Chapter 47: A Brief Peace (Part 2)

Leading the way in front, Ruya remained silent. Her waterfall-like silver hair cascaded like silk down her back, with pointed ears peeking through. The silver strands swayed slightly with her steps. Her slender, graceful figure was undoubtedly beautiful, but she carried no trace of mortal presence, blending seamlessly into the surrounding scenery like a perfect painting. Especially when she deliberately wore such a cold expression, it seemed impossible for anyone to think of anything else but to admire her from a distance.

Following behind, Asa quietly watched her back. The passionate demeanor Ruya had shown toward him right after the battle yesterday had left him slightly embarrassed. After all, from the Whispering Forest to Kalendo, where they had been on the run from the necromancer, the two of them had relied on each other to survive. To someone as pure as Ruya, it was likely the most unforgettable experience of her life. However, after his conversation with Grutttt and the others, Asa clearly remembered the disbelief, disappointment, and anger that had flashed in her eyes. Since then, she hadn't spoken a word to him.

The two walked on in silence. Along the way, many elves respectfully greeted Ruya, though they glanced at Asa with curious, somewhat strange looks. They knew he was a friend of Theodorus and someone who had once escorted the sacred artifact to the elves, but there was much about him they found hard to accept. If not for the elders and Theodorus personally confirming his identity, the weapon he once wielded, which radiated an eerie aura, would have caused the elves to label him a spy of the Necromancer Guild or an agent of Nigen.

Under Ruya's guidance, they arrived at the very heart of the Turaleone Forest, beneath an enormous Ancient War Tree.

The tree was so massive that it defied comparison. To see it for the first time, one wouldn't think of it as a tree but rather as a giant castle stretching out endless branches or even a small mountain. It was so vast that no one could hope to encircle it with their arms—attempting to do so would be like trying to embrace a mountain.

While the tree was massive and thick, it wasn't particularly tall—at least, not tall enough to be seen from outside the Turaleone Forest. Within the forest, the surrounding trees usually blocked the view, making it almost invisible unless one stood directly beneath it. Looking up, the sky was entirely obscured by dense branches and leaves, with only the occasional beam of sunlight breaking through, leaving one feeling like an ant beside an elephant.

A staircase made of countless interwoven branches spiraled upward from the tree's base to its peak. Ruya led Asa up the steps.

Though they hadn't yet reached the top, the stairs had already taken them quite high above the ground. On the staircase, it was just the two of them. Ruya suddenly broke the silence and asked, "Why did you protect that dark elf?"

Asa hesitated, scratched his head, and sighed. "Because it seems like I'm the only one who can protect her."

Ruya didn't respond or turn around. She simply continued walking upward. After a while, the two reached a treehouse at the very top.

Inside the treehouse, the meeting of the elf elders had just concluded. Some elders nodded at Asa, while others looked at him with odd expressions. Ruya left along with the other elders, leaving only Lloyd the Elder and Asa behind in the treehouse.

"Please, have a seat," Lloyd the Elder said, gesturing to a spot by the window. The room wasn't so much a treehouse as it was a hollow carved into the branches of the ancient tree. From the window, Lloyd glanced at Ruya's departing figure and smiled at Asa. "It seems Elder Ruya is still upset with you."

Asa shrugged with a wry smile.

Lloyd studied Asa with interest. "Still, I have to say you surprised me yesterday. I thought you and Theodorus must have had a clear understanding of each other."

Asa smiled bitterly. "I didn't react in time. And I'm not very good at scheming."

"But even when you understood later, why did you still make that choice?" Lloyd asked, his expression a mix of amusement and curiosity.

After thinking for a moment, Asa could only offer another wry smile. "I don't know."

Back to the day before

The Bishop and his party had left with Hilika, who was now little more than a lifeless mound of flesh, incapable of speaking or moving. The rest of the thieves had been left behind, handed over to the elves.

"Thank you for bringing Theodorus and the others here. Do you know how terrified I was when I saw the way that Bishop looked at the World Tree Leaf? If you all hadn't been here, who knows what would've happened?" Ruya ran over and stood in front of Asa. Only now did her excitement show. "What have you been up to all this time? Didn't I tell you to visit me whenever you had the chance?"

"I've been busy with other matters…" Asa said awkwardly, glancing at the elven maiden. In front of the elves, she was a composed leader, but before him, she was like a child seeing an older brother she hadn't seen in years.

Lloyd the Elder turned his attention to the tied-up thieves. Even these ruthless killers trembled in the face of their predicament, unlike Hilika, whose brutality seemed inhuman. With a sigh, Lloyd waved to the other elves and said, "They surrendered, and I swore in Fahma's name to let them leave here safely. Release them and let them go."

The thieves looked at Lloyd like he was a divine savior. No miracle could have been greater than the words that had just come from the elven elder's mouth.

Though reluctant, the elves obeyed. Lloyd's oath, made in Fahma's name, was inviolable. With no choice, the elves untied the thieves and allowed them to leave.

Watching the thieves' retreating figures, Lloyd sighed again and turned to Theodorus. "Once they leave, they'll talk about what happened here. Turaleone Forest's secrets will be revealed, and I truly didn't want to let them go. But a sworn oath cannot be broken… It's troubling."

Theodorus smiled knowingly. "Don't worry. These people have committed countless crimes. The moment they leave the forest, they'll fall ill—deathly ill. They won't have the chance to speak of today's events. The Church's people also likely expect this to happen; otherwise, they would've handled things differently. If the thieves were to spread word of today's events, it wouldn't bode well for Celeste either. A Bishop and a force of holy knights came in with such pomp but left in disgrace. That would be a blow to the morale of the Church's coalition army as they prepare for battle."

