Got a Gallery in the Wild

When people think of fantasy, one of the first races that comes to mind is the elves.

Lovers of nature, famous for their beauty, capable of captivating entire kingdoms regardless of gender.

Their innate affinity for mana and their talent for magic.

Their natural skill with the bow, their agility in moving through the trees, and many other abilities.

Moreover, thanks to their peaceful nature, they were admired for centuries.

In many ways, they were the complete opposite of the demons, who were known for their violent and cruel nature.

Many scholars described them as the race chosen by the gods.

But perfection does not exist.

Title) Ah, seriously, these damn pointy-ears.

Seriously, I’ve had it up to here with them.

I run a trading company, and I found a new trade route, so I went to ask them to approve it.

And do you know what they told me?

That they already had an established system and couldn’t approve it.

And that even if they did approve it, it would take another ten years. Damn it.

After dealing with things like that, I’d much rather do business with demons or beastmen. At least they get straight to the point.

ㄴ Totally agree. Elves are great as friends, but dealing with them socially is a nightmare.

ㄴ Surprisingly, until just fifty years ago, elves were still using outdated paper records.

ㄴ Just watching how they handle administration is enough to drive you insane. LOL.

ㄴ Most elves think, “Time will solve everything eventually, so why rush?” ;;;

ㄴ Young elves are still fine, but once they’re over a hundred years old, they’re hopeless.

ㄴ Humans become conservative after fifty, so just imagine elves. LOL.

An extremely rigid society and culture.

Elves live several times longer than any other race.

While countless nations rose and fell, Alvenheim continued to exist in complete peace.

While the other races—especially humans—desperately struggled to surpass one another, the elves merely maintained the status quo.

Why?

Because living that way had never caused them any problems.

Whenever demons caused trouble, Eldorado would simply deal with it for them.

They were a race that was almost perfect by nature, long-lived, and admired by countless peoples.

Precisely because of that, they were the race that took the longest to build a civilization.

Originally, they hadn’t even needed to develop any further.

After all, the elves themselves were far stronger than wild monsters.

Title) Why did the elves begin to develop?

Because the “humans” started hunting them to sell them as slaves.

ㄴ Hahaha. There are other reasons, but that’s the main one, so I can’t argue with it.

ㄴ Sorry on behalf of humanity. ;;;

ㄴ If you have to point to the world’s biggest problem, it’s always humans.

ㄴ What nonsense are you talking about? You’re obviously a demon.

ㄴ Well, demons cause lots of small problems, but when it comes to creating massive disasters, humans win. ;;;

ㄴ The split with the dark elves? Oppressing minorities is just another day for humans.

When humans and the other races began to pose a threat, the elves had no choice but to react in haste.

Naturally, changing a few things wasn’t enough to transform their rigid society.

On the contrary.

By establishing new rules, their social structure became even more inflexible.

They never once considered changing the principles they had already established.

They were the complete opposite of demons, who developed their culture simply to enjoy more entertainment.

Title) Then why do people call elves “pointy-ears”?

The split with the dark elves? If we’re being honest, humans have done far worse.

What exactly did the elves do that made everyone hate them?

Besides, this whole tree-planting thing is relatively recent.

ㄴ Because they act all noble while doing shady things behind everyone’s backs.

ㄴ We never claimed to be noble. You were the ones who decided to see us that way. LOL.

ㄴ And that’s why you ended up being hunted? LOL.

ㄴ At least humans accept half-elves. You people kick them out immediately. LOL.

ㄴ Exactly. Even before exiling the dark elves, they were already banishing half-elves. LOL.

ㄴ Shut up.

ㄴ Did that hit a nerve? LOL.

Title) Looking at elves…

I think, deep down, they look down on all the other races.

Fine, I’m under five feet tall, my face is covered in scars, and I’m ugly.

But did they really have to show that much contempt right to my face?

ㄴ Can I look down on you too? I want to become an elf.

ㄴ Is this what they call elven superiority?

ㄴ How cruel. LOL.

