Ch.176176. Face to Face (3)

“Welcome to the Great Forest… and to our House of Arielt.”

The head of House Arielt rose leisurely with her greeting. She slowly began pouring tea into two cups that had been prepared in advance on the table. As expected of elven tea. It must be something special, as its fresh fragrance wafted clearly even to where I was sitting at a distance.

And while she poured the tea, the cotton ball that had been quietly lying on my head or shoulder until now softly let out a sound.

—Myah…

The cotton ball’s attention was focused on the head of House Arielt. Since it’s a spirit, it occasionally shows interest in Friel who has a strong spirit energy despite not being its contractor. Seeing how it’s quietly staring with gleaming eyes now, the energy the head possesses must be quite extraordinary.

After pouring tea into the cups, the head slowly took in my and Sione’s faces as she spoke.

“Please sit here. I do hope the tea I’ve prepared suits your taste.”

“Then excuse us.”

Sione and I each sat down in front of the places where tea and refreshments had been prepared. The head glanced at us from the corner of her eye before returning to her own seat.

“Why don’t you try the tea? It’s made from tea leaves grown in a land abundant with wind spirits. I hope it suits your taste.”

Basically, the person who answered the head’s words was not me but Sione, the noble daughter of the County. As expected, I was just listening to their conversation.

“Tea leaves grown in a land abundant with wind spirits… it must be a precious tea that can only be found in the Great Forest.”

“Yes. It’s a tea renowned for its effects of clearing the mind and relieving tension. I can prepare some separately for you if you wish.”

“I appreciate your consideration, Head.”

Sione carefully picked up her teacup and took a sip. The taste must have been quite good, as her slightly closed eyes brightened and widened a bit.

…Is it delicious?

The aroma seems somewhat minty…

I also took a sip of the tea.

The taste…

Despite its aroma, there was no spicy or pungent taste at all. Should I describe it as a sweetness that flows coolly down the throat with a clear feeling? I’m not sure about relieving tension, but the claim about clearing the mind seems somewhat accurate.

After Sione and I each took a sip of tea and showed quite favorable reactions, the head placed a small satisfaction on top of her languid expression.

“You seem to like the tea. I’m glad.”

However, that satisfied feeling was only momentary.

A heavy presence began to emanate from the head, gradually dominating the space. An elf who must have lived for hundreds of years. The presence stemming from the time they’ve lived and their experiences was by no means light.

Unlike her beautiful appearance, her energy was like a snake slowly coiling and tightening from the ankles upward.

‘…This reminds me of the old days.’

A pointy-eared bastard who once fought me to the death tried to strangle me with exactly this feeling. The way it subtly provokes one’s mind is identical.

However, I skillfully suppressed and extinguished my emotions, adjusting myself so that the perceptive old monster wouldn’t notice. If I showed any displeased expression and got on the head’s bad side, it could make things troublesome not just for me but for Sione as well.

I quietly listened to the head’s words.

“Then, though it’s late, let me introduce myself. I am Fleta Arielt, one of the elders of the Great Forest and the head of House Arielt.”

Fleta Arielt.

The name of the elf who was not only the head of the house but also an elder of the Great Forest was Fleta Arielt.

“I can only express my joy that Lady Sione Sianella, the second daughter of the County of Sianella, and the knight of the County have come all this way.”

Fleta picked up her teacup and enjoyed its aroma.

“As an elder, I deeply appreciate that you, the heroes of the prophecy, have come this long way in accordance with the will of the World Tree and the Grand Elder… and it is said that the founding knight of the County was closer to our house than any other house in the Great Forest. As the head, I find great pleasure in welcoming the descendant of such a reliable house.”

After finishing her words, Fleta drank her tea.

During that time, we said nothing and waited for her next words.

“……”

Sione seemed to be itching to express how honored she was to meet her, but the low, solemn atmosphere and the tension that didn’t easily dissipate even after drinking the tea seemed to make it difficult for her to speak.

And I had nothing particular to say in response to Fleta’s words. So inevitably, silence continued.

—Myung.

The cotton ball on my shoulder fluttered its small wings and climbed onto the table. Moving slowly, it walked across the table with its short legs.

The small low-rank spirit stopped and looked up. The cotton ball sat directly in front of Fleta and stared at her with wide eyes.

