Why did I accept the baron’s request without much thought?
Improving perceptions of elves, of course, is one reason.
But that’s not all.
We need to head to the capital anyway.
Someone we need to meet is there.
“Elenia, that master of yours, they’re human, right?”
“Yes, they’re human.”
“I see. By the way, Elenia, there’s a gap of time between when you traveled to the human world, returned, stayed at the Great Forest’s border, and then started moving with me again…”
“You want to ask if the master is still healthy. Or even alive. Am I right?”
I tried to phrase it carefully, but she answered so straightforwardly.
Scratching the back of my head with an awkward laugh, Elenia smiled.
It was a positive sign.
Alive.
Healthy.
Or perhaps even more than that.
Wait a minute.
Alive?
Healthy?
More than that?
How is that possible for a human?
It’s been at least several decades.
Elenia clearly said they’re not like us elves.
Can such a person even offer teachings beyond what Elenia has given me?
“Your expression shows you have a lot of questions, Tyreal .”
“To be honest… yes, a little.”
“I can’t say much. They’re my master, after all. But if I had to say one thing, yes. They’re human, yet they’ve transcended humanity.”
“Human, yet beyond human.”
It’s a cryptic statement.
Vague.
I don’t fully understand.
But one thing is certain: this person can make me stronger than I am now.
They can create the best conditions for wielding the Bow of the Mother Forest.
“They’re coming. We’ll be able to leave soon.”
A carriage approached.
It carried the baron’s children, who were heading to the capital.
They mentioned attending an academy.
I heard there are extraordinary people there.
That must mean the baron’s children are quite talented too.
They are the future and hope of this domain, yet monsters appeared on their route.
“According to the baron’s orders, we’ve prepared two horses for you.”
The baron’s men handed over the reins without asking if we knew how to ride.
That’s because elves are known for handling animals well.
Wild animals in the Great Forest are said to get along exceptionally well with elves.
One thought crossed my mind: if only they treated humans half as kindly as they did animals.
Before mounting, I patted the horse, establishing rapport first.
Even though elves are a nature-friendly race, it’s still the first time the horse is carrying me.
I learned that this approach is beneficial for both parties.
“I always preferred handling animals over magic or spirit arts.”
Elenia was already mounted, having finished her rapport with her horse.
The way she effortlessly leapt onto the horse looked like something out of a movie.
If she only showed that side of herself, humans would surely admire her.
How much trouble did she cause to earn the nickname “Kanph”?
“We’re setting off.”
Seven humans, two elves—a peculiar journey to the capital had begun.
*
Along the way, I learned two new things.
The first was the existence of a near-cheat-like magical invention called teleportation circles.
If you stand on one, you can travel anywhere on the continent.
“Of course, it has its downsides. First, you can’t send large groups. And most importantly, the cost is astronomical.”
“How expensive are we talking?”
“Expensive enough that even imperial nobles hesitate before using it.”
“Ah, so that’s why the baron…”
News of dungeons and monsters appearing near the capital-bound highway was unsettling.
But the baron’s estate was short on manpower and couldn’t afford many escorts.
In such circumstances, there’s no way they could use a teleportation circle that even nobles balk at.
So they had no choice but to embark on this long journey along imperial highways.
And the second thing I learned…
“It’s quiet.”
Hmm.
This journey is not at all like the otherworldly adventure I imagined.
I thought we’d meet fellow travelers or merchant caravans along the way.
Maybe even join forces and fight bandits or monsters for some excitement.
“Pfft! What’s that?”
When I shared my imagined plot, Elenia burst out laughing.
“Monsters, maybe. But bandits? No way.”
“Why not?”
“It’s the empire. If bandits roamed freely within its borders, that’d be a bigger issue, wouldn’t it?”
“Ah.”
True, in an established nation, openly active bandits would indicate serious trouble.
From what I learned in Heiner’s domain, the empire’s history isn’t very long.
It’s still a fledgling nation, but it’s an empire, not just a kingdom.
