The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate-Chapter 184. To the Eastern Great Forest (3)

Rahat, a dark elf, frowned as he glanced around warily. He didn't know when it had started, but the unsettling feeling that he was moving in circles wouldn't go away.

The tree he had marked earlier stood before him once again, and the longer he remained in this place, the worse the hellhounds' condition became.

These demonic monsters were usually never afraid of anything. Their only goal was to kill their opponents. And yet, now, they trembled in fear.

When did everyone vanish? Rahat thought.

He couldn't see his comrades, who had been following closely behind. It sounded absurd, but it seemed he had been isolated. Right here, in the depths of the Eastern Great Forest.

At that thought, Rahat came to an abrupt stop. He wondered, Is this perhaps an elven trap?

Theories surfaced in his mind, but he quickly shook his head, dismissing the thought. It couldn't be the elves, since this territory had belonged to the dark elves for three months now. The elves were too preoccupied fortifying their defenses around Aileen to be setting up elaborate traps in a place like this.

Then who could be doing this? Rahat thought.

It wasn't magic. If this were an illusion spell, the artifact he carried would have reacted long ago.

Rahat summoned his dark mana, scanning his surroundings once more. "Can anyone hear me?" he called out, infusing mana into his communication orb.

There was nothing. Even his communication magic refused to activate properly. It felt as if something unseen was devouring the dark mana in the air.

A memory flashed through his mind—what had happened earlier that day at the forest's entrance. The hellhounds guarding the outskirts had been found slaughtered.

The higher-ups had launched an investigation, but he wondered if the strange occurrences now were connected to that incident.

Ssssshhhh!

Rahat's expression hardened as he thought about it and unleashed more of his dark mana. His dark skin darkened further, his eyes burning with crimson light.

"Grrrkk..."

His form now resembled that of a demon. The sight of him sent a shudder through the young elf behind him.

"You, little one... It seems I'll have to make you one of us," Rahat said, extending a hand toward the child.

The young elf had been meant as a gift for the king, but circumstances had changed. If nothing else, the young elf could be turned into a dark elf and added to their ranks.

Ssshhhh!

His shadowed hand, corrupted by dark mana, reached for the young elf's head.

"P-Please..." the young elf said; tears welled up in their eyes as Rahat squeezed them shut. The elf's voice trembled with desperation. "World Tree... Please, save me..."

Rahat chuckled, lips curling into a smirk and said, "There is no World Tree here, child. Hahaha... You may be afraid now, but once you become one of us, you'll—"

But at that moment, something interrupted his sentence.

Slice!

A dark blue light flashed through the air, and Rahat's right hand lay severed on the ground.

Splurt!

Black blood gushed from the dark elf's wrist.

"The kid said no. Why do you keep touching him?" a human with piercing blue eyes asked as he stepped out from the darkness.

Rahat instinctively tried to counterattack, but—

Slash!

A dark blue sword flickered before his eyes, moving like a phantom.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

"Aaaaagh!"

With both hands and feet severed, Rahat collapsed to the ground, a bloodcurdling scream emerging from his throat. But the human showed no intention of stopping his assault.

Thud.

A dark blue blade pierced Rahat's abdomen. The human planted a foot on his head and smirked, then asked, "So what if there's no World Tree? What's your point?"

"H-Human... This has nothing to do with you... Aghh—" Rahat began, only to choke on his own words.

Caron pressed his foot down harder, cutting him off mid-sentence. At the same time, he gripped the hilt of his sword, Guillotine.

Whoosh!

The dark blue glow surged from the blade, consuming Rahat's body like a swarm of gnawing insects. A sensation like countless insects burrowing through his veins sent waves of agony crashing over him.

"Khhaaargh...!"

All Rahat could do was scream. The pain was so overwhelming that it left no room for other thoughts. As his consciousness teetered on the edge, a voice slithered into his ears.

"I'm going to ask you a few questions now," Caron said. "I just got here, and I need some information. If you tell me what I want to know, I'll let you leave considerably comfortably."

