Chapter 31: Saints And Saintesses (3)
Iriel scowled at the sporadic sounds that reached her ears.
It wasnt due to the distasteful tales about her.
It was because of their foolishness in failing to foresee such simple things.
Regardless of how young the lower division was, it was a unit that had selected promising youths from the Holy Kingdom.
They possessed strength, but their thought processes didnt even align with hers.
As she crossed her arms and shook her head, she surveyed the area and spoke as the monsters seemed mostly eliminated.
We cant rest here now. Lets find another place.
Her words implied they would have to relocate again, and the weary group was understandably irritated.
In essence, the saint was exasperated by their foolishness, and they were frustrated by the saints actions.
In this mutually irritating situation, progress was slow.
Because they were sluggish, she assumed it would take even more time, which further fueled her anger.
She sighed and raised her right hand.
At that moment, a brilliant light emanated from Iriel, brightening the surroundings.
Some feared that the light would draw monsters again, but the clergy remained silent, so they stayed quiet.
After all, they werent idiots.
This light was created with divine power, so there was no concern about attracting monsters, which allowed them to use it recklessly.
If it had been a light produced with magic, it would have easily attracted monsters familiar with mana.
Divine power swirled around Iriel, just as it had before.
People around the saint felt their afterimages and fatigue vanish instantly, basking in the fullness of divine power.
Thanks to that, they were able to move more swiftly.
It was as if they were in the condition they would be after a good rest in the Holy Kingdom.
Iriel considered marching continuously without sleep, but she quickly dismissed the idea.
Physical and mental fatigue are distinct.
Mental fatigue cannot be alleviated with divine power.
They had no alternative but to sleep outdoors.
Deciding to sleep outside, Iriel gazed at the elf village, where the saint resided, for a while.
Due to the lack of suitable places to sleep in the high terrain, the group of saints had no option but to settle on a small hill.
The upper division formed a perimeter around the hill, with the lower division on the outside, safeguarding the saint.
In this manner, even if monsters launched a sudden attack, the saint would remain unharmed.
Iriel sighed as she observed the lower division preparing a sleeping area by erecting tents.
We wont make it by tomorrow morning at this pace.
Even if they woke up early and started at dawn, if they couldnt reach by morning, it would be more beneficial to let them rest.
It would only cause trouble if they arrived at the elf village in a state of exhaustion.
Her sleeping quarters were quite luxurious for a tent.
After all, it wasnt constructed by the lower division, but by the upper division where she would rest.
While sleeping outdoors, she had a fine silk tent and a leveled ground floor with soft cotton spread out, and heated stones embedded in the ground.
It could be said that it was more comfortable than the beds in most inns.
As she observed them busily preparing, an elderly man in an elaborate outfit entered.
He was a high-ranking clergyman in the upper division, with orange thread embroidered on his shoulder.
Iriel glanced at him and then returned her attention to enjoying her tea.
The clergyman bowed to her.
The preparations for our stay are nearly complete. We should reach the elf village by tomorrow.
Despite the clergymans courteous daily report, Iriel merely nodded once.
She opened her eyes that she had closed while savoring the tea and set down the teacup.
Thud-
Due to the silence in the tent, the sound of the teacup being placed down echoed loudly.
No matter how grand the scale is, the pace is too slow.
Under Iriels unspoken pressure, the priest began to sweat nervously.
There were so many monsters in the mountain range that it was a bit slower to move forward. However, I could say that this speed was quite fast enough.
I would have been faster if I had gone alone.
Unable to come up with a retort, the priest simply bowed his head.
To be honest, it wasnt that he had nothing to say, but the person he was dealing with was a Saintess.
Whatever he said wouldnt change the situation, and he might have even needed to worry about his own neck.
Thus, he naturally sealed his lips.
The priest still wanted to live.
Seeing him like this, Iriel spoke.
Tell them to rest sufficiently from now on. Today was tough, so lets start a bit more leisurely tomorrow.
Arriving by morning was out of the question anyway.
To obtain the best effects, it was necessary to let them rest.
Depending on how much they were exhausted and returned, his position could change.
If everyone perished and returned, even he would be shaken.
He needed to save at least one more person and send them back.
The priest bowed his head and replied.
Understood.
As he spoke, his eyes subtly gleamed, as if he wanted something.
Iriel shot a small light at the priest.
The pure golden light flew straight into the priests body and was absorbed.
Ah
His body shuddered greatly under the pure divine power, and even pleasure was mixed in his moan.
The divine power Iriel shot lost its light soon and gradually disappeared.
It was unclear whether the priest was smiling or frowning as he continuously clutched his chest.
Annoying every single night.
She felt irritation at the sight of the priest requesting for the recovery of divine power once a day.
Furthermore, he would tremble in ecstasy and even moan after receiving the divine power, which was not pleasing to watch.
