CH 97

Chapter 97 – Exchanging Oaths

“Science… It’s different from skills, huh?” (Yofel)

“…?! Wait a second, did you just say skills?” (Bouchi)

“Eh? Yeah…” (Yofel)

“In your world, are skills something natural for everyone to have?” (Bouchi)

“R-Right… At the very least, us elves who have received the blessing of Yggdrasil have them.” (Yofel)

“….What is the blessing of Yggdrasil?” (Bouchi)

“Ah right, you don’t know about this. It’s a massive tree that reaches into the sky and provides us abundant harvests.” (Yofel)

“Abundant harvests? What does that mean, specifically?” (Bouchi)

“Enriching the earth, nurturing the forest, and keeping everyone alive. Because of its bounty, everyone can live in peace and abundance.” (Yofel)

“You mean, it protects nature? …I don’t get what you mean by it keeping everyone alive, though.” (Bouchi)

“Due to its blessing, we don’t get sick, and our injuries heal quickly.” (Yofel)

“Hoh, that sounds very convenient.” (Bouchi)

“And it bestows us the power of skills, which I mentioned earlier.” (Yofel)

“Bestow…? You mean that you receive your skills from Yggdrasil?” (Bouchi)

“That’s right. But occasionally, there are rare people who awaken a one-and-only skill, which is called a unique skill.” (Yofel)

“…?! By ‘awakened’, does that mean that it can’t be bestowed?” (Bouchi)

“Unique skills are like talents that a person originally possesses. Since only one person in the world can have this unique skill, the owner of a unique skill can’t be bestowed ordinary skills.” (Yofel)

…And I have one of those ‘unique skills’. Sure enough, I did remember seeing the word ‘awakened’ displayed on the screen when I got it.

‘Awakened’ meant that this was an awakening of a power that was already inside of me. It felt a little strange, but because of her words, I was able to figure out that the skill already existed inside of me from the start.

But I wasn’t from another world, and there was no such thing as Yggdrasil to begin with. Well… I don’t really care to clarify such things.

At any rate, it meant that there were a lot more skill users in this other world.

“…I’m guessing that you don’t know how to get back to your world, right Yofel?” (Bouchi)

“Ah, yeah. Also…” (Yofel)

“Also?” (Bouchi)

“…There might have been a child who came to this world with me.” (Yofel)

…I did remember her saying that she was searching for someone.

“Please, Bouchi! Please help me find my little brother!” (Yofel)

“…Little brother?” (Bouchi)

Yofel proceeded to tell me that she had a seven-year-old brother, ten years younger than herself. Before they came here, she had been out with him, picking wild plants. He had stayed by her side the whole time, but before she knew it, they found themselves in this strange, unknown land.

“Is there a possibility that your little brother didn’t come here and is still in your original world?” (Bouchi)

“No… My little brother is here.” (Yofel)

“What makes you certain of that?” (Bouchi)

“I can sense his presence…. Somewhere in this city.” (Yofel)

I wasn’t entirely sure, but it seemed to be the result of a special sense of perception.

“In my world, it’s said that there are occasionally ‘light pockets’ that form.” (Yofel)

“Light…pockets?” (Bouchi)

To that extent, it was a rare phenomenon in which people, no, not just people… buildings, living beings, and other various things were enveloped in light and disappeared.

“At that time, my little brother got wrapped up in the light with me. So he definitely…” (Yofel)

Yofel’s eyes were downcast, filled with sadness. It certainly would be quite worrying if one of your family members was sent to an unknown land. And he was only seven years old, after all.

“Milord, what should we do?” (Shiki)

As I was pondering, Shiki asked me for my answer.

“Let’s see…” (Bouchi)

To be frank, the information about this other world was substantial enough for me. I knew now without a doubt that the world she was living in and Earth were somehow intermingling with each other.