Fleta’s gaze focused on me due to the cotton ball’s intrusion.

“…I’ve been sensing a strong spirit fragrance since you entered the room. I suppose this is a spirit contracted with you.”

Deep, gloomy blue-green eyes clearly took me in. The subtle gaze seemed to express her curiosity about me.

“It appears to be low-rank… but the energy it carries is unusual. Hmm…”

It seems that because I had handled the spirit stone in the room,

both the energy sensed from me and the even more dense and rich energy from the cotton ball, which had hugged the spirit stone tightly, were unusual for a low-rank spirit.

Fleta extended her hand to the cotton ball.

—Myaang.

The cotton ball brought its nose to Fleta’s hand. After sniffing her scent, it tilted its head, then returned to me.

After climbing back onto my shoulder and smelling my scent, it nodded to itself as if understanding something, then lay down quietly again.

Sione, Fleta, and I couldn’t help but be distracted by the cotton ball.

“…Most low-rank spirits still have incomplete personalities. But your spirit seems to have a sense of self as firm as a mid-rank spirit. How curious. Is it because of your excellence as a contractor?”

Fleta’s eyes narrowed behind her round glasses.

In response to her tone and atmosphere that seemed to demand an answer, I opened my mouth.

“My spirit has been like this since I first met it. It’s probably more accurate to say that my spirit is exceptional rather than my abilities.”

“Hmm…”

At those words, the cotton ball began to show off with unnecessary movements.

—Myung!

As if wanting to appear more dignified, the cotton ball fluffed up its fur and made itself bigger. But it couldn’t escape its small Pomeranian-like appearance, only looking more trivial.

Fleta merely pushed up her glasses and watched the small spirit’s showing off.

“…An unusual spirit.”

The cotton ball was unusual even to an elf who had lived for hundreds of years.

* * *

After the previously quiet cotton ball went forward and caught Fleta Arielt’s attention by lingering around,

Our conversation continued relatively smoothly. We could briefly hear about how we would be staying and living at House Arielt for a while, that she would like to borrow our strength in case of emergency, and about Eunice Kallia who was stationed here, along with the Second Army of the Marquisate.

However, if there was a problem,

‘…It’s a bit burdensome.’

Even as the conversation progressed steadily, Fleta’s interest was not equally divided between Sione and me, but rather biased toward me.

—Myaaah…

The cotton ball, now bored and tired of everything, was quietly stretching. The cotton ball’s freedom and the lingering energy from the spirit stone I had briefly taken out in our quarters were enough to attract the pointy-eared one’s attention.

Especially, from what I heard,

Even among elves, male elves are inherently limited in the amount of mana they can possess, making it difficult for them to contract with spirits. The fact that I, a human male, had contracted with a spirit must have made it even more interesting.

After some time had passed like this,

“Well then—”

Drrrk.

The sound of a chair being pushed back.

Fleta Arielt, who had risen from her seat, picked up her coat hanging on the chair without hesitation and said,

“Now that we’ve finished discussing matters on our side to some extent, let’s go complete today’s most important schedule.”

“…By the most important schedule, you mean meeting the Grand Elder of the Great Forest, correct?”

Fleta gently nodded at Sione’s words.

“The Grand Elder has been looking forward to meeting you every day since receiving the prophecy. However, according to the rules, an outsider needs to be accompanied by an elder to go to where the Grand Elder resides…”

Fleta, wearing a thin coat engraved with an image modeled after the World Tree, said to Sione and me who had also risen from our seats,

“I will personally guide you to the Grand Elder.”

Fleta began to move around the room with unhurried movements.

She put on a ceremonial sword at her waist—identical in design to the one Friel used but with lower durability—and thin leather gloves, and then—

‘…That bow.’

She picked up a bow that carried an even deeper and more elegant energy than the one I received at the royal palace, and said in a languid voice,

“You can look forward to it. There’s much to see on the way to meet the Grand Elder.”

Fleta, now fully equipped, wore an extremely listless expression, but she could not be ignored.

She showed no small openings from the moment she grabbed the bow, unlike when she took the ceremonial sword.

She was the head of one of the three greatest houses in the Great Forest, and an elder who, along with the High Elves, protected and led the Great Forest in name and reality.