Chapter 227
Chapter 227
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: penny
Chapter: 227
Chapter Title: Chapter 5-2. Rest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The spar with Via had been immensely satisfying. I never imagined it could bring such joy to become the owner of the Spirit Sword and fight with all my power. Though tired, I felt proud that my proficiency was increasing day by day, allowing more natural skill linkages.
Now, I was spending time sparring not just with her, but also with her disciples.
Clashing swords and sweating together naturally brought us closer. Of course, it wasn't the spars that did it so much as pulling out food when I got hungry and sharing it with them—that became the trigger. Sure enough, food is the best way to make friends.
And so, a week passed.
Arhil no longer needed to go to the guild hall, and the elves returned to their daily lives.
All those countless corpses had been cleared away somewhere, leaving just one trace: the damaged city walls. Even that would be restored to its original state with a bit more time.
Finding an elf who still cared that Yuda and Arhil were humans had become the harder task. No one whispered upon seeing them; instead, they treated the pair like longtime neighbors with bright smiles. The elves' fondness for Arhil, in particular, was tremendous.
Walking down the street, she'd be called over by bakery or fruit shop owners, who would hand her all sorts of things to eat. Thanks to them, she never went hungry.
There was just one thing: the dirty looks at night during sex.
We definitely locked the door, but somehow they knew. In the morning, when we stepped outside, married elf women who "happened" to pass by would giggle, poke her side, and say things like, "Had fun last night?" All we could do was smile awkwardly.
We spent those leisurely days as honored guests. Via couldn't teach spars every day—she needed rest too—so on weekends, Yuda went out playing with Arhil.
We'd wander the forest with elves, foraging for herbs and mushrooms, or visit scenic spots they recommended. The festival preparations the queen had mentioned seemed nearly complete, so we received another invitation to the capital and headed there.
The elf city beneath the World Tree had struck me as a great place to live last time, but it truly was. Even in midwinter, a refreshing—almost warm—breeze blew, flowers bloomed in the street flowerbeds, and the trees we'd passed on the way bore ripe fruit.
The elf festival was essentially a concert.
Like a choir in a church or cathedral, groups would gather to sing in harmony. They even had the craftsmanship to make violins and cellos, performing with those instruments.
With the fresh breeze, warm sunlight, delicious fruit wine, and music, my mood lifted naturally. The performances varied.
Some played gentle pieces, while others delivered fast, lively, rhythmic tunes to liven up the atmosphere. There were solo acts and orchestra-like ensembles. A very young elf tottered out to sing and, unexpectedly, did so amazingly well, earning thunderous applause. Of course, not everyone was great—some had poor skills or were lacking—but the audience just smiled warmly at them.
"It's nice. I thought a festival would be rowdy, but this isn't bad either."
"Yeah. Regen festivals are always so noisy, so it's no wonder you thought that."
I replied to Arhil while picking up fruit sliced chop-chop-chop on a broad, long leaf with a wooden fork. Listening to music while savoring the sweet aroma and crisp texture spreading in my mouth was pure bliss. As I enjoyed the music, thinking this kind of festival wasn't bad at all, I felt a thud and weight on my shoulder.
"......"
Turning, I saw Arhil with her head slumped, asleep. Nothing particularly exhausting had happened, but she must have dozed off lulled by the soft music. Smiling at the sight, Yuda ate fruit with her left hand.
"You seem to be enjoying yourselves."
I thought she was just passing by, but an elf sat down beside me and spoke. Turning at the gentle, soft voice, I saw a stranger. She was beautiful and refined, and among the elves watching us, some had sturdy, muscular builds.
"Yes, enjoying it in my own way... but who might you be?"
"Oh dear, you don't recognize this form?"
She smiled brightly and pointed to her neck.
"It's me. Don't you remember this voice?"
Too hard to recall from voice alone. As I started to frown, I remembered it resembled the elf queen's voice from a few weeks ago. Her appearance wasn't that memorable, but looking at her now, it overlapped with the queen's image.
"Magic?"
Nothing else made sense. At my question, she softly lifted the corner of her mouth and nodded.
