Vol 5: Chapter 67
Perhaps she didn’t want me to come… That thought has always been in a corner of my mind. So I was greatly relieved when Asha hugged me.
But, ummm… Polina-san and the Secret Service were glaring at me with murderous intensity. The maids and butlers were stunned.
**
After Asha had calmed down, we moved to Asha’s room. The people were quickly cleared out. Naturally, Polina-san doggedly opposed, but Matvey-san asserted that the King allowed it.
The large room was very much in-line with Asha’s taste, a simple and warm interior.
「This… has been my room since I was little. It was left as is when I left the forest, so it’s been assigned to me again.」
Asha stopped and looked at me.
「Reiji-san. Why are you here? Did Matvey onii-sama help you?」
「No, I did not do anything. Reiji came this far on his own.」
「I really wanted to talk to you, Asha.」I said.
「Talk?」
I nodded and started talking.
I wanted to ask why Asha returned to the Sylvis Kingdom. If the Emperor of the Lev Magic Empire grants my wish, Asha will be freed from the empire, and she will be able to live as she pleases. If she returned to the forest to save Lark, I want her to stop.
Regarding Lark’s condition, I am not sure what to do either.
【World Ruler】relays information about the decline in Lark’s vitality, but it does not tell me what I should do about it.
This was the first time this has happened. For example, when I looked at Dante-san’s petrification, a cure came to my mind. And the same was the case for Asha’s constitution.
In Lark’s case, however,【World Ruler】simply says that “vitality is declining”, as if it is something natural.
This is only my speculation, but unlike illnesses and poison, there is no clear foreign substance acting on the body, so【World Ruler】may not give the answer I want.
「I don’t know what the elf’s secret elixir is, but there is no guarantee that it will cure Lark. I just want you to live freely, Asha.」
「…………」
Asha, who was listening to my story with her face down, smiled. It was such a calm and reassuring smile.
「Reiji-san, you are mistaking something.」
「Huh?」
「I take pride in being able to sing the Chant. I can finally contribute to this forest just like my siblings… I am forever grateful to Reiji-san for giving me the opportunity and I wish I could thank you for it. The secret elixir is one of them. Of course, if it doesn’t heal Lark-san, it will be meaningless.」
「It’s not meaningless… but I see now.」I said.
Asha did not come here begrudgingly. I felt relieved to know that.
She is a High Elf of the royal family. I knew “living freely” would not be so easy for Asha, but she still tries to tackle her responsibilities head-on. In that case, I should support her decision.
「I understand–」
「Wait a minute, Asha.」
Matvey-san, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth.
「It’s true that you have more mana than a failure like me, and if you can sing the Chant, His Majesty and our siblings will be happy. But we don’t sing the Chant every day, and we were able to manage just fine even when you weren’t here.」
「Is… that so?」she asked.
Matvey-san folded his arms and nodded.
「There are important turning points at a specific time of the year, and that’s when the Chant is required. So there’s nothing wrong if you leave the forest when the Chant is not required.」
「Matvey onii-sama, that’s…」
「Yes, I hope you negotiate with His Majesty and get permission to go out on your own. It’s time for this forest to change.」
「…………」
This time, Asha had a troubled look.
「What’s wrong, Asha? I can tell just by looking at you that you wish to leave. Why can’t you just be honest? Reiji came all this way for you.」
「… But that is… selfishness…」
「What is selfish!」
Matvey-san slammed his fist on the table.
「They sold you to another country for the price of a magic airship. This country is more selfish! You’re just claiming your legitimate rights.」
「…Only a High Elf can sing the Chant.」
「That is exactly why…」
「I can understand His Majesty’s feelings to preserve the blood of the High Elves to protect this forest.」
「If this forest is in danger of being destroyed, it should just be destroyed.」
「Onii-sama! You are going too far!」
「I am not! I have overwhelmingly less mana than you guys, but thanks to that, I was able to see various things with an open mind. The life of elves and the life outside this forest. Look outside the Third Forest. The Keith Gran Federation has lost the Sixth Mine and is frantically looking for skill orbs. But His Majesty is restraining the distribution of skill orbs from the forest. With the mine out-of-order, the Federation will eventually put pressure on this forest. At that time, the Chant and whatever would no longer matter.」
「But onii-sama…」
「W-Wait a minute.」
I interrupted them.
「This talk seems to be veering away from Asha’s wishes…」I said.
「Muu…」
「That’s right. I’m sorry.」Matvey-san said.
「I think it’s important to protect the Covenant to preserve the balance of this world.」I said.
「Are you of the same opinion as His Majesty?」
Hostility swelled in Matvey-san’s eyes.
「Please calm down. Preserving the High Elf Covenant and unwilling to distribute the skill orbs that were produced are two separate matters.」I said.
「……Huh?」
「What are you doing with the skill orbs produced in the Third Forest? You don’t destroy them all, right? If there is external pressure, you can solve it by distributing the skill orbs. That way, the forest will remain safe.」
「No… that will not work.」Matvey-san said.
「Why?」
「The truth is–」
「Onii-sama!」
Asha stopped Matvey-san from speaking.
Is it some sort of a big secret?
「Reiji-san, we can’t say more. This is a High Elf problem.」Asha said.
「The Chant is not required to protect the Covenant.」I said.
Then I asked the question that popped up in my mind after listening to His Majesty’s story.
「Don’t take too many skill orbs, the skill orbs make up the world… that is all. So what exactly is the Chant? Is it something that can adjust the amount of skill orbs produced? A barrier that protects the forest? No, the poachers would not have been an issue if that were the case.」
「…………」
「…………」
Both Asha and Matvey-san fell silent.
Apparently, there is a High Elf secret in the Chant.
——You will be back here again… No, even if you don’t, that’s fine.
His Majesty said so earlier.
In other words, I can choose to either “poke my head into the secret further” or “turn around and leave without knowing”.
「High Elf is also a race that has been bound to the Chant.」
If Asha’s fate is also bound by the “duty” of the Chant–
「I will talk to His Majesty again.」
Unless I clarify what that “duty” is and unravel the chains that bind their destiny – Asha can never truly be honest with her feelings.
【World Ruler】should be able to uncover the secrets of the Chant.
