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“I’m sorry to bother you with this kind of talk right after waking up… but I’d like to discuss Ianette. Is that alright, Ray?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

From what I’ve heard, the situation seems to be going downhill fast.

What on earth did they do to make it so urgent that even the wind spirit is being used to mask my voice?

It was said to be Ianette’s mess.

What on earth could those little ear freaks have done to make Friel, who has been trying to coordinate with Ianette, brush off such cold fury?

As I quietly waited for her to share her thoughts, Friel let out a deep sigh and started to speak.

“I just told you, didn’t I? You’ve been asleep longer than me, and it was to protect the forest guardian of Ianette.”

“Ah—”

“I had no doubts until then. No matter how bad the relationship between our Arielte and Ianette was… if she had any common sense, she wouldn’t make a move in such a chaotic battlefield. We’re elves, after all!”

Friel’s smile turned into a grimace.

“At least among us, we elves know honor and grace and aim for harmony.”

From her murky green eyes, the usually bright mood shifted completely, starting to merge with the decadent vibe of Fletta.

“But this event has convinced me of one thing. Ever since that damn woman became the head of the family, Ianette has undoubtedly gone insane.”

Her smile turned chilling.

The forest guardians of the Arielte family, who were close by, merely closed their eyes in silence, reflecting on her words. Their stillness only deepened the oppressive atmosphere.

It was a silence heavy enough to break bones.

In the midst of that tension, Friel cleared her throat with a little cough, glancing towards the distance. I followed her gaze.

‘Over there….’

It was where Airine and Ianette were gathered.

“The moment I regained consciousness, the first face I saw was none other than Airine, one of our forest guardians. Even then, I had no suspicions about Ianette. In fact, that damn Airine—”

Her brow furrowed.

“Gave specific orders to our forest guardian to pour her potion into my chest.”

It was a face filled with mixed emotions.

“Well, after that, I lay in bed listening to what was happening around me… and when I could finally walk a little, I realized the problem was not with Airine, but with those damned servants.”

Her affection turned to ice in an instant.

Only cold hatred remained, letting others feel a chilling rage emanating from the seasoned noble of the forest.

“Those damn servants slyly avoided Airine and held secret meetings among themselves. With my large wound, I couldn’t do anything, so I could only sit there listening in, gradually putting together the picture.”

“The picture you say.”

“Airine is a puppet. She moves just as she’s told, like a puppet.”

“…….”

“The real issue lies with the forest guardian who hides in Airine’s shadow, following the head’s orders….”

Friel clenched her teeth.

“…That damn woman is the root and core of all our problems.”

Her hand trembled with rage.

“I heard stories thanks to Piel and our forest guardian. It’s always Ianette who cleverly avoids battles and strikes instead.”

“She’s strangely passive in battles. She seems to see us as expendable. A few hide in the bushes, chop off the enemy’s heads, and disappear. The only one taking initiative to wipe out the foes is Airine. Those were all words from our forest guardians.”

“The funniest part? When the talk of retreating and reorganizing came from Chelness and Arielte, the one doggedly advocating for the eradication of the last remaining half-demon was none other than Ianette.”

The most taxing opponent isn’t a strong enemy but a selfish ally who doesn’t understand each other’s intentions.

If what Friel says holds true, the current unit is harboring a hellish internal enemy in Ianette.

This is bad.

No, what on earth is that monstrous half-demon doing lurking around, even harboring a demon?

“They’ve been wallowing in peace for hundreds of years, indulging in political games while letting their brains rot… they’ve completely lost their ability to think rationally. Besides, the important part is.”

“……”

“The one I was risking my life to save wasn’t anyone else but that damn shadow girl. Whether she intentionally threw herself into danger, or if it was careless naivety that led me to help her… I suspect that shadow girl had some scheme in mind.”

“……”

“I have plenty of suspicions. The problem is that I lack solid evidence to prove their sordid schemes.”

Friel was enraged by the situation.

“If what Friel says is the unvarnished truth, it wouldn’t hurt to keep an eye on the members of the Ianette family.”

Rather than just “not hurt,” it’s actually wise to be cautious of inscrutable individuals, as there’s no loss in being vigilant.

If what the elf in front of me is saying is true, I too might end up with my chest sliced open if I make a misstep, just like Friel.

“That’s right. Now that retreat is decided, it wouldn’t hurt to stay vigilant until we exit the forest. But that alone isn’t enough—”

Friel crossed her arms and tilted her head.

“I went through all that trouble, and there’s no way I’m letting that damn Ianette slip through the cleverly crafted gaps! With all these suspicions floating around, wouldn’t it be too bland to let it slide?”

“Are you suggesting you have a plan?”

She nodded slightly.

“There’s still one left in the Ianette family who could be a potential ally or enemy. If she has testimony, it’d be worth it to interrogate Ianette after we retreat.”

“Ah—”

Friel mentioned a woman she still held some grudge against.

“Oh, you caught on quite fast.”

