“What if I weren’t human? What would you do then?” Midir suddenly asked out of the blue.
“Huh? Stop joking. You’re definitely human—at least I can tell that much. Besides, if you aren’t human, what else could you be?” Aila was momentarily stunned by Midir’s sudden question, but she immediately dismissed the idea.
“Is that so... It seems you don’t really like mentioning your family? Is there some kind of problem?” Having been firmly rebuffed, Midir didn’t intend to push the subject further and instead changed the topic.
“Indeed. Did you notice? But honestly, there’s nothing wrong with my family. Everyone is great. It’s just... maybe I’ve just been putting too much pressure on myself.”
“Don’t let my usual boisterous attitude fool you. I’m actually quite sensitive. I’m a girl who knows how to read the room, you know.”
“I suppose it doesn’t matter if I tell you. Because my family is full of powerful figures, I’ve been held to high expectations since I was a child. Everyone hopes I can become someone who surpasses them. But how can anyone be certain about something like that?”
“Most people in the human world keep their distance from me because of my status, and among the elves, I’m just an outsider with impure blood. Despite how I act, I don’t actually have many real friends.”
“Moreover, after experiencing more people and things, I can vaguely sense where my own limits lie... I expect it will be very difficult for me to break through to the Saint-level in this lifetime.”
“Expecting me to surpass my father and the others is probably a lost cause. Sigh, everyone will probably be very disappointed if that happens, won’t they? I actually quite envy you. You’re all alone with no family to worry about. Compared to me, you really are carefree.”
This was the first time Midir and Aila had discussed such topics. Listening to her words—which sounded absentminded yet were clearly heartfelt—Midir couldn't help but feel a sense of resonance. He began to better understand Aila's inner feelings and struggles.
Born into a prominent family, Aila harbored an infinite longing for power deep within her heart, desiring to go further and further on the path of becoming stronger. However, this desire was often entangled with her inescapable background, forming an invisible shackle.
Though she always presented a carefree and unrestrained side to the world, she actually carried immense pressure and restraint within her. This weight usually only surfaced quietly in the dead of night.
“Then you might as well think about it less. Everyone has their own way of living, don’t they? Not being bound by the opinions of others is what’s most important, right? Do you think what I’m saying makes sense?”
At this moment, Midir spoke like a seasoned elder, chatting with the girl behind him sentence by sentence. Every word he spoke seemed to reveal a deep understanding and insight into the world.
“Not being swayed by the opinions of others? That does make some sense. Tsk! I knew it—I always felt you had this 'old man' vibe about you. Do you have any idea how much this kind of talk makes you seem old?”
“Old? I’m already older than you, aren’t I? But since you have elven blood... I’ve never actually asked your specific age. Could it be that you’re already a hundred-year-old lady?”
“Get lost! I’m not even twenty yet! You’re the old man!”
“Then it seems I am indeed older. But come to think of it, I don’t even know how old I am...”
...
The two of them sat back-to-back like that, chatting casually. The topics jumped around, sometimes light and sometimes deep.
As time quietly slipped away, Aila’s voice gradually became low and weak until it vanished entirely.
When Midir came to his senses, he realized she was already leaning quietly against his back, fallen into a deep slumber. Her breathing was steady and even, as if the entire world had grown quiet along with her.
Feeling the steady rhythm of her breath against his back, Midir didn’t speak again. After gently adding a handful of dry wood to the campfire before him, he remained still, continuing to silently watch the distant starry sky.
It wasn't until the first light of morning gently graced the earth that Aila slowly woke from her dream. Realizing she had spent the entire night leaning against Midir’s back, she couldn't help but feel a flash of shyness and embarrassment.
She quickly stood up, trying to hide her internal fluster with light movements, yet her cheeks involuntarily flushed a soft red.
Midir, for his part, didn’t feel much of anything. Seeing that she had woken up, he pulled various ingredients and utensils from his storage space and began preparing breakfast for the new day.
Before long, a pot of steaming, bubbling meat porridge used its enticing aroma to pierce through the morning silence like magic, gently waking Blake and Rosal from their dreams.
The two looked at Midir, who was focused on controlling the heat, and their stomachs growled in unison.
“Maybe... Mr. Midir is a Grand Archmage of Gastronomy!” Rosal thought silently to herself.
After breakfast, the group finished washing up. Blake took a map out of his backpack and studied their direction and general route with Midir.
Meanwhile, Aila took Rosal and mounted Kiteclaw, intending to scout the surrounding area for any abnormalities—though this was strictly limited to outside the city.
From the air, they could also check when the reinforcement unit would arrive. After all, according to the timeline, the reinforcements should have met up with the small team they left behind last night if everything went smoothly.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Midir. I slept too soundly last night and left you to keep watch for us all alone,” Blake said with an apologetic expression, sincerely bowing to Midir.
“It’s fine. Sleeping or not doesn't really affect me much. How is the injury on your leg? It should be okay now, right?” Midir waved his hand to show he was fine and looked at Blake’s calf, which had been injured yesterday.
Reassuringly, after using the light element to dispel the black aura from the wound, the bright red burn on Blake’s leg—which had been corroded by the dark energy—had significantly improved after a night’s rest. Most of the injury had healed, leaving only a faint scar at the center.
“It’s good that light magic is effective. By the way, Blake, what is this Church of Light that Aila mentioned yesterday?” Midir suddenly remembered the unfamiliar term Aila had used and looked up to ask.
“The Church of Light? That’s a religion that worships the God of Light. As for its history, it can be traced back to the ancient era... The Age of Gods ended ten thousand years ago; you should know that, right?”
After receiving Midir’s nod of affirmation, Blake continued.
“After the curtain fell on the Age of Gods, besides the God of Nature worshipped by the elven race and the God of the Earth worshipped by the dwarven race, only the followers of the God of Light have continued to carry on His teachings and spirit to this day. Humans generally don’t hold faith in any other deities.”
“The Church of Light is a religious group made up of light magic users. Although the number of core members isn't large, their strength is not to be underestimated. Because they frequently use light magic to heal and restore the public, many people believe they are still favored by the God of Light. The Light Heal and Exorcism that Miss Aila mentioned yesterday are their signature skills.”
“Essentially, every major human city has a cathedral built by them. Even Jade City is under their direct jurisdiction. However, they don't seem keen on large-scale proselytizing, so it’s normal that you aren't very familiar with them.”
“So that means there are people from the church in your Azure Fortress too? Does that mean we can ask them for help in dealing with the current magic calamities? After all, I only know a little about healing magic. If there are large-scale casualties, I won't be able to handle it,” Midir asked after pondering Blake’s description for a moment.
“That shouldn't be a problem. They usually provide simple treatment for all kinds of people anyway. I just don’t know how many of their Priests are in the fortress right now. I can mention it when I contact my father and the others later.”
“That’s good. But come to think of it, if that black aura on your wounds can be dispersed by light magic, does that mean light magic can also be used to attack them directly? I can try that out later. I felt yesterday that ordinary elemental magic didn't seem particularly effective against those monsters. I only managed by relying on sheer quality and quantity. For lower-ranked mages, their attacks might not go so smoothly.”
At this point, Midir, having come up with a new plan, even considered going down into Juna to search for any stragglers to use as experimental subjects.
However, after some thought, he abandoned the idea. The giant cockroaches encountered last night were only a threat because of their numbers; their individual strength was negligible to him. To truly test his theory, he would need something the size of the black giant lizard he had first encountered to see any real results.
Rate on N.U.
