Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

Judging from Finn's reaction, it seems that he has figured out Loki's temperament through this trip.

Under the watchful eyes of the patrons, Finn observed through the wooden window the travelers and carriages still moving about outside, even though it was night, and spoke:

"Elves are notoriously difficult to please, and the elven royal family must be even more arrogant and difficult to deal with."

As for the "culture" of the Elven royal family, a god who had only recently left the heavens probably only had a superficial understanding, so Finn began to explain in an admonitory tone.

In this "Age of Gods," which accelerated communication between different races due to the descent of the gods, some elves still live deep in the forest and remain secluded, with the Elven Kingdom, where the Elven royal family resides, being the most isolated.

The reason lies in the mindset of the voters.

And a self-important attitude, a disdain for and contempt for other races.

The vast royal forest was strictly forbidden to all other races, except for a very small number of foreign caravans that had a long-standing relationship with the elven royal family. Anyone who dared to approach would immediately be attacked by the "magic" of the elven royal family, and even the gods were not exempt.

"But Finn, does that mean the Elven royal family has never received any 'favor' from the gods (us)? Although it sounds a bit arrogant, powerful [familias] can still force their way in, right...?"

"The most united race in the world is the Elf race. If we were to do that, it would develop into an 'international problem.' Even though that's a joke in the current world... it's no laughing matter when it comes to the Elf race."

Even though the local area strictly prohibits outsiders from invading, the lack of a [Family] means that it is possible to easily break through by force. The problem is that if something happens in the royal village, the elves of the whole world will never let it go.

They might actually break down their differences and unite to hunt down these criminals to the ends of the earth, turning it into a major event of the century.

For this reason, no matter how powerful a nation or clan, dared to invade "Alfred Forest." To all elves in the world, the elven royal family was such a revered existence.

Even the gods, who were willing to abandon their dignity for entertainment—and who completely overturned people's beliefs and values ​​after descending to the mortal realm—could not compare with the status of the elven royal family in the hearts of all elves.

"And speaking of elves... I don't really want to deal with them."

"Hmm? What? Do you dislike elves?"

"It's less about rejection and more about the other party's reaction. The dwarf race is often despised by other races, and the elves are the most severely affected... Of course, I don't intend to condemn the entire race... but it's not hard to imagine how arrogantly I will be treated by them."

This is something Finn has experienced countless times.

The elves always insulted the dwarfs with the word "short".

Although this attitude of the elves did not begin recently, Finn understood that this situation was not limited to the dwarves, but their personality was such that they always liked to label people with harsh terms without any regard for the facts.

For a race that had long lost its courage, it's not hard to imagine that in the eyes of the elves they were "a bunch of dwarfs".

"Since your first member of the family is a dwarf, you're bound to be looked down upon as well, Loki."

The boy shrugged his shoulders, and his short, golden hair swayed gently.

Because Finn wanted to change the entire dwarf race, he didn't believe he had any prejudice or dislike towards the race called elves. However, everything has a "order," and he would at least wait until he had more companions before considering recruiting elves.

Finn, who was good at shrewd calculations, believed that he had to wait until he had members other than the dwarves to ease the elves' difficult pride and make it easier to recruit them into the group.

Although the addition of rare magical races can be of great benefit, they are not indispensable at this stage.

Finn told Loki his thoughts in detail.

"I see~"

"So you've changed your mind?"

"Then let's head over to the elven royal settlement and take a look!"

"Are you even listening to me...?"

Loki, on the other hand, wore a broad smile and went straight to the same topic.

It should be said that Loki's obsession with beautiful women and young girls was unwavering. After Finn saw her smile with beer foam still on her lips, he immediately realized that he could not change her mind at all.

Finn sighed again, then raised the corners of his mouth in a smile.

"Alright... We'll head to 'Alfred's Forest' first thing tomorrow morning. Even if we can't recruit the talent we've got our eye on, don't come complaining to me, okay?"

"Yay! I love Finn the most! Little people are so easy to deal with~ Hehehe!"

"You've accidentally blurted out what's on your mind, Loki."

"Ah, don't misunderstand, don't misunderstand, I was just joking~!" Loki quickly brushed off Finn's sarcasm after Finn gave him a wry smile.

