questions.
"Is this…heaven?" he asked suddenly. "Did you summon me here?"
"No. I did not. I suddenly found myself here, too. And if I had to guess, this isn't quite heaven either. If anything, it feels like my world: Eternal Nations."
Atou looked over their surroundings before shaking her head slightly. From just that gesture, Takuto intuited she wasn't lying. "So, it's an unknown world…" he muttered. Atou nodded once, which told him pretty much all he needed to know.
"Would it be cliché…to call this a miracle? But I don't mind sounding clichéd. I'm just so happy to have met you, King Takuto."
Takuto nodded to show he felt the same. Confusion dominated his thoughts, but being able to chat with Atou was nothing short of bliss.
But I can't let the joy blind me, Takuto thought with the sliver of calm he still had left.
It took everything he'd had in him just to make it through the day before he died, but he was free of those bodily restrictions now.
I guess I need an objective for this…new life.
That was the near-delusional conclusion he drew after being forced to think about death for most of his eighteen years.
What was the meaning of life?
He wanted a purpose for his new existence—a reason behind getting a second chance.
"King Takuto…won't you start over with me?"
"…Start over?"
Atou's words slipped so perfectly into the empty void left behind after the fear of death was gone.
"Come. Please stand with me."
With her gentle urging, Takuto stood. Apparently, he'd been lying on what looked like a bed carved out of that stone dais. He stretched, as his muscles were a little stiff.
Atou watched him affectionately and waited until she saw an opening to keep talking, so as not to interrupt this moment for him. "We don't know where we are. This might be the world of Eternal Nations. Or it might be your world, King Takuto. Or maybe, it's yet another world. But why don't we do what we always have— and start over together? Let's build our own empire."
Her wish was terribly simple and completely in line with who they were. Though their relationship had been that of game character and player, they'd built up and expanded countless empires together. That'd been their way of life and what defined their relationship, which was why her request wasn't a strange one. And it was only natural that it struck a chord with Takuto.
Atou swept into a reverent bow and watched him with eyes reflecting the deepest darkness as she waited for his answer. There was no way Takuto wouldn't be moved by the emotion in those eyes. She was his favorite character, an essential piece of his life, and who he aspired to be like above all else.
Haha… Build an empire…? Me? A puny human with no power, land, treasure, or anything to his name?
Takuto felt inspired by Atou, who fondly called him "King" when he had nothing. No, "inspired" didn't quite capture the feeling. It took every ounce of self-control to keep his rising emotions in check and to stop his body from trembling with unfettered excitement.
I don't know what's happening to us. I don't even know where we are. But since I've gotten a second chance, I want to do it again. I'll recreate those blissful days in this world.
Now he had a healthy body that could freely move. Endless possibilities lay before him now, with the curse of illness lifted. And on top of everything else, he had the best character from the game he sank so many years into at his side.
So Takuto decided to take a step forward. He was stepping out of that world where he could do nothing but wait for an empty, lonely death into this new world where he could finally carve his future with his own two hands.
He'd finally found freedom.
"Atou…"
"Yes, my king?"
"Let's build our own nation, an empire just for the two of us.
Let's form a contract here and now."
As soon as she heard those words, a flowery smile befitting the age she looked erased her seductive expression as she nodded vigorously.
.
--------->
.
"In that case…" Atou cleared her throat in preparation to say the binding words Takuto heard every time he summoned a Hero unit in the game.
"My name is Sludge Atou. The bastard child of the world-ruining mud. From this day forward, my mind, body, and soul are yours. Come, let us sink as low as we can together, my king."
Takuto nodded and shook her hand, accepting the contract.
This is how, only after his death, the human named Takuto Ira went on to harbor a dream he wanted to make come true, no matter what at the expense of all else.
<<-x-X-x->>
AFTER they'd finished the official contract rites, things became a little awkward between them. Atou was one thing, but Takuto had never taken part in a formal event before. This was also his first time essentially confessing to a beautiful girl by asking her to create an empire for just the two of them. As a matter of fact, it was also Atou's first time being told such a thing.
Simply put, both were squirming from embarrassment.
"…Wow, this is kinda embarrassing, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was a bit embarrassing for me too. But my happiness outweighs all that."
They giggled together, like a newly-together couple. But then, after a few moments, they switched into serious mode. They were in an unknown land, outside the realm of imagination. In the world of strategy, action was required to win. Knowing that well, Takuto decided to take immediate action.
"Well then, my one and only subordinate. My confidant and right-hand man. You know what our evil empire of Mynoghra must do first to lead the world to ruin, right?"
"Of course, my king!"
Was he trying to shake off the shyness hanging in the air? Or was it for a completely different reason? Whatever it was that drove him, Takuto jumped atop the dais and spoke to his sole confidant with the exaggerated air of a roleplayer.
Of course, Mynoghra's strongest Hero, Atou, was on the exact same page. Even if they didn't say it in words, they both understood what policies and guidelines were best for co-managing an empire.
They'd acted on them thousands of times before.
This tactic had been burned into their minds. Their playstyle, their way of fighting, their way of empire-building, could all be summed up with one word.
"We're becoming shut-ins!"
"Let's close ourselves off!"
That was the secret method Takuto had used to lead Mynoghra.
Despite Mynoghra being named the "Evilest Empire" in the official game lore, all the civilization's traits gave domestic growth advantages and combat disadvantages, making it a finicky empire super-specialized in domestic affairs.
<<-x-X-x->>
WITH the founding of their new empire out of the way, Takuto and Atou immediately started what would've counted as a domestic affairs turn in-game. They sat on the stone dais and considered their first move.
"Mynoghra is a mild-mannered, peace-loving civilization that governs over evil and ruin. We need to start by basing our strategy around those facts."
