IRE 17

chapter 17

I slowly raised my arm.
I could still feel the healing energy left behind by the spirits working to mend my body.

Most of the wounds still ached, but the deeper ones had long since vanished.
At this point, I could move around to some extent.

The bones in my right hand hadn’t fully fused back together yet, but that too would heal with time.
Even if an aftereffect lingered, it wouldn’t affect my ability to draw a bow. Later, I could fully restore it with an item or a recovery potion.

It wasn’t something worth worrying too much about.

“Ungh.”

“Ah, son, you shouldn’t be getting up yet.”

My joints and muscles screamed, but I forced my face into calm indifference.

“I’m fine. Most of the wounds are already healed. Let’s go see how they’re doing.”

“Even so, you’re drenched in cold sweat.”

She tried to press me back down with a stern look that said don’t lie to me, but I slipped away with a crooked grin.

The sudden motion made my body scream louder, but the wounds didn’t reopen.
As for the muscle pain—well, grit and willpower could handle that.

My breath grew rough, and the cold sweat poured even more, but I forced it down.
Focus. Endure.

“There’s no time to waste lying here.”

Kelban, the beastkin’s main stronghold, had fallen.
The orcs had sent no fewer than nine War Hammers into the Elves’ forest, confident in their mission of fate.

The beastkin were all but annihilated.
That meant my original plan—uniting with them to form an alliance—was already in ruins.

Even so, I had no intention of abandoning the children.

Partly because I had already sworn the Oath of the Forest.
But also because giving up on them now didn’t sit right with me.

And, if I was honest, I’d already grown attached to them. Enough that I wanted to fulfill their request.

It had only been two days, and yet I’d let down my guard so easily. I wondered if I wasn’t too soft a person. But I decided to keep it simple.

They were the first people of another race I’d grown close to here.
There’s always an advantage to being the first.
Call it goodwill.

Even if I was an elf.

“Eld!”

“Later. I promise I’ll rest properly later.”

“What do you mean, later?!”

“I’ll take the scolding later too.”

Laughing, I dodged my mother’s hands and slipped out of the room.

“Mother, I’m not so weak that I need to—whoa.”

I froze mid-sentence, mouth hanging open.

Outside the door, about thirty sentinels stood in perfect formation.

“May the peace of El R’Darel be with you. May the forest’s blessing and our Mother’s grace walk with you.”

The unexpected sight made me stammer, but I managed to recite the elves’ greeting and short prayer. The lead sentinel gave a nod.

“May the forest’s smile guide your steps. Are you well?”

His formal tone made me scratch the back of my neck.

“Ah, yes. Thanks to you. But what’s all this…?”

“Ah, of course you must be surprised. They gathered here to confirm your safety.”

“…What?”

I blinked stupidly at the incomprehensible statement.

“First, we must express our gratitude.”

At that, the lead sentinel and all the others placed their left fists behind their backs, pressed their right fists over their hearts with index and middle fingers extended, and bowed their heads.

It was the highest courtesy an elf could give.

“Glory to the forest.”

“Glory to the forest.”

The words stumbled me further. That was their oath, not mine.
I hadn’t earned the right to use it.

I scrambled, sweating, trying to find a proper response.

“Uh… th-thank you for the forest’s praise.”

I mirrored their gesture awkwardly.

Behind me, I felt my mother approach quietly. I whispered under my breath, making sure the sentinels couldn’t hear.

“Mother, what on earth is going on?”

But she only widened her eyes in confusion, offering no answer.

As both of us stood frozen, the lead sentinel spoke again.

“My name is Irían Alscrá. I am the El Sentinel of Chitaen.”

An El Sentinel was the captain of a village’s sentinels—a rare rank, since elders usually filled that role.
Even among frontline villages, it wasn’t common.

My own village, R’Luel, had three elders but no El Sentinel.

Which meant the elf before me was someone equal to those elders.

I was shocked, but too wracked with pain to show it. So I answered faintly, as if my soul had slipped out.

“Uh… I’m Eldmir Architea, of R’Luel.”

I meant to show I was just an unproven youth, not even through my coming-of-age. But Irían and the others didn’t change their demeanor.

They only smiled warmly, their attitude unfathomable.

