Chapter 441: Black Jewels

「…Hey. So you were here. Are you going, Filaret? You see, the new enemy belongs to your home country. 」

Filaret La Volgograd was putting the thin gloves onto her fingers when she heard a voice ringing in her ears. There was no need to wonder to whom that voice belonged to; that voice belonged to the Elf Queen, Fin Eldith.

Filaret was staying at a mansion in the royal capital that became Eldith’s temporary residence. It wouldn’t be strange to hear her voice inside this place, but Filaret didn’t see her.

Eldith was probably using the spirited arts to convey only her voice. Even though Eldith was still undergoing treatment, she still pushed herself. Or did she have too much free time?

Filaret headed to Eldith’s private room without waiting for the servant to guide her. She opened her mouth as if to reply to the voice that reached her ears.

「It would be a lie to say that I don’t care about it. But it would be an even bigger lie to say that I don’t want to go there. Human beings are surprisingly incapable of closing their eyes to their own freedom. 」

Those words came from the depths of Filaret’s heart. It would be impossible to disregard her home country. So, of course, she had feelings for it.

The Bolvat Dynasty, the great masters of magic from the East. The Grand Dukes of magic were appointed to rule the five major cities, but they were also overseen by the Central Monarch and the Magic Court.

Bolvat had a dynastic system, but it was very different from Gharast, which was a kingdom, and Elizard, which was mainly ruled by tribes.

The other two nations, for better or for worse, ruled by the existence of hereditary aristocracy. Their citizens were simply governed without any rights. On the other hand, the citizens of the Bolvat Dynasty were able to participate in the political or military sphere.

In other words, as long as they had magical talent.

The people of the Bolvat Dynasty believed that magic was a gift from the gods. It was regarded as the best way to approach the gods. The highest honor of a wizard or sorceress, and the goal they should pursue, was the divine attainment.

Precisely because of that idea, it became common-sense that humans who could use magic were the closest to the gods. As long as you had talent, you could reach all sorts of honors, even if you were from a commoner background.

In the corner of her memory, Filaret suddenly remembered the figure she saw at the Great Temple of Flimslat. She sparkled with gold and her lips moved delicately.

At the same time, she possessed a vast amount of demonic power that was impossible for a human being to wield, and furthermore used magic that no one could even understand…Ariene. That form was the closest thing to God if we followed the teachings of the Bolvat Dynasty.

Filaret felt a sharp pain in her lungs. Filaret couldn’t help but bite the corner of her lips. She didn’t want to admit that sort of form was what she was aiming for.

Besides, Filaret didn’t want to use that person as a role model for her feelings.

When Filaret knocked on the door, which had modest decorations with wood grain, Eldith answered, inviting her to come in.

Inside the room, Eldith was leaning on the bed with only her upper body raised up. The wound she got from the fight against the magical devilish being was probably not completely healed.

「The Saint and the Princess are planning to cut off the city-states. As they are now, it would be pointless to help them with the current Heraldic forces. 」

I would do the same if I were in the same position, Eldith added with her beautiful blue eyes shining. Filaret also nodded in agreement.

The Saint had to be that way, at least as the head of the organization. She wasn’t a ruler who just blindly commanded her soldiers just because the enemy was baring its fangs.

The Saint pondered about profits and losses, looked ahead, and hoped for the best out of the worst. That was the ruler that Filaret knew about.

But that wasn’t enough. Filaret didn’t say it out loud, but she had a bitter smile on her face.

「However, Lugis will go. No matter what happens, he’ll face that enemy because he can’t tolerate too many sacrifices. 」

It was no longer kindness. It was a curse. It was more devastating than being heroic.

In order to save a woman he had just met; he had his internal organs burned in a large fire. Moreover, he also offered his body in front of a beast for the sake of someone whose name he didn’t know.

His way of life didn’t tolerate the sacrifice of anyone but himself. Lugis was far from being wise, and if there was a God, he would probably call him foolish.

Perhaps his way of life was a fatal flaw in itself.

…Still, the only thing that Filaret La Volgograd truly believed in and dreamed of was his back.

In that case, there was no other option no matter how devastating it could be.

「That’s why I’m going. I believe in him, not in the Saint or that Princess. 」

Eldith didn’t deny Filaret’s words. No matter how many words she had in the back of her throat, she couldn’t counterattack Filaret’s words. It would be like denying herself.

Eldith let out a sigh while tilting her eyelids. Eldith couldn’t help but envy Filaret in a specific way.

Filaret was much closer to Lugis than Eldith or Caria. Of course, this didn’t mean a distant relationship. It meant internal features.

Filaret was human, both in her inability to tolerate sacrifice and in her way of being. Filaret had something that Eldith, who was raised as an Elf Princess, and Caria, who gave up everything to become a Knight, couldn’t acquire. It was a common connection with Lugis.

Eldith felt helplessly jealous. She couldn’t stop her own feelings.

That’s why Eldith wanted to hurry up. She wished she could go too. But she had to have patience.

Eldith’s fresh lips suddenly moved.

「Unfortunately, I can’t move yet. It’s just a physical issue, but it seems like that Fairy King has been firmly rooted in this land for a long time. If I move poorly, I feel like a natural disaster will occur. 」

Eldith lightly lifted the cup in her hand while saying those words. The blue sky illuminated by the sunlight made its beautiful appearance slightly transparent.

However, contrary to its beauty, the cup was completely demonic. Filaret also understood that fact. She unknowingly cleared her throat.

There was a number of magic tools created by sorcerers and intelligent demons. That particular cup was made with a magical density that was incomparable to other tools.

It was similar in nature to the dark scarlet sword that Caria wielded. Filaret had no idea what it was made of.

