The Elf Diviner’s Woes

Within the dimly lit expanse of the large tent, a luminous, bright white crystal ball glided effortlessly between the diviner’s hands.

The diviner, her head shrouded in a mysterious blue hood, gazed listlessly at the small astrological array before her, a neatly stacked deck of tarot cards resting beside it.

She lifted the shimmering hourglass, turning it over once more, as her long, pointed white ears drooped, and she let out a helpless sigh.

“It’s already the Consecration Festival,” she lamented. “Can’t the mortals of Lanburg County be a little more lost, a little more eager, and contribute some business to a poor, bankrupt diviner like me?”

With an indignant huff, she toyed with the crystal ball, an object far more precious than all her other worldly possessions combined.

“If no one else comes, even today’s meal will be a problem,” she grumbled. “How am I supposed to return home in glory if things continue like this? If I go back empty-handed, Aira and the others will surely mock my lack of accomplishment, sigh.”

In truth, it had been decades since she left; a wandering elf returning home would likely find her fellow elves had long forgotten any past mockery, remembering only joy.

“Then again,” she mused, “Caroline’s Divination has been a century-old establishment… it can’t be my fault. It must be the Holy Church priests stealing my business…”

Completely deflated, Caroline slumped onto the table.

“I wish I could just die~ Living is so boring~ What’s the point of an elf’s life, stagnating for over a hundred years? Even mortals are more carefree than me; they get to eat crayfish every day, while my wallet is flatter than a washboard! Wahhh~”

“Elven integrity doesn’t fill your stomach,” she continued, “and every time I take a fortnight-long nap, I wake up so hungry I can barely move. No wonder the mortality rate for our predecessors leaving the forest was so high—most of them probably starved to death along the way!!”

“Indeed, being a diviner has no future. Perhaps being a nobleman’s kept ‘flower vase’ would suit me better… Ah, but being tricked into bed is out of the question.”

Just then, two sets of footsteps approached from outside the tent, causing Caroline’s long ears to twitch. Instantly, she snapped into business mode, her spirits revived.

Regardless of life’s hardships, one must always uphold basic professional integrity.

“Greetings, esteemed guests—please, have a seat,” she greeted, her voice bright. “What may I divine for you today? Be it love, fortune, relationships, or career, I am adept at all. My prices are fair and transparent, ranging from three copper Kollers to one silver Koller, depending on the complexity of your query.”

The newcomers were a young lady of means and a… yes, she couldn’t be mistaken, a male attendant. While the forest was abundant with handsome male companions, this was her first encounter with a human young boy.

Caroline felt her evening of carefree shopping and feasting was now assured; success hinged on this very moment!

“Ugh, why did we even come in?” Rhine scoffed, utterly disinterested. “If you ask me, we could have just looked and left. This divination stuff is like the stars in the sky—sometimes it works, sometimes it’s just ‘shimmer-shimmer-shimmer.'”

[‘You brat, trying to cut off my livelihood, are you? May you choke on a chicken bone!’]

“Let’s give it a try,” Audrey replied. “I’ve never had a divination before, and the prices sound quite reasonable. At worst, we can just try the same question a few times to test its reliability.”

Hearing this, Caroline’s heart swelled with delight. Truly, a wealthy young lady possessed such generous spirit!

“Whatever,” Rhine said, waving a dismissive hand.

Audrey settled gracefully into the guest seat, her posture impeccable and her demeanor polite.

“Madam Diviner,” Audrey inquired, “are there any limitations on the questions I may ask?”

“Please ensure your questions do not involve matters of state or global scale,” Caroline explained, “as those would exceed my capabilities. For personal matters, however, I assure you my readings are generally accurate. I also guarantee absolute confidentiality regarding your queries, esteemed guest.”

“Hmm…” Audrey mused for a moment. “My question is—how is my mood right now?”

“…My lady,” Caroline responded, a hint of exasperation in her voice, “I believe your mood is quite excellent at the moment. Please, respect my profession.”

