Chapter 11
The Second Villainess
At the center of the continent lay a vast forest known as the Great Forest.
It was a kind of ecological treasure trove, filled densely with enormous trees so gigantic they put baobab trees to shame.
And at the very heart of that Great Forest stood an especially massive tree, soaring so high it looked like it could touch the sky.
That was the World Tree, worshipped by the elves.
The elves were born in the Great Forest, lived within it, and devoted their entire lives to protecting the World Tree.
They regarded it as a noble mission.
Leaving the Great Forest was not permitted.
It was strictly forbidden by the elves' own laws.
However, in the midst of that, a single elf ventured into the outside world.
It was Hera of the Root Tribe, the elven archer of the Hero's party.
Hera was a rather special being, even among the elves.
She was loved by all spirits.
Until now, no one had ever seen a spirit, much less communicated with one, but Hera could do both.
And in the end, she was chosen by the Spirit King and formed a contract.
One day, the Spirit King said to Hera,
[ The Demon King has been resurrected, and the world is on the brink of destruction. The Great Forest and the World Tree are no exception. So please, join forces with the Hero and save the world. ]
Around the same time, the Hero's party was being formed in the kingdom.
Naturally, Hera informed everyone of this and said she would cooperate with the Hero.
However, the other elves were not pleased with this.
It was because Hera, who had contracted with the Spirit King, was a key force among the elves.
If Hera left the Great Forest, the humans would surely run rampant again.
They would enter deep into the forest, kidnap elves to use as slaves, and cut down the living trees to turn them into scraps of paper.
On top of that, wasn't the Hero's party made up entirely of humans?
They couldn't believe she would cooperate with such despicable beings.
Hera knew this as well.
So she said to the other elves,
In exchange for cooperating with the Hero's party, she would stop the kidnapping of elves and prevent the felling of the Great Forest's trees.
Since Hera went so far, the other elves couldn't say anything further.
In the end, if one Hera could suffer to protect all the elves and nature, so be it.
Before joining the Hero's party, Hera told the same thing to the king.
"Please stop kidnapping elves, and stop cutting down the trees of the Great Forest."
"Is that the request of the elves? Very well, I swear on my name to keep that promise."
She even received a promise from the king.
Thus, all that remained for Hera was to devote herself to protecting the elves, the Great Forest, and the world.
However, that was easier said than done.
After all, everyone in the Hero's party was human.
To the elves, humans were enemies, and she simply couldn't see them in a good light.
Worried there might be poison in the food, she always prepared her own meals separately.
During battle, she couldn't trust them with her back and even kept her allies in check.
She couldn't even sleep peacefully, living through what felt like hell.
Time passed like that, and then one day—
It was inevitable something would happen in a party with no coordination. In fact, they had been lucky to come this far.
Because Hera had misjudged her position while watching her allies warily, she let an enemy slip through.
As a result, a horde of demons swarmed in, and the Hero's party fell into grave danger.
Though they managed to overcome it after much struggle, the damage was severe.
That evening, the mage of the Hero's party exploded in anger.
Slaaap—!
Franz struck Hera across the face.
"Hey, I get it, okay?! I get that humans have done awful things to elves! I get why elves hate humans! But can't you cut it out already?! We're all putting our lives on the line here, and look what's happening because of you!"
"But you humans…."
"Yeah, and did I do that to you? Did the Hero? Did the Saint? No one here has done anything to hurt elves, but you're the one hurting us!"
Hera couldn't say a word in response to Franz.
Because everything he said was true.
Not all humans were evil, only some of them were.
So to lump all humans together and blame them was wrong.
From that day forward, Hera opened the door to her heart and slowly became closer with the Hero's party.
Once their hearts aligned, their coordination in battle improved.
And at last, the Hero's party succeeded in defeating the Demon King.
Having completed everything, Hera returned to the elves' home, the Great Forest.
With pride in her heart, knowing she had saved the world.
However, what awaited Hera was the cold, harsh gaze of her fellow elves.
