Today has been quite a busy day.
When Lirisia broke my seal and left, I was worried about an unmanageable disaster happening, but in the end, Lirisia was no longer the Witch of the Dark Star. She no longer craved hunger or held any malice.
I’ll take my time to think about what she’s owed for her past misdeeds. On top of that, maybe because of the tremendous happenings related to the Elves, Lirisia seemed like a relatively minor issue.
‘By the way, can I even handle being the Elf’s overseer…?’
I’ve experienced all kinds of incidents in the previous world, but it’s my first time being in charge at a national or ethnic level.
Of course, it’s not like I have zero experience leading a group.
After taking down the Demon King in the other world, Menelapie created the Rose Order as a means to gain public favor using the achievements and contributions from that event, making me something like a pope leading the Rose Order.
Although, to be honest, the Rose Order didn’t actually have a pope; on the surface, it was a structure where each branch’s bishops and saints held equal positions, and while I had a pope-like position in name, most of the actual work was handled by the administrative officers Menelapie assigned or by the bishops and saints I appointed.
What did I do?
Nothing.
I just played around all day.
Still, whenever demons or thieves appeared, I was always at the forefront fighting them. For national holidays and events, I would read prepared speeches saying, “May blessings be upon everyone for this and that,” and create miracles of healing in the city’s center.
I even made a special miracle just for anniversaries…
Anyway, based on my previous world, I came with numerous grand titles and statuses, but in reality, I didn’t do much work at all.
‘But what am I supposed to do with the Elves…?’
“Shia. Don’t worry too much.”
“Hmm?”
It was Menelapie, who suddenly spoke up in the elevator as we headed home.
How did she know?
“Fufu, your expression gives it away.”
“Eh, was it that obvious?”
“How long do you think I’ve known you? When you’re worried or troubled, your eyebrows subtly arch. And that little frown of yours is kinda cute.”
“Do I really have to be told I’m cute at my age…?”
“Huh, parents forming a family say their children still look like kids, no matter how old they get. Isn’t it a similar principle?”
“Am I, by any chance, a child birthed by Menelapie…?”
“It’s merely a metaphor.”
In fact, if Menelapie were my parent, I think it would be quite nice.
As an emperor, as a hero, and as a human, I see Menelapie as nearly perfect, so surely she would also be a perfect parent.
If anything, her child raised with Menelapie’s care would become the best kid.
“The Elf political structure is quite unique.”
“Yep, I know that.”
The Elf political system is, on the surface, structured around Big Olgania and Small Olgania, the children of the World Tree, with a council of elders created around them as a dual structure.
In simpler terms, it’s an oligarchy, but in reality, all power is actually concentrated in Big Olgania.
The previous councils handed all power over to the child of the World Tree when Big Olgania resurrected, and as of now, Small Olgania has no political interest whatsoever; it’s just “Selling Fried Leaves.”
The reason they probably came to Korea was to meet me; there wasn’t any political reason for Small Olgania to come all this way.
If they had remained in the Great Forest, perhaps they could have been at risk from assassins or special forces informally sent by China…
Well, they could also lock the gate at will, and what’s more, with that silly terraforming weapon from Nugeo River Green and Green or whatever, could Small Olgania have been scared enough to follow Big Olgania around?
“So why the Elf political structure? I know that already…”
“Shia, while the power originating from the child of the World Tree does concentrate in that child, it doesn’t centralize power like a king or a lord; it’s merely someone representing the members.”
“Uh… isn’t that basically the same thing?”
“It’s a bit different. Even though the power is concentrated, the Elves can express their opinions and complaints without hesitation, and even those without a political vocation can propose criticisms and policies freely at any time. In simpler terms, all Elf members are equal, and the child of the World Tree merely occupies the realm of a ‘politician’ in that equal Elf society. Although it’s true that they receive special treatment and recognition due to their uniqueness and long-lived experiences.”
“Ah, um, I completely understand!”
“You haven’t understood a thing.”
Saying that didn’t clarify matters.
