20. Home of Mercy (3)
If it’s weird, then it’s weird.
If it is peaceful, it is a peaceful space.
This space where several large tree trunks are entangled to form a single room.
The whole area was made of brown wood, and the soft candlelight added to the coziness.
but.
“… … .”
Mercy’s father, who is dissecting his son-in-law with his eyes in front of me.
King of the Elven Forest.
This person who introduced herself 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 he can’t just leave, and this is… .
“… … .”
I’m not the only one who’s uncomfortable.
Mercy, who was sitting next to me, must be the same.
What is this atmosphere… .
Is it a meeting?
The other party, Kati and Fruits, are being served outside because they are guests.
“My name is Ian.”
“… Yes.”
“What I do is the hero manager.”
“That’s right… .”
“How long have you been dating my daughter?”
“A little over two years.”
“2 years… . It’s short.”
Two years must be short for an elf.
“It will be long for you as a human.”
… What do you mean?
“It’s enough to have affection for Mercy, and it’s time to remain.”
“I misunderstood something… .”
“Dad, what’s wrong!”
I’m going to go crazy.
“Huh… .”
Misery closed her eyes and let out a slow sigh.
“… Didn’t you come here to get permission to marry?”
“Not at all.”
“Don’t be so stubborn in denial. What will my daughter become?”
“… Dad please.”
Mercy… .
Could it be that the father ran away because his daughter was a fool?
Seriously, there’s a possibility.
“If so, why did you come here?”
It was a question posed to Mercy.
“I’m here to find an elf who knows a lot about witchcraft.”
… Mercy’s way of speaking is also not adaptable.
It’s completely different from the usual slightly playful and arrogant tone.
Well, it’s only natural that you can’t treat your father badly, but… .
But it’s not as dignified as human royalty, it’s just ordinary.
It feels like a friend who can only speak a dialect uses standard language.
“incantation?”
This time I briefly explained.
There is a group of people who have suffered from an ‘inherent curse’, and Mercy mentioned an elven shaman as a way to cure it.
“Hmm… . You seem to trust me quite a bit. Just enough to tell humans about their hometown.”
I sneakily looked into Mercy’s eyes.
Did Mercy say this knowing what happened in human society?
I don’t think I’ll tell you if I tell you.
“There are a few capable shamans out there. Have you heard why there are elves like that?”
“I heard.”
“okay… .”
Miserie looked straight through me, then leaned back on the back of the chair and nodded.
“Even without Mercy’s request, you still have a debt to pay.”
The elves, who had no knowledge of combat, were struggling with only one F-class dungeon.
According to the memory correction, the elves seemed to suffer a devastating blow because they couldn’t stop this dungeon.
Even if he didn’t know the future, it would have been a huge headache for the king who had to manage all the elves in the land.
Luckily, I blocked it.
Lucia solved that by herself.
“Humans are… . Yena now, you live so fast. I’ll get it right away Let’s find out who is skilled in witchcraft.”
Even if he had debt, I thought he might turn it down because of Mercy.
Surprisingly, it was readily accepted.
“I have something to say to my daughter, so could you step aside for a moment. You are also a guest, but I think I held on too long.”
“it’s okay.”
“You go out first.”
Mercy said while gently touching my arm.
I wish I hadn’t said that in this situation.
The atmosphere is strange… .
I left without answering.
*
While Ian went to talk, Kati and Fruits were being entertained outside.
“Eat this too!”
“Ah, thank you… .”
Vivian, whose cheeks were full of food in her mouth, answered with difficulty.
The elves served them a variety of food as a sign of hospitality.
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 her food.
“Here it is again!”
“Nueb… .”
Since it was an elven forest, wild animals came to see the humans without hesitation.
Deer, wolves, squirrels, wild dogs, owls, and so on, being in harmony with various animals was a mysterious spectacle in itself.
Meanwhile, Lucia was busy solving the dungeon with Ian and didn’t know the situation outside.
“king… So you’re Mercy’s father? Why is he angry?”
Excluding Vivian, who dominated the elves’ attention, he asked Helena and Kati.
Helena answered.
“We don’t even know… . More than being mad at Ian, he didn’t seem to like humans very much.”
“I see… . After all, there is no law saying that all elves like humans.”
That was the case even with the scenery here now.
Not all elves welcomed and entertained them.
A few elves watched from a distance, still remaining alert.
Lucia glanced at the door Ian and Mercy entered and asked cautiously.
