Chapter 252
Chapter 252
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 252
Chapter Title: Gentle, and Do Not Get Angry #3
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Beyond the blazing inferno.
Just one more step, reach out my hand, and I could grasp her—Elfride was right there.
Even with eyes and ears dried out by the heat, unable to see, I could vividly sense her presence beyond this scorching barrier.
Even with my eyes closed, I could picture what Elfride looked like.
She was probably flattened against the ground, curled up with her arms cradling her face.
Elfride and I had spent roughly two years together.
Two years.
730 days.
The time it takes for a newborn baby to take its first steps and learn simple words.
The time it takes for a green, clumsy recruit to don their discharge uniform and walk out the battalion gate.
Looking back later, it might seem short, but memories of laughing and chatting through various events linger.
Through that long, long time, I was with Elfride, and Elfride was with me.
Whether I liked it or not, every detail about her was etched vividly in my mind.
What she liked, what she hated, how she smiled, how she got angry—it all came into sharp focus in my head.
I had no choice but to admit it.
This might be the last time I see Elfride, so I decided to just accept it honestly.
“Elfride—.”
My ears weren't working well, but I could tell my voice was cracking.
A hoarse, pathetic sound from parched vocal cords, but I continued, hoping it would reach the woman beyond the wall of flames.
“You weren’t a good master, Elfride—.”
No response came back.
I hadn’t expected one.
“Of course, I probably wasn’t a good servant either. That’s how it was with us. Like a mismatched threesome in a lopsided tug-of-war, we just limped along together, nothing more.”
Whoosh.
The intensifying heat finally buckled my knees.
Some strange energy was holding back the flames, but I could feel I was reaching my limit. So, before time ran out completely, I got to the point.
“Still, truth be told, I didn’t hate you at all, Elfride.”
It was just the fate of slave and master.
As my body crumbled, I wondered what it would have been like to meet Elfride in a different way.
If we’d met more ordinarily. If we’d encountered each other at an adventurer’s guild, even as comrades—would our relationship have been different?
Maybe it would have been, or maybe not.
Just meaningless hypotheticals.
I no longer had the strength to speak or even think.
All that remained was a handful of sand-like power in my palm, scattering away.
So I stopped talking, stopped thinking, and simply stood again. Squeezing out every last bit, I took one step forward and grabbed the fallen Elfride.
“What about you, Elfride? Do you think so too?”
The thin, slender shoulder filling my palm—
I pulled it up, then extended my index finger with my other hand.
Even without sight, Elfride’s body was perfectly mapped in my mind. I jabbed my finger as hard as I could into her solar plexus, the human vital point between abdomen and chest.
“!”
A horrific scream pierced even my dulled ears. At the same time, the fading flames allowed me to catch my breath a little.
Sluuump.
I felt the woman’s body inside me go limp and slack.
This was probably it.
The end of everything.
But a chill like goosebumps prickled my back. This sharp sensation was what you’d call killing intent, or hostility.
“To stop the witch’s rampage—impossible, yet impressive. Temporarily strengthening your body to pass through the flames. That’s diamond-indestructible level.”
As my breathing steadied, a cold male voice reached my ear. He was Daltor, the elven monk from Alvheim who had pursued Elfride.
“I’m grateful you handled her for us. Now hand over the corpse.”
“...”
Crackle, crackle.
His hostility stung my heat-seared skin like sparks. He seemed intent on taking Elfride’s body from my arms.
“What are you doing? Hand her over now. Can’t you hear me?”
“Even blind, I’m not deaf. I can’t hand Elfride over to you.”
“What?”
“I haven’t heard the real answer to the question I asked, swallowing my pride.”
“I don’t know what nonsense you’re spouting. It’s just a corpse. No different from an object. Albino elves are no different from objects to begin with.”
“...”
“If you don’t obey our will, death is all that awaits you, barbarian. I acknowledge your effort to extinguish the flames—at least I’ll make it painless.”
Zing.
A sharp sting like static shot through the nape of my neck.
Reflexively, I ducked my head, and something fast and sharp grazed past my hair just above.
