39 – Taking Flight.
“……”
There was a brief moment of silence as I exchanged glances with the white-headed eagle.
The eagle extended its wings slightly and clumsily walked towards me.
Its steps were surprisingly fast.
Although the way it leaned forward and wobbled its head seemed comically absurd, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of fear due to its massive size.
The ten knights and Grentino, wearing enchanted necklaces, quickly dodged to the left and right.
Astia, who was about to spring forward, stopped abruptly when I raised my arm.
Since it wasn’t an ordinary eagle, it wouldn’t attack me.
However, its gaze was so intense that it unconsciously made me clench my fist.
Swoosh-
Not long after, the tip of the yellow hooked beak, twisted like a hook, stopped right in front of my face.
The eyes of the predator, known as the King of the Sky, were now fixed on me.
Its head, covered in snowy white feathers, moved back slightly, and its beak opened slightly.
“So, you’re Wiblea’s son.”
The voice that flowed out was undoubtedly human language.
“Silver hair, emerald eyes, but your ears are a bit short. Your appearance is just that of a human. Quite inferior.”
The eagle poked and prodded my head with its pointed beak, examining every inch of me.
“The amount of mana is pathetic, and your physical strength is barely developed. Is it because of the mixture of human blood? I’m quite disappointed. Such a waste of your mother’s blood.”
The eagle lifted its head and repeatedly pecked and pecked to the side, spitting out indifferent words.
“……”
And I felt like I had become a flower pig standing on the stage of the critique meeting.
Each popping word felt like a stamp pressing firmly on my grade.
It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling.
“Wibleah seems to be less talkative. That’s a good thing. I like it.”
Then, soon, someone’s voice echoed throughout the forest.
“People of Rivengard, today is a historic day.”
It was a mature male voice echoing throughout the forest like an echo.
“Because the son of Wibleah, my daughter who betrayed her own kind and became the Empress of the human empire, has finally returned to her hometown.”
The owner of the voice was King Gartagon of Rivengard.
Through the vast trees of the forest, he was clearly conveying his voice to all the elves.
“Last night, you must have all seen the meteorites flying to destroy Rivengard. And the woman who single-handedly stopped it and protected this place is said to be the future wife of Wibleah’s son. Therefore, I have made up my mind.”
Since the king’s words were heard, the elves who had kept silent all along either let out small sighs or swallowed their dry saliva.
It was because they were curious about what decision their king had made regarding his grandson.
“To Wibleah’s son, Eos. I will give you the opportunity to become a member of the Rivengard royal family.”
The sighs and murmurs that erupted again mostly contained discontent.
It was not surprising.
Wibleah betrayed her homeland.
And her son Eos, who had human blood, was the most certain evidence of that betrayal.
Moreover, as the disgraced crown prince, who had even elevated his own infamy, the elves, who naturally pursued justice and fairness, would not want to embrace such a terrible person as a member of the royal family.
And as if already aware of such sentiments, the king’s voice resonated once again.
“But Wiblea is a traitor who betrayed Rivengard. Just because he is her son does not mean I will hand over the qualifications of the royal family so easily. If Eos wants to be recognized as my bloodline, he must pass the test I give.”
The silence that settled in the momentarily chaotic forest was likely due to the word “test.”
Curious about what kind of test it would be, most of the elves stopped even their breathing and focused solely on their hearing.
“The ones who attacked us last night were the Imperial Tower, a blazing tower that burned countless elves with flame magic. From now on, Eos will go alone to destroy that place. That is the test I will give.”
As it was an absurd and unbelievable statement, some startled elves couldn’t help but speak up.
“To bring down the tower alone….”
“It seems that the king has decided to kill the author.”
“But we can’t accept someone with mixed human blood.”
“Wiblea betrayed her own kind. Accepting her son back into the royal family is no different from forgiving her crime. And without paying any price.”
“But Wiblea’s contribution to Rivengard is not insignificant. Just saving the lives of the elves she rescued would easily number in the thousands. Considering her dedication since childhood, Eos should naturally become a member of the royal family!”
“Think about it. If that blonde woman hadn’t saved us last night, how many of our kind would have died? Her merits alone are enough.”
The excited elves began to clamor throughout the forest.
While many elves still harbored animosity towards me, there were also a considerable number who viewed Wiblea and me favorably.
Due to the intense arguments and clashes echoing throughout the forest, birds eventually flew up in a flurry, quacking and flapping their wings.
And then, suddenly, the chaos came to a halt in an instant because of Gartagon’s sharp voice.
