ââŠ..So, who are you guys? You donât really look like thieves or anything,â inquired the elf woman standing next to the remains of the golem.
She appeared to be in her mid to late twenties, but considering sheâs an elf, her appearance may not accurately reflect her actual age.
Despite her nonchalant and composed demeanor, her eyes seemed to be scrutinizing us.
âMy apologies for intruding⊠I am Alfred. Alfred-Berg-Leuville. I am the third prince of the Leuville Kingdom.â
âLeuville⊠so youâre from the current generation of the royal family. But the current generation has certainly changed. The prince himself venturing into these mountains with just a few guards.â
âI have my personal reasons⊠Excuse me, but are you perhaps Lady Elin, the first boss of the Royal Workshop?â
âThatâs correct. Iâm Elin. So? What brings the prince to an elf who retired two hundred years ago?â
âIt might take a while to explainâŠâ
ââŠIf thatâs the case, this isnât the right place. If you donât mind my humble abode, I can guide you there. We can continue the conversation there.â
She probably already has a rough idea, but will she be willing to listen to our story?
âIn return, could you please transport the debris you broke over there?â
ââŠWith pleasure.â
Making us carry the wreckage, huh. Well, it was indeed our fault for breaking it.
For now, I use [Earth Chain] to secure the remains with a chain and follow Elinâs lead, dragging the golemâs remnants.
After a while, we arrived at a secluded mountain deep in the forest, where a wooden cabin stood.
The cabin exuded an air of tranquility, as if it had always been a part of the verdant mountain, blending seamlessly with its surroundings.
Entering the cabin to place the golem, I found the interior to be quite disheveled despite its outward appearance. Clothes were scattered around, piles of miscellaneous books, dishes, bottlesâvarious items were strewn about, making it less than ideal for receiving guests.
As I contemplated where to put the golem, I noticed a neatly organized space within the room. It seemed to be a workbench, and amidst the chaos, there was a noticeable gap as if a void had opened up.
For now, I leaned the golem against the wall in that spot.
âIt appears youâve handled the transport properly.â
âAs requested, we carried every piece without leaving anything behind.â
Now, she should be more inclined to listen to our story.
âVery well then. We have no further business here. Hurry up and leave, you brats.â
âIâll knock you out.â
âHey, Prince Al. Weâre the ones asking for a favor, so please calm down a little.â
âThatâs right, you brat prince. The busty maid is right. It seems like your empty head is only filled with thoughts of her ample bosom.â
âPrince Al, should I turn this fella into a sushi roll and feed him to the monsters?â
âThatâs too merciful. Think of an execution method that will make her beg and cry.â
âBoth of you, please calm down!?â
I was planning to come up with a scheme to get rid of Elin with Makina, but Charl stopped me. What a shame.
âUm, Elin-san. Could you at least listen to our story?â
ââŠYouâre probably going to ask me to return to the Royal Workshop and assist that brat prince, right? Itâs probably some sort of faction⊠Well, itâs clearly a family matter.â
âHow?â
âBlack hair and black eyes. The prince blessed by the Night Witch, coming all the way here. I can imagine as much.â
Elin took a seat heavily and let out a bored sigh.
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ââŠIâve already retired. I have no intention of going back, nor do I have any interest in the petty squabbles within the palace. What do you think Iâm living in these mountains for?â
Well, that does make sense. If she had any intention of returning, she would have done so long before we arrived.
âAnd, itâs been a while since I made a magic ring. So, even if you dragged this hermit out, I canât be of any help to you.â
âThatâs trully a Lie.â
I immediately dismissed the careless lie.
âYouâre quite rude, Prince. Calling someone a liar without any reason.â
âItâs the workspace. Even though the room is a mess, the area around the workspace remains clean. There is no dust, and the tools are well-maintained. Itâs evident that itâs frequently used.â
ââŠYou have sharp eyes. Are you sure youâre not a thief instead of a prince?â
âIf that area were the only tidy spot in this messy room, of course it would stand out. Itâs unfair to label someone a thief while ignoring the fact that youâre the one who made the mess.â
âOhâŠyou have a point.â
It seems I managed to capture their interest.
âŠBut what should I do from here? Since there are no clues as to why they disappeared, I planned to observe the situation today.
âIt seems youâre different from the royal family members I know⊠Alright. Iâll listen to your circumstances for a little while.â
We briefly explained the situation to Elin.
About how Charlâs engagement was broken, and how we became engaged instead.
About the upcoming duel in two weeks.
And about wanting to increase our allies within the royal palace in preparation for that.
âI see. So, you noticed someone like me, a hermit.â
âIs there anything I can do to assist you? If thereâs something I can do, Iâll do it.â
Hold on, Charl. Donât agree to do anything without thinking.
I understand that we currently lack any persuasive cards, but still.
âHmm?â
At that moment, Elin suddenly seemed to sense something and diverted her attention.
âTchâŠtroublesome people always show up at times like this.â
Elin immediately stood up and rushed outside. Following the flow, we chased after her.
âWhat happened?â
âThieves. Theyâre targeting the magic stones Iâm managing.â
Magic stones.
Theyâre special stones imbued with magical power, and magic rings are made by processing them.
Magic stones are essentially clusters of magic power. While the Leiyuer Kingdom is the worldâs top mining site for magic stones, obtaining them is not limited to mining alone. There have been cases where they were gifted by fairies, for example. However, Iâve never heard of magic stones being taken from Mt. Itoel.
âUsually, I have my golem protect them, but someone destroyed it over there.â
So, that golem was indeed created by Elin.
What retirement? What hermit? Just by looking at it, you can tell how skilled Elin is. At the very least, she wouldnât let her skills rust.
âAlright, Iâll help you as a way to make up for my mistakes. Shed tears of joy.â