Chapter 1: The border between Minrow and Rovkre

"You blasted orc, look at how repulsive you are. The title of a prisoner suits you well, you ugly swine. Listen up, other prisoners, you better behave yourselves when we reach the auction house! From today onward, all males and females will be sold into slavery, a punishment befitting anyone who crosses the border from Rovkre to Minrow. You all are despicable and belong where scum belongs," proclaimed the elf.

Takagi was still not in his right mind to comprehend what the elf was saying, as the elf paced back and forth in front of the line of prisoners. They were in a beautiful woodland area on top of a mountain, surrounded by lush green grass and tall, healthy trees. From the mountain, one could see the grassy plains to the south. This mountain was just one of many that separated the lands of Rovkre and Minrow. The scenery was tranquil, and apart from the elf, the only sounds that could be heard were the chirping of birds and the usual serene sounds of the forest. Suddenly, a cry interrupted the peacefulness. It came from one of the fifteen or so prisoners, who were chained together and kneeling on the ground. She was a young beast-man, one of the rabbit folk.

"Please, I wasn't crossing any border. I just want to go home," cried the young rabbit lady.

"Silence, you filth! You will do as I say," screamed the elf.

Confused, Takagi finally regained his senses and questioned, "Where am I?"

"Alright, everyone, we will start gathering names and birthplaces from all of you. Those who choose not to answer will be killed," the elf announced to the prisoners.

Takagi looked around and realized he was nailed down on the floor with chains attached to a dog-man on his left and a large, menacing orc twice his size on his right. He couldn't believe he was next to such a creature, and his eyes widened in shock.

"What the hell is that? It's...it's a pig man!" cried Takagi, scooting away in fear and surprise. He tapped the dog-man and looked over his shoulder.

"Hey, calm yourself, or you'll get us in trouble," said the dog-man.

"It's a talking giant dog! What the heck is happening? Is this some twisted dream? Maybe if I close my eyes, I'll wake up in my nice bedroom with the best view of the lake in the world... Wait, why am I still here!" said Takagi, panicking.

An elf soldier approached Takagi from behind and struck him on the back of his head with the hilt of his sword, rendering him unconscious.

"Okay, you're next, orc. What's your name and country of birth?" asked the elf, finishing up with the other prisoners.

"I am Gulrn, from Okadio," replied the orc next to Takagi.

"Oh, someone was born in their original homeland. So, you aren't from Grinfall, pig," snarled the elf as he noted down the information on his piece of paper.

The orc displayed his discontent, but the elf didn't bother to look at him, signifying his superiority. The elf finished his note and moved to the next prisoner in line.

"Name and place of birth," the elf said, still glued to his paper. After half a minute of silence, the elf grew frustrated and reluctantly took his eyes off the paper. "I said, name!" he screamed with greater frustration. Takagi was still unconscious on the floor. The elf kicked him in an attempt to wake him up. Takagi jumped up in surprise from being kicked and lookedup, exclaiming, "Hey, what the hell is your problem? Why did you kick me?" Takagi was unaware that the elf was standing in front of him.

"You wretched worthless scum!... You... What are you?" the elf said in shock.

All Takagi could think about as he looked at the elf was, "What are you?" too. The elf's surprise indicated that he had never seen someone of Takagi's species before.

"What are you? Human? Elf? Beast man? What in the magnificent gods are you?" said the elf in shock. "It's an actual elf! A real-life elf with pointy ears!" Takagi thought, filled with surprise and amazement. His eyes twinkled with fascination. "Cool! That's a fantastic costume, my man! Do you want me to take your picture?" said Takagi.

The elf continued to question what Takagi was. Takagi had blonde hair, a feature exclusive to the elven race, short pointy ears like a dark elf, twirling horns protruding from his hair that could be from either the beastmen tribe or the infamous demon race, a brown-colored cat's tail, teeth that were pointy, possibly a trait from the orcs, and the face and skin of a human. "Just what failed magic experiment are you?" said the elf, followed by, "What is your name, boy?"

"Hey, dude, I'm not a boy. I'm 25, but the name's Takagi," replied Takagi.

"Dude? Takagi? Such strange phrases and names," thought the elf.

"Where are you from?" pressed the elf.

"I'm originally from Saitama, but I moved here after my grandfather passed away," replied Takagi.

"What country is that located in? Well, no matter. You will fetch a very high price at the auction," finished the elf, laughing.

"Wait, what do you mean..." Takagi began to look around and realized that he wasn't in a dream or at any cosplay event. He turned to his right and saw the giant orc, also catching a whiff of the foul smell of someone who hadn't showered in days. Slowly, panic began to set in as he gazed back at the elf. He took note of the elf's moving, realistic, long, pointy ears and yellowish skin color. Then, he turned to his left and saw the dog-man, his nose twitching as if sniffing the air. As he followed the line to his left, he saw a variety of races kneeling down, wearing ragged and dirty clothing, with the majority of them being orcs.

"I'm not dreaming, am I?" whispered Takagi, trying not to panic. "This can't be real! Think, what was the last thing I remember? I was writing my novel and eating ramen when I started to feel weird and tumbled to the floor. Did I die? If that's the case, have I been reincarnated? In manga, they make this out to be far cooler than this," Takagi thought.

