Chapter 20: The Elf's Revenge (4)

Hera pronounced the death sentence before countless elves.

"If anyone objects, speak now. I will listen to whatever you have to say."

Though everyone wore confused expressions, not a single person opened their mouth.

Betraying the elves was equivalent to betraying the Great Forest and the World Tree. It meant denying the elves' noble mission and their long history. So it was only natural that the death penalty be given to such traitors who committed high treason.

"Since there seem to be no objections, we shall proceed."

At Hera's signal, several elves stepped forward. They were the patrol elves who had joined along the way. 

They used the ropes they were carrying to bind Heris and Sera.

"Th-this is all lies!! That traitor is trying to pin her crimes on me!!" 

Heris shouted something at the elves, but they simply turned their heads away.

Suddenly, one elf rushed out towards Heris with clenched fists. 

The patrol elves tried to stop him, but he used all his strength to reach Heris.

Or rather, the patrol elves subtly let him through.

Thwack!

He punched Heris square in the face.

"You, you sold our daughter?! How could you?!"

"N-no, it was all her..."

"The evidence! The witnesses! It's all clear!! Or are you still trying to mock our enslaved daughter?! After selling her with your own hands?!"

That was the beginning.

The elves who had hesitated at the word "execution" now approached Heris and Sera one by one.

What followed was brutal revenge.

It was no longer a situation where anyone could intervene, so even the patrol simply watched from a distance.

At that moment, Hera approached Franz and said:

"Franz, I'll release the captives. We'll handle things from here."

"Alright."

Franz released the minions he had trapped in transparent spheres.

They immediately tried to flee without looking back.

Of course, Hera wasn't about to let that happen.

Tree roots emerged from the ground, wrapping around the minions to prevent their escape.

"I-I only did what Heris told me to..."

"Me too! It's all his fault!"

Unable to escape any further, they offered pathetic excuses.

They were desperately struggling to survive.

Hera looked at them coldly and said:

"I know everything."

"Th-then..."

"So what if I do? Is it not a sin just because someone else ordered it? In the end, you made the choice to follow those orders."

In the end, the verdict remained unchanged.

Soon, Heris, Sera, and the five minions were dragged before the World Tree.

And there, the execution began.

Hera drew her sword and cried out:

"I shall pass judgment on those who have lost the noble will of the World Tree."

The elves carried out executions before the World Tree because of this tradition.

It meant that all life returns to the embrace of the World Tree upon death, to be reborn as part of nature once more.

"Death is not death, but a return to nature's embrace. So repent your sins in the World Tree's embrace and become righteous souls."

Hera recited a kind of prayer and raised her sword high.

And then thud-.

Thud-.

Thud-.

The criminals' heads fell to the ground one by one.

Red blood flowed, seeping into the earth.

Over a long period, their flesh would also become nourishment for the World Tree.

The elves bowed their heads in silent prayer at the sight.

As if it were some kind of sacred ritual.

Franz simply watched it all unfold.

Honestly, it was impossible for him to empathize with what they were doing.

Once the execution of all the criminals was complete, Hera began her speech.

"My kin, to be frank, I still vividly recall the looks you gave me, the murmurs of your voices. But after this moment, I shall forget it all. You too were merely victims who were deceived."

Franz looked at Hera and inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed she had somehow avoided the path of becoming a villainess.

'She could have vented her frustrations at least once, though.'

Hera must have been upset too.

Given that she was destined to become a villainess, one can only imagine how she felt.

'But still...'

It was Hera's business after all, so he had no choice but to respect her decision.

That must have been the answer she came up with.

"Lastly, regarding the position of chieftain, I will temporarily take on the role for now."

Temporarily...?

Countless question marks appeared in Franz's mind.

Wouldn't it make sense to just take on the role of chieftain in this kind of atmosphere?

The other elves seemed to have similar thoughts, as voices piped up here and there.

In response, Hera scratched her head sheepishly and said:

"I'm afraid I can't explain why, but there's something I absolutely must do."

Hera's gaze slowly turned towards Franz.

At that moment, Franz realized.

The reason Hera was only temporarily taking on the role of chieftain was because of her promise to become a slave.

