episode_0092

If it’s weird, it’s weird.

If it is peaceful, it is a peaceful space.

This space is where several large tree trunks are intertwined to form a single room.

There was brown wood all around, and the soft candlelight added to the coziness.

but.

“… … .”

Mercy’s father is dissecting his son-in-law one by one with his gaze in front of me.

King of the Elven Forest.

The person who introduced himself as ‘Mijeri’ made the atmosphere of this space very desolate.

Above all, I am not a son-in-law.

They say he’s Mercy’s father, but I can’t just leave and this… .

“… … .”

I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels uncomfortable.

The same goes for Mercy sitting next to me.

What is this atmosphere… .

Is this a meeting?

The other party members, Kati and the fruits, are being served outside as they are guests.

“His name is Ian.”

“… Yes.”

“My job is to be a hero manager.”

“Yes… .”

“How long has it been since you met my daughter?”

“A little over 2 years.”

“2 years… . It’s short.”

Two years is definitely a short time for an elf.

“It may be long for you, a human.”

… What does it mean?

“It’s enough to have affection for Mercy, there’s time to spare.”

“I misunderstood something… .”

“Dad, what’s really wrong with you!”

I’m going crazy.

“Huh… .”

Miseri closed her eyes and sighed slowly.

“… Didn’t you come here to get permission to get married?”

“Not at all.”

“Don’t deny it so stubbornly. What will happen to my daughter?”

“… Dad please.”

Mercy… .

Maybe the father was too foolish for his daughter and ran away.

There’s a serious possibility.

“ Then, what brought you here?”

This was a question posed to Mercy.

“I came to find an elf who knows a lot about magic.”

… I also can’t get used to Mercy’s way of speaking.

It’s completely different from his usual slightly playful and arrogant tone.

Well, you can’t treat your father poorly, so it’s natural… .

However, it is not as elegant as human royalty, it is just ordinary.

It feels like a friend who could only speak dialect uses standard language just fine.

“Sorcery?”

This time I explained briefly.

There was a party member who suffered from a ‘unique curse’, and Mercy mentioned an elf shaman as a way to solve it.

“Hmm… . It seems like you trust him quite a bit. As long as you reveal your hometown to humans.”

I glanced at Mercy’s eyes.

Did Mercy say this because she knew what happened in human society?

I guess I won’t tell you if I tell you.

“There are some competent shamans. Have you ever heard why such an elf exists?”

“I heard.”

“Okay… .”

Miseri looked at me as if she could see right through me, then laid down on the back of the chair and nodded.

“Even if there is no request from Mercy, you still have a debt to pay.”

The elves, who knew nothing about combat, were struggling in just one F-class dungeon.

According to memory correction, the elves seemed to have suffered a crushing blow because they were unable to stop this dungeon.

Even if we didn’t know the future, it would have been a huge headache for this king who had to manage all the elves in this land.

Fortunately, I was the one who prevented it.

Lucia solved that problem on her own.

“Humans are… . As always, we live so fast. I understand first. Let’s find out who is skilled in magic.”

Even if there was a debt, I thought they might reject it because of Mercy.

Surprisingly, permission was granted.

“I have something to talk with my daughter, so would you please step aside for a moment? You are a guest too, but I think I held you back too long.”

“It’s okay.”

“Go out first.”

Mercy said, gently touching my arm.

I wish you wouldn’t say that in this situation.

The atmosphere is strange… .

I left there without answering.

*

While Ian went to talk, Kati and Fruits were being served outside.

“Eat this too!”

“Thank you… .”

Vivian, who had put so much food in her mouth that her cheeks were bulging, answered with difficulty.

The elves served various foods to welcome them.

It was a vegetarian diet made entirely of vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, grains, etc., but the taste was not bad.

In particular, Vivian ate particularly well, so the elves were constantly replenishing food for her.

“Here it is again!”

“Nueep… .”

Because it was an elven forest, wild animals came without hesitation and looked at humans.

The sight of various animals such as deer, wolves, squirrels, wild dogs, owls, etc. coming together was a magical spectacle in itself.

Meanwhile, Lucia was busy solving the dungeon with Ian and was unaware of the situation outside.

“King… So, you’re Mercy’s father, right? Why is he angry?”

He asked Helena and Katy, excluding Vivian, who monopolized the elves’ attention.

Helena answered.

“We don’t know that either… . More than being angry at Ian, he didn’t seem to like humans very much.”

“I see… . Well, there is no law that says all elves like humans.”

The scenery here is just like that.

