GalaxyTL
An emergency meeting had been called regarding Meg. A shocking truth had come to light after comparing Gil’s information with mine.
It was still speculation, but it was highly likely. I had to share this crucial information with the other guild leaders, so I told Saura, and she decided to hold a meeting tonight.
『So, how is Meg? 』
Gil’s voice echoed from the shadow, which had taken the shape of a black eagle. This was Gil’s magic; the shadow wasn’t a living being, but an extension of his magic power, imbued with the ability to transmit sound. He could also use it to deliver objects, as long as they weren’t living things. There were limitations in terms of distance, quantity, and other factors, but it was a ridiculously convenient and powerful ability. So, only the members present and the Don knew about it.
“She was doing great! She wasn’t even scared of me!”
『…I see.』
Gil’s reply to Nika’s lighthearted report was laced with a hint of satisfaction. Is that all you’re concerned about? Gil rarely showed interest in anything, but when it came to Meg, he was a different person. To be so easily satisfied by trivial information… he’d fallen hard for her.
Well, I understood how he felt. I felt the same. Or rather, everyone in the guild who’d interacted with Meg felt the same way, I was sure of it. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be holding a meeting with so many important people.
“Alright, let’s begin! Let’s get this over with… I’m sleepy!”
“You really love sleeping, don’t you, Sauradite? The rest of us can easily go for five days without it.”
“That’s like saying you don’t need to eat but you still eat. It’s a form of entertainment!”
Saura replied reasonably to Kei’s question. Eating, drinking, sleeping, even sexual desire… we demi-humans didn’t need them as much as humans. We still needed them, but not to the same extent. However, many demi-humans preferred to stay active, finding sleep to be a waste of time. At this guild, though, the rule was to try to sleep at least once every three days. It was one of the Don’s strange quirks.
“Gil, you first! Spit it out!”
『Understood. The results of my investigation over the past two days…』
Thus began the meeting.
To summarize Gil’s report: When he returned to that dungeon, as expected, there was barely any information left. However, he was able to track down the approximate location where Meg was most likely enchanted, based on the faint traces of magic power left behind. There was no need to explain how much time and concentration that must have taken.
『I was able to track it to near the Hawkley border, but I figured out which direction Meg and her guardian came from.』
Hawkley was a country north of Centrei, where the dungeon was located. It was quite a distance from Lilthorley, where Ortus was based. It must have been a long journey, but this man showed no signs of fatigue. As expected.
“If you know that much, why can’t you track them any further?”
Kei’s question was a valid one. The border between Hawkley and Centrei was at the foot of the tallest mountain on the continent. The entire mountain belonged to Hawkley.
So, to get to Hawkley from another country, you had to cross the mountain. There were three routes. Two of them were official routes, relatively safe. And the other one was a detour route. It was dangerous, an option rarely considered.
『…They didn’t take the official routes. They came from the detour route.』
“That means…”
There were still those who took the detour route. There were two possible reasons why someone would be forced to use it.
Firstly, they were on the run. They could be fleeing from someone or something, trying to disappear. They’d use the detour route to avoid detection. You had to register when using the official routes, so it was easy to track someone’s movements.
However, very few people managed to cross it successfully. And even those who did, they were always heavily injured. There was no way you’d be unscathed. So that couldn’t be the reason for Meg, who was practically unharmed.
The other reason was the key to Meg’s secret. Judging from the fact that she’d successfully reached the dungeon, and from my own investigation, this was the most likely reason. And that was—
『They were on the run. But Meg… is probably a High Elf.』
“““!?”””
…At the end of the detour route was a hidden High Elf Village. A place so secluded, so hidden, that its existence was considered a myth. However, I knew High Elves actually existed, and that their village was at the end of the detour route. There was literature about High Elves in my homeland, in the Elven village, and I’d read them.
“High Elves! You’re saying that Meg is from that terrifying race that sees all other races as enemies and eliminates them without question?!”
“To think that such a kind child could belong to that race… It’s hard to believe.”
Indeed. High Elves were a proud race. To an extreme. We elves weren’t even acknowledged as being the same species.
The Elf village, on a remote island in the south, and the High Elf Village, hidden in the north. The sheer distance between them would suggest how much the High Elves loathed elves. They’d probably kill any elf they saw on sight. Like pest control.
There was a historical event that created a decisive rift between elves and High Elves. An event that the High Elves never forgot, an event that fueled their hatred of us. Even though we were practically the same species, there was no way to understand each other.
They were one of the longest-lived races in the world, living for tens of thousands of years, so their wisdom was immeasurable. It was said that they’d chosen to isolate themselves because of this. Had their long lives led them to enlightenment, or to a distorted view of the world? There was no way to know.
“…And a High Elf… child, no less. That’s like a mythical creature. And to think she’s here… What a string of miracles.”
As Saura had said, High Elves had an even lower birth rate than we elves. There probably hadn’t been a High Elf child born in thousands of years. For them to let someone so precious out of their village… It would take a cataclysmic event.
“It would take something extraordinary. What kind of extraordinary event… It’s terrifying to even think about.”
『It could even be… a war with the High Elves.』
A war with the High Elves. We had an overwhelming advantage in terms of numbers. However, their knowledge and nature magic were on par with natural disasters. And each one of them possessed that power. Even if we managed to achieve a narrow victory, it would come at a great cost, with half the world potentially destroyed.
This was no longer a matter we could handle on our own, it could potentially involve the entire world. No one wanted to think about that adorable little girl being the cause. Perhaps her fate had been decided the moment she was born.
“We need to inform the Don immediately. This is beyond our control.”
“…You’re right. We might even need to ask the Demon King for help.”
No one objected to Saura and Ludo’s suggestions. To rely on the Don and the Demon King. It was a last resort. And yet, it seemed the time had come.
The atmosphere turned heavy. It couldn’t be helped.
『But… I still want Meg to live a peaceful life.』
Everyone agreed with Gil’s quiet words. Even though we’d practically confirmed her true identity, for some reason, we couldn’t bring ourselves to view her as an enemy or abandon her.
“Speaking of which, the spirit Meg is trying to choose as her first spirit is a very weak one. With her potential, she could choose a far more powerful spirit.”
Even knowing that, Meg would probably choose that spirit. Thinking about her personality brought a smile to my face. She didn’t have any of the typical High Elf characteristics. A gentle warmth filled the room. Meg, you really are a mysterious child. In many ways, a true miracle child.
“!”
Ludo suddenly stood up, his expression turning serious. The air instantly turned tense again.
“What’s wrong, Ludo?”
“…It seems there’s been a change in Meg’s condition. Reki contacted me.”
His words made everyone’s expression change. We could feel Gil’s unease from the shadow.
“I was just about to tell you all. Perfect timing. Everyone, come to the infirmary with me. However, don’t do anything unless I tell you to. And no talking.”
Everyone silently nodded to Ludo’s doctorly order. No one disobeyed. We all knew the dangers of disobeying Ludo in this state.
We stood up and headed for the infirmary with brisk paces.