580 - Winter Island of Terrible Poverty # 1

The raccoon fur covering Gloria's body stirred and rose.

"I don't know if you noticed, but someone has been watching us for a while now."

Perhaps the guys hiding among the roots of the giant World Tree, watching this place from afar, seemed to be bothering her.

The fellow who had been watching us, taking advantage of the dogs fighting us.

I had also noticed that presence with my sensitive ears, but it seemed they had no intention of harming us, so I was leaving them alone for now.

Beonjjeok-.

However, when something sparkled, reflecting a white light from behind the tree.

"Hmm-? They're aiming a weapon at us. Just in case, I'll block it."

Hippolyte took out an iron bead from her pocket and flicked it with her finger towards that spot.

Pisyung-.

The iron bead, flying like a silently fired bullet, hit something, making a loud 'ttak-' sound that echoed through the frozen forest.

"Euaaak-!"

And with a scream, something fell, plummeting to the ground from high up on a tree branch.

Seeing that, the spotted Cerberus, like a hunting dog's instinct, ran powerfully and brought it back in its mouth.

"Hiiik-! Don't eat me-! I, I'm not tasty! And I don't have much flesh-!"

The fellow, dragged in by the spotted one's mouth, flailed about like a mouse caught under a Cat's paw.

Of course, even so, it couldn't escape from the mouth of Cerberus, a powerful Monster.

"Spotted one, that's enough. Put it down here."

When I tapped the ground with my foot, the smart demonic hound Cerberus placed its prey on the ground.

The fellow was, naturally, an Elf.

A scrawny and slender Elf.

She had her brown hair tied back like a daenggi, but her body was so scrawny and her facial features so delicate that I couldn't tell if it was a boy or a girl.

Her height was about Luna's and Paranoy's.

However, seeing her take a defensive stance in front of us, hugging her own body, I could guess she was probably an underdeveloped girl Elf.

The fellow, stroking the bump on her head, shouted.

"You, who are you guys-!"

Of course, rather than being threatening, it was closer to the feeling of being terrified and actually shouting loudly.

"Everyone, just touch me with a fingertip-! I'll put a wind-hole in your head!"

"Your weapon is confiscated."

In that fellow's hand, a bow and arrow were clutched, but when Hippolyte snatched them away, the fellow was helplessly disarmed.

"Aaat-! My, my arrow-. It's my father's keepsake-. Give it back-! I said give it back, you bad foreign species bastards-!"

"How dare a foreign species, call this Paranoy a foreign species-! What a very naughty Elf-brat it is...!"

"Elf-brat? What are you saying-! Give it back now-!"

An Elf who was somewhat clumsy and had a pitiful side.

After flailing and resisting for a while like that-.

Guuuueuueuueu-.

A loud sound, enough to greatly echo around, rang in our ears. It was the young Elf's sign of hunger.

"...."

The young Elf, who had been vigorously flailing just now, also, as if feeling embarrassed, hugged her own stomach, and her pale, gaunt face just turned bright red like a tomato.

I could tell this fellow wasn't a bad guy. Aiming the bow at us was probably something akin to self-defense and caution.

To gather information about the surroundings and also to hear news about Friede, I decided to win over this Elf.

As for how to win her over, well, nothing would be as effective as giving food to the hungry.

"If we have some food, let's share it."

"Hassan-nim, to share food for the hunger of an Elf-brat who dared to aim a weapon at Hassan-nim and his wives, this Paranoy is deeply moved by such grace, like the Milky Way...!"

"What, what are you planning to feed me, you bad bastards-! Rather than eating what you give me, I'd rather starve-!"

However, this wild Elf was quite cautious. But that too only lasted until the moment a steaming hot, bubbling soup was placed in front of her.

"Elves like spicy food, right? It's abalone porridge boiled with spicy peppers."

When I offered the food Friede liked, I could feel many worries lurking on the Elf's face. To eat this or not-. That kind of feeling.

But, I fully understood this Elf's feelings. A group of strangers from a foreign land. They captured her, then suddenly took her weapon and gave her food.

Would it be similar to how the natives felt when they met the Spanish conquistadors?

If it were me, I would never have accepted the food.

Because I wouldn't know what kind of favor they might ask.

And there's no such thing as a favor without a price.

However, if you've experienced hunger so severe your vision turns yellow, it's a different story; you can't control yourself. Perhaps because of that, the Elf took the spoon and bowl from us and frantically ate the food.

Anyway, she might starve to death.

Whatever happens, it might have been a thought of 'eat and die'.

Dalgrak, dalgak-.

It was a gluttonous sight, like someone who hadn't eaten for days. But seeing her scrawny and gaunt appearance and the harsh environment around her, I understood.

