Chapter 131 – Parent of the Elves (Part 8)

===================

Translated by Pratt

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

A situation where six fingers were broken without any warning.

“Kkeuuuk…!”

Marcus glared with wide eyes, clenching his teeth as he let out a suppressed groan.

Marcus’s life had not been as rugged as Elbridge’s.

However, Marcus’s ten or so years of mercenary life had not been smooth either. There were several times when his life was in danger or he was severely injured.

After countless experiences, Marcus had realized that a scream uttered without thought had a huge negative impact on morale.

However, the inexperienced reserve Sentinels were not as accustomed to pain as Marcus, nor did they know what kind of effect their screams would have on their surroundings.

“Aaaaah!”

The two reserve Sentinels next to Marcus screamed at the top of their lungs.

It was faintly felt that those waiting on the outskirts of the forest flinched.

However, the situation was not over yet. Before the elves’ screams could even subside, the index finger moving on its own accord broke even their thumbs. The screams of the reserve Sentinels grew one level louder.

Rombel shouted.

“Stretch your hands out forward!”

The two reserve Sentinels reflexively stretched their hands forward, believing that Rombel would somehow relieve this pain for them.

However, Rombel had no particular interest in the elves’ pain. What Rombel deemed important was only an efficient response.

Slice.

Rombel swung his giant axe with precision, cutting off their index fingers.

The white, slender fingers of the two reserve Sentinels fell to the ground. A short distance away from there, two thick fingers characteristic of a dwarf were rolling around.

And those fingers wriggled as if they had life, attempting to crawl somewhere.

“Tsk.”

Rombel scowled and crushed the index fingers underfoot.

Kwajik.

Once the Master of the Index Finger appeared, the index finger was no longer one’s own flesh, but an uncontrollable enemy.

Therefore, it was better to eliminate the severed index fingers in advance. The missing fingers could simply be regenerated after the battle was over anyway.

Next, Rombel looked at Marcus. However, there was no need for Rombel to cut off Marcus’s finger as well.

Since Marcus had laid his sword on the ground, stepped on its hilt, and severed his own index finger.

Elbridge muttered as he stomped on his own finger.

“Of all things to appear.”

The Master of the Index Finger, a demon famous even two hundred years ago.

The ability possessed by the Master of the Index Finger was only one: controlling the index finger.

The Master of the Index Finger had first made its name known because, at first glance, the ability it possessed felt laughable.

However, it did not take long for the evaluation of the Master of the Index Finger to turn from ridicule to notoriety.

In the past, the Master of the Index Finger had collapsed two entire cities, and caused a loss of over a hundred paladins alone. The collapse of civilians and small villages was beyond count.

Although what the Master of the Index Finger could move was barely a single finger, its aftermath did not affect just one finger. Just as was the case for Marcus and the elves now, having all fingers neutralized was the first step.

And a hand that had lost all fingers lost most of its value of existence. What meaning would there be in a hand that could neither hold a weapon nor make a fist?

Yet even that was only the beginning.

If one had lost all fingers, the next stage was the wrist.

“W-what’s wrong with this!”

Some elf waiting inside the forest shouted.

Elbridge looked back. That elf’s index finger was bent downward to the maximum, roughly clawing at its own palm and wrist.

No, expressing it as gouging rather than clawing might be more accurate. And it would definitely become so after a little while.

And a deep wound formed on the wrist could lead to massive bleeding, and ultimately, death.

A situation where the damage was bound to grow even larger if left alone.

“Move!”

Elbridge, Rombel, Marcus, and even the two reserve Sentinels. All five people ran toward the forest.

“Stretch out your hands if you don’t want to die!”

Before long, Elbridge’s sword and Rombel’s axe sliced through the air. The pretty, slender fingers of the elves were severed and scattered on the ground.

Elbridge checked the state of the elves. There wasn’t a single intact finger on almost all of the elves’ hands.

The only saving grace was that there was someone who reacted before it was too late.

Jean had only cut off two fingers, and his other fingers were perfectly fine.

Jean said to Elbridge.

“Elbridge.”

“Please speak.”

“I have only heard snippets about the Master of the Index Finger; it’s my first time actually seeing it. Tell me everything you know about the Master of the Index Finger.”

Elbridge was inwardly impressed.

To cut off one’s own fingers immediately upon hearing just a single shout of the Master of the Index Finger. It was an astonishing decisiveness.

