The sudden and astonishing appearance of the dragon.
And even more astonishing, the appearance of Estel caused the elves to stop fleeing, freezing in place, their heads tilted upward as they gazed at Estel.
“I imagine everyone must be quite surprised.”
With a tremendous display, Estel successfully captivated the surroundings and leisurely scanned the numerous gazes directed her way before slowly speaking.
“The dragon that suddenly invaded after shattering thousands of years of peace, and the fact that this dragon is none other than the infamous Tenebrix Nox… And lastly, why such a terrifying being is carrying the elven princess.”
“That’s a very simple question.”
“Because Tenebrix Nox and the Great Forest have formed a pact of friendship!!!”
“Pact?! What do you mean? Why?”
“Tenebrix Nox is… friendly…?”
“Unbelievable… That dragon must have brainwashed the princess just to torment us!”
And hearing the words that Tenebrix Nox had acted ‘friendly’, the elves could hardly believe it. They exchanged confused glances, murmuring among themselves.
This was because the idea of Tenebrix Nox, known for covering everything it passed with eternal black flames, being described as ‘friendly’ did not match at all.
“Yes, I expected it would be hard to believe.”
“But please trust me! Tenebrix Nox is now, and will forever be, on the side of the elves!”
“And, that Tenebrix Nox has made a pact with me, Celebrian Estel!”
However, Estel was not at all discouraged by the elves’ reaction, pushing her argument forward as if she had anticipated it.
“Tenebrix, now is a very important moment for you. You can do it, right?”
[Yes, leave it to me…!]
Then, lightly patting Tenebrix’s head, Estel whispered softly, and Tenebrix responded, clenching his fist as if understanding.
[Hmph… I, Tenebrix Nox, formed a pact with your princess for a simple reason.]
[After being defeated in the War of the Thousand Years, I spent millennia in agony, grappling with the bitter shame of my first-ever defeat.]
[I, Tenebrix Nox. The eternal darkness, the death of mortals, the immortal dragon whom even gods cannot stop!]
[Am I weak? No, were those who led me to defeat stronger than me? No!]
[Then why did I lose? After much contemplation, I came to a conclusion.]
[I sought only destruction and despised this world, so I was alone.]
[But I was defeated by creatures who were no better than insignificant insects. Why? Because I was alone!]
[When there was only one of me, creatures as insignificant as dust gathered to strike at me, and despite being stronger than them, I was still defeated.]
[Thus, I realized how I could ascend to even higher realms, and the result… was that I first tried communication.]
[And, by chance, I felt a similar nature in your leader, this elf, Celebrian Estel, who led many elves and aimed bows at me, just like your ancestors.]
[Therefore, this time, not as an enemy, but as an equal, I formed a blood pact with this elf… Celebrian Estel, in order to become a more perfect being.]
[So listen! I, Tenebrix Nox, will peacefully respond to Celebrian Estel and the elves she leads until the moment our pact is broken!!]
[This is the blood oath! Who would doubt my words!!!]
“Well done. Now leave the rest to me.”
[…Hmph!]
“Did you all hear that? The eternal darkness, Tenebrix Nox, is now my, our, strong ally!”
“Why did Tenebrix Nox ally with us? Because the elves are great!”
“And now, right here, I, Celebrian Estel, have shown you just how great and magnificent the elves are!”
“Who am I! Celebrian Estel, daughter of the Great World Tree and your leader!!”
“Follow me! And I will show you even greater heights!!!”
Finishing Tenebrix’s speech and grabbing the megaphone again, Estel shouted confidently.
Even after Estel concluded her speech, there was nothing but a silent stillness among the elves surrounding her and Tenebrix as they gazed upon them.
Then, shortly after…
“Long live Celebrian Estel!!!”
“Truly the daughter of the World Tree!!!”
“The Third Princess has made a pact with the dragon!!!”
“Long live Tenebrix Nox!!! Long live the Third Princess!!!!”
The plaza, which had been silent until now, was suddenly filled with an overwhelming chorus of elves’ voices chanting in praise of Estel and Tenebrix, as if the sky were about to tear apart.
[Wow… It feels like a concert…]
“Heh, it worked well.”
Hearing the cheers pouring in her direction, Estel smiled contentedly, raising her hands and waving them to the elves.
Year 1024 of the Empire.
Celebrian Estel, the royal elf and the sole heir to the throne.
She accomplishes an unprecedented feat by forging a blood pact with Tenebrix Nox, the main antagonist of the Thousand-Year War, establishing a bond of friendship between the Dragons and the Elven Kingdom.
Three days have passed since the blood pact incident between Estel and Tenebrix Knox.
