Chapter 35: A World That Rejected Change / The Goal: Become the Storyteller

"That's the Great Forest... Mother’s homeland..."

After the Summer Event ended.

Kizuna and the others finally arrived at the Great Forest, "Nru Wo Lies."

If all they wanted was to reach the Machine City, there was no need to stop by the Great Forest. They could have dropped Lies and Pahal off somewhere along the way. But there was no way Kizuna and the others would ever think like that.

Since they'd already come this far, they figured they might as well see it through and headed toward the Great Forest.

Still, man...

"No matter how much you call it a Great Forest, this is on a whole different scale, nya!"

I completely agreed with Piska.

I'd had a vague idea of what it was like from the game, but this was still beyond anything I'd expected.

Countless trees that would unquestionably make the Guinness World Records back on Earth stood towering before us... and I mean countless in the literal sense. Actually, they'd probably blow right past any Guinness record. Heights like these were probably only possible thanks to fantasy magic that could suck up water and send it soaring.

Of course, we couldn't see the end of the forest in the distance, but we couldn't see it to either side, either. I could easily believe someone if they told me it stretched on forever.

"Heh-heh! This is the Great Forest that the elves are so proud of! How do you like that!"

"It ain't your accomplishment, though."

"...That's true!"

Pahal had proudly puffed herself up to maximum airhead levels, only to be promptly crushed by Padron's merciless retort.

Well, I understood the urge to brag about your homeland. I'd be happy if a foreigner or someone from another world complimented Japanese food, too. Granted, everything I'm making in this world is different—the ingredients, the cooking methods, everything—so at best it's only "Japanese-style food." Even so.

As we continued our laid-back conversation, we eventually arrived right in front of the Great Forest we'd been able to see from far away.

When everyone got off Tetoma, wind began swirling around Pahal.

Apparently, she was planning to use a special wind spell to carry her voice somewhere deep within the forest.

『What have you come back for, Pahal? Have you forgotten the law? Or have you come to deliver the Sacred Treasure in Walt's place?』

But before Pahal could even say a word, an extremely intimidating voice reached us.

Green spheres of light floated around us.

If I remembered correctly, it was some kind of magic with a name like "tree echo" or "word echo."

"I remember the law. And I don't have the Sacred Treasure either."

『Then there is nothing more to discuss. Leave.』

"Wait, wait! I'm here because there's something I want the elders to decide this time!"

『Decide?』

"Here, Lies. This is as far as I can take you. You'll have to introduce yourself from here on."

"Yes. Thank you, Pahal."

Our conversation was about to be coldly cut short, but Pahal hurriedly kept it going.

Then she handed the conversation over to Lies.

...She probably wanted to talk to the people from her homeland herself if she could. But because of the law, she'd accepted the situation and handed the opportunity over to Lies.

Pahal really was adorable. A big part of that was probably because I'm a massive fan of younger sisters with big-brother energy, and because I'm basically part of the Brother Alliance with Walt, but I really, really liked Pahal.

Prompted by her, Lies stepped forward.

And then Lies... the blue-haired h-a-l-f-e-l-f boldly declared:

"First of all, I sincerely apologize for arriving so suddenly. I am Lies Thebe Ro War Lamouatie. I am an elf born between a human and an elf outside the Great Forest. I have come to my mother's homeland to convey the wishes of my mother, Lifujir Ro Lies. I humbly ask that you grant me permission to enter the forest."

『An elf born outside the forest?!』

『A half-breed?!』

『Impossible?!』

『Ro Lies?! That's impossible!』

Chaos erupted. Voices filled with panic came from everyone except the person we'd initially been speaking with.

Even through nothing but their voices, it was painfully obvious how shaken they were.

『...My apologies. We became somewhat agitated. Would you please wait a while as we discuss the matter?』

"Of course. We came here unannounced and without so much as a letter, after all. I have no grounds to complain."

『You have our thanks. Then please wait a little longer.』

"...Hey, Pahal. What's Ro Lies?"

"Hmm? I feel like I've heard it somewhere before... What was it again?"

Pahal tilted her head at Kizuna's question.

But Walt, who was surely listening in, must have been utterly shaken as well.

For elves, this was common knowledge.

Pahal was simply weird.

Because Ro Lies was a surname that only members of the elven royal family were permitted to bear.

After being kept waiting for about three hours, something finally happened on the Great Forest's side.

Once again, green spheres began floating around us.

It had taken quite a while, but that probably meant they'd gone through one heated debate after another.

My condolences.

And the result was—

『I'm sorry, but we cannot grant you permission to enter the forest. We ask that you leave at once.』

"Then, at the very least! Let me deliver my mother's words!"

『No! Outsider, leave! If you continue to utter another word, we will attack without mercy! ...We do not wish to destroy the "present." Please, try to understand.』

And with that, the green spheres disappeared, and no further words came from the Great Forest.

"No... I only want to convey Mother's feelings..."

"Lies..."

Kizuna and everyone else started to speak to the dejected Lies, then stopped.

They probably didn't know what they could possibly say to her.

"...Why? Couldn't they at least listen to her?"

"Kizuna. There truly is a kind of peace that exists precisely because something is closed off."

"Huh?"

I casually responded to Kizuna's mutter.

"A world that rejects everything from the outside and exists entirely within itself. To the people living there, Lies's words... no, judging from that conversation, her very existence is a deadly poison. Even if neither Lies nor her mother has the slightest bit of ill intent."

"Even without any ill intent...?"

Medicine and poison are two sides of the same coin in the first place. The only thing that separates them is whether they have a beneficial or harmful effect on the body. Their essence is the same.

Even if Lies's mother had nothing but a pure desire to convey her feelings for her homeland, that change itself would become poison to the elves living within the forest.

For elves who had treated leaving the forest, and returning to it after leaving, as taboos, a member of the royal family born outside the forest... and one who was half-human, no less... could be nothing but deadly poison.

"They chose to reject change. Change is the unknown. Things might become better than they are now, but they might also become worse. If you don't know which, then it's better to leave things as they are. ...There is absolutely nothing 'evil' about feeling that way. At least, that's what I think."

"People who rejected change..."

If I don't actively say things that sound like they could get me into the game, my presence is going to fade into the background in Chapter 2.

Maybe I should aim for the storyteller role?

...And there's a reason for that.

In this chapter, some of the enemies aren't just "machines" against which my twin swords, 『Funeral』 and 『Rebirth』, are ineffective. There's also going to be an SSR healer character.

...Actually, t-w-o of them.

One of them isn't a problem. There's no way a cute girl is going to lose popularity to some mere snake.

The problem is the other one.

The one who'll casually show her face, play an active role, and then become a meta-defining character released during the first anniversary.

In a situation like this, I have to maneuver carefully so I don't fade into the background.

That is what I must accomplish in Chapter 2.