"Phew."
I let out a small breath and sit on the bed.
The place has changed and I'm in a spare room in Etienne's house.
The room is well furnished with wooden furniture and has been well cleaned.
I was a little worried that the room would be dirty, but it seems my fears were unfounded.
At the dinner table, Etienne changed from his previous attitude and wanted to hear all about my trip.
I thought it was a bit excessive, but it wasn't until a little while later that I realised that it was also a way of appealing to the people around me.
I feel that the hard attitude of the people around me has softened a little.
The meal was a healthy dish made mainly from wild plants and nuts, but it was well flavoured and delicious.
After the meal, I settled down in the room I had been assigned.
Incidentally, Savage is snoring soundly as he sleeps outside, under the watchful eye of the guards.
Now that we're settled, let's think about what we're going to do.
What are we going to do after this?
From what I've heard, the elves are completely innocent.
It's too suspicious.
But still, Grigori instead of Gnosis?
From what I've heard, I can only think they're the same kind, but it seems like they're interfering more directly than the Gnosis.
That's why I'm worried.
As long as the mountain range has been dropped, the elves will certainly notice the change.
It's subtle whether they'll notice me, but if I approach them badly, they're likely to spot me.
...I mean, there are so many people who are too perceptive these days that I hesitate to step in unintentionally.
The safest thing to do is to just pull out.
It is necessary to appease the abdullah rather than the goblin, but at worst it can be manipulated.
Pull back from the forest and fortify our defences.
The elves are only a hypothetical enemy, so just expand our forces and be prepared.
If they attack, we will have the advantage if we intercept them in the mountain range, where we have the advantage of the terrain.
However, there is one thing that concerns me.
It's what the Grigori and other people want to do.
They are being attacked by goblins, yet they are on the defensive and not attacking themselves.
If what we've heard so far is true, it shouldn't be hard to turn the goblins against them if you want to.
Could it be that they won't do anything unless you touch them?
If that's the case, we don't have to stop Abdullah, we just have to let them do it on their own.
I don't think they can win, but if they don't harm us, we can just let them do their thing and take a high view of them.
... then I'm not sure.
Do we go or do we back down?
If we go, we run the risk of being spotted by them, but at least we know who they are.
If we pull out, we'll have to stay in Shudras for a while and see what happens.
Both options are tenuous.
The former would be stepping into dangerous territory and the latter would leave you stranded for a while.
As for me, I'm leaning towards the former option.
The reason is simple.
Sooner or later they're going to get annoyed with me, even if I don't do anything about it.
If I'm going to get involved either way, it's easier to deal with them if I go from here.
I didn't need to worry about it.
Let's go.
I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.
I can't sleep, but I feel calm.
For the time being, I should at least report the progress to Fatima before I rest.
It's a hassle, but if I don't do it, it could be even more of a hassle, so I'll do it.
I contacted Fatima, feeling somewhat fed up inside.
"Are you leaving already?"
"Yes. I need to get on with it."
Next day.
On the outskirts of the settlement.
I'm astride Savage and seeing me off are Etienne and Inez.
"The area northeast of here is elven territory. They reject anyone from outside. I advise you to stay away from them."
"I'll take your advice."
I won't say I won't go.
I gave them some gold coins for their help.
Etienne is subtle about it, while Inès accepts it with a glint on her face for some reason.
I left the Dark Elf settlement, tilting my head at the difference in reactions.
A short distance away, I send Savage northeastwards.
Well, let's see what we can find.
Oops, before that, .......
I manipulate my body and stretch my ears appropriately.
This will make me look more elf-like.
It's not so easy to fool around with it, but it's better than not doing it.
I don't know what's going to come out of this, but it's going to be what it's going to be.
I drive the Savage while trying to take it easy.
For a while, the scenery continued to be unremarkable, but after half a day or so, the atmosphere around me changed.
The sensation of passing through something like a wall and the feeling of something approaching.
Have we entered elven territory, I could find them if I wanted to, but I'd like to see what's going on a little bit later.
I use magic to make my presence and appearance disappear.
Now let's see where the nearest settlement is.
I instructed Savage to move with as little noise as possible and headed onwards.
The forest is peaceful today.
It's hard to believe that goblins are attacking from the mountains to the south of the forest.
Thinking about this, I - Brosdan the High Elf - pick up medicinal herbs and throw them into the basket on my back.
If I collect a lot of medicinal herbs, I can exchange them for good foodstuffs, but today I'm putting in a lot of effort.
The reason for this is that the shop that deals in food has unusually good meat in it.
