Chapter 67.2: A Journey for Spring (3)
Unlike Isoel, who always stood her ground like a stone, she pressed her temple with her index finger. She took another sip of cold water and swallowed it.
“I think it’s a bit heartless to say such a thing to someone who almost killed you.”
Cain smiled at Isoel’s words.
Although he didn’t know the details yet, he thought that Digrid and Isoel were different, to the point that the youngest daughter of the Wareham Count family did not reveal her identity and lived as a knight.
Even if she pretends not to be, Isoel is also a very strong person.’
The sight of her wielding the heavy gravity hammer, Credne, while armed with heavy armor was tremendous.
However, what Cain valued Isoel more for was her attitude.
‘She said that if Oleciren was found out to be a witch, she would turn herself in and say she was a witch.’
Even though she knew how the Holy See treated witches, she stepped forward to sacrifice herself for others.
It’s not just words.
Isoel proved it through her actions, both when she fought Arthuan, when she took charge of the rear on the Ironheart train, and when she fought Ballam.
That’s why he made a gesture to Isoel as if it were a joke.
‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’
Anyway, whether it was Isoel or Lady Isoel Wareham, she was not a subject of interest to Cain.
Only whether or not they fought together with swords was important, and Isoel was already a comrade.
“He’s not good at talking, but he said a lot of things I couldn’t miss.”
Cain told Oleciren what he had heard from Digrid and Count Garick.
Although he was more confident than anyone else in fighting with a sword, he trusted Oleciren more in this kind of political struggle within the kingdom.
“Hmm, the duke, the elven war, and Lord Count Edmund are also presumed to have survived.”
Oleciren, who had regained her original gray hair, pondered, humming.
She had no immediate words to add to the strategy that had completely overturned the board so far.
Then she looked back at Cain.
“Do you suspect that Marquis Ross is on the side of the elves?”
“Yes.”
“What are the odds?”
Some variables shake the board just by existing.
And Marquis Ross’s betrayal was a bigger variable than anything else, so Oleciren had to confirm it.
Cain recalled the 〈Ross de Kaerot〉who had shed the same green aura at the time and said.
“It’s 100%.”
Isoel raised her left hand slightly.
When Cain and Oleciren looked back at her, she asked.
“Can’t the elder who betrayed the elves deliver the vision of the forest to the knights?”
The question was whether the four knights she had met in Lamaring, who had shed a green light, had changed because of the Elder’s power.
Cain shook his head right away.
“What comes to mind when you think of elves?”
“They don’t eat meat, and they’re pretty?”
Oleciren’s answer was the common perception of elves. Cain then turned his gaze to Isoel.
“I think of the forest. Most of them don’t come out of the forest, except for wandering elves.”
“Yes. Elves live in the forest, don’t eat meat, and are beautiful. But the biggest characteristic of the elves I know is that they are all crazy.”
“……?”
The two of them tilted their heads as if they didn’t understand Cain’s words at once.
“The biggest misconception of humans is definitely the judgment that elves and humans are different but the same people.”
“Are they that different?”
“It’s a common problem, but look at this. There is a railroad track with five people tied up in front of a running train, and if you choose, you can send the train to the track where one person is tied up. What are you going to do?”
It was a famous logical problem that arose around the same time when the train appeared.
It was familiar to Oleciren, who had learned enough at the royal palace, and to Isoel, who had studied mathematics at Lindbloom Academy.
“If it’s about action and inaction, there have already been many discussions, and there are various theories about choice. Are you going to tell me all this?”
Cain chuckled.
He raised his index finger and pointed at Oleciren.
“That’s the difference between elves and humans.”
“……?”
“There is only one elf, but there are so many opinions among humans that they are not one.”
“What does that mean?”
All kinds of things flow into the Great Wall. In particular, the majority of those who have no place to stand on the continent.
Then would there be only humans?
‘All kinds of people called mankind come.’
Elves, dwarves, and other near-human beings.
The Great Wall, which can accept anything that can fight the enemy and have its back, is where many wandering elves who have left the forest gather.
Although they do not usually talk about elves because of their strict vow of silence, they tend to say a word or two to comrades who have fought together on the battlefield where they have fought countless times.
Cain pointed alternately at Oleciren and Isoel and talked about the real ‘elves’ they had told him about.
“The reason why elves live in the forest is because they each have their own World Tree. But it’s a mistake to think that they just support it because they are big trees.”
“Then?”
“Because the elves’ main body is the World Tree.”
“……?”
It was a story about elves that they had never heard anywhere before.
The two of them tilted their heads.
“Elves have no individuals. They all share the same thoughts and feelings, centered around the World Tree. So in the train problem I asked you earlier, they naturally kill one without any hesitation.”
“One doesn’t matter because everyone’s thoughts come first?”
“That’s right.”
“Then what are wandering elves?”
“Those who have jumped out of their main body. They are heretics of the elven race who have jumped out of the community centered around the World Tree.”
Isoel carefully raised her hand.
When Cain looked at her, she asked.
“It is recorded that they all think the same way and live, but they are said to speak and move differently like people.”
“Even for the same person, people are different when there are good things and when there are sad things. It will vary depending on what you have experienced.”
“Yes.”
“Although they are all one, that distinguishes the difference.”
“Isn’t that what you call an individual?”
Cain scratched his chin and pondered for a moment. He recalled an appropriate example and said.
“It’s closer to the difference between a king and a necromancer.”
“Ah……!”
Although they have the same authority, there may always be a few who refuse the king’s orders.
However, there are no undead who refuse the necromancer’s orders.
“And the king of the elves represents the World Tree and is the sum of the wills of all the elves in that community. In other words, the decision of the Elf Queen is the decision of the Necromancer.”
Oleciren, who had been listening, asked.
“Then, isn’t it possible that the Elder who joined hands with Ross just happened to be a wandering elf?”
“It’s common sense to have loyal people as the king’s aides. The same goes for elves. It’s much more likely that the Elder moved according to the Queen’s will than that he/she betrayed her.”
At Cain’s short and obvious answer, Oleciren scratched her cheek as if she was annoyed.
Just as she was about to ask how Cain knew something that even scholars didn’t know,
Creak━.
Their door opened slightly.
In the gap, there was a red-haired boy wearing a nobleman’s clothes awkwardly, Count Garick Crowl and Mia’s only son, Rude Crowl.
“May I come in?”
Cain looked back at Oleciren, who was the current owner of the ark, and she nodded.
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