Arrows from the Darkness
A few hours after arriving at the sunflower farm beneath the lantern lights. The forest rangers had scoured every inch of the place, but in the end, they found not a single clue related to black magic.
"…That's enough."
"Yes, ma'am."
Searching any further would just be a waste of time. Gazing at the setting sun, Saria let out a small sigh and signaled the end of the operation to her rangers.
"—These damn rat bastards never end, no matter how many we catch. How many of them snuck in, anyway?"
"We've gotta come back tomorrow anyway, so just patch up the barrier holes for now."
"Grrr… Yelp! Yelp!"
"Over here! Someone help move these wolves!"
The rangers, abandoning their clue hunt, roughly tidied up the wrecked farm and prepared to head back to the village. Watching her subordinates, Saria was approached by one of the rangers.
"What will you do about the Elder Council?"
That previous night, when the council had summoned and detained every single ranger, it was suspicious no matter how she sliced it. But still.
"…We'll report it."
They had pushed back hard against the council and launched this operation, but in the end, the rangers had found nothing. It would be hard to keep pressing the council on their shady actions without any evidence.
Saria's long ears drooped slightly. Until now, she'd delayed the report as much as possible with vague excuses like "it's not certain."
Deep down, she wanted to keep her mouth shut until the enemy's identity was crystal clear.
'But hiding it any longer would be impossible.'
That was her limit.
An issue that might even involve a black mage. If she kept it under wraps to the end, the rangers themselves could end up suspected of colluding with the black mage.
Clicking her tongue briefly, Saria pulled a communication orb from her pouch.
"коммуникация."
"Communication"
Murmuring the incantation softly, she activated the magic.
『Is that you, Saria?』
"…Yes."
Soon, the voice of an elderly elf flowed from the orb.
.
….
….
Saria reported everything as objectively as possible, stripping away personal feelings. She detailed exactly what she and the rangers had seen in the forest.
No evidence linking the kingdom's royals was found on the intruders' corpses. The intruder they'd missed the day before had indeed entered the sunflower farm, but capture had failed.
"Also, the human princess—"
『Saria.』
"…The trespasser was likely accompanied by a familiar."
『I see.』
It seemed the council intended to bury the fact that this intruder was the kingdom's princess, cutting off Saria's attempt to name her as such.
'Intruders were a greedy merchant caravan… The princess wandered the Great Forest without a single escort and went missing, huh…'
Saria suddenly recalled that the kingdom's crown prince had vanished under similar circumstances last year. But.
'…Whatever, it's got nothing to do with us.'
Human affairs were human problems. Saria's interest in this incident ended there.
Petty power struggles and schemes among scheming humans held zero appeal for her.
….
….
.
Finishing her report, Saria handed the orb to one of the rangers lined up before her as she prepared to return.
"Head back first."
"Aren't you coming with us?"
"Just gonna get some air."
The rangers exchanged glances at Saria's words.
They'd served alongside her for over a decade. That stubborn elf wasn't the type to just "get some air."
"If you're gonna investigate more, we'll—"
"It's not that. Everyone worked hard today—go back and rest."
Brushing off their concern with a wave, Saria headed into the forest alone.
* * *
There wasn't any particular reason for heading to the clearing where the intruders had met their end.
They were scum who dared invade the elves' sanctuary—deserving death. Saria had no interest in mourning them or coveting their filthy loot.
The missed human princess. Clues to black magic. The Elder Council's schemes.
A stifling frustration from failing to uncover any of it.
Before returning to the village, it was just a light impulse to check the scene one last time.
She wasn't expecting anything.
And yet.
That decision of Saria's.
.
.
"Όλα τελείωσαν, ΝτιΑΝαΝιμ."
Proved to be utterly perfect.
"…?!"
A blonde girl wandering the clearing. A familiar emitting green light hovering nearby.
The human princess they'd hunted all day was rummaging through the corpses in a wretched state. Spotting her, Saria instantly suppressed her presence.
About 100 meters away. With darkness thick all around and the target so small, even elven eyes struggled to make out the familiar's shape.
'…A spirit?'
Will-o'-wisp, jack-o'-lantern, or salamander-line fire spirit. Several possibilities flashed through Saria's mind.
'Whatever it is, if it's a spirit, no need to worry much.'
Judging by the flying familiar's size, it wasn't a high spirit. Saria could handle it alone.
Swoosh—
It was a bit surprising that the princess had a spirit familiar. Humans with affinity high enough to contract spirits were exceedingly rare.
But talent wasn't a free pass.
'Maybe even that talent came from a pact with a demon.'
Observing the princess with cold eyes, Saria quietly nocked an arrow.
'First, make sure she can't run—'
"искание, быстрота."
"Distortion, Swiftness"
Twang. Fweee—
The magic-infused arrow sliced through the air. From the darkness 100 meters away.
