Chapter 12: Misunderstanding Each Other

“…..” 

I feel gloomy. 

Really gloomy. 

And incredibly wronged.

Biting my lip nervously, I revisited what had happened a few days ago.

“Run awaaaay!!”

“No.”

“Ahhh! S-save meee!!”

“Wait a second…”

The bandits who confidently blocked the road, demanding money.

Even though they knew I was a noble, they showed no sign of intimidation, standing their ground.

But the moment they saw that I was an elf, they screamed and scattered in every direction.

Honestly, it wasn’t even an exaggeration—anyone watching might think they’d just seen a man-eating monster.

Or perhaps someone who had boldly provoked me only to end up as a well-kneaded soccer ball.

But I didn’t do anything. 

All I did was take down my hood and try to reason with them.

If I were an orc or some monster, maybe I could understand. 

But I’m an elf, aren’t I?

Sure, elves have a reputation for having nasty personalities, but wasn’t that reaction way over the top?

I never imagined something would happen that would leave such a deep, lingering wound in my heart.

It’s not like I used violence. 

I didn’t even so much as brandish a weapon.

Just thinking about how they acted upon seeing one of my ears makes my chest feel tight.

Changing humanity’s perception of elves… is this even possible?

“Not bad.”

“Huh?”

“I said, it’s not a bad start.”

The unexpected words came from Elenia, who had approached me.

At first, I had no idea what she meant, but I soon realized as I followed her gaze.

It was the baron’s people.

They were whispering as they looked at us. 

Of course, I could hear every word they said.

“Incredible. The elves I’ve seen so far either didn’t intervene at all or, once involved, hunted their targets down and broke all their limbs.”

“Honestly, I found it hard to believe when the baron said they had accepted his request. To think an elf like that exists in the world…”

“I heard a rumor once. Apparently, some elves heading to a nearby kingdom decided thieves shouldn’t exist and carried out a massive slaughter…”

So, they think I’m different from other elves.

That’s… actually not bad.

But then again, what’s this about a massive slaughter? 

Just what have elves been doing?

“Tyreal stepped in at just the right time. You helped humans without showing any unnecessary cruelty toward them.”

“Uh… yeah…”

It seems Elenia believes I did my best in the situation.

But the truth is, I didn’t even get the chance to try anything. 

The bandits just ran off on their own.

Clack

At that moment, the carriage door opened, and a boy and girl carefully stepped out.

They bore a striking resemblance to the baron I had seen earlier.

These two must be the baron’s son and daughter, who are on their way to the capital.

“Thank you both so much.”

The blonde girl was the first to bow politely, expressing her gratitude.

She explained how their sudden predicament could have turned disastrous but that our assistance had saved them.

She added that she was delighted to have such good companions for the rest of their journey.

“Th-thank you…”

In contrast to his sister, the baron’s son fidgeted nervously in the background.

It was easy to tell why. His actions weren’t out of hatred for elves.

He was… afraid. 

Of me. 

Of Elenia. 

Of us elves.

In movies, novels, and wherever you go, elves are always portrayed as objects of admiration.

At least when it came to appearances, no human, male or female, could resist blushing before them.

Elenia stood beside me. 

By elf standards, she was above average, so you could imagine what that meant by human standards.

Yet the baron’s son wasn’t enchanted by her beauty. Instead, he was terrified.

The bandits earlier were the same. 

They didn’t consider fighting back or any other options.

They just ran—without looking back, as though some unbeatable monster were chasing them.

Humans, who are so easily influenced by appearances!

“…It’s nothing. Let’s get moving. We’ve already lost too much time dealing with those intruders.”

I thought about striking up a friendly conversation, but it seemed too soon for that.

For now, I decided to step aside, politely and quickly, while maintaining decorum.

It was frustrating to miss an opportunity to improve their perception of us, but there was no choice.

Rushing things only causes problems. 

Sometimes, it’s better to focus on doing things properly instead of doing them quickly.

