It had been about two weeks since Raze joined us. Every day we would do our training after we had breakfast. Raze and I always end up fighting over something and Yuki would separate the fight. Master would laugh at us then we eat lunch, talk, bathe, eat dinner, and sleep. This is the life the four of us got in the habit of doing until one day a visitor, or rather a messenger came to our home. He arrived when we were all eating lunch. A man in green leaf-like clothes with pointed ears, a bow, and a quiver with some arrows on his back. He seemed to be an older gentleman, but a capable fighter.
"Excuse me, may I speak with the man inside the cave?" He said.
"Yes, Master there is a man here for you!" I got up, Raze looked at the man annoyed but went back to eating. Yuki is awkward around new people and followed me. Master, Yuki, and I walked back outside.
"Hello there, how can I help you today?" Master said to the man with confidence.
"My name is Finn, a general of the Midori tribe, a group of forest elves located in the Akarui forest. Another tribe has decided to fight us for something very important we have and would like your assistance. Please God of All Elements I beg of you." The man said this with conviction, but also as though he was going to cry like he was willing to get down on his hands and knees and beg if it came down to it. He was willing to cast away his pride for the sake of his people.
"What is this important thing that your tribe has?" My master said with seriousness "Depending on that I will help you."
"It's two children, about five or six years in age, we found them a year ago in the forest, they are magically gifted even for elves. Word got out somehow and now another tribe wants them." Finn explained.
"I see… Well, I suppose I have grown soft when it comes to dealing with children. Although I am not sure how I can be of assistance, I will go." Master said almost puzzled. He then turned to the three of us. "I will be going on a trip for about four days time. There is enough food and supplies for you three to handle yourselves for a few days, Raze please watch over them carefully."
Raze and I spoke at the same time, "WHAT?!" Yuki just watched shy of how loud we got. "This is a trip, we can go on our first adventure! Please let us go with you, master!" I said with excitement. "Yeah, I can't take care of these two useless idiots by myself!" Raze said annoyed. "Raze! You don't have to be so mean." I rejected. "Both of you stop it!" Master said, we both looked at each other and then turned away. "Listen, this is a battle, I can't just take the three of you with me." Our master was sincere with his words, but then Raze spoke up "We have been training, and it wouldn't be just you, Finn is here as well. If needed we can just run away, or Yuki can put the bad guys to sleep. So it would be safer to let us go."
"That is the most responsible thing I have ever heard you say Raze," Master said with almost tears in his eyes. "Kazuma, Raze if you two can promise to get along then I shall take you, but if you fight I will fly you back."
"Yay I can do that." I said "Tch" Raze said.
"Raze I am serious here."
"Fine, I get it."
"Hopefully you don't mind three children coming along Finn."
"Not at all, they are more than welcome in my homeland."
With that, the five of us, Raze, Yuki, Master, Finn, and I set off. Master had a bag with some supplies, and Finn had brought some as well. According to master, it was a little more than a day-long journey to get there. We knew he could just fly, but the reason it was ok for us to tag along was because the enemy, according to Finn wasn't going to attack today. This was because they attacked three days ago and lost a good number of men, so it would take a day or two more to prepare to attack again. Master also wanted to show us a little of the world outside the cave and pathway. On the walk it was mostly trees, rocks, and bugs, it was also surprisingly hot outside.
"Master, when do the trees come to an end?" I asked.
"That is a difficult question. Going this way, not for a long time." He said.
Finn spoke up with an explanation, "Here on the Eastern continent there are quite a few famous landmarks. The dungeon of Chikyū, where the four of you reside and where we are leaving from is one of them. The next up from here at the top of the continent where we are headed is the Akarui forest which is home mostly inhabited by elves. A little way to the southeast from Chikyū, about three days' travel is the capital of this continent, Rekishi. Down from the capital is the frosted forest, and finally from there is the magic academy, Olympus. In between these places is a handful of villages and towns. It should be noted that the Easter continent is the smallest of all the continents."
"Wow it, sounds like you have been around all over the world," I said.
"Haha, not at all we just read and hear stories a lot," Finn said.
"You see Kazuma, elves are the smartest of all the races. They are also the most populated conversational race in the world." Master added on.
"I see, what do you think about all of this Yuki, Raze?"
"I umm, knew all of that already."
"Yeah same here, what are you an idiot."
For some reason, I felt behind. Was everyone aware of the world besides me? Is this why humans are hated? Because we don't get everything? I was more confused than anything. However, the rest of the way there was uneventful. We stopped to rest every now and again and set up camp when we were a little over halfway there. None of us were strangers to sleeping outside. In the morning I had bad bed head and Yuki had a bug on her face, we both laughed at one another. Master tidied us up, and we packed and got ready to set off again. We arrived at the elf village of the Midori tribe a few hours before sunset.
"Welcome to my home, please continue to follow me," Finn said.
I didn't even realize we had entered into the tribe's land though, as everything blended in so well together. The only way to tell we made it was by a wooden fence that surrounded the area. When we entered there were hollowed-out trees, and wooden bridges connecting each place. There were huts to sleep in, watch towers to see from, and even shops to buy from. There were a lot of people around, all elves in different types of green clothing. The men had on white shirts and green pants, and some of the women had leaf-like dresses or green overalls. This place was so vibrant and the atmosphere was nice, you couldn't even tell there had been an attack on the place. Eventually, we made it to a large home, it was dark green with a large tree in front of it, and the door had a memorable tree design on the front, since it was a two-way passage when you opened it the tree split in half.
