Erenes bit her lip as she observed Dark. After staring at him for a moment, something seemed to dawn on her, and her eyes widened. Her heartbeat quickened.
'No… it can't be… That doesn't make sense.'
There was only one entity that came to mind. But to her knowledge, that entity had been sealed away along with "him." If it had reappeared, it would only do so alongside "him."
'No, no. It's just a similar energy.'
That entity had not been crude or immature like this one. It wasn't some deranged spirit like Dark appeared to be.
The being born of a storm of shattered emotions carried only sorrow and gloom.
"Where did you get that spirit… something similar to this one?"
"Picked it up—"
Before Ghislain could finish, Dark interrupted.
"Don't try to find out, elf! Unless you wish to be cursed by me!"
"......"
Dark simply didn't want to speak of his pitiful past.
Erenes looked at Dark again. While his energy bore a strong resemblance to the entity she knew, it was slightly different.
She felt only ominous energy, but no particular malice.
Unconsciously, she placed a hand on her forehead and closed her eyes.
'The world has changed a great deal while I was away.'
It seemed she wasn't adapting well after emerging into the world after so long. Something unknown to her must have arisen during the years she had been trapped.
Even the mana cultivation techniques were unfamiliar. Humans, after all, were a species that evolved faster than any other. It wasn't possible for her to know everything.
Holy power and the Salvation Church's energy were natural opposites. This was especially true of the creatures from the rifts.
If Ghislain had any connection to the Salvation Church, there was no way he would be working alongside a priest blessed by the goddess. In fact, Count Fenris had stopped the expansion of numerous rifts.
'I've made a mistake.'
The similarity between the Count's power and what she knew was likely nothing more than coincidence. While it was suspicious, it was something she could observe over time.
Erenes finally released her armor and bowed her head slightly.
"I've made a grave error due to my misunderstanding. Please forgive me."
"...."
The spectators looked visibly exasperated.
'If she misunderstands again, she might destroy an entire kingdom.'
'Is she as bad at controlling her temper as Ascon?'
Ghislain, however, accepted her apology without issue. Having dealt with Erenes in his previous life, he was well aware of her rigid personality.
"Well, it happens. Now that we're here, let's drop the formalities—it's uncomfortable."
"Very well… understood."
Erenes agreed without resistance.
Ghislain turned to look at where his command tent had once been. It had long since been reduced to dust in the shockwaves.
Erenes followed his gaze, saw the ruins, and quietly spoke.
"My apologies."
"...Fine. I'll bill you for it."
The two entered another tent and got straight to the point, accompanied only by a few close aides.
Ghislain began.
"You seem to have a grudge against the Salvation Church."
"It's not just a grudge—I intend to eradicate them."
"Care to share your reason?"
"They disrupt the world."
It was a textbook response. Ghislain couldn't shake the feeling that there was a deeper reason behind her words.
However, it wasn't something he needed to press her on right now.
"Fine. Your skills are impressive. Did you come here intending to join us?"
"I came to observe you and decide for myself."
"If you plan to fight the rifts, it's better to do so with us."
"And why is that?"
"The allied forces, centered on the Lutania Kingdom, have just been formed. If you want to fight the Salvation Church, this is the best place to start."
Though he knew much about her from his previous life, Ghislain didn't let it show. He acted as though this was their first meeting, aiming to win her cooperation.
Erenes paused for a moment and asked.
"I've heard that the Lutania Kingdom has stopped most of the rift expansions. What's your next goal?"
"First, we're going after the Delphine Duchy. They'll make their move soon. Since they've aligned themselves with the Salvation Church, their forces will likely join as well. I've told the allied forces to come here first."
"Here?"
"Yes, resolving the situation in the Lutania Kingdom is the alliance's first priority."
"Is there a reason for that?"
"The sooner this area is stabilized, the sooner I can go help elsewhere. Isn't that the most efficient approach?"
"That makes sense."
Erenes nodded, understanding his logic.
