We were inside the fog gate leading to the forest of the elves.
Inside, I only saw a white room that seemed infinite. “From what Legoz told us, the only way to get out of here is to follow a defined path. But if you take a wrong step, you go back to the starting point,” Raiza said.
She walked in a straight line, and before I knew it, she was behind us. I said out loud:
“Yes, this definitely won’t be easy to get out of. In short, we’re screwed. Great.”
Raiza approached and took my hand. She used my degenerative magic on herself to recover my strength and heal my broken legs.
“Master, Chizze wants to know what to do with the hostage.”
I looked at Chizze and noticed she had the blindfolded girl held in her right arm, like a sack of potatoes.
“Don’t mess with me, Chizze. Why did you bring her with us? What were you thinking?”
I noticed Chizze’s eyes starting to tear up, and I felt like the biggest jerk. I remembered she took her hostage in an attempt to save me. Goddess, forgive me for being so stupid.
“Sorry for yelling. I know you thought it was the best way to keep us safe.” I hugged Chizze while she tried to hold back her tears.
“Hey, if you’re going to flirt, could you let me go, if it’s not too much trouble? I promise not to do anything suspicious.”
The blindfolded woman said. Chizze got startled by her voice and let her go abruptly.
“Ouch, that hurt. Cough, cough I introduce myself: I’m Kharla, a mage specializing in stat support. I know some basic offensive magic, though I’m very bad at it. But I’m the best support you can find.”
I don’t understand what situation she thinks she’s in. Basically, the enemy who attacked the royal palace has her kidnapped, and she looks very calm, almost as if she wants to make friends.
“Shut up, restless children; I’m trying to think of a way out of here,” Raiza said while wandering in circles.
“How lucky you are, guys, because I know someone who knows how to get out of this place... guess who.”
Kharla said with a smug face.
“Hey, Raiza, why don’t we try to destroy this place?”
“Good idea, Ester. I think I have another explosive orb with me.”
Kharla, with a lot of fear on her face, says…
“Wait, at least listen to me before you do anything...
I’ve been watching that woman as she goes around. She doesn’t always come back to the start at the same moment.
Sometimes she takes 10 steps and returns, then 20 and returns, then 7 and returns.
That’s a pattern. Imagine this room as a circle, inside another circle, which in turn is inside another circle.”
I didn’t understand anything. Chizze makes a face that indicates she understands even less than I do, but Raiza listens intently.
“If you take the correct steps, you exit the first circle. But if in the next circle you take the wrong path, you’ll return to the start of the first circle… So as long as you don’t return to the starting point, you’re going the right way. In short... you have to walk over your own steps until you exit the maze.”
Raiza, with a smile on her face, says:
“You’re very smart. Thank goodness, I was getting tired of being surrounded by idiots.”
Damn arrogant elf.
“Alright, guys, here’s the plan: let’s form a straight line, the four of us. The three in the back will follow the person in front, and if the person at the front goes back to the starting point, we’ll know that’s not the correct path. And this person should go back to the end of the line.”
This plan reminded me of a game we played at the orphanage when we were practically babies. I thought it was a ridiculous plan, but I couldn’t think of anything better.
…
After a long time of trial and error, we finally saw the exit of the maze.
Kharla’s crazy plan paid off, which made Raiza quite happy…
“Your name is Kharla, right? Would you like to join us and betray your country?”
Raiza said with a mocking face.
“I gladly accept. Please take good care of me.” What the hell, those two already became friends. It took me much longer to get along with that elf.
“And Miss Raiza, what are we going to do in the elven forest?”
“Well, rescue some ogres who are relatives of a friend of mine and punch the man who claims to be my father in the face.”
Kharla lowered her gaze, removed the blindfold from her eyes, looked directly at Raiza’s face, and said with a flushed face and a smile:
“I understand, I also want to hit my father.”
…
About five elven soldiers were patrolling the forest outskirts. While yawning from the quietness, they realized one of them had fainted, and his comrades had no time to react. They also fainted, leaving only one soldier standing, who heard a voice say...
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“They are not dead, but if you cause a commotion, you won’t be so lucky.” The soldier fainted after hearing those words...
“Kharla, your stat-boosting magic is very good. Obviously, I’m very fast, but I don’t think they even realized I hit them.”
“Thank you, Miss Raiza. Your words flatter me.”
I watched the two women from a distance. They now seemed like best friends, and I noticed a strange vibe in the air.
I wonder if this is how Raiza felt when she saw me sleeping with Chizze. I think Chizze feels the same way I do, as we share the same cold gaze.
Once we dealt with the soldiers guarding the forest outskirts, we arrived at the elven city. I had seen it once in Raiza’s memories, but it looked different...
The trees seemed more worn, many leaves were missing, and the remaining leaves had a dull brown color. It was very cold, not the deadly cold of the north, but not the normal elven forest chill either.
