Never touch Eldmia Egga - Episode 344
At first glance, it seems like the threat has disappeared and there has been a lull, but so far the people surrounding me have changed from bandits to elves..
In fact, they were in worse condition than the average bandits. Because I didn't even know they were around. Maybe it's because Asilier showed me the spirit expulsion method that approaches in an instant, but in any case, it's still a risk factor..
There may even be more than what you see, but I don't know how they know my name or how they identified me, so I had to keep in mind the numerous dangers and variables that would unfold before my eyes if they were my enemies..
I'm proud to say that I've never been stabbed by a member of another race in my life, but you never know.?
"That's true, but who is it??"
Even so, I had no intention of going out in a low-key manner or making a fuss. I can't hesitate to reveal my name for that reason..
The elf who asked my name responded to my confident attitude by twitching his ears..
"...Isn't it a bit complacent to admit without hesitation who we are when we don't even know who we are??"
what? This is a very rare reaction..
The face that can be seen at a glance under the hood has an expression as if it is looking at a child who has made a mistake. It's definitely a nuance that they have the upper hand... but it's very subtle that they're not threatening, but rather pointing out and informing. What are these friends doing??
First of all, it was a reaction of strange kindness, so rather than criticizing his words outright, I decided to correct him properly..
"I'm not complacent at all."
"Can you understand why I judge it that way as a small token of gratitude for taking care of the bandits??"
correction. It was not a strange favor, but a very polite, moderate, and definite favor. In that case, I should also be treated appropriately..
"Because it's faster for all my needles to pierce than for you to aim your bow at me.?"
"...needle?"
With a short whistling sound, the needles rising from the pouch instantly flew towards the elves..
I have absolutely no intention of hurting you. He didn't threaten me, didn't make any aggressive remarks, and was even polite. All I did was show them a needle standing tall next to their head to answer the question..
"Say hello. My long-distance friend is called Needle.."
Of course, it may feel like a threat to those who are faced with a situation where a weapon is floating next to their head without even being able to react properly, but since it is a situation where they are still unable to distinguish between friend and foe, even if they are polite, it should be seen as cuteness..
When I retrieved the needle, leaving behind the elves who were clearly tense, the elf who had been talking opened his mouth again..
"Asilier met a ridiculous person.."
And I was really taken aback this time by a name I never expected to pop up here..
"With that one word, I have a lot to ask right now.."
My mind couldn't keep up, but it wasn't difficult to guess the situation..
I guess Asilier contacted the people in my hometown in some way, and they came all the way to the west to look for me. Otherwise, the elves who knew me among the elves in the northern part of the country happened to come down to the west and met me by chance after hearing rumors about me. The former guess is ridiculous, but the latter makes even less sense..
The question is, how can that be? Even if you use the elven method of moving through the forest, you can still contact them.?
"Thank goodness. There are so many things we want to ask too.."
Fortunately, the other person was an elf and not a ghoul, so there was a possibility that a conversation could be established..
When the elf saw my reaction, he relaxed his bowstring, and the other elves also relaxed their guard. And as I began to take off the hoods one by one, I realized that I was surrounded by handsome men and women with a rather strong appearance, not the typical good-natured handsome women..
For a moment, I wondered if their goal was to show off their beauty and turn me into a squid, but I could barely hold it in because the elf who was talking to me gave me a friendly look and offered me a handshake..
"The person who passed the ordeal is called Celebian Rhizlandes. Commonly called high elves. Oh, I guess I heard about this from Asilier.?"
“yes?”
“Asili is also a high elf. didn't she say?”
Eh. This is my first time hearing it..
◈
Because the number of people had suddenly increased to 7, the magic stone stove alone was not enough to provide warmth, so while the other elves were building a bonfire, the male elf who introduced himself as Celebian continued talking..
It also included some stories from the past that I intentionally did not ask Asilier about or that she did not tell me about. Thanks to you, I now know how she was captured as her slave and brought all the way to Itisel..
“In fact, it was thanks to her that we were able to stop and drive out the elf hunters. I don't want to admit it, but they were so talented that she searched in many ways after that, but couldn't find any trace of her, so she gave up halfway..”
In some ways, hunting is very simple..
All you need is to understand the target's ecology well, have a way to reliably attack the target, or be stronger than the target. In that sense, the elf hunters are completely different from the fantasy novels I read in my past life or the slave hunters I once made a fuss about..
