It would be a disaster if this cheap table made any noise.

Careful. Even more careful.

Karamir slowly lifted his upper body, putting all his focus into making sure Arpia didn’t wake up.

Ugh.

Despite drinking only a little, his head throbbed, and his stomach churned. He was beginning to realize just how effective that inviolable elixir item truly was.

He almost ended up passed out until morning.

Arpia...

She was asleep. Softly breathing, “Koo...,” with shallow breaths.

Arpia had only recently begun handling her servant properly. Considering she’d been flying through the sky and shooting arrows, she must be extremely tired.

Unless someone caused a serious commotion, she probably wouldn’t wake up. Still, elves had sharp hearing, so caution was necessary.

He inhaled deeply and exhaled, trying to clear the alcohol from his system. Thanks to the air purifier-slash-forest diffuser right next to him, his head quickly cleared.

With a clear mind, he retraced the events of their journey to see if he had made any mistakes.

[The Eternally Suffering Elf, Arpia]

There were two main conditions for Arpia’s complete liberation.

One: liberation from pain.
Two: the restoration of her shattered self-esteem.

The first involved caring for Arpia, who was addicted to drugs, healing her wounds, and helping her regain the will to live by restoring her broken spirit.

Later, she would need to win first place in the Slave Festival, hosted by Ropermahn, to obtain the Tome of Spirit Usurpation, which would resolve her pain.

But I intercepted Arpia.

Since it was too late to heal her body and mind, I chose archery. Instead of the Slave Festival, I obtained the Tome of Spirit Usurpation through force.

Next was the restoration of her broken self-esteem.

I needed to have Arpia, who had been scorned by elf society and expelled from her village, win first place in the "Dance of the Fairy Festival." She had to win—second place wasn’t enough.

Honestly, this was the hardest part of Arpia's story.

If Mirabel’s story was about uncovering the truth of the incident and reaching the hidden conclusion, Arpia’s story was about growth. All about growth.

The outcome of the Fairy Festival was determined solely by her combat abilities.

There were many forces keeping Arpia in check, especially that Leon guy. His combat skills were no joke, so to defeat them all and win, Arpia had to grow insanely fast.

But contrary to my worries, it was surprisingly easy. Thanks to her bizarre growth rate, something I had never seen in the game.

I still don’t know why that happened.

Was it because I had her start learning archery earlier?

Of course, it’s me.

“Mmm... The strongest elf in the world, Arpia...,”

Arpia murmured in her sleep.

It seemed like she was having a good dream.

Now’s probably a good time to leave.

Honestly, there wasn’t much need to sneak away from Arpia.

With Mirabel, there was always the anxiety caused by her passive distrust of humans. When I made her father into a reaper, that was genuinely terrifying.

At that time, I truly felt like my life was in danger.

Arpia wasn’t quite at that level, but…

Still, better to be cautious.

Elves form a lifelong bond with their partner by making a soul pact, right? But I went and shackled her soul instead.

I had blocked the path of an innocent maiden’s marriage. There’s nothing scarier than an older unmarried woman’s hysteria. I might get stabbed if I’m not careful.

But hey, I took away her pain and made her the strongest elf. She should have a drink and calm down.

I finished packing up to leave.

It was time to say goodbye to Arpia.

Just as I was about to head out...

Should I leave a note?

Mirabel had Naredi, but Arpia didn’t. She didn’t have any friends in the Great Forest either, so she might be shocked if she suddenly found herself alone.

Wow, I really am something. Even in a situation where I might get stabbed, I’m being considerate. I must be out of my mind.

I took out a large leaf and wrote a message with the pen I always carried.

“I have somewhere I need to go... I’m sorry about the shackles, but I hope you understand it was necessary. Adults might not get it, but kids like pretty, strong people, so if you talk to them, they might be more open...”

I filled in the rest with some appropriate content and fixed it in place so it wouldn’t blow away.

Now everything was done.

“You promised, right? That if I won the drinking contest, you’d let me go.”

The drinking contest with Arpia. We had never set a deadline. I lost, so now it’s time to keep my promise.

Snap!

