9 – Meeting Old Relationships 4

“I came to express my gratitude to you, the hero, on behalf of the queen and all the members of the elves.”

“Thank you?”

“Yes. All of us elves give our lives to you, the hero-.”

“All right.”

Tadak-

Chaejin interrupted Anneliane and stabbed him in the fire with a branch.

“Because everything I did has become meaningless. I am no longer a hero or anything.”

“First of all, I have to ask what happened to you… ….”

Can you tell me?

Annelian tilted her head and looked at Chaejin’s face with her characteristic nonchalant eyes.

Although he let out a small sigh, Chaejin decided to answer.

‘I wonder if it’s something to hide so tightly.’

She spent some time talking in front of the fire.

The hero’s suffering and the reason for the disaster, the first impression of an elven ranger…….

“Disgusting. Guess who isn’t human? Promises only exist to take advantage of the other person. Ugly guys…….”

She gritted her teeth while clenching her fists as if uncontrollable anger was boiling, and muttered in a very small voice.

“The hero sealed the disaster, but he didn’t want to keep that one promise, so he betrayed it, and then it happened. The shameless and distrustful worm-like tribe—.”

Then, realizing that the hero next to him was also a human, he excused himself with a slightly embarrassed face.

“Ah, you, the hero, are excluded from the ‘humans’ I mentioned. Because I am a foreigner.”

At that reaction, Chaejin couldn’t help but laugh.

“It’s okay. I hate humans too.”

“You know what, you know? That that is the first condition to become an honorary citizen of the elven kingdom. Perhaps you could be the first human to be made an honorary citizen of the Elven Nation. Of course, you have to accept it yourself. How is it? To leave the human empire and return to the elven kingdom like this.”

“Thank you very much, but I will refuse. I don’t feel like belonging anywhere anymore.”

“Okay, don’t do that… ….”

Annelian laughed bitterly.

Obviously, when I first saw him, he was a person with a very strong will to achieve something, but now it seems like there is nothing left.

She recalled her memories of her old days.

One evening, her hometown forest was overrun by monsters.

A human man appeared in front of Annelian who was wounded and determined to die fighting for her hometown.

A man who appeared at the same time as he cut down a wolf-shaped monster that was trying to tear a young elf to death with a single knife said with a smile as if he was fine now.

[ Run away, to a safe place. ]

Then, without hesitation, I threw myself in front of the monsters and fought.

Even if part of the body was cut off from being attacked by a monster or internal organs were leaking, it would immediately run out again after receiving treatment and feeling that it was cured.

The humans who followed her man only prevent him from being attacked by monsters, but do not actively participate in battle.

He was virtually fighting alone.

As if he had a mission to do so, he endured the onslaught of monsters and fought and fought again.

The hometown of Annelian, who thought it would perish today, was saved by a party of warriors.

To a group made entirely of humans that she thought she hated the most in the world.

Annelian could not hold back her curiosity and approached her man.

[ Human, why do you help us even when you are hurt like that? ]

[ So what, are you a warrior? ]

The warrior blushed as if he was embarrassed to say such a thing.

[ You are human. A human warrior brought by humans. It wouldn’t be much of a loss to you if a few forest villages on the edge of the elven kingdom were destroyed……. ]

[ I am a human hero and a hero of humans, but I am not a hero of only humans. I fight because I want to save the world. Aren’t you also part of the ‘world’? You are also what I am looking for. ]

[ …… Is it like that? ]

[ I came from another world where there are no elves. I don’t know much about elves, but I learned from learning that they hate humans very much and value promises above all else. ]

[ Pretty accurate. We are different from humans. Make sure you keep what you promise. ]

[ In that sense…… Like you elves, I’m going to make a promise with the determination to keep it even if it means dying. ]

[ What promise? ]

[ It’s kind of like an oath I make to myself to make up my mind. No matter what adversity awaits me, I will never give up on the mission given to me. Humans, elves, and other races will be saved without discrimination. ]

[ Then I promise you too. If you keep that promise, this one and only life. I am willing to give you when you need it. ]

[ Okay, you promised? ]

‘At that time, I felt possessed by something. There was information that he was a hero, but to make such a promise to a human he had never met in person.’

I have no regrets.

Because the hero really kept his promise.

This time it was his turn to keep his promise.

“Hero, do you remember the promise we made the first time we met?”

“…… Good memory too. I was deliberately avoiding that topic. I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise. I’ve given up on saving the world. I guess I am a human being who can’t help it.”

Hearing that answer, Annelian thought.

