Chapter 260

Hiwyn and the elder snapped out of their daze at Hiresia’s words.

“Go! Climb up!”

“Got it!”

Hiwyn leaped with all his might, and the elder propelled him upward with a gust of wind.

Max, who had been standing dumbfounded, also sprang into action.

He quickly nocked an arrow.

*Whoosh.*

*Thwack!*

He fired without hesitation.

The arrow was aimed directly at the Messenger, who was still sitting dazed on the ground.

“Dodge!”

Natasha shouted as soon as she detected the arrow’s trajectory.

The Messenger, finally snapping out of his shock, saw the incoming arrow and desperately rolled out of the way.

*Roll, roll, roll.*

He was covered in dirt in an instant.

It was a humiliating move that would have been unthinkable for him in his usual prideful state.

But he had no choice.

There was no time to get up and dodge.

*BOOOOOM!*

The arrow exploded upon impact with the ground.

Explosive Arrow.

He had narrowly avoided the arrow itself, but the explosion caught him, and a groan escaped his lips.

“Ugh!”

The heat of the explosion seared his wounds, sending a jolt of pain through his body.

*Whoosh!*

Another arrow flew towards him.

*Slice!*

But this time, it was sliced in half mid-air.

An invisible blade had severed it.

“Get up! You idiot!”

Natasha appeared, her face a mask of frustration.

“D-Dark…”

“The mission is over! Get up! I’ll create an opening!”

“Who said you could…”

*Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!*

A storm of arrows rained down.

It was Hiresia.

And they weren’t ordinary arrows.

They were a mix of Transformation Arrows and Silent Arrows, incredibly difficult to deal with.

Natasha knew better than anyone how hard it was to block or dodge that barrage.

She had no choice.

Here…

“Hooo…”

Natasha took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and for the first time, gripped her sword hilt with both hands.

“Full Moon.”

She muttered the name of her technique.

Full Moon.

Her blade drew a circular arc.

An invisible arc.

But the air didn’t scream.

It was a completely different movement from her previous attacks, which had ripped through the air with razor-sharp precision.

At that moment,

*Crackle.*

The incoming arrows were sliced into dust, their forms unrecognizable.

It was almost like they had been obliterated.

Hiresia’s expression changed.

Because she felt it.

An incredibly ominous power.

Natasha opened her eyes.

They were pitch black.

Even the Messenger had never seen her like this before.

“Get up.”

Her voice was chilling, as if shrouded in darkness.

The Messenger involuntarily shuddered.

“Y-Yes, ma’am.”

He meekly obeyed.

He had no choice.

He was completely overwhelmed by her aura.

The Messenger stood up.

Natasha moved, and he hurriedly followed.

They were trying to escape the Forgotten Forest.

Hiresia nocked an arrow on her bowstring.

But.

She paused, her eyes lost in thought.

She had decided it was pointless.

She could sense that she couldn’t catch them alone.

“C-Careful, careful! Be careful!”

“Of course I am!”

Hiwyn carefully descended, carrying the vial containing the Great Fire of Destruction.

The tragedy of the Forgotten Forest had been averted, at least for now.

* * *

*Thud! Thud!*

The high elves were diligently digging graves next to the World Tree.

They were severely injured, but they were working tirelessly, their dedication bordering on recklessness.

But it was understandable.

Because they were preparing a burial for their fallen comrades.

I wasn’t in good shape either.

But I stood silently behind them, my hands clasped together.

It was the least I could do as the only mourner who wasn’t a high elf.

“Burial.”

The elder, the oldest of the high elves, said solemnly.

Hiresia and Hiwyn gently placed the bodies of their fallen comrades in the graves.

Their hands were stained with blood, as they hadn’t bothered to clean them.

It was different from human burial customs.

I remembered reading that elves buried their dead without cleaning their bodies, returning their flesh, bones, and blood to nature.

It seemed like high elves followed a similar custom.

“Let us mourn them one last time before returning them to Mother’s embrace.”

The elder knelt down and closed his eyes.

Hiwyn also closed his eyes and chanted softly, as if in prayer.

Hiresia embraced each of the bodies, one by one, for a long time.

I could tell that they were all reminiscing about their lost loved ones, preparing to say their final goodbyes.

And there was one thing they all had in common.

None of them shed a single tear.

I realized that high elves were a truly strong-willed race.

After their final farewell, they covered the bodies with earth.

The ground returned to its original state.

The high elves remained silent for a long time.

How much time had passed?

The elder approached me.

“We thank you again, savior of Mother and the forest.”

“It was nothing. I just did what I had to do. And please accept my condolences for your loss.”

“Haha, we are grateful. Please, make yourself comfortable as our guest and stay as long as you like.”

“He’s not just a guest, Elder.”

Hiwyn also approached me.

“Yes, he’s a very special guest.”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

Hiwyn extended his hand to me.

“Please take care of our princess, human husband.”

“…”

I froze.

Hiresia’s face turned bright red.

…So this was what she meant?

“C-Cough, cough, cough, t-that’s a bit too fast…”

The elder seemed flustered.

Hiwyn shook his head firmly.

“Let go of your attachment, Elder. You were crying like a baby when she left for the human world, and you’re doing it again? You know she can’t stay with us forever, even if she’s our precious little sister.”

“W-Who was crying?!”

“…”

It seemed like the elf senior had been showered with love from her older “brothers.”

