Nidavellir.
The magic circle spat me out at the top of the palace tower, and the first thing I saw was Olga and Chloe surrounded by a bunch of dark elves, led by the entire council of elders along with Zask.
- "Lord Romani!" Chloe greeted me joyfully.
- "Romani?" Olga said when she saw me. "Finally, you..."
But she didn't finish her sentence because she saw Mistiora standing next to me, glancing furtively at her sister, hiding behind my back.
- "Sister..." Mistiora whispered, and Olga's face contorted with disgust. "I..."
- "You are here, Romani Archaman," interrupted the elder, shifting his gaze from me to Mistiora and back. "And you have brought a sinner with you. What is your purpose? Do you wish to insult us?"
- "Oya? I would never do such a thing," I chuckled with a sweet smile on my face. "I'm just a weak, insignificant human. I am far from the great and powerful elders of the dark elves. Yes, yes."
- "We are glad you understand that," said another elder. "You are a worthy example, and that is why we are giving you a chance to do the right thing."
- "Olga has high hopes for you and believes that you will protect her," continued another.
- "But if you bow before us and swear allegiance..."
- "Then you can live here in Nidavellir, as promised."
- "We are even willing to give you the opportunity to choose your mate, without limiting you to one woman..."
- "All you have to do is bow your head."
- "Choose the right side, worm," Zask interjected mockingly. "And become the loyal dog that you are."
Oh dear. They really believed they could do something to me. Apparently, the dark elves were also brainless, because if they had any contact with the outside world, they would have at least had some idea of who they were threatening. However, it was a closed society and everything was like that. Heh.
- "Romani..." Olga began after a few seconds of silence, drawing attention to herself. "I have no idea what you're thinking, but you gave me your word."
- "Lord Romani..." whispered Chloe.
- "Sir..." added Mistiora.
- "Our patience is running out, Romani Archaman," said the chief elder. "What is your decision?"
-0-
Olga stood silently, waiting for Romani's answer no less than the elders themselves.
She knew that Romani's character was fickle because he was a god. And, like a god, the lives of mortals like her or anyone else were not particularly important to him. However, Olga also knew that he kept his word, as his past actions had proven.
But now, in the silence that seemed to last forever, Olga began to have doubts. And she believed that these doubts were not without foundation.
Out of the corner of her eye, Olga glanced at her sister, who was hiding behind Romani's back.
Even after everything she had told him about her, he was still interested in her sister, whom Olga felt nothing but disgust for. Romani had even brought her here, to Nidavellir, and this made her fear one thought that weighed heavily on her mind...
...that he saw more value in Mistiora than in her...
This thought naturally infuriated Olga, because if that was the case, history would repeat itself.
Yes, Olga never wanted to be queen. She considered the duties associated with the position to be foolish and ineffective. But her pride... The pride of one of the noble dark elves... was hurt.
Olga had always been second best, both in terms of status and privileges, and in the choice of queen. It was as if she were just a stopgap, a piece of meat, only good enough to replace Mistiora... her younger sister.
Perhaps if Mistiora had become queen, Olga could have let it all go and moved on, but... that didn't happen. Mistiora's sin and shame were imprinted on Olga herself, and for that reason, she felt nothing but disgust. She, who had always been her sister's shadow, suddenly became a victim without having done anything.
Was it hatred? Olga couldn't say for sure. Mistiora was still her sister, and she was still proud of that fact. But at the same time, that same pride constantly told her that Mistiora was to blame for how Olga's life had turned out, even if Mistiora herself had never wished her any harm.
And now Olga... was afraid... afraid that history would repeat itself, no matter what the relationship between Romani and Mistiora was...
- "I've made a decision," Romani said suddenly, his eyes hidden by a shadow of hair, and Olga tensed imperceptibly.
- "Speak, Romani Archaman," said the elder.
- "You certainly consider me quite remarkable, for you truly believe that I am a capable magician and all that, but..." Romani began and raised his arm, bent at the elbow.
- "But?"
- "But at the same time, it shows how ignorant you are," he continued. "Because this time you were really unlucky. Heh heh."
