Mother of the Earth - 3
"It's been a while! Have you been well all this time?"
"Me? Always healthy. How about you these days?"
"Thanks to you, our village is always thriving!"
"That's good to hear."
The elf who had remained behind after Marianne left.
I didn't know who she was, but she seemed to remember us.
Watching her bow at a perfect ninety degrees, I felt like I'd become some kind of organization boss.
Which meant I also had to be mindful of the surrounding gazes.
"Could we go somewhere quiet first and talk?"
"Certainly. There's a nice establishment nearby, as it happens. Let's head there."
"You're not talking about the place you just came out of, are you?"
"Haha! After causing the owner such trouble, how could I be so shameless? I'll pay him for the repairs and come right out, so please wait a moment."
She went into the tavern and somehow came out with a handprint on her cheek.
Yet she didn't seem to mind, gesturing for us to follow as she casually left the scene.
As I slowly followed behind her and peeked inside the tavern, the madam was in tears.
"You bitch, I was serious...!"
I should stop looking.
"Do you like fruit wine?"
"I'll drink it if it's there, but I don't particularly enjoy it. I'm not a fan of hangovers."
"Then I recommend the low-alcohol apple wine. This is the place."
The spot the elf brought us to was a cramped restaurant.
When we opened the door, there were virtually no customers.
"The owner's cooking is atrocious, but the drinks and atmosphere are good, so regular drinkers frequent it. Since it's daytime now and there are no customers, we can talk freely."
"Not bad."
Though Rene's expression turned gloomy at the mention of the cooking being bad.
Aside from that, it was perfect for conversation, so we sat in a corner seat.
"First, allow me to apologize on behalf of our Saintess for her sudden actions. She meant no ill will."
"No need to apologize. I already know."
"After parting with Lord Bern, the Saintess's resolve grew firmer, and she began activities not limited to the temple but in various places. However, that led to a serious problem..."
"What kind of problem?"
"As you know, the Saintess had barely ever seen humans other than Lord Bern."
It was a story similar yet different from a certain dragonkin I knew.
She had always lived in the nest, but flew through the skies seeing other races in the flesh, and learned about the world from her mother.
In contrast, she had almost always stayed in the Earth Mother Goddess's temple, with no interaction with other races at all.
That was why I was quite surprised when I spotted her in this village.
"That's why she regarded most humans as people like Lord Bern."
"Don't tell me..."
"Yes, she was scammed by a human. The silver lining is that I managed to rescue her just before she lost her virginity. The incident ended with only the gold coins given as travel expenses being lost."
"Oh dear."
Calling someone pure can also mean they're ignorant.
Helping the elf had been calculated self-interest rather than altruism, but Marianne must have seen it differently.
She probably mistook me for a righteous person.
Even I'm a calculating human—what about the others?
There are plenty of people who would jump at easy prey right in front of them, thinking "jackpot."
"What happened after that?"
"As you can see, since she lost the money through her own mistake, the Saintess said she would take responsibility and is now running around the arena herself to earn money."
"So that's the reason."
I completely understood why Marianne had become a gladiator.
In this city, the place where the most money flows is none other than the arena.
The fighters in the arena risk their lives, but they earn a lot of money accordingly.
Moreover, Marianne has the uniqueness of being a delicate elf, making her easy to notice.
With the Earth Mother Goddess's blessing making her strong enough that few can match her, becoming a popular star of the arena was only a matter of time.
"By the way, did Marianne develop a distrust of humans after that incident?"
"Not distrust exactly, but she has developed a minimum level of wariness toward humans. So she often shows a side that absolutely never forgives those who commit wrongs."
"Ah, so that's why she acted that way earlier."
The Marianne I knew would have shown mercy with a warm heart even if someone had sinned.
But the changed Marianne demonstrated iron-fisted justice that atoned for sins with her fists.
The society of eat-or-be-eaten had shaped the current her.
"Hmm, then was there a separate reason she ran away upon seeing me? Looking at her changed personality, she'd more likely greet me boldly."
"That's... no, I will remain silent about that reason."
The escort elf closed her mouth even as she was about to explain the reason.
Unlike the other stories, this wasn't something she could easily tell.
