Using his magic to create a spinning curtain of water, Itham allowed Ryner to change out of his torn clothes on the rock platform without worrying about others watching him.

“That unique ability to store and take items from out of nowhere is really handy.” [Itham]

Itham said while his human guest was pulling out a new set of clothes from a bluish circle composed of multiple rings.

“Yeah. It was real useful when I had to smuggle weapons in this embassy.” [Ryner]

“What’s an ‘embassy’?” [Itham]

“Nothing important. Just a building.” [Ryner]

“Then why did you have to smuggle weapons inside this building?” [Itham]

“Meh, don’t worry about it.” [Ryner]

Then, once the group reached the tall and wide tower from which Hossylei Nac rested on, the elves chanted a few words and made their boats of rock rise upward by creating a column of water underneath.

“We’re going to get those achievements as quickly as possible. Those wounds won’t slow you down, right? You’re not going to slow me down, right?” [Itham]

“Just light cuts and I heal quickly, but why does it sound like I’m the one tagging along and not the other way around?” [Ryner]

“Because it’s a chore, you know? But, we have to do this for formality’s sake. To make those Elders honor their words, you know? They won’t be able to back out, you know?” [Itham]

“*Yawn* You’re a freaking Elder too. Use your authority and get me permission to enter that ruin already.” [Ryner]

“But they all keep ganging up on me! I’m the High Elder, but I’m no better than those four by myself! It’s wrong! I’ll start a revolution! THE MEIRITH REVOLUTION!!!” [Itham]

“… Your kid must have it tough.” [Ryner]

“Woof woof!” [Mi]

“No, Mi. Stop. Stop. You’ll catch something weird if you get too close to him.” [Ryner]

Once inside the city, they parted from the grumpy amazons who were distributing the loot from their hunt and Itham led the way. As they walked, the elves present would slightly bow their heads to greet their High Elder, but no one stopped them on their way. In Ryner’s case, he was getting the usual wary and intrigued glances.

“But, are your wounds really ok? You’re covered from head to toe in cuts. Meirith will be mad at me if you just drop dead from blood loss.” [Itham]

“I’m not bleeding anymore, so relax, and stop poking my arm. Are you trying to open the wound?” [Ryner]

“Maybe I should have prepared some medicine beforehand. It was that infamous Blood Trial, so of course treatment was needed after. What was I thinking?! Ah, but I was thinking about my cute daughter, so it’s alright!” [Itham]

“Your kid must REALLY have it tough.” [Ryner]

“Stop talking like I’m a bad father! Besides, now that I think about it, you definitely wouldn’t trust what I offered and think it was poison instead!” [Itham]

“Whaaaat? Of course I’d believe in your kindness and accept whatever medicine you give me.” [Ryner]

“… You’re lying.” [Itham]

“Oh yeah, elves are lie detectors.” [Ryner]

The human, the elf and the dog quickly arrived at their destination which was one of the huge trees in the city. There was nothing to distinguish it, but Itham knew where he was going. As a part of the trunk moved to give him entrance, he ushered Ryner and Mi inside.

What awaited them was a large circular room made of interwoven branches like the one Ryner had been in during the Elders’ meeting. However, this time, it was filled with spider web. The tall walls that seemed to continue forever were covered with it and the space above had various bridges of spider web weaved haphazardly. The ceiling couldn’t be seen and brilliant sunlight poured from above as if there was a skylight.

In that room painted white, various spiders were swiftly moving about, on the walls, the floor and the bridges hanging in the air. They were about fifteen centimeters long, possessed six red eyes and had white fur all over their body. Though some stopped to stare at the guests and wave one of their legs in greeting, the rest opted to continue their work, which involved spinning and gathering their web. It appeared that there was a selection process for the spiders ran around examining the work of their peers, bundled up the ones they picked and hurriedly delivered it to an especially bigger spider.