"Precisely. Now, I need to find a fitting insult for you. How troublesome," hissed the elf. "Alright, which one of you found this abomination!" shouted the elf.

The elves were all part of the unit responsible for border patrol. Occasionally, trespassers were captured due to the tight security and multiple barriers put in place to detect intruders. The Southern Minrow Capturing Unit was tasked with capturing and detaining any intruders, led by Commander Fylson Balmys.

Among the seven members of the capturing unit standing behind the prisoners, one of them stepped up, trembling. "It... It was me, Commander Fylson, sir."

"Ah, Vesryn, right? Where exactly did you catch this one?"

"Sir! Um, I caught him due west of the border, close to the beach. He was passed out on the floor, Commander Fylson."

"How in the world did he get past your barrier detection?"

"Um, sorry for my lack of ability, sir Commander. I promise you this mess-up won't happen again!"

"You got that right, or else you'll be the next one chained up next to these scoundrels."

"Yes, sir, Commander Fylson. Thank you for your mercy!"

"Alright, moving on. You, worthless mutt, what is your name and birthplace!"

"Wait, did he say barrier? As in magic? No way this world has magic! Hey, maybe I'm some wickedly powerful sorcerer or mage! Or maybe I'm the world's hero?" fantasized Takagi.

After the elf finished with the rest of the prisoners, he ordered the other elves to gather them and load them into the caged carriages, taking them to the South West Capturing Camp. Some prisoners cried, while others remained quiet. Takagi seemed to still be daydreaming, as he kept getting pulled by the chains by the orc who was next to him. They were loaded into separate carriages one by one. Takagi's fantasy abruptly ended when he drew the short straw and ended up riding next to the orc in the caged carriage. "This blows," whined Takagi in his head. "Hey, man, I'm sorry for calling you a pig," Takagi said, apologizing to the mean-looking orc. However, the orc just glanced at him and went back to staying quiet.

—

"Mina, are you sure this is a good idea?" said Drut.

"Of course, we have no other choice. We need to find him and punish those racist elves," replied Mina.

"Look, Drut, I'm almost sure that it was the elves who took him, and I bet by now they are taking him into the hands of that crooked elf, the commander," said Mina.

They were deep in the woods just below the mountains that divide the two countries, and equally as far from the plains in the country of Rovkre. Mina is a human girl with red hair and freckles on her face. She is the archer of the team. Drut is a Lacertian (a lizard man), specifically one from the southern sands of Grinfall. He has sandy yellow scaly skin with reddish stripes covering his body. Drut is one of the warriors of the team.

"Mina, we all know that Okadio is far stronger than the mages and anyone else that belongs to the capturing unit of Minrow," said Estelar, an elf who specializes in attack magic.

"He won't get sold into slavery, we can assure you that," said Buluni, a dark elf warrior.

"I just don't get why they would capture him. We are mercenaries and adventurers; we all have the papers to cross any border within Grinfall," said Fregran, the human tank of the group.

"We elves harbor much hate towards many races. I apologize to you all," said Ameria, the elf healer of the group and the only other female besides Mina.

"You don't need to apologize, Ameria. We all know you don't harbor those same views," replied Drut.

The team of mercenaries/adventurers was stuck on deciding what to do next: either wait for Okadio to break free, solve this legally, or break him free. The captain of the group was Fregran, possibly the strongest of them. He was dressed in plated armor and had a heroic look. He had black short hair and a beard. His main weapon of choice was a sword and shield. Estelar was the strongest magic caster of the team. He wore mage robes, had long blonde hair, and long ears. His skin had a tan yellow tint, and he was the second tallest of the team. Buluni was a short dark elf with light pale skin, white hair, and short elf ears that defined his race. He wore light leather armor and his weapon of choice was two dark silver daggers. Ameria was a beautiful elf with long blonde hair and a healer's robe. Her staff amplified her power.

"Hold on a second. Do you guys think Okadio is being weakened by a magic spell?" said Mina.

"There definitely exist such spells like my Domination, or possibly Tame or Render Fear. Honestly, there are so many spells, but they are all high level, something only high mages can muster," implied Estelar.

"Something is bugging me, though. Why hasn't he broken free? I've known him for many years, and this isn't the first time he's been through this. This isn't the way he would act," said Buluni.

"Maybe he needs to be rescued," said Ameria with worry.

"Precisely. So, are we doing my idea or not?" exclaimed Mina.

"Hmm, I suppose it is worrisome, and we wouldn't leave a comrade behind. Alright, it's settled then, but if we get into trouble with the country, remember to stick to what I'm about to tell you..."

The team decided to push towards the place where their comrade was. Estelar had cast Concealment on everyone to avoid detection, and Barrier Detect to find the precise location.

"They appear to be a few kilometers further up the mountain," said Estelar.

They ran up the mountain, jumping over tree stumps and dodging trees. Buluni, the fastest member, sprinted ahead to scout after receiving the location from Estelar. He leaped from tree to tree, surveying the area.

Once they reached the area Estelar had led them to, they hid in the leafy bushes, being careful not to make any noise that could give them away. Estelar reminded them that the effects of Concealment would only last for half an hour, and they had around 10 minutes left. In the distance, they spotted a path and an approaching caged carriage.

