Chapter 201 – Elven Wood
We finally got out of the Great Forest and safely entered the tall walls of the Elven Woods before sunset.
Elven Wood, a planned city built around the World Tree, was largely divided into two sectors, inner and outer, and only pure-blood nobles and their slaves could live in the inner city.
On the other hand, living in the outer castle were the elves of the common class and the heterogeneous people who acted as the lower classes of the city.
Also, all places where people live are the same.
“The inside of the city is full of mana. Is it the effect of the world tree in the center?”
Master Elven Wood, who must have gone through all the prenatal battles in his 100 years of living, looked around the huge city curiously, covering his mouth with a fan, perhaps because this was his first visit.
“Because he’s like that, he looks like a country boy.”
When I, who was standing right next to me, didn’t miss the opportunity and quietly teased her, Master suddenly patted me on the head without warning.
Right!
“Ouch!”
“Do you see what this guy is talking about to his one and only teacher? Is it this worthless snout to say such scandalous things?”
Then she tried to tug at my lips with her index finger and thumb, so I quickly hid behind Camilla’s back and hurriedly changed the subject of conversation.
“Rather than that, let’s decide what to eat for dinner tonight!”
“Hey, you know I’ll only look at you today.”
Fortunately, Master crossed his arms as if he hadn’t intended to continue fighting on the street, and thanks to that, I took a breather and asked Hild.
“Are there any good shops around here? You must have been there more than us.”
Then Hild shrugged his shoulders and said.
“There are good shops, but if you want to eat with this large number of people in one place, you won’t be able to afford it.”
“But.”
The reality is not an RPG game of any kind, so there was no way that 100 people would come out of nowhere just because 100 people entered the store.
‘Then should I distribute food expenses and let them buy and eat in the city autonomously?’
Maybe that would be better
It was to comfort the soldiers, since they had suffered a bit in the Great Forest.
“Kaldrasch-nim, will you be okay for a while?”
As I was thinking about what to make for dinner, Glinda, an elf mage, suddenly broke away from the ranks and spoke to me.
“Oh, yes. What’s going on?”
“Me and Margaret want to act separately from the demon delegation from now on, can you please allow it?”
After hearing Glinda’s words, I remembered one thing I had forgotten.
Come to think of it, the purpose of Glinda following the demon delegation was to rescue Margaret’s mother, a half-elf she met in Nidavellir, and take her out of the city.
Since we had achieved our original goal by reaching Elven Wood, there was no reason for them to act like us anymore.
Understanding the situation, I readily nodded.
“You joined the party for that purpose from the beginning, so take care of yourself. We don’t need Glinda’s help to negotiate anyway.”
“Thank you.”
Saying that, Glinda leaned slightly and pushed Margaret’s waist beside her.
Then Margaret bowed her head toward our party, and after saying the words on her lips, “I will never forget this favor,” She and Glinda disappeared into the dark alleys of Elven Wood.
Those who will go with this will go, and those who will remain will remain, so it seems that there is no need to organize traffic separately.
“Then let’s go find a place to stay quickly.”
It seemed that it would be possible to meet with Archon, the person in charge of Elven Wood, only when tomorrow dawned, so he was planning to play and eat comfortably for today.
***
After finding a place to stay for the night, we put our luggage in the room and went out to eat.
The inn also provides meals, but since it was his first time going to Elvenwood, he passed because he wanted to eat at a local restaurant.
“There’s a lot of something.”
The outer castle night market was full of food using all kinds of ingredients.
In particular, processed foods using monster meat and desserts using tropical fruits from the Great Forest were seen, but since it is a country with abundant vegetation, it seems that their diet tends towards hunting and gathering rather than farming.
“It’s a very exotic landscape.”
Perhaps because of the hot weather, Master said that while fanning her fan, and her eyes lit up when she saw the fruit juice made on the street.
Then, as if it were very natural, he tugged at my sleeve and said,
“Kaldrash, buy me that.”
“Yes? Me?”
“Then you buy it or who buys it?”
“No, Master has money too.”
“Unfortunately, I left my wallet at the dorm.”
“…”
No matter how much I thought about it, it seemed like a lie, but since I was guilty of teasing you earlier, I calmly opened my wallet.
