Located in the southern lowlands of the Sapalion Plateau, the Siris Forest has been inhabited by elves long before humans were still in tribal civilization.

The vast marshland, infested with poisonous insects and too humid, is uninhabitable for humans with low magical powers. However, the elves have been able to find a balance with nature by various means, and have lived here in peace and tranquility for generations.

Harmony and tranquility are the eternal pursuit of the elves.

Humans who have been in contact with elves are always "old-fashioned and inflexible, lacking emotional fluctuations, numb and cold".

This is an irreversible cognitive bias between the typical short-lived and long-lived races.

If they were to answer this in the language of the elves, they would have responded to these distant relatives with the clever metaphor that "over-burning firewood is always the quickest to extinguish."

Yes, distant relatives.

Although many humans believe that elves can live for a thousand years, they are a species of lower gods and the like, which is very different from humans. In the age of the dull tribes, even the elves were worshipped as primordial gods. But in fact, the five major races in the entire Rigal world, including orcs, dwarves, and gnomes, all come from the same origin.

The older elves have a great deal of knowledge about how the major races that now spread across the continent have evolved so differently and traced back to the same ancestor.

It has similar body proportions and similar body structure. In contrast to the Church of the Unification God of mankind, which denies all other races as barbarians, and swears that man is a perfect object made by God in his own image, the elven doctrine that evolved from the same ancestor and is considered heretical is as alien to human society as it is itself.

They have a lot in common. But that doesn't mean they can intermarry with each other.

It is impossible for elves and humans to have offspring.

In this world, there is no such thing as a half-elf.

The reproductive divide and the asymmetry of ideas, ideas, and knowledge make the distinction between the elven race and humans as drastic as that of the human aristocracy with elite education and the low, poor, dirty, slaves and paupers.

Therefore, when these two races collide together for some reason, the contradiction is often like this century-old fog, thick and irresolvable.

"......" Orno stood at the entrance to the village, silently staring at the ground.

"Here we go again. A haughty voice that conformed to human stereotypes sounded beside her, it was her mother, who was over six hundred years old, but still looked like a girl.

The elves of the southern kingdom are not very tall, and Orno is also petite and delicate among them.

"I don't know how that human got here through the fog and cognitive barriers, and if you reject him, this kind of thing will never come to fruition, Oni, I'm sure you understand that. Mother stood on her right side and looked down at her.

"You are carrying something more important, and those who have inherited the name of Van Salita are not allowed to associate with your kindred, and you were born for a greater mission. ”

“...... Yes, Mother, I understand both. Her long eyelashes hung and her voice was deep.

"......" The mother's expression softened, this was her own daughter, and she had to be strict with her as the leader of the clan, but her mother's instinct made it impossible for her to really be ruthless.

"Let's make it clear to that human being, I took you out to experience it so that you can experience the vicissitudes of this world. ”

"There's more to it than just culture, my child. ”

“...... Good. She hung her head, picked up the sunflowers that had dried up on the ground, and threw them aside.

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Humans call this plateau Palohia.

It belongs to a country called Padrosi.

Several port cities where I lived briefly during my travels also had the prefix "Pa".

In human language, "Pa" seems to mean "great" or "great", so they use the word to describe everything that they consider to be magnificent and magnificent, and everything that exists only in the unreal.

What kind of concept the future is, the elves don't understand.

In the same way, they don't understand what the organization and the country are.

Elves don't have a country, they do have a racial identity, but that's all. The largest village of the elves was only 300 people, all of whom were relatives and friends, and lived together on the basis of mutual acquaintance.

The fact that millions and tens of millions of strangers live together and cooperate with each other is even more amazing to most elves than the ability of humans to reproduce and develop.

So when Horno first followed her mother to Parnilla, she was shocked at how many humans there were.

People cast curious glances at her, and all kinds of humans kept looking at her as they passed by, while she clung to her mother's hand and refused to let go.

The crowd of onlookers grew so crowded that it was overwhelming, and Horno began to feel a little frightened.

Then the guards of the City Lord's Mansion appeared, dressed in leather-covered metal armor and armed with shields and spears, to drive away the men.

