Ch.58The Sacred Realm of the Elves

“We’re almost there. That’s the signpost for the Willow Sanctuary.”

After walking for about 4 hours at a slightly brisk pace, I noticed white strings tied to various trees around us.

“Are those markers to prevent people from getting lost?”

“Hehe, elves don’t lose their way in forests. These are called Arachne Knots, a type of magical barrier that prevents non-elven beings from reaching our sanctuary.”

“So with these around, we don’t have to worry about monsters or wild animals attacking?”

“The Arachne Knots only confuse one’s sense of direction to lead them away from the sanctuary; they don’t forcibly block entry. Sometimes creatures wander in by chance, or they follow elves and end up here.”

“Hmm… isn’t that a bit inadequate as a security measure?”

“Animals driven away by powerful barrier magic will soon relocate their habitats. That would not only make it difficult for us to obtain materials, but could also cause herbivore populations to suddenly increase, depleting vegetables and tree fruits in the area.”

“Ah, that certainly makes sense.”

If the food chain’s balance is disrupted, it affects the entire surrounding ecosystem.

For elves, who live long lives in harmony with nature, ecological distortion would be a far more serious problem than fierce wild animals.

“We’ve arrived. The scenery will suddenly change, so be careful not to stumble from surprise.”

Just as Phyllis finished speaking, the surrounding trees seemed to move quickly to the sides, and suddenly the forest before us transformed into a large clearing.

In the center of the wide open space, dotted with wooden houses of various sizes, stood a massive willow tree about 20 meters tall, emitting a soft glow.

“Wow~!”

“This is the elves’ sacred tree… it’s so beautiful.”

“This is absolutely amazing…”

“It sparkles like stars.”

“Hehe, hearing you say that makes me proud as an elf. Welcome to the Willow Sanctuary.”

As we followed Phyllis into the sanctuary, we saw elves gathered in small groups, raising their hands in greeting.

A man drying grape-like fruits, a woman weaving baskets from tree branches, children playing with toy bows tipped with cotton—the scene felt more like a peaceful countryside village than the mystical sacred ground of elves.

As I was walking with these thoughts, four elves carrying rifles identical to Phyllis’s came running hurriedly toward us.

The women were dressed in similar attire to Phyllis, suggesting they were subordinates in the Guardian unit.

“Welcome back, Captain!”

“Yes, I’ve received help from these four adventurers. Was everything alright while I was away?”

“About 7-8 Giant Bees attacked, but we repelled them without any problems.”

“Good. I’ll take the adventurers to the resting chamber and then to the dining hall. Please prepare meals for five people and arrange lodging for tonight.”

“Yes, ma’am!”

Watching the elves run off after receiving Phyllis’s instructions, she spoke with a gentle smile.

“Those are my subordinates in the Guardian unit that protects the Willow Sanctuary. They’re not even twenty years old yet, but they’re all very talented.”

“You look quite young yourself, Phyllis. Though they say it’s hard to guess an elf’s age.”

“Of course, I’m only 27 myself, so to the elders I’m still just a youngster. This sanctuary has many elderly and children, with only a handful of middle-aged elves around 70-80 years old.”

Learning that Phyllis wasn’t much older than Mina caused some cognitive dissonance.

It reminded me of how people say that thousand-year-old elves feel appropriately fantastical, but when they appear ambiguously as 50-60 years old, they just seem like youthful middle-aged women.

Setting aside such idle thoughts, we followed Phyllis to the giant willow tree at the center of the village.

“First, let’s enter the resting chamber so I can bestow the sacred tree’s blessing upon you all. Without it, you’ll be confused by the Arachne Knots and get lost in the forest.”

As Phyllis approached the base of the willow tree, the earth parted and roots lifted to reveal a spiral staircase leading underground.

In the underground chamber sat a male elf, withered and twisted like an ancient tree root, on a throne made of earth.

The women seemed startled by his appearance, which reminded me of ancient Egyptian mummies, but my eyes were drawn to something else.

