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So I headed to Eilqueel for shopping for the first time in a while.

It took a little time since I moved while searching for anything along the way, but I arrived safely without finding anything.

Afterward I spent time casually touring the shopping mall and bookstores, bringing back old new towels, cloth, and plenty of books.

Considering the possibility I might not be able to leave the base during winter, I inevitably wanted books.

Even if half of them were erotic books, they would be enough to stave off boredom.

I also replaced cooking tools like the iron plate and wire net that had begun to bother me with grime.

I wished there had been a spare backpack, but I couldn’t find one the same size as the one I was using.

Now then, after gaining sufficient spoils, I returned past noon to the old base.

There I faced a single elf.

It seemed fine to assume the ageless-looking young man was the one investigating this place.

When I found him hiding and fussing with the rubble, I almost let my voice slip.

Rarely had things proceeded exactly as I imagined.

‘I had only thought I might find out who came if I returned after some time.’

Honestly, I felt a bit disappointed that things worked out here of all places.

Still, since we had run into each other, I revealed myself… yet the man did not notice me and kept struggling with the rubble.

So I tapped his shoulder, and when he turned around he retreated at great speed, resulting in the current confrontation.

I silently observed for a while, and he was clearly frightened.

His legs trembled from fear, and though he wanted to flee, his body would not obey.

This would go nowhere, so I took a step forward.

“D-don’t come! L-l-l-look at this crest!”

The man tried to pull something out to stop me, but it slipped from his hand, tracing a trajectory as if thrown toward me, and I elegantly caught the shining metal object with two fingers.

Looking at what I pinched, it was something like a large medal engraved with a dog-like animal.

It was probably some sort of family crest, but I had no way of knowing which clan it represented.

I silently compared the man and the medal.

“I’m sorry! I’m truly a bottom-rank nobody! I just secretly borrowed a family medallion without permission!”

Before I said anything, he slammed his forehead to the ground in a full prostration.

While I stood dumbfounded for a moment, he pressed his temple to the ground and held out both hands, pleading, “So could you please return it?”

Wondering what kind of guy this was, I first tried to learn his purpose and spoke in Elven while pressing my throat.

“Who are you?”

I tried to sound slightly more fluent than usual.

Too broken might increase intimidation.

“Whoa, you’re really talking.”

That was the reply he gave with a straight face.

I subtly readied myself, thinking maybe I should teach him a lesson, but he immediately returned to prostration.

I had no intention of performing comedy, and he seemed to know what I was, so I got to the point.

“What were you doing here? No… what were you doing here earlier?”

I held the medal away from him and asked, implying I knew he had come to do something.

He remained silent.

Either he was plotting something, or he had circumstances he could not reveal.

I saw no reason to stop pressing.

“Care to explain?”

I toyed with the medal in front of his eyes.

Realizing his overwhelming disadvantage, the elf distorted his handsome face in frustration.

After a moment of hesitation, the man quietly began speaking.

“…I came here for books.”

‘Books, huh. In other words, interest in Imperial knowledge—science.’

Indeed, that was enough reason for an elf to sneak around secretly.

But whether he told the truth was unclear.

As I considered what to do, he continued in a suppressed voice.

“…I was shocked. Among the books they brought back, there were such exquisite drawings… the woman’s nude body was too wonderful!”

His faint voice suddenly rose loudly.

My prediction was completely wrong, but I understood his purpose.

‘…He came all the way here just for erotic books?’

Was he a middle schooler starved for sex or something?

The temperature difference between my exhaustion and the elf passionately praising nude models was terrible.

“—So I thought: as you know, elves age slowly physically. To such women I whisper, ‘Would you like to preserve your youthful form accurately and beautifully?’”

At some point he began passionately describing a future vision that was utterly terrible.

“Older elves have mature minds but youthful appearances. That means viewing is fine! This technology lets us enjoy appreciation without direct contact—a revolution! Erotic prints are fine, but they cannot compare. They should properly understand their own value and leave it for posterity!”

I almost said “I get it,” but instead nodded “I see.”

Honestly, the naked elves I had seen were undeniably wonderful.

The young man loudly insisted he wanted photography and its technology to preserve them for posterity.

Apparently he had just turned twenty.

Being almost the same age felt strangely fateful.

For now I pretended not to understand and rummaged through my luggage to encourage him.

First I showed several academic books, then after rummaging for a while I pulled out one book.

“That is…!”

I scribbled on a memo and handed it together with a book whose cover featured a sensual woman in underwear.

“Oh, this!”

“Read the memo first.”

I accidentally retorted plainly to the youth flipping pages while ignoring it.

But absorbed in the nude model, he slid the memo in front of his gaze as if to cover the body.

He read the memo—“You need works depicting the female nude?”—and nodded vigorously, “Exactly.”

After continuing to question him while he focused on the erotic book, I learned his name was Klaze Forshna.

I was surprised he belonged to the same clan as Number Six-san, but considering where the book he saw came from, it made sense.

Even among the Three Great Clans, there were strange people—I sighed once.

“Look, don’t you think this one is amazing? Bigger than Lady Rusheru’s yet with such a slim waist! The pose is good too, truly art!”

I replied internally “I get it,” while continuing to pretend ignorance.

This exchange continued until he finished the book; once he closed it, he regained composure and performed a beautiful formal bow, pressing his hands to the ground and pleading, “Could you please return the medallion?”

I had truly ended up acquainted with a very strange guy.