Actually a Botanist, Not an Archer
Nydrian was buried under a mountain of books and papers in her room.
Having returned in a hurry from Epaltelga thanks to the elf delegation that arrived late to the imperial capital, she had been able to immerse herself in her research for a while.
Even during the journey to subjugate the Demon King, she had spent whatever spare moments she could find studying plant growth and species, though it was far less than before.
The Elders disapproved, viewing her work as a useless distraction. However, because she was fulfilling her duties as a member of the Hero's party, they refrained from criticizing her openly.
But that tolerance only lasted as long as Nydrian did her job properly.
With a soft knock, an Elder slipped into the room. His brow furrowed at the sight of the cluttered space.
"Are you still wasting your time on this nonsense?"
"Elder..."
"Our race is facing a crisis, and here you are, studying in leisure?"
"No, that's not it. In my own way, I am doing this for our people..."
Nydrian tried to protest, but she shrank back when the Elder clicked his tongue sharply.
"Working for our people means fighting demons and the Demon King as a member of the Hero's party, striving for the revival of our race. That is all."
"But the subjugation of the demons and the Demon King is complete. And once my research is finished, we elves can finally..."
"Complete? You say it is complete?"
The Elder slammed his hand on the desk, his voice rising.
Elves were typically known for their calm composure and gentle smiles, but lately, they had become easily irritated and impatient.
"Even with the Demon King defeated, the demons are still running rampant. Have you forgotten Epaltelga? They killed people in broad daylight, right in the middle of the street. You were dispatched there yourself with the subjugation force, were you not?"
"...That is true."
"Tsk. If you have time for this, you should be pressuring the Crown Princess and the Shield Knight to fulfill their contract with us!"
"I have been demanding it constantly. But as you know, Elder, they keep delaying, claiming the conditions of the contract haven't been met..."
"How can you be so naive!"
The thunderous scolding made the timid Nydrian freeze.
Her gaze naturally drifted to the floor. Though she felt wronged, she kept her mouth tightly shut.
"This is politics. It is not playing house with friends. You must push through with a shred of justification, sheer stubbornness, and the power to back it up."
The Elder sighed.
As the archer representing their race, her skills were second to none. Yet her weak-willed nature made her utterly incompetent in every other aspect.
She was naive and careless, which was why they had raised her strictly since childhood. But she had never outgrown her timidity, only learning how to read the room and walk on eggshells.
He wanted to berate her until his anger subsided, but Nydrian was the strongest card the elves held.
Knowing full well that a whip alone could not drive talent, the Elder suppressed his temper and offered a gentle, soothing tone.
"I know you are suffering. But please understand that I must place this burden on you, for the very survival of our race depends on it."
"No, it's fine. I should have done better..."
Nydrian startled herself at the words that slipped out of her mouth.
That was the phrase the porter used to mutter like a habit.
Somewhere along the line—or perhaps from the very beginning—she had been placed in a situation and position no different from that porter's.
"Did I not just say we need power to back up our demands, and that we must use it?"
The Elder spoke with a grim expression.
"The territory of our Elven Forest has shrunk yet again. Compared to the beginning, more than half of it is gone...!"
"How can that be...? Up until last year, it took a thousand years for just thirty percent to disappear. How could this happen in a single year?"
"You see? No matter how much you study plants, you are still woefully inadequate at even understanding and accepting the current crisis. The strength of us elves comes from our numbers and our homeland. But the very foundation of that strength is dwindling. We must fight and claim what is ours while we still have some power left!"
The Elder emphasized his point to Nydrian with absolute conviction.
"The Senate and the delegation are pressuring them as well. But we can only succeed if you, as a member of the Hero's party, act as the vanguard for our race."
"...I understand. I won't give up, and I will do my best to achieve our people's wishes."
"Good! That is what I want to hear."
Satisfied, the Elder finally let Nydrian off the hook, freeing her from his suffocating scrutiny.
But as timid people often did, she harbored different thoughts in her heart.
Even if I don't know the reason why the Elven Forest is shrinking, I can still research ways to expand it again.
Her research had actually yielded results.
She had long since developed tree seeds capable of growing in barren environments. All that remained was the reinforcement research to increase their survivability.
All of this was possible because of an investor who had been funding her research for the past two years.
While it wasn't a massive fortune, it was just enough to cover her needs, and it had been an immense help.
Her only worry was the recent news that the investor would find it difficult to provide funding for the time being due to personal circumstances.
Since she had received this news right before the subjugation of the Demon King, Nydrian hadn't been able to pay much attention to it.
Although the research was in its final stages, the lack of additional funding was a painful blow.
While each member of the Hero's party had received generous funding, those funds were strictly for the subjugation of the Demon King. She had spent it all on equipment and maintenance, leaving nothing behind.
It will take some time, but just a little more...!
She hoped that the investor would recover financially and be able to help her again.
Because she was so close now.
Knock, knock.