Basically, the elves' diet consists of wild plants and nuts, and I have been eating them since I was born, so I didn't mind, but the taste of meat I had a few years ago was a bit of a shock.
For us elves, who don't get out of our own territory very often, the meat of the monsters that come in from the outside is precious.
It is not impossible to go outside, but it is forbidden except for those who have permission, and those who break it are punished severely.
The only area of movement allowed is within the wards set up by the Chief Seer Druid and his men.
The details are still unknown, but it seems that all the rules here were set by a great being who gave us elves knowledge and raised us to a higher level of existence.
We don't know who he is... or rather, we're not allowed to know yet.
I heard that my parents know, but is it too early for a child like me?
With this in mind, I pick the medicinal herbs and throw them into the basket.
I check the basket on my back and it is almost half full.
Is this enough for today?
While I was thinking about this, a nearby patch of grass shook noisily.
"?"
I look in that direction, wondering.
Was someone else coming?
The sound gradually drew closer, revealing its true identity.
"Hello."
It was an elf who came out.
But he doesn't look familiar, does he?
Not from around here?
"Hello."
I take a good look at the man as I return his greeting.
He is quite large for an elf.
His clothes are also unusual.
He is dressed in unfamiliar black clothes that seem to cover his entire body, and for some reason he has a basket hand on his right hand only.
On his back is a ...... what is it? A hammer? Is it a hammer or something else? He was carrying what looked like a large weapon.
On his waist he has a number of small pockets, and on his shoulder he has a large bag hooked to it.
He is dressed as if he is travelling rather than ......, which is not something you see around here.
"That's an unusual outfit. Where are you from?"
The man looked troubled.
"I am a traveller. If you ask me where I'm from... the south?"
"South!? Could it be from over the mountains!?"
Beyond the mountains!?
Did this person come from over there?
Great! I heard that there are goblins living in the mountains, but maybe it's over there!?
The man looks somewhat puzzled by my reaction and gives a small nod.
"Ah, ah, I came over the Tierdras. It was in the goblins' sphere of influence, so it was a struggle, though."
"Great! I've never been over there, so I'm interested! Would you be willing to talk to me about it!?"
I had a lot on my mind, but my interest went over the mountain and my questions were blown out of my mind.
"That's fine, but first I want to ask you a few questions. As I said before, I'm on the road. I'm looking for a place to stay. Do you have any idea where that might be?"
"Then you should come to my house!"
My parents aren't usually at home, so I'll have him come to my house.
The man tilts his head at my words.
"Do you mind? I found some anti-intruder tricks on the way here. Outsiders are not welcome here, are they?"
"Tricks? You mean warding, perhaps?"
It is laid at the boundary of the area, and if an intruder appears, one of the 'Uates the Diviner' in the village will be aware of it.
It has recently been reinforced in response to the goblin invasion, and traps have been added to attack anyone who comes near it.
...Huh?
Then how did this person get here?
If he came from the south, he must have come from the west or east, where no traps are set.
I pictured the topography of this area in my mind.
This is on the western side of the territory, quite close to the outside.
...Which means he bypassed the trap and entered from the west.
The west side? Huh? I'm pretty sure the west side is the nest of the Goribelingei...
"Um... um..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Roe. And you are?"
"I am Brosdan. I may look like this, but I'm a High Elf!"
"High Elves. I've heard rumours, but you really are High Elves."
"Are there no elves beyond the mountains?"
"There are few elves, but there are elves. But I've never seen High Elves."
"That's true. The High Elves are the new elves who have been blessed."
Right. High Elves are the higher elves who have been blessed by the Great Ones.
There is no reason for them to be outside where the light of the Blessing cannot reach them.
"Is that so ......"
The man...Roe-san has a strange look on his face.
Seeing his reaction, I thought ah... he's from outside after all.
Anyway, first of all, let me show him my house.
"There's no need to stand around talking, why don't you come to my house?"
If he came through the wards, the people around him will be on alert, and I have to talk to an adult about what's going on...
"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could show me around."
"Well, let's go. I need to report on you first, if that's all right?"
"Oh, no problem. I have nothing to hide and would rather you report me."
Good...
I thought he might be offended by my blatant suspicion, but Mr. Roe gladly agreed.
The conversation was settled, so I took him with me to the village.
On the way, I talked to him about various things.
He is not a man of many words, but he answers what I ask him, so it's fun talking to him.
I liked the fact that he didn't treat me like a child.
Our conversation is about the other side of the mountains.
Human lands, towns and the monsters that inhabit them.
They are all new and interesting to me.
While we were talking, the elven village where I live came into view.
First of all, I have to explain about him...
