Chapter 79: Finding the Queen Part 4

"That is, Her Majesty the Queen…"

Darion hesitated for a moment. He seemed concerned that he might be speaking disrespectfully of the Queen.

"Darion, it's okay, just say it. Speaking up will actually be helpful to her."

"…Yes."

"So, what is it?"

"It's odd that Her Majesty used the term 'Grizel'."

"Why is that?"

"As you know, 'Grizel' is a derogatory term used to refer to dark elves."

"…Oh?"

"Her Majesty values harmony with the dark elves. She isn't someone who would use such a derogatory term."

"I see."

"It's just my opinion, though…"

"No, it's a very good point."

"…Is it?"

"Yes. You've been a great help, Darion."

Her Majesty didn't simply mean to search for "dark elves". Then what did she mean by "Grizel"?

As we traveled by carriage, I pondered deeply but no answers emerged. I read books I had prepared in my space ring and occasionally asked Darion various questions. There was no significant gain, but it seemed better than doing nothing.

Time passed quickly as I read. Before I knew it, the sun was high in the sky and the carriage stopped. We had a quick lunch and took a brief rest before setting off again.

To teach Darion how to drive the carriage, I sat next to him on the coachman's bench. "Do it like this, not like that." Despite my somewhat arrogant instruction, Darion followed diligently and soon learned to handle the carriage. It seemed he was afraid of being sent home? After all, if he returned now, how scolded would he be by his parents? He had stolen a horse and ventured outside the capital without a guard… He would deserve whatever scolding he got, even if it meant getting thrashed on a dusty, rainy day. So, perhaps saving the queen seemed like a better option.

"By the way, it's getting cold."

It was the afternoon when the sun began to warm things up. But the area remained oddly chilly, probably because the densely grown trees blocked out the sunlight. Maybe it was good that the horses weren't tired. I pulled my coat a little tighter and looked around.

"..."

It was quiet.

Dark elves were also known for being aggressive. Had they swept through the surrounding forest? I at least expected that a monster or two would appear, but the forest was eerily quiet. It was as if not one single bird or rabbit lived here.

I had thought to use a suitable bird as a messenger, but even that won't be easy.

– Phweeeeeet!

I whistled for Ayla, who had been scouting ahead of us. She quickly sprinted to the front of the carriage.

"Let's stick together from here on out, Ayla."

I had an uneasy feeling that was inexplicable and all the more unsettling. I glanced around at the eerily quiet surroundings and urged the horses on, faster, just a bit faster…

Though we hurried, it was still dusk when we arrived at the first Dark Elf village. I had expected to get there by evening, so we were somewhat ahead of schedule.

"This is…"

I don't know if it would have mattered if we arrived in the evening. I stared at the entrance to the village with a dejected look on my face.

– Crack, crack…

– Hiss…

The wooden signpost and flags that marked the village were burning. Well, they were almost entirely consumed by fire with only a few embers remaining.

But that wasn't all.

Beyond the signpost, the entire village lay in ashes with everything burned to the ground.

What on earth happened here?

Confronted with a scene I had never imagined, I found myself speechless. It seemed Lloyd, El, and Darion were equally at a loss.

"...…"

No one dared to speak.

We cautiously entered the village where gray ash flew through the air like rain.

"Ugh, bleghhhh!!!"

Not far in, Darion, who had been walking beside me, suddenly collapsed to his knees and began to retch. I looked where Darion had turned his gaze and saw what he had seen. Bodies charred black…

They were not just one or two.

Scattered throughout the village were similarly charred corpses; some even clutched each other in their final moments. The sight was so horrifying that Darion's reaction was completely understandable; these were sights no sane person could bear to look at.

I glanced at Lloyd and El. They were quietly surveying the scene, but they both managed to keep their composure unlike Darion. Lloyd calmly calmed the horses that grew agitated by the smell of char, while El gently stroked Ayla's back.

El has seen worse in the cursed lands.

She had witnessed her own family, friends, and acquaintances wandering the wastelands as undead corpses.

I helped Darion to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Ugh… ugh!"

