Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The Worldview is Quite Unique
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What a unique worldview.
Elfriede had explained it in simple terms, saying that time "stands still" here, but the truth was a bit more complicated.
To put it more precisely, the Spirit Realm's space-time was isolated from the outside world. In other words, time flowed differently here.
I vaguely remembered hearing similar stories back in my original world.
There were even variations depending on the country.
Tales of visiting the fairy kingdom.
Tales of visiting the dragon palace.
Surprisingly, Korea had similar legends too.
One about getting lost watching immortals play baduk, only to snap out of it and find that so much time had passed the axe handle had rotted away.
The common thread in all those stories was that when you returned to the original world, a ton of time had flown by.
"Don't worry too much. It's fine if you only stay a short while."
"Right?"
"...Huh. You're not that surprised?"
Elfriede asked with a genuinely puzzled look on her face.
In truth, I had been startled at first, but it was just curiosity. I calmed down quickly.
After all, like she said, as long as I didn't stay too long, what was the problem?
Besides, I'd already experienced something like that. Anyone who's done their military service would get it.
Time crawls by agonizingly slow in the army.
But step outside, and it's a whole new world.
Well, I don't know about these days, but that's how it was back then. Ahem.
"Roughly how big is the time difference?"
"It's hard to pin down exactly. It depends on how long you stay."
In simple terms, it was like plotting an acceleration graph.
The longer you stayed, the exponentially greater the discrepancy became. That's how I took it.
'Come to think of it...'
A conversation from before we came here suddenly popped into my head.
-Who knows. Elves don't count years. In human terms, maybe around twenty?
Thinking back now, Elfriede's words had been spot on.
From a human perspective, elves just seemed ageless, but they'd lived about the same span of time.
They probably didn't bother tracking years because there were no suns here to mark the days.
'What a unique worldview.'
This wasn't praise for the author. The original novel had no such setting. It wasn't canon.
"Damon? Why are you grinning?"
I'd been chuckling to myself when Elfriede caught me.
"Oh, I was just imagining how wild it'd be if everyone outside had aged a ton by the time I got back."
It was an excuse.
I couldn't very well say, "I was thinking you seem kinda naive for an elf who's lived centuries and seen it all."
That was when it happened.
"Damon...!"
Elfriede furrowed her brow and raised her voice for the first time since we'd met.
"That's not wild...!"
But then her face darkened, and she murmured softly.
"...It's sad."
Ah, right.
In my rush to cover, I'd said something insensitive.
For an elf who cared for humans, watching them grow old and die must feel heartbreaking.
"I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."
I scolded myself for failing to consider her feelings and apologized quickly.
"No, it's okay. You're still young, Damon, so it's understandable. I get it."
Hmm...
By lifespan alone, weren't we only about five years apart?
And I'd lived much longer in my previous life.
'...So maybe I'm the older one?'
I kept the silly thought to myself and asked what I was really curious about instead.
"Have you ever thought about living out there?"
It would solve everything, really.
She didn't seem to like the Spirit Realm much, and she'd adapted to the human world well enough. Why not live there?
Of course, not all humans were friendly to elves.
In most stories, elves who weren't the protagonist's allies got a raw deal.
If that was the reason, I'd have no argument. But surprisingly, it wasn't.
"I can't."
Shadow fell over Elfriede's face again.
"Remember what I said about the elves earlier?"
"Yeah..."
How could I forget our conversation from moments ago?
"That they're sick?"
"Yeah, that's right..."
Elfriede nodded and added,
"That's why. I'm the only healthy one here, so I have to take care of the others. That's why I can't leave."
"...Ah."
Another new fact came to light.
Elfriede wasn't just young—she was the family breadwinner too.
"W-Welcome... to the elf village?"
"It looks cozy."
It was a bit different from what I'd imagined.
I'd pictured huts made of giant leaves or homes hollowed out inside ancient trees.
Not that my expectations were spot-on, but the sight of buildings made from natural materials clustered atop softly glowing trees was nothing short of spectacular.
"But where are all the elves?"
