Kugung—
“Ha…!”
“She’s down, she really came…!”
Tene folded her wings, which had been spread out, and finally set foot in the heart of the Great Forest, Helio Woods.
Dukung—!
At the same time, the ground around Tene’s landing point sank in, further emphasizing the presence of her massive body.
“………”
“….gulp…!”
The elves, who had been watching the scene without blinking, felt their mouths dry up, and the hands that held bows or staffs began to sweat.
Dragon.
A creature so powerful it could scorch the earth with a single breath and shake the land with a single kick, considered by many to be on par with the gods.
In terms of greatness, it was not something that could surpass the World Tree, the creator of the elves, but at least it was a being capable of wiping out every elf here with a mere flick of a finger.
And it wasn’t just any ordinary dragon.
The legendary dragon of the thousand-year war. Death itself. The great traitor who insulted the gods.
The eternal darkness, Tenebrix Nox.
Even Noten Geos, who was the third finger of the Elder Council and the living library of the elves, had only heard of Tenebrix Nox in the legends passed down by their ancestors.
Why Tenebrix had woken from her deep slumber and why she was here—it wasn’t important to them now.
Just seeing Tenebrix Nox in front of them was enough for the elves to let go of any attachment to life.
Even though the elves were a long-lived species, death was still a terrifying concept to them, no matter how much time they had lived after all, even a 3,000-year-old elf would rebel if someone told them, “You will die soon.”
But now, facing the embodiment of death in front of them, no resistance, no will to survive, nothing stirred within them.
‘Ah, I am going to die.’
Because of this, some elves stood in detached silence, faint smiles tugging at their lips.
The plaza, where everyone held their breath and only silence remained.
[…..Hmm.]
Tenebrix Nox, who had been folding her wings and looking around, spoke.
[Yes, I have arrived.]
It was just a simple statement, yet the elves felt a chill of death in the air.
Tenebrix Nox, who invoked a contradictory feeling of weight and lightness, continued.
[I, the great black dragon and eternal darkness, Tenebrix Nox, have descended upon this land!]
[Behold, elves! I, Tenebrix Nox—]
“Hey! Not again!”
Kong—
“Ha…!?”
“You… hit the dragon…?”
“Ah…agh…! Grrrk—”
“Ugh…!”
In the midst of this, a human woman dared to interrupt Tenebrix Nox and punched her enormous forehead, causing half of the elves surrounding them to fall into shock, foaming at the mouth.
The other half were still unable to comprehend whether what was happening in front of them was reality or a dream.
[Eh… Hehe… Sorry. I always do this when the mood gets strange.]
“Take it easy, will ya? These folks all look like they’re ready to die.”
[Please, come down first.]
“…What is this? Am I dreaming?”
“Tenebrix Nox… apologizing to a human?”
“World Tree, oh my god. Is what I’m seeing really happening in front of me…?”
“Have I been taking too many pills lately…? Am I actually just passed out at home in a drugged state?”
As the elves began to deny reality altogether, Tene, now looking a little dejected, rested her chin on the ground, her tail swishing back and forth, serving as a staircase for those riding on her back.
“Ah, um… Mommy—!!! It’s me, Mommy!!!”
“Shalle?”
As she slowly stepped down from Tene’s tail, careful not to slip, Shalle, who was among the gathered elves, immediately recognized a familiar face and, upon landing, jumped up and started calling out to her parents.
“Mom! I rode on the dragon’s back! Isn’t that amazing?! Huh?! Actually, when I was sent on a mission and disguised to enter the human territory, she was there! The moment I saw her, I froze and passed out, and my disguise spell wore off, but when I woke up, I was facing her again—”
“Er… er… right, um… Mom doesn’t know what’s going on here…”
Having just gone through the most eventful days of her life, Shalle seemed to be chatting non-stop like a child returning from her first field trip, telling her parents everything that had happened.
“Hu…”
“Excuse me. Are you the representative of these people?”
“Huh?! Ah, ahem…! Yes… but… how—”
As Noten Geos, still in shock from what he was witnessing, stood there blankly, a woman, now in front of him, asked with a gentle smile.
He involuntarily gasped, clearing his throat before responding.
“I apologize for the delay. I am Freya Evergarden, the Countess of the Evergarden territory under the Obina Empire.”
