I, Hal Harem Von Raymond, stopped the carriage at the entrance to a three-way road, my hands on the reins.
The following carriage, with Freya at the reins, also came to a halt.
This area was a pleasant change from the town, with the horses’ moods better, despite the rough country roads making steering difficult.
Directly ahead, a sheer cliff face rose, carved with a cliff god several times taller than a man.
However, it was quite old, with parts missing and the carved lines themselves worn away.
Despite this, its overall form suggested it might be Dentemetina, the great Earth Mother.
Dentemetina seemed to welcome us, her hands spread wide as if to bless travelers.
This was the exact scenery Sophie had described when she visited the renowned alchemist.
Reassured that we were on the right path, I lowered my gaze and checked the condition of the road.
Because the cliff with the cliff god carved into it blocked the way, the road split into two.
The right-hand path, which we were to take, was reasonably well-maintained, but the left-hand path was a wild mountain road.
It seemed most travelers chose the right-hand path.
Observing the road further, I saw several sets of wheel ruts on the right-hand path, indicating that many carriages had passed.
“Hal-sama, the carriage has stopped. Is something wrong?”
As I was checking the route and road conditions, Elise, the second-in-command of the “Princess Harem,” approached.
“Nothing in particular, but it was a checkpoint Sophie had told me about, so I was observing it just in case. If we take the right path from this three-way intersection and travel for several hours, we should see the mansion where the renowned alchemist, our destination, is in seclusion on top of a hill.”
While explaining the future plan to Elise, I peeked through the small window connecting the driver’s seat to the passenger compartment and saw Sophie and Ilisha lying there listlessly, with Tirna and Alicia tending to them.
The two had suddenly taken a turn for the worse the night before yesterday and collapsed. Although they had escaped critical condition thanks to my mental energy and “Healing Magic” to the limit of my “Magic Potion” usage, their condition was still far from perfect.
In Sophie’s case, her missing limbs from the elbow and knee down were replicated by Mimi No. 1 and Mimi No. 2, summoned beasts belonging to me and Kirika. However, the connection points had necrotized without anyone noticing, and the Mimic Slimes were compensating.
My diagnosis was that Sophie’s limbs were completely replaced by Mimic Slimes, and the mimicry had even begun within her torso.
Because of this condition, Sophie had collapsed from shock and fever.
Meanwhile, Ilisha, whose body was a Homunculus created by an incompetent alchemist, had collapsed due to the added fatigue of travel.
She had a history of collapsing before, when moving from the Raymond Mansion to the “Princess Harem’s” base mansion.
It was difficult to save Ilisha, who was like a “bottomless bucket.”
I was also exhausted, and I had wanted to leave the driving to Eria or Edele, who were being trained as backup drivers. However, because the road was rough, the veteran me and Freya were handling the reins.
“This road is correct. Just a little further, Elise. We’ll depart now. Oh, and call Mai over. Let’s have Mai search for the building.”
“Understood, Hal-sama.”
Elise returned to the following carriage, and instead, Mai jumped out.
Mai had originally been in our carriage but had moved to the following carriage to let Sophie and Ilisha rest.
“You called!?”
“Mai, I’m sorry, but could you look up ahead to see if there’s a building on top of that hill?”
“Mm.”
I sat Mai next to me, then instructed the horses with the reins and proceeded down the right-hand path.
While driving down the right-hand path of the three-way intersection, I had Mai check for buildings on the hill.
“Up ahead, that!”
Suddenly, Mai pointed forward.
Looking in the direction she pointed, I saw a man, seemingly a hunter, walking toward us.
“Um, I heard a famous alchemist lives on the hill ahead. Is it a little further?”
I stopped the carriage as it approached the man, who appeared to be a hunter, and called out from the driver’s seat.
“Well now, you’re a customer of Rulus-sensei, eh? What’s your business with a quack doctor like him? Or maybe you’re just here to see the cute Anya?”
When I called out, the man stopped and kindly replied.
His name was Gonzo, and although his speech had a noticeable accent, he was a hunter by trade, just as his appearance suggested.
The simple country bumpkin Gonzo explained things to me in great detail.
Indeed, there was no mistake; a building stood on the hill ahead.
The residents were a man named Rulus Wolf, a quack doctor, and his assistant, Anya.
Gonzo laughed heartily as he explained that Rulus-sensei’s appearance was unremarkable, just like mine.
However, Anya was a beautiful woman in her prime, and patients eager to see her were said to be endless.
But Rulus-sensei’s skills as a doctor, being a quack, was a well-known fact in the vicinity.
Perhaps Rulus, a master alchemist, was using the guise of a quack doctor…
Was that really the case!? Something felt off.
Was Rulus Wolf, who was indeed a quack doctor, the same person as the renowned alchemist Sophie spoke of?
All would be revealed in a few more hours, including that.
Furthermore, in a shocking revelation, his assistant Anya was not a Human Race but a demi-human, and a rare, beautiful Dark Elf at that!
Dietlinde, an Elven royal, was a member of “Princess Harem,” but generally, Elves and Dark Elves were said to be on bad terms.
Elves greatly outnumbered Dark Elves, and even with the memories of Lester the Cleric from my previous life, I had never encountered a Dark Elf, they were that rare.
