The Water Magician

Sera led the way, followed by Abel and Ryo, as they passed through the gate of the autonomous bureau and entered the courtyard.

As seen from the outside, the courtyard was surrounded on all sides by buildings.

It was almost as if it was designed for training and mock battles…

From the depths of the courtyard, they saw people approaching.

One was a woman in her mid-thirties. Behind her, there was a man in his twenties.

Both had slightly pointed ears… indicating they were elves.

And they were beautiful people.

Elves are generally known for their beauty, and that was a fact.

“Welcome back, Sera,” the woman greeted with a smile.

“Lady Granny? Is the great elder visiting the royal capital?”

Upon saying this, Sera bowed deeply.

Seeing this, Abel and Ryo hurriedly followed suit and bowed.

“Lady Granny, this is Abel, an adventurer from the City of Run,” Sera introduced.

“Abel… my lord?”

At Sera’s introduction, Lady Granny displayed a slightly suspicious expression.

“‘Adventurer,’ ‘Abel’,” Sera emphasized her introduction once more.

“I see. Welcome to the autonomous bureau, Lord Abel.”

Lady Granny seemed to sense something and greeted him with a slightly warm smile.

Ryo found her reaction to be the opposite of the concept he had learned: ‘elves are exclusive.’

Of course, the root of that knowledge came from the image of elves created by J.R.R. Tolkien…

Surely, he was a person who had reincarnated from another world to Earth.

(Some facts are mistaken...)

Ryo thought deeply about this.

Once Abel's introduction concluded, Lady Granny's gaze firmly captured Ryo's body.

It was an intense gaze that made Ryo feel somewhat uneasy...

“This is also an adventurer from the City of Run, Ryo,” Sera introduced him in her usual manner.

“I'm Ryo,” he said, but Lady Granny remained unresponsive, still in her frozen state.

The young man behind Lady Granny looked at her with suspicion and spoke up.

“Lady Granny?”

At that moment, Lady Granny reacted as if she had been jolted awake.

“Ah, forgive me, I was just captivated for a moment.”

The woman who appeared to be in her mid-thirties spoke like an elder, which felt strange to Ryo… but seeing that no one else reacted, it seemed to be a unique feeling for Ryo alone.

“Captivated?”

Sera squinted her eyes slightly and asked Lady Granny.

“Indeed. Well, not exactly captivated but… what captivated me was the robe that Lord Ryo is wearing. I never thought I would see it again in my lifetime—what an unexpected joy.”

Saying this, Lady Granny examined Ryo's robe from top to bottom multiple times.

“Lady Granny… I understand your feelings, but Ryo seems to be uncomfortable.”

Sera finally spoke up to interject.

“Hmm… Encountering the Robe of the Fairy King is a rarity, it has been two thousand years since I last saw it! It’s only natural to feel a bit excited…”

Lady Granny puffed her cheeks slightly in protest to Sera.

(Two thousand years… Lady Granny, how old are you…?)

Ryo did not voice the honest question that arose in his heart.

However, Abel, who stood next to Ryo, seemed a bit taken aback.

“Two thousand years…”

“Um… Is it okay for me to call you Lady Granny…?”

Ryo asked cautiously.

“Ah, I apologize. That was indeed too rude.”

Saying this, Lady Granny looked at Ryo's face.

Then, she froze again.

“Uh, uh?”

Ryo felt a bit anxious and glanced at Sera.

His gaze carried a message that begged for help.

“Ryo, there’s no need to worry. Lady Granny merely recognized your true worth. She will return to normal shortly.”

However, Ryo wasn’t the only one feeling anxious.

The young man behind Lady Granny was also troubled by her unusual demeanor.

He followed her gaze and ended up on Ryo’s face.

Then, he understood that Lady Granny’s current situation was Ryo's responsibility.

While that was generally true, there are various interpretations in this world.

“You! What have you done to Lady Granny?”

The young man exploded in anger like a raging fire.

(This is it! The light novel trope where a young man angrily charges at me! Countless tropes have met with failure, but is this finally happening!?)