Chapter 60

■ Chapter 59. Love (1) □ ᓚᘏᗢ

Time, which seemed eternal, always has an end. This is an unchangeable truth and an immutable law, one that even the gods cannot alter.

The warm affection between Mari and me also had to come to an end. I wanted to embrace her for hours, but we both parted, promising to meet again the next day.

Even as we parted, we didn't forget to kiss each other lightly, filled with regret. What was surprising was that Mari was the one who leaned in first; I just responded.

Thus, the time so sweet it could cause cavities came to an end, but the tingling sensation on my tongue lingered into the next day.

"Hehehe."

"What if someone sees us?"

"Let them see. There's no need to hide it anyway."

During lectures, we would secretly hold hands.

"Let's go there today! The tiramisu there is so delicious!"

"Anything else?"

"There are many other things. For example, what do you have..."

After class, we would always stick together, wandering around the academy.

"Aah."

"Ouch! Why did you bite me?"

"Just felt like it. Sometimes people eat their partner's face, and now I understand why."

She would suddenly give my cheek a light bite, among other things.

Our relationship progressed much faster than I could have imagined in the early stages of dating. From the very beginning, we had held hands and kissed, so this was somewhat expected.

Of course, I wish she would avoid biting my cheek. It might seem like a joke, but it really hurts.

"Then you should bite my neck. Ow!"

"Ouch!"

Still, each day is enjoyable. When I write at my dorm, I think of Mari's bright smile, and I think of her when I walk down the street and when I eat.

In my previous life, I had been in a relationship, but this feeling gave me a new source of energy. Thanks to this, the speed at which I write has increased dramatically.

The gazes of those around us? They bother me a little, but I don't mind. Mari is fine with our relationship being known, and I have nothing to hide, so I can maintain a confident attitude.

On the surface, it might seem odd for the daughter of a duke and the son of a mere baron to be dating, but the details are 180 degrees different. If anyone gives us such looks, we would both inwardly sneer.

"Zack."

"..."

"Aizack?"

"Yes?"

I snapped out of my thoughts at someone's call. I had been thinking about Mari and had momentarily lost myself in thought.

When I came to my senses and looked ahead, I saw Cindy, an elf with deep dark circles and eyes that looked like rotten fish, staring at me. She slowly blinked and spoke in her characteristic sluggish voice.

"You seemed to be spacing out... What were you thinking about?"

"Ah... I had a lot on my mind."

"Nothing strange, right?"

"Um..."

I had to avoid her question and avert my gaze. I couldn't bring myself to say that I had been thinking about the memory of kissing Mari.

Today, Mari left early because she had something to do with her brother. I took this opportunity to visit Professor Elena's lab, where I had been teaching Cindy writing, as I had been too busy recently to come.

But I kept thinking about Mari. This must be a serious case.

It's one of the most discourteous things to think about something else when someone is in front of you, so I quickly erased it from my mind.

"It's not strange, really."

"Um..."

Cindy stared at me with her lifeless eyes and then turned her head. On the side where she turned, there was a sheet of paper.

"So, how do you think this should be done?"

"As I always say, the most important thing in writing is what you want to convey. Especially for the thesis Cindy is trying to write, this part is even more crucial..."

It has been almost three months since Professor Elena suggested I visit her lab, but the number of times I've actually visited is significantly low. This is because various incidents and accidents have piled up since then.

So, I felt like I was slacking off, and when I had some free time, I decided to visit the lab today. Additionally, I had some information to ask Cindy for the development of Zayon's story.

"First, Cindy is good with basic things like spelling and spacing. The problem is that her grammar is a mess."

"I'm sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. Grammar is the simplest, but the more you delve into it, the more complex it becomes. To put it simply, think of everyday conversations. Is there no educational institution like an academy in Cindy's homeland?"

"There is... After all, the academy as an educational institution was first established by us elves."

Indeed, humans imitated the civilization built by elves, so it's possible they also imitated the educational institutions. Still, it was new knowledge to me and somewhat surprising.

Occasionally, when I listen to the stories Cindy tells, I wonder why elves left humans to their own devices. Was it because they were confident that no matter how hard humans tried, they couldn't match them?

In reality, it's very difficult for a human soldier, unless they are a knight, to defeat an elf warrior, even with a club. The basic attributes are so vastly different that elves might not have cared.

'There are no records of elves being pushed back during the racial wars.'

The decisive reason the racial wars ended was not because one side was defeated, but because the elves self-destructed. Specifically, the leadership made repeated mistakes.

Wherever you go, the problem is the elders. Especially when the elders are high up, the people below suffer. Afterward, a generational shift occurred, but the influence is still terrifying.

'Humans, on the other hand, have frequent generational shifts, so the renewal is faster.'

Anyway, moving on—

"No, you're doing this again. My explanation isn't difficult, right? Just write down exactly what Cindy wants to say. Think about when you talk to me."

"Um... I understand..."

