LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 76
Chapter 76: The World Tree Leaf Pancake 4
I won’t bother explaining what happened to the three elves who attempted to hijack the plane.
What’s important is that they’re now tied up in one corner of the plane by my tentacles, unharmed, and they’ve become noticeably calmer and quieter compared to our first meeting, where they aimed bows at me and acted recklessly like typical elves.
Despite them being elves, they are still a race of intelligent and rational beings.
More importantly, I am not a freaking racist.
I can’t say the same for humans from other Earths, but in my previous world, I fought side by side with elves for a long time.
How could I not treat elves as fellow humans when they were comrades who fought against the Demon King with me?
They, too, recognized me, the Saintess of the Dead, as a human, so even though they are elves from a different world and had acted hostilely towards me at first, I still want to acknowledge them as intelligent beings with whom I can have a conversation.
In the end, as long as I don’t kill people, isn’t that what matters?
Thus, the plane successfully arrived at the Great Forest of the Elves.
The landing spot was a floating clearing a bit away from the Elves’ Great Forest.
This area, inhabited by many of the spirits the elves controlled, had a solid foundation of rocks and earth fixed in the sky, resembling an airport where planes could land and take off.
It also served as one of the few portals for the elves to interact with the outside world.
And as soon as I got off the plane…
I was greeted by a massive army of elves pointing arrows at me.
I’ve heard that arrows empowered by spirits can blow up even tanks in one shot.
They had charged arrows with wind, fire, and lightning magic all aimed at me.
“Your welcome is quite overwhelming.”
“…….”
“Didn’t the Association say anything to you?”
In response to my question, the flight attendant bowed her head apologetically.
Although I was the only one allowed to step onto elf soil, the crew and captain had to remain on the plane.
However, they were also dispatched from the Hunter Association, serving as trainees in the process.
“Yes, I’m sorry. It’s true that a request stamped by Elder ‘Morning Blossom Olgania’ was sent to the Association. The Association informed Elder Olgania that Hunter Shia would be coming, and they received permission. We had no idea this would happen…”
“Sigh, well, it can’t be helped.”
I stepped forward as if to say I was fine.
“You all stay in the plane. Don’t worry about me.”
“Please be careful, Hunter Shia.”
“Yes.”
Unlike me, their bodies were those of ordinary humans.
If an arrow flew, they could get hurt.
“Intruder, identify yourself!”
Fortunately, they didn’t shoot their arrows right away.
Good, we are intelligent and civilized beings.
Let’s talk, have a conversation.
“I am Hunter Shia from the Republic of Korea.”
“This is the Great Forest. You must know you cannot trespass here.”
“I came here on a request from the elves. My rank is still undecided, but as far as I know, everything has been discussed with your superiors…”
The one speaking to me was a tall, blonde female elf standing at the forefront of the group.
She was quite tall and had a model-like slender and well-proportioned body, except for her large chest, which stood out in contrast to her long limbs.
Though it wasn’t as large as Teresa’s or Menelapie’s, her overall figure was well-balanced and pleasant to look at.
“Hah, a request? Who on earth gave you permission?”
“The Association…”
“Do you think a human organization like the Hunter Association holds more authority than our will? This Great Forest is ours. Not even a god descending upon us could ignore our or Mother’s will here.”
The blonde elf raised her hand as if she found the situation ridiculous.
When she raised her hand, the other elves’ tension intensified.
Oh, please don’t shoot. Don’t do it.
I might not lose the fight, but if a battle starts, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to subdue them without anyone getting hurt…
Teresa always said I wasn’t great at holding back…
“We were never informed that anyone would be coming. You’re just a trespasser. To think you’d trespass in such sensitive times, you’ve got some nerve.”
“Elanarre!”
At that moment, some of the elves called out to the blonde elf, who seemed to be their leader.
Given their respectful tone, it seemed that this blonde elf, Elanarre, was indeed their leader.
“That grotesque woman is holding our kin!”
“What…”
“Kyaaah! Mirinae!”
“How dare she touch one of our own…!”
When I turned around, I saw that the three young elven guards who had been restrained by my tentacles were being released by another elf’s spirit.
