I Picked Up the Abandoned Hero

64 – 64. Oath of Curse

The space that I thought was an empty white corridor was actually just a small forest.

Except for a few handfuls of forest, there was only a space where everything else had turned to white ashes.

The sky is blue but there are no clouds, and it is a mysterious place where light shines even though there is no sun.

“Come to think of it, why do you hate your grandmother so much?”

Arcel asked Alfred over his tea.

“It’s a simple story. First, I’m an elf. Second, I don’t have any responsibility. Third, I don’t really hate it.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“The premise of hating is wrong, but how can you hate it when you are a family member?”

“Baby, it’s just comforting to think that my grandson has a warped way of expressing affection.”

Shion also gave Alfred and Stella a car.

A fragrant tea made from flower petals.

“And to be honest, I feel sorry for my grandson, no, well, while I was away for a while, he broke into my house and took care of my grandson.

“They bossam you? Who the heck-“

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In an instant, something flashed through Arcel’s head.

It is said that Alfred was abducted by someone when he was young and became the Demon King’s army by force.

And it was the demon king who kidnapped Alfred to the demon king’s army.

“After enjoying my hobby for a while, the house was in disarray, my grandson disappeared, and it took me quite a while to find out that the demon king had kidnapped me.”

She laughs, saying that Shion is all in the past casually, but when she thinks of what happened when Alfred became the Demon Lord, I wonder if it is really okay to laugh.

Alfred actually acted as the devil’s lord and showed his face all over the world.

Especially when he kidnaps princesses, he disappears only after the guards arrive, so he is a very famous person.

On the other hand, the demon king directly stepped forward only occasionally in battles where the war situation was unfavorable to the demons, and other than that, Alfred took his place and took care of everything.

“Why don’t you speak straight? It was annoying to take care of the baby, but you didn’t even think to find it, saying it was good.”

“At first I thought you were independent. Since you’re such a goby, I thought it wouldn’t be strange to leave a note and go on your own.”

“Ah, that Demon King’s henchman wrote and left it instead.”

Alfred said nothing, then took his paper out of his pocket and folded the plane.

Thump!

I immediately blew it at Shion, but he lowered his head to avoid it, and the flying paper plane cut down a large tree.

I wonder if the paper plane was hit in the first place?

“Oh no, it was a tree I cherished quite a bit.”

“That paper was also made from my favorite tree.”

“You said there was a tree you cared about?”

“Yes, it happened a little while ago. And I made that one out of the wood I cherish.”

Alfred points to a stake he brought from somewhere.

It is said that the burner is made of 100% solid wood and is a work of artisan’s hands.

“If you try it yourself later and leave a review, you will receive a free gift. How about it? It’s a cross-shaped lighter.”

As it was specially custom-made for Zion, it is a bonus to ask them to try it out and leave a review.

I wonder if that’s a conversation between a grandmother and her grandson.

In the first place, if you look at the outside, you can’t think of it as a grandmother and grandson.

“Anyway, listen while drinking tea. The reason I called the children is because I think I have roughly figured out the whereabouts of the book my grandson asked me to find.”

“What book?”

“Of course it’s that curse on your body, if you can’t do it physically, you have to approach it with magic. There must be a way to do so in the research book of the person who created the curse.”

“Curses, even if they are immortal, are terrifying things that can drop a person’s life into hell, so the rule is to have a means of compulsory release in case of emergency to prevent any curse from being misused.”

“Of course, your curse has been modified by humans at will, so we can’t guarantee that it will be completely lifted.

Looking at it this way, Alfred looked exactly like Shion.

However, if there is a difference, is it the difference between race and body?

Because of those two differences, it felt subtly different.

If you didn’t know the relationship between the two, they might have looked like siblings.

“Shouldn’t we at least make it possible for you to use magic? Or at least I have to change the way I redraw each time my magic is broken.”

Alfred says that restoring magic one by one is a rather arduous task.

“Ah… You certainly did the same last time.”

