135. The Anomaly in the Elf Forest
On this day, four misfortunes converged in the Elf Forest.
First. An unusually violent storm struck.
Rain was a blessing to the forest, but in the Elf Forest, it usually fell gently. Yet today, heavier than usual, it poured with fierce winds, sending sprays of water flying across the wood. Naturally, this exposed the mushrooms in question to the downpour.
Second. The rare, once-in-thirty-years breeding cycle of the Silver Fireflies had begun.
It had started earlier, but today—the very day—far more Silver Fireflies than normal had lit up their bioluminescent displays, drawing in females with their radiant glow. Normally, it would be a wondrous, dreamlike spectacle.
Third. Iberia was approaching from the west, just as the event unfolded.
Fourth. A massive mana discharge occurred.
The natural fluctuation of the Dragon Vein's cycle, amplified by the lingering aftereffects of the mana tsunami in the Academy City, caused an unprecedented surge in mana release. Most of it was absorbed by the World Tree, but the excess spilled out in large quantities into the Elf Forest.
This event, later known as "The Four Misfortunes of the Elf Forest," was something even the gods could not have predicted.
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The Elf Forest was home to numerous Trakt Lance, a type of wooden spirit-beast. The materials harvested from these creatures became high-quality wood capable of channeling magical energy. The Trakt Lance themselves were normally immobile and harmless, so they were cultivated and harvested in designated zones, becoming a specialty product of the Elf Nation—magic-grade timber, refined and managed.
The hotspot for the problematic mushrooms was the region known as Trakt Lance Pasture, located in the northern and western parts of the Elf Nation. The western sector, in particular, was a wetland crisscrossed by numerous tributaries flowing into the Elde River, which ran north to south through the Elf Nation.
And it was also a breeding ground for Fireflies.
The real issue, though, was that Shiro had given no warning whatsoever about the impact of the miasma and virus on Trakt Lance.
True, he’d never encountered a single monster in person—so one might excuse him for not knowing.
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"Emergency! High concentrations of miasma detected in the Trakt Lance region!"
An adventurer burst into the Adventurer Guild.
"Miasma? Why now... Wait—hold on, that’s bad, isn’t it?!"
"Ah, we’re already shutting down the regional gate. Reporting to the Guildmaster. Emergency summoning required."
Trakt Lance. High miasma. Anyone who lived in the Elf Nation knew the warning by heart. Trakt Lance became violent when saturated with miasma. That meant it started attacking—and moving.
The Guildmaster arrived, turning to the adventurers.
"Where exactly is this happening?!"
"North and West sectors!"
"Both? Why now...?" The Guildmaster clutched his head.
I’ve lived here for years, he thought. Never once heard of high miasma in Trakt Lance.
"Emergency summoning! Assemble all adventurers! No one gets through to the southern sector!"
The southern sector’s farmland. If Trakt Lance floods into the agricultural zone, it could deal a catastrophic blow to the nation’s food supply.
“Also, urgent report to the king. We need troops dispatched immediately!”
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King Ray received the alert and used the communication system to send an emergency broadcast across the world, requesting aid.
Ironically, this was the first time the emergency relay system—designed for Federation readiness—had ever gone live.
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“Aria reports that Trakt Lance has gone berserk and is stampeding through the elven forest,” she said.
“Trakt Lance? Is that a monster?” Shiro asked.
“Oh? You don’t know? Ah, right—only found in the elven forest. More like a tree monster, really. Usually just looks like an ordinary tree. But it conducts magic exceptionally well, making it a rare material for staves and other enchanted gear. Normally it doesn’t move or attack. But it reacts to a certain level of miasma concentration—turns violent. This kind of situation’s especially troublesome.”
“Trees attacking?”
“Yes. They jab out branches like spears, then swing them around. And their roots start moving—like octopus limbs.”
“Shiro, an octo is a cephalopod monster.”
“Ah, right. So it’s short for Tree-Oct-Lance? Any known weaknesses?”
“Not widely known… probably just chopping it down is the only option,” Aria said.
“Shiro, this world doesn’t know much about it, but it’s weak to lightning magic. Probably because few mages here can cast lightning. That’s why it’s not common knowledge.”
"Lightning attribute? I see.... Come to think of it, elves are known for their archery, aren’t they?... So then..." Shiro smirked, as if struck by an idea.
"Senpai, what’re you scheming now?" Kotone shot back without missing a beat.
"Huh? Why would you—"
"Shiro, your face gives it away," Shestia said flatly.
"..." Shiro fell silent. Then, deflecting with a sudden burst of energy,
"Alright—once we're ready, we're heading straight for the elven kingdom!" he declared.
And so, Shiro and the others set off directly from the academy city to the elven realm.
During the journey, aboard the magic vessel, Shiro busied himself crafting a massive quantity of a certain item.
Meanwhile, upon hearing the news, Sophia, Sherina, and Altia boarded the Silphid I from Sotohaim and raced toward the elven city.
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