51. I got up, it was given for free, what’s there to say?

With the help of the powers of Kephir and Nilu, the fairies, we managed to escape with the Elf Saintess to one of the satellite cities of the Rodland Kingdom without much trouble, finding a low-key and hidden place to rest.

However, merely having a place to rest is far from enough. The moment the two white-haired Elf princesses discovered Izalis’s fairy identity, the death script that had been extinguished flared back to life, proving that they had no intention of giving up their pursuit just because we managed to escape.

So, to be safe, Kephir and Nilu proposed that night to investigate the situation nearby, using their fairy powers to make the necessary arrangements, while I would ensure the safety of the Elf Saintess throughout. In the face of crisis, the two big shots naturally wouldn’t be acting jealous or anything silly; I knew this was unavoidable. However…

In this way, it gave a certain elven saintess a “chance to seize the moment.”

By the time we had settled in, it was already evening. Concerned about safety, the two big shots, Kefir and Nilu, were currently investigating and setting up defenses around our location to prevent our whereabouts from leaking too quickly. Meanwhile, I was left alone with Izalis in the room.

Although it wasn’t yet time to rest, due to safety concerns, I clearly couldn’t take the elven girl in front of me out for a stroll. A lone man and a woman sharing a room, with no “entertainment activities,” we could only sit and watch the pendulum of the clock tick-tock.

This awkward atmosphere was becoming hard for me to bear, and naturally… I needn’t mention how the other party felt.

[Izalis wanted to get closer to Oujilide.]

In the next moment, the script unfolded, likely reflecting the thoughts of the elven girl beside me who had been “waiting for this opportunity.” After a series of crises, I knew without needing to look at the script: this elf had latched onto me. Because, as she shifted slightly, she quietly moved to sit right next to me. The holy and elegant aura of the “elven saintess” remained, but her movements and words now carried a boldness and allure directed solely at me.

Then, she slightly turned her body, her hands climbing onto my shoulders, but just as I was about to decide to evade her, she perfectly halted her movements, tilting her head and gazing at me, her breath now somewhat irregular by my ear.

In the past, Izalis would have likely found a pretty excuse to gloss over her current behavior, but this time she was straightforward and simple, too lazy to even think of an excuse.

“Oujilide, I learned about your ‘power’ from your two wives earlier. Would you be so kind as to tell me? What will our fate be next?”

“…”

What I had hinted to Kefir and Nilu was merely the “prophecy,” a power of mixed truth and falsehood. Considering some actions I would take later, I needed a reason that would convince Izalis to trust and follow me, so this was a carefully considered approach.

For example… right now.

“What I see next is: you need to keep your distance from me.”

“Your words are quite similar to those of a roadside charlatan~”

Well, she should take a look at her current actions and see just how far they diverged from the image of the “elven saintess” in the eyes of the kingdom’s citizens! Anyone unaware would think I had hired her for “personal services” tonight!

Unable to persuade the girl to stop her advances, I could only give up.

“What I see next is that I see nothing at all, and I already told you, Izalis, you need to consider your future plans. Will you seek negotiations with those two princesses, or simply abandon your identity and escape to live a quieter life… If you want our help, you need to tell me in advance. After all…”

Even if I didn’t continue to dampen the atmosphere, Izalis would surely understand the implications.

After all, Kefir, Nilu, and I would definitely have to leave one day in the future—this was the message for the elven girl before me. But for us, it was not just as simple as “leaving this kingdom.” When we stop the malicious actions of the three elven sisters in this era, erasing those death scripts from the root, our departure would mean “leaving this era.”

Thus, I was not only considering Izalis’s key role in the script, but also, in the spirit of helping others to the end and not taking advantage of them, I planned to arrange for Izalis’s future. To escape? To stay? Or what? Completing this for her would also be a way to express my gratitude for her kindness.

This is what I thought, but…

In the next moment, even before the script had appeared, the fairy beside me… no, perhaps it would be more appropriate to call her a sprite, gave me an astonishing answer.

“Next? About that, Lord O’Keefe, I’ve thought about it too.”

Even the action of me turning my head to ask was part of the “plan” she had been waiting for! Because, just as I turned away, my thoughts caught up with my gaze, and I realized: the distance between her face and mine was now mere millimeters!

If it were before, I might have thought this was just some simple “thoughts” of Izalis. But now that I knew her true identity as a fairy, her actions carried meanings that could not be explained by the word “simple” at all!

Fairy, kiss, contract—I certainly knew what her return gesture represented! Yet, she lingered at this delicate and dangerous distance, as if she were actively waiting for me to provide an answer, rather than creating a “happy accident” I had already become familiar with several times.

Then, the girl’s crimson lips parted, accompanied by the emergence of the script!

“I, as a fairy, intend to pledge myself to you.”

【The fairy Izalis intends to pledge herself.】

If it weren’t for the fact that I had seen such “accidents” too many times, I feared that I might, in a moment of carelessness, let my lips “touch” hers. As her words fell, I struggled to maintain my composure and immediately refused.

“No, I’ve said it before, we are leaving.”

I didn’t even want to consider the question of “Can I take Izalis with me?” I wouldn’t agree to that beforehand because… I didn’t come to this era, when the white-haired elves still had a kingdom, just to bring a fairy back with me.

“Then I can just…”

“My departure is of a kind that you will probably never find.”

When it comes to secrets, I could only speak vaguely at this point.

However, as expected… such words were utterly useless to Izalis.

After all, this fairy saint, while not a fanatic with strange convictions, could still sound so “faithful” when she got all mystical.

“Then, no matter where you go, I can just find you again, right? Lord O’Keefe, you are the chosen one, a miracle under ‘order,’ the only existence I recognize and dedicate myself to. Our contract is the will of ‘order’ that controls everything~”

“Whether you accept or refuse, the decision I have made will not change…”

What… how am I supposed to respond to this!

Fortunately, in the next moment, Izalis seemed to sense the extra footsteps and immediately stepped away from my side.

While this relieved me somewhat, it also quietly served as a reminder!

“Lord O’Keefe, I will be waiting for your response regarding this matter. Before that, we might… need to handle the ‘new guest’ a bit. Among the footsteps outside, there’s a voice I’m not familiar with.”

I didn’t have time to correct Izalis’s assumption and immediately turned my gaze to the script.

Sure enough, just as we arrived in this town, we encountered a “suspicious” guest.

【The Elven Princess Ilushir appears.】