In The End

“My apologies, I was late with introductions. I am called Akabane. For certain reasons I have been away from the elf settlements, but now I have been entrusted with serving as captain of the investigation team.”

“I’m Woody. It’s a pleasure to work with you as well.”

“And the two waiting behind me are Mago and Mego—twins, which is rare among elves. Due to circumstances, I have them serve as my adjutants.”

“I’m Mago. Pleased to meet you.”

“…”

After a brief introduction, I guided the three elves into the town.

Maybe because her guard was still up around us, Mego-san walked on with a huff, pointedly looking away the whole time.

“H-hey… what is thiiiiiis?!”

Mego-san, who had gone ahead on her own, was shouting about something in the distance.

Akabane-san gave a wry smile at the sound.

His already narrow eyes narrowed even further—until they looked like thin horizontal lines.

It seemed he had his own share of trouble too.

I got it. I really did.

Having an energetic one in the family was exhausting, wasn’t it?

When we all headed toward the voice to see what had happened, we found Mego-san surrounded by Wood Golems.

It looked like she had attacked them—there was a small scorch mark on one of the Wood Golems.

“Why are there monsters inside the town?!”

“They aren’t monsters. They’re Wood Golems—reliable sentries in our village.”

“Oh? You can command Wood Golems…”

I thought Akabane-san’s narrow eyes flashed slightly… maybe.

Was that my imagination?

While I tilted my head, Mego-san had already been forced into a full prostration.

“Mego! Using magic in the village of those we are about to ally with is beyond unacceptable! What were you thinking?!”

Akabane-san’s narrowed eyes opened wide.

And an aura-like pressure burst from his body—so strongly that even I, standing a bit away, could feel it.

Mego-san, taking it head-on, went pale and bowed her head.

“I-I’m sorry!”

“Fool! You are not apologizing to me!”

With a sharp motion, Akabane-san pointed at me.

Mego-san looked like she wanted to say something, but when Akabane-san shot her another hard glare, she obediently dipped her head.

“I’m sorry, Woody!”

“Woody-dono.”

“I’m sorry, Woody-dono!”

I didn’t mind not being called -dono… but this was not the atmosphere where I could say that, so I kept my mouth shut.

“Seriously—are all elves nothing but rude?”

“On that point, I agree. Striding onto another’s land and acting that way toward Woody-sama… even I have my limits, no matter how mild-mannered I am.”

Because I had warned them in advance not to lay a hand on anyone until something actually happened, Nadja—usually quick to fight—only furrowed her brow and held back.

Still, both of them clearly didn’t accept the way elves like Utena-san and Mego-san acted.

Me?

I didn’t mind that much.

I had met plenty of proud noble young ladies who made them look mild by comparison…

While I was recalling those aristocratic ladies I had spoken with in the past, I realized the elf investigation team’s way of addressing me had settled into “Woody-dono” for good…

“Still, to think such a splendid village exists in the middle of the desert—what a spectacle indeed.”

“That’s right. I hate to brag, but I can say this Sanctuary is one of my proudest works.”

“Hmm, hmm, I see… hm?”

As Akabane-san walked around the village nodding to himself, I noticed Wheel-san was suddenly standing beside him.

In his bipedal form, he was doing his best to fold his tiny arms, and somehow he still looked like a mascot.

“E-excuse me, but… who might you be?”

When Mago-san asked, Wheel-san shook violently.

And then—by what mechanism, I had no idea—Wheel-san’s body suddenly began to glow!

“I am a Divine Beast… Wheel of the Divine Rats!”

“And this young lady is Rebecca!”

Before I knew it, Rebecca—the ribboned guinea pig—was glowing too. How did that even work?

A-amazing… what a divine light.

As expected of Divine Beasts…

“““W-we bow our heads…!”””

Even I, who already knew them, couldn’t help but feel the divinity. So naturally, Akabane-san and the others were utterly shaken.

In the end, we did wind up relying on a Divine Beast, but from that point on, the talks proceeded very smoothly—.