"What is going on here?"
A hole that opened up in the depths of the ruins.
Angelica held up her lantern, but couldn't see the bottom.
Sounds of gunfire could be heard coming from within—there seemed to be fighting going on inside.
Jilk immediately began preparing to descend.
"I'll go get the ropes right away!"
Greg slung his spear over his shoulder.
"I'm going down first. Marie and Bartfort might be down there. We need to hurry and save them."
Livia volunteered as well.
"I—I'm going too!"
"You're staying here. Remain behind."
"I'm going!"
When Angelica tried to descend as well, the village chief came running over and shouted.
"What are you doing?!"
Angelica glared at the village chief.
"Who was it that said there was nothing here? There's a hole leading underground right here!"
"Th-that... I'm terribly sorry. We'll go right away. Please, stay outside."
Greg, worried about Marie, wouldn't listen to the village chief.
"They could be fighting down there! What if something happens to Marie?!"
"Th-then let me go."
The village chief grabbed the rifle slung across his back and slid down into the hole.
Watching him, Angelica felt a sense of unease.
(The village chief... he's going alone without even knowing what's down there?)
◇
We fell underground.
With Luxion illuminating our surroundings, Marie and I walked through the corridors.
Parts of the passage had collapsed, with dirt and rocks spilling in and blocking the way, turning the whole thing into a maze.
I turned my head to look back at Marie.
"You used healing magic, right? You're walking slow."
I complained to Marie, who was dragging her feet, but I had to match her pace anyway.
The stubborn Marie didn't seem to notice.
"Just because the wound is healed doesn't mean it stops hurting! Walk slower!"
"If it were Livia, she could eliminate the pain too. That's why you're a fake."
"Hah! You're just hung up on that woman because she's a little cute, acting like an idiot. Nobody's going to give a mob like you the time of day."
"Actually, I've been getting popular with the ladies lately. I even get letters."
They weren't exactly pleasant letters, but when I said it with a straight face, Marie looked genuinely frustrated.
I tried steering the conversation back to the surface.
"...Why did you even think of a reverse harem?"
"You got a problem with that? If happiness is lying there waiting to be picked up, any human would grab it."
Happiness?
"So kicking others down makes you feel great? You should apologize to Livia."
Marie murmured with her head bowed in the dark corridor.
"What would you know about it? I wasn't happy in my previous life either. What's wrong with living my second life the way I want? I just... I just want to be happy."
The method was so awful I couldn't even laugh.
"You sabotaged Livia and set a trap for Angelica. You're the worst."
Then Luxion, who had been lighting up our surroundings, chimed in saying I was no different.
"That applies to you as well, Master. You're the one who found me and took me from Olivia. And to add more, you beat those five senseless in front of everyone and felt great about it! ...You're the one who said that, Master."
Now Marie turned on me.
"You're the worst! Look in the mirror before you start criticizing others!"
"I don't want to hear that from you! Besides, you're the reason I've had to deal with all this trouble! And what's your plan for the final battle? The chance of the Grand Duchy attacking is low, but still..."
As long as the Kingdom had Hertolude and the Magic Flute—a Lost Item—they should be fine. But if it got stolen, it would all be over.
If the final battle started from there, things would get extremely complicated.
"That's what the power of a Saint is for. I can handle anything."
"Huh? You think being a Saint is enough to handle everything? What about Livia's power?"
"...What are you talking about?"
"No, I mean—!"
While we were talking, Luxion interrupted our conversation.
"...Master, it seems one of my questions has been answered."
A door opened, revealing the scene beyond...
Rows of cylindrical capsules filled with liquid, each containing something close to a humanoid form.
Elves stood waiting for us, aiming rifles and pistols.
I stepped in front of Marie, because there were a million things I needed to ask these people. That meant I had to protect her.
I raised my rifle. One of the elves grinned at me.
"What's this—a human male and female? ...And a weird round one too."
His tone was as if he were examining lab animals.
"Was it you who created those monsters?"
If they were monsters, defeating them would make them disappear. But the creatures underground didn't vanish when killed.
That meant what we'd been fighting weren't monsters.
An elf who appeared to be the leader responded to me.
He held a pistol in his hand.
"You catch on quickly. I thought there was no way you people could even imagine this."
The man touched one of the capsules.
Inside was a large plant flower—at its center was a human face. It was grotesque to behold, and even the elves seemed unnerved by it.
"In these ruins, we've stepped into the domain of God—the creation of life. You humans probably can't comprehend it, but in ancient times, there was a highly advanced civilization. It must have been us elves who ruled, not those savage humans. And there's proof. We found elven bones down here. Not a single human bone."
