It was almost dawn when the sounds of battle subsided. Harlan, Jayce and Malborne were already back from the other side of the Fortress, the enemies they faced off retreated when the sounds of crumbling walls made by the Spirit King reached their ears.
Aside from a few wounds and scratches, there's nothing life-threatening.
Upon seeing her father, Jayna became a little child as she jumped onto his arms but only for a moment. When she realized we're looking at her, she controlled herself and stepped away from her father.
"Ember. I heard about your mission. You didn't let my little girl suffer, did you?"
Jayce turned to me as he started his doting father act.
He still kept his way of calling me Ember even if I already told him my name. I guess it's because it's easier to pronounce for him but if he continued, then Ember would stop being a legend.
"Father! Do I look like I suffered?"
Jayna ran in front of me to block her father's questions. She stretched her arms wide as she did a 360 spin to show that there's nothing wrong with her.
After her embarrassment was dispersed, though she's still a bit upset, she started looking at me properly again.
Ah. But the thing she was curious about was still unknown.
"Of course not, my little girl is still this enchanting after all."
With a big smile on his face, Jayce answered her. Even with her pranking habits, his doting to her never decreased.
"Then why are you asking him?"
I think I know why. It's still that, right?
"You know why, Jayna."
Err... He's still hung up on that competition and the question he asked me. I think he's more troublesome than the Spirit King.
"Ugh. Go away, old man!"
Jayna turned around and pulled me away from her father. Afraid that if I stay, he will really bring that up again. However, she didn't see how her father smiled at this scene.
After a while, Yumiko atop the Spirit King could be seen flying towards our location. Really, she shouldn't be called a Priestess but a Dragon Rider. Only she was brave enough to stand atop the strongest existence in this world.
From a distance, they looked like they had just taken a stroll. Unlike the three Noble Spirits, there's no visible wounds or scratches on them. Even Yumiko's revealing shrine maiden outfit stays the same.
"Uncle Harlan."
Yumiko called out to him and smiled.
I tried guessing at which time did she ask for Harlan's help but then I recalled the communication equipment which the twins used.
Through Harlan, she managed to enlist two more Noble Spirits to aid in our rescue. Jayce is a given but for Malborne to be the 3rd one, he probably couldn't find someone else to invite or he has another motive.
"Yumiko."
Harlan smiled back at her like seeing a daughter. Out of the three Noble Spirits, he's the one with the most injuries. There were stab wounds all around his body but they're all shallow.
I wonder what's the state of that Leandro who was chasing after us?
"Oh? A member of the Council? What are you here for?"
The Spirit King, Ezyn, commented when he saw Harlan.
"Be quiet, old thing. You already met him, have you forgotten already?"
And dropping her daughter behaviour, Yumiko scolded the Spirit King again. This kind of scene. If told to anyone in the city, they wouldn't believe it.
"The Spirit King!"
Malborne exclaimed as he almost pulled out his weapon, totally ignoring the way Yumiko talked to him.
As a Garrison Commander, he's the one most exposed to the attacks of the Spirit Beasts, no wonder he'll be this alert.
"Don't worry, Malborne. Remember, we have signed a treaty between The Council of Twenty and The Spirit King."
Harlan reminded Malborne.
Any Noble Spirit level Spiritas or Spirit Beasts aren't allowed to join any war except when they're defending.
Of course, if the enemy is the Dark Elves, they're allowed to go all out, to annihilate the Invading Forces
"Uncle Harlan, after this, we'll be going to the Spirit Beast Capital."
Yumiko could say that to Harlan through the communication device but she probably chose to say it here for Malborne to hear.
"Wait, Priestess! Why are you going there? It's dangerous!"
As I thought, maybe Harlan and Jayce were already in the know about Yumiko's relationship with the Spirit Beasts but most of the other Noble Spirits or members of the Council of Twenty didn't know about that.
They only knew that with her help as an intermediary, they got that treaty.
Is Harlan trying to pull Malborne into his faction?
Ah. Politics. Even here, eh?
"Malborne. If it's Yumiko, they won't have any problems and it seems it's the Spirit King himself who invited them.".
Harlan explained to Malborne, specifically.
Then I saw him pulling him to a corner to explain it further to him.