The way to restore it is to draw a magic circle directly on Arcel’s chest.

Not only does Arcel have to take her top off her underwear, but also draw an elaborate magic circle on her skin.

“If you get sweaty and get smudged while drawing a magic circle, boom! And it might explode.”

“Was that such a risky operation?!”

“Then the baby carries a bomb on her chest. Somehow, it seems like two bombs would go in.”

“No entry! Oh no. I’m not going in!”

They said there were a lot of things to be careful about because it was a very dangerous job.

Until now, I thought Arcel was just an ordinary magic circle, but he felt a little uncomfortable after knowing the truth.

Could it really explode?

“Anyway, I found the location of the book. By the way, the book is in the land of the elves. What is it?”

“If it is the land of the elves…”

I need to improve a little more to solve that awkwardness, but it is said that there is a book that will help you improve, not anywhere else, but in the land of the elves.

If it is the land of the elves, it is already in ruins.

“On top of that, it’s like a dangerous hell where dwarfs who have turned into terrible monsters wander around. The Devil’s Forest is so bad you can’t even give a business card.”

The Devil’s Forest is one of the most dangerous places in the world, full of all sorts of dangerous monsters.

There was a reason why it was called Devil’s Forest.

However, the place where even the Devil’s Forest turned into an incomparably dangerous world was the home of the elves.

“Originally, I or her grandmother would have to go and find it, but since I and her grandmother were banished there, we can’t go to the place where her books are.”

“What do you mean you were banished?”

“…There is a mysterious magic engraved in the land of the elves, and it is the power of the barrier that prevents the souls of those who have been banished by the Senate from entering the land of the elves.”

Stella, who had been quiet at that time, opened her mouth.

“That demon kidnapped the daughter of a chieftain from our hometown in the past, so we made a unanimous decision to banish them from entering again.”

“Thanks to that, I had to watch the demons burn alive from a distance. In a way, could this be an excuse for her grandmother not helping them?”

“You can do that enough, but why is your maternal grandmother…? He must be a high elf respected by the elves.”

Alfred is an unwelcome guest in any kingdom.

But Zion is different.

Not only was she a respected high elf in elven society, but according to Alfred, she herself was close to abandoning her people.

“Shion Magus, a genius wizard who was said to have been born in a tribe of roots about 2000 years ago… Right?”

Stella gets up from her seat saying the name of Shion.

“To think that such a young baby knows my name, even if it looks like this, I am a person from quite an old age, so it is an honor.”

There is not a little bit of a sense of being wary of Zion in that appearance.

“…How could I not know. He was the one who exterminated all the Elders of the Roots at the time and left his hometown.”

Everyone had a reason.

“The killing of the elders is unbelievable.”

“I’m probably referring to the high-ranking dwarfs of the time. The tribe of roots is the oldest tribe in the dwarves’ history. Why do you have such a sense of place?”

High elves were respected in elven society for their wealth of knowledge gained through years of experience, but in fact, until a few generations ago, if you ask if they were rare, that wasn’t the case.

He’s a high elf who can become just by living a long life.

As time went by, it was the high elves that naturally increased in number, but there was a reason why their number decreased in the present day.

“Don’t say anything like my slayer grandchildren, they’ve been living so long that elven society is sick, so they’re forced to clean it up, right?”

That’s a big event equivalent to turning the land of the elves into ashes this time.

A wizard elf, once called a genius, killed all the elders of the ruling class at the time, and there was an incident in which hundreds of high elves at the time were all killed.

And that, too, by just one elf.

“If you’re going to do it, shouldn’t you have taken care of all the children? Why did you keep him alive?”

“There are too many of them, so I can’t get my hands on them. I’m not good at genocide like my daughter or grandson.”

The elf smiled lightly and raised the teacup.

The tea with light pink petals floating is fragrant and makes the drinker smile comfortably.

“So, baby, do you want revenge on me?”

But that smile is not a true smile.

