This morning, as I was about to wake up as usual, I sensed someone very close, so close that I could feel their breath. I pretended to be asleep to find out who it was. Using Aura Sensing, I confirmed that it was the elf girl. I wondered what she was up to…
On top of that, Gobmi, Redhead Shorty, the blacksmith, the chef sisters, and the alchemist were all peering at me from a distance.
What on earth is going on?
I couldn’t keep pretending to sleep forever. Besides, the mixed emotions in Gobmi’s gaze were starting to make me feel uneasy. So, I suddenly opened my eyes wide, startling the girl and reversing the roles from yesterday.
Her translucent blue-silver wings unfurled again in surprise, and her cute, flustered movements amused me so much that I couldn’t help but laugh. She blushed deeply and slapped me on the cheek.
Why, though? Well, no harm done, anyway.
After finishing the breakfast the chef sisters had prepared, Gobkichi and I set off to escort the elf girl to her village. By the way, now that Gobkichi was an ogre, he also thought it would be too easy to kill hobgoblins by accident, so he, like me, no longer participated in training. Currently, training was overseen by the second-in-command hobgoblin.
We walked for about three hours, occasionally hunting Golden Spiders as we traversed elven-made forest paths and rarely used trails, until we finally arrived at our destination. The elf girl, having warmed up to us, shared various pieces of information along the way about her blue-silver wings and the power dynamics among the elves. It was quite enlightening.
As soon as we reached the village, we were surrounded by elves who sprang out from the bushes and descended from the trees. I counted at least twenty-five in my line of sight, and with Aura Sensing, I could detect even more hidden, waiting for an opening. It seemed we were encircled by a force of forty-eight elves, and every last one was aiming mithril-tipped arrows at Gobkichi and me, targeting our vitals.
However, it wasn’t much of a concern. We could easily have wiped them out if necessary with our abilities alone; our bodies and equipment could withstand several dozen mithril-tipped arrows without problem. Ogres have remarkable vitality.
Of course, taking several hits directly to the head might have been dangerous. Even at close range, I was confident in my ability to dodge, but fighting the elves here would be more trouble than it was worth, especially with the elf girl nearby.
Gobkichi, however, reacted to the killing intent and drawn bows by coming close to slaughtering the surrounding elves with his axe. I stopped him while the girl calmed her companions.
Incidentally, we stored our axes, shields, and other items in handy magic storage bracelets that could hold up to 20 items at a time, making them easily accessible when needed.
After some initial hubbub, the elves found they couldn’t ignore her orders. As a compromise, it was decided that the elven guards posing as sentinels would escort us through the elven village.
As soon as we first set foot in the village, it was immediately clear that the elves lived in harmony with immense trees. At the center of the village stood an absolutely enormous tree, much larger even than the tree housing the dryad I had encountered before. Around it were several other gigantic trees, each fitted with staircases, platforms, and living quarters, connected by suspension bridges.
The elves’ living spaces were mainly above ground among the trees, but they also had inverted hedges and moats at ground level to fend off external threats. Additionally, livestock pens were built at the bases of large trees, indicating that their lives weren’t confined solely to the treetops.
As we observed the village’s layout, we climbed and descended stairs, crossed creaky suspension bridges, and endured the elves’ curious or condescending stares. Eventually, we reached a building that seemed to be our destination.
It was a grand mansion, distinctly larger than the surrounding houses. Two guards stood by the imposing gate, and I could feel numerous eyes watching us from the shadows. It appeared to be the elf girl’s home. The servants who came out welcomed her warmly, as would be expected when greeting the daughter of a chieftain.
We were led into the mansion and brought to a room that seemed to be a reception area, where we met her father. He was an impressive elf, with a well-groomed white mustache and a fit physique—truly a distinguished gentleman. He embraced his daughter with a loving smile and expressed his gratitude to us with a dignified bow. His every movement exuded authority befitting his position.
