Chapter 118: Welcome to the Lustful Elf Forest (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 118: Welcome to the Lustful Elf Forest (4)
—Crunch, crunch...
With every step I took following Irene, the pleasant sound of treading on fallen leaves echoed through the air.
—Chirp, chirp, chirp~
The songs of birds, coming from the parts of the forest that had fortunately escaped the fire, sounded as if they were celebrating the dragon’s fall.
After walking for a while, Irene stopped beneath a certain tree.
“Ah...! It’s still here...!”
It must have been a tree filled with special memories, as Irene ran toward the massive trunk with a bright smile.
As she stroked the base of the tree and gazed up at the leaves, her eyes looked as though she were recalling a memory attached to every single one of them.
“It seems to be a special tree.”
I walked up beside her and spoke softly.
Irene sat down on a particularly protruding part of the root and looked up at me with a bright face.
“It’s a humble spot, but would you like to sit beside me?”
“Humble? Not at all. I just wasn't sure if I should be so bold as to join you.”
“It’s fine. In fact, I’d prefer it if you did.”
“...Understood.”
I sat on the edge of the root, keeping a slight distance from her.
Irene began to speak while fiddling with the ring on her left ring finger.
“This is... where I first met my husband.”
“Aha. So it was a wedding ring after all. I hadn't seen it before, so I could only guess.”
Seeing her cherish the ring so much, it seemed Irene and her husband had been very much in love.
Hmm... this makes things a bit awkward.
I like married women, but I don’t exactly want to destroy a happy home.
More importantly, women like that usually never break, no matter how much you tempt or pressure them...
So, I cautiously brought up the subject of her husband.
“Your husband must have been a wonderful man. To have won the love of a beauty like you, Lady Irene.”
“Fufu, thank you. Yes... he was a wonderful person. His scholarly appearance was far from what you'd call 'strong,' but he had enough courage and passion to come to the Great Forest alone to seek knowledge from the elves.”
“A man who chases his dreams is often the most beautiful. But you said you met him here for the first time...”
This place was quite a distance from the village where the elves of the Great Forest lived. It was also considerably far from the refuge where the elves were currently hiding.
Irene gave a small chuckle and replied.
“Fufu, yes. When I first met him here, he was just a human mage who had lost his way.”
“Hahaha, it seems his passion was so great it narrowed his vision.”
“Yes, exactly. Once he became absorbed in a book or his research, he wouldn't notice anything happening around him.”
Irene continued to pull out pieces of her memories, talking about her husband for a while.
She told me how they met under this tree every day because humans weren't allowed in the elf village back then. How their relationship started as teacher and student but eventually turned into a mutual exchange of ideas.
And...
“It wasn't just academic opinions you ended up sharing, but your hearts as well.”
“Yes... before I knew it, I found myself completely fallen for him. Fortunately, he felt the same way...”
“Is that why you came to the Empire with him?”
“That’s right. Actually, the Elder... ah, she wasn't the Elder back then, but anyway, she was the only one who tried to stop me.”
“I see...”
Well... I had a vague suspicion from the way she kept speaking in the past tense. The fact that the Elder tried to stop her from going to the Empire was enough to turn that suspicion into a certainty.
Elves are a race that lives twice, sometimes three times longer than humans.
According to my memory, Irene is 91 years old.
That meant her husband was already dead.
I suppressed the urge to cheer and put on a serious expression. Irene gave me a sorrowful smile.
“You’re quick-witted, as expected.”
“May I ask... how did your husband...?”
“...There wasn't any particularly grand incident. It’s just... my husband’s health was a bit poorer than others, and because of that, his lifespan was a bit shorter. Even with a body like that, he spent every night in his study and laboratory...”
“Oh dear...”
“Even on that day, I just thought he had fallen asleep at his desk. But no matter how much I called him, he wouldn't wake up... no matter how much I shook him... hic...”
Her sudden tears quickly turned into sobbing.
