Chapter 35

Chapter 35: A Chance Encounter After spending their last night with the elves, Selene and Butler, accompanied by the Selene's escort led by Gee and Sana, finally set out the next day. At the entrance of the village, elves, young and old, male and female alike, gathered to catch a glimpse of Selene—the dragon priestess. Uncharacteristically for the typically serene and quiet elven kind, the atmosphere had turned into that of a festival. "Alright, it's about time we get going." "No way..." Even at this juncture, Selene was throwing a tantrum. She understood that it was too late to wish to stay, but the thought of leaving this paradise was unbearable. Still, she couldn't bring her beloved Arue back without returning home first, so it was a bitter choice. "I'm glad you've taken a liking to us elves, but the dragons have ordered us to return you. Well, if fate allows, we'll meet again." Gee consoled an unhappy Selene, gently shaking her hair. Despite being a dragon priestess, Selene's appearance was that of a young girl. It was endearing to see her, a member of another species, childishly refusing to leave and throwing a fit. In reality, she was just grumbling unbecomingly for her age. Gee had nothing more than a vague concept of "eventually interacting with humans," so he hadn't really thought about what to do after delivering Selene. For now, the priority was to safely return her to the human world. "Make, connection." But for Selene, "if fate allows, we'll meet again" was not enough. If there was no connection, then one must be made. Selene, single-minded in her desires, was fully intent on rushing back here as soon as she returned to Herifalte. "...I see. Well, I'll be counting on you in the future, Lady Dragon Priestess." Hearing Selene's emotional words, Gee's expression turned serious. Leaving things to chance was not good enough. One must make their own path—that's probably what she wanted to say. Since becoming the chieftain, Gee had grown quite conservative, but perhaps the time to break out of his shell was approaching. This girl's behavior made such thoughts flash through his mind. "We're ready to go—everything's all set!" While they were conversing, Sana emerged, cutting through the crowd, followed by three other young elves known for their skill among their kin. All of them, Sana included, were enveloped in pure white cloaks. The cloaks served not only to shield against rain and intense sunlight but also acted as camouflage in the pure white forest. However, it was the creatures they rode that captured Selene's attention more than their attire. "What peculiar creatures they mount." "A lizard?" Butler seemed to agree with Selene and peered with interest from over her shoulder. Noticing their gaze, Sana looked down from atop the creature and smiled. "Is this your first time seeing a skink? Well, they're only found in the White Forest." Sana stroked the neck of the skink—a lizard as large as a horse covered in pure white scales. Its mouth was fitted with bridle and saddle like a horse's, and it carried bags stuffed with necessities for the journey. "They might look fierce, but they're herbivores and very docile. Isn't their tail adorable too?" Selene's eyes followed to the tail of the giant lizard, which indeed possessed an unusual shape. Unlike the typical tails that tapered from base to tip, the skink's tail was plump and rounded like a sweet potato. Approaching the tail, Selene reached out her hand. It felt squishy and elastic, somewhat reminiscent of a cat's paw pad. "Squishy." "They store nutrients and water in there. They can survive a month without eating or drinking. The only downside is they hibernate during the winter." "Wow." Listening to Gee brag about his beloved—rather, his cherished lizard, Selene intently examined the skink. It appeared that to the elves, this skink fulfilled the role of "horse." It was said to have remarkable mobility within the forest, amidst roots, fallen leaves, and abundant shelter. With sturdy claws that could clamber over rocks and the ability to retreat into the trees while bearing its elven rider if attacked by predators, the skink's capabilities were impressive. "Let's cut the small talk and get going." Behind the elves brought by Sana was another skink, this one being the largest. It seemed to be reserved for the chieftain, Gee. He mounted the skink with agile ease, then turned to face everyone. "Let us now deliver the dragon priestess to the human world." Gee halted his casual manner of speech and briefed the accompanying elves on the plan. Ideally, a larger group would escort Selene for safety, but skinks were valuable creatures and