Chapter 48

"Chaos, we're almost there."

A rough voice brought me back to reality. I took off the hood I was wearing and looked outside the carriage. In the distance, I could see a village beyond the vast fields. Beyond the village, there seemed to be a vast forest. Perhaps the village had been expanded by clearing the forest.

"I heard it was near the forest, but it's in quite an open area."

"That's a prejudice. Even though elves live in the forest, it's quite difficult to live deep in the forest. Most of the residents live around here. Fields are essential for daily sustenance. It's hard to expand fields in the forest without clearing more of it."

"Elves are a minority. You don't often see them in human towns. I never saw one until I left my village. It's kind of peaceful. Looking at this place reminds me of my village."

"Is Liam's hometown like this?"

"The atmosphere is similar, but it was much smaller. There was a monster's territory nearby, so the village couldn't grow much. Because of that, there were few jobs, and many young people who couldn't take over the family business moved to the city."

Liam, the young adventurer, looked at the village with a nostalgic gaze. Perhaps he became an adventurer, a dangerous profession, because there were no jobs in his hometown.

"My hometown was boring for the young people, so most of them moved to the city for excitement. When I first arrived in Maildia, I was amazed. The city was so much bigger than anything I had seen in the countryside, and I kept shouting how great it was."

Cornelia, the elf, looked exasperated. Havoc and Emilia, who were driving the carriage, laughed.

"Alright, we're here."

When I got out of the carriage, the villagers seemed to notice us. Especially the children were unreserved.

"Wow, that person has black hair."

"Hey, that's unusual."

An elf boy and girl pointed at my head. I had forgotten to put my hood back on.

In this world, people with black hair are rare. Indeed, I had never met anyone with black hair in this world.

This world is similar to the medieval European setting often found in RPGs. While the hair color of the inhabitants varies, their physical features are more like Westerners than Japanese. In this context, my appearance stands out quite a bit.

However, the main reason I hurriedly tried to put my hood back on wasn't because my appearance was unusual.

"It doesn't seem like Chaos's reputation has spread this far."

"There are interactions with people, but not many come to this village. At most, it's just merchants. So, news from Clermont rarely reaches here. Even if it did, the number of people in the village isn't that large, so it shouldn't be that bad."

The elves' attention was directed not only at me but also at Liam and the others. They were just curious about travelers. I thought it would have been a big fuss in Clermont and sighed with relief.

When I reclaimed Clermont from the vampires, my name, as the one who saved Rozeline, had already spread among the people. When they found out I was Chaos, people gathered around me.

This time, I had become so famous that even my appearance was known. When I tried to visit a shop, I was recognized by the crowd, causing a chaotic situation.

"That was terrible. I thought I was going to be crushed."

Liam smiled dryly. If he hadn't helped me, I would have been overwhelmed by the crowd. Rozeline was so exasperated when she found out that she summoned merchants to the palace.

Incidentally, according to the merchants, black robes and toy wands were selling very well.

...So, merchandise marketing exists even in this world. The shrewdness of the merchants made me feel a bit uncomfortable. That's why I wear a hood when I go out to avoid being recognized.

"Sister! You're back!"

"Seria!"

From the group of elves watching us, a bright and simple girl ran out. Cornelia greeted her with an awkward smile, and the girl responded with a smile.

Comparing their faces, the girl seemed younger than Cornelia. She might be around the same age as Lady Alexia or a bit older, still retaining a hint of youth.

Hmm? What?

"Hey, Liam. Could that girl be—"

"Seems so."

Really? I couldn't help but ask in my heart.

I had heard from Cornelia, but seeing her face-to-face was a shock. In modern Japan, it seemed impossible.

No way, that girl is the bride.

"Chaos, it might be unusual where you come from, but in the surrounding countries, it's not that strange for young women to get married. Especially for elves, who have a longer lifespan and a longer youth. They might be older than they look."

Havoc, who had just gotten out of the carriage, pointed out. Indeed, among the gathered elves, there were many who looked old but also many who looked young.

Moreover, not all elves had the fine, beautiful features typical of elves. There were fat ones and muscular ones. In a way, they were more like humans with elf ears. The length of their ears also varied, with many young elves having shorter ears. Cornelia, being slender and beautiful, was a typical elf, which led to my misunderstanding. It seems there are individual differences, just like with humans.

"Wait, so Cornelia is also—"

"Women don't appreciate being asked their age. Nel is one year younger than Liam. Elves grow at about the same rate as humans until they reach adulthood. They just age more slowly. ...It's an enviable race for women."

Emilia looked at the elves with a somewhat sticky gaze. Well, if you want to grow, that's one thing, but few people want to age, and a long youth is something everyone would envy.

...I decided to think that way.

"Sister, are you staying at our place today?"

"...No, I'll stay somewhere else. I don't know what I might say if I see him."