"It appears they have multiple carriages, and the fourth one is the one carrying Okadio. I couldn't miss him from a mile away," reported Buluni, who had cast Magnification, a spell to temporarily boost his vision.

"The real test is how we're going to do this," questioned Mina.

"Hmm, this might be the riskier option, but we can use Drut's unique invisibility skill. Although it can be detected by anyone with keen hearing, it might be our best bet. Let's not forget that he can only use it once a day for three minutes," exclaimed Fregran.

"Drut, get ready. When the carriage is close, you sprint out there and sabotage the rear wheel of the carriage. Estelar, cast Silent Step on him to avoid detection, and Ameria, you cast Daydream on the elf driving the carriage directly behind. Once sabotaged, I'm almost sure the other carriages will leave them behind while the driver tries to repair the damage," ordered Fregran.

After everyone heard Fregran's orders, they nodded in agreement. They waited patiently for the carriages to come within range. When the third carriage barely passed them, Drut activated his skill, and Estelar followed by casting Silent Step, muffling their movements. Ameria then cast Daydream on the driver of the fifth carriage, a spell that causes anyone to enter a dream-like state so that the driver wont notice any sabotage attempts on the carriage ahead. Daydream could only be deactivated by outside forces or sudden changes. Drut sprinted out of the bushes towards the fourth carriage but accidentally kicked a rock, catching the attention of the third carriage driver. Drut didn't freeze, knowing that staying still would waste time. He continued to the left rear wheel of the carriage and slashed it, causing it to veer off course.

"Oh no, what... what happened? That horrid wheel decided to snap on me today. It's the third time I've had to change that wheel this month," complained the elf in charge of the carriage, now rendered immovable.

"Hey, you there! Need a hand? There's no way you can guard those prisoners as soon as they leave the carriage and change the wheel at the same time," shouted the elf from the carriage behind.

"Um, no, I think I... you know what? Yes, why not," replied the elf who then dismounted the carriage.

The carriages were being pulled by a single white horse and were made of wood that could be easily chopped with a blade. When Drut slashed the rear left wheel, the front wheel also began to crack under the weight. Weight wouldn't usually be a problem, but with a giant orc followed by two other prisoners, it became an issue.

"This puts a dent in our plans. Let's wait for the other carriages to put some distance between them, and then we'll strike," said Fregran, who was still hidden along with the rest of the team inside the bushes.

"Alright, you three, it's time to step out of the carriage. We have an unexpected stop, and don't try any funny business," commanded the elf holding a spear to the prisoners, who began to demount.

The other elf, wielding a two-handed axe, followed closely, ready to strike. The first to get off the carriage was the silent orc, Okaido, still wearing a menacing expression. The next prisoner, connected to Okaido by a chain, made his way down.

"Hey, you guys, can I switch carriages? There appears to be a pretty funky smell in there, if you know what I mean," whispered Takagi.

"This blows, man! Where are the secret powers and the nearest town with all the hot-looking chicks, man?" thought Takagi. "Wait, does that mean there are elf chicks in this world?" Pondered Takagi then blushed.

"Hey, quit spacing out!" screamed the elf holding the spear.

"My bad, sorry. Don't get mad," replied Takagi, visibly scared.

The next prisoner to come down from the carriage was the dog-man. The guard proceeded to search for the spare wooden wheel inside the carriage.

"What's wrong? They must have a flat tire," commented Takagi.

The elf grabbed the wooden wheel and headed over to the broken one, but as he inspected it, he realized that the wheel had been slashed in half.

"Wait a second, this was slashed in half," implied the elf to the other elf. Their conversation was abruptly interrupted by a loud command from the bushes: "Now!" screamed Fregran, and an arrow was launched toward the elves. It struck the elf holding the spear in the shoulder.

Buluni and Fregran rushed toward the elves, with Buluni being hit by a fire lance spell from the ax-wielding elf. To their surprise, Buluni was protected by a self-generated barrier that negated any ranged spell attack. The ax-wielding elf hissed in anger.

"Earth magic: Mud Grab!" screamed Estelar, casting a spell that clamped onto the feet of the ax-wielding elf, trapping him in mud.

The elf was now stuck, unable to move. He looked over to the other elf, and they both screamed, "Unbreakable Barrier," a spell that created a small area barrier. Buluni responded by throwing a dagger that bounced off the barrier.

"You fools! This barrier can't be broken," declared the ax-wielding elf.

Estelar walked out of the bushes, followed by the rest of the team. "It appears they cast a barrier spell that can only be cast by two people. Unfortunately, it's one we can't break. The one weakness it has is that it traps the user inside, preventing them from attacking or calling for reinforcements," explained Estelar.

"Too bad. I was about to swing my sword with all my might at that thing," said Fregran.

"Just because your swing can chop three trees at once doesn't mean it will be successful against this magic barrier," calmly stated Estelar, followed by a smirk from Fregran.

"Whoa, this can't be real! They actually used magic! Looks like this is the part of the story where I get saved, right, guys?" exclaimed Takagi, who was now inside the barrier and wached the scuffle between the elves and the team with amazement.

"Um, no. We aren't here to save you," replied Buluni as he picked up his dagger, much to Takagi's misfortune.

"They have to come out of there at some point," hissed Fregran.