“Master, give me some juice.”
“Would you like to eat too?”
After seeing Master ordering, I looked around the party and asked, and not a single one said no.
Well, women can’t be bothered with sweets.
“Please make it according to the number of people.”
When I ordered with an extra charge, the owner of the juice stall nodded brightly.
“Six juices! Thank you!”
***
Swallow!
We all walked through the night market in Elven Wood with a juice in hand.
Paper straws were already commercialized in Elven Wood, where industrial technology was not as advanced as Nidavellir, but technological prowess was overwhelmingly superior to that of the human kingdom.
I felt uncomfortable when I was using it at a coffee shop, but it is probably because the surrounding environment has changed that I am glad to see you again in a fantasy world.
I chewed on a paper straw and told the others.
“If there’s anything you want to eat, feel free to tell me. I’m going to shoot today.”
Then, Hild, who was leading us, asked with admiration.
“Really?”
Her nostrils were already twitching, and like a good beastman, the smell of food wafting from all over the night market made her mind as well as her body captive.
I shrugged her shoulders at her question and showed her purse that I pulled out of her ah room.
“Because I’m a person who only has money.”
Thanks to the wealth he had accumulated while working as the chief treasurer for two years at the Ozma Government-General, he had amassed enough wealth that three generations could play and eat without a single scratch.
If I were to ask the people in the finance office to pick just one rich man in Oz, I would overwhelmingly take first place.
“Cool…!”
Haha! Praise more! Praise!”
Her compliments make even whales dance. I showed off the purse in her hand, laughing like a idiot at Hild’s sincere admiration.
It was then.
Poof!
Someone snatched the pocket in my hand.
“Oh, a pickpocket.”
As Master muttered in admiration, I belatedly grasped the situation and asked Master.
“Why didn’t you stop?!”
“I knew you’d be able to stop it.”
“Kuk!”
I didn’t come up with anything to explain, so I hurriedly used the whirlpool.
A whirlwind winds around your arms and legs.
I caught the thief by the back as he ran through the crowd with explosive acceleration.
“Got it!”
Wormwood!
However, the pickpocket was clever and threw off my jacket as if taking off a skin.
“Fool!”
When I looked at him with a dumbfounded expression, the pickpocket looked back and stuck out his tongue.
Only then did I realize that the pickpocket was a young rat-taker.
… Is this kid?
Slightly heated, I immediately used bind magic.
Then, the pickpocket, who was slipping through the crowd, fell forward with his whole body tied up before he could take a few steps.
I immediately ran over and punched him in the head.
“Aww!”
“The little guy is already stealing.”
Tuk-tuk!
Then, shaking his palms, he checks the contents of the wallet that has fallen to the floor.
Fortunately, the money inside was safe.
I immediately put the money bag in the subspace and looked around, wondering what to do with this pickpocket kid.
As if this was a common occurrence here, passers-by did not pay much attention to it.
“Kaldrash!”
Hearing Hild’s voice behind me, I turned around and asked.
“Heild, what do you do in Elven Wood at times like this?”
Heeld glanced at the little boy lying on the floor tied up in a bind and pointed to a building.
“I usually hand them over to the city police. It’s not uncommon for backstreets to pickpocket.”
“So what’s the punishment for this guy?”
“It’s a minor offense, so I’ll just spend two or three days in the detention center and then I’ll be released. Even feeding these children is done with taxes.”
“Hmm.”
It wasn’t a punishment I liked very much, but it was acceptable.
I magically floated the little guy into the air to hand him over to the city police.
Then, the little boy struggled with a startled expression and said,
“Wait, wait! Look at me! When I go to prison, my little brothers and sisters will have to starve!”
“It’s not really interesting information.”
Most criminals act emotionally when they are in danger of being caught.
But I wasn’t a man who was sensitive enough to sympathize with such things.
“Free me and I’ll do anything you ask!”
“Hmm? Do you do whatever you ask?”
“Yes!”
Maybe he thought he could see hope, but the little boy whose hardened face is wide open.
But I immediately threw that hope into the abyss.
“There’s an old saying that people don’t rewrite, kid.”
Fuck!