"I'm too old; without the World Tree's mana, I couldn't maintain this youth. Right now, I look young, but it's only temporary. An... hour or two? After that, I revert completely."
"Ah."
"But what brings you here? Enjoying the festival, I see?"
The queen shook her head.
"No, I came to say farewell. You'll probably leave right after it ends. So, before that, I wanted to thank you on behalf of our kind. Hehe, glad you're enjoying the festival."
"Thanks to you. Because you spoke well of us, we could relax without discomfort. I'm truly grateful for that."
"No need. We should be the thankful ones. Oh, how's the festival? Very different from human ones, right?"
"Yes. Human festivals are always bustling and chaotic... but this elf one is perfect for leisurely enjoyment."
I hadn't even imagined it as a music concert.
"Is that so? Interesting. Festivals being noisy—yes, humans do get loud with songs and chatter when drinking."
The queen nodded, gazing blankly into space as if reminiscing. Chatting idly like that, one performance ended in a flash. She watched the elves bow and exit the stage, then snapped back.
"Ah, sorry. I'd love to talk more, but I must go. My body's too old; moving gets hard."
"It was a pleasant conversation. With my companion sleeping beside me, I can't greet you properly."
Glancing at Arhil, I spoke, and the queen extended her hand, standing. Supporting her knees with both hands, she looked just like any grandma. As she rose, nearby watching elves prepared to move.
"Oh, almost forgot."
She reached into her pocket, pulling out two small pouches tied with strings like lucky charms. Tilting my head as I took them, Yuda peered down.
"A token for the elf's benefactor. Made from World Tree bark, infused with its mana—any elf will recognize it. What if you return later or need a favor, and elves at the entrance don't know you and attack?"
Yuda checked the info in front of her.
──────────────────────
[Name: Token Given to the Elf's Benefactor]
[Grade: Unique]
[Description]
A token prepared by the elf queen for her kind's benefactor. Made from World Tree bark and infused with its mana, any elf will recognize it. The front bears the queen's seal, engraved with the benefactor's name.
-Guide (Passive): Protects from illusions and mazes in the elf forest.
-Benefactor (Passive): Elves won't attack you preemptively without reason. Increases favorability and reduces hostility.
-Elf Guardian (Passive): Your name will be remembered by elves for at least centuries, if not decades.
──────────────────────
Roughly scanning the item description, Yuda smiled faintly and clenched her fist.
"I'll gratefully accept. If I return to the forest later, I'll visit then."
"Hehehe. Not sure if I'll still be alive, but I'll look forward to it. Enjoy the rest of the festival."
The queen departed. When Arhil woke, Yuda told her about the queen's visit and gave her one token with her name engraved. She grumbled about why I didn't wake her, but happily accepted it. Seemed thrilled at the chance to return someday.
The festival lasted two days, and Yuda and Arhil enjoyed it to the fullest. Two days felt short but just right. It was all singing and music—no dancing or such.
After the festival, Yuda had one last spar with Via before preparing to leave the forest.
Fruit wine.
That was the only thing worth taking from the elf forest. Fresh fruit was nice, but the wine tempted more. Telling Via I wanted some bottles to take, she remembered my sub-space and generously prepared twenty.
Couldn't drink daily, but with the bottled ones I'd stocked before burning the castle, rationing would last quite a while. Word must have spread about our departure—whoever told them—because even unfamiliar elves came bearing heaps of gifts.
Fruit, herbs, feather pens, coats... all sorts.
Seeing the pile at Roengrim's house, they worried how we'd carry it, but when Yuda opened <Bag> and stored it all, they marveled. Someone watching joked about my greed, laughed, then quietly apologized amid glares.
More elves than expected liked us despite being human.
On departure day, many came to see us off personally, which moved us. Couldn't greet them all individually, so we waved and passed through Roengrim's gates.
Descending the hill with no human corpses in sight, guided by Via and her disciples, we headed toward Calypso, home of Langritsa Mage Tower.
========== Author's Note ==========
1) Skipping Via. Um, I'll take a different path from that author who used Norse and Groth. As always, I'll leave it as a potential side story that might never see the light of day...