Volume 4 Chapter 110 The Elf Matriarch
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The commotion outside finally died down, and we were ushered into the heart of the World Tree. The living quarters were carved directly into the massive trunk, filled with the scent of fresh wood and the soft, ambient glow of magical light. With every breath, the crisp forest air seemed to fill my lungs and revitalize my body.
The sitting room we were guided to was covered in a thick, plush carpet. Furniture was kept to a minimum, as the room was clearly designed for sitting on the floor. It wasn’t a large space, but it felt strangely nostalgic.
”You’ve done well to come,” a calm, resonant voice rang out.
The woman who had appeared in the plaza – the one they called the Matriarch – was the one hosting us. She introduced herself as Sphica. She was Rozmiaque’s older sister, which made her Lifia’s aunt.
Her golden hair flowed down to her waist, and her blue eyes were as still and deep as a mountain lake. With her pointed ears and refined features, she looked to be in her early twenties, but the dignity in her sharp gaze gave her an aura of authority that matched her station.
”Make yourselves comfortable,” Sphica said, sitting down heavily in the center of the carpet.
There were no chairs; they clearly had a floor-sitting culture here. Come to think of it, Rozmiaque had been very fond of the Japanese-style room I’d set up for him. Their lifestyle might actually be quite similar to Japan’s.
While Yomi and I were used to this, Lifia and Kéa looked a bit hesitant. For Tifi, who was heavily pregnant, they provided a thick cushion similar to a floor chair.
Meanwhile, Rozmiaque was forced to sit in a formal kneeling position ¹ in the corner of the room.
Sphica, remaining cross-legged, slowly looked over each of us before letting her gaze rest on Lifia.
”So, there is no mistake that you are Rozmiaque’s daughter? noja”
”Yes.”
”Hmm. The scent of the spirits and the flow of your blood are both close. There is no doubt. A half-elf… quite a rare connection you’ve made, noja.”
The next moment, her gaze snapped sharply toward her younger brother.
”Now then, Rozmiaque, noja.”
Rozmiaque gave a sharp flinch, his shoulders shaking.
”I don’t recall a single word in that letter you sent years ago about having a child, though? noja”
”Erm… well… about that…”
Rozmiaque stammered, his eyes darting around the room.
Lifia took a quiet breath and began to explain everything in a detached tone. She told her about her parents’ relationship, the parting before the pregnancy was known, their reunion, and the discovery of their blood relation. She spoke of her mother’s disappearance, her life with her grandfather, his death, and how she ended up being sold into slavery.
By the time she finished, the room was silent.
A sudden, heavy sob broke the quiet. “Uugh… sniff…”
”To think this foolish brother of mine put you through so much hardship! noja…”
Rozmiaque’s shoulders slumped even further.
Sphica beckoned Lifia over. Without hesitation, she pulled the girl close and sat her right in her lap. Her slender fingers began combing through Lifia’s gold-thread hair. Lifia froze at the sudden intimacy, her face and ears turning bright red.
”Um… excuse me…”
”You’re so precious, noja.”
Sphica cooed, her voice like someone doting on a small child as she continued to stroke Lifia’s head.
”Honestly, I always wanted a little sister instead of this useless brother. You can spoil yourself with me as much as you want to make up for those hard times, noja.”
”A-Auntie…”
”…”
”E-Elder Sister?”
”Exactly! noja”
That was clearly the right answer.
Once things had settled, we explained our situation. We told her Tifi was close to her due date and that we were looking for an experienced, trustworthy midwife. Because of our circumstances in the outside world, we had no choice but to rely on her.
Sphica’s expression shifted instantly.
”What? Lifia, you’re pregnant as well?! noja”
asked in a low, heavy voice. Lifia gave a firm nod.
”Yes.”
”Sister, forget about your brother; you’ve even been lapped by a niece hundreds of years younger than you,” Rozmiaque joked.
”Shut your mouth! noja”
A blast of compressed air slammed into Rozmiaque’s stomach, sending him rolling across the floor with a hollow grunt. Even if he couldn’t help talking back, he was clearly no match for his sister. It seemed Sphica used wind spirit magic just like Lifia; perhaps it was hereditary.
”So, who is the man responsible? Is it that drifter ² over there? noja”
asked Sphica, her gaze piercing through me.
”Sister, please! Master is…”
”Master, you say? noja”
Lifia hurried to stop her, explaining how I had rescued her from slavery, taught her the names of the spirits, and helped her gain her strength. She explained that it was through My power that she learned her spirit’s name.
”He taught me nine characters ³.”
”Nine characters, you say…? noja”
Sphica’s eyebrows rose.
”I want to believe my niece’s words, but surely… noja”
Elves use spirit magic, and their power grows the more they know of their guardian spirit’s True Name ⁴. A spirit user without power usually knows very few characters. Lifia, however, knew nine – the maximum. That was High Elf ⁵ level power.
”I’ll show you, then,” Lifia said. Her voice was like a ringing bell as she called out. “My spirit, show us your power. Your name is – Mooluumventas.”
As she spoke the name, the air changed.
Pale particles of light manifested and began to dance through the room. The wind whispered as it circulated, a radiant display of the spirit announcing its presence.
Sphica’s eyes went wide. She stood up without a word.
