Chapter of Grim Reality: The Elven Choice

Right now, a slightly teary Karen was standing in front of me, after she endured the combined harassment of Wanda and Wormaz. And just when she had thought she had managed to get through it all...

“Yumi…”

Muttering only my name, she stared at me. She stood completely still. Of course, it was so we could take a look.

“Nn, looks good there, Sis.”

“...”

Her random assortment of armour had been entirely replaced with a new one. Now she wore a  long dress with a metal breastplate… or, actually, a cuirass. That’s what it was called, right? Similar to what I wore but hers was actually made of metal.

At her waist was a long, wide metal skirt that reached down to her knees. Although, it was open at the front and the back, so it wasn’t quite a skirt?

“Hey, Wormaz, what’s that… skirt-like thing called?”

“Skirt-like thing? Ah, The tassets you mean?”

“Tassets… That’s what they are called?”

“Yes. These are a little modified, though.”

“So, they’re not normal ones?”

Wormaz nodded with a surprisingly serious expression.

“Tassets exist to protect the hips and they usually only go partway down the thigh. You won’t see tassets that long often.”

“Nn… Then, why that long?”

“‘Cause it looks good, doesn’t it?”

“Well, can’t argue with that.”

It definitely suited her. The long dress was entirely black, covering her from top from to bottom, with long sleeves covering her arms. It was rather featureless by itself but the cuirass and the tassets made it look a lot more like proper armour. The lower portion of the dress—in other words, the skirt part—widened a little towards the ground. And the tassets followed along smoothly. Probably to prevent the skirt from tangling with her legs.

Finally, there were also the gauntlets that were covering her arms. Her temporary weapon.

Overall, it looked quite good but… something bothered me a little. It was… too featureless. Like, my armour had the emblems on it. Yet, this one had absolutely nothing. Only the black dress and the metal-coloured armour.

“Nn...  it somehow feels… only half finished?”

That’s what I thought, at least. Hearing me, Wormaz let out a sigh and scratched the back of his head.

“... That it is. Wish I could argue around it, though. Was supposed to get finished within the next two weeks, so we only got basic parts done. Still better than that random stuff she wore before, mind you.”

“I see…”

“Well, most of the work that’s left is mostly for the appearance. For me, that’s only colouring the metal black. Konno’s done too. That woman has to do most of the remaining work. Might change of course if we mess with the design but for now, it’s practical already.”

So that’s why it was rather bland… They didn’t have time to do the decorations and accessories… With that said, it wasn’t that it looked bad. Not in the least. It suited Karen well. But that may also be just me speaking… Frankly, nearly everything would look good on her. Yeah, that was definitely me speaking. I definitely wasn’t a good judge when it came to her, was I?

“And Konno worked on this, too?” I asked him.

“Sure did. You don’t want to wear metal plates without cushioning, let me tell you. Hurts like hell. Usually thick cloth or leather is worn beneath it for that reason.”

“Ahh…”

I nodded. That definitely wasn’t something that sounded pleasant.

“Well, we still got to work on it a little but it can do its job for now. If you have any wishes, feel free to tell us. I’d rather you do it now than later.”

“Will do.”

I’d have to think about it. After all, this was my job now, right? Right?

Actually, isn’t this pretty awesome? Dressing up Karen turned into my work. What else could be better?

I was going to thoroughly enjoy this.

“Hey, Yumi… Mr Wormaz… Are you done now? This pose is a little uncomfortable…”

“Ahhh… Guess we’re done…”

If it became uncomfortable, there was nothing much I could do about. I had to admit, her position did look a little uncomfortable to hold. Especially on the arms that she was holding up a little to the side. Even if it was me who asked her to do it so I could appreci— inspect her armour.

“Haa… Finally…”

Karen relaxed her body and came over to us. As she moved, I noticed that there was some… slightly weird noise… Some… high-pitched rustling?

“What’s that sound?”

“The sound? Should be the hauberk, I guess,” said Wormaz.

“Hauberk?”

Another term I couldn’t quite place came from Wormaz’ mouth.

“It’s chainmail. She’s wearing that beneath the dress. Though you can’t see it, you sure can hear it.”

“Oh.”

So that was it.

“Anyway, I still got some more work to do so I’ll take my leave. Also, Karen. Remember, if you have any issues, tell me immediately, understood? And with immediately I mean immediately and not next fucking month.”

“Understood. Thank you, Mr Wormaz.”

“Good. Then, see ya.”

Wormaz turned on his heel and left the two of us alone.

