episode_0064

Deep in the forest, untouched by humans, is the home of the elves. No powerful enemy was a match for the elves in the forest where they were encamped.

Of course, as there are exceptions to everything, there were exceptions to this too. For example, in the case of the overwhelming number of Orc and Goblin armies, they attacked from outside the forest, cutting down all the trees, based on human-invading tactics, so they became a great threat to the Elves.

Additionally, a single entity with the ability to blow up the entire forest itself could also play with elves like toys. In the simplest example, a dragon would roast a whole elf along with the forest for meals.

The elves living in this lush natural environment, which humans named the Eletrov Mountains, solved both threats in amazing ways. Not only did they establish a friendly relationship by offering a certain amount of tribute to Arjen, but they also obtained a covenant to defeat the greenskin army that summoned their number and attacked them every year. Truly, there was no better solution than this.

“Have all the humans returned?”

“Yes. I checked it properly.”

It was a conversation between two elves on guard duty. It was nearly impossible for the elves to clean up the enormous number of orc corpses that Arjen had annihilated in one day, so every year around this time, humans would come near the forest and collect the corpses of the monsters. This is the time of year when tension in the forest reaches its peak, and this is because the relationship between humans and elves is not very good.

There have been a small number of cases where humans running illegal slave shops knowingly sold elves into slavery, and it was impossible for the two races, who had no similarities in the first place, to get along without fault.

Nowadays, there are a few elves who appear in human society, but their relationship is maintained to the extent that they do not fight externally, and from the perspective of the elves living in the forest, humans are no different from ‘orcs with whom they can communicate.’

“This year passed safely as well.”

“Sure. If it weren’t for Arzen, the forest would have been devastated a long time ago, right?”

“But, I was talking about humans. There might be people secretly spying on us.”

“Aha. That’s what you said.”

They never relaxed, wondering how many humans would be able to follow them so secretly in the forest that the elves wouldn’t notice. This is because, over a long period of life, I have realized that truly serious accidents occur in places where we originally thought they would not happen.

“A. Would humans irritate us unless they had swollen livers? Anyway, we also offer tribute to Master Arzen, and even though we are ourselves, there is no way we would do something that would earn Master Arzen’s wrath.”

“Ah… about that. Did you hear the news? Arjen said there was no need to offer living sacrifices to humans anymore. They told me to replace it with other food or money. The people who removed the corpses told me.”

“What? Is that real? Well, then what about us?”

The elf’s eyes widened as he heard something difficult to believe. No matter how much he committed a crime, it was true that he was reluctant to offer up his own people as tribute, even though he knew he would be eaten alive.

In the meantime, the fact that Arzen was considerate of humans so that they did not feel that unpleasant feeling made me wonder, ‘Perhaps we too?’ It was natural to have the same expectations.

“You didn’t tell us that. If that was your intention, you would have said it when you came to subdue the orcs.”

The elf tried to ask if he had forgotten, but suppressed the words that were sticking out of his throat. I thought it would never happen that a dragon, not just anyone else, would forget something.

” Not only that, but they also said that he prevented a meteorite from falling on the human city. These days, humans have been looking up to Arzen like some kind of god.”

“That happened….”

The elf listening to the story seemed to think it was no big deal on the outside, but inside, he felt dissatisfaction that Arjen favored humans.

“What are you talking about so interestingly?”

While the two elves were in the middle of a conversation, someone else intervened. The two elves, who were startled and on guard, breathed a sigh of relief when they confirmed the identity of the uninvited guest.

“Phew~ What, it’s Espy and Wendy. What’s going on?”

“What happened? I came here to change work.”

“Wow… has it already been so long?”

“What was the topic of conversation that made you lose track of time?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a big deal. After talking about humans for a bit, Arzen…”

Coo coo coo….

The elf had no choice but to stop what he was saying. This is because an unidentified sense of intimidation passed through my entire body as if caressing it. I could feel the brutal air, as cold as thin ice, covering the entire forest. It was a threat that was so clear and foreboding that not only she but all elves could sense it.

