56. Fete, Stay Tonight
After a night of “in-depth discussions,” the two big shots, Kephir and Nilu, were finally “soothed” by me. Their waists no longer ached, their legs were no longer sore, and their faces glowed with vitality, looking as if they had just emerged from a full skincare treatment.
Most importantly: their hostility towards the Elf Saintess Izalis had diminished significantly. With that, I could finally “safely” interact with Izalis and address the last “script” we needed to face before “going back”—to properly arrange the escape route for the Elf Saintess Izalis, who was still in a “running away” state. As the “key” in the script of this era, if I couldn’t arrange things for her properly, even if I “left this place,” I would still be uneasy about the script.
So, after Kephir and Nilu went off to find a “place to return” so we could leave smoothly, I returned to Izalis the next day to probe her thoughts on the “future.”
At this moment.
After everything that had happened, this elf had become so accustomed to my presence that she didn’t even bat an eye at me, a “stinky man,” openly gazing at her defenseless sleeping face. She even offered a “wake-up reminder” service, showing no trace of the normal girl’s wariness.
In fact, she even asked me some rather strange questions that felt odd just to hear.
“Good morning, Lord Oghlid.”
As my gaze fell upon her, Izalis, leaning against the bedside, rubbed her “sleepy eyes,” looking as if she had just woken up. However… the script I saw here revealed this content: [Izalis was pretending to be asleep, waiting for Oghlid to appear.]
This elf was clearly awake, deliberately waiting for me to arrive. Then, tilting her head, she asked me, “Aren’t ‘they’ here?”
She clearly regarded Kephir and Nilu as “one kind of person.” Izalis, thankfully, I was the only one here today; otherwise, your words just now would have offended both Kephir and Nilu.
I shook my head. “Kephir and Nilu… are temporarily not here. Today, I am still responsible for your safety.”
Last night, I had already confirmed with Kephir and Nilu the idea of “planning to leave,” so naturally… they should be looking for a suitable place to “send signals” right now. I certainly couldn’t tell the elf in front of me this secret, so I could only stay by Izalis’s side, just like the previous days, to dispel her doubts.
It was only a moment later that I realized the elf’s perceptiveness seemed to be stronger than I had anticipated.
[Izalis sensed something unusual.]
With this script appearing, the elf in front of me stood up, wobbling as she approached my side. Just as she was about to lose her balance, she did what had almost become a habit over the past few days and clung to my arm.
Finally, she made a somewhat strange request.
“Lord Oghlid, the residence of Princess Iluxiel seems very safe, so staying cooped up around here for several days will only make our bodies moldy, right?”
The elf beside me looked up, but this smile was somewhat different from before.
I silently expressed my gratitude to Izalis for her “understanding” as I immediately grasped her thoughts.
“Do you need me to show you around the town surrounding Princess Ilushir?”
After all, there were some things I still needed to explain to Izalis, and I had to take some time to think about how to broach the subject.
Later.
After I explained my purpose and itinerary with Izalis to the one who could be considered the administrator of this satellite city—the youngest princess of the Rodlan Kingdom, Ilushir—I was eagerly pulled out by this elven saintess.
The noble and graceful elven saintess, who walked in a way unlike any normal elf, was so striking. However, when she abandoned her most characteristic mode of movement, “floating,” and donned shoes to walk with me into public, this simple change was the best disguise for Izalis.
Moreover, was it because there were no certain “interfering factors” today? Izalis was much more affectionate towards me than before, never once moving her body away from my arm, clearly wanting to present a “couple” appearance in front of those innocent passersby.
Even… after she pulled me out, her introduction of the entire white-haired elven kingdom in front of me was tinged with a bit of personal sentiment.
Just like now.
“Lord Oqilid, everything you see before you is the product of these white-haired elves, born under ‘order.’ The Rodlan Kingdom is a rare kingdom that possesses such ‘order.’ There are no natural disasters, no dark power struggles. Whether it is the current king of the kingdom or the three truly exceptional princesses, as long as ‘order’ exists, this kingdom will endure for a long time.”
That… wasn’t entirely wrong.
With the lifespan of the elven race combined with such a prosperous kingdom, and besides that, those few princess successors who, although currently enemies, are indeed exceptionally talented, the Rodlan Kingdom looks like a civilization that could last for a long time.
But precisely because of this, I went to great lengths to come to “this era,” to disrupt the script of death, and to investigate: how did such a prosperous and orderly civilization “disappear” without a trace? Even the noble and perfectly capable princesses of this era would, in the future, become somewhat “unhinged,” bringing chaos and disaster to the continent.
However, even if I asked Izalis about such questions, I wouldn’t get much out of her. Moreover, the whispers she murmured in my ear were certainly not meant to evoke my admiration.
As we walked, I realized the elf beside me had leaned in closer to my ear.
Whispering words that were already filled with temptation just by the sound of them.
“So, in a civilization that exists with ‘order,’ as long as I am here, it doesn’t matter how long you stay, I hope you will…”
“Izalis, if you’re not afraid, can we continue walking towards the outskirts of the city? There are some places outside that I want to understand…”
I calmly interrupted the elf’s whispers beside me, for I knew from the script what Izalis was thinking at this moment.
【Izalis wants to keep Oqilid.】
It seems that this elf has sensed my thoughts of “I might be leaving,” which is why, when I found her today, she pulled me out in such a forceful manner, intending to “persuade” me.
Since she is already aware, it makes no sense for me to continue hiding things like a girl.
I should be ready to explain to the elven saintess beside me that “we plan to leave.”
Moreover… it certainly cannot be a “departure” that involves taking Izalis along.
“Just right, while Kephiel and Nilu are away, if you have a ‘good place’ in mind that you want to visit with me alone, I will agree to accompany you today.”
——
Today’s lucky draw winner is: Yameidie Yameidie (1 point)
Charge, charge, charge.