Eris unknowingly broke into a satisfied smile, and seeing her made me wear a similar expression.
The dish wasn’t one that required much effort, but because I had to use a lot of seasoning due to Eris’s taste, I couldn’t make it too often.
‘Considering how things have turned out, I should’ve made it more frequently.’
Well, I could start making it often from now on.
Rin and Hayun didn’t seem to fancy the food at the elf restaurant either, nor did my special dish for Eris, so they just picked at their food and set their forks down.
After finishing her meal, Eris cleared her throat, trying to re-establish the relaxed atmosphere, but the intense and authoritative demeanor she had during our first meeting had long since faded.
I was casually looking around Yggdrasil when Rin and Hayun seemed fascinated by it, but honestly, I personally felt like there was just a village under a big tree.
‘It’s only natural since I’ve lived in the forest for ten years.’
Living in the forest for ten years made it understandable.
We strolled around and finally moved toward the center of the city where the Elf Queen was located.
I came here at Eris’s invitation, but the two of them arrived through an introduction letter from Professor Veritio, who was close to the Elf Queen, so it’d be polite to greet her at least.
The roots of Yggdrasil entwined and looked as if a door had been embedded in a tree. Inside, a beautiful elf with white hair was preparing tea.
“I wondered when you would arrive.”
“I got a bit delayed due to the guidance.”
The Elf Queen handed us tea, warm to the touch but felt refreshing like eating a peppermint candy.
“Wow?”
Hayun took a sip, seeming intrigued, and the Elf Queen readily poured more, seemingly satisfied with the reaction.
‘It seems that older elves don’t have much hostility toward other races.’
I thought it would be the opposite, but it appeared that younger elves held more disdain toward humans.
While we were being gazed at by elves along the way, most seemed unable to control their youthful vigor.
“You participated in Veritio’s play? The performance he showcased when he first came to Yggdrasil was truly shocking.”
The Elf Queen, smiling, began to discuss the play with us.
Hayun focused on talking about the props, while Rin and I discussed the story and roles.
After what felt like a casual exchange of pleasantries, I decided to ask straightforwardly.
“What does it mean to be chosen by Helios?”
Both the Elf Queen and Eris’s attention turned sharply to me. Pretending to sip her tea calmly, the Elf Queen added a word.
“Is it possible to find out about those chosen by other gods as well?”
If that’s the case, I glanced at Rin subtly.
There could be something about her too.
I had been suspecting that whatever unknown identity resided within her might actually be divine power.
“No, we don’t know about those chosen by other gods.”
“Then how did you know about Ares and Helios?”
The Elf Queen responded simply enough that I was caught off guard, gently brushing her hand along the wall behind her where Yggdrasil stood.
“Yggdrasil has a close relationship with the Sun God, so he informed us. Aside from that, we have no knowledge.”
‘A tree supporting the continent and the Sun God.’
It clearly sounds like they have a close relationship.
“Eris said he might misuse his power, so it might be necessary to nip that in the bud, but he’s still the one chosen after centuries. We can’t be hasty in our choices.”
“…”
Eris turned her head as if displeased but didn’t voice her complaints.
“By the way, Eris was also chosen by a god.”
The God of the Moon, Hunting, and Chastity, Artemis.
I wasn’t surprised because I knew she bore a mark in her eyes.
“Is it possible to check if others have divine marks too?”
“It’s impossible for us. But the individual will know best. There will be a mark appearing on their body.”
“Is that so…?”
I didn’t directly look at Rin, but I thought I would need to check later.
The Elf Queen, who answered my questions thoughtfully, then turned to me as if it were my turn.
“Do you know what kind of magical beast appeared during the festival?”
“…Ancient Magical Beasts.”
“Ancient Magical Beasts?”
“They dwell deep within the Forest of the Demon Realm.”
The moment I mentioned the name of the Forest of the Demon Realm, everyone present looked at me with wide eyes in surprise.
Whether elf or human, entering that place was said to result in instant death.
The Elf Queen’s eyes locked onto mine, seemingly questioning how I knew such information, but I didn’t shy away.
“Your resolve is admirable. You seem to have strong beliefs, just as Eris said.”
I thought she was about to interrogate me for something, but it turned out to be a compliment as she smiled gently.
“How long do you plan to stay in Yggdrasil? We can prepare a bedroom for you. However, you shouldn’t stay for too long.”
It was clear that other elves would be uncomfortable.
“Would three days be acceptable?”
“That sounds reasonable.”
The Elf Queen smiled and instructed Eris to guide us again, and we started to follow her when suddenly…
Ding ding ding ding!
The chime echoed throughout the city.
We were startled as Eris instinctively seemed ready to dash out but managed to hold back, awkwardly smiling.
“Sometimes, magical beasts from the forest attack. This seems to be that situation. We can just let the vigilante squad handle it, so let’s move.”
“…”
Eris was about to guide us again.
“No, let’s go help. Just in case.”
