"So, Miss Elf," Luke said casually, leaning back on the roof tiles. "What are you doing here? Did you chase the Orcs all the way here?"
Tauriel did not answer immediately.
That was exactly what she had done.
She had followed the Orcs.
King Thranduil had ordered the borders sealed and the creatures ignored, but Tauriel could not accept that. Orcs moving through the forest meant danger, and the Elves of the Woodland Realm had never allowed such evil to pass through their lands unchecked.
So she had tracked them.
The trail had led her out of the forest and toward Lake-town.
But the Orcs were not what held her attention now.
Her eyes remained on Luke.
The strange human she had met in the Woodland Realm had somehow appeared here before her.
"So my guess was right," Luke said, looking at her with a small smile. "A model Elf who works too hard."
Tauriel ignored the remark, her eyes fixed on him.
"What are you, human?" she asked.
Attacking him was not an option. She had already learned that much. The last time she tried using a weapon, he had turned it into something completely useless.
Luke thought for a moment before answering.
"Definitely not human," he said. "At least… not in my current state. Honestly, I'm not even sure what race I am anymore."
That part, at least, was true. With his system glitching the way it was, even he wasn't entirely certain what his body counted as now.
"Not human?" Tauriel repeated, studying his appearance more closely.
Luke shrugged.
"Appearances can be deceiving."
"Indeed," Tauriel replied. "I was deceived once already."
She still remembered the harmless prisoner he had pretended to be in the Woodland Realm's cells.
Before Luke could respond, another voice cut in sharply.
"Step away from Tauriel, man."
Legolas stood on the roof of the next building, his bow already drawn and aimed directly at Luke.
Tauriel sighed slightly. She already knew how this would go.
The moment Legolas released the arrow—
The bow in his hands suddenly changed.
The wood twisted and softened until he found himself holding… a wooden spoon.
"What happened?" Legolas asked, staring at it in disbelief. He turned it over in his hand, clearly unable to understand why his bow had suddenly turned into a kitchen utensil.
She looked toward Luke, who was watching the scene with an amused expression.
"Legolas," she said calmly, "it's useless. This human is… tricky. Weapons won't work on him."
Legolas glanced between the spoon and Luke, his expression hardening.
If weapons were useless, then there was another way.
Without another word he jumped from the neighboring roof, landing lightly beside Luke. His movements were fast and precise as he reached forward, trying to restrain him with his hands.
But the attempt lasted only a second.
Legolas suddenly found himself flat on his back against the roof.
Luke was sitting on him.
The Elf prince blinked once in confusion.
Luke looked down at him, completely relaxed.
"Nah," he said casually. "No need to get physical. We're friends."
After some time, Luke explained that he wasn't their enemy.
He knew from their perspective he looked suspicious—first appearing inside the Woodland Realm without being noticed, then somehow ending up inside the prison, and shortly after that the prisoners escaping while several bottles of fine Elven wine also went missing.
Luke rubbed the back of his neck.
"Hmmm… I had nothing to do with the Dwarves escaping," he said. "Although I did help myself to some of your wine."
Tauriel narrowed her eyes slightly but didn't interrupt.
"As for the escape," Luke continued, "they managed that with the help of their own allies."
Legolas still wasn't convinced. His gaze stayed fixed on Luke.
"How can we trust you?" Legolas asked.
Luke thought about it for a moment, then shrugged lightly.
"Ummm… one thing should be enough," he said. "I had the power to kill both of you the moment you arrived."
He gestured casually toward the roof where they stood.
"But I didn't."
Luke leaned back slightly, looking relaxed.
"That should tell you I'm harmless," he said.
He paused for a second.
"Well… mostly harmless."
Luke almost added that sometimes he simply enjoyed annoying people, but he decided that probably wouldn't help his case right now.
"Then where are the Orcs?" Tauriel asked, her eyes still fixed on Luke. "They were following the Dwarves."
Luke pointed lazily toward the dark water of the lake below.
"At the bottom," he said. "All of them."
"And the Dwarves?" Tauriel asked.
"They're on their way to the Lonely Mountain," Luke replied. "Which means… the prisoners you came searching for, and the Orcs you were chasing are both gone."
He spread his hands slightly.
"So, technically speaking, you both lost your jobs tonight."
Legolas didn't react much to the comment, but Tauriel's expression shifted slightly. She turned her gaze away from Luke and looked out across the dark lake toward the distant mountains.
For a moment she said nothing.
Coming here had already meant disobeying the orders of her king. Thranduil had made it clear that the troubles of the outside world were not the concern of the Woodland Realm, yet Tauriel had followed the Orcs anyway.
Going back now would not be simple.
Legolas noticed the look on her face and spoke quietly.
"You can return to the Woodland Realm," he said. "My father will understand."
Tauriel didn't answer immediately.
Luke watched the two Elves for a moment, then sighed softly.
"Well," he said casually, "if you're thinking about following them… you might want to hurry."
He tilted his head toward the distant north.
"Because the closer they get to that mountain," he added, "the more interesting things are going to become."
*****
A/N: If you'd like to read ahead of the Webnovel release schedule, you can join my Patreon!
The Patreon version is 50 chapters ahead.
👉 patreon.com/Universal_Peace