What do elves eat to live?
Of course, they don’t survive by only eating dew.
There were times when I met a few who did.
I’ve actually seen one or two like that.
The problem is, they truly existed, but all of them had a nasty personality.
They were so unpleasant and difficult to deal with.
Seeing that, I thought maybe both humans and elves needed to eat something substantial to live.
But if you ask whether we eat like humans, that’s also not the case.
First of all, we don’t eat meat.
No meat, no fish—none of it.
We substitute it with other things.
Instead, we consume milk and dairy products.
These are considered gifts from the forest’s friends.
To explain, we’re not vegans, but more like… what’s the word?
Ah, right. Lacto-vegetarians.
“Unlike us, humans always eat meat or fish in their daily meals. It’s hard to find a meal without them included. That’s why our kind struggled to adapt to human society.”
“Conversely, humans would see us and think, ‘If you’ve come to the human world, you should eat like humans. Why are you so stubborn?’”
Such minor frictions often grow into seeds of larger conflicts.
A complete denial of what one has taken as natural throughout their entire life.
On the other side, the argument that one must follow the rules of a new world they’ve entered.
When these two collide, there’s absolutely no way for a pleasant result to emerge.
“Most of our kind would preach that eating meat and seafood is unnecessary. They’d say these could easily be replaced by other things and criticize humans for being bloodthirsty as usual.”
“…That seems like crossing the line.”
“Agreed.”
Damn it.
No wonder we get called arrogant.
Why bring up bloodthirsty and cruel people there?
From the humans’ perspective, they’re welcoming special guests and have gone out of their way to prepare deliciously grilled meat.
And then we go, “Ugh, these savage brutes. Of course, a slaughter-obsessed species like them would eat this stuff!”
A sigh rises to the bottom of my throat.
Seriously, what are we elves to do?
“The restaurant I used to know served not only the humans here but also us elves. They even had a separate menu for our kind. I was close friends with the human owner, but to think that in such a short time, they’ve passed on to the gods….”
It doesn’t quite register.
Eight years might be close to a decade by human standards, a time in which even mountains change.
But from an elf’s perspective, it feels like it was just a short while ago.
Humans and elves.
Elves and humans.
When these two perspectives clash, it certainly gives me a headache.
Sometimes I wonder if the conflict between the two species is simply inevitable.
“Looks like we’ll have to go to another restaurant. What should we do? The others are bound to have meat….”
“I’m fine, Elenia, truly.”
Unlike me, who had grown accustomed to human meals after traveling back and forth to their world, Elenia had just recently left the great forest.
She confidently says we should go, but when faced with actual human food, who knows how she’ll react.
It’s only natural for Elenia to be worried as she looks at me.
Even as we head to another restaurant, she tells me to speak up if I feel uncomfortable.
She suggests that instead of a restaurant, we could just grab some fruit from a shop and have a meal that way.
The point is, there are plenty of options, so there’s no need to feel burdened or endure it unnecessarily.
For me, though, it’s no big deal.
On the contrary, I’m really looking forward to it.
A human meal, not an elf’s.
Meat, at last.
30 years and 7 more years.
Almost 40 years since I’ve eaten meat.
Unbelievable.
Truly unbelievable!
At the same time, I’m worried.
What if my elf body rejects it?
What if, as soon as I eat it or even smell it, I can’t hold back my nausea?
What if, even though it’s properly cooked, the taste of raw blood is so strong that swallowing it becomes a struggle?
‘Still, I have to grit my teeth and eat it. I need to adapt, I must adapt!’
Since I’ve come to the human world, it’s only right to change myself to fit into their way of life.
It’s not like I have some religious belief or fear that eating this will drag me to hell.
If there’s truly no reason to avoid it, then it’s only fair to try and blend in with them even a little.
Maybe even the people of the Empire will look at me differently when they see me eating meat.
Ah, that elf must really be here to learn about the world.
They’re not just an arrogant snob who thinks they’re above everyone.
This one’s not like the others who constantly look down on them and act all superior!
I wonder if changing myself like this will make any difference, but you never know.
Change, after all, is said to start with something very small.
I was convinced that in one way or another, this would bring about some kind of impact.
It’s certainly not out of some mere craving for meat.
Really. Truly!
…Well, I guess I do miss the taste of meat a little.
Ahem.
“Welcome!”
The restaurant Elenia and I chose was a moderately sized place on the edge of the bustling district.
At first, as soon as the door opened, the staff greeted us with a cheerful laugh.
“…Ahem.”
But the moment they saw our ears, they looked flustered and began to cough awkwardly.
It was obvious to anyone that they were uncomfortable. Though they tried to be subtle, I still heard them clicking their tongue.
If I were one of those ill-tempered elves, I would’ve already said something.
Perhaps even hit them for being insolent.
This just showed how much conflict and tension they’ve had with the elves who came here.
