The search for ear hunters, which began with a determined resolution, was carried out immediately without delay.

First of all, I had to rescue the three elves who were said to have been kidnapped the day before I reached the forest of the World Tree as quickly as possible.

It would be difficult if we were satisfied with the three elves and allowed them to escape out of the forest.

It would be almost 100% Elijah’s kingdom where the ear hunters ran away to sell elves, so it was impossible to track them through normal methods the moment they crossed the border.

Finding them in the kingdom was also a problem, and even if you found them and claimed that they were slave traders or kidnappers, they wouldn’t work in kingdoms with other laws.

As a citizen of the Empire, it was dangerous in many ways for me to use force within the kingdom. Especially when it comes to the people of the Empire who still have the remnants of the war that took place decades ago.

In fact, the only way to solve such a situation would be to buy back the kidnapped elf at auction.

No matter how much my pocketbook had gotten better lately, I had enough money to spare, and there was no way I could pay for three elven slaves with the pennies in my pocket.

No, with the gold coins I have now, I would be fortunate enough to get even one person back.

In the Kingdom of Elijah, elven slaves were in many ways treated as expensive luxuries. In fact, considering the lifespan of elves, I would dare to say that it was economical.

A capable slave inherited from generation to generation was worth almost four digits of gold.

Conversely, the ear hunters are still not leaving this forest because they are seduced by the high price.

The ransom of the three elves came to the guys who had already achieved results, and the ransom was almost impossible. You have to catch at least twice that amount to be satisfied and go back.

So, the psychological part was exactly that part.

As you can see, they used the game they wanted to approach as a lure, and the remaining elves struck them down.

Therefore, among the elves in the crew, three people who can act naturally were selected.

It possesses enough magic power to detect magic power, but enough magic power to say that it looks really strong.

They selected three elves who could respond to some extent even without magic.

The number of people, three, was carefully thought out and decided.

If only one or two people moved, it would be difficult to respond in a full-scale battle, and if four or five people moved, there was a possibility that the ear hunters would feel threatened and run away.

In order to bring out the guys hiding in the woods, the number of three was more appropriate than anything else.

So, as a manned group, the three elves were deliberately made to move with shallow signs that the ear hunters could smell.

You have to catch it somehow. Because that was the condition of the promise I made with Mr. Dryad.

In addition to that, I also had other errands for the intruding ear hunters.

It wasn’t a very good assumption, but there was a possibility that these guys also had ties to the Dark Church.

The forces that polluted the World Tree were the families of Elder Endril, who had entrusted themselves to the Dark Church.

Assuming they invaded this forest knowing that the World Tree was being polluted, I also had to catch them to find clues about the Dark Cult.

Where is the other company that kidnapped Seneran and colluded with Sepia?

How did the Dark Church contact Elder Endril and his children?

As soon as it was revealed that he was a person related to the Dark Church, there was a mountain of information to be obtained.

While I was thinking about that, I was able to confirm that someone was moving in the forest, not the signs of the elves.

The two wizards of the Ear Hunters that Elder Gorgon spoke of. And one more wizard who follows a little later.

As the distance with the manned team narrowed, the archery team was widening the distance as instructed and widening the distance that the opposing wizard could detect.

On the contrary, the hideous group was attached to the manned group and was ready to join at any time.

Convinced that a battle would break out soon, I stopped detecting magical power and moved the distance behind them.

The main battles are left to the elves.

It was impossible for me to protect the elves forever, so at least forever, without relying on the defense power of the World Tree, they could make their own means to protect themselves.

What I have to do is to create an environment where mediocre elves can fight to their heart’s content.

I just do what I have to do while the elves fight to protect themselves.

The leader of the Ear Hunters who came in just in time for the power of the World Tree to weaken.

I thought I would have to meet that suspicious person at least once.

While the elves were fighting the main force, they turned around behind the ear hunters and entered this place where their sobriety would be.

Unlike general display where the leader, who is the strongest force, stands in the front line, those who do cowardly things like this tend to have the strongest guy behind them.

And my expectations were right, not wrong.

“I’ve been playing for ten days, and there are only three of them… . I can’t even do a dwarf hunt anymore… .”

The muttering of a fat middle-aged man could be heard from inside the tent tied between trees.

“At least, if they catch it, there will be five or six of them, so I can spend at least a few years comfortably… . I won’t be coming near the World Tree forest for a while… ”

A tent that spits out confident words that it has already won the battle that will take place in the main unit. When I pushed my gaze into it, the silhouette of the guy lying leisurely in the hammock was revealed.

