Friend (1)
A short time before the hero’s party was formed, deep within Yggdrasil—the World Tree that served as both a colossal tree and a sprawling city—someone was entering the Chamber of the Black Lotus.
“You called for me.”
The elf who stepped inside had long golden hair adorned with a single hyacinth blossom. She was Flora, princess of the elves. Waiting for her in the chamber was her mother, the Elf Queen. Flora offered an elegant bow before taking a modest seat at the octagonal table.
“Yes. As queen of this nation, I summoned you because I require your counsel.”
The Queen spoke with her back turned, gazing out through the glass window. Flora answered calmly.
“What counsel do you seek?”
“You already know that our Elvenheim recently formed a truce with the human empire, yes?”
Flora gave a heavy nod.
“And that this so-called truce is as fragile as a bridge built on thin ice.”
“I am aware. Too many still remember the betrayal from three hundred years ago. Humans have short lifespans, so they may dismiss it as ancient history, but…”
“Nevertheless, I wish to develop this truce into a full alliance—and eventually into the founding of a new nation.”
Flora listened quietly to her mother. She understood the Queen’s intentions. Three hundred years earlier, Elvenheim had allied with humanity only to be betrayed. To elves, betrayal was unforgivable. Ever since, Elvenheim had come to despise humans, sealing its borders and clinging to isolationism. Yet the Elf Queen wanted to end that isolation and join hands with humanity once more.
Flora agreed with the idea. She did not particularly like humans, but Elvenheim’s situation left them little choice.
The World Tree is nearing the end of its lifespan.
The time for the World Tree’s generational shift was approaching. Until a new World Tree could be nurtured, the elves would have to survive without its protection. They needed to gather as much strength as possible to endure that period.
“Most people would probably laugh at this dream of mine. After all, even securing this simple truce required several miracles to overlap perfectly.”
“It helped that the empire’s chancellor was someone willing to listen, and that the Demon King’s army’s plot to sicken the World Tree early was uncovered at just the right moment.”
The scheme by the Demon King’s forces to infect the World Tree prematurely and pit humans against elves had been exposed. At the same time, Chancellor Altrich of the empire had chosen not to exploit the elves’ revealed weakness, instead proposing reasonable terms for the truce. Thanks to those two factors, even the isolationist faction—which held the majority in the council—had been unable to object and reluctantly agreed to the truce.
Yet as the Queen had said, the truce was dangerously precarious. It could shatter at the slightest conflict.
“So the counsel you seek from me is…”
“The empire has requested that we dispatch one elf to join the hero’s party they are forming.”
“Pardon?”
“They say the Holy Sword Gramhilt has chosen its master. They plan to assemble a hero’s party to subjugate the Demon King and have asked us, as their truce partner, to send a talented individual. They specifically want someone who will grow alongside the hero, so a promising prospect would be preferable to someone already powerful.”
Flora let out a short groan.
“The empire’s first request since the truce. Ignoring it would be diplomatically unwise.”
“Not everyone in their council supports the truce, after all. This time, it is our turn to respond with goodwill.”
“So you intend to send me?”
Flora pressed her lips together tightly. She disliked humans, but she supported establishing a new nation. She also knew that elves who shared her view were rare. She seemed like the ideal candidate. But the Queen shook her head.
“That was my original plan, but it has become complicated.”
“Why…?”
“The isolationist faction opposed it. They claim humans can never be trusted, that any elf we send will surely end up a sex slave or arrow fodder and die. Therefore they cannot approve.”
“But that’s…”
“And the truth is, most of our citizens agree with that sentiment.”
Flora lowered her head. Then she lifted it again after hearing the rest of the Queen’s words.
“Well, after lengthy negotiations, the isolationists changed their stance. They will approve under limited conditions.”
“What conditions…?”
“If we must send someone, they said it should be that child.”
The Queen pointed out the window as she spoke. Flora rose from her seat and approached her mother. On the training grounds visible below, the elves’ sacred martial tournament—the Rite of the Returning Soul—was in full swing. The Queen was pointing at one particular elf standing on the arena stage.
An elf with messy green hair, scratching her head in frustration. Yet her mouth was stretched wide in a delighted smile.
“Wow, I lost again! But it was really fun, so you have to win for sure! I’ll definitely win next time!”
Flora knew her. Her only friend, and Elvenheim’s beloved idol—Naelle.
As soon as Naelle finished speaking, cheers erupted from the stands. She’s too cute. Well done. Such a good girl. Words of affection poured out. Her opponent smiled and offered a handshake. That was the kind of person Naelle was.