“…Are you speaking of Airine?”

“Correct. She’s already far too late to be of any use… but I might have spotted a glimmer of potential. If anything, at least she might be usable garbage rather than completely useless.”

Airine Ianette.

“I sensed there was some division in Ianette. Though it’s more of a struggle between Airine and the rest…”

Friel lifted her chin and looked far towards the direction where Airine was.

“That girl even dared to hold a knife up to her shadow for the first time. She cast aside her usual blank expression. Which means—”

Friel suddenly fell silent, sealing her lips tight.

She was already putting on an enticing smile, mischievously glancing around the corner.

I also turned to where Friel’s gaze was directed, spotting a pointed-eared figure with the insignia of Ianette and returning with Shione and Diolia.

With a calm voice, Friel commented,

“The tea from our family, thanks to the blessings of the World Tree, has healing properties. If we return safely, I shall serve it personally—”

“…….”

“Checking it out firsthand might not be a bad idea.”

“…It’s an honor, Lady Friel.”

As I bowed deeply in response to her words, one of Ianette’s women approached, bowing her head in a manner similar to mine.

“We shall quickly prepare for our retreat. Please ensure a safe return—”

Just as the forest guardian spoke, signaling the beginning of our retreat, for some reason, Shione, who seemed quite upset, began to poke me with her elbow.

Yet it seemed to carry more force than I expected. Annoyed, I turned to Shione.

“…What’s wrong?”

Finally glancing at me with narrowed eyes, she asked.

“What do you mean by having tea together?”

“Uh, that’s—”

“I thought someone was about to die from staying up all night nursing you, and now you’re making plans to drink tea with someone else right after waking up?”

“I’ll explain that separately later—”

“Ray, you have a long tongue.”

“…….”

Catching my gaze, Diolia shook her head at me.

“…Even I think you’ve been a bit thoughtless, Ray.”

Thus, I had to endure Shione’s cold stares and her continuous elbow poking for a while.

*

“Sis, really?”

“Yep.”

“Really really?”

“Yeah, really.”

“Really really really?”

“Haa…….”

Tania stretched the cheeks of the spirit she was talking to.

As the spirit’s cheeks got pulled long by Tania’s grip, tears began to form in its big round eyes.

“Eek…! Sis, wait! Hands, hands, hands!”

“Hmph.”

Finally releasing her grip, Tania smirked as the spirit rubbed its cheeks.

“Why do you have to bully me? Dad told us to get along, after all…”

“What sibling? Do you have any blood relation to me?”

“But… you and I share the same mana from Dad—”

“Gross! What’s that talk about Dad? You deserve a smack for that!”

Tania glared at the spirit while crossing her arms.

“Do you realize how many times you’ve asked the same question over and over?”

“…But Dad answered kindly no matter how many times I asked.”

“Haa… you fool. That’s just because Shinwoo gave up on you.”

“No way, Dad wouldn’t do that! You’re just lying again—”

“Oh my, you really haven’t come to your senses yet.”

Tania casually approached and wrapped her arm around the spirit’s neck.

With a resigned sigh, she looked up at the sky and began to express her grievances.

“You’ve always shown such annoying behavior, which made me summon a new wind spirit.”

“Uugh, that’s not true…! There are circumstances….”

“Considering that, I did all the summoning, shared meals, and introduced the new spirit… and meanwhile, you didn’t even mention my name. What do you have to say about that?”

“Th-That’s….”

“Listen carefully. This is Shinwoo’s last chance. If you don’t want to be abandoned, this time you must make sure not to mess up, and you have to let him know you can do well. Got it?”

“…….”

When the spirit didn’t answer, Tania poked its shoulder.

“Hey, trust your sister. I’m way more comfortable with you than a complete stranger.”

“Really?”

“Of course. How long have we known each other?”

“…I’ll trust you, sis.”

“Great! Now repeat after me. My spirit is a lesser spirit, Orna.”

“My, my spirit is….”

“Louder!”

“Y-yes, my spirit is…!”

“Clearly now!”

“My spirit is!”

“Good job! Well done!”

“My spirit is a lesser spirit, Orna!”

The voice of the top-tier wind spirit echoed in the spirit realm, and Tania showed a satisfied smile.

“Well then, shall we prepare to meet Shinwoo?”

“Yep!”

Just as Elvis the wind spirit was about to begin preparations to cross the boundary between the spirit realm and the material realm, he suddenly turned back, pouting.

“By the way, sis.”

“Yeah?”

“Could you stop calling me that nickname Chang-sik…? I really dislike it…”

“Nope, I won’t stop. It’s my choice.”

“…That’s too much.”

Elvis unleashed his powerful wind with a disgruntled face.

Whenever his master called, he would be able to break through that narrow passage and be by his side.

Yet Elvis quietly whispered.

“Hmph….”

I’ll tell Dad how you’ve been bullying me.

With excitement bubbling up inside him, Elvis failed to notice Tania rolling her eyes at him.

 

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