“Rombel will know better than me. Although I have faced the Master of the Index Finger before, the one who participated in the battle that sealed the Master of the Index Finger was Rombel, not me.”

Rombel said, stomping on the fingers wriggling on the ground.

“Since we’ve cut off all the index fingers, the biggest hurdle is over. But we must conclude the battle as quickly as possible.”

“Is it due to the bleeding?”

Rombel shook his head, then spoke quickly.

“No. The demon of the index finger can regenerate index fingers rapidly. And what is truly dangerous is when people fail to overcome their fatigue and fall asleep. Index fingers will grow from the hands of those asleep, and those index fingers will crawl along the ground. They will stab and gouge their own eyes, and tear open the windpipes of the persons next to them. That is when the full-scale casualties will begin.”

In order to raise the efficiency of their authority, gods impose constraints on the conditions under which their authority is manifested.

That logic applies exactly the same way to a demon’s abilities.

And a demon that has placed as strong a constraint on its abilities as the Master of the Index Finger is rare.

However, in exchange for the constraint, the Master of the Index Finger gained a near-perfect control, the ability to intervene in countless people simultaneously, and an influence spanning a wide range.

Jean asked.

“Don’t tell me the same problem has arisen inside the Forest of Thorns as well?”

“Although the ability possessed by the Master of the Index Finger reaches a wide range… it shouldn’t be to that extent. Not yet.”

Not yet meant that it could become so someday. Jean’s expression hardened.

“We’ll have to handle it as quickly as possible before the damage grows larger.”

Just then, there was a memory that rose in Elbridge’s mind.

“…We must subdue it as quickly as possible for another reason as well.”

“Is there a special reason?”

“The index finger is the second finger. And a second implies the existence of a first.”

“Don’t tell me…”

“Yes. The Master of the Index Finger drags another demon into the battlefield.”

Dragging in another demon. That was the most core reason they had struggled to subjugate the Master of the Index Finger in the past.

Elbridge recalled the dark red well that Mire had formed as it melted.

That well did not close even after spitting out the Master of the Index Finger. As if it had completed preparations to spew out a second demon.

“A new demon will appear. The dark red well underground… we must close the passage.”

“Yes. It’s already becoming so.”

Elbridge looked back. Before he knew it, a massive colony of plants was growing and occupying the surroundings.

The Master of the Index Finger was leisurely leaning against the plant-type demon.

‘A plant-type demon.’

Jean said.

“I will support from here.”

Elbridge stared blankly at Jean.

Because Jean had implicitly expressed his intention not to venture outside the Forest of Thorns.

‘…No. Jean has no reason to go outside the forest anyway. Rather, the bow shows its greatest power when keeping a reasonable distance.’

Elbridge nodded.

“Understood.”

And Elbridge stared at the plant-type demon.

‘That plant-type demon, it’s familiar somehow.’

It seemed to be one of the demons he had seen over two hundred years ago. However, he couldn’t remember its name, let alone its characteristics.

It was a good thing that the memory was faint. Since it meant it wasn’t a particularly dangerous fellow.

‘The common characteristic of plant-type demons is space occupancy.’

The massive plant-type demon was expanding in size at a tremendous speed even now.

The demon’s shape was already closer to a small forest rather than trees or vines. Even if nothing else, its growth speed alone was faster than any plant-type demon Elbridge had seen so far.

‘It seems it’s already a bit late.’

Just then, Jean shot an arrow toward the sky.

Tung—

Subsequently, the arrow shot by Jean became a beam of light and plunged toward the ground.

Tukwak—

Just like how it had pierced ‘Mire’ a little while ago, Jean’s arrow pierced the demon of the index finger this time as well.

Some reserve Sentinel shouted.

“Did we get him?”

Elbridge felt the temptation to hit the back of that reserve Sentinel’s head.

Sure enough, Jean muttered in a low voice.

“Damn it. It missed.”

Archery was an extremely delicate skill.

No matter how great Jean was, he couldn’t display perfect skills while losing his index finger.

“It hit, but it’s not a critical hit.”

Even before Elbridge and Rombel could move, the plant-type demon had become an intact forest.

If nothing else, its growth speed alone was outstanding among the numerous plant-type demons.

Elbridge and Rombel faced each other briefly, and reached the same conclusion.

“Since it has come to this, it seems we must wait a bit.”

“I think so too.”

Jean asked Rombel.

“Just a moment ago, didn’t you say we had to finish it as quickly as possible?”

