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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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Chapter 29 - The Ones Who Stay and the Ones Who Want to Leave (1)
“This isn’t it. My fantasy, my dream…”
Clyden was in despair.
When he heard it was an Elf village, he envisioned a beautiful garden full of stunning women with perfect figures and handsome men who would make any man swoon.
What he saw in front of him was an Orc village.
The bizarre-looking Orc Elves, laughing and roaming around.
It was a complete cultural shock for him.
Clyden was wallowing in despair but Lydis and Piruril didn’t pay him any mind.
They entered a small hut.
They quickly washed and treated their wounds.
The door suddenly opened, Eres and Kaysis entered.
“Commander!”
“You’re safe! That’s a relief.”
“These damned creatures, you can see only the Platoon Leader, but I don’t even get a glance, huh?”
Clyden growled as he glared at them.
Eres and Kaysis immediately became humble and bowed.
“It’s a relief to see you’re safe!”
“We believed the Vice Commander could survive anything, even being thrown into hell!”
“Why do you seem so disappointed?”
“Of course not! We were really worried!”
“Hehe, that’s right.”
Eres and Kaysis looked guilty and bowed to Clyden.
Lydis frowned at the sight.
She didn’t speak up and only glared at Clyden.
Just then, Piruril entered with an Elf man.
“Oooh! An Elf!”
“Huh? Me?”
The man who entered looked back at Clyden.
A man who had likely walked the path of a handsome young man since childhood smiled at Clyden’s group.
“I heard from Piruril. The Empire... brings back memories of old friends.”
‘That’s what an Elf should look like! The fantasy isn’t dead!’
The man seemed to recall old memories, closing his eyes for a moment before speaking.
“Ah, I am Iclo. I belong to the Wood Elf tribe, one of the Human Elves.”
Iclo and Clyden’s group exchanged introductions.
Eres looked at Iclo.
“Um, I’ve heard that Human Elves and Orc Elves don’t interact much with each other so how come you’re here…?”
“Oh, I serve as a messenger for the Elf society. I’ve been traveling through various Elf villages to deliver urgent messages. By now, the Empire must be in chaos and using a gate like this... you’re quite bold.”
“Eh? Chaos?”
Lydis was startled by the news that something had happened to the Empire.
“Huh? Didn’t you know? The Green Dragon Alphaid has awakened, causing the flow of mana to become unstable. Communications and even the gates have gone down. I thought you knew, considering you used it…”
“A dragon! The dragon in hibernation has woken up... Is that true?”
“You didn’t know? It’s been a few days now.”
“But... even though a dragon has woken up, the village atmosphere is calm.”
“Well, the Green Dragon is usually friendly with Elves, and Alphaid is unique even among dragons…”
While Lydis, Eres, and Kaysis were deep in thought about the potential dangers the Empire might face because of the dragon’s awakening.
“Ah! Then it’s not my fault!”
Clyden yelled while glaring at Lydis, who gave him a sharp look as though not willing to lose the argument.
“Sergeant! Is that really the issue right now? A dragon has woken up and you’re quibbling over trivial things!”
“Trivial! So you were so eager to catch me for something so small?”
“Hmph!”
As Clyden and Lydis were about to bicker again.
Eres clutching his throbbing head changed the subject.
“Do you know the exact location of this place? We have an assignment to complete, We need to get to Aizu Village in the Ziras Mountain Range.”
“Aizu Village... You mean the village near the Ziras Mountain Range?”
“Yes.”
“Hmmm… From what I know, all the humans who lived near the Ziras Mountain Range have left.”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“Since the dragon has awakened, the activity of the monsters has increased. They probably left to avoid angering the dragon. Alphaid’s would probably allow a village near his lair but from a human’s perspective that’s impossible to understand.”
“What is Alphaid’s personality like?”
Iclo smiled ambiguously at Eres’ words.
“Well, he’s the type who believes moderation is best in everything... And he’s also famous for being lazy. Once he left his hatching period, he was too lazy to move so he went back into hibernation.”
“He probably just woke up because he tossed and turned in his sleep, and our elves expect him to go back into hibernation in a month or two. But when he gets angry...it’s hard to handle so I’m the one who’s been struggling to prepare for any possible incidents.”
