“RAAAAAAAAHHHH!!!” [Riteinia]

Screaming in fury, Riteinia charged at Ryner like a bullet and threw out a punch capable of shattering steel. The sleepy-looking man stepped to the side, grabbed her outstretched arm and threw her over his shoulder. By adding her own speed to his throw, he made her fly away like a ball, out of the glade and into the sea of trees. Silence fell after the loud sound of her impacting the ground was heard. A few second later, the furious Matriarch reappeared after bulldozing over any tree in her path. With the ground rumbling as her steps boomed like thunder, she attacked Ryner in blind rage.

“Now, now, now. Let’s stop here, ok? The Blood Trial is over and you’re needlessly destroying the forest.” [Rosaminta]

Rosaminta, who had come down from her perch by using a vine like a rope, clapped her hands and calmly walked up to the two individuals locked in combat. More accurately, she warmly watched Ryner keeping Riteinia in a headlock as she violently thrashed about. Behind her were Itham, who had used his magic to let the wind slowly carry him down, as well as Mi, who was just being carried by the elf.

“HE’S LYING!!!” [Riteinia]

The Matriarch shouted after Ryner let her go.

“THIS MAN JUST DOESN’T WANT TO GIVE US DAUGHTERS!!! IT’S HIS DUTY!!! HIGH ELDER!!!” [Riteinia]

“Very well!! I’ll check again then! Ryner!!” [Itham]

Bu Riteinia’s request, Itham pointed at Ryner with his left hand and covered his face with his right hand.

“Can you really not have children?” [Itham]

Ryner ignored the elf’s weird pose and answered in monotone.

“This body is infertile, sterile, useful but fruitless, can stand up but can’t grow crops.” [Ryner]

“Hmmm, I see I see… He’s… Definitely not lying.” [Itham]

Riteinia, hearing the nodding Itham tell her the same thing for the umpteenth time, clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. Her tribeswomen shared similar feelings as they watched from a distance. Many of the female warriors had also joined in on their Matriarch’s mad outburst, but were no match against their newly appointed Patriarch at all.

“He can’t have children…” [Amazon]

“Damn… What a waste…” [Amazon]

“He’s definitely lying!” [Amazon]

“An elf, the High Elder, said he’s not…” [Amazon]

“A warrior of that caliber can’t give us daughters…” [Amazon]

“Can I kill him?” [Amazon]

While gathering the injured and fainted, they glared resentfully at the human or hung their heads in disappointment.

Riteinia glared furiously at Ryner one last time before turning around and walking away.

“Even though you became my Patriarch…” [Riteinia]

Her muttering that was a mix of anger, frustration and a tinge of disappointment reached no one.

After watching the Matriarch’s back for a few moments, Rosaminta tapped the useless Patriarch’s shoulders.

“Congratulations on winning, Ryner. Then, as promised, I’ll do anything you want~.” [Rosaminta]

In sharp contrast to the mood, her voice was bright and uselessly seductive.

“That was a nice way of ending it!” [Rosaminta]

Rosaminta said while giggling to which Ryner only grunted and recalled what happened earlier. The two as well as Mi had left the glade and were walking towards two trees twisted in a conic shape. Itham had stayed behind to watch over the amazons.

After the sleepy-looking human abruptly declared his inability to create offspring, various things happened once the amazons unfroze. First was their doubt, followed by their barrage of questions to both their new Patriarch and to Itham. Once the High Elder, urged by the group of bloodthirsty women, confirmed that Ryner wasn’t lying using his elven abilities, the tribe of female warriors became enraged.

To be more accurate, it was because they were very interested in having his daughters that they were furious when they finally learned that it was impossible all along. Especially Riteinia, who attempted to rip his guts out, only to get thrown and sent flying like a bowling ball, knocking down several trees in her path multiple times.

