Chapter 40: Time To Go To The Holy Kingdom (3)
A white mark had appeared on the spot where he had felt the cold chill in his left hand. It resembled the letter M and also looked like a drawn bow with the string pulled back. However, it was not very noticeable against his pale skin.
Ray studied it in wonder and asked,
What is this?
Me.
Huh?
A sense of unease washed over him.
In the books he had read, it was mentioned that humans would form such contracts to enslave elves. But this was the reverse! Had the elf formed a contract to ensnare a human?
Surely, he hadnt unwittingly agreed to some bizarre verbal contract or become enslaved?
Trusting an intruder was never a wise decision!
Aila laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, as she watched him try to gently withdraw his hand.
Ahaha. Theres no need to be afraid. Ive merely marked you.
Marked? What kind of gift is that!
Didnt you offer yourself as a gift to me? What other gift could possibly compare to that?
With that, she held his marked hand with both of hers.
The cold sensation enveloped his hand once more.
She beamed at him and said,
Take care.
Her smile was breathtakingly beautiful.
Could there be another smile as beautiful as hers anywhere else in the world?
Ray also smiled, as though he found the situation amusing.
Ill be back.
As he slowly left the elf village, he saw Iriel, her smile as radiant as when they first met.
Seeing her smile so broadly, it was clear she was thrilled about going to the Holy Kingdom.
Are you happy?
Of course, its only natural for a servant of God to return to her master.
However, he couldnt detect any devotion in her words.
The three days of homelessness must have been hard for her.
She said,
First, we will head to the royal road. From there, we will join up with the others from the Holy Kingdom and depart for there.
He truly felt like they were setting off.
Ray took one last look at the elf village.
Although he had been there for only a few months, he had grown fond of the place due to various events.
The thought of not seeing this beautiful forest and village for several years made him feel lonely.
Iriel smiled faintly at his expression.
Are you going to miss it?
Yes. But Ill return And the conditions I mentioned are still valid, right?
We might need to discuss the first condition a bit, but the rest should be fine.
Without responding, he adjusted his backpack.
A long journey lay ahead.
Even if it was just to the royal road, he didnt know how long it would take.
He needed to walk diligently.
Upon arriving at Billo village, Ray took out a map.
If he followed the large road that went over the mountain, he would reach the royal road.
Simply calculated, it would take three days to get there.
If one used mana, they could get there in just a day.
Iriel had been warming up her body to run all day, but contrary to her expectation, she bought a horse from the stable.
Did you really think of running there?
Running is faster.
Oh my. Even my divine power would be on edge. Its naturally impossible with your mana, which has not received divine power yet.
She shook her head and told him to stop doing the unreasonable.
For Ray, who had lived without any limits to his mana until now, it was something he could attempt.
For anyone, even Aira, there were limits to the amount of mana that one could draw and use.
But that didnt apply to Ray.
Like the mana in the atmosphere seemed endless, Rays mana had no limits as he drew from it.
From his perspective, running was naturally faster.
Anyway, since she bought the horse with her own money, she wouldnt have to run tiresomely.
Once Iriel skillfully climbed onto the horse, Ray followed suit and climbed behind her.
I bought only one horse in case we need funds for unforeseen circumstances.
I dont know how to ride a horse anyway.
He had never ridden a horse, even in the modern world.
He was slightly excited about riding one now.
As Iriel lightly slapped the horses rear, the horse trotted off, gradually increasing its speed.
His initial impression of horse riding was fun.
It was certainly more exhilarating than driving a car. The experience felt fresh as it was unlike riding any other form of transport.
However, as with all things, there were downsides.
Even though he hadnt been riding for long, his rear was already protesting.
His rear, sore as if it were cramped, felt like it was being punished with each gallop of the horse.
To alleviate the pain, he had to use mana.
Iriel tuned in to the mumbling she could sense from behind her.
Heal Heal Heal
You can use magic
It no longer surprised her. He was the protagonist who was shattering all her preconceived notions about saints.
She didnt know what allowed him to use magic, but she didnt want to engage in conversation with his dark and gloomy voice, so she ignored him.
The saints she knew were quirky enough.
Whatever he was doing behind her, if a saint was doing it, she understood.
Lets sleep here for the night.
She agreed with Iriels suggestion.
They had been riding the horse for half a day.
Since they hadnt left the elf village early, they had to prepare for a night outdoors.
After tying the horse to a post, Iriel skillfully began setting up a tent.
Ray prepared to cook food while observing her.
He gathered dry twigs and a fairly large log, then ignited a fire.
Fire.
Whoosh-
Iriel was mildly impressed as she watched the fire ignite instantly from just the command word.
