We disarmed the trap and pressed onward.
Two members of Miagard's Axe scouted about ten meters ahead, checking for traps. There were two of them so that if they were attacked, at least one would have a chance to shout. There was a risk they could both be silenced simultaneously, but the probability was low.
The main unit, including myself, consisted of four people. we moved cautiously, maintaining a combat-ready stance. Another member followed about ten meters behind us, staying hidden. He was on guard against a rear ambush and served as our lifeline; if the main unit was trapped or incapacitated, it was his job to go for help.
"It’s confirmed. Someone is using this place as a den," Cokes called out to the group after we encountered several more traps.
I had come to the same conclusion. The traps were fresh. Cokes had made his judgment based on the branches used in the mechanisms; judging by the level of decay, they had been set only a few months ago. Furthermore, they were capture-style traps. This meant someone had to check them regularly.
"The skill used to conceal these isn't that of an amateur, but don't attack on sight. They might just be living here. We only engage once we've confirmed hostility," Cokes warned as the exploration continued.
I was captured.
Everyone except for me was already being held in a room within the ruins. Despite our vigilance, we had been picked off one by one. Since the scout in the rear had been the first to go, we couldn't expect any rescue. I was the last to be taken, but once the members of Miagard's Axe were held as hostages, there wasn't much I could do.
"Never negotiate with hostage-takers. Nothing you do will improve the situation."
I hadn't forgotten Instructor Frau's teachings, but I had no choice but to negotiate. For one thing, my opponent was stronger than me. I might have been able to escape, but if I had, the members of Miagard's Axe would surely have been killed. That was a weight I didn't want on my conscience.
That didn't mean I was willing to sit back and be killed, either. I chose to negotiate and allow myself to be captured because I saw a glimmer of hope that the situation could be resolved. Or at least, that’s how I’ll explain it. If I don’t, I’ll get a lecture even if I make it back safely.
"Have you confirmed it?" our captor asked.
I had agreed to be captured only after confirming the survival of the Miagard's Axe members. They were injured, but no one was in critical condition. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now then, let us talk."
I nodded. Our captor was a lone individual—a High Elf. She wasn't a normal Elf; I had seen plenty of those in Village Five, and there was no mistaking the difference. She was a High Elf, just like Ria and the others. And she was stronger than them. I could tell just by the way she held her bow.
I had no intention of fighting her. She didn't even bother to take our weapons, likely because she knew a fight wouldn't even be a contest. The only reason she had captured us was to get information from me.
"Tell me the names of the High Elves you know," she commanded in the High Elf Language.
I replied in the Ancient Elf Language. "Ria, Lise, Liri, Rief, Ricotto, Rize, Rita, Rafa, Rasa, Rarasha, Ralu, Rami..."
I went down the list of all the High Elf sisters in the village.
"...Stop."
She cut me off mid-sentence, looking genuinely surprised.
"How do you know the names of members from so many different clans?"
"Clans?"
"Lineages. Ria and Lise belong to the Rif Clan. Rafa and Rasa are of the Raf Clan. While they may fight together on occasion, they generally live in separate regions, do they not?"
"Is that so? They both lived in the same village, though."
"..."
"Should I keep going with the names?"
"No. How many are there in total?"
"About fifty."
"......................"
"Is there anything else you want to know?"
"So you know Ria. Do you not know Rigne?"
"Rigne? I don't think... I've heard that name."
"I see. You said they were in a village. Has a High Elf settlement been established?"
"It’s not a village for only High Elves. There are many other races there too."
"I suppose that makes sense. Where is it?"
"In the middle of the Forest of Death."
"............If you’re going to lie, at least try to be believable."
"I know how it sounds... but I lived there myself."
"...Very well. Assuming for a moment that everything you’ve said is the truth, can you prove it?"
"Prove it?"
"Yes. Some form of evidence. Proof that you are actually an acquaintance of the High Elves you named."
"What if I guided you to the village?"
"I would have to keep you bound for the duration of the journey. Would you still guide me then?"
What would happen if I showed up bound? I wondered if the Academy would be alright. If I asked Uncle Beezel, he could probably sort things out quickly... but the real problem was the village. I’d be scolded severely for getting caught. Plus, it would worry Alfred and Urza. I wanted to avoid that at all costs.
"Guiding you while tied up would be difficult."
"I thought as much. But there is a possibility that your story is a trap designed to lure me out."
"Which is why you need proof or evidence?"
"Correct."
"I see. Then... how about the way they taught me to weave grass? Would that work?"
"No. That technique has been passed down to the normal Elves as well."
I was stuck. What could I do? I couldn't think of anything.
"Can I consult with my friends in the back?"
"...Do as you please."
I turned to the others. "What are you two talking about?" Cokes asked.
"I’m trying to explain that we aren't enemies. I need to prove I'm friends with someone I know from my village, but I’m not sure how."
"Who is this person?"
"A big sister who looked after me back home."
"Don't you have anything she gave you?"
"Only consumables, and I’ve used them up."
"That’s no good. How about telling her something only that person would know?"
"That wouldn't mean anything unless our captor knows her too, right?"
"Does she?"
"Wait a second." I checked with her. It turned out she did know Ria. She had mentioned the name earlier, so they must be acquaintances. It looked like we might avoid the worst-case scenario. I felt a wave of relief.
"Okay, so... Ria, was it? Is there anything only Ria would know?"
"Hmm. It’s not like I was with her every second of the day..."
"What about a catchphrase or an impression of her habits?"
"She doesn't really have a catchphrase, but an impression..."
I gave it a try.
"What on earth was that?" she asked, looking at me with incredibly strange eyes.
"That was Ria testing the water temperature before she gets into the bath."
"A bath?"
Ah, right. She doesn't know what a bath is. That was a bad choice for an impression.
"It seems you cannot prove it after all."
"Wait! Give me one more chance. Just one more."
I thought about something Ria and the others had probably been doing for a long time... Maybe this?
"T-That..."
"It’s the little victory pose Ria makes whenever she takes down her prey."
Was it too obscure? Was it a failure?
"I... I remember that. Yes. When Ria finished off a target, that was exactly how she celebrated."
Yes!
"Is that enough?"
"It is. Forgive me for doubting you. I've had several people try to approach me using the 'revival of the High Elves' as bait. I had to be cautious."
"I understand. Um... could you release my friends now?"
"Very well. If you are an acquaintance of Ria, I have no reason to be hostile. However, you were the ones who trespassed into my territory. I had clearly marked the boundaries."
"I’m sorry about that."
There had indeed been a mark. Most people who didn't know High Elves wouldn't have noticed it, but Ria and the others had taught me what to look for. My reaction to that mark must have been what piqued her interest. If I hadn't noticed it, would she have let us pass? Or would she have taken us out without a word? That was a chilling thought.
"I'm Bron. And you?"
"I am Rigne."
"Rigne? Oh, was that the trick from earlier?"
"Indeed. I thought if you only knew names, you might fall for it. But tell me, has Ria truly never spoken of me?"
"I haven't heard anything. She taught me how to move through the forest, how to identify plants, how to use weapons, and things like that."
"I see. Well, she likely had no time to spare a thought for me."
"Are you a friend of Ria's?"
"Not a friend. I am Ria's mother."
"...Eh?"