“Haaa… I already feel exhausted before anything even happened…”

“Nn… Sorry about that.”

“It’s not like it’s your fault, you know? Wormaz and Wanda were both… a little too much into it earlier. They didn’t let me go until they checked every little thing and had me strike various poses...”

To be honest, that was totally relatable. I’d definitely do the same in their position. Although, my motives were likely less pure...

“Right, Yumi.”

“Nn?”

“There’s something I wanted to ask… Wormaz and Wanda said something about looking pretty was half the reason for the armour design… But when I asked why they dodged the question…”

“Ahhh… Well…”

Thinking about it, those two definitely knew what Korwen had planned, didn’t they? They had to. After all, there was no way they could have worked on this without knowing, right?

“How to say it… Uhm... Korwen asked me to be the face of the band.”

“... The face of the band?”

“Nn…”

With a wry smile, I explained to her what Korwen had told me a little earlier. Her expression went from surprise to a rather conflicted one.

“And… you accepted that?”

“Nn, I did.”

“I see…”

After a short moment of deliberation, she heaved a sigh. Then, she hugged me all of a sudden.

“I’m definitely going to protect you, Yumi.”

“... Nn.”

I returned the hug. It wasn’t really comfortable, seeing how we were both in full gear, but it still felt warm and happy.

“Mr Captain really threw quite some work at you…”

“That he did.”

But I accepted it willingly. Sure, he definitely led me around the nose so that I would accept it, but even knowing that, I didn’t really mind.

“Should I call you Miss Yumi from now on?”

“... Please, Sis, in the name of everything holy and not holy and whatever else is out there, don’t do that to me. I beg you.”

“That’s quite dramatic.”

Karen giggled and released me from her hug, looking at me with a warm smile.

“But it seems like you’re my superior now, right?”

“... You think so?”

“Well, you said that he left me and Lily in your care, right? That sounds to me like you are.”

“Huh…”

Looking at it like that, she was right.

“So, my little sister became my superior, didn’t she?”

“Guess so.”

“I’ll have to work hard in that case.”

“We both have to.”

What Korwen wanted from me was quite the task, after all.

“Then, Yumi, what should we do first now?”

“... That’s a good question, actually.”

Even though I was told to, well, do something… It wasn’t like I had any idea how to. In the first place, there was the matter of coordinating with just about everyone else. We couldn’t just barge into the group and do whatever we wanted.

“Let’s see… Did the captain leave already?”

He had been here until just a bit earlier, hadn’t he? When I was appreci— inspecting Karen’s new outfit, he was talking with Wanda…

“Over there, Yumi.”

“Where?”

I turned around and looked at the direction Karen pointed at. Korwen stood a little away and was talking with a rather young mercenary.

“Let’s go and ask him.”

The two of us walked up to Korwen and arrived just as the young mercenary left.

“Captain.”

“Huh? Ah, you two. Are you done already?”

“Nn, we are.”

“That’s fast. Well then, let me take a proper look as well.”

Korwen stepped back a little and scrutinised Karen from top to bottom.

“Mhm… A little meagre but considering the time restraint I guess it turned out decently. If you ask me, maybe some pauldrons or similar might be good to add. Would improve on the knightly look. But that’s something we can discuss after this is over. How’s it feeling?”

“Well, it’s comfortable. More so than the armour I had before.”

“... That actually surprises me. You are also wearing a hauberk below that, right? The whole getup should be a lot heavier now.”

“Ah, I don’t mind the weight that much.”

Korwen raised his eyebrows in surprise.

“If you say so. As long as it doesn’t tire you out.”

“I don’t think it will.”

“... Guess we’ll see soon enough whether it will or not.”

Was the stuff she was wearing really that heavy?

“Anyway, you wanted something from me, right? I got somewhere to be so let’s get that done fast.”

“We wanted to ask what exactly we should be doing… Like, I have honestly no idea where to start or what we’re going to do tomorrow…”

“Ahh… Sorry, I forgot to go over that, didn’t I? There’s honestly not much you have to do now. You should do your preparations for combat, of course. That… bomb-like mana crystal, for example. Other than that… Well, think of something to encourage the men, I guess. Everything else you can leave to us tomorrow. Merim will take care of that.”

“That’s… all?”

“It is. What, you want more work?”

He laughed at my surprise. Of course, I didn’t want more work. But, it just… didn’t seem like a lot.

“Nn, well, the mana crystals are… rather quick to prepare I guess… Sis, what about you?”

“I don’t really have anything else to prepare either…”

In other words… There wasn’t anything to do?

