Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16816927863045760906/episodes/16817330648387139298
Back in time a bit.
“…… seti. One of our scouts has been reported missing.”
Around the time we left the village, Pairon informed me.
Under her direction, the Dark Nine Dragon scouting party was checking on the movements of the “Four Pillars of Hell”.
“Missing? Did they find out about his existence and get rid of him?”
“Maybe so… According to the information, they disappeared while tailing four people wearing very suspicious black cloaks with the Grateka emblem on them.”
It seems that the four men were seen in a country far away from the Holy Land of Grateka.
I heard that they were also traveling along the route of the countries and villages we passed through.
Maybe they are tracking us like Pomple did, after finding out our destination from travelers and merchants.
It’s probably a bad tracker, but it’s still a tracker. ……
“The “Four Pillars of Hell” are, like me, the “children” of Mors, assassins who specialize in combat,……, and are not naturally good at covert action. But as the highest rank, the ability to spot and find is the best.”
“I was a bit naive,……, but seeing that it hasn’t become a big deal yet, I’m glad the ‘one with a thousand bodies’ hasn’t found out about it.”
“Yeah, they’re a selfish bunch, you know. They are not loyal to the organization in the first place. They are just trying to do what Mors says for their own purposes and interests. …… That’s another blind spot, I guess.”
In other words, there is no coordination with Hades.
This is the evidence that “Four Pillars of Hell” is working on its own.
But if this continues, we will eventually run into each other.
If that happens, we’ll be there to intercept them.
The time has returned to the present.
We arrived at the forested area on the border of Yggdrasil, which is said to be the center of the world.
It was a sea of jet-black trees.
The area is covered with trees that hide the sunlight.
However, the paths are well-made and wide enough to accommodate even a large wagon.
The deeper we went, the blurrier the landscape seemed to become.
I had the bizarre sensation of being engulfed by a gigantic monster.
“The gates are strong enough to keep out intruders. I’m an elf, so you’ll be fine if I’m with you.”
After saying this, Miriel began to chant something in the elvish language.
Then a ray of light shone from the darkness ahead.
It seemed that if we headed that way, we would not get lost.
The further we went, the bigger the light became, and soon a dazzling radiance covered our vision.
As soon as our eyes became accustomed to the light, we saw several buildings centered around a giant tree illuminated by the sunlight.
“…… this is an ancient elven ruin? It looks like an ordinary village?”
“There is a temple in the back, that’s what they call the ruins.”
After receiving Miriel’s explanation, I moved the wagon forward while operating the reins.
As she said, behind the giant tree is a temple surrounded by trees.
It is said to have existed since prehistoric times, and although it is old, it has a mysterious atmosphere.
It is said to be in charge of managing this forest.
It seems that the grandmother of Miriel, the previous spirit queen, lives in that temple?
Then someone comes out of the entrance.
A beautiful elf woman with long, bright jade-colored hair.
Her face looks much like Miri’s.
“Grandma Míriel!”
Miriel jumps down from the wagon and runs up to the woman.
This woman seems to be the spirit queen of the previous generation.
The elves are known for their super longevity, and for someone who calls her an old lady, she doesn’t look like one at all. She might be called Miriel’s older sister.
The woman called Riel was hugging her grandson Miriel and staring at us as we got off the wagon.
“You must be Seti sa, aren’t you? I heard about you from the current king of spirits. I hear you possess a strong seed?”
“Y-Yes, I do. ……”
I didn’t expect to be told about the baby seed as soon as I met her.
I get confused and end up giving vague answers.
The elves seem to be a race that values the management and preservation of forests rather than the prosperity of the race.
Therefore, it is said that if one is highly skilled, he or she can become royalty even if he or she is not a pure elf.
Initially, Miriel also joined the heroic party of the Holy Land of Grateka in order to obtain a strong seed.
“Those of you over there are hero party. My granddaughter is very much indebted to you. …… oya?”
“Riel-san moved away from her granddaughter and looked intently at Shabazo, who was hiding behind Hina”
“Is something wrong with this young dragon?”
“No, it’s a rainbow dragon, a rare …… I thought they were extinct long ago.”
