240 - Someone Will Tell The Tale Somewhere Someday [Complete]

When she heard that story, she showed an unusually foolish expression and let out a dumbfounded, “Huh?”

The death of the new species of monster, “Argos,” which had caused a stir in society for a time—to her, who knew its strength well, the idea that Argos had died sounded like nothing but a bad joke.

However, once she learned the details and discovered the existence of another, different Argos that had appeared, she accepted it.

It was not especially rare for monsters to fight one another.

When she learned that the result had been mutual destruction, she muttered to herself with an indescribable expression.

“He should’ve just run.”

She had lived as a hunter, then fled to this land as though driven out of her country, where she was welcomed with fairly good treatment as a mage. She casually stopped by a shop.

Looking at the bottle of liquor she had bought there, which had cost a decent amount, she could not help but smile wryly.

Unconsciously, back when she had been a hunter, whenever someone she knew died, she had bought liquor like this and drunk it.

She had never expected that a monster’s death would naturally make her do something like this, so she murmured to the girl who had fled to this country with her that “life is something you never understand.”

She did not know the truth.

But she would not forget.

There had been a monster almost like a human—and she would surely never forget that she had come to this country together with such a monster.

It was far too small to be called a funeral, yet too solemn to be called a mere burial.

One sage clapped his hands and drew attention.

“This matter ends here.”

With only that one sentence, those who knew the circumstances nodded and returned to their respective daily lives.

However, one person remained there.

“Rusheru.”

When the woman called by that name turned around, the clan chief was there, and with his usual apologetic face, he began to speak.

“I still do not know how I should atone. But now is not the time to keep saying that. From here on—”

“I understand.”

She interrupted the clan chief’s words and nodded.

From here on, the elves had to unite as one and fight against the threat to the world.

For that purpose, there was no better choice than to return the authority she possessed.

Because she was not someone who failed to understand that, the discussion ended smoothly without incident, and people disappeared from before the simple grave made in a corner of the village, decorated only with flowers.

Only the woman who remained until the end looked back as she left.

“Whatever your reasons were, you protected us. So next, it is our turn to protect the world. I believe that somewhere within it lies what you wanted to protect.”

The next time she came here would surely be when they had protected the world, she thought, and began walking alone.

Now that she had severed ties with the Natural Harmony Committee as well, she no longer had anyone she could move.

In the truest sense, she would be walking alone from here.

However, “Come to think of it,” one person came to mind.

A young elf who could not even properly do housework.

A maiden who said that if she seduced men with her needlessly large chest, her future would be secure was waiting for her.

She was not alone—but perhaps being alone might have been better.

The woman let out a deep sigh.

Even so, surely this would become a great step for her.

After all, lifelong friends were born in unexpected places.

There were not many who knew the truth, and none of them would tell the whole truth.

Because the contents would be disadvantageous to the Council-State, this matter would be settled as it was.

Understanding that, she swallowed the complicated feelings swirling in her chest.

After that, she visited her family home and investigated.

If one unraveled the shallow history of the Council-State, one would surely encounter the story of her ancestor at least once.

Several stories about that family remained, but his name could not be found among them.

Had he survived that great war?

Or had he died?

The only thing she learned was that she had learned nothing.

The mentions Yunos’s mother had made of her son were far too few, and the same could be said of his elder sister and younger sister.

There was little information left, and he himself had belittled himself, but after this incident, one had no choice but to say that his evaluation had been wrong.

“…He forced a mutual kill against the Ultimate Lifeform, created with the Empire’s latest genetic modification technology.”

Without a doubt, she thought, he could be called the son of that great woman recorded in history.

Yunos had learned of the Nemesis Code, learned that it also existed in Major Glast after he became the Ultimate Lifeform, and likely chose the path of eliminating him.

However, the more she looked at the remaining documents, the less she understood how it had ended in mutual destruction.

There had been an overwhelming difference in ability—she could not understand how he had overturned it.

As for that, she decided to accept that there must have been information unknown to them.

She thought.

If the times allowed it, then someday, somewhere, she would tell the story of one man among her ancestors who had walked a strange life.

The story of a recruit whom no one would believe, who called himself mediocre and ended his life as a monster.

In orthodox stories, bloodline and talent somehow spoke loudest.

If so, what could an ordinary person without talent do?

What he could finally grasp by risking his life and wagering everything was, from the perspective of the world, far too small.

It was not as if he was dissatisfied with that.

He simply could not say he did not wish he had lived a little longer.

But it had not been bad.

Even if it was self-satisfaction, he felt that at last, he could face his family.

He did not intend to take pride in what he had done.

In the end, out of ego, he had merely dragged that man down with him—a soldier who had been unable to abandon his ideals and had only tried to clear away the regret he carried.

That was why this ending was fine.

A mediocre man with no redeeming qualities, who had nevertheless been loved by his family, was drafted, became a monster, and ended his life as a monster.

That was all this story was.

That was fine.

Well, it might be strange for me to say it myself… but I did pretty well, for me.