139. Reason (2)

In a quiet office, a woman slowly reads the documents in front of her with her legs crossed.

Child Nel Cianella, her pupils were swimming in a sea of words that filled her documents.

One sentence, one sentence. The child Nel, who was slowly reading her story, twisted her leg and at the same time lowered her hand that was resting on her chin.

Tuk─ Tuk─ Tuk─

Child Nell moved her index finger and started tapping her desk, as was her old habit.

Constant sound. In a calming mind, Ainel quietly drooled, or occasionally wrinkled her forehead, organizing what she had read so far.

“Treekeepers of the Great Forest—”

The dense information was about the children of the Great Forest, the elves.

Of course, the representative actions of elves known to the public and the evaluation of them that many humans agree on.

It also contained information about the friendship and history between the Cianella family and the elves.

Ainel flicked her gaze.

Among the numerous documents lined up on the desk, her eyes focused on one document she had read carefully.

Ai Nell quietly followed the sentence that caught her eye.

“The Countess Cianella shared a deep relationship with the Daesilim clan.”

The westernmost county of the kingdom and the easternmost elf. Even though the physical distance between the two is far, it can be seen that the mental distance is quite close.

Historically, the Cianella family fought against the demons along with the elves. When both sides needed each other’s help, they supported each other without hesitation. Quite a few records remain.

However, even after a thousand years have passed and the relationship of trust to that time has not remained, the family still occasionally exchanges letters with them to confirm their friendship.

The child Nell moved her eyes again.

His gaze wandered between several documents, then stopped at one document.

It was a document containing the public’s evaluation of elves.

“Elfs originally have a heart that is as clear and transparent as glass. They are a race that knows how to be loved.”

Tuk─ tuk─

The index finger that was tapping the desk stopped.

“Um-“

The widespread evaluation of elves in the world is, of course, praise.

It’s like a perfect race in fantasy created by gathering fantasies of the forest clan.

They are one individual, one person. It has a beauty that is not easily allowed to humans, and whenever it appears in public.

It may be a contrived act, but it has only shown us an infinitely friendly and gentlemanly appearance.

The world. No, humans defined them as good and it became a universal truth.

So, originally, he was also known to the world, and a record left in Count Cianella’s family.

Based on the history of friendship built up with the elves, I intended to treat them as old friends without question.

“Haa….”

Ainel Cianella showed hesitation about this.

“I heard such a story for no reason.”

Every time Ainel reads a text praising the goodness of the elves, she is Shione’s exclusive attendant.

No, Countess Cianella is now famous for producing the most outstanding knights in the kingdom. Ray, who became widely known as the promising first man of the count family.

The words he said to himself resonated in his own ears and shook his spirit.

Ainel crossed her arms and recalled the past.

‘Apparently, after the cultists ruined Her Highness’ coming-of-age ceremony… ….’

One day after an important meeting, I was tired and fell into a deep sleep.

So when you can’t easily get out of your dream. Ray came to my room.

Thanks to that, I couldn’t even tidy up my messy hair, and with my light blue pajamas…….

“Tsk….”

Did I try to rethink my thoughts from the beginning?

Ainel lightly bit her tongue and at the same time straightened her clothes again, recalling the conversation with him that had followed.

─Ray, I want to hear what you talked about with the daughter of the Arielt family. What happened to her and what conversations did she have with her? Let me tell you everything right here without omission.

─Priel Arielt told me this.

The corners of Ainel’s eyes went into some strength.

─It’s interesting. You are a fun person. In that sense, won’t you be mine?

It was an unexpected story.

─You can’t be mine. Do you really think so? Ray. It doesn’t matter if you’re a slave belonging to the count’s family or a servant. What’s important is… It’s your will.

Three families famous for being especially noble in the state of good elves.

Ray still vividly remembers the words and accent of the woman of the Frielt family.

─If you want. I mean, you’re confident that you’ll get Ray from your family. I must… Aren’t you the countess of the kingdom created by the short-lived species?

How could the children of Daesurim treat the Count’s family so badly, putting the friendship that had been built up so far?

Her words were words that broke the friendship between the count family and Dae Su-rim. That too miserably.

─Contrary to the widely known word of integrity… You openly revealed your sticky greed to me. Not to match the word she is loyal, as she said that even if she belonged to Cianella, she could get it in any way she wanted if she wanted to.

An elf who is neither honest nor righteous.

─I would rather Ainel-sama have deep faith in Friel Arielt… I want you to be suspicious and be a little vigilant.

That was the elf called Friel Arieltra that Ray had gone through. Furthermore, it could be said that it is the nature of the elves that has been buried until now.

And coincidentally—

Since the elf who came to the Count’s house last night was also that Friel Arielt.

Inevitably, the thoughts have no choice but to deepen.

“Whoa… ….”

Ainel’s deeply troubled sighs filled the office.

Intoxicated by her sigh, the child Nel turned her gaze away from staring at her papers.

