Nariel stood up from her seat.
And she desperately called out to Iselin’s name.
“Miss Iselin…?”
No matter how much she called, only the leaves whispered, and Iselin’s figure could not be found.
At her sudden disappearance, Nariel placed her hand on the tree she had been leaning on until a moment ago.
Perhaps nature would know.
“……”
But there was no result.
Not only the trees but even the surrounding grass was silent.
No, it was not silence.
‘Fear…?’
Nature was trembling.
‘Why on earth?’
This phenomenon was something even Nariel had never experienced before.
She quickly bent down.
She took a handful of soil and closed her eyes.
Would something come out this time?
Her grip on the soil tightened.
As her grip tightened, the soil slipped from her hands.
“Why!”
But it was useless again.
As if they had promised to keep a secret, everyone kept their mouths shut.
It was silence.
An anxious and frightening silence.
And then.
Nariel’s vision turned to darkness.
Someone had covered her eyes.
“!”
It was a sudden event.
She tried to scream, but no sound came out.
She tried to resist, but the opponent’s power was too great.
There was nothing she could do but surrender her body.
After a while, she felt a bit strange.
Her head was spinning, and her whole body felt twisted.
It felt as if space itself was distorting.
“Ugh…”
For a moment, she felt like she was going to vomit.
Fortunately, the feeling did not last long.
The force that had been restraining her disappeared, and her dark vision brightened slightly.
“…Huh?”
In front of her eyes were seven people.
In their hands, they held torches.
“You are…”
The people in front of her were clearly adventurers.
They were the adventurers she had been with until they divided into groups a little while ago.
Could they have escaped the forest?
Nariel hurriedly looked around.
But it wasn’t.
The place she was in was still in the forest.
Although it had changed slightly from where she was until a moment ago, she had not escaped the forest.
If there was any solace, it was that she had met adventurers.
Now, all she had to do was find Iselin and the others and escape.
“Um… where are everyone else-”
Nariel’s words stopped.
Something was strange.
The armor of the people in front of her was all stained red.
“Blood?”
Did they hunt monsters?
But their eyes were lifeless.
They all wore bizarre and frightening expressions.
Just by looking at them, she could tell.
That this blood was never from monsters.
As she realized that, Nariel slowly stepped back.
Every step she took back, the adventurers in front of her took a step closer.
“Ack…”
But then she bumped into something from behind.
“Oh my, what a cute little lady?”
A voice reached Nariel’s ears.
It was the most sweet and beautiful voice she had ever heard.
It had a tone like soft silk, with a mysterious charm that gently enveloped her ears.
A seductive and sweet voice.
Nariel turned around to find the owner of the voice.
“Ah…”
Truly, a beautiful woman was before her.
Her appearance transcended humanity.
Her pure white hair seemed to emit a soft glow, exuding both purity and elegance.
And her skin?
It looked even more radiant and smooth than her own elven skin, like glass.
Her crimson eyes, when they met hers, were deep and captivating.
“Aaa…”
She was too beautiful.
But Nariel shook her head.
If she lost her mind like this, she felt like she would be captured.
The more she felt that way, Nariel pinched her own cheek hard, trying to regain her senses.
She knew she was pretty.
But at the same time, she knew she was no ordinary being.
The horns growing on her head proved that fact.
“Shadow, you did well to bring her. We’re so lucky today.”
In what way was she lucky?
The woman before her spoke with a voice of joy.
At the same time, Nariel realized.
When the woman in front of her appeared, the adventurers who had been approaching a moment ago stopped in their tracks.
And she also realized that the presence of monsters was increasing among the surrounding trees.
“Who… who are you?”
Nariel spoke to the being before her.
She could realize it instinctively.
That this being was the true ruler of this forest.
‘I can’t win.’
And that she could never win.
Before her hand could reach the bow on her back, her life would be lost.
Before that, she couldn’t even move, overwhelmed by the oppressive aura.
“Who… who on earth are you?!”
Her voice trembled.
It was a being that should never exist in this world.
In the past, when Nariel was young.
She felt a power emanating from the World Tree, which she saw from afar, from the woman before her.
What kind of being is the World Tree?
Is it not the mother of all things, who embraces the lives of elves and nature, and sustains the world?
Of course, it was not as great as the World Tree.
Still, Nariel was surprised to feel a similar aura.
