Chapter 141: Settling In An Elf Village (1)
Two days had passed since Ray had ignored the Dryad and climbed the Grensia Mountains.
Now, it wasnt as cold, and occasionally, forests came into view.
Ah, this is what a mountain should be like.
Until then, he had struggled through snow-covered mountains that hardly seemed like mountains at all.
Imitating a man exercising at a spring, Ray entered the forest.
The clear air and dense greenery welcomed him.
A quick glance at the stripped bark of trees made it clear that he was in an elf-inhabited area.
He began to gather mana and sprinkle it around.
Perhaps continuously flowing mana like this would be sensed by someone, who might come out to meet him.
Ray, who had run for two straight days without eating to escape the snowy mountains, prepared a meal.
The familiar pot felt comfortable in his hands.
The ingredients were simple, but they were enough to last for three days.
By then, he had reached a level of proficiency in surviving outdoors.
Since this was an elf village, he couldnt carelessly damage nature.
Though it was troublesome, he gathered dead branches to start a fire, and thick smoke rose high into the sky.
I guess theyll overlook a fire with some flexibility.
Ray, who usually lacked flexibility, ironically called for it.
Having eaten the porridge he had made with all the available ingredients, Ray patted his full belly as a group of elves approached.
He couldnt help but admire their elegantly made cloth clothes and the tense bowstrings that seemed simple yet sturdy.
Only elf craftsmen could make things that looked simple.
The technology to turn metal into fine threads, making it resemble cloth, was an exclusively elven skill.
Even Dwarves couldnt mimic such craftsmanship.
The elves regarded Ray with wary eyes.
What business does a human have here, spewing mana in front of an elf village? Thats quite the arrogance you have.
Arrogance? Im just calling for a guide. If I went in without permission, youd be angry, right?
Stop joking. Were not so lenient as to let an unknown human into our village.
I know. Thats why Im asking for permission now.
Ill be brief. Go back the way you came, human.
Go back the way I came? This elf must be out of his mind.
Even trolls would quickly freeze to death in the deadly cold I had just escaped.
Lets at least talk first
No need. Disappear at once.
The elves cut me off, showing their hostility.
As usual, elves dont think highly of humans.
I didnt expect a warm welcome, but after crossing the freezing snowy mountains and consuming nutrient-lacking porridge, my patience was wearing thin.
Wasnt it said that enduring three times could prevent murder?
As I closed my eyes and took three deep breaths, a small figure landed in front of me.
Whats the matter?
With tall ears and short sky-blue hair, the figures appearance was comparable to Airas.
The stiff elves, who had been standing like totem poles, quickly lowered themselves.
Lady Chersi!
Whats all this commotion about?
Its nothing serious. This human was causing trouble in front of the village
The elf called Chersi then turned her gaze to me.
A human?
She seemed momentarily puzzled by my human-like appearance, but quickly dismissed her doubts due to the intense divine power swirling around me.
Elves cant handle divine power.
Just as Celestials cant handle demonic energy, and Demons cant handle divine power, elves also have a poor affinity with divine power.
The human before her was emitting an astonishing amount of divine power.
It was as if a giant pillar was supporting him from behind.
I also faced Chersi.
Judging by the atmosphere, it seemed the small elf before me was the highest authority here.
Unlike the other elves, she showed no hostility, making her the perfect candidate for a conversation.
Hello, what brings you to our village?
Look at that!
She smiled kindly and inquired about his business.
The bitter cold of the snowy mountains seemed somewhat alleviated.
Just as Ray was about to speak, Chersi fixed her gaze on his ear.
Her expression hardened as she noticed the dark-colored earring he wore.
The Eyes of Cecilie
Upon hearing her murmur, Ray intuitively felt that something was amiss.
The Eyes of Cecilie was the name given to these earrings.
Iriel had told him they were among the famed creations of a renowned elf artisan.
One earring was missing, its whereabouts unknown, while its mate awaited a connection somewhere, didnt it?
Ray turned to face Chersi, whose expression had grown serious.
To his astonishment, she sported an earring identical to his in her left ear!
So the earring truly awaited its counterpart.
However, this connection was not as pleasant as Ray had hoped.
Gathering a tremendous amount of mana, Chersi asked:
Human, where did you acquire that earring?
I just received it.
Received it? That earring is a precious belonging of our village, and also a keepsake of my mother. I will ask once more. Where did you find it, and who gave it to you?
Explaining that he had received it from the Sword Master of the Lesian Empire would require delving into extensive history.
