Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
「I avoided hitting your vital organs」, I told the wailing Van. 「You won’t die so easily.」
Greasy sweat trickled down his body.
「Am I gonna die…?」, he asked through tears.
「What did I just say?」
It was as if he had never sustained an injury before. Finding him too noisy, I quickly performed sanity protection measures and carried both him and Lyla out with the help of Almeria and Elvi who had just arrived. Rodje and Orlando rejoined us soon after, and the former burst into tears at the sight of her master.
「Lylael-sama! Y-You can’t die…!」
「Van said she’s protected by magic. She’ll be fine.」
With that, the seven of us blinked back to my house.
「They’re not too beaten up」, said Seraphin.
I had visited King Randolph’s castle hoping that the High Priest could take a look at Van and Lyla. She had agreed, and after a quick examination, cast healing magic to patch them up. Their wounds closed up and began healing right before our eyes.
Van had been unconscious ever since we arrived at my house, and I was grateful for the peace and quiet. Rodje stood next to Lyla and watched over her diligently — at least until she suddenly tried to join her master in bed.
「What are you doing, hentai elf?」
「I’m sharing my warmth with her」, she replied with a straight face.
Seraphin said that she would go to the living room.
「So what will you do with Van, human?」
「Right… I think I’ll leave Elvi to handle him.」
Van had not only been the mastermind behind King Reubens’ assassination, but also the one who had handed Elvi the demon sword. If he turned out to have no hard feelings, I was fine with having him join the guild as an adventurer. He had a good skill, after all.
That being said, Elvi wasn’t likely to let him off that easily.
I headed for the living room as well, leaving Rodje to accompany Lyla.
「What should we do about the Jorvenssen region?」, asked Almeria as I entered the room.
「For one, we can cleanse the kingdom of the ‘Resurrected’. Alternatively, we can leave the area as a no-man’s-land. A third option is placing it under some kingdom’s jurisdiction.」
I believed that the ladies would agree with one of the options.
Almeria sighed.
「I think the first one is a no-go, Roland.」
「Mhm. It’s not their fault that they were ‘Resurrected’」, agreed Elvi.
Seraphin appeared with a bottle of wine and a glass. That’s from Lyla’s stockpile, I thought, but decided to allow it.
「I don’t understand the second one」, said Orlando.
「We leave it as it is」, I explained. 「It belongs to no one and listens to no one. Though we will have to keep the area free of brigands, that can always be arranged with the help of the adventurers’ guild.」
We’d have to make sure the adventurers knew what they were getting into, though — I doubted that anyone would pay much for this quest, and the commission rate would therefore be low as well.
「Roland. Orla can keep the place safe.」
「That’s good to hear, but the salary will be a little wanting.」
「No problem.」
「Then I will let you know once the quest is ready.」
「Great!」
I could discuss the matter with King Randolph, but I had a hunch that he would be in favour of the third option. He would also naturally wish for Jorvenssen to fall under Ferland’s jurisdiction. Once word of the area no longer being dangerous got around, the population would certainly increase.
I decided that it was better not to let it fall into anyone’s hands.
「Elvi」, I said. 「You decide what to do with Van.」
「Roger that.」
A while later, the two elves excused themselves to catch up with each other. Almeria and Seraphin also decided to head home. Elvi, too, left with the prisoner I had entrusted to her.
I sat alone, taking small sips of wine at a time.
「Want a drink?」, I said when Lyla opened the bedroom door.
「I was looking forward to drinking it when I chose it. You have quite the gall to drink it alone.」
Instead of sitting next to me, she plopped herself down on the opposite sofa. Our eyes met, and she tried to say something, but couldn’t. She looked away.
「I’ve caused you a lot of trouble」, she said after a long silence.
「Did you want to be there?」
「Not particularly.」
「I think your desire to assist the kingdom in its restoration is commendable.」
Knowing that I wasn’t trying to praise her, she looked even gloomier than before.
「But don’t think something like that can cleanse your guilt」, I continued. 「No matter what happens, you will bear the burden of your crimes till the day you die. Don’t look for salvation. Don’t run away from retribution. Life isn’t so kind.」
Though our crimes differed in magnitude, we were both criminals nonetheless. I found that it allowed us to understand each other.
「I was planning to return once the restoration got into gear.」
「Then you could have said that before you left. I was worried sick.」
「Really?」, her expression brightening up.