The two elves began to heal each other's injuries with healing magic. Takagi couldn't make out what they were whispering to each other, but he assumed they were plotting a counterattack. He glanced over to the team outside the barrier and saw that they were preparing for the elves to drop the barrier. One elf nodded his head, and the other stared in readiness. The elf carrying the axe began to cast a spell, while the other prepared to drop the barrier.

"This can't be good," called out Estelar. Mina asked, "Why's that?"

"They are possibly casting a very powerful spell, one whose weakness is probably the casting time. Usually, when a spell takes a long time to cast, it's very powerful. Brace yourselves; they plan to launch the spell as soon as their barrier drops," announced Estelar.

"That's a very smart tactic, using their barrier to their advantage," replied Fregran.

"We could easily defend with our own barrier, but Ameria doesn't have the aptitude for it. They took their chances with casting that barrier because it can also be broken by someone with the magic to break it. I apologize for my inexperience," said Estelar.

"If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me for not learning that spell," replied Ameria.

"That's enough, all of you. It's not like we are all dying or something. Besides, we can't seriously be defeated by such wimps," replied Fregran, laughing.

Just as the barrier went down, the axed elf shouted, "Millennium Flame!" Stab. To the team's surprise, they began to let their guard down. The axed elf had been impaled by a sword from behind.

"What happened?" the axed elf said, in agony.

"Your wretched rebels!" screamed the other elf. But before he could turn and charge, Mina had already launched an arrow aimed right at the elf's head, making direct contact between his eyes, killing him instantly.

The spell time had ended, and a lizard man miraculously appeared out of thin air in Takagi's eyes. "Invisibility?" he thought. It was Drut, who had been patiently waiting inside the barrier for it to be lifted to make his move. Drut had successfully interrupted the spell before the elf could cast it. He pulled out his blade and cleaned it.

"Is that all you got?" hissed Drut with a grin, looking at the dead elves.

"Drut, you sneaky son of a bitch, just in time. I was wondering where you ran off to," laughed Fregran.

"Oh come on, Captain. You knew where I was the whole time. After all, you're the only human I've met who can actually see me with those eyes of yours," approached Drut while still cleaning his blade.

Mina ran to the side of the carriage to save Okadio.

"Okadio, are you okay? Did they hurt you? Are you under some kind of spell?" asked Mina, worried.

"I am fine," replied the old, rustic, and strong voice of the giant orc, Okadio.

The rest of the team walked over to inspect Okadio. Okadio was like the grandpa to everyone on the team.

"Okadio, are you okay there, gramps?" said Fregran.

"We were all worried about you," said Drut.

"When we woke up and couldn't find you, we assumed the worst," cried out Ameria.

"Mh, you gave us all a scare," declared Estelar.

"How did you end up in this mess?" asked Buluni.

"I couldn't sleep last night, so I headed off for a stroll through the night. I saw a white explosion in the distance and made my way over there. It took me all night to reach the area of the explosion, and when I got there, I found a boy. But before I could do anything, an elf detected me, so I ran. They managed to overpower me," explained Okadio.

"Overpower you? Haha, I don't think anyone can overpower you," said Captain Fregran.

"Hmm, you give me too much credit. I'm not as young as I once was," replied Okadio.

"So, what became of this boy you found?" asked Buluni.

Okadio stepped aside to reveal the boy, who was none other than Takagi.

"Um, hello, guys..." said Takagi nervously.

They all gathered around him and questioned who Takagi could possibly be. Was he human? Elf? Or something else?

"Um... what's your name?" asked Drut, raising an eyebrow and getting close, face to face with Takagi.

"These guys are the real deal. I've never seen a lizard man before. This guy is so cool! He has the ability to make himself invisible! Just think of all the peeping you can do with an ability like that," thought Takagi.

"Hey! Ignore me, and you die!" screamed Drut, pointing a small blade at Takagi's throat.

Takagi, now spooked, began to sweat.

"Drut, you're scaring him. Hi, my name is Ameria. What is yours?"

"Could it be? Is it an angel? No, it's an elf goddess! Surely, I've been blessed to have such a lovely beauty standing right in front of me... Look at that rack she has," Takagi thought, his eyes forming heart shapes. He appeared paralyzed after glimpsing at Ameria's cleavage.

"I don't mean to rush everyone, but we have approximately one minute and a half to reach the bottom of the mountain to avoid detection by the Elven Capturing Units," said Estelar.

The team began to hurry. They destroyed the locks on every prisoner and made their way down the mountain. They had already run out of time, but luckily, the tight security wasn't so tight. It just so happened that a barrier wasn't active in that area at that time. They successfully made it down the mountain, away from the border's detection barriers. Everyone was catching their breath from running for their lives. The team managed to liberate seven people, including Takagi and Okadio. The people they had saved thanked the team for rescuing them, and they all parted ways. Takagi stayed with the team, still chained up, possibly indicating their lack of trust in him.