"You are absolutely correct, my king! In other words, we must avoid being detected. That's the golden rule during early game, right?"
"Right! We don't know where we are, but gathering information without letting anyone find us is our first move."
"I completely agree! Your tactics never cease to amaze me, my king!"
Takuto returned Atou's sparkling, expectant gaze with a wry smile, then took stock of their current position. About 150 feet around the stone dais was a clearing where only flowers grew. Beyond that lay a dense overgrowth of trees.
The local tree species had complex roots that bulged out of the ground, making it difficult to navigate. The trees were also monstrously tall, and Takuto had no knack for tree climbing. It was foolish to expect that from a former patient of the Intensive Care Unit for Rare Diseases.
I doubt Atou can climb either, and I don't feel comfortable sending her to scout the area…
Eternal Nations players started the game with a base and scout units, but Takuto didn't see anything like that around. Atou was classified as a combat unit, so she wasn't equipped for exploration.
As it was, her current stats were abysmal, and Takuto wanted to take every precaution possible.
In other words, there were only a limited number of moves he could make right now. Even in this situation, there was still a path. It was only a matter of time before the thousands of in-game actions he'd repeated gave him a hint.
"I guess our best move here is to use Emergency Production."
Atou immediately reacted to his words. "Emergency Production?
I certainly remember a skill like that."
Takuto shifted his gaze toward her voice and nodded when she peered searchingly into his eyes.
As a strategy game, Eternal Nations has several types of main resources and sub-resources. Mana is one of them, and it is the most carefully managed strategic resource alongside Food and Materials. Basic gameplay consists of making your empire prosper by producing and managing various facilities and units with these three main resources.
Among those, Mana has similar properties to Currency and
Energy in other games. Emergency Production is a skill that uses Mana to instantly produce any units or buildings. Of course, this useful skill came with disadvantages too.
"Ugh, Emergency Production is such an inefficient use of Mana. Heck, it's a complete rip-off. I seriously don't want to use it when we don't have a way to produce more Mana yet…"
Takuto heaved a heavy sigh while scratching his head. The fact was, he didn't have a better alternative. Atou was also groaning with her arms crossed, but neither could come up with an ingenious plan to overcome their present predicament. As it was, their current situation was different from the game, leaving them at an impasse. "If we must, we must. How much Mana do you have total, my king?"
"About 200 if we go by game logic. We'll blow right through it."
In-game, resources are displayed with numbers. This was a video game concept, but Takuto could mentally convert what he had into those numbers. It made him dizzy to think he only had 200 Mana when he was used to having tens of thousands by endgame.
"Only 200? Then we want to make every drop count. With that in mind, what should we produce?"
"I considered a Base or a Mana Plant, but I want to start with a Scout."
Takuto and Atou both knew complaining about their situation wouldn't get them anywhere. Perhaps having someone else there to make decisions with was part of why they could both calmly think things through.
Despite experiencing the absurd situation of suddenly waking up in an unknown world, Takuto could adeptly form a strategy.
He chose information gathering as his first move. He couldn't take any risks when he didn't know what kind of world he was in. So he decided to learn more about it.
Takuto shifted his gaze back to Atou and asked, "Are you good with that?"
"Yes," she responded.
There was no way she would ever question his decision when she trusted Takuto unwaveringly. Still, he wanted to check with her. Her opinions mattered to him.
"Here we go! Emergency Production: Scout!"
Takuto took the plunge. With his shout, a torrent of invisible energy gathered in front of him and something appeared from the distorted space. The thing appeared, covered in goo like a baby from its mother's womb. It looked up at Takuto when it fell on its wobbling legs and let out a cry.
"GYEEEEEEEE!"
The torso resembled a praying mantis without the raptorial forelegs. Its legs were also much thicker and grotesquely longer than a mantis's. The cockeyed creature wouldn't stop emitting a nervous, high-pitched cry as its eyes rolled around, taking in its surroundings.
This was the Scout unit Takuto summoned—Long-legged Bug.
"Disgusting, huh?"
"It really is…"
Takuto's immediate reaction to his first subordinate was disgust. Seeing as Atou shared the sentiment, clearly, this bug didn't have a very agreeable appearance, even for the Civilization of Ruin.
.
------------>
.
Growing sick of gawking at the trembling Long-legged Bug with its restlessly rolling eyeballs, Takuto turned back to the girl, who was much easier on the eyes.
"Aren't you used to these from seeing them in-game, Atou?"
"I also saw them only as you do in the game—as 3D images… The real thing is a bit much."
"I see. Want to touch it to celebrate the moment?"
"No way! Why don't you touch it, King Takuto?"
"I don't want to touch it either!"
"Then why would you suggest I do it?!"
"Just thought it would be funny."
"My King is such a bully!"
"Sorry!"
They playfully joked around. Meanwhile, the Long-legged Bug silently stood in place with its big, round eyes darting around. Of course, he—the Long-legged Bug—was only waiting for orders. But something about his grotesque appearance and huge eyes made him look like he was judging them. Realizing that with a start, Takuto and Atou cleared their throats at the same time.
"Well then, my little bug friend! I command you, in the name of the glorious Mynoghra, to go check out the area around us! Avoid contact with all other life forms. Surveying is your main task."
"Complete your mission in a manner that does not disappoint our great king, Takuto Ira."
"GYEGHYEEEEEEEEE!"
Long-legged Bug let out another piercing, inhuman cry before zooming off into the dark forest in the creepy-crawly way only bugs possessed. As they watched him go, Takuto and Atou both sighed with a mix of emotions.
"I was a little worried at first, but it looks like it's following orders like a proper unit. How's it working for you, King Takuto?"
"I can share its vision to a certain extent. The information it gathers is beamed back into my head, too… Haha, it really is like the game, but with my brain acting as the computer screen."
