Chapter 168: Don’t Mess with My Food 1
“Elanar, how old are you?”
“2271 years... Ugh.”
“Oh my, really? But our Elanar has grown up so much. Now that you’re even leading the knights, does it feel like the world is yours?”
“No, it doesn’t!”
“Are you struggling?”
“No!”
“If you’re having a hard time, just say it.”
“No! Not struggling at all!”
Olgania was sitting with one leg crossed on Elanar’s back, who was holding a perfect one-handed plank position.
No, Elanar couldn't speak at all.
Elanar was the current leader of the Lotus Lake Knights at 2271 years old, but Olgania, with the most experience among the great forest elves, was 2892 years old and a senior of an older generation.
Of course, when it came to power, both Olgania and Elanar could be treated as S-rank hunters, but in terms of career, honor, and every other aspect, Elanar was just a fledgling compared to Olgania.
If they were human, Olgania would be beyond a four-star general and a well-established national ruler, while Elanar was at best a one-star general.
Olgania normally didn’t assert her authority among the elves.
They bathed together, slept together, and ate together, sharing the same space and speaking casually regardless of age.
But with Elanar, she made an exception.
This was because Elanar and Olgania had an 800-year gap as senior and junior in the knights.
“Hey, everyone. Do you know what Elanar was like when she first joined the knights?”
“Huh?”
“Our Knight Commander?”
“I don’t really know.”
The elves around, who had been watching nervously, tilted their heads at Olgania’s question.
“Lady Olgania, among us here, I’m probably the oldest, but even I have never seen Senior Elanar’s days as a princess knight.”
The overly cutesy elf still kept up her act even in front of Olgania.
At this point, it seemed to be a conviction as solid as stone.
“When she first joined the knights, I was her senior. As soon as she saw me, she started following me around all day, saying, ‘I want to be a cool elf like Lady Olgania!’”
“Our Knight Commander?”
“Oh my gosh…”
“That must’ve been adorable…”
“Commander Elanar is over 180 centimeters tall, so following someone around all day must have looked really cute.”
“Back then, Elanar barely came up to my waist.”
“Oh my? Really!?”
The steadfast, strong, and dependable knight commander actually had an adorable side to her?
The elves, already squealing, started to listen attentively to Olgania’s story.
“There was one time when Elanar got lost while on a mission to chase away a group of human raiders. It was her first outing, and she hadn't memorized the terrain yet. It was night, and she couldn’t use a spirit without alerting the raiders, so she wandered around like a lost child, crying as she looked for me.”
“Kyaa! How cute!”
“It would be amazing if we had a picture from back then!”
“That noble, strong Lady Elanar…”
“Oh, just imagining it is adorable.”
“O- Olgania... When are you going to stop with these stories...?”
“Oh my, do you hate it?”
“.....”
“I asked, do you hate it?”
“N- No…”
“Hey. Why’s your answer like that?”
“I’m sorry!”
“Hey, I asked if you hate it. Answer properly.”
“No! I don’t hate it!”
‘Oh, jeez...’
While the elves gathered around and gossiped like neighborhood ladies, Lirisia was already trying to calm down her tentacles, which were squirming from the thought of facing another grass-only meal despite her hunger.
Whether it was a tradition or hazing, that was fine, but could they finish up quickly and do something about the meal...?
“But, Elanar.”
“Y- yes…”
“For someone who claims not to be struggling, your face looks pretty twisted. Am I too heavy?”
“No, not at all!”
“Oh, really? So are you saying I’m wrong? Maybe you secretly think I’m heavy and unbearable?”
“Huh, what...?”
“What’s that? Our dear junior… Usually so polite, but today, your tongue seems unusually long. Answering a question with another question?”
“I- I’m sorry!”
“What exactly are you sorry for?”
‘Oh, damn...’
Watching the scene, Lirisia was alarmed.
What kind of military-style hazing was this…?
Weren't they supposed to be the noble elves of the great forest?
Okay, an elf turned cutesy fanatic might be one thing, and sure, there was the cultural shock of them being given permission to eat meat… but now even military-style hazing among the elves?
And they hadn’t even learned this from humans.
According to Olgania, this kind of strict hazing had been a tradition among the elves’ knightly order for over 2000 years.
Sighing, Lirisia stopped trying to soothe her tentacles and tapped Olgania on the shoulder, who was sitting atop Elanar’s back.
“What’s the matter, Forewoman Lirisia?”
Olgania didn’t seem surprised and addressed her calmly, as if she'd already heard about Lirisia from Yeonseo and Shia.
“Enough, maybe? Even if you're mad, doing this in front of the others is crossing the line.”
“Oh my, what line? Lirisia, this is just me disciplining Elanar, my junior. The external supplier scammed us on ingredients, and Elanar didn’t check it thoroughly and let it through. That’s not a light offense.”
That’s why there’s no meat in today’s meal.
