Xia De smiled as he looked at the wary Hilia and greeted her.
Then, as if remembering something, he retrieved an emerald-green longsword from his storage space and said,
“This is yours, right? I kept it safe for you. You should clean yourself up first. The village chief is hosting a banquet tonight and invited us to join.”
With that, Xia De gently placed the emerald-green sword in front of Hilia, turned around, and walked out of the room, politely closing the door behind him.
Hilia stared at the door, her mind completely blank.
She must have slept too comfortably. Her messy hair clung to her dirt-smudged face, and a thin trail of drool was slowly dripping from the corner of her mouth.
Blinking, she tilted her head in confusion and let out a cute squeak.
“Huh?”
...
“My dear fellow villagers! Today, we gather here in celebration to honor our great hero, Lord Xia De!
Do not doubt his bravery, for I shall explain his greatness to you in detail!
...”
A massive bonfire crackled with bright yellow flames, casting a warm, glowing hue over the entire village.
Standing beside it, the short old village chief raised a mug of ale, loudly recounting the village's sacred mission to the surrounding villagers.
His voice was filled with the joy of liberation. His hunched back seemed straighter than usual, making him appear a bit taller than before.
Surrounding the old village chief, the villagers' expressions shifted constantly as they listened to the truth.
Their faces flushed with excitement upon hearing they were descendants of the legendary guardians, turned indignant when they learned of the heavy fate they had carried, and finally, filled with deep gratitude, they all turned their gaze toward Xia De when they heard he had helped them break free from that destiny.
“Therefore, tonight, to honor Lord Xia De and to celebrate our liberation from fate, we rejoice!”
The village chief raised his cup high, and the surrounding villagers erupted into a thunderous cheer.
“Hooray!!!”
“Xia De! Xia De! Xia De!”
Xia De accepted their gratitude awkwardly. Seizing a moment when the chief was speaking, he slipped away into an unnoticed corner.
He watched the villagers singing and dancing around the bonfire, a soft smile gracing his face.
However, his lips twitched slightly as he complained silently in his heart.
This really feels like an isekai world. Even a short speech can be delivered with such rhythm and dramatic flair.
Hey, hey, hey! You over there, elf! Don't just naturally blend in to drink and cheer!
You're not even from this village! What does their liberation from fate have to do with you?
“Xia De! Xia De! Xia De!”
Hilia raised her cup high. By now, she had cleaned herself up, washing away all the blood and grime from her face.
Once again, her exquisite features were on display, and her pale golden hair shimmered beautifully under the warm glow of the fire.
Elves naturally loved singing and dancing, and they especially adored festivals—especially when the one being honored was her... partner!
She mingled with the crowd, cheering along with the villagers.
Then, noticing Xia De sitting alone in a corner watching her join in the fun, she carried her cup over and sat down beside him.
“What's wrong? Why aren't you joining the fun?”
Seeing Hilia sit beside him, Xia De propped his cheek on his hand and rolled his eyes at her.
Hilia raised her cup and gulped down a large mouthful of ale, letting out a satisfied sigh.
“Aah—!”
A rosy flush spread across her cheeks, and a hint of tipsiness flickered in her beautiful emerald eyes.
She extended a slender, pale finger, lightly tapping Xia De's chest as she giggled.
“Hehe, cheering in the crowd isn't nearly as fun as teasing the guest of honor himself!”
Haha, haha.
Looking at Hilia's tipsy state and her breathtaking face, Xia De scratched his head, letting out a couple of helpless, awkward chuckles, not knowing what to say.
Naturally, he shifted his gaze, and with it, the topic of their conversation.
“Did you find out the identity and goal of those men in black?”
Hilia pouted slightly in dissatisfaction. Keeping her legs together, she leaned forward, resting her upper body against her smooth, fair thighs. Swirling her cup, she said rather dully:
“Those guys belong to the Demon God Cult. They believed some ancient scriptures of their cult and wanted to release that legendary evil dragon. They went through all kinds of trouble to gather the key, only to find out it was a teleportation key, not a sealing key.”
At this point, Hilia's eyes curved into crescent moons as she burst into bell-like laughter.
Xia De, however, spoke solemnly.
“The Demon God Cult... those are the people who worship the demon race that you mentioned before.
A secret scripture, huh?
Since they have secret scriptures, it's highly unlikely that rescuing Plutosas was their only operation. There might be similar activities happening in other places.
In the worst-case scenario, other demonic forces of Plutosas's caliber might have already been rescued. We cannot afford to let our guard down yet.”
Hearing that similar events might be occurring elsewhere, the tipsiness vanished from Hilia's eyes, replaced by seriousness.
“Actually, I plan to return to the elven territory soon.”
“The elves?”
Hilia nodded, a trace of worry clouding her brow.
“I learned from the person I fought that someone among the elves has become a Bishop of the Demon God Cult.
You must know that elves and the demon race have always been as incompatible as fire and water. For an elf to become a Bishop, there must be a conspiracy behind it. I have to go back and investigate.
For the sake of my people.
Although most of my memories of that place are unpleasant, I am still the princess of the elven race. This is my responsibility.”
A deep look of determination was etched on Hilia's face.
Princess?!
Xia De looked at Hilia in surprise. Although he had long suspected her identity was not simple, he never expected her to be an elven princess.
The elf I rescued on a whim is actually a princess? Am I really the protagonist?
Xia De's imagination ran wild, and his lips unconsciously curled upward.
Then, a massive wooden mug entered his field of vision. It was Hilia's.
Her face flushed with alcohol, she teased him with a playful look:
“I see you haven't had a single drop. Want a cup? It's delicious! And this mug of mine was specially crafted by someone using materials I gathered myself. It actually enhances the flavor and aroma of the alcohol! Want to try?”
With a blank expression, Xia De gently pushed the drunken elf's mug away with his right hand and said quietly,
“No, thank you. I'm not even fifteen yet. I'm a minor; I can't drink.”
The moment those words left his mouth, the hand holding the mug froze. Hilia completely petrified on the spot.
She stared at Xia De in utter shock. Looking at his handsome face and his height, which easily cleared 1.8 meters, she felt as if her jaw was about to hit the ground.
“Y-Y-You... You're still a minor?!!!”
The mug slipped from her hand, clattering to the ground and spilling ale everywhere.
Hilia's hands flailed wildly in the air as she stared at Xia De, completely incoherent.
Xia De nodded calmly.
Receiving his confirmation, Hilia turned ash-gray, her expression turning utterly desolate.
I thought he was around my age! I can't believe he's only fourteen!
Recalling all her previous immature behavior, she felt an even deeper wave of despair.
My image is completely ruined!!!
I'm a twenty-year-old, yet I'm not even as mature as a kid! And I even got a nosebleed because I was attracted to him!!!
She covered her burning cheeks with both hands in sheer embarrassment, letting out a silent, soul-stirring cry in her heart.
Nooooo!!!!
Rate on N.U.
