Chapter 241
Once the Planshell Emperor Centipede had completely passed through, we were finally able to breathe freely. My physical body in the real world had nothing to do with my avatar, but it may have been drenched in cold sweat from the tension. That was how much pressure we had felt.
"So that was the Forest God."
"That's right. It won't do anything unless we pick a fight with it, but no one has figured out what might set it off and make it rampage. We don't want to recklessly provoke it while trying to find out!"
"That's why we absolutely must not get involved. That's our rule, and the shared understanding of every being in this forest."
"If that thing went on a rampage, it'd probably flatten the entire forest."
As Jigoro said, the damage would be catastrophic if such a monster went on a rampage. It could undoubtedly launch wide-area attacks, and the Dark Elf village might be caught up in them. If we were going to pick a fight with it, we would have to prepare thoroughly enough to guarantee victory.
Even though they called it a god, neither of them seemed to revere it. That was probably because it offered no blessings, guided no one, and merely existed. It might be a symbol of awe toward nature, but it could not be an object of worship.
"The interruption set us back, but we're almost at our village now."
"Shall we go?"
With the two of them leading us, we continued deeper into the forest. Thanks to them, we avoided unnecessary battles and proceeded straight to our destination, the 'Dark Elf Village.'
The 'Dark Elf Village' existed as though it had fused with the giant trees. The branches and roots of numerous enormous trees were intricately intertwined, and they apparently made good use of the spaces they created by turning them into rooms. Numerous doors shaped to fit the gaps peeked out between the tangled branches and exposed roots, making for quite a surreal sight.
What was also visible from outside the village was a large pond surrounded by the giant trees. It seemed to be filled with clear water, which glittered as it reflected the sunlight filtering through the gaps between the trees. It was a fantastical and mysterious sight.
"My, my... This is a beautiful place."
"Isn't it? This village is our pride and joy!"
"It's quite rare for guests to come all the way to our village. Come in. We'll welcome you."
We descended to the ground for a moment, and the two of them stood atop a tree root, spreading their arms in welcome. Apparently, setting foot on the roots meant that we had entered the 'Dark Elf Village.' We steeled ourselves and stepped inside.
"What? Guests?"
"People from outside! I've never seen one before!"
"A monster? It's a monster! But it's a guest!"
"There's a Dragon! How cool!"
The moment we entered, all the doors around us flew open, and dozens of Dark Elves appeared. They watched us with innocent curiosity. The children in particular had no hesitation about patting Cal all over or trying to climb on him.
"Bones! Just bones! So skinny!"
"Funny mask!"
"You don't have any eyes!"
"Ooooh!?"
"So hard! So muscular!"
"Your hair's all coarse!"
"Your horns are hard!"
"Don't you brats have any concept of personal space...?"
The children's devilish hands reached us as well. They quickly surrounded us to cut off every avenue of escape, then lifted the hems of our clothes and even poked their fingers into our eye sockets. Jigoro's defined abs were repeatedly smacked, and the children toyed with his long hair as they pleased. In the end, one child was hanging from his horn.
The children here were far too aggressive! Cal seemed quite pleased by their insistent attention, but I couldn't stand it! I might not have had eyes, but would they please stop sticking their fingers in my eye sockets? I could see those fingers coming!
Jigoro was just as helpless against them as I was. That did not mean he was enjoying it, however. They had no ill intent, so he did not get angry, but he seemed exasperated by their utterly uninhibited behavior.
"Now, now, that's enough. You're troubling our guests."
"It's the Elder!"
"Run!"
"Aaaah!"
The children scattered like spiderlings at the gentle voice's admonishment. They were all smiling as they fled, so the Elder who had spoken must have been broad-minded and well liked.
"My apologies, guests. I am Radem Mas Farran. I am known as the Elder in this village."
"The Elder...?"
"Huh? He's young!"
Radem-dono, the Elder, was a young man so similar to Kirils that I thought they might be twins. Since they shared the surname Farran, I assumed they were related by blood.
It was said that all the families were closely related, so there was nothing strange about him being related to the Elder. Still, his appearance was far too youthful. He looked like a teenage boy. I could not help finding it bizarre that he was called the Elder.
"Do I look that way to outsiders? We Dark Elves grow like ordinary humans until we reach adulthood, and then retain the same appearance until we die of old age."
"I see."
"Then how old are you?"
"Around seven hundred years, I suppose."
"Seven hundred...?!"
"That's not just good preservation."
Before anyone could stop him, Jigoro asked about his age, and Radem-dono answered without hesitation. Stories often say Elves have long lifespans, and apparently the same was true of those with 'Dark' in their name. Even so, seven hundred years was astonishing. If he had seen the outside world, he must have become a living witness to history.
"Apologies for the late introductions. My name is Izam. This is my sworn brother, Jigoro, and my tamed monster, Karnagtool."
