Report
Chapter 203: The Fifth
"Disguising yourself as a child to lower my guard... Such cowardly behavior is something that absolutely enrages me!"
The small girl in front of me was visibly furious.
It seemed that "using children" had struck a nerve with her.
But we really are children.
(Well, maybe I’m not technically a real child, if you think about it.)
Still, there was more than just anger pouring out of her—there was hatred, a seething animosity even I could sense.
This was dangerous.
I understood now just how powerful she was.
If things continued like this, I would definitely be killed.
And maybe Phe, too.
(That’s the one thing I can’t let happen, no matter what!)
I have to protect Phe at all costs.
The best thing would be to clear up this misunderstanding, but if that’s impossible, I’ll make sure at least she can get away.
I moved in front of Phe to shield her.
"Niita! It’s dangerous to go out front! Phe will protect you!"
Ah, this girl is just…
Even now, she’s worried about me.
And that only makes me even more determined to protect her with my life.
"That’s even more unforgivable! Trying to sway my heart with this act of protecting each other… I’ll make it clear to you—using children like this is something I despise most!"
The air around us crackled with power.
I didn’t know what kind of magic she was planning to use, but I could tell—I would die if it hit me.
So I held Phe close, squeezing her, and shut my eyes.
And just then—
"Warning."
A cold, neutral voice rang out.
A voice I knew well.
A voice that knew me well.
"Cease your aggression immediately, or I will attack you, Lutiel."
"Hm? Abel?"
The hooded girl’s name seemed to be Lutiel.
Abel descended gently in front of her.
In her arms was my mother.
It seemed Abel had picked her up along the way. Mom looked unconscious but didn’t seem to be injured.
"Abel, what are you doing?"
"That’s my line. Depending on the situation, I will show no mercy, even to you."
"…"
Lutiel stared at Abel intently, and Abel stared back, unmoving.
Eventually, Lutiel let out a small sigh.
"Unbelievable. Are you telling me these two really are just children? And that you’d allow someone else to touch you?"
Since Abel had chosen to protect us, that meant we weren’t enemies.
In other words, I was telling the truth.
"Um… I guess that means you know I was telling the truth now?"
When I spoke, Lutiel removed her hood.
What was revealed was a strikingly beautiful girl with an appearance similar to Abel’s. Not identical, but enough that anyone would think they were related.
Her hair had a slight wave, and her expression was serious—clearly an elf.
And she had ears as beautifully shaped as my teacher’s.
(Oh…they’re…huge...)
Though they were about the same height, it was clear even through her clothes that she was…well, endowed.
Coming to stand in front of us, she knelt down.
"Though it was a misunderstanding, it’s true that I attacked you. I apologize for that."
"Uh…well…"
As I fumbled for a response, my little sister in my arms shouted.
"Hurting Phe’s Niita is unforgivable! Phe loves Niita! Phe won’t allow anyone to hurt Niita!"
"Phe, I’m okay."
When I hugged her and petted her hair, Phe began to cry.
"If anything happened to Niita, Phe wouldn’t know what to do! Phe would hate it!"
"I’m okay because you protected me. Thank you, Phe…"
"Hic…sniff…Niitaaaa! Niiiiitaaaaa!"
"There, there…"
She wasn’t crying for herself or upset about the danger she’d been in, but because she’d been worried for me, angry at what would have happened to me.
Just me. Always just me.
Once Abel made sure we were unharmed, she turned back to the other elf girl.
"Lutiel, explain why you initiated combat."
"The incident began when that woman suddenly charged at me."
The taller elf gestured toward my mother, who Abel was still holding.
"It’s always Lucia…"
Abel sighed, though her face remained expressionless.
Once Abel had finished hearing the story, she brought a swift chop down on Lutiel’s head.
"Ow…"
The elf girl clutched her head and crouched in pain.
Usually, Abel’s chops aren’t painful, so maybe this one was different.
"Lutiel, I understand your situation. But assuming anyone you see is an enemy is wrong."
"I have no excuse."
Abel turned back to us and bowed her head.
"Her circumstances are a bit unique. She simply has a lot of enemies. Sometimes they disguise themselves as small animals or even insects to attack her. I can’t ask you to forgive her, but please try to understand."
Animals or insects?
So, disguising oneself as a child wasn’t so far-fetched after all.
(But still, they’re so similar…)
Abel and this girl.
Not just in looks and demeanor but in their ears. After seeing so many elves, I can tell—their ears are of the highest beauty.
"…Al?"
Abel gave me a puzzled look.
I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
"Um…well, what’s your relationship, exactly?"
"Sisters."
Abel’s explanation was, as usual, succinct to the extreme.
But that means…this girl is also an arch-elf.
They are the only two still high ancestors.
The "Balance" and the "Ruin."
So that means both of them are standing right here.
"It seems I was slow to introduce myself. My name given by our mother is Lutiel. The fifth elf to be created."
Like Abel, she didn’t refer to herself as an "arch-elf."
"Um… I’m Alto Cranput. And this is my little sister, Phe."
Since my sister was still glaring at Lutiel, I introduced us in her place.
The ancient elf glanced back and forth between Phe and me, then nodded.
"So you really are human children. Even looking closely, it’s hard to believe. And the white-haired girl over there—she already has magic power on par with mythical creatures."
She then looked back at me.
"But you seem to be an ordinary, powerless human. I assume you two are siblings by adoption?"
Actually, we’re true siblings, born of the same parents.
But I won’t even bother explaining the difference in our abilities.
Lutiel stepped closer, gently touching my cheek with her hand.
"You, a small child without any combat ability, stood up to protect your sister and faced me… Foolhardy, but your courage is commendable."
Her gaze softened unexpectedly.
She began to stroke my cheek.
"Wh—?"
Suddenly, Abel yanked me toward her.
She pulled me protectively close, as if to say, "Al is with me."
"Abel, what are you doing all of a sudden?"
"That’s my line."
The two elf ancestors stared each other down.
