Chapter 53: The Bratty Girl, Alisha la Aeras 4

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“—And so, from here on, Alisha has three choices. The path of building herself up from scratch as an adventurer, the path of returning to the village, or the path of living in the royal capital unrelated to us and enjoying human society. Choose.”

Faced with that declaration, Alisha did not know how to answer. It had been half a day since her sister had declared her unfit as a fighting asset.

No matter how much she thought about how it had come to this, her mind felt clouded, dull and unresponsive. She didn’t know what she should do. In the village, there had been no elf stronger than her. No one defied her. She had been considered necessary and yet, once outside, what her sister had told her was the simple fact that she was useless.

The evaluation differed so drastically from everything before that she couldn’t even get angry. Because she didn’t understand why.

Am I not needed? Am I… not needed?

Since birth, Alisha had been wanted by others. It began with the Prophecy delivered by the Great Elder Astrogonoff, and she had been respected as the only remaining direct-line High Elf in the village. She had wanted to leave for the outside world like her second sister, but her education had been restrictive, suppressive. Eventually, she had begun directing her pent-up frustration at those around her.

Even so, she had been forgiven. Allowed. Because Alisha was the girl spoken of in the Prophecy. Because she was the only High Elf who would remain in the village until the end, unlike her sisters. That was why she was special. That was why she had been needed.

But…

“…What is that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m not needed?”

“From a combat standpoint, you’re not necessary. Even in terms of party management, you’re secondary. What Master wants from you probably isn’t about now, but about the future.”

That’s the same as saying I’m unnecessary.

She ground her teeth. She didn’t know what this emotion was. Frustration, anger, sadness, anguish… all of it mixed together into a tangled mess. Her head felt heavy, her chest ached. It was as though everything she had been until now was being denied.

“In terms of strength, you’d need to be able to twist someone like me around easily. Your two sisters, Alicia-san and Astrea, could probably kill me without difficulty. If you can’t manage at least that much, you can’t fight in that forest.”

“—!”

A sharp pain stabbed through her. Alisha hated being compared to her sisters. More than Alicia, it was being compared to Astrea that she despised. Because in the Prophecy, Astrea’s name had not remained. She had merely been fated to die. Unlike Alicia and Alisha, she was supposed to be nothing more than a sacrifice, not someone who would leave her name upon the world.

But that wasn’t how it turned out. The sister who had sulked upon hearing the Prophecy had displayed extraordinary talent and quickly surpassed Alisha. No, she had left her behind entirely. She had even overtaken Alicia, who had trained in advance for the sake of the Prophecy, becoming the Strongest High Elf.

It infuriated her.

Astrea, who had been told she would die meaninglessly by the Prophecy, had worked so hard. It made Alisha, who had been dancing to the tune of that same Prophecy, feel foolish. She didn’t like that her sister was allowed to live freely as she pleased. And yet she was strong, so strong that everyone in the village acknowledged her as the strongest.

It was unpleasant. She had always been irritated by being compared. That was why she had felt refreshed when her sister left.

Now she wouldn’t be compared. Now she wouldn’t have to see the path her sister chose. Now she wouldn’t have to acknowledge her own lack of talent. And yet…

Reality was even more merciless than that. The human she had admired without reservation… The man who knew elven combat thoroughly and could adjust even on a first encounter… On top of that, his physical strength was on a completely different level, she had even thought that no elf could defeat him in a fistfight. Above all, his ability to support elven combat without interfering meant he was capable of facing elves as opponents as well.

That man, Finn Debyura. The man who had even altered her own fate. He praised her sister and compared Alisha to her. It was unbearably, unbearably unpleasant.

“Still, calling you out here only to dismiss you outright would be too much. So you have three options. Join Starry Sky and work as an adventurer, live as an unrelated High Elf, or return to the village. Oh, and Griselda will be joining Starry Sky, so we’re taking her.”

It sounded like there were options, but there really weren’t.

If she returned to the village, people would whisper that she had been called out by her sister only to be deemed unnecessary. Even if they didn’t say it openly, once her sister returned and spoke, it would be over. She would never be treated as she had been before.

Living independently as an unrelated elf would also be difficult. Alisha realized how ignorant she was. Alicia had gained overwhelming strength only after leaving the village. Before that, one could at least see the ground she stood on. But now, like Astrea, she had climbed so high that one couldn’t even tell how far up she was—above the clouds, beyond the ceiling.

