Becoming a Hunter in a Dark Fantasy - Chapter 76
Only Noblemtl
Episode 76: Gluagaho
A deep forest bathed in warm sunlight.
A woman with lush blonde hair that reached all the way to the end of the earth was sitting at the base of a tree with her eyes closed, as if enjoying the scenery of nature.
The deep blue-green dress that wrapped around her body flowed like the source of life.
“… … .”
Then she took a pose, holding the blue harp on her lap.
Tiring♪
A sweet melody played right after. The elegant sound of the harp flew far away on the wind.
The mountain birds stopped chirping, and the surrounding wildlife gathered together to listen to the performance.
“… … Now that I think about it, I didn’t finish the story.”
The woman who had been playing the harp’s strings with such graceful movements for a while suddenly raised her eyelids.
Then she glanced somewhere. Towards the visitor who had come to see her.
“A story needs to have a fitting ending. Could you spare me a moment?”
The vivid green eyes curved in a welcoming, flowing shape.
“Old friend.”
Thud thud.
The footsteps of the person walking from afar stopped nearby.
“Of course. Whatever suits you.”
The visitor who came to find the woman was none other than Elwin.
“I am honored to be invited like this. I can wait as long as I can.”
“Oh my! Thank you.”
Elwin, dressed like a dapper gentleman, sat down on a nearby stump.
“Well then, before we continue the conversation, let’s wrap things up… … .”
The woman closed her eyes again and began to play the harp. Then she slowly opened her mouth and continued singing.
It’s empty content without a beginning or middle part.
It was an extremely poorly written piece of work, lacking the ‘introduction, development, climax, and conclusion’ that constitute the backbone of the story.
In short, it’s the story of a woman who runs away from home at a young age, is chased by evil hunters, and falls in love with the man who saves her.
But the woman had to return to her hometown, so they broke up in tears… … It was a very common story that you would find in any street market.
If there had been a critic here, he would have been lashing out with harsh words and pouring out all sorts of bad reviews.
“I see. That’s a really sad story.”
But Elwin nodded in agreement as if he knew everything that had happened. It was as if he was deeply absorbed in the woman’s words.
In fact, he knew the whole story from beginning to end, so I couldn’t help but empathize more deeply.
“I knew that if I returned home, I would never see him again. So I left, giving him and… our child a token.”
“Is that the ‘Fairy Stone Ring’ that Mr. Nonoen and Mr. Azen were carrying, and that was passed down through generations to the successors of the Clover Company? It is said to bring good luck to its owner.”
“… … .”
Then, the woman who had been making a strange expression for a moment smiled brightly.
“As expected, you knew that.”
The woman’s story was not a fiction created by someone. It was not a legend, a fairy tale, or a rumor.
Just a true story, or something close to an autobiography.
The fairy who was helped by Mott Clover, the founder of Clover Trading Company, was the girl right in front of me!
The only thing that was omitted from the tale was that… …Mot Clover’s wife was actually the fairy?
That is why the Clover clan, descendants of Mot Clover, had a faint trace of fairy blood in them.
The woman was a distant ancestor of the Azen Clover.
“I’m sorry. I made you wait so long.”
Fairy blood has gradually faded in modern times, but… … ‘Azen Clover’ was born with the thickest inheritance of it.
His innate sense of smell was probably the result of his fairy blood awakening from its dormant state.
“Well, old friend. What brings you to me today?”
The woman spoke gently. Her name was… … .
─Gluagaho.
In “Rampas” she was a lucky fairy with the power of shape-shifting.
Compared to many fairies who are hostile to humans, they are human-friendly NPCs.
She also had a somewhat unique trait compared to other fairies: she would give trials to those she liked, and grant great fortune to those who passed the trials.
‘Perhaps as expected, he appeared as a shabby old man to test the Aazhen Clover.’
And he would test whether his good deeds were sincere or not. But this time, he would not be able to do that to Elwin.
‘Because I already know what kind of trials Gluagaho will give and what its purpose is.’
What examiner would use the same method on a test taker who knows the test’s intent and strategy?
‘I’m sure Gluagaho is already aware of that fact… … .’
She is a pure fairy, and such fairies have mystical powers that are different from magic.
“Gluagaho. I came to you because I wanted to ask you something.”
“Oh my. What is that?”
Elwin asked, not even trying to hide the murderous glint in his eyes.
“How do I kill a fairy?”
“……ah?”
“The only way to kill a fairy, ‘it’. Do you have it?”
Gluagaho, who had a blank expression for a moment, laughed in vain.
“You have to ask me that. How mischievous of you.”
“Because I can only get it from you, a fairy.”
The method of killing a fairy cannot be known by anyone other than another fairy, nor can the means be obtained.
Elwin knew that very well.
─Fairy.
Fairies and spirits may seem similar at first glance, so they are easily mistaken, but these two races have completely different characteristics.
A spirit is a being that originates from nature itself. If it is a being that is in charge of a certain phenomenon or material realm.
Fairies, on the other hand, were beings who symbolized the immaterial realm: the mental and spiritual.
Such fairies had excellent insight into the world and the ability to see through people.
Gluagaho asked back.
“But why should I teach you the method when you are trying to kill your own kind? You might turn around at any moment and brutally murder us.”
