Absolutely Do Not Touch Eldmia Egga

Chapter 4: Eldmia Egga

   Like that, the first day with Asileye passed and the morning arrived.

   We finished my parents’ grave, and then visited the village Asileye mentioned to sell the bandits’ gears. Perhaps because of how the local vigilantes were starting to stand guard, of how it slowly was forming the foundations of becoming a small city like she had said, there wasn’t particularly a problem going in even when Asileye was tightly wearing a hood down on her head to hide her ears.

   The bandits’ belongings were worthless, but the horses were sold at about a gold coin and a half each. Since Asileye said even that was marked down due to the horses’ care not being sound, as suspected horses must really be expensive.

   The one with the best price unexpectedly wasn’t the bandit chief’s horse, but another guy’s horse. Was it a guy called Glen? I remembered because the horse had a white dot on its forehead, but they said it was the most well-kept and best horse.

   Since we needed a horse too, we decided to not sell just that guy and raise him. Once we sold everything like that, ultimately we had 6 Ithysiel Kingdom gold coins, 16 silver coins, and 18 copper coins in our hands. I got a bit shocked learning for the first time in 8 years that the coins minted by kingdoms, coins issued by large-scale companies, and so on were rather convolutedly divided up.

   “It’s because it’s rare for company coins to enter ordinary people’s hands. And it’s the same for other kingdoms’ coins, too.”

   According to her, apparently there were only gold company coins. It sounded like it worked as a type of check. Thanks to that, it had both a high gold content and large size, and was traded at almost 2 times the value of other gold coins. Other kingdoms’ coins were more or less the same across the board, but since Ragnell Kingdom’s coin was the lowest valued, she advised to avoid it if possible.

   “1 silver coin is about a week’s worth of an adult’s food expense. You could have some left over if you eat not plentifully, but just two meals a day.”

   It would’ve been real nice if it was a system like 10 silver coins for one gold coin, but she said 40 copper coins were 1 silver coin, and you needed about 30 of that silver coins for 1 gold coin. It was a bit convoluted, but it wasn’t something I couldn’t eventually understand. When I quickly understood and answered a question she threw, Asileye drew a smile.

   “Perhaps because your parents were adventurers, it looks like they also taught you math well. Even your mental calculation is really good. That’s a relief.”

   I couldn’t say I even graduated college, so I also just replied with a smile.

   While listening to Asileye’s priceless and invaluable economics class in snippets, 10 silver coins instantly disappeared once we bought what we needed. Of course, we did carefully select and buy what we needed, but from an ordinary commoner’s perspective, it was an eye-watering expense.

   Even though the house was fine, quite a lot of things we originally could solve by bartering at the village disappearing played a big role. Besides small and trivial objects, the small cart was loaded with a little bit of livestocks like a pair of chickens, a pair of goats, and so on.

   Abruptly, the realization that I’d be spending the next 8 years with her struck me anew. And I once again thanked her for making that decision.

   “Thank you, really.”

   Asileye, who had covered her face with a scarf, drew a faint smile instead of asking why and replied.

   “I’m more thankful to you.”

   Asileye… she’s a god…!

   By the time we finished our first outing and returned, a full day had already passed by. In the end, we finished just the simple cleanup and could only begin the real winter preparations and housekeeping on the second day.

   The things I could help with ultimately couldn’t exceed the limits of an 8-year old due to promising not to use body strengthening for a while, but as a hunter’s son, I could wiggled and do the blood draining and leather skinning of the animals she caught.

   There, the first bias shattered. This world’s elves ate meat!

   No, not just eat it, they basically ate it as their staple food. I asked about it because it was a complete culture shock, and I could see Asileye bending over with laughter to a point I couldn’t believe anyone could laugh that hard.

   “It looks like some weird misconception from nowhere slipped in among the knowledge you absorbed. All of the world is ultimately set to circle in balance. So protecting the forests is also the same as protecting the balance of life.”

   Hunt only as needed. Asileye explained it was merely that.

   “The thing we guard against is always and only excessive greed.”

   “Uh… is that why you aren’t friendly with dwarves?”

   I asked since based just on her words it sounded like they couldn’t be friendly with the dwarves who dug apart perfectly good caves saying they’d process gems and metals, but even Asileye couldn’t give a clear answer on that point.

