NOVEL WEB Chapter 217
Chapter 217. The Freeman and the Homecoming
“Dad~”
Lalaila’s mother hugs Yaralai tightly.
“I’m back.”
“Yeah. Yeah~. Welcome back~”
Lalaila’s mother happily presses her cheek against him. The sight of Yaralai and Lalaila being hugged together feels somewhat ticklish.
After a while of this heartwarming scene, Mama finally notices us. Though it seems more like it’s thanks to the griffon that landed.
Cherina, with a pale face, moves to the base of a tree. Pretending not to see anything.
“Oh my~ Lalaila-chan~. Who are those people~?”
“Ah, they’re friends and companions of me and Dad.”
“So many~. Well then, everyone, please feel free to stay over~”
That’s generous, but isn’t it a bit too much for this many people?
“I’m going to greet the elder. Akira, come with me.”
“Huh? Got it.”
“The rest of you, Ruruil, take care of them.”
“Got it~”
I see, so the wife’s name is Ruruil. I might get the three of them mixed up.
Leaving the rest of the group behind, Yaralai and I head deeper into the forest.
It’s a well-maintained forest, and you can see how they live in harmony with nature.
“Oh! Isn’t that Yararai! You’re back!”
“Yeah.”
“Yararai!? Long time no see!”
“How was your training?”
“Who’s that next to you?”
“This year, we grew some new sugarcane. I’ll bring some over later.”
“Yararai, any souvenirs?”
“Hey, someone bring some ingredients to Ruruil’s house!”
“Any other guests? How many?”
“Alright, I’ll bring my珍藏的酒 over. You’ll be back home by night, right?”
Everyone we pass greets Yaralai with a smile.
Yaralai responds with light greetings and answers their questions.
Still, most of the elves’ outfits are quite fantastical.
The giant trees that cover half the view emit a faint light, so there’s no sense of oppression. We stand before an entrance carved into a trunk that could be mistaken for a wall.
“Elder, it’s me. Yararai. I’m back.”
“Oh? Come in.”
“Mm.”
“Welcome back. It’s been 50 years… no, 100 years?”
“It hasn’t been 100 years, I think.”
“Is that so? And who’s this human with you?”
“Akira. A friend.”
“Hmm. I am Doraran, the elder of this village. Pleased to meet you.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you. I’m Akira.”
The elder elf named Doraran is dressed similarly to Yararai.
He sits on a cushion woven from grass and pours wine into a wooden cup.
“Elder, about the beast.”
“Ah, that matter. A large beast has appeared on the Midar Mountain side of the forest. At this point, we don’t know much, but several human settlements have been wiped out.”
“I’ll help.”
At Yararai’s words, I nod in agreement.
“Your help would be worth a hundred men, but you just got back. Take it easy for a while.”
“But…”
“What? Warriors from each village are gathering to form a subjugation team. Even without you, it should be fine. For now, we don’t know when the beast will appear, so we’ll wait.”
“Understood.”
“But why did you bring this human here?”
“Akira is quick-witted. If there’s any complicated talk, I can consult him.”
“Hmm?”
“You might be overestimating him, but I won’t hold back on cooperation. After all, Yaralai is my life’s savior.”
“Oh?”
“You can forget about that.”
“It’s not something I can easily forget.”
“I see, I think I understand the relationship now. The guests will be staying at Yararai’s house, right?”
“I think so.”
If there aren’t enough rooms, we’ll use the camper.
“I’ll have some酒 brought over later. I’ll be here, so feel free to ask if anything comes up.”
“Yeah. I’ll take you up on that.”
After finishing the greetings, we return to Yararai’s house to find a large gathering of elves.
Many tables are set up in the open space in front of the house, laden with food and酒.
“Hey! Long time no see! How have you been?”
“Yeah.”
“I brought some 10-year-old wine! You like red, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Lalaila has become quite the beauty.”
“Hey, hey, Lalaila was here just the other day.”
“Was she?”
“No, but she does seem more mature now…”
“Hahaha! She’s not a child anymore, that’s for sure!”
The male elves are like this.
“Is there enough food?”
“More than enough. Everyone brings something.”
“Well, almost the entire village has gathered.”
“What about the elder?”
“He said it’s too tiring during festivals, so he’s staying home.”
“Hahaha! He’s getting old!”
“Lalaila! You managed to find that wanderer!”
“It’s thanks to Akira over there.”
“Akira? The one with black hair?”
“Hoh. He’s quite a handsome man.”
“But he’s human, right?”
“Even humans can be capable. And Yaralai is keeping him around. He must be quite the man.”
“That’s true.”
“How’s the young lady over there feeling?”
“Thank you. I’m doing much better.”
“Drink this fruit extract. It’s strong and good for motion sickness.”
“Thank you. Oh, this is delicious.”
“Don’t hold back, drink up!”
“I’ll gratefully accept.”
The women are like this.
As for the dwarves, who are supposed to be on bad terms with the elves…
“Alright, alright! I’ll fix everything!”
“You’re amazing, dwarves. We can’t match you when it comes to iron.”
“Hmph. I’m one of the best among dwarves. But I’ll take some酒!”
“Of course! Drink our proud酒 until you burst!”
“Hahaha! Then bring over as many pots and swords as you want!”
They seem to be having fun over there.
“Hey Akira, you’re back.”
“Yeah. I greeted the elder. We talked a bit about the beast, but it seems there’s a warrior team already, so it’s not urgent.”
“Hmph. Boring.”
“Apparently, they haven’t figured out the beast’s movements yet. It might be better to wait here for information.”
“I see.”
Hagg nods while throwing charcoal into the简易炉.
“Someone help with the bellows…!”
“I’ll do it.”
“Mm. Also, we need more charcoal! And iron!”
“Here you go!”
Among the pots with holes and broken rapiers, old nails are brought in.
“This can be fixed. This one’s hopeless. It’s just材料.”
Hagg skillfully sorts through them while gulping down酒.
“Hohoho! This is brandy! I wish they’d bring more of this strong酒!”
“Kukuku… I’ll join you.”
“Hey! That’s my酒! You sure have a good eye!”
“Kukuku. I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Hahaha! Lalaila’s guests are our guests! Bring over as much as you want and drink up!”
“Kukuku. I’ll gladly accept.”
“Really.”
Looking around, it seems only Faf, Yararai, and I aren’t working.
Yaralai is surrounded by elves, so it looks like only Faf and I aren’t doing anything.
…Maybe I should help.
But the elves are so efficient, there’s hardly any room to step in.
“Akira! Katsudon! Make some tonkatsu and blow their minds!”
“Tonkatsu again? Isn’t that a bit repetitive?”
“Hey! Don’t complain! Just make it!”
Come to think of it, I haven’t made it much lately due to budget constraints.
“Sorry, do you have any pork?”
“Yeah! We have some today!”
“Can I borrow some? I’ll cook too.”
“Oh? A man who cooks? Is that common among humans?”
“Not unless you’re a chef.”
“Use whatever you want from that pile!”
So, I ended up frying a ton of tonkatsu.
The men loved the katsu.
I don’t get why Hagg looked so proud.
“Now, let me try some elf cuisine.”
For some reason, it was a huge hit.
I don’t get it.