Chapter 140

In front of the house of the Elven Elder, Elvandor.

Paras stood blankly, hesitating to knock on the door.

‘The Elder… no, Father, must already know that Leonardo has come. And he must also know why Leonardo has come.’

That’s right. The elder must already know everything.

‘So what I have to do for Leonardo is… persuade Father. To mobilize the Elves and help the Plank Kingdom.’

Though he thought that.

Paras honestly wasn't confident he could persuade Elvandor.

Because when he had previously told Elvandor something along the lines of 「“Let’s help Leonardo and fight alongside the human kingdom.”」, Elvandor had clearly said it.

That he would not help.

‘But that was when Father didn’t know much about Leonardo. Now that Leonardo knows the true meaning of ‘family’, he might think differently.’

Thinking hopefully, Paras knocked on the door.

Knock, knock—.

“Elder. It’s Paras.”

At Paras’s knock, the door opened without any particular response. As he entered through the open door, Paras cleared his throat.

“Ahem, Father. Your grandson is here, aren't you going to see him?”

Outside, he had politely called him ‘Elder’ so that other Elves could hear, but inside the elder's house, Paras called him ‘Father’.

“He’s at my house right now. My grandson even brought a wife candidate.”

“……”

“Father?”

At Elvandor, who was just staring out the window without answering his words, Paras raised his voice a little and asked.

Elvandor, who had been looking out the window for a while, slowly turned around and asked.

“Paras. Do you wish to help Leonardo, that child, and help the humans?”

Elvandor asked bluntly.

Paras, as if he hadn't expected Elvandor to ask so directly, was a little flustered but nodded his head seriously.

“Yes.”

“Even if I tell you not to?”

“I will still help. I have already decided so in my heart.”

“Why?”

“Because my nephew asked me, his uncle, for help. To help his other family, the people of his kingdom. That alone is reason enough for me to help.”

To help because they are family.

A sound argument.

“I see.”

Elvandor nodded his head and slowly sat down in mid-air. Then, at a moderate speed, wooden vines created a chair in mid-air, allowing Elvandor to sit on it.

“Alright. If that is your will, then do so.”

“……You won't stop me?”

“I will not stop you. It would be useless even if I did. You, who have a name that means ‘conviction’, have made up your mind, how could I stop you?”

Paras hadn't expected Elvandor to allow him to help Leonardo.

‘But if he’s allowing it… does that mean he’s allowing the entire Elf race to help Leonardo?!’

“Could it be that you, Father, have also changed your mind about helping Leonardo—!”

“No.”

Elvandor cut off Paras’s hopeful words.

“Do not misunderstand. I am allowing ‘you’ to help, not that all Elves should help Leonardo.

As I said, I will not be able to break your will.”

“……”

“All Elves live a life that befits their name. Since you have the name ‘Paras’, which means ‘conviction’, you will live a life that befits your conviction.”

“……Yes.”

“Your sister, ‘Victoria’, is the same. Since she had a name that meant ‘victory’, she never lost, in accordance with that name. That is, until she loved a human and died a lonely death.

That was an end far from ‘victory’.”

Elvandor’s voice was nonchalant, but Paras could tell.

That Elvandor was speaking with great, truly a great deal of thought.

Paras carefully interjected.

“Then will you also, Father… make a decision that befits your name? The decision of ‘responsibility’, which is the meaning of your name, ‘Elvandor’?”

“……”

“If you are to make a decision that befits the name ‘responsibility’, wouldn’t it be right to help Leonardo? A family member is asking for help—!”

Elvandor cut off Paras again, who was presenting an absolute logic to the Elves.

It was because Elvandor had no intention of debating or arguing with Paras.

“Not only Leonardo, but our entire Elf race is my family. This means I have many other family members to protect besides Leonardo.”

“……”

“Therefore, I cannot make a decision solely for Leonardo. The aftermath of the entire Elf race helping humans could be severe. We might have to be prepared to make enemies with all the monsters within the Plank Kingdom.”

Elvandor finished speaking quickly with a firm voice.

He slowly stood up from his seat. The light of the sunset was already streaming in through the window, and an orange light swirled inside the house.

“This is my final decision. I will not interfere with you helping Leonardo, but the other Elves will not.”

“……Understood.”

Paras answered with a displeased voice and turned his back. He opened the door and left the house without even a separate farewell.

Slam—.

