We arrived at the city of Elpyris, located near the elf forest.
Certainly, the increase in interactions between humans and wild elves was evident; there were more elf-friendly structures than before, including stores that specialized in undergarments tailored for wild elves.
A path lined with trees had also been laid out, likely designated as an elf-only road. As we observed, an elf swiftly darted past, weaving through ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) the leaves with a soft rustling sound.
Judging by the tactical mercenary attire, they didn’t seem like a wild elf. It looked as though the elves from the society where they originally resided also frequently used the exclusive paths.
Selvia, seeming to recall something, spoke up.
“...Is it possible that there won’t be any traffic accidents? With elves going back and forth, it’d be easy to bump into each other.”
“Well, considering that, the path is a bit narrow. If it had a four-tree width, it’d be like a four-lane road.”
But expanding it to that extent would eliminate room for humans and carriages. Even now, the original road had become narrower due to the sudden addition of the elf-only road, forcing large carriages to move cautiously to avoid scratches.
The merchants’ faces were full of irritation. It seemed that transportation would ignite conflicts between humans and elves.
“Are you going to resolve it?”
“What do you think I am? I’m not someone who enjoys volunteer work to the extent of settling conflicts between different races. But... if the stage is set properly, it might just work...”
If they need each other enough, they’ll find a way to live together despite minor inconveniences. As long as we address that part and smooth out any unnecessary resentment, it shouldn’t lead to a disaster.
As Selvia and I trudged along toward the rendezvous point, a savory smell tickled our noses from a nearby stall.
I’d only had a failed attempt at scrambled eggs that Yuna had tried to make for breakfast, so I was feeling a bit hungry. The smell of grilling meat was hard to resist on an empty stomach.
“Oh, those chicken skewers look tasty.”
“Are you sure they’re actually chicken?”
“The sign says chicken skewers... but it could be rat, pigeon, or some other critter. But I’m not picky.”
As long as it’s safe to eat, that’s all that matters, right?
“There’s a holy spell called Purification of Contamination . If you use it, you won’t get sick regardless of the original ingredients.”
“Are you suggesting we buy a skewer, take it to the temple, and ask the priest to purify it? Isn’t that a bit extravagant? I heard temple fees went down after Bennett took power, but it’s still pricey just for a skewer.”
“It’s fine; you can use the holy spell yourself.”
“Me?”
The goddess system, entangled in a spaghetti code mess left by the corrupt former cardinals, was gradually being improved through the efforts of me, the young pope, Niore, and Yong-Saping.
The first section we tackled was the “Unauthorized Use of Holy Power” provision, aimed at restructuring the system so that holy power could no longer be used freely, regardless of corruption, so long as there was faith.
Untangling the multiple layers took quite a bit of brainpower.
It worked, though. I heard that former cardinals were promptly cut off from holy power and had resorted to passive media play without revealing themselves.
“However... it’s still incomplete. So, if you know a bit of a backdoor, you could still receive and use holy power.”
“You’d risk divine punishment for that!”
“The goddess loves rules. So, even if she’s annoyed by minor exploitation, she’ll likely forgive it. Just lean against a building’s corner and recite page 132 of the scriptures; care to try?”
“I’d rather get food poisoning. You’re really fearless, aren’t you?”
Slap. Selvia’s hand smacked my shoulder. Even though I was in full mage’s tower attire and a robe, it stung. Her basic attack power is high.
“Two skewers, please.”
“Sure, I’ll have them cooked in a jiffy.”
After a brief wait, we received two slightly undercooked skewers. The outside looked golden, but by my calculations, they hadn’t been evenly cooked through. They’d promised a quick cook, but not a thorough one.
I put my finger between Selvia’s mouth and her skewer just as she was about to take a bite.
Chomp.
Selvia glared at me immediately.
“...What are you doing?”
“It’s undercooked. Needs more grilling. Could you add a bit of heat here?”
“Like a portable gas stove...”
It seemed she wasn’t too keen on eating something undercooked. She summoned a flame on her left hand, so I took her skewer as well and grilled them a bit more. Now they were perfect.
Blowing on her skewer to cool it down, Selvia glanced at me before saying,
“Open your mouth. Aaah.”
