The story of the black silk female knight

The elf paused for a moment before answering, somewhat bewildered:

“There are indeed some people in our tribe who know ninjutsu… because our tribe usually disguises itself as a ninja village's military port, so we need sisters to pretend to be human ninjas and samurai. Sometimes when the ninja village is short-handed, the high priest will also send sisters who are good at ninjutsu to help out.”

As for the assassination of the Seren clan… well, that was indeed one of the things that person asked us to do, but we barely did any work. We just disguised ourselves as ninjas and showed up with her. The Seren clan member and her guards were basically killed by that person herself.”

"understood."

Valensa nodded.

The identity of the real culprit in the murder of the second-in-command of the Sailian tribe is still unclear, but the motive, or one of the main motives, is quite obvious.

According to the elf in front of us, the masked woman was fully capable of assassinating the second-in-command of the Seren clan on her own, but she deliberately brought along a group of elves to impersonate ninjas... This was definitely a deliberate attempt to frame Queen Himika of the Oni Kingdom.

As everyone knows, the Chiba clan's Anti-Demon Ninjas are essentially Himika's private army, and only she has the ability to mobilize nearly a hundred ninjas to carry out assassination missions simultaneously.

If the radical faction of the Seren tribe were stronger, the Seren tribe might have already started a full-scale war with the Four Islands Alliance based on this alone... Fortunately, King Seren was a smart man and did not fall for it.

She actually intended to provoke a full-scale war between the Four Islands Alliance and the Seren tribe... It seems that the masked woman's scheme is definitely not small.

"What about the other thing?"

Valensa then asked:

"What else did you do for her?"

While asking the question, Valensa herself had some guesses... Could the masked woman be wearing a mask to cover Chang Fan's eyes and mouth? But that strange woman's swordsmanship was ridiculously strong, and she didn't seem to be good at magic... But perhaps she was also a practitioner of both magic and martial arts?

If the strange woman's target is indeed the Demon Queen Himika, then it makes sense that she would first assassinate the second-in-command of the Seren clan and frame Himika... How did she manage to contact these elves?

However, the elf's answer was completely unexpected by Valensa, yet it unexpectedly resolved another of Valensa's doubts:

"I'm not entirely sure about the other matter. I didn't participate. Only the High Priest and a few of the most skilled ninjutsu sisters in the clan participated... I only heard one of the sisters mention that they went to that big island in the west and, in a certain jungle, used our elven talents and wood-attribute ninjutsu to secretly gather a lot of fruit without alerting human adventurers."

The large island to the west... that must be referring to Chinojima.

The phrase "secretly collecting fruit without the knowledge of human adventurers" most likely refers to the Human Acorn.

No wonder the annual yield of human acorns is not low, but this year there wasn't a single one... even with adventurers guarding the gathering points on Ruler Island, they couldn't collect any.

It turns out they were stolen by the elves... Elves are naturally plant-friendly, and with their various wood-attribute ninjutsu, they are definitely the kings of jungle warfare. It's not impossible that they could steal all the acorns right under the adventurers' noses.

But the question is... what is the connection between secretly collecting human acorns and assassinating the second-in-command of the Seren clan and framing Himiko?

Human acorns are indeed quite expensive, but they can only be considered a rare ingredient. How could they be associated with such a clearly ambitious conspiracy?

I can't figure it out...

Valensa frowned and pondered for a while, but there were still a few key points she couldn't figure out.

Tia and the others also looked confused... They thought they were getting close to the truth of a big conspiracy, but unexpectedly it became even more confusing.

"Go on."

Valensa could only continue asking the elf in front of her, who was most likely the only one who had preserved herself:

"What ritual did that masked woman perform on you afterwards?"

"It is said to be a ritual that allows our elves to reproduce without the fruit of the mother tree... allowing us to conceive children through male-female physiological behaviors, just like humans."

At this point, the elf finally revealed a bitter smile:

"Actually, many of the sisters don't really believe this, but we have no other choice... The mother tree hasn't borne fruit for nearly two years, and our tribe hasn't had a newborn for nearly 10 years. Our numbers have plummeted from nearly 150 at its peak to only 87. If we don't find a way to restore our fertility, our tribe will become extinct."

We knew, of course, that woman's magic was evil and strange, but the high priest and several capable sisters had tried many relatively safe methods, all of which had failed... So even though we knew that the woman's ritual was strange, we had to give it a try.

If the continuation of the ethnic group cannot be guaranteed, everything else is meaningless.

"Is it because you have no other choice that you're taking a desperate gamble?"

Valensa nodded, then sighed:

"It's a pity you lost... That woman was setting you up from the very beginning. You can be said to have become the expendable materials in her plan."

"Who says it's not?"

