Ch.7272. Strange Elf (4)

“…I believe all of that is true.”

“Of course it is.”

The truth.

Though it seems a bit exaggerated, I perfectly understand the underlying meaning of the words Friel put in her own mouth.

Thanks to my abilities, I gave up connections with dwarves who, though stubborn and difficult to persuade, were reliable.

Despite going through all sorts of hardships just to get a decent elven bow, they not only refused to hand it over but tried to take advantage of me.

Moreover… I’ve lost many people I cared about, including my lover, due to their arrogance.

Having suffered so much.

I can guarantee there are few humans who understand and can convey elven ideology as deeply as I do.

But still.

My radical statements seemed difficult for Ainel to fully believe.

Ainel couldn’t easily trust my words.

“Do you know what role the House of Arielt plays in the Great Forest?”

I clearly shook my head at Ainel’s question.

How could a servant of a county at the western edge of the kingdom hear news about the Great Forest at the eastern border?

Moreover, elves rarely come out of the forest, so information about them is limited.

I know nothing about the families or politics of the pointy-ears in this world.

“The House of Arielt is one of three families recognized by the High Elves.”

“When you say recognized…”

“The authority to guard and manage the World Tree closer than anyone else, and the right to share the blessing of spirits. It’s a power that guarantees the highest position under the High Elves who reign as kings.”

Not only managing the World Tree.

A family with exceptional spirit affinity from birth, receiving additional blessings from spirits.

I wondered how she could so easily detect the spirit scent I had deliberately hidden, even for an elf.

There was a reason for everything.

With an already sensitive nose enhanced by spirit blessings, it would be stranger if she couldn’t sense it.

Friel Arielt was from an even more prestigious family than I thought.

“The House of Arielt is one of the families that assists the High Elves and manages the World Tree together. They’re a family specifically selected by the High Elves, with the purest hearts, willingly dedicating their lives to the World Tree. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“…Yes, I understand.”

“Then I’ll ask again. Is what the daughter of House Arielt said truly factual?”

Thanks to Friel’s strong backing, Ainel seems to find my words extremely suspicious, but she’ll need to get backstabbed by an elf once to come to her senses.

I nodded to Ainel’s question without being intimidated.

“I don’t know about other members of House Arielt, but at least Friel Arielt, who spoke with me this morning—”

“Unlike the publicly known reputation for integrity… revealed her sticky greed to me without hiding it.”

“And unlike what would match the word loyalty, she said that even if something belonged to Sianella, she could obtain it by any means if she wanted it.”

I paused briefly and exchanged glances with Ainel.

Eye contact meant to penetrate each other’s inner thoughts, not about atmosphere or emotions.

Her gaze regarding my words was quite cold, as she approached this as a knight, no, as the head of the family.

And for that, I was glad.

At least it meant she was properly listening to my words, not dismissing them as nonsense.

“I sincerely hope that rather than holding deep trust in Friel Arielt… you would harbor suspicion and maintain some caution toward her.”

In this situation where we faced each other across the table.

A heavy silence hung between Ainel and me.

With a rustle.

Ainel moved her arm, resting her chin on her hand, sinking into her own thoughts.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

Then with her other hand, she rhythmically tapped the table with her index finger.

Seeing this behavior that Ainel typically showed when deep in thought, I waited for her decision without making even a sound.

After a while, still resting her chin on her hand, she looked up at me and spoke.

“Can you take responsibility for what you’ve said?”

The answer I had been desperately hoping for.

It seems Ainel has finally decided to trust my words rather than those of a pointy-ear she hasn’t properly spoken with.

Well, not only am I competent enough to have turned the daughter she abandoned into a proper person.

I’ve also proven my strength and loyalty by saving her from several crises.

Honestly, if she hadn’t taken my side here, I would have been a bit upset.

‘As for responsibility.’

There shouldn’t be any problem.

Elves are the kind you lose nothing by being suspicious of.

Everything Friel said to me was true.

I should just say I’ll take responsibility in a convincing way.

“I will.”

After saying that, I briefly extended both my hands toward her.

As if asking if I could hold her hand, which was supporting her delicate chin.

“Hmm—”

Although Ainel made an indifferent sound, it didn’t matter.

Contrary to her reaction, she placed her hand on mine as if saying “go ahead and try.”

I briefly bowed my head to express gratitude to her.

Then I put a faint smile on my face.

At the same time—

“Hmm…?”

I placed Ainel’s small, white hand on my chest.

Her hand, so small and dainty that it was hard to believe it belonged to a sword-wielding knight, was paradoxically covered in calluses more knightly than anyone else’s.

I could feel the hard texture of her hand against my chest.

I checked Ainel’s expression as she let out a momentarily confused voice.

Her narrowed eyelids opened.

I could see complex emotions in the blue pupils of her now round eyes.

Maintaining my gentle smile toward her.

While firmly holding Ainel’s hand as she tried to pull it back, I said:

“As for responsibility… since all I have is my body. If you wish me to take responsibility with my body, I will gladly offer this body—”

I gently removed her hand that I had been holding firmly.

Her hand that had been placed over my calmly beating heart, feeling the pulsation of life.

Then I made it wrap around my neck.

The sensation of Ainel’s cold hand rose from my neck.

I firmly held her hand with both of mine to prevent her from removing it.

“Or if my body has no value, I will gladly take responsibility for the weight of my words with my life.”

Even now, Ainel could easily break my neck if she wanted to.

