Elzariel has come.

　She is an elf. A great criminal who once led a bandit gang of his own people to raid all over the world.
　In case you're wondering, she was a righteous bandit who only stole from bad rich people.

　She's been caught, released, and various other things, and now she's working on a tree planting project.

　Her visit today seemed to have something to do with that.

''Well so what are your requirements today?''
'Wait a minute. I'll eat all this delicious food and then...

　As soon as we visited, it was Elzariel, who requested a meal before we could talk.
　She was shoving the food into her mouth with the force of rice grains, as if she were sprinkling them around.

The food here is delicious after all!　I'd like to steal the entire pantry!
I'm afraid so.

　

　This Elisariel-san seemed to particularly like it, and because of this, 'I don't want to leave! He even gurgled like a child.
　As he scraped his new fried rice like a suction machine, Elzariel-san was greedy in a way that he hadn't shown even during his time as a bandit.

''Oh, I ate, I ate. I'm full, I'm full, another!''
Um..., I think it's time for the requirements...?

　I have something to tell you, and you got permission from the Demon King's Army to come here, right?
　I even went to the trouble of using transference magic to send you off and pick you up.

　If this is the case, if you say 'I made up some random errand to eat your meal', your credibility will be ruined.
　It's just that he's an ex-thief and hard to believe.

"Don't worry, I've got things to do. We're here for a reason. And it's an errand that concerns you as well.

　Elzariel the Elf says.

'It's about the planting operation,'

　Afforestation work.
　It was the work of reforesting the withered forests of the elves.

　A forest that once stretched out in the territory of the former human nation.
　But now it was gone.
　This is because the mana of the earth has been sucked away by the legal magic used by the human race.

　The mana, the source of magic, is also the energy that supports natural life activities.

　The Elven Forest, which has been withered away by the tyranny of the human race, will be restored to a green space again.

　The person working directly for this purpose was this Elzariel.

The forest was originally inhabited by our elves. I have no objection to bringing it back to life.

　So the Elf Forest Restoration Project, spearheaded by Elzariel, is being carried out.
　The specific task was to plant trees.

　We planted a number of young saplings in a clearing that had been fertilized by the natural manna.
　In a decade or so, the saplings would grow up to become mature trees and form a forest that would flourish for hundreds of years.
　But.....

We have a problem.
Problem?
They have interfered with our work.

　Interference.
　There's a word for that in there that isn't gentle.

　But why would you want to sabotage it?
　What Mr. Elzariel is doing is a fine charitable work, and I don't think anyone is going to be in trouble.
　On the other hand, I don't think anyone would benefit from interfering with his planting work.

Who in the world would interfere with that?
An elf.

　An unexpected name came up.
　'That's Elzariel, isn't it, Mr. Elzariel, the race you come from?

''Are you saying that the elves are hostile?　To the same elf, Elzariel?
'Elves are an exclusive race by nature. Even if they're of the same race, they're completely outsiders just because they belong to different races. The ones who attacked you are the local elves who still live in the forest. ........I mean, Zimoel!

　........It's fine.

　In the territory of the old human race, the forest where elves could live was really less and less, but there was still a small amount of forest left.
　We're aiming to restore that forest to its original size........
　It is said that there is an elf who lives in such a cat's forehead forest and stubbornly keeps up the old way of life.

I guess I'm a hardcore conservative elf. With less and less forest to live in, many elves have either moved to the demon country where there are still plenty of rich forests, or they have abandoned their permanent lives and turned into bandits.

　Elzariel, for example, is a cutie who changed his career to a thief.
　He didn't start stealing human beings out of love for anything, but rather after a tough choice to live.

'Maybe I should say that moving to a new place or exploring a different way of life is the easy way out. Compared to sticking to your original way of life. The one who chose that hardest path is Zimoel, who still dwells in the few forests of humanity.

　Do you like that name?

Clinging to a dying forest and preserving the traditional way of life is an unimaginably harsh task. The people who dared to choose that harshness are truly stubborn. Especially among the elves who are stubborn by nature.

