Chapter 50 – Origin of Elves (5)
“It is true that the power of the Elves has diminished compared to the glorious age of ancient times. However, just as we have done until now, we will continue to uphold this glorious tradition and lineage forever.”
Elder Elnar proudly showcased the city of his clan, elaborating on who they were and how they had lived.
I merely offered modest acknowledgments. After all, I had decided not to get too involved. They had their own lives.
Though it was about the origin of the Elves, I, who had a much weaker sense of identity as an Elf compared to the Elves of the present era, did not want to tarnish it as much as possible.
“The city is clean and beautiful. It seems well-maintained.”
Flattery is said to make even whales dance, so it seemed there was no harm in giving compliments. The aesthetics of the city, located deep in the lush primeval forest, was splendid and tidy just like something out of a fantasy novel, so I genuinely praised its beauty.
“Whoa…!”
“The High Elf has praised our city!”
Hearing those words, the surrounding Elves were delighted, just as I had expected. It felt odd and burdensome to receive such reactions to my words, but seeing their astonishment was not so bad.
“Right? It can’t compare to human cities.”
Even Elnar showed a joyful expression. In that moment, I got a sense and elbowed my companions to share a look of encouragement.
Upon closer inspection, most of the Elves were those who had lived for hundreds of years without knowing the outside world. If I could suitably fill their pride, it seemed I could easily gain some favor in this time when all their attention was focused on us outsiders.
“They say a word can repay a thousand nyang. There’s no loss in it, so hurry up and compliment them.”
“C-compliment them? On what?”
“Anything! Just marvel at how clear the sky is and how amazing the air is because it’s clean. Praise even the smallest things!”
I pressed Lila, who was looking at me with a bewildered expression. It seemed that the Elves were not only watching me but also gauging the reactions of my companions, who were of a different race.
As if the outsiders wanted us to respond to them and to this city. I instinctively recognized that if I satisfied that reaction, I could gain something.
“The road is very well paved. It’s my first time seeing a street as neat as this, even in the alleyways.”
It was Patrick who broke the ice under my prodding. He flinched at the gaze of numerous Elves upon him but managed to keep calm and began to admire what caught his eye.
The road was paved with stones? Sure, it was neatly made with bright white stones, but frankly, all the cities I had visited were like that.
But Patrick’s attempt proved effective enough.
“Oh, this human knows something.”
“See! I told you it had to be in white 125 years ago!”
The Elves, who gathered around like clouds as if a celebrity had arrived, seemed exhilarated by Patrick’s admiration. Thanks to that, the atmosphere gradually pressured my companions to perform a bit more.
“How about this? This is a streetlamp made from glow-in-the-dark candles that shine on their own when the sun sets.”
“Stone houses are nice, but traditional houses are made of wood. Do you know about Elvish huts?”
The Elves, unable to hold back any longer, crowded around, craving reactions from those who were not of their kind.
When confused Patrick, Rina, or Lila said something nice, they were utterly satisfied and delighted, responding even more exaggeratedly in a sort of service.
“I see it, I see it.”
I chuckled watching the scene unfold. This wasn’t just a national pride, it seemed like a tribal pride.
Still, I thought if that made them happy, wasn’t that enough?
“We are all grateful that the High Elf recognizes us. We have prepared a room for you in the best place, so please rest well today. It would be best to discuss the details in the morning light.”
“There was no need for you to go through any trouble for us.”
Elnar, looking much happier, chuckled and pointed to a palace-like place in the city’s center. He mentioned that they had prepared not only accommodations for us but also a feast.
Despite wondering if there’d be any time to lounge around when there were already victims of erosion, Elnar requested we accept it as everyone was filled with joy from meeting their great ancestors.
“Well, I suppose we have no choice.”
“Everyone will be happy. Perhaps this moment, with the visit of Iriliana, could be the time when our Elves take a leap forward again.”
Laughing heartily, Elnar said he would head ahead to prepare for the festivities. I stood still, watching his figure, which seemed to have a lighter step. He looked like a stern old man befitting his appearance, but he wasn’t bothersome.
“Stop it now. What’s with being surprised by a regular cart? Are you messing with us? How did we get here?”
After that, I found myself, rather tipsy, surrounded by Elves and pinching Patrick’s side, who was reacting with wide eyes, holding his forehead in disbelief.
“But this is not an ordinary cart; it’s a luxurious one made of solid wood, pulled by reindeer…”
“Let’s just go in. This is enough. They’re not on guard against us anymore, right?”
I smirked and looked around. The sun was already setting, but many Elves still lingered around us.
The wary gazes that had poured down upon us when they first saw us were now almost absent. Instead, mutual affection or interest seemed to have risen, marking that we had accomplished our objective.
“Go rest well. I’m planning to head to the site as soon as the sun rises.”
“I heard there’s a feast.”
“True, but don’t overdo it. You know what I mean, right?”
Rina and Lila, who were curious about the Elvish village, showed considerable interest in the feast that the Elves had prepared.
It didn’t seem like they were reacting just to please the Elves; they genuinely appeared to be looking forward to it, so out of concern, I reminded them of what we needed to do.
“They’ll react well enough on their own.”
The Elves lived more luxuriously and abundantly than we had anticipated. If they had prepared the banquet, there seemed no need to emphasize our reactions to my companions.
Just as they held prejudices about the outside world, there were strong prejudices about Elves on the outside world as well.
While there was some truth to those prejudices, fundamentally, they were born from the lack of active exchange between us, which was not a good phenomenon.
“To be honest, I am looking forward to it. Elvish food. When else would I get to eat something like that in my lifetime?”
“Now that you mention it, almost nothing is known about their eating habits. There are rumors that Elves are all vegetarians, but do those living in a place like this really only eat grass?”
We moved to the elegantly crafted banquet hall, as splendid on the outside as it was within, and sat down quietly to receive the food that the Elves would present to us.
As Patrick glanced over eagerly, Rina chimed in, her eyes sparkling.
Now that we had confirmed that the rumors and prejudices about Elves living secluded in the forest were nearly false, everyone’s expectations towards them were much higher.
“Surely, no entire race could be vegan, right?”
“Vegan? What’s that?”
“It’s a thing.”
And I felt the same. While I’d never felt deficiencies thanks to Ethan, the one squeezing the cash flow, I always had ample meals three times a day.
Now, it was I who informed my companions that the notion of Elves only eating vegetables was false, while I was the one refusing to eat without seafood or meat.
The image of Ethan protesting, shocked by the sudden rise in food costs and questioning whether I was some kind of carnivore, flashed through my mind, but I waited patiently for what they were bringing without showing any signs of displeasure.
“Especially since the High Elf has come, we’ve prepared dishes that emphasize tradition even more. Please eat up.”
“…?”
However, after that, I found myself frozen, staring at the items that Elnar and the Elves laid before me.
They claimed to have prepared traditional dishes to honor the ancestors, but they were things I had never hoped to see. Grass, fruits, more grass, and just grass.
All I could see was the lush nature.
“No, is this even cooking? They’ve just placed the ingredients in front of me!”
Unable to hold back my frustration, I picked up an unknown vegetable before me and vented my anger. They’d at least given my companions food that had been prepared, boiled, or roasted, yet they placed whole things in front of me as if I were to eat them raw.
