10 – Growth

It was an unfamiliar ceiling. And it was an unfamiliar scent.

“Ugh… !”

I could clearly see that my mind had returned.

Just by moving my body a little, relying on my senses that had returned slightly, I felt tremendous pain.

I was not dead after leaving Gerg’s sacrifice behind and running away.

No, I didn’t even know if he was dead. I fell off the cliff completely injured.

Nevertheless, the reason I assumed he was alive was because the pain I felt was so vivid.

“This place… ”

I barely turned my head and looked around.

It was in a small room. My guess is that someone found me and saved me.

Otherwise, this is what the afterlife looks like.

“You’re awake.”

“who… Ugh-”

“It would be best not to move. “There is no sound place.”

I heard a neutral voice along with the sound of the door opening, and I turned my head towards it, enduring the pain.

“… Dark elf?”

Tall height and pointed ears. If you only saw that, you would have thought it was a high elf from the Great Forest.

Black hair and transparent black skin. Just one difference completely changes the identity.

“You seem surprised. Is this your first time seeing a dark elf?”

“Of course… Dark Elves were a long time ago… ”

“We were driven out of the forest by the high elves a long time ago. That history is true. But that didn’t mean our extinction.”

“Then here… ?”

“It is our territory. “We set up a barrier and built a small city in a place where other races could not reach.”

Dark elves are a race that can only be found in history books. The last recorded sighting of them was nearly five hundred years ago.

A race that looks similar to high elves, but has black skin and cannot use magic.

Instead, it is said that their technological prowess was at the highest level on the continent in the past.

According to recorded history, they originally lived in the Great Forest with the High Elves, but for their own reasons, a conflict broke out and they were defeated by the High Elves and were all driven out of the Great Forest.

Since then, as time has passed and they have not been found anywhere on the continent, it has been known that the dark elves have long been extinct.

“So does that mean the Dark Elves were not extinct…? ”

“Yes. It may be a shame that this is not the afterlife, but this is our city. And it’s perfectly located on the continent.”

“okay… First of all, thank you for saving my life.”

“You are a well-mannered human being. “Although I don’t know if I will be grateful for saving his life.”

The dark elf opened the cap of the medicine bottle he had brought and semi-forcefully poured the medicine into my mouth.

Since I didn’t sense any bad intentions from him, I took the medicine in silence and felt the pain slowly go away.

“Think of it as a painkiller. “It will take time for your body to feel completely fine, but the pain will lessen.”

“… What is the reason you saved me? “If it had been hidden for such a long time, there would be no reason to be happy about humans knowing the city’s identity.”

“You’re young and you’re pretending to be smart. Just because we are, we are not so heinous as to be unaware of the lives that are dying. Of course, this is the first time humans have been brought in since the city was built. And we also couldn’t ignore situations like ours.

“… Are you in the same situation?”

The dark elf slowly walked to the window and opened it wide.

The fresh forest air and the chirping of mountain birds felt pleasant.

Although it was hard to see, I could tell that the city was located in a forest.

Maybe it wasn’t that far from where I had run away.

The dark elf continued speaking while leaning against the window and stroking a small bird that flew towards him.

His expression felt somewhat lonely.

“As we hide ourselves, we are sensitively observing the surrounding situation. “Even though we can’t use magic, we are confident in everything else.”

“Does this mean you were also aware of the situation in the Kingdom of Regius?”

“To be exact, I knew the situation there and in the Kingdom of Helia. Some of us are good at sneak attacks, so we know some information about neighboring countries. And it was already a known fact among the nobles that Helia would betray Regius, so it was known without much effort.”

Are we the only ones who didn’t know?

Well, most of the kingdom’s nobles participated in the betrayal. How many stories about betrayal have been exchanged in places we don’t know about?

“Of course, we only collect information, we are not involved in it. “That is the situation of humans.”

“… “I guess so.”

“But it wasn’t easy to pretend not to notice the prince who was betrayed by the kingdom and running away alone. What’s worse, they escaped and came to the vicinity of our city. As I said, it looked similar to our situation.”

“Are you saying you’ve been betrayed?”

“… of course. Isn’t that why we are hiding and crouching here now? Because of those damn high elves.”

“… So does this mean that the reason the Dark Elves had to leave the Great Forest in the past was because of the High Elves’ betrayal?”

“Yes. The details are a thing of the past, but… It can be said that we too have similar pain as you. So maybe it was just a little whim. “The thing that saved you is.”

