143 – name-6

I immersed myself in a warm wooden barrel. It felt warm inside my body.

If it wasn’t for the hero’s body, it was so warm that it would have been cooked hot. It was only natural that the water would have been boiling hot just before.

this one was good There was no way this body would get burned anyway, and it was better than getting lukewarm.

After bathing in warm water, I realized again how precious time alone is.

“Excuse me.”

I heard Laurel carefully open the door. Fortunately, the bath curtain was covered, so I didn’t have to move my body in a hurry.

“This is… Excuse me! Why wasn’t there a maid here…”

“I told you to rest.”

There was no need to wear long clothes like a noble would wear, and there was no need to pour warm water over and over again.

It wasn’t just Laurel and the construction workers who were overworked. Everyone in the castle was fiercely doing their part. Neither manpower nor rest could be taken lightly.

“But… you’re the lord, aren’t you?”

“It’s too much.”

Even though they were such difficult people, they all treated me warmly.

They greet you brightly every time you leave the street. Even my bright ears couldn’t hear my gossip.

I want to do even a little more. It seemed that way would be better than wasting time meaninglessly.

“I’m sorry. I’ll see you later, brother.”

“If you have something to say, you can do it now.”

It’s already too late. I also planned to go to bed right after taking a bath.

I didn’t like wasting her precious time while I was getting dressed and getting ready to hear the story.

“In that case… Well, first I have to apologize. The magic ingredient you mentioned, we’ve been looking for it… but we can’t find any clues.”

“It’s okay. Don’t worry too much about it.”

I didn’t expect that the clue to find the dragon’s heart would come from a place like this. Rather, it was a waste of manpower and resources wasted by paying attention to useless things.

“And, I wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me build the new watchtower.”

“Then it occurred to me, why do you need a fort? Is that in such a hurry?”

We couldn’t see each other’s faces, but I could see her drooping figure.

“Isn’t the demon king’s invasion over?”

Since the construction was not in the final stage, I did not think it was a structure built in preparation for the invasion of the demon lord.

“That’s right. But, there are unusual rumors going around these days.”

It was a peaceful territory, as if nothing had happened, but if you look closely, it may be that each of them has their own difficulties.

“They say bandits are raiding merchants and travelers. I don’t know how helpful it will be, but we have to do what we can.”

“Is that true?”

Objectively, it was difficult for me to say that humans were very useful to this territory.

Of course, as the heir of the Leodrin family, my decision and consent were absolutely necessary. However, it was only to make the estate run normally, and I couldn’t say it was helpful thanks to me.

I was trying, but the political issue of the territory was also outside my realm. There was no way he could know about the laws of the imperial family, the relationship between nobles, or the hearts of the people of the territory.

However, it was different when it required the use of force. The warrior’s power in his body remained intact.

It might be a little difficult if it was to investigate and find the culprit, but if it was to find and defeat someone, I could do it very leisurely.

“Is it just a rumor or is it an actual event?”

Even if the demon king army didn’t wander around, this world was basically dangerous.

“The number of merchants who came and went every time has noticeably decreased, and there are some villages that have suddenly lost contact. There is no evidence, but I think it is true with a very high probability.”

“Looks like you haven’t found out who it is yet.”

The bath water was cold. It wasn’t a conversation like this.

The words stopped for a moment. She cautiously backed away, perhaps because she felt the atmosphere was awkward, or because she was too tired and sleepy to talk in detail.

“It’s okay, don’t worry too much. Let’s go!”

As soon as Laurel went out the door, she scolded the maid who was slowly returning. I got out of the bathtub with a light smile and wiped the water off my body.

/////

everyone left

Farseer, Eleanor, and Celia returned to the capital. However, Nerwen had no choice but to wander around hesitantly.

“…Is it the end?”

There was nowhere left to return to. It was Nerwen who had already sworn to devote herself to him.

Wandering was familiar, but the feeling was different. Unlike the previous wanderings in which she embarked on an adventure to become stronger as a champion of the World Tree, her steps now had no meaning.

Even before leaving Londium, the domain of the Leodrin family, Nerwen could feel that fact.

The steps are heavy. Her legs moved sluggishly, as if they couldn’t even support her slender body.

I knew it wouldn’t last forever. It was a self-evident fact that even if he succeeded in returning, Nerwen would be left behind, and even if he failed, Enerel would remain human after all.

Humans and elves have different life spans. After all, her solitude was meant to be.

I couldn’t beg him to accept it. That was something he didn’t want.

This is Nerwen, who has pledged to devote himself for the rest of his life. Aside from that promise, Enerel was given too much.

It was Enerel who prevented her ‘disposal’. When she accepted the failure of her mission at the World Tree, it was Enerel who held her heart, which should have been broken.

Even if other women wanted to be with him, Nerwen should have been the first to get rid of them.

But she couldn’t really hold on to her heart.

“Where… should I go?”

When I first heard of the purpose for which she was created, I felt betrayed. It meant that he was born as an existence to steal the lineage of a hero, not as a warrior of the World Tree.

But now, Nerwen couldn’t help but feel that even that was an undeserved mission for him. I actually failed.

I was standing on the road, but I couldn’t go anywhere. To be precise, I couldn’t feel the difference between moving and stopping.

Rather, if she stopped here now, the distance from him would not increase.

about a few days It hasn’t been long, but instinct is driving her.

The commands given from birth to sniff him, to please him and do your part, are trying to control her body.

And whenever Nerwen did that, he bit his lip hard and drew blood. It was an act uncharacteristic of an elf.

The elf’s behavior was always natural. The right thing to do, the instinct that the community of elves bestowed on each one of them prevented them from going astray.

However, that instinct was of no use to her, who had already strayed from the line once.

“ha…”

A sigh mixed with heat flowed out.

The elf’s keen eyesight could see the Leodrin family castle clearly, despite the darkness.

he is in me With the elf’s speed and leg strength, I could reach him in an instant even from this distance.

However, you shouldn’t.

The wound she gave him won’t go away. Her arrogance, which considered herself more noble than anyone else, cannot be erased.

You just have to stay with it and stay with it.

“…”

The last image of him saying goodbye without any regrets lingered in my head.

he didn’t want anything There were not one or two men who would spend a lot of money just to meet an elf.

Even if it’s not that, it’s that much of a salvation. To her who lost her light and waited for the punishment of the elders of the elves, she called her failure as an elf ‘just like that’, and a salvation to the point of fighting the white branch without hesitation.

But he didn’t want anything after that. I didn’t want her, I didn’t need her.

I just left Nerwen on the side of the road and left for new people and a new position.

He knew that the reason he fought was not for her. However, the more he ruminated on the fact that she was unnecessary, the more bitter feelings leaked out.

“Whatever… I will…”

The emotion filled his body and flowed out of his mouth. It wasn’t a vision, and despite knowing of course that he couldn’t hear it, Nerwen couldn’t stop talking to himself.

“Please, use me…”

She knows that it has no use value. If Nerwen’s body was needed, there would have been no reason to reject the elf elder’s offer in the first place, and the moment when strength or ability as a guide was needed had passed.

It’s just that she couldn’t accept her situation.