Olivia, Gavin, and Michael crossed the bridge that connected the large trees in the elf village. Olivia, Gavin, and Michael crossed the bridge that connected the large trees in the elven village. Walking straight, they followed Arwen who was their guardian. They couldn't hide the nervousness on their faces as dozens of elf villagers watched them, as if there were strange creatures entering their ho.
"Look! They're humans!"
"Ew! Their ears are short."
"What is Lord Aymon thinking, bringing humans into our village? Tch, they'll only bring disaster."
Various reactions ca from these long-eared creatures. At the sa ti, the three humans couldn't stop being cautious. Gavin kept looking left and right, and Olivia always had her sword at the ready.
"Don't be afraid. They're just curious about you," Arwen tried to reassure them and explained the reason they were the center of attention.
"We are a reclusive race," Arwen said. "We never receive guests. So, they are very interested in you. Consider yourselves like kings or queens."
"Well, you're right. They did mock us a few tis, and it made feel like a queen," Olivia sarcastically replied.
Arwen just giggled in response.
They stopped in front of a treehouse. It was not much different from the other houses, made of oak wood with windows without glass. As Arwen opened the door, her warm smile greeted the slight unease that had crept over her guests. "Welco to our ho," she said softly. "You are the first humans to co here."
Inside, the natural atmosphere was palpable. All the furnishings were made of materials from the forest. A round wooden table was in the center of the room. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, using tree oil as fuel. Chairs and long sofas were made from silkworm silk.
Olivia was amazed as she witnessed how unique the elf house was.
"Please, have a seat. I will prepare food for you."
After Arwen went to the kitchen, they imdiately sat at the gleaming wooden dining table. Their nervousness was still evident on their faces. Despite being treated as guests, they were enemies, after all. Worries couldn't stop haunting their minds.
"So what now?" Michael asked.
"Pretend to be good guests and wait for Klaus to co," Olivia replied curtly.
"What if he doesn't co?"
Olivia sighed. "He will. Rember how he reacted when he heard the others were kidnapped, right?"
She patted Michael on the shoulder. It didn't make him feel better, but at least, she reassured him. After the Bermuda Triangle voyage, she trusted Klaus completely.
"We must stay vigilant," Gavin said suddenly.
Olivia and Michael rolled their eyes at him.
"Don't forget our true purpose for coming here," continued Michael. "We are hostages, no matter how well Arwen treats us. Don't let your guard down."
His words made the other two nod their heads.
Suddenly, they caught a delightful scent in the air. It had a sweet and familiar sll. Not long after, Arwen returned with a tray containing four bowls of soup.
"Here cos the food. I hope you like it."
Olivia almost drooled when Arwen gently placed the bowls on the table. However, she tried her best not to be tempted. Gavin and Michael refrained from touching the food as well. They tried to remain alert, making the atmosphere awkward.
Arwen continued to serve them warmly, but behind her smile, she could sense that her guests still harbored distrust.
"What's wrong?" Arwen asked softly. "Why aren't you eating?"
Gavin quickly answered, "We're not very hungry. No need to worry."
However, Olivia's stomach suddenly let out a loud growl, shocking everyone in the room. Her face turned red, and there was no escaping the fact that she was really hungry.
With a weak smile, Arwen quickly realized the reason behind her guests' rejection. "There's no need to worry. I haven't put any poison in your food, if that's what you're afraid of."
Then, Arwen took their soup and downed it all at once, leaving her guests dumbfounded.
Her action made the three guests bow their heads in embarrassnt. They truly had no more excuses to avoid eating.
Rising from her seat, Arwen went to the kitchen and returned with three fresh bowls of soup. She placed them in front of her guests with a gentle smile. "No reason to be afraid. Please try this soup. I promise it's safe."
Olivia couldn't resist her increasing hunger. Without thinking too much, she scooped up the soup and put it in her mouth.
Boom!
The delicious flavor that flooded her tongue almost made her forget her previous concerns. She ate eagerly, leaving Gavin and Michael dumbfounded.
