Chapter 201: Elf
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 201: Elf
I had a general idea of what the elven race was like. Of course, this wasn't based on actual knowledge. There were no such things as elves on this continent. What I knew came entirely from various media. They were a race that loved nature and worshipped the World Tree, beings who didn't eat meat, commanded spirits, and wielded bows.
To see an elf—arrogant, proud, and sometimes victims of orcish cruelty—standing right before my eyes was a strange feeling. First, I turned to Gark and spoke.
“Take all the humans to the settlement.”
“For Blood Dagger.”
Gark might struggle with complex commands, but he was perfect at handling simple tasks like this. I knew I didn't have to worry about the humans escaping or trying anything clever.
I quickened my pace, recalling what the elf woman had just said to me. The elves and humans we’d captured were purely my spoils of war, so Goff and Black Spear had delegated full authority to me. Thanks to them, I was now stuck with this troublesome dilemma all by myself.
When I glanced over at Black Spear and Goff, I saw them avoiding my gaze. I’d heard they were preparing for a big hunt, so it seemed they had no time to focus on other matters. I let out a sigh before slowly turning to the elf woman to speak.
The elf, who had been walking beside me as quiet as a corpse, looked incredibly relieved when I finally addressed her. It had been quite a while since I’d last spoken.
- An alliance proposal?
“Yes. That is correct.”
- What kind of alliance are you talking about?
“I… I mean it literally. Our Eveluse Kingdom sincerely wishes to form a peaceful relationship with your… your kingdom.”
Her words, spoken while she looked like a beggar who had just escaped death, held no persuasive power whatsoever.
I was doubtful that a place called the Eveluse Kingdom even existed, and even if it did, I wondered if it was a nation worthy of an alliance. The very concept of an alliance only works when both parties are on equal footing.
Until I heard the details, it was only natural to assume it was all bullshit.
- I will think about it after I’ve heard your story.
I could have used a more forceful approach, but I decided to listen to her nicely for now.
“Ye… Yes.”
“Our Eveluse Kingdom is located in the far west of the continent… I was dispatched to form an alliance with your… your kingdom, and passed through the Forest of Mist to arrive… here.”
“I’ll hear about the Eveluse Kingdom later. Your story comes first.”
I said it calmly, but inwardly, I was a little confused.
‘The Forest of Mist.’
It seemed there was a region called the Forest of Mist beyond the end of the Eastern Forest. The Eveluse Kingdom was likely located there. She hadn't ended up here by accident; she had intentionally crossed the Forest of Mist.
‘It’s connected.’
Unless there was some kind of dimensional gate in between, the lands had to be connected.
‘Come to think of it…’
I also had a feeling that the mist had grown thinner compared to before. It was enough to make me consider a connection to the Beast of the East. While my mind was racing, the elf woman also seemed to be deep in thought. I immediately spoke to her again.
- This is not a request.
I laced my voice with a hint of killing intent.
I felt her flinch, perhaps recalling the scene from earlier, but what I’d just said was the absolute truth. If I were to assume she had led those Japanese here, then she was also part of the problem.
“I… I understand.”
Hearing that, I nodded. Soon, the woman slowly began to speak.
“I… I don’t know if you all have always lived here, but at some point, I was summoned to this place. I had no idea why, but after being suddenly summoned, I heard the voice of our Mother. The Mother’s voice demanded various trials of us, and we… we complied. In the Mother’s trials, we met humans… the same ones who were just chasing me.”
‘The Tutorial.’
It was absurd. While Green Skins and Koreans were being summoned on this side, Japanese and elves were being summoned over there.
The "Mother's voice" sounded similar to what we called the voice of the God of the Battlefield. It made me wonder if undead and Chinese were fighting each other in the north. Considering this woman, that idea no longer seemed so far-fetched.
“As… as a princess of the kingdom, I participated in the Mother’s trials. The… the humans were strong, but we managed to survive and build a new kingdom in a new land. A human nation existed there as well. As the third princess of the kingdom, I, along with my… my sisters and the Queen, was working to…”
- What did the Mother’s voice grant you?
“Ah! Yes… Yes! Various classes and special powers. Occasionally, the Mother would also give us gifts in the form of something called points.”
It was a perfect match. Almost everything seemed to be identical. I swallowed hard. The scale of this world felt much larger than I had ever imagined. I even considered the possibility that the reason Jang Ye Ri’s whereabouts became unknown after her massacre in my past life was because she had encountered these people.
If Jang Ye Ri had committed suicide, this elf would have become food for the beasts long before reaching human lands or meeting other Green Skins.
Two possibilities came to mind, but it was all in the past. There was no need to worry about it now.
- Can your race itself change?
“N-No, it cannot. Instead, we possess something called a unique ability.”
The Japanese, the Koreans, and the elves—none of them could change their race itself like we Green Skins could. But if we were truly all dropped onto this massive continent with other races, there might be other species capable of evolving just like us.
A whirlwind of thoughts spun in my head.
The resources of this continent weren't finite. If what this elf said was true, then the Green Skins had no need to suppress their fighting spirit. The continent was vast, and there were plenty of enemies to fight.