There was no mention of being spared. Even so, Rahat found himself nodding desperately. The pain was unbearable. All he wanted was release, no matter the cost.

"Oh, and just so you know," Caron added casually, "Your friends didn't know much. But I have high hopes for you. You're the last one, after all. You understand what that means, right?"

It meant there was no one left on his side to help Rahat. Caron had already killed every last one of them. Any hope, however faint, had been ripped away.

"Now, let's have a deep conversation, shall we—ah, wait a sec," Caron said as he turned his head slightly, his gaze landing on the trembling young elf.

The young elf was clearly struggling just to witness the scene before them.

"Hey, kid. Do me a favor and close your eyes, will you? This isn't exactly a pleasant sight," Caron said.

The young elf hesitated for a moment before nodding and squeezing their eyes shut.

"Good job. Just stay like that for a bit. I'll be done soon," Caron said.

He shifted his attention back to Rahat, a faint smile curling on his lips. Then, in a languid tone, he whispered, "Shall we begin? If you feel like you're about to die, just let me know. I'll make sure to keep you alive, one way or another. Got it?"

In the suffocating darkness, the eerie glow of his blade flickered relentlessly.

***

As dawn began to break over the forest, unexpected visitors arrived at the tent where Leo and Adina were staying.

"What on earth is—" Leo began.

"Hey, Leo. You've got some food prepared, right? Give some to the elves," Caron said.

He had only gone out for a brief scouting mission. But when he returned, he didn't come back alone.

"Hey! This tent is way too small to fit all these elves!" Leo exclaimed.

The elves Caron had brought were covered in darkened patches of skin, their bodies bearing the telltale signs of corruption.

At Leo's words, Caron gave a small nod before channeling mana into the tent.

Whoooosh!

In an instant, the tent expanded.

"That should be enough space, right?" Caron asked.

"...Yes, that works," Leo admitted.

"See? I told you, artifacts from the Imperial Magic Tower are the best," Caron remarked.

"Let's get the elves settled first and then talk," Leo said, then addressed the newcomers. "Alright, everyone, have a seat wherever you're comfortable! We have plenty of food prepared, so just sit tight, and I'll—"

Thanks to their group's habit of eating large portions, Leo had prepared an enormous stack of sandwiches.

Leo and Adina quickly distributed the food among the elves, while Caron silently watched, sipping a cup of cold water. Its temperature sharpened his focus.

Once things had settled down, Leo and Adina approached Caron.

"What exactly is going on?" Leo asked.

"Sit down. I'll explain," Caron said.

The two took their seats quietly, and Caron began relaying what he'd learned. "First off, there are still a lot of elves left in that village."

The village was called Nenya. It had originally served as a strategic outpost guarding the entrance to the Eastern Great Forest. Its purpose was to repel intruders and ensure the safety of the elves living within. Because of its geographical importance, it was better fortified than most other villages. That was why it had managed to hold out so far.

But the real problem lay within.

"To get straight to the point, that village is still standing because the dark elves are deliberately leaving it alone," Caron said.

"...Why is that?" Adina asked.

"They're using it to gather more elves into one place," Caron replied.

Even with good defenses, an isolated village couldn't hold out forever. Nenya had been a trap from the beginning.

"I also figured out how the dark elves are increasing their numbers," Caron continued. "They inject elves with dark mana. Apparently, capturing elves on the battlefield isn't enough, so they're squeezing out every last bit of potential manpower this way."

The war had driven countless elves into hiding throughout the forest. Nenya was nothing more than bait to lure them out. Rumors of safety would draw desperate elves in, and once they arrived, the dark elves would corrupt them with dark mana, transforming them into their own kind. That was the true purpose of the village.

"The dark elves call it a 'farm,'" Caron added. "Because they 'harvest' elves there."

"Harvest...?" Leo trailed off.

Caron pointed toward a young elf who was quietly eating a sandwich nearby. Dark spots marred the child's arms.

"Forcibly injecting dark mana causes this," he said. "Once they perform their ritual, the transformation into a full-fledged dark elf is complete."

