Paradigm Parasite

I went outside the tomb and played with Savage after I told Abdullah's guards who were waiting outside what happened.

Specifically, I used cross-talk to ask him.

I had him report back to me about what he had been doing in the Royal Capital after that.

To be honest, there was nothing new, so it was just a time-waster. The second half of the interview was mostly chatting.

After a couple of hours of killing time like that, I heard footsteps and Abdullah came out.

He looked quite refreshed and his steps were light.

"Thank you, Mister Roe, I thank you... deeply thank you..."

Abdullah shook my hand as soon as he came out and bowed deeply.

I nodded anyway.

I am sure he will now comfortably follow my orders.

Having done my business, I immediately returned to the compound.

On the way, I listened to the situation from Fatima via communication and examined the route to be taken.

I had already heard what I knew about the forest from Abdullah and the others beforehand, and I had also drawn a map, albeit a simple one.

The equipment has been repaired in full, and all that is left is to go.

However, the damaged twin headers on the Club Monster are currently beyond repair.

I showed it to Bedziff as a test, and he said he couldn't say for sure as he didn't know the structure, but he said it might be possible if he took it apart and spent some time on it.

I was a little troubled by his suggestion, but decided to give up on repairing the twin headers and prioritised departure.

He said something about an escort, but I politely declined.

I don't want it because it's suffocating me.

... but I want legs, so I'm taking Savage with me.

Now, when we get back to the mansion, it's time to go.

"Azide. Was this the right thing to do?"

"It can't be helped. If we disobey, they will kill us all."

Azide is astonished at Bedziff's words, and responds with a resentful expression.

The place is a cave hollowed out of the mountain where the dwarves live, in the corner where Bedziff lives.

The surrounding area is neatly lined with blacksmithing tools and is well cleaned.

It was a place where the character of the owner could be seen.

Bedziff is sitting on a chair and Azide is sitting on a rock he brought with him, facing each other.

The conversation was about a meeting some time ago.

It was good that they had surrendered to the ringleader of the human being who called himself Roe, but they were inwardly frightened of what he would demand of them.

The story goes that the person giving them direct orders was a woman called Fatima, who was standing next to them, but that was none of Bedziff's business.

When Bedziff saw the two, his impression was that they were "unidentifiable".

The woman, but especially the man called Roe, was creepy, and although he was the highest-ranking man in the place, was the human species such a cold creature?

It is an individual difference, but that look that seems to equate our lives with stones on the side of the road.

That alien look that you never want to look directly into again if you can help it.

Looking at them, I felt a sensation similar to that of cowering fear, as if I were peering down a cliff.

I shudder a little as I recall it.

In direct contrast to Bedziff, what Azide felt was a sense of security.

He agrees with Bedziff that the man is mysterious, and he also feels something akin to fear.

So why did I feel the opposite?

The answer was simple.

If we were on the bottom, that gaze would never turn on us.

Strength is a major criterion of value for trolls.

For them, being able to strike fear into the hearts of their opponents is the only way to frighten them.

It is a pleasure for them that the leader of the pack is strong.

Azide himself is not attached to his position as king at all, and the only reason he was in the position he was in was because he did not want to follow someone weaker than himself.

"I'll follow them myself. I have no objection."

"Well... I have no complaints at the moment. I'll be part of them, but I'll have food, clothing and shelter, and they'll give me some of their fruit, which will be a great help food-wise."

When winter comes, it is difficult to get food, and if it is not good, there is often a struggle for it.

Every year, more than a few people die without surviving the winter.

If the humans - oratoriums, as they call them - had food to send us, at least we wouldn't have people starving to death.

They also demand a certain number of arms wholesale on a regular basis, as well as requests for restoration, blacksmithing and, in some cases, the construction of buildings in their territory.

It seems that this area is intended to be used in conjunction with trolls, and similar discussions have been held with Azide.

"...And here's the thing. Azide, do you know what happened to Radeeb?"

Radib - a man who was king of the Orcs.

He was a fool who could only think of the immediate future and what he could see, but he was strong in his own way.

According to Abdullah, he recklessly tried to engage him in single combat, but surprisingly, his opponent took him on and returned the blow head-on.

The only thing that happened was that the idiot died, and Bedziff and the others thanked him for bringing out someone they could talk to, but what was strange was what happened after that.

After the man, Roe, did something to him, his fatal wound was completely healed.

It was thought that Radib's character would have retaliated as soon as he was able to move, but instead he said that he would pledge allegiance to Roe and the Oratorium.

The Bedziffs could not believe their ears.

The sight of Radeeb, a man who should have had nothing to do with the word 'loyalty', saying so with an intoxicated expression on his face was destructive enough to arouse their anxiety.

"I don't know. But if what Abdullah said is true, Radib. They did something to him."

"What if they do the same to us?"

"Even if it is. We can't help it."

"..............., yes."

Bedziff breathes a deep sigh at Azide's blunt words.

In fact, if they want to do it, we can't refuse them.