—

A sizzle and crack could be heard, and the bright colors of orange and red mixed together as if dancing. Specks of light rose up to the dark night sky, resembling embers. The sky shone brightly with droplets of white, creating a beautiful contrast against the dark canvas as if a painter had flicked a brush holding white paint. Hints of purple, blue, and orange could be seen, painting the stunning sky. It was a breathtaking sight, showcasing the wonders of the space beyond the planet. A chilling wind blew, causing the trees to dance and creating an unmistakable tune of bustling leaves. The team gathered around the fire, looking up at the sky and immersing themselves in the beauty of nature. Those who weren't eating were engaged in conversation, laughter filling the air as they enjoyed pieces of bread and wine.

Takagi was among the team, still chained up and sitting on a mossed-up wooden log next to Buluni and Mina. Across the fire from him sat Okadio, who was staring at Takagi while simultaneously conversing with his comrades. Next to Okadio sat Fregran to his left, and Drut on his right. Ameria sat next to Drut, followed by Mina. Next to Fregran sat Estelar, and next to him sat Buluni, completing the circle. Takagi glanced over at Buluni, who had also been gazing at the stars.

"So, what's your name?" asked Buluni.

"I'm Takagi," he replied.

"Takagi, huh? I've never heard a name like yours, especially not an elven one at that," said Buluni.

"Hmm, yeah. What's your name?" asked Takagi.

"I'm Buluni, a dark elf. Hey, if you don't mind me asking, where are you from? We are all having a hard time telling where," continued Buluni.

"I'm far away from here. Wouldn't sound like the smartest answer. I better start acting like I'm new around here," thought Takagi, then replied, "I don't remember."

"What do you mean you don't remember? Did you hit your head or something? I mean, Okadio said he found you knocked out after he made his way to that explosion," said Buluni.

"Well, yeah. I don't remember how I got there."

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"Um... passing out after eating a meal," replied Takagi.

"I couldn't help but overhear that you forgot where you're from, Takagi, is it?" asked Estelar, who seemed wary of Takagi.

"Um, yeah. I don't remember how I got there."

"Seems awfully strange. Let me ask, what race are you?" said Estelar.

"Um, I'm not sure, honestly," replied Takagi. He wasn't sure why they kept asking about his race. Perhaps it was because he looked different being Japanese, which probably didn't seem normal at all.

"Well, you better remember!" screamed Mina, who had joined the conversation. Slowly, everyone began to jump in and listen.

"Um... um, I'm from Japan, so I'm not sure if you've heard of my country," said Takagi. "Ugh, you idiot. How could you tell them that you're basically from another world? Way to give yourself away, you noob," Takagi screamed in his head.

Everyone was confused. The air around them turned silent, and they began to stare at each other, waiting for someone to say they knew where Japan was.

"I believe I might've heard of such a place a long, long time ago," said Okadio.

"Oh? Really, I've never heard of such a place in my entire 156 years of living. Perhaps I ought to read more," said Estelar.

"I may not be as old as you, but I've traveled more than you have, Estelar," replied Okadio.

"Well, I'm Estelar, the destruction mage of the group, and as you heard, the oldest. That old man over there, whom you rode in a carriage with, is Okadio, the second oldest," said Estelar.

"I'm 109. You beat me by almost 50 years, and you still call me 'old man'?" questioned Okadio.

"Naturally, we elves live up to 500 years if we are lucky," proclaimed Estelar.

"We know, Estelar. A day doesn't go by that you don't remind us," said Mina, laughing. The comment caused the whole circle to laugh, and Estelar crossed his arms, saying, "You're all just jealous."

"By the way, I'm Mina, and I'm human. You've already met Ameria," introduced Mina.

"Um, hello," said Ameria.

"Hey, the name's Drut, a lacertian," chimed in Drut.

"And I'm Fregran, the commander, also a human. Together, we are The Falling Grin, an adventuring and mercenary party," added Fregran.

"Hi, everyone," greeted Takagi.

"So, what's your name?" asked Fregran.

"I'm Takagi..."

"You want to tell us what you were doing on the most dangerous border to cross?" inquired Fregran.

"Um... I can't remember," replied Takagi.

"You know he may have been a subject of testing by the elves," said Estelar.

"He possibly has had his memory wiped," continued Estelar.

"Impossible. No such magic exists," protested Buluni.

"It's very possible. Something like that could be done by a true elf or the Magic Elf High Order," explained Estelar.

"Oh shit, that's so cool! Memory wiping magic exists in this world!" thought Takagi as he overheard the chatter.

"Um... I thought elves could live for thousands of years," interrupted Takagi.

"Hmm? As a matter of fact, we used to, over a thousand years ago," revealed Estelar.

"What happened?" asked Takagi, now intrigued.

"Impossible! Have you been living under a rock? You know about elves living over a thousand years, yet you don't know what happened?" responded Estelar, growing frustrated.

"Um, no," admitted Takagi.

"Well, tell me, what do you know about elves?" Estelar asked, trying to control his anger.

"Um, you guys are tall, yellow, and live up to 1500 years," replied Takagi.

"Oh boy, rest in peace, my friend. Calling an elf 'yellow' is the biggest insult you could speak," said Buluni before taking a sip of his drink.

Estelar seemed to be getting agitated, veins popping all over his head as he struggled to control his anger.

"I'm sorry for offending you. Maybe these are different elves," Takagi quickly apologized.

"No! You're absolutely right. We are yellow and used to live up to those years," replied Estelar, suppressing his anger.

"What happened then?" Takagi asked, still curious.