Isn’t that basically the same as a king or Olgania?
Did Menelapie read my expression? She smiled softly and spoke.
“Simply put, Shia. In the National Assembly, you might appear to bear the responsibility for all Elves, but in reality, you’re just taking on an honorary role as a representative and external figure among the Elf society. To put it even more simply, it’s not that you’re shouldering responsibilities but that you are just one of the members of Elf society.”
“What does that mean?”
“Leading and guiding the Elves will still be the duty of the child of the World Tree and the elders beneath that. The complex exchanges and tasks with the Korean government or Hunter Association are Olgania’s matters, not yours.”
“Oh…”
“Do you remember the work you did in the Rose Order? It’s similar. You might have to meet Olgania occasionally and visit that place called the National Assembly, but don’t worry; I will always be by your side.”
“Oooooh!”
So, in simple terms, I didn’t have to do anything!
Oh yeah.
With the burden lifted from my mind, I felt much lighter on my feet.
Finishing a fulfilling day’s work, I couldn’t wait to get home.
“Mom, I’m home.”
“Welcome back, mother-in-law.”
“Menelapie, I’m not your mother-in-law.”
“Fufu, I know.”
“Huh?”
Must be one of Menelapie’s jokes.
[Nomnomnomnom…]
The moment I stepped into the house, what greeted me was a considerable pile of cabbage stacked up to my chest.
I know that cabbage’s appearance.
‘What’s it doing here…?’
It was dungeon cabbage, smoother and longer than regular cabbage, emitting a subtle sweet aroma, and even retaining the scent of mana.
That dungeon cabbage from Yeonseo Unnie’s highland farming area.
“Oh~ Shia, you’re here~ And you too, Hero!”
“Is there anything I can help with, mother-in-law?”
“Mother-in-law my foot… I’m fine, so Hero, you should wash up first.”
“Shia. Let’s wash together…”
“Hmm? Yane, what are you eating?”
[Skree?]
“…….”
It’s only natural to wash your hands as soon as you get home, but I was more interested in what Yane was happily munching on right in front of me.
[Squee, it’s delicious! Nomnom.]
Looking into the kitchen, Mom was busy making pancakes with the dungeon cabbage batter, while Yane seemed very happy, stuffing her mouth full of cabbage.
Pancakes made from dungeon cabbage…
The smell was already delicious, and the taste would undoubtedly be extraordinary.
No, it would be weird if it didn’t taste amazing.
“Is it good? Hey, let me have one.”
“…You should wash up first.”
“Yeah, I’ll go, Menelapie.”
I had just devoured 45 portions of Shiplani elder meat, but somehow that amount didn’t fill me up.
Not that I was hungry. Instead, it was that usual feeling of just being my same self.
If I could have the dungeon cabbage pancakes as a dessert, that would be just right.
[No… I don’t want to.]
Huh? What’s this?
Just because her head has grown a bit doesn’t mean she forgets who her master is and won’t share her food?
“Next broadcast will be about dungeon cabbage pancakes and…”
[Shut up, you bastard master.]
“What?”
[Skreee…….]
Crack!
“Ugh!?”
“Why are you snatching my food away! You’re all grown up now!”
In the meantime, Mom slapped my back with one hand and placed the pancake she had been holding on the plate.
“Ouch, that hurts…”
“Don’t get all worked up. There’s plenty of cabbage, so we’ll be eating that for a few days.”
“By the way, who brought this?”
“Oh, the cabbage? Yeonseo Unnie came with Yane and brought them.”
“Huh? With Yane??”
I understood why Yeonseo Unnie would give me dungeon cabbage, but why did Yane bring them?
Doesn’t Yeonseo Unnie not really need a porter?
“Well… it’s a bit long to explain. I was watching TV with Yane during the day when suddenly this weird magic circle appeared over her head and poof, she vanished. The magic circle felt like yours, so I stayed still, but after about an hour or so, Yeonseo Unnie suddenly came with Yane and this dungeon cabbage.”