I have never heard of a rainbow dragon…….
This shabazo? Well, at a glance it looks like a white dragon, but only the tail is seven colors.
“What kind of dragon is it?”
I was curious, so I asked.
“He is a descendant of the “divine dragon,” which is said to be a household member of the gods. It is said to preside over destruction and birth. This is the first time I’ve seen one up close. ……”
A divine dragon? This cowardly dragon is …… impossible, right?
“He~e, Shabazo was a god, wasn’t he?”
While the rest of us looked on in disbelief, Hina was the only one who accepted the fact and patted Shabazou’s head.
Well, it’s harmless and useful, and in a way, it’s like a family member, a juvenile dragon.
I’ll just accept that it is so.
“I don’t want to stand around and talk, so everyone, please come inside.”
With Riel’s guidance, we were invited to enter the temple.
Unlike the old exterior, the interior is clean and modern.
The corridor was decorated with ornamental plants, which was typical of the Elves, who love nature very much.
We were led into what looked like a guest room, and all of us sat down on chairs around a large round table.
Miriel explained the background and the situation.
A short pause.
Riel san nodded her head.
“I see…. You want me to use my foresight skill to see the current appearance of the man reflected in the crystal ball you are holding there?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Pairon nodded, took out the crystal ball from her cuff, and placed it on the round table.
The crystal ball shows the image of the “source of infection,” which is the main body of Mors.
“Can you do it, Grandma?”
“Yes, Miriel. However, while it is possible to just see someone’s appearance, it is not possible to know their name or whereabouts…It is originally an ability to determine the path a person should take…It is a different ability from predicting the future”
“That’s fine too. If you have any hints, we’ll take care of the rest ourselves.”
I bowed my head and asked her for her help.
“I understand, then–“
Riel-san held out her hand to the crystal ball and activated her skill.
Manisa touched her and magically extracted the image that emerged in her mind and stored it in a separately prepared crystal ball.
The man who was the main body of Mors, the “source of infection,” was projected as a 40-something with gray hair and an aged face, instead of the youthful knight he was about 20 years ago.
“–It’s over. It is not necessarily true that he is still a knight since the image is only from the past. There is a possibility that he is still alive as a civilian.”
Riel san is right.
We don’t know in what form he is still alive or if he is being kept by Mors.
Maybe we should take this figure as a guide only.
“Thank you, Riel san.”
“No, Seti san. I’m expecting a strong child …… as requested by the one who will be the son-in-law of my lovely granddaughter, fufufu.”
What is it …..Riel san
The next thing I know, I’m starting to see you and Pairon overlapping.
As for that pairon,
“Now, how do we search for this man? I can’t use Dark nine dragons subordinates.”
There’s a high possibility that one of her subordinates in the reconnaissance unit came into contact with the Four Pillars of Hell and was killed.
Because of the non-aggression pact, we can’t let the Dark nine dragons movements be known any more.
If a war were to break out under the current circumstances, the cause would be on Hades’ side.
Pairon, as the boss of the Dark Nine Dragons, is probably concerned about that.
“In that case, Pai, why don’t I try visiting adventurer guilds around the country on a quest to find people? It will take a while, but I think it’s much better than searching blindly.”
Karina, a princess knight with good contacts in the Adventurers’ Guild, suggested it.
That would certainly be a safer option.
Another possibility is …….
“The “Four Pillars of Hell”. They might have some information. I believe I heard from Mors himself once that one of them is skilled in magic and is close to the boss ……, or rather to Mors. Since he seems to be following us, we may be able to interrogate him directly.”
I don’t even know his name, though.
It seems that he is always complaining about his knowledge of everything and going crazy.
It’s that time.
Then, suddenly, an armed elf man came out of nowhere.
Suddenly, an armed elf man enters the room.
Apparently he is a bodyguard under Riel-san’s direct command.
However, the atmosphere was quite panicky.
“Excuse me, Riel san! It’s a big trouble! The forest in the vicinity has been attacked by a mysterious group of four men! It seems that the soldiers who went to conquer were wiped out in an instant!”
What is it…is it the “Four Pillars of Hell”?
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