Chapter 525 – Side Story – Passing the Wedding Invitation (4)

Nariel let go of Iris’s finger and shook her head.

“Oh, no! I’ve never thought of such a rude thing! “In the first place, Iris is like my grandmother?!”

“Will do… ?!”

Iris was shocked.

Actually, it is not wrong. Iris’s age is a level that cannot be ignored even by high elf standards.

However, perhaps because I have a human mind and sense of time, I don’t really feel it.

When I put my finger into Iris’ mouth, she starts to mutter in frustration.

He asked Nariel as she enjoyed the tickling touch of her.

“Majesty. Regardless of my actual race, my mentality and sense of time are close to that of a human, so I don’t really understand… “How old is Iris?”

“Umm… “I see.”

Pale pink hair like cotton candy. Nariel pondered for a moment, twisting her fingers through her fluffy, wool-like hair, before opening her mouth.

“First of all, do you know what the lifespan of other races is?”

“Roughly speaking. Humans live 100 years, dwarves and beastmen live a little longer, but there is no significant difference… “Elves have been around for about 300 years.”

“That’s right! Add to that the fact that they maintain their youth until just before the end of their lifespan, which is why we are called a long-lived species. It’s all thanks to the grace of the circulating life!”

A race born with eternal life. It is not for nothing that other races admire and fantasize about elves.

Even Rebecca, the oldest known human being with a circulating life, is barely over 300 years old.

Unless an elf gets into an accident along the way, everyone can survive that much. Even if your level is high, you live longer.

For some reason, Nariel was shaking with a proud expression, but when Milone moved her hand, she flinched and stiffened.

Although it moved at an angle that was hard to see… Because Dragon Heart arbitrarily adapts to the surrounding mana, it knows things at a certain distance at will.

It was far enough for Milone to sense that her grip on Nariel’s buttocks was strong.

It feels like lilies will bloom behind your back at any moment. Among them, the first to speak was Milone.

“I can’t leave a precious guest standing like this. “Why don’t you move first?”

“Yeah, that’s right! “I’ll tell you as I go!”

“It’s good for us.”

As she shrugged her shoulders, Nariel took the lead with somewhat awkward steps. She glanced back and continued her words.

“Eh, the lifespan of an elf is approximately 300 years. Then, how long do you think a high elf like me can live?”

“Isn’t it twice that amount, around 500 to 600?”

Nariel shook her head as she mentally searched for memories, her extraordinary memory trait gone.

“Uh… Did you hear it from Elisha or Iris in advance? I didn’t know you knew this too. Anyway, this is also correct. Well, now it’s the last time… How many of the high elves who have lived that long do you think are still alive today?”

“… Ah.”

Elves live long. High elves live much longer. However, having a long lifespan does not necessarily mean that you will live to that age.

Even though humans are said to have a lifespan of 100 years, not everyone really lives that long.

When dragons exceed 1,000 years old, they are called ancient dragons and live for a very long time… No one knows when that life will end.

Most of them go crazy before reaching the end of their lifespan and are subjugated by their compatriots, or they become depressed and commit suicide.

Elves will be no different. Moreover, didn’t the war of the gods happen 300 years ago, that is, only one or two generations ago by elf standards?

Even recently, there have been enormous casualties due to the ugly proliferation.

Due to the characteristics of elves, who have a strong sex drive but low birth rate, it will take a really long time for the population to recover.

“I guess you just figured it out. No matter how long we live, 500 years is a period that cannot be wasted. “You were born 200 years before the War of the Gods began, right?”

“… “Now that you say that, Iris seems amazing again.”

Always begging to be patted on the head, rushing up to him and telling him to raise his head, or making a fuss all day long as if he was noticing something to be praised.

What it does is like a mite, but what it contains is better called history rather than memory.

“No, wait. Then, as His Highness Nariel said, isn’t he really one of the elders among the high elves? ?”

“Me… “Don’t look at me like that, master!!”

When I opened my eyes as if I had been scammed by marriage, Iris stretched out her small hand and covered my eyes. Hmm. It’s warm and soft.

As I was enjoying Iris’s movements, Nariel said something from next to me.

“That’s a little different too. She just said she was her grandmother, but now that all the high elves of her generation are dead… To put it bluntly, I feel closer to my ancestors!”

“Ancestor?!”

Her grandmother was fine, but Iris’ treatment of her ancestors was a bit harsh, and her body trembled and froze. She doesn’t respond when I lightly poke her side.

Oh! Iris is broken! Well, she did last a long time (really).

