LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22: Village Of Elves (5)
Ray arrived home not too late and found himself out of breath.
It seemed he had traversed the distance from the elf village to his home in less than two hours.
For an average person, this would have been a journey that necessitated an overnight stay.
Even he found his speed unbelievably fast.
After taking a deep breath to steady himself, he opened the door and entered, where Saein awaited him.
Her fragrant scent tantalized his appetite as she smiled at him.
“Welcome back. Ugh, why are you so sweaty?”
“I ran here and it was exhausting.”
“How much did you run to sweat like this? You don’t even sweat when you spar with dad these days.”
He must have run to the brink of exhaustion.
Seeing Saein’s puzzled expression, Ray spoke up.
“Mom, I’m famished. Especially today…”
He must have been ravenous. He ran to the brink of exhaustion, so he must have been starving.
Saein looked at Ray, who was gazing at her intently and urging her on, and murmured with her cheeks in her hands.
“So adorable…”
“…”
Anticipating the situation that was about to ensue, Ray took a step back.
But Saein’s hands were faster.
She embraced Ray tightly.
“Aaaaack.”
“That’s my boy. Hugging you feels wonderful. Except for the sweat smell!”
The following day, early in the morning, Ray skipped his swordsmanship practice and headed to the elf village.
Eil also understood the urgency of the situation.
As Ray delved deeper into the forest, he mumbled to himself.
“It’s always deserted here whenever I visit.”
And that was because it was the forest where the elf village was situated.
He thought nonchalantly, ‘What could possibly happen just by entering?’ But in reality, he could have died.
After running (?) for a few hours with these pointless thoughts, a village that seemed to have naturally formed came into view.
True to the elves, who preferred tranquility, the village was remarkably quiet.
He walked along the grassy path, observing the elves as they went about their daily lives, reading books or conversing in their homes.
Shifting his gaze slightly, he spotted a beautiful elf with long, chestnut-colored hair cascading over her shoulders.
“Are you here?”
She appeared to have been waiting for him, leaning casually against the door.
Her house was near the entrance of the village, so he noticed her as soon as he arrived.
An elegant aura seemed to radiate from her.
A captivating smile graced her lips, capable of ensnaring any ordinary person at first glance.
Ray returned her smile.
“Yeah. Were you waiting for me?”
“…I just woke up from a nap and came out.”
“You look too put-together to have just woken up from a nap?”
As he voiced his suspicion, she averted her gaze and retorted.
“I’m not lying…”
Her cheeks puffed out, seemingly upset by his comment.
Indeed.
Elves do not lie.
Her words must have been true.
Ray nodded and inquired,
“So you weren’t waiting?”
“……”
She offered no response.
With her silence, Ray asked again, puzzled,
“Did you wait? Or did you not?”
“……”
Her lips remained sealed, and it appeared she wouldn’t respond even under duress.
He couldn’t coerce an answer from her.
He wasn’t that kind of person.
Everyone has something they prefer to keep private.
With this thought, he was about to drop the subject when she finally spoke.
“I waited.”
There was a hint of reluctance, but she expressed her thoughts candidly.
“Really?”
He asked again, and she shot him a sharp glare before averting her gaze, just as she had done earlier.
“I waited because I had to meet the elder. We couldn’t keep him waiting for us.”
“That makes sense.”
“Then let’s hurry up.”
Pia spoke and took the lead.
Following her, Ray sighed upon seeing the elder’s house in the near distance.
Ascending the four-story building was no simple task.
It was exceptionally challenging.
Climbing up was excruciatingly difficult, and descending was a different challenge altogether.
Since they were not allowed to harm the tree, there was no place to step.
Sliding down was not an option due to the considerable height.
As they lacked knowledge of convenient magic like flying, they had to rely on physical means to solve everything.
Naturally, he sighed at the sight of anything tall.
The trees in the elf village were fundamentally three times taller than other trees.
If it had been another tree, the branches would not have been so high, but the elder’s house, located in the middle of these trees, was quite tall.
Depending on the authority and position, they used different types of trees for the elder’s house, which differed in size from other trees.
However, the elder’s house could not be compared to the houses in the village center, which were constructed from numerous, enormous trees intertwined together.
Ray grunted and climbed up, searching for gaps in the tree and using them to ascend bit by bit.
Since they did not know how to energize the body with mana, even with the assistance of mana, they still had to rely on physical strength.
“Huff… Huff……”
After several minutes of heavy breathing, he finally reached the top and caught his breath, finding Pia and the elder waiting for him.
“Have you arrived? Come in.”
“Why did it take you so long?”
Upon hearing their words, Ray felt his heart sink.
If he had a club in his hand, who knew what he might have done to them.
Ray took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
“Phew… Please, install some stairs.”
He uttered the words and followed the two inside.
They clearly disregarded his request.
Upon entering, the elder who offered them seats was the first to speak.
“So, what did you want to discuss?”
“It’s about Lady Aira.”
“Lady Aira*?”
The elder squinted his eyes as he looked at Pia and asked her.
“Why did you bring a human child with you to tell a story?”
This implied, ‘Why did you bring a human child with you when you’re discussing Lady Aira*.’
