Evade The Hero and Flee!

Chapter 272

30. It’s best to start by drawing bigger picture(5)  

#5 Their circumstances: The circumstances of certain elves

It’s said that elves, despite their long lifespans, were unable to fully enjoy and live life.  

In the past, it’s been passed down that humans who coveted the elves’ enduring beauty would invade the elves’ forests, but after the Goddess of Benevolent and Devotion sent the World Tree, such things no longer existed.

Sometimes elves who were curious about the outside world would get kidnapped when they went out, but even things like that disappeared after the Goddess of Benevolent and Devotion saved the world.  

The race that enshrines the god who saved the world – provoking them was tantamount to becoming an enemy of all of humankind who received salvation.  

And so, except for the occasional madmen, there were no longer people who would provoke the elves.

With their arch-enemies other than the Demon King, the elves were able to fully enjoy their lifespans. 

The elven race, with lifespans ranging from a minimum of a thousand years to several millennia at the very longest.  

“Did you see the scene where the hero confessed his love this time?”

“Of course I saw it!”

…Were very interested in others’ love lives.

“The Princess is going too far as well. Shouldn’t she have accepted it after such a painfully ardent confession?”

The moment two or more elves gathered in the elves’ forest, they would talk about the love lives of the human guest and their princess, the high elf Lirellia.  

“Because the Princess always goes on about her Prince, I had high expectations, but honestly, isn’t the hero better?”

“Well, that man could have his own charm, you never know.”

“I suppose so. Considering the princess is his partner.” 

“A convincing argument!”

Gender didn’t matter.  

Age didn’t matter.

For the elven race, love affairs were a very rare occurrence, so for them, this was everyone’s point of interest. 

It was inevitable for elves to be interested in romance.  

Was it for the sake of the world’s balance? The stronger and more long-lived the race, the harder it was for them to bear offspring.  

The prime examples being dragons and elves.

Although they can be considered weaker when compared to dragons, among the elves who live for thousands of years, there are those who possess combat abilities rivaling mid-class and low-class dragons.  

Most elves live quiet lives in the forests so this goes unknown, but among all the races on the continent, the elves have the greatest combat abilities.  

And despite being so powerful and long-lived, they do not bear children.

A long-lived race that does not bear offspring.  

Elves only take one spouse in their lifetime, whom they live the rest of their lives with. In other words, romance only comes once in an elf’s lifetime.  

Let alone a love story transcending race between the elven royalty, the high elf, and the hero! 

And to top it off, a third person the princess calls her Prince appears, forming a love triangle!

It was a major event that the elves, who love gossiping about others’ love lives, simply could not contain their excitement over.

“The latest scoop!”

A male elf comes dashing at full speed to the center of the forest.

“What is it?”  

“It must be about the hero, right?”

“If it’s some trivial gossip, I won’t stand for it!”

Hearing the male elf’s words, all the elves nearby gathered around him, their long ears perked.  

“What I heard is…”

Hearing the male elf’s lowered voice, the elves around him swallowed their saliva.

“I heard that in three days, the hero plans to passionately confess his love in the middle of the elven forest!”

“Hasn’t that been happening all this time?”

“This time the scale is different. You know I’m friends with some of the guards who escort the hero right? I heard from them that…” 

Hearing the male elf’s words, all of the elves’ long ears perked up even more.

“I heard that he’s preparing to say something like this…”

“Oh my!”  

“And show something like this too…”

“Wow!”

“Now that’s manly.”  

Regardless of gender, upon hearing the speech and gestures the hero had allegedly prepared, the elves let out exclamations.  

“He said in three days?”

“Yes. According to another guard’s words, some people will be helping the hero out.”

“Well of course, after watching such upright love from the sidelines all this time.”

“But Princess Lirellia is no ordinary person either…”

“She’s only ever looked at that Prince.”

“It’s been that way for a while now.”

Their conversation topic shifted from the transcendent love affair to the other side of this love triangle.  

“What’s that so-called Prince fellow up to anyway?”

“I heard he’s casually relaxing in his room?”

“What about his relationship with the Princess?”

“It seems they dine and drink tea together, but I haven’t heard any other stories.”

“Didn’t they say the hero is that man’s disciple?”  

“Yes. It’s probably complicated. Since the person he loves has been confessed to by his disciple.”

“Even so, isn’t he being far too inactive?”  

“You’re right, it’s quite frustrating.”

“He doesn’t seem to dislike the Princess, but he doesn’t seem to love her either.”

“Yes. At times like these, making a swift decision would be for the best for all three of them, wouldn’t it?”

The elves’ influence was split in half.  

There was the hero faction that supported the hero’s love, and the Princess faction that supported Princess Lirellia. Of course, there was no Naran faction.

“The hero suits the Princess far better than that man!”

“That’s right! Just looking at their appearances, the hero and Princess Lirellia are far more suited for each other!”

“It’s been said that appearances aren’t everything! Did you hear what the thieves who used to kidnap elves looked like? Hideous features? Rat-looking swindlers? No. It was those seemingly good humans who would kidnap elves!”

“That’s right. He approached us with a kind face and deceived us!”

“Looks aren’t everything. More important than that is the Princess’s heart! No matter how much better the hero may seem, the Princess’s heart is what matters!” 

