-- it was a dank room.

　Only a few candles barely illuminated the room. It was on a round table.

　Several elves sat in a circle around it.

　All of them looked old, though they were disparate in gender, but they all looked old.

　That means that some of them have lived hundreds or even thousands of years, given the characteristic longevity of elves.

You mean to tell me that ...... didn't take a life?

You don't know what to do with all that crap.

　A painful opinion was thrown at the men in black in the center of the round table.

　It was the elves who had attacked Rook.

''I'm sorry, too. We had some unexpected helpers come in and there was nothing we could do about it. They were pretty awesome.

I don't need excuses.

But they are sure to be a huge enemy of the Wise Council. ......

　As he was about to warn the man, an arrow of light pierced his left chest.

　It was fired by a member of the Wise Council.

''A warning to our wise old council?　How long have you people been living? It is the height of folly to defy us, the oldest living creatures.

Yes. And no one is more wise than we are.

　The man who is hit by the arrow bleeds to death.

We are thinking to keep you alive. We want you to live, so you must do the same for us. Do you understand?

　The men in black did not nod.

　Instead, the other one stepped forward and said

'...... Enough!　We're not your tools!　I'll give you back Master Sille's sister, and you will disband your wise old council and stoop so high and mighty--!

　He was about to say, and another arrow of light flew.

　But it bounces back.

　The men in black all at once hold their respective weapons. Swords, spears, bows, and magic.

No more. We will no longer tolerate the dictatorship of the wise old council. ......?

　A semi-transparent ward emerges around the inside of the round table, surrounding the men who were about to revolt.

　One of the wise men, Oddo, says, "I told you.

'I told you. I told you, we have lived the longest time of all living creatures. Young people like you are no match for us.

"--Uh-ahh!

　The color of the wards darkened, and the black-clad men disappeared without a trace.

　The ground was only a strong trace of burned out remains. It was a sign that their lives were gone.

'How dare the consumables defy us. After all, wasn't it a bad idea to forcefully enforce the recent exclusion of the outside world?

Otherwise they would have devoured us. I suppose we have no choice.

'Exactly. We just got rid of a lowlife who played a dastardly trick on us.

　We are right in what we do.

　The magic you used earlier on the men in black is also almost completely lost in lore.

　The members of the Wise Council who could handle them were great. That was their thinking.

　And more importantly, it was out of the question for a creature that had only lived for a few decades or a hundred years.

　It offended them to even utter an opposing opinion.

''Now then, what will the Guild guys do?

This Rook guy is a pain in the ass. He's got his people, his friends, and us elven adventurers running the show. We'll have to take steps to have his entire wife and family banished from the elves.

But they're good at what they do. Will we go to them in person?

But wait, there's no need for us to get our hands dirty with these lowly people. These lowlifes got in the way and didn't get killed by the newly commissioned party. By this newly commissioned party.

Hmm, let's just do it again, shall we?

Yeah. The pawn has failed. I'm still going to make a formal request and ruin your credibility. I already have a plan for you.

　He grinned and smiled blackly.

--That plan had been agreed upon even before I sent the request to the guild. The members of the Wise Old Association would gain and the guild would be destroyed. It was truly a win-win situation from their point of view.

''--Dilute the sap and let the demons who get a feel for it run amok, right?

Yes, we'll have more sap for us, and if we send it to the most demon-rich areas of the Elven home, we should have no problem.

'You wouldn't notice it at first, except for the demons that actually talk about it. Good plan.

But if you dilute the sap, Sille would notice.

　One person says what he thinks.

　But none of them are worried. The one who said it also fell silent.

''Yeah. Yeah, that was my sister who was missing.

　It was deliberately clownish.

　The rumor is that it's missing and widespread.

　Because the Wise Council gave him the slip.

　But that's not the truth.

　They have kidnapped and held him captive.

　All to control the Elf Princess' words and actions.

''Sille won't do anything to go against you poorly, either. So let's leave it at that.

Yes. Everything is going to be okay. We are the best of them.

　And so.

　Dark laughter reverberates in the room in a small and insidious way.

　The reason why they are able to hold such dubious talks is all because of the magic circle that is set up in this room.

　No intruders are allowed in, and their voices do not leak out.

　Because of the absolute magic of the elves--

　But one girl heard them.

　Her black hair fluttered in the air. Looking down at them from the vacant ceiling. In the place which cannot normally be reached.