Irene wept so sorrowfully that my hand instinctively moved to wrap around her shoulder.
However, Irene did not reject my hand. She leaned lightly into my arms and continued to sob.
“Ugh... hic...”
After some time passed, Irene’s cries, which felt like they would last forever, gradually subsided.
I naturally pulled my hand away from her shoulder and spoke softly.
“Have you calmed down a bit?”
“Yes... hic... I’m sorry, I didn't mean to...”
I reached out and gently took Irene’s left hand in mine.
Then, I added another word.
“It’s very late, but I sincerely offer my condolences for your late husband.”
“Thank you... You really are a warm person, Leon...”
“Considering what I’ve done, those words are far too kind.”
“I’ve said this many times, but I’m truly fine. The Elder also asked you for a favor... so it’s only natural that you might have mistaken me for another elf.”
Well... that was true.
If I hadn't lost my mind, I wouldn't have forced myself on Irene.
Whether then or now, I believe such things are for beasts.
As a noble and a human, one should always be dignified and elegant... anyway.
I let go of Irene’s hand and continued the conversation.
“I don’t know if it’s appropriate to say this... but you remained in the Empire even after your husband passed away.”
“...Yes. At the time, there was research I was doing with him. Of course, he was working on many other projects besides the one we did together.”
“So you decided to carry on the dream your husband couldn't finish.”
“I thought that was the only thing I could do... at the time. Sigh...”
Wait, the vibe is completely different this time.
Until now, she seemed like a widow grieving and missing her departed husband...
But the Irene before my eyes now seemed filled with regret over the past years.
Wondering what was going on, I asked her again.
“Continuing the research to honor your husband’s legacy seems like a very meaningful thing to me...?”
“In a way, I suppose... Thanks to that research, I was appointed as a court mage, and as I continued my studies and training, I eventually became the Chief Court Mage...”
“Mmm, it seems... you might have missed something in that process.”
“Yes... it’s a ridiculous story...”
“If... if it’s not too rude, may I ask what you missed?”
“...My husband and I have a daughter. No... should I say we had one...”
Oh...? She has a daughter...?
This isn't something I can just gloss over.
So, I asked about her daughter even more carefully.
“The grief and longing for your husband must have been too great.”
“Yes. It truly was. Whether my daughter, Merlin, ate, where she went, what she did... I just... hic...”
So she was just busy looking at books and writing papers.
Without sparing a single glance for the daughter who had also lost her father.
Irene sobbed uncontrollably again, clearly tormented by regret and guilt over that past.
Mmm... to be honest, I wonder how someone could even do that, but...
‘She’s still a much better person compared to my current parents or Valeria’s parents...’
Above all, the person suffering the most from this fact was Irene herself.
So, if possible... no, I definitely wanted to reconnect the relationship between Irene and her daughter.
It’s absolutely not because I see an opening for an Elf Mother-Daughter Bowl.
I repeat, I am absolutely not aiming for an Elf Mother-Daughter Bowl.
Well~ though~ if the two of them suggested it, I wouldn't refuse~
Anyway.
I gently wrapped my arm around Irene’s shoulder again and whispered softly.
“Someday, your daughter will understand your heart.”
“Ugh... hic... I am... I am a woman who can’t even hope for that... What kind of mother in this world casts aside her child just because she’s sad... hic, hic...”
“I don’t know how this will sound to you... but seeing you now, Lady Irene, I believe there is hope.”
“Hic... What...? Hope...?”
“Yes. You regret the past where you turned away from your daughter, and you feel guilty. In other words, doesn't that mean you want to talk to her? It means you haven't given up. There is no failure. There are only trials. That is my personal philosophy.”
“There is no failure, only trials...”
If I have only one wish now, it is to be called 'Mother' by my daughter again...
Irene even confessed that much in a voice thick with tears.
Mmm... honestly, I wondered if it was okay for her to share such intimate stories with me when we hadn't known each other long, but...
