Rest (1)
Even after Sabnack withdrew with her kin, the battle between the elves and the Demon King Army dragged on for half a day before reaching a lull. The Demon King Army retreated south once more, while the elf knights reorganized the front lines and began cleaning up the aftermath. Everyone except Bariteon and a few warrior captains returned to Maherith. They needed to treat their wounds from the fight and discuss plans to take down Sabnack and her army.
"So the Diablo Slayer headed into the unexplored zone to thwart the Demon King Army's plans, huh?"
"If he hadn't stopped that wicked lich and evil dragon, their scheme would've gone off without a hitch, and Maherith would've been swallowed whole by those monster hordes turned to mush by now. How'd he know to prepare in advance? Incredible."
"That's why he's the Diablo Slayer."
The elf knightesses whispered among themselves. They shot excited glances at Yushin, who was chatting with Ardena Valencia. Their scent wafted through the air—a feminine aroma. Elves always gave off the smell of ripe fruit when they were in heat. It was similar to the scent of arousal fluids. Elf women, who were easily captivated by strong males, started emitting that fruity perfume even before any affection took hold when they met their ideal type.
"Ahem!"
Ardena flushed red and cleared her throat at the smell coming from her fellow knightesses. She knew exactly what it meant. She tried to ignore it, but the odor was too blatant. Ardena dismissed all the elf knightesses standing guard at a distance. Only then, alone with Yushin, could she get to the point.
"I... saw your chest... pierced through."
She finally spoke, with difficulty. Ardena remembered it clearly: the moment Sabnack's strike had punched through his armor and his chest. It was a wound that should've killed him instantly, yet Yushin was fine. There wasn't a trace of the puncture. Allen Rocksfield, worried out of her mind, had even lifted his clothes herself to check, confirming no injury.
"The armor's effect is insane. A treasure of the Holy Empire for sure. Top-tier performance."
"I'm glad."
"Of course you are. I couldn't exactly live with a hole in my chest."
After a brief exchange, Ardena spoke again.
"Thank you for fighting for us."
"I haven't killed Sabnack yet. Why make it weird? Where'd that stoic Ardena warrior captain go?"
"Don't tease me. I'm sincerely grateful to you."
Ardena turned her head, face burning at Yushin's teasing. Her ears were flushed red; she was deeply embarrassed by the situation.
"Stopping that lich and evil dragon scheming in the unexplored zone? Pure luck. Unless I've got clairvoyance, how else would I know the Demon King Army's plans? Makes you believe in sheer luck sometimes."
"I know. Yushin, the real reason you went to the unexplored zone."
With that, Ardena began sharing her guess.
"If you'd wanted to cut ties with us elves completely, you'd have boarded a trade ship from Santander port to some foreign land. But you didn't."
She'd declared a clean break and left, but couldn't fully let go. That's why he hadn't sailed abroad. He'd chosen the unexplored zone—cut off from the Elf Kingdom, yet close enough to rush to the front lines anytime. When Ardena heard he'd gone there, she'd secretly felt relieved. Despite the severance, he didn't truly hate the elves. She'd firmly believed he'd come to their aid if the Elf Kingdom was in peril. And as expected, he'd appeared on the front lines to fight the Demon King.
"Training myself was part of it too. Sabnack's definitely stronger than Agares. Fighting her for real showed me—she's on a whole other level. Not even comparable."
"She's spent centuries honing herself for revenge on us elves. It'd be weirder if she weren't strong."
"Honestly, in hindsight, I kinda regret it. 'Why should I fight for these pointy-eared freaks?' That kinda thought crossed my mind."
Ardena nodded at Yushin's words. From his perspective as a human, there was no reason for him to risk his life for the Elf Kingdom. Until recently, he'd been a slave there. Even if he'd hidden his identity perfectly, treating the Diablo Slayer who'd slain a Demon King like a slave must've been a massive humiliation. Asking someone they'd humiliated that way to fight for them was brazen and rude.
"I'm sorry."
"What're you sorry for? Just not whipping a rude, crazy slave like me is already a blessing. Oh yeah, you kicked my junk once."
"F-Forgot about that! It was a mistake!"
"I know. Just kidding."
Yushin waved it off as Ardena turned beet red, looking ready to explode. He shrank back instinctively, scared of another groin shot. At her huffing, he reflexively drew his legs together.
"So... what now?"
"What else? Figure out how to beat the Demon King. We gotta crush her here. Make sure the Demon King Army never sets foot on the Libria Peninsula again."
"If you step up, I'll support you fully—and so will the Elf Kingdom."
They'd sever Sabnack's lifeline completely, just like with Agares. Ardena nodded gravely at Yushin's words, her expression stiff.
"I saw you nearly sever the Demon King's head. That gave me hope. The warrior captains who witnessed it now know Demon Kings aren't invincible."
Yushin shook his head at Ardena's words.
"Nearly decapitating a Demon King and ending their immortality are two different things. If you don't break the immortality, chopping the head off does nothing. It just regrows—like rewinding time."
