Matan’s Shooter

If only Leeha could show Prea how he was treated in the Dark Elf settlement and explain the new spirit called the Dark Elf Guardian, she would trust him even more.

The problem was that things were progressing slightly differently than Leeha had thought.

Prea’s face, which had always spoken the truth, twisted at that very moment.

“You’re going to the Dark Elves now!?”

“What? Oh, yes. Why are you so distraught―”

“Ha Leeha-ssi? Do you not know what race I am?”

Looking at Prea’s furrowed brow, Leeha realized.

The Spiritualist with white eyes, Prea. A Wood Elf.

Rankers had led the Wood Elves to destroy the existing settlements of the Dark Elves.

In such a situation, what would the Dark Elves’ reaction be if he brought a Wood Elf user?

‘Haaa… this is really difficult, difficult.’

Even the village chief himself might come forward and plunge a dagger into her neck.

Leeha needed to figure out a way to meet the Dark Elf Guardian with a ‘Wood Elf’. And right at this very moment, when they just arrived at the Dark Elf settlement!

Sasasak―!

Before Leeha could finish speaking, a few shadowy figures descended from the trees. They were Dark Elves with eyes full of fury.

* * *

Tatar extended his left hand forward to confuse the opponent’s vision and strengthened his grip on the scimitar in his right hand.

“Please step aside, Ha Leeha.”

“Uh, um, Tatar. This Wood Elf here is… my colleague…”

“How could Ha Leeha refer to a mere Wood Elf as a ‘colleague’? Step aside. If their mana has confused you, I will immediately sever her neck and treat you.”

Tatar’s eyes were ablaze.

Even the Dark Elf with the most familiarity with Leeha was in such a state, not to mention the other Dark Elves from the search party around them.

“Like I said, I thought the Dark Elves must have a connection to spirits since they are also elves, so I once visited another settlement of theirs before… Oh, if only we could communicate—” �

“Shut up, cursed being! Do you think we wouldn’t attack just because you hide behind Ha Leeha, who carries the power of the hero and protects our tribe?”

“Right! Because of you lot, Takado― Pia is!”

“I’ll kill you, wood elf!”

Even a mere shrug from Prea made the Dark Elves flinch, ready to pounce.

Leeha quickly stepped in front of Prea.

It was Tatar’s words that gave Leeha, who had been in constant trouble, a breakthrough.

“Tatar.”

“Yes, Ha Leeha-nim.”

“Please guide us to the chieftain.”

Persuading and pacifying the Dark Elves to pass through? Leeha didn’t have the time nor the reason for that.

“But taking a Wood Elf along―”

“I am the guardian of the Dark Elves. Do you think I would do anything to harm you? If you think so, I will leave immediately and never return.”

Every word from Leeha, who had saved all the Dark Elf tribes, was as good as a law.

Though Tatar showed an aggressive look for a moment, it was only fleeting.

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“I apologize, Ha Leeha-nim. I will guide you to the chieftain right away. Go ahead and inform them.”

“Yes!”

Tatar sheathed his weapon and led the way.

When he took the lead, the other Dark Elves in the search party swiftly climbed back into the trees and moved quickly.

—My God! Guardian? What is that? How did you, just with words, make it possible for me to enter the Dark Elf settlement?

Prea whispered to Leeha in astonishment. Leeha replied with an awkward expression.

—You’ll understand when we get there. It’s related to why I came to this place.

They successfully passed the first checkpoint on their way to the Dark Elf settlement.

Leeha, feeling slightly embarrassed by his unusually high-handed attitude, was nonetheless satisfied with the outcome.

The issue was what lay ahead.

Namely, whether he could bring Prea along to meet the ‘Guardian Spirit’ of the Dark Elves.

The path to the Dark Elf village required navigating through a maze-like forest.

Even Leeha, who usually had a good sense of direction, found himself confused several times by similar-looking crossroads and landmarks until finally, the village of the Dark Elves appeared.