She, too, had heard that the Northern Army was the most effective at handling the rifts. The faster they settled their internal issues, the faster they could assist other regions.
'It's better to deal with one issue quickly rather than spreading resources thin and being dragged around.'
Having reached her conclusion, Erenes spoke.
"I will assist in dealing with the Delphine Duchy and the Salvation Church here."
"You've made a wise decision."
Ghislain nodded in satisfaction.
He had no idea how many superhuman-level priests from the Salvation Church were backing the Delphine Duchy, but with Erenes on their side, they would have a better chance of dealing with them.
"Of course, I won't stay here permanently. Once the Lutania Kingdom's internal issues are resolved, I will leave."
"If your goal is to fight the rifts, wouldn't it make sense to continue working together?"
"I can't do that. I have something else I'm searching for."
"And what is that?"
"...I can't say yet."
"Fair enough."
Once again, Ghislain didn't push further. In his past life, Erenes had been the same. She never shared her intentions and always acted independently.
Listening to their conversation, Claude, who had been jotting something down on paper, spoke up.
"So, does this mean the elves are now allied with Fenris? Are we officially forming an alliance? By the way, I'm Claude, the Head Butler of Fenris. I handle administrative matters."
Erenes nodded.
"For the time being, yes."
"In that case, is there anything you'd like to request from us?"
After a brief hesitation, she nodded again.
"This was something I intended to address anyway, so I'll bring it up now. I'd like the Lutania Kingdom to abolish the enslavement of elves. I understand it may take time, but can you work toward this?"
Erenes had made the same demand of the Human Alliance in his past life. As the Guardian of the World Tree, she was effectively the representative of all elves.
"Hmm, I see. Well, we're already doing that in our territory, so it's not a problem. Naturally, the allied forces will have to follow suit. I'll get started on it immediately."
Ghislain watched Claude with an amused expression.
Erenes, slightly surprised, asked.
"That can be done so easily? Wouldn't it require changing the kingdom's laws?"
"In this kingdom, there's nothing our lord wants that can't be done. Besides, if they refuse, I'm sure you'll cause an uproar, marching in with that impressive armor of yours. Speaking of which, do you have any extra sets of that armor? It's really amazing."
"..."
Erenes lowered her gaze, unable to respond.
She hadn't intended to use force to free the elves. Her plan had been to achieve it through negotiation, no matter how difficult it was. After all, she sought to fight the Salvation Church, not turn all the continent's humans into enemies.
Realizing the extent of Ghislain's influence, Erenes bowed her head to him.
"I see. If possible, I'd like that matter to be prioritized."
There was a hint of guilt on her face, as though she felt responsible for the elves' enslavement.
Seeing her sincere and straightforward request, Ghislain nodded. It was rare for the rigid elf to bow her head.
'In my past life, she also used her strength to first prove herself before requesting better treatment for the elves.'
Thanks to her efforts, the elves were eventually freed from slavery and became part of the Human Alliance, fighting alongside them.
Ghislain had always intended to reform the kingdom's laws to abolish slavery, not just for the elves but also for the dwarves, as he had promised them.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, and he asked.
"What about the dwarves?"
"That's for the dwarves' king to handle."
"So, they're just left as slaves?"
"That's for the dwarves' king to handle."
"…Alright."
Erenes maintained her feigned ignorance and repeated the same line. The animosity between elves and dwarves was well-known, but did she really need to draw such a firm line?
Her sense of justice seemed oddly skewed.
But what did it matter? Her resolve to save the world was clear, and that was enough for Ghislain.
As their conversation concluded, Claude gathered up the papers he had been writing on, pulled out one sheet, and handed it to Erenes.
"Now then, to formalize our alliance, please sign here."
"Sign?"
"Yes, it's a contract. We need a record."
Erenes frowned slightly and spoke in a displeased tone.
"I am the Grand Chieftain of the Elves. Do you think so little of me that you'd ask me to sign something like this?"
"Well, that's just how things are. Where in the world does anything get done without a contract?"
