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“You’ll be more grateful to me than you can imagine.”

Just how distasteful can an elf caught up in self-admiration look?

Even that appearance, which stirs the hearts of countless men in this world, does nothing to hide the unsettling undertone lurking in her smile.

No, it rather seems to amplify the effect — her bright expression overlapping with her dark intentions.

“Really…”

To create some distance from this burdensome elf, I took a step back.

As I widened the gap between us, Friel noticed and aligned her distance with mine.

In that brief moment, while she gathered her composure and emotions, I sifted through the information flowing out of her mouth like a storm.

“Helping to contract with spirits, huh.”

Well, if she’s an elf who’s probably already made a contract with another spirit,

With the help of that spirit captured in Friel Arielte’s grasp, she could somehow summon a spirit that hasn’t made a contract yet.

Surely, if she assists me, I can make that contract and finally succeed in summoning spirits, which I had thought impossible until now.

“…It’s definitely not a bad idea.”

No, I’d say it’s quite good.

A spiritless spirit mage is nothing but an unstable being, like one missing an arm, leg, or even an eye.

Even the least powerful spirit makes a significant difference in all aspects of magic operation, freedom, and power.

“If I’m going to be dragged along like this, I might as well have received that oracle a bit faster.”

If only she had come a little sooner, aiding in the defense with that elf’s strength or connected me with a spirit back then, it would have been ideal.

With a spirit, I wouldn’t have needed to worry about pulling my bowstring against those pesky monsters clambering atop the castle wall; I could have easily dealt with it through magic.

“Well, enough of these stray thoughts.”

What she’s asking for isn’t much different from my own affection.

It’s not like she’s demanding anything substantial.

Since we’ll be seeing each other quite a lot until we reach the Great Forest, and even there,

She seems to genuinely want to mend the somewhat strained relationship we formed from our very first meeting, so perhaps that’s why she brought this up.

Still, it’s best to ask directly.

“You say you’ll win my favor… may I dare to inquire about your intentions, Lady Friel?”

“Hmm… You seem worried? Afraid that I might change my mind and ask for something else later?”

That’s correct.

But I kept that sentiment off my face.

“Well, since humans are weak, they tend to doubt and fret repeatedly. Being human, I guess you would find my words suspicious.”

“…….”

“The reason I wish to win your favor is—”

Friel’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Her lips curved into a parabolic shape, mixed with ambition and desire.

“It’s much like the hearts of my family who cherish the branches of the World Tree that have just begun to sprout. While those newly sprouted branches are small and adorable, barely distinguishable from a shabby tree, the fully grown branches can turn into beautiful bows or, at times, elegant staves to bestow us their blessings.”

With her arms crossed, she lifted one hand to caress her lips.

I couldn’t see what kind of expression was hidden behind her long white fingers.

“You are like a young twig. I see value in nurturing and caring for you consistently.”

I could clearly see that she was savoring this.

…

Now I’m curious what kind of fresh, brilliant words might flow out next.

“Go on, go on, I’m all ears,” I thought, nodding along.

“You and the Young Lady will inevitably form a closer bond with the Arielte family than anyone else in the Great Forest. Well, besides us… I mean, no family is as friendly to you as we are. Until our children accomplish deeds that shake the very spirits, we will need to support you.”

“…….”

“If we can’t have you completely… wouldn’t it still be a sort of pleasure to keep you close and observe you alongside our family instead of with another?”

As if to underscore that this wasn’t the end, Friel opened her mouth to speak once more.

Plod, plod.

This person, Elisa, who had been quietly listening to us,

Stepped up closely behind Friel and gazed coolly at her back.

In a slightly chilly tone, she let her voice slip.

“Lady Friel, your words are excessive. You must consider the social prestige held by our honorable Arielte family and the weight of words from the family’s eldest member. Additionally…”

Elisa’s gaze landed directly on me.

Unlike the various desires swirling in Friel’s eyes, her clear gaze bore down on me.

“Isn’t Ray one of the two heroes the World Tree has designated to save the Great Forest?”

Elisa directly asked Friel to be more mindful in front of me.

The trimmed splendor of an elven lady in her prime clashed subtly with the cold nature of the elder elf.

Perhaps not feeling too pleased being reprimanded in front of a human — and a subordinate at that — Friel retained her posture and merely rolled her eyes.

Elisa, standing to Friel’s left, suddenly shifted her teal gaze leftward to acknowledge Elisa’s presence.

‘…Why are they fighting in front of me again?’

In this unpredictable, flowing situation, I found myself longing for Korean words after a long time. I thought it might put me in a better mood if I could just throw some shade.

I held back a sigh ready to escape and quietly observed them.

“…I understand, Elisa. I’ll be mindful.”

“I am deeply grateful for your understanding, my lady.”

As the discussion drew to a close, Friel rolled her eyes again at Elisa’s bowing head.

While the atmosphere, previously brightened by her words, grew cool once more due to Elisa’s pointed sarcasm,

She simply continued with her speech.

“After you, Young Lady and Ray, enter the Great Forest, you will be working with our Arielte members for a while. The Count’s nobleman will achieve accomplishments saving the Great Forest alongside us, and in that process, we too will benefit from your radiant journey.”

“Um…”

“If the nobleman successfully twists fate for us, we will solidify our legacy and connection as the closest allies to the heroes. Who knows, perhaps we might even outshine the other two families.”

“That statement…”

“Even after adapting to the Great Forest, I hope you and the Young Lady will continue to work alongside our family. And that’s precisely the reason I wish to earn your favor.”

