Chapter 38: Sakusen

Again, the opening door creaked. White-haired was standing not so far away from the entrance. If people didn't know better, they would have thought he was guarding it. "Princess! You finally come back," the elf declared, storming to me. In fact, he was more of a stalker than a guard. Like the loyal dog he was, he didn't dare to be slow as he went on barking at his master with panic.

But I would do as I was told. I would act as per the 'plan'. "Princess this! Princess that!" I loudly complained, pulling a face full of disgust. "Will you only shut up, you dumbshit, huuuh?!" I acted the part of the mad mafia boss pissed at whatever crap a rookie had done. If people didn't know better there too, they would have thought me a most cruel bully. "Where's my lunch money, you shithead, huuuh?!" A pulsing vein popped on my forehead.

The elf rushed to me right after I exited the old man's abode. And right away, I calmed him down. Just as per the plan, yes. "Thought you understood! Damn it," I angrily hissed.

"Princess...!"

Humph. And I was glad to see my acting brought up good results. The boy calmed down obediently. Needless to say, he had been intimidated by my game. "Don't you also think of touching me, eh. You keep your distance! In the quality of being your ruler, I order you to do so," I hollered at him when he made to approach me, and he fell back into his place then again, hiding his head like a scared turtle.

Exiting after me from the abode, the old man followed closely. Walking beside me, he put a hand on my shoulder and then whispered in my ear. "That is brilliant. Ho ho. The acting is good. Keep it like this. Be firm with them. They indeed stay your subjects." You heard the man. I was apparently doing well. Glad to hear that. "White-haired!" In my momentum, I had to act like the mad boss or bully, again. "Distance!" The elf backed further away. "Back to your carriage now," I spat.

"Yes— Immediately, Princess!" It was just as the old man said. Bossing them around really worked. My few shots at practicing told me as much, I was sure. These two, they're still my subjects. My servants. They're under me, so any direct order I give them must be obeyed and followed to the letter. Why that was, I didn't know. But it had definitely something to do with me being their royalty. I mean, I wasn't actually, but well, who cares about that when it's actually of profit to me. To disobey their ruler, for the disciplined, traditionalist, and timid people, the elves, was absolutely an untouchable action to put forth. It was unapproachable.

Dare they disobey me and they would see. Before, when they kept dragging me all around, they made sure to often put me to sleep during the trip. With their strange spell that made me drowsy as hell. If they knocked me out in this way, I wouldn't be able to oppose them. Right? Well, it's not like I was always sleeping under their influence, though.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to run off. But still, that was a nice way for them to avoid any contradicting orders coming from their princess, I thought. Now that I clearly gave White-haired the order of backing off, to keep his distance from me, and get back to his damn chariot, he obeyed me right away.

And that was all about the first piece of my old man's well-cooked plan. Giving me a bit of background about the elves and their ways, I was informed that, all thanks to some sort of Forest's Spirit and Benediction, or something, these two couldn't directly oppose me, their ruler. How did the elven peoples around the world choose their ruler among themselves? Their forests did. There was some magic to that.

That's how royalty was basically elected among elves. The ruler of the elves was thus considered the representative of the forest and its will. A very much sacred being, to say the least. And somehow, as said elves always lived and swore by their sacred forests, going against the forest's, or the ruler's, wishes, more often than not, meant a fate worse than death to them. I knew I'd picked the right man to accompany me out; the old man informed me well.

Were the two elves to disobey me, they would incur the wrath of the forest. Giving these two orders, I just had to add the bit 'In the name or quality of being your ruler, I order you to listen' and they would more than think twice of disobeying me. The wrath and disapproval of everything that was precious to them. That's why, by the way, even at a time of war like today, it was near impossible for an elven people to retreat out of their forest. It was far too important to their people.

But anyway, about my two stupid elves, were they to disobey me, they would risk becoming unfaithful dark elves. That's how, at present, White-haired instantly executed the order when I delivered it.

As the elf went and put my order to execution, I called back to him. "That's an order, eh! Careful with what you do! I'll have you know I'm the ruler here!" Turning back to me with a confused look, he nodded at me, still executing my order, and eagerly yelled he definitely understood. He probably thought I mocked him, but no. I just happened to overdo it.

I mean, yeah. I just got to relax, I thought. That one was just a blunder. I'll just shrug it off. That elf really did obey me without raising a brow. And what my helpful elder said must be true. "So? Is that much 'doing a great job', old man?"

The old man said that it was. Chuckling, he also urged me not to be too harsh on them. He knew I didn't like them so much they were annoying, but no good would come of overdoing it. Worst case scenario, they would disobey me for real, risking losing their forest's benediction and taking me 'hostage' again. "Though if it came to that," my advisor eyed me and nodded, "I would come to you people and chase the two abductors off."

"Okay."

"They're really going through tough times, though, ho ho." It was true. From my perspective, however, it still didn't excuse the fact that I had to always guard myself around them. The two elves could still be a danger to me. But so long as I was firmly getting myself obeyed, since I was their princess and royalty, there would still be no real problem whatsoever. The carriage was stationed a dozen meters away from the old man's house.

White-haired, too, was stationed there, right next to the big chunk of wood. He was waiting for me to come so that he could slide open the door, like the polite gentleman he was, allowing my safe passage in that box. Sightseeing using Mana Perception, I could see the hideous elf was inside, patiently waiting for me to come too. Both I and the old man were strolling towards it.

"You'll be sure to watch me from above, though, old man?" Tugging at his dress' sleeve, I told him to be super careful, too. "You never know when they're using their, uh... what did you call it again?"

"Elves are renowned throughout the whole continent for their skill at archery, runes, and charms," said my old man. Incidentally, what I told him about what the elves used against me, what I called stored spells, were elvish runes. He put a hand on my head and continued, "If you do as I told you, I strongly believe there will be no instance of the two of them, your faithful subjects, trying anything funny against the only remaining princess of their kingdom. Have some faith in this old man, would you?"

"Sure. I'm just making sure we think the same. You never know with these guys."

"Ho ho ho. So you can be spineless too, young man!"

"Of course. Call me cowardly. That's how I hope to survive."

"Humph! I should say I only jest. This old man simply wanted to tease you. Alas, my grandchild grew so quickly out of his immaturity! You have become a man now!" the old man tragically said, theatrically waving his arms around. Then he cleared his throat. "Though yes, young man. I reckon your—no, our venture will be carried seamlessly."

"As per your smartly concocted plan," I remarked. "I was right to take you with me." The plan, our plan, I didn't prepare it on my own. It was mostly him, telling me how I would go about things. I pointed out the end of some goal, and he carved down a path all the way to it, telling me what I needed to be aware of, what to watch out for, and occasionally even opposed certain of my ideas when I tried to take the lead.

"There there. You shall be perfectly fine." The old boy also made a point to tell me not to be too spineless. He said I highly underestimated myself. And if I kept worrying that much about everything, I'd end up going bald before even he would. I laughed at his remark and thought it was true. "Since we are ready to get on the move then. Shall I go?"

"You go. And at the end of it all, you'll be North. Talk to you then. If everything goes according to plan, that is."

"For sure, young man."