Reincarnated as the Final Boss of an Eroge, but I Just Want a Peaceful Life After the Game Ends - Chapter 18: The Forest Where Elves Dwell

Chapter 18: The Forest Where Elves Dwell

After several days of camping, we finally crossed the border checkpoint without incident.

That said, I got us through by carrying Ivelia in a princess carry and using [Perception Disruption★] to sneak past unnoticed.

From this point on, we were no longer in the Kingdom of Eternia.

According to the setting in Violation of Eternia, this region was supposed to be the Demon Realm.

In reality, there was no such thing as a “nation of demons” here—but still…

About half a day beyond the checkpoint, the final dungeon from Violation of Eternia II came into view.

“Sidol, look. I can see the dungeon.”

Ivelia, who had been following just a few steps behind me since we crossed the border, pointed ahead.

Sure enough, the dungeon loomed in the distance—but…

“The entrance looks sealed. We probably can’t get in right now.”

In the game, if you tried to approach it before the event was triggered, it would simply display a message saying, The seal seems to be weakening.

“You’re right. The entrance is completely shut. Still, I can sense a faint but steady magical presence coming from beyond the seal.”

“You can sense that too, huh?”

I found myself wondering if she had a skill that allowed her to pick up on things like that.

Curious, I decided to check her status with [Appraisal★] for the first time in a while.

───

Name: Ivelia Milenitrum

Gender: Female Age: 14

Height: 164 cm Weight: 46 kg B/W/H: 82 / 56 / 78

Class: Grand Witch★ Level: 99

HP: 4,020 MP: 23,720

VIT: 201 STR: 100

DEX: 100 AGI: 395

INT: 1,186 MND: 990

Skills: Magic (Fire★, Earth★, Wind★, Water★, Light★, Dark★)

Mana Perception★, Appraisal: 8, Non-Elemental Magic★

Chant Omission★, Magic Counter★, Swordsmanship: 4

Archery: 8, Staff Technique★, Martial Arts: 6

 ︙

───

Level 99!

She must have spent her time grinding through the dungeon in Bahamul Forest, either alone or with Karen, while I was away.

Honestly… I didn’t think I could beat Ivelia now.

[Magic Counter★] was a powerful skill that automatically reflected magic attacks back at the enemy with 1.5 times the power.

[Mana Perception★] was new to me—I hadn’t seen it before.

Apparently, that’s how Ivelia was able to sense the magical presence beyond the sealed door.

“It dropped when I went to fight the boss on the 80th floor by myself. A [Skill Crystal] came out, so I used it—and now I can sense stuff like that.”

So Ivelia had actually defeated the Silver Dragon on her own.

Later, when she went back with Karen, the Silver Dragon appeared again.

After they beat it, a treasure chest dropped, and that’s how she acquired [Magic Counter★].

Seriously, what is up with the dungeon in Bahamul Forest?

After that, I used [Appraisal★] to examine the [Mana Perception★] skill Ivelia had learned and shared the details with her.

“So that’s why everything around you looked so dense and hazy, Sidol.”

Magic particles and magical energy were similar, but not the same.

With [Magic Detection★], I could sense the flow of magical energy in myself and others—but not the particles themselves.

“Dense?”

“Yes. If what I’m seeing really is mana particles, then yours are far thicker and heavier than mine. Sharing a bed with you every night… kissing every morning… That soft, shining mist leaking from you feels like it seeps into me. It’s comforting. Like it’s soaking right into my body.”

The way she said that!!

Sure, we slept next to each other—but nothing happened, okay?

Not that I said that out loud.

“I don’t really get it.”

“I don’t understand my own stats or skills—or even what each one does—but you can see them clearly, right? Think of it like that. Same idea.”

With that exchange, we continued walking deeper into the forest.

The skill Ivelia had learned—[Mana Perception★]—was incredibly helpful.

We pushed forward for several more days through the great forest.

“We’re being watched.”

“Seems like it. I can’t sense the details clearly, but…”

“Either way, let’s keep moving. I’m counting on you to guide us.”

“Understood. Leave it to me.”

To reach the elves’ home in the Great Forest, we had to make it through an area known as the Lost Woods—an illusion trap zone.

I was relying on Ivelia’s [Mana Perception★] to lead us through by following areas where the density of mana particles was uneven.

Even though it was supposed to take several days just to get through this part, the sensation of being watched continued to trigger my [Presence Detection★].

“We can’t afford to rest properly while we’re being watched.”

“Right. Let’s take turns sleeping while we camp for now.”

That meant our daily travel distance would shrink, but safety came first.

There were no monsters or animals inside the Lost Woods.

If there were any edible plants among the thick vegetation, we didn’t find them—even after using [Appraisal★].

So we rationed our meals—just hard travel bread and jerky we’d made from animals hunted along the way.

After spending five days carefully navigating through the forest—

“The mana ahead feels stable. Looks like we’ve finally reached the exit.”

“I sense people up ahead. I’ll go first. Stay sharp—there might be a fight.”

