Elqueeness [EN]: Chapter 607

Side Story. 14

“Anyway, I hope Kanos becomes a god again.”

He really wanted to say these words. Noel paused and looked back at him.

“Why?”

“Well… because that’s what suits you best.”

A surprised expression flashed across Noel’s face and disappeared. He seemed taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected such an answer. But El truly felt that way.

The first Elquines and the original Demon God. A being who exuded an overwhelming presence just by standing still. It was as if he existed to live as a god. And it was the same now. Even with him standing right in front of him as an elf, it was hard to imagine him not being a god.

“You’re saying something quite admirable. Well, it doesn’t feel bad knowing you liked me that much.”

“I’m not just saying it. I really….”

“I know. I think so too.”

“……!”

This time, El was the one who was flustered. He had absentmindedly brushed it off, but belatedly understood the meaning and quickly raised his head. Noel was also looking at him. His face was still playfully smiling, but his eyes weren’t.

Looking into those somewhat empty eyes, El swallowed hard. He felt like he had caught a glimpse of his true self, even if just a little.

It was also a glimmer of hope. El hoped that Noel was regretting becoming like this. He hoped that he wasn’t the only one who felt regret, that he had at least some desire to turn back.

If he had been born into a good environment and was living happily, El wouldn’t have thought about it so extremely, even if he felt regret. He might have felt relieved, thinking, ‘Kanos wanted this kind of life,’ or ‘He is finally completely at peace now.’ But this wasn’t it. This couldn’t be.

“Is there really no way to become a god again?”

He wanted to see him standing in a shining place again. Extremely easygoing and selfish, but more serious than anyone when he was serious. So he couldn’t help but rely on him, he wanted him to stand in that high position again. El’s eyes flickered with longing. Noel looked at those eyes quietly and smiled faintly.

“I feel a little sorry that you keep expecting something, but what can I do? There isn’t one right now.”

“Does ‘not right now’ mean there might be one in the future?”

“Oh my, is that how you’re taking it?”

He shook his head with a helpless expression. Nevertheless, when El showed no signs of backing down, he answered with a sigh.

“Maybe it will be possible someday.”

“……! Really? Is that real?”

“Yeah, well. Maybe after the current me dies, and you die, and several dozen generations spin around?”

“……What is that supposed to mean.”

“That’s why I said someday.”

The voice laced with laughter was as light as a feather. It was clear from the start that he had no intention of responding seriously.

“El.”

“……What.”

El deliberately retorted, feeling like he had been played again. Since their desires were so extremely different, it was obvious that no matter what they talked about, they would only run parallel. So he wasn’t going to be swayed by whatever he said. However, what followed was something he never imagined.

“After receiving help from the dragon, you will return to the spirit realm.”

“……Yes?”

“Forget that you ever met me, and just go back to your original life. It would be better to do that.”

Noel’s tone was calm. But even with the softly spoken words, El couldn’t properly understand what he was saying. His mind, which had turned completely white, seemed to be distorted in confusion.

“What… what are you talking about?”

After a long time, El managed to open his mouth with difficulty. Even then, Noel was still leisurely admiring the surrounding scenery. The sight was so peaceful that El wondered if what he had heard was a hallucination. Of course, it was a futile delusion. Noel’s next answer awakened him to reality.

“In short, I’m saying let’s terminate our contract.”

“Kanos.”

“I made a mistake in thinking. I thought just hanging out for a while would be okay. I didn’t realize you cared about me this much.”

“What is….”

The moment he met Noel’s gaze, it looked so sad that El couldn’t continue speaking. Noel lightly patted El’s shoulder, who was standing there in a daze, and then slowly walked ahead. Above his lonely figure, his light green hair fluttered in the wind.

“You shouldn’t be too close to me.”

* * *

“I can’t understand!”

Noel made a nonchalant expression at El’s shout.

“Still saying that?”

“Still? Kanos unilaterally declared it! Terminating the contract! How can you summon me as you please and ask for a contract, and then do this now?”

“That’s why I’m saying I was wrong. I’m telling you to just pretend we never met.”

“That’s ridiculous! Would Kanos be able to pretend he never met someone he already met?”

“Yeah.”

“Eek! Anyway, I hate it! It’s impossible!”

