After that, I decided to be a little more proactive.
Rather than thinking about it, it came naturally.
I had noticed that Al’s polite manner of speaking was an act.
The truth is much different.
I wanted to be bold and ask Al for a favor.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“We’re not …… friends or comrades, are we?”
Al stiffened for a moment and turned his head to the side.
His cheeks had turned a little red.
It’s times like this that I feel like he’s 16.
“You’re right …… We’re not officially dating, but …… It’s not that I haven’t declared it official …… and it’s not that I don’t have any intentions ……”
Unusually, he became flustered.
I was so happy that I hugged Al spontaneously.
Al was surprised, but he gave me a big hug.
I left it to the momentum and made a request.
“Hey, when it’s just the two of us, please speak frankly. Don’t be your usual acting polite.”
“Erm ……”
“Please. I don’t want to feel distant.”
A moment of silence.
Al’s face looked like he resigned.
“All right, I get it.”
Yes! Inwardly, I struck a gut pose.
◆◇◆◇◆
After that, when it was just the two of us, Al’s tone became more normal and a little rough.
I’m a woman too, and the thought that I’m special to Al makes me grin when I’m alone.
Once, Vana saw me and gave me a bad time ……
One day, Al started talking about the future.
And when he asked me to come to his place.
I was so happy, but I …… couldn’t help but use a teasing tone of voice to hide my embarrassment.
“Is that a …… proposal, by any chance?”
It’s the usual pattern, but he simply quickly.
“That’s how it is.”
I can’t seem to win.
I wonder if one day I’ll be able to win.
More importantly, I don’t want Al to hesitate and worry when it comes to our marriage.
I wondered if it was okay for an elf to enter an aristocrat’s home, but it quickly disappeared from my mind.
Never in my life had I been so overwhelmed by emotion.
After we got out, my fate changed completely.
The pilgrimage was over, and we were dismissed.
It was a lot of fun, and I was very sad to see it end.
It was even harder to say goodbye to Al.
So I kissed him myself.
◆◇◆◇◆
After that, I crossed the mountains without hesitation and headed for the hidden village.
They’re cautious of humans in Ravenna, but they’re not to elves.
I followed the landmarks my father had taught me and arrived at the village.
Naturally, they were wary of me.
I couldn’t see them, but I could sense their presence, so I decided to tell them my name.
“I am Milva, daughter of Milka Rayala. I am here in accordance with a past pact.”
“A person from Rayala, huh?”
A few elves showed up.
“If it comes to pacts, where’s Milka?”
“Yes.”
When the waters have cooled, my daughter will come here after I’m killed.
(T/N: Her father said this part, but the next sentence is not.)
My father had made a pact with the village chief.
“Then I will take you to the village chief.”
“Please.”
I was led to the tree at the back of the house.
The village chief, who looked young but was over five hundred years old, was sitting there quietly.
“You have come well. Daughter of Rayala.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Vernelli.”
“It is safe here. You can rest assured.”
“That’s the thing …… Do you know? That the Della Scala family, a great aristocratic family, is planning to develop this area?”
The village murmurs.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I got to know the person in charge of the planned development and heard it firsthand.”
The village murmurs further.
『You can’t trust people!』
(T/N: A villager said this part.)
Of course not.
That’s what I thought, too.
Vernelli raised his hand, and the noise died down.
“What makes you so sure, daughter of Rayala?”
“He is worthy of our trust. He declares the <falsehoods of the world> to be false.”
The falsehoods of the world are the blind belief in the righteousness of the apostles.
It is a term used by those who have fallen away from the blessings of the apostles against those who blindly believe.
The village was murmuring again.
『Isn’t that a cover? Are they from the church to expose heresy?』
Those who do not believe in the righteousness of the apostles are called heretics by the church.
In order to flush them out, the Inquisitors go around the country.
If they find someone suspicious, they dare to question the apostles’ doctrine.
If they agree, they are executed as heretics.
Not only do they expose them, but they do the same even if they are already considered heretics.
It’s a rumored existence, but …… it’s not surprising if they do exist.
