Chapter 142 - 141: The Defector

Chapter 142: Chapter 141: The Defector

The man before him looked completely different from how Hesia remembered him from their first meeting in the forest cabin.

But the album he had seen earlier confirmed that this was very likely Trist’s true appearance.

Hesia walked forward, and Trist raised a hand in a "please" gesture, indicating for him to sit in the armchair.

At the same time, he lit the firewood in the fireplace.

The CRACKLING flames quickly dispelled the faint chill of the deep underground.

This small gesture from Trist seemed intended to accommodate Hesia’s human need for warmth.

’To be honest, even though I was the one who gave them his address, I never asked my party members to keep it a secret.’

’My relationship with this Zor Elf is simply that of a client and an Adventurer.’

’Once the commission was over, we had no real connection to speak of.’

’In fact, after seeing the true state of this "basement,"’ Hesia thought, ’he should probably be thanking me.’

"Speaking of which, I have Mr. Galen to thank."

[Zor Elf Trist Solalin’s Affinity toward you has increased. Decryption Points +2]

’He’s really thanking me?’

Hesia’s heart stirred, but his face remained impassive, holding a polite smile as he checked the required points.

[Term Extraction: Requires 40 Decryption Points]

’It seems the racial talents of the Zor Elves are quite impressive.’

’Aside from the Moon-eyed Elves, this is the humanoid race with the highest Decryption Point requirement I’ve ever seen.’

Hesia decided he needed to have a good, long talk with this subterranean author.

This was not only a chance to learn about a whole new world, but also a golden opportunity to accumulate Affinity.

"You’re too kind," Hesia said with a slight bow. "I only happened to mention the commission to my teacher."

"I see. Lady Fevik is indeed profoundly knowledgeable. I never imagined someone on the surface could recognize our Zor script."

Hesia followed the thread of conversation. "I’ve heard that most people on the surface fear, and even hate, the Zor Elves. But in my brief contact with you, I’ve found you to be completely different from the terrifying image I had in my mind."

He watched the subtle changes in the other’s expression, slowing his speech, ready to stop at any moment.

"So, if I’m not being too forward, could you tell me what prompted you to leave your familiar homeland and come to this completely foreign Surface World?"

Trist looked at the young Human Mage before him.

He wasn’t sure if it was the unique Charm in the young man’s friendly smile, or if it was because the more he learned about this society after coming to the surface, the more he detested the treatment he had once endured.

Or maybe, he simply wanted to prove to this world he yearned to join that he was not like his cruel, bloodthirsty kin.

’I had a reason for leaving.’

After a moment of silence, Trist tried to translate the memories constructed in the Zor language into words that could be understood in the Surface Common Language.

"My homeland worships a strict and capricious Deity and follows an absolute matriarchal law. The glory of a family, the transfer of power, even the value of an individual... everything revolves around the women, especially the female Priests blessed with Divine Arts."

"And the men," he paused, a hint of self-mockery in his voice, "our value is more often found in being sacrifices for the family, or... tools for powerful women to propagate superior offspring."

"I was once a highly skilled Ranger, and for a time, I was my father’s pride."

"Unfortunately, that pride wasn’t enough to protect him. He fell in an internal family struggle, killed by his own brother’s betrayal."

...

"My Vel’uss... you could understand it as ’wife’ in your society. She was the daughter of the family’s matriarch, a very promising female Priest."

"For a long time, I brought victory to our family and glory to her."

"Until... we were never able to produce a daughter."

Hesia immediately understood the crux of the problem.

In a world completely opposite to the one he knew, a union in an absolute matriarchy without a female heir meant a break in the line of power and the end of a bloodline.

"That... is truly regrettable," Hesia expressed his sympathy at the appropriate moment. "What happened then?"

[Zor Elf Trist Solalin’s Affinity toward you has increased. Decryption Points +1]

"Then?" Trist’s eyes dimmed. "Then, my archery skills no longer mattered, and my military achievements were forgotten. I went from being the pride of the family to... a useless symbol. I lost her favor, and even the opportunities to see her became scarce."

’If they don’t even meet, isn’t it even more impossible to have a daughter?’ Hesia thought. But he was careful not to point this out directly, instead asking tactfully, "Wasn’t your... wife, anxious about this? Perhaps, you could have... tried more?"

"Her other consort gave birth to an exceptionally talented daughter with her."

Hesia: "..."

’Alright, if the social structure is completely reversed, then polyandry is logical.’

’Besides, from what I know of biology, whether a child is male or female is primarily determined by the male... Of course, I absolutely can’t say that right now. It would be like pouring salt on his open wounds.’

Seeing that it wasn’t wise to dwell on this topic—lest his chances for Decryption Points go down the drain—Hesia changed the subject:

"I see... So what made you think of coming to the surface?"

A faint light seemed to rekindle in Trist’s eyes.

"It was an accident. During a raid on a surface caravan, I found a book."

"A biography written by a human Minstrel."

"It described a world I couldn’t have imagined. There was a sky that changed colors, a giant ball of light, and... relationships between people weren’t solely for the purpose of power or producing offspring."

"The people in the book would fight to protect their loved ones, and the King would fight for his subjects. People would trust each other, even entrust their lives to one another, because of things like love, friendship, and loyalty... concepts that we Zor consider weak and foolish."

"It made me realize that everything I had endured and obeyed was, perhaps... not the natural order of things."

He took a deep breath.

"Later, during a conflict between families, chaos descended. The matriarchs were busy fighting for power, and no one paid any attention to a useless person like me. I used that opportunity to run for an abandoned tunnel leading to the surface, one I’d learned about from a captive."

"I... escaped."

Hesia gazed at Trist. Although he had started the conversation with the goal of obtaining Decryption Points, he now truly had a deeper understanding of the Zor Elf’s experiences.

’What he sought was simply the freedom to live as "himself."’

Thinking of this, Hesia said sincerely, "Welcome to the Surface World, Mr. Trist."

"Here, the sky really does change colors, and the sunlight is often warm. More importantly, here, a person’s worth should be determined by their own choices and actions, not by their gender or birth."

[Zor Elf Trist Solalin’s Affinity toward you has increased. Decryption Points +10]

Hearing this, Trist froze on the spot.

He seemed to want to lift the corners of his mouth into a smile, to return a welcome he had never before received.

But the muscles of his face, long accustomed to vigilance and coldness, had forgotten how to express kindness.

In the end, the attempt only made the corner of his mouth twitch stiffly, making his expression look rather unnatural.