“You really know how to get on a girl’s bad side.” [Rosaminta]

“Hey, I can’t do what I can’t do.” [Ryner]

“Why didn’t you tell them so beforehand?” [Rosaminta]

“Slipped my mind.” [Ryner]

“Sounds to me like you just didn’t bother.” [Rosaminta]

“I was busy thinking about other stuff… Plus the crazy lady looked more interested in killing me, and I figured they wouldn’t believe me, and that I could just wipe out their entire race from existence if I had to. Who would have thought infertility could avoid extinction and bring about peace after bashing a few heads.” [Ryner]

“Did you just say something scary really casually?” [Rosaminta]

“Nope. Thinking about it, after telling them I can’t have kids, they still want to kill me. Not much has changed, huh.” [Ryner]

“What a scary boy.” [Rosaminta]

“Don’t call me ‘boy’, but more importantly, open the gate.” [Ryner]

While talking, the three had arrived at the gateway.

Urged by Ryner, Rosaminta waved her hand and the two trees untangled from each other like soft clay. The twisted, conic shape turned into an arch as green leaves covered the branches and a single red rose grew above the magic entrance. As the human passed through the arch along with the Gatekeeper and the young pup, he closed his eyes and focused on his senses. He didn’t feel anything the first time, so he was now making sure that he wouldn’t miss anything.

Taking a deep breath, he waited for the sensation of being teleported that he had grown familiar with.

When Ryner opened his eyes again, his surroundings had drastically changed.

The greenery and the blue sky vanished. The trio was standing in a foggy swampland where the sun didn’t reach and the trees were dead. On the damp earth, patches of grey grass grew, or at least attempted to before withering away. Similar to the glade from before, there were no trees in their immediate surroundings. Only the arch stood behind them.

“(… No jetlag.)” [Ryner]

Ryner silently thought after confirming his location, and his curiosity only grew.

Afterwards, he took a look at the golden globe that he had taken from his pocket dimension before crossing the gate. Then, he checked that the leather bracelet with a green gem was properly on his wrist and tried contacting two people that he couldn’t since yesterday.

“(Evie. Maya. You there?)” [Ryner]

The bracelet was the device used to telepathically contact those who wore a similar item, and he had given these items to two others.

“(Ryner?!)” [Evelyn]

“(Master?!)” [Maya]

The anxious voices of Evelyn and Maya reverberated in his head when he silently called out their names.

“(You two sound worried. Did something happen?)” [Ryner]

Although Ryner asked, he already knew the answer.

“(I couldn’t contact you yesterday, so I thought a disaster befell you!)” [Evelyn]

“(Yesterday, Evelyn kept telling me about all the horrible things that could have happened to you, so I grew worried too.)” [Maya]

“(I’m fine. I reached the elves’ city yesterday and it’s inside some sort of barrier. Looks like it can block telepathic calls.)” [Ryner]

For some reason, as Ryner was spending the night in Hossylei Nac yesterday, he couldn’t telepathically contact Evelyn or Maya when he tried to before meditating. He checked the bracelet’s condition and confirmed that it should be working. So, he considered various other possibilities such as the elves having a magic capable of blocking telepathic communications.

When Ryner once again called out to them in the forest instead of inside the city, there was no response. He figured that whatever was blocking telepathy, its range was the entire barrier hiding the elves’ home. That was why he had asked Rosaminta to take him back to the swampland so that he could investigate and contact the two worried women.

Ryner explained while examining once again the golden globe that he had gotten from the god, Motyx. After spending a bit more time explaining, the vampire and beastman, reassured, told him of their situation.

“(Roseseed is operating well. We’ll run out of merchandise if you don’t come back soon. I’m engraving the coins from profits and sending them out on the market through various purchases. There aren’t any major incidents to report, though some of the slaves have been getting rowdy, mostly the criminals. But, it seems a group of well-minded men began acting like security guards, so I didn’t need to intervene.)” [Evelyn]

“(We got guards now?)” [Ryner]

“(They’re nothing much, but yes. Patrolling the mansion and resolving disputes among slaves became their self-imposed duties. They appear trustworthy enough since, unlike the ingrates that whine for better treatment, these guards are thankful that you didn’t put a collar on their necks or a slave curse on their backs.)” [Evelyn]

“(Anything else?)” [Ryner]

“(The royal family has been asking me about you quite often. It’s getting annoying.)” [Evelyn]

“(Endure and show respect, Evie. They’re royalties.)” [Ryner]