“Wouldn’t the attack be stronger if you took a bite first? That way, you could add an indirect kiss buff.”
“...No more analysis, no advice, just eat quietly! You’re trying to embarrass me on purpose, aren’t you?!”
Right on target.
I obediently took the skewer Selvia was practically shoving down my throat. It didn’t taste like chicken. Likely... they’d molded rat meat into a different shape.
The seasoning on the outside was strong enough to make it palatable. As I chewed, I quietly logged the data. I’d use it in a market stall scene in a future session.
“Want me to feed you, too?”
“...No, thanks.”
“Selvia, I can hear your hesitation. Wouldn’t it be better to graciously accept and be embarrassed now than regret refusing out of pride later?”
“I said no!”
Selvia huffed, walking five steps ahead before slowing down to just two. She’s fun to tease because she reacts so vividly when poked.
In any close relationship, you’ll often find something like this.
Jokes exchanged in a way that keeps the atmosphere light, knowing the other person and having pleasant conversations based on that understanding.
“Oh... why is there so much public flirting lately?”
“Cho, just pick up your tools. If we want to settle down later, we’ll need to work ourselves to the bone before our backs give out.”
Sighs of single folks echoed around us. Our combined display of affection was hitting hearts far and wide.
I get their pain, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop.
While we weren’t officially a couple, we were probably the most “lovey-dovey” pair on this street. I was thinking that when...
In front of our meeting spot.
“Today, you are as beautiful as those shining stars! I’m blinded by your beauty, unable to gaze upon you... Ah, if I continue to see you, I shall surely go blind. How shall I live once I’m a blind man?”
“If you go blind, I’ll be your eyes. If you lose your arms, I’ll be your arms! Even if the goddess punishes us out of jealousy for our love, I’d gladly fall into hell to stay by your side!”
“Julietta, my love! I swear on the sun that this passionate affection will be eternal. In a world without you, I wouldn’t even want a breath of air... I can’t breathe, short of your very breath...”
“Romeo, my sun! I’ll breathe life into you! Don’t leave me in this cold world!”
Smack, smack, smack, smack.
An elf woman and a human man were laying it on thick with all their might.
“...”
“...”
Selvia and I exchanged a look and quietly distanced ourselves. Thinking it over, public displays of excessive affection were indeed disruptive. Best to exercise some restraint.
It seemed that this Juliet-whatever was our client. I leaned against a nearby wall, waiting for the scene to end.
Today, I learned that farewells could last a whole thirty minutes.
They dragged out every line, like “I’m sad to leave you but must,” to the point it was like drawing noodles out of dough.
Finally, after thirty minutes of emotional exhaustion for both viewers and listeners, the human man left, and I could meet our client elf, Juliet.
“Now that I think about it, we weren’t quite that overboard.”
“...That’s true.”
After a brief “secondhand embarrassment” phase, Selvia and I resumed our normal proximity, sitting side by side opposite the elf who had sent me the letter.
The place was a medieval-style café. Quiet, with few patrons, it seemed like a good choice for a conversation.
The elf sipped something resembling green tea and greeted me calmly.
“Hello, human.”
“...You’re much more composed than before, aren’t you?”
“Addressing a loved one versus someone else—how could it be the same? Did you read the letter?”
“Yes.”
I mentally reviewed the situation. This elf was caught between family and romance, due to the unique emotional bonding of wild elves.
If they don’t participate in the bonding ritual, they risk exile from the elf community. They’re closely knit, sharing their innermost thoughts.
However, if the bonding becomes extreme, such intense emotions could spread through the elf network.
A challenging dilemma.
I ran a quick mental simulation and realized it could lead to disaster. The entire community of wild elves might become enamored with a single person.
In the Mad Crow’s case, I’d tempered the intensity, spreading only enough to cause admiration, like adoring a celebrity. Wild elf rangers might hesitate before shooting me, but they wouldn’t recklessly rush me.
However, if that deep of a love were to spread...
Could it lead to an unprecedented elf harem? If that overly romantic guy wanted an apple, an entire community of wild elves might rush to get it for him.
