Chapter 54 – It seems to be a meeting with an elf

“You will be in the elven country once you leave the long tunnel on the other side of the transfer gate.”

“Master, what’s that ~nano?” (Frau)

Frau, who is walking while holding Renya’s hand, looks up at him with a face full of curiosity.
Certainly it’s not like I can answer her frankly “It looks like a place that was stolen from a certain author’s work in the world I was before”. After Renya was pondering about it for a short while,

“It’s somehow an explanation for our current situation, I guess?” (Renya)

is his passable answer.
Exactly two days after requesting the usage of the transfer gate from Az, he received a message that the transfer gate was ready.
Stuffing the already gathered baggage into Renya’s inventory, the group of four who came to the school mostly empty-handed is led to the room with the transfer gate by Az.
Once they finish storing all the baggage in the inventory, they noticed at the last moment that they could save the share of one transfer set.
As they are able save that set, they take the effort to do just that.
The room was a truly tasteless place which only has the gate, with a height at a level of one adult being able to normally pass through it, embedded into the wall.
Once Az casually inserted magic gems into the empty holes located right next to the gate, the gate which was embedded in the wall opened and one could see a gaping, pitch black space spreading on the the other side.

“Well then, see you later.” (Az)

Due to Az pointing at that jet-black space with a truly casual attitude, Renya spontaneously retorts,

“No, no, wait a moment. What’s this? Isn’t it usually scary to pass through this?” (Renya)

“What’s scary about it? Isn’t it just a hole?” (Az)

“That you can’t see anything!? Is it alright to enter this?” (Renya)

“If you couldn’t enter it safely, it wouldn’t function as gate, now would it?” (Az)

It was as if Az was asking “What is that guy talking about?”, but because he has to step into absolute darkness where he can’t see anything at all, Renya feels a small amount of fear, though he considered it to be something instinctive.
If this was something like the darkness of the night, Renya could grasp the situation within the darkness to a certain degree in some way, however the jet-black darkness on the other side of the gate doesn’t trigger a single of Renya’s senses.

“Master.” (Frau)

Frau lightly tugs Renya’s sleeve.

“Because Frau will enter first, it will be fine for master to follow afterwards by holding hands ~no.” (Frau)

“See, there you go, Renya. Even though she has such tiny body, she is calm, you on the other hand…” (Az))

“If you want, I can go first?” (Rona)

Frau volunteers to guide him through the path ahead.
Az talks while curving the edges of his mouth, looking as if it’s really funny.
Rona suggests she go in first as she is just unable to watch Renya not wanting to enter readily.
Being bothered by getting gradually driven to the wall, Renya takes one deep breath.

“No, I will go.” (Renya)

“Master, I will go through it together with you ~no.” (Frau)

Although Renya says that and starts to walk, Frau who is probably still worried grasps Renya’s hand.
And at last Renya expressed his will to start at the spot where one went through the transfer gate.
By the way, there’s nothing like a long tunnel.
Right after Renya passes through the gate, his view changes from jet-black darkness into that of some room made out of wood.
A gate was installed in the wall, in the same way, as in the room he entered over there. This side was also a very tasteless room which only has holes right next to the gate to insert magic gems.
A single elf stands in front of the gate.
The elf has golden hair which looks as if it’s reaching the their waist and almond eyes with bright green pupils.
The long thin ears are emphasizing that it’s truly an elf.
The slender, well-featured look can certainly be called beautiful and it’s an appearance that won’t trigger any kind of discomfort either.
Moreover, the elf wears a sky-blue dyed leather breastplate, a dark green tunic and skirt, white knee socks and light brown boots. It was truly an appearance befitting them, if judged by people who have seen them, but Renya has no knowledge in that regard.
He has ended up genuinely admiring them with a So this is an elf.

“An elf for welcoming ~nano?” (Frau)

Once Frau who was led by Renya’s hand called out, the elf bent at the waist albeit only to a slight degree.

“I’m called Kurowaal (T/N: >> Kurowa~ru <<) and am affiliated with the adventurer training school. I have been asked to serve as your guide over here.” (Kurowaal)

“Guide?” (Renya)

I don’t really remember having asked for a guide though, Renya thinks.
Rona and after her, Shion, make an appearance from within the gate behind him.

