The Purity Hero's Legacy
"Hmm, what a relief!" Skadi's explanation—written as a sinister, scheming, and thoroughly perverted account but read as a clarification—began surprisingly with the Hero from five hundred years ago. "Yes! It's all because of the previous Hero... the Purity Hero!"
Elves, including dark elves who typically lived around two thousand years, had originally been a race with remarkably free-spirited views in many senses. They didn't look down on other races, were tolerant of love between different races, and respected other races' preferences as well.
"Then one day! Five hundred years ago, the Hero who would later earn the title of Purity saw the elves and shouted, 'This isn't what elves are supposed to be!'"
...What exactly makes an elf an elf, you crazy Hero? Even from the previous explanation, weren't they already plenty elven...?
"Elves must protect nature, remain noble at all times, and love only one person throughout their two-thousand-year lifespan, and so on..." It sounded extremely biased and distorted, and carried a very familiar stench.
"Skadi. Did that Purity Hero happen to like unicorns?"
"Huh? How did you know? The Purity Hero went around declaring that unicorns were the most sacred holy beasts. Even though they're demonic beasts, not holy ones."
...More like the Virgin Obsessed Hero than the Purity Hero.
"Anyway, the Hero's words were absolute, like the words of a god, so from that day on, the elves' way of life changed. Especially when it came to marriage and romance."
Just one thing had changed, but the ripple effect was enormous. Elves already had difficulty producing offspring, and now they had to love and marry only one person over two thousand years. Naturally, their population declined. What could I say... Humans—no, Earthlings—I'm sorry... Elves.
But then. "So that's why Noah got ki— I mean, what do you call this kind of situation?"
"A grooming case."
"..."
I tried to soften it with a euphemism but failed.
"Anyway, if it changed because of the Hero, then what happened to Noah still doesn't make sense, does it?"
"Ah, that's because it got distorted over time."
"Distorted?"
"Even for elves who live over two thousand years, five hundred years is quite a long time, and younger elves like me are quite progressive."
So four hundred years old counts as young, Skadi. And stop enjoying it while calling it humiliation play. Get angry if it upset you! Don't just keep it bottled up inside. Are you hoping I'll tease you more with it? ...It does sound plausible. Given how you've acted so far, it fits.
"Around the time I was born, the dark elves said they couldn't take it anymore and quit everything to return to how things used to be. It had been several decades since the Purity Hero died, so they basically said 'screw it!' and did it."
I sincerely hoped Skadi's usual behavior and speech weren't the original form of elvenkind.
"The regular elves were stubborn and said they'd stick to it until the end. And as a result... the new generation of elves became a little—no, a lot more depraved."
"Depraved?"
"Yes. Since they're a race that doesn't age until they die, declaring they'll stay single for two thousand years until a hundred years before death is considered cute. From there it escalated to 'I'll raise and create the partner I want myself' because I can't love anyone else, so my lover or spouse who isn't me..."
"S-Stop! That's enough!"
I didn't want to hear the rest! Weak-hearted people get traumatized just from imagining it!
"Yes? Why?"
"Just in case, let me ask—when you stopped explaining just now, you weren't talking about polygamy or polyandry, were you?"
"If it were something that normal, I wouldn't have called it depraved, would I?"
Good thing I stopped listening. Yeah.
"So what Noah went through was that 'raise and create them myself' thing?"
"Exactly. Now that we've cleared up the misunderstanding, could you let me out of here?"
"No."
Skadi was currently trapped behind a holy power barrier I'd created so she couldn't approach me.
"Ah...! This is... wait. Isn't this a kind of restraint play...? Actually, that might be good...!"
"..."
It might be better to never let her out. Should I make a barrier with divine law? What on earth is inside Skadi's head? Even the contract terms had been strange. She said if she helped me, I could do whatever I wanted with her. And the standard for "whatever I wanted" was apparently entirely up to my own judgment. Honestly, since she was originally an assassin sent to kill me after receiving a request, maybe she just needed a reason to stay with me and the contract itself didn't matter at all. Besides, no matter what I say, she interprets it however she likes and ends up satisfied like this, so what is there even left for me to "do whatever I want"? It's convenient for me, but that sense of dread and creepiness... what should I do about that? Maybe... just ignore it...? She looks like that, but she's kind on the inside. A kind dark elf. She didn't even become an assassin because she wanted to.
