Chapter 267: The Reason I Knelt Was... (1)[R-18]
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 267: The Reason I Knelt Was... (1)[R-18]
By the time the boisterousness of the banquet had finally begun to subside.
Elder Lee returned and personally led us to the annex.
“This is the annex. There’s only one bedroom... but I assume that won’t be an issue?”
Elder Lee wore a meaningful smirk. I nodded in response.
“Of course not.”
“Ho-ho, don’t you worry. I’ll make sure no one comes near the annex. It won’t matter how loud things get; no one will hear a thing.”
“Ugh, seriously!! ...I get it already!! Just go!!”
As Elfriede jumped up and shouted, Elder Lee chuckled heartily and made his exit.
“Gosh... why is everyone being so ridiculous today?”
“Well, I don’t mind it.”
“What do you mean you don’t mind?! I certainly do!!”
Creeeak— Click—
The moment the wooden door locked, the playful expressions we had been wearing vanished, replaced instantly by gravity.
“....”
“....”
Tap, tap.
Elfriede lightly tapped the back of my hand without a word.
It was our pre-arranged signal. She was going to check if there were any surveillance magic tools planted in the room.
“Well then, Senior~ I’m going to wash up first~ If you peek... well, I won’t say you can’t, but try to behave yourself~”
I nodded, and Elfriede spoke in a deliberately cheerful voice for anyone who might be listening.
Shhh— Shhh—
Pretending to head for the bathroom, Elfriede began to meticulously sweep every corner of the house.
A short while later, she finished her investigation and returned, shrugging her shoulders.
“Nothing.”
Despite her thorough search, she hadn't detected even a trace of artificial mana.
“That’s a relief.”
“Well, it’s only natural. They know they couldn't handle the fallout if I caught them. I thought they might be crazy enough to try it anyway... but I guess they haven't lost their minds completely.”
“Hmm... but Elfriede.”
“Yes, Senior?”
“Between the banquet and everything else... don’t you think we’re being too suspicious? Maybe they’re just genuinely good people?”
“Mmm... Senior, it feels weird saying this myself, but... Elves don’t change easily. Our default setting is believing we’re always right and never listening to others. Once an Elf makes up their mind, they almost never change it. So for them to suddenly act so differently? They definitely have something up their sleeves.”
“...Is that so? But you changed.”
For a moment, Elfriede’s eyes widened, and then she broke into a playful, mischievous grin.
“That’s right, Senior. I changed my mind because I’m a Genius Beauty High Elf. It just goes to show how much I love you. Aren’t you grateful?”
“Yeah, I’m incredibly grateful. And I love you a lot too, Elfriede.”
“....Ahem. You did this earlier, too... How can you say such embarrassing things without even blushing?”
“It just means I love you that much.”
“Agh!! E-enough! And don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not saying Elves have bad personalities... I think anyone from the long-lived races would end up like this.”
Elfriede sat on the edge of the bed and continued.
“Senior, do you know the ‘Hwajil-guji’ bird?”
“I do. It’s an endangered, protected species.”
“Exactly. But only a hundred years ago, there were so many of them that they ruined the harvests. People called them ‘harmful birds’ and hunted them down. Back then, killing a Hwajil-guji was considered a good deed that helped the farmers.”
Elfriede twirled the end of her green twin tails around her finger.
“But what about now? Now, catching a Hwajil-guji is a crime against an endangered species. Isn’t it strange? The hunters haven't changed at all, but suddenly they went from being the good guys to the bad guys.”
“....”
“When you live for a long time, you experience ‘good’ and ‘evil’ flipping back and forth several times. You might try to adapt to the world the first few times... but at some point, you just give up and push forward with what you believe is right.”
That was likely why the Wild Hunters showed such blind loyalty to the Elders.
In a world of constant change, they followed the Elders—those closest to the only unchanging entity, the World Tree—with a faith bordering on religion.
“Anyway, what I’m trying to say is this: ‘People get more stubborn as they get older.’ ...Now, I’m really going to go wash up, so get ready for bed!”
“Alright, alright.”
Shhhhh—!
“Phew... that’s refreshing. Your turn, Senior.”
“Yeah, I’ll be right back.”
A moment later, as Elfriede emerged in a bathrobe, I headed into the shower to take my turn.
“...They certainly are more hospitable than I expected, like Senior said.”
Left alone, Elfriede sat on the bed and muttered to herself while drying her damp hair.
Honestly, considering they had locked her inside the World Tree for over two hundred years and subjected her to training that bordered on torture, it wouldn't have been strange if she viewed the Elders as mortal enemies...
But was it a case of a love-hate bond?
Elfriede found that she couldn't bring herself to purely hate them.
“...Tsk. They should have just kept acting like they used to. Now they’re just making me restless.”
