The Holy Man of Another Century Gospel

Chapter 133 The Legacy of the Elves
Eric gripped Elise's dagger tightly and pulled it away with a little force, immediately drawing blood from his palm.

Then, reach your hand over the stone cup, and the blood that flows down gradually accumulates.

"Your Highness..."

Elise watched from the side, her brows furrowed.

She wanted to bleed him to try and open the mechanism, but he refused.

"This is the graveyard of elves. Who knows, this mechanism might even have some kind of bloodline test. What use is it for you, an Aran, to bleed them?"

"But Your Highness is not an elf..."

"Who says otherwise? I have half elven blood flowing through my veins."

Blood accumulates and, upon reaching a certain height, flows into the stone trough.

Elise stared at him, then her gaze shifted to Eric's face.

Elven bloodline?
Elves are generally handsome men and beautiful women, and he and Eileen certainly fit that description, but other features, such as their pointed ears, are nowhere to be seen.

"You wouldn't have guessed, would you?" Eric seemed to have guessed what she was thinking.

"……Yes."

“I was shocked when I found out myself,” Eric said. “But Eileen didn’t tell you about it.”

"We didn't have a chance to talk about this topic."

Elise shook her head and stared at it for a while. "Your Highness, you've drained enough blood, but there's still no reaction. This might really just be a lamp."

"Unless the lamps here are burning blood. Don't worry, I haven't bled as much as you lost that night from that knife wound."

"..."

“It’s good for your health to bleed occasionally,” Eric added.

“I’ve heard of this claim; some remote areas still use this method to treat illnesses.”

"...We're probably not talking about the same thing."

After bleeding for a while longer, seeing that the stone cup was overflowing with blood, Eric turned his palm over, cast a divine spell to heal the wound, and waited.

But even after the wound on his palm had completely healed, there was still no movement from inside the stone wall.

Elise glanced at Eric.

"Are you overthinking it...?"

More than feeling embarrassed, he was surprised. "Could this thing really be a lamp?"

He pressed it again, and the stone cup, which had been motionless, was easily pushed onto the stone trough, with a dull rumbling sound coming from the stone wall.

"Turns out you have to open it manually."

The two exchanged a glance. Eric didn't stop and continued pushing the stone lamp. The rumbling sound continued. Elise took a few steps back and immediately saw the passage gradually opening in the wall next to her.

"Your Highness, a door has been opened here."

Eric's side has also pushed to the bottom.

Elise walked to the door, shuddered, and looked horrified.

"What did you see?" Eric shook the blood off his hands, walked to the door, glanced inside, and his heart skipped a beat.

—In the cramped tomb chamber sat a circle of pale-skinned moon elves, one of which faced the doorway with wide, staring eyes, seemingly at the two of them.

Inside and outside the stone wall, all was silent.

“It’s alright, they’re all dead.” After a moment of stunned silence, Elise heard Eric say this.

She snapped out of her fear, swallowed hard, and then said, "He looks just like he's alive."

That's why it's scary.

Eric cast a calming spell to help them both calm down before entering the strange hidden tomb.

"There are so many moon elves here."

Eric recalled the contents of the murals outside. Could these be the same people who were the few months of elves that appeared briefly and disappeared in the history of the wood elf race?
He counted them; there were nine elves in total. Their faces were aged, and they wore only the simplest cloth robes. They sat cross-legged in a circle, staring at each other with their eyes open, as if they had all suddenly died while chatting.

The tomb chamber wasn't very large, only three or four meters square. Besides the moon elf corpses sitting in the center, there was only a rectangular stone platform with a slender candlestick on it, decorated with spiral patterns from top to bottom. Above the candlestick, a rotating ball of light floated, and the light Eric peeked through the small hole was coming from it.

He scanned the tomb chamber, finally meeting Elise's gaze, and the two stared at each other for a moment.

"Is this the 'thing' Your Highness is looking for?"

"I don't think so..."

There was nothing else in the tomb, so Eric's gaze could only be focused on the corpses of the moon elves.

These moon elves had been dead for who knows how many years, showing no signs of decay whatsoever. Eric tried gently touching one of the corpses with his sword sheath, and his skin was still as elastic as if he were alive.

Even if he suddenly uttered a curse at this moment, Eric felt he probably wouldn't be too surprised.

But he could sense that these moon elves had no life force whatsoever; they were indeed completely dead.

The Moon Elves were a small group, and these corpses might even be related to him and Eileen, so Eric had no intention of scavenging the remains to disturb the undead.

"Their remains must have been preserved through some kind of magic."

Eric's gaze shifted to the sphere of light that had been spinning and shining for who knows how many years. His intuition told him that it was this sphere that had kept the corpse from decaying.

Elise also looked over, staring intently at the slender candlestick.

“Let’s go outside,” Eric said.

She was slightly surprised, thinking he would at least take something with him, like the candlestick, but Eric chose not to disturb him, so she naturally didn't say anything and followed him out of the tomb.

"After returning to the inn, I will write a letter to Eileen. The moon elves may not know that they died here. Tell Archmage Agnes and see how she reacts."