I saw Yumiko shaking her head at that scene before she and the Spirit King turned towards us.
It's probably another Harlan's favor.
"It's over. However, those upper ranked Dark Elves managed to retreat."
Yumiko told us what happened during the last hours of battle.
Even if the Spirit Beasts were already in a huge advantage, the fortress which was designed to accommodate the natural shut-ins helped the Dark Elves to fight back.
Some of them will suddenly vanish in the dark by using the shadows to obscure themselves, they could then kill those who they marked.
If not for the intervention of Yumiko, lightening up the fortress, more Spirit Beasts would probably have fallen under the elusive Dark Elves.
About those 4-leaf Dark Elves, the two Peak 4-leaf worked together to defend against the Spirit King. Even though they're much weaker than him, experts at their level all have some sorts of trump card.
Too bad for the guy I killed though, he didn't manage to show anything. When it comes to being elusive and obscure, nothing can beat the Orb of Concealment.
In the end, with the fortress destroyed and the breach closed, the Dark Elves totally lost this battle.
If the breach is important to them, why did they only send two Peak 4-leaf Dark Elves? Are they that short on personnel now?
Now, in a night-long battle, not only they lost the fortress and the breach, but they also lost three 4-leaf Dark Elves and numerous Dark Elves below 4-leaf.
Apart from the two which Yumiko and I killed, another one died when he was ganged up by 20 Transformed Spirit Beasts.
Retreating with only who they can take, the others left behind were not spared.
Leaving the aftermath to his subordinates to deal with, the Spirit King came with Yumiko because he wanted to travel with us back to his territory for our supposed visit.
He could simply fly back and he'll arrive in no time but no, he chose to ride with us while maintaining his Humanoid Form.
I wonder if he's just looking to be abused by Yumiko's words.
Before the sun rose, Harlan and the other two Noble Spirits bid us farewell. Though there's still some indignation on Malborne's face, he didn't voice it out anymore.
Jayce on the other hand called out to me and reminded me to take care of Jayna. That guy is already treating me as his son-in-law at his own convenience.
Even if I retorted, he'll just put on a smile before laughing heartily.
"Don't mind him, Daisuke. He's getting delusional because he can't stop me from going with Yumiko."
Jayna appeared behind me after Jayce and the others flew back to where they came from.
"He seems serious about it though."
Maybe being a Noble Spirit, he already started suspecting that the Dark Elves they're facing right now will not be the end to it so he's trying to secure his daughter's future.
With me being from the same world as the invincible Priestess, he's probably betting on the possibility that I will reach the same level as her.
"Uhm. There are still 10 years before my ideal age so…"
With a low voice, she reminded me of her age. She's only 20 while the ideal age is 30 years so it's really early to talk about it, timewise.
"Ah. I understand, there's a lot more you can do within 10 years, maybe you'll find your destined spirit-pair during it as well."
The Principal predicted that it will only take 2 years before the portal widened to allow those Higher Beings like the Smoke Giant. But with my existence, it will probably be shorter than that. By then, the state of each world will not be this relaxed. Thinking about this kind of thing will be put behind everyone's mind.
"T-that's not what I meant! I just honestly didn't think about that thing until he brought it up."
Jayna stuttered as she tried to explain something even she couldn't be sure of.
"Then you can continue as you are. You're adorable like that, Jayna. Especially when your curiosity took over."
Hearing my words, her facial color was once again tinted red before she turned her back to me and stomped her way back to the carriage.
I'm getting fond of her, that's for sure. Jayna being like this is kind of helping me not to be put in the same situation with the Barbarian girls, Erin and Avelin, where I have to put up the 2 years ultimatum to calm them down.
Yuko was accepting and there's that unexplainable thing that was leading me to them. When it comes down to it, my fondness towards them will still prevail. I knew that being indecisive wouldn't help so I am this honest with her.
"Daisuke, don't tease Jayna too much, okay? Come up now, we're going."
Yumiko shouted at me from the carriage. She probably saw Jayna's state and attributed it to me, being the one that was just with her.
I'm not teasing her though. I only honestly told her what's on my mind.
Ah. Let's stop thinking about it for now.
With the Spirit Beast Capital as our new destination, I'll support both the Hero and the main character if there's really a good fortune to be acquired there.
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