Chapter 356: Massive Relief
"Think about it." Sigrid’s voice steadied as she spoke. "You came to us seeking peace. You demonstrated your intentions through gifts, through diplomacy, through genuine effort."
"You didn’t act like someone planning to assault an entire continent’s worth of women."
She studied him, her gaze thoughtful.
"Not to mention." She continued. "The elves trust you very much. And elves are not easily fooled."
"They’ve lived for centuries, seen countless deceptions and betrayals. If even they can trust you, then you must be a trustworthy person."
Luca’s eyes shimmered. He hadn’t expected such a logical analysis from someone who had her sword pointed at him a moment ago
Thea paused, a knowing smile playing at the corner of her lips.
"There also the fact...." She added. "You impregnated the entire elf village."
Luca blinked, caught off guard. "I...well, yes, I suppose I did."
"That shows just how much they trust you." Sigrid said. "To bear children with a human, to entrust their bloodline to someone from another world...
"...that’s not something they would do lightly."
Luca felt a surge of pride at her words.
It was true—the elves had trusted him with their bodies, their futures, their children. It was a responsibility he took very seriously.
"And the performance you put on at the festival."
Sigrid continued, a hint of amusement creeping into her voice.
"I was there. I saw you dancing around like a fool, singing songs, making everyone laugh."
"That’s not the behavior of a calculating villain."
"That’s the behavior of someone who genuinely cares about the people around him."
Luca’s face reddened slightly. "I was just trying to lighten the mood."
"Regardless, when me and a few of the elder members of our race pieced everything together, we realized that maybe it had nothing to do with you at all."
She looked at him with a gaze of slight approval.
"Maybe it had something to do with the Goddesses above."
He gasped and couldn’t help but quickly ask,
"Really? Y-You really think I’m not at all fault."
"No. After thinking about it properly, I realised you probably were not to blame and..." She smiled. "...it was just a big misunderstanding."
The moment the words left her mouth, Luca’s face lit up like the sun breaking through clouds.
"Thank...god." He breathed. "THANK FUCKING GOD!"
Sigrid blinked, startled by his sudden enthusiasm.
The other Centaurs also looked surprised, exchanging confused glances.
"Hero?" Sigrid asked cautiously. "Are you...alright?"
"I...I really needed to hear that." He said, his voice thick with emotion.
"I thought for sure that all the races despised me. I thought they blamed me for what happened."
"I’ve been carrying that weight for an entire month, wondering if I would ever be forgiven."
He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a shaky breath.
"But hearing that even you guys have second thoughts and don’t blame me entirely—it’s such a massive burden off my shoulders."
Sigrid watched him, a small smile playing at her lips.
There was something endearing about seeing such a powerful warrior express such genuine relief.
"But." Luca continued, his expression growing wistful. "It would be nice if the other races would also think of you the same way and realize that I wasn’t at fault at all."
Sigrid’s smile widened. "Don’t worry, Hero. Even us centaurs, who aren’t the smartest of the races, could come to this conclusion."
"I’m pretty sure the other races, after thinking about it for quite a while, will realize the truth as well."
Luca looked skeptical. "Really? Because the entire month after the meeting, I got no messages from any of the other races."
"No one asked to come over to the village or invited me anywhere. You all were the first to reach out."
Sigrid considered this before saying, "That’s probably because it’s...awkward for them."
"Awkward?"
She nodded slowly. "Think about it. Even if we know, logically, that you weren’t responsible for those dreams, the experience was still real."
"We still remember being thoroughly ravaged by you. We still remember every detail, every sensation, every..." She trailed off, clearing her throat. "Every moment."
Luca winced. "Yeah, I can see how that would be awkward."
"It’s not something you can easily forget." Sigrid continued. "Even if you know that the person who initiated it wasn’t the one standing in front of you, it still leaves a strange mark on the memory."
Luca nodded slowly. He understood completely.
It was like someone had murdered you in your dreams over and over again.
Even though the actual person never did it in real life, you’d still feel a sense of apprehension towards them.
"But don’t worry. I’m pretty sure they’ll eventually come to their own conclusions and contact you. It just takes time."
"Yeah...I guess that makes sense."
Luca felt a wave of reassurance wash over him.
He had been agonizing over this for so long, wondering if he would ever be accepted by the other races.
But hearing Sigrid’s words, hearing that even the stubborn Centaurs were willing to give him a chance filled him with hope.
"Thank you, Thea." He said sincerely. "You have no idea how much this means to me."
Thea smiled. "It’s nothing, Hero. We’re all in this together, whether we like it or not."
There was a comfortable silence between them for a moment.
But just as everything seemed to make sense, Luca’s mind caught on a discrepancy. He looked sharply at Thea.
"Hold on."
Thea met his gaze.
"If Poppy wasn’t affected by the dreams." Luca said, stepping closer. "Then what does any of this have to do with her?"
He gestured toward the assembled centaurs.
"The moment I arrived, you were all accusing me of harming her. I thought for sure it was because of the dreams—that she took offense, that’s why there’s all this trouble."
"But if she never experienced them..." He spread his hands. "...then why is your commander trying to challenge me to a duel?"
Thea’s expression became even more awkward, if that was possible.
"Well...that’s a separate misunderstanding."
"A separate misunderstanding?"
"Yes. We’re not entirely sure what happened ourselves. We only know what Lady Poppy told us."
"And what did she tell you?"
Thea gestured toward Sigrid. "I think it’s better if the commander explains. She was the one who spoke with Lady Poppy directly."
Luca watched her go back to her position, his mind whirling.
Where exactly had he offended Poppy? Why was she so angry?
