Elf Village ①

A cave that opened quietly in the heart of the mountain of the Sariera country.

Sensei activates the Transfer magic circle in the hidden room.

「This Transfer magic circle connects to the Elf Village. Are you ready?」

I nod to Sensei's question.

Sensei who confirmed it, activates the Transfer magic circle.

My view is distorted.

That's only an instant, and when the distortion returned, I caught sight of a different scenery from a while ago.

From a small cave into a building somewhere.

It's a circular building that looks like a hall, and there are many Transfer magic circles on the floor.

However, the building doesn't matter now.

It was the innumerable point of swords that greet us who transferred.

We were surrounded by the Elf soldiers.

「Firimes, I think that it's a violation to bring outsiders」

Among the Elf soldiers, the man who seems to be the captain talks.

The language used is not the Human language.

It's the Elf language.

I'm glad that I learned the Elf language in the academy.

「They are Cooperators. I should have told the circumstances with Distant Communication, isn't it?」

「We should have also said it. That, although we understand your circumstances, we can't invite the Humans into the village」

「Now is not the time to be particular about the Humans. Please pull your swords」

「Never.If you leave at once, we will spare your lives. Turn back right now with the transfer circle」

「This won't end. Please call Potimas」

An intense atmosphere flows.

I calm Katia who almost became attack mode instinctively by a gesture.

I stand quietly in front of Anna who seems to tremble, and I protect her from the point of the swords and the eyes of the Elves.

「That's enough」

A man's voice sounded.

Although it has already many years ago, I have met this man once.

Potimas Hyphenath.

It was the man who was the patriarch of the Elves.

「I'm sorry for the violent welcome. All the Elves, let's accept the Hero and his comrades」「Is it fine?」

「I don't mind. If they manage to break through the barrier by any chance, it's better to have more forces」

A disturbing sign mixes in Potimas's words.

Somehow, I can't have a good impression of this man.

Although there's also the fact that he appraised me suddenly in the first meeting, he has the eyes that seem to look down on anyone other than himself.

「Come. Although it's small, let's give a welcome banquet」

The Elf soldiers put the swords away.

Potimas walks quickly.

I follow his back in a hurry.

「Potimas, how's the situation?」

「It's not too good. I will tell you later」

Potimas answered Sensei's question coldly.

Even though the situation is not good, is it okay to do a welcome?

「Um, saying that the situation is not good, is it all right?」

I asked so instinctively.

「It can be said that it's all right, and it can also be said that it's not all right. However, it won't happen right now. There's the time to at least to have a meal. I will tell you in detail at that time」

Since then, Potimas look ahead and begins to walk.

That back refused any further questions.

We go out of the building that has the Transfer magic circles.

The forest where huge trees that should be several thousand years old spread there.

The hugeness that the diameter of one tree is 10 meters.

The root of the huge tree is hollowed, and it's used as a house.

If I looked back, the place that I thought that it was a building where the Transfer magic circles are there is the inside of the huge tree.

The Elf Village, rather than existing together with the forest, it was the forest itself.

The glance of the Elves fly from the inside of the tree house and the branch.

I understood it well that we are not welcomed by the glance.

It's said that the Elves are exclusive, but I didn't think that the swords were pointed suddenly, and we will be exposed to such an uncomfortable glance.

I look at Anna's state.

Although she looks firm, I understand that her hands are slightly shaking.

The Elf Village is a place full of bitter memory for Anna.

Surely, she must have been exposed to this glance since the time when she lived here.

I make sure to be close to Anna as much as possible.Before long, Potimas enters the house of a tree.

The inside is like a conference room, and a round wooden desk was placed in the center.

We sit down on the seat as we were urged.

Cuisine has been carried there.

「Although it's the Elves' cuisine, it should also match the Humans' taste」

I try the cuisine by Potimas's offer.

Although it's quite bland with the vegetables at the center, the taste of the ingredients are drawn properly to that extent.

Certainly, it's delicious.

There's also the tiredness of the travel, so we ate up the cuisine silently.

「Well then, let's get to the main point」

After the Elf waiters clear the tableware, Sensei began to talk so.

「Yeah. I will explain the present condition」

Potimas starts explaining.

「The enemy has already arrived outside the Elf Forest. They are stopped by the barrier now, and the march stopped. The enemy is mainly the empire army, and the force is approximately 80000」

I'm surprised at the number.

In the present situation that the fight with the Demons is taking place, is the defense all right to mobilize this much soldiers?

Does Yuugo not put this in the outlook?

「The troublesome one is that the church is sending a considerable number of soldiers. When the fake Hero called Yuugo is announced officially, it seems that the person who connects the empire and the church is considerably strong」

As expected, I should consider that the church has been conquered by Yuugo's brainwashing ability.

「Although I think that you know that there's a barrier at the Elf Village, it seems that the church's magician is constructing a large-scale magic formula. From the scout's report, it seems to be an unknown magic formula that can't be analyzed. It's likely to be a magic to destroy the barrier. It's a large-scale magic formula that it needs several days to prepare」

「Needs several days!? Is it fine to not stop it!?」

「Rather than wanting to stop it, it can't be stopped. The barrier set up at the village is powerful, and we can't even pass through it. In order to arrived at this village, we have no choice but to use the special Transfer magic circles. It's a powerful thing that can even block the normal "Space Magic", and repel skills like Telepathy. Now, the number of Elves taking actions outside is 6000 people. It's not the force that can fight against an army of 80000」

I see.

The barrier has the thing that Sensei boasted, and it seems to be unexpectedly powerful.

「Um, how do you contact between the outside and the inside?」

「We used the technique called sign language. Although even the voices can't pass through the barrier, it doesn't block the view」

I see.

There's sign language in this world.

It's probably different from the one in the Earth though.

「It was a prediction that the completion of the magic formula will take a bit longer in the report from the outside. Therefore, as long as the barrier destruction magic is not completed, this village is still safe. That's the reason why I said that it's all right, but it's also not all right」

「Will the barrier break?」

「I don't know」

After that, we are said that we are tired from the long journey, the room was lent, and we sleep.

If the barrier is destroyed, the fight will start at that time.

Until then, I must recover the lost physical strength.