Weed Reincarnation ~ Carefully Raised in the Elf Village ~

After that, the werewolf tribes continued to arrive one after another.

Some of them were as large as the Wolves, but most of them were small in number and had escaped with their lives.

It had been more than a month since the first Wolves had arrived, but the werewolf tribes had fled one after another to the elven villages.

They didn't all come in one group, so they came in bits and pieces every few days, but by the time a month had passed, the total number of werewolves had grown to nearly 200.

To be honest, the number was too large.

At this rate, the village would become a werewolf village instead of an elf village.

However, it seemed that the number of werewolves was very small compared to the number of werewolves that originally lived in the forest.

Then what happened to the others?

Why did they escape?

These were the natural questions that I naturally asked.

If I were to summarize the answer, it could be described as a conflict between the Holy Ikou Church and the werewolf tribe living in the forest. Unfortunately for the werewolf tribes, I don't think we can call it a war.

From what I've heard, it can't have been a proper battle.

In reality, it was probably a unilateral invasion and massacre on the part of the Church.

It seems to be a nation of human supremacy, but it is quite reckless.

The fact that they once destroyed the city of the elves and the previous generation of high elves, it is certain that they have the military power to pass such recklessness.

If not, they would have been destroyed by other nations and races.

--So why didn't they come until now

The reason why the Church did not come until now is probably because they did not know the location of the elf village.

If the location of this place is known, the new gods or whatever they are, they will certainly turn their forces against us.

This is the kind of madman who doesn't care about anyone but himself, and he is our neighbour.

If I had a human body like Sefi's, I would be breaking out in a cold sweat right now.

I feel a sense of crisis.

It's not that I might die.

Maybe it's not so difficult for me to survive. I could just abandon the elves and leave the forest as if I had nothing to do with them. Or, if I had to fight an enemy, I could make it look like the ground was destroyed and regenerate later with the nutrients stored in the underground stems.

In that case, it would not be able to protect Sephy and the others.

But I didn't have to think about it.

I didn't have the option of abandoning the elves.

Reason?

Of course, it's because I love them.

It's not just Sephy.

Maple is a kind and caring girl, and the elder is a dependable but sometimes mischievous man. Walnut is fun to chat with, and Laurel is scary when she's angry, but usually very kind. The adult elves who bring me tributes eat my fruit with great relish, and the children who play in the square are a joy to watch.

In addition, the Wolves have been bringing me tributes with sparkling eyes lately, and the werewolf warriors have been making small but enthusiastic orders for Mistartin's moulding, which is not bad because it gives me a sense of being relied on. The children of the werewolf tribe have recently become accustomed to the village, playing together with the children of the elves and showing their carefree smiles.

I liked my days here.

I didn't want to imagine anyone hurting or killing the people I knew.

So I thought.

What would be the best way to protect them?

The Church and the New Gods would never allow the High Elves to exist.

If they knew about Sephy's existence, they would surely attack us.

I only know this from hearsay, but if the New Gods do attack, the chances of us winning are slim to none.

We can't win as we are now.

Then we must become stronger.

Until we can protect everyone.

Of course.

But it's also clear that it's impossible to become that strong right away.

There is absolutely not enough time.

That's why I was in such a hurry.

In the past month, nearly two hundred werewolf tribes had gathered in the elf village.

They're fleeing.

From where?

From the border of Churchland.

They say there's nothing north of us but the vast forest we live in and the mountains further north.

There is no other country. A no-man's land.

Many people have fled to such a place. Would they think that there was nothing beyond that?　　Would they think that they were simply being chased and fled to the north?

What are the odds that they would go out of their way to hunt down the few remnants of the werewolf tribe that their country had destroyed?

The other side is a big country.

It's more likely that they won't even pay attention to the remnants of the werewolf tribe anymore. I think it's more likely that the remnants of the werewolf tribe will no longer pay attention to them.

Well, if by chance they succeed in assassinating a key person or something like that, that may not be the case, but the chances of success are slim to none.

Even so, what if they were suspicious of the fact that the entire wolf race had fled to the north?

And most of all.

The Church is said to be clearing the sea of trees.

If that's the case, I don't know when it will happen, but I'm sure they will come here sooner or later. Sooner or later, they're bound to find us.

Maybe I'm thinking too much.

But I have a bad feeling about this. There's no harm in assuming the worst.

That's why I told Sephy.

The elves and the werewolf tribe would obey Sephy's words. That's why I told Sephy. Probably the best decision I can make right now.

Night.

Dinner was finished, and all that was left was to sleep.

The room is dark as I cover the basket full of glowing marimo with a thick cloth.

The moon and the stars shining through the window are the only sources of light.

The wind is blowing softly, and the insects are buzzing somewhere. It's a calming time.

"Hey, Sephy...

"What?"

She was half-awake on the bed, staring blankly at the window, when she turned around and tilted her head.

I'm not sure what to do.　　It might not be safe here anymore.

I think Sephy understood what I meant.

Many werewolf tribes had fled. The danger that this would trigger the Church to find out about the existence of this village.

But still...

"No."

Her tone was not strong.

Her voice was quiet.

But Sephy's face looked more mature than any other moment I had ever seen.

"Like a martyr," the words came naturally to me. For some reason, I understood that the old me would have said that when he saw her now.

It was a determination that was so transparent and unenthusiastic.

"'They haven't all come yet.

That meant that there were still werewolf tribes to escape.

Sephy did not abandon them, as she should have.

This is because she is a High Elf. That's because she's a high elf, and she's called the Forest God.

She's prepared to stake her life to protect what's dear to her 

I was sad about that.

I'm sure Sephy understands that.

I'm sure she understands that she is still weak.

That's why she doesn't want to leave the forest and save all her brothers and sisters. She has allowed herself to live like a child in this village.

Still, if there is a fellow human being nearby who can help, he will never abandon them.

Even if it would result in his own demise.

It was sad that such a noble god was Sephy.

There is no difference between life and death, but I didn't want her to sacrifice herself.

"It's all right.

Sefi suddenly smiled, as usual.

That's why I sometimes want to ask her. How far do you really know?

"

I forced myself to sound cheerful.

"I'm counting on you, Partner."

"Yeah!"

I was probably crying.

Maybe I was sad that Sephy wasn't just a child, maybe I was shaking as I realized for the first time the weight of her word "partner", maybe I was just happy that she recognized me as someone to fight with, not someone to protect.

There were so many emotions swirling around me that I couldn't describe them in a single word, and I felt like crying for no apparent reason.

But.

For the first time in my life, I was aware of my feelings.

I knew that I wanted to protect Sephy and the people of my village.

So I made up my mind to be strong.

With a clear purpose.