Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Reconciliation "Hyaaaa!" As Gee infused the divine tree with magical power, a blade of light radiated from it. Milano was surprised by the strange weapon he had never seen before, but he quickly deduced it was formed by magic. "A blade without substance won't break this sword." "We'll see about that!" Gee leapt into the air and swooped down on Milano like a hawk eyeing its prey. He mercilessly brought down a heavy blow, enhanced by the force of his fall and his entire weight. Milano managed to catch the sharp strike with his greatsword, just in time. Had it been anyone else of Gee's build and average combat skills, Milano could have parried and counterattacked. But Gee's assault was heavier than expected, resonating to Milano's core. After a short freeze, Milano's swinging blade cut through emptiness. Gee had landed with astonishing speed, already out of Milano's attack range. "Sure, your sword's tough. It doesn't even flinch." "This sword is very 'heavy.' It won't break so easily." "Hah! I don't care how heavy or hard it is, I'll just smash it until it breaks!" "That is not quite what I meant. But fine, I shall face you!" Trading taunts, the battle restarted. While Milano preferred to rely on speed over strength, Gee outmatched him with even more ferocious assaults. "Take that!" "Ugh...!" Blow after blow, Gee's magical blade swung in a tempest. His movements were erratic, seemingly as uncontrollable as a wild flailing stick. Yet, there was no 'form' in Gee's attacks, but they were extremely fast, sharp, and accurate – like a predator striking at the vital points of its prey. "Go! Fight!" In between, an irresponsible Selene cheered them on. To anyone watching, it appeared Gee had the overwhelming advantage. Go on, Gee, rip the prince apart! Bereft of any understanding of martial strategy, Selene's mind was set on Gee's victory. In stark contrast to Selene's frenzy, Butler, perched on her shoulder, had been silently watching the fight until he spoke up. 『Lord Gee seems to be rushing a bit.』 "Eh?" 『He favors quick resolutions, but he has yet to deal a fatal wound. The longer this drags on, the more Prince Milano's superior build will give him an advantage.』 "Is that so?" 『Most likely.』 "Why?! He's winning, isn't he?" Selene wanted to retort, but Butler's analysis was spot-on. "(Damn it! Why aren't my attacks hitting!?)" Gee's breathing grew rougher, not just from the fierceness of his movements, but also from his irritation consuming his stamina. He had been sure of his attacks' precision, but this man kept avoiding what should have been certain hits. And more unnerving, the human showed no fear despite the onslaught – instead, he appeared more invigorated the more he was attacked. Gee had never seen such a foe, not even among the elven warriors. "(Such strength, this elf!)" Milano, on the other hand, was desperate. He was narrowly dodging Gee's fierce attacks. Even though he swung his sword at the slightest gap, the elf evaded with incredible agility. While Milano's heavy ancestral sword was unwieldy compared to his own slender one, he was still fast enough. "(But if I can land one blow...)" Unlike his own slender sword, his father's sword had the strength to block attacks and the power to destroy. He would bear the onslaught and wait for the opportunity to land a counterstrike. Milano believed that was the optimal solution. "I think I understand why Father chose this sword..." "Huh? What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Even during their lock of blades, Milano let out a thin smile. He knew his father's sword wasn't just for defeating enemies, but a force to protect what mattered most. Unable to understand Milano's sentiment, Gee mistook the smile for complacency. "Don't get cocky!" Gee felt mocked. Misinterpreting Milano's smile, he furiously brought down his divine tree from overhead. Less precise than before but filled with brute force, this attack was not something Milano would miss. "Got you!" Milano abandoned his defensive stance and swept his greatsword from below in a swift stroke. The clash of their proud weapons resonated loudly. The verdict was in Milano's favor. With a creaking sound, Gee's divine tree snapped in half. Gee clicked his tongue and leaped back to create some distance. "Your weapon is broken. Will you continue?" "...Thanks for the new weapon." "What?" As Milano voiced his confusion, Gee picked up the broken halves of the divine tree, one in each hand. Two new blades emerged from the shortened fragments. "...Dual wielding? What bizarre weapons elves use." "Human swords might not do this, but divine trees can be used like this. The fight starts now!" Gee leaned forward, assuming a stance optimized for offense, and charged at Milano once again. His speed was like lightning. "Here and there and there!" "Damn!" Milano couldn't block the rain of magical blades from both hands. If he deflected a blow from the left, a thrust came from the right; if he stopped the right, a diagonal slash from the left followed. While the hits were lighter, the damage steadily accumulated on Milano. Without using full force in his magical enhancement to strengthen his body, his bones would have been shattered. "Damn you... Just die already!" "You must be at your limit...!" Neither could hold out much longer. If this turned into a war of attrition, Gee, with lesser stamina, would falter