The Book Of Flowers
Night Attack
"Vain" Verdea said as she pulled my robe that daritadi just looked towards the fire
"Yes?" I responded, turning my sitting position to face him
"Take me"
Ah, he's tired...
I slowly lifted him up and grabbed him. He then planted his face on my shoulder and tried to sleep
"New record for you, Veri" I said
"How long can I walk now?" She asked
"It's dark now. You're starting to get strong"
He laughed satisfied with the tone that was getting slower, until his eyes were closed
He had not taken a nap earlier, so it was no wonder that he was tired now. I don't understand why this kid is trying to make himself look like he's strong enough. It wouldn't be a problem if me or one of my friends carried her on the way
It's just, tonight feels really uncomfortable. If we don't want to end up baiting hundreds of monsters like yesterday, it would be best if we make a fort while using protective magic like this. Ordinary monsters would not be able to get close, and Verdea and Veskal could rest more leisurely. Everyone needs their energy back
The area we entered now is no longer snowy. It looks like we've got into the midline area of Vitario. In this area, we do not recognize what is called winter
Looking at the green leaves again made me quite calm...
"... Vainzel's..."
Hm? She hasn't fallen asleep?
"What's wrong?"
"... Don't go"
...
He seems to be just delirious. But he repeated that sentence again...
Kuelus head so that the child can feel calm, even if only when in his dream alone
She smiled faintly feeling a touch in her head, as her delicate snoring began to sound stable
I just smiled subtly to find that, while continuing to gently stroke Verdea's hair without making her wake up
Then someone came closer to accompany us. The one who was none other than Fyon
"To make sure that protective magic stays on must feel very tiring, right?" I opened the conversation for him
"It's no more exhausting than draining our Mana out like yesterday. It was fortunate that this forest outside Goeitias was quite rich with Mana flow" He said
He swiftly took a seat by my side and sighed. Looking from the side, he continued this conversation again
"By the way, why don't you guys just teleport towards the Forest Gate?" She asked
Ah, that's the question
"You think with 9 pirate members who can't all magic it, and 2 little kids between us, can we?"
He did not answer hearing the question back. Fyon knew very well the logic of what I was saying
"It seems like bringing the kids is difficult indeed..."
Well, he said it. And in fact, it is proven. If I were to adventure alone with my Elf friends alone, we would barely even need to rest at all, let alone have to fear teleportation for a moment
...
After the little talk ended my eyes caught on, if he was sucking the flow of Mana in the air using his finger. It reminded me that this area of the forest was very rich with Mana as it was filled with traces of monster magic
"I can give you my finger if you need Mana. But, you have to call me Oberon for a month for that" I tried to joke around, inviting a little laugh from him
"Then not. Just a week had been tiring, let alone a month" He retorted while tilting his body backwards
"Oh come. Only month. The last time I lost to you, I had to call you Mr. Fyon for a year"
"If you hadn't run off for adventure again, I'm sure it would have been a whole year rather than just 3 days. You sneaky"
"Hehehehehe~!"
I was satisfied with Fyon's reaction that started to grumble. Plus because what he said was true, because I happened to find an opportunity to escape
"The world is played by intelligent people. Maybe it would be better if you were like me~" I even added salt in his wound
"Well! Not going to, especially if I have to serve humans!"
Haah...?
...
He's not wrong somehow!
Ah yes, still talking about that
"Well, speaking of Verdea, do you know how I found it?" I turned the conversation a little bit away
"No. I only heard from Luna that you swore allegiance to her"
Ah, so...
I'd better tell you if it's that far. Fyon is my friend too. Others already know, which is half the reason they want to protect Verdea now
"I found her when she was kidnapped first"
Fyon was immediately surprised to hear that
"Hasstaken...?" He even asked in disbelief
"so. Since he is a prince, you might think that they are immune to such criminal acts" I continued. "But they are the most vulnerable"
Fyon listened fully, as his eyes were fixed on the sleeping Verdea
"He was kidnapped the day I accidentally crossed the bandit forest outside the Hortensia area. I didn't actually know what the two people who took him brought, until I threw the two bastards into the air. But to my astonishment, even though the city of Hortensia has such strict security, a prince like Verdea can be taken far out of the city walls, let alone the palace" I bluntly said
If you think back, it was strange. And if I had to guess, then the main suspect could very easily be guessed
Someone who has high power within the kingdom
"Cruel right? Who would kidnap a child like her...?"