I stepped in front of Ivelia, took her hand, and led her through the final stretch of forest.

“A human managing to get through the Lost Woods? What business do you have here?”

The voice came from a girl with long platinum hair, wild and untamed.

She was Elmia—one of the main heroines.

She wasn’t particularly tall, but her long, pointed ears made her stand out.

Her silver eyes and porcelain-like skin gave her a striking look.

She had a flat chest, narrow hips with barely any curves, and a small, unshapely rear.

In the game, Elmia was one of the easiest heroines to win over—ranking among the top two “quick fall” characters in the entire Violation of Eternia series.

The protagonist, Ars, meets her shortly after crossing the border.

She gets attacked by monsters, and when Ars saves her, she instantly falls for him with a line like, “I didn’t know humans could be this kind…”

Now, that same girl had an arrow nocked and was pointing her bow directly at me.

“Sorry for entering without permission. I came here to learn [Summoning Magic].”

I answered her honestly—but she only pulled her bowstring tighter.

She was serious. She fully intended to shoot.

“Halt!“

A voice rang out from far behind, brimming with powerful magic.

“You must not! They cannot be allowed through!”

Just as Elmia was starting to lower her bow, the voice struck again—this time even more forcefully, filled with overwhelming magical pressure.

“I said stop! Are you deaf to my words?!”

Elmia froze in place.

“Tch…!”

With a frustrated grimace, she lowered her bow and returned the arrow to the quiver on her back.

“Let them pass.”

“But… they’re human!”

“I said let them through!”

“Gh…!”

Once again, Elmia was forced to yield to the sheer authority in the voice.

The way she furrowed her brow in frustration had a strange allure to it—unexpectedly captivating.

Seeing Elmia’s hostility fade, Ivelia released her gathered magic and stood down from her combat stance.

Under Elmia’s lead, we were taken deeper into the forest.

Elves surrounded us on all sides—left, right, and behind—constantly watching.

Our hands were tied behind our backs. Gags were placed in our mouths. All our weapons were confiscated.

We camped twice along the way, but the elves didn’t say a single word to us.

Before setting up camp, they would tie our legs together.

The gags were removed during meals, and the elves themselves fed us directly, placing the food into our mouths.

When it was time to sleep, our arms and legs were bound again, the gags were reapplied, and we were forced to rest in complete restraint.

Eventually, we arrived at the base of the great tree known as the World Tree.

There, we were taken into the structure closest to its roots—

A palace.

“Your Majesty, I have brought the humans.”

As Elmia raised her voice at the palace gates, a commanding presence radiated from within—her words laced with magic.

“Enter.”

The elves grabbed Ivelia and me roughly by the shoulders and dragged us inside with brute force.

We were shoved into what looked like the audience chamber, where we stumbled forward and landed face-down on the floor.

“Can any of you explain how you treated the guests I told you to admit?”

A clear, powerful voice pierced straight through my skull.

Elmia and the other elves dropped to their knees, responding to her with bowed heads.

“Your Majesty… forgive us. Though they are your guests, they are still humans—creatures of lower birth. We could not predict what they might do, so we chose to restrain them for safety. If our conduct has gone against your will, we offer our deepest apologies.”

Magical pressure surged from the Queen, stabbing at our skin like invisible needles.

“”Eeek!!””

Several of the elves collapsed to the ground, falling hard on their backsides in fear.

“Release their restraints.”

The Queen ordered one of her attendants to undo our bindings.

The attendant gently helped Ivelia and me up, positioning us so we were facing the Queen.

“I apologize. Elmia and the others behaved rudely. I ask for your forgiveness.”

The Queen carried herself with a calm, composed grace that was strangely familiar—

In fact, her aura reminded me a great deal of Ivelia.

Her posture was regal, her presence dignified, and her wisdom evident at a glance.

Her silver hair was beautifully styled and cut neatly at shoulder length.

With long, pointed ears, silver eyes, and soft, rosy lips, she already looked otherworldly…

But she also possessed a figure that defied the usual image of elves: a full, voluptuous chest, a narrow waist, and wide, curvaceous hips.

Her long legs flowed elegantly down to her toes, which were painted a delicate red—like the finishing touch to a portrait of beauty incarnate.

Both Ivelia and I were so struck by her beauty that we couldn’t say a word.

“Good grief. You don’t have to stare that hard. Relax, would you?”

At the Queen’s words, her attendants quietly returned to her side.

“My apologies. I was struck speechless by your beauty.”

When I said that, the Queen gave a pleased, gentle smile.

“How kind. So even someone like me appears beautiful in the eyes of a human?”

It seemed her appearance didn’t match the aesthetic standards of elves—especially not High Elves.

To elves, the ideal body was one like Elmia’s—slim, delicate, and without any pronounced curves.

A figure with prominent features like the Queen’s was often considered undesirable.

This was something explained in the game after Elmia meets Ars.

In particular, Violation of Eternia III had a scene when Sophie joins the party as the only large-busted heroine.

She was constantly insulted for her figure with comments like, “How shameless, trying to win Lord Ars’s favor with that grotesque body of yours.”

