Summary of the last chapter in three lines

Make pork miso soup

Depart

Exit the forest

They advance on a carriage highway that stretches from the gra.s.sland to the forest.

It’s still quite far, but because they can already see their destination. Moreover, there's the checkpoint ahead, and they choose to move slowly to be less suspicious.

It was Arezel who made this proposal.

「Souta-san, elven inspection often gets stricter when other races come in. In addition, sometimes they watch quite a wide range, so let’s go slowly without hurry.」

Souta accepts Arezel's proposal, as she knows more about the current situation, and instructs Ed to go slower than usual.

「Even so, the country of the elves has changed. I think that it was a more relaxed nation in the past.」

「… … When listening to that remark, I feel like Souta-san came to this country hundreds of years ago, but … I won’t enquire too deeply.」

Arezel stares at Souta with reproachful eyes, but decides to give up considering their exchanges until now.

「There are various circ.u.mstances. I might have spoken carelessly, but I believe Arezel will keep it a secret.」

「Hahh, fine. I heard that the elves originally hated other races, but it became prominent since the Iyas.h.i.+ Tree leaves incident.」

Arezel begins to explain, and Souta listens.

「Ah, Carena also said that. Looks like that’s a really important event.」

「That’s right. It seems there were some factions that managed to keep the exchange continuing somehow, and thanks to that, although it wasn't as much as before, there was still interaction between elves and the other races. The inspection was also not as strict as now.」

「So that’s how it was. What gave the decisive blow, then?」

Arezel nods with a meek look.

「Since then, smugglers from other countries that aim for the Iyas.h.i.+ Tree leaves come regularly. Although it had improved so much, it has gotten worse again …」

「So that’s what makes it stricter?」

Arezel shakes her head.

「There is that, but that's not it. Just like me yesterday, kidnapping of elves has been more common for decades.」

「So with the country becoming more and more isolated, the demand for elves is also increased.」

Arezel nods with a sad expression.

「And in such circ.u.mstances, someone just looks for materials alone. I don’t know if I should call it courage or recklessness.」

「Ehehe.」

「That’s not a compliment, rather than courage, it leans more toward recklessness.」

Actually, Arezel’s conduct was incomprehensible.

If there are a lot of elven kidnappings, Arezel who is still a child should be stopped from leaving the country, but she's actually outside of it.

The kidnappers might have had the skills for it, but he honestly can’t see that.

Souta thinks it's suspicious, but he waits to see if he can find something by himself when he enters the country instead of hearing it from Azerel.

While they keep going, they have a simple meal and arrive at the checkpoint in the early afternoon.

「Oy, the carriage over there, stop!」

An elven guard raises his voice and stops the horse-drawn carriage.

Several guards surround the carriage. When they confirm that Souta and Arezel are sitting next to each other, they point their spears at Souta.

「Oh, what's this, Arezel?」

Arezel shakes her head, she’s trembling and turns pale.

「Wh-What is this? E-Even other races should have the right to get immigration inspection! 」

There is no sign of them lowering their spears from Arezel’s remark.

「Arezel, this man is charged with your abduction!」

「Oioi, if I were the kidnapper, I wouldn't come back, and it wouldn't be leisurely like this…」

「Shut up !!」

When Souta opens his mouth, one of the guards threatens him by moving his spear closer.

「I-I was kidnapped, but that is … ….」

「Just like I thought, it’s true. Oi, take this man!」

It’s concluded that the kidnapper is Souta from Arezel’s words. Azerel's fl.u.s.tered and can’t explain clearly.

「You guys, cut it out already. I’m telling you I’m not a kidnapper!」

Souta catches the spear protruding right in front of him and breaks it.

Then he releases intimidation to everyone other than Arezel.

「You, you!」

Among the guards, only some of the stronger men can hold out, and the others are already fall to their knees right away.

「Do you still want to continue? I only broke your spear and most of you already unable to stand. Do you want to continue in that state?」

Souta raises the power of intimidation by one more level.

The only one who's still able to hold out is a man who supports himself with his spear, and even he is at the verge of collapsing now.

「I-I understand. It’s fine already, so please stop it!」

Listening to the man's words, Souta releases the intimidation.

「Because you suddenly come up with weapons, I just protected myself.」

As soon as the intimidation lifted, the man rises from his knee.

「Hahh hahh, who the h.e.l.l are you?」

「Are you going to listen properly now? If you just take me as a suspect instead of listening to my part of story, then resistance is inevitable.」

「I-I understand. I will listen to you. Let us talk inside the guard room.」

Following the man, Souta and Arezel head to the guard room.

On the way, Souta turns around once.

「You guys, I hope you won't do anything to the carriage and the horse. Just manage it like it should be.」

「「Yes 」」

Two of the guards who are still relatively energetic decide to lead the carriage to the stable.

When entering the guard room, the man sits further of the table, while Souta and Arezel sit near the door.

At the entrance, the guards who are not in the room waited and sealed the entrance so that they can’t get out.

「Well then, let me hear your side of the story.」

「I'm not a kidnapper. I want to enter the country because I have some business to do here. That’s all.」

From Souta’s simple explanation, the man covered his face with his right hand and turned bitter.

「You … That’s all? Listening to you, isn’t that already obvious…?」

Arezel timidly raises her hand.

「Ah, that, can I explain it from my way too?」

「Oh, please. The explanation of this man’s story is not enough …」

「Yes, first is about the kidnapping… It’s true I was kidnapped, but that’s by other men. Souta-san helped me and escorted me back.」

The man opens his mouth, surprised.

「Th-That means, we raised our hands to Arezel-san benefactor?」

Arezel nodded without saying anything to the question.

「I-If that’s true then … I’m sorry.」

Souta is surprised that the man frantically lowered his head. He was expecting a more arrogant att.i.tude considering their elitist tendency.

「As long as you understand. Now then, it'd be great if I can gain entry to the country.」

「Because you’re Arezel-san benefactor, I would like to do something somehow …… But I’m still only half convinced to let you to enter the country.」

「Only that much? That’s right, I have some letters of introduction written, will that help somehow?」

「Can you show them to me?」

At the moment that Souta tries to pa.s.s the letters he takes out from his magic bag to the man, the guard room's door swings open.

t/n: tomorrow is my birthday, 4th May more precisely, and if it goes smoothly, there are 4 chapters of headless dullahan released tomorrow, it still need to get edited, but at the very very latest, it will be a day after tomorrow,

ps: i feel some sort of connection with horse somehow, you will understand once you read headless dullahan