In short, they are rituals that literally dedicate what is important to them.

However, the object to be dedicated is not the witch, but the forest god.

Witches are only its bridgers and intermediaries.

This seems to be the first time this ritual has been performed.

It wasn't done hundreds of years ago, and they deliberately added a new ritual for this one.

Nevertheless, this one would be more legitimate in one way or another.

To make your wish come true, pay the price.

It's the same story I've heard anywhere.

"Hmm... so now what are you doing?

While we were talking about that, the ritual was moving on to the next stage.

Soma hasn't done anything this time either, but he still hasn't got anything to say.

The man was offering something properly at the end, but this time he came to Soma... right after that, that started happening.

It's hard to explain with your mouth what to say about that... but what is it, the closest thing in Soma's memory is to say hello to the great guy at the drinking place, or something like that?

Of course your greatness in this case is Felicia, and it is the elves who are greeting you.

In short, the elves were discussing something with Felicia.

Moreover, both the earlier ritual and the one before it took about a few seconds per person, but this time it would be long if each person did it.

It will take at least a minute.

Really, what are you doing?

"Uh, what did you get? Did you pray in the first ritual, pay the price in the next ritual, and have your heart communicated to the Forest God in this ritual? I'm sure the chief said that."

"Mind...?

"Oh. So, that's just because you can't do that right away. We need to actually talk about it in order to understand that mind."

"Hmm... is it the tension in the kingdom that I can't hear you talking?

"Apparently. In order to convey your mind properly, was it because you might talk about something else you couldn't make me listen to? For now, that's the explanation we've been given. Oh, and, yeah, this time we have a message from the chief to our guests, right?

"Ho...?

I just thought it was nothing this time and again... no, think about it, that much time has passed between now and then.

Considering that and the time it will take per person this time and the number of people left, it will be night by the time they are all done.

I don't know how long this ritual and doing will last... then it wasn't so strange to have some sort of directive here.

"And what's that about?

"Oh... for this ritual, guests will join us," he said. Last but not least. "

"Hmm...?

As far as that in itself is concerned, there is no separate problem.

So what bothered me was the intention to do that.

Nevertheless, it's not something I can tell from what I've thought, and I have no reason to say no.

I just thought about it a little bit and ended up nodding.

"Though there's something to worry about, you just have to ask directly there. Copy that."

"Well, there's going to be a while until then."

"So, there is."

At the end of the line of sight, a lot of elves are still making rows.

Soma shrugged her shoulders with a bitter smile as she looked at the man.

If I noticed, it was time for the night book to go down.

Though the place I opened it, it would be because the trees standing around me were too high.

Overhead is covered by branches and leaves, and the light of day does not reach much.

Still, I could see some empty color from the gap, and that was starting to get a little closer to black.

It was just then that the man's turn ended in front of me and Soma's turn came around.

"Hmm..."

If you move forward to take the place of a man, you will feel only slightly uncomfortable for a moment.

It's a testament to the fact that you've entered the kingdom.

If you look over the scene that way, you should say for granted there are the figures of Felicia and Joseph.

What is floating in Joseph's face is the same Buddha top surface.

I've only seen my face a few times, but it's all floating around.

You won't mind if I say the same.

And Felicia...

"I don't know... I still feel uncomfortable..."

"Huh...? The... weird, is it?

"You... are you going to tell me you don't look good...?

"No, that's not what I meant, it's simply unfamiliar, isn't it? My impressions change a lot. Rather, I think it suits you."

Witches to witches and impressions are so much different that they say someone else will come firm, but it's not flattering that they look good.

Red eyes on white hair are a surprisingly good reflection of white and red wrapped around them.

Of course there will be a good original face, but that suited me well enough to honestly be convinced that this one was the original outfit.

"Oh, really... that's, uh... oh, thank you"

"... you"

By the way, why is the man there further accelerating the Buddha's top surface when he says he praised him?

That's true in the first place, but there's also something slightly angry hidden there.

But Joseph and Felicia are only related to the Elf's chief and the witch hidden there.

There should be no reason to just remember anger.

I shrugged my shoulders and flushed the crap that came to my mind.

I didn't hear it directly, but it's because I'm somehow able to speculate.

Then there is no need to dare to ask, and it is not for the most part that I have come here to ask.

"So what was my life called for? I don't suppose it's to get my whole life to participate in rituals and doings, either?

