Chapter 69

"Is this it?"

At Samyue's words, I rubbed my eyes and looked around.

There were trees of a size unimaginable in an ordinary forest.

The trunks alone were more than six meters thick, and they might be over a hundred meters tall. There were tall trees on Earth too, but this forest was composed entirely of such towering trees.

But that was all.

Considering the game knowledge and what Samyue had taught me, I thought there would be houses built on these large trees...

"Trunks?"

Puzzled, I asked, and Samyue chuckled.

"The Elven Forest is protected by ancient magic to prevent outsiders from entering."

"Ancient magic?"

"Yes. Right where Lady Renny is reaching, there is a spatial distortion."

"Here?"

Surprised by Samyue's words, I extended my hand.

Nothing seemed to change.

However, there was indeed a slight sense of discomfort in my extended hand.

"...A little strange."

"Indeed, Lady Renny. Most people wouldn't even notice the discomfort. To open this spatial distortion, a secret spell known only to the elves is required."

"Secret spell...!"

That sounds cool.

Elves are mysterious because they don't interact with other races. There were descriptions of the elves' mystique in the game, but it's exciting to see and experience it with my own eyes.

I also had the [Spirit Sensing] ability from the Guardian's contract, so there must be many things that only elves can do or know.

"The spell and this Elven certificate are required."

"Ah, the Reorish certificate."

"Yes. It's the one used for inspection when entering Reorish City."

Samyue took out a palm-sized blue stone.

It was indeed imbued with magic, and it had Samyue's name, her parents' names, and the current queen's seal to verify it. It's like a certificate of residence.

I see. To enter the Elven Forest, an Elven certificate is required.

In the game, the Elven Forest wasn't accessible to everyone; it only appeared on the map after completing certain events.

I didn't expect it to be hidden by ancient magic, but it seems to work this way in reality.

"Let's go."

Samyue, still holding me, skillfully extended her right hand into the space. She was holding the blue stone.

"Reveal yourself."

As she spoke, Samyue's eyes sparkled.

Then, a straight line of light shot out from the blue stone. Instantly, the scenery changed as if a fog had cleared—

"Wow..."

—what appeared were many buildings. And pink light shining here and there.

"Beautiful."

I could see many tree houses that were invisible before, and I could sense the presence of many people that I hadn't felt before. They must be the elves living here.

The sky had turned purple as the sun set. The large trees and the houses built on them, with the pink lights flickering.

It was the fantastical world I had seen in the game. Seeing it with my own eyes made my heart swell...

"...Huh?"

...Huh?

"What...?"

The excitement in my chest suddenly vanished.

All the elves were wearing matching headbands and holding pink glowing sticks.

"Lady Renny, you're so cute..."

"Lady Renny, please look this way..."

And voices came from all directions.

No, it wasn't just voices; it was an outpouring of emotion that couldn't be contained... Yes, it was enthusiasm. The elves were in a frenzy.

It was like—

"An idol concert..."

It looked like an idol concert... The sticks they were holding were like penlights...

"Samyue... What is this...?"

Unable to believe the scene before me, I looked up at Samyue.

She smiled and nodded.

"The elves have been eagerly awaiting Lady Renny's arrival. The former queen and the current queen communicated through [Spirit Sensing] and prepared for this."

"What are they holding?"

"I think those are branches of the [Luminous Tree]. They are rare trees that emit light from the sap at the cut end. They only grow in the Elven Forest. The colors vary, but they seem to have been matched to Lady Renny's color this time."

Elves were waving penlights from the trees, and elves were also waving penlights on the ground. The elves on the ground had formed a circle around me but kept a certain distance. It wasn't scary, but it was confusing.

As I looked around, Samyue extended her hand forward.

"Lady Renny, this is the current queen."

Following Samyue's words, I looked at the end of her hand.

The crowd parted, and a woman walked towards us.

"She is Lady Renny's mother's sister, so she is Lady Renny's aunt."

"Okay."

I watched the woman approaching.

She had golden hair cut to her shoulders, and her green eyes were almond-shaped. She wore glasses that matched her sharp and intelligent aura.

My mother is more laid-back, but this woman, her sister, seemed like an intellectual beauty.

"Are you—Renny?"

The woman walked up to me and asked in a cool voice.

Her voice made me clench my hand.

My mother was the former Elven queen. She became human to live with my father and left the Elven Forest. Due to certain circumstances, I had never met any relatives or family members other than my parents.

In my previous life, I was a recluse and not used to such greetings.

Since coming to this world, I hadn't felt the strain of social interactions much, but greeting a relative for the first time was nerve-wracking. I could feel sweat forming on my palms.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Renny."

I lifted my head and spoke clearly.

—It's okay.

—I'm doing fine.

—I'm not acting weird... right?

I encouraged myself...

"Phew..."

Then, a sound like air escaping came from somewhere.

The sound came from... the woman in front of me?

"You're so cute!! I love you!!"

The intellectual beauty with glasses shouted to the sky—

"Great job, Sonia!!"

She clenched her fist while gritting her teeth.