You are very strong, but my painting style is better than yours!

"Sorry, I attacked you without understanding the situation."

"It's alright, there's no threat anyway." Iori smiled brightly. "You must have held back, right?"

"Hmm~"

For some reason, the female elf showed a slightly complicated expression, and then nodded.

She wasn't lying; she really hadn't used her full strength... but she still felt a little uncomfortable.

"There are so many terrified girls, I might not be able to take care of them all by myself. You're a girl too, so you should be able to put their minds at ease. Could you help me bring them down the mountain?"

The boy in the black shihaka uniform said kindly, "My name is Aizen Iori, but people who know me call me Iori. You could say we became friends after fighting."

After hesitating for a moment, the elven girl spoke: "Beatrice, nice to meet you."

She stared intently at Iori and noticed that the boy remained completely unmoved even when he heard her name.

Iori asked curiously, "Is there something on my face? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No...you're not surprised at all to hear my name."

"Are you a celebrity?" Iori chuckled. "Unfortunately, I'm not very good at remembering names. I forget most names as soon as I turn my head, except for those I know well."

“Is that so… Your appearance is quite unusual.” Beatrice scrutinized Iori carefully. “Black hair and black eyes are not uncommon on their own, but it’s rare to see them on one person.”

That's because anime characters are easier to distinguish by their hair and eye colors. Without them, they become harder to differentiate. For example, Kyoto Animation, Detective Conan, Gintama... Not every work can use a realistic style!

Do you know that writing something like "Vagabond" can be exhausting?

Let's set aside this ambiguous reason for now.

Iori thought for a moment and said, "In this situation, considering the answers from my 'seniors,' should I say that I come from a poor, remote area with limited access to information... or a distant Eastern country?"

"...Are you asking me?" the elf asked, taken aback.

"Oh, sorry, let's forget what we were saying earlier. Let's not discuss my appearance for now. Let's think about how to get the person back, and what to do with this village. If we leave it unattended, it might attract other bandits in the future, right?"

Iori suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, your name... Beatrice? It's a bit of a mouthful. Can I just call you 'Beatetori'?"

Correspondingly, you can also call me Iori~

“…Hmm, okay.” After thinking for a moment, the female elf nodded.

-

Beatrice, Iori really didn't react to the name, and the reason was just as he said:

Aside from memorable characters like the character with the ahoge (cowlick) and Uncle B, he's really bad at remembering foreign names, but he knows some nicknames by heart.

Even so, Iori did recognize the female elf.

She appeared in the anime as the first winner of a large-scale festival, and was respectfully called the "Goddess of War," and she did indeed possess the fighting power commensurate with that title.

If we exclude the male protagonist, "Shadow," then Beatrice Ran can be considered to be at the top level of the human (demi-human) race; those above her are almost all overpowered.

These thieves must have accumulated a lot of good fortune over the past few lifetimes to have managed to attract the wrath of both Iori and Beatrice at the same time... Even a king wouldn't enjoy such treatment!

After dealing with the orcs and rescuing the kidnapped girl, Beatrice, with her simple-minded thoughts, thought that as long as she sent the girl back, that would be enough, so she didn't do anything else. However, Iori seriously started arranging the follow-up matters.

He first opened the orcs' storehouse and took out food for everyone to have a good meal. At the same time, he used healing magic (which Sera possessed in the mark) to repair the girls' skin and flesh wounds, removing things like bruises and marks. Then he found a large pot, boiled water, and let them wash off the mud and dirt.

After they finished tidying up, apart from their worn-out clothes, their complexions had improved a lot, and their mental state had also improved considerably. The few sensitive girls gradually calmed down as well.

—You're really strong.

If a girl on Earth were kidnapped for several days, it would probably take her several days or even weeks to recover.

However, here, a hot meal and a shower are enough to relieve most of the stress.

Iori then distributed some of the bandits' property to each of the girls. By the time they had finished, the bright moon was high in the sky. At this point, the girls had mostly recovered their energy. Seeing that it was getting late, Iori decided to spend the night in the village before going down the mountain.

