Ch.194Chapter 194. Abandoned Children

Existence Imprint.

This ability I gained when crossing into this world has the effect of making anyone who has recognized me even once unable to forget my name and appearance.

Of course, even if it’s imprinted, it’s only a tiny fraction of all the knowledge and memories that person possesses.

Unless accompanied by infamy or fame, having one’s existence imprinted isn’t particularly significant, and if there’s something else to focus on, such memories tend to fade relatively quickly.

In short, unless someone’s head is completely empty like the Undead, it’s unlikely that people I meet will focus solely on my name.

“Uhyo. Uhyo…”

However, this girl, as soon as she recognized me, reached a state where she stared blankly at me like the Undead, repeating my name.

No, not exactly my name, but something like a byproduct derived from it.

“Uhyo?”

“It’s not Uhyo, it’s Hyoseong Woo.”

Whatever the case, I couldn’t just let this continue.

I matched eye level with the girl who was staring blankly up at me, and continued speaking while articulating my mouth clearly.

“Now, repeat after me. Woo.”

“Woo.”

“Hyo.”

“Hyo.”

“Seong.”

“……”

“…Why are you going quiet there again?”

“Uhyo?”

“Argh!!!”

Why? This is an ability that imprints my existence, so why does everyone call my name strangely?

Why do I have to hear this “Uhyo” nonsense even from a child I just met?

“Nyau.”

As I tried to suppress my frustration…

Soon the girl grabbed the hem of my cloak and began to say something to me.

“Nyau. Na. Aua.”

No, rather than language, it was more like a baby’s babbling.

Rather than being unable to speak… right, since we’re different species, perhaps she’s speaking a language unique to her kind.

“…You want me to follow you?”

Even if I couldn’t understand, if her actions accompanied her words, there must be some meaning.

At my tentative question, the girl nodded and began pulling at my clothes.

“Aua.”

And then her footsteps began to move.

Although I felt cautious about being led by a different species I’d just met, I decided to follow the girl without protest.

Given the circumstances, I suspected this girl might be the helper Irie mentioned, or connected to that helper.

“This is…”

After making that decision, we arrived at a massive tree deep in the forest.

Beneath it was a cave formed by exposed roots, and upon recognizing it, the girl let go of my hand and began hopping toward the tree cave.

“Naua. Ah!”

And after entering, the girl raised her voice and shouted.

Certain that the reason she brought me here must be related to whoever she was calling, I immediately followed the girl into the tree cave.

What greeted me was a cave filled with boys and girls who had similar appearances to the girl.

“Auaa. Ah.”

“Uh?”

Yes, inside were young children of the same species as the girl.

Similarly, they had white hair, pale skin, and eyes that were contrastingly dark. Their bodies were barely covered with something like the leaves scattered on the ground.

“Auaaa. Aeua?”

“Nyaua, Euu.”

And what came from their mouths were also words that sounded like babbling.

Just as I was beginning to wonder if this might be their unique language, the girl pointed at me and blurted out a word.

“Uhyo.”

It was my name.

No, not my name but… anyway.

“Auaa?”

“Aua nau. Uhyo.”

A boy tilted his head questioningly.

And in front of that boy, the girl shook her head and pointed at me again.

“Uhyo?”

“Au, Uhyo.”

After that, the children who had been watching the nodding girl began to turn their attention to me and started speaking one by one.

“Uuuu…”

“Uhyo.”

“Uhyo. Uhyo.”

Children who were initially babbling are now calling my name.

Despite the natural wariness they should have toward a stranger, they were not only gathering around me but even filling the space around me.

“Uhyo?”

And one by one, a phrase escaped their lips.

“Uhyo. Uhyo.”

“Uu, Uhyoou.”

“Uhyo! Uhyouhyo!”

Those murmurs soon turned into cheers, and beyond that, into repetitive chanting.

What unfolded was the cave filled with Uhyo and Uhyo, and Uhyouhyouhyo…

“…It’s not Uhyo, it’s Hyoseong.”

The only thing I could understand was that my ability had been applied to these children, but whatever the case, I couldn’t help but feel moisture gathering in my eyes.

Feeling my heart completely crushed, I bit my lip and pleaded with them.

“Please, just once, call my name correctly…”

“Uhyo?”

It didn’t work at all.

****

Well, anyway.

There were some minor troubles, but this could also be considered a fateful encounter.

Given the circumstances, I suspected they might be the helpers Irie mentioned, so I decided to take the children who were following me back to our base.

“Hero, those children are…?”

“I picked them up while scouting.”

“What do you mean ‘picked up’? That’s not something to say so casually…”

-Murmuring.

Starting with Samson’s bewilderment, the sailors’ attention was drawn.

In their eyes, the children I brought seemed to cause wariness, but despite their caution, the children were just looking around and tilting their heads.

“Hueee.”

“Nyaua, u.”

Perhaps they were curious about seeing something for the first time?

Whatever the case, judging by their behavior, there didn’t seem to be any immediate problems.

