Chapter 112

The training ground was enveloped in silence.

In truth, since there were only two people there, it wasn’t noisy to begin with.

Yet, at this moment, Aisia felt as if the world had lost all sound.

“Oh, aura…”

By elf standards, she was still young, only twenty-four years old. No, even by the standards of other human races, it was an astonishing achievement.

Becoming a Transcendent is one thing, but sensing mana is a realm that cannot be reached through mere effort or talent alone.

It requires a corresponding enlightenment to attain.

If it were otherwise, all elves who live for a thousand years would have been using aura and becoming Transcendents.

That’s why, even after a lifetime of wielding a sword, many fail to reach even the first step of becoming an Expert, let alone a Transcendent.

No, it’s not just common—it’s the norm for most human races.

Rather, the stage of using mana is a privilege granted only to a select few.

That’s why Aisia was left speechless upon seeing that blue trail.

“What on earth…”

However, Aisia’s astonishment didn’t last long.

As she was recalling the faint blue trail that seemed to linger in her memory, Mari’s voice reached her ears.

“Mom…”

“Marisia?”

“I feel dizzy.”

As she turned around, Mari fainted and collapsed. Aisia hurriedly caught her falling body.

Mari had already exhausted her stamina from hunting all day and had been injured while capturing a tiger monster.

Moreover, during the archery competition, her wound reopened, causing her to lose a lot of blood. In the end, she even awakened her mana and fired an arrow imbued with aura.

Even for those who have just started wielding aura-infused sword strikes, it’s common to feel a slight sense of exhaustion from the mana consumption until they get used to it. But Mari had unleashed an aura-infused strike using an arrow, not a sword or axe.

The mana consumed in a ranged attack is several times that of a melee attack, and the mental strain is equally immense.

Although it was only a faint shadow compared to true aura, it was not a technique suitable for an elf who had just awakened to mana, especially in an already weakened state.

After Mari lost consciousness, Aisia, unsure of what to do, was approached by Kurt and his group, who had been secretly watching the match from afar. They rushed to help, and Aisia’s chaotic test finally came to an end.

—

After treating Mari’s wounds and laying her down on the bed, the rest of us gathered in a room with Aisia to talk.

“…So, did Marisia pass the test?”

“Yes, she passed. After showing such determination, how could I stop her?”

“It must have been a difficult decision, but thank you for respecting Mari’s wishes.”

“Huhu. If you thought that, why didn’t you stop her?”

“Well…”

“Just kidding. I don’t blame you. In fact, I should thank you for being Marisia’s companions until now.”

Aisia bowed her head to us as she spoke.

From the look of it, her approval of Mari’s adventure wasn’t just a reluctant concession after losing the match. It seemed there had been a change in her heart.

It seems the conversation went well.

“You don’t have to bow your head. It’s not like we did anything extraordinary to deserve thanks.”

“Marisia has really found good companions. I’m relieved.”

After saying that, Aisia paused and fell silent. Since we didn’t have much to say either, the room was soon enveloped in silence.

After a while, Aisia spoke again.

“Actually… I wanted to give Marisia everything. I wanted to be the parent who says ‘you can do it,’ not the one who says ‘you can’t.'”

“I understand. All parents feel the same way.”

“It’s not that simple. Marisia has a big problem, you know?”

“…A problem?”

This was the first I’d heard of it.

At my question, Aisia spoke with a serious expression.

“Of course. Marisia is a half-elf. And half-elves inevitably have a racial flaw.”

Gulp.

“…What is it?”

“Half-elves can live for only about three hundred years at most. That’s less than half the lifespan of a normal elf.”

“….”

What? Is this some kind of elf joke?

“Marisia will likely die before I even reach six hundred years old. Can you imagine? A parent still has nearly half their life left, but their child is destined to grow old and die before that?”

But the story Aisia told was heavier than I had imagined.

At first, I thought it was some nonsensical elf joke, but it turned out to be a serious concern.

But…

“That’s why I wanted to give Marisia everything she desired, knowing she was destined for a short life. But I never expected she’d want to become an adventurer. So, seeing Marisia throw her already short life into danger was unbearable for me.”

“That’s why you opposed it…”

“Yes. No parent would agree to their child doing something so dangerous. But I was wrong. Marisia knew exactly how hard and dangerous being an adventurer would be, yet she was fully prepared. Because, for her, it was true happiness. It wasn’t Marisia who wasn’t ready—it was me.”

I interjected as Aisia spoke seriously with Karina.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I want to correct one thing.”

“…What is it?”

“Marisia has now reached the level of a mana expert, so hasn’t her lifespan increased?”