And of course, there was only one being around here who could exude such intimidation.

“Ah, Arzen…”

The elves, who realized that the anger that had been directed at orcs and goblins just a few days ago was now clearly directed at them, froze in place, unable to even think of running away.

***

“Wow… it’s really complicated.”

As I entered the elf forest under the guidance of a dryad, I clicked my tongue as I looked at the trees growing densely around me. In this sea of floods, where trees, both thick and thin, grew so tall that they even covered the sky, it felt like I would lose my direction if I blinked even once.

“So, just burn everything.”

Arjen, who was following behind, grunted. Of course, the easiest way to get rid of something living in a forest like this would be to set off a forest fire, but starting a forest fire just to kill each individual, let alone kill the elves in droves, felt like going too far.

“Then you feel so sorry for the other elves and the animals and plants living in the forest. Because they are innocent.”

Speaking of sin, if you ask me if the elf we are going to find now named Ispi has also committed a mortal sin, I am not sure. Of course, this is my position, and on Earth, murder and instigation of murder are punished with the same severity, so I was not going to interfere with how Arjen treated the elf named Ispi, who had made Arjen send a hero.

‘Well, there is a high probability that you will die, but…’

The warrior who fought Arjen directly was able to survive on the condition that he offer his body to satisfy Arjen’s curiosity about ‘what sex with a dick feels like.’ Thinking about it that way, Ispira thought for a moment that the elf might still have some life left to live.

“Found it.”

That is, until I saw that Arjen’s eyes were filled with murder as he found the goal before the dryad giving directions. There is no superpower in being able to lower the surrounding temperature by about 3 degrees with just your eyes.

“There are four people.”

As I walked for a while, I began to see elves. Four elves were huddled together, their legs trembling, unable to move, and they seemed to have been frozen by Arjen’s deadly shot. One of the four people’s face looked familiar, and it was the same face as the elf who had requested an audience with me last time.

“Hello?”

After they became aware of each other’s existence, Arjen was the first to open his mouth. He greeted me with a bright smile, as if the murderous behavior he had been giving off just a moment ago was a lie.

“Ah, Arzen… How did we get here…”

The elf I had never met asked in a trembling voice. Perhaps he must have mustered up all the courage he possessed to open his mouth. Arjen glanced at the elf who asked him a question, then licked his lips and said.

“It looks delicious.”

It sounds like something a lecherous man who sexually harasses a young woman would say, but when Arjen said it, it had a completely different meaning. I remembered once again that Arjen had previously described elves as ‘light and savory.’

Sure enough, the elf’s complexion turned blue when he heard those words. That would be fine, but on top of that, I ended up having to pee. It was embarrassing to see the elf wearing clothes made from natural materials such as leaves.

“You’re joking too much.”

I felt awkward for no reason, so I lightly scolded Arjen, and his expression turned sullen. Of course, that didn’t mean the frightened elves got better.

“I tried to make a joke. Those who have no idea why I came here can go back. No, disappear right before my eyes.”

As soon as Arjen’s words left, all four elves tried to leave.

‘huh?’

Why does the elf named Ispi run away? Either he was so scared that he didn’t understand Arjen’s words exactly, or he really didn’t know why Arjen came.

“You should be here.”

If we didn’t know who the culprit was, we would have let him go, but unfortunately, we had already finished identifying him. The other elves, whether they knew that Arjen had captured Ispi or not, moved out of sight at a very fast speed.

“Um… Me…?”

Ispi, whose shoulders were being held by Arjen, asked in a frightened voice. Arjen answered her in a dry voice.

“Yes. Why did I come all the way here when I usually don’t go out to rare places?”

She didn’t answer, but at least she realized why Arjen came here. It’s not that I could read their inner thoughts, but the dryad and Ispi who came with us met their eyes.

If I still answered that I didn’t know, I might be accused of an additional shameful crime.