I Picked Up the Hero Who Banished Me - Chapter 48



47 – [In the Land of Elves – 15]

Titania.

Originally, Titania had a name.

For example, even if Reina were to take Titania’s position, the name Reina Forest would still exist.

But the current Titania has no name.

According to records, she abandoned her own name with the resolution to discard all other roles besides being Titania.

Now, I wonder if she really had to go that far? But back then, Elvenheim wasn’t as peaceful as it is now, and the situation was completely devastated by war.

You couldn’t help but have a hardened heart, and you were forced to make firm choices, even if they were somewhat immoral.

It wasn’t just once or twice, it was every single day, so it was somewhat necessary to shed the heart of a human.

“A spiritist, and taking on quite a peculiar form at that.”

“You recognized it at a glance, you are impressive indeed.”

“You’re good at flattery, I wish my daughter had that kind of trait, but regrettably, I spoiled her too much.”

“…….”

Reyna had a strong personality, so in many ways, she clicked with Livia, but other than that, she wasn’t good at adapting to anyone.

The reason she was so wary of Livia might have been because, like an animal, she acknowledged Livia as being overwhelmingly superior to her.

Aside from Livia, she’d never been seen showing fear to anyone, and even Livia, they said, even when she was battered, was strong enough to pin down a monster by stabbing its eyes and neck with broken arrows.

Frankly, she didn’t want to defend her, but she couldn’t understand.

Leaving aside the other two, Reyna of all people shouldn’t have been acting that way, she thought.

But the last meeting had given her some insight into the reason.

No.

It was now Livia’s choice.

“Can you handle higher spirits as well?”

“If it’s fire and water… but it’s a rather special form, as you might guess.”

“I see, you must have had a hard time.”

From noble mtl dot com

It seemed like they already knew about my body.

No, it should be more accurately expressed as ‘noticed’.

They didn’t know, but upon seeing me, they seemed to have immediately understood.

The spirit core in my body right now was that of higher fire and water spirits, which was why I could handle fire and water far better than other elements.

It wasn’t about borrowing power, but becoming the spirit itself. The temporary burst of power it granted put me above any spirit mage, but the strain was immense.

That temporary firepower, I believe, could match even a high-ranking demon army officer, but the burden was so severe that I wanted to avoid fighting if I could.

“You’re excellent, considerate, and intelligent. …You weren’t present when the hero party visited Elvenheim.”

“You may have heard it from Reina, but I was exiled halfway through.”

“Yes, the hero at that time lacked a crucial capacity to consider others. What was truly righteous was irrelevant; he judged everything by a common sense of good and evil.”

“……”

“That was certainly justice, but it was undeniably twisted. The world is often filled with matters that are hard to classify as purely good or evil. Even if things deserve criticism, outright condemnation is often too difficult.”

“Especially in positions where choices must be made, wouldn’t you agree?”

Titania’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

“Forgive me, I’ve spoken as if defending myself.”

“No, I must ask you to forgive my own impolite words.”

“Come this way.”

“Here?”

It was an empty dining hall.

Part of it was due to the time not being mealtime, but it was also in a secluded corner, making it difficult for people to find.

“Oh, Your Majesty? You’re here again?”

She recognized Titania immediately, so she must come here often.

Even in that young form.

In other words, this female elf in front of Titania was undoubtedly someone she deemed trustworthy.

No.

Calloused hands.

No wasted movement.

This guy, was he a soldier?

His movements, honed by professional training, flowed so naturally, like the scent of battle hammered into his body over a long time, still lingering.

Maybe he was part of the escort guarding Titania back when he was a soldier.

“Oh? A human, I see? …Ah, you must be the guest we were expecting. Welcome.”

“Can I eat upstairs?”

“Like always, yes? Come on in.”

“Thanks. I’ll have the usual.”

“Okay~”

And so I followed Titania.

We went up the stairs to the second floor, where no one else was, and we sat down.

“The steak here is really good. I think you’ll like it.”

“Is that so.”

“Or, do you dislike it?”

“No, it’s fine. More concerning is the reason you wanted to see me.”

“You don’t have to be so tense. Just think of me as an elf, not Titania, and we’ll be fine.”

“Yes…”

Will I really be okay with that?

Titania looked at me, studying me as if observing something under a microscope.

“Do you know anything about me?”

“Only what’s written in the books.”

“Hoh, go on then, tell me.”

“…….”

What is this? Some kind of test?

