To Me, Who Was Single-Handedly Holding The Front Line, You Call Me A "Useless Piece of Trash"? Fine. I'll Live as I Please And Set Out On A Journey To Find A Cute Wife. - This time, I'll Become A Hero In The Enemy Country And Bare My Fangs At My Homeland - Episode 8

――Half-elves are fakes, failures.

Born between humans and elves, with magic and appearance all being half-baked.

I’ve been told that.

Yeah, I thought so.

“Hmm, those are some unusual ears. But they’re cute, aren’t they?”

However, the person who rescued me from the cage was different.

With pure eyes and a faint smile, they took my dirty hand.

“Follow me. You want to escape from here, right?”

I didn’t understand what was going on. I did ask for help, though.

But I never thought you would actually grant my request.

What surprised me even more was that he was the strongest person I had ever seen.

“Ah, bl00d is really beautiful, isn’t it? — At this rate, you’ll get away. Come at me.”

With a smile like a child playing a game, they knock down the opponent who came charging at them with great force.

My heart and body trembled at the sight.

“Phew, sorry about that. Were you scared?”

“That’s not true at all.”

This was my true feelings. For some reason, I couldn’t find it terrifying.

Rather, the opposite. For some reason, he looked sad to me.

“My name is Yamagishi. What’s yours?”

“I’m Fern. Um… I’m a half-elf.”

“Oh, I see. So that’s why one ear is different.”

“……Yes.”

It’s scary to voluntarily identify myself by my race.

The person who was kind suddenly changes, and that has happened many times.

That is terrifying beyond measure.

But――.

“Hyahhh, wh-what are you doing!? Why are you touching my ear!?”

“Yeah, I thought it was cute. Plus, it’s so squishy.”

“Yah, please stop!? Ahh!?”

“Oh, sorry, sorry. But that’s cool. I wish I had ears like that too. So cool.”

He praised me.

It was the first time. My ears, which had been hated and called disgusting, were considered cool.

Leaving the country and entering the forest, I traveled with him. It was difficult to keep up, but he would occasionally look back and check on me.

Why is he so kind?

“Let’s take a break here. We’ll leave early tomorrow morning. Fern, do you have somewhere to go?”

“Um, well…”

“Well, if you don’t want to say it, that’s fine. Anyway, let’s go to bed.”

He didn’t extort anything just because he saved a life.

You don’t even touch my body.

They’re different from anyone I’ve met before. It’s as if they’re treating me as an equal.

A dependable back.

It’s just like having an older brother――.

“…mumble mumble, I want to see more bl00d, more bl00d…”

After I woke up, I couldn’t find the words.

I’ve never felt this safe next to someone before.

I was once attacked in my sleep and almost killed just because I’m a half-elf, yet here I am, sound asleep next to someone I just met a moment ago.

But, Yamagishi-san’s sleeping face was very cute.

Sleep talking is scary, though.

After that, when I handed over the fruit, he was as happy as a child.

Even though they say that anything touched by a half-elf is filthy.

He says he wants to become an adventurer.

“Hyahha! I’m gonna strip you down to your skin!”

At that moment, the bad guys appeared.

Again, again.

It always happens when I feel happy.

Happiness is taken away.

No. No. Yamagishi-san acknowledged me.

You said my despised ears were cool.

I don’t want to see him get hurt like that.

Mr. Yamagishi was dealing with hundreds of soldiers.

You’re trying not to worry me, but you must be exhausted.

I won’t let anyone hurt him.

“Yamagishi-san, step back! I’ll handle this!”

“Why? It’s okay.”

But that was just a false alarm.

He defeats enemies as if he were taking a morning stroll.

Like children playing in a game.

Strong, too strong.

Why is it like this?

“Done. Thanks, Fern! Now, it’s loot time!”

Mr. Yamagishi wasn’t just not injured; he wasn’t even touched.

I could only make weapons for him.

“…I’m sorry. I couldn’t do anything.”

“That’s not true. You helped me out. Hey Fern, why don’t you become an adventurer with me?”

“Huh, with me?”

“That’s right, isn’t it?”

I’ve heard that adventurers form parties.

But that’s an act of entrusting each other’s lives.

You can’t do it without the trust to protect each other’s backs on the battlefield.

I’m not worthy of this…

“It’s not that it’s bad, but is it really okay with me? I mean… I’m a half-elf.”

“I’m Yamagishi.”

“……Mr. Yamagishi is really an interesting person, isn’t he?”

“Is that so?”

“…If it’s alright with you, I would be grateful for your consideration.”

“Yay! And I think Fern is really strong!”

“Me? That’s just buying a victory. I’ve never fought properly.”

“Is that so? But strong people, you can just tell, right?”

He’s really a mysterious person.

It’s just like having an older brother.

At that moment, I remember.

“Fern, half-elves are not failures. No one knows, no one understands. The real us are stronger than anyone else.”

Will I be able to become strong too?

Like Mr. Yamagishi, both the heart and the body.

Then, I want to give it a try.

I want to have the power to help Yamagishi-san, who saved my life, when he is in trouble.

I don’t want to feel the same regret I felt when I lost my brother.

I swear, if there are those who target Mr. Yamagishi’s life, I will show them no mercy.

I will protect him no matter what, because he acknowledged me.

“Let’s go, Fern. We got the pass too!”

“Yes!”

And then I realized something.

Is it okay to say this?

No, let’s not.

There are things that are better left unknown.

――He’s also mixed up in something…