A giant tree reached for the clouds in the center of the elf kingdom, Elvenheim. It was the last remaining world tree in an era where the power of the myths was almost lost, and its name was Yggdrasil.

Three hundred years ago, the four high elves had pooled their strength to help this world tree, which was still a sapling, grow to maturity. The tree’s mana pressure was so overpowering that ordinary humans wouldn’t be able to breathe in its presence. Even senior magicians were barely capable of withstanding its pressure. Yet this pressure was only around a tenth of the pressure world trees in the primordial world would possess.

However, there was an area directly over the roots of the world tree that was so suffused with mana that it was difficult even for elves to enter. It was a place where only the gardeners of the world tree, the high elves with Arv’s blood, could access.

This was the most secret place in Elvenheim. It was well known among the elves, but it was taboo to speak of the wooden building at its heart known as the Heart of the Forest.

“Have they already arrived? Ahh, I should’ve gone to meet them!”

Alisa, the female high elf with bright blonde hair, cried out. Alisa’s blue eyes shimmered like the sea, and she was one of the most playful of the high elves. She looked like the youngest, but was in fact the oldest high elf in existence. She had been the first to notice Theo’s entry into Ratatoskr.

One of the high elves growled, “Absolutely not. If we send you, their whole image of elves and high elves will be crushed like dry leaves.”

Alisa’s face lit up. “Oh, that is an excessive compliment!”

“It wasn’t a compliment!” The elf rapped the table. The elf’s dark skin and silver hair marked him as a species that had already gone extinct on the continent.

Alucard, the dark elf who looked up at the moon instead of the sun, snapped nervously, “You truly are unworthy to be the oldest one. Why do you act more like a child with every year?”

Alisa smiled at him. “Isn’t a child’s heart precious?”

“Fuck you!” In the end, a vulgar curse emerged from the high elf’s mouth.

The bickering would’ve continued, but another high elf intervened. She seemed like a peaceful soul, with gentle eyes and brown hair. “Calm down. Is this something worth arguing about? We should talk about the guests who have come a long way and the problems that have arisen recently.”

Alucard looked away. “... I understand.”

“Sorry, sorry.” Alisa’s answer was still playful, but she finally shut her mouth. At the very least, she wouldn’t interfere with the meeting’s agenda.

As they settled into their chairs, Ellenoa spoke with her eyes closed as half of her consciousness was still with her clone. “... I’ve arrived. I will guide them to their quarters and send Edwin to his original post. I’m going to call a few people to act as guides. What do you think?”

“I agree.”

“I also agree.”

“Me too!”

There was one voice missing, so the high elves naturally looked in that direction.

Sleepy eyes and bushy hair greeted them as the drowsy high elf almost murmured to himself. “... Agr... Ee.”

It was a unanimous decision. Ellenoa returned her attention to her clone in order to lead the delegation to their accommodations and summon a few elves. She was still inexperienced with Ratatoskr, so she couldn’t manipulate the clone while paying attention to her body at the same time.

The rest of the high elves naturally moved onto the next item on the agenda.

“The dryads have a suggestion. There are many creatures damaging the trees in the eastern part of the forest. They want to know if the numbers can be reduced. What do you think?”

Alucard frowned. “Hmm, the dryads. Aren’t they protected due to a contract with the ents? Isn’t that enough to protect them?”

Dryads were a type of fairy species that enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with trees. They had the ability to deceive and chase out those who damaged forests. So, they had a friendly relationship with the moving trees, the ents, to protect their physically vulnerable bodies.

The ents born in the Great Forest had a vitality that was many times stronger than those in other regions. So, even senior creatures avoided fighting with them.

However, Lumia’s expression darkened and she shook her head. “The damage is still too great. Two ents in the eastern area have already been burned to death, so there may be a high ranking creature that uses fire.”

“... I agree. That is enough to send one guardian.”

“Edwin needs rest, so choose another!”

“... One… person… agree…”

If possible, they sought a unanimous decision, but if that wasn’t possible, they decided using the majority vote.

Ellenoa didn’t speak in this meeting, but all four high elves, including Lumia, agreed. They decided to dispatch one guardian to the eastern forest as a master would be able to crush even the most serious problems.

The next agenda concerned some species which were causing headaches.

