When I Was Reincarnated, All the Heroines Were Stolen by the Fake Hero ~ The Guy Who Dominated With Original Story Knowledge, and Me Who Dominated With Talent. It Seems the World After the Ending Is My One-Man Stage ~ - Episode 40

Episode 40

“These people are my guests. Stand down.”

Upon hearing those words, the nine black-robed figures did not utter a single word. All at once—and quietly—they turned away.

Some leapt into the trees, others faded into the forest’s shadows. Each of them dispersed in a different direction.

In the blink of an eye, they vanished completely.

I felt their presence rapidly receding and realized that they were faithfully following this elven man’s orders.

As the tension began to ease, I returned Aegis to its original shield form.

The elven man walked toward us.

“My apologies. Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine. There’s no problem.”

“I’m all right as well,”

Forleen responded with a relieved sigh following my words.

Upon hearing that, the man’s expression softened ever so slightly.

“Forgive my late introduction. I am Suun, the chieftain who oversees the elves of this forest. Please, feel free to call me Suun.”

“So, you’re the chief, then.”

“Yes. Those individuals just now are called the ‘Guardians’—they are tasked with protecting this village. It seems they mistakenly believed you were intruders… My sincerest apologies.”

Suun bowed deeply.

I shook my head in response.

“No, we barged in suddenly, too. Don’t worry about it. More importantly… is Rururii, who was with us, safe?”

“You need not worry. After speaking with them briefly, she should be released immediately. They will not cause her any harm.”

“I see… That’s a relief.”

I exhaled with ease at his words.

Then, Forleen cautiously opened her mouth to speak.

“U-um…”

“Yes, you are Saint Forleen, correct? We’ve been expecting you.”

Suun smiled gently. It was as if he had already anticipated her introduction.

I furrowed my brows for a moment.

We hadn’t introduced ourselves yet. We hadn’t given him our names or backgrounds—nothing.

As if sensing my question, Suun turned his gaze toward me this time.

“It’s an honor to meet you as well, Yutaka-sama. Allow me to personally thank you for defeating the Demon King.”

“…You know quite a lot, Suun.”

I looked at him with a hint of probing suspicion.

Unfazed, he smiled brightly and answered.

“Yes, rumors ride the wind, after all. And, you see, my hearing is a bit better than most. So I tend to be well-informed.”

Rumors that ride the wind. Exceptional hearing.

With those words, I immediately remembered Rururii’s ability—she had said she could “hear the voice of the forest.”

Still, for someone so far away to know such detailed information…

I felt I had caught a glimpse of the mystical nature of the elf race and was quietly impressed.

But a new question arose.

“Then, didn’t the Guardians know about us too?”

“No, there are variations in the information that can be heard… I did inform them, just in case. But it seems they have their own ancient rules to follow. I don’t believe they actually meant to kill you, but…”

Suun’s words trailed off slightly at the end.

Pushing any further would just be tactless. I decided not to pursue the topic.

At that moment, Forleen politely interrupted.

“Forgive me for interrupting… but, about the Sacred Tree… how is it?”

“Yes. Let us begin with that.”

＊ ＊ ＊

Guided by Suun, we proceeded deeper into the village.

Eventually, we reached a clearing. It was where Suun stopped and pointed to a specific spot.

Over there was a small puddle.

And in the center of that puddle stood a single tree.

It only reached to about below my knees.

However, the tree didn’t seem full of life at all.

Here and there, its trunk and branches were blackened as if infected with disease.

“This is… the Sacred Tree?”

Forleen asked, her voice full of disbelief.

Suun silently nodded.

“This Sacred Tree is of great age. Once it becomes afflicted like this, it can no longer heal itself on its own.”

“By the way… how old is it now?”

“Based on what I heard from my predecessor and comparing it with preserved records… it has likely surpassed three thousand years.”

“”Th-th-three thousand!?””

Forleen and I shouted in unison. We were stunned.

Three thousand years.

An unfathomable length of time—longer than all known human history many times over.

Then, Suun smiled mischievously and continued:

“In that case, shall I tell you something even more surprising?”

More surprising than that?

Suun pointed straight at the backpack I carried.

“That shield you carry—Aegis—is an orichalcum shield. It was created by a certain god. It’s from an era even older than three thousand years ago.”

“Aegis… was created by a god… and it’s made of orichalcum…”

I found myself repeating the words in my mind.

Orichalcum—said to be the strongest, hardest metal in any fantasy world.

So it wasn’t just a powerful shield after all.

“Aegis is the greatest masterpiece crafted by that god. Among us elves, we call it the Peerless Shield Aegis.”

“Peerless… Shield… Aegis…”

“However, its existence and abilities were only spoken of in legends. To think it actually existed…”

Suun paused there and added,

“Well, of course, these are all stories passed down among our people. Whether they are true or not—I cannot say for certain.”

—

After the series of astonishing revelations, Suun turned toward Forleen.

“Now then, Forleen-sama. Please, I leave the healing of the Sacred Tree to you.”

“Y-yes!”

With a nervous expression, Forleen nodded and quietly stepped into the puddle. She was making gentle splashing sounds.

She knelt before the Sacred Tree and slowly raised both palms toward its blackened trunk.

A faint glow began to form. And magical circles appeared around her arms.

“—Holy Clear.”

With a dignified voice, the spell was cast.

Normally, there was no need to chant spell names.

But for professions like mages and healers, they often did so in front of others to show which magic was being used.

As a saint, Forleen was likely following that tradition.

A soft light radiated from her palms. It was enveloping the Sacred Tree.

As it did, the blackened areas were visibly purified and vanished.

That sight was indeed wondrous—but I couldn’t take my eyes off Forleen’s face in profile as she cast the spell.

Her serious gaze, her pale skin lit by holy light. And most of all, her figure striving to save life—

It was indescribably beautiful.

Even if I had to watch her all day, I don’t think I’d get tired of it…

That idle thought wandered through my mind.