"And if that happens?" Adina asked.

"There's no going back," Caron said flatly. "I already ran an experiment earlier. There's no way to reverse it." He then took a bite of the sandwich Leo handed him. The crisp vegetables and warm bread whetted his appetite.

"So you're saying every elf in that village is already on the dark elves' side?" Leo asked.

"That's the key point, Leo," Caron said, stuffing the rest of his sandwich into his mouth. He dusted off his hands and continued, "The elves in that village haven't turned into dark elves yet. If we want to confirm exactly what's going on, we'll need to go by ourselves."

During his interrogation of Rahat earlier, Caron had uncovered a crucial piece of information. The dark elves hadn't spared Nenya just to harvest dark elves. There was another reason behind it.

"They're looking ahead to the future," Caron said. "Dark elves can't reproduce. So—"

"...No way," Leo muttered.

"That's exactly it," Caron confirmed.

"Those crazy bastards," Leo growled. "These were once their own kin..."

"When dark mana corrodes not just the body but the mind, this is what happens," Caron said. "They lose the ability to think rationally. You've seen it with dark mages, haven't you?"

Due to the way dark mana twisted their bodies, dark elves were incapable of having children. So instead, they planned to keep some elves alive. That way, they could sustain their numbers indefinitely.

"They're treating them like livestock," Adina said, her voice cold and controlled.

Caron gave a slow nod and questioned, "Exactly. Right now, they're just testing things out on this village. But if they win the war?"

"They'll expand on a massive scale," Leo said grimly.

"That's exactly it," Caron said.

"Disgusting bastards," Adina spat.

It was only natural to be enraged. The dark elves were treating their own kind as breeding stock.

Caron watched the anger simmer in his companions and let out a quiet sigh. Then, in a low voice, he asked, "What do you want to do?"

There were two choices once again. They could ignore the elves and the village, walk away, and continue on their way. Or they could deal with the problem here and now.

"I won't force you," Caron said. He wanted to hear their thoughts first. Their opinions mattered.

But Leo's expression twisted into a grimace. He remarked, "I can see it on your face."

"...What?" Caron said.

"You want to charge in and wreck the village, don't you?" Leo asked.

Caron let out a dry laugh and answered, "Damn, your instincts have really sharpened, Leo."

"If we go in and take care of things, what happens next?" Leo asked. "We can't stay behind to protect the village forever."

Leo made a valid point, but Caron had already thought of a solution.

"Adina," Caron said. "This is where your role is important."

"Say the word," Adina replied. "I'm listening."

"If the dark elves take control of the Great Forest, their next target will be the beastfolk. You agree, right?" Caron said.

These creatures were expanding their forces at all costs, even if it meant treating their own people as cattle. There was no way their greed would stop at just the forest.

Adina let out a slow breath and nodded, then admitted, "I agree."

"If we have to fight them anyway, wouldn't it be better to land the first hit?" Caron asked.

After seeing the dark elves' plan firsthand, he was certain of one thing. These dark elves were insane. No one sane being would come up with something like this.

"Honestly, I think just one lunatic like me is enough for this world," Caron muttered.

Leo smirked and added, "At least you know you're a lunatic."

"I have excellent self-awareness," Caron said. "And if I'm going to be a lunatic, I'd rather do it in style. Adina, can you contact the chieftain?"

"I brought a communicator with me. What should I tell him?" Adina asked.

"Tell him we need to establish a foothold here," Caron said.

If Nenya was a gateway into the Eastern Great Forest, then it was also a gateway into the Plains of Rest.

"Securing this location will benefit the beastfolk as well," Caron added.

If bloodshed was inevitable, then they had to focus on minimizing it. Tauga would understand immediately.

At Caron's words, Adina's expression hardened and she said, "I'll relay the message. Then, will we be moving with reinforcements?"

Caron firmly shook his head and answered, "No, we're going in first."

He rose to his feet, a smirk playing on his lips as he continued, "I'm not the type to sit around and wait when there's something good right in front of me."