Part 3
Rafleisha crossed her legs.
*Yusari* Her oversized breasts swayed.
「Well then, I will tell you a slight old tale. Something that happened long before the previous war──The Humans’ king dispatched a 《Holy Army》 to the forest that the Dark Elves of that time lived in.」
A question mark popped up in Diablo’s mind.
──Holy Army? What is that?
That is a name that didn’t appear even in the MMORPG Cross Reverie’s setting compilation.
Sylvie muttered.
「The Holy Army, that’s quite the old story. That’s the name of the army corps that was in the era of the Lifelia King from three generations ago, isn’t it?」
So it wasn’t narrated in the game since it was something from long ago.
Rafleisha continued her story.
「The Holy Army had the objective of obstructing the Demon King’s revival......Publicly that is...... With the Ceremony Magic that undos the Demon King’s seal that was handed down among us as the reason, they attacked.」
It was a terrible story.
Not just Rem and Shera, even Sylvie was surprised. This seemed to be an incident that a majority of the Races didn’t know of.
「Even though we only inherited the Ceremony Magic that was entrusted to us in the era of legends...... Due to the Holy Army, many Dark Elves were killed. The beautiful forest that they lived in at that time was burned to the ground, and that is why the few that remained alive hid in this Blackwood that is full of poisonous plants.」
「S, something like that had......」
Rem groaned.
Rafleisha talked with a deepened voice.
「When the Holy Army attacked......The Elves, not a single one of them tried to protect the Dark Elves. Isn’t it only natural to resent them? The Greenwood King of that time died just a few days ago though.」
Shera gasped at this.
「Tou-san......just abandoned you!?」
「Did you not know? Well, if you knew, there is no way you would have come here.」
「I was only taught that "Dark Elves are scary" so......」
「Naturally, I’m sure we are scary to the Elves. We do resent them that strongly after all.」
「Ah, uu......」
Shera hung her head down.
It made even Rem go silent. Even Sylvie didn’t have her usual smile.
Rose remained expressionless, and was only single-mindedly being vigilant of the surroundings.
Diablo was bad with silence.
The talk wasn’t advancing. He was thinking that it was a waste of time.
「Fumu......In other words, isn’t this a chance to try out that Ceremony Magic that you inherited at the risk of your lives. This is quite fortuitous.」
Rafleisha became speechless, then yelled loudly in the next moment.
「There’s no way it was that kind of story!?」
──So I was wrong.
It seemed that what she conveyed was slightly out of sync from how Diablo interpreted it.
However, withdrawing due to something like being mistaken wasn’t Demon King-like.
He persisted on it with confidence. He hit the ground with the pommel of his War Scythe.
「You all, you harbor resentment to the Holy Army and the Elves, don’t you!? So? What connection do they have with me? I have gone out of my way to meet with you, so you should cooperate!」
「Fool! Is that the attitude to take when asking for something!?」
Although he was flustered in his mind from being scolded, he earnestly persisted in his composed attitude. Diablo made a light laugh.
「Fu......So it’s finally become a "current" talk. Then I shall renew my attitude. If I do, then you will cooperate, right?」
Rafleisha had released her anger, but she was a person that had the position of unifying a large number of people. She also had the capacity to think calmly.
「By that, do you mean you’ll use brute force?」
──So I have that sort of hand to play as well. But it seems like Rem would dislike that. I also don’t want to do something that’s like extortion after all.
While Diablo was pondering that, Rem denied it with a loud voice.
「Absolutely not! I believe that resolving my own problem......That getting out of this unstable situation of mine, would be for the sake of the Races. However, making someone submit with force for the sake of that, I feel that is wrong.」
Rafleisha breathed a long sigh.
「That is a good way of thinking....... The guest is a strong Magician. But, that being said, if you say that you will try to threaten us with that power, I will fight against you will all of my strength. It’s because choosing to fight rather than yielding to violence, that is how Dark Elves are.」
It was probably due to that proud nature that they were destroyed by the Holy Army──It wasn’t hard to imagine that.
Isn’t teaching them the Ceremony Magic better than dying, is what he thought but......Every person had their own sense of values. They were different in race for starters, and they were also influenced by past events.
Sylvie nodded as if she understood something.
「Ahh, now I get itー. Kami-sama might have entrusted the Ceremony Magic to them because they have that sort of nature.」
Rem asked a question.
