Episode 74 Who on earth made this?
Like the endless universe beyond the sky above the clouds, there are no limits to knowledge.
That’s why scholars can’t help but feel their heartbeats quicken at the prospect of gaining new knowledge.
I felt I could somewhat understand that mindset.
“Well, Triche.”
“… If it’s a question about the parasites, I can’t answer any further. It’s not like I’ve been silenced… Honestly, even I don’t know much about that.”
Triche skillfully handled the whip of words with one hand while using her other hand to fix her hair, which had been ruined by the wind blowing from the front.
【Tch, playing pretty, just a maid.】
“How do you know that the parasite is a bug?”
【That’s true.】
At my words, Triche suddenly seemed to stiffen.
It seemed my words had hit her one vulnerable spot; she began to twirl a strand of her beautiful hair with her fingers deliberately.
The only chink in her seemingly perfect armor.
Honestly, it was easy to find.
After all, I knew at least part of the identity of something that hadn’t even been born yet.
It was too easy to hit the nail on the head.
“I also…”
“I also?”
Triche lowered her head.
As a result, her carefully arranged hair was once again messed up by the wind blowing from the front.
“I… I heard it somewhere. Of course, if you ask about something that doesn’t yet exist in the world, I wouldn’t know anything, so what can I say if it’s something legendary?”
“It’s not that I particularly need to know… why do you feel such an obsession about not knowing… something unimportant like that?”
“It is important! In our branch… Ugh!”
“… Branch?”
“I got too excited… For someone like me, to make a slip of the tongue…”
“What are you talking about? I can’t hear well. What branch?”
I couldn’t hear what Triche said after mentioning the branch.
I could only see her lips moving.
“No, it’s nothing. The branch… yes, I was just too tired, so I misspoke. Just forget about it.”
“That might be possible. Since you stayed up all night… You seem to be holding it well, though?”
Triche ignored my comment.
She lightly brushed it off.
“Ahem, anyway…”
“What is it? If you’re going to say something trivial, I’ll kick you out of the driver’s seat.”
As if hiding something, Triche began to show the prickly attitude of a sharp thorn from a purple rose.
“Don’t be too harsh, this time it’s a different question.”
“What is it again?”
She replied gruffly, trying to maintain her composure.
“Um… I want to repair a weapon a bit.”
【Yes! I’m just saying to fix my broken house!】
My weapon.
【My house…】
Under the influence of the System, I, Han Shiwoo, can grow, and my weapon can also grow.
Although it was neatly destroyed by Verdium… I couldn’t just throw away such a weapon.
If only I could talk to Verdium… for some reason, if I could converse with someone using the same weapon as me, I felt like something could grow.
“That, the dagger you pointed at my neck during the night watch, can you show it to me just once again?”
“Hah…”
Triche let out a small sigh.
Eventually, her skirt was lifted, and Triche’s skin filled my view.
“Feel free to look.”
The sight of her underwear connected to the garter belt was so dizzying that I started to feel a headache coming on.
【W-where are you telling me to look freely?】
‘Shut up, of course, it’s the dagger.’
【Eek! What did I do wrong that you’re being so harsh? Can you cherish me a bit more?!】
Chaewon pleaded with me.
“This, this… who made it? It looks good just by looking at it.”
I stammered, flustered by her appearance.
“… My mother made it, along with my father.”
【You’re talking about the dagger, right?】
“The dagger?”
【Were your parents blacksmiths? Hammering away in the forge?】
“No, are you… are you lying just to see my bare legs?”
【Ah… so your parents weren’t hammering in the forge, but in bed?】
“No, what are you talking about? I just wanted to know where the dagger was made…”
I felt like I was about to lose my mind with the combo attack from Chaewon and Triche driving me to distraction.
“… Since I also need to repair the blade of the dagger, let me introduce you to a place I often go to.”
【You’re not planning on going to a love hotel to give birth to a new dagger on the bed, right?!】
‘What are you talking about?’
