The place Elder Poff stayed was a small hut.
Even though he was a hunter respected by the villagers, his life was not much different from that of most elves. He also lived in a shabby hut, worrying about his daily als.
Recently, however, there was no longer a need for that.
The height of a snow leopard far exceeded that of most elves. Moreover, every part of it—from its hide to its at and bones—was valuable.
Just a single one was enough to hold a feast.
However, we had recently hunted a dozen or so of them. Even if the villagers ate their fill, they wouldn’t have to worry about food for a while.
The northern cold was perfect for preserving food.
Each ti the cold, dry winds brushed by, the snow leopard at grew leaner. This, however, only ant it could be stored for an ever longer period.
It could sustain the village for around two months, at the very least.s.
This was truly a revolutionary event for the elven village. After all, it had been a place where most elves barely survived on re ‘tree porridge,’ let alone getting one proper al a day.
Just the idea that they didn’t have to go hungry left the villagers dazed. Even Elder Poff was no exception.
When Elder Poff ca to welco , his expression was one of slight turmoil.
His green eyes, silently fixed on , revealed the complexity of his emotions.
He appeared bitter, grateful and annoyed, all at once.
Regardless of his mood, one thing was certain.
Elder Poff no longer despised as much as he once had.
Hunting the snow leopards had been worth it. Just as silently helping the village had been rewarding.
Wearing a friendly smile, I extended my hand.
“It’s been a while, Elder Poff.”
“What do you want?”
His attitude towards was still as cold as ever, not that I expected anything else.
I chose to go along with Elder Poff’s wishes. Following his demand, I cut straight to the chase.
“I heard there was a fire last night and I was wondering if you could guide to the area.”
Elder Poff scoffed at my request.
Then ca his characteristically sharp response.
“What are you planning to do there? Don’t tell you’re planning to scavenge so charred animal carcasses or sothing?”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea. But honestly, I’m a little uneasy.”
About then, I took a mont to mull things over.
How could I convince Elder Poff to cooperate?
Eventually, I reached a simple conclusion.
After all, I wasn’t a smooth talker like Leto. I was just a simple-minded student of the Knight Division.
Thus, there was no reason for to resort to clever tactics. I simply had to press on with plain truth.
Without hesitation, the unadorned facts slipped from my mouth.
“Isn’t that the area where human traces were discovered last ti?”
His mouth clamped shut.
The coniferous forest was a maze of trees. The mont you entered, it was almost inevitable to lose your sense of direction. On unfamiliar paths, you often couldn’t even determine the general direction.
Only those who had adapted to the forest’s geography over many years could accurately pinpoint precise locations.
The one who played that role in this elven village was none other than Elder Poff, standing before .
He stayed silent for a while, then wordlessly stepped aside from the doorway.
Then he turned away and started marching forward and, even though he said nothing, I instinctively knew he was inviting along.
I carefully shut the door and stepped inside Elder Poff’s hut.
Perhaps because he lived alone, the interior was sparse. The bare minimum of furniture occupied the space, giving it an almost desolate atmosphere.
Elder Poff pulled out two cups and placed them on the small table.
Judging the situation, I sat down in the seat I assud was opposite him. Though he scoffed again, he made no move to stop .
With a soft trickle, he poured the hot water in the cups.
It was his way of acknowledging as a guest.
Until recently, even the re ntion of ‘human’ would have sent him into fits. For him to treat as a guest was an astonishing improvent.
He sat across from and stared at with an icy gaze.
“How am I supposed to trust you?”
“Pardon?”
It was a rather abrupt question.
Hang on, hadn’t it seed like he was starting to trust just now?
At the sound of my bewildered voice, Elder Poff pressed on.
“You’re a human, aren’t you? You could just go to them, reveal our village’s location and walk away hand in hand… So why should I trust you?”
It was a challenging question.
Trust was inherently unconditional. No matter what guarantees or stakes were offered, trust ultimately stemd from faith.
Once soone started doubting, there was no end to it.
How could I convince him to trust ? Especially when, under the pretense of lost mories, I couldn’t even rely on reputation or wealth to make my case.
Still, there was sothing odd about his question.
If he didn’t trust , fine—but why drag all the way here just to interrogate ? As I sipped the hot water, my mind rapidly spun.
Suddenly, I thought of Venetta.
She was the first elf I had interrogated—and also the first elf I had killed.
I had not known it then, but I did now believe she was truly sincere.
Venetta had offered advice that was utterly honest.
Because that was the way of the elves.
Bread for bread, dagger for dagger.
It was at that exact instant my tongue acted on its own.
“Isn’t it proper to pay bread back with bread?”
He gave no answer at all.
He just silently sipped his steaming cup of water. Regardless, I pressed on with what I needed to say.
“It was the elves who took in, even after I lost my mory. At the very least, I have no intention of betraying that kindness. As I’ve shown you thus far…”
“You’re not an elf.”
It was yet another question that hit the crux of the matter.
