Torn Asunder by War, A Sword Saint for Tomorrow X The Knight Wizards!! – Chapter 130

Chapter 130: Above All, Regarding the Pattern of Elf Villages Being Burned Down
  『Although it is extremely regrettable for those of us who are involved, now that we know how the Consciousness Collective or whatever it is operates, we have no choice but to continue to resist. Are there any options?』
  
  『If there were such convenient things, we wouldn’t be an endangered species either.』
  『Yes, yes, if I had to say…』
  
  Mia, who had agreed with the Queen’s replica without hesitation, added from the back seat, repeating similar statements about the need to explore the incomprehensible intentions of the false god with common sense, while maintaining the western front of the continent so as not to step on the tiger’s tail.
  
  Perhaps dissatisfaction was showing on my face, as I believe in overcoming or breaking down any obstacles that stand in my way. The artificial spirit, visible only to the pseudo-eyeballs of the mount, made a troubled face and brushed her silver hair up.
  
  『Well, the protagonists in this era are you guys. Do as you please. In my estimation, the ape-men are close to something they are looking for. This “Divine Hammer” is nothing more than pruning to cut off unnecessary branches and leaves. They won’t be completely annihilated.』
  
  As if to say that she had conveyed what was necessary, she lightly waved her hand and, while still floating, rearranged her legs, resting her elbow on her alluring thigh exposed through a deep slit, and struck a pose as if leaning on her cheek.
  
  『As long as the “Soul Pact” exists, no matter how many words we exchange, war is unavoidable. How sad… I would be happy if they would at least go easy on us. But we won’t go easy on them♪』
  
  Even without the mental interference of the false god, I let out a heavy sigh when I was told that the White Elf knights, sick of the isolation of the “Eternal Forest” floating in subspace and finding a way out in battle, and even unique personnel like maids with sadistic hobbies, were assembled.
  
  While I was stunned by the humor, which implied that we shouldn’t be too reserved since we would continue to fight on the battlefield, she also brought up the winged Clawsolas we had secured in the course of the conversation.
  
  I had a vague feeling about it due to sensing the will of the Lion Core, the autonomous magic core installed in Belphegor, in several battles… but it seems that it will be difficult to operate the captured Clawsolas in our country.
  
  『So, the “Mechanical Magi” do choose their users after all?』
  『Yes, I think they’re standing by Lambda and the others, and won’t budge an inch while they remain silent.』
  
  『Actually, they didn’t say a word, so while we were examining their memory area, we discovered a parting gift from the Grand Patriarch!』
  
  Mia, who, like any engineer, loves to explain things, started talking in a somewhat proud voice, giving me a detailed explanation of the circumstances that led to the current situation and the condition of the body.
  
  Incidentally, it seems that the winged Clawsolas’ flight ability is paired with the Swan Core, so unfortunately, even if you connect a different magic core, it will likely crash without being able to control it.
  
  My plan to have Kotono, who is skilled in archery, switch to piloting a Clawsolas and shoot targets from the sky has vanished like a bubble.
  
  『It can’t be helped. Is it possible to make it walk at least?』
  『Hmm, for now, we’ll try removing the magic core from Mira’s wrecked Clawsolas and connecting it.』
  
  Nodding to Mia, who answered me after some thought, I brought the conversation to a close. Fau Homunculus, who had straightened her posture without me noticing, spoke up again.
  
  『Since I am also residing in the Swan Core, I would like you to leave it with the twin elves’ hidden village. I have some business with them as well. And, this is an afterthought, but… perhaps the false god doesn’t have the luxury of waging an overwhelming war of attrition against the ape-men.』
  
  What she told me, with the preface “take it with a grain of salt,” was that the invasion of the ape-men was happening in a considerably shorter period compared to the past, suggesting the possibility that they might not be keeping up with the reproduction of their forces.
  
  She scoffed that it had only been eight hundred years since the previous undead were destroyed, but with the short lifespan of humans, it was difficult for me to fully comprehend.
  
  『I can imagine that a huge number of Aberrations would be needed to eradicate an entire prosperous race, but it feels a bit lacking in basis…』
  
  『If you consider that the false god’s judgment is passed down at intervals of roughly several thousand years, you can understand that this is an anomaly. To add further, the beastmen before that were also eliminated in a short period of about twelve hundred years after we disappeared.』
  
  At that time, she said, all beastmen, from the powerful lion and black wolf tribes to the docile goat tribe, were hunted and killed without discrimination, and only the ape-type beastmen survived.
  
  Eventually, when the ancestors of the ape-men were born, some of them, who excelled in magic, realized that “they die because they have bodies,” and the wealthy class, in particular, transformed into spirits or skeletons.
  
  『Since their existence was close to the Consciousness Collective, it must have been unpleasant. The undead who didn’t submit to them all had their souls crushed, but their stubborn resistance caused us quite a bit of damage, and I remember that the Aberrations we used as pawns were drastically reduced.』
  
  『At that time, our tribe was also caught up in the war and our hidden village was burned down.』
  『…… I see.』
  
  For a moment, I imagined elves fleeing from their burning village, a common trope in fiction, but I immediately dismissed it and stopped my train of thought from derailing.
  
  I filed away the hopeful observations about the “Hour of Ruin’s” fighting strength in a corner of my mind, as I was told, and expressed my sincere gratitude to the Queen’s replica, who had given me various pieces of information.
  
  『You don’t have to thank me. It’s for my brethren who live on the surface.』
  
  『Ah, I understand. I will do my best to ensure that we can walk together.』
  『Hehe, you’re an interesting one…』
  
  When the little lady smiled cheerfully and dissolved into phosphorescence, vanishing into the void, my vision switched from the pseudo-eyeballs to my own eyes under Mia’s control of the body.
  
  Since the artificial muscles wrapped around my body were also released, I went outside the cockpit for some fresh air, and found Mira, who had been kept waiting, standing there looking displeased.