"This is an honored guest, you are not allowed to come close!"

Orno could understand what they were saying, a language that was difficult for humans to learn, not only because the elves' long lifespan gave her plenty of time to learn, but also because of her.

Outstanding talent.

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"Heh, I heard that elf magic is very powerful, no matter how you look at it, it's just a little girl's film. ”

Arrogance, arrogance, lack of etiquette.

And it's noisy.

Horno picked out the first impression of this young human with curly black hair from the human vocabulary.

She was amazed that the man's modest body could make a voice as loud as that of a giant, and she was also amazed at his inadequacy.

"I'm Pavni, that's right, as the name says, one day I'll become a great magician!" he laughed and waved his wand at Orno.

And then by her.

The weakest of the wind magic unleashed with a tap of a finger.

Knocked unconscious.

The human, whom they called the Lord, looked even more humble, in human terms. No, maybe the more correct usage is to stutter?

He had kicked the young man out, and he seemed to hold some important position as the standard by which these humans would measure elven magic.

Then the lord of the castle began to talk about the employment and treatment, and although Orno stood there expressionless as if he was hearing it, he kept thinking in his heart about the noisy and arrogant young man who had been kicked out.

"Pa.......

"Great, what do you mean?"

There is little land.

She became interested.

"Don't get too close to human beings, the gap between us is not just culture, it's just using them to get what we need. The mother noticed this and warned her in time.

"Those who gaze into the abyss, remember that the abyss is also staring at you. ”

"Those who fight dragons will one day become dragons themselves. ”

These were the words spoken by his mother, and Horno understood what they meant, but he also knew that they were proverbs from the human world.

"If you get too close, you'll become them one day. ”

She asked, "Isn't it bad to be human?"

Her mother didn't answer her, but just looked into the distance and was silent for a long time.

She remembered her father, whom she had never met.

Speaking of which, who is my father?

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"Poof-" An unbearable scream rang out in the courtyard in the afternoon, and the young man with a pale face fell to the ground, his limbs twitching.

It was a sign of the exhaustion of her magic, and Orno furrowed her eyebrows rarely, even if it was only a slight curvature, it was already a rare expression for her.

"Ha-" Pavni noticed, and in spite of his embarrassment, he let out a chuckle, "You're surprised!

He said this with a whoop, and Horno's eyebrows slackened, and he replied, "No, I'm just surprised." ”

Horno turned around and prepared to walk towards the back room: "How stupid you are. ”

"Cut. Pavni got back up.

“...... What else do you want to do? Horno turned around.

"Of course, one more game, come on, let me, the great magician, the world's number one elemental envoy, Lord Pavni, break through the defensive magic that your elves are proud of!" he was sweating profusely, but his voice was as loud as a roaring beast in the forest.

It's a pity that the power of magic doesn't increase when you shout it louder.

"Boom-"

Pavni, whose face was pale, fell to the ground on his back again, thanks to the soft lawn and dirt, otherwise he would have to become a big-headed magician in another sense.

“...... Send it away. Horno said briefly to the mansion's guards.

The two big men carried him out in silence.

But before she could carry it away, something suddenly occurred to the elf, and she turned her head, with a few hints of curiosity, to ask Pavni.

“...... You, so desperately, for what. She asked.

As if he had recovered his spirit in an instant, Pavni continued to shout in a loud voice: "Of course, I want to become the greatest magician in the world!"

"Ahem, ahem, ahem—" He curled up and coughed, which Orno understood was a sequelae of overuse of mana, because the mana pool was located near the heart, and overuse would not only affect the heart and cause shock, but even cardiac arrest and death in severe cases, and even the best case would affect the lungs and cause coughing.

"......." somehow, Horno silently stretched out his hand and healed his injuries.

Pavni's face turned rosy, and he stared at the elf's face in a daze, unable to speak for a long time.

“...... Don't come again. She turned. "It's a lie. ”

Pavni shouted behind him.

"No, it can't be said to be a lie. He rarely made a big fuss, and Orno turned for the second time, and the young man said in a slightly shy voice, "It is indeed my ideal to be a great magician, but the reason why I have always been like this. ”

"I want to see you, I have a surprised expression. ”

“......”