Beatrice watched Iori's actions from the sidelines, and considered helping him along the way, but whenever she tried to intervene, she found that there was nothing for her to do.

So she found it very incredible:

Even though Iori didn't do anything particularly special, she easily gained the trust of these girls, comforting them and providing them with emotional support.

Beatrice was confident that she could annihilate the orc bandits, which would not be a difficult task for the "God of War." However, even if she rescued these girls, all she could do was send them back to the village, filled with anxiety and fear. She could never bring out such a relieved expression and smile in them.

...Difficult to understand.

She was a warrior who always liked to get straight to the point, so when she felt confused, she didn't hesitate at all. Like drawing a sword, she decisively approached Iori and laid out the problem directly.

After hearing her question, Iori couldn't think of a way to answer it for a moment, so she could only laugh and say, "It's probably a matter of perspective and angle. I just put myself in her shoes. If I were in that situation, I would definitely want to take a good rest and at least fill my stomach."

Besides, coming home dirty and coming home refreshed...the feelings are completely different.

"How are you feeling?"

"If it were you, you wouldn't want your family and friends to see you in such a disheveled state, would you?"

"Ah."

The elven girl nodded after listening and fell silent—she had been a sword fanatic since childhood and couldn't quite understand this kind of thing.

She quickly asked again, "Why do these things on purpose?"

"hold head high?"

“I could kill orc bandits, but I wouldn’t stay until now just to take care of them… In fact, I have no idea what they need.”

Beatrice tilted her head: "Iori, you're a swordsman too. I always thought a swordsman's duty was to kill enemies and protect their families. I never imagined that I would have to take such good care of others..."

You're not getting any extra payment, are you? Even without doing these things, the villagers would be very grateful to you.

"If it's to gain gratitude from others, then there's no need to go to such lengths."

Iori said helplessly, "It's a matter of 'feeling'."

"Is it 'mood' again?"

“That’s right, the admiring gaze from a young girl is so refreshing!” Iori laughed freely. “For me, it’s much more meaningful than money.”

"...Just for this? You're a weirdo."

Beatrice looked at Iori's handsome face, which was no less beautiful than that of an elf, and her cold expression gradually melted, a serene smile slowly appearing on her lips.

"He's an interesting guy!"

Chapter 204: Elves are easily kidnapped (4K)

"So you're currently undergoing martial arts training and planning to return home?"

In the village, Iori brought back the girl and the looted wealth, which made the villagers ecstatic. While the elders sent people to contact several other villages to bring back their girls, they also took out the food and wine they had hidden and held a grand banquet in what they considered a very grand feast.

Iori and Beatrice became the main characters. Although the elf girl repeatedly explained that she had done nothing and that all the credit belonged to Iori, the villagers did not mind and spent a lively and cheerful afternoon.

As dusk fell and everyone's excitement waned, the scene gradually quieted down. Iori finally managed to escape the girls' entourage and inadvertently saw Beatrice occupying a table alone at the edge of the venue. She casually picked up a bottle of homemade wine from the villagers and walked over.

Although she was alone, Beatrice wasn't ostracized. It was just that it was rare to see elves in this place, especially a beauty as elegant and dignified as her. Everyone looked at her from afar, as if she were an extremely valuable work of art, but no one dared to approach and speak to her.

Iori, of course, had no such concerns. He sat down and chatted with Beatrice as if they were old friends, and learned that she was on her way home.

"Yes, I plan to go back to my hometown within ten years."

"...It's a little different from what I imagined, but that's probably the elves' unique concept of time."

As a Shinigami and a creation of the Third Law, Iori's lifespan can be said to be infinite, but the life he has lived so far has not been very long, and his mental state is closer to that of an ordinary person, so he cannot understand some of the behaviors of long-lived beings.

However, the elves in the world of "Shadow Reality" don't seem to have an exaggerated lifespan, only a few hundred years, which is incomparable to the one or two thousand years or even immortality in other works.

If it were some emotionless white elf, it probably wouldn't be ten years, but fifty or a hundred years before she remembered to go home.

"And you?" Beatrice's expressionless face could easily create pressure, making one feel like they were being interrogated, but in reality, she was simply socially awkward.

