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Chapter 147: Entrusted Memoir

~Nelfie’s Perspective~

The airship’s private room – a small room with a wooden bed and a few pieces of furniture. I picked up the book I received from my older brother.

When I turned over the front cover, the page started with an introduction written in beautiful writing.

『Originally, this record might not be something that should be passed on. However, considering the current situation of the Dark Elves, I was forced to pick up the brush.』

The records that followed were too gruesome. Under the leadership of the Elfald Holy Kingdom, the devilish deeds of humans who trampled down Dark Elf settlements one after another under the guise of “demon hunting”. The contents made me want to stop reading it, but that was something I could do.

As I continued to read while suppressing my emotions, I found something that made my eyes widen.

『We, the Dark Elf race, are a species of the demon tribe. Do not misunderstand, however. Those who are collectively called “demons” in the Sphin Continent are nothing more than a general term for the various races living in the Magic Continent.』

Apparently, the Dark Elves have our roots in the Magic Continent, and it seems that it is not wrong to call us “demons”.

Moreover, according to this book, a wide variety of races had built settlements in various places on the Magic Continent, and there were many places where they coexisted with other races.

The depiction was no different from the current Sphin Continent. Diverse races such as demi-humans and beastfolk live in the same countries and towns.

The Sphin Continent generally does not know about the Magic Continent. As for the “demons”, they are only vague contents that appear in fairy tales, such as “a vicious and cruel race that eats bad children”. In short, those stories depict all the people living in the Magic Continent as monsters.

What a frightening thing it is, once you come to understand it… It is possible that the human races living on the Sphin Continent had been unknowingly induced to think so little by little during the long period of 2000 years. Moreover, this was probably spread by the Elfald Holy Kingdom. ……No, perhaps it is still too early to make that decision.

The text that followed was about the environment and situation of the Magic Continent.

『The Magic Continent is a realm where the amount of magic essence contained in the environment is much denser than that of the Sphin Continent, and most of the land is inhabited by strong monsters.

Monsters generally attack other species. Moreover, a monster that has absorbed an excessive amount of magic essence undergoes a major change in its body and evolves into a stronger monster. Then, it eats other species again and sublimes into a more powerful race. It’s not hard to imagine what kind of environment would be formed on the Magic Continent which operates under the survival of the fittest, which was originally full of powerful monsters.

In order to counter this, the people living on the Magic Continent strengthened their bodies, refined their magic skills, used magic tools, and inherited them to future generations, maintaining an exquisite balance.

Until the “Demon King” appeared, that is.』

According to the author of this book, one day a person calling himself the “Demon King” suddenly appeared from nowhere. It was also written that he was the king of a race that could control monsters, and that he was the only one in that race who possessed a special technique to create monsters. By using that power to attempt to seize control of the entire Magic Continent, a big conflict erupted on the Magic Continent.

As a result, the races ruled by the Demon King seized supremacy on the Magic Continent, and the Dark Elves, the leading hostile race, were driven out of the Magic Continent…

However, the Dark Elves didn’t just run away. They gained allies who could oppose the Demon King on the Sphin Continent, and finally succeeded in sealing him away. The Dark Elves were also involved in this sealing, of course. It would be better to ask Quereble, who was one of the parties involved, in detail about the truth.

And as I read through the second half of the book from an objective point of view, I learned something that took my breath away.

It contained information about the evolution of the Dark Elves.

『Children of the Black Forest. If you seek more power… find the light in the darkness and make nature your ally. The key to evolution lies in the Spirit.』

I had heard from Aun that the Dark Elves could evolve – that when he appraised my older brother, No Face, his race was “High Dark Elf”…

Even so… Spirit? I am not familiar with that word. I wonder if it’s a monster. It may have been well known to some extent 2000 years ago, but at present it is not clear from the contents of this book alone.

I felt frustrated and irritated by the riddle-like text that didn’t seem to have any hints. But I suddenly remembered what my brother said when he gave me this book.

He said I should visit our birthplace, the hidden village.

…This is it! I was so upset at that time that I didn’t understand. But now that I’ve calmed down, I realize that the tone when he said that line in our conversation was different from the rest.

If you seek more power? Well, obviously!

In that case, I have no choice but to go back to my hometown as my brother said. The place of tragic memories that I had been avoiding until now…

After that, I took several hours to finish reading the entire book.

The contents of this book could be a powerful medicine for the Dark Elves who live in modern times. Various emotions were jumbled up inside me, but first I needed to calm down and organize the information.

As I was closing the book while exhaling deeply, I noticed a sentence written on the inside of the back cover.

It was a letter addressed to a “certain person”. It was written in a casual style, unlike the previous texts.

『Finally…If you happen to meet a silver color Ice Dragon, please convey this to him. To tell you the truth, I wrote such a complicated and lengthy record to leave this message behind. I am entrusting this to you, my descendants.

Quereble. Considering how stubborn and serious you are, I am sure you will carry out your mission no matter how long it takes. I’m just a little worried that you’ll grow too senile. They said that the more serious a guy is, the easier it is to grow senile.

However, no matter how many years pass, please don’t forget this. You are not alone. No matter how far away you are, no matter how much time passes, even should my life end, you will always be my precious companion and an irreplaceable friend. …Seriously, the days of fooling around with you guys were so much fun that even now, 500 years later, I can still dream about them. If it was possible, I’d like to meet you face-to-face and crack jokes like old times, but that seems to be a bit difficult… Sorry, but I’ll be going to the other side first.

Until we meet again.

With thoughts and prayers for my best friend, from “King of Assassination” Enzo Garden.』

——Is it coincidence or destiny that this memoir was handed over to Nelfie after such a long time? Who knows… But this is how one of the big wheels in the story began to turn.