After that, silence flowed.
How long did the silence last?
Until the once small World Tree approached as a huge entity.
Until the brightly lit day turned dark.
I’ve never seen the elves’ current nation, but no… there are no elves in the world where I live.
The residents of the past elves’ nation looked very much like typical druids.
Surrounded by ancient walls, this place was a space created by races that could witness a millennium of history.
Various types of towers and buildings where magic and technology coexist rose up, and a row of restaurants and exotic tool shops that could only be found in a fantasy world lined the streets.
Travelers from foreign lands lined up to enjoy toys that could be called magical tools, as well as various dishes and beverages.
As I watched the residents of this city gather to talk, and the guards stand firm in their watch, I couldn’t help but admire them out loud.
They love nature and do not refuse to interact with other races.
However, they do have a rather inflexible side when it comes to their own bloodlines.
They are creatures who avoid war and love all living things, but… do they truly think that way inside?
Triche spoke to me from the side.
When we arrived in the elves’ nation, initially, guards suspiciously checked us, but as Irlya waved her hand, we were able to pass through the gates immediately.
“… Not all elves live in nature, huh?”
I expressed my disappointment at the scene being different from what I had imagined.
【Hee… I thought elves would wear leaf clothing.】
“Most elves do… but this is the center, so a city can’t be in nature, can it? Only Violet Realm is strange. That kind of power is living far away…”
“Is that so? But the elves all look different?”
I moved my stiff body here and there and spoke.
“Ah… I missed a part when I was vaguely telling you the features of elves…”
“Yeah?”
“Elves are divided into exactly three types.”
“Oh, I think I saw that in a book; half-elves and dark elves, right?”
“Right, the other one is just elves, pure-blooded elves… and they don’t get along too well politically. The common folks get along fine, but the people in high positions don’t.”
“Look over there near the market; there are some humans; usually, either their husband is an elf or their wife is an elf.”
“Then, elves must be seen often in the human nations as well?”
“Of course! Are you saying as a human you’ve never been to ‘Ring Guard’? That’s quite rude.”
Triche said jokingly, stopping the carriage.
Just like how Triche had hit a raw nerve earlier, this time I couldn’t say a word either.
So I sought a way to change the subject.
“Um, by the way… when are you going to lower that skirt you lifted? I’ve already seen everything about the dagger…”
“… If you enjoyed looking at my thigh flesh, shouldn’t you lower the skirt upon request? I can’t lower it while driving.”
“W-who enjoyed looking?”
“Oops, I never said anything about tasting it.”
“That’s not what I meant… I misspoke.”
“Then… let’s call it a draw.”
“A draw? … Oh, the branch?”
“… The branch is really nothing at all, so don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worrying about it, though.”
“… Now that you’re satisfied, can I lower my skirt again? My lower half is getting a bit cold.”
Triche returned her lifted skirt to its original state.
“Well, it’s not like you weren’t going to put it back anyway, but… anyone would think I did something strange if they heard this…”
In trying to change the subject, I ended up with nothing to show for it.
Have I really never been to a human nation?
In fact, I think I visited a place that seemed to be Ring Guard. It must have been quite a bit in the future from now.
‘I think there were skeletons crawling around when I went…’
【Ugh, don’t even bring that up… please. It makes me want to vomit.】
Fortunately, she didn’t seem to care much about my actions, thinking it was just a casual remark.
Triche still didn’t seem to believe that I was someone from another world.
She dismounted from the driver’s seat to pet the horses.
At that moment, Irlya, as if she had been waiting for this moment, kicked the carriage door open and… well, opened the door and stretched before getting out of the carriage by herself.
Irlya immediately ran toward the driver’s seat.
“What were you two talking about for so long! I thought we agreed you’d come back inside the carriage once the conversation was done!”
“W-was that the case? It didn’t seem like it…”
“Is that important right now?! If you’ve started to dislike me, just say you dislike me clearly…”
Irlya, upon seeing me, began to be a nuisance again.
