I’ve Reincarnated into an Elf

The area around the clearing was filled with trees, and in the middle stood an elf male holding a bow who had not yet thrown his young arrow.

Whether he was training in archery or just hanging an arrow to show off, the elf stood still with his eyes closed.

At that moment, the elf’s eyebrows twitched slightly as he felt a familiar presence from outside the clearing.

He opened his eyes and turned his gaze.

There, an elf male with a familiar appearance approached him, waving his hand and wearing a friendly smile.

“Eldmir.”

Calling the name of the elf with the bow, the approaching elf smiled.

“Why.”

“Just checking in to see how your contract with the spirits is going, as there’s only two weeks left until the coming-of-age ceremony.”

The elf known as Eldmir frowned at that innocent and cheerful question.

After a moment of looking uneasy, he sighed.

“The spirits still haven’t responded, huh?”

“Yeah.”

The elf who approached Eldmir sat down on a nearby tree stump and let out a wry laugh.

“An elf rejected by nature I’ve never heard of it, so I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, there’s nothing I can do. Even the elders say they’ve never seen a case like mine.”

Normally, elves start communicating with spirits and making contracts with them in their early childhood, long before they reach adulthood.

It’s a natural ability unique to the elven race, who love nature and harmonize with it. However, Eldmir, the elf in question, was the only exception.

Although Eldmir could communicate and interact with spirits, for some reason they seemed hesitant about forming contracts with him.

He couldn’t figure out why, but Eldmir was in a state where spirits seemed to avoid him.

It had gotten to the point where his elf mother even asked him if he had done something wrong to the spirits.

Being the only elf in the village who had not made a contract with the spirits, he was somewhat secretly labeled as a heretic.

“Well, don’t be so gloomy. You’re still a rising star with archery skills surpassing those of the village rangers, aren’t you?”

“What’s the point? I’m already marked as an elf who isn’t an elf.”

“It’s not because of the spirits, but because you seem unique.”

“Shut up.”

“Look.”

The young elf boy shrugged his shoulders as if to say, “See?”

“Where did you learn such weird words? Adults say that’s a vulgar language used by humans.”

“…Just leave me alone.”

The boy laughed in a teasing manner at Eldmir’s curt response.

“Do you know what the kids call you, Eld? A heretic. You use words you’ve never learned and come up with ideas no one else has thought of. Sometimes, when I see you, you don’t seem like one of us.”

Well, no wonder.

Eldmir felt annoyed.

“As the guardian of my faith, the protector of the forest, and the mother of all elves, El Lyradelle, I offer this to you, Eder. If you don’t shut up right now, I’ll stick this arrow into your mouth.”

Despite Eldmir’s threatening tone, the boy called Eder, instead of being scared, laughed even louder.

“Who uses prayers in such a way? You’re the only elf who would use the name of the gods to threaten your own kind.”

“So stop paying attention to such heretics.”

Upon hearing that, Eder merely shrugged his shoulders and didn’t say much about it.

“Eldmir.”

Although Eldmir didn’t respond, Eder continued without a care.

“Where are you going to leave?”

Eldmir flinched and shivered his shoulders.

For the first time, his gaze met Eder’s.

Confusion was evident in his eyes.

“Did you know?”

“Anyone who should know probably knows. Your family, and me. Ah, a few elders and your teacher, too?”

“Damn.”

“Hahaha!”

Once again, Eder burst into cheerful laughter at the incomprehensible words.

While other elf boys felt discomfort when they heard those words, Eder was different.

He simply found this unique and fascinating friend amusing and approachable.

“After all the preparations you’ve been making, how could I not know? Did you really think that the things happening in the forest wouldn’t be known to us, the elves?”

It’s about the spirits.

Eldmir thought.

Those guys are trying to manipulate our families and other people.

Damn them.

They’re really not of any help.

“Don’t worry about it, Eder. You know too, don’t you? I’m considered a heretic. I don’t belong in this village.”

“Eldmir, where in the world can you find an elf that doesn’t belong in the forest? Calling you a heretic is just a kind of joke, referring to your peculiar behavior. Do you really think we would reject one of our own?”

It couldn’t be like that.

Elves, as beings of the forest, aren’t just symbols of harmony for no reason.

I’m not leaving because I don’t know that.

I’m leaving precisely because I know it too well.

Because I’m the heretic that disrupts the harmony in this village.

Struggling to utter the words he couldn’t bring himself to say, Eldmir gruffly spoke, swallowing hard beneath his chin.

“What did the teacher say? What did he say?”

“Well, he was just laughing it off.”

“Damn it. You were tricking me, weren’t you?”

As Eldmir grabbed Eder’s collar in a simple, mock interrogation, the latter cried out in panic.

“Hey, hey! Calm down! Let go of me!”

“I will if you give me a good enough reason not to knock you out right now.”

“El Lyradelle my god! What kind of elf is so violent?”

You try to live a whole lifetime in another world and spend nearly 20 years among other races.

Then you’ll end up like me.

Eldmir, with his mouth twisted into a sneer, eyed Eder and eventually let go of his collar.

Eder straightened his wrinkled collar.

“For heaven’s sake, Eld. Please calm down a bit. Your behavior is so against the spirit of the forest.”

“That damn spirit of the forest, the spirit of the forest.”

He muttered irritably as Eldmir immediately drew his bow and took aim.

The arrow, released from restraint, quickly soared towards the sky.

Watching the arrow disappear from sight, proudly displaying its penetrating force, Eldmir spoke in a rough voice.

“I only love the forest; I’m not a puppet of the forest’s will. Eder, elves are a harmonious race, not slaves bound to the forest.”

“For goodness’ sake, Eldmir!!”

