After the embrace, the two Puchis quieted down.
Of course, watching their tentacles flail wildly showed they weren't truly quiet—they had switched to private chat on the fungal network.
"Big bro, why are you here?"
No. 4 remembered when it followed Pink Puchi back to the mushroom garden, No. 1 had ambitiously talked about becoming "Northern Mushroom Tribe representative." It had instructed No. 4 to work hard winning over Pink Puchi and No. 10, while looking after newcomer little Fourteen and uniting them.
It had painted a blueprint of "North and kingdom echoing each other, future in Mushroom Tribe hands."
How in a blink had the "Northern Mushroom Tribe representative" ended up in Elf Forest?
"Little Four... sigh." No. 1's mental voice carried a long sigh. Its mushroom cap drooped slightly, heavy with frustration.
No. 1 looked heartbroken and slowly explained.
In its telling, the great Fungus Lord had originally intended it as Northern representative. But at the critical moment, treacherous No. 2 struck, openly questioning the Fungus Lord's decision and vying for the position.
"That despicable guy!" No. 1's mental voice boiled with anger. "It dared to question the Fungus Lord's will!"
The merciful Fungus Lord decided on fair competition: both sides would lead their subordinates in a contest.
Though the best fighter Little Four was away on assignment, No. 1 still had strength not inferior to No. 2.
No. 1 had No. 5, No. 6, and No. 8 under it.
No. 2 had No. 3, No. 7, and No. 11 under it.
For safety, No. 1 secured temporary support from No. 13 through certain promises.
The Fungus Lord inserted tailless lizardman silver scales into both sides' Puchis before the black devil.
Originally their odds were great—No. 5 wasn't combat-strong, but its hiding mastery was top-tier, plus they had more mushrooms.
Unexpectedly, No. 13 had long been bought by No. 2 and killed poor No. 5.
Then shamelessly joined No. 2's team to surround No. 1's group—outnumbering them!
Though all Puchis eventually had their scales snatched by the black devil who noticed the commotion and arrived, No. 1 still lost first.
Closest to the mushroom garden and Fungus Lord—symbolizing the highest authority and glory—the "Northern Mushroom Tribe representative" title ultimately fell on No. 2's smug cap!
And No. 1 was exiled to this forest, ruling these clearly unpromising long-eared humans...
Thinking of this, No. 1's cap drooped further. One tentacle tightly wrapped around No. 4's tentacle, its mental voice full of pain and reluctance: "Little Four, now that Little Mushroom No. 2 has gained power, it's arrogant and trying to monopolize the Fungus Lord's favor and glory... Big bro, whenever I think of this, my mycelium aches with pain!"
"Big bro!" No. 4's mental voice immediately responded firmly. "I'll always support big bro!"
No. 1 nodded its cap comfortingly, then lowered its mental voice to ask: "How's progress on your side? Is winning over Pink Puchi and No. 10 going smoothly? Will they... obey your commands?"
No. 4's cap imperceptibly tilted a tiny angle, and its mental transmission showed extremely brief hesitation: "Al... almost. Pretty smooth."
"Good! Worthy of my good Little Four! Big bro knew you were the most reliable!" No. 1's mental voice lifted greatly, its cap even perking up.
The two mushrooms' long private talk finally ended.
When they snapped back to reality, the forest clearing was already empty. The envoy and elf captain Eco had left. Only one left-behind elf ranger squatted bored under a distant tree, waiting for them to finish chatting.
...
Stepping into Elf Forest, Inanna almost thought she had wandered into a deeply fungal mat-covered woodland near Mushroom Capital's outskirts.
As far as the eye could see, tangled mycelium bore glowing mushrooms among ancient roots. Various Puchis flickered in the forest's light and shadow.
If not for every tree needing ten people to embrace it, with crowns piercing the clouds, she'd really think she was back near Mushroom Capital.
Not just Inanna was surprised—everyone in the envoy was shocked to see Puchi masters here, let alone that ranger captain Eco himself was one.
You have to understand, this might be the world's current highest-level Puchi master...
Moreover, the elves had developed a Puchi culture completely different from the kingdom's.
Unlike human Puchi masters who chased control limits and wanted constant Puchi entourages to show their status, elf Puchi masters' relationship with Puchis was more like house pets.
They didn't pursue numbers, instead preferring single Puchis—even trending toward wearing them on their heads.
The types differed too.
The kingdom had all kinds of Puchis. The elves, perhaps due to living in tree trunks, favored winged Puchis.
Despite the many differences, Inanna felt her nose sting. She quietly used her fingers to wipe away the slight moisture emerging at the corners of her eyes.
She was genuinely happy that Puchis could be so naturally and harmoniously accepted by the elves.
The Sword Saint Puchi felt like "did I die and get revived after ten-plus years?" Last time it came here wasn't like this, right?
And Eco... what's with this guy?
Surely it couldn't be that last time when they fought, its hand was too heavy, and even elf secret medicine was powerless, forcing him to rely on mycelial parasitization to save his life?
The Sword Saint had countless questions piling up in its heart, but couldn't ask directly.
There were old acquaintances here who knew "Airaven." Though the fungal network's mental transmission wasn't the same as speaking aloud, careless words in conversation could still expose its identity.
Never mind what those elf old friends or that inscrutable Fungus Lord might think—if news leaked, Alama would probably immediately drop the defense project, grab that heirloom greatsword, and chase all the way here to kill it...
Hm... compared to satisfying that trivial bit of curiosity, preserving "late Sword Saint Airaven's" dignity was clearly slightly more important.
It was now, and must be, No. 14 Puchi!
So thought the Sword Saint Puchi currently being hugged by Inanna for routine kneading.
...
However, as the group advanced, they discovered that the elves' acceptance of Puchis wasn't unlimited.
Some teams wearing standardized uniforms, clearly belonging to the official elf organization, were systematically casting nature magic in specific forest areas. Gentle green light flowed from their hands, and wherever it passed, the overly lush fungal mat slowly receded, revealing the original soil beneath.
Such a sight was never seen in the kingdom.
The envoy was ultimately housed in a side hall of the palace for rest, with the other elf leaders not appearing immediately.
This wasn't the elves deliberately slighting the kingdom envoy—bad timing. They were in an important meeting.
The core topic of the meeting was precisely the issues related to forest ecological balance and fungal mat prevention and control.
(End of Chapter)
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