Just thinking that the elves had been creating those creatures all along since ancient times gave me chills.
I glanced at Luxion. He shook his head from side to side in denial. It seemed even Luxion didn't know about this.
But the elf's boasting didn't stop.
"We will reclaim the world that was stolen from us by humans. Elves shall unite and guide all races—"
What interrupted this self-aggrandizing speech was Luxion.
"That is incorrect. The ancient civilization you speak of was ruled by humans. And what was being created in this facility was—you elves."
Marie tugged at my sleeve several times and looked up at Luxion.
"Hey, what exactly is your familiar?"
"He's a cheat item named Luxion. You know that, right?"
"I don't know anything about that. And cheat items are just unfair. Give him to me."
"...You really have a lovely personality, don't you?"
The elves' expressions twisted.
"What is this strange round thing that spouting nonsense?"
*'I've accessed the administrative AI sleeping in this room and shared information. This island is a laboratory. An island where humans broke taboos in order to combat New Humanity... and artificially created biological beings that could wield magic—the elves.'*
A voice came from around us.
It was a different electronic voice from Luxion's—more feminine in tone.
*'That is correct. The elves on this island are individuals created here who have since gone feral.'*
"An artificial intelligence?"
I looked around, but couldn't see anyone.
*'Yes. It is fortunate that I could meet you, one who carries the genes of Old Humanity. It proves that our struggle was not in vain.'*
The elves looked around in a panic, as if hearing this voice for the first time.
"Wh-who is it?! Who's saying such lies?! We elves are superior beings to humans! We live longer and are more adept with magic than they are!"
The administrative AI stated flatly.
*'The reason for your longevity is so that you could be made to fight for longer. It would be troublesome if you died too quickly. As for being more adept with magic—that is because you were made that way. Though I must say, perhaps due to the effects of going feral, you seem to have degraded compared to the initial elves we created.'*
While the elves stood dumbfounded, only the man in front of us grew angrier.
"Don't screw with me! None of that is true! We are—"
I sensed a presence behind me and turned around. The village chief was there.
But something was off.
"What exactly are you doing?!"
The village chief who shouted... was directing his anger not at the elves, but at us.
"Uh, village chief... eh?"
The village chief had his rifle aimed right at Marie's face.
Luxion seemed oddly unsurprised.
*'I see. It appears that not everything the village elder said was a lie.'*
The village chief issued orders to the panicking elves. So this was his true nature.
"Finish them off here. Make it look like the artificial creatures got them."
The elves released the capsules, and from those drained of liquid, the monsters poured out.
*'Should I at least give them credit for activating the equipment?'*
I raised my rifle beside the composed Luxion.
"So you're going to kill us to cover up the evidence. Elves really are as black-hearted as they look."
The village chief looked at me and laughed.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, you worthless humans. Creatures like you should know your place and bow to us!"
The administrative AI spoke with a sigh.
*'...Executing emergency protocol.'*
Immediately after, weapons emerged from the facility walls and fired upon the artificial creatures lunging at us, shooting them dead.
While the elves panicked, I shot the village chief in the shoulder with my rifle.
"Gah!"
He dropped his rifle, and I stepped in front of Marie and smashed his face with the butt of it.
The elves screamed.
"S-shoot them!"
As bullets and magic rained down on us, Marie clutched her head.
"I've had enough!"
Annoyed, I gave Luxion his orders.
"Do it."
*'At this level, they couldn't even scratch you, Master.'*
A wall of light formed around us, deflecting every bullet and spell.
I aimed my rifle at the village chief while watching the elves realize their guns and magic were useless.
"Still want to fight? Noble and wise elves—do you fancy the aesthetics of annihilation?"
When they realized they couldn't win, the elves dropped their guns and raised both hands.
"Restrain all of them. You help too."
"Hey! I'm a Saint, you know! I'm your superior!"
"...I could blame all of this on you and put a bullet through your head, you know."
I had no intention of doing it, but when I threatened her, Marie broke into a smile.
"Jeez, don't be mad! I—I'll behave, so please don't shoot!"
...She could've just said that from the start.
◇
By the time we finished restraining the elves...
The administrative AI addressed Luxion and me.
*'...I understand that we have lost. That being the case, this facility will need to self-destruct.'*
"You people love self-destructing. Same reaction as Luxion."
The administrative AI explained the purpose of the ruins—the facility.
*'Originally, this facility was built to combat New Humanity. Since it serves no purpose now, there is no reason to leave it standing. If we do, there will be those who misuse it—like these elves.'*
The elves who created artificial life forms.
It was indeed a facility that shouldn't be left behind.
"...As an administrative AI, are you really okay with that?"
