#11. Showdown ( 4 )
A forest outside Elbenheim.
Two elves were walking in the lush forest where monsters often appeared because of the mana overflowing from the World Tree. They were Flora and Nael.
“You seem really good at picking people up.”
The two were on patrol now. To be precise, it was close to Nael forcibly following Flora’s patrol, the ‘Sentinel’. Flora shook her head, thinking of the half-elf twins Nael had brought with her.
“Usually, the elves who left Elvenheim have deep wounds in their hearts, so they usually do not open their hearts. Nael picks it up just as well as picking up any abandoned cat.”
“Well, then it looks like I did something bad.”
“just joke.”
“I did a good job right?”
“sure.”
Flora nodded, remembering the awkward but bright smiles the two elves had on being reunited with their mother. Neel also smiled broadly, remembering that smile. Sunlight pouring through the cracks in the trees shattered white on the neat teeth.
“thank god!”
“Rather than that, tell me a little bit about how you’ve been.”
Flora suddenly flew in and sent the butterfly sitting on her head to the back of her hand and asked. Nael opened his eyes wide, not understanding the gist of the question.
“yes? What are you talking about?”
“Well, there must be interesting things you saw in the human city, people, or something like that. If there’s a person I’ve become close with, I’d like to hear something like that.”
Actually, what I really want to ask is Jain. How has your relationship with the man you slept with changed? However, Flora, who was reluctant to ask directly, changed her words a little. Hearing that, Nael got excited and started replying.
“Ah, if that’s the case! I made a lot of friends there too! Listen, there is a flower shop sister in the house next door who raises a golden puppy… ”
Even in Lothern, elves, especially elves who treated humans without hesitation, were rare. Even there, Nael showed off his unique affinity and made friends with many people. Just as he became an idol in Elbenheim, he was already becoming a specialty in Lottern’s shopping district. Naturally, there were many people who made friends by name and face, so Flora had to listen to the stories of random people for a long time instead of hearing the stories she was expecting.
“And there is a thief named Gen… ”
“Yes, yes, okay. So, did you do anything to that red magician love?”
Flora finally stopped talking and asked straight away, thinking that if left alone, she would pick up the entire population of Lothern. Nael opened his eyes wide and asked again.
“yes? with Jain? what?”
“What, nothing progressed after that? That, in terms of male and female… ”
“yes! Wasn’t there anything?”
Flora was ambivalent about that innocent answer. Feelings of happiness and feelings of frustration arose at the same time. However, whether or not he knew that feeling, Nael just clapped his hands and continued talking.
“Because he’s been so busy lately that he can’t sleep well! Listen, this happened in Lortern… ”
And Nael told Jain about the crisis in Lottern. That the barriers of Lothern were in danger of disappearing, and that large-scale events that had never been seen before continued to occur.
“So, to solve that, I kept busy working with the other party members without blinking!”
“Hmm… ”
Flora narrowed her eyes. In the incidents that Zain and other party members experienced, the women’s clear selfishness was revealed. It is certainly true that he ran without opening his eyes to protect his hometown, but he must have filled his gaps with selfishness. However, Nael said with a bright face.
“But I’m glad I ended it quickly without suffering Jain!”
“Even though I didn’t go to the pool with you, didn’t go on dates, didn’t do anything with you? Doesn’t it make you jealous?”
“yes! I’m just glad that he’s a little more comfortable thanks to me!”
“Oh, yes.”
Looking at that smooth face, Flora shook her head. It seemed that her only friend would live a life unrelated to jealousy until she died. Before they knew it, the two were in the middle of the patrol route. A field of white flowers in full bloom was the milestone. Seeing the flower garden for the first time, Nael let out a small exclamation.
“Wow, so pretty… ”
“Walk carefully not to step on it. It’s a specialty for the rangers.”
“yes! I’ll be careful!”
Nael walked on tiptoe and cautiously among the flowers. Taking the hand and guiding her, Flora was lost in thought.
‘I see, is a cataclysm happening in the human city… ‘
An unusual sign of uneasiness engulfed Lothern. The same was happening in Elvenheim as well. Flora was vaguely aware that something big was about to change.
‘And, in order to overcome that cataclysm, I might have to build bridges with humans.’
“Everyone got out!”
Flora came out of the flower garden and glanced at Nael, who smiled broadly. It was a smile with no malice that could make anyone a friend. Wouldn’t Nael be the perfect person to build that bridge? I thought so.