To be precise, the Dark Elves themselves appeared before the village.

“Welcome, Ha Leeha-nim.”

“Chieftain? It has been a while.”

The person leading the group of Dark Elves outside the village was the chieftain. Leeha greeted him, a bit flustered.

The chieftain wasn’t the only one who came out.

Nearly all the Dark Elves following the chieftain shouted simultaneously,

“We are honored to host the Guardian of the Tribe!”

“It’s an honor!”

The treatment he received immediately after earning the 〈Medal of Honor〉 in the royal palace of Fibiel was less impressive. In terms of sheer enthusiasm, it was not an exaggeration to say that it surpassed even Kijung’s visit to the Vatican of Ezwyn.

Considering that these beings weren’t wealthy NPCs with ample resources, but rather refugees whose village had been utterly destroyed, the reception was indeed impressive.

“T-Thank you, everyone.”

Leeha awkwardly raised his hand and waved.

Despite their cautious glances at Prea, the Dark Elves applauded Leeha fervently.

“Bringing along a ‘companion’ Wood Elf… You indeed exceed our expectations, Ha Leeha-nim.”

“Chieftain, you can treat me like you did before. Haha.”

Had their affinity dwindled because he had brought a Wood Elf or taken a high-handed stance with Tatar?

Leeha grew tense at the chieftain’s changed tone.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the reason.

“For saving the tribe’s cursed one… How could I casually address Ha Leeha-nim?”

“The cursed one…”

The chieftain of the Dark Elves was different from the others.

He was one of the few who remembered Kaztor from childhood.

While he had decided to eliminate him for the tribe’s sake, did he also feel a personal sense of empathy and pity?

As Leeha muttered in response to his words, the chieftain quickly waved his hands.

“No, that was just a soliloquy. Please forget it. Follow me. I’ll guide you.”

Leeha nodded at him.

Amid the warm reception from the Dark Elves, Leeha and Prea followed the chieftain into the largest tent.

The tent gave a much stronger sense of a ‘village’ than it had during their earlier attack by the Wood Elves.

Even inside the tent, Prea was looking around curiously.

Tatar served a coffee-like tea, and Leeha briefly recounted the matter of Kaztor to him.

Since word of the Dark Elf’s death had already spread, the chieftain wasn’t very surprised.

With a calm expression, he listened to the story while sipping the tea, and only then did Leeha get to the main point.

“I came to talk about Kaztor, but… I also have another reason for my visit, chieftain. Do you know what that might be?”

“I’m not sure. However, since you brought a Wood Elf with you… I can guess to some extent.”

While the chieftain spoke, Prea continued looking around.

Leeha could still not feel any spirit energy. His ability to detect spirits was very low, to the point where he could only barely sense them if they were summoned.

But Prea?

—Do you sense anything?

—Very… very faintly. It feels like something is there, but it’s almost as if there’s nothing. I thought the Dark Elves might be hiding a spirit… Hmm.

Of course, her detection ability was better than Leeha’s. Still, she didn’t recognize much.

Leeha nodded at her response.

Their physical strength didn’t come from nowhere. If it manifested in forms like {Forbidden Rage} in Leeha’s necklace, functioning similarly to a buff, then it would naturally not be detectable by {Spirit Detection}.

Now was the time to confirm it.

“I would like to see the Guardian Spirit of the Dark Elf Tribe.”

Leeha cautiously opened his mouth. The chieftain nodded.

“Of course. The Guardian Spirits will surely want to meet Ha Leeha-nim.”

“Great! Then please guide—”

“However, only Ha Leeha-nim. Although we can accommodate Ha Leeha-nim’s ‘companion’ in the village, allowing a Wood Elf to meet our tribe’s Guardian Spirit is impossible.”

The chieftain’s firm response to Leeha’s request left no room for negotiation.

Leeha slightly furrowed his brows.

“This person is my comrade. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I can trust her 100%. Nonetheless, are you saying it’s impossible?”

Today, Leeha didn’t come here for a quest request.