As soon as the elves realized their comrades had been caught by me, some of them drew their bows even tighter, as if they would fire at any moment.
The spirits attached to their arrows became even more intense.
Oh no, do I really have to fight?
“Sigh…”
[Miracle – Holy Body Descent]
As large tentacles emerged from my waist, the elves’ faces turned to astonishment.
“…!”
“W-What is that..?”
“She’s not human?!”
“A monster!”
“What kind of hideous abomination has sullied Mother’s land…!”
Even Elanarre, who had been the most reasonable elf in our conversation, drew her sword with a face full of hostility.
The moment she drew her sword, numerous spirits coated it with fire, ice, wind, and lightning, indicating she was ready to go all out against me.
“In the name of Elanarre Siamiruna, I hereby designate this abomination as a pest! All soldiers, ready your bows!”
“”””Yes!””””
Even though I am the Saintess of the Dead, being treated like such a monster still hurts a bit.
But what can I do?
These elves had been itching for an excuse to attack, and now that they had seen their comrades restrained by me, there was no room for negotiation.
But don’t worry.
No one will get hurt or die, no matter how this turns out.
Sigh, if only Menelapie were here… Breaking things and forgiving people are specialties of hers, but talking is definitely not my strong suit.
“Haa, haa! Ela…naaar…!”
“…!?”
Just then, a small elf riding a bird arrived from a distance, causing the elves who were about to fire to lower their guard.
“O-Olgania?! What in the world… No, it’s dangerous! Don’t go near that abomination…!”
“Stop, stop… haa, haa…!”
Olgania.
I’d heard she was the elder who put in the S-rank Hunter request through the Association.
Given her title of Morning Blossom Olgania, she seemed to hold a high position, but she looked quite young for someone with the title of elder.
Like her title, Morning Blossom, Olgania had a delicate, lily-of-the-valley-like appearance.
It’s hard to gauge an elf’s age from their appearance, but Olgania looked no older than an upper elementary school student if she were human. She seemed around 12 or 13 years old at most.
Every time she ran with her short strides, her mysterious platinum blonde hair swayed enchantingly.
“I… haah, haah….”
Olgania, her beautiful clothes made of World Tree leaves dragging on the ground, ran up to me and stretched out her arms as if to protect me, trying to calm the elves.
“Are you okay?”
“Haah, haah… I’m so… tired…”
“Quiet, abomination! How dare you speak to Lady Olgania! Do you wish to leave here alive…!”
“Please be quiet!! Haa… haa….”
“Th-That’s…”
It seemed Olgania had rushed over in a hurry, for she was still catching her breath.
[Miracle – Great Healing]
“Haa, ha… huh?”
“Take a deep breath. Slowly.”
“Sss, haa… haa…”
“Feel better?”
At my words, Olgania patted herself, seemingly surprised by how quickly she had recovered.
She then bowed her head to me before turning to face the still-wary elves.
“This person is someone I personally brought here through an official request stamped by the elder’s seal! Everyone, lower your weapons!”
“……”
“What should we do, Lady Elanarre?”
The other elves, now in a state of confusion, looked at their leader, Elanarre, for guidance.
Elanarre, though visibly younger than Olgania, still hesitated, considering that Olgania was an elder.
“Lady Olgania… I must humbly say, I received no word from the Council of Elders regarding this.”
“What?!”
“I received no word from the Council, and without such an order, I cannot allow a human intruder to enter the Great Forest…”
“But…”
“I’m sorry, but my duty is to prevent unknown intruders from entering the Great Forest. Without any orders from the Council of Elders… this individual cannot be considered a human requested by the Council.”
At the firm words of the elf commander, Olgania looked at me with a face that seemed to say, ‘What should we do?!’
Well, what do you want me to do about it…
Olgania’s face showed that she was at a loss for what to do, completely flustered by Elanarre’s words.
Now that I think about it, this elf girl is an elder, right?
“Lady Olgania.”
“Yes, yes…?”
“You’re an elder, correct?”
“Y-Yes…?”
When I suddenly whispered in her ear, Olgania flinched and answered, trembling slightly.
From her expression, it seemed she was in a state of panic and didn’t know what to do.
