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chapter 23
1st Part
“Alright. Let’s do that. And for now, let’s take it easy.”
It was only after I spoke those words that I finally relaxed completely.
Perhaps because of that, my vision tilted, and my whole body felt limp.
Dizziness made it impossible to stand, so I had no choice but to sink deeply into the chair.
“Son? Are you alright?”
“Ah… I just wanted to rest for a bit. It’s nothing.”
I tried to disguise my dizziness naturally as I spoke.
Apparently, it worked, because my mother’s voice carried a note of acceptance.
“Let’s not stay here then; let’s move into the room. We can use this house, right, Irian?”
“Of course. That’s why I deliberately brought you here.”
Saying this, Irian hurriedly tidied up and stood.
“I’ll be going then. I’ll leave two Sentinels outside. If you need anything, please let them know. We’ll meet again later.”
With a polite bow, Irian left the house.
I waved at his retreating back, looking weak and drained.
Once the dizziness subsided and my vision cleared a bit, I groaned and stretched.
“Ugh… let’s rest, too.”
“Alright. Which room will you use? There’s only one empty room left.”
“Ah… really?”
As my mother had said, the house only had two rooms.
One was where the Keris sisters stayed, and the other was the empty room my mother mentioned.
Well, with only two rooms, it was obvious I’d have my own room…
“Has that elf left?”
“Ah, you scared me!”
Suddenly, the door opened, and Esrin peeked her head in, her voice cautious.
I let out a small laugh and said to her:
“Yeah, gone. You can come out.”
As soon as I said that, four cats rushed out from the doorway.
Seeing real cats was both adorable and amusing, making me laugh out loud.
“Wow, Eldmir! That was amazing. I’m so impressed!”
“I have to say, Eldmir—wow.”
“I… I agree with Eldmir. …It was really cool.”
The three sisters, except Keris, spoke one after another.
Taken aback by their sudden reactions, I asked incredulously:
“You were listening the whole time?”
“Of course! We were right next to you. Did you forget? We’re beastkin, remember?”
Esrin’s cat ears twitched proudly.
Ersi, for once, didn’t maintain her usual expressionless face and instead showed a faint sense of pride.
“We’re the first beastkin to fight alongside an elf, so of course we’d feel that way.”
“…What kind of confidence is that for these kids?”
The moment they eavesdropped, their confidence shot through the roof.
I couldn’t keep up with their energy at all.
“Hehe. Adults’ conversations aren’t for you to just overhear.”
My mother appeared, pinching Esrin and Ersi’s cheeks playfully, not scolding but showing affection.
“Ah! But Eldmir hasn’t even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet!”
“…Ouch.”
Esrin flailed in protest, and my mother widened her eyes, as if realizing that fact.
“Oh my, you’re right! Then we’ll say you’re only half guilty.”
She gently patted their cheeks before letting go. The two cats clutched their own cheeks and laughed softly.
“…Mother.”
Seeing them so comfortable and playful, I was at a loss for words.
These little ones… plotting to take advantage of me? Were they always this sly?
Keris quietly approached and sat beside me.
“Are you serious about what you said?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“About befriending all neighboring races, even the orcs.”
“Ah… that.”
Right, these kids had once been destroyed by orcs.
Keris didn’t look at me, keeping her gaze lowered, waiting quietly for my answer.
“I’m serious. If it’s for the forest, I’ll reach out to anyone.”
“…Is that so?”
Keris bit her lip. She then suddenly stood and spoke again:
“Then you were also sincere when you helped us purely out of goodwill, not just for the forest’s sake.”
“…Yes.”
Keris looked satisfied with my answer.
“You’re not just calculating for the forest’s sake. You help because you want to, not because of conditions or benefits. Everything else just follows.”
I widened my eyes. How could such a young girl understand this?
I calmly explained:
“Half of that’s true, half isn’t. I first thought like this purely for my race, from a practical standpoint. Over time, it evolved… and yes, eventually I wanted to do it for its own sake, like you said.”