Eric fumbled around for a while, found the stone cup that had been pushed all the way in, grasped it and dragged it out. With a sound coming from inside the stone wall, the stone door slowly closed from both sides.

As the stone cup was dragged to its end, the door closed just as the blood inside had dried.

"So it's used as a lubricant..."

He tried pushing the stone cup again, but it didn't budge.

"And it's a one-time use item."

Eric shook his head. Just as Elise was about to say something, he suddenly changed his expression, grabbed her, and retreated abruptly.

"Well!"

Suddenly subjected to force, Elise's arm almost dislocated, and after he stopped, he immediately fired an illumination ball forward.

As light filled the outer tomb chamber again, both of them gasped.

—A huge black bear lay there silently, watching them.

Eric was filled with suspicion. When did the bear get in? How come it didn't make a sound?

Although his attention was drawn to the moon elf corpse in the tomb, he was not so oblivious as to not hear the commotion of such a large bear entering.

Just then, the black bear raised its forelimbs and actually stood up.

Then, its body suddenly shrank and transformed into a human form.

"..."

It's a Druid.

Eric breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the image of the druid lady he had met before floated into his mind.

The druid, who transforms into a black bear, is originally an aged wood elf with wrinkles and age spots on his face. Elves, renowned for their handsome appearance, become indistinguishable from humans in their old age.

“I smell the scent of a moon elf on you,” the wood elf said, looking at Eric. “But you look more like a human.”

He looked up at the luminous orb above his head again. "Hmm, it's still using divine magic from human sects."

Eric bowed and said, "I have half moon elf blood in my veins."

The old elf was silent for a few seconds, then said, "So, in order to perpetuate their race, the moon elves have begun intermarrying with humans...?"

Eric couldn't explain it in a short time, so he didn't bother to say more. He was more concerned about the identity of the wood elf in front of him.

"I am the last guardian of this elven graveyard."

The old elf gestured for them to follow, then turned and walked away. "The little bear you saw down the mountain is my pet. It told me someone was coming."

It turns out there are still caretakers at this cemetery.

Eric was somewhat embarrassed.

What's the difference between this and breaking into a house and running into the homeowner... even though the door was already open to begin with.

"Did your people send you here?" the old elf asked.

“No, I was just passing by and heard there was a cave here with a bear guarding it. I wanted to explore it and happened to discover that mechanism,” Eric said.

The old elf turned and glanced at him and Elise, saying nothing, and it was unclear how much he believed.

Upon reaching the outside of the tomb, the little bear that had been waiting at the entrance followed the old elf to his side. Seeing the light of day again, Eric squinted and asked, "This is your wood elf tomb, so why is there a moon elf tomb inside?"

“They existed in that tomb in their current state before I was born,” the old elf said. “They were the first moon elves on the continent, the gods who failed to ascend to the divine realm with Yera. But when their lives were exhausted and their souls broke free of their bonds, they returned to where they were meant to go.”

His explanation was entirely based on the myths of the elves.

Eric didn't ask any further questions, and pointed to the opening behind him, "Since you're the gravedigger, shouldn't this place be repaired since it's collapsed?"

"The remains of our ancestors have already departed with the clan; is there any need for restoration?" the old elf countered.

...So it wasn't eaten by that bear before.

"As for the tombs of you moon elves, no one without elven blood can open them."

“I’ve come at the perfect time,” Eric said.

The old elf looked at him, his aged gaze unwavering. "Since you're here, you're practically one of my kind. Would you like to come and sit in the wood elf's territory?"

Eric hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

The old elf transformed into a squirrel, mounted the little bear, and was carried forward by it.

Eric and Elise followed, then noticed that she was holding her arm and looked uncomfortable.

Did you strain yourself just now?

Elise shook her head, indicating that it was alright.

Eric pressed down on her shoulder and cast a healing spell, and her expression quickly softened.

I mounted my horse and followed a bear and a squirrel down the mountain. After a while, we passed through a large patch of lush green bushes and then around a wall of trees, and suddenly the view opened up before us.

All that could be seen were wooden houses inhabited by wood spirits, but there was no sign of human life. Vines entwined the houses, and tall trees burst through the roofs, stretching out their branches and leaves, leaving only unrestrained natural wildness.

In "Thorns of the Souls", this abandoned elven village has also been occupied by bandits, making it a monster-farming spot that complements the elven graveyard dungeon.

Back in the village, the old elf returned to human form. "My people left seventy or eighty years ago."

"Why did you stay?" Eric asked.

There will always be people who don't want to leave the place where they were born.

The old elf led the two to a wooden hut. "And I'm not the only one who stayed behind; it's just that now I'm the only one left who's dead."

He paused, then said, "I don't have much time left either. You should be the last member of my race I see... even though you don't look like one at all."

Eric pursed his lips.

The old elf asked them if they wanted to go in for a cup of tea that was only available here, or to wander around the abandoned village some more.

Eric said he wanted to see first, but he didn't intend to miss the tea he brewed.

