Chapter 40
Early the next morning...
They traveled toward the Elven Forest by carriage.
Damian slept against the window.
Suhyeok remembered what happened the previous night.
A massive tower of burning logs illuminated the darkness.
Harald’s funeral.
The barbarians danced around the flames according to their traditions.
Olvir came to Suhyeok.
There was sadness in his smile...
But no hatred.
Don’t worry about it.
Olvir looked toward the flames.
It was a fair duel.
Then he smiled.
Father has gone to Valhalla.
Olvir pulled out Harald’s necklace.
Then he handed it to Suhyeok.
The Warrior’s Token.
He placed it in Suhyeok’s hand.
I am Olvir, son of Harald.
Olvir stood proudly.
As the next Chief of the barbarians...
I will regard you as an eternal guest of our people.
Suhyeok accepted it.
I’ll take it with gratitude.
He placed the token into his inventory.
Before Suhyeok left...
Olvir gave one final warning.
Be careful.
His expression became serious.
“They are different from us.”
Different from barbarians.
He meant the elves’ hatred of humans.
To elves...
Barbarians and humans were both enemies.
“Mm...”
Damian woke.
He rubbed his messy eyes.
Then he looked toward Suhyeok.
The moment he recognized him...
His sleepiness disappeared.
Damian looked nervous.
He hesitated for a while.
Then quietly spoke.
“Um...”
“I heard what happened yesterday.”
He looked at Suhyeok.
“So...”
Damian swallowed.
“Daniel isn’t actually from this world, right?”
Suhyeok quietly nodded.
Damian thought for a moment.
Then asked again,
“Then...”
His voice became softer.
“Did you come here to help me?”
Suhyeok answered firmly.
“I told you already.”
He looked away.
“You simply match my objective.”
“That’s all.”
Damian smiled anyway.
Compared to the frightened child Suhyeok had first met...
He looked slightly more mature now.
Creeeak.
The carriage stopped.
They had reached the Elven Forest.
Trees stretched endlessly in every direction.
“From here on...”
Suhyeok opened the door.
“We walk.”
Damian nodded.
“O-Okay!”
They entered the forest.
Kasar walked beside Suhyeok.
His face clearly showed that he desperately wanted to ask something.
Suhyeok sighed.
“If you have something to say...”
He looked at him.
“Say it.”
Kasar cleared his throat.
“Ahem.”
He scratched his cheek.
“It’s nothing important.”
Then he hesitated.
“I was just wondering if the Squad Leader is, well...”
He moved his hands awkwardly.
“You know.”
“That thing.”
“P-Player...”
Suhyeok answered immediately.
“Yeah.”
“I’m a Player.”
Kasar’s eyes widened.
“Haha! I knew it!”
Then he froze.
“Wait.”
His mouth dropped open.
“You really are?!”
Kasar stared.
“Seriously?!”
Then...
He looked toward Ventus.
Ventus looked completely calm.
Kasar’s face became betrayed.
He pointed at him.
“Y-You gloomy bastard!”
His voice exploded.
“You knew this whole time without telling me?!”
Ventus clicked his tongue.
“Tch.”
“You’re simply too slow to notice anything.”
He looked at Kasar.
“I’m impressed your simple brain understood it at all.”
Kasar immediately began yelling.
While they argued...
Suhyeok suddenly stopped.
Kasar and Ventus stopped too.
Damian looked confused.
Then...
FWOOSH!
THUNK!
“......!”
An arrow flew toward Damian.
He fell backward onto the ground.
Kasar and Ventus instantly prepared for battle.
Suhyeok looked at the arrow he had caught.
He snapped it with one hand.
Then looked toward the direction it came from.
“Come out.”
His voice was calm.
“How long are you planning to hide?”
Dozens of elves slowly appeared.
Every bow was aimed at them.
They were completely surrounded.
One elf shouted,
“You humans dare enter our forest?!”
The hostility was immediate.
The bowstrings were already stretched.
Kasar stepped forward without reading the situation at all.
“Oh, come on.”
He waved his hand.
“Squad Leader, stay back.”
Kasar puffed out his chest.
“This great Kasar will solve everything.”
He walked confidently.
“Ahem.”
He stroked his beard.
“I heard elves love big, bear-like men like me.”
Kasar grinned.
“Look.”
He pointed around.
“They’re staring at me with admiration...”
THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK!
Dozens of arrows struck the ground directly in front of his feet.
One more step...
And he would have been turned into a pincushion.
Kasar froze.
Then his face twisted.
“These crazy pointy-eared women!”
He pointed at them.
“Are you trying to ruin my chances of marriage?!”
Kasar turned toward Suhyeok.
“Squad Leader!”
His face became murderous.
“This won’t work.”
“Let’s kill them all!”
Suhyeok looked at him.
“Shut up.”
Then Suhyeok turned toward the elf who appeared to be their leader.
“I want to speak with your Chief.”
His expression remained calm.
“Take us to your village.”
The elf laughed bitterly.
“Disgusting.”
He pulled the bowstring tighter.
“We are not those stupid barbarians.”
His eyes burned.
“We already know that you humans deliberately caused this war.”
The elves grew more aggressive.
“And yet...”
The leader glared.
“You still dared come here?”
The situation was one breath away from violence.
Then Suhyeok spoke.
“I know how to heal the World Tree.”
The elf leader froze.
He urgently raised one hand.
The other elves stopped before releasing their arrows.
His cold face finally showed shock.
“H-How could a human possibly...?”
There was a reason the elves continued the war despite knowing the truth.
The World Tree was sick.
It was slowly dying.
Some elves had already been affected.
Suhyeok continued.
“There are probably elves in your village whose minds have been corrupted.”
He looked around.
“Am I wrong?”
The leader’s expression tightened.
“Urgh...”
Another elf shouted,
“Captain!”
His eyes remained hostile.
“Do not fall for that treacherous human’s lies!”
Then another joined.
“That’s right!”
“Humans who enter our forest should die!”
“What could an ordinary human possibly know?”
“He’ll probably fail the moment he actually tries...”
Suhyeok interrupted.
“I can heal it.”
The forest became quiet.
Suhyeok continued.
“It’ll take only a few minutes.”
Then he added,
“If I fail...”
His gaze became cold.
“You can kill us afterward.”
The elves hesitated.
They were conflicted.
They had no other solution.
Kasar slowly whispered,
“W-Wait.”
He pointed at himself.
“You mean us too?”
Then he looked at Ventus.
“Ahem.”