The world was displayed like a 3D map with Takuto at the center in his mind. Areas explored by the Long-legged Bug became visible to him, too, just like when the grayed-out regions of a game map, covered by the fog of war, are lit up after a unit passes through.
A dry laugh escaped him over this all-too-convenient skill.
"I guess we can say things are going smoothly for now. Speaking of which, how much Mana do you have left, my king?"
"I just used up 100 and have 100 left. I need 20 just to build the first base: "Settlement." We need to be strategic with what's left."
"Just because we have some Mana doesn't mean we can afford to waste it, right?"
Forcibly producing units that required specific facilities, time, and resources, consumed enormous amounts of Mana. Units with facility and resource perquisites like the Scout cost much more than a Settlement, which counted as an essential facility at the start of the game. Obviously, they didn't have the Mana to spare to produce additional units.
"I actually wanted to get us a Warrior in case of attack, but it's out of the picture with our current Mana. It's really hard to take action like this."
"'I will handle our enemies'…is what I would love to say, but I'll struggle to win a fight even against wild animals right now. Running into enemy forces would pretty much mean game over."
Atou currently had 3 Strength. That was low compared to even the non-combat unit Long-legged Bug's 1. Her weakness was further proven by the early-game combat unit Warrior starting with 3 Strength, and the wild animal unit Wolf having a base Strength of 1.5.
In other words, with Sludge Atou as its Hero unit, Mynoghra started the game off in the precarious predicament of being unilaterally destroyed by any enemy they encountered.
"This is quite the nasty difficulty level…"
"I-It always has been. Please keep your chin up, my king!"
Sure, they'd experienced similar situations hundreds of times before—in the game. Takuto couldn't help wishing reality had slightly easier settings. His solace in all this was Atou and her words of encouragement.
◇◇◇
SEVERAL hours later…
Takuto's Scout seemed to be doing a good job exploring the area as the layout of their surroundings gradually dispersed the fog of war. To a strategy game player, information is an indispensable resource. Coupled with their current situation, intel was worth more than gold.
Relieved of the uneasiness and sense of impending crisis he didn't even know he was feeling, Takuto took a breath and decided to share what he'd learned with Atou.
"How is it going?"
"Not bad. I've got a general grasp of the nearby terrain, but it's just trees, trees, and more trees. Maybe we're in the middle of a huge forest. Oh, and our bug friend hasn't encountered any wild animals or monsters."
Aside from ensuring their immediate safety, Long-legged Bug wasn't sending back very interesting information. The forest just continued on endlessly without offering anything of value.
Perhaps there were still things they hadn't discovered yet, but it was hard to tell with their current Surveying skill. It didn't help that Long-legged Bug liked to explore in random circles, causing the map to take on a warped shape in Takuto's mind.
"So the whole area is forest? Forest Terrains are ideal for hiding with their Concealment effect that works on normal units, but…it's odd for there not only to be a lack of monsters, but no wildlife either."
"There also aren't any Food Icons. Looks like we'll have to continue scouting for a while."
"I'm sorry I can't be of more help…"
Atou bowed deeply with a sad frown creasing her brow. She seemed seriously bothered by the fact she couldn't do anything for Takuto. Obviously, her looking more depressed than a puppy who just got scolded didn't slip his notice.
"Don't be sorry. Just you being here with me is a huge help, Atou."
The words he selected to cheer her up seemed to hit the spot. Takuto didn't mean anything profound by his casual remark. But as soon as she heard it, Atou looked back at him with shimmering eyes and flushed cheeks.
Takuto finally understood the extent to which she respected, admired, and adored him as her king. Atou was the type of person who took everything he said more seriously than he intended.
"M-My king… I am moved beyond words!"
"R-Really? I'm glad you're happy."
Takuto came face to face with how much she respected him when she leaned forward to express her joy. As someone who'd never experienced unbridled affection from a girl before, he felt flustered by it but also happy to have someone he could interact with like this. Even if that someone was a video game's hero of destruction who commanded the forces of ruin…
Atou's supposed to be the Hero unit of an evil civilization, but she has a surprisingly cute and playful side…
Aside from her pointy ears and blood-red eyes, Atou seemed like any other sweet and innocent girl her age as she gazed with starryeyed fondness at Takuto. He was more than a little surprised to learn the hero of an evil civilization had such an adorable personality.
Now that I think about it, what was Atou's personality supposed to be in the flavor text?
Takuto pondered that question for a long moment. Oddly enough, he couldn't remember a single detail that would've been written about her character to add depth to the game world.
"King…! King Takuto! Are you listening to me?"
"Whoa! Wh-What was that? Sorry, I zoned out for a second."
His doubts instantly vanished when Atou leaned in extra close to get his attention. She was too content with his attention returning to her to notice he was feigning calm to prevent her from catching on to his racing heart.
"Are you all right? Do you feel sick somewhere?"
"I'm fine. Just got lost in thought, is all. Don't worr—Hm? Our bug scout is contacting me."
"I'm glad you aren't ill. Did the Scout find something?"
Takuto nodded and concentrated on the image in his head.
He had practiced sharing Long-legged Bug's vision plenty of times before this, so he accessed it with ease now. The image of stealthily looking down from up so high in the trees that the fall would kill a weaker unit flowed into his mind. Takuto couldn't clearly distinguish the details because the Scout's eyes constantly darted around, but he saw what looked like a settlement and people.
Pale skin, silver hair, long, pointed ears—if memory served him well, those traits belonged to the race called Dark Elves.
"Is that a Dark Elf settlement? They seem to be grouped together in a location not far from here."
Takuto explained exactly what he saw to Atou with his eyes closed and his attention concentrated on the images that continued to flow into his mind.
Atou didn't bother her master with redundant questions. She drew her conclusions based solely on the information he provided her.
