They reached the Elven Forest just as the sun was about to set. Strictly speaking, they had only reached the neighboring town at that hour, but that hardly mattered. From there, they made their way straight into the forest.
Like before, they turned into a back alley, but this time, it was Noel who opened the path to the elves. Yet for some reason, she looked at Allen with a dissatisfied expression.
“Why aren’t you surprised?”
“Huh? Well...”
Of course, the reason was that he had already seen it once before. But saying it outright was impossible. So how to play it off?
“Ah... Well, Anriette didn’t know about the forest even though it’s inside Linkvist territory. That already told me it had to be hidden somehow. So I figured you’d need some kind of teleportation or space magic to get in and out.”
That was, in fact, what he had thought back when he’d first gone there. It wasn’t even a lie. Still, Noel looked dissatisfied.
“So you’d already guessed. How boring. I was hoping I’d get to surprise you.”
“Well, I get how you feel. Honestly, I was pretty shocked myself the first time. But you don’t look surprised at all,” said Anriette, turning to Allen, her eyes narrowing.
“I was surprised the first time I saw it too,” said Mylène.
“See?” said Noel.
“Even so...” muttered Allen.
What was he supposed to do about it? At least Noel seemed aware that she was being unreasonable. Though she looked displeased, she didn’t press further.
“Hah. Fine. Anyway, just ahead is the Elven Forest.”
“I can’t help feeling a little tense,” said Anriette, suddenly fidgeting. “They’re not going to suddenly capture us, are they?”
“Of course not,” said Noel, her eyes widening. “What do you think elves are?”
“I may be a runaway, but on paper I’m still a noble of the empire. And I know well enough what elves think of imperial nobles.”
“If you were alone, maybe. But with us, that won’t happen...probably.” Noel said nonchalantly.
“Not exactly the reassurance I was hoping for,” Allen muttered. He wasn’t a noble, but he was still a foreigner being brought there by one. He could imagine how elves might feel about the nobility and, by extension, Allen himself. Noel and the others were with him, so it should be fine...he hoped.
“Well, no point overthinking it.”
“Right. Sometimes you’ve just got to charge in and hope for the best,” said Anriette.
“No, charging in is the worst option,” Noel cut in sternly. “I told you, we’ll be fine.”
“If something does happen, I’ll make sure to explain,” Allen assured her.
“I’ll hold you to that,” said Noel.
With those words, they stepped through the path Noel had opened. As expected, the sensation was the same as when they had gone through one that Anriette had created. The alley around them warped, the scenery twisting out of shape, and in an instant the back street vanished, replaced by a lush green forest.
“And you’re still not surprised,” said Noel, looking somewhat disappointed.
“Well, I sort of expected this too,” said Allen.
“I had an inkling as well, but it still startled me,” said Anriette.
“Should I come up with something flashier next time?” Noel asked.
“Isn’t that kind of missing the point?” Allen joked. He gave Noel a smile, and she sighed in frustration.
She seemed genuinely irritated, but then—true to her title as queen—she quickly composed herself again. “Well, fine. I’ll just have to think of another way to shock you later.”
“You really have your priorities twisted.”
Allen’s protest went ignored. Noel cleared her throat, put on a smile, and declared:
“Welcome to the Elven Forest.”
Truthfully, Allen had half expected a group of elves waiting in ambush just like last time. But no such thing happened. The forest wasn’t empty either. A little farther in, a familiar man was waiting for them: Percival.
“Welcome home, Your Majesty. Your return was swifter than I had imagined.”
“Yes, I’m back. But this isn’t a formal return. I’m just stopping by. There’s something I want to ask.”
“Something you wish to ask?” Percival tilted his head curiously, then glanced at Allen and the others. His eyes narrowed with suspicion. A natural reaction, really. “So, it involves these outsiders?”
“That’s right, though it’s not unrelated to me. In fact, I’d say half of it concerns me directly.”