“Silence-“
The entire forest fell as silent as a ruin swept away by a fierce typhoon.
“If even a single elf opposes, I will not give Eos a chance. However, those who oppose will be held responsible for their own opinions.”
Responsibility.
Humans and elves alike were burdened by the weight of responsibility.
Though it was a short phrase, it carried considerable weight, enough to silence anyone who dared to speak further.
“If anyone opposes, step forward now. We will immediately exile Eos and instead appoint that person to strike down the Matap.”
“……”
No one responded to the king’s words.
No one dared to step forward.
Because everyone knew exactly where the Matap of blazing flames was located.
It was not just a matter of fearlessness in the face of righteousness.
It was not always possible to be brave in the pursuit of fairness.
Above all, what was truly concerning was the inevitable tragedy that would occur, proving one’s own weakness.
If the elves were to go there and something were to go awry, it would result in a full-scale war between the elves and the empire.
The war that would inevitably bring about the deaths of their own kind would leave behind only belated tears and regret.
The elves, who had already experienced countless wars over many years, keenly felt the weight of responsibility that the king spoke of.
But the elves also knew that if Eos, a human and a nobleman, were to go, they could avoid such a tragedy.
“Is there anyone who opposes?”
Like a final blow descending upon a rock already worn smooth by countless strikes, it was an unmistakably resolute voice.
“If that’s the case, Eos, ride the white-headed bird and depart immediately. It was a means of transportation favored by Wiblaea. It will comfortably take you to your destination. I hope that you will aspire to be recognized as a member of the royal family with confidence.”
“A, a means of transportation! You crazy old coot! Wiblaea and I were partners!”
The white-headed eagle flapped its wings and screeched as it pecked at the rocky ground covered in gold, heading towards the center of the forest where the World Tree stood.
After a lot of babbling, she finally sat down next to me as if cradling an egg.
“Get on already, you rascal.”
Her face looked as if she was silently observing something.
“……”
I carefully climbed onto the back of the eagle and settled into the already equipped saddle.
The vertically long structure seemed capable of accommodating up to four people.
“……?”
But suddenly, something tightly wrapped its arms around my waist.
The small, pale hand clearly belonged to Elaine.
“Hey, girl. What are you doing again?”
The eagle, burdened with an unexpected addition, naturally became angry.
“I, I’m Elaine!”
The eagle made a bewildered expression.
“Who asked for your name? What’s with this reckless behavior? Get off immediately.”
“N-No, I don’t want to!”
I was equally flustered.
What on earth is going on…
“Elaine, I have to go to magic tower alone. I’ll be back soon, so can’t you let go?”
“T-That’s impossible…”
Elaine replied, pressing one cheek against my back.
Why is this woman acting like this…?
“The place we’re going isn’t safe, so get off now.”
“Because Hwangja might be in danger, the more dangerous the place, the more I have to follow.”
In fact, I had a plan too.
I planned to infiltrate Mt. magic tower alone and take advantage of the magician’s weakness.
A delay caused by Yeongchang.
If I aimed for that part,
As someone who could use magic almost instantly by summoning a spirit, I was confident that I wouldn’t lose to anyone in a one-on-one fight.
The only problem was that I might not have enough mana, but I could overcome that with the mana recovery potion I had already prepared.
So if I secretly sneaked into Mt. magic tower and dealt with them one by one, I would be able to subdue even the magic towerju in the end.
But if Elaine came along,
Not only would I have to protect her and run away, but I would also have to make her invisible, which would require much more mana.
The difficulty would increase significantly.
But even though she stubbornly clung to me, I had no choice but to compromise to some extent.
“Then how about riding on the eagle even after we arrive at Mt. magic tower? I’ll get out of Mt. magic tower if it’s urgent.”
“Well, that sounds… okay.”
As if he had been listening to our conversation, the king’s voice soon came through.
“To risk the safety of your fiancée to save the Liven Guard, you truly are my grandson. Very righteous, just like a son of Weblea.”
Gartagon was an elf who knew how to package his words to sound quite agreeable.
However, it was doubtful whether the content was actually a compliment, but it seemed that he at least had a favorable view of me.
“No, can you believe all these people? Grandfathers, grandsons, fiancées, they’re all crazy. Well, we’re about to depart, so hold on tight.”
The eagle grumbled in a discontented voice, but flapped its wings with vigor.
Hoo-waak-
With just one beat of its wings,
the lush leaves of tall trees fluttered and rushed past, soaring high above the forest.
Hwa-aak, hwa-aak-
With a few more flaps, suddenly we were soaring through the sky amidst the white clouds.