In only a few years. For elves, a time like the blink of an eye. At any rate, she understood. In just a handful of years while she remained in the village, her sisters had reached a completely different level. And it was she who did not understand human society. It had taken her half a day just to digest that.

If it had only been words, perhaps she could have dismissed it, but the fact remained that the wind she had controlled had been stolen from her while she still stood. She was not such a small elf that she could refuse to accept that. So there was only one path to choose.

“…Let me join too. That’s why I came.”

She had lived suppressed. Born for the sake of the Prophecy. Now that fate had collapsed, she had to decide how to live from here on. More than returning to the village, more than living alone, living here would undoubtedly lead to a better future. Once again, days of being suppressed by someone would begin. In the end, nothing changed.

“If you’re motivated, you’re welcome. I’ll help too, so let’s do our best.”

The only question was why this man so readily extended his hand. Alisha herself knew she had said whatever she pleased, insulted him freely, reopened wounds, crossed lines of disrespect. And yet she felt no hostility from Finn at all. On the contrary, judging from his behavior, he even intended to help her learn as an adventurer.

“…Why?”

“Hm?”

“Why won’t you abandon me? I’m weak, useless, arrogant… I’m not like Astrea Onee-san or Alicia Onee-san.”

There were already two superior versions of her around Finn. So why would he extend a hand to her? Even in the village, that would have been unthinkable. If her sister had returned, Alisha would have been dismissed.

“Why? Well… because I like you, maybe?”

“…Huh?”

“Alicia-san and Astrea are both incredible. I think I understand what it’s like to stand beside great people.”

Finn narrowed his eyes nostalgically.

“Being compared, talked about behind my back, sometimes even hit… That’s how I’ve been living. Master, Aria, Marianne, Carla… All of them are stronger than me, more reliable than me. They’re all beautiful women too. Do you know how a weak shield stuck among women like that gets seen?”

“…………”

“Even so, you just have to keep going. Maybe we’re on the less fortunate side, but that’s no reason to sulk.”

(Even so, you just have to keep going.)

She thought he was right.

“And besides, Alisha. I reported that I couldn’t take you along, but I never denied you.”

“Eh…?”

“There’s no need to force yourself to change your attitude. I’m not denying you for being arrogant. What you lacked was simply experience and strength as an adventurer. Outside of work, I actually like you quite a bit.”

“Huh? I—I don’t get what you’re saying…”

She truly didn’t understand and was bewildered. She knew her behavior toward Finn hadn’t been commendable. Even knowing it wasn’t right, she had become like this because she couldn’t endure the suffocating suppression. Even now, after being told all this, she had no desire to change. Because this had been normal for her.

“You hit the painful spots for me with precision. It feels good.”

“Ew, gross… you’re a pervert.”

“That’s not it. Having someone tell me I’m still immature in certain areas… That’s good. These days, no one says things like that to me.”

That statement made her shiver. After building so much, becoming so strong, being so acknowledged—yet still saying it wasn’t enough. That drive for improvement… It was like looking at her sister. It overlapped with the image of  Astrea, who had pursued what she wanted regardless of the Prophecy.

“So, Alisha. I’m truly glad you chose the same path as us.”

“Aeh?”

Finn gently took her hand.

“From here on out, I look forward to working with you, Alisha.”

He said it with a straightforward gaze. Not expressionless. His eyes were like when they had spoken in the carriage. With no experience with men, and almost no experience being treated sincerely, Alisha didn’t know how to respond…

The words came out reflexively.

“H-Hmph. You’re a virgin, but you say some decent things…”

“I’m trained from being surrounded by attractive women every day.”

“B-But maybe you shouldn’t be touching people like that?”

“Oh, you’re right. That was improper of me toward a lady.”

He immediately let go. The warmth lingering in her hand refused to leave her mind.

“Be careful from now on, okay? Or I’ll tell everyone you’re a perverted virgin♡”

“Please don’t.”

“Fufufu, I won’t♡ What I told you before still stands, you know♡”

“…………Well, if I get thrown away, I’ll be counting on you.”

When Finn said that with a troubled expression, Alisha felt a strange exhilaration she had never known before.

“What she told…? Alisha-sama, what did you say to him?”

“Ehh, it’s a secret♡ Right, Onii-san?”

“…Yeah. A secret. Right.”

Griselda made a difficult expression at that. Seeing Finn’s troubled face, she decided she should pry it out of him by force if necessary, and silently vowed to report it to Alicia next time.

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