I am back – Chapter 188

An unregrettable relationship.

Honestly, I’ve thought this way all along while living in this world.

Of course, there were many times I risked my life for the people. My companions were all good people, and I figured I’d never have the chance to make friends like them again in my life.

But even with that, I was ultimately an outsider.

I had no intention of taking anything from this world. I was content as long as I wasn’t treated as an outsider, receiving help here and there without interference in my actions.

No matter what I say here, there’s no reason for the people from my previous world to care, and no matter what actions I undertake, there’s no chance they will be known.

So… to be honest, I was just thinking, “I’ll just go back and that’s it.”

“I’m glad you returned.”

However, the elven elders all said that, without exception.

“Is that so?”

With my appearance and voice completely changed, it left me unsure of how to respond when they treated me so seriously.

Even back in the kingdom, I didn’t receive such a strong reaction. While there were some who genuinely felt grateful to me, there were also plenty who sought to take advantage of my status.

“Yes. I’m glad we could thank you directly like this.”

The elder elf who said that was female.

She had numerous wrinkles on her face, and her hair was mostly gray, but her voice was quite dignified and quiet for her apparent age.

Honestly, every time I heard words like these, it made me wonder.

Even if they say thank you, why do they go this far?

Of course, if there were people who criticized me for my attempts to save the world, I might feel hurt and angry. But even so, I wouldn’t have stopped my actions. In fact, there were those who envied what we achieved.

Still, that didn’t mean every person in the world felt that way, and more importantly, it was something I alone could do. I had a greater chance of surviving on the battlefield than others, and there was evidently less reason for me to fail in dangerous missions.

So… what I did was right. If anyone refused, then that was something I couldn’t help. But I didn’t feel that way. That was the most important part.

I had the power to do what I felt was right, and that’s all there was to it.

“Are you feeling out of place in a setting like this?”

“No, that’s not it…”

I said that out of courtesy, but to be honest, I did feel out of place.

Even I thought that my sense of it was odd. I was definitely aware of being called ‘the hero who saved the world’. So I thought others should naturally treat me well, shouldn’t they? The reason I was able to act relatively naturally in the kingdom was because of that thought.

But at the same time, seeing such reactions every day made me question whether I really deserved to be treated this way.

Well, in the kingdom, my identity was known only to the royals, nobles, and some of the soldiers stationed in the palace. Even if they wanted to welcome me, they could only do so within a small part of the palace, so honestly speaking, the scale of that welcome wasn’t much different from when I was a hero.

No matter how much I thought it was not fitting for me, after going through something like that repeatedly for five years, I would inevitably adapt. Participating once more in an event I had adapted to and participating again in one I’d only experienced once—

—Especially if that event was on a scale that was much grander than before.

I had said, “That’s not it,” but perhaps recognizing that my expression and attitude weren’t entirely sincere, the elder elf stared intently at my face.

Then she smiled softly and said, “We can’t apply all elven rules to humans.”

“Really?”

When I asked again, having not properly absorbed what she said due to my other thoughts, the elf shrugged her shoulders and replied.

“If we apply all our rules to humans, typically that person gets angry. They rebel, asking whether we treat them like children. Age is an important factor among elves,” she explained.

Humans can have that tendency as well, but for elves, living a long time is a point of pride in itself. If an elf older than you appears in front of you, it’s common to show them respect.

And because of that, older elves tend to be subtly pressured to be ‘exemplary.’ That’s only natural. Social norms are structured that way, so if an older elf isn’t ‘worthy of respect,’ younger elves are likely to rebel against that.

“But as I age, I realize it’s not all about age. It doesn’t matter if someone achieves something great while being young.”

Then the elder elf chuckled and added, “Sometimes humans fall into a similar misconception. They think, since elves are ancient, they must excel in everything compared to themselves. Knowing this, relatively younger elves get caught up in another illusion, thinking: ‘Ah, I’m greater than those humans.’”

“Is that so?”

Honestly, I was a bit unsure hearing that.

Arna… well, she did act like a bit of a proud elf when she first joined the party.

But after experiencing the battlefield a few times, she showed none of that behavior. Or rather, she seemed to act embarrassed about those moments afterwards.

“Arna… was a particularly outstanding child among elves. It’s not easy to be chosen by the World Tree.”

That makes sense.

They wouldn’t randomly send anyone to the hero party aimed at defeating the Demon King. They must have selected someone with assured capabilities.

And I learned for the first time that the will of the World Tree was involved in that process.

…The goddess must have somewhat anticipated what would happen ahead of time and sought someone suitable for it. And I was, in a way, someone found in that way.

I guess, naturally, the World Tree would move in a similar manner.

“Elves are an inherently proud race. If we don’t continually remind them of that fact, they will eventually revert to those arrogant times of the past and lose everything. Just as humans can have hypocritical thoughts, so too do elves.”

The gaze of the elder elf turned to the ground below us.

A festival was taking place. The woods had grown dim, but the streets down there were brightly lit, bustling with many people coming and going. Unlike during the day, sounds of laughter and singing filled the air.

And as she looked at all those elves, she said, “Even if they think their abilities are inferior compared to so many elves, they still believe they are far better than humans. They think they can do what humans can do, and thus feel superior.”

“…”

“But no matter how much individual knowledge one gathers, ultimately that knowledge can be found by digging through books in a library. No matter how strong one may be, it’s not as effective as a collective effort. Moreover… there are so few elves who will walk the world tainted by magic and confront the Demon King. Even those who can achieve victory do not exist at all.”

Her gaze returned to me, her deep blue eyes gazing quietly.

“So, we honor you in this way. Reflect on your achievements that are incomparable to ours, young as you are, to avoid becoming arrogant. So you can continue to survive in this world.”

“…Is that so.”

Not knowing what kind of answer I should give there, I simply replied like that.

“Si-yun!”

In the moment our conversation was interrupted, I heard my older sister calling for me.

When I turned my gaze, my sister, wearing a floral crown, waved at me with a genuinely joyful expression. My companions were around her, along with a few elves.

The crown she wore wasn’t the white one from earlier; it was a blend of beautiful flowers in various colors. Her clothing was also not the white wedding dress; it resembled the green attire worn by other elves and suited her very well. If I hadn’t been conscious of her ears, I would’ve certainly thought she was a fairy.

With a much happier expression than when she was in the royal ballroom, my sister waved at me.

“Oh dear, it seems I’ve kept you too long.”

“No, no, it’s fine.”

“Please enjoy your time. The protagonist of this event is you, the hero, after all.”

An elf with almost national-level age politely greeted me, so I hurriedly bent my waist as a form of bow.

Then I quickly ran over to where my sister was.