It's Not Quite Appropriate to Bring Me Somewhere Like This, Is It? (5.5K)

"Saint Victoria, everything from the past is now history. I am now called Alpha, and I am the chief of the Shadow Garden. Nice to meet you."

"That's right, Victoria. Just like Alpha said, we've abandoned the past. Now I'm just Beta, the second seat of the Shadow Garden."

The silver-haired elf stepped forward and said the same thing.

"And me, I'm Epsilon, but I doubt you'll remember me."

"H-How could this be...?"

How could she forget!

The person who just spoke was the third acquaintance she met today.

Don't remember?

That was simply impossible. Of the three, the one who left the deepest impression on her was the elf named Epsilon!

After the niece of Lady Beatrice, the God of War, disappeared from the Elf Kingdom, the princess in front of her also disappeared one after another.

Then, spirits Demonic Possession began to appear more frequently.

The elf in front of me, who calls herself Epsilon, is the young lady of a prestigious elven family!

However, after becoming a [Demonic Possession], this young lady completely disappeared without a trace.

Some say she committed suicide, while others say she had long since rotted away somewhere and died.

I never expected to see you here again today!

"What... what is this?"

Victoria's mind was completely muddled, especially after seeing one elf after another disappear from the elven race.

Alpha noticed the former saintess's confusion and began to explain.

It concerns everything about the blood of heroes, the origins of [Demonic Possession], and even the Diabolos Cult.

After hearing this, Victoria was also deeply shocked.

It turns out that the cult that had dealings with the Elf Kingdom harbored such great malice!

Falsifying history, distorting facts...

"If you're thinking of going back to denounce the Order, I advise you to save your breath, former Saintess."

It was Epsilon who spoke, and she emphasized the word "former" very clearly.

Victoria understood as well.

It's indeed useless. Even if the Demonic Possession within her is cured, who would trust the words of a sinner like her now?

"Therefore, this is the meaning of our Shadow Garden's existence."

"We relinquish our identities, we relinquish our names."

"Lying in the shadows, the Hunting Order delivers divine punishment."

The three elves spoke, one sentence at a time.

Then, Alpha extended his hand to Victoria, inviting her to speak:

"If you want revenge, then abandon your name, abandon your past, and join us."

As she spoke, she slowly opened her palm, revealing a black sphere and a silver syringe.

He stared directly at her with clear, beautiful blue eyes.

"If you're prepared for this, then accept this. Number 559 in Shadow Garden will be your new name."

"... But I don't know how to fight..."

Victoria hesitated.

She had no doubts about the Shadow Garden, and didn't care if she had to abandon the name and the past.

Rather, it's the best choice for her right now.

The main concern is whether she herself can handle all of this after joining the company.

Just then, Victoria suddenly felt a large hand land on her head.

"Don't worry, if you trust me, the Shadow Garden will teach you everything, and I can see that you are capable of doing it."

While Mahiro Est fried tofu, Makoto said this.

"Just as Mahiro said, we will teach you everything and give you the power of revenge," Alpha said with a smile.

"... I'm in!"

Encouraged by Mahiro, Victoria immediately grasped the black ball and held the syringe tightly in her hand.

At the same time, the black sphere spread along her body, forming a jet-black combat outfit that covered her entire body, just like theirs.

Feeling a new power surging within her, Victoria was so excited that she immediately knelt down before Mahiro.

"Thanks for the blessings of God! Victoria... no, Number 559 will always be your faithful servant."

"Uh... can I say I'm not a god?"

Mahiro wanted to reply in that way, but seeing the girl's devout and holy appearance, he couldn't bear to shatter her illusion.

So in the end, he swallowed his words.

And so, the former saintess of the Elf Kingdom also joined the Shadow Garden.

"I really didn't expect it; it's already grown to 559 people?"

"Yes, recently there have been more and more elves and orcs Demonic Possession, but our strength alone is not enough to save everyone..."

After Beta and Epsilon left with Victoria, Alpha remained by his side, gazing at the night sky with him.

"Well, we're not saviors, we can't save everyone, and Alpha, you've done more than enough."

Mahiro words of comfort.

"Thank you... I feel much better after hearing your compliment."

Alpha smiled slightly, his mood lightening.

Mahiro's praise was the best encouragement for her.

"By the way, are you going back tonight? Or are you coming back to the settlement with us?"