If bandits were already rampant, it’d be absurd.
But sometimes reality defies logic, doesn’t it?
*
“Haha! I had a hunch, and it turned out right! We’ve hit the jackpot! The boss was right again!”
“What did I tell you? The boss is a god! We’re unstoppable! If we’d stayed in that mountain village, we’d never see action like this!”
Ta-da! And then it actually happened! Wow, unbelievable!
As we passed through a road near the mountains, a group of humans suddenly appeared.
And of course, as expected, they were bandits.
“Let’s grab the loot and get out before anything weird happens.”
“What if one of them can fight? Or if there’s a knight among them?”
“Numbers always win. And why would a powerful knight even be here? They’d use a teleportation circle.”
They were whispering among themselves, but I could hear everything.
Elf ears aren’t just pointy—they’re extremely sensitive too.
Even with the hood covering my face, I could hear everything clearly.
“But are you sure this is okay? They look like nobles……”
“They barely have any guards, and if they’re using a road in the outskirts like this, they must be from some insignificant place.
If we pull off a big score and run, they’ll never catch us!”
“Ugh, you cowards! It’s obvious they’re just some country bumpkin nobles!”
Hey, enough already.
If Baron Heiner heard this, he’d be foaming at the mouth.
Sure, he’s a noble of a small territory on the outskirts of the empire, just as you said, but at least his heart is in the right place!
“You scoundrels! Banditry on the imperial road? Stand down at once!”
The guards surrounding the carriage drew their weapons and tried to intimidate the bandits.
Despite being outnumbered more than ten to one, they showed no signs of backing down.
This only proved how well the baron treated his people, as well as his children.
“Haha! Look here! We have no desire to harm a noble and live as fugitives! We won’t touch the carriage or the horses, so why not just hand over some money and let us go?”
“Are you out of your minds? You call this begging when it’s nothing but robbery?”
“Now, now, let’s not get too hostile. It’s better than everyone spilling blood, isn’t it?”
Even the bandits seemed unwilling to entertain the idea of actually killing a noble.
They likely planned to either pressure them into handing over some money or use force if necessary.
“It seems there’s been quite a bit of chaos in the area due to a dungeon appearing.”
I whispered this to Elenia, who was wearing an incredulous expression.
She scratched her cheek.
She claimed she’d never seen a bandit in all her travels through the empire.
She’d only heard about them in unstable kingdoms, and even then, it was rare.
To think she’d encounter real bandits in the empire—it was beyond her imagination.
Meanwhile, negotiations between the two sides weren’t progressing.
The bandits were asking for a reasonable amount of money to leave peacefully.
The baron’s men were enraged at the audacity of targeting a noble.
“I think it’s time to step in.”
“I’ll handle this.”
I had always wanted to do something like this—banishing bandits in a way that ignored logic!
“Alright, let’s all calm down here.”
I urged my horse forward, placing myself between the carriage and the bandits.
Their reactions were less than favorable.
Seeing some strange guy with his hood pulled up suddenly make an appearance was enough to make them uneasy and suspicious.
A few of them were already brandishing their shabby, handmade weapons at me.
Most of them didn’t even qualify as proper blades, so I didn’t feel any fear or tension.
“Why don’t you all just leave while I’m asking nicely?”
“What did he just say?”
“Is he crazy?”
Bandits targeting travelers’ belongings are bad people.
It’s only right to deal with them.
However, to improve the perception of elves, showing a willingness to talk rather than resorting to violence would be the better approach.
Yes, at least once, I should try to reason with them first.
That’s what I thought as I pulled back my hood to continue speaking—
“Gah! A-an elf!?”
“An elf?!”
“Crap, it’s a Kanph! A Kanph!”
“Damn it, we messed up! Run!”
The moment they saw my ears, they turned tail without looking back, shouting, “Run for your lives!”
Over fifty burly men scattered like scared dogs with their tails on fire.
What the hell?
Anyone would think they’d just seen a monster that eats people.
Seriously, how bad is the reputation of elves for this to happen?