"Yuuji-nii, are we going to study today too?"
"No Alice, today I'm thinking about hearing stories of the elven village from Riese"
"Waah! Alice wants to hear them too!"
"Okay, okay. Then she'll do it while I interpret it, okay?"
"Oka~y!"
Winter day, Yuuji, Alice and Riese finished their dinner and bath time after finishing today's pioneering part.
Incidentally, currently Yuuji was not taking a bath together with Alice.
Taking a bath with Riese was her favorite.
Ever since Riese was here, it had been lonely baths for Yuuji alone. Well, he brought Kotarou from time to time however. Being alone is lonely after all. No, that was not it, it was to wash Kotarou who had dirtied herself from running around outside.
'Riese, today I want you to tell me all sorts of things about the elven village. Would you be fine with that?'
'Uhmm, anything besides the location is okay! I'll tell you all sorts of things! Riese knows everything after all!'
Puffed up in pride, Riese answered Yuuji. Incidentally, Riese could not go back because she did not know the location of the elven village. It was impossible for her to tell them the location and she did not know everything. She was an ostentatious lady.
'Do all the elves have long life after all? Do you know how old your dad and mom are, Riese?'
'Riese is now twelve years old! Father and mother said they gave birth to Riese while they were unusually young! They were told by the elders that they were young and thoughtless! But Riese is cute so it is fine, they said'
Perhaps happy being asked about her hometown, Riese was answering with a face full of smiles.
'That's true, you're cute so mom and dad must be proud. Riese, how old is your mom and dad? And the elders?'
'Uhm, let's see, Riese thinks father and mother are around a hundred and twenty years old! The elders are... they said they stopped counting after five hundred!'
'... Seriously? So hundred twenty years old is young? On top of that, five hundred years old and older you say...'
It appears that the elves of this world were the long living types. Nevertheless, it was quite the rough story.
"Uwaah, elves live long, don't they! I wonder if Alice-chan is going to live very long too. It's amazing, right Yuuji-nii"
Alice listened to Yuuji's interpretation and was amazed.
Kotarou too was barking. As if she was saying Amazing, I wonder what happens with the telomere. No, it must have been our imagination. Kotarou was not supposed to have such knowledge. She was a dog.
'In that case, they should have a lot of various things they know of then... Riese, could I go to the village and ask them about various things too?'
'Uhm... I won't know if I don't try asking them though...Riese thinks they would probably let you enter the village, Yuuji-nii'
"Yes! ... Yes? Why would they let me enter? Is it because I saved you Riese? What about Alice then?'
'I- I guess, it's because you saved Riese! Riese will ask them to let Alice-chan enter too!
Yuuji-nii probably thinks it's like that, but... W- well, if he listens to him who's living outside, he'll understand so it'll be fine for now I guess'
Riese answered while averting her eyes. It appears there was a reason she wanted to guide Yuuji to the village. As a result of her muttering the latter half in a tiny voice, it did not reach Yuuji's ears.
Kotarou, who picked up Riese's tiny voice, barked once. I'm not sure, but well, it doesn't seem to be something bad so it'll be fine, is what she seemed to be saying. It did not seem like Riese was hiding that she had ill will.
"Really!? We can probably enter the village of the elves! It's amazing Yuuji-nii, it's an adventure, right!?"
Alice smiled delightfully.
Alice had been studying the japanese language for about three years now. Perhaps because of her efforts, she had reached the point to understand lower grade elementary school level of japanese words and writings. Enough for Alice to now read and digest children's books left behind in Yuuji's house. But then again, Kanji was still a mystery to her. That could not be helped. The local language Alice constantly used were the type of language that uses phonetic symbols. She was not readily able to get used to kanji which are ideograms.
Alice's favorite after picking up the japanese language was the El**r's adventure series. Due to Yuuji and Sakura getting addicted to the series, their parents had left them behind. Alice seems to be old enough to want to go on adventurers.
'Riese, how is the elven village like? Is it after all like, an Yggdrasil-like tree is at the center and everyone are all vegetarians who won't eat meat?'
'Igdrasil? Vegetarian? Riese is not sure, but... there's lots of big trees in the village, but Riese doesn't think there is an Igdrasil? Everyone likes meat, you know?'
'O- ooh, is that so...'
'That is so. Everyone does bow training and hunting! The hunted preys will be eaten with the whole family! And then we turn their pelts into clothes and carpets, thank the forest for their blessings and use them with great care'
'So they're not the vegetarian version... Could it be natural that they hunt if the bow is their main weapon?'
Yuuji tried to convince himself while tilting his head. In the first place, Riese had been eating the same thing as Yuuji and Alice. It was a little late for the question whether or not they were vegetarian.
Next to him, Kotarou was making barking sounds. Is that so, I can get along well with elves, is what she seemed to want to say. She was a carnivorous female.
"Ooh, really! Alice likes meat too!"
Alice delightfully stated, perhaps because they liked the same food. She was a carnivorous female.
'Uhm... Ah, that's right. Riese, can all elves use magic? It looks like there's a few human beings who can use magic though...'
'Yes! Riese did get praised by mother for having fully fledged skill in magic! All the elves are good in magic, you know. I heard that humans are poor at magic and can hardly use it, but...'
While saying so, Riese looked fleetingly towards Alice. And then she looked at Yuuji.
The earth magic that was used in the irrigation ditch construction. And then Alice's fire magic and Yuuji's light magic that was used sometimes, calling it training. The power and intensity of them were shocking to Riese, who had heard that humans were poor at magic.
'Ri- right, looks like it. Never mind me... Alice... I wonder what it is with her'
Yuuji said and looked at Alice with somewhat worn-out eyes.
Alice blankly tilted her head.
Kotarou tapped Yuuji's foot with her forelegs. No worrying about it, you will lose hair Yuuji, is what she seemed to be saying to comfort him.
'Yes, Alice-chan's fire magic is a little wonderful. But it's not like Riese can't do it, you know! There are a few elves who are good in fire magic!'
'That's true I guess. Ah, that's right Riese! Could you teach me magic I wonder? I don't quite understand it even when I asked Alice, so...'
'Eh? Okay, Yuuji-nii. Riese is already a lady so she can teach magic too!'
While showing a smile she could not hide, Riese agreed to teach Yuuji magic.
Riese was the youngest in the elven village. There were a great number of things she was taught of by the adults, but teaching someone something was for Riese a valuable opportunity.
"Let's see, what should I start teaching from" She said, immediately in high spirits. She was proud. What is a lady?
"Yes!" Hearing from Riese that he could have her teach him magic, Yuuji made a triumphant pose.
Kotarou jumped around at the place, expressing joy with her whole body.
It appears one man and a dog seemed to be dissatisfied with professor Alice's magic lecture.
"Yuuji-nii, Kotarou, what's wrong?"
"Eh? Ah, no, it's nothing Alice! Yup, I think you're fine as yourself!"
"Hahaha" Yuuji pat Alice's head while laughing as if to gloss over it.
It seems he could not tell her that "the lesson was difficult to understand, so we're switching teachers!"
As if to approve of the scaredy-cat Yuuji, Kotarou nuzzled against Alice. It was a tactic to both please Alice and diverting Alice's consciousness.
"Geez, it's ticklish, you know Kotarou," while saying so, Alice stroked Kotarou. The crude strategy of a man and dog seemed to have been a success.
Thus Yuuji, while gaining information on elves, lived through the second half of the fourth year in the other world and finally discovered a teacher in magic.
No, there was one though.
It was "Go nice and warm and then go gugu and then ei!"
It appears professor Alice's magic lecture was an unpopular course.
With the exception of the visuals.