I used my 『secret strategy』 on Ralina-chan.
My secret strategy, 『I didn’t want to put you in danger』, to explain that I would be leaving on a journey.
…In other words, even after using my secret strategy, the only thing I managed to explain was that I would be going on a journey. I still have to explain how long the trip will last and who will be traveling with me.
Honestly, this is quite a difficult situation.
Having already used up my secret strategy, explaining the rest feels like a heavy burden.
「Huh? So onii-chan is going on a journey to the Human World, right?」
「That’s right」
「I understand that, but then why can’t we ride the ship? Does that mean you’ll leave when summer comes?」
「Hm?」
Ah, right. I started the conversation from the part about how even when the ship is finished in summer, we will not be able to ride it together.
「Well… the departure will be in one week」
「One week…?」
I spoke with Jisrare-san a little while ago, and that was officially decided. The departure will be exactly one week from today.
「And as for when I will return to the Elf World… the earliest would be in two years」
「Two… years…?」
Apparently, that is how long the journey will take.
At the earliest, two years. It might end up being a little longer, but for now the plan is to return once after traveling for about two years.
「So because of that, it will probably be quite a while before I can ride a ship together with you, Ralina-chan… Eh? Um, Ralina-chan?」
「…………」
「R-Ralina-chaaaan!」
After hearing my explanation, Ralina-chan suddenly rolled her eyes back and collapsed on the spot.
It seems the shock was too much, and she fainted…
Well, that makes sense. If you suddenly hear someone say they are leaving on a two-year journey, it would definitely be shocking…
That said, I was also quite shocked when Ralina-chan suddenly rolled her eyes back like that…
For a moment, I even mistook it for some new kind of angry expression from her…
◇
Ralina-chan had fainted, so first I gently closed her eyes and carried her to the bed.
Then I fetched a bucket of water, wrung out a towel, and placed it on her forehead.
After some time passed…
「Mm…」
「Ah, Ralina-chan」
「Eh, ah, onii-chan…」
「Are you alright? I brought some tea for now. Can you drink it? Or would you rather have water?」
I prepared some herbal tea for Ralina-chan. Miriam Special 754.
But maybe plain water would have been better?
It is herbal tea, so I thought it might have some kind of relaxing effect.
「No, this is fine. May I have it? Thank you, onii-chan」
「Of course」
Ralina-chan sat up from the bed and moved to the table, so I handed her the Miriam Special.
She sipped the tea from the cup little by little, then let out a small breath.
「Thank you, onii-chan. I feel a little calmer now」
「That’s good to hear」
So she has calmed down. I see, I see. That is excellent.
Perhaps Miriam Special really does have a relaxing effect.
「Was I… asleep?」
「Ah… yeah. It seems that way」
「I think I had a scary dream. A dream where onii-chan leaves me for two whole years」
「Ah, well… that wasn’t a dream. That is actually reality…」
「Reality?」
「Reality」
「Two years?」
「Two years. Ah…!」
The highlight suddenly vanished from Ralina-chan’s eyes.
Scary. That is really scary, Ralina-chan.
「Two years… two whole years… How could that…」
「Well, um, there is a rule that says if an elf manages to defeat a Wild Boar at such a young age, before even turning fifteen, then that talented elf should properly learn about the outside world while still young… something like that…」
Explaining myself as a 『talented elf』 does not feel right, and honestly I do not even think of myself as that talented in the first place. But apparently, that is simply how the rule goes.
「Why? Who decided that? Who came up with such a ridiculous rule?」
「Who decided it, well…」
「…The World Tree? Is it a rule decided by the World Tree?」
「N-No, that’s not it, Ralina-chan. Calm down, okay? Let’s drink some herbal tea. Here, Ralina-chan, herbal tea」
For some reason, Ralina-chan had started reaching toward her magic bag, so I quickly stopped her hand and offered her the Miriam Special instead.
「If it wasn’t the World Tree, then who decided it? …The village chief?」
「N-No. It wasn’t Yggdrasil-san or my father. Apparently, it was something the elves from long ago decided. Anyway, please drink the herbal tea…」
I moved Ralina-chan’s magic bag farther away from her and desperately encouraged her to drink the MiriSpec.
「Because of people like that, onii-chan and I have to be separated for two whole years…」
「Well, they are technically our ancestors, so maybe it is better not to call them 『people like that』…」
「And you too, onii-chan. Why didn’t you tell me earlier? If you had told me sooner, I would have gone to kill a boar right away…」
「B-But I… I didn’t want to put you in danger, Ralina-chan」
「You say that, but…」
Ahh, as expected, II time is much less effective.
Even my secret strategy, 『I didn’t want to put you in danger』, loses half its effect when used again. She brushed it off so easily.
「More importantly, it’s far too dangerous for you to travel around the Human World alone for two years, onii-chan」
「Ah…」
「Hm?」
「Well, I won’t actually be traveling alone. Um… I will have a companion」
「…A companion?」
「Jisrare-san said she would accompany me…」
Honestly, I was quite afraid to say it, but there was no way I could avoid telling her.
When I carefully told her about Jisrare-san…
「R-Ralina-chan…?」
「…………」
「Ralina-chaaaan!」
Ralina-chan rolled her eyes back and collapsed again.
next chapter: I Did Not Want to Put You in Danger 3
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