Chapter 130 – The Elf and the Not Elf (1/2)

As we approached the settlement, Peitho glanced back and forth, looking at the view.

”Why are there so many fairies?! It's like eastern Arcadia!”

”We had a lot of immigrants a little while back.”

”But fairies?! Those crazy, childish people?! Wait, is it because of them that there's so many spirits here?!”

”Yea, they brought a whole bunch over with them when they came.”

The first time they had come, it was a bit scary seeing the fluffballs blot out the sky all of the sudden.

”This...there must be an uproar going on in Arcadia if so many spirits disappeared.”

”Ah, I guess so?”

It wasn't exactly something I really thought of, as it was a country I hadn't ever visited. The fairies didn't really talk much about it either so the very idea kinda faded from my memories.

Hopefully this won't cause problems for us in the future, though most certainly it would. All I could hope was that the spirits here won't be discovered by anyone until the people in Arcadia calm down regarding this.

”Anyways, I'll show you your workplace.”

Emerging through the canopy, we floated our way to the dungeon entrance and landed.

”This here is our dungeon.”

”You even have a dungeon here?! No wonder so many people can live in such a remote location without any problems.”

”Yea, I'm quite thankful for this place.”

It was thanks to this dungeon that I was able to live with so few worries after all.

”Umm, I can walk, so can you put me down?”

”You sure? I can keep carrying you.”

”No, it's fine.”

Peitho's cheeks grew a little red as I teased her a bit, but I obediently lowered her to the ground before we moved towards the dungeon.

”Claret! Give those to the little ones!”

But as I entered the hollow stone path, the sight of my familiar nibbling some of the mini mana treats I gave her entered my eyes.

”But...!”

”No! I gave you your own meal. Those are for the others!”

I couldn't believe she would try to sneak a few of those mana treats. Just because I gave her a ton to distribute didn't mean that she could steal some. She seriously ate a lot already. I couldn't help but worry what would happen if her appetite increased. The thought of her getting fat was also pretty worrying, though I didn't know if it was possible. No matter how much I ate, my figure never change aside from my ever growing baby bump.

”Okay, Master...”

Claret drooped her head as she went back out of the dungeon to hand out the rest of the mana treats.

(Geez that girl. If I don't put my foot down on these things, she'll just go and eat all of my mana treats without a care.)

I continued on. That familiar of mine should be able to find me without any issues anyways, so there was no need to wait for her.

”This dungeon is a bit unique in that there's more than one entrance.”

”Seriously?!”

”Yea. I was surprised too when I found out. Just touch the fountain and think about the west entrance to move over there from the southern entrance.”

”If there's a western and southern entrance, is there also more on the north and east sides?”

”...I haven't check yet.”

The thought never came up. Probably because I've grown to take the existence of this dungeon so naturally, that I hadn't even considered the fact that there might be more than two entrances. This was something I really needed to confirm, or else it could be a real problem in the future.

After taking the elf's hand and teleporting, we exited the dungeon immediately.

”There's another settlement over here as well?!”

”Yea. The Hunter's Guild HQ is on this side as well, since the fairies usually only go into the dungeon to get the same things over and over.”

Namely, sugar. Any source of sugar and the fairies practically lined up to gather it in the dungeon. Though they do also go after any other major ingredients used in desserts, their quest for sugar was endless.

”Anyways, so here's the guild building...huh?”

Leaning against the wall next to the door was a familiar figure.

”Elli? Is something the matter?”

”Ah, Scarlet! I wanted to talk to you about...who's this?”

The dokkalfar elder tilted her head as she noticed the figure trailing behind me.

”Ack! A dark elf?!”

”Oh? This childish elf's got quite the nerve calling us dokkalfar by such a derogatory name!”

Despite the small distance between us, Elli closed it in an instant as Peitho let out her surprised words, and before I knew it, she had a knife against the elf's throat.

(Seriously, how does she do that despite my higher stats?!)

”No no no! But...Scarlet! Why's there a dark elf here?!”