At that sight, even Paranoy only asserted his dominance by saying, "Eat slowly, thanking Hassan-nim's great compassion...!", but didn't tease her about her eating.

Like that, one bowl of porridge was emptied in just a few minutes. At that sight, Hippolyte, who had prepared the food, nodded her head with a satisfied 'Heueung-'.

"My skill seems to be effective even in this foreign land."

"...."

The Elf, who had frantically emptied the bowl just now, closed her mouth and scanned her surroundings with anxious eyes.

Now that the immediate problem of hunger was gone, various realistic problems must have rushed into her mind.

What the hell are these bastards-?

Why did they catch me and give me food-? Things like that.

Then the fellow covered her body with both arms.

"My, is my body your objective?"

To that, I, before my family could misunderstand, answered immediately.

"That's not it."

Unless she gained weight, right now she was so gaunt and scrawny that it was fair to say there was no sexual appeal whatsoever from this girl Elf. Almost on par with naive Nymphs.

However, at my answer, the Elf seemed even more confused.

"If there's a price you can take from me, that's all there would be, wouldn't it?"

"That's fine. Instead, there are things I want to ask you."

"Things you want to ask?"

"First, I am Hassan, who came from that distant world. These are my family and friends. We came from a distant land by ship."

I first, after briefly listing information about myself, asked.

"I heard this was a port. But there are no other Elves. And snow is piled high. Only demonic hounds are everywhere. Can you tell me what happened?"

"That-."

The Elf, who had opened her mouth as if to answer immediately, quickly closed it. And then, with a feeling of firm resolve, she spoke.

"That, I can't easily tell you. If we make a deal, I might tell you-."

"A deal?"

As I asked again, feeling a slight doubt, Paranoy growled.

"How dare you, after being granted a reprieve for your life and even getting food, talk about a deal...! How ungrateful you are...!"

I, as if Paranoy was about to pounce on the Elf-brat, grabbed Paranoy's side, who was fuming, lifted him into the air, and asked again.

"If it's a deal, what?"

"F-food and drinkable water. If you have any firewood, share that too...!"

I see. That much was no difficult deal for us, who had received plenty of supplies from the Borzak Family.

So I filled a bundle with supplies and offered it to the young Elf girl. When I even returned her bow and arrow, the fellow headed somewhere.

"Since we don't know what might happen, everyone, wait here for now. I'll follow quickly and come back. If anything happens, light a high fire."

I followed the fellow, walking along the snow-covered forest path. After walking for a long time like that, an old Cabin appeared. The presence felt inside was small and weak.

"Mom, I'm here-! Look at this-!"

"Arwen-. Demonic hounds are, everywhere, roaming outside-. Where, dangerously, *kollok*-."

A small coughing sound rang loudly in my ears.

When I peeked through the Door, on a bed made of piled straw and leather, a very haggard-looking female Elf was lying.

She must be the mother of that girl Elf, Arwen.

"Mom, look at this-! I brought lots of food-! I succeeded in hunting-!"

"You, hunting-?"

"Wait-! I'll make you something to eat right away-."

Dalgrak, dalgak-.

Bogeulbogeul-.

"How is it, Mom. It's tasty, right?"

"It's not tasty. You can't cook. Still, it's warm. It was hard even chewing on cold leather. It's really been a long time since I've eaten such a warm dish-."

I stopped peeking through the Door, stepped back a little, and looked up at the sky.

Lurking in this land, the cold winter.

Hunger.

From that, I felt a slight sense of responsibility, and though it was slight, my heart ached.

When I sensed they had finished eating after a while, the old Door creaked open, and the Elf girl Arwen appeared.

"What is it you want to ask me?"

"That.... Just, what happened nearby. And if there are any other Elf villages nearby, things like that."

"If it's that-."

Only then did Arwen explain what had happened in the vicinity.

About a month ago, a huge blaze erupted at the port, causing chaos, she said. Thanks to that, the port was closed, and only demonic wild dogs chasing food were abundant in the area, it seemed.

Arwen was originally an errand runner doing odd jobs at the port, she said.

"Since the port closed, people like me and Mom, who were exiled, haven't been able to eat anything proper for about a month now. We almost ate our shoes, I tell you."

"I see."

"Anyway, thanks to you, we survived. Thank you. Mom also asked me to convey her thanks. You, you have a lot of subordinates and are a high-ranking person, right? For someone like that, you're kind!"

"Really?"

"The high-ranking foreign species I saw at the port strutted around and were busy touching Elves' butts. They also showed off just because they had some food."

I see.

Anyway, I was able to obtain various pieces of information from the poor and hungry Elf hunter Arwen.