Eder looked around nervously, as if afraid someone might have overheard his declaration. Seeing his anxious demeanor, Eldmir furrowed his brow again.

“If anyone wants to hear what I have to say, they can come forward and listen. If they don’t like it, what can they do? They can settle it with their own bow and arrow.”

“Please, Eldmir Arhitea! Just be quiet. How do you think the forest would feel about that kind of talk? The adults, the elders! Your ideas are making people in the village call you a heretic!”

Eder was truly shocked. While he had heard this friend spout nonsense from time to time, it was the first time he had openly opposed the spirit of the forest.

And his statement went against the identity of elves as a race as well.

At his words, Eldmir snorted.

“Even you went and dedicated your thoughts to the teacher, but you care about what others might think?”

“Hey, those are different circumstances.”

Ignoring Eder’s words, Eldmir took a step forward.

Eder, who had been standing still, hastily started following him.

“Where are you going?”

“Home. Don’t follow me.”

“Hey, hey! So, where are you planning to go?”

In response to his shout, Eldmir briefly paused his steps and stood still for a few seconds.

Gazing quietly ahead, Eldmir mumbled something under his breath before resuming his steps.

“To where a great soul resides.”

“…What?”

That was the end of the conversation.

Eldmir continued walking, and Eder remained frozen, not moving.

The conversation was over, and Eldmir began making his way back to his own home.

To the elf village.

・・・❈・・・

The village was, as always, quiet and peaceful.

All the elves enjoyed the serene peace brought by the forest.

In the calmness of the forest, the only sounds echoing were the chirping of birds and the buzzing of insects.

Occasionally, the sounds of animal footsteps or cries would also emerge in the silence, and this was the symphony of nature that elves savored.

“…Ugh.”

Symphony, my foot.

I admit that the sounds of nature are pleasant to listen to, but tranquility and dullness are two different things.

Just because the forest is singing, does that mean they should all be satisfied while keeping their mouths shut? Is this a ghost town or a neighborhood with people living in it?

If you don’t need to talk, are you a machine or something?

It had been about 20 years since Eldmir came to live here, so he had adapted, but it was still one of the things he disliked.

No matter how many years had passed, he had already lived as a human for over 30 years before that.

Living as an elf was still awkward for Eldmir.

“…I’m back.”

He greeted, but no one was home.

Even though he knew there was no one, he still greeted out of habit.

-You’re back.1

“What’s up? Did something happen?”

In place of the usual silence, Eldmir’s eyebrow twitched at the existence of the welcoming voice.

On the small table in the middle of the narrow living room, there lay a translucent reddish raccoon.

Seeing Eldmir’s unconsciously furrowed brow, the raccoon snorted.

-What?

“…Why are you coming down from someone else’s dining table?”

-Why, is this your house? It’s our house.

“Who asked you to butt into our family?”

-If you’re not satisfied, try terminating the contract.

The way the spirit talked, Eldmir couldn’t stand it.

“Can’t you speak more politely?”

The raccoon snorted again.

-Your way of speaking, huh?

With an attitude that seemed to say ‘so what,’ Eldmir made his impression clear with a frown.

Stepping forward, he grabbed the spirit’s back and threw it right out the door.

“Get lost. Go find your contractor.”

-Hmph, that contractor sent me away first. I wonder what kind of mischief you’re up to again.

“What about my mother?”

Unintentionally, I tilted my head at the unexpected question.

The raccoon spirit, still floating in the air in the same pose as when thrown, gently settled on Eldmir’s shoulder and opened its mouth.

-Hey, half-breed elf.

“Oh, come on. Why do you always call people that?”

-Then what should I call a half-breed elf, if not a half-breed elf?

I flicked the annoying fellow on the nose.

Although I could feel the sensation of hitting my finger, hitting a spirit raccoon like this wouldn’t cause any harm.

Knowing that, the raccoon obediently took the hit and rubbed the part of its nose that had been hit.

-It’s almost the coming-of-age ceremony, and you still haven’t contracted with a spirit. Elysia is really worried about you.

“Darn it… Fine, if you know something, then help me with the contract.”

-Why would I do that for you? I already have a contractor.

“No, tell your friends something. Why do they always challenge me when they see me?”

-Hmph. Dig deep in your heart and say it, half-breed elf.

The raccoon whispered.

-How much of the true elven nature lies within you?

“….”

At that meaningful remark, Eldmir’s expression changed.

Facing the floating raccoon in the air, Eldmir remained silent, leaving the raccoon to snicker again.

-Half-breed elf. Our spirits have no doubts about your existence, nor have we ever spread any suspicions about you to other elves. We have no such intentions. Regardless, you are an elf, and elves are the eternal friends of the spirits, the forest beings.

The raccoon flipped over in mid-air.

In that upside-down position, the spirit continued speaking.

-Your existence itself has no significance to us spirits. You may be an elf and a forest being, but you are not our friend. Therefore, we have decided to observe you. No matter if we don’t sense the typical forest essence in your soul, you are still an elf.

“….Should I be thankful?”

-Of course.

“Darn it, really.”

With a chuckle, the raccoon flipped over once again.

-We are simply a part of nature, living as parasites among all things in this world. Our contract with elves has no impact on their kind. There’s no need to worry so much about it.

“It’s not as sad as being a minority among a majority.”

-An unusual way of thinking.

Maybe that’s how it feels for your spirits or other elves.

Eldmir sighed and changed the subject.

“So, what about my mother? Where is she now?”

-Oh, this time, traces of the beastmen were found in the forest. She went to investigate and be on guard.

What’s this all about?

The raccoon’s lines are marked with hyphens (-). What do you think? Should I change it to quotation marks (“)? ↩︎