"Phew."
I let out a small breath and sit on the bed.
The place has changed and I'm in a spare room in Etienne's house.
The room is well furnished with wooden furniture and has been well cleaned.
I was a little worried that the room would be dirty, but it seems my fears were unfounded.
At the dinner table, Etienne changed from his previous attitude and wanted to hear all about my trip.
I thought it was a bit excessive, but it wasn't until a little while later that I realised that it was also a way of appealing to the people around me.
I feel that the hard attitude of the people around me has softened a little.
The meal was a healthy dish made mainly from wild plants and nuts, but it was well flavoured and delicious.
After the meal, I settled down in the room I had been assigned.
Incidentally, Savage is snoring soundly as he sleeps outside, under the watchful eye of the guards.
Now that we're settled, let's think about what we're going to do.
What are we going to do after this?
From what I've heard, the elves are completely innocent.
It's too suspicious.
But still, Grigori instead of Gnosis?
From what I've heard, I can only think they're the same kind, but it seems like they're interfering more directly than the Gnosis.
That's why I'm worried.
As long as the mountain range has been dropped, the elves will certainly notice the change.
It's subtle whether they'll notice me, but if I approach them badly, they're likely to spot me.
...I mean, there are so many people who are too perceptive these days that I hesitate to step in unintentionally.
The safest thing to do is to just pull out.
It is necessary to appease the abdullah rather than the goblin, but at worst it can be manipulated.
Pull back from the forest and fortify our defences.
The elves are only a hypothetical enemy, so just expand our forces and be prepared.
If they attack, we will have the advantage if we intercept them in the mountain range, where we have the advantage of the terrain.
However, there is one thing that concerns me.
It's what the Grigori and other people want to do.
They are being attacked by goblins, yet they are on the defensive and not attacking themselves.
If what we've heard so far is true, it shouldn't be hard to turn the goblins against them if you want to.
Could it be that they won't do anything unless you touch them?
If that's the case, we don't have to stop Abdullah, we just have to let them do it on their own.
I don't think they can win, but if they don't harm us, we can just let them do their thing and take a high view of them.
... then I'm not sure.
Do we go or do we back down?
If we go, we run the risk of being spotted by them, but at least we know who they are.
If we pull out, we'll have to stay in Shudras for a while and see what happens.
Both options are tenuous.
The former would be stepping into dangerous territory and the latter would leave you stranded for a while.
As for me, I'm leaning towards the former option.
The reason is simple.
Sooner or later they're going to get annoyed with me, even if I don't do anything about it.
If I'm going to get involved either way, it's easier to deal with them if I go from here.
I didn't need to worry about it.
Let's go.
I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes.
I can't sleep, but I feel calm.
For the time being, I should at least report the progress to Fatima before I rest.
It's a hassle, but if I don't do it, it could be even more of a hassle, so I'll do it.
I contacted Fatima, feeling somewhat fed up inside.
"Are you leaving already?"
"Yes. I need to get on with it."
Next day.
On the outskirts of the settlement.
I'm astride Savage and seeing me off are Etienne and Inez.
"The area northeast of here is elven territory. They reject anyone from outside. I advise you to stay away from them."
"I'll take your advice."
I won't say I won't go.
I gave them some gold coins for their help.
Etienne is subtle about it, while Inès accepts it with a glint on her face for some reason.
I left the Dark Elf settlement, tilting my head at the difference in reactions.
A short distance away, I send Savage northeastwards.
Well, let's see what we can find.
Oops, before that, .......
I manipulate my body and stretch my ears appropriately.
This will make me look more elf-like.
It's not so easy to fool around with it, but it's better than not doing it.
I don't know what's going to come out of this, but it's going to be what it's going to be.
I drive the Savage while trying to take it easy.
For a while, the scenery continued to be unremarkable, but after half a day or so, the atmosphere around me changed.
The sensation of passing through something like a wall and the feeling of something approaching.
Have we entered elven territory, I could find them if I wanted to, but I'd like to see what's going on a little bit later.
I use magic to make my presence and appearance disappear.
Now let's see where the nearest settlement is.
I instructed Savage to move with as little noise as possible and headed onwards.
The forest is peaceful today.
It's hard to believe that goblins are attacking from the mountains to the south of the forest.
Thinking about this, I - Brosdan the High Elf - pick up medicinal herbs and throw them into the basket on my back.
If I collect a lot of medicinal herbs, I can exchange them for good foodstuffs, but today I'm putting in a lot of effort.
The reason for this is that the shop that deals in food has unusually good meat in it.
