Chapter 6 - Can I Do It?
[TL Note: In the translation of the previous chapters I was thinking of not using Japanese honorifics because this is a story set in a medieval fantasy world but I changed my mind because I felt something was missing 😅]
What’s this? Somehow, Alfred-sensei’s comment feels a little loaded. Could it be that he has the ability to see through people’s true nature? Those eyes—are they perhaps not normal, but rather mystical? That would be so cool.
“As you may have heard, I will also be serving as your bodyguard, Ridil-sama.”
“My bodyguard too? Thank you so much! Um, Alfred-sensei, please just call me Ridil. You don’t need to use ‘-sama’. And feel free to speak to me normally.”
“Well, I can’t just—ah, understood. Then I’ll call you Ridil-kun.”
“I'm looking forward to working with you, Alfred-sensei. But from the way World Tree-san spoke, I thought someone else would come as a bodyguard.”
That’s strange. If that were the case, I feel like the World Tree would have introduced them as “your bodyguard and teacher.” Oh well, maybe it’s just luck that we found someone who could fill both roles. I guess I’m luckier than I thought.
It seemed that Johan had finished preparing the room, so he showed us the way. Although guests are rare, they kept the guest rooms clean and ready.
We headed to Alfred-sensei’s room. It was a simple room with only a bed and a desk, but in this town, it was probably considered luxurious.
As I was looking around, wondering if everything was alright, Alfred-sensei suddenly produced a table and chairs out of nowhere. They were made of pristine white wood. Very pretty. But more importantly...
“Alfred-sensei, where did you pull out that table and chairs from? Oh, was it magic!?”
“No, it’s from this magic bag.”
“A magic bag! That’s the tool that lets you store all kinds of things inside, right?!”
“Oh, you know about it? I didn’t think any humans owned one, let alone knew of its existence.”
“Ah…”
Come to think of it, I’ve never seen or heard of a magic bag even in the castle. Is this another memory from my past life?
What kind of person was I in my past life? If I know about magic bags, does that mean I owned one? Could I have been a reincarnated ancient elf?
“Hmm, perhaps a human writer thought such a tool would be convenient and wrote about it in a story. If that’s the case, it wouldn’t be strange for you to know about it, Ridil-kun.”
“Th-that aside, Alfred-sensei, that’s an amazing tool you have!”
“This has been passed down through my family for generations. It’s quite an old model.”
Even though it’s such a valuable item, Alfred-sensei casually hands me the magic bag. Is it okay for me to touch this? With excitement, I nervously touch it.
...Yup, it’s just a regular drawstring pouch. It’s empty inside.
“Huh?”
“Haha, surprised? This magic bag can only be used by my bloodline.”
“I see. That means you don’t have to worry about someone stealing its contents.”
Maybe the reason magic bags aren’t widespread in the human world is because of that limitation. If it can’t be used by just anyone, then it’s not very practical. No one would want to risk passing it on only to die before their heir could use it.
“Would you like one too, Ridil-kun?”
“Of course I would!”
“Then let’s make one as part of your studies.”
“Wait, we can make one!?”
“If it’s you, Ridil-kun, I believe it’s possible.”
Alfred-sensei smiled brightly as he said that. Seriously!? I might take that seriously, you know?
“I’d love to try making one!”
“Then I’ll teach you how, as a special lesson.”
I couldn’t help but smile, but Feroll, who had been listening to the conversation, still seemed skeptical. He furrowed his brow deeply as he looked at Alfred-sensei, as if he were suspicious.
Is he still wary of Alfred-sensei because he’s an elf?
“Alfred-sensei, I’ve heard that elves live on that sacred mountain over there. Is that true?”
“Yes, it’s true. But that’s not the only place. There are other places where elves live, both on this continent and on the neighboring ones.”
“There’s another continent? I didn’t know that.”
“Haha, this world is much larger than you realize, Ridil-kun. I’ll teach you more about that as I teach you spirit magic.”
What a generous offer! Not only will I be learning magic from an elf, but I’ll also get to learn more about the world! Even the scholars at the castle probably don’t know this stuff.
So, there are a lot of elves, huh? Wait, but I’ve heard that most people have never seen one before.
“Alfred-sensei, why is it that so many people have never seen an elf?”
“Oh, that’s because we use this ‘Concealment Ring,’ a magic tool.”
Alfred-sensei handed me a ring. It was a simple silver band, with no decoration whatsoever. And yet, he said it was a magic tool.
“Does this magic tool change your appearance?”
“That’s right. Watch, like this.”
“Ah, your ears just got shorter!”
So that’s how it works—this magic tool hides the distinctive long ears of elves, making them look like regular humans. Now he just looks like an exceptionally handsome man. With this, no one would be able to tell he’s an elf.
“This magic tool comes in various forms: rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, hairpins, anklets, and more.”
“So that’s why no one realizes you’re an elf.”
“Exactly.”