"Um... They're all at home. Not feeling well."
Hmm.
Why did a bad feeling keep creeping in?
"Oh, don't get the wrong idea! They really are all sick...!"
Reading my expression again, Elfriede waved her hands frantically, looking as indignant as if I'd accused her of kidnapping.
"...This is our house."
Elfriede hesitantly opened her front door, and I watched her step inside.
"Ah, aren't you coming in?"
"I can?"
She'd invited me in so casually, like a close friend, that I was just surprised. But Elfriede, still thinking I was suspicious, kept giving awkward "Hehe..." smiles.
"Pardon the intrusion."
As soon as I stepped in, a faint phytoncide scent wafted over me. Just smelling it made me feel healthier.
There were no lanterns or candles, but since the environment itself glowed everywhere, it didn't feel dark at all.
Better yet, the interior's warm yellowish-orange hue contrasted with the mysterious, moonlit chill outside, giving it a cozy vibe.
"...Elfriede?"
A voice called from deeper inside, sensing our presence. But it was weak and listless, lacking any energy.
"I'll introduce you to my parents first. Come here."
That's when it happened, as she led me further in by the hand.
"!"
Finally facing the voice's owner, my face stiffened.
The elf I assumed was Elfriede's mother—or rather, the person herself—looked practically like a corpse.
...Where was the dignified, mature elder elf I'd imagined?
She wasn't anywhere.
"Elfriede, were you out 'there' again...?"
A frail elderly female elf who looked like she might collapse any second asked.
"Just for a bit. Nothing happened, right?"
Paradoxically, the time Elfriede had been away was merely a blink here.
Or, thinking about the time flow in reverse, it made sense.
Still, Elfriede seemed to feel guilty, even for that brief absence.
And understandably so. The elf before us looked in terrible shape.
'At that age, isn't she more like a grandma than a mom?'
The elder elf's face was etched with deep wrinkles, her skin dry and ashen.
It seemed the "illness" Elfriede mentioned was the kind that sapped an elf's vitality.
"Who's... that beside you...?"
Then her mother's gaze turned to me. No reaction like "A human here?!"
She didn't even have the energy for that. Her eyes were so unfocused, I wondered if she even recognized me.
"Ah, a friend. His name's Damon."
Elfriede gave me a bittersweet smile.
"Say hi. This is my mom. Dad must be somewhere else right now."
So she was the mother.
Hiding my bewilderment, I bowed politely.
"I'm Damon."
"Yes, yes. Nice to meet you."
"Wait a sec. I'll get something to drink."
"...I'll help!"
I jumped at the chance to escape being left alone with her.
"Sorry. You must be shocked."
The moment we entered the kitchen, Elfriede apologized first.
I was definitely shocked.
Even though she'd warned me, this hit harder than hearing about the isolated time flow.
"...Are the others all like that too?"
"Yeah... Elves see it as the price of living here. Like a blessing and a curse."
So naturally, I had to wonder. Why was Elfriede the only healthy one?
I'm no doctor, so who knows.
Not even Hua Tuo could figure this out.
'A chronic genetic disease, but one person completely fine...'
Oddly, even in that sickly state, they didn't suddenly collapse or drop dead.
Movement was inconvenient, but daily life wasn't an issue.
Plus, no dangerous monsters or greedy humans here—it was a natural sanatorium.
Oh, and one more thing.
"This is our staple."
Elfriede handed me herbal tea she'd brewed.
According to her, elves could live on just this.
"Great mileage."
"...Mileage?"
The silver-haired elf tilted her head, as if it were a new word.
Whoops.
No better analogy came to mind, so I'd slipped into modern slang.
"Oh, what I mean is..."
I was pondering how to convey the nuance when—
'!'
It hit me like a bolt.
'...Hold on.'
A sudden thought flashed through my mind.
'It’s "enough" to just drink this?'
I posed the question to myself and looked down.
My gaze soon locked on the teacup in Elfriede's hand.
"...Miss Elfriede."
"Yeah?"
"I think I figured out the cause of the illness."