I handed Darion some cold water and waited for him to calm down. To see one's own kind subjected to such brutal acts was undoubtedly shocking, especially for Darion. As the son of a nobleman, he had never witnessed such harsh realities.

Still, I couldn't tell Darion to take a rest until he felt better; we did not yet know what else might be lurking nearby.

I don't know exactly what they were after, but they burned down an entire village. You never know what might happen if you encounter them.

Of course, seeing the state of the village… they have likely moved on by now. But it doesn't hurt to be cautious.

"We should look around the area."

I spoke to Lloyd. He nodded his head, drew his sword, and started following me.

I wondered if we might find anything…

"Everything is burned to the ground."

Nothing in the village was left untouched. Everything was burned, charred, and reduced to ashes. When I saw the livestock that had also perished in the fire, I was at a loss for words.

"Who could have done this?"

Lloyd seemed to choose his words carefully.

"…Well-trained soldiers."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because this isn't something ordinary robbers would do."

"I think so too. Seeing how they burned down the entire village…"

"Either they wanted to hide something."

"Or they were extremely angry."

"..."

"Or maybe both."

"Probably."

We had made a full circuit of the village and returned to the entrance. Between the skeletal remains of the houses and piles of corpses, we could find no clues.

I let out a deep sigh. If only we knew who had done this. As it stood, there was nothing we could do for the dead.

"..."

No, that wasn't entirely true.

I turned to my companions.

"Let's bury them."

"..."

"..."

"..."

The members of the group looked at me with a mix of surprise and sadness.

"I know everyone is tired. But as human beings… we can't just leave them like this."

Without a word, Lloyd stood up and headed to the back of the wagon. He was the first to grab a shovel and began digging in a suitable spot near the forest. El followed him. I turned to Darion who still seemed to be in shock.

"Darion, if it's too hard, you can rest."

"..."

"The shock must be great, I understand. Take your time to cope."

"It's, it's okay… I'm alright."

Darion looked at me with a face so pale it was pitiful; his eyes were still enveloped in shock. He wiped his eyes and headed to the back of the wagon to get a shovel.

I too picked up a shovel. I could have called upon moles or used plants, but I did not want to. I simply wanted to give them a dignified burial while praying for their souls with all the respect I could muster.

We dug in silence for a long time, until the moon climbed overhead and illuminated us.

After we finished digging, I carefully wrapped the bodies in silk I had once received as payment during my days as a mercenary and buried them. Even as we covered the graves with soil, the silence persisted. It was so quiet that not even the chirping of crickets could be heard.

It was only when the dawn light began to creep over the ridge that our task was complete. We set down our shovels, and I took out the seeds of morning stars I had been carrying and scattered them over the nameless graves. Using the [Breath of the Forest] the morning stars rapidly covered the earthen mounds. And then the flowers sparkled under the waning moonlight.

I clasped my hands and quietly recited a prayer.

"O Nemeya, may your moonlight guide their final journey to peace…"

With our prayers finished, we left the burned village behind.

Reducing an entire village to ashes was an act of madness. But was that all? Burning one's own kind alive was an atrocity so horrific that words could hardly describe it.

"I didn't want to do this. I didn't want to do this."

A dark elf muttered continuously from within the shadows as if mumbling could somehow erase his wrongdoing.

Yet the sight of the burning village still lay before the dark elf's eyes, and the screams of dying dark elves echoed in his ears.

"So, so, so, I should have followed the orders. I should have followed the orders. It's because I didn't follow the orders that this has happened…"

The dark elf tore at his silver hair, which shone like moonlight as if he couldn't bear the curse it represented.

"Sob, sob…"

A very small crying sound emerged from the darkness.

"Why must I be the one to do such a thing…"

Of course, the dark elf knew the reason why.

It was all for the glory and well-being of the dark elves, or so "he" had said.

"Let's go back. I can't afford to be late. I must not be caught shedding tears like this, not ever. If that happened…"

He might end up like the corpses in the burned village. Driven by this fear, the dark elf swallowed his tears and rose from his place.

The dark elf whose job was to make sure that there was nothing left alive in the village, that there was no breath left, rushed through the dark forest to tell "him" the desired result—a "total annihilation".

Almost as if he was running away.