Chapter 15

“Savior! This is the way to the Hidden Village of the Elves!” “R-right. And could you stop calling me that?” Shortly after she’d saved a young elven girl named Elna, Lorna found herself being pulled by the hand into the depths of the woods. “Make sure you hold on tightly! If you don’t, you’ll get lost and never find your way home.” “Wh-what?! That’s really scary!” As they walked, the fog grew thicker and thicker until Lorna could no longer see the path ahead. Now that I think about it… This area is called the Woods of Confusion, right? Lorna recalled hearing tales of this place back when she lived at her family’s estate. According to Elna, the fog of confusion was a barrier put up by the elves to prevent their village from being found by outsiders. …I don’t want to get lost forever. Terrified, Lorna let herself be dragged through the spooky woods. A while later, Elna spoke up. “We’re almost at the village.” “Oh… Thank goodness,” said Lorna, exhaling. But her relief was short-lived. “Begone, human!” “Um, what?” Lorna looked up and saw countless arrows poking out from the fog, ready to be fired. It was a group of elves. “Wh-what are you doing?! This human is good!” Elna stepped out in front of Lorna and spread her arms wide to protect her. “…It’s Princess Elna! Filthy human! What do you plan to do with our princess?!” The elves seemed particularly on edge. Their eyes, full of fear, were trained on Lorna. “U-um, well… To be honest with you, I kinda just let her drag me here. I wasn’t really planning on doing anything. Look, she’s perfectly safe—” “L-liar!” cried one of the elves. “You think you can fool us? We know you’re the one behind the cataclysm that’s befallen the forest!” “……” Lorna realized the elves had plenty of reason to be suspicious of her. She had scorched the shrubbery, frozen the foliage, and torn the forest apart with tornadoes. At this point, she should have expected the elves to declare war on her. “Th-the mana this human exudes…i-it’s… Urp… Bleeeeeeergh.” “H-hey, you all right? C’mon, speak to me!” “Eek! Yaaaargh! S-s-stay away from me!!!” “Idiot, what are you thinking, firing on her?! The princess is right— W-wait, the arrow just bounced off her!” “H-her skin is like stone! She’s a monster!” “Curses! You damned Calamity Witch! Do you plan to destroy our forest?!” “It seems we’ve no choice but to go to war with humankind, after all…!” …This was a disaster. All Lorna had done was stand there. And yet somehow, things were going downhill fast. Th-this is really getting out of hand… All she had wanted to do was collect some herbs from the woods. I want to go back to town… I just want to trade these herbs in for some money… Lorna gazed into the distance and thought about how badly she wanted to be anywhere but here. “Calm yourselves!” Elna’s appeal silenced the other elves. It was a gesture befitting of a princess. Despite her childlike appearance, she had the dignified air of royalty. “Everyone… Please settle down and behold the item in the Savior’s hand.” Elna pointed at the staff Lorna was holding. The other elves looked closely and began to murmur. “I-it cannot be. The staff of legend… The mythical Staff of World Tree?!” Um… Is that right? “Then, this can only mean one thing… That you are the Savior from our prophecies!” Um… Are you sure? “That is correct! Just as crisis has befallen our village, the Savior has appeared to help us!” Um… Well, I guess. For some reason, Elna had a smug grin. “I-is this true…?!” said one of the elves. “You’ll save our village…?!” “Then what we have done is an unforgivable affront to the Savior…!” The elves all looked to Lorna, their faces twisted in a mix of confusion and awe. And all at once… “““Please forgive us, O Savior!!!””” …they apologized to her. Lorna gazed at the elves, only one thought on her mind: I…really want to go home. A short while later, Elna guided Lorna into the Hidden Village of the Elves. “Whoa…” It was a peaceful village gently lit by rays of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy. Simple houses had been built within the branches of the trees, connected by rope ladders and bridges running between them. Lorna couldn’t help but gasp in admiration. The atmosphere here was so different from Aiphoné. Something about the scene before her tickled her tourist bone in a way she hadn’t yet experienced. “This place is really pretty!” she said. “I’m so glad to hear you say that, O Savior!” “Um, I’m not this savior person, so please…” Elna was acting as Lorna’s tour guide, and Lorna’s praise had filled her with pride. That was all well and good, of course, but… “……” …when Lorna looked down at the ground below, she saw countless elves kneeling in a neat line. These were the same elven soldiers who had attacked her not long ago. “““Welcome to our village, O Savior of the land!””” “……” Playing the tourist was starting to seem like more trouble than it was worth. Lorna felt the urge to get out of here as soon as possible well up inside her, but she resisted it. Seeing that it was causing a commotion, Lorna had sent her Staff of World Tree to the Item Box. Thankfully, with it gone, the elves had stopped vomiting and going into a frenzy whenever she passed. But the act of putting away the staff had caused its own share of headaches. “She’s destroyed the Staff of World Tree!” “Gyaaaaah! She really is a Calamity Witch!!!” But more than any of that, there was something Lorna was curious about. “What is all this…?” she asked. As they continued deeper