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Volume 4, Chapter 77: The Destination of that Hand

I sat on the fluffy bed. I put my hands on my chin, and got immersed on my own thoughts.

The current situation wasn’t favorable for me. Not that great at all. My chest was compressed so much that my clothes felt heavy on my shoulders.

Until now, I’ve been using my profound knowledge to my advantage. I kept going forward because I had the wisdom that I’ve gained from my past journey. Yes, from my own old history. Whether it was about Caria, about Filaret, or about the Gospel War.

However, what about now? Honestly, I didn’t know much about the Hanging Gardens of Ghazalia. I never heard too much about them before. My knowledge was useless this time. I was put into a new situation where everything was unknown to me. Everything felt different this time. Even my speculation about the Elf Princess, Eldith. I thought that I knew her. And yet, I couldn’t grasp the “meaning” of the new her. Of this current Eldith.

Despite my efforts to understand the current Eldith, she uttered emotional-driven words as if her heart was unstable. She involuntarily suppressed her bursting emotions so that I wouldn’t notice her unsettling behavior.

「It’s too late for you to be regretting now. If you don’t want to get involved with me anymore, then I’ll do it for you even if I have to force it down. Nope. If you have given up, then you’ll have to do it yourself.」

I did something stupid. People like her could easily forsake whatever they decided on their own. In other words, it seemed that her opinion of me changed dramatically.

Eldith’s words sounded strangely on my ears. She uttered a weird voice as if she were “washing” her throat with saliva.

Speaking of which, it’s been a long time since I’ve had to face someone on my own. There had been a lot of people around me lately. But for me, having to face someone alone actually suited me better.

「Okay, so what should I call you, then? Princess or Eldith? Just tell me. And what do you plan to do with me? Do you actually have any power now?」

Valianne, the female elf, had just disappeared from this room without much noise. Apparently, she left us immediately upon receiving Eldith’s command.

I tried to rearrange my legs in order to search for my chewing tobacco. However, I remembered that they confiscated my belongings.

「Those words of yours. So, you assume that I can’t do anything at all since I lack power right now. I’m wondering who told you that. Well, I didn’t hide anything. It’s a known story after all. So, you probably heard it in your detestable human land.」

I see, naturally. It was a known story after all.

There was once a great King of Elves. A king who had great prospects for his kingdom, managed its politics, and ruled with great virtue. There was no other ruler as great as the King of Elves, even among the human kings. He was a great head of state. His reign had given prosperity to all the Elves. Everyone celebrated their good fortune for many and many years. Even the wicked people who lived in that era. Everyone lived a great life, the good and the bad. Everyone had a place in society.

The problem was that the elves had an immeasurable lifespan when compared to mere humans.

The reign of this king lasted for hundreds of years. Because of this problem, everyone got tired of living the same life repeatedly. They got tired of the “time” they lived in. Basically, they were unhappy with these circumstances. So, that unhappiness continued without stopping. Over time, the “small crack” turned into a “big crack”.

The problem was that this king was excellent and held utmost power. And many coveted his position. I never knew how they managed the elven throne. Whether the throne passed from generation from generation, or through a general election. I wondered if the throne was movable through the king’s death or through his own abdication.

Even those close to him, who tried to tame themselves in order to stop their lust, wouldn’t wait for hundreds of years. Eventually, that lust spoke louder, and they took actions that were convenient for them.

In this case, the king’s brother. In other words, Eldith’s uncle.

That was Fin Lagias. I remember that this king was the king who ruled the elf country in my previous life. It seemed that that part hasn’t changed. This little bit of history remained the same this time around.

It was an interesting story. Humans, elves, and everyone on both sides knew of this story very well. Actually, stories of thrones, schemes and drama didn’t happen just in the human side. It happened in the elf side as well. But, to tell the truth, it was with this lust, burst of emotions, and intense choices that everyone forged history. Yes, history wasn’t created by repetition, but by moments of change.

The current kind defeated his brother the former king, who was regarded as a great king but with no will to embrace “change”. The Elven Kingdom moved on to a new era of reign. Originally, this new reign would have begun without much problems. Be it good or bad.

