亚洲国产综合精品中文第一

Chapter 29

Translator: FusionX

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What kind of situation was this again?

I shut my mouth.

Because that was the only thing I could do.

Of course, I had heard about her mother during counseling.

But I didn’t expect to meet her this soon.

However, no matter how you looked at it, it didn’t feel like a normal family reunion.

Rather, it was closer to the feeling of prey encountering its natural enemy.

Clara was looking at her mother with a very tense expression.

On the contrary, Clara’s mother was also looking at Clara.

But unlike Clara, her gaze was very cold.

Cold enough to give even me, who was next to her, the chills.

Unless one’s sense of perception was hopelessly lacking, one could immediately tell that the relationship between the mother and daughter was unusual.

The one who broke the silence first was, of course, the mother.

“I heard about it. The Royal Knights were annihilated, right?”

“They weren’t annihilated! We’re still here!”

“That’s what the world decided to call annihilation.”

It was true.

One didn’t necessarily have to use the term annihilation only when everyone was dead.

Objectively, the current Royal Knights had fallen to the point where they couldn’t function properly.

So it was correct to say they were annihilated.

Not only the commander and deputy commander, but even the members, only 3 of them survived, and one of them had even deserted.

Haha, I only recited it once, but it was more of a mess than I thought.

“The Royal Knights were veteran knights, even if they were rotten. Honestly, I’m just glad that you came back alive.”

“Are you looking down on me now?”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

“You’ve always been like this, Mother! Always trying to put me down!”

The conversation between the two was parallel.

Clara was at an age where she had just entered puberty in elven years.

However, her mother also had many oppressive aspects.

In fact, while conducting several counseling sessions, Clara always talked about needing to be recognized by her mother.

From a third-person perspective, it could be seen as an obsession.

It didn’t seem to be at the level of gaslighting.

But it was undeniable that it was abnormal family education.

As expected, she didn’t listen to Clara’s words and continued.

“Now that the Royal Knights are annihilated, there’s nothing you can do. It’s dangerous, so let’s go back to the forest now.”

“No, I won’t go back.”

“What?”

“There’s something I have to do. Until I fulfill that duty, I will never go back!!”

Clara’s voice was trembling with fear.

But as if to hide that fear, Clara shouted with all her might.

Then the elves showed surprised expressions.

On the contrary, I nodded my head next to her, as if impressed.

Of course, that’s how it should be.

I was worried about what would happen if she just followed her mother.

Here, as the commander, I’ll step up and persuade…

“Don’t tell me, did you just raise your voice at me?”

“Urk?!”

“Huh?”

“That can’t be, right? You, who lack but are kind, wouldn’t raise your voice at me, your mother, like that, right?”

Excuse me?

Your head is twisting at a dangerous angle?

I knew elves were flexible.

But no matter what, having your chin and crown form a left-right symmetry is a bit much.

I’m not kidding, for a moment I thought she was a real ghost.

Clara, who saw that appearance, also turned pale.

I understand, it’s scary even for me to see.

How much more so for Clara?

I wanted to say something, but I couldn’t.

Because my body froze after seeing that scene just now.

At that moment, Clara turned her head and looked at me for a moment.

“Commander…”

“…”

“Yeah, I get it.”

“…?”

I didn’t do anything, but what did she suddenly understand on her own?

Clara’s face was filled with certainty.

As if she believed that what she was doing was right.

She said,

“Sorry, I really can’t go back to the forest yet.”

“What?”

“At first, I just wanted to go back too. Even if it was for my comrades, for revenge. It was too scary.”

“Of course. It’s too heavy a burden for you, who are still young. So…”

“Age doesn’t matter. I’m a proper knight. The current commander taught me that.”

I see, so he taught you such a great set of values.

That person called the current commander.

Who might that commander be?

Oh?

Mother?

Why are you glaring at me?

“It’s you. The one who tempted my ignorant young daughter.”

“Mother, that’s…!!”

“You, be quiet. I’m talking to the commander right now.”

“…”

What?

Am I wearing a name tag that says I’m the commander?

How could you see through the fact that I’m the commander at a glance?