“Yes. That’s because it will be troublesome if humans walk around all over of their own accord.” (Kurowaal)

“So we will only follow behind you?” (Renya)

“If you are able to accept it like that, this will finish without you causing an unnecessary disturbance?” (Kurowaal)

The elf who called themselves Kurowaal declared so without even matching their gaze with Renya.
Due to Kurowaal’s attitude which can be interpreted as being superficially polite but rude in intent, Renya furrows his eyebrows, Frau’s expression gradually turns sullen, Shion remains having a blank expression as she doesn’t understand the situation and Rona is already about to pick a fight.

“Although you don’t even have any significant buildings, what’s up with your way of talking like us not wandering around of our own accord? It’s mostly within the forest and the city is unchanging anyway, right?” (Rona)

“… I feel like just now some beast which has accumulated a pointless amount of fat spoke in the language of men, but is it a pet or something else?” (Kurowaal)

Feeling as if the air within the room had frozen over, Renya immediately evacuates from the direct line between Rona and Kurowaal.

“To call something like this damn troublesome manner of speaking the language of men, what kind of joke is that.” (Rona)

“Even while saying it’s troublesome, I will give you my praise for being able to use it properly. You are quite the well-educated beast. Are you a new species?” (Kurowaal)

“Heey… Renya…?” (Shion)

Since his sleeve was still grasped by Frau, Shion who pulled Renya’s shoulder close to her whispers into Renya’s ear.

“What is it, Shion? For now, read the mood. Currently it’s not the time to have a pointless chat.” (Renya)

“No, well… I somehow get that. But, what are those two talking about?” (Shion)

“What are they talking about, you ask…” (Renya)

“It’s probably just what you hear”, Renya started to answer, but he notices even Frau who is holding onto his sleeve is having an expression of questioning it.
Why are both of them… such a thought started to surface in Renya’s mind, however he arrived at a single deduction right away.

“Are those two possibly talking in the elven language?” (Renya)

“I don’t know whether it’s the elven language or not, but I don’t understand what Rona is saying. Do you understand it, Renya?” (Shion)

Even the one asked, Renya himself, doesn’t comprehend the reason why he is able to understand the language of elves.
As a result of thinking it through for a while, he reaches the conclusion: 「Otherworld Language」 is one of the skills I received from the little girl, isn’t that likely the reason why I’m able to understand even the elven language?
This can be regarded as handy and might also be extremely inconvenient, Renya judges.
At any rate, Renya himself understands both the language of humans and elves, although he has no memory of the language having been switched either.
And very likely this has the same feature even while talking.
In other words, Renya’s language is one that can be understood by any race in this world as well. This possibility exists.
If I don’t use this well, it’s easy to predict that I will end up unable to perform talks at a desired level.
As Renya, who is greatly perplexed as he was given a skill with quite the bad usability takes a sidelong glance, Rona’s and Kurowaal’s conversation was getting more and more heated up as time passed.

“I heard that the human race would visit, but I wasn’t told about the visit of a fat beast.” (Kurowaal)

“A thin elf where you can’t tell whether it’s a man or woman can’t even tell the difference between beast and human?” (Rona)

“Oh my! Even the eyes of the embodiment of fat are poor. It’s pitiful that the level of its intelligence hinders its ability to tell apart men and women.” (Kurowaal)

“Don’t you think it’s laughable for an elf who doesn’t mature into an adult unless 200 years have passed to talk about the quality of the human races’ intelligence?” (Rona)

“Ah, both of you, I believe being on good terms is a nice thing, but…” (Renya)

Renya cut into their conversation as they will apparently quarrel with each other forever, if they are left alone, however being glared at with gazes full of killing intent by both of them, he is at a loss for his next words.