"Please do come in, I shall introduce you to master and the valuable children as well," Finn said.
"Thank you for your hospitality," We said.
The house had two floors, the first had oak flooring and some wooden stools, and a stone table. The stairs were also made of oak and they extended more than my eyes could see. Finn came back downstairs with three other people accompanying him. One was an older, smaller man with a leaf cloak that wrapped his entire body. The other two were children, one with long light pink hair and the other with long dark purple hair. They had white dresses that covered their shoulders down to their feet, and the sleeves of the dresses had a green line that extended from the top of the shoulder down to the bottom of the sleeve. It was a simple but captivating look.
The old small man spoke "Hello there God of All Elements, my name is Grandel Elwood, and I am the leader of this tribe. Thank you for heeding our request."
"It is no problem at all, may I ask who are these children?"
"These are the famed children of the elves, sent down by none other than the forest God Phanunus. The one with the purple hair is named Aurora, and the one with pink is named Elaina"
My master looked irritated by his words, but said, "I see, may I ask a favor of you?"
"Anything dearest God."
"I brought along my children to see some of the world, but they are not yet able fighters, may I ask they stay here for the time being until the enemy is no longer a threat?"
"Of course."
"Well, then I hope that our children can get along. As we deal with the foe."
"Likewise."
After the master and the leader were done talking, we introduced ourselves.
"Hey there, my name is Kazuma it's nice to meet the both of you."
Elaina walked over to me excitedly, she grabbed my hand and said "Hello there! We should go and play." She was inches away from my face to the point where I had to lean back, I was flustered and not sure what to do, so I just nodded quickly. She smiled and let go of me. Aurora looked at me with disgust in her eyes I could tell in an instant that she hated me, or rather that she hated humans. Elania grabbed my hand and rushed me upstairs.
"Hey, what the hell was that about?"
"Forgive her for taking your friend away, she has always wanted to meet a human."
"Well thanks to her I don't have to see that annoying human any longer so I'm not complaining."
"So you and I have something in common demon boy."
"I guess so, Aurora was it? I think we will get along just fine."
"Ah- I- I, w-will never understand w-why you can't get along."
"Yuki, just go upstairs to Kazuma. You cant speak well without his comfort, and that's even more annoying."
"Do you hate her as well? She seemed quiet but not bad."
"I don't, just don't like being dragged down by people who are weaker than me."
"I see, once again you and I are in the same boat."
"How about you, do you dislike Elaina?"
"No, not at all, I love her like family, although she can be absent-minded at times. But if you were insinuating that she is weak, I assure you she is stronger than me and you."
"Ha, I doubt that but I have been told you two already have some magic control. What type do you two have to be so strong then?"
"I use gravity, and she has space magic. You?"
"Fire."
"I see. Well, it's nice to meet you…"
"Names Raze,"
"Nice to meet you Raze."
…
"So you're really a human?!?"
"Aaa, Elaina can you stop touching me? It's really weird!" Elaina, the pink-haired elf who is really pretty, is touching me all over. She pulled my shirt from my pants and was feeling my stomach, neck, and face. Her hands were warm and nice, but I was far too embarrassed. "Please, stop for a minute!" She finally paused, she was sitting on top of my chest, her hands on my shoulders, her long hair covering my vision, and we just started at one another. I was blushing, and she was happily staring.
"But you're the first human I have ever seen, you're nothing like the stories they tell, your body is small, and you're flustered easily, you're more cute than scary. I want to get to know you more!"
"W-what do you want to know?"
"Umm, you?"
"Why do you sound so confused when saying that?"
"Ah, get off of him." I heard the voice of Yuki say.
Elaina looked over, my vision still covered by her hair, "Why? Do you claim Kazuma as your own?"
"M-my own? No, we're friends and you are obviously bothering him."
"I see, Kazuma, am I bothering you?"
"Bothering me? No, but I -"
"See there is no issue, he said he likes it."
"Kazuma do you like her sitting on top of you?"
"What no, I never said anything like that, please Elania, get off of me. I will tell you anything you want to know afterward."
She immediately got off of me and was sitting down at the end of my feet with an excited look on her face.
As I sat up I thought of the situation, from what I knew Aurora and Raze were talking downstairs, My master and the elf leader were planning for the attack, and Yuki, Elaina, and I were having an interesting conversation of our own. Yuki sat down next to me and Elania as if to separate us. We were in a triangle shape on the floor.
"Elaina -
"Yes?"
"What are humans like in the stories you hear?" I asked because I am tired of not knowing anything.
"The elven leaders say they are evil, strong even without magic, ruthless beings that kill for sport."
"If that's what you have been told, why do you not hate me?"
"Because I don't believe in fantasy stories, I won't believe it till I see it, and I knew that you were kind from when we first met!"
"I see, thank you, Elaina." She smiled at me.
"Now Elaina, why were you on top of Kazuma?" Yuki asked.
"Because I like him." As she said that I heard master call for us. Yuki didn't get a better explanation than that, and neither did I.