Unable to stand the mystery, I asked directly.

“Can I ask something honestly?”

“Of course. Anything.”

Good.

“Why are you welcoming me like this? We may be the same race, but I’m still just a stranger.”

If kinship alone earned this, then my encounter with the three sentinels of El Rien wouldn’t have been nearly so hostile.

Irían’s smile deepened.

“To face eight War Hammers—the orcs’ high-bloods—alone, and endure… You’ve already proven your worth. That such a feat was done by an ordinary elf, one who hasn’t even undergone his Rite, makes it all the greater.”

“Uh…”

“To throw yourself into death to uphold the Oath of the Forest—such nobility is an example for all elves. You are worthy of this respect.”

“….”

I flushed.

In this life or my previous, I’d never been praised like that.
It was strange, being embarrassed by compliments.

“Ahem. Don’t exaggerate—it wasn’t much. You’re making me blush.”

“Ha ha ha!”

He burst into hearty laughter. Some of the sentinels behind him quivered, stifling their own chuckles.

I scratched my head, wondering if I’d said something odd. But then Irían’s voice boomed.

“Did I hear you right? You belittle yourself after such an achievement? Eldmir! You may take pride! Elves are one of the few races who prize humility, but not now! You’ve carved a feat worthy of legend! It’s no exaggeration to say El R’Darel himself has blessed you!”

“Haha…”

As someone who’d seen the game’s ending, I knew this wasn’t so great an accomplishment. Later, high-bloods would be a dime a dozen, monsters everywhere.

But in the context of a mere youth, not yet of age?
Yes, I supposed it was a feat.

Still, his excitement felt overblown.

He leaned closer, eyes shining.

“You didn’t just survive—you slew half of them yourself. The rest were crippled. It was essentially your victory! How many across history have ever achieved such before their Rite? The ancient heroes? Eldrasik, our forefather? Ha! It feels as though we’re witnessing the birth of a myth!”

Were elves always this obsessed with honor?

But I couldn’t dislike it.
It was refreshing to see elves like this, so different from those in my village.

I found myself smiling back.

“But… what happened to the War Hammers? Were they all slain?”

The thought hit me suddenly.
I’d killed half and maimed the rest, but they were still high-bloods.

Even thirty sentinels wouldn’t normally be enough. Why hadn’t I thought of that sooner?

I’d been too focused on Mother and Athir.

“Them?”

Irían’s smile faded into seriousness.

“Your contribution was immense. Thanks to you, we were able to pursue and destroy them. It wasn’t easy, but their injuries from fighting you made it possible.”

“Ah…”

A sigh slipped out, half relief, half awe.

Even injured, slaying high-bloods was no small feat.
They weren’t called “heirs of the gods” for nothing.

Each one was considered capable of altering the course of a war alone.
And the most infamous among them were said to be legion-level threats.

Players had called them named monsters.

Thankfully, none I faced were of that caliber. If they had been, I’d have died in a second.

Which made the sentinels’ victory all the more incredible.

“Still, Eldmir, the glory is yours. We merely lent a hand.”

His words made me reflect.

Yes—I had survived. I had won.
Against the orcs’ high-bloods. Against their heroes.

Maybe Irían’s talk of legends wasn’t so absurd.

But I remembered little of the fight.
One by one, I’d held my own. But against so many? Never.

All I recalled was rage—blinding, all-consuming.
And when my mind cleared, half of them were dead, and I was on the brink of death myself.

Didn’t I hear the system then…?

Strange. In the tutorial, I had no way of accessing it. Maybe it was just ringing in my ears.

Then what had taken me over? Some unknown skill?
But none I knew of matched what happened.

Maybe it was one that didn’t exist in the game.
Or maybe my memory had simply failed.

I couldn’t know.

Whatever it was, it turned out well enough.

It was over.
Once I completed my Rite, my status and skills would be revealed. If it was a skill, I’d know then.

No need to rush.
Better to celebrate surviving.
Better to focus on what was happening now.

“…One more question, if I may?”

“As I said, ask anything.”

Irían smiled softly.

This time, I didn’t smile back.

“The beastkin children.”

Kerith. Ershi. Esryn. Ketrit.
My guests.

“Where are they?”