"I think he is a true elf, Estelar!" exclaimed Ameria, surprised.

"What? Impossible," replied Estelar, unsure.

"Um, what's a true elf?" asked Mina.

"Yes, finally someone they know asked a question. Hopefully, they answer her," thought Takagi, his curiosity growing as he yearned to uncover more about the world he had been transported to.

"Ah, you are merely 23, am I right, Mina? I'm surprised no one ever told you about the old myths of this world," said Fregran.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? I was never raised in a city, Fregran. All I ever knew was to hunt to survive," replied Mina, with a hint of sass.

"Mina, you don't know about this world either?" Estelar asked in surprise.

"Um, no. Like I said, ever since I was a child, I was on my own. And even after Okadio took me in, he was really cold and only taught me how to survive," explained Mina, still maintaining her sassiness.

"Okadio, you are a bad parent," teased Buluni.

"Shut up. My father tried to eat me several times. By those standards, I'm magnificent," retorted Okadio.

"That mean, ugly-looking orc was a father to this human? I mean, she does look somewhere around my age, totally not my type. Her chest is too flat. But she really had it rough living with that stinky orc," thought Takagi.

"Well, Mina, do you know about the Demon King?" asked Estelar, redirecting the conversation.

"Yeah, he was this wickedly powerful, godlike demon that terrorized the world," answered Mina.

"Before he could terrorize the world, elves lived very simple lives. We elves used to have far longer ears and live up to 1500 years. It was a peaceful time, and they didn't see the need to reproduce often. As a matter of fact, they could only reproduce very little," shared Estelar.

"Damn, that sounds like a good novel story. I'm guessing elves are universally viewed to live a long time, since it sounds close to what I know," thought Takagi.

"When he attacked, he ravaged our people and quickly pushed them towards extinction. But despite all odds, after a deadly battle between the Demon King and the three great elven heroes, the world went back to normality. The destruction the Demon King caused was irreversible for the elven race. You see, their ability to reproduce with another elf was only available to them when they were young. And much to their misfortune, all the younger elves had perished. They were stuck. One day, an elf fell in love with a human, which was highly frowned upon, but they didn't care. Well, they proved to the elven race that humans could save them by reproducing with them. And so, after several years of reproducing with humans, their numbers doubled, then tripled, and the population became incredibly stable. The need to reproduce with a human became more taboo after many elves noticed differences between them and the true elves. The practice of mating with any human was made illegal, punishable by death, and the elven race continued to live their lives. When the first elf died of old age, many began to be fearful of their shortened lifespan, and that caused a hatred for the human race. They blamed the race that saved our race," finished Estelar, recounting the history.

"You know, the beginning of the story sounded a little familiar... I'm probably crazy," thought Takagi to himself.

"Wow, I had no idea," said Mina, genuinely surprised.

"As a result, we are estimated to live up to 500 or so years at best," added Ameria.

"Are there still true elves alive?" asked Takagi, eager to know more.

"Yes, but very few. They are all old geezers. As a matter of fact, the Elven King is said to be the youngest of the true elves," said Estelar, continuing the discussion.

"If you are a true elf, you should be really old," Estelar added, looking at Takagi intently.

"Um, my memory is a little hazy, but as for right now, where are we?" Takagi asked, trying to shift the topic.

"We are near the border to the elven country of Minrow in the north and Rovkre to the south," Drut answered.

Takagi took a sip of water and suddenly spat it out, disbelief evident on his face. "What!" he exclaimed. "How could I possibly be here!" Thoughts raced through Takagi's mind as he tried to make sense of the situation. "Did you say Minrow and Rovkre?" he asked, still unable to comprehend.

"Yes, did you remember something?" Drut replied, curious about Takagi's reaction.

"What town are we near?" Takagi asked eagerly, hoping for confirmation.

"We are just a few kilometers from Uzzul," Buluni answered.

"I've never heard that name before, but if it is the place I'm thinking of, then it should've sounded familiar," Takagi thought to himself. He continued questioning, "What about the capital of Minrow and Rovkre?"

"The capital of Rovkre, Ozoruk, is maybe a two-day trip by carriage from here, and the capital of Minrow, Eethemor, is probably four days away," Fregran replied.

"And what about Thelvenas and Orcland?" Takagi asked, his curiosity growing.

Okadio slowly lifted his head, his gaze meeting Takagi's. Estelar also looked at Okadio, stunned by the question Takagi had asked. The two of them seemed to be the only ones who understood the significance of Takagi's words.

"H... how do you know those cities?" Estelar asked, his voice filled with surprise.

"Um..." Takagi whispered, trying not to reveal too much. He realized that he had unintentionally given away some vital information.

"You must be a old true elf. That is the only explanation," Okadio interrupted, his tone suggesting a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Wait, why?" Mina asked, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"Impossible," Buluni chimed in, wearing a perplexed expression.

Ameria, intrigued, got up and walked over to inspect Takagi's ears. Nervousness washed over Takagi as the beautiful elf got close to him, causing him to blush.

"His ears surely don't fit the description; they look more like a dark elf. But he does have blonde hair. Although I can't say for certain, he is rather strange," Ameria said, turning away from Takagi to address the rest of the group.