「And if I was lying?」
「You went all the way to Jorvenssen just to find me?」
「It’s because that idiot elf didn’t return.」
Lyla chuckled.
「That’s Rodje for you.」
「We ran into a fake copy of you that Van had created.」
「How was she?」
「Quite well-made. I wouldn’t fault anyone for being unable to tell the difference between me and my doppelganger either.」
「Did you sleep with her…?」, snarled Lyla, her eyes narrowing.
「I didn’t have the time to do that.」
Lyla sighed loudly. She had previously expressed that she had no problem with me spreading my seed however I liked, yet seemed uncomfortable with the idea of her doppelganger being one of said recipients.
「So how did you tell? I knew yours was a fake because he had a right arm.」
「She was terrible at kissing.」
She got to her feet and pummeled me with her fists.
「What?」
「You kissed her!?」
「Yeah.」
「Yeah!?」, she exclaimed, emulating my voice perfectly. 「What kind of response is that!? I don’t get it! You would have assumed she was real if it had felt the same!」
「There was no other way for me to decide.」
「I’m going to teach you ‘Elucidation’ to prevent this from happening again.」
「That’ll be nice.」
「This guy…」
She sighed again, then smiled.
「I can’t get enough of you. D-Do you want to check if I’m the real thing?」
Lyla rubbed her knees together and looked at me from below. I simply shrugged.
「I doubt the real you will be any good either.」
「Try me.」
I wrapped one arm around her, and she climbed onto me. I kissed her on the cheek, her lips and her neckline among other places as if to confirm that every inch of her was authentic.
「This is your reward for saving me from the abyss」, she said, listening to my heartbeat as she leaned against my chest.
「Can’t you just thank me normally?」
「I’ll do anything tonight. You can say whatever you want.」
「Stay with me, then.」
「That’s too polite of you.」
「Be mine.」
「Mhm…」
She smiled, and we locked lips again.
In all honesty, she was just as good — or bad — at kissing as the fake had been. What had actually allowed me to tell the difference still eluded me.
I asked Lyla about it, and was met with a confident grin. Her reply was simple.
「Let’s just call it love.」
Translator: Denryuu; Editor: Ryunakama
「I avoided hitting your vital organs」, I told the wailing Van. 「You won’t die so easily.」
Greasy sweat trickled down his body.
「Am I gonna die…?」, he asked through tears.
「What did I just say?」
It was as if he had never sustained an injury before. Finding him too noisy, I quickly performed sanity protection measures and carried both him and Lyla out with the help of Almeria and Elvi who had just arrived. Rodje and Orlando rejoined us soon after, and the former burst into tears at the sight of her master.
「Lylael-sama! Y-You can’t die…!」
「Van said she’s protected by magic. She’ll be fine.」
With that, the seven of us blinked back to my house.
「They’re not too beaten up」, said Seraphin.
I had visited King Randolph’s castle hoping that the High Priest could take a look at Van and Lyla. She had agreed, and after a quick examination, cast healing magic to patch them up. Their wounds closed up and began healing right before our eyes.
Van had been unconscious ever since we arrived at my house, and I was grateful for the peace and quiet. Rodje stood next to Lyla and watched over her diligently — at least until she suddenly tried to join her master in bed.
「What are you doing, hentai elf?」
「I’m sharing my warmth with her」, she replied with a straight face.
Seraphin said that she would go to the living room.
「So what will you do with Van, human?」
「Right… I think I’ll leave Elvi to handle him.」
Van had not only been the mastermind behind King Reubens’ assassination, but also the one who had handed Elvi the demon sword. If he turned out to have no hard feelings, I was fine with having him join the guild as an adventurer. He had a good skill, after all.
That being said, Elvi wasn’t likely to let him off that easily.
I headed for the living room as well, leaving Rodje to accompany Lyla.
「What should we do about the Jorvenssen region?」, asked Almeria as I entered the room.
「For one, we can cleanse the kingdom of the ‘Resurrected’. Alternatively, we can leave the area as a no-man’s-land. A third option is placing it under some kingdom’s jurisdiction.」
I believed that the ladies would agree with one of the options.
Almeria sighed.
「I think the first one is a no-go, Roland.」
「Mhm. It’s not their fault that they were ‘Resurrected’」, agreed Elvi.
