Chapter 162
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 162
Chapter Title: Taming the Elf Girl (2)
“I’ll figure out a way to handle it.”
“How?”
“I’ll have to talk her down gently. What else can I do?”
“Jace, you’re just too nice for your own good.”
“Yeah, yeah, we always end up relying on you whenever there’s trouble.”
A mischievous thought struck me. I feigned a look of deep contemplation, and everyone immediately looked flustered.
“Are you tired?”
“No, it’s just…”
“I completely forgot. As perfect as you seem, you’re still human…”
“Ugh, this is all Ilensia’s fault!”
“No. It’s not entirely her fault. We all rely on Jace, too.”
Hmm… This was the reaction I’d expected, but it felt a little over the top. I hadn’t anticipated they would all fall into self-reflection in such a somber atmosphere.
Of course, it would be a lie to say it didn’t bother me at all, but just seeing the girls smile at me was enough to wash away all my worries.
“I’m really fine. Because you’re all by my side.”
“—!”
The girls were moved by such simple words. My little cutie teared up and threw herself into my arms. It seemed their trust in me had grown even deeper, and indeed, their affection levels shot up.
It would be a problem if their affection got too high, but I was already half-ignoring it. It wasn’t like I could intentionally lower it. Besides, now that we were getting into the serious combat phase, it was impossible to worry about every little thing.
Whatever happens, happens. I’d have to leave it to fate. If I was lucky, I’d get the harem ending every man dreams of. If I was unlucky, it would be a bloody bad ending.
In any case, I had to defeat the Demon King first. I’d worry about what came after when the time came. The sky had grown dark, so we found a suitable spot and set up camp. I approached Ilensia, who was sitting by herself.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
“—??”
Perhaps my words seemed random. She blinked several times in surprise. But a moment later, she agreed as if it was exactly what she’d been hoping for. She seemed pleased that I’d even spoken to her.
I glanced over at Ceria. It looked like I was abandoning my girlfriend in the middle of the night to go for a walk with another girl, but Ceria gave a slight nod as if to say it was fine.
She seemed to be letting it slide, as if selling out her boyfriend for a moment was worth it for the sake of peace. Surely her affection for me hadn’t cooled? No, that was impossible. She must have just been worn out from dealing with the elf girl.
A little later, Ilensia and I were walking alone on a forest path. We soon found a suitable clearing and sat down. It was a perfect spot to see the stars embroidering the night sky.
“What is it?”
“Well…”
Trying to speak the truth, I found myself at a loss for words. One wrong move and I could deeply hurt her feelings. I had to choose each and every word with care. After all, this was a time when she was particularly sensitive.
“I was wondering how you’re getting along with the others…”
“Why do you ask? Isn’t it normal?”
Huh? Is she not aware? From what I saw, she was public enemy number one. As if there was no problem at all, Ilensia added another comment.
“It’s not the first time they’ve been jealous of me, is it?”
“…”
Ah, so it was princess syndrome. The actual princess, Esterize, was perfectly fine, yet this completely different girl was suffering from the affliction. Well, I guess someone like you is qualified…
But you see, unlike normal students, the girls here have nothing to be ashamed of. It’s impossible to determine who’s superior!
“Huh? You really think that? You’re joking, right?”
“In my eyes, you’re all equally pretty and talented…”
“What about figures?”
“That too…”
“—!”
Was what I said that shocking? Her mouth hung open in astonishment for a long while. Well, if I had to be specific, Ilensia was slightly ahead. As an elf, she was a classic bombshell with perfect proportions.
Still, the difference wasn't huge. If you were to score their looks, it was the difference between a 99 and a 100. In other words, the deciding factors were one’s usual conduct and character. In that sense, the elf girl was…
“Are you saying my charm has faded?”
“I didn’t say that…”
“But that’s what you mean, isn’t it?”
“…”
“So that means… it wasn’t jealousy, they just disliked me?”
Ah, she’s finally getting it. I’m glad she realized, even if it’s a bit late. She still didn’t seem convinced, but for now, it was enough that she recognized she’d been completely misreading the situation.
“Are you… do you hate me, too?”
The girl’s eyes grew moist. Her pleading expression desperately begged me to deny it. Her appearance was momentarily breathtaking, but I forced myself to stay composed and spoke honestly.
“If I disliked you, why would I be traveling with you?”
“…Right?”
She let out a deep sigh of relief, as if truly thankful. Her expression suggested that as long as I was fine with her, her relationships with the others didn’t matter. Now that we’d come this far, it was probably safe to tell her the whole truth.
“You know, you’ve been bragging a lot lately.”
“I was just stating facts.”
“…Anyway, the others are having a hard time.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Yeah. Aruru even mentioned a way to take your spirit away.”
“—!”
“I stopped her, so you can relax.”
Even my reassurance didn’t seem to calm her down. I suppose her spirit was the only thing she could really boast about. Even her archery required the spirit’s assistance to be used effectively.
“I… I just wanted to be acknowledged.”
She cautiously revealed her inner thoughts. It was just as I had expected. She wanted to proclaim the superiority of elves, or perhaps the slights she’d unknowingly suffered had piled up and manifested in this way.