I swallowed again. I tried to act composed, but my mind was in utter chaos, and I found myself instinctively thinking about the bigger picture. For now, I had to deal with the matter at hand.
- What kind of ability do you have?
“Ye… Yes. I am a magician.”
Only then did I notice her frail-looking physique.
- What type?
“M-Mental-based…”
- What exactly does that mean?
As I continued to show interest, she seemed to grow more eager, and she began to passionately explain her abilities. In short, this woman was a little different from Jung Hayeon. Rather than being focused on a single element, she was a more traditional magician, and it seemed she had primarily trained in mental magic.
“If… if it’s not too much trouble, may I briefly use my hand?”
- Fine. But if you try anything funny, I’ll take your head.
She was startled, but the elf woman quietly chanted a short spell and reached her hand out toward me. Soon, I began to feel a subtle sensation. My mind felt as if it had become a little clearer.
The rage that had felt like an erupting volcano slowly began to settle like a calm lake. The sudden emotional shift was so drastic that it was hard to adjust.
- Impressive.
“Thank you.”
After that, I fell silent and we continued on our way. Soon, the settlement came into view. The morning had come a bit early for the settlement due to the sudden commotion. I clutched my aching head.
It was, of course, because of Laveua.
I couldn't say I was free of parental responsibility. No, if you traced it back to the root cause, it was definitely my fault. But it was an undeniable fact that Laveua had done something wrong. She may have had her reasons, but she had left the settlement without permission and, worse, had put herself in danger.
I had to make sure this never happened again, which meant that punishment or restrictions were necessary. In human years, Laveua was an elementary schooler at most. It was natural for a child her age to make mistakes and throw tantrums.
I continued walking, my thoughts complex. As soon as I entered the gates, I saw Laveua, her eyes brimming with tears as she cried. Behind her, Baek Ahyeon, Jung Hayeon, and Mev were also waiting for my arrival. It looked like Mev had already given her a scolding. Laveua was rubbing her bottom, so she must have been spanked.
Jung Hayeon and Baek Ahyeon must have been worried as well. Jung Hayeon was Laveua’s magic teacher, and I had seen how much Baek Ahyeon doted on her.
Seeing me enter with the clan members, Laveua finally reached her hands out.
“Daddy… Daddy… hic… sob… I’m… I’m sorry. I’ll never do it again.”
She clung to me desperately. Behind her, Mev’s expression was fraught with anxiety. She looked worried about what would happen if I exploded in a fit of rage. In my previous state, I certainly would have. But strangely, my heart felt calm.
“Daddy… sob… Waaaaah, I was wrong. I was wrong… hic. I’m sorry, everyone…”
Looking at Laveua, who was crying her eyes out, I actually started to feel overwhelmingly sorry for her. Her wings were perfectly healed. I gently lifted her up and hugged her tight. I had wanted to scold her first, but completely different words came out of my mouth.
“I love you, Laveua.”
“Hic… sob… I love you too, Daddy… Waaaaah.”
No more words were necessary. Laveua clung to me and cried for a long time. By the time she finally let go a short while later, my chest was completely soaked with her tears and snot.
“Still, you did wrong. So for one month, no going out, no card games, and no snacks.”
Laveua continued to cry as she nodded her head over and over. It seemed she knew exactly what she had done wrong. I, too, knew what I had done wrong. At her age, when she was growing so fast, it was right for me to pay more attention to my family.
I looked at Laveua once more and spoke.
“And when the month is over, let’s all go on a picnic together.”
“Okay… Okay, Daddy.”
Going out was forbidden, but I decided I would spend all of tomorrow playing with Laveua inside the tent. Although I had captured elves and humans, they were my second priority. I sent Mev and Laveua back to the tent and turned to my clan members.
“Jung Hayeon, Baek Ahyeon.”
“Ye… Yes, Taesung.”
“Take this woman to a guest tent. Do not let your guard down. She can use mental magic, so position archers far from the tent and have Orc swordsmen with particularly strong mental resistance watch her in shifts.”
I figured these precautions were necessary, as it would be a problem if anything happened. Baek Ahyeon replied as if she understood, and I nodded in return.
“As you wish, my Savior.”
“Gark.”
The warrior spoke quietly.
“For Blood Dagger.”
“Lock all the humans in the underground prison’s interrogation room. And…”
I paused for a moment. I was the only one here who could speak their language, thanks to my Translation Bracelet. Interrogating them was essential to confirm the truth of what the elf had told me.
Thinking that there might be a Korean who could speak Japanese, I spoke again.
“Is there anyone among the humans who can speak with these people?”
I asked the blacksmiths and the production workers, but it seemed none of them could speak Japanese.
It was then.
A very familiar face pushed through the production workers and slowly emerged. It was none other than Lee Wanyong. His face was greasy, as if life had been good to him lately, and for some reason, the sight of it soured my mood. Sensing that I wasn't in a good mood, he spoke with extreme caution.
“I… I can. I… I used to live in Ja… Japan for a little while…”
After hearing his words, my mouth hung open for a moment.
‘What a useful son of a bitch.’
Lee Wanyong had once again proven his worth.