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Chapter 76: Elves Blocking the Road

It was morning.

Martina cheerfully donned her armor and mounted her horse.

She looked at Nora with a trace of amusement.

“You’re getting creepier by the day,” Nora said bluntly as she stuffed half-eaten white bread into her pocket.

There was no need to say more; she had probably eaten again last night, otherwise she wouldn’t have been smiling so happily.

Martina didn’t argue and put on her helmet.

But her thoughts still drifted over: “I’ve already surpassed you, and I even know Master’s surname.”

Reiner looked at their backs and sighed helplessly.

After a short rest, the squad set out again.

Ahead lay a pine forest blanketed in snow.

Barnite was a nation wrapped in forests.

Once they crossed this vast forest, they should reach the border city.

Reiner yawned, opened his map to check it, identified a few landmarks, confirmed they were on the right path, and led the group straight into the forest.

“Nora, let me know right away if anything seems off.”

“Understood, Master.”

Reiner lifted his mask and exhaled warm breath onto his nearly frozen hands.

After walking for a while, he suddenly felt something odd about their surroundings.

Logically, this dense forest should have been home to plenty of monsters.

Things like tree demons, snow wolves, or goblins.

But nearly half an hour into the forest, they hadn’t even seen a single jumping slime.

“Nora… do you sense anything strange?”

“It’s unusually quiet around here,” she said, raising her head to look into the thick woods.

Suddenly, her ears perked up.

“Master, there seems to be something in the trees.”

No sooner had she spoken than an arrow shot out from the shadows toward them.

Quick as lightning, Nora threw a throwing knife, colliding with the arrow and deflecting its trajectory.

That arrow had been aimed directly at Reiner’s life.

If it weren’t for Nora’s keen perception, he might already have been lying on the ground.

Reiner hastily pulled his mask back down and shouted, “Who’s there?”

Receiving no response, Reiner raised his staff and conjured a massive Fireball.

At that moment, the attackers revealed themselves.

Two women clad in gray robes, with slender, lithe figures, different hair colors, delicate features, and pointed ears, appeared before them in an instant.

One held a bow and arrow while the other wielded a metal staff, their icy eyes fixed on Reiner with vicious intent.

To be precise, they weren’t human but some kind of elves…

Despite their youthful beauty, their actual ages could easily have been four digits long.

Martina gripped her sword single-handedly, stepped in front of Reiner, and lowered her voice: “Darling, these long-eared folk aren’t to be trifled with; they’re extremely powerful, and whether demi-humans or monsters, everyone steers clear of them, so let’s be a bit more careful.”

If even she admitted they were not to be messed with, they must truly be formidable.

“Have you dealt with them before?”

“No, this is what my father told me: don’t harm plants or trees, or the long-eared folk will come to cause trouble.”

Reiner narrowed his eyes and examined the two elves before him.

He was someone who deeply cared for plants and trees, so logically, the elves shouldn’t have any reason to trouble him.

After a moment’s thought, he asked in fluent Elven, “I bear you no ill will, so why attack me?”

The green-haired elf on the left showed a flicker of surprise before regaining her composure and said expressionlessly, “Reiner, this is only a lesson; if you dare disrespect the forest again, it will be more than just a lesson.”

???

“You know my name?”

The elf made no reply, instead silently watching Reiner’s every move.

Seeing her remain taciturn, Reiner reflected briefly before continuing, “I have always respected the forest and don’t know how I offended you; I’m unfamiliar with your beliefs and traditions, so please tell me plainly so I can be more careful in the future.”

The elf responded coldly, “Dawn Forest, you set fire to a large part of the forest, and we have been watching you ever since.”

She was referring to the battle against the goblin priest and the Tyrant.

At the time, the situation was urgent and he had indeed accidentally ignited a small patch of forest.

But after the battle, he and Junice used water magic to extinguish the flames.

These elves were far too literal.

They had ignored so many goblins logging and building houses in Dawn Forest, yet they intervened the moment a few trees were accidentally burned while eliminating goblins.

Although he was somewhat resentful, based on Martina’s description, they were formidable beings, and it couldn’t hurt to maintain good relations.

Men, after all, should have a broad perspective.

Reiner replied softly, “I’ll pay more attention from now on, but those goblins attacked us and not only attempted to ignite the forest to burn us alive, they also cut down many trees to build their settlement, so by wiping them out, I was indirectly protecting the forest, right?”

“Eliminating goblins that destroy the forest is more beneficial to it than harmful, isn’t it?”

The two elves exchanged glances, then after a long silence they said, “Yes.”

Reiner spread his hands and asked innocently, “Then if that’s the case, why did you feel the need to teach me a lesson?”

The blue-haired elf, who had been standing aside, finally spoke and said slowly, “Putting it aside, although you protected the forest in some ways, it’s undeniable that you also damaged it.

“We will remember your assistance and repay you covertly.”

Wasn’t that a bit too rigid?

Although he really wanted to speak, he swallowed his words out of a principle not to offend others unnecessarily.

Seeing the two elves ready to leave, he hurriedly called out.

“I want to ask you something: have you seen a human girl with golden hair in a white robe, lightly injured, pass through this area in the past few days? She is an important friend of mine.”

The green-haired elf glanced back at Reiner and said calmly, “Junice is still wandering somewhere in this forest; she is heading toward a human town.”

“You know her?”

The elf gave no answer and vanished into the forest along with her companion.

That meant Junice was not in any mortal danger for the time being.

Reiner breathed a sigh of relief.

Martina slipped her arm through Reiner’s and asked curiously, “What were you two jabbering about just now? I didn’t understand a single word.”

“That was Elven; I’ll teach you if I get the chance.”

“I’m not going to learn that stuff; I don’t like dealing with them. They may look pretty, but they’re pitiless one and all,” Martina said, shaking her head in disgust.

It was clear she held a prejudice against elves.

Nora nodded in agreement.

Daisy, standing aside, spoke up, “When I fled with my father as a child, I encountered some of the long-eared folk; most of them were inflexible but appeared kind, as they had helped me more than once.”

Reiner shrugged and continued leading the group deeper into the forest.

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