“Let’s head to my place first.”
The elder truly entrusted our guidance to Lindy and went on to converse with Rone, an Elf who had been quarreling with Lindy. I was pondering whether leaving without acknowledging the elder would be against etiquette, but Lindy, seemingly accustomed to the elder’s attitude, departed without even informing the elder and led all of us forward.
Even though it’s called the Elf’s Forest, the whole forest isn’t a village where elves eat and sleep; we had to walk a bit more to reach the village. And during that short walk, Lindy shared various stories with us.
Stories about the minor rules we needed to observe in the village, or that Lindy’s house, where we’re heading, is not where she lives alone but with her family… She provided many helpful pieces of information for staying in the elf village.
When I heard Lindy’s parents’ house, I briefly considered looking for a different place. No matter how much I appreciated Lindy’s invitation, it was likely that we and Lindy’s parents would feel somewhat awkward.
However, our visit to the Elf’s Forest was already an unusual event. Normally, no one should be visiting the forest. It had been over a hundred years since the last time an outsider had visited the Elf’s Forest, reminding me again of their secluded nature.
Naturally, there was no inn or guesthouse for outsiders, so our only choice was to stay at Lindy’s parents’ house.
“Still, is it okay to make such a sudden, silent visit? I’m not sure if her family can handle such a large number of guests.”
“Don’t worry about that. They’ll already know through the spirits. If there’s a lack of rooms… we can always ask around the village for accommodations. So, don’t worry too much.”
In any case, there was no choice. As we followed her for a bit, we arrived at the village.
Once we entered the village, we could indeed see several Elves, quite different from the entrance of the Elf’s Forest. It was the first time I had seen so many Elves gathered in one place, a novel situation. However, the Elves looked at us, who were visiting the village in a group, with curiosity, whispering and murmuring.
“Hey? Isn’t that girl Lindy?”
“Looks like it. Didn’t she run away from the forest years ago? Around thirty years?”
“Much longer than that, I think.”
…Unintentionally, we learned something about Lindy’s age.
“Anyway, though she likes women a lot, judging by the number of women she’s brought back, it seems she’s accomplished her dreams.”
It seemed Lindy’s preferences were well-known even back here in her hometown. However, Lindy’s attention is currently only on me, so their assumptions couldn’t be more wrong.
“Ahaha… Come here. Over here.”
Embarrassed as her past came up, Lindy didn’t introduce us to the villagers and steered us away. Yet despite the small village, the news quickly spread. As we headed toward Lindy’s house, the Elves continued to watch and whisper about us like we were a spectacle.
Especially Luna, who was feeling burdened by the Elves’ stares, tried hiding behind Presia but, due to the height difference, she couldn’t hide completely. In the end, she clung close to me and followed behind.
“This is our house. Let’s drop off your bags first.”
The Elf home turned out to be surprisingly ordinary. I had cautiously speculated that their homes might be built in the trees due to the Elf stereotype, but it was simply built on the ground.
Interestingly, instead of bricks, it was constructed with natural materials like mud, wood, and leaves, making it quite environmentally friendly.
“The purpose of our visit, we’ll discuss with the elder tomorrow. For now, rest well since you’re likely tired from the journey. Tell us if you need anything.”
“Me! I want to meet the squirrel friends!”
“Me too! Rabbits!”
No sooner had Lindy asked than Anne raised her hand, exclaiming. Luna added her enthusiasm next to her, urging Lindy.
“Probably, if you head to the back of the village near the spring, you’ll find some little creatures drinking water. Don’t scare or bother them too much.”
Once they received the answer they wanted, Anne and Luna didn’t unpack but threw their backpacks to the corner and rushed out immediately. Watching these two, whose personalities perfectly fit, I didn’t know whether I should feel delighted or if I should be worried about the lack of maturity of two children now added to the group.
“Still, I don’t see Lindy’s mother or father, even though you mentioned it’s your parents’ house.”
“Perhaps they’re on an outing or something. Don’t worry about it. They should return soon anyway.”
Despite seeing her parents for the first time in decades, Lindy didn’t seem overly excited, merely showing us to the rooms in a calm manner. The room we were directed to was a bit cramped for all of us, but it wasn’t entirely unusable, so the group unanimously decided to stay in one room. We’d rather have a bit of discomfort than burden someone we don’t know with our presence.
“Lindy! You’re back!”