It wasn’t just an emotional issue. Terminating the contract was a matter directly related to his life. Right now, Noel was on the run, and elves, who were excellent at communicating with nature, were outstanding at tracking. The only reason he hadn’t been caught so far was thanks to El’s protection. If the contract was terminated, it was literally only a matter of time before he was discovered. It was obvious that dyeing his hair wouldn’t last long. Noel himself knew that better than anyone else.

“I’ll stay by Kanos’s side no matter what!”

Noel made a ‘picture-perfect’ troubled face. Anyone could tell it was a fabricated expression, which made El even more frustrated. He couldn’t understand what he was thinking at all.

“Okay, then there’s no helping it.”

Finally, Noel nodded with a sigh. El took a sigh of relief, thinking he had changed his mind. But Noel hadn’t given up. He took out a dagger from his pocket.

“Kanos?”

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry, but can I ask what you’re trying to do now?”

Surely he wasn’t going to threaten him with that. It was an absurd act, but El couldn’t hide his sullen expression because Kanos was the type of person who would do that. Noel also smiled brightly.

“It seems like you haven’t grasped the situation yet. I’m going to show you directly.”

“……Yes?”

There was no need to ask what he meant. The next moment, Noel slashed his arm with the sword he was holding. The sound of skin tearing was heard, and red blood splattered everywhere. El, who had been stunned for a moment, soon realized what had happened and was horrified.

“Kanos!”

“Ouch. That hurts a bit….”

“Are you crazy? What are you doing!”

Without even having the mind to snatch the dagger, El hurriedly checked the wound first. The wound cruelly drawn on his white arm was quite deep at first glance. A considerable amount of blood was pouring out, as if he had touched an artery. If left untreated, he could die from excessive bleeding. Usually, when someone self-harms, they tend to reduce their strength even a little at the last moment, but this former Demon God and ruthless elf didn’t seem to have such feelings. When El put strength into his hand because he was overwhelmed, Noel groaned.

“It hurts, El. Aren’t you holding it too tight?”

“Then who told you to do this? It’s like a self-harm scam. I guess you thought if you came out like this, I’d be terrified and back down! Sorry, but this kind of threat doesn’t work at all, you know?”

“Oh my~ How scary. Are you angry?”

“Then how can I not be angry? First, stay still. I’ll heal you right away.”

Noel obediently followed the instructions. After all, he was only able to do this because he knew he could eventually heal completely. The fact that he had to heal him even though he knew that made him angry, but El silently placed his hand on the affected area. Soon, just as white bubbles rose on his arm as healing power permeated it.

“El.”

“What.”

“I’m sorry.”

At first, he thought it was an apology for self-harm. But something was strange. El’s face immediately hardened. Suddenly, he felt a repulsive force, and an enormous energy began to pour in. He felt nauseous and his insides felt as hot as if they were burning. His vision was rapidly blurring. El instinctively realized what was happening to him. This was a sign of reverse summoning [being forcibly sent back to one’s original plane of existence].

“What is this….”

Why is he being reverse summoned all of a sudden? El, who was flustered by the incomprehensible phenomenon, widened his eyes. Noel’s arm, which should have been healed as soon as he injected healing power, was still the same. The skin didn’t heal, and the blood didn’t even stop. He reflexively raised his head and met Noel’s bitterly smiling gaze.

“Go cool your head and come back.”

Those were the last words he heard before losing consciousness.

* * *

“……El.”

From within his deeply submerged consciousness, El heard someone calling him. A calm and low breath. A voice that seemed to be carefully examining him. It was a very familiar feeling, as if he had felt it somewhere before.

“……Wake up, El.”

At the repeated calls, El slowly lifted his heavy eyelids. Through his blurry vision, a familiar face looking at him worriedly came into view. Skin tanned by the sunlight, disheveled black hair. And eyes that looked like they were delicately carved from gold.

“El! Are you awake?”

El, who was about to smile reflexively at the bright smile, realized something was wrong and looked around. He felt the unique texture of deep water in the space shimmering with blue light. It was the realm of water.

‘That’s right. I was just reverse summoned…….’

Of course, he still didn’t understand this situation itself. He wasn’t attacked, he just tried to heal a wound, but a reverse summon occurred. Logically, it didn’t make sense. But the fact that he was in the spirit realm was undeniable evidence. The piercing pain all over his body was also vivid.

“Are you okay? I was briefly in the main world, but I was surprised because you were suddenly reverse summoned and returned.”