The Elders' training had been harsh, but it was also true that they had treated her as someone precious, providing the finest food, clothes, and a wealth of knowledge that couldn't be bought for any amount of gold.
‘Not that I ever asked for any of that... and I’m sure they had their own reasons for treating me as "precious"...’
Click—
Just then, Ian stepped out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist.
‘Wow, his body...’
Ian’s looks had always been flawless.
But seeing his shoulders, which had grown even broader since the special training, and his toned, solid muscles, Elfriede swallowed hard.
“Elfriede? You okay?”
“Huh..? Oh... no, it’s nothing. C-come here, Senior. I’ll dry your hair for you.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“....”
“....”
Sshhh, sshhh—
As Elfriede used the heat of her flames to dry his hair, a strange silence settled between them.
“Elfriede.”
“Yes?... S-Senior... what is it?”
“How does it feel to be back in your hometown?”
“Ah... well... honestly, it’s not as bad as I thought. But to be precise, this isn't really my hometown.”
“What do you mean?”
“From the moment my memories began, I was inside the World Tree.”
So, it would be more accurate to say Elfriede’s hometown was the ‘World Tree,’ not ‘Elvenheim.’
“Wait, maybe that’s not quite right. I do have a memory of seeing my father before I entered the World Tree.”
“You had a father?”
“....”
“....”
“...Senior.”
“...Sorry, I’m really sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. You just never talked about your family, so I assumed... I’m sorry...”
“Pfft...! I know, Senior. So don’t apologize like that. I was just teasing you.”
Having finished drying his hair, Elfriede lifted the covers of the bed.
“Come in here. If you want to hear more.”
“Okay.”
As I lay down beside her, Elfriede clung tightly to my chest.
“It’s not that I was trying to hide anything from you. It’s just... I don’t really remember much.”
The only thing Elfriede remembered about her parents was the image of her father holding her hand and leading her to the Elders.
“I was four years old when I contracted my first High Spirit. When my father saw that, he realized I had received the ‘World Tree’s Blessing’ and took me straight to the Elders. As for why he did it... I have nothing to say. Whether it was his loyalty as a Wild Hunter, or if he hated me because my mother died giving birth to me... or if there was some other reason.”
“....”
“Oh, this isn't a depressing story, Senior. I really don’t care about my father at all, okay?”
She meant it.
Whatever the reason, what did a father matter if he hadn't visited her once in over two hundred years?
“If I had to pick someone as family, the Elders... well, it’s a bit awkward to call them family. But if I had to force a connection... the First Elder was the closest thing to... fam...ily. Really, the closest.”
Whenever Elfriede would finally drift into an exhausted sleep, writhing in pain from the wounds sustained during training, the First Elder would eventually come by to apply medicine.
Of course, it was a bit ridiculous to feel grateful to the very person who caused the wounds just because she applied some ointment...
But at the time, Elfriede had thought, ‘Is this what it would be like if my mother were alive?’
“Then you must be disappointed you didn't get to see her this time.”
“No, not really. I said she was the closest thing to it~ Besides, High Elves live a long time. I’ll see her again before I die. More importantly....”
Press—
Elfriede’s face turned bright red, and her words trailed off.
It was because of the hot, hard object she felt pressing against her lower abdomen.
“S-Senior... what is... this... Were we even in that kind of mood?”
“...Sorry.”
“I-it’s not... something you need to be sorry for...”
Gulp—
Elfriede stole a glance downward and swallowed hard.
“S-Senior, don’t misunderstand me... I-I know now isn't exactly the time for this, right? But... what was it! They say even if the world ends tomorrow, you should plant an apple tree, right? So... enjoy the moment? No, is that not it...? Ugh... anyway... the point is... I-I’m... if you’re okay with it, I’m okay with it...”
“....”
“I mean! Two healthy young people!! ...A man and a woman who are even engaged!! It would be weirder if we stayed in the same room and did nothing, wouldn't it? O-of course... there were no surveillance tools... but maybe... an Elf could walk by... ah, I’m just saying, just saying...”
“....”
“...Ugh!! ...S-Senior... at least say something...! ...If you just keep... p-pressing that against my stomach... I don’t... know how I’m supposed to react....”
“Sorry... I know it’s not the time, but...”
Ever since meeting Hayangi, I had been running non-stop, and the thought hadn't even crossed my mind...
But now, with this forced downtime.
And with Elfriede, smelling of that fragrant virgin scent, tucked into my arms, my thread of reason was fraying.
“...I’ve been holding back. I might be a bit rough tonight.”
At my words, Elfriede let out a small, incredulous laugh.
“What... you’re acting like you aren't usually rough... You’ve... a-always been rough anyway. And...”
“....”
Slide—
Elfriede undid her bath towel and whispered into my ear.
“...It’s okay to be rough with me, Senior.”