”What's this? Does my knife not scare you? Maybe it'll be scary enough if it's inside your throat instead of pressing against it?”

”Wait wait wait! Elli! I need her alive!”

In a panic, I tried to stop her. Those eyes of hers were really scary. Seriously, if it was possible, I would have been worried of wetting myself just looking at them.

”In that case, I'll settle for her legs. She doesn't need those, does she?”

”Eeek!”

”No, seriously! I get you're angry Elli, but calm down! Peitho! Apologize before she really takes your legs off!”

Turning to my only hope in diffusing this situation, I practically scream at the one who caused it in the first place.

”I, I, I...I'm sorry!”

”Whatever are you apologizing for, brat?”

Very quickly, the scent of fresh blood reached my nose, and panic threatened to take me over.

”Elli! Stop! Please! Peitho! Apologize for what you called her! Now!”

I quickly grabbed the dokkalfar elder's arm, but the way she hooked her blade around the panicking elf meant that even if I forced her off, there was a good chance of still doing quite a bit of damage at the same time.

”I, I, I, I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I called you a dark elf! Please forgive me!”

”Hmph. I'll forgive you, but only because you're Scarlet's guest. There won't be a second.”

”Sorry about that Elli, and thanks as well.”

I let go of her arm, only to realize that the knife she was holding was nowhere in sight.

(Seriously. How the hell does she do that?!)

”As suspicious as this brat is, I doubt you brought her here with anything but the most positive intent. Even still, since she is your associate, you should tighten her leash so that she doesn't embarrass you.”

”Are you trying to say that I should put a leash on Aurae and Orphne?”

”Haha! I imagine if you tried that, you'd end up being dragged around in the wake of their chaos.”

I was glad my joke managed to lighten the elder up a bit. I got how being called the wrong name could tick her off, though I didn't expect it to such a degree. Then again, I had made the same mistake with her great granddaughter Frey, so most likely it was a species wide sore spot.

”So what was it that you were waiting for me for?”

”Hmm? Oh yes. About that. Have you thought about moving out from your room in the dungeon? Maybe get your own house or something?”

”Huh? Why should I do that?”

It was kinda an odd thing for her to bring up all of the sudden.

”Well, where you are right now, nobody can reach you while you are at home, and isn't it inconvenient if you need help quickly? Having to teleport and go all the way out of the dungeon if you need something? Especially since you are progressing quite far into your pregnancy, I think it is important that you can get immediate help at any time. It is not good for a pregnant lady to be alone! This will especially grow important in about four more months!”

”I guess I get where you coming from...”

”Is that not so? Come! I have a spare room at my house you can use!”

”Wait wait! A spare room? I thought your place only had one bedroom?”

Elli's place was quite small, with only a main room, bed room, and a washroom. It was virtually a studio apartment style house with a detached bedroom. I hadn't been inside her bedroom, but still, it was certainly designed as a house for one.

”Well, if you want to share my room, I suppose I can allow that. It would be better for you as well.”

”No no no, that's not it! Wasn't your place really small? Since when did you have room for a second bedroom?”

”Since last night.”

”Huh?”

”I had my house extended, and now there is a second bedroom. But if you want to sleep in my room together with me, then we can arrange that as well. Come!”

”No no no. Wait a sec!”

Elli grabbed my hand in hers and pulled me along without waiting for my response, but I pulled back and stopped her.

”Why did you make an addition to your home? Was it just so I could live there?”

”Of course!”

I was dumbfounded. What this dokkalfar just did sounded like the sort of thing Aurae would've done. Or the fairies in general actually, but Aurae in particular. I wouldn't have been surprised if she kicked the other elders out of her place just to do it as well.

At least the fact that her place was too small for someone not a fairy was probably the only reason why it hadn't actually happened though.

”Why? I mean, doing that without even telling me? What if I say no?”

”Are you? It is quite dangerous for a pregnant woman to live on her own without anyone else to help her.”

”I already live with Claret!”

”That spirit that is always following you?”

”That's right!”