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“…The beginning of the ‘taboo’ was the ancient elves. Because of that, the world may now be destroyed.”

I would not go so far as to say I had learned everything, but after hearing what they, the ones called sages, were able to tell me, I ended up holding my head. Osba nodded at the concise summary I gave after hearing it all.

“The Spirit’s Chosen appears when the world is in crisis. Using the spirit armaments as a catalyst, the memories and personalities of our ancestors are overwritten onto them, and they obtain the power to preserve the world.”

“However, the crisis this time is far too great, and they still have not obtained enough power to remove the cause. Even after becoming the will of the world, they cannot reach it, and therefore not the slightest waste is permitted. That is why that person will not lend us their power.”

Following Osba, who nodded, Odel added a supplement, and Zebis explained the current situation with a grave expression.

To state the conclusion first, the ancient elves were at fault.

I understood that a magical civilization that had existed in the past had brought a crisis to the world, but what was I supposed to do when that had dragged on all the way to the present day?

Or rather, this was the first I had even heard that such a civilization had existed.

Apparently, there was still some time left, but it was not as though there were decades. The current situation was apparently a question of whether “World Crossing” would be invoked first, or whether the Spirit’s Chosen would first accumulate enough power to completely defeat the caster.

“You said ‘World Crossing,’ right? That is about to be performed again somewhere in this world.”

Osba nodded at my confirmation.

“It may be called the greatest mistake of us elves. By forming a connection with another world, people who were born while retaining knowledge of that other world began to appear. From their perspective, this matter involving the Empire is karma. Even if we perish because of it, as long as the world is preserved, they will not regard it as a problem.”

“Are you all fine with that?”

I asked them, since they seemed to have accepted destruction.

Then the three looked at one another and began speaking as if, conversely, they were trying to persuade me.

“Of course, if we can survive, we would like to.”

“However, there will be no second time. This world is small, and it is not strong enough to be connected to another world.”

“If ‘World Crossing’ is performed again, this world will literally vanish. In that case, we must not drag them down.”

The nodding sages might have been fine with it because they had lived long enough, but what about the others?

It would be nice if I could declare that an Imperial soldier would never target civilians, but unfortunately, in the war against the Republic, towns where the evacuation of noncombatants had not been completed had been destroyed.

Even if some kind of treaty existed, the Empire no longer existed, and it was not difficult to imagine that civilians could be massacred under any number of excuses.

More than anything, hatred from the war was one of the factors driving the major to fight, and eliminating him had become my goal.

I had come here after judging that cooperation with the elves was possible, but the crucial fighting strength was nowhere near enough.

Even so, they had no choice but to fight.

Even without the spirit weapon user, the Republic’s greatest fighting force, they had to fight in order to live.

“Do the people of this village know that?”

“Only the sages know the details. But not a few know of our sin.”

“That was why we feared it, and the sages of that time decided to destroy the Empire.”

“In that case, karma comes full circle. Perhaps it cannot be helped if we perish as well.”

The three of them neatly lined up their words in order, but then Osba stroked his white beard and said, “But I would like to live a little longer.”

As if following his lead, the three began saying whatever they liked, such as, “Truly.”

Apparently, their dignity did not last very long.

To summarize what I had learned so far, it was roughly like this.

The ancient elves created the “taboo,” and the world nearly perished.

Because of that, they created a system called the Spirit’s Chosen to preserve and continue the world.

However, they currently lacked the power to respond to the present crisis, so the Spirit’s Chosen was accumulating power and could not cooperate.

As a result, I was about the only one who could fight the major.

Without spirit weapons, the elves had no chance of winning a battle against the major.

Even if I alone joined them, that would not change the situation, and the “taboo,” which might have become our lifeline, was now gone.

At this point, it was doubtful whether a battle would even be possible.

“If only there were at least a spear wielder…”

After confirming the situation again, those words slipped from my mouth.

If we could have combined that with the spirit sword the girl had taken back, I thought there still might have been a chance.

Even with an improvised spirit sword user, if some kind of special ability was granted like Rachel had shown, a chance of victory might be born depending on what it was.

But Zebis-jii-san reacted to that mutter.

“That is impossible.”

I felt something strange about his choice of the word “impossible” rather than “there is none,” and tilted my head.

The old man, realizing his slip of the tongue, was nudged with an elbow by the old man beside him.

“Ah… Asterio is not failing to produce a spear wielder. They are refusing to produce one.”

“Doting on one’s child has gone too far. What do they think we established a divisive category like the ‘Three Great Clans’ for?”

“He learned the mechanism, feared that his son would disappear, and kept him away from it. Complaints from those who do not know the truth have even reached us.”

While the three complained as they pleased, their words created a discrepancy inside me.

“Wait. Did one not have to be chosen by the weapon in order to use a spirit weapon?”