"Your clothes and weapons are very unusual in style, especially that sword... Although it's not drawn, I can feel a very peculiar magical power in it."

"It's not convenient for me to tell you about my background. It's not that I'm trying to hide anything, but it's just too troublesome to explain clearly."

Iori remained calm and composed: "Like you, I am also on a journey, which can be considered part of my 'martial arts training'."

"Adventurers as powerful as you are rare. Do you also need to travel to hone your skills?"

"Isn't it the same for you?"

"..."

Beatrice was speechless for a moment. She realized that Iori might be like her: rather than enjoying traveling, she simply couldn't stay in one place for too long.

To be honest, with her strength, she doesn't actually need to practice martial arts at all... she's just looking for an excuse.

After all, powerful magic swordsmen are extremely valuable talents for a country, and Beatrice, as a "war goddess" revered by people, is a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. Allowing such a strong person to roam freely outside would be a great waste.

"Ten years... I don't know what elves' family values ​​are like, but you haven't seen anyone for ten whole years. Don't your family members worry about you?"

Iori glanced at Beatrice, then suddenly smiled and asked, "By the way, do you have any siblings?"

"I have an older sister."

Beatrice didn't know why Iori asked this, and replied frankly, "She had just gotten married before I left."

"By the time you get back, you might already be on your 'Auntie's'," the boy joked.

Beatrice, unsuspecting, honestly replied, "It's not that easy. Elves need to prepare for decades if they want children."

"Perhaps your sister and brother-in-law are very lucky."

To hide the smile on her face, Iori raised her glass and took a large sip.

A slightly astringent, pale red liquid flowed down his throat, causing the boy to smack his lips: "Not bad... if you drink it like juice."

"Hey, look!"

"It's Lady Iori..."

Should we go up and strike up a conversation?

"I am a little scared……"

"Those two together make you feel unapproachable."

Beatrice's long, pointed ears twitched, and the scattered whispers made her look away. As soon as she turned her head, several girls gathered not far away hurriedly lifted their skirts and ran away.

The elf girl was initially puzzled, but when she saw the mysterious smile on Iori's face as he drank by himself, she immediately understood.

"You...are you using me as a talisman?"

"They are all good kids, just too enthusiastic, although I can understand their thoughts."

Iori murmured, stroking her chin, "It's all because of this sinful face~"

"..."

Beatrice's hand tightened, but she was about to speak when she suddenly lost her temper. She could only pick up her wine glass in a sullen manner, but her gaze remained fixed on Iori's face.

Although she was furious that Iori was using her to escape the girls' advances, she had to admit that it was indeed a face that would attract women. Even though he was just a boy, his appearance and temperament were captivating.

Especially that carefree yet slightly mysterious aura, it's easy to get caught up in it if you're not careful, and most women probably can't escape the deep gaze of this young man.

The reason I say "most" is because Beatrice believes she has not wavered; she is clearly different from those who are obsessed with love or appearance.

"...Where are you going next?" Beatrice asked seriously.

Iori thought for a moment: "There's nowhere I want to go. In fact, I'm quite unfamiliar with this country... and I'll be going back after a few days."

"Go back?" The elven girl was taken aback.

"I'm just a human. For me, ten days or half a month is a decent trip. Besides, I didn't encounter anything interesting this time... If nothing unexpected happens, I'll dare to go back before the festival."

"What festival?"

Iori thought of the spatial rifts surrounding the Earth and said with a pout, "It's going to be very lively. It would be a shame to miss it."

“I see…” Beatrice said thoughtfully.

What, are you reluctant to part with me? Have you fallen in love with me at first sight?

The next moment, the elven girl spoke, waking up the self-satisfied Iori:

"Since time is of the essence, I'll cut to the chase—would you like to have a match with me?"

"Competition...in what aspect?"

"sword!"

Beatrice replied without hesitation, "I rarely encounter a swordsman as powerful as you on my travels; it would be a great pity to miss out."

Iori wasn't surprised and, having anticipated this, refused, saying, "I'm a pacifist and don't want to engage in meaningless battles. Besides, even if I won, I wouldn't benefit from it, would I?"