It’s Ko-Fi’s Supporters’ chapter (108/119), enjoy~
ED: Lonely-matter
Chapter 6 – Royal Bloodline
Part 1
──The honored one.
Whenever Ain passed by an Elf, he was greeted with such a call. There was no lack of respect when they were in the royal capital, but here in Sith Mill, it went even further.
(It’s an amazing place, by the way.)
Even in Sith Mill, the place where the Elves live has a different atmosphere.
The place was open but surrounded by several huge trees. The trees grew horizontally, diagonally, and in every direction, and on the thick branches that grew horizontally; there were tree houses and stairs made of cut wood.
Many of the houses built on the ground were also made from thick stumps. There were also spiral staircases, and some of the houses were made of multiple layers of treehouse floors.
The fountain at the center also caught Ain’s attention.
The water from the spring was said to flow down to the spring where the sun tree was located. If you follow the flow, you could see that it was a water vein that leads to the valley.
All that remained was the chief’s mansion.
The mansion was located at the far end of the site and had a particularly strong presence. The entire structure was a large stump, perhaps a hundred meters in diameter. Sierra told him that the chief’s mansion was built by hollowing out such a large stump.
She suggested.
“I have prepared a room for you in the mansion.”
But Ain shook his head and firmly refused.
“I’m staying at Chris’s house, so it’s okay.”
Sylvird told him that he should do so for safety reasons. Chris had already given her consent, so it wasn’t a decision Ain had made on his own.
“I would like to go to the chief’s mansion after dinner. Is it okay if we go later in the evening?”
“Very well. I’ll let the chief know.”
They parted shortly after confirming the schedule, and Chris led Ain to her house.
◇ ◇ ◇
Chris’s house was on the outskirts of the area. It was made of a stump about the size of a normal house, and there were wooden steps leading up to the entrance.
──Creak.
When the thick wooden door with a lovely round appearance was opened, a creaking sound echoed around the entrance.
The sun’s rays were beginning to filter through the windows, but the room was dimly lit due to its location in the forest.
“I’ll brighten it up.”
Chris touched a crystal-like sphere nearby, seemingly familiar with the room. Then the lights hanging from the ceiling and the lamps on the walls instantly lit up, illuminating the whole house.
“That’s a magic tool, right?”
“Yes. My sister and I bought two magic tools with our first salary.”
“Heh… By the way, what’s the other one?”
“The other one is that one!”
She pointed to a wooden box with several air inlets on it.
“It was very expensive. It’s a cleaning tool. …We were always away from home, so we bought it to keep the dust from accumulating.”
Chris gave him a soft impression as she explained happily.
The way she walked with her hands folded behind her back at her waist, humming a song, was very special. Although she had always been lightly dressed, when she took off her armor, she also took off her knight’s jacket, hung it on the wall, and put on a white shirt and knight’s skirt, unbuttoning one button on the shirt.
“So that’s why the room was so clean.”
“Hahaha… I couldn’t invite Ain-sama if I didn’t have it.”
Chris shook her long blond hair and looked back at Ain, and she blushed shyly. The sound of the wooden floor clicking as she walked was pleasant.
“Please take a seat if you like.”
She smiled bitterly and motioned for Ain to sit down.
“Hmm, thanks.”
The house’s atmosphere was warm and inviting, with beautiful wood furniture everywhere you looked.
The orange glow of the lights also made it a very relaxing environment. In the center of the room, there was a large table made of stumps. Next to the table were some wooden chairs and a brown leather sofa.
“Can I sit on the sofa?”
“Of course. Please sit and wait. I’ll get you a cold drink and warm up the food Martha-san provided us.”
“When did you get that…?”
“Well, I’m not much of a cook, so she was very considerate.”
As expected of Martha. She probably stored the food in a magic tool or something and gave it to Chris.
“But it’s okay! If it’s just heating it up, I can do it as well!”
Chris, who was very determined, left Ain and headed for the kitchen through the door in the corner of the room.
Ain, who was left behind, turned his eyes to the scenery outside the window.
The Sith Mill, illuminated by reddish light, made Ain feel nostalgic. It’s a strangely calming view that seems to wash over him.
It would be nice to sit on the sofa and look out until the food gets warm.
“Oh, this is good.”
It was a comfortable sofa with an addictively soft texture.
“Chris, what’s inside this sofa?”
Chris, who was in the kitchen, heard Ain’s voice and peeked out of the door.
“Do you like it?”
“I think I like it so much that I’d rather have it in the castle. That’s why I was curious about the contents.”
“I didn’t use anything expensive, you know. The contents are a type of sap.”
“──Eh.”
“Oh, there is a sap that swells when heated. You collect it, wash it clean, and then heat it with magic to make it swell.”
That’s rubber-like stuff.
Ain remembered the word from his almost faded memories of his previous life and was amazed at the Elven technology.
“I wonder if we can put a similar kind of seat in the castle?”
“Leave it to me! As long as we have the sap, I can make it myself!”
It didn’t seem to be a secret technology, so Chris easily agreed. It felt like he got a little souvenir, and Ain was in a good mood.
