Chapter 42 – The Only One (2)
“Living like this, I end up doing all sorts of things. I wonder if I would have experienced this even if I had just ascended the tower.”
It has been quite some time since I was flung out from a tower that now no longer exists in this world, yet I still dream of those days.
Unlike others’ misunderstandings, the total amount of time I have experienced is still overwhelmingly on that side. The events I will encounter and the relationships I will build while living here will continue to accumulate, but it wasn’t the time for that yet.
And for me, encountering Ethan, getting entangled in the underworld, investigating the curse laid upon me by the tower that still lingers, or wandering around pretending to be an adventurer were all things I had never even imagined.
In truth, I had never properly ascended the tower, so I found it impossible to gauge how my current experiences compared to those of the tower.
If it were a tower where one could not move on to the next floor without passing the trials given, then I would ultimately have to do something forcefully. But regardless, everything I did here now involved my own will.
“—, –?”
“Do you all think it’s good for me to look like this?”
The wind spirits circled around me, seemingly delighted. This state of mine was just perfect for them as they always wished to directly connect with me.
“This look?”
In contrast, Rina, who was beside me, wore an incredulous expression. She was holding a translucent covering that I could wear over my face.
“The spirits always want to make direct contact with me. For them, clothes are just obstacles that hinder their connection with me. Even in this embarrassing outfit, the wind spirits are very pleased.”
I chuckled lightly and glanced down at my body. They say that food that looks good is also good to eat, so I was dressed up to the best of my ability since I would be visiting the organization’s leader, Erns.
However, the problem lay in the direction of that embellishment. My body, exposed like that of a dancer from somewhere, was only covered by a small piece of black cloth that contrasted with my fair skin, modestly concealing my upper and lower parts.
There was no wonder the wind spirits liked my current appearance. The weight of the adornments draped over my bare skin felt heavier than the fabric itself.
“Are you truly unaffected?”
“I’m not doing this for no reason, am I?”
It was awkward, but it wasn’t mortifying enough to be detrimental. Instead, I couldn’t help but laugh at Rina’s face, which was flushed as if she herself was embarrassed.
Perhaps because my body had already undergone a complete change, I didn’t feel particularly immersed in it. It was undoubtedly my body, yet it still felt somewhat foreign.
And above all, as I told Rina, everything happening was necessary. Resorting to brute force was not really my style.
“I don’t think this outfit suits my figure, but it is provocative. It’s enough to cloud the opponent’s gaze. With just that, there’s enough reason to adopt this look.”
“Going this far guarantees your success…”
Wearing the covering Rina gave me, leaving only my eyes exposed, I let out a wry smile when I compared my considerably lacking body to Rina’s, who appeared even more serious.
To her, I must have looked like a madwoman who would stop at nothing for a purpose, despite having lived for ten thousand years.
“Let’s go now. To be honest, I’m quite curious. What kind of expression will they make when they see me? It seems that the more they know, the more interesting their reactions are.”
Having completed my preparation, I had to move to my next destination. It was Erns’ villa where he would come to meet us.
*
“All guests will arrive as scheduled. And… Chapter Leader Ethan is already here, waiting for you as planned.”
“Cough, did you see what he brought with him?”
“I’m not sure. It seems like it’s some kind of living creature, but he had it out of sight at all costs.”
When Erns set off for a networking venture called vacation, he raised an eyebrow upon hearing from his butler that Ethan was already at the villa waiting.
“Should we ask him to reveal his identity? He might have other motives.”
“That’s fine. At the very least, he’s sincere about his position. More than anything, the eyes I saw just before were definitely not the eyes of someone lying.”
The butler warned Erns for safety reasons, but he shook his head. His keen insight led him to believe that Ethan was speaking the truth.
When they actually met, Ethan openly revealed his true intentions without a hint of deception. Having encountered Irilia and gotten involved with her, Ethan was no longer swayed by Erns or anyone else.
Since he started with sincerity, it was only natural that Erns could not read any suspicious signs from him.
“It seems that there’s indeed something. I’ll see it for myself. If it’s something to be given to me, I should be the first to see it.”
With a puff of air, he leaned back in his chair. Soon, the luxurious, large carriage pulled by six horses set off.
“My subordinate claims to be offering a rare treasure unlike any other on the continent. You should come too. It must be fascinating.”
“…I’m not interested in gems or anything like that.”
“I know. But according to the butler, it seems it’s not a gem? He said it’s something ‘alive.’”
As he said this, he turned his gaze to the person sitting quietly beside him and gently initiated conversation. The girl, who had been holding a book even in the swaying carriage, slightly twitched her brow at the mention of a living creature.
‘My daughter has liked cute creatures since she was little. I don’t know what that punk Ethan brought, but…’
He had long understood the tendencies of his precious daughter, Lila Restia, who was currently showing interest.
“Let’s go see it.”
Erns, disheartened that his daughter was trying to distance herself from the organization and her father as she grew older, chuckled.
As they rode in the carriage, they arrived at the villa near the city later that evening, where Ethan was already waiting for them as reported.
“The expression on your face shows you must be quite confident. Just what do you intend to do to win my favor?”
“It’s not your average gem. Of course, if I describe it differently, I do have some gems as well. Two deep crimson rubies are terrifyingly heavy and deep, and the flowing waves of silver are incredibly mystical, and that one-of-a-kind existence in this world is the most beautiful of all.”
“You have quite the tongue. It’s certain that my daughter can view it without issue, right?”
Ethan, who seemed quite composed, continuously tangled together his mysterious words while leading Erns and his daughter.
As they made their way to the room in the villa’s annex, Erns inadvertently found himself captivated by those words but shook his head to remind himself to maintain caution.
“Of course, your daughter will surely enjoy it. And I won’t explain any further. Anyone who sees it, even Chapter Leader or anyone else in this world, will recognize its worth.”
Ethan pointed to the heavily guarded door, which was protected by him and Erns’ subordinates. Even they didn’t know what lay behind it.
Feeling an uncharacteristic tension, Erns cautiously followed suit as Ethan opened the door and entered inside.
It was a room where the radiant full moon shone down upon the earth through the large windows, casting its light without a single cloud in the night sky.
Given that there was hardly any furniture in the empty room, if something was there, naturally the gaze would be drawn to it.
“This right here is the one and only gift I present to the Chapter Leader.”
‘A… person?’
Ethan pointed to someone seated on a chair with crossed legs in the room.
It was something with a small physique compared to the large chair. In an instant, Erns’ eyes widened when he thought it was a person, but they only grew larger, surpassing the limit.
A pair of ears protruded clearly from the beautifully flowing silver hair.
Above all, the deep crimson ruby and waves of silver… the moment everything Ethan spoke of became revealed as truth.
Just a short while ago, the word “Elf” jumped into Erns’ mind as he heard about Hermann’s envy for it.
“An elf.”
“Do I look like a simple elf to you?”
As Erns, who had awkwardly frozen in place, muttered stupidly, Ethan, amused by the reaction, slowly approached Irilia, who was seated beside him.
Then, he raised her chin, grinning wickedly, as if to mockingly ask whether he didn’t want this.
“This is the one and only elf in the world. Now, please give me the token. Just that one thing will make this now belong to the Chapter Leader.”
Ethan’s words echoed in Erns’ ears, who had already been taken aback by the shock.
The soft voice was akin to a whisper of a demon; already, the greed gnawed at Erns, who was completely captivated by Ethan.