Elisha must have felt sorry for the teacher and opened her mouth while giving Iris a firm pressure on her palm.

“You. Still, keep this in mind. Master is different from an ordinary high elf. Is that right, Your Highness?”

“Oh! That’s right! Even in the history of Alfheim, there are very few people like Iris who were born with such strong favor that her growth stopped! And it is said that such people stay young not only physically but also mentally.”

“Aha?”

No wonder. Still, it was strange that a 500-year-old would act like a mite. I overlooked her because she was cute, but if you think about her normally, isn’t she just senile?

Iris is special among high elves. She knew it in her head, but hearing it from the Queen herself made her feel it.

But. Because she had such divine protection from her birth, she was treated as a princess before the War of the Gods, and even after the war, she was able to build the Magic Tower by comforting the despondent elves who lost her spirit.

She belatedly corrected the situation, but Iris’s already pouty lips were sticking out and showed no sign of pouting.

Nariel continued speaking with a slightly embarrassed expression, as if she hadn’t meant to do this.

“What… “Somehow the story leaked a little bit, but what I want to say is not Iris’s age, but her remaining lifespan.”

“How much life is left?”

“Yes. You’ve already lived for over 500 years, so to think that you only have about 100 more years left… It’s so sad, isn’t it? “He lived his whole life for Alfheim, but later found a companion and even saved the world.”

“Uh, um…”

Even if you say it’s a pity that there are only 100 years left to live, it’s hard to sympathize. Normal people can only live that much.

“As I said before, Iris was born with strong divine protection that is unusual among high elves. … “She is closer to the cyclical life than I, the queen.”

“Wait a minute. Maybe now… ?”

“Yes. That’s right. If Iris wishes, I am willing to give her the title of queen. “If you receive continuous help from the circulating life, you will be able to live much longer.”

“…”

I didn’t know this story would come out all of a sudden. Milone did not stop Nariel, as if the conversation had already ended internally.

Everyone’s eyes are focused on Iris. Because our married life will be quite different depending on the choices Iris makes here.

But Iris shook her head without a moment of hesitation.

“Bringing up the story like that means that Circulating Life has also implicitly given permission. “Thank you for your kind words, but I will decline.”

“Yes?! Ha, but then…”

“Is it 100 years from now? If you live long enough, it will be about 150 years. “I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed, but I don’t think it’s that bad.”

Iris, who was looking up, carefully stretched out her hand and caressed my cheek.

“Her master’s race has changed, so it’s no longer relevant… Aren’t others still short-lived? “The owner also said that the spirit is still human.”

Iris meets Carla and Faye. And she smiled at Helena once in a while.

“To me, more than anything else, it is the greatest blessing to be able to meet and love other people, grow old together, and die together. So, thank you, but let her decline the offer. “I would rather be attached to my master for a short period of time than be tied to the World Tree for a long time.”

A faint voice. However, Nariel looked at Milone without realizing it as Iris smiled like the happiest person in the world.

Likewise, Milone was also looking at Nariel, so their gazes met for a moment. What went back and forth inside is beyond me.

It’s just that there are elves and high elves over there, and Milone, who is an elf, is older than me, so I’m just wondering if there’s something going on.

Such a gentle atmosphere surrounded us, but unfortunately it did not last long.

In the end, Fay, unable to overcome her curiosity, carefully raised her hand and asked.

“Well, what does this story have to do with holding Iris’ hand earlier…?” ?”

Page, who has improved a lot, looks very nervous because he is in front of the queen. Despite her stuttering, Nariel seemed not to care and answered by shrugging her shoulders.

“It’s no big deal. Iris, I checked it because I felt the scent of her spirit on her fingertips. You took her hand in summoning spirits again? “We’re letting it go. Even if Iris is a member of the party that extinguished the evil spirit, it could be dangerous if you get caught, so please be careful.”

“?”

What does that mean?

I hurriedly looked at Iris, but she had an expression no different from mine.

“To? Government ordinance? Huh?”

Iris tilted her head and blinked her eyes as if there was a malfunction.

But she soon came to her senses and cried out as if she was being wronged.

“No, it’s a false accusation!”

“Yes. “I’ll do something like that.”

“That’s not really true… !”

“Can’t Milone go somewhere and talk?”

“Are you talking about this?”

Nariel and Milone get along very well. I can feel the consideration towards this side from both of them.

Of course, it doesn’t seem to have been conveyed to Iris.

“Master! Not really! “It’s really unfair this time!”

“Even if you say that…”

But, Iris.

You have a criminal record.