Chapter 7

"How is it possible for a human to be in this place?" shouted the Elven knights, including Celestia and Isolde, their faces filled with confusion and astonishment.

They were all puzzled as to why a human could be in this forest, where only Elves were allowed entry through the protective barrier in the Great Megálos Forest.

Although they were perplexed, their sense of caution heightened as they witnessed something inexplicable before them.

"What should we do, Captain?" asked one of the knights, holding a bow, speaking softly so as not to disturb the seemingly sleeping human.

The Captain pondered for a moment, analyzing the situation, then said, "I will approach him and gather information about how he ended up here. The rest of you stay here and observe his actions. If there's any suspicious behavior, attack immediately."

The Captain's voice was low, but his decision was evident on his face.

"Understood, Captain. Be careful."

"Hm."

With cautious steps, the Captain approached the young-looking human. The human had his eyes closed, sitting on a large rock with his hands crossed. It appeared that the youth might be around 15 years old.

The captain of the knights was startled as the young man suddenly opened his eyes, revealing glowing red irises, and smiled mysteriously.

The youth promptly descended from the rock and stood casually on the grassy ground of the forest.

"...!"

Due to the sudden turn of events, the captain reflexively took a step back, still gripping the hilt of his sword. He hesitated to draw his sword, afraid that the human before him might not be an opponent he and his fellow knights could handle.

The youth gazed at the captain of the knights and the members standing behind him. He couldn't tell if they were humans or not, but in his mind, he assumed that they must be Elves, the original race inhabiting the forest.

"Like in the isekai stories I often read, the true inhabitants of this forest must be Elves. However, I can't see their faces... Maybe they're wearing full armor as a precaution," he thought.

Observing them all, the youth smiled again and said, "You've finally arrived. I've been bored waiting for you all, you know~."

The captain of the knights grew even more puzzled by the young man's statement, but he still asked, "Where do you come from, and why did you attempt to destroy the barrier?" He didn't mention that the barrier belonged to the Elves, hoping to keep that crucial information hidden.

However, the captain was unaware that the young man before him already knew everything, both about their race and the protective magic barrier.

"Hm... I don't know, I just suddenly found myself in this damn forest... And as for the barrier you mentioned, I tried to destroy it to get out of here, but unfortunately, my efforts were in vain because this damn barrier keeps regenerating."

'A damn forest? A damn barrier?' The captain's face furrowed. He seemed angered by the youth's words.

However, he didn't show his anger and merely kept it inside, perhaps with the intention of killing the young man in front of him someday.

The captain composed himself and asked once again, "And one more thing, how can you understand and use our language?" He didn't disclose their race's identity, wanting this human to figure it out for himself.

"Ah..." The young man just realized that.

"It's probably because of my ability as the Ruler of Language," he recalled the days in Gehenna when he absorbed the power of the Ruler of Language: Semi-God Demon, Hizkuntza.

That ability allowed him to understand and use languages he didn't know before, but it had been limited to the languages in Gehenna previously:

"But now, I can understand the language of these native Elves... Yes, I truly am amazing," he felt proud of his stolen ability.

The captain continued to stare sharply at the young man in front of him, maintaining a high level of vigilance. He knew that this human before him was incredibly powerful, capable of causing damage to their absolute protection.

The young man snapped out of his flashback, returning his gaze to the captain and smiling.

"I use a magic I call Magic Translate to understand your language, Elves."

"...!"

The captain was shocked to hear the young man's answer. He didn't care about the magic the young man mentioned and took a step back.

"H-How do you know that?" There was a hint of fear in his voice, but he still tried to maintain a firm demeanor.

"Hm... I don't know, maybe you should ask your grandmother, she might know about it." There was a hint of mockery in the young man's tone. "Alright, enough of this nonsense, I'm really annoyed with all of you right now, you know?"

Suddenly, the young man's expression and tone turned serious, and an inexplicable pressure filled the air, causing the captain to buckle at the knees.

"Ugh!" He attempted to draw his sword from its sheath at his waist, but it proved futile.

"This pressure... It's incredibly strong!"

The captain began to break into a cold sweat, feeling a sense of dread as he looked at the approaching young man.

"Well then, it's time to teach you a lesson." A faint red energy enveloped the young man's body as he spoke.

....

Celestia Zalduna was currently panicking at what she felt and saw before her.

"The captain is in danger!"

Indeed, the captain was kneeling, being approached by the human standing in front of him. Although Celestia only felt a slight pressure from the direction of the human, she knew that their captain was in danger.

"B-But what should we do?"

Isolde, Celestia's friend, also felt the same pressure from the human, and sweat started to drip down her face, concealed by her armored helm.

The other knights were equally frightened, just like Isolde. They had never experienced such intense pressure since a hundred years ago, especially coming from a mere human.

Celestia, who was usually calm, became angry seeing all the trembling and fearful knights. She couldn't control her emotions anymore.

"What else should we do?! Don't you remember what the captain said earlier? If that human poses a threat, we have to attack immediately! You have faced things far more terrifying than this, so why should you be afraid!"

She scolded them all, trying to remind them that they were the brave knights of the Glorieux Kingdom, who wouldn't cower in the face of such threats.

"Ugh... Forgive us." The knights finally managed to calm themselves.

"Yes, enough with this pointless talk. Let's move forward, the human is getting closer!" Celestia began drawing her longsword hanging from her waist.

The other knights followed suit, preparing their weapons and getting ready for battle.

'Yes, we don't need to fear something so trivial. We've been through countless battles in the past, so how could we be afraid! Besides, we outnumber him!'

Indeed, they outnumbered the lone young man, as there were 35 Elves counting the captain.

Without hesitation, they all charged towards the young man, with Celestia leading the way.