“by the way… Are Ian and Mercy really on a relationship like that?”
“no.”
“… Yes?!”
Helena was taken aback, Katie quickly and firmly denied it.
It was so fast that Lucia didn’t even finish talking.
“Ah, that, yes… . I was just asking out of curiosity. Oh, look at this.”
A brown bracelet was placed on Lucia’s outstretched hand.
“What is this?”
“I got it from a dungeon. An artifact?”
“… Yes?”
“silkworm?”
Vivian, who was about to put the mushroom stir-fry in her mouth, also reacted.
“An artifact… ?”
“Come to think of it, you two also said you found an artifact and a holy relic, right?”
Both have been together with Ian for only a few months.
Lucia wasn’t even a month old.
However, I have already found two artifacts and one holy relic.
Ian found three things in a matter of months that someone dies without ever seeing them for the rest of their lives.
Didn’t he even already own two artifacts?
“Isn’t this enough for you to secretly throw an artifact while holding it?”
“… Somehow it seems plausible!”
Lucia just said it, but Vivian and Helena began to think seriously.
“Anyway, I want to decide who should use this.”
Vivian and Helena told Lucia to write, but Lucia didn’t consider it fair.
Eventually, the two of them ended up wearing bracelets.
After Vivian and Helena’s turn, Lucia looked at Kati.
“ruler. Should I try Kati too?”
“… oh I am okay.”
“I am not okay. Are you a colleague now?”
Kati lost her words for a moment at Lucia’s unhesitating remark.
With Ian’s declaration, Kati is now a fellow warrior like them.
I haven’t gone through the registration process yet.
Until now, there was a strange sense of distance between the party and Kati.
However, since I became a fellow warrior, I can’t do that anymore.
To Kati, this hero is also a part of serving Ian.
That being said, Lucia’s outspoken remarks about ‘colleague’ weren’t quite bad.
It was a word that only Lucia, who had no prejudice as a demon, as well as the reputation of the first party, could say it casually.
Although the prejudice has no meaning to those who have learned the truth about Mine.
“All right.”
Kati also received a bracelet and kicked it.
A cool breeze wrapped around her body.
I heard the feeling that the movement was lighter, but I didn’t feel it meaningfully.
Vivian and Helena felt it more than Katy, but it was rather subtle.
It was the perfect artifact for Lucia, who had to move the most.
Eventually, the artifact returned to Lucia.
Vivian asked.
“Didn’t Ian tell you that someone should use it?”
“Well… . Ian also said he thought it would suit me best.”
Those words ended the argument.
If Ian said that, then Lucia was the right fit, even if someone else would have been better suited.
“Thank you everyone. I will write well.”
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Just then, the door opened for Ian to enter.
It was a door made in the middle of a large tree.
Ian, who came out of there, looked down the stairs and found the group.
Among the group, Kati was the first to spot Ian.
Subsequently, the other party members turned their heads to Ian in turn.
“Is this the guest entertainment?”
Ian said after looking at the large wooden table in front of the party and full of food.
“I guess so. They are all vegetables, but they are edible.”
Lucia said calmly.
On the other hand, Vivian, who wiped the sauce around her mouth with her tongue, looked at Ian anxiously.
“… Vivian, what did you do wrong?”
To Ian, it was as if a puppy after an accident was paying attention.
“Oh, no… . I think I just ate too much… .”
“You’re coming out to eat, what? Don’t look at it and eat it.”
muttered Vivian as she nibbled at her food.
“Okay… .”
“Is that appetite the source of the sense of volume… .”
Ian pretended not to hear Lucia’s question and said.
“Fortunately, the shaman says it’s easy to find.”
“really?”
“yes. Solving that dungeon as soon as I arrived was a big credit.”
A few animals were curious about the new Ian.
One of them, a large dog, approached wagging its tail like a propeller and even rubbed it against Ian’s leg.
‘Is it because it’s an elven forest… . I see all sorts of strange things.’
Ian thought it was just that and continued to pet the dog naturally.
“Maybe Lucia’s curse will be resolved soon. Have you talked about artifacts?”
“yes.”
Lucia raised her wrist and answered.
“Everyone said they would prefer me to wear it.”
“Good for you.”
Ian replied and looked at Kati.
Now that Kati is also a member of the Hero, she wondered if Lucia hadn’t ignored Katie’s wishes.
Katie met her eyes and just nodded.