“(This coming from the man that only ever shows respect when it’s convenient for him.)” [Evelyn]

“(Hey, I always told you. Don’t follow my example, but do as I say. Anyway, tell them I’m on a journey to find aaaa… Legendary flying blue rabbit for the sake of observation. Yeah, let’s go with that.)” [Ryner]

“(… The reason and goal are too laughable for anyone to believe… But, if they know a shred of your willfulness, then they probably will. Still, why a blue rabbit? Couldn’t you think of a better excuse?)” [Evelyn]

“(Because it just came to me, don’t worry, it’ll work. Anything else?)” [Ryner]

“(… Some of the nobles have been approaching me for the sake of marriage.)” [Evelyn]

“(Yeah you can beat them up. What about you, Maya? Got anything interesting to say?)” [Ryner]

“(Nothing at the moment, but I might think of something if you come visit me in Ofauvra~.)” [Maya]

“(Maybe when I’m done here, but you know I’ll hit you once when we meet, right?)” [Ryner]

“(I’m already prepared, master.)” [Maya]

“(Well great, because chasing after you would be a pain. Anyway, once I get back my, uh, Artifact, I’ll be leaving here. If no one’s got anything else-.)” [Ryner]

“(Oh, Ryner, one more thing.)” [Evelyn]

Just as Ryner wanted to end the telepathic call, Evelyn called out to him. Her voice sounded rather serious, determined and a bit sullen in his head.

“(I did some research on the elves. It would appear that they are all incredibly beautiful, gorgeous and lusted after.)” [Evelyn]

“(What the hell kind of research were you doing?)” [Ryner]

“(I know you’re a man, that you’re interested in those sorts of things, that you don’t belong to anyone, and that I don’t have the right to say anything… But, at least make sure they’re worthy of you and not some dumb, worthless sluts that can only cling onto you like poisonous bugs that should be crushed, burned and turned into fertilizer because their lives are nothing but a waste of space!)” [Evelyn]

“(Uh, Evie, what’s with the scary voice? It sounds a lot like you’re growling in my head.)” [Ryner]

“(I agree with Evelyn, master.)” [Maya]

“(You agree with that, Maya? I can hear bloodlust from her. Hear it!)” [Ryner]

“(That’s all I wanted to say. I love you. Bye.)” [Evelyn]

“(Your ‘I love you’ sounds scary too!)” [Ryner]

“(Bye, master~.)” [Maya]

Feeling the call cut off from their sides, Ryner stood in place for a while and blinked his eyes.

“(Ah… I forgot to tell them about the thing with the amazons.)” [Ryner]

Although Ryner had explained to Evelyn and Maya that he had safely arrived in the elves’ city, Hossylei Nac, he didn’t tell them about how he became the amazon’s Patriarch, or how the female warriors had wanted to jump him to produce offspring not too long ago. Standing still with the golden globe in hand, he wondered if he should contact the vampire and beastman again.

“(… Oh well. It’s already been resolved. And nothing’s changed much even after they learned that they can’t have kids with me, so it doesn’t matter anymore.)” [Ryner]

However, since he had a part of him that was laidback, carefree and didn’t mind the little details at the most inopportune moments, he effectively placed a landmine right in his path.

“What are you doing, just standing there like that?” [Rosaminta]

When Ryner turned around to the voice, he saw Rosaminta, lying on the ground and playing with Mi, not minding the mud at all.

“Just looking around.” [Ryner]

“Oh? By the way, what’s that golden orb in your hands? It looks interesting. Where did you take that from?” [Rosaminta]

She said as she held the puppy’s forelegs up and rubbed its paws.

“I got it from an annoying guy. This thing helps me think.” [Ryner]

Ryner lifted the golden globe he got from Motyx to eye-level. The two dots representing him and the last Heaven’s Blade were close to each other. The last magical weapon was in the area.

“I was told by one of those elves I brought back that a barrier is keeping Hossylei Nac invisible so that people can’t find it. She didn’t seem to be lying.” [Ryner]

He had checked the globe when he was in the elves’ city as well as right before going through the arch.

“But I don’t think that’s true.” [Ryner]

The dot that signified his location didn’t move to a different spot despite having crossed a “teleportation gate”. The same could be said for the Heaven’s Blade.