The old elf told him to do as he pleased, and vaguely guessed his purpose. "If you see anything you like, take it with you. It's no use leaving it here; it will only rot with me."

Eric was taken aback, then bowed his head in thanks.

The tomb was empty; he couldn't find what he was looking for. He guessed that the item was still in the abandoned village, where it was discovered by the bandits who later occupied it and brought into the tomb.

Eric rode with Elise on horseback, driving through the village where tree roots covered the ground. The wooden houses were dilapidated, neglected and overgrown with grass, some roofs thicker than the ground.

“Those wooden houses look relatively intact,” Elise said, pointing to a spot.

"It must be the house of the few wood elves that remained."

Eric rode closer and went inside. There were only some basic necessities left, and on the bed lay a corpse that had decomposed to the point of being almost nothing but bones.

That old elf druid wasn't so weak as to not have the strength to move the corpse.

"They probably figured letting it rot at home was a good option," Eric guessed.

Elise nodded. "After all, the tomb is already in ruins."

The two quickly left.

Eric searched several more wooden huts, but found nothing useful, so he had no choice but to go back to the old elf.

He built a fire outside the wooden house and boiled water in an iron kettle. When he saw the two men return, he went to the side, picked some tender leaves from a green shrub, and threw them into the iron kettle.

The drifting steam carried a delicate fragrance, reminding Eric of the green tea from his past life.

"It smells so good," Elise murmured in admiration. "It really lifts my spirits."

The old elf poured a cup for each of them; the tea set was a wooden cup, as druids seem to have some hobbies with handicrafts.

Eric took a sip, savoring the pleasant aroma. "Really good."

The old elf, who had been expressionless the whole time, finally showed a slight smile: "I found this on another mountain. I transplanted seven or eight of them, but only this one survived. I thought the god of nature had abandoned me."

"It's probably a problem with the soil or something," Eric said casually. Seeing the old elf looking at him, he resisted the urge to continue. He only had a superficial understanding of soil acidity and alkalinity.

After taking a few sips of tea, Eric asked if there were any artisan workshops in the elven village.

The old elf looked at him and then said, "The workshop has long since collapsed. I am the last craftsman here."

Eric was taken aback. "Elijas?"

The old elf was also stunned, staring at him for a long time. "You know me?"

The elven short sword that drops from the dungeon is called the [Elijas Short Sword], and the armor set made from that blueprint is called [Elijas's Protection (Light)].

“I’ve heard of you,” Eric said.

The old elf muttered to himself, "There are still people outside who remember me. Where did you hear that?"

Eric immediately replied, "I met a wood elf who said that Elias here is the best elven craftsman he has ever seen. I came here hoping to try my luck and see if I could find your... posthumous work."

"Then you're not so lucky. You came too early; I'm still alive."

“I’m just lucky,” Eric said. “I would like to ask you to design a set of lightweight and well-fitting protective gear for me and her.”

Elise paused, then turned to look at him.

Elias was silent for a moment, then shook his head. "Designing armor is no easy task. I don't have the energy for it, but I don't want to be perfunctory either. If I can't do it to the best of my ability, I'd rather do nothing at all."

He paused for a moment, "But I've designed quite a few pieces of armor before, so there should be some that you can use."

Eric, who had just been rejected, breathed a sigh of relief.

"Come with me, they've all stayed at the workshop."

The two followed the old elf through the elven village and arrived at a stone house that had collapsed, leaving only a few walls standing.

"The stuff is all in the basement, it shouldn't be rotten yet, but you'll have to clean it up yourself."

This wasn't too much trouble. Eric gave himself a prayer to strengthen his powers and then buried himself in clearing the ruins.

Before long, the entrance to the basement was cleared out, and at the bottom of a short flight of stairs was a well-preserved iron door, which was tightly locked.

The old elf patted himself down. "I can't find the key. You'll have to figure it out yourself."

Eric didn't hold back, drew his sword, and smashed the door.

With a loud crash, the door collapsed inward, revealing a basement about seven or eight meters square.

Eric sheathed his sword and invited the old elf inside first.

He walked into his old workshop, looked around nostalgically for a while, then went to the workbench and rummaged through it, finding an iron box. He opened it, looked inside, and handed it to Eric.

"It's all here."

It's full of equipment design blueprints.

Elias's Protection (Light)

Elias's Protection (Heavy)

Elias's Spikes

……

Eric flipped through the armor designs by Elias, which covered almost all types except cloth armor.

All he needed were the blueprints for light armor, but the old elf told him to take them all and leave it to him to decide what to do with them.

Several weapons were hanging on the basement wall.

Eric spotted the short sword immediately.

“You have a good eye.” The old elf noticed his gaze, took the short sword and handed it to him. “This is the short sword that I crafted and that I am most satisfied with in terms of feel.”

Elias's Short Sword

It has a slender blade, crafted by the elven artisan Elias using a special technique, and is made of tough material.

Small and lightweight, it allows for rapid combos. Its power can also be unleashed with a reverse grip.

"The final masterpiece."

Eric swung the short sword twice, then tucked it into his left waistband, preparing to use it as a secondary weapon.

(End of this chapter)