The Elf Is a Freeloader

Chapter 16

Now, what will you do? Mayor Hagino smiled in such a way as he looked at Eru.

「U, um…… What is it that I would be doing specifically……?」

Hearing Eru’s words interpreted by Yasutaka, Mayor Hagino smiled in satisfaction and sat back down on the sofa.

「What I want you to do is PR for our town. You will be set as an imejikyara, an elf dwelling in a naturally abundant town…… highlighting that kind of image, and pitching that nationwide. You see, using your cute appearance and the elves’ mysterious fantasy-like existence, you have the potential of becoming popular, not just as a local idol, but even nationally in a blink of an eye even if you keep hiding. Things like your spin-off merchandise will sell like hotcakes as well. Of course, we would come up with various things and strategies aside from this, though?」

「Wait a minute! Tousan, a while ago you said you had no plans of showing off Eru-chan, but now that I’ve listened to you till the end, what else is this aside from showing her off!?」

Takashi slammed his hands on the table, enraged and openly glaring at his father.

「What’s more, Eru-chan’s identity…… if you announce to the world that she is an elf, Eru-chan would be exposed to danger, wouldn’t she!?」

Both Yasutaka and Aoi felt the same as Takashi.

Takashi’s father, the trusted Mayor Hagino made a proposal that didn’t take Eru’s safety into consideration at all. The three thought it was unbelievable as they looked at the Mayor’s face.

「True. That is certainly true. But you know, Takashi. The fact is that politicians can’t make a living with just lip service. If it’s for the sake of city and its inhabitants, there are things we must do even if we are covered in mud. If you are aiming for this town in the future, you must have the courage to command.」

「But…… but still, I’m in opposition! I don’t think this is something worth going so far as to endanger Eru!!」

A non-human intelligent life form from a different world, one that doesn’t exist in this world. With just that, Eru is an existence that would definitely cause a frenzy.

Thinking so, Yasutaka leaned in and protested to the mayor.

And then, to back up Yasutaka, Aoi also started talking.

「I agree with Yasutaka. Between the city’s profits and Eru’s safety, I would not hesitate to choose Eru’s safety.」

Towards the children’s opposition, Mayor Hagino, for just a moment, smiled gently, but immediately put back his politician’s mask.

「All of you say that but…… you are also aware, aren’t you? Currently Eru is the same…… no, if I had to say, she is in an even worse position than a foreigner staying illegally. If a foreigner is illegally staying, he is forcibly deported, but in her case, she can’t. Right now she lives in hiding, but how long do you think she can keep this up? Since there is no way she can return to her former world at the present time, she has no choice but to live in this world…… in Nisshin City. And, there is no guarantee that she would never get hurt or sick. On the contrary, you had better to think about how a girl who has no immunization from the diseases of this world would certainly suffer from various illnesses in the near future. At that time, what do you plan to do? If she falls ill, she has to be examined by a doctor. When that happens, unpleasant it may be, her existence would be announced to the public. Especially in our country, one’s identity is definitely required in order to live. If you cooperate with me on my plan, I would establish Eru-san’s identity even if I have to use a somewhat high-handed measure. Or would you rather give up living in Japan and move to a different country? If it’s a country other than Japan, there might be a place Eru-san can live in.」

Because of the Mayor’s words, Yasutaka and his friends were at a loss of words.
Those words were an extremely sound argument. If Eru is to live in Japan, then they must somehow do something about the foundation of her life, her identity.
Otherwise, she would have to live in secret and conceal her true identity indefinitely. And that kind of life is bound to fail one day.
This was something that even high schoolers like Yasutaka and his friends understood after thinking about it for a bit.

「In the first place, you three are not the ones to decide, it’s Eru herself. If she decided to do it, then you can’t say this or that, can you?」

Leaving the three with such words, Mayor Hagino once again faced Eru directly.

「Now then, Eru-san. Certainly, it may be be accompanied by risks, however, I am offering benefits that offset those. Of course, aside from your identification, I will also guarantee to pay the proper reward. If you live in this world, money is absolutely necessary, correct?」

Mayor Hagino smiled amiably at Eru.
This is the devil whispering the way to the wrong path to his pitiful victim. Yasutaka and his friends were sure that If the devil exists, he would smile like this.

「I, I……」

Focusing on the Mayor who is right in front of her, Eru who was saying something, broke off mid-sentence.
She then looked around to see the three’s faces, and with an expression filled with determination, she confronts the Mayor.

「……I will accept Mayor-san’s request.」

Although Yasutaka was surprised, he conveyed Eru’s words to everyone.
While the Mayor was nodding in satisfaction, Eru continued talking to intercept the three who seemed to have something to say.

「I am an adventurer. Adventurers are always side by side with danger, and I have slipped through such dangers countless times until now. Therefore, in one way or another, I will manage this time too. And…… and, with you…… Yasutaka-san, Aoi-san, and Takashi-san…… as friends, as comrades, I want to live proudly in this town with you from here on……」

Eru gently smiled at the three, corrected her posture, adjusted her expression, and looked at Mayor Hagino intently.

「I honestly do not understand the details of the work Mayor-san has talked about. However, I accept the work this time as an adventurer. The reward will be what you promised earlier…… this is fine, is it not?」

She, as the individual called Erulala Zaphyra Fyrasilula, accepted the commission of the Mayor with pride.