Naturally, Hera was taken aback.
Hadn't she risked her own life to save the Great Forest and the World Tree, even preventing the enslavement of elves?
Even if they couldn't thank her, this treatment was too much.
How much time passed after that?
Hera eventually found out why the elves were acting that way.
The humans, damned humans, had broken their promise.
They were still cutting down the trees of the Great Forest and kidnapping elves.
In fact, it had gotten much worse while Hera was away with the Hero's party.
With one of the elves' key forces gone, the humans had taken even more liberties.
But the ones who broke the promise were the humans, not Hera.
She didn't deserve such cold treatment.
Hera hated humans.
She wished for the downfall of those who broke their promises and threatened the Great Forest and the elves.
Thus, from that day on, she hunted down every human who entered the Great Forest.
She showed no mercy.
After all, it was they who betrayed first.
However, the problem did not lie solely with the humans.
It was another day, after some time had passed.
After finishing her patrol of the Great Forest and returning to the village, Hera overheard someone's voice.
It was a conversation between her older brother and her childhood friend.
"Brother, I heard Hera killed all the humans who came this time for the trade?"
"Hah, thanks to that stupid bitch, we have to find a new client. It's such a pain."
"I don't get why she's making such a fuss over a few kids disappearing…."
"But it's fine. I've made it look like everything was her doing, so I'll be the next chieftain."
"You really are amazing, brother…."
After that, the sound of skin touching skin could be heard.
Clients, missing children, the next chieftain.
And the cold stares of the other elves.
All those words began to interlock in Hera's mind like gears turning.
Only then did Hera realize it.
That the reason elves were disappearing, the trees of the Great Forest were being cut down, and the other elves were casting her cold glances—
Was all because of those two, who were in league with the humans.
If they needed the position of next chieftain, she would have given it to them.
If they needed money, she would have gotten as much as they wanted.
So why were they doing such things…?
As she was thinking this, Hera found herself unconsciously running toward the outside of the Great Forest.
All her efforts to save the world, the Great Forest, the World Tree, and the elves—
Had all been in vain.
At last, having left the Great Forest, Hera vowed to dedicate her life to rescuing the kidnapped elves.
Because if she didn't at least do that, she felt like she might truly start wishing for the world's destruction.
And so now—
Hera stood, looking up at a massive mansion with a list of elf slave buyers in her hand.
Recently, among the nobles, there were rumors that those who had purchased elf slaves were being attacked.
So the mansion's owner had no choice but to strengthen their security.
They had even hired a rather skilled mage and set up magical traps all around the estate.
Hera thought to herself.
"A skilled mage, huh…."
If that was the case, she had her own method as well.
Hera's unfocused eyes slowly turned toward a tall tower in the distance.
* * *
Haa—
A sigh naturally escaped from Franz's mouth.
It was because, if possible, it was best not to get involved in matters related to slavery.
One side claimed they had paid money to make a legal purchase, and the other insisted it was an abduction, both sides ended up feeling wronged.
Of course, by the moral standards of the 21st century, the one who bought the slave would be entirely in the wrong, but by the standards of this world, slavery was perfectly legal, so they couldn't be held accountable.
Except for one case, elves.
Elf slavery was illegal.
Arian, who had been watching Franz from the side, asked,
"Are you going?"
"Yeah, I have to. It's a direct assignment."
With that, Franz stood up from his seat.
Then he stretched his arms straight up and loosened his body.
As expected, sitting in a chair all day made his body feel stiff.
Arian handed Franz a neatly folded robe and said,
"Go play ag—... Have a safe mission."
"Yeah, I'll be back soon."
After all, if the villainess needs help, he had to help her.
Chapter 12
The Mage Met an Elf
Franz headed north to meet Hera.
His destination was the commercial city, Kal Desien.
As the name "commercial city" suggested, Kal Desien was the continent's largest distribution hub, where all kinds of goods circulated.
And in such places, under-the-table dealings were bound to flourish, so things like drugs and human trafficking were common occurrences.