‘These are… Arcane Words. I can’t recognize them as letters, but there’s no doubt.’

Small lights like fireflies circled around the old elf’s body.

I could tell that each particle of light was a magical entity composed of Arcane Words, though I couldn’t read or understand their meaning.

It seems that even as a human who can understand Arcane Words, I couldn’t comprehend the level of Arcane Words wielded by an Elder.

“Father of the Sacred Tree, First Elder. Please recognize these visitors who have come to save our sanctuary as our guests.”

As Phyllis murmured like a prayer, four particles of light that had been circling the Elder flew toward us and absorbed into our bodies.

I could feel a warm sensation in my chest, indicating that magical energy had entered my body.

“With this, you are now recognized as guests of the Willow Sanctuary. From now on, you can freely enter and exit the sanctuary even without an elf escort.”

“Isn’t that a bit too trusting? What if one of us later harbors ill intentions and sneaks into the sanctuary?”

“The fact that you express such concern is itself proof that you are trustworthy.”

Dismissing the playful warning lightly, Phyllis bowed to the Elder on the throne and led the way to the exit.

We followed her example, paying our respects to the Elder before leaving the chamber.

After receiving the sacred tree’s blessing in the Elder’s chamber, we moved to the dining hall where we were served bread with raisins, mushroom soup, chicken dishes, and fruit desserts.

The spacious dining hall, which could easily accommodate about 30 people, had around 10 elves besides us, gathered at tables enjoying their meals.

Apparently, elves typically share meals in groups, as they often spend leisure time with residents who share similar interests.

“What a peaceful village.”

“Most elven sanctuaries have this atmosphere. With stable food supply and living conditions, we devote ourselves to magical practices or hobby activities, and as we age, we commune with the sacred tree to prepare for life’s twilight.”

“By life’s twilight, do you mean… like the Elder we saw earlier?”

“Ah, the First Elder is a special case. He expended enormous magical power and life force for the sacred tree’s growth, causing his body to age rapidly. By merging with the tree in that way, he can prevent his physical body from collapsing until his soul’s natural lifespan ends.”

Phyllis took a crisp bite of an apple from her plate and calmly explained how elves meet their end.

“When ordinary elves reach their twilight, they vanish one night without leaving their physical bodies behind, but that doesn’t mark the end of their lifespan. Their souls remain, dwelling in the sacred tree, watching over their kin until their time truly comes to an end.”

“Don’t you have funerals or memorial services?”

“Not particularly. Everyone knows that the dissolution of the physical body doesn’t signify death, and there’s no way to perceive when a soul finally dissipates. However, for those who die in accidents or natural disasters, we do hold simple memorial services to appease their spirits.”

“Like during the dark elf attack?”

“Yes. The Willow Sanctuary lost about 20 people in that incident. By human city standards, that might not seem significant, but for an elven sanctuary, it was a substantial loss.”

Phyllis, who had been explaining the tragedy from five years ago with a stern expression, shook her head and put down her fork as she stood up.

“This is too gloomy a topic to discuss before guests who’ve come so far. You must be tired from walking all day, so rest early. Let’s meet in front of the dining hall entrance tomorrow at 6 AM for a pre-mission briefing.”

“Where are our lodgings?”

“They’re in the infirmary building visible just outside. I must excuse myself now to go on night patrol with my subordinates.”

Even after Phyllis left, we stayed a while longer, chatting and enjoying the elven evening meal.

After finishing dinner and entering the infirmary building, a kind-faced female healer showed us to the hospital rooms that would serve as our temporary lodgings.

“See you all tomorrow morning then.”

“Sleep well, Will.”

“Good night~”

After exchanging good night wishes, we separated by gender into our assigned rooms—a four-person room and a two-person room.

Lying alone in the two-person room made me feel a bit lonely, but it wasn’t like I could invite Jessica or Seti to join me now.

‘I should just get some sleep since we need to move early tomorrow.’

In my first solitary bed since becoming lovers with the two women, I quietly pulled the covers over myself and drifted off to sleep, using the sound of insects as my lullaby.