Kapitel 48: Chapter 48
"Here,"
At Mia's father's prompting, Satou and I got on the moving walkway, lit by footlights. We found ourselves in the midst of Bolenan Forest, making our way to the home of the Council of Elders at the foot of the World Tree. We made it to the tree using the same method we used to go from the tree village to the subterranean city: teleportation through fairy rings. Mia and her father shared a similar trait in that they both rarely explained things, and I surmised that this place could only be accessed by teleportation.
"Next. Jump,"
After receiving a few words of guidance from Mia's father, I stepped through a mysterious silver ring and began my journey. The atmosphere in the area had a contemporary feel, but the chill in the air gave the impression of taking a stroll through the woods. Adding to this was a tranquil noise, like the rustling of leaves gently moving in the wind.
The corridor ended with an automated door that opened with a hissing air sound. The first entrance opened, splitting into two segments that moved to the left and right. These doors revealed a second set that slid to the top and bottom. Beyond the pair of double doors lay a long hallway which stretched sixty feet to its end, where another set of doors awaited. It had the look of a passageway on a submarine. Beyond the large door was a tight corridor suspended above an immense hangar.
"What are...?"
"Outboard hulls,"
Mia's father answers Satou. The hangar was full of numerous silver vessels that resembled Hayato's interdimensional submarine, the Jules Verne. They were hanging in the air, with their noses pointed towards the ceiling. Toward the rear of the hangar were a pair of twin-boom aircraft, vessels of wood construction, and several traditional sailing vessels.
"Are these all airships"
"No. Just hulls,"
"They seem to be floating, though..."
"Dimension Pile,"
If my memory is correct, Dimension Pile was a Space Magic spell that allowed physical objects to be suspended in the air. He inferred that the numerous vessels in the hangar were secured by the Dimension Pile spell. I was becoming adept at completing the gaps for these elves. Surprisingly, all the ships were spotless. It was as if they had been kept away from any rust and dust.
"Fixed?"
Of course
"Mm. Practical. Protects,"
Once more, this was merely a supposition based on his few comments. Still, it is possible they employed Practical Magic to cover the outer hulls with an artificial coating that would prevent oxidation. I recalled glimpsing a description of a similar spell in the Advanced Practical Magic volume I had pored over at an aristocrat's residence in the old capital. It wouldn't work on weapons, but it could maintain an object in an unchanging state. Lords often kept items stored in their Item Boxes using this technique.
As I surveyed the ships, I noticed some elves who appeared to be engineers poking around the hulls as if they were pursuing something.
"Are you sure Traya really made a Void Ship?"
"How strange. I could've sworn it was here..."
"Jia, if it's not here, we'll have to wake Yua up from the sleep tank..."
"No, you know we can't do that,"
The quarrel between the two individuals left me puzzled. What was this mysterious 'sleep tank' they mentioned?
"Satou. Kura. Come,"
Mia's dad yanked on my sleeve, reminding me this was not our destination. After traversing the bridge and leaving the hangar, we were delivered to a luminous Floating Board that took us up an incline. Apart from us, no one else was present, and I noted several similar passages.
Once we reached our destination, the Floating Board we had been riding merged back into the ground. Before us stood a ten-foot-tall octagonal door. Unlike the corridors we had walked through, which were made of resin, this area was constructed with natural wood. With a gap opening at the apex of the octagon, the door opened like the shutter of an old-fashioned camera. The door had a classic sci-fi feel, like something you'd expect to see in an old movie.
"Satou,"
Mia's father called to him, looking over his shoulder. It looks like Satou was staring at the door for so long that he didn't realize we had entered without him. Satou quickly apologized and caught up to us.
A gigantic parliamentary-style building was situated behind the door, potentially large enough to fit more than one thousand people. A skylight shone gentle light across the passageway, unfolding a path to the platform at the rear. Satou and I took our seats with Mia's father in the middle, in a corner that brought to mind an area meant for those accused of a crime.
"Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. Hero Kura. We are most grateful for your aid,"
"Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. Hero Kura. We will not forget the debt owed you for delivering our youngest child from the clutches of the wicked sorcerer,"
"Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. Hero Kura. We wish to reward you for bringing our little one home from faraway lands."
"Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. Hero Kura. We are pleased..."
'Satou of the Shiga Kingdom, Hero Kura' - this phrase was uttered by all the elders in unison as they expressed their gratitude for us bringing Mia back home. The thankyous went on for a long time. I was taken aback that they had figured out I could speak Elvish since that was the language they were using.
Though they were elders, their age seemed not to be much greater than Mia's father's. Though they displayed an otherworldly stillness, their eyes were hard to ignore; they were as if looking into the eyes of an ancient turtle, so peacefully unyielding that it almost felt chilly if stared at for too long. I long to befriend those who have lived for thousands of years and to hear their tales of days long gone. I can only imagine what it must be like to have seen that much of history unfold.
After expressing their gratitude, a curtain in the back of the parliament room lifted, unveiling a party of elves standing on a floating platform the size of a small room. In contrast to Sara and the other maidens in the old capital, who sported Western priestess garments, the elves in this city wore attire reminiscent of Japanese shrine maidens.
They were proper shrine maidens wearing a red hakama and a white haori. However, these shrine maiden outfits weren't in your regular collection. They featured golden crowns and bells, customary for the Kagura dance, and a chihaya jacket ornamented with a mithril thread. Sadly, I could not glimpse the high elf as she was concealed by a magically suspended bamboo screen.
The glowing board halted before us after making its way along the row of elders.
"Quiet, please," The shrine maidens called, ringing their bells. "A word from Lady Holytree."
'Lady Holytree' must be referring to the high elf, which is likely her official position or a nickname. The bamboo screen slid open, revealing the high elf. The individual standing before me appeared to be far younger than Arisa, likely too young to begin school. Her looks bore a striking resemblance to Mia's, but instead of typical elf features such as blue-green hair and eyes, she had silver hair and red eyes. Like them, however, her ears were only slightly pointed.
"Hero Kura, Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. You...erm, thou hast done well to bring Misanaria to the Bolenan Forest," She sounds like Pochi and Tama when they practice using the phrases Arisa taught them for some reason. "I am very grateful to, um, thee."
She began with a confident assurance yet soon started to waver in her speech, opting for more stilted and formal terms. Something really feels off with the way she is speaking. Despite her childish appearance, her voice was generally relatively composed; yet, she spoke with an unusual and overly-dramatic tone when saying words like 'thou' and 'thee' and so on.
It felt like an anime fan attempting to do their best impersonation of a voice actor. The elders were as composed as always. However, the shrine maidens were stifling grins beneath their hands, their shoulders shaking in silent amusement. I don't know whether they are trying to play a joke on us or this poor girl.
Oh, she isn't a child at all.
"What's the mat… Um, pray tell, what troubles thee?"
The young girl tilted her head, but something caught my eye. I have been seeing it since she arrived, but I thought it had something to do with elven magic. It was only when the kid started to get flustered that I started to question it. I noticed a woman in her twenties kneeling in a timid manner, overlapping with the young girl in front of me. At first, I thought the woman was the illusion, and the shine maidens laughed at the girl's failed attempt at illusion magic. I am starting to believe the young girl is an illusion.
Satou could not take his eyes off of her, and it was no surprise why. Her natural beauty was undeniable: pale-blond locks, bright blue eyes, delicate lips, and a perfect nose. She must have been the exact type of woman he desired. It was difficult to discern beneath the white haori and the chihaya, yet her chest appeared to be either a C or D cup. I only looked when I noticed Satou's gaze. I was uncertain since she was seated, but she seemed around the same height as me. I can already hear the cries of guilty from Arisa.
