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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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Chapter 187 – Kirrin’s Black Forest (10)
"What the hell are you doing?!"
The moment the dark elf’s head went flying, several others rushed forward, shouting in protest.
"What do you think you’re doing, just killing him like that?!"
"My mother won’t let this go unpunished!"
As the dark elves glared up at him, Drebren looked down at them and spoke calmly.
"I made a promise. I said if anyone insulted them in front of me again, I would kill them."
"That wasn’t a promise, that was a threat! And bringing a human into the Black Forest—have you lost your mind?!"
"So what do you want to do about it?"
Drebren tightened his grip on his iron club and swept his gaze over the crowd.
"If you have a problem, challenge me to Carsal formally."
The moment that word left his lips, the dark elves flinched and exchanged glances.
"What’s Carsal?"
"It’s a duel."
Sharian answered.
"If you don’t like something, you fight over it."
Alright, I get the picture now.
The ones protesting against Drebren were likely from a different maternal line.
Or perhaps an alliance of smaller factions opposed to his.
Dark elf clans were divided by maternal bloodlines, constantly competing against one another.
It was a never-ending cycle of betrayals and shifting alliances.
Most likely, the weaker factions had temporarily united to challenge Drebren, the strongest candidate for the next chieftain.
And the moment they succeeded in bringing him down, they’d turn on each other again.
But… something still didn’t make sense.
Drebren and Kirrin clearly didn’t share the same maternal lineage.
Kirrin’s assassination and stealth skills were far below those of pureblood dark elves.
So why were these three—Drebren, Zakrion, and Sharian—so protective of her?
A typical dark elf wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate someone like Kirrin for being "unfit."
Were they just following orders? Did Nemara send Kirrin to the city as an advance scout and order her protection?
"If you have nothing else to say, step aside. We’re on our way to see Father."
Drebren’s firm stance left the other dark elves no choice but to move aside.
"This is intense."
"A strange sight by human standards, but this is normal for us."
Zakrion muttered coldly as he deliberately stepped over the corpse.
Behind us, the voices of the other dark elves could be heard whispering.
"They keep pushing their limits. Do we just let this go? That bastard thinks he can do anything just because he has Father’s favor."
"Not yet. It’s too soon. We need to wait and convince the other mothers. Plus, we need to wait for the brothers who are out on assignments to return."
Just as I thought.
Drebren was the strongest candidate for succession, and the others were conspiring against him.
"I’m sorry, Dian…"
Kirrin murmured beside me.
"You came all this way because of me, and now you’re stuck seeing all of this…."
"It’s fine. I wouldn’t say it’s that bad. I expected as much."
"But still…"
She fidgeted, anxiously pulling at her fingers before continuing.
"Whatever my father says, please don’t take it too personally. He can be… harsh."
"I see. And what exactly is he going to say?"
"I don’t know… I didn’t even know my siblings were trying to kidnap you… I have no idea what’s going on…."
If Nemara had summoned me, it was likely for some political reason.
Something about the future of his clan.
A possibility came to mind.
Right now, Nemara was still aligned with the Emperor.
But looking at the current power structure in the capital…
The Second Princess was steadily gaining ground, chipping away at the old regime.
Perhaps Nemara saw what was coming and planned to switch sides—just like he did during the war, when he betrayed the Demon King’s army and placed the Emperor in his debt.
Maybe he wanted to secure a connection through Kirrin, the headmaster of the Academy, and me, the combat professor.
The Nemara clan was the Empire’s official assassination force.
If they turned against the Emperor and backed the Second Princess, it would be an irreparable blow to the throne and an unexpected boon for her.
Of course, whether she would trust a clan that had already switched sides twice was another question.
But if that were the case, why not approach me directly?
Someone like Nemara could easily sneak into the Academy without anyone knowing.
Or maybe… this was just how dark elves did things.
He did say he’d kill anyone who insulted Kirrin, and then he actually did it.