“As an elder… aren’t you like the king of the kingdom, in human terms?”
“Y-Yes… although, technically, it’s more of a triarchy…”
“Then why not just say I’m a guest you invited instead of saying you made a request?”
“Ah….!”
“There’s no tradition in which guests invited by an elder get thrown out, right?”
“That’s true!”
As if my suggestion was a stroke of genius, Olgania’s eyes widened.
“Commander Elanarre!”
“Did you call for me, Lady Olgania? If you wish, I can deal with this grotesque ruffian immediately…”
“That’s not it! Actually, this person is a guest I invited!”
“…?”
At her words, Elanarre’s eyebrow twitched.
Despite the fact that Olgania was much younger, the elf commander could clearly tell that the young girl was lying right to her face.
“You knew this grotesque being… from before?”
“Yes, of course! That’s why I invited her, didn’t I?”
“……”
Elanarre stared at Olgania for a moment.
No matter how much a young girl might spout nonsense, Olgania was still Elanarre’s superior.
Even though she hadn’t received any prior notice from the Council of Elders, Elanarre had no reason to overstep her authority and expel a guest personally invited by an elder.
“I understand. Lady Olgania… it seems you’re not lying.”
“Phew….”
No, don’t breathe a sigh of relief just yet.
“Everyone, lower your bows! She is a guest of Lady Olgania!”
“””””Yes!”””””
Finally, the elves’ aggressive aura subsided.
The immigration process here is quite a hassle…
○○○○○
After that, the elves’ hostility visibly lessened.
Although their aggression had decreased, there was still a subtle sense of animosity lingering in the air.
It wasn’t because I was the Saintess of the Dead, but rather because they were uncomfortable with an outsider being in the Great Forest where the World Tree was located.
However, as we walked further into the forest, I noticed something about the Great Forest that was very different from what I had imagined.
No, I had somewhat expected to see computers or TVs since we were now on Earth.
Seeing a giant wooden TV hanging in the elf square was a strange sight, but what stood out most were the elves themselves.
The Great Forest, the homeland of the elves, is typically supposed to be full of vitality.
The elves I knew from my previous world were like that, and the Hunter Wiki also described the Elven Kingdom as such.
It was said that elves became most vibrant within their own forests and that, while in the forest, they were free from all harmful influences and diseases.
“Cough, cough!”
“…..Sigh.”
However, the scene before me was not as rosy.
Here and there, I saw elves coughing as if they were sick or suffering from an epidemic.
At first, some of the elves looked at me curiously, but soon after, they wore tired expressions and continued on their way.
Not all elves seemed ill, but a considerable number of them appeared quite frail.
‘……It seems this is more than just a simple monster invasion.’
It seemed like things were going to get complicated, but for now, I needed to find out why Olgania had requested my help in the first place.
“This is the room you’ll be staying in.”
After walking for a while, I was assigned a rather spacious, nature-friendly room by Elanarre, the elven commander.
“I apologize for my earlier rudeness, human.”
“It’s okay.”
Yes, we are intelligent and civilized beings. If there’s a misunderstanding, we should resolve it with words. If there’s any resentment, it’s important to understand each other with open hearts.
“But I will give you one warning, human.”
“What is it?”
“Lady Olgania is the last descendant of Mother World Tree. While I doubt it will happen, if you were to deceive her or fill her head with nonsense, I, Elanarre, Commander of the Lotus Knights, will not let you go unpunished…”
Instead of responding sharply, I just smiled brightly at Elanarre.
A smile can often do more than a hundred words. Isn’t it said that you can’t hit a smiling face?
“…….”
“There’s nothing to worry about. By the way, when’s dinner?”
“I will send someone later….”
Perhaps my sincerity reached her, for Elanarre stopped speaking harshly and let out a short sigh.
“…Rest well. And about earlier… I’m sorry.”
With that, Elanarre closed the door and left.
As expected, the smile of a saintess works wonders.
The room they provided for guests was quite cozy, with a bed made of vines and leaves that felt surprisingly soft.
The soothing scent of something like phytoncides filled the air, calming my mind and body.
Thankfully, the accommodation was perfect.