“Remarkable! Quite accurate,” Audrey affirmed. “My mood truly is excellent right now. Before, when I asked others to guess, they never got it right.”

She nodded in approval, while Rhine, beside her, merely sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead.

[‘What mischief did you cause back at the Duke’s estate? Your moods were more unpredictable than Lanburg County’s spring weather. Was that ‘guessing’? No, that was deciphering imperial decrees.’]

“This time, I wish to inquire about a project I’ve recently undertaken,” Audrey stated. “Will its future progress be smooth?”

She was referring to her research on rice breeding.

“I understand,” Caroline replied. “You may choose between the crystal ball and the tarot cards for your divination.”

“Is there a difference?”

“The crystal ball offers a more abstract reading, which I interpret from vague inspirations,” Caroline explained. “The tarot cards, however, are more direct, allowing me to explain from clear imagery on the cards.”

“Then let’s do both,” Audrey decided.

Upon hearing her client’s request, Caroline couldn’t help but feel a touch speechless. This young lady truly intended to test her abilities.

Hmph, she thought. Then let her eyes be opened. After a century devoted to a single craft, even a turtle could divine fortunes, let alone a clever and intelligent elf.

[‘Crystal ball, align with my inspiration, reveal the shadow of the answer.’]

The moment the revelation appeared, Caroline’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Fire,” she murmured. “A house ablaze, the moon’s shadow obscuring it, a human silhouette cast upon the shadow… It’s complex, imbued with an air of conspiracy. This path will be fraught with twists and turns.”

As she spoke, she abruptly drew a Major Arcana card from the deck. Its imagery depicted a warrior, hands bound behind him, hanging upside down, a faint angelic halo already shimmering above his head.

“The Hanged Man, upright,” she announced. “Sacrifice, rebirth through fire.”

“Is that a bad omen?”

“Not entirely,” Caroline clarified. “The revelation suggests an uncertain future for your endeavors, fraught with deliberately orchestrated mishaps or attacks from others. I cannot tell you how to achieve success, but I advise you to persevere, no matter what misfortunes befall you.”

“I understand,” Audrey affirmed. “I wouldn’t have given up anyway; the path for what I intend to do has already been laid out for me.”

“My lady,” Caroline chimed in, “that will be double the price. Five copper Kollers for one reading, so two readings make one silver Koller.”

Upon hearing this, Audrey magnanimously produced a silver coin from her purse and handed it to the diviner, bringing a wide smile to Caroline’s face.

“Madam Diviner, are you, by any chance, an elf?”

“You noticed?” Caroline exclaimed, surprised. “I thought I had my ears completely covered. How did you know?”

“Your accent carries traces of Elvish,” Audrey replied. “I could discern a hint of it.”

Caroline’s eyes widened in delight. She pushed back her hood, allowing her beautiful golden hair to cascade down, and her delicate, long ears twitched as she recited in Elvish:

“Ai! laurië lantar lassi súrinen.”

Audrey then translated it simply into the Norman tongue:

“Ah, like gold fall the leaves in the wind.”

“I never imagined a young lady such as yourself would be so fluent in our language!” Caroline exclaimed, genuinely impressed. “Our Elvish, above all others, is the most melodious and aesthetically rich tongue!”

“It’s a pity it’s not more widely used,” Audrey concurred with Caroline. “Most who learn Elvish are likely sorcerers, as for the majority of people, practicality is paramount in a language, and Elvish has a rather high learning curve.”

Elves, revered for their rarity, longevity, and wisdom, commanded widespread respect in human society. Indeed, a significant portion of humanity’s earliest magical incantations had been transliterated directly from Elvish.

Listening intently from the side, Rhine’s gaze drifted to the graceful, long ears, and his memories flowed back to a past he had once drifted through.

He recalled lush, dense forests beneath a snow-capped sun, waterfalls cascading into mountain streams, and elves drinking from the flowing waters, reciting poetry and playing music.

He silently completed the next line of the poem in his heart, as a serene female voice simultaneously chanted within his mind:

“Yéni únótimë ve rámar aldaron (Long years innumerable as the wings of trees).”