To briefly summarize the details of the incident, just half a day ago, the most valued artifact in the elven settlement, the Sacred Disc containing the eternally imperfect spring, was unexpectedly stolen.
"...At first, no one noticed anything. When questioned, the guards on duty at the time only testified that no one had infiltrated and there had been no unexpected disturbances. The next shift of guards who went to take over also confirmed the truth of this statement. But just as the shift was about to be completed, one of them discovered that the Holy Disc had disappeared."
Sal, who had gotten away because his suggestion had been approved, and the other rangers who wanted to gather around, sighed again and whispered, “We were afraid that one of them had hidden the holy tablet, so we conducted a thorough search and investigation of the worship site and the four people who were nearby when the incident happened, but we couldn’t find anything suspicious.”
"Of course, we also searched carefully for places nearby where the sacred disc could be hidden. But we couldn't find the sacred disc itself, nor could we find any trace left by the thief."
He paused, then continued, "And, for some reason, although we tried our best to block the relevant information, some of it still leaked into the settlement, causing widespread panic. In addition, we suddenly heard that outsiders had visited, and everyone is wondering if some unknown outsiders have infiltrated the settlement..."
"That's why I was so wary of you earlier, I'm sorry."
Sheng still wore a very professional smile: "It's nothing~ After all, it's only natural to be suspicious of a complete stranger when something strange suddenly happens~"
Stop laughing, you're giving me goosebumps.
"You knew all along?"
It was another pointless back-and-forth. I finally managed to catch Sheng, who was just trying to quench his thirst, and whispered something in his ear.
The boy glanced at me, nodded quietly, squinted his right eye, and made a big V-sign under his chin.
"Since it's a gaming incident, those who are familiar with it will naturally recognize it~"
Glancing at the guy crowned with the title of game protagonist, his indifferent and bland face was infuriating.
In that case, someone who has personally experienced this countless times should have already realized how things are going.
"Do you know who the culprit is?"
"Huh? Did I say there was a culprit in this matter?"
The response was a nonsensical message.
Whether feigning ignorance or for some other reason, Sheng simply responded with phrases like "Just wait and see what happens" and "Don't try to get spoilers," before cheerfully resuming the conversation with the forest ranger. However, this time the topics were trivial, such as family members, neighborly relations, and daily habits, leaving both sides with confused and bewildered expressions.
Is this really not a household registration investigation?
Ignoring these casual questions and answers, Sheng, having escaped the initial danger and adapted to everything, is truly enjoying this game world that he once loved and played countless times.
Then, we finally arrived at our destination after these past few days of travel.
After stepping out of the shallow pool, the final destination is an area hidden by a huge, tangled leaf.
"Our settlement is just ahead."
The forest ranger leading the way shook his head and muttered, "It's been a long time since I've brought back any outsiders," while gently pressing his hand on the surface of the giant leaf, where the veins were clearly visible.
Subtle magical fluctuations flickered in my senses like an electric shock. Soon, the leaves that had been covering each other began to slowly move apart from the point of contact, revealing a wide passage that could allow up to five people to walk side by side.
Sheng looked around curiously, reaching out to gently touch the ground beneath her feet: "This is also made of leaves. The roads and walls are all very solid. What kind of plant is it?"
The person leading the way shrugged, looked around at the other forest rangers who had gathered, hesitated for half a second, and finally, with a hint of worry, took the lead and walked through the passage.
Then, as if swallowed up, the figure vanished instantly.
"W-what, what happened?" Xiaoxi was momentarily panicked.
“Ah, it’s alright! Actually, it’s because there’s a two-way passage system at the entrance. Only by entering through the correct entrance can we find our settlement,” Sal, who was standing close by, kindly explained. “It’s a tried-and-tested system, there won’t be any problems.”
This child is so easily trusting. If you treat him nicely, he forgets all the bad things that happened before and often offers help with excessive enthusiasm.
Are all elves such innocent creatures? No, they don't seem so.
At least the two team leaders of this team and that team are not.
Once again acting on his own, the Sword Demon followed behind the group with his hands in his pockets, his expression still calm, and soon disappeared from sight.
Sheng and the others in the team exchanged glances, and after I nodded to indicate that there were no problems, they decided that Sheng and I, who were capable of handling most situations, would stay behind to prevent any trouble when transferring other Pokémon and to escort them back to their nests.
"Wow! I'm so sorry! We've already caused a lot of trouble, but now it seems like we can cause even more."
"Shut up and go back to your unit."
Sal showed no intention of leaving, remaining clinging to us and chattering incessantly, impossible to shake off. Finally, as we passed the leader of the group, the leader couldn't stand it any longer and simply grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him away, leaving behind only two shallow welts and a feigned, teary-eyed sob.
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