Chapter 535

“Pawns of the Pureblood Society!”

“We cannot forgive you!”

Lunia grimaced as she watched the Elves shouting while closing the perimeter around her.

“Right now...”

A vein popped on Lunia’s forehead.

“Who are you calling...”

She swung her tightly clenched fist fiercely.

“...the Pureblood Society?!”

Thwack!

“Guh?!”

The Elf charging at Lunia from the front took a hit to the jaw and collapsed instantly.

At the same time, the knights surrounding Lunia pointed their swords and tightened the circle.

Seeing this, Lunia snorted and flicked her fingers.

Snap!

Whoosh!

The Elves rushing to suppress Lunia recoiled in shock and retreated.

Watching them, Lunia narrowed her eyes.

'There’s no killing intent.'

The opponents harbored clear hostility toward them, but they had no intention of killing.

If they had, Lunia would not have stopped at simply threatening them.

'Even so...'

Lunia’s eyes narrowed further.

'These people aren’t Mages.'

It was surprising.

Only those who had learned Star Magic were supposed to be able to enter Eldon.

And yet, here were people who were not Mages.

Furthermore, they clearly bore a grudge against the Pureblood Society.

'What on earth is going on?'

It was just as Lunia’s brow furrowed slightly.

Eiran swung her sword.

A gentle breeze blew from the softly swung blade.

However, that breeze soon became a fierce blizzard, sweeping over the attackers.

“Evade!”

“It—It’s a Magic Swordsman!”

Panic-stricken voices rang out.

“Damn it!”

“To think someone so young has such skill!”

“I-I knew we couldn’t match the Pureblood Society after all...!”

“Don’t give up! If we’re caught like this, we’re dead anyway! It doesn’t matter what happens to us! Think of the others waiting for us!”

Amidst the desperate cries echoing from all sides, a woman’s voice rose to spur them on.

“What kind of people are waiting for you?”

“Hick!”

The female Elf knight gasped in terror as she saw Eiran, who had approached right in front of her before she knew it, and instinctively swung her sword.

Clang!

Blocking the swift strike, Eiran gave a small shout of “Hup!” and parried the blade away.

Using the strength of her wrist, she momentarily pushed back her opponent’s sword.

Faced with physical strength that defied imagination, the female Elf knight ended up dropping her sword.

“Ugh!”

The female Elf knight hurriedly gathered her Magic Power and chanted a spell.

'Wind-attribute Star Magic.'

Eiran listened to the incantation and quickly identified the type and range of the Magic.

Rumble!

A storm surged.

Eiran quickly moved out of the Magic’s range.

Using that split-second opening, the female knight grabbed her dropped sword and took a ready stance.

Eiran’s eyes widened when she saw her opponent’s stance.

“You... where did you learn that?”

At Eiran’s bewildered voice, the female knight shouted.

“Hah! Does it surprise you that rebels can use Star Magic?!”

“No, that’s not really it...”

“You probably think your cause is great! But you are absolutely not the side of justice!”

“Like I said...”

“Prepare yourself!”

“Uuu.”

Seeing that her opponent had no intention of listening, Eiran made a troubled face and shrugged her shoulders.

But she soon plucked up her courage and spoke.

“Could you tell me why you attacked this place?”

“Because people are starving!”

At those words, Eiran’s eyes widened slightly, and she turned her head.

After checking the warehouse they had raided, she looked at the female knight once more.

As Elves were generally fair-featured, she was also quite a beauty.

However, there was a sword scar on her cheek.

Even from that alone, it was not hard to tell she was a knight who had been active on the battlefield.

Stubbornness could be felt from her tightly shut lips.

An unwavering conviction and sense of responsibility could be glimpsed in her glaring eyes.

'She’s not lying.'

Eiran could tell instantly.

And Eiran knew.

That the Pureblood Society they were hostile toward was twisted.

In this land where those who could not learn Star Magic could not set foot...

Those who could not use Magic, let alone Star Magic, had attacked the council like a band of brigands.

And their goal was to seize food.

Eiran knew.

That the world she wanted to protect was not only beautiful.

Therefore, seeing them like this, she could realize they were in a difficult situation she could hardly imagine.

'Most importantly... that stance resembles the swordsmanship passed down in the Ersar family.'

That was also why Eiran had been surprised when she saw the female knight.

Could this really be a coincidence?

“Lunia!”

“What?”

“Let’s surrender.”

“What?!”

Lunia’s eyes nearly popped out at Eiran’s words.

The Elves surrounding Lunia and Eiran also wore expressions of shock.

