Chapter 40: The princess of the Elves.

Elf.

Originally, elves were fantasy beings derived from Germanic folklore, later solidified as a fantasy race by Tolkien in The Lord of the Rings.

They are a nature-loving race that lives in harmony with forests.

In the world of Starlight of Dawn, which borrows and blends various fantasy elements, elves also exist.

As with many fantasy settings, the elves in this world are highly insular and steeped in a racial superiority complex that sees humans as inferior.

As a result, the main and supporting elf characters in Starlight of Dawn are very few in number.

In the early parts of the story, the only elves introduced are one student the protagonist meets upon entering the Imperial Academy and a professor of magical studies.

The event that prompted elves to begin interacting with humans more actively was the demonic invasion of their homeland, the Great Forest, and the World Tree they worship.

When their forest burned, the elves quickly allied with the Empire.

Over time, more elf characters appeared in the story, but their decision to directly step into human lands was a highly unusual development.

“Do we need to call a doctor?”

“OO…!”

“World Tree…”

Felix muttered worriedly as he gazed down at the two elves, who groaned in apparent distress as they lay on a bed.

The elves had fainted after encountering Tene.

The Evergarden family members rushed to help when they realized the fainted individuals were elves.

“They seem to have disguised themselves to hide their identities, but it doesn’t appear to be a serious problem, given they’re talking in their sleep,” Gordon, who had swiftly taken charge of the situation when the elves collapsed, explained.

He moved the elves to a nearby room, ensuring that only the Evergarden family, Tene, and himself were aware of their presence.

Gordon even stationed himself outside the room to keep watch.

“For now, we should wait until they regain consciousness.”

Despite having many questions for the elves, the family decided to wait until they woke up.

After some time passed:

“Ugh… My head hurts…”

“Where is this? I could’ve sworn I…”

The elves began to regain consciousness, blinking as they took in their surroundings.

“Humans…?”

“W-What? No! A distortion spell! Shalle!”

“Huh? Ahhh! What is this?!”

Noticing the Evergarden family’s gazes and realizing their elongated ears were exposed, the startled elves scrambled to pull up their hoods, but it was already too late to hide their identities.

“Rest assured. The only people aware of your identities are those in this room and my steward,” Freya reassured them with a gentle smile. “We intend to keep your secret, so please don’t worry.”

“…You had better keep your word, human.”

“T-Thank you! If I mess up again, the elders are bound to scold me…”

“Shalle! How can you grovel before humans?”

“But Rio, they seem kind!”

“Humans are all deceitful liars!”

Freya observed the contrasting reactions of the two elves—Rio, a male elf who responded sharply, and Shalle, a female elf who nodded gratefully with a naive smile.

‘As my daughter mentioned, they seem to have an air of superiority. The male elf is especially sharp in his reactions.’

‘But the female elf seems kind and mild-mannered.’

“Well, at least the food is tasty~ Hehe.”

‘Or maybe she’s just a bit clueless.’

“Are you elves? It seems like the reception we’ve provided for such esteemed guests is insufficient,” Freya asked Shalle politely.

“Oh, not at all! Being an elf just means living long and having pointy ears. Honestly, it’s more of a burden…”

“At least you’re aware of your inadequacies. Humans are so barbaric.”

“Rio! That’s rude!”

“Hmph.”

Freya laughed softly, dismissing the tension.

“Nevertheless, you fainted so suddenly. Are you feeling alright now?”

“Yes! I’m fine.”

“Fine?! Human! What was that energy?! How can mere humans exude such overwhelming power?!”

Rio pointed accusingly at Freya, demanding an explanation for what had caused them to faint.

“That terrible, monstrous…! That presence wasn’t even something I could comprehend as being alive!”

Rio recalled the sensation that had overwhelmed him before fainting.

It was terrifying—a suffocating and concentrated energy, vast and oppressive, like the very essence of hatred and rage condensed into a humanoid form.

It was a force that dwarfed even the immense energy of the World Tree he served.

“Did someone call me?”

At that moment, Tene appeared awkwardly, scratching her head as she emerged from behind the family.

“Wow! An elf! This is my first time seeing a real elf! Look at those long ears…!” Tene, an avid fan of fantasy, squealed with excitement.

Among her favorite fantasy creatures, second only to dragons, were elves.

Their noble origins, elegant appearances, and skill with bows often captured her imagination.

Even in her favorite RPG game, her main character was an elf marksman.

Tene’s heart pounded as she found herself face-to-face with real elves.

When she first realized they were elves, she was too shocked to think clearly because they had fainted so suddenly.

But now, as she prepared to talk to them directly, nerves took over.

“I-I’m Tene! Nice to meet you—”

Tene, timidly stepping forward, bowed her head slightly to greet them.

“Gack…! Ugh…! Grkk—”

“M-Mom… eep—”

The two elves, upon seeing her, rolled their eyes back, foamed at the mouth, and fainted again on the spot.

“T-There…”

“Yes, Eternal Night, Tenebrix Nox!”

“I—I don’t taste good… please spare me…”

‘Why on earth is there a dragon in this human territory…?! And not just any dragon, but the most powerful and fearsome of them all—the Black Dragon, Tenebrix Nox?! And why are these humans so calm, standing in front of such a dragon?! Who are these humans?!’

‘I’m doomed. Mom, Dad, I’m sorry. Your foolish daughter is going to the World Tree’s side. I’m only 247 years old! My short elf life ends here! I haven’t even tried all the food I wanted to yet!’

After fainting twice, the elves regained consciousness again.

This time, as soon as they opened their eyes, they leapt out of bed and bowed their heads to the floor, begging for their lives.

“S-Spare us!”

“I-I don’t have much meat on me; I’m mostly bones! So take Rio instead—he probably has more to chew on than I do!”

“This isn’t right…”

Tene, flustered, glanced back at the others, unsure what to do as the trembling elves cowered before her.

“Hm… this might actually work in our favor. They’re terrified of her with just one word! Let’s get the information out of them now.”

“Convenient, isn’t it? No need for complex negotiations.”

The couple observing the scene simply gave Tene a thumbs-up, pleased with the outcome.

“Listen up. We’re going to ask a few simple questions. If even one lie slips out, just one, we’ll let Tene—”

“Ahhhh!”

“Eeeek! Spare us!”

“Hahaha! This is fun.”

“This wasn’t what I was hoping for…”

Dariann stepped forward, leaning over the still-trembling elves with a menacing smirk, which only made their faces pale further.

He couldn’t help but laugh at their exaggerated reactions.

“First question. Who drew this?”

He held up a document bearing the Hansung logo, the source of a headache for days, and questioned them.

“T-This? Why…”

“Answer, or else—!”

“Eeeeeek! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Spare this elf!”

Shalle screamed as Dariann shouted at her, trembling on the floor.

Unsure why he was so insistent about the logo, she panicked and blurted out her answer.

“T-The princess! The princess drew it! It wasn’t us!”

“The princess?”

Shalle, still in a state of panic, confessed that it was the elven princess who had created the logo.