“Eh? But you’re guests…”
“It’s fine. We have to help somehow!”
“I’m curious about the elves’ swordsmanship as well.”
Rin and Hayun added positive comments, and Eris expressed her gratitude before sprinting in the direction of the chime.
“Thank you.”
Eris offered a subtle thanks to me for suggesting we help, and amid her running, her voice came through clearly, and I responded nonchalantly.
“You can’t stand by while something like this happens.”
“…”
I knew that despite being in the highest position, Eris often chose to be with the lower ranks to minimize any damage.
That was the natural thing to do.
*
Late at night.
Perhaps because I had slept a lot while riding the carriage, I found myself waking up at dawn on the first night in Yggdrasil.
“Ugh.”
Curious about the night scenery, I stepped out of my room and walked around when I unexpectedly stumbled upon a woman swinging a sword.
The flower fairy girl, Hayun.
Even though it was dawn, she was swinging her sword while drenched in sweat, and the swordplay was quite different from her usual Eastern style.
“Elf swordsmanship?”
Murmuring as I recalled closely observing their techniques while helping the vigilante squad hunt magical beasts earlier, Hayun noticed me and raised her hand as a signal.
As she slowly sheathed her sword and draped a towel over her shoulder, she approached me.
“Did you wake up because you slept a lot in the carriage too?”
“Yeah, and the scenery here is so beautiful that I wanted to try swinging a sword in a place like this.”
“…It is beautiful.”
The sight of hundreds of trees spreading out around the massive tree certainly wasn’t something you could see anywhere easily.
In the dark of night, it reminded me a bit of the Forest of the Demon Realm, bringing back strange memories.
“Do you like Eris?”
Hayun’s sudden question struck a nerve, and I could do nothing but be flustered.
“Wh-what?”
“No, it’s just that you’re acting very differently compared to other girls. You seem to care about her a lot and know her tastes quite well.”
“…”
I glanced at Hayun, whose usual cold expression made it hard to tell what she was thinking.
“Yeah, I do like her.”
Thinking I might as well admit it, Hayun chuckled lightly, crossing her arms.
“I’ve got quite the intuition in this area, you know?”
“…Were you trying to brag?”
“No, not at all…”
Hayun hesitated for a moment, looking around, then made a suggestion.
“Want me to help?”
“What?”
I was caught off guard, wondering what she meant, but Hayun quickly continued.
“You helped me confess to Ares, so now I’ll help you confess to Eris.”
“Are you serious?”
“Why would I joke about something like that?”
Well, there was no reason to lie.
“And I’m the confession senior, after all.”
“That’s… true.”
Though there’s a difference, I had initially planned to connect with her.
“We only have two days left. I’ll help you make things work before then.”
“I did intend to confess when we part ways in two days.”
I replied in a mumble, but Hayun widened her eyes and sighed multiple times, banging her chest in frustration.
“Confession isn’t a special move! Even if it lands, it doesn’t guarantee anything! Daniel, you foolish man, a confession is a death sentence. Just confess blindly, and it won’t lead to anything good!”
“…”
What is this?
Why does she sound like an expert?
Is this the difference between an experienced person and someone inexperienced?
“If you confess without genuine feelings, it’ll only make things uncomfortable.”
“Ah…!”
I completely understood now.
Exactly.
It would become very uncomfortable.
I was painfully aware of how it felt to be rejected yet someone keeps coming closer.
“Hayun! Then what should I do?”
I clutched my clothes and asked desperately, and Hayun confidently told me to trust her.
“Just keep doing what you’re doing now. Whether you’ve got good sensibility or a good intuition, you’ve been matching Eris’s preferences quite well. You’ll win her over slowly.”
“Okay, got it.”
I felt a spark of hope, but suddenly I remembered our current record.
Daniel McLean.
Confession Count: 0 Wins, 0 Losses
Hayun.
Confession Count: 1 Win, 0 Losses.
‘Can I gauge anything with these stats?’
Sensing something fishy, I couldn’t help but wonder why Hayun seemed so knowledgeable.
“By the way, where did you learn all this? You don’t really seem interested in this stuff.”
In response to my question, Hayun waved her hands dismissively.
“While you were preparing for the play, I often overheard Tana and Eve talking about romantic novels. They said stuff like this.”
“…”
“Why, what’s with that expression!”
You learned about love through books?
“Sigh, fine, I’ll trust you for now.”
I felt my trust suddenly drop, but I should probably be thankful she was offering to assist.
As I turned to head back to sleep, Hayun followed, seemingly disappointed by my reaction.
“No, the theory is solid, really!”
As she said this, Hayun suddenly stopped walking.
Watching Daniel McLean’s retreating figure made a strange pain throb in her chest.
It felt like something was caught in her heart.
Somehow both unpleasant yet slightly nostalgic.
But it was a different kind of pain than that of an actual injury.
“What is this?”
Wondering if it was just my imagination while trying to ignore the continuing ache, Hayun pursued Daniel’s trail.