   “Um, I don’t think it’s something I’ll even call unfriendly. They’re a race infatuated with making better, nicer things, and we just get uncomfortable with that obsession sometimes. Their acts definitely do look irksome when we nitpick at this and that, but when we actually look at the results, those actions were a valid process, should I say?”

   Coolly pulling apart the hide of a deer she had absolutely casually gone out at the break of the dawn and brought back, Asileye continued to speak.

   “They never waste their resources. Just like how we try to efficiently use the animals we hunt for living, they too efficiently use the ores and gems they mine. It’s an excessive expenditure for making weapons and jewelry for the elves’ standards, but that’s at best merely the elves’ point of view, and there’s really nothing problematic about it since it’s a part of life that can’t be excluded from their culture. So wouldn’t it be closer to us acting grumpy about it since it’s a little irksome for the elves’ standard?”

   “You really don’t hold back at pointing out your race’s bias, sis.”

   “Huhu. A proper mind is built with proper critiques as its base. But more important than that, it looks like there’s a need to fix your lopsided knowledge about the races. I’ll tell you about it as a bedtime story before bed at night.”

   I couldn’t possibly say that my knowledge about the races was rooted in Earth’s fantasy novels where they didn’t even exist, so I casually passed it over by answering with a child-like smile.

   It’d be fucking incredible if I had thought up that much of something that didn’t exist. Couldn’t fantasy authors really have been a visitor from a fantasy world?

   Even as I thought up pointless thoughts while butchering the deer, Asileye endlessly taught me this and that. There was simple knowledge related to hunting like now too, but most of them were stories about the world and daily life. Seeing how the topics were those that were fascinating and could draw out curiosity, it looked like she probably noted my young age and was making an effort to keep me from being bored.

   The stories I would have diligently listened to even without that continued into the night without a moment to be bored.

   “Eldmia, how do you want to live with the things I teach you?”

   Asileye asked as we even finished a generous dinner and did the dishes.

   “You’re definitely a lot different than other kids. The fact you didn’t even hesitate killing someone at that age is the biggest of all, but I can’t help but feel that you either have a disfigured heart or a problem in your mind. I first wondered if your heart’s been scarred from your parents passing away in the accident, but you’re instead controlling your emotions better than most adults, after all.”

   I wanted to ask if that wasn’t something obvious since I was perfectly normal, but since it always were the abnormal ones who said they’re normal, I just closed my mouth and stared back at her while I waited for her words to continue. I did vaguely understand what she wanted to say.

   “But precisely because of that, I can’t help but ask. Do you want to get revenge?”

   “Would the Demon King Army commander that wiped out our village still be alive until I get revenge?”

   At my question that jumped out without hesitation, Asileye opened her eyes wide. This time it was my turn to continue the words.

   “I’m really ready to learn everything as diligently as I can. Not just when compared to others my age, but even the kids about 5 years above me. Unless they’re geniuses, I’ll probably understand and learn faster than them.”

   That was something natural. There were things I already knew, and not only was the way I thought different, even my motivation to work hard itself was different.

   “Even so, I don’t think that I’ll be able to take down the Demon King Army’s commander even if I learned as much as I could from sis and turn 16. If that commander could die like that, he would already have died.”

   But I wasn’t a genius. I merely had a different mental age compared to others. I wasn’t special.

   “I think I could at least do a person’s worth by 20 years old if I keep working hard, and if that bastard is still alive by then, then of course I’ll have to take revenge. But that won’t be an emotional revenge.”

   It wasn’t something an 8-year old would say. Even I wouldn’t have listened seriously and would have brushed it off the other ear if a kid said these words before my eyes. But Asileye was different.

   “Then what?”

   She waited for my answer with still calm and serene eyes. They were eyes that reflexively drew out my trust even though we had met for just two days.

   “I don’t want to become like this again. I don’t want to experience again this irrationality that takes everything away even when I didn’t do anything wrong, when I didn’t do any crime.”

   So I would become strong. So I would survive.

   “If he lives until then and if my abilities are able, I will find him and kill him. And I’ll leave a mark with his blood so everyone can see.”

   Staring into Asileye’s eyes in the dark night relying on the single ball of light she summoned, I stated it clear.

   “Never, whatever happens. Absolute do not touch Eldmia Egga.”

   Asileye’s eyes shook.

   “So that I can warn everyone like that, I’ll get revenge, survive, and become stronger.”

   For myself. And for those who could cross paths with me and form friendships as I lived on from now.

   I would relentlessly become strong.