Chapter fifteen: a day in Lodos with Mare part 2
AF: short message from me since people apparently skip AA, for overlord volume 10 "fanfic" written by Nigel check reviews for site with "blogspot" in the name! Okay?
Now then, enjoy your regularly scheduled program
Although the elves did possess a guardian beast that could claim a small portion of the forest as its territory, it was far from enough for them to use as a decent hunting ground or as a plot for farming. That said, naturally some elves would have grievances when they heard that even that small portion of land was partially not used for harvesting food and instead used as a ritual site.
On this site, the druids of the tribe would hone their skills as priests of nature. This was not something that could be cultivated living in a cave. For druids to truly refine their mastery of spells, they were forced to learn to "communicate" with nature.
The variations and classifications of druids were as diverse as nature itself. Both in YGGDRASIL and here in this world, druids were amongst the most mysterious of magic users.
Some druids focused on refining the art of "wild growth" which focused on the manipulation of plants and even trees if one's mastery of it was high enough. Incidentally, this was what both elf and dark elf druids alike claimed they were most proficient at. Of course, in YGGDRASIL this type of magic eventually evolved into using the power of nature itself instead of simply manipulating it.
Then there were druids who focused on controlling animals. Unlike rangers who simply "tamed" their companions, druids instead "linked" with them and formed an even stronger bond that allowed for both greater synergy in battle and gave them the ability to subdue more powerful creatures that otherwise would be impossible for rangers to tame. Ainz had once heard a piece of information from Fluder that the dragon riding tribes south-east of the empire were capable of taming dragons solely due to their druids using magic to subdue them. Although for now this was impossible to confirm it still warranted caution.
But the most mysterious art of all that druids possessed was shape-shifting. This was especially useful to druids who were, after all, magic casters. In battle, if the enemy was smart, he would always eliminate the magic caster first either through a ranged attack but more often by creating an opening and killing the magic caster in close combat. Therefore, it was a lifesaving ability if one could transform into a ferocious creature and excel even at close range.
It was a pity that this ability was not learned but only inherently possessed by certain elves that could display this power after years of training. Regretfully, no elf with this power had been born to the tribe for the last two hundred years. And the last one had been taken away years ago by human slave-masters. This was just one of many reasons why dark elves hated humans to the bone.
But since there was no changing the past, the elves instead were forced to look to the future and practice their talents as best they could on this small patch of land.
Even if some of the other elves disagreed with them using what could be farm land for what they perceived as non-sequential purposes, druids were invaluable to the overall survival of the tribe. Aside from healing, druids were also useful in battle and most importantly could cast spells that increased the fertility of pieces of land. Without druids boosting the production of what was already pitiful farmland, half the tribe would have starved to death by now.
To become a druid, one needed to appear before the elder who could cast a spell that determined one's aptitude for the art. All elf children went through this at the age of fifty. Female elves tended to have very low aptitude for the druid arts although there were definitely exceptions, and one of the biggest exceptions in all of dark elf history…
Was Mica.
…..
"Hurry up, Mare-sama. Trust me, you really don't want to keep those old men waiting! Although I say old, they all just talk like old men whilst most of them are barely four hundred years old."
Mica was still pulling along Mare, who still looked at her with a highly discomforting feeling. Although he could crush her with just a single finger if he wished, he still felt some strange kind of danger from her. Like a predator that existed on a different plane than what he was used to.
The duo were walking alone through the sole patch of forest that was considered safe for elves. But as nothing at this time was truly safe anymore, Mica wanted to get to the ritualist site as soon as possible.
Although she could defend herself and flee if a demonic kin appeared, and she somehow felt that Mare likewise would be fine, it would be no laughing matter if the pair suddenly got caught in an ambush.
So although it was an excellent opportunity for the two of them to be alone, she still chose to act sensibly and get Mare and herself to the site as fast as she could. Having her fun with Mare would have to wait as she knew that other such opportunities would arrive soon…
Mare, meanwhile, was still thinking about the task his sister had given him. If he didn't make a friend, he would be going against what his sister said were Ainz's wishes. If that was true, then failing was absolutely forbidden, and he would do anything to fulfill his master's wishes.
Come to think of it, this girl that has been clinging to me… could she be considered a friend?
Although Mare did not feel anything even remotely comparable to friendship when he looked at her, if she considered him a friend then would that still count as making a friend? But even if she did and he didn't, then that wouldn't be a friendship until Mare agreed to be her friend.
At any rate, he would have to ask her before he could get anywhere. After all, Mare had little confidence that if not Mica, he would have little chance to befriend anyone else.
"Say, Mica...san?"
Mare slightly stuttered as he asked, which evoked a surprised reaction from Mica who turned around with as looked at him with a smile.
"Yes?"
Still hesitating, but finally gathering the courage to ask, Mare continued.
"Do you like me?"
At this point Mica's already delighted face simply became all smiles as she quickly responded.
"Yes, I like you very much!"
Having confirmed his suspicion, Mare finally decided and firmly asked.
"Then… do you want to be my friend?"
Mica became a bit taken back as she pondered Mare's question for a moment before finally responding.
"Hmmmm… Nope."
"Eeeh?! But you said you liked me! Why don't you want to be my friend then?"
"Because…"
At this point Mica once again leaned in so close to Mare that he became uncomfortable and seriously thought about teleporting away. She looked deep into his eyes just like she had done when they first met and softly whispered.
"Like I said the first time, I'll make you mine. Being a friend is aiming way too low for me. Instead, I want something more!"
"Something more? Like what?"
"Hmmmm… consider yourself my future pillow princess!"
At this point, Mare formed a confused look on his face as he had never heard of such a term. It didn't sound like a word from his native language either.
"P-p-pillow princess? What's that?"
Mica on the other hand just kept smiling more and more as she finally gave Mare some more personal space and responded.
"About that, for now consider it… a se-cret!"
She playfully winked at him as she said that and turned around to once again pull him with her towards the ritualist site, not paying any attention to Mare or more specifically the stupefied look on his face.
AA: quick note on that last slang. What Mica said to Mare was not literally the English word "pillow princess" or even the Japanese word for it which I assume they have since Oyakodon exists (that word has two meanings FYI) no she said a word that Mare didn't know what it meant even in his language so he couldn't understand it. So instead he heard the dark elf language word for "pillow princess" which is why it didn't sound like a native word to him.
Let's not forget that in New World, inhabitants speak a different language that they are able to understand due to some reason explained in volume 1. But naturally, words inherent to a certain language can't be translated properly and instead come out as the word in its untranslated form as proven in volume 8 when Lupusregina called herself a (girl with no experience but a lot of knowledge) but Enri could not understand what she meant.
This whole translation mechanic is always a nightmare but let's just say that Mare did not understand what Mica meant and that Mica did call Mare her future pillow princess. As to why, you should know if you have been paying attention.
Man that was a long AA but as always
GLORY TO AINZ OOAL GOWN