Why?

Because Clara looked at me, that’s why.

I took a deep breath to calm my confused thoughts.

Whatever happened, I couldn’t back down either.

I couldn’t let them take away more personnel when we were already lacking.

Speaking skills?

Could I really match her with speaking skills?

The other party was an elf who had lived for hundreds of years.

And on top of that, she was Clara’s mother.

Both in terms of justification and experience and speaking skills, she had the upper hand.

Honestly, what parent would just stand by and watch their child stay in a place where they know they might die?

Especially since the Royal Knights had already been annihilated once before.

“Judging by the sword you’re wearing, you seem to be a knight.”

“Yes, I currently hold the position of a knight.”

“Then this will be quick. Draw your sword.”

“Commander?!”

I was inferior in justification, speaking skills, and experience.

She wasn’t someone I could persuade by wracking my brain half-heartedly.

Then, I had no choice but to choose the method with the highest chances of success.

“I know about the previous commander. She was a truly strong and wise woman.”

“…”

“Can you really fill her shoes? Especially you, a mere human?”

Oh, she lightly brushed off the provocation.

Did she judge that I wasn’t even worth dealing with?

Damn it, I have no choice but to somehow lead this to a betting format.

I immediately retorted to those words.

“Seeing once is better than hearing a hundred times.”

“Indeed, for a human, you speak quite well.”

“I’ll prove it. Or do as you please.”

“Very well, we can settle this cleanly without any lingering issues.”

Fortunately, this time she accepted my provocation.

No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that she herself wanted it too.

Anyway, she must also have considerable pride in her own skills.

“My name is Cluna, the mother of this young daughter here. And I’m the guardian overseeing the Forest of Eden.”

“Guardian?”

“It’s a position that oversees the guardians. You can see it as one of the highest leaders in elven society.”

Clara.

Please tell me these things a bit earlier next time.

* * *

Death always comes suddenly.

It started with her husband first.

Although it was a political marriage, they were definitely a married couple.

And their relationship was very good.

However, that relationship eventually broke.

On the day the demons first appeared on this land, she lost her husband.

Just because her husband happened to be there when the gate opened.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault.

It was just bad luck.

Cluna rose above her grief.

Because if she didn’t stand firm, it was clear that her daughters would also crumble.

She had two daughters.

Among them, the eldest daughter was born with a talent that was not wasted on the words “once-in-a-generation genius.”

Her daughter always told her that she would become an excellent guardian too.

[I want to become an excellent guardian like you, Mother! So I want to protect you and my younger sister with my own hands!]

[That’s a wonderful dream. I will also do my best to help you.]

[Thank you! Mother!]

But her eldest daughter couldn’t keep that promise.

She, who had been an excellent warrior, always going ahead and fighting to protect her comrades, eventually encountered demons and died in battle.

The last time she saw her daughter’s corpse, it had torn limbs and traces of her intestines being rummaged through.

According to the doctor who examined the corpse, she had been alive until the end.

She died while experiencing the pain of having her limbs torn and intestines rummaged through while alive.

Those around her mourned her daughter as an honorable warrior.

But what good was that?

In the end, everything ends when you die.

All that remains is sorrow and despair.

That realization soon led to an obsession with family.

She strictly forbade going outside the forest.

She even made it impossible for them to have any interest in weapons, including swords.

Despite controlling them so strictly, her last remaining daughter eventually left the forest on her own and became a Royal Knight.

She had gone to a place where even Cluna couldn’t do anything about it.

Someone said,

How obsessed must she have been for her daughter to run away on her own?

It was true.

It was not the love of a normal family.

Rather, it was closer to a delusion.

But still, it didn’t matter.

No matter what anyone said, as long as she was alive and well, that was enough.

Because as long as you’re alive, you can do anything.

So she led her troops out of the forest.

Under the pretext of bringing back her daughter who had been stationed at Lionheart Fortress, where the Royal Knights were stationed.

And she kept waiting.

It wouldn’t be long now.

“You’re slow.”

A blade had come close to her neck at some point.

“Even at drawing your sword.”

A cold voice came from behind her.

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