“You dodged my hand blade. You won’t get a second chance.”
Throb.
My solar plexus jolted hard. Reflexively, I threw one arm forward to guard my abdomen.
Bam—!
A powerful impact sent me flying, tumbling across the ground. Without sight, it was utterly frustrating.
Dodging the attack by sheer luck was good, but losing Elfride somewhere in the process was the worst possible outcome.
Was it really ending like this?
After enduring even the roaring flames?
As I swallowed dryly in that mindset—
『Stop this.』
A clear voice rang in my ear. A woman’s voice I’d heard recently. Bright, cheerful, with a hint of playfulness.
Probably Hersy, the apprentice priestess of Venus.
But there was something off about it—not quite the country girl Hersy.
Fuck, in this situation of all times, it didn’t fit at all, yet her voice alone made my dick twitch.
What the hell.
I didn’t know what it was, but it carried some bizarre mana that resonated with my heart and cock.
『I can no longer allow foreign cultists to rampage in my domain.』
“Hah, foreign god indeed. You must be the master of this temple, but I am Daltor, first disciple of the Mother World Tree. Foreign god, this is elven business from Alvheim. Apologies, but we’ll finish it quickly.”
『I can’t allow that.』
“What do you mean?”
『That long-eared woman entrusted her body to my temple today and became my follower. I have a duty to protect my followers. Even if it’s just a corpse.』
“The witch Elfride, your follower? Impossible. I know the status you hold in this foreign land. Venus, you’re the goddess of love, right?”
『And?』
“Then our elves can never be your followers. We elves have had our emotions castrated. Even that woman, Elfride, couldn’t escape that branded fate. Love, especially? Impossible even if heaven and earth were remade.』
『Unable to feel affection? Why such a horrific thing?』
“After the long winter and twilight, we had to give up much. You gods of Gaia continent owe us for our fate. Your long winter hastened our twilight.”
『I see. Words won’t work on you. You want to taste a goddess’s power directly, then. No such thing as beings incapable of love exists.』
Whoooosh—.
An oppressive pressure bore down on my shoulders and chest. Goddess Venus. So she was the temple’s master?
For some reason, she seemed to be taking mine and Elfride’s side.
Knowing divine power well, I felt some relief. As I exhaled and focused on recovering my vision—
Thud thud thud.
Something kicked off the ground. Then came a woman’s sharp scream.
『Kyaaak! I, I am the goddess Venus! You think you can touch me and get away!?』
“My goddess is one alone. You can never be my god. My god is Mother, only one.”
『Hnn, with such small, fresh affection, you can’t wield power...』
My vision finally returned, blurry with tears, revealing Daltor looking down at Hersy.
Venus goddess is fucking weak, shit.
As I furrowed my brow in that thought, more shadows appeared behind Daltor.
Mimir, face covered in wounds, and Dermod of the Crushing Fist.
No idea what happened to Silver Rose, but their gathering here was definitely bad news for me and Elfride.
Is it over?
Mimir, the short-haired elf girl, wiped blood from her face and spoke.
“Elfride’s dead after all. What a pain, dragging it out. So, Daltor, who’s that woman—?”
“The goddess’s vessel.”
“Fun. But it’s not time yet, right?”
“Yeah, I know. I’ll kill the vessel here.”
Swoosh.
Hersy lay sprawled. Daltor stood before her, bending his leg and knee. Like a child about to stomp an ant.
『W-Wait—! Wait!』
Venus in Hersy’s body seemed about to scream something, but it was futile against these ruthless monks.
Thus, Daltor’s foot hurtled down to crush Hersy’s spine—
Whoosh, boom—.
A massive impact shook the surrounding air.
『S-Survived. If the vessel dies, by rules, I can’t manifest for years.』
But Daltor’s lightning-fast kick didn’t snap Hersy’s waist. It stopped just before her leg, blocked by a sturdy pillar-like something.
“...Kallidur.”
Daltor narrowed his eyes at the foot blocking his.
Kallidur had appeared without a sound, the cast around his foot cracking from the impact, revealing his leg.
“Kallidur, why block us?”
“Because I haven’t settled my fight with this woman yet.”