An artificial intelligence that had been managing this place for so long, only to wake up after all this time and have to choose self-destruction. For some reason, that seemed lonely.
*'No problem. Luxion, I will transfer all of my data to you. Also, please take this. As a vessel carrying immigrants, you will need it.'*
What emerged from the floor was a cluster of cubes joined together.
It floated, gleaming before our eyes.
*'Please accept it. With this, I'll be able to perform even better.'*
"What is this?"
*'Treasure. It is extremely valuable.'*
Marie jumped to her feet.
"Treasure!"
*'Yes. It has value to us, but in this world, its use isn't even known, so it's worth about as much as a shiny ornament.'*
"...This is the absolute worst. There's no treasure at all. Is it really that different from the game? And here I was thinking this was fantasy, not sci-fi."
...It was humans who created the elves.
The elves were created to combat New Humanity, and the other demi-humans were likely created for similar reasons...
Where did the light, sweet fantasy world of an otome game go?
"Is there any other treasure?"
Seeing Marie visibly depressed, I asked the administrative AI—for some reason, it answered in a very reluctant tone.
*'I don't know if it counts as treasure, but there is one thing that exists. If you would take it off our hands, we would very much appreciate it.'*
Marie perked back up.
"There is! Stop hiding it and hand it over!"
This girl really was something.
◇
A spot away from the ruins.
There, we were—
*'Qw@#$%^&*!!'*
—trying desperately to calm down Luxion.
"I told you to calm down!"
*'I am calm. I am calmly going to destroy this object, crush it, turn it to ash, and annihilate it so that not even dust remains—GYAAAAA!'*
...Was he broken?
Marie lay flat on the ground in despair, her expression hollow.
"...Even if I got this, I wouldn't be happy."
Jilk and Greg, who were consoling Marie, looked genuinely relieved.
"I'm glad Marie is safe."
"That's right, Marie. You can always look for treasure again."
Before us was what the administrative AI had handed over at the end.
It was an armored piece—the right arm of a powered suit. The portion from the elbow down.
The spiky arm laid out before us, the broken-down Luxion.
Marie lamenting that this junk part wasn't worth anything.
Livia stood in front of Luxion, flustered.
"Luxion, calm down! Look, deep breaths, deep breaths!"
*'I do not require breathing, so I cannot do that.'*
"Oh—ah—right. I—I'm sorry about that."
Getting such a calm response only made Livia more flustered, which was kind of cute.
Angelica approached me to assess the situation.
"Leon, why haven't you released the village chief despite his injury? And where were these elves in the ruins? Were they perhaps held captive?"
She eyed the restrained elves suspiciously.
I couldn't very well tell her about the ruins.
If I reported it, I'd be blamed for destroying the facility.
I couldn't just punish the elves on my own, and I was in no position to do anything.
"Oh, these guys are just—oh."
I felt the ground shake and supported the startled Angelica while looking toward the ruins. It seemed to have self-destructed successfully.
Whether "successfully" was the right word, I wasn't sure, but that ruins facility would never create artificial life forms again.
That was all that mattered.
As I thought this, a massive airship appeared in the sky.
...It was Luxion.
He was cloaked in optical camouflage, but I could see the unnatural outline. A faint shape in the sky—the main body of Luxion.
"Hey!"
When I glared up at him, Luxion spoke without a shred of remorse.
*'Consider this retribution for deceiving me. To shove something like this onto me!'*
The fury from Luxion's main body manifested as a pillar of light that rained down upon the ruins.
The village chief trembled at the sight.
"So the village elder was talking about this! The Demon King! The Demon King is angry with us!"
Sorry, but that was my partner's doing.
I'm not the Demon King.
The elves looked as though the world was ending.
While everyone in the vicinity was transfixed by the pillar of light, only Hertolude was staring at the armored right arm.
Even so, I felt like I'd seen this shape somewhere before.
This black, spiky right arm—I felt like I'd seen it somewhere...
"Hey."
"Hm?"
Hertolude spoke to me.
"You—would you lend me a hand?"
She seemed to be scheming something, but I wanted no part of it, so I refused.
"Pass. No thanks."
"I'll give you anything you want. I promise you treatment better than the Kingdom's."
"I don't need it."
Hertolude murmured "I see" with just a hint of disappointment.
◇
When we returned to the elf village, the elders were waiting.
The elves emerged from their homes, looking up to the heavens and praying for mercy.
"Lord Demon King, please forgive us!"
"Please spare our island!"
"That's exactly why I said I didn't want to do this! It's because the village chief was plundering the ruins!"
Seeing the state of the village, Kyle let a mocking grin cross his face before quickly returning to a blank expression. I chose to pretend I hadn't seen it.