"The word of the Grand Chieftain is not light. The vows I make with you will be heard by the heavens and earth, the trees and flowers, and carried by the wind to the world. You need only uphold your promises faithfully."
Claude sighed in frustration.
"That's precisely why we use contracts—those things can't guarantee anything. What can trees and flowers do, anyway?"
"I'm saying that mother nature itself will—"
"Nature, mother nature… Oh, pardon me. Why is everything you say so long-winded? Just sign this, and you won't have to explain so much. Haven't you heard the saying that the longer someone talks, the more likely they're a fraud?"
"......"
"Grand Chieftain, just sign, please?"
Swish.
Irritated, Erenes snatched the paper out of Claude's hand. In all her years as Grand Chieftain, no human had ever dared demand a contract from her.
These people from Fenris—there was definitely something strange about them.
'Especially this Claude. He's something else.'
Though she had lived for ages and rarely lost her composure, this man's insistence on the contract was oddly aggravating.
The vibe he gave off was deeply unpleasant, like sticky mud—or perhaps a swamp. Either way, he left her feeling uneasy.
As she held the pen to sign, she noticed a strange phrase written next to the signature line.
"The World Tree is just a big tree?"
"Ah! That's just some doodle I made while waiting. Sorry about that. Just focus on the rest of the document, and I'll rewrite it for you right away."
Claude quickly drafted a new contract on a fresh sheet of paper.
"Here, I've written the exact same terms again. This section is about your agreement to help us, this part outlines our promise to abolish elven slavery… and over here—"
Claude pointed to various sections as he explained the document in detail.
Erenes's head began to ache. He talked far too much. Wasn't this just a simple promise? Why was it so complicated?
"Fine, fine. I'll sign. Human ways of handling things are as convoluted now as they've always been. We elves conduct our affairs with trust and integrity."
Exasperated, Erenes signed both new contracts without reading them properly, only glancing to ensure there were no strange scribbles beside the signature lines.
Claude, wearing a sly grin, promptly brought the signed contracts to Ghislain and gave him a knowing look.
"My lord, it's your turn to sign."
Ghislain knew Claude well. A quick glance at Wendy, who was pretending to stare at the ceiling, confirmed his suspicions. That was her usual way of signaling that Claude had done something mischievous again.
One look at the contract was enough for Ghislain to spot the "trickery."
This lunatic had managed to pull something during their brief conversation.
"Ahem. Well, the Head Butler must have written it properly. All I need to do is sign, right? Glad I brought him along."
Feigning ignorance, Ghislain quickly signed the document.
Claude rolled up the two contracts and tied them neatly with a string.
"Done! We're all set now. Looking forward to working with you, Grand Chieftain."
"Indeed, elves always keep their promises. You have nothing to worry about."
"Of course, promises must always be kept. Would you like us to hold onto both copies, or do you have a place to store them?"
"Give them to me. I have somewhere to keep them."
Erenes gestured, and vines sprang from the ground.
The rolled-up contracts were wrapped in the vines, which then sank back into the earth. It was an impressive display, but it also ensured the contracts would likely never be seen again.
Claude, observing this, clapped his hands dramatically.
"Wow, Grand Chieftain, your storage methods are impeccable. That looks incredibly secure."
It was almost endearing, like watching an old soul naive about the modern world. Then again, who would dare cross an elf like her? A contract guaranteed by "mother nature"—how charming.
Claude's smile widened.
He had deliberately created distractions to muddle Erenes's thoughts. Since she didn't place much weight on the contract itself, she hadn't scrutinized it closely.
Having lived for centuries, Erenes was well aware of how deceitful humans could be. But even she hadn't imagined someone would try to con her the moment they met.
And this wasn't just any random human; it was the hero of Lutania and his Head Butler.
Thus, she hadn't noticed the fine print near the term of the agreement, which stated in tiny letters:
'Duration: 30 years.'
[T/L: Please support me and read 385 extra chapters: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]