Now that I had the bath I had always wanted, I was beginning to feel glad that I had come to this world. It's not that I don't have any regrets about my former world, but more than that, I'm getting used to life in this world.

The best thing about it is that I can spend most of my day doing what I want. In my old world, I was sometimes ordered by my superiors to do research on magics that I didn't want to do, but here, I can do as many experiments as I want. There are no quotas. It was heaven.

That's why I've been working in the laboratory almost every day since I got the mansion, but as the winter season started to get colder and colder, I received a call from the castle for the first time in a long time.

When I went there, I found that the other heroes had also been called, except for Fairis, but they all had no idea why they were called.

Aside from Fairis, the fact that he called in the heroes whose only claim to fame was their ability to fight, I wonder if they are having trouble with the Demon Empire again. I've heard that the Demon Empire has temporarily stopped moving during the winter.

「Oh Heroes, you have come well. There is a task that I would really like you to do.」

「A job? What is it?」

「Fumu, actually, I want you to go to Leshiana in the northwest of this country and form an alliance with the elves.」

Leshiana, I've heard of it. As I recall, there are only elves in this country.

Leshiana is originally the Great Forest of Leshiana, where the country of the elves is located. There is no official name for the land of the elves. For the sake of convenience, the rest of the world borrows the name of the land and calls it Leshiana.

The elves of Leshiana have more magical power than humans, but they don't want to get involved with other races. On the contrary, they mercilessly kill any non-Elves who try to enter the depths of the forest.

The Wood Elves and High Elves live in the forest, and only the Wood Elves show themselves to people. The High Elves never show themselves to people.

The reason I know about the elves I've never seen before is because the elves in this country are trading with each other, and that's how the information leaked out.

「But why did you think of forming an alliance now? If you want to prepare for the threat of the Demon Empire, I think you should have asked for an alliance earlier.」

「There is a reason for this. The elves of Leshiana speak only Elvish. The elves don't like their language to be known to humans, so we couldn't find anyone who could speak it.」

「So, as heroes, we have the ability to translate, so we can talk to them?」

「Thank you for quick on uptake. When the winter is over, the Demon Empire will attack our country again. I have faith in your abilities, but even so, your strength is not enough. We need to get the help of the elves before the Demon Empire begins its march.」

「I understand, Your Majesty. I'm sure the elves will cooperate with us once they learn of the Demon Empire's actions. Please allow us to take on this task.」

「Umu, I was hoping you would say that. Please help the other two to cooperate with Alec-dono and form an alliance with the elves.」

「At your service.」

Lesiana, I don't think they'll join forces with us in any way, since they've been watching the war between the Demon Empire and the kingdom but not participating in the fight.

If they are able to trade, they would have elves who can speak the kingdom language. It's not like they couldn't make an alliance because they can't speak with Kingdom.

The negotiations may fail, but it's not so bad if you think of it as an opportunity to see different kinds of elves. If I wanted to, I could bring back some samples, but if I did that and angered the elves, it wouldn't be a problem at the level of failed negotiations, so I decided not to do that this time.

It was decided that we would leave for Leshiana in three days. I decided that it would be better for the negotiations if I did some research on the situation of the elves. I'm more interested in the research once we get there than the history, though.

They said they were going to do some research in the archives, so I told them I would go talk to Elle and let them go home before me.

※

「Yard-sama!」

As I was walking down the corridor, Sophie came running at me with great speed for a girl like her. She jumped into the air with such force that I hurried to catch her, but the force was more than I expected and my body turned over a little. I guess it's because I've been taking a break from exercising lately. I need to reflect on that.

She was out of breath and hugged me. I looked around to see if anyone else was watching and, relieved that no one was, I gently pulled her away.

「What's the matter, Sophie? If you're in such a hurry, is there something serious you need to tell me?」

「I heard that Yard-sama is going to Leshiana this time. ...... It hasn't even been a month since you came back here, and I can't believe I have to be separated from Yard-sama again. ......」

Apparently, she had already heard about our trip to Leshiana. It was impossible to say no, but it was a little annoying that it had been decided before I got confirmation.

「Sophie, this is the king's order. I'm not going because I want to be away from you.」

「But I still miss you. ......」

She hugged me again, but I wasn't sure if I should shake her off here or not. Unlike the <Dominate> , the <Thought-GuidingGuiudepost> can not be forced to obey, so if she does not like it here, I will have to waste effort to repair the relationship.

