Chapter 189: Aira And Lilith
They knew each other quite closely,
even bearing a mark on his left hand as proof.
As Ray nodded, Lilith asked with curiosity,
Really? Whats your relationship?
Parent and child? Or is it a relationship of unspoken affection?
She leaned in closer, and Ray pushed her face away, deep in thought.
Well, what kind of relationship is it?
Nothing specific came to mind.
Were just friends for now.
Ho Just for now?
She was curious about the suspicious modifier but soon let it go.
Well, lets leave that matter.
Lilith gazed out the window, savoring her tea,
yet her gaze wasnt truly on the outside view.
It was as if she was looking at something far away.
She seemed to have many questions about her, but she forcibly held them back.
Now it was Rays turn to inquire.
Whats your relationship with Aira, then?
Her distant gaze returned to Ray.
She playfully pondered, then declared,
Hmm I wonder Natural enemy? Archenemy? Fierce rival? Nemesis?
None of these relationships sounded pleasant.
Had Aira beaten her up?
Her playful smile briefly turned awkward.
Or maybe an old friend.
Old friend?
Its a story from the past.
It was surely a part of her past he was unaware of.
As far as he knew, Aira had no acquaintances.
Otherwise, the 20 years she spent immobilized would have looked much different.
If someone she knew had visited her, the pressure sores on her back wouldnt have been so severe.
Sensing his curiosity, Lilith murmured,
Do you want to hear about it?
It seemed more like she wanted to talk about things that had accumulated over time rather than share them with him.
Ray was indeed curious.
As he nodded, Lilith stroked her teacup and continued her story.
It hasnt been long since our habitat moved to the empire, about four hundred years ago Back then, Aira and I lived in the same village.
Are you referring to the Silia Kingdom?
Yes, exactly. Well, its the mountain range within it.
It must be the village where Aira currently resides.
Wyverns in the same vicinity.
Though they enjoy nature, the notion of harmony between monsters and various races seems far-fetched.
Sensing his thoughts, Lilith chuckled and remarked,
Its surprising, isnt it? But as neighbors, getting close was inevitable. Unlike dwarves and elves, we dont harbor ill feelings toward each other.
Simply seeing each other regularly meant that friendship was bound to develop over time.
Liliths tale went on.
As leaders of our peoples, I often encountered Aira. We talked and shared our stories Finding someone with a kindred spirit, I let down my guard before I knew it.
While sipping her tea, Liliths face took on a somber look.
The problem was just that. We had grown too close, more than was necessary.
We had grown complacent.
As Ray spoke, Lilith regarded him with an unusual expression and nodded.
Yes.
She reflected on those times.
Everything became chaotic. Our people, our places and each of our hearts.
As a lord, I realized it wasnt right. Without progress, we would only regress. If we continued like this, wed bask in this blissful peace, becoming complacent both physically and mentally, losing all alertness.
Working together to confront a looming crisis.
It implied that such a peaceful environment was detrimental to both races.
She remarked with self-deprecation,
Just as you mentioned, not long after, human slave traders took advantage of our negligence and abducted the elves. It was an unprecedented event.
Ray exhaled deeply as he listened.
It must have been a pivotal incident.
Considering its Airas village.
An atrocity such as kidnapping, occurring there, couldnt have been ignored.
Whatever transpired must have been grave.
The elves were retrieved, but there was no guarantee such incidents wouldnt happen again. Just protecting each other would never enable us to stand on our own.
Her words rang true.
Peace wasnt always good.
Having lived surrounded by a sense of crisis, finding a pillar of support in each other was a huge temptation.
They were so deeply entwined that it was hard to separate.
Lilith paused, then spoke,
Thats why Aira and I made a promise. If we cant be family, well be enemies. Thats whats best for both our races.
She scratched her nose and forced a smile.
The beautiful memories ended there. Its just an old story from the past.
Trying not to show her regret, Ray smiled back.
Thats an interesting story.
Im glad you find it interesting.
