CH 420

(420)

Great Ancient Mage, Accompany (4)

“This horn…it’s the unique weaponry with the power of the spirit!”

The next morning, Evan left Maybell, who was still convulsing on the bed due to some aftereffects, and he showed Diokas’s horn to the dwarves, which led to a strong reaction from them. Eihamo rolled on the ground while hugging the horn, accidentally poking his cheek with it.

“This will bring great progress to our research! It contains endless information on the combination of unique weaponry, spirit, and the body…!”

“Materialization of the spirit, and the spiritualization of the matter! Good, very good!”

However, Evan ordered the raving dwarves to do their morning training. The dwarves looked very sad, but they couldn’t dare go against Evan’s order.

“You can continue with your research on the magic weaponry if you survive. Train hard.”

“Yep…”

“Why did you show us the horn if you want to give us such an order?” one dwarf grumbled. And he was able to get the heart-throbbing personal training lesson with Evan for the entire day as a result.

“Kiya!?”

But in the middle of the joint training, Mirole, who was enthusiastic, let out a screeching scream. Evan gave her an obvious stare, and Mirole spoke with a tearful face.

“The Forest fairies started to move.”

“That’s because they are living beings, too…wait, in this direction?”

“Yes…”

Mirole shook her body nervously since she didn’t know what to do. She looked as if she let her boyfriend in the house while the parents were out on a business trip, and then she got caught red-handed by her father, who suddenly came home. Come to think about it, the current situation wasn’t that different from that example.

“What should I do? The Forest fairies might be hostile against you. The elves tend to be stubborn, so they won’t listen to other races…”

“You are their kin.”

“They won’t listen to me in the first place.”

Mirole grumbled while pouting her cheeks a little. Cute. Evan stopped himself from instinctively reaching out for her forehead and spoke.

“I think it will be alright. Considering why they started to make a move at this timing.”

“This timing…?”

Mirole tilted her head. Since she looked cute, Evan decided to admire her adorable look for a bit longer instead of giving the explanation. And after some time, an abnormal pressure locked onto the place where people were jointly training. Evan realized there were a lot of spirits that surrounded them. He thought of shooing them off with his hand, but he didn’t since that might kill them.

“Ms. Mirole!”

It was at that moment. An elf appeared from the empty air and knelt down one of her knees in front of Mirole. Her name was Dupa, the Forest fairy of the Sunset, who also was her guardian knight. She was one of the sub-heroines with orange hair.

“I’m glad that you’re all right.”

“Hmmph, weren’t you constantly receiving reports from the fairies at my back? You knew about my situation, didn’t you?”

While looking at her from above, Mirole replied to Dupa in a childlike tone different from how she treated Evan. It was also like that in the game. Mirole, who acted well-mannered like an adult toward the Great Ancient Mage, showed her childish personality to her fellow elves. Such a gap was also adorable.

“Yes, my apologies, but…Ms. Mirole, you are the most important person in this forest. I can’t let it slip by in case you are in danger.”

“But there’s nothing you can do if such a situation occurs.”

“Argh.”

Dupa faced an utter defeat from Mirole’s unkind words. Evan felt a little pity towards her. And Dupa stared at Evan right away as if she read his mind, but she blushed a little. It was a shame that Evan hid his face as best as he could with the hood.

“Not Zero.”

“I’m not sure what you mean, Princess.”

“Don’t call me Princess.”

Mirole came forth like she was protecting Evan. But it would take a while for these two girls to start a normal conversation, so Evan lightly tapped her shoulder and spoke to Dupa directly.

“What’s the reason for neglecting Mirole for all this time and suddenly making your entrance? Is it perhaps related to the dungeons I took care of yesterday?”

“…”

“Nice voice,” a murmur from someone was heard. Did all elves prioritize the appearance of a person? Wait for a second; everyone in the world does.

“If the dungeon is what you refer to the cyclone that contains strange powers and life, you’re right, human.”

Dupa answered Evan and stood up. She seemed to somehow regain her calmness.

“We stayed still intending to observe how things would go, but we came out to have a conversation since ignoring a current situation is no longer an option.”

“Hmph, isn’t the reason for your interruption because of the fact that you knew even the entire force of the forest fairies couldn’t defeat Zero?”

Mirole seemed to be ratty all along. There was no way to know which side she was in favor of. As Dupa had a tearful expression, Evan smiled lightly and spoke.

“As long as it’s a conversation and not a fight that you are looking for, I’m all in. I was starting to think about speaking with the forest fairies with regards to the recent events in this forest.”

“Thank you. Then let’s go.”

“To where?”

“To the Mother Tree.”

Mirole was also surprised by Dupa’s words. So was Evan. What now? Taking him where? Were they serious about taking him to a place where players had to complete countless linked quests during the middle and final stages of the game?

“Are you planning to take Zero to the center of the Forest?”

“Yes, Ms. Mirole.”

Dupa nodded without any hesitation. Then, Mirole put her guard up and held Evan’s arm.

“It may be a trap. There is no way that the forest fairy will guide the outsider to the Mother!”

“Whose side are you taking, Princess!?”

“Of course, Zero’s side!”

Dupa was struck dumb as Mirole shouted at her. And there were murmurs behind them.

“Aaah, Ms. Mirole…”

“She is completely in love.”

“This is why I said we should pick her up before things come down to this.”

“But I understand her. How can there be a human that’s more beautiful than us, the forest fairies?”