"Nice to meet you."
"Grrr."
"Izam-dono, Jigoro-dono, and Karnagtool-dono, I presume. Our entire clan welcomes the guests Kirils has brought us."
I took the hand Radem-dono offered and shook it firmly. True to his youthful appearance, his grip was strong. Could this man really be an old man?
"There is not much in the village, but please feel free to look around. Also, our young people are very curious and will probably ask you all sorts of questions. I would be grateful if you would humor them."
"Understood. I will do my best to oblige them."
"Thank you. Kirils, show them around."
"Sure thing, Grandpa."
As I had suspected, Kirils was related to Radem-dono by blood. That was hardly surprising given that they shared a surname. So Radem-dono was his grandfather...? They looked like brothers, so it was incredibly disconcerting.
After that, we toured the 'Dark Elf Village' under Kirils's guidance. In this village, whose people lived alongside densely packed giant trees, there was not a single structure that could be called a building. They made use of the spaces between branches and roots instead.
Moreover, because a monetary economy had not taken root in the village, there were no shops. Instead, every household welcomed guests and made their belongings available through barter. It was an interesting culture, but there was no denying that it was inconvenient.
That said, we weren't exactly rolling in money, and preparing to introduce a monetary economy was impossible. It was a vexing problem.
Fortunately, they had no 【Talisman Arts】 tradition, and many people were fascinated by the talismans I had made and wanted to trade for them. Using them, I acquired a wide variety of items, especially plants and seeds found only in this forest, as well as medicines, tools, and weapons made by the Dark Elves. These items in particular looked quite interesting.
――――――――――
Nourishing Medicinal Liquor Quality: Excellent Rarity: R (Rare Grade)
Alcohol infused with various ingredients and medicinal herbs.
Its effects vary greatly depending on the ingredients used.
For a set period, it slightly raises all stats, cures status ailments other than Intoxication, and grants resistance to them.
However, consuming too much inflicts the Intoxication status ailment.
Alcohol is the greatest of all medicines. How could soaking medicinal herbs in it possibly diminish their medicinal effects?
Dark Elf Steelwood Sword Quality: Good Rarity: S (Special Grade)
A sword carved from the branch of a tree as hard as steel.
It combines the lightness of a wooden sword with the hardness of steel.
Distinctive decorations passed down among the Dark Elves greatly increase its durability.
――――――――――
The former was a medicinal liquor much like a product often seen in television commercials. Judging from its description, its performance was so remarkable that calling it a panacea would not be an exaggeration. However, because I could neither eat nor drink, it was useless to me; drinking too much also had the drawback of leaving the user unable to move.
It would have to be used carefully while watching out for Intoxication, a status ailment that occurred only when drinking alcohol. Once that issue was overcome, it was an extremely convenient item. A Race with high resistance to Intoxication, such as Jigoro's, could probably ignore that drawback as well. I hoped the two members of our production group could reproduce it.
The latter looked like an ordinary wooden sword at first glance, but its blade was sharp enough to actually cut through monsters. It was a weapon that combined the sharpness of steel with the lightness of wood.
Every Dark Elf warrior possessed one of these weapons, allowing them to unleash swift, sharp slashes. Even our speedsters, Ruby and Shifune, might not be able to match them. Front-line fighters, especially those who relied on a flurry of attacks, would have more weapon options now.
It had been a worthwhile exchange, but in return, my stock of talismans had nearly run out. I used them in combat from time to time, so I would have to steadily make more. Fortunately, I had bought plenty of blank paper in Birdy Perch, so there was no problem with that stock. I would need to replenish my talismans before our next visit, both to prepare for it and to raise my 【Talisman Arts】 level.
Once we'd looked around most of the village, it was nearly time to log out. When I told Kirils that we would have to leave soon, he said there was one last thing he wanted to show us and led us to the pond in the center of the village.
Once we reached the edge of the pond, we could fully appreciate how clear its water was. We could see all the way to the bottom, and apparently the spring was a natural reservoir formed by the intertwined roots of the giant trees. The pond that supported the Dark Elves' lives had been created by those trees as well.
"What a beautiful spring. Somehow, I think this is what clean, refreshing air feels like."
"You can feel it even without a nose or lungs, brother?"
"Of course. It seeps into my very bones."
"All this moisture makes me think mushrooms might sprout on you."
"Hahaha! You two get along so well!"
As we traded quips, Kirils began laughing heartily. Was it really that funny? It was our usual banter...
"So, what did you think of our village?"
"It was a wonderful place. Everyone was so cheerful and fun, and the items we traded should prove useful."
"I'm glad you like it. All right, before you leave, I'll show you something nice! Come out, Water Spirits!"
When Kirils called out toward the pond, a great many things emitting a pale blue glow appeared. Combined with the red light of sunset filtering into the spring, the sight left us spellbound for a while.