I feel better now.
I didn’t really have any illnesses or disabilities before, but now I’ve become almost like an immortal.
It’s only natural since I’ve consumed elixir, Fruit of the World Tree, and Tears of the Goddess all at once.
“Hmm? You want to use my body as a material?”
“Hehehe.”
“Um, okay. Just a little bit of blood, right?”
“Hehehe, blood mixed with mana, divine power, and alchemical properties… Hehe!”
After giving some blood to the Wizard, I leaned back on the sofa.
When I closed my eyes, everything became clearer.
The sound of the Wizard opening the door and leaving the room, the rustling from outside the window, the sound of the wind, the creaking of trees.
It wasn’t an unpleasant noise.
Rather, it was like a soothing white noise that made my mind calm.
I even found myself humming along to those sounds for a while, carried away by the mood.
Even though it was late, I didn’t feel any hint of tiredness.
If I wanted, I could probably stay up for days without sleeping, as long as my mind was willing.
It felt refreshing.
Relaxed.
The comfortable sensation of shedding away the fatigue and tension that had clung to my body.
In that freedom, I could vaguely sense what it meant to have ‘transcended’ humanity.
“It’s not exactly a pleasant feeling, though.”
Even the muscles in my body felt incredibly soft.
They flowed like a cat and slipped like silk.
They slipped away from gravity’s grasp without resistance, sliding through my fingers.
It wasn’t a feeling of joy.
If a creature accustomed to living on the ground were to dangle from a high cliff, even if it had angel wings, it would feel uneasy.
The excessive comfort brought about a sense of unease instead of reassurance.
“…Maybe I should take a walk.”
I grabbed my coat and went outside.
As usual, there was the Elf guarding the door.
“Hmm? Rogue. Something’s up at this hour. Is your body feeling a bit better?”
“Thanks to you, my body is so healthy that I was worried about how to relieve it.”
“Is that so? Is that what it means?”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“How dull.”
Today, for some reason, her presence felt very comforting and dear to me.
Perhaps because I didn’t have the urge to run away.
Right now, I just wanted to leisurely walk outside and then come back.
“Elf.”
“Hmm?”
“Wanna take a walk together?”
“Oh? Rogue offering to accompany me is unusual.”
“Just like a social misfit…”
“Hehe, I meant it as a compliment. I’ll escort you.”
“Since I suddenly felt like taking a walk alone.”
“I can’t leave our benefactor to walk alone at night.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure, Your Highness.”
“Ugh.”
Was this elf always like this?
If she had to address me, she could have at least called me a prince.
Why did she have to call me a princess?
“I’ll take the embarrassment…”
“I just felt nostalgic and tried to imitate it a bit.”
“Back when you were a High Elf princess?”
“Yeah. It was a time when I was naive and innocent.”
“It’s hard to imagine.”
“You don’t have to imagine. I prefer being the one who protects rather than being protected.”
Saying so, the elf guided me outside.
The “Adventurer’s City” built near the Palace was particularly dark and quiet on this pitch-black night.
No one worked here at night.
Even the red-light district was closed, as if enjoying the spring during the day.
After midnight, the Grand Palace would mesmerize people.
It was particularly difficult to resist its temptation under the moonlight.
“It’s a bit eerie.”
“Tonight, the moon is particularly beautiful…”
“…Pfft.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I heard that line somewhere.”
“I just said the moon is beautiful because it is.”
“Is that so?”
The alchemy guild with potions depicted on its sign, the adventurer guild with swords and shields engraved on its sign, all were closed.
So, there was nowhere to enter.
At this hour, only aimless footsteps had the right to tread.
Except for one type of people.
“Yeah, you’re right. The moon is indeed beautiful.”
“…Rogue?”
Night is the time for Rogues and Thieves.
Even at this time when no one walks the streets, the doors of the Rogue’s Guild is open.
“Do you have business at the Rogue’s Guild?” “
“Not exactly, um. I realized I don’t really like walking. Let’s go inside and rest a bit.”
“If your legs hurt, I can carry you to your room, even if I have to.”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but it’s rare, so let’s go inside.”
The Rogue’s guild at night is a place where people who “cannot show their faces” gather.
