“Some things just can’t be explained clearly to you, but maybe that’s my intuition. Ever since I left my tribe to travel alone, my footsteps have covered the Northern Snowfields, and I’ve been to the Floating Mirage Kingdom in the east… All the memorable things from my journey, I’ve woven into the Bardic Poems. The Southern Territory was supposed to be my last stop…”
But do you know?
The Elf Girl stood sword in hand, facing the gradually thawing waters and the dense black shadows of Demons swarming beneath like tadpoles. She glanced sideways at the blue-haired Brave and suddenly smiled:
“In truth, I’ve been traveling with a mission and a secret. For years, there’s been a barrier between our tribe and the Humans. If not for the existence of the Demon Race as our common enemy, we would never have had the chance to get along so harmoniously. Don’t you think so, Miss Brave?”
“I don’t understand what you’re trying to say.” Rotissa frowned.
“Power,” the Elf Girl said softly. “Whether it’s our tribe or you Humans, we’ve all been striving to master greater power, the kind of power the Demons possess.”
“Although we Elves live long and excel at Magic, in the end, we don’t have Braves like you Humans do. When facing beings like the Great Demon King, we have no choice but to rely on Humans for help. So, our tribe has been searching for a way out of this predicament.”
“The power of Silver Stag Orianna alone can’t change this, so the radicals among us started learning from certain Humans—how to take risks and seize power from Demons.”
“But why would Humans, who already have Braves, need to risk stealing that chaotic, disordered power from Demons? Who is orchestrating these things in the shadows? Some Human? Or a Demon disguised as a Human? No matter who it is, it means there are some among you who wish to replace the Braves.”
Rotissa felt as if she were stepping into a deep abyss.
Yes, how could she have overlooked this? She thought this incident was nothing more than a few people colluding with Demons, causing trouble to keep them from reaching the battle zone smoothly.
But she forgot: ever since the most dangerous Great Demon King died and the Demon Race began infighting, the pressure on the borders had eased.
Some Human factions began to resent the Braves, thinking it unnecessary to retain more than ten—advocating for Retirement for some and keeping just two or three.
“Humans have already touched the threshold of the Root of Monster Power, but that is Pandora’s Box. The day they open the door and step inside will be the moment of self-destruction.”
The Elf Girl whispered,
“I’m telling you this not to sow discord. Rather, I hope that when I become weak, you’ll be more wary of your own kind. At the very least, find Vyea and send her back to her family.”
“From what you’re saying, aren’t they targeting me instead of you?” Rotissa flicked a Demon into the sky and swung it like a hammer into the advancing horde. “Why do you sound like you’re about to die?”
“All life comes to an end someday. I’m just an Elf without grand ambitions. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have chosen to become a Bard, running from the endless formalities of the tribe, wanting nothing more than new scenery and new food each day. When I left the tribe, neither my father nor mother came to see me off. They knew I just wanted to escape, like a coward.”
The Elf Girl’s voice grew lower, a faint pale radiance surfacing over her body.
“Even though Silver Stag herself told me in a dream that my parents never thought me a coward, and that they’ve always waited for me to return… Even if I want to go back, I don’t dare, afraid I’ll never have the courage to leave again if I do.”
The Elf Girl had run out of arrows for her Wrist Crossbow. She drew her Elf Fine Sword from its sheath and stabbed with precision into a Demon’s heart. Looking closely, one could see the sword’s blade was badly worn from intense combat.
“When the war in the Southern Territory ends, go back and see them.” Rotissa gave a rare, slightly awkward smile, but it was clear she was trying hard. “We may not be traveling the same road, but if there’s a chance, I can give you a lift.”
“That would be wonderful!”
The Elf Girl tossed aside her worn sword and punched a charging Demon flat. “I truly do like being a Bard—traveling freely, acting as I please, and lending a sword when needed. Thinking back, this journey hasn’t been bad! I got to hitch a ride on one of the Four Great Human Arks and meet some interesting, good Humans like you.” The Elf Girl paused. “I’ll leave the rest to you! Don’t let me waste this chance in vain!”
She grabbed the blue-haired Brave and, using a sudden burst of strength, threw her toward where Vyea had gone missing, then turned and leapt into the dense black tide of Demons.
Rotissa, clad head to toe in Armor, was far heavier than most Demons of the same size, but she was still flung away by that wild strength!
“Damn it!”
Rotissa gritted her teeth, just about to use a force-dispersing technique to counteract the impact and return to the Demons—
A pale light suddenly erupted from within the Demonic horde, followed by a matchless surge of Magic Power that crushed everything in its path!
Such an abnormal fluctuation of power immediately drew nearly every Demon in the entire water area. They swarmed frenziedly toward the source of the Magic.
Rotissa struggled upright and turned to look at the Elf Girl. Amid countless layers of black Demons surging like waves, that moon-like silver radiance was so dazzling, so breathtakingly beautiful.