"As for your reward, what do you wa…? Is there anything thine heart desires?"
The little girl's facade gave the impression of being self-assured, yet the true visage of the high elf was slightly flushed. Evidently, this comedic act was not her plan, likely a surprise organized by other elves that she had to reluctantly take part in.
"Well then, Satou of the Shiga Kingdom. As a reward, I shall allow thee one kiss,"
It really is a good thing Arisa isn't here. I can already picture her making a scene over an offer like that. At least I can see it is only part of the joke. While the girl appeared to extend her arms in a welcoming gesture and even seemed to be puckering her lips, the real woman kept her eyes down, evidently feeling ashamed.
Despite not realizing it was a joke, Satou advanced in one swift move. He then tenderly placed his hand on the true woman concealed in the illusion and leaned forward to lightly brush a kiss on her forehead. Thankfully, he didn't make the mistake of kissing her on the lips. When I saved Mia, she expressed her gratitude with a kiss on the forehead, so it looks like Satou isn't going to be in hot water for doing the same to the high elf.
She didn't react. Satou might be in trouble after all. She was as red as a lobster. Steam was practically coming out of her ears. She's as bad as Karina. She wobbled and started to fall over, but Satou hurriedly caught her. It looked like she had fainted. Did he make a mistake? Perhaps he shouldn't have done that!
<0>
"Satou of the Shiga Kingdom, Hero Kura, our sincerest apologies for Holytree's tactless blunder,"
A lone elder bowed his head apologetically in another chamber, displaying a solemn mien.
"No, I'm the one who should apologize. Was it terribly rude of me to kiss her on the forehead?"
"No, but... placing a kiss above the brow is a sacred act. We do not do such things lightly,"
It wasn't offensive or anything, which is a positive thing. I shouldn't have to worry about the elves demanding justice or anything.
"Lady Aaze is resting now in the medical office. Lua will care for her there,"
"Is she all right?"
"Yes, she'll be fine after some rest. She was simply a bit light-headed,"
The room echoed with the giggling of the shrine maidens, who had just returned.
"Still, it is common for elves who have come of age to kiss one another on the forehead. I was surprised to see Lady Aaze get so flustered,"
"Kua,"
The elder elf spoke in a deep voice, reproaching the talkative shrine maiden before turning to us.
"As we were saying before, we elves of the Bolenan clan are pleased to welcome you both to our home. Please do use the guest house until we have finished building a home for you two,"
Did I just mishear them? Are they really building a home? I'm sure they're just getting a room ready for us.
"Oh, it's not necessary for you to go to all that trouble. We're more than happy to stay in the tree house while we are here,"
"But surely a house in the trees can't be very comfortable for you, can it? Why, building a house hardly takes a year, so it's no trouble,"
The maidens at the shrine gave me a puzzled look. It became apparent that the elves' perception of time differed substantially from my understanding, as they seemed to think we would be staying with them for at least a year. I initially thought we would stay for around two weeks, but I'm now worried that our departure might appear impolite if we leave sooner than that.
"Well, even if you are content to live in a tree house, there must be some other way we can repay you for rescuing Mia. Is there anything you desire?"
"Will thank,"
"You are free to thank him personally, Laya. However, what I refer to is a gift of thanks from all the elves as a whole,"
"Mm. Okay,"
Mia's father appeared calmed by the older person's words. I hadn't returned Mia home with the intention of receiving something in return. However, I didn't feel it was the right thing to do to decline any form of gratitude. I had encountered a similar conundrum with the aristocracy of the old capital city. Thus, I determined the most prudent decision would be to request something plain.
"Then might I ask permission for us to go sightseeing in the Bolenan Forest?"
"But of course. However..."
The elder granted us permission to explore many areas. However, we were not allowed to enter elves' individual homes, studios, or restricted sections of the World Tree without authorization from the elves in charge. After the banquet in honour of Mia concluded, I was eager to go sightseeing with everyone.