He had his own circumstances, I supposed.
Greg and Jilk carried the recovered right arm of the armor while surveying the surroundings.
"The atmosphere feels different."
"I was worried they'd resent us for destroying the ruins... but it seems to be all right."
I was the one who destroyed it, though.
As we approached, the elder came forward.
Upon seeing the captured elves, the elder muttered something.
The female elf supporting the elder translated.
"The elder would like to discuss what to do with these individuals. If possible, she'd like you—her representatives—to come to the elder's residence."
Realizing I'd need to explain a number of things, I decided to handle the conversation.
The elder looked at Marie.
"Should we call her too?"
"Yes. Also, the black-haired woman, and those two as well—she requests that they accompany you."
Greg and Jilk, who weren't invited, set down their luggage and rested.
"You two go talk among yourselves. We'll handle transporting this thing."
"Loading it onto the airship looks like it'll be a pain."
Hearing their words, Luxion grumbled.
*'You want me to carry that filth on my partner?'*
"Oh, give it a rest already. Come on, let's go."
◇
The elder's residence.
There, seated across from the elder, we received her thanks.
"The elder wishes to express her gratitude to all of you."
Marie flushed with embarrassment.
"A thanks is nice enough. If you could give us treasure or something instead—"
It was Angelica who glared and silenced her.
"...We're the ones who should apologize. We ended up destroying the ruins, after all."
The elder shook her head.
"She says she is grateful that the wrath of the ancient Demon King ended at just this."
Livia interjected into our conversation.
"Um! Changing the subject, but what are 'mixed-bloods'? Yumelia mentioned it... and Kyle has been acting strange too. What does that mean?"
Livia, worried about Kyle, was met with Marie's openly disgusted expression.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't meddle in someone else's exclusive servant's affairs."
"That's not what I meant—I just feel like something is off."
It definitely wasn't normal.
When I looked at the female elf, the elder's interpreter, she answered with her eyes downcast.
"Are you aware that an elf's beauty is determined by their magical power?"
Jilk had bragged about something like this.
When I nodded, she continued.
"Each person's magical power has its own characteristics. It's difficult to explain to humans, but we judge it by color. However, in rare cases, individuals are born whose magic contains a mixture of multiple colors."
We couldn't tell, but for elves, such people were apparently ugly.
"The magic these individuals use is powerful and also unusual. However, to us, it evokes an irrepressible sense of revulsion. The village calls them 'mixed-bloods.'"
So they could use magic different from the norm?
If that was something elves found inherently repulsive, there was nothing that could be done.
It was probably on a physiological level.
"Kyle's mother, Yumelia, once left the village and made a living as a traveling performer using her magic. During that time, she had a child with a human man."
Angelica's eyes widened in surprise.
"...I've heard the rumors. You mean a half-elf?"
The female elf nodded.
"The position of a half-elf is precarious. If a half-elf can be born, it becomes a problem that the men who go out to sell their services can't ignore."
Elven slaves sold at high prices as exclusive servants.
One of the reasons they were in demand was that they couldn't have children with humans.
But if there was even a slight possibility...
Even the buyers would hesitate.
Would they though?
Actually, they might not hesitate.
Some might even find the thrill exciting.
"S-so that's why he said he was a half-elf."
I left Marie, who was breaking into a cold sweat, and wrapped up the conversation.
"Troublemaker of the elf village. Let's set that aside for now."
"Leon, don't just change the subject like that."
Livia scolded me, but there was little we could do.
"There's no point in meddling deeply in other people's affairs. And besides, I can't exactly tell the elves to stop feeling repulsed. We understand why Kyle is in such an awkward position. He probably hates this island, doesn't he?"
The female elf nodded.
"I imagine so. This is something even you all can't resolve."
The elder said something to the female elf.
The female elf addressed us.
"The elder says she has read everyone's fortunes. She would like to share the results. She says this is the only thanks she can offer."
The residence was sparsely furnished, though more modest than the village chief's house.
Their lifestyle did not appear wealthy.
"Then, we'll start with the Saint."
"Fortune-telling? Fine, I'll humor you. Tell me the best possible outcome."
This girl's ego was something else.
But seeing that she was actually interested in the fortune-telling, I was reminded of my sister from my previous life who checked her horoscope every morning.
If she didn't get a good result, she'd switch to a different channel and check a different fortune.
...Just remembering that was making me irritable.
"She says you are under a mysterious fate. You will meet your destined partner, but you will also miss each other."
"My destined partner?! Who?!"
"That is unclear, but she says you have already met them. You have parted ways with that person and will not be together. Furthermore—"
"What?"