“Ah, I’m okay. I was just a little surprised.”

El groaned and got up. A flustered Trowell immediately supported him.

“Lie down more. You haven’t recovered yet.”

“But… I have to heal my contractor because he’s hurt….”

“Are you going to go down to the middle world [the mortal plane] with this body? No way.”

“But….”

“Just rest for an hour, or even a few minutes, and then go. Either way, even if you go down in this state, you’ll be reverse summoned again soon. If a spirit king is reverse summoned, it will have a big impact on the contractor. You must have suffered significant internal injuries already. Are you thinking of making it worse?”

That was true, so El silently bit his lip. Trowell, who had finally confirmed that he had calmed down, sat down in front of him with relief.

“How did this happen? You being reverse summoned. I heard you were summoned to the middle world, but did something happen to your contractor’s safety?”

“That’s… a bit strange.”

“Strange?”

“He had a wound, so I was just trying to heal it. But suddenly it became like this.”

“Tell me in detail.”

Trowell’s expression became serious. El told him about what he had experienced. He felt a strong repulsive force while healing the contractor who was seriously injured. At the same time, signs of reverse summoning began to occur. The wound wasn’t healed at all. It was an unbelievable story even as he was explaining it himself. Trowell’s face also became serious. He looked at El with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

“……El, what exactly did you make a contract with?”

“What do you mean. Just a normal….”

El, who was about to answer without thinking, slowly trailed off. When he thought about it, the fact that he had made a contract with an elf was already not normal. Trowell’s gaze became intense as he sensed the agitation in El’s expression.

“Normal… What’s the next word?”

“It, it means it was a normal contract. What else could it be. Hahaha.”

“Yeah, I see.”

He nodded with a smiling face, but he didn’t seem to believe it at all. El desperately avoided his gaze at the more intense gaze than before. In the end, it was Trowell who smiled and backed down first. El let out a sigh of relief at the disappearance of the piercing gaze. But his face hardened again at the words that followed.

“El, I think it’s better to terminate the current contract.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

El, flustered, raised his head.

“You said he was normal, but in my opinion, he’s definitely not normal. The fact that you were reverse summoned after using healing magic means that his body rejected and repelled your power. El, you know this too, but this is definitely not normal.”

It was a cold statement, but undeniable. Elquines’s healing was a higher ability than a priest’s divine power. Regardless of constitution or species, it was a blessing that all living beings could enjoy.

“But, couldn’t it be a coincidence? I didn’t notice anything strange usually. In the first place, if he rejected my power, he wouldn’t be able to summon me.”

“I find that strange too. But El, even if a lucky chance can happen, reverse summoning can never happen by chance.”

Again, El couldn’t say anything. In fact, he knew that this couldn’t be a coincidence. It was clear that Canos knew this would happen. The fact that he usually refused to be healed. The fact that he apologized the moment he was healed. Those weren’t the actions of someone who knew nothing.

“I don’t like this feeling at all. To reject Elquines’s healing power means he’s deviated from the system of the Main God. His soul is so dirty that it can’t be purified. Such a being, even without authority, is in quality almost close to it.”

“It?”

“An evil god.”

“……!”

“Remember what happened that day, El. The wounds inflicted by the evil god weren’t healed.”

That’s right, it was. El clenched his fist tightly. Even when he became human, he couldn’t forget that moment. Eluien was lying in front of him, covered in blood, but no matter how much he used his healing power, he couldn’t heal the wounds at all. The power of the evil god was superior to the spirit king, but the energy itself was an ‘impure poison’ that couldn’t be purified. If that was the case just from the energy seeping in, an evil god who was the poison itself would strongly resist the moment healing power was used. The energy would flow backward, and the one trying to heal would suffer a great blow. Just like now.

‘But why? Why Canos?’

Did something go wrong while he was disappearing with the evil god? El, feeling uneasy, bit his lip.

Trowell, who had been calmly watching him, continued.

“That means he’s that impure. I don’t know how you ended up contracting with such a being, but it’s not good to get too deeply involved. It’s already having a bad influence on those around you.”

“Bad influence?”

“Just being near him could cause illnesses or constant misfortune, like accidents. You can think of such a being as a living disaster.”

As his mind went blank, El recalled the words he had heard. He finally understood the meaning he couldn’t understand before, but he didn’t feel any relief. Rather, his questions only deepened.

