Daesurim.
It was another world.
A forest filled with mysterious green light. Sunlight streaming through the gaps in the leaves. Moss spread out like a carpet, soft as fluffy clouds.
The towering trees reached high enough to obscure the sky, their branches bending down from the weight of time. Their size was colossal, and the slopes were gentle, allowing for a leisurely walk up.
A sacred land where the breath of life thrived. A space where everything felt calm and peaceful, as if time flowed slowly. Truly a paradise on earth for fairies.
“Why are we here? I don’t really like it here.”
Arfia didn’t particularly enjoy such a paradise.
In this tranquil forest, it was difficult to perceive the passage of time. After spending time here, one could find decades had flown by in the blink of an eye.
For Arfia, it felt like an eternity of torment. Nothing more and nothing less.
“I’m here for a purpose.”
“Hmm, I don’t know what that purpose is, but venturing this far into the depths of Daesurim isn’t recommended. If a non-Elf tribe enters…”
“Stop.”
A childish voice.
However, a sharp tone that didn’t suit the serene forest broke the atmosphere.
The bushes rustled.
What appeared was a group of androgynous Elves.
They had surrounded Carami, aiming their bows at her.
“I heard the sentinels of the forest were on the move…”
Arfia let out a sigh.
Forest sentinels.
They were a group composed of the strongest and finest warriors among the Elves, guardians of Daesurim. They were akin to the elite knights of a kingdom.
“What’s going on?”
An Elf approached.
To a Westerner, all Asians might look alike, and to an Asian, all Black people might seem similar; similarly, the Elves also nearly all resembled one another.
They wore laurel crowns on their heads, but that was it. Their androgynous appearances made it hard to distinguish gender or age.
‘It’s a guy.’
But Carami discerned the differences. She glanced at Arfia once, then at the Elf before her. The flatness indicated it was indeed a male.
“Captain, we have an intruder.”
“Then dispose of them right there, why…”
The words of the Elf male, referred to as captain by the sentinels, trailed off. His eyes narrowed as they met Arfia’s.
“Arfia?”
“Mm, Ri-on. It’s been a while.”
The two Elves who recognized each other exchanged awkward greetings. In particular, Arfia made it quite clear that she found Ri-on difficult to deal with.
Arfia and Ri-on had always been on opposite sides. The outcast Elf, Arfia. The elite Elf, Ri-on, who excelled at everything.
‘If only I resembled even a fraction of Ri-on…’ Arfia had heard that lament from adults so many times that her eardrums felt worn out.
No one liked having their self-esteem chipped away.
“Weren’t you expelled from the village? Why are you here? No, that’s not the important thing right now.”
Ri-on’s suspicious gaze fell on Carami.
“You’re a human. What were you thinking bringing her here, Arfia?”
“Well…”
Carami stepped forward. The sentinels attempted to stop her, but Ri-on raised his hand, halting their movements.
“Nice to meet you, Ri-on. My name is Carami, and I am Arfia’s master.”
“Master…?”
Ri-on had to contemplate the meaning to understand it.
When he finally grasped its significance, his pupils dilated in shock, and his eyes sharpened as he lifted his bow.
The series of actions—placing an arrow on the string, pulling it back, and releasing it—flowed seamlessly.
An Elven arrow sliced through the air. Arfia reached for her bow but realized it had broken in the previous battle. In a hurry, she pressed down on Carami’s head.
“Ugh.”
An arrow whizzed past, just narrowly missing. Before Arfia could sigh in relief, her concern morphed into fury, directed toward Ri-on.
“What the hell are you doing! You nearly killed us!”
“That’s what I want to ask. What’s going on here? You’ve brought a human into Daesurim and expect to protect her? Is this revenge for being expelled?”
“It’s natural for a slave to protect their master, isn’t it?”
“That’s true. But it seems like you’re as clueless about the world as a frog in a well.”
Though the well was a bit wider.
A crack appeared in Ri-on’s previously emotionless demeanor. Having only walked the path of an elite, Ri-on’s immunity to ridicule was remarkably low. His bow trembled slightly.
“Stop your disdainful talk and get away from Arfia. If you don’t, I’ll set you ablaze and use your ashes for fertilizer.”
“My ashes helping Elves grow trees? That would be an honor.”
Ri-on ground his teeth in frustration. His patience was wearing thin. As if showcasing his emotions, a fire spirit appeared behind him.