I had no choice but to hug her back, and she leaned towards me and put her body against mine. From the side, it looks like we're lovers. I can only hope that no one is watching us.

「Yard-sama ......」

She was staring at me with moist eyes, but then she closed her eyes and brought her face to mine. No matter how I look at her, she is waiting for me to kiss her, so I gently put my lips on hers and quickly let go. It's not safe to linger in the hallway.

She seemed to know that, and without complaining, she pulled away from me and smiled.

「Yard-sama, let's continue in my room: ......」

「You bastard! What the hell are you doing there!」

When I turned around at the voice that suddenly interrupted her words, there was a young man there. He was another typical blond-haired, blue-eyed nobleman, but again, he looked unfamiliar.

Sophie seemed to know who this guy was and looked at him with a slightly troubled expression.

As the man approached us, he ignored me and turned to face Sophie with a fresh smile on his face.

「Sophia-sama, I never thought I'd see you in a place like this.」

「Well, I'm glad to see that you're doing well too, Thomas-sama.」

Sophie responded in a slightly withdrawn manner. He didn't seem to care about that, and his whole body seemed to be filled with an atmosphere of wanting to talk to her, but when he noticed her looking at me for help, he crowded me with an expression that didn't even try to hide his displeasure.

「You bastard, are one of the heroes ...... uh, what was it ......, whatever.」

The man stood so as to hide Sophie from my gaze and pointed his finger at me.

「You bastard, Sophia-sama, are the one who should be tied to me! She's not someone that a lowly person like you should touch!」

「Oh, uh, Yard-sama, this is not right. ......」

「I think it's disrespectful to speak like a betrothed without the King's permission.」

Perhaps unaware of Sophie's denial, the man began to talk about Sophie's relationship with him, which she had not been asked about.

This guy's name is Thomas Burkfield, and he's the eldest son of the Count of Burkfield. He fell in love with Sophie at first sight when he met her at the ball where he made his debut in society, and he has been courting her ever since.

If he's been rejected after all that, I'm sure he doesn't have a pulse at all, but he seems to be conveniently assuming that she's waiting for him to succeed him as Count.

「And yet, if you are a nobleman, you should be ashamed of yourself for forcing yourself into Sophia-sama's arms and forcing her to kiss you. ......! No, your apology won't change the fact that you hurt her, and even if she forgives you, I will never forgive you!」

「Then what should I do ......」

「Duel! If you lose, repent for what you've done to her and swear never to approach her again!」

「Thomas-sama, don't be so selfish!」

「No, it's all right, Sophia-sama. I fully understand your feelings. I will definitely defeat this fool.」

It seems that this guy is the type of person who doesn't listen to others. In his mind, he must have conveniently interpreted her words as a sign of concern for him.

Sophie was completely uncomfortable, but he could see the anxiety on her face, so he told her to relax. He also tried to hug her, but she avoided him.

「I'm sorry, but I have some research to do, so I don't have time for a duel.」

「Tomorrow! I'll be waiting for you in the training grounds of the castle, starting early tomorrow morning! If you fail to keep your word, you will be brought to justice by His Majesty the King for insulting the royal family! Come on, Sophia-sama. There is no harm in staying with such a person. I'll escort you to your room.「

「No, please stop it! I'll talk to Yard-sama ......」

After saying that, he left the place quickly, taking Sophie with him. He was like a storm.

I'm sorry for her sacrifice, but I think I'll go talk to Elle about the elves of Leshiana.

※

「I don't think it's any use going to place like that, you know?」

That's what Elle said when I asked her about Leshiana.

The elves of Leshiana hate humans, and even the elves who live beside the humans are objects of contempt. She was quite surprised when she heard that they were trading with this country.

When I asked her about the High Elves, she told me that they live in the magic pool in the center of the forest and have much stronger magic than the other elves. Only a few Wood Elves are allowed to meet them, and even she doesn't know the details.

「I see, well, that makes forming an alliance seem all but impossible. ......」

「Oh, by the way, there are a lot of interesting rumors about the High Elves. Some say that they created the magic and that they don't come out of the forest because they would die if they did. Also, unlike other elves, they live very short lives.」

「I don't think that's useful information. Do you have any more information that might lead us to negotiations?」

「I'm sorry, I don't know any more. ......」

I don't think I can get any more out of her, so next I'll look at the orb that extracted her memories. But all I could find out was that the Demon Empire was trying to contact them. Maybe they're already on the side of the Demon Empire.

