Chapter 1625 – Lost High Elf ⑥

Fors-san seemed hesitant, but perhaps sensing that I wouldn’t be conceding on this matter, she finally agreed and we walked hand in hand.

Even though she was under the influence of her experiment, Fors-san’s body had become quite small, so I was very prudent while holding her hand.

[……Hmmm. Your hands sure are big. Ahh, no, I see, it was because my body had shrunk huh…… Good gracious, I have almost no opportunity to hold hands with the opposite sex, so I’m somehow feeling strangely conscious of this. Well, it’s a rather pitiful story given I’ve lived for such a long time, but I have hardly had many opportunities to go outside in the first place, so the chance I’d interact with others is limited.]

[Have you always been a researcher like you are now?]

A quick look at ReadNovelFull.com will leave you more fulfilled.

[Well, I’m quite the staunch recluse after all. If I were to state why such a thing happened, I probably may have been a recluse because I was directionally challenged. It was quite a long time ago, but when my parents were still alive, they didn’t let me out much because I would get lost if I went out alone. No, it may sound as if I was mistreated, but I simply got lost too much and they were genuinely worried about me…… Perhaps, the reason I was even called the Sage of the Forest was because I often wandered off into the woods.]

I don’t really think anything she said back there was a laughing matter, but Fors-san seems to be enjoying herself quite a bit. No, rather, she unexpectedly seemed to be really nervous about holding hands, as I could feel her eloquence in speaking was to gloss over that nervousness.

Well, in any case, since Fors-san says it was a long time ago, it really must have happened thousands of years ago. The typical lifespan of a normal Elf is approximately about 2000 years, but High Elves don’t have a lifespan, so it’s not entirely clear how long ago it was, but Alice said that the Human Realm was created at least within the past 20,000 years, so it is certain that it would be within that 20,000-year timeframe.

[By the way, Fors-san, is there anything that you have researched so far that you think is the best?]

[Oi, oi, are you out of your mind? Asking such a question to a researcher is no different from suicide. However, when asked that question, my blood started to boil. Indeed, my best research huh. Based on what I’ve researched in the past, the most socially impactful has been my research on High Elves’ Ecology and Evolutionary Conditions. I was the first individual to evolve into a High Elf in Elven history, and that had been the deciding factor for me receiving my title. I think you can understand this since you’ve also seen High Elves, but while High Elves are Special Individuals, there are hardly any visible changes in terms of appearance. That is why my first struggle back then was proving whether I was a being different from regular Elves and whether it was due to me being a Special Individual or not.]

[Ahh, I see…… For example, it can be like Lilia-san’s case, whether you yourself just have outstanding talent huh.]

[Indeed…… Well, that Duchess-dono is even more of an extraordinary example. After all, she isn’t a Special Individual or anything of that sort, she’s simply a being with an exceptionally abnormal level of talent. Oops, let’s get back on track. Anyhow, as you correctly surmised, as a  Special Individual that is a High Elf, which held no external changes from normal Elves, it posed me a challenge when it came to proving whether I, with my innate talent that simply made me exceptionally loved by nature, was a singular occurrence or if there could be second or third instances in the future and if such a thing was a species-exclusive aspect of ours.]

That certainly sounds quite the challenge…… That’s almost as if it could only be proven if another High Elf is born in the future. However, since we are talking about research done in the past, and since she even talked about it being the most socially impactful, she must have proven it in some way.

[Just a question, something related to our current topic, but are there any other High Elves besides Fors-san and Sieg-san?]

[There have been three others in the past. If I am the first, Sieglinde would be the fifth High Elf. In her case, however, the evolutionary process she went through is extremely rare. Evolution caused by the consumption of a Fruit of the World Tree…… While the Fruit of the World Tree certainly may be brimming with Nature magic power, it originally doesn’t possess the power to drive the evolution of Elves into High Elves. It’s likely her exceptional talent that enabled such evolution.]

[I see……]

[The original condition for evolving into a true High Elf lies in the transformation of internal organs. This aspect also decisively distinguishes High Elves from regular Elves. Over a long period of time, High Elves absorb Nature magic power into their bodies, resulting in a change in their internal organs through the influence of Nature magic power, leading the High Elves’ constitution into something akin to that of Spirits. Detailed explanations might get a little lengthy, but do you mind? Am I not talking too much?]

[Ahh, it’s alright. I know people much worse that you can’t even be compared with them, so it’s perfectly fine.]

[……I don’t know if I can really say it myself, but when you say they’re someone much worse than me, I can only think of them as someone considerably crazy……]

[Because they are considerably crazy.]

Unnn. Fors-san actually gives me the space to engage in conversation, so there’s actually no issue at all. Her level of gentleness is completely incomparable to Eden-san when her switch is flipped.

<Afterword>

Makina : [Good grief, for my beloved child to be saying that much, who in the world is this considera———– Me!?]

Serious-senpai : [No, rather, why the heck are you surprised?]

Makina : [Eh? Even though I’ve been talking reservedly and narrowing down what I’m talking about……]

Serious-senpai : [……The heck is this woman talking about?]