Ch.136Alfheim (1)

# The Land of Elves

The day had dawned for our entry into Alfheim, the land of elves and the first nation chosen by the gods. As mentioned before, Alfheim boasts rigorous entry procedures, so we departed early in the morning.

Accompanied by Marie and Rina, I rode in a carriage to the imperial palace, the symbol of the Empire. Cecilly had said she would be departing from Helium rather than the Empire of Minerva, so she wasn’t with us.

If you’re wondering why we were heading to the imperial palace, it’s because the teleportation facility for traveling between countries, not just between regions, is located there. The teleport at the Reckyless mansion can only transport people within regions of the Empire of Minerva.

“Are we going straight to Alfheim from here?”

“Not exactly. We’ll arrive in Alfheim, but we’ll need to verify our identities and state our purpose of entry. Think of this as a midway point.”

Shortly after, we arrived at the teleportation facility. It was built on the outskirts rather than inside the imperial palace due to safety concerns, and the building’s exterior was imposing, with heavy security to prepare for any potential accidents.

When I visited Helium before, Cecilly had used a private teleport, so I didn’t have time to appreciate it. Now, facing it directly, I found it quite fascinating.

The building wasn’t as large as I had expected; from the outside, it looked rather like a prison.

As I stared at the teleportation facility I was seeing for the first time, I glanced at Rina standing beside me. She was currently giving instructions to the knight who had accompanied her.

I assumed they were discussing entry procedures.

“Is this your first time going to another country, Issac?”

Marie, who was standing beside me, asked. When I turned to her, I saw her smiling brightly.

‘Come to think of it, Marie doesn’t know.’

I had briefly visited Helium because of the manuscript theft incident. But that was kept secret between me, Cecilly, and Arwen. Marie didn’t even know such an incident had occurred.

So naturally, she would think this was my first time traveling to another country. With mixed feelings, I gave an awkward smile and scratched my head.

“Yes. And I’m a bit nervous since it’s Alfheim. Have you been there before, Marie?”

“Actually, Alfheim is my first time too. I’ve been to places like the Kingdom of Teres or the Dutchy of Bellua, but this is my first time encountering a different race.”

“So you don’t know anything about it?”

“Just that the entry procedures are terribly strict. And my father mentioned there’s some racial discrimination.”

“Racial discrimination…”

I pondered her words. In my previous life, there was racial discrimination, but here, since the races are different, they call it species discrimination.

And from what I heard from Cindy, the older generation is particularly prone to discriminatory behavior. Not only that, but even some poorly educated younger generations occasionally do the same.

Truly, the more I see, the more I think elves are the race that best embodies ‘pride.’ Their light and shadow might not be as stark as humans’, but it’s comparable.

“What about Cecilly? She’s a demon. It seems like it would be much worse for her.”

“That’s what I’m worried about too. She said she received entry permission, but I’m not sure what happens after that. I heard no demon has ever set foot in Alfheim before.”

Marie expressed her concern with a voice full of worry. Indeed, demons were almost ‘officially’ unable to enter any country. Most entered illegally, which is why Helium had a semi-forced closed-door policy.

The situation improved several times after the appearance of the Biography of Xenon, but relations with Alfheim were still strained. Even if they officially allowed entry, no one knew what happened inside.

Because of this, I was worried that Cecilly might face discriminatory remarks in Alfheim, but if that happened, it would develop into a serious diplomatic discourtesy. Receiving entry permission is tantamount to saying you’re visiting officially.

News had already spread widely not only in Alfheim but also in the Empire of Minerva: that Rina, Marie, and I would visit Alfheim to witness Arwen’s national address.

For reference, while Rina and Marie were introduced as the Imperial Princess and Duke’s daughter respectively, I was introduced as Marie’s fiancé. It’s only natural that Marie smiled with the happiest expression when she heard that.

“But don’t worry too much. If anything happens, it will only make Alfheim look bad. Besides, we’re planning to stay at a nearby inn, right?”

“Are we just going to stay at the inn the whole time? Don’t you want to look around?”

“I don’t mind if you want to. But I wonder if we’ll be able to. After all, you and I will be sharing a room.”

“… …”

As soon as I mentioned sharing a room, Marie’s face instantly turned red. Yet, she firmly held my hand, which plainly conveyed her desires.

I smiled at her feelings, which I could understand without words, and squeezed her hand. Marie beamed with her characteristic radiant smile.

Although I said it jokingly, considering Alfheim’s notoriously rigorous entry procedures and our tired bodies, we’d probably rest at the inn for at least a day. Just in case, I brought books and notebooks.

“Let’s go now. They’ve already finished preparations inside. We just need to stand on the magic circle.”

“And after we move, we start the entry procedures there, right?”