“You...”

As the female knight looked at Eiran with surprised eyes, Eiran plunged her sword into the ground.

“We aren’t from the Pureblood Society.”

Eiran said, looking the female knight straight in the eye.

“And we aren’t even from this city. We are students from Seiren.”

“Students from Seiren?”

“That school the high-and-mighty attend?”

'High-and-mighty?'

Lunia’s brow furrowed as she watched the murmuring Elves.

“The true nature of the Pureblood Society, the distortion of this city—we know it all. So, won’t you tell us?”

Eiran spoke with a steady gaze.

“The reason you have to do this.”

At those words, Lunia scratched her head vigorously.

Then she soon sighed and stood beside Eiran, crossing her arms.

“W-what should we do?”

“...For now, time has been delayed. Let’s take these two and escape this place.”

At those words, the Elves nodded.

Though they did not lower their guard, they surrounded Lunia and Eiran.

Eiran asked the female knight walking beside her.

“That swordsmanship from earlier, who did you learn it from? It doesn’t seem like it’s been long since you picked it up.”

“...I learned it from someone who has been helping us recently.”

“...”

Eiran’s gaze deepened at the knight’s answer.

'Perhaps... that person might be where these people are heading.'

===

Boom!

Leo’s eyes narrowed as he heard the sound of an explosion coming from the direction of the council palace.

'Lunia and Eiran should be over there right now.'

He felt the entire city become agitated by the sound of the explosion.

'I should probably call it a day for now.'

Leo deployed his Hyper Sense to find Chen Xia.

Leo’s eyes flickered.

He had thought she would be nearby since they had just parted, but he could not feel her.

Chen Xia’s presence was gone.

Leo expanded the range of his senses further.

But Chen Xia’s presence was nowhere to be found.

If Chen Xia had intentionally hidden her presence, even Leo with his Hyper Sense would find it difficult to pinpoint her from a distance.

But there was no reason for Chen Xia to hide her presence.

'She couldn’t have gone far in such a short time. If so, the most likely possibility is that she was taken by someone.'

Chen Xia was by no means weak.

In Leo’s view, she was certain to grow into a powerhouse worthy of the title Hero in the near future.

Kidnapping someone like her without a sound would be impossible even for most Heroes.

'But it would be possible for her.'

Velkia, the one Leo and Chen Xia were currently pursuing.

If it was her, it would be possible to take Chen Xia while evading Leo’s senses.

'If Velkia is the culprit, then why?'

Why would she take Chen Xia?

Because she was human?

Or...

'Did she recognize her as Vihar’s descendant?'

Ever since Chen Xia learned Leo’s true identity, she had been learning Vihar’s swordsmanship and Aura Breathing from Leo.

If it was Velkia, she would have seen through that instantly.

'I should regroup with Lunia and Eiran first.'

Leo returned to their lodging.

===

Lunia and Eiran wore expressions of shock.

“Where on earth is this?”

“As you can see, this is underground.”

“N-no. I get that, but... why is there a city like this under Eldon?”

Lunia asked urgently.

At her question, the female knight let out a small sigh.

“You probably know well that Eldon is the greatest Magic nation of the Elves.”

“Yes.”

“And you probably also know why Eldon was able to become the greatest Magic nation, right?”

“Because this land holds the power of the stars.”

“Correct.”

The female knight sighed deeply.

“First, let me introduce myself. My name is Rel Konea.”

“Konea? You’re from the Konea Family?”

“The Konea Family famous for being stubborn mules?”

“Lunia.”

Eiran, though also surprised, scolded Lunia for her aggressive remark.

However, Rel only gave a bitter smile.

“It’s not incorrect, so it’s fine. Besides, I don’t particularly have any pride in my family. I was treated as a failure by them anyway.”

The Konea Family.

An illustrious family with influence ranking within the top five of the Elf race.

Having produced the Council Chairs of Eldon for generations, they were famous for using Star Magic as powerful as the Tingel Family’s.

The reason they could have a reputation rivaling the Tingel Family of Seiren...

It was precisely because of the unique nature of Eldon, the city-state.

Strong Stellar Mana was embedded in the land where Eldon stood.

1,000 years ago...

A meteor fell upon this land, and naturally, the power of the stars seeped into the earth.

The source of Star Magic was Stellar Mana.

As a result, many Stellar Mages were naturally produced, and Star Magic also made rapid progress.

And accordingly, the Pureblood Society naturally took root.

To be born as the chosen in the chosen land.

To the proponents of Pureblood Doctrine, those must have been the sweetest words imaginable.

