I surrendered myself to the elves that found Irina and me. Around my hands are binding magic and they sealed my meridians.
The elves escorted us into the magical city hidden within the tall trees. Houses and infrastructures are constructed around trees, some even are floating. Among the buildings, bridges are commonly attached for traversing purposes.
I gulped. This is the second time I am in the kingdom of the elves, my first was in my previous life.
The mana in the atmosphere is as condensed as I remember...it is filled to the brim.
"Tch, it's filthy humans again."
"They are always the reason why trouble comes."
"Why can't such disgusting creatures die?"
Gossips of passing elves scorn at our very existence.
We are guided into a tall wooden tower amidst the city, going up the stairs, it seems to be where the royalty or high elves reside...
The male elf grabs my collar and throws me forward to the ground.
*ching*
...
I can feel something pointy behind. It's a spear. The elves carrying a spear force me to stand up and proceed. As for Irina, a woman carries her and throws her beside me. Irina is conscious but her sanity is gone; there is no light in her eyes.
We are in a throne room, guards line the side as imposing pressure rain upon me from beyond. On the glorious chair is a beautiful and slender woman with a condescending demeanour who glares at us. She is wearing a bright crown above her head and has blue eyes and grey hair, a unique colour for an elf.
Blue eyes...and grey hair?! This is the first princess, Rizzare!
"Your highness, we have found these two intruders on the outskirts of our kingdom. Your cousin, Kritsnm en rouse, was assassinated by that woman." The elf beside me says.
What?! That was the queen's niece!???
The princess furrows her brow. "Who sent you?"
"Nobody did. This is not a declaration of war, your cousin was simply caught up in a war between the demons and humans."
"What?" The princess mumbles.
"Don't listen to them! They are simply-"
"Silence! I understand your justification but you have to pay for the price of killing my cousin."
I grit my teeth. I don't want to do this... Offending the Rizzare can cause me to instantly lose my life...but...
Irina... I need her alive.
Now that I think about it...there is a way I can even things out. The elves are currently facing a huge issue.
"Your majesty, the true enemy you have is the one who brainwashed this girl beside me, the demon occult. I feel that it is unfair that you simply want to kill us." I say.
!!
A few elves thrust their spear at me for my insolence, but, a mana barrier protecting my body propels them away.
"Core formation!" An elf exclaim.
...
Her glares grow even stronger. I easily break the binding magic around my hand and brush the dirt off. "How about this. Your niece is critically wounded but not dead yet. So if I heal her, can you let us go?" I ask.
She clenches her fist, presumably fed up with my nonsense.
Tch.
"In addition, I will help you resolve a crisis," I add. "Something is happening with the World Tree right?"
?!
"Uck!!" I groan as my body is flung to the ground. Rizzare has multiplied the surrounding gravity.
"How do you know?!" The princess exclaims.
"I-I came across an elf called Lorraine! She told me about the World Tree and how it is detrimental to your species!" I shout.
The pressure lightens as Rizzare widens her eye.
"Huff huff..." I catch my breath and look up.
Rizzare sighs. "That woman said that she would never trust male humans and she did..."
...
To be honest, I'm not only doing this for Irina, I also want Rizzare alive. She is the only elf in this kingdom to be unbias against humans; she can help prevent the race war. However, her consideration cost her life. A royal high elf betrayed Rizzare and assassinated her.
"Get up. If you can accomplish that, I can turn a blind eye to this." She says.
Some surrounding elves click their tongue but the majority agree with Rizzare despite their hatred for humans. Elves originate from The World Tree, their ancestor was born there in capsules of leaves on the branch. Essentially, the end of the World Tree means the end of their history and the failure of their duties.
An elf brings Irina away. "Don't worry, we will be keeping her in the prison alive." Says Rizzare, stepping off the throne.
She gestures for me to follow her. A few other high elf guards tags along. Their strength...is in the Nascent Soul.
We walk through a majestic tall hallway that even giants can fit, the marble floor is very clean as jades of pillar line the wall. Is this a magical space? Its size doesn't coincide with the tower's exterior.
"We are here."
Rizzare stops before a tall and heavy double door, pushing it with ease to reveal a luxurious bedroom. Many priest elves are tending to the bleeding woman on the bed.
"Ack ack!" She keeps coughing out blood no matter how much magic the priest pours.
!!!
"What are you doing!!" I shout, pushing the priest aside.
!!
"W-Who are you!! Intruder!" The priest shouts.
"Wait, stop," Rizzare says, forbidding the guards to do anything.
"Your highness?! What are you-"
...
I inspect the pale lady, a bucket of blood is beside her.
The blood around her vessels won't stop pouring out.
I click my tongue.
Adventurers will often meet dangerous situations where we will potentially lose our lives. As a result, it is a basic regime in which every adventurer learns first aid and healing.
And the very first lesson is to not overdose healing magic on a critically injured person.
YOU ARE READING
A Background Character's Fate
Fantasy"In war, commoners are the victims in victory or defeat." Struck by poverty amidst a long and devastating war, an ordinary mercenary dies among the countless corpses on a snowy battlefield. Yet by a stroke of luck, he regressed to his younger self...