“Yes. It won’t be as strict as its reputation suggests, so don’t be nervous. We’re nobles, after all. Our identities are already guaranteed.”

“I see. By the way, Rina, have you been to Alfheim before?”

“Just once, with my brother. I even met the Queen then.”

“Really?”

While I knew about visiting Alfheim, the news that she was acquainted with Arwen was new information. I wondered how Rina had met Arwen.

Seeing the curiosity in my expression, Rina smiled and answered as if it was no big deal.

“I once had the opportunity to tour Alfheim’s academy. The academy was inside a massive tree called the World Tree. It was truly amazing. I met the Queen once during that time.”

“How does it compare to Halo?”

“That place is much better. I suppose it’s inevitable since it’s an academy built by elves. For us, even a simple spell requires a lot of budget.”

I wonder when humans will be able to use magic freely. Not like elves or demons who use it as naturally as breathing, but so that anyone can use it with effort.

If not that, relying on the power of science wouldn’t be bad either. Honestly, seeing air conditioners and refrigerators exist, it seems like they have the ability to make machines too.

As I was thinking these useless thoughts, I made my way into the teleportation facility. Passing by the guards at the entrance, I entered the building and felt the air grow heavier.

“Oh…”

As soon as I looked around the interior, I let out an exclamation with various meanings. There was a magic circle on the floor that seemed to contain complex formulas, and around it were magicians wearing robes.

It looked more like summoning a demon than teleporting. Moreover, the magicians were muttering something, and the echo made the atmosphere eerie.

“All preparations are complete, Your Highness. Please stand on the magic circle.”

Amidst silently observing the preparation process, an aged voice interjected. It seemed to be the person in charge of the teleportation facility.

Rina nodded and moved towards the magic circle. As she moved, Marie and I moved with her, still holding hands.

Once everyone heading to Alfheim had stepped onto the magic circle, the person in charge from earlier spoke.

“Teleportation will activate in 10 seconds. 10… 9… 8… 7… 6… 1.”

Wait. Why did it suddenly jump from 6 to 1?

Regardless of my confusion, the person in charge activated the magic circle with his characteristic aged voice.

“Departing for Alfheim.”

Flash!

With those words, a blinding light burst from the magic circle. I tightly closed my eyes and waited for the light to disappear.

Just in case, I squeezed Marie’s hand tightly, and she gently squeezed back as if to say not to worry.

Thanks to that, I was starting to feel reassured when the light from the magic circle gradually diminished. Feeling it was safe to open my eyes, I did so quietly.

Perhaps because of the sudden burst of bright light, black ripples danced in my vision, obstructing it. Still, I could make out distinctions, as it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t see at all.

The magicians who had surrounded the magic circle were nowhere to be seen, and in front of me stood a man with a dignified posture. Looking at his face closely, he had exquisite beauty and ears much longer than a human’s.

The man was none other than an elf. When he saw me staring at him with a blank expression, he gave an elegant smile and spoke in a gentle tone.

“Welcome to Alfheim, everyone. Please proceed to that direction for entry procedures.”

“Uh… hello?”

“Yes, hello. Red-haired gentleman.”

When I greeted him on impulse, the elf man gently returned the greeting. I felt my face flush, feeling like I had done something foolish.

Meanwhile, Rina greeted the elf according to proper etiquette and spoke.

“Hello. I am Rina Urmi Christine, the First Imperial Princess of the Empire of Minerva. Have you heard about our arrival?”

“Of course. For detailed entry procedures, please proceed down that path.”

“Thank you. Let’s go, everyone.”

“Okay.”

Following behind Rina, I looked around. Unlike the teleportation facility I had seen earlier, this place was filled with dense trees.

The distinctive forest scent that stimulated the sense of smell pierced my nose, and everything around was green. Moreover, there seemed to be only one elf guarding this place.

As I passed by the elf man who I presumed to be in charge, I met his gaze.

I’m not sure what he was thinking, but he was looking at us with an elegant smile.

‘Are they just letting us through so easily?’

Alfheim’s entry procedures are famously strict. I had mentally prepared myself for that, but it felt a bit anticlimactic to be let through so easily.

Or perhaps there’s some kind of checkpoint after we walk down this path? With questions rising, I asked Rina. Although there were escort knights nearby, they didn’t need to pay attention to us, so I spoke casually.

“Are we going straight into Alfheim now?”

“Not yet. If we walk a bit further, there will be a facility for entry procedures. The formal entry process will be done there.”

“What about that person from earlier?”

“He’s a magician who manages the teleportation facility. Unlike humans, elves can use teleportation with just one magician.”

“Can one person manage it all?”

“He must be an expert in that field since he needs to transport multiple people. And there are probably guards watching from unseen places. The forest is like a home to elves.”