The rumors weren't good.
They were about the lord of Kal Desien.
That he gathered slaves for human experimentation.
That he was a major figure who controlled the underworld.
In any case, the city was full of unsavory rumors.
It was hard to believe all of them were true…
But as the saying goes, "Where there's smoke, there's fire." At the very least, it was certain the man wasn't decent.
Well, someone like that would obviously have elf slaves.
Upon arriving in Kal Desien, Franz headed straight to the location written on the request form.
At the center of the plaza, beneath a massive clocktower.
When he arrived, someone wearing a black hood was glancing around nervously.
A quick glimpse revealed eyes the color of newly-sprouted leaves—green.
On top of that, the height matched, and the slim figure was also the same, so it had to be Hera.
Franz approached her.
"Hera."
"Franz."
Hera raised her head and looked at Franz.
To Franz's eyes, Hera somehow seemed a little thinner.
Did something happen?
If she had gone from being fat to normal, he might have chalked it up to dieting, but since she'd always been slender, her current state was concerning.
He clearly remembered how she'd devoured two bowls of meat-filled mushroom stew without hesitation.
Was she even eating properly?
Thinking that, Franz spoke.
"Hey, let's go eat. I'm hungry."
"Eat? Now's not the time for that. Franz, the reason I called you here is all…."
Hera trailed off as she looked around.
She was worried someone might overhear if she said the words "elf slave."
Franz lightly tapped her shoulder.
"Hey, relax a little. If you're that tense, even the fish you've already caught will slip away. I get that it's urgent, but we're not going to be moving in broad daylight, right?"
"Well, that's true, but…."
"Then let's go eat something first. You need to eat to move around. And…"
There are too many people here.
Franz whispered softly into Hera's ear.
A quick glance showed dozens of eyes already watching them.
A person who looked like a mage had just made contact with someone in a hood, no matter what it was about, it was enough to draw suspicion.
Maybe…
Among them, there might be someone serving as the lord's eyes and ears.
Better to be cautious than sorry.
Soon, the two of them left the clocktower plaza and entered the streets of Kal Desien.
As befitted the nickname "commercial city," the streets were lined with all kinds of restaurants and food stalls.
The savory aroma wafting from the delicious-looking food tickled their noses.
Franz smacked his lips in regret.
If this were just a casual outing, he would have leisurely enjoyed all the food, but unfortunately, there was work to do today.
Still, it wasn't like today was the only day. He could come back next time.
Eventually, Franz and Hera entered a reasonably ordinary-looking restaurant.
Choosing a place with no customers on purpose would've been suspicious in itself.
Once they sat at the most secluded table, a server approached them.
"Would you like to order?"
"Bring us your most popular dish."
Franz casually placed his order, as he was only looking to fill his stomach.
The most popular dish in the restaurant was bound to be tasty, so at least it wouldn't be a bad choice.
But across from him, Hera kept her mouth shut.
Finding it odd, Franz asked,
"Hera, aren't you ordering?"
"I, I…"
"I'm paying, so just eat whatever you want. Like I said, you need to eat to move around."
"…Alright. Then I'll have…"
Hera looked at the menu and started listing off dish after dish.
Franz was stunned by her nonstop ordering.
He had said she needed to eat, sure, but he didn't expect her to order that much.
Apparently, the server was thinking the same thing.
"Did you mean… all of that?"
"Yeah. Is there a problem?"
"N-no! No problem at all!"
With that, the server vanished from their side.
Now that they were truly alone, an awkward silence settled between them.
To begin with, their relationship during their time in the Hero's party had never been that close.
Franz had acted friendly in front of the clocktower, but that was only because Hera had seemed too desperate.
If they'd had food in front of them, they could've used it as an excuse to observe each other quietly, but that wasn't the case yet, which made it difficult.
Still, Franz couldn't just sit there like that.
No, he mustn't sit there like that.
After all, even if Hera had requested this dispatch directly, it was also tied to the goal of saving the world from the woman who would become a villainess.