"Never mind, I'll just go back to my dorm. School hasn't let out for break yet, and I have to go to work as usual tomorrow."

Mahiro stretched heavily, muttering something like "This is so tiring."

This made Alpha cover her mouth and giggle.

"What are you laughing at? You see how tired I am, but you don't even come over and give me a massage. You were such a good boy when I was little..."

"There's nothing we can do about it, Miss Est will get jealous."

Alpha pointed to the girl beside him and offered a kind reminder.

Mahiro lowered his head and saw Est staring at him intently, tugging at his sleeve and saying:

"Mahiro needs anything, I can do it."

Chapter 198 Bringing me to a place like this, isn't that a bit inappropriate? (5.5K)

"Where... is this place?"

Victoria had no idea where they had taken her.

Having never left the Elf Kingdom, she knew nothing about the outside world.

The only thing known is that, led by Alpha and the others, they arrived at a place resembling the countryside and then entered a forest.

The mist permeating the forest was filled with a high concentration of magic, enough to disrupt her senses, as if she could get lost in the forest at any moment.

However, she wasn't the only one who felt this way; her fellow tribesmen traveling with her also felt the same way.

That's right, she wasn't the only one brought here; there were nearly ten elves as well.

Those elves were also [Demonic Possession].

Unlike the others, who were all dressed in the attire of the Elf Kingdom, she was the only one who shared the same outfit as Alpha and the others.

Is this some kind of divine favoritism?

In her mind, even though Yotsuba Mahiro is human, he has already been elevated to a unique god.

Compared to those unseen, intangible, and ethereal gods, Yotsuba Mahiro much more real.

At least it really did appear in the moment of crisis and saved me...

"Don't get distracted, stay close. This is the Abyss Forest; you could get lost here at any moment."

Alpha's light, crisp voice snapped Victoria out of her reverie. She kept her eyes fixed on Alpha's back and quickened her pace slightly.

Alpha further explains:

"The mist here is the breath of a demonic dragon..."

"A... dragon...?"

Victoria paused slightly upon hearing the word.

Dragons exist in this world.

At the very least, it existed in the past. It is said that in the distant past, before the appearance of Diabolos and the three heroes, the supreme dragon race ruled this land!

But for some unknown reason, these dragons began to disappear, existing only in legends.

I never expected there would be traces of a dragon here!

"It's not just traces of a dragon."

Beta, who was in charge of guarding Victoria, pushed up his glasses and seemed to have seen through Victoria's thoughts.

"Mahiro visited this place several years ago and engaged in an earth-shattering battle with that demonic dragon."

A look of remembrance gradually appeared in his deep blue eyes.

"Mahiro once said, 'Since I've encountered a dragon in another world, it would be a shame not to become a dragon-slaying hero.' So, Mahiro took action and destroyed it completely."

That was a terrifying and powerful being that no one had been able to deal with for centuries, and which even ancient kingdoms had fallen to..."

To this day, Beta still vividly remembers that scene.

With his Mahiro in hand, Lord Shinji severed the dragon's head with a single strike. The scalding dragon blood soaked the earth, reviving the barren land.

Then they Decomposition the dragon's hard scales, leaving only its massive skeleton!

Even legendary heroes are nothing special, right?

"After Mahiro killed the demonic dragon, he dug up all of the stinking dragon's bones and buried them in every corner of the forest, which formed this mist."

Epsilon picked up the conversation, then turned to look at the elves behind her, put her hands on her hips, and said arrogantly:

"So, all of you newcomers, you must Mahiro the greatness of Master Shinji, understand?!"

"Yes!"

Others may not know, but Victoria certainly felt the power of the gods.

I never imagined they could even defeat a legendary evil dragon...

As expected of a deity!

Beneath her bangs, only one eye was visible, and a glint of fervor flashed in Victoria's eyes.

However, shrouded in an impenetrable fog, Victoria had no idea how long she had walked; it was as if time itself had lost its meaning here.

As the fog gradually thinned, the scenery gradually opened up.

She saw a chalk city bathed in the clear moonlight!

"This is Alexandria, the ancient capital once destroyed by the Mist Dragon, now called Arcadia, and also the gathering place of our Shadow Garden."

The ancient capital of Alexandria is a prehistoric city that exists only in books. In the books, the ancient capital is described as a rich and prosperous legendary city.