「Speaking of which, Master. You seemed to be in a bad mood when you came back, did something happen?」

「Yeah, I got tangled up with some idiots. I got caught up in a lot of trouble.」

It's one thing after another to get into trouble. I wish I didn't have to do this.

I'll get rid of this resentment by loving on Tia tonight.

※

The next day, I went to the training grounds as promised and found Thomas already waiting for me. I can see some other people there, but I guess they are observers and spectators. Sophie, the central figure of this commotion, is also there.

Thomas was wearing his knight's armor and holding his training sword. According to what I've heard, he's good enough to win a prize in a sword fighting competition.

「I'm surprised you didn't run away. Well, I guess you thought it would be better for Sophia-sama's mind than running away with your tail between your legs, but it didn't make much difference. You should regret that I was your opponent.」

「Enough of this nonsense, let's get on with it. I don't have time to waste on this kind of thing.」

「How long can you afford to do that?」

One of the observers hands me a sword. I never thought I would have to use a sword, but I asked Tia about dueling etiquette yesterday, just in case.

As a rule, the use of magic is prohibited, and the use of magical tools is also prohibited. The basic rule is to stop short, but it's not a foul if you strike. The use of pre-determined weapons, other than swords in this case, is prohibited. Of course, bare hands are also not allowed. You win if your opponent says "I give up" or if you knock them out of the fight by popping their weapon. It's not a foul if you accidentally kill them.

It's not the kind of rule that a magician would play by, but perhaps because he thinks that dueling is only allowed for knights in the first place, the rules are also tailored to knights.

I tried swinging the sword, but it was still heavy, even for training. If this thing hits me, I'm sure I'll break a few bones.

「You bastard, hurry up and put on your armor.」

「No, I don't need to wear the armor. Let's get started.」

「You bastard, If you think I'm going to go easy on you if you don't have your armor on, you're mistaken!」

Seeing that the two of us were ready, the witness stepped forward. The people around us, who seemed to be tense between the two of us, watched with bated breath.

「We will now begin the duel between Thomas Barkfield and Yard Al Werner. Both of you must give it your all so that you have no regrets. ...... Begin!」

「I got youuuuuuu!」

I threw my sword without hesitation at Thomas, who rushed in at the same time as the referee signaled. It's not only the spectators, but also the witnesses and my opponent, Thomas, who froze in surprise at the act.

The sword flew with a speed that could not have been thrown by a human, shattering his armor and hitting Thomas in the stomach, sending him flying into the wall of the training ground. It was a good thing it was a training sword. If it had been a steel sword, it would have gone through his armor and killed him.

The throwing and throwing target was the effect of the <Sharpshooting> I had applied before coming here. It's a magic that greatly increases the accuracy and power of a target's shooting or throwing. It was originally intended for sniping, but if used at close range, it can produce deadly force.

I could see the suspicion gathering in their eyes at the improbable sight of a thrown sword blowing up a man. Did you really think I was going to do it fair and square? I'm a magician, you knew I wouldn't be able to win if I fought him with just my strength and skill.

Thomas collapsed in a heap. A witness approached him and confirmed that he was unconscious.

「Thomas Burkfield is deemed unable to continue the fight, and Yard Al Werner is declared as the winner!」

When the witness announced this, several people rushed over to Thomas. They were trying to bring him back to consciousness by slapping his cheeks and shaking him, but wouldn't that cause him to pass out again from the intense pain?

As I got closer, I saw that he was bleeding from his mouth, and his stomach area was oddly concave. It seems that his internal organs have been ripped open, so I'm going to put on my <Major Heal> and fix him back up. Even though it was an accusation, he challenged me to a duel head-on, and I wasn't harmed enough to let him die.

「Yard-sama!」

As I moved away from him, Sophie came running up to me. She didn't hug me because it was in front of a lot of people, but I could see that she was giving me a passionate look.

「I was sure that you would win. Thank you for doing this for me. ......」

「Don't worry about it. It's just that I originally got involved on my own.」

While I was wondering what to do about Sophie, who looked like she was about to hug me, Thomas seemed to have regained consciousness. He stood up, holding his stomach, and walked over to us with a unsteady walk.