Seraphin appeared with a bottle of wine and a glass. That’s from Lyla’s stockpile, I thought, but decided to allow it.
「I don’t understand the second one」, said Orlando.
「We leave it as it is」, I explained. 「It belongs to no one and listens to no one. Though we will have to keep the area free of brigands, that can always be arranged with the help of the adventurers’ guild.」
We’d have to make sure the adventurers knew what they were getting into, though — I doubted that anyone would pay much for this quest, and the commission rate would therefore be low as well.
「Roland. Orla can keep the place safe.」
「That’s good to hear, but the salary will be a little wanting.」
「No problem.」
「Then I will let you know once the quest is ready.」
「Great!」
I could discuss the matter with King Randolph, but I had a hunch that he would be in favour of the third option. He would also naturally wish for Jorvenssen to fall under Ferland’s jurisdiction. Once word of the area no longer being dangerous got around, the population would certainly increase.
I decided that it was better not to let it fall into anyone’s hands.
「Elvi」, I said. 「You decide what to do with Van.」
「Roger that.」
A while later, the two elves excused themselves to catch up with each other. Almeria and Seraphin also decided to head home. Elvi, too, left with the prisoner I had entrusted to her.
I sat alone, taking small sips of wine at a time.
「Want a drink?」, I said when Lyla opened the bedroom door.
「I was looking forward to drinking it when I chose it. You have quite the gall to drink it alone.」
Instead of sitting next to me, she plopped herself down on the opposite sofa. Our eyes met, and she tried to say something, but couldn’t. She looked away.
「I’ve caused you a lot of trouble」, she said after a long silence.
「Did you want to be there?」
「Not particularly.」
「I think your desire to assist the kingdom in its restoration is commendable.」
Knowing that I wasn’t trying to praise her, she looked even gloomier than before.
「But don’t think something like that can cleanse your guilt」, I continued. 「No matter what happens, you will bear the burden of your crimes till the day you die. Don’t look for salvation. Don’t run away from retribution. Life isn’t so kind.」
Though our crimes differed in magnitude, we were both criminals nonetheless. I found that it allowed us to understand each other.
「I was planning to return once the restoration got into gear.」
「Then you could have said that before you left. I was worried sick.」
「Really?」, her expression brightening up.
「And if I was lying?」
「You went all the way to Jorvenssen just to find me?」
「It’s because that idiot elf didn’t return.」
Lyla chuckled.
「That’s Rodje for you.」
「We ran into a fake copy of you that Van had created.」
「How was she?」
「Quite well-made. I wouldn’t fault anyone for being unable to tell the difference between me and my doppelganger either.」
「Did you sleep with her…?」, snarled Lyla, her eyes narrowing.
「I didn’t have the time to do that.」
Lyla sighed loudly. She had previously expressed that she had no problem with me spreading my seed however I liked, yet seemed uncomfortable with the idea of her doppelganger being one of said recipients.
「So how did you tell? I knew yours was a fake because he had a right arm.」
「She was terrible at kissing.」
She got to her feet and pummeled me with her fists.
「What?」
「You kissed her!?」
「Yeah.」
「Yeah!?」, she exclaimed, emulating my voice perfectly. 「What kind of response is that!? I don’t get it! You would have assumed she was real if it had felt the same!」
「There was no other way for me to decide.」
「I’m going to teach you ‘Elucidation’ to prevent this from happening again.」
「That’ll be nice.」
「This guy…」
She sighed again, then smiled.
「I can’t get enough of you. D-Do you want to check if I’m the real thing?」
Lyla rubbed her knees together and looked at me from below. I simply shrugged.
「I doubt the real you will be any good either.」
「Try me.」
I wrapped one arm around her, and she climbed onto me. I kissed her on the cheek, her lips and her neckline among other places as if to confirm that every inch of her was authentic.
「This is your reward for saving me from the abyss」, she said, listening to my heartbeat as she leaned against my chest.
「Can’t you just thank me normally?」
「I’ll do anything tonight. You can say whatever you want.」
「Stay with me, then.」
「That’s too polite of you.」
「Be mine.」
「Mhm…」
She smiled, and we locked lips again.
In all honesty, she was just as good — or bad — at kissing as the fake had been. What had actually allowed me to tell the difference still eluded me.
I asked Lyla about it, and was met with a confident grin. Her reply was simple.
「Let’s just call it love.」
