The elves murmured among themselves. The once-fresh air grew thick and stifling.
Bell made no attempt to argue. The fact remained: he was human, yet he had come to visit the Spirit Land. To speak rashly now would only worsen the situation.
Ryuu frowned, shielding Bell behind her. Lefiya and Alicia clenched their weapons in anger, their faces darkening.
Riveria's expression remained inscrutable, yet her tone carried a hint of irritation:
"You Elves, who pride yourselves on nobility, utter such foul words. How are you any different from the barbarians you speak of?"
"..."
Silence spread through the forest. The elves exchanged glances before immediately kneeling on the ground.
"Riveria-sama, please... please forgive our rude words!"
"You've got the wrong person to apologize to."
Riveria spoke up to remind them.
"...Little Rookie, we apologize for our offense... Please forgive us for failing to show proper hospitality."
Just as the Elves began their apology, a petite elf suddenly appeared.
"Hmm... Don't apologize to him!"
Riveria looked down at her and spoke softly, "This little girl is..."
"Don't call me little girl! I'm older than most here—I'm the elder in charge of this ceremony!"
This elf's height resembled that of a Pallum, lacking any semblance of authority.
"Could you be a half-breed between Pallum and Elves?" Riveria's eyes gleamed with curiosity. As far as she knew, reproductive isolation existed in this world. Except for humans, love between different races could not bear fruit.
"Hmm... Offspring cannot be born between different races. Even royalty... To make such a joke with an elder is truly unforgivable!"
Unlike others, the elder seemed to dislike Riveria. It had less to do with Elf pride and more with childish tantrums.
"Very well, Elder, please lead us to the ceremony site."
Riveria saw through her nature and cut to the chase.
"Hmm... I refuse!"
The Elder pouted and turned away.
The resident Elves were the first to react.
"Elder, how can you speak to Riveria-sama like that?"
"Since it was agreed beforehand, we must allow them to participate in the ceremony."
"Precisely. Though we deeply regret the arrival of humans, this concerns not only the Spirits' wishes but also Riveria-sama. Please retract your earlier words."
As the Elves spoke, the Elder's cheeks puffed out wider and wider.
"I won't! Absolutely not! How dare anyone be favored by the spirits more than me? This is utterly unacceptable!"
Tears glistened faintly on the Elder's face, which resembled that of a human little girl.
"Please stop being so stubborn?"
"This is terribly disrespectful to Riveria-sama."
"An agreement is an agreement. Breaking it would tarnish the Elves's honor."
Persuaded by the elves, the elder bit her lip and spoke with a pout:
"Alright, human. Follow me. If you pass the test, I'll let you participate in the ceremony."
The elder led the group through the forest to a clearing.
"Influenced by the spirits, many Unicorns dwell nearby. If you can approach them, I will acknowledge you."
The elder grinned like a mischievous child.
Unicorns were exceptionally unique creatures, drawn to those of pure heart—in layman's terms, virgins.
Faced with this trial, adventurers accustomed to debauchery would inevitably fail.
The elder stood with hands on her hips, quietly anticipating their defeat. Yet the outcome left her eyes wide with astonishment.
"Why is this kid clinging to me like this..."
Alicia looked at the white Unicorn with some annoyance. No matter where she went, it followed right behind her.
"It feels just like the white horse in fairy tales—kind of cute, actually."
Lefiya reached out to stroke the Unicorn's mane, utterly delighted by this novel experience.
"Hm... I really want to pet it..."
Ryuu fought against her own fastidiousness, resisting the urge to reach out and stroke it.
The elder stared blankly at the group.
"How is this possible... They've bonded so quickly?"
Meanwhile, beside the emerald-green hair elf, an even more bizarre scene left the elder rooted to the spot.
"Are these children... perhaps hungry?"
Riveria smiled, surveying her surroundings as several unicorns gathered around her.
They assumed peaceful, gentle postures, lying quietly upon the grass.
"What on earth is happening?! Is this the power of royalty, or the power of purity?!"
The elder snapped out of her daze, staring at Riveria in disbelief.
The other Elf maidens also noticed the anomaly.
"So beautiful... It's like a fairy tale..." Alicia gazed in awe.
"Riveria-sama is so amazing... To attract so many Unicorns..." Lefiya murmured in admiration.
"The purity that draws Unicorns... Where does that power of yours truly come from?" Ryuu couldn't help but ask.
Riveria gave a soft smile, as if hiding something, and replied.
"You're overthinking it. The royal family has raised Unicorns before. This is simply a technique, nothing special about it."
Hearing this, the others nodded thoughtfully.
"It's not over yet! There's still one more person!"
After repeatedly confirming this wasn't a dream, the elder shifted his gaze, pinning all hope on the youth.
Bell hadn't joined the conversation earlier because no Unicorns were present around him.
The youth had failed the test.
The elder wore a mischievous smile of triumph.
Sure enough, that human boy wouldn't win a unicorn's favor.
Under her triumphant gaze, Bell took the initiative, quietly approaching the group of unicorns huddled together.
"It's useless."
The elder stood at a distance, observing everything.
Just as she'd said, the moment Bell drew near, the unicorns trotted away, leaving only one behind.
Unicorns would never approach the defiled. This last, solitary one would surely flee soon too.
To the elder's surprise, the distance between the youth and the pure-white unicorn neither closed nor widened.
The two maintained an unchanging, delicate distance.
"What is he doing...?"
The elder frowned. If she hadn't misread the situation, the youth seemed to be attempting verbal communication with the unicorn.
Trying to persuade it with words?
Such an endeavor was nothing short of a fairy tale.
"Ah, it's run off."
Without a backward glance, the unicorn dashed swiftly into the forest. It had been a false alarm after all.
The elder's lips curved into a satisfied smile as she addressed Riveria,
"Seems you won't be joining the ceremony after all. Recognize your place—how dare you try to steal the spirit's affection? Hmph."
"No, that statement might be premature," Riveria replied with a soft chuckle.
"You... what did you say?"
The elder hadn't processed the meaning of her words.
Suddenly.
The ground began to tremble, and the thunderous clatter of hooves echoed closer.
"E-earthquake?!"
The elder looked around, trembling.
The next second, a large herd of Unicorns burst out of the forest, charging straight toward the youth.