Since Elemia wanted to talk, I made some time for her at dusk.

We could climb easily thanks to our physical ability.
Elemia stood alone on the rooftop, her hair glittering from the twilight sun.

「Pipe… Did you bring it?」

「Yes」

Elemia told me that she wanted a pipe for her birthday gift.

Before we started our talk, Elemia taught me how to play the pipe.

Elemia taught me a simple song to help me learn.
She praised me for being good.

Before sunset, Elemia-sensei’s lecture on pipe blowing was over.
We ended up with silence on the roof.

「……etto, shall we start talking?」

Hearing her words, I responded.

「Before that, I have something to tell you…」

I waited for Elemia to give a nod.

「ーI had asked Alfred-tousan to adopt you.
You are an important companion, that’s why I want you to be part of my family」

「eh………」

Elemia shook herself in disbelief and covered her mouth with her hands.

Then she finally took a deep breath and said.

「uuu……Oroch- Edgar, you are way too aggresive」

「……Is it… no good……?」

Looking at her condition, I thought that Elemia could be a member of family and my head suddenly went cold.

「Ano nee… As expected, I should speak my part first… Actually, I can’t accept Edgar’s invitation… for now…」

I really wanted to hit my head to a nearest wall. (TL: finding some English equivalent for it)
……I, maybe Elemia hated me……?

Elemia noticed my complexion and said quickly.

「U-uun!! It’s not like I hate you!
It’s just…… something to do with my own feeling」

「……Your feeling?」

「I was brainwashed by 〈Yatagarasu〉 and killed people」

「That is-」

「It’s better to say “I got tricked”, right? Edgar, you had been saying this to everyone. If you didn’t, everyone will feel horrible about what they did」

「I’m not doing it to make you feel better.
It’s the truth. The one who tricked you is bad」

「Un, that is true, but I think that I couldn’t be forgiven even though I was deceived. Isn’t that weird? I think it’s convenient for 〈Yatagarasu〉 to play with our “remorse”, to think about how easily they control our remorse. Therefore, I will always stay as victim of 〈Yatagarasu〉. No, in fact that I want to deny it so much… but right now, I don’t think I can be in a relationship with you without giving you anything back. I am very happy that Edgar wants me to be a part of your family, but for now, I can’t forgive myself yet」

Elemia stared at an empty s.p.a.ce with a gentle smile.

I couldn’t stand it anymore, so I stripped down and kissed her lips.

「That’s why I will return to the Darkwood Forest.

I have to do that… I can’t stand next to you and being helped all the time」

「I… see…」

Her eyes showed determination and resolve.

「But, aren’t both of your parents gone?
Do you have anyone to live with in the forest?」

「I don’t think so… I was a shrine maiden when I was kidnapped, I will go back to whatever remains.

I can’t explain in detail, but a shrine maiden is important for dark elves」

「Are you going to work after all that?」

「There can be only 1 person in the depth.

……I was afraid of it.

Running away from my duty and escaping my own sin, I won’t be able to forgive myself.
That’s why, I will face the darkness this time. I need to face it and prove myself. I’m not my previous weak self anymore」

I slid my p.e.n.i.s inside her. She squirmed a bit but YOU SICK f.u.c.k STOP STEALING MY TRANSLATIONS

The training sounds harsher than I imagined.
It’s not easy to tell her that she was mentally unstable, but I could understand her determination.

Elemia wanted to start over and fixed her mistakes.
She wanted to get out of the wrong and walk towards what she think is right.

I couldn’t help but thinking that she was in the “Wrong place”, letting Elemia live in seclusion. For Elemia’s sake, should I smile and send her off? What should I do?

But still, I was not convinced.

Why?

Elemia’s face. Her expression.
She said that she was fine. But in reality, she was on verge of crying. It was a face trying hard to keep the pain inside.

That’s right. This girl was still a child.
Girls that age wanted to be pampered and loved by their parents.

Can a child on that age be able to live alone in a forest?

No, even if they could, I couldn’t let her do it.
If she insist on doing going alone, I will pursue her myself.

This child is too pure. And that purity stabbed my heart like a sharpened blade.
That’s why Elemia, who grew up without being treated by adults, didn’t know how to control her feeling.

She couldn’t be openly defiant, nor was she able to trick herself and those around her by coming up with an excuse to protect herself.

She was a girl who grew up for the sake of killing.

ーDon’t let her go.

