The Village

Elf politics were decided by a council of long-lived elves called elders.

We had been summoned to the meeting chamber where those important elders gathered.

“Excuse us…”

Inside were frail, elderly elves I had never seen before.

But among them were some who looked barely in their twenties.

The apparent leader was a female elf seated at the head of the table.

She looked even younger than the others, about my age.

“My name is Fana.”

“I am Woody. Pleased to meet you, Fana-sama.”

“Rather than attendants of a Divine Beast… you seem more like close partners.”

“Th-that’s far too soon, desu wa!”

While calming Rebecca, who suddenly panicked, I broke into a cold sweat.

It seemed Fana-san had already seen through everything.

Looking closely, her ears were much longer than the others’.

Perhaps noticing my observation, she tilted her head slightly.

“Is this your first time seeing a High Elf?”

“I see… yes, it is.”

High Elves were closest to the progenitor elves before elves and dark elves split.

Their lifespan was many times longer, exceeding a thousand years.

Apparently she had lived here since the village’s founding.

That meant things would move quickly.

If I spoke through her, negotiations should progress at once.

“I heard from Akabane-san’s group. Did the investigation team find the cause of the leyline disturbance?”

“Yes, we discovered it. Though… it is an opponent difficult for us to confront.”

“If possible, could you tell us more? We might be able to help.”

“The one draining mana from the leyline is a powerful giant race occupying Karika Grassland — the Gigafauna.”

“Karika Grassland!?”

The one who shouted was Nadja behind me.

Apparently the grassland belonged to the Tristan family, Nadja’s home.

“The giants possess immense stamina and powerful magic resistance. They counter our magic-based combat. If I could go there it might be manageable… but maintaining the barrier prevents me from leaving.”

“Wait, maintaining the barrier means…”

“Yes… the Divine Cat Yanpyi who protected this village… has already passed away. The World Tree has also weakened. Without leyline mana, it will wither soon.”

The Divine Beast was dead, and the barrier held only by the High Elf Fana.

A dying World Tree, helpless elves watching it fade.

And a giant in Tristan territory growing stronger by draining the leyline — the damage could become catastrophic.

Indeed, each problem alone was serious.

But… perhaps we could solve them all at once.

I organized my thoughts, nodded once, and raised my head.

“We will solve every problem you face. In return… would you grant our request?”

Seeing my smile, Fana looked astonished—