「You bastard used magic. You should be ashamed of yourself for being so tactless in a sacred duel!」

「Please don't accuse me. If I had used magic, the fight would have been stopped there. If you disagree, protest to the witnesses.」

Thomas glared at the witness, but the witness shook his head hurriedly. That means there was no cheating.

Of course, I didn't invoke any magics during the match. I just applied a body-strengthening formula with a duration. The witnesses were puzzled, but they must have decided that it would be difficult to pursue the matter since there was no evidence.

「You bastard should not think that you have won with this. It is an insult to a sacred duel to throw a sword, the pride of a knight. I will make sure you pay for this.」

「Thomas-sama! Insulting the outcome of a duel is shameful behavior!」

Thomas glared at me, holding his mouth in frustration, as if he could see that Sophie was angry.

As if he couldn't think of any other reason to blame me for not committing any foul play, he clicked his tongue and was about to leave the training ground, but I wasn't done talking yet.

「Wait, I still haven't decided on the reward for my victory.」

「Hah, guess what, ah that's what you meant. Fine, say it.」

「Then you are forbidden to approach Princess Sophia in the future. And while you're at it, you can apologize for all the insults you've done to me.」

「!? You bastard!」

「It shouldn't be much different from the conditions you gave me, what do you have to complain about?」

「.....Kuhh, I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. I apologize for my behavior.」

Thomas apologizes to me in a barbed tone of voice, not even hiding his regretfully twisted expression. He didn't look remorseful by any stretch of the imagination, but it was the expected reaction, so I decided to let it slide.

He looked up, glared at me, and walked away.

The way he was leaving, I had a feeling he was about to do something. It's not a good to have my family members targeted, so I might want to reinforce the warding of my mansion just in case.

When I was leaving the training grounds, Sophie asked me if she can to take a look at my mansion, but I politely declined. I didn't know what kind of rumors would start if I took her there after such a duel.

As I looked at her with a sad expression on her face, I felt my head start to hurt at the thought of having to go along with her good mood again.

※

After the act at the training grounds, the three male heroes, including myself, gathered in the library to exchange information about the elves of Leshiana.

A large number of books were placed there, reminding me of my old laboratory. At the time, I never thought I would be sent to this world, but as they say, you never know what will happen in life.

「What do you think, did you get any information from the girl?」

「No, she didn't know anything about it. The only thing she know is that the High Elves have a rumor that's a bit of an urban legend.」

「I see, I couldn't find anything in the archives that said anything like that either. ......」

It seems that Alec didn't have any information as well as I did. I turned to him and he nodded to us both with a serious look on his face, thinking that we couldn't expect anything from Sagami either.

「Actually, I was able to make contact with an elf who knows what's going on in the forest.」

「What! Is that true?!」

「Yeah, they told me about their lives and rules. They didn't seem to be able to tell us anything about the High Elves, though.」

Sagami passed on the information he had heard to us. Their life is mainly hunting and gathering, no farming.

The rule is that no language other than Elvish is to be used. As a general rule, elves are not allowed to go outside except for those who go to trade. Do not cut down trees in the forest without permission. Do not talk about the High Elves to other races.

There were many things that sounded troublesome, but I was particularly interested in the rules regarding High Elves. I wondered if the High Elves were that important to the elves of Leshiana.

「Also, on a different note from the previous information, I heard that High Elves are very short-lived. I've heard that this is supposed to be a secret, so don't tell anyone.」

「How short-lived are they? An Elf with a short life expectancy, a hundred years?」

「I've heard they don't even last 20 years.」

「...... Are you sure it's an elf? Even halflings can live for a hundred years or more without a care in the world, and that's the race of elves, right? Or are elves just animals in name only or something?」

「I don't know that much. I'll have to see them in person.」

If we assume that High Elves have a body similar to that of Elves, then it seems that High Elves are a race with a defective body structure. Otherwise, they wouldn't be able to die in 20 years.

I don't even know how they keep their species alive if they can't live for 20 years in the first place. I wonder if it has something to do with the magic reservoir in Lesiana.

「Can't we meet the person who provided us with that information?」

「Ahh, he said that what he told me should not be used for anything other than this matter. I also made a promise not to approach him about this anymore.」

「Oh, well, that's no help then.」

In the end, there was no further information, so we were dismissed for the day. They both said they would continue to investigate, but honestly, I don't think we'll get any more information, so went home first.