Elves in this world had an appearance not too different from humans.
A slightly more beautiful appearance, fair skin, and tall stature.
That was all.
The tips of the ears are a bit pointed, but that was a level that could be found among humans.
It was true that it was difficult to distinguish elves from their appearance alone.
So, even when Aeria entered the mansion, Count Egor was not given any information to recognize that she was an elf.
Thanks to that, it was Pelas who was able to watch Count Egor's astonished scene.
"What!! An elf?!"
Count Egor glanced slightly toward the door and noticed.
I wonder if anyone heard the sudden loudness of his voice.
Even Pelas, who was by his side, was startled by Count Egor's loud voice.
Rather, the bewildered Pelas calmed Count Egor.
"Father. Your voice is loud. Calm down."
"Oh, yes. That's how it should be."
Pellas watched Count Egor's expression for a moment and read the passing atmosphere.
'I'm sure the decision to bring this will turn out better than I thought?'
Count Egor, who still had a surprised expression on his face.
Pelas decided to roll the snowball gently.
Acquaintance with her would be helpful in some way.
Information about elves was something that even the king considered special.
Even information at the level of simply meeting and having a conversation was treated as high-level information.
As much as that, the things about the elves were classified as top secret even if they knew about them.
That's why it was Pelas who hesitated for a while to be with Aria.
'I think the one I brought because I needed it would work in my favor. Still, I was worried that I would be annoying because I'm an elf, but I can use it in reverse.'
However, this whole situation came to Count Egor completely differently.
It was Count Egor who never expected to bring such an elf to the family mansion.
That's messed up first.
Pelas continued talking to Count Egor, who was still dumbfounded.
"I helped her while she was injured, and in return she helped me in the battle against the orcs."
"Did you help?"
"Yes. Elves are originally a species of the forest. They are a species that lives together with all creatures in the forest."
"Yes. It is."
"The gray wolves are also hostile to us, but from her point of view, they are just a species of the same forest. She talked with the gray wolves and allowed them to fight alongside us."
"Hmm... that's something I can't believe easily."
Pelas also understood.
I thought you went to catch the gray wolf, but you didn't catch the gray wolf you were told to catch and returned after catching the orc?
Even as a party play with the gray wolf?
I'd rather fall backwards, to the point where it seemed more likely that my nose would be broken.
But what can I do?
It's true.
Pelas had no choice but to answer with a serious face.
"If it wasn't that much, why would she, an elf, accompany us to the mansion?"
Count Egor could not utter any more objections.
As Pelas said, elves and humans were not very close at the moment.
To put it mildly, it was close to a hostile relationship.
It was common knowledge that if a human recklessly set foot in the elves' territory, they would become a target for their arrows.
I accompanied such an elf to the mansion.
Certainly, it would have been impossible if it were not normal.
There, Pelas landed the decisive blow.
"Or should I set up a place so that you can ask the elf directly? As you know, elves don't like to lie."
What Pelas said was true.
But that's also information about elves.
Information about elves was not something that could be easily known.
In particular, it was not something that the Count's idiot youngster, like Pelas, would know.
Count Egor asked him cautiously.
"How else do you know that?"
In fact, this was the most embarrassing to Pelas of all the questions so far.
how do you know
It was something that anyone who had just played Winter War 3 would know and ask.
I knew it for granted, so I spat it out without thinking, but Count Egor's reaction was more unusual than I thought.
Pelas took a tempo break and prepared his answer.
"I learned it through books. There is no book that is not in the Count Dimeo family."
"..."
It was Pelas who had never seen a book.
Except for the first nameless magic books and a few history books.
Count Egor just stared at him without answering.
Pelas could hear his own heart beating.
pounding. pounding.
'Was that the wrong answer? Or do you know that I don't read books as a background investigation?'
But what can I do with the words I've already said?
Pelas held his trembling heart and bit his tongue without anyone noticing.
I'm afraid that my expression will change.
Count Egor, who had been staring at him for a long time.
he opened his mouth again.
"I must have misunderstood you."
'Whew, did it work?'
Fellas' eyes flickered slightly for a moment.
The number, which he thought was a gamble, seemed to have worked.
He let out a small sigh so no one could hear.
Feeling the fearful heart become chewy.
Count Egor spoke slowly, unaware of his speed.
"I thought it was just an accident, but it seems like he had a plan of his own."
Pelas thought that this was an opportunity and gave an answer out of the blue.
"Thank you for looking at me so well."
