NOVEL NEXT Chapter 317: Hospitality
Chapter 317 – Hospitality
“Say, what’s the meaning of this, bringing guests home so abruptly? I, for one, was not informed of this arrangement. And to bring humans, no less…”
In the living room, the female elf who had changed into “normal clothes” was glaring at us with a slightly stern expression as she sipped from a cup of tea.
“You’ve grown rather presumptuous since you were adopted as a son-in-law… do you consider yourself an absolute authority in your capacity as chieftain?”
“No….. it’s not like that…… but…”
“Furthermore, to welcome humans? For the proud Elves to extend a welcome to those lowly beings――――”
This is the chieftain’s wife, Yitea.
But……
“Hey, hey, what was that cat before?”
“Buh!?”
In response to Espie’s innocent question, Yitea spurted her tea and slammed her head on the table.
“Ah~, Espie, that question is correct, but still wrong… just don’t ask…”
“?”
Espie had a scowl on her face as if she really didn’t understand. Slayer, on the other hand, coolly drank the tea that was served and never touched the subject.
“Truly embarrassing… I apologize for the pitiful spectacle…”
“Hold on, you!”
The chieftain also apologized for his wife’s shameful behavior in a very exhausted manner. But, his wife was furious at those words.
She slammed the table with a bang.
“That, well… it’s not like… I, I just thought I’d do something for you once in a while that you might find pleasant!”
“Huh? Why would you think I would like something so cold and pitiful?”
“Be, because. There are a lot of cute girls in those s that you always write in secret… I figured you’d appreciate such a thing, so I thought I’d indulge you!”
“Eh? I don’t have any such characters. Besides, in the first place, it’s only effective because it’s done by pure, innocent girls. If a calculating woman does it, it is little more than just cringe-worthy.”
“H, hah? What kind of talk is that? Ugh, you’re so infuriating!”
What can I say, they’re an odd couple… I mean, should we even be here in the first place?
Then again, even the chieftain was saying some pretty harsh things too. The woman was shy and couldn’t be honest, but was trying her best to get his attention, and he trampled on her Nyan Nyan strategy.
It’s for a pure and innocent girl… huh… for example, in the case of Sadiz…
――Fufufu, I won’t forgive you if you don’t treat me well today, nya, Little man ♡
Hm~hmm…… not bad…… like a prank cat… well, but it certainly doesn’t feel right…
――Honey …… No, My Lord. If you don’t take care of this Shinobu cat, I’ll start nyaaing you, okay?
Maybe Shinobu would do it if I asked her, but she’ll be pushy… this doesn’t seem right either.
I mean, when you say pure and innocent, it’s Kron…
――Nya~, Earth~, you haven’t been giving me attention lately, so I’ve been so sulky~. Ufufufu, today I will become a cat and be spoiled by Earth ♡
“Whoa!”
“Big brother?”
“Brother?”
『…… Child…… you spoke up…』
Oh no, I couldn’t help but get excited… it’s sooo cute. No, I might have already hugged her in my imagination.
It’s natural for Kron. Or rather, it’s just like the chieftain said. As expected, he is a great writer.
And if I ask, Kron will probably do it without making a disgusted face… That would be dangerous… If that happens, I might not be able to control myself.
――Nya ~, Earth, licky licky nya nya~ ♡
“Uooh…”
――But Ms. Kitty Kron is really a bad girl… Master, please punish her…
Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. What kind of perverted things am I thinking in someone’s house, and next to Espie and Slayer.
Ah~ but…
“So… say, you there, human! Your expression has been strange for some time now… just what are you lot, anyway?”
“………… Ugh~……”
“Ho, hold on, don’t you just ignore me!”
“Whew!?”
“Are you listening!?”
Oh no. I was so caught up in my fantasy world that I didn’t notice that the chieftain’s wife was talking to me.
“Ah, y, yes. What is it?”
“………………… Ah?”
“Buho”
…… Ah… damn… I bit……
“N, no, th, that was a mistake…”
“Huh… Fufufufufu…… it seems my husband has brought some rather ridiculous guests…”
Her eyes were telling me to go die.
Moreover, the chieftain seems to be sullen and tired, and he is slumped on the table, trembling.
“Puku, kukuku, a, anyway, calm down … Yitea “
“So annoying! Why do you always do things without consulting me? Not only this time, but that Dark Elf as well. You suggested imprisoning her for observation instead of swiftly executing her, or erasing her memory and letting her go!”
“Eh~~~~? Even if I consulted you, you wouldn’t listen…”
“Huh? That’s not true! If you were serious, I would listen… Besides, just what do you think of me!?”
“Hmm… I love you more than anyone else in the world”
It started again. And what a heartless “I love you” from the chieftain.