With just a turn of her head, Iriel expressed her mood and spoke to the recovering priest.
Then, please return.
Ah yes
As though under a spell, he lowered his head and headed towards his quarters. Iriel watched him until he vanished from sight, only then allowing herself to relax.
The elven festival was truly a sight to behold.
Ray, who had wondered if there would be any food at the feast that didnt harm nature, found himself having to drastically revise his assumptions.
The elves had created their own unique cuisine.
They ground aromatic fallen leaves into tea and stewed mushrooms that sprouted from trees.
Furthermore, the taste was surprisingly good, even though it was unclear what kind of spices they used.
Rather, it was a flavor one could lose oneself in.
The elves approached Ray, who was enthusiastically consuming the food, and greeted him.
Busy with his meal, Ray responded to their greetings with a nod.
A middle-aged elf approached Ray.
I thought you were just a simple human assistant, but youre quite important. Hahaha.
Thud- Thump-
He said, patting Rays back forcefully.
Was he trying to make Ray regurgitate all the food he had eaten? Ray coughed and barely managed to swallow the food that was on the verge of coming back up.
Cough! Cough!
There was no question about it. This middle-aged elf was undoubtedly the assassin sent from the kingdom.
However, no elf paid any attention to his painful struggle, as he clutched his throat.
They all watched with amusement.
It was as though the elf, who had slapped his back as if it were his parents enemy, vanished with a hearty laugh.
Ah, I thought I was going to choke to death.
Since it wasnt the first time Ray had been struck on the back, he quickly vacated his seat.
Even though he was the guest of honor at the banquet, the overwhelming attention from the elves was too much to handle.
Their gaze made him feel like a hero who had saved their nation.
As he strolled down a deserted path, Ray suddenly thought of Aira.
The very person who had arranged the festival was nowhere to be found.
Before he knew it, he found himself climbing a tree.
While he moved to the village center, he struggled to deal with the elves who spoke to him, but as he started to climb the tree to Airas house, they ceased talking to him.
Huff, puff.
He grew accustomed to tree climbing, and now he could climb them better than the elves.
Before long, he reached her house, where Aira waited with her arms crossed.
It seemed she realized he was coming and had come out to greet him.
Whats up?
Huff, huff
After catching his breath, Ray replied.
Whew. This is the only quiet place around here.
Aira pointed inside with a laugh as she covered her mouth with her hand.
Hehe. Come on in.
As they entered the house, a pleasant floral fragrance wafted in.
Whats this scent? It seems familiar
Ray closed his eyes and savored the scent, while Aira smiled at him.
Isnt today your day? This is my way of celebrating.
Oh! Is this the scent of the flowers from the yard?
Yes. I brought the dehuer inside.
At the end of her pointed finger, a small flower sat on the dining table.
It seemed as though the scent had been amplified with magic, as the fragrance was potent despite there being only a few flowers.
The comforting scent somehow made him feel more at ease.
Just as he expected, her quiet house was a familiar place where he felt relaxed, contrasting with the noisy atmosphere below.
As Ray sat at the dining table and looked outside, Aira, who had poured tea into a small cup, handed him the cup.
After taking a sip of tea, he continued to look outside and said,
Aira, why arent you going outside?
Thats quite a heavy question while drinking tea.
If you dont want to talk about it, you dont have to.
She quietly shook her head.
Its not that I cant talk about it. Where should I start There was a small incident between the high elves and the elves a long time ago. Because of that, Im refraining from going outside.
An incident?
As he inquired with curiosity, Aira provided an explanation.
From birth, a status difference exists between the high elves and the elves. Thus, regardless of their age, the high elves must receive reverence from the elves.
She paused to take a sip of tea before continuing.
However, an incident transpired. An elf confronted a young high elf, resulting in the high elf leaving the group. You must be aware of similar incidents that have occurred in the past.
Ray nodded in agreement.
Due to a single comment from a young elf, she had nearly been forced to leave the Grandel forest tribe.
It appeared she was holding herself back to prevent such incidents from recurring.
Even though she was not at fault.
After a moment of contemplation, she abruptly stood up.
Ray gazed up at Aira, surprised by her sudden movement.
Why?
It appears something has occurred outside.
What happened?
She extended her mana to investigate, but all she could sense were the elves enjoying the festival.
Everything was as she had stated.
For a moment, the kingdom flashed across Rays mind.
Those who were searching for him were scouring the entire country as if hunting a thief.
It didnt seem like the elves village would be spared.
His complexion naturally darkened.
He knew they would come, but he hadnt anticipated them finding him so quickly.
He was unsure of the skill level of the people they had brought, but the fact that they had located him so swiftly while searching an entire kingdom was impressive.
A sigh slipped from him.
The thought of confronting them gave him a headache.
I apologize. This must be my problem.
This content is taken from (f)reewe(b)novel.𝗰𝗼𝐦