Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Reunion at the Elven Union
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They walked all the way to the Elven Union.
It wasn't that far, and honestly, running would have been faster than most means of transport. With two elves and one Heavenly Killer Star in the group, they could cover the distance in no time if they pushed it.
Of course, there was no reason to rush, so the party took their time strolling along.
As they drew nearer to the Elven Union, the scent of the forest grew thicker. It wasn't just because the trees were densely packed or anything like that. The life force pulsing from each individual tree was incomparable to any ordinary woods Enoch had seen before.
"Mmm... this is the life."
Yonia stretched her arms wide and took a deep breath. Elves really did love this kind of thing, huh? Leone looked pretty pleased too.
Enoch glanced around and whispered to Eri perched on his shoulder.
"You gotta watch what you say when we get there."
[...I don't wanna hear that from you, Dad.]
"......?"
Were spirits going through puberty too? Enoch pondered seriously.
"Huh...? No way!"
A voice drifted over like a breeze rustling through the underbrush. Yonia was the only one who hadn't sensed the presence. Unlike the calm Enoch and Leone, she widened her eyes in surprise.
"This voice..."
"Yonia! It really is you!"
A figure landed lightly on the ground from afar, accompanied by the whisper of wind through leaves. Golden hair shimmering brilliantly, eyes the color of foliage. Her exquisite beauty aside, the elongated ears marked her unmistakably as an elf.
"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how much your aunt's been worried?"
"Just... ran away from home for a bit."
"Oh, come on... acting like you just popped out for a quick bite."
The male elf sighed deeply. Then, as if only just noticing the group, he blinked, startled, and leaped back.
"...Humans? And that one over there..."
The elf shot Yonia a questioning look. Yeah, it's exactly what you think. Yonia nodded, and the elf sprang into the air.
"L-Lady Leone!?"
"Nice to meet you."
Leone waved lazily. The elf's eyes trembled as he bowed at a perfect ninety degrees.
"At your service!"
Enoch clapped enthusiastically at the impeccably formal greeting.
*
'Something feels off... like I forgot something.'
Enoch mulled it over as he followed Akein. A nagging sense of unease. He was sure he'd overlooked something, but it wouldn't come to him.
"Monsters have been popping up more frequently lately, you see. Everyone was worried something might've happened to you, Yonia."
"Monsters?"
"Yep. Feels like something's going down, but no one knows what, so..."
Enoch, listening to Akein and Leone's conversation while racking his brain, suddenly remembered.
"Ah."
[Dad? What's up?]
"Didn't collect the commission fee."
Why hadn't that occurred to him when parting with the mercenaries? A frightening possibility dawned on Enoch.
'No way...'
He'd been playing the dimwit around Leone, but had he actually become the character?
If Yonia had heard, she'd have chuckled and said, 'That's not an act, that's just you.' But since it was just a passing thought, it never reached her.
"Speaking of which, I never imagined Lady Leone's disciple would be human."
Akein's gaze fixed on the sword hanging at Enoch's waist. The crest etched on it was unmistakably Estor's. He'd been floored when Enoch introduced himself as 'Enoch Estor.'
"Enoch's not human."
"Pardon? Some kind of polymorph spell, maybe?"
So it was a disguise after all. As Akein nodded in understanding, Leone pinched Enoch's cheek lightly.
"He's not human—he's a cutie pie. Have you ever seen a human this adorable?"
"Uh, yes."
Enoch still had a ways to go in appreciating high elf humor, it seemed. Gotta work on that. Akein smiled awkwardly.
They walked on leisurely like it was a casual hike. Suddenly, the view opened up bright before them, revealing a massive structure woven from intertwined trees.
"World Tree?"
Enoch tilted his head, and Undine snickered.
[You think that's a World Tree? Nah, it's just the rangers' base.]
That endlessly sprawling giant tree... was just a base. As Enoch stared up dumbly, a few elves approached.
"Akein? Oh, hey, Yonia's here too?"
"And next to her... Lady Leone!?"
It took the shocked elves a moment to compose themselves. In the meantime, Enoch scanned them over.
Including Akein, four men and three women. What stood out was that every single one was a master-level powerhouse.
He glanced at Undine bobbing beside him, and the spirit smirked, puffing out her chest proudly for no reason.
[Told you. It's the rangers' base. Those are the rangers.]
"What's a ranger do?"
[Sentinels. Like the village watch.]
Village watch... all masters? He rolled his eyes in confusion, and Undine added,
[Go shoot a bow for three hundred years straight. Unless you're a total idiot, you'll hit master level.]
