205 - - Art. 205. Misfortunes and Spirits

"Thank you, Captain Sharaza!"

"Welcome home, Chief Warrior!"

When the battle is over, the young elven warriors gather under Ms. Sharaza.

Or rather ......

"Chief Warrior?"

"Well, I am the leader of the warriors of this village, ...... though I am still in my infancy."

Sharaza replies uncomfortably.

I see, instead of having young warriors protect the township, the chief of warriors, who is the spiritual pillar of the township, has been standing aside.

But this time, it seems that Mr. Sharaza was in a pinch because he was away from the township to bring in reinforcements.

I see!　The reason why Ms. Sharaza's movements were not good in the town of Togai was because she was very tired from protecting the safety of the township by herself as the Chief Warrior!

"So you found the warriors of the human race!　Isn't that what that tremendous magic was all about?

The young elf warriors ask Ms. Sharaza with sparkling eyes.

"Yes, when we went to Gordov to ask for information on strong warriors, we succeeded in getting the cooperation of an S-rank adventurer who is one of the best warriors of the human race!"

"""""Oh!!!"""""

"So, where is this warrior?

"Well, this is the S-rank adventurer Lex!"

Sharaza-san holds out his hand to me, and all the elven warriors look at me.

"Oh, hello. My name is Lex.

""""" Oh, oh ...... oh? """""

But when I was introduced to them, the expectant voices of the elven warriors faded into a small sigh.

"Uh, uh, what is it?　Where are the warriors of the human race?"

The elven warriors' eyes wandered about, but we were the only ones there besides Ms. Sharaza and no one else.

"Chief warrior?　We only have human children. ......?"

Well. It's true that we've only just come of age, so it's no wonder that we really do look like children to the elves of the Longevity Horde.

"Well, I don't blame you. But the one who defeated those demons is none other than our own Master Lex!"

"""""E,eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Sharaza's words caused the elven warriors to shout in surprise this time.

"What?　Really?　Are you kidding me?"

"How can you make such a bad joke in such a tight situation?"

"No, well, yes, but ......"

""""" huh......"""""

The elven warriors sigh in a voice that can neither be described as a sigh nor as a cry of approval, and their shoulders slump.

Sorry for my unreliable appearance.

"...... Shut up and listen, you people!　Come on, ......."

"Enough!"

"""""Hi?

Just as Mr. Gyro was about to complain about the attitude of the elf warriors, Ms. Sharaza barked.

"Can't you see this scene?　This mountain of vanquished demons!"

"""""!?"""""

When Ms. Sharaza pointed to the mountain of demons she had just defeated in the battle, the elven warriors shivered and froze.

To them, Sharaza must be both a dependable leader and a terrifying instructor.

"Scary, crunchy, crunchy!"

"It takes no ordinary skill to defeat such a huge herd in such a short time, protected by a strong shell!"

"Munching, munching, munching."

Ms. Sharaza makes it clear that the young warriors will not be able to defeat these monsters.

Then, they crack open the shells of the demons and bite into the meat inside.

"Can you do this?

"Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch!"

"""""......"""""

It is true that the life span of the human race is shorter than ours and that our young warriors are inexperienced. But there is no doubt about the fact that you, Rex, are a very good fighter!　Then it is the behavior of a warrior to accept and acknowledge this reality!　A warrior who cannot immediately recognize reality on the battlefield will not live long!"

That's a good point, Mr. Sharaza. No matter how unbelievable the situation may be for a warrior, he cannot turn away from the reality that is happening right in front of his eyes.

Because of the difference in the sense of time between human races and long-lived races, human races with short life spans tend to think that they are inferior to their counterparts even if they are of the same age in terms of their race.

In reality, however, the long life span of the long-lived species allows them to train and grow at a leisurely pace, while the short-lived species such as the humans understand their short life span and compensate for the difference in their abilities through intensive training.

Sharaza-san is going to use this opportunity to teach this to the young warriors.

If you are not careful, you will be overtaken in no time.

"Bolli bolli, julululu..."

So much so that I feel a little sorry for Mohamofu behind me, who is ruining the serious atmosphere by gobbling up the demon's flesh.

"Hey, are you listening to me!

Sharaza's thunder strikes again as the elven warriors are too quiet or distracted.

"Se, chief of the warriors ...... back, back!

In response, the scolded elf warriors pointed at the mofos behind them with trembling voices.

Ah, I was distracted by the mohumofu. I'm sorry about that.

"What's back there?　I mean, you've been loud!　