This was something Yasutaka understood well. But he still could not contain his uneasiness.

「I get it. If Eru is determined to accept the request, I will persistently oppose this talk! This might be called a child’s selfishness. But still, Eru’s safety…… I first want Eru to live in peace!」

「Is that so…… Yasutaka-kun, you will object to the end? Takashi and Aoi are of the same opinion…… correct?」

When the Mayor looked at the two, they, with the same serious expression as Yasutaka had, nodded.

Looking at the three’s expression one by one, the Mayor let slip a laugh and shrugged his shoulders.

「Then, let’s give up on this plan.」

Since the Mayor was too quick to switch his comment, the three couldn’t help but look flabbergasted as they stared at the Mayor.

「O, oi…… Tousan……?」

「Is something wrong? You three said nothing but to stop, right? I merely acceded to that.」

「Then what the heck was that plan you were rattling on and on about a while ago!? Was that just a joke!?」

「Yeah, because it is my wish, or rather, my dream, so to speak. A while ago, I said that politicians can not do their duty with just lip service, but if a politician forgets his dreams, desires, and will, then he is nothing more than a power-hungry money-grubber. I do not want wish to be like that. My dreams are always here.」

Mayor Hagino pointed at his chest as he said that nonchalantly. While looking at him in blank amazement, Yasutaka and his friends remembered something.

They knew Mayor Hagino well from the time they were kids. None other than Takashi’s father, the three remember that when they were kids, he took care of Yasutaka and Aoi like they were his own children too.
Also, they learned a variety of things from him. Starting from playing, to teaching them how to catch bugs or how to catch fish, to life lessons that a grandmother with a bag full of wisdom would know.
But, he sometimes gives the children answers that are not optimal or off point, and there were times he would purposely trouble them to make them think about things more.
It is likely that this was Mayor Hagino’s plan this time as well. He was testing them. And the one he was testing was not Yasutaka, Aoi, and Takashiーー

「Please forgive me, Eru-san」

The Mayor placed both his hands on the table, and bowed deeply to Eru.

「Before I am a mayor, I am Takashi’s parent. That is why I want to know more about the newest friend my son and his friends made. Of course, I have already heard about you from my son, but I wanted to ascertain this with my own eyes. As a result, I ended up testing you. I won’t ask you to forgive me, but, at the least, I would like you to understand that it was a parent’s affection for his child.」

As a parent, there’s no way he wouldn’t be concerned with what kind of relationships his child is amassing. There are some parents that aren’t interested in whom their child associate with or leaves everything to the child, but those are the minority.
One’s children meet a new friend. If it was a normal friend of the same age, then he wouldn’t need to worry. However, the one they met was a visitor from another world, furthermore, it was an existence that was out of the ordinary known as an elf. If he is a respectable parent, then he would definitely worry.
At the worst, there is a possibility that the kids are being deceived or used.
However, from Eru’s sincere attitude just now, Mayor Hagino judged that she was trustworthy.

「E, err……umm……?」

Unable to understand the course of events, Eru, looking puzzled, gazed back and forth between the Mayor and the three’s faces.

With Eru in that way, Yasutaka and his friends finally felt relief. In the first place, they could not trust what Mayor Hagino was doing. Heーー Takashi’s father could not make such a choice. Even if they thought that, them doubting him is likely the difference in experience between mere high schoolers and the current mayor.

「Umm…… Then…… does this mean that there’s no job request……?」

Eru, who still hasn’t fully caught up, said so in disappointment.

From her perspective, for her to live in this world, she was in need of a strong foundation. By doing so, she thinks she can finally walk side by side with Yasutaka and the others.
If it’s for that reason, she would resign herself to undergo some danger. To begin with, adventurer is a perpetual high-risk high-return job so, to Eru, the Mayor’s request was a deal that’s easy to understand.
However, it seems that that deal was cancelled in the end. She was happy that Yasutaka and the others were thinking about her, but losing this chance was regrettable for Eru.

「Yes, about that…… I still want Eru-san to be the imejikyara for the city renewal. Of course, I will do my best so it wouldn’t reach a dangerous extent for you. The reward of the job are the previously mentioned identification and a guarantee of money. How does this sound?」

「Oi, Tousan. What are you trying to make Eru-chan do this time?」

「At present, this is a trade secret, alright? A rare existence known as an Elf is so close to me. Not utilizing this is wasteful, isn’t it? Be that as it may, since there is no precedent of an elf city renewal, not knowing just how much of an economic effect it will have is the obstruction of obstructions, isn’t it?」

Obviously. There is simply no way for an elf city renewal to have a precedent.

「As it is now, we can not expect anything extraordinary from our city’s development. We will continue advancing slowly. Nevertheless,ーー」

While smiling, the Mayor looked at Yasutaka and the others.

「ーーー I won’t know as far as 30, 40 years later. And by that time, I would probably have already passed, or retired as mayor. Therefore, it would be the job for your generation. Please do your best to develop this city even more.」

Mayor Hagino smiled brighter than he’s had hitherto, and pointed his gaze filled with expectation at Yasutaka, Aoi, and Takashi, the younger generation.