The Words He Spoke with a Straight Face
Yujun said it with a perfectly straight face.
For no long moment, silence hung in the air.
"……A World Tree Seed?"
"What is this human talking about?"
"He isn't joking, is he?"
The elves began to murmur among themselves. It was obviously a lie, and yet they could not shake the thought that it might not be. To elves, a World Tree Seed was that precious—that priceless a treasure. No. Treasure did not even cover it. It was something that could not be bought with money.
If the seed germinated and grew safely into a World Tree, the tree's mere existence would evolve an elf's abilities and spur them to grow. It would also solve the chronic affliction of elves who struggled to bear children. A World Tree was a symbol as well, one that could grant peace of mind. There was simply no putting into words how valuable such a seed was to them.
Among the elves of the Hwaripul tribe, the oldest woman, Yodri, took a single step forward.
"What you just said. Is it true?"
"Of course."
Yujun answered with a blank face, both hands still raised high overhead.
"And how are we supposed to believe that?"
"I'll show you myself."
"……."
The elves watched him, only half convinced. By looks alone he was an unremarkable human. They sensed no overwhelming power in him, and he was not a player famous enough for them to know his name. And yet he claimed to have brought a World Tree Seed—the very seed that not only elves, but countless races living in the Tower of Infinity, longed for without end. Honestly, it was hard to believe.
"How do you intend to show us? Do you have the seed on you right now?"
"Yes. It's in my inventory. If it had been anywhere else, I wouldn't even have brought it up."
"……Hmm."
Yujun held his confident posture, and little by little the elves began to wonder whether this human might truly have a World Tree Seed after all.
"Can we confirm it right now?"
"Yes. In return, what I want is simple. Let's talk this out peacefully."
"That isn't difficult. We love peace."
Yujun swallowed the laugh that nearly escaped at Yodri's shameless words. Elves loved peace? On the surface, that was the image they projected. But it was only an image they had carefully cultivated since ages past.
Still, they're a great deal better than humans, I suppose.
In any case, elves were a race that weighed loss and gain down to the last detail. They were not simply a kind people.
Which makes this even better.
If he negotiated with a World Tree Seed in hand, they were not about to attack him out of nowhere.
"I'm going to take out the World Tree Seed. Don't shoot."
At his words, Yodri nodded.
His inventory opened, and a single item slipped free of it—a seed the size of a child's fist. Large for a seed, and yet, considering it would grow into a tree as tall as a high-rise, it could hardly be called large at all. Yujun set it on his palm and slowly showed it to the elves.
Sharp-eyed as elves were, they recognized it at a glance.
"A World Tree Seed……!"
"Is it real?"
"The scent seems similar, doesn't it?"
But their expressions changed almost at once.
"Wait. There's no guarantee that's the real thing."
"It might only look the part."
"How many of our kin have been burned for trusting a human?"
Even laid out before their eyes, a World Tree Seed was rare enough that the elves could not bring themselves to believe it.
Yodri approached with care. Ten paces from Yujun, she closed her eyes.
"I can feel the energy of the World Tree…… It really is a World Tree Seed!"
At Yodri's words, her face alight with joy, the elves fell into a collective panic.
"I-it was real?"
"Lady Yodri would never lie."
"Does this mean we can enshrine a World Tree of our own?"
Yujun returned the World Tree Seed to his inventory.
"Ah……."
"That……."
The elves let out sighs, as if it physically hurt to watch it go.
"There. I've proven what I said. Now, may we talk?"
"Yes. Of course."
Yodri nodded, then spoke again.
"There's one thing I'd like to ask."
"Ask away."
"Did you bring the World Tree Seed in order to trade with us?"
"Mm…… You could say that."
"That's a problem. We don't have anything in our possession equal in value to a World Tree Seed."
"The values don't have to match exactly. If there's something that catches my eye, I'm willing to trade even if it's worth somewhat less."
At that, Yodri's face broke into a bright smile.
"Truly?"
"First, put those bows away."
"All right."
Yodri glanced back at the elves behind her and gave a slight shake of her head. Without a word, they lowered their weapons.
For having shown them the seed only once, they trusted Yujun far too readily. It was only natural. Elves could recognize a World Tree Seed by nature. The others had been too far away to be certain, but Yodri had seen it from relatively close, and so she did not doubt him.
"What is it you want?"
"I'll start with what I want right now."
"Yes. Tell us."
"I want to enter the mine."
"……."
"……."
"You mean that mine?"
"Yes."
"……."
Yodri, who had looked ready to grant him anything, went stiff.
Named the Shitomen Mine for the Shitomen ore it yielded, the place was extremely important to the elves. There was the ongoing tension with the dark elves, for one, and Shitomen ore itself was remarkably versatile. Asking them to let a complete stranger into the mine that held it was bound to earn a lukewarm response.
"What business do you have in the mine?"
"There's something I'm looking for."
"You aren't trying to mine the ore, are you? If that's all, we can give you a few pieces."