into the village, she’d spotted a number of elves slumped on the ground in tattered clothing. They were gaunt and moaning, “Medicine… Where’s the medicine…?” “Oh, right,” she continued after a moment. “You said there was a mysterious illness sweeping through town, didn’t you?” “What? I haven’t told you about the illness yet… I’m surprised to hear you know of it.” “O-oh, really? I thought I remembered you mentioning it.” It was then that Lorna recalled she had learned about the illness from the internet. She didn’t know much about it, but it looked quite grave indeed. This must have been what the elves meant when they said that a crisis had befallen their village. Hmm, I’d love to help them out, but…this doesn’t seem like the kind of thing I can do much about. It’s not like I’m a real savior or anything. I guess I might be able to find something about it on the internet. As she pondered the elves’ predicament, Lorna popped open the internet to look up more details on the village. Map: Hidden Village of the Elves A village of elves within the Ipple Woods. The village can be entered after accepting the side quest, The Toxic Ambitions of Dr. Zariché. Many items can only be found in this village. The Elven Garb and Elven Nostrum, in particular, prove useful for much of the game. If visited before clearing part one of the main story, it’s possible to gain hints about how to obtain the Staff of World Tree. Its regional delicacies are Elf juice and Elf crackers. “…Huh. How about that.” At the very least, she now knew about the village’s delicacies. She was feeling a bit peckish and hoped to find something to eat. But as she looked around, she couldn’t see anything resembling a food stall. “U-um, sorry, but uh… Is there anyplace around here where I can buy Elf juice and Elf crackers?” “…I’m sorry. Currently, the illness has us all far too preoccupied to make either of them.” “……” Lorna could no longer abide this mysterious illness. It was unforgivable for such a thing to stand in the way of a tourist’s urge to sample the local foods. “Elna. I swear I’ll rid your village of this illness.” “Th-thank you so much! Oh, I just knew you were pure of heart, O Savior. You have my undying gratitude!” “Hmm? Oh. Um, right.” Looking down at the elf princess, her eyes sparkling in gratitude and admiration, Lorna found it difficult to come clean about her ulterior motives. After this exchange, they continued their tour. And after a while, Elna gestured toward a building in front of them. “We’ve arrived, O Savior! This is my home!” she said. Wow, yep. That is one heck of a castle. It was an enormous palace built from wood atop a gargantuan tree. “Mother, I’ve brought the Savior with me.” “…Enter.” With those words, Lorna was ushered into the queen’s bedroom. A carpet embroidered with a traditional elven pattern was spread across the ground. The walls and ceiling were made of woven branches, leaving gaps through which Lorna could see the sky. And there, in the very center of the room, was Ellhar, Queen of the Elves. She was lying on a large canopy bed. Another elf in a white robe like a doctor’s stood by her bedside. Th-this is…the elven queen? Lorna let out an astonished gasp. The queen exuded a mysterious beauty that transcended human understanding. Her face was pale and gaunt from illness, yet she retained a quiet dignity. Lorna had met countless nobles in her time, but she had never seen one as majestic as the queen of the elves. “So you… You are the Savior…?” the queen asked. “Huh? Oh… Um, yes. Th-that’s me. My name is Lorna.” “I see… You have traveled far to see us, O Savior. I regret that you find me in this state.” “I-it’s fine… No problem at all.” “Hmm, strange… Ah yes…,” the elf queen said, turning her gaze on Lorna as though appraising her. “You are not currently in possession of the Staff of World Tree. And yet…I sense the essence of the world—a certain divinity—emanating from your person.” “…!” The elf queen’s eyes seemed to be trained directly in front of Lorna—on the internet screen she currently had open. This was a surprise—Lorna had the window in incognito mode. No one but her should have been able to see it. Perhaps the queen had sensed the internet’s presence on a more instinctual level. “Hmm-hmm… Today is a joyous day, indeed. How can I allow myself to lie here at such an auspicious time? I should—cough, cough!” “M-Mother?!” cried Elna. The queen began to cough violently, and the doctor at her bedside quickly reached out to rub her upper back. “You should take care not to speak so much, Your Majesty… Please, take your medicine.” “A-ah… Thank you, Zariché.” The doctor, Zariché, gave the queen a vial of liquid medicine. Soon after, the queen’s coughing fit came to an end, and she regained her composure. “…Your medicine is always so effective. You, too, have done much to earn your title of savior, Zariché.” “You humble me with your kind words, Your Majesty. However, the true Savior would surely find a cure for this terrible illness.” Zariché spoke with a sour tone, casting a suspicious gaze in Lorna’s direction. Lorna wondered if the elf saw her as a con woman here to steal her job. “The Savior has only just arrived in our village,” said the queen. “We must not ask so much of her. Besides, this strange illness ravaging our home is the worst malady to ever befall the elves.” “…Ah! B-beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” apologized Zariché, looking embarrassed. The queen’s reprimand had silenced her immediately.