The sharp snap of my fingers echoed in the cool dawn air.

The shackles on Arpia’s soul were released.

 

[The Eternally Suffering Elf, Arpia, has been liberated.]

Playful Flower Arpia Liliand.

She was a colorless weed that grew among the beautiful flowers. A weed wrapped in thorny vines.

Sharp thorns stabbed, scratched, and wounded her, leaving her body and mind shredded from repeated torment.

The prison of brambles that trapped her, preventing her escape, also hurt those who came close. Before long, she became isolated.

Curled up inside the thicket, she comforted herself, saying it was fine, hypnotizing herself into thinking it was familiar, and gradually distancing herself from reality. In the brambles, she was slowly, ever so slowly, wilting.

For hundreds of years.

Like a leaf withering and falling apart.

But you did not leave her alone.

Without regard for the wounds you would suffer, you dug into the brambles and cleared a space for her to bloom. You planted infinite trust in her, who had always doubted herself.

The flower, nourished by trust, bloomed into the most beautiful flower of all, filled with purpose.

Arpia is no longer alone.
She is no longer in pain.
Even if she hurts, it's okay.

Because she has her very own Little Prince—you.

Arpia’s liberation rate is now 100%.

Reward: 50,000 points granted.
The skill [Generous Master] has been slightly strengthened.
A new system has been unlocked.

Additional rewards available.

Despite knowing an easier path, you chose the more difficult one, refusing to turn away from Arpia’s suffering. The World Tree offers you its sincere gratitude.

You have received the World Tree’s blessing.

You have acquired a new skill: [Blessing of the World Tree].

[Completely liberate your main slaves. Current progress: 2/5.]

 

I’d check the rewards later. For now, I needed to leave the forest.

“Where do you think you’re going at this hour?”

Then, I heard a cold, piercing voice.

It was Leon, leaning against a tree with his arms crossed. The laurel wreath was no longer on his head.

His bow had been destroyed, but as the leader of the wardens, it seemed he couldn’t walk around unarmed, so he had a temporary bow slung over his shoulder.

“Were you watching me?”

“That’s a foolish question. Even though Arpia won the festival, you’re still a human and a slave trader. Who knows what kind of reckless acts you might attempt. It would be strange not to keep an eye on you.”

“If you’d been watching her before, Arpia wouldn’t have been kidnapped in the first place.”

Leon glared at me with the intent to kill, but he didn’t immediately draw his bow. The competition had ended in just a day, but the festival was still ongoing.

Naturally, the protection agreed upon during the Dance of the Fairy Festival was still in effect.

“There’s no need to look at me like that. I’ve released Arpia, and I’ll be leaving the forest shortly.”

“What?”

“I regret meddling with her soul, but what’s done is done. Sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.”

“And now you decide to release her? What’s your goal? What scheme are you plotting?”

Why is everyone so obsessed with knowing my goals?

It’s really nothing.

“To free the wretched from corruption. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“...You’re a madman.”

With that sudden insult, Leon seemed to have nothing more to say and turned away.

Wait, is this guy seriously leaving after saying that?

“You’re leaving already?”

“There’s no reason to stay. I’m heading back.”

“No, seriously, where are you going? I’m leaving the forest. What if something happens to me? You should escort me.”

“Why would I…”

“I mean, you guaranteed my safety during the festival. Isn’t it your responsibility to see it through to the end? Are you really going to break your promise? Wow, the pride of the elves is dead. Even I, a human, keep my promises.”

“...”

Leon stared at me in silence for a while. Then, without a word, he started walking ahead.

I have acquired a living navigation system. Name: Elf Guide. Has a nice ring to it.

“What are you doing? If you don’t follow, I won’t care if you’re eaten by monsters.”

It seemed this navigation system was outdated.

It needed a proper update.

Thud!

I sprinted off in a random direction. Leon, who had been walking ahead, quickly turned his head.

“What… What are you doing?”

“Haha, are you just going to stand there? What if I die? Oh no! A man-eating plant ahead!”

“You bastard.”

Leon, stringing his bow, chased after me.

That night turned into an impromptu chase, or something resembling one.