NOVEL NEXT Chapter 107: The Elves of Wa no Kun
**Chapter 107: The Elves of Wa no Kuni**
When it comes to the Elven race, they are known for their symbiotic relationship with forests, their aversion to interacting with other races, and their unique, insular culture. Proud and endowed with superior magical abilities, they possess slender physiques and attractive features, characterized by almond-shaped eyes and long ears.
That was the typical image of elves, but the elves that appeared in Clan Clan were a bit different.
They began to show up in cities, towns, and villages a few days after the administration announced the event ‘Summer Festival’-right after Misora-san distributed the ‘Fairy Lantern’ to the mercenary players.
“What is that… a samurai?” muttered a nearby mercenary player who saw the elves for the first time. I had a similar impression.
Physically, they looked as one would expect. They had slender bodies, long limbs, and beautifully sculpted faces. Their long, light green hair flowed elegantly, exuding a calm demeanor. Their hair was not in a topknot but loosely tied at the top, adding to their refined appearance. With deep emerald eyes, their gaze could undoubtedly elicit excited screams from women.
“Is that a thin scabbard… a sword? Hey, that guy’s carrying a sword!” “Aren’t their ears long?” “But that’s an elf, right?” “What is that white glowing orb around him?”
Yes, the elves were wearing kimonos and haori, with swords at their waists. Additionally, a faintly glowing white orb floated around them, circling. The one who approached these enigmatic NPCs without hesitation was George, our spirited okama, who was always on the hunt for men.
“Oh my, aren’t you a handsome man? I’m George, a delicate maiden. And this is my angel Taro-chan and our accompanying priest, Minazuki-chan.”
“I am Takashi, a messenger from ‘Wa no Kuni,'” the elf replied with a friendly demeanor.
So, his name is Takashi… or is it? His speech pattern was odd. He sounded like a samurai but awkwardly mixed modern honorifics, creating a strange dissonance. It would be better if he just used traditional samurai speech.
“Takashi-san, what a lovely name!”
“My apologies. ‘Takashi’ is not a name. It is a term in ‘Wa no Kuni’ referring to soldiers. It means one who aspires to martial arts.”
So, Takashi is not a name. I thought ‘Samurai’ would be more fitting.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry for my mistake.”
“No, it was my lack of explanation.”
His speech pattern was noticeable. It was strange to hear such odd phrasing from a person with such a refined appearance.
“So, why have you come here, Takashi-san?”
“We received a report from the ninjas of ‘Wa no Kuni’ that the mercenaries were becoming active. Thus, we, the ‘Takashi,’ have come to interact and observe.”
“How interesting. What exactly will you be doing?”
In response to George’s smug question, Takashi explained fluently.
“The elders of ‘Wa no Kuni,’ along with our allies, the ‘Spirits,’ have suggested that it is time to end our isolation. Therefore, we decided to hold an event to get to know each other.”
“An event? Where will it be held?”
“We have created a ‘Festival Shrine’ using our barrier magic, where the event will take place.”
“So, they’ve added a new event area. We’ll move to the ‘Summer Festival’ event area through Takashi-san, right?”
I see. So Takashi is an NPC involved in the ‘Summer Festival.’
“The administration is quite ambitious.”
“Is he just an event NPC?”
“But with that appearance, maybe a new skill like ‘Samurai’ will be introduced.”
“Or maybe a skill for ‘Sword’?”
“Although the skill already exists, no one has met the conditions to unlock it yet.”
“In Clan Clan, that’s possible.”
“Where is Wa no Kuni anyway?”
“There are still many unexplored areas…”
“But that haori is cool. Kimono items are expensive because only tailors can make them.”
“Summer festival… maybe I should wear a yukata.”
“Japanese clothing, huh…”
The mercenary players around us buzzed with excitement. Thanks to George’s presence, they kept their distance, but their curiosity won out, and they began to bombard the elf with questions.
“Where is Wa no Kuni?”
“Far to the east, on a sunken land.”
“What’s that white light around you?”
“My contracted spirit.”
“Can we use spirits too?”
“With enough training, perhaps.”
“We haven’t found swords yet, but is that a sword at your waist?”
“Indeed. Due to our lack of physical strength compared to other races, we rely on technique and the sharpness of our blades.”
The Q&A session grew lively.
The elf I saw wasn’t particularly tall for an adult male, seemingly under 170 cm. Later information confirmed that the elves appearing in various towns and cities were all smaller than adult human males.
“How can I learn to use a sword?”
“It’s a weapon that relies on technique more than strength. With continuous effort, you may master it.”
“Wow!”
When the topic of sword skills came up, Takashi looked at me.
“You have the talent to wield a sword.”
“Me?”
For some reason, I was singled out by the elf. Despite having no sword skills, I was recognized by him.
“Isn’t that the rumored silver-haired angel?”
“Who’s going to approach?”
“You go.”
“I want to talk, but Ironblood is there.”
“This is a chance to get to know her.”
“I’ll go!”
Mercenary players whispered while glancing at me. Naturally, with such attention from an NPC, I became the target of their questions. But George, smiling beside me, prevented that.
“You can extract information from Takashi-san, but valuable information among mercenary players usually requires compensation, like money or items.”
George cracked his neck and shoulders ominously.
“Surely, you didn’t think you could easily get precious sword skill information from such a cute, small child without any cost, did you?”
“George, that’s enough. Thank you.”
Sensing the tension, I decided to leave quickly.
“Sorry, I haven’t learned any sword skills, and I don’t know why the elf said that to me.”
I honestly explained, as I couldn’t meet their expectations regarding sword skills.
“Uh, we didn’t mean to…”
Feeling a bit guilty, I left the scene hastily.
The day after the elves arrived…
: The event ‘Summer Festival’ will be held:
: To move to the event venue, just talk to the elves in each town:
Finally, the announcement log for the Summer Festival was released, precisely at 7 PM as the administration had stated.
“It’s finally time.”
The business competition began.
The products George, Mina, and I developed would finally be showcased. Mina, seemingly in high spirits, clung to me more than usual.
“It’s finally here!”
“Let’s do this.”
Koya and Yuki were also ready.
“Leave the clothes to me. I smell money.”
“Our featured products will be a hit!”
Our reliable producers, Unknown-san and George, looked like born merchants. George probably also had his eyes set on finding handsome men.
“Let’s give it our all!”
“Everyone, let’s do our best!”
The women of the Hyakki Yakou guild, Yurachi and Shizuku, cheered. They would be our salespeople.
“I’m ready to charge!”
“You’re a bit too intense.”
Yuji saluted, while Lily gave a cold retort.
Our nine-member ‘stall’ team had gathered in ‘Komugi Village,’ where the population of mercenary players was low, exactly at the start of the event.
“The grand summer festival only happens five times, right? The first day is crucial!”
Yurachi was right. The summer festival would only occur five times. The festival would last for two weeks, but the main demonstrations like fireworks would happen on just five days.
We aimed to be the first to start at the festival. As we were on summer break, we planned to dive into the event like madmen, waiting in front of Takashi the elf.
We had secured the right to open a stall in advance through Yuki and Koya’s negotiations with the elves. The location of our stall was in the ‘Wind Shrine.’
“Let’s warp to the event area.”
“I’ll talk to the elf.”
Koya and Yuki stepped forward to speak to the elf at the entrance of ‘Komugi Village.’
What kind of place would the festival area be? Would we be able to sell our products to the mercenary players?
I pressed my chest lightly, filled with both anticipation and anxiety.
“Let’s do this.”
Our business battle was about to begin.