67. The Tax Collector Has Arrived
The plan to protect the elven saintess Izalis from “escaping the Rodland Kingdom” had now entered its final preparation stage, and the content was not particularly complex or difficult to understand: if we directly took Izalis out of Rodland Kingdom’s territory, not only would her survival become exceptionally troublesome, but if there were pursuers, they could easily find her. If I insisted on “helping her all the way,” it might even indefinitely delay our own plans to “return.”
Thus, under the enthusiastic suggestion of the elven princess Ilushir, we decided to escort Izalis to a remote countryside location within the Rodland Kingdom, where we would first ensure her safety. We would wait for an opportune moment, such as the appearance of “foreign outsiders,” to take the chance to send Izalis to another kingdom.
This plan was reasonable and appropriate, and it meant we wouldn’t have to stay in “this era” for the entire duration of her protection. It certainly sounded… like there were no issues at all, and I had also asked Princess Ilushir to give us a few days of “preparation time.” The three of us didn’t have any “luggage” anyway; as “stateless individuals,” we couldn’t even take a single “antique” from this era. What I truly wanted to wait for…
Was the elven saintess Izalis.
Then, one day.
“Izalis, if you need to bring anything else, just let me know. If you’re too shy to ask for those mundane things, I can bring them for you. There isn’t much time left before you leave, and once you’re gone, you probably won’t have any chance to return. If you hesitate now, you won’t have the opportunity to regret it later.”
At this moment, inside Izalis’s residence.
I had come to see Izalis under the pretext of “asking what luggage she needed to bring,” but after reminding the elven maiden before me, I immediately felt a bit of regret.
Because, as I looked at her, seated gracefully on the chair, Izalis still maintained that “elegant and sacred” demeanor. With a smile and demeanor reminiscent of a goddess reincarnated, there was not a hint of fear or anxiety about the crisis that had recently befallen her. Rather, her leisurely attitude made it seem as if she was about to embark on a funded vacation.
With a sigh, I glanced at the empty hands of this elven maiden, troubled as I rubbed my forehead.
“You can’t possibly… intend to escape to the countryside of Rodland Kingdom empty-handed, can you, Izalis? From now on, your identity will no longer be that of an elven saintess. Even if someone protects you, it certainly won’t be a life where everything is handed to you on a silver platter.”
It seemed that this elven “Saintess” had been in her role for too long, completely unaware of the life of “ordinary people.” After suddenly transitioning from someone extraordinary to an ordinary person, she found it a bit hard to adapt. At first, I wanted to give her a gentle reminder.
But the next moment, with the appearance of the script, I realized…
【The elven Saintess Izalis is already prepared to leave.】
She was intentionally bringing nothing with her. Immediately following, Izalis’s next words sent a shiver down my spine: “Hmm~ You’re right, I really can’t leave empty-handed, so… may I take you with me?”
“What!?”
Her response to my kind reminder was so bizarre that I initially doubted whether there was something wrong with my ears.
However, my ears were perfectly fine; the one with the problem was undoubtedly Izalis, as she emphasized once more.
“If I must take some luggage, then I hope to take you, Lord Oquild!”
I watched as Izalis actually stood up, attempting to treat me as “luggage” to “carry.” However, given her unsteady gait, as if she might fall at any moment due to her unfamiliarity with walking, I couldn’t just leave her to her own devices.
“Sorry, I might be a non-sale item.”
As I spoke, I moved forward to support Izalis, guiding her to the edge of the bed as indicated by the gaze of the nearby elf. For the past few days, she had been unable to go out due to “preparing to escape,” and the only way she could pass the time was by lying in bed and reading.
“Didn’t you say something different before?”
The girl shot me a somewhat reproachful glance, causing the hand I had on her waist to tremble slightly.
What could I do? After all, I had told a little “white lie” to the elf beside me under that sunset that looked like a game CG. Although my promises were unlikely to hold any weight, and Izalis didn’t seem to notice, a white lie is still a lie. Izalis must have sensed a hint of my guilt from my overly “gentle” attitude these past few days.
The trouble was, I didn’t even know how to explain this guilt to myself.
“Sorry, Izalis, the three of us really can’t take you with us.”
If we could bring a living being as vibrant as Izalis back from “this era,” my feelings would undoubtedly be more conflicted than anyone else’s. The fact was: just as I, Clef, and Nilu had arrived in this era empty-handed, we could only leave empty-handed as well. Even if Izalis recognized me as her master, I couldn’t ignore the objective laws of time and take her away.
It was precisely because of this that I had spoken so decisively that day. After all, the script indicated that Izalis’s hopes had no chance of turning around.
【Izalis cannot follow Oquild away.】
“However, I will wait until you escape and are completely settled before we leave.”
Changing the subject, in order to prevent Izalis from having any unnecessary thoughts, I offered the greatest comfort I could muster at that moment. Moreover, ensuring the safety of the Elven Saintess has always been the “key storyline” in our script of this era. After confirming Izalis’s safety, leaving was also to avoid leaving any hidden dangers regarding my “disruption of the death script.”
So…
“Feeling guilty again?”
Faced with Izalis’s direct jab at my thoughts, I found myself at a loss for words.
“Ha… haha…”
Perhaps, because of this, there was no need for “me to respond.”
In the next moment, I, who had merely come in to remind Izalis to hurry and pack her things, was suddenly struck by a change in the script. No… it should be said that Izalis had likely been nurturing this thought for a long time!
Accompanied by her words that had just pressed me into a corner, the realization appeared in my mind.
[Izalis wants to get closer to Euclid!]
Finally, before I could grasp what this meant within the script, she had reached my bedside without letting go, even wrapping her arms around my waist, pressing? No, it was clearly her entire body that was leaning against me!
“If you feel guilty, then Lord Euclid, how about you offer me some ‘compensation’ for leaving me out in the cold? For example… yourself?”
Sacredness and allure, order and chaos, the Elven Saintess and the beautiful fairy, it seemed as if they were merely a thread apart!
It made me realize: Izalis had been waiting for me today, nurturing her thoughts, and now, at this moment, she was here to “collect her luggage”!
Recently, I will start preparing for the characters in a new book. I estimate that by tomorrow afternoon or evening, I will have a rough sketch of the female lead for the new book, and I’ll share it with you then~