"I suppose we can safely assume we're in a fantasy world now. Dark Elves are neutral but swing closer to neutral evil, so that's a bit of a relief."
Once he finished confirming the map marker, Takuto stopped sharing the Scout's vision and rubbed the corners of his eyes. While they didn't gain much insight beyond the fact there was a Dark Elf settlement nearby, that was exactly the kind of information they were after. This discovery drastically limited their options in this new world and did nothing to reduce the mountain of problems they had to tackle.
"Does this mean we really are in the world of Eternal Nations? Either way, I want to tread carefully in case of the unexpected. They could be neutral good Dark Elves, too—and they're hecka close.
We're screwed if that's another empire's starter base."
"Bordering another empire this early in the game is the worst thing possible…"
"It's a shitty starter location, that's for sure…"
"If it comes down to it, let's run far away, my king."
"I'm with you there. To run is to win. Mynoghra loves peace and quiet after all."
"Right? War is such a barbaric thing!"
They shared a laugh and began formulating their plan.
Worst-case scenario, our lives are in danger. But what will be will be.
Takuto thought it a little strange how calm and optimistic he was in such a dangerous situation, but all his doubts were washed away by the aura of respect coming from Atou. Ultimately, he was okay with whatever happened, as long as he had her by his side.
"Okay, I've got a plan! Why don't we observe those Dark Elves and get more info on them first? If they look like they're too much to handle, we can just run for it."
"We can just flee into the night together! I'm all for that plan, my king!"
They raised their fists into the air and enthusiastically settled on that plan. They were acting a bit like children playing House, but there was no one around to put a stop to their antics—
—until there was.
Just as Atou finished layering Takuto with praise, they heard the trees rustle, and a couple of twigs snap underfoot. Atou immediately switched gears from playing along with their lighthearted banter, sharply turning toward the source like a poisonous viper ready to attack. Takuto looked in the same direction a few seconds after she did.
"Crap…"
A group of several people stepped out of the trees. Their race looked familiar, despite Takuto seeing them in-person for the first time.
They were the Dark Elves he and Atou had just been discussing.
<<-x-X-x->>
DARK Elf Warrior Captain Gia Nageev Mazaram trudged heavily down the unbeaten path. His body, once touted as being Steel by the neighboring countries, had wasted away, to the point he might even lose a fight to a child. The several warriors accompanying him were in similar decline.
The forest was endless and gloomy, dominated only by a dark atmosphere and a lifeless chill.
"There really isn't anything here, is there?"
"Captain Gia, um, don't you think we should leave the Accursed
Lands now…?"
Gia shook his head, yet again rejecting the same suggestion that he'd heard one too many times by now. He wanted to tell them not to keep making him repeat himself, but he intimately understood his subordinates' feelings as he felt the same. But their current circumstances would never allow for it.
"What do we achieve by leaving the forest now? We have nowhere to go after being driven from our land. And I highly doubt the children will survive this aimless travel much longer… Vegetation is abundant here—there must be food somewhere. Push through for our brethren."
The smile he plastered on his face was far from convincing. But his subordinates had no choice but to obey. They would have no reason to keep pushing forward if they gave up hope now. But, contrary to their greatest wish, what they sought—food—was nowhere to be found.
"But this damn ominous forest definitely gives you the chills, doesn't it?"
Searching in silence was terrible for morale. Gia decided to start up a conversation in light of everyone running low on stamina. He felt as if he might go mad if he didn't say something—the fathomless depths of the still forest didn't help.
"The Cursed Sea of Trees lying at the edge of Idoragya's Uncharted Territory—also known as the Accursed Lands. Ancient records speak of a great evil sealed here. Whatever it is, they say it won't allow life to prosper within its realm…"
"Hahaha. That's just superstition. If it were true, there wouldn't be so many trees everywhere. Doesn't the vegetation that won't let us see more than a few feet ahead count as life?"
It was Gia's adjutant, a woman well-versed in legends and folklore, who broached the unsettling topic. She was an avid reader who used to spend most of her wages on books, lending her knowledge and words a certain degree of credibility. But Gia deliberately laughed her off. Everyone prayed her fears wouldn't become a reality. As Warrior Captain, he couldn't show weakness.
"Don't give up. Never give up. The noble spirits of our ancestors will surely show us the way to overcome this trial."
The reason why Gia was revered as a warrior captain was not only due to his skill but also his mental fortitude. He accomplished his missions without ever being crushed by impossible circumstances. This fortitude was why he remained Warrior Captain and continued to take the vanguard, even as his race teetered on extinction.
Motivated by Gia's encouraging speech, his subordinates marched into the unknown darkness, believing a path would open for them and that they'd be saved from this desperate situation, as he said.
At long last, the world opened up before them.
Perhaps they expected a miracle to happen. The clearly manmade space was enough to incite hope just for being different from everything else they'd seen thus far. Maybe a recluse lived there in secret. Or maybe it was a location where edible plants grew en masse. It might even be a nest for wild animals. Or, just maybe, it was where God would mercifully grant them comfort from their suffering.
However, all their hopes were shattered. For only ruin existed there.
We're doomed…!
Regret washed over Gia the second he saw it. A stone dais loomed in the center of the clearing that seemed to be carved out of the dense forest. At first glance, the scenery might be viewed as sacred and meaningful, but what existed there was a problem.
First, there was the girl standing directly beside the dais, assessing them with an unrelenting gaze. Mousy, ash-colored hair stood out alongside her dress decorated by gold embellishments twisted in distorted directions.
The eyes sizing Gia up were the living embodiment of abnormal, and they told everyone present that she wasn't of this world, that she was connected to the root of darkness, and the danger she engendered was fatal.
