"Robin, why are there so many monsters?"
"Huh? Oh, are you alright, my lord?"
This guy seemed just as crazy as the rest, so I gave up asking questions. I never expected Robin to give a proper answer anyway. I silently stared at the ground, where smoke was rising. When the soldiers stared back at me, I wordlessly pushed aside the ogre corpse I'd been sitting on.
In this world, ogres were monsters about the height of basketball players, with gorilla-like builds. Their average level was between 35 and 40, making them mid-level field bosses capable of crushing a knight's armor like paper with their brute strength.
If it weren't for me, these soldiers would've been wiped out. I stared down at the burning ogre's body, then spat on the ground. My mouth tasted bitter from inhaling the ash. I slumped down, feeling the warmth of the burning ogre. These monsters, who seemed devoid of blood or tears, radiated a strange warmth when they fell and burned—as if trying to embrace everything in the world.
I'd been waiting for a while, but everything was eerily quiet. After a week of clearing monsters along this border, it seemed we'd finally succeeded in eradicating them. My task was simple now: return to the mansion as quickly as possible and rest.
"Village Chief."
"Yes, my lord."
"We're heading back. Strengthen the defenses around the fence."
"Understood."
After instructing the Village Chief to stay vigilant, I led the knights and soldiers back to the mansion. The monster attack had taken a heavy toll on the villagers. Three had died, and we'd held funerals for them. Four soldiers were dead, and five were permanently disabled.
Most of the casualties had occurred before I arrived, during the monsters' initial ambush. I lay down on the returning cart and reached out to Siri, who was still tending to the wounded. She held bandages in her hands, looking exhausted as she cared for the injured soldiers. I pulled her down beside me and whispered,
"You've done enough. Rest."
Healing magic, used by priests and nuns, drains stamina, and its effectiveness drops when the caster is this tired. Given how exhausted Siri and I were, it would've been more effective to just shout, "Heal, heal, fly away!"
I just wanted to get back to the mansion and rest. Siri tried to get up to help the patients, but I held her down tighter. She stopped moving and soon fell asleep, her soft snores revealing just how tired she was.
I adjusted my position to get comfortable, and before I knew it, I'd fallen asleep too.
"Get... down... now!"
"I'm... so... tired..."
"Do you... even... know...?"
The commotion woke me up. I'd only closed my eyes for a moment, but the chaos was overwhelming. I frowned and sat up. Siri, who'd been lying next to me, was already gone.
"What the hell..."
The scene before me was absurd. A blonde elf had Robin by the collar, shaking him violently. Robin's face was bruised, and the elf's eyes were filled with rage.
Without hesitation, I grabbed the mace beside me and swung it at the elf's head. As I struck, the elf turned to me, extending her hand. With a clear *clang*, she was sent flying backward.
I was secretly shocked her head hadn't cracked. No matter how tired I was, I'd swung to kill. The fact she'd flown away unscathed meant she was definitely under some kind of defensive magic or blessing.
The elf tumbled across the dirt, unable to regain her balance. I finally got a good look at her: blonde hair, green eyes, a large chest, and equally curvaceous hips and thighs. Her short skirt and low-cut top showcased her figure.
I knew exactly who this elf was.
Someone was running toward us from a distance. He had jet-black hair styled like a Japanese host, with a long sword strapped to his back. He wore light armor on his torso and sturdy leather pants that gleamed with polish.
His pants were paired with white greaves that looked expensive at first glance.
I knew who this man was too.
The elf was Princess Erina of the Elf Kingdom, and the man was the Hero. He was the one destined to defeat the Demon King in this game and bring peace to the world—a notorious womanizer capable of maintaining a harem of up to 15 women.
"Erina!"
"How dare you attack us without knowing who we are! You must be the Demon King's minions—!"
"Erina, calm down! He's the Lord!"
I tilted my head at the Hero's words. So, the elf princess Erina didn't recognize me, but this guy did? The Hero formally knelt and greeted me.
"My apologies for the rudeness, my lord. We're on a journey to defeat the Demon King. I'm the humble Hero, A.A., and this is Erina of the Elf Kingdom."
"....What was your name again?"
"A.A."
"A.A.? Like the batteries?"
"I'm not sure what batteries are, but my name is indeed A.A."
What kind of parent names their kid A.A.? While I was momentarily stunned by the Hero's bizarre name, Erina continued her arrogant tone.
"You! If you know my status, kneel at once! How dare a lowly half-elf not bow to a princess?"
She was as annoying as ever. In the original game, Erina was infamous for her attitude. She was one of the heroines, but her intimate scene was one of the last to unlock, and her affection required strict conditions to join the harem.
Her romance event required saving her from monsters at the edge of the Elf Forest early in the game, making her impossible for me to pursue under current circumstances—unless the Hero died.
"So, what brings you here?"
I decided to ignore Erina completely. Even if she were the Queen of the Elf Kingdom, she couldn't harm me, and there was no chance of her sleeping with me just because I catered to her.
"Are you ignoring me? You insolent half-elf!"
Unlike other elves in this world, Erina despised half-elves. Raised among pure-blooded high elves, she viewed half-elves as filthy. This was why, in the original story, bringing Erina to meet Lucius would trigger an event where she insulted him.
Of course, Lucius would forgive her.
I glanced at Erina and opened her status window.
**Name:** Ahildern Erina
**Level:** 30
**Class:** Princess of Ahildern
**Strength:** 68
**Agility:** 120
**Intelligence:** 70
**Luck:** 57
**Traits:**
- **Elf Adaptability:** Moves faster in forests, swamps, mountains, and plains. Suffers penalties in the sea.
- **Arrogant Attitude:** Enemies with lower levels than her are inflicted with [Fear].
- **Wind Archer:** When firing arrows, borrows the power of sylphs to shoot additional magic arrows. Damage scales with agility.
There was one unfortunate thing about Erina: I wasn't the kind-hearted "Lucius."
"That was a very unpleasant remark."
I tapped my mace and thought, *You've walked right into my trap.*
It's strange when you think about it. Elves in this world generally don't hate humans unless they've been enslaved. Erina doesn't particularly dislike humans either—considering she sleeps with the protagonist, she might even like them.
So why does she hate half-elves, who are clearly the result of humans and elves "getting busy"? Is she just irresponsible in her pursuit of pleasure?
"What will you do if I'm offended? We're the Hero's party, and I'm the princess of the Elf Kingdom. You're no one to oppose us!"
"You're right, Princess Erina. So, what brings you here?"
I decided to hold off on challenging her to a duel. Her stats weren't to be underestimated, and she could control spirits. Unless I was in peak condition, fighting her now would be suicidal.
There��s nothing more frustrating than losing unfairly to someone you could beat. These two weren't passing travelers; they'd be sticking around.
Their reason for coming here was obvious. In the original game, the Hero's party visits this place to retrieve the previous Hero's sacred artifact. That artifact is safely stored in my mansion's warehouse, marked [Hero Only] in its tooltip, so I can't use it.
"We've come to retrieve the [Sacred Artifact] once wielded by the previous Hero."
"The Sacred Artifact?"
I feigned ignorance, widening my eyes in mock surprise. Erina chimed in from the side.
"Yes. Now hand it over, you lowly half-elf."
"Erina!"
The Hero scolded her sternly and bowed again.
"Apologies. I'll keep her in line..."
"Don't apologize, A.A.! I—"
"Giving you the artifact isn't a problem, but I'd like you to do me a favor first."
"A favor?"
"I... mph! Mph!"
Erina tried to protest again, but A.A. clamped his hand over her mouth. As she struggled in his arms, he addressed me.