Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)

Episode 01: Syril of the Elf Village

I hate this village.

I thought that while cooling off in the shade.

「It’s no good when you are truant. Syril.」

Then, one girl warned with her hands on her hips.

About 150 cm tall. A beautiful girl with golden hair that has the quirk of giving off a l.u.s.ter, and characteristic blue eyes. The b.r.e.a.s.t.s could probably fit in the palm of my hand, but that has its own appeal too.

Given that the age of 14 years, there may still be room to grow, I guess.

The name of that girl is Lucie. She is the daughter of the house that is letting me freeload. The wind blows to her head as the Onee-san since I was born three months slower.

「Isn’t it nice, that everything is taken by them even if I do my best.」

I muttered while stroking my ears which are slightly longer than a human’s, a trait common to the elves.

Here in the elf village which is dominated by the Humans, the population is only as few as 200.

In the olden days, hunting was free to indulge in, even I who had obtained the blessings of nature in the forest am made to obey by the military power by force and to pay taxes by raising specific crops by the humans.

And most of the crops grew up into harvest season, but….most importantly I am robbed of companions.

I would be killed if I ran from the village. No longer is it possible to return to the olden days.

「So, why not work hard. Even with bad harvests, those guys take a fixed quant.i.ty. And when we don’t produce much, we starve and die.」

「I believe it might be better elsewhere! even if we risk death」

「I’ll get angry Syril!」

「Well I am not wrong. My heart feels like it is hollowing out while living here. I even saw it last week! They were sent in front of us deliberately!」

It is not only crops that the Humans deprive of us.

We are even deprived of our lives.

When the beating heart of a still living Elf is taken out, it becomes a powerful magic crystal.

Humans can be particularly cruel, we are not exterminated completely. During the collection of crops they kidnap 10 people and kill them by taking out their hearts.

I cannot sympathize with you at all. 10 people is the number that they take so that they maintain us without reducing us.

Each time, the elderly or the weak, helpless Elves that are judged to be too weak for manual labor become targets.

It is like we are treated as livestock.

「Syril. I said that I will get angry.」

At the same time as those words came a slap. In spite of the sound, there wasn’t much pain so she went easy.

「Even Rikka, even Lugana Obaa-chan and everyone else, I wanted them to live more. Still, I would not complain if I were sacrificed! Someone else would be sacrificed if I ran away. Nevertheless, we have survived, saying that you would rather die is wasting their sacrifice. You should run away if you can still make those remarks. Then the people who wanted to live can live!」

The words pierce my chest. I was insensitive. Some of the victims were Lucie’s grandmother and a younger sister whose body was weak.

The people who want to live should be able to live…..

「That’s right. I should become a candidate.」

I’m already a sorry unwelcoming with nothing to live for. As for being frightened by the uneasiness of being possibly being chosen during the next harvest season, I hear sobbing of everyone in the village.

「I’m sorry, I said too much. Even I did not want to bring up such topics. However, I want you to try your best. s.h.i.+ning like the eyes of the old Syril, I want you to someday say that you want to support this village.」

I looked at myself who was negligent as Lucie said sadly. The old me………………

「It’s impossible. I already gave up.」

Once next after my father who was a great Village Mayor, even I was enthusiastic to develop the village more.

Even I made an effort.

However, Five years ago, My father who fought against the Human invasion resisted until the very end. …..Many villagers that followed my Father also fell in great numbers.

Among them, were my mother and Lucie’s Parents.

I should have been able to prevent many deaths had I behaved myself. I have thought about it and seem it. I may be useless in this world. It is better to leave it to chance.

With Lucie’s grandmother acting as the subst.i.tute for my parent and raised me, even if I had behaved I would not have been able to change the fact that Lucie’s sister Rikka was killed.

I was Sad and Frustrated. I almost went mad with anger. Still, I fear I may lose Lucie should I take action.

「I believe in Syril. Syril is number one with the bow and magic, the kindest person of all, and the one we admire the most.」

「What is there to believe in」

「Someday, when Syril becomes an adult, you will save this village.」

I smiled wryly.

Such a thing is not possible.

Certainly, I may be a little better than most people. However, in the place should I actually fight seriously, 4 to 5 soldiers would be killed, but I cannot imagine a figure ten times that.

No even that would be very difficult.

I patted the silver collar around my neck. A disgusting magic tool that interferes when I try to invoke magic. This is attached to all villagers.

Although I could remove it with a tool, if it is not reattached, I would be killed if it is found to have been removed.

I am powerless to do anything about it.

『Is that really so?　Am I an existence only on that level?』

A voice similar to one’s own was heard in my head.

「Syril, you okay?”

「What. It is nothing.”

Lucie supports me who has been feeling lightheaded.

Again, that voice.

With growth, the voice started to come from my head.

For some reason, it becomes easier to use my body whenever the voice grows, The power of Magic strengthens too.

「Come on Lucie. Let’s return to work soon. As expected, being truant for longer than this might be bad, it is my belief that one should only skip out on work to the point where no one would be angry.”

「Then work at your best so that I don’t need to get angry.”

「Can’t do it. Lucie has too much faith in me.”

「If you don’t work hard, you wont be able to do your best in emergencies. Because Syril can do anything.”

A carefree smile. There was so much confidence in me.

It hurts my chest. Every time this smile is seen, it makes me want to do something.

I drop my head in hopeless despair. To my lack of power.