The Dark Elves are a race of elves similar in appearance to the elves like Murus, but with a different skin color. They are a common race in the fantasy world, and many of the common settings are that they were originally elves, but they worship evil gods, or that they are a race of darkness.
I think it's because of the way they look. They have white hair and dark skin. Their eyes are also reddish, and when compared to elves, I can't help but think of them as evil. The body of the Dark Elf is thinner and more muscular than that of the Elf itself. This makes their faces look fearless.
"But what about the setting in this world?"
Murus and the other elves were close to what I had imagined, but that didn't mean that the dark elves were as well. The group of dark elves standing at the entrance of the village consisted of ten people. Not all of them are armed but we should be... careful.
"I'll ask again. What do you want with this village?"
Gams steps forward in front of the dark elf and asks. He has his hand on the hilt of his sword, but so far he has not drawn it.
"Don't be so cautious. Let's get along as people who live in the same forest."
The woman who seemed to be the representative of the dark elf group took a surprisingly light tone, and even gave a mischievous wink. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.
"Huh? You're a surprisingly friendly species."
If you don't want to antagonize me, that's great, but I'm confused when you come at me with that kind of flippant attitude.
"Be on your guard. The Darks are a cunning and cowardly race."
Was it Murus who warned him? She stared at them with a scowl, not even trying to hide her disgust for them. The other elves reacted in the same way. Even in the world of the "Village of Destiny", the relationship between elves and dark elves is not good. I'll keep that in mind.
"Oh my! I'm not sure how a self-proclaimed noble and proud elf can coexist with humans."
The woman who seemed to be the leader of the Dark Elves had a smile on her face, as if she had just discovered something interesting, and was taunting the Murus in a teasing tone. Thanks to the increased level of the village and the ability to hear audio, the tone of voice that mocked the other party, which could not be conveyed by text alone, came through the speakers clearly.
"It's not like we're the kind of people who side with the evil gods and then turn on the main gods when the odds are stacked against us."
The dark elf's face turned into a frown when she heard Murus' statement. Aside from the current sour mood, I was able to get some valuable information.
So they were formerly on the side of the evil gods, but now they're on the side of the main gods. Whatever the reason, turning over is bad for your image, so I can understand the disgust of the Murus.
"Haha, you're still the same species that likes to keep things clean. We make the best choices we can in order to survive. What's wrong with that?"
I know what she means. It is natural to follow the stronger side in a war, and when you think about it, the Dark Elves' choice is not a mistake.
"If we were in your shoes, we would have met our demise gracefully with the gods."
Murus affirmed, and all the elves behind her nodded.
"You can say what you want, but why are these graceful elves fleeing to a human village? Aren't you going to die with your pride?"
"Damn you Darks!"
"Can you stop disrespecting the Dark Elves?"
Murus and the representative of the Dark Elves were staring at each other, their foreheads almost touching. This is what it means to have an impromptu fight. It looks like they might even start killing each other. Should I use the oracle to stop this?
"That's enough, Miss Murus. Could you please stop provoking the others?"
The one who intervened between the two was Lodis.
"That's surprising. Not long ago, I would have imagined you cowering in the back."
I think Lodis might be the one who has changed the most since I started this game. After experiencing many near-death experiences, and being appointed as the village chief, he has a greater sense of responsibility, and there is hardly any trace of the unreliable person he used to be. I thought I was growing up too, but I'm no match for Lodis.
"I know that dark elves and elves have had a history since the time of mythology thousands of years ago, but I don't think it's right to unilaterally blame them without even listening to them."
"...You're right. I'm sorry."
Admitting that she was wrong, Murus apologized honestly.
"You have a good point for such a dull face."
"Don't stir things up unnecessarily, either. You must have some business with us. If you behave like that towards my people, I will ask you to leave immediately."
Oh, you've got a point, Lodis. Great job! It would have been great if his hands weren't shaking so badly behind his ... back! Laila noticed this and quietly came up behind him, taking his hand in hers.
"...showing off their marital bliss. When you think about it, Lodis is a winner when it comes to marrying Laila."
He has a beautiful, caring wife with a refreshing personality and a cute, innocent daughter. He has everything I don't have. Damn, I'm completely defeated as a man.
"...I don't really care about that right now."
This is no time to be jealous. I have to see what happens from here.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't help it; I get so angry when I see elves. Are you the head of this village?"
"Yes. My name is Lodis, and I am the village chief."
"I am Sudhir, daughter of the chieftain of the Dark Elves of the Forbidden Forest."
Is the representative of the other side the daughter of the chief? She was dressed in a very revealing outfit with short-cut white hair and bare belly and thighs. The other dark elves are dressed like elves, so I guess it's Sudhir's taste.
"So what can I do for you?"
"You know that the Forbidden Forest has been in turmoil lately, and the number of monster strongholds has been increasing all over the forest, making it doubtful that we can overcome the [Temptation of the Evil God]. The damages are significant as well."
Her tone of voice is still the same, but her face is serious as she puts her hand on her forehead and mutters. The increase in the number of monsters in the Forbidden Forest is not due to the specifications of the game, but probably due to the players on the Evil God side.
Players on the Lord God's side and players on the Evil God's side. The goal of the Lord God side is to make the villages prosperous. The Evil God side's goal is to destroy the villages. They are playing a game using the same stage, the other world.
I haven't met all of the...players, so I can't say that all of the evil god side players are like that, but I consider it highly likely that they are obsessed with money. The players on the evil side can summon and control monsters. The increasing number of monsters in the Forbidden Forest is probably a result of this.