"The way your eyes widened when we met that day. ”

"Exceptionally lovely. ”

“...... Bored. Horno turned and walked into the room.

"Ah—how true you are to me—" Pavni's voice faded behind her.

She stood at the door of the room, the inner room that blocked the sunlight behind her was a little dark, and there Orno stood there, his face unchanged, but he reached out and pressed his pounding heart.

"......" she lifted her face, and her mother, who was standing on the stairs, had clearly witnessed this, her expression a little gloomy.

Horno hung his head.

“...... I know. ”

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"Is there any dissatisfaction with the treatment, if you have any requirements, just mention it, even if you mention it, I will satisfy you!"

Impatience and greed. From the shouts and movements of the city lord, Orno judged this.

"Don't leave, please, stay!" he pleaded, but his mother's decision could not be changed by anyone's will.

Including Orno.

"Hell, garbage elves!Eat me, wear me, I'm going to leave without leaving anything!Damn trash, all you know is that haughty face, as if you owe you anything!!"

When they closed the door, the lord of the city shouted insults in the human dialect.

He thought they didn't understand. The mother looked at Orno, and the meaning in her eyes was obvious: "You see, that's how humans are." ”

“...... Yes, I get both. Horno hung his head.

The phrase 'but he's different' didn't come out.

The carriage came, and when they rode it to the vicinity of the forest, they turned to walking. The closer the Siris Forest is to the elven territory, the more magician the various visual impairments become, and with the exception of elvens who are also proficient in magic, ordinary humans will only be affected to keep circling in place.

"Orno!!"

Pavni appeared, panting, apparently having just heard the news and hurried over.

"I'll go find you!"

"Definitely!"

"This is our agreement!"

He shouted loudly, and his mother closed the curtain of the carriage.

"I can't help myself. She said.

"Remember what I said, Oni, you are carrying a greater mission. ”

“...... Yes, I get both. ”

She said.

"Mother. ”

Hidden in the bag, there is a fresh sunflower.

Pavni takes it with him every time he appears.

Orno didn't understand what it meant, and she didn't understand what it meant in human society, she just liked the smell and the golden appearance.

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Time flies.

The elves' concept of the day is very different from that of humans, but after learning the books they should have learned, twelve years have passed.

He didn't keep his promise.

This is not to blame him, after all, human magic is only so talented, and it is a matter of course that he cannot break through the fog.

He also has the responsibility and mission that he should bear, and the person who bears the name of Van Salita is the watchdog who never sleeps on the lifeblood of magic in the world. Use ancient magic that only the most gifted can be chosen, and even ordinary elves are not allowed to touch.

Van Salita.

He is the observer of the world, the one who watches over the fate of the world.

This is an undying mission.

It was the mission of Grandmother Horno.

It was her mother's mission.

It will also be her mission.

"Intruders?"

"How is that possible?"

"What did he do, what did he steal?"

"No, it left something behind. ”

"What's that?"

"A sunflower. ”

"Smack-" Orno clasped the book in his hand and stood up instantly.

"I want you to reject him. "Mother stood at the door and stopped her.

"I ......," she said, unable to speak.

"You're grounded, do what you have to do. The mother left these words and walked out.

"Click-" Orno sat back in her chair, feeling a little pounding in her chest, but she didn't understand why.

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"Here you go again. ”

"yes. ”

"Every day, the withered sunflowers are piled up in a pile, so human beings are really, for their own selfish desires-"

"Shhhh ”

The people in the village of "......" began to discuss her affairs, and for the emotionally apathetic elves, xenophobia was a rare way for them to show a tough mood.

"Go and make it clear to him. ”

Mother finally couldn't help it.

She said this, and Orno, with his mother's permission, finally left his village.

She walked and walked and walked along the path paved with sunflowers, until at last it turned into a small stride, thinking of the place where the familiar magic ripples were emitted.

She ran through the forest and through the bushes, causing the rabbits to scurry around, and finally came to him after turning a towering tree.

"Uh-" Pavni, a bearded man who was lighting a bonfire with fire magic, stared blankly at her, and she stared back.

“...... You, become good, aging. Orno said this.