In the end, Franz broke the awkward silence and opened his mouth.
"How have you been lately?"
"Just… nothing special…."
Hera's voice, however, was despondent, contrary to her words.
It was clear that something had happened.
Franz couldn't let it go just like that.
Hadn't he learned his lesson after dealing with the Saintess?
Just listening to someone and helping them unload their burden, even a little, could make them feel noticeably better.
And so, Franz spoke again.
"Nothing special, huh? You sound completely drained. And why do you look so thin? Are you eating properly?"
"Do I… look that bad…?"
Hera said that with a bitter smile.
Even if she was fated to become a villainess who would lead the world to ruin, seeing someone he once adventured with suffering didn't sit well with Franz.
He simply wanted to help, whether it was the world, or Hera.
"What's going on? Tell me."
"You… might be okay to tell, actually…."
Hera slowly began to tell her story.
Starting from how the elves had opposed her joining the Hero's party,
To how her older brother and childhood friend had stabbed her in the back.
She poured out all the things she'd held inside, things she hadn't been able to tell anyone.
Franz listened silently, all the way to the end, and thought to himself:
That's completely insane.
It wasn't some modern-day soap opera from the 21st century, how could something like this happen in real life?
To betray Hera, who had sacrificed herself to save the world, instead of thanking her?
How could that possibly make any sense?
Franz could only feel sorry for Hera, who had gone through all that.
And rage surged within him toward those who had done such things.
Honestly, at this point, it was understandable that she might want to destroy the world.
Of course, wanting something and actually doing it were two different things, but at the very least, Franz could understand how Hera felt.
After organizing his thoughts, Franz spoke cautiously.
"So right now, you're…."
"Yeah. I've been going around rescuing the kids my brother sold off. It felt like if I didn't do at least that, I'd have no reason to keep living."
"I see…."
"But, I do have one worry. If I were to…."
Franz was suddenly gripped by a sense of dread.
Given the flow of this conversation, that line had to be coming next.
However, Hera's words were cut off.
"Excuse me for a moment!"
The server had begun placing dishes on the table, one by one.
They had all been prepared while Franz and Hera were talking.
Once the table was completely covered, the server gave a cheerful, "Enjoy your meal!" and walked away.
Franz stared blankly at the food on the table and said,
"Let's eat first."
Who knew? Maybe a delicious meal would lift her spirits a little.
And then, perhaps, her resolve to destroy the world would lessen even a bit.
It was a lot, sure, but it was fine as long as they shared it evenly.
Hera nodded at Franz's words.
Then she picked up her spoon and carefully brought some food to her mouth.
It's delicious….
Since that day, nothing she ate had stirred any emotion in her.
It wasn't that the food had no taste, but no matter what she ate, she just couldn't feel that it was good.
But the food in front of her now…
Was so very delicious.
Hera's hands began moving rapidly, and Franz was a little shocked by what he saw.
She began devouring the food like someone possessed.
It seemed her weight loss had been due to starvation.
Then Hera added one more thing.
"Franz, I'm really sorry, but… could I order just a bit more?"
"Ah, uh, yeah. If you want to eat, you should eat."
Franz remembered.
The terror of watching meat mushroom stew vanish into her stomach.
But… can she even move after eating all that?
* * *
After the long, long meal finally ended, the sun, once high in the sky, had begun to tilt slightly westward.
Contrary to Franz's worries, Hera moved without the slightest sign of discomfort.
Surprisingly, even after eating all that, her stomach didn't bulge in the slightest.
Just after leaving the restaurant, Hera spoke.
"Now, let's head to the inn where I'm staying."
"Uh…?"
Franz was simply left bewildered.
Chapter 13
Slave Rescue Plan
As soon as they left the restaurant, Hera abruptly said they should head to her lodgings.
Franz, caught off guard, blinked blankly before finally opening his mouth.
"Why the inn?"
"Well, aren't there too many ears listening here? Like you said, I may have been a little impatient, so I figured we should at least calmly come up with a plan. Unless, of course, you were thinking something else?"
