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“Welcome to the Great Forest… and to our Arielte Family.”

The head of the Arielte family leisurely rose from her seat, greeting us. She began to pour tea into two pre-prepared teacups on the table. This must be elven tea, as the refreshing aroma wafted all the way to this distant location.

While she poured the tea, the Cotton Puff, who had been quietly dozing on my head or shoulder, began to murmur softly.

—Nyah…

The Cotton Puff’s attention was drawn to the head of the Arielte family. As a spirit, it occasionally showed interest in Friel, who had a strong essence of spirits, and now it was fixing its sparkling eyes on the head, indicating that she radiated an unusual aura.

After pouring tea into the cups, she slowly regarded Shione and me with a keen gaze.

“Please, have a seat. I hope the tea I’ve prepared suits your taste.”

“Then I’ll excuse myself.”

Shione and I each took our seats at the table where the tea and snacks were arranged. The head observed us with a sideways glance as she returned to her seat.

“How does the tea taste? It’s made from tea leaves grown in lands rich with the essence of the wind spirit. I hope you find it to your liking.”

Essentially, it was Shione, the Count’s Young Lady, who answered the head’s question, while I merely listened to their conversation.

“Tea leaves grown in lands rich in the essence of the wind spirit… It must be a rare tea one can only find in the Great Forest.”

“Indeed. It clears the mind and relieves tension remarkably well. If you would like, I can arrange to have some set aside for you.”

“Thank you for your consideration, Head.”

Shione carefully lifted her teacup and took a sip. Seeing her eyes brighten a bit suggested the taste was quite pleasant.

…Is it delicious?

The aroma seemed to carry a hint of mint…

I took a sip of the tea myself.

The flavor…

In contrast to its fragrance, there wasn’t a trace of sharp or spicy taste. It could be described as sweet and smoothly refreshing, sliding down my throat. I wasn’t sure about relieving tension, but it indeed did seem to clarify the mind to some extent.

As Shione and I sipped our tea and displayed pretty decent reactions, the head’s expression shifted from boredom to slight satisfaction.

“It seems you like the tea. I’m glad.”

However, that feeling of satisfaction was short-lived.

A heavy presence began to emanate from the head, overtaking the space. She was an elf who had likely lived for centuries. The weight of her existence, stemming from the time and experiences she had accumulated, was anything but light.

Despite her beautiful appearance, her aura coiled slowly up like a serpent, beginning at her ankles.

‘…This brings back memories.’

It felt eerily reminiscent of that little ear-piercing brat who once tried to choke me like this. It was a subtle, irritating sensation.

Yet I skillfully suppressed and extinguished my emotions, adjusting myself so the sharp-eyed elder wouldn’t catch on. I didn’t want to wear a face that might invite unwelcome attention from the head, which could lead to trouble for both Shione and me.

I quietly listened to the head’s words.

“Though late, I should introduce myself. I am Fletta Arielte, one of the elders of the Great Forest and the head of the Arielte family.”

Fletta Arielte.

The head who also doubled as an elder of the Great Forest was named Fletta Arielte.

“I’m truly delighted that you, Sir Knight of the Count’s House, and Young Lady Shione Shianella, the second daughter of Count Shianella, have come all the way here.”

Fletta raised her teacup to savor the aroma.

“I am profoundly grateful that you, the heroes of the prophecy, made the long journey here on the guidance of the World Tree and the Grand Elder. It’s said that the founding knight of the Count’s family was closer to our family than to the other families in the Great Forest. I indeed feel quite pleased as the head of a reliable family has come to visit.”

After finishing her statement, Fletta took a sip of tea.

During that time, we stayed silent, waiting for her to say more.

“….”

Shione seemed eager to express her own gratitude for the honor of meeting her, but our serious, heavy atmosphere and the lingering tension made it hard for words to flow.

Having nothing particular to respond to Fletta’s words, silence inevitably stretched out between us.

—Nyah.

The Cotton Puff, perched on my shoulder, flapped its tiny wings and made its way to the table. It walked around the table with little steps, looking up at us with big eyes.

Upon Cotton Puff’s intrusion, Fletta’s gaze shifted toward me.

“…From the moment I entered the room, I could sense a strong spirit essence. It seems you have contracted a spirit.”

