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Chapter 72

The elves, known as the Forest Guides, have another nickname among the mercenary elves. With the power of elves, the lush forest willingly shows beautiful shortcuts to the elves and their party in one breath.

Following that path means receiving the Blessing of the Forest, allowing for a significant reduction in travel time… or so the legend from the original tale goes. It was a feature implemented in the game as well.

For example, transporting troops that would take 30 days can be cut down to 15 days. Or the round trip for a request can be reduced from 15 days to 7 days. Of course, this requires having an elf in the party.

In this game, time is more valuable than gold. So, in the early stages, it is recommended to include an elf heroine in the party for efficient management. That way, you can save time.

Of course, there are veterans like me who have grown tired of cliché builds and have tried various alternatives. But honestly, even current veteran builds aren’t any help.

Leaving aside whether I can return immediately, my life was on the line. I wanted to come back alive, not die horribly here.

In that sense, traveling with Clara seemed like a divine decision. We arrived at the Elven Forest in a very short time. I marveled softly as I inspected the forest.

Unlike a typical forest, it was a dense and flourishing woodland, not just a tangled jungle. It felt like looking at a neatly organized emerald forest. I turned to Clara and asked,

“Do the elves manage the forest?”

“No, the elves don’t intentionally prune branches or anything. They love nature as it is.”

“So, that means the mere presence of elves allows the forest to prosper like this.”

I had gained new knowledge. This wasn’t something applied in the game either. Honestly, aside from the initial mercenary work and time-saving aspects, elves weren’t that distinctive as a race.

In fact, the community often responded that beauty equals performance. However, with the current patch, it’s undeniably reassuring to have them as allies. We continued onward.

“Stop right there! Identify yourself or I’ll shoot!”

“Aunt Amelie!!”

“That voice, could it really be Clara?!”

“Yep! It’s me, Clara!”

After walking a bit further, a voice called from deeper in the forest. Clara shouted in joy, recognizing the familiar voice. Then, the owner of that voice came running towards us.

An elf wearing a dress made of leaves and with purple hair approached. She had white skin and beautiful features typical of elves, yet felt different from the others.

If Clara and Cluna were model students, Amelie seemed like a playful student. To be blunt, she felt like a troublemaker. Amelie looked at me and said,

“Oh my, so you must be the new Commander of the Royal Knights?”

“How did you know that?”

“Cluna told me~ She just came back to the Elven Forest recently!”

“I see, so she told you, huh?”

“The emotional reunion can wait for later.”

I quickly shifted the topic upon noticing Clara’s expression darkening. Managing mental states was obviously a duty of the commander. Especially at such a dark moment.

“Huh? What’s that about? Ah! Did Cluna not tell you anything?”

“That’s as far as it goes.”

“Yes, yes~ I understand~.”

Amelie smirked mischievously and turned away. Suddenly, it was just me and Clara left. Stuck in silence, I couldn’t think of anything to say. Then, Clara took a deep breath.

“Huff!”

Her sudden outburst startled me, but I didn’t let it show. It would be troublesome if Clara got off track just because I pretended to be surprised. I cleared my throat and calmly reassured Clara.

“Calm down, Clara. You can’t do anything if you’re excited.”

“It’s okay, Commander. I’ve already made up my mind.”

“You’ve made up your mind?”

“Just like you said, I’ll listen and judge for myself. That’s the only way to know.”

“I see. That’s the right thing to do.”

Only after hearing Clara’s determination was I able to finally feel relieved. Thankfully, it seemed my care had successfully steadied Clara. Goodness, what a relief.

Having come this far, if her mental state broke down… I genuinely wouldn’t know how to handle it. I sighed. Now, all that was left was for Cluna to explain everything properly to Clara.

One worry was her icy demeanor, but if Cluna truly valued her daughter more than anyone, she would surely explain everything thoroughly to Clara.

That’s what I thought.

“Quickly return to Lionheart Fortress, Clara.”

“Why do you never tell me anything?!”

“That’s something you don’t need to know! Just listen to your mother!”

Before I got sandwiched between the mother-daughter showdown.

“……”

What the hell do you want me to do?

*

First off, it’s clear that Cluna and Clara have a harmonious relationship. Sure, they just moments ago looked ready to claw each other’s eyes out, but overall, there’s no real problem.

However, if you ask whether they appear to be a normal family, it’s not that simple either. Both Cluna and Clara are hiding something from each other. Cluna seeks to protect while Clara desires recognition. Similar yet different, their desires keep them close yet distant. Not a good situation at all; eventually, everyone ends up wounded.

And the biggest issue is my position wedged between them. I can’t unilaterally side with one because I’m their commander. My influence runs deeper.

If that happens, it can inadvertently hurt the other side. But if I just sit still and maintain neutrality, it’s clear the conflict will escalate into a catastrophe.

In short, I need to respect both their positions while providing an alternative that allows for mutual agreement. A twisted mother-daughter relationship, that is. To put it simply,

I’m screwed.

Real fact, no arguments allowed.

Isn’t one of those age-old problems to stay out of family issues? That’s how complicated and sensitive family matters can be.

And that’s the reason I’m here. I silently crossed my arms, observing Clara. Clara was lying face-down on the bed, looking utterly miserable.

I wondered if speaking to her might just lead to me catching her mood. I shook my head vigorously. This isn’t a contagious disease, for crying out loud! I cleared my throat and spoke.

“Well, at least there’s still hope.”

“Hope? What hope?”

“We can figure things out properly here.”

“My mother told me to go back! She still treats me like a child!!”

It was a sad reality that I couldn’t deny Clara’s anger. As a third party, even I could see that Cluna’s attitude was overly cold. Just like she was dealing with a young child.

Of course, Clara is young for an elf. However, as a member of the Royal Knights, she has faithfully performed her duties. So, it’s only right that she receives appropriate treatment.

But that doesn’t mean I could just blame Cluna. For a mother who loves her daughter so much to speak so seriously, there must be significant circumstances behind it.

In the end, I found myself in a situation where I needed to represent Cluna’s feelings without poking Clara’s nerves. I seriously considered throwing in the towel; the answer was always the same.

“I’m not just sweet-talking here. We haven’t confirmed anything directly, have we?”

Oh, how nice it would be if I could do whatever I wanted in life. Winning the lottery and not having to work, just playing and eating all day. Who would want to go to a company?

Just like that. No matter how much I didn’t want to do something, there were things that needed doing. Even if it rots, I’m still the Commander of the Royal Knights. I can’t neglect my duty as a commander. I slowly raised my hand.

As my cold hand touched Clara’s shoulder, she jumped in surprise like a spring. I thought her reaction was a bit excessive, but I decided to let it go for now.

“You wanted to see things with your own eyes. But is this truly what you saw?”

“What do you mean? Mother told me to go back.”

“Whether that’s sincere or not, how could we know?”

“……That’s.”

“Until you check for yourself, no one will know.”

What’s needed right now is a little hope. If there’s something we can do, a person can rise again. Even if it’s just a sliver of hope. That’s enough.

Clara looked at me for a moment, then wiped her tears and stood up.

I nodded at that sight.

Looks like we’ve managed to overcome one hurdle.


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