‘Lucia and Kati both seem to adapt well.’
Vivian, who had declared that she would stop eating before she knew it, came sneaking up to her.
“Yeah… . What were you talking about inside?”
“yes? just what… . I talked about the witchcraft I just did, and cleared up some misunderstandings. Mercy’s father clearly misunderstood something.”
“Uh, that’s right… .”
“why? Do you have any questions?”
“Oh no? just? Anything?”
I was waiting for Mercy while chatting like that for a while.
“master.”
Kati asked, raising her head abruptly.
“yes?”
“Master, do you like dogs or cats?”
Ian was still petting the dog around his lap.
Since it was an unconscious action, Ian replied without thinking.
“Dog or cat, I like both… .”
“… … .”
“… But if I had to pick one, cats are better, of course. uh. The best, cat. yes.”
“… All right.”
Kati went back to her seat and sat down.
Even for a moment, Ian felt threatened for his life.
If it hadn’t been said that it was a cat, it seemed that something terrible would happen.
‘What just happened… ?’
Taking a deep breath, Ian fell into his next thought again.
‘Warp Portal… . I’d like to find out more about that. How can I not?’
His gaze returned to the elves who had arbitrarily positioned themselves around him.
‘And again the voice of the forest… . When Mercy came, there were many elves who knew he had come without seeing them.’
If the environment is right, it is possible for elves to send telepathy on their own.
It’s not as instantaneous as the Ring of Subordination, but it’s useful enough.
‘I think it would be perfect to use it as a scout. It’s impossible to fight, so we don’t send them to dangerous areas, but only to the extent of collecting and delivering information.’
However, it would not be easy to bring the elves here into human society.
It is also something that cannot be forced.
But just when I decided to speak up, Mercy opened the door and called Ian.
“My father wants to see you for a while.”
*
“The shaman will come soon.”
“thank you.”
“Since the two of them have only studied magic for over 1,000 years, even a unique curse will soon be resolved.”
Ian couldn’t even fathom the time of 1,000 years.
“How long will you stay?”
“To be honest, I’m thinking it would be nice to take a day off. Even though we took breaks in between, everyone was tired because the journey was long. However, it doesn’t seem to be welcomed by everyone, so I’m willing to leave as soon as the curse is resolved.”
“No, it doesn’t have to be that way, it’s okay.”
It was a somewhat cautious attitude.
Ian quickly realized that he had something to say to him.
I don’t know why he hesitated to take it out.
So, rather than waiting, Ian decided to talk about his business first.
Then the other person will also bring out their business.
“Do you know the name ‘warp portal’?”
“… it’s a portal I’ve heard and seen elves talking about returning from human society. The road to our forest is also called that way outside.”
“Yes. Humans are still studying the portal.”
Mercy is by her side, but at this level, it’s okay for her to listen.
“Any elves out there who can help with this portal?”
“What do we get?”
“There is not.”
Ian said confidently and honestly.
“If you want something, you might be able to negotiate with the humans.”
“Hmm.”
“And personally, I also wish that some elves would help me… .”
“As you may have seen, elves are far from fighting.”
“Not to fight, but to communicate information. It seemed pretty good for a group of people talking through the woods.”
Ian added before Misery asked.
“Similarly, there is no clear benefit from the Elves this time either. If there is something I want, I can give it to you from that line.”
“Hmm… .”
“I am not forcing it. On a purely transactional level… .”
“great.”
“… Yes?”
Ian was bewildered by Miseri’s surprisingly innocent answer.
“The opinions of the parties concerned are probably the most important, but among them, there are probably no elves to think of positively. I will actively look into it.”
“Ah yes… . thank you.”
“instead.”
Miseri’s voice hardened.
“There are conditions.”
“Yes.”
“Leave Mercy behind.”
“… Yes?”
Ian looked back at Mercy, chewing on what he had just heard.
She only looked down at her fists clenched in her lap.
“That is the condition.”
“… Mercy. Did you agree?”
“okay.”
“I asked Mercy.”
Ian’s tone, which had been kind, became slightly sharper.
He looked at Mercy, but she didn’t look at Ian.
‘… I’ve been meaning to talk about this from the beginning.’
If that was the case, the answer Ian would give was predetermined.
he said without hesitation.
“I don’t like it.”
“What do you mean?”
“Regardless of Mercy’s wishes, this means that I will refuse.”
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Just like Misery did.
Ian also made his own decision.