“I was also captivated by Your Majesty. Not just by your appearance—but I could feel how deeply you are loved by the spirits. This is what it means to be the Queen of the Elves, isn’t it?”

Ivelia, standing beside me, finally spoke up.

Maybe she thought staying silent any longer would be disrespectful.

“Kuku… You, a human—are you saying you can see spirits?”

The Queen leaned forward, intrigued, as she questioned Ivelia.

“No. Not exactly. I can perceive mana. The way they fluctuated and danced around Your Majesty made it clear—they were spirits. There was no mistaking it.”

“I see… You have talent. In that case, I shall grant you the knowledge of Spirit Magic.”

Then she turned to me.

“And you…”

The Queen rose from her seat and began walking toward me.

“Y-Yes…”

The Queen’s overwhelming presence pressed down on me like heat scorching my skin.

My body tensed up.

Cold sweat poured down my face.

“You, come with me to the inner chamber. Is that alright?”

She gently placed her right hand on my shoulder as she spoke.

At that moment, Elmia suddenly shot up and stepped forward, closing the distance between her and the Queen.

“Your Majesty! You mustn’t! Bringing a filthy human into the inner sanctum—do you intend to bring ruin upon our land?!”

The Queen’s attendants immediately stepped between the two, blocking Elmia with sharp, practiced movements.

“Elmia. These two are my guests. And our tradition—passed down to every ruler of this land—is to never withhold the gift of skills from those with talent. That is the will I inherited when I took this throne. Unless… tell me something—that dagger you’re holding in your hand… were you planning to use it against me?”

“Gh…!”

Elmia gripped the dagger tightly, but the Queen’s guards subdued her in an instant.

Not just Elmia—her fellow elves, who had followed her lead, were also quickly restrained by the Queen’s attendants.

“Take them and throw them outside the Lost Woods. They are not to come near the base of the Great Tree for the time being.”

Her voice carried magical weight as she gave the order.

“Damn it! Are we just going to let humans learn our sacred techniques?! Your Majesty! We are elves—proud children of the forest! We will never bow to humans! Let go of me! If it’s come to this, then just—!”

Elmia and her group were escorted out of the palace.

Now, only Ivelia, myself, the Queen, and a few of her close attendants remained.

“I’m sorry you had to witness that disgrace. Even we elves are not always united. But regardless of race, our tradition has always been to grant skills to those with true talent. That belief has been passed down through generations. And I promise to honor that—I will grant the two of you skills.”

The Queen once again stood between Ivelia and me, placing a hand gently on each of our shoulders.

Her large, full chest swayed right in front of my eyes, and I couldn’t help but gulp.

I mean… it wasn’t my fault.

The clothes worn by elves in this land were ridiculously thin.

And—maybe it was just my imagination—but I felt Ivelia’s gaze sharpen for a moment.

Still, seeing the Queen’s figure made me wonder if her unusual body type was part of the reason some of the other elves lacked loyalty toward her.

After all, that kind of build wasn’t considered ideal in elven society.

“Kukuku! So humans find these breasts valuable? How amusing!”

She glanced at our faces and burst into laughter.

Strangely enough, her attendants also seemed pleased, their expressions soft and cheerful.

“I am Celebres, Queen of this nation. Humans, state your names.”

“I am Sidol Meltrix.”

“Ivelia Milenitrum.”

We knelt before the Queen—Celebres—and respectfully introduced ourselves.

“Very well, Sidol and Ivelia. Despite the earlier commotion, I wholeheartedly welcome you both. As for the summoning magic you seek, Sidol—regrettably, I cannot teach it to you myself. However, I shall guide you to the inner chamber, where the rite to receive summoning magic will be performed. As for you, Ivelia—you possess the talent for spirit magic. I will personally instruct you.”

Then her eyes sparkled with playful curiosity.

“But still… this alone would not satisfy me. What will you bring to me—and to my kingdom—in return?”

So she was talking about compensation.

But money meant nothing to elves.

Forest elves lived off wild vegetables, hunted animals, and magical beasts.

I had no idea what exactly they might want.

“I don’t know what the elves seek in return. But if you’re willing, you could send an envoy to the territory I govern. Once we understand what you need, we’ll offer something in exchange that we can provide.”

“This offer—does it come from both you and Ivelia?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… then tell me, where exactly is this territory of yours?”

I gave a rough explanation of Bahamul’s location.

“I see. So your land lies along the lake at the base of the northern mountains? If you can’t cross directly through the Kingdom of Eternia, then perhaps the Dwarven Kingdom—on the opposite northern shore—would be the best path. It should be possible for us to enter your land from that side.”

If they came across the lake, there wouldn’t be any border checkpoints—so that wouldn’t be a problem.

Still… there’s a Dwarven Kingdom?

If there really was another civilization on that side, and we could establish some kind of peaceful coexistence, then expanding Bahamul’s trade and connections would be a huge win.

That said, if it came to that, we’d need to prepare a proper docking area for boats.

With that in mind, I began explaining the details of our territory to her.