Sharaza turns around to see what the hell is going on and looks at the pile of demons and the mofumofu eating them.

"......"

Then Mr. Sharaza seemed to shake for a moment and suddenly stopped moving.

"What's wrong, Ms. Sharaza?"

"......!　WOW!!!!"

Then all of a sudden Ms. Sharaza started screaming at the top of her lungs.

"""""Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!"""""

Not only that, the elven warriors started screaming and making noise.

"What?　What?　What is it?

"""""" Shi-shi-shi-shi-shi-shiro!　White!　White ......?

The elves are suddenly in a state of panic, and everyone is confused.

What is really going on?

I think the only thing they saw was a mofo eating demon meat. ......

"Oh, maybe!"

Then it occurred to me of a possibility.

"Don't tell me that you were shocked to find out that the demon material you were going to collect and use was eaten without your permission?

What?　That's what happened?

Everyone is surprised at my prediction, but that's actually the tricky part.

"Differences in values between different species are quite troublesome. We humans say, "You can't be serious! but it can be a big problem for the different races. In this case, it might be important for the elves to use the materials of the demons they fought for some purpose.

"But I don't think so. ......"

"No, I have heard of it. I've heard that when the church used to invite people of different races to its ceremonies, there was an uproar because of interracial customs."

Mina was still tilting her head, and Mr. Norbu told her about the disturbance that had occurred at the church.

Yes, I think that is the most likely explanation.

It's been so long since I've interacted with people of different races that I'd forgotten about it.

Then, the most effective way to resolve this situation is to contact ......

"Hey, Fluff Fluff!"

I immediately go to the demon gnawing mofufu, grab it by the body and pull it away from the demon.

Yes, in a situation like this, you have to stop the action immediately and apologize sincerely.

Showing sincerity is the key.

If you do so, there is a high possibility that the other race will understand that you are not familiar with the common sense of their own race and will be able to resolve the disturbance peacefully.

At the very worst, we should be able to solve the problem by offering some kind of compensation.

"Gyuu!"

Mofumofu roars in anger when he is interrupted from his meal, but it's not yours!

"That's not yours!"

Yes, these demons were the ones the elven warriors were fighting.

We only joined them and defeated them because we were outnumbered, and we cannot claim the right to take their materials with us.

For other tribes, and even martial tribes within those tribes, being aided even if it means being killed is considered more shameful and disgraceful than death.

"Kuk?　Kyu-gaaa?

Showa wow wow wow. ......

I guess he understood that he had been scolded by me, because he let out a shrieking sound and started shaking as he peed his pants.

He gets depressed and pees himself just by being scolded.

He's still just a kid.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Sharazza. I'm so sorry, my fluffball."

"Cue!"

"""""!?"""""

Fluffy says "Yo!" in a friendly way. The elves shake and tremble as they raise their paws in greeting.

"You mean our ......?"

Yes, this is my pet, his name is Mohamofu.

"""""" pets!?""""""

For some reason, Sharaza and the others rolled their eyes in disbelief.

Well, it's true that there aren't many people who use demons as pets, except for demon tamer and demon farmers.

"Oh, really, you're serious!　That's a white evil!

What?

I was surprised to hear that name out of Ms. Sharaza's mouth.

Because the name is the name of a terrible monster that once destroyed an ancient magical civilization.

"White Plague?　What's that?"

But Gyro and his friends, who have never heard of the White Plague, are tilting their heads, wondering what it is all about.

Yes, their reaction should be normal.

Because they had only learned the information about the White Plague from the documents they had found in the ruins.

That the elves know about it ...... may have been a good decision to take this job after all!

I just don't know what to do about this situation. ......

"Do you understand?　It is the evil demon that once drove the world to the brink of destruction!

Sharaza points at the mofumofu and tells everyone how horrible it is. ......

"This..."

"Mohammed."

The world...

"and nearly destroyed it."

"The Demon of Mischief?"

Everyone tilts their head.

"""""Makka """""

Yeah, that's the reaction I'm getting.

"Mr. Shazala, that's not true. This fluff is a harmless baby demon. You see, he's so timid that he pees himself when he's startled just a little."

With these words, I show Ms. Sharaza the figure of Fluffy, who is still leaking.

"What?　No, but you know what?

Sharaza and the others, who had mistaken Mohamofu for that white disaster, are puzzled to see him peeing himself in shock after just being scolded by a stone.

"Cu......cu......"

"What made you think the mofos were white plagues in the first place?"

I ask why Mr. Sharaza mistook Mohammed for a white disaster.

Maybe we can get some more information about the White Peril.