ㄴ Would a normal person really say something like that?

ㄴ Hahahahaha.

ㄴ Hey, give me another four inches of height. I’ll grow a beard and tell everyone I’m a dwarf.

ㄴ You really… Hahahaha.

ㄴ You’re the demon. LOL.

ㄴ You made me laugh way too hard. LOL.

ㄴ You’d better not go into the forest at night. They might mistake you for a goblin and hunt you.

ㄴ Damn it. Hahahahaha.

ㄴ Lmaoo.

ㄴ Hahahahaha.

Moreover, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them the embodiment of racial superiority.

Having been admired by everyone for centuries, they eventually developed an overwhelming sense of racial superiority.

And honestly, if you compared races alone, they really were very close to perfection.

That’s why it was so common to encounter arrogant elves.

In other words, the stereotypical “socially awkward person.”

It wasn’t just prejudice.

Meeting a few elves was enough to realize it.

Title) Honestly, what have the elves actually accomplished?

Civilization? Humans founded it first.

Science? Don’t even try competing with the dwarves.

Magic? Demons exist too, so it’s not that impressive anymore. Besides, demons are even better at everyday magic.

Beauty? Personally, I find beastmen more attractive.

ㄴ That last one is just because your tastes are weird.

ㄴ They’re my tastes. Respect them.

ㄴ When you think about it, elves practically don’t have any achievements of their own. LOL.

ㄴ At most, the World Tree. Isn’t that the only thing they have?

ㄴ And even the World Tree was a gift from the gods, so…

ㄴ Originally, the dark elves were the progressives, but they ended up exiling every last one of them.

Little by little, the idealized image of the elves began to disappear.

They went from being the superior race…

To simply being a race with good physiques and pretty faces.

As their virtues gradually lost their significance, only their flaws remained visible.

And all kinds of insulting nicknames began to appear.

Lately, ever since the Elven Queen began promoting tree planting, the public image of the elves had completely hit rock bottom.

They were the complete opposite of the demons, who simply enjoyed their own affairs without interfering in everyone else’s.

In practice, it was the current Elven Queen who dealt the final blow to the elves’ already declining reputation.

So then,

what kind of person was this queen who promoted tree planting?

Title) Achievements of the current Elven Queen.

She ascended the throne while the kingdom was politically isolated.

Despite the constant interference from the Council of Elders, she stripped them of all their influence.

Because of that alone, at least three elders and their entire families were completely ruined.

Afterward, she pushed through numerous policies of openness.

Alvenheim entered the greatest period of prosperity in its entire history.

She also adopted parts of demon culture and introduced various forms of entertainment.

She invested in the military and expanded the nation’s borders.

In addition, she partially alleviated the long-standing problem of low birth rates among the long-lived races.

She strengthened national identity, united the people, and abolished bloodline purism.

Honestly.

If I were an elf too, I’d probably worship her like crazy.

ㄴ She’s a little crazy, but as a ruler, she’s an extraordinary elf.

ㄴ Setting everything else aside, taking down the Council of Elders was incredible. LOL.

ㄴ But aren’t the other countries siding with the Council of Elders right now?

ㄴ Yeah. That’s because the Elven Queen is far crazier than anyone imagines.

In short, she could be described as an enlightened monarch destined to be remembered forever in Alvenheim’s history.

And this wasn’t merely something from the past.

It was still happening in the present.

Moreover, public support for the Elven Queen was extraordinarily high.

To the point that if she gave an order, every elf would obey without hesitation.

She practically had them completely captivated.

Title) The scariest thing about the Elven Queen.

Even the dark elves, who were persecuted and forcibly exiled, support her.

I have a dark elf friend, and he told me that if the Queen had been in power back then, they never would have split apart… That’s terrifying.

Do you think they’ll eventually reunite?

ㄴ No. They’re already two separate countries.

ㄴ Besides, Alvenheim and Setan are extremely far apart. The Forest of the Four Seasons is between them, too.

ㄴ That’s a little scary. Even the dark elves think that way.