That’s probably why my parents were killed.
Such an inquisitor will not say that something is wrong.
Vernelli opened his mouth.
“Did he declare it false?”
“Yes, he declared it wrong.”
The village was murmuring again.
My senses were paralyzed, but …… Al’s words and actions were out of the ordinary in many ways.
“There is no falsehood in the words of the daughter of Rayala. What does he intend to do with the land?”
“He says he will create a world …… where people like us don’t have to hide.”
『That’s a pipe dream!』
『It is impossible for a man to create a world!』
『That’s falsehood!”』
That’s what most people think.
“But I believe that he will do it.”
Vernelli asked after a moment of silence.
“…… Believe what?”
“I will be his companion and walk with him.”
The murmuring in the village reached a climax.
Vernelli held up his hand to stop the commotion.
And silently urged me to say the next words.
“I think you should all wait and see what he does.”
“So you’re saying that Rayala’s daughter will be a bridge between him and us?”
“Yes.”
『What will happen if Rayala’s daughter is deceived!』
The question naturally arose.
“Then …… we will hide ourselves again. For now, believe the words of Rayala’s daughter, and see what his people do. Originally, if the hand of the child of man had reached the land, it would have been a matter of leaving or hiding. There must be another way.”
The murmuring subsided, and Vernelli continued.
“When do we go to him? Daughter of Rayala.”
“It will take some time …… but for us, it will only be a moment.”
“Good. When the time is right, you may leave the forest.”
How will we know if Al is here?
If you are the chief of the elves, you are naturally in tune with them.
As long as you are within the limits of the forest, you can get some idea of what’s going on.
So the chief will tell us.
Suddenly, I remembered Al.
(Rayala’s daughter, you say, what would you call them if they had more than one child?)
I smile nostalgically, thinking that he will definitely ask me that.
Elves rarely have children, so it’s almost always one.
Sometimes they have two, so they distinguish them by their older daughter or something.
I had a conversation with my imagination.
It seems that my disease of wanting to see him was more serious than I thought.
After that, I decided to be a little more proactive.
Rather than thinking about it, it came naturally.
I had noticed that Al’s polite manner of speaking was an act.
The truth is much different.
I wanted to be bold and ask Al for a favor.
“I have a favor to ask.”
“What is it?”
“We’re not …… friends or comrades, are we?”
Al stiffened for a moment and turned his head to the side.
His cheeks had turned a little red.
It’s times like this that I feel like he’s 16.
“You’re right …… We’re not officially dating, but …… It’s not that I haven’t declared it official …… and it’s not that I don’t have any intentions ……”
Unusually, he became flustered.
I was so happy that I hugged Al spontaneously.
Al was surprised, but he gave me a big hug.
I left it to the momentum and made a request.
“Hey, when it’s just the two of us, please speak frankly. Don’t be your usual acting polite.”
“Erm ……”
“Please. I don’t want to feel distant.”
A moment of silence.
Al’s face looked like he resigned.
“All right, I get it.”
Yes! Inwardly, I struck a gut pose.
◆◇◆◇◆
After that, when it was just the two of us, Al’s tone became more normal and a little rough.
I’m a woman too, and the thought that I’m special to Al makes me grin when I’m alone.
Once, Vana saw me and gave me a bad time ……
One day, Al started talking about the future.
And when he asked me to come to his place.
I was so happy, but I …… couldn’t help but use a teasing tone of voice to hide my embarrassment.
“Is that a …… proposal, by any chance?”
It’s the usual pattern, but he simply quickly.
“That’s how it is.”
I can’t seem to win.
I wonder if one day I’ll be able to win.
More importantly, I don’t want Al to hesitate and worry when it comes to our marriage.
I wondered if it was okay for an elf to enter an aristocrat’s home, but it quickly disappeared from my mind.
Never in my life had I been so overwhelmed by emotion.
After we got out, my fate changed completely.
The pilgrimage was over, and we were dismissed.
It was a lot of fun, and I was very sad to see it end.
It was even harder to say goodbye to Al.
So I kissed him myself.
