Volume 9 - CH 14

‘Eh? You, you’re a human and yet you can understand our language?’

‘Eh? …Eh?’

By the elven girl’s words, Yuuji looked around him restlessly with a blank look.

The guildmaster. Was flabbergasted.

The female adventurers who had been looking at the elf. Were flabbergasted. No, their eyes were in the process of changing into that of a predator. They seem to have discovered an excellent first-class article.

Kevin’s exclusive escort, Aias. Was flabbergasted. No, he changed his expression into one like he swallowed something bitter, and scratched his head. 

“Lor- lord Yuuji… you understand the elven language?”

The premie city adventurers guildmaster, Salomon, asked Yuuji. Even if he was trembling, he was the person in charge of the place as one would expect.

“Eh? Eh? No I mean, you’d understand that normally right? That?”

Yuuji was confused!

“No, normally you don’t understand it, Lord Yuuji. If you were a scholar from the capital or… N- no, this is fine now. Lord Yuuji, could you ask this girl if she could return to the elven country by herself for me?”

Although the guildmaster had gained experience on the battlefield, he was perhaps confused by the unforeseen situation; his tone was unsure. He seems to be putting behind the question why Yuuji could grasp their language and searched for the beginning of the immediate future large problem solution. He was a realistic man. 

“Ah, sure” Yuuji said, still not sure of the circumstances, and asked the elven girl. Yuuji, who was a pioneer leader, head of the pioneer village, the pioneer land’s defense captain and an adventurer, would seem to be holding the post of an interpreter as well.

‘This mister was asking, can you return to the elven country? But… You know where your house is right?”

‘Of course! Riese is already a lady after all! Uhm… Aah, not here, it’s not here! This can’t be true, what should I do… I can’t go back like this!’

Responding to Yuuji’s words, the elven girl answered and stuck her chest out.

However, when she put her hand into her pocket, her face turned pale. She rummaged through her whole body and gradually began to tear up.

‘What should I do, what should I do, could I have lost it somewhere. If I, if I don’t have that…’

She called herself a lady, but her tear glands was on the verge of breaking down.

Kotarou drew near at the feet of such elven girl and poked the girl with her head as if saying calm down. She was a helpful and dependable woman. She was a dog though.

‘I don’t really get it, but calm down a bit! Okay?’

Yuuji squatted and met the elven girl’s eyes as he addressed her. Naturally matching the height of the eyesight, it appears that his experience from living with Alice was in effect there.

Alice approached the girl and looked up seemingly anxious. She did not understand her language, but she seems to have grasped the fact that the girl was troubled enough to look like she would burst into tears. All on her own in an unknown location. Perhaps this was repeating the situation when she herself was cared for. She was a gentle child. To people that is.

“Uhm, Mr Salomon. It looks like she can’t go back somehow…”

Yuuji roughly interpreted the girl’s words and reporting it to the guildmaster.

“Damn, I guess it won’t go so easily,” the guildmaster said, troubled. He took a single breath. It appears he had switched over his feelings. *clap clap* he clapped his hands to gather the attention of the adventurers.

“Alright! First of all, we’ll leave the guys who will stay in this place behind just as we planned. The rest of you, get ready and depart right away! Each of you, break up towards the direction you’re in charge of! Listen, don’t you reveal the matter of the elf, alright? Just try speaking even a little of it, cause I’ll expel you immediately, hear me!?”

The adventurers received the guildmaster’s loud voice- no, roar-like instructions, and immediately moved to action. As if they were happy about that, they quickly moved and strove to be the first to depart. They were moving as if they were saying they did not want to get involved into troublesome matters.

Incidentally, dispersing to various directions was to see if there were any goblin and orc remnants and to kill them if they discover one. The several remaining at the village’s site were for confirming whether there would be monsters who came back later like the group that abducted the elf, and to kill them as soon as they were to be discovered. They were very much planning to cut them by the roots.

Who remained at the monster’s village site was Yuuji, Alice, Kotarou, Kevin’s exclusive escort Aias, guildmaster Salomon, the pioneer resident former third rank adventurers and the elven girl. Several adventurers gathered at a place separated from the village site as far as possible, simply because they did not want to hear the troublesome matters. It appears they were the group to work overtime.

“Uhm…?”

Yuuji was surprised by the adventurers’ abrupt movements. Though flustered, he asked the guildmaster.

“Lord Yuuji. I’d like the girl to hear this. If she cannot return on her own, then we can only get in touch with the famous elven adventurer in the capital. Please ask her if there’s anything else we can do. Because even if we could manage to get to the elf in the capital, it’ll be spring…”

Perhaps he understood or not, Yuuji answered “Okay,” faced the elven girl and relayed the guildmaster’s question to the girl.