“…I am El Grisa Noten Geos. I am desperately in need of an explanation for what’s going on here, but before that, I need to ask about… um, that person…”
“Ah, please forgive my rudeness… Tene?”
[Yes~]
As Freya introduced herself, Noten Geos, still trying to respond, cautiously shifted his gaze to Tene, who was still lying on her belly in the center of the plaza. At this, Freya, noticing his look, immediately called out.
And Tene, who had been answering politely, emitted black smoke from her mouth.
This was a phenomenon that occurred whenever polymorph magic was cast, as it enveloped the surrounding area in tremendous magical power.
“First, I understand your concerns. However, the current state of the two elves named Shalle and Rio, as well as the prior bombardment… I know it was completely justified in self-defense, but the fact that nothing was done after they took a direct hit. And I’d like to inform you that this dragon is under our control.”
“…Well, if they had fought back then, we wouldn’t be able to speak like this, so I understand to some degree. But it’s true, there’s still so much we don’t understand.”
“I understand that you are very confused. So, I’d like to discuss things in more detail… Is there a place where we can talk?”
“I will guide you to a location. But before that… we need to move some of the people out of the way. Is that alright?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Despite the sudden appearance of the dragon and the many questions surrounding the identities of the humans, Noten Geos managed to remain composed and continued his conversation with her.
“Ah!! Clothes!! Now that I think about it, I didn’t bring any change of clothes!”
“…Excuse me, could you lend me a spare outfit?”
“…I’ll fetch it right away.”
Meanwhile, Tene, now in a state of undress, awkwardly covered her body with just enough to preserve her modesty, and plopped down onto the ground.
“I’ve often been to houses made of wood, but this is the first time I’ve seen a house inside a tree.”
“It’s fascinating, but if a fire broke out here, everything would burn down and there’d be nothing left but ashes, right?”
“There’s a smell that’s really calming…”
“Maybe it’s because it’s the Elves’ forest, but the surrounding mana feels so pure and clean.”
Lio and Sharle briefly exchanged greetings before entering the building, led by Norton Geos. It was a house carved into the massive trunk of a tree.
Inside, countless small branches were growing, adorned with fresh green leaves. The surrounding furniture was made from tree stumps, with moss here and there. It was exactly the kind of space you’d expect for Elves in a fantasy world.
“Is… is this really alright?”
“Yes, as long as you don’t touch anything first, nothing will happen. Though… even if you do touch something, nothing will really occur.”
“The kid’s kind.”
“…Huh. I never thought I’d live to see Tenebrix Knox sitting in Helios Square. And not in ruins, but in a perfectly fine square.”
Norton Geos, who had guided them here, glanced at Tenebrix sitting awkwardly in the square through the window.
He repeatedly rubbed his forehead in disbelief. To see the great Tenebrix Knox pretending to be a dog waiting for its master—was it a dream or reality?
“By the way, what exactly was the reason you came here?”
“It’s simple. This symbol. We’re looking for the person who drew it.”
Freya then began explaining why they had come, pointing at the logo drawn on the upper guild’s approval document.
“We came to learn the intentions of the Third Princess, who drew this symbol.”
“This… I know this is definitely the symbol drawn by the Third Princess, but what exactly is it for…?”
Norton Geos, confused by the humans who had come in force with dragons, now found himself asking about a symbol related to a guild’s foundation in the human world. He was about to continue speaking when—
Bang—
“Ah, you came looking for me?”
The door suddenly opened, and a figure appeared.
An Elf girl, around the age of an elementary school student, perhaps in the fourth grade. Her golden hair shimmered like it had absorbed the sun, with green hues resembling the World Tree. It flowed down to her waist, creating a divine aura.
Her golden eyes glowed, and her ears were slightly longer than the usual Elves. On her wide, childlike forehead was a tiara made of twigs, suggesting her high rank.
However—
“The kids sure have some attitude! Hahaha!”
A cigarette, thick with smoke, dangled from her lips, and despite her youthful appearance, her voice sounded like an elderly person in their 70s or 80s.
This strange presence was none other than the Elven princess who had drawn the symbol—the one who had made the Evergarden family fly here.
The Third Princess, Celebrían Estel.
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.