Ch.145145. Reunion

The forest is rejoicing.

An ordinary human wouldn’t have noticed, but Elin, a high elf, could feel the vitality returning to the forest. Flower buds that had been closed were now blooming wide open, revealing their vibrant colors. Swoosh. The green leaves of the trees danced.

“The World Tree…”

Elandir tilted his head back in surprise. The life force of the World Tree that had been drawn into its summit was now flowing back to where it belonged. It was a sight that even Elandir, who had lived for many long years, had never witnessed before. The forest, the earth, nature that embraced everything… was coming back to life. Elandir muttered without realizing it.

“Have we won?”

If the life force that Elturas had absorbed had returned, it meant that Rex had won the battle against Elturas. Following Rex’s advice, they had evacuated to a place far from the World Tree, but even from here, the World Tree was clearly visible. A blazing sun hung at its summit, which reached high enough to touch the clouds.

Elin and Elandir weren’t the only ones witnessing this marvelous sight. All the elves of Alvheim had left their dwellings and were gazing blankly at the sky. Even without knowing the exact details, they had already realized that something extraordinary was happening at the World Tree. An ominous energy that made their skin tremble had been spreading from the summit.

That ominous energy vanished the moment the great sun rose. Warm sunlight shone upon Alvheim. It was as cozy as spring sunshine, but the elves felt an irresistible pressure within that warmth.

“Ah…”

The elves knelt down. A deity. A god had descended from the distant heavens in the form of the sun…

Shortly after, a young man appeared at the summit of the World Tree. He was incredibly small compared to the World Tree, yet strangely, the elves could see him clearly.

“I told you.”

A young man descends with the sun at his back.

“That I would definitely save you.”

Words delivered with a slight smile. Elin couldn’t look directly at the young man. It was too bright. The radiance extending from above his head was so intense that her vision blurred. She could barely keep her eyes open. Her voice wouldn’t come out, as if she hadn’t fully awakened from sleep. For some reason, her eyes felt damp.

No matter how she thought about it, there was no reason for tears. She wasn’t sad at all. Weren’t tears supposed to flow when one was sad? Strange. Thinking this, Elin slowly raised her head.

“…Elin?”

A face blinking with a bewildered expression. That appearance was still the clumsy young man Elin remembered. The boy she had wanted to be with forever.

Long ago, in a time when she didn’t even know her duty, she heard a story. A tale of a hero rescuing a princess captured by a villain. Elin wasn’t captured by a villain, but she was an elven princess. She admired the princess in the fairy tale. The princess’s story ended with a happy ending. Elin was destined to fall into eternal sleep and be confined to the World Tree. That’s why she envied the princess even more. Because she would live a long life with her beloved.

The princess in the fairy tale had a hero. Elin did not. Around Elin, there were no reliable companions, no family to confide in, nothing at all.

—It was a misconception. Elin also had her own hero. Someone she hadn’t met yet, but would someday meet, the one and only hero in the world who was hers.

Finally, they met.

The hero saved her from an unreasonable fate. He told her he would bring her joy, that a happier life than before awaited her. And indeed, the hero kept his promise.

How did the princess’s fairy tale end again?

They lived happily ever after, for a very, very long time.

Then… I…

You—.

“Rex.”

Elin opened her mouth. She had no self-restraint left. Before finishing her words, Elin’s arms dove in and embraced Rex. Rex’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped, but he couldn’t speak.

“Mmph!”

Because Elin’s lips blocked his mouth. She could see his blue eyes moving wildly. Elin smiled brightly and pressed her body closer. She felt the firmness of his chest. She could hear the pounding of his heart. Rex’s skin was warm. She wanted to savor this gentle warmth. She wanted to hold his hand. She wanted to walk the streets with him.

She wanted to share love.

Now she could. So there was no reason to hold back. She had already held back enough. I’m someone who will leave someday. I should keep a proper distance. Otherwise, Rex will suffer. The wall in her heart that she had built up with such thoughts had crumbled.

The torrent of emotions that burst forth after being suppressed for so long was fierce. I don’t want to lose him again. Elin’s hand caressed Rex’s face. She touched him because she wanted to touch him. She rubbed her lips against Rex’s. She did it because she wanted to, without restraint.

“…Ahem.”

Elandir, who had been watching them with an embarrassed face, turned his head and cleared his throat. She didn’t care. Right now, neither Alvheim nor her brother were worth Elin’s attention. Even focusing all her attention solely on Rex wasn’t enough. All this time, she had abandoned her hopes, castrated her emotions, and lived like a puppet. She would do so no longer.

There was one small complaint, though. They used to be similar in height, but in the four years since, Rex had grown much taller. Her lips couldn’t properly reach his. Elin stood on her tiptoes and put her arms around Rex’s neck. Only then did their eye levels roughly match. Elin exhaled her heated breath through her nose and gazed at Rex.

“…”

Their lips parted. Elin took a deep breath and reached for Rex’s face again.

“W-wait!”

Rex flinched and stepped back. Elin tilted her head with a puzzled expression.

“Why?”

“Are you going to do it again?”

“Yes.”

It was only natural. After catching her breath briefly, she should continue what she was doing. Elin wiped her moist lips with her finger and leaned in. But again, Rex avoided her lips. Elin’s brow furrowed.

“Come here.”

“No, wait a moment.”