Raiza took out the teleportation orb in her right hand and a rat in her left hand.
“One moment, I had two of those rodents,” and I looked at Kharla, who was playing with a white mouse as if it were her pet.
“I’m sorry, Miss Raiza, I didn’t realize it was yours. I’ve seen these mice around the castle. I was drawn to their white color and always wanted to see one up close. I noticed it was domesticated, as it doesn’t stink or act hostile towards humans. Here, I’ll give it back to you.”
Kharla handed the mouse back to Raiza.
“This isn’t my pet.”
Raiza placed the two mice on the ground, poured mana into the orb, causing the mice to disappear and be replaced by Gasthor and Legoz.
“Good job, Raiza. Let’s not waste time. Legoz, lead us with my companions.”
…
From what I saw from a distance in the forest, I didn’t see any ogres. However, Legoz told us about the treatment the ogres received in this place...
“Below the elven forest are tunnels that connect directly with the roots of the trees. Their purpose is to provide nutrients to both the soil and the trees from the roots... The problem is that doing this doesn’t solve the slow death of the trees that the elves consider sacred; it only delays it. Furthermore, there have been landslides in the area, making working below very dangerous.”
From what I understood from Legoz’s words, the elves had the ogres working under constant danger of death from collapses. I never thought elves could be so cruel.
After asking Gasthor to remove this ridiculous fake beard, which didn’t serve any purpose, Legoz guided us to the entrance of the underground tunnels.
There were more guards watching the area. Legoz begged us not to kill them, as not all elves agreed with kidnapping the ogres, and those who did initially seemed to be eaten away by guilt. That’s why Raiza didn’t kill the soldiers we saw earlier.
Near the tunnels, Kharla enhanced Raiza’s stats. With that power, she quickly knocked out seven guards who were guarding the tunnels.
Now the plan was to split into two groups...
Raiza, Kharla, and Gasthor would enter the tunnels to rescue the ogres from the forest.
Meanwhile, Chizze and I would watch the entrance from a distance.
Legoz, with a helmet covering his face, would pretend to be one of the guards we had just knocked out (whom we hid inside the tunnels).
He would guard the entrance of the tunnels in case other elves approached.
Maintaining our strategic positions, the final part of the plan begins.
…
…
…
We find ourselves in the mind of the Rusthia princess, Kharla Dante Rusthia...
I’ve always lived in the shadow of my father and his decisions. Although theoretically I was a princess, I always felt more like a prisoner in the Rusthia royal palace. I truly hate this country, and if I could be free, I wouldn’t mind living as a commoner... as long as I could go far away...
…
“All set, Miss Raiza. I used my detection magic, and I think there are about 60 people at the end of this tunnel, but I also noticed that the ground isn’t in its best condition. A collapse could happen at any moment. We need to move slowly and carefully. If you run with your enhanced speed, you might accidentally cause a shift in the ground and kill us all. Try to hide your presence when you attack and do it in a way that doesn’t cause a long fight.”
Raiza took my words seriously and began to move stealthily, while behind her, Gasthor and I followed in silence. It’s a new experience for me to give orders and have them taken seriously.
Who is this woman? I see her aura is powerful, but I don’t feel fear.
What scares me is that priest. His aura isn’t human, but seeing how he interacts with Raiza, I think he’s harmless…
But seriously, how did he survive my double piercing his chest?
I whispered, “Stay quiet, I sense two presences moving.”
Raiza used her stealth. Slowly and silently, she approached the subjects and knocked them out by striking their heads together, making very little noise.
We continued forward and encountered more elven soldiers, but they received the same treatment as the others.
When we reached the end of the tunnel, we found the forest ogres. Out of the approximately 60 people in the tunnels, 51 were forest ogres; the rest were their guards.
The ogres didn’t seem physically abused, but they looked very tired and had slave shackles.
From what I know about enslaving people, there are two common methods: magically marking them with a spell or forcing them into slavery with shackles or collars that enforce servitude. That was the case with the ogres…
The leader of the forest ogres said, “Friends, I’m glad to see you alive. I know you have a lot to say, but there’s no time. This girl is Raiza. I know she’s an elf, but she has no relation to your captors and has the power to free you.”
In a low voice, Gasthor told Raiza, “Hey, use your blood on the shackles and collars and say: ‘I free you.’ Once they’re free, I’ll teleport them and bring my pets to look for Kykoo.”
The ogres, without saying a word, allowed Miss Raiza to free them from their shackles and collars.
Once they were free, the ogres looked calmer. They all held hands, and Miss Raiza used the orb, teleporting the ogres and bringing a bunch of white rats in their place…
The rats surrounded Gasthor. It was obvious to me that they were his pets.
“Guys, go to the elven forest and find Kykoo Leiva,” said Gasthor, and the rats rushed out of the tunnel.