“yes?”
And it was when we entered the second half of the patrol route. Flora smelled the sharp smell of blood and hardened her face. It was the same with Neil. The two elves drew their bows in an instant and fired their arrows at the thickly shadowed greenery.
“Keeek!”
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Blood splattered with a beast-like scream. Flora and Nael’s arrows pierced the same place as if they were aiming for them. It was the nape of the neck. There was a thud, and what had been hiding in the shadows emerged. It was a large bat-shaped monster. Nael carefully approached the bat while holding the bow.
“This… ”
“Shambo. It is a monster with that name.”
Flora made a nervous expression. Shambo itself was an insignificant monster. However, the fact that it was found on a patrol route and not in a cave was suggestive. This guy was timid, and had a habit of running away in a hurry when powerful demons and monsters appeared. In other words, the appearance of this guy hinted at the appearance of a mighty being.
“Certainly, there are traces of a hasty escape.”
Nael murmured, looking at the trampled piles of flowers and twigs behind Chambo. If you follow that trail, you might find out what the hell Cambo was frightened of and ran away from. The two stared at each other for a moment. Neil spoke first.
“… What should I do? Shall we go back to Elvenheim first?”
“That’s the Sentinel’s shame. First of all, let’s finish spying and go back.”
“okay.”
Nael meekly followed Flora’s advice. And he began to move cautiously. The second half of the patrol route was dark. It was because trees that were hundreds of years old grew tall enough to pierce the sky and covered the ground with shadows. The sunbeams cut into large leaves only passed on to the ground in thin pieces, drawing strange patterns on Nael’s face. It suddenly felt like night. As the two cautiously moved their steps, they grabbed their bows when they heard a mad squeak.
“come!”
It was a bunch of Shambo. A group of six or seven shambos were running, flapping their wings. Flora, of course, assumed that they were aiming this way, and set three arrows on the strings. and got dumbfounded It was because the shambos ran past the two of them. Flora lowered her bow and muttered in a tired tone.
“How on earth can a guy be so great that he runs away like that?”
Nael swallowed his saliva. However, I had no intention of going back. The two of them slowly began to follow the path the Shambos had fled. And I was able to quickly find the cause.
“That.”
Flora, a Sentinel, could tell. A first-class monster of concern who has lived in this forest for over 100 years. The Queen of Shambos. A monster that has accumulated so much mana that horns in the shape of a count’s crown have sprouted from its head.
“That… To die.”
It lay on the floor with its whole body mercilessly hacked to pieces. And in front of the corpse, there was a woman. It was a woman wearing an oriental-style uniform with a belt that was as beautiful as an artwork, and holding a long sword. The wind blew through her long ebony hair. It seemed that the woman must be the monster that frightened the Shambos and made them run away.
‘In this forest, humans.’
Flora bit her lip and grabbed the bow. The Elvenheim area was the sanctuary of the elves. It was hard to see that humans who entered this place without permission had good intentions. Flora, who was vigilantly raising her bow and about to ask for her name, immediately opened her mouth.
“hello!”
It was because Nael, smiling broadly, ran to the woman and greeted her. The woman turned her head away from Shambaugh’s corpse and stared blankly at Nael’s face. The woman had a proud and beautiful face like a piece of ice. It asked without even receiving Nael’s greeting properly.
“I will ask.”
“Uh, a sudden question? If I can answer, I will answer!”
“Is this place Lortern?”
“Yes?”
At the very sudden sound, Nael widened his eyes and tilted his head. Are you kidding, I thought for a moment. However, the woman spoke again with a serious face.
“I heard that Lortern is a city with big trees. So I saw that tree and walked all the way. Isn’t this place Lothern?”
The woman pointed to the world tree that could be seen even from this place and said. Flora, who was listening from behind, was at a loss for words. Lothern was in the exact opposite direction of Elvenheim. Apparently, that woman seemed to be a great gilchi.
“What are you?”
Flora asked, lowering her bow. Judging by the poomsae he spoke, he seemed like an oddball, but not an enemy. Perhaps confirming that the hostility had subsided, the woman also drew a long sword and revealed her name.
“Sow. There is no last name. If there’s something to introduce instead of a last name, yes. He is the successor of Hyeongwimun.”
She is the owner of the ‘Hyung of the Dan-Aksu-Seon’ that Ja-in had been looking forward to meeting so much.
It was Sword Demon Soya.