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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 186 – Kirrin’s Black Forest (9)
"Kirrin!? What are you doing here?! It’s dangerous!!"
As Drebren lunged toward Kirrin, Dian also twisted his body in an instant.
His aura barely skimmed past them, but the sheer force toppled several massive trees before he finally came to a stop.
The impact sent dust and leaves flying, and Zakrion and Sharian, who had been hiding nearby, immediately jumped down and ran to Drebren.
"Are you two okay?"
"Kirrin, why are you here?!"
"I… I was afraid you’d end up fighting Dian…."
Kirrin’s pale, trembling eyes darted between her siblings. Sharian let out a long sigh.
"Forget it. You’re not hurt, that’s all that matters."
"Ugh… my head…"
Amidst the swirling dust and decaying leaves, Dian emerged, rubbing his temples.
The moment the dark elves saw him, they instinctively moved to shield Kirrin, weapons drawn.
"Ah, there you are, Headmaster."
Dian grinned as he spotted Kirrin peeking out from behind them.
"You disappeared without a word, you know? Nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I’m sorry…."
"If you’d just gone home, I wouldn’t have had to search so hard."
"I should have told you…"
"Well, in any case—looks like your siblings have something to say to me."
Dian’s gaze landed on Drebren.
"What were you trying to tell me earlier?"
"First… I owe you an apology."
Drebren spoke with sincerity.
"It was wrong of us to try and capture you without explanation. For that, I sincerely apologize."
"Wh-What?!"
Kirrin’s eyes widened in shock.
"Capture?! What are you talking about, Big Brother?!"
"It’s not something you need to know."
Zakrion cut in.
"But this involves Dian! I have a right to know!"
"We’ll handle it. Stay out of this."
Zakrion and Sharian pushed Kirrin back, blocking her from stepping forward.
"So, please—"
Drebren motioned toward the energy still swirling around Dian’s body.
"Dispel your aura. Talking with a target is a disgrace to an assassin, but I’ll endure that shame to make this request."
"Well, if you insist."
The moment Dian withdrew his aura, the three dark elves let out barely audible sighs.
The crushing weight that had been suffocating them vanished in an instant.
"Considering how badly I beat you all at the Academy, I’d say we’re even now. No need for any unnecessary fights."
Drebren and Zakrion, the ones who had taken the worst of it back then, remained silent.
The truth was, they could still feel the lingering pain from Dian’s blows.
# # # # #
The moment I charged forward with my aura, Kirrin had suddenly jumped in.
If I hadn’t adjusted my trajectory at the last second, I might have sent her and the others flying.
I hesitated, wondering what to do next.
But after Kirrin’s unexpected appearance—and after her brother practically surrendered—I decided to stop fighting.
I needed to know why they had tried to abduct me.
And I needed to find out what had happened to Kirrin.
I had already beaten them half to death over the Academy incident, so I wasn’t holding a grudge.
Besides, I had no intention of hurting Kirrin’s siblings right in front of her.
I’m not some mindless monster who only knows how to break and kill.
"Alright then. How about we settle this with words?"
Drebren stepped forward.
"First, let me formally introduce myself. I am Drebren, Kirrin’s older brother. This is Zakrion and Sharian—my younger siblings of the same mother."
"A pleasure. I’m Dian."
"Let’s head to the Black Forest."
Drebren suggested.
"We were planning to take you there anyway. It’s best if we talk properly once we arrive."
"Fine by me."
I accepted without hesitation.
Something told me this wasn’t a trap.
For some reason, Kirrin’s siblings didn’t seem like they were trying to deceive me.
And even if it was a trap… it wouldn’t really matter. I’d just break out.
"Humans don’t seem very suspicious by nature, do they?"
Sharian muttered.
"This could very well be a setup."
"And if it is? That’s even better."
Sharian instantly fell silent.
Zakrion leaned in and whispered to her.
"Sister, that kind of talk doesn’t work on him."
"Yeah… I see that now."
"This way. I’ll take you through the shortcut."
Drebren led the way, and we followed.
As we walked, I turned to Kirrin.
"Headmaster."
"…Mm?"
"Would you mind explaining what’s going on? I understand you came home for the break—that makes sense. And sure, maybe you disappeared without saying anything. But why did your siblings come after me? Does it have something to do with you being here?"
