"How is the situation?"
"It is progressing well. More than 70% of the people living in the Kingdom are on our side. We can actually call it a day and throw that 30% away, but recovering them is not an easy way. You know, the Elven Race has always had a hard ti reproducing."
"In exchange for the long life, you can't have many descendants. That is a fair exchange but a very disadvantageous one in tis of peril."
"Indeed, that is."
Haletha and I are walking to the other side of the garden, which is the place where we can have a private talk. I know it is a Magic world, but it still boggled my mind how a place this big is located on a tree—a gigantic tree.
'I guess you can't get numb at sothing impressive,' I muse.
The conversation between Haletha and ceased. She seems to notice that I am still busy looking around to satisfy my curiosity, so she gives my ti to admire the garden that I haven't explored yet.
Roughly a minute passed and we arrived at the private place in the garden. It is a small house made out of stone that is covered with vines and lichens.
I will normally think the house belongs to a witch, but there is sothing about this house that soothes my mind. Earth Energy—it is very strong here.
Creak.
"P-Please, co in," Haletha lets co inside. For so reason, she is nervous.
'Ah, maybe she is concerned that I won't like the house,' I think as I move my head at Haletha. "Pardon for the intrusion."
Upon entering the house, I am greeted by a lovely living room. You wouldn't expect this kind of room to greet you after seeing how the house looked from the outside.
Sitting on the fluffy sofa in the living room, I wait as Haletha prepares us so tea. I take off my mask and store it in my Spatial Storage since I don't think it is proper to wear it while having a private talk with soone I am quite close with.
Haletha cos back with a tray filled with a tea-making set and a surprised look on her face. I quirk my eyebrow at that Haletha and she blushes as she clears her throat.
Clack.
After serving the tea, she sits down and then stares at awkwardly. I take a sip of the tea first before speaking.
"This is about Teanosvera."
"Ah... I see."
Haletha looks equally relieved and disappointed. It must have sothing to do with what she expected to do but I am not going to pursue that matter.
"I need your help."
"What help can I provide you with, Layland?" Haletha asks, sowhat bitterly.
"Accompany to et Teanosvera."
"I am sorry," she shakes her head, "but I have never encountered Teanosvera nor do I think I will ever be able to et him. I don't think—wait, accompany?"
"Yeah. I have a way to contact him."
Haletha instinctively looks at the top of my head, which is where Luxia is. She frowns lightly and ponders to herself for a few seconds.
In the anti, I ask Luxia if Haletha can actually see her. She says Haletha can't see her, but she can feel her, which is comndable since not just anyone can feel her well-concealed presence.
"Do you want to negotiate with Teanosvera?" Haletha asks.
"Negotiation is the beginning of a trade—this won't be a negotiation." I shake my head faintly. "I am just going to talk him to do my biddings."
"What?" Haletha blinks her eyes.
"A negotiation requires sothing to be exchanged. We are going to et him because we need his help; not because we want to make a trade with him. There is nothing we can offer and he has nothing to desire."
"... In other words, you are going to convince him that he should help us?" Haletha asks weirdly.
"It is worth the try." I sigh lightly and continue, "There are still things I want to do—I hate wasting my ti. This is the fastest way I can think of to get out of our current predicant ... If it succeeds, that is."
I feel the need to take another sip of the delicious tea Haletha made, so I extend my hand and interlock my finger with the handle. At that mont, soone's hand landed on my wrist.
I look up to find Haletha looking at with a serious look. "Let's do it. I, too, want to end this as soon as possible," she says resolutely.
"Ah, let's do it." Seeing that Haletha still hasn't shown any intention to lift her hand off mine, I put my hand on top of hers, startling her in the process, and then lift it carefully. "The tea—it tastes splendid."
"O-Oh, thank you."
We don't talk much afterwards but I can say that we enjoy our tea ti. I leave after finishing the tea and agreeing on the ti we should go to et Teanosvera.
It is tomorrow at six.
...
Opening my eyes, I am greeted by a familiar but I still can't get used to ceiling. Sitting up, my hand landed on sothing soft and plump, which I the thigh of the person that I have been sleeping together with for the past three days.
"Morning, Eliseus."
Don't get wrong, although it sounds suggestive, we do nothing other than sleep together. Neither she nor I have any intention to do what you might expect; we sleep together because we find the room that is closest to the field the best.
"I am awake but I don't want to get up. As I expected, there is sothing unique about you that makes feel comfortable."
"What is that unique sothing?"
"You like n."
"Wanna die?"
Eliseus chuckles but imdiately clears her throat to hide it. For her, showing that side of her is more embarrassing than sleeping with naked.
"Kuhum! I like the way you handle yourself." She sits up. "Our biggest enemy is ourselves and you have already won against yourself. You are stronger than because of that and I like a strong person."
Seeing the small smile on Eliseus' face, I pat her head twice on impulse. Luckily, she doesn't seem to be angry even though she looks surprised.
"Well, thank you for your high view of ."
I get out of bed and wear my battle suits in the blink of an eye. I bid my farewell to Eliseus and head out to the place where I have promised to et Haletha—the southern gate of Lysimork.
It is quite far from the palace, but nothing is far with the existence of the Teleportation Gate. Using one of them, I reach the southern gate in less than five seconds
It is still 05.45, which ans there are still 15 minutes until the promised ti, but Haletha is already there. She brings no one with her, per my request, so she looks like a maiden in love waiting for her lover.
'Why do I feel like the bad guy here for making her wait?' I muse. 'Well, I am indeed the bad guy, so why bother?'
Haletha imdiately turns her head to the mont I reveal my presence. She nods her head lightly and then greets solemnly but warmly.
"Good morning, Layland."
"Good morning, Haletha."
We say nothing more and imdiately storm off.
Although the light that illuminates Lysimork cos from the branches of the tree that absorbs sunlight, there is a proper day and night here. When the night cos, the light turns blue from golden and turns orange at dawn.
Right now, the "sky" is orange and it is very fascinating to look at. I can't see the scenery for long, of course, since everything turns blindingly dark the mont we got out of Lysimork.
'Luxia, are you sure you know where exactly he is?'
'I am sure.'
'Are you sure that he is expecting us?'
'If it wasn't the case, he wouldn't bother to let you see in his forest, would he?'
'I was just making sure.'
Although Luxia doesn't show it much, I can tell she is nervous, just like Haletha. Although I am also not sure what the eting will bear us, unlike them, I am not worried in the slightest.
'Everything about him is shady, but my gut is telling that nothing bad will happen.' Just a mont after I think about it, the tables turned.
Whoosh!
'Layland, watch out!'
Sothing flying is coming at us—at in particular—targeting every vital part of our bodies. It is very apparent that it wants to kill us, but I weirdly can't sense any killing intent for it.
"What is it?"
"I don't know," Haletha answers solemnly.
Imdiately taking Rexorem out, I stab it into the ground and release my Mana into the ground. The ground rises like a tide and everything instantly beca visible even though it is still practically dark.
My eyes are captivated by the thing perching on the tree branch. "Oh, hello there. We've been trying to reach you."
"Hmph! What an interesting Demon."
There is a black hawk perching on the branch. It is around 18-feet tall; not quite large compared to the other Wild Beasts I have seen, but the pressure it is exuding is simply overwhelming.
This hawk is Teanosvera, the Spirit of Amizanima Forest.
Reviews
All reviews (0)