Chapter 71: Chapter 71: Ritual of Proof Part 2
A wicked druid who practiced foul witchcraft?
A fraudster who falsely claims to be a descendant of the ancient elves?
"Um, it seems there might be some misunderstanding…"
I couldn't hide my astonishment and looked at Blanche. With his long silver hair neatly braided, he looked at me calmly with his glassy blue eyes. Staring into those grave eyes, I felt a pang of guilt despite being innocent.
"I have never practiced witchcraft, nor have I ever claimed to be a descendant of the ancient elves."
"...."
It was Darion who went around claiming I was a descendant of the ancient elves! Darion!
Blanche ignored my words and continued with his own.
"Tonight, when the moon is at its highest, there will be a 'Ritual of Proof'."
"A Ritual of Proof?"
"If you have ever practiced witchcraft, it would be wise to confess now. The 'Ritual of Proof' is a painful trial."
No, I've never practiced witchcraft.
Is it really okay to slander someone like this?
Is everyone who is an elf the same?
"Who is the informant?"
"...?"
"I have not gone around with a label on my forehead claiming I am a deceitful druid and a descendant of ancient elves, have I? Surely there must be an informant."
"...Hmm."
"Is this person reliable?"
"Of course. They are completely loyal to Lysette."
"And if they are not?"
"What do you mean?"
"If I have neither practiced witchcraft nor lied about being a descendant of ancient elves…"
"..."
"Then wouldn't that mean the one who has pledged loyalty to Lysette has actually spoken a 'falsehood'?"
Blanche's handsome face twisted. I continued without caring.
"If I safely pass this 'Ritual of Proof', you must promise to punish that individual."
"..."
"Because what they offered to Lysette was not loyalty."
Blanche glanced at me sharply and then swept out of the room with his silver cloak trailing behind him.
Oooh, I'm pissed. The more I think about it, the more it feels like my head will explode. I was pacing the room when someone knocked on the door again. No, why knock? I can't even open it. Now everything seems annoying. I glared at the door with resentful eyes.
"Theodore!"
The door opened to reveal none other than Darion, perhaps the only elf in Lysette who was friendly towards me.
"...Darion."
"You look worse for wear."
…Was that a backhanded compliment? Anyone looking at me could tell my face was the same.
Darion pulled out a small box and placed it on the table. The box seemed to be enchanted with space magic as it spilled out far more food than it seemed capable of holding.
"First, have something to eat."
"I'm not hungry."
"You will be subjected to the 'Ritual of Proof'. It's an infamous trial. It's wise to fill your stomach beforehand."
…An infamous trial? Seeing an elf like Darion worried, it must be more than just bluster. I sighed deeply and picked up a fist-sized loaf of bread.
It seemed like a good opportunity to pry some information with him here.
"By the way, what exactly is this 'Ritual of Proof'…?"
"Ah, you're new to Lysette. You need an explanation. The 'Ritual of Proof' is…"
What followed was Darion's lengthy talk.
The Ritual of Proof was a ceremony that used holy water from the "Lake of Life" at the continent's center to trial the purity of one's mind and body.
The participant had to undergo three trials.
The first was to wash their hands in the holy water.
The second trial is to drink the holy water.
The third is to immerse oneself in the holy water.
It's often said that the first and second trials reveal if a participant is "corrupt".
If someone has ever used witchcraft, dark magic, or interacted with demons, they simply can't endure it.
"A pure person's mind and body actually become clearer and cleaner. Some even attain enlightenment through the 'Ritual of Proof'."
"…And the corrupt?"
"They suffer terrible agony. The holy water from the Lake of Life has purifying power. They might endure the first trial, but most cannot withstand the second. The holy water burns away the impure magic. Depending on the severity, one might lose a finger, an arm, or perhaps even half their body."
"…Could they disappear entirely?"
"Haha, that usually doesn't happen. However, those who overly relied on witchcraft or dark magic might indeed die."
"...."
"But brother, you're not one of them, are you? Don't worry. Your innocence will soon be proven."
"Uh… right."
Sh*t. Even though I'm innocent, the thought that my body could burn up leaves me feeling deeply uneasy.
Ah, this isn't the time for this.
With Darion here, I better make sure we clear up the "Claiming to be a descendant of the ancient elves" case.
"Darion, I need your help."
"Of course. I'm here to help you, aren't I?"
"Testify for me."
