Chapter 16: The Gap between Reality and Ideal: First Encounter with Frieren
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After a long journey, Ash finally located the legendary elf village using the map, but…
"Isn't this a little too far from what I imagined?"
Deep within the remote, primeval forest lay the hidden elf village, seemingly forgotten by time.
It rested quietly in an empty, secluded area, surrounded by ancient, towering trees. Sunlight filtered through the dense canopy, casting mottled shadows across the village, shrouding the land in a mysterious, slightly melancholic veil.
The elves' stone houses were scattered across the open space. Though not exactly elegant, their rustic charm was… well, nonexistent. There wasn't even a hint of aesthetic appeal—just simple, weathered buildings.
The roofs were covered in moss and vines, showing the wear and tear of time, as if telling the story of wild, unchecked growth over the years. The doors and windows were small, a bit dilapidated, and no one seemed to have bothered to repair them.
The scattered elves were simply dressed, almost resembling refugees. If not for the fact that their clothes were relatively neat, they could have easily been mistaken for ordinary medieval villagers. They moved about unenthusiastically, tending to their tasks without any real energy. No children or elders were in sight—at least, none that Ash could distinguish.
The peculiar loli elf Serie had already shattered Ash's idealized image of elves with her quirky personality, but this village took it to a whole new level.
Elves in stories were always portrayed as beautiful, elegant beings, often possessing a mystical aura. But in reality...
"Why is there such a massive gap between stories and reality? This village is shabby and lacks any sense of beauty. These guys are crushing all my dreams."
While grumbling about his shattered fantasy, Ash scanned the area and noticed one elf in the crowd who stood out—seemingly the strongest among them.
...
The elf had a graceful figure, with smooth silver hair flowing down to her waist like a waterfall. It shimmered with a soft, mysterious glow, reminiscent of moonlight.
Her delicate, elongated ears exuded an air of spirituality and elegance, and her emerald eyes were deep and luminous, captivating anyone who looked into them.
Although she stood only about 1.5 meters tall, she had an undeniable petite charm. Every movement radiated grace and cuteness, evoking an almost instinctual desire to protect her.
…Well, actually, that was just Ash's imagination, the result of beautifying the elves he had read about in stories.
In reality, although the elf did have silver hair down to her waist, long ears, and emerald eyes, she was quite small and had a rather chestnut-shaped body.
The only advantage is probably that she looks quite cute... but she is a loli, and he is not a lolita complex, so it is indeed different from what he expected.
While he was secretly depressed, the elf seemed to have noticed his gaze, walked over, and frowned:
"....Who are you? Why are you looking at me and sighing?"
"Just a passerby." While speaking, he couldn't help but sigh again: "I just thought of something sad, please don't mind it. After all, I'm a good person."
"....Yeah?"
"Um."
"Are you really a good guy? Your aura is a little strange, and... murderous, obviously." The girl pointed a finger at his face and asked bluntly: "Are you actually a fugitive?"
"Do I look like that kind of person?"
"I don't know, maybe?"
"Actually, I am the general of the kingdom."
"Then why come here?"
"Actually, I defected."
"Defected..." The elf girl widened her eyes in surprise: "He is indeed a fugitive? But why?"
"Because I want to learn magic."
"Want to learn magic? ....You look pretty strong among humans, right? Although I haven't seen many humans."
"You look very strong. Can you teach me magic?"
Although the opponent was obviously not as strong as the two he had met before, she was still a long-lived elf and should have her own unique magic. Ash took out two gold coins from his body while speaking: "this a payment, Is it enough?"
"..." The girl glanced at the money in his hand and shook her head slowly: "No payment is needed here."
"That's troublesome."
"But in exchange, you can exchange it with your prey."
"Ah, I'm good at hunting." He smiled and then extended his hand to the girl in front of him: "My name is Ash, what's yours?"
"Frieren."
"Then please give me your guidance from now on, Miss Frieren."
"Um."
Frieren nodded coldly and walked toward a stone house without intending to say anything more to him.
Although he felt a little regretful, he didn't care too much. He was just a little worried about what to do next.
But Frieren stopped and looked back: "What are you doing standing there?"
"Uh.... I was wondering what I should do at this time..."
"Come over."
"???"
"Edna's house has been empty for a while. She probably won't come back before you die, so I can lend it to you temporarily." Frieren raised her hand and pointed to a building covered with vines.
"....You're exaggerating, but how long is a while?"
"About thirty years?"
"…It's a long while."
It was like she had been out for ten days or half a month, which made Ash smack his lips. However, he still looked around and couldn't help but ask, "Speaking of which, you should be very free. Why don't you repair these residences?"
"They'll just break after a while. It's too much trouble. As long as they don't leak in the rain, it will be fine."
"...How long is a while? Ah... Never mind. I can probably guess."
He held his forehead with one hand and tried to adjust his thoughts.
Even though he was already an immortal, he couldn't adapt to the elves' unique view of time for a while... But no matter what, he temporarily lived in this elf village, which he didn't know whether it could be considered hospitable or not.
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More! MOre! MORe! MORE!!! POWER STONES!!!!