Elf Sisters' Consultation (2)
Elf Sisters' Consultation (2)
#
When I opened the door, Rebecca stood there with a subtle expression that was hard to describe.
"What is it?"
"Lady Niniel asked if she could see you briefly. She said she wanted to meet alone."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
Reni had gone off after Ariel. Yuri had gone sightseeing as soon as she heard there was an armory and a library. I had shut myself in the guest room because I had things to think about on my own.
And now she wanted to meet just the two of us. Had she been waiting for a moment when I was alone?
It was unlikely to be anything as delightful yet burdensome as that elf falling for me at first sight. What did she want? Either way, this worked out. I had something I wanted to confirm too.
"Understood."
"Then let's go."
Rebecca, who had been walking ahead of me, suddenly slowed her steps and asked,
"By the way, for what reason did you... ask Lady Ariel to become your companion?"
"..."
It wasn't the right time to tell her the truth yet. I deflected vaguely.
"My companions and I are all new to West Keep. We have no connections here... I thought it would be useful to have someone who knew the area. And she's a wizard—a highly capable one at that. We did end up getting tangled in various complications, though..."
It was an excuse I'd prepared for recruiting Ariel, but in the end, I hadn't needed it. She'd agreed so easily it had thrown even me off guard. I hadn't expected to recycle that excuse here.
"Is that so..."
Rebecca trailed off. A tone of puzzlement, as if she wasn't entirely convinced. I got the feeling I was being regarded with some wariness.
-Knock, knock.
"Lady Niniel. I have brought him."
-Come in.
"Now then. Once your business is concluded, please wait in the room I showed you earlier."
Rebecca said that and then disappeared somewhere at a brisk pace. Come to think of it, didn't they say that butler managed this entire mansion by herself? Then her always-busy attitude made sense.
"Yoo-jin?"
"Ah, yes."
"Come this way."
Niniel smiled brightly and pointed to a chair beside the bed.
"I'm sorry. Asking a guest to come here and there... but it's an important matter."
"Well, it's fine. But you said you had business with me...?"
"Yes... I know it's rude, but may I touch your hand for a moment?"
"...Pardon?"
"I know it's a strange request. But still, please."
Niniel was earnest. I held out my hand in a daze, and Niniel, with her eyes closed, gently stroked it. Why was an elf beauty doing this to me?!
"Big... and warm..."
Hey, why was this elf saying that kind of thing in bed?! Was she a total slut too, like the others in my group?! Saying it like that made it sound like a turn-on!
To divert my attention elsewhere, I opened Niniel's information window.
[Name: Niniel Ionia]
[Traits: ▼]
[Mana Sharing (A) / Auto Recovery (A) / ???]
As expected. Mana Sharing was probably her receiving mana from Ariel, and Auto Recovery seemed to be the magic she'd received from that healer fellow. And those question marks... was that trait the problem?
[Name: Niniel Ionia]
[Life Force: 258 / 258]
[Mana: 0 / 1200]
Just like Ariel, her mana was zero. Her own mana was probably all being used for that recovery magic.
Wait.
[Life Force: 258 / 257]
The Life Force value was strange. Her maximum had been 258 just a moment ago.
[Life Force: 257 / 258]
...What was this?
Niniel’s maximum Life Force kept decreasing and increasing.
So that was it. I didn't know the exact operating mechanism of that Auto Recovery, but it seemed to be suppressing a curse or something. It was preventing Niniel's maximum life force from constantly dropping.
In that case, what on earth was that unknown trait...
Niniel suddenly spoke, breaking my train of thought.
"You... are from another world, aren't you?"
W-wait. How did she know that? Niniel seemed to read the shock on my face and explained with a smile.
"It's nothing special. The one who cast the recovery magic on me was also from another world. Your mana feels similar to theirs."
"...Is that feeling something you can detect so easily?"
Niniel said something unexpected.
"To my knowledge, those who come from another world are bound to the royal palace. Yet you are here... Why? Did you perhaps run away?"
"...It's not that I fled. To be precise, I was thrown out. But if I went back now, I would definitely flee."
"It seems the royal palace was not to your liking?"
"Well, yes. Anyway, so... is it that obvious that I'm from another world?"
Niniel smiled as if to reassure me.
"It is not. It would be difficult to tell unless one had been constantly exposed to that healer's magic, as I have. And had they not spoken of the summoned people of later generations, I would likely never have even thought of it."
"Summoned people of later generations?"
"The summoned people each possess different abilities, do they not? The healer said that perhaps one of the later summoned people might possess an ability they lacked and be able to heal my... body. Then, as it happened, someone with black hair and black eyes appeared, so I decided to test my suspicion. It seems I was right."
"..."
She had found me out. I'd wanted to keep it under wraps if possible, but in the end, she had discovered the truth.
