Chapter 83
Chapter 83
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 83
Chapter Title: Gravel and Leaves (3)
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The Dark Elf who introduced herself as Luisa led us straight to her village.
Well, not exactly "straight." It took quite a while to get from the entrance of the Dark Forest to the village. The path was so rough it nearly made me curse. Luisa had explained, "This way is faster," but...
'I should've gone around.'
I thought as I crawled up what was more like a cliff than a hill. If I'd known, I would've taken the longer route, even if it added a full day.
Ah, I should've used [Beast Form] as a hell mountain goat at least once. Climbing a cliff would've been a breeze then. After scaling the cliff, I collapsed onto the ground and tossed the sticky vine I'd been using like gloves down below. Sticky vines were handy, but using them too long made my skin itch... I wiped the slime off my hands with some leaves and stood up. Everyone else seemed fine, except for me.
"Luisa, how much farther?"
"At your pace, about another day."
"...Then we should camp here."
"Why? It's easier to move at night."
"Because we're humans."
I waved her off like I didn't want to hear more and started a fire. We hadn't seen any edible animals on the way here, so dinner was my special energy bars and dried jerky. And a glass of sangria each, made by brewing grapes and star apples with wild strawberries in homemade wine.
"...Oh!"
Luisa seemed to love the sangria, downing it nonstop. If she kept eating like it was delicious, she'd get drunk fast...
But I didn't stop her. It would make "talking" easier once she was tipsy. I sipped my own sangria slowly, watching until she was nicely buzzed.
"Whoa, you made this yourself?"
"I told you already. That's the third time."
"A Druid with fine skills."
She's wasted. I grinned at Luisa, who was starting to laugh sloppily, and tossed her a light question.
"Luisa, what's your village like?"
"A beautiful, peaceful place. Because..."
"..."
"There are no elves!"
Hahaha! She burst into loud laughter like it was hilarious. I already knew about the animosity between Dark Elves and Elves, so it wasn't surprising.
"Nothing else going on?"
"It's beautiful and peaceful, I said. What did you hear?"
"Just curious."
The other villages were wiped out. I swallowed the addition and just looked at her.
"You arrived at a good time, Druid."
"Really? Why?"
"In the last year, our village has become amazingly..."
"..."
"Strong and prosperous."
"Ah."
The last year.
'...Matches the time the queen was asleep.'
There really are clues here.
But pushing more might make her suspicious.
I'll have to get more info once we reach the village.
I downed the rest of my sangria in one go. Luisa chugged hers excitedly too.
"It's a shame you're human, Druid. With this booze, you could settle in the village anytime."
"Haha. Can't settle, but maybe stay a while?"
"Probably."
-Gulp, gulp, gulp.
Good thing she likes the booze. If this wins over the other Dark Elves...
'Soon as we arrive, I should brew like crazy...'
Apple cider, wine, cherry wine, wild strawberry wine... Make big batches from local fruits, charm all the Dark Elves, and getting info on "Grizel" would be easy. Lost in random thoughts, I fell asleep.
The next morning.
We followed Luisa. The deeper into the Dark Forest we went, the more monsters appeared, stronger and more frequent. But the path to the Dark Elf village was an exception. Encounters dropped way below the entrance, and even rare strong ones were dispatched instantly by Luisa—no chance to tire.
The more I watched Luisa, the less it made sense.
How could a village of such strong Dark Elves have six others wiped out?
'And she seems clueless about it...'
Either truly isolated inside the Dark Forest, knowing nothing.
Or...
The culprit who wiped out the other Dark Elf villages.
'But Dark Elves have strong bonds among themselves. Would they kill their own?'
Easy to guess. As a discriminated minority in Lyset, they'd have to stick together.
'Ah, so confusing...'
Before I could sort my thoughts, we reached the seventh village.
* * *
The seventh Dark Elf village had tall fences. Probably against monster raids. They enclosed a wide area, with watchposts at intervals manned by sentries.
'They take village defense seriously.'
At the gate, Luisa shouted to the guarding Dark Elves.
"It's Luisa!"
"Luisa, who's with you?"
"Humans. I vouch for them."
Luisa must have high standing; the guards opened the gate without fuss. We entered slowly.
'...First intact Dark Elf village I've seen.'
Nothing special. Except the entrance turned into a training ground where some Dark Elves trained together, it looked like the previous ruins. Ordinary, I guess.
Luisa took us straight to the chief's house in the village center. Reporting identity and purpose was standard.
"..."
I was surprised for a different reason.
'Looks younger than me?'
The village chief appeared much younger than me. Elf looks differ from humans, but kids look similar.
The chief seemed seventeen or eighteen. A kid as chief? Asking age would be rude and provocative, so I held my curiosity.
"Chief, these are my guests."
"Thanks for seeing us. I'm the Druid, Theodor. This is my companion Lloyd, El, and Ayla."
"Came to the Dark Forest to get stronger, huh."
"Yes. We entered for training. Good environment for my shadow wolf Ayla too."
The chief listened silently. Worried we'd be kicked out, I studied his face. Gray skin, purple eyes, silver hair like Luisa's braided long, expression... none. Stone-faced. No clue what he thought.
After our intros, he stayed silent long. Just as I feared expulsion, he spoke.
"Guide them to an empty house, Luisa."
That was it. No more words or questions; he dismissed us with a gesture.
We followed Luisa to an empty house slightly off the village center. On the way, I probed her lightly.
"Luisa, is the chief always so quiet?"
"Not quiet—just sparing. Avoids unnecessary words."
"I see."
"You'd be shocked hearing him speak publicly."
"Publicly?"
"Yeah, speeches. Too bad this month's ended the night before last."
Eloquent unlike his youthful looks?
'I need to talk to him...'
To find queen clues in the Dream Maze, I must speak to the chief of the last Dark Elf village.
"Luisa, when did the chief change...?"
"A year ago."
"A year ago..."
Chief changed a year ago too?
"The village developed amazingly."
Luisa said proudly.
"What was it like before?"
"Fought monsters daily. Constant struggle to survive. But now, thanks to the chief, everything's changed."
She truly seemed proud of the village and chief. Not scripted or forced.
"..."
Why the unease?
We unpacked at the empty house Luisa showed us.
"Should scout around before sunset."
"Alone's dangerous, Theodor."
"With Ayla. Gathering nearby fruits. Stay with El. Back before dark."
I scouted village surroundings with Ayla. Not venturing far—staying in sight of sentries.
"Lots of wild strawberries."
Luckily, wild fruits abounded: strawberries, cherries, peaches. I gathered some. Planned to brew praised "booze" to chat up the chief.
He seemed tough, but Elves love alcohol. Especially fruit wines. Hope this chief does too.
I portioned fruits into brewing bottles. Normal fermentation takes time, but not for me. Why? Druid.
[Breath of the Forest] was incredibly versatile.
It grows plants, but beyond a point, can "rot" them.
Fermentation for booze is a type of "rot." I used [Breath of the Forest] to control it, making faster, tastier booze.
Fine-tuned ferments had unique flavors anyone would crave.
'Without the Origin God quest, might've opened a tavern somewhere.'
Just a "what if."
I sealed the finished bottles and stood to return.
-Tadadak!
That's when I heard the odd sound.