“I’m worried that you may have raised your eyes too high just because you defeated a child like a demon lord.”

As much as Alfred was trying to protect Arcel before he knew it, Shion seemed to be in a very bad mood after recalling the past.

In the first place, Alfred’s magic teacher is Shion.

Even Alfred did not want to use the magic left by the Witch of Ember because it was too dangerous, and in the end, all of his actions to the extent that he was given the name Satan were all due to the magic he learned from Zion.

If something happens, it doesn’t end small.

“…Then why didn’t you take responsibility? If you killed all the elders of the elves, shouldn’t you have stayed as the new elder for the future of the remaining elves?!”

But Stella did not back down from there.

It is because the elves have suffered greatly from the deaths of the elders who have ruled and managed the race for several generations.

It is only natural that the society is in chaos due to the absence of the ruling class, and most of the elves’ ancient magic and abilities have been lost due to the slaughter of all intellectuals.

“And where are your descendants?! How are you supposed to accept and deal with the fact that your parents committed such a terrible murder!”

That loss was a very painful loss for the elves.

In the past, elves were stronger than any other race with a brilliant civilization and many ancient magics, but after that, they went downhill and eventually reached extinction.

Even now, elves have lost their hometown and are barely surviving in the land of nymphs who are like distant relatives.

But if the ancient magic of the elves had been forgotten in the past, in fact, the hometown wouldn’t have been like that.

No matter how degraded they were, at least they could protect their land.

The home of the elves who have lived since distant ancestors.

At least, if Shion, the last remaining high elf at the time, hadn’t abandoned her people.

Stella asked why Shion made that choice.

“Why should I?”

However, the answer that came back was cold.

It was Xion who shook his head tilting his head and sincerely responded, “Why?”

“I don’t care what happens to the remaining elves. I wasn’t even like an elder?”

“…!”

Stella bit her lip when she saw Shion like that.

In the end, he got up and hid himself somewhere else.

Arsel, who was left behind, was at a loss as to how to react to this.

“Tsk, elves are still stubborn, even for children. I have big ears, but I don’t want to listen to you.”

Shion looked at Stella’s back and clicked her tongue.

There were full of reactions as if she was genuinely disappointed.

“You can see why I hate dwarves, right? Because of living too long to be useless, your own will is too firmly held. In other words, it is difficult to have a conversation.”

“Alfred…”

“Why? That’s right, right?”

“Baby, it’s very common for my grandson to do that. How about getting used to it?”

As if Shion is already used to it, she says it lightly.

In the first place, it was only Shion who knew Alfred better than anyone else here.

Above all, the time we spent together was the longest.

“But… is Stella telling the truth?”

“Yes. The elders of that time lived too long and cared too much about useless things.”

“…Useless things.”

Arsel asked in a slightly trembling voice.

Looking at it now, he was the child of his parents’ parents.

One is a notorious demon tribe called Satan, the mother of the demon tribe was a disaster called a witch, and the witch’s parents were the main culprits that led a race to perish.

“Baby, you better not know that. Sometimes, there are truths that are better not to know.”

Shion’s eyes shone red.

“If I knew what they did, even if I was a child, I wouldn’t have let it go, besides-“

A sense of intimidation that I have never felt before. It is similar to Clen, who was called the vampire queen, but it gives off a subtly bad feeling.

She was similar to, but different from Clen, who smelled of blood.

“If it were my daughter or grandson who was there instead of me, the race of elves would have gone extinct long ago. Rather, it is something to be thankful for.”

“Honestly, I don’t think it’s bad to make it extinct even now. Including Grandma, of course.”

“Whoops, he’s my granddaughter, but he’s really good at jokes.”

Shion laughed and stroked Alfred’s head.

It’s a bonus that Alfred cuts his hand straight away.

“So is it okay? Wasn’t her grandmother calling that geek to use as a guide?”

“What is a guide?”

