Chapter 499
Chapter 499. Differences in Value Perception
I apologize for the delay in updates as I was busy cutting down trees in the garden.
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“What have you done!”
“I certainly asked about the physical interference force, but there’s no need to injure such a large tree…!”
“I’m sorry…”
With Arthur shrinking away, Orderju huffed and effortlessly lifted the thick trunk. Despite being an elderly forest elf, his magic was well-honed, making him better suited for physical enhancement than the younger ones.
“Hmm… it’s fortunate that the cut surface is smooth. What a terrifying sharpness…”
Orderju carefully supported the trunk against its cut surface, and Heléna began to hum a tune while conjuring magical water to pour onto the tree’s roots.
“~~~♪”
Then, Rhyliana, humming along with Heléna, touched the trunk and poured in light. Some members of the Vampire Hunters instinctively stepped back, shouting “Whoa” and “It’s blinding” out of fear of the light.
“Fuh… this should do.”
Orderju stood before the joined tree, looking satisfied. It was impressive. Even upon close inspection, there wasn’t a single scratch on the bark. Some branches had cracked from the force of the fall, but with Rhyliana’s healing power, they seemingly appeared even greener than before. For Rhyliana, who could perfectly heal human limbs and organs, repairing a tree was probably as easy as pie.
“You may not hear their cries, but these little ones are still alive, you know,” Heléna said, patting the trunk with a scary expression.
“Well, well, it’s something that can be fixed, so no need to get so worked up,” Rhyliana gently reassured, and then spaced out for a moment.
“Compared to having an entire forest burned down just for harassment, this is nothing…”
“You were subjected to that!? I can’t allow it…!”
“You night-dwellers! I’ll expose you to sunlight down to the bone!!”
It seemed they were interpreting the situation as “the Night Elves harassed Rhyliana,” causing Heléna and Orderju to angrily redden their eyes.
“…………”
Reila and I exchanged awkward glances, both of us turning our eyes away.
Izanis Tribe… Evaroti Autonomous District… Influx of magical beasts… Forest fires…
Ugh, my head…
“Alex? Could it be—”
‘Can forest elves hear the cries of the trees?’
Just as Orderju seemed to catch on, Bishop Lexar, who had been listening quietly, interjected.
“As part of my profession, I’ve spent a long time alongside forest elves, but I’ve never heard that sort of talk…”
“Well… honestly, there’s individual variation.”
Heléna made a sour face at Bishop Lexar’s questioning words.
“There are those who can resonate with the singing of plants clearly, while others barely understand, and some don’t get it at all… Or maybe they’ve simply gotten used to it and don’t mention it because it wouldn’t change anything.”
Since humans can’t live without cutting trees, she shrugged.
Given that the alliance consists of various tribes, a certain level of respect and compromise is necessary… even the forest elves and dwarves, who once fought bloody wars, now join hands.
“As elves, we once had different views on nature based on our clans. How to revere nature. How to interact with nature. Those were left to individuals, and it was believed that acting freely, unbound by anything, was the truly noble ‘nature’…”
Orderju squinted as if reminiscing about the distant past.
“That idea sounds wonderful, but now it’s not that way, is it?”
Bishop Lexar, curious, inquired.
“Yes, because, as Heléna mentioned, there were indeed elves who remained indifferent to the voices of plants and casually devastated the forest. Of course, those elves didn’t like it either, but they allowed it as long as their own forests weren’t being damaged…”
A cynical, dry smile followed.
“And as a result of allowing such people to thrive… the ‘Night-dwellers’ were born.”
So the descendants of those who acted at will have become the Night Elves…
By the way, if you mention “Night Elves” in front of forest elves, you’d better watch out because they get notably upset. They cannot tolerate being lumped together with those night-dwellers; they see them as mortal enemies that must be eradicated.
“Well, they are descendants of those rotten types lacking consideration for others. It’s understandable why they now look so ugly. Our ancestors should have swiftly wiped them out instead of just expelling them from the forest…”
Orderju sighed.
If the Night Elves had been eradicated… perhaps the Demon Lord Kingdom would have taken on a completely different form.
Huh, but without a spy network, and with a lack of officials involved in state affairs, there wouldn’t have been many upper servants supporting the demon race’s life as a noble class.
I can’t even begin to imagine what it would have been like…
Perhaps the Demon Lord Kingdom wouldn’t have been able to expand as smoothly as it does now, and maybe my homeland… still wouldn’t have perished…
…No, it’s pointless to think about it.
“Sorry for straying off topic. Even now, there are children born who cannot hear the voices of grass and flowers, but as per the policy of the Holy Great Tree Alliance, we preach the nobility of nature from a young age to avoid repeating those mistakes. Those like us, who inherit ancient blood… to put it simply, those with strong High Elf blood tend to have great affinity with the earth and plants.”
“Hm. My colleague likely resembled you, so it might just have been that they kept their thoughts to themselves, considering our well-being… as they mostly acted in areas inhabited by humans and beastmen.”
“Oh, speaking of colleagues… we did get sidetracked during introductions. My apologies.”
The flow of self-introduction returned.
Thankfully, the matter of the forest burning was smoothly skipped. What a relief…!
“We’ll discuss the tree burning matter later…”
Wait, I wasn’t relieved at all…!
“I apologize for the late introduction. I am Bishop Lexar Marthihunt, a Vampire Hunter.”
Bishop Lexar boldly introduced himself. His once trademark red-black long coat now shimmered silver as a ghostly silhouette, looking drastically different now…
“Vampire Hunter…?”
And for some reason, the forest elves exchanged glances.
“So, could it be… the forest elf you mentioned is named ‘Yesera’…?”
“Remarkable. You knew her?”
Bishop Lexar and the Vampire Hunters were surprised.
—Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reila tightly clench her fist.
Yesera. The forest elf vampire hunter. The relentless woman who had been hunting down the vampires that killed her sister for 500 years.
In Kaemuran, she actively shot arrows at me, who had been poisoned, only to be hit directly by Reila’s breath in retaliation. I can still vividly recall her skin burning and blistering, her eyes clouding over and twitching. I wonder if she’s still alive—there wasn’t any reaction to necromancy…
Could it be that Yesera and Rhyliana knew each other?
If she had High Elf blood… ah, if that’s the case, it’s no wonder Orderju and Heléna see me as an enemy…
“We stopped by Kaemuran and… she vowed in her heart to take revenge on you.”
Heléna said with a grave expression, while Orderju glanced sideways at me with a solemn face.
From the sound of it, she was alive…!?
“Ruijakka, was it? She boasted that she would definitely find Prince Zilbagias along with that beastman man…”
“……….”
The Vampire Hunters grew somber. Their stares felt piercing.
I almost wanted to cover my face with my hands, but I felt I didn’t have the right to do so, so I maintained a straight posture.
Still… Ruijakka is something else.
His sense of smell is a threat. Though Reila burned the earth, I wonder if my ‘trace’ has been completely erased…
“Oh, by the way, Alex…”
Rhyliana suddenly looked at me as if remembering something.
“You were declared dead in battle there.”
Huh? Why?
