Chapter 385 - 384: Elven Magic
With that, the Half-Elf driver eagerly unloaded some cargo from his wagon, placing a cushion on the passenger seat next to the driver’s spot.
Colin glanced back at his less-than-enthusiastic companions before climbing onto the wagon and taking the passenger seat.
His other companions followed suit, taking their seats in the back.
The surrounding human drivers and Half-Elf guards also began to get moving.
The caravan was quickly put back in order.
Meanwhile, the Wood Elf rider used magic to heal all the Pegasi. He mounted one and silently followed at the rear of the caravan.
They hadn’t gone far when the Half-Elf driver struck up a conversation. "Hey, friend. That was some impressive work back there. All those dozens of Kobolds couldn’t lay a finger on you. You move like a butterfly."
"We’re Adventurers. It’s just part of the job," Colin said. "And you handle this wagon pretty smoothly, don’t you?"
’Even though I said that, this ride is anything but smooth.’
’It’s mainly because the Elves have never bothered to build or maintain this road. It’s in far worse shape than the ones around Thousand Masts City. In fact, I seriously doubt this path became a road through anything other than sheer foot traffic.’
"Your little group is certainly... unique," the driver said with a chuckle. "A Tiefling, a Half-Orc, and a Gray Dwarf. To be honest, when you all dropped in, I thought you were Mercenaries from the Viper Association."
"I’m not a Gray Dwarf! I just look a bit like one, you rude Half-Elf!" Dorn grumbled from the back.
"Oh, my apologies, Mr. Dwarf," the Half-Elf replied with a cheerful laugh.
Faced with the good-natured driver, Colin was momentarily at a loss for words.
He decided to just start inquiring about things that interested him. "I’ve heard there’s a lot of Devil Cultist activity south of the Supreme Forest. Is that true?"
"Absolutely. We’ve got Demons to the southeast, Orcs to the north, and Gray Dwarves underground. This area is far from peaceful.
"That’s also why the humans to the southwest don’t have a very good opinion of Demons. Even though Demons rarely infiltrate that area, the humans still fall victim to them sometimes."
’Okay, so that’s why the Wood Elf had so much to say when I was registering my Profession.’
’To the Elves around here, a group like mine must be pretty conspicuous. The Wood Elf’s words must have carried a hint of hostility back then.’
"But I don’t think things like bloodlines are worth fussing over," the Half-Elf driver complained. "Plenty of Elves still think humans and us Half-Elves are ’invaders.’ But if we weren’t here doing their labor, how could those Elves maintain their high-and-mighty lifestyles?"
Colin asked, "I seem to recall that most of the production work in the Silver Star Court is done by humans and Half-Elves, isn’t it?"
"You bet. Gathering fruit, grinding acorn flour, hauling cargo... We do all the work. If we left, those pampered elites wouldn’t lift a finger to do any of it."
The Half-Elf driver said, "Half-Elves have it even worse. On top of all that, we’re the ones who have to pick up weapons and risk our lives against our enemies. It’s a load of crap."
Colin glanced at the Wood Elf at the rear of their party and gave a soft, deliberate cough.
He changed the subject. "Speaking of which, are Evil Dragons common around here? I got the feeling that White Dragon wasn’t with the Kobolds, though. Probably just passing through."
"White ones are uncommon. I’ve only ever seen some blue ones," the Half-Elf driver said, making a gesture. "Way out to the east."
"Too bad no Good Dragons showed up. You’d think they would deal with the Evil Dragons," Colin said, glancing up at the high branches as if a living Silver Dragon might suddenly materialize among them.
"That’s unlikely. Thanks to the ’Dragon Rage Maze Spell,’ dragons have become very rare in this world. There probably aren’t any lairs belonging to so-called Good Dragons around here," the Half-Elf said with a hint of pride. "Are you familiar with ’Maze Spells,’ sir?"
"I’ve read about them in books," Colin nodded.
From the back, Ale spoke up sullenly, "If I were you, I wouldn’t sound so proud when talking about a spell that indiscriminately slaughters dragons, regardless of their alignment. It’s nothing to be proud of."
"The Giant Dragons had pushed the Elves to the brink, milady," the Half-Elf driver retorted. "It was an act of desperation."
"But in reality, Good Dragons are more inclined to cooperate and gather in groups than Evil Dragons. Because of that, the Dragon Rage Maze Spell ended up killing off the vast majority of Good Dragons in the world, ultimately allowing evil to gain the upper hand," Ale said. "Don’t pontificate about things you don’t understand. It’s foolish."
"Er, how about we talk about food? Any good local dishes?"
After Colin spoke, the driver next to him took the hint and changed the subject, managing to prevent the situation from becoming too awkward.
As they chatted, Colin replayed the recent conversation in his mind.
’Maze Spell’ was a general term for a type of magic.
’Although this form of magic was no longer exclusive to the Elves, they were its original creators.’
’A Maze Spell was a large-scale enchantment, powerful enough to warp or even rewrite the rules of magic—or reality itself—within its bounds.’
’The Dragon Rage Maze Spell was a prime example.’
’The Elves had bound this Maze Spell to a meteor. Whenever it streaked across the sky, every Giant Dragon in the world would be driven into an uncontrollable frenzy, slaughtering any living creature nearby.’
’Prior to this, the Giant Dragons had already endured the thousand-year war against the Giants and the Dragonfall War between Good and Evil Dragons.’
’The emergence of the Dragon Rage Maze Spell brought the age of the Giant Dragons’ dominion to an end.’
’Every few hundred years, that meteor would cross the sky, turning all dragons into feral beasts.’
’For thousands of years afterward, dragons were unable to form powerful factions as they once had, becoming little more than scattered, solitary creatures.’
’This continued until a few hundred years ago, when a Legendary Lich stole the Dragon Rage Maze Spell from the meteor, attempting to use it to rule over all dragons. After he was destroyed, the spell vanished along with him.’
As the conversation continued, Colin glanced back at Ale, a little puzzled.
Noticing his gaze, Ale looked up at him.
Colin quickly averted his eyes to the rear, pretending to watch the back of the caravan.
’From the driver’s tone and expression, it was clear that most Elves considered the Dragon Rage Maze Spell a point of pride. Elven records even call it "the greatest masterpiece of Maze Spell magic."’
’So why would Ale, a Half-Elf, be so repulsed by it?’
’Perhaps it’s the sense of justice from her Golden Dragon bloodline,’ Colin thought.
They continued on, talking as they went. After several dozen minutes, the Wood Elf rider from the rear urged his Pegasus forward. "Alright, they’re ready."
"I guess this is where we part ways," Colin said. "Goodbye, sir."
"The pleasure was all mine, sir." The Half-Elf driver gave a clumsy gentleman’s bow.
Colin chuckled. "No need to be so dramatic."
While the two were talking, the others had already settled into the net carried by the Pegasus. Colin turned and dutifully took his own seat in the triangular net.
The Pegasus flapped its wings once more and soared into the sky.
"Thank you all!" "Goodbye, heroes!" "Good luck!"
The members of the caravan below shouted up at them as they slowly ascended.
Colin and his companions each waved down, bidding a final farewell.