Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 2088: History of the elementals

"It appears that our response has left you feeling let down."

Their directness from the flame elemental ancestors took me by surprise, yet there really wasn't any reply I could muster.

After all, they had been the ones pushing for this to happen.

In the end, the only thing I managed to utter was, "What more could you ask of me?"

At first, neither of them spoke, until one let out a heavy sigh and added, "To compensate, allow me to share a bit about us elementals."

My eyebrows furrowed involuntarily upon hearing that, though it was clear nothing would sway this flame elemental ancestor's resolve.

Thus, I decided to listen closely to whatever revelation they had in store.

"It's straightforward: we elementals were mere weaklings trampled by all around us. Yet, we remained oblivious, lacking any real sense of our plight."

Such a peculiar way to portray themselves caught my attention, but the ancestors clearly had more to reveal.

"This held true for every race existing in those ancient days. We were all ignorant of the world, fumbling to find our footing in it. Everything shifted when a particular race emerged one day."

Their tone carried an eerie foreboding...

Particularly because of the inscrutable gaze they fixed upon me.

Deep down, I suspected what was coming next, yet I held my silence, eager for their words.

"No doubt you've figured it out—it's the humans."

Just as I'd anticipated, though I still puzzled over the purpose of this tale. Humans merely appearing shouldn't have transformed things as dramatically as they implied.

Yet the narrative unfolded plainly enough.

Leveraging the cunning bestowed by the gods, humans expanded across the lands. Other races watched and absorbed knowledge from their actions.

One might argue humans paved the way forward for every other race.

None of this added up, though...

"Weren't humans only prominent lately? According to the tales from other races, humans endured oppression until their prolific breeding allowed them to overwhelm their foes. No evidence suggests humans once dominated as broadly as these flame elemental ancestors describe."

Reading my thoughts effortlessly, the flame elemental ancestors continued, "In the war of the gods, humans were the first to defect. Their superior intellect bred unparalleled avarice. Overwhelmed by it, certain humans sided with the forces of Destruction."

Anyone could sense they shared this with intent.

The intense stare they leveled at me revealed the true motive behind their words.

It served as a cautionary note, in one sense.

A veiled intimidation, in another.

Still, their tone betrayed a deeper, intimate pain, as if they'd witnessed the human treachery firsthand long ago.

Probing further felt inappropriate, and they showed no eagerness to elaborate anyway.

"What became of the humans once the war concluded?"

Snorting derisively, the flame elemental ancestors answered, "What choice remained? Utterly tainted, only eradication sufficed."

This revelation held no shock for me, seamlessly bridging the voids in my understanding.

Thus, humans had reigned supreme in antiquity, only to face annihilation for their deeds.

Denying it proved futile, given the precedents set by others. The old Democratic Union exemplified this downfall perfectly.

At minimum, it warned fellow humans against repeating such folly.

Beyond that, divine involvement ran deeper now.

Specifically, selecting a human champion to deter any defiance against the continent's races.

Concurrently, the Holy Empire stood as a bastion of human piety toward the gods.

Evidently, the gods had heeded past errors, implementing safeguards to avert history's repeat. They ensured humans strayed not from the righteous path.

This shed light on my own selection as well.

"We won't falter as those ancient humans did." These words escaped me once I'd absorbed the full weight of their disclosure.

The pair of flame elemental ancestors squinted appraisingly, silently gauging the sincerity in my vow.

Hence, I met their gaze steadily, harboring no secrets.

"We'll keep a close eye."

With that final utterance, they vanished entirely.

Far from a mere elemental admonition, this stemmed from a profound grudge held by these two flame elemental ancestors.

It left me deeply curious about the traumas that shaped their demeanor.

Glancing at the remaining flame elementals, confusion etched every face.

Apparently, they were in the dark too...