"Olivia! What are you doing?" Michael whispered, panicking.
Gavin couldn't help but cover his face with his hand.
However, seeing Olivia had no problems after eating the soup shook Michael's resolve. He swallowed hard, really wanting to fill his empty stomachs.
"To heck with it," he muttered.
Finally, Michael mustered the courage to taste his food as well. He imdiately felt the deliciousness of the dish served by Arwen, and his disbelief slowly began to fade.
"Your turn, Gavin. Don't you want to eat too?" Arwen teased.
Gritting his teeth, Gavin tried to resist the temptation.
"Just eat it! It's so good!" Olivia said.
"Exactly!" Michael added. "There's no way such delicious food can harm us!"
Gavin hissed. He couldn't fathom the foolishness of his friends.
"Your friends would already be dead if I had poisoned them," Arwen said, playfully smiling.
"Fine."
In the end, Gavin gave in to his resistance. He took a bite of the soup, and his eyes widened. He experienced an extraordinary taste. Just like the others, he ate the soup eagerly.
Arwen smiled happily as she watched them enjoy the al.
"Thank you for your trust," she said. "I hope this marks a good beginning for our relationship and an opportunity to understand each other better."
After they all ate amicably, the atmosphere in the treehouse dining room beca more relaxed. They began to exchange stories. Arwen told them about the life of the elf people, the beauty of the forest, and the careful peace they maintained. Olivia and Michael enthusiastically shared stories about life in the human world, bustling cities, technology, and how humans fought against monsters that attacked them.
Arwen was slightly surprised when she learned about the human world. Dungeons, monsters, awakeners, and various other things. She had no idea about any of this. And even more surprising, the elves were also referred to as monsters by humans.
On the other hand, Olivia and Michael felt it was an incredible experience. They were the first humans to talk and be treated kindly by dungeon-dwelling monsters. It was truly an exciting experience and would probably shock the world if they ever heard about it.
However, Gavin remained cautious. He still had suspicions about this elf woman, even though he had accepted her kindness. For so reason, he sensed sothing odd about Arwen.
"By the way, why did you sneak into our village?"
When Arwen asked about their intentions, the room suddenly beca tense. Olivia was about to answer, but Gavin quickly touched her hand, signaling her to remain silent.
Then, Olivia awkwardly said, "We were actually just following Klaus. He's the leader of our group. We're just following him, honestly."
"Klaus?"
Arwen rembered the man who had put a curse on her. If she rembered correctly, he was still very young but possessed the powers of [Anti-Life] and [Dark Force]. She didn't expect that he was their leader.
However, before Arwen could ask more questions, Gavin interrupted their conversation. He declared that it was already late and ti to sleep.
"Of course, you can sleep," Arwen said. "My house has many beds, although they are small."
"Arwen, we're very grateful for your hospitality," Michael said. "To be honest, we were worried that we would still be enemies." He looked genuinely remorseful.
Arwen smiled gently, "I understand your situation, and I believe that everyone deserves a chance to change. I see in your eyes that you didn't co with ill intentions. I just wanted to offer you a different experience, to show that not all dungeon creatures are evil."
Michael felt relieved upon hearing Arwen's response. He admitted, "We also hope to find the best solution. Perhaps my people will understand if there's a good monster."
Olivia added, "We'll try to prove to Klaus that we can coexist with you people."
Arwen smiled.
Suddenly, Olivia felt a worsening headache. Michael was worried and asked if she was okay, but before Olivia could answer, she fainted. Everyone was shocked and panicked. Michael tried to help her, but he fainted too.
"Olivia! Michael!" Gavin exclaid.
Gavin soon realized that the food they consud might have been poisoned. As he rolled his eyes at Arwen, she showed a sly smile on her face.
"You—!"
However, before Gavin could utter a curse, he fainted as well.
"Dungeon monsters, my ass," Arwen muttered in frustration. She wore a sour expression as she looked at Gavin.
She had achieved her goal, trapping her guests and extracting information from their heads. Arwen's villainy had just been revealed, and their fate was now very uncertain.
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