“Mother watches your wandering, Kallidur. Cease this indulgence and return. You still have duties.”
“Mother—.”
Kallidur’s shoulders trembled.
To elves, the World Tree was like Mao Zedong to Chinese—unquestioned faith pillar, their believed mother.
Even Kallidur, near breaking precepts, seemed affected by the name.
But what came from his mouth was unexpected.
“The World Tree... is not my mother.”
“What?”
“My mother’s name was Mercy. The woman who always greeted me with a smile. I don’t remember her smile or warmth now, but she was my mother.”
“Just the shell that bore your flesh, Kallidur. Stayed too long on the continent, lost your mind? Punishment awaits.”
“When Mercy died, I shed no tears. I didn’t think it strange. When my siblings died under ‘training,’ I didn’t think it strange.”
“Kallidur, spout more heresy, and you’ll be deemed deviant and exiled.”
“Daltor, my brother. We’re gelded hunting dogs. Bred to the World Tree’s taste, continuing the breed.”
“As you say, gelded hounds. But hounds have a hound’s way of life. That’s our fate. Without Mother, we’d have burned in those flames back then.”
“But can you call this living? Lately, it just feels that way.”
“You’re swayed by emotions now, Kallidur. Declare your stance. Who are you? Mother’s masterpiece, Alvheim’s spear-tip flash Kallidur? Or weak fairy Mercy’s son Kallidur?”
Kallidur paused at Daltor’s question.
A brief silence followed.
In that gap, Hersy—no, Venus—crawled away from Daltor’s range. But no one cared, all holding breath watching the elven monks clash.
Finally, Kallidur spoke.
“The World Tree—”
“You bastard—”
“Is just a big tree.”
“I’ll kill you, Kallidur!”
Crackle.
Visible energy sparked from Daltor’s hand, like currents branching everywhere.
True lightning flash.
Now I understood why Daltor’s moniker was “Lightning Flash.”
Slaaash.
It sliced toward Kallidur’s neck.
No, it was an illusion from my eyes.
Kallidur left an afterimage, driving his fist into Daltor’s gut, while his left hand smashed the head.
Bam—.
The sound followed.
Faster than sound, his punch dropped Daltor like shed cicada shell to the ground.
“D-Daltor!”
Mimir shrieked at the sight. But by then, Kallidur’s fist was already flying at her face.
“Gaaack—!”
Mimir screamed pathetically, soaring far away. Then Dermod leaped at Kallidur’s back.
But Kallidur ignored him.
“It’s already over.”
Thud thud thud—.
“Wh-what, when—.”
Strange impact sounds followed, and Dermod rolled eyes white, collapsing.
Witnessing Kallidur subdue the vicious elven pursuit trio in seconds sent shivers and thrills through me.
Good thing that guy’s not my enemy.
Truly worthy of being the first sent to assassinate Elfride.
Swoosh.
Then Kallidur looked up to the sky.
As I tensed,
“Brother of barbarism, I have struck down my comrades with whom I shared trials. Even denied Alvheim’s Mother, the World Tree.”
He seemed to address me.
“Brother of barbarism, I couldn’t bear it. Knowing she threw herself into the flames, I couldn’t stop.”
I glanced at the rolling elves and trembling Hersy, swallowing dryly. Squeezing out a voice, I replied.
“Yeah, probably.”
“My chest flutters like birds’ feathers inside. Brother of barbarism, I’ve done something foolish. What is this? I feel dominated by magic.”
Kallidur’s voice was unchanged from usual.
Flat, emotionless monotone. But his face was upturned, unseen.
“ Kallidur is broken. This little woman Hersy must have done it. What do you call this feeling, this emotion I feel?”
To his question, I looked down at my burned body.
Like Kallidur, I’d thrown myself into the flames as if enchanted. Didn’t think of consequences, just moved.
So I gave no answer to his emotion.
Drip, plop—.
Shaaa—.
Finally, rain began falling over our heads.
The first rain in three months.
I lifted my head.
Various emotions streamed down my scorched face as droplets.
『Have you forgotten about me? Quite humiliating.』