The round body of the Arachne, that was the size of a cow, was covered in thick, furry hair and white as snow. It resembled two hairy snowballs, one big and one small, stuck together. Though it possessed six round eyes of red color, with three on the left and right, one on each side was bigger than the rest. Despite its large physique, it didn’t appear threatening, especially since, unlike the other smaller spiders that were always on the move, this one was languidly hanging on the wall and quietly knitting.

Using its four front legs, it was knitting up sheets of web from what was brought by the smaller spiders and carefully folded them underneath it. Each one was thin, uniformed and shined under the light. They looked like silk and, no matter how one saw it, they were high quality products that would fetch a high price.

“Surprised?” [Itham]

“… Yeah, this is pretty cool. You’ve got a nest of giant spiders inside a giant tree instead of a giant cave. They’re not pets, are they?” [Ryner]

“Correct. They are fellow residents of Hossylei Nac. The small ones are the workers and the big one here is their queen. Unlike the aggressive spiders living in the swampland, these children are intelligent, gentle and willing to provide us with their silk in exchange for food and shelter.” [Itham]

When Itham, Ryner and Mi approached, the spider queen stopped its work and greeted them by waving one leg. Then, it showed off the pure white, shiny sheets that it made as if boasting of its skills.

“This is what our clothes are made of. Spider silk is light, beautiful and over ten times stronger than steel. The dyeing process is handled somewhere else, but before that, this is where it is produced.” [Itham]

“Your city’s tailors are giant furry spiders that look like snowballs.” [Ryner]

“There are other trees with spider nests in the city. Each of them competes to see who spins the best web and possesses the best knitting skills.” [Itham]

“Your city’s tailors are giant furry spiders that look like snowballs and love knitting clothes… Awesome.” [Ryner]

“Oh and since you humans find it rare, we sell it at a really high price so there should be some in circulation. I’m not sure how much. Trades with humans are limited.” [Itham]

“Well yeah, since they have to cross that depressing swampland that’s prone to killing them every time. But, if you’re selling items that can only be obtained here like these, then I can see why some would take the risk. Not to mention they probably want to capture an elf or two.” [Ryner]

“Hahaha! That’s impossible since we’ll kill anyone who tries on the spot. Yeah, it’ll never happen again… Next time a dirty, disgusting human lays a finger on my daughter, I’LL KILL THEM ALL!!! THE HUMAN RACE WILL GO EXTINCT!!! But of course I’ll spare you, Ryner.” [Itham]

“Geez, thanks. Leaving me as the last surviving member of my kind, I can feel the love.” [Ryner]

After some harmless chatter, they finally got down to business and Itham gave Ryner his second task to complete.

“Just make something. Anything. For the sake of formality, and rubbing it in those Elders’ faces, knit, Ryner! KNIT LIKE THE WIND!!!” [Itham]

And so, while giving the High Elder, who was shouting and pointing at the sky, an indifferent look, Ryner quietly started knitting using the spider web given to him. When he sat down and got to work, the queen of the spiders shot him a nod of approval and began knitting faster as if competing. From her behavior, Ryner understood that they really were a harmless race of Arachne that loved knitting and, for some reason, competing in that domain.

After a while, once Ryner was done, the trio left for their next destination as the spider queen and her children waved them goodbye.

“You’re surprisingly good at knitting.” [Itham]

Itham said while looking at the white scarf in his hands.

“It’s not my first time doing something like that.” [Ryner]

Ryner answered as he yawned and rubbed his eyes sleepily. Knitting, sewing, stitching, and anything involving threads and needles were very familiar to him. The man who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years had encountered many opportunities to hone his skills in such fields. He had, at one point, shown his homely abilities when he first met Maya and fixed her clothes.

As a side note, what he excelled at the most wasn’t making or repairing clothes, but sewing wounds shut to prevent bleeding and stitching limbs back together.

The group travelled by the waterways filled with sparkling water. Huge, towering trees surrounded them. Beams of sunlight filtered through the green leaves and glowing flowers gently illuminated the shadows. Itham was manning the rock platform and taking them to the location for the next task. The day was warm like summer and a cool breeze caressed their cheeks. The refreshing scent of the forest tickled their noses and the sound of rustling water whispered to their ears.

