Chapter 73

**"Three Days Forest" Chapter**

In this world, there are eight places where天赋珠玉 (Tianfu pearls) are produced. One of these places is "Three Days Forest," which is managed by the elves. How these Tianfu pearls are formed is almost unknown to anyone other than the elves.

Indeed, in the "Six Heavens Mine" where I was, the mine had turned into a dungeon, and the pearls grew on the walls. In the "One Heaven Altar" I saw in the Kurvaan Holy Kingdom, the pearls appeared when it suddenly glowed.

The way they appear seems to differ depending on the location. "Three Days Forest" is located almost in the center of the vast Kiesgran Federation, and it is so large that it could easily encompass the entire territory of the Light Heaven Knights Kingdom. Although it seems that Tianfu pearls only appear in a small part of the forest...

"Wow..."

It took 15 days to reach "Three Days Forest" from the port town of Zackerhafen, traveling by stagecoach from the federal capital, Valhalla. In front of me stood enormous trees, and the boundary between the grassland where I stood and the forest was clearly defined, as if a line had been drawn between them. The forest, which was over 10 meters tall, was filled with the continuous sounds of birds chirping.

"——Selling fruits picked from the forest!"

"——Want to buy elf-made potions?"

"——Those wishing to enter the Kingdom of Silvis, this way!"

"——Adventurers, the guild has new requests!"

The road that ran through the undulating grassland stopped just before the forest. It seems that entering "Three Days Forest" requires the same kind of inspection as entering a country. A small village had formed there, with inns, shops, restaurants, and various public institutions like guilds.

(With such a vast area, it seems like anyone could sneak in.)

However, it turns out that the problem of illegal entry is quite serious—poachers targeting the unique beasts of "Three Days Forest" or the Tianfu pearls are rampant. The Adventurers' Guild had posted requests for patrols within "Three Days Forest." The high rewards are due to the inevitable combat with poachers and the lack of appeal of this border village, which makes adventurers reluctant to stay.

(Still, there are no elves around.)

The shops and inns were all run by humans. The Kiesgran Federation is generally biased against sub-human races, so there are no beastmen or dwarves here. The only exception was the building where those wishing to enter the Kingdom of Silvis were being processed. At the entrance, two elf guards stood, their sharp eyes scanning the queue of applicants. They wore leather armor hardened with a special chemical and carried wooden spears with tips made from sharpened minerals. If they entered the forest, they would blend in seamlessly with the forest's inhabitants. They had the typical elf features—blonde hair and long ears—and were handsome, but their eyes were intense.

The inspection was conducted one by one, so the queue was outdoors. It was fine now that it was autumn, but it would be quite difficult in winter or on rainy days.

"Next person, come in."

It was my turn, and I entered to find five elves inside. Three were armed, and two were behind the counter. The two behind the counter wore beautiful blue clothing, looking like typical civil servants. Unlike the armed elves, their eyes were somewhat gentle, but they still exuded an air of caution.

"Show your identification. ... Hmm, this is an adventurer's guild card. Your name is Raze. Unfortunately, you cannot enter the country."

Huh?

"Wait, hold on. Why not? I haven't even had a chance to explain yet."

"Because you are an adventurer."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand. An adventurer's guild card should be valid as identification."

"The problem isn't that you can't prove your identity, but that you are an adventurer."

One of the two elves behind the counter looked annoyed, but the other explained to me. It seems that everything is due to poachers. Most poachers are adventurers who claim they are "on a guild mission." Indeed, the guild's requests often specify items that can only be obtained in "Three Days Forest." The market price for these items is so high that it doesn't make sense to buy them with the reward money. But poaching in "Three Days Forest" is free.

The guild doesn't specify the method of acquisition and can't verify the market price of the requested items, so the requests are posted as the client demands, and adventurers accept them.

"But that's a problem for the adventurers' guild, not for us. We must protect the interests of the country and the forest."

"That's true... but aren't poachers also being apprehended by adventurers?"

"Yes, and that's the problem."

It seems that the poachers themselves often take on the "apprehension" requests. They can legally enter "Three Days Forest" and even receive the reward for the "apprehension" request, creating a rather absurd situation. The adventurers' guild is trying to address this by verifying the identities of adventurers who take on "apprehension" requests, but their efforts are limited, and the situation hasn't improved much.

"So, do you think we would allow such adventurers to enter the country?"

"That... that's true."

"Then, please leave—"

"Wait, hold on. What if I can provide something to vouch for my identity?"

"What do you mean?"

If they only see me as an adventurer, I can show them another form of identification. I didn't expect to have an opportunity to prove myself here, but...

"Here it is."

I presented the identification card issued by the Lev Magic Empire to the elves behind the counter. They looked puzzled at first, but their expressions quickly changed.

This is still part of the Kiesgran Federation, but it's outside of Oscar's area of activity, so he won't appear (he's not wanted by anyone).

The first volume of the book ends right after the battle in the capital (the same as Chapter 1 of the web version), but there are many descriptions unrelated to the main plot, and the text was abnormally long. I had to cut a lot to make it clear and interesting. I don't mind revising, but it's hard to work with people who say "This is no good. That is no good." The editor of Fantasia, however, said, "This is interesting. That is interesting. Make it more interesting," which made the work enjoyable. "Make it more interesting" is a tall order, but considering the consistency of the subsequent story, it was a good revision. It was just tough to work on it while posting daily.