“Xia Er, right? Why… I mean, why are you all here? This place is already quite close to human territory, isn’t it?”
Fortunately, everything had been peaceful since then.
Leya even wondered if she should be grateful that her transformation had been into Emilia.
The elf youths seemed easy to get along with.
Since there was no immediate rush to flee, Leya decided to chat with them for a while.
“Hmm? Miss Satella, you don’t know? Oh, that’s right, you’re from somewhere else, so you might not be very familiar with our situation here.”
‘No, no, no, I know it all too well!’
‘Honestly, I even fought your undead leader who’s attacking you just a few days ago!’
Of course, none of this could be spoken aloud.
Thus, Leya simply continued to listen to Xia Er’s recounting.
“It would be quite complicated to explain in detail. In short, for some reason, the undead creatures in the Netherworld Wilds suddenly went mad.”
“They began expanding aggressively in all directions, forcing us elves who lived nearby to migrate.”
“Couldn’t you put up effective resistance?”
“Resistance?” Xia Er’s eyes filled with the light of hatred, yet he spoke with a helpless tone.
“Easier said than done. Their numbers are simply overwhelming. Believe me, Miss Satella, you would never want to witness such a sight.”
“They stretched endlessly, blotting out the sun, like the apocalypse foretold in prophecies…”
As Xia Er spoke, he clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth.
“They took everything from me… My parents both sacrificed their lives fighting them.”
“My people were wantonly slaughtered, emitting desperate wails before death, crying out and pleading for someone to help them…”
“But… but facing the undead army, I could do nothing! I was powerless! I could only… only… watch as our beautiful home of old was consumed by raging fire…”
Overwhelmed by such profound emotion, Xia Er’s eyes involuntarily welled up.
The other elves nearby were similarly crestfallen, their heads bowed.
Some remained silent, while others indignantly pounded their chests.
“The undead… they should all be annihilated!”
“Whether it’s in the Netherworld Forest or across the entire world… one day, eventually, I will wipe every single one of those walking corpses from existence!”
‘……………’
In Xia Er’s eyes, Leya couldn’t discern even a flicker of rationality.
There was only boundless rage and an intense yearning for revenge.
‘Perhaps one day… the elves might truly, as Xia Er claimed, transform from ‘victims’ into ‘perpetrators’.’
‘Just like herself now… all for revenge?’
[Uh… Host, you jest. The ultimate aspiration of the gods is on an entirely different dimensional plane than this.]
[You might currently believe that destroying the world is merely a product of the gods’ emotional release, but trust me… and please trust the gods who bestowed upon you a second life… this is absolutely a decision made under absolute rational judgment.]
[And soon… I believe it won’t be long before you, Host, understand all of this.]
‘Oh? Is that so? An absolutely rational judgment?’
‘Is it to make me destroy these weak lower-realm races? What a boring judgment, just as I’d imagined…’
‘If that’s truly the case, then once I get a high-level transformation card, I’ll destroy it just to show you!’
‘Yes, just as originally planned, remaining in this dull world until its dullest moment…’
‘Let everything simply end!’
[So be it, then…]
****
“Uh… Miss Satella, I truly apologize for burdening you with so many irrelevant words.”
Noticing Leya’s distracted, absentminded demeanor, Xia Er spoke with a hint of resentment.
However, having also perceived Xia Er’s sentiment, Leya’s expression suddenly turned grave.
She spoke decisively.
“How can it be irrelevant!?”
A chilling blue light emanated from her violet pupils, making everyone around her feel a profound coldness deep within their souls.
“Since you all said that as elves, we are rightfully one family, meant to help each other, then…”
“As a member of the elven race, it is my undeniable duty to confront the undead!”
“Yes! That’s right!” Perhaps infected by the emotions Leya displayed on the surface, Au Fu, who was walking beside them, also grew impassioned.
His eyes ablaze with fierce fire, he declared: “If we all work together, one day we will surely defeat the undead, avenge our kin, and reclaim our homeland!”
“Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh! Ooooh!—”
The elves continued to cheer loudly, as if the scene of reclaiming their homeland and defeating the undead was already unfolding before their eyes.
It had to be said, these elves truly were very innocent and kind-hearted.
Leya felt they were much like Erica, yet there seemed to be something subtly different about them…
However, there was one exception among these elves: Leya herself.
From beginning to end, Xia Er had been steadily watching Leya’s eyes, his gaze not shifting even a fraction!…
Though in the many days prior, Leya had often felt such strange, scrutinizing gazes when walking the streets.
She had largely grown accustomed to them and no longer paid them any mind.
But honestly… Xia Er’s gaze made Leya feel an inexplicable discomfort.
It was the kind of look that seemed to peer directly into her soul…
‘It was truly annoying!’
“Uh… Miss Satella, I apologize, I just… uh, I feel… your eyes are truly beautiful. Yes, I mean it…”
‘……………’
‘Well, had she really shown an expression of annoyance?’
‘Logically, she hadn’t at all!’
“Alright then, since it’s getting late, let’s conclude our mission for today!”
‘Mission? What mission?’
As if he had once again seen through Leya’s thoughts, Xia Er explained with an apologetic expression.
“Forgive me… I should have clarified this with Miss Satella earlier. We came out this time under the Elder Council’s orders, to search for our unfortunate kin who have gone missing or become separated.”
“Missing? Separated?”
Upon hearing this, Leya immediately thought of Erica, who was resting in the inn she had rented in the city!
“Uh… Miss Satella, do you happen to have any information regarding this?”
‘…………’
‘Alright, youth, you’re impressive!’
‘To hone your observational skills to such a degree, after all my years, I truly admire you!’
“If you do, please, you must tell us! The fate and whereabouts of our kin are truly vital to us!”
“Hmm… now that you mention it, a few days ago in the human city, I did indeed see an elven girl…”
“Humans!?”
At her words, Xia Er’s expression seemed to slowly contort, and faint glints of ferocity flickered in his green eyes.
He spoke with a venomous tone: “Indeed… it’s them, after all… I knew it. It started a long time ago, with our kin repeatedly disappearing without a trace within the tribe…”
“So… Miss Satella, where is she now?” Xia Er asked, appearing extremely anxious.
“She’s… she should still be in the human city…”