Flame flickered.
It seemed ready to unleash its fire at any moment. Carami took a step back. She felt like if she provoked him further, he might really burn something down.
“You don’t need to be so angry. I’ll only take care of my business and leave.”
“A human in Daesurim, what business could you possibly have?”
“More precisely, it’s not my business, but Arfia’s.”
Carami stepped in front of Arfia. It wasn’t as a shield against fire, but she intended to protect her.
“I plan to enter Arfia in the Fairy Dance Festival.”
The Fairy Dance Festival.
The greatest festival and competition among Elves that happens only once every fifty years. It was a place to contest whose martial skills were superior and who could connect more closely with spirits.
A battleground where one could achieve honor and be recognized as the best warrior among Elves.
‘It’s also the last barrier for liberation.’
“Pfft.”
At that moment, someone burst into laughter. It spread like wildfire in the form of mockery. The sentinels began to roar with laughter.
Even Ri-on, whose expression barely changed, was desperately suppressing his laughter. Struggling to contain an impending outburst, he finally spoke.
“The Fairy Dance Festival? This guy, who lives day-to-day drowning in drink?”
“That’s none of your concern. The Fairy Dance Festival is a place to prove one’s worth. Any Elf can participate.”
“How would you know that…?”
Ri-on shot a glare at Arfia. He seemed to be questioning just how far she had talked.
Arfia shrugged as if saying ‘I have no idea.’ To Ri-on, it looked like she was being sarcastic, but the reality was different.
Arfia genuinely didn’t know how Carami was informed. She could only vaguely guess that it had come from the Elven slaves he had dealt with.
“You don’t need to worry that much. I know enough to remember what I’ve learned, and I don’t remember what I haven’t learned. Now please make way. It would be quite troublesome if I couldn’t participate.”
“Even so, only Arfia can enter. You cannot.”
“She is my slave. I need her close, as you might do something strange.”
“What’s strange is your behavior…!”
It felt as if her ears were being polluted. If she listened any longer, she would feel like she needed to cut them off and discard them.
Just as Ri-on intended to signal the sentinels with his eyes, Arfia blocked his path. A red aura surged around her body.
A vivid and strong spirit’s energy.
From the sun-like glow in Arfia’s pupils, her will radiated.
It was a sight never before seen.
Ri-on widened his eyes.
“You….”
“Move, Ri-on. We are going in.”
*
A new group had joined.
Elves in front, Elves to the left, Elves to the right, and Elves in the back. It seemed as though they were being escorted. If it weren’t for the plant vines wrapped around Carami’s wrist.
Even with that, it was clear that an Elf like Arfia had been tied up to make up the party; otherwise, it would have been certain doom.
But Carami didn’t care. That wasn’t the important thing right now.
‘Crazy, I want to become a tycoon.’
In his mind, images of cute, chibi Elves working were unfolding.
There are so many Elves!
Send them out hunting for cooking ingredients. Send them to gather herbs. Make potions to sell. A versatile species right in front of him, and he could only watch.
It was frustrating.
Only someone who had experienced being a dung beetle would understand this feeling.
The procession moving through the maze-like Daesurim came to a halt. A path blocked by trees and brambles. The Elf at the forefront recited a spell infused with magic, causing the space to ripple.
It was the Elves’ illusion magic to block intruders.
A previously hidden path opened up, and the procession moved again. This process repeated several times. It was a labyrinth that could never be figured out by non-Elves.
‘This is total bullshit.’
Watching that scene, curses involuntarily slipped out of Carami. They had such defenses in place, yet they had expelled Arfia from the barrier?
Come on, a person can cause some damage, and spirits can run amok and set a house on fire. Those Elves sure have terrible personalities.
If she were my slave, I would have held her down and educated her.
Tsk, Carami clicked his tongue.
Gradually, signs of civilization began to emerge in the untainted forest. Cleared paths and playful young Elves.
‘They probably have more years than I do, even if they look like that.’
Young Elves….
Legal lolis….
Normalization of Taosil….
“Ugh.”
Carami clutched his chest.
Arfia turned around in surprise.
“Why are you suddenly acting like that? Is something wrong?”
“Bad memories….”
A wave of discomfort crashed over him.
Was this what it felt like to have a nightmare while fully awake? Carami lost himself for some time.
