Chapter 63

Dale, a soldier guarding the gate of the great capital of humanity, Pohelrn, swallowed nervously.

He had become a veteran gatekeeper, having served for nearly ten years since his first duty.

As the city grew, he became one of the seven captains of the gate, with a substantial income and the stability that came with it. He married a beautiful woman six years his junior, who garnered the envy of those around him, and he was now a father of a son and a daughter.

With a stable family and years of service that earned him respect from his subordinates, he had become a man who could hold his head high.

Today, as he supervised the gate inspections, Dale was staring at the situation before him with a troubled expression, something he hadn’t felt in a long time.

“Um… Captain, what should we do? Should we inspect them…?”

“…Wait, I’m thinking.”

Dale replied to his adjutant, who had been with him for over five years, in an uncertain voice.

Almost a hundred people, all dressed similarly and wearing peculiar hats, stood before them, with the exception of three individuals.

Although their numbers were similar to those of a considerable trade group, they weren’t particularly impressive considering the daily traffic passing through Pohelrn.

The problem lay in the atmosphere they exuded and the three individuals leading them.

They were, at the very least, beautiful.

There was a man who looked a bit rude, but was more beautiful than most women. And two women, so beautiful that it was frightening to think of them wandering outside if they were his wife.

While the inexperienced members stood with their mouths agape, lost for words, Dale was a bit different.

‘…They look familiar… Could it be?’

Seven years ago, Dale had inspected someone brought by a friend who had become a merchant, right under this gate.

A uniquely shaped hat he had never seen before.

The beautiful figure that captured the attention of everyone at the gate… and long ears.

That individual was now a messenger of the most prominent religion in Pohelrn, the Migration Faith, revered as a goddess.

Dale shifted his gaze from her face to other features.

‘What the… so long.’

Not her chest, but her ears were long.

She appeared small and timid under the gazes of the people, akin to a small animal, as she looked at the woman with the perky long ears.

The beautiful facial structure seemed somewhat familiar.

Though different from the cold and indifferent expression of the young girl he remembered, he could see traces of it in the woman’s face.

If what hung over his shoulder wasn’t a decoration, it undoubtedly related to the goddess who demonstrated her otherworldly powers at the annual dance festival.

Even if the fools in his line of duty weren’t aware of it, the soldiers who had served for a while must have felt similarly.

‘Was the goddess a High Elf?’

In reality, she wasn’t human at all; she was one of the species created directly by the World Tree, the Earth Mother Goddess of the Migration Faith, from the distant west.

However, considering that the land of the Elves, the Elven Road, was shrouded in mystery, only Araya, apart from the Elven folk, had any real knowledge about them.

‘They must be Elves… right?’

The individuals lined up, wearing clothing similar to what the goddess had worn seven years ago, and the beautiful long-eared members leading them.

Though he didn’t understand the commotion, it was clear they were Elves.

‘…Can we even inspect them?’

Elves were regarded as the messengers of the deity they served.

In Pohelrn, not only Araya herself, but the priests venerating Araya and the deity were figures that even nobles dared not touch.

Let alone the Elves themselves, who weren’t human priests.

Could he be opening a can of worms by mishandling this inspection?

This wasn’t merely a metaphorical saying; if he messed up, he could lose his head, literally.

‘What the hell are the scouts from surrounding towns doing?’

Wasn’t it strange that such a large group crossed from the west to Pohelrn without any word being sent ahead?

Thanks to this, he found himself in a difficult position.

“You… go run and report this to the higher-ups.”

Dale was about to send a sprightly young soldier when he saw him drooling, unable to grasp the situation. He clicked his tongue and ordered his adjutant, who seemed to sense the troubles they were heading into.

“Me?”

“Can’t you see the situation? Move quickly.”

Dale gestured vaguely toward the group of Elves.

“If we respond incorrectly, we’re all done for. Stall for time and find out how we should react.”

His adjutant nodded while looking at the Elves and then disappeared into the inner city.

Dale sighed and shoved aside the young soldier, who was merely staring blankly at the inspection target, and stepped in front of the Elves.

The female Elf who was huddled nervously and the one admiring the city wall and gate seemed unsuitable for conversation.

‘That leaves… just this male Elf.’

He bore an expression that seemed to hold a great deal of dissatisfaction.

If he made the wrong move, things could erupt just like that.

“…Where do you come from, and what is your purpose for visiting Pohelrn?”

“…”

“Um…”

The male Elf silently gazed at the female Elf who was inspecting the gate.

“Saraswati. Aren’t you supposed to be leading us? I know everything outside is fascinating for someone who’s been cooped up, but do your part.”

“Palas. How could my foolish brother, with nothing but muscle in his head, understand how remarkable the defenses of this city truly are?”

“Our objective is not to come and view the defenses of human cities. Grasp the weight of the situation. What a foolish girl.”

“Huh?”

The Elf called Saraswati looked up at her brother Palas, her eyes unfocused and dull.

The problem was that while they were merely confronting each other, the atmosphere around them felt stifling.

In a flash, the image that rose in Dale’s mind was the sense of intimidation he felt when he faced an ogre, a giant monster he had encountered only once during the days when beasts and monsters roamed near Pohelrn.