If they really want to get rid of their concerns, they have no choice but to abandon their lives and run away.

Bedziff inwardly snickers at the option of running away.

It's impossible.

We... no, I can't leave this life.

Azide honestly had no particular concerns.

No, I should say that I have come to terms with it.

He understands Bedziff's concerns in front of him, but he has no worries of that kind.

It is only natural that the top of the herd holds the life and death of his men, and he has made up his mind as soon as he realised that he could not fight against them.

In fact, he is so grateful to be freed from the burden of being king.

I don't remember acting like a king in particular, but there are so many troublesome things that I can't count the number of times I've wondered inwardly if someone would take over.

I'm certainly curious about Radib, but I'm not interested in him beyond curiosity.

Because it's useless.

The first time I saw that man, I felt uncomfortable.

Azide has been through his fair share of rough times on his way to becoming King of the Trolls.

By looking at his opponents, you can always tell if they are stronger or weaker than you, but you can't be sure with Roe.

It is possible that he is not that strong.

I have not heard that he took part in the battle this time.

I heard that his men were extraordinary, but if they looked too weak, I would think about taking them by the neck, but that is impossible.

Bedziff saw it as the attitude of a superior man, but Azide's view was different.

I felt a strange feeling when I saw him. It's not alive.

I felt no more life than the dead who are being manipulated by them.

I have no proof, but that man is not dead, metaphor or otherwise, even if you kill him.

That feeling was almost a certainty.

He is not alive, but an aberration in human form that plays with the dead.

That was the impression Azide had of the man called Roe.

The only reason Bedziff called Azide was because he was worried.

He wanted to do something about this unease and thought about talking to a fellow in the same position, but the fellow sitting opposite him had already come to terms with it.

I wonder how he can be so easily dismissed, and my stomach churns when I think of myself and my companions.

As a representative of the dwarves, I have to protect my people.

That is what I have to do for my friends who have stood up for me.

...but I have no idea what to do.

Azide, whom I consulted with, has already solved the problem and doesn't even show any signs of being troubled.

Until now, we have only had to make armour.

We wholesale what we make to other subhumans.

I was content with just repeating that...

Anxiety swirls in Bedziff's chest and his stomach churns.

To cover it up, he took out a bottle of alcohol and decided to drink all night with Azide.

Deep Forest.

That was the name of the forest inhabited by elves.

The exact size of the forest is unknown, but it must be considerable considering that the end of the forest could not be seen from the top of Shudras.

There are three types of elves living in the forest.

Firstly, there are ordinary elves.

Their appearance is not particularly different, except that their ears are longer than those of humans, and they tend to be generally thin.

Although there are individual differences, their arm strength is probably slightly inferior to that of humans.

On the other hand, they are said to be quick to learn magic and archery.

They are, if anything, just like the easy-to-understand images of elves often seen in fiction.

Next, the High Elves.

They are said to be a higher rank of elves, but there are many unclear points about them.

There are no differences in appearance other than longer ears and a generally paler appearance than elves.

They are extremely few in number and are the ruling class of elves.

They are skilled in magic and may or may not be able to use unusual magic by using special tools.

For the time being, we decided to recognise them as the superior class of elves.

...And then...

From this point on, eyebrows are raised, but it seems that they evolved from Elves to High Elves after receiving the 'oracle' of the 'angel of heaven' or something like that.

At least until they received that oracle, it is true that the High Elves were originally just elves, except for the newly born second generation onwards.

...From the elves' point of view, it's a great honour, but from the outside, it's a very shady thing.

The last kind is the dark elf.

These are also the brown elves we often see in fiction.

They have long ears, but are generally well-fleshed, and many of them are said to be of good physique.

However, they do not seem to get on that well with the Elves and High Elves.

Apparently, many of them are sceptical about the teachings of the High Elves and do not get on well with them.

What more is unknown.

At least it is clear that the elves don't like them.

The above was the situation in the forest as extracted from the memories of the elves held captive by Shudras.

Apart from that, I knew the location of roads and towns, and I had done my preliminary study.

I was riding on Savage, wearing a coat and other equipment, and a club monster on my back.

We set off with water and food in good order.

There was a goblin guide on the way, but I asked them to leave before entering the elves' territory.

I nodded and took another look at my surroundings.

I knew it from memory, but it's amazing to see it in person.

The huge trees lined the street and their spreading branches covered the sky.

Light leaks through the gaps in the foliage, but the whole area is dimly lit.

However, the moss-like substance underfoot shines thinly and illuminates my feet, so it doesn't seem like visibility is poor.

...Well, it doesn't matter.

The pale green light emitted by the moss, combined with the dim surrounding scenery, is very fantastic.

It is a scenery that even I can honestly think of as beautiful now, and I even feel a bit moved.

When I touch a nearby giant tree, it is a little damp and moist to the touch.

This alone makes me feel that it was worth coming here.

It would be fine to simply go on a tour of the place, but as long as I can't read how the elves will treat humans, I should probably be a little more cautious.

What should we do?