"Now then, have you decided on a reward?"
"Can I have some time to think it over?"
Getting permission to go sightseeing was good enough for me. I already have so much wealth and will probably get a comfortable position in a few years. But we are planning on travelling by sea to the Labyrinth City next. Maybe I can ask for something to help us with that trip. We ended up with a medium-sized hull that Satou says he can modify to make the trip more comfortable.
<0>
"Lua, water…"
Aialize, the high elf, slowly stirred from her slumber as she sat up on her bed, which glowed with faint transparency. Sleep still misted her eyes.
"It appears Lady Aaze has just awoken,"
After our conversation with the elders, Satou and I went to see how Aialize was doing. Apparently, our timing was perfect. Lua, one of the shrine maidens, handed her a cup of water. When I examined the cup, it appeared to be made of glass; however, as soon as I grasped it in my hand, it felt much more like plastic.
"Ugh, I knew Daisaku had to be wrong about 36 Highlighters that. Why would he tell me that high elves are supposed to be little girls with silver hair who say 'thou' and 'thee' and all that nonsense?"
"Lady Aaze..."
Lua attempted to tell Aialize that Satou and myself were there. However, she was too preoccupied with grumbling to take it in.
"I know, I know. I shouldn't speak ill of the deceased, but…"
"Lady Aaze!"
Aialize similarly inflated her cheeks to Mia when she was cross, which was oddly adorable.
"Come on… can't you let me rant a little? They definitely think I'm a weirdo now. I hope we haven't given Mia's saviours a terrible impression of the elves…."
"Lady Aaze!!!"
I found her rapidly changing expressions endearing despite Aialize seeming emotionally unstable at the moment.
"I mean, the hero wasn't even there when I went to the upper village yesterday to say hello to Mia after I finished my business, and her companion was busy chasing around those children. And what was that Arisa girl on about? 'Yes, high elves are always silver-haired little girls, no doubt about it!??' Not to mention telling me that her master would never accept a kiss from a little girl..."
"Oh, Lady Aaze..."
So Arisa had a hand in this, too, huh? I already knew Satou had his hands full with the drunk kids, but Arisa's interaction with Aialize was news to me.
"This is why you can't let your guard down around the people of Nihon. They always mess around like this!"
She had clearly encountered numerous Japanese individuals before, a majority of whom were evidently as eccentric as Arisa; unfortunately, that hadn't worked out too well for her. It's worth noting that not all Japanese people are like that; I'm proof of that fact. I wondered how she had figured out that Arisa was Japanese; she probably hadn't been told directly but noticed her distinctive purple hair, which usually indicates reincarnation.
"Lady Aaze, please listen to me,"
"Honestly! What is it, Lua?"
Lua responded by gesturing towards Satou and me. Aialize's movement was sluggish as she slowly turned her head, resembling that of a tin man who desperately needed lubrication on his neck joints. When our gazes connected, Aialize suddenly became flustered and panicky. Her composed look of maturity contrasted greatly with her innocent and joyous carefreeness, which was incredibly endearing.
"Miss Lua told me that you have been abed with a fever since this morning. To the point where you were even speaking deliriously, correct?"
Satou handed Aialize a lifeline and then passed the baton to Lua.
"Th… that's right, Lady Aaze. You still seem to have a fever, so please rest for the rest of the day, all right?"
Lua caught on quickly. Now Aialize could blame her strange behaviour on a high fever. Before I said goodbye for the day, I assured Aialize that I would return to visit her when she felt better. Lua mentioned that Aialize had something she wanted to discuss with Satou and me. I wasn't sure what she was planning to talk about, but there was no harm in hearing her out.
Upon our return to Mia's tree house, where the welcome-home celebration was still going on, Arisa commanded Satou to 'Kneel' for an unknown reason. I already have an idea about what this is about. Before I arrived, Mia's father had already returned, but he didn't appear to be the one who had snitched on Satou. Not soon after, I noticed three shrine maidens standing behind Arisa and Mia, eating pastries while snickering to themselves.