Paras, who closed the door a bit roughly.

His feelings were plainly revealed in that action.

Coming out of the elder's house, Paras leaned his back against the closed door and let out a sigh.

‘What should I say to Leonardo……. He must be expecting a lot. Still, I should tell him to try and persuade Father himself one last time.’

Thinking that, Paras headed for his own house.

Perhaps because of the burden of having to deliver bad news to Leonardo, the path he always took felt unusually heavy to Paras.

***

Thud—.

Closing the Future Diary I had been reading for a long time, I looked at the crimson sunset and thought.

‘……I’m not sure.’

I had tried to find some hint in the diary, as I always had.

A hint to persuade the Elven Elder.

But there were no particular hints to be seen.

‘According to the diary, the Elven Elder seemed to have already decided not to help me. Is it possible to persuade such a person…… hmm.’

After thinking for a while.

I opened the diary to re-read a part that was bothering me a little.

The content was as follows.

…….

As I sat down, the elder spoke with his back to me, looking out the window.

“My name is ‘Elvandor lo Tera Roterion’. If you had been born in this village, you would have had the name ‘Leonardo lo Tera Roterion’.”

“Ah… yes. My full name is—.”

“‘Leonardo von Plank’, I presume. Just as my daughter abandoned the name Roterion and became ‘Victoria von Plank’.”

“……”

“Do you happen to know the meaning of the name ‘Leonardo’?”

The meaning of my name?

‘The meaning of a name? …I’ve never thought about it.’

“You don't seem to know.”

“Ah… yes. I’m sorry.”

“There is nothing to be sorry for. It is natural not to know if your mother did not teach you.

Then, let us get to the point.”

…….

The Future Diary rarely contained useless information.

So, for the content about ‘names’ to be included in such detail in the diary must mean that the meaning of my name plays an important role in my future.

‘The problem is that I don’t know the meaning of the name ‘Leonardo’…… would Paras know?’

As an aside, for some time now, various animals had been surrounding me and watching me.

From small animals like sparrows and squirrels, to quite large animals like… foxes.

None of them climbed on me or disturbed my reading of the diary, so I just let them be.

“Hoo.”

Just as I let out a sigh.

Click—.

The door of the house opened, and Paras came in. Yoanna, who was by the door, reflexively put her hand on her sword, but then took her hand off the hilt when she saw it was Paras.

Paras, whose eyes met mine, gave a bitter smile, then erased even that bitter smile and spoke.

“Uhm… Leo, let’s go see the elder first.”

“Yes.”

The time had come.

Without saying much other than a short reply, I followed Paras out of the house.

“Your Highness, I will go with you!”

“No, you get some rest.”

“No—!”

I closed the door without listening to Yoanna’s reply, who was trying to follow me. Then Paras asked with a forced cheerful voice.

“Isn’t that too harsh? To refuse a woman who wants to follow you so coldly.”

“Haha… I’m going to see the elder alone anyway. I thought it would be better to let Yoanna rest since she must be tired.”

“Alright.”

Though Paras smiled back at me, his smile lacked strength this time too.

It felt like he was being cautious around me.

As we were walking down the wooden stairs in silence for a long time.

I asked about the meaning of my name, which I had decided to ask while reading the Future Diary earlier.

“Uncle. This… is a bit of a sudden question, but is there any meaning to my name?”

“The meaning of a name?”

As if it were an unexpected question, Paras tilted his head and then answered with a smile.

This time, the smile was a genuine and powerful one.

“Among the Elves, the name ‘Leonardo’ is used to mean ‘gift’. It’s the Elven language. I don’t know what it means in the human world.”

“Gift… you say?”

“Yes. I don’t know why your mother gave you such a name, but I believe there must be a reason. To an Elf, a name is the purpose of one’s life.”

To an Elf, a name is the purpose of life… it was a bit of a difficult concept.

‘The meaning of my name is ‘gift’……. Why did she name me that? And what meaning does the name ‘gift’ have that it was mentioned in the Future Diary?’

I continued to think while following Paras’s back.

The closer we got to the elder's house, the less time I had to think, and my heart began to race.

‘According to the diary, the elder seemed to resent humans. He even said they were the cause of his daughter’s death. Hmm… how should I speak to persuade such a person to help humans.’

A short while later.

“This is the elder's house. Your grandfather's house.”

