[Hey, nephew.]
[Tyreal, nephew? Are you free for a moment?]
[Ahem. Your uncle is here.]
After that, the bow of the Mother Forest, or rather, my aunt, fell silent.
Unlike her, the being who is predicted (though it’s almost certain) to become the Spirit King keeps reaching out to me from time to time.
At first, I thought it was something important and got nervous.
It’s only natural to freeze up when a being who had been silent suddenly starts talking.
But I soon realized—this guy was just bored and wanted someone to talk to.
Every time he speaks, it’s just about his nephew this, his uncle that.
Sometimes he even comments on how nice the weather is today or how happy the children playing seem.
To anyone listening, it would sound like nothing more than trivial chatter.
Of course, I didn’t respond carelessly. Even though arrogance is an elf’s racial trait, you still have to know when to hold back.
This is the Spirit King we’re talking about—showing disrespect would be suicidal.
“Yes, Uncle. Did you call for me?”
“I’m always available.”
“Have you arrived, Uncle?”
Every time I heard his voice in my head, I responded with utmost sincerity and respect.
And each time, I could sense a hidden laughter in his words—it wasn’t just my imagination.
[You’re definitely different, nephew.]
‘Yes?’
[You elves, at first, treat my children well, but as time passes and you grow older, you start to act subtly oppressive toward them.]
“…..”
[Every time that happened, I wondered if I should scold you, but I decided to let it go.]
These crazy elves.
Did they really dare to act arrogantly even toward the spirits?
Is that arrogance really incurable?
Is it just an inherent trait of elves?
If you’re going to act like that, at least limit it to humans.
Why would you even dare to behave that way toward spirits?
[Nephew. Don’t you want to know more about me, your uncle?]
‘I do. But if I were to learn everything just because I’m curious, that would be unfair.’
[What do you mean by that?]
‘I have low affinity with spirits. I can’t even master basic spirit magic. Someone like me shouldn’t be placed above my fellow elves who have dedicated their entire lives to mastering spirit magic.’
I’ve somehow become the center of attention among my peers, so I have to manage their feelings carefully.
Most of them have spent their entire lives devoted to magic and spirit arts.
‘And I was the village’s infamous magic failure, a spirit arts loser.’
But even if I managed to draw the bow of the Mother Forest, forming a bond with the Spirit King?
Honestly, even I would feel bitter if I were in their shoes.
[That’s a strange reason. I don’t quite understand it.]
‘To put it simply, I don’t want to trample on others’ efforts just because I got lucky.’
[Do you really think they’d feel deprived just because I materialize for you?]
‘As you know, Uncle, how much do elves value spirit arts?’
[Hmm. That’s true. Magic or spirit arts—it’s been that way for a long time.]
Even the Spirit King acknowledges the elf society’s obsession with magic and spirit arts.
It makes me realize once again—we need to change the Great Forest.
Only then can we survive. Only then can we be called great elves instead of arrogant ones.
[You’re truly unlike any other elf, nephew. Do you realize that?]
‘I’m well aware of it myself.’
[I see that as a good thing, but there will be those who find your uniqueness uncomfortable.]
‘Shouldn’t we respect that too? It’s only natural that not everyone feels the same way.’
[That’s exactly why I say you’re unlike any other elf.]
A brief silence.
Then the Spirit King, my uncle, spoke again.
[I’ve been talking to my friends, just in case.]
‘My other uncles, I presume.’
[You should call them aunts.]
‘I’ll keep that in mind. But is it alright to call them that?’
[They might question it at first, but their reactions will probably be similar to mine.]
The Spirit King. A being who doesn’t just follow the laws of nature but can wield them. They’re not gods, but they’re right below them—the source of all things. We elves have served them and aspired to connect with them through spirit arts.
And here I am, an elf, speaking to the Spirit Kings without hesitation, and they’re responding positively.
[For hundreds—no, thousands of years, not a single elf has ever approached me like this. Not one. Not a single one. You can’t imagine how frustrating it was to watch.]
Listening to the grumbling Spirit King, I suddenly thought: the being by my side now might just be a free wind.
*
Just as the reactions to the changes in the Great Forest are divided between positive and negative, so too are the reactions in the Empire.
“What kind of nonsense is everyone spouting? Have they all been bewitched by the elves or something?”
In the Empire, various opinions about the current situation have started to emerge.
“Watch your tongue, Ezel. Do you realize who you are?”
“I know exactly who I am, which is why I’m saying this. How many times have we been wronged by the elves? And now you’re just nodding along to their pretty words?”
Ezel Riden Fordeut.
The Empire’s First Princess.
Though a woman, she is also an exceptional swordsman.
She is currently in a state of disbelief over the new winds blowing through the Empire.
“Those so-called forest folk—do you know how much damage they’ve caused the Empire?”
“Of course. The spirit arson incident a few years ago was also caused by the elves.”
“Every time they’re unhappy, they lecture us on elven etiquette. If we do anything, they call us barbaric humans. And now they’re acting like this? It doesn’t make sense!”
Not long ago, a hawkish faction toward the Great Forest began to slowly emerge in the Empire.
Though the elves may have the upper hand in magic and spirit arts, the Empire has also made progress in various areas.
From magicology that rivals magic to weapons capable of facing spirits.
From the time when the Empire was not yet an Empire until relatively recently, we endured their arrogance without any effort, simply because they were born elves.
We smiled on the outside, wary that they might harbor ill intentions.
That was the biggest problem, Ezel was certain.
What do you think when you see someone who just takes a beating with a smile?
Do they reflect and think, “I was wrong. I shouldn’t do that again?”
Or do they think, “Ah, this guy doesn’t react no matter how much I hit him. It’s no fun?”
Of course not.
If you just take it silently, they’ll think you’re weak and oppress you even more.
Despising and bullying the weak is a natural instinct of living beings.
And that doesn’t just apply to humans or monsters.
The elves, who call themselves the greatest creation of the gods, are no different.
“Even His Majesty and the nobles are viewing this change positively. But if you act out now, it’ll only cause unnecessary trouble.”
“It’s not trouble—it’s a justified expression of anger! As a knight and swordsman of the Empire, I cannot accept any form of reconciliation without punishing their arrogance!”
“Sigh…”
The Crown Prince rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on from his sister’s outburst.
It might seem like an overreaction, but when you think about it, her anger is justified.
Ezel, his younger sister and the Empire’s princess, loves her country deeply.
She took up the sword to protect it and reached great heights through endless effort.
Not for personal glory, but solely for the sake of the nation.
To Ezel, the elves, who look down on the Empire, are not just unpleasant guests.
They are enemies who oppress what she holds dear. She probably sees them that way.
Though she denies it, her words likely play a part in the hawkish faction’s stance toward the Great Forest.
“Don’t be foolish. No matter how much the Great Forest doesn’t form a single nation, they are still elves. There’s a reason the Empire has treated them specially.”
“We need to make sure this never happens again. We’ve bowed our heads too many times, and that’s why they’ve become so arrogant. At the very least, we need to show the Empire’s anger officially, even if just once.”
“Do you really think that’s possible? Do you think they bowed their heads because they’re weak? They only used their sense of superiority and confidence to humble themselves this time.”
The Empire didn’t smile because it wanted to.
There’s always a reason.
Ezel, who has always been distant from politics, might not understand that.
But when even her, who was already hawkish, becomes this extreme, there’s no solution.
And a few days later.
“Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”
A piece of news made the Crown Prince feel his headache worsen.
“The First Princess has disappeared.”