"No. I have no interest in the ore."
"What? Then……."
From eavesdropping earlier, Yujun had learned how sensitive the elves were about Shitomen ore. Saying outright that a hidden dungeon lay inside the mine felt unwise, so he decided to invent another reason.
"My master left something for me inside that mine."
"Left something?"
"A book. It holds my master's last wishes, and writings meant to pass his techniques on to me."
"Ah…… And that book is in the Shitomen Mine?"
"Yes. This place used to be an uninhabited cave. The mine sits so far out of the way…… My master must have thought it a fitting place to leave his will."
"Yes, that's true. At first, even we didn't think Shitomen ore would be of any use. So you've known about this mine for some time."
Yodri swallowed his hastily spun story without a hitch.
From the look of it, they haven't been at this mine for long.
If so, there was a good chance the hidden dungeon had not been cleared yet. Hope stirred, and a smile touched Yujun's lips.
"To me, the book my master left behind is more precious than anything. If you let me into this mine, I'll give you the World Tree Seed."
"Y-you're serious?"
Yodri, who had been studying him with cautious eyes, brightened.
"Of course. In return, I'm moving alone, so I'd like my safety guaranteed. Which is to say…… I'll hand over the World Tree Seed once I've come out of the mine unharmed. That condition should be acceptable, shouldn't it?"
"Fine. We promise not to harm you, so long as you don't suddenly turn on us."
"Good."
"Ah. May I know your name?"
"Please call me Yujun."
"Ah. Yujun. I'm Yodri."
With Yodri's permission, Yujun was able to step into the mine at once. Three elves followed behind him, a precaution in case he tried to run, and he had no complaint about that.
If it comes to it, I can deal with them and get out.
Having seen their equipment, Yujun judged he would not lose to at least those three. Their levels did not look particularly high, either. Yodri and the other elves had probably rated him as nothing special. Elves with keen insight could guess a player's level without much difficulty.
Looking at level alone, I really am low-level.
For him, that was fortunate.
The inside of the mine was vast and maze-like, but Yujun remembered the way to the hidden dungeon.
Squelch. Squelch.
The cave was thick with moisture. With every step, sticky slime clung to the floor beneath his feet.
"Hey. How did you end up with a World Tree Seed?"
The short-haired elf walking behind him, Mei, spoke up out of nowhere. Yujun gave the answer he had prepared in advance.
"My master gave it to me as a gift."
"What? You received a World Tree Seed as a gift? What in the world does that person do?"
"He isn't someone who made a great name for himself. He disliked standing out. Even so, he must have loved adventure, because he wandered all over the place. I happened to receive his kindness along the way."
"Weren't you a player from another world?"
"I am. But I met my master about a year ago."
"Ah. I see."
The elves did not seem to suspect him. He had piled the lies on with such brazen confidence. Perhaps it was because eating the vitality-rich quince had sharply raised his nature affinity. Curiosity plain on their faces, the elves kept asking questions.
"What do humans think of the Alliance of Other Races?"
"I don't speak for all of humanity…… If I give you only my own thoughts, it's something like, oh, so a group that huge exists."
"And the part about humans liking elves? Is that true?"
"That part is. There's no human who dislikes beautiful things."
At his words, the three female elves burst into bright laughter.
"Then between dark elves and elves, which race do you find more appealing?"
Mei asked a difficult question.
She's fishing for the answer she already wants…….
He was not sure the comparison fit, but it felt like facing a relentless reporter who kept firing off do you know so-and-so.
Hmm…….
With no dark elves present, the answer was already decided.
"Do I even need to say it? Elves, obviously."
"I knew it."
"Yes."
"I think I like you, Yujun. You seem a little different from other humans. The elders told us humans are so greedy they mean to turn every other race into slaves."
"I'm sure people like that aren't entirely nonexistent. No—there are probably a lot of them."
In truth, the Alliance of Other Races opposed slavery so strongly that players did not buy and sell slaves out in the open. Yujun knew, though, that the trade still happened in the shadows—and that beautiful elves and dark elves, in particular, fetched a high price. There was no need to bring that up.
That was when it happened.
Whoosh! Thunk!
A small dagger skimmed past Yujun's armor and buried itself in the cave wall. He had only grazed it because he dodged. The blade had been aimed at his shoulder.
Yujun let out a heavy sigh.
Now what?
The elves did not panic. They drew their bowstrings toward the direction the dagger had come from.
"Who's there!"
Mei shouted as if scolding them, and the mysterious attackers revealed themselves.
Brown-skinned figures in thin black clothing. Tall and slender, every one of them, regardless of sex. Dark elves had appeared.
Five of them.
Where had they come from all of a sudden? Dozens of elves, Yodri among them, should have been guarding the front of the mine.
"Dark elves?"
"Filthy bastards! What are you scheming!"
When the elves shouted, one of the dark elves wore a smile that was no smile at all and spoke.