Tsuyokute New Saga (LN)

With Urza’s confident words acting as the final nail in the coffin, Erina lowered her head with a stiffened expression, slowly taking off the cloth she was wearing on her head. As a result of this, white hair similar to Paserane’s appeared, as well as her ears. They weren’t as long as Urza’s and Paserane’s, but they held the elvish shape.

“You gave off the impression of being a half-elf, a child between an elf and a human, but that didn’t quite fit right…Now everything makes sense. You’re a child between a dark elf and a human.” Urza spoke with half admiration, half confusion.

Only children between humans and elves, as well as humans and dwarves, were regarded as a half-breed, but not anything beyond that. Then again, dark elves rarely showed themselves in front of other races, so even if any example of such a half-dark elf existed, nobody would have known.

“I put a faint color on any skin that is visible, like my face and hands.” Erina opened up her collar, revealing her cleavage.

Her skin there was similar to Paserane’s, although not as dark.

“Oh!” Seran let out a voice of excitement and pushed his body forward, but Lieze immediately stepped on his foot, silencing him.

“So, were you previously living with the dark elves?”

“Yes…until two years ago.”

She held a detailed map of the place, and that explained why she was so knowledgeable. The reason Paserane didn’t attack right off the bat was that Urza was with them, as well as a familiar face with Erina.

“…Erina, you were banished. Even if it is outside our territory, you know that things will heat up as soon as you get close!” Paserane seemed agitated, reproaching Erina for coming closer.

“There were half-elves in my village as well, but we never did something so cruel as to chase them out. The dark elves are quite intolerant, I see.” Urza seemed emotional after hearing words about banishment.

When it comes to half-breeds, as someone who isn’t fully on either side, there are times when neither race will accept them. However, that doesn’t put any blame on the person in question, and Urza saw it as shameful if anybody treated a half-breed in such a way.

“Could you not meddle with someone else’s business, elf?” Paserane grumbled.

“That’s because I’m paying her to…”

“That doesn’t mean you’re allowed to speak, human! I am asking Erina!” She roared in anger at Kyle. “I hope I’m wrong, but…The one guiding invaders around…is you, as well as them?!”

Erina immediately protested with a loud voice.

“These people are different! I’m simply guiding them!”

“Then why are you here?! There are no other places you could take them beyond here…!”

“Paserane, calm down.” Roas broke between the two. “My apologies, Erina. We had a lot of invaders recently, hunters even, so Paserane is simply on edge. More than anything because…” For the first time, Roas’ voice sounded calm and collected, almost cold and distant. “We have victims on our side. Five dark elves and two of my Unicorn comrades had been defeated. Not to mention in the span of a month.”

“No way…” In the face of this devastating news and Roas’ saddened voice, Erina grew pale.

This forest was regarded as the garden of the dark elves, so it would normally be unthinkable that there could be dark elf victims. And yet, these invaders were doing whatever they wanted, creating casualties wherever they wandered. This certainly was the cause of Paserane’s anger. Erina’s expression was distorted in pain, as she glanced at Kyle. She was asking if she could tell Paserane of his goal. In response to that, Kyle nodded.

“These people…are heading for the [Nest of Dragons].”

“The [Nest of Dragons]? Erina, are you even aware of the dangers you are heading for?” Roas spoke up, his voice colored in shock and worry.

“The pay is good……and Mom has fallen sick. The treatment will cost us a lot.”

“What? Luctera is?” Paserane scowled.

Kyle was equally surprised but immediately returned to his poker face.

“…What is your goal? Is it related to the recent dragon activity?”

“Huh? Does that mean you don’t know the reason behind the dragons’ movement?” Lieze asked Roas.

“Indeed, we have no way of knowing. It appears as if we had connections existing a thousand and more years ago, but at this point in time, neither of us are interfering with the other, and with no ground to begin new discussions, we’re left in the dark…” Roas explained quite carefree in the face of Lieze’s question, which earned him another earful from Paserane.

“You don’t need to add unnecessary details! …I have no interest in whatever you are planning, but if you say that you are unrelated to the recent poachers, then I will let you go this once. Hurry, and leave…Roas, we’re returning! I won’t bother with you any more.” Paserane said, ordering Roas.

As for Roas himself, he looked at Erina, who seemed anxious, but also hopeful about something, and spoke up with an apologetic tone.

“Erina, as you know, only dark elves can use my healing powers, and that requires a pact of coexistence. I’m sorry…”

Hearing this, Erina shook her head, like she wanted to say that she knew all along.

“Let’s go!”

“Let us meet again, my beloved maidens!”

As the exact opposite of the angered Paserane, Roas declared their departure with a gentle tone.

“Unicorns never change no matter how much time passes, I see.” Shildonia glanced after Roas, shaking her head.

“For crying out loud, these dark elves tend to be so narrow-minded…Ah.”

Elves generally were rather secluded, and yet arrogant towards any other race, is what Urza was saying. However, she remembered that Erina was a half-breed dark elf mid-way, and covered her mouth.

