The fierce battle with the Wild Boar was over.
Jered-kun and I somehow managed to successfully defeat the Wild Boar. While we were in the middle of discussing whether or not to begin dismantling it, Father and Ralina-chan arrived to rescue us.
Father looked utterly shocked that we had managed to defeat the Wild Boar, but for the time being I asked him to take care of the dismantling.
Once the dismantling was safely finished, the four of us quickly withdrew from the forest.
――That was two weeks ago.
Two weeks had passed since that fierce battle.
The miasma that had thickened in the forest had completely returned to normal, and the photochemical smog alert had been lifted.
The ban on children leaving the village was also lifted.
「Well, instead, a stay-at-home order was issued……」
Even though we had been told not to leave the village, all of us child elves ended up going outside the village anyway.
As punishment, every child elf was given a one-month house confinement.
The ban on leaving the village was lifted, but instead, leaving our houses was prohibited altogether.
「House confinement for the first time in eight years, huh……」
I think it was when I was six that I was punished with house confinement. This was my second time. Eight years since the last one.
Back then it lasted three weeks, but this time it was a full month. Far too long.
Still, I think it is fair, and I accept it. I will take my punishment without complaint.
「But I really did something bad to Ralina-chan……」
She had properly suggested, 「If we keep going, we will leave the village, so let’s go back.」
Yet I dragged her along anyway, and as a result she was punished too. I will have to properly apologize to her later.
And so, during my confinement, I quietly worked on woodworking inside the house while reflecting on my actions. Quietly making dolls and even things like floats.
I would also like to practice the guitar, but playing guitar during confinement feels a bit too enjoyable. I should restrain myself there.
Today, I was working on doll-making. Using the lumber I received from Fleur-san some time ago, I was making a life-sized doll.
Life-sized dolls really do take time. I wonder if I can finish it during this confinement period? Probably not? Maybe? Who knows?
「Aleccc」
「Hm? Yeesss」
While I was shaving wood, I heard Father’s voice from outside the room. I replied and headed for the door.
「What is it, Father?」
「Do you have a moment right now?」
「Sure」
「Then could you come to the living room? There is something serious I need to talk about」
「Something serious?」
A serious talk…?
What could it be about? I am really not the type who is good with serious talks. Will I be okay…?
◇
When Father led me into the living room, Mother was there, and――
「Ah, Jisrare-san. Hello」
「Hey, Alec」
The beautiful doctor, Jisrare-san, was there. She seemed to be chatting happily with Mother.
Jisrare-san gets along very well with Mother. They are close enough to go hunting together, so she often comes over to our house.
「Ah, come to think of it, the other day you went hunting together with Mother――」
「……Mother?」
「In this situation, Mother is the proper term, you know」
「Well, that is true」
When I tried to chat casually with Jisrare-san, Mother cut in. It seems she was bothered by me calling her mother.
She appeared satisfied once she decided that calling her mother was appropriate this time, which was a relief. Calling her mama in front of Jisrare-san would have been way too painful.
「Um, anyway, I heard you went to get meat together with Mother. Thank you very much. It was delicious」
「Yeah. I am glad to hear that」
During the period when the forest’s miasma was thick, Mother, Ralina-mama, and Jisrare-san went hunting together.
And they brought back unbelievably delicious meat.
It was so delicious it was almost scary. So good that it made me worry there might be something dangerous mixed into it.
The Wild Boar meat that we defeated was tasty too, but honestly, it was on a completely different level. Comparing them felt rude. The difference in quality was overwhelming.
…No, the Wild Boar really was delicious. Because it was such a hard fight, it tasted even better.
But even so, that meat was so good it made the Wild Boar feel like the sole of a leather shoe by comparison. I remember being grateful for the timing, that I ate that meat after the Wild Boar, not before…
「Now then, what I wanted to talk to you about, Alec――」
「Ah, yeah」
Right, that was it. There was supposed to be a serious talk. I need to listen seriously.
…That said, you are going to start talking with Jisrare-san here too?
I hope it is not something embarrassing…
「Two weeks ago, Alec, you defeated a Wild Boar, right?」
「Yeah」
「And defeating a Wild Boar means――you are now a full-fledged, proper hunter, correct?」
「Yeah… huh?」
Is that so? I mean, I do think defeating a Wild Boar is not easy, but…
Or rather――
「This feels familiar somehow. Was it… a boar? I think you said something similar when I defeated a normal boar」
「…You are sharp, Alec. Very perceptive」
「I am?」
That is the first time anyone has ever called me perceptive.
Is that so? Am I sharp? Has my intuition ever been sharp before…
「Um, so what does that mean exactly?」
「Just like with the boar, it is a rule. If you defeat a Wild Boar, you are considered a full-fledged, proper hunter」
「A rule…? Ah, is this one of those Elf laws again?」
「Yeah. Pretty much」
I remember that with the boar, I was given permission because I was a full-fledged hunter, so I was allowed to hunt alone.
That is how I was allowed to travel to Lukmine Village by myself.
「Then does that mean I might get another permission? Like being allowed to go to some other village or something?」
「Yeah. Well, not another village exactly… the world」
「…The world?」
「Other realms. The Human Realm, or the Demon Realm」
「What?」
The Human Realm. The Demon Realm…?
Wait, what is that supposed to mean… I was thinking something like, since the last one was Lukmine Village, maybe I would be allowed to wander as far as Cleis Village or something.
But this is on a completely different level…
The world. The world… What…
…Also, the progression makes no sense.
First it was the neighboring village, and the next step is the world?
Break it up a little. Put something in between, please…
next chapter: Companions
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