Chapter 46 – Origin of Elves (1)
‘Is this a dream?’
When Lila first opened her eyes, she instinctively denied reality. It wasn’t the worst-case scenario of being dragged away by rough men to an unknown place, but it was true that she had collapsed after being betrayed by someone she trusted.
She admitted to herself that she had been foolish.
She had never felt such a strong impulse in her life. Unlike her father, she thought of herself as not greedy, but that was because she had lived comfortably without needing to be greedy. When faced with a real trial, she found herself unable to overcome her impulsive desires.
‘It’s soft.’
In the midst of it all, Lila flinched at the soft thigh that she was buried against as she looked up at Isilia gazing down at her. The betrayal surged within her, but another emotion rivaling it swelled too.
“I wanted to use your father from the start. I planned to make Ethan the leader and have him take over the entire organization later.”
“Why…?”
“Because that was the path for me.”
Once she drew someone into her camp, they would inevitably share a fate. Isilia spoke frankly, revealing the truth to Lila, who had previously been betrayed by her.
“Who are you?”
Finally, Lila posed the essential question—the one that anyone who had seen Isilia’s true self would inevitably ask.
Ethan, Patrick, Renia, and Arisa had all asked the same, and now Lila did too.
“My name is Isilia. I was a high elf who lived about ten thousand years ago, before the tower that you call the Tower of Origins collapsed.”
With a faint smile, Isilia divulged her identity. The smile emerged naturally as she described something embarrassing, but Lila felt it differently.
A ten-thousand-year-old high elf seemed absurd at first, but the unique aura and mystery Isilia possessed made it feel real.
“A disaster from ten thousand years ago is about to awaken again in this world. It’s not certain yet, but signs that raise suspicions are already emerging… A well-connected organization could be quite useful.”
Isilia used a grand cause to persuade Lila. Although she swallowed the truth that it was primarily for her own comfortable life, it was not entirely a lie, so it felt less burdensome.
“Y-you’re saying such a thing?”
“Your father still thinks you’ve run away. I want him to help me without suspicion, so I need you to persuade him.”
Isilia’s intentions resonated well, and Lila’s eyes widened in surprise. The still inexperienced Lila was starting to consider that someone like Isilia might go this far for a greater purpose.
“What should I do?”
“Nothing. But if you say it like that, you won’t like yourself. Don’t you want to get stronger?”
Having caught onto Lila’s wavering, Isilia smiled and baited her with an even stronger lure. If she took it, Lila would fully be on her side.
“Feel the energy of the spirits. You have talent.”
Isilia helped Lila sit up from where she had been lying against her thigh. At that moment, Lila noticed the air spirit perched above her head and couldn’t help but chuckle.
Direct communication and empathy like Isilia’s were difficult to achieve, as it was mostly one-sided affection from the spirits towards Lila, but for Lila, that was still a significant help.
‘Something is flowing through my body.’
Feeling the power of the air spirit wrapping around her, Lila shivered. It was evidence that Isilia’s words about becoming stronger along a new path weren’t lies.
This was what she had longed for—a solution between her personal growth and the weight of the organization she would inherit.
“H-how do I learn more of this?”
Lila’s speech and actions became incredibly polite; she was now completely taken by Isilia. She had transcended simple urge-driven obsession.
“Say hello to your senior.”
Isilia, still smiling, pointed to Rina, who sat across from them, watching the situation unfold.
Rina, startled by the sudden attention from both of them, tilted her head in confusion. Lila flinched upon seeing Rina in a maid outfit but then nodded as if to signal that she understood.
‘Of course, nothing comes for free.’
Lila had learned from her father, Erns, that nothing in the world is free and that debts must be repaid with interest. Although she had grown up as a rich girl who had never lifted a finger, she was now ready to do whatever it took.
‘Whatever misunderstanding there is… If she’s willing to do things for herself, I won’t stop her. It suits her well.’
The true meaning of Isilia’s words was a request for Lila to become her subordinate and act according to her needs, just like Rina. But if Lila chose to do maid work voluntarily, Isilia had no intention of objecting.
She simply thought that Lila suited the maid outfit well.
*
“It seems your tastes are showing.”
“What are you talking about? That’s not it.”
When I mentioned that I would have Lila, who had completely submitted to me, working under me like Rina, Ethan glanced at us and let out a chuckle.
It seemed he was misunderstanding something; I sincerely denied it. While it was true that I preferred a pretty girl to a rough uncle, this situation was definitely not something I had initially intended.
“Lila, write a letter to your father and have Ethan deliver it. Since the academy is on break, tell him you’ll be wandering for a while. I don’t know how he’ll react, but at least he won’t go crazy searching for you.”
“Okay.”
I instructed Lila to write a letter explaining the situation to Erns.
From Erns’ perspective, he would be upset over his reckless daughter, but ultimately, if this incident led Lila to grow and find her own proper path, it would be a good thing for him too.
Then, even if the truth came out someday, he wouldn’t react hastily out of anger.
“Good. Then let’s allow everyone a sufficient rest, and when the day breaks again, we’ll depart. Everyone, rest well.”
Ethan, either understanding or resigning, nodded after a short sigh. Now, we just had to return home and wait for news.
It had been a thrilling experience, and I was ready to take a break.
“C-captain! How did that unknown elf find out my name and come to look for me?!”
However, when we finally returned home, new news awaited us. One of the organization’s informants was waiting for us with an anxious expression, and when he saw Ethan, he rushed over, turning pale.
His face seemed like it might burst into tears with only a little provocation.
“I told you. I forgot to mention it.”
Seeing him fidgeting as if he believed his cover had been blown, I scratched my head.
He was Ethan’s subordinate working within the organization, and only Ethan knew his identity.
Having learned this information through Ethan, I had previously provided it to Arisa, intending to use it in my communication network.
“You’re trying to catch many people at once.”
Ethan let out a sigh of disbelief and showed me a letter handed over by his subordinate. True to being an elf, the letter contained news from Arisa, who had already returned to her village.
“…We need to visit the elf village.”
After reading the contents of the letter, I managed a bitter smile. Arisa had successfully informed the villagers about me and formally invited me to her village.
“I’ve heard there have been unusual occurrences in the elf village. Is it indeed a phenomenon connected to the disasters from the past?”
“It’s very likely.”
Ethan was also a resident of this world. He was just starting to unfold his ambitions with my assistance, so it was natural for him to be concerned about the safety of the world.
However, I couldn’t share only good news with him. Arisa’s letter detailed unusual phenomena in the elf village, which were, without a doubt, similar to the incidents that had occurred nearby last time.
“Let’s rest for a day and depart immediately. Rina, you contact Patrick too.”
“Is Patrick coming with us?”
“He’s the perfect person to act as a guide.”
With Ethan’s help, I finished preparing for the journey and intended to set off with Patrick, who was already vaguely aware of what was going on as we rescued Arisa.
I didn’t think he would refuse. In reality, there were very few legal ways for a human to visit an elf village.