Suddenly, an incredible power burst from Romani's body. A power that made Olga's legs buckle, her heart beat faster, and a satisfied and joyful smile appear on her face, which she showed very, very rarely, because...
...he kept his word.
-0-
As soon as I stopped holding back, a pillar of pure golden energy shot upward, crashing into the ceiling and spreading throughout Nidavellir. Golden light covered the entire space with its radiance, and even the city itself, which was incredibly old, began to resonate as if responding to an unknown call.
Stalactites and stalagmites slowly absorbed the light, changing their colors to pure gold, as did the abyss separating the palace from the rest of Nidavellir. My mana, mixed with divinity, seemed to be rebuilding the very essence of the dark elves' homeland, and it both mesmerized and frightened everyone who witnessed the scene.
The elders, Zask, Olga, and everyone else froze in awe, unable to take their eyes off the unfolding landscape. A storm of mana and power rose in all directions, causing hair and clothing to flutter, and the hoods of the cloaks worn by the elders to open, revealing their faces.
And the expressions on their faces showed a mixture of fear, awe, admiration, disbelief, and... worship. "Just look at the faces you're making," I chuckled with a smirk on my face.
- "How much bravado you had just a few seconds ago, huh?"
- "Who... No... What are you...?" stammered the chief elder, who, I must admit, was impressive, considering her long, jet-black hair and blood-red eyes. "No mortal can possess such power—only..."
- "...a god? Yes, you're absolutely right," I continued for her, cleaning my ear with my little finger. "What did I promise? That it would be hard, bright, and hot, right? Right now, it's only 'bright', and that's why..."
- "Dark elves never bow down before you! Die!" Zask shouted and lunged at me with his blade drawn, while the elders supported him with magic, holding their hands out in front of them, where magical circles appeared, containing levels of power that were impressive by local standards...
...but not all of them. The chief elder still didn't move, just stared at me with wide eyes.
- "Now... it's going to be 'hard'," I said, snapping my fingers, and in the next second, all of them were pinned to the floor by an enormous pressure, unable to move or even lift their heads, but leaving the chief elder untouched. For now.
- "Fight me in a fair fight, you, pathetic god!" croaked Zask, managing to raise himself slightly and get on all fours, something glowing on his neck. "With the support of the giant ancestor, I will kill you, and..."
- "Let's add 'hot' to that," I chuckled, causing the six elders to be instantly engulfed in a bright flame, comparable in temperature to the sun itself, which turned their bodies to ash. I then leaned toward Zask and took the glowing object. It was a small round talisman in the form of a twisted spiral on a chain. "Hmm? An interesting talisman. I bet you bought it at a souvenir shop, huh?"
- "Give it back! You have no right to hold it in your filthy hands!" Zask wouldn't let up.
- "Or what? Are you going to kill me? You're too weak for that," I smiled and began to twirl it in my hands. "How interesting. It drains a power that is different from divine power, but at the same time gives me the ability to resist you a little. Amusing."
- "It's the 'Heart of the Giant', an ancient artifact that contains the spirit of the giant ancestor," Olga explained.
- "And it is whom the queen must give life to," Mistiora added cautiously, receiving a dirty look from Olga. "But only a queen who has successfully completed her training and rituals has the right to carry it..."
- "Oh? Is that so?" I was surprised and looked at Zask. "And how did you get it, huh? Did you steal it? Oh, dear... And I thought you were a respectable dark elf... Although, no, I apologize. 'Half-breed', isn't that's right?"
- "I'll kill you!" he roared. "I'll gut you! I'll skin you alive! I'll rip out your..."
- "You're too loud, but you're still useful for one thing, so go back to sleep," I rolled my eyes and knocked him out, then turned my gaze to the remaining elder, putting the artifact in my pocket. "You've been silent all this time and didn't even support the attempt to attack me, elder. As a reward, I'm even willing to listen to you, if you have anything to say, of course."
The elder, dressed, incidentally, in a black rope bikini, stockings, and some sort of peignoir, looked into my eyes as if searching for something, and then...
...knelt down.
- "Lucretia is ready to serve you, Romani Archaman... god of the dark elves," she declared without a hint of falsehood and... kissed my feet, causing not only me but everyone else who was still alive to stare in amazement.
- "Huh?"
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