NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 246: Sparks
Weekly chapters (1/2)
Enjoy the chapter~
The inn that Roy introduced us to was more comfortable than we expected.
If we had any trouble, the room attendant would come to our aid, and the manager would casually help us with the manners of the high elves.
For breakfast, they prepared easy-to-digest foods for us, as they were concerned about our health after our long journey.
Greed was so pleased that he was so well taken care of that he was sitting back and enjoying his stay.
[They treat us so well that it's creepy.]
[They really take pride in their work, I guess. The other guests looked at us differently.]
[Yeah, they don't seem to mean any harm, but it's not a pleasant experience.]
I still have a place to call home. I have a place to return to.
But, Cecilia is different. That place was lost to her brother. She's helping me, but I'm sure she wants to go find Georg right away.
Cecilia said as if she had read my mind.
[Don't worry about my brother, it's my problem. Instead, Fate, think about yourself.]
[…Cecilia.]
[Otherwise, you won't be able to save the important person you found after so much effort. I'll help you!]
[Thanks.]
For now, I'll take advantage of Cecilia's kindness.
I picked up the black sword leaning against the wall.
[Let's go]
[To Roxy's place, right?]
[After that, I'd like to hear about the beastmen.]
[That will be difficult with Roy-san with us.]
Even if we talk to the high elves, they probably won't tell us anything bad about the Magical City or the Great Wall. In that case, the beastmen in a different position might know more useful information for us.
The beastmen from Cecilia's hometown also told us the legends they had passed down.
『Here, beastmen have no human rights. They're just treated as tools. It'll be hard to get information that's bad for the high elves from those who are content with that situation.』
[I'll try to contact them first. We can't get anywhere until we know what the beastmen here are like.]
『That's right. Time just passes by.』
If what Libra said is correct, it's been 10 years since Roxy became the sacred object. In the current situation, it doesn't seem like every second counts.
Still, I'm impatient and want to do something quickly.
As we got into the elevator, Cecilia spoke in a worried tone.
[I wish we can do something about Roy-san…]
[We can't say that Roy is the only one watching us.]
[That's right. When we were being guided here yesterday, didn't I feel like there were multiple people looking at us?]
[Yeah… it was obvious. Maybe it was also a warning to us.]
[If it's the same today, it might be difficult.]
If we go ahead with Cecilia's plan of getting rid of Roy so that we're left alone while the others are still watching us, it would definitely raise suspicion.
In that case, it would be better to just let Roy be.
As we got out of the elevator on the first floor, a young man in military uniform, which seemed out of place in this situation, called out to us.
[Good morning, Fate-san, Cecilia-san.]
[Good morning.]
[You're here already! So early.]
[It's my job.]
Without us having to look for Roy, the guy popped his head out as soon as the elevator doors opened. The entrance room was just as crowded as it was yesterday.
The waiters were walking around busily. Roy called out to one of them. Thе mоst up-tо-dаtе vеrsiоn is оn М(VLЕМРY)R.
[When you go out, please return it to him like this. When you come back, please take it again.]
[It's a bit of a hassle having to hand it over every time you go in and out, isn't it?]
[Yes, but it's necessary for crime prevention. And if you lose it outside, it'll be a big problem.]
If you take it without permission and lose it, you'll have to pay for it. This inn seems expensive. We're pretty much penniless, so I don't want to think about the cost.
After returning the card key to the waiter, we decided to head to the temple with Roy as our guide. The driver of the carriage was the same man as yesterday.
As expected, he showed signs of reluctance to let Cecilia ride in the carriage. She didn't seem to care and sat next to me.
And once Roy got in, the carriage started to move.
[Did you have a good night's sleep?]
[Thanks to you, I slept well.]
[I see. The Prophet will be pleased.]
Roy was just as friendly towards Cecilia as he was yesterday.
It's nice to have a nice chat, but there's something I want to ask.
[Is Libra still at the temple?]
[Yes, he is. The Prophet is praying to guide us.]
[Is it possible to meet him?]
[That is up to the Prophet.]
It was the same answer as the soldier guarding the stairs we had climbed yesterday.
Roy had a troubled look on his face, so I decided not to continue the conversation any further.
There was too little information to be hostile towards the high elves right now. And yet, it was frustrating to be unable to move.
I decided to change the mood and talk to Roy.
[Have you ever been outside the Great Wall, Roy?]
[We've done it many times for training exercises. We can't do anything large-scale inside.]
[Is that in anticipation of a war in Gallia?]
[I think it would be fine if they surrendered the Holy Land without a fight. No one likes it being taken away. Even we high elves can't forgive it, so humans are the same, right?]
[We're not strong enough to forgive something being taken away without any reason or understanding.]
Galia was a frightening place and uninhabitable when the Tenryu were there. However, after the Tenryu were gone, it began to flourish as a place to excavate lost technology.
That is, until it flew up into the sky… I don't know what happened to Gallia after the battle with Libra.
If it fell to the ground and excavations are active again, it must have become an important piece of land for the royal capital.
I don't think they would surrender Gallia so easily.
[When it comes to war, you have to win.]
[There is no salvation for the losers?]
[Have you ever been to war, Fate-san?]
[No. When I was born, we were all united around a leader.]
[I envy you for that. We were constantly fighting over this limited piece of land behind the Great Wall. With each battle, our social status became clear.]
[You mean the low-status high elves here are the losers of the war?]
[It's been about 1,000 years since the last war. We can now live a stable life under a strict social class system. But everyone still remembers the war vividly. What happened to the losers.]
High elves killing each other… The social class system that was born from that is still alive here. There is a history of high elves doing such things. There would have been no place for beastmen, who are a different race.
[There are many things that cannot be resolved through discussion, so in the end, when people try to force themselves to justify what they say, it turns into war. Even recently, they have been fighting under the pretext of exercising the right to self-defense. It's not as big as the wars of the past, but… there have been some casualties.]
[Now, what is driving the high elves to war? The recapture of the Holy Land?]
[It's the first just cause in 1,000 years. If we can achieve success here again, we can rise to a higher status.]
It seems that excitement is starting to quietly grow within the military. According to Roy, the military seems to want to resolve the issue through war rather than through discussion.
The carriage creaked as it moved along the cobblestones.
Cecilia was silent throughout. But her expression was stern. She also looked tense.
Perhaps she had nothing to do with war. There were many arrogant elves among them. But it didn't seem like they were killing each other among the same race. Elves respect and acknowledge one another, and sometimes even comfort their injured comrades. They are a race with a strong sense of camaraderie.
Maybe that's why… What Roy was saying sounded foreign to Cecilia.
But to Roy it was natural, and he was an experienced elf.
The carriage came to a halt with a noise.
[Well, we have arrived.]
Roy, with a broad smile on his face, got off first and waited for us. As always, the military uniform didn't suit him well.