The commotion in the middle of the elf forest grew louder and louder.

The elf boy who was playing and running around the forest, the elf woman who came out to prepare lunch for her family, and even the elf warriors who were returning from patrol and trying to rest all gathered in the noisy center of the village and shouted out their claims.  

And the news reached,

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh, Lady Arsei!” 

“W-why is it so noisy here?!”

Arsei the high elf, who happened to come out from the World Tree.

“Arise. We are all followers of the Goddess of Benevolent and Devotion.”  

At Arsei’s words, the elves who had quickly bowed their heads raised them again.

“So what’s going on here?”

“Well, that is….”

The elves all closed their mouths and looked at each other.  

They didn’t have the courage to openly talk about the love life of Lirellia, who was revered even among other elves, in front of the high elf.

“Oh my! There must be a reason for the forest to be this noisy. Speak up. If something happened, I’ll resolve it.”

At Arsei’s words, everyone’s gaze landed in one place.

“Yes, you seem to know exactly what happened.” 

“W-what? Me?”

It was the elf man who started all this commotion. 

The male elf who first obtained the information that the hero would confess to Lirellia in three days.

“Um, well….”

“There’s no need to be surprised. Slowly tell me the cause of this uproar.”

With the gaze of the high elf Arsei and countless other elves on him, the male elf spoke after some deliberation.

“That’s what happened.”

The elf man tightly closed his eyes after finishing his story.

He was afraid. What angry words would Arsei spew out?

Anger at casually talking about and spreading the personal affairs of Lirellia, who was especially beloved by the World Tree even among high elves?

Or indignation at making the sincere efforts of the hero who was trying to save the world their amusement?

“Oh my!” 

“Huh?”

But it was neither.  

What Arsei said, which the male elf heard with his eyes shut tight,

“How interesting.”

It was a response that sounded quite delighted.

“I heard Lirellia was interested in someone.”

“Yes, that’s right. She likes Master Naran, the hero’s teacher who came with him this time. Oh, did you already know, My Lady?”

“She’s always singing about her prince, how could I not know?!”

For some reason, her tone was cheerful.

Encouraged by that tone, the male elf opened his eyes which he had squeezed shut.

There stood Arsei, smiling very happily.

“Well, tell me more about it! Go on!”

The debate venue, now with the participation of high elf Arsei, burned hotly until the day the hero would confess to Lirellia.

And three days later, in the middle of the elf forest.

All the elves were watching the scene of Lirellia with a grim expression facing the hero.

“Miss Lirellia.”  

“Where is the Prince?”

The hero’s earnest words and Lirellia’s icy response contrasted sharply.

Feeling that temperature difference, many elves who were supporting the Hero felt heartache as if they themselves got rejected.

“Why won’t you accept my love! I’m telling you again. I truly love you, Miss Lirellia!”

At the hero’s courageous words, all the elves thought ‘what a hero…’.

“Why are you so dense? I told you I’m not interested.”  

But Lirellia’s response only grew colder.

“Would no one else do but him? I’m confident I can treat you better. I can break up with you anytime if it gets hard for you.”

“It’s hard right now, so break up with me now.”

All the elves sighed at Lirellia’s guard, like a giant fortress wall.  

Even at the hero’s painful plea, her determination did not waver.

Could the hero really breach this unshakable fortress?

“Why…. why on earth?!”

Seeing the hero’s sorrowful face, the elves also held the same question in their hearts.

Just why? What makes that Prince so good that she can coldly reject a hero who loves her so?

“There is an uncrossable difference between you and the Prince.”

“What is that difference?!”

Lirellia pondered for a moment before smiling brightly and shouting,

“Destiny!”

“What?”

Not just the hero, but all the elves made bewildered expressions.  

What was she saying now?

“The Prince and I are destined to be. From the moment we met, the thread of destiny has connected us.”  

So you and I cannot happen. Give up and go away.

She didn’t say it out loud, but her gaze conveyed that meaning.

“I cannot acknowledge that! Compared to that person…!”

The hero angrily stepped towards Lirellia, but,

Slap!

What he got in return was a slap from Lirellia.

“Leave. I will no longer forgive you for criticizing the Prince.”  

Tears began flowing from the hero’s right eye.

His tears made the hearts of both the hero faction and the Princess faction sorrowful.  

“I understand.”

With a resentful yet loving gaze full of affection towards Lirellia, the hero left those words and left the place.  

As if he hated staying here. As if not admitting his confession was rejected.

The hero’s retreating figure made many elves’ hearts ache.

“Should we go after him?”

“No. At times like this, leaving them alone rather than consoling them is best.”

“You’re right. Sometimes being alone is what’s needed.” 

“Hero….”

“That girl Lirellia… she didn’t use to be so coldhearted….”

Even Arsei, who had not returned to the Word Tree to directly watch this confession, sighed deeply.  

In the end, the hero’s confession had finished too sorrowfully.

And so the hero did not return.

One hour passed, half a day passed, night fell and the sun rose again.

“Huh?”  

“What the?”

And when the elves realized something was off,

“Where did the Prince go?”

All the human guests who had come to the elf forest had disappeared.