And the mere thought of detailing the circumstances of its acquisition already caused him a headache.
Nevertheless, he did not wish to engage in combat with the elves.
He might be unaware of the earrings origins, but he could disclose who had given it to him.
Chersi, who had been listening intently, displayed hostility at the mention of the Lesian Empire.
It appears there is no need to discuss further! The rightists of the Empire are our foes!
With these words, she launched a formidable spell of attack.
Bang! Bang!
The forest echoed with the sounds of conflict.
In the midst of it all, Ray too let out a cry.
Argh!
He did not wish to reveal his magic here, for fear of being detected by potential spies from Proxia.
Although his necromantic and wartime feats had already been exposed, most of the forces who had witnessed his true power were stationed around the Holy Kingdom.
The Proxian forces that remained here were unaware of him.
Thus, he hesitated to use even a simple shield spell, fearing it might reveal his identity.
To block such an attack spell required a powerful defensive barrier, but the manifestation of such mana flow would undoubtedly draw Proxias attention.
As Ray activated his mana and fled, Chersi pursued him.
Youre quick to run! Hand over that earring right now!
If I give it to you, youll kill me anyway! You murderous elf!
Whos a murderer!
Their chase went on for quite some time.
Ray, after running for nearly half a day to elude Chersi, concealed himself in a tree and gasped for breath.
Considering Ray rarely showed signs of fatigue, this was quite remarkable.
What on earth had the Empire done to provoke such an aggressive response!
Ah, really. Aside from Aira and Pia, all the elves are just like beasts.
He likened the elves to beasts, remembering how he had been forced to flee on all fours up the mountain.
In his hasty escape, he had left everything behind, including his backpack.
Now, all he had were the clothes on his body, a fatigued frame, and a deep-seated resentment toward the elves.
The ordeal in the snowy mountains and the immediate expulsion upon his arrival here left him with a bitter sense of frustration.
All he had wanted was to establish good relations with the elves and drive out Proxia, but instead, he was the one who had been expelled.
What was so special about these earrings? What involvement did the Empire have?
He felt like shouting at the sky, but that would reveal his position to Chersi, who was likely still prowling around searching for him.
Caught in this quandary!
Well, since it had come to this, he decided to think of it as a vacation and enjoy it as much as possible.
The land was barren, and puddles of water were scattered everywhere, making it uncomfortable to lie down, yet he tried to stay positive.
This place was seldom visited by elves and was free of monsters.
If he chose his spot wisely, he could survive here for days or even months.
With that in mind, Ray began to construct a makeshift resting place.
He collected dry branches to build a tent and layered leaves to serve as a bed, creating a tolerable sleeping area.
He dared not light a fire for fear of detection, so he split his mana into tiny fragments to minimize its flow and cast strengthening and heating spells on the tent.
To his surprise, it was quite cozy inside.
However, the tent was so fragile that it looked as though it would collapse with the slightest gust of wind.
Since he had left his backpack behind, fabric was not an option for the roof.
Constructed merely from branches and leaves, the tent appeared unstable, but the strengthening spells ensured its stability.
The day had been especially draining.
He hauled his weary body into the tent.
Despite the rough bed, he quickly succumbed to a deep, restful slumber.
Three days had passed since Rays arrival at the elf village in the Grensia Mountains.
Yet, he hadnt even caught sight of the village outskirts.
Ray, unable to wield mana as he did during the baptism, caught fish from a nearby stream for sustenance.
Without the ability to light a fire, he had improvised a method.
By burying the fish in the ground and heating the soil, he managed to cook the fish with minimal smoke emission.
It was a pitiable sight, one that might lead someone to question whether this was the existence of a saint.
Even the gods, if they bore witness, might feel remorse for his modest daily existence.
Nevertheless, Ray found a certain pleasure in his circumstances, ironically.
But no matter how entertaining the survival challenge was, he couldnt afford to stay idle in this place.
He scouted the surrounding area, committing the landscape to memory.
From elevated to lower terrains, he identified the areas most suitable for human settlement.
Knowing this, he could roughly guess where Proxia had settled.
Ray was near the elf village, on the outskirts of the Grensia Mountains; it was an area rarely visited by people, which made the risk of discovery almost nonexistent.
If only I had learned some invisibility magic.
He was capable of using magic without the need for circles, but he needed a full understanding of the magics manifestation to do so.
Even Invisibility, which was available from the 4th circle, eluded him because he didnt grasp the process.
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