‘You can’t keep your promise, what is that? Could it be that the hero himself thought he couldn’t keep his promise because the disaster had resurrected?’

Never give up on the given mission no matter what adversity awaits…….

In a way, being forcibly expelled by humans and reawakening in disaster can also belong to the axis of adversity.

But Annelian doesn’t think that Chaejin couldn’t keep his promise.

He has already saved the world once.

With that, the mission was completed.

Even if they hadn’t been banished by the greed of stupid people, the disaster would have disappeared and the threat of destruction would have disappeared.

Isn’t the hero’s fault nowhere?

“No, warrior. You did a great job keeping your promise to me. All the elves in the elven kingdom know the promise you and I made. And everyone thinks towards you A warrior does not betray his faith. A hero is a person who always keeps his promise. So we elves, too, will definitely keep our promise with such a hero…….”

At the same time as he said that, he felt the presence of dozens of people around him.

This is deep in the forest.

If the elves were determined and hid their presence, it was not easy to spot them, no matter how chaotic they were.

Since he wasn’t paying any attention to it, he didn’t even know it was hiding.

A woman standing right next to Chaejin, swaying in deep blue like the fresh leaves of a world tree.

“Nice to meet you, World Champion. This is Kleia, Queen of the Elves. From the moment I first heard your story, I wanted to meet you. Please forgive her sudden rudeness.”

Kleia, Queen of the Elves.

She was dressed as a forest archer ranger, just like the elves around her, but the strange energy that radiated from her very existence seemed to indicate instead that she was of a noble status.

“I don’t care. Why did the noble queen of the elves come to a place like this?”

“She asked the Empire several times to say she wanted to meet you, but she was only refused on the grounds that she could not comply with the enemy’s request. She said that I, the queen, even wrote her blood and made a ‘promise’ that she would never do harm to her warriors. She seemed unlikely. Even when she said she would send personnel to help the hero, she refused, saying she didn’t need help from a different race.”

Chaejin didn’t know that she made such a request in the elven kingdom.

Originally, it was also possible to have elven companions.

‘There was a rumor that the capital of the elven kingdom has a very beautiful landscape of civilization in harmony with nature. She wanted to visit at least once.’

It seemed that the leadership had hidden more from them than expected.

“As Annelian said at the beginning, we are here to express our gratitude to you.”

Chuck!

As soon as the queen said that, as if she had been waiting, all the elves except her queen got down on one knee and bowed their heads to pay their respects to Chaejin.

“On this occasion, we honor the sacrifice and achievements of the hero who came from another world and saved our home and world.”

Saying that, Claya herself got down on one knee and bowed her head like the other elves.

She said that for a few seconds, then raised her head and said her words.

“We elves never forget grace. By the authority of the Queen of the Elven Kingdom and her leader, I promise you here. When you need it, just once. We will help you with the power of the elven kingdom. Even if our destruction awaits ahead.”

He had a spleen expression, as if he was prepared to die.

After she finished speaking, the other elves also raised her head and spoke to Chaejin with serious expressions.

“””I promise”””

For Chaejin, their oath was just confusing.

“…… Even if I give up being a warrior like this? Reawakened disaster is strong. I no longer had the will to fight it and overcome it. Are you saying you’re not disappointed with me?”

Kleia stood up, put her hand on her shoulder, and nodded without hesitation.

“I cannot forever lay the burden of saving the world on you, a stranger. It is the place where we live. This is the world we must live in. So we have to protect it with our own hands.”

It was the first time I saw it after coming to this world.

Whoever said that.

“At the time, I was in a hurry to stop the power of the monsters threatening the kingdom, but while you bought time by stopping the disaster once, I raised my power as much as I could. When Magi strikes again, we will have a decisive battle against disaster.”

“It will probably be a meaningless death. As long as there is no protection from the goddess…….”

“A meaningless death?”

Kleia resolutely corrected Chaejin’s words.

“Like you said, we may perish without achieving a great cause. But it is not a meaningless death. We fought We didn’t run away, we fought to protect our world. There are times in life when how you die is more important than how you live. We die with pride in our hearts. Even if it was an impossible battle to overcome, I fought with my convictions in my hands until the end.”

“… ….”

Chaejin remained silent.

I couldn’t think of what to say here.

It was as if a very small emotion was blooming anew in his heart.

[ Not because their will is virtuous. It’s just because that’s what it’s supposed to be. ]

[ Because you are selfish, ugly and weak, you can be even more altruistic, noble and strong. ]

[ I hope you find it. A human being with a will that is noble enough to move your heart, who is extremely disappointed in the existence of a human being. ]

The words the goddess said flashed through my mind.

