"Why did you bring him here!? He's one of them!" a male voice demanded, clearly agitated.
Riku was slowly coming to his senses, but his mind was still hazy.
"He was being chased by the Dark Elves—"
"What the..."
"Quiet! He's waking up!"
Riku fully regained consciousness and tried to move his right arm.
But he immediately noticed something.
"My arm... it's stuck."
He looked down and realized it was restrained by a thick branch that emitted faint golden particles.
His other arm was restrained as well.
This isn't good...
"What are you thinking about?" asked someone standing nearby.
Riku met the elf's eyes and immediately noticed the intimidating look on his face.
He quickly looked away.
All around him stood white-and-gold structures seamlessly woven into the colossal tree that housed them.
No matter where he looked, more elves dressed in white were watching him with stern expressions.
The pressure was overwhelming.
This is really bad...
"Well? What are you thinking?" the elf asked again.
Riku visibly tensed.
"Silvath! Don't scare him!" another elf called out.
"Yeah, yeah... sorry, Rog," Silvath replied halfheartedly.
The sound of bells suddenly echoed throughout the enormous hall.
The great doors behind Riku slowly began to open.
He tried to turn around to see what was happening, but Silvath held his head still.
"You can't turn around."
"Sorry..."
What the hell is going on here?
Two elves entered through the doorway, which led to a terrace overlooking the hall.
Unlike the others, they weren't distinguished by their features, but by their attire.
Their pristine white robes were embroidered with intricate golden patterns, while light white armor protected their shoulders and forearms.
A delicate golden circlet, woven like tree branches, completed their appearance.
"The Royal Guards have arrived..." one of the elves murmured.
One of the guards stepped forward.
"The Royal Family is entering the hall! Show your respect!"
Everyone in the hall lowered their heads, including Rog and Silvath.
Riku watched in confusion.
The Royal Family?
His mind drifted as he tried to process everything.
Until Silvath nudged him with his elbow.
"You should bow your head too."
"Oh... right."
Riku lowered his head as well, despite facing the opposite direction.
The bells continued to ring.
Their gentle chimes accompanied the Royal Family as they entered the hall.
Three figures made up the procession.
Leading them was a stern-looking elf dressed in flowing ivory robes.
Resting upon his head was a slender silver crown intertwined like the branches of a tree, adorned with small milky-white crystals that seemed to have naturally grown from the metal itself.
At his right walked a woman with graceful movements, wearing a white gown with pearlescent hues embroidered with delicate leaf patterns.
A short distance behind them followed a young elf with lively eyes, dressed in a simpler, lighter outfit adorned only with a thin silver circlet.
Finally, the crowned figure took his seat upon a throne of wood that had sprouted directly from the floor.
One of the Royal Guards stepped forward and bowed.
"Your Majesty, I am prepared to explain the situation before us today."
The King raised a hand and nodded.
The guard took a step back.
"Today, we gather to address a matter of great importance for the future of our kingdom! We may finally uncover new information about the lands beyond our glorious forest of Ådenes Rike... and the possible movements of the Dark Elves!"
Anxious murmurs immediately spread throughout the hall.
Riku quietly thought to himself.
So there really are two factions of elves... just like in the stories back on Earth.
"After centuries, a Dark Elf has crossed the mountain range that separates our peoples, violating the ancient pact between our races! And all of this... merely to pursue this individual... or rather, it would be more accurate to say... a human."
The Royal Guard pointed at Riku.
At first, he didn't realize it.
But one word made his eyes widen.
Centuries...? That's impossible!
The murmurs grew louder and louder.
"Did the Royal Guard really say human!?"
"So it's true! They've returned to Aetherion!"
Many of the elves cast hostile glares at Riku.
"Please, calm yourselves! I would first like to ask this human a few questions."
The Royal Guard descended from the balcony as a staircase of living wood grew beneath his feet.
Moments later, he stood before Riku.
"Greetings. I am William of the Royal Guard. How are you feeling?"
Riku studied the guard's face.
Unlike the others, William looked calm and composed.
"I've definitely had better days."
William let out a quiet chuckle, seemingly amused by Riku's answer.
"I see. If you cooperate, this won't take long."
The guard created a wooden table and chair out of thin air, while several elves brought him sheets of paper, a bottle of ink, and a small twig to use as a pen.
