Chapter 326: The Great Crisis of the Elven Race
Kraft's words caused Serie to lose her composure instantly. She didn't even bother wiping the water droplets from her mouth before retorting, "Impossible! Would offspring born to other races still be considered elves? How could the Elf King make such an absurd request!"
Even her future offspring with Kurtz, Serie did not intend to treat them as fellow elves, because she did not want her children to be as emotionally detached as elves.
She never expected that the Elf King would propose such a ridiculous idea, to accept non-elf races as part of the Elf Kingdom.
"Don't get so worked up, he's just a half-elf," Kurtz quickly reassured her.
"Half-elf?" Serie was puzzled by this unfamiliar term.
After all, there has never been a case of offspring being born between two different races in this world, so the concept of a half-elf and half-dwarf does not exist.
"It's something like half elf and half human. You can call them elves or humans, but don't be too rigid in your definition."
"Hmm... that makes sense." The elf girl frowned, carefully considering Kurtz's words, and subconsciously felt that there was some truth to them.
She hadn't thought of that at all.
Kraft, standing to the side, could only sigh deeply in the face of Serie's intense reaction, his shoulders dropping with the weight of the moment.
"Serie, that's the truth, and the situation is far more serious than you think."
His gaze swept over Kurtz and Serie, and he began to explain: "Since the Elf Forest was completely destroyed by the demons a thousand years ago, the root of our elven culture and life was also directly severed. Since then, the number of newborn elves has decreased year by year."
"Isn't there the Elf Kingdom?" Kurtz asked, puzzled.
In his view, he had at least preserved another prominent gathering place for the elves and should not have ended up in this state.
"The people of the Elven Kingdom are by nature extremely weak in their desire to reproduce. Their long lifespans have made them indifferent to many things, including the continuation of their bloodline. It is possible that thousands of years will pass without any elven couple having the thought of having offspring."
"That's strange! How do the elves reproduce in the Elf Forest?"
"There are special elixirs," Serie explained. "The elders of the Elf Forest concoct elixirs every now and then that can greatly enhance the elves' desire to have offspring."
"Sounds a bit like... well, you know," Kurtz muttered instinctively.
But thinking about it, it does make sense. After all, for a race like elves that are not very intensely emotional, there is no better way to encourage them to have offspring than by using such methods.
"Unfortunately..." Kraft took over the conversation, "Unfortunately, the method for making the secret potion has been completely lost. As a result, in the past thousand years, the Elven population has not only failed to grow, but has also suffered heavy losses in the continuous conflicts with the Demons. With this ebb and flow, the number of the entire race has fallen to a point that makes the King uneasy."
"So," Kraft looked at Kurtz with a complicated expression, his jaw tightening as he continued, "The Elf king, after a long period of careful consideration, has finally made this decision."
"On the one hand, restrictions on exchanges between the Elven Kingdom and other races should be gradually lifted; on the other hand, a method to effectively increase the population must be found."
He shrugged helplessly: "Hoping that our people will reproduce in large numbers is nothing short of wishful thinking. Therefore, his Majesty can only turn your attention to external factors."
"He thought that if he could use magic to allow elves to interbreed with other races and produce offspring with elven blood, even if it were only half, it would at least continue the elven bloodline and inject new vitality into the race."
"He has pondered the matter and concluded that the only person on the entire continent capable of creating such magic that touches the very essence of life is Lord Kurtz, who has made countless miracles. And as luck would have it, news of your survival has spread throughout the continent, and His Majesty has entrusted me to come and find you."
After hearing Kraft's explanation, Serie's doubts, though not completely gone, had eased considerably.
The elven population had declined, and she had been staying at the Magic Association and hadn't really paid much attention to the specific situation in the distant elven kingdom.
"Is everything you said true?" Serie still wanted to confirm it again; after all, the request had come at just the right time.
"I swear in the name of the goddess I believe in that everything I just said is true and without the slightest falsehood."
Hearing Kraft swear in the name of the goddess, Serie no longer had any doubts. She knew Kraft, the former elven warrior who, after his journey with the goddess, transformed into a monk of unwavering faith.
Now that he has sworn an oath in the name of the goddess, his credibility is beyond doubt.
"...Has it really come to this?" Serie muttered to herself, and then added in a very low voice, "It's come at just the right time."
She couldn't help but glance at Kurtz beside her, her golden eyes betraying a complex mix of surprise and subtle satisfaction. The timing was almost too perfect.
Kurtz was at a loss for words, both amused and exasperated.
He looked at Kraft's serious expression, then at Serie beside him with a strange look on her face, and felt quite helpless.
He had just made up his mind to start researching how to break the reproductive barriers between humans and elves, mainly for his own sake and that of Serie.
Unexpectedly, the Elf King made the same request on behalf of the entire race. Would you call this...walking into the line of fire?
However, Kurtz could somewhat understand the Elf King's helplessness and urgency.
After all, the elves of this world rarely have such desires, something he has already experienced firsthand.
Kurtz recalled that he had taken the Holy Sword Athos from the Elven Kingdom, and it had been in his and Serie's hands ever since. He had never returned it, and even now, he could no longer do so. He felt he owed the Elven race a favor.
Now that the other party is asking for my help, it is difficult to refuse, both emotionally and logically.
"I understand," Kurtz said, breaking the brief silence. His voice was calm and measured. "I will do my best to research and create magic that will enable elves to reproduce with other races."
He certainly couldn't tell Kraft that he had already started researching this magic, after all, it was a matter between him and Serie, and there was no need for outsiders to know.
"Thank you, Kurtz! Really."
"Don't thank me yet," Kurtz interrupted Kraft, raising a hand. "Let me warn you beforehand that magic involving the origin of life and the fusion of bloodlines from different races is far more complex than you might imagine."
"This requires a lot of experimentation, and I can't expect results in a short time. You need to be prepared to wait decades, or even centuries."
Kraft waved his hand dismissively and said in a relaxed tone, "It's alright, it's alright. Decades, centuries, for us elves, it's just a blink of an eye. After all, time is the last thing we lack."
He settled back into his chair, the weight of the request seeming to lift from his shoulders now that Kurtz had accepted.
[End of Chapter]
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