I saved a Hummingbird Har that was about to be captured by Dark Elves.
The Dark Elves from before were trying to capture the Hummingbird Har by putting it into a bag. This means their objective isn’t to take over the forest, but to utilize their power. One Dark Elf, carrying a moving bag, entered the forest. This guy is trying to escape as he is.
I’ll follow him and investigate his hideout. Behind me, I can hear the sounds of my companions relentlessly attacking the enemy. Most of it is screams, however.
As I stealthily tracked them, a part of the bag ripped, and the Harpy fell out with a thud. This person is wearing a scale-like cloak on their back. Could they be the same type as the Hedgehog Spirit?
“Hey, don’t run away!”
“Eeep!”
He was desperately running, dragging his heavy cloak. He looked like an armadillo.
I charged at the enemy, who was hunched over. I knocked him off balance, straddled him, and pointed my sword at his neck.
“Behave, or guide me to your hideout if you don’t want to die.”
“……”
I made the enemy stand up while I kept my sword at his neck. Alright, this is going pretty well for me, don’t you think?
“You should run away quickly.”
“Y-yes!”
The youth with the armadillo cloak scurried away into the bushes. I continued to make the enemy walk. But the next moment, the scenery in front of me changed drastically. Trees spun around, and a pain shot through my entire body. What happened?! I was holding a sword to the enemy’s neck just a moment ago.
It seems I was attacked without realizing it. But by whom? Could I have been discovered by someone else?
With a creaking sound, the tree in front of me bent its branches. Danger, it’s attacking! I immediately stood up and fled, and a sharp branch pierced the spot where I had been standing like a needle.
The forest is moving. And it’s attacking me. I need to get to a place with fewer trees. I gave up on the hostage and returned to where my companions were fighting. It’s a place where the forest opens up slightly. It must be difficult for the large Dark Elves to fight in places where the grass grows thick.
However, what greeted me there was different from the scenery I had seen earlier. The ground was cracked, and tree roots extended haphazardly. And my companions, who had the upper hand, were all lying prostrate on the ground.
“Sharin, are you alright?!”
“Ah, yeah. Somehow. It seems the boss has finally appeared. They’re on a different level from the others, so be careful.”
Is this guy the reason our village was destroyed? The one who framed Ryoku as the bad guy. A thick tree root lifted the ground and stretched out like a snake. From between the roots, a man emerged.
His face, with the droopy eyes, looked kind! I recognize him. Is this Nigpyura?
The other party squinted and chuckled.
“Yes, indeed. My name is Nigpyura Victor. I’m honored that you know me. And you are?”
“I’m Arisugawa Hiroaki.”
He’s smirking with such ease. But I can tell even before fighting. I’ve already seen his capabilities. This won’t be a walk in the park for me either.
“Arisugawa… hmm. Ah, yes, I remember now. One of the brave party who have successively defeated assassins all over the country. I never thought I’d meet you here. This means I’ll be your next assassin, I suppose.”
“That’s right. You’re the one who destroyed the village and broke the dam, aren’t you? I won’t let you do as you please any longer.”
Nigpyura then held up both hands, saying, “Wait, wait.” This guy is completely underestimating me. He destroyed the village and is acting so sensibly. You’re the one who kidnapped the Hummingbird Har too, aren’t you?
“Please wait. The Dark Elves you’ve encountered so far may have suddenly started fighting. But I want to avoid pointless conflict as much as possible. First, you might be misunderstanding us.”
What is he talking about all of a sudden? He wants to resolve this through discussion? How can he be so leisurely in this situation?
“What are we misunderstanding?”
“You see us as villains trying to destroy this world. But that’s not true. We are merely asserting our natural rights as a race.”
“And that involves murder?”
“Please wait a moment. For a long time, we have not been allowed to participate in the Chieftain Council. Although we are nominally allowed to participate, we have no right to speak and are assigned seats furthest from the chairman’s seat.”
Of course, that’s what happens when you do things like this. But for now, I’ll listen to what he has to say.
“The seating is always determined randomly. The chairman, as you know, is a Light Elf. Even though we are the same Elf race, the treatment is like night and day. We have endured this humiliation for a long time.”
“You’re doing this because your seats are far away?”
Nina, who had sat up, interjected from the side.
“If you don’t get along, then that’s natural, isn’t it? It’s a matter of consideration.”
“I suppose that can be said. However, this is not the only reason.”