“The chief of the Stone Lion Tribe, Orlando, has come with an issue and a request. He says that a suspicious person recently appeared in his area. I couldn’t find any signs of this person, so it may be a prank by the fairies.”

“The Stone Lion Tribe, what a stupid person.”

In a rare moment, Alisa’s cheery voice fell away. “That idiot who killed someone and claimed they fell? Just ignore it.”

“Judging with personal feelings isn’t a good habit,” Alucard spoke irritably, but he was also sick of dealing with the ignorant tribe chief. If Orlando didn’t represent the beasts of the Great Forest, he would’ve been expelled in disgrace already.

“... Put it on hold. I will send a few investigators, and if they can’t find any traces, he will be sent back.”

“Che, it can’t be helped.”

“... Agr... Ee.”

“Then I will send an investigation team.”

The conclusion of the third item agenda created a stiff atmosphere. The four high elves exhaled for a moment and waited for Ellenoa’s next words. They couldn’t help feeling curious about the guests who had just arrived.

At that moment, Alisa shot up in her seat and cried out, “ —Ah!”

The other three high elves looked at her quizzically.

“Wait! That reminds me, the chief of the Stone Lion Tribe is there!”

“There...?”

“Eh?”

Unlike Lumia who was still confused, Alucard sucked in a breath.

The foolish beast chief who liked to talk with strength… Orlando of the Stone Lion Tribe was staying in the area given to the Meltor delegation. There was a long history of beast clan members being hunted and sold as slaves by humans.

When he thought about Orlando’s temperament, something would certainly happen.

“Ah, no. Ellenoa, guide them to a different place right now...”

“—I’m sorry.” At that moment, Ellenoa grimaced. “They have already met.”

***

The beast clans, also known as the werebeasts, were born with two advantages. They had the intelligence of humanoids and the violent nature of beasts. Their prosperity was based on their ability to hunt wild animals and creatures, as well as their intelligence to build a developed civilization. At least, they thought so.

However, their pride was shattered by human development. Magic and aura overwhelmed the beast clans, who had relied on their natural abilities for generations. They had been drunk on their own strength and ignored the development of civilization, which led them to eventually having to flee from the humans.

The werewolves, who had caused many villagers to tremble in fear, had been slain by the swords of knights, while the werebears who had received tribute as masters of the mountains had been turned into ashes by the flames of magicians. Once they came to the painful realization that they were no longer the strongest, the beast clans fled to the ends of the continent a hundred years ago. They hid in the Great Forest, safely out of reach of the humans.

As new generations grew up in relative safety, their fear turned into anger.

“Hey, you bastards! Come out and explain!”

The shout was so loud that nearby elves covered their ears with a pained expression. It had come from a two meter tall man with an extraordinarily muscular body. He stepped forward suddenly and shouted rudely at the party, “Why did you bring humans into this forest?! Did you forget how humans persecuted us? Or did you get deceived by their sly tongues?”

Ellenoa calmly confronted him.

[Step away right now, Chief Orlando. The people you are being rude to are guests of Elvenheim.]

“Don’t order me around!” The muscles under Orlando’s scarred skin swelled menacingly. Orlando didn’t practice aura, but he gave off an intimidating pressure as he bared his teeth at the party. Unfortunately, the people he was confronting were stronger than him.

The White Tower Master standing beside Theo murmured quietly, “A beast clan member, what a rare presence. What do you think is the best way to resolve this?”

Theo mused, “... It isn’t a moderate atmosphere, is it?”

Orlando certainly lived up to the boldness of his bloodline, as evidenced by the fact that he was yelling at a high elf in Elvenheim. The man whose hair resembled a lion’s mane wouldn’t drop his head easily. As Ellenoa’s voice became increasingly colder, Orlando pointed with his sharp claws toward the nearest human, Theo.

“You’re treating humans better than the chief of the Stone Lion Tribe! Why did you give the VIP room to that guy? I won’t leave this place unless he proves his qualifications!”

[Chief Orlando, if you keep continuing like this...]

As Ellenoa raised an eyebrow, Theo stepped forward.

Theo wasn’t afraid of the pressure coming off the towering beastman. This was just a breeze compared to Veronica’s pressure, and almost embarrassing to compare it to the killing intent of one of the Imperial Seven Swords, Lloyd Pollan.

Theo stared into the beastman’s eyes and said, “Then what are your qualifications?”