Chapter 95: Guardian of the Dark Forest Part 4

I decided to spend about a week touring the dark elf villages with Luisa. It was to help them with their "cultivation" The dark elves usually sustained themselves through hunting and gathering, but I believed teaching them cultivation would greatly improve their quality of life.

The [Fertile Land] skill, which could be acquired at Druid class level 43, was meant to help with this "cultivation". Actually, it was more than just help. It was practically a blessing.

To explain [Fertile Land] in detail, it was a skill that supplied powerful life force to plants within a specific area. The unique aspect was that the skill applied not to the plants themselves, but to the "land". And depending on the size of the area and the duration, the effects varied greatly. One could maintain the effect on an area the size of a playground for about a month, on an area half that size for about six months, or on a plot a quarter of that size for a year.

Once the [Fertile Land] skill was used, even barren land would transform into fertile soil perfect for farming. As long as there was sufficient sunlight and rain, anything could grow rapidly. It literally becomes a rich land where anything grows. Of course, weeds would also grow rapidly, so human intervention was necessary for proper farming.

I invested a day in each village to use the [Fertile Land] skill. Although the burden varied depending on the effect granted, I was careful not to overuse it. Thanks to the high-quality magic stones and potions provided by the queen, along with the Sage's Flask I already had, it wasn't too difficult. The only downside was that I was a little tired from using the skill all day.

I created two fields in each village that would remain fertile for about six months. In each field, I planted improved varieties of carrots and corn developed by the Lysette Royal Court Thanks to the [Fertile Land] skill, the seeds sprouted in just one day.

Around the fields where I didn't use the [Fertile Land] skill, I planted potatoes and sweet potatoes, which grew well even in poor conditions.

"Won't you plant anything else?"

El asked curiously. I smiled and replied,

"This is just the beginning. The start must always be easy."

I wasn't the only one helping with the cultivation. Scholars and farmers sent from the palace formed pairs and taught the dark elves farming techniques in each village. This too was all thanks to the queen's help. As a result, the dark elves who initially reacted poorly to the elves began to open up a little.

After touring six villages over fifteen days and returning to the seventh village, a portal was prepared.

…It's finally over.

Cultivating a few fields wouldn't heal the dark elves' wounds. But it would help them heal a little. And if this opened the door to future exchanges, then surely…

Lysette will be better than before.

As I prepared to return in front of the portal, Luisa and the dark elves approached me. Among them was the dark elf child who had kidnapped Darion. The child clung to Luisa's leg and glanced at me.

"Theodore."

"Luisa."

"Are you returning to the capital now?"

"That's right. But I won't be staying in the capital. I've been in Lysette for too long."

"Are you leaving for another country? That's a shame."

I smiled at her.

"Well, it's not like I won't come back. I'll come back next year to see how the farming has gone."

"Dark elves are good at anything."

"It seems that way."

"We'll be waiting, so make sure to visit."

"Yes."

"…We owe you a great debt."

Luisa bowed her head to me. The other dark elves behind her did the same. I waved my hand to stop her.

"You don't owe me anything, Luisa. This is all because of Her Majesty the Queen…"

"No."

"..."

"You're the first to care for us dark elves this much."

"..."

"You're human, but you've understood us better than anyone."

"Did I…?"

"We dark elves will never forget what you've done for us, Theodore."

She finally called me by my name. My nose tingled a bit. My vision blurred a little… Was I always this sentimental?

[Achievement Unlocked: Guardian of the Dark Forest]

Ah, my blurred vision was because of this.

[Your understanding of dark elves has increased.]

[Bonus Effect: Acquired the dark elf unique trait 'Eyes that Pierce the Darkness']

[Bonus Effect: Gained (great) favor from neutral dark elves]

[Bonus Effect: Increased understanding of the geographical features of the Dark Forest]

[Bonus Effect: Increased understanding of the biological features of the Dark Forest]

[Bonus Effect: Acquired information about the Dark Forest's monster, the Dark Weasel]

...

...

...

[Bonus Effect: Acquired information about the Dark Forest's monster, the Dark Bear]

Because there were so many effects related to acquiring knowledge about the dark forest, it took a long time for the status window to disappear. My eyes stung. After rubbing my eyes, I looked back at Luisa.

