Chapter 53 (Self Edited) – The Elf and the Adventurers
Sheila Leonhart was an Elf.
To be accurate, it was a species called Forest Spirit. These people who were used to be Spirits once made their ego firm, became a variance of the species, and she was one of the descendants.
In other words, it wasn’t an exaggeration to say that the blood of Spirits flowed inside her.
However, to be honest, Sheila had never felt that way.
As the Elves, even if they were ordinary people, they could use magic like how they used the limbs, but Sheila couldn’t use even a single magic.
In their country, there was a place which regard as a sanctuary where the strength of their magic would be amplified. It was possible to wield power strong enough to be said on par with the Spirits.
Literally speaking, the people who had Low Grade skills could use magic with similar strength to Advanced Grade when they were there.
Although the Elves was a rare species, there was a reason why they could maintain their neutrality.
That reason was the sanctuary let them increase the power of magic and it became a proof that the Elves inherited the blood of the Spirits.
It was said among the Elves that by experiencing it personally, it gave the ident.i.ty as an Elf.
But Sheila, who couldn’t use magic, had no chance to feel the strength increased.
Sheila had a talent in handling katana instead of magic, but it was never amplified.
The best response she could give was to accept the fact.
She believed that it was better to be on the suppressed side, but it wasn’t something desirable for her.
The Elves were exclusive, but they always tolerant and benevolent to their brethren.
There was only one exception. If they had friends who were in trouble, they would unconditionally lend a hand since it was a common sense for them.
So for Sheila’s everyday life, it was synonymous with having her friends helping her.
…Or it could be said that it would be difficult to live without their help.
Since the Elves could wield mighty power within that country, they made the place to be a comfortable place for them.
If they went to that predetermined place, it didn’t consume much mana to let water overflow and fire lights up just by holding hands. Sometimes, even spatial transitions also were possible.
There was no inconvenience in life. They could get what they wanted and everyone could enjoy if they were Elves… except for a person.
…And that person was Sheila, the only inconvenient in the Elven country.
If she wanted water, she had to go to a creek which a few kilometers away, and if she wanted fire, she had to get it from a place with fire prepared.
Of course, the only mean for moving was walking. But, it was inconvenient to walk in the forest of that country.
Most of the houses were built on trees.
Even without using spatial transition, the other Elves usually leaped and moved in the air.
As for the location, it was rare to have the times when it was impossible to move.
For that reason, Sheila had to borrow the hands of other Elves.
Her companions, no matter who they were, and no matter what time it was, would gladly helped her, but… because of that, Sheila felt an intolerable displeasure.
After all, Sheila couldn’t give anything back to such friends.
No matter how good she was with katana, it would meaningless if there was no opportunity to use it.
In the first place, the fools that came close to the forest of the Elves, even if they weren’t monsters, it would be easy for someone to repel them with magic.
It was a one-sided relationship, and that was why Sheila didn’t like it.
Even if her companions were such people, she excessively emphasized an equal relationship.
In that situation, Sheila could consider them as friends.
In a true sense, she truly thought that she wanted to call them as friends. Therefore, she came out here in order to learn magic.
She requested help from Doris who visited the forest of the Elves for some business.
Sheila felt that Doris would bring her out of the place.
Anyway, Sheila, who went outside forest for the first time, experienced a series of surprises.
It was surprising at that time since the everyday life could be done with no problem even if magic wasn’t used. Furthermore, when she saw a water well, she was at loss as to whether she should seriously set it up in that forest.
Most of such things were taught by Doris, and Sheila thought that she had been helped greatly.
However, the difference from in the forest was that it was possible for even one person to do so.
She still remembered the time when she could get the water from a well alone and the impression when drinking it.
Even so, the meaning of one-sided relationship was still the same between Sheila and Doris.
She became an adventurer together with Doris, but she didn’t wield katana because Doris was also an adventurer.
Although Doris told her that she was helped many times, that was the same with Sheila.
After all Sheila couldn’t do even one thing–…
“Hmmm, I see… as long as the rank rises, the guild card can be the subst.i.tutes for the ident.i.ty card.” (Soma)
“… Yes, before a person is an adventurer, he is considered as a citizen.” (Sheila)
“But, how long does it take to do that? It’s difficult to be adventurers, you know.” (Lina)
“You are saying the same thing like others. Aren’t we adventurers now? …Well, I agree that it is difficult though.” (Aina)
“…Yes, it can’t be helped when you think the basic.” (Sheila)
“It could be anyone, huh… When you think about it, rather than working hard as an adventurer for years, I think that it just good enough to become a citizen. In the beginning, I thought that it was impossible.” (Soma)
“…Do you mean the achievements of the former adventurers?” (Sheila)
“Haa, people work hard in the past, isn’t it?” (Lina)
When they listen to her, those three showed a face as if they were impressed, so she quietly looked away.
She was still covered with hood, and her face couldn’t be seen from the side, but… somehow, she couldn’t look at them.
What was reflected in her view was a wooden wall that had been seen for the last few days.
It was slightly swaying form the feet, but her whole body was also swaying.
It was a matter of course since they were moving, but… to be brief, she was on inside of a carriage.
They were heading to the town called Triam at the southernmost tip of Advent Barony.
However, this was the destination of the carriage, not the destination of the Sheila and others.
The place where they aimed for was beyond that. It was Viot which was located in the center of the Jodl Barony.
That place was told by the man at that time and it was the next ancient ruin.
Although the ruin was close to that town, it wasn’t in the same territory.
Well, considering the rarity of ancient ruins, it was reasonable in a sense.
“Hmmm… nevertheless, we really know nothing about adventurers.” (Soma)
“Well, in the first place, we didn’t really think to become adventurers, so I guess there were things that we didn’t know, but… nevertheless, this feel like Doris is explaining it to some extent.” (Aina)
“…Yes, Doris does meddling, but she tend to find it bothersome.” (Sheila)
“Ahh… it might be rude to say this, but I am somehow can understand.” (Lina)
“…Certainly, if you say that, it is strangely convincing.” (Soma)
In the situation where n.o.body could do it but Doris, she took the initiative one after another, and although she thought that was bothersome, if there was other to do the job and arbitrarily left it to them, she would feel bothered since she wasn’t doing anything.
These two contradictory feelings coexisted well in Doris.
“Well, in any case, we are saved since Sheila teaches us a lot. It probably useful somewhere in the future.” (Aina)
“Yeah, there were various interesting things too, that really helps.” (Soma)
“That’s right. Thank you very much.” (Lina)
“…Sure, no problem. I’m doing nothing inside the carriage anyway.” (Sheila)
Literally speaking, it was true.
It took a week to go to Lumberg.
Furthermore, it had been a few days from there, and they had been running out of topics to talk.
When that happened, Sheila was asked to tell about adventurers.
“…Originally, everything was told by Doris.” (Sheila)
“Even so, Sheila was the one who told us that.” (Soma)
As Soma repeated the words of grat.i.tude, Sheila moved her gaze further away.
She didn’t know how to accept the words.
After all, Sheila was always in a position of having someone doing things for her including being taught.
This was her first time to teach something to someone and to be appreciated.
There was no way she knew how to react.
Speaking of other things that she didn’t know, it was the emotion that occupied her chest at the moment.
No, of course she knew what it was called.
She knew it for the first time that she felt happy to do something for someone and to be thanked.
She thought of this at the same time… whether her fellow Elves did various things for her because of such a feeling.
Even by knowing that, there was a probably a meaning to leave that place. Then, Sheila looked at Soma and others while loosening the lips.
—
TLN:
- Story is not really progressing, so another chapter is coming.