“There, elf girl, instead of just staring blankly, how about showing me around your village? I’d love to explore such a beautiful place in detail.”
Even though I have intruded into the village, can’t I at least have a look around? Especially since the person I wanted to meet is right in front of me, it would be nice to get to know her better. To this, our second divine archer responded,
“…Ugh…”
She recoiled and hid her twitching ears behind a tree.
‘That’s not the reaction I expected,’ I thought, puzzled. Freesia is a key character in the southern story. Because of that, I knew her personality inside out. She should have been outgoing, the type who, even if hostile, would at least start a conversation out of curiosity.
‘Butterfly effect… No, that doesn’t make sense.’ No matter how much I stirred things up, there’s no way it could have influenced an elf girl who had been living in this secluded village. Grumbling, I drew back my hand.
“Excuse me. Don’t elves know manners? When someone greets you, at least respond.”
“Mind your manners. What’s that? You smell like monster saliva!”
Freesia peeked out again, her face full of disgust.
‘So that’s what it was.’
Indeed. After using the sandworm twice, my whole body was drenched. I had become desensitized to the smell, but Freesia wouldn’t have.
“Oops, my mistake. I was inside a sandworm’s mouth. But without doing that, I couldn’t have entered this village.”
“…I’ll pass on the handshake. Could you continue talking from there?”
“Well, since it’s come to this, can’t you use a clean spell on me?”
I sensed Tamer’s mouth dropping open, but I ignored it. Elves, by nature, are masters of magic. Even more so for high elves? They don’t even bear the ‘inefficiency’ of using both aura and magic simultaneously.
‘A ridiculously powerful race.’
Though it irritates me a bit since we’re in the same situation, what can I do? We were born with different spoons in our mouths. Anyway, Freesia is also one of those high elves. Casting a clean spell should be simple for her.
“Why should I for an intruder?”
“An intruder? Please call me an uninvited guest. And wouldn’t it be inconvenient for you as well?”
Freesia tilted her head at my response. I continued, maintaining my composure.
“As far as I know, elves have a much keener sense of smell than humans. Wouldn’t it be more troublesome for you to guide me in this state? Unless, of course, you have a liking for monster saliva smell, which I’d respect.”
“…You’re a more shameless intruder than I thought.”
“I told you, an uninvited guest.”
I shrugged, and she sighed in disbelief.
“Cleanse this defiled one, Clean.”
With her incantation, a warm light enveloped my body. Not only did I feel refreshed, but my butler’s uniform, soaked with sandworm saliva, also returned to its original state. It was as if it had just been laundered and ironed, neat with elegant blue accents on a refined monochrome base. Even the boy’s robe next to me was clean and fluffy.
“Well, I owe you one. You didn’t have to clean the boy next to me, though.”
“…M-Master.”
Well. Despite the abandoned puppy look he gave me, my mind remained unchanged.
His worth is less than this butler’s uniform. Though it was thanks to him that I managed to invade this elf village, hasn’t he outlived his usefulness now? I shooed him away as he tried to stick by my side.
“So? What brings a human here?”
“You don’t need to aim that longbow; I’ll answer honestly. Could you please lower your weapon?”
“Why should I trust you?”
‘Just as I thought.’
A sharp voice filled with suspicion came from behind a tree, but I could sense it. The deep curiosity within.
‘If it had been any other elf, they wouldn’t have bothered with a clean spell. They would’ve shot an arrow right away.’
Yes. Just like this.
-Clang!
An arrow flying towards my face was blocked by a golden trail.
“Freesia, stand down!”
“Elder!”
“To think he could deflect an arrow imbued with aura with a dagger… He’s no ordinary human.”
Several elves, appearing to be middle-aged, gathered around the tree where she was hiding. The one who sent Freesia behind him glared at me with piercing eyes. Despite his youthful appearance, indicative of an elder, he was likely several centuries old, being an elf.
“I don’t know how you bypassed the boundary stones and found our village, but surrender quietly. You are surrounded.”
To prove his point, warriors rose from the village and the surrounding thickets, all aiming their bows. Elves are warriors of the forest. This jungle village was a battlefield designed for them. Their sharp hostility pricked at my skin.
“Master, this is dangerous. It might be best to retreat for now.”
