episode_0040

Slurp –

The elf, who had stayed up all night with open eyes, finally got up from the bed.

The soft bed felt unfamiliar to her.

Approximately 20 years have passed.

During that time, the only place she was allowed to sleep was the cold floor.

Look around.

Look around.

Eyes shaking anxiously looked around.

I knew nothing would happen, but I couldn’t help the constant feeling of anxiety.

“….”

She came out and walked towards somewhere.

“….”

The door opened quietly and a person was seen sleeping soundly.

Did you say Chris?

Her hand stroked Chris’s closed eyes.

Sigh –

Even while I was unconscious, I could feel it clearly.

That this person cried on his behalf.

That I accepted emotions that I should not have to experience while shedding bloody tears.

I flinch.

As Chris’s body moved, she urgently removed his hand.

This was because I was worried that his hands full of wounds and scars might have disturbed his sleep.

“….”

I could feel Chris as he was collapsing under the curse.

Solid and huge, but with a cozy and warm heart.

Unlike the presence I felt at that time, Chris’ body was ordinary.

Mana was no different from an ordinary human, and his body was much weaker than that of knights.

Did he fight and overcome that terrible curse with a body like this?

“….”

The elf’s eyes widened as he stared at Chris for a long time.

The anxiety I had been feeling until now had disappeared as if washed away.

The comfortable atmosphere she felt from Chris was soothing her heart.

An atmosphere similar to the World Tree.

Even the scent resembled the World Tree.

Sigh –

She sat quietly next to Chris and exhaled softly.

Wouldn’t it be possible to sleep comfortably here?

If I closed my eyes, the images of my compatriots seemed to disappear.

***

“I’m disappointed.”

“….There were circumstances.”

The eyes of the two old men turned gloomy.

“Hamhum…every man has circumstances.”

“I guessed it from the moment you two came out together.”

Old Man Closel was looking at me with a blatantly sinister gaze.

I felt like they misunderstood my situation as something else.

“No, that’s not the case…”

I, too, am embarrassed.

After returning to the Elven Forest yesterday, I fell asleep exhausted.

As soon as I laid my head on it, I fell into sleep as if I fainted.

And when I opened my eyes refreshed, what happened?

There was a woman lying next to me.

It was the elf I rescued yesterday.

“I’m not like that…”

“I promised to become my granddaughter’s son-in-law, but I’m already like this?”

“When did I promise…”

So, I am also a victim.

How was I supposed to notice an elf sneaking in while I was sleeping?

Old Closel snorted in response to my rebuttal.

“When I was in the barrier, you recognized me like a ghost…are you telling me to believe that now?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

I don’t even know why I’m making excuses in the first place.

Not only do I have no intention of becoming the granddaughter-in-law of old people, but it would also be embarrassing.

“Hmm…”

The old men belatedly began to notice the elf next to me.

Old Man Closel spoke in a gentle voice.

“Can I know your name?”

“….”

The elf’s expression did not change despite the old man’s question.

A cold expression.

Perhaps because he was embarrassed, old Closel put his hand in instead of trying to shake it.

“I don’t talk much. Old man, please understand…”

“It’s worth it.”

I briefly talked about it yesterday.

His condition would not be normal as he had suffered such hardships.

The old men also seemed to understand.

Old Closel asked me again with sinister eyes.

“So you know, right?”

“…Yes?”

“I mean the name. You wouldn’t spend a night together and then say you don’t even know our names, right?”

“It would be very strange if you said that.”

Of course I heard the name.

“They say it’s Serena.”

“Hoo…”

Serena’s face was still cold.

It wasn’t like this when I was in the room…

Everyone except me was looking at Serena.

Even the souls that followed us.

“…Serena? How about smiling?”

The corners of Serena’s mouth rose slightly.

But as soon as he looked away from me, his smile disappeared.

“Um…”

It still seemed difficult.

This was inevitable since she was an elf who had been in pain until just yesterday.

Then I heard a voice calling me.

“Oh! Chris!”

I was waiting to meet this guy.

Look how the priest who serves God didn’t even bother to show his nose when it was really important, but now he appears.

As a worker in the same industry, this was behavior I could not tolerate.

“Are you coming now?”

“That’s not it! I also have some duties in the church…”

Hans’ excuse was this:

It is said that it took quite a long time to report the appearance of the necromancer to the church.

