Chapter 52: Volume 5 - CH 49

After that, for a while, there was no battle waiting for then when they came down, and the labyrinth was slowly being conquered. Although, it's not a proper strategy because they have to cut a hole in the floor to get downstairs, but no one cares about that. The question is whether or not Leia's mentor, the Immortal King Yarth, is in this labyrinth. They don't have to trudge through all the rooms, picking up items and doing other useless things.

The destruction of the floor by the 【Disintegration】 art is also going well. He used a variety of imaginary patterns to destroy the floor and gradually solidify the image.

After descending six layers, they had a battle with a giant-shaped monster, but they won the battle ahead of time, and Satoru's 【Disintegration】 just blew its head off and it crumbled away. Leia and Rico both rolled their eyes.

「The 【Disintegration】 of rijutsu is a art that is easily resisted,......, but it is not so easy to pull off that it is hard to believe.」

Hmm, Satoru thought to himself. It believed that if this art is resisted, it won't work, but he never encountered a target like that before.

He took a quick look around every time he went downstairs. He even picked up some money from the corpses of adventurers. Rico and Leia told him that there was nothing wrong with taking the money with them, since they didn't talk about it anyway, but Satoru didn't feel comfortable, because it made him feel like a highway robber. At the very least, he took some ornaments with him that might be their belongings. He could leave them at an inn in a nearby town, where adventurers often stay.

Although Satoru had been able to take care of the enemies by himself, he was useless in the battle at the 43rd layer. The opponent was a Wraith. It was a member of the Immortal Family and had no physical form, so any physical attack, including the 【Disintegration】 art, would have no effect on Wraith. However, there was no problem at all, because Leia's 【Holy Light】 art easily took care of it.

「The Wraith is an opponent of the soul itself, and without the art of holiness, there's nothing you can do about it. So it can't be helped.」

「I'm not sure what that holy thing is. The rest I can figure out from my imagination.」

「Ahh........It's a little hard to explain verbally.」

The arts that are classified as Holy are recovery arts that are mixed with physical and mental arts, and arts against the 【Immortal Family】. It's a strange twist that the 【Immortal King】, who is the pinnacle of the 【Immortal Family】, uses Holy Art, but in the first place, the Forbidden art to become the 【Immortal King】, 【Anti-Spirit】, is a art that can only be used by those who have mastered the higher levels of Holy Arts.

As for the Holy Arts, they require classroom study and are said to be the most difficult to learn of the eight types. In addition, except for a few ritual magic, chanting is not made for intermediate and higher level magic. This is because of the high risk of misuse.

「If I had to describe Holy in my imagination, I would say it is light.」

「Light, right ......」

In the case of someone like Rico, who can only use physically art and not Holy Arts, the only thing she can use magic on is her own body to heal her injuries, and even then, not instantaneously as Leia does. It only stops the bleeding and increases the speed of recovery a little. The Holy Art, however, heals others, and its healing speed is quite fast.

「Even if you have the aptitude, Holy Art is difficult because it requires a lot of classroom training and discipline. There are only about thirty practitioners of Holy Art who have mastered the advanced level at any one time. Most of them stop practicing at the beginner level. But it's still useful enough.」

「What about Leia?」

「Of course, I'm trained at the advanced level.」

Leia said she manifested as a Immortal King at the age of sixteen, but it was a record for her to have mastered the extremely difficult Holy advanced level at that age.

「The 【Regenerative Healing】 that regenerated Rico's right arm and healed Minerva's broken leg is also an advanced Holy Art, you know. It's not a art that can be used very often.」

「Houu」

Satoru didn't feel much gratitude because she had been able to heal so easily, but he hadn't realized how difficult it was to do.