She had never experienced a monster with such power before.
Perhaps.
Was the invasion of the Demonic Realm, which was said to have occurred in the distant past, beginning again?
The woman before her spoke softly to the trembling Nariel.
“My name is Celia. I am merely a servant who follows the will of the Great One.”
“Celia…?”
She racked her brain, but she had never heard the name Celia before.
And who was the “Great One”?
Her thoughts were interrupted.
“It would be better to show you directly than to tell you.”
Clap-
Celia clapped her hands once.
Then, goblins appeared from behind.
The goblins all appeared leading the fallen adventurers.
Among them was the bound Iselin.
“I-Miss Iselin!”
Nariel called out Iselin’s name and approached.
“Don’t worry. She has merely fallen asleep.”
Celia smiled sweetly.
Indeed, as she said, Iselin seemed to be unharmed.
She just looked unconscious.
Celia took a step closer to Nariel.
“It’s heartwarming that a mage and an elf are friends. Your friendship is truly deep.”
Celia placed her hand on Nariel’s shoulder.
“This child has a very abundant mana.”
Nariel nodded slightly.
It was true.
She knew more about Iselin than anyone else.
Iselin is a mage.
Not just any mage, but a third-circle mage.
A mage who, at the age of twenty-two, was about to reach the fourth circle.
It was truly overwhelming talent.
Such a talented individual was now lying in a mere forest.
Even if she was alive, only that monster knew what their fate would be.
“What do you intend to do with us?”
Nariel was quite perceptive.
Right now, goblins were still bringing the unconscious adventurers one by one.
And they were scattering them around.
There were also adventurers who had escaped from the slime dungeon earlier.
Except for herself, everyone else was fallen.
She couldn’t miss such an obvious implication.
“What do you want from me?”
At Nariel’s question, Celia smiled.
As if she had hit the right answer, her expression was joyful.
“It’s good that you’re perceptive. I really like perceptive people. Our Master also likes those who are perceptive.”
Celia raised one finger.
“Surely you, ah, can I call you Miss Nariel? Just as you said, Miss Nariel, if you want to escape this mountain range, you must stay with this child, right?”
Nariel bit her lip.
This was what Iselin had said right before she disappeared.
In other words, the other party had been observing her completely.
Since when?
Perhaps from the moment she first climbed the mountain range.
Thinking about it, there were many strange things.
‘Was the Orc saving me for this reason…?’
As those thoughts came to her, Nariel felt a chill run down her spine.
She had been played from the beginning.
This mountain range was already consumed by that being.
Could the royal family of the Sail Kingdom have known?
Various questions arose, but they were fleeting.
When Nariel remained silent, Celia drew her finger across her other hand.
Swish-
One of the adventurers lying on the ground was decapitated, blood splattering.
It happened in an instant.
“Miss Nariel, do you want this child to die?”
Celia said that and raised her finger again.
Seeing that, Nariel shook her head.
Flustered, she couldn’t speak, so she could only shake her head with all her might.
As Nariel expressed her will, Celia smiled with satisfaction.
“Good. That’s the right attitude. Normally, there’s no such mercy, but I’ll make an exception for you.”
Celia clapped her hands once more and said,
“There are no useful personnel. Leave only the women.”
At her command, the goblins drew their rusty swords.
And then they plunged the swords into the necks of the fallen male adventurers.
“……”
In the middle of the night, red blood spurted out like flames.
Entangled with the gushing blood, the gloomy darkness descended with the moonlight.
She felt fear and despair.
Was this a dream?
Yes, a very terrible dream.
It was a gruesome sight, like having a nightmare.
All the adventurers except the women died.
It was an absurd ending.
Celia glanced at the scene once and then stroked Iselin.
“Do you want to save your friend?”
Nariel nodded.
She nodded with great difficulty.
Who would want to let someone die?
“All right. Then let’s get straight to the point. Serve me, and furthermore, serve the Great One.”
Celia whispered.
“If you do that, I will guarantee this child’s life. Don’t you want to escape from here someday?”
It was a devil’s whisper that she could not refuse.
If she refused, she would not only lose Iselin’s life but also her own.
In the end, it was a proposal she had to accept.
But that wasn’t all.
Nariel looked at Iselin.
Iselin looked unconscious, but she seemed at peace without any worries.
“Iselin…”
Iselin is a talented mage.