Paras said in front of a mushroom-shaped house in the center of the Elven village.

“Are you ready? To see your grandfather?”

“Yes.”

As I answered.

Paras knocked on the door and spoke.

Knock, knock—.

“Elder, I've brought Leonardo.”

At Paras's words, the door opened without any particular response.

This is the beginning. The beginning of the moment when I have to persuade the Elven Elder… without knowing what to say.

***

Elvandor.

As he saw the young Elf, the blond boy, entering his house, his heart felt heavy.

‘……He’s the spitting image of Victoria.’

His daughter, who was beautiful even among the Elves.

That blond boy, who had inherited his daughter's appearance completely, was certainly his grandson.

‘Most of all, his eyes… are so alike.’

Elvandor felt like he would cry if he kept looking at Leonardo's face.

So Elvandor forcibly averted his gaze. As if he had no interest in Leonardo.

Leonardo spoke to Paras.

“Uncle. I have something to discuss with my grandfather alone, so I’m sorry, but could you please leave?”

At those words, not only Elvandor but also Paras was quite surprised. It was unusual for a child to so boldly ask an adult to leave.

But since it wasn't a disrespectful remark, Paras calmly nodded his head.

“Alright, I’ll be outside… have a good talk.”

As he spoke, Paras bowed his head slightly to Elvandor in greeting and left the house.

“……”

“……”

A brief silence fell upon the house.

The first to speak was Elvandor.

“I heard from Paras. Soon, a monster army will advance on your kingdom, and you are seeking the help of the Elves to stop it. Is that correct?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

“Yes, I see. First, let me say one thing. The reason I invited you to my home is—.”

As Elvandor was speaking.

Leonardo cut him off and interjected.

“I believe the Elder invited me not because I am family, but because I am the king of humans.”

Leonardo, saying exactly what he was about to say first.

At those words, Elvandor unknowingly—looked at Leonardo’s face, which he had been unable to look at, and asked.

“……How did you know that?”

“Because I think I would have done the same if I were in the Elder’s position. No matter how much of a grandson I am, I am still one of the culprits who caused the death of your beloved daughter, am I not?”

“……”

“Although my mother did not die while giving birth to me, it is a fact that her body weakened due to the aftereffects of my birth.”

Elvandor had lived for over a thousand years.

But in all that long time, he had only seen one other Elf who spoke so boldly.

‘……He really resembles Victoria. Not just in appearance, but in personality and attitude as well.’

Elvandor, who had been staring blankly at Leonardo, turned his back to him and spoke.

“Even though you are young, you seem to be a ‘king’ indeed. To be able to think like that.”

“Yes.”

“Then this will be quick. I will not permit any Elf other than Paras to help humans. The reason I am making a special exception for Paras is… because I feel he would help you no matter how much I try to stop him.”

Elvandor felt it was for the better. Since Leonardo seemed to have a rough idea that he wouldn't help, he didn't have to go through the difficulty of saying it himself.

However.

“No, I still have much to say.”

The bold boy spoke again.

“I am certainly one of the culprits who caused the death of the Elder's daughter, my mother.

But at the same time, I also have another meaning.”

“Another meaning?”

“Yes. I am your daughter's ‘gift’. A ‘gift’ she left in this world, even at the cost of her own body weakening.”

“‘Gift’, you say……”

“Yes, that is the meaning of my name.”

Mentioning the meaning of his name, Leonardo continued to speak.

“I do not know why my mother gave me such a name. But thinking about it, there must have been several reasons. I might have felt like a gift to her, or it could have meant a gift to the kingdom as a queen.”

“……”

“And, it could also have meant a gift sent to her family, from her who had left her family. No… that reason is probably the biggest. Because to an Elf, family is more precious than anything.

A gift she wanted to proudly show to her family someday, when I had grown up splendidly.”

While Leonardo was speaking, Elvandor kept his back turned.

Therefore, Leonardo could not see Elvandor's face, but.

Drip—.

Tears flowed from the eyes of the elder who had lived for over a thousand years.

Tears that had been shed only a few times in his life.

‘A gift Victoria wanted to show to her family… that could be true.’

If he was such an existence.

‘I cannot not help.’

Elvandor spoke to Leonardo without turning around.

He couldn't bring himself to show his crying face to his young grandson.

“If you are the last gift Victoria left behind……”

“……”

“Yes, I will help you. What do you wish for me to do?”