“Plus, the elves building the new forest here work over 12 hours a day, so a diet without the joy of meat isn’t something to take lightly.”
Well… it wasn’t worth questioning when these traditionally vegan great forest elves became so hung up on meat.
Thinking about it just made her head ache.
“Whether you yell at your junior or not is none of my business. But it’s mealtime, and you’ve been holding her here for quite a while. How much longer are you going to keep her tied up?”
“Hm…”
“Besides, she’s supposed to be the commander of the knights, right? She leads the other elves and protects this place in your absence. If you openly humiliate her in front of the others, what do you think they’ll think?”
Since Shia had been the head of the Rose Order and the emperor’s right hand in the previous world, Lirisia also held a significant position of power.
She had lived for centuries, gaining extensive experience with authority.
“I don’t know if your elven political structure is the same as ours, but even if you’re frustrated about the lack of meat, publicly scolding her like this will only backfire. Or are you too comfortable to get up? Want me to help you up?”
Outwardly, it seemed like Lirisia was defending Elanar, but in truth, her only interest was to make progress on getting food for herself and the rest of the working elves.
She didn’t care whether Olgania made Elanar eat elven meatballs or not, but if things continued like this, they’d all be left munching on a raw nature diet without any meat.
‘Lady Lirisia... she’s more rational than I thought.’
In fact, this wasn’t the first time Lirisia and Olgania had met.
They had met even before Lirisia had officially taken the position of forewoman and senior among the elves.
When Olgania first saw Lirisia, she felt hostility, sensing the ominous aura despite her resemblance to the Saintess of the Dead. But Shia had assured her that Lirisia was harmless, and trusting Shia wholeheartedly, Olgania chose to believe it.
Indeed, Lirisia had a sharp tongue and looked like she could break someone’s spine or devour someone whole if provoked, but despite the title of Witch of the Dark Star, she diligently worked under the desert sun, her tentacles assisting her as she cursed and complained.
She didn’t seem to have much issue with the other elves, even earning the title of forewoman, and quickly adapted to life here.
But appearances could be deceiving.
While part of Olgania’s purpose in humiliating Elanar publicly was about the food situation, she also wanted to gauge Lirisia’s reaction.
‘She’s blunt and acts like she doesn’t care, but is she a saint at heart? The way she keeps glancing at Elanar under me…’
Lirisia’s response was surprisingly human, and Olgania nodded before lifting her weight off Elanar’s back.
“You’re right, Lirisia. Then, let’s call this the end of Elanar’s punishment. Now, shall we get back to the issue at hand? Elanar?”
“Yes, Lady Olgania…”
“No need to be so scared.”
Olgania resumed her usual gentle smile.
“What, do you think I’m going to mess with you just because there’s no meat on the table? After listening to nonsense all day at the Parliament, filtering out the constant stares from leering Hunters who only want a glance at Yujin, do you think I’d take out my frustration on you?”
“... I- I apologize…”
Of course, her words weren’t entirely gentle.
“Don’t worry, Elanar. After having to persuade a human senator for two hours on why we don’t want housing near nature, all I had to look forward to was eating some meat. But to come here and find no meat and you talking about nature and grazing…”
“... Hic…”
Elanar’s big eyes began to well up, realizing the gravity of her mistake.
Now it seemed Olgania was even more upset about the lack of meat than Lirisia was.
“Hey, stop scaring her already.”
“Oh dear, what was I thinking… I must’ve gotten a little carried away without realizing it.”
“Keep it down a notch. Anyway, what’s there to get so worked up about? Just track down the supplier and ask if the order’s correct. If not, demand an explanation.”
“That’s true, but… Ha, it’s not just me eating, after all…”
“Right. The elves working their tails off need a boost, and a meatless meal after all that labor is no good.”
“That’s part of it… but I need to feed Yujin, too.”
“Yujin? Who’s that… ah, the hero from your previous world who was always with you?”
“Yes. Lately, when Yujin and I go to bed late, she seems exhausted. If I don’t give her something blessed by the elves, she’ll collapse. She can’t hold out without it, and after leaving me neglected for decades, she owes me that much.”
“What…?”
Lirisia looked stunned.
“Not long ago, she had some spicy pork stir-fry from the Big Tree House and felt energized, staying up until 4 a.m. Because of that, I now take the meat dishes the sisters from the Big Tree House make and deliver them straight to her.”
“...”
Lirisia rubbed her forehead and shook her head.
I didn’t hear anything.
What is it with these elves here?
“Anyway, I’m not going to harm anyone, so just get the address and number for me.”
“... Yes, Lady Olgania.”
“Oh, and ask if they like corn.”
“...”
Looking at Olgania, Lirisia closed her eyes.
Sorry, Brivie.
Compared to this insane elf, you’re practically a saint.
After that, Olgania and Lirisia began reviewing the ingredient list that arrived in the early morning.
The issue was simple.