I nodded.

Receiving favor without reason feels far worse than knowing for sure how it benefits both parties.

I organized my increasingly tangled thoughts.

“Other families, huh.”

Talk of family and affiliation naturally brought forth pieces of thought that needed addressing.

The presence of the other two main families in the Great Forest aside from the Arielte family loomed large.

Starting to tidy up my thoughts based on what Friel had articulated earlier.

“I see… there must be those who look down on me.”

That was naturally expected.

Elves are all about that superiority complex, well-versed as they are in their own kind’s greatness.

Among them, individuals like Shione and me, the short-lived species, don’t possess distinguishing features like dwarves’ handiness or beastfolk’s might.

In the eyes of elves, how ludicrous must we appear?

To think that two insignificant humans would save their destiny! Their pride would surely take a hit, and it would be immensely absurd to them.

“Plus, I’m a guy.”

Shione, being human, likely faces a fair share of disdain as well.

How much worse must it be for me as a male?

In this world, men generally have it rough; finding a robust mercenary among them seems quite rare.

If this first-time human dude dared to suggest he’d be their savior, how would they react?

If I were an elf, I’d probably feel a strong rebellious spirit rising within me.

“Belonging to the Arielte family.”

Friel noted,

Much to the chagrin of the Ianette family and the soldiers of the Great Forest, they particularly looked down on us.

Having gotten mixed up in this mess and to be treated with disdain is quite vexing.

Surely, I’d feel more at ease with the Arielte family, who is likely to look out for me.

“I’ll need to think this over later.”

We had just exited the Count’s territory.

There was still considerable time before we reached the Great Forest.

It might be wise to spend some time discussing things more deeply with Shione later.

I finally wrapped up my thoughts.

“…I see. I’ll discuss the matters of family with the Young Lady in greater depth later.”

“Good. Just know there won’t be a family more generous towards you than ours.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Now, shall we move on to the discussion about the spirit contract? The preparations for lunch should be finishing up soon… let’s proceed without delay.”

Huff—

The once calm clearing began to stir with a breeze.

“Sniff, sniff…”

Friel inhaled the fragrance.

With a smile like that of someone enjoying a fresh morning breeze, she beamed brightly.

“Indeed, the scent emanating from you… is like the fresh wind and the aroma of burning wood.”

The wind began to gather in the air.

Leaves hanging from the trees swirling gently pointed the way for the breeze.

The wind was compressing at one point.

“You seem particularly adept with the wind… I’ll assist you in forming a contract with the Wind Spirit.”

Bang!

The compressed wind burst forth in a sweep.

At the same time, a spirit appeared, visibly emanating its elevated grace as it hovered around Friel.

This spirit she conjured took on a small human-like form. It wasn’t meticulously crafted, more a matter of essential pieces being in place, indicating its intermediate status.

Being a spirit born from natural elements, even an intermediate spirit shouldn’t be underestimated in power.

Yet, compared to what one would expect from the heir of the Arielte family blessed by spirit’s grace, it seemed rather lackluster.

“Due to being distanced from the Great Forest, this spirit’s original powers are constrained, hence its intermediate ranking. Still, it’s quite enough to summon a spirit for you to contract with, wouldn’t you agree?”

Friel’s spirit nodded, swiftly darting above her head.

As the spirit moved, a gust swept through and tousled Friel’s hair.

“Your hair is a mess now. Do hold still for a moment.”

At those words, the spirit simply stared at Friel and shook its head.

Whoosh!

At a small flap of its wings, a strong wind surged, tangling Friel’s hair even more.

Kyaaa!

“Oh really…”

—Don’t get mad!

The spirit fluttered around, playfully banging its tiny fist against Friel’s forehead.

It seemed adept at this sort of teasing; it was quite familiar with pestering her forehead.

“…I really didn’t want to pull Piel out for this.”

With a swift motion, Friel caught the spirit like swatting away a fly.

Kyaaa! Kyaaa!

The spirit, seemingly delighted, laughed as it nestled in Friel’s palm, nuzzling against her finger with joy.

“Haah…”

Friel sighed, looking down at her spirit helplessly.

“Piel, can you summon another spirit friend?”

—Another friend?

“Yes, I wish for a spirit suitable for that human over there.”

—If you mean that human…

The spirit turned towards me.

The spirit that had been holding Friel’s pinky like it was a parent’s slowly froze.

—Huh?

Swoosh…

The spirit slowly released the grip it had on Friel’s finger.

With tiny flaps, it floated toward me.

As I extended my hand, the spirit smelled and took a startled pose.

—Wow!

Woosh! Woosh!

The spirit dashed around me in quick circles.

Hovering spirally from my toes to the top of my head, it encircled me and then took a seat atop my head.

—The human smells amazing! Much purer and fresher than Friel!

Thud.

Down came the Piel…?

The spirit named Piel perched itself atop my hand.

—What’s your name, human?

“…Ray.”

—Then Ray’s left hand is my spot now!

“… What?”

I gazed at the overly cheerful spirit with disbelief, finding it to be the most amiable one I’d encountered so far.

Friel, too, didn’t seem to have seen her spirit act so openly toward others before, her expression weighed down with disbelief.

Elisa, witnessing the scene between me and the spirit, nodded knowingly.

“You’ve lost it.”

“Ha… Elisa, what did you just say?”

Friel Arielte could only let out a wry laugh in this bewildering situation.

 

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