The king this woman mentioned—had he already gone to the tribe while they were still exploring the warships and scavenging supplies?
Lies.
It had to be lies.
Emotionally and rationally, Riku refused to believe Skadi's words.
Leaving aside other human settlements, his tribe was without question the best hidden. Every action was carefully planned. No matter what unexpected situation arose, all traces of their existence would ultimately be erased. To other races, Riku and his people simply didn't exist.
Moreover, most races searched for enemies by sensing the level of mana in an area. Humans, being entirely disconnected from elven mana, were inherently immune to detection by such methods.
Only the Werebeasts, with their keen sense of smell, could track humans. Yet the tribe had long since accounted for this, masking their scent with black ash that clouded even a Werebeast's nose. Unless investigated with utmost care, they could not be found.
Impossible.
Absolutely impossible.
Riku believed this with all his heart.
At the same time, Ivan and Yalei lived up to his expectations, keeping their expressions perfectly neutral.
"Are you calling yourselves strays because you've lost your way?" Skadi asked calmly.
"No, we really—"
"Then let me take you back. I know the way. My king will tell me."
"What?"
"I mean, I can lead you back to your tribe." Her tone was calm, without the slightest hint of deceit.
For a moment, even Riku faltered.
How should he handle this?
Could she really know?
Doubt and unease welled up in his chest.
Yet no matter whether she was bluffing or truly aware, all Riku could do now was follow.
He gave a silent nod, and the three of them trailed after Skadi. As time passed, their conviction wavered. Skadi's sense of direction was flawless. She walked confidently at the front, pausing only when they rested, never once asking questions.
Even when Riku attempted to subtly mislead her into choosing the wrong path, she would glance back at him with a puzzled look, then guide them firmly back onto the right trail.
Mind reading?
Riku considered it, but no matter how closely he watched, he detected no signs.
It wasn't magic—at least not any magic he could sense.
Was it possible?
No. Impossible. Others might fall for illusions, but Riku was not someone easily deceived.
And yet, before long, they stood at the entrance of the cave where humans dwelled.
"..."
At this point, words failed him. His hands and feet turned cold as he stared at Skadi with icy eyes. His gaze seemed to say: Fine, you've achieved your goal. What now? Are you going to show me the massacre of my tribe?
Skadi only tilted her head, her expression one of pure innocence.
Full of innocence.JPG
"Hm, we're already here. No need for me to lead the way anymore. But before we go in, let's talk things over first. Please don't be too hostile toward us."
A sudden voice echoed.
In an instant, golden fragments floating around Skadi blossomed into dreamlike petals. A breeze scattered them, dazzling and ephemeral. From within the petals, four figures emerged.
A magnificent and surreal sight.
In this world that resembled the end of days for humanity, such beauty could bring one to tears.
But for Riku, it was nothing but bitter irony.
Cheated.
He understood everything at once, and dark emotions flooded his eyes.
"Thanks to you for guiding us here. Otherwise, we might never have found a human community." Arthur pulled his hood up as he stepped forward with a friendly smile, extending his hand politely.
Naturally, Riku gave no response.
"Don't look at me like that. We mean no harm. And it couldn't be helped. We've been following Skadi ever since she returned to this world. Judging from your behavior along the way, I could tell you're a difficult man. If I'd made a direct request, you wouldn't have revealed a thing. So this was the only option." Arthur chuckled.
After learning of humans' existence, he had made a swift decision to come here in person, bringing Merlin, Merry, and Artoria with him.
Of course, everything was carefully calculated.
Britain had been exploring this world for over a month. Though information remained scarce, they had already gauged the top levels of combat power through battles with various races and by analyzing the density of elven mana in the air.
Thus, Arthur and his three companions, together with Skadi—the classic four mages and one warrior, the strongest five-man squad.
…Or so the theory went.
In truth, Skadi's role was simply to lower Riku's guard, while Arthur's group remained concealed in the shadows.
Artoria's supportive power outstripped that of two half-incubi. Merlin and Merry's mastery of illusions further boosted their survivability. Arthur, wielding the Holy Sword of the Stars, supplied overwhelming damage when needed.
Altogether, it was a combination designed not only to stir up the world but, at the very least, to guarantee survival.
And if necessary, Merlin and Merry could always be thrown out as bait. With his sister and the killer whale at his side, Arthur could open the [Gate of Eternal Calamity] and retreat to safety.
A perfect plan.
As for deceiving Riku and the others—
"Don't blame us. It's only because you never trusted Skadi from the beginning. My knight is clearly very kind."
Arthur smiled faintly. "I've been observing you closely—your words, your actions, your movements, your tone, your heartbeat, even the rhythm of your breathing. 'If you don't exist, you won't be noticed. Live like a ghost.' That seems to be your philosophy."
This much could be discerned from Riku, Ivan, and Yalei's conversations along the way.
Riku was no fool. While mapping their route, he had realized that although Skadi's conjured magic eliminated the language barrier, it did not allow her to read their writing.
Thus, he and his companions had been able to communicate freely without hindrance.
Yet even so, Riku never once tried to rouse morale with empty words. The three of them already knew how merciless the world was toward humans, and they refused to gamble on false hopes. On several occasions, Riku even used his eyes to signal his subordinates—urging them to create "accidents," sacrifice themselves, and erase all traces.
But each attempt had been foiled, deliberately or otherwise, by the ever-watchful killer whale.
And then, there were Riku's eyes.
Eyes steeped in death. The eyes of someone who had lived too long in hell.
Beyond that, there was one more decisive factor—Riku was a master of deception. To deceive others, to deceive himself—lies were meaningless to him. Even if Arthur himself had tried, he might never have been able to manipulate Riku this far.
-End Chapter-
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