“Why the formal speech all of a sudden? Didn’t we agree to speak comfortably?”

“I was so surprised that I unconsciously fell back into old habits… That’s not the point. Isn’t this a bit too aggressive?”

“What is? Did you dislike kissing me? I… enjoyed it.”

She regretted not having done it until now, it felt so good. As Elin stared at him, Rex replied in a disgruntled tone.

“I enjoyed it too.”

“Then that’s settled.”

“Still… isn’t it too fast to jump straight to that without any middle steps?”

“Middle steps?”

“You know, the process that couples go through. Like having meals together, talking, going on dates…”

Rex stammered and awkwardly scratched his cheek. He had come straight down from the World Tree to meet Elin, but he never imagined she would rush at him and kiss him. Because of that, he completely forgot all the cool lines he had prepared in his mind. What were they again? Something like ‘I’ve come to save you’ and ‘We don’t have to be apart anymore.’ It wasn’t particularly important, but…

“Meals? We’ve already done that many times. Conversations too.”

His thoughts were interrupted. Rex nodded with an embarrassed face. When she put it that way, he couldn’t think of anything to say in response.

“Anyway! Let’s stop here for now. We have plenty of time. You can do everything you want to do.”

“What I want to do is, more with Rex…”

“We agreed to go see the ocean.”

Elin’s eyes widened. Rex added with a grin.

“You haven’t forgotten, have you?”

“…No.”

Though their lips had parted, their hands remained clasped. In fact, Rex held on more firmly than Elin did. Rex turned around. By now, Elandir was watching Elin and Rex with troubled eyes.

“I…”

As if his throat was blocked, a slow voice mixed with tears flowed out.

Regret. What have I done? In the name of serving Alvheim, I tried to sacrifice my sister. The words of my father, whom I trusted more than anyone, were lies. The ritual was not meant to save the elves, but rather to kill the race and the World Tree to extend Elturas’s immortality.

I… Elandir looked at Elin. My sister. Though I’ve seen her since she was young, I never gave her the warmth of family. In Alvheim, Elin… always with an expressionless face. With empty eyes devoid of emotion. With an indifferent voice without any hope… She lived without crying or laughing.

Elin by Rex’s side.

She smiled, gave affectionate glances, and spoke with a dissatisfied voice.

She cried and laughed. Elin was not a doll to be sacrificed for the race, but simply a person like himself. Regret. What have I done? Even if I was deceived, it’s unforgivable. I was betrayed by my father. The sin doesn’t disappear.

‘I…’

Still. I must not turn away. I must face the sin I’ve committed. Even if I cannot atone, I must try. I will not turn away from the sins my father committed. I must face them. Even now, Alvheim, the elves living there, I… must compensate for the weight of sin that I passed onto Elin.

“I… No. That’s a poor excuse. But if you’ll allow it, I wish for your happiness.”

He didn’t voice his thoughts out loud. A mere apology cannot end the sin. Material compensation won’t erase Elin’s pain, but he would make every effort possible.

“I will handle the turmoil in Alvheim. Elin, do as you wish. You may leave with Rex. You don’t have to return to Alvheim ever again. As soon as everything is settled, I will give you everything you desire. I will never interfere with your life. If you want to become the ruler of Alvheim…”

“It’s alright.”

Elandir’s lips trembled. He carefully looked at Elin. Elin wore a faint smile.

“I don’t resent you, brother.”

“…Elin.”

“I’ve never thought about wanting to be queen. I will live my own life, so you… live yours too.”

“I said I’d punch your face.”

Rex interjected, smacking his lips. Elandir’s body flinched. He hadn’t been hit by Rex yet…

“If you want to hit me, if that will satisfy you, you may hit me as you please.”

Though he feared Rex’s fist, Elandir closed his eyes obediently. No matter how he thought about it, he deserved to be hit. He actually wanted to be hit. Perhaps a good beating would erase some of this terrible self-loathing.

But no matter how long he waited, Rex’s fist didn’t come. Could he have been forgiven? When he slightly lifted his eyelids. Thwack! A dull impact struck Elandir’s chin. Elandir swallowed a groan and rubbed his stiff jaw.

“But hitting you would dirty my fist.”

Rex clicked his tongue and muttered. Elandir asked in an aggrieved tone.

“Didn’t you just hit me…?”

“I thought it would be frustrating not to hit you at all. I’ll let you off with just this.”

“Ugh…”

Despite being hit only once, a blue bruise formed on his cheek. Seeing that made Rex want to throw another punch. Maybe he shouldn’t have said he’d let him off with just one hit? But it was awkward to take back his words now. In the end, Rex glared at Elandir and shifted his gaze.

“Shall we go back?”

Elandir had said he would handle the turmoil in Alvheim. There was no need to stay here any longer.

“Where to?”

“Lornaroc.”

The place Rex and Elin needed to return to wasn’t Alvheim. Lornaroc wasn’t home either, but Chloe and Charlotte would be anxiously waiting for him. First, he needed to meet them and let them know how the situation had unfolded.

“…Lornaroc is really far away.”

“I have my ways.”

Rex raised the corner of his mouth with a grin. He couldn’t use Shaharon’s Black Lotus. However, upon ascending to godhood, he gained various abilities he couldn’t use before.

“Let’s go.”

Once again, this time Rex embraced Elin