'I did make that promise, but...'

Honestly, it wouldn't matter if she broke it.

No, Franz was actually hoping she would break it.

After all, elven slaves were against the law.

Even if it wouldn't be discovered, he had no desire to keep slaves.

Why would he need slaves when he had his own hands and feet?

As Franz continued his serious deliberation, Hera's speech came to an end.

The countless elves began to disperse one by one with complex expressions.

At that moment, a few elves approached Franz.

"Um... Thank you so much for saving our daughter."

"It's nothing. I just helped Hera. You should thank her instead."

"We're still grateful to you."

Elves give but never owe debts, was it...?

Somehow, Hera's words came to mind.

They even thanked a human they had so despised.

As the elves departed from his side, Hera approached as if to take their place.

"Franz, I'm truly grateful for your help this time. If it weren't for you, I'm sure I would have given up again."

"It's fine. Well, I'm glad everything worked out."

It was truly fortunate that both the elves' problem and the villainess issue were resolved.

Only, there was still one important matter left.

"Franz, about that promise... could you perhaps wait until things settle down a bit with the elves?"

"You don't have to keep it. The elves need you. Why don't you just become the chieftain now..."

"Franz, are you saying you don't want an elven slave like me by your side?"

The light gradually faded from Hera's eyes.

At the same time, a familiar translucent display appeared before Franz's eyes.

<Warning!>

<Elven Archer Hera's emotions are running wild! Neglecting this may negatively impact the ending!>

Why did this have to be real...

Franz stared blankly at the notification window before carefully asking:

"Hera, why are you so fixated on becoming a slave?"

"Firstly, it's to repay the debt I owe you. A normal elf might not be worth much, but an elf contracted with the Spirit King should have some value. And secondly..."

Secondly...?

Hera seemed to hesitate for a moment before sheepishly scratching her head.

"I want to do this. Just as you showed me kindness, I want to do the same. But since I have nothing else to give you, I thought I could at least do this."

"If that's the case, next time you need help..."

"If you truly, truly say you don't need it, I'll have no choice but to give up..."

A shadow fell over Hera's face.

Just what was this favor that made her go to such lengths?

'I guess I'll have to accept for now.'

Between taking in an elven slave and the destruction of the world.

When weighing the two, the latter was obviously heavier.

"Do as you wish. Let me know if you change your mind anytime."

"Really...! I'm glad I can repay your kindness. Oh, it might be a bit confusing, but would you like to have a meal? Someone like you who made that meat and mushroom stew would surely enjoy our food."

Hera's expression brightened.

Just because he allowed her to become a slave.

'This is crazy...'

An elf obsessed with becoming a slave, it was truly unheard of.

* * * * *

Time passed, and before they knew it, evening had fallen.

"Franz, are you sure it's alright to leave at this hour? You could stay for a day..."

"It's fine. The other elves would be uncomfortable."

"Hmm..., I understand. If that's what you want, there's nothing I can do. I'll write you a letter sometime."

"Sure, see you next time."

After briefly saying goodbye to Hera, Franz set off towards the magic tower.

He was finally returning from his dispatch.

Franz's figure flickered in and out of existence as he used teleport.

After a while, the towering magic tower stood before Franz's eyes.

'Let's see...'

Franz looked at the notification window as he made his way to the top floor of the tower.

<Elven Archer Hera 20.00%>

A whopping 20 percent.

It was twice the figure of the Saint.

Of course, he had done nearly twice as much work, but seeing it confirmed numerically like this made him feel newly pleased.

'But what exactly is this?'

It goes up when you help a lot, and conversely, it drops when you fight.

He wasn't sure what this percentage really meant.

'Well, it must be something good.'

Thinking that way, Franz quickened his pace.

Soon, he arrived at the top floor of the magic tower.

But the lights in the tower master's room were brightly lit.

As if someone was inside.

'Could it be Arian?'

But they had recently hired a clerk, so Arian's workload should have decreased...

Franz approached with curiosity, and then he heard a strange sound.

"Franz, ah, no... No more..."

...?

It was definitely Arian's voice.

But what on earth...?