Forest of Elves.
A home for Elves, or rather, it’s better to call it the Elven nation.
A space where numerous Elves coexist.
Even if their skin tones differ slightly, they’re all accepted as part of the Forest of Elves since they are Elves.
It’s the new Forest of Elves, adjusted to modern trends.
Perhaps that’s why, there’s a tightly-knit and strong communal way of thinking among them.
Put positively, it’s the best communal society for Elves.
Negatively, it’s an extremely closed-off society just for Elves.
Two Elves and three humans stepped foot into this place.
*
“Welcome, representative Ershiana!”
“Yes, thank you for coming out to greet us.”
As soon as we arrived in the Forest of Elves, we were met by a young-looking female Elf.
Since she was an Elf, we couldn’t precisely tell her age, but she looked about the same age as us.
Her outfit was like something straight out of a fantasy novel, with lots of exposed areas and a white color scheme.
On the other hand, Elcia didn’t show even a hint of the violence or sloppiness she usually displayed around us.
She looked dignified, befitting of the title of World Tree’s welcoming representative.
“As I said before, Ershiana, you don’t need to go through the formalities with us.”
“Got it!”
Of course, that demeanor vanished in seconds.
In that brief moment, the Escort Elf disappeared from our sight.
Since she had no presence and wasn’t doing anything anyway, we just brushed it off.
Meanwhile, the guiding Elf lifted her head towards Elcia and, with a wary glance, asked us,
“Who are these people?”
“Oh! They’re my guests!”
“I see. They are the representatives’ guests.”
The guiding Elf decided that no further conversation was necessary and kept her mouth shut.
Her gaze on us remained unchanged.
In contrast, Elcia turned to us and, with a bright smile, asked,
“How does it feel to be in the Forest of Elves for the first time?”
We looked at each other, made eye contact, and nodded our heads.
Still, being aliens and visitors here, we tried to speak positively.
“It’s more amazing than I expected! The phrase ‘Forest of Elves’ really fits!”
“I agree! It feels refreshing!”
“Damn… Elcia, I really love it here!”
Maybe it was her remaining conscience, as Hyeji addressed Elcia by name.
She looked like she was quite considerate.
“There seems to be a lot of firewood!”
“Right?!”
“…Why does that guy agree with that?”
If only that last remark hadn’t been made, it would have been even better.
The guiding Elf said mechanically while looking at us,
“Please follow me. This way.”
She began to lead us deep into the forest.
Sunlight filtered through the thick trees in sparse beams.
The path wasn’t paved, but after many had walked it for a long time, the soil had become solid yet slightly sunken.
After walking for about 5 minutes, our view opened up to a wide space where the Elves lived.
My feeling upon seeing it was:
“What the heck, is this Korea?”
It was a sight that made me suspicious it could be Korea.
A space filled with numerous concrete buildings and highly modernized facilities.
If it weren’t for the towering giant tree in the distance and Elves scattered about, I would’ve been confused if this was the Forest of Elves or Seoul.
Though I usually avoided asking questions, I couldn’t help but turn to the guiding Elf.
“Is this really the Forest of Elves?”
“Of course, it is! This is the outskirts where regular Elves live.”
“Then why are there so many concrete buildings?”
“Reinforced concrete is a gift from nature. Haven’t you heard of it?”
The guiding Elf looked at me as if I were the primitive one.
I thought about backhanding her but decided to let it go.
It seemed my companions felt the same way, as they all had very ambiguous expressions.
Among them, Jeong Ahyeon seemed particularly impressed with the high-rise buildings and asked the guiding Elf,
“Such tall buildings, the technology of Elves is impressive!”
“Are you talking about the building 20 yards ahead? That’s about 328 feet tall. That’s basic for Elves.”
“…Could you convert that to meters?”
“Why use that primitive unit of measure?”
Anyway, whatever our impressions were, the guiding Elf continued to lead us.
Many Elves passed us by, casually greeting Elcia as they went.
However, they displayed a blatant sense of wariness toward me.
“Those damn brats are really glaring at me.”
[They don’t seem very friendly.]
After walking a while, we finally escaped the city area and began to see the true appearance of the Forest of Elves.
Houses made only from trees and enormous leaves.
Natural yet luxurious and elegant, it looked almost like a retreat for high-class individuals.