Basically, the elves' diet consists of wild plants and nuts, and I have been eating them since I was born, so I didn't mind, but the taste of meat I had a few years ago was a bit of a shock.
For us elves, who don't get out of our own territory very often, the meat of the monsters that come in from the outside is precious.
It is not impossible to go outside, but it is forbidden except for those who have permission, and those who break it are punished severely.
The only area of movement allowed is within the wards set up by the Chief Seer Druid and his men.
The details are still unknown, but it seems that all the rules here were set by a great being who gave us elves knowledge and raised us to a higher level of existence.
We don't know who he is... or rather, we're not allowed to know yet.
I heard that my parents know, but is it too early for a child like me?
With this in mind, I pick the medicinal herbs and throw them into the basket.
I check the basket on my back and it is almost half full.
Is this enough for today?
While I was thinking about this, a nearby patch of grass shook noisily.
"?"
I look in that direction, wondering.
Was someone else coming?
The sound gradually drew closer, revealing its true identity.
"Hello."
It was an elf who came out.
But he doesn't look familiar, does he?
Not from around here?
"Hello."
I take a good look at the man as I return his greeting.
He is quite large for an elf.
His clothes are also unusual.
He is dressed in unfamiliar black clothes that seem to cover his entire body, and for some reason he has a basket hand on his right hand only.
On his back is a ...... what is it? A hammer? Is it a hammer or something else? He was carrying what looked like a large weapon.
On his waist he has a number of small pockets, and on his shoulder he has a large bag hooked to it.
He is dressed as if he is travelling rather than ......, which is not something you see around here.
"That's an unusual outfit. Where are you from?"
The man looked troubled.
"I am a traveller. If you ask me where I'm from... the south?"
"South!? Could it be from over the mountains!?"
Beyond the mountains!?
Did this person come from over there?
Great! I heard that there are goblins living in the mountains, but maybe it's over there!?
The man looks somewhat puzzled by my reaction and gives a small nod.
"Ah, ah, I came over the Tierdras. It was in the goblins' sphere of influence, so it was a struggle, though."
"Great! I've never been over there, so I'm interested! Would you be willing to talk to me about it!?"
I had a lot on my mind, but my interest went over the mountain and my questions were blown out of my mind.
"That's fine, but first I want to ask you a few questions. As I said before, I'm on the road. I'm looking for a place to stay. Do you have any idea where that might be?"
"Then you should come to my house!"
My parents aren't usually at home, so I'll have him come to my house.
The man tilts his head at my words.
"Do you mind? I found some anti-intruder tricks on the way here. Outsiders are not welcome here, are they?"
"Tricks? You mean warding, perhaps?"
It is laid at the boundary of the area, and if an intruder appears, one of the 'Uates the Diviner' in the village will be aware of it.
It has recently been reinforced in response to the goblin invasion, and traps have been added to attack anyone who comes near it.
...Huh?
Then how did this person get here?
If he came from the south, he must have come from the west or east, where no traps are set.
I pictured the topography of this area in my mind.
This is on the western side of the territory, quite close to the outside.
...Which means he bypassed the trap and entered from the west.
The west side? Huh? I'm pretty sure the west side is the nest of the Goribelingei...
"Um... um..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Roe. And you are?"
"I am Brosdan. I may look like this, but I'm a High Elf!"
"High Elves. I've heard rumours, but you really are High Elves."
"Are there no elves beyond the mountains?"
"There are few elves, but there are elves. But I've never seen High Elves."
"That's true. The High Elves are the new elves who have been blessed."
Right. High Elves are the higher elves who have been blessed by the Great Ones.
There is no reason for them to be outside where the light of the Blessing cannot reach them.
"Is that so ......"
The man...Roe-san has a strange look on his face.
Seeing his reaction, I thought ah... he's from outside after all.
Anyway, first of all, let me show him my house.
"There's no need to stand around talking, why don't you come to my house?"
If he came through the wards, the people around him will be on alert, and I have to talk to an adult about what's going on...
"If you don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could show me around."
"Well, let's go. I need to report on you first, if that's all right?"
"Oh, no problem. I have nothing to hide and would rather you report me."
Good...
I thought he might be offended by my blatant suspicion, but Mr. Roe gladly agreed.
The conversation was settled, so I took him with me to the village.
On the way, I talked to him about various things.
He is not a man of many words, but he answers what I ask him, so it's fun talking to him.
I liked the fact that he didn't treat me like a child.
Our conversation is about the other side of the mountains.
Human lands, towns and the monsters that inhabit them.
They are all new and interesting to me.
While we were talking, the elven village where I live came into view.
First of all, I have to explain about him...