Leeha had come as the protector of the Dark Elf tribe. Hearing Leeha’s strong accent, the chieftain’s face momentarily showed surprise.

“Not this wood— no, did you mean this person…?”

“Yes. Do you remember when Kidd, Luger, and I came here last time? I also do not have a good relationship with the Wood Elves. However, this situation is different.”

Leeha turned to look at Prea.

Ever since the word ‘guardian spirit’ had been mentioned, everything that followed, including Leeha’s statement of 100% trust, came as a shock to her.

That she looked more surprised than the Dark Elf chieftain was evidence enough.

“Please guide us, chieftain.”

The chieftain picked up his teacup to hide his expression. After a moment, he finally spoke.

“Even if I accompany this Wood Elf along with you, Ha Leeha-nim, the guardian spirits will never tolerate it. Their intrinsic energy inherently rejects the Wood Elves. From the beginning, their energies are fundamentally incompatible.”

“Who are they that you say this?”

Leeha swallowed dryly. He could instinctively tell that he was almost there.

The chieftain smiled lightly at Leeha’s question.

“They are why we can be Dark Elves. Anger and destruction, and chaos and powerlessness.”

“Anger— powerlessness, destruction, chaos… is that all—”

Leeha repeated each word the chieftain mentioned. Prea, who had clues from Leeha, also figured it out.

Could it really be?

Only the chieftain’s confirmation remained!

With the gaze of the users fixated on him, the chieftain nodded.

“They are spirits. They are the grateful ones who protect us.”

“No way! Spirits? Spirits!? Spirits of wrath, destruction, chaos, and powerlessness?!”

Prea stood up abruptly, letting out a shocked scream.

Leeha was equally astonished.

‘From the moment they mentioned guardian spirits in plural form, it was strange— it wasn’t just wrath!’

Wood Elves had the four elemental spirits. Compared to Wood Elves, who were born with basic affinity, what about Dark Elves?

‘They existed. And— four spirits opposing the four elemental spirits!’

Having gained unexpected information, Leeha and Prea exchanged glances. Leeha quickly asked the chieftain.

“Does that mean the Wood Elves cannot see the guardian spirits…?”

“We are Dark Elves. The guardian spirits naturally have the attribute of darkness. Unlike us, who are intrinsically familiar with darkness, wood elves do not have that affinity. If anything, they are opposing forces, so the guardian spirits attacking Ha Leeha’s guest—”

“No, no, no!”

Interrupting the chieftain’s polite explanation, Prea shook her head as if it would break her neck.

“Yes, yes?”

“I have it! The attribute of darkness! Spirits!”

Click—!

Prea snapped her fingers once more.

Shades appeared alongside her.

“The affinity for the attribute of darkness, which started at a negative, has risen by more than fifty percent! I have achieved many accomplishments— uh.”

Prea stopped mid-sentence and covered her mouth.

In her excitement, she had inadvertently mentioned her ‘status’, a basic secret of Middle Earth!

Leeha widened his eyes at her.

There would be more than one or two accomplishments related to affinity with spirits of darkness.

However, wasn’t there a noteworthy achievement with such an attribute that Leeha had recently obtained?

“〈Grudge Eater〉…?”

“… How does Ha Leeha know that—?!”

Hearing Leeha mumble, Prea’s eyes widened.

While Prea was shocked by the new spirits of darkness and Leeha was surprised by Prea’s achievements.

“How, how can this be— how can spirits of darkness be with a Wood Elf…?”

The chieftain was equally astonished.

Even contracting with spirits of darkness and converting the affinity for spirits of darkness that started at a natural zero—!

The tent that had fallen silent as if in a mouse’s peace buzzed with activity about five minutes later.

The chieftain lifted the carpet in the tent, revealing four jars situated as if in a pit.

“Let’s go. I will let you meet them.”

Hearing the chieftain’s words, Leeha and Prea high-fived.

The cheerful sound of clapping resonated throughout the Dark Elf village.