But, there was one problem that came out later.

The reminder of the former king’s reign. Eldith, the Elf Princess.

She was a beloved presence among the nature spirits.

It was true that she was held prisoner in her kingdom. But, this wasn’t a regular phenomenon. The lifestyle she had in the Tower was different from a prisoner’s life. Obviously, the treatment she received was different from the other elves.

This treatment was probably due to an elf-specific value. They believed that it was forbidden to kill those who the spirits loved. It didn’t matter if she was the daughter of the former king, or if she was a commoner of the elves’ society. The spirits favored her.

Therefore, she was imprisoned in the Tower. Those who wanted to harm her kept her in there. They just imprisoned her until her mind and body collapsed. Until her sane brain became abnormal. They couldn’t hurt her, so all they had to do was wait until she decided to take her own life. Or go absolutely mad.

I thought so, but something else was bothering me. Why did they forgive Eldith and placed her in the Rescue Party? That was probably because she was no longer sane.

I remember that Eldith spoke normally during my past journey. Her conversations were cold, yes, but they weren’t insane. Everybody could understand what she said. Well, we didn’t have a mutual understanding, but she perfectly knew what she was doing. At least, that was the impression I got from her during those times.

Then, what happened? Was her past part of an unbelievable story? I didn’t know much about it. It wasn’t a story that I knew of. And I didn’t have a way to know it. After all, everything was just a story in history.

「If that’s the case, and if that’s what really happened, why don’t you overturn this?」

This current situation wasn’t very good. They were determined to imprison the Elf Princess in the Tower until she went mad. Moreover, my life would be definitely over upon the arrival of the Gharast soldiers. I didn’t even know where Caria and the others were imprisoned. I felt that my life was like an hourglass with sand.

Then, I just had to tweak it somewhere and turn it over. Ah, I just had to be good at this. Those who weren’t very talented had no choice but to continue to scratch with their feet, and find a way to turn the board upside down.

「Very few people in Ghazalia truly support me. Some, like Valianne, are loyal to me, but others, probably support me for their own interests.」

That part seemed to be no different from humans. Profit and loss, loyalty and corruption. The whole world was made of chaos. And it was the same in the Elf Kingdom, mainly within the palace politics.

「The point is, with them, you can override this place. Think this through; you could change the Hanging Gardens from end to end. Just like your uncle, Lagias, did once before.」

I responded immediately, while Eldith looked at me quite emotionally.

Until now, her blue eyes, which had been somewhat easygoing as if they grasped the wind, glowed brightly. But, not now. Her eyes were emotional, but unwavering. I threw a possibility out in the air. A possibility for our lives.

「You’re very determined to change my mind, Lugis. Okay, I understand dear cellmate. This means that you are about to become my prominent accomplice. So, will you take my hand even if you were to die?」

I listened carefully to the content of those words. They sounded solid and smooth. Perhaps, this was what Eldith truly wanted. Even though at first she refused to revolt, she was probably holding a grudge somewhere deep inside of her heart. I felt that she wanted vengeance, but didn’t want to admit it.

Before going to bed at night, and right after waking up, she recalled everything that happened to her. She remembered and remembered repeatedly.

She probably dreamt of having the royal palace set on fire. She desired to behead those who killed her father.

But, she was uncertain about a possible rebellion. How could she use the elf soldiers to her advantage? Which was the best way to use to the royal palace after the jailbreak? Which elves were on her side?

Eldith finished talking after offering her hand. I saw that her cheeks were slightly red, and her sculpture-like face showed moments of tension. That expression of hers somehow reminded me of a child. She continued to talk.

「What do you decide? I think it’s not a bad deal. I believe that this path could be favorable for you as well. But, you have given up. You intend to die just like me, am I right Lugis?」

That was not a question. Actually, she was trying to prove her point.

Well, this princess was somewhat funny. She was originally a monster, and yet, she showed me an expression of a child. Then, I opened my mouth, and touched my chin slightly.

「…No. You are actually wrong about me. I’m not going to put my life in the hands of a delusional princess raised in a comfortable greenhouse. Moreover, I’m going to tell you this, so listen well. I have no intention of dying.」