Past the tunnel is an extensive valley enclosed by a network of sky-scraping cliffs. And hidden inside this green vale is a forest rich in tall and wide lumber which serves as the home of thousands of elves.

The people here live within the hollow trunks of the great Elderwood trees that exclusively grow here. They carve into the rigid bark and eke out humble dwellings from the ancient wood.

As you tread through the leaf-scattered path of this elven village, you feel stares from all over.

Your presence is unusual to the locals. You possess the features of an elf, yet emit an otherworldly aura. They pay more attention to your unorthodox appearance than the wagon of food trailing behind you.

"You seem nervous, Garden Beast," Leronil takes notice of your visible discomfort. "Are you holding up okay?"

"I'm not exactly a people person, you know?" you reply, hunched over shyly. "I've spent most of my days talking with a Mystfox for crying out loud!"

Your friend slowly draws the cart, also wary of the eyes on him. The two of you are not accustomed to this newfound popularity.

Following a long walk filled with silent gazes, you arrive at the foot of the largest tree situated in the hub of the valley. It serves as the council building for the village elders and towers over the rest of the trees.

By the entrance stands two elves carrying spears. Leronil steps forth and approaches the guards.

"Leronil," one of the sentries levels his weapon at the leader, "who is this outsider you've brought to our village?"

"Do you not see the harvest behind us?!" the man loudly exclaims. "This is none other than the Garden Beast I informed you of!"

"T-the... Garden Beast?"

They quickly examine you and are taken aback by your silver hair and mismatched eyes. The pile of produce behind you also sways their attitude.

"I demand an audience with my father, the village chief," Leronil crosses his arms with a domineering tone.

The two guards are dubious, but they ultimately let you through.

Leronil beckons you and the gang, and you walk past the distrusting elves with the cart in tow. The breadth of the ramp spiraling up to the council chamber perfectly services the size of your wagon and you ascend with no issue.

Once you reach the mouth of the main hall, you bear witness to the wonders of elven architecture.

The space within is massive—comparable to the insides of human palaces. As the whittled interior is so intricately detailed, you wouldn't be surprised if the entire wooden room was an elaborate art piece.

You spot a garrison of elven troops protected by layers of wooden armor and armed with an arsenal of finely-whetted weaponry; they are posted along the walls of the chamber and vigilantly watch you and your posse's every move.

At the end of the chamber sits four elves on five majestic-looking thrones. One remains empty.

Most of the elves' faces are laden with wrinkles and their gray hairs mirror yours.

Leronil and the rest of the Elderwood Scouts genuflect before these elderly figures. Seeing their actions of deference, you swiftly do the same and bend a knee.

"You may rise," the old man dressed in milk-white robes gestures to you. "Now, what is the meaning of this, Leronil? Who is this outsider?"

"Father!" the man jolts to his feet. "I informed you yesterday that the Garden Beast would come to aid us."

"The Garden Beast? You were telling the truth?"

He squints his eyes and directs his sights to the Mystfox.

"This is the monster that has been wiping out the local slime population?" the village chief sounds unimpressed.

"No, not the fox!" his son corrects him. "I'm talking about her. She's the one who cultivated that fertile land we wanted."

Everyone turns to you and an awkward atmosphere ensues.

"Uh... nice to meet you," you fidget about. "Would you accept my patronage?"

The old elf rubs his eyes and says, "W-well, this is unexpected..."

He looks to the other council members and waits for their opinions.

"C-Chief Ginta, you don't seriously believe the boy do you?" the slimy priest in jewelry casts his doubts. "How do we know he's not been tricked or deceived by this shady temptress?"

"Shady temptress?" you do not take too kindly to his spiteful words.

"And that heap of food? Indubitably poisoned! This is a test from Gaia herself, do not fall for their lies!"

And speaking up is the middle-aged woman to the left of the chief. Her clothes are relatively modest and she is noticeably younger than the rest of the elders.

"I smell no such poison from here, Elder Alimarc," she argues against the man's claims. "Did you forget I was present?"

"A-Anna! You dare oppose the village priest as a lowly alchemist?!"

"That's Elder Anna to you. Do not forget we are all equals in this council."

"Bah! You're always quick to protect the boy!"

" And you're always quick to protect your backside, Alimarc. You're scared of being exposed as a fraud aren't you? It was you who peddled the story of the Garden Beast, right? Was that truly an oracle from Gaia herself?"

The slippery priest shrinks in his seat and grumbles to himself.

"Might I ask your real name, 'Garden Beast'?" Anna inquires with a friendly smile.

You twiddle your fingers behind your back and meekly answer, "Nameless Seer. That is the name I was given."

"Interesting. And why would you help tour people? We did foolishly send the scouting team to hunt you down..."

"O-oh, don't worry! They weren't much of a threat," you glance at the Elderwood Scouts. "No offense..."

"I see..."

"As for the reason I"m willing to help you, look no further than this book iI have."

And you bring out Darius' book from your belt bag and show the council how elves are illustrated in human literature. A feral folk devoid of any intelligence, and you tell them how you wish to broaden your horizons.

Immediately, Alimarc bursts from his seat and yell, "She is obviously a human spy then! Who else would come into possession of such a work!"

"Elder Alimarc," the hunched-over old woman to the farthest right finally opens her mouth, "hush now, dear."

"A-ah, yes Elder Illya..." the priest is surprisingly compliant.

"Chief Ginta, surely you understand how valuable this opportunity is. We are not in a position to turn away outside support," Anna advises the old man.

The village chief strokes his chin in the same manner as his son. And following a minute of quiet thinking, he reaches a decision.

"I am of a mind with you Elder Anna," he nods his head. "Alright. We shall accept this gracious gift from the Garden Beast. Or, the Nameless Seer I suppose."

The elves behind you celebrate and you can't help but feel relieved.

"Elder Anna, I trust you to guide this outsider through our history and culture. It's the least we can do to repay her for her kindness."

"Understood, Chief Ginta. I will also teach her the ways of Elderwood Alchemy. That should suffice, right Nameless Seer?" the woman winks at you.

"T-that'd be great..!" you are touched by their gratitude.

Anna slides off her chair and saunters up to you. She inspects you head to toe and brushes the dirt off your cloak.

"First though, we should get you cleaned up. It wouldn't do for our guest to be stained with mud."

"Cleaned up?' you are clueless as to what she means.

And your friend lies down, exhausted. Not from the long and strenuous haul, but from the barrage of developments he has been forced to observe.

But upon catching a glimpse of the beam on your face, he doesn't mind the noisy day as much.

"Never a dull moment with you," he thinks to himself.