“The index finger is the second finger. The demon that the Master of the Index Finger drags into the battlefield has always been just one. Since the situation is unlikely to deteriorate rapidly… it will be better to make thorough preparations and attack more surely.”

Elbridge and Rombel maintained a calm attitude throughout in the face of the demon’s emergence.

As if holding his own experience with pride, Jean knew that he must respect Elbridge and Rombel’s experience. Since the careers of the two were of no ordinary level either.

“Let’s do that.”

*

Jean, Rombel, and Sonya remained on the outskirts of the Forest of Thorns to prepare for any contingency.

Those excluding the three—that is, Elbridge and the reserve Sentinels—returned inside the Forest of Thorns to convey the current situation.

Elbridge glanced at the hands of the elves traveling with him.

In his heart, he wanted to offer a prayer to the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss, asking her to heal all the broken fingers.

However, that was impossible.

A situation where just having Elbridge, who was not a believer, receive authority from the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss would severely drop the efficiency.

Let alone if Elbridge wished to heal others instead of himself, the Goddess of Spring Rain and Moss was highly likely to not bestow her authority.

No matter how close the two goddesses were, there was bound to be a limit.

Before long, the white sacred tree came into view. Sure enough, Bella and Orion were beside the sacred tree,

However, unlike usual, quite a few elves were surrounding the two Sentinels. Perhaps they had gathered beside the most trustworthy Sentinels to suppress their anxiety.

“They’re here!”

The elves brightened up upon seeing the reserve Sentinels and Elbridge.

However, in the very next moment, the elves were taken aback upon discovering that everyone’s hands were injured.

“Their hands…”

Orion approached Elbridge and asked.

“Did you defeat the demon?”

Elbridge shook his head.

“Not yet. We need the help of Lady Bella and Lord Orion.”

Starting with those words, Elbridge explained the whole story.

As soon as Mire was eliminated, two demons appeared, and the Master of the Index Finger hid inside a small fortress.

They must encircle the area so the Master of the Index Finger cannot escape, break through the fortress built by the plant-type magic beast, slay the demon of the index finger, and close the passage created by ‘Mire.’

Since the tasks that had to be performed simultaneously were not just one or two, they needed even one more skilled individual. If they had the help of Jean and Orion, they would be able to breathe.

Upon hearing the explanation, Orion readily stood up.

“Let’s go.”

However, Bella was different. She had a look that anyone could see was displeased.

“Elbridge. Could you wait for a moment?”

“I will do so.”

Bella stood up, walked to a corner, and began to mutter something while moving her lips.

At first glance, it looked as though she was talking to herself to organize her thoughts.

However, Elbridge could easily guess that an intense prayer and oracle were being exchanged between Bella and the Goddess of Thorns.

Hiding the contents of the oracle and prayer from the other elves meant that a conversation that wasn’t very honorable was being exchanged.

‘I think I know what kind of conversation is taking place…’

Elbridge peered at the shape of Bella’s lips.

‘Normally I would have gone right away. But sweetie, they say the demon is outside the Forest of Thorns. It’s a bit difficult for Mom.’

‘My goodness, if you say that, what do that make Mom and Dad? If Mom and Dad simply wanted to live long, we would have ascended ourselves instead of letting you ascend.’

‘Mom is also old and tired now. In my heart, I want to return to nature. But because I worry about you, because I love you so much, I still cannot leave.’

‘I’ve taken care of you for over three thousand years, and instead of saying thank you… Besides, you know last month was Mom’s birthday, right? I thought you would at least send down an oracle, but there wasn’t a single word…’

‘Once Orion’s skills get a bit better so we can entrust you to him, we’ll leave of course. When you say that, Mom feels hurt…’

Bella, who wanted to remain a Sentinel without leaving the forest.

Such Bella to send outside the forest, this time to pull out the decaying tooth is want the Goddess of Thorns.

A fierce dispute between mother and daughter was continuing.

The Goddess of the Rusty Shield delivered an oracle in a worried voice.

– Elbridge. From what your wise goddess has felt in her life so far, meddling rashly in other people’s family affairs is a foolish act.

“I think so too, Goddess.”

– However, if a conclusion must absolutely be reached, your goddess wishes to take the side of the Goddess of Thorns…

It was clear that the Goddess of the Rusty Shield had been unable to shake off the temptation of the standing comm’s secretary position.

Elbridge stealthily turned his head.