“Shiki, Sol. Do you also know about Yggdrasil, too?” (Bouchi)

“Sol has only heard of it.” (Sol)

“This one does not know much about it. If milord asks Izu-dono, she might know.” (Shiki)

Up until now, I hadn’t thought much about other worlds. But now that this situation had arisen, I felt that it would be best to know some information about other worlds.

“I’m begging you, Bouchi. I don’t know anything about this world. Naturally, I don’t have any knowledge of the land either. Nor do I speak the language. I need your help!” (Yofel)

Well… What should I do here…?

To be honest, I was intrigued by the existence of otherworlders. I also liked fantasy stories and wanted to know more about elves and other races. Not only that, I didn’t know if more beings like her would come to our world in the future. There was also a possibility that a powerful skill user would appear and confront us one day.

If that happened, I wanted to be in a position where I could take advantage of the situation.

But I had no obligation to help Yofel, and there were no direct advantages to me doing so at the moment. In that case, it might be better to check to make sure.

“…Sorry, but I don’t work for free.” (Bouchi)

“Eh…?” (Yofel)

“Give and take, Yofel. In change for my assistance, what would you be able to offer me?” (Bouchi)

“That… I don’t have anything to offer you though…! But if you find my brother, I’ll do anything! If you want, you can even do whatever you want to this body of mine!” (Yofel)

“Hey, come on. Don’t say anything rash now. In the first place, I’m not interested in your body.” (Bouchi)

“….Ah, is that so? Despite that, I’ve been wanted by a lot of men, you know?” (Yofel)

“…Are you playing easy to get?” (Bouchi)

“H-How rude! I’m still a virgin lady!” (Yofel)

Ah, so they probably said they wanted her when they were trying to court her or something. How misleading. For a second there, I was almost put off by the fact that she might have been one of those loose types.

“…! Then how about this?!” (Yofel)

With that, she pulled something out from the bag she kept at her waist and showed it to me. It was a stone that could fit in the palm of one’s hand. But it was something that I had seen before.

“Could this be… a dungeon core fragment?” (Bouchi)

“Ooh, you know about it! Are there dungeons in this world, too?” (Yofel)

So it really was a [Dungeon Core Fragment].

“If you have this, does that mean you can clear dungeons, Yofel?” (Bouchi)

“Despite my appearances, I’m actually quite a competent person, even among the elves. With my bow, I could even shoot a bee between the eyes.” (Yofel)

That meant she was strong enough to clear a dungeon. Moreover, she was capable enough to destroy the Core and obtain the shards. This was a big point where Familiars differed from regular beings.

Hold on a second. If I make use of her, I can clear multiple dungeons at once.

The [Dungeon Core Fragments] could be sold for a high price. Until now, only I could destroy the Dungeon Cores. But with Yofel here, it could be possible to obtain even more Core Fragments than before.

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But I can’t really trust humans….Huh? Wait, elves aren’t exactly humans in the first place, are they?

“….Yofel.” (Bouchi)

“What is it?” (Yofel)

“I can definitely help you.” (Bouchi)

“Y-Yes.” (Yofel)

“But unfortunately, due to my past, I’m not someone who can trust people.” (Bouchi)

“T-Then…?” (Yofel)

“Can you swear an oath to me that you will never betray me? If you do take this oath, you’ll work for me. Ah, but don’t misunderstand. All I want is your labor. In return, I promise to help you find your little brother.” (Bouchi)

After hearing my words, Yofel looked at me as if she was trying to ascertain my true intentions. Then, she took off the bow strapped to her body, dropped to one knee, and held it out in front of her.

“We elves will never renege on an oath. I swear on my bow that I will never betray you. So… please lend me your aid.” (Yofel)

These were just words and posturing. There wasn’t the slightest shred of persuasive or compelling power here. But she was an elf. Not a human. In other words, she was just like Sol and Shiki.

….It might be fine to see how it goes. Are elves the same as human beings in the end, or will they really stick to their word through thick and thin?

“….Fine. Then do your best and work for me to your fullest extent.” (Bouchi)

And thus, I acquired a new companion, although I still didn’t fully trust her yet.