If I meet her, Ill send your regards.
Haha. No. We ended things back then. Im curious, but its over.
With a light laugh, Lilith shook her head.
Without a sense of tension, even the wildness of bison fades away.
For the elves and Wyverns, categorized as monsters, such factors were crucial.
Both lost in their thoughts, they quietly savored their tea for a while.
Although the imperial power struggles had subsided, they werent completely gone.
Despite being under house arrest, the future of power remained uncertain.
Hence, there was a need for prior preparations.
Especially since these people were ready to kill their siblings for the emperors position.
They had no intention of stopping the fight easily.
In a luxurious room, the first princess bit her nails, pondering,
Who knew one monstrous man from the Holy Kingdom would cause such a mess
The power dynamics were quite favorable for the first prince.
If this continued, it was evident he would become the emperor.
But she was a person from the princes faction.
So, before the first prince caught on, she had been secretly unraveling his schemes, and thats when things started to unravel.
At first, they didnt take the Saint seriously, but then he turned the imperial court upside down.
The third princess, otherwise useless, hired an assassin to kill the Saint, while the fifth prince went so far as to murder the fourth prince.
As a result, everyone except this princess was placed under house arrest for three years.
Now she could not move freely as she wanted.
But that did not mean she was completely powerless.
Though under house arrest, she remained the imperial courts first princess.
With her significant power, she could even mobilize a certain number of soldiers.
She did not wish for war, but she was capable of working beneath the surface.
She was currently bribing and persuading the nobles.
It was the perfect time to act, as the first princes faction was inactive.
The amount she had spent on the nobles was, with a bit of exaggeration, comparable to the military funds of some kingdoms. If they had any conscience, they would start to act soon.
Regardless of the outcome, as long as the Saint was driven out of the empire, she could finally act as she pleased.
Her cheeks flushed as she envisioned a future with the fifth prince.
After descending from the Wyverns mountain range, he participated in the last tournament.
Using the Cancel technique repeatedly, no mage could stop him.
It was an easy victory.
The same held true for the swordsmanship contest.
With an aura around his sword, he ferociously pursued his opponents, making them yield without a fight.
The swordsman he had been watching, an Aura Beginner, had apparently been eliminated earlier.
Although he did receive a prize, the other participants in Rays group looked displeased.
Understandably so, as it was a victory without effort.
The prize was a thousand gold coins and the right to attend junior knight classes at the imperial court.
Many would be satisfied with that, but Ray was different.
Even if the knights taught him one-on-one, their skills would likely improve more than his.
Reading books would be a better use of his time.
As Ray stepped down from the podium, the Emperors smile was broad.
Did you enjoy the ceremonial contest?
Ray replied sarcastically,
Enjoy? It was a complete farce. And this is the prize? Its barely enough for one meal.
That was an exaggeration, unless one dined with pure gold utensils.
The Emperor, used to Rays manner of speaking, chuckled heartily.
Hahaha. Then, why not extend your stay in the empire? Ill have my daughter accompany you.
Ray understood the Emperors intentions.
His answer was less than enthusiastic.
No, thanks. Princess Celia and I would both prefer to read books.
Hmm. If the Saint insists
As the Emperor seemed ready to relent, Ray let his shoulders droop and said,
Everythings resolved. I suppose its time to depart.
The Emperor felt a surge of panic.
He had to keep the Saint longer, but letting him go so readily felt like a wife bidding her husband farewell without a care.
You are free to choose, Saint Im not heartless. I simply wish to thank the one who saved my life. Please dont decline.
In the end, he resorted to his final ploy.
A trade of dignity for a favor.
Declining would not be easy for the Saint.
And indeed, Ray was put in a tough spot.
I suppose Ill have to stay another week
To continually reject the offer would insult the Emperors dignity, a grave violation of noble customs.
Unless the other was of lesser status, but the Emperors rank was high enough to make the situation delicate.
At last, Ray exhaled a deep sigh.
Sigh Just one week, then.
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