Whatever it is, those people are completely inhumane...
Even Fyon became stunned to hear that
"... Do you feel sorry for him?" Fyon asked back
...
My smile instantly disappeared upon hearing Fyon's words
I'm not mad at him. L'm...
Perplexed...
I was confused by the feeling that prompted my reason for helping Verdea
Poor fellow? Voluntary? I don't know. Fyon's words made all those questions pass through my mind...
Because, if I'm right just feeling sorry for Verdea, I'm sure this kid himself wouldn't be happy about it
He might be disappointed in me if our friendship was based only on my pity for him. That, if he had believed so deeply in me, only to find out that our friendship was not mutual
...
But, whatever it is, I'm gonna keep protecting this kid. At least I want to do something for him as much as I can
Her... Can't be hurt anymore
...
Haaah... Just switch this conversation...
"By the way, tonight's the crescent moon" I said to divert the conversation
"... By the way, Miralius is close" Fyon added
I already know that. I did not travel much in Goeitias compared to other continents, but I certainly remember the way to my hometown, right?
He clearly wanted to taunt me for saying something obvious
"Hey! The sun is setting!" Ivor interrupted from a distance
"We know!" Shouted me and Fyon
Verdea groaned and almost woke up from the yell that made me panic and try to calm her down again
......................
The night is getting late. Me, Luna and Fyon were on guard this time. The reason is because the two people refused to sleep inexplicably, while I had to stay awake because Verdea was not being taken care of Veskal who fell asleep first. The two children were so exhausted that they immediately fell in a dream like this
I actually keep watch every night, because I'm worried about Verdea. I also usually put it on my lap while she was asleep. But, Veskal who suddenly slept while leaning against a tree like that made me feel pity and did not dare to disturb him at all. It should be noted that this was also their first long trip
I just want to ensure everyone's safety with my own hands this time. Especially since right now, the entire Black Hunt crew is our guest. For now...
Meanwhile, Fyon was busy honing his dark magic amulet that was shaped like a dog tooth, and Luna was meditating with ears that remained alert with the surroundings. These two people could not sleep normally like the others because of their patriotism, really...
They seemed relaxed, but they were actually more depressed than I was. It was because they did not usually venture out and fight with such a large number of monsters. Also, since we don't usually kill monsters just like that, considering that Elves and monsters coexist within this continent
All my friends eventually recognized the danger that monsters could pose. We do coexist, but the monsters of this age would not hesitate at all to kill any other people they could find
The alert level of Luna and Fyon had already completely reached the highest point. They're as paranoid as I am, maybe even worse
I'm just trying to warm Verdea to the best of my ability with basic fire magic. That's because this forest area feels moist at night, so the atmosphere becomes cool enough to cool the body. Verdea doesn't really like cold, unless we're discussing snow...
The Dark Elves were busy patrolling around in turns to keep the shield magic we were tidying up within the large area from fading away
The magic shield not only serves to capture monsters, but also to detect the existence of the black magician
I won't give him the chance this time
I slowly looked up at the sky. But, the clouds covered the night sky and made it even darker. Even though it wasn't a snow cloud, it still had a terrible shape that made me a little uneasy
The wind storm may come again... Worse, maybe a rainstorm...
I hope the storm doesn't hit before we get there...
"...!"
Hm!?
"Hm?"
Luna suddenly flinched. Me and Fyon were immediately shocked by it, especially since Luna wouldn't be if she didn't find something that didn't mean much
"What's wrong?" I asked
The cold sweat pours out, making me feel even more worried. And the sentence after that made my fear peak
Something we should have anticipated...
"... I felt a rapid movement under the moonlight..." Luna replied with wide eyes
"... Then?"
"... But they don't feel alive"
They...?
Not alive...?
...
...
...
"EVERYBODY GET UP NOW!!"
But their reaction to waking up immediately and my warning was too slow...
Right at the same time I shouted that, something attacked from behind intending to reach my body along with Verdea. It was a jolt in response to the attack, but in the end I avoided it quickly while carrying Verdea in my arms
I rolled on the ground and held Verdea's head so she wouldn't stumble along. When I stopped rolling and turned to look at my assailant, I saw a pale-skinned creature, wearing a black robe, red eyes and fangs that smelled of blood
I guessed! We're being attacked by vampires now! One of the undead monster clans—the most powerful Undead!