“Mhhhhh~?” [Rosaminta]

All around him was a dead swampland, but Hossylei Nac was located in the middle of a huge lake surrounded by a green forest. Rosaminta’s arch that was beside him was a “teleportation gate” that allowed others to reach the city.

But, if Ryner were to believe the information shown on the golden globe, he didn’t get teleported to another location when he crossed the Gatekeeper’s arch. He had checked beforehand, and the distance he crossed before and after getting “teleported” was negligible.

However, that couldn’t be the case since the verdant forest full of life and the massive, beautiful lake couldn’t be anywhere near the dead, foggy swampland he was currently standing in.

Rosaminta didn’t answer Ryner’s question and only smiled profoundly.

“Invisibility’s not enough to hide that city in a swampland like this. Elves are doing trade with other races, so people know that they live somewhere here. I don’t know how many searches they performed, but I’ve seen some pretty tough guys. Those monsters we fought on the way here aren’t strong enough to ward off every trespasser. If Hossylei Nac really is just lying invisible somewhere in this swampland, then someone should have stumbled on that giant landmark of a lake and spread the word.” [Ryner]

The man with eyes of different colors ignored the Gatekeeper’s silence and slowly got to the heart of the matter. As he spoke, he made sure to closely observe the half-naked woman’s reaction to find the truth.

“But, it hasn’t happened because it’s not as simple as turning a city of trees, a rock tower, a giant lake and a forest invisible. Or, it might be that it is. Or, that no one’s been smart enough to find it. Or, that you killed anyone that did. Personally, I believe that Hossylei Nac isn’t here.” [Ryner]

“Fufu, you’re right, boy. The city’s not here. It’s just that the only way to enter it is by going through my gate that is here, in the swampland. You were simply teleported to a faraway land, boy, and that is where the elves live. If you want to know where, then sorry, but it-.” [Rosaminta]

“You’re lying.” [Ryner]

Rosaminta’s smile turned stiff when she was seen through.

Ryner decisively cut her off because he could tell by examining the scantily dressed woman’s face, gestures and voice. Moreover, the golden globe created by the smiling, purple-haired god already told him that he wasn’t teleported to a faraway land.

Lastly, and most importantly, his senses told him earlier that that arch wasn’t exactly a teleportation gate.

Rosaminta was hiding the truth which simply piqued his interest even more.

“I’ve actually had a lot of experience with teleportation and whatnot. It’s just my personal opinion, but whether it’s a gate connected to another one, or a magic formation that shifts you to a different location, or your body turns into particles before reassembling somewhere else, there’s always a similar sensation. That sensation’s a bit like jetlag.” [Ryner]

“… Jetlag?” [Rosaminta]

“Yeah, for me anyway. It’s always there, no matter how faint. I didn’t feel it when we crossed the arch, so my gut feeling is telling me that I didn’t teleport to Hossylei Nac or to a swampland. I didn’t teleport at all. But, that doesn’t make much sense since, taking a look around, I do pop up in a completely different location every time I cross that arch.” [Ryner]

Humans were highly interested in elves, yet no one managed to find where they lived. It was strange considering Hossylei Nac was surrounded by a forest, a massive lake and placed on top of a wide tower, which was easy to stumble upon in the dead swampland, whether it was visible or not.

Ryner’s senses and intuition, that had saved his life countless times, told him that the Gatekeeper’s arch didn’t teleport him. However, he certainly did arrive at two vastly different locations every time he went through Rosaminta’s gate.

Furthermore, Motyx’ golden globe that kept track of his position and that of the last Heaven’s Blade also confirmed that he didn’t instantaneously transfer from one location to another.

Several facts were contradicting each other.

Ryner hid the golden globe behind his back and put it in his pocket dimension as he walked towards Rosaminta.

“You said you’d do anything I want if I won the amazon’s Blood Trial.” [Ryner]

He stopped in front of the light green-skinned woman who was lying on her stomach and looking up at him. No smile adorned her face and wariness nested inside her misty, red eyes.

“I want some information. What sort of magic is hiding the elves’ entire forest?” [Ryner]