Chapter 38: The Circumstances of the Elf’s Wife (2)

[“A nun’s outfit? What kind of nonsense is that?”]

It’s not working.

Alright, should I just get to the point here?

This woman seems strict, and nothing seems to be working, so I think it’s better to push through with the novel-related stuff.

“It was a joke, I’m actually here about a novel.”

[“Are you from a publishing company?”]

“Oh, no, I’m a returnee, and I’ve read your novel. I think I could offer some advice regarding the hero party.”

[“Is that so? Just a moment.”]

The door opened, and a middle-aged woman came out.

Easy.

Now I just need to go in and break her spirit.

Actually, since I used to be a saintess in a hero’s party, I’ll bring up her elf husband as a topic.

But unexpectedly, the woman welcomed me warmly.

She even brewed tea for me.

Could she really be trash?

I shouldn’t let my guard down just yet.

There might still be a moment where I need to break her spirit.

The time to say “I’m leaving” may come.

“I was the saintess in a hero’s party in a fantasy world.”

Her eyes sparkled at my words.

“There are really cases like that?”

“You believe me so easily?”

She believes this?

“Well, your appearance and all. Plus, since my husband is an elf, I came to know about it.”

Oh, I wasn’t sure how to bring it up, but she did it first. Nice.

I decided to keep asking her more, pretending to be curious.

“Really? Then he is a returnee?”

“Yes. But she is a bit stupid.”

A naïve elf?

Well, she did seem pretty innocent.

Even in the community, she didn’t seem to cause much trouble.

“Elves tend to have a sense of superiority and are usually very proud, often excluding other races. Was your husband different?”

“Well, I had to accept her as my husband after the government confirmed her status. But thanks to her, my family’s wealth has gone down the drain.”

The family’s wealth?

Why?

Wasn’t it mentioned that she was the one gambling?

“Doesn’t she have a pension?”

“That fool of a husband, before her memories as an elf came back, got scammed by a corrupt broker who promised to make her an ID, and now we’re in debt. Her pension is going toward that. Also, we had already spent some money trying to recover from the damage we suffered during the cataclysm.”

Ah, so that was before the elf returned.

“Didn’t the government provide compensation?”

“With the whole country in chaos after the cataclysm, there’s no way the compensation system is running properly.”

True, with the country’s limited resources being ravaged by the cataclysm, it would cost an enormous amount just to rebuild, let alone compensate the people.

“So, does the elf know about this?”

“She’s grown softer since becoming an elf and having kids, so I didn’t tell her. I’m worried she’d feel guilty and try to commit suicide.”

It seems like the wife has been handling things pretty well.

“The elves I know are extremely proud. Your husband sounds different. Has she ever gambled?”

“Not my husband, but I have. We were so low on money.”

“So, did the debt increase?”

Does each have their faults?

“No, I actually won some money. The problem is it was illegal, and I got tangled up with the Heavenly King Guild.”

The Heavenly King Guild?

Oh, that Japanese guild with the eunuch.

“So, your husband has to work too, right?”

“Well, she’s too innocent, and with the crimes against returnees being frequent, I imposed a curfew on her. She’s an elf, so a lot of people show interest. Apparently, she lived a wealthy life in the other world. I couldn’t let her just sit around, so I made her work mornings at the convenience store nearby. Sigh.”

It kind of makes sense.

A pure-hearted elf must be pretty cute.

Given that Korea’s public order isn’t what it used to be after the cataclysm, it’s understandable to worry about hunters with bad intentions.

I wonder if he’s even capable of doing the convenience store job properly.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

“The elves I know, as I mentioned, are extremely proud. Is your marriage going well?”

“Well, I’m being a bit harsh. I’m angry because of the debt. And also…”

Is there another reason?

“And also?”

“She loved another elf man in that other world and even had two kids with him. It’s hard to forgive.”

Is it like being cheated on?

“Well, usually it’s a concept of reincarnation in another world and returning to Earth.”

“I know. She said the memories only came back after returning to Earth. It’s tragic, and I do feel sorry for her. My husband was a mother of two kids in that world. It’s sad to think she’s separated from them. But human emotions don’t work that way, do they?”

“Exactly.”

She knows the situation, but it’s hard to accept it rationally.

“Every time I look at him, I can’t help but think she rolled around with another man in that body and had children. It makes me angry, and it’s hard to control.”

“I understand that feeling.”

Though, honestly, I don’t really understand.

Anyway, this couple has their issues.

From her perspective, it’s only natural she’s upset.

Nothing is going right, and she’s burdened with debt.

Maybe keeping the broker’s scam a secret from her husband is the best she can do.

Still, I wonder if it would be a good idea to make her do all the housework.

Anyway, now that I roughly understand the situation, it would be better to discuss this with other returnees.

“Alright, I’ll be leaving for today then.”

“Ah, okay. Take care.”

I left the elf’s house.

She was quite friendly, and it didn’t seem too bad.

If I help clear up the elf’s misunderstanding and improve their relationship…

But wait, what do I get out of this?

Come to think of it, there’s absolutely nothing in it for me.