* * *

I was warmly welcomed at the elder’s house.

It felt like a true family gathering.

The atmosphere was heartwarming.

I felt a surge of anger towards those who had brought death to this peaceful and familial forest.

If I, an outsider, felt this way, how must they be feeling?

But they didn’t show it.

They were being considerate of me, their guest.

But it was a topic that couldn’t be avoided forever.

It was too important and serious.

Eventually, the elder brought it up.

“It’s unprecedented for them to not only invade the forest, but also try to burn Mother.”

Hiwyn nodded gravely.

“They even brought the Great Fire of Destruction. They’re definitely not ordinary enemies. Honestly, they’re terrifying.”

It seemed like the high elves were also aware of the Red Rain’s threat.

Especially the existence of that Great Fire of Destruction.

Hiresia had told me that very few people in the world knew about its existence, let alone its ability to burn the World Tree.

But it wasn’t surprising for the Red Rain.

No one knew the terror of that organization better than I did.

“And the human, the dwarf, and the dark elf were all dangerous individuals. It’s hard to believe such a group even exists.”

“I heard dark elves went extinct a long time ago.”

“I thought so too, but it seems like things are different now.”

“Sigh, that dark elf was a truly dangerous opponent. So cruel and strong. If it wasn’t for the princess, we would have been in big trouble. And of course, you too, human husband.”

…That awkward title.

It was hard to get used to being treated like the princess’s husband.

I thought “Princess of the Forgotten Forest” was just a nickname, but it seemed like she was actually treated like a princess.

I understood the situation after hearing that she was the only female high elf alive.

Anyway, the elf senior also seemed uncomfortable with the title, blushing every time she heard it.

“Ahem, the important thing is that they might come back.”

Hiresia spoke up.

It was a realistic and serious concern.

We had managed to repel them today, despite the heavy casualties, but no one could guarantee that they had given up.

Everyone present knew that.

“That’s true. There’s always that risk. But we lost four precious family members today. It’s a difficult situation.”

The elder sighed.

“I agree. And that’s why I have something to say.”

Hiwyn turned to Hiresia and me, his gaze serious.

“Mother and the forest need your strength now, Princess and human husband. So I have a heartfelt request. Please stay in the forest, as family and as new members of our community.”

I was taken aback by his request.

Because I knew what it meant for Hiresia.

The Forgotten Forest was her precious home, where her mother resided.

She couldn’t ignore its plight.

Anyone in her position would feel the same.

‘Come to think of it, she returned to the academy in the past because the World Tree had already been burned down, and there was nothing she could do…?’

A scenario played out in my mind.

Hiresia, blackened after losing the World Tree and all her kin, consumed by revenge.

That was the Hiresia I knew, the one who had returned to the academy.

But this time, the situation was completely different.

That’s why I couldn’t predict what her answer would be.

‘…Could this be a branching point?’

It was only natural, both logically and emotionally, for Hiresia to choose to stay and protect her mother, her kin, and the forest.

But I couldn’t follow her.

The academy was too important to me, a place I couldn’t leave.

My head throbbed.

‘I didn’t expect things to turn out like this…’

I had only been thinking about resolving the immediate crisis, but I hadn’t considered the possibility that the surviving high elves would ask us to stay.

I waited for Hiresia’s answer, my mind in turmoil.

She spoke slowly.

“I can’t decide that on my own.”

My eyes widened in surprise at her unexpected answer.

The elder and Hiwyn also looked surprised.

Hiwyn said, his voice filled with surprise, “You’re saying you don’t have the authority to decide?”

…Is it the norm for high elves to be under their husbands’ thumbs?

“Of course not. It would be strange to force my opinion on someone I cherish. Of course, the forest is a precious and wonderful place to me. But I also know how difficult it is for a human to live here. It would be unbearably boring and tedious.”

“B-Boring?”

“T-Tedious?”

The elder and Hiwyn seemed to have no idea what she was talking about.

Well, it was understandable for high elves who had lived their entire lives in the forest.

On the other hand,

The eccentric high elf who had left the Forgotten Forest because she found it boring and tedious would understand exactly what she meant.

I realized then, once again,

How special Hiresia was to the high elves.

Perhaps the favoritism (?) shown by Mother World Tree, which I had sensed earlier, was also due to this reason.

“Yes, Elder and Hiwyn might not understand, but it’s true. So I won’t force him. But since you asked, I should hear his answer.”

Hiresia gestured towards me.

She wanted me to answer Hiwyn’s question.

I quickly organized my thoughts and spoke.

“I understand the situation and why you’re asking me to stay. But I also have people I need to protect. Outside this forest.”

“Hmm, I understand. But isn’t your wife, the princess, the most precious person you need to protect? This forest is her…”

“Just because it’s precious doesn’t mean he has to sacrifice himself. Stop pressuring him, it’s making him uncomfortable.”

The elf senior’s considerate words warmed my heart.

“Even without him, I’ll stay in the forest until we come up with a good plan, so don’t worry too much…”

Wait, that’s not good.

I had barely managed to keep Regina from leaving the stage, and now Hiresia was about to leave?

Why were things getting complicated after I had done something good?!

This couldn’t happen!

I raised my hand without thinking.

Everyone’s eyes turned to me.

I blurted out, “…I have a good idea.”

If there’s a will, there’s a way.

That was my motto.