“Huh?”
“I was shocked to see the living legend Yeonseo Unnie suddenly come to our house, but it turns out you and Yeonseo Unnie are close?”
“Uh, um, kinda…”
But I still don’t get it. Why did Yane suddenly disappear and then reappear with Yeonseo Unnie?
“Uh, I should probably ask Yane for the details later.”
[Nomnomnomnom…]
But seeing Yane munching away at the pancakes like they were delicious, it didn’t feel like a good time to ask.
“Can I eat this too?”
“Yep, go ahead. Eat plenty.”
The dungeon cabbage pancakes infused with Mom’s touch were incredibly delicious.
Even though dungeon cabbage is tasty raw, it certainly tasted even better when made into pancakes with seasoning and various ingredients.
Oh right.
What’s Lirisia up to now?
Well… she’s probably busy harvesting cabbage, right?
I hope she takes her time with it.
—–
Three days later, having become Yeonseo’s cabbage harvester and gained excellent skills, Lirisia was pulling cabbage while sighing today as well.
Only three days passed, but quite a lot had changed.
First off, Lirisia’s work speed had stabilized considerably.
Using not only her two hands but also her ridiculously-shaped tentacles, she skillfully harvested and organized the dungeon cabbage, and the sight of her stacking them was quite surreal.
“Black Shia. Your hands are getting slower, aren’t they?”
“Yes, yes… damn it…”
“Oh ho, what refined language!”
‘What in the world happened to the Witch of the Dark Star…’
On the first day, Lirisia, who had never touched farming in her life, showed it all, and even while simply pulling cabbage, she couldn’t control her strength, damaging the roots, and often attempted to escape in frustration.
Of course, Yeonseo wouldn’t let it slide; she would toss Lirisia into the Mariana Trench or retrieve her from somewhere deep in the sea and make her focus on work for several hours again.
During that time, several presences started to feel apparent in Yeonseo’s dungeon.
At first, Lirisia didn’t want to pay attention, but it didn’t take long before she realized that the presences in the dungeon weren’t humans but rather a couple of hundred Elves, who were busily building places to stay near Yeonseo’s villa or planting trees.
In those three days, some Elves climbed trees or simply laid in the grass, enjoying nature like children, while others stayed in makeshift huts, but the actively working Elves primarily started terraform the desert into their own Elf territory.
Originally this dungeon was surrounded by a huge desert, with a plateau that could allow for highland farming, but as the Elves planted trees in the desert and watered them, a part of the barren desert gradually began to turn a vibrant green.
“But what are those Elves doing?”
“….Ah, I seem to have not explained yet?”
“Explain or not, in the last three days, all I’ve done is get lodged in the Mariana Trench or California Beach, and harvest cabbage here.”
Not answering anything caused Lirisia to become more frustrated as she couldn’t let the Elves terraform the desert without looking.
“In short, they’ll be living in this dungeon with you from now on.”
“Living with Elves? Together??”
“I’ll explain in detail later. For now, those Elves are a vanguard. They’re the advance team tasked with transforming this desert dungeon into an optimal environment for Elves to live in.”
“What’s that tower for?”
The Elves seemed to have been terraform the desert into their own domain, and even though Lirisia initially tried to ignore them, the area where she had been harvesting cabbage began to connect with where the Elves were working. The first thing they began to do was build a weird wooden tower.
Just looking at it, it resembled a watchtower from some big American farm.
“I don’t know.”
“What? Didn’t you build it?”
“Is there any reason to deliberately build a tower in the middle of the field? My power is not related to construction but rather space manipulation.”
“Eh, I thought you’d just pulled a tower from somewhere.”
“Your ability to drive an S-grade hunter into a construction criminal is quite remarkable.”
“You said you’ve retired, right? Then being a criminal should be within your capabilities.”
“………”
If I provoke more here, I might end up tossed into the East Sea, so Lirisia decided to stop teasing Yeonseo and redirected her focus back to the tower.
“Anyway, who built that tower, then?”