Pia swallowed hard at the elder’s direct question and replied,
“This child is related to the story I am about to tell.”
“…Proceed.”
“Lady Aira*’s condition is deteriorating, and she might join Mana at any moment…”
“…That’s correct.”
He glanced at Ray as he spoke, as if accusing him of eavesdropping.
Ray held his ground, unflinching under the elder’s piercing gaze.
What could he do about what he had overheard?
He should blame his exceptional hearing, not himself.
“If there’s truly no way to halt Lady Aira*’s symptoms, we wish to attempt treating her.”
“Treatment?”
Seeing the elder’s interest, Pia seized this opportunity and continued.
“Ray’s mana is unique. I experienced it yesterday, and when I observed it from the side, it was a flawless treatment. It was unlike any magic I’ve ever witnessed… If there was no chance of healing Lady Aira*, I wouldn’t have brought him here.”
“Hmm…”
The elder stroked his chin while looking into her eyes.
His heart was filled with sincerity, which reached the elder.
However, this was a significant issue.
Regardless of whether she would return to Mana if left untreated, they couldn’t risk their spiritual pillar, Lady Aira*.
The elder shook his head.
“It would be beneficial if we could attempt, but… it’s disrespectful to Lady Aira*. Regardless of the intention, trying an uncertain method on Lady Aira* is presumptuous.”
“Ah…”
A voice filled with regret escaped from Pia’s lips.
“But… she could be saved. If Lady Aira* recovers…”
“Enough.”
Her words were interrupted by the elder.
“Lady Aira* is a being we all revere. We can’t dare try an uncertain method on her.”
Ray pondered as he listened to the elder’s words.
‘This guy is really obstinate. What’s the point of reverence if she dies?’
He wondered who this elf named Aira was, that they held her in such high esteem.
Judging from the way the elder spoke, Aira appeared to be an elf residing in the largest house.
As Ray pondered what position could surpass that of an elder, he noticed Pia’s downcast gaze and felt their mission had failed.
Indeed, the elder had not only verbally rejected them but also ordered them to leave, leaving Pia and Ray with no choice but to exit the dwelling.
Once they were outside, Pia offered an awkward smile.
“We failed.”
“Yes.”
“What a pity…”
She continued to gaze at the towering house, her regret evident. Ray reassured her,
“It’s alright. Her health may improve. We can still visit here, can’t we?”
“Of course. We’re permitted in this village.”
“Thank you. I must leave now.”
“You’re departing so soon?”
“Yes. I have some matters to attend to.”
“I see…”
Her disappointment was palpable.
Loneliness swirled in her eyes.
As the guardian of the elves, she didn’t spend much time in the village.
She only visited occasionally when she had some free time.
Consequently, while she was respected by the elves, she didn’t have their friendship.
There were very few elves with whom she was genuinely close.
Ray chuckled and said,
“I’ll visit again tomorrow. Don’t be so gloomy.”
“…Who said I was gloomy?”
“Should I return in a week, then?”
“…Come tomorrow.”
Seeing her glare at him, Ray quickly waved his hand and said,
“I’ll leave now. See you tomorrow.”
“Hmph.”
She didn’t even acknowledge his farewell.
Ray turned and left through the village entrance.
She watched his retreating figure until he was completely out of sight, then she entered her house.
“Doctors can’t abandon their patients.”
Feigning departure, Ray actually returned to the village.
He was scaling a tree, choosing a time and angle that wouldn’t draw attention.
Although the height took some time to reach, it was peaceful at the moment.
During lunchtime, the elves enjoyed their meals and leisure time, with very few of them strolling around.
Even though he had been in the village for less than two days, he could clearly discern their habits.
“Huff… Huff…”
Even his breathing had to be silent.
He repeated the motion of embracing the tree, lifting his legs, and then extending his hands to climb.
Finally reaching the top, Ray surveyed his surroundings.
Trees and flowers were arranged beautifully, blooming in between.
This was his first realization that a flower garden could exist above the trees.
And the houses, what about them?
They were grand and even more intricate than the work of dwarves, demonstrating the skill of the elf artisans.
Ray swallowed his saliva.
“It’s even better than Lord Gaid’s mansion… I just assumed they were tree houses…”
He had been astounded by the garden in Lord Gaid’s mansion.
But the beautiful garden he had seen then couldn’t compare to the flower garden he was observing now.
Such was the allure of the houses above the trees.
When he opened the door, there was no sound of friction, and the door opened silently.
As soon as he stepped inside, a heady fragrance overwhelmed him.
The existence of such a scent in this world was unimaginable.
If this fragrance was transformed into a perfume in the modern world, it would have been highly praised.
Venturing further inside, he noticed stairs.
It appeared that this house was divided into the first and second floors due to its size.
The fragrance intensified as he ascended to the second floor.
The most potent scent in front of a room’s door seemed to enchant him with its sweet fruit aroma.
If heavenly fruits existed, would their scent be like this?
But there were no fruits there, only an elf lying peacefully on the bed.
Her hair was as pure white as his, and her skin was flawless without a single imperfection.
He had admired the appearances of many elves, but none could compare to the elf he was seeing now.
She seemed like the embodiment of collected beauty, and for a moment, Ray was stunned.