I’ve Reincarnated into an Elf

Chapter 18

“Are you out of your mind?”

Irian blurted out instinctively. It was rare for him to use such harsh language, completely at odds with the spirit of the forest, but this time, he was dead serious.

This elf, was he really sane?

No one in their right mind would demand the Trial of the Forest from me in a situation like this. It was madness.

“Of course I’m sane.”

The elf standing before him, still youthful, with a faint trace of inexperience, answered without hesitation.

Irian stared at Eldmir, the one who had made this absurd challenge, and then felt the weight of a piercing glare coming from behind him.

It was Eldmir’s mother, Essiria Arhitea.

Her eyes said it all: Don’t you dare accept that challenge.

Her warning was clear, brimming with unshakable will. Her hand crept ever closer to her bow.

Suddenly, Irian couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst into laughter. This whole situation was absurd.

“Why are you laughing?”

Eldmir’s tone was cold, stripped of even the slightest hint of formality.

Irian quickly composed himself, the grin fading from his lips.

“Because it’s funny. So damn funny.”

He spread his arms wide as if to emphasize the point.

“This is Chi Taen, and I’m the Elf protector here. I told you that already, didn’t I? Yes, I made it very clear, Eldmir.”

Then, pointing a finger directly at Eldmir, he continued:

“And yet, here you are, looking like you can’t even hold a bow properly, challenging me to a trial? Are you serious right now?”

“Dead serious.”

Eldmir’s lips curved into a smirk, half mocking, half unsettling.

“Oh, and about that bow thing? A bit of an exaggeration, don’t you think? What do you think I’m doing right now?”

As he spoke, Eldmir gave a slow, rhythmic shake to the fist clutching Irian by the collar.

The movement induced Irian’s body side to side.

Despite several other protectors rushing to pull Eldmir’s hand off, his grip didn’t budge an inch.

His sheer strength was shocking, and Irian felt cold sweat run down his back.

This guy’s a monster. To think he can pull this off even in his condition…

Just a day ago, Eldmir had been at death’s door. He’d spent an entire day lying unconscious, barely opening his eyes on the second.

And now, not only was he up, but he was also displaying terrifying strength while demanding a trial.

Even most monsters couldn’t manage this kind of raw power.

Irian gently tapped Eldmir’s clenched fist with his palm.

“Calm down. Looks like we’re both a little too worked up.”

Eldmir frowned.

“All this excitement? That’s on you. Every bit of it. Now you’re pretending to act all cool and level-headed? Hypocrite.”

Eldmir’s words, sharp and pointed, made Irian narrow his eyes.

“What are you talking about…?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. First, you propped me up as some kind of hero, got everyone to play along, and then you pulled that little stunt with the kid I was looking after, used them as bait to piss me off. And then you started leaking your killing intent in these subtle, oh-so-clever ways. It was all planned, wasn’t it?”

Eldmir leaned in close, his face mere inches from Irian’s. His voice dropped to a chilling whisper, thick with menace.

“What’s your game, Irian? What are you trying to get out of me by making me angry?”

“…”

Well, well.

Irian thought to himself.

Turns out this one’s even more interesting than I thought.

He fought to keep his lips from curling into a smirk. He tensed the muscles in his face to suppress it, but the result was a strange, twisted grimace that looked unnatural anyways.

“…What the hell are you doing?”

Eldmir asked, his face twisted in confusion as if he had just seen something bizarre.

Irian nearly burst out laughing but quickly reined himself in. This wasn’t the time to lose his composure. He had no choice but to dig up a memory he didn’t want to revisit.

The day another protector from a neighboring village had come to deliver the news of his parents’ deaths.

The grief of that moment. The incomprehensible behavior of his tribe.

Anger, rage, fury.

The storm of emotions, once so overwhelming, suddenly subsided.

With his expression now calm and collected, Irian gently grasped Eldmir’s fist.

“Lord Eldmir, I was out of line.”

“What?”

“I apologize. I’ll apologize as many times as necessary. But for now, please, let go of your anger. I’m worried that this excessive rage might harm your health.”

“Cut the crap! Just answer my question ”

“Killing intent? That’s a misunderstanding. I admit I momentarily lost my temper and acted disrespectfully, but I swear on the forest itself, I had no intention of harming you or Lady Esiria.”

“More nonsense…”

“Please believe me. We had no plans to harm either of you. Not in the slightest.”

“I asked you, didn’t I?” Eldmir’s voice grew colder.

“Why did you provoke me? You still haven’t answered that. Don’t try to dodge the question.”

Irian realized Eldmir was sharper than he had expected, but it made the situation all the more frustrating.

How am I supposed to handle this brat?

Weighing his options, he slowly began to speak.

“…There were no malicious intentions. Honestly, whenever I think about my parents, I sometimes lose control of myself in ways even I don’t understand.”

Irian met Eldmir’s piercing gaze head-on.

“Once again, I apologize. A moment ago, I let my emotions get the better of me, and I directed those feelings toward your mother. It was an unacceptable act, plain and simple. You can mock me, insult me for being petty, it’s all true. I was wrong.”

He then turned to Esiria.

“Lady Esiria, you told me not to cross the line. You were absolutely right. I owe you an apology. I let my emotions cloud my judgment and said things unbecoming of someone in tune with the spirit of the forest. If not for your intervention

Irian could feel Eldmir’s grip on his collar starting to loosen.