Just then, I gestured to Garam Lee who was watching the situation, and gave instructions while signaling to those around.

“Garam, could you quiet everyone down for a moment?”

“Yes, I’m sure you know what you’re doing as the leader, but… is this really okay?”

“That’s what I’m about to find out.”

In a world like this, being wary of different species is natural.

Since I also had concerns, I planned to take them to Flandor for consultation.

After all, there probably isn’t anyone in this world more knowledgeable about different species than her.

“These are… newborn elves.”

“Newborn? Not just young?”

“Yes, by elven standards, children less than 50 years old are treated as such. They’re a long-lived species, but their growth is proportionally slow, so until they’re 50, their intellectual abilities remain at an infant level.”

So their bodies grow to childhood, but their mental age remains at baby level?

I thought they just lived long, but being a baby for over half a century… being a long-lived species isn’t always advantageous, it seems.

“Uhyo?”

“U… Uhyo.”

But hearing that their intellectual abilities were at an infant level, I began to understand why these children kept repeating my name like this.

Like the Undead who have nothing in their heads, newborn children are still incapable of learning.

In such a state, a name forcibly imprinted in their minds would feel incredibly intense, leading to this excessive focus on me.

What this means is that even newborn babies would invariably recall “Uhyo” when they see me…

…Wait, isn’t that serious? An ability that makes them recall “Uhyo” before even mom and dad.

“These children were probably abandoned by their tribe, I suspect.”

As these absurd thoughts crossed my mind, Flandor continued with her speculation, resting her chin on her hand.

Feeling curious about this, I asked for a more detailed explanation, and her eyes narrowed as she looked down at the elves.

“Elves are a species that takes immense pride in their longevity. So when crisis strikes, they prioritize protecting the elders who lead the tribe, and if necessary, they even demand sacrifice from tribe members with relatively shorter lifespans.”

“So when danger comes, the youngest elves are sacrificed?”

“Their value system holds that long-lived elves are irreplaceable, but children can be born again.”

In a world like this, it’s conceivable that their home might have been burned down or they might have been separated from their parents.

But even so, to deliberately abandon children who by their standards are mere newborns when situations worsen—is that even justifiable?

“…Nyau?”

Feeling sympathy, I looked down, but the elf girl I first met just tilted her head with a finger in her mouth.

She seemed to lack even the awareness that she had been abandoned, which made it all the more heartbreaking.

Born into this world only to be protected by no one, just a group of children gathered in the forest somehow managing to survive.

“You’re not thinking that if you raise them well from now, they might follow humans, are you?”

As I felt my heart stirring, Flandor’s cold voice continued.

Feeling a chill, I turned my gaze to see that her eyes had grown sharp as she looked down at the elves.

“…Is that not possible?”

“Personally, I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Come to think of it, she had been at war with elves.

I thought it might be okay since they were at a newborn level, but even that seemed unacceptable to her, judging by the edge in her voice.

“Master, no matter how young they are, innate racial characteristics aren’t easily erased. And the elves I know took pride in living for eternity and looked down on species with limited lifespans, calling them ‘short-lived.'”

No matter how they’re raised by human standards from now on, they will eventually become hostile to humans.

That warning, backed by her experience fighting them, was being taken very seriously.

And her next words:

“So even if they’re young now, in about 300 years, they might awaken to their racial superiority and look down on humans.”

“I won’t live that long anyway.”

Even the Empire, which boasts a thousand years of history, could collapse from rebellion at any moment.

How can a human who lives barely 80 years worry about the future three centuries later?

“…Anyway, they won’t cause problems or become hostile right now, right?”

“Yes, due to their characteristically slow growth, elves have rigid behavior and thinking patterns, so you can expect their current attitude to continue for several years.”

Moreover, with a mental age at a newborn level, they wouldn’t even distinguish between friend and foe.

If they’re following me without wariness, the possibility of them being hostile to me is significantly low.

Above all, if these children are the helpers Irie mentioned, they might not just be objects of protection but could also help our future.

“Auaa.”

As I was pondering how to figure this out, I heard babbling sounds and turned to see the children gathered around one of the decorative potted plants in the room.

“Nyaua. U.”

“Nyaaa~”

What are they doing?

Curious, I approached them and noticed the plant in the pot swaying from side to side.

“Auaa, na.”

“U, u!”

And what was causing this movement was none other than the children’s cries.

The reason I was certain of this was simple: every time the children made a sound, a strangely familiar energy could be felt.

Is this… a spirit? Are spirits responding to these children?

“Come to think of it, elves naturally have exceptional abilities in managing plants. Though I was never able to analyze the principle behind it…”

Flandor also seemed to have some idea, but she wasn’t familiar with spirits.

This means that in this ark, I might be the only one who can recognize the potential these children possess.

“Now that I think about it, weren’t elves the ones who managed the World Tree in the ark?”

I’m starting to understand.

What Irie meant by “helpers.”