A Short Break - 04
"Is it really okay to refuse?"
"Becoming Oberon? I'm just a half-elf. Such a high position... no."
"Titania said she'd help."
"Um, I don't know if I can do that."
"You seem like you could."
As they walked, Lois and Sylphy continued the conversation from earlier.
Well, if Titania's lifespan is about to end, stepping down from the throne wouldn't be a problem.
The really fortunate thing is that the condition for becoming the Elf King's successor isn't bloodline, but someone who holds the Meteor Bow and is recognized by it.
Looking at it broadly, Reyna, who was on the verge of death, also held the Meteor Bow and shot it, so she must have been recognized, right?
In that case, it feels like Sylphy used the recognition he received to shoot, but he did catch it and shoot it.
"Originally, no one would accept someone like me, a half-elf..."
"Sylphy! You were so helpful yesterday! The Hero and his companions are here too!"
"No, it's nothing special. There was an urgent matter... I'll see you later."
"Alright, take care!"
"..."
"..."
Lois and I looked at Sylphy with expressions that couldn't be put into words.
Sylphy also recalled what he said and coughed awkwardly.
"No, but... there might be people who don't like it."
"Well, think about it seriously. Titania isn't asking for an immediate answer, right?"
"It might be tough..."
"That was sincere, wasn't it?"
"No, it's not a joke. Doesn't that position seem too difficult? Look at Grandmother's workload. She'll die from overwork."
"That's true. I don't have any talent for administration either..."
Lois definitely has no talent for that kind of thing...
Wipe.
Is there none?
It seems like he has no intention of learning at all.
If I teach him, he might surprisingly do it normally.
"Still, Sylphy, there are some good points to becoming Oberon."
"What? I'll listen to what Lois says."
"Why do you say my words won't be listened to."
"...Of course not."
"Hey, the silence when answering is long!"
The conversation keeps drifting to the side.
Personally, I didn't dislike it.
I didn't hate the noisy stuff either. Spending time alone reading at home was better, but people who are happy while chatting aren't that bad.
"So what is it?"
"Sylphy, you want to save the half-elves, right? Then becoming Oberon would be quite effective."
"..."
"Titania will eliminate the one-sided prohibition on half-elves as she said, but the scars won't disappear easily. That's true for the elves, but also for the half-elves."
"..."
"There will be people who accept them without regard, but there will also be people who harbor bad feelings towards Elvenheim for expelling them."
The best thing is if everything goes smoothly, but even if you didn't experience it directly, history shakes the human heart.
For example, suppose a country waged war on another country and made it suffer.
After about two hundred years, the people who lived then would have died, but there would still be people who hate that country.
Especially if the resolution for that wound wasn't properly done, no matter how much time passes, a wound that doesn't heal is created.
"But Sylphy, you are a half-elf. If a half-elf becomes the king with the name Oberon, at least there is a possibility that they will listen to the story and take a friendly attitude."
There are half-elves who don't, but the sense of kinship would be strong because they've suffered.
Even because of that kinship, they might listen to the story to some extent, and even if they can't accept what they would normally reject, they might at least put it on hold.
"Indeed..."
"Actually, Titania probably aimed for that. She seems to have been too harshly rejected and her mind got messed up..."
"Seeing that murderous workload from the side, I don't think I could follow it."
"That person has been doing Titania since the war between humans and elves in the past. Even so, it's hard to do as much as that person."
At least during the current Titania's lifetime, it would be good to learn as much as possible and pass it on to the next successor with one's own color added.
As Titania herself said, she gave everything to Elvenheim, and that's why there is the current Elvenheim, but at the same time, it has made it quite difficult to choose the next successor for the current Elvenheim.
Because it was too long, no matter who the next successor is, there will be some dissatisfaction.
Even if it's not Sylphy, but someone else, it would be the same.
"I'll think about it..."
"Alright, we're almost there."
"Rayna's house is bigger than I thought."
"Well, since it's Titania's daughter... I'll open it after getting the key."