「...... But if you die, it's all over.」￥

「When the soul is broken, there is no way to hold it together. The collapse of the soul is death. No matter how much the body is destroyed, if the soul is safe, it can be saved by 【Regenerative Healing】――But when most of the body is destroyed, the soul is usually destroyed as well.」

Not only people, but all living things become more fragile as they age, not only their bodies, but also their souls. It is said that the size of the soul itself decreases as well. The pattern of deterioration over time differs from person to person, so there is no fixed theory. The lifespan of humans and aquatic races is about 60 years, dwarves double that to 120 years, and elves about 180 years. The 【Immortal Family】 has no lifespan and no deterioration, which is why they are both feared and envied. However, it is only because they do not deteriorate over time, and even if you are one of the 【Immortal Family】, it is still the end of your life if your soul is destroyed.

In the modern world, there are conditions such as brain death and vegetative state. When Satoru mentioned this a little, Leia responded with a difficult look. He heard that even in such cases, it is recognized that there is a soul in this world.

「That concept has been the subject of some controversy, though. There is an advanced spell for the mind called 【Mental Break】. It's a technique that literally breaks the mind of the opponent, like what my Lord calls brain death? Or a Vegetative State?. I know that they have a soul because I can get a number from the 【Soul Search】, but I can't say if they are still considered alive or not.」

「I see.」

Even in modern Japan, the definition of death is vague. Satoru doesn't really believe in the afterlife or ghosts. The idea that the collapse of the soul equals death is easy for Satoru to understand - for a moment he was wondering what the concept of the afterlife was in this world, but he decided not to.

The place where I can be is not in this world. I'll die when I get back to my world.

「At the moment, my issue is how to deal with opponents who are completely ineffective against physics.」

Hmm, Leia put her hand on her chin.

「If I'm is by my Lord's side, you can slaughter them with the 【Giant Killer】 by applying the 【Grant Holy Power】 to your equipments.」

「...... I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Can you somehow create a chant for that art?」

Leia's expression becomes difficult.

「The chanting of the Holy Arts, huh.........I know it's forbidden, but it doesn't matter to me now. I'll see what I can do.」

「If possible, I'd like to try a 【Healing】 art.」

「I'm afraid that ...... 【Regenerative Healing】 is going to be difficult, but normal 【Healing】should be manageable.」

If a chant is created, Satoru will probably be able to use it. It's better to have a way to deal with injuries when Leia is not around due to some unforeseen circumstances. In the end, of course, it would be better if he could get to the point of 【Regenerative Healing】, but even just thinking about the structure of the art in his head can be confusing, and as Leia said, it would certainly be difficult.

「I'm sorry I'm always asking for favors.」

「It's nothing. I told you can use me as you like, didn't I?」

He remember that it meant something different, but she said it so well. Satoru couldn't help but laugh.

No amount of gratitude could ever be enough for this little beauty. It was true that Leia was the cause of the problem in the first place, so her devotion was a natural thing to do, but that didn't mean that Satoru could just take advantage of her.

However, what can I really give back to her who is so devoted to me? He asked himself the same question, but no answer came out.

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As a rule, the 【Lost Forest】 is warded to accept only elves. You don't have to be an elf to enter, but you can't get to the world tree in the middle of the forest, and thanks to this, the elves who live in this forest have been free from foreign enemies for a thousand years.

But that doesn't mean it's peaceful. Monsters occasionally crawl out of the labyrinth under the world tree, which is revered as a symbol of the Elven race. It is said that the Lord in the labyrinth were awakened by a magical tremor that occurred in the neighborhood 300 years ago and began their activities, or that the one who caused the magical tremor settled down as a Lord.

The elves can see and hear things that humans and dwarves cannot. Since ancient times, research has shown that they see the world differently from other races, but there is no clear mechanism for this. The lifespan of the elves is about three times that of humans, and it is not uncommon for them to live over 200 years. It is said that their fertility is weak, and that this has prevented them from reaching the peak of prosperity as a race.

Their nature is proud and high-minded, and they have a tendency to separate themselves from other races. Of course, the elves are not only found in this forest, but are scattered all over the world, but the largest tribe is found here in the village of the World Tree. There are only a few elves living in the village, about one in twenty.

