In the morning, I woke up in the light of the sun.
There's something soft hitting my left arm. A half elf beauty was sleeping in my arms hugging me.
My wife, Tina.
Tina, who usually wakes up earlier than me and prepares breakfast, was still asleep today. Now we are in the Elf Country of Alheim.
I am invited to the royal castle there as a guest.
So the maid who serves the royal castle will also prepare breakfast, so I'm going to put Tina to bed a little more.
Because yesterday I wore a dress or something that I wasn't used to, and I seemed tired. It reminded me of Tina's wedding dress.
It was really beautiful.
I think I should have complimented you more. I regret a little that I was seen and didn't get the word out.
I saw Tina sleeping next to me.
She looked beautiful in her wedding dress, but Tina sleeps beside me like this is so cute. I stroked Tina's head.
"Huh."
Tina raised an adorable voice.
Looks delighted.
Lovely.
I want to do this all the time.
─ ─ But that time was soon over.
Concon and the door were knocked. The castle maids are here to wake us up.
"Breakfast is ready. Can you come?
"Yes, I'll go"
When I replied, the maid left the room.
Tina, wake up.
"Mm."
I let my face dive into the futon to dislike it.
Maybe Tina's awake.
So...
"You're hungry, now that Tina's awake, I can go out for dinner, so I thought I'd kiss you on the reward, but..."
Bassa.
Tina looked up as she rolled the futon with momentum.
He has his eyes closed and his lips sticking out a little.
I gently touched that lip.
"Morning, Tina"
"Good morning, Master Hart"
"Breakfast is ready."
"Okay. I'll get dressed soon."
When I got dressed and went outside the room, the maid who came to wake us was waiting for us. The maid took me to the room where the breakfast was prepared.
"When breakfast is served, Your Majesty wants to speak to you both."
What is it?
I had dinner in a bit of a hurry.
It was delicious.
I thought the elf rice tasted thin, but it was usually delicious. Speaking of which, I've probably been used to the thin flavor because I've been eating Tina's dishes, which are half elves.
Now put that down, it looks like King Elf is calling, so let's go.
─ ─ ─ ─
I came to King Tina and Elf's office.
"Good morning, you've come a lot"
"Good Morning"
"Good morning. I heard you wanted to talk."
"That's right. Well, sit over there."
King Elf urged me to sit on the couch for visitors. King Elf sat on the couch facing each other.
"Just now, aren't you willing to be a nobleman of this country?
"Nobility, is it?
"Tina is originally the daughter of the Viscount family in this country. But when the nation found out that Tina's father was dead, Tina was enslaved, so there was no title inheritance, and the Halibel family has been taken."
At the time, if Tina hadn't been enslaved, it seems Tina would have been a Viscount.
"So, as a nation, I would like to give the title again to Tina, the hero who destroyed the Demon King, but what do you think?
"I don't want to"
Tina responded instantly.
"... can you tell me why?
"First of all, I'm not interested in power. And if you get territory, you won't be able to run it well."
"I can make you an honorary nobleman with no territory."
"Still, nobles will be asked for what they deserve, won't they? For example, being driven out to war."
Power comes with obligations. If we are to gain territory and control it, for example, we must pay the State some of the profits obtained as taxes.
In the case of honorary nobles who do not have territory, they must, for example, provide the country with the force of war. We don't have men, we need to go to war ourselves.
"My husband is Master Hart. If you can order anything from me, it's just Master Hart. So I will not be a nobleman."
"So, how's Hart?
"Is that me?
I'm the Earl's three men, so if I get married and get out of the house, my family name will be lost. However, I think I can get support from my parents.
I won't have any trouble with my life. I'm going to be an adventurer if I have to, defeat the demons and live. I can easily imagine criticism coming from an elf nobleman where I became the nobleman of the Elf country in the first place.
"I don't need a title either."
I declined King Elf's offer.
"Right, so, what do you want from this country?
I am not sure what King Elf intends.
"There's nothing in particular that you want me to do... do you want to negotiate with us?
"We want your protection. I promise I'll give you whatever you want for it."
We can't give you that.
"I'm not talking about the kind of protection the Spirit gives. I want assurances that you will be the enemy of this country."
"I don't think we'll ever be enemies of this country, home of Tina,"
"But Hart is a man. And some people crave the world tree that our elves protect."
Here's what King Elf said. In a long history, there have been times when people have waged war on the Elves in search of world trees.
Each time, the Elves have defeated the people and continued to protect the world tree. But with Tina tied up with me, there's a chance that Tina's on the people's side.
Whether you're dealing with a hero who has crusaded the Demon King, and a great army of demons, Tina-Harribel, who is powerful enough to win alone, could be your enemy.
"In addition to Tina, this country will perish easily if Hart, who is equal to Tina and no more powerful, becomes an enemy"
King Elf bowed his head to us.
"You get only one leaf of the world tree every year - and I will continue to dedicate this to you in the future. So please, protect this country. I want you to promise me you won't be the enemy of this country."
Tina and I met face-to-face.
"I hated this country."
Tina speaks to King Elf.
"An elf who killed your father and mother. I hated this country. When I got the power one day, I also thought about avenging it."
King Elf's body trembles. Tina now has the power to just take revenge.
"But now I'm not thinking about that at all. The vengeance was taken by Salion, and the wounded heart was healed by a certain brave man. And now, there's Master Hart."
"So, then."
"I promise not to attack this country"
"If Tina says so, so do I."
"Thank you! So, the leaves of the world tree as consideration"
"In that case..."
As I tried to speak, the wind broke into King Elf's office.
"Oh, Hart, you were here."
"And Master Silf!!
Silf showed up.
"King, do it! Have a treat yesterday. It was delicious."
"Well, that's above all."
"What are you doing here?
"You said you weren't giving Hart his wedding. Yes this! World Tree Leaves!!
Silf was given more than a dozen leaves.
They say it's all the leaves of the world tree.
…………
King Elf watched my hands solidify with super rare items (leaves of the world tree) on them in large quantities.
"And yu, so you don't need the leaves of the world tree. Oh, but don't worry, I'll keep my word."
Afterwards, I was about to be pushed with all sorts of treasures by King Elf, but I refused them all.
At the end of the day, he even told me to concubine Rifa.
Of course I politely declined.