A knight who is close to being a Sword Master possesses monstrous strength even without using mana.

Ainel must be the same.

As I smiled while making this gesture to add persuasiveness.

Ainel raised one corner of her mouth.

“Ha.”

She seemed to feel both awkwardness and amusement about the current situation.

“…I see why Sione is captivated by you. No. Did you deliberately aim to captivate her?”

“…Pardon?”

What is she talking about all of a sudden in this situation?

When I asked back with a dumbfounded face, she laughed as if finding it ridiculous.

“You seem to lack awareness of your own actions.”

Saying that, Ainel withdrew her hand from my neck and added one more comment.

“I’m not sure whether to consider this extraordinary or simply ignorant…”

Ainel, who had resumed resting her chin on her retrieved hand, once again looked over my face.

“I’ll handle the matter concerning spirit magic, so you should go to Sione now.”

Ainel uncrossed her legs and stood up from her seat.

“As for the daughter of House Arielt… I will keep your words in mind.”

Fortunately.

I could stand up with a lightened heart.

* * *

With the conversation with Ainel finished, there was no reason to stay in her room any longer.

I immediately left her room.

Unlike her warm room, the air in the corridor was a bit cold and heavy.

“Phew…”

From dealing with that pointy-eared woman in the morning to an unexpected private meeting with Ainel, my mental energy was already quite depleted.

Now I have to deal with my master who keeps clinging to me.

I’m already so drained, I don’t know how I’ll manage.

I shook my head vigorously to clear my thoughts and stood in front of the door of the adjacent room.

Sione’s room, no need to knock.

It’s obvious she’ll be sleeping with the door unlocked anyway.

I just need to go in and wake her up to restart the disrupted daily routine.

So I casually flung open the door and boldly stepped into her room.

“Nyuah…!”

What on earth is going on?

Nyuah?

While trying to figure out what that nonsensical sound was, something collided with me.

“Lady Sione?”

Looking disheveled as if she had just gotten out of bed, Sione was in my arms, clearly flustered.

When I stared down at her, Sione seemed quite embarrassed by the current situation.

Unable to lift her head, she just wiggled her toes before scurrying back to her bed as if escaping.

…What’s wrong with her this morning?

I slowly closed the door, came in, and standing beside her bed, asked:

“May I ask if you were going somewhere?”

Sione peeked just her face out from under the blanket.

Lately she’s been trying to appear so dignified and manly… no, womanly.

This somewhat cute reaction I hadn’t seen in a while made me feel as if my fatigue was lifting a bit.

Well, back when Sione used to hide under the blanket with just her head peeking out, she didn’t cause as much trouble as she does now.

With that thought, as I was looking at Sione, she cautiously began to speak.

“…Ray, I was going to look for you.”

“For me?”

“You were later than usual today… I wondered if something happened…”

Sione covered half her face with the blanket.

With only her eyes and snow-white hair showing, Sione began to gauge my reaction.

This kid, even worrying about me.

While I found her concern somewhat endearing, I couldn’t respond with a purely bright smile to her words.

Regardless of her concern, all possible problems had already erupted.

I expressed my gratitude with a weak smile.

“Thank you for your concern.”

At my words, a bright light appeared in Sione’s eyes.

“If you’re grateful…”

She hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Could you… pat… me a little?”

And why is her face turning red again?

Why is her voice crawling on the floor as if something displeases her?

I took one step closer to Sione.

“Could you please say that again?”

“I said… pat me…”

“…Pardon?”

“Ray… are you doing this on purpose?”

“Your voice is too quiet. I’ll come closer.”

I bent down, narrowing the distance between myself and Sione, who was crouched on the bed wrapped tightly in her blanket.

“Please tell me now.”

Sione then whispered her wish into my ear.

“…Pat me.”

…What? Pat her?

Did she have a nightmare?

Why is she making such requests first thing in the morning?

“…Pardon?”

I questioned her words once more.

“Eek…!!”

Unable to bear it any longer, Sione finally hid completely under her blanket.

I let out a chuckle at her reaction.

Looking at her like that, I felt somewhat mischievous.

So with an expectant smile, I made a comment that seemed like it would be fun.

“If you call me oppa… I’ll do as Lady Sione wishes. How about it?”

“…What?”

“I said I’ll pat you if you call me oppa.”

“Are you… serious…?”

Sione was taken aback and fell into deep contemplation.

Well, I don’t see why she needs to think so deeply about something like this.

But seeing her fall into such deep concentration as if this were the most valuable deliberation.

It feels a bit awkward to say it was just a joke now.

As I silently watched Sione, her eyes suddenly sparkled as if she had made up her mind.

“…Oppa.”

“Could I ask you to say it once more?”

“…Ray oppa.”

“Pardon?”

“Ray… you truly have a death wish.”

Having teased Sione enough.

I casually patted her head.

Fortunately, the growling Sione started purring again at my touch.

As I stood behind Sione, who had left the bed and sat in a chair, patting her head and tidying her disheveled hair.

Sione began to speak to me again.

“By the way, Ray. Can you tell me why you came later than usual today?”

“Well… I was late because I was talking with Lady Ainel.”

“With mother?”

“Yes. Because something happened this morning.”

Sione tilted her head curiously.

I slowly answered her.

“An elf who detected the spirit power I possess told me to become hers.”

Upon hearing my words, Sione.

The grinning expression disappeared from her face, and with a doll-like deadpan expression.

She tilted her head back and met my eyes with a half-lifeless gaze.

“What did you just say?”