Raymond Dantes and his five subordinates looked up at the World Tree with curiosity as they passed through the 【Lost Forest】, guided by his subordinate elf. The trunk of the tree must have a radius of 50 majors (450 meters). The tree is said to be half a mile (675 meters) tall. There is no one who knows the exact age of the tree, but it is believed to have been around when the Ancient Magic Kingdom was founded, so it is over 1,500 years old. It's a living history, but Raymond doesn't feel that nature is precious, and he doesn't know how to worship it. It's just a tree, isn't it? How much benefit or profit can a mere tree give us? On the contrary, it has a huge labyrinth in its underground stems, creating monsters and other problems for its inhabitants, so I think it should be called a tree of evil.

Raymond was poked in the side and turned his attention to the road ahead. There was a wooden gate post, probably the entrance to the village, and four elves were positioned in front of it, their longbows drawn and pointed at the target.

「What do you want with us in the 『Village of Ruijs』, human?」

The elves have been skilled with the bow for generations. The distance from Raymond to the gateposts is about three majors (27 meters), but at this distance, it is unlikely that they will miss. Raymond held up his hands to show that he had no intention of fighting.

「I have no hostile intent. The Kingdom of Ares has brought a letter from the High Mentor of the Academy of the Wise to the Elders here. I would like you to take care of it.」

「Wait a moment.」

The young elf who seemed to be the leader of the group lowered his bow and ran toward the village. The other three, however, remained focused and did not change their aim. It's a bit unsettling, and what a way to be treated when I'm visiting as an official messenger of the prestigious Academy of the Wise. Elves call humans barbaric at every turn, but it is the elves who respond in this way that are the barbaric ones. Raymond cursed inwardly.

Not long after, the young elf who had just returned to the village returned. Raymon would describe him as a young elf, though in reality he is probably much older than Raymond.

「Show me the beeswax imprint on the letter.」

For official correspondence, parchment is preferred, even though paper is becoming more common these days. It is rolled up, waxed, sealed, and stamped with a ring or other mark. This is how they know who the recipient is.

Raymond took out a piece of parchment from his pocket and showed the young elf the wax part with the engraving so that he could see it better. The young elf nodded composed.

「.......No doubt about it, this is real. This way, please.」

With those words, the three elves finally lowered their bows. Raymond and his men all breathed a sigh of relief. Raymond took the lead and led the way into the village.

It was said to be the largest Elven village in the world, but there was not much sign of life. There were no obvious buildings, no stores, nothing. The trees standing there are all tall and thick. They may have used the back of the trees, or flat areas on top of the trees, or used leaves and ivy to make the trees look like that, but he was impressed by how they were able to live in such conditions. But if you ask me if I want to live there, I would say no.

The young elf headed straight for the World Tree. He doesn't know where the entrance to the labyrinth is, but since it's called 【The Labyrinth of the World Tree】, it's probably nearby, and yet the World Tree seems to be revered as the center and symbol of this village.

The young elf showed no sign of paying attention and pointed to the ramp. The four of Raymond men were left behind, and Raymond was instructed to follow alone.

(Don't they even have an elevation board ......)

Raymond was visibly disappointed.

The city-state of Ares is home to the world's greatest academy, the Academy of the Wise, and as such is eager to introduce magical tools. In the royal castle of Strahltraun, there are four planks that contain the art of 【Ascending and Descending】, and Raymond, the eldest son of the baronial family, has had the opportunity to ride them several times when climbing the castle. It's a useful tool for getting to high places in buildings, and Raymond's parents have one - though this one is only for his father, who has gained a lot of weight since he was young.

It's not much, he thought, but elevators are still a rare and expensive item.

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They climbed up the ramp and came to a large open space. Even though it was on top of a World Tree, it was quite large. In the center was a dignified, slender old man, with ten elven men, five on each side, protecting him.

「Welcome, messenger. I am Bauers de Ruijs, the Elder of the World Tree Village.」

The Elder greeted Raymond as he stood proudly. On closer inspection, the Elder was missing his entire left arm. He was as thin as a dead tree, and his physique looked as if it would blow away, but his eyes were powerful, and Raymond was aware that he was being pressured by the dignity he felt.