A two-story house.
Surprisingly, they lived under the tree, not on top of it.
Opening the door and entering, a clean room came into view.
It had only been a few days since Rayna died.
It was a short time for the traces of people to disappear.
"The cleaning is neat..."
"Rayna was a bit of a germaphobe... she was sensitive about that."
In response to Sylphy's question, Lois answered.
"It was really noisy in the Monster Realm..."
"Upon returning after a long time, she probably cleaned up. It's neat, so maybe we can look for some clues."
"It seems too wide to explore together; it might not be efficient."
"True... Then I'll check from the second floor."
Lois said that and went upstairs, and Sylphy and I watched her for a moment before starting the investigation.
There are quite a few books.
I didn't know Rayna liked books since I wasn't that close to her. Or did she read them because she thought it was necessary as Titania's daughter, even if she didn't like them?
There are many on the history of the elves and about the elves.
If I had done some social studies outside at that time, I might have avoided being caught in Alex's Geas so easily.
Thinking about it, since Rayna was under Geas, what about Belita?
I think she wasn't caught.
Even if I say that, Rayna was under Geas, but she had confusing emotions, and she wouldn't have cooperated in assassinating the Hero.
Alex must have figured that out and placed the Geas.
For Belita, since she was a woman with weak resolve, he might have blackmailed her with a suitable weakness.
I don't know what that weakness was.
Or was it that she truly sympathized with Alex and negotiated?
Belita wasn't evil when I was with her, but she lacked courage, and she was too cautious in many ways.
Honestly, calling her a 'coward' would be fine.
"Lois, can I ask you something?"
"What?"
"Why did you save Olivia?"
"...It's sudden."
While investigating and looking around the house, Sylphy asked, and I answered while looking at the books.
"It seems it's not just because I like people."
"..."
I was silent for a moment.
No need to lie.
"Because I wanted to believe in people's goodwill."
"People's goodwill?"
"I was exposed to people's malice before and suffered a pretty rough time. As a result, I couldn't trust people, I suspected everyone, and interpreted everything as maliciously as possible."
It was so serious that even good words were taken as sarcasm.
"But one day, everyone was seen the same... Everyone was happily smiling, but I couldn't smile, so, yeah, I became a fool. So I tried to believe in people's goodwill. Then I saw Lois."
"..."
"I didn't want to admit it."
"What?"
"Lois was definitely problematic in personality before, but she was a good person. She risked her life many times to save people's lives and saved countless people. I didn't want to admit that such a person... would end up like that."
"..."
She saved countless people, regardless of whether I liked it or not.
She killed the Demon King and saved the world.
Is this the ending?
Is the ending that she was betrayed by her comrades, cursed, and died like garbage?
No.
I can't admit it.
I can't admit it.
The ending of a person who ran the hardest for others can't be like this.
It was just that.
"Lois seemed to think highly of me for that, but in reality, it was for my sake too."
Maybe she wanted to prove it.
That the goodwill of the world turns around by saving Lois.
Even if it's the limit of goodwill, the Hero wanted to not be defeated by malice.
She wanted it not to end unhappily.
People sometimes fall into bad paths by losing to malice.
But sometimes they can win and walk the good and kind path, she believed.
"Whether it's Olivia or not doesn't matter."
"Does it?"
"Olivia seems to love Lois very much. It doesn't matter what the reason is. It's not that important who saved her life."
"Surprisingly, there are people who nitpick."
"I'd rather believe it's a minority."
"Lois! Sylphy!"
While talking like that, Olivia's voice came from upstairs, and Olivia came halfway down the stairs and said.
"Come this way, I don't know about Sylphy and me, but Lois seems like there might be something to know."
"Why include me?"
"You and I are like the fork and knife that come out when ordering steak."
"I don't know."
Perhaps Rayna prepared something.
Since she was under Geas, it might not be decisive or direct evidence, but maybe something can be known.
"Let's go up, I'll take a look."