But how could they pass through those Dark Elves and shield magic? Not just anyone can pass high-level magic okay?!
Damn, they just woke up. Some of my friends were already on standby, but I'm sure their heads still felt uncomfortable. It's a bad situation to fight, especially when I have to protect Verdea completely this time
The boy was even frightened with wide eyes looking at the attacking vampire. And he would be even more frightened if this situation was getting messy. But how else?
"Don't leave anyone here! Suck all their blood!"
Followed by the cry and cynical laughter of the vampire, the other vampires darted from the darkness of night in the form of troops and attacked one by one my friends. Luxor the first time they pushed away from our position, and when Luna wanted to help him, 3 vampires at once immediately stopped
Ivor is shocked to the point that he is thrown, but when his assailants try to claw at Black Hunt's crew who don't know what to do, he immediately darted and smashed the heads of those monsters like a watermelon that was heavily punched
Lyralia on the other hand, was immediately besieged as well, so she had to force out with all her ability to seek a safe position in the fight. As she is about to be pursued again, Ordelia and Luxor cast their respective magic— paralysing several vampires at once. But instead, they were now the ones who began to be surrounded by those monsters
The Dark Elves even looked overwhelmed to deal with them as they were outnumbered despite being stronger
Lothawat! No one would be able to help us like this! They don't even know the main basis in fighting vampires!
"DON'T JUST DESTROY THEIR BODIES! BREAK THEIR HEARTS!" I shouted
All my friends heard and responded to it. Luna was even immediately seen stabbing her attackers one by one and took out their respective hearts, where the vampires immediately staggered and died to the ground— turned into black ash and disappeared
Luxor, Ordelia, Ivor and Lyralia did not even forget to destroy the enemy they had already crippled
Veskal on the other hand, just hide and look for the best position to attack in one stab. While each member of the Black Hunt immediately pulls out their respective pistols to fire on any approaching vampires
"Are they also weak against silver and garlic like rumors, Elves??" Cyth even asked
"Only to pure silver and wood! Vampires fearing onions is just a myth! And don't forget to point the silver at their heart!" I replied, where Cyth immediately felt confident
"Take out our silver bullets!" He even called
If he has a lot, then-
"We only have 3 bags, and that's just enough for 5 guns!"
Damnit damnit! I had hoped too much!
Cyth who gawked at the words of his members could only shoot dead a vampire who tried to claw at him, then laughed awkwardly at me
All I need to worry about right now is my and Verdea's whereabouts. There haven't been too many people attacking us since. Just this one in front of us
The problem is when I fight later, I have to make sure Verdea's safety too
No. gabe. I have to make sure all my friends are safe. But now I have to prioritize Verdea who is near me in the meantime
The vampire who attacked me earlier immediately ambushed again. My glove I took off as quickly as I could by pulling it loose with my mouth, and I immediately jumped to avoid the lightning strike
"Get Veri!" I'll take the time to warn Verdea
Verdea obeyed my sentence, instantly wrapping her hands as tightly as possible around my neck
One of my hands was still holding Verdea's body and the other one I used to attack by bulldozing at the vampire
But just like me, the vampire immediately dodged and carried out another attack
A slow and painful battle ensued. Since I had to bring Verdea along and dispel every attack of this creature, I simply could not find the right loophole to end this fight
But I kept dodging and defending, before going back to counter-attacking. Keep going and keep going while you watch her move
Watch the...
As he darted towards me again, I saw him. One weak point, when his hand reached too far ahead—where I managed to dodge the attack.
