Now that we were free from the spirits’ interferences, Teto and I could finally contact Beretta with our magical communication devices.
“Oooh, it worked!” Teto chirped when we got connected to Beretta.
“Beretta, how’s the connection?”
“It is satisfactory,” Beretta replied from the other end of the line.
Using teleportation and communication spells in this part of the forest was completely impossible due to the spirits’ interference. When Teto and I got separated, both of our first reactions had been to try using our transfer gates and communication devices, but to no avail. But now that we had the spirit tags Rorona had made for us, we could finally contact Beretta. I was feeling a bit moved to be able to talk to her at last, and it must’ve shown on my face, as Beretta threw me a quizzical look.
“Have you arrived in the elves’ forest already, Master?” she asked me.
I nodded and proceeded to tell her everything from the moment Althea came to pick us up in Liefe. Teto occasionally interrupted me to supply some details, and Beretta nodded at regular intervals to show she was still listening.
“I see,” she said when my little story time was over. “So that is what happened.”
“Yup. There were a couple of hiccups along the way, but we’ve successfully reached the elves’ kingdom and delivered Fauzard to his contractor’s kin.”
Now that we had accomplished what we came here to do, we didn’t exactly have any other plans in the elves’ forest.
“Will you be returning home, then?” Beretta asked.
“Probably. The elves are a bit unsociable with other races, so it’s not like we can just wander around and go sightseeing. We’ll come home soon,” I said.
“It’s a bit of a shame we didn’t get to buy souvenirs for you guys before, though,” Teto lamented, her shoulders slumping.
“Let’s ask Miss Elnea to let us visit the town next time,” I suggested to cheer her up.
“I shall eagerly await your return, Master, Lady Teto,” Beretta concluded.
We told her goodbye and cut the call right as someone knocked on our door.
“Chise, Teto, do you have some free time at the moment?” Elnea asked as she opened the door.
“We have nothing but free time. Humans can’t just wander around town on their own here, can they?” I pointed out.
Elnea’s art collection had kept us occupied for a few days, but there was only so much we could do to pass the time without leaving the palace. It was fine when we were with Elnea and Althea, given their status, but we couldn’t just walk around town on our own.
“I must go conduct an inspection of the town shortly, so I was thinking of inviting you two to join me,” Elnea said.
“She is just using her royal duties as an excuse to take you sightseeing,” Althea said with a deep sigh.
So, Elnea wanted to give us the nickel tour, huh?
“Thank you so much! Teto will buy lots of souvenirs for Beretta and the others!” Teto cheered.
On the other hand, I was a bit concerned for Elnea. “Are you sure we can come? Don’t you have work to do?”
She could pretend to be on an official mission as she showed us around town all she wanted, but she was still the queen; she must have had duties.
“I can just delegate my tasks to the elders and my most promising young advisors. I do not involve myself too much in the kingdom’s politics in the first place.”
“Personally, I wish you’d act in a way more befitting of your rank, but...” Althea sighed.
“I think most immortal beings tend to be that way,” I pointed out.
It seemed that, just like me, Elnea reigned over her kingdom but didn’t actively participate in its day-to-day affairs. I completely got her; after all, the two of us were immortal. If we took care of everything by ourselves, the younger generation would never have the opportunity to grow and develop. For that reason, I believed our way of doing things was the most appropriate.
“Well then, let us cease dillydallying and head out, shall we? Chise, Teto, is there somewhere you two wish to go?” Elnea asked.
“We don’t really know what’s out there, so I’m thinking we can just walk around, and you can tell us about the town,” I suggested.
“Lady Witch loves books! And Teto loves yummy things!” Teto supplied.
“Then let us visit the shops and marketplaces,” Elnea decided.
And so she and Althea took us out of the palace for the first time since our arrival in the elven capital. It was the middle of the day, so the streets were bustling with activity; every time we crossed paths with the elves, they would bow their heads to Elnea and greet her cheerfully.
“Are you all doing well? I have decided to give my guests a tour of the town,” she explained.
This aroused the elves’ curiosity, and they gathered around us to steal glances at Teto and me, but Elnea calmly made them understand that we preferred not to be disturbed, and they all left soon enough.
After that, we headed to what looked like a shopping district, where Elnea caught the attention of the shopkeepers once again.
“Welcome to the shopping district, Lady Elnea! We would be honored to have you visit our shop.”
“Ah, please come to our shop too!”
“Your shop’s a weapon store! What’s she gonna do there? She doesn’t need weapons!”
“Lady Elnea, we have just produced this year’s new batch of magic silk. Would you care to have a garment tailored from it?”
Words flew from all directions as we made our way through the street.
“Well then, Chise, Teto, is there a shop you would like to visit?” Elnea asked us, a stiff smile on her face at the overzealous attention of the shopkeepers.
“Hm... What about—”
Gurgle.
“Huh? What was that noise?”
As I was looking around the street, trying to pick a shop to visit, Teto’s stomach suddenly started growling.
“I’m a bit hungry,” she said, giggling bashfully, which drew a chuckle out of me in turn.
Well, our first stop is all decided, then.
“Miss Elnea, Miss Althea, are there any eateries you recommend in the area?” I asked.
“I shall take you to my favorite spot!” Elnea declared. “My treat!”
“I appreciate the feeling, but friends shouldn’t loan each other money when they’re both flush. We’ll pay our own way.”
We followed Elnea to her favorite café, which sold sweets made with legumes, nuts, and berries, all of which were abundant this deep into the forest. I had some dried fruits, as well as a slice of maple syrup tart, and washed it all down with a cup of acorn coffee. Since reincarnating in this world, the only coffee I’d had was the stuff I made with my Creation Magic. The kind brewed by the elves had a bit of a different flavor, making for a fresh experience. It was pretty good, so I bought two jars of ground acorns to brew at home. After we were done with our meal, Elnea took us on a walk around town, where we got to see a lot of exciting sights. It was, overall, a really fun day.