But the girl was the lesser of the two evils. The problem was the other person present. Nay, Gia wasn't certain the other could even be called a person.
The second being was a paradoxical phenomenon that seemed to have stepped right out of the legend Gia's adjutant spoke of.
Its shape was human—but the rest was indistinguishable. Blacked out of view, as if rejected by the world itself, it was undoubtedly the manifestation of the great evil spoken of in the legends. The being was so dreadful, so abominable, it made him wonder: did something go wrong to break the natural law of the world, which would make it crumble and fall to ruin?
I don't know what it is. But my instincts can't stop screaming that it's nothing good.
The girl's gaze never moved off of Gia and his subordinates, and it was likely that the evil being was also watching them. Gia's subordinates didn't so much as breathe. Understanding his next move would determine the fate of his race, Gia chose his words carefully.
"I-I am the Warrior Captain Gia Nageev of the Dark Elf Mazaram Clan. I can see you are a powerful and noble being! Please allow me to first apologize for entering this forest without permission!"
Gia slowly kneeled, head bowed, careful not to provoke the evil being.
.
----------->
.
It was a sign of respect, although he didn't know if his intentions were understood by these inhuman beings. Fortunately, Gia's subordinates followed his lead.
Gia waited to be spoken to. His instincts compelled him to show the utmost respect and gratitude.
"…Hmm. You seem to fully understand what it means to enter this land, don't you, dark fae? Well then, what reason brought you to break the taboo?"
The girl spoke after a multi-second pause. Gia and his people were on pins and needles awaiting their fate, but her response brought some relief. At least they could communicate.
Of course, they didn't think for a moment that they were out of hot water. They were merely granted temporary pardon on a passing whim. That was the only thing Gia knew for certain.
"Our Dark Elf clan, Mazaram, once resided in a land at the center of the Idoragya Continent. However, our former masters, the supreme elven decision-making body known as the Tetrarchy
Council—"
"Be quick about it."
"W-We were persecuted and chased out of our land. With nowhere else to go, we came to this forest…"
Gia hastily summarized after provoking the girl's irritation. Trying to carefully and elaborately explain their dire circumstances was a mistake.
Our lives are in their hands, he reminded himself. What should I do? Should I say something? Or do I wait for them to speak first?
His thoughts spun in dizzying circles, and his heart thudded so hard it hurt. Between his shallow breaths, the cold sweat coating his body, the deep forest darkness, and the being embodying an evil so great, it could consume the blackness of night—Gia was at his limit. Just as he was about to beg for mercy— "You're just skin and bones, aren't you?" The thing sitting on top of the dais spoke.
Gia shuddered as if something had just crawled down his spine. He was trembling so hard he could see himself shaking. Sweat poured from his pores, accompanied by utter disgust.
Its voice sounded like a young man. Yet there wasn't a modicum of emotion in it—he couldn't even sense a will or soul from it. Even the dead writhing in hell would have a little more life and feeling to their voice. The thing's voice was uncanny and ghastly enough to make Gia think those things, slowing down his brain from reacting in a timely manner.
"My king asked you a question."
The girl's voice was filled with palpable anger.
"Our persecution was so severe that we came to this land to escape! We ran out of food along the way and couldn't secure more while trying to lose our pursuers… We haven't eaten for days."
Shocked to discover he'd unknowingly committed the grave transgression of ignoring the thing's question, Gia hastily explained himself in a pathetic voice. The words that came out hoarse toward the end represented his immeasurable regret.
"Hmm."
The evil being seemed satisfied with Gia's explanation. With it satisfied, the girl also seemed appeased enough to give a slight nod. He'd just successfully crossed a very thin piece of ice again. Of course, there was no visible end to the danger.
Why? Why must we be punished like this?! What did we do wrong to deserve this?! All we wanted was a safe place to live!
They were forced to bow their heads and beg for mercy simply for entering the forest. They did nothing else wrong!
What's going to happen to me? I don't care about myself. But what about my subordinates and clansmen? What tragic end is in store for them after this evil being has its way with them?
Shivering from imagining a chilling future, Gia was consumed by a vortex of irrepressible rage and sorrow.
Is wanting to survive really that sinful?!
Something plopped onto the ground and rolled in front of him.
Gia swayed like a tree in the middle of a storm, his mind filled with the ridiculous thought that he'd just heard the sound of his own head falling off. Could anyone really blame him for squeezing his eyes shut in utter terror? Long gone was the Mazaram clan's warrior captain once feared for his dauntless courage—in his place was a mere mortal, miserably shaking in his boots.
But then he opened his eyes, lured more by the sweet, herbaceous smell tickling his nose than the whereabouts of his own head. A single, juicy red fruit had rolled onto the ground in front of him.
"Wh-What is this?"
"For you," the thing replied simply.
Gia gulped without even realizing his mouth was watering. The fruit bore a shape he'd never seen before.
As far as they knew, fruits were small and hard. Although most fruit could be somewhat sweet, they were more bitter and sour, and while they tended to be edible raw, they were a food that could only be eaten after taking several steps to make it palpable.
But the round thing before him was different. The juicy aroma conveyed its sweetness, and its shiny, deep red skin appealed to his eyes, like it was begging him to just eat it already.
When Gia picked it up, the fruit weighed heavily in his hand, telling him it was packed full of nutrients. This gemlike fruit was probably the type only nobility could eat—nay, not even they had likely tried it.
There, in his hand, was the food he—and all his people—desired.
"It's an apple—ever heard of it? Tastes good if you turn it into a rabbit."
Gia understood less than half of the words the being uttered. At the very least, he managed to learn the round fruit was called an apuhl and that it was edible.
"An…apuhl? I'm afraid it looks different from every fruit I know of…"
The being had said, "For you."
