NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 29
“Slurp….”
“Slurp….”
Before I knew it, Rune was sitting across from me, casually sipping tea.
Judging by the vibe and their somewhat shabby appearance, it didn’t seem like they had any ulterior motives in approaching me.
“…Uh, Rune? Can you tell me why you came to find me now?”
“Of course! Absolutely.”
Their every action radiated pure innocence.
They seemed too naive and young to be scheming anything.
But since they’re an elf, I should be careful not to be fooled by appearances.
Despite how they look, they might be well over 100 years old.
“The Elder mentioned it. Recently, a rather unusual vampire appeared in this Elm Forest.”
“Hmm, so I’m being watched, huh?”
“We can pretty much know everything that happens in the forest. That’s just how we elves are.”
“…Anyway, so what?”
“We elves are currently a neutral race, but since we manage the great World Tree, Loen, we get a lot of attention from various places.”
“I see─.”
Come to think of it, when I first opened my eyes in this world.
While passing by to head to the village across the river, I vaguely remember seeing a tree of an entirely different scale compared to the others.
Even though it was quite far from where I was.
That tree, standing majestically like a faint mist, could it have been the World Tree?
“So the Elder thought! For the bright future of the elves, we definitely need a strong ally.”
“Hmm.”
“While searching far and wide for an ally who would stand with the elves, we coincidentally discovered a vampire exerting tremendous influence in this Elm Forest!”
“Influence…?”
“I heard you recently defeated three demons all by yourself?!”
“…How much do you even know?”
“Everything!”
I appreciate the straightforward answer, but given the topic, the more I hear, the more I can’t help but frown.
They know quite a lot about me, even down to the fact that I defeated three demons.
“When it comes to the forest, there’s nothing we don’t know! That’s just what it means to be an elf!”
In short, they came to find me because they need an ally to fight alongside the neutral elves.
At first glance, it sounds like a perfectly normal story, but if you think about it a little more, there are one or two strange things.
“But why me? I’m a demon too, you know?”
No matter how much they know about me, they can’t easily know that I’m a demon with a human heart.
If they judged me solely based on the fact that I take care of children, then the elves of this world aren’t as smart as I thought.
“Well, it’s because you take care of children!”
“…….”
The thought I had just now immediately became reality in this absurd moment.
As soon as I heard Rune’s answer, my mind went completely blank.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes! The Elder said so, so it must be true!”
“Even so, dealing with a demon who might have some hidden agenda is too….”
“That’s why I came. Originally, an adult should have come, but since the vampire living in this forest seems to really like children, they thought it would be better for me, who’s good at talking, to come.”
“W-wait a minute…. You think I like children?”
“Yes!”
I couldn’t help but doubt my ears.
Just because I take care of children, the elves are treating me like this─.
Of course, I don’t dislike children.
But I don’t like all children just because they’re children.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding… I don’t like all children just because they’re children….”
“Huh?”
“The children I’m taking care of now are ones I met by chance, but we’ve spent a lot of time together and built a bond. That’s why I care for them, not just because they’re children.”
“T-that can’t be…. The Elder clearly said that if I came, things would go smoothly….”
“Well, you’re free to misunderstand.”
It’s extremely uncomfortable and unpleasant to be treated like that by elves I don’t know.
But I couldn’t take out all those feelings on Rune, so I forced myself to speak calmly.
Then, Rune, who had been smiling brightly until just now, started to look more and more gloomy.
“Oh no…. This is really bad….”
“It can’t be helped. That’s just the truth.”
“But…. Can’t you at least visit our forest for a little while…?”
Despite Rune’s desperate plea, I calmly shook my head.
They probably already know, but there’s no reason for me to reveal my weaknesses, and I don’t feel the need to cross the river.
“This can’t be…. This is…, impossible….”
Rune, who had turned pale, was now completely deflated, like a dried-up fish, sitting in front of me.
“By the way, how did you get here with such a small body?”
“…Huh?”
“It’s fine here now because there aren’t many monsters, but across the river, there are still plenty of monsters roaming around….”
“Ah…. I already knew there weren’t many monsters here because the Elder told me. So the adults accompanied me until I crossed the river….”