“A kid called the foreman built it.”
A foreman?
Do Elves even have foremen?
“Oh, have you not met him yet? Then you might as well introduce yourself.”
“Introduce myself? Why?”
“Why, you ask? As you, at least, are a senior here.”
“Senior my foot…”
“Aren’t you also a cabbage harvester? So you’re a senior, right?”
“What the hell…”
Sigh. The Witch of the Dark Star, a cabbage harvester?
Give me a break.
Though Lirisia felt frustration building inside, it wouldn’t do well to retain her old personality in front of that old lady, or she might get tossed successively into the Mariana Trench, the Arctic, the Antarctic, and Mount Everest. So she zipped her lips.
A moment later, an elf wearing a bright red outfit approached, waving her hand.
With the bouncy steps and a cheerful smile brightening up her face, she seemed to be a pretty lively Elf.
“Hello, Senpai!”
“Uh, hey. My name is… what?”
“Senpai…?”
Senpai?
Isn’t that a Japanese word?
What’s with the sudden use of a word that’s not even common in our country?
“Watashi~ I’m here to pioneer this new land of the Eros Patachi, I’m a proud child of the Great Forest!”
“………”
“Ihiw, let’s be sure to ask for lots from each other!”
“……..”
This is some kind of new villainous character.
No, wait. Let’s be patient.
Maybe she’s just a bit quirky, not really a bad person, right?
The genuinely nasty one was me when I was the Witch of the Dark Star… so I should try to be accommodating towards a unique Elf like her.
Perhaps she scrambled her brain while connecting the Elf language with Earth’s human language…
“……What’s with the way you talk?”
“Hi! Watashi and Egi are one! Egi has a duty to cry! Waaaah!”
“…………”
This is a serious issue.
I haven’t even introduced myself properly, and I’m already feeling a headache creeping in.
Lirisia had her mind half-numbed within 10 seconds of meeting, and even Yeonseo shook her head in the background.
Although Yeonseo is 86 years old, having started the first Hunter streaming broadcast and based on subcultures and internet culture before the Great Rift, she bore a keen awareness of the ridiculousness spewing from the red-haired Elf.
‘These days, every Elf seems to be going way off script…’
An Elf who makes Spirit Nukes.
And now, a weeb Elf…
Bang!
“Wah!?”
“…Sorry. This kid got too caught up in Earth’s culture while trying to assimilate it during the move from the Great Forest…”
Then the appearance of a yellow-haired Elf who smacked the head of the errant Elf made Lirisia let out an inward sigh of relief.
‘At least there’s someone normal here. Although, am I even normal myself… does that even matter?’
“Hello. You are Shia… or, perhaps not?”
“Eh, you know Isia?”
When Elanar mentioned Isia, Lirisia realized that these Elves must have some prior connection to Isia.
‘Well, I guess the Witch of the Dead also helped save the Elves or something…’
Though Lirisia and Shia shared nearly identical features and shapes, the aura they emitted felt strikingly different, making it easy to tell them apart.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Elanar, the head of the Lotus Lake Knight Order tasked with protecting the Great Forest.”
“Your name is pretty long… you guys have a different naming system than ours.”
“Please just call me Elanar.”
At least that’s a relief.
That red-haired Elf might seem a bit crazy, but Elanar appears quite serious and earnest.
Given she’s the head of a knight order in the Elf Great Forest, Lirisia had confidence that whatever burden she placed upon herself, Elanar would take care of it.
“Still, your side can at least have a conversation, huh? You must be the ace here, right?”
“Ace?”
Just then, the mischievous red-haired Elf who had been pouting in the corner jumped up and clutched Lirisia’s shoulder with wide eyes.
What now?
“What… what’s up?”
“The ace…!!”
“Yeah?”
“The ace…!! Has died!?!”
…….
Oh damn.
I never would’ve imagined I’d be hearing a decades-old weeb story from an Elf.
“Senpai!! Tell me! The ace has died, right!?!”
People really can cross the line…
