Chapter 265
Chapter 265
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Beautiful Existence
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Expeditions!
That endeavor, premised entirely on camping, is never a simple affair.
It comes with all sorts of hardships and inconveniences, so much so that the process fits the expression "rolling in the dirt" perfectly—far removed from any sense of dignity.
So here's the question.
Would the high and mighty truly endure all those crude labors and discomforts of camping firsthand?
Of course not.
Rishir realized anew.
Expeditions involving the elite were hardly different from a pleasure trip or picnic.
"Oh... on a massive scale..."
When he first laid eyes on the full extent of the Ilraddain expedition party, Rishir had been purely awestruck.
The core members—Karoa, Lunadien, and the rest—numbered around thirty,
each one presumably as significant as those two elves.
But no.
"...Most of them are just servants to assist with the expedition?"
The majority were attendants drafted to handle the noble elves' camping needs.
"You seem surprised."
"Ah, yes. Karoa, sir. It seems..."
"I understand. But try to see it from our position as well. This involves nothing less than the great World Tree. We couldn't afford any reckless behavior in our conduct."
"Ah... So that's why you brought so many peo—"
"That's why we had to minimize the entourage as much as possible."
"?"
"We trimmed it down to the bare essentials, over and over. It might look a bit sparse, I admit, but I promise the actual inconveniences of the expedition will be minimal."
"..."
Rishir recalled a fact he'd momentarily forgotten.
Karoa and Lunadien.
Both elves were titans in elven society, second to none.
If equated to human nobility, they'd easily rank as grand nobles.
It was no wonder their expedition felt like a luxury tour.
"Somehow, all my worries feel unfounded now."
That was how, as the expedition truly began, Rishir found himself in a strange mix of relief and disappointment.
"Rishir! So that's why you packed all that gear—camping supplies!?"
"I saw it as a chance to show off my proficient camping skills to everyone. Imagine Karoa and Lunadien praising me for it."
"What!? What about me!? What about meeeee!?"
"Aren't you, Miss Ratsil, the guardian of the vast great forest? Aren't you used to camping?"
"What!? You think someone like me, a mere forest bum, wants praise from heavenly ladies like Karoa or Lunadien—instead of a scrub like me!?"
Heh heh!
Ratsil, who seemed shocked at first, placed one hand on her hip and wagged a finger at Rishir with the other.
Index finger. Wag, wag.
"Too bad for you, then!"
"Pardon? Too bad how—"
"Truth is, Karoa and Lunadien aren't all that different from a bum like me!"
"..."
"What’s with that look!? You think I'm lying!? I'm not! Those two were guardians once too!"
"Ah, so that's what you meant by 'forest bum'?"
"Huh!? Then what else could it mean!?"
Ratsil blinked, utterly oblivious.
It was the reaction of someone with infinite confidence in her femininity.
"...Nothing. Anyway, that's surprising. Those two were guardians?"
"Actually, all elves are! We have a duty to tend and protect the forest!"
"Oh~... huh?"
Rishir's admiring expression hardened.
'So, every single elf, without exception, undergoes mandatory military training as reserves?'
A chill ran down Rishir's spine for a moment.
Born with innate mana affinity, and military training on top?
He made a vow.
'If they offer the World Tree's front yard... I should persuade them to hand it over willingly...'
No matter what, he must avoid clashing with their race.
"See? The scenario you imagined was unlikely! Karoa and Lunadien have been famed since their guardian days as heavenly elves who stood out!"
"...So superior guardian skills make one a heavenly elf?"
"Exactly!"
Rishir gained a small insight into the elves' famously picky nature.
'Confidence from being a warrior race, huh. The more I learn, the more mysterious and downright terrifying they are.'
"Rishir?"
Without realizing it, his attitude toward elves had grown more humble.
"Anyway, Rishir—you're the unexpected one!!!"
"Me? Huh?"
"I know this much. Human nobles are fragile types who never get their hands dirty."
"Ah... well, not entirely wrong."
"And you look pretty noble-human-ish? So I figured you'd know zilch about camping! Spill—where'd you learn that?"
"Books, first off. And I tried it once on a long trip."
"Once!?"
Pfft.
Ratsil covered her mouth and burst out laughing.
"Pfft pfft pfft pfft."