I twisted my body as fast as I could until I managed to land a blow to his body and make the vampire ejected until it hit a tree
The tree immediately fell down due to the hard collision, until the blood of the vampire that I was chasing everywhere around the tree, as well as making some of his friends stricken by the tree
But the Vampire I fought wasn't dead at all, because his heart hadn't been destroyed. And to make sure he died, I darted towards him and stabbed him in the heart before he could get up
He instantly thrashed about violently, then slowly lost consciousness and died completely—disappeared into black ash that floated in the air
Tch! It's harder than I thought. I had to find a way to keep Verdea near me without having to reduce my fighting ability
I shortened my hand and quickly turned to look at my friends who were still fighting
Alright. I have to help the others now
But I stopped. Verdea looks scared. She held her arms around my shoulder and cried, though she tried to muffle her voice with all her might
Body shaking. But this is not the time for me to feel pity and ignore the battles that are going on
So, I just stroked her head and said, "It's okay. You'll be safe"
Verdea immediately nodded, but still cried and planted her face on my shoulder
Veskal screamed, leaving us both shocked. It appears that he failed to finish off a vampire, until the opponent was still standing upright in front of him who fell to the ground with a claw wound that was not too deep
Without further ado, I darted towards Veskal who was almost stabbed by the Vampire he was fighting. Luna who also thought the same could only protect the injured Veskal
I managed to catch the Vampire. And what I did next was slam him to the ground behind me and then stab him in the heart
"Above you!" Veskal shouted
My hand was instantly slapped so that the vampire who attacked from the air instantly slashed his head. Without mercy, I cut his heart out, so that the vampire I just killed disappeared at the same time
Veskal just gave a thumbs up behind Luna who was busy when I noticed, so I turned to the other direction without having to worry about her anymore
Subsequently
"All right! You fools, please stop!" Someone suddenly said
Someone I know isn't messing around. Everyone present could even feel my hair spontaneously rising. Even just from his voice, we know that the person who spoke was someone who was far above the level of vampires
My eyes widened, as Verdea broke out in cold sweat. Some of the Black Hunt crew even fell to the ground, except Cyth and his frozen right hand could only gulp
Even my friends froze on the spot, as the look in their eyes turned towards the sound. And I also understand why...
As I turned slowly towards the voice, I saw Ordelia who was gripped by the neck behind her by a large, red-eyed figure. Fresh blood dripped down from his neck. And he moaned, as he was pushed forward to be confronted to all of us by a figure who caught him
The figure stood under the darkness while showing Ordelia off to everyone there
I'm panicking. My eyes were fixed on the fainted Ordelia in the grip of the figure. His feet did not touch the ground. That figure really, raised him into the air as if he were a child's toy. And knowing that Ordelia was in danger, none of us Elves dared to move. Some of us understand that losing a superior is something that can be fatal
But some of us, his close friends—we don't want to lose someone we consider important in this life
My eyes shook intensely, after all that was done through my mind
Off guard, all my friends were also captured and held on the ground by the vampires. They intend to fight back, but fearing Ordelia will be hurt, they temporarily ease their emotions. Luna even attacked, as if threatening the vampire who was holding Ordelia back from hurting her more than that
The vampires also slowly swarmed over me. But I showed them my hand and was on standby for an attack, so that no one dared to touch me. Not a word out, while both sides could only threaten each other with the tense of the situation
"I'd give up if I were you, Oberon" said the figure
...!
She knows who I am...? Then why would he dare to attack me like this...??
Attacking an Oberon is taboo for monsters. The 'it' people won't let them just find a light person if they get caught clearly like this
"Who are you...!?" I was bluffing too, but couldn't help my anger
The figure laughed sarcastically at my question. He then stepped forward and showed his face
White hair, a face that still looks young and a very large body are also tall. His wide grin he directed to belittle me, as his gaze looked over because of our significant height difference
The real figure is very intimidating just from the looks of it...
"introduce. I'm Darwin Von Ziegler. The vampires used to call me Emperor. But other creatures usually call me the master of vampires" he gave me a self-introduction
"... Do I need to be honored?" I retaliated
"No, considering your ego the Elves are too high"
"It's amazing to hear that from someone who thinks he's won now"
He directly scratched Ordelia's neck a little. I was furious and wanted to directly attack him, but knew I wouldn't be able to because of two things
"Your words are sick, Oberon. We just met, you know?" She's squeezing
"I don't care who you are and what you are, but I'll make sure your whole body is broken later so you wish you didn't want to live...!"
"Uhuuhu~ Scary~"
She then laughed, looking at me intently to enjoy every irritated expression I made for her
All the vampires who were there immediately laughed at me as well, so that the forest was echoed by their loud voices
All my friends were just bluffing their teeth in the middle of this state of being unable to do anything
"Haha... What a good joke"
I hate this guy. "What do you want...!?"
What was the reason for attacking us like this...???
...
...
...
That question should not be asked...