It’s also a place where people with intense desires come, so much so that they aren’t tempted by the Grand Palace.
The atmosphere was much different from during the day.
A hooded figure was loudly arguing with the receptionist.
“Hey! Do you know who I am?”
Why bother saying that while covering your face, hoping not to be recognized?
Anyway, there were many amusing people around.
I sat quietly at a table in the guild with the elf.
“I asked about the slave trader here.”
“Is that so? It’s a grateful place.”
“Actually, it was just a coincidence. That the slave was a High Elf, and that the slave trader was actually a criminal dealing in human trafficking in the Great Forest.”
“I had some suspicions. Still, I’m grateful. You’re still our benefactor.”
“Uh, that’s not what I meant. Um. How old are you, Elf?”
“…In human years, about twenty.”
“Didn’t you live much longer…? I heard you were active even during the former hero days.”
“…Age isn’t that important for elves. Like a flower that withers and blooms again with each season, we bloom with new petals every moment.”
She seemed to be trying to avoid the topic when it came to age.
‘Should I pry a bit more? Is my likability dropping?’
“I asked about how you cope with overflowing energy and vitality… how you manage to release it consistently. You used to not accompany me all night. You were on your own back then.”
“Elf?”
Suddenly, the elf started to sweat and avoided eye contact.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
“You’re sweating. Are you in pain?”
“No, it just feels a bit hot.”
“In this weather…?”
The elf remained silent.
She seemed quite exhausted when I massaged her last time.
It wouldn’t hurt to admit it.
I got up and sat next to the elf.
“You’re sweating a lot.”
“…I really am fine.”
“If you say so, but here’s a handkerchief. Use it to wipe away the sweat.”
“But what were we talking about earlier? Ah, I asked about how you cope with overflowing energy…?”
“…Uh, maybe we shouldn’t discuss this now?”
“Huh?”
“I’m feeling a bit tired, so I can’t remember well now. I’ll tell you when it comes back to me.”
“Oh, okay. Are you really tired?”
“I guess so….”
Maybe suggesting a nighttime stroll wasn’t a good idea.
Perhaps I should infuse some divine energy, albeit a strange kind that I used for making potions.
It was quite effective for replenishing energy and relieving fatigue.
I guided the warm power settled in my heart to the elf’s fingertips and infused it into her.
“Then let’s slowly head back to our lodgings.”
The customer who was shaking at the reception desk was now gone.
It seemed odd to sit in the guild without any business.
It was time to go back.
“Elf?”
“…Okay. Let’s go back.”
I held onto the elf’s sleeve as she tried to leave the guild quickly.
With a puzzled look, the elf glanced back at me, and I gave her a gentle smile and extended my hand.
“Weren’t you going to escort me back?”
“Oh…”
The elf’s eyes shook as if in an earthquake.
Why is she like this?
After a while, she looked at me with shaking eyes, took a deep breath, and grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go, Your Highness.”
“My knight. Yes”
“Rogue, didn’t you dislike these kinds of jokes?”
“To be honest, it gave me goosebumps even saying it.”
Since the one getting goosebumps is the listener, I thought it would be better if I said it.
That was a wrong idea.
It’s really giving me chills.
“Still, well… I don’t dislike it.”
We’ve spent so much time relying on each other, I couldn’t just refuse one little prank.
It’s not because I dislike them that I want to be kicked out of the party.
“It’s okay to joke around a bit more. I’ll accept anything as long as it’s from you.”
“Elf?”
“Ah… haa…”
“What…?”
The elf suddenly lifted me up as if carrying a princess, holding me under my knees, and supporting my back.
“Uh, Elf? What’s this…”
“….”
“Huh?!”
The elf started running at full speed.
I grabbed onto her neck, startled.
What’s going on?
Is it because I’m a princess…?
After running for a few minutes, we were back at our lodging before I knew it.
The elf came into her room and laid me down on the bed.
“Phew… that was a surprise. Please refrain from these rough jokes in the future… But still, thanks for bringing me here, Elf. You must be tired too, so go rest.”
“Elf?”
“…”
I feel better now.
I didn’t really have any illnesses or disabilities before, but now I’ve become almost like an immortal.
