Assimilate All Talents

Chapter 385 - 384: I’ll Show You Mature

The Great Forest. A simple name for what was known as the world's largest forest. It was approximately three fourths the size of the Kingdom of Crestelia and had existed since time immemorial. Within this vast, lush, and truly beautiful expanse lay Sylmasera, which, in the ancient language of the elves, simply meant Elf Lands.

This didn't mean elves were the sole sentient inhabitants of Sylmasera, but they were the overwhelming majority, and their leadership reflected this through the Elven Council. The council was composed of one representative from each major subrace of elf: Wood Elves, Sky Elves, Sun Elves, Earth Elves, Sea Elves, Light Elves, and Dark Elves. While there were additional subraces, such as the Star Elves and Snow Elves, their numbers were far too few to warrant a seat on the council.

To guide the council's decision making, they were led by the one known as the Speaker. The elf who became the Speaker wasn't chosen based on race or age but was said to be selected by the World Tree, or as the elves called it, the Yggtree. The specifics of the selection process were a mystery, but it was said the Speaker could speak directly—

—

"Reena? Are you here?"

Reena, a Dark Elf woman, was lying on her couch with a book titled A Traveler's Guide to the Elven Lands. Her gray hair, tied into a ponytail, draped off the edge of the couch. Upon hearing the familiar voice call out to her, she sat up quickly.

"Jandar! You're back!"

The middle aged Wood Elf, Jandar, smiled warmly and hugged her.

Though they were from different subraces, the two were like family. Reena had been just a baby when her parents were killed by a B-Rank beast during a foraging trip. When word of their deaths reached the town, they tried to find a relative but the town consisted mostly of sun elves and after checking with the few dark elves no one claimed to be her relative. While they debated who would care for the orphaned child, Jandar—then on assignment from the Elven Council—volunteered to look after her until someone came forward.

But no one ever did.

Years passed, and Jandar raised her like the daughter he never had. Now, at 48 years old and nearly reaching adulthood, she had grown into a capable young elf, and he couldn't have been prouder.

The two stayed embraced for a moment before Jandar's gaze drifted to the book in her hands. Upon recognizing it, his expression darkened.

"Were you reading that human book?"

Seeing his frown, Reena smiled sheepishly. "I know what you're going to say, but come on! Aren't you a little curious about what's written in here? It's about us, you know? And honestly, I think it's pretty accurate."

Jandar took the book from her hands and replied sharply, "Doesn't matter what it says. That human wasn't even supposed to go beyond the border cities for trading. He broke the rules and was punished." He raised the book slightly. "This should be destroyed."

The book had originally belonged to one of the few human merchants allowed into Sylmasera. Their access was limited to the two cities bordering the Kingdom of Crestelia and the Holy Kingdom of Delvania. But this merchant had used disguise magic to pose as an elf and traveled deeper into the region, trading for rare goods and documenting what he saw in this book, hoping to share it with his family upon his return.

Unfortunately for him, he was caught on his way out and promptly executed. The book remained unfinished, with nearly half of its pages left blank.

"You're right..." Reena said quietly, disappointed she wouldn't get to finish reading it. "I just wanted to understand how humans think. From what I read, he didn't seem like a bad person. He only wanted to learn about us."

Jandar's frustration flared as he raised his voice. "Humans ARE bad! They're liars. Greedy. And they wouldn't hesitate to kill others for their own gain. They can't even trust each other let alone other races. The only thing that unites them is their lust for conquest. It's a miracle they haven't driven themselves extinct already, probably only because they reproduce so damn fast."

Elves typically lived up to 500 years and had two to five children in that time. By comparison, humans bred like rabbits.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again..." Reena couldn't meet his eyes. She hadn't meant to upset him.

Jandar quickly regretted his outburst and gently patted her head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. Come here."

He guided her to the couch and sat beside her. Gazing out the window at the trees to collect himself, he finally spoke again.

"Listen, I used to believe that not all humans were bad and I don't want you to repeat the mistake I once made. I haven't told you this before... but long before I took you in, I was captured by humans. It happened nearly 200 years ago."

Reena gasped. "You were?! Why didn't you ever tell me?"

He sighed. "It's not... something I like to think about. A human noble bought me. They treated me like a toy. They made me perform for their amusement, paraded me around like some prize at their gatherings..."

"You don't have to go into detail." Reena said gently, seeing how much it pained him to recall his traumatic past.

Jandar forced a smile. "Even so, I was lucky. The worst I lost was my pride. Others... others lost their lives after being pushed to the brink, both physically and mentally."

'How could humans be so cruel?' Reena thought as she looked into his pained eyes.

The two sat in silence for a while, until Jandar abruptly stood and let out a loud laugh. Reena blinked in confusion.

He turned to her and said, "Remember this, Reena: when you're sad, the best way to lift your spirits is to laugh, loud and full. Let it carry away all the dark thoughts. Now, enough of that. I need your help with something."

"My help? Wait! Do you mean... can I finally join you?!" She nearly leapt from the couch.

Jandar chuckled. "Sorry, not yet."

He continued, "The Adventurer's Guild in Crestelia informed the Adventurer's Guild here that a map of Sylmasera was stolen. There are already two A-Rankers in the area, but the Council wants me there as well as a precaution. Can you open a portal for me?"

"Ugh, really?" Reena flopped back onto the couch like a deflated balloon. "Why can't I join the Guardians yet? I've met all the requirements!"

The Guardians were elite elves from all subraces who served directly under the Council. They were responsible for carrying out dangerous missions and act as a deterrence from outside threats. The minimum requirement to become a Guardian was to be a A-Ranker and for this reason there were currently only 24 active Guardians.

Jandar laughed and said, "You have, and although you're still technically underage, most of the Council agrees you should be allowed to join early. After all, you're only two years away."

With the long lifespan of an elf, elves were not considered adults until they reached 50 years old.

"Then why not now?!"

"Because I said so," Jandar replied firmly. "Reena, I don't doubt your strength. You're the youngest A-Ranker of your generation with an extremely rare and high aptitude for space. Even if the Wood Elves hadn't given you one of our seven slots, the Dark Elves would've gladly given you theirs. But strength isn't everything. You're not mentally ready yet. As a Guardian, you'll see things that will test you in ways you're not prepared for."

Reena huffed in frustration but relented. "Fine. [Gateway]."

She cast a portal instantly, then tossed him a purple stone engraved with runes. "Break it when you're ready to come back."

The stone served as a locator, transmitting its spatial coordinates to Reena so she knew exactly where he was. Breaking it would cut the transmission and serve as a signal to open a portal for Jandar to come back.

Jandar smiled, impressed by how calmly she handled it. But he knew it was because she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of proving his point.

He leaned forward and gave her a light kiss on her forehead. "Thanks, Reena. I'll see you in a few days."

He then stepped through the portal, disappearing to the eastern border city of Heimensel.

The portal closed behind him, leaving Reena alone again, something she had grown used to, given how often his duties took him away.

She tried to go about her day, but Jandar's words about maturity lingered in her mind. She paced restlessly around the room, trying to think of a way to prove him wrong.

'When he comes back... Wait! That's it!'

A bolt of inspiration struck her.

Without hesitation, she cast, "[Gateway]!"

Another portal opened, and she stared into it with determination.

"Hmph! I don't need to wait for him to come back. I'll go and show him just how mature I really am!"