Someday Will I Be The Greatest Alchemist?

Chapter 344: If you want to, then defeat me

Without any family or relatives to greet, we couldn’t do anything for Maria and Marnie, but when Akane told me that it was necessary to go and greet Sophia’s parents, so without even deciding on a location for the wedding yet, we had a bit of a commotion finishing our preparations and headed to Yggurle Kingdom.

We teleported to an area off the beaten path away from the barrier raised at the national borders of Yggurle Kingdom, and I brought Tsubaki out of the Subspace and fastened the carriage to her.

「Haa~ how daunting.」

「Takumi-sama, I don’t believe it is necessary to greet father and mother, though.」

「No, this is the right thing to do.」

Having to do marriage greetings to my future in-laws, something I had not done even in my previous life, is a very stressful event to me.

I was able to communicate with Tsubaki using telepathic communications so a coachman wasn’t really necessary, but there were eyes from other people travelling the highway, so we more or less took turns sitting in the coachman’s seat. Kaede was in her special seat, riding on Tsubaki’s back.

「We’ll reach the border anytime now, right?」

「Indeed. We are nearing the Elven forest.」

The forest that the Elven race had placed a gigantic barrier over had come into view.

Entry into Yggurle Kingdom with a carriage proceeded smoothly. It feels like there’s more people and carriages coming and going on the main road than before. The reason for this was likely the trade between the three countries.

「Yggurle Kingdom had changed considerably.」

Sophia gazed at the passersby and muttered earnestly.

「It’s really changed that much? I mean, compared to when we visited your home before, I do think there’s more people on the main road though.」

「Takumi-sama, the Elves believed themselves to be the best out of all the races that exist. As such, it was difficult to say that diplomacy with other countries was going well, beyond the bare minimum necessary.」

「Ahh, yeah, there are definitely people with condescending attitudes.」

The Elves in this world were long-living beautiful men and woman, all of whom were excellent mages, just like those depicted in novels and anime in my old world. Additionally, they were capable of conversing with Spirits like the Dwarves, and there were numerous individuals who flaunted themselves as special beings. Moreover, I could somewhat tell that until just recently, they had been misunderstanding that the one and only World Tree was theirs.

Thinking of such things absentmindedly as the carriage shook, Akane brought up a topic that reminded me again of why we were here.

「It’s a relief that Sophia’s father and mother aren’t like those elves, huh.」

「Ah, yeah, but it doesn’t change that I’m still nervous.」

「If you keep this up, you aren’t gonna last until then.」

「I think it will be fine. Both father and mother have gentle temperaments, after all.」

I got nervous again when Akane mentioned Sophia’s parents, so Akane looked at me as if she was tired of it, and Sophia reassured me that it would be fine. It might be a bit pathetic as a man, but this is my first time experiencing this in both of my lives.

⊛

「Ah, I can see Sylphide territory.」

「It’s such an idyllic village, but……」

Why is my stomach hurting?

The carriage approached the mansion of the feudal lord.

Since it was a small territory governing two villages, the mansion isn’t that huge either. Rather, my Volton mansion and Sanctuary mansion were clearly bigger.

Tsubaki stopped the carriage in front of the Sylphide mansion, so I alighted the carriage first. As Sophia, Maria, and everyone else alighted, an aged man garbed no differently to peasants whom was a butler only in name had hurriedly come to greet us from the Sylphide mansion.

「Milady, Iruma-dono, welcome.」

「I’m back, Hal-jiji. You seem well.」

「Not at all, I think I will soon return to the roots of World Tree.」

The Elves’ belief was slightly different from Humans and Beastkin. They similarly believe in Goddess Norn, but the Elves themselves also believe that they become one with the World Tree when they die, then their soul would ascend to heaven and repeat the endless cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.

Bam!

The door opened aggressively, and Sophia’s father Dante-san, Sophia’s mother Freesia who could pass for her sister, and an aged Elf who I somewhat recognize came out. Have we met somewhere……?

「Father, Mother, it has been a long time.」

「…………」

「Sophia, I’m glad you seem well.」

Though Sophia had greeted Dante-san and Freesia-san, Dante-san was glaring at me for some reason.

Umm, did I do something? While I was wondering so, Dante-san declared something unbelievable to me.

「Iruma-dono!」

「Y-yes!」

「If you want to marry Sophia, you have to beat me! This is a duel!」

「「「「「Huh?」」」」」

The calm atmosphere had frozen over.

***