Chapter 218
218th Chapter
He glanced back at me, smiling sadly.
“I heard you became the commander of the reinforcements.”
“Yes. That’s the case.”
“I wish you could stay by my side… but I suppose you won’t, right?”
I just smiled. Elle knew very well that I wouldn’t back down.
His silver eyelashes fluttered for a moment, then settled down with a sigh.
“I want to take everything and go together, but I know you won’t allow that.”
“Elle—”
“I get it. Right.”
As I softly called his name, he bit his crimson lip and obediently stepped back.
The silver lights seemed to recognize their powerful divine force and clung to Elle, who appeared as mysterious and sacred as a god descending from above.
“I know you’re strong, but I’m still worried. I like Shushu a lot. Even for a sword master, war is dangerous, and I’m afraid you might get hurt.”
Elle looked at me with droopy eyes, his silver irises moist and pitiful like the petals of a white lily drenched in water.
I couldn’t help but avert my gaze. That expression and those eyes always weakened me.
“I want to follow you and heal you with my divine power, but… since that’s not possible, I’ve prepared something else.”
“Hey! You crazy bastard! You’ll get struck by lightning! Let me down!”
Thud
Elle’s footsteps came to a halt. Before we knew it, we had arrived at a spring that emitted a faint light.
With a sinking feeling, I turned my gaze up towards the ceiling where screams echoed.
The ceiling was covered in pitch-black darkness, making it hard to gauge its height, but I was able to make out a fluctuating silhouette hanging precariously.
“Just think of it as a special band-aid for Shushu; carry it around. Even the tiniest scratch needs to be treated right away.”
“You lunatic, do I really have to see myself vomiting over the holy spring? This is too much!”
“If it were a well-behaved object, it would be great, but unfortunately, it has a bit of a rebellious personality. If it crawls up at all, I’ll crush it. I can dispose of it if necessary.”
“I’m going to Atara! I can just go! Damn, I was finally starting to enjoy the social circle, and now I have to be banished! You worthless bastard! Even the devil will ask you for a teaching!”
As Elle whispered sweetly, a familiar voice roared from above.
I must have looked confused, my eyes darting between the ceiling and Elle.
Elle smiled sweetly and grabbed the mysterious rope dangling in the air.
“It’s a gift.”
Swish.
“Ahhhhh!”
As the white hand tugged on the rope, a screech like tearing fabric followed, echoing through the air.
I gaped in shock.
The spring shone with its own mystical light.
Perched above the revered location known as the Arrangement and Blessing of Ra, something was swinging left and right like a pendulum.
“Yikes, it’s the princess…! Please save me!”
With a worn face, Minister Julian was bound upside down with a huge bow on his head.
I gasped and turned back to Elle with frightened eyes.
“Not pleased?”
Elle innocent as a child who didn’t know any better smiled as he tilted his head.
I felt it anew.
Elle was seriously nuts.
“First, first let Julian down.”
I grasped my fading sanity and spoke as calmly as I could.
While I didn’t fervently worship Ra, still, I didn’t want to witness Julian vomiting into the empire’s treasure.
“Yeah, you little bastard! Don’t you hear the princess? Let me down!”
“You still haven’t come to your senses.”
As Julian shouted as if he were a returning hero, Elle slightly twitched his eyebrows and prettily lowered his eyes, loosening the rope a little more.
Swish.
“Yaaaaaah!”
The distance between Julian and the spring rapidly decreased. His beautiful silver hair hovered right above the water’s surface, sparkling brightly as it caught the light rising from there.
I swallowed hard.
“Y-you’re planning on mercilessly dunking me into the holy spring! Like dipping a fondue stick! Haaah!”
“You should be grateful it’s not a bonfire.”
“Ra, oh god! Why is the world doing this?! Seriously, is it too much to expect you to choose a decent person as your messenger? You should have picked cute and kind me!”
“Your blasphemy is shaking me to the core.”
As Julian screamed, Elle calmly responded with a look of surprise.
Both Julian, who shouted defiantly at the sun god, and Elle, who hung a minister above the holy spring, were on the level of blasphemy. It wouldn’t be surprising if a divine lightning bolt struck both of their heads right now.
I glanced at Elle and Julian in disbelief, then tugged slightly on Elle’s white, wide sleeves. Elle turned around quickly to look at me.
“Please let him down. It might get dizzy.”
I didn’t know how much time had passed, but Julian looked as if blood was rushing to his head. Elle smiled gently.
“As you command.”
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a silver glimmering dagger.
Shwing!
The dagger sliced sharply through the air.
Though it was undoubtedly a dangerous weapon thrown by Elle, his movements were so light and graceful that it felt like he was tossing a flower.
Snap.
The blade severed the taut rope connecting Julian and the ceiling. I quickly inhaled.
Splash!
The precious holy water, which commoners struggle to see even once in their lives, splattered in all directions as Julian fell into the spring.