People at the Auror Expert level, who like money more than fame, changed their profession to become elf hunters just because catching elves and selling them made a lot of money..
Those people who thoroughly prepare hunting tools and assist with one or two people are professionals in that field. In the first place, they are unusual bastards for capturing and selling elves who can move in the forest, even using the technique of holding them down..
If I had worked as a mercenary with that effort, I would have founded a country..
Of course, the elves are not fools and morons, so they are not to be taken lightly, but as this only increases the price of the captured elf, it only seems like an extremely high risk, high return to those who have already turned their eyes..
Asilier was caught in the process of ambushing a group of elf hunters and killing the three main members. It is said that all three of them were Auror Expert level, so not only her tribe but also nearby tribes were all gnashing their teeth. After several days of waiting and seeing an opportunity, they attempted a surprise attack and succeeded in killing the three, but failed to escape..
When judged calmly, it was a task that was close to impossible with her skills. She is a capable scout and hunter, but she is versatile and not particularly strong. She herself said that if it weren't for the forest, it would be difficult to deal with even a single Auror expert who approaches with determination, so this is official..
Of course, to put it conversely, even experts are chewed up in the forest. At the same time, it was also said that all the elves who had that advantage wanted to catch and kill them with one mind, but it was not easy for a skilled elf hunter to do that..
Anyway, so many years had passed and I suddenly received a call. Please find me and bring me back. Needless to say, there was an uproar in the tribe because a hero whose life or death was unknown suddenly made such a request..
“To be honest, I was skeptical as I quickly gathered up my group and moved, but it wasn't until I saw the earrings that I became convinced. I'm so glad you're alive and safe.”
It was the same at the Imperial Academy, but the earrings Asilier gave me seem to have various meanings and symbols. Unlike Celebian, who was so sincerely relieved and smiled lightly, the other elves remained silent in a solemn atmosphere..
“But specifically, who are the high elves referring to? He said earlier that he was the one who passed the ordeal..”
“Ah, it means the elves who passed the World Tree's trials and were recognized. If I had to compare it... I guess you could say it's like a warrior who has gone through very arduous training and tests, both mentally and physically..”
“...It's not like nobility.?”
“Hahaha, we don't really have any status like nobility..”
Based on past fantasy knowledge, I wondered if it was referring to people with noble blood or nobles, but I would have guessed that they would have been very honorable special forces soldiers..
“Of course, it means a lot to us. It is no different from what Asha herself acknowledged..”
“...It's a little complicated..”
“This can be happen. It's a racial difference. More than that, now we'd like to ask you a question. How did you meet Asilier??”
Upright. The ears of the elves, who had been in a solemn mood just a moment ago, perked up simultaneously..
After seeing that, I had a reasonable suspicion that he might have kept quiet because he was bored rather than solemn, but since the reaction was not important, I explained our meeting as best as I could..
“...So, they fought with the bandits who happened to discover that the slave traders who were moving around holding her had been attacked by an unidentified group, and freed her.?”
“That's correct.”
It wasn't particularly difficult, so I wondered if I needed to summarize it, but Celebian, who kept tilting his head while not showing it, asked again as if confirming it..
“I was 8 years old at that time?”
“yes.”
I answered willingly, but this time he looked me up and down and asked a question with a very suspicious expression..
“...I'm 15 now?”
“you're right.”
I'm a bit older, so I can react like that. Looking around, the expressions on the other elves' faces were more, not less..
But for some reason, Celebian, who was contemplating with his face becoming even more serious and covering his mouth, very carefully asked another question..
“Well, it's been a while since I interacted with the human race, but has the average lifespan of the human race decreased significantly?...?”
“Compared to the elves, it's only a moment, but it won't decrease..”
An elderly person who was living an ordinary life in Ogwen was also in his 80s, but he was not treated specially, so even if he couldn't do it, he would live to that extent. People who have learned auras or mana are said to live much longer, so I guess they could be around 100 years old.?
When I checked Celebian's expression as he was thinking about a topic I had never thought about since I was reincarnated, I noticed that his eyes were now tightly closed. Just when I was about to ask him why he did that, his mouth opened with difficulty and a small mumble came out..
“Even though he's a human, he's a little too young to be a pet... Well, isn't he too young?...?”
...sister?
How much did you say?...?
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