"Haha. It's good. Open it up once. Your thoughts. I'll watch over you."
Somehow, it seemed that Count Egor had been taken over by Pelas' words.
Pellas concealed his true intentions and looked up at Count Egor with a confident face, spreading his chest.
And I answered with the strength of my voice as much as possible.
So that the slightest tremor does not linger in your voice.
"Thank you for trusting me. Father."
I was even surprised inside.
To her acting skills, a hidden talent she hadn't known about before.
'If I acted like this, I would have won one or two grand prizes... I would have done a movie star in my previous life.'
Pelas added one more last word to Count Egor, who was coolly deceived.
"Father. I have a favor to ask of you."
"ask?"
"Yes. It's not very difficult."
Pelas looked straight into Count Egor's eyes and uttered his request slowly.
* * *
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Havertz was guiding Aria to the guest house where guests were served.
"Alia-sama can stay here."
Aeria stuck out her tongue as she saw that even the guest house where the guests stayed was dazzling.
"Really, there is nothing small in this mansion."
An unexpected voice interrupted her non-self talk.
"Our Count DiMeo family is a long-standing prestigious family."
At that voice, Havertz and Elia turned around.
Havertz immediately bowed her head when she recognized the voice's owner.
"Ah. Little boy. How have you been?"
Havertz bowed his head, he was the second son of Count Dimeo.
It was Ethan DiMeo.
Ethan reprimanded Havertz for his greeting.
"How long are you going to call me little boy? Are you going to call me little boy even if you become the head of the household?"
It was a protest not to see himself as inferior to Pelas any longer.
In fact, Havertz also openly called him a little boy.
Even knowing that Ethan hates being called that.
So, Havertz just smiled and passed the answer.
Ethan was not very happy with Havertz, who did not respond properly to his words.
But since there was a customer next to me, I couldn't get angry easily.
Because he didn't know who the person next to him was.
Because I didn't know yet whether I was the one to be careful of or the one who didn't have to care.
So, Ethan asked Havertz in a polite manner.
"Uhmm. Where is the lady next to you from?"
Edan looked at Aria with an interesting expression.
He was the one who instantly lost his eyes and heart with his pretty beauty.
Although I was a guest of Pelas, I was confident that I could always take away what I liked.
At that time, when Aria recognized that eerie look at once, she was about to introduce herself.
Havertz slightly blocked Aeria, who was about to open her mouth.
"Aria-sama. Can you please forgive me if you can hide that you are a member of the Elves for a while? As you know, there are some humans who are hostile to the Elves."
At this, Aria opened her mouth to speak, then stopped and nodded.
She, too, had no intention of making a fuss here.
Besides, rumors spread that he was an elf, and it might unnecessarily seduce the Shadow Alliance.
Havertz responded with a small blink of an eye instead of a thank you.
Then he answered Ethan's words.
"This is the big boy, ah, I'll correct it. This is a guest brought by Master Pelas. Even the Count hasn't greeted you yet, so we'll have time to say hello slowly after that. The guests are also tired, so you can rest today. Please be considerate."
It was wrapped up in brazen language, but to sum it up, it was just pressure to disappear.
He made the excuse of Count Egor, the apex of the Dimeo family, and pretended to be for the sake of his guests, and just decorated it plausibly.
Ethan's expression, which hadn't been obvious until now, wriggled for the first time.
'Haberts, that snarky old man. Not a single word of support. joy! I'll have to flatten my brother's nose myself in your face later. Don't even make a sound.'
Ethan felt that arguing with him no longer would be of much help, so he decided to leave.
He said a small goodbye to Aeria for the last time.
"It's a shabby place, but I hope you're comfortable."
Aria looked at him with sharp eyes and said.
"It's noisy. Can you shut up?"
Ethan was momentarily speechless at her sharp answer.
"..."
A building that no one can see.
Airia was annoyed at the sound of her mouth.
What Ethan said was a lie to pretend to be humble no matter who saw it.
Ethan's expression also felt bitter.
Just by looking at it, 'My family is like this, isn't it surprising?' face to do.
From the point of view of the elf who hates lies, this kind of pretense was rather annoying.
It was less intrusive to hear people say that he did well like Pellas, or that his face is better than that of an orc.
Because I had no intention of lying.
"Your brother is much more humane."
After leaving those words, Aria turned around and left.
And she felt it again.
After all, people like Pellas are much more trustworthy than people like this kind of pretense.
< Episode 23. It's noisy. Can you shut up? >end