Naidrian was buried under a pile of books and papers in her room.

Having returned hastily from the Epheltre household due to the arrival of the Elf delegation, which had arrived late in the capital, she was finally able to immerse herself in her research for a while.

Even during the journey to defeat the Demon King, she had continued her studies on the growth and species of plants, though not as diligently as before. The Senate disapproved, seeing her work as a waste of time, but as long as she fulfilled her duties as a member of the warrior party, they did not openly criticize her.

However, that tolerance only extended as long as Naidrian was performing her duties properly.

The elder who entered the room after knocking lightly frowned at the sight of her study.

“You’re still wasting time on such nonsense.”

“Elder….”

“You’re leisurely studying at a time when our race is facing a crisis?”

“No, I’m doing this for the sake of our people….”

Naidrian tried to defend herself, but she shrank back as the elder clicked his tongue.

“Serving our people means fighting the demons and the Demon King as a member of the warrior party and striving for the revival of our race.”

“We’ve already defeated the demons and the Demon King. And once my research is complete, our elves will be able to….”

“Completed? You call it completed?”

The elder slammed his hand on the desk, visibly upset. Elves, who were known for their calm demeanor and gentle smiles, had recently become quick to anger and impatience.

“Even though the Demon King was defeated, the demons are still rampant. Have you forgotten Epheltre? They killed people in broad daylight in the middle of the street! You were there as part of the task force that was sent to deal with it!”

“…Yes, that’s true.”

“Do you think you should be wasting time here? You should be pressuring the Crown Princess and the Shield Knight to fulfill their contract with us!”

“I’ve been doing that constantly. But you know, Elder, they keep delaying, claiming the contract conditions haven’t been met….”

“What a simpleton!”

The elder’s harsh tone made the timid Naidrian stiffen. Her gaze dropped to the floor, and though she felt it was unfair, she bit her lip and said nothing.

“This is politics. It’s not a game you play with friends. You need to enforce your demands with some justification, even if it’s fabricated, and back it up with strength.”

The elder sighed deeply. Despite being an archer of unparalleled skill and the pride of their race, Naidrian’s timid nature made her inadequate in other areas. Despite the strict upbringing meant to curb her innocence and impulsiveness, she had only become more cautious and hesitant, constantly second-guessing herself.

The elder wanted to berate her until his anger subsided, but Naidrian was the elves’ strongest card. He knew that a leader couldn’t be driven solely by the stick, so he softened his tone, offering her some encouragement.

“I know you’ve been through a lot. But you must understand that the fate of our people rests on your shoulders, which is why we must place this burden on you.”

“It’s not that… I should have done better….”

Naidrian was startled by her own words. She realized that what she had just said was something the porter had often muttered to himself. She wondered if, perhaps, she was in a similar situation and position to that of the porter.

“You mentioned earlier that strength is needed to back up your demands.”

The elder spoke with a somber expression.

“The size of our forest has decreased again. Compared to the beginning, we’ve lost more than half…!”

“How is that possible…? Just last year, only 30% had disappeared over a thousand years. How could it be so much in just one year…?”

“You see? No matter how much you study plants, it’s nowhere near enough to understand and address the current crisis. The strength of our elves comes from our numbers and our homeland. But that very foundation is shrinking. We must act while we still have some strength left!”

The elder spoke with conviction, emphasizing his words to Naidrian.

“The Senate and the delegation are also applying pressure. We need you, as a member of the warrior party, to act as the vanguard for our people.”

“…I understand. I will do my best to fulfill our people’s wishes and not give up.”

“That’s the spirit.”

With the elder’s approval, Naidrian finally felt a small release from her constant anxiety. However, like many timid individuals, she still harbored different thoughts internally.

‘Even if I don’t know why the forest is shrinking, I can still research ways to restore it.’

She had made progress in her research. She had already developed tree species that could thrive in harsh environments and was now focused on enhancing their survivability. All of this was made possible by a benefactor who had been funding her research for the past two years. While it wasn’t an enormous sum, it was enough to keep her work going.

The only concern was that she had recently received news that her benefactor was unable to provide funding for the time being due to personal circumstances. She had received this news just before the Demon King campaign, so she hadn’t been able to focus on it properly.

Though her research was nearing its final stages, the lack of additional funding was a severe blow. The warrior party members had received generous support, but that was meant solely for the purpose of defeating the Demon King, so it had been spent on preparations and nothing was left.

‘It’ll take time, but I’m so close…!’

She hoped that her benefactor would recover financially and be able to support her again. She was so close to completing her research.

Knock, knock

“Is anyone there? This is the World Postal Service! I have a letter for High Elf Naidrian!”