"Is anyone there? World Postal Service! A letter for the High Elf, Lady Nydrian!"
As if on cue, a messenger arrived just as she was thinking of him.
Brightening at the visit from the World Postal Service—which held distribution privileges anytime, anywhere—Nydrian opened the door.
"Lady Nydrian! It's been a while. Here is your letter. Please sign here to confirm receipt!"
"Yes, of course!"
Her face lit up even more as she checked the sender.
In contrast, the Elder's mood soured.
As Nydrian sent the mailman away and returned to her seat, the Elder made no effort to hide his displeasure.
"Have you found yourself a man?"
"Pardon? Me?"
"...If not, then never mind."
Seeing her look so genuinely flabbergasted, the Elder dropped the subject, feeling a bit embarrassed.
If the timid Nydrian reacted like that, it was definitely not the case.
Just as she was about to open the letter with a bright smile, another urgent knock interrupted her.
"Yes, come in."
"Lady Nydrian! An emergency summons from Lord Reinhold!"
"So suddenly?"
"We have received word that demons have appeared in Waltercroix, following the incident in Epaltelga! Furthermore, the Saintess and Lady Tigria, who were part of the Epaltelga subjugation force, have retreated to the capital after clashing with a demon claiming to be a member of the Demon Hero party!"
"Are you absolutely sure?!"
"And they say they have also located the whereabouts of the Hero, Luciena Estelle!"
"...!"
There was no time to hesitate.
"Elder!"
"Go to the meeting at once. I will return to the delegation and relay this news."
"Yes!"
With that, everyone emptied the room, leaving only the letter sitting on the desk.
The letter that held Nydrian's sole comfort and dream.
Written on the envelope was the sender's name:
Sender: Investor Lee
"Yo."
A blue-skinned woman with her white hair tied in a side ponytail raised a hand in greeting to a woman with a sharp, gray bob.
"You're late, Lancer."
"I walked here, you know."
"Don't you know speed is the lifeblood of our plan?"
"It's a super long-term plan anyway~. There are so many steps, as long as we aren't too late~."
"Sigh."
The Illusionist sighed, but the Lancer paid her no mind.
Still, there was something she was curious about.
"Hey, how was Rin?"
"Need I even say? Rin was exactly as he always is. Upright and kind."
"Haaah~!"
Just imagining it made her heart flutter.
Even though she was only hearing it from the Illusionist, the Lancer had the look of a smitten schoolgirl on her face.
"And true to form, he was smiling despite carrying all that pain."
"Haaah..."
Their expressions darkened at the same time.
After a moment of silence, the Lancer suddenly snapped.
"Rin was supposed to be our companion in the first place!"
"Yes, exactly. If he were, I would have taken all of his pain upon myself and comforted him."
"Huh? That's weird. Shouldn't that be my job?"
"On what grounds do you say that?"
"It's simple logic, isn't it?"
The Lancer tilted her head, brandishing her spear.
"Right now, the Hero is by Rin's side, right? So if Rin is our companion, then I, as the Hero's counterpart, should be the one next to him."
"Yes, simple logic indeed."
The Illusionist agreed.
"Then, since I was chosen as the Hero's rival in this worldline, it is only natural that I be the one by Rin's side."
"How did the conversation even turn out like that?!"
"I was merely following your logic."
"...You wanna go?"
"Anytime."
The Lancer, who had taken a stance and exuded a ferocious aura, quickly lost interest.
The Illusionist waved her hand dismissively and sighed once more.
"If Rin were our companion, he would be saddened to see us like this."
"True. We'll have to practice restraining ourselves in front of Rin."
The two of them were strangely in agreement when it came to Rin.
Sitting down to maintain her spear, the Lancer asked as if it were nothing.
"Did Rin go to the Zramun Archipelago?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Of course Rin knows everything."
"Because he is Rin, after all."
"So cool. He's kind, patient, and knows absolutely everything."
She pulled out a whetstone and began sharpening the spearhead.
In her battle with the Saintess and the Mage, she had intentionally dulled the blade.
Next time they met, she would skew them cleanly.
The Lancer had absolutely no intention of forgiving the two who had hurt Rin.
"Oh, but if it's the Zramun Archipelago, that girl is there."
"What are you talking about at this point? Her being in the Zramun Archipelago was always part of the plan."
"No, no, I mean... she doesn't even like Rin, does she?"
At that, the Illusionist let out a third sigh.
"Sigh. You really only care about yourself, don't you?"
"Well, obviously."
"She likes Rin too."
"Huh? Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Then why does she act like that?"
The Illusionist shrugged.
"She's a textbook tsundere."
The Lancer shrugged her shoulders.
"A tsundere with a face and body like that?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't suit her."
"Not at all."
The Lancer focused on sharpening her spearhead again.
But a moment later, she shrieked.
"Wait, then she's a love rival too?!"
"Haaaaah~."
The Illusionist's sigh grew even deeper.