Satou is likely to be tied up for a while since Arisa doesn't appear as if she'll let him go anytime soon. Fortunately, I have plenty of things to do while Satou gets a telling-off. With tasty food to savour, exciting games to play, interesting people to chat with, and music to listen to, I have many options to keep myself entertained. And Satou will be missing out on all of it.
"This one has some kind of fruit in it,"
"Yeah, and I think the alcohol they used pairs nicely with it,"
Sara and I began sampling the different sweet goodies and pastries, and Sara was careful. Unfortunately, the cooks had not cooked the pasties for the necessary amount of time last night to make the alcohol it contained lose its potency. Satou had to manage a group of people who were under the influence while I slumbered away in Mia's bed.
The elves are truly remarkable chefs. They have concocted some of the most unique dishes I have ever encountered, and one could almost argue that some of them rival the skill of Satou. I wonder if they will share some of their recipes with me? There are a few things here I would love to eat again and could make good gifts.
"Not sweet enough,"
"Then how about this one? It should be sweeter,"
Sara softly smiles as she breaks up the pastry for the tiny fairy sitting on her shoulder. She will make a great mother one day. Kind, gentle and caring. Sara would be any child's dream mother.
"A bit hard but sweet and tasty,"
The fairy nods his head as he munches away. It is shocking seeing how much fairies can eat. I have only been here for a day and have seen a single fairy eat an entire basket of treats. They are the only creatures I have seen that can rival Pochi and Tama when it comes to their bottomless pits for stomachs. I have no idea where they put it. Even when a fairy eats something twice its body size, they don't look any bigger.
"Try this. I insist,"
Nana has been getting better with the fairies, but she still hasn't gotten over her rough start with them. Apart from this one perverted fairy sticking his head out from between Nana's breasts with a look of pure bliss on his face, the other fairies hesitate to go near her. Still, at least the fairies are getting more comfortable with her. It only took them a few moments to get close enough to sample the treat she offered.
"Nana, don't try and grab them,"
I had to stop Nana as her hands crept forward. She looks upset, but it is for the best. If she wants them to like her, she can't be so forceful with them. I'm sure Nana will thank me when the fairies willingly play with her later.
"This one is nice and chewy!"
"This one is the best!"
"I like the leg one, sir!"
We can hear Pochi, Tama, and Liza compete to find the best meat at a nearby table. They are joined by a few elves who have their own opinion. Behind them, I can see Lulu talking with the elf girls who approached Satou about making curry as she wipes Arisa's mouth with a napkin. Satou, meanwhile, has been forced to kneel in the corner and reflect on his actions.
"That was a great match,"
"Me, next,"
"No, my turn,"
Pearl meanwhile has a group of elves lined up to spare with her. A female elf with a magic sword, a male elf with a magic spear, another male elf who is dual-wielding short swords and a samurai elf. Pearl has attracted quite a group of challengers and seems to be enjoying herself. A few of them are looking my way, so I wouldn't be surprised if I received a few challenges myself.
"Welcome back,"
"I glad you are safe,"
"Welcome,"
Finally, Mia is sat between her parents as one elf after the other exchanges a few words with her making Mia look uncomfortable. She shoots me a look, pleading for help, but there is nothing I can do. Mia should just stay with her parents and put up with it. This party can't go on forever, and she probably won't spend every second of today in that position.
"Mrrr…"
Thanks to my 'Keen Hearing', I heard him. That overprotective boy who likes Mia glares at me as he peaks in from the doorway. I really need to explain the misunderstanding to him before it's too late.
"Please wait. I request,"
It looks like the fairies warmed up to Nana faster than I expected. But that might have something to do with the crumbs covering her dress. I really hope she didn't throw those crumbs over herself just to lure the fairies to her.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein