Chapter 77

After several days of being jolted on horseback, our party finally arrived at the World Tree Forest, where the Elven kingdom is said to be located.

The forest was so vast that it stretched beyond the eye's reach.

The trees before us might as well be called a sea of trees.

Guenther explained to us:

"The World Tree Forest is also known as the 'Forest of No Return.'"

Upon hearing those words, I muttered, "I see, I see."

Indeed, the dense forest seemed to live up to its nickname.

"It's like the Aokigahara Jukai."

That was my honest impression.

"The Aokigahara Jukai?"

The maid Sati asked.

"It's a forest in a country called Nihon, far to the south."

"Ah, Nihon, you say. You must like that country, Master. You often mention it."

"Well, it is nostalgic."

"What is this Aokigahara Jukai like?"

"It's a famous place for suicides."

If I told her that honestly, Sati would be frightened, so I said:

"It's a place where you can never return if you enter without a compass."

Incidentally, there is a rumor that compasses go haywire in the Aokigahara Jukai, but that's a myth. If you prepare properly and carry a compass, you won't get lost.

This time, I brought a compass, a special one made by Guenther. It's not a large one like those used on merchant ships, but a small one that fits in the palm of your hand. Moreover, it has intricate designs, and it might be worth dozens of gold coins if bought in the market.

I took it out of my pocket and checked the direction. As expected, the compass needle was spinning around. Lilith, peering at it, exclaimed, "Wow, this compass is no good."

"I expected that."

I replied.

"The World Tree Forest is the elves' holy ground. I anticipated that various tricks would be used to protect it."

"If we get lost, it will be a problem. I won't starve because I can absorb energy from flowers, but maybe we should leave Sati behind?"

She turned to Sati with a mischievous look, but Sati shook her head vigorously in refusal.

"It's fine even if we get lost. I've prepared emergency rations."

Sati took a jar of food out of her bag. It was filled with a pale yellowish substance.

"What is that?" Lilith asked Sati.

"It's mayonnaise," Sati replied proudly.

"Mayonnaise? I've never heard of it."

"That's because it's an unknown food created by Master."

"Is that so?"

Lilith asked.

"Yes," I answered.

"What kind of food is it?"

"It's made by mixing the yolk of an egg with vinegar and oil, and a little salt and pepper."

Upon hearing this, Lilith said, "Let me see," and opened the jar, dipped her finger in it, and tasted it.

"It has a rich flavor. It seems to go well with vegetables."

"That's the purpose."

"But why is it an emergency ration?"

"Because it's high in nutrients. Eggs are the source of life, containing all kinds of nutrients."

"I see, but won't eggs spoil quickly?"

"That's not a problem. Adding vinegar allows it to last for years even at room temperature."

Lilith was surprised. "Really?"

Sati answered, "Yes, it's true. Just adding vinegar and mixing it makes it last a long time. It's like magic."

"It's not magic, it's just alchemy."

Eggs spoil easily, but coating them with vinegar and oil prevents spoilage. This is because vinegar, oil, and salt have strong antibacterial properties. The person who first created this food was a genius. It has high nutritional value, good taste, and excellent shelf life—truly a divine food.

"Also, mayonnaise is extremely high in calories. One spoonful provides as much energy as a bowl of rice."

"That's impressive."

"Yes, it's perfect for the military. It's easy to store, easy to carry, and tastes good on bread, which boosts morale."

"Wow, exporting it could make a fortune."

"I'm thinking about that. The bottleneck is building a chicken farm and manufacturing a mixer to blend the eggs, but I'll ask Guenther for that—"

I stopped mid-sentence because Guenther was glaring at me with a fierce expression. Or rather, he was looking behind me.

I immediately gripped the 'Staff of the Ouroboros' tightly. I followed Guenther's gaze and turned in that direction, but I saw nothing. Dwarves have good night vision. They must be seeing something I can't. I asked straightforwardly:

"What do you see, Guenther?"

Guenther answered immediately:

"It seems to be a rough welcome."

"…I see."

I chuckled. At the same time, the elves hiding in the grass stood up and drew their bows.

"Indeed, a rough welcome."

I saw that not only in the grass but also in the trees above, several elves were standing, all with their bows drawn. There were both men and women. It seems that elves fight without gender distinction. They all had beautiful features and pointed ears. I confirmed that they were elves and that they intended to fight, and I raised my voice:

"I've heard that elves are a gentle and courteous race, but is that a mistake? We are envoys of the Demon King's army. We have no intention of fighting. Please lower your bows."

"Shut up! Monsters! We won't be fooled!"

"Monsters, huh…"

I couldn't help but chuckle. Dressed in a mask of transformation and a robe of immortality, I did indeed look like a monster.

Lilith looked like a demon, Guenther was a dwarf, who are enemies of the elves, and Sati was a human, dressed in a maid's uniform in this cold weather.

It would be rare to find a more suspicious and eerie group. It would be unreasonable not to be wary. However, I still had to persuade them.

Fighting them here would be foolish. Defeating them would be easy, but fighting with those we intend to ally with would be pointless.

"I repeat, we are envoys of the Demon King's army. You may see us as monsters, but we are better negotiators than the Alliance of Kings."

"…Do you have any proof that you won't harm us?"

"If proof will convince you, I can provide it."

Upon hearing this, the elves began to confer. It was a language I was not familiar with, apparently Elvish, not the common tongue. They probably thought I couldn't understand it, but they were wrong. As a magician, I have the convenient power of magic. With the spell 'Language Translation,' I could understand their conversation clearly.

"Hey, what do we do? Should we believe their words?"

"They say they are envoys of the Demon King's army. Is that true?"

"There are two demons, a dwarf, and a human. Isn't that strange?"

"I heard a rumor recently that there is a powerful magician in the Demon King's army who is adding humans and dwarves to his ranks. His name is Ike, and he is said to have the appearance of the Undying King. Could he be that person?"

"If so, shouldn't we join his ranks?"

"Why do you think so?"

"Ike is known as a very tolerant ruler. At the very least, we would be treated better than under the Alliance of Kings."

"Don't be ridiculous! We are the proud Elven race! We will not join anyone! We will protect this forest on our own."

"But no matter how much we try to protect this forest, it will be meaningless against a large army. We need to think calmly."

From their conversation, I understood that the elves were indeed as proud as rumored and that they distrusted both the Alliance of Kings and the Demon King's army. It also seemed that the letter the Elven queen sent to Guenther was kept secret.

First, I needed to gain their trust by showing them the letter I received from the Elven queen. I decided to take the letter out of my pocket.

I intended to say a word to avoid alarming them, but I didn't have the chance.

A scream came from an elf hiding in the grass. His back was cruelly torn open. A pure white beast stood there. It was clearly not a natural animal. It was not a wolf or a bear but a clearly abnormal creature.

Seeing it, Lilith muttered, "A summoned beast…?"

She was right.

I wanted to say so, but there was no time. The bloodthirsty beast was searching for its next target, staring at the elves. It didn't even glance at us, which was proof that it was a summoned beast. It must have been ordered by the magician who summoned it to ignore us. However, I couldn't relax, as it was unbearable to watch the elves being hunted.

I ordered Lilith to guard Sati.

Lilith nodded unenthusiastically, "Okay," but she seemed eager to fight. Still, she always follows my orders, which is appreciated.

After confirming that Lilith was by Sati's side with her sword drawn, I looked at Guenther. He was already holding his battle axe, ready to fight. Even though he dislikes elves, he wouldn't ignore their crisis. He is indeed a trustworthy person. With renewed confidence, I joined Guenther in facing the white beast.