Martial Elf

At that moment, everything stopped.

The one who howled at the wolf’s fangs and claws that pierced the skin.

The middle-aged man who, while holding onto his torn belly and spilling innards, searched for his mother despite his age.

The sigh directed towards the wolf that threatened to sink its teeth into his fallen throat, even while gasping for breath.

The howling that shook the mountains and stirred the soul.

The growls of the wolves filled with murderous intent.

As if the scene of slaughter just moments ago was a lie, the night was eerily silent, fitting for the setting sun and rising moon.

It was all because of a single green doll that descended without warning.

It had a strange presence.

As if it weren’t there before my eyes, yet its presence filled the entire mountain as if drawing me in.

Even the wolves that had been sinking their teeth into their companions quietly stopped their biting and retreated.

I opened my mouth as I looked at the green wolves wearing hats that seemed made of wood.

“I’m sorry.”

A clear voice, as refreshing as a summer stream.

Kkiihng!

Kkiiing…

Kkiihng!

The wolves that had been attacking the merchants with fierce murderous intent, now widened their eyes in surprise and retreated.

I had seen such a sight back in my hometown.

Of course, it wasn’t a wolf, but it was the expression of a dog I raised, trembling in the corner when my brother raised a stick after it did something wrong.

The problem was that instead of a dog, there were wolves as large as humans acting this way.

There was also a smell of urine, not just the scent of beastly ferocity; it seemed there were those who had soiled themselves out of fear.

“I apologize for interrupting your hunt. However, it’s also important for me. Will you step aside?”

The wolves lowered their heads and glanced away timidly, as if drained of strength just like before. They stumbled as they stepped back and fled to where the path met the forest.

The wolves disappeared as quickly as they had attacked, disappearing into the depths of the forest in just two breaths.

And at that moment, the space that had felt like a different world returned to reality.

“U…uh.”

“It hurts… it hurts…”

“Huuh… huuh…”

“…Is he gone?”

The survivors, or those who were soon to be gone, made their respective sounds.

Hot breaths, sobs, anguished whimpers, and the nauseating smell of blood rising up.

Kyle and the merchants were at a loss, unable to grasp the sudden stroke of luck.

“Just a moment.”

As the odd figure who suddenly appeared to sort everything moved, everyone flinched momentarily.

The place the figure approached was that of the middle-aged man whose abdomen had been ripped open by a wolf’s claws.

“Sa…save…me… don’t… want… to… die…”

The gaze of the people, who had been drawn to the figure’s movements, turned as the man spoke.

It was obviously a fatal wound.

Even if there was a doctor nearby, it didn’t seem he would survive.

The middle-aged man wept weakly, shunned by his companions.

“Could you remain still for a moment?”

Zziiik!

The figure tore the man’s clothing, laid him straight, and placed a hand on his abdomen.

“O…oooh…”

As the figure brought their hand an inch above the belly, light began to shine.

The light drew something from the abdomen while, upon closer inspection, dust and dried blood began to gather at the center of the light.

Eventually, the light cleared away the foreign substances and began to push the innards back inside.

However, the torn flesh of the abdomen remained ragged, as blood seeped out every time the middle-aged man took a rough breath, staining his torn clothing and pants black.

As I watched the figure push in the innards, I glimpsed the graceful jawline beneath a peculiar hat that looked woven from wooden sticks.

“She will definitely not die a beauty.”

The golden hair, shining brighter than a coin reflecting the moonlight, was raised as if to show off.

What a pity, what a folly, I thought, but the ends of the hair emitted a faint light and stood upright.

And at the moment I inhaled, the figure’s hand vanished.

“Th…that!”

The astonished man’s finger pointed toward the middle-aged man’s abdomen.

The ragged, gaping belly that looked unlikely to close began to sew itself from left to right by some invisible force.

As it closed in that brief moment, though spots were left shrink-wrapped due to the lack of space from the severed flesh, it returned to its original state, left with only faint red threads.