I glanced at Skadi once, then asked Noah, "What did you mean by 'making a manly body'?"
"Yes! With this, I can make my body more masculine!"
"Oho?"
So if I mix this with the thing called Manpowerz, that girlish body would turn into a muscular one?
"I've been researching this for years! There are plenty of artifacts and medicines that change body shape, but they all have side effects or aren't permanent! But if I combine these ingredients, I can permanently get a manly body!"
"I'll say it again—this has no such effect."
Skadi cut in once more. At her words, Noah flared up. The way he hopped around in anger was actually pretty cute. But he's a guy.
"You've been doing this since earlier too—what on earth is your basis for saying that?!"
"Looking at the ingredients besides Manpowerz, most of them help with physical enhancement and growth... If you add Manpowerz to that, you won't get the result you want."
"What's your basis?"
"Then why does Noah think this will make him manly?"
"I found it in part of a dark elf secret manual. It was listed as an ingredient for a physical enhancement elixir."
At Noah's answer, Skadi's expression twisted instantly.
"Those damn elves fabricated this...!"
"Skadi? Why are you suddenly like this?"
"There's only one secret manual among the elves that records Manpowerz. And it's not a dark elf manual—it's a regular elf one. Furthermore, there's only one elixir in that manual that lists Manpowerz together with these ingredients."
"Huh? Then could you tell me the specific effects? I only found the part where this elixir was written. It just said increased muscle mass, increased strength, and improved stamina."
Noah instantly changed his attitude and clung to Skadi with questions. He seemed to be drawing up a blueprint of his more masculine self.
"Uh... well... it does make you more manly... but in a different sense."
"...What?"
"That secret manual you found. The elves who raised you probably deliberately passed it to you in secret."
"Whaaaaat?!"
"That elixir... it only makes a specific part... um... more manly and gives it manly strength."
"N-Nooooooo!!"
Noah wailed as hope turned to despair. What was this... He researched desperately to change his girlish appearance, only to find that the answer he'd worked so hard to obtain was actually one step closer to the preferences of the elves who had raised him. But wait, if you're a guy, wouldn't you still want to try it...? If I had reincarnated as a guy, I probably would've been tempted. It's a medicine that makes that bigger, after all! Is there no opposite medicine? Like one that makes breasts bigger. It's unfair enough that I reincarnated as a girl, but being flat-chested on top of that is even more unfair. It seemed like something I might need in case of an emergency (?). I secretly touched my own chest while the two of them weren't looking—checking my own development was important. Hmm. What a relief! It doesn't look like I'll stay flat forever!
* * *
Trever Adventurer Party Leader's Office. A middle-aged man and a girl who showed glimpses of maturity sat facing each other across a desk. The middle-aged man—Trevor, leader of the Trever Adventurer Party—looked at the girl with a troubled expression. It wasn't so much dismay as the kind of trouble that came from things not going according to plan.
"Mint. Can't you reconsider? Someone with your talent is absolutely necessary for our party."
The girl called Mint stood up from her chair without a second thought, as if there was no need to hear more, and slung the greatsword she'd leaned against the desk onto her back. Then she tightened the leather straps securing the armor that covered her chest once more, even though they weren't loose or worn. It looked like a habit. Having finished all preparations to leave the office, Mint firmly and coldly shook her head at Trevor, her teal hair fluttering as she answered.
"No. I have no intention of belonging to any organization. I'm only here temporarily. Once I reach my target amount, I'll leave without any regrets. I've almost achieved that goal too. And..."
Mint's gaze moved to the leader's hand. In that hand was a cigarette giving off smoke. "I don't like people who smoke. If you'll excuse me."
After giving a light bow, Mint left the leader's office swiftly and without hesitation. Watching her go, the party leader Trevor muttered in a voice full of regret.
"I thought she'd make a good offering since she's called the Holy Adventurer... This won't be easy. But I can't just throw away such a good offering like this... I'll have to think of another way."
Then he let out a sinister laugh.
"Heh heh... I've already found the exact location. Once the excavation progresses to a certain point... it won't matter what methods I use."