"Good. I'll be writing down every answer you give, so choose your words carefully... anything you say may be used against you."
He sat down.
"Now then, as I mentioned earlier, we found you after you crossed the mountain range bordering Ådenes Rike while being pursued by a Dark Elf... what is your connection to them?"
"I-I didn't even know they—or your people—existed until the past two days... I have no connection with them!"
William nodded as he wrote everything down.
"I see... Then why were you in the forests of Mørkets Rike?"
"Can I answer that with another question...? What is Mørkets Rike?"
"I expected as much."
William took a moment before answering.
"Mørkets Rike is the name of the Dark Elves' kingdom. It is considered one of the most dangerous places in all of Aetherion—so dangerous that even other creatures avoid it."
Riku's eyes widened.
So that's why I never ran into anyone...
William adjusted himself in his chair.
"Now then, what is your objective?"
"Huh?"
"Elves have keen eyesight. I watched you from the Supreme Sacred Tree fight those Dark Elves, and your movements told me this wasn't your first battle. Why did you learn to fight, and what is your objective?"
Riku hesitated, unsure how to answer.
"I suppose... to survive?"
"I understand."
William finished writing on the paper and stood up.
"Silvath."
Silvath immediately stepped forward, lowered his head, and presented Riku's Val Spear.
"Here it is, sir!"
"Thank you."
William took the weapon and examined it carefully.
"This weapon is not something a mortal like you or I could ever forge... where did you obtain it?"
"T-That was a gift... from the one I serve."
"You serve someone? Who?"
"The Supreme Ganesha."
The entire hall fell silent.
Even William's calm expression showed a hint of concern.
"So... they're back."
William clenched his fists.
"Those damned gods..."
Riku noticed the change in his expression.
Yeah... I don't think they're happy about this...
William returned to stand before him, his face now much darker than before.
"Very well, Riku... let me rephrase my earlier question."
"What is your true objective?"
Riku swallowed nervously.
Your? "You've already met other humans?"
"Yes. However, our forest is protected by powerful magic. Creatures outside of it cannot perceive it as it truly is. But that isn't important right now. Answer my question."
"I can explain, but let me make one thing clear first—it isn't our fault what I'm about to tell you!"
"We'll be the ones to decide that!" the other Royal Guard shouted.
The elf leaped down from the Royal Family's terrace.
"Come on, spit it out!"
He grabbed Riku by the hair, but William immediately stopped him.
"Ray! Stay out of this and focus on your duty!"
"I am doing my duty! We need to find out why those damned gods are making their move again!"
Ray punched Riku square in the face.
"So talk!"
He was about to strike him a second time when Riku, terrified, shouted,
"They forced us!"
Ray froze.
"Forced you... to do what?"
"To kill each other! They're using us to decide who becomes the next Supreme God!"
Ray scoffed.
"Bullshit! The Supreme God is an immortal existence beyond all comprehension. He can do whatever he pleases! Why would he ever need to be replaced!?"
"I don't know! All I can tell you is that they divided us into groups, each led by a different deity. All we're supposed to do is survive. The last human left alive will make their god the next Supreme God!"
William and Ray exchanged silent glances for several moments.
"Just as ruthless as ever..." William said.
Then he raised his gaze toward the King.
"Your Majesty, I believe it's time to deliver the final judgment... although I think I already know what your decision will be."
The King hadn't shown the slightest reaction to any of the revelations made so far.
He silently watched Riku's back with an unreadable expression.
"My verdict is execution."
A chill ran down Riku's spine.
"W-What!? Why!?"
William transformed the table he had created into a sword and pointed it at Riku.
"I already told you this isn't our fault!"
The King let out a weary sigh.
"That's true. But we cannot afford to let people like you become a problem within our forest. William, carry out the sentence."
"As you command."
Riku struggled desperately to break free, but there was nothing he could do.
Just before the execution could begin, however, Rog stepped between him and William.
William stopped in his tracks.
"What are you doing, Soldier Rog?"
"I don't believe this is the best solution."
Ray immediately approached Rog, his expression turning hostile.
"Explain yourself... Are you questioning the King's judgment?"
Rog tensed, but he refused to move.
"I think we should wait. He could still prove useful to us."
"For what?"
"We all saw him fighting those Dark Elves! He can stand against them!"
The King suddenly rose from his throne.
