Book 3: Chapter 20
Lucia and I walked together in the forest. I asked her: “I’ve always wanted to know why we must kill a white deer king for the deer hunting festival.”
Lucia cheerfully listened to the birds while answering me in a disheartened manner: “Because the ancestors of us elves relied on white deer to live. Long ago, white deer were a very valuable animal. When elves were sent to this continent by the gods, they also did battle with the white deer led by a white deer king for a long time. The deer hunting ceremony is to commemorate those years, and thus we kill a white deer king annually.”
If somebody told me humans and elves nearly fought to the death, I wouldn’t believe them. But thinking back to how the rabbit violently bashed me, I don’t think there are any friendly herbivores in this forest. Even if they are herbivores, I don’t think they’re going to be friendly….
“Wouldn’t the group of deer be left without a leader then?”
“No. Once we kill a white deer king, a more outstanding white deer king will take its spot. With our annual kill, there will sometimes be a stupid white deer king which won’t survive because of its inferior intellect. The death of a white deer king isn’t like the change of a dynasty. It won’t lead to their kind undergoing changes.”
Lucia stretched her limbs and then continued: “The horn of a white deer king is also very useful. It’s a miracle ingredient that can negate hundreds of poisons. The grinded powder form of a white deer king’s horn is the best venom antidote in the world. With our annual kill, we can use it to prevent diseases and people trying to poison us.”
“That’s quite pitiful for them to then.”
“It’s nothing really. Hunting a white deer king is just like hunting anything else. Further, we show enough respect to white deer king. Isn’t there a saying that goes like this: The king of one nation shall not kill the king of another nation? They’ll feel wronged if they’re killed by you, your highness.”
I looked at Lucia and said with a chuckle: “Well, you’ll be the one to fire the shot when we find the white deer king anyway.”