‘She probably hasn't been able to tell anyone about such a desperate wish, and she’s likely relieved that this place of memories is safe...’
In that case, I shouldn't miss this chance to drive a stake in.
As soon as that thought occurred, I looked into Irene’s eyes and spoke.
“If it’s alright with you, Lady Irene, I would like to help you even after we return to the Empire.”
“Hic... What...? Me...?”
“Yes.”
In a situation like this, there’s no need for long, rambling words.
All that’s needed is a gaze filled with will and determination.
A gaze that says: I will definitely take both you and your daughter... no, no, I will definitely turn your sobs into cries of ecstasy... or something like that...
That also sounds a bit undignified, but anyway.
I had to add one more thing to Irene, who was still just gaping at me.
“Lady Irene, as you know, I have been appointed as an Errant Knight by His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Yes... that’s true...”
“His Majesty gave me this calling.”
Never retreat before the enemy.
Do good with courage and wisdom, and always speak only the truth.
Draw your sword for those who suffer, and reach out to the powerless.
“The elves trampled by the dragon, and you, Lady Irene, weeping over a strained relationship with your daughter—they are the same to me. Besides, you are a comrade-in-arms who faced the dragon with me. Isn't it only natural to help such a person?”
“...To call me a comrade-in-arms, I did so little...”
“The fact that the Archmage Marshal was there was a great source of will and strength for me. Everyone else will think the same.”
“...It makes me truly happy that you think of someone as insignificant as me that way and show such warmth... but to be honest, I don't know what to do...”
Is it okay to do this? Can I really do that?
To the lost Irene, I offered a gentle smile and a word.
“It is only natural to receive help for things you cannot handle alone. So, you only need to say one thing.”
“What... one thing...?”
“'Please do so,' or 'Help me.' If you say just that, I will gladly draw the sword of my calling for you.”
“Ah...”
Of course, I didn't mean for Irene to make a decision right this second.
Well... in a way, it might look like I was asking her to say it right now.
‘Anyway, we’ve closed the distance significantly... and now isn't the time to push further...’
It was time to soften the serious and heavy atmosphere.
So, I took a step back from Irene and gave her a bright smile.
“Actually, there are a few things I’d like to get help with from you as well, Lady Irene.”
“Pardon? From me, Leon?”
“Hahaha, yes. As you know, I have some knowledge of magic, but it’s self-taught... I have many shortcomings compared to you.”
“S-shortcomings? I think you are a true Archmage, Leon!”
“I’m flattered that you think so highly of me. So... to be honest, I’d like to continue our academic exchange even after we return to the Empire.”
Irene was a widow who missed her late husband and a mother who wanted to repair her relationship with her daughter, but...
She was also a scholar and a magic otaku with a passion for magic that rivaled, or perhaps exceeded, her husband’s.
So, I thought poking this side of her would make her ecstatic... and I was right.
“Ah...! A-are you serious?!”
As expected.
Irene was now showing a bright smile, as if she had never been crying.
“Yes. If it’s alright with you, would you do that for me?”
“Yes! Of course! It’s exactly what I wanted!”
Behind Irene’s bright smile, the red sunset was fading.
As the early twilight began to settle in the forest, I reached out my hand to Irene, who was still sitting on the tree root.
“It’s getting dark. Shall we head back?”
“Yes. May I ask for an escort on the way back?”
“Protecting a lady is a knight’s duty. I shall perform it with my life.”
“Fufu, thank you.”
“Actually, if you don’t help me, Lady Irene, I won’t be able to find my way back.”
“Ahaha, is that so?”
With those words, I followed behind Irene.
Actually, I was in a bit of a hurry.
Irene is one thing, but there are still elves I haven't impregnated yet waiting for me.
Plus, Helena, Sitri, Natalia, and Andrasta are all waiting for me too.
The life of a superior male is a busy one.