“Does he have the blood of a forest fairy instead of human blood?”

The voices of the elves who were hiding could be heard from place to place. Mirole blushed at their words but didn’t step away from Evan. Instead, she clung to him while holding his arm.

“I won’t forgive you if you do anything funny to Zero!”

“We won’t! And besides, didn’t you tell us yourself that we can’t even lay a finger on him!?”

“Then? Then why are you taking him to Mother?”

“As he said, it’s because of the dungeon. He mostly cleaned out the traces that defiled the Mother Forest. It’s ridiculous if we are to be hostile against him.”

Aah, as expected. Evan understood what Dupa meant and nodded his head. The Great Ancient Mage joined forces with Mirole and cleared dungeons, clashed with Demons, met with gods’ disciples, and gradually became stronger in the game. Naturally, he would encounter the elves, and his actions of helping them sometimes were misunderstood as the exact opposite. And such a complicated relationship was solved by an important quest called ‘Mother’s Acknowledgement,’ which then made him a full-fledged ally of the Elves. The middle stage of the story began.

‘But this time, I’ve blown away half of the dungeons that were filling up the Forest as soon as I’ve made my appearance.’

Of course, having a Demon on his side and having an unknown origin became factors that made the elves nervous. However, Evan offered tremendous help to the Mother, whom all elves of this Forest served. As a result, he could be recognized by the elves without having to go through difficult procedures.

‘Power is the best, after all.’

Without using his brain, a pathway to communicate with the elves opened up if the body suffered a bit!

“If then, are you trying to…”

“Yes. If possible, an alliance with him. I believe you’ve got in contact with him in order to protect this Forest.”

“Hmm, Huh? Ah…ah, yup! Yeah, that’s right!”

Mirole looked like, “what on earth are you saying?” to Dupa’s words but regained her senses and nodded in acknowledgment.

“As expected, you are wise, Ms. Mirole. But you were just lucky this time, so don’t easily trust people next time. Let the other forest fairies take on this kind of negotiation.”

“Sure, umm…”

‘I’ve already established a relationship with Zero.’ Mirole blankly nodded without letting her intentions be read.

“Then, I will take him right away. Come with us.”

“Ah, wait. There’s someone who will protect the dwarves and the humans while we leave this place. She seems to be sleeping, so I need to wake her…”

“Myaaaster.”

Was she waiting for Evan to look for her? Maybell showed herself outside the tent at adequate timing. Her chest widely open and walking towards Evan with just a see-through negligee made her look very wicked.

“Maybell, great timing. I’ll go meet with the Mother Tree, so protect these people while I’m on it.”

“Hmmmm.”

Maybell shook her head and hugged him from behind. Her body was shaking, and it felt very hot.

“You haven’t finished punishing meeee.”

Perhaps her journey last night hadn’t ended yet. The humans who were training and the elves froze stone cold at the sight of her touching his body everywhere and kissing his neck.

“Sooo, just one hour…or two hours more. Please?”

“Wait until I get back.”

“Ouuuch.”

Even the finest charm from the Succubus Queen couldn’t win over Evan. Evan spoke his request to Maybell once more, who retreated with teary eyes, then he turned back. Dupa was staring at Evan with a red face.

“Vu-vulgar…I can’t trust this human, after all!”

And it took him an hour to clear the misunderstanding and arrive at the Mother Tree.

* * *

“Confess to me as is.”

Arisha spoke with a reddened face as if she would go berserk any moment. The location was at the officer’s conference room on the 7th floor of Astray HQ, where Evan usually stayed. The gathering members were Arisha, Serena, and Belois.

“Yup, it’s been three weeks for me. Maybe it was because of my last night with Oppa? I felt like I needed to conceive his child that moment, so I did it secretly with a swoosh.”

Serena confessed without any guilt in her conscience. Belois cleared her throat and looked away from the others while Arisha was drawing out her rapier.

“…Three months.”

“Hey!”

Arisha couldn’t bear it anymore and abruptly stood up!

“That’s too much! We were very busy at that time!”

“You see, I thought that the time that it would be adequate if we were to conceive a child at this time and defeat the Demon King…”

“Belois, no. Combat is dangerous in the early stages of pregnancy.”

“So I’ve cast a protection spell.”

Belois coldly replied at Serena’s misdirected criticism. And a shout came from Arisha, who was listening all along.

“Hiiing, everyone has conceived except me! Was I the only foolish one to take contraception? Just me? Even though I’m his first wife?”

Arisha’s eyes were filled with tears. She couldn’t even let out her rage. Because she needs to act cautiously in front of the pregnant women!

“This is way over the line; you girls should have told me if you were to do this…I’m left all alone, without a child…”

“Ah, my lady. I’m sorry. I thought you would have your own plans for this…”

“Evan…hiiing, Evaaaaan…”

Serena felt some guilt in her conscience. While tapping her shoulder, she consoled Arisha, who could not be angry and ended up crying. Belois suddenly lifted her head while making tea to calm her down. Was Evan also drinking tea somewhere at this time? Wouldn’t he be talking to the little Mirole? Did he miss Belois even a bit?

“I want to see Evan. Evaaan…”

“Woah, Arisha broke down…”

“I’ll let you take the role of greeting Master once he returns, so blow off your steam. You can even have a grand wedding.”

“Hiing, Evaaaaaaan…”

A peaceful day in Sherden ended once again for today.