If that's what you ask, Joseph seems to have remembered that too.

A slight rage pulls in completely, and only the original Buddha top surface floats there.

I rang my nose once to get my mind back on it, and then its mouth opened.

"Huh, I'm letting you join me from the beginning if you intend to. But this is for our elves. It's not about the rest of you."

"I guess so. So why is it?

"Well, to tell you about this one, of course. Most of all, I didn't think I needed to give you any details..."

"I'll explain later, because I said so. If so, it's called muscle."

"... Huh"

Nose sounds uninteresting, but seems to be going to explain it to Joseph as well.

Turn your gaze up so you can figure out what to talk about.

"Nevertheless, this is something that also involves the secrets of our elves. There are limits to the details… Well, if I say this briefly, I'm about to perform a ritual to quell our god, the Forest God, and so on."

"Hmm... I needed Felicia's help to do that," he said?... Felicia is a witch, isn't she?

The moment he uttered the word, Joseph's gaze was pointed at him and his eyes narrowed.

But there was probably no such thing as anger.

Something else.

But Joseph's lid closed before he could be sure of it.

Then, the sigh is exhaled.

"... right. As you may not realize, this is a matter of survival of our species. That's why I needed to use any hand. Hmm... Of course I don't want to do this. If it were, it would be a problem that we should solve alone."

"Well, I don't care about the neighborhood... then I wish I had told you that from the beginning? That way you wouldn't have even bothered to take time like this."

"Hmm... so you're honestly convinced, but are you going to say? I saw that as unlikely, so I put it behind me. You're honestly taking my word for it now because this is how you saw the ritual taking place, right?

"Hmm..."

If you did say so, you might have been right.

Rather than the ritual itself, I might not have been smoothly convinced so far if I hadn't heard from the elves there or from that man.

"I see... it could have taken longer as a result,"

"Huh, that's the thing. I couldn't afford more time than I did, for one reason or another."

That's certainly a convincing story, too.

It is almost night as of now.

If I had taken the time to explain to Soma, I would almost certainly have been even slower.

"Hmm... I was satisfied with that for now, but by the way, can I ask you one thing?

"... what?

"Can I really get my life out of this forest without doing anything?

That's supposed to be a fatal problem if you do it badly.

Though it is not intended for Soma, the survival of the species would even be endangered if it were known somewhere that the elves had hidden the witches, etc.

Normally, you can let such dangerous elements go wild.

"Hmm... that's what you promised me. We keep our promises. Absolutely. Besides, there's nothing wrong with what you said."

"What does that mean?

"You've heard that if this thing goes down safely, you're banishing me, right? In that case, there are no witches here, so we can do whatever we want. We're elves, aren't we? If you're in this forest, let's hide the traces perfectly."

I couldn't say enough that that was overconfidence.

As a matter of fact, it has never been known around that a witch is hidden here before.

Then I guess I can do as much as cover up the trail.

If there's a problem...

"In the first place, can we really banish the witch?

"Hmm... that's all it's worth about this one. Sure, it's a shame, but if you spare a witch and the seed dies, it's the end of the line. Besides, haven't you heard of it? Our elves cannot lie. Everything I just said is true, more than that."

"Hmm..."

So when I turned my gaze to Felicia, they stared straight back at me.

Those eyes are sincere, and at least Soma can't feel there, any will but Felicia's.

They don't seem to say.

"Are you sure?

Still, I checked just in case, and they snorted back clearly.

"Yes, definitely. … and I'm sorry"

"Hmm? Is that an apology for what?

"You said you'd help, but you didn't have to."

"I still don't know that... or is this the end of the ritual?

"No, what we're doing now is that the ritual is a ritual, but it's from its preparatory phase. The ceremonial production will take place the day after tomorrow. But it's true that I don't need your help."

"Is it so much that I have to borrow the witch's hand? Then I don't think you've ever had too many hands.

"Huh, that's why I told you? If we could do something about it, we could do something about it alone. No, should I rather say this? Other than witches, my hands are only in the way."

Joseph, who said so, is the unchanged Buddha top surface, and Felicia keeps staring straight at this one again.

And.

"That's the thing.... and one more apology. You owe me a lot, but apparently it's not going to pay you back."

"So it's my seniors who owe me... anyway, what does that mean?

"Meaning and nothing, as it were. Because this is where I say goodbye to you.... soma, thank you so much for everything."

As it were, Felicia had said those words.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com