What If the Strongest Villain from the Original Story Became the Protagonist's Ally? - Chapter 86 - Pride, and Into the Village

“……”

“……”

I pressed foreheads with the captain elf man at zero distance.

More precisely, I was pressing the forehead portion of my mask tightly against his.

As for why we were doing this…

“You bastard! I’m graciously letting you enter our village, and you can’t follow my orders!?”

“Hah? Who the hell said I have to listen to orders from you damned—elves!? This mask is a venerable object, you fool!”

“Don’t mess with me! If I let someone wearing such a suspicious mask into our village, the elders will be furious with me!”

“I don’t care! You can get yelled at all you want, fool!”

Like this, after I completely refused the captain elf’s instruction to “remove that mask,” the man directed sharp glares at me and hurled abuse.

Since I absolutely didn’t want to remove my mask, I naturally glared back through the mask and hurled abuse in return.

It had already taken on the appearance of a mere pride battle.

At that point, Iris mixed in with a somewhat exasperated voice:

“Good grief… What are you doing, Yuu-san? Don’t dismiss the elves’ goodwill so rudely.”

“Fguh!”

Iris grabbed me by the scruff of the neck from behind.

I struggled like a cat, but she mercilessly—stripped the mask from my face.

“What!? G-give it back! Without my mask, I’m not me anymore!”

“You don’t wear the mask in your room at the royal palace. Stop saying ridiculous things and walk. Let’s go.”

“…Yessss.”

This is bad. Iris hid the mask she’d stolen from me in her clothes.

If I forcibly took it back, it would make a bad impression and be hard to justify.

Even when I appealed with teary eyes, Iris ignored me. I had no choice but to reluctantly endure it and start walking.

“I really don’t understand your relationship.”

The captain elf who had been watching my exchange with Iris tilted his head.

I urged him to just hurry up and guide us into the village.

The captain elf walked at the front as instructed.

While walking, he said:

“Still… for a suspicious person, you have well-arranged features. Perhaps you’re an elf or have elf blood?”

“No way in hell. I’m a legitimate 100% pure human. I’ve been handsome from the start. Maybe the gods gave it to me?”

I puffed out my chest with a smug expression.

There weren’t many opportunities to be praised by the elf race, who mostly had good looks.

I knew it already, but apparently my beauty worked on elves too.

“Hmph. I don’t like that attitude though.”

“That’s my line.”

Every little comment was excessive. Mine were too. It was six of one, half dozen of the other.

▼△▼

After walking through the forest for a while, we eventually saw a large wooden gate.

Thick fog was drifting around the area, perhaps using artifacts.

The fog’s range was about a hundred meters. If you entered the fog and reached the gate in about that distance, it seemed like some people might arrive by chance.

Either the artifact’s performance was low, or they were covering such a wide area with fog.

Either way, I thought it was a very elf-like countermeasure for hiding.

“Gate soldiers! Open the gate!”

“Why are there humans!?”

When the captain elf threw his words to the two elves on top of the gate in a loud voice, an extremely reasonable question immediately came back.

“The woman is one who has contracted with Sylpheid-sama the spirit! She apparently has business with the elders!”

“Sh-she contracted with a spirit!? Wh-what does that mean!?”

“You don’t need to know! Just hurry up and open the gate!”

When the captain elf shouted like that, the gate opened with a heavy sound, albeit reluctantly.

The fog disappeared. Apparently the fog didn’t enter the village itself. As I’d predicted, I could tell this fog was generated to surround the village.

“Follow me. Absolutely don’t leave my side.”

The captain elf walking at the front spoke in a low voice.

Iris nodded, and I said:

“Can I explore?”

“Were you listening to what I said?”

I made the request as if it were natural. It was rejected at lightning speed.

I was also glared at by Iris beside me, so I restrained myself.

“Damn… there are hardly any opportunities to visit an elf village…”

“Unlike the royal capital, a commotion would definitely occur. Please refrain.”

“Commotions happened in the royal capital too though.”

I almost got arrested multiple times.

“If you understand that, then behave. We came here for discussions, not sightseeing.”

“I know, I know.”

She meant I should explore after the discussions, right?

Since I’m sharp, I instantly understood what Iris wanted to say.

I obediently followed behind the captain elf.

Then ahead, I could see a particularly large great tree. Could that possibly be…

“That huge tree… is that the World Tree that elves worship?”

“Muh. Why do you know about that?”

“Source knowledge.”

“Huh? S-source?”

“Never mind. It’s more beautiful than I imagined.”

“Of course. It was created by the Spirit King-sama who made a contract with our ancestors.”

“Come to think of it, there was that setting.”

That was unmistakably the elves’ hope.

Because the World Tree existed, they continued living in this forest. No matter how many times they were attacked by Imperial humans.

But I knew. That World Tree, which was proof of the elf race’s faith—would be burned by Imperial humans.

The elves’ despair would begin precisely from there.