"You haven't changed at all. He spoke, too, not as loudly as he had been twelve years ago.

The glamorous young man was nowhere to be seen, his skin was bronzed, and there were horrible scars on many parts of his body, and Orno felt a chill down his spine just by imagining what might have happened.

But it only lasted a few seconds.

"Actually, it's all the fault of the beard, and the beard is still the same as before, hahaha. When Pavni started arguing again with a loud voice, she felt that everything about herself had calmed down.

The restless emotions and the distracted attention were all appeased at this moment.

If you are around this person, it is as if there will be no problems with everything.

'Go and reject him, go and make everything clear'

Mother's words, echoing in my mind.

"I-" I said. Pavni interrupted her.

"Rebellion, you know?"

“...... What's that?" Horno shook his head.

"It's a kind of emotion that occurs when human beings are young, and everything has to be said to others in the opposite way, but it doesn't follow what others say. ”

“...... Does it make any sense. ”

"It's meaningless, many people do a lot of stupid things because of their rebellion, and in the end they still have to do what others say they do, hahahahaha. He laughed, and she frowned.

"I just wanted to say that. ”

"Do you want to be 'rebellious' too? Pavni lowered his voice and said to her word by word.

"Don't you want to take a look. ”

"It's really nice to always be in this kind of place, to always listen to other people. ”

“...... is something that should be done, no pleasure or happiness. ”

"That's unhappy. ”

“...... You are vexatious. ”

"Listen to me, I've been to a lot of places in the past 12 years. ”

"Sail through the icy open seas, race horses with nomads on the Abu Sera steppes, and bathe in the sauna with the great swordsmen in the extreme cold of Suomir. ”

"Don't you want to see what it's like to be outside of the Bao Forest, outside of this little part of the East Coast. ”

"And me," he said.

"Together. ”

“......”

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The rebellious elves disappeared from their villages.

He didn't break his promise, and just as he had kept the promise at the beginning, the two of them traveled the whole world of Rigal.

She saw how big the world was other than where she lived. At the same time, I also saw a lot of human beings, good people and bad people.

Surprisingly, there are many people of the same race who travel and even live in the human world, and there are many other alien races who have settled here.

Even the extremely aggressive orcs have a part of them living in peace with humans.

This expansive thing is what they call "inclusiveness."

This is a word that does not exist in the elven dictionary.

The first time she learned to laugh was at a bonfire in the Absera savannah.

That day he put on a sunflower ornament for her.

Her first anger was when she encountered the bullying Papal army in Soradin, and she drew her bow and crossbow because her friend's skin was dark brown.

Orno's expression became softer and softer as he traveled along the way.

But when she woke up one night, she remembered her mother's words.

"Those who gaze into the abyss, remember that the abyss is also staring at you. ”

"Those who fight dragons will one day become dragons themselves. ”

An uneasy premonition began to linger in my heart.

"My magic is weakening?" her fingers trembled.

"It's okay, just like that, become an ordinary person, become a human ......"

That night, Horno learned to fear.

"It's a bit late, but I want to say. ”

"Please come with me in the future. ”

Friends were laughing, they were shouting, words that seemed to have no meaning, but Horno could feel a heartfelt blessing in them.

"I do. She said shyly, her heart pounding like it was that day.

This is the taste of happiness, she is not the first time to taste it, but she has already eaten the marrow.

And then.

When the retribution of meddling comes.

The petals of the sunflower were stained with blood, and she understood.

What is grief-stricken?

"The lifespan of elves is different from that of humans, and so is the life force. ”

"You shouldn't be in contact with them, and you shouldn't be aware of their emotions. ”

"Because if your heart becomes a human being, then because of your long life, you will experience many times more loneliness and suffering than human beings. ”

The mother was high up and said to her coldly.

"But I also understood the meaning of life. And Orno straightened up, clutching his belly and looking back.

"You!" the mother's eyes widened as she understood what she meant.

"Ridiculous! You've broken a taboo, not even my daughter. ”

"Ornoidora Van Salita, you have been expelled. ”

“...... So be it. She sighed, her eyes grim as she swept over all her kindred, all of whom were distancing, not even a single one to speak for her. "You claim to be noble, and you are as ridiculous as the nobles of mankind. Horno whispered, walking towards the periphery.

