Chapter 8: An Elf’s Gift

The soldiers paid us no mind. I had expected to be met with disdain, or worse. But as we collected our food and sat down to eat, they said nothing. In fact, they seemed completely unconcerned with our presence.

Every one of them wore an expression of pure relief, reminiscent of how my classmates and I looked after finishing our last final exam. It was the carefree joy that came with knowing it was all over—that we could finally relax and go home.

These soldiers, having survived the arduous campaign against the monsters, were now preoccupied with thoughts of their lives back home. Queen Sisi, as cruel as she had been to me, was not stingy with her rewards for these men. Every survivor had received a substantial bounty, enough to return to a life of peace.

And so, these men, buoyed by their good fortune, had no intention of bothering us. They had their own lives to live.

Just as we had ours. A new life awaited us, one that would take us to the north—a place I knew even less about than this military camp. I had no idea what lay in store for us, but compared to the horrors of last night, I felt that the days to come couldn’t possibly be any worse.

At the very least, Vilya didn’t seem quite so malevolent anymore. In fact, I was beginning to think she might actually be a kind person.

I tore my bread into small pieces, dropping them into the bowl of soup before me and giving it a stir. I couldn’t identify the soup; it seemed to be a mix of many ingredients, perhaps with a milk base. It had the consistency of oatmeal but tasted quite sour, almost like yogurt.

But for Lia, who had gone so long without a proper meal, it was a delicacy. She dug in with her spoon, getting some on her face. I reached out and gently wiped it away. Seeing her scrape the bottom of the wooden bowl, a look of longing still on her face, I smiled helplessly and pushed my own bowl toward her.

“Aren’t you eating, Papa?”

Lia looked up, her expression puzzled. I shook my head and smiled at her.

“It’s alright, you have it. I’m not hungry yet. I’ll eat if I get hungry.”

She studied me for a moment, then looked down in thought. Hesitantly, she took my bowl and poured half its contents into her own before pushing the remainder back to me. She raised her spoon with a grin.

“Papa, we’ll share! Half for you, half for me!”

I looked at the soup before me, smiled, and picked up my own spoon. Reaching over, I ruffled her soft hair. ‘How did my daughter get to be so adorable?’ Together, we lowered our heads and began to eat.

I had to admit, the warm, sour milk was actually quite good.

But since I only had half a portion, it was gone in moments. To be honest, the small, acidic meal did little to sate my hunger; if anything, it only awakened my appetite. I stared at my empty bowl, frustrated. The soldiers had only been given one bowl each, so I couldn’t very well ask for more. It seemed I would have to endure the hunger for a while longer. Still, I had eaten something. I had to focus on that fact to find some small measure of contentment.

It was better than nothing.

“I don’t think you two had enough to eat.”

Suddenly, two long strips of jerky landed on the table in front of me with a thud. A crisp voice sounded from above. I looked up in surprise to see a beaming, triumphant face.

Though she was petite, her swagger was anything but childlike. She wore simple leather armor, but her chest was… rather flat. About the same as Lia’s, I thought. ‘The Lia I see at night is several times more developed than her.’

Her long ears twitched slightly as she gracefully swung a leg over the bench and sat down. Planting her hands on the seat, she beamed at Lia and me. “These are for you. I know we’ve just met, but I like you two. Or rather, I admire you, human. Your courage in protecting that little girl is truly commendable.”

“I’ve seen Vilya’s bravery,” she continued, “but hers always felt strange, as if she simply doesn’t fear death. You’re different. From your actions yesterday, I can tell you’re afraid of dying, yet you still protected this girl. I’m curious—what was going through your mind?”

“I wasn’t thinking about anything. I just couldn’t bear to watch a little girl be killed in front of me.”

I looked at the elf and answered honestly. It was the truth. That was my only thought at that moment. I simply couldn’t stand by and watch a girl—especially one so lovely—be slaughtered.

The mention of that night made Lia shrink back, and she clutched my arm fearfully, lowering her head.

The elf’s long ears quivered with delight. She slapped the table and exclaimed, “Exactly! That’s it! That heroic spirit, that selfless courage—that’s what adventure is all about! If I could meet more people like you on my journeys, I’d never be bored. Unfortunately, I’ve rarely seen such bravery in ordinary people. I’m used to seeing entire cities flee, entire armies scatter. I’ve seldom found the kind of hero I was looking for.”