The same blue-silver wings that the elf girl had displayed unfolded from his back. According to her, these wings were proof that an elf had undergone Existence Evolution to become a high elf.
High elves usually kept their wings hidden within their bodies, making them indistinguishable from regular elves, and rarely showed them in public. She was too inexperienced to control her wings when startled. Her father, however, displayed them intentionally—perhaps to assert his authority or to show sincerity in dealing with us, or maybe both.
Following his invitation, I tried to sit in a wooden chair, but it creaked ominously under my weight, so I politely declined and sat cross-legged on the floor instead.
A maid brought us tea, which was quite delicious, likely made from high-quality leaves. As we sipped our drinks and exchanged casual conversation, we gradually moved to more serious matters. Our request was straightforward: since we had saved the chieftain’s precious daughter, we expected a suitable reward.
I left the specifics of the reward to the chieftain, allowing him to determine the value of his daughter’s life. Maybe that’s an unpopular approach, but I knew it would help us understand the chieftain’s character and whether he could make rational decisions, which in turn would make future negotiations easier.
Such costs were necessary. If this strategy failed, there were other ways to proceed. However, to my surprise, we were offered an Ancient-class Divine Relic Artifact as a reward.
It was a magic item in the form of a bow, identified as Failnaught, the Legendary Absolute Accuracy Bow. Unlike ordinary bows, this one didn’t require arrows. Simply drawing the string would create arrows from air and magic, materializing them into semi-physical form. In other words, Failnaught never ran out of arrows. Plus, its arrows were endowed with Absolute Accuracy: as long as the target was within range and not blocked by a shield, they would never miss. The bow has other abilities too, but I’ll set aside the detailed explanation for now.
From the elf girl’s reaction—one of astonishment and incredulity—it was clear that this bow was one of her family’s treasured heirlooms. However, her father was willing to part with it, valuing his daughter’s life above all else. It was a bit extreme as rewards go, but I didn’t object because I was the one benefiting. I only watched the father-daughter interaction with a warm, approving gaze.
That being said, receiving a family heirloom made me feel a bit guilty about just leaving afterward. So instead, I decided to share some of the information I had. It wasn’t like I personally disliked the chieftain or anything, and considering the upcoming war—not to mention neighborhood relations—it was a good opportunity to establish a connection.
I casually dropped details about the human forces—such as their routes, scale, and timelines—and even some effective trap combinations and strategies. The chieftain then offered more rewards in exchange for further information, including thirty mithril chain shirts, thirty mithril short swords, twenty mithril ingots, and several useful magic items for daily life.
I was lucky to be dealing with someone who understood the importance of information.
As I watched the elf chieftain scribble down the details of the enemy’s internal affairs and my trap advice, I placed five each of the Water, Earth, and Wind Spirit Stones from my Item Box onto the table, along with ten knives crafted by our blacksmith from each type of Spirit Stone. I also added three unique shovels, specifically designed for elves skilled in handling spirits.
My intention was partly to gain the elves’ favor, but I also wanted to help fill the gap left by the elite elves I’d defeated in the past.
Thus, our negotiations concluded successfully. I exchanged a friendly smile and a firm handshake with the chieftain; though, when he asked if I knew the whereabouts of his elite troops, I had to laugh it off and deny any knowledge. I certainly couldn’t admit that we had taken them captive.
As we were leaving, the chieftain presented us with some elf-crafted elixirs and fine wine. The wine alone amounted to three barrels. I was starting to wonder if all this good fortune was thanks to my Luck ability. Either way, I was very much looking forward to the wine. Before leaving, I told the chieftain that I would assist him in the future for a modest fee.
That night, we shared the wine with everyone—it was a special occasion, after all. As for me, I couldn’t help but exclaim, “Elven wine is amazing!” The taste was rich and refreshing, not quite addictive but so delicious that it almost felt that way. Yes, I will definitely be trying to get more of this wine. Now, I have another reason to stay on good terms with the elven chieftain.