Activating magic just with the command word Are you an impressive 2nd circle master for your age?
It had been a while since he had received a compliment.
Theres a saying that compliments make even a whale dance. Ray was three times as thrilled.
He removed a small iron pot and dried meat from the travel bag his mother had packed for him, then shouted the command word at the pot.
Water.
It was truly versatile.
Iriel, having realized the value of water during her outdoor sleep in the elf village, clapped her hands while setting up the tent.
While waiting for the pot filled with water to boil, Ray, who had gathered roots that were still fully intact, cut them into small pieces with his fingers enveloped in mana.
She was taken aback by the sight.
It wasnt Rays mana-wrapped fingers that amazed her.
It was the sight of the grass that had once severely burned her.
Wasnt it the exact same grass that even elves wouldnt eat! She had to warn him immediately. The Saint was clearly a lunatic who fanatically loved the bitter taste!
Driven by this thought, Iriel hastily shouted.
Dont put that in!
Thunkthud
Ray, who was cutting the roots and putting them in, looked at her anxiously and said.
Why? Its delicious.
But, its so bitter delicious
Her suspicions were confirmed.
The Saint was a weirdo who liked the bitter taste that even animals wouldnt eat.
Iriel collapsed in frustration.
Now everything was ruined.
The dinner she had prepared with even meat had turned into garbage.
She would never eat that thing.
Ray looked at her and held up the root.
Originally, you are supposed to eat the root of this grass. Of course, the leaves have more nutrients, but they are too bitter to eat.
At that, Iriels expression brightened, then immediately turned red.
Why, why didnt you tell me that sooner
Grinning-
A devilish smile appeared on the Saints face.
He feigned surprise and said.
Ah, did you eat the leaves? Oh my. You should have eaten the root.
Certainly, he hadnt said to eat the leaves.
But if someone just points to the grass with their fingers and says, you can eat this, who would think of eating the roots?
Especially in front of the elves who were watching.
As he skillfully stirred the pot, veins bulged on Iriels forehead.
Just you wait
However, her rising anger was quelled by the tantalizing aroma that tickled her nostrils.
It was merely dried meat, water, and some unknown grass roots, but what was this smell?
Regardless of the fact that she hadnt eaten anything for three days, wasnt this an extraordinary fragrance!
Ray retrieved a wooden bowl from his bag.
It didnt resemble a wooden bowl at all because it was so polished.
Ray handed one to Iriel.
From now on, this is yours. If you lose it, find or make one yourself.
She lightly touched the bowl.
Creak-
Could a wooden bowl make such a noise?
Iriel asked out of curiosity.
Where did you buy this bowl?
It was a work of art. How did he plane it so that there wasnt a single splinter?
Then an unexpected answer came.
I made it.
What? Are you joking?
Do you think I would joke about a bowl?
Could it be Was it really true?
She held the bowl again.
Although he claimed to have carved it, the Saint was only fifteen years old.
This skill was that of a master craftsman who had spent several decades carving wooden bowls.
It was naturally unbelievable.
Ah, how on earth could he carve this at his age? Hes not even a Swordmaster known for extreme precision.
Iriel dismissed Rays words as a serious joke.
However, she wouldnt know. Ray had spent about five minutes carving this.
Ray stirred the pot and nodded.
This should be enough.
Iriel accepted the bowl and scooped out the porridge generously. The fragrant smell immediately filled the surroundings.
With an ecstatic expression, Iriel consumed it as if she were drinking the porridge.
It didnt take long to finish it all.
In the time it took to exhale a few times, Iriel emptied the bowl.
Please give me another bowl!
Arent you getting food in the Holy Kingdom?
Iriel couldnt respond because she was too busy eating, as if she were a starving dog.
Ray clucked his tongue.
Tsk, tsk.
Iriel felt like she might cry again. For some reason, despite several days of mental preparation, no tears fell from her eyes.
Was this the effect of trials? It was truly a remarkable outcome.
After discussing various topics and finishing their meal, they promptly went to bed.
They still had a long journey to undertake the next day.
The expeditionary force that had been stationed at the Silia Palace received a message from the Saintess.
On the day they bid farewell to the Saintess, they had already reached the pinnacle of faith and admiration for her, having received the blessings of the gods. They relayed the news of the Saintesss communication like a faithful dog.
The Saintess is coming back!
She intends to return to the Holy Kingdom with the Saint!
Of course, Iriel completed the mission flawlessly, just as expected.
If they knew how Iriel had managed things in the elven village, they would have praised her even more, considering any criticism as blasphemy.
They stood at attention, awaiting Iriels arrival at the Silia Palace.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