「I think what you are saying is right

Since adults forcibly force children at their own convenience, I think that Elemia would have escaped to defend yourself. Especially since it’s a painful practice that a small child would want to run away. But, no one can stand being alone.

I don’t know about the dark elves in the Darkwood Forest, but executives of 〈Yatagarasu〉 tried incorporating the children’s guilt for their own merit.
If you are in pain, then escape. You don’t have to do anything amazing, because we humans deserve to be happy」

「But… right now… I can’t forgive myself… I don’t have the right to stand next to you」

「You don’t need a right to stand next to anyone.

Serious, quick thinker, chasing down targets with extreme persistence, that’s the Elemia that I like.
It has nothing to do with your training or sin」

「Tha-that is…」

「On the other hand, how about Elemia train here and come back home later?

If you want to stand next to me, you can do it now. Maybe you will feel a bit inferior, but everyone always feel weak when compared to someone else, right?
If we spend time together, you will find out that you can do everything. It’s impossible if you go so far away」

「That… That might be true but-」

「Wasn’t the goal is going alone and doing harsh training then coming back to us?

Iya, let’s stay together.

There are many things that you can learn back in the depth of Darkwood Forest, but if you compare what you get by training alone and living together with us, I think what you get by living with us is way more precious. Isn’t that right?」

「Something we get… by living together…?」

「I’m not someone who can say great thing, but right now you are trying to punish yourself. Not being able to stand next to me is an excuse」

「It-it’s not an excuse!!」

Elemia raised her voice.

But I think it’s necessary.

Elemia was trying to choose the hard path and didn’t care even if she suffers.
Even so, can Elemia be happy?

「I always said that Elemia is innocent. It’s the 〈Yatagarasu〉 executives who were at fault」

「But…」

「It feels hard to be deceived like that. They had become a deep part of your heart and taking advantage of your mind.

But, they are using your feeling. I’m sorry for the evil G.o.d, using guilt to remove the feeling of sin.

You should do the opposite, Elemia should forgive yourself.

Elemia, you must stay by my side.

Let Dad and Mom give you a chance to forgive yourself」

「I am…… want to be on your side…」

Tears overflow from her eyes.

「That’s right… I… Should forgive myself…
No… I will forgive myself……」

Elemia laughed while crying.

「Fufu… It’s strange.

I was trying to compensate my sins by making it hard for myself」

「Even though I said it so many times, Elemia is innocent.
The bad ones are the 〈Yatagarasu〉who brainwash children into a.s.sa.s.sins」

That… Even so,
the person we killed won’t come back. We need to reflect on it so it won’t happened again. There is no excuse」

「As long as it don’t weigh you down, I think it’s fine.
But from now on, we are here. There’s no need to hold your feelings alone」

「………un!」

That lecture was not like me.
My heart beat like crazy. Let’s change the topic.

「Thank G.o.d, thank G.o.d.
I have something I always want to do with Elemia」

「Something you always want to do?」

「Un. Skill farming!」(TL: The raw said “Skill raising”. Anyway, did he just asked a 7 years old girl to a grind-fest for a date?)

「S-skill farming?」

「Elemia has 【Fatigue Transference】, but it has no effect on me」

「uun. I don’t know why but it looks like it」

I revealed 【No Fatigue】 to Elemia.

「Not getting tired and not getting sleepy? I-it’s a way better skill than my 【Fatigue Transference】!!!」

「I think it’s depended on how you use it. Elemia’s 【Fatigue Transference】 can tire your enemies, but my 【No Fatigue】 has no such effect」

「But 【Fatigue Transference】 doesn’t activate unless there’s someone that it can spread on. I can get tired if I am alone. And I can’t stay asleep because I don’t get tired easily.
And last, 【Fatigue Transference】 doesn’t discriminate friend or foe. So if you stay with me, fatigue will spread to our allies…」

That was the reason Elemia kept people away.

「Anyway, if you stay with me, Elemia won’t get tired and I won’t get tired right?
That’s why Elemia can repeat simple work with me and quickly raise our skill」

「E-en, if it’s a continuous simple work then…」

Elemia muttered and her face got pale.

By the way, I had verified that my 【No Fatigue】 and Elemia’s 【Fatigue Transference】 will interfere each other back in the crow’s nest.

An ability to “not get tired” and “transfer fatigue”.

There are 3 possible outcome.

