As an Elf in Date A Live, I Refuse to Date - Chapter 34

"But you really surprised me, Lingmeng. You used to be a boy? No wonder you don't act like a girl at all."

"Hey, are you calling me a tomboy?"

Lingmeng shot Shido an annoyed look, and he hurried to explain.

"No, I didn't mean to insult you."

"I know." Lingmeng smiled, then asked, "Shido, now that you know I used to be a man, do you still want to help me no matter what?"

"What does gender have to do with it? I don't want you to spend your life thinking you're a walking disaster. I won't give up until you can live happily!"

Shido swept his arm through the air and spoke with absolute conviction.

"Tsk. Why are you people so stubborn? I told you I used to be a man. I only became a woman because Spirits can't be male. We're both guys, so how am I supposed to fall for you?"

As soon as she said that, Lingmeng seemed to realize something. She gave him a disdainful look.

"Shido... You're not gay, are you?"

"Of course not! I just want to help you get out of this situation. Why would you think that?"

Seeing the disgust in Lingmeng's eyes, Shido protested heatedly.

"Relax, I'm joking. I know you're probably just impotent."

"I'm going to get angry if you keep saying things like that," Shido said, the corner of his mouth twitching.

"Whatever. The point is, I'm not interested in men. If you want to win me over and seal my powers, you'll have to do it in your dreams. Anything's possible there."

"But..." Shido tried to say more, but Lingmeng cut him off.

She patted his shoulder. "Shido, I understand how you feel, but I really am not interested in you. You're fine as an ordinary friend, but as a boyfriend? That's a bit much."

"I..."

"Ahem. You don't have to focus on me, you know. There are plenty of Spirits out there. One of them is bound to be right for you. So I'm sorry. You're a good person."

Lingmeng gave Shido an apologetic look and hit him with the dreaded "you're a good person" line. It dealt devastating damage.

"Guh—" Shido clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain. It felt as if an arrow had flown straight into his heart.

For the first time in his short sixteen years of life, Shido experienced the power of that rejection. He had only ever seen it happen on television. He never thought it would happen to him.

Shido could not say a word. He just stood there, stunned.

"Ah, another innocent boy's beautiful fantasy shattered by cruel reality." Lingmeng sighed as she looked at the shell-shocked Shido.

"Anyway, Shido, I'd advise you not to get involved with me again. Hang around someone who attracts trouble like Conan, and one day you might drop dead for no apparent reason."

With that, Lingmeng picked up her drink from the bench and left...

A few seconds later, when Shido finally came to his senses, she was gone.

"Shido, what did you and Lingmeng talk about? Did you make any progress?"

Shido had returned to Fraxinus. Looking at Kotori in the commander's seat, he hesitated, then scratched his cheek.

"I think I failed this time."

"Why? Did you do something disgusting to put Lingmeng off, you maggot?"

"No!" Shido protested. "It seems Lingmeng... doesn't like men."

"Hah..." Everyone aboard Fraxinus, Kotori included, drew a sharp breath.

Kotori frowned and muttered gravely,

"So Lingmeng likes girls? No wonder her affection for you hasn't budged. If that's true, we have a problem."

"Yeah..."

Shido had kept his promise to Lingmeng. Rather than revealing that she had come from another world and used to be a man, he gave Kotori a much more guarded explanation.

"Kotori... Is there any way to get Lingmeng interested in me? I genuinely want to help her."

"You're asking me? I can't think of anything on the spot. I can't exactly send you to Thailand for sex reassignment surgery just because she likes girls, can I?"

Kotori sighed helplessly.

Even if Shido became a girl and succeeded in winning Lingmeng over, what would they do about the Spirits afterward? They could hardly count on every remaining Spirit liking girls too.

Lingmeng might be the only one. If all the others liked men, they would be right back where they started!

"Uh... Let's forget about the surgery..." A bead of cold sweat appeared on Shido's forehead.

"What a headache!" they said together.

The siblings held their heads in perfect unison.

Just then, Kannazuki, standing nearby, broke into a sleazy grin. He leaned close to Kotori's ear and whispered,

"Commander, I have an idea..."

"Oh? Not bad, Kannazuki. That might actually work."

After hearing Kannazuki's idea, Kotori gave him an approving look.

"Thank you for the prai—oof!" Kannazuki bowed to her, but before he could finish speaking, Kotori punched him square in the nose.

"It might work, but it's still incredibly perverted."

Kotori took out a handkerchief, wiped the hand she had punched Kannazuki with, and looked away in disdain.

"Th-thank you for the reward, Commander." Kannazuki held his nose and smiled in bliss.

