Only I’m the solo player

Chapter 52 – Elf History

—–CROW—–

The High Elf prince who suddenly attacked me is, apparently, the fiancé of the Dark Elf in front of me.

How should I interpret this? Is this some kind of demand for compensation for messing up her fiancé?

No, her attitude towards me is too favorable for that.  She was happy that I beat him up, wasn’t she?

So, there’s no need to be anxious. Let’s answer calmly.

“Well…”

But after pondering for more than ten seconds, that was all I could manage to say.

“You seem surprised. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to scold you. I told you, I like you.”

Eleanor said so and waved her hand dismissively. Then why did she start the conversation like this?

“It’s not a love-based engagement, and that weakling isn’t my type. I prefer someone a bit more—”

– *Tap.*

“—someone with the scent of blood, a man trained in a wild, primal way.”

With a slightly flushed voice and a bright smile, Eleanor tapped my chest with her finger.

What the hell, where do you think you’re touching?

As someone who has lived a life stuck in his room, I barely have any experience like this, but I can tell.

“Hehe.”

This gesture definitely has a meaning beyond the ordinary!

I don’t know if she’s teasing me or what, but there’s definitely some intention behind it!

Is this what they call flirting? Am I being flirted with by a Dark Elf who *has a fiancé*?

I should be happy to be flirted with by such a fit and sexy Dark Elf, but it feels different.

“You’re quite shy, unlike your appearance.”

Only after hearing Eleanor’s satisfied chuckle did I realize I was covering myself with both hands.

Oh my god, since when did I become so demure?

“Holy shit!”

I practically scrambled out of the bath.  This isn’t flirting.

This is molestation! And harassment! I’m being sexually harassed by a Dark Elf!

“Hey, it was just a joke. You don’t have to freak out like that.”

“What the, crazy, why would you make that kind of joke?”

“Come on, get back in. You’ll catch a cold.”

In the end, I hesitantly got back into the bath.  Of course, keeping some distance from Eleanor.

“I won’t bite, so sit closer.  I can’t hear you if you sit that far away!”

But Eleanor deliberately moved closer, and we continued this back-and-forth for a few minutes.

“So, where should I start…  I guess it’s best to start with the history between us and those forest dwellers.”

It took quite a while before we finally started talking properly.

**

When I play RPG games, I’m the type to skip long and tedious stories and background settings.

With my terrible concentration, I can’t understand such complicated content, and I don’t have the will to sit still and understand it in the first place.

But Eleanor’s story, perhaps because of her melodious voice, was long and detailed, but it went in one ear and out the other.

Of course, I couldn’t help but lose focus as I kept having to push away her black hand that kept creeping closer.

Anyway, the first half of the story was something I roughly knew.

The Forest Elves born from the branches of the World Tree and the Night Elves born in the shade of its trunk.

The two elves, born under the same tree, were each assigned the roles of protecting the World Tree and exploring the forest.

As time passed, these roles gradually expanded.

The Forest Elves became responsible for managing the entire forest, preserving traditions, and performing rituals for the World Tree.

The Night Elves, beyond exploring the forest, became solely responsible for fighting and battling external forces.

But this division of roles lost its essence and became corrupted over thousands of years of history.

The Forest Elves began to call themselves the greater elves, the High Elves, and enjoy a life of nobility.

The Night Elves, responsible for battle and exploration, began to be called Dark Elves and treated as a lower class.

Then one day, the Dark Elves, rebelling against this distorted class system, started a revolt, and war broke out.

The result of the war wasn’t a victory for either side, and only a deep rift of conflict remained, which continues to this day.

The conflict that continued for thousands of years changed into a three-way struggle as the human kingdom’s army, aiming for the Great Forest, intervened.

And that becomes the background of the faction quest that begins on the 7th floor of the Trial Tower.

**

“It seems you know this much. Is it quite well-known among humans?”

I nodded and answered vaguely that it was.

I learned it through the community, but it’s true that it’s known.

“Anyway, those bastards, feeling threatened by the human kingdom, belatedly proposed peace. In the old-fashioned way.”

“Then the engagement…”

“A political marriage. Our Queen Dowager is very attached to the World Tree.  She offered her daughter without hesitation.”

She didn’t say it directly, but if the story is true, Eleanor is the Queen’s daughter.  A princess.

“But I’m very dissatisfied with this engagement.  Aside from the fact that he’s not my type.”

Eleanor continued in a low voice.

“First of all, I don’t hate humans.  And I’m not particularly attached to the World Tree. That tree lost its power long ago.”

It seems so.  The Dark Elves, far from hating humans, seem to like them very much.

“I don’t want to go back to the Great Forest that we left thousands of years ago. The place I was born and raised isn’t the Great Forest, it’s here.”

It seems so.  Eleanor smiled happily when I admired the scenery here.

“And I don’t like the way those sneaky and narrow-minded forest dwellers shamelessly ask for reconciliation.  I wish they were all dead.”

It seems so.  Considering the historical background, I would feel the same way.  The High Elf bastards were in the wrong from beginning to end.

“I’m not the only one. There are no more elders who lived as long as the Queen Dowager.  The old name, Night Elves, has been forgotten.”

Eleanor paused, catching her breath.

[Quest Completed: Dark Elf’s Letter – Invitation]

And a quest completion notification appeared before my eyes.  The purpose for which Eleanor invited me has been fulfilled.

But since it’s a chain quest, the reward is just a bit of experience. The next quest will follow soon.

“Rather than reconciling with them and returning to the forest, I want to interact with humans and see the wider world.”

Eleanor’s eyes were shining like stars in the night sky.

A light too distant from me.

That’s the light that only a dreamer can emit.

“I was looking for something to fault that prince for.  I wanted to break off the engagement no matter what.”

Eleanor said so and placed her hand on my shoulder.  When did she get so close again?

“And then, you appeared.”

Bringing her face close enough that I could feel her breath, Eleanor quietly murmured,

“Listen carefully, from now on, I fell in love with you at first sight.”

“What?”

“You’re quite close to my ideal type, which I often talk about.  Everyone will surely understand.”

My mind went blank at her sudden words.

What is this crazy elf talking about?

**

It was Eleanor’s following words that snapped me back to reality.

“And you fell in love with me too.  This too, everyone will easily understand.  I’m pretty, aren’t I?”

Ah, I think I understand what she’s saying now.  It roughly matches the overall flow of the faction quest.

She’s asking me to be her excuse.  So she can break off the engagement and nullify the peace treaty with the High Elves.

“You understand well. Help me break off the engagement.  I’ll compensate you sufficiently. What do you say?”

Now I understand why the [Dark Elf’s Letter] quest was registered as an Epic quest.

The meaning of the quest reward and objective changing depending on the progress, and even the Epic rating.

This is definitely Epic level. The reward promised by the Dark Elf princess herself must be tremendous.

[Epic: Dark Elf’s Letter – The Plan]

A quest window appeared before my eyes.  It seems my answer will determine whether I accept the quest or not.

It’s a ridiculous situation in many ways, but there’s no reason to refuse this.

Playing the role of a lover with this incredibly beautiful Dark Elf?

The ghosts in the open community would be lining up to do it, even if they had to pay.

“Alright, I understand.”

“You’ll do it?”

I quietly nodded. With the quest acceptance notification, Eleanor smiled brightly.

“Thank you.  I knew I liked you a lot!”

But if you suddenly stand up like that, oh my god, wow.

Anyway, Dark Elves are the best race.

—–CROW—–