Because of the capriciousness of the main god, the Loki Familia, consisting of only two members, decided to go to "Alfred Forest".

As the sun sets and night falls, "Alfredo Forest" transforms into a dreamlike landscape.

The branches of the sacred tree reflected the moonlight filtering through the leaves, transforming the place into a forest where fairies seemed to flutter and dance in the air, and where blue and white light emanated everywhere.

"Aina... are you really going to come with me?"

In this azure forest, Rivera stealthily led a horse out of the stable.

This mount is the only unicorn in this royal settlement that has been successfully tamed.

Riveria soothed the sacred beast that had brought its face close, and confirmed with the attendant beside her who was leading the white horse.

"Yes, Princess Rivera, I am willing to go with you."

Although not as beautiful as Princess (Riveria), the still graceful and beautiful elf nodded in response, her tied-up emerald hair swaying slightly. Her smile revealed her innate gentle nature.

The girl's name was Aina Lindor. Although she was not qualified to be called the progenitor (Alfre), she was still a collateral relative of Riveria and shared the same bloodline. She was also Riveria's personal maid.

The two were childhood playmates who grew up together.

Three days after Riveria made up her mind to leave the settlement, on the night of that day, Aina, who had been trying to persuade her with kind words, saw that the spoiled princess's will was extremely firm and suggested that she should go with her.

"Having lost both my parents long ago, I have no relatives or friends here, so there is nothing for me to miss."

"But……"

"Besides, Princess Rivera, you would definitely suffer a lot in your daily life without me by your side..."

"Don't underestimate me! I can handle things myself!"

Although the two are about the same age, Aina sometimes acts like an older sister worrying about her younger sister. Whenever this happens, Rivera starts to sulk, but compared to Aina, who is required to respect royalty as a servant, Rivera prefers her this way and hopes to be able to laugh and play with her like a childhood friend.

They secretly left the capital and went to the outside world using a secret passage known only to royalty.

Under the faint light emanating from the Holy King Tree, Riveria gazed at the illuminated royal capital, her eyes reminding Aina: it's not too late to back out.

"I still remember the promise I made to you when I was a child: 'I want to see the world someday.'"

"Aina..."

"Although I am indeed loyal to the great royal family... my sincere heart is only dedicated to you, Princess Riveria."

This was the first time in her life that Riveria had felt such joy.

If there's anything to boast about in this life that always left her feeling like a caged bird, she would proudly declare that it's meeting this confidant.

In response to Aina's shy smile, Riveria gave the same expression.

"I understand, let's go then!"

Riveria and Aina mounted their respective mounts and left the elven capital where they had lived until now.

The two rode their horses through the forest, which was bathed in the pale blue light of the moon.

"We can't afford to be seen by the other elves. Even though the path is rugged and difficult, this is the only way!"

"yes!"

The "Alfre Forest," stretching far above the capital, is so vast it could be called a sea of ​​trees, but for Riveria, who frequently goes hunting, it's like her "backyard," a fact that remains unchanged even after nightfall. Her tamed unicorns run with the grace of a dance, never stumbling over the protruding tree roots. Aina, often forced to accompany Riveria on her outings, easily rides her white horse close behind.

They avoided the regular routes taken by caravans and soldiers, heading straight for the north of the forest.

(Not only did I bring my bow and arrows, but I also brought my magic wand this time, so there's no need to worry about encountering monsters or anything like that...)

Unfortunately, even in the "Alfredo Forest," which is hailed as a holy land for elves, monsters dwell. Therefore, Riveria touched the short bow and royal wand she carried on her back.

To be honest, these were weapons used for self-defense after leaving the forest.

Beyond this enclosed world, besides bandits, there are also the unscrupulous "Familiars of the Gods." Riveria is not an innocent sheltered young lady; she is well aware that the outside world is not only filled with beautiful things.

(The biggest problem is whether we can escape "Alfred Forest", after all, I have only peeked at the map of the forest and have never actually come to a place so far away from the capital...)

Whether it's the towering forests easily exceeding fifty meters in height or the tranquil, clear springs, the surrounding scenery gradually becomes unfamiliar, and everything that follows is "unknown" for Riveria.

Besides unease and fear, the anticipation and excitement of the "unknown" made her heart race.