"We were almost destroyed once, too."
The old members who knew what was going on back then looked at each other and gave a small nod.
"I'm proud of you for not dying. There used to be three villages in this forest, but they all died out in the last few years."
Sudhir glanced at Murus and the other elves and cast her eyes down painfully. In addition to the village of the elves, there was another village of dark elves in the Forbidden Forest?
"So, I'm wondering if you'd like to join us in destroying one of the monster strongholds."
I couldn't wrap my head around the lighthearted offer for a moment. The villagers seemed to be the same, just staring at the other's face in silence.
"When the Temptation of the Evil God has just ended, the monsters' ferocity has subsided, or they've been killed and their strength is down. Now's our chance, we can get a better chance of winning if we work together than if we go at it alone."
Gams and his team had already destroyed an enemy stronghold once before. It would be a good idea to destroy the enemy's base and reduce their strength beforehand. It's also a chance to deepen the friendship between people living in the same village. As for me, I would be happy to help....But looking at the elves with their sincerely disgusted faces, I knew it's not a simple thing to do.
"I'll have to consult with everyone and the Gods to decide, so how about you stay in our village today and I'll get back to you tomorrow?"
"God...I see. It's a good idea. But is it safe for us to stay in the village?"
Sudhir looks at the elves, who still look disgusted, and snickers.
"You're all adults. It's okay."
When Lodis turned to look at the elves, they quickly looked away....After all, if it comes down to it, I'll use the Oracle to tell them to get along.
Lodis takes Sudhir and her companions to the newest building in the village. The building is a combination of visitor's quarters and conference room, so it's a magnificent structure compared to the private houses.
"Wow, that's impressive. You've only been here a few months, right?"
"It's been five months. But the village has only grown this far with the help of the beastmen, Kang-san, Ran-san, and the elves."
"Hmm."
After that, he brought food to the restless dark elves and entertained them. The food is a bit more sumptuous than what the villagers usually eat, and they are gobbling it up with excessive surprise. Were they that hungry? Maybe they skipped eating until they arrived at this village.
In the meantime, the main members of the village had gathered at the building with the statue of the god and the altar, and were discussing their future plans. They were Gams, Chem, Lodis, Murus, and a newcomer to the village, a young man named Fodom.
Fodom is a huge man, a size bigger than Gams and very muscular. He looked like he could have been in a bodybuilder's world championship. In addition, he is a skinhead and looks stern. To be honest, it's hard to get close to him.
He is from a village near the Forbidden Forest, and came to this village with five other villagers. Despite his appearance, he has a gentle and quiet personality, loves plants and trees, and has a sweet tooth.
"First, let's find out which side of the issue is more popular at the moment. Raise your hand if you are in favor of working with the Dark Elves to attack the monster's base."
A series of hands go up in response to Lodis' question. Gams, Chem, and Lodis said yes.
"I see that Miss Murus and Mr. Fodor disagree. First of all, Mr. Fodom, may I ask your opinion?"
"I'm worried that we might get hurt in the attack."
He has a low voice and looks like that, but for some reason, the way he speaks in a frightened manner makes me smile. I guess it's because he oozes goodness on the inside.
"I'm glad you're concerned, but if we don't reduce the number of monsters, the villagers will be in danger. I'd like to eliminate as many of them as possible."
"If that's what Mr. Gams says, then I have no objection."
Fodom easily retracted his opinion. He looks like a fighter, but he doesn't have the guts to fight, so he does the heavy lifting in the village.
He can easily pull logs out of the fence and carry them by himself, so it would be a shame not to let him use his strength in battle, but I can't force him to do something he doesn't want to do. Besides, he's more than enough for construction and farming, so it's fine to leave him like this.
"I'd like to hear the opinions of all the villagers in the end, but the only one left to disagree with here is Miss Murus."
Everyone's eyes focused on Murus. She slowly opens her mouth, her back against the wall and her face musing.
"I'll admit that I'm not very good with Dark Elves because of our old history, but I don't trust Dark Elves to begin with."
The newly arrived villagers were not familiar with the Forbidden Forest, but if Murus, who had lived in this forest for hundreds of years, said so, there must be a reason.
"What is it, exactly?"
When Chem asked the question discreetly, Murus exhaled loudly and then began to speak.
"Once, a long time ago, there was a Dark Elf who begged us for some food because he had been attacked by a monster and had none left. Our compatriots took pity on him and gave him a good amount, thinking that he was so desperate that he had to bow to us, whom he hated."
It's a good story if it's just that.
"The next year, we ran out of food, and when we asked the Dark Elf for help, he said…"Oh, I don't know anything about that." When we asked him about the food we gave him, he said, "Well, that's that, and this is this." They also mess with our hunting grounds, paint their skin white to trick vendors, and do whatever else they want."
They're self-centered and naughty. There are people like that in our world, too, aren't there? People who rely on others but don't return the favor, they are the kind of people you don't want to be neighbors with.
I'm starting to worry if I can trust them when I hear this. Lodis and the others seemed to share the same opinion, and the supporters folded their arms and groaned.
"Honestly, I'm afraid they might betray us at a moment's notice. Or maybe we're just trying to make things easier for them by making us fight monsters. But if you all agree, we'll go along with it."
That being said, I'm finding it increasingly difficult to say I agree. No one is expressing their opinions. I'm at a loss. If there's a guarantee that they won't betray us, I'd like to go along with it, but…hmmm.
"Then how about this?"
I look at Chem's smiling face as she claps her hands together.
"Leave the decision to the God of Fate."
...What?