"Shido, we may have found a way to deal with Lingmeng. Want to try it?"

Kotori turned to Shido as she asked.

"Wh-what is it?" Shido asked nervously. Given how furtive Kannazuki had looked, it could not be anything respectable.

Kotori answered with a mysterious smile. For some reason, the sight of her like that sent a chill down Shido's spine.

"It's a little magic trick that'll make Lingmeng interested in you without sending you to Thailand for surgery."

I Was Going to Refuse ### "Ah... Was I too harsh, turning Shido down so bluntly?"

Night had fallen, and Lingmeng had long since returned to her hotel. She sat on the roof with the drink she had gotten from a vending machine earlier and gazed up at the sky at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Whatever. That's life. I can't go on dates with him just because he wants to help me."

Lingmeng sighed, her heart heavy. She understood Shido's feelings, but she simply could not bring herself to like him that way.

"The wind sure is restless tonight..." Lingmeng said, feeling hollow as she looked into the distance.

Just as she was about to finish her drink and go back inside to play games, a text message arrived.

"Huh? Is it from Shido?" Lingmeng was surprised at first, but quickly recovered.

"He must've gotten my number from the message I sent him last time. But what does he want? Didn't I make it clear I'd never fall for him?"

Curious, Lingmeng opened the message.

"Lingmeng, I know this is sudden, but I hope you'll go on one more date with me tomorrow morning."

That was what it said.

"Huh? He still hasn't given up?"

Lingmeng frowned and immediately typed a reply.

"Get lost. I'd have to be kicked in the head by a donkey to go on another date with you."

Shido replied a second after she sent it.

"Please. I promise this really will be the last time. If I fail again, I'll never bother you again."

Lingmeng tapped out another reply.

"Words are cheap. Anyone can make a promise. (‵□′)"

"...How about this? If you agree to date me tomorrow, Ratatoskr will send you a monthly living allowance whether the date succeeds or not."

Lingmeng froze at the words "monthly living allowance."

"You're not trying to trick me, are you?"

After she sent that, Shido suddenly stopped replying.

"So he was just saying it. Good thing I'm sharp, or I might've agreed."

Lingmeng smiled, pleased with herself.

"Alipay payment received: five hundred thousand yen."

"!!!"

The electronic voice from her phone cut through her smug satisfaction and made her eyes widen.

"That's your living allowance for this month from Ratatoskr."

Shido, who had briefly gone silent, messaged her again.

No way. They're giving me that much at once?

Lingmeng's hand trembled slightly as she stared at the number on her screen.

She gave a scornful smile. "Hah! You think a little money is enough to make me, Qian Lingmeng, give in? Let me tell you: no way!"

With that, Lingmeng fixed the screen with a determined stare and replied to Shido—

"Eight thirty tomorrow morning. Meet me at the Cafe in front of Tengu City Square..."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, at DEM headquarters in the United Kingdom.

"Ellen, I received an interesting piece of intelligence today. Would you like to hear it?"

Isaac lounged on the sofa as usual, his eyes half-closed as he spoke to Ellen behind him.

"Oh? What is it?"

"It seems Element Maker has been staying in a city in Japan called Tengu City."

The moment Ellen heard Element Maker's name, she frowned. Emotion flashed across her face, but she restrained herself.

After all, in more than fifty years as a Wizard, Element Maker was the first Spirit to defeat her.

Ellen had not understood her abilities at the time, but she had to admit that Element Maker was genuinely strong.

"So? What are you planning, Isaac?"

"I want to capture her. A Spirit that powerful is far too interesting to pass up. I've been growing tired of Material A lately, so bringing her in as Material B sounds like an excellent idea."

Isaac answered casually. In his eyes, Lingmeng was nothing more than a perfect test subject.

"So you want me to capture her?" Ellen asked.

"I have no intention of sending you. For a Spirit as capable of reason as Element Maker, I've already devised a very effective approach.

"I've sent DEM's Wizards to Tengu City. There are several formidable people among them. They're nowhere near your level, of course, but they should be more than enough."

"...I see."

Ellen fell silent. If possible, she wanted another fight with Lingmeng to avenge her defeat. But since Isaac had made his decision, she had no choice but to let it go.

"Come now, don't look so disappointed. I have a job far more fitting for someone called the strongest."

Isaac seemed to notice her expression.

"What job?"

"Here. Take care of those documents for me. For someone as strong as you, that should be easy, shouldn't it?"

Smiling, Isaac pointed to the pile of documents on the desk opposite him. It rose half as high as the desk itself.

"Guh—!"

At the sight of those documents, Ellen, the strongest Wizard, found herself considering surrender.