also serviced other elves. Hence it wasn't feasible to mobilize them all. Traveling on foot would significantly slow them down and raise the risk of wild beast attacks. Originally, the plan was to drop Selene off on the way to gathering resources, but it had been completely reversed. Now, the priority was to ensure Selene's safe delivery to the humans, and if there was time, to gather resources on the return trip. The choice of a small, but strong, group resulted in these members. "Well, I'm not exactly great at fighting." While Sana confessed her combat weakness, she excelled in vision and hearing among the elves and was exceptionally talented in magic manipulation. Her ability to detect external threats was second to none. "We'll soon leave, so keep the formation tight. Remember, we're escorting a human child this time." "Don't you go rushing off alone." "That's why you're here. Make sure you're on top of scanning, alright?" "I know, I know." As they left the elven settlement, Gee instructed to form a cross-shaped formation with the five riders. Gee would lead at the front, and the remaining three would surround Selene and Sana at the center. It was strategic for Sana to be at the center as she could give directions all around promptly. Fortunately, the light weight of the female Sana and the child Selene posed no problems for the skinks. "Hehehe." Oblivious to the strategic arrangements made for her, Selene felt lucky to be cradled by Sana, considering it just a bonus. However, the guarding Gee and others were preoccupied with how to deliver Selene safely to the human realm. "So, how exactly are we going to return Lady Selene to the humans?" "That's the thing..." "You mean to say you haven't thought of anything up until now!?" "What can I say? I don't know anything about the human world, so it can't be helped." "It can't be helped, won't cut it!" "Well, the plan is to go as far as the edge of the White Forest and wait for a dragon to pass by. It's our job to deliver Selene safely. We'll tell the dragon it'd be more dangerous for us, who have never left the White Forest, to escort her any further." "I wonder if they'll accept that..." Sana was skeptical. The logic made sense, but there was no guarantee the dragons would agree to the terms. Of course, Gee knew this too. "In that case, we'll just have to make our way to the human world ourselves." "That means leaving the White Forest?" "Yeah, that's right." "You say that so casually..." "If you don't like it, you don't have to come along. Cowards don’t make good escorts." "I’m coming!" Sana, cursing under her breath for speaking too soon, found herself trapped by her own words, having fallen for Gee's instigation. "I've never stepped out of the White Forest in my life." "Neither have I. Anyway, we aren't going to just drop dead from stepping onto flatlands." "So off-the-cuff… I’ll just pray nothing happens." "Yeah, pray without expecting much." Although their conversation had been light-hearted, Gee's elven squad moved through the white woods without incident. It was a route they had traveled many times before, and with Sana's scouting abilities, they managed to cover about seventy percent of the journey in two days. If things continued smoothly, they could emerge from the White Forest by tomorrow. "Let's rest a bit." With progress going better than expected, Gee and the others, though it was still daylight, decided to take an early rest. Conveniently, there was a small spring nearby where they usually took breaks. "There we go." Sana alighted gracefully from the skink's back and set Selene down on the ground. The ride had been surprisingly comfortable, and Selene might have wanted to continue had it not been for the break. "We'll prepare the camp, so Lady Selene, please wait here for a bit. Don’t wander off too far." "Okay." At Sana's signal, Gee and the other elves began to set up the tents they had packed on the skinks. There was little Selene could offer in terms of help, and the elves would never presume to have her take on such tasks out of respect. Initially watching the elves with a hand on her cheek, Selene, eventually growing bored, quietly distanced herself from them and ventured into the thickets. "Princess, it is dangerous to wander away from the elves, is it not?" "Looking seeds." "Seeds?" Butler asked, to which Selene clumsily explained her intentions. Although she hadn't done it recently, back in Arcyla, Selene enjoyed cultivating strange plants. Now that she was in the rare place of the White Forest, she wondered if she might find any magical acorns lying around. The White Forest was a territory hardly accessible to humans; surely