Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: Get Out of the House, Enoch
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"Get out of the house, Enoch."
*[Daddy! I think that elf wants to mate with you!]*
Silence.
A profound stillness, incomparable to anything else, settled heavily over them.
*[I'm sure! Elves go into heat just like... Mmph...!]*
Undine clamped her hand over the oblivious Eri's mouth and rolled her eyes.
Teasing a little was one thing, but this was a bomb.
One wrong move, and it would blow them all to hell.
Meanwhile, Lione's mind had gone completely blank; her mouth just opened and closed soundlessly.
*Mating... Heat...*
The words from the pure, innocent young spirit stabbed like a dagger deep into the elf's heart.
No, stabbed wasn't the right word—it had been thrust in and ripped her apart.
"Uh.... Um...."
Lione floundered, unable to continue.
Enoch tugged at her sleeve insistently.
"I'm fine, Lione."
"H-Huh?"
"I'm ready."
He clasped his hands demurely in front of his chest, and Lione flinched.
It seemed the one who wasn't ready was the elf after all.
Her face flushed beet red as she bolted from the spot.
*Whoosh—!*
No joke—there wasn't even an afterimage.
*[Whoa!]*
Eri clapped wildly, only to take a solid knuckle-rap to the crown of her head from Undine.
*[You little shit!]*
*[Ow!]*
Eri clutched her head and rolled on the ground.
Unable to hold back, Undine let out a sigh.
*[Agh... another walking disaster... Haa...]*
Whatever. Enoch didn't mind.
*
A few days passed, and Lione, who had been acting awkwardly, finally started adapting; the stiffness had mostly faded.
"Eriya, not 'that elf'—Lione. Right? We've seen her plenty of times."
*[Mommy?]*
"Mom... no, not mommy..."
As Lione fidgeted, Enoch jumped in.
"I like it. I'm the daddy, Lione's the mommy."
*[Me too, Daddy!]*
Enoch patted Eri's head approvingly, and her three tails swished happily.
*[In that case, Mommy! I want a little sibling!]*
Emergency alert—bomb disposal spirit Undine mobilized at once.
*[Mouth! That mouth of yours!]*
*[Aaaah! Why, why hit me!]*
*[Don't just blurt shit out!]*
*[I didn't blurt, I meant it...]*
*[Shut it!]*
Eri was subdued.
Lione let out a soft sigh, looking bemused.
"Enoch, you really can't misunderstand."
She pulled him into a tight hug and poured out her words like a complaint.
"Sis doesn't treat you with any impure thoughts. It's all purely innocent."
"...It's fine."
"Huh? What's fine?"
"No, just..."
Enoch squirmed adorably, so Lione patted his back, then pulled away slightly and squished his cheeks with both hands.
"Who'd you get this cuteness from?"
"...Not cute."
"Yeah. Not cute—handsome. No one's as cool as my Enoch."
*Squish, squish*—his cheeks deformed under her fingers.
Amused by his compliance, Lione started playing with them in earnest.
"If another girl shows up, you can't just ignore sis, okay?"
"I won't."
"Promise? Sis will remember everything."
"Yeah."
*Stretch*—irritated, Enoch's lips puffed out in a pout.
Adorable.
The feverish heat from days ago was gone without a trace.
Yeah, that salad must've been off that day.
Lione was convinced.
Unaware that the way she looked at Enoch had subtly changed.
"Will someone really try to take my Enoch? Whoever she is, she'd better know she's hit the jackpot."
"Um... Lione?"
"Sis? Hehe, should I just snatch you up myself?"
*Nom*—she playfully nibbled near his forehead with her lips, and Enoch shivered.
Satisfied, Lione planted a kiss on his brow.
*Smack.*
His cheeks flushed pink.
Even his bashfulness was cute.
"Alright, time for training?"
Enoch nodded and trailed after her to the yard.
*[Whoa, shit...]*
The spirits caught sight of Enoch's eyes gradually darkening—and clapped hands over their mouths.
*[Lione's doing that on purpose, right...?]*
What if it was all a vixen ploy disguised as innocence?
Undine started finding Lione a bit scary.
Enoch from childhood, methodically groomed, then swallowed whole once he was grown.
A ten-year plan if there ever was one!
*[Nah, couldn't be.]*
Swallow whole? She'd be the one getting devoured.
Not far off in the future.
The spirit smirked wickedly, sensing material for lifelong teasing of Lione.
*[Whoa, she looks totally unhinged!]*
Eri took another hit.
*
Time flows on relentlessly, unbidden by anyone.
