Otherworld TRPG Game Master

259 – The Dark Sorcerer of the Elf Forest -1

Somewhere in the Great Forest of Elves.

A young man and a crow were walking along a forest path.

The Great Forest is not a place that is friendly to humans, even in jest. The underbrush is so thick that moving forward is a struggle, and all manner of poisonous creatures swarm about.

After three steps, a venomous snake might strike, cunning beasts lurk in the shadows, and if you’re not careful, leeches carrying disease will cling to your skin in this hell of nature.

Even a seasoned adventurer would not survive a day in the Great Forest.

“Tsk, how bothersome.”

The very fact that they were walking calmly in such a treacherous place proved their uniqueness.

The ominous crow with bright red eyes opened its beak and spoke.

“Benet, I smell water coming from the 11 o’clock direction. There’s also the scent of mammalian milk. If there are sentient beings in this forest… we will soon make contact with their civilization.”

“………Why not speak a bit more plainly?”

“Is there beauty without investigation? Pay a little more attention to aesthetics, Benet. This is the most precious legacy of sentient beings.”

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“How absurd.”

The young man called Benetra let out a sigh at the verbose chatter of the talking crow.

This crow, who once claimed to be a ‘mad wizard,’ insisted that he had transformed into a bird due to some ‘unspeakable reason.’

Benetra speculated that the crow might have been cursed for blaspheming against a goddess. After all, his last act as a human was to deceive a goddess in an attempt to halt the ‘divine punishment,’ so it seemed plausible. In that sense… it was rather fortunate that the curse had only turned him into a crow.

The crow, Mima, seemed to retain his intelligence and, although significantly weakened, still knew how to cast simple illusion magic. Aside from his increasingly suspicious speech, he hadn’t changed much at all.

“I find myself craving seeds for lunch today. It would be wonderful if we could find some sunflower seeds. If we do, I trust you’ll shell them for me, right?”

“………”

There were moments when Benetra worried if Mima truly believed he was a crow…

However, he claimed there was a way to return to his original form, so for now, Benetra decided not to dwell on it. They had a more pressing goal: escaping the Great Forest.

They needed to find the exit of this damned vast forest and return to the holy city.

It wasn’t an easy task. They had already been wandering the forest for three days, and although the crow wizard had flown high to scout, not a trace of human territory was in sight.

It seemed they had teleported deep into the heart of the Great Forest.

How long would it take to return? Just as Benetra wiped the sweat trickling down his cheek with the back of his hand…

“Wait a moment, Benetra.”

The crow snapped his beak shut, making a sound as if to warn him.

“………Did you find something?”

“Yes. I discovered some fur caught on a branch. It appears to be body hair. Given its blonde color and thickness, I suspect it belongs to a human. The nutritional condition seems quite good.”

“Can you deduce all that from just a single strand?”

“Yes, it’s a basic skill for a wizard. You needn’t bother with compliments, Benetra. Based on our deductions from two days ago, we have established that we are in the Elven Great Forest. Therefore, the person who left this trace is highly likely to—”

Swoosh—Thud!

An arrow embedded itself in the tree trunk.

Benetra, unfazed, calmly looked up at the source of the arrow. He recognized it as a warning shot.

High up on a branch, backlit by the sun, a shadow of a person was aiming a bow.

An elf.

Dressed in a natural ghillie suit made of leaves and branches, it was nearly impossible to discern the presence of a person unless one focused intently.

Only upon closer inspection could he make out the pointed ears and patches of pale skin.

The elven archer, with an arrow nocked on the bowstring, shot a threatening glare.

“………Human. How dare you trespass in this sacred forest?”

“Oh, beautiful lady resembling nature. You, the race that sings the whispers of the forest. We harbor no ill will nor malicious intent. The sole reason for our presence here is an accident.”

—

“A crow is talking…?”

While the elf was taken aback by the crow’s witty remarks, Bennett calmly stated his position with his arms crossed.

“We… were caught up in a magical experiment and were inevitably teleported. All I desire is to leave this place and return to the human world. If you just tell me the direction, I will leave on my own.”

“I can’t believe it. Didn’t the humans send you here to invade our territory? You’re a scout, aren’t you!”

“If you misunderstand me like that, I have no way to clarify. But what I say is the truth.”

“…No, you all seem too suspicious! If you are truly innocent, you must come with me to the outpost. If you pass the heart inspection, I will let you go.”

The elf’s eyes were filled with wariness.

I had heard that wild elves are quite exclusive towards other races, but are they this difficult? After exchanging glances, Bennett and the crow Mima decided to accept the elf’s proposal.

It would be better to be investigated in the elf village than to wander aimlessly through the forest.

“Very well.”

“…If you do anything even slightly suspicious, I will shoot!”

“Oh, miss. Why are you so wary? Bennett is unarmed for now, and I am just a talking crow.”

“Can’t you feel the suspicion even after speaking directly?”

Is that so?

Bennett turned his head to look at his reflection in a nearby puddle.

A young man with gray hair let one side of his bangs fall to cover a scar on his face, and he wore only a scabbard without a sword, with a crow perched on his right shoulder.

…Honestly, it did look a bit suspicious.

The crow chuckled.

“Aha. Our appearance is quite reminiscent of a dark knight, Bennett. If you squint your eyes here, it would be absolutely perfect.”

“That’s because of you.”

“No, Bennett. While I did contribute to the atmosphere, you alone look quite suspicious as well. If you don’t believe me, just ask. Elf lady!”

“…Stop chattering and follow me quietly!”

Bennett sighed and followed the wild elf.