　In the forest where the old guardian elves live, an intruder appears.
　It's a tree-planting party, of which Elzariel-san is a member.

I'm not going to be the only one who can do that. Nature, we will expand the existing elven forest.

　A small amount of elven forest remains in a very small area, affected by the depletion of mana by the human race.
　They wanted to expand it back to its original extent.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make this happen. It's a very good idea to get the cooperation of the elves who still live in the elven forest. Then they turned us away.
What?
They may be our own people, but the ones who left the forest are not our friends. If you approach the Elven Forest, they will see you as an intruder and will attack you.
You can't do that, can you?
That's what I'm talking about.

　They shoot arrows at personnel who are trying to plant trees around the forest.
　They are digging up the young seedlings they have planted.
　We were told that they were interfering with our work and that no progress was being made at all.

　Even though this is a charity work that will not bother anyone. The people who have stubbornly preserved their old ways of life by clinging to a dying nature must have become more and more stubborn...!

''The only way to proceed with the planting process is to eliminate this Zimoel. I have joined forces with the Demon King's army to attack him...

　Wasn't there a way to discuss it?

But after all, the elves are invincible in the woods. Visibility is obscured in the forest. The elves will approach, completely oblivious to the trees, and will aim at you with hundreds of arrows. And they will aim at you with a hundred arrows out of a hundred.

　In contrast, the other races are not familiar with the forest and have no way of cutting off the signs.
　They are goofier, more goofy, more northerly and easier to hunt than any dumb beast.

The shamanic magic used by elves is a form of magic magic, but it is more closely linked to nature spirits. If that thing shoots an arrow that grants them magical barrier nullification, their prey is finished.
Catch.
''That's why it's too dangerous to throw the Demon King's army into the fight. Only an elf can defeat an elf in the forest. In other words, it's me!

　Mr. Elzariel pointed to himself.

''But no matter how brave I am, it's reckless to take on a group by myself. We must have a reasonable number of people here as well. ........so!
You know I'm here?

　Finally, we found out the main issue.
　So Mr. Elzariel came to our farm to get a headcount for the fight.

　Because there are at least twenty elves living in our farm.
　And they are well known to Elzariel-san.
　After all, we used to be bandits together.

''So you are here to help Elron and the others?''
That's right, I'm bringing back the 'Stonecutters of the Thunderstorm' for a limited time to get rid of all those elves who are blocking our planting operations!

　No, he's just your kind of guy...?
　Only elves are capable of fighting elves in the forest in a decent manner.
　In accordance with that providence, it could be said to be an appropriate response.......

'Oh no!　Absolutely no!!!!

　The brown beauty interrupts the meeting between me and Elzariel-san.
　It's Elf Elon, who represents our farm's elf team.

''Elron?　You've been overheard!
I'll be on my guard for a visit from Miss Mitchell, that's the least I can do!　And I'm not going!　I'm not going into battle!
What?　Elon, we are on the verge of seeing our homeland restored!
Now you're talking like that!　I followed Miss Sally away from the farm, but at the end of the day, even though I was done with my business, they kept me back with some difficulty and I couldn't go back to the farm forever, of course I couldn't!　I'll never do that!

　Elzariel-san, trust me.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of your time in the world.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with them.
　They hated to leave this place with every fiber of their being.

Eei!　You've gone soft.　Is that why you're the second-generation chieftain of the Stone Grinding Gang of Thunderstorm?
I'm only a platter-maker now!
Shut up!　I want to live here and have a nice meal every day, but you guys are the only ones who look at me like I'm cheating!
"I've finally found my true feelings!

　Now, as a farm owner, what should I make of this proposal?

　If it comes to a battle, the opponent is an elf of the same race.
　They don't seem to care about the dew, but it's not pleasant to watch two people of the same species killing each other, and of course there will be casualties when they fight.

　The elves on our farm are our most important workforce and our closest friends.
　I don't want to lose a single one of them now.

''Then I guess the answer is clear.

　He said to Elzariel, who was still wrestling with Elron.

''We cannot lend you our elves. Instead, let me introduce you to a powerful helper.''