Chapter 223: The Kukkoro Male Knight and the Farewell

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The next day, morning.

I was having the wyvern unit prepare for departure. Our stay was scheduled to end today. After all, back in Liseben, the work I needed to handle was piling up higher and higher. If I stayed away from my duties for too long, they’d all jam up into one massive backlog and wipe out my sleeping hours entirely.

“Can’t you stay just one more day, Sir Albert? It wouldn’t hurt none.”

“Next time you come, I want you to teach me that sword technique of yours. That was some fine stuff.”

As I was getting ready to leave, the “Legitimate” elves gathered around me and said things like that one after another. Their enthusiasm exceeded what I’d expected, and I was honestly a little surprised. It was probably because I’d fought actively in the defensive battle. 

Apparently, once you’ve fought side by side, you’re comrades-in-arms… That was their way of thinking. This kind of straightforward, warrior-like mindset was something I found quite likable myself. They were elves who would be an absolute nightmare to deal with as enemies, but once you got into their good graces, they didn’t seem like such bad people.

Well, if circumstances demanded it, I might still have to oppose them someday. That was the painful reality of being a soldier. Emotionally, I already felt inclined to side with the “Legitimate,” but what I had to prioritize above all else were my own subordinates and the people of my territory. I couldn’t help the “Legitimate” if it meant neglecting them.

“When I come next time, I’ll bring plenty of alcohol. When that happens, make sure you tell me all about your heroic deeds.”

I shook hands with each of the elves who were reluctant to part ways (with the occasional crow or sparrow birdkin mixed in), sharing the feeling of farewell with them one by one. These small, steady efforts would pay off later. I wanted them to feel as positively as possible toward the Liseben territory.

“Uhehehe.”

When one elf asked for a hug and I obliged, she let out a strange laugh like that. Well, as long as she was happy, that was fine… But hugging her made it obvious just how thin elves were. Truly nothing but skin and bones. It was impressive they could fight at all in that condition.

“Hey, no fair! Do me too!”

“Me too!”

Seeing that, the other elves swarmed in. Wow, I was pretty popular. Of course, I didn’t mind. All elves were unbelievably beautiful, after all. People in this world generally had high looks to begin with, but elves stood head and shoulders above the rest.

“Hey, you lot. Don’t give Sir Albert too much trouble. If you delay him too long, he won’t make it back to his territory today.”

Unfortunately, the bonus time didn’t last long. Lady Orphan showed up and chased the elves away. Truly disappointing. Judging by the reaction, I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, because one elf soldier shot back at her.

“That’s exactly what we’re aiming for, Orphan-sama. If that happens, maybe he’ll have to stay another night.”

The elves burst out laughing, and Lady Orphan shrugged her shoulders. Sonia and I exchanged glances and shared a wry smile. As long as we weren’t enemies, the elves were a pretty entertaining bunch.

“Sorry, but I’m counting on you all for the rest. I know it’s extra work, but I’ll make it up to you in your rewards, so hang in there.”

I said that to the knights serving as my guards nearby. We only had three wyverns, and one of them needed to carry a Star Guide-sama responsible for navigation. That meant only two people could be transported per flight.

Because of that, only Sonia and I would return to Carrera City first. The others would have to take later flights, and on top of that, one person would remain for a while as a liaison, accompanying the “Legitimate” faction. I felt a bit bad about it, but there was no helping it.

“It’s fine. This village is actually pretty comfortable.”

One of the knights replied with a grin. Well, that was true enough. Even if the dwellings were crude pit houses, they were a hundred times better than sleeping out in the open. The food, though… Potatoes and insects were fine, but weeds were a bit much… That was pretty rough. And apparently they normally only got one meal a day, too…

Another subtle problem was Mount Rana. That mountain erupted constantly, day or night. They were small eruptions that mostly just scattered volcanic ash, but they were loud enough to seriously interfere with sleep. Even Sakurajima Mountain was more well-behaved than that.