Keris stared deeply into my eyes, as if testing the truth of my words.
After a while, she smiled faintly. Her tail swayed once.
“Then that’s enough.”
She returned to her sisters, her tail swaying gently as she joined the other three laughing and talking.
“Goodness…”
I laughed at them. Their cat tails somehow looked like fox tails.
After some time, we gathered around a narrow table, chatting casually.
“So, you see, raising a son is useless. No matter how much you feed and care for him, he suddenly tells strangers everything and says, ‘You’re the first one who understood me,’ smiling. My heart broke.”
“Eldmir, that’s too much.”
“This is Eldmir’s fault.”
“Yes, apologize quickly, Eldmir.”
“…Eldmir, too harsh.”
It became complete chaos.
I gritted my teeth inside but forced a smile outside.
“…I’m sorry, Mother. That’s not what I meant, I just…”
“Ah, Eldmir. Don’t make excuses. Just apologize.”
“Not very manly.”
The sisters’ combo was mentally exhausting.
“Sorryyy.”
I slouched while speaking, and a gentle pat landed on my head.
“Good boy, good boy.”
I couldn’t hide my grimace and looked up to see Esrin grinning mischievously.
I roared and pounced on her tiny body.
“Ahhh!”
“You little brat! Who told you to tease your sky-like brother?”
“Ah! Ah! Hahaha!”
I tickled her sides, holding her as she flailed.
They tried to escape, but I wasn’t letting go.
“Ahh! The elf’s catching the cat tribe!”
“The evil elf disguised as a human!”
“Ugh… don’t hurt my sister…”
Her sisters laughed while patting me. Considering past injuries, their attacks weren’t serious, so I pretended to be in pain and released Esrin.
“Tch, using teamwork, how cowardly!”
“Pfft~ Eldmir, using force because words don’t work? Not manly!”
Ah… it was just a playful attack, but it still hurt.
In the end, the frustrated Demon King Eldmir had to admit defeat with a bitter smile.
“Alright, I lost, you clever cats. I lost.”
“Hahaha! You should’ve apologized sooner!”
The four cat sisters laughed, patted my head, and teased me.
Mother watched with a warm smile. Just moments ago, she had been exasperated with these kids, but now her expression was gentle.
“Alright, kids. Time to go to bed. Eldmir’s tired too, so let’s call it a night.”
If someone didn’t know better, they’d think these kids were my real family.
Obediently following Mother’s words, the four sisters left, and I smiled.
“Alright, let’s go inside.”
“Areshiria, aren’t you coming?”
Mother chuckled at Ketrit’s curious eyes.
“I’ll talk to your brother for a bit, then I’ll come in. Go ahead. Say goodnight to your brother?”
“Yes! Good night, brother!”
Ketrit waved brightly, and I returned her smile and wave.
“Goodnight, little ones.”
I waved back, and Keris suddenly ran to me, signaling quietly.
Bending down to her level, she whispered in my ear:
“If you call me ‘kid’ one more time, I’ll call you ‘El’ too.”
“Huh…?”
She gave a playful smile and darted into the room.
“Good night!”
Yes, sleep well, you little rascal.
“Alright then.”
Once all sisters were in, Mother closed the door.
“My son, let’s talk for a bit.”
“Uh… okay.”
Can’t I just rest, Mother?
Eldmir and Areshiria entered a different room, separate from where the Keris sisters were, and settled down.
To prevent eavesdropping, Areshiria used spirit magic to create a wind barrier, completely blocking outside sound.
In the isolated silence, Areshiria spoke.
“Son. You know what I want to talk about, right?”
“Yes.”
Eldmir nodded at a topic he already understood.
Both knew what needed to be said, but neither spoke first.
In the awkward silence, Eldmir waited for her to start.
“The harmony of the forest is not submission. The teachings of the forest are not isolation, but unity.”
Finally, she spoke, echoing what her son had once said.
“Hehe. Since when could you think like this… my son has grown so much.”
Her eyes showed pride and admiration, but also hidden sorrow, which Eldmir understood.
