Chapter 169: Departure Festival (7)
Valen Zeisho.
That was the name of a member of the Wolpen Knights, one who was once called the Fairy King.
It had also once been a name that represented an era, and in the modern day, it had become a legend in itself.
“……”
“……”
“……”
A heavy silence settled over them, as if it had been prearranged.
If one were to put it into words, it wasn’t exactly distrust. Rather, it was the sort of bewilderment that came from not knowing how to respond to something so suddenly and unexpectedly brought up.
Even Lian, who had walked in alongside Valen Zeisho, couldn't hide his confused expression.
The other two were even more so.
The one who finally broke the awkward silence was none other than Valen Zeisho himself.
“Judging from your expressions, it seems you have quite a few questions and doubts. And perhaps, even suspicions about me.”
Though his face remained expressionless, he nodded as if he understood.
“In that case, I’ll start the story myself. Yes... it’s best I begin with the reason I came here.”
He paused, as if collecting his breath, then spoke again.
“The reason I came all the way to this academy... is to retrieve the corpse of a clansman.”
Corpse.
At that word, the brows of the three furrowed slightly.
Cecilia even grimaced outright.
And for good reason. For an elf to come to the Empire—of all places, the academy—to retrieve the body of a fellow elf was a disturbing notion and not one easily accepted.
“It seems this explanation may take some time. Please collect your thoughts and listen calmly. Also... I am not very eloquent, so I ask for your patience on that matter.”
Valen Zeisho continued calmly, as though he had anticipated their reaction.
“First, elves and High Elves may seem similar, but they are fundamentally different races. To be precise, elves are a divergent race that originated from us... the High Elves. I could go into more detail, but that much should suffice for now.”
He made a slight motion, as if shrugging his shoulders.
“In any case, perhaps because of that origin, there are elves who occasionally revere High Elves as objects of worship. Yes... Lian Gwendil, it would be akin to the idolatry your Holy Sun Church speaks of.”
Valen Zeisho continued his explanation matter-of-factly.
“There are various objects of such worship. Clothes or weapons the High Elves used in life, artworks or crafts they personally made, even statues fashioned in their likeness. In the distant past, some High Elves were even said to present themselves as living deities... though that’s such an old tale that I’ve only ever heard it in passing.”
He paused briefly and looked around at the three of them.
“Now, let me get to the point. Among the objects of worship... is the corpse of a High Elf.”
He repeated the word “corpse” again in a low murmur.
“Corpse... even though I’m the one saying it, it does sound rather strange, doesn’t it?”
He closed his eyes briefly, as if pondering, and then added,
“Anyway, when a High Elf dies, on very rare occasions, their body does not rot and decompose, but instead hardens in the form they died in, transforming into something like a gemstone. If I were to describe it... something akin to ivory or jade. The appearance is remarkably mysterious and even beautiful.”
Valen Zeisho paused there.
He exhaled softly, almost like a sigh.
“That is why even today, some elves treat such bodies as sacred relics, giving them solemn funerals, enshrining them, and even building temples around them to worship.”
“So, you mean...”
As Lian murmured under his breath, Valen Zeisho met his gaze and nodded.
“Yes. One of those enshrined bodies, once revered as an object of faith... one of those corpses of my kin, has been stolen.”
His voice grew deeper and heavier.
“And I... had a deep connection with that person when they were alive, which is why I had no choice but to come looking for it myself. After many days of tracking, I managed to find traces that led me to the land of humans.”
Valen Zeisho paused and sighed.
“The problem is... what I found is that it was listed as an item in an auction.”
He muttered next, almost like a groan.
“And that auction operates strictly on a membership-only basis. Outsiders can’t even get inside, let alone place a bid.”
Then, for the first time, Valen Zeisho subtly furrowed his brow.
It was a small shift in expression, but coming from someone who had been utterly expressionless until now, it told Lian clearly—he was very angry.
“If I could find out when and where that auction is taking place, I would go there immediately…”
At his muttered frustration, Cecilia quietly asked,
“Um... then how do you plan to get it back?”
Valen Zeisho replied in a flat tone.
“I have no human currency. Not even any precious metals.”
“Then…”
“To be precise.”
He declared.
“It’s technically a stolen item. Stolen property. It only makes sense that I, as the rightful owner and representative, reclaim it.”