The external supplier, who had already received payment, was supposed to deliver a set amount of ingredients, as they would for a human group.
But they had somehow learned that their clients were “500 elves.”
The distributor must have seen elves working nearby and realized the ingredients were for elves.
This itself wasn’t the problem.
Some elves had already been living in Korea, so the presence of elves wasn’t unknown.
The issue arose when the supplier realized their clients were elves and decided to skimp on ingredients, pocketing the difference.
They assumed elves only ate plants and ate very little, so they cut back on expensive meats and replaced them with cheaper vegetables, keeping the profit.
Perhaps they didn’t know the elves here had recently been allowed to eat meat.
The issue reached Yeonseo, who had arranged the supplier through the Hunter Association, and upon hearing about it, Yeonseo teleported directly to confront the supplier’s manager.
No one, including Lirisia, Elanar, Olgania, or the worker elves, knew exactly what happened.
Rumor had it that the supplier’s manager begged on hands and knees.
In the end, the supplier was replaced with one introduced through the Hunter Association.
The meat provided by this new supplier was top-notch.
They supplied 1st-grade Korean beef and pork raised on Daegwallyeong, enough to satisfy the newly carnivorous elves.
To avoid issues like the previous supplier, the parent company itself managed the supply.
“The meat yesterday was delicious!”
“Right?”
“Brivie, today’s menu is something called galbitang.”
“What’s that?”
“A broth dish made with beef ribs! It’s part of something called gukbap!”
“Gukbap? Didn’t we have that once before?”
“Huh, when?”
“When you were supporting Area 18. It was delicious.”
‘Galbitang, huh…’
After completing the ritual of intimidation and prayer to the spirits in the sand, Lirisia returned to the elves’ resting area.
Yes, galbitang...
I haven’t had that in a while.
Using cheap dairy cow ribs or yak ribs makes it taste horrible, but with no more tampering, the flavor should be good.
“The sundae gukbap we had last time was delicious, so if it’s similar, I’m excited.”
“Oh, yeah. Eating it with rice and spicy salad on the side was amazing.”
“You don’t know anything.”
“Ah! Senior! Are you done with work?”
“You have to put radish kimchi juice in gukbap. Slurp down the hot soup, then finish with a cool makgeolli shot. That’s the way.”
“Uh, makgeolli maybe, but… radish kimchi juice?”
“You just don’t get it. Newbies on Earth, huh?”
“Sounds terrible…”
“Hey, but doesn’t Forewoman Lirisia always tell the truth?”
“Oh, it’s here! Sister, over here!”
Seeing the food-serving elves from afar, the worker elves waved their hands enthusiastically.
A bowl of gukbap at the end of the day… unbeatable.
“Uh…?”
“Hehehe, this one looks like it’s begging me to devour it!”
“Wow, it looks tasty.”
“What are these noodle-looking things?”
“They put rice and noodles together in this galbitang.”
“Wow, and there’s so much meat. The sisters from the Big Tree House must have worked hard…”
“Stop right there.”
But in the next moment, Lirisia sensed something strange and grabbed Brivie’s hand before she could pick up her spoon.
“Huh, Senior? What’s wrong?”
“Don’t you smell something off?”
“Smell? Just smells like good meat to me.”
“Forewoman, are you being paranoid after last time?”
The elves who hadn’t tried galbitang didn’t know, but as soon as Lirisia smelled it, she sensed something peculiar.
The smell was similar to regular galbitang.
However, she had never heard of galbitang with a sticky, sweet scent like chocolate or candy.
“Hey, Senior! Trying to steal my food is too much!”
Ignoring Lirisia’s warning, Brivie took a spoonful of galbitang and ate it.
“I’ve been craving meat so badly!”
Chomp, chew-chew!
“Delicious! So delicious!”
“See? Brivie’s enjoying it.”
“...”
Chew, chew!
Chomp…
But soon, Brivie’s hand slowed down as she ate.
“…Uh?”
“Sister Brivie…?”
“Gulp… Chew, smack… Delicious… Huh…”
“...”
Before long, Brivie, her face flushed, slumped over while still holding her bowl.
It wasn’t poison.
She appeared healthy, showing no signs of toxicity.
“Hah… Hah… Hah…”
“Sister?”
“Is Brivie okay…?”
Her face, now bright red, seemed feverish as she let out shallow breaths and rubbed her thighs.
“Hah, Senior…”
“…Are you hurt?”
“My body… feels hot… It’s like a sensation… multiplied by three thousand… Hah…”
Judging by her delirious muttering, her life didn’t seem at risk.
‘They tampered with the food again…’
The worst part was that none of the other elves even noticed.
Sigh.
Lirisia let out a deep breath and stood up.
“Take care of her, and cover that with leaves just in case.”
“Y- Yes!”
“Where are you going, Forewoman?”
“Where do you think?”
I’m going to find whoever messed with the food.