Chapter 63
Elf.
With an average lifespan of 800 years, this race lives far longer than humans.
They are beings who exist between immortals and mortals, and they are born with inherently powerful abilities.
Although not true immortals, they have a long lifespan.
They are born with magical power three times stronger than that of an average human and their physical abilities are about twice as strong as well.
In contrast to the Orcs, who possess strong physical abilities but lack magical power, Elves are superior to humans in many ways.
However, this elven race has several fatal weaknesses.
Due to these weaknesses, they have never expanded their influence beyond the northern great forest region.
One is their extremely low birth rate, averaging 0.5 births, which is lower than that of any other race on the continent.
There are various reasons for this, but the main reason is their inherent nature—their desire for procreation is much less than that of other races.
Elves have lower sexual desire, and their chances of conception are low.
The exact reason for this is unknown, but scholars speculate that it may be a natural instinct to regulate their population due to their long lifespan.
Another issue, more critical than their low birth rate, is that there is a race above them, ruling over them.
These are the immortal beings who possess power comparable to that of gods.
They are Dragons.
Dragons, who have ruled over the Elves since ancient times, are regarded as their gods.
The massive tributes offered to the dragons and the labour required to appease them serve as a form of suppression, preventing even the most ambitious elven leaders from expanding their influence.
To the east of the Elven Kingdom lies the city.
A general defending Rivendell, and one of the most renowned archers among the elves,
Philoctetes gazed at the plain before him with a serious expression.
“General, your eyes might fall out if you keep staring like that. Why not take a break?”
“Don’t talk nonsense. How can I relax during times like these?”
“Well, that’s true. But if you keep staying on edge all the time, you’ll be too exhausted when the time comes. People need a balance between tension and relaxation. Take a break, just for today.”
“I appreciate your concern, but I cannot afford to do that.”
Philoctetes replied in a solemn voice to his subordinate, the army medic Macau.
Although the Elven Kingdom was being exploited by the dragons, ironically, these very dragons also provided them with a degree of protection. The humans to the south and the demons to the east dared not invade the Elven Kingdom because of the dragons.
Though they could not flaunt their power under the dragons’ protection, the Elven Kingdom had maintained a relatively peaceful state.
However, as the commander of the border guard, Philoctetes had recently developed deep concerns and vigilance.
The political landscape of the continent had been changing rapidly.
There were small and large anomalies occurring in the human nations ruled by gods powerful enough to oppose even the dragons.
Rumours about a newly emerged powerful being called the Angel God worried him, but the greatest concern was the increasing presence of demons.
Demons, enemies of all races in this realm.
Even the powerful dragons were wary of these wicked beings.
Although the demons had only interfered in small-scale incidents for the past few centuries,
The recent event in the Blackset Empire—the destruction of the heart of the Baal Church in Salem by demons—made Philoctetes acutely aware of the serious danger.
He worried that the demons might invade as early as tomorrow.
Especially since Rivendell, where he was stationed, bordered the kingdom of Nero, home to the demon-worshiping race.
The demons’ movements were alarming, and Philoctetes could not shake the concern that this could lead to war with the demon-worshipping race.
Even if this turned out to be just paranoia, as Macau had suggested,
Philoctetes continued to stare at the plains beyond the walls, never letting his guard down, as always.
Meanwhile,
Watching his commander in such a state, Macau let out a small sigh and made a decision in his heart.
‘I didn’t want to use this method, but… there’s no choice…’
As a medic, it was good to have a diligent superior, but he couldn’t just watch his commander continue to push himself to the point of harming his health.
So Macau, although reluctant, decided to use his last resort.
“By the way, General Philoctetes. That… daughter of yours, Atalanta…”
“Hmm? My daughter? Why? Did you hear any news from her?”
At that moment, Philoctetes, who had been staring at the plains, turned his gaze toward Macau.
At the same time, the tense look that had been on his face began to soften.
Just as Macau expected.
Seeing this, Macau let out a small sigh inside and spoke in a calm voice.
“Ah… no, I was just wondering if your daughter has been doing well lately.”
“Of course, she’s doing great! We went hunting together recently, and she caught her first rabbit!
You know how fast rabbits are, don’t you? She aimed without blinking and got it in one shot.
I’m not sure whose daughter she is!
She looks exactly like her mother, but thankfully she inherited my archery skills. Even though she’s still young, I’m sure she’ll become an amazing archer someday.”
“…Hahaha…”
Macau could only respond with an awkward laugh as his superior went on and on about his daughter.
Watching his commander, the very definition of a doting father, Macau observed quietly, feeling relieved that the tension had somewhat eased.
However…
“!”
“…Huh? …General?”
In the next moment, Philoctetes suddenly stopped speaking and swiftly leaned against the wall of the fortress.
Seeing his serious demeanour, Macau realized that something had happened. He cautiously leaned against the wall and peeked over it.
Immediately, his face stiffened.
“G-general… Is that… could it be?”
“The demons… and those… are likely devils.”
A massive number of figures were marching toward the fortress.
The demons, clad in black armour, were advancing in perfect formation.
And alongside them, flapping their wings, were devils approaching from the sky.
Even with a rough estimate, there were thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of enemies. Philoctetes’ face hardened at the sight of the vast army.
“I knew this day would come eventually, but…”
“Damn! Emergency! Emergency! It’s an enemy attack! The demons are invading!”
Macau hurriedly rang the nearby bell, signalling an alarm.
The elven soldiers within the fortress quickly armed themselves and rushed to the walls.
It had been nearly hundreds of years since the last war with the demons.
Now that the very situation Philoctetes had feared was happening — a demon invasion — he swiftly headed to the inner fortress to command the troops.
“Send word to the Royal Capital, Olympus, immediately. Inform His Majesty that the demons and devils have begun their invasion!”
“Yes, General!”
“Podaleos, take your men and defend the eastern side. Do not let a single one of them breach the fortress!”
“I shall carry out your orders.”
As his subordinates hastily carried out their tasks, Philoctetes grabbed the arrows slung across his back and ascended the watchtower.
The plains before them were covered in the black mass of demons and monsters they commanded.
And, just like a flock of ravens, countless devils filled the sky.
Even a rough estimate showed that the enemy forces outnumbered their own by several times.
Philoctetes aimed his bow and silently offered a prayer.
He instinctively knew that this would be the place of his grave.
“Dragon King Zaus, please, protect my homeland and my family.”
* * *
Olympus.
Located at the peak of a mountain, it is the capital of the Elven Kingdom, also known as the homeland of the dragons.
At this moment, in the heart of the royal palace, sat twelve Elder Dragons — the immortal beings who governed the elves and held a crucial role in the world’s balance.
Among them was the most powerful of all, the Dragon King, Zaus.
His silver-white scales shimmered with faint traces of lightning coursing through his body, as he coiled majestically on his grand throne.
In a voice that carried both authority and grace, he spoke.
# Now that we are all gathered, let us begin our discussion. The topic concerns the insolent devils currently invading our domain from the east.
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