And, true to form, her mockery didn't stop there.
"..."
Rishir felt utter defeat.
He wasn't foolish enough to compete with a race that defined itself through holy wars for the forest.
"Trying to impress Karoa, Lunadien, and me with that? Pathetic!"
"...Tch, I never tried impressing you, Miss Ratsil."
"Hah! Fine, then I won't try impressing you either!"
Night was falling on the campsite.
Rishir sat with Ratsil, waiting for the attendants to finish preparations.
Listening to her stories made them look different now.
'They really are pros.'
Rishir recalled the first day, when he'd offered to help.
The elf attendants had politely refused.
At first flustered, they'd firmly declined once they saw him try.
'Probably thought some newbie was butting in.'
Blankets.
Hand over the blankets.
Rishir's legs itched terribly.
"Hm?"
It was then.
Ratsil abruptly stood, pulled up her hood, and headed to the campsite entrance.
Wondering what was up, Rishir followed.
"No further approach permitted. State your business."
Rishir felt a momentary cognitive dissonance.
Ratsil was blocking a group approaching the camp with the elves' signature prickly aura.
'Who are they?'
Sensing Rishir's gaze, Ratsil formed a sound barrier with her hand and whispered.
"Suspicious bunch, Rishir. Look at them gathering silently at our camp. They spotted we're elves and approached. What now? Oh, 'what now' just means I'm curious about your take. A guardian like me knows how to handle this. But since we're outside the forest, your opinion—"
"Ughhh..."
Her seamless shift in demeanor showed no qualms about her dual nature.
It wasn't duality at all.
For elves, rejecting outsiders was an instinctive daily reflex.
Then.
The leader of the standoffish group stepped forward.
He wore similar garb to Ratsil.
Hood pulled low, completely concealing his identity.
"Drawn by a peculiar aura, we couldn't resist. Forgive our intrusion?"
"...!"
Rishir shuddered involuntarily and spoke.
The voice was strikingly androgynous, but in a way utterly unlike any he'd heard before.
Rona.
Rishir recalled that young lord's voice.
Her mezzo-soprano blurred gender lines ideally.
But this voice?
'What the hell...?'
Viscous yet raspy.
It blurred gender boundaries in a wholly different, unsettling way.
Rishir felt it embodied only the flaws of male and female voices combined.
"Ah...!"
No.
Voices can be unique.
Rishir steadied himself.
Lest he offend.
"That voice...!?"
But Ratsil.
She reacted overtly to it.
'No way Miss Ratsil...? Nah, probably not.'
Rishir trusted Ratsil.
Chatty as she was, she wouldn't mock a stranger's voice.
"Beautiful..."
"...!?"
Rishir screamed silently.
Beautiful? That voice?
That's straight-up sarcasm!
Elven outsider rejection went this far, huh.
Rishir hurried to defuse.
"Might you be a Nad' by chance?"
But Ratsil acted faster.
She dropped her guard and addressed the stranger warmly.
"Heh heh."
The other chuckled in response.
To Rishir, it grated like nails on chalkboard, but Ratsil smiled as if savoring even that.
She pushed back her hood and said,
"You recognize me."
"Of course! That beautiful voice... that beautiful appearance... I greet the apostle of the goddess of beauty, Dinus."
Ratsil bowed politely.
As she said, her demeanor brimmed with goodwill toward this beauty.
"Hm?"
Then.
The one called Dinus's apostle eyed Rishir.
"Something wrong?"
"Pardon? Ah—"
"Rishir! You're just another guy after all!? Well, who could stay composed before that beauty!"
"Oh my."
They bantered effortlessly.
Rishir could only stare blankly.
'Am I... the problem here...?'
Suddenly, a past-life memory surfaced.
A movie villain mage: skin pale beyond white, translucent veins visible.
Nose flattened, mere nostrils in the skin.
The object Ratsil, an elf, praised as the goddess of beauty's apostle—
Yes.
Looked like a drowned corpse.
"Staring so intently embarrasses even me."
"Ah...! Sorry—I got flustered!"
Rishir snapped to and bowed hastily.
Apostle of the goddess of beauty.
Avatar of beauty.
Rishir's first encounter with that race of beauty.
The group approaching the campsite turned out to be followers centered around a Nad'.
