Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Frog in the Well
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Lena's residence was located in the right outskirts, centered on Alpheheim, Minerva's abode.
Considering Millia's place wasn't all that far on Alpheheim's left side, it was a spot ripe for all sorts of comparisons.
"Sister isn't a bad person."
As she guided me along the path to Lena, Millia tossed out the remark casually.
"The reason Sister handles the right outskirts is to patrol a wider area for Mother's protection. And..."
The more she spoke, the clearer Millia's fondness for Lena became—setting aside this rather extreme(?) solution of ours.
That made Lena's attitude toward Millia back at Alpheheim all the more puzzling.
It didn't feel like close sisters at all. More like a one-sided wall going up.
'Lena and Millia's relationship... plus those elders in seclusion. There's definitely something there.'
Even among nobles, tales of siblings from different mothers were a dime a dozen.
First son from a concubine, second from the legal wife.
The scales of power tipping back and forth within. It could be your standard cliché.
But for some reason, instincts I'd honed leading merchant caravans were whispering otherwise.
Their story wasn't going to be that straightforward.
'Well, an opportunity to learn more will come eventually.'
"So Sister is... Ah, we're here."
Millia's footsteps halted abruptly, just as she'd been waxing poetic about Lena.
Compared to the grand, almost holy aura of Alpheheim, this was a tiny, humble shack cobbled together from ordinary timber.
Without Millia's prior heads-up, no one would've guessed the queen's own blood lived here.
'Then again, it doesn't make sense for the queen's kids to be out here in the boonies to begin with.'
Knock, knock.
While I mulled over idle thoughts, Millia exhaled softly and rapped lightly on the wooden gate.
"Who could it be at this hour... Hm?"
Unlike the fierce warrior who'd loosed arrows laced with murderous intent earlier, this Lena—in loose clothes, hair tied back haphazardly—froze solid the instant she spotted Millia.
"......"
And then.
"Lena sister, it's me. Just need a quick word..."
Bang!
As if Millia's voice were the cue, Lena's thawed body slammed the door shut faster than she'd opened it.
Rattle, rattle. Crash!!
Dull thuds echoed from behind the door for a good few minutes.
Screeeeech.
"...What brings you to this humble hovel so late, Princess?"
Lena welcomed Millia in the same poised, impeccable demeanor we'd seen at Alpheheim.
"......"
"......"
Millia and I exchanged no words, but we shared a silent accord.
"...Came to talk."
Pretend this didn't happen.
"I refuse."
This must be what they mean by a flat-out rejection.
The moment Lena clocked me lurking behind Millia, her face had gone rigid.
Bad vibes from the jump—and sure enough, she shot down the idea before Millia could even explain.
"A worthless notion. Telling us to join hands with humans out of fear of some orcs? Did this human bewitch you, Princess?"
She shot me a venomous glare. Ah, she really hates my guts.
"Lena sister, countless kin could die. You love our people, don't you?"
Lena just scoffed at Millia's plea.
"Ha! Princess, you're destined to rule us one day. But how can you if you don't even grasp our strength? Elves suffering at the hands of mere orcs? Impossible."
"...Lena sister, you know full well. If Mother doesn't intervene, the losses will mount. What then?"
Lena's eyes flickered for a split second. As Minerva's closest guard, she couldn't miss her queen's recent oddities. She'd surely pondered the same. Had to have.
"...No. She's the benevolent queen who's shielded us for centuries. She wouldn't."
"Lena sister..."
"Besides."
Cutting Millia off mid-plea, Lena steadied her voice.
"If our kin fall to mere orcs, they were never worth more anyway."
"Lena!!"
Paradoxically, it was glancing at me—the intruder tagging along to persuade—that steadied her wavering gaze.
"Bringing in humans to fend off orcs? On what basis? Princess, the ones who threatened you recently weren't orcs—they were humans like this."
"No, Lena! Young Master Jerome is different. He saved me..."
"So."
Her tone icing over again, Lena silenced Millia's defense.
"This human wants nothing in return? If he helps purely and leaves, we'd welcome it."
No comeback for that.
Literally speechless. I'd fully intended to leverage elf specialties to boost my family's coffers another notch.
And to check the Empire using elf might—especially Paulo's.
Couldn't claim zero motives.
But.
"Fair point. Helping for free doesn't make sense—we're not that kind of race."
"Hmph."
Lena snorted.
"Typical humans. Hyping up orcs to squeeze something out of us?"
We'd smashed through the orc siege—and I did save Millia.
At this point, it bordered on paranoia.
"Hyping up orcs."
Sometimes ignorance blinds you to the steep price of folly.
Seemed Paulo wasn't the only one in the dark—Lena too.
"Explains why the Queen's at a standstill."
"...What?"
Her already chilly gaze darkened further.