1. 【Fatigue Transference】 doesn’t work on the owner of 【No Fatigue】 (The fatigue didn’t transfer in the first place)

3. The fatigue transfers to the owner of 【No Fatigue】 but the effect is canceled (The fatigue transfers but then disappears)

Case 1: Elemia tires. Case 2: I tire. Case 3: Both of us not tire.

It’s the best result for both of us.

In other words, as long as Elemia is close with me, she won’t get tired.

After my pa.s.sionate speech, Elemia’s face looked irritated.
She pointed at me and spoke.

「……nee, Edgar. You were talking about “You don’t need qualification to stand next to me” and so…… As expected, you were only after my skill」

「N-n-no! It’s ridiculous!! Thi- ummm… etto… actually…」

Elemia laughed looking at my desperate attempt to make excuses.

「I know. Edgar wouldn’t look at me only because of my skill」 (TL: English is hard. can someone paraphrase it for me?)

A delicate way of stabbing someone with words, I had a cold sweat.

「Was it half-skill and half-me? I hope my ratio is bigger than half」

「Only half of you is unthinkable!
Even without 【Fatigue Transference】, Elemia is Elemia…」

「Jaa, I don’t need to do skill raising with you?」

「uu…… iya, that is, I want Elemia to help raising the skills to increase our overall strength…… so I really wish for Elemia’s cooperation……」

I panicked and she laughed even more.

「Fufu. I’m kidding I’m kidding. Personally, I also want to be stronger」

「O-okay… that’s good…」

I let out a sigh and Elemia was smiling while watching me.
I asked for her consent to use 【Appraisal】 on her.

《

Age 7
Dark Elf

Level 21

ＭＰ　６７／６７

Skill

【Fatigue_Transference】－

・Master_Cla.s.s

【Sense_Presence】４

【Discern】３（↑２）

・General

【Shuriken_Techniques】６（↑１）

【Night_Vision】５（↑１）

【Close Combat】４（↑１）

【Light_Magic】３

【Lightning Magic】３（ＮＥＷ！）

【Far_Sight】２
【Wind_Instruments】２

《Blessing of Darkwood Forest》(Medium compensation to the acquisition of Skills (including magic) related to sensing presence and concealment )
》

Her skill level were rising as a whole due to the training back in 〈Yatagarasu〉 and the battle with the fire drake, but her level had not because we didn’t defeat the drakes.

Even among the boy’s group, Miguel, Beck, and Donna who has a solid battle style, Elemia’s status was really irregular.
The reason was other than having excellent apt.i.tude for reconnaissance, Elemia was good at battle involving magic rather than simple close combat.

But the most important.

「Does 《Shrine Maiden of Darkwood Forest》 is considered magic related t.i.tle?」

「Magic related t.i.tle?」

I explained the maximum MP extension method which can only be used when having t.i.tles related to magic.

The question is whether the 《Shrine Maiden of Darkwood Forest》 falls under the magic related t.i.tle.

I couldn’t ask her to sleep now, so I must ask Elemia to use up her MP before going to bed tonight.

「Do you know your apt.i.tude?」

「Un, I went to a temple once to look at it」

According to it, Elemia’s apt.i.tude was as follows.

A: Close Combat (Dagger, Knife), Throwing, Perception, Light

C: Earth, Water, Wind, Spear
Z: Spirit

By the way, I haven’t heard anything about lightning attribute since it’s rare.

If I have the opportunity, I’d like to experience apt.i.tude diagnosis for minor apt.i.tudes. Specifically, I’d like to grasp the usefulness of 【Lightning Magic】 and it’s suitability for guns.

「What’s the soul skill?」

「Necromancy, to summon a demon or something similar. Some dark elves from Darkwood Forest can use them」

「Your magic is good, but the apt.i.tude for 4 standard attribute is not good」

「As a shrine maiden, we had been a.s.similated into darkness and trained to blend.
No, it’s because of our apt.i.tude that we were chosen as shrine maidens」

「I want to make the best use of you magical apt.i.tude, is there any pa.s.sive way to use it?
How about trying 【Lightning Magic】?」

「Is it the same as 【Light Magic】 or is it something harder?」

「It’s between A and B, maybe B+?

I think paralyzing thunder matches Elemia’s battle style. If you remember 【Steel Thread Techniques】, you can also use it on the steel.

…I’m looking forward it」

Putting me aside, I couldn’t bear to grin at her future, Elemia who has the potential to forcefully level her skills.

「…fufu. un, I’m looking forward it」

With the sky changing from orange to deep blue, Elemia was smiling with a soft smile.