Chapter 80: 80-CHAPTER 79

We were taken by Finola, the mother of Lefania, out of the Elven village and walked through the forest for half a day.

In the evening, as the trees around us began to take on a vermilion hue, we came upon a cave drilled into the bottom of a cliff.

An Elven man was standing in front of the entrance of the cave with a bow, and when he saw us, he ran up and called out to Finola.

'Finola! Thank you for coming back. That's your daughter and the other warriors from the village, isn't it? Are they with the ...... humans or the Myar? What do you mean?

The elf peered at our group and asked Finola.

In addition to me, Satsuki, Cyril, and Mee, there were about ten elven warriors with us.

'I'll gather everyone together later and explain about that. The orcs haven't found this place yet, have they?

'Yeah, that's fine.'

Finola seemed satisfied with the guard elf's reply and led us towards the cave.

I followed her and eventually we entered the cave.

Satsuki, Cyril and Mee followed behind me, followed by LeFania and the other elven warriors.

The cave was like a tunnel hollowed out of a red clay wall.

The ceiling was barely high enough for me to reach, and the path was about the same width.

It seemed a bit more cramped than the cave where we had met LeFania and the others.

Finola led me through the tunnel, which curved to the right once, then went straight ahead for about 20 meters, then turned to the left and continued on.

The tunnel was lit at regular intervals from a certain depth onward by what appeared to be a light spell, so there was no need to prepare a separate light.

I've heard that many elven warriors are skilled not only with swords and bows, but also with magic, so this kind of trick is possible.

I was impressed, and checked with Finola, who was walking in front of me.

'So the survivors of the elves that used to live in Finola's village have gathered in this cave?

'Yes. ......, but only the ones I've led. When the orcs attacked, many of us scattered and fled. Those gathered here are only a few of our brethren who survived.

'There is no plan to join up with the rest of the survivors.

No. Some may have set up base elsewhere, and many may be lost. I hope they have asked the neighboring elven settlements for protection. ......'

As she spoke, Finola stepped into the hall at the end of the tunnel.

There were about twenty elves in the room, and they were happy to see Finola return, their faces showing a hint of hope in the darkness.

Finola said a few words to the person who seemed to be the leader of the room, and then proceeded further in.

From the hall, there was a passage - a tunnel - that led us to the end.

I continue to ask Finola questions.

'Why did Finola and the others choose this cave as a base?

Finola gives me a dubious look at my question.

'...... What does that mean?

'It means exactly what it says. I want to know why you chose this place. It's not like you've already secured it as a base for evacuation, is it?

When I asked this, Finola, who was walking ahead, pondered for a moment and then replied.

'Yeah. I found this place by accident while I was leading everyone away. I wanted to avoid a place that would be exposed to the rain as a base, and it's reasonably far from our village that was attacked. It is also reasonably large. We decided that it would be a good base for the time being.

I assessed Finola's decision as somewhat reasonable.

But then, I would like to mention something that has been bothering me.

'I support Finola's decision. But is there any other route into or out of this cave besides the ...... entrance?'

'...... No, not that I know of, at least.'

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'If that's the case, this place is somewhat dangerous as a defense base.'

'...... What do you mean?'

Finola stopped and turned around.

I urged her with a gesture to keep going, made sure she followed it and started walking again, and continued.

'The worst thing is that this is a cul-de-sac. If the Orcs find this cave and attack us with a large army, all the Elves here will be crushed with no way to escape, and every last one of them will be killed, or taken prisoner and used as their plaything.

'............'

'Other than that, it's a long and short list. For example, the narrowness of this passage is a disadvantage for the elves in that they can't make use of their agility, but if it were this narrow, the orcs would be cramped due to their size. Moreover, the terrain seems to be in our favor. In that sense, it's suitable for intercepting them... but it's still bad that there's no way out. If the enemy is clever, you never know what they will do to you.

'...... Mmm.'

When I pointed this out, Finola made a pouting face.

I'm not sure what to make of that.

However, the race of elves lives much longer than humans, and there is a high possibility that she is many times older than me, a great senior in life.

It's also possible that even LeFania is much older than me.

Since our first encounter was in such a way, I have been talking in such a casual manner as I am now, but it may be rude to do so.

However, when discussing strategy and tactics, it's easier to do so when there's no hierarchy, so I think I'll let it go on like this...

In the event that you're in a position to do this, you'll be able to do so with the help of your own personal consultant.

'...... I'm ashamed to say that you're right. I'll tell everyone what you've said and we'll consider moving the base.

She seemed to have come to terms with her inner conflict, and her words were constructive.

I was impressed by her capacity to accept the opinions of a young man like me without distinction.

Afterwards, Finola showed us around the cave.

The cave was made up of several halls connected by passageways, and there were nearly a hundred elves in total staying in the cave.

It is said that there were originally more than three hundred elves in the elven settlement of Finola, so even this number was only about a quarter of that number, and the remaining three quarters of the elves were either missing, had fled to other strongholds, or had been killed or captured by orcs.

The elves in the cave seemed to be exhausted with no cheerful expression.

It was understandable.

For them, it is highly probable that their friends and family have been killed or captured and are suffering miserably.

There were many wounded elven warriors in the cave, and Cyril was performing miracles of healing on them.

It is said that Elves have no belief in gods, and that there are no priests (Holy Order) in Elven villages.

Therefore, there was no one who could perform the miracle of healing in the elven village, and Cyril was appreciated by the elven warriors without exception.

Some of the Elven warriors who had been healed by her seemed to have become her ardent fans, and Cyril himself seemed to be greatly perplexed when he was approached with great emotion.

I don't know what was the meaning behind her probing look towards me at that time.

Finola, after showing us the cave, gathered a group of elves who seemed to be leaders or warriors, explained what I had said earlier, and suggested that we should move our base.

Some of the gathered elves expressed their doubts as to whether or not they could find a more suitable location for a base than this one, as well as their concerns about the comfort level and health hazards of using a place exposed to the wind and rain as a base, but when they weighed the benefits and risks, the discussion gradually turned towards the inevitable.

As the discussion progressed, we eventually reached an agreement on a specific relocation plan.

An elf who had been standing guard at the entrance of the cave rushed into the hall where the discussion was taking place.

Gasping for breath, he hurriedly reported to Finola.

'Finola! We've detected what appears to be Orcs! There are thirteen of them! They're coming towards us!

'What?

Finola stood up, and tension flashed across the faces of everyone present.

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