The Elven Forest
That night, after Kir's visit,
I relayed everything she had said to Edwin.
Edwin, who already knew everything from our first encounter to the shortcut information Kir had provided in the Horon Kingdom, chose to trust her words. He immediately dispatched Lucia and me to the Fiore Empire.
Under normal circumstances, the relationship between the two nations was so strained that they would sooner launch a covert backstab than offer aid. However, since my recent contract with the Arzen Kingdom, the Empire had been providing economic, military, and political support, which likely influenced Edwin's decision.
Besides, it was a good opportunity to meet Irene, whom I had chosen as the new member of the Hero's party...
The road from the capital of the Arzen Kingdom to the Fiore Empire usually bypassed the long, sprawling mountain range. However, that detour would add two or three days to the journey, so we decided to take the carriage straight through the mountains.
As the carriage entered the mountain pass, the air filled with the coachman's shouts, the clatter of wooden wheels striking rocks, and the groaning creak of the carriage frame. Fortunately, the road didn't seem too narrow, likely because other carriages frequented it.
"Lucia, are you alright? Are you feeling carsick?"
Ever since we entered the mountain path, the gentle smile that usually graced Lucia's face had slowly stiffened. She frowned every time she saw a signpost indicating a nearby village, looking increasingly unwell.
"N-no, I'm fine..."
"You don't look fine at all. You look pale. Are you sick?"
"No... I'm really okay..."
Anyone could see she was lying, yet Lucia forced a strained smile, insisting she was fine.
"Um... Sir Carlos..."
"Yes?"
"Would it be possible... to take the detour now?"
"Why? We're almost at the elven forest."
At the mention of the elven forest, Lucia looked out the window with an anxious expression. Sensing that something was seriously wrong, I decided to call the coachman and turn the carriage back.
"Roman."
"Yes, Sir Hero?"
When I called out to the coachman, Roman slid open the small window connecting the cabin to the driver's seat and answered.
"Can we turn the carriage around? Let's not go through the elven forest."
"Wait, why? We're practically there."
"Something came up."
"Hmm... The road is too narrow to turn around here. We'll have to go at least to the entrance of the forest."
At Roman's words, I turned back to Lucia. Hearing that we had to reach the forest entrance, she looked even more anxious.
We traveled a bit further.
"Whew... Um, Sir Carlos?"
"Yes?"
"I don't think... we can turn back now."
"What do you mean?"
Prompted by Roman's warning, I looked out the window. Dozens of elves stood at the entrance of the forest, as if waiting for someone.
Before we could even think of turning around, the carriage came to a halt, and the elves swarmed to surround it.
"I'm fine, Sir Carlos. We can... just pass through."
Despite her words, Lucia's face told a completely different story.
"Welcome, Sir Hero. I am Marwin, the chief of this forest. It is an honor to meet you!"
A man stepped forward, introducing himself as the village chief and offering a handshake. Normally, one would expect a village chief to be a hunched elder leaning on a cane, but because elves possessed such long lifespans, he looked young—about my age.
"We heard you would be passing through our forest, so we came out to wait for you."
"Ah... Yes. Hello."
"From here on, we will drive the carriage. Even during the day, the forest gets very dark, and carriages often get into accidents."
The moment the chief finished speaking, another elf standing behind him climbed up next to Roman and took the reins. The chief joined me inside the carriage as we prepared to travel deeper into the forest.
"Ah... and that person is..."
Once inside, the chief stared intently at Lucia, who sat there looking increasingly uneasy.
"Ah, this is Lucia. She's a member of my party."
I introduced her on her behalf, but for some reason, neither of their expressions looked good.
An awkward silence settled over the carriage.
"Hmm... the forest is darker than I expected."
Trying to break the ice, I looked out the window and made a casual remark. The chief seized the opportunity and immediately began to speak.
"Yes. Though it may not look like much, this is a very ancient forest with dense foliage. It is a popular retreat even for Her Majesty the Queen."
"Ah... I see."
"To preserve the forest, we forbid the use of lanterns due to the risk of wildfires. Instead, we guide the carriages through ourselves."
The chief's boasting about the forest continued endlessly until we reached the village. Throughout the entire ride, Lucia didn't utter a single word, staring silently out into the dark woods.