Even if rotting, he was still an executive of the Disaster Cult. The boy quickly shifted from his dazed state into a combat stance. It was truly a tense situation. Tamer, summoning mana, and the elves, aiming their bows, stood in the midst.
“Master?”
“…Do you have a death wish?”
I started walking. I could feel the arrows on the bows following my movements, but I continued forward without hesitation. Heading towards the elder, I said,
“Hmph, it seems our noble forest-dwelling race is upset with an uninvited guest.”
I sheathed the golden dagger that had deflected the arrow and spread my arms wide, completely unarmed.
“Stop. If you come any closer… you won’t be unharmed next time.”
Thunk.
With the elder’s warning, an arrow landed right at my feet. The aura-infused arrow not only embedded itself in the ground but caused a large crack.
…Crazy. If that had hit me, I’d be on my way to the afterlife.
It seemed he wasn’t called an elder for nothing. Ignoring the cold sweat running down the back of my neck, I opened my mouth.
“Ho. A warning shot? That’s quite gentlemanly of you. I thought it would hit my head or heart.”
But there was no way I could cower and tuck my tail between my legs here. What was my purpose for coming here in the first place? To understand the reason why elves and beastmen joined forces.
I had no intention of taking even a single step back until I found out. Besides, I had enough faith in myself to handle things even if they went awry.
“I, too, have come to have a civilized conversation with you all.”
“There is nothing to discuss with a human. Leave now! Do you really want an arrow in your vital point?”
I ignored the elder’s somewhat coercive command.
-Tamer, send the sandworm to the location I’m about to give you.
-What? Oh, yes! Understood!
After sending a private message to Tamer, I responded to the elder in the most gentle voice possible.
“That’s… disappointing. I came to discuss something related to the World Tree, but if you turn me away like this…”
“The World Tree?”
When the name of the deity they worship was mentioned, the elves couldn’t help but be taken aback.
“Elder, what should we do? If it’s about the World Tree…”
“Don’t waver. Who knows if it’s just a tactic to buy time.”
“Ha ha. Whether it’s a time-wasting tactic or a serious discussion, shouldn’t we listen first to find out?”
As I slowly walked past the arrow embedded in front of me and took another step forward,
“I warned you.”
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Several arrows landed right at my feet in quick succession.
“We’ll question you thoroughly later. Don’t even think about resisting. Everyone, if needed, shoot your arrows immediately. Losing an arm or two doesn’t matter.”
Indeed, he was worthy of being called an elder. Bold and decisive. However,
“Phew. Why is it that humans and other races alike always try to dominate conversations with violence?”
“Silence. If you keep talking…”
“In that case, shall I give a ‘warning’ just as you did?”
-Rumble.
If they intended to shoot arrows at me, they should have done it already. By the time they delayed, it was too late.
‘Elves are indeed soft-hearted.’
I grinned and spread my arms wide. As I finished speaking, the ground began to shake more violently. Far more than before.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!
“What the…?”
Even those who were aiming at me struggled to keep their balance. I grinned at them, though I was also toppled by the vibrations.
“It must be hard to endure. The loss of the boundary stones brings about massive earthquakes.”
“What, what did you say?!”
For that elder, it must have been a bolt from the blue. The boundary stones were essential for the elf village’s survival. They also served as protection from humans and beastmen, who were fewer in number.
“How do you like my ‘warning’?”
“You…!”
“Ah, don’t try anything foolish. The moment I lose my life, all the other boundary stones will disappear as well.”
It wasn’t a lie. The moment I was skewered by arrows, Tamer wouldn’t stand idly by.
‘If the vessel of Calamity disappears, a loyal follower who crossed boundaries would not let it go.’
Anyway,
‘This sandworm surprise attack is quite effective.’
Even though it was swimming through the ground, the elves hadn’t noticed it approaching.
It seemed appropriate to raise Tamer’s status slightly above that of my butler’s uniform.
“Damn it… What do you want?”
“I’ve told you from the beginning. I came here for a conversation.”
The elder, hearing my ‘advice,’ lowered his bowstring. I smiled at someone who understood my words.
“Let’s have a thorough discussion about our World Tree.”
***
“Wow, the water is clear and the air is fresh. Truly a nature-friendly place, befitting an elf village.”
Freesia sighed deeply as she watched the young man teasing her.