In that case, he should cause no offense by accepting it. But Gia's confounded thoughts made him wonder whether it was really okay. He worried whether it was rude to eat in this sacred clearing. Plus, he had reservations about consuming food while his clansmen starved at their encampment.
"It's good!!"
"So sweet! And juicy too!"
From those remarks, Gia realized his subordinates had tried the fruit before he made his decision. But whatever decision he would've come to, he likely couldn't have stopped his starving warriors.
He spun around to see what his men were doing, only to find them ravenously sinking their teeth into the fruit the being must have given them. Juices and an incredibly sweet aroma overflowed from the fruit they clutched in their hands.
Gia gulped loudly and wavered on whether he should partake with them, but he had something more pressing to do first. He glanced back at the shadow being. Fortunately, it seemed to be nodding contentedly. By that reaction, it appeared his subordinates did the right thing rather than being disrespectful.
Relief washed over him while, at the same time, he felt the need to scold his men for greedily devouring the fruit. But, in the end, he couldn't tell them off when he saw the large teardrops falling from their eyes as they stuffed their mouths. He understood their suffering and starvation firsthand.
"Have some pears too."
Something else plopped onto the ground and rolled in front of Gia. It was a green fruit this time. Pehr…that was another food they were unfamiliar with. The green skin made it seem unripe, but the overflowing sweet scent that was different from that of the apuhls dispelled that concern. This was yet another exquisite source of food. Gia picked it up and stared at it dumbly.
"You there! What is wrong with you? It's a precious gift from my king. Accept it."
The girl wore her displeasure and suspicion on her sleeve. Gia didn't know what the evil being was thinking. But he could get a read on the girl's personality to some extent.
She wholeheartedly respected and served the embodiment of ruin sitting there. She would likely never stand for anything that upset her master. An insolent person who treated her master's gifts with disdain was no exception. In light of that fact, Gia appealed to the girl and the being she served.
"There are others who escaped with us to this land. Young children among them…and those children—our children—are starving to death. They haven't eaten anything for days and are wasting away. Please give this generous and benevolent gift of food to those children rather than me. I beg you…"
Gia tasted something metallic on his tongue. Blood was seeping into his mouth from the corner of his lip. Without even realizing it, he'd bitten his lip in a bid to keep his overwhelming feelings of cowardliness and shame at bay.
He no longer heard munching and slurping from his subordinates either. His words had likely reminded them of their mission. Their clansmen were waiting for them as they fought against their hunger. With so many of their people no longer capable of even standing, they'd only one job to do.
But that was their problem.
Gia heard the girl click her tongue as if to silently convey it wasn't her master's concern. Even so, he bowed his head as if his life depended on it—and it did. That was the last shred of pride he'd left to give. He was going to bring this food back with him no matter the cost.
Gia did not back down, even when faced with a terrifying being of legend and the embodiment of ruin. Eyes filled with unwavering determination eloquently conveyed his resolve to achieve his goal at the cost of his own life.
His heartfelt plea was answered all too swiftly.
"I feel for you."
The being undeniably said those four words.
"W-Wait! King Takuto?!"
The girl raced to her master's side in a flurry and quietly advised it, but the jet-black darkness did not heed her.
Something plopped onto the ground, followed by the sound of many things spilling onto the ground together.
Gia's jaw dropped as he watched the surreal miracle unfold before him. Out of thin air appeared more fruit, giant lumpy potatoes, and grain that resembled wheat.
That wasn't all either: there was bread so soft, it squished when the fruit touched it; dressed animal carcasses with so much meat and fat on the bone it made you wonder how much they had to fatten the livestock for it; and on top of all that, there were beans, vegetables, salt, and what looked like spices. A literal mountain of food appeared from nothing, with that being as the source. "For you."
Gia couldn't hide the waterfall of tears streaming down his astounded face, understanding the meaning of those words. This was the pure definition of benevolence. This omnipotent being listened to their circumstances and said, "I feel for you." Then it produced an abundance of food solely to help them and their clansmen.
Accepting charity was foreign to their people. Dark Elves were an abhorrent race that'd fled the light. They were only allowed to barely survive by the mercy of the Elves, the Fae of Light. They lived in the shadows as objects of contempt.
No one was sympathetic when Gia and his people were banished. On the contrary, many said the world was purer now that the Dark Fae were gone. Elves naturally avoided them, but so did mankind, Dwarves, and every other race.
Gia believed that was their lot in life and their fate. He was convinced living nobly in harsh conditions, and enduring isolation from the rest of the world, was his race's calling. He'd absorbed the idea that their lot in life was to tremble in a freezing, isolated corner of the world, with no god to save them.
But he was wrong.
This being extended them a helping hand.
Maybe they were being deceived.
Just maybe, it was toying with their emotions out of pure malice.
But even if that were the case, no one had ever sympathized with them, much less offered them aid.
"It's a miracle!"
"We're saved!"
"Oooh, thank you! Thank you, almighty being!"
Gia could tell his subordinates were beside themselves with joy.
"Almighty one, what…d-do they call you…?" Gia had to ask.
He only just realized he'd yet to ask that being's name. He figured the word the girl used to address her master with was likely the name of the one clad in darkness. But that wasn't good enough— Gia wanted to hear his name directly from him.
He wanted to know the glorious name of the being that had brought about this miracle as easily as waving a hand—the name of the benevolent one who'd bestowed the warmth of compassion on his race for the first time.
"Take it."
It only answered with those two words in a detached voice devoid of emotion.
<< -x-X-x->>
DEATH quietly visited the temporary Dark Elf encampment at the edge of the Accursed Lands. Around five hundred Dark Elves camped there, mostly women and children, with very few able-bodied men. The only thing these people huddled together had in common were the lack of meat on their bones and the color of despair clouding their eyes.
