For now, we released the captured boss into the forest.
Because he didn't tell us anything when the elves questioned him after us.
No, I'm sure that guy doesn't know anything.
He's just bossy, he has a messy sword streak, and most importantly, I don't know what rank the blue class is, but it's too poorly planned to be a bandit.
Then we split the elven unit in half, one to guide and escort the people who were hostages back home.
The other will be our guide.
Perhaps because of what happened earlier, the elven knights escorted us back and forth and left and right with little gaps in between, so in effect we were just walking.
Amelia, who was tired on the way, was on top of the night that had become huge.


''Akira, are you sure it was a good idea? If he was really a guild-approved bandit, he would have been rewarded.


He poked at Amelia, whose mouth was agape.
I'm sure she wanted to eat something good with the money she made from it.


I'm glad I was able to get the kidnapped person back. Besides, as the saying goes, he who chases two hares will not catch a single one.

The second one?

What is that?


I explain the meaning to Amelia, who tilts her head and the night.


''I see, the inhabitants of the Lord's world have an interesting word for it.''


Yoru and Amelia nodded with their arms crossed as if impressed.
I laughed a little as the gesture was like an old man.


''Well, we're here!


William's voice, who was walking in the lead, sounded and the group stopped in their tracks.
There was a large boat docked at a dock that must not have been used much, though the trees were in the way and they could only see a little.
Incidentally, Amelia and the night are engrossed in the blue sea that spread out before them.


It's a good idea to make sure that you're not going to be the only one who has to do this.


With that, William held out a letter bearing the seal of the elven tribe's royalty.
I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.
That's a neat thing to do.
Perhaps the king thought he owed me a favor, but alas.
It was me who freed the hostages, wasn't it?
I'm glad my people are back, but I'm not happy that I can't see their faces regretful at their increased debt to me.


''We're done here. Lord Akira, Lord Jor, it must not be right for a country to say this to you, who are not even elves. However, as William personally, I would ask you guys to do this for me!


William frowned as he tried to hold back the tears that had gathered in his eyes.


''The story that Akira-dono and Yol-dono were talking about earlier, with all due respect, I secretly heard them using wind magic. They told me that they saw the emblem of the Uruk nation on the kidnapping gang. With that in mind, my dear wife and daughter! Please, I want you to take me home with you!
Wow, me too!
Please!


The elves bow their heads.
The elves do not associate with other races and are proud.
They are proud. To the elves, bowing their heads and hoping is nothing more than torture.
I am not going to do this to a tribe that is far inferior to us, no matter how strong I am.
Their resolve was visibly expressed.


'Eavesdropping isn't in good taste. I'm sorry ...... but I'm leaving my ailing mother and sister back home too. We need to move on.
Oh, Akira-dono!
But, well, if my path leads me to this fellow countryman you're talking about, I'm happy to pick him up.


A line that I'm sure I would never have said when I left the castle.
I thought Amelia had changed a lot since I met her, but apparently I was too.
The faces of the elves visibly lit up.


'Thank you, Akira-dono!
Take care of yourself, Lady Amelia!
Take care of yourself!


That's what the elves were shouting at us as we boarded the ship.
I flee to the middle of the deck to stay out of sight and throw a round to Amelia.


'Everyone else, be careful,'
Yes!


And so the ship sailed.
The night, which is getting smaller, is full of sea breeze on my shoulder.


"Feels good, Lord.
Yeah.


But I don't really like sea breezes because they're sticky.
I'll have to wash up carefully tonight.


'Akira, I need to talk to you for a moment.
...... Amelia.


Amelia stands in front of me with a blank expression on her face.
I somehow knew what Amelia was going to say.


''Akira, can I also ...... help you with something?''
Nope. Amelia has a long way to go.
...... Yeah.


Amelia looks down.
I'm sure she would have stroked that head before, but I didn't.


'Amelia, if your reasons for acting differently than mine, then you shouldn't be with me. It's not too late. Turn back to the elven territory.
How do you do it: ......


I don't want to say this, either.
My heart ached at the sad Amelia's face.


'Amelia, I don't give a d*mn about the elves. As long as I'm only happy around me, that's all that matters.
And I'm not one of them?
No, it's still there.


That's why I can't forgive the Uruk Country for trying to kidnap Amelia, although I don't know what they want to do.
But if I go to the Uruk Country to pursue the truth about the kidnapping, it will take even more time to reach the Demon King's Castle.
I'm also concerned about the brave men and women I left at the castle, but if I have any more problems, I wonder when I'll be able to return to ...... Japan.
I'd like to return to Japan as soon as possible, and I want to protect Amelia, so I'm competing in my mind.
Whether she knows it or not, Amelia stretches up and pats me on the head.


'You can do whatever you want Akira. I'll do what I want to do.''
...... Right.


I chuckled at Amelia's unconditional affirmation of everything about me.
After all, this guy has a soft spot for me.
If I said that, Akira might get into it as being sweet to Amelia too, so I didn't say it.


''...... Lord Lord, I'm fine with it, but it's not something to do on the deck of a ...... ship in public like this.''


Huffing and puffing at the night's point, all of them were working on the deck to avoid seeing us as much as possible, and we were infinitely more in the way.

Come to think of it, it's the working class of this world, but it's mostly human.
The sailors working on the ships and the bandits who attacked us are also human beings.
The elves and beastmen are no different, but the human race has a huge population, and many of them have gone to work for other races.
The human race we've seen is only a small part of the total.
No one seems to be dissatisfied, but it is clear that the treatment of the human tribe is different from other tribes.