“But contrary to what is known to the outside world, the power of the stars flowing in this land was exhausted long ago.”

“What? But doesn’t the Tingel Family still produce many Stellar Mages?”

“Yes. Because the power of the stars still flows through this land.”

“Pardon? What do you mean by that...?”

“It’s because of that.”

Rel pointed with a look of loathing at a tower rising in the center of the underground city.

And that place was covered in all sorts of magic circles.

“That is...”

“Every person living in this underground city is someone who cannot use Star Magic.”

Rel’s face contorted.

“And that tower sucks out their life force to make the power of the stars flow through Eldon just as before.”

Lunia and Eiran looked aghast at the shocking truth that far exceeded their expectations.

“...At first, criminals were imprisoned here.”

“Ah...”

Lunia wore a look of realization as she remembered something.

There was a time when Eldon had actively taken in criminals from within Elf society.

“But soon, even that became insufficient. So the Eldon Council came up with an idea. To create a class that wouldn’t be known outside the nation.”

Rel’s face twisted with disgust.

“They decided to lock those with no talent for Star Magic in the basement... and turn them into livestock that supplies the power of the stars.”

Lunia felt her mind go blank.

If Luna had seen this, what kind of expression would she have made?

Eiran also trembled, her face pale.

“Did you not think to destroy this system?”

When Lunia asked hurriedly, Rel bit her lip.

“I heard the Elves sent here accepted their lives. Because they grew used to this life from the moment they were old enough to understand things. It’s not like they lacked anything for living. They just didn’t know the outside world.”

Rel’s face clouded.

Living contentedly in reality.

From their perspective, they might be living somewhat satisfactory lives.

But from Rel’s perspective, it was a miserable existence where they could not enjoy their own lives and were controlled in everything.

“But recently, as food has become scarce, the atmosphere here has begun to turn grim.”

“Is the food shortage perhaps because the Pureblood Society’s standing in Elf society has diminished?”

“That’s right.”

The North was a land of winter.

As such, they had no choice but to rely on the outside for most of their food.

Originally, because the Pureblood Society’s power was strong, they would have been able to use that influence to distribute a great deal of food to Eldon.

However, with the recent fall of the Pureblood Society’s prestige, difficulties had arisen in securing food.

In Rel’s case, she said she had realized the existence of this city long ago, was shocked, and had severed ties with her family.

And she said she had come here voluntarily to look after the people here.

“How... how could they do this to their own kin...!”

Fury rose in Eiran’s eyes.

“If you’re suffering from a food shortage, can’t you leave this place?”

“A barrier is spread across the underground city. Anyone who hasn’t mastered Star Magic cannot go outside.”

“But the ones who went to get food earlier couldn’t use Star Magic, could they?”

“Regarding that, an outsider who recently visited this underground city resolved it.”

“An outsider who visited the underground city?”

“Yes. We are heading to where that person is staying now. For now, she is the one in charge of this city.”

At Rel’s words, Lunia wore a confused expression.

'She came to the city recently and became the one in charge?'

While she wore a puzzled look, Rel arrived at a building.

And she knocked.

“Come in.”

At the voice from inside, Rel opened the door and entered.

The moment they entered the small house, they saw the living room.

And at the sight in the living room, Lunia and Eiran’s mouths hung open.

Rel also wore a bewildered expression.

On the table was a scene that did not fit this underground city where food was supposed to be scarce.

The table was packed with plates, and atop them, delicious-looking food was piled high like a mountain.

And sitting at one side of the table was Chen Xia, her hands trembling as she stuffed food into her mouth.

“Lu—Lunia? Eiran?”

Chen Xia’s eyes went wide as she called out to the two.

“S-save m—”

“Is someone here?”

A beautiful woman with an expressionless face appeared in the living room, holding a pot.

Lunia and Eiran’s eyes widened when they saw the woman.

“I suppose you’re the friends Xia mentioned?”

Velkia smiled faintly.

“Teacher... this is...?”

When Rel cautiously called out to Velkia, Velkia replied.

“Ah, she’s like the granddaughter of a friend of mine...? She seemed too thin, as if she hasn’t been eating properly, so I was making her some food. Xia, you have to eat it all, okay?”

“I can’t eat any m—”

“It’s not good to be a picky eater.”

Chen Xia’s face turned pale.

Presently, Velkia’s gaze turned toward Lunia and Eiran.

“You two are also quite thin, aren’t you?”

For some unknown reason, the two girls felt a chill of terror at those unexpectedly warm words.

***