Though the treatment wasn’t exactly pleasing, considering the unique circumstances of this city, it was understandable.
So, neither Elenia nor I paid it much mind and simply found an empty table to sit at.
“Excuse me.”
The server, who had been watching us for a moment, approached our table and spoke.
“You might not be aware, but our restaurant doesn’t offer a vegetarian menu. Bread and milk are provided as basics, but the main dishes are either meat or fish. Salads are served as appetizers before the main course, but you cannot order just the salad.”
From their explanation, it was clear that many of our kind had visited this place before.
They probably sighed after looking at the menu and asked for only bread, milk, and salad.
Then, realizing it wasn’t enough, they likely tried to order more later.
But from the restaurant’s perspective, that must’ve been quite troublesome.
Bread and salad are merely appetizers or sides to accompany the main dish.
They likely didn’t prepare large quantities, and yet people asked for only those items.
If they ran out and couldn’t serve other guests properly, it would cause a lot of trouble.
What the server didn’t expect, however, was that Elenia and I were different from those elves.
One of us had already experienced the human world extensively.
The other used to be human to begin with.
There was absolutely no reason for us to look at this simple meal and think,
‘Oh, these uncivilized humans!’
“I understand. Then we’ll have two of these, please.”
The basic menu: bread, milk, grilled meat, and salad.
That should do just fine.
However, the expression of the waiter looking at me seemed strange.
“?”
They were staring at me as if they’d seen a ghost.
It wasn’t just the waiter either.
The people sitting at the neighboring tables.
The other customers behind me.
Even the other staff.
Everyone was blinking their eyes, giving me a peculiar look.
“Excuse me? You took my order, right?”
“Ah, yes, yes. I’ll bring it to you right away.”
What’s this all of a sudden?
Feeling a bit odd, I sipped on my water as Elenia raised the corners of her mouth.
“Impressive, Tyreal.”
“Eh?”
“Your willpower is remarkable.”
“Eh? What?”
“It’s difficult, you know. From the start, showing courtesy to humans. It was a bit uncomfortable for me at first too. For other kin, it must’ve been even harder. If they were here, they’d probably have spoken informally without a second thought.”
But Tyreal showed manners, they said.
As an elf, she spoke formally to humans.
They said it was truly an impressive feat for someone stepping into the human world for the first time after leaving the great forest.
And as Elenia smiled proudly while saying this, I could only sip more water.
So, this was a difficult thing to do.
For me, it was just natural to be polite as a customer.
The waiter, the other human customers, and even Elenia herself.
They all thought my actions were a product of self-restraint and patience.
“Your food is ready.”
Just how self-absorbed and reckless could these elves have been in their actions?
As I pondered this, the food I ordered was soon laid out on the table.
Freshly baked bread and milk.
Well-cooked meat, various vegetables, and a salad seasoned with salt.
The waiter, after setting the food down, didn’t go far but stayed nearby, watching our table.
I could feel the blatant gaze.
They were staring quite intently.
It seemed they were wondering if the elves would really eat the meat.
“Tyreal.”
Elenia looked at me and shook her head.
It was as if she was telling me not to overdo it.
If you can’t eat it, then don’t.
She knew it was hard to eat meat.
And yet, a strange emotion rose within me.
Was it defiance?
A rebellious spirit?
Whatever it was—
Stab!
“Oh!”
“Ot?”
The waiter behind me gasped, and Elenia, sitting in front of me, was startled.
Well, I had picked up the meat with a fork—not the bread, milk, or salad—and put it straight into my mouth.
‘Surely I won’t chew it and throw up the moment I taste it, right?’
I’m not human right now.
I’m an elf.
That’s entirely possible.
Even if that were the case, I’d endure it.
I couldn’t let myself crumble before a piece of meat.
It’s not disgusting. I can eat it.
I’ll just think of it as bread, not meat.
Yes, that’s right….
—Chew, chew.
Is it delicious?
Oh. Right.
This is what meat tastes like!
Yes! This is meat!
“Hey, hey, don’t like it too much.”
If you devour the meat you’re tasting for the first time in your life right from the start, it’ll only look stranger.
Chew slowly, with a subtle expression, as if you’re trying to understand and accept this world.
Think of it not just as meat, but as the effort and sincerity of those humans, and eat like an elf!
“My goodness.”
Elenia stared blankly at Tyrael, who was sitting across from her, chewing the meat.
Honestly, she thought it would be difficult.
When she first entered the human world, she stuck to an elven diet for almost a year.
It was hard enough just smelling it, let alone eating it.
Then, with a resolution that things couldn’t go on like that, she finally began eating meat.
For elves, consuming meat requires immense patience.
Yet Tyreal overcame it all with sheer determination and a single goal in mind.
To show humans the true nature of elves and end their misconceptions.
To be the start of that change, with an unwavering resolve.
“Sometimes, it is the youthful folly of the young that changes the world.”
Recalling what her mentor once said, Elenia smiled.