As Franz had hoped, after the meal, Hera had regained some of her composure.
'Still, isn't it normal to explain first?'
Franz felt a bit unfairly flustered, but decided to just let it go, better this than a villainess wishing for the end of the world.
"Nah, I didn't have anything in mind."
"Then let's go quickly. Even if the impatience has faded, time is still short."
With that, their conversation ended, and the two of them began walking through the streets of Kal Desien.
The streets were packed with people.
Store owners calling out to customers, shoppers trying to make purchases, and street vendors filled every corne, truly a sea of people.
And whenever they glanced into a dark alleyway, there were always two or three shady figures lingering.
No doubt, people involved in the underworld.
"This is the place."
Hera opened the wooden door of a shabby building and stepped inside.
Franz followed closely behind.
Pretty normal.
The inn Hera was staying at was nothing out of the ordinary.
A typical inn with a dining hall on the first floor and rooms from the second floor up.
Striding up the stairs, Hera walked down the hallway and inserted a key into the door at the far end.
As the door creaked open, a shrill screech echoed down the hallway.
"Franz, sorry, but there's nowhere to sit. If you don't mind, make yourself comfortable on the bed."
Entering the room, Hera said that as she pulled back the hood she had been wearing.
And with that, the long, pointed ears characteristic of elves were revealed.
Watching her, Franz thought,
Still amazes me every time.
In general, living things evolve in ways that help them survive, he couldn't imagine how an elf's long ears helped with that.
It wasn't like they could hear better because they were long.
It's not like they sent telepathic signals through them.
He wanted to ask, but worried it might be rude, so the question he'd had since their first meeting still remained unanswered.
Well, that aside.
"So, what's the plan? Do you have something laid out?"
"There was a plan, but there's been a snag. But before I explain that, let me tell you the target first, it's Gidric, the lord of Kal Desien."
Gidric, the lord of Kal Desien.
Sure enough, where there's smoke, there's fire, it was just as Franz had expected.
But—
A snag in the plan?
Franz found that hard to believe.
This was Hera they were talking about.
With the skill she'd shown during their time in the Hero's party, breaking into some noble's mansion should be a piece of cake.
So he asked,
"What caused the snag in your plan?"
"Apparently, there are rumors among the nobles that someone's been rescuing elf slaves. Upon hearing that, Gidric hired a rather famous mage. From what I've heard, his nickname is 'Mage of Traps.'"
"'Mage of Traps'…? You sure about that?"
"I'm sure."
That's strange. There's no such person.
No one with the nickname "Mage of Traps" existed in Franz's memory.
Even if the guy wasn't part of the Magic Tower, if he were that well-known, Franz, as a fellow mage, should've at least heard the name.
Then, a flash of memory struck Franz's mind.
Wait, could it be that guy…?
Back when Franz was still a member of the Magic Tower, there was a strange guy who used to research trap magic.
Because he was a senior, he used all sorts of ridiculous excuses to bully Franz.
Ordering him to make tea, cleaning the lab, even making him step into his traps just to test them.
But then he disappeared.
After becoming the Master of the Magic Tower, Franz had tried to find him, but the guy was already long gone.
And back then, that guy didn't have a cool nickname like "Mage of Traps"—he was called…
Rat Trap.
The old men of the Magic Tower absolutely hated him for not using ancient, prestigious magic in fair battles, but instead researching dirty tricks like traps.
Even Franz, who usually despised those old fogeys, couldn't help but agree with them that time.
"Rat Trap." What a fitting nickname.
"Franz, why are you smiling…?"
"Oh, just reminded me of something from the past. That so-called 'Mage of Traps', don't worry about him. I'll take care of it."
Franz was genuinely delighted for the first time in a while.
Mage of Traps, huh
Rat Trap, calling himself a mage, what a joke.
You're dead meat.
"I see. As expected of the continent's greatest mage. I was right to call for you."
"Then the snag in the plan is gone now, right? Can you walk me through the plan?"