“Mother, I…”
“Son. You must know how hard this is. That’s why I didn’t openly say this to the villagers.”
“….”
“So that’s why? Complaining to villagers, being branded a heretic, and insulting the spirit of the forest.”
Eldmir was speechless.
Standing bare before her, he felt exposed.
His ideals were noble, almost idealistic.
Elves longing for the First Age reflected a utopia. Eldmir’s thoughts made him an idealist.
Yet, he wasn’t an idealist.
Not fully cynical, yet realistic enough, even sometimes cynical.
He constantly struggled with inner conflict.
“Because I got angry at myself. I held ideals, but knew they were impossible… I told Irian a compromise could be made, like a non-aggression pact. But if I’d considered that from the start, you wouldn’t have been so mad at yourself.”
Compromise.
Eldmir hated that word.
He knew the nobility of his ideals—why compromise them?
Ridiculous.
Yet he had to deny his own ideals.
“My gentle, kind son… Er. My son.”
Areshiria teared up and hugged him tightly.
She wept softly.
“Mother….”
“Say nothing. Say nothing.”
“Mother, I… I…”
Eldmir told Keris she didn’t need to bear the burden of her race.
Knowing how heavy it was, he could advise her.
“I just…”
He wanted to save the elves in the racial war.
Alone, he couldn’t.
He wanted to save his mother, but she’d eventually die.
He wanted to save his teacher, but he’d die soon.
He wanted to continue living in the forest he loved, but it would be destroyed.
He could survive… if he gave up everything.
If he abandoned all he loved: elves, Areshiria, his teacher, friends, his home, the world he lived in for 20 years…
“Ugh… ugh… aaaaah…!!”
“Son. My good son. My kind son.”
“Mother… mother…! We’re going to die! Everyone, everything will die…!”
“Shhh… say nothing.”
“Everything will die! You, the forest, the World Tree, all of it! Aaah! Everything will die!”
Thus, he clung to ideals.
To prevent elves’ annihilation, he forced himself to uphold them.
He knew it was impossible, yet he couldn’t give up.
“Everyone… says I’m a heretic. They don’t even know… idiots! All will die!”
He knew the future—a blessing and a curse.
Knowing inevitable destruction made living unbearable.
He repeatedly told himself to give up.
Yet he couldn’t.
This new life was his.
The world wasn’t a game, but why couldn’t he play as he wished?
It was his life, his game, his world. He should live as he wanted.
Yet he couldn’t.
The 30 years of pessimistic life he had led was negated by his 20-year self.
Areshiria’s love, his teacher’s guidance, made him uphold ideals.
He loved the forest, its teachings, spirits, daily life with kin.
Thus, he couldn’t give up.
He felt he had to act.
He was the only player in this world.
“AAAAHHHH!!”
“Sorry… my son. I’m sorry I didn’t understand you sooner…”
“Mother…! Hhh…!”
“Cry as much as you need, Er. My son.”
All would die.
Destroy.
It was painfully obvious.
Thus, he held ideals.
Fail, and all would die.
It was obvious. Too obvious.
He searched for a way, agonized for 20 years, tried to avoid the racial war.
Stopping the war midway was only a poor substitute.
To save the elves meant destroying the continent—a paradox.
“What… should I do…!”
“Think nothing. Don’t struggle, Er. Don’t struggle…”
Eldmir cried.
All the pent-up tears from 20 years poured out at once.
He wasn’t a hero, a warrior, or a guardian.
He wasn’t even truly an elf.
Just an ordinary human.
“My… I… I…!!”
Why didn’t matter.
He focused on survival, then on how.
How to live.
In what way.
How did he want to live—
“Shhh, Er. Don’t think. Cry. Let it all out. Just cry.”
Areshiria whispered.
And he obeyed.
He thought of nothing else.
He just cried.
Cried until he couldn’t tell when he fell asleep from exhaustion.
[Author’s Note]
I won’t worry about pacing in the future. It’s exhausting…
Anyway, this completes the second consecutive installment!