The Dark Elves were betrayed by the High Elves in the past.

It’s the history of the elves, so it’s not well known to humans, but that’s probably what the dark elves say.

The High Elves are a race synonymous with nobility, so the fact that they betrayed the Dark Elves was a bit surprising.

However, looking at the dark elves’ expressions when they were talking about the high elves and the fact that they even let me into their hidden city, it was difficult to think that it was a lie.

I don’t know what happened between them, but what I know for sure is that the dark elf saved me.

“… “Then, do you know what happened to the other royals?”

“… Everyone died. “They were gathered in one place and burned to death.”

Just in case, it seemed like the rest of the family and loyalists were all dead.

My hands were shaking. Once again, that feeling of betrayal came to mind and it was difficult to control my emotions.

“… Anger actually causes reason to scatter. “If you want to continue living with that memory, you must learn to control your anger.”

“… .”

There was nothing wrong with what the dark elf said.

Helia’s betrayal and my annihilated family. And the sacrifice of the last Gerg.

Even with all that in mind, I couldn’t help but live.

When the situation arose, I was afraid of everything, but once I got over the danger of death, I was able to calm down a little.

I had to live well so that their deaths would not be in vain.

I had to live to take revenge on that hateful Kingdom of Helia.

Because doing so would be for the sake of those who died instead of me.

Only then will you be able to smile confidently when you meet them again.

“Luckily, it looks like you have the will. Even though he is young, he is amazing.”

“… “We can’t make everyone’s death be in vain.”

“Then what do you plan to do next?”

“I don’t know… I don’t want to give in to them like this. For everyone who died unjustly. And to make all the nobles who disgustingly betrayed us pay for their sins. “For now, all I want to do is live.”

“… It means you want to take revenge. We don’t hate it either. “It’s called revenge.”

The dark elf smiled slightly and passed me.

“What’s your name?”

“Ben… Ben Harun Leonor.”

“My name is Arion. Please take care of me in the future. “It would be best to lie down until your body fully recovers.”

Click

Arion. He said that and left, closing the door.

I don’t know what it is, but does this mean I can stay here for now? Does this mean he will help you get revenge?

I don’t know. Whatever it was, recovery came first right now.

Only when I become healthy again can I do anything, whether it be revenge or living.

I relaxed my body again and surrendered myself to the softness of the bed.

“… “It’s refreshing.”

I still couldn’t get over the memories of betrayal,

The forest breeze blowing outside the window was truly refreshing.

***

The dark elf city looked very different from what I imagined.

It’s called a city, but it’s a form I’ve never seen before.

The scenery of the city using magic engineering, which seemed to be much more advanced than the empire, seemed believable even if it were from another world.

However, at the same time, the technology did not harm the natural environment of the forest at all, creating a beauty I had never seen in my life where the urban landscape and the natural environment harmonized well.

“I guess it’s okay now. “I saw you walking around without a splint.”

“Thank you. “In fact, I feel lighter than before.”

The dark elves seemed to have not only technological prowess but also high knowledge in pharmacy and medicine.

The pain, which I thought would last for quite some time, went away quickly after taking the medicine Arion brought me.

True to their reputation, dark elves were beings with outstanding skills in almost all fields except magic.

Even in weapons such as swordsmanship and pistil.

“so. “Have you made up your mind?”

“yes… Of course revenge… I will do it. “I hope you can help me.”

“As long as you keep our secrets, you can do anything. Because I don’t hate revenge. so. How can I help you? We have many accumulated technologies, but there is a limit to what humans can learn in a lifetime. “Because humans and elves have different lifespans.”

With the help of the dark elves, you will be able to have knowledge and skills that surpass human levels in almost all fields except magic.

However, their technology has been accumulated over a long history. If you are too greedy, you will not get anything right.

“… I already have something in mind. How to tell them. And whether he will take revenge on her… Because I decided.”

“what?”

I’ve learned a lot about politics, but honestly, I’m not confident about using my brain.

However, they cannot become excellent blacksmiths or engineers like the dark elves.

Aside from those facts, I had actually already made up my mind.

The ones who gave me the greatest pain and betrayal. Because I had already figured out what to do to get revenge on them.

“… Please tell me the sword. “I want to become stronger.”

“i get it. “Sure.”

I will become Yuna’s knight.

Became a sword that she mistakenly thought would protect her,

To plunge the hilt of a sword into her back at the moment when she was most unguarded.

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