It’s only natural since I’ve consumed elixir, Fruit of the World Tree, and Tears of the Goddess all at once.
“Hmm? You want to use my body as a material?”
“Hehehe.”
“Um, okay. Just a little bit of blood, right?”
“Hehehe, blood mixed with mana, divine power, and alchemical properties… Hehe!”
After giving some blood to the Wizard, I leaned back on the sofa.
When I closed my eyes, everything became clearer.
The sound of the Wizard opening the door and leaving the room, the rustling from outside the window, the sound of the wind, the creaking of trees.
It wasn’t an unpleasant noise.
Rather, it was like a soothing white noise that made my mind calm.
I even found myself humming along to those sounds for a while, carried away by the mood.
Even though it was late, I didn’t feel any hint of tiredness.
If I wanted, I could probably stay up for days without sleeping, as long as my mind was willing.
It felt refreshing.
Relaxed.
The comfortable sensation of shedding away the fatigue and tension that had clung to my body.
In that freedom, I could vaguely sense what it meant to have ‘transcended’ humanity.
“It’s not exactly a pleasant feeling, though.”
Even the muscles in my body felt incredibly soft.
They flowed like a cat and slipped like silk.
They slipped away from gravity’s grasp without resistance, sliding through my fingers.
It wasn’t a feeling of joy.
If a creature accustomed to living on the ground were to dangle from a high cliff, even if it had angel wings, it would feel uneasy.
The excessive comfort brought about a sense of unease instead of reassurance.
“…Maybe I should take a walk.”
I grabbed my coat and went outside.
As usual, there was the Elf guarding the door.
“Hmm? Rogue. Something’s up at this hour. Is your body feeling a bit better?”
“Thanks to you, my body is so healthy that I was worried about how to relieve it.”
“Is that so? Is that what it means?”
“Huh?”
“…It’s nothing.”
“How dull.”
Today, for some reason, her presence felt very comforting and dear to me.
Perhaps because I didn’t have the urge to run away.
Right now, I just wanted to leisurely walk outside and then come back.
“Elf.”
“Hmm?”
“Wanna take a walk together?”
“Oh? Rogue offering to accompany me is unusual.”
“Just like a social misfit…”
“Hehe, I meant it as a compliment. I’ll escort you.”
“Since I suddenly felt like taking a walk alone.”
“I can’t leave our benefactor to walk alone at night.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“It’s my pleasure, Your Highness.”
“Ugh.”
Was this elf always like this?
If she had to address me, she could have at least called me a prince.
Why did she have to call me a princess?
“I’ll take the embarrassment…”
“I just felt nostalgic and tried to imitate it a bit.”
“Back when you were a High Elf princess?”
“Yeah. It was a time when I was naive and innocent.”
“It’s hard to imagine.”
“You don’t have to imagine. I prefer being the one who protects rather than being protected.”
Saying so, the elf guided me outside.
The “Adventurer’s City” built near the Palace was particularly dark and quiet on this pitch-black night.
No one worked here at night.
Even the red-light district was closed, as if enjoying the spring during the day.
After midnight, the Grand Palace would mesmerize people.
It was particularly difficult to resist its temptation under the moonlight.
“It’s a bit eerie.”
“Tonight, the moon is particularly beautiful…”
“…Pfft.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I heard that line somewhere.”
“I just said the moon is beautiful because it is.”
“Is that so?”
The alchemy guild with potions depicted on its sign, the adventurer guild with swords and shields engraved on its sign, all were closed.
So, there was nowhere to enter.
At this hour, only aimless footsteps had the right to tread.
Except for one type of people.
“Yeah, you’re right. The moon is indeed beautiful.”
“…Rogue?”
Night is the time for Rogues and Thieves.
Even at this time when no one walks the streets, the doors of the Rogue’s Guild is open.
“Do you have business at the Rogue’s Guild?” “
“Not exactly, um. I realized I don’t really like walking. Let’s go inside and rest a bit.”
“If your legs hurt, I can carry you to your room, even if I have to.”
“That wouldn’t be a bad idea, but it’s rare, so let’s go inside.”