I muttered absent-mindedly.
“Harem romance... Ow!”
Selvia pinched my thigh under the table. It seemed the term didn’t sit well with her.
I asked the elf directly to gather more information.
“How much do you love your boyfriend?”
“Oh, Romeo! I’d give my life for him. I still remember when we first met. I was being threatened by a group of rough humans, and Romeo rescued me—”
“No need for more backstory. But you’re worried about being separated from your family.”
“Losing that connection is like death. We are many yet one; I can’t imagine life apart from them...”
I crossed my arms and leaned back, counting the wood grains on the ceiling as I thought. The elf’s affection was deeper than expected, and naturally, so was the bond among wild elves.
To share memories and feelings completely—that’s the kind of “perfect understanding” that only exists in stories.
In some ways, it was a deeper relationship than what Yuri and I had.
Both were precious, so she couldn’t choose. That’s why she reached out to me.
It’s difficult. A tough problem.
The simplest solution would be to let one go. Then, which option would benefit the elf most? I began to discuss with Selvia.
“If it’s purely about benefit, giving up the boyfriend would be best, right?”
“But what about the heartbreak? And, isn’t the problem due to their interconnectedness? Wouldn’t heartbreak spread instead of love?”
“That’s true. The entire elf community might become a group hugging pillows and writing late-night letters. But outright extraction of love... that’s practically inhumane, isn’t it?”
“What would that be besides brainwashing? And personally, even if you didn’t accept my feelings in the end, even if it tore me apart... I wouldn’t want to erase it. The pain is part of what made it precious.”
Right. Running from emotions was a wrong choice, something I’d learned from past journeys. So instead...
“Abandon the elf community? But then, they’d fill that void with obsession over their lover.”
“But if they could be happy enough to fill that void, wouldn’t that be a happy ending? I mean, I left the Purple Tower to come to you, after all.”
“But think about it. If that love fades and they break up... they’ll lose both family and lover. It’s like leaving your parents for a spouse only to end up divorced and estranged from family.”
“Then, couldn’t they just go back? If they could reconnect, they could return to the wild elves.”
But then, wouldn’t nostalgia for a former lover spread through the elf network?
It’s a headache, this blurred boundary between individual and collective. No wonder there’s a distinction between elves and wild elves.
Ah.
“This is a problem because there’s no filter. If one emotion circulates through the elf community, it sweeps everyone up. What if, when uploading individual feelings to the elf server... they reduced it to about 10%?”
“Then the ‘perfect understanding’ wouldn’t work. Elves would become different from one another, unable to understand each other, leading to conflict.”
“Oh, my head...”
Would adjusting the percentage work? Or do we still need to choose one? Could the harem-romance path be the answer?
As I wrestled with these thoughts, Selvia seemed to want a breather. She turned to the elf.
“Does this... Romeo, or whatever, know about this? That wild elves are connected?”
“Yes, I explained it to him. He said that there wouldn’t be a problem with our love, that he’d get along with my family. He promised to treat them well, too. Isn’t he so kind?”
So, that’s his stance. He’s willing to win over an entire in-law family to keep his love.
“Hm...”
I nodded, seeming to accept it, but Selvia tilted her head with a look like a customer realizing their chicken skewer was actually rat.
“Hold on a sec, let’s have a private chat.”
Excusing herself from the elf client, Selvia led me to a secluded spot out of earshot.
She voiced her unease honestly.
“...Doesn’t this feel strange?”
“What part?”
“Assuming the elf explained it properly... isn’t she saying the entire elf community could end up in love with him?”
“Right. So, by treating the other elves kindly, she can avoid family conflicts... that’s the idea, right?”
“That’s the weird part. Accepting a crowd that’s in love with you just to keep a romantic relationship—that’s what she’s suggesting.”
Hm?
“Imagine, I were on really good terms with the Lord of the Purple Tower. Would you accept my confession solely for that reason?”
“...No?”
Put that way, things started to feel awkward. Thoughts and doubts began to creep in. Could something be wrong?
Selvia’s eyes glinted with the light of a true investigator.
“We need to investigate this boyfriend.”
And so, we began our secondary investigation.