Estel somehow managed to sway the Council of Elders to her side, but to fully control the elves, who were born with no desires and a sense of detachment, and to strengthen her royal authority and become the true leader, she brought Tenebrix into the fold.
The performance of making a pact with a dragon shocked even the elves, and the fact that the Black Dragon, who had always treated mortals (elves and humans, from the dragon’s perspective, were no different from mere mortals) like insects, acknowledged Estel as her leader and requested an equal relationship was a huge event.
Elves, who always considered themselves superior to other races, were utterly shaken by the realization that their leader had been recognized by the most powerful creature, far surpassing what would be considered a “patriotic euphoria” in human terms.
After that incident, the previously indifferent elves, who had seen the royal bloodline as merely an esteemed lineage without true loyalty, suddenly started to show overwhelming support for the royal family, with their royal allegiance soaring through the roof.
Having firmly secured control over the elven kingdom, Estel, upon returning to the royal palace, immediately began a long meeting with Freya, claiming there was much to be done.
And now, three days later…
Crunch
“Mm… This really is interesting, huh?”
“Right? It tastes like an apple, but the juice is so rich and smooth, almost like a water peach.”
“And it’s delicious!”
“Yeah…”
While Estel and Freya were holed up in a temporary office, holding a marathon meeting, the rest of the group, who had little to contribute to the discussion, were casually enjoying lunch, spread out on a mat in a quiet corner of the elven capital.
If it weren’t for Freya and Estel, there wasn’t anyone who could be of any help in the meeting (though Felix might have been able to fit in, he didn’t like that kind of atmosphere and naturally withdrew from it).
“The taste is good, but… most elves only eat this their entire lives, right? After a few days, I’d get sick of it, but to eat this for a lifetime? No way.”
“And the elves live for at least 3,000 years, so they’d be eating just this for 3,000 years.”
Spending time in the elven kingdom, having nothing but this fruit for every meal, the three of them grimaced at the thought of it.
The fruit they were eating, called “Prumtr” was the staple food of the elves.
Elves living in this vast forest can survive on nothing but Prumtr, so no other food culture has developed. It was a sweet fruit that tasted like a perfect blend of apples and peaches, but for the likes of Rosaria and the others, it was hard to imagine living on this alone.
Humans have an average lifespan of around 60 years, so it’s understandable for them, but elves can live for anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 years.
“Ugh… I think I understand why Shalle was burying her nose in the plate when she came to our mansion. I could never do that.”
Elves live easily for up to 5,000 years, but to imagine eating just this for all those long years made Rosaria understand why Shalle was so obsessed with human food.
“Still, it seems like a nice place to live. Kind of… healing, you know?”
“Right? The mana here is so pure, it feels like being wrapped in a fluffy blanket with a cool air conditioner running.”
“It’s like I sleep better than usual, and when I wake up, I feel so refreshed.”
After living in the elven kingdom for a few days, they could feel their bodies more relaxed and at ease, more so than ever before.
“Hey… isn’t that Tenebrix Knox?!”
“There are humans too…!”
“Wow, this is amazing…!”
“Tenebrix, you’re so popular!”
While they were lounging on mats in the outer parts of the capital, elves who spotted them from a distance suddenly started reacting as though they had seen a celebrity, rushing towards them.
Even after Estel’s declaration, some elves were still afraid of Tenebrix, but for the most part, elves were friendly toward her.
As a proud race, elves were thrilled that the greatest and most powerful dragon in the world, Tenebrix Knox, had recognized their leader, almost as if a national celebrity had remembered the name of a fan and acknowledged them.
“Heh, now that my true worth is showing, I’m quite satisfied,” Tenebrix said, puffing her chest with pride.
“I’m a dragon, you know? You two don’t get it, but this is a perfectly normal reaction!”
Noticing the elves’ reactions, Tenebrix swaggered, puffing out her chest and muttering proudly.
“Still, you’re just a child.”
“Pft… I’ll be an adult in just two years, you know? Actually… in 15 months!”
“How cute, you’re such a baby!”
“Ugh, seriously… I’m only two years younger than you, you know? Actually, it’s 18 months!”
Even so, to Estel and Freya, Tenebrix was still just an adorable little sibling, and they couldn’t help but tease her.
“Haha! You’re a baby, a baby!”
“Hey, did you hear that? She just called you a baby.”
“Wait, what?”
As Rosaria laughed, mimicking Felix’s teasing, she suddenly froze at a voice coming from her right shoulder.
“…Huh?”
“Brother…? What’s that on your shoulder…?”
“Hey, what’s this…?”
Rosaria turned her head to look at her right shoulder, where a small girl, no bigger than a palm, was resting with a big grin on her face, looking up at Rosaria.
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