The elf gave another wry smile and continued his story:

"About 10 days ago, that woman came to the tribe again, bringing with her hundreds of goblins that she controlled with magic, saying it was time to start the ritual."

Many of the sisters were actually full of doubts, but since the high priest had taken the lead in accepting the baptism, how could the sisters dare to refuse? They could only let the masked woman cast her spell without resistance.

After being baptized by her strange magic, the sisters suddenly became strange, their eyes filled with longing as they looked at the goblins, and they quickly began to act...

At first, the sisters were simply using those goblins to relieve their urges, but as they reached the peak of pleasure one by one, I noticed they changed... Something terrible had corrupted them, completely altering their thinking and turning them into what they are now.

As for me... it's probably because I secretly tried using goblins before, so I didn't lose consciousness from pleasure when using goblins in the ritual, which allowed me to preserve myself... at least I think I'm no different from before except that my desires are stronger.

But all my sisters have changed. Wouldn't it be incredibly dangerous if I were the only one who hadn't? So I had to pretend I'd been corrupted too, and these past few days I've been hunting males with my sisters in the neighborhood, until you just caught me."

"I see……"

Valensa nodded thoughtfully:

"Those elves who are usually chaste couldn't resist the corruption of the lustful god. They all fell after just trying out the goblins... But you, an elf who is naturally lustful, managed to preserve yourself amidst the corruption... Interesting. It seems that when faced with the temptation of such physiological instincts, it is indeed better to guide than to block. Appropriate venting is more useful than restraint and asceticism."

"So this is why you used to frequent brothels, my dear sister? Was it to avoid falling into depravity by indulging in immediate pleasures? Or is it that someone who has already fallen into depravity cannot afford to fall into it again?"

Upon hearing this, Thousand-Leaf Grass first chuckled and teased Valensa, then looked at the elf by the tree and asked the question that had been nagging at her for a long time:

"How did you discover me before? My Leaf Concealment Technique was flawless!"

"You? You were the one who quietly approached me from behind just now?"

The elf tilted its head, its gaze towards the Thousand-Leaf Grass also quite strange:

"No... I didn't actually realize you were trying to ambush me. I just sensed someone of my kind approaching and thought they were there to steal the last goblin... That's why I threw the used goblin at you... It wasn't until this paladin also intervened that I realized we were being ambushed."

"what?"

Thousand-leaf grass also widened its eyes:

"You mean you mistook me for one of your own kind? That's impossible! I'm human, not some lewd elf like you!"

"...No, Cao Cao, you may actually have elven blood...or rather, your Chiba family's direct line has always had elven blood."

Valensa then patted Thousand Leaf Grass's head:

"It's obvious that this elven tribe in North Blade Bay is connected to your Chiba family, and most likely obtained your protection through some kind of transaction. And your Chiba family's direct line only consists of women, who have served Queen Himika generation after generation... Cao Cao, have you ever thought about how your Chiba family reproduces? And why are you particularly skilled in wood-style ninjutsu?"

"what?"

The thousand-leaf grass's eyes and mouth have become even bigger.

After a long while, she muttered somewhat absentmindedly:

"So... our clan's reproduction also relies on the fruit of the Elven Mother Tree? This Elven tribe received our clan's protection precisely because they provided the Mother Tree fruit? This... so I, Cao Cao, am also a perverted elf?"

"It should be said that he has a trace of elven blood, but his main bloodline is human, so he can be considered a human race."

Seeing this, Valensa quickly comforted her:

"Besides, there's nothing wrong with elven blood... They're prettier and live longer than ordinary people, and they have magical talent and an affinity for wood. I think it's pretty good, isn't it? In fact, even Tia and I originally considered having children through the fruit of the elven mother tree."

"Really?"

Thousand-leaf clover recovered somewhat from her dejected state:

"Big sister won't dislike Cao Cao just because Cao Cao has the blood of a seductive elf?"

"Of course not."

Valensa smiled, then hugged Chiba tightly, burying her face in her chest until Chiba's cheeks turned bright red and she was almost fainting before she finally let go.

"It's more accurate to say that the slightly astringent grass is what makes it cute... What ninja isn't astringent?"

"? I have a feeling that you have some misunderstanding about us Demon Ninjas, Big Sister..."

Thousand-leaf clover rolled her eyes in annoyance, then her expression turned serious again:

"But if that's really the case, why didn't our Chiba family know anything about the elven tribe's mother tree ceasing to bear fruit? Why didn't they come to us for help?"

"Of course I asked for help!"

The elf sitting under the tree quickly chimed in:

“Our initial request for help came from the Ninja Village. The High Priest contacted you many times, but you never responded… In fact, more than 10 years ago, your Ninja Village stopped responding to our calls. Only the blacksmith who bought the ore has kept in touch with us.”

"More than 10 years ago?"