—-

After about three hours of walking, Bennett was able to arrive at the hidden habitat of the wild elves, nestled between dense trees.

With hammocks strung between the trees and roofs made of leaves, the structure was closer to nature than civilization. The artificial elements were hardly noticeable, and at first glance, one might not even realize this was an elf village.

“…It’s closer than I thought. More concealed than expected.”

“At this rate, nothing would be visible from the sky.”

There was a reason why Mima the crow had not discovered it through aerial reconnaissance.

He could see elves moving among the branches and in the gaps between the trees. They wore clothes made of leaves, looking almost naked.

—

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

But it seemed she did not feel any shame, even in half a line. Only a sense of wariness towards the unfamiliar outsider lingered.

The crow opened its beak.

“Benet, do you know the difference between wild elves and civilized elves?”

“I don’t really know. I’m not particularly interested.”

“I heard from a Defense Agency agent that the minds of wild elves are bound through the World Tree. They can transparently read each other’s hearts, and thus live much like an ant colony.”

“⋯⋯So their hearts are connected?”

The crow clicked its beak as if to say it was interesting. The distinction between wild elves and elves lay in the presence or absence of this bond.

The reason they were derogatorily referred to as ‘wild elves’ was a result of a distinctly human perspective.

Wild elves could read each other’s hearts, so they were tightly knit, but conversely, they were extremely exclusive towards other races that could not ‘read their inner thoughts.’ They were a fierce race that did not interact with outsiders, akin to wild beasts.

“Perhaps they are trying to pry into your heart with the power of the World Tree. To see if we truly have no ill intentions.”

“If that’s the case, then it’s a relief. I can leave the forest without misunderstandings.”

“Well, I’m not so sure?”

“⋯⋯⋯⋯?”

Hummm.

Magical energy moved intricately within the body of the crow, Mima. Even Benet, who was in contact with it, could barely feel the extremely delicate manipulation.

What emerged from it was a whisper that only Benet could hear.

– Observe discreetly. The elf sitting on the second branch of the tree to the left from the front. Do you see her?

I see her.

Flowing blonde hair, a smaller frame compared to the surrounding elves. She barely covered her lower body with leaves. But her eyes seemed somewhat hazy.

If that were all, she wouldn’t appear to be a danger. What was the crow trying to convey?

– Let’s watch a little longer. Focus on the movement of her muscles. And her breathing. Isn’t it strangely fascinating?

Breathing.

I gauge the tempo of her breath by the rise and fall of her chest. Benet sensed something amiss. Her breathing was slow, like someone deeply asleep.

The movement of her muscles was pronounced beneath her skin. Each time the branch swayed as she tried to regain her balance, it was bizarrely inflated and contracted.

Once I realized the discomfort, it was evidently strange. Even for Benet, who had reached the realm of fables, anyone observing would feel the oddity… it was unsettling.

What kind of illness was it, or perhaps a curse?

– No, it’s not that. That wild elf is being controlled in a sleep state. And I know of a dark sorcerer with such a skill…

Faceless. An assassin from the Redburn family who manipulates the bodies of others at will.

The crow, Mima, had read her traces.

—

Could she have been caught up in the goddess’s “Forced Exile,” accidentally falling into this group of elves? What could she be plotting by seizing the body of a wild elf? I do not know.

But it is clear that both the means and the ends are wicked.

– What do you think, Bennett?

What do you mean?

– Will you turn a blind eye to injustice and aim for a return to the holy city? Or will you stop that? I leave the decision to you.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

It’s not that I cannot tolerate injustice. Bennett has acted to protect what he wishes to safeguard. With the urgency of returning now, there was no reason to stir up trouble unnecessarily.

Moreover, that dark sorcerer has already seized the elf’s shell. Even if Bennett condemns it, the other elves would scoff, finding it laughable. The likelihood of arrows flying back in response is high.

But.

They won’t just sit still over there. Would the dark sorcerer really let an unexpected external variable go unchecked?

So this is… a preemptive strike for defense.

Bennett silently conveyed his intent to thwart the dark sorcerer’s scheme to the crow. The crow cawed joyfully, as if satisfied.

And then.

“⋯⋯You, foreign human! You shameless wretch, what are you staring at?!”

“What?”

“You keep staring at Lira like a lecher!”

The wild elf shot back with a look of disgust.

They were unabashedly proud of their attire, feeling no shame, and of course, they felt the weight of their own desires. Given that Bennett had been staring intently at the girl, it was easy to imagine how that must have appeared.

“⋯⋯It’s a misunderstanding.”

“Let me see. If your thoughts are impure, I’ll cut off your lower half and use it for fertilizer! Go stand by that tree!”

– Didn’t I tell you to observe without being obvious? You really have no finesse.

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

Thus, Bennett underwent a mental examination.

The wild elves, borrowing the power of the World Tree sapling, peered into Bennett’s mind and confirmed that he truly harbored no ill intentions, welcoming him as a guest.

“Welcome! It’s been a while since we had a human guest; you can stay the night!”

“⋯⋯Didn’t you just have your bows drawn a moment ago?”

“Back then you were an outsider; now you’re a guest.”

After the examination, the elves completely changed their attitude, treating Bennett warmly, for his heart was filled only with thoughts of Tara, Niore, and his sister.

Even seeing the scantily clad wild elf tradition, he remained steadfast, so it was not unreasonable for them to view him favorably.

—-

“How did this story turn into one about being chased by an elf ranger?”

“Because we half-stole a wild elf’s sacred artifact.”

“…Even if we did steal it, half?”