「Bread?」
「It’s Kirk Bread」
「Ahh, Kirk Bread, huhh」
After returning from the world travel, I had been handing out souvenir bread all across the village.
Partway through that, I also stopped by the church, and naturally I was handing out bread there as well.
Holding the bread she had just received, Laudette-san looked at it with slight curiosity.
「It looks like normal breadd」
「It sure does」
Because the inside is normal bread too……
Actually, everyone kept saying that.
People seeing bread from the human world for the first time would say, 『It looks like normal bread』, while people already familiar with human bread would ask, 『Isn’t this just normal bread?』
――And in the end, it really was just normal bread.
「Well, please try eating it later」
「Thank you very muchh」
And then please give me your thoughts about how 『it’s just ordinary breadd』
「Even so, this journey ended up being quite longg」
「Well, I suppose……」
Even though we were supposed to travel for two years and came back in only two months, people already had that impression, huh……
「So what was the journey likee?」
「Hmm. Well, I’d say it was pretty enjoyable」
Yeah. I think it really was enjoyable.
Of course there were hardships, and in the end we returned before completing the journey, but the trip itself was fun. At the very least, it was never the kind of journey where I kept wishing I could hurry home already.
「With Jisrare-san there, there was never any danger, and all the humans we met were kind. We didn’t get to visit that many places, but it was still very interesting in a lot of ways」
「I seee. You visited several villages, right?」
「Yeah, about four of them. ――Ah, actually, could I ask you to appraise something already?」
「Suree?」
「Thank you. To be honest, I never had anything appraised during the trip」
「Oh, really?」
「Yep, really」
While chatting like that, I smoothly took out the money, and Laudette-san smoothly accepted it.
Even after two months apart, this kind of exchange still happened with perfect unspoken coordination.
「Were there no places to get an appraisal in the human world?」
「No, there were churches in the human world too, and apparently they could do appraisals there…… but somehow I missed the timing」
After all, my status was a little strange……
My title section was unusual, and the glowing series of composite skill arts were also pretty bizarre.
Because of that, I didn’t really want to casually reveal my status in too many places.
And while I kept hesitating like that, I eventually ended up returning home without ever getting an appraisal.
――By the way, none of the churches in the four villages I visited had any young women there, but that was absolutely not the reason. It’s not like that made me somehow lose the motivation to get an appraisal.
「Hmmm, so this church really is the best after all?」
「Eh? Ah, yes, I suppose so」
She said it with a strangely nice smile, and I ended up agreeing without thinking.
Well, it was the church I was most familiar with, and I had known Laudette-san for quite a long time by now. For me, this probably really was the best church.
「Well then, let’s get started with the appraisal right away」
「Go aheadd」
「After all, this is my first appraisal in two months, so I’m a little excited」
「Do your bestt」
「Thank you very much」
Now then, after finishing a two-month journey, just how had my status changed?
Time for the appraisal――
Name: Alexis
Race: Elf Age: 16 Gender: Male
Job: Woodworker
Level: 27（↑1）
Strength 19（↑1）
Magic Power 15
Vitality 10（↑1）
Dexterity 35（↑1）
Agility 6
Skills:
Sword Lv1 Hammer Lv1 Bow Lv1 Fire Magic Lv1 Woodworking Lv2 Summoning Lv1 Dungeon Lv1
Skill Arts:
Parry (Sword Lv1) Power Attack (Hammer Lv1) Paralyze Arrow (Bow Lv1) Varnish Coating (Woodworking Lv1) Rental Skill (Summoning Lv1) Glowing Moss (Dungeon Lv1)
Composite Skill Arts:
Glowing Parry (Sword) Glowing Power Attack (Hammer) Glowing Paralyze Arrow (Bow)
Titles:
Son of the Sword Saint and Sage Dungeon Master Elf Treasure (New)
「Oh, my level went up――huh?」
「Oh my?」
For starters, my level had gone up. I was now level 27. My 『Strength』, 『Vitality』, and 『Dexterity』 had increased.
My 『Agility』 still hadn’t gone up.
Right. That part was fine. Totally fine, but……
「Elf Treasure……?」
Elf Treasure…… now that I think about it, Jisrare-san had said something like that before too.
At the checkpoint in Raft Town, she told the gatekeeper Kate-san something along the lines of, 『Alex is even called the Elf Treasure』
Could it be that what happened back then spread around and gave me this title?
No, but isn’t that too fast? Way too fast, isn’t it? It had only been a month since then, and I already got a title?
「Laudette-san, what exactly is this……」
「Ohhh, Elf Treasure, huhh」
「Huh?」
Laudette-san’s reaction felt strangely weak. Wasn’t this the kind of thing people were supposed to be more surprised about?
She looked oddly convinced about it though……
「I figured there was a chance you’d get itt, but you really did after alll」
「Huh? You figured? W-Wait, what do you mean by that?」
「People have been calling you that for a long time already, haven’t theyy」
「……Eh?」
For a long time already? What did that mean……?
I thought it was just some exaggerated nickname Jisrare-san made up to get through the checkpoint…… wasn’t that the case?
「Umm, I only heard something like that from Jisrare-san for the first time recently……」
「Oh? Really? Everyone calls you thatt?」
Everyone……?
「Everyone’s been calling me that behind my back……?」
「No, it’s not like gossip behind your back or anything…… It’s more like an actual title」
「A title…… I had no idea. Since when?」
「Eh? Umm, even if you ask since when, it’s been like that foreverr. Since around when Alec-san was about two years old, maybe?」
「Two years old!?」
Since I was two……!?
I had no idea…… So I’d been treated like some kind of elven treasure since that long ago……?
「Well, it’s not really the kind of thing people would say directly to youu. Apparently it spread around more like, 『There’s a boy in Meiyu Village called the Elf Treasure』 and things like thatt」
「What kind of rumor is that……」
It sounded like some kind of urban legend……
Or rather, someone could have told me about it.
Someone could’ve at least said something like, 『You know people are calling you the Elf Treasure, right?』
Well, not that knowing earlier would have changed anything, but still……
「After hearing the rumor, some people came from other villages just to see Alec-san, and others even moved to Meiyu Villagee」
「Eh?」
「Hm?」
「Moved here……?」
「Yes. Quite a few people moved here because they wanted to watch Alec-san grow upp?」
「Ehhh……?」
I didn’t know that either……
People had actually moved here from other villages just to watch me grow up……?
So, I’d been quietly watched over this whole time without even realizing it……
……But was that really okay?
Setting my appearance aside, I couldn’t help feeling that my personality and behavior had been pretty disappointing. I wondered if all those people who moved here had ended up regretting it while watching over me……
「Now that you mention it, I did feel like Meiyu Village’s population had been increasing…… I assumed it was because a dungeon appeared near the village」
「The dungeon, huhh. That may have contributed too, but the population started steadily increasing much earlier than thatt. Ever since Alec-san was bornn」
「Really……」
「Yeah, now that I think about it, the dungeon was also made by Alec-san, so I guess it really is all thanks to youu」
「Ahh, come to think of it……」
I see. So it really was all because of me.
Without realizing it, I had apparently contributed quite a lot to revitalizing the village……
There were so many shocking revelations coming one after another that my brain was starting to panic, but for now, maybe when I got home, I should ask Father, the village chief, to praise me a little……
next chapter: Romcom Arc 7
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