Other elves traveling on the water steered clear of their path with children occasionally pointing and staring at them curiously. As a result, an adorable young boy fell in the water because he was leaning out too much. A beautiful woman, who appeared to be his mother, sighed tiredly before raising her hand. Her son was soon lifted out by a glob of water and gently plopped back on the platform. The boy then spoke a few words and several balls of flame started rotating around him to dry his clothes while his mother warned him to be more careful.

It was peaceful. If Ryner wasn’t careful, he would fall asleep.

Such thoughts leisurely floated in his mind as he rested on his back with his hands behind his head. Next to him stood Itham, humming, while Mi happily sat at the front and watched the scenery pass by.

Everything was peaceful, which made it feel even weirder.

“(That was easy… And a waste of time.)” [Ryner]

Such thoughts leisurely floated in Ryner’s mind as he rested on his back with his hands behind his head. The sleepy-looking human was lazing about in the room allotted to him. Itham had gone off to meet the Elders, leaving his guest and the red puppy alone. Several bouquets of glowing flowers on the ceiling lit up the place. Composed of countless, small, intertwining branches like ivies, the space was built not by hand, but by nature.

It was the inside of a giant tree.

His bed was of circular shape and rested atop thicker branches with a surface made of many large leaves. The white mattress’ cover was woven out of spider web and stuffed with a soft yet springy material resembling wool. His pillow and blanket were similarly made, keeping him warm and giving him a comfortable sleep, if he didn’t always have nightmares.

Besides the bed, the room was devoid of furniture since everything else just sprouted from the floor. When Ryner wanted to sit on a chair, a chair made of branches and leaves was formed. When he wanted a table, a sturdy, round table was formed. If he was a resident, he would have more than a bed. But, as a guest, and moreover, a human, only the necessary minimum was provided. This room was where he spent most of his time yesterday while the Elders decided on what to do with him.

Getting up from the bed that seemed to suck him in and walking on the soft, wooden floor that felt like a warm carpet, Ryner went to the wall and lightly tapped it twice. The wall of branches moved like clay, forming a rectangular opening covered by a transparent film. Just like he wanted, a window was made to let him see the outside. It was as if the giant tree could read his thoughts.

When the sleepy man poked the membrane, it stretched a bit before his finger went through. The film that felt like jelly was actually the tree’s resin, or so he had been told. As such, reading his intentions, the film disappeared, letting in a gentle breeze. As Ryner leaned on the windowsill, he gazed at the view outside. The day was over, dusk had fallen and the sky was covered by a red shade. The glowing flowers hanging from the trees dimmed their light, as if following the cycle of the day and letting darkness take over.

Looking at the fantastical sight of the elves’ city from the height of a six-story building, Ryner thought back on all of the “achievements” he had piled up following Itham’s quick guidance earlier in the day.

“Let’s harvest some wool!” [Itham]

The High Elder declared loudly as he gestured with his arms spread at the countless plants growing inside the giant tree their group was currently at. Located on the floor and walls, these plants looked just like big dandelions as they had a green stem holding up a white, fluffy, springy ball. Itham plucked one of these balls that were the size of his fist and showed it to Ryner.

“Just put these balls of wool in this basket! It’ll be an achievement for helping us harvest the wool in this tree!” [Itham]

So, Ryner started picking up the fluffy balls around the place. He filled one basket before another was given to him while the full one was taken away by an elf that Itham had called. The process was repeated until the place was picked clean.

“Next!” [Ryner]

“It’s noon, so let’s eat!” [Itham]

The High Elder declared loudly as he presented Ryner an elven dish. Different from what was given to him yesterday when he ate with Mi in his room, it was neither meat nor vegetables, but a green slug. There was an eyeball on the side along with some sort of yellow liquid and a piece of parsley.

“Eat to regain your strength! This too! And this too! And this too! What? I know you humans don’t usually eat anything but animals and plants. We took that into account when we made your meals yesterday, but not this time. That’s why we’ll count this as an achievement for trying our food! I’m sure my fellow Elders will accept it! Definitely!” [Itham]

So, Ryner dunked the food down his throat. Although Itham was expecting some form of repulsion, the human simply swallowed his meals with his usual sleepy-looking expression.