*

As the storm passed and the halted carriage began moving again, the Baron’s daughter, Maria, nodded at the coachman’s words.

But she then glanced at her sister, who had looked uneasy since encountering the elves.

Knowing the reason, she had nothing comforting to say.

“Right… that was a year ago. He fell for an elf woman and confessed, only to be rejected.”

It wasn’t just a simple rejection. 

The confession had been met with humiliation and insults.

Humans, mere barons, and other such terms—words she never wanted to recall again. 

Even though Maria herself hadn’t been present at the time, just thinking about it made her heart race. 

How must the person involved have felt?

The pain of having her heart trampled was enough, but on top of that, she’d been left with an unerasable wound.

‘Still, those two elves earlier seemed a bit different.’

When she first heard that the Baron had made a request to the elves, she couldn’t believe her ears. 

These were unpleasant neighbors who constantly caused trouble and, whenever they were almost forgotten, brought insults anew.

When she heard that such people were being asked to accompany them with a plea:

“Father! We’ll manage on our own. Just lend us a coachman, and we’ll be fine!”

“Maria!”

“Requesting help from elves? Do you know how much our territory has suffered because of them?”

The Empire had urged them to avoid conflicts with the elves due to relations, or rather, had pressured them. 

They had exclusively forced sacrifices upon this territory.

If the elves ever turned hostile toward the Empire, it wouldn’t end as a simple border dispute. 

From the Empire’s perspective, the Heiner territory was merely a breakwater.

Still, they had no choice but to endure it because they lacked the power.

Even the Empire’s awareness of Heiner was solely because of the elves. 

The beings who burdened their land were ironically its only defining feature.

“A dungeon has reportedly appeared near the road to the capital. How could I send you off alone?”

“Then just assign us three or four guards!”

“There’s always the possibility of ‘what if.’ I can’t gamble my children’s lives on mere luck.”

Then the baron explained why he had made that decision. 

He revealed that the elves had forcibly restrained their troublesome kin, who had been causing trouble in the territory.

At first, it was hard to believe. 

Elves dragging out other elves by the ears? 

But with so many witnesses, including a relative of one of their servants, she couldn’t doubt it anymore.

“Fine. I’ll trust them for now.”

Elves were renowned for their mastery of magic and spirit arts. 

They were ideal as escorts.

Understanding the baron’s reasoning, Maria finally decided to accept it.

When they first set off, nothing seemed particularly notable. 

They were just like any other elves, cloaked in hoods, keeping their distance, and staying far away even during meals.

Maria thought, Of course. 

They’re just new to this world.

They clearly don’t have good intentions toward us humans. 

Father, you’ve been deceived again.

But her perception completely changed after witnessing one particular action by one of the elves.

‘Not blindly helping humans out of pity or looking down on them, but observing the situation, stepping in only when necessary, and doing so efficiently without unnecessary violence.’

There were no actions or words that undermined or dismissed their authority.

Nor did the elf treat humans with any disrespect.

The elf accompanying them to the capital demonstrated a perfect respect for humans!

Just as there are good and bad humans, there must be good and bad elves.

It reminded her of something her late mother had said when telling her fairy tales about elves during her childhood.

Maria opened the carriage window and glanced at the elves following beside them.

‘Now that I see them like this, their ears don’t bother me as much.’

What’s the point of their beautiful appearances when their hearts are so dark?

Yet, as she stared at the male elf who had slightly changed her perception, she had to admit he was undeniably handsome.

‘No, no, what am I thinking?’

An elf is still an elf. 

They’re a race that could change at any moment.

Don’t let your guard down. 

This elf is just stepping into the human world for the first time. 

Right now, he might be caught up in some sense of superiority, but as he continues interacting with humans, his true nature will emerge. 

How many elves like that have I seen?

Repeating these thoughts to herself, Maria forced herself to turn away.

“…..” 

But despite her efforts, her eyes kept stealing glances at Tyrael beyond the carriage window.