If I wanted to know, I'd have to find out on my own.
"Fine. That's enough about Marianne. Next, there's something I want to ask you."
"If it's something I can answer, I'll tell you anything."
"Do you happen to know an elf by the name of Morkus?"
"Morkus? Morkus... Ah! Do you mean Granny Morkus?"
"Probably. I know she's quite advanced in years."
Master Chester had said she was a comrade he lived with during his active days.
If she was the same age as him, she'd be called Granny among the elves.
"What business do you have with Granny Morkus...?"
"There's something I absolutely must ask her. So if possible, could you arrange a meeting?"
"Could it be that Lord Bern has... those kinds of tastes..."
"You're crossing the line."
"I apologize, I misspoke."
Even if my future becomes the abyss, I can't accept that.
Of course, purely by age, Frach might be older than Granny Morkus.
But the difference in appearance can never be ignored.
"Anyway, she's still in the Elf Forest, right?"
"Yes. Currently, she's spending peaceful days gathering mushrooms that grow in the forest."
"That's enough."
If she were wandering somewhere in the world or had passed away, it would have been troublesome.
The fact that she was fully alive and staying in a specific place was the best news possible.
"Do you intend to obtain that unknown power?"
If it means I can thoroughly bury Ignite.
Hearing about the stone tablet written in the ancient ruins, I would contact the unknown existence that Leviathan worships.
The moment I borrow power from that existence and complete the magic sword.
Only then does the lizard hunt begin.
"Is there anything else you'd like to ask?"
"Then finally, can you tell me where Marianne is staying?"
"You're asking for the Saintess's residence?"
"Yeah. I was thinking of meeting after tomorrow's match ends, but I want to visit once before that. It would be a big problem if she can't focus on the match because of any lingering resentment toward me."
"...Understood. Normally I couldn't tell anyone, but as the Saintess's benefactor, I'll trust and entrust this to you."
The elf took out a key from a small leaf attached to her pectoral muscles and handed it over.
The key she gave me smelled of fresh grass.
And the tip of the key was moistly wet like dew on a blade of grass.
Knock knock!
Arriving alone at Marianne's temporary residence, I knocked on the door.
But not a single sound came from inside.
"Strange. I heard she was inside?"
"I told thee it was meditation time. Hast thou already forgotten?"
"She could take a break and come out, right?"
"An elf's meditation is a time of communion with nature. Should they fail to cast off their worldly afflictions, the vines they wear shall tighten about their necks."
Is that for real...
I never imagined the elves' clothes had such a secret hidden.
So that's why the escort gave me a spare key.
I could wait until meditation time ended, but since I had the key, I decided to wait inside.
Click-!
Inserting the key into the hole and turning it, I heard the lock disengage.
With the relief that I hadn't come to the wrong room, I grabbed the doorknob and turned it.
The moment the door opened, what I saw was a room full of grass and small animals playing there.
Butterflies clung to flowers, and squirrels gnawed on acorns.
"Wh-what is this?"
"As one called the Saintess of the Earth Mother, her communion with nature appears to have reached the utmost extreme."
I had the illusion of having entered the middle of a forest rather than an inn.
How on earth could an inn room turn into a forest?
My surprise lasted only a moment; from deeper inside the room, Marianne's faint voice could be heard.
She seemed to be in the middle of meditation.
"Ahh...!"
A voice filled with ecstasy.
Communing with nature seemed to be an endlessly pleasant thing for Marianne.
The image of Marianne sitting in a clear forest, happily smiling with small animals, naturally formed in my mind.
The most impressive appearance for an elf who loves nature and is loved by nature.
Wanting to see it for myself, I passed through the undergrowth and pushed aside the dense branches as I stepped into the room.
And there...
"Ahh, Bern! Harder...! Harder...♡"
Marianne, her entire body tightly bound by vines, hanging from a tree.
In what was known as a turtle-shell bondage, every part except her mouth was bound.
On a branch above, a flying squirrel was swinging thorny vines like a whip, striking Marianne.
Every time she was hit by the vines, Marianne twitched and seemed to enjoy it, so Frach and I, witnessing that scene, were left speechless.
This is communing with nature?