"Oh boy, she was so close. I think my heart is going to explode," Takagi thought, feeling a mix of relief and embarrassment.

"He could be the offspring of a daring elf who mated with several other races. Although it is said that having children with any race other than humans is impossible," Estelar suggested, trying to make sense of the situation.

"I am confused. Why are you guys assuming he's one of those true elves just because he mentioned some names?" Mina questioned, seeking clarification.

"Mina, those cities used to be the capitals of Rovkre and Minrow before the Demon King laid them to ruin," Okadio explained, shedding light on the significance of Takagi's knowledge.

"Impossible... can it be..." Takagi's thoughts raced as he started to come to terms with a mind-boggling possibility.

"Estelar, Buluni, and I were younger in those days when we undertook a job to clear an ancient dungeon buried by time," Okadio explained. "In fact, some of you weren't even born when we embarked on that mission. We stumbled upon a small library and managed to read every book inside before the entire structure collapsed in on itself. Among those books were numerous historical accounts that shed light on the world before the reign of the demon king."

"The information about the past isn't entirely unknown, but much of it has been lost," Estelar added, emphasizing the scarcity of knowledge regarding the pre-demon king era.

Estelar, Buluni, and Okadio turned their gaze towards Takagi with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. They were eager to hear more from him, hoping he could provide answers to their burning questions.

"I can't let them know much more. I better keep my mouth shut," Takagi thought to himself, realizing the potential consequences of revealing too much. "Okay, think. There is no way that it can be the truth. If it is... there's just no way. No, I have to face reality. I mean, anything is possible. Just look at me—I've been reincarnated, or wait, I've been transported. It's the only possible option. I've been transported into my own novel, Grinfall."

—

In the same dark yet beautiful night, high up on the mountain range that acted as the border between Minrow and Rovkre, a covered carriage traveled along the dirt paths that wound through the mountains.

"What a long day. I wonder why so many are crossing the border this week. It's causing me unnecessary stress," Commander Fylson complained.

Commander Fylson rode alongside two other elves whom he referred to as his Elites. They served as his main protection and possessed great power.

"Commander Fylson, the increase in border crossings could be due to the declining quality of life in northern Rovkre," one of the elf Elites suggested.

"Oh? You think so, Elite?" the commander replied.

The Elf Elites were professionals clad in lightweight plated armor, with helms covering their eyes and noses. They were solely addressed as Elites.

"Commander Fylson, sir! You might want to take a look at this!" a voice called from outside the carriage.

"Yes, driver? I'll be right out," Fylson responded.

"Commander, let us go out first," one of the Elites suggested.

As the Elf Elites dismounted, they signaled to Fylson that it was safe, and he followed suit. The darkness of the night made it difficult to see their surroundings, but Fylson could easily fix that with a simple spell. However, he chose not to cast any magic to aid his vision.

"Yes? What is it?" Fylson asked as he approached the elf driver.

The driver pointed into the distance, but Fylson couldn't see anything. Frustrated, he finally cast a spell to temporarily grant him night vision. What he saw shocked him.

"There's no way. Elites, contact the camp and summon them to me immediately," Fylson demanded.

"Yes, Commander," both Elites replied in unison.

"One Elite shouted, 'Speed Eagle!'" A majestic eagle flew in from an unknown distance and landed. The Elite attached a note to its leg and sent it off to reach the nearest camp. While communication magic could have been used, there was no one within range. The area they were in happened to be a zone that was not regularly patrolled, making them undetectable. The Barrier Detect magic typically involved an elf casting the spell and leaving it active for as long as possible. The center of the barrier was wherever they stood, and if they moved, the barrier moved with them. It was strange that no elves had reported the post being left unguarded or that these two Elites were missing.

"There's something else at play here. It doesn't add up. Why would these two missing elves go unnoticed? An attack on the border is nearly impossible," Fylson pondered.

He walked over to where the bodies lay. Two dead elves—one holding an axe and the other a spear. Fylson touched their cheeks and felt the coldness, an indication that the bodies had been lying there for hours.

"They've been here possibly since morning. Elves, stay on guard. We could be under attack," Fylson warned.

After Fylson finished speaking and stood up, he heard rustling in the distant bushes. He whispered a spell, "Cast Icicle Lance," and launched it into the bushes. He heard the sound of his lance piercing someone, and an Elite ran over to retrieve whoever was hiding in the bushes.

"Commander Fylson, it was someone crossing the border," the Elite reported.

Fylson rushed over to the body to inspect it, but before he could do so, he ordered the other two elves to be on high alert. Fylson reached the body and hissed in disgust, "It's a dark elf," Fylson exclaimed. The dark elf had been impaled by the ice lance, which had frozen him upon impact. Upon closer inspection, Fylson's expression changed.

"It's not a border crosser; it's one of those cultists who worship evil. We might possibly be under attack. We need to send word to the Elven Defense Army," Fylson declared.

The wind picked up slightly, causing the trees to rustle and their leaves to collide, filling the night with a gentle sound. In the distant night sky, they heard the screech of an eagle as it drew near. The eagle landed on the elf who had sent it off earlier.

"Commander Fylson, we have a problem. It appears that there is no one at the nearest camp," an Elite informed him.