“How did I end up…”
“Didn’t the elder say that we should wait until all the elders have gathered to have a proper discussion? What’s wrong with sightseeing in the meantime?”
“That’s not what I’m asking. Why did you choose me as the guide?”
He scratched his cheek at her question.
“Well, you’re the only one among the many elves who showed me kindness. I had no other choice.”
“Kindness? Just for a clean spell…”
“Haha, as someone who can read people, I assure you, the other elves wouldn’t have even done that.”
For a moment, Freesia felt a hint of bitterness in his voice. As if he had experienced such situations firsthand.
‘What kind of experience… No, sympathizing with an intruder!’
Freesia glared at him. But he quickly returned to his playful demeanor.
“Besides, you remind me of someone dear to me, with similar hair. It just makes me feel more affectionate towards you.”
“Huh? Hair?”
At his words, she instinctively touched her hair. Her youthful face turned sullen.
‘What’s so good about white hair…’
Among elves, white hair wasn’t particularly considered auspicious. The reason being it’s not commonly seen in nature. Green, similar to nature, was considered closer to a blessing.
“Haha, come to think of it, we haven’t properly introduced ourselves. I am Frost Mane.”
“I’m Freesia.”
“Meeting here like this is a coincidence. Is there anything you’re curious about? Despite how I look, I’ve wandered around quite a bit. I can tell you all sorts of stories about the outside world.”
Freesia’s eyes, which had been keeping their distance, rolled. Stories of the outside world. Those words naturally piqued her interest. Although the elder had warned her to be cautious, listening to an audacious intruder spill information about the elf village didn’t seem too bad.
‘Should be okay, right?’
Without realizing it, Freesia perked up her ears and responded haughtily.
“Hmph. Let’s hear it then.”
“Let’s start with my hometown in the west. Unlike here, not even grass grows properly, and you can only find water sources in limited places. Despite that, people live there due to the many mineral resources hidden in the golden sands.”
“Huh. Sounds like something those dwarves would love.”
“You’ve got it right. Some even come up from the south for study and end up settling there.”
His story didn’t stop there. He spoke of a place filled with harsh cold, different from here. But the most surprising story was yet to come.
“Snow? What’s that?”
“It’s what falls instead of rain in cold places. I guess you wouldn’t see it in this hot southern region. In the north, it’s sometimes called the white devil or trash from the sky.”
A natural phenomenon of white color, unseen in this place. Curiosity welled up within her heart. She remembered, belatedly, what ‘snow’ was. She had read about it in books, and sometimes, when using ice magic, it would swirl around like fragments. Unlike transparent ice, it was a cool, white color. But to imagine plains and mountains covered in such snow…
‘…I want to see it.’
Freesia swallowed hard. How cold and beautiful must the snow in the north be? How warm and fine must the sand in the west be? The image of these places, so different from the jungle where she lived, vividly painted itself in her mind.
Before she knew it, Frost Mane was no longer just an intruder to her. He had become an exceptional storyteller.
“Then quickly, tell me about the central region!”
“Haha, I would love to, but it seems our time is up.”
She saw it too. The approaching subordinates of the elders, those narrow-minded old folks called elders.
‘Ah, what a pity…’
Frost Mane had said that the most interesting stories were from the central region. Freesia’s lips started to pout in disappointment.
“Well, we’ll see each other in the council chamber anyway. Let’s continue the story after the meeting.”
“…Right.”
The hope that had been grasped just as she was about to give up made her eyes sparkle. She was also a high elf. Though she was young, she had enough qualification to attend the council.
‘Then, I’ll ask about the central region, the south, and, hmm… the east? Maybe about the human festivals?’
“Well, I’m not sure how smoothly things will go.”
Frost Mane squinted slightly, leaving an enigmatic remark. Freesia tilted her head in curiosity. She had no idea at the time that he was about to drop an outrageous bombshell in the council chamber.
“The beastmen are planning to burn down the World Tree?!”
“Yes. So I began to wonder why you, who worship the World Tree, are cooperating with the beastmen.”
Freesia, who had been staring blankly at the council chamber, suddenly wanted to see the face of the brazen intruder again. Despite being human, he seemed to be quite the storyteller. His eloquent speech had not only affected her. Moreover,
‘Is he… smiling?’
He was watching the panicked elders with great amusement.
Cliche Novel 