The moment she unconsciously tightened her grip on the reins—a loud bang came from the distance behind her, loud enough to startle a large flock of birds into flight.

"We've been discovered...!"

The entire city had already noticed Rivera's sudden departure.

She could clearly sense that the situation within the royal city had become extremely chaotic.

Then came the sound of countless hooves.

They are elven knights galloping on horseback.

If they follow the unicorn's tracks, they'll catch up soon. Realizing this, Rivera shouted:

"Hurry up, Aina!"

“Okay, okay!”

The two mounts accelerated again, and Riveria and Aina sped through the forests as night fell.

"Whoosh! We've finally arrived at the Elf Royal Forest! My lovely elf girls, I'm coming to find you!"

After changing carriages in the inn town (Karuna) and arriving in a nearby town, the two continued walking for about a day.

After a three-day journey, Finn and Loki finally arrived at Alfred.

The vast sea of ​​trees stretching out before them was completely obscured from the plains they were currently on. Loki was overjoyed by the magnificent view, while Finn, standing beside him, gripped his newly forged spear and appeared quite troubled as he spoke.

"Hmm... what should we do next? It's not hard to imagine that just barging in will only get us caught by the elves."

"Hey—Finn! You call yourself a resourceful little man, yet you haven't come up with a single battle plan—!?"

"Because I hope that after you realize how reckless this is, you'll be able to give up gracefully, Loki."

Finn, as if he were already used to dealing with Loki, finished speaking and then immediately added, "Besides, I don't call myself that."

"In front is a magnificent forest entrance... and elves that look like guardians."

"Yes, they are elven guards. Except for their own kind or a few people who have been granted permission by the royal family, no one is allowed to enter. Even if you can get through the entrance, it is said that you can forget about reaching the settlement without someone to help you find your way. You will only get lost in the sea of ​​trees first."

At the forest entrance, some distance away, several elves dressed as hunters stood guard like sentries. Although Finn, blessed with "blessing," could defeat them, he still had to avoid unnecessary conflict. After all, without a guide familiar with the area, even if they infiltrated the forest via other routes, they would never reach the settlement.

To be honest, Finn was extremely reluctant to fight the Elven royal family. Just when he thought he had witnessed "King Alfred" firsthand and could head home—

"...Finn, over there."

"Hmm...? You mean those elves...?"

Loki suddenly pointed straight ahead with a serious expression, and Finn looked over and saw that the guards at the entrance looked very flustered.

The group was in such a flustered state that it was clear from their movements that some kind of emergency had occurred. Immediately afterward, they all rushed into the forest.

"...Looks like something's wrong~"

Loki grinned wickedly at the sight before him.

"Hey Finn... don't you think it'll be interesting to run into something if you follow that group of people? And it's probably related to the elven royal family who live in the forest."

"...Sigh, I'm never bored when I'm with you."

Facing Loki's gleeful expression, Finn first made a sarcastic remark in a mournful tone, then forced out a helpless, bitter smile.

With Loki, feeling right at home, yelling "Alright! Let's go!!", and leading the charge with boundless energy, Finn began tracking down the elven guards who had left earlier.

"Princess Rivera, please return to the capital! Have you thought carefully about what you're doing?!"

A squad of elven knights had caught up to within sight, the leading knight commander shouted.

In contrast, Rivera's only response was the sound of the unicorn's galloping hooves.

"Hmm... Begin chanting! Use 'Wind Magic' to snipe the mount!"

At the command of the Knight Commander, the elves, who were chasing after the enemy on horseback, began to chant incantations.

This is an innate type of "magic" that only magical races can wield. It is a long chant that has been passed down from "ancient times" through countless trainings and rituals, and only magical races, led by elves, can cast this "magic" without receiving any "blessing".

"Riding Chant" – This is a unique fighting style exclusive to the knights (elves) of "Alfred."

The mount will handle the tracking and dodging actions, while you will be responsible for launching projectiles called "magic".

This is a tactic similar to "parallel chanting" that can be done without the need for an experienced mage.

"Respond to the contract, winds of all things, obey my command and sweep away the enemy!"

"...Respond to the covenant, flames of the earth, obey my command and burn away tyrannical power!"