…
“Oh no, my rats that already left the tunnel saw a lot of trouble at the tunnel entrance.”
We knew at that moment that we had to run or this tunnel could become our grave...
…
…
…
While Raiza and her team went to rescue the ogres, Chizze and I watched Legoz at the tunnel entrance.
“Master, I smell a group of long ears bringing food,” said Chizze, saliva dripping from her mouth. She’s still hungry after ravaging the palace buffet…
Three elves arrived with a food cart. I think it was snack time for the guards and their prisoners.
Legoz, nervously said, “Thank you for the food, ladies. I’ll distribute it among my comrades and the prisoners.”
Among the three elves, there was one who stood out; she appeared older and had a more imposing aura. It was clear that the other two elves were just her assistants.
She spoke, “I think I know you, but I don’t know from where. You’re new.”
Legoz replied, “Yes, I’m new. This is one of my first jobs. I’ve always wanted to be an elven soldier since I was a child. I’m excited to work and prove my worth.”
The elf who seemed to be the superior of the other women smiled and handed the food to Legoz. As Legoz was about to put the food into the cave…
A faint whistling was heard, and Legoz’s clothes started to fill with blood. Legoz was attacked with wind magic. He was almost cut in half, but only lost an arm and had part of his abdomen sliced.
Legoz vomited blood, fell to the ground, and writhed in pain.
“Did you really think you could fool me, you foolish child?” Without hesitation, Chizze jumped from the tree where we had been watching Legoz and attacked the elf.
But the elf blocked her attack with a wind shield.
“You’re the companion of this traitor, a filthy beast woman. I’ll give you the honor of dying by my hands.”
The elf cast a spell: “Thousand Daggers in the Air.”
She made a flurry of cuts in the air, severely wounding Chizze and, as collateral damage, injuring the two elves who accompanied her to deliver the food.
…
“Well, you’re not afraid to hurt your own allies,” I said to the elf while holding Chizze’s wounded body.
“Human? No, you are something more. Your aura gives you away.”
I simply replied, “ACCELERATED HEALING!”
Chizze leaped from my arms and prepared to attack the elf but then stopped her attack again. However, she didn’t notice that I was behind Chizze.
This move was something we had practiced in training. She attacks from the front, and from behind her, I use her body as a springboard to jump on top of the elf. I landed behind the elf, touched her back, and shouted:
“Degenerative magic, NEUROLOGICAL PARALYSIS!”
The elf was stunned and received a punch in the face from Chizze, knocking her out. I’m not sure when it happened, but a bunch of rats started pouring out of the cave, which meant the plan had worked. Now I rise with Chizze’s help, as the accelerated healing had left me exhausted.
I approached Legoz and sealed the cut on his chest and stopped the bleeding from his arm. I could heal him completely, but I don’t have much vitality left.
“Ester, please help those elves too. They were just doing their job; they didn’t deserve to be attacked so cruelly by their companion.”
At that moment, Raiza and her group emerged from the tunnel with a bunch of elves dressed in soldier armor on their backs.
“For the Goddess, I was scared when Gasthor said there were problems. I thought they were going to collapse the tunnel, and we had to get these guys out so they wouldn’t be crushed... Well, it doesn’t matter anymore.”
Raiza tossed the elves off her back like they were garbage bags.
I asked Raiza for help to regain my vitality and heal the wounded. I healed Legoz’s arm and the elf companions of the woman who had cut Legoz’s arm, but we left them unconscious with the rest of the soldiers in a safe place, as they would no longer be a nuisance.
“So this will be the end of the elf forest,” said the elf who had cut Legoz’s arm. I didn’t want to heal her as she could still be very dangerous. She was still under the effect of my degenerative magic.
I’m surprised she can still speak. She must have a great willpower...
“You are Gasthor. You came for your people, and now my people will be doomed. The forest will die soon, and with it, all the elves. I always wanted to see the outside world, but I am terrified of the unknown. The forest is all we have, and now it’s our end.”
The elf cried as she voiced her complaints loudly, and Gasthor spoke:
“Elves will not die, I promise you that. Now we must put an end to this farce called the elf forest.”
The elf, still on the ground, laughed.
“How foolish you are. Kykoo Leiva will never allow us to leave the forest, and no one else can get us out of here, unless it is a high elf from the royal elven family.”
“Foolish girl, try to rest a bit if you don’t trust me and trust her,” said Gasthor, pointing to Raiza, who at that moment removed her helmet. The elf’s eyes widened, and she said, surprised:
“That face, it’s the same face as the Queen of the elves, Kykoo Leiva’s deceased wife.”
Raiza responded:
“I’m sorry to tell you that I am not her… I am Raiza Corddian… but you might know me as...
Raiza Leiva.”
image [https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/078/582/848/large/duval-saul-344443.jpg?1722506244]