A baby could occasionally be heard crying, but even those eventually grew hoarse and faded away. They didn't have the energy to keep crying—and babies were given priority with food and supplies. Everyone of all ages was at their limits.
But fate seems to favor dramatic developments—their situation had finally changed for the better.
A woman with relatively more energy than the rest noticed something strange in the air as she took care of the sick. She smelled something funny. No—she smelled food! Whatever it was, it had a strong, sweet aroma. Some of the others noticed it as well.
The smell was followed by the sound of people pushing their way through the trees. The camp suddenly grew noisy. Did the Warrior Captain entrusted with their fate bring back what they were all dying in wait of?
Did what they had half given up on become an actuality?
"We're back! Gather around! We found food!"
A miracle occurred. Life returned to their blank faces. Everyone ran to the glorious Warrior Captain, stumbling and staggering as they went, and practically snatched up the food he handed out.
"Prepare the pots! We're cooking a feast! Where are the sickest and neediest people? Feed them these fruits!"
The camp instantly came to life. Everyone mustered what little energy they had left to get to work. Some prepared the pots, some fetched water, some started a fire, while others rushed to the sick with fruit.
The hemp bag the Warrior team had brought back was packed with food. Most stared in shock at the provisions that burst from it, but they all went about their respective jobs, knowing they had no time to spare.
Ultimately, the clan that'd been on the verge of extinction had escaped immediate danger. Some lives were teetering on the edge, but the Warrior Captain's team had come back with food just in time to save them. The first good news in ages brought joy to everyone's faces.
The overflowing provisions were more than enough to fill everyone's empty stomachs.
Where'd they get so much food from?
No matter how hungry they were, shouldn't they have rationed it better?
The middle-aged woman who wondered these things asked the Warrior Captain, but he evaded her question, and her doubts were eventually drowned out by the desire to satiate her hunger and by experiencing the finest food she had ever tasted.
◇◇◇
THE din quieted down after a few hours. Excess food had been carefully set aside and was under strict surveillance.
The majority of people fell fast asleep now that their bellies were full, leaving only the sound of firewood crackling under the empty pots to break the silent night.
By obtaining temporary provisions, the starving Mazaram Clan safely survived the night they'd feared many wouldn't make it through. At long last, they could finally rest, instead of spending another sleepless night tormented by hunger pangs.
But it is during the nights, while the majority rests, that the minority must stay awake.
Warrior Captain Gia sat beside a small campfire a slight distance from the encampment, silently gazing at the starry sky through the gaps in the canopy.
"You did…well today, boy."
"Elder Moltar? How fare our people?"
From the trees untouched by the firelight appeared Sage Moltar, the elder who guided the Mazaram Clan and the man considered the oldest Dark Elf alive. With a body like a withered branch, he slowly ambled out of the dark with his staff and sat directly across from Gia, the campfire between them.
After a slight pause, he answered Gia's question in a strong and dignified voice that belied his frail body.
"They are all sound asleep with full bellies. Even the twins have recovered from that horrible state. The fruit you brought back is miraculous. I'm confident I've lived longer than most, but not even I have seen such fruit before."
Moltar quietly closed his eyes and thought back on the day's events. It felt as chaotic as being out at sea during a storm, only for the clouds to break. A single ray of light broke through their despair.
Gia, who'd returned with words of hope, brought more than enough food to fill everyone's stomach and then some. He'd brought home a startling amount of delicious foods Moltar had never heard of or seen before.
"Aye. I also tried a bite of that fruit—it was divine. I never knew such delicious fruit existed in this world."
After confirming every one of his clansmen had eaten, Gia finally bit into an apuhl. He would never forget that moment for the rest of his life.
Startling sweetness spilled into his mouth with the pleasant crunch of his teeth sinking into the skin. Juices gushed from its flesh with every single bite. He could feel his dehydrated body quickly regain its strength.
Saying it was a heavenly experience didn't do it justice. Even if he didn't understand it in his head, he had experienced true joy for having satisfied the basic desire of all living things to eat. Indeed, it was an unthinkable experience outside the realms of common sense.
"…What transpired in those woods?"
Gia kept silent. He couldn't withhold the truth, but he struggled to come up with a good way to explain. It'd been such a surreal experience, and more than anything else, he couldn't shake the innate fear that that being was tricking them.
Moltar saw he was conflicted and waited without rushing him. Judging by the pensive silence Gia kept with a tormented look on his face, Moltar determined he must've brought back even worse trouble than he'd expected, and he decided it was better not to press him with a barrage of questions.
He ran into trouble that can't be dealt with easily by ordinary means. Is it something my knowledge and experience can get us through? Moltar quietly prepared himself for the worst. But the answer to his question exceeded his imagination.
"We met a legendary being in the middle of the forest." Moltar's long, white eyebrows shot up.
A variety of legendary beings had been recorded over the ages. Some were good and some were evil. Some were friendly toward humanoid races, such as humans and elves, while others were hostile. The beings were as diverse and numerous as their legends, with their immense strength as the only common denominator among them.
This was the cursed forest mankind kept clear of—the Accursed Lands. Moltar prayed with all his might that his fears were unfounded.
"Which legendary being? Is it from a legend I know of?"
"I think my adjutant mentioned it was the being sealed in the Accursed Lands or something like that?"
"You encountered the King of Ruin?!"
Moltar felt dizzy. His worst fear had come true.
The Traveling Colossus, the Living Ocean, the Messenger from Another Dimension, the Automatic Torture Machine—of all the legendary beings, they had encountered the most dangerous and nightmarish one.
Moltar managed to keep calm despite the horrifying situation and his frustration over the endless suffering his race had to endure by rallying all the experience he'd cultivated over his decades of life.
"You've heard of it, Elder Moltar?"
