36 – Uninvited Guest
The day after the meteor bombardment.
Early morning.
The meeting between the elves and humans was held once again.
The location was similar to yesterday.
Somewhere in the border between Tena-Fell Territory and the Elven Kingdom of Rivengard.
The disaster of last night left indelible scars on the Viscount’s command and the plains.
The blind stones hit the city, causing the walls surrounding it to crumble or be destroyed, and the roofs of mansions and shops collapsed.
The roads and meadows within the territory were also deeply damaged by the magic that fell like rain, and countless large and small stone fragments were still embedded in them.
There were numerous casualties and injuries.
In such a place.
The Viscount, myself, the Elven Prince, and a small number of escort troops were sitting at a table on a relatively intact piece of land.
The results of the brief meeting were not bad.
Because they had clearly recognized their common enemy in the Viscount’s command and Rivengard.
Setting aside their mutual hatred for a moment, both humans and elves came to a consensus to jointly eliminate the wicked individuals who had practiced magic close to disaster. And the words that followed were all inquiries about Elaine. “Is Lady Hwangjabi a sorceress?” To Elaine, who had not yet even had her engagement ceremony. Count Tenafel’s expression was as delighted as if he had met his long-lost granddaughter years ago. “No….” Elaine blushed, as if she didn’t mind such treatment, and even faintly smiled. “If I may ask, what about the magic from yesterday-” The elf prince interrupted the Count. “So, the young lady is his fiancée?” “Not yet, but… she will be soon.” After saying that, Elaine discreetly glanced at me, her smile tinged with a hint of mischief. But the prince’s face was filled only with a look of sorrow. “No, seriously, how did this happen?” “What, what are you saying right now?” Elaine’s voice rose slightly, as if she were offended. It seemed as though her eyes were filled with determination. “Ah, no, well… don’t get me wrong, that guy is just so reckless-” The prince couldn’t finish his sentence.
“What nonsense! Apologize immediately!”
Just moments ago, it had been a peaceful morning, with a warm spring breeze tickling the tip of their noses, regardless of whether a meteor had fallen last night.
But as soon as Elaine’s firm voice echoed across the plain, the air seemed to cool instantly, as if ice-cold water had been poured into it.
“Ahem, ahem.”
Appletus coughed dryly, avoiding her gaze.
“I told you to apologize!”
Taken aback by Elaine’s sudden change in attitude, the count hurriedly spoke up, trying to divert the topic.
“Thanks to Princess Consort Hwangjama’s visit, many lives were saved. I would like to express my gratitude once again. Ahem.”
“Yeah, um, we elves are also infinitely grateful to you.”
The elf prince, who seemed somewhat flustered, added some casual remarks in an attempt to appear composed.
“Apologize, now.”
But Elaine, like a hunting dog with venom coursing through its veins, had no intention of letting go.
“Ahem. I apologize.”
As an elf, the prince couldn’t simply ignore the words of a benefactor, so he reluctantly averted his gaze and spoke as if he had lost.
“Now, where are you looking?”
But once again, the prince looked at her with a startled expression as Elaine’s words flew at him like a dagger.
“I-I’m sorry, truly…”
“You got the target wrong!”
Elaine exerted such strong pressure that it made me uncomfortable just watching.
Thinking that there was no need to go this far, the elf prince struggled to speak as he tried to calm her down.
“I’m sorry, nephew….”
In the end, he apologized, looking straight into my trembling eyes.
And upon hearing his words, a sense of relief washed over Elaine’s face.
But there was also a strong feeling of confusion.
***
“Nephew…!”
In that moment, Elaine forgot what to say.
It was a much more bewildering situation than when she was hailed as a great magician by the soldiers of Tenafel in the evening.
“An elf with no background is the prince’s stepfather…?”
She had thought they looked similar, but she had never imagined that they could be relatives.
She had only thought that he might be a year or two older because of his appearance, but it turned out that he was at least several decades older.
Since elves were long-lived, they could easily be several hundred years older if unlucky.
Perhaps she had rudely approached a respected elder of her ancestors.
A moment of dizziness swept over her.
Her biggest concern was that.
“Could it be that the prince doesn’t view it favorably…?”
When she glanced at the prince’s face, he seemed quite uncomfortable.
She messed up.
The guilt of making a big mistake made her face turn bright red.
Thump-thump
It felt like I had made a huge mistake.
But now, I didn’t even have a clue how to fix this situation.
Fortunately, the Elf Prince didn’t seem too upset.
“So, are you the chosen maiden of the Goddess of Light, who will become the Crown Prince’s bride?”
The prince’s face, which had been tense just a moment ago, suddenly became calm.
But no matter what, answering a question about her identity was a situation she was very reluctant about.
Elaine locked eyes with the prince.
She cautiously asked if it was okay to speak.
Eos nodded slightly.
“Yes, w-well, yes.”