His words were effectively a declaration of his intent to use force.
Yet Lian, Cecilia, and Allen showed neither surprise nor resistance.
On the contrary, their expressions suggested they found it only natural.
Especially for Lian, who had vaguely heard from Professor Windy May about the combat level of the knights, the fact that he was even considering a peaceful method was genuinely a relief.
...That is, if he really was who he claimed to be.
“So, there is something I wish to ask of you. I’d like your help regarding this matter.”
Valen Zeisho looked seriously at the three of them in turn.
“I know the corpse will appear in the auction, but I have no idea when or where this auction will be held. I considered asking a few acquaintances I’m connected with, but… they’re not exactly well-versed in this kind of information. Besides, due to their social status or positions, they cannot act carelessly, and I don’t want to place an undue burden on them.”
Above all, if they were to sense something strange and go into hiding, that would cause a whole new set of problems.
While listening to Valen Zeisho’s explanation, Lian quietly sank into thought.
‘Was it Lot…? What was his name again?’
Lian recalled a man under Princess Velita who claimed to be skilled in information gathering.
That man might know something about this kind of matter.
Lian concluded it would be best to find an opportunity to ask him.
“…Understood. I’ll try to look into it.”
At Lian’s reply, a faint trace of relief crossed Valen Zeisho’s otherwise expressionless face.
“Thank you.”
He offered a brief word of gratitude before speaking again.
“Now that I’ve finished my story, as I mentioned earlier, I’ll answer your questions.”
At that, Cecilia and Allen both glanced toward Lian, as if it had been prearranged.
In the end, Lian stepped forward and asked the question.
“Why did you come to us, of all people, with this story?”
It was the first question that came to mind.
Yes, let’s suppose he really was that Valen Zeisho.
Then why had he suddenly brought all this up to them?
“There are several reasons, but one of them is because you defeated those who held fragments of the Eight Demon Lords.”
At Valen Zeisho’s answer, Allen looked confused.
Cecilia merely narrowed her eyes at him slightly, as if on guard.
Lian silently met Valen Zeisho’s gaze.
Valen Zeisho tilted his head slightly, as if to ask whether any further explanation was necessary.
“Is that enough for you?”
“…Yes. Then my second question. If you really are who you say you are… why are you acting in person like this? I mean, you’ve already…”
“Left the secular world, is that what you mean?”
Lian gave a quiet nod.
“It’s true that I once tried to leave the world behind. Back then… even against the pleas of my companions, who were dearer to me than life itself.”
“……”
“But as I said before, this matter involves the body of my kin. I couldn’t just sit still, not when it was about ensuring their rest.”
He paused for a moment, then continued in a quieter voice.
“As I already explained, I had a deep connection with the owner of that body in life.”
Suddenly, Lian could sense sorrow and anguish in his voice.
And apparently, so could Allen.
“…May I ask what kind of relationship you had?”
Allen asked cautiously.
Valen Zeisho went silent for a moment, then replied in a calm voice.
“She was my wife.”
“Ah.”
Allen let out a short gasp without realizing and couldn’t hide his fluster.
He quickly bowed his head in apology.
“…I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
“Think nothing of it. It happened a long time ago.”
Valen Zeisho waved his hand as if to say it was fine.
“And to be honest, there are a few more reasons.”
He continued, as though trying to lighten the mood.
“In fact, there are many other young people here with great potential. But I specifically sought you out because a few people I know had ties to you.”
Valen Zeisho looked at Allen.
“Your master, for example.”
Then he turned to Cecilia.
“And your master as well.”
Lastly, his gaze landed on Lian.
“And…”
Valen Zeisho fell silent.
He lightly shrugged and muttered softly.
“Well, that’s all. …Also, whether I’m real or just a braggart, you can ask your teachers and find out. And as for the final reason…”
Valen Zeisho once again looked at the three of them.
“It was just a feeling.”
Then, in a nonchalant, even playful tone, he added,
“A vague intuition that I just wanted to choose you for some reason.”
He let out a small breath, as if to signal he had finished his explanation.
“Now then, I’ve said what I wanted and answered your questions. So now, it’s time to talk about the compensation I’ll give if you decide to help me.”
With that, Valen Zeisho suddenly rolled up his left sleeve.
“I’ll give you this in return.”
Etched into his forearm was a Brand.