Still, that was a relief. It seemed that no one could recognize the peculiar feel of mana unless they had been continuously exposed to it, as Niniel had. She identified me so quickly that I'd wondered whether I had been walking around with “Otherworlder” written across my forehead.
"...I would appreciate it if you kept this a secret. If this became known, I would certainly..."
"Don't worry."
Niniel giggled, as if she found something deeply amusing.
"Wow. A secret. It makes me feel rather like a villain."
"..."
I was sweating buckets, and she found it that funny? This elf was perfectly relaxed even though her own life was being shaved away in real time. After giggling like that for a while, Niniel resumed speaking.
"Hoo... I heard you handed that slime... Poring, I believe it was called? That you handed it to Ariel."
"Yes."
A strange name... Niniel muttered before continuing.
"It seems Ariel has great hopes for that slime, but I don't think my body can be... healed so easily."
I agreed. That slime could not be a fundamental solution.
"I don't think this is a problem that can be solved with money. And yet, to go so far as to enter an unwanted marriage with that... man for my sake..."
Niniel bit her lower lip.
"I don't want Ariel to end up like that. I've only met that... fiancé a few times in person, but I imagine her life would become a rather painful one."
"..."
"Please. Before Ariel makes a choice she can no longer take back, please... heal me. If, if you do that, then..."
If I did that, then?
Niniel took my hand and pulled it to her chest.
"I, I will give you my everything."
#
I returned to my room.
This was tiring in all sorts of ways. Saying she'd give me her everything, with a face that pretty. Saying such a thing to someone she'd just met. It almost made me feel a bit full of myself, as if I'd become some kind of unrealistically handsome guy.
In any case, Ariel and Niniel spoke very differently, but both acted with astonishing boldness. Was that because they were sisters? When I pointed it out, Niniel became a little embarrassed.
"Ah, Ariel started speaking that way because of me... At some point, while digging through old records for my sake, she began using that stiff, peculiar manner of speech..."
"..."
No, that wasn't what I was talking about... although her speech pattern was strange too, sure...
"...Never mind. Anyway, regarding giving me your everything, that's too burdensome a topic..."
"You must accept! A-ah, or am I... insufficient for you?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"How can that be... What more do I need to do...?"
Did she also have delusional tendencies, like Reni? Why was it that every woman I'd met in this other world was missing a screw...
"..."
Come to think of it, I had no normal experience with the opposite sex to serve as a comparison. For fuck's sake.
"I understand for now. We'll discuss that later."
"Yes!"
"Do you have any suspicions as to the cause, by any chance?"
"...It seems Ariel didn't tell you. Well, that would figure..."
Niniel said something cryptic like that, then blushed.
"Ah, n-no, why are you unbuttoning your clothes?!"
"I, I have something to show you."
"No, so, that talk about 'everything,' that kind of...! Right now, even I am a bit...!"
Even while spouting that nonsense, I couldn't help stealing glances as Niniel undid her buttons. Her pale skin gradually came into view, along with the rounded breasts still partly concealed by her clothes. And then...
"...This is."
"Yes. I believe this is my disease... my curse."
Near Niniel's solar plexus, black veins spread out radially like a spiderweb. And at that moment...
-Ding!
[Name: Niniel Ionia]
[Traits: ▼]
[M̷o̵c̶k̷e̸r̴y̸ ̷C̴r̵o̸s̶s̵i̸n̷g̴ ̵t̶h̷e̸ ̴O̶c̵e̴a̷n̸]
An indescribable string of characters appeared before my eyes. Parts of it looked broken, or perhaps obscured. No—I understood one thing. Even if the characters were displayed intact, I clearly would not be able to interpret them. It was as though the system were deliberately hiding the text from me...
The system had never shown me indecipherable information like this before. What on earth did this mean?
-Ding!
[Grace of ┣━━━━━┫: Inflicts a curse of stamina reduction and life force reduction.]
[Dispel Rate: 0%]
The character string scattered, then reorganized itself into legible letters. But the content was still unknowable. As I stared blankly into space...
-Ping!
[The Holy Sword expresses displeasure.]
[The Holy Sword requests Dream Sharing.]
The Holy Sword kicked up a fuss, as if it had something to say.
...
This thing. I'd assumed it had died since it had been so quiet, but it was alive.
When I didn't answer, the Holy Sword set off a noisy alarm.
[Fine, I got it, so cut it out.]
[The Holy Sword protests that this is important.]
[The Holy Sword protests its neglect.]
[Holy Sword's Enjoyment Remaining: 15%]
[I can't exactly sleep right here, can I? I'll see you tonight.]
[The Holy Sword...]
I ignored the fussing Holy Sword and concluded my conversation with Niniel.
"As of now, I can't determine anything. But I will do my best."
Only then did Niniel smile with relief.
Everything.
Her everything, huh...