“….”
After hearing Iclo’s words, Lydis, Eres, and Kaysis all silently stared at Clyden.
Clyden was taken aback by the sudden gathering of gazes.
“W-what?”
“Nothing...”
“Never mind.”
“If a dragon has a personality like that of the Sergeant, wouldn’t that be a crisis for the Empire?”
“What! What’s wrong with me? I’ve got a much better personality than that lizard!”
As Clyden yelled about the lizard, everyone’s expression turned pale and they hastily called out.
“Vice Commander!”
“Sergeant, are you crazy?”
“What’s wrong with that! People talk badly about their rulers when they can’t see them!”
“There’s a limit to that!”
“Well, I’ve killed goblins with my bare hands. What’s there to be afraid of?”
“….”
Everyone couldn’t hide their shock and slowly began to distance themselves from Clyden.
“What... What’s going on? Why are you acting like that?”
As everyone tried to move as far away as possible, their faces showed they'd seen something they shouldn't.
“Am I supposed to just quietly be eaten by goblins when they try to eat me?”
“That’s true, but…”
“Shut up. Let’s discuss it after we return to the base!”
Clyden shot a glare at Eres and Kaysis before speaking to Lydis.
“What are we going to do now? It seems Aizu Village is already closed so we should head back.”
Lydis hesitated for a moment before resolutely responding.
“No, we’ll go to the Intron Duchy first!”
“Ugh, it’s obvious the mission is over. Do we really need to go? We should just return to the unit!”
“No! We have to fulfill our mission as the Imperial Army Civillian Assistance Special Force!”
“What kind of support are we supposed to provide?”
“If people from nearby villages have fled, there’s bound to be a refugee camp! This is the
perfect opportunity for our squad to do its job.”
“What kind of support can we provide? Are we going to dig holes? Oh, great, you want to get us digging for the noble children. It’ll just be a burden. Let’s return!”
“No! We’re going to the Intron Duchy!”
“You’re something! We’ll be doing more good by not going!”
Clyden and Lydis began their back-and-forth over whether to go or not.
Eres sighed and asked Iclo.
“Ugh... where’s the nearest human village from here?”
“Well... since this place is so isolated, the closest one would be about a week’s walk to the east. There’s another one about a month to the south.”
Upon hearing Iclo’s words, Lydis decisively replied without any hesitation.
“Then we’ll go to the village that’s a week away!”
Iclo looked troubled and responded.
“I can guide you south but I can’t help you with the eastern direction.”
“Why not?”
“It’s the territory of the Punny Elves and even we as elves don’t want to have anything to
do with them.”
“The Punny Elves!”
Clyden looked at Eres.
“What are those elves about?”
“They’re a minority group of elves. They’re quite mischievous and reclusive and they hate anyone trespassing into their territory. They’re also called the mischievous elves.”
Iclo frowned when Eres spoke about the Punny Elves.
Seizing the opportunity, Clyden spoke proudly.
“See! Even elves don’t want to go there so what kind of nerve do you have to try to pass
through it? We should just head back quietly!”
“Ah! The village that’s a month away requires passing through several monster territories. There are trolls and ogres there.”
Lydis glared at Clyden as if he saw what Iklo said.
“Hmph! You’re ignoring my excellent choice. Is it true that all bag straps are short?”
“You damn... Why bring up a strap!”
“Haha, don’t show off your ignorance and just stay in that corner!”
“What an arrogant bastard you are!”
“Well, better than sergeant!”
Eres stared at Lydis and then looked up at the ceiling in disbelief.
"No, my sister’s personality wasn’t like this... People indeed change once they join the military...
Eres felt a bitter feeling for some reason, and a tear fell from his eye without knowing it.
"No matter how far I go, all I see is trees!"
After treating their wounds and resting the entire day, Clyden’s group decided to pass through the territory of the Punny Elves the next day.
All the Orc Elves from the elf village gathered to wish them well, hoping for their safe journey.
As they gazed at Clyden's group with pity, Clyden felt an uncomfortable unease in his chest.
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[Translator - Tangrine ]
[Proofreader - Seeker ]
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