While doubt still lingered in Eldmir’s sharp gaze, Irian could tell he was almost there. Internally, he smirked.

“Of course. You said you’re requesting the Trial of the Forest? If that’s what it takes to cool your anger, I’ll accept. But not like this, Eldmir. A trial conducted in the heat of anger and chaos isn’t a trial, it’s just a fight. I don’t want my mistake to escalate into a senseless conflict between our tribe.”

As he spoke, Irian gestured to the other protectors, who were hesitantly trying to intervene again.

This time, they froze and backed off at his signal.

Eldmir’s fist was still gripping his collar, but the tension continued to ease. Irian decided it was time to end this situation entirely.

“Any discussions about the beastfolk can wait until we’ve both calmed down. It’s better for you, and for me.”

“…Hmph.”

After a pause, Eldmir finally let go of Irian’s collar. His hand slowly retreated as he stepped back, his eyes still wary.

Bowing his head deeply, Irian spoke with sincerity.

“Once again, I formally apologize, Eldmir.”

“…No, no. I wasn’t exactly in the right either. I apologize too.”

“As do I. It was wrong of me to act disrespectfully toward a fellow child of the forest.”

Irian smiled softly, a calm and warm expression.

“Though there was discord, the fact that we can now reconcile and apologize to one another is a blessing. Surely, the guidance of the forest has led us here.”

He continued…

“Now, let’s move to a more suitable place. Standing around like this isn’t ideal for any further discussion.”

Behind the peaceful exterior, Irian’s inner thoughts betrayed a more calculating grin.

Eldmir and Esiria followed Irian into a nearby house. It wasn’t far from the commotion they’d just caused, practically next door, really.

For a moment, Eldmir wondered if they’d just picked the closest house out of convenience.

The room they entered was unremarkable, looking like any other elven home. The design differed slightly from those in Le Ru’el, but it wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy.

“Where are they?”

Eldmir asked immediately upon stepping inside. He wasn’t interested in pleasantries, he wanted to see the kids with his own eyes.

“They’re safe. Lady Esiria was quite insistent, so I made sure nothing happened to them.”

“I want to see them for myself.”

“…Very well.”

With a resigned nod, Irian led them further into the house. Eldmir followed closely, suspicion clear on his face.

When Irian opened the door to another room, Eldmir froze. In the middle of the room, four cats were huddled together on a bed.

“…You guys…”

“E-El-Eldmir!”

“You’re… alive!”

“Lady Esiria…!”

The children’s tearful voices filled the room, shaky and choked with emotion.

Esrin immediately ran to Eldmir, nearly throwing herself at him.

Keris and Ersis both let out audible sighs of relief, while Ketrit quietly called out Essiria’s name, her voice low and trembling.

“Thank the forest… you’re all safe,” Eldmir said, his voice soft but strained.

“I told you, didn’t I?”

Irian said with a faint smirk. “I know how to use discretion.”

Though he silently admitted to himself that Esiria’s intervention had played a major role in keeping his temper in check.

Avoiding Esiria’s sharp gaze, Irian shifted his attention elsewhere.

“Eldmir!” Esrin cried as she clung to him.

“Alright, alright, it’s good to see you too,”

Eldmir said, catching her in his arms despite the pain it sent through his injured body.

Keris frowned, worry etched on her face.

“Are you okay? You were unconscious for two days.”

“…Two days?”

That was news to him. Eldmir blinked in surprise, turning to Esiria, who spoke as if she’d just remembered to tell him.

“Son, it slipped my mind, but yes, it’s been two days since then.”

“Oh… I see.”

That explained why his injuries felt significantly better. He’d thought his recovery abilities had taken a surprising leap, but no, it was just time doing its work.

Letting out a dry chuckle, Eldmir shook his head.

“I’m still covered in scratches, but I’m holding up. What about you guys? You look like you’ve been through the wringer.”

“We’re fine… They treated us well enough,”

Esrin said hesitantly, though she added with a pout, “But they wouldn’t let us visit you while you were recovering.”

Chuckling at her grumpy tone, Eldmir ruffled her hair. Her pout quickly turned into a beaming smile, and Eldmir’s face softened as he smiled back.

Still, her clinging made him wince as it pressed against one of his wounds, so he gently pried her off.

“Alright, I’m glad you’re all safe.”

After patting each of them on the head, he finally asked, “So… what happens now?”

“Lady Esiria was really worried about you.”

“Are your wounds… all healed now?”

Keris, Ersis, and Ketrit took turns asking, almost like they had planned it.

Eldmir couldn’t help but chuckle humourously, both flustered and amused. He answered them one by one.

“There’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine, really. I know my mother worries too much, but, well, I can’t exactly complain after being in that bad of a shape. Still, as you can see, I’m not in perfect condition, but it’s nothing serious. Thanks for worrying about me.”

Esiria clicked her tongue.

“Nothing serious, you say? Do you have any idea how many times I went to El Rdarel every day, worrying about you?”

“Ah, come on, Mother! Not in front of the kids!” Eldmir protested, embarrassed.

“You keep quiet. Show up in front of me looking like that one more time, and this mother of yours won’t just sit back, you hear me?”

Eldmir broke into a nervous sweat at her words.

The scariest people, after all, were the ones who almost never got angry. When they finally did let it all out, years of pent-up frustration came crashing down at once.

And right now, it felt like he was witnessing the cracks forming in that dam.