Martial Elf

“We have just been born, but we have no way to distinguish each other.”

“Since our mother created us, she should rightly give us names.”

The emotion of El-Priqion being pleased was conveyed to us.

It seemed that we were quite closely connected mentally as well.

“Surely, as a mother, I forgot that part. Will the other children be alright as well?”

Who could say anything against a mother giving her children names?

It was in line with the principles of the previous life that she knew.

Everyone nodded in agreement.

“My child born from my first peak, I will name you Demis, meaning you will lead the Elves and create and uphold the rules as the eldest.”

“My child born from my second peak, I will name you Atira, meaning you will lead your younger siblings and enrich everything as the second.”

“My child born from my third peak, I will name you Saraswati, meaning you will wisely interact with and benefit all beings as the third.”

“My child born from my fourth peak, I will name you Palas, meaning you will bravely protect everyone as the fourth.”

“My child born from my fifth peak, I will name you Anart, meaning you will love all earthly beings as the fifth.”

“My child born from my sixth peak, I will name you Elmony, meaning you must fulfill your role as the messenger of harmony, the inherent meaning of the Elves, as the sixth.”

After the first six names were given, all gazes in the ceremony returned to me.

“My child born from my seventh peak, I will name you Araya.”

The notion that love pierced directly into the soul.

However, I hardened my expression at its content.

It seemed my six siblings received names appropriate to their roles and meanings.

But in my case, it was just the name Araya without any accompanying words.

What was the reason for this?

It might be something trivial, but perhaps the experiences of my previous life left scars on my soul.

Even the will imbued with love became so deformed that I couldn’t help but doubt its authenticity.

“Why is this?”

Words that came out impulsively without deep contemplation.

Everyone seemed to have received their names without any questions, so except for Demis and Saraswati, everyone looked at me with surprised expressions.

Only Anart, even while being a child, seemed to ask with endearment.

“What do you mean?”

“…All my siblings received names that matched their roles. But I was just given a name.”

I looked at my petite body.

Surely, I resembled my siblings in being neat and graceful.

If there were no particular issues, my facial structure must have been similar to theirs as well.

“My body is small and weak compared to my siblings. I cannot find a robust body and muscles like Demis, Palas, or Elmony.”

My voice was accumulating fury.

“And also… I was born disabled. Is that why? Because I am a failure in your eyes, you do not even expect anything from me?”

If a sage from my previous life were present, they might say that overwhelming responsibility can bind one’s life and lead to a foolish life where the soul cannot be free.

But did I not feel this in my previous life?

The clan, the family had no expectations of me.

I was destined to die before even reaching maturity due to a fatal condition.

Just barely surviving my childhood was a significant fortune.

Despite achieving remarkable results in martial arts knowledge with an advanced crown chakra through extraordinary senses, I was ultimately destined to leave their side shortly after.

A person who is unwelcome anywhere and doesn’t belong anywhere feels lonely.

In this new life, I was being forced into such a calamity again.

Yet despite my frustrations, the atmosphere around me was peculiar.

The males mostly wore baffled expressions, while the females had… a somewhat nuanced look.

And I sensed a strange feeling.

But soon, a warm emotion was conveyed.

“The reason I haven’t assigned you a mission is not because you are lacking. Unlike your siblings, I deliberately did not define your mission.”

“If so, then what is the reason?”

“This world, newly created, is still chaotic and filled with emptiness. While it is right to establish foundational pillars and define purposes, the future world is difficult to predict even with the powers of me and my siblings.”

“Since the future cannot be predicted, we need the chaos that holds the potential to become anything. Unlike your siblings, your essence has yet to be defined.”

“Thus, unlike your completed siblings, you only carry potential and possibilities, meaning you can become anything. Your appearance as a child is the manifestation of that potential.”

“…I understand that my mission has not been defined. But… why am I disabled?”

“Ha!”

A scoff escaped from beside me.