Because it's...
He turned his eyes toward Verdea, who was in my arms now...
"... Hand over the boy" He said with a wide grin
Verdea and I immediately flinched. All my friends who were listening were snapped. The sentence came out without any sign, so none of us anticipated it
"... Why should this kid?" I slowly hid Verdea from his sight using my robe
"He looks delicious. I like the smell of his blood"
"Step over my body first, mosquito...!"
"Hoho...? Still refusing?"
"That one may not be as nice as the kid, but at least I'll be"
!!!
"DON'T! I beg you, don't...!"
Don't hurt Ordelia...!
"... Then hand over the boy"
...
It's too cruel. I can kill every vampire here and their own master. But, the stakes of the deed are all my friends being held, including Ordelia. They will be quickly wiped out, given that everyone's life is now in the hands of vampires
At this point, the worst case scenario is that only Verdea can save me...
I can't possibly choose the safety of one of my friends...!
What the fuck...!? I have to what...?!
...
"I'll go with you!" A voice gives a decision for everyone
Everyone was listening to him. Especially when I realized that the voice belonged to Verdea who was in my arms right now
The man himself had spoken, making me surprised to not believe
"Don't!"
"That's dangerous, son!"
"Don't throw yourself like that!"
"Verdea...!"
Verdea just lowered her head hearing every spontaneous ban coming out of the mouths of all her friends. His eyes were empty. She cried in fear, but she had already chosen
He chose to be a sacrifice to save the others
"You-you!"
"I'm the one who left, Vain" He said once again
I'm gawking in disbelief. My words that just came out even he cut without hesitation. My body now feels trembling and limp right now
Her... It's impossible to say that. What-what!?
Nah! Don'tdon't. Change your mind, son! Don't show me those eyes! Don't change your life like that!
Don't...!
Don't be like that...!
Look at me and tell me you're lying...!
...
But no matter how hard I tried to convince myself...
Verdea's eyes were determined that he wanted to go into Darwin's hands...
...
...
...
Nak-
'Vain-Oberon! Stop grimacing!'
I was shocked to hear that voice in my head. A telepathy coming in without permission from my side— forced themselves as if this was precarious
But this is precarious. I even almost turned to look at Fyon who gave me the telepathy, as he pretended to be quiet and planted his face on the ground to cover himself from everyone's attention
And he spoke again
'I will be blasting my magic energy in this area in a moment. Just pretend you agree with it and give me time'
!!!
Crazy fellow
'But-'
'I knew I would weaken for a while. But if that guy's already put Ordelia on the ground, I'm sure you and that kid can save her'
That's... No. gabe. That plan might work
Merely, the payday was that Fyon would be crippled by forcing his Mana out simultaneously. But when compared to other elements, black magic is the most dangerous magic in terms of Mana explosions
Then...
--- What if I can't save them both...?
...
'Don't think anymore and do it right away!'
...
"Very..." I said quietly, making my tears that had been held down immediately to cover my intentions
Verdea just nodded. His body still looked limp and his eyes remained empty. I slowly put it on the ground
"Don't Vain!"
"You're crazy!"
"No!"
All my friends tried to warn me. But I kept trying to calm down and live this momentary charade as if I was not willing to either
Darwin just smiled cynically looking at it, slipping a paltry note in the middle
"Come, son" His index finger waved for Verdea to approach immediately
He threw Ordelia not far from where he stood, before then crossing his arms across his chest as if she were a ruler
"Veri-s"
"I've got to Vain. You wouldn't have survived if I hadn't"
...
Sorry son...
This is just the best thing Fyon and I can think of for now. So keep being real
Verdea slowly walked towards him and I just took off her hand grip which slowly moved away. The Vampires that swarmed us opened the way for him while cheering very loudly as Verdea walked past them
All my friends are trying to thrash out to drive Verdea away. Fyon on the other hand, still remained focused with his magic— silently as if he was dead while being held on the ground
Verdea was already facing Darwin, eye to eye. Their height was different that even made Darwin had to bend the neck to see Verdea in front of him
The boy looked furious, with his body still trembling in fear
"Um, vampire lord...?" He also spoke
"Yes?"
"May I take Ordelia there first?"