As if in response to her thoughts, a messenger arrived.

Naidrian’s face lit up as she heard the messenger’s call and opened the door.

“Lady Naidrian! It’s been a while. Here’s your letter, and I’ll need your signature to confirm receipt!”

“Yes, of course!”

Naidrian’s expression brightened even more when she saw the sender’s name. In contrast, the elder’s mood darkened.

As the postal worker left and Naidrian returned to her desk, the elder couldn’t hide his discomfort.

“Is there a man in your life?”

“Pardon? Me?”

“…Never mind.”

The elder, taken aback by Naidrian’s incredulous reaction, awkwardly dropped the subject. If someone as timid as Naidrian was showing such a reaction, it was clear there was no man involved.

Just as she was about to tear open the letter with a big smile, there was another urgent knock on the door.

“Yes, come in.”

“Lady Naidrian! Sir Reinhold is urgently calling for you!”

“Suddenly?”

“There’s been a report that demons have appeared in Waltercrua, just like they did in Epheltre! The saint and Lady Tigria, who were part of the Epheltre task force, encountered a member of the Demon King’s Party and have retreated to the capital!”

“Are you sure of this?!”

“And they’ve also discovered the whereabouts of Warrior Luciena Estelle!”

“…!”

There was no reason to hesitate.

“Elder!”

“Go to the meeting immediately. I’ll return to the delegation and inform them of the news.”

“Yes!”

With that, everyone who had been in the room quickly left, leaving behind only the letter on the desk.

The letter, Naidrian’s only source of comfort and the dream she held on to.

The envelope bore the following sender’s name:

[Sender: Investor Lin]

“Hey there~.”

A white-haired, blue-skinned woman with a side ponytail waved at the gray-haired woman with a short bob.

“You’re late, Spearman.”

“I walked.”

“Don’t you know that speed is crucial to our plan?”

“It’s a long-term plan, with lots of stages. As long as we’re not too late, it’s fine.”

“Ugh.”

The illusionist sighed, but the spearman didn’t care. However, she did have something on her mind.

“So, how was Lin?”

“What can I say? He was Lin, as always. Upright and kind.”

“Ahhh~!”

Just thinking about it made her heart race. Even hearing about it from the illusionist made the spearman’s face light up like a young girl’s.

“And like Lin, he was smiling even as he carried all that pain.”

“Ah….”

Both of them fell silent, their expressions darkening. After a while, the spearman snapped.

“Lin should’ve been one of us!”

“Yes, exactly. If he had been, I would’ve embraced all his pain and comforted him.”

“Wait, what? Shouldn’t that be my role?”

“And what makes you think that?”

“It’s simple logic, right?”

The spearman twirled her spear, tilting her head.

“Right now, there’s a warrior by Lin’s side, right? So if Lin had been one of us, it would be natural for me, the warrior’s opposite, to be by his side.”

“Yes, simple logic.”

The illusionist agreed.

“Then, in this world, where I’m the warrior’s rival, it makes sense for me to be by Lin’s side.”

“Why are you twisting it like that?”

“I’m just following your logic.”

“…You want to fight?”

“Anytime.”

The spearman, who had been exuding a fierce aura, quickly lost interest. The illusionist waved her off and sighed again.

“If Lin were with us, he’d be saddened by this behavior.”

“That’s true. I guess we should practice restraint when we’re around him.”

Oddly enough, the two of them shared the same opinion when it came to Lin.

As the spearman sat down to sharpen her spear, she asked casually, trying to seem indifferent.

“Did Lin go to the Zramun Archipelago?”

“Yes, he did.”

“As expected, Lin knows everything.”

“Of course, he’s Lin.”

“He’s amazing. So kind and patient, yet there’s nothing he doesn’t know.”

She took out a whetstone and began honing the spear’s blade.

During the fight with the saint and the mage, she had purposely dulled the blade.

Next time they met, she planned to skewer them cleanly.

The spearman had no intention of forgiving the two people who had hurt Lin.

“But isn’t that guy on the Zramun Archipelago?”

“What are you talking about now? She was supposed to be there as part of the plan.”

“No, no. I mean, that guy doesn’t like Lin, right?”

The illusionist sighed for the third time.

“Haah, you really only think about yourself.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“She likes Lin too.”

“Huh? Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then why does she act like that?”

The illusionist shrugged.

“She’s a true tsundere.”

The spearman shivered.

“Her? A tsundere with that face and that body?”

“Yes.”

“That doesn’t suit her.”

“It doesn’t.”

The spearman returned to sharpening her spear. But after a moment, she suddenly yelled.

“Then she’s a rival too?!”

“Haahhh~.”

The illusionist sighed even more deeply.