◆◇◆◇◆
After that, I crossed the mountains without hesitation and headed for the hidden village.
They’re cautious of humans in Ravenna, but they’re not to elves.
I followed the landmarks my father had taught me and arrived at the village.
Naturally, they were wary of me.
I couldn’t see them, but I could sense their presence, so I decided to tell them my name.
“I am Milva, daughter of Milka Rayala. I am here in accordance with a past pact.”
“A person from Rayala, huh?”
A few elves showed up.
“If it comes to pacts, where’s Milka?”
“Yes.”
When the waters have cooled, my daughter will come here after I’m killed.
(T/N: Her father said this part, but the next sentence is not.)
My father had made a pact with the village chief.
“Then I will take you to the village chief.”
“Please.”
I was led to the tree at the back of the house.
The village chief, who looked young but was over five hundred years old, was sitting there quietly.
“You have come well. Daughter of Rayala.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Vernelli.”
“It is safe here. You can rest assured.”
“That’s the thing …… Do you know? That the Della Scala family, a great aristocratic family, is planning to develop this area?”
The village murmurs.
“Is that true?”
“Yes. I got to know the person in charge of the planned development and heard it firsthand.”
The village murmurs further.
『You can’t trust people!』
(T/N: A villager said this part.)
Of course not.
That’s what I thought, too.
Vernelli raised his hand, and the noise died down.
“What makes you so sure, daughter of Rayala?”
“He is worthy of our trust. He declares the <falsehoods of the world> to be false.”
The falsehoods of the world are the blind belief in the righteousness of the apostles.
It is a term used by those who have fallen away from the blessings of the apostles against those who blindly believe.
The village was murmuring again.
『Isn’t that a cover? Are they from the church to expose heresy?』
Those who do not believe in the righteousness of the apostles are called heretics by the church.
In order to flush them out, the Inquisitors go around the country.
If they find someone suspicious, they dare to question the apostles’ doctrine.
If they agree, they are executed as heretics.
Not only do they expose them, but they do the same even if they are already considered heretics.
It’s a rumored existence, but …… it’s not surprising if they do exist.
That’s probably why my parents were killed.
Such an inquisitor will not say that something is wrong.
Vernelli opened his mouth.
“Did he declare it false?”
“Yes, he declared it wrong.”
The village was murmuring again.
My senses were paralyzed, but …… Al’s words and actions were out of the ordinary in many ways.
“There is no falsehood in the words of the daughter of Rayala. What does he intend to do with the land?”
“He says he will create a world …… where people like us don’t have to hide.”
『That’s a pipe dream!』
『It is impossible for a man to create a world!』
『That’s falsehood!”』
That’s what most people think.
“But I believe that he will do it.”
Vernelli asked after a moment of silence.
“…… Believe what?”
“I will be his companion and walk with him.”
The murmuring in the village reached a climax.
Vernelli held up his hand to stop the commotion.
And silently urged me to say the next words.
“I think you should all wait and see what he does.”
“So you’re saying that Rayala’s daughter will be a bridge between him and us?”
“Yes.”
『What will happen if Rayala’s daughter is deceived!』
The question naturally arose.
“Then …… we will hide ourselves again. For now, believe the words of Rayala’s daughter, and see what his people do. Originally, if the hand of the child of man had reached the land, it would have been a matter of leaving or hiding. There must be another way.”
The murmuring subsided, and Vernelli continued.
“When do we go to him? Daughter of Rayala.”
“It will take some time …… but for us, it will only be a moment.”
“Good. When the time is right, you may leave the forest.”
How will we know if Al is here?
If you are the chief of the elves, you are naturally in tune with them.
As long as you are within the limits of the forest, you can get some idea of what’s going on.
So the chief will tell us.
Suddenly, I remembered Al.
(Rayala’s daughter, you say, what would you call them if they had more than one child?)
I smile nostalgically, thinking that he will definitely ask me that.
Elves rarely have children, so it’s almost always one.
Sometimes they have two, so they distinguish them by their older daughter or something.
I had a conversation with my imagination.
It seems that my disease of wanting to see him was more serious than I thought.
