Chapter 39: Demon's army

"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."

Just like this, my old advisor disappeared into the forest. A jump sufficed for his silhouette to melt away in the canopy of trees above. He landed upon the highest branch, and from then on, he would watch over me. And deal with most of the problems, too. At the end of it all, after we would meet up in the end, a few days from now, I wouldn't be an elven princess anymore, thanks to his hard work. He also wouldn't be the same peaceful old man. After he worked for me from above, his hands would be painted red, full of blood.

The man's white tunic would also be dotted with crimson pearls here and there. The honest worker he was would get his part of the job done. And though we may talk of a 'plan' like it was some intricate and complicated plan of action, the scheme wasn't so complex at all. The old man simply had to protect me from a distance—he confided to me there was absolutely no chance I and my group could travel safely within the woods.

At present, due to the war and many other woes, the forest was just that dangerous a place. I, on my own, could most surely handle the dangers of the woods, the old man explained to me, but with my two tagalongs, traveling with no casualty would be a hassle. In these two stupid elves' woods, a war was roaming free, after all. Or the aftermath of it, rather. Still, the enemies, though they were scarce, still posed a threat within the Western part of the sacred forest.

Anyway, the trees were very high. As such, that reliable old man had to jump so high it was breathtaking. Gifting me a light whirlwind after he'd gone, he was just off. It was impressive, and no, in case you might be wondering, just anyone couldn't pull a jump that high off.

What he just did proved he might be as strong as he was reliable in terms of knowledge. Waving after the afterimage of his dash, I inwardly said goodbye. I was left alone again. For now. And so, step after step, I promptly walked to the creaky chariot over there. What greeted my sight there was White-haired's usual saddened face.

His face was almost always as is. A wild mixture of remorse, self-resentment, and sorrow. So I thought of giving the man another order. After I asked him to "please smile," his face brightened up with a smile that wasn't faked in the slightest.

"I-It is normal for you to be... afraid and scared, Princess," he said, opening the mouth he should have kept shut. "It is... going to be—" I ordered him to shut up. After he opened the door for his royalty, I waved a hand at him, telling him not to speak for now. Three big steps got me up inside their creaky chariot. After them, you were inside the carriage, taking a place on the cold bench. That moving box was as tight as ever. I said as much and urged White-haired to come in.

"Hurry it up. Come in here. I have to talk to you guys." I had something super important to tell my men. The kinder elf was punctual and quick. He came and sat in front of me. Hideous was here too. He was inside all along. It amused me to see he had been properly healed, so I scoffed at him. When I did so, he cast his eyes downward, unblinking. My eyes squinted at the two, and leisurely leaning back, I extended my arms on the back of the seat, making myself comfortable. I had to talk to these two. White-haired had my attention. The hideous elf didn't, looking as pathetic as always. Despite all that happened before, he wasn't ready to change his behavior, hmm? Whatever.

"Your princess," I said. Regardless of whether he listened or not, I had the important piece's attention. I just had to get 'it' done, then. Argh, I didn't want to say it, however. "Your princess, huh..." I muttered to myself. My eyes were now cast downward too. My elbows rested on my knees. "Your princess... right...?"

"What is—"

"I am your... princess. You two's princess. That's right. That's me. I am your princess." And I finally said it. It was trying and difficult to do so. Plus it was also embarrassing. Damn.

"O-Of course you are—" White-haired eyes lit up. Hideous still stared at his feet.

"I am your princess and you will do as I say." I straightened my back up and let out a long sigh. It might not have sounded like that big of a deal, saying all this, but it was hard on me. "Is that clear to the two of you?" Was it clear? I spent all my energy so far making sure I'd tell these two cockroaches I wasn't who they thought... and I was sure it started to sink in by then.

With that clear-cut sentence, however, I shattered all the foundations of my precedent efforts altogether. I needed to do so. To act the part of their princess and ruler. If not, my old advisor said I wouldn't be able to make good use of them. I needed to get to the Dryads, and these elves would help me do just that. For whatever other reasons that had to do with the Sacred Benediction of the forest, or something, the old man said I needed to have them with me. Seeing how knowledgeable and well-versed he was, I believed he was right.

"Princess—"

"White-haired!" I called him out with two icy eyes. "I'm not done speaking. The way you have always behaved... and spoken freely as you please does not sit right with me. No it does not." Yeah, I might have been overdoing it again. "From now on, you will speak when I say you speak. Is that clear?" Oh and, I thought, am I pressuring them again?

Aura, huh? The old man spoke of that, too. All you had to do was let some mana leak off of you, and be hostile too. White-haired was meeting my gaze so far, but presently, he kept his unblinking eyes down like his friend. They felt only a little tremor, I wasn't actually trying to intimidate the boys, but I saw it still shook them a little. Fidgeting and sweating. The two of them. It was cool, however.

I wasn't against pushing them a little bit every now and then. If they were scared, the likelihood they knew their place was evidently higher. "And... as your royalty, I have something I need the two of you for. Indeed, people, we will go and meet with the forest's Guardians. The Dryads." Cutting a clear pause here, I was satisfied to see neither of them spoke.

"I assume you know who the Dryads are. Of course you do. Well, you heard me correct. We'll go and meet up with them, for I might have a way of dealing with our enemy. The... Demon Lords' Faction." Well, and that declaration, I hoped, would be enough. White-haired, by now, couldn't contain himself. The boy clearly was agitated. He knew to show some restraint but was now nearing his limits. "That's very commendable, White-haired." Extending a hand to him, I appeased him. "You may speak briefly now."

"Y-Yes, Princess!" In his state of restlessness and agitation, in his panic, or overflowing energy, he even tried to get up at once, only to find a ceiling on top of his head and whack it with an "Ouch!" "Princess. Far from me the idea of offending you but, presently, it should be impossible for us to—"

"Meet with the forest's Sisters, right? I know. We still have to, however."

"About the demons' army—"