When I glanced at the source of the sound, Anart was beaming with crescent-shaped eyes and a smile.

Ignoring my furious glare, she was smiling brightly.

The woman who should carry love indeed seemed very frivolous.

The martial world I experienced in my previous life was a rough one.

Since swords have no eyes, when fighting for life and death, many would get injured in places they shouldn’t, thus becoming disabled.

One of the prohibitions for men in the martial world, or indeed in the history of humanity, was to mock lack of hair or laugh at any form of impotence, was it not?

Even if born from a divine being, am I still just a woman?

It was incredibly rude and foolish.

“Hmm…”

Indeed, El-Priqion also seemed taken aback by this matter.

After all, how could a being of such caliber give birth to a disabled child?

Fortunately, the being before me was not an ordinary human but something truly divine.

A being that blossomed flowers to create us and shed its leaves at that moment to create additional Elves.

And since the love for one’s children was genuine, she would certainly bestow something splendid, even if not like her siblings.

“My child, Araya.”

That seldom seen tone of difficulty.

Could it be…?

“You seem to consider yourself disabled, but that is not the correct thought.”

“…What!?”

“I cannot ascertain why you think that, but at least I made sure to achieve perfection when shaping your bodies.”

“If so, what is the source of my frailty?”

“As I said earlier, that appearance is the form of childhood that holds potential. I created you in such a way because I do not know what you will become… In any case, the direction you desire is not one anyone wishes for or is right.”

“…Are you telling me to live with a disability?”

“How could I possibly impose such a calamity on my children? I do not know what source your misunderstanding arises from, but if you claim to have that sort of disability, then it would not be a disability but rather barrenness.”

An emotion of compassion was conveyed.

Just as I was about to open my mouth, asking what the difference was between disability and barrenness,

“…”

“……”

“……?”

My thoughts momentarily halted.

“Uh…uh…?”

“Araya. You were born a girl. That means you are my daughter.”

“If you wish for something as grand as your sisters, I cannot say, but wishing for something like your brothers is quite confusing as a mother.”

I instinctively looked down.

I brought my hands to the spot where my own had originally been, or rather, slightly below that.

…A crack could be felt.

A form I had never experienced in my past life.

And in that moment, if my consciousness indeed existed physically, a crack would have been added.

‘Why… why did this happen?’

I recalled Anart’s laughter and the bewilderment of my siblings.

Indeed, it makes sense; it was as if I were questioning my parents why a girl like me had no phallus.

It was something that could be understood with little thought.

I was reincarnated, and while I do not belong to the bestial realm but rather humanity, it does not mean I must always be born male.

‘But… but…!’

Looking down at my own body, I realized it was that of a child yet devoid of breasts.

Based on past experiences, women, regardless of size, had breasts that protruded; thus, I had naturally thought I was male…!

In my previous life, due to my frail body, I had no experience even trying to leave descendants, and I was utterly ignorant about gender aside from mere printed words, which led to this tragedy.

Cold sweat trickled down my back.

My body, sensitive with embarrassment, began to feel the gazes I had been ignoring due to anger and frustration.

As I slowly turned my head, the Elves, born from the leaves, were watching our conversation with expressionless faces.

“Araya, it seems you have realized something; has your confusion been resolved?”

“Y-yes…”

“Oh dear, it seems you were quite shocked. Anart, can you take care of Araya?”

Seeing my white skin turn red, trembling with shame, I asked Anart.

“Of course. Mother, she is my younger sister.”

With a bright smile, she gracefully leaped from her blossom to gently land on my flower bud.

Had I been in my right mind when I saw her, I would have been captivated by her fairy-like appearance, but the shame left me out of sorts.

“Well, it seems I have completed everything I needed to do. From this day onward, I hope you will cultivate this world into something more beautiful as my children.”

“Please, as per your wishes, Mother.”

In response to El-Priqion’s intent, along with my siblings, all the Elves kneeled down, looking towards El-Priqion.

I, however, simply closed my eyes.

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