"...So that's the power of immortality granted to Demon Kings."
"Explains why humanity's knelt to the six Demon Kings and lost so much territory."
To dismantle the Demon King Army and claim victory, all six Demon Kings had to be slain. But the problem was, only a rare few could sever the immortality bestowed upon them. There was only one called the Diablo Slayer: Yushin Gilliard. Scouring the shadows for hidden Another Ones might uncover a second, but for now, Yushin was the sole one. Meaning he alone could end the six Demon Kings.
"Want something to drink?"
"Water, please."
"Sure."
The room was the lavish guest chamber assigned to Yushin—one of the grandest in the palace, fit for a crown prince of the Valua Kingdom.
"Ngh!"
Ardena winced and let out a groan as she took the water. The glass hit the floor. She'd dropped it from the intense pain, despite holding it casually. Only then did Yushin remember he'd inflicted a serious wound on her. It was her shoulder, for sure. He moved to check it, but Ardena brushed off his hand, refusing to show it.
"It's not bad. Just reopened a bit from fighting Sabnack."
"That's bad enough. Let me see the wound."
"I'm fine. Nothing for you to worry about."
"Stubborn as ever..."
Under Yushin's persistent urging, Ardena finally relented and rolled up her clothes. She shed her black coat and unbuttoned her gray dress shirt to bare one shoulder. A gruesome scar marred the smooth high elf skin—bad enough to make him grimace. Charging into battle with an injury that deep? Yushin was stunned by her recklessness. The scab over it showed it'd reopened during the fight.
"Wait. I'll grab some medicine."
"I'm fine!"
"Keep yapping and I'll ditch the Elf Kingdom right now, Demon King or not. Why so stubborn? Well, that's why you've..." He trailed off with a tsk.
At Yushin's warning, Ardena clamped her mouth shut. He left the room and soon returned with what looked like ointment—made by elf priests.
"I can apply it myself. Give it here."
"Can't reach past your shoulder unless you're an octopus..."
The mood turned awkward. Unable to resist, Ardena lay on the bed with one shoulder exposed. Burying her face in the pillow, her breathing grew ragged. Alone in the room—man and woman, on a bed. For a 320-year-old virgin, the situation was charged enough to set her heart ablaze.
Does he plan to take me here? No, why would he want a stone-hearted woman like me? What's appealing about someone so rigid?
But her pounding heart showed no sign of slowing. Baring skin to an outsider. Elves lived in near-nudity for mana breathing, but showing skin to a crush was mortifying. Unlike most elves, Ardena wore modest clothes—she could breathe mana just by normal respiration.
"Ngh..."
Ardena let out a short groan. He unclasped her bra. Unlike other elves who used nipple bands, she always wore one. With the last barrier gone, her ample breasts spilled free. But unfortunately, Yushin didn't glimpse the high elf virgin's bosom—Ardena hastily covered them with her gray shirt. Her face burned tomato-red at exposing herself to her crush.
"I-If you try anything funny..."
"I won't."
"Guh! Don't answer so bluntly!"
"What do you want me to say?"
Ardena lay on the bed. Her sideboob peeked from under the shirt. Her D-cup—no, rounding up, E-cup—breasts squished against the mattress like fresh steamed buns. No nipple visible, but the white flesh yielding to pressure was erotic enough.
"Hah!"
Yushin applied the blue-tinged ointment to her shoulder. Ardena shivered faintly. The cold salve and sharp pain from the scar stung. It burned. But she endured—worse pains came on every battlefield. Compared to the agony of parting with Yushin, this was nothing.
"You fought a Demon King carrying a wound like this? There's a limit to recklessness."
"A warrior captain has a duty and responsibility to lay down her life for the Liberia Elf Kingdom. Injury doesn't change that."
"Wish I had a gag for that mouth."
He applied the ointment delicately over the scar. Each touch made her slender body twitch. The stinging persisted, but soon faded—thanks to the salve's analgesic effect. Without pain, she felt his hand gliding over her skin more intensely.
"Sorry."
"No need. We elves are the ones who hurt your subordinates. We should apologize."
"Leaving a scar on an unmarried virgin. It won't stay, right?"
Yushin asked. Ardena assured him the priest-made ointment would prevent scarring. A sly elf might've used it to demand responsibility, but she was honest and upright. She said it to spare him worry.
"Yushin."
"Yeah? What?"
"That thing... if it's okay..."
It took immense courage; Ardena stammered several times before speaking. But it fizzled. Lacking the guts, she shook her head and clamped her mouth shut. At 320 years old, zero dating experience. A pure virgin who'd never loved couldn't blatantly seduce her crush. Ardena gave up before even trying.
Ah, I wanted to ask him to do the front too...
Swallowing the words, she let out a wistful sigh. No scar on her front—just shoulder and back. Knowing that, why ask him to apply ointment there too...? Her unspoken feelings faded into the void.