ㄴ Haven’t they said that half-elves are already returning to Alvenheim?

ㄴ Yes. I heard that the half-elves whose parents are elves are returning.

The Elven Queen’s greatest strength was, without a doubt, her ability to unite people.

The elves had built a civilization, yes.

But they had never been known for their national unity.

Their mindset had always been something like,

“Since the other races are a threat, let’s unite a little.”

Moreover, because of their rigid culture, whenever differences of opinion arose, they rarely managed to resolve them properly.

It was the typical atmosphere of a completely dysfunctional family.

The complete opposite of humans, who had the habit of uniting first in order to survive.

So then.

How did the Elven Queen manage to change that?

Was it simply because she was an exceptional politician?

“Why is there suddenly going to be a national address?”

“I was wondering the same thing. Do you think something happened?”

“I haven’t noticed any signs that anything has happened.”

Yggdrasil.

The capital of Alvenheim.

A city built around the World Tree that stood at its center.

That colossal tree seemed to cover the entire city.

Simply looking at it was enough to leave anyone speechless.

Normally, a tree of that size would block out the sunlight and plunge everything into darkness.

But the World Tree was different.

Although its foliage was incredibly dense, sunlight passed through the leaves effortlessly.

It was a sight that defied every known law of nature.

But to the elves, it was completely normal.

“I suppose Her Majesty has something important to announce. Hey, did you watch yesterday’s match?”

“Yeah. It almost drove me crazy. If I were the coach, I never would’ve done that.”

“What can you do? That’s just how we are. If it weren’t for Her Majesty, that substitution would’ve taken another year.”

“If it weren’t for Her Majesty, sports wouldn’t even exist.”

Originally, Alvenheim was known as a beautiful nation.

But an incredibly boring one.

And until the Elven Queen ascended the throne, that description had been completely accurate.

There were practically no forms of entertainment.

And the elves’ hobbies were every bit as monotonous as one would expect.

If the Elven Queen hadn’t pushed through her policies of openness,

Alvenheim would have remained stagnant forever.

Boooooom.

As the elves gathered in the plaza chatted among themselves, a sound resembling static deliberately echoed throughout the area.

It was as if it were telling them to pay attention.

[Her Majesty the Queen is ascending the stage.]

A woman’s voice echoed throughout the entire plaza.

As soon as the elves realized it was amplification magic, they all looked up.

On the high platform overlooking the square,

a woman slowly ascended.

Tap.

Tap.

In the absolute silence, only the sound of her graceful footsteps could be heard.

Blonde hair that shone as though woven from threads of gold.

An elegant white dress that revealed part of her snow-white skin.

A beauty that stood out even among the elves themselves, the race renowned as the most beautiful.

And finally,

a youthful face that contrasted with a completely mature figure.

A presence and beauty truly worthy of a queen.

“…”

The Elven Queen swept her gaze across the crowd with a gentle smile.

Her youthful appearance even gave her a somewhat mischievous air.

Once everyone had been captivated by her presence, she finally spoke.

“First of all, I would like to sincerely thank all of you for coming on such short notice.”

After saying that, she placed a hand over her chest and respectfully bowed her head.

Her courteous attitude dispelled whatever minor dissatisfaction remained among those present.

After all, when the Queen herself personally apologized,

it was impossible to remain upset.

All that remained was to find out why she had called this gathering.

“The reason I summoned all of you so urgently is very simple.”

“Because we’re ready.”

“Ready?”

“Ready for what?”

The crowd began to murmur.

The Elven Queen patiently waited until everyone fell silent once more.

A gentle smile remained on her face.

As though she had anticipated exactly that reaction.

“I know many of you are wondering, Ready for what? We haven’t done anything.”

She paused briefly before raising her voice.

“We are ready to take a step forward!”

Her gentle tone vanished completely.

With both fists clenched, she now radiated the commanding presence of a true leader.

“Allow me to ask you a question.”

“What have we elves accomplished compared to the other races?”