“Does that mean this sofa is also handmade by Chris?”
“Ugh… Actually, I made it clumsily, but I did my best. Please don’t look at it in detail!”
(Wow!)
She says it’s clumsily made, but she carefully sewed the leather together and filled it, so Ain has no idea what’s clumsy about it.
Suddenly.
Ain’s stomach rumbled with the sound of hunger.
He also noticed that his legs and feet were heavier than he had expected sitting on the sofa.
“I guess I was more tired than I thought.”
He muttered with a sigh, his eyelids grew heavy, and a drowsy sensation gradually overtook him.
Even though he had taken a break, it was natural for his body to want to sleep after half a day of walking on a difficult path.
In addition, he couldn’t help but feel that the atmosphere of Chris’s house was also affecting him. The gentle and warm atmosphere that she had created continued to give Ain a sense of relaxation.
Let’s take a break after we eat, Ain said in a whisper.
As if in response to Ain’s thoughts, Chris’s voice reached him.
“Please wait a little longer.”
Chris’s voice came from the kitchen, and he replied, “Okay,” and clapped his cheeks to get his energy up.
Let’s eat and regain some energy. He steeled himself for the conversation with the chief.
◇ ◇ ◇
After eating and resting for about an hour, Chris took Ain outside. The destination was the mansion where the chief resided.
To meet the chief, Ain wore a formal cloak and carried a black sword on his waist.
As he walked in this attire, he felt refreshed and noticed that the atmosphere outside was different from before.
Torches had been set up at regular intervals around the area. Along with the torches, the moonlight reflected off the fountain, creating a unique atmosphere.
Compared to the daytime, the streets were much less crowded, and there were only a few guards and adults outside. When they saw Ain, they immediately put their hands on their chests and bowed their heads. They all had their hands on their left chests when he looked at them closely.
“What does it mean when an Elf puts their hand on their left chest?”
“It’s an action to show loyalty to the other person. It is not done between friends or family. The magic stone is on the opposite side of the chest, meaning that it is ── an offering of the core.”
“The magic stone… I see. The Elves’ magic stone is on their right chest.”
The heat and the feel of that moment came back to his left hand. It was around the time when Ain was troubled when he noticed the tombstone of the first king, Gail.
Then Chris seemed to have guessed what Ain was thinking and said with a blush.
“Please don’t remember that… It’s so embarrassing.”
When they thought about it, they had been bold with each other. No wonder they felt embarrassed.
“We’re right in front of the chief’s mansion! Look! That’s the chief’s mansion!”
“I see. Sierra-san’s there too.”
Sierra was standing at the entrance of the mansion.
And next to her, a strong male Elf is waiting. He was slightly taller than Ain. His long blond hair, typical of Elves, was loosely bound in a single strand, and he wore leather armor.
He carries a large sword on his back, which is unusual for an Elf.
“Who is the man next to Sierra-san?”
“That’s the warrior leader, Silas-san. He’s the strongest one here.”
As Ain looked through Chris’s profile, he could see that he had come in front of the chief’s mansion, and he had a stern expression on his face. Ain was about to ask who was stronger between him and Chris, but he swallowed this question.
After a dozen seconds of walking, Sierra saw Ain and said:
“We’ve been waiting for you. The chief is waiting for you inside.”
“Thank you. I’ll go with Chris.”
Ain replied, and Chris stepped forward to go inside.
Then Silas, who had been waiting for him, said in a low voice:
“I’d like you to wait a moment.”
For Chris, it was as if he was blocking Ain’s movement.
Perhaps that was why Chris said it in a slightly prickly manner.
“What do you want?”
“As I’m sure you know, Chris-dono, no one is allowed to bring weapons to the chief’s room. I’m sorry, but I would like to take charge of the weapons of the two of you.”
Oh, so that’s how it is.
Ain put his hand on his belt when he heard a convincing reason, but Chris next to him shook his head and answered.
“I can’t do that this time. It is the crown prince who will meet the chief. There is only one person in this country who can give orders to the crown prince, and that is His Majesty King Sylvird.”
It was not an unreasonable story.
Elves are allowed a certain amount of autonomy to live in this land, but that doesn’t mean that the chief is in a higher position than the royalty.
“I’m fine with it.”
Ain was worried that he might antagonize the Elves, but Chris didn’t back down.
“This is the only thing I can’t compromise. It’s to protect Ain-sama’s body.”
She was right, of course.
“I understand what you’re saying, but then we’ll have to follow the customary──.”
On the other hand, Silas seemed to want to keep the customary way, and he was still confused when he heard Chris’s words.
When Ain was thinking of an alternative plan, Sierra interrupted them with a small cough.
“──I’ll take care of this matter.”
“Sierra-dono!”
“You can’t force the custom on the two of them. In particular, the crown prince was welcomed by the tree spirits and was personally invited by the chief. It would be impolite to impose our customs on him.”
“…I understand. If you say so, it is not my place to interfere.”
When he reluctantly agreed, Sierra invited Ain inside the mansion.
Thanks for the chapter
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