Chapter 407
Zero. The great mage finds a human (1)
High elves were strictly forbidden from even taking a step outside the hideout or the forest. Mirole thought that the Mother Tree would give birth to a high elf who would replace her even if she died, and she would, but it was also true that the price was considerable. That was why it was foolish for her to run out of the woods and even reveal her identity to Evan, who had only known her for a day.
“I don’t know well, but I guess it means that you have the right qualifications to represent the elves.”
“Yes, I do.”
However, in the position of Zero, who didn’t know this world, it was impossible to scold Mirole telling her to be careful with what she said, so he only showed a little surprise.
“But even so…I think it’s too hasty. Being a king in a situation where it is difficult for me to manage myself, it’s something hard to deal with.”
“That’s…I guess it is.”
Mirole lowered her head. Maybe she was dreaming of a future where she married Evan, who became the king of other races. It was just imagination, though.
“But I am not so wicked to pretend not to know someone in need. Moreover, if I meet a lot of people, I might learn something about myself in the process. I don’t know about becoming a king yet, but…I’m in favor of saving those dying in this forest. Is this enough?”
“Ah!”
About 30% compatible with the lines spoken by the hero of Yo-Ma Great War Zero…Mirole looked up at Evan’s words, which should be called a new scenario script now. Her ears were flapping fiercely with joy.
“You are a really good person!”
“Thank you for the compliment. But it has to do with my purpose, so there is no need to be so grateful.”
“But! Thank you, anyway!”
Mirole ran and grabbed Evan’s hands, smiling brightly. However, Maybell, who was still clinging to Evan, saw that Mirole’s ears were burning red.
“Master. Did she hold your hand for being grateful, or was she grateful for holding your hand…?”
“Saying such stupid things again.”
It was fortunate that she spoke so quietly that only Evan could hear it. Of course, Mirole could hear even the sound of a bee flapping its wings, hiding among the leaves swaying in the wind, so talking quietly meant nothing.
“It’s not that! Elves are a race that values physical contact, so even if it’s a different race, they do it with courtesy! Yes, that’s it!”
“Okay, calm down; I know that.”
“Uh…”
Evan was still calm, but Mirole looked dissatisfied. Maybe it was because Maybell was staring at her with a smirk.
“After the dwarves take a shower, let’s first discuss what they will do in the future. Will they go in search of another place to live, will they come with us…that would be better, right?”
“Yes. But maybe they’ll try to rely on you. Without you, they have no hope.”
Evan replied with a bitter smile at her words.
“I don’t think hope is found in the hands of others.”
“This is something only really strong people can say.”
Maybe Mirole didn’t know. Evan’s words weren’t abstract expressions; they were referring to actual grasp. Evan said that and instinctively clenched his fist, but there was nothing caught in his hand. Yes. Since he flew into the past, with all the jewels on Miraseul’s Necklace lit, his necklace’s abilities haven’t been activated. Since he couldn’t hunt for slime, which was a routine, only the habit of clenching his fists was left. He had a complicated feeling that was difficult to describe because he wasn’t doing what he had been since he was nine.
‘I was so distracted that I left it behind, but in fact, it’s the first thing I should have looked at.’
Miraseul’s Necklace sent Evan to the new generation, so there was a possibility that his way of returning was also hidden in the necklace. However, while recognizing the possibility, the reason that he had prioritized other things was, in simple terms, that he was the main character in this series.
He thought, ‘Oh, it’s not good to go back until I clear this.’ He was delaying to find a way to go back naturally.
“I can’t even open this!”
“How the hell was it made!? It’s like a gift from God for humanity!”
At that time, the dwarves who washed in the tent came out. They were saying pretty chaotic things, but no matter how hard they tried, there would be no way to figure out the structure. As some of the dwarves just said, “It’s a godsend.”
“If everyone is washed, don’t do anything useless, and come this way. I will give you food.”
“It was true…!”
Evan took out enough bread and meat from his inventory for them to eat their fill.
“Wow…thank you!”
“It’s delicious, delicious! It’s really good…!”
“I have decided. No matter what anyone else says, I’ll only follow you in the future! As a man, I will repay your favor!”
“He is the dwarves’ guardian who emerged to lead us all.”
It was a very difficult world to survive in, but even before Evan could say something, who would have thought that they would be asking to become his subordinates! Moreover, the words were quite plausible, talking about repaying the favor as a man and that he was the dwarves’ guardian. Still, in the end, it seemed that they wanted to follow Evan because there would be no problems with food, clothing, and shelter if they were with him.
“I said it would be like this, didn’t I?”
“Yes, they must have been too sure of the dignity of your existence.”
Evan looked back and replied to him while looking at Mirole, who couldn’t even wink properly and blinked blankly at him instead.
“If you really want to follow me, alright. Do that. In return, you will have to help me in the future.”