"Stupid daughter..... Why do you want to ......?" said her mother in a very small voice.

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The gestation of the elves is measured in centuries.

Inexperienced, she had to turn to humans for help.

This is the last memory.

The last memories.

“...... Dead, isn't it? ”

But when she was lying on the delivery bed, sweating profusely and pale, she turned her head to look at the doctor, ushering in a tragic end that had long been doomed.

The elf didn't know how to hope, but he taught her hope.

And because of this, despair was born.

Born with love.

"I don't accept it. ”

When the whole world denied all her happiness.

Orno.

Denial of the world.

"The technique is rewritten. ”

"If it's because the strength of the race's magic vein is not enough, then use the magic of the earth to make up for it. ”

"If the blood isn't strong enough, then use my blood instead. ”

The knowledge she brought with her responsibility was used insanely in this area, and her already gifted intelligence was the top magical attainment even among the elves, and in the spiral of love and despair, she rose to the top and broke through the boundaries.

She has violated a real taboo.

"Wow-" The young newborn life let out its first cry in the magic array of flesh and blood.

This death-filled "birth" is like the child's short pointed ears, full of chilling meaning.

"Look, this is, our kid. Hold in his arms a young girl with black hair like his father, and stand in front of the swaying grave of the sunflowers, and laugh softly.

The wind ruffled the hem of her clothes.

On the other side of the ocean, her mother shattered the magic crystal in her hand.

"How is it possible, there is no one in the near future. ”

"Why, why did the witch come to life. ”

"No, no, it's—"

"Stupid boy!"

"How can a false life fed by blood and magic really come to life. ”

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"You'll know what's next. After a long narrative, Orno chuckled and said to the people in the cave.

"I gave birth to a stillborn child, and the union of humans and elves cannot bear fruit, and the forbidden magic I used to awaken is definitely not a lovely daughter. She smiled, but her eyes did not waver, as if she were dead.

"She feeds on flesh and soul, and is the enemy of all who live. The devoured, the devoured, will then return in a form that does not belong to this world. ”

"The unicorn is reluctant to come near me because I have a dark rancid smell of it. And the reason why this person followed me as a guard. She pointed to Barrow: "It's because of the superiority of the bloodline." ”

"Ghouls are the family of witches, and so are the other undead, they are subordinate to the blood of the witch, and naturally to the person who gave birth to the witch. ”

"Isn't it ironic? Orno shrugged his shoulders as Henry did.

And in the whole cave, there was no sound.

"Not born out of hatred and hatred, and not some old-fashioned witch incarnated for revenge. ”

"It's conceived by love. ”

"Unions that should not happen, when love turns into desperate attachments, respond not to the light, but to the abyss. ”

Hyung said in a calm tone.

"Poetry. And Orno smiled again: "Hamirin, you are really narcissistic. ”

"So you know that, too. The sage shrugged.

"Yes, the fate of two people who have a lot to do with witches is so ironic, isn't it. She said, and this time it was Konstantin who picked up the conversation.

"So, the witch is chasing you because?" he asked.

"What does a newborn do when he finds out his mother is missing?" said Orno, tilting his head.

“..... And her retreat that night was not because she was afraid of your magic, but because she was angry at the sight of her mother, so the witch was actually—"

"Shut up. Orno's eyes glowed blue.

"That thing. ”

"Don't use human emotions to figure out that thing. She folded her arms, her eyes flickering with lightning and finally calm.

"She ate my mother. ”

"In front of me, ate my mother, and then turned around and smiled at me. ”

"The whole village died. ”

"Those with high magical qualities are used as food for growth, while the rest are transformed into ghouls. ”

"She has no moral definition, she doesn't know good and evil, she has no emotions, and all she has to say is her instinct as a living creature. ”

"It had a humanoid shell, but it was on the inside. ”

"It won't be my or that man's child!"

"That's it. ”

"The human embodiment of evil. ”

Orno crouched down with his hands folded, while Mira, Mikhail, Henry, Minna, and Konstantin looked at each other, their expressions very solemn.