I’ve been curious about this for a while.
Aside from their plain clothes, there’s no weapon visible on Rune’s body, even though they must have crossed a forest full of monsters.
Not even a dagger.
It must have taken quite some time to get here, but the fact that they don’t even have a backpack with food is very suspicious.
“…….”
Thinking about it, everything Rune said started to seem more and more suspicious.
Elves with such secretive and excellent information-gathering abilities that even I couldn’t notice, not being wary of me just because I take care of children.
No matter how I think about it, it just doesn’t make sense.
“…Rune, can you tell me more about the mission you received from the Elder?”
“Why all of a sudden…?”
“I’m just curious.”
Rune’s expression grew even gloomier at my question.
After hesitating for a moment, they let out a small sigh and slowly blinked their eyes.
“Originally, it’s a secret and I shouldn’t tell anyone…. But since you still seem to doubt me….”
“I won’t tell anyone, so feel free to talk.”
“…Promise. You can’t say I told you….”
“Okay.”
Just as Rune was about to cautiously open their mouth after a long hesitation.
“Levi!! I got them all!!”
Aizen’s booming voice echoed through the forest, followed by the sounds of Ellie and Iris approaching.
“Sister! I’m first!!”
“I got them all too.”
It was like a perfectly timed interruption.
Just when I had the perfect chance to clear up the doubts swirling in my head, it was ruined by bad timing.
“Has it already been an hour?”
“I don’t know! I just guessed and came back!”
“…Good job.”
I couldn’t help but let out a bitter smile.
I feel strangely empty.
“Huh…? Who’s that?”
Ellie, holding a handful of herbs, tilted her head in confusion as she stared at someone.
Iris, standing next to her, also tilted her head in confusion.
“Ah, let me introduce you. This is Rune…”
Just as I was about to naturally introduce Rune to the kids.
I noticed Rune had already slipped away and was hiding in the bushes.
“Rune?”
“…….”
As soon as they saw the kids, Rune suddenly became extremely wary and curled up, trembling like a leaf.
Their face turned even paler than mine, as if they had seen some unknown terror.
“S-sorry…. I’ve actually…. never met any other races besides elves….”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden? You were talking to me just fine.”
“T-that’s because…. You gave off a warm and comforting vibe at first glance….”
Rune’s sudden extreme shyness was more embarrassing for me to watch.
In the midst of this, their claim that I was fine only made me tilt my head in confusion.
“I did prepare myself mentally before coming here…. But it’s still not easy….”
“…….”
No matter how long I waited, Rune wouldn’t come out of the bushes.
They just twisted their body like a pretzel inside the bushes.
“Sigh…. Then, do you want to stay close to me?”
“Huh?”
“Just stay by my side until the introductions are over. It’ll make you feel more at ease.”
I had no other choice.
Since the kids had already seen Rune, I had to introduce them no matter what.
But the person I needed to introduce was hiding in the bushes and wouldn’t come out─.
“R-really, is that okay?”
“Of course. Come here.”
At my simple persuasion, Rune’s eyes widened, and they hesitantly shuffled out of the bushes with a shy expression.
They cautiously approached me, walking in small steps.
“Thank you….”
“It’s nothing.”
Everyone held their breath, calmly waiting for Rune to sit down.
But contrary to my expectations, Rune didn’t sit next to me—instead, they plopped down on my lap, making the situation even more awkward.
“Excuse me for a moment….”
“Huh?”
Not stopping there, Rune wrapped their arms around my waist and snuggled into my embrace.
Everyone was shocked by this sudden turn of events.
“W-what the─?!! Levi, who is this?!!”
“What, you!! Who are you to just snuggle into Sister’s arms like that?!! Get out!! I haven’t even done that yet!!”
“I-I’m jealous….”
Despite the kids’ angry shouts, Rune paid no attention and instead leaned even more comfortably against me.
With a peaceful expression, as if lying alone in a flower field─.
“You’re cold but warm….”
After a few seconds of silence, Rune’s quiet words shocked everyone present once again.
“…….”
Rune’s sudden action instantly made the atmosphere tense, and the kids’ gazes turned icy cold.