At first glance, it seemed like a valid counterargument.
For some reason, Gluagaho has been showing a friendly attitude towards Elwin from the beginning, but that doesn’t mean she is obligated to grant his request.
As a fairy, it was impossible for her to hand over a sword hilt that could be wielded at any time to a human, who was of a different race.
“Is it time to talk about others? Gluagaho. You’re quite the mischievous person… … No, you’re like a fairy.”
But what the heck. Elwin said with a snicker.
“Don’t you already know? There is only one fairy I intend to kill, or want to kill.”
“… … .”
Gluagaho kept his mouth shut. Again, fairies are a race with excellent insight and discernment.
She would know what goals Elwin had set long ago and for what purpose he came looking for her.
‘In particular, Gluagaho is a wise and intelligent fairy among fairies. There’s no way he wouldn’t know.’
The fairies born from the ‘World Tree’, which is said to have taken root somewhere in the world, are each born with unique abilities, and they are all abilities that fit the characteristics of their race.
The ability to create illusions such as hallucinations or illusions, the power to attract good luck, clairvoyance to observe the world, etc.
There were as many different abilities as there were fairies.
But among them, there were two abilities that were particularly powerful.
One, the ability to manipulate the souls of all things.
Second, the ability to glimpse and seize the future of the world.
Among them, Gluagaho was a special fairy who could make ‘prophecies’.
In other words, this means that they are beings with a special position even among the fairies.
‘Enough to have the authority to arbitrarily dispose of the means to kill the same fairy.’
Elwin’s shadowy eyes flashed fiercely.
“I absolutely have to kill ‘that woman.’”
“… … .”
“Would you cooperate? I don’t think it’s a bad offer on your part. It’s like you’re going to take care of removing the shame from your own people.”
Gluagaho, who had been silent for a moment with an expressionless face, soon nodded gently.
“… … Good, old friend. Your purpose is in line with ours. I will give you what you desire.”
Gluagaho opened a subspace by snapping his fingers, and took something out of it.
An eerie and chilling aura spread in all directions, enough to make everyone’s stomach churn. The aura of death, the aura of death… …!
Gulp, gulp!
It was a round sphere, and at first glance it looked similar to a mana orb.
Fluorescent greens reminiscent of snakes, melancholic blues, bloody reds and pitch-black darkness.
All sorts of strange colors were mixed together and gave off a terrible ominous aura. Just looking at it for a long time was enough to contaminate my mind… …!
Hwarurur! Hwarururur-!
It moved and danced dynamically as if it were an intelligent living being.
As if to escape the isolation of a remote space for a moment and come out into the world, and… … to be happy to have a new owner!
‘That’s what kills fairies… … the poison of the soul!’
Elwin’s eyes lit up when he saw that. As he was about to reach out to receive the potion, Gluagaho firmly stopped his hand and said.
“Just swear to me on one thing. That the only fairy who will kill through this… is that child.”
“I swear to Rampas.”
Elwin placed one hand on his heart and spoke solemnly.
Then Gluagaho smiled sadly and handed it over.
He added, “Please don’t be sick for too long.”
Elwin did not agree.
“Take this too.”
Gluagaho also gave Elwin the beautiful harp he had been playing.
“Fairy Harp? Why this… … .”
She said as Elwin looked at her curiously.
“I’m sure I’ll have a use for it someday.”
“… … Is that so? Thank you. I will use it well.”
Elwin nodded silently, expressed his gratitude, and turned away without any regrets. There was nothing more to see.
But before he could take even a few steps, Elwin stopped dead in his tracks and opened his mouth.
“Gluagaho. I have one last question for you.”
“What is it, old friend?”
“… …Why do you call me ‘old friend’?”
This was something I had been wondering about from the beginning. Elwin and Gluagaho were complete strangers who had no connection until just a moment ago.
Because we were never close enough to be called ‘old friends’.
I just put it off because solving the problem took priority over just being curious.
“Did you know about me? … … How much do you know about me?”
Elwin swallowed inwardly. Just in case Gluagaho had figured out his singularity, that the human named Elwin Kraiger was a ‘reincarnation’.
But she responded with a bright smile, whether she knew it or not.
“You will understand it in due time, my old friend who has returned from afar.”
Then a gust of wind blew from somewhere.
The wind was so strong that I couldn’t open my eyes, but it was fragrant with the scent of flowers.
“Because your destiny has already been put on the wheel.”
The fairy, Gluagaho, suddenly disappeared, leaving behind meaningful words.
Like a mirage in broad daylight, just as it first appeared.
“… … A fairy.”
Elwin frowned at the difficult words.
“There’s no use worrying about it now anyway… … . I’ll find out later, so I might as well wait.”
Elwin shook off his uneasy feelings and walked out again. Towards the exit of the illusionary space that was collapsing as the fairy disappeared.
To his colleagues who are desperately looking for him in reality.
* * *
The next day, a great uproar occurred in the Kingdom of Batevill. It was due to breaking news pouring in from all over the place.
The contents were as follows.
[Special Report!) Clover Trading Company’s successor, ‘Aazen Clover’, personally comes to find the legendary flower, the red clover… … !]