Not all elves welcomed them and treated them well.

A few elves still remained wary and watched from a distance.

Lucia glanced at the door where Ian and Mercy entered and asked cautiously.

“But… Are you really like that with Ian and Mercy?”

“No.”

“… Yes?!”

Helena was shocked, and Kati quickly and firmly denied it.

It was so fast that it was before Lucia could finish speaking.

“Oh, that’s right… . I just asked because I was curious. Oh, look at this.”

On Lucia’s outstretched hand was a brown bracelet.

“What is this?”

“I got it from the dungeon. They say it’s an artifact?”

“… Yes?”

“Who?”

Vivian, who was trying to put stir-fried mushrooms in her mouth, also reacted.

“Artifact… ?”

“Now that I think about it, you said you both found an artifact and a relic, right?”

You and Ian have both been together for just a few months.

Lucia was less than a month old.

However, we have already found two artifacts and a relic.

Ian found three things in a few months that some people die without seeing in their entire lives.

Even he himself already possesses two artifacts.

“Wouldn’t this mean that the person is holding the artifact and secretly throwing it away?”

“… It somehow seems plausible!”

Lucia was just saying it, but Vivian and Helena began to seriously think about it.

“Anyway, I want to decide who should use this.”

Vivian and Helena told Lucia to write, but Lucia did not think it was fair.

In the end, we both ended up wearing bracelets.

After Vivian and Helena’s turn, Lucia looked at Kati.

“ character. Should I try Kati too?”

“… ah. I’m fine.”

“I’m not okay. We’re the same colleagues now, right?”

Kati was speechless for a moment at Lucia’s bold statement.

With Ian’s declaration, Katy is now a fellow warrior like them.

Although I haven’t gone through the registration process yet.

Until now, there was a strange sense of distance between the group and Katy.

However, now that I have become a fellow warrior, I can no longer do that.

For Kati, this warrior is ultimately a part of her service to Ian.

That said, Lucia’s unhesitating comment about being a ‘colleague’ wasn’t quite a bad thing.

It was a statement that only Lucia, who had not only the reputation of the first party but also the prejudice of being a Mine, could say without any hesitation.

For those who learned the truth about Mine, that prejudice became meaningless.

“Okay.”

Kati also received the bracelet and wore it.

A cool breeze enveloped my body.

I felt like my movements were becoming lighter, but it wasn’t significantly noticeable.

Vivian and Helena felt it more than Kati, but it was somewhat more subtle.

It was the perfect artifact for Lucia, who had to move the most.

In the end, the artifact returned to Lucia.

Vivian asked.

“Didn’t Ian say who should write it?”

“Hmm… . Ian also said he thought it would suit me best.”

Those words ended the argument.

If Ian said so, it was right for Lucia to join in, even if someone else would have been better suited.

“Thank you everyone. I’ll try my best.”

At about that time, the door Ian entered opened.

It was a door built in the middle of a large tree.

Ian came out from there, came down the stairs, looked down, and found the group.

Among the group, Katy was the first to spot Ian.

Afterwards, the other party members turned their heads to Ian one by one.

“Is this the entertainment for the guest?”

Ian said after looking at the large wooden table in front of the group and the large amount of food.

“I guess so. They’re all vegetables, but they’re worth eating.”

Lucia said calmly.

On the other hand, Vivian, who wiped the sauce from the corner of her mouth with her tongue, looked at Ian anxiously.

“… Vivian, what did I do wrong?”

To Ian, it felt like a puppy that got into an accident was paying attention.

“Oh, no… . I just felt like I ate too much… .”

“They come out to tell you to eat something. Eat without worrying about what others think.”

Vivian mumbled while chewing on her food.

“Okay… .”

“Is that appetite the source of volume? .”

Ian said, pretending not to hear Lucia’s curiosity.

“Fortunately, it is said that the shaman can easily save you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I was greatly credited with solving that dungeon as soon as I arrived.”

Some animals showed curiosity towards the new Ian.

One of them, a large dog, came over with its tail wagging like a propeller and even rubbed against Ian’s leg.

‘I guess it’s because it’s an elf forest… . I see all sorts of strange things.’

Ian thought it was just that and continued talking while naturally petting the dog.

“I think Lucia’s curse will be resolved soon. Have you discussed the artifact?”

“Yes.”

Lucia answered by raising her wrist.

“Everyone said it would be better for me to kick it.”

“Good.”

Ian answered and looked at Katy.

Now that Kati is also a member of the warriors, I was wondering if Lucia had ignored Kati’s wishes.