She always placed dead last in the Rite of the Returning Soul, yet she never stopped smiling brightly. Born a high elf, she remained pure-hearted, approached everyone without hesitation, and was loved by all regardless of skill. She was treated like a national idol.
Flora murmured in a daze.
“Naelle? Why her?”
“Almesia, leader of the isolationist faction, is a cunning woman. That girl Naelle would never refuse a request. She lacks skill, she is naive, and she is loved by everyone.”
“So…”
“So they see her as the perfect sacrifice.”
“A sacrifice?”
“I have heard the joke before. They say that girl must be most wary of ruined men. If a ruined man got down on his knees and begged her to marry him, she would panic and say yes. With that innocent personality and lack of skill, they believe she would never survive in a hero’s party. That is what Almesia thinks.”
“If that’s what they think, then why…?”
“It seems they want to deliberately send our nation’s idol to suffer a miserable fate at human hands, then use that tragedy to seize control of public opinion and push for isolationism again. That is my interpretation.”
The Queen’s political insight was exceptional. And Almesia was more than capable of devising such a scheme.
“If we refuse, she will spin the narrative differently. The isolationists agreed to the dispatch for the greater good, yet the Queen rejected it and the dispatch fell through. Therefore we should abandon this meaningless truce. That is what she will push for.”
Flora bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.
“How despicable…”
“Even so, I do not wish to break the truce.”
In contrast, the Queen’s tone remained calm. Her breath fogged the glass with white mist. She wiped it away with her hand and continued.
“People like Almesia, who hate humans, say we should die pure even if it means perishing without the World Tree. That we should shatter like jade—cleanly, without shame—and leave behind unsullied souls. But where in this world is there such a thing as a clean death? Death is death. The pretty adjectives are only added later by the living.”
The Queen’s bitter reflection appeared in the glass. She had suffered the most from the betrayal three hundred years ago, yet this was what she believed.
“I want to save my people.”
“Mother…”
“It may be cruel to that child, but I wish to order her to go. Therefore…”
The Queen slowly turned to face Flora.
“I am asking for your opinion. She is your only friend, after all.”
“S-she’s not my only friend. There’s also Melodian…”
“Ah, I should say your only elf friend.”
Melodian was the striped squirrel Flora kept as a pet. Her face flushed slightly. The Queen gave a faint smile and asked again.
“So, is it all right to send her?”
Flora took one step closer to the window. There was Naelle, smiling brightly. The sight of that smile brought back the day they had become friends.
After defeating Naelle in the preliminaries of the Rite of the Returning Soul, Flora had run up to her, unable to hold back her frustration.
“Why did you do that? Did I look that pathetic to you?”
“W-why what?”
“I saw you deliberately lower your bow at the end. Did you think I wouldn’t notice? Were you mocking me too?”
“No, that’s not it… If I had shot then, you would have been hurt.”
“So you were mocking me!”
“I wasn’t. It’s just… Flora and I are friends. I don’t want my friend to get hurt.”
“Huh? Friends?”
“Yep!”
“Were we… friends?”
“You helped me when I got lost last time. That makes us friends!”
Then Naelle had beamed and held out her hand.
When the memory faded, a faint smile touched Flora’s lips.
“If that is the full extent of their scheme, then I believe it is fine to send her.”
“Your reasoning?”
“She is simply too kind, so she lowers her bow. It does not mean she lacks skill. I am certain Naelle will complete her adventure brilliantly and return safely.”
“Are you speaking as the princess of Elvenheim?”
“I am speaking as her friend.”
The Queen nodded and made her decision.
“Then, as her friend, please ask her yourself whether she is willing to go.”
As expected, the moment Flora brought it up, Naelle broke into a huge smile and agreed at once.
“Sure! I’ll go!”
“But are you really okay with this? You must be careful.”
“I’ll succeed for sure, make friends with the humans, and bring peace to everyone! And if I succeed, you have to buy me a drink, Flora!”
Naelle gave her energetic consent and departed that very evening, waving cheerfully. Though she had agreed, Flora remained a little worried until the last moment and repeated her warnings.
“Naelle, when you go to the humans’ city, beware of ruined men!”
That was the full story of how Naelle came to join the hero’s party.
“Ugh, training is so hard. I want to get stronger without working for it…”
And the person she met upon joining the party was not merely a ruined man.
He was a fucking ruined man.
From the very first day she joined the party, Naelle gave a troubled smile as she watched the hero, who had stopped hitting the straw dummy and was lying sprawled on the ground.