"Osiris Kingdom has a saying: 'You reap what you sow.'"
Slurp!
I sipped my tea calmly, eyes be damned.
"A queen's guard with vision that narrow? No need to guess Queen Paulo's foresight."
"How dare you!"
Ping!
A sharp twang—something streaked across my vision.
The snack Lena had served Millia. The wooden fork prepped to eat it with.
She's seriously out for blood.
Over a wooden fork? Sure—but mana-charged, it was a deadly weapon.
Aimed square at my eye. Deep enough, and it'd hit brain.
Lena's killing intent propelled it straight for my right socket in a blink.
Clang!
Not the sound she craved.
Decent mana load, but nowhere near piercing my steel.
She couldn't tell, though.
Unexpected thud widened her eyes a fraction.
"Dismissing the Orc Lord with that level of skill? You know nothing."
No more polite speech. No call to humor a frog in the well.
Scraaaape!
I rose, crooking a finger at her.
"Insulted? Come on, then. I'll show you just how small your world's been."
Time to crack open this elf's cozy little bubble.
True to a queen's guard, she hadn't slacked on training—a spacious clearing lay prepped behind her house.
After hurling that fork at my eye on impulse, Lena endured Millia's epic scolding before grudgingly trailing me out.
"Some parlor trick, huh? Meant to skewer your eye."
Irked her ambush bounced off so easily, she poked with childish bait.
Fat chance.
"Guarding the Queen with that skill? Says it all about elves. You'll regret it once the orcs wipe you out."
Twitch.
Veins bulging on her forehead mid-taunt, Lena wordlessly readied her back-slung bow.
"Human... Blocking a single fork and strutting like that. Don't regret it."
Vowing to ventilate me proper.
"Eh, your skill? Could block a spear, not just a fork."
No real reaction this time. Figuring out cheap taunts only burn her?
"...Might handle a spear."
Deadpan, a gritty rasp rose from her grip.
Kreeeeee.
String straining under tension—far from ordinary.
No name I knew, but a famed bow for sure.
"Block this, then."
Words barely out, string snapped—arrow rocketed like lightning.
Sweeeee!
Chilling whine chasing its blistering speed.
No mere eye-blink block like the fork.
'Alright, guard-worthy power.'
Eye or vitals? Plenty to punch through steel.
Tough to nail my eyes or spots precisely. Bow makes it harder.
But her? Top elf prospect. These arrows zeroed my eyes with ghostly precision.
I snatched the first mid-flight, twisting to offer my back for the second.
Steel defense trumped fumbling with the off-hand.
Plus, the visual gap would hammer it home for the frog.
Long story short: second hit my back simultaneous to grabbing the first.
Lena likely pictured it skewering through, foolish human writhing.
Yeah, she did.
Thunk!
"?!"
No other reason for eyes bulging like that.
Her torso-ravaging shot? Bounced off with a dull thud.
I twirled my captured arrow.
"Tch, arrow too pathetic to pierce a human back, yet gunning for Orc Lord? Beyond arrogant—downright stupid."
Eyed Millia behind her, hollered.
"Millia, not too late—round up elves like Ashina who get it. Family's got room for smart ones."
Cold stare at Lena, brushed past.
"Wasted breath on walking corpses."
"......!!"
Millia whispered, flustered.
'Too harsh?'
'Needs to be. Watch.'
Step.
One.
Step.
Two.
"Stop."
Before three, her voice cut in.
"Human. Got skills. I'll grant you that."
...Kreeeeee.
String drawn taut again.
"You're no ordinary human. But."
Fwoooosh!
Flames erupted along the nocked arrow.
"Doesn't mean you can mock an elf. Or the Queen."
A summoned spirit hovered by Lena, empowering the shaft.
"Serious now, human. Bring it."
Nodded Millia aside—harmless to me.
Lethal to her.
Bow locked dead on my brow.
Killing intent pricking like needles.
"Block."
Bang!
Flame-wreathed arrow, brimming with spirit force, hurtled my way.
Still just human in the end.
Whatever trick blocked the last—wouldn't save him here.
No blocking sacred spirit infusion.
Sub-second flight.
KABOOOOOM!
Cannon roar, not arrow—shockwave birthed a towering dust plume.
Lena didn't wait for it to clear, beckoned Millia.
"Princess, shall we? Since you're here, tea and chat? Plenty of snacks left."
With pest gone, smoother sailing.
But Millia stared elsewhere.
"What're you..."
"If there's lots of snacks left, mind if I join?"
Voice echoed from the cloud.
Tap, tap.
Patting dust from his clothes nonchalantly, the human emerged.
"...Unscathed?"
After that? No mere human blocks it.
"That all?"
Ignoring her shock, he closed in slow.
"My turn."
Grinning ear to ear.