She gently moved Lifia from her lap and sat her in the seat of honor ⁶. Then, she moved to the lower part of the room and pressed her forehead to the floor in a deep bow ⁷.
”I apologize for my lack of courtesy. I directed doubt toward one who knows a True Name. This irreverence is a grave sin, noja.”
The dignified Matriarch was gone, replaced by a devout believer. Silence fell over the room.
”Wait, what? What’s happening?” Lifia asked, her gaze wandering in a panic. “Don’t bow to me, bow to Master! He’s the one who gave me this power!”
She pointed frantically at me.
”I was taught my seventh character as well!” Rozmiaque added.
”The seventh?! noja”
Sphica’s voice jumped. Her blue eyes went wide, and she moved instantly.
She stood up and came before me, bending her body into a deep, formal bow. It was the gesture of someone offering a prayer to a deity. She had cast aside all her dignity as a leader to show the highest possible level of gratitude.
”O Messenger of the Spirit God ⁸… please forgive my ignorance and my disrespect, noja.”
I felt extremely uncomfortable. “No, really, you don’t need to go that far. Please, look up.”
After I asked several times, Sphica finally raised her head. Even then, she kept her posture low and her gaze full of respect.
”Having my wife’s aunt prostrate herself like this is a bit much,” I said. “And please, stop calling me ‘Messenger’.”
”…My son-in-law has a very strange way of looking at things, noja.”
”I’d also prefer it if you just treated me like your niece,” Lifia added.
”Alright, I understand, noja.”
Sphica laughed softly. The atmosphere finally eased.
Lifia gently brought the subject back to the midwife.
”Of course! noja” Sphica replied immediately. “For my lovely niece and her sister-wife ⁹ – and more importantly, for the child of the Messenger – you can leave it to me, noja!”
”Sister-wife”… it was accurate, but she was a bit too blunt about it. Tifi gave a strained smile. It was jarring to hear such terms from a beautiful elf.
”Sister, it’s that mouth of yours that keeps you an old maid,” Rozmiaque muttered.
”I told you to be quiet! noja”
Rozmiaque broke into a cold sweat as the wind moaned around her.
”I am simply dedicating my life to this village! noja”
Sphica insisted. She took a breath and looked at Lifia.
”But nine characters… Lifia, would you have any interest in becoming the Matriarch? noja”
”No. I want to stay by Master’s side.”
”I suppose so, noja.”
It would be difficult anyway. Lifia hadn’t been raised in the village or trained for the role. The fact that she was a half-elf didn’t seem to matter at all; knowing the spirit’s name carried far more weight.
”Rozmiaque, then? noja”
”You must be joking.”
Sphica only knew six characters of her spirit’s name. Rozmiaque had been the same, but now he knew seven. The leadership wasn’t hereditary; it was a rule that the person who knew the most of the spirit’s name would lead. With seven characters, Rozmiaque was technically more qualified than his sister.
”Have you always been against being the leader?” I asked.
”It’s not a hereditary position,” Rozmiaque explained.
He had been traveling freely while his sister held the responsibility. It seemed he had left the village partly to ensure she stayed in power.
”It feels a bit awkward to keep being the leader when there are two people closer to the spirits than me, noja.”
”I could just teach you a seventh character as well,” I offered.
It was easy enough. I just had to invite her to the Love Hotel. She was family, so I wasn’t worried about the trust factor.
”That… is an attractive offer, noja.”
Sphica said, but then she shook her head.
”No. To have two family members blessed with such power is already more than enough. I won’t be greedy. I can manage the village’s work as I am now, noja.”
We spent the rest of the time talking about our current lives.
”Exploring dungeons with the Messenger… I’m quite jealous, noja.”
”Why don’t you come with us sometime?”
”I have my duties here. Besides, we’ve been dealing with a serious problem in the village lately, noja.”
”What kind of problem?” I asked.
Sphica sighed.
”A declining birthrate, noja.”
—
Summary:
The group meets Sphica, the Elf Matriarch and Rozmiaque’s sister. After a tense reunion where Rozmiaque’s negligence is revealed, Lifia’s status as a high-tier spirit user is confirmed, leading to Sphica’s reverence for the protagonist. The chapter concludes with the revelation of a population crisis in the elf village.
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Trivia:
- Rozmiaque purposefully left the village so his sister could remain Matriarch.
- The protagonist’s ‘Messenger’ status is based on his ability to reveal these True Names
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Character Insight:
Sphica shows a duality of personality: a dignified, religiously devout leader and a blunt, doting ‘Big Sister’ with a foul mouth. Lifia’s loyalty to the protagonist is unwavering even when offered the leadership of her clan.
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Behind the Scenes:
The ‘sao-shimai’ joke is a crude slang reference often used in adult-oriented Japanese media, contrasting sharply with the ‘pure’ image of elves.
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TL Notes:
Notes:
• Rozmiaque – High-ranking elf investigating large-scale Spirit Magic usage. Condescending, believes a High Elf is involved. Uses 6-letter Spirit Magic to trap targets. Displays contempt for half-elves and humans. Aggressive interrogator, possibly capable of sensing hidden information.
• Sphica – Matriarch of the Elf Village. Elder sister to Rozmiaque. She has long golden hair, blue eyes, and looks like 20s.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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