「I'm Raymond Dantes, the eldest son of Baron Dantes of the Kingdom of Ares. Here is the letter.」

He have been trying to make himself look more powerful by stretching his shoulders and elbows. In terms of physique, there is no elf in this group that can match Raymond. It's just a sign of self-aggrandizement.

「...... This is」

The elder's face clouded as he dexterously opened the parchment with one right arm and read inside, instantly recognizable.

「I am not aware of the contents of the letter. If you have something to tell the Academy of the Wise, I can undertake it.」

The messenger was not allowed to peek inside the parchment, which was sealed with beeswax. Once the parchment is unsealed, you can't even sneak a peek at it because the beeswax can't be put back on. So Raymond did not know the contents of the letter.

The elders groaned and handed the parchment to another elf standing close by, then turned to Raymond.

「I understand the details. That's all I need you to tell them.」

「Understood」

With this, Raymond's side job for Sheryl was finished. Raymond nodded lightly and looked around.

「By the way, Elder. I hope you don't mind to let me stay at least one night.」

「I don't mind.」

The Elder responded with a twitch of one eyebrow. Although the elves do not generally accept other races, they have the capacity to entertain guests.

「Is there any kind of red-light district in this village?」

The Elder returned the question of the too blunt messenger from the Academy of the Wise with a look of blatant contempt.

「........There is no such thing. We elves do not have the savage sexual desires of humans.」

Raymond clicks his tongue.

「You can't call a sexual desire barbaric. That's why ...... Well, whatever」

The soul of an elf is slightly larger than that of a human. Their lifespan is also three times longer. The reason why the elves did not make a breakthrough when human society went into a major decline is because of their low fertility. There is no denying the fact that the elves did not have such ambitions in the first place.

But it was difficult for Raymond to understand that value.

「Just food and drink for me and my men, please.」

If they don't have them, it can't be helped, I'm done with my business, Raymond said, tossing and turning in a curt greeting.

The young elf who had led Raymond here, who had been glaring at Raymond's back with an abhorrent look, stuck up for the elder.

「Elder!」

「I can't believe they sent such a crude person as a messenger. The Academy of the Wise has fallen in quality.」

Said the Elder, while let out a sigh. He himself has never been out in the world, but as the head of the village, he is always gathering information and occasionally interacting with outsiders.

Until now, the Academy of the Wise has always been a gentleman's school. The knowledge they possesses is quite impressive, and for that reason the Elves have treated them with respect.

「.......Since he's official messenger, you can't be too rough with him. Just leave him to it.」

「Tsk, this is a dull village.」

Led by a young elf, Raymond met up with his companions and was led to a hollow in the World Tree. Raymond agreed with his bandit-like subordinate who was looking at the village from behind the scenes. There are very few money transactions in elven society, and certainly no stores to be seen from here. It's hard for Raymond to believe that this is the most powerful of the elven tribes.

If there are no stores, there is no need or reason to go out in the open. He had no choice but to relax in the room he had been assigned. Or rather, there was nothing else to do.

「We've brought your meal.」

When they saw the three elves enter the room, Raymond and his party, who had been complaining a lot until just now, suddenly grinned. They were all beautiful young women elves. The form of their body is slender and not as feminine as a human's, but there is something divine about it, and there is no shortage about their charm. The clothes they wears are crude, but they have a certain elegance. The fact that there is no make-up on their face is also intriguing.

The women elves, under the insolent gaze of the men, still put down their plates and bowls and went to leave. They would have preferred to refrain from doing so, but it was a duty bestowed upon them by the Elders, so they had no choice. This was supposed to be the end, but a bandit-like man grabbed the thin wrist of the youngest female elf who had brought the wine.

「Hey. It wouldn't be wrong of you to at least pour us a drink. We're official messengers.」

「I-It it trouble for me」

Elves are significantly less physically robust than other races. It is believed for elves that even in physical magic and other forms of magic, the efficiency of activating power-related techniques is extremely poor. The young female elf's expression distorted when the human man grabbed her wrist. The woman elf's expression of anguish, which until now had been somewhat nostalgic, caused Raymond and the others to utter a hail.