Was I always the kind of person who did things without any gain?

No way.

-But hey, aren’t you supposed to be a saint?

“I’m fallen, remember?”

-Oh, right.

If I’ve fallen, I should live selfishly.

Exactly.

There’s only one thing for me to do.

It doesn’t have anything to do with me, but since the elf’s wife brought it up…

I’ll attack the Heavenly Kings Guild.

Didn’t that guy from the guild say, “Just wait and see”?

Yeah, I’ve got plenty of reason to beat them down.

*

After seeing off Karina, the elf’s wife, now feeling a sense of calm, let out a sigh of relief.

“Whew, talking things out made me feel a bit lighter.”

After all, people need to vent their feelings somewhere.

There’s no reason to suffer alone for no reason—that’s the lesson here.

Feeling peaceful for the first time in a while, the elf’s wife sat in front of her laptop.

With some of the things that saintess woman mentioned…

Wait, what did she even say?

Now that I think about it, all she did was listen to my venting.

She didn’t even give me advice.

No, it wasn’t even counseling.

I just ranted about my marital problems.

“…So, why did she come here again?”

*

I entered a cafe not too far from the elf’s house.

This is where today’s meeting will take place.

Inside were Battle mage and Cheonma.

And the elf who came along was busy ordering things.

Apparently, they had eaten meat just before.

“Who would’ve thought that elf, with such a small body, could eat so much meat? Ten servings of Korean beef platter!”

I glanced at the elf, who was diligently picking out things from the menu.

Can all of that really fit in that small body?

Come to think of it, she also managed to give birth to kids with that small body.

“Did it cost a lot?”

“She said today would be the only day to eat this much.”

“Wow, that’s impressive.”

In a way, I feel a bit sorry for her.

Especially since she has kids too.

She’ll need to figure out how to earn money.

“Well, it’s not like I spend much anyway, so it’s fine. So, did you two find out anything?”

Yeah, I didn’t expect to find out this much so quickly.

“Ogre, I had him stand watch. Meanwhile, I found out something new.”

“Hey, you told me to stand watch!”

Ogre fumed beside me.

Well, telling him to stand watch is the same as letting him play, really.

Try talking to someone about a novel with that face—think they’d take you seriously?

Since he’s an ogre, they might indulge him, but it’s still bound to be awkward.

“It’s the same thing. Anyway, from what I see, there’s a misunderstanding with the elf.”

“Explain it to me.”

I recalled the conversation with the elf’s wife and told the group.

As I explained, the atmosphere grew more serious.

What had been a lighthearted mood became somber and heavy.

Even Ogre was quiet now.

Then Cheonma spoke up.

“So, to summarize: Before the elf regained her memories, she did something foolish by getting involved with a shady broker, racking up debt, and now her wife is bearing the full burden of paying it off, with even her pension being drained. She hasn’t told her because she’s afraid of how she might react, and she’s imposed a curfew to keep her out of trouble, while making her work at a part-time job to help contribute. Is that right?”

“Yes.”

Cheonma really knows how to summarize.

“And in the midst of all this, they were so strapped for cash that the wife even tried gambling, and now, on top of everything, there’s the emotional stress because the elf has kids from another world.”

“Exactly.”

Honestly, it’s kind of understandable when you put it that way.

From the wife’s perspective, she must feel like she had no other choice.

Her husband became an elf, someone with no real job prospects in modern-day Korea, and now they have massive debt.

To make matters worse, she had kids with another man in another world.

Sure, it was before she regained her memories, but it’s not something emotions can easily forgive.

“Yeah. While I get where the wife is coming from, there are a lot of issues here.”

Battle mage also grasped the gravity of the situation.

“Then, saintess, what do we do now?”

Ogre asked with an oddly serious expression.

“First, I think it’s best if we tell the elf.”

“I agree with Cheonma.”

Of course.

This isn’t something we can solve on our own without telling the elf.

She’s the one who has to deal with this mess, after all.

Even if I were to “break the pot,” it wouldn’t change anything.

While we were sitting in silence, the elf returned with waffles and a variety of coffee.

“Wow, you ate that much meat and still have room for waffles?”

“They say snacks go in a different stomach, Battle mage. But hey, what’s with the mood here?”

The elf smiled.

Apparently, snacks go to a different stomach—looking at her, that seems true.

Well, I guess I’ll just cut to the chase.

“Anyway, elf.”

“Oh, saintess, you’re here too?”

Now’s not the time to be so happy.

I’ve got to help fix your marriage even though I get nothing out of it.

“It seems like you’ve got a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?”

Yeah, quite a big one.

I repeated what I had told the group to the elf.

“Th-that can’t be. So it’s all because of me…sniff.”

The elf started sobbing while eating waffles.

The fact that she’s still eating in the midst of this is impressive.

“Well, if I were in your wife’s shoes, I’d probably feel the same.”

“So, what do we do now?”

What else is there to do?

“There’s only one answer: attack the Heavenly Kings Guild.”

There’s nothing to debate.

We’re going to break the Heavenly Kings’ heads.