‘The weakest is human, but the strongest is also human…’ … is it.’

In Chaejin’s eyes, the elves gathered here were more noble and strong than anyone else.

Unmatched by any human I’ve ever seen.

Each of the elves who swore with a serious face was much more like a warrior than himself.

But she said with a nuance that goddesses are not fit for them to be warriors.

They are not truly noble and strong.

They just do it because they have to.

Then, what on earth is a noble and strong person suitable for becoming a hero?

Even though she once was that kind of person herself, Chaejin couldn’t get her way.

Do such ‘humans’ still exist? In this world

Chaejin, who was abandoned by her parents and grew up in an orphanage, has always been told that she is frustrated because she doesn’t know how to do anything, let alone do exceptionally well.

He couldn’t make friends and only went out of his way, and he thought of himself as a person of no value to the world or society.

Even if you collapse and die on the spot, no one will be sad, that no one needs you.

He was summoned while he was living a life like a cogwheel, unable to die.

He thought he was useless and became the only hero who could save the world.

Everyone needed him.

It was as if I became the main character in a game or animation.

Read at noblemtl.com

Justice enough to make you feel naive, and full of a sense of duty.

The main character in a creative work who overcomes all adversity and eventually achieves happiness with his own hands.

Twenty-year-old Chaejin wanted to be that kind of main character.

For that reason, even if it hurts or suffers, I have endured with my teeth gnashed.

But what was at the end was not happiness, but broken heart and betrayal.

If the ending of the creation ends in this way, the user rating will be the worst, and the creator will be judged as a low profit.

However, this world is not inside a game or animation.

Even if a hero who accomplished a great feat is put to an end like that, no one will judge him. Really no one

Repeating that, the twenty-three-year-old Chaejin came to a realization.

No matter how hard he tries and sacrifices, the reality is brutally selfish and realistic.

So now let’s watch the destruction with the feeling that we are the only one who can judge.

‘I thought so, but why… ….’

My heart ached.

I don’t know why.

If he had been himself in the past, he would have known for sure.

However, to the 25-year-old Chaejin, not even a trace of the 20-year-old Chaejin remained.

“Originally, I should have gathered all the elves in the kingdom, but please understand that I am secretly infiltrating the enemy country. Still, everyone gathered here are warriors from Loen Forest Village who were saved by you.”

“Thank you for saving my family, hero.”

“I can’t trust humans, but I can fight with my life for you. Just like you did!”

“We will connect your will. Please watch over me.”

Chaejin had no choice but to turn her head away from her elves.

She just looks at the bonfire burning.

She just doesn’t care.

On top of his thigh, the palm of an elf came up.

Reflexively looking up, Doliny Anelian comes into her eyes.

“I know. You have been persevering Enough to understand even if I burned everything inside of you. So now it’s our turn to do it. Even the humans who betrayed all your efforts and left you in despair, only to ask for help.”

There was a small piece of wood where she removed her hand.

As Chaejin absentmindedly picked it up, Annelian explained.

“It is the largest and most sacred piece of the spirit tree in the elven kingdom. All the elves in the kingdom carry one like a talisman. So everyone remembers the scent of this tree. If you burn this, everyone will move to keep today’s promise.”

“…… Thanks.”

After saying that, Chaejin lightly held the piece of wood in her palm.

It was a gentle touch, as if I really cherished it.

“Then let’s get back to you. Please stop by the elven kingdom when you have free time. You are always welcome.”

Tadak- Tadak-

The place where the elves left.

Chaejin stared only at the burning flame that hardened like a mangbuseok.

“Queen, I am here to act privately.”

During her return, Anneliane has been pleading with the Queen.

There was nothing impossible, but Kleia, who was curious about the reason, asked.

“This is still human territory. What are you going to do?”

“I plan to spread a rumor to the human country in disguise. Humans don’t know what to do, but shouldn’t they know?”

She grinned like a child planning a funny prank.

“What caused this calamity to come, what did their superiors do to the warrior they admired so much?”

Probably only now.

A chance to destroy the empire of humans you don’t want to see.

[ Thank God, my daughter…… I thought I’d never see her again…… I’m glad, I’m glad I can go see it one last time. ]

The nobles of the empire who killed her father and enslaved her mother as a plaything…….

When they perish, even if they perish, they will surely see them judged.

Hatred and vengeance hidden behind a mischievous smile flared up beneath her pupils.