Knock, knock, knock.
“Miss Shia, it’s Olgania.”
After unpacking for a bit and enjoying the view outside, Olgania came to visit.
Earlier, she had rushed off, saying she would talk to the other elders about my situation.
“Phew, I’m sorry….”
“It didn’t go well with the other elders?”
“Yes…..”
In the end, I wasn’t recognized as a formally requested hunter but was allowed to stay here only as Olgania’s personal guest.
Naturally, there’s a difference.
A formally requested hunter would have far more freedom of movement and authority, almost to the point of diplomatic immunity. But as just a personal guest of Olgania, my range of movement and authority were greatly restricted.
“Were the other elders against the request from the beginning?”
“Yes… I was just scolded by the elders for bringing someone here on my own… I barely managed to resolve it by asserting that you’re my personal guest, which is within my authority. I’m really sorry, Miss Shia…”
I had expected this.
If the elders had really requested me, I wouldn’t have been greeted by an attempted hijacking and then dozens of elves pointing arrows at me the moment I landed.
Clearly, something wasn’t handled properly at the top.
But I wasn’t angry.
This young elf girl, Olgania, seemed to have no deceit in her.
She sincerely felt sorry for me, and even the fierce Elanarre, who had spoken harshly to me earlier, held no particular malice.
When faced with malice, one should respond in kind, but when there’s no malice, there’s no point in getting angry.
It’s usually best to wait patiently for things to resolve themselves.
“I’ll formally introduce myself, Saintess of the Dead, Miss Shia. I am Olgania Farseer Lotisipi, the last daughter of Mother World Tree.”
“…Can I just call you Olgania?”
“Yes, please do.”
“But, Olgania.”
“Yes?”
I stared at Olgania, curious about something.
“I’ve never introduced myself as the Saintess of the Dead before, and how do you know my name?”
“Ah……….”
At that, Olgania hesitated, her face suddenly turning bright red as she glanced between the floor and me.
“….Well….”
I had a good guess.
It’s possible that Olgania had some kind of personal connection with Yujin and that Yujin had sent her my information in advance.
Olgania might have learned about me as someone with “S-rank” abilities, even though I hadn’t officially been designated an S-rank hunter.
Since it wasn’t a completely honest approach, Olgania seemed hesitant to admit it.
But I didn’t feel angry or betrayed.
If there was a difficult situation that needed a request, and if I was the right person for the job, there was no way I could refuse.
Moreover, on my way here, I noticed quite a few elves looking sick, as if suffering from some sort of illness.
Now that I’m here, as a saintess, how could I ignore that?
Even though Olgania held the title of elder, it didn’t seem like she had enormous authority… As long as this young elf wasn’t blatantly trying to deceive me, I could understand her with an open heart.
“….T-titty squad…”
“What?”
“The 13 Titty Squad…. or the Dead Titty Squad… Have you heard of them?”
How could I not?
Back in the day, due to an accidental drone camera malfunction, my hunter broadcast was aired unexpectedly.
Without me even knowing it, my stream of preparing wyvern egg stew in the Kuratal Mountains was broadcasted live.
My actual first proper stream was frying a centipede dragon from Rotten Mountain, but many viewers had already joined because of the wyvern egg stew broadcast.
I later discovered through a gallery of hunter forums that there were 13 viewers who had watched my very first broadcast.
The 13 Great Ones.
The Dead Titty Squad, or in short, the Dead Titty Squad.
Even now, those 13 die-hard viewers always show up whenever I stream.
KawaiiHorned, Shishiro Botang, Selling Leaf Pancakes, ChickenShopBankrupt… There were a few others who frequently appeared, and they were all part of the Dead Titty Squad.
Though the name Dead Titty Squad was a bit amusing, they were still my beloved viewers, so I let it be with an open heart.
But how in the world does Olgania know about that…
“Don’t tell me….?”
“….My nickname is ‘Selling Leaf Pancakes.’ I’ve been a member of the Dead Titty Squad since your very first broadcast, Miss Shia…”
“…….”
Seeing Olgania blush furiously while twisting her body in embarrassment, I held my forehead.
Oh… my head is spinning…