Ventmin's words toward Sedina were quiet, but they contained insight that pierced through the other person even more and Sedina unconsciously flinched.
‘How on earth?’
It certainly wasn't shown in her expression. It wasn't even an emotion that would be greatly expressed outwardly in the first place.
Nevertheless, Ventmin had plainly read the conviction dwelling in Sedina's inner thoughts.
Only then did Sedina realize the fact she had overlooked.
That the young elf before her eyes was, unlike her appearance, was a being who had lived for many years, moreover, not just having lived long, but being the leader of a family and even a First Order of the Black Dawn Society.
The experience lded into those years had all too easily glimpsed what Sedina had tried hard not to reveal.
"How interesting. Seeing how much thought you've given this, it seems John Doe had aspects I didn't know about."
Rationally thinking, there was absolutely no reason for it.
This was the kingdom of elves, a place where a re human like John Doe could never co.
Even if he ca, what would welco him would be the trees and forests growing in all directions, and the robust large-scale soldiers.
And the reason for coming was just to save one precious subordinate?
Doesn't the cost-benefit analysis not add up?
Yet he would co.
"If he cos, well, wouldn't that actually be good?"
Ventmin showed a vicious smile that was hard to believe ca from such a beautiful face.
"First Order John Doe. He's been quite irritating to anyway. Well, not as much as Nikolai, but they're all the sa to . I've been thinking I'd have to eliminate him eventually."
"W-why on earth......"
"Because humans are unnecessary in my world. So if he cos to instead, that would be welco. This is my kingdom and my domain after all."
Even if he was Zero Order, in this forest and kingdom, he wouldn't dare touch her.
"All John Doe knows how to do is infiltration, information gathering, and sowing discord anyway, right? Without any subordinates following him, what could he do alone? Surely he doesn't think he can infiltrate the kingdom?"
Ventmin's words were a monologue, but they contained an obvious intention for Sedina to hear.
No matter how many people John Doe gathered, it would amount to just a handful.
On the other hand, this side could move armies.
Not all elves followed her, but she at least had the authority to strike without hesitation against humans who invaded the forest.
The outco was all too obvious in a battle between an individual and an army.
'I thought she would be scared if I said this.'
Ventmin observed Sedina with narrowed eyes.
Sedina's reaction was more subtle than expected.
It wasn't that she was trying hard to hide her fear and worry.
Rather, there seed to be an intention mixed in wanting this side to appear that way.
'She doesn't seem worried at all.'
Whether she simply mistakenly thought John Doe was really that great, or if there really was a hidden card.
Ventmin judged it to be the forr for now.
"Well, I suppose there's no harm in being prepared."
Humans, no matter how many ca, it didn't matter.
Once she could handle the true power of the World Tree, there would be nothing more to fear.
* * *
When Bellaruna contacted the head of House Birk, a reply ca right away.
-I'll co personally.
Surprisingly, the family head responded imdiately without consideration, saying they would et.
The response was so willing that at this point it was rather suspicious whether they had so ulterior motive.
"Professor Vierano. Do you know about the head of House Birk?"
Vierano shook his head at Rudger's question
"I don't know well. There weren't many rumors. Even during the war 100 years ago, we were in different front lines so there was no chance to et."
"It's strange that there aren't rumors about the head of a family in charge of forest defense."
"It's probably because they didn't particularly boast about it themselves. Even after the war ended, they didn't promote their achievents, and rather never showed their face at public seats. Other families also kept quiet about House Birk."
"So they're essentially a mysterious figure."
"I saw them from afar a very long ti ago, but now the mory is hazy. They've changed a lot since then too."
Vierano and Rudger's gazes turned simultaneously toward Bellaruna.
Co to think of it, wasn't there an elf here who had t the head of Birk recently?
"Miss Bellaruna. What kind of person was the head of Birk?"
"Oh, um. What kind of person?"
"Just asking about their personality and such."
"I only saw them briefly so it's hard to say for sure, but they were quite unique."
Bellaruna couldn't explain any more than that.
If anything, that uniqueness of the head of Birk was so distinctive that it inversely overwheld all other characteristics.
"Family head. They have finally arrived."
At that mont, Viela reported the situation as the reception room door opened.
Though they said they would co, who would have thought they'd co this quickly.
Rudger, Bellaruna, Vierano, and Viela waited quietly with slight tension.
Presence began to be felt from afar.
Since the family head was moving, guards and retainers would be moving together.
Indeed, as expected of elves in charge of forest defense, the presence emanating from afar was very heavy and intense.
The most intense among them was the being at the lead.
Everyone in the room instinctively felt that person was the family head.
Right after, the head of Birk revealed themselves through the opened reception room door.
"Oh. So this is the mansion that House Dentis boasts of. This is quite to my liking."
The one who spoke cheerfully right away was a female elf who appeared to be in her 50s.
Despite being female, she had a sturdy build with visible muscle definition and wore a green eye patch over one eye.
Her grayish-white hair wasn't tied up but roughly swept back, making her look like a lion with a mane.
A lioness with a mane, that was exactly the first impression of the head of Birk.
"Pleased to et you. I am Vierano Dentis, head of House Dentis."
"I am Ambella Birk, head of Birk."
Her boisterous voice carried unprecedented power.
She was clearly different from ordinary elves.
While normally elves beco calr and settled with age, the head of Birk gave the impression of a more intensely burning fla.
Even her clothing was so free-spirited it seed more like that of an adventurer or explorer rather than an elf.
Scars were visible on her exposed forearms and skin.
At this mont, everyone present overlapped the image of a great old tree with Ambella Birk.
'Now I understand why Bellaruna said she was unique.'
There was no way to describe her except to say she was unique.
Rudger observed the retainers who followed behind Ambella Birk.