"Oh! Look, the villagers are waiting for you."
The chief pointed out the window toward a gathering of elves. Adults and children alike stood there, staring intently at our carriage.
When the carriage stopped, the door opened. The chief stepped down first, followed by me. The elves welcomed me with cheers, handing me bouquets of flowers, while the younger elves reached out, eager to touch my hand just once.
As they began to guide me toward the village hall amidst the warm reception, I noticed Lucia hesitating inside the carriage, refusing to step out.
"Lucia, what are you doing? Aren't you coming out?"
"Huh? Oh... yes..."
Spurred by my call, Lucia finally stood up and slowly stepped down from the carriage. Instantly, the noisy crowd fell dead silent.
Whispers broke out.
"Is that a half-elf?"
"What is a half-breed doing in our village?"
The villagers murmured among themselves. Feeling their cold stares, Lucia froze in place, her face pale with fear.
"Ah... haha... Hahaha... Lady Lucia, please come this way. A banquet has been prepared inside."
Sensing that I was beginning to notice the villagers' hostility and Lucia's distress, the chief quickly approached her with a forced laugh and guided us toward the village hall.
Inside the hall, the banquet felt more like a grand village festival. Food was piled high, including rare fruits seldom seen in the human world.
"Lucia, I'm sorry."
"Pardon?"
"If the relationship between elves and half-elves was this tense, you should have told me."
I could easily piece it together from Lucia's behavior before we entered the forest, and the reaction of the chief and the villagers afterward.
Even now, the villagers were whispering to one another while staring at Lucia, and the chief watched us with a look of clear disapproval.
"No, Sir Carlos. I'm really fine."
Seeing the guilt on my face, Lucia offered a bright, reassuring smile, trying to put me at ease.
"Sir Hero, is the food not to your liking? We did our best to prepare dishes suited to your palate..."
"No, it's delicious."
When I ignored the food to keep talking to Lucia, the chief eventually walked over, pushed the plate in front of Lucia toward me, and urged me to eat.
"You don't need to go this far. I can feed myself."
"Ah... yes... I understand."
I pushed the plate back to Lucia's side, my voice dropping to a cold, low register. The chief broke into a cold sweat and retreated to his seat.
I hoped that would be the end of it, but...
A group of elves, carrying bows on their shoulders and swords at their waists, entered the banquet hall and bowed in my direction.
"Sir Hero, these are the pride of our village. They are elite warriors, unmatched in archery, swordsmanship, and spirit arts."
"Ah... I see."
Even to my eyes, their posture marked them as formidable fighters. But what irritated me wasn't the warriors—it was the chief speaking in front of me.
"In our village, we only select purebloods to be warriors, never mongrels. It is a tradition passed down because purebloods are vastly superior in combat and magical abilities."
"..."
"After all, how can one call themselves an elf if they cannot even handle a bow? Hahaha. Though, I suppose even passing goblins can shoot arrows these days."
"..."
The chief's mouth was directed at me, but his eyes sneered down at Lucia, scanning her up and down.
"I heard that as the Hero, you have the authority to change your party members... Perhaps it would be better to travel with our pure-blooded elves rather than a mongrel like her. It would certainly do more credit to your reputation..."
"...Watch your mouth."
"O-oh! If you are looking for a bed warmer, a pureblood would also be far better than a mongrel—"
"...What a fucking lunatic."
The sudden curse that slipped from my mouth plunged the noisy banquet hall into instant, suffocating silence. The chief and several other elves stared at me, their mouths agape, completely frozen.
"Let's go, Lucia."
I had no desire to stay in this place a second longer. I stood up and reached my hand out to Lucia. She glanced around the room, then quietly took my hand and stood up.
"Lucia is stronger than anyone in this room, and she is an indispensable member of my party."
Leading Lucia out, I stopped at the exit, turned back, and raised my voice so every elf in the hall could hear.
"If anyone insults Lucia in front of me again, I will consider it an insult to the Hero's party itself, and I will take appropriate action."
The chief made a move to stand, perhaps to smooth things over, but as my final words echoed, he must have felt the cold, suffocating bloodlust radiating from my body. He sank back into his seat and hung his head in silence.