“Literally hey, neither me nor her grandmother can break into the barriers in the land of the elves. She can be watched from afar, but that’s all. But even if she forcibly broke through the barrier, nothing would be left inside.”

You have to use enough force to break the barrier, but if you do that, the force is so great that there’s nothing left inside.

Although most of it has already been burnt down by the elves, books are still being treasured somewhere.

“After all, in order to cure the curse, you must enter the elven land yourself, but the problem is that you are not familiar with the elven land.”

“Definitely. I’ve rarely been to elven lands myself. In addition, if it has become a sea of fire, I will not be able to find it.”

That’s why it was necessary to have a Stella who was bright about the land of the elves and could protect Arcel in case of emergency.

Alfred explains that this is probably why Shion insisted on calling Stella.

“Well, I’m sorry, but it doesn’t matter what happens. If the baby is just to live, the curse is not that important.”

Shion approached Arcel and said.

“That curse was created by an ancient elf, a very terrible curse that made him remember his sins all his life. For a race with a long lifespan like elves, it’s more cruel than cutting off an arm or leg.”

He pointed a finger at his chest.

A sentence of curse dyed red, as if painted with blood, seemed to squeeze Arcel’s heart.

However, Alfred’s magic loosened the sentences somewhat and cut some of the lines.

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“Currently, the land of the elves is more terrible than hell. You will have to deal with the hot air that burns your lungs, as well as former elves who have turned into something other than monsters.”

It refers to the curse that previously consumed Stella’s body.

Luckily, Stella was able to get treatment early thanks to Alfred, but other elves had already lost their ego and body and turned into monsters.

That power will be more powerful than most monsters, as the power of the elves in life has been further strengthened.

“It might cost you your life, but I did it at the request of my grandson. It’s not something I’d recommend to be honest. Is there any reason to lift the curse anyway?”

I sincerely asked Arcel.

If you’re just going to live on anyway, it’s not necessary to curse.

You can live happily enough even if you live completely disconnected from the world as it is.

Alfred will not abandon Arcel no matter what, and it is not that difficult to make a girl who has lived only for others be happy.

“If something goes wrong with the baby, what might my goby grandson over there do?”

“I don’t really do anything, wouldn’t I just go around the world with my deceased mother? I’m going to exclude Grandma Clen’s because I’ve been watching her until I get tired of it.”

Alfred smiled broadly and answered with a smile.

“…You’re saying that you’re going to leave only ashes in the world, far away.”

Seeing that, Shion shook her head.

They’re asking if I really have to curse them.

“Why don’t you just go back and live comfortably with your grandchildren? It would be perfect if you put down that toy sword and hold onto my goby-like grandson.”

Shion spoke the truth without a single lie.

Anyway, it’s been bothering me lately, and without Arcel, I don’t have to worry about it anymore, so it’s easier to erase it.

Perhaps, even if it’s not Alfred, Clen, who never forgets his grudge, will reign as a demon as powerful as the Demon King.

In the end, either way, the result doesn’t change much.

But…

“…I can’t do that. From the moment I held the holy sword, I promised to keep my oath no matter what. Because that is the only atonement we can make for our departed comrades and those who have been sacrificed.”

I couldn’t be more so because of that.

To become a hero himself.

Become a warrior.

I really had to go through a lot of sacrifices to defeat the Demon King.

Leaving here to find your own happiness is an act of deceiving them and a sin that can never be forgiven.

Even if he made such a selfish choice, the evil will continue to eat away at Arcel’s heart.

“Besides, defeating the demon lord did not change anything. The world is still suffering. The suffering of war, drought and corruption plagues people of all races.”

In addition, Arcel saw it.

He said that although he had defeated the demon king, the reality had not changed much.

Still, the distrust between the demons and humans, far from diminishing, only grew, and the king, who was supposed to protect the people, was committing a terrible sin that he could never understand.

“Getting it right is the purpose of my existence and the reason I was born.”

Arcel took out his holy sword and made a promise.

This is the way he must go forward.