“I’ve never actually seen it before, but it seems that divine power is truly amazing. My nephew is really lucky to have such a woman.”
The Elf Prince seemed more open-minded than she had thought.
Even though she must have felt a great sense of shame when she was much younger, he laughed heartily as if it was nothing.
“By the way, the elves want to express their gratitude to you… What do you think? Would you like to set foot in the Forest of Rivengard?”
It was a perplexing request.
Anywhere would be fine as long as she was with the Crown Prince, but going alone was something she was quite reluctant about.
So she looked at the Crown Prince again.
The Crown Prince nodded for her to go, but Elaine added a condition.
“I don’t want to go alone, only if I’m with the Crown Prince.”
“Ohhh…”
The Elf Prince showed an expression of interest.
“Well then, let’s go together.”
At that moment,
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
The sound of drums announcing an approaching army could be heard from afar.
It felt as though we were being pursued by an overwhelmingly strong enemy, a sense of great unease.
Looking at the source of the sound, I could see a massive army approaching from a distance.
***
It didn’t take long for the person leading the army to reveal themselves.
With golden hair resembling the emperor and violet eyes resembling the empress, even just looking at them gave off an intimidating feeling.
The man who was approaching alone, without any guards or escorts, was undoubtedly the Crown Prince of Mersen, Cervis Caldebrion.
He was quickly approaching, riding a white horse while wearing heavy armor, like a veteran preparing for war.
If the worst villain in the novel, Cervis, wanted to kill me, it would be a piece of cake.
Perhaps that’s why even the dust kicked up behind his horse felt strangely ominous.
hehehehe!
When the white horse pawed the ground and stopped, Cervis, who had dismounted, smiled brightly.
“Have you been well, brother?”
Even though he was only one year younger than me.
His voice, which was not at all rough, seemed to carry a considerable amount of experience.
He seemed to be trying to speak affectionately, but in the depths of his cool and unfathomable tone, I could feel an inexplicable sense of extreme danger hidden away.
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“……”
So, for me, it wasn’t easy to make up my mind to answer readily.
I was simply curious about what his intentions were.
“I heard there was a disturbance caused by the elves, so I rushed here to help my brother. Wouldn’t you grant me a place as well?”
He was smiling, but an undeniable pressure was emanating from him like steam.
His determined gaze seemed to be threatening to start a war if it didn’t give way.
“Those who are not invited should retreat immediately.”
The elven prince spoke without even looking at him, almost growling, but Servis didn’t even flinch.
“The affairs here are not for the crown prince to be involved in. Please refrain from unnecessary conflicts and leave.”
The count, who had seen the next emperor of the empire, didn’t even rise from his seat as he delivered his cold words.
Both the elven prince and the count, their attitudes towards Servis seemed somehow different from when they dealt with me.
When they directed their anger towards me, it felt like they were deliberately acting, but their attitude towards Servis felt like they were forcibly facing someone they truly disliked.
In their gaze, their voice, and their words, a distinct insincerity could be felt.
Even their fleeting glances that quickly turned away and their expressions that clearly showed their annoyance at even mixing words with me were the same.
Naturally, Servis’s face also visibly hardened.
But this guy.
He slapped the count and the prince, and directed his anger towards me.
With an incredibly sharp gaze, he was solely targeting me.
So it wasn’t unreasonable for Astia to stand in front of me, holding her sword sheath.
“How dare you block my path, do you really want to die as a mere knight’s guard?”
“Step back, Astia.”
As Servis tried to grab her knife, I quickly bit her.
“Hmph!”
Just as Astia stepped back, the voice of Lergio, the high priest of the Goddess Sect, was heard.
“Your Majesty Eos!”
Lergio rushed over urgently, calling my name with a passionate voice.
His voice was as clear as his eyes, and it somehow felt welcoming.
“Are you alright? Your M- no, Your Majesty?”
I maintained a calm expression as I nodded slightly.
The unexpected appearance of the high priest seemed to cause a dramatic change in Servis’s expression for a moment.
“I greet the high priest.”
Servis’s gestures and voice showed a clear intention to be seen.
“To see the second sun of the Empire like this again….”
Lergio erased the desperate look that only I could see and exchanged a very polite greeting with the Crown Prince.
“But Your Majesty, may I ask why you have come here?”
“Oh, just passing by, I came running to lend a hand for the peace and well-being of the Empire. But it seems that the conflict with the elves has been peacefully resolved. Well then, Your Excellency. I shall take my leave now. I hope that my brother and Count Tenafel are doing well.”
Though she had some plans, Servis eventually turned her back, wearing an expression that seemed like she could no longer do anything because of Lergio.
She was just about to speak.
Suddenly, she turned back and looked at Elaine.
Then, after a moment of absentmindedness, she quickly regained her composure, climbed onto her horse, and disappeared into the distance with her army.
The one who broke the silence that had lasted for a while was the Elf Prince.
“Well then, shall we start moving soon?”