Master Of None

”You are leaving to do what?” Alma looked at Gil with some frustration. She had already told him that he should be focused now on what they needed to prepare for when the forest elf queen got there. She would surely be examining the spirit trees for their health since she knew very well Alma had bonded with the central spirit tree to care for it.

”I am going to walk the road and meet her as an escort. The elites we have doing so are perfect, but I just have a feeling I should check the chain of trees and roots connecting the forest to Genesis. I don’t want any accidents.”

Gil had decided this after waking up today. He couldn’t say why, but he felt that he had to do this to make sure that the trip went smoothly. Yet, he also had the realization that he would need to go around checking several locations within the city for safety and completion of smaller projects. He didn’t want to be some inspector in the sense that he was handed scrolls to go down a checklist with. He preferred something more practical like being an escort.

From the way that Alma was looking at him, she wasn’t angry because he was shirking his work here but because he had a point that this might look better for them and be better overall. She hadn’t considered sending Gil who the forest elf queen would wish to see sooner rather than later. It made some sense for him to go and create a good mood while also sharing some details about Genesis and its development lately.

”I can also make sure that we have some of the trade caravans heading that way behind them checked before they even reach Genesis. Meaning that they won’t need to sit idly in the examination line before entering the territory.” That was even better for them since the merchants coming along would be happier. Not to mention the higher class elves who were staying in the forest elf kingdom and just gathering the courage to leave now for the first time.

If they saw the attention to safety, they would not have as much apprehension for leaving and entering an unfamiliar city. For some of the younger elves, they had left and explored Genesis at the first chance they had. It was because they had been born in the city and never left. Yet, those who were living there for many years in isolation from the world had less acceptance to just leaving for another place, even if that was temporary for them.

Therefore, when they had their queen leaving, they had forced themselves to go as well. This was to ensure the safety of the forest elf queen while also generally accepting the alliance they were not part of. They needed to stand for the elven race too.

Since they had the courage to leave their homes for the first time in many years, if not for the first time ever, Gil was also making it clear that he was caring for them. They had not all left the first time their queen had gone to visit, meaning if they stayed behind now, they would damage their future. Their relationship with the queen of the first elves and Alma who would be the queen of all elves needed to be perfect for the betterment of themselves and their families. They were the equivalent of nobles afterall.

With all this considered, Alma had let Gil run off but had made him take a few of the more elite archers and assassins. There were some of the dark and earth elves who had joined Genesis and found an excellent place as shadows or assassin guards. They could hide around their employer easily without being noticed and keep them safe when the most basic guards would fail.

Knowing that those coming with him could handle themselves, Gil did not blink twice when commenting that he would run ahead. He had taken to his full running speed to follow the row of trees and the paved road to the forest elf territories. He also had a sharp eye around for any marks of monsters passing by along with any damage to trees he might find.

Luckily, in the immediate area outside of Genesis, the line of trees was well connected creating a partial wall to ensure that monsters of larger sizes could not travel. And with how many patrols he passed by, any migrating larger monsters would have the trees opened to pass. That was the benefit of magic which focused on nature and plants. Being able to temporarily move and shape the plants around you to allow for certain things like someone or something passing through. A natural protective barrier.

He did start to slow though. That feeling he had in the morning was growing. Gil knew that Walker would say it’s his instinct. He was part high elf and that meant he was more in tune with nature and the natural flow. So, if there was something even slightly off it would be him who noticed. The very few elites behind him for the escort who had managed to catch up or stay somewhat nearby were surprised to find Gil walking over and looking carefully at the younger curled leaves on one of the trees. They too soon began following his lead to examine the area.

”We are turning around. I need to get Remey to help with this.” Gil took out a dagger and sliced off a small young branch on a tree. He knew it would not harm it, but he also felt bad for doing this. This tree had a connection to the forest of the forest elves and the forest elf queen was attached to it through unique spiritual and physical bonds. So she would surely notice damage that was done incorrectly.

Yet, the elites by Gil’s side soon caught up. They saw what he had seen and did the same, carrying a small branch and ignoring their more stressed bodies due to their attempt to keep up with Gil. Even before he returned to Genesis less than an hour after leaving, the guards at the gate he had left from immediately followed his orders to let Remey know he was coming to the alchemy guild.

His bursting in through the alchemy door just a short while later with multiple elite elven assassins, guards, and arcane archers made Remey’s announce spike. Then again, she didn’t expect that Gil would be the one to interrupt her process of refining over a hundred herbs right now. Her experiments had been constant since she had the idea to break the mold of a grand potion and aim for more.

”I need a poison that won’t harm anything but these. It should be like a mist or something to cover all the leaves of the trees along the paved path to the forest elf kingdom. These things are too small for me to kill but they are eating the trees rapidly and I have no idea what to do about them. I had a bad feeling and followed it, it led me to this.” They all placed the branches and leaves on the alchemy table causing Remey to stop her immediate response to yell at Gil and also to berate him by bringing simple tree leaves. Instead, she was looking at the little monster crawling on the leaves and had already used a monster appraisal scroll on them.

’Glutton aphid

These little aphids are a plague to crops. Most farmers can handle them if they catch the eggs early enough. Since the eggs hatch every three years, most farmers do not worry too often and have plans to deal with them. However, when these aphids are left to run amok, they will consume an entire plant within just a few days, sometimes just a few hours.

They will consume as much as possible until they get to the size of a small house cat. This causes them to molt and become a carnivorous monster known as…’

The appraisal was detailed and even shared about their lifespan. However, the important part was that they consumed eating until they killed the plant that they hatched on. Meaning every single tree leaving to the forest elf territory and to the Genesis forest would be a target now.

”Can you help with this problem?” Remey knew exactly why and how this would become a major problem. Not just for the fact that it could cause issues for the first elf queen, but because of left to spread it would cause all the food in the farms to be eaten leaving nothing for harvest.

”I can manage this. It’s more important than my experimentation. You just need to send your guards to gather a team to spread the potions I make.” Her arrogant attitude was matched with a sharp smirk. She knew her skills and she also knew that when Ignus returned he would jump to help her. He had to protect the food source for his people too after all.

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