Valensa's expression shifted as she looked at Thousand Leaf Grass, whose face also showed sorrow:

"If I remember correctly, Cao Cao, your mother is...?"

"Yes, that's when Mother died in battle."

Thousand-Leaf Grass nodded and took a deep breath:

"It seems that the connection between our Chiba family and your elven tribe is likely known only to the family head, and even my two older sisters and Granny Brownleaf may not know it... That's why our ninja village hasn't responded to you for over 10 years, because no one recognizes your communication signals."

"Ah...did the former chieftain not even have time to give his last words?" The elf was dumbfounded.

"……No."

Chiba sniffled, her voice trembling with tears:

"My mother died too suddenly in battle. At that time, we hadn't decided who would inherit the family business... Even the family's ninjutsu inheritance that my eldest sister received was only able to remain intact thanks to Her Majesty the Queen's help."

"...So, Cao Cao's mother's death in battle was quite sudden, even completely unexpected?"

Valensa frowned again:

"If that's the case... from a conspiracy theory perspective, this conspiracy against your Chiba family and the Elf tribe may have started to be planned from that time... even the large-scale invasion of the Four Islands Alliance by the Mist Demon was orchestrated by that mastermind behind the scenes."

It was precisely because of the sudden death of Cao Cao's mother that the Chiba family lost contact with the elves. And coincidentally, the elves' mother tree malfunctioned during this time, unable to bear fruit, forcing them to ultimately accept the power of the evil god and fall into corruption… This is too much of a coincidence.”

"Then...then isn't our Chiba family in grave danger right now?"

Thousand-leaf grass immediately tensed up:

"Second Sister took all the high-level combat power of the Ninja Village to Jade Island to help Her Majesty the Queen. Currently, the only Radiant-rank expert left in the village is Granny Brown Leaf... Although there are still quite a few elite ninjas and samurai, they are only good at fighting ordinary Mist Demons, pirates, and monsters. They are probably no match for a scheming cult..."

"So you still have me, right?"

Valensa patted Chiba's little face against her chest twice more:

"If it were any other enemy, I might be powerless to help, but when it comes to dealing with cults, no one is better than me... Don't worry, Cao Cao, a mere cult is nothing to be afraid of."

"Ugh...that's true."

That warm and soft embrace clearly gave Thousand Leaf Grass a lot of confidence:

"Although you may seem like a nobody most of the time, you are very reliable when it really matters."

"Huhu~~"

Valensa continued to rub Thousand-Leaf Grass's head, then looked at the sprite under the tree again:

"Tell me, what is your tribe doing right now? Is that masked woman still around? And why did you leave your tribe's settlement?"

“The masked woman has been gone since she baptized us a few days ago. These days she only contacts us through projection magic and gives us orders, and the high priest and the other sisters obey her every word.”

The elf sighed:

"She told us to prepare a larger sacrificial ritual. This time, the male monsters like goblins and minotaurs wouldn't be enough; we also needed humans... strong human males."

So a few days ago, the sisters raided the nearest village and captured dozens of decent men... We were supposed to hold a sacrifice ceremony immediately, but the sisters were reluctant to sacrifice the men they had just captured, so they decided to enjoy them for a few days first.

Until last night, the masked woman contacted us again using projection magic, urging us to carry out the sacrificial ritual as soon as possible, saying that a very troublesome person might discover us and interfere with the plan... Only then did we begin preparations for the ritual.

However, the men who had been used by the sisters for several days were all very weak, and some were even on the verge of death... They definitely couldn't be used as sacrifices directly; they had to be treated and their bodies recuperated first.

So we had to postpone the ceremony from last night to tonight... My sister and I were on our routine patrol when we ran into five goblins, and in a moment of impulsiveness... and then we met you all.

"The masked woman contacted you last night, saying there's a very troublesome person who might interfere with the plan?"

Valensa's eyes lit up, and she hummed softly:

"So it seems my guess was right after all... There's something wrong in the ninja village, and that masked woman is very likely hiding there. She knew we were leaving the village today, which is why she urged you to speed things up last night... After all, I'm the famous Sunflower Duchess now, so it's normal for cultists to panic when they know I might discover her plot."

“Indeed! Your Excellency Paladin is wise and mighty. These mere heretics and my corrupted and depraved sisters are no match for you.”

The elf seized every opportunity to fawn over the sycophant, showing no regard for principles in pursuit of his own future.

"Although I am weak and useless, I am very familiar with the terrain inside Northblade Bay and know the sisters' guard layout. I can definitely lead you, Paladin, to sneak in silently, stop the evil sacrificial ritual, and thwart the cultists' conspiracy!"

"Please, Holy Knight, grant me this opportunity to atone for my sins! From this moment forward, I am willing to devoutly believe in Her Majesty the Sun Goddess!"

"...Tsk, you're quite clever, aren't you, elf?"