“It concerns Your Majesty? Hm. I see. Then there must be special circumstances here. I would like to hear them in detail, but...”
“These people are safe. You can guide them,” said Mylène bluntly.
“If Lady Mylène says so, then I will trust you.”
“Safe” wasn’t the word Allen would have chosen, but he wisely kept quiet. Percival seemed satisfied, so it was the right call.
“In that case, shall we go to my house?” he asked.
“Mine will do. There’s no reason to trouble you,” Noel replied.
“As you wish.”
He seemed reluctant at first, but in the end, he accepted her decision. Perhaps it was too much to expect him to trust strangers on Mylène’s word alone. Still, Allen couldn’t help thinking he was being a little too cautious.
“I think they’ve figured out who I am,” Anriette whispered.
“Figured out...that you’re an imperial noble?” he asked.
“I’ve heard elves are isolationist to begin with. And sure, we’re guests of the queen right now, but their wariness feels too sharp, and I’m betting it’s because of me.”
“I see.”
If that was true, then the elves’ hatred of imperial nobles was stronger than Allen had expected. Perhaps that was why only Percival had come to greet them. Still, as long as there was no danger, there was no problem. With those thoughts in mind, he followed Noel as she led them deeper into the forest.
“By the way, Your Majesty, you said you would only be staying briefly. Does that mean you will continue your journey afterward?”
“Yes. We’ll rest here tonight, but we’ll depart tomorrow.”
“I see. And your destination will be...the kingdom?”
“Who knows? Eventually, yes, I suppose so.”
“Depending on my answer?”
“Oh, so that’s what this question of yours relates to.”
From their exchange, it seemed Percival knew their next destination, which meant he must have been the one who had gone to meet Noel before. Considering what had happened in the other world, he had likely served as her proxy in her absence. Perhaps that was precisely why he had gone. Whatever that role entailed, surely nothing could have been more important than bringing back the last living heir.
“Then I’ll make sure the carriage is properly prepared, wherever you may go. The horses, too, will be well rested.”
“Thank you. That would be appreciated.”
The carriage had come with them to the Elven Forest and could apparently be served there. Allen hadn’t pictured elves doing such work, but clearly they did what was necessary.
As he thought that, his eyes roamed over their surroundings. It had been some time since he had visited the forest in the other world. And strangely, the atmosphere here felt a little different. Not in any obvious way, but...
“The elves are moving more briskly than I expected.”
“Briskly? What do you mean?”
He had meant to mutter it to himself, but Anriette heard him. She tilted her head as she, too, watched the elves.
“Well, it’s just...I thought elves would be more relaxed. Lazing about, you know.”
It wasn’t just his own impression, but rather what he remembered from before. For him, that was what elves were supposed to be like. Yet now, none of them were lounging idly.
“Hm... Your impression isn’t entirely wrong. In fact, there was a time when we were like that,” Percival said, having overheard. Or perhaps he was keeping an ear on them.
“If it’s different now, does that mean something happened?”
“Hm. One could say something did, and one could also say nothing did.”
“That’s not very clear...” said Allen flatly.
“Stop being so cryptic,” Anriette cut in. “It’s rude.”
“That isn’t my intention. But this does relate to the nature of our people. It is not something to be spoken of lightly.”
“In that case, don’t worry about it. I was just curious, not desperate to know,” Anriette replied.
“Same here,” Allen agreed.
But in truth, he already had a guess. He had once heard that elves developed in accordance with the nature of their monarch. And here, unlike in the other world, Noel stood as their queen. That explained the difference in how they carried themselves.
Still, he hadn’t expected the change to be this noticeable—enough to feel a real dissonance. Seeing it firsthand drove home how vital a queen was to the elves as a race. Of course, he had only learned that in the other world. In this world, it wouldn’t make sense for him to know such things, so he said nothing more.
Quietly, Allen followed Noel and the others, gazing at an Elven Forest that was just a bit different from the one he remembered.