“I thought it was over the moment the stupid Hans put an arrow in the head of the goblin. I’m really glad.”

Is the name of the bowman who killed the elf Hans? This must be information that must be conveyed to Mr. Dryad.

“I would have thought it would have been true that the World Tree had weakened as I had heard. If not now, when else will I catch and sell the dwarfs so easily.”

Cook Cook. After approaching the guy who laughed in a fat voice, I cut the rope on one side of the hammock that was supporting the guy’s heavy weight.

“Ohhhhh?!”

thud. With a sound, his body fell to the ground.

“Uh, which one is that?!”

“A guy I don’t know has suddenly come in. Surely he’s an intruder or an assassin?”

“Ah, assassination… ?! Hey, what are these mercenary bastards doing right now?!”

“Whatever you are doing, follow your words and hang out with the elves. It will be almost over anyway.”

In the first place, they were a bit lacking in power to fight head-on, so they used a method of capturing the elves that leaked out little by little, so there was no way they would properly deal with the elves who came out of hiding after properly forming formations.

“Ooh, don’t be ridiculous! Do you know how much I invested in this business?! I mean, I personally selected each mercenary with care!”

“Seeing that all of those mercenaries agreed with the idiot-like decision to invade the forest of the World Tree, your eyes only go so far.”

“I don’t know who it is, but people like you have an eye for me… uh?”

The guy who was about to shoot something at me suddenly stopped talking as if he had found something.

“why?”

“… You bastard, did you come in alone?”

“By the way.”

“Kuh, you stupid bastard!”

The guy who suddenly pulled out something like a switch from his pocket with a face full of joy said with a chuckle.

“You are complacent, you stupid child! In preparation for such an occasion, this tent is equipped with defense magic! Resent your complacent judgment and be imprisoned as it is!”

Took. With a sound, the button on the switch he was holding was pressed.

After that, nothing happened, only quiet silence hung in the tent.

“… … .”

“What, is that the end?”

“Uh, what happened?! The defense magic circle must be activated!”

“The invisible magic circle that was spread on the floor of the tent?”

“Yes, that is it! The first thing I installed as soon as I got the base… . Uh, how do you… .”

Again, one beat later, he responded calmly to the muttering guy in a dumbfounded voice.

“There was something that was in the way of getting in, so I did it. After all, it was made for troublesome purposes.”

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Just looking at it, I could see that it was made for that purpose. Seeing that it was a Circle 5 magic formula, it must have been made with great care, but it certainly wasn’t something that I, a Circle 7, couldn’t solve.

“You did the 5th and 5th circle magic circles?! Do not be ridiculous!”

“With the 5th circle, it’s enough to do magic ceremonies of around 20 levels at most. If you can’t count that much, you can’t be a wizard.”

“Lee, Lee, Lee Ik… !!”

The excited guy took out something from the bag lying next to the tent and showed me.

“Take this!!”

As soon as I saw that it was a 4-circle attack magic scroll, as soon as I saw the magic formula, I reversed it and canceled it as it was.

Seeing the sphere of flame that was supposed to fly towards me disappear in less than a second, the guy’s expression changed as if he was dumbfounded.

“… Eh, huh?!”

“Are you done with that?”

“Oh no!!”

After that, he continued to take out several magic scrolls from his bag, but one after another they were caught in my mouth and scattered in the form of magic.

Then he hurriedly threw something containing deadly poison or poison at me, so I used my broadsword to bounce it towards the floor.

“Where, do whatever you can.”

“Hey, hey, hey… !!”

Realizing that there was no hope with magic, this time he took out a sword lying on the floor and pulled it out.

It was a long sword that could have been 1.5 meters at least, so compared to my broadsword, it was roughly five times the length difference.

“I’m dying… !!!”

A guy approaching with loud noises and swinging his sword in a non-threatening direction.

It was such a pitiful blow that I didn’t even have to use magic to strengthen my body.

As soon as I evaded it by slightly twisting my body, the body of the guy who wielded a sword that was out of proportion leaned forward.

“Cool your head down.”

The next time you wake up, you’ll be in the root prison, so think of an excuse to say to Mr. Dryad until then.

After saying that to himself, he indiscriminately swung the handle of his broadsword at the exposed back of his head.

“Keheo-eok… !!”

pug. With a sound, the back hilt of the sword he was holding touched the back of his head.

The fat body collapsed on top of the sword lying on the floor.