"I should be the one thanking you."

"....?"

"I learned a lot too."

After shaking hands with Luisa, I turned towards the portal.

"Well then…"

"It's time to say goodbye."

"Yes, until we meet again, take care, Luisa."

"I'll miss the wine you made."

"I'll bring a crate of it when I come back."

I waved my hand and then stepped through the portal.

When we returned to the capital, we were able to stay at the royal palace thanks to the queen's consideration.

In fact, we could have found a separate inn, but I still had another purpose, so I decided to accept the queen's kindness.

"Oh, I'm nervous."

Wearing formal attire always made me more tense than usual, perhaps because of the pressure of attending important events.

I put on the formal attire that had been tailored for me for the third time and headed to the dinner hall with the queen. This evening's dinner was just between her and me and it was held in the central garden, the pride of the palace. The garden's flowers were in full bloom and scattered their colorful petals. The night sky was filled with a beautiful crescent moon and stars sprinkled like salt.

This almost feels like a date…

Of course, the idea of dating a queen was far-fetched, but her demeanor suggested otherwise. Was it just my imagination?

…Anyway, I have a separate purpose.

I enjoyed an exquisite meal with the queen, which included several of Lysette's specialties. But even with such a luxurious meal, I found myself missing the food from the inn.

Maybe palace life doesn't suit me?'

I chuckled to myself as I received the final dessert plate. It was an artistic creation of ice cream made with wild raspberries and condensed milk, topped with curved pieces of white chocolate.

This was the perfect moment to bring up my topic. Taking a spoonful of the ice cream, I marveled at its taste and spoke to the queen.

"These are wild raspberries from the Dark Forest, aren't they? Were they part of the gift they sent this time?"

"Yes, they are. It's a very precious and special food."

"I'm so glad that this matter was resolved well. Otherwise, we wouldn't be able to enjoy this excellent ice cream."

The queen took a bite of the ice cream and smiled.

"You have something you want to say, right?"

"Was it too obvious?"

"No, not at all. Actually, I'm rather interested."

I took a moment to catch my breath, then spoke cautiously.

"The purpose of my adventure is only one."

"What is it?"

"The Origin God."

For a moment, a silence colder than the ice cream enveloped the table.

There was a reason I brought up the Origin God. First, I was certain that someone who lived as long as the queen would know at least a grain of truth about the Origin God. Moreover, being in a position of royalty, she would likely have access to information about the Origin God. So, I decided to take a gamble and bring up the topic.

The queen hesitated for a moment. Sometimes she seemed deep in thought, sometimes she seemed to be asleep, and sometimes she seemed like she wasn't thinking about anything at all.

As the ice cream began to melt, she finally spoke.

"…That being existed before I was born and disappeared."

So she didn't know. I pressed my lips together to hide my disappointment.

"I know as little about that person as you do. I'm sorry."

"…I see."

"But don't be too disappointed, Theodore."

The queen gently held my hand.

"A shadow of destruction is looming over the world. Considering that a fragment of that being was in the dark forest… it's undeniable."

"…"

"Even a fragment of that person holds a power strong enough to bring about disaster."

"Just looking at this incident, the entire dark forest could have been blown away. Including Lysette, of course."

"Power can easily be misused."

"…"

"Because it stimulates desire."

"Like Selrem becoming Grizel."

"Yes. If it falls into the hands of those with deficiency, desire, impulse, and resentment, endless disasters will emerge."

"The problem will escalate."

"So…"

The queen paused and looked into my eyes. The starlight reflected in her eyes sparkled.

"I intend to help you."

She held my hand tightly before slowly letting go. In my hand which was still faintly warm lay an object I had never seen before.

It was a leaf-shaped brooch with intricate green gems embedded in it. I could feel an auspicious energy emanating from it.

"Take this token with you."

"Token…"

"It is a token bearing my name, Dianta."

The queen's token!

This was something bestowed only upon elven heroes, yet she was giving it to a human like me?

Perhaps reading the question on my face, the queen smiled gently.

"The elves will not forget your help."

"Your Majesty…"

"And they will return the favor to you."

"…"

"Anytime, anywhere."