Chapter 12: From an outsider’s perspective

The village of the fairy realm was delightful.

As Arsep had said, there was plenty to eat, and it was stunningly beautiful.

It was the perfect place for a quick escape and a refreshing change of scenery without any need for detailed descriptions.

“I… don’t feel like going back to the castle.”

It wasn’t just me; Arsep seemed to feel the same way.

Considering she had been cooped up in the castle, as quiet as a mouse, before I arrived, being in the open, in a different continent from the Demon Realm, must have felt like freedom.

When we first entered the village, she seemed annoyed by being mistaken for a beastman, though she had intended it herself.

But now, whether that bothered her or not, she seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Peace is a wonderful thing. There was a time when the Demon Realm was this peaceful, too.”

Arsep said, leaning against the inn’s window.

The once-blue sky had darkened as night fell.

“There was a time when the Demon Realm was peaceful?”

“Of course, that was when I reigned as the ruler of the Demon Realm.”

“Hmm… I can’t imagine that at all.”

“Of course, you can’t! Now, before you stands a powerless mock beastman!”

She seemed accustomed to self-deprecating humor.

Thankfully, it wasn’t a sign of low self-esteem.

Compared to when we first met, Arsep had become noticeably brighter and smiled more often.

Although we still hadn’t found any clues to help her recover her magical powers, I didn’t mind, as long as she could live cheerfully and happily.

“You… really are a mischievous person.”

“As long as it’s fun, it’s fine.”

“Even if you think so, I don’t!”

“As long as I’m fine with it, it’s all good.”

“You’re not considering my feelings at all!”

I chuckled as I lay down on the inn bed.

Since it was peak season, finding a room was challenging, but thankfully, we found an inn with a double room, so at least we avoided sleeping outside.

The price seemed a bit high, but money wasn’t an issue.

When you’re on a vacation to relax, it’s best not to worry about costs as long as they’re within budget.

“Ah… I really don’t feel like going back to the Demon Realm.”

“Is it that nice?”

“Don’t you feel the same? I feel like a prisoner who’s finally finished serving their sentence and is free outside.”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve only been here for a month.”

“Is that so?”

“Sure, I do enjoy this continent called the Fairy Realm—it’s warm and refreshing, and the sky is so blue.”

“But maybe because I’ve spent so much time at the Demon Realm’s castle, I’ve come to feel that it’s home.”

“To be honest, being at the castle feels like returning to the innocence of childhood.”

“Despite the stress from humans and demons visiting and causing chaos, the castle is so vast and magnificent that I haven’t even fully explored it yet.”

“What do you think?”

“About what?”

“If you want, I think it would be fine for us to leave the castle and live outside. Staying there seems stressful for both of us. Previously, being alone, I couldn’t risk it because the outside was more dangerous, but now, that’s not the case.”

Arsep suggested it, as if she thought it was for the best.

“If you’re suggesting it for my sake, there’s no need.”

This is just my assumption, but I think Arsep doesn’t actually want to leave her castle.

‘If she genuinely wanted to leave forever, she would have asked about a specific plan for where and how to live, rather than seeking my opinion.’

“You seem to be in a better mood and more at ease since arriving here. Are you really alright with staying in the Demon Realm?”

“As for me, I don’t really mind where I live, but where would be more beneficial? Finding a way to restore your magical powers or discovering the cause of their depletion, for instance?”

“In that case, staying in the Demon Realm is definitely more helpful.”

“Then, let’s stay in the Demon Realm. Personally, I like the castle, aside from the noisy neighbors.”

“Is that so? Understood.”

Arsep smiled as she sat by the window.

“Get out of here, now!”

“What…?!”

“Are you alright?”

Suddenly, startled by a loud reprimand, I nearly fell out of the window, but managed to catch myself in time.

Fortunately, I moved quickly.

“I’m… fine… thank you… But, what was that?”

“It sounded like it came from outside. Sitting by the window is dangerous, so please be careful next time.”

“Understood. But that’s unusual. The residents of the fairy realm are generally gentle, so it’s rare to hear words like that.”

We looked out the window.

The sun had set, so there weren’t many people around, and the shops were gradually closing.

It wasn’t hard to find the source of the voice, but the scene that met us was somewhat puzzling.

“Get away from my store! No, get out of this city! What are the guards doing?!”

A bakery owner, an elf holding a broom like a club, was yelling at a child crouched in front of the store.

The child’s dark hair made me think they might be a beastman or a human, but seeing the pointed ears, I guessed the child might be an elf or perhaps a half-elf.