"Then I'll leave this matter to you and your new subordinates." Theodorus glanced at Asa and discreetly made a gesture of sliding his thumb across his throat.

Asa sighed and nodded to show his understanding. Ruya glanced between him and the two elders, seeming to realize something.

The surrounding elves who overheard this exchange were confused, unable to grasp the hidden implications. Though they were all over a century old, the purity of their environment and their untainted beliefs had prevented them from ever growing shrewd or worldly.

"Boss... what exactly is your relationship with these two?" Hilton cautiously approached Asa, pointing hesitantly at Theodorus and Grutt as he asked. Though he had some guesses based on observation, he didn't dare assume too much. The combat prowess displayed by these two was nearly beyond belief, something he could hardly classify as "human" in nature.

"They're... sort of my employers," Asa replied briefly, not wanting to delve into the details at the moment. This wasn't the time for explanations.

"Wait, you. Come here," Grutt suddenly gestured toward Jessica.

Jessica immediately obeyed, approaching with a timid demeanor that was completely out of character for her usual wild and rebellious self. In front of Grutt, she seemed to lose all her ferocity, transforming from a fierce panther into a meek kitten—one with its claws trimmed.

Grutt's gaze swept over her from head to toe before he coldly said, "Go die."

Everyone froze. The phrase itself wasn't particularly strange; it was often the kind of declaration shouted during the final blow in a battle. But when issued as an imperative, it carried an eerie weight.

As soon as Grutt spoke, Jessica's entire body began to tremble uncontrollably. Her pitch-black eyes were filled with nothing but despair and terror, without even a shred of resistance. She looked like a rabbit frozen in the presence of a predator.

"Hurry up. Do you want me to do it myself?" Grutt frowned, his impatience evident as he stared at the dark elf.

Jessica continued to shake, her beautiful, delicate face twisting with tension. She did not comply with Grutt's command, however. Beads of sweat began to form on her brow, and a faint spark of survival flickered in her dark eyes. Her slender fingers spasmed as they gripped the twin daggers at her waist.

"I see. So you're bold enough to flee the Underdark alone and make it to the surface. That's impressive for a dark elf. In fact, you might be the most daring one I've encountered so far. I wonder if your kin would be proud of you or furious," Grutt remarked, a cold smile spreading across his face. His smile was sharp yet strangely elegant, like a polished blade. On his rugged, hardened features, it carried an indescribable allure.

His eyes, like Jessica's, were a deep black. But whereas her gaze was like a flickering fire, his was an unfathomable ocean. Under the weight of his gaze, the fire in Jessica's eyes was extinguished entirely, leaving not even ashes behind.

It was evident to everyone present that Grutt wasn't much stronger than the dark elf in his current state. Yet his smile and imposing presence alone were enough to completely shatter all of Jessica's resolve.

The elves, who had been standing at a distance earlier and hadn't overheard Jessica's identity, began to stir. To them, dark elves—relatives who had forsaken the surface to live in the Underdark and worship darkness—were almost synonymous with evil and enmity. During their battles against Nigen, they had clashed with dark elves many times. There had even been instances where dark elves raided the surface to capture their kin for live sacrifices to their deities.

"She's a dark elf?"

"I knew there was something strange about her aura."

"What about her ears?"

"Looks like they were cut off. Those wicked creatures are capable of anything. Look, she's even disguised her hair and eyes!"

Asa quickly stepped forward to shield Jessica. "Wait, what's going on here?"

"Didn't you hear me? She's a dark elf, so she must die," Grutt said indifferently.

"I've known she's a dark elf for a while now, but what of it? She's… she's… my companion," Asa stammered, struggling to find the right words.

"It's precisely because she's your companion that she must die. This is the Turaleone Forest. Don't you understand?"

Asa frowned, pondering Grutt's words. After a moment, he nodded slightly but then shook his head. "Even so..."

"Dark elves are lascivious, evil, selfish, and cruel," Ruya whispered, tugging on Asa's sleeve. "They are the least trustworthy and reliable companions in the world. And that spell you cast earlier, along with that weapon you wield... many of my kin are already deeply uneasy about you. If you continue to associate with a dark elf, they will never accept you."

Theodorus and Elder Lloyd remained silent, standing quietly nearby and observing the situation.

Only now did Asa fully grasp the gravity of the situation. He glanced at Jessica, who was staring back at him. Her dark eyes, though filled with despair and fear, held no trace of pleading or begging for mercy. It wasn't the gaze of a woman; it was the cold, unyielding stare of a beast cornered with no hope of salvation.

That strange look stirred something deep within Asa's heart. It was faint, yet it rippled through his thoughts. He sighed and positioned himself firmly in front of Grutt. "No. She's my companion."

"Companion?" Grutt chuckled, his tone laced with mockery. He looked at Asa, his gaze sharp and utterly overpowering. "Did you sleep with her? Is that why you're defending her like this?"

Ruya stared at Asa in shock, as if he had suddenly transformed into an undead creature before her very eyes.

"Let me tell you something," Grutt continued. "To a dark elf, sleeping with a man she fancies is no different from having a meal. And killing him right afterward isn't unheard of. You're probably just one of dozens of men she's been with."

Grutt's voice wasn't particularly loud, but it wasn't soft either. Though not every elf nearby could hear him, those who did couldn't help but react. His sharp, mocking smile seemed to hint that he was eagerly awaiting a dramatic show.

"Now that you know this, do you still want to protect her? She's yours, after all. If you say the word, I'll let her go."