first. However, Milano, who had been on defense since the first surprise attack, was at a slight disadvantage. His consciousness began to fade, and he nearly dropped to one knee. "Don't lose!" Selene's voice echoed through the white forest at that moment. It was meant to encourage Gee, but unfortunately, it also invigorated Milano. Right, he couldn't afford to lose here. "I cannot lose!" Risking flesh for the sake of bone, Milano summoned all his remaining strength, gripped the greatsword in one hand, and swung. However, a rushed and poorly executed attack wouldn't catch Gee. Milano's exposed torso provided the perfect opportunity for Gee. "It's over!" Gee roared and thrust his blade with full force at Milano, who had overextended with his greatsword. This should have decided the match. But it didn't! Milano threw away his greatsword outright! "What the!?" "Oooooooooohhh!!!" The sword flew towards the sky, but the centrifugal force from the swing remained. Milano, keeping the momentum, twisted his body and poured all the magical power of body strengthening into his remaining left arm. Then, with all his might, he thrust his iron fist into Gee's face! "Buhaa!?" The powerful punch sent Gee flying through the air, tumbling and eventually crashing into a tree. Had Gee not reflexively turned his head, diverting some of the force, his neck might have snapped from such an unreserved blow. Of course, Milano harbored no killing intent, but there was no room to hold back against this elf. To do so would mean being defeated himself. That's how formidable the opponent was. "You...! A knight throwing away his sword like that...!" "It's over once you're defeated. Once you're dead, it's all over." Milano was full of injuries, barely standing, whereas Gee couldn't even rise. It was a wonder he hadn't lost consciousness. And so, the contest between Milano and Gee was decided. "...Kill me." "...What did you say?" "Finish it off quickly, I said." Gee, without any semblance of pride or theatrics, just uttered those matter-of-factly words. This was not unique to him but a common sentiment among elves. Unlike humans dwelling on flatlands and in regions free of ferocious beasts, elves living in the White Forest were much closer to life and death. Defeat equaled death. This conviction fueled Gee's obsession with victory. "As I said earlier, I did not come to ravage your lands." "Don't speak so naively. Your target is Selene, right? If you let me live here, my companions may come after you." "..." At Gee's words, Milano fell silent. Indeed, if he didn't eliminate this elven youth here and now, he might face another attack before getting through the White Forest. While he doubted there were many fighters as skilled, a second ambush could be quite troublesome. Pushing off the decision, Milano first left Gee lying spread-eagled on the ground. Then he went to retrieve his father's sword, previously thrown and now sticking out of a large tree. As he turned his gaze back to Gee, he noticed an odd creature. "...A mouse?" At some point, a small mouse had appeared on a white fallen leaf, protectively near Gee. The peculiar mouse, with black and white fur tied with a red ribbon, stared intently at Milano. It certainly did not look like any wild mouse; perhaps, this elf had kept it as a pet. "Stop it!" "Whoa...! Oh, it's you, Selene." Milano was distracted by the strange mouse when suddenly Selene jumped onto his back from behind. More accurately, she launched an assault from the rear, but no matter how exhausted, the well-trained Milano wouldn't be toppled by the frail Selene's tackle. "Stop it! Stop it!" "Stop? So you mean, don't kill this elf?" "Yes!" Selene clung to Milano's back with desperate pleas, even though this elf could harm her. Touched by Selene's kindness which even extended to an enemy, Milano's heart wavered. "This elf tried to hurt you. I'm not keen on it, either, but if we don't do something here..." "Not bad! Gee, good elf!" Selene hastily intervened, wrongly assuming Milano picking up the sword meant execution. Though defeated in battle, it was clear that Gee had the potential to eliminate the prince. He was indispensable; they absolutely couldn’t lose him. Moreover, flattening an innocent elf and slaughtering him—it's not like they were assassins. Unaware of these thoughts, and while Milano deliberated between valuing Selene's kindness or ensuring safety, there was the sound of a large group approaching through the bushes. Gee too felt the presence, and still sprawled out, turned his head in that direction. "What are you guys doing?" Emerging from the thicket was a group led by Sana, comprising not just elves but also the search party that Milano had brought along. "Sana!? You lost to a human?" "You guys, did the elves take you prisoner?" Both Gee and Milano checked on the well-being of their respective companions, but Sana just frowned and didn't say much. "Ah, seems these guys are not bandits after all." "Prince, it seems these elves were actually escorting Lady Selene." "What?" Both Milano and Gee let out foolish exclamations at the reports from their followers. ◆◇◆◇◆ "I apologize. It appears we misunderstood." Milano said, with a blush and a deep bow. After Sana appeared and everyone shared their accounts, it became clear that Milano's party was searching for Selene, who had been taken by the dragon, and that Gee's group was protecting her in the White Forest to ensure her safe