"What?! That's impossible. Send the eagle to the city of Fathlon and to the Elven Defense post. Inform them that we seem to have multiple intruders and a possible attack on the border," Fylson shouted.

"Commander, the other two elves are missing!" said the Elite.

The Elite heightened their senses and drew their sword. "Get behind me, sir," they instructed Fylson.

"Don't worry about me, Elite," Fylson responded after casting the same spell and drawing his own sword.

Now back-to-back, they scanned both sides of the dark forest. In the distance, they heard the clash of swords and ran towards the source. It was a short distance behind the carriage, opposite to where they were. There, they witnessed the elf Elite fighting with only one arm and hand, their other arm severed.

"Fylson casted 'Icicle Lance Shower,'" launching a volley of icicles from his hand in a curved path, almost orbiting a large circle before reaching the other side where the enemy was located. The icicles hit their intended target, killing the enemy dressed in black.

"Are you okay, Elite?" shouted Fylson to the Elite with the severed arm.

"Yes, Commander," the Elite shouted as they turned and ran back to their post protecting the Commander.

"What happened? Why didn't you scream for us?" Fylson asked the Elite with the severed arm.

The Elite explained that they had shouted at the top of their lungs, but the enemy appeared to have cast a strange magic they had never encountered before. When Fylson asked about the whereabouts of the driver, the Elite revealed that the enemy they were facing had been the driver all along. The enemy had been hiding in the shadows, making Fylson even more alert. They were like sitting ducks in the middle of the street, outnumbered by an unknown enemy. What worried him the most was how they had managed to turn an elf with natural magical ability into their slave. When he couldn't find an explanation, he asked the Elite, who simply replied that the driver had been killed initially and somehow resurrected.

"Finally, the time has come. After many years, we are close," a figure emerged from the bushes, announcing their presence.

"Who are you?" Fylson shouted.

"I am Kastran, the leader of the large group you refer to as a cult," he replied with an evil laugh.

"I've heard of your cult. You all seem to be active around this time every year. We have plenty of information on your organization. You're just a bunch of idiots trying to revive something ancient. You're wasting your time. Besides, what are you doing attacking the southern border of Minrow? Do you really plan on attacking an elven nation and getting away with it? You don't want to make an enemy out of us," Fylson challenged.

Kastran walked closer, emerging from the shadows. In the faint light of the night, his black clothing resembled a robe. He removed his hood, revealing a bald man with short horns protruding from his head. Fylson identified him as a demonoid.

"Demonoid, huh? You sure have an ugly ass face. I heard somewhere that you demonoids can only be created through a secret ritual. You're a sick man," Fylson proclaimed.

"Mhh, you are but a foolish elf. But you are correct, making an enemy of the elven would greatly hinder our plans. Till next time, elf," Kastran taunted.

"Are you for real? You just killed many of my men and invaded our border, and you think I would let you escape? You are the fool," Commander Fylson retorted, followed by a chuckle.

"They haven't seen anything yet, oh great Kastran," said someone who seemed to appear out of thin air with great speed, kneeling behind Kastran, who was already walking.

"Oh... are you sure?" Kastran questioned.

"Yes, we even resurrected many of them and placed them under mind control," the woman replied.

"Hmm, we will continue our search. Send word to our skilled trackers to expand their search area," Kastran ordered.

The woman, dressed in light black armor, possessed a distinguishable tail, indicating that she was a beastman, specifically a cat person.

"It's a sneaky pet. What are you all searching for?" Fylson shouted.

"Till next time, Commander," Kastran declared.

Before they could leave, both the capable Elite and the Commander launched magic attacks. The Elite cast "Piercing Wind Slashes," and the Commander conjured "Dual Ice Lance." However, both attacks were met with a barrier that instantly nullified them. Fylson was surprised that such a clear barrier could be cast, one that he couldn't even see through. After turning, both Kastran and the cat lady sped off in different directions.

"What bloody plan are they up to? We need to keep our guard up," Fylson muttered.

The night remained undisturbed by the events that had transpired. But as Fylson finally made his way to the camp, he found everyone there dead. He had heard that they were resurrected, but that didn't necessarily mean they were alive. They had merely been reawakened, turned into zombies, and killed again. Fylson struggled to contain his anger. Hundreds had been slaughtered, including all the prisoners they had captured.

Fylson spent the rest of the night gathering the prisoners' bodies and burning them in the center of the camp. The camp, with its living quarters, watchtower, storage house, and prisoner hold, was relatively small. Wooden walls encircled the camp, nestled in the forest. Each elf would receive a proper burial, as tradition dictated, to be buried and become the seed of a great tree. As for the prisoners, to prevent rotting and the spread of disease, Fylson decided to burn their corpses, not out of concern for sickness, as elves possessed the power to heal, but to demonstrate his lack of respect for those who dared to cross his border.

The sun began to rise as Fylson watched the fire consume everything underneath it. He harbored a deep hatred for any race other than elves, strongly believing that elven homelands should remain untainted by what he considered filth.

"Commander, I have word from the other camps, but we still haven't received word from the defense army. It appears that your unit has been almost entirely wiped out," said the Elite with one arm, his other arm bandaged. The present elves lacked the healing power to restore a severed limb.

"Unbelievable... those cultists will pay," Fylson said through gritted teeth, consumed by hatred and anger.