The cup itself was the original source of the Fairy King Drigman. It was his manifestation. Therefore, Eldith must be able to fully understand the influence that Drigman left on this city. Even so, calling it a natural disaster was an exaggeration. Filaret waved her lips.

Eldith grabbed a cloth bag with one hand and handed it to Filaret with a light gesture. The fact that it had a pattern that represented the Fin was proof that it was made in the land of elves.

When Filaret returned her gaze as if questioning that gesture, Eldith spoke with a calm tone.

「I want you to give it to him. It’s not an amulet, but it will be somewhat useful against those sorcerers. 」

The cloth was thick. Filaret had no idea what was inside. However, Filaret didn’t have any curiosities. The Elf Queen explained its purpose, so it was definitely not a bad thing.

Filaret nodded with her glossy black hair bouncing.

Eldith spoke as Filaret was about to leave the room. A mischievous smile peculiar to elves appeared on her cheeks.

「No matter what happens, I want you to return to the royal capital with him and Caria…When you arrive, I’ll brew you all a high-quality mead using the honey from Ghazalia. Do you think he’ll like it? 」

Eldith’s smile was full of mischief, but her words didn’t sound like she was joking.

Filaret’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. That was all. An indescribable emotion swirled in her chest.

—

After leaving Eldith’s mansion, a shadow suddenly appeared on Filaret’s cheeks, where the sunlight should’ve been shining on her skin.

She had experienced this feeling several times already. Filaret looked up at the sky without moving. She was fairly close to her today. It seemed obvious for her to be this cheeky since she covered the sun.

「Where are you going, Filaret? It’s not like you’re going to hunt some rabbits nearby by wearing those traveling clothes. Of course, it’s not like you’re going back to the inn now. I think you’re leaving this place, Filaret. Of course, I don’t know where you’re going, but I advise you to avoid the east. 」

Her white hair fell down like a shining silk thread. The girl named Leu…no, Jewel Bar Agathos spoke. Like the direct person she was, her displeasure was clearly visible in her eyes. If she were someone who didn’t care about her appearance, she would probably even grit her own teeth.

Filaret answered without even bothering to see Agathos’ state. But she thought that Agathos knew too much about her own self.

「I’m going to Lugis’ side, whether it’s the east or the west. 」

「That’s insane. Both of you are insane. Are all humans like that? 」

「Maybe. 」

Agathos probably didn’t like Filaret’s indifferent tone. While supporting her body with her many jewels, Agathos strengthened her tone.

Filaret tried to say something to calm her down, but Agathos’ temperament wasn’t that patient.

「Okay, in that case, I’ll tell you, Filaret. You just don’t know yet. The east is no longer a land where you can live safely. No, that land will disappear from this continent and be lost forever…because of the Dragon King. Both Vrilligant and the Bastion Beast have been brought back into life. 」

The Dragon King, in other words, the great demon Vrilligant. Filaret widened her eyes at those words. Agathos lowered her voice as if to persuade her even further.

Filaret could hear something close to kindness in her voice, something she would never normally give to humans.

「Listen Filaret. I think you did a good job against Drigman. You should be applauded. But it’s like a miracle. And you won’t be able to conquer the top of miracles…Vrilligant. You must listen to me. It won’t be just humans who will perish. There are many other races who will suffer just like it happened in ancient times. I don’t need to tell you what happened to most of them. 」

Filaret couldn’t help but widen her eyes when she heard Agathos’ voice, thinking it was quite unexpected. It was more about her tone than her words.

Agathos’ words weren’t trying to influence Filaret or anything. Her tone showed that she was purely concerned about Filaret’s wellbeing. In all of Filaret’s interactions with Agathos, this occurrence was something she had never experienced before.

Perhaps, Agathos and the great demon Vrilligant had some kind of connection back in the mythical era. Filaret wondered if that’s why she was willing to say so much.

Filaret spoke after taking all of that information in. Her gaze was slightly upward.

「Thank you, Agathos. I appreciate your concern…but I’m still going. Humans only live for a few decades. So I don’t want to waste any time. I didn’t realize it before. But now, I’ve finally understood it. 」

Hearing these words, Agathos’ expression relaxed for a moment, and then became very distorted.

She looked more irritated than angry. Yes, Agathos seemed to be wondering why a magical devilish being like herself had to say so many words to persuade a human being. She even felt a hint of wanting to restrain Filaret’s body as it was.

However, Agathos saw Filaret’s black eyes. They sparkled like beautiful jewels while stirring something that resembled fire.

Most beings with eyes like hers could do many great things. Agathos had the feeling that Filaret would do something in the future, even if it meant breaking her limbs.

It was against Filaret’s pride to just give in. Even if Filaret was just a human, this path was supposed to be her own choice. Agathos let out a small sigh and said in response.

「…Okay. I don’t care anymore. Do as you like…but listen, Filaret. And Leu too. You’ll break eventually. You’ll definitely break. My words are absolutely right. And you’ll definitely remember them when that happens. I’m sure of that. At that time, I will laugh at you from a special seat. Yeah, this time as well. 」

Agathos smiled. It was a truly magical smile, like the sparkle of an extremely beautiful jewel. While Filaret was captivated by her smile, Agathos held onto her body and drove through the air. The scenery flashed by at an alarming speed, and Filaret’s vision began to flicker.

Agathos spoke while Filaret got upset.

「Oh, I never said I would let you go alone. Besides, wouldn’t it be faster this way? 」

The royal capital soon disappeared in the horizon. The main stage was about to move far to the east.

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Well, it seems Agathos has a soft spot toward Filaret. Not sure its Leu’s doing, perhaps so in the beginning, but not now, as it feels like Agathos herself is truly concerned about Filaret’s wellbeing.

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