"There are a handful of ancient records and folktales that claim the King of Ruin will appear when the world becomes overpopulated. It will destroy everything in existence, making everyone start over from the beginning. I don't know if it's the same being, but I also can't definitively say it's not… Did it introduce itself as such?"
There weren't too many tales about the King of Ruin. The few myths and legends that did exist were disjointed, with some saying the King of Ruin was sealed in the Accursed Lands, others saying it would suddenly appear from nowhere, and one claiming god had already destroyed it.
The King of Ruin's objective to destroy the world was the sole consistency.
"I didn't hear its name. It didn't introduce itself. But the King of Ruin…certainly is a fitting name for the fear-inspiring being I met."
"Did you speak with the King?"
"No, the King was a being beyond our comprehension. But there was a girl there who clarified the King's words for us."
Gia thought back on his encounter. Who—or what—was that girl? The one thing he could say for certain was that she wasn't just some normal girl the King had found in these parts.
She was evil—pure evil. She alone posed a threat to this world. The darkness she exuded made that clear.
Hair the color of burnt ashes. Distorted clothes with a mind of their own. Skin whiter than the dead. And eyes brimming with fathomless darkness that seemed to despise the entire world.
Gia shuddered, remembering the way her eyes had coldly picked him apart.
"I don't know if what you met was the King of Ruin, but it's undoubtedly not a good being. I can tell now that I've recovered some Mana after eating. This forest is twisted. We should've noticed sooner."
If only they'd realized the dangers this forest posed sooner, they might've been able to avoid this predicament. Even if they couldn't avoid entering the Accursed Lands, they could've chosen a location where they wouldn't have stumbled upon the King of Ruin.
But "should'ves, would'ves, and could'ves" didn't reflect reality. It was because they hadn't noticed that they were faced with this very present danger.
A danger that threatened to bring doom.
"What did you give in return for the food?"
"Nothing. It just gave it to us without asking anything in return."
"Ha! You honestly believe an evil being would bestow gifts without expecting anything in return?"
"I don't know. We were just asked about our situation and answered. That's all that transpired." "Then why did the King of Ruin aid you?" Silence fell between them.
Gia didn't understand why either. If nothing else, he understood different rules were at work than those he had come to know as the natural law of things.
Evil beings hate everything alive. Because of this hatred, they never act in the interest of the living. The only exception to the rule is when they form a contract where they take something in return—
—or when they are deceiving you…
But Gia had a completely different outlook. He believed in yet another possibility. That was why, even with the fear he might've been deceived, Gia put how he felt into words and explained his take away to the frail old sage.
"Out of benevolence."
"Benevolence…you say?"
Leeriness filled Elder Moltar's eyes. His reaction edged closer to hostility, and he stealthily curled his hand around his staff on the ground so Gia wouldn't notice.
"Yes, benevolence. His Benevolence sympathized with our situation and gave us a boon."
"Fool! You just referred to that thing as 'His Benevolence.' Were you ensorcelled?!"
"I swear I have not been!"
"Then why did you thoughtlessly call it His Benevolence?! Those are words reserved for those who deserve our respect!"
Moltar's anger exploded. He lifted his staff from the ground and thrust it at Gia. Although he was old, he was a sorcerer who'd survived decades of war. His spell would release faster than Warrior Captain Gia could jump out of the way.
But Gia didn't cower in the face of imminent death, choosing instead to counter the furious mage's attack with words.
"His Benevolence! Bestowed food! Upon our starving people! It's only natural to respect him!"
"But we're dealing with an evil being! Do you not feel the miasma of ruin filling this forest?!"
"What's miasma got to do with it?! His Benevolence said he felt for our starving people. That's the real truth here!"
"You were tricked! It was trying to beguile you with pretty words!"
"Then…! Then what should I have done?! We're only able to waste our energy pointlessly arguing because he fed us!"
With that remark, their explosive volley came to a close.
Elder Moltar fully understood what would've become of them had the King of Ruin not granted them these alms. But his concerns and fear of their unknown future surrounded in darkness gave rise to his outburst.
And at the same time, he finally admitted that he had no choice but to move forward and negotiate with what appeared to be the King of Ruin. He had to.
"Tell me, Elder Moltar: what should I have done…?"
"Not even I know the answer to that query…"
A hoarse voice answered Gia's quiet and tired question as both men lost the energy to fight.
Neither knew the right answer. They didn't have much of a choice in the first place, which was exactly why they had to accept reality for what it was.
That was all there was to it.
"I'm sorry, brave clan warrior Gia. You did well."
Gia accepted his apology with a slight nod. He'd been appointed as the next chief of the Mazaram Clan. He had a good understanding of the pressure Elder Moltar felt as the current leader.
"I will handle negotiations with the King as the Dark Elf Chief. I don't know what this being is thinking, but I have lived for two hundred years—I will make it work."
"Please do."
With that, the discussion was over.
Only the sound of crackling firewood offered them some solace.
"I wonder when we will be able to sleep in peace…"
The King had casually produced a mountain of food. Gia's men could only carry home less than ten percent of it, and the girl serving the King told them to come back for the rest as soon as possible.
"We should probably go see them as soon as tomorrow morning," Gia told Elder Moltar, and they began discussing their plans.
The King of Ruin spoken of in legends—the shadowy being was evil enough to convince them that was who they were dealing with.
Moltar gazed at the star-studded night sky to restrain the feelings of terror he had long since forgotten.
◇◇◇
MEANWHILE, around the same time, the very King of Ruin the Dark
Elves shuddered in fear of was—
"King Takuto, on your knees! Why did you use our precious Mana on something like that?!"
"B-Because I felt bad for them…"
"That's not a good enough reason!"
"Eeep!"
—in the middle of being browbeaten by his confidant for being uneconomical.
<<-x-X-x->>