Chapter 107
Could a Grand Chieftain perhaps be a lower position than a Chieftain?
I refused the Chieftain position, so there’s no way they would have given me a higher one.
Right, in the language of the Elves, Grand Chieftain must definitely be a lower position than Chieftain. Roughly the level of a High Priest?
'There’s no way that’s true…'
Since all of that was purely his own wishful thinking, Franz let out a long sigh.
If he had it his way, he would submit a resignation letter right now saying, 'I resign as Grand Chieftain-,' but he couldn’t actually do that. The Elves seemed to have already accepted him as the Grand Chieftain, and they were beyond overjoyed.
What would happen if he said he wouldn’t be the Grand Chieftain in this situation? The atmosphere would definitely turn incredibly cold and awkward.
In the end, one way or another, he had no choice but to accept the position of Grand Chieftain.
Even as Franz lamented like that, they were getting closer and closer to the Elf Settlement.
Once they arrived at the settlement, it was obvious that the other Elves would approach him with bright smiles, calling him Grand Chieftain.
'Right, if I can’t avoid it, I might as well enjoy it.'
Don’t they say that those who cry when things are hard are third-rate, those who endure are second-rate, and those who smile are first-rate?
'But honestly, that sounds like a crazy person…'
What kind of crazy bastard giggles when things are hard? No matter how he thought about it, it was hard to see that as normal.
Wait, now that I think about it, I think Yuna smiled more when things were hard…
'Well, Yuna was actually having a hard time back then.'
While Franz was thinking that, the Elf Settlement had already appeared right before their eyes.
Eventually, as they entered the settlement, Arian looked around in fascination and said,
“Wow, so the houses are built like that. Magic Tower Master, isn’t it incredibly romantic? I don’t think it would be bad to live in a place like this.”
“Well, it would be interesting.”
How often would one get to live in a house that had become one with a tree? It would definitely be somewhat interesting.
However, there were far too many downsides to living in a place like this with such a lighthearted mindset.
Even to buy a single item, one would have to walk for days, and since it was a forest, there were many bugs, so turning on a light at night could mean enjoying a wild party with mosquitoes and moths. On top of that, with giant trees filling every direction, sunlight wouldn’t even enter the house.
It was full of romance, but as a residence, it fell far too short of the standards for a proper dwelling.
It was then.
“Oh my, Grand Chieftain?”
“It really is! It’s the Grand Chieftain.”
The Elves who spotted Franz widened their eyes.
Baskets full of grass were held in their hands, so it seemed they had just returned from a field.
“Have you been well?”
Franz offered a light smile toward them.
It was his first greeting as the Grand Chieftain.
“Thanks to you, we’ve been doing well without any major issues. The Great Forest has also completely regained its former appearance now.”
“Ah, right. If you have business here, should we call the Chieftain for you?”
Still, it’s a relief that they’re doing well.
Thinking that, Franz shook his head.
“I will go find Hera myself. You may go about your business.”
“Yes, then we’ll be on our way.”
“We’ll be going-!”
The Elves bowed their heads and left.
Franz let out a sigh of relief as he watched their retreating backs. Being called Grand Chieftain made him needlessly tense, as things that normally wouldn’t bother him suddenly started to weigh on his mind.
It seemed the saying that the position makes the man was true after all.
Anyway, now to go to Hera…
“Wow! It’s Doongsil-doongsil Franz!”
“It’s Doongsil-doongsil!”
Just as Franz was about to take a step, voices rang out. When he turned his head, there were little Elves standing there.
Perhaps they had been helping the adults who passed by earlier, as the little Elves were covered in dirt from head to toe.
Smiling brightly, the little kids came running over and tightly hugged Franz’s legs.
His clothes got a little dirty, but Franz didn’t mind. Instead, he gently patted their heads.
“Have you been well?”
“Yeah! I ate well, and I grew taller too!”
“I grew too!”
Taking a step back from Franz, the children puffed out their chests and put on triumphant expressions. It seemed they wanted to brag about growing taller.
Compared to the envy and jealousy of adults, it was an incredibly pure action.