“That can’t be. Why on earth…….”

“I know it’s a story you don’t want to believe. But it could have a bad influence on you. He’s that dangerous. So, it’s better to terminate the contract as soon as possible…….”

“No, I don’t want to.”

“El.”

“It’s not like he wanted it to be this way. That’s for sure. If that’s the case, we have to find a way to solve it. If it’s dangerous, I can’t leave him to handle it alone.”

There must be a way to solve it somehow. Even if there wasn’t, El had no intention of parting with him at all. Seeing his firm expression, Trowell nodded with a face that swallowed his words.

“Alright, do as you wish. It’s your decision anyway.”

“Sorry, Trowell. You said that for my sake.”

“No, I don’t care as long as you’re safe. But do you know what this means, El? If you become dangerous, I won’t just stand by and watch.”

At the resolute words, El slowly nodded. Trowell let out a light sigh and gave a bitter smile. “El really can’t make a normal contract.” El also felt bitter at the words delivered with a heavy heart.

“Ah, more than that, there’s something I should tell you.”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Actually, Eluien came to see me a little while ago. He said there was something he needed to tell you, but he couldn’t reach you. He asked if I knew your location.”

“Heok! R, really?”

El couldn’t hide his dismay. He had been avoiding contact too much. Even Eluien, who was lenient with his son, was starting to lose patience. Still, he never thought he would come all the way to the spirit realm.

“So, Minne released the spirits to find you. So, the very place you were before you were reverse summoned.”

“……Uh?”

The following words were worse than expected. He blinked blankly for a moment. He had hidden his tracks so he wouldn’t be found, but it was hard to avoid if the same spirit king was determined to find him. Especially if the other party was the Wind Spirit King. El soon realized the meaning of his words and opened his mouth blankly.

“Then, could it be…….”

Trowell replied with a slightly troubled face.

“Eluien must have gone there now.”

* * *

The price for his reckless actions was quite high.

Noel leaned against a rock, breathing heavily. Although it was his own doing, the spirit king’s reverse summoning also affected him, the contractor. Due to the external wounds and internal injuries, he was now finding it difficult to muster even a little strength.

The pain was painful, but the throbbing dizziness tormented him even more. His arm, which he hadn’t stopped bleeding in time, was still constantly pouring out a large amount of blood. The blood that El had vomited out when he was reverse summoned had made a mess of everything from his mouth to his upper body. Anyone passing by would be shocked by the miserable sight. However, the person who was collapsed was nonchalantly-

‘Oh, so this is what it feels like to bleed a lot. This is quite a strange feeling, with strength draining away. Is this what anemia is? Wow, new world~’

-muttering such thoughts inwardly. His naturally light personality showed its true value even in moments of life and death.

‘Did I tear it too much after all? But I couldn’t have reverse summoned him without this much injury, so I can’t help it.’

El, who had returned to the spirit realm by now, would be grinding his teeth at him. Or maybe he’s just worried like a fool. That child is kind, unlike Elquines. Noel smiled faintly, then vomited blood again. It seemed like there was a problem with the mucous membrane in his nose, and the smell of blood came in every time he breathed. The revolting and fishy smell made his head ring.

‘I never imagined that I would be affected by something like this.’

He never imagined that he would be affected by something like this in the past. Noel laughed self-deprecatingly. The scent of blood, which contains life, was closer to a fragrance when he was a god. But now that he was an elf, he felt the death that was creeping in as much as the life that was leaving. Feeling uncomfortable with the smell of blood was due to the instinct to survive being activated. He knew that was the case, but the feeling of actually realizing it was extraordinary.

The gap between the knowledge of God that he knew in his head and the feeling that arose from his body was greater than he thought. It was like being buried deep in the ground and barely looking at the sky through a small hole. Even though he had the body of a high elf, which was superior to humans, he was in this state. If the gods who had opposed him in the past saw this, they would be speechless and unable to laugh.

Krrr.

Around that time, Noel heard the low growl of a beast. Monsters that had smelled the blood were gathering. Even as he watched the approaching monster with its eyes gleaming fiercely, Noel had no intention of avoiding it. He just kept smiling.

“Yeah. It wouldn’t be bad to die like this this time.”

He didn’t expect a peaceful death from the moment he was born anyway. Rather, wasn’t this a cheap price to pay? He muttered so calmly to himself.

A sacrifice for the evil god.

