NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73
EP.73 Side Story, The Betrayer (1)
There is a race known as the Elfran.
‘A race that lives in harmony with nature.’
While that’s what people generally believe, the reality of elves is a bit different. It’s more accurate to say they are blessed by nature rather than living alongside it.
Elves are born under the protection of the forest.
Receiving the blessing of the World Tree, they possess very keen senses and superhuman bodies.
‘It doesn’t make sense, that blessing thing.’
The body blessed is unlike that of a human.
Elves typically have sharper eyesight than ordinary people. Their legs are swift, and their movements are agile. From adults to children, elves all have the bodies of excellent warriors.
The blessing of the forest enables that.
The strength of their innate bodies is a great advantage. Elves have become strong warriors without much effort.
‘Especially, rangers and scouts are tightly held by the elf rangers.’
Remia, she was also known as an Archery Master.
Putting aside her terrible personality, her skills were quite remarkable when it came to metrics.
Elves, anyway, elves.
I might have strayed a bit with the story.
The reason I’m suddenly talking about elves is… it made me recall the tea I was treated to by the elves on the battlefield.
‘The one given as a gift by the elven alchemists.’
A tea made by blending various herbs.
“What was that called again?”
I muttered while rummaging through my memory.
“Did they call it green tea?”
A cup of water with a pale green hue.
The warm tea, which we called green tea, was quite delicious, if I remember correctly.
‘It felt like my mind and body were calmed down.’
Containing the wildness of the two crazy women and enjoying a cup of green tea wasn’t a bad way to spend time. I had sometimes requested it from the elves.
“·····.”
As I recalled those old days, I lowered my gaze. At the end of the lowered gaze was a cup of tea.
‘Is this green tea···?’
Honestly, I wasn’t sure.
For now, it was green. It was green, but…
That color felt a bit strange.
It wasn’t a gentle light green, but a dense, potion-like thick green with a gooey texture.
“Hmm···.”
I tasted it to see if the flavor was different.
It was exactly as I expected. It tasted absolutely terrible.
“Eww···.”
I spat the tea out and set the cup down. My mouth felt fuzzy. Swallowing a dry gulp, I lifted my head.
“Hey.”
“Why are you calling me?”
“Are you really an elf?”
“Don’t my ears make it obvious to you?”
“No, seriously, don’t elves brew tea well?
They say you’re a nature-friendly race.
You grew up and lived in the forest.
Plus, if you’re even an alchemist, shouldn’t you be good at brewing tea?”
Looking at the elf in front of me with questioning eyes, he chuckled.
“It’s a stereotype, Raniel.”
“No freaking way···.”
“I only brewed the green tea you asked for. Don’t complain about it. Want more?”
I shook my head silently. I pushed the teacup aside and glanced around. Dust was piled up in places. Cobwebs were hanging, and the shop had a very worn-out vibe.
A shop located deep in an alley.
There was a reason I had come to this shop, which hardly got any foot traffic.
‘Because I had something to ask.’
I turned my head and looked at the elf in front of me.
The silver-haired elf, Cardi.
An elf with beast-like yellow eyes.
Looking at an old friend who hides as much as he reveals, I sighed.
“Sometimes, I doubt you’re actually an elf.”
“There can’t be an elf more elfin than me.”
“Beings that live together with nature in the forest. Agile warriors born from the blessing of the forest. Isn’t that an elf?”
“That’s a bias.”
“No way, you said you’re an elfin elf.”
“The elves you’re talking about are the ones from after the calamity.”
Cardi shrugged.
“Elves like me, from hundreds of years ago, weren’t particularly close to the forest either. Using those who haven’t even lived a millennium as examples to discuss ‘elfness’ makes me laugh.”
“Oh, is that so···.”
He sure didn’t keep quiet.
I shook my head firmly.
‘An elf over a thousand years old···.’
Then again, it was odd.
Even among long-lived elves, it was rare to find ones over a thousand years old.
‘Was there one?’
Was it the elf king Orbel?
I remembered that he was over a thousand years old.
“Hey, Cardi, do you know Orbel?”
“Orbel? Of course. That kid is claiming to be a king now? A lot of time has indeed passed.”
···A kid?
As I tilted my head, Cardi sighed and opened his mouth.
“So, Raniel.”
Tap, tap, he lightly knocked on the table with his fingers.
“What brings you here this time? You shouldn’t have run out of medicine by now.”
“What reason do I need to come visit a friend?”
“You’re the chatty type when there’s a reason for visiting.”
“···If you put it that way, I’ve got nothing else to say.”
I supported my chin in my hand and continued.
“Well, I just had something to ask.”
Cardi nodded as if telling me to go ahead.
“Let’s hear it then.”
“Um··· Remember what I found in the underground waterway? I caught the guy who set that up.”
“You mean Skebal?”
“Yeah, while I was beating that skeleton bastard, I learned a few things···.”
I stretched both hands forward.
“Skebal called the curse that befell me ‘the Shadow.’ He referred to it as the larvae of the Shadow. And also…”
Clap, I clapped my hands.
As my palms met, gray mana wriggled between them.
The mana of the curse.
Created to counter the demon lord’s curse.
I pointed at it and said.
“He said this is used by the Death’s Blade. Those who enter the realm of the Shadow can use it.”