“In that case, how about you two join me?”

“Join?”

“Yes. It might actually be good to have you two around for this. It’s about the elves, you see…”

The elves?

“Did something happen?”

“That’s what I’m about to find out. So, let’s go.”

Not even going to give us the option to refuse anymore, he turned around and went his way. Karen and I exchanged a quick glance and then followed him.

---

“What the heck… What are they doing?”

A crowd of elves was in front of us. They seemed a little upset, judging from the expression on their faces and the noise they made.

“We’re about to find out. Can you see the Elder?”

“No.”

“I can’t see her either…”

There was no way I could spot the Elder in that crowd, could I? Sure, they were quite petite, but so was I…

“I think I spotted her already. Let’s go.”

“Nn.”

We followed behind Korwen. As we approached, the crowd of elves noticed us and quickly parted, making way. Some elves seemed bewildered, some had angry expressions and others were just staring towards the front of the crowd, where we were headed to. The Elder stood there and on her side was another elven girl.

“There he comes. Now, my children, think well about what I told you. The decision is yours to make. No, it’s one you have to make. But for now, return and rest.”

The Elder announced in a loud voice so that all the elves around us could hear it. The noise increased a little in response but quickly died down again. In fact, the crowd around us slowly dispersed. We watched for a moment as the elves all left, even the girl who had stood next to the Elder was gone after a short while.

“Miss Elder, mind me asking what is going on here?”

“It is a simple matter. I asked my children to decide what they want to do. We both know that some of the fairer maidens have… gotten a little infatuated with your fellows”

The Elder chuckled as if she actually enjoyed it.

”But in the soon-to-come future, parting may become a difficult matter for them. You humanoid races… Or rather, this group, you are traveling around. Not only that, you live by spilling the blood of monsters and even your fellow races. This is a very… hard reality for some of my kin. They have to make a choice, sooner or later. Will they brave a new life and ask to accompany you and your fellows or will they settle a new forest to call home.”

“I see. So, you want them to make a decision now? Isn’t that a little fast?”

“Ha, you know little of our ways, Mr Korwen. We elves are a sluggish folk. If they do not begin to decide now, it will be too late by the time the parting will come.”

“Mm…”

Sluggish, huh… Well, it certainly was better than being forced to suddenly decide. In a way, it was probably good that she had asked them to think now. But… on the other hand, right now?

“Miss Elder, why did you ask that right now, though?”

“... Mr Korwen, can you imagine what my children have said when they heard that those, who ravaged our home, will appear before you all?”

“... I can imagine it.”

“Hehehe, in these matters, fairykin and humanoids sure are similar, aren’t they? They wanted to fight back, make them pay for the loss of our home. And do you know what, Mr Korwen? My heart agrees. But my mind knows better. This will not resolve our problem. Thus, I did not allow them to have their way.”

The Elder was still smiling, despite the topic.

“Then, what will you do now?”

“... My children will have to decide. Judge, what is going to happen. Will they decide that it was but a passing fling or that they truly yearn for those they set their eyes on.”

“That’s not quite what I was asking, Miss Elder. I want to know what you will do.”

“... Haaa, you are a merciless one, Mr Korwen.”

She turned around, her back facing us.

“The Cursed child asked me before… Whether I longed to travel once more. For a great many suns and moons I did. I never wanted to become the elder of a forest. I am but the child of a child tree. The elf that will never be an adult.”

Never be an adult? What the heck did that mean?

“Hehe, but life sure turned strange. My home is lost, my children are confused and helpless and I… I just want to travel once more.”

She paused.

Seconds later, she turned around, facing us once more.

“I’m a bad elder, aren’t I?”

“... So? What will you do?”

“... Not even commenting, are you? You hurt this old woman’s heart, Mr Korwen.”

“Get to the point.”

The Elder froze, then straightened her back, followed by a bow.

“Mr Korwen, this foolish elf requests that she and her sisters may join your band of wandering sellswords. We may not be worth much but we will work with our whole hearts. My sisters know little of the way of war but I can assure they can handle the simple matters of life. As for me, I believe my experience in the matters of war can be of some value to you.”

Wait, what? Did… the Elder just ask to join the mercenaries?

“I admit I am surprised. For the elves that attacked us not long ago to ask now to join us.”

“Ahhh, I hope you can find it in your mind to forgive that little… misdeed.”

“Mm… Well, nobody actually got hurt too badly but you did damage some of our equipment. I hope you understand that just having you as guests was already stretching the limit.”

“I see…”

The Elder straightened her back again, standing upright. Yet, her gaze was fixed to the ground.