Well-trained, they stood in place with expressionless faces.
They neither wondered why a human was here, nor even gave a glance, that appearance was quite impressive.
After exchanging greetings with Vierano, Ambella Birk looked around and upon discovering Bellaruna, opened her mouth with an even brighter face.
"Haha! Who do we have here? If it isn't that brave and bold young lady."
"He, hehe. Hello."
"Have you had enough sightseeing of the outside world? I never expected House Dentis would contact like this."
"Well, there were various circumstances..."
"Those circumstances would be related to that person who broke through Birk's defenses and entered the forest, right?"
Ambella showed her teeth in a smile toward Rudger.
Bellaruna froze in place at the charisma felt in that eerie voice.
"Haha! I'm joking, joking! Soone might think I eat people if they saw this!"
"Oh, you don't?"
Vierano and Viela were shocked at Bellaruna's stupid reply.
It was an outrageous thing to say to the head of a family but Ambella seed to like that answer and laughed holding her stomach.
That laughter was so boisterous that the surface of the served teacups vibrated.
"Indeed my eyes weren't wrong. You’re a brave and bold young lady, and that boldness remains unchanged even as ti passes."
"Th-thank you for the complint."
"Right! This is the spirit we need. Young elves these days, whenever they et my eyes they get scared and only say pretty words that sound nice. How can they claim to protect the forest like that."
Ambella said this as she plopped down in the seat prepared for her.
Her appearance sitting in the hammock-like seat woven from tree branches looked like a tyrant sitting on a throne.
"So. If you called all the way here personally, there must be quite an interesting story. Let's hear it."
"Ahem. Understood."
"Ah, but before that. First I'd like to hear an introduction from over there."
Ambella stared at Rudger.
"Isn't that right, human?"
"Rudger Chelici."
Rudger didn't avoid Ambella's gaze.
Rather, he calmly accepted that gaze while introducing his na at the sa ti.
Ambella's lips curved up crookedly.
Rather than being displeased, it was a reaction of finding it interesting to et a human who wasn't scared of her.
"Your appearance is like so entertainer, but seeing your behavior that's not the case at all. Right, Rudger Chelici. How did you co to this forest? Moreover, crossing over Birk's surveillance."
"There wasn't much surveillance to speak of. I simply jumped down from the sky."
"Ah. The sky! Well now. That was a blind spot I never imagined."
Ambella nodded as if that made sense.
"We'll have to watch the sky from now on too. Let ask sothing else now. Seeing you seated here, you must have quite an important purpose. What's your reason for coming? What do you want from ?"
Ambella could instinctively feel the mont she saw Rudger that the one with real decision-making power in this place was that cold-looking human.
Though it was regrettable for Vierano Dentis, Ambella was an elf who moved according to her own feelings.
Rudger contemplated whether to test Ambella's reaction to the direct question.
This was a gathering of family heads leading their houses and from the conversation, they seed to have lived at least 500 years.
The current appearance could be highly calculated behavior to make others let their guard down.
If he revealed his true intentions in response, it would be no different than showing his cards at the start of negotiations.
He needed to choose a path that would request their participation while hiding his purpose.
That would have been right, but.
'That won't work.'
Rudger shook his head.
It would take too long so Rudger decided to trust his instincts in this mont.
"The head of House Lifrey has kidnapped the last survivor of the Plante family."
Expression disappeared from Ambella's face.
Everyone closed their mouths at the eeriness, as if the facial skin had been completely peeled off.
Ambella silently stared at Rudger.
Is this what it would feel like to have eyes sprout from an ancient tree and glare at you?
Rudger didn't avoid Ambella's eyes even while facing that enormous pressure.
"Now. If I didn't hear wrong, I heard there's a survivor of the Plante family. Is that right?"
"You heard correctly. There is a last survivor of the Plante family. Of course, not a pure elf. A half with human blood mixed in."
"Why tell such a story? Perhaps you thought House Birk would repay the favor since we got along well with the Plante family in the past? For a halfling with half human blood mixed in?"
"You told to state my business, so I did."
Is that a problem?
When Rudger asked that with his eyes, Ambella burst out laughing with a "Puha!"
Ambella briefly raised her head to look up at the ceiling as her laughter subsided.
When Ambella flicked her fingers, one of her guard elves on standby nearby approached and put sothing in her mouth, it was a stubby brown stick.
What could it be - it was a cigar, a type of tobacco.
When Ambella put the cigar in her mouth, a small fla spirit appeared in the air and lit the cigar for her.
To think an elven family head would smoke tobacco used by humans but because it suited her so well, no one raised any objection.
Ambella took a deep drag of the smoke then exhaled.
-Whoo.
The white smoke dispersing in the air seed to represent her complicated state of mind.
Eventually crushing the burnt down cigar in her hand, Ambella lowered her head and looked at Rudger.
"Do you know why our Birk was driven out from inside the blessed forest, and now lives like this watching the outside from the periphery?"
"Because you were expelled together for the cris committed by House Plante."
"You know it well, yet knowing that, you still dare ntion a survivor of House Plante to ? Rather, didn't you think this? That if I learned of the survivor, I might kill them with my own hands."
"I thought that at first."
"Hooh. What's your reason for bringing it up despite knowing that?"
"Because I've t you in person now."
Rudger spoke while looking at Ambella Birk and her retainers arrayed behind her.
"I saw that you're absolutely not that kind of person. That's why I said that."
"......"
At those words, Ambella made an incredulous expression before letting out a thunderous laugh.
-Ha! Ha! Ha!
It seed both amused and angry, and also seed triumphant.
Eventually stopping her laughter, Ambella showed a fierce smile as light flashed in her eye not covered by the eye patch.
"Right. Let's go rescue them right away."
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