The Rogue’s guild at night is a place where people who “cannot show their faces” gather.
It’s also a place where people with intense desires come, so much so that they aren’t tempted by the Grand Palace.
The atmosphere was much different from during the day.
A hooded figure was loudly arguing with the receptionist.
“Hey! Do you know who I am?”
Why bother saying that while covering your face, hoping not to be recognized?
Anyway, there were many amusing people around.
I sat quietly at a table in the guild with the elf.
“I asked about the slave trader here.”
“Is that so? It’s a grateful place.”
“Actually, it was just a coincidence. That the slave was a High Elf, and that the slave trader was actually a criminal dealing in human trafficking in the Great Forest.”
“I had some suspicions. Still, I’m grateful. You’re still our benefactor.”
“Uh, that’s not what I meant. Um. How old are you, Elf?”
“…In human years, about twenty.”
“Didn’t you live much longer…? I heard you were active even during the former hero days.”
“…Age isn’t that important for elves. Like a flower that withers and blooms again with each season, we bloom with new petals every moment.”
She seemed to be trying to avoid the topic when it came to age.
‘Should I pry a bit more? Is my likability dropping?’
“I asked about how you cope with overflowing energy and vitality… how you manage to release it consistently. You used to not accompany me all night. You were on your own back then.”
“Elf?”
Suddenly, the elf started to sweat and avoided eye contact.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
“You’re sweating. Are you in pain?”
“No, it just feels a bit hot.”
“In this weather…?”
The elf remained silent.
She seemed quite exhausted when I massaged her last time.
It wouldn’t hurt to admit it.
I got up and sat next to the elf.
“You’re sweating a lot.”
“…I really am fine.”
“If you say so, but here’s a handkerchief. Use it to wipe away the sweat.”
“But what were we talking about earlier? Ah, I asked about how you cope with overflowing energy…?”
“…Uh, maybe we shouldn’t discuss this now?”
“Huh?”
“I’m feeling a bit tired, so I can’t remember well now. I’ll tell you when it comes back to me.”
“Oh, okay. Are you really tired?”
“I guess so….”
Maybe suggesting a nighttime stroll wasn’t a good idea.
Perhaps I should infuse some divine energy, albeit a strange kind that I used for making potions.
It was quite effective for replenishing energy and relieving fatigue.
I guided the warm power settled in my heart to the elf’s fingertips and infused it into her.
“Then let’s slowly head back to our lodgings.”
The customer who was shaking at the reception desk was now gone.
It seemed odd to sit in the guild without any business.
It was time to go back.
“Elf?”
“…Okay. Let’s go back.”
I held onto the elf’s sleeve as she tried to leave the guild quickly.
With a puzzled look, the elf glanced back at me, and I gave her a gentle smile and extended my hand.
“Weren’t you going to escort me back?”
“Oh…”
The elf’s eyes shook as if in an earthquake.
Why is she like this?
After a while, she looked at me with shaking eyes, took a deep breath, and grabbed my hand.
“Let’s go, Your Highness.”
“My knight. Yes”
“Rogue, didn’t you dislike these kinds of jokes?”
“To be honest, it gave me goosebumps even saying it.”
Since the one getting goosebumps is the listener, I thought it would be better if I said it.
That was a wrong idea.
It’s really giving me chills.
“Still, well… I don’t dislike it.”
We’ve spent so much time relying on each other, I couldn’t just refuse one little prank.
It’s not because I dislike them that I want to be kicked out of the party.
“It’s okay to joke around a bit more. I’ll accept anything as long as it’s from you.”
“Elf?”
“Ah… haa…”
“What…?”
The elf suddenly lifted me up as if carrying a princess, holding me under my knees, and supporting my back.
“Uh, Elf? What’s this…”
“….”
“Huh?!”
The elf started running at full speed.
I grabbed onto her neck, startled.
What’s going on?
Is it because I’m a princess…?
After running for a few minutes, we were back at our lodging before I knew it.
The elf came into her room and laid me down on the bed.
“Phew… that was a surprise. Please refrain from these rough jokes in the future… But still, thanks for bringing me here, Elf. You must be tired too, so go rest.”
“Elf?”
“…”