Not just any talent, but an overwhelming talent who, at twenty-two, was about to reach the fourth circle.
In fact, if it were Iselin, she would have been well-treated even if she had worked for a noble instead of being an adventurer.
Perhaps she could have become a mage exclusively for a certain country’s royal family.
But Iselin refused all such honors.
And she continued her work as an adventurer.
There was no great meaning to it.
Iselin continued to be an adventurer to take care of her.
When Nariel, an elf, first came into the human world, everything was confusing.
It was difficult and hard because it was so different from the elven way of life.
It was Iselin who took care of her like that.
It was her fault that Iselin ended up like this.
It was too unfair for such overwhelming talent to die before it could blossom.
Thinking so, Nariel had only one choice.
“All right. I’ll do as you say. Then what should I do?”
At Nariel’s consent, Celia beckoned.
As Celia beckoned, something flew through the air.
“Banshee…?”
As Nariel said, it was a Banshee.
The Banshee flew over and approached Iselin.
What would happen next was obvious.
“Th-this is not what we agreed upon!”
Banshees basically control the minds of their targets.
Of course, it was useless against higher-ranked beings, but Iselin was currently unconscious.
She was too defenseless against the Banshee.
“This is mercy. Look at them.”
Celia suddenly pointed to one side.
There were the seven adventurers she had seen earlier.
She thought something was strange, but they were already being controlled by the Banshee.
As Nariel looked at the adventurers, a change occurred.
“Huh? Where am I…”
One of the seven adventurers made a sound.
Life returned to their eyes.
“I was following the Paladin… definitely…?” Swish-
Before he could finish speaking, his neck was severed by Celia.
“Did you see?”
Celia, unconcerned, looked at Iselin.
“Even if their minds are controlled by a Banshee, their personalities don’t completely die. I can release them anytime if I command them.”
Celia pointed at Iselin.
“In a way, this might be mercy for you, Miss Nariel’s friend. Oh, I’m not forcing you. This mercy only applies to your friend, Miss Nariel.”
Nariel nodded at Celia’s words.
It was true.
This was a place where people died carelessly, with blood splashing everywhere.
Anyone who continued to see such sights would have their minds eroded.
Therefore, it was better to do that for Iselin.
“I… I beg of you.”
As Nariel agreed, the Banshee began to enter Iselin’s head.
After a while, Iselin’s eyes opened.
But she knew.
The current her was not Iselin.
She was merely a monster wearing Iselin’s guise.
But she would not let her live like that forever.
‘I will save you someday…!’
Nariel was resolute in her own way.
And she looked at Celia.
For now, she had to bow her head.
“Then, Miss Nariel, follow this Shadow. Mr. Shadow, please escort Miss Nariel to Sector 3.”
The shadow behind Celia changed direction and began to walk.
“Don’t worry about your friend and come along.”
At Celia’s words, Nariel finally followed the shadow.
After all, staying here would change nothing.
As soon as Nariel completely disappeared, Celia opened her mouth.
“Now, Mr. Goblin Lord.”
As she spoke, a Goblin Lord appeared from the surroundings.
“I’ll give you this child. She is a mage with a great future.”
Celia handed Iselin over to the Goblin Lord.
Iselin’s mind was currently being controlled by a Banshee.
No matter what happened to her, she wouldn’t remember.
Whether that would be despair or hope for her, no one knew.
Perhaps she herself would never know.
“As for the remaining girls, do as you please. It’s better than not having them.”
The number of goblins in the dungeon had increased significantly.
In that sense, all the living adventurers were given to the Goblin Lord.
“With this, the plan can take a step forward.”
Celia smiled with satisfaction.
From a distance, goblins were bringing bones.
They were the remains of the adventurers who had fallen to the slime.
Once all the bones were gathered, they would be reborn as skeletons by the Arch Lich.
The corpses with flesh still attached were also scheduled to become monster food.
There was not one adventurer who was wasted.
And that wasn’t all.
She unexpectedly obtained an elf.
The elf would have many tasks to do in the future.
“Finally, we can develop Sector 3.”
Sector 1 had a Death Knight as a sub-boss.
Sector 2 had a Goblin Lord as a sub-boss.
In contrast, Sector 3 was too desolate, only with plants.
This point had always been a concern, but an elf had appeared.
“May it be according to the Master’s will-”
Celia murmured and began to walk.