“…”

“Were we the first to build a civilization like humans? Did we advance science like the dwarves? Did we develop culture like the demons? Did we establish democracy like the beastmen?”

No one answered.

After all,

how many times had they heard that elves were a useless race whose only virtue was having beautiful faces?

And the worst part was,

there was some truth to those words.

That was why no one dared to speak.

“We accomplished nothing.”

“Even the World Tree is nothing more than a gift bestowed upon us by the gods.”

“We have never created anything truly our own.”

“In fact, we were the last of all the races to establish a civilization.”

And then,

the Elven Queen struck directly at their greatest weakness.

Perhaps they were not words appropriate to say before an entire nation.

But she did not hesitate.

“Many call us the perfect race.”

“But I think the opposite.”

“We are not a perfect race.”

“In fact, perhaps we are a race that is more incompetent and lazier than any other.”

One after another,

her words struck with truths that were impossible to refute.

Just as expressions of dissatisfaction began to appear,

she immediately swept them away.

“But that is no longer the case!”

“Look at everything we’ve accomplished recently!”

“Children who once knew nothing but swords and bows are now playing with balls!”

“Products created thanks to the World Tree are reaching every corner of the world!”

“Our academic research continues to advance and influence countless scientific communities!”

Clenching both fists, the Elven Queen spoke with all the passion in her heart.

Her youthful face.

Her clear, shining green eyes.

The hope and happiness reflected in every gesture.

All of it brought smiles to the faces of the elves.

“We are not perfect!”

“We were simply born a little closer to perfection!”

“We may be the race most beloved by the gods, but until now we have only been arrogant!”

“…”

“Not long ago, in Eldorado, the First Holy Knight descended in response to the Hero’s call.”

“That means the gods are still watching over this world.”

Slowly, she opened the hand she had been keeping clenched.

Then she raised it toward the sky as though holding something invisible.

Almost instinctively, every elf looked upward.

Above them,

the immense leaves of the World Tree covered the entire sky.

“We are not perfect!”

“If we truly were, the gods would never have entrusted us with the World Tree!”

“Even to them, we are still little more than newborns!”

So then.

What should they do now?

“We have spent far too long crawling along the ground!”

“The time has come to stand up and walk with pride!”

Stand up.

Move forward.

Leave behind everything that had remained stagnant for far too long.

And take one step forward.

“But learning to walk means falling hundreds of times.”

“We will stumble.”

“We will be hurt.”

“We will suffer.”

“And even so, it doesn’t matter.”

“Because we are not perfect.”

“…”

“Just one step.”

“Just one step.”

“It has taken us an incredibly long time to gather the courage to take it.”

This was not merely an emotional speech.

She controlled the rhythm of every single word perfectly.

It was an innate talent for captivating an audience.

“We are not perfect.”

“As we speak, the other races are no longer walking.”

“They’re running.”

“Perhaps we’ll never catch up to them.”

“But that doesn’t matter either.”

“Even if we move as slowly as a turtle…”

“Our goal remains the same.”

After taking a deep breath,

the Elven Queen raised her voice with all her strength.

“To make Alvenheim, the land blessed with the divine gift of the World Tree, great again!”

“…!”

“Even if we cannot walk!”

“Even if we fall behind the other races!”

“Even if we are not perfect!”

After raising her voice to its limit,

she slowly regained her composure.

Then, with a much calmer voice filled with conviction, she said,

“We will unite under a single name.”

“The name of the elves.”

“And we will achieve that goal.”

“…”

“We are not perfect.”

“I am not perfect either.”

The Elven Queen.

Eliya Mary Yggdrasil.

Made a sincere plea.

“I beg you.”

That was the fundamental reason why a people as divided as the elves had managed to unite.

Eliya’s extraordinary gift for oratory.

And.

the fact that she had given a clear identity to a people who had never truly had one.

A genuine slogan to rally behind.

And also the reason Eliya was so deeply loved by her people.

“Will you walk with me?”

Alvenheim.

Had begun, little by little, to awaken.