An immense presence that emanated just from the confrontation of those two Elves, surpassing everything he had felt before.

The other soldiers and people in the inspection line, caught in that atmosphere, transformed the bustling inspection site into a quiet space.

Whether it was an illusion or not, it seemed the air around the two Elves clashed and pushed away anything nearby.

The Elves lined up behind them stood like statues without making any attempt to intervene.

“Both… of you, stop. Don’t embarrass yourselves in front of others.”

Rescue came from an Elf who timidly held a staff, intervening between the two.

By stepping in as a mediator, the suffocating tension that filled the inspection site dissipated, and people sighed as if they had just remembered they could breathe.

While Dale remained trapped in an extraordinary experience, unable to regain his composure, the Elf who intervened approached him cautiously and apologized.

“I’m sorry. My brothers are foolish. Are you alright?”

Dale met her worried green eyes, resembling a calf filled with concern as she looked at him.

Struck by the gaze of the beautiful woman filled with anxiety, he felt a blow.

Then, naturally, his gaze descended.

The warmth emanating from her large heart melted away even the most frozen emotions.

Under a wave of successive assaults from her presence, Dale simply nodded with a foolish smile, feeling that everything was fine.

‘She seems like a sister to the goddess… but the difference is quite severe.’

Dale thought, imagining the goddess, undoubtedly beautiful, yet having a visage that would appeal only to a specific type of people.

While he was receiving her apologies, Saraswati, who had been glaring at Palas, approached Dale.

“I am Saraswati, a High Elf from what is known to humans as the Elven Road. I have come to Pohelrn regarding matters concerning Araya.”

It was a very straightforward introduction.

Yet, the implications within that straightforwardness were anything but simple.

Elven Road. High Elf. Araya.

Dale’s mind raced.

He didn’t know the Elven hierarchy, but a High Elf was on par with the goddess.

Moreover, if the name Araya wasn’t shared by two individuals in Pohelrn, it must belong to the goddess.

And while he didn’t know about the rest of the Elves behind him wearing hats, the other two, who appeared similar to siblings, likely were High Elves as well.

No, they had to be of a higher status, naturally, as they led other Elves!

Dale felt his lips dry and instinctively licked them, but even his tongue felt parched and rough.

‘Ah… damn it. At the very least, if they had visited yesterday or were to visit tomorrow, Gruel or Ganak would have dealt with them!’

Feeling the weight of someone monumental appearing without prior notice, Dale felt as if he might die from the pressure.

“Um… may I ask what the matter is…?”

It involved the goddess of the Migration Faith, but what could he, a gatekeeper, possibly do by asking?

Realizing how ridiculous that sounded, he suddenly felt embarrassed.

“Um… it’s quite an important matter that shouldn’t be disclosed to just anyone. Is the King Friegoss here?”

Is the king really just guarding the gate leisurely? The thought nearly escaped his lips but he managed to swallow it back.

“Um… no, I suppose not?”

He ended up responding with a foolish answer.

His subordinates looked at him with a peculiar expression, but Dale intentionally ignored them.

‘Try being in this situation yourselves.’

Saraswati, the High Elf, seemed remarkably straightforward and a bit oblivious, which was a blasphemous thought.

Of course, under normal circumstances, he would have admired the charm of an extraordinarily beautiful girl with such naïveté, but in this moment, it was a matter of life and death, so he couldn’t afford to smile.

When Dale was internally restless without any signs of improvement, a savior appeared.

Through the crowd that had been observing from the city, six beautiful women emerged, accompanied by the subordinate who had gone to relay the message to the higher-ups.

‘Saved!’

Dale secretly rejoiced.

Women who were well-known to all citizens of Pohelrn.

Students of the goddess, priests of the Migration Faith, and goddesses of victory who had followed the king on numerous expeditions and achieved many accolades.

These were the Harmonious Swordmistresses of the Migration Faith.

Originally, the Harmonious Swordmistresses seldom ventured out except for expeditions, but it seemed they hastily came upon hearing that the Elves were at the gate.

Upon seeing the High Elves and Elves, the Swordmistresses paused for a moment but stepped forward.

They then addressed Dale.

“Thank you for your hard work, Gatekeeper. We will take over from here.”

“Y-Yes, of course you should.”

Bowing deeply as he handed off the troublesome task to the Swordmistresses, Dale stepped back.

‘…I hope nothing goes wrong.’

As he retreated, he cast a glance at the Elves, who exhibited a very nuanced attitude.

Not only Palas, the High Elf with that subtle expression, but even the Elves standing behind like statues felt their gazes, unseen but palpable, concentrating on the Swordmistresses.

Had such intense scrutiny been directed at him, he might have collapsed from anxiety long ago.

Despite the burdensome stares, one of the Swordmistresses stepped forward, extending her right fist and supporting it with her left hand.

This was the traditional greeting of the Migration Faith.

“It is an honor to meet the brothers of the Master. I can guess the reason for your visit. To explain, the Chancellor Alia wishes to meet you, may we have the opportunity to escort your High Elves?”

The High Elves glanced at one another, nodded in agreement, and, following the guidance of the Swordmistresses, proceeded to cross the gate of Pohelrn.