NOVEL NEXT Chapter 86
“Father!”
Idsys hurriedly arrived, sensing the wave of danger, and called out to him.
“It’s not an Amon. The sound is different. These are footsteps.”
Amons had no feet; they slid across the snow, making a scraping sound. But now, there was a distinct thudding, the sound of heavy footsteps.
“Ha, this is madness. Father, these are monsters we’ve never seen before.”
Gergys, standing beside him, spoke of what he saw through his enhanced vision.
Unfamiliar monsters.
This would not be as simple as past battles.
Fortunately, his daughter’s vision showed nothing but a clean and beautiful landscape.
No demons, no monsters—just the young pope.
In a way, that was a relief. Wherever they were, it had to be safer than this current situation.
“Everyone, prepare yourselves.”
Vikal’s low voice sent a chill through the knights.
“Sir Vincent, return to the camp immediately and inform everyone. The demons have arrived, leading an army of unknown monsters.”
“Yes, yes, sir!”
The young knight, frozen with tension, hurriedly turned on his heels and ran back to the camp. Watching him leave, Vikal tightened his grip on his sword.
‘One hour. I will settle this within one hour and then go find Cherishe.’
The image of the arrogant young pope’s smug face flashed in his mind.
If that boy wanted to earn his approval as a future son-in-law, he’d better ensure Cherishe was safe until he arrived.
“Gergys, give it your all. Idsys, conceal your power and prepare for what’s to come.”
“Let’s get wild!”
“Yes, Father.”
“You’ve never faced demons before. Be cautious and stay alert.”
The moment he returned to the royal palace, he would grab the emperor by the collar and demand to know if this, too, was part of his grand prediction.
The battle had begun.
The ash-grey snowfields, soaked with Amon blood, turned crimson once again.
“Excuse me! Can you help us, please?”
After walking through a narrow path, we finally reached a village.
The buildings were all tall and slender, which I found fascinating. As we entered the village, the first thing I noticed was the children playing nearby.
Not wanting to seem suspicious, I climbed down from Dew and exchanged a glance with Sihat.
The village atmosphere felt… off.
The children weren’t laughing or running energetically, and something about the place just seemed somber.
“Sihat, I’ll go greet them.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah!”
Meeting the kids first seemed like a good sign.
I scanned the group, looking for the tallest child, and then approached to greet them.
“Hewwo!”
“Gasp!”
“Can you hewp me?”
I spoke to a girl with braided hair, who looked about thirteen years old. Her eyes widened, and before I could explain further, she let out a loud whistle.
Everything happened in an instant.
“Here! We’ve got a human child!”
A human child.
That phrase felt eerily familiar, like something I’d heard before in a dragon’s marketplace.
‘Could they… not be human?’
It made sense. Living deep in the forest, these people could very well be of another race.
Within moments, footsteps echoed around us, and Sihat and I were quickly surrounded.
“They’re human. What should we do?”
“Go get the village elder!”
“How did they find us?”
“We’re doomed, aren’t we?”
“Let’s just get rid of them! Wipe them out, and no one will know!”
Curiosity, fear, and anger radiated from the adults surrounding us, none of which were particularly welcoming.
Sihat noticed this, too, and instinctively shielded me behind him.
‘The children seem more curious than afraid, though.’
I glanced at the kids peeking out from behind the adults and noticed something peculiar.
Their ears were long.
“Could they be… elves?”
My whispered guess drew sharp, suspicious glares from the adults.
Were they really elves?
At that moment—
[♡New Episode Unlocked♡]
Welcome to the village of the Winter Elves!
Winter Elves are a subspecies known for their exceptional archery skills. Nearly 500 years ago, they were almost wiped out due to the policies against non-human races. Now, they live in hiding, scattered across the world, avoiding humans.
The group living in these mountains is particularly conservative, known as ‘Vanholians,’ and they avoid any contact with humans.
However, recently, hunting has drastically decreased, and they are suffering from severe iron and vitamin deficiencies!
(Note) Once you enter, cancellation is not possible.
Would you like to enter?
[YES/NO]
I’ll be honest—I skimmed the explanation.
