The four who had formed a temporary alliance appeared on a golden altar with a staircase in front of it, where a person was sitting and smoking a cigar. His pointed ears already revealed that he was an elf.
"Hahaha, it was quite fun to watch you."
As that elf laughed loudly, the three behind Enrico became irritated, as it seemed they had been used like clowns to entertain someone.
"If you were watching us and were their enemy, you could have done this earlier."
"Why would I do that if you were weak? Hahaha, I prefer to see if you would at least be useful."
'I hate this guy.'
Lyria was furious at that elf's insolent attitude. If she didn't know he was stronger, she would certainly want to argue. Enrico took a step forward, scratching the back of his neck calmly.
"Thank you for saving us, Cavirieth Ivory, the strongest half-elf."
"Oh, you know me? As I thought, you're interesting, hahahahah."
'Of course I do, after all he's one of the four strongest elves… well, just like Malik, he doesn't go out much, so being surprised that a human knows him isn't that strange.'
Unlike the other elves, Cavirieth wore fairly normal clothes. He was quite a simple person, with the only unusual things being his black hair and the blade scar over his right eye.
Cavirieth's laughter continued to echo through the golden hall, dissipating some of the tension. He took another drag from his cigar and released the smoke upward, as if all that chaos had been nothing more than a private show. Sicra narrowed her eyes at him, wanting to know what this elf wanted.
"You talk too much for someone who just admitted to using us."
"Using is an ugly word. I prefer evaluation."
Before Lyria could mentally curse him further, the air around the altar changed. It wasn't a burst of mana like Malik's. It was something more refined, more ancient. Cavirieth looked aside for a second, still smiling.
"And to think that two of them also decided to move…"
"So Thalorien and Aerendyl are going to get involved too?"
Enrico looked in the direction Cavirieth was staring at. The half-elf turned his head back toward them, his eyes focusing on the golden-haired boy he found interesting.
"You know them too? Haha, I never thought a human so young would know so much about us."
"Well, if I'm on Princess Elaris's side, then I should know."
"Oh, you know the princess? Well then, I should take you to her later."
It seemed Cavirieth had already met with Elaris. Which wasn't surprising coming from someone who possessed the best location magic in the Elf Dimension. Turning to the other three, he decided to explain the two people he had mentioned, since they looked confused.
"The first one you can already consider a declared problem. Full name: Thalorien Sylvaeris. Ninth circle. Living sword of the crown."
Lyria became curious, since knowing there were three ninth circles here was a surprise to her, as that information had been kept hidden from her.
"If he has that name, then he chose a side…"
"Yes. He is with Elithia. Body and soul."
If Malik was the inflexible guardian… Thalorien was the queen's personal executioner, maintaining absolute loyalty just like Malik.
"And the other?"
Cavirieth's smile diminished a little, as if he were about to talk about someone he found annoying. In truth, the last of the four strongest elves really was annoying.
"Aerendyl Vaelor. The Observer."
"Whose side is he on?"
"No one's, actually. He never has been. He just watches… and waits."
Galahard raised his left eyebrow. Someone that strong just waited? It could be a scheme, and that could be used by the cult if the answer to the question he wanted to ask came.
"Waits for what?"
"The winner."
Immediately upon hearing those words, Galahard lost interest at once, as did Sicra and Lyria, because people who acted that way couldn't be trusted with even a drop of water, since it could come back poisoned if they always sided with whoever they thought was winning.
"I see, so he's just a coward."
"Not entirely. After all, if he reached the ninth circle, it's because he had to be brave at least once."
'Or he simply performed a dangerous ritual for others.'
Enrico decided to simply ignore Cavirieth's comment about Aerendyl being brave. That was because that guy truly wouldn't participate in this war even if one of his allies were killed. He wouldn't risk fighting a ninth circle and losing his life.
[That elf is kind of annoying to me too.]
'Of course he would be, since he's the type who never takes risks.'
It was a smart decision, Enrico admitted that, but acting like that meant he would earn the trust of neither side.
"He might have been brave, but that doesn't change that he's a coward. I like the heretic more than someone who hides."
"Well, I was hidden too."
"You may have been hidden, but unlike him, you were sharpening your claws."
Seeing how Galahard praised him so well, Enrico almost felt like applauding, but he remembered they were enemies and would end up fighting again at some point.
'Better not get attached to them.'
"So now that you know all this, do you want to go back to being enemies, or shall we extend our alliance a little longer?"
The three looked at each other for a moment. It would be interesting to stay there for their own reasons, but they would have to plan first, since their leader's plan had failed. That is, the leader of the two. Lyria didn't want to contact her father, who seemed to want to sacrifice his own daughter.
"Well, we'll have a conversation first."
Leaving the three behind as he headed toward the elf, Enrico was about to ask something when he felt a familiar presence. Turning around, he saw the elf who was his companion from Astrong.
"Thalen, I thought you would stay with the others Elaris brought."