“Do you think the child tried to steal something from the store?”

“No, that’s not it. The child was just quietly watching the bread from outside.”

At first, I thought the child had been caught stealing bread, but listening to Arsep, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Even so, it was hard for me to understand why the baker would treat a young child so coldly just for watching the bread outside the store.

If the child had been caught stealing, the baker’s anger would be understandable, but just for looking? That seemed excessive.

“Could that child be… a dark elf?”

“A dark elf? But their skin is fair.”

Arsep suggested that the child might be a dark elf.

But to me, the child looked too fair-skinned to be a dark elf.

Their skin was even paler than a regular elf’s, closer to the fairness of Arsep, who was a demon.

“Typically, dark elves have dark skin, but I’ve heard there are rare cases of albino dark elves who are born with white skin.”

‘Albino? White pigmentation disorder?’

Thinking along those lines, it wasn’t completely incomprehensible. I’d heard of similar cases on Earth as well.

“Where do you think you’re running to?! Someone like you should be expelled from this city!”

The child, who had been sitting in front of the store, suddenly started running away, likely fearing the arrival of guards.

The elf, who seemed ready to give chase, spat on the ground with a look of disgust and went back inside the store.

***

“As expected, dark elves are still despised by elves, even after centuries have passed.”

“Were relations bad, even in the past?”

“Yes. While there were no wars between the Demon Realm or the Human Realm, the fairy realm was different. They experienced a civil war.”

“A civil war…?”

“Elves are typically gentle, but when it comes to dark elves, it’s a different story. That civil war reduced the dark elf population from tens of thousands to just a few hundred.”

“…That’s horrifying.”

To go from tens of thousands to a few hundred—that was close to a near extinction for their race.

If that happened before Arsep went into her long slumber, it was remarkable that any of them had survived at all.

“Both the Demon Realm and the Human Realm adhered to a policy of non-interference with the fairy realm’s matters at the time. Likely, the few surviving dark elves found refuge in either the Human Realm or the Demon Realm.”

I had guessed there might be tensions between elves and dark elves, but knowing that it had escalated to such an extent in the past was shocking.

Of course, it was ancient history for me, and had little relevance to my life—it felt like a brief history lesson.

“Is it still like that, even now?”

Arsep let out a deep sigh, clearly troubled.

For her, it was a memory of events just before her long slumber, and with her personality, such violence didn’t sit well with her.

Considering that I was here only because she had sacrificed her own safety, using the last of her magic to summon me, if her body were in normal condition, she might have charged out there immediately.

“Anyway, you must be tired. You’ve been walking around all day and must be exhausted.”

“Yes, I should rest….”

Arsep closed the window and lay down on the bed.

While I didn’t need to sleep, I closed my eyes.

At first, I thought about going outside to help the child, but I was a complete outsider in this land, knowing nothing about its customs or issues.

It didn’t seem wise to interfere in a situation I didn’t fully understand, especially since my actions might unintentionally harm Arsep as well.

For now, an outsider like me had to stay back and observe.

At least… for now.

***

After making sure he was fully asleep, she quietly slipped out of the inn.

“He should be around here somewhere….”

Going out alone wasn’t a great choice.

Even though this was the fairy realm, and the chances of her identity being exposed were slim, it was still risky to wander around late at night.

Yet, with a basket in his hand, she walked the silent streets, retracing her steps from a few hours earlier.

She didn’t want to burden her with unnecessary tasks, especially since she was a stranger to this place who might not fully understand her reasons.

This was a matter for her alone.

‘Ah, found him.’

Before long, her efforts paid off as she spotted the child crouched in an alley, hugging his knees.

“Hey there, little one. Are you alright? Luckily, you’re not hurt, right?”

She cautiously approached the child.

“There’s no need to be startled. I happened to see you earlier and couldn’t just ignore it.”

The child looked surprised at the sudden presence, but she slowly approached and held out the basket.

Inside were bread and milk.

The child looked at his blankly, as if unable to comprehend why she was offering this to him.

“It seems like you haven’t eaten in days. It’s late, so this is all I could get. Eat slowly so it doesn’t upset your empty stomach.”

After handing over the basket, she stepped back, giving the child plenty of space.

She considered that he might feel uncomfortable or scared if she stayed too close.

“Yes, well done. While I’m here, I can at least bring you food. So if you’re here around this time tomorrow, I’ll be back.”

With a gentle smile, she patted the child’s head.

She waited patiently until he finished the food, then took back the basket and left.

There was a look of relief on his face, his steps lighter as he walked away.

And the child watched him retreating figure in silence.