“*Munch munch munch gulp* Next!” [Ryner]

“Let’s collect honey!” [Itham]

The High Elder declared loudly as he, Ryner and Mi were travelling high in the air by using a sailboat attached to a zip line hung between the trees. Itham sent wind into the sail to make the vehicle move forward and prevent it from swaying too much. Once they reached the other end of the line, they arrived at a platform formed out of the tree’s trunk where a huge, red pitcher plant quietly grew at. The plant, that was as tall as Ryner, was filled with balls of honey that had been dropped by large bees.

“Just put the honey in this sack! It’ll be an achievement for lending us a hand in collecting honey!” [Itham]

So, Ryner grabbed the honey balls, which were rather smooth and soft, and stuffed them in the sack given to him. A few bees showed up, but they only watched from afar as the human proceeded to empty the pitcher plant.

“Is this really necessary?” [Ryner]

“Trust me. It is. Next!” [Itham]

“Let’s draw something!” [Itham]

The High Elder declared loudly as he gave Ryner a drawing book and a pen.

“Show your artistic side! This’ll be counted as an achievement!” [Itham]

So, Ryner quickly drew a sketch of a smiling Meirith, which was instantly snatched by a roaring Itham.

“Y-Y-YOU CAN DRAW THIS WELL?!! PERFECT!!! IT’S PERFECT!!! IT LOOKS JUST LIKE MY DAUGHTER!!! AH, WAIT!? RYNER, MEIRITH’S EARS ARE A BIT SHORTER! AND HER BREASTS ARE A BIT BIGGER! AND HER EYES A-!” [Itham]

“NEXT!” [Ryner]

“Let’s cook something!” [Itham]

The High Elder declared loudly as he took Ryner to a kitchen. A counter to work at sprouted from the floor. Several items such as cooking knives, pots and pans were lined up. It was, however, missing any appliances resembling the stove or the refrigerator that he had seen run on magic stones. Instead, food was cooked and kept chilled using the elves’ magic, which was why Itham was lending a hand.

“Make me a tasty dish and we’ll count it as a feat!” [Itham]

Ryner looked at the ingredients that the High Elder presented to him and mentally ran through the recipes that he knew. Fish, meat, fruits, vegetables, everything was there. After a while, he decided to just randomly make something and began cooking using the kitchen’s equipment and Itham’s magic.

“… How did you make charcoal?” [Itham]

Unfortunately, the dish didn’t come out too good.

“Hey, it’s not my fault. The process was much too complicated.” [Ryner]

“You were grilling a fish over a fire with salt.” [Itham]

“I know, right? For some reason, the fish just burned on its own. Weird.” [Ryner]

“… Erm, if you think about it, this is an achievement in its own way. Right, turning food into charcoal is pretty amazing. The Elders will accept this. Definitely. Yeah. I’ll make it work.” [Itham]

“Just tell me what to do next so we can be done with all of this. Oh, and don’t waste food. Eat it all up.” [Ryner]

“That’s asking me to die!!” [ITHAM]

“Eat it!” [Ryner]

“NO!” [Itham]

“EAT!” [Ryner]

“NO!” [Itham]

“EAT!” [Ryner]

“NO!” [Itham]

“Your kid will be proud of you if you do!” [Ryner]

“N-rea, really? Wait! YOU’RE LYING!!!” [Itham]

“These elves are annoying.” [Ryner]

“I HEARD THAT!!!” [Itham]

Ryner recalled all of the so-called achievements he had gathered while feeling the breeze caress his cheeks and taking in the city’s sights. As Itham dragged him around, he had a chance to see how the elves lived in their forest hidden from the world.

Although full of life, Hossylei Nac wasn’t bustling with noise like a metropolis. Perhaps it was because only five hundred elves lived there, but in that case, to Ryner, the city seemed too big. If every tree was like an apartment complex that could accommodate many, then there should be more inhabitants. Otherwise, most of the trees were probably unused. Or, it might be that every elf had a tree to himself, which would be the same as each resident owning a skyscraper.