“It is the opposite. One does not become a spirit armament user because one has aptitude. One can use a spirit armament because one can become a vessel for the will of the world.”

The two others nodded at Odel’s answer to my question.

In other words, a “spirit weapon user” was “someone with the qualities to save the world,” and part of the system for selecting a vessel in which this “will of the world” could reside.

The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind for an instant.

To deny it, I asked them.

“I have a question. Suppose that girl fails to eliminate the world’s crisis. In that case, what happens?”

At my question, the three looked at one another and concluded with just one sentence.

“The world perishes.”

That was true, but that was not what I meant.

However, before I could say that, Osba answered me.

“We understand what you wish to say. The answer is, ‘the next one is chosen.’”

With those words, I realized that my concern had been correct.

“Once one has shown the qualities, one may become the next Chosen. Even if it is not in their hands now, the spirit armament will certainly return.”

“Once it has been shown to the world, there is no escape.”

“That is why Belack is fleeing from Asterio’s duty.”

My worst prediction had hit the mark.

If that girl failed, there was a possibility that Rachel would be chosen next.

What that meant was the disappearance of the existence known as “Rachel.”

There was already nowhere to direct the anger welling up inside me, and I understood at least the stupidity of taking it out on that girl, who supposedly housed the will of the ancient elves.

Far from that, now that I knew, I even felt the need to cooperate with the Spirit’s Chosen.

However, with my level of power, even the word “cooperation” was presumptuous.

The difference in power was that obvious, and I could not imagine that anything I did would make the situation improve.

(In the end, I have no choice but to leave the world’s crisis to her and focus on fighting the major.)

What I had learned by coincidence was not something I could do anything about.

As a result, what I had to do had not changed at all.

It was a matter on such a scale that someone like me had no meaning agonizing over it.

Even so, I thought I ought to do what I could, so I opened my mouth.

“I have one piece of information.”

What I spoke about was the rapid development of magical technology in the Kingdom of Seizeria.

The existence of the Tower of Wisdom, where elites gathered, and the genius there—I told them, the sages, what I had heard from the mage who had accompanied me through the Great Forest.

“That information has reached our ears as well.”

“It had not been confirmed, but…”

“This should be enough to move people.”

“Much appreciated,” each of them said in gratitude.

With this, I wanted them to let me off for having stood in the way of that girl, who had needed to continue accumulating power.

When I told them that, they laughed and nodded.

However, their expressions soon returned to normal, and Osba-jii-sama asked me a question.

“Do you not hate us?”

As expected, they seemed to have figured out my true identity.

If the major—the black Argos—was a product of the Empire that no longer existed, and he was attacking out of hatred for the elves, then there was no need to think about what my existence, with the same appearance, implied.

“It is not that I have no thoughts about it. However, the Empire is already gone, and it has been two hundred years since that war. I did not have anyone close to me die in it to begin with. I did not decide to head to the battlefield because of hatred either. I was that kind of ordinary man.”

“However, when the black Argos was human, he lived on the battlefield.”

I nodded at Zebis’s words, and the other two shook their heads as if to say, “Then it cannot be helped.”

They probably believed their fate had been decided.

But it was still too early to give up.

“I have a request, believing that you sages are people with power in the Republic.”

If they could move the elves, then it was not as if there were no options left.

I asked them to do something that I thought those called sages would be able to do.

After confirming that they nodded to it, I stood up.

It was not as though I had plenty of time left.

I would finish what needed to be done quickly.

“And that is why you came to me?”

The one who said that while showing me an exasperated face was Number Six, Rusheru Forshna.

Having the old men as my final conversation partners would be a little too sad for me, so I made this choice.

I had been helped by her before, so I had intended to at least give my greetings.

Also, there was something I wanted to ask of her, so this was necessary.

“I believe you have already realized my true identity…”

“An experimental soldier of the old Empire. The one we saw in the underground facility before was one of your companions.”

“That is how it is, yes?” she said, looking at me with somewhat cold eyes, and I nodded.

“I have no intention of asking your reason for eating it before my eyes. There is no time for that either.”

“No, you will hear it.”

This time, I showed a forceful attitude as if cutting off her words.

Rusheru’s face twisted for an instant with confusion and displeasure, but that would change once she heard my proposal.

“I want you to become my accomplice. There is one thing I offer in return: the head of Major Glast Estorque—the black Argos created by the Ultimate Lifeform Project.”

At my proposal, Rusheru’s eyes opened wide.

There had been a method.

But I had lacked resolve.

In the end, I had once again shamelessly reached out for a dangling hope and kept struggling to live while claiming I had resolved myself.

(That ends now. If there is a possibility that the world will perish no matter what I do—)

Then I would believe the world would be saved and simply do what I could.