Langlebig

The journey was terrible; in addition to the corpses scattered everywhere, the terrain was far from flat.
The fear of a sentry arriving was terrible, but they were lucky; no one showed up.

Once the stomachache passed, Asia took out the sandwiches she had prepared at Gewalt.

<Is anyone hungry?>

Issei, who had been looking outside, whirled around, drooling from the mouth. Little Josuke nodded. The coachman simply extended his arm toward the inside of the carriage.
One at a time, they received a sandwich filled with cured meats and fresh cheese. They all ate heartily; Asia was happy that her cooking was appreciated.

In the castle, she only cleaned, but she was capable of doing a bit of everything, just like a housewife.

The war-torn landscape slowly began to fill with plants and trees; they were approaching the elven kingdom. No one had ever been to those lands except Issei.
They knew of the elves' existence only through legends passed down orally.

In the distance, towering trees were clearly visible, some seeming to touch the clouds. The reddish wood blended with the gentle green leaves. Wooden structures dangled from them, small houses hollowed out in the logs.

As they approached, guards with long ears stopped them. The two elves wore underwear made of leaves covered by highly breathable, almost transparent white robes. Their green hair looked like moss growing on their heads. In their hands they carried rudimentary spears.

<Who are you and where did you come from?!>

Issei stepped out of the carriage, his hands exposed.

<I am an adventurer from the city of Wüste; these are my companions. We need a place to live for a few days.>

The elves lowered their spears, opened the wooden gate, and let the carriage pass. Fortunately, Issei knew a few places in the east. In the past, he had managed to obtain a map of the east thanks to the constant wars.

The others watched Issei in action, their faces curious. The carriage passed through the gate, and in front of it were many elves, all dressed in the same white robes.

A local robe, perhaps?

As much as he knew how to behave, he had never been to the elven kingdom. Compared to other cities, the elven kingdom was very different.

Not knowing where to go, they asked everyone they met along the way for directions.
Finally, they found a place to park the carriage and a place to sleep. A young elf ran an inn in a tree.

<Do you suffer from vertigo?>

the elf asked.
Issei, who had had to fight in all sorts of places, including mountains, shook his head.
The coachman also shook his head.
Asia, on the other hand, nodded; she had a terrible fear of heights.
The prince, on the other hand, had never been so high up; in the castle, the towers were only used by lookouts. The prince had lived his entire life on the first floor of the castle and had never looked out of the window. He simply admired the view.

<Oh, unfortunately for you, all the rooms downstairs are already taken. I'll show you what I have available.>

The news shocked the wolf woman. She always asked other servants for help cleaning the upper areas of the castle, so she mainly took care of the ground floor.

They took a deep breath and entered the inn. The tree was colossal; inside was a small bar, the reception area, and the stairs.
The stairs had no handrails and spiraled into the tree. Asia remained glued to the wall, terrified at the mere thought of climbing those stairs.

<How do you prefer the rooms? Singles? A shared one?>

Issei turned to the others and they began to discuss, arriving at a conclusion: Two double rooms, one for Josuke and Asia, and the other for the coachman and Issei.

<I'll show you the rooms.>

The young elf began to climb the stairs with ease; Asia was petrified. Issei held out his hand to the wolf woman. She timidly took it, and they calmly climbed the stairs. The prince began to climb them fearlessly.

By the time they reached six meters, Asia's pace had slowed.
At eleven meters, the prince, too, began to feel fearful.

<How much further?!>

Josuke was worried; a few more meters and he, too, would need a hand to climb.

<We're almost there.>

A few meters later, they reached the lowest double room in the inn. The elf outlined a price plan. The knight and the coachman, Shirou, had to bid farewell and continue climbing another ten meters.

<It will be difficult, but we must do it. For the kingdom!>

After inspecting the room, Issei went to the elf to pay the inn fee. The knight sighed and paid. Shirou's eyes widened.

<Why is it so expensive? This inn doesn't seem luxurious to me; in fact, it seems like a place for the poor.>

Issei sighed again, sad to say that all their efforts for a week had been for naught.

<The value of money is very different here in the east. That week in Gewalt was just to reserve two days here. Now we have to work hard again to be able to live in these places. In the capital, the costs are even higher...>

Even though both hemispheres use the same currency, its value is very different. Another reason why peace between the two sides is so complicated.

The coachman snorted, unable to believe that his week-long efforts were only for two days at the poorest inn in the elf kingdom.

Asia remained stuck in her room preparing dinner with her assistant Josuke. Issei went to ask for the ingredients, and the wolf woman cooked an excellent soup.

At dinner, they all gathered in Asia's room to eat. Together, they discussed the Eastern Continent, prices, and what to do next.

At night, they heard many disturbing noises; they weren't sure what they were, but there was a constant rustling.
Thinking it was the leaves blowing in the wind, they continued to sleep, ignoring the sound.