TLDWAE 38

Chapter 38

“No, Andion. There’s no reason for you to apologize. The ones who should apologize are those who barged into someone else’s castle without an invitation.”

Karia looked around, seeking agreement with a silent “Isn’t that right?” But the terrified elves couldn’t respond. Still, every foolish group has its leader. Berry Wise, the only elf who didn’t hide his defiant gaze toward Karia, shouted at her with a heart full of fiery anger.

“You wicked sorceress! What purpose do you have, invading a peaceful forest…?! Ugh!”

Instead of an answer, he got a sharp slap across the face. Karia, her eyes full of wrath, spoke in a low, ominous voice to Berry, who held his cheek in shock.

“I ask the questions here. If you don’t want to die, just keep your mouth shut and answer.”

There was no atmosphere for arguing, “How am I supposed to answer if my mouth is shut?”

Karia, her head aching from rising anger, pressed her forehead and gestured into the air. Sparkling dust appeared, and the plain stone floor suddenly rose to form a chair.

The elves gawked in astonishment. Some even carelessly muttered a “Wow” in amazement.

“First, let’s hear why you tried to set fire to someone else’s castle.”

“‘Someone else’s castle’? This is our forest!”

“‘Your forest’? Since when?”

Berry, red-eyed, forcefully replied, but didn’t notice that his tone had shifted to a more polite one. Karia stared directly at the youthful elf and reminded him of the last agreement she remembered.

“About eight hundred years ago, when humans unified the continent into one empire, they made a pact with the elves. To respect each other’s territories and not trespass. And if I remember correctly, my castle was built clearly on human territory.”

“Th-That’s… a very old promise! The parties involved are already gone. Why should we uphold it?”

“The parties involved are gone? Has the Castaros Empire fallen? Or have the elves gone extinct? A treaty made between groups doesn’t end just because the signatories die. Don’t the wise members of the Apple Tree clan know that?”

Truly, such a selfish race, thinking only as they please.

Hearing Karia’s words, Berry’s face turned as red as his hair with shame. Everything she said made perfect sense.

Even though sorcerers had been extinct for centuries and the elves from that time had long since passed away, their actions could still be called an invasion. Justice was with the sorceress before them, not with those who had arbitrarily set fire to her castle.

“Still, it’s a forest we’ve nurtured for centuries—”

“So you set fire to my castle just to show off?”

“That’s—! That’s because you kidnapped and imprisoned our child! Don’t pretend otherwise, I saw Red’s trail end right here!”

Berry suddenly remembered Red—the weakest and most clumsy elf of their clan, still a child to be protected. The Apple Tree clan had searched the forest for the missing Red and found Andion.

Seeing him glaring with hostility, still not fully aware, Karia frowned deeply.

“Red?”

The name didn’t appear in her memory.

Karia, puzzled, rubbed her chin, and Andion quietly approached to whisper in her ear.

“The foolish half-breed who sneaked into the castle before—his name is that.”

“Ah… that one.”

“Foolish half-breed? He’s just young, that’s all!”

Berry couldn’t claim Red was smart, but he couldn’t stand seeing someone malign him unjustly. Even if Red hadn’t stubbornly come to the castle, the whole clan might never have suffered this humiliation.

“But a kidnapping? I have no interest in keeping such a noisy, foolish thing nearby. He sneaked into my castle on his own, and I dealt with him according to procedure. Don’t outsiders near your village get shot with arrows?”

“De-de-deal with him?! Do you mean Red…?”

Berry’s face went pale, trembling, but Andion calmly assured him he was still alive.

Not just alive, but merely alive—sorcerers supposedly enjoy torture… Could it be…

Karia quietly observed the elves imagining terrible fates for Red and thought to herself.

“Elves are unusually devoted to their kin. They rushed in to save that kid, and instead of resentment, they look worried…”

Karia smiled satisfactorily, realizing that the elf she had casually imprisoned in the underground cell might actually be useful.

She commanded Andion to bring Red, and soon a bright red elf, bound by a crimson leash, appeared.

Surprisingly, his complexion was healthier than the elves had expected. His cheeks had a glow, he looked well-rested, and even held a small girl’s hand while leisurely biting into an apple.

“Mom!”

Alice, seeing Karia, ran full speed. Red, unable to resist, was dragged along by her small hands.

“Mom, Alice took good care of the big-eared one. We ate together too.”

“Is that so? Good girl, Alice.”

“Red!”

“-Berry? Tgh… cough!”

Tripping and being dragged, Red’s knees burned on the ground. He stood up, brushing off the dirt, face full of indignation.

Looking up, he saw Berry and the other elves kneeling. He wanted to rush to his family but was stopped by the leash around his neck.

Andion, holding the leash with an indifferent expression, seemed unconcerned about their tearful reunion.

Seeing Red unharmed, Berry pleaded tearfully.

“Please, sorceress, give Red back! He’s our precious child!”

“-I never said I’d release either the kid or you lot yet.”

Did they really expect such a smooth resolution after invading her castle and setting it on fire?

Karia was stunned at the elves’ audacity.

Honestly, she didn’t usually want to deal with these long-eared troublemakers, but now was not the time to be picky. Her time was limited.

And here were perfect, obedient helpers—numerous elves who knew the forest like the back of their hands—ready to be used.

‘As an alchemist seeking practicality, how could I waste this opportunity?’

Karia took a deep breath to control her anger.

“I have a task for you. Bring me the starflower blooming in the Dawn Lake, ice from the Unmelting Lake, silver bellflowers from the waterfall cliff, uncontaminated water from the Goddess’s Spring, and blue moss from the Mist Garden. Search the entire forest, and if you can’t find them, create them. Complete this, and I’ll spare your lives and return that brat Red to you.”

These were the ingredients the forest could provide. Others she would make herself through alchemy.

Even if the elves gathered these in time, her elixir production time would be drastically reduced.

She considered this a fair deal: forgiving and pardoning them for setting fire to her castle. Yet the elves’ reaction was odd.

“Starflower in Dawn Lake? What’s that?”

“Where is the Mist Garden?”

Ah… Karia had overlooked one thing. In the centuries since the sorcerers disappeared and no one practiced alchemy, all the old names had vanished among the elves.

Seeing their blank faces, she sighed. Peace truly brings the regression of a species, she thought.

“Andion, explain the materials to them and send them off. I need to rest.”

“Yes, mistress.”

Handing the leash back to Andion, she entered the castle. Red, dragged like a dog, kept his pitiful gaze fixed on his siblings.

“Ma-ma-mistress, can’t I just go with my siblings to gather the weird plants too?”

“Do you think that’s possible?”

Red understood she was holding him hostage to ensure his siblings would diligently gather what she asked for.

But knowing this was all his fault, waiting idly in comfort felt wrong. He had to do something to ease his guilt.

“I’ll do my best, please.”

Karia, however, interpreted his plea differently, muttering, “Such a troublesome kid,” and looked away, sighing deeply.

Then she reached out toward Red.

Startled, he shrank and squeezed his eyes shut, expecting a slap, but her hand gently stroked his head.

“I won’t hurt you.”

It was the first gentle voice he had heard from her.

“Until your siblings return, that foolish torture or anything painful won’t happen. Don’t worry, little one.”