Cindy's learning process is truly catastrophic. She barely understands after multiple repetitions of the same explanation.

It's as if I have to chew it up and force-feed it to her for her to accept it. I've heard that other races learn more slowly compared to humans, and it seems to be true. Moreover, according to Professor Elena, Cindy is slower than other elves, which is frustrating.

"Phew... I'm sorry for getting angry. I should have come more often..."

"No... You don't know, but for an elf, this is fast..."

As I sighed in frustration, Cindy looked genuinely apologetic. Seeing this, I felt my anger, which had been about to boil over, gradually subside.

It's not that she lacks willpower; she's just slow. Getting angry would only create more problems. I might inadvertently crush her will.

'There's still plenty of time. When I become a third-year, I'll visit the lab regularly, so I can wait until then.'

Elves' sense of time cannot be compared to humans. One year for an elf is like one month for a human.

I watched Cindy, who was writing in her notebook, and then spoke. As I mentioned earlier, teaching Cindy writing can be done slowly.

"Cindy."

"Um?"

"Have you read the book I mentioned last time?"

"Zayon's story? I read it... It was really interesting... Thanks to it, I got a lot of help..."

If getting a lot of help means this level... I'm glad she found it interesting, but I can't help but smile bitterly.

Anyway, the reason I mentioned Zayon's story is because of the important role elves play in it.

Additionally, the elf who represents pride among the 'Seven Sins' is an elf. I wanted to check Cindy's reaction since I haven't had the time to ask Professor Elena directly.

Of course, I need to confirm if she has read up to the ninth volume. I nodded and asked Cindy the next question.

"How many volumes have you read?"

"All of them... When I told Professor, she readily lent them to me..."

"Then, what do you think about the elf representing pride among the Seven Sins?"

"Um..."

At my question, Cindy stopped writing and pursed her lips. She seemed to be thinking deeply about my question.

Interestingly, Cindy answers my questions without any doubt, diligently. She might not realize it, but she naturally enjoys explaining things to others and does it well.

Although it's very difficult for her to transfer those explanations into writing. If she could do that perfectly, Professor Elena wouldn't have sighed.

"Well... I've been away from my homeland for a long time, so I'm not sure... But I think they are seriously considering it. During the racial wars, our elves didn't collapse due to external pressure but because of pride... I might have to admit it..."

"Then, the lack of reaction is..."

"The lack of reaction is not true... Even with a generational shift, internal conflicts still exist... Fortunately, the queen is peaceful, so there shouldn't be any problems for now..."

In other words, there are people on the elf side who are waiting to capture me. The queen's peaceful nature is holding them back, but if the problem grows, it will leak out.

I recalled the future developments as I listened to her explanation. If the ninth volume introduces the Seven Sins, the tenth volume will deal with the story of the elves.

Specifically, the story of the elf queen and the 'Master' who taught Zayon. I would have written it without much thought, but considering the influence of the demon race and the Seven Sins, I can't write it carelessly.

"Hmm... Cindy."

"What?"

"What does Cindy think about elves forming deep bonds with humans?"

"Um?"

Cindy looked at me, blinked a few times, and a hint of confusion appeared in her hazy expression.

The reason I'm asking this is because of the relationship between the elf queen and the 'Master.' A love story between a long-lived race like elves and a short-lived race like humans. What a poignant story.

However, strangely, there are no such stories in this world. Even in other romance novels, there are no love stories between elves and humans.

I don't know if there's a taboo against elves loving other races or if there's another reason, but it's a very important issue for me. I need to prevent any potential problems that might arise in the future.

With the demon race, steam locomotives, and the Seven Sins, I have to be cautious. If this also has a significant impact, I will exclude it.

"Why are you asking this suddenly? Do you have an interest in me?"

Cindy, who had been quietly staring at me, suddenly revealed such a question. It was a shocking statement, so I immediately waved my hands in denial.

"No, no, that's not it. I've always been curious, and I already have a girlfriend."

"Really? Hmm..."

Cindy retracted her suspicious gaze and began to think deeply. After a while, she tilted her head and answered.

"Forming a bond with humans... It's almost impossible... The lifespan of humans is extremely short compared to elves..."

"What about other races, not humans?"

"Well... As you know, we elves tend to look down on other races... Even though such views have decreased with generational shifts, they still exist... We don't treat others equally unless we recognize them..."

Indeed, a proud race. But considering the roots of that pride, it's not entirely incomprehensible.

While I was thinking, Cindy paused for a moment and then added.

"Even if we form a bond, the elves would refuse... There's nothing sadder than living with the memory of a loved one buried in your heart for a lifetime? Rather than living in regret for a lifetime, it might be better to refuse..."

"Um... Indeed, lifespan is the biggest issue."

"But why are you asking this? Could your girlfriend be an elf?"

"No, that's not it, but..."

I answered with a genuinely happy smile.

"She's as beautiful as an elf."

"...Ew."

Cindy made a face as if she had heard the strangest thing.