“Ummm. If I remember correctly, you were called Renya-san, right? I approve of you as human race, but even if you tell me to be on good terms with this monster of fat, I’m sorry. Please don’t be disappointed because I’ve been asked by Az-san over there who is one of the better ones considering he is a human.” (Kurowaal)

“Renya-san. Did you go crazy to ask me something like being on good terms with this skin-and-bones elf whose shape and body looks like a thin toothpick?” (Rona)

“For the time being, Rona, come over here for a moment.” (Renya)

Getting between the two who are once again glaring at each other, Renya grabs Rona’s shoulder and pulls her away.
Turning their backs on Kurowaal who fixedly glares in their direction, Renya asks Rona in a whisper,

“Tell me, why are you so completely belligerent?” (Renya)

“… Elves are as you can see yourself, they are a race with a slender body build typical for their species…” (Rona)

Being somewhat embarrassed, Rona answers Renya’s question in a subdued whispering voice.

“In line with this, nice people with proportions befitting the human race are called exceedingly fat by their own standards. Or they will assess someone to have gotten too fat…” (Rona)

“So?” (Renya)

“This isn’t the first time I came to the country of elves. Previously I came only for a bit as I happened to have a job here, but…” (Rona)

Rona who served as a knight at that time came to the elven country as an important person of the Triden Principiality, but she was exposed to many onlookers as it seems that female knights are unusual for elves, Rona says.
And Rona, who was treated as having gained too much weight, or rather as chubby if they are blunt about it going by the standards of elves, was viewed as a subject of ridicule by saying “What’s with that fat woman?”
Of course, because Rona came to lead negotiations between the two countries, she wasn’t laughed at all of a sudden when they met face-to-face, but with them doing things like deliberately whispering close to her so that she could hear it, that resulted in her hating elves thoroughly, Rona explained.

“Being able to speak the language of elves is also because of that?” (Renya)

“Honestly, I don’t want to use the language though. Since the pride of elves is pointlessly high, they won’t use the common language of the continent.” (Rona)

The most beautiful and superior language in the world is theirs, is what the majority of elves truly believe, Rona frowned.

“From my point of view, I can’t really think of it being an efficient language if there are many words meaning the same thing or if there are many pointlessly long language modifiers.” (Rona)

“Although that part doesn’t matter to me, I got your point, Rona.” (Renya)

After tapping Rona’s shoulder and telling her to go to Shion’s and Frau’s location, Renya faces Kurowaal next.
Even more than Kurowaal’s slim and elegant body, she doesn’t appear to be anything but a middle school student from Renya’s point of view given that her height is low.
Even so, she is emitting an air of having experienced many years and months, huh? The feeling her body gives off isn’t the same as its appearance, he grasps immediately.

“I’m sorry for my companion having caused you trouble.” (Renya)

First he apologizes.
The saying “It’s beneficial to divide by corners because of hate” isn’t a good position to take in a first meeting.

“No, I became emotional as well. I’m very sorry.” (Kurowaal)

Unexpectedly Kurowaal bowed towards Renya. He also bowed after having waited for her to lift her face.
Since he heard that they have a high pride, Renya who anticipated she would say something sarcastic faces Kurowaal with a surprised expression.

“Unexpected, is what your face is telling me. That’s not unnatural either though.” (Kurowaal)

“Aah, sorry. I was surprised because I heard that elves are very prideful. … Is there some reason?” (Renya)

Kurowaal intently stared at Renya who asked out of interest, however after a while she beckons Renya with a *fwip fwip* and takes Renya along to a corner of the room away from Rona’s group.

“What I’m about to tell you is a secret. Do you understand?” (Kurowaal)

“… Got it. I swear that I won’t reveal it to anyone else.” (Renya)

Once Renya has made that vow, Kurowaal brings her face close to Renya’s ear and whispers,

“As a matter of fact… in the recent years there has been something like a reform of aesthetic sense even in the elven country.” (Kurowaal)

“Mmh?” (Renya)

“Even women who’ve got plenty of flesh like your companions are fairly beautiful in their own way… or are their sexual abilities simply surpassing those of normal elves? Isn’t that superiority? It’s such notions…” (Kurowaal)

“Mmmh?” (Renya)

Renya frowned as he feels that the conversation has taken a somewhat weird turn.

“In other words, what’s this about?” (Renya)

“… If I’m honest, I think that we are jealous.” (Kurowaal)

Kurowaal announced that while the area around her cheeks blushed slightly with her having sulky face. Renya, unable to realize what might be good as an answer, could do nothing more but stare back at the face of the elf.