Darwin looked at Verdea with a look of disdain
"Could only. After all, your friends also no one can move~"
He laughed with the vampires. This time I was really furious, because they really scorned everyone who was by our side right now. Plus, he treated Verdea as if the boy was now his toy
Verdea began to slowly pull Ordelia's still limp hands towards me
But, he could barely bring Ordelia from where she started.Sometimes she fell because of Ordelia's weight, and all the Vampires laughed at her. He would then wake up again and try his hardest to drag Ordelia down, even though he would have to end up falling down again and being laughed at again every time it happened
I can't stand to see that. Between rage and pity, wanting to tear the goddamn vampire apart or immediately take Verdea and Ordelia as far away as possible
'A little more...'
I prepared my tendrils while the vampires were still focused on laughing at Verdea
'A little more...'
I telepathically sent all the trees there to prepare for attack
And just one cue from Fyon...
'.... Now!!'
*DHOME!!!!*
Fyon's Mana Explosion managed to hurt some of the vampires on guard so as to kill a small portion, while his Mana let out a very thick form of smoke, closing the vampires' vision. The puff of smoke slowly grew more and more and covered the entire area around us all
All my friends instantly broke free and killed the vampires who were holding them back, even the surprised Veskal he could defeat a vampire in terms of physical strength
At the same time, I stuck out my hand and caught Ordelia and Verdea from behind the smoke
The trees I commanded were also ferociously searching for all the vampires that were in the smoke, then binding and piercing their hearts. Anyone of the captured and disadvantaged vampires would have vanished if they had stayed inside the black smoke area
I on the other hand, tried to pull Ordelia and Verdea as hard as I could. I could feel that my two tendrils were tying their bodies together, but...
When I pulled them with all my might, one of my tendrils was cut off quickly as I managed to pull the other one and catch the person who was interested in it
When the uncut tendril made it to me, Ordelia appeared and was in my arms, while Verdea was nowhere to be seen
Panicking with it, I placed Ordelia on the ground and called out, "Luna!!", then moved as fast as I could to reach back to where Verdea was with my right hand
I try, I really try. Amongst this fading black smoke, I was hopeful that I would still be able to dispel the vampire before he could take Verdea away
However, the fading smoke around us instantly shattered all my hopes of getting Verdea that had disappeared along with the invading vampires and managed to escape...
All my friends survived, despite minor injuries. But, I immediately turned to and fro while continuing to hope Verdea was still around
Nil. There was not a single sign of her existence and the Vampires were all around me
Nonexistent
...
...
...
I sat on the ground when I realized they were gone. The fact that the child was not around was enough to make my mind crumble
My whole body trembled when I realized my failure to protect my friend. The friend I promised, that I would always be there to protect her. But I wasn't by her side, and I let her be in danger...
...
L'm...
I was the reason he got caught...
"Vainzel's! Where's Verdea?!" Asked Veskal who was slowly approaching towards me
But, when he saw my face that was wide-eyed and resigned, he immediately knew the answer
He growled at me. Spontaneously, he took my collar and slapped me. The slap was enough to make me regain consciousness, though I still couldn't stop shaking while my eyes were forced to focus on him
"It's all your fault! Why did you let her go!? You know that it would endanger him, right?!!" He then shouted
"Vescal stop that! We all know that Vainzel had to make a choice" Luna interjected
"So you don't care about Verdea!?"
"I didn't say that! What was wrong in this incident was the situation and nobody!"
...
"He's right Luna..." I said listlessly
Luna and my friends who could listen instantly gasped
"Vainzel's. This is not the time to blame yourself"
"No. It was my fault. I should've..."
...
What do I really want to say?
If I'd rather save Verdea, Ordelia would be in danger. I should be grateful that I could save a friend of mine, right...?
But...
But...
...
It's too... Scary. This situation only gives me one of 2 options. Both will put one of my friends in danger...
And I let Verdea get caught for my choice. If I choose to go towards Verdea earlier, I'm sure...
Ordelia will also be captured by Darwin. But the tendrils that bind Verdea are cut
Verdea was their target from start to finish. But Ordelia would really have been killed if I hadn't done anything just now. Then I handed Verdea into their hands. And I can't get him back...
L'm... Can't be anything...
I thought, just because I have the strength and experience in fighting, I can do anything
But in fact it's not...
"Hoy! Stop daydreaming! Why are you crying try?!" Veskal yelled
...
Oh, I'm crying...