passage to the humans. "Sorry is not enough! You punched me really hard!" "You were the one who ambushed first, Lord Gee. Consider it self-defense." "It's a mutual misunderstanding then. Damn." Gee also seemed to feel remorse about jumping to conclusions and, while still cursing, refrained from further comment. "But is it true that the dragon chose Selene and brought her to the elf village? It's hard to believe." "The dragon said so, so there's no mistake. We're to protect her and watch over her for a hundred years." "A hundred years, meaning a lifetime..." "Maybe the dragon foresaw this happening." "Indeed, without this situation arising, a human prince and the elf tribe's chief would never have met." Milano glanced at Selene, who was being fed by the others, dining comfortably by his side. He had thought of Selene as special, but even so, he hadn’t imagined she warranted a dragon's attention. "Anyway, on behalf of humanity, I would like to express my gratitude. Lord Gee, I sincerely thank you for protecting Selene." "No need for thanks. If you want to express it, bring some delicious food next time. That would make me happier." Milano laughed at the directness of Gee’s words. Even though he had treated him like a bandit just before, having this frank conversation revealed that Gee was quite an interesting man. They may have different ways and perspectives, but after all, Milano was traveling the continent for precisely this reason: to learn by experiencing various points of view. It was an unexpected reward. "Then, to both apologize and thank you, I will bring an offering next time. Let's hope there’s no mistaking adventurers for assailants again." "Milano, that's your name, right? You really hold a grudge." "Haha, I was nearly killed, after all." With a mischievous tone, as Milano said that, Gee, too, revealed a grin showing all his teeth. Surrounded by followers, including Sana, everyone was drawn into laughter, and the atmosphere among the elves and humans became jovially warm. Gathered around a campfire by the spring, chatting and laughing together, any animosity between the races seemed nonexistent. Except for Selene, of course. It's understandable, though temporary, that leaving paradise requires some adjustment. "Then, we shall take our leave. Lord Gee, as a warrior, I now take pride in having crossed swords with you." "You were the strongest I've ever fought against." "That is an honor." With a shared laughter, Milano turned his back, took Selene by the hand, and walked away from the spring. Selene, now resigned like a docile animal headed to the slaughterhouse, suddenly turned around. "Gee!" "Huh?" "I Back! Soon!" Selene's shout was a plea, as if saying, "Don’t tidy up the mansion because I'll be back soon," akin to a child begging, "Mom, I’ll eat soon, so don't clear my plate!" Until Gee disappeared from sight, she waved goodbye, a girl who maintained her goodwill towards the elves until the end. Gee and his companions also watched her until the last moment. "She's gone." "Yeah, but with this, we've fulfilled the request made by the red dragon. They’ll be safe with those humans." "Guess so." "Still can't believe you lost to a human." "I didn't lose! That guy broke the rules! It was an unfair victory. Next time, I'll be the one who wins!" Gee's indignant retort made Sana chuckle, which only irritated Gee further. "What's so funny?" "Well, when you say 'next time I’ll win', it means you want to challenge that human Milano again, right? It sounds like you want to keep interacting with humans." "Ah..." Sana’s words made Gee realize his own feelings. Indeed, he had viewed humans with disdain—creatures of frail magic and unimpressive strength. But in just a few days, his perception had been completely overturned. He wanted to know more about humans, including Selene and Milano. "Soon, huh?" Mulling over Selene's last words, Gee thought that perhaps the time for human and elf interaction, a change of the ages, was indeed drawing near. And that guy Milano seemed to be bringing a gift for the elves as a forerunner. "Will it be better than this, I wonder." Gee caressed the iron pot he was wearing. A prince is apparently akin to a chieftain among the elves. This meant there could be considerable expectations. What sort of treasures do humans have? With anticipation swelling his heart (and his cheek still swollen from the punch), Gee and the group mounted their steeds left in the forest and rode back to the elf village. After many ordeals, Milano miraculously succeeded in rescuing Selene. Like a fairytale prince rescuing a beautiful princess—the search party following Milano felt as though they were witnessing a storybook unfold. In reality, it was closer to a bumbling fugitive being re-arrested by the police and escorted back to prison. 『Despite everything, it seems we have returned back』 Butler, no longer hiding, murmured from Selene's shoulder. During the journey home, as Milano inquired about Butler's existence, Selene, unable to keep it a secret any longer, answered that she had received him from the elves. Although it was a desperate excuse, if Butler was a tribute from the elves, he would not be neglected. Milano did not ask further about Butler, and the party safely returned to their homeland, Heelifarte. Thus, Selene's extraordinary adventure involving elves and a dragon quietly drew to a close, known only to a select few in the palace. Or so it seemed.