Gia thought back on his encounter. Who—or what—was that girl? The one thing he could say for certain was that she wasn’t just some normal girl the King had found in these parts.
She was evil—pure evil. She alone posed a threat to this world. The darkness she exuded made that clear.
Hair the color of burnt ashes. Distorted clothes with a mind of their own. Skin whiter than the dead. And eyes brimming with fathomless darkness that seemed to despise the entire world.
Gia shuddered, remembering the way her eyes had coldly picked him apart.
“I don’t know if what you met was the King of Ruin, but it’s undoubtedly not a good being. I can tell now that I’ve recovered some Mana after eating. This forest is twisted. We should’ve noticed sooner.”
If only they’d realized the dangers this forest posed sooner, they might’ve been able to avoid this predicament. Even if they couldn’t avoid entering the Accursed Lands, they could’ve chosen a location where they wouldn’t have stumbled upon the King of Ruin.
But “should’ves, would’ves, and could’ves” didn’t reflect reality. It was because they hadn’t noticed that they were faced with this very present danger.
A danger that threatened to bring doom.
“What did you give in return for the food?”
“Nothing. It just gave it to us without asking anything in return.”
“Ha! You honestly believe an evil being would bestow gifts without expecting anything in return?”
“I don’t know. We were just asked about our situation and answered. That’s all that transpired.”
“Then why did the King of Ruin aid you?”
Silence fell between them.
Gia didn’t understand why either. If nothing else, he understood different rules were at work than those he had come to know as the natural law of things.
Evil beings hate everything alive. Because of this hatred, they never act in the interest of the living. The only exception to the rule is when they form a contract where they take something in return—
—or when they are deceiving you…
But Gia had a completely different outlook. He believed in yet another possibility. That was why, even with the fear he might’ve been deceived, Gia put how he felt into words and explained his take away to the frail old sage.
“Out of benevolence.”
“Benevolence…you say?”
Leeriness filled Elder Moltar’s eyes. His reaction edged closer to hostility, and he stealthily curled his hand around his staff on the ground so Gia wouldn’t notice.
“Yes, benevolence. His Benevolence sympathized with our situation and gave us a boon.”
“Fool! You just referred to that thing as ‘His Benevolence.’ Were you ensorcelled?!”
“I swear I have not been!”
“Then why did you thoughtlessly call it His Benevolence?! Those are words reserved for those who deserve our respect!”
Moltar’s anger exploded. He lifted his staff from the ground and thrust it at Gia. Although he was old, he was a sorcerer who’d survived decades of war. His spell would release faster than Warrior Captain Gia could jump out of the way.
But Gia didn’t cower in the face of imminent death, choosing instead to counter the furious mage’s attack with words.
“His Benevolence! Bestowed food! Upon our starving people! It’s only natural to respect him!”
“But we’re dealing with an evil being! Do you not feel the miasma of ruin filling this forest?!”
“What’s miasma got to do with it?! His Benevolence said he felt for our starving people. That’s the real truth here!”
“You were tricked! It was trying to beguile you with pretty words!”
“Then…! Then what should I have done?! We’re only able to waste our energy pointlessly arguing because he fed us!”
With that remark, their explosive volley came to a close.
Elder Moltar fully understood what would’ve become of them had the King of Ruin not granted them these alms. But his concerns and fear of their unknown future surrounded in darkness gave rise to his outburst.
And at the same time, he finally admitted that he had no choice but to move forward and negotiate with what appeared to be the King of Ruin. He had to.
“Tell me, Elder Moltar: what should I have done…?”
“Not even I know the answer to that query…”
A hoarse voice answered Gia’s quiet and tired question as both men lost the energy to fight.
Neither knew the right answer. They didn’t have much of a choice in the first place, which was exactly why they had to accept reality for what it was.
That was all there was to it.
“I’m sorry, brave clan warrior Gia. You did well.”
Gia accepted his apology with a slight nod. He’d been appointed as the next chief of the Mazaram Clan. He had a good understanding of the pressure Elder Moltar felt as the current leader.
“I will handle negotiations with the King as the Dark Elf Chief. I don’t know what this being is thinking, but I have lived for two hundred years—I will make it work.”
“Please do.”
With that, the discussion was over.
Only the sound of crackling firewood offered them some solace.
“I wonder when we will be able to sleep in peace…”
The King had casually produced a mountain of food. Gia’s men could only carry home less than ten percent of it, and the girl serving the King told them to come back for the rest as soon as possible.
“We should probably go see them as soon as tomorrow morning,” Gia told Elder Moltar, and they began discussing their plans.
The King of Ruin spoken of in legends—the shadowy being was evil enough to convince them that was who they were dealing with.
Moltar gazed at the star-studded night sky to restrain the feelings of terror he had long since forgotten.
✦ ✦ ✦
MEANWHILE, around the same time, the very King of Ruin the Dark Elves shuddered in fear of was—
“King Takuto, on your knees! Why did you use our precious Mana on something like that?!”
“B-Because I felt bad for them…”
“That’s not a good enough reason!”
“Eeep!”
—in the middle of being browbeaten by his confidant for being uneconomical.