I had nothing to lose, so I recalled the contents of the book I’d read.

“A war hero born during the war between humans and elves. Said to be a sharpshooter, hitting every target, you protected the elves in all kinds of situations, especially your feats in defense battles were dazzling.”

“Hmm.”

“Therefore, according to us humans, the consensus is that if it weren’t for you, the current Titania, the elves would have certainly lost the war.”

It’s true that Titania couldn’t have handled everything alone, since it was a war, but it was also true they had performed countless feats.

Depending on who wrote the book, there were even books that rated Titania as strong enough to be called “the elf’s champion”.

“And after the war was suspended, you became the new Titania, and implemented policies solely for the elves. The complete truce with humans was also a decision made for the sake of the elves, wouldn’t you say?”

“…….”

“After the war with humans was completely over, you didn’t hesitate to cooperate as a fellow race, and while not actively seeking interaction, you didn’t outright refuse those who came, living with as little friction as possible.”

“You know me well enough to make me look back at my own life.”

“And.”

“And?”

“You are still alive, looking young even though you have already far exceeded the life span of an elf.”

“…….”

Titania smiled.

“Don’t you know it’s wiser to know some things but not say them?” Most have doubts about it, but not a single one has asked me.”

“Was it impolite?”

“No, rather, I wondered why they *didn’t* ask. You’ve got a good eye for people, figuring I wouldn’t get angry if you said it, right? That’s why you spoke up, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, well… that’s about right.”

Titania stared at me with a calm expression.

Looking at her like this, she seemed more like Sylvie than Reina.

No, it’s not that Reina didn’t resemble her, but something about her aura felt more like Sylvie.

Sylvie was timid and trembled easily, but when she concentrated, that was almost gone and she was serene.

In those serene moments, her expression and eyes looked very much like Titania’s now, and I couldn’t help but see them overlap.

“You’ve been studying hard.”

“Reading books is my hobby.”

“Indeed, coming to Elvenheim, it wasn’t studying but something you always did? That’s why it felt so natural.”

“Titania, why did you want to see me?”

“Out of the three guests, you seemed like the easiest to talk to. …And also, it appears you’ve investigated the trees. From the moment I sensed you were a spirit mage, I considered the possibility.”

Titania spoke, naturally pouring water into a cup.

“More capable than I’d expected. That’s why I wanted to have a conversation.”

“What kind of conversation?”

“You’re seeing the World Tree as having a problem right now, aren’t you?”

“…”

“Do you think of me as some kind of puppet sitting idly in the castle? But since there’s no conclusive proof yet, it’s awkward for you to challenge me directly. Isn’t that right?”

“If you’re predicting even that far, then I’ll just be blunt. The World Tree is in a dangerous state right now. Isn’t it?”

“……Keep going.”

It felt like I was being tested again, but I couldn’t argue.

I let out a short sigh and continued.

“It’s not that you’re not giving us the World Tree’s sap, it’s that you *can’t*. If it’s that severe, then there’s a high chance that the core is causing problems. …Isn’t the World Tree dying in real-time right now?”

“……Your head works better than I expected.”

“Is that the correct answer?”

“There’s no need for me to say it myself.”

The World Tree is really dying?

What was the problem?

How could a tree blessed by a goddess, that has endured for thousands of years, be dying?

“Do you have any idea what caused it? This is a truly massive problem.”

“Well, yeah. For example.”

“For example?”

“Maybe it’s because someone wielding a holy sword came and, in order to deal with some absorption-type monsters, swung their sword wide and caused the World Tree a problem.”

“……Huh? Excuse me?”

“Actually, wounds of that degree wouldn’t be a huge issue normally. That slash merely made the problem surface faster.”

“……”

I went silent.

I feel like I’ve heard this story somewhere before.

A person had cleaved through every tree in sight with a single sword strike, all to deal with a soul-absorbing monster.

A person capable of such a miraculous feat.

A person who possessed a holy sword.

And this story…

“Livia…!!”

“Ah, the meal has arrived.”

“Yes, your steak is here! Be careful, it’s hot!”

“……”

As I stared at Titania, mouth agape, she chuckled with satisfaction and said,

“Now then, before we continue, let’s eat. A young one needs to fuel up. Isn’t the whole point of this to eat and live?”

My mind went blank.

So many theories and thoughts had been swirling in my head, but they vanished in an instant.

Uh, huh?

I mean.

What did you just say?