Amid that flow, Enoch subtly flirted with Lione while training without fail every day.
Truth be told, no place was better for training than Lione's forest.
Hogging private lessons from the Sword Saintess and the Tyrant, venting on the forest master when bored, pristine and abundant ambient mana perfect for aura cultivation.
Minus the lack of life-or-death combat, was there a more efficient spot on the continent?
Academies and such were just playgrounds by comparison.
*[Just what did I do to deserve this from you?]*
Today too, Enoch eyed the forest master sharply after a refreshing sweat.
The surrounding woods were a total wreck from his power—utter devastation.
Restoring this would take...
*[No! Fighting that elf brat wasn't my fault either! You just rampaged solo!]*
"Didn't like it."
*[You, you! Do you know who I am?!]*
"Fox?"
The forest master facepalmed with her tail at his nonchalant reply.
She couldn't bear her fallen status as a punching bag these past few years.
Just yesterday, it felt, all things bowed before her presence.
Was it right to live ignored by this insolent brat? Doubts crept in.
"Here, a gift."
*[Huh...?]*
*Peek*—the forest master lifted her head.
Eri fluttered over, plopping down a bundle from her mouth.
*[Daddy picked these tea leaves super carefully!]*
*[Oho...?]*
*[So brew some quick!]*
*[You little...]*
*Thwack*—Eri tumbled, tail-smacked on the forehead.
Ignoring her death cries, the forest master sighed and conjured a tea table.
*[Tch, shouldn't let it get to me.]*
She wasn't some simple fox swayed by a gift.
How'd it come to this?
*Pour*—
Hot tea filled the cups expertly, and she served Enoch and Eri.
*[Fine aroma. Top-quality leaves.]
"Yeah. Asked Capri for them."
*[Ah, that chef? The food last time was good too—impressive skill.]*
Capri had started a side gig.
Not fully quit mercenary work, but opened a restaurant in his name.
It got famous; now restaurant earnings outpaced merc jobs?
Good he'd found his calling.
*[What now? It'll be soon, probably.]*
No specific reference, but Enoch got it and clamped his mouth shut.
*[Eighteen now, right? Two years left, then.]*
"......"
*[When that comes, you'll leave alone... Honestly, I'm more worried about Lione than you.]*
"...Lione?"
The forest master sighed faintly and nodded.
*[She's more dependent on you than you are on anything. Used to be so strong, but now she seems like a tree about to snap.]*
"Not that bad, surely?"
*[I hope not.]*
She drained her tea with a wry smile and stood.
*[Take good care these last two years. Visit often after you go.]*
"Yeah."
That went without saying.
Enoch rose, Eri fluttering to perch on his shoulder.
"See ya."
*[Yeah, later.]*
*
Enoch sensed something off the moment he got home.
Heavy, sunken air.
Lione, come to greet him, kept her head bowed, silent.
"Lione?"
He stood before her.
Now a head taller, he pulled the elf into his arms.
She yielded without resistance, hugging back fiercely—then pulled away, meeting his eyes with sunken ones.
"...Enoch."
"Yeah."
"Time to go."
"...Huh?"
Enoch's eyes wavered.
But Lione didn't budge.
"Today's the last day, Enoch."
The elf declared the end with cold eyes.
"Get out of the house."
That day, Enoch's world collapsed.
*
Regaining his senses briefly, Enoch grabbed Lione's arm.
His large hand gripped her slender wrist, but she shook it off effortlessly.
"Enoch, stop."
"N-No... why all of a sudden...?"
"No point staying longer."
So cold.
Her icy voice shook Enoch's mind to the brink of shattering.
*Crackle—!*
Uncontrolled power radiated, rippling outward.
Head spinning.
Sturdy stamina failed; breath grew ragged.
Why?
So suddenly?
Vision blurring.
Sorrow, despair, rage overtaking it all.
Rage surged, suppressed—sorrow swelled again. Trembling eyes fixed on Lione.
"Lione... D-Did I do something wr—"
Enoch cut himself off.
Cleared vision now lit on Lione.
Lips pressed tight, jaw clenched wrinkled, tears beading in eyes, fists white-knuckled.
"...Go."
The voice he'd thought cold was strained holding back tears; bowed head hid a twisted grimace.
"...If I drag this out more... I'll, I'll..."
*Hic*—a sob escaped despite herself. Raising her head, eyes met Enoch's, and her face crumpled.
"E-Enooch..."
*Waaah*—the elf burst into tears.
"I-I can't let Enoch go! Enoch stays with Sis forever...!"