The Shadow.
“What exactly is this Shadow? Contextually, it seems to refer to a curse, but···.”
I narrowed my eyes.
“It doesn’t seem to be just that. And, I figured you’d likely know something about it.”
I looked at Cardi with narrowed eyes.
He sighed and replied.
“···I do know something.”
“Will you tell me this time?”
“Even if I wanted to share, I can’t tell you everything. It’ll depend on whether the Star allows it.”
“···What does that mean?”
“There’s something like that. I’ve got quite a few constraints on me.”
Cardi smiled bitterly and stood up from his seat.
Then he took out a bottle of liquor and a cup from a display.
“Do you like alcohol?”
“···Why alcohol all of a sudden?”
“I want to hear a story from you before answering your question. And, from my experience, these kinds of stories are better shared over drinks.”
He placed the cup down and said.
“I heard you killed Belial the Black Dragon.”
“I did. It was a struggle to put him down, though.”
“Have you encountered other calamities besides the Black Dragon?”
“Hey, Cardi.”
I smiled wryly.
“I’ve been on the front lines for 5 years. I’ve encountered them all. I’ve only seen Death’s Blade two or three times.”
“You’ve done well to survive.”
“I nearly died several times.”
Cardi filled one cup with alcohol.
One for me, another before himself.
“So, here’s the thing.”
Cardi lifted his head.
“···Can you tell me their stories?”
“I can’t say I can’t. Who should I start with?”
“Gleria.”
“···What?”
“The Martyr, Gleria Bel Armias.”
“You’re talking about Gletus the Betrayer?”
The silver-haired elf silently nodded.
I glared at him.
‘···Martyr, huh?’
Even though I had reviewed all the records to combat the calamities… I had never heard of the name Martyr, Gleria before today.
‘I’m curious but… he probably won’t answer me anyway.’
I sighed and opened my mouth.
“Well, whatever. The Betrayer Gletus.”
A mad alchemist.
A summoner that was like a nightmare.
I recall the moment I first met that mad woman.
“I think I first encountered that insane lady not long after we hunted down the Black Dragon.”
Right after we defeated the black storm, Belial the Black Dragon.
When our party’s fame had risen high, we got involved in a mission.
“The Rodimel Fortress Recapture Operation.”
A mission that ended in a massive failure.
Remembering that mission, I opened my mouth.
“In that fortress, we met the Betrayer Gletus.”
2.
There is a fortress named Rodimel.
Named after the old Sword Master, it sits adjacent to the Black Plains of the western front.
The Black Plains, the edge of the Demon Realm.
The role of the Rodimel Fortress is to verify and report any movements of the Demon Lord’s Army that starts from there.
The watchtower at the front lines.
The eyes of the Knights Order.
The Rodimel Fortress, referred to as such, is a strategic point. Hence, many knights are stationed in Rodimel. Each one of them is a veteran who’s crossed numerous battlefields.
The fortress they guard won’t fall easily. Everyone thought so.
“Did I mishear?”
Therefore.
“···Rodimel has fallen?”
The Knights Order Leader, Heinkel, couldn’t comprehend what he had just heard.
“Yes, all communications have been cut off overnight. Right now… it’s difficult even to approach.”
Overnight.
Just overnight, the Rodimel Fortress had fallen. Not a single message was received. They fell without any time to even send a notice.
‘···Does that even make sense?’
Heinkel put his palm to his forehead.
A headache was creeping in.
“No messages at all?”
“…Actually, there was one.”
A knight pulled out a letter.
The connection of mana that tied letter and letter had snapped. This looked like a hurried scribble made just as it was about to get severed.
-There is one intruder, the Betrayer Gl···.
The letter abruptly ended there.
With so many knights stationed in the fortress, how could a letter not be completed?
‘Makes sense now.’
Ironically, the moment Heinkel saw the name cut off, he began to understand the situation.
“The Betrayer, Gletus.”
An enemy that appeared only a handful of times at the front lines but caused tremendous damage every time.
“You’re saying that summoner swallowed the Rodimel Fortress?”
Heinkel closed his eyes.
The Rodimel Fortress was the wall protecting the western front. He could not allow that wall to crumble.
‘Can the forces we can deploy contend against such a calamity?’
Ordinary knights couldn’t do it.
Calamities are beings that defy common sense. No matter how skilled a knight is, they can’t face a calamity.
In the end, the answer was clear.
“Bring them here.”
Heinkel ordered shortly.
“Only they can contend against a calamity.”
The best forces the Order has.
If they could slice the head of the Black Dragon, which had reigned as a calamity in the east for centuries, then it was possible.
The Archery Master, Remia.
The Saint, Sara.
The Wise One, Raniel van Trias.
And.
The Hero, Kyle Toven.
“Summon the Hero.”
To confront something that defies common sense, we must put forth individuals who surpass the realm of humanity.
Author’s Note (Author’s afterword)
This is the side story dealing with the past that I announced.
I expect it to be a short series of about 3-4 episodes.
Though it’s a side story, it’s not completely detached from the main plot. Because Raniel is recounting the story to Cardi 
*A bit late, but…! Still managed to get five updates this week!
It was a momentous week that witnessed two consecutive publication events. Honestly, one was a day off and then an event, so… it might be hard to consider it a true continuous series….