Her deep, murky teal eyes locked onto me, as if the subtle gaze held questions about me.

“It appears to be a low-tier spirit… but the essence it possesses is unusual. Hmmm…”

It was likely because I’d touched the Spirit Stone in the room.

With the essence she felt from me, and the intense aura emanating from the Cotton Puff that was clinging tightly to the Spirit Stone, it must have seemed like something more potent than a mere low-tier spirit.

Fletta extended her hand toward the Cotton Puff.

—Nyah.

The Cotton Puff pushed its nose against Fletta’s hand, sniffing for aromatic treasures, then tilted its head before returning to me.

As the Cotton Puff climbed back onto my shoulder, having taken my aroma, it nodded knowingly as if comprehending something before comfortably sprawled out again.

Thus, Shione, Fletta, and I couldn’t help but be momentarily distracted by the Cotton Puff.

“…Low-tier spirits typically possess incomplete personalities, yet yours seems to have a sense of self as firm as a mid-tier spirit. That’s intriguing. Is it due to your exceptional abilities as a contractor?”

Through her round glasses, Fletta’s eyes narrowed slightly.

With her tone leaning toward an inquiry, I opened my mouth to respond.

“My spirit has been like this since I first met it. It’s probably more correct to say that my spirit excels rather than me.”

“Hmmm…”

At that, the Cotton Puff started to show off playfully, wanting to flaunt itself unnecessarily.

—Nyah!

Attempting to appear more dignified, the Cotton Puff fluffed up its fur and puffed its little body. But no matter what, it couldn’t escape its appearance, resembling a small Pomeranian, appearing rather trivial.

Fletta merely adjusted her glasses, watching the little spirit’s show of pride.

“…What a peculiar spirit.”

The Cotton Puff was indeed a unique spirit, even to an elf who had lived for centuries.

*

Once the Cotton Puff’s antics had drawn the attention of Fletta Arielte, our conversation started to flow relatively smoothly. We discussed how we would be staying in the Arielte family for a while, expressed a desire to borrow strength in times of trouble, and briefly heard about Eunice Kalia, who was stationed here along with the Marquis family’s second army.

However, there was an underlying issue.

‘…This is a bit stressful.’

Throughout our clear discussion, I sensed that Fletta’s attention was skewed toward me and Shione, not equally shared—rather, it seemed disproportionately focused on me.

—Nyah…

The somewhat bored Cotton Puff, stretching quietly, indicated that it was tired of the situation. Its carefree nature and the lingering aroma of the Spirit Stone I had brought out earlier were more than enough to catch the elf’s interest.

Especially since I had heard that even male elves were limited in their innate mana, hindering their ability to easily contract with spirits, so perhaps my being a male human who had successfully done so had heightened her intrigue.

As some time passed…

“Now then—”

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor.

Fletta Arielte rose from her seat without hesitation, draping her coat over her shoulders as she spoke.

“It seems we’ve covered a bit about our side, so let’s move on to the most important agenda for today.”

“…The most important agenda would be meeting the Grand Elder of the Great Forest, I presume.”

Fletta nodded slightly at Shione’s words.

“Since receiving the prophecy, the Grand Elder has been eagerly awaiting your arrival. However, by principle, anyone wishing to visit the Grand Elder’s location must be accompanied by an elder…”

The head of one of the top three families in the Great Forest, dressed in a coat adorned with the imagery of the World Tree, stated, approaching a little closer to Shione and me.

“I shall personally guide you to the Grand Elder.”

With a slow, deliberate demeanor, Fletta began to wander the corners of the room.

She wielded a ceremonial sword that looked similar to the one Friel used but was designed for veneration—attaching it to her waist. Simultaneously—

‘…That bow.’

She held a bow exuding a richer and nobler aura than the one I received from the royal castle, and speaking in a languid voice, she said.

“You can look forward to it. The path to the Grand Elder is filled with sights worth seeing.”

Despite the lethargic expression on Fletta’s face, she was by no means dismissible.

Though she hadn’t shown much prowess while wielding the ceremonial sword, the moment she gripped the bow, she exuded an aura that felt flawless.

She was not just the head of one of the Great Forest’s prestigious families; she was a formidable High Elf who protected and led the Great Forest alongside the elders.

 

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