However, if other races lived in Hossylei Nac, like the spiders and the amazons, and they were given lodgings, then that could fill the empty space. Of course, it might be that some facts were kept secret from him. After all, Ryner had been told that five hundred elves lived in Hossylei Nac and it didn’t appear to be a lie. But, he was human, a kind that wasn’t welcome. Telling the truth without telling the whole truth was quite possible.

Moreover, there was always someone accompanying him whenever he went out, which meant that he couldn’t go wherever he wanted. As such, he actually hadn’t explored a tenth of Hossylei Nac, even when he was dragged around by Itham to rake in those seemingly important achievements.

“I get the feeling that they’re keeping us away from some parts of the city. What do you think, Mi?” [Ryner]

“Woof!” [Mi]

Ryner asked the young pup that was his roommate, but he didn’t get a clear answer. It wasn’t just because he couldn’t understand her. Mi was in the middle of energetically rubbing her back on the floor and didn’t seem too concerned with his question.

“Yeah, it doesn’t feel like wood, does it?” [Ryner]

Yawning, he returned his attention to the view outside the window.

“… I gotta sleep soon.” [Ryner]

It was peaceful. If Ryner wasn’t careful, he would fall asleep.

The squishy, comfy bed was beckoning him. The climate was still warm despite night getting closer and a cooling breeze always gently danced in the city’s refreshing air. People went to and fro outside the room. Dots of golden blonde hair travelled on the bridges, the waterways and the flying sailboats. A swarm of bees passed by, making their usual honey delivery.

Everything in Hossylei Nac was peaceful, vibrant and full of life, which made it feel even weirder.

After all, according to Rosaminta, Hossylei Nac should have been wiped out.

“Boy, you see, the elves’ home, the forest where they live, shouldn’t exist anymore-” [Rosaminta]

The conversation Ryner previously had earlier in the day, the hidden truth that the Gatekeeper saw fit to reveal to him for some reason replayed in his mind several times.

“Because it was destroyed and turned into this swampland.” [Rosaminta]

The sense of dissonance in Ryner grew by the second since he was currently standing inside a tree that, apparently, had been obliterated along with the entire city. It was like resting at a beautiful oasis in the middle of a desert while fully knowing that it was a mirage.

“(Long time ago, Hossylei Nac was destroyed. Turned into swampland. Information credible. Rosaminta wasn’t lying. Acting strange, but not lying. But, Hossylei Nac still here.)” [Ryner]

The facts were contradicting, most notably, the barrier, which was the essential tool to keep the elves safe. Ryner’s gut feeling told him to investigate it when he suspected that it wasn’t actually hiding everything inside from the outside world.

“(Barrier not of invisibility. Doesn’t camouflage city, lake and forest. Other mechanics. Only possible access through Rosaminta’s gate. Note, other gates exist. Possibilities? Dimensional barrier. Connects two realms together. Sensation of travelling between dimensions through gate not present. Other possibilities? Source of magic powering it?)” [Ryner]

Ryner rapidly went through the information currently available to him and organized it in his head. He tried to reach further beyond the truth that he was told. He tried to discover the truth that Rosaminta and the elves didn’t know.

How could Hossylei Nac still exist if it was destroyed at one point in time?

“Excuse me.” [???]

However, a voice following a couple of knocks interrupted his thoughts. A hole the size of a door opened in the wall opposite to where he was standing and a female elf in a light green robe was revealed.

“A festival is about to start and you’ve been invited. I am here to guide you. Please follow me.” [Elf]

It was one of the Travelers, one of the former slaves that Ryner had saved.

“It’s been a while, Ryner.” [Traveler]

A faint smile floated on her lips.

“Uh, yeah, it’s been a while, uhhhh…” [Ryner]

“… You don’t know my name, do you?” [Traveler]

And in just three seconds, it quickly turned into a frown.