「Oh, wow. That kind of expression is quite tempting.」

The man who looked like a bandit tried to pull the woman elf into a hug, but stopped his movement. From the curtain at the entrance, he saw a young male elf with an arrow in his hand. This was the man who had greeted Raymond and others at the entrance to the village. The tip of the arrow was definitely aimed at the head of the bandit-looking man.

「What are you doing, human?」

「Dietta-sama」

The young female elf's expression brightened. The bandit-like man who grabbed her arm snickered at the unmistakable murderous intent and snapped at the cocky young elf.

「What the hell are you doing? I'm the official messenger of the Academy of the Wise. Are you trying to fight with the Academy of the Wise?」

「That's common sense for humans. For us elves, the authority of that institute is completely useless.」

His killing intent increases even more. He doesn't need to draw his bow at this distance, but the young elf's presence is real. He must have a lot of confidence in his skills. A sense of inexplicable tension almost overwhelmed the area, but before the tension could descend, Raymond's small laugh interrupted.

「Stop it-Stop it. We're not here to fight.」

「But ......」

Raymond squeezed his chin against the bandit-like man who was still trying to get at him. To be honest, Raymond also feels on the side of his subordinate man. In a village where there's nothing sexy about it, the official messenger should be able to have a little fun, but it seems that this hard-headed elf village won't allow it.

「Hey, you, you said your name is Dietta? I apologize for the rudeness of my men. So why don't you put down that bow?」

「You have to let go Arne first.」

No excuses were allowed at all, and the arrow's aim remained unmoved. This man is unmistakably serious――Realizing this, Raymond glanced back at his subordinate, a bandit-looking man.

「Oi」

「Tsk......All righty」

Reluctantly, the bandit-like man let go of the hand of the female elf known as Arne. Arne hurried to hide behind Dietta. The bowstring, which had been squeezed to the last possible moment, finally loosened. Dietta turned his sharp gaze to Raymond, who was probably the leader of this group.

「You'll have to be quiet, human. In this village, the authority of the Academy of the Wise is of no use. The next time you make a problem, my arrow will pierce between your eyes.」

Raymond laughed inappropriately without losing his relaxed attitude. However, his back was sweating cold. Dietta finally lowered his bow and looked at Raymond, but there was not a minute to spare. Raymond was filled with the desire to slash Dietta, but he had the good sense not to let his careless actions sour the relationship between the Academy of the Wise and the elven village here.

「Tsk. It's not funny.」

A bandit-like subordinate threw his voice at the backs of the outgoing elven men and women. They were complaining that this was the Elves attitude toward official messenger, but they were putting aside the fact that they were acting in a manner unbecoming of an official messenger.

Of course, Dietta can hear what he's saying. The only reason he only give them a warning the rude people is because the Elders told him not to be rude at least in the first place. If that wasn't the case, Dietta would have killed them all a long time ago. Originally, lowly humans and half-elves were not allowed under the sacred World Tree. The young Dietta couldn't see the necessity of worrying more than necessary about a tactless person who couldn't even reason with.

「That's why humans are.....」

After confirming that Arne was safe and sound, Dietta cursed behind the curtain. The Elders would always tell Dietta to enjoy the fact that there are different values, but Dietta could not see the necessity of serving people who were far inferior to him. They are like beasts tribe.

It's clear that Raymond and his team are bored with the situation, as the proud but basically calm elves are killing more than they should and Raymond and co can't do what they want at all. Money, power, and authority have no place here. What a boring society the elves are.

「For now, just write on the message tablet, "The messenger to the village has been successfully fulfilled".」

Both Raymond and Dietta have the same way of thinking: they believe that their values are absolute, and they try to subjugate each other only with the power of their own beliefs, and they don't even try to understand each other.

「That's why elves are.....」

Raymond muttered to himself. Just like Dietta, he would not realize that his words were an indication of his own immaturity and narrowness.

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