The guiding Elf then stopped walking, turned to us, and said,
“From here on is the space of the High Elves. My guiding ends here.”
“Thanks! Good job!”
“Have a nice day! Representative Ershiana.”
The guiding Elf nodded to Elcia and walked away from us.
This time, Elcia took on a guiding role and began to lead us.
“This way!”
And we walked for a good distance through the domain of the High Elves.
It felt so warm, it didn’t even seem like winter was approaching, and we were sweating profusely as we walked.
“Elcia, how much longer do we have to go?”
“About 0.5 miles more.”
“Don’t use those units, damn it.”
“In the Forest of Elves, we use the yard-pound system. That’s common sense!”
As we continued walking, an Elf girl who was arranging flowers outside recognized Elcia and greeted her.
“Representative Ershiana, how have you been? You arrived much later than expected.”
“Yes, I ended up being a bit late.”
Elcia put on her mask of the World Tree’s welcoming representative again.
The two laughed and chatted, but suddenly, the Elf girl turned her gaze toward me.
“Representative Ershiana, who is that person?”
“He’s my husband.”
“Oh, is that the human guy?”
The Elf girl emitted hostility beyond what the others had shown a moment ago.
I couldn’t let myself be insulted even by a brat.
“What are you glaring at? Should I let Hyeji loose?”
“I don’t know what that is, but do you think you’re allowed to step into this place?”
“If you’re a brat, go play League of Legends. Pick Yasuo, and you’ll die.”
“Ha! I’m probably much older than you.”
“Show me your ID, you jerk.”
The Elf brat was mocking me.
Historically, this is a classic case of “the weaker getting bullied.”
Today, I became a therapist.
While pondering how to educate the Elf brat, a male Elf who looked like he could be her father popped out from a nearby building.
Instantly, the brat erased the hostile expression and greeted the Elf with a sweet smile.
“What’s up? Did someone bother you?”
“Grandpa!”
“I told you not to call me grandpa.”
Being an Elf, it was hard to guess their exact age.
Even if she called him grandpa, it was unlikely he wouldn’t understand.
Meanwhile, the Elf brat hesitated and spoke again.
“Then as usual, dad?”
“Nope.”
The male Elf looked at the brat with a warm smile.
“From now on, you must call me husband, you little wife.”
“Can I just call you darling?”
“I’d prefer that!”
…?
????
???????
[……Is this really the right text?]
‘He’s a grandpa, then dad, and now husband?’
My brain came to a halt for a moment.
Overwhelmed with incomprehensible sentences, I couldn’t muster a single word.
I could only stand there with my mouth agape like an idiot.
Meanwhile, the Elven couple was about to burst into happiness as they embraced each other.
“Darling, let’s ignore that and go inside.”
“Do we have to go in right now?”
“Starting today, I’m going to be a mom! Let’s make our baby quickly!”
“Okay!!! Love you, darling!”
Then, leaving me behind, the male Elf hugged the Elf brat in a princess carry and went into the house.
As the sound of the door thud shut echoed, my mind finally began to slowly churn again.
‘…Is this a world of eating all around?’
[Get it together get it together get it together get it together!]
But Piece was already broken.
Hyeji and Jeong Ahyeon looked equally stunned, their focus completely gone, and they finally managed to speak.
“……Shinwoo, did I hear that right?”
“Please tell me I didn’t hear correctly.”
“An Elf… an incest dweller?”
“Today, I never set foot in the Forest of Elves. Today was a day where nothing happened.”
Hyeji was still in shock, and Jeong Ahyeon was doing some serious thinking.
Seeing us like this, Elcia smiled brightly.
Though her eyes weren’t smiling at all.
“Elcia, is what we heard true?”
“Yes, dear husband! What you saw is reality! Among the High Elves, that’s considered common knowledge!”
No matter how much pureblood they valued, this was beyond my understanding.
I thought it would be cute if only the High Elf clans intermingled, but that was a trivial matter.
Elcia continued to explain.
“High Elves don’t trust each other’s clans! Sometimes they marry regular Elves, but most of the time, they maintain their lineages like that!”
“……What do you think about it?”
Hearing my question, Elcia maintained her bright smile and said,
“They’re filthy incest dwellers!”
“……”
Against her high tension, an incredibly discordant word came out of Elcia’s mouth.
Her eyes held a hatred that couldn’t even be erased with a smile.
We were left speechless.
