The imperial investigation team, after much deliberation, ultimately admitted that there was nothing to gain here and withdrew.
From the start, their arrival had been an obvious act of internal interference, and it had become clear that the Black Shadow Mercenaries, who had infiltrated their ranks, had intentionally tried to pit the kingdom’s investigation team against them.
With that revelation, they had no reason to stay any longer.
Moreover, after witnessing how I had eerily pinpointed the spies hidden among them and severed their grotesquely transformed bodies with uncanny precision, they seemed to have lost the will to resort to force.
On the other hand, the kingdom’s side was more resistant to withdrawing, as this was an incident that had occurred within their own territory.
Since we also lacked a clear justification to force them to leave, we left them be for the time being.
However, it didn’t take long for the kingdom’s investigation team to realize that, with their own capabilities, they wouldn’t be able to uncover anything in this ruined city.
In the end, they had no choice but to leave, taking only the exposed spies with them.
Just before their departure, the kingdom’s investigators turned their attention to the thousands of elves we had brought with us.
“You’re Mr. Alvis, correct? There’s something we need to confirm before we leave.”
“Go ahead.”
“All those elves over there—are they all part of your group?”
“It’s hard to say they’re part of my group. I simply led them here. I originally had business in this city, but as you can see, it’s been reduced to this state…”
“For that many elves to leave Arboness and come all the way here… It seems the rumors were true.”
“Rumors?”
“Merchants from various trading companies have been spreading word across the continent that the Sacred Tree has been completely burned down and that Arboness has fallen. The royal court dispatched people to verify the truth, but we have yet to hear the results. However, seeing this many elves, who are known for their seclusion, gathered here…”
Elves might be reclusive, but they had never completely cut themselves off from the world.
Occasionally, traders dealing in books and other goods would meet a small number of elves in the outskirts of Arboness to conduct business.
It was likely that when those traders arrived this time, they found the Sacred Tree reduced to ashes and spread the news.
“Arboness has not been destroyed. However, the Sacred Tree has indeed burned down, and many elves who lost their homeland have scattered in search of a new place to live. These people here are just a portion of them. This actually works out well. Since this matter will reach the royal court sooner or later, wouldn’t it be best if you reported it directly? And if possible, could you also request permission for the elves to settle here?”
“I have no decision-making authority, and delivering a mere verbal report would only cause confusion in the royal court. Unless, of course, an elf is willing to accompany us, testify directly, and make the request in person.”
“In that case, may I take on that role?”
At that moment, Elder Eloise stepped forward, causing the kingdom’s investigation leader to pale in shock.
“E-E-Elven Elder?!”
Although the elves rarely interacted with outsiders, the face of an Arboness elder was well known even beyond their borders—so his reaction was only natural.
Since elves were regarded as beings of a higher order than humans, and this particular elf was one of the most influential among them, the investigation leader immediately bowed in respect.
“It would be unreasonable to demand that another nation allow us to occupy one of its cities as we please. Take me to the royal court. I will meet with the king and speak to him directly. And as for what this young man, Alvis, has said, I would be most grateful if you could cooperate accordingly. I swear upon my title as an elder that he is not acting out of personal gain.”
“Y-Yes, of course! We will escort you with the utmost respect to the royal court.”
Several elves were assigned to accompany the elder as his escorts, and before departing, Eloise patted his granddaughter Elfin on the shoulder in encouragement.
“Elfin, you intend to continue your journey, don’t you?”
“Yes, Grandfather. I will find out who was responsible for our homeland’s destruction. And I will put an end to their schemes, making sure nothing like this ever happens again.”
“I see. It will be a difficult journey. But don’t give up. We, too, will learn to adapt and live among humans. When the road becomes too hard to walk alone, lean on those beside you and speak your heart. Show us the path forward. I have great hopes for you.”
“T-That’s a bit much…”
With the respectful farewells of Elfin and the other elves, Elder Eloise departed northward toward the royal capital, accompanied by dozens of escorting elves and the kingdom’s investigation team.
I, on the other hand, activated my ability once more to uncover the truth of what had happened in this city.
Just as I had seen visions at Mount Presia before, the past events unfolded before my eyes like an illusion, revealing the truth.
Two high-ranking members of the Black Shadow Mercenaries had infiltrated Aldebaran.
They had never seen me before, but I recognized them immediately—O’Brien and Sophia.
I saw them pretending to drink at the Iron Wolf Mercenary Company’s shelter, quietly listening for rumors about the “Mercenary King.”
Then, seeking more information about me, they began making their move.
However, the mercenaries who had worked with me over the past two weeks refused to sell me out.
In response, O’Brien and Sophia slaughtered them all.
As the mercenary leader lay dying, he revealed what little information he knew—my name and my companions—but it wasn’t much help.
After wiping out the entire mercenary group, the two then stepped out into the town, massacred the citizens, and burned the city to the ground.
