Volume 2, Chapter 32 – Silver Village

“Hmm. I shall express my gratitude for helping my kin. Saint Candidate Fiene Argentata-dono and Holy Knight Christina-dono. I am Ingolvina, the elder of this Silver Village, and this is my son, Bjorgolfur.”

“I am Fiene Argentata. Beside me are Christina, Liera, and Lumia. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

An absolutely stunning beauty had just introduced herself as an “elder,” but I couldn’t shake the feeling of cognitive dissonance.

And the handsome man who had shot arrows at us was apparently the elder’s son.

Since they’re Elves, I assume they’re long-lived, but I wonder just how old they actually are?

“Liera, and Lumia as well. If you have no village to return to, I shall permit you to reside here.”

“Thank you very much.”

Alright, objective one cleared. Now all that’s left is my own goal.

“Fiene-dono and Christina-dono, I shall permit you to stay in this village as guests. Is there anything else you wish for me to do?”

“Yes. I heard about it from Lumia, and I’m interested in forming a contract with a spirit.”

“Hmm. I see. So, it is correct to assume that Fiene-dono possesses the Unique Skill Spirit Summoning, yes?”

“Yes.”

“However, it is quite difficult for those who were not born and raised in this land to contract with a spirit. Furthermore, you are surely not a pure member of the Elf race, are you? Even if you possess Spirit Summoning, whether or not you can actually form a contract is another matter. Tell me, Fiene-dono. Who exactly are you?”

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Who am I, huh? That’s a difficult question. I thought for a moment before answering.

“I am a Vampire, but for some reason, things just played out so that I’m acting as a Saint Candidate.”

I figured it’d be better to be upfront about it, so I told her the truth.

The moment I did, Ingolvina-san and Bjorgolfur-san both widened their eyes, opened their mouths, and leaned forward slightly.

Their expressions looked like they were about to say, “Hah?”

After staring at me with exasperated looks, the two of them exchanged a glance.

Then, looking somewhat irritated, Ingolvina-san spoke.

“Hahaha, you seem quite fond of jokes. There is no way a Vampire—a member of the Dark Race—could walk under the sun in broad daylight and remain unharmed. Moreover, those Holy Vestments should be a deadly poison to any Vampire. Fiene-dono, what on earth have the humans done to you?”

“Uh, what do you mean, ‘what have they done’?”

“Hmm, so that’s not it. Tell me, you also possess the Unique Skill Beautiful Looks, do you not?”

“Yes.”

“Those slightly short but pointed ears, and the fact that you were granted the Elf race’s Unique Skills, Spirit Summoning and Beautiful Looks, by the gods… In other words, that’s proof that Elf blood runs through your veins.”

I see. So Spirit Summoning and Beautiful Looks were Unique Skills of the Elf race. Come to think of it, I feel like Lu-chan mentioned that about Spirit Summoning.

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“Furthermore, you possess hair and eyes of the same color as the High Elves of my village. Therefore… it is certain that there was a High Elf from my village somewhere in your ancestry, and you are a genetic throwback.”

Oh come on, I’ve been hit with the throwback theory here too. Wait, huh? Does that mean…?

“Um, does that mean the only Elves with my combination of hair and eye color are in this village?”

“Indeed. Precisely. You are quite sharp. And even if we were to grant, for the sake of argument, that you’re some special kind of Vampire, it would still be impossible for you to have those eyes.”

Huh? What does that mean?

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Hmm. It seems you know very little about Vampires. If you are going to claim to be a Vampire, even as a joke, you should acquire a bit more knowledge.”

“I’m sorry. Could you explain what you mean?”

“Vampires, you see, possess eyes similar to those of us Elves or humans when they are first born. However, they awaken by drinking blood and creating thralls, at which point their pupils change into vertical slits, like those of a cat or a snake. A Vampire cannot survive without drinking blood; they likely wouldn’t last a week. A Vampire will inevitably be swept away by that urge, bite into a human’s neck, and turn that person into a thrall.”

Now that she mentions it, I remember a time when I felt a sudden, overwhelming urge to attack Chris-san, and when I forced myself to resist the blood-drinking urge, I ended up fainting.

“As far as I know, you have lived in human settlements for over a year, have you not? Which means… that’s simply how it is. You are not a Vampire.”

What do I do? I’ve been so thoroughly shut down that I can’t even argue back.

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“Now, fret not. I know not what happened in your past, but was it… ‘chuunibyou,’ was it? Just take your time and heal from it. As one who carries the blood of an Elf, you have plenty of time.”

“Eeeeh…”

Why does she know about that humiliating diagnosis the Pope gave me?

Gnuuu.

Still, I could tell that Ingolvina-san was a good person.

But what now? I can’t exactly tell someone I’ve just met that I’m a “cheat” character—they won’t believe me, and since I’ve already been debunked, it’ll just sound like a poor excuse.

Ugh, this is bad.

“Now, let us return to the topic. The reason I asked who you were was because I wanted to know where you came from and why you desire a contract with a spirit. Without knowing that, I cannot allow you to attempt a contract.”

“Why not?”

“Because if you fail, there is no doing it over. One offers prayers and Mana to the Spirit Tree, and only if the Spirit Tree accepts will it grant you a spirit to be your lifelong partner.”

“And if one is not accepted, what happens?”

“You would likely never be able to approach this Spirit Tree again.”

“So, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?”

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“Indeed. Precisely. And as you are now, I do not believe the Spirit Tree would recognize you.”

“Then, is it not possible to contract with a spirit living in nature?”

“Impossible. A spirit can only form a contract once—right after it’s born from the Spirit Tree.”

Hmm, this is bad. What am I supposed to do?

“If you have a reason to hurry, why not try helping with some of the village’s work?”

“Work?”

“Yes. You possess power that could be called exceptional, even for a Saint Candidate. If your work is recognized, perhaps the Spirit Tree will recognize you as well.”

I see. So contributing to the land makes it easier to be accepted.

“I understand. Please let me do it.”

And so, I began helping with the work of the village.