Because the issue was an issue, the meeting took a long time.

When I hurriedly finished work and went to the place where the battle was taking place, I was no longer there.

The excuse was plausible, but it was extremely scandalous.

“Ugh…”

“Chris! I heard the rumor. I heard you have a companion…is this you?”

“…Companion?”

I have no idea how the rumor spread.

My head was pounding.

How many minutes have passed since I left the room and the rumor has already spread?

When I looked at Serena, I saw that she didn’t seem to care.

Rather, they were wary of Hans’ appearance.

Since a stranger had appeared, it was entirely worth it in Serena’s situation.

“Hey, you go away.”

“Yes?”

“The patient is uncomfortable.”

“Ah…if you are hurt, I will treat you…!”

After chasing Hans away, who was feeling unfair, I tried to hide in a deserted place.

But even that seems impossible.

Because wherever I went, elves followed me.

“Chris has woken up!”

“Savior of the elves!”

The atmosphere was much hotter than when I first came.

If it was popular back then, it is now praised.

It’s very burdensome.

That’s right…

“I think that’s Chris’ bell!”

“Would you mind shaking it once…?”

Because the elves were watching my every move.

Out of embarrassment, I tried to touch the back of his head, and another reaction came out.

“I heard you were injured. Could it be…your head?”

As soon as these words were said, a solemn atmosphere prevailed among the elves.

“I can’t ignore Chris’s wounds. Is there an elf with a potion?”

If I left it like this, all the potions in the forest would gather here.

Not wanting to make it even more complicated, I opened my mouth to stop the elf.

“There are no injuries, so you don’t have to…”

“….”

“…”

What is this silence?

“You didn’t get any wounds while fighting the necromancer…”

“As expected from Chris…”

Even elves had no scars.

It appears that there were injuries when the curse reached its peak, but considering the scale of the monster, it is safe to assume that there were none.

“Isn’t that the same for you all…?”

“Be humble…”

I thought this reaction was a bit excessive.

I feel like I want to hide in a mouse hole.

“Ha…”

Then a savior appeared to save me.

“Chris.”

Romenel approaches with a neat gait.

He definitely looked more lively than when he was down.

The state of the soul was also very stable.

Perhaps it was because Romenel was in the same industry as me, but he was similar to me in that he fell down every now and then.

Shamans are not naturally this weak.

It is rare for someone to collapse while performing a ritual.

However, this is because the scale of what is happening here is extraordinary.

“The World Tree conveyed its will.”

Are you saying the airlift has come down?

There were still issues to be resolved with the World Tree.

“Good.”

Romenel walked towards the World Tree with a gentle smile.

And the procession continued with the elves following behind me.

It was like a festival atmosphere.

“What did the World Tree say?”

“The will I was told was simple. He told me to take Chris there.”

As expected, it is an extremely simple offense and defense.

I felt it when I heard about the oracle from Hans, but it was very different from the training I received.

To the point where I really feel like my performance as a shaman is poor…

“Let’s go first.”

The more I walked, the more the number of elves behind me increased.

Enough to fill the area around the World Tree.

“Hmm…sure…”

A divine energy overflowed from the empty tree.

Now it was finally taking on the appearance of a proper tree.

“I need to hang the gold chain and amulet again.”

Due to the aftermath of the curse, a significant portion of the gold chain had rotted black.

The amulet was also dried out and seemed difficult to function again.

“Uh…um…so all I had to do was come here…?”

“The World Tree said so.”

“Umm…”

There was no sign that anything was about to happen.

Should I at least shake the bell?

That time when I put my hand on my waist.

I started hearing strange sounds in my ears.

Ujijik –

A sound like something breaking apart.

This is the sound it makes when a tree splits.

The sound spread around once more.

Ujijik –

“…Huh?”

Boom –

It was a branch just the size of my leg.

With fresh leaves.

“….”

“….”

“….”

There was a cold silence.

It has to be that way…

Because the branches of the world tree are broken.

“….”

As soon as I saw the eggplant, I was immediately impressed.

This was bokchae.

I think it can be considered a good value.

This is a very good thing.

If only this hadn’t happened in front of the elves.

The elves were enveloped in silence.

I opened my mouth awkwardly.

“…I’m not like that.”