Chapter 47

“Demis, I think you should come here.”

“Um?”

Demis, who was busy with work in his office as usual, felt an ominous sense of urgency as he watched the elf rush into the room.

Two years ago, Araya discovered a sentient being belonging to the natural species known as ‘humans,’ using that race as messengers to bring information back to the forest.

This human species had somewhat oddly shaped faces and was similar to elves, except for their weakness, and was in the process of establishing quite an advanced political system called a kingdom.

In response, the elves changed the name of the land they simply referred to as ‘the forest’ to ‘Elven Road’ to distinguish it from the outside world.

The world of elves, which had only known the forest for 13 years, was now divided into the concept of ‘Elven Road’ and the outside world.

However, even with that, the lives of the elves had not changed dramatically.

Unlike the human species that Araya had informed them about, elves were not a naturally occurring species on this planet; thus, they could exist solely in this forest and found it difficult to increase their population rapidly like humans.

In fact, little had changed except for some name alterations; they were still suffering from a chronic shortage of manpower to manage the vast forest, which, despite their exceptional abilities, was immense.

Yet, aside from occasional territorial disputes that required mediation by wild gods, there were no significant issues in Elven Road.

‘They are calling me Roa out there?’

If the newborn elves grew up and began to fulfill their roles, even this would be resolved.

Some of the children born about ten years ago had already grown larger than Araya.

Therefore, Elven Road was stable, and if any issues arose, they always came from the outside.

‘And most of those problems were usually brought in by my foolish younger sibling.’

Two years ago, a group of humans using the rangers’ signaling techniques appeared at the outskirts of the forest.

Gathering at the emergency signal were Palas and the rangers, who were initially surprised to see a group of human beings resembling elves.

Since they used the elves’ signaling system, they approached only to find they were surprisingly ugly elves.

Momentarily, the rangers mistook the humans for elves who had been cursed or attacked, and they sent sympathetic glances.

Moreover, the humans wore expressions of shock, as if they had experienced something tragic upon seeing the rangers.

Palas and the rangers guided the group of humans into the heart of the forest.

Once the humans collected themselves, one introduced himself as Kyle, claiming to be a messenger sent by Araya, and handed over a bundle of parchment.

The elves had long switched from using wooden tablets to paper for their recording medium, so it was unusual for them to see something written on prepared leather. Eventually, the parchment was delivered to Demis.

As Demis read the report written in the elf language on the parchment, he confirmed that Araya, the youngest high elf, was doing very well.

However, the content revealed he had somehow become entangled in human political affairs, and there were plans to incorporate faith and religion into that political structure.

The document detailed the potential future of humans, who, while still inferior to elves, were capable of processing natural products into better goods, suggesting the formation of a friendly or hierarchical relationship to avoid becoming a threat to the elves.

It was quite a clever approach.

To be able to come up with such a political structure on the spot was impressive.

The youngest sibling always found innovative ways of martial arts, paper, or religion, so it didn’t surprise him much.

The problem lay in the latter part of the message.

‘I think Mother should get married.’

Demis momentarily thought he had misread.

Who? Getting married?

He hurriedly read further.

It suggested that if Mother were to take only the World Tree as the divine being, the human psyche could become too subordinate to the elves. Therefore, it would be necessary to involve Ul Kanadiel, an exalted being equivalent to Mother, into the religious worldview.

The earth mother deity, El Prigion.

The sky deity, Ul Kanadiel.

The first elves were born of the World Tree, yet elves could also produce offspring through normal sexual activity with their mates.

With the concept of marriage, a still lackluster but existing social contract system had been established.

The astonishing fact was that an entity they had never seen would become their father, but the problem was that this father, like Mother, had already been betrayed and killed by an offspring known as an Einherjar from the eastern continent.

The sibling who had had no news for about a year suddenly turned everything upside down with a parchment sent through humans.

Palas had even rushed out of the forest to capture Araya, demanding to know what was happening out there.

However, after some discussion, they decided to ask Mother’s wishes.

“Fufu… Your younger sibling always finds a way to create trouble.”

“Ul Kanadiel… the aura that flew from the east must be my brother.”

“I don’t care much. Fufu… thanks to Araya, I’ve ended up with a husband I never anticipated.”

Mother’s generous demeanor accepted Araya’s opinion, but the high elves felt a peculiar discomfort.

While they had acquired a husband in their mother, making them step-siblings, their mother had become a widow at the start of this situation, and they had lost their father.

“If that kid ever comes back to the forest, I’ll bury him.”

Palas remained angry for quite some time.

Recalling the past, Demis felt anxiety emerge while following after Araya, who always brought trouble.

“Ah… um… I think all the high elves should come and see as well.”

Demis’s unease grew at those words.

◈ ◈ ◈

The elves were crowding around one human.

When the five high elf siblings arrived, Palas was already there, wearing a stern expression.

The human, surrounded and subjected to the gaze of everyone, wore an expression of anxiety.

“…Did you come?”

Palas responded with a somewhat weak voice to the arrived high elves.

The high elves looked at the human named Kyle, who had visited before.

And they observed what Kyle was holding.

Clothes and parchment neatly arranged in a single black box.

Additionally, a part of the clothing inside the box was significantly unraveled.