“That’s obvious. I will do anything if you feed me and give me a bed to sleep in.”
“You maggots. Do you remember what I said earlier? About the armament.”
While the dwarves were buttering Evan up, only the young dwarf leading his younger sister had a different attitude. Probably, getting his arm back seemed to be adding confidence to him.
“What I said earlier isn’t a lie. Even though it’s just an idea, I can make it a reality.”
“Brother, have some meat.”
“Chomp, chomp…”
His younger sister shoved meat into the dwarf’s mouth, who was saying passionate words and silenced him. The sister had a lot of food in her mouth, too. She was like the heroine of the original game who bravely helped the ancient Archmage and completed her own armament in the end even though she lost all of her kin and survived alone.
“…Gulp. Thanks to you, I calmed down. I haven’t even given you our names yet.”
The young dwarf was a little full, so he cleared his throat and looked straight at Evan.
“My name is Eihamo. Among the land fairies born in Merne, I’m the best blacksmith.”
“What! I am the best!”
“Don’t say crap; I’m the best blacksmith in Merne!”
“What, what, what? Do you want to see whose hammer is heavier now?”
Seeing the dwarves starting to fight, raising their voices as if they were at ease because they were full, Evan smiled and tapped one of the rocks on the floor with his index finger.
―Crack.
The rocks turned into powder and scattered. The dwarves became quiet at once. How good would it be if they were quiet from the beginning? These guys reminded him of the trainees who knew that they would get punished if they were caught making noise at the training center.
“Did everyone calm down?”
“We did…”
The mobilization of violence had spontaneously added manners that couldn’t normally be found in dwarves. Evan narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t care how great your metallurgy is. So, Eihamo? You said you would make an armament for those who aren’t demons…is that possible?”
“Any time! This is the result of research to trample the demons, but if it’s our savior, I’m willing to give it to you!”
“I don’t think you have many enemies, but if you use that weapon, you would be tremendous…!”
“Hmm, I’m a bit better at hammering, but Eihamo knows well about those things…”
They wouldn’t know that Maybell’s identity was the Succubus Queen and that she could wear the magic armament, which was only allowed for high-ranking demons. He kept it to himself.
“The high-ranking demons’ magic armament is innate. In other words, the magic armament is a spiritual armament made up of mana that belongs to an individual. If you want to make it artificially, the first thing you have to overcome…”
Eihamo, who was full, began to comment on the unique armament in earnest. Evan wasn’t interested in the principles of the unique armament, so he let it go in with one ear and out the other. He didn’t get bored and continued talking about the magic armament’s principles and its research process. He was talking endlessly until the other dwarves had finished eating and sat around. Evan sighed and sorted out the story.
“In other words, you are researching the means to attribute spiritual armaments to beings who aren’t demons, and creating a spiritual armament itself has many uneasy elements, so a lot of experimentation is needed.”
“The material consumed by the experiment must also be quite good! If possible, the strange fragments you obtained earlier…I will try to avoid losing it!”
That part wasn’t spoken with confidence, but Eihamo, intoxicated by his own research results, was already insane. It was his sister who came out at that moment.
“Brother, you can’t consume valuable ingredients for an experiment that’s likely to fail. Experiment with other things.”
“No, but to increase our chances of success…”
“If you keep blowing ingredients until you’re confident that you’ll succeed, later you’ll have to pick up the demon’s heads to make the magic armament.”
“Ugh, I’ll have to find an alternative that can achieve similar results…”
It seemed that he had barely reached a conclusion. Evan opened the inventory pocket in front of Eihamo, who made an embarrassed expression. And he pulled out a little of the loot he had collected after defeating the monsters. Of course, he didn’t take out real precious materials such as the Phoenix heart or the King Ice Spirit heart, which he had confined to make his own armaments. However, he pulled out a few of the Glacier Tears, one of the armament’s essential ingredients. This was because there were quite a few left even after making Astray’s main members’ armaments.
“Huh…!?”
“Where did all this come from!?”
“W-What!? Why are the skins of the top monsters that I haven’t even heard of rolling around so casually!?”
As expected, as it was a by-product of a high-ranking monster, all the dwarves stood up at once. Evan, remembering his first meeting with the dwarf Ella, laughed.
“This isn’t even one percent. If this is enough, you can experiment as many times as you like…now, you have to earn your meal, Dwarves.”
“Oooooh!”
“As expected, he was sent by God! He came to life to bring our clan back to life!”
Mirole tilted her head as she looked at the heap of monster by-products that Evan had brought out, her misunderstanding toward Evan was spreading out of control.
“A by-product of a monster that I have never seen before, even in the vast Mother Forest. But more than that, it’s essentially different from the monsters I know…Uh yeah, its base feels different.”
Mirole inadvertently spoke to herself.
“Is Zero…really someone from this world…?”