!?
The door opened, and armed Elf soldiers poured in all at once.
What is going on… here?
- Human! Drop your weapons and raise your hands!
I put down the empty Seed Pouch I had been holding for collecting seeds onto the floor and raised my empty hands high.
- How did you get in here?
“Uh? Ah, well—”
- A human speaking our language?
“I’m Kasia—”
- Enough. You’re not going to tell the truth anyway. Bind the prisoner!
“Wha??!”
I had asked if Kasia was prepared to meet the Elves.
But was this really the kind of readiness she had in mind?
When I quickly glanced at Kasia, she slowly approached me with a satisfied expression.
- Release them. They are the one I brought.
- There is a traitor among you! Bind them as well!
- Eh…?
The Elf soldiers really tied up both of our hands.
“Excuse me, Elves! Please calm down for a moment…”
- Y-Yes! Why are you doing this? It’s me! Kasia!
- Quiet! If you open your mouth one more time, we won’t be so gentle when we drag you away!
What on earth is going on here?
I wondered if this was some kind of hidden camera prank, but seeing Kasia so flustered, it seemed she didn’t know anything either.
There was no way we could win if we fought them, and since they ordered us not to speak, we had no choice but to quietly be led away.
As we left Kasia’s house, the beautiful scenery around caught my eye.
The thick, magnificent trees and the blue sky visible through the branches made me truly realize this was nature.
The trees had doors, which meant these were the homes of the Elves.
To be forced to admire such a magnificent sight while being dragged away…
- Hurry up, follow quickly!
I was so absorbed in the scenery that I forgot we were bound.
But the Elf soldiers hurried their steps, shattering my reverie.
Where were they taking us?
After passing a few trees, an enormous tree appeared, so massive I couldn’t even take it all in at once—the largest and thickest tree I had ever seen.
- The Chieftain is waiting. Enter.
- If your life is precious, watch your words and actions.
I wasn’t expecting gratitude as a benefactor, but being treated like a criminal?
Is this really right?
I couldn’t guess Kasia’s standing within the tribe.
When I looked at her, she was pouting.
The earlier panic was gone, replaced by… a sulky expression?
We entered through the tree door, and the interior scene was different from Kasia’s home.
If her home felt like a family residence, this place resembled an office or conference room.
‘The tree is so large, the inside space is huge as well.’
While looking around in amazement, my eyes met those of an elderly man seated in the seat of honor.
White, long eyebrows, silver hair reaching down to his waist, and just the right amount of wrinkles on his face.
‘I’d bet this man is the mountain spirit if one existed.’
On either side of him sat two older men, even more deeply wrinkled and aged, watching us.
They appeared to be high-ranking Elves, equal or similar in status to the Chieftain.
- Who are you? Why have you entered our village?
- Chieftain!
- Quiet. Wait your turn.
Through Kasia’s words, I confirmed who he was.
‘This mountain-spirit-like Elf is the Chieftain.’
“Greetings. My name is Do Minho.”
When I introduced myself, the Chieftain nodded as if urging me to continue.
“I came to study the Porti that grow in Eliya.”
- This place does not welcome humans. Leave immediately.
As soon as I revealed my purpose, the decree to expel me was issued.
Even I, somewhat desensitized, could feel the sharp hostility radiating around.
My hands, no, my whole body trembled with fear.
But I couldn’t leave like this.
“That’s not possible. I must study the Porti. At the very least, collect samples.”
- Insolent wretch…!
- You! Do you want to die?! How dare you speak before the Chieftain!
- Chieftain! Are you just going to watch this?!
The Elves surrounding us and the high-ranking ones sitting before us all shouted out in outrage.
Then the Chieftain raised his hand, and the shouting stopped instantly as everyone waited for his next words.
- Kasia, you left as if you wouldn’t return. Why have you come back?
His voice was cold, but softer than when he questioned me.
As they say, leaving home brings hardships, and being in a foreign place is painful.
I started missing Minjun.
- If not for this person, I would not have returned. I will go back once my work is done.
The crowd, calmed earlier by the Chieftain, stirred again.
He raised his hand once more, and the room quieted more slowly than before.
‘They seem to avoid Eliya. What exactly happened?’
- Are you serious? Why…?
Disappointment was thick in the Chieftain’s voice.
Kasia, who had been watching him without changing expression, spoke next.
- I clearly remember telling you last time—this tribe has no future. And they don’t even try to change that future.
The elders around the Chieftain suddenly jumped up, unable to bear it.
- Kasia! We coddled you, and you say whatever you want!
- Chieftain, put aside your personal feelings!
- Exactly! Maintain dignity in front of a human!
The Chieftain’s eyebrows twitched.
…Elders, calm yourselves. And if you interrupt once more, I will treat you without any respect.
- W-What!?
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant.
The elders, who looked like they were about to storm out, clamped their mouths shut and sat down.
The Chieftain’s gaze swept over them coldly before landing on Kasia.
- Now, continue your story. You know as well as I do that the future cannot be changed. So what effort do you mean?
- If you can’t avoid it, then why not leave?
Kasia raised her voice, making the Chieftain’s expression falter.
He stared at her silently for a moment before speaking.
- …We cannot abandon the land passed down from our ancestors. That is not only the elders’ opinion, but mine as well.
Kasia bit her lip in frustration.
Then the Chieftain’s gaze shifted to me.
- The reason you went to Earth was to find the human who saved you, wasn’t it? But humans do not see Elves as equals.
- But this person…!
- They say it’s different. But, my daughter, countless past records prove otherwise.
Daughter.
The Chieftain clearly called Kasia his daughter.
That explained her noble, refined manner of speech unlike other Elves.
Kasia’s eyes filled with resentment.
I held my breath, unable to intervene.
