Frieren 16

Title: The Gap Between Reality and Expectations

After a long journey, Ash finally found the legendary elf village using the map, but…

“Is the difference from what I imagined too vast?”

Deep within an ancient forest, the hidden elf village seemed forgotten by time.

It lay quietly in a serene, open clearing, surrounded by dense, ancient trees. Sunlight pierced through the thick canopy, casting varied shadows that shrouded the place in a mysterious, slightly gloomy veil.

The elves’ stone houses were scattered randomly across the clearing. Though not luxurious in appearance, the interiors… were just as plain as the exteriors. There was no simple beauty, only simplicity.

The stone houses’ roofs were covered with moss and vines. Time had left diverse marks on them, as if telling tales of brutal growth from the past.

The windows and doors were small and somewhat dilapidated, yet no one bothered to repair them.

The elves scattered about were also dressed very simply, almost like refugees… If not for their clean clothes, these plainly dressed villagers were practically indistinguishable from refugees. They looked like utterly ordinary medieval villagers.

They all seemed listless, casually going about their tasks. There were no children or elderly… though even if there were, Ash wouldn’t have been able to tell.

Serie’s eccentric personality, as a petite elf, had already shattered Ash’s perception of elves.

After all, elves in stories were usually stunningly beautiful and elegant. But in reality…

“…Why is reality so different from the stories? This village is dilapidated and lacks beauty. These people are total dream-crushers, aren’t they?”

While lamenting his shattered dreams, Ash looked around and spotted a small elf among the crowd. She seemed to be the strongest among them.

The elf’s figure was graceful, her silky silver hair cascading to her waist like a waterfall, shimmering with a soft, mysterious glow like moonlight.

Her long elegant ears exuded spirituality and grace. Her emerald eyes were deep and radiant, unforgettable.

Though only about 1.5 meters tall, she had an indescribable petite beauty. Every movement of her hands was nimble and cute, making people unconsciously feel fond of her.

…Alright, that was just his imagination, embellishing the image of elves he’d read about in stories.

In reality, though the elf had waist-length silver hair, long ears, and emerald eyes, her body was very small, and her chest was flat.

Her only redeeming feature might be her fairly cute face… but she was a petite girl. Ash wasn’t a pedophile. Clearly, this didn’t meet his expectations.

As Ash quietly felt depressed, the elf seemed to notice his gaze and approached, frowning:

“…Who are you? Why are you sighing while looking at me?”

“Just a passerby.” While speaking, Ash couldn’t help sighing again: “I was just thinking about something sad, don’t mind it. Anyway, I’m a good person.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yeah.”

“Really a good person? Your aura’s a bit strange, and… your killing intent is very obvious.” The girl pointed at his face and asked bluntly, “Are you actually a fugitive?”

“Do I look like that kind of person?”

“I don’t know, maybe?”

“I’m actually a general from a kingdom.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I’m actually on the run.”

“On the run…?” The elf girl was slightly surprised: “Really a fugitive? But why?”

“Because I want to learn magic.”

“Want to learn magic?… You seem pretty strong for a human, don’t you? Though I haven’t met many humans.”

“You seem strong too. Can you teach me magic?”

Though she clearly wasn’t as strong as the two people Ash had met before, as a long-lived elf, she likely had her own unique magic. As he spoke, Ash pulled two gold coins from his pocket: “As payment? Is that okay?”

“…” The girl glanced at the money in his hand, then slowly shook her head: “We don’t use money here.”

“That’s troublesome.”

“But you can trade with hunted game instead.”

“Oh, I’m great at hunting.” Ash smiled, then extended his hand to the girl: “My name’s Ash, and you?”

“Frieren.”

“Then, please help me, Miss Frieren.”

“Hmm.”

Frieren nodded coldly, then walked toward one of the stone houses without intending to talk more.

Though slightly disappointed, Ash didn’t mind too much. He was just a bit confused about what to do next.

But Frieren paused, turning back: “What are you doing standing there?”

“Uh… I’m thinking about what I should do now…”

“Come here.”

“???”

“Edna’s house has been empty for a while. She won’t be back before you die, so you can use it for now.” Frieren raised her hand and pointed to a building covered in vines.

“…You’re exaggerating. But how long is ‘a while’?”

“About thirty years?”

“…That’s really ‘a while.’”

Like saying ten days is half a month, Ash couldn’t help clicking his tongue. But he looked around and asked: “By the way, you guys must be pretty laid-back, right? Why don’t you fix up this place?”

“It’ll just get ruined again, too much hassle. As long as it doesn’t leak, it’s fine.”

“…How long is ‘again’? Never mind, I can probably guess.”

Ash covered his forehead with one hand, trying to adjust his mindset.

Though he was also a long-lived race, he still wasn’t used to the elves’ unique perception of time… But for now, he settled in this elf village, which could hardly be called welcoming—or not.