“…Huh?”

“Of course, reaching the level of a mana expert doesn’t mean her lifespan will increase as dramatically as a Transcendent’s, but even as an expert, her lifespan should increase by at least 1.5 to 2 times.”

“…Oh. That’s true.”

At my words, Aisia muttered in disbelief, then gradually began to realize it, her cheeks flushing with excitement.

“That’s right! Reaching the level of an expert increases lifespan!”

“That’s what I just said.”

“Wow! Kurt! Thank you so much! I hadn’t even thought of that!”

I’m not sure what she’s thanking me for, but Aisia grabbed my hand and jumped around excitedly for a while.

It took quite some time for the excited Aisia to calm down.

—

Serena, seeing that Aisia had calmed down a bit, puffed out her small chest and spoke.

“Don’t worry! Trust Marisia more! She’s a more amazing half-elf than you think!”

“That’s right. When did she grow up so impressively? It was like seeing him again.”

“Him…?”

“Marisia’s father.”

Ah, Marisia’s father.

I had been curious about him since arriving at the elf village, but it felt awkward to ask.

As someone requesting Marisia’s formal independence, it would be rude to suddenly inquire about family matters.

As I thought this, Aisia rested her chin on her hand and began reminiscing.

“Come to think of it, when I met him, he was about Marisia’s age now.”

Aisia muttered, “I miss those days.”

“….”

“….”

“….”

Of course, I knew that the perception of age among elves and humans differed due to cultural differences.

In fact, the fact that elves consider adulthood to be at a hundred years old but don’t apply that standard to other races like us, treating us as children, proves that their concept of adulthood is only applicable among themselves.

So, logically, Marisia’s father’s age would be considered very young by elf standards.

But…

But…

To casually hook up with a man Marisia’s age while treating Marisia herself as a child…

Isn’t that a bit…?

My party and I exchanged confused glances, unsure whether to view Aisia as a pedophile or simply as someone who overcame racial differences in love.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

At our cold stares, Aisia seemed to sense something and asked. We quickly averted our gazes and awkwardly changed the subject.

“Anyway, you must be tired from moving around all day. Let’s eat. To celebrate Marisia’s adventurer qualification, I’ll cook something special.”

“Wow! Really?”

Although it was a clumsy subject change, Aisia didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness and responded enthusiastically, her eyes shining.

She’s just like Marisia.

With that, I headed to the kitchen to cook.

—

After Kurt went to the kitchen and the other two left to help him, Aisia was left alone in the room.

The once high-tension atmosphere now felt lonely as Aisia, with a desolate expression, headed to the room where Marisia lay unconscious.

She gently stroked Marisia’s hair.

Marisia’s father was a noble from one of the human kingdoms.

Yes, a noble ‘was.’

He was a fairly well-known noble, but due to a succession dispute, his life was threatened by his siblings, forcing him to flee to the elf village.

In his frantic escape, he happened to meet Aisia, who was on duty as a forest ranger that day, and the two fell in love.

Of course, they didn’t fall in love at first sight. Aisia, wary of the strange human, and the fallen nobleman bickered and fought, gradually growing closer in a bittersweet process.

In any case, the two soon confirmed their feelings for each other and shared their love.

The man decided to abandon his former status and become a member of the elf village.

However, even though the man had decided to leave his noble title behind, the nobles did not forget him.

Assassins, driven by the determination to eliminate any future threats, pursued him all the way to the elf village.

It was a night of heavy rain.

The man and Aisia desperately fought off the assassins, but unfortunately, the direction they fled led them to a cliff.

Prepared to lose their lives, they faced the assassins with their backs to the cliff.

But, ironically, the man’s end was not at the hands of the assassins.

The torrential rain had weakened the cliff’s foundation, and it couldn’t support the weight of two adults. The man fell from the cliff into the flooded ravine below, right before Aisia’s eyes.

Gulp.

Recalling that memory, Aisia tightly grasped Marisia’s hand.

In the end, after months of searching the ravine, no trace of the man was found, and Aisia had no choice but to accept his death.

After all, how could someone who fell from a cliff into a ravine survive?

Aisia was devastated, but she hadn’t lost everything.

In her womb was the evidence of the life he had left behind.

Marisia was her one and only precious daughter.

Her beloved, only family.

That’s why she had tried to dissuade Marisia from becoming an adventurer, wanting her to stay safe and healthy…

“But if stopping you from becoming an adventurer makes you unhappy… then I have no choice but to let you go. I will always love you.”

She kissed Marisia’s forehead and closed the door.

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