Kirrin didn’t even know about my "kidnapping" attempt.
Drebren’s group fought me twice without explaining anything.
Dark elves just didn’t talk things out.
They weren’t even capable of having a normal conversation.
Well, orcs were the same way.
Either way, I was here now.
Time to see what Nemara wanted.
Nemara’s dwelling was… odd.
Not a house, not a proper building, but a space formed naturally by the dense, blackened trees and thick undergrowth.
There were no torches or lamps—dark elves had no need for light.
Thanks to Kaiden’s heat-vision spell, I could still make out my surroundings.
A few essential pieces of furniture.
Weapons mounted on the walls—not as decoration, but as tools still in active use.
A long shelf on one side, filled with bones and skulls.
A hunter’s trophies.
And then, something that stood out.
A bouquet.
Dried, withered flowers.
Flowers had no place in the deepest part of this forest.
So what was that doing here?
"These are the ones who challenged me to Carsal."
A voice called out.
Turning, I saw him.
At a glance, he appeared lean, but his frame suggested a body hardened through battle.
One of his eyes glowed red with an overwhelming presence—the other was concealed beneath a black eyepatch.
As soon as he appeared, Drebren, Kirrin, and the other dark elves knelt, heads bowed.
So this was Nemara.
The chieftain of the Empire’s hired assassins.
The dark elf who betrayed the Demon King’s army, saved the Emperor’s life, and placed Kirrin in her current position as headmaster.
"You’ve killed quite a lot."
I said, eyeing the filled shelf.
"A chieftain’s seat isn’t earned for free. But enough introductions—Professor Dian, I am Nemara."
Nemara neither stepped closer nor extended a hand in greeting.
"Likewise. I heard you sent your children to bring me here. So let’s hear it. Give me a reason that makes sense."
I got straight to the point.
"A reason that makes sense, is it?"
Nemara repeated.
"And if I give you a reason that doesn’t?"
"Then you can join your collection on that shelf."
The kneeling dark elves flinched.
"You think you could do that?"
"Nothing’s stopping me."
Nemara studied me for a moment—then laughed.
"Hahahaha!"
"Huh…?"
The dark elves’ heads snapped up in shock.
"You’ve got guts, Professor Dian."
"It’s not guts. It’s just a fact. If I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t have come here."
"You do realize I’m not the only dark elf here."
"You also realize they won’t all jump in if a fight breaks out, don’t you?"
Nemara’s laughter faded.
Dark elves were naturally cutthroat, even among their own kind.
If something happened to him, how many would truly come to his aid?
Besides Drebren and his siblings?
Probably none.
"You know a lot about us."
"I’ve picked up a few things. Killed quite a few of your kind, too."
"I heard. You were in the Black Swamp."
"You’ve done your research."
Nemara simply stared at me in silence.
"By the way, am I a guest or an intruder?"
He tilted his head slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"If I’m a guest, shouldn’t I be offered a seat and a drink?"
"Hah!"
His second laugh.
Judging by the dark elves’ reactions, he wasn’t someone who laughed often.
"Take a seat."
Nemara gestured to a chair.
"Bring something for our guest to drink."
Kirrin hesitated.
"You stay put."
"A-Ah, yes!"
Instead, Zakrion quickly rushed out.
"I’ve been surrounded by nothing but fools, so it’s refreshing to see someone with a backbone."
Nemara remarked, still cold-eyed despite his words.
His expression barely changed.
"I thought my daughter was worthless, but at least she has an eye for people."
He was talking about Kirrin.
"Drink."
Zakrion returned with a deep purple liquid.
Nemara motioned for me to take it.
"It’s not poisoned, if that’s your concern."
I took a sip—tart, but surprisingly good.
"So, you wanted to know why I brought you here."
Nemara said as I drank.
"Take Kirrin as your wife."
I spat out the drink.
"KYAAAAAAAA!"
At the same time, Kirrin let out a horrified scream.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Peptobismol]
[Proofreader - Demon God]
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