Honestly, building a settlement near such an unstable mountain was incredibly dangerous. The reason the “Legitimate” lived here was that they’d chosen a location that the “New” faction found difficult to attack. Man, life was harsh.

“Sir Albert, the liaison’s ready on this end too.”

One of the elf soldiers came over and reported that. Behind her stood one crow birdkin and one sparrow birdkin, both fully equipped for travel. They were the liaisons from the “Legitimate” side. Exchanging liaisons was essential for maintaining at least a basic level of communication.

The reason they were birdkin was simple. They could fly to Liseben on their own wings. If we transported them by wyvern every time, both riders and dragons would be exhausted.

“We humbly place ourselves in your care, Albert-dono.”

“Lookin’ forward to it~”

After the crow birdkin bowed, the sparrow birdkin followed suit. The sparrow birdkin looked like a child and was extremely cute, but her way of speaking was oddly relaxed. Well, that was cute too. She really looked like a sparrow turned straight into a person. Once we got back to Carrera City, I’d make sure she got plenty to eat.

“Yeah. I’m counting on you.”

After shaking hands with both of them—well, feet, since they were birdkin—I turned back toward Lady Orphan.

“Then, we’ll be departing shortly. Orphan-dono, thank you for everything.”

“Ah, it was nothing. …Sir Albert, I’m counting on you about that matter.”

By “that matter,” she meant the “Legitimate” relocation plan. Lady Orphan seemed quite invested in it. Well, she probably just wanted the war to end as soon as possible, and that meant choosing a new land that was hard for the “New” faction to attack.

“Yeah. I’ll give it serious consideration. But it’ll be difficult to reach a conclusion right away. Please wait a little while.”

That said, I didn’t want to provoke the “New” faction too much either. Carrying out this plan as-is might be a bit difficult. And on top of that, we still had to hold the “New” side accountable for yesterday’s attack. If we piled on too many demands at once, the risk of them lashing out would increase. How tricky.

“Oh, and about that prisoner. We’re planning to retrieve her on the next wyvern flight, so I’m sorry, but I’d like you to keep her under custody until then.”

“Mm. We’ll keep a close watch.”

Lady Orphan nodded firmly. The prisoner in question was the elf soldier I’d choked unconscious in yesterday’s battle. The “Legitimate” didn’t have the resources to even feed prisoners, so if left as-is, she would’ve been executed. That was why we’d decided to take responsibility for her instead.

This wasn’t a proposal made out of humanitarian concern. We simply wanted a sample of an ordinary elf soldier. There were countless things we wanted to know about elves. Things like their personalities, culture and how to deal with them. Since we’d obtained a prisoner, we decided to have her serve as a test subject for observation.

That said, it wasn’t anything cruel. What I wanted to know was how well elves could adapt to a Galean-style way of life. As much as possible, I intended for her to live a healthy and cultured life.

“That helps a lot.”

When I said that, Lady Orphan nodded, then pulled a wooden sword—still in its scabbard—from her belt and handed it to me.

“Only ever receiving charity doesn’t sit right with me. It’s nothing special, but take this with you.”

She claimed it wasn’t anything special, but the flat of the blade was engraved with beautiful leaf-pattern decorations, and the guard even had what looked like a jade gem set into it. The obsidian fitted along the blade was also remarkably clear and beautiful. It clearly wasn’t made for pure practicality. It was probably crafted back when elf society had more breathing room, before Mount Rana started erupting.

“…I’ll accept it with gratitude. My deepest thanks.”

I felt bad being given something so obviously valuable, but refusing it here would be more disrespectful. At the very least, I should continue providing as much support as I could, so as not to shame this sword.

To show maximum respect, I knelt on one knee, accepted the wooden sword, and kissed the back of Lady Orphan’s hand. Normally, the genders would be reversed for this gesture, but… 

Well, whatever. I am a formal knight too, after all.

“……”

“Then, until we meet again!”

Leaving Lady Orphan blushing in silence, I waved to the elves and headed toward the dragon riders. Time to head back. In Carrera City, a whole line of troublesome matters was waiting for me… 

Ugh. I really don’t want to go home.

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