"Sister..."

Seria looked sad.

"Don't worry, I'll behave at the wedding. If she tells me not to hold the wedding until I come, I have no choice but to celebrate. If I lose control, I'll let everyone stop me."

Cornelia answered with a wry smile. Seria's gaze turned to us.

"I sympathize with Nel in this matter."

Liam muttered quietly so Seria wouldn't hear. It was hard for him to sincerely celebrate the marriage, given his relationship with Cornelia. Havoc and Emilia were relatively neutral, but Liam was clearly on Cornelia's side.

To be honest, the reason I came to Cornelia's hometown was more to act as a deterrent in case she lost control than to celebrate the marriage. Seria, Cornelia's childhood friend and a girl she had treated like a younger sister, should have been happy about her marriage.

However, the problem was her groom.

Seria's groom was—Cornelia's father.

In this world, it's not unusual for people to marry at a young age, but even in this world, such a case is emotionally problematic. The idea of a younger mother is complex, and for Cornelia, it was unacceptable for her quasi-sister to become her stepmother.

It seems Cornelia doesn't have good feelings toward her father. When she found out he was getting married, she got angry and left her hometown. She finally returned after reconciling with herself, but the lingering resentment hasn't disappeared.

I really don't belong here. It will take a long time for Cornelia and Seria to return to their original relationship.

Rustling sounds echoed through the forest. A black-furred, long-armed, fanged ape was fleeing up a tree.

"Don't let it get away! Nel! Chaos!"

Following Havoc's command, I finally cast a spell. But Cornelia was faster. Her arrow pierced the ape's hand accurately. The ape, screaming, lost its grip and fell from the tree. I winced when I heard a loud thud and a high-pitched scream a moment later.

"Good work."

Liam returned with a sword stained with fresh blood. He had chased after the ape that had fled and finished it off. This took care of all the enemies in the area.

"Still, there are monsters around here."

"There are no dedicated adventurers in this area. The villagers have to deal with the monsters themselves. But they can't focus only on monsters because they have daily lives to attend to, and it's dangerous. They can't make a living just from the fur. But if they leave the monsters alone, the crops will be damaged."

"The situation is the same everywhere."

The monsters we defeated were weak. At my level, I could defeat them even if surrounded. But for the villagers, they are dangerous pests that threaten their lives.

"That's why we appreciate everyone's help in dealing with them."

"We're getting good meals in return, so it's only natural."

"Those who don't work shouldn't eat."

We were fighting monsters to repay the villagers' kindness.

Since arriving at Cornelia's hometown, we had been staying in an empty house in the village, not at her family's home. When the villagers learned that Cornelia had brought guests, they welcomed us with open arms. To repay their kindness, Havoc suggested we help deal with the monsters around the village, and everyone agreed.

However, I wasn't much help. Most of the monsters were defeated by Havoc and the others, and I could only provide support, using spells like "Chain Bind" to immobilize the enemies, but not direct attacks.

In games, when party members defeat a monster, experience points are distributed to all party members. Even if you don't contribute to the battle, you can still gain experience points.

This rule applies in this world as well. When Havoc and the others defeat a monster, I also receive experience points, even if I don't deal any damage.

In games, people who don't contribute to battles but still receive benefits like experience points are called "leeches" and are disliked. I'm becoming one of those. No, I'm even worse because this is a matter of life and death for them, not just a game.

Still, I have resistance to directly attacking the monsters. We tried to avoid battles by urging the carriage to move quickly. I can use magic to hinder their actions, but that doesn't defeat them. Havoc and the others are the ones doing the dirty work, and I'm just pushing it off on them.

When we encountered Vaisel soldiers in Clermont, I intended to use magic to immobilize them. But it was wartime, and immobilized soldiers are easy targets. If Vaisel soldiers had been present when Commune soldiers were nearby, the immobilized Vaisel soldiers would likely have been finished off.

I realized how shortsighted I had been. I had been overwhelmed and had a narrow perspective. If one gear had failed, I might not be here now.

No, I can't think like this. Negative thoughts keep coming to mind. I need to change my mindset.

"Where the hell is that bastard father of hers?"

On the way back to the village, Cornelia cursed under her breath, clearly in a bad mood.

Her father, who was also the groom, was traveling away from the village. I thought it was unnecessary to travel before the wedding, but apparently, the wedding was planned to coincide with Cornelia's return. Since the timing of her return was uncertain, it was just bad luck.

"Isn't Nel's father the chief? Is it okay for him to leave the village?"

"There are elders, so it's not like the chief is needed for everything. He's been leaving the village for a long time, so we're used to it."

"Still, he's a pretty free-spirited father, huh?"

Havoc's exasperated voice resonated with Cornelia.