“Oh, that, that, uh… then…… it’s not like… whatever…… idiot…”
Huh? Is it okay now? I don’t know, I guess the chieftain is the chieftain, but his wife was also strange.
Maybe this was the form of a married couple, but…
『Huh… more than that, child … that dark elf…』
「O, oh… that’s right…」
And I should ask about something that’s been bothering me there.
“Hey, Chieftain, I was a little curious, but that dark elf…”
“Ah, from the Demon King Army, is it? Fear not. Their magic has been sealed and they were placed in a prison, so they won’t be escaping on their own. As for their fate, it’s being discussed… most clamor for execution, but I’m not entirely keen on that idea…”
“I see…”
I wonder if it’s the dark elf I met in Ghenkan after all.
I didn’t fight that much, and we didn’t have any connection.
Maybe it’s weird for me to say something about her treatment, but…
“Anyway, I’m going to welcome them today to discuss my works! All through the night! I hope you’ll bear with us, too.”
“Eh?! Hold, then… to, today… ovulation…… copulate?”
“No, huh? What are you saying in front of our guests… and children? That’s just off-putting. Extremely off-putting. I’m appalled “
“~~~~~~ugh… idiot …… I don’t care what happens anymore…”
Oh my. That pout. I mean, the wife was bothersome, but at any rate, I knew that she really liked the chieftain.
The chieftain was also dense…
“Really, see, you two, come over here.”
“?”
Then, the wife, who was sulking and trying to get to the back of the room, called Espie and Slayer.
“I can’t have children staying up late… besides, there’s a certain odor about you all. Haven’t you been bathing much?”
“Huh? Bath…… I wash in the river, but…”
“Hold, that won’t do! Come on! I’ll heat up the water, so make sure to wash properly!”
“Bath? Bath! Yes, I’m going to take a bath! Big brother…”
“You guys go in first.”
“Huh? I’m fine!”
“Don’t be shy. Come on, come in with me.”
“I’m a boy!”
“Huh? So what?”
Surprisingly, it seems like she’s trying to get the two of them to take a bath.
She looked like a nagging, troublesome woman before, but now she couldn’t help but look like a nagging, caring mother.
“I, I mean, it’s not like we want our home to get dirty or smelly. Don’t get any strange ideas!”
It seems like the fact that she wasn’t being honest hasn’t changed…
“Hahaha… I’ve done something awful to the chieftain’s wife, haven’t I?”
“No, no, not really…”
“But… you’re kind, aren’t you?”
“…………………”
“I don’t know, you said something about divorce, but I’m sure you’re not that upset with her either…”
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the chieftain’s wife forcibly leading Espie and Slayer to the back of the house.
And the chieftain didn’t particularly deny my words…
“It’s an unwanted marriage, and frankly, I’d like to travel the world looking for material for my . However… I can’t deny that her presence concerns me enough that I can’t just leave her behind in the current situation.”
Oh no. It’s another confusing roundabout way of saying it…
“Even the chief is troublesome.”
“People are troublesome just by being alive, so being bothered is more like the standard state of affairs.”
“Hm~hmm…”
“W, why are you grinning…”
“No reason~”
Somehow, I felt like these two were so weird together, but I also thought they were just perfect together.
“You’re 15, right? For humans, 15 years of age is all about adolescence, budding romances, and creating cringe-worthy memories… don’t you have any of that, young man?”
“Me? I…”
The chieftain asked me as if planning on a counterattack.
And the chieftain’s question was so familiar that I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Sure… even in love… and the painful black history related to it… I might have some piled up…”
“… Really…… I have no particular intention of digging up other people’s love stories, so you needn’t say it. I heard an extremely intense one not too long ago…”
“Hmm?”
Then, instead of pursuing me deeply, the chieftain started holding his head as if he remembered something.
What the heck is going on…
“No, as I said earlier, that captured Dark Elf… hers is intense… seeking revenge on humans to avenge a childhood friend and first love who died… I mean, it might not be directly relevant to you, but…”
“Hmm… that kind of thing… well…… something like that happens when you’re fighting a war… but it’s certainly heavy…”
I think it’s heavy, for sure. But I tried not to think too deeply about it.
There are plenty of such stories in this world of this age.
From the human side, there must be people who feel the same way, and there are even humans who have been killed by the dark elves.
That’s why I don’t have anything to do with it… so I thought…
“Right, so let’s steer clear of heavy stories. Now, come to my room! Actually, I have some future plot ideas, and maybe I can hear some opinions…”
“Oh~”
『Nuooooooooooooooooh, is that sooo!?』
Tre’ainar was also enjoying himself for the first time in a long time, and I tried not to think too much about the dark elf at the time.
But I didn’t realize it then.
For me, that dark elf was not someone I can say, “nothing to do with me, it doesn’t matter”.