Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Prologue
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Exactly fifty years ago.
The truth came out that the world we lived in was actually just part of the 'Tower'.
Back then, everyone was yelling about disasters, the end of the world, divine judgment—
all sorts of clamor poured out, but that chaos is ancient history now.
Each floor of the Tower is a different world.
We started interacting with them through the Tower.
Magic beasts, superpowers, Tower raids, magic stones.
Now they all mean money.
In our world today, the Tower is an indispensable giant marketplace and gateway for communication.
And I, Kim Juseon, am one of those making a living off the Tower.
Hunter Specialized Marriage Agency, Meracle.
Marriage agency president, Kim Juseon.
The work is the same as any ordinary marriage agency, but our clients are special.
We target customers from every floor.
We literally connect bonds across dimensions.
And today.
I was interviewing someone a little special.
"Yes, your name is—."
"Reneah Barrosa Deklen Fiora—."
"Can I shorten it to Miss Reneah?"
Her pointed ears twitched.
She looked displeased.
"Humans always shorten elf names."
Even though they shorten their own among themselves.
The words rose to her throat, but she barely swallowed them back.
Elves are extremely rare.
More precisely, this elf was extremely rare.
You can't judge an elf's age by their looks.
But the pink-haired elf before me perfectly matched her apparent age to her actual years.
"Wow, a mid-twenties elf? You're truly one of a kind."
"Mm, yes. Elves usually stay in the forest at this age. But I hate feeling cooped up, so I came out into the world."
"......'This lady'?"
As my eyes narrowed, Reneah waved her hand dismissively.
"It's a habit from living with my grandmother, so don't mind it."
"Ah, got it. Anyway, that's a huge advantage for you. Elves always win on looks, and you're young on top of that."
"Mm-hmm."
"Looks: S-grade. Age: S-grade. Where are you residing right now, if I may ask?"
"I'm staying in a pavilion behind Daebongsan Mountain over there."
"......"
This is the problem with elves.
They see a tree and immediately roll out a mat to settle down.
"No proper residence, then? What about assets?"
"......I have a bow. Want to see it?"
"No need, I see it on your back."
It looks pricey, sure, but who wants a bride showing up with just a bow for a dowry?
"And your parents' situation for old age? Well, elves live forever anyway—."
"Ah! Both have passed away."
"I see—."
What?
Elf parents, who could easily live two thousand years, have passed away?
"Uh, was there some kind of accident?"
I probed carefully, but Reneah just grinned and waved it off cheerfully.
"Nah, no accident. They both lived long lives and closed their eyes peacefully under the World Tree, smiling."
"......"
The mood chills.
They had one kid in their twenties and bounced from the world right after?
And that elf child is out wandering the world?
In our terms, it's like a newborn crawling through downtown fresh off the umbilical cord.
"Sigh, hey."
"Hm?"
"Be honest with me."
I closed the file where I'd been jotting down her details and asked.
"How old are you, really."
Sweat trickled from her forehead.
That was answer enough.
"How old?"
"O-One thousand five hundred and one."
I grit my teeth.
"One thousand five hundred and one makes you middle-aged even among elves! Are you messing with me!?"
I shot to my feet yelling, and Reneah immediately dropped to her knees, clutching my pant leg.
"Nooo! Please! Please don't give up on me! No one will even meet with me anymoreee!"
"Messing with me?! At fifteen hundred and one, you're an ancestor to ancestors here! You trying to ruin some fine young man's life!?"
"Me too! I wanna laugh and play hoho with young guys! I haven't even had my fresh first love yettt!"
"Just go meet other elves!"
Reneah flinched at that.
She hesitated a moment, then finally spilled it.
"A-actually...... I'm a former Elf Queen. With my age and all, everyone finds me intimidating."
No wonder that bow looked insanely expensive.
"Elf Queen? What’s a queen doing here? At fifteen hundred, you should still be on the throne—."
Wait.
No way.
"You fudged your age, didn't you?"
"......J-just a bit."
Reneah pursed her lips.
"Sigh. Tell me straight. What's your real age."
"......O-One thousand nine hundred and one."
This madwoman shaved off four hundred years.
"Out! Absolutely not! Elf Queen? Where does this old crone come slumming it to cozy up with young bucks?!"
"Aaaah pleeease! I heard Meracle's the best for this kinda thing! M-me too! I wanna snuggle with young folks, swap diaries toooo!"