‘Oh really, so he’s here outside isn’t he! I’m so glad… So, could you tell him to please do that for me? But spring, is it… I wonder if I have any choice but to live in a human city…’

The teary-eyed elven girl broke into a smile when hearing Yuuji’s words, no, Solomon’s words that went through Yuuji. Finally her behaviour turned lady-like just like she called herself as. The face of Yuuji was red after fixing his eyes on a beautiful girl with her eyes moist from tears.

Yuuji immediately relayed the elf’s words to the guildmaster. Those were not his views.

“Hum… At any rate, I will report it to the feudal lord and the magistrate, but the city, huh…”

The guildmaster Salomon fleetingly looked towards the forest. The departing figures were no longer visible, but at the end of his sight should be the government official dispatched by the premie city magistrate and the criminal slaves. 

The elven girl was a beautiful girl. And elves were long living, retaining their beauty for a long time. They hardly interact with humans or other races; they were that rare of an existence.

What the guild master was worried about. That would be that elf would be targeted by a nefarious person once they discover one is in the city, no matter how he thought about it. Furthermore, Yuuji was the pioneer leader and could not possibly spend the winter in the city. Even if he were to use a fast horse, it is impossible for him to call the elf in the capital until the snow piled and made him unable to move. In other words, even if he were to bring the elf to the city, they would not understand her language either.

It was a problem, no matter how he thought about it. A problem that would become a problem between races if he were to act poorly.

“Lord Yuuji… This would be shameless of me, but I have a request you see…”

The guildmaster said, and told Yuuji the situation in the case the elven girl were to spend her time in the city. He then informed Yuuji that the feudal lord, who would not want to have any racial issues, would provide a residence and an escort, and that he would dispatch reliable adventurers as the guildmaster, but it would likely become an uncomfortable living for her, without being able to understand the language, even from a security perspective.

And then. He went “if it is something Yuuji could do, even while hesitating”, and threw his request.

“Lord Yuuji. Could you not shelter the elven girl until spring for us? If it’s your pioneer village and snow were to pile up, then there would be no people coming and going instead, so it should be safe for her. If you can understand her language, Lord Yuuji, then that girl would be greatly at ease, don’t you think? Of course, the feudal lord and us adventurers guild shall offer money and materials. Lord Yuuji and little lady Alice, I will give out the remuneration under the pretense of escort expenses to the four people of ‘dark green wind’ as well. Would you not accept it?”

“Is that so, so if it’s the city, it’ll be dangerous and if she can’t communicate… I don’t mind, but the pioneer land’s Houjou village still has nothing yet you know… I’ll ask this girl what she prefers”

Yuuji answered so, accepting the guildmaster’s words. Whichever she would choose, each had their advantages and disadvantages. It appears they have decided to let the elven girl herself choose.

Yuuji immediately relayed the situation of the city and information about the pioneer land. For some reason, Alice was staring at the girl with anticipating eyes. She seems to want to become an acquaintance with the elves who she had only heard of in stories.

Kotarou nuzzled her body against the elven girl’s legs. Choose your safety over convenience, is what she seems to be persuading her. We took the trouble to save you, so it’s best if you could go home safely, is what she seemed to be saying. It was her innate mother characteristics.

Having heard the situation, could her feelings have surged from having to spend the winter surrounded by humans and separated from her family and same race? The elven girl was silent while looking downward. She finally stopped and yet she was in tears again. She assumed the air of a lady, but she was still a childish girl.

The elven girl, looking down and silent, quietly held out her hand and softly pinched the hem of Yuuji’s coat. 

It made Alice smile broady, showing a face full of smiles.

Wan wan, Kotarou barked happily. As if to say, Yes, it will be alright, I will protect you.

‘Uhm… Would you be fine with going to the pioneer land then?’

The young elven girl nodded.

It appears that she had chosen an environment where she is safe and her language is understood, even with some inconveniences.

An unknown soil once she would wake up. Humans around her, whom she was told to be careful of. She did not know her way home. It would be inevitable to spend the winter in such situation. It would not be unreasonable for the childish girl to rely on Yuuji, who could understand her language.

Thus.

They finished the goblin and orc subjugation and furthermore, the pioneer land that had secured their safety had increased in a winter-only guest.

Leaving behind the pioneer leader’s anxious mutters, saying “Uuhm, I guess I’ll report and consult with Mr Kevin. Aah, have to report it to the bulletin board too.”