it was littered with precious plant seeds. Collecting as many as she could now, she planned to cultivate them once she returned to the elven village. "Indeed, we owe much to them. You plan to gather medicinal and food resources as a small way to repay your debt, is that it?" "That's about right." "Understood. Then allow me, Butler, to assist you. If any trouble arises, please use the whistle that Lord Gee gave us the other day. My hearing is such that I can perceive it even if we're slightly separated." "Thank you." Moved by Selene's earnest desire to return the favor, Butler immediately set out to find seeds, or any useful plants. Leaving Selene alone was risky, but the elves were nearby, and if he remained within a distance at which he could arrive promptly, there should be no problem. That was how Butler justified it. Of course, Selene had no such noble intentions—her actions were purely for her own amusement. Nonetheless, she was bored. Kicking up the white fallen leaves absentmindedly, she carelessly trampled through the elven territory, seeking resources to plunder. "I don't want to go back..." Kicking leaves around, Selene muttered her grievances. While she longed for Arue, and despite having Mari and Ibis around, the thought of returning to that prince was unbearable. If she returned to Herifalte, she’d make an effort to meet the Red Dragon as soon as possible. The Red Dragon would surely come to check on her at least once to see if she had safely returned to the human world. At that time, she’d somehow persuade the dragon to attack Herifalte Academy. Then, together with Arue, she'd make her way back to the inaccessible sanctuary—the elven paradise. "Let's do this." Selene clenched her fists with renewed determination. Her return to Herifalte would only be for a brief moment. Yes, positive thinking was essential—not “I have to meet that prince again in a few days,” rather “I have a few more days before I need to meet him.” "...Selene!?" “Eh?” Surprised by a sudden voice from behind, Selene turned around, nearly fainting at the sight. Before her stood none other than the prince. Although dressed in thick, travel-worn garb uncommon for him, the sculpture-like, finely chiseled, sweet mask was unmistakably Milano himself. "Fyuuhh, Milano..." "You spoke…! Selene! You’re truly Selene and not an illusion!" Selene shook her head, wondering if her strong dislike for the prince had led her to hallucinate, but cruelly the figure of Milano before her didn't disappear; on the contrary, his speech forcefully reminded her this was reality. Milano, too, had thought he was hallucinating in his desperate search for Selene, but unlike her, he was trembling with joy. There was no mistake—the one in front of him was the real Selene. "Prince, why!?" While Milano wore a relieved expression, Selene was completely flustered, her voice cracking as she yelled. Why on earth was he here? It didn't make sense. Without a trace, he just suddenly appeared out of nowhere—was he a ninja or something? What was this situation, and what should she do? "It’s no surprise you're shocked to see me here." To calm the flustered Selene, her mouth opening and closing like a goldfish, Milano spoke softly with a soothing smile and began to recount the journey that led him here. Even getting through a regular forest was challenging, let alone the White Forest, which disoriented his senses and presented more difficulties than expected. Although he didn't encounter any ferocious beasts, he did come across what seemed to be a strong and large pack of white lizards, which sent a chill down his spine. "I found a spring nearby. We decided to rest here for today, and I was looking for some firewood when… oh my, I never expected to find you…" Reaching out to touch Selene, Milano was interrupted the next instant by something thrown from the bushes. Skillfully avoiding the projectile aimed precisely at his face, Milano twisted his neck at the last moment. A trickle of blood ran down his lightly grazed cheek. The missed projectile stuck straight into a white tree. "Darn! What's this!? A stick or something?" As Milano turned to look behind him, he saw an elven youth—Chieftain Gee—standing there. Though small in stature, Milano immediately recognized that the elf was a formidable opponent. "Are you one of the elf tribe?" "Don’t you dare get closer to her! You filthy, disheveled human scum." Ignoring Milano's question, Gee leaped with the agility of a monkey, springing onto a nearby tree. Using it as a foothold, he effortlessly vaulted over Milano's head, positioning himself between Selene and Milano, brandishing an enchanted staff defensively.