"Enough! We don't need soldiers. We don't need allies. We need none of that! Return to your position at once, Soldier."
Rog could no longer find the words to argue.
The frustration on his face was impossible to hide.
Riku noticed it and fell into thought.
Why?
His mind drifted back to the first day, when Riccardo had protected him from Celia.
Then to Ganesha's words of faith in him.
But above all...
...to the moment he had been ready to end his life back on Earth.
Why is it always other people who believe in me...? Why are they always the ones trying to save me... instead of myself? This elf doesn't even know me...
A ray of light passed through the stained-glass windows of the hall, illuminating his eyes for a brief instant.
But how am I supposed to escape this situation?
Suddenly, a glowing screen appeared before him.
[Notice: You have a Unique Skill available to unlock!]
The King nodded after seeing Rog finally fall silent.
"It seems you've chosen to stop arguing as well, Soldier Rog. May I now have my Royal Guard complete his duty?"
With a defeated expression, Rog stepped aside.
But before he did, his eyes met Riku's.
They weren't the eyes of someone who had given up.
William resumed walking forward.
"I'm sorry, kid... You were simply unlucky."
A mocking smile spread across Riku's face.
"Is that what you think... William Althanor?"
William froze, shock written all over his face.
"How do you know my family name?"
"Because now I know..."
[Unique Skill Activated: Eye of Truth]
[Eye of Truth: A Unique Skill that allows the user to perceive the fundamental information of a target.]
[Effect: Reveals the target's Name, Age, Gender, Race, and basic identity. Displays essential traits, affiliations, and notable characteristics. Also allows the user to perceive the target's current condition.]
[Limitations: Cannot reveal hidden abilities, thoughts, or future possibilities. The accuracy of the information depends on the difference in level between the user and the target.]
[Cooldown: None.]
[Drawback: The more powerful the target's existence, the greater the mental strain placed upon the user. Targets with high resistance to analysis may conceal or distort the information displayed.]
Riku tried to turn around and look at the King.
Ray shot him a murderous glare.
"What do you think you're doing!? Defendants are forbidden from looking directly at the King!"
Riku ignored him.
"Blah, blah, blah! I want to see the face of the man who's sending me to the executioner's block!"
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the King's bewildered expression.
[Unique Skill Activated: Eye of Truth]
"I was able to see far more about you... You're much weaker than your own subordinates!"
Ray's face twisted with fury.
"How dare you—!"
"I'm not the first human you've ever seen... I had already figured that out from your reactions. But you're talking about a sighting that happened who knows how many years ago!"
That's it... the gods had been lying to us. Aetherion had existed long before the tournament... and humans had once lived here!
"Your Majesty, I've been wondering... why are you so desperate to kill a human like me? I haven't shown the slightest hostility. Yet you're treating me like a threat that has to be eliminated as quickly as possible."
The King's eyes seemed to lose their focus under Riku's unwavering gaze.
"But I can already see the answer... It's written in your eyes."
The King began to tremble.
"Stop..."
"The previous King of this kingdom... your father... was killed. Not by Dark Elves or some mythical creature from beyond your borders—"
"I said stop!"
"But by a human... just like me!"
The moment those words left his mouth, silence fell over the entire hall.
"You don't want me dead for the sake of your kingdom's safety... You want revenge. You think killing me will ease your pain. But it won't, Your Majesty! Because I'm not the man who murdered your father!"
Ray finally snapped.
"That's enough, you piece of shit!"
He raised his sword, ready to strike.
"Stop!" the King shouted.
Ray stared at him in disbelief.
"Take him away... Throw him into the cells..."
The King's heavy voice echoed throughout the hall, leaving everyone speechless.
Riku, on the other hand, let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Thank goodness...
The branches restraining him began to move, twisting themselves into something resembling handcuffs.
Silvath and Rog walked over to him.
"Move," Silvath ordered, shoving Riku forward.
As they walked, Riku could feel countless disapproving eyes fixed on his back.
Just before leaving the hall, however, he turned toward the royal balcony.
The entire royal family was glaring at him with eyes filled with anger as they tried to comfort the King.
Silvath leaned close to his ear.
"I hope you're satisfied with what you've accomplished."
Riku lowered his gaze.
"No... but I had to do it."
The three of them passed through the massive doors of the hall, which slowly closed behind them.