I turned to Elle. He met my gaze with a grin, shrugging as if to say, what’s the problem with letting him down?
Though I had many things I wanted to say, I hurried to the spring instead.
“Julian! Are you alive?”
There was no response from the mysteriously sparkling spring. As I pondered whether I should jumps in to rescue him, the surface rippled.
Swish!
“Ugh! Cough!”
Julian broke the surface, his silver hair dripping wet, droplets flowing down his long, silver eyelashes that cast shadows across his lavender eyes.
As he gasped for breath, the white priest robe soaked with water clung revealingly to his chest.
Until now, I hadn’t realized it, dressed in his ample and abstinent priestly robe, but now it seemed Julian had quite a good physique.
He was, objectively, a very handsome young man; just by the scene, one could believe it was a painting titled, “Man Blessed by the Fairy Lake.”
But the situation was far from glorious.
“Slathered in tomato sauce and tossed into a village of savage races… turning transparent along with the curse of a banana lodged in my mouth…”
Julian muttered the strangest curses I’d never heard before as he paddled out of the spring.
As he finally stood on the ground, sparkling droplets poured down from him like rain onto the lawn.
‘Oh…’
They say people appear prettier when wet, and it seemed that statement held a grain of truth. The wet priest robe had lost all semblance of its previously noble appearance, showcasing Julian’s well-defined body instead.
Feeling as if I was witnessing something I shouldn’t, I quickly averted my gaze.
“How often will I get to experience a bath in such precious holy water? I’m proving my love for my dear friend in this way.”
“You… are you kidding?”
“How wonderful is it for a divine power user? Your skin has become like a baby’s!”
“This is too much, you crazy bastard! I feel like I’ve been drenched in honey!”
Julian emerged from the water, his face contorted, shaking his head like a wet dog to throw off the water from his hair.
If Julian, being a divine power user, was particularly sensitive to such powers, it would make sense that he felt strange being drenched in holy water imbued with divine power.
“Even though it’s been a while since we last met… it seems this isn’t a leisurely time for greetings. Is it alright?”
I rummaged through my dimensional pocket and found a towel to throw to Julian.
Julian, sneezing “Phew,” snatched the towel and with a pitiful look, as if he was a soaked dog, rushed toward me.
“Princess…! Hooowww…!”
“Ah, wait. Stay right there.”
As I raised both hands in a panic, Julian halted, his expression wounded.
I awkwardly turned my gaze away.
“Well… that’s quite provocative.”
“Huh?”
Having lived as a mercenary, I had developed some immunity to naked bodies of the opposite sex, but had none when it came to ‘handsome’ ones.
Julian tilted his head inquisitively, and before he could process it, Elle swiftly moved, grabbing him by the nape and slamming him down onto the grass.
“Ugh!”
“I’ve dealt with things you shouldn’t see, so you can relax now.”
Whether Julian’s mouth was full of green grass or not, Elle cheerfully gave a thumbs up.
He gracefully stripped off his papal robes and gently draped them over Julian. It was truly a case of treating a wound by inflicting another.
“While not completely reliable, my divine power comes next to none. As long as you have your life, I can save anything. When your hands get cold, you can use it as a hand warmer; divine power is quite warm.”
As Julian, now a complete mess clad in mud, struggled to stand, Elle introduced him like a booth vendor selling multi-purpose items.
I truly felt sorry for Julian.
“While I would feel reassured if you join us… is it okay for Julian to come with me?”
I looked at the disheveled Julian with concern.
The divine power of a minister was close to miraculous. Typically, one minister could do the work of a hundred doctors.
In war, having medical personnel was just as crucial as having attackers. If Julian accompanied us, it would feel like gaining a battalion. However, I didn’t want to forcibly drag him along when he clearly didn’t want to.
“Ah, it smells.”
Julian sniffed the scent clinging to the papal robes draped over him and frowned as he tossed the jacket aside.
By that point, the scent had transferred, and with that pleasant fragrance of lilies, Julian glanced around for my reaction, scratching his wet head.
“I don’t mind going with you, princess. It’s not that I dislike Atara. It’s just that I’ve recently found some enjoyment in the social circle of the kingdom.”
I had heard rumors that Julian’s social activities had increased lately from Aria.
Julian rolled his lavender eyes around.
“Well… actually your younger sister… cough!”
Julian couldn’t finish his sentence, clutching his chest and groaning. That was because Elle had struck his solar plexus with the edge of his hand.
Whatever strength he used, Julian, gasping for breath and choking, heard Elle whisper in his ear. Though it was a faint sound, there was no way I wouldn’t catch it.
“If you come back safe, I’ll arrange a collaboration between Crisis and the temple as a pretext for a business deal.”
The rebellious glint in Julian’s eyes vanished in an instant. Looking to catch his breath, he glanced at me with resolve written on his face.
“I will absolutely go to Atara. I’m your cute little candy!”
I looked at the suddenly transformed Julian with a frown.
Today, more than ever, I felt I should hold onto Aria.