"Well, we elves, or rather, those of us who live in this township, have been told many times by our elders, from generation to generation, to remember the horror of the White Peril, the dreadful monster that led the world to ruin, through oral tradition. The White Woe is covered with thick, pure white fur. On its head grows a pair of wickedly twisted horns. His eyes are as dark and empty as the jet-blackness of the ......"

I look at Mohamofu when he tells me.

Well, it's true that Mohamofu has a lot of fur, but it's more rounded than thick.

The horns are definitely crooked, but not so much that they are evilly twisted.

And the eyes are more like the eyes of a mischievous little boy with tears falling down his cheeks than ...... dark emptiness.

"Well, does he really look that evil to you?"

I show Mr. Sharaza the fluffy thing I grabbed and ask him if he is such an evil being.

"Are you sure it's not ......?"

Yes, if you see this shivering figure, you'll know that it can't be the terrible monster that once almost destroyed the world.

Maybe Sharaza and the others are so afraid of the white evil that they start to think anything that looks like it is a white evil.

Otherwise, people would not mistake such a harmless creature for a terrifying demon.

"No, you're not ...... right, are you? That white blight can't be in a place like this,...... right?"

Finally regaining their composure, Sharaza and the others relax and breathe a sigh of relief.

Good, it seems they have been convinced somehow.

I'm glad that the only reason they panicked was because they mistook Mohammed for a horrible monster.

I'm really glad that the disturbance was not caused by a difference in interspecies values.

"Haha, but then again, elves are cowards too. I can't believe they're scared of this guy. He's always either eating or sleeping... and sometimes he gets pissed off when his brother scolds him for misbehaving.

Hey, Gyro, we've come to an amicable settlement, so don't say anything too provocative.

"Well... It's true that this girl is strangely strong for a newborn, but she doesn't seem to be able to beat Lex-san at all, and for a demon who destroys the world, she's ......."

And then everyone's eyes are focused on the fluffy thing in my hand.

"""""I'm not dignified enough"""""

Everyone is terrible. Well, I can't help but feel that way when I see Mohamofu pulling and tugging in my hand.

Anyway, with the misunderstanding cleared up, we greeted the elf warriors once again.

I apologize for my earlier words, warriors of the human race. You saved our lives."

"No, thank you."

When they calm down, they thank me for joining them earlier.

"Let's leave it at that, people. You can continue when you get back to your hometowns.

I'm sorry!

Sharaza warns them and the elven warriors head back inside the barrier.

It is irritating to hear the occasional word of thanks from the elves who pass by.

Come in, my friends.

For some reason, Sharaza-san looks strangely happy as she leads us inside the gate.

The moment we pass through the gate, the air around us changes.

"What?　What is this?

"My senses are suddenly ...... clean?"

Everyone seems to feel the same discomfort and shouts in surprise.

That's it, isn't it? The influence of the spell of the lost spell on the forest must have disappeared.

Therefore, it is more correct to say that their senses have returned to normal rather than that their senses have become clearer.

But before we could be surprised, we saw an amazing sight.

What?　What is that ......!?"

"Ha, ha!"

"Welcome, gentlemen. This is our home, the land of the sacred tree.

It was a huge tree, bigger than the town.

""""""De, de, de, de, de, de, de, de, de, de, de, de, de!

That's not all that surprised me.

There was a passageway built into the trunk of a large tree, and a number of houses were fixed to the branches, which were too thick to be branches.

It is correct to say that this is no longer a town built beside a big tree, but a town on a big tree.

"Ha-ha-ha, you must be surprised!

Sharaza-san lets out a proud laugh, and everyone comes to their senses.

"Wait a minute!　What the hell?

"What's the size of this place?　If there was such a big tree, we would have noticed it even from outside the forest!

No wonder everyone was surprised.

After all, this big tree is much bigger than the trees in the man-eating forest.

So the fog covering the forest should not be able to cover this big tree.

"No wonder they think so. Because this tree was hidden from the outside by our secret magic.

Sharaza reveals the secret.

I see, the true purpose of the technique of the great spell of hesitation was probably to make this big tree unrecognizable.

It is so big that it would stand out anyway.

"Spirit magic can be anything. ......"

Everyone is amazed at the bullshit that is spirit magic, but I am even more amazed at something else.

Because this tree, which was said to be a special spirit tree that the ...... elves said they were protecting, was in fact ......

"...... this!　Isn't that the World Tree!

Yes, this is the World Tree itself, which is said to have given birth to the world in the past.

And its other name is ...... the world's biggest weed!