「......What should I do, to get you to cooperate with me?」
「Let’s see──Guest has a friend. And she isn’t a normal friend. Amazingly, she is the Elven Princess-sama! Moreover, her father king has died, her older brother prince has also died, and she is now the sole line to the royal family’s blood.」
Having suddenly gathered the surrounding gazes, Shera was bewildered.
「Eh? Me?」
「Hohoho......If, for example, you were to take the lost trust between the Elves and the Dark Elves......and restore it, guest and I would be fellow friends. I would then cooperate with pleasure, you know?」
Shera showed a smile at those words.
「Waah, I think that’s good! Although I don’t really get the difficult stuff, getting along with each other is a good thing, isn’t it!」
「You say some pleasant things. Well then, as a sign of friendship......Could you hand over a part of Greenwood?」
「Hoe?」
「In the past, Dark Elves also lived in a rich and blessed forest. Now, only we are in a forest of poison......Like this, even if we talk about reconciliation, it’s impossible, right? The fact that they did not fight against the Holy Army together with us at that time......If you concede part of the Elven forest, then we could let bygones be bygones. How about three times the size of this village?」
Rafleisah turned an evaluating gaze towards her.
「Erm......」
Shera made a pensive look.
Rem and Sylvie made stern expressions.
To demand territory in exchange for Ceremony Magic──there was no way that would be acceptable.
Diablo tightly grasped his War Scythe.
──This woman, she had no intention of cooperating from the start, did she? Even if they do try to resist, should I use force?
Naturally, the other party could also sense this side’s mood. He could tell that the Dark Elf Archers raised their tension.
This was truly a critical situation.
Shera clapped both of her hands.
A *Pahn!* sound resounded.
「Sure, that’s fine!」
「Hohoho......As I thought, you wouldn’t hand it ov──Nn? Just now, what did you say?」
Rafleisha’s eyes went round.
Shera expressed a smile that had no worries.
「Like I said, that’s fine. Three times as big as this village? Although I don’t really get it, if it’s to that extent, I think it should work out.」
「That’s impossible! Aren’t even the Elves overflowing out from the forest to the point of having to go out of it!? Far from being able to concede any, they don’t have enough of it, right!?」
「But, Rafleisha-san, if what you say is true, I think that much is only natural. Living in a forest where only poisonous grass grows is difficult, right?」
「That’s......of course it is......」
「I, don’t know why Tou-san didn’t protect the Dark Elves. I think I’ll try asking Kaa-san later. But, I think that it would be better if both the Elves and the Dark Elves got along.」
Rafleisha shook her head left and right.
「Unbelievable! This is unbelievable! Th, that’s right......In the end, a princess is a princess, not the king. She does not have the authority to concede the forest. It’s that sort of thing, isn’t it!? You planned on saying "it was impossible" afterwards and making it null and void, weren’t you!?」
*Mu* Shera pouted her lips.
「I wouldn’t say something like a lie!」
「Would you bet your life on it!? Would you swear to God!?」
「Of course! That’s why, properly do something about Rem!」
Panicking, Rem cut in.
「W, what’re you......Do you understand what you’re saying, Shera!? No, you don’t understand at all!」
「That’s so mean, Rem.」
「Baka Shera! To concede the forest to the Dark Elves, there’s no way the Elves would agree to that. To bet your life on that sort of promise, you’re taking this too lightly......」
「It’s not lightly. It’s not lightly at all......I mean, Rem, when I was taken away by Nii-san, you risked your life to come and save me. That’s why, it’s my turn this time, you know?」
「Th, that was......Diablo was......」
「Un, that’s true. So if there’s a time that Diablo is in trouble, we’ll both do our best.」
Shera tightly gripped her fists in front of her chest.
Rem’s voice trembled.
「......As I thought, you are stupid. If there’s a situation where Diablo is in trouble, there’s no way there could be anything we could do.」
「Ahaha, that’s trueー.」
「......Is this really alright, Shera?」
「Yup! Since I’ve properly thought about it, it’s perfect!」
She deeply nodded.
Rafleisha summarized the conversation.
「If Princess Shera is going to swear to God, then we will trust her. In exchange for a portion of the forest, we will forget about the past, and since we are friends──we will properly solve the matter of the Demon King sealed in the Pantherian guest──Swear to God.」
「I promise! I swear to God!」
Shera strongly nodded.
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