A window with curtains drawn. A small light streamed in through the small gap.

“I don’t know.”

Her anguish was contained within the walls of Ai Nell, who stared blankly at her door again with her chin on her chin.

A conversation with Friel that will be held soon.

From noble mtl dot com

I wanted to smoke a cigarette for the first time in a long time.

* *

“So… That’s how it happened.”

“Hmm… ….”

Siabel, who heard all the stories about her royal family, didn’t show a very good expression.

Ghosts who only care about my face and image. Their black heart. Those who peek into the abyss for the first time often show such complex and subtle reactions.

Siabelle’s response could also be seen as a textbook response.

“There was a reason why Shione’s mood was drastically lowered. To think that an elf famous for his poverty and loyalty would……. Ray, you wouldn’t have mixed a lie, right?”

I nodded at her words.

“It is all true.”

However, since humans are not gods, their memories may be slightly distorted because they are imperfect…….

The words that Friel told me after he informed Siabelle. The words that Friel used while talking to me might have become a little bit more violent or different.

But, what.

It was conveyed as clearly as the atmosphere at the time and the essence of Friel’s words.

Since the big picture won’t change, I can say that everything I said to Siabelle is the truth.

After organizing her thoughts, Sia Bell looked at her sword with a cold gaze.

“Today there will be a conversation with the daughter of Arielt and her mother.”

Siabelle starts to pick up her spirit little by little.

“Will your mother be able to solve it?”

“Of course. You’re not someone else, you’re the head of household.”

“Really—”

Siabelle put a shallow aura on my training sword.

I also look at her and start channeling her mana.

“My mother would take care of it.”

Chaeng!

The elegant cry of iron.

Today, the impact of the sword attack was particularly harsh.

* *

Instead of an office filled with the smell of old paper, the two women met in a spacious and splendid drawing room.

Ainel quickly looked at Friel’s outfit.

A sword worn around the waist. And a fairly large bag with something in it. In particular, I could instinctively feel the unusualness of that sword.

Ainel took note of this. She then exchanged simple greetings with the elves who had come from the Great Forest sitting facing each other.

Facing the child Nel with a fresh smile, Friel secretly revealed what she was carrying.

“I couldn’t talk properly yesterday because I didn’t have a case. We, the children of the great forest, brought the tea leaves that we love. Will you accept them?”

“Willing.”

Child Nel handed her present from her, raising the corner of her mouth that was normally hers.

Meanwhile, the green and blue eyes were busy identifying and evaluating each other while facing each other.

The story progressed slowly but surely.

Beginning with asking each other how they are doing, the deeper the story goes, the more seriousness dwells in Friel Arielt’s turquoise eyes.

In particular, Ainel’s eyes are filled with that quiet smile that deepens whenever she quietly brings up the story of the Great Forest.

She asked, calming herself down.

“Friel Arielt. How did a member of one of the three families recognized for their authority by the high elves come to the county of the kingdom? May I ask why?”

Friel Arielt finally erased his empty smile at that question.

“Since the elder said to tell the Lord the truth as it is…… Before I tell you the reason why I headed for the county, it would be good to start by talking about the current situation in Great Forest. Will the head of the house be all right?”

“Please.”

At Ainel’s words, Friel smiled again and quenched her with the car in front of him.

She graciously set her teacup down and brought her hands together slightly and placed them on her lap.

“Daesurim is currently in a pretty critical situation. A long time ago, cultists who were secretly working in the empire secretly set foot in the sacred forest, and demonic demons gradually destroyed the forest.”

“It’s a bit late to notice, but… If it’s just monsters and cultists, our tree keepers can solve the problem. So, the tree keepers purified countless monsters and cultists. But… The cultists who survived the strong oppression of the empire never took it lightly.”

“They eventually succeeded in summoning demons and hiding their existence from us.”

Someday, Friel’s voice had changed to that of a woman who was infinitely cold, unable to feel the kindness of an elf.

“The devil was cunning. Hiding her body, the roots of the World Tree were slowly burning with demonia from the very end. When we noticed, the world tree was already poisoned by the terrible demonic energy. In the end, even now, the energy of the World Tree that connected the gate to the spirit realm has declined, to the point where even us elves are having difficulty summoning the spirits.”

“Therefore, the elder of our clan decided to seek help from the Cianella family, a trustworthy comrade who fought against demons together in the past.”

“So, I would like to take this opportunity to ask for help from the head of the family according to the elder’s wishes.”

Said the elf.

“Sione Cianella and Cianella’s knight, Ray. Please send them both to the great grove.”

Ainel looked at Friel with a cold gaze.

She was paying a lot of attention to suppressing her intimidation that was about to burst out.

Words sophistry and full of disharmony.

Friel Arielt. My mind finally leaned between the line between her beliefs surrounding her and her doubts.

“That word… Can you say it one more time?”

Ainel Cianella’s pupils were filled with doubts, and her momentum was clearly wary.