“Then since you grew taller, I guess you can’t ride Doongsil-doongsil anymore?”
“Uh…? If we grow up, we can’t do Doongsil-doongsil…?”
“A-actually, I lied! I didn’t grow!”
At Franz’s words, the children’s faces stiffened as if they had received a shock.
Of course, Franz had only said it as a joke. No matter how much the little kids grew, even if they became adults, he could still let them ride Doongsil-doongsil.
Snap-.
As Franz snapped his fingers, a Transparent Sphere picked up the children and floated into the air.
“Wow!”
“It’s Doongsil-doongsil-!”
The children smiled brightly and ran around inside the Transparent Sphere.
Seeing that, Franz also smiled.
Watching the scene from a distance, Arian felt that this side of Franz, which she was seeing for the first time, was both new and unfamiliar.
Since he had treated Marcel well, she knew at least that he liked children.
But she hadn’t known that he was the Grand Chieftain of the Elves, nor did she know that he had formed such a deep bond with them.
When she first started liking him, he was clearly just a successful Mage, so how on earth did it end up like this? In the blink of an eye, he had become the Magic Tower Master, then a Saint, and even the Grand Chieftain of the Elves.
Of course, it was quite a long time to call it the blink of an eye, but…
Anyway, watching him grow bigger and bigger made her feel a sense of anxiety. It was only natural for a capable man to be popular, after all.
Haa-.
Haa-.
At the exact same time Arian let out a sigh, someone else did too.
That person was none other than Yustia. She had been having similar thoughts, after all.
The two looked at each other and blinked. They could understand what the other was thinking without even needing to say it.
It was then.
“Kids, I’ll play with you again later. Let’s stop here for today.”
Franz said as he carefully set the children down on the ground.
It wasn’t that playing with the children was a bother. He just felt that he was making Arian and Yustia wait too long. Since they were sighing, they must have been feeling frustrated.
“That’s a shame…”
“You have to do it next time…”
“Yeah, I’ll definitely do it next time.”
The children showed disappointed expressions, and seeing that made Franz feel uneasy.
But wasn’t there an order to everything?
He couldn’t make Arian and Yustia wait any longer. They both probably had their own business to attend to.
“Then let’s go to Hera.”
Franz said that and was about to take a step.
However, an unexpected response came from Arian.
“I’ll play with the kids a little longer. They seem disappointed, and it’ll be easier for you to talk that way, Magic Tower Master.”
“Will you be okay?”
Of course, it would be perfect if Arian played with the children. But if she were volunteering to sacrifice her time, there was no need for her to go that far.
“Yes, I like kids, you see.”
Saying that, Arian approached the little Elves.
“Kids, let’s play. Even though I look like this, I’m pretty good at magic. I can show you some fun things too.”
Were they captivated by the word 'fun'? The children began to focus on Arian.
It was his first time hearing that she liked children, but when he looked at her actions, it didn’t seem like a lie.
Franz withdrew his gaze from Arian and looked at Yustia.
“Then Yustia, what about you…”
“I’ll play with the kids too. I actually like kids, you see.”
Did Yustia like kids…?
That was also his first time hearing it, but he decided not to pay it much mind. If it were those two, it seemed fine to leave them to spend time with the Elves.
Since Yustia was acquainted with the other Elves, there wouldn’t be any misunderstandings either.
Left alone like that, Franz took a step toward Hera’s house.
In truth, the reason the two of them offered to watch the children was to show Franz their domestic side. And surprisingly, it worked quite well.
Because his affection rating for them in his heart had gone up a little.
Eventually arriving in front of Hera’s house, Franz knocked on the door. Then, a presence could be felt from inside, and not long after, the door opened.
“Yes, what is it…?”
Making eye contact with Franz, Hera couldn’t continue her words and froze rigid.
“Hera, sorry for visiting so suddenly, but…”
“W-w-wait a minute-! Why are you here so suddenly? Wait just a moment. I really just need a moment.”
Spitting out her words with wide eyes, Hera hurriedly went back inside.
Of course, Franz was only bewildered by her reaction.
'I have no idea why she’s acting like that.'