It was time to boost her self-esteem. It felt a bit like I was gaslighting her by playing with her emotions, but that was surely just my imagination. I was only slowly brainwashing—no, *soothing* her with the best of intentions.
“Was I… was I in the wrong? My arrows interfered with the others while they were fighting, and now that I think about it, targeting one of the Four Heavenly Kings after you all had worn him down… it feels a bit like I showed up late and stole the credit…”
So you finally figured that out? I was genuinely impressed. For her to have come to that conclusion was a huge leap forward for a ditz like her. She wasn’t wrong, but there were a few things that needed correcting.
“First of all, you’re not at fault at all. We just haven’t had a chance to sync up, so there were some minor issues. You know how they are. They lose their minds when a strong opponent is in front of them.”
“I knew it. I tried to calculate my shots, but they kept moving in ways I couldn’t understand.”
The moment I took her side, her spirits lifted. This is why blaming others is so great. Since they weren’t here, there was no burden. Besides, they really were the problem.
“The final moment was the same. If it weren’t for you, we would have let one of the Four Heavenly Kings get away. You did very well.”
Her actions felt a bit opportunistic, but that didn’t diminish her achievement.
She deserved nothing but praise, but at the time, I was so dumbfounded that I just let it slide. I decided to be honest about my feelings.
“I’m sorry. I should have acknowledged you sooner. That was thoughtless of me.”
“I-It’s fine! I wasn’t really looking for that…”
At my apology, she reflexively shook her head, as if she felt even more sorry. A moment later, Ilensia changed her tune with a look of resolve.
“Actually… you’re right.”
“Huh?”
“I wanted to be acknowledged by you, more than anyone else.”
“…”
“I wanted you to pay more attention to me.”
The girl’s gaze locked onto mine. Her raw honesty left my mind blank. It felt as if a sharp arrow had pierced my heart.
Wait? This isn’t right. How did the mood turn so strange in an instant? Her words, that she wanted to be a special woman to me… were basically a confession.
I was overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere. She might do something rash. A cold sweat broke out on my brow without me realizing it. Please, just don’t pounce on me!
I had no confidence I could put up a strong resistance; I’d probably just be conquered. Having just shown her my gentle side, it would be difficult to push her away coldly.
Ominous thoughts swirled in my head. If we crossed the line, even by a little, Ceria and the other girls would fly into a rage, and the Hero’s party would simply disintegrate…
“Looking at you now, I feel like you’d accept me even if I were a little bold.”
“—!”
“But I’ll hold back.”
“…”
She swerved at the last second. I was kind of looking forward to it… no, that’s not it! Anyway, I had narrowly averted a crisis. I wasn’t sure what had brought about this change of heart, but I could finally breathe again.
“My desire to have you is still there. To be precise, it’s growing stronger. But that’s just my own selfish desire. Unlike before, I know now that I can’t act recklessly.”
We had just dealt with one of the Demon King’s Four Heavenly Kings. That was only the beginning; from now on, we had to carry out the Hero’s party’s mission. Therefore, she added, she would refrain from any actions that could cause discord.
To think she would prioritize the greater good over her own feelings. Hmm, when did she become so mature? I stared at Ilensia with astonished eyes.
By elven standards, she was still young. She was close to 100, but in human terms, she was like a high school girl. It wasn’t that her mental age was low, but she was bound to be a bit immature.
In other words, acting like a ditz was natural for her, not something to be heavily criticized. But at this moment, the girl had become an adult. She had cast aside her old image and evolved into a mature figure.
Bathed in the moonlight, her face was so radiant it made my heart skip a beat. Was she always this captivating? I was reminded anew that she was a main heroine. Ilensia stared at my dumbfounded face and whispered softly.
“This is my wish right now. After all is said and done, a return to our daily lives… enjoying a ball together like last time, you get the gist, right?”
Her wish held a hidden meaning. It conveyed her hope that no one would get hurt, that we would defeat the Demon King and live in peace.
It was also no different from a declaration that she would refrain from any impulsive actions until then. At this point, I was utterly dumbfounded.
Just moments ago, I was treating her like a nuisance, and now she was being so admirable that I didn’t know how to react. They say a woman’s transformation is her prerogative, but this change was too drastic.
“When that time comes, I hope you’ll dance with me.”
At the last ball, she had been the prince’s partner, so she hadn’t had a chance to dance with me. It seemed she had regretted that. In any case, that was a request that wasn’t difficult to grant.
“I promise.”
She smiled softly at my firm reply. It was a smile that said she knew I would, and at the same time, one of relief.
Normally, she would have been jumping up and down with excitement, but she was definitely different now. She had her own charm when she was acting like a ditz, but it couldn’t compare to how she was now.
“I have one last request… would that be okay?”
I quickly nodded. A very tricky situation had been resolved with ease. The outcome was better than I could have hoped for, so it was only fair to reward her for her admirable change.
“Aruru, that fox is always clinging to you and hugging you.”
“…And?”
“I’d like to try it for a moment, too. I’m curious what it feels like.”
“…”
It was a very bold statement, but I felt surprisingly calm. Well, I had expected something like this. It always ended this way. Soon, I was in something, something, something… an extremely awkward situation.