The reason Elves and Dark Elves were on bad terms, beyond the difference in skin color, was said to be the difference in breast size.
In terms of abilities, both races were skilled archers and users of elemental magic, and there was no evidence that Dark Elves worshipped evil gods.
However, Elven women generally had slender, small breasts, while Dark Elf women, despite their slender frames, apparently possessed voluptuous breasts.
The fact that this was the cause of conflicts between Elves and Dark Elves was astonishing.
Furthermore, in the distant past, a fierce Dark Elf empress had ascended to the throne and subdued surrounding tribes by force, a vague memory that was supported by what I had heard from Edelgard, Dietlinde’s half-sister and my former comrade in the Hero Party.
Edelgard had the typical small-breasted physique representing Elves.
On the other hand, when I met her half-sister Dietlinde, she was in the process of “Yukari-fujō,” a transformation from an androgynous state, characteristic of Elven royalty, into a female form.
Additionally, Dietlinde had inverted nipples, which were treated with “Breast Massage.” As a side effect, her breasts grew to an unusually large size for an Elf, making her a formidable match for the Dark Elf in question.
Afterward, we parted ways with the hunter Gonzo, who had provided us with useful information, and hurried on our way.
“Look!”
After driving for a while longer, Mai suddenly exclaimed and pointed something out.
Looking in the direction she pointed, I saw a dilapidated mansion on a small hill.
“Mai, you found it. It seems that building is our destination.”
“Mm.”
Holding the reins with my right hand, I petted Mai’s head with my left. She seemed quite pleased.
I slowed the carriage and turned onto the branch road leading to the mansion on the hill.
The following carriage, driven by Freya, followed at a short distance.
There was a gentle plain at the top of the hill, and the grounds where the mansion stood were surrounded by fields and fences for livestock.
What caught my attention was a person, likely a woman, working in the fields, sweating from farm labor.
This woman was probably Anya, the Dark Elf.
I handed the reins of the carriage over to Edelea, my replacement driver, and approached the woman working in the field.
“Excuse me, is this mansion where Rulus Wolf lives?”
“—Yes, it is. What business do you have with us? Although, as you may know, Rulus’s medical skills are not very refined, so I’m not sure if we can meet your request…”
The woman, who looked up when I called out, had dark brown skin.
Her hair was jet-black and straight, cut around her shoulders.
Of course, as a Dark Elf demi-human, the tips of her ears were pointed like cattails.
She was wearing sturdy farm clothes, but they couldn’t hide her ample breasts.
She was indeed the beautiful Dark Elf rumored to be.
She had a dignified face and exuded a mature, alluring charm.
She was, dare I say it, a woman who would make one’s crotch tingle.
“Um. I’m not here for his business as a physician, but for him as a master Homunculus craftsman…”
“—Oh? Who told you about that!?”
When I stated my purpose concerning Rulus as an alchemist, her gaze intensified, and her tone became rougher.
It was likely her natural way of speaking.
“The one who introduced me to Rulus-sensei was Sophie. You are Anya, aren’t you?”
“I am Anya, indeed. Sophie, you say? Could it be, Sophie, the former princess of the fallen Yver Duchy!?”
“Yes, she is in the carriage with us.”
“I see. So, what is your business?”
“I would like to request life-extension treatment for a Homunculus that is nearing the end of its lifespan. Also, I have a request regarding Sophie’s condition.”
“The request… it may be difficult to fulfill, but I understand. We don’t know who might be listening out here, so let’s discuss the details inside the mansion. I’ll decide then whether to let you meet Rulus-sensei. Please follow me.”
The two carriages were placed in the well-maintained carriage house within the mansion grounds, and we followed Anya the Dark Elf into the mansion.
The carriage house was a magnificent facility compared to this desolate mansion, and it was worthy of receiving noble carriages.
The women who disembarked from the carriages pulled their hooded robes, the uniform of “Princess Harem,” deep over their faces and donned masks modeled after Valkyries.
This was because we still didn’t know if we could trust them.
Sophie and Ilisha, who had been resting in the carriage due to their poor health, were being supported by Liliana and Alicia respectively.
“Dark Elves are truly fascinating.”
“We do think so too.”
As we started walking towards the mansion, Dietlinde and Swan Hilda approached and commented on Anya the Dark Elf.
“Dietlinde, as an Elven royal, you might find her displeasing, but don’t cause any trouble.”
“Hal-sama, do not worry. I am not an ordinary Elf, and ‘the rich do not quarrel’!”
When I warned Dietlinde not to quarrel with Anya, she proudly assured me there was no need to worry.
It seemed that as she didn’t lose out in terms of breast size, there were no problems.
The mansion was two stories high. The first floor consisted of a medical facility, a reception room, and a kitchen, while the second floor contained living quarters and a hospital ward.
Naturally, there were no patients, and the mansion was eerily quiet.
Anya led us to the reception room and then left, saying she would change out of her work clothes.
Thank you for reading.
This concludes the serialized posting of episode 31, “Sophie IV and Ilisha III.”
On April 14th at midnight, I will be posting episode 31, “Sophie IV and Ilisha III,” titled “The Candle Flickers and Twinkles, Dimming the Lifespan” all at once.
Please note that the “serialized posting” and the “collective posting” contain the same content.