"Kill him!"

Yes, they intended to kill the young man, even though he hadn't done anything yet and was simply walking towards the captain.

(A: Perhaps there's a personal grudge against humans? Who knows...)

On the other side, there was a person dressed like an assassin, observing them from atop a tree. They continued to watch before swiftly disappearing without leaving a trace.

* * *

The Wise Elf Queen, Glorieux eta Dotorea, was currently sitting on her throne. Although she smiled gracefully, deep inside she felt worried about the knights she had sent to investigate the protective barrier in the north.

Wing!

"Your Majesty..."

Suddenly, a male Elf dressed like an assassin appeared before her, kneeling and bowing his head.

Yes, this Elf was the one who had been observing the knights and the human from atop the tree.

He seemed to have been ordered by their Queen to discreetly follow the knights.

"How are they? Are they all alright?" She continued to exude an aura of wisdom, but her expression couldn't hide her concern.

"Well... They might be in danger." He didn't dare to lie to their Queen, especially since she was currently extremely worried about the safety of the knights.

"Oh, Mother of Megálos..." Queen Dotorea immediately sat back down on her throne upon hearing the information. "... In more detail, what kind of danger do my knights face?"

"Well, you see... He is a human, but he... The human emits a terrifying power from within, even I, who was quite far from them, could still feel the pressure of that human's power. And it's possible that if I were to fight that human, I might lose." He fell silent for a moment, regretting his inability to assist the knights. "Forgive me for my cowardly behavior..."

Queen Dotorea grew increasingly worried after hearing the words of her assassin. She was slightly skeptical of the assassin's statement, but judging from his demeanor, it seemed that the information he provided was indeed true.

"... Your actions are justified, so there is no need to feel regretful and apologize like that. Although we Elves have long lifespans, there is still an inherent desire within all of us to not die in vain, and that includes you assassins, skilled in both killing and being killed." There was warmth in Queen Dotorea's voice, which then turned into firmness. "Gather the Magic Casters from the Tower of Spirit Magic, and also hire the Orichalcum adventurers from the Abenturez Guild. If the adventurers refuse, drive them out."

The assassin felt warmth in his heart upon hearing the Queen's initial words. However, after hearing her second statement, which came from someone who had nurtured and trained them, the assassins, since they were young, that warmth turned into seriousness, and he nodded his head firmly.

"Very well, Your Majesty."

Wing!

The assassin then swiftly disappeared, just as he had vanished atop the tree earlier.

"I cannot remain idle here." Seeing her assassin's departure, Queen Dotorea felt that she had to intervene in this serious matter. "May we still have time."

She then left the throne room and began instructing her servants to prepare the royal armor that she could wear, along with her weapons.

And so, Queen Dotorea now stood before the Magic Casters and the Orichalcum adventurers. It seemed that the adventurers were compelled to join this expedition to avoid being driven out.

Yes, these adventurers were humans who were allowed to enter their kingdom. It was done according to the rules and agreements in place. Humans would permit humanoid beings to enter their kingdom as long as they were adventurers, nobles, or members of the royal family. Likewise, humanoid beings would be allowed to enter the human kingdom as long as they were adventurers, nobles, or members of the royal family, such as the Elves.

In essence, important individuals were allowed entry into their respective kingdoms as long as they complied with the kingdom's rules.

Queen Dotorea also did not command the adventurers to work without pay. She had prepared 10 Gold as compensation for each adventurer present.

Yes, the Glorieux Kingdom was indeed very wealthy, considering the abundance of unique and highly beneficial resources in the land and forests of the kingdom.

"Hey, what's actually happening?"

"I don't know, but they say it's a serious matter."

"Hm... From what I've heard through rumors, they say we'll be facing something dangerous."

"You're right, I've heard the same news."

"But what is that 'something'? They say it's capable of causing damage to the absolute protection of this forest. But that's impossible, isn't it?"

The Orichalcum adventurers in attendance began talking and gossiping about this potentially dangerous expedition.

For the Magic Casters, unlike the adventurers, they considered this issue very seriously as it concerned the lives of their race.

Yes, the Magic Casters from the Tower of Spirit Magic were also Elves, so they were paying close attention to this matter.

Hooonk! Hooonk!

The sound of Dragon Horns trumpeted, signaling that the Queen wanted to speak:

"Thank you to all of you who are present here, especially to the adventurers who have come without any direct involvement in this matter. I am truly grateful for your presence." Queen Dotorea used Enchant Amplification to strengthen her voice so that it could be heard by everyone.

Her voice now sounded as if someone was using a loudspeaker on Earth.

"Here, as The Wise Elf Queen: Glorieux eta Dotorea, I request that you go north to aid our endangered knights." Her voice was firm, as she dared to command them like this because they would be paid. "This may be dangerous, so for those who wish to join, please step forward in front of me and return the money that has been given to you." She said it honestly.

Whether it was the Magic Casters, knights, or adventurers, no one dared to move from their spot. Especially for the adventurers who were not from this kingdom, they couldn't pass up the opportunity to earn a significant amount of money in this single journey.

(Note: Previously, it was mentioned that the endangered knights were other knights of the Glorieux Kingdom who did not accompany Celestia and the others.)

Queen Dotorea smiled and nodded with satisfaction after seeing everyone remain silent and no one withdrew. She donned her armor helmet and mounted a creature similar to a unicorn but without wings.

"We shall depart now," she said.

The Magic Casters, adventurers, and knights followed Queen Dotorea from behind, walking on foot without riding any vehicles.

(A: Haha, yeah, no shortcuts.)

Finally, they set off towards the north, where Celestia, Isolde, and the other knights were in danger because of a human, who was none other than Belial.