My lips pressed together again, showing no sign of parting. It was just as Elder Poff pointed out.
Bread for bread and a dagger for dagger.
That was the elves’ rule. There was no guarantee I would abide by it.
After much deliberation, I suddenly recalled sothing.
Now that I think about it, I’d heard that Elder Poff had received a ‘blessing.’
That likely ant he had deep ties with the cult.
“But I heard that there’s soone nad Leoric, who is also human.”
Elder Poff’s gaze instantly turned fierce.
Religion and beliefs were the most vulnerable points of the psyche. Carelessly touching upon them often invited trouble.
But this was the only card I could play at the mont..
“Does it truly matter whether you’re human or elf? I’ve co to understand sothing since arriving here. If I live like an elf, the other villagers treat like one too.”
It could almost be called a confession.
Regardless of whether my ti in the elven village was brief or long, it brought to the realization that the boundary between humans and elves was surprisingly thin.
Just the fact that their ears were pointed wasn’t enough to set and the elves apart entirely. Why had it taken so long to realise this?
It wasn’t until I had taken the lives of so many that I ca to realise it.
I continued speaking as if giving a confession.
“So please, trust just this once. Elder Poff, you’re the last one.”
In this village, Elder Poff was the only one left who didn’t trust .
The boyish looking old man closed his eyes in contemplation. After so ti, around when the steam from the cup began to fade…
He sighed and rose to his feet.
Then, with his arms crossed, he wordlessly stared at the bow and arrows hung on the wall.
A voice steeped in anguish escaped him.
“…I have no faith in humans.”
At first glance, it seed my efforts to persuade him had failed. But there was a peculiar undertone to his words.
As if he was holding sothing back.
Soon, he started to open up about his past.
“My wife and daughter starved to death. It was because those damned humans burned down our food warehouses… I can still vividly rember the sight of their emaciated bodies, mouths agape in vain. Do you have any idea how painful that is? Life, when you get down to it, is nothing but hell.”
I realised I’d heard sothing like this before.
The phrase about life being rather hell was a doctrine of the cult.
But for Elder Poff, that hollow phrase was simply his reality.
“And do you think that’s the end of it? My only remaining son was murdered by humans… After that, I swore an oath—to live the rest of my life as penance for failing to protect my family.”
Elder Poff let out a sigh as he ran his hand over the bow and arrows hanging on the wall.
Right then, he groped around and undid a knot attached to the bow.
Now that I looked closer, it was a peculiar vine.
It wasn’t a species that grew natively in the north at least.
My puzzled gaze turned to Elder Poff, but he simply looked down at the vine with his sunken eyes.
“But now, I’m just too tired… Life is still unbearably painful. It’s at such a ti that you arrived. Though I once refused to accept it, I realise it now. The village needs you.”
Elder Poff weakly walked over and held out the vine to .
The mont I took it in a bit of a stupor, he went on to explain.
“This is sothing that has been passed down from our previous generations. Ever since we lived in the Great Forest…. the village hunters would tie this vine around their ankles. It kept them from losing their way.”
“How does it work?”
“I don’t know anymore. The technology of those days was lost a long ti ago.”
With those brusque words, Elder Poff quietly turned away.
It was his way of ordering to leave.
“You’re the village hunter now. Take care of Isha—she’s still inexperienced in many ways.”
The village hunter.
Though I’d only been in the elf village for a short ti, I understood the weight of that role.
A hunter was both the village’s scout and its provider, responsible for securing food. In addition, they were tasked with defending the village with their strength.
It was far too heavy of a burden for .
More than anything, aren’t I an outsider destined to leave soday?
Before I could even blurt out a protest in surprise—
“You only have to do it while you’re staying in the village.”
He interrupted as his green eyes flicked toward , silencing the excuse forming on my lips.
“One day, you may leave—but until then… Think of today as your first day as a hunter.”
Now that I think about it, isn’t searching for missing villagers part of a hunter’s job as well?
With a bitter smile, I tightly clenched the vine in my hand.
If I had received such a treasure, it was only right to bear the responsibility that ca with it. The old elven saying ca to my mind once more.
Bread for bread and a dagger for dagger.
I didn’t know how long I would stay in the elf village. But at that mont, I vowed to myself.
For however brief that ti might be, I resolved to remain the village’s hunter.
And so, I beca a true mber of the village—acknowledged by all.
Yet, one worry lingered in my mind,
How much my companions back in Yurdina city must be worrying about ?
I needed to return to them as quickly as possible. Yet, I couldn’t simply abandon the elf village, so I agonised over it repeatedly.
It didn’t take long for that dilemma to be solved..
My inner turmoil ca to an abrupt end in a way I never could have predicted.
The cause was simple.
On the day, I was returning after venturing beyond the village to conclude the search for the missing.
I could do nothing but stand there, frozen in place.
The village was ablaze.
The clash of weapons and the piercing cries of agony echoed all around.
It was an attack by /genesisforsaken
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