"Well… I don’t really know, actually…."
"You don’t know? What don’t you know?"
"I had no idea they were trying to bring you here… I just found out myself…."
"They didn’t even tell you? Aren’t you family?"
"Dark elves don’t work like that…."
Huh. Fair enough.
That was a reasonable explanation.
Dark elves would be like that.
Kirrin was half-human, but the pureblood dark elves were emotionally detached to a near-unbelievable degree.
The idea of discussing, consulting, or confiding in family? It was practically unheard of.
They made a living through assassination, after all.
They acted first, without question.
That was why they had tried to kidnap me without a word.
If they had just knocked on my door and explained things properly, I wouldn’t have beaten them half to death.
But it’s not like they could help it.
That’s just the way dark elves were.
…Although, now that I think about it, something doesn’t add up.
Those three are purebloods. Kirrin is a half-blood.
I glanced over at Sharian.
Yep. Definitely a pureblood.
Jet-black skin like polished ebony, broad shoulders, a muscular frame, and a towering height.
Kirrin, on the other hand, had a softer frame, a wider pelvis, and a much more delicate build.
Their body types were completely different.
Which meant they were only half-siblings through their father.
And yet…
Something felt off.
Those three seemed very protective of Kirrin.
That was strange.
Dark elves rarely cared about siblings unless they shared the same Maman.
With succession rivalries constantly at play, most half-siblings saw each other as threats, not family.
The competition often turned so brutal that they would sabotage or even kill one another.
So why…
Why did these three treat Kirrin differently?
"Hey, Headmaster, I have a question—"
But I never got to finish.
I had just noticed something.
The color of the trees had changed.
Up until now, the forest had already looked eerie and unsettling.
But this?
This was something else entirely.
The trees were black.
I mean completely black.
Like charred husks standing upright.
"What the hell?"
Even the leaves were dark.
Were they all just dead trees?
"They are very much alive."
Drebren answered.
"What’s the reason? Is it some kind of dark magic?"
"We don’t know. Not even the elders could explain it."
"Then how come I couldn’t see any of this from the sky?"
"The sky?"
"Oh, yeah. I opened a dimensional gate and jumped down."
Drebren, Zakrion, and Sharian all turned to stare at me.
"You what? You did what?"
"I opened a dimensional gate and jumped down."
"Why in the world would you do that?"
Sharian asked, bewildered.
I explained that due to various constraints, it was the best option.
"Brother… is this really okay?"
Zakrion whispered urgently to Drebren.
"That human is insane. Are we really letting him into the Black Forest? What if he loses control—"
"It’s Father’s orders. We have no choice."
"But it’s too dangerous."
"We already failed at the Academy. No matter what we do, he’s getting in. It’s better to let him enter with some understanding rather than blind rage."
"That may be true, but still…."
They were whispering, but I could hear everything.
This place really was fascinating.
The trees were jet black, the soil was dark, and barely any light filtered through.
It felt like this place was locked in eternal night.
In the dimness, the dark elves' ruby-red eyes glowed faintly.
Kirrin suddenly extended a hand toward me.
"Want me to hold your hand?"
"I can see just fine."
Before coming here, Kaiden had cast a spell on me—heat vision.
And thanks to that, I could see them.
Dozens. No, hundreds of dark elves, hidden all around us.
More than I expected.
Well, it was the only dark elf clan that had survived the war without facing retaliation.
A powerful, secretive group of assassins, trusted by the Emperor himself.
Which meant…
Maybe the Second Princess wanted me to come here for another reason.
Maybe she was hoping I’d cause some catastrophic damage.
One less obstacle in her way.
Not my problem.
At that moment, Drebren suddenly stopped walking.
A dark elf stood in our path.
"What is the meaning of this, Drebren? A human?"
"He is our target. Stay out of it."
"Ah… so this is the human? The bastard born from that filthy human—"
With a blur of movement, Drebren’s iron club struck the dark elf’s skull.
Crack.
Blood sprayed as the body collapsed.
"What the—?!"
"Agh!"
Kirrin and I were the only ones shocked.
Zakrion and Sharian stared at the corpse with indifference.
"I told you, insult Maman or Kirrin again, and I’ll kill you."
…So this is how pureblood dark elf families operate.
A complete, absolute mess.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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