I will take on that sin instead.

When he made a contract with El, he lied when he said he didn’t know why he was born with his past life remembered. It was already evidence of a promised curse.

The curse on him plunges all those who care for him into misfortune, and eventually torments even himself. It is a terrible curse that cannot be undone by any purification or blessing, a punishment for the evil god and a curse from the absolute Main God.

He will wander forever with all his memories, repeating an unhappy life. Killing the parents who gave birth to him, tormenting his friends, and making the country and clan he was born into unhappy, constantly living a life stained with blood.

Of course, he had no complaints about it since he had volunteered. He was still finding it fun to adapt to a new body and a new environment, having been accustomed to the monotonous life of a god.

‘……And someday, when I go crazy in this life, I’ll finally be completely annihilated.’

Maybe he could really rest then. If possible, Noel muttered monotonously to himself that he hoped that day would come a little sooner.

The monster’s presence was now right in front of him. A foul odor emanated from the monster’s breath, which was close by. The wolf-like snout smelled the blood and confirmed Noel’s faint breathing.

“Krrr…….”

The monster bared its fangs and vibrated its throat. It was a satisfied groan, confirming that the target had no will to resist. A high elf was a top-tier food that was hard to come by, so it was understandable.

Noel waited quietly for the approaching pain. Soon, rough claws would tear his skin, and sharp teeth would crush his bones. If possible, he hoped that the monster’s taste was elegant and that it would pierce his neck in one go. That way, he would die quickly. But no matter how long he waited, the expected pain did not come. Instead, the sensation of the presence disappearing at once followed.

“Kiek!”

“……?”

At the sharp scream, Noel opened his eyes in surprise, wondering what was going on. Around him were shapes presumed to have once been monsters scattered. Just looking at the green liquid flowing from the severed cross-section, he couldn’t help but know what had just happened. But more noticeable than that was the figure of a man standing upright in front of him. Noel’s pupils shook greatly as he discovered him.

The man had platinum blonde hair and eyes as cold as water, as if they contained light. There were many blonde-haired, blue-eyed people in the world, but none of them were like him. It was impossible to be the same. It was natural to recognize him at a glance, even if he was hiding his presence and pretending to be ordinary. Eluien, it was definitely him.

“What is this.”

Eluien looked back at the monster’s corpse lying at his feet. He had come to meet his son, but he couldn’t find the son he was looking for, and only found strange things. The location that the Wind Spirit King had directly found and told him couldn’t be wrong. But no matter how much he looked around, all that was here was the monster he had just dealt with and a blood-soaked elf.

Could it be that they had gone astray in the meantime? Eluien clicked his tongue briefly and walked towards the elf sitting against the rock. For now, that elf was the only one who could tell him where his son was.

“A high elf.”

“…….”

Eluien slowly scanned the elf’s frozen figure. Covered in red blood, he was in such a miserable state that it was amazing that he was maintaining consciousness. It must be quite painful, but he was trying to control even the gasping breaths, let alone groans. His mental strength alone seemed good.

“Hey, can you hear me?”

“…….”

When he spoke, the elf, who had raised his eyes, stared at him with a pale face. His expression was calm, but his eyes revealed undisguised agitation. Judging from the situation a little while ago, he must have been saved, but his reaction to the benefactor was not that of a benefactor.

Feeling a strange sense of incongruity, Eluien frowned. It was because he had discovered the water seal engraved on the elf’s forehead. It was not uncommon for elves, who were friendly to nature, to contract with spirits, but the problem was the grade of the seal. Numerous snowflake crystals scattered like stars. It was Elquines’s mark that only the Water Spirit King could engrave.

“……Are you perhaps El’s contractor?”

He asked, knowing full well the answer that would come back. As expected, the elf slowly nodded. The race of harmony summons the spirit king. Eluien sighed lowly. He couldn’t help but know why El had been avoiding him all this time. In addition, he guessed why El wasn’t here.

‘His condition isn’t good. Was El reverse summoned?’

He clicked his tongue briefly and examined the body, which was close to being in tatters. The elf, who appeared to be just an adult, was dying at a glance. The wound on his arm was a wound, but he had suffered a great internal injury. Judging from the obvious traces of the energy flowing backward, it was clear that he had suffered an internal injury as the contractor was reverse summoned.

‘But it’s strange. Who reverse summoned El?’