- Human, I will give you exactly three hours. You are free to collect or research during that time.
I wondered at the sudden decision, but it was better than being sent away.
After subtly checking the surroundings, I signaled Kasia with a glance.
‘Let’s get out of here quickly.’
Just as Kasia and I turned, he added:
- But Kasia must stay here. Until the human returns.
- !!
- Isn’t that generous enough?
As he said, the expressions of the Elves surrounding us soured.
They must have resented letting a human who dared enter Elf territory leave alive.
- But…!
“I’m fine. I’ll be quick.”
Kasia, who hesitated after hearing me, reluctantly nodded.
- Kari Nu will guide you to the Porti’s natural habitat.
One soldier standing upright behind the Chieftain stepped outside.
‘That must be Kari Nu.’
The Elf called Kari Nu moved ahead without waiting for me or offering to guide me.
I hurried to catch up, making out his figure heading into the dense forest opposite the village center.
After passing thick trees and grass covering the ground, how long had we walked?
The awkward silence was suffocating until Kari Nu finally stopped.
- This is it.
“Hmm… Even when I first saw it, it was hard to tell apart from weeds.”
- Hurry up and do what you came to do.
His tone was cold and curt.
Though Kasia was his benefactor, the Elves’ deep-rooted distrust of humans was likely the reason.
‘Forget it, let’s focus on the Porti.’
Sure enough, true to a natural habitat, there were plenty of Porti, making it easy to distinguish.
But one problem arose.
Usually, seeds are inside fruits, but there were none in sight.
Do they reproduce by pollen? That seemed unlikely…
“There are no fruits or flowers. It looks like mugwort… How on earth do they reproduce?”
- Something’s behind the leaf.
Just as he said, I flipped the leaf, but nothing was visible to the naked eye.
I touched it tentatively and felt tiny granules so small they were barely perceptible.
‘This is it!’
Though there was a sensory gap between sight and touch, I immediately knew these were seeds.
After shaking the leaves into my palm, the tiny grains, the same color as the leaf, appeared.
“Thank you. I was able to find the seeds thanks to you.”
Hmph. This is my reward for saving Lady Kasia.
Kari Nu shut up again.
Still, I had uncovered one secret of the Porti.
Apparently, not all Elves hate humans.
The seeds were smaller than millet but filled half of the Seed Pouch I brought.
In addition to that, I collected fully grown Porti plants and some soil from the natural habitat, just in case it would be useful.
“I’ve collected enough. Let’s head back.”
I thought about gathering more, but I worried about Kasia.
From our earlier conversation, she said she wouldn’t return here again, but she was forced back because of me.
We returned the same way and followed Kari Nu to the Chieftain’s house to report.
Only the Chieftain sat alone in the office.
- Have you obtained everything you wanted?
“Yes, thanks to you, Chieftain. Thank you.”
But Kasia was nowhere to be seen.
I looked around, puzzled, when the Chieftain spoke first.
- Kasia went to do what she must. You should also return to your duties.
“But we promised to go back together…”
- I believe I have shown you goodwill. How dare a human meddle in the affairs of our tribe?
As soon as the Chieftain finished speaking, I felt something pressing down on my shoulders.
I almost dropped to my knees but fought to stay upright.
- Hmm….
With the tapping sound of fingers on the chair, the invisible weight pressing down on my shoulders vanished.
“Huff, huff…”
As I held my knees, the Chieftain’s eyes flickered with interest.
- Your daughter told me to give you this. Take it and leave.
I received the item Kari Nu handed me.
“This is…!”
It was the Leaf Necklace, one of the treasured possessions of the Elves.
- This is a precious item to us. Take good care of it.
At a gesture from the Chieftain, Kari Nu blocked the way, silently urging me to leave quickly.
It seemed better not to stubbornly resist.
This was a precious item for the Elves, so I would definitely come back to retrieve Kasia.
“Or maybe I’ll have to bribe my way back to bring Kasia with me.”
Under the watchful eyes of the Elves, I stepped onto the Portal located in Kasia’s house basement.
Since there was nothing I could do immediately, I decided to focus on what needed to be done.
“Let’s try planting the seeds in various ways for now.”
I had learned a valuable lesson from attempting to grow Porti recklessly before—they wouldn’t sprout if I just planted them without study.
Growing a new crop requires research.
There are several sowing methods, and you need to choose one that fits the crop.
Depending on the seed type, some require exposure to air, others need adjustment of planting depth to sprout effectively.
Since I had plenty of seeds, I decided to try both methods.
“First, plant shallowly and deeply—two different ways.”
I covered half the seeds with soil and left the rest uncovered.
“Ow, my back.”
Patting my waist, the stiffness eased and felt refreshing.
“Kasia! Tell the spirits to sprinkle some water!”
…Ah.
She’s not here anymore.
I hope she’s doing alright.
She looked troubled.
Still… if the Chieftain is her father, it should be okay.
My chest tightened. I tapped it lightly and sighed softly.
I must have gotten used to it already.
I found myself looking for Kasia, who remained in Eliya.
Since I couldn’t help it, I filled a watering can to sprinkle water myself.
‘Water quantity is important, so I’ll divide the area into three zones.’
First, I quickly sprinkled a little water over the front zone.
In the middle zone, I watered enough to moisten the soil.
In the last zone, I drenched it so the soil was completely soaked.
“Phew. Going back and forth alone is tiring. Farming really isn’t easy.”
Even this simple method counted as twelve different approaches.
But I wouldn’t stop here; later, I planned to subdivide and test the groups that grew well.
“It’s tough not having any reference material. But if I succeed, it’ll be a huge breakthrough.”
Of course, I watered them with tap water.
To match the Porti’s nature, it contained just the right amount of impurities.
Working alone, the Porti planting I started at noon finally finished by evening.