"You understand, right? That bastard father is too free-spirited! He always goes out and picks up women somewhere! Sometimes unknown women even come to the village! It wouldn't be surprising if I had a sister or brother I didn't know about! Every time I see a child with hair and eyes like that bastard father, I've been on edge!"

If her words are true, he's a typical unfaithful and irresponsible father.

"Changing the subject, if an elf and a human have a child, do they have elf-like ears?"

I asked a question that came to mind, partly to change the topic from her father.

"Not necessarily. The physical characteristics can lean more toward human or elf, and it's not clear until the child is born. Sometimes it's hard to tell if they're half-elf. There are cases where half-elves grew up thinking they were human. But generally, they have a longer lifespan than humans."

"So, there are quite a few half-elves?"

"Yes. Some have moved to this village. The elders are mostly pure elves, but in the past, it was taboo for humans and elves to interbreed. But the children are innocent. It's more problematic for someone who has affairs with multiple women or who touches a girl they've treated like a younger sister."

Ah, I brought up a sensitive topic.

"Liam, you understand, right? If your beloved younger sister marries a womanizer and a bad man, especially a father she's known since childhood."

"I understand. I wouldn't be able to forgive that."

Liam, who has a real younger sister, is completely on Cornelia's side. Given her story, there's no room for sympathy for her father.

I don't think they'll lose control during the wedding, but the tense atmosphere is making my stomach churn.

I now understand why Havoc invited me to this village before Cornelia. When I gave him a slightly resentful look, he whistled silently and pretended to be oblivious. That guy.

"You have to bless the person your younger sister chose."

As expected of Emilia, the party's healer. She's trying to calm their burning anger. She's much more reliable than Havoc, whose stock is plummeting.

"But even if she's calm now, I'm worried if his womanizing habits resurface."

Cornelia, who reluctantly agreed to the marriage, still seems anxious. Emilia thought for a moment and said,

"Hmm, well, when that happens—"

"When that happens?"

"I'll crush him."

She naturally looked down at her mace, which she usually uses.

I didn't want to ask what or who she would crush. When I looked up, Havoc and Liam's faces were twisted. I must have had the same expression.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew, and everyone looked up at the sky.

"Huh? Is that—"

Through the gaps in the trees, we saw a small black dot.

"A dragon?"

"Yes. It's much larger than a regular dragon. A dragon from the Dragon's Nest wouldn't fly here. It's probably a wild dragon."

Whether it was a dragon or not, something huge was approaching. On the map, a large green marker appeared.

Green markers on the map usually indicate friendly NPCs or players, not enemies. Normal monsters are indicated by red markers.

If this dragon is friendly, it might be like Elizabeth, who was a ghost but friendly.

I can't definitively say if this dragon is a friendly monster. I can't explain how I know it's friendly, and even if it's recognized as friendly on the map, it doesn't mean it won't attack.

During the human conflict in Clermont, Vaisel and Commune forces were fighting, and among them, Lady Alexia and other Vaisel soldiers were identified as green, friendly markers on the map. Commune soldiers were also identified as green, so it was sometimes unclear who was friend or foe.

In other words, the criteria for identifying friendly entities on the map are very ambiguous. If the criteria are based on my perception, it doesn't necessarily mean they won't attack Havoc and the others, so I can't say it's safe.

"That dragon isn't coming this way, is it?"

Liam's trembling voice made everyone's faces pale. The vague black dot was becoming clearer, and the green marker on the map was getting closer.

Dragons are very powerful monsters, even in games. The stronger ones can easily kill me at my current level. Even if Havoc and the others are at a similar level, we can't stand a chance against a dragon, especially if it's a higher-level one.

"Run!"

Havoc's words made us flee like rabbits.

—But it was too late.

A green marker on the map was approaching at a speed no human could match. I looked up with certainty. It was the same dragon I had seen before.

"Here, here, here! Run!"

Emilia shouted, "Don't run to the village! You'll involve the residents!"

"But where can we run to?!"

We ran faster than on the way there, but it wasn't reassuring. A flying dragon is much faster than humans.

We fled into a densely forested area, but the visibility was poor. We didn't even have time to look back and check the dragon. A strong wind blew, shaking the trees. I could tell something had flown overhead.

This is bad. I quickly changed direction, but the trees were being pushed over with a creaking sound. The dragon's massive body slid through the gaps in the forest, a breathtaking sight.

The dragon, standing on four legs with a dark-colored skin, glared down at us with deep red eyes. It raised its wings and roared mightily, a sound so loud it shook the surrounding trees. We could only sit on the ground in shock.

"Sorry, folks, are you residents here?"

Instead of attacking, a voice rang out.

A high-pitched female voice, not Cornelia's or Emilia's. I looked around suspiciously, but there were no other women.

The dragon, which had been intimidating us, lowered its wings and bent its neck.

"Sorry, I startled you.