Chapter 78

"Hey, hey... for the next queen to hold back against a human, that's something else."

One of the High Elves said,

"Indeed, holding back. I see."

"Or you could say she went easy on him."

The other siblings nodded, but

"That's not it... I absolutely did not hold back! What did you do!?"

Yurii asked me with a look of shock.

"I just analyzed the wind created by [Wind Magic] and undid it a bit."

"There's no way you could do that! It's like unraveling a complex tapestry with a single needle!"

I almost applauded at the apt analogy.

Wind is the flow of air. [Wind Magic] acts on the atmosphere to create wind, but in other words, if you can perfectly grasp the flow of air, you can undo it.

If it were [Earth Magic] that throws boulders, it wouldn't be possible.

Of course, to grasp and undo the flow of air, you'd need analytical capabilities on par with a supercomputer—but that's where our [All Things] comes in.

Yurii understands what [Wind Magic] is, which is why the "tapestry" analogy comes so smoothly. This person is not only talented but also has incredible comprehension.

"...Huh? What happened?"

Matvey, who was squatting next to me, should learn from Yurii a bit more.

"Everyone, be quiet!!"

A sharp voice rang out like an alarm. The door to the mansion had opened, and a High Elf accompanied by Polina and the Special Enforcement Agency stepped out.

Dressed in a deep green gown, with a fresh floral crown on her head—unlike the handsome men here, this High Elf was quite elderly and could not walk without support from Polina and the others.

Her face was etched with wrinkles, and her white hair was curly. Even without [All Things], it was clear that her life was nearing its end—though [All Things] suggested she had about 10 more years.

Yurii was the first to kneel on one knee, and the other High Elves followed suit. Matvey, perhaps tired from squatting, crossed his legs, and I—following what I learned at the Sylphid Manor—kneeled on one knee, placed my right hand on my chest, and bowed my head.

"...You are Raiji, correct? Raise your head."

"Yes."

Her hoarse voice contained both sternness and kindness.

"I am King Sylvius VIII of the Sylvius Kingdom. All those here are my children... striving to fulfill their duties as the royal family of the High Elves. Yurii was rude."

"...Your Majesty!"

Yurii tried to say something to the apologetic King Sylvius, but fell silent when the king gave her a gentle look.

"I would like to speak with Raiji alone. Could you leave us?"

"!?"

Shock rippled through everyone, and their faces clearly said "No." The reaction was especially strong from Polina and the Secret Service.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider. It's already unprecedented for a human to come this far, and for Your Majesty to speak alone with a human..."

"Even if I insist?"

"Yes, that is our duty. If Your Majesty insists, we will take our own lives. This is the consensus of the Secret Service."

Polina and the others bowed before the king. The king, looking somewhat troubled, scratched his head—somehow, he looked like an ordinary old man, except for his long ears.

"...I did not come to speak with Your Majesty. I just want to see Asha."

When I interjected, Polina and the others glared at me.

"I am, after all, the top of this country."

The king, with a wry smile, seemed to overlap with Matvey, the "underachiever," more than anyone else here.

"I was going to decide whether to let you see Asha, but if being alone is not good, then let's do this: Yurii, myself, and Raiji will talk together."

"But, Your Majesty!"

"The Secret Service can't win against Yurii, even if all of you attack together?"

"That's..."

Is that true? Is Yurii that strong?

"—Your Majesty, I would also like Matvey to join us."

When I said this, the king looked at me and Matvey, who was sitting cross-legged, with interest.

This was a sign of agreement.

Outside the mansion, there was a terrace with four chairs and a tea set on the table. I could sense Polina and the others inside the mansion, but they were far enough away that they wouldn't hear our whispers.

The "World Tree" was visible from this scenic spot, a few kilometers away, with many birds gathering and nurturing life.

"—Impressive, Matvey."

Matvey was the one pouring the tea. He must have volunteered because he thought he was suitable for the task—both in terms of his position and his skill in making tea.

The king brought the cup to his nose, enjoyed the aroma, took a sip, and said, "Impressive." Matvey blushed and sat down.

"...You've always been good at making tea."

"Compared to you, who turns everything into mud, anyone would be good."

"What did you say!?"

"Settle down, settle down."

The king intervened in the exchange between Yurii and Matvey.

The king, sitting to my right, put down his cup and said,

"Well... I have a lot to talk about with you, an unprecedented visitor, but you don't seem nervous at all?"

"Yes. I know Your Majesty has no intention of harming me."

"But Yurii, who is said to have the highest magic power among the High Elves, just cast a powerful spell on you."

Is that true? To that extent?

Yurii, flattered, looked away but smiled.

"Yes. But I also knew Yurii had no intention of hurting me."

"!"

Yurii, startled, looked at me, while the king remained smiling. Matvey, who said, "He was fully intent on killing you," was glared at by Yurii.

"Hmm... Why did you think that?"

"If I had been blown away by [Wind Magic], I would have fallen straight to the base of the Great Tree, but there was a magical air current that prevented that. Yurii must have been thinking of lowering me to the ground as if wrapping me in cotton."

"..."

Yurii looked at me in surprise, but said nothing.

"Perhaps the other siblings have various thoughts, so I thought Yurii prioritized showing a 'tough self' to the human."

In other words, she wasn't really intent on being hostile from the start. Of course, I cast a counter-spell because I didn't know how serious she was.

Yurii's magic power alone is comparable to an entire country's magic army.

I use [Fire Magic] and [Wind Magic] together to move through the air because the lift from air alone isn't enough to keep a person afloat. But Yurii can do it with just [Wind Magic]—that's how much magic power she has.

"Undoing the wind is not an easy task. It's impressive that you thought of it. Is this insight and perception related to how you cured Asha's illness?"

The king's question finally made sense to me.

This was the crux of his intention.

How did I cure Asha, whom no one else could? Asha probably hasn't explained it, thinking it might cause me trouble—like the Secret Service attacking me for "touching the princess."

The king, while probably aware that I cured her, has no idea how. The worst-case scenario is that I somehow caused Asha's condition and then cured it—a grand manipulation.

That's why he wanted to talk to me alone, to make me let my guard down and find a clue to the truth.

(...I see. He looks like a kind old man, but he's certainly thinking a lot.)

Without [All Things], I wouldn't have thought this far. But [All Things] helped me read the "doubt" and "curiosity" on the king's face, allowing me to think this far.

"Originally, I thought I should explain this. It's for the future, in case a child like Asha is born again, to ensure they can live without worry."

"You! How dare you say that about King Sylvius treating Anastasia poorly!"

"Enough, Yurii... We did provide Asha with everything she needed, but it's true that she had more restrictions than others."

The king listened sincerely. Whether it was just a pose or if he genuinely felt that way, I couldn't tell with [All Things].

"...I will explain Asha's unique condition."

I will delve into the essence of the High Elves.

Yurii is clumsy but fundamentally a good person. Being called the next queen, she feels overwhelmed by the responsibility. But her twin brother, being called an "underachiever," wanders around carefree, which frustrates her.