He was earning quite a bit of distance last night thanks to running away.
At noon that day we reached the entrance to the Great Forest.
There are quite a few trees growing in the woods.
Larrael was traveling by carriage, so there must be a wide road somewhere, but I can't find it.
I had no choice, so Dessert Runner asked me to come into My World, and me and Schmey decided to travel together.
Use the eagle's eyes to look down at the forest from above.
Um, I can't find a place like a settlement.
"Let's just go in the back"
Don't use concealed or buried skills to get Dark Elves to find them.
Forests out of people's hands were hard to walk, after all, and I was immediately stuck.
I can jump into a tree branch and move around alone, but what's the matter?
When I thought so...
"-!"
I took the arrow with my hand that was about to stab Shumei.
At the same time, dark elves with bows and arrows appeared as surrounding us.
They all look like young women. The colors of the hair are silver and brown-skinned women, all wearing faces.
You talked about a male dark elf hunting in the back of the woods.
"This is the holy place of the Dark Elves, both human beings."
"Tell me that before you shoot me! My name is Ichinojo! I'm here as a friend of Lalael Mi Modern, daughter of Chief Dark Elf!
I put up an amber brooch and declared it.
Then the Dark Elves stopped moving.
There, the dark elf I found jumped and landed right in front of me from the top of a tree branch.
"You were quicker than I was asking, Ichinojo"
"Oh, I have a little something for the wild."
"By the way, she..."
I saw Shmey with Larael beside me.
Shumei stared at Larael's face and
"Long time no see, Lady Larael"
And bow your head.
"... Could it be Schmei?
"Yes."
Apparently, you two knew each other.
The Dark Elves officially apologized for shooting arrows and led us to the village.
All the houses were made on branches in the form of treehouses. You can't find it by searching from above. Is there no open space because the tree has not been cut down?
And as Larrael told me, there were only women in the village.
The dark elves that were surrounding us earlier, too. If you take off your mask, the face of the beauty will appear.
Dark Elves are all beautiful.
We were led inside the biggest tree house known as the rally point.
Everyone sat on the floor in that room and started talking.
Explain to the five Dark Elves' representatives why we're here.
I see. So you're here.
The lighter answer than I thought was unexpected.
"You're not surprised."
"Oh, I know that the army of the Principality is already marching for this forest. Shumei, your father gave us information in secret."
After all, His Majesty the Duke was also trying to get the Dark Elves away in his own way?
"Then why aren't you running? The numbers are different. You think you can win? You fight guerrilla warfare in the woods?
"I guess I can't. If we fight, we will all be captured, sent to church, put on a demonic trial just in the name of trial, and often slave fallen - the worst death penalty. Most likely, they will all die in battle."
"Then why..."
"You can't run away. We have something to protect."
"Is what you want to protect more important than your life?
When I asked, Larael stood up.
"Ichinojo, I want you to follow me. I want you to see something. I'm sorry about Schmei, but I need you to wait here."
"Lady Larael!
The surrounding dark elf stood up and tried to stop Larrael, but Larrael smiled and shook his head.
"Don't worry, he'll be fine"
What the hell are you showing me?
"Ichinojo, are you good at walking in the woods?
"I think I can jump and move tree branches"
"Well, then let's take a shortcut. Follow me."
With that said, Larrael showed great leapfrogging power.
I'll go after her.
Thirty minutes to jump the branches of the tree and move on, and jumped further from there, into the cave.
"... Ha, ha, I didn't expect you to follow me without even cutting your breath. No way. He looks human, but isn't he really an elf?
"No way. But now I know why Larrael keeps Shumei waiting. Shumei would have had a tough time getting here."
"That's not all."
Proceed through a dim cave.
And what I saw ahead through that cave - a giant tree with golden glowing leaves.
"Is this - a golden tree? I didn't see anything like this when I saw it from above."
Trees shining in the sunlight - if trees like this were growing, you would have definitely noticed them when you used eagle eyes.
"The cave I just passed is acting as a bond, so I can't see it from the outside."
And Larrael explained it to me, urging me to be careful not to step on the roots of the golden tree.
"This is our Dark Elf God, the Golden Tree - its young tree"
"Young Wood!? Now!?"
You're lying, right? I don't care how you look at it. It's a hundred years old tree.
You're gonna be bigger than this?
I see, is this like the Kamiki of Dark Elves?
I was so convinced.
But this was not the end of the story.
"Ichinojo, there were only women in the village, right?
"Oh - men are hunting in the back of the woods,"
"That's a lie. Dark Elves have been the only species with women since the beginning."
"Huh?"
So you're saying that dark elves only give birth to women?
A man is banished... or something.
"We Dark Elves can't have children. When the golden tree becomes a tree, it drops one large seed and the fruit with countless small seeds. Large seeds grow as the next generation of golden trees and small seeds are swallowed by us dark elves. Then the dark elf, who drank the seed, conceives the child. I don't know why this is such a race. They call us Dark Elves, but we are a completely different species from elves and others."
It comes from plant seeds, I've never heard of that.
"... can't you believe it?
"No, I believe you. Never heard of it, but there's someone I know who was born in a special way, too. They're hardly any different from humans in their looks and deeds, so if you find out that's what dark elves are for, you'll be accepted. I'm surprised."
"... I'm glad I told you. That's why we can't leave this golden tree. Even when it comes to fighting humans."
"Why did you tell me that?
"We will surely lose. And when we lose, we're gonna disappear with this golden tree. Talking about it like that would be unacceptable to Shumei, but maybe he wanted someone to know at least."
That's what Larrael said, gently stroking the bark of the golden tree.
The princess who moved for what she wanted to protect, the dark elf who is ready to die for what she needs to protect.
And I think about what I want to protect and what I need to protect, the unemployed I hoped to be able to protect both.
"... hey, Larael. Can't we just re-plant this golden tree somewhere else?
"Ha, say impotent. Unfortunately, there is no such place. It's also hard to carry this tree, but more so when the golden tree turns into a tree, the height of this tree is over a hundred meters. You can't hide it without a bond. We don't have the power to rebuild this bond."
Right. I can't believe no one's ever found a place like that.
No, there's one place, one that no one will ever find.
I came up with it.
Okay, now it's two choices.
I can help Dark Elves if I break a promise I have to keep.
Well, which one do I take?
It's settled.
"Larael, if you're going to die, will you listen to me before I do?