"It's simple. We rescue the elves imprisoned underground, and kill Gidric. That's all."
Franz let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.
What Hera had just explained as her "plan" was so absurd it was laughable.
How to make a fried egg: fry the egg.
It wasn't much different from that level of instruction.
Though… it's not exactly wrong either.
With two members of the Hero's party together, the mansion's defenses could essentially be considered meaningless.
Frying an egg does, after all, make a fried egg.
And really, the only reason Hera hesitated in the first place was because she let fear get ahead of her. She likely could've handled it on her own.
There's no way a rat trap could catch a person.
"So that's the entire operation plan?"
"That's right. But Franz, I have something to say."
Something to say…?
Now that he thought of it, back at the restaurant, Hera had been about to say something before the food arrived and cut her off.
She'd said something about being worried, if he remembered correctly.
Gulp—
A sense of foreboding welled up in Franz's chest, and he swallowed hard.
Then he cautiously opened his mouth.
"What is it you wanted to say?"
"Once I've rescued all the elf slaves… I don't know what I'm supposed to do. What am I even living for now? I've already lost the Great Forest I was supposed to protect, the World Tree, my family, and my friends."
Hera spoke with a face that looked like she could collapse at any moment, her voice full of suppressed rage.
And at the same time, a notification popped up.
* * *
* * *
Why is it that ominous feelings never seem to be wrong?
A sigh escaped Franz's lips.
The only saving grace was that, unlike the Saintess, Hera was still in the middle of her internal struggle.
If he could guide things well now, she might not fall into villainy.
After organizing his thoughts, Franz asked gently,
"So what do you want to do? Do you want to go back to the Great Forest?"
"I… I don't know…. I don't even know if the rest of the elves were in on it with them, or if it was all just a misunderstanding…."
"Well, take your time thinking about that. If it turns out there's really nothing left for you, just come to the Magic Tower. It might not be as grand a mission as rescuing elf slaves, but I can definitely find a place for you there."
"I couldn't possibly impose on you like that…."
"Don't worry about it. It's not a burden. I'm just offering you a job, that's all. Nothing more."
The real issue was when Hera's mission of rescuing elf slaves would end.
Or rather, would it ever end?
If the scum of the world kept secretly selling elves, Hera would be forced to continue rescuing them endlessly.
Do we need to take out the source of it all?
He couldn't act on that yet, but he'd have to consider it more slowly.
At least the plan seemed to have worked, Franz saw the notification window in front of him disappear.
A sigh of relief escaped him.
That's when it happened.
"Speaking of being a burden… I'm sorry I didn't say this sooner, but…"
"Sorry? For what?"
"I don't have the money to pay for a direct dispatch…."
Franz flinched at the sudden chill that ran down his spine.
Just how many times was she planning to startle him today?
In truth, requesting a direct dispatch from the Master of the Magic Tower was insanely expensive.
Not that it happened often in the first place.
Still, Franz wasn't heartless enough to demand money under these circumstances.
"Forget the money. Just think of it as me helping out a fellow member of the Hero's party."
"No, that won't do. An elf may offer help, but we do not live in debt."
"Then just give me a picture book or something."
"Franz, I'm being serious right now."
Franz pressed his palm to his forehead at Hera's uptight response, something he hadn't seen from her in a long time.
They say nobody hates getting something for free, but maybe because she was an elf, she seemed to genuinely detest it.
Then, as if something had occurred to her, Hera nodded.
"You said earlier that you could give me a place, right?"
"I did…?"
"So here's my offer: once I've rescued all the elves, I'll repay you for today's help with my body. The fee for directly dispatching the Master of the Magic Tower is something I could never repay with normal work anyway."
For a moment, Franz doubted his own ears.
As he stood there blinking blankly, Hera delivered the final blow.
"Do you not understand? I'm saying I'll become your slave and repay it over my lifetime, Franz."
He'd helped her, and now she was trying to turn him into a criminal.
Franz raised a hand to his forehead.