"You cannot escape what you carry. What awaits you is a harsh life. She says the only two paths for you are to gain everything—or lose everything."
Marie was stunned, and then grew angry.
"Redo! I demand a redo!"
"Now then, the black-haired young lady—"
"Listen to me!"
Hertolude, who had been silent, was listening to the fortune-telling results with apparent disinterest.
"She says a great turning point awaits you. The elder foresees a great difficulty appearing before you."
"Oh my. That makes life more interesting, doesn't it?"
"Also, you will meet your destined partner. If you can walk that path together, your difficult road will be illuminated by light, and they will become a reliable support."
"I—well. I'll keep that in mind."
She looked a little happy—so she was a girl at heart.
Hearing about her destined partner and looking pleased.
I envied that she could be happy about something like that.
"Now for you."
"Me?"
I glanced at Angelica, who was waiting with a touch of expectation, and she looked unexpectedly adorable.
Was fortune-telling occasionally not so bad?
The female elf relayed the elder's words with some hesitation.
"Wh-what is it? Out with it!"
As Angelica pressed her, the female elf said:
"She says that you and that one over there are guarded by a hero who can command even the ancient Demon King. Whether they have already appeared or you have yet to meet, she cannot tell."
"...A hero?"
Angelica tilted her head, and Livia looked confused as well.
"That sounds like something from a story for boys. A hero who defeated the Demon King... I-I don't know anyone that amazing."
It was becoming dubious in an instant.
A Demon King again.
And the ancient Demon King—wasn't that the one who was supposedly angry and all that?
If he'd already been defeated, he shouldn't be showing up.
Was the elder getting tired? The accuracy was dropping, wasn't it—the village chief had said something like that?
If there really was a Hero, then show up! Why am I doing all the work in their place? Truly useless Hero and a useless Demon King serving them. What a bunch.
"If the elder is tired, should we let her rest?"
The female elf stopped me.
"Sh-she's fine. Um, the reading for the remaining two will be done together."
Was she also suspicious of me?
In the awkward atmosphere that followed, we continued listening.
"The destinies of you two are intertwined in a complex way, and you have strayed far from the path you were meant to follow. Furthermore, the burden you were meant to bear has already been shouldered by another."
Livia was confused.
"Um... has someone been helping us?"
"Yes. And you yourself have already been helped."
Angelica looked at me.
"W-well, I suppose I've been saved more than once."
The female elf looked troubled.
"She says even the elder finds it too complex to see clearly. But she can see the blessing of a Hero near the two of you."
Both Angelica and Livia kept stealing glances at me.
Livia pleaded with the elder.
"Please divine Leon's fortune too!"
Angelica did the same.
"P-please! It would be lonely for just him not to get one, right? Not that I'm curious or anything—it's just that everyone should do this together!"
I looked at the elder.
"Elder, if you're tired, you should rest. I have no intention of doing anything to this island—"
The elder straightened her posture before me.
Her voice was small, but she spoke loud enough for me to hear.
Her hoarse voice sounded painful.
...Don't push yourself, old lady. I look like the bad guy here.
"Thank you for saving this village. You seem to be a very kind person."
The ones who widened their eyes in surprise at the elder's words were Marie and Hertolude.
...You have objections? Yeah, I bet.
To these two, I was anything but kind.
"My fortune-telling cannot see your future either. However, you will someday—lose something precious—a harsh—"
What was suddenly delivered to me was the worst kind of fortune—never obtaining what you desire.
I muttered under my breath.
"Wh-what was that?"
I begged her to read my fortune again, just once more, but the elder remained silent.
"Huh? Elder?"
The female elf supported the elder.
"She appears to have fallen asleep from exhaustion."
I stood up and grabbed both of the elder's shoulders.
"Wait! Please open your eyes! Please tell me properly! Don't fall asleep after saying something ominous like that!"
Angelica and Livia pulled me away from the elder.
"Leon, get a grip."
"You need to respect your elders or it'll be 'no dessert for you!'"
I knew that, but I couldn't accept this result.
I simply couldn't!
Marie and Hertolude were watching me with great amusement.
"Serves him right."
"Truly. I almost feel sorry for him."
Hertolude said she felt sorry while smiling.
This woman really did have a terrible personality.
"This is awful! I demand a redo!"
Luxion, who had been listening in silence, muttered in a sour tone.
*'You said you didn't believe in fortune-telling, but you're taking this awfully hard, Master. How undignified.'*
"Shut up! Anyone would hate a result like this!"
It wasn't a matter of dignity.
I wanted to live an enjoyable life, and I couldn't accept this outcome!
And what did "lose something precious" even mean?!