It was not common for the spirit king to be reverse summoned. The elf’s condition was also like that, and it seemed like he had been attacked by someone, but no matter how much he looked, he couldn’t see anyone who could have done that. There were monsters around, but those things couldn’t be the spirit king’s opponent. The monster that had been loitering in front of the elf a little while ago had just come after smelling the blood. If he dug deeper, he could find out more, but now he was controlling all his senses to the extreme in order to buy as much time as possible in the middle world, so it was not easy.

“Tsk, anyway, let’s start with treatment…….”

“……Leave it.”

The blood-soaked hand grabbed the hand that was stretched out to heal and stopped it. Eluien narrowed his brows and looked at the elf who was refusing treatment.

“The injury is severe. Are you going to die like this?”

“Anyway…… It won’t be cured. Only…… You will get hurt.”

“What?”

At the unexpected answer, Eluien widened his eyes and then lowered his gaze back to the wound. It won’t be cured, is he some kind of special constitution? Eluien tentatively infused divine power weakly. At that moment, the energy that popped out sharply as if resisting immediately left a red scar on his arm. Eluien frowned slightly at the stinging pain. Then, a rough shout burst out from the elf’s mouth in embarrassment.

“You idiot! I told you you’d get hurt!”

“Told you?”

“……Ah, no. I’m sorry. I told you you’d get hurt.”

Eluien stared silently at the elf who was quickly apologizing. He was upset by the rude words, but he was El’s contractor anyway. Even if he was going to punish him, saving him was the first priority now. In addition, he was interested in the unique repulsive power of this body. He took out a bottle containing a clear liquid from his arms.

“What…….”

“It’s called Celestial Water. You can think of it as a kind of holy water.”

It is also known that Celestial Water, which restores even the body of God, gives eternal life to humans if they drink it. In reality, it didn’t go that far, but it did make the body almost immortal. It was something that shouldn’t be abused carelessly, but it didn’t matter if it was just applied to the body. It was an explanation to reassure him, but the elf’s face turned even paler. Eluien had no way of knowing, but Celestial Water was the most fatal liquid to his body. It was obvious that it would worsen the wound rather than heal it.

“Ah, wait…… Keuk!”

As expected, as soon as the holy water touched him, it burned his skin red. Eluien clicked his tongue and immediately closed the bottle cap.

“Ah, I’m sorry. It doesn’t seem to be this either.”

“…….”

Unlike his words, his face was not sorry at all. The elf, who had suddenly become a test subject, spat out curses with his eyes, but Eluien generously decided to overlook it, thinking that it was due to the pain of the wound.

‘Divine power and Celestial Water don’t work, he has a troublesome constitution. Could it be that he resists all the energy of blessing.’

Now that he saw it, it seemed that El had been reverse summoned while trying to heal him. A high elf from the Crea priesthood resisting blessings. For his soul to be this dirty meant that his karma from his previous life was too great, or that he had received a powerful god’s curse. If it was karma, he wouldn’t have been born as an elf, so the latter was more likely. It was also absurd that he had summoned the spirit king with that kind of thing. He didn’t know why his only son was only getting caught up with these troublesome guys. Eluien sighed and raised his head.

‘If neither of these work, I have no choice but to use another method.’

As a last resort for treatment, he decided to use the power of God. It would shorten the time he stayed in the middle world, but it was better than seeing his son’s face saddened by losing his contractor.

He turned back the time of the elf’s body to before he was injured. This method was effective, and the elf’s body began to improve rapidly. The blood stopped, the injured internal organs were restored, and the torn skin returned to its normal state. Eluien confirmed that his body had completely returned to its original state and said.

“Is it okay now?”

“…….”

The elf was calm. He didn’t even panic, let alone be surprised, when he saw his body suddenly become healthy. As if it was a natural occurrence, he just stared at him silently. Eluien felt a little bad at the clear gaze. It was an eye that somehow reminded him of someone he hated. When he thought that far, a flower-like smile appeared on the face of the elf who had been staring blankly. Then, chatter began to pour out like a waterfall.

“Wow~ I’m healed! Thank you so much! I really thought I was going to die from the pain! When you poured the holy water, I thought I was really dead. But you made me so clean! Amazing! How did you do that?”

Eluien frowned at the sudden change in atmosphere, but soon regained his composure. It was not a common occurrence, so he may have been a little slow to grasp the situation. Still, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off.