Just like the elves who had perished in Arboness, dark smoke-like energy rose from the corpses of Aldebaran’s citizens and was absorbed into the ground.
And just like that, the city was destroyed.
The vision ended with the two of them mentioning their next destination—the border between the Andras Empire and the Carat Dutchy.
I clenched my fists, seething with rage.
I wouldn’t say I was deeply attached to the mercenaries, but in the two weeks we had spent together, they had taken care of me without hesitation.
They were good people.
But to see them all butchered… and not just them, but innocent civilians too… I couldn’t let those two live.
Even the lowest members of the Black Shadow Mercenaries had shown signs of physical mutation under the underground parasite’s influence.
Some had even gone into violent seizures just from exposure to my lightsaber.
Given that, it was safe to assume that the higher-ups were even more deeply affected.
It was now certain—the underground parasite was controlling them.
Even though this was never explicitly shown in the game, it was clear that every time these mercenaries wreaked havoc in countless branching storylines, the one pulling their strings from behind the scenes had always been that parasite.
I exhaled heavily, trembling with fury.
Sensing my rage, Ravi, Elfin, and Lenis cast me uneasy glances.
I gathered them together and told them everything I had seen.
Ravi and Elfin, having spent little time in this city, simply expressed their condolences.
But Lenis was different.
“Those filthy bastards… Not only did they dare to stir up trouble in my kingdom, but they also wiped out the entire Iron Wolf Mercenary Company and slaughtered Aldebaran’s citizens? You said the ones who tried to kill me in Liberta were the same people, right? I will never forgive them! I’ll make them regret ever being born! I’ll make sure they die in the most agonizing way possible!”
Her face twisted with fury, far beyond my own.
The Iron Wolf Mercenaries were the very people Lenis had longed for—those who recognized her for her skill rather than her background.
Unlike others who saw her merely as my servant, they had acknowledged her purely based on her combat ability and had offered her genuine praise without hesitation.
Thanks to them, she had, for the first time in her life, felt a sense of validation that had always eluded her.
Now, those very people who had filled that void in her heart had been brutally murdered.
It was no wonder her fury was immeasurable.
Meanwhile, as soon as Ravi heard that the Black Shadow Mercenaries were heading toward the Carat Dutchy’s border, she became visibly anxious and restless.
“If they really try to instigate an armed conflict there… it could lead to an all-out war with the Empire! Alvis, can’t we go there right away? If not, at least let me go alone! I have to stop them from dragging my country into their schemes—”
“Don’t worry, Ravi. We’re heading there too. We need to track down those Black Shadow mercenaries if we want to uncover the truth about that underground parasite.”
“…! Thank you. Thank you so much, Alvis.”
“I have no complaints about that plan! Those filthy scum… I’ll make them regret ever being born. I swear it!”
“So, our next destination is set. Elfin, we’re leaving soon. Let’s distribute the loot we collected from Arboness to the elves here. They’ll need supplies and money to survive. More importantly, they need a place to stay.”
“Oh… right.”
Elfin, seemingly lost in thought, snapped back to reality and approached the elves gathered near the ruins of the city.
As she walked gracefully through the ruins of Aldebaran, it was as if she were dancing.
Thanks to the abilities of her enchanted boots, vines and plants sprouted rapidly from the wreckage, forming lush clusters in an instant.
It couldn’t compare to the sacred grove beneath the World Tree, but as the forest took root, the elves visibly relaxed.
Soon, other elves who could also manipulate plants joined in, transforming the area into a livable settlement.
“This is as much as I can do,” Elfin said.
“I have to leave now. Even without my grandfather and me here, I trust you all will manage just fine.”
“Yes, Lady Elfin! Please don’t worry about us and take care on your journey!”
I turned to the gathered elves and advised them, “If you all stay together in one place, you’ll be an easy target for curses and dark magic again. For now, you can remain here since you have nowhere else to go, but once things settle, it would be best to disperse and integrate into different cities across the continent.”
“We understand.”
“…Thank you so much for saving us.”
“…And we’re sorry for rejecting you just because you were outsiders.”
It seemed the elves had undergone a change of heart. They expressed both gratitude and remorse.
Then, Ravi set down a pile of equipment she had brought from the World Tree and spoke.
“These are the spoils from defeating that black hound last time. We don’t need most of them, so use them however you see fit—whether to defend yourselves or sell for money.”
“All of this… for us?”
“We can’t possibly accept everything! Sir Alvis, you worked the hardest for this—”
“Oh, I’m not giving away everything,” I said, picking up a ring with interwoven gold and silver bands, adorned with a black pearl.
“I’ll be keeping this one.”
It would take several days to reach the border between the Empire and the Carat Dutchy.
That meant I finally had some time to work on improving my relationships with the unfortunate heroines of my story—the ones fate had cast aside.