It was the one piece of elf clothing held by Araya.

It was made from the threads of Telenia.

There was no reason for such clothing to be damaged in such a short time.

The anxious expression of Kyle, coupled with the sudden appearance of the five high elves, raised foreboding images in their minds.

In particular, the sisters Atira and Anart’s originally pale faces appeared even paler.

Palas, who guided Kyle here, also wore an unusually vacant expression as if sharing similar thoughts.

“Ah…”

“Anart!”

“Anya!”

Atira, the second daughter who had made the clothes for Araya, seemed to momentarily lose her strength, nearly collapsing.

The other high elves assisted Atira.

However, the expressions of the high elves helping Atira were also not pleasant.

She was always the troublesome younger sibling, but they had not imagined she would part ways in such a way.

While Araya’s actions were often suspect, her strength was the greatest among elves.

Kyle, who had been startled by that sight, cautiously opened his mouth.

“Um… are you Atira?”

Atira, who had collapsed, looked up at Kyle.

As Kyle met the gaze of the woman resembling Araya, who was looking up at him with sorrowful eyes, he felt as if his breath had stopped but managed to compose himself.

“Araya told me… to be sure to deliver this to you, Atira.”

“Atiri…”

As Kyle handed over the box, Anart anxiously turned to Atira.

“Atira, if you’re having a hard time, just rest. I’ll take care of it.”

“Demis… no, I will take it.”

Rejecting Demis’s help, Atira accepted the box with trembling hands from Kyle.

“Excuse me…”

“Yes…?”

“What was Araya’s last moment like…?”

Last?

Kyle momentarily tilted his head at Atira’s oddly phrased question.

However, wanting to answer the question from the beauty resembling Araya with all his might, Kyle racked his brain.

‘Last, the last time I saw Araya.’

“She looked as beautiful and noble as always.”

“…I see. That’s a relief.”

Kyle made an effort to suppress a sigh as he observed the dew gathering in Atira’s eyes.

Atira, slowly caressing the clothing inside the box with a face reflecting her sorrow, was beyond description.

‘Mother must miss Araya very much.’

Even someone as strong as Araya must seem a child of worry to her parents.

Putting the clothes aside, Atira set down the box and began to unseal the parchment inside, trembling as she opened and read.

After a while, Atira’s beautiful face, which had been drenched in tears, transformed into an expression of confusion, flushed with embarrassment and rage, and finally morphed into a face that seemed devilish according to the teachings of the Ziusin religion.

As Atira’s expression darkened, the other high elves, who had been anxiously watching her, grew curious and turned to examine the parchment.

The expressions of the high elves after reading the whole parchment were diverse.

Demis pressed his hand against his forehead, seemingly enduring an onset of a headache.

Saraswati bore a knowing expression.

Palas started to express rage, insisting they needed to bring Araya back immediately.

Anart, seemingly relieved, sank down like Atira, weeping uncontrollably.

Elmony maintained his usual expressionless demeanor.

Kyle observed the sudden shift in the high elves’ demeanor, questioning what on earth was written on the parchment.

Peeking forward, he caught a sight of the discarded parchment.

‘I can’t read it because it’s an unfamiliar language.’

Demis, picking up the discarded parchment, sighed.

“…sending something so meaningful without need.”

The letter read as follows:

【To my beloved sister Atira.】

It’s time for the growth period.

While training martial arts, I felt something change in my limbs, so I kept watching, and I have been growing just a bit over the past two weeks.

My foolish brother Palas said I would remain a little earth sprout for life, but that’s absolutely not true.

Now, I am going to grow up just like my sisters.

That presents a problem: the clothes I am currently wearing.

The fabric humans use is not very pleasant to the touch; it feels very uncomfortable.

So, I asked the humans who make clothes to unravel the threads of this outfit to make a new one, but they couldn’t handle Telenia’s threads properly, and they ended up ruining the clothing instead.

There isn’t much Telenia’s thread left, so I doubt there will be enough threads to make a new outfit, so I’m sending the clothes I was wearing, even though they are uncomfortable.

Due to circumstances, I can’t leave the Human Territory for a while, so I sent it through Kyle.

Please use it to make a new dress.

Since I can’t keep coming back for clothes, I would like it if you could make it a bit more generously according to my growth period.

The growth period means that even if you make it generously, it shouldn’t be a problem.

The human clothes I’m wearing while writing this letter are uncomfortable. I’d appreciate it if you could work on it as quickly as possible.

And please keep it a secret from my other siblings if possible; I want to surprise them later when I grow up.

I told Kyle to only show it to my sister.

Your loving sister, Araya.】

Demis sighed as he watched the other siblings trying to calm the frenzied Atira and Palas.

“You always manage to turn nothing into a problem, Araya.”

◈ ◈ ◈

Araya received a large bundle of clothing and a letter(?) through Kyle at the Grand Temple.

The letter contained a heartfelt outcry filled with tremendous resentment and anger from her high elf siblings.

Despite the formal style of elven writing, Araya was taken aback by the emotions conveyed.

In particular, even the compassionate Atira and Anya seemed to be immensely furious.

Atira even went as far as to say that she would beat Araya until her backside turned red when she returned to the forest.

“…Why?”

Araya sat on her throne, perplexed as she stared blankly at the letter.

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