The fact that even Thea seemed unsure, that she’d used the word "probably" made the whole situation stranger.
Finally, he turned to Sigrid.
"Alright." He said, his voice firm. "What exactly did I do to your Lady Poppy? What’s this ’big offense’ that requires you to chop me down on the spot?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Poppy’s head snapped up from behind Sigrid.
Her face flushed crimson, and she pointed an accusing finger at Luca.
"Pervert!" She shrieked. "Lecher! Demon! Sex devil! How dare you?! How dare you do that to me!?"
"I didn’t do anything to you!" Luca protested. "I literally just got here!"
"You know what you did!" Poppy’s face was bright red. "Don’t play innocent!"
"I genuinely don’t!"
"LIAR!"
Luca opened his mouth to respond, but Sigrid let out a helpless sigh, cutting him off.
"Lady Poppy." She said gently. "Perhaps it would be best if I explained the situation to the Hero. He seems genuinely confused."
Poppy’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You’re not going to tell him the details, are you? The...The really embarrassing parts?"
"I will be discreet, my lady." Sigrid promised. "I will only tell him what is necessary."
Poppy thought about it for a moment, then nodded reluctantly.
"Fine. But if he laughs, I’m going to poke him with my horn!"
She made a threatening gesture with her forehead, which was about as intimidating as a kitten hissing at a dog.
"I must apologize for the bluntness of our initial message." Sigrid began, her tone formal and quiet. "Lady Poppy was so mortified by the incident that she banned us from putting any details in writing, which is why the summon was so cryptic."
A look of understanding appeared on Luca’s face.
’So that’s why the message was so short. Poppy herself made it that way. She didn’t want anyone else to know what happened.’
"But now that I know you are genuinely clueless...let me explain the encounter that took place between you and our Queen."
"You see, the Queen’s primary responsibility..."
Sigrid began, her tone carrying the weight of centuries of tradition.
"...is to travel across the continent and perform purification rituals in regions plagued by stagnant energy and corrupted mana."
"Wherever the land has been tainted—whether by dark magic, lingering curses, or the aftermath of battle—Her Majesty possesses the divine power to cleanse it completely."
"Oh yeah, my wives already informed me about the purification trips." Luca replied casually.
Sigrid froze. Around her, a ripple of profound awkwardness passed through the gathered centaur sentries.
For a human man to so naturally refer to high elves as his "wives" felt entirely surreal.
In the long history of the continent, the concept of proud elves coupling with a human was practically unthinkable—a notion the isolationist race would usually disdain with absolute disgust.
Yet, the centaurs knew it was the absolute truth.
They had seen the distinct, unmistakable baby bumps on the elven women.
Sigrid shook off her bewilderment, forcing herself to focus.
"Indeed." She continued, her voice regaining its composure. "This is the Queen’s lifelong duty."
"Wherever corruption blooms, Her Majesty will completely dissipate the malevolent forces and restore purity to the land. It is her divine calling, her sacred purpose."
Poppy’s chest swelled with pride at the description, her chin lifting as if to say,
’Yes. I am important. I do important things.’
"Most of the time." Sigrid continued. "We receive requests from various villages."
"They’re usually the first to notice when something is wrong—strange behavior in animals, crops wilting for no reason, that sort of thing."
"When they realize the land is tainted, they send word to the Ivoryhorn Kingdom, and we respond."
She paused, her expression growing heavy.
"And because the Queen travels to these volatile areas, her entire brigade of knights accompanies her."
"We are her shield, her sword, her unwavering protectors....Where she goes, we follow."
Luca listened intently, his eyes scanning the gathered knights. They all stood with the same rigid posture, the same fierce devotion gleaming in their eyes.
It was impressive, in its own way.
"Historically." Sigrid continued. "The male half of the centaur population remains securely within the village perimeter."
"They maintain a defensive guard and ensure absolute domestic security. Meanwhile, the female centaurs take upon ourselves the dangerous task of riding out to shield the Queen."
"Hold on." Luca’s brow furrowed. "The males stay in the village? They never go out to the other villages?"
"That’s correct, Hero."
"But that doesn’t make any sense." Luca scratched his head, genuinely puzzled. "Going out of the village is obviously more dangerous. Monsters roam outside the boundaries, all sorts of threats."
He held up his hands. "I’m not saying you need men to protect you—don’t misunderstand. But why is it always the females who go out? Shouldn’t the males share the responsibility? Share the danger?"
He looked around at the assembled centaurs, his expression genuinely curious.
"It doesn’t seem fair. You go out and face all the hardships while they stay safe in the village."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the group.
The centaurs exchanged glances, their faces unreadable. Some looked at the ground. Others looked at the sky.
A few shifted their weight from one hoof to another, their tails swishing nervously.
Sigrid let out a long breath. "It’s simply how it is, Hero. The males prefer to guard the village. That’s been the tradition for centuries."
Luca’s expression turned grim.
"Doesn’t that mean the female centaurs suffer far higher casualty rates than the males?"
"I mean, let’s be real—guarding the village can’t be that difficult when you have massive ancient barriers established and a permanent rotation of heavily armed guards inside a closed space."
"Nothing is sneaking in there."
The moment the words left his mouth, a visible wave of grief swept through the knights.
Several knights lowered their heads, their expressions turning deeply gloomy, while a few younger centaurs actually had tears well up in their eyes, clearly reminded of fallen mothers, sisters, and companions lost to the perils of the wild.
Even Sigrid, who usually stood as a pillar of unflinching military discipline, suffered a rare flash of profound sadness in her eyes.
A brief, vulnerable crack in her armor that made Luca wonder just who she had personally lost to the wilderness.
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