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The so-called empty house was managed by the Collegium, so we were handed the keys straight away. After asking for its location, both I and Lullus headed there.

The town’s streets were way less crowded when compared to Fraus, so the walk was nice and easy. And we also didn’t stand out, since everyone else here was an Elf as well. Or at least that was what I wanted to believe.

While walking alongside Lullus, I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the Elves. Their ears, for example. Seeing them move up and down just made me want to touch them.

It was the same as the feeling one got when they saw a Beastman’s ears and tail. It was irresistible.

“Ha!”
“Hyaaa?!”

(I see, I understand. So Lullus’ ears are quite soft.)

They weren’t sagging, so I assumed they had bones in them, but I couldn’t really confirm that. So I tried to touch mine and found them to feel a bit crispy. It was like there was cartilage inside.

This, in turn, made me think that it was Lullus’ ears that were irregular. After all, it couldn’t be mine since I was in an Elf’s body. In contrast, Lullus’ body was made using a strange power and was a mystery.

It looked like it was made using Mana, but it wasn’t exactly Mana. It was more like some kind of Spirit Power.

Looking and comparing both mine and Lullus’ ears, I had to give Lullus’ ears the prize for feeling better to the touch. It was then that Lullus noticed that I was staring. I shouldn’t have been noticeable, yet I’d been found out.

(It’s likely thanks to God’s overflowing aura…)

“Big sister, let’s stop with the touching for now.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s try and get to the house as fast as we can. We can talk there. Didn’t you say you didn’t want to stand out too much?”
“You’re right.”

I replied as I made my way to the house, bucking under the pressure of Lullus’ slightly cold tone.

◇◇◇

We eventually arrived at the house, which was built on top of a tree. There weren’t any ladders, so I lightly jumped and got inside.

The interior consisted of a single room with a bed placed in it, there was no bathroom, toilet, or kitchen to be found.

If this were a typical elven home, it would mean that the elves were an idol-like race that never used the bathroom, though the chances for that were very slim. I decided not to give too much thought to it.

“Master Finis. You look like you just came up with something strange again.”
“What do you mean by something strange? What is it? I’m always serious when I think about things!”
“So you’re seriously thinking about stupid things?”
“It’s just nice to get a reply even when I’m talking about random things.”
“You just called them random!”

This was nice. It was a feeling I just couldn’t replicate when I was alone. Having a companion like Lullus, who wasn’t even part of this world, made it even better.

Lullus seemed a bit overwhelmed by the situation, while I was silently hoping she’d just relax already. That aside, there was no sense in us lingering by the door, so I moved further into the room and sat down on the bed.

“So is touching an Elf’s ear that bad?”
“So you knew it was bad?”
“I made a promise, after all. By touching them, I’d directly violated one of the Elves’ taboos.”
“It’s not as bad as calling it a taboo, but I’ve heard that they’ll only let you touch them if you’re close.”
“So you could say we looked like lovers?”
“I’d say something along the lines of sisters that get along. And besides, even if you’re close, it’s not something you should do outside.”
“I’ll be careful from now on.”

I said and moved behind Lullus to enjoy her ears. I was starting to get hooked on this soft feeling. It wasn’t something that an ordinary Elf could give. They felt almost like mochi cakes.

“Speaking of which, is there anything else I should know about when dealing with Elves?” I asked while continuing to touch her ears.

“They’re usually very closed off and are wary when dealing with other races, but that shouldn’t apply to us.”
“Is it right to assume that they’re good with a bow and magic?”

I asked while continuing to touch.

“Yes. I’m impressed you chose those without knowing.”
“I use a bow because I can control my strength better. But if I fail to control my strength and let it rip, it’ll turn to pieces.”

As I continued to touch here and there—patting, prodding, and poking absentmindedly—Lullus eventually asked, “Are you having fun?”
“I am,” I admitted without hesitation.
“I see,” she responded, her voice calm but with a hint of amusement.

I guessed this was enough for now.

“Come to think of it, the Beastmen’s ears and tails are also a no-go, right?”
“Of course.”

That was unfortunate. I was certain that Lullus could conjure up a set of ears and a tail, so I decided to ask her to do so in the future. If I had a tail to squeeze while playing with the soft ears, I’d die happy.

All that was left to talk about today was the gatekeeper. I didn’t think he’d become an obstacle to us, but what he’d said at the gate still bothered me.

“Lullus, what did you think of the Elf gatekeeper?”
“What did I think? What do you mean?”
“If the Elves are closed off, wouldn’t it be strange that they let us in so easily just because we too are Elves? I shouldn’t be the one to say this, but we’re quite suspicious.”
“I cannot deny that… Why do you think about this, Master Finis?”

(Don’t answer a question with a question!)

I wanted to shout out, but I held back. There are moments when an immediate response comes naturally, but this wasn’t one of them. If I could hear her thoughts, I might be able to piece things together and take action. However, this wasn’t the kind of question that could be answered on the spot.

I was currently in position, waiting to grab onto Lullus’ ears, so I couldn’t see her face.

“There’s nothing much to think about. Then again, I do think that something is up.”
“I agree. Elves are long-lived, but their population is small, and their sense of camaraderie is strong. So I don’t think it was that strange of him to let us in. Maybe he just saw that you would be annoying to deal with Master Finis, so he just decided to let us in.”
“I suppose I should thank you for the compliment.”

Lullus’ words came with thorns attached to them, but they were also true, so I had no reason to deny them. I too wouldn’t want to deal with someone who suddenly proclaimed themselves the great archer Fini.

“Are you holding a grudge for what happened at the gate?” I asked.
“No. It was a good setting.”
“I won’t judge, no matter what you decide to do to someone. Wouldn’t it be fun to let loose and go all out?”
“It was entertaining to watch, I’ll admit, but I have no desire to get directly involved.”
“Are you afraid of standing out?”
“I do not, but I do have my pride as a steward of nature.”

So it was about pride. I’d already tossed mine aside somewhere. I was likely inside the Fraus castle, but it also wasn’t something that I could just go and pick up.

Still, I’d never expected Lullus to be this serious. With that in mind, I decided to ask her something.

“Say, Lullus. I’m not planning on rescuing the spirits in the shortest amount of time. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m aware. If you’d been serious about gathering the spirits in the shortest amount of time possible, you’d have already freed half. But I do not care about that. Besides, it’s not like we spirits get along with each other all that well.”

It felt good hearing that.

“One more thing. Do you think you can figure out if a spirit is about to disappear?”
“You can do that by just going to the kingdoms, no? Besides, I don’t think that any of them are so weak that they’ll disappear in just a few years.”
“I guess God will have to fulfill 6 wishes for me then.”

I said, grabbing onto Lullus’ ears and beginning to massage them while thinking about what to wish for.

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