Then, the figure pulled out a small wooden box from their sleeve and opened the lid, releasing a fragrant scent that tickled Kyle’s nose.

They scooped out a thick soup-like substance with their hands and began to apply it to the wound.

“This is an Elf’s salve. It promotes the growth of new flesh and prevents nasty things from rotting the flesh or blood.”

The figure, who had shown such miraculous abilities, removed their oddly shaped hat and stood.

“I’ve done the first aid for now. Eating something nutritious and resting should help you recover. Once the wound has healed, remove the blessed hair.”

“Is there anyone who has been injured by teeth or claws? The claws and fangs of beasts carry venom, so if not treated properly before rotting, it will be a serious matter.”

“Hmm…? Are you listening?”

Kyle and the merchants, who had been assaulted by wolves and wandered between heaven and hell, could not respond to those words.

They could only stare blankly at the Elf who had suddenly appeared and saved them, performing healing.

◈ ◈ ◈

I poked a few more dry branches into the campfire and looked around.

I had rescued the group of humans that had been attacked by wolves.

Approximately half had already been killed before I could save them, but I managed to save all but one seriously injured human from the final group trying to escape.

Not being on the side of either humans or wolves, I felt guilty for interrupting the hunt, but it was necessary for me as well, and the wolves had succeeded halfway in their hunt, so it wasn’t a complete failure.

Those who introduced themselves as merchants were amidst destroyed wagons from their initial ambush due to the wolf attack, hastily sorting through their goods while glancing at me. Rudolf was whimsically basking in the warmth of the campfire, but when the sparks flew and singed his fur, he jumped back in surprise.

Though there were no corpses of humans who had succeeded in their hunt to drag away, the ground was soaked with blood, and all the food in the wagons had been overturned.

In the process, many items that were not suitable for wolves to eat were also ruined, losing their value.

Those who were laughing helplessly while sorting were likely the ones who had many of their own goods among the broken items.

But no matter what, they were lucky.

They had nearly lost the most significant thing but had managed to load the most critical item into the wagon.

Their lives.

So long as they did not die, there was hope for the future.

No matter how desperate the current situation was, it was much better than being eaten by wolves and returned to nature as feces.

The only regret was that in all the confusion, I hadn’t managed to hold a proper conversation.

The merchants from Central Continent were said to be those who buy and sell something until they die, and as time passed and they regained their composure, they began to worry more about their goods than their lives.

Even if it was not as fatal as someone whose abdomen was ripped open, a common human had a hole in their leg, which must be painful, but when they asked me to escort them back to the exact spot of the initial ambush, I could only admire the merchant tribe.

Even so, it was a problem when someone who had just been administered first aid was panicking, so I knocked them out with a blow and ensured they were alright when they fell, watching their abdomen rising and falling as they breathed.

Now a dead merchant was being loudly mourned by their comrades.

Seeing them act so vigorously despite losing a companion and suffering losses, I felt there was no need to worry any further.

Seems they were proactive as it was their own business, so the work should conclude quickly.

Since the humans wouldn’t run away, I figured there would be plenty of opportunities to talk, either tonight or tomorrow.

I pulled a piece of honey snack from my pocket and placed it in my mouth while watching the flames grow taller as I burned the branches, reflecting on the events that had just transpired.

As the treatment for the man whose abdomen had burst open and spilled his innards concluded, the dull gazes of the men focused on the figure as soon as the hat was removed.

It was the same during the Giant Brothers incident, but every time I shed my hat, they seemed unable to think clearly…

It’s not that I hadn’t anticipated such a scenario.

However, considering my own appearance was that of a ten-year-old girl, was it normal for men to be captivated by such a girl?

Although my lecherous brother in my previous life claimed that the younger a woman is, the better…

Was I merely fascinated by aesthetic beauty?

Or did that denote an inclination towards pedophilia?

In the moment where my thoughts from pride in my appearance quickly spiraled into something complicated, a rather irritating presence approached me, causing me to glare instinctively.

“Eek…!”

The man who approached froze for a moment, stumbled, and fell on his backside.

---