And indeed, just as Lindy had mentioned, no sooner had we finished unpacking than her parents returned home. We all came out of the room and could see two Elves.
They looked more like Lindy’s older sister and brother rather than her parents. Despite seeing it again and again, the Elves’ looks, which defy the passage of time, are still unbelievable.
“What’s with all the commotion?”
Lindy’s brusque voice.
“Our only daughter ran away after causing some trouble, but now she’s back. Shouldn’t we make a fuss? Anyway, all this is because she’s just like your father.”
“Why do you bring me into this? Also, Lindy’s character seems to resemble yours more than mine.”
“Hey, speak properly. The outstanding beauty I passed on to Lindy. If anything, her character was inherited from you.”
As the person who appeared to be Lindy’s mother said, the two did indeed look very alike. Someone unfamiliar might mistake them for sisters. Even the small size of their busts was similar…
“Ah, sorry. Having guests while engaging in such an awkward display is embarrassing. I’m Revi.”
“Lindy’s father, Dylan.”
As Revi said, honestly, standing quietly like a barley dummy was becoming burdensome.
“Hello. I’m Elysia Frentz, indebted to Lindy. Feel free to call me Elysia.”
Even with Anne and Luna having already run outside, there were still six of us, making individual introductions take some time.
“Yes. If there’s any inconvenience or if you need anything while you stay, feel free to let us know. First-time guest-hosting makes it unavoidable to be somewhat inadequate.”
“That’s not true! Just providing this accommodation is more than enough. Frankly, we feel guilty for intruding without prior notice.”
Fortunately, the couple didn’t show any inconvenience about our visit; rather, they welcomed us in a way that made us feel flustered.
“Still, you said you liked women back then, but now you’re just dragging so many females around. Criticizing my daughter’s sexual preferences is amusing, but she needs some commitment. Honestly, I’m embarrassed to show my face.”
The couple treated us as guests with exceptional kindness but wouldn’t stop nagging at Lindy, their daughter.
“Ah, that’s not true! What do you think I am!”
The vehement denial from Lindy. However, until she met me, Lindy indeed might have lived in a way that deserved such remarks.
“While your life is yours, it’s better not to get into things you can’t handle. Don’t seduce women here and there, only to end up with big trouble later on. You still have a lot of life left, but I don’t want to deal with my daughter’s untimely death.”
“Really, she’s such a wise person.”
In the middle of this, Selian suddenly interjected, agreeing with Revi. Taking a glance around, the rest of the group also appeared to be in agreement, all nodding their heads.
Well, as this is entirely unrelated to me, it didn’t resonate much, but it wasn’t wrong advice.
So Lindy, take it to heart and don’t do it again.
—
*
“Tomorrow we’ll visit the Spirit Realm.”
Before bedtime, Lindy separately called me over for a talk.
“According to our previous discussion, I’m not sure how long it’ll take. I have to ask directly for forgiveness from the Spirit King, but our kind of Elves is even more unmindful of time. Thirty years might not even be enough.”
“What kind of sin could you possibly have committed that it’s come to this?”
“T, that…”
To not have been pardoned for 30 years and maybe even longer—what kind of sin could that be? But Lindy couldn’t answer my question and merely hesitated awkwardly. Well, it’s understandable that one wouldn’t easily talk about sins so grave that they couldn’t be forgiven for decades.
“Never mind speaking about it. Rather, can I come along?”
Instead of demanding an answer, I brought up another reason for visiting this Elf’s Forest together.
“Isn’t it more effective if someone’s there beside me, suggesting ideas, while asking for forgiveness? Besides, I’m a Hero too, for what it’s worth.”
I thought threatening Lindy, albeit in jest, that her power is necessary to save the world might work somewhat as a judicial deal.
“The elder should approve first. It’s fine with me, but humans like El need special permission to enter the Spirit Realm. It’s late today, so let’s get some sleep, and we’ll ask the elder tomorrow morning.”
After setting the rough schedule, I stood up to return to my room, but Lindy followed into the already cramped room, where we were nine people sharing a single room.
“Lindy?”
“Uh, mom turned my room into storage. She’s completely using it as a warehouse! So, I figure I should sleep here too!”
The room, already crowded, became even tighter. But without Lindy, we might not even have been able to secure this room, so I’ll refrain from complaining.
In the end, we spent the night huddled together, nine individuals in one tiny room. Somehow, it felt even smaller than it should have been, but perhaps that’s my imagination.