So they were on guard duty from unseen places. I was intrigued as I learned new facts one after another.

Seeing my expression, Rina smiled and told me about the upcoming plans. Specifically, how to smoothly pass the entry procedures.

“When you use the teleportation facility, you’re usually considered a VIP, so the entry procedures become much more lenient. As long as you don’t give strange answers, you can pass through easily.”

“For example?”

“When asked about the purpose of your visit, don’t simply answer ‘travel.’ You need to specify where you’re traveling, which inn you plan to stay at, and when you plan to leave. We’re VIPs, so it’s this simple, but for ordinary people, it takes much longer. As you know, elves are particularly strict with other races.”

“Why are elves so strict?”

It wasn’t me but Marie who asked. She had questions filled in her blue eyes.

But Rina didn’t seem to know much about that either, as she passed the baton to me.

“Well, I’m not sure about that either. Issac might know better?”

“Do you know, Issac?”

“This is just my guess, but… it’s probably because of the racial war.”

“Racial war?”

“Yes.”

Marie’s expression asked for a detailed explanation. Rina beside her was the same. So she really didn’t know either.

Seeing the curious gazes of the two women, I organized my thoughts slowly and began to explain. Since I had heard this from Cindy as well, it was easy to talk about.

“As you both know, humans and elves fought a racial war 300 years ago. It was a war that caused considerable damage not only to humans but also to elves. However, for elves, 300 years is like 30 years for humans. For humans, it’s a war recorded in history, but for elves, it’s still remembered. That’s probably why the entry procedures are strict. For elves, the aftermath of the war is still ongoing.”

“You mean to prevent potential terrorism?”

“In a way, yes? But remember that elves have only recently adopted an open policy. Naturally, they have to be cautious. One bad apple can spoil the bunch, after all.”

“Ohh…”

Marie seemed to understand after my explanation. Not just her, but Rina had a similar expression.

Following that, Marie smiled brightly and clung to my arm. She rubbed her face against it and murmured in a voice filled with happiness.

“To think someone so smart and handsome is my boyfriend… I think I’m a truly happy woman.”

“Marie. Rina is watching.”

“Let her watch. How about it? Jealous?”

Marie linked arms with me and teased Rina. It’s a scene that would never have happened if the two hadn’t recently reconciled.

Rina chuckled at Marie’s innocence and said as if she couldn’t help it.

“I am jealous. I wish I had someone like Issac too. Handsome, smart, and…”

Rina paused for a moment, then slowly lowered her gaze. Eventually, her eyes stopped midway and she pressed her lips tightly. At the same time, I noticed a faint blush rising.

I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, so I tilted my head in confusion. Around that time, Rina subtly shifted her gaze and cleared her throat.

“Ahem. It’s nothing. I’m just jealous.”

“You’re thinking about that again, aren’t you?”

When Rina tried to change the subject, Marie abruptly asked. The question seemed to hit the mark, as Rina became flustered and stammered.

“N-No! Absolutely not! I’m not a pervert…!”

“Your face is bright red for someone who says that. Don’t tell me…”

“Be quiet! You’re making Issac misunderstand!”

Why was my name suddenly mentioned? While I was curious, Rina faced me with a face that was as red as it could be.

Her eyes, similar in color to Marie’s, were fixed on my face for a moment, but her gaze kept moving up and down repeatedly.

And then…

Gulp-

Whether she was cornered or nervous, Rina swallowed hard. Considering her usually composed character, it was an unexpected reaction.

“Hmm.”

In the meantime, Marie, thinking she had caught Rina, let go of my arm and slowly approached her. Judging by the subtle sound she made and her expression, her mischievous side had been activated.

Then, approaching Rina, she whispered softly in her ear.

“…!”

I don’t know what she said, but with Marie’s brief words, Rina’s body jerked noticeably. Her pale skin turned completely red, and I noticed her lips trembling.

What on earth did Marie say? While I was curious, Marie chuckled and then linked arms with me again, clinging tightly.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. Just played a little prank.”

“Haaa…”

For a mere prank, the reaction was quite intense. She had buried her face in her hands and couldn’t even lift her head.

“Hehe.”

“… …”

Regardless, Marie was busy grinning while clinging tightly to me. After that, we were able to set foot towards the checkpoint visible in the distance, and…

“Not allowed. No matter what approval you’ve received, demons cannot set foot in Alfheim without direct permission from the Queen or the Senate.”

“How many times do I have to explain? I clearly received permission directly from the Queen, and here’s the document. Are you saying you don’t trust an official document issued directly by the Queen?”

“Why would our Queen allow a demon to enter? Provide proper evidence.”

“Sigh…!”

We encountered Cecilly, who was in the midst of a dispute over entry procedures.