“But, why did she end up banished…Ouch!”

Seran was about to ask something, but as Kyle and Lieze decided to not touch upon that topic, the girl slammed her foot onto Seran’s.

“…No, please let me explain. I’ve already caused you trouble like this, so…See, my father was a dark elf.” Erina said, explaining that her father was famous for his skill with the bow, which is why his marriage with a human woman was tolerated, and allowed to live with her. “Living in the forest was hard for me, but because I had Mom and Dad with me, it wasn’t too hard.” Erina flashed a vague smile like she had remembered her joyful past with her parents.

However, because of an unforeseen accident, her father passed away two years ago, which made living a lot harder on them. Eventually, they moved to the nearby human town Rinecol, both working as adventurers.

“Mom had always been an adventurer, which is how she met my father here in this forest. She was very skilled with the bow…which is how the two got closer.”

“Love between a human and a dark elf…” Urza muttered.

Although it sounded simple on paper, surely there must have been countless hurdles in the way of that. As an elf herself, Urza certainly must have her own thoughts about this. That’s why she went quiet after this comment, and glanced at Kyle, most likely doing so subconsciously.

“Eventually, your mother ended up sick, but is it that bad?” Lieze asked, sounding worried.

“Yes. She’s become stable, but without the horn of a Unicorn, her full recovery will practically be impossible…and she will most likely need expensive magic medicine for her treatment.”

That evidently was the reason why Erina needed money so desperately.

“I see…” Since Lieze’s mother passed away because of her fragile body, she probably felt a strong connection.

She glanced at Kyle, wondering what they should do. They didn’t plan on asking her, but now that she told them herself, Lieze probably wouldn’t be able to just ignore that. Kyle knew that all too well, so he nodded.

“…So, about this job…” Erina glanced at Kyle, her gaze filled with uncertainty.

“…It’s fine. I was the one who told you to take the shortest route, and I don’t intend to have you take responsibility for this. You being a half doesn’t have anything to do with this request, so don’t worry about it.”

“T-Thank you very much!” Accepting Kyle’s gentle words and voice, Erina seemed relieved, as she teared up, thanking him.

“There’s just one thing I’d like to ask…Your mother’s name is Luctera?”

“Yes, that’s correct…”

“She’s skilled with the bow, ashen-grey eyes with green hair, about the same height as me, and she has a mole below her left eye…” Rather than a question, this was more like a confirmation.

“Y-Yes…Um, did you meet her before?” Erina showed a perplexed expression.

“No, I was just thinking that may have been the case, don’t worry about it.”

I see, so she’s Luctera’s daughter…I can finally see the resemblance.

She had some of the facial features of her mother—Kyle’s former ally in his previous life—Luctera. Finally, it all made sense to Kyle. This emotion he felt towards Erina wasn’t actually aimed at the girl herself, and rather involved a sense of indebtedness he felt towards her mother. It felt like everything made sense, but at the same time, horrible memories filled Kyle’s head.

As the famous archer Luctera was, she was present at the front lines in the battle between the demons, and Kyle’s life had been saved thanks to her. However, he cast her aside in the end. At the final period of their war against the demons, when her squad had broken off from the main force, and when the discussion came up if they should help them or not. Eventually, Kyle brought judgement that the main force would most likely suffer too many casualties in the process. In other words, he let her die.

Of course, he knew that it was the necessary evil, more than anybody else. Many similar events like that happened during the war, and feeling guilty about every small thing would not allow you to survive that hell. As a result, because of that decision, they managed to gather a strike force, which made the final attack on the Demon Lord’s castle possible, so Kyle’s chance wasn’t wrong.

Even so, that doesn’t change the fact that I left her to die…

That is why he wanted to save her now no matter what.

“Erina, don’t worry…Luc—Your mother’s sickness, we’ll do something about it.”

“Wha…R-Really?”

“I can’t do it for everyone, but when it’s someone I have a connection to, I want to help them…I have an idea when it comes to the magic medicine regarding the sickness she has.” Kyle said, glancing at Shildonia.

“Th…Thank you very much! Thank you so much! If Mom were to die now…If I have to live without her, I just…I just…”

Ever since Erina’s father passed, her only saving grace was her mother, so she was trying her hardest to support her. Encountering someone who might be able to support her, she was shedding large tears of hope.

“However, reaching the [Nest of Dragons] comes first. Also, in return for us helping you, we’d like your assistance with something…”

Erina’s talent was evident, and Kyle was aware that even her mother Luctera would be a great asset to have. His desire to save her was real, but he couldn’t deny the fact that Luctera could be helpful later down the line.

“Yes! I’ll do anything, so just tell me!” Erina smiled with a determined expression, which led Kyle to feel a severe case of guilt, but he shook that off right away.

Still…a sickness of life and death…? I don’t remember that happening in the previous timeline…

Kyle caught on to a discrepancy in his knowledge, but forgot about that, and instead set out for the [Nest of Dragons].