“I’ve always yearned for adventure,” she went on, her words tumbling out in a rush, “but so much of what I’ve seen has been a disappointment. Whether it’s you humans fighting amongst yourselves even with a great enemy at your gates, or the absurdities of your Church, it always felt like something was missing. My adventure is over now. The Demon Lord is dead, and I’ve fulfilled the oath I made to my people. But I can’t help feeling a little unfulfilled. Seeing you, though, reminds me that humans are capable of noble courage.”

“Here, take these. Even if she is the Demon Lord’s daughter, she never killed any of my kin, so I don’t hate her. On the contrary, I find such an adorable girl quite charming. Take good care of her. I have to return to the elven lands now. Until we meet again!”

The elf delivered her speech in a single, breathless torrent. I suppose it was her way of showing admiration. She leaped nimbly from the bench, cheerfully patting Lia’s head. Her long ears twitched happily as she emptied her pockets onto the table in front of me before vanishing from the mess hall like a green whirlwind.

The nearby soldiers merely sighed, their expressions showing they were used to her eccentricities. I looked down at what she had left me: two strips of jerky and a few strange coins. I had no idea of their value, but one of them was gold and surely the most precious.

“Papa… do you know her?”

Lia asked, her eyes following the elf’s departure with a hint of admiration.

I nodded slowly. “You could say that. She helped me a great deal that night.”

‘More than just helped,’ I thought. ‘She saved what little dignity I had left.’

I carefully stored the jerky away. On the road, these two strips could be the difference between life and death; I couldn’t afford to eat them just to satisfy a momentary craving. Though the elf was a whirlwind of energy, I was deeply grateful for her kindness. After securing her gifts, I took Lia’s hand and stood up, and we headed for the designated meeting place.

When we arrived, several carriages were already waiting. Vilya stood beside a horse, now draped in a white, cold-weather cloak. She watched us approach. Lia trembled, hiding behind me and clutching the hem of my shirt as she peeked at the woman.

Taking a deep breath, I walked forward and stopped before Vilya.

Her blue eyes swept over us, and she spoke in a flat, toneless voice. “You’re late.”

“I apologize.”

I decided it was best to be direct and honest with Vilya.

She gave us a brief look, then gestured to one of the middle carriages. “Get in that one. You’re responsible for taking care of the girl.”

I nodded. Vilya turned away, dismissing us.

I took a step forward, looking at her back. “Vilya…”

“Hm?”

To my surprise, she didn’t seem angry that I had used her name. She simply turned her head to look at me expectantly.

My gaze flickered to the longsword at her hip. A shiver of fear ran through me. That was the same blade that had been pressed against my neck, moments from taking my head. I worried that a single wrong word would infuriate her, but there was something important I had to say.

“I hope that we will not be disturbed at night. No one is to approach our carriage. We’ll be resting inside. I don’t want anyone coming near, and I certainly don’t want anyone opening the curtain.”

Vilya watched me. “Does that include me?”

I met her gaze and nodded with absolute seriousness. “Yes.”

“Why?”

She didn’t get angry or reprimand me. Her expression remained placid as she asked for a reason.

“Because… she’s a demon girl, isn’t she? Humans can be cruel. If someone were to try and harm her during the night, I wouldn’t be able to protect her.”

“Didn’t you have the courage to stand before my sword?”

“Courage and ability are two different things.”

I watched Vilya, whose face remained an unreadable mask. When negotiating with someone, their expression is crucial. But this wasn’t really a negotiation; I held no leverage, no bargaining chips. All I could do was plead.

I was terrified. The Lia of the night was not the same as the Lia of the day. By day, people saw an adorable little girl. But at night, anyone who saw her would see a full-fledged succubus—and to Vilya, an adult ‘daughter of the Demon Lord.’

A prepubescent Demon Lord’s daughter was one thing; an adult one was entirely another. Knowing Vilya’s strict, soldierly demeanor, I had no doubt she would kill the nighttime Lia without a moment’s hesitation.

I couldn’t let that happen. And besides… the way Lia looked at night… truth be told, I didn’t want anyone else to see her. She was… mine. Being held by her like that… it was impossible not to feel happy. In fact… I was very happy.

Vilya tugged lightly on her horse’s reins. She studied me for a long moment, then nodded.

“I understand. Your request is granted. No one will disturb you.”