But let’s face it, most people do that with instructions, right?
‘Might as well enter!’
Yes!
Just as I made my choice, an elderly woman with the same braided hairstyle as the young girl appeared.
She must be the village elder.
“Children of humans, how did you come here?”
“Dad is fighting Amon. I followed Dad.”
At times like this, it’s best to play the part of an innocent, clueless child.
I clasped my hands together and fidgeted, doing my best to sound childish and harmless.
“Dad weft me…”
This wasn’t the royal palace.
Here, it wasn’t about looking smart or standing out. The best course of action was to act like an ordinary four-year-old.
Perfect pronunciation and complex thoughts might be expected in the palace, but out here, it would only make me seem strange.
“Amon? Amons are found far from here.”
“Oh no, what should we do?”
I grabbed my cheeks, pretending to panic.
“There’s no way you could’ve walked here from that far… You, you look older. Answer me.”
The village elder pointed her heavy staff at Sihat.
Despite being suddenly singled out, Sihat didn’t panic. He answered calmly.
“We seem to have entered a restricted area and were caught up in an unknown portal. When we regained consciousness, we found ourselves here. If you could offer us shelter for a while, we would repay your kindness.”
Every time I hear Sihat speak, I can’t help but feel how trustworthy he sounds.
If we were in school, he’d be class president. If we were in a knight’s order, he’d definitely be the commander.
Because let’s face it, the part about the restricted area was a total lie.
But Sihat had a way of making lies seem completely believable.
Not only that, he effortlessly shifted the conversation to focus on the point: ‘Let us stay, and we’ll repay your kindness.’
‘Honestly, if he had just said we were accidentally teleported here, even I would’ve found that suspicious.’
It’s much better to create a plausible story that builds trust.
In that sense, Sihat was really smart.
“Lies! Humans only tell lies. That can’t be true!”
“Calm down, friend. I understand your fear, but… they’re just children, aren’t they?”
“Helping them won’t do us any good! We’re struggling to survive ourselves!”
“Are you suggesting we throw them out?”
“Exactly. These human children have human parents. They’ll accuse us of kidnapping them! The army will come… they’ll send an army after us!”
Hmm, at this point, wouldn’t most kids start crying?
Should I start crying, too?
I was considering it when I glanced up at Sihat and was startled.
‘He’s already crying…?’
A tear rolled down his cheek, as clear and pure as a drop of water.
It wasn’t an exaggeration; it was such a beautiful, tragic sight that it made me want to hug him on the spot.
“I… can stay outside the village. But please… let Shya have a warm place to stay.”
His voice, thick with tears and resignation, tugged at my heartstrings.
Sihat, you’re quite the actor, aren’t you…?
“Please, I beg you. I don’t mind, but… my sister will freeze to death.”
“…”
Sihat bowed his head slowly, and the Winter Elves who had been raising their voices against us exchanged glances.
It was as if they were suddenly realizing the harshness of their own words.
As silence fell, the village elder stepped forward.
“I believe it would be right to take the children in. I understand your concerns… but isn’t he pleading for his younger sister, asking only for her safety?”
“Elder…”
“A human with such a heart would not bring harm to us. I choose to believe that.”
Those who had been somewhat sympathetic nodded in agreement, while the opposing side continued to resist fiercely.
“This is ridiculous! What if the army comes to take us away! In our current state…”
Growl.
“But… but what about our children!”
Grrrrr.
“Uh, um, excuse me… are you… hungry?”
At my timid question, the angry Winter Elf’s face flushed red.
Because that sound had come from his stomach.
[♡Surprise Quest Unlocked♡]
The Winter Elves are currently starving.
Provide food and earn their goodwill!
Winter Elves are a race that always repays kindness. If you provide them with food, they will not attack you and will welcome you as guests!
(Time limit: 1 hour)
♡Reward: 10 Gems
I glanced at the surprise quest that had popped up and cautiously spoke up.
“I… I have food…”
‘I’ve got that bread from my treasure chest, the one that multiplies into 100 pieces.’
It shouldn’t be spoiled, right?
After all, there’s no expiration date on items.
“W-what? You have food?”