Katy, who made eye contact, simply nodded.

‘Lucia and Kati seem to be adapting well.’

Before I knew it, Vivian, who had declared that she was going to stop eating, quietly came next to me.

“Stir… . What were they talking about inside?”

“Yes? Just what… . We talked about the witchcraft we just did, and cleared up some misunderstandings. Mercy’s father clearly misunderstood something.”

“Ugh, I see… .”

“Why? Do you have any questions?”

“Oh, no? Just? Nothing in particular?”

We were having a trivial conversation for a while and waiting for Mercy.

“Master.”

Kati suddenly tilted her head and asked.

“Huh?”

“Do you like dogs or cats?”

Ian was still petting the dog on his lap.

Because it was an unconscious action, Ian answered without thinking.

“I like both dogs and cats… .”

“… … .”

“… If I had to choose, cats are better, of course. uh. The best, cats. Yes.”

“… I understand.”

Kati returned to her seat and sat down again.

Although it was only for a moment, Ian felt his life was in danger.

If I hadn’t said cat, it felt like something scary would have happened.

‘What just happened… ?’

After catching his breath, Ian fell into his next thought again.

‘Warp portal… . I’d like to find out more about it. ‘How could it not work out?’

His gaze returned to the elves arbitrarily positioned around him.

‘And again, the voice of the forest… . When Mercy came, many elves knew she had come without even seeing her in person.’

If the environment is right, elves can even send telepathy on their own.

It may not be as immediate as the Ring of Subordination, but it is useful enough.

‘I think it would be perfect if used as a scout team. Since combat is impossible, we do not send it to dangerous areas, but only to collect and deliver information.’

However, it will not be easy to bring the elves here into human society.

It is also something that cannot be forced.

Still, just when I decided to talk about it, Mercy opened the door and called Ian.

“Father wants to see you for a moment.”

*

“The shaman will be here soon.”

“Thank you.”

“The two of you have studied magic for over 1,000 years, so even if it is a unique curse, it will be resolved quickly.”

Ian couldn’t even guess the 1,000 years of time.

“How long will you stay?”

“To be honest, I think it would be a good idea to take a day off. Even though we took breaks in between, we were all exhausted because the journey was long. However, it doesn’t seem like everyone is welcome, so I’m willing to leave as soon as the curse is resolved.”

“No, it doesn’t have to be that way.”

It was a somewhat cautious attitude.

Ian quickly realized he had something to say to him.

I didn’t know why I was hesitant to bring it up.

So Ian decided to tell his business first rather than wait.

Then the other person will also bring up their own business.

“Do you know the name ‘Warp Portal’?”

“… It’s a portal. I heard the elves who returned from human society speak. The road to our forest is also called that way outside.”

“Yes. Humans are still researching the portal.”

Mercy is nearby, but it’s okay for her to hear it at this level.

“Is there any elf who can help with this portal?”

“What do we receive?”

“No.”

Ian spoke confidently and honestly.

“If you want something, you can probably negotiate with the humans.”

“Hmm.”

“And personally, I would like a few elves to help me… .”

“As you may have seen, elves are far from fighting.”

“It’s not about fighting, it’s about communicating information. It seemed like a good idea for a group of people to communicate through the forest.”

Before Miseri could ask, Ian added first.

“Similarly, there is no clear benefit on the elf side this time. If there is something you want, I can give it to you.”

“Hmm… .”

“I’m not forcing it. On a purely transactional level… .”

“Good.”

“… Yes?”

Ian was confused by Miseri’s surprisingly obedient answer.

“The opinions of the parties involved will be the most important, but among them, there will be no elves to think positively about. I will actively look into it.”

“Ah, yes… . Thank you.”

Instead of “.”

Miseri’s voice became firm.

“There is a condition.”

“Yes.”

“Leave Mercy behind.”

“… Yes?”

Ian looked back at Mercy, thinking about what he had just heard.

She just looked down at her clenched fists in her lap.

“That’s the condition.”

“… Mercy. Did you agree too?”

“Okay.”

“I asked Mercy.”

Ian’s friendly tone also became slightly sharper.

He looked at Mercy, but she didn’t look at Ian.

‘… ‘I was going to tell you this from the beginning.’

If that was the case, Ian’s answer was predetermined.

He said without hesitation.

“I don’t like it.”

“What does it mean?”

“This means that I will refuse, regardless of Mercy’s wishes.”

Just like Miseri did as she pleased.

Ian also made his own decision.