A mere child like the human princess couldn't possibly dodge her arrow. She'd prepared to counter any spirit interference with distortion magic.
Thus, all that remained for the princess was having her legs pinned by the arrow, rendered helpless.
So judged Saria, moving to capture the subdued princess—
"Veronica!"
A human tongue burst from the green light. Right after.
Crack—!
The air suddenly split open.
"…?!"
Pitch-black darkness swallowed the arrow.
* * *
I'd desperately torn open a rift to the Fairy Realm and barely blocked the first arrow.
Fwee— Fweee—!
"F-First, hide! Hurry!"
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
As if the first shot was just a greeting, the real barrage began.
Thank goodness Veronica was near the carriage wreckage for cover. If she'd been elsewhere or the arrows came from the opposite direction, she'd be a pincushion by now.
'Can't lose Veronica here.'
Why did I save her ass otherwise? She might handle herself after learning magic, but for now, I couldn't let her die.
Fweee—!
"Eek—?!"
The moment Veronica ducked into cover, the attacker switched targets to me.
Crack—
I hurriedly deployed Dimension Corridor to shunt the incoming arrows into the Fairy Realm, then hid behind a tree and peered toward the shots.
'What the hell is that?!'
I strained to spot the enemy in the dark, but my level 2 night vision couldn't even catch an outline.
After blocking several shots, the assault paused hesitantly. The sudden battle hit a lull.
I wanted to fly over and stab a fork into the sneak attacker's face without warning, but.
'…Doesn't seem like a fight I can win right now.'
Bad situation.
We were both exhausted from hauling loot in the clearing. No way to fight an unseen archer at that range.
- Veronica, you escape first.
- …Got it.
Mouthing it to Veronica, flat on her belly behind the wreckage a bit away. She mouthed back softly.
Too far apart for a joint escape, so I opened a Dimension Corridor near her. She belly-crawled straight into the rift.
"……."
Confirming she made it to the Fairy Realm safely, I closed the rift and prepared my own escape with another Dimension Corridor—
"Разве это не был дух?"
A clear voice right in front of me.
'Wha, when…?'
Less than a minute had passed. How was the enemy— who'd been in the opposite direction—here now?
In my confusion, I desperately aimed my fork at her—
"бондаж."
Bondage
Ruuuumble— Splat.
"Kyaa?!"
A crushing pressure from above. Overwhelmed by the weight pressing my whole body, I crashed to the ground and stuck flat.
I tried desperately to open a rift, but.
Dimension Corridor.
Restrained status.
Movement magic use restricted.
'Can't escape…?'
The 'magic' from this foe seemed to seal my Dimension Corridor.
"……."
Not just me—my fork and nearby leaves were squashed flat. Like the entire 'area around me' was crushed.
'…This is bad.'
Struggling to break free, I could barely lift my head. Stuck to the ground, staring ahead helplessly.
Step. Step.
The shadowy figure's outline sharpened.
.
Tall and slender woman.
Silver hair to her waist. At least 170cm by eye. A longbow at least two meters in her hand. And crucially.
'…Elf?'
Long ears. Staring down at me with cold eyes, I recalled Veronica's words.
'…She said it might've been an elf who trapped me in that jar.'
Of course, Veronica specified a male elf, and it was just speculation—the culprit might not even be an elf.
So the odds this elf was the jar culprit were low.
Hmm.
'But she is attacking me right now.'
Yep. Pointy-ears are the enemy.
"Что это?"
> New language recognized.
Well, even if pointy-ears were wrong, their language wasn't. The moment elven words left her mouth, Analysis kicked in—
Attempt to interpret Noseo language?
Mana cost: 5 (Success rate: -85%)
Failed mana not refunded.
'…Why's the success rate negative?!'
I started to, but halted at the window's odds.
Negative success? Even with fairy race's cheat 99% language bonus, just 14%. More like a failure rate.
No risk beyond mana loss, so theoretically seven tries could work, but.
'…Elf language later.'
Couldn't waste mana on gambling now. I stayed flat, waiting for my 'chance.'
Finally, the elf knelt on one knee before me.
"Давайте возьмём это."
Her hand reaching slowly toward me.
A bit. Just a bit more.
Her hand drew closer.
'…Now!'
The moment the crushing weight lightened, I snatched the flattened fork nearby and thrust.
"…! бон—"
Startled by the sudden attack, the elf tried the binding spell again, but.
Invisibility.
"Куда это делось?"
I vanished first with Invisibility.
To her eyes, I disappeared in that instant. Recalling I could fly, her gaze shot skyward. Naturally.
Dimension Corridor.
Crack—.
"Pfft—lol."
I'd been chilling in place the whole time, mocking the dumb elf as I opened a rift beneath me.