Chapter 196
"Even so, you've really grown."
Having rejoined the elven caravan, I found myself saying that without thinking.
Not that any of the elves had grown much.
The elves traveling with the caravan were all, at least, old enough to be considered full-fledged adults, and even elven children don't grow all that much in ten or twenty years.
"Hey, it was worth all the hard work just to see Aiser-sama look surprised."
The one who said this proudly was Huresio, an elven bard.
Of course, he hadn't grown any bigger, either.
"Hey, Hyu, you didn't really work all that hard—well, maybe a little. Aiser-sama, Airena-san is the one who worked really hard!"
The one interjecting like that was Rebis, also an elven artist.
Their familiar exchange made me laugh as well.
So what, exactly, had grown? The answer was the size of the elven caravan.
The caravan, which had once consisted of about eight members, now had well over twenty.
There were more carriages too, and some elves traveled on horseback because the carriages couldn't hold everyone.
This is just right.
I get motion sickness in carriages, so I'll borrow a horse.
Unlike my former self, I was now capable of traveling alone on horseback.
There were probably both positive and negative reasons behind the elven caravan's expansion.
The positive factor was undoubtedly that, as elven caravans began traveling back and forth, more forest elves had developed an interest in the outside world.
Ah, some elves would naturally see that as a bad change, but from my perspective, it seemed like a good one.
Since it took courage to plunge alone into the human world, they joined the caravan and spent time with their fellow elves.
Or perhaps the elven caravan was becoming a single moving forest.
The negative impact was the worsening state of affairs.
Travel in the central part of the continent must have become dangerous unless they increased their numbers and traveled in groups.
It didn't make much difference to me, but... even if I do say so myself, I was something of an exception.
The average elf wasn't particularly adept at combat.
Even so, gathering together and sticking close could keep needless danger at bay.
And a caravan that included Airena and elves who had been adventurers could teach them how to protect themselves.
It seemed to me that the elven caravan had grown because necessity demanded it.
There must have been extraordinary hardships behind that growth.
Airena, of course, but Huresio and Rebis must have worked incredibly hard too.
That was probably why even Rebis couldn't completely deny how hard Huresio had worked.
"Yes, I'm surprised. Huresio, Rebis, you're both amazing. Ah, Jurucha and Pyune, long time no see. You've worked hard."
I called out the names of the caravan's old-timers whom I knew, one by one.
Had Pyune settled into the caravan after all?
I wondered if she had become a dancer.
"Yes! I'm so happy that you returned safely, Aiser-sama!"
Though Pyune answered brightly, I had no idea what she was doing these days.
Ah, but Jurucha was signaling to me from behind her, so apparently Pyune had indeed become a dancer.
That made me look forward to her performance a little—or rather, very much.
From now on, the caravan would make a circuit of Zieden and hold talks with the elders of the elven settlements.
The purpose of these talks with the elders was to request their cooperation in this matter, within limits that would not place a major burden on their settlements.
What the forest elves wanted was their own peace and security.
But what the elven caravan and I wanted was something somewhat greater.
We wanted to bring not just the forests but the central part of the continent itself toward a little more peace.
If we didn't bridge this gap soon, we might be tripped up when we least expected it.
That was why we needed to talk things over and align the elves' intentions.
Zieden, now a major power, was quite vast, so visiting every forest inhabited by elves would take some time.
Still, there was no particular need to hurry.
If anything, for now Zieden was the one in a hurry, eager to make the reconciliation complete and feel secure, while the elves were the ones holding the initiative.
If we kept them waiting too long, Zieden might even act rashly, but Airena wouldn't get that balance wrong.
So, for now, I decided to simply enjoy traveling with the caravan.
This was one of the places where I could relax and let my guard down without worry.
"Aiser-sama, what was the East like?"
"Nice to meet you, Aiser-sama. I am called Rajend, and I was born in Kuki Forest. It is an honor to make your acquaintance."
That said, until I finished being peppered with questions from elves I knew and hearing introductions from those I was meeting for the first time, I wouldn't be able to relax for a little while longer.