Chapter 11
In the heart of the continent lay a vast expanse known as the Great Forest. Towering trees so massive that even baobabs would seem puny crowded densely together, forming a veritable treasure trove of ecosystems. And smack in the middle of this Great Forest stood one tree that dwarfed them all—a colossal giant soaring skyward as if brushing the heavens themselves. That was the World Tree, revered by the elves.
Elves were born in the Great Forest, made it their home, and devoted their entire lives to safeguarding the World Tree. They saw it as their sacred duty. Leaving the Great Forest was strictly forbidden by elven law alone.
Yet amid all this, one elf stepped out into the wider world: Hera of the Root Tribe, the elf archer of the hero's party.
Hera was a special case even among elves. She was beloved by every spirit in existence. No one before her had ever glimpsed a spirit's form or spoken with one, but Hera could. And in the end, she was chosen by the Spirit King himself, forging a contract with him.
"The Demon King has resurrected, plunging the world into peril of destruction. The Great Forest and World Tree face the same fate. Join forces with the hero and save it all."
⟨ Spirit King's Decree ⟩
Around that same time, a hero's party was formed in the kingdom. Hera duly informed everyone and declared her intent to aid the hero.
But the other elves weren't thrilled. Hera, bound to the Spirit King, was their primary powerhouse. Without her guarding the Great Forest, humans would rampage unchecked—plunging deep inside to snatch elves for slaves and hack down living trees for mere scraps of paper.
And wasn't the hero's party full of humans? Cooperating with such monsters was unthinkable.
Hera knew full well. So she assured the other elves: In exchange for my aid to the hero's party, I'll make them stop kidnapping our kin and felling our trees.
Hera's plea left them speechless. After all, her sacrifice alone would shield every elf and swath of nature.
Before joining the party, Hera relayed the exact same plea to the king.
"Please halt the abduction of elves and the logging of the Great Forest."
"A request from the elves? Very well—I swear it on my name."
With the king's promise secured, Hera's path was clear: strive for her people, the Great Forest, and the world.
But it was no easy road. The party was nothing but humans—elves' sworn enemies. She couldn't bring herself to trust them.
Fearing poison, she ate separately every meal. In battle, she guarded her back even from allies. Sleep came fitfully, if at all—a hellish ordeal.
Time dragged on until, inevitably, disaster struck. A party out of sync was doomed to falter; surviving this long was sheer luck.
Wary of her own comrades, Hera misjudged her position and let a single enemy slip away. Demon hordes followed, plunging the hero's party into mortal peril.
They scraped through after a brutal slog, but the losses were devastating.
That night, the party's mage finally snapped.
Slap!
Franz backhanded Hera across the cheek.
"Hey, I get it—humans did awful shit to elves! Yeah, elves hate humans for it! But can you cut the crap already? We're all fighting for our lives here, and look at the mess you caused!"
"But you humans... "
"So did I do it? The hero? The saintess? Nobody here touched an elf—you're the one screwing us over!"
Hera had no retort. It was all spot-on.
Not every human was evil—just some. Blanket hatred was misguided.
From that day, Hera cracked open her guarded heart, slowly bonding with the party. Minds aligned, their combat synergy sharpened.
In time, they triumphed, slaying the Demon King.
Quest complete, Hera returned to the Great Forest—her people's home—chest swelling with pride at saving the world.
But cold stares from her kin greeted her. Hera reeled in confusion.
Hadn't she sacrificed everything to shield the Great Forest and World Tree, halting elven enslavement? This was beyond ungrateful.
Weeks? Months? Eventually, the truth dawned.
Humans—damnable humans—had broken their word. Trees still fell; elves still vanished. Worse, abductions surged during her absence, humans exploiting the elves' weakened guard.
Yet the betrayal was theirs alone—not Hera's. She deserved no scorn for it.
Hera loathed humans now. She prayed for ruin upon those who menaced her forest and kin without honor.
From then on, she hunted every intruder mercilessly. They struck first.
But treachery festered closer to home.
One day, fresh from patrol, Hera overheard voices back in the village—her brother's and childhood friend's.
"Brother, Hera killed all those traders who came this time?"
"Ugh—that idiot bitch means I gotta scout new partners. What a pain."
"A few missing kids ain't the end of the world... "
"No sweat. I'll pin it all on her, snag the next chief spot."
"Classic brother... "
Skin met skin with a wet smack.
Traders. Missing children. Next chief. The elves' icy glares.
Gears clicked in Hera's mind.
Realization crashed down: vanishing elves, felled trees, hostile kin—all orchestrated by those two, colluding with humans.
She'd have yielded the chieftainship gladly. Money? She'd procure it. Why this betrayal...?
Lost in fury, Hera bolted from the Great Forest into the unknown.
Her labors for world, forest, and elves—futile.
She vowed thenceforth to rescue stolen kin, eking out survival. Anything less, and she'd damn the world to oblivion.
And now.
Hera clutched a roster of elf-slave buyers, gazing up at the sprawling mansion.
Rumors swirled among nobles: elf-owning estates under siege. The master had beefed up defenses, hiring a skilled mage to rig traps everywhere.
Hera mused.
'A skilled mage, huh...'
She had counters for that.
Her distant gaze drifted to the lofty tower piercing the horizon.
Haa-.
A sigh slipped unbidden from Franz's lips.
Slave disputes were best avoided. Buyers claimed fair purchase; victims cried abduction—both sides aggrieved.
By twenty-first-century morals, buyers were scum. But here? Slavery was legal—save for elves. Elf slaves? Strictly outlawed.
Arian, observing from beside him, asked,
"You going?"
"Gotta. Direct summons."
Franz rose, stretching arms overhead to shake off the desk-chair stiffness.
Arian proffered his neatly folded robe.
"Don't goof off again... Be careful out there."
"Yeah, back before you know it."
A villainess needed help? Time to deliver.