And somehow, Veskal also grimaced. Either out of frustration, or because he's following me. But anyway, our tears came down from not being able to save Verdea just now
"Vescal, let him go! This is the last warning!"
Luna warned again. The still frustrated Veskal spilled his frustration as long as he could. Throwing from his grasp, so that I sat back on the ground
"... Whatever!" He also called, then just sniffed a huff while nibbling his thumb
Luna immediately approached me, holding both of my shoulders. But unlike Veskal, I didn't look him in the eye at all
"Oberon, wake yourself up. We can still try to find the boy. So we need to gather energy first" Luna said
...
Collecting energy...
He advised me to return to Miralius first and seek help...
"I don't have time for that. I need to find him right away"
"It was a stupid deed! You know Fyon's hurt and we're short on people!"
"What's your advice, huh?! Let the boy have his skull left first while we 'gather strength'?!"
"... If we go to the vampire lair where I'm sure Verdea was taken now, it can only be called suicide"
"No! The boy is my responsibility! And I have to!"
What if he gets hurt by those vampires?
...
"Vaina... Vainzel's..."
"... Ordelia..."
I rubbed my eyes, and immediately greeted Ordelia led by Lyralia into my arms
"Order. You're all right. Thank goodness you're okay..."
There's at least one thing that can calm me down right now
"Vaine..."
Oh, Ordelia----
His hand slowly touched my cheek, so that my tears that flowed immediately he wiped gently so that it disappeared. The warm hands were still there, because it was the only place I could feel comfortable for now...
"If I had been faster-I could have saved you two---!" I grimaced in front of him
And he smiled softly too. His eyes were still limp, as was his body. So he fell down again because he was still unable to sit up straight, so Lyralia and I spontaneously propped him up to lie on the ground
"The vampire named Darwin was absorbing his Mana. She is now in a critical condition, but I can stabilize her body's Mana flow for a while" Lyralia said
"My Mana essence is indeed weak if it is forced to drain like that... Hehe..." Ordelia also continued
"This is not the time for joking-"
"But at least... That's enough for... Lighten the mood..."
...
I can't argue with you at all huh...?
But his breath was breathless and his wound was not yet closed. He still has to rest...
Do I have to choose again, to gather strength or immediately save Verdea...?
Verdean...
Ordellias...
...
...
...
"Vaine..." Ordelia said again
I listened carefully to her sentence, peeping her hand to make sure I was so to her
He was smiling too. He just needs to speak his words
"Get Verdea back... L'm... Please do... For me"
...!
"O-Ordelia!"
...
She's fainted. There was no response I could get from him after that. He fell unconscious, as if he was drawn into a beautiful dream with that smile
And hearing his last sentence before being unconscious, I was stunned...
Until someone else supported my decision
"Ordelia's right, Vain. Get the boy back, so our minds can calm down"
Ivor agrees...
...
Lyralia nodded...
Luna just threw her face away slowly...
Fyon and Luxor just closed their eyes waiting for my decision...
Even Cyth and Black Hunt look ready to follow suit...
On the other side of Veskal...
...
Veskal I don't need to question his decision...
"We don't need a break at all right now. There was a promise to be fulfilled" He even said
...
"Hm... How do you know I promised Verdea something?"
"Last time I saw, I had ears"
That's a good answer...
And I shouldn't be like this...
Ordelia and Ivor are right. Even if we go to gather strength now, we won't be able to calm down one bit. Verdea is our friend, and after all, we are his friend. It would be better if we acted as quickly as possible before it was too late
And compared to Ordelia's situation where she could be killed at any moment, I found one thing...
The vampires. If they wanted to hurt Verdea, they should have killed him right here in front of us
Instead, they took him and kidnapped him. Wh-wh-what for?
They know the consequences if they attack me selflessly like this. But they did it and kidnapped Verdea...
There's a bigger reason behind all this...
...
If we leave now, those vampires won't be able to move far from their lair. Because the sun is starting to rise. The fastest they could move today could only be at sunset
Also, for their punishment for messing around with putting my friend's life at risk...
I have to do it with my own hands. I must remove the people from the main plain of Goeitias. They are unfit to live in an area protected by us Elves
And for the one who can take us quickly to those bastards... I have one in mind now
The necklace that I haven't used since I've been on my trip will finally be useful again