Elves were fundamentally more talented than humans. Superior in every way, basically. It wasn't Undine's species bias; it was objective fact.
Anyway, among such elves, weren't there plenty interested in martial arts? Train for a few centuries, and you hit master or grandmaster. No big deal.
It wasn't even surprising—next-door aunties could be masters without being rangers.
"Ooh... impressive."
This was elves for you. Enoch marveled, then snuck a sidelong glance at Yonia.
'Around thirty, right?'
Yonia really was a baby, then. Crawling infant level, probably.
"...What're you thinking? Your eyes are creepy."
"Nothing at all."
"Liar..."
Yonia glared at him sharply. But it was short-lived. The rangers had closed in on her before she knew it.
"W-What!"
Their hands reached out. Yonia flinched away in panic, but she was only expert-level at best. She couldn't dodge master-level grabs.
"You little troublemaker! Do you know how worried Yohanne was?"
"M-Mom said what?!"
"No backtalk—get home now!"
Yonia was getting buried in affection. Watching the scene while Undine gave him an elf crash course, Enoch smacked his fist into his palm in realization.
"Ah, so that's why they say a thousand years."
"H-Huh!? You weren't talking about my age... were you?"
"Nah. Just elf lifespans."
Separate from Leone's veiled age, elves were said to live a thousand years. But according to Undine, it was around three hundred. So why the rumor? Simple reason.
"Oh, lifespans? Did I not mention?"
Humans who stay healthy can hit a hundred, but masters live three or four hundred. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but on average. So what about elves?
Minimum experts. Masters aren't rare among them. Naturally, their lifespan benchmarks differ.
The lazy elf next door? Expert. The restaurant auntie up front? Expert. Neighborhood big sis? Master.
If you hit adulthood without reaching expert, the grown-ups feed you spirit herbs with grave faces. No wonder the 'elves live a thousand years' myth spread.
"Humans are lucky they didn't go extinct."
There was an emperor now, but how did humans survive before?
"Isn't it weird to even think about exterminating humans just minding their own business...?"
Enoch tilted his head at Leone's words. Was it? If roles were reversed, elves would've been enslaved or wiped out by humans already.
Humans didn't have any standout advantages, so extinction seemed likely.
"Lucky monkeys, huh."
"Enoch...!?"
Leone drilled basic common sense into the horrified Enoch.
*
Enoch's group unpacked at a regular family home. Surprisingly, it was Leone's house. Enoch was pretty shocked to hear she had a place in every village.
"See ya."
Yonia, who had escorted them to Leone's door, bowed politely at the entrance. Looked like she was heading home to report her return after running away.
"Hey, wanna come with?"
Enoch hesitated at Yonia's invitation. What would her parents be like? Probably just like her—prickly on the surface but pure-minded and secretly sweet. An elf named Yonia. Parents like that?
"Hmm..."
Still, no real need to tag along. Enoch shook his head, and Yonia sighed wistfully.
"...No one to get scolded with me?"
"......!"
Such a devious plan. Not very elven. Had a short dip into human society corrupted her already? Enoch shuddered in fear.
"Well, guess I'll go the—"
Knock knock. Someone rapped on the door. Come in— As Leone called out, the door opened, revealing an elderly elf.
Elderly... elf? As confusion swirled in Enoch's mind, Leone beamed happily, oblivious.
"Uncle! Long time no see."
"Heh heh, you're still so young."
"I-I'm in my prime, you know!?"
Enoch tugged at Leone's sleeve as she bristled. Huh? Leone blinked wide-eyed, and Enoch whispered,
"How old's that elf?"
"Uh... lemme think. Not quite twelve hundred, I guess?"
Twelve hundred...! Stunned by the number, Enoch's eyes bulged.
He'd spoken softly, but elves had sharp ears, huh? The old elf chuckled.
"I'm about three hundred older than you, Leone, so that sounds right..."
"Uncle...!!"
Leone shrieked to cut him off, but it was too late. Enoch's mind whirred. Twelve hundred minus three hundred...
'Oh.'
Leone was just shy of nine hundred. Eight hundreds, technically...
Counting in twenties and thirties, then bam—eight hundreds. Felt weird. In a daze, Enoch bowed politely.
"Hello."
"Oh? Heh heh, what a cute human kid. Nice to meet you."
Everyone but the old elf gaped at Enoch's demeanor.
[I-It can't be...!]
"E-Enoch...! Polite speech...!?"
Enoch pouted. Slander. He always used polite speech with elders.
'Over a thousand counts as elder.'
Anyone under that was Leone's age group—no need for full formality.