"Testify?"
"Exactly. Think about it. Have I ever claimed to be an ancient elf myself?"
"That's… true."
"I have never once pretended to be a descendant of the ancient elves. I swear it on the name of Lynshaka."
For a druid to swear on the name of Lynshaka indicates a serious commitment. Fortunately, Darion nodded in agreement.
"I can vouch for that."
Damn it, I thought this whole "descendant of an ancient elf" business would be helpful, but now it's just causing trouble. This is getting annoying…
Surely, someone at Katharina's banquet must have overheard these stories.
The problem was that I couldn't tell who it might be. It could be one of the elves with Darion or someone who wasn't even an elf at all. In fact, aside from the dwarves, anyone who attended that banquet could be a suspect.
A loyal person… Since that Blanche fellow said so, there is a high probability that it is an elf.
Right now, my main suspect was the elf priest who was with Darion.
A priest would likely have connections to the elders.
Even though he's not a priest from the homeland, the idea that an elf priest could be a crow is quite shocking.
I sighed deeply and began eating something from the box Darion brought. It looked like a mango but tasted like grapes.
Anyway, eating something makes me feel a bit more alive. I shared the grape-flavored mango slices with Beepy.
-Beep!
Meanwhile, Darion was getting ready to leave. He said I could return the box later, and added that he had put his favorite books at the bottom, suggesting that I read them if I ever felt bored. Considering that he was the one who had gotten me into this troublesome affair, his consideration somehow made me feel better.
"It seems this might take longer than expected, so please look after my companions."
"Don't worry. Your people are resting comfortably at my mansion."
That was a relief, at least. After giving his regards and advising me to take care of myself, Darion left the solitary room. I ate the food he had left behind and pulled out the books he had placed in the box. They were in Elvish, but reading them was no trouble at all because I had the [Polyglot] trait.
There was nothing special about them. It seemed to be aimed at young elves, with a book that simplified elf mythology into fairy tale form, another book that described the various regions of Lysette, and one copy of what looked like a recently published newspaper. Whether it was the books or the newspaper, most of them contained knowledge I already knew through the game.
"Wait, this is…"
Except for one thing.
-The decline in the birth of new elves began about 500 years ago. We are a flourishing race blessed with lifespans far exceeding those of other races, so this has not been a significant problem. However, the fact that no new elves have been born in the past hundred years has become a major issue for our elf society…
I stared intently at a small article. Elves hadn't been born for the last hundred years?
Wasn't this a seriously huge problem?
Perhaps this is also related to the Origin God quest …
Suspecting that everything might be related to the Origin God quest can be quite exhausting, but it's better than missing a clue by just overlooking it. I read the article in the newspaper several more times and carefully cut it out to keep it with me.
Elves not being born anymore. So that's why Darion, who is relatively "young" for an elf, was so happy to call me his sibling. Now I understand.
I hadn't planned on staying in Lysette for long, but I might have to stay longer than I thought.
First of all, it's crucial to finish this proving ritual or whatever it is soon.
If I successfully pass the Ritual of Proof, the situation will completely change. Not only will I be able to gain my freedom by proving my innocence, but it will also become possible to find and deal with the person who started this nonsense.
Time flew quickly, and before I knew it, it was midnight.
"Please follow me."
The elf soldier who had been guarding the door to my cell opened it. I quietly followed him. The room he led me to contained a small portal, through which I could see an unfamiliar landscape and a high moon. When I stepped forward, a wave of dizziness and nausea hit me. When I opened my eyes, I was inside the landscape I had seen from outside the portal.
In front of me was a huge old tree. The trunk of the tree was deeply hollowed out, resembling a boat, and it was filled with water shimmering in the moonlight. The water was overflowing and spilling out as if a spring was bubbling up from inside the tree. I could feel the purification power emanating from the place.
"This is the first trial."
Just like Darion had said, a small wooden bowl filled with "holy water" was prepared in front of me. Without hesitation, I washed my hands. Nothing happened.
"This is the second trial."
Now it was time to drink the "holy water". It was often here that many failed. I downed the "holy water" in the crystal glass in one go. Naturally, nothing happened.
The purification power is really strong. That's actually good, isn't it?
While I was admiring the taste of the water, it seemed that preparations for the third trial had been completed. Blanche spoke to me with a cold expression on his face.
"This is the third trial."
Well, why not go for it?
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