“It seems that our hope was in vain.”

“Your name.”

“... What?”

“Your name. Your name isn’t ‘Elder’ or something like that, right?”

Her gaze left the ground, now directed at Korwen.

“So, what is your name?”

“Uhm…”

“What? It’s a bit troublesome if I don’t even know the name of our newcomers, right?”

“... Hehe.”

A chuckle escaped the Elder and then she smiled. A wide smile.

“You are a horrible person, Mr Korwen. Leading us on like that.”

“You’re not the first one to tell me that. And you won’t be the last either. So, can I get an answer?”

“... That is a little troublesome.”

“... Since when was giving your name troublesome?”

“It’s simply a matter of… I cannot remember it.”

“... Huh?”

What? She didn’t remember her name?

“It’s just… been so long since anyone would ask for my name. My children always call me Elder or Mother.”

“How long would it take for one to forget their own name…”

“A few centuries can do a lot.”

“And yet you claim to remember all those other things from the past? Or did you tell Ria some fairytale?”

“There are a few things that stay better in memory than others, wouldn’t you agree?”

Certainly but… your own name?

“Haaa… Well, maybe some things are better left forgotten.”

“Ah, I can agree with that. Some things are better left lost in the times.”

“... That’s still a problem. I need a name for you. And I hope you aren’t going to tell me that your sisters all ‘forgot’ their names as well?”

“I do not believe that will be an issue. They all know theirs and in case they claim otherwise, I can provide you with it.”

“Too bad there’s nobody around to provide yours.”

“A shame, yes.”

Uhm… For some reason, the two of them were both smiling at each other?

“But for my name… Well, I wouldn’t mind taking up a new name. However, I admit, this is not a matter I gave any thought about. Whatever shall I do?”

“... Guess we’ll have to think of a solution for that. For now, we’ll stay with ‘Elder’ until then.”

“Well, it is probably better to solve it sooner rather than later. It might become a confusing situation for my children.”

“Right… If you leave, then someone else will take your spot?”

The Elder nodded to his question.

“Yes. But, rather than having the oldest child take it, I entrusted it with the child I thought the most capable. Of course, I gave her the choice to refuse. It would be a hypocrisy of me to lament my lack of choice yet force the same unto those that came after me.”

“Mhm, I see. Was it by any chance the girl that stood next to you earlier?”

“Yes. That was indeed her.”

“I see.”

Once more, she nodded.

“Mhm… And you are really fine with just leaving your position and coming here. You do understand that you have to follow what I say? It’s not the leisurely traveling you may dream about.”

“Are you mayhaps worried? The stern captain turns around quite fast, doesn’t he? Well, if you were to ask me… it’s a relief.”

“A relief?”

“For hundreds of years I have assumed responsibility and protected the life of the forest. And in the end, I failed. Can you blame me for wanting nothing less than leaving it to someone else?”

“In other words, you are tired of it. And in worse words, you just want to run from it.”

“... That might be so, yes.”

A wry smile came over Korwen, once she affirmed his assumption.

“Guess that inevitably happens. In that case, I won’t ask again. I’ll work you to the bone, just so you know. Also… You won’t get a full salary until all that equipment you destroyed is paid back, understood?”

“But I still get something? That’s more than I could hope for already.”

“... It’d just become problematic otherwise. Anyway, now to the more important parts.”

Korwen’s eyes narrowed and his expression hardened as he prepared to ask the next question.

“... You say you have experience with warfare.”

“... That I do. However, it has been long since I took a weapon to fight. There were only a few times we needed to after I became the elder. Still, I am certain that I can hold my ground more than sufficiently. At the very least, I won’t let those young children beat me just yet.”

“That’s quite some confidence you got there. I’d love to verify it myself but the day is nearly over. I assume you intended to join us tomorrow.”

The Elder didn’t answer him, only smiling vaguely. I had no idea what she was trying to say with that but Korwen… He let out a sigh, as if he understood.

“Haaa… ‘The heart agrees,’ was it? But this is a little troubling… Yumi.”

“Nn? Yes?”

“I’ll have the Elder join you two for tomorrow. If she’s only half as proficient as she claims, she should be a good addition. Well, considering what she did before with Yumelia, there’s little doubt that she is a valuable addition.”

“Ah, Mr Korwen, in regards to that.”

“Yes?”

The Elder frowned at his mention of that incident.

“That time was a matter for the protection of my kin… and of nature herself. Please do not expect me to ask for nature’s helping hand. While she may be ruthless and even more brutal than the intelligent races, asking her to shed blood is not something I wish to do. In the first place, if I were to do so, the Esteemed Ancestor might invalidate all I do.”

