I Became My Elf King Character In A Game-Like World
Chapter 74: Hidden Map

Chapter 74: Hidden Map

With the fighting truly finished, the vast elven army, tens of thousands strong, began to coalesce.

At King Renjiro’s signal, the great host turned, beginning the long march back to the heart of their territory.

The destruction of the ogre tribe wasn’t just a victory; it was the final cornerstone laid for Renjiro’s undisputed dominion over the Forest.

Now, apart from scattered beasts and minor monsters lurking in the deep shadows, no organized threat remained within these forest.

’Human mercenaries, though... they’re a different problem,’ Renjiro acknowledged silently. They didn’t belong here, and weren’t part of the forest’s natural order.

He knew his current forces couldn’t possibly seal every path or watch every shadow in this enormous expanse of this forest.

Preventing determined hunters or adventurers from trespassing was, for now, unrealistic. But Renjiro felt no urgency.

Patience was a virtue he possessed. In time, as his power solidified and the true strength of the elves became undeniable, those intruders would learn soon enough whose land they dared to tread upon.

As they walked, Renjiro found himself watching the Giant Golems moving amongst the elves. Their massive forms lumbered with an unyielding rhythm.

Most bore scars from the intense battle with the Giant Leader—deep gouges, chipped stone—but none seemed truly hindered.

With each step, Renjiro could almost see them drawing sustenance from the very earth, the raw elemental power flowing up into their stone limbs like water soaking into dry soil.

The wounds, even the significant ones, were visibly knitting themselves back together, the stone smoothing and reforming with an almost unsettling speed.

’They really are almost indestructible, Renjiro thought, a sense of awe mixing with strategic calculation. ’Their regeneration is incredible. Even the Undead, legendary for their unnatural resilience, would likely seem fragile next to these things.’

He recalled what little he knew of the Undead, that chilling spectrum of reanimated corpses, spectral horrors, and worse that plagued corners of the continent.

Skeletons, ghouls, zombies, powerful liches commanding legions of lesser dead, and even the terrifying, near-mythical Draco-liches whispered about in fearful tales.

They were a blight, universally hated and hunted by the living races. Yet, somehow, they endured, festering in dark places, their presence cause a constant, nagging threat.

Even among humans, whispers persisted of forbidden necromancy, mages who sought to harness that unholy dark power.

"Your Majesty!"

The call broke his thoughts. Lorien, moving with effortless grace, guided her gleaming unicorn to his side. She held out a piece of aged, yellowed animal hide, tough and clearly ancient.

"Lorien? What’s this you’ve found?" Renjiro asked, his attention shifting to the intriguing object.

"Your Majesty," Lorien explained, her voice clear, "we found this hidden within the Giant’s dwelling. He had it tucked away in a sturdy box, as if it were something precious."

Renjiro accepted the hide. It felt stiff and brittle with age. Faint, intricate lines snaked across its surface, rivers, mountain ranges, depicted with surprising detail.

One symbol stood out: a large, heavily fortified structure, unmistakably a citadel or castle. Alongside the drawings ran lines of script, characters utterly foreign to him.

Elaria leaned in, her keen eyes immediately drawn to the strange writing and symbols. A flicker of recognition, then shock, crossed her usually composed features, quickly followed by dawning amazement.

"Your Majesty... this is... a map

!" she breathed, her voice filled with wonder. "Look at these topographical markers... and this word here," she traced a symbol with a delicate finger, "in the Giant tongue, it reads——. That’s the name of the Mountain Giant City! By the All-Mother... This map shows a path, a direct route, deep into their territory! Legends claim that this city holds ancient secrets, remnants from the past time of the Titans!"

Her finger rested on the castle symbol. Just below it sat the line of incomprehensible text. It wasn’t Common, nor High Elves. It had to be the native language of the Mountain Giants.

"Huh...!" Renjiro repeated the name, a sense of wonder touching him now too. Finding a map to the legendary capital of the Mountain Giants in the ruins of an ogre outpost was the last thing he’d expected.

Elaria continued, her voice hushed with the weight of the legend, "The City of the Mountain Giants lies far, far to the north, beyond the plains, within the harshest deserts of the world. Few outsiders have ever reached their borders, let alone glimpsed that city itself. It is their most sacred place, their capital... whispered to hold hidden truths and artifacts left behind by the Past Titans!"

Renjiro carefully placed the extraordinary map into his spatial ring. Useless now, perhaps, but a direct route to a mythical city brimming with Titan lore? Its future value was immense.

He looked at Elaria, his future queen, with newfound respect. "Elaria, you can actually read the Giants language?"

Elaria gave a slight, almost shy nod. "Yes, Your Majesty. Our Royal Archives are extensive, containing records and linguistic studies of many races. Not only the Giants, but Orcs, Dwarves... I even dedicated time to mastering the complexities of the Draconic tongue. I felt it... prudent... to learn as much as possible."

Lorien beamed beside her. "Your Majesty, Elaria’s knowledge is truly profound. She is the wisest among us; her learning is a constant source of inspiration."

Renjiro couldn’t help but be impressed. ’So, my future queen isn’t just wise and beautiful, she’s a master linguist and scholar too.’

Catching his look of open admiration, a delicate blush rose on Elaria’s cheeks. "Your Majesty’s own wisdom guides us all," she replied softly, deflecting the praise. "My learning pales in comparison to your insight."

Renjiro offered a light chuckle, shaking his head inwardly. ’My ’insight’ and all knowledge comes from a system,’ he thought wryly. ’I’m just good at following directions from it.’

As Renjiro led the victorious elven army back into the familiar embrace of their territory, a wave of joyous sound washed over them.

Cheers erupted from the canopy and the forest floor. Elves, their faces bright with relief and excitement, ran forward alongside graceful unicorns, their hooves silent on the mossy ground, eager to welcome their King and the returning warriors.

The shadow of war had lifted completely; this entire, vibrant forest was now truly, unequivocally, the elves’ home.

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