Ratsil welcomed them warmly and guided them to the deepest part of the camp.
'Is this... okay...?'
That natural goodwill.
That seamless flow.
No room for Rishir to intervene.
He worried Ratsil might get reprimanded by superiors.
"Nad'!"
Unfounded.
Lunadien of the Star of the Flower Garden.
The red-haired elf, evidently fond of splendor and beauty, lit up at the Nad'.
She approached immediately and kissed her hand.
"An honor to meet the apostle of the goddess of beauty, Dinus. I am Lunadien, master of the Green Tower."
The Nad' placed a hand on her chest and bowed demurely.
"The honor is mine, meeting the 'Star of the Flower Garden.' I am Hera, apostle of the goddess of beauty, Dinus."
"Hera. Even your name is beautiful."
Karoa followed.
"Hera, apostle of Dinus. Welcome."
"Thank you for the welcome."
"What brings you to us?"
"Like butterflies to flowers, drawn by your pure auras. Such purity—I expected nothing less from pure elves like you."
"..."
Even the aloof High Elf couldn't hide his evident fondness.
It was unmistakably goodwill toward beauty.
His perked ears focused on the voice, deep eyes on the face—proof enough.
'What the actual fuck...'
Rishir's confusion peaked.
Ratsil alone? 'Unique taste.' But all elves reacting the same? Different story.
'Am I, my ears, my eyes defective...?'
Rarely, Rishir suffered cognitive dissonance.
Step.
Nad' Hera approached Rishir.
"You're... human, right?"
She struck the pose of 'curious beauty.'
Nearby elf attendants fidgeted, eager to answer for him.
"Y-yes."
Rishir bowed low and answered strainedly.
"Unusual. Elves including a human in their group."
"He is Rishir. Benefactor to us elves."
Lunadien, unable to hold back, introduced him.
"Benefactor to elves... a human."
"Rishir... honored to meet you... Lady Hera..."
"Yes. Delighted to meet you too, elf benefactor."
How she interpreted his mumbling bow.
The Nad' formed a satisfied smile.
Now, the pose of 'intrigued beauty.'
I.
Am interested in you.
Feel flattered.
As if declaring so.
"..."
Indeed, some elf attendants glared jealously at Rishir.
This sinful human!
Even Ratsil poked his arm flirtatiously.
"Uh, uhaha... humans... so sinful..."
Rishir tried reacting naturally.
'Ah, this won't do.'
Finally, he hit his limit.
Stay longer, and he'd blunder badly.
"Miss Ratsil, I—have something urgent to discuss..."
He tried slipping away with Ratsil.
"Let go of me, I said LET GO!!!"
"Hm?"
Commotion erupted from Hera's group.
Clank! Clank!
Chains rattling.
A figure burst from the group and fell.
"Apologies for the disturbance. Our slave, as you see—utterly feral—"
Hera shook her head apologetically.
Elf attendants sympathized vigorously, glaring at the 'slave.'
"That's...!"
"Disgusting..."
Soon, natural contempt colored their gazes.
Vertically slit reptilian pupils.
Small horns sprouting faintly above the head.
Scales instead of skin from neck to jaw.
Thus, the girl had a peculiar appearance.
Evidence of dragon in human form.
"Filthy dragon. Probably tried something on the Nad' again—hence chained."
Elf attendants freely directed disgust at the dragon.
Thus pledging absolute faith to the Nad'.
Lunadien and some elves awkwardly averted eyes.
"..."
Contrasting reactions.
Stark divide in favor and disdain.
Hera didn't hide her vile smirk.
As the Nad' savored her position.
"You alright?"
Rishir approached the girl and gently helped her up.
"..."
Her venomous face clouded in confusion.
"Good heavens, Lord Rishir—what—"
"As expected of Lord Rishir...? Touching that abomination—"
Befitting the World Tree's mother—such compassion!
Elf attendants were moved by Rishir's act.
"..."
Tch.
Hera watched, clicking her tongue inwardly.
That human punk.
His actions grated from the start—now outright offending her.
"How kind."
Hera formed the pose of 'moved beauty.'
Intending to toy with the arrogant human.
She reached naturally for Rishir.
"Eek!"
Sensing unease from her aura, Rishir recoiled in shock, dodging the hand.
"..."
The Nad's face filled with shock.