“... You mean Emily? She can stop you?”

“That child is even more beloved by the forest than any of us. No matter what we do, the forest will always listen to her rather than us. If I were to ask for a fruit and the Esteemed Ancestor asked for one as well, only she would get one. Our request would be ignored and forgotten.”

“... I see.”

Beloved by the forest, huh… That sure sounded impressive… The Elder had saved me for sure back then… But if Emily had somehow interfered, that could’ve gone… quite awry… That’s actually quite the scary thought.

“In that case, how are you going to fight?”

“Hehe, I might not look like it, but I have some experience in martial arts. I mentioned it but I have fought with a weapon in hand before.”

“Huh… Just so you know, there’s no way we can provide you any equipment with this little time.”

“That is not a problem. The forest can provide me with what I need. It is a shame that I do not possess my old gear anymore. Nonetheless, I shan’t be ill-equipped.”

“The forest, huh…”

Korwen’s eyes widened a little. Being able to get equipment simply by asking a forest… That… was definitely convenient.

“In that case, I shall trust you for now. The matter being what it is, however, I will watch the situation.”

“I understand, Mr Korwen. I am grateful simply for having the opportunity.”

“Mhm… Good. Then, there’s one last matter I want to know.”

“Yes?”

“What are the criteria a forest needs to meet for the elves to live in?”

The criteria a forest needed to meet? That… What kind of question was that now?

“An odd question you ask there. However, I don’t think it’s something you can understand. If I had to describe it in a sufficient manner… A forest rich in spirit and life.”

“That’s quite vague, yes…”

“I apologise, this isn’t something I can really explain… I believe the closest would be a forest with little presence of monsters. Fairykin and monsters are at odds and a forest that can be a home for us fairykin is one that can protect us from the monsters. They know and avoid it in turn.”

“A forest with few monsters… Mhm, that’s indeed not something I can easily find out without a local.”

The Elder tilted her head, watching Korwen muttering and thinking to himself.

“May I ask why the interest, Mr Korwen?”

“Ahhh, well… Depending on the outcome of this situation, we might be able to gain a permanent home base. I know that one of the most likely candidates has vast forests nearby, so I wondered if those would qualify for you elves.”

“A… permanent… home base?”

“Yes.”

The Elder’s eyes went as wide as saucers and with her mouth agape, she stared at Korwen. A moment later, she crouched down, holding her head and groaning.

“Mr Korwen! You! You are truly a terrible person!”

“What? Because I was thinking of solutions as well?”

“... How much… How much was planned?”

“To be honest, I completely forgot about your situation until you called for me.”

“... But you still knew when you came here?”

“Of course.”

Still crouched down, she groaned once more.

“This was a mistake! This definitely was a mistake! The devil… This man has to be the devil incarnate!”

“It’s a little odd having an elf speak about the devil, you know? I thought you worshipped the Great Spirits.”

“We do but… That’s irrelevant now! You! Why did you not tell me earlier!”

“Ahaha!”

“Do not laugh it off!”

The Elder stared at him from her crouched down position. Her tone suggested she should be angry but… Her expression definitely wasn’t. Why was she smiling? Seriously, what was going on with these two?

“Haa… Tricked… This man tricked me… Do I have no choice but to get tricked by you humanoids?”

“Well, if that’s what you want to believe, I won’t stop you.”

“...”

“But, didn’t you still get all you wished for this way?”

“...”

Her gaze lowered and she stared at the ground.

“I guess I did. But still, that doesn’t change that you are a terrible man. I will never understand how some of my sisters can find any appeal in men when they are like you.”

“That’s quite rude now, isn’t it?”

“Yet,it is the truth, isn’t it...”

She finally stood up again, patting her legs that had gotten a little dusty.

“I will overlook the matter this time. Still, know that I cannot approve of the way you do things. Even if they are for the other’s sake, it makes it hard to show gratitude.”

Nn?

Suddenly, the Elder bowed once again towards Korwen.

“Mr Korwen, once more, I am grateful that you have accepted my request. We elven sisters shall serve with all our heart. That the future may offer us a sweet fruit to share in sisterhood. Though, I guess in comradery is the better term, here.”

“... You make it hard to respond when you are so upfront about it.”

“Take it as my little bit of revenge.”

“I guess so…”

With a big grin, Korwen spread his arms wide.

“I welcome you and your elven sisters to the Lomerian Dragon Knights.”