The fact that a huge blaze erupted at the port a month ago, could it perhaps be related to Friede?

However, Arwen didn't seem to know any information about Friede.

"Are there other villages nearby?"

"But, it might be better not to go to the village now. Because the guys from the Radiant Society won't welcome outsiders."

"If it's the Radiant Society, wasn't it a religion that prayed for Baldur's return?"

"That's right. You know a lot about Alfheim, surprisingly? Anyway, because of those bastards from the Radiant Society, my parents and I were driven out of the village."

Not all Elves were united in one mind and purpose.

A radical and destructive religious group that unconditionally follows the World Tree's prophecy, the Radiant Society, has taken over everything in this Alfheim, she said.

Elves who seized power in the name of the World Tree's will are called Leaf Elves.

Elves who live ordinarily, following their will, are called Root Elves.

And Elves who defied the Radiant Society and the World Tree's will and were driven out are called the Exiled, it seems.

Unlike Nymphs, who are more or less equal despite individual differences due to evolution, Elves, surprisingly, have a class-based society.

"About those bastards called the Radiant Society, can you explain more? What those bastards are doing now. Any news is fine."

"Well, what was it. The bastards from the Radiant Society roaming nearby, I heard they were preparing some kind of festival."

"A festival?"

"Yes, that's right. They said it was for the festival, and they took all the few deer and birds. So the surroundings are swarming with hungry demonic hounds. And I can't hunt...."

"If it's a festival, what kind of festival?"

"I don't know. It sounded like they were talking about some kind of priestess or something. My mom knows more about these kinds of stories than I do."

"Your mother?"

"My mom was originally an elder of the Leaf Elves-! She was a very high-ranking person-! She was also a high-ranking person in the Radiant Society-! Mom is smart and knows everything-!"

"I see. Then, could I meet your mother and ask her some questions?"

"But, you shouldn't make it too hard for her. My mom is a bit sick. Because she hasn't been eating well."

"Okay, I won't make it hard for her."

I knocked on the Cabin's Door.

"You must have heard me inside, right? My name is Hassan. May I intrude for a moment?"

━Come in.

With permission granted from inside, I stepped into the old Cabin. Inside, a female Elf with her face heavily bandaged was seen sitting on the bed, leaning against the wall.

The interior of the Cabin smelled foul, and was not comfortable.

That must mean the woman's illness was severe.

Arwen had simply said her mother was sick from not eating properly, but I realized that the woman's illness was not merely due to hunger.

Seureureu-.

Her eyes between the bandages turned towards my waist.

She spoke in a voice like a small breeze.

"That hammer, it's Mjolnir. For it to appear like this, does that mean Daltor and Sigurd's plan failed?"

Daltor and Sigurd. Both are familiar names. Because they were the names of the Radiant Society executives who had invaded the volcano of High Force.

"Indeed, since they failed-. The snows of Alfheim haven't melted yet, have they? Sigurd, she used to get soft-hearted at the last moment-. Perhaps that friend might have tipped them off."

"Do you know about Elder Sigurd?"

"Of course I do. She was like a blood sister to me. Our names are similar, aren't they? Sigurd, Gartrut."

The name of this sick Elf mother seems to be Gartrut.

"I, on my own, loved a Root Man and had a child, until I was exiled.... I spent a lot of time with Sigurd...."

"I see."

"You must have met her, right? Is she doing well?"

"Sigurd is-."

I explained well that she had tipped me off about the Radiant Society's conspiracy. And also that she had met a man and had a child in the strange land of the Gaia continent.

Hearing that story, the sick Elf Gartrut trailed off, saying, "I see. That Sigurd.... A child with a strange foreign man...."

She must be lost in her own thoughts.

That too was only for a moment.

"I seem to have talked too much about myself. So, what would the foreign god-nim like to ask of this humble sick person?"

"I heard you might know about the festival of the priestess and the Radiant Society Elves."

"Priestess and the Radiant Society.... The White Elf, seems to have returned."

"If it's the White Elf, is it perhaps Friede? Do you happen to know where Friede is now?"

"...."

At my sudden barrage of questions, as if startled, her eyes, visible through the bandages, widened greatly. I realized I had gotten uncharacteristically excited and calmed my demeanor.

"I apologize. Because there's something I'm urgently looking for...."

"Friede.... That was definitely the name. Though I haven't seen her, an Elf said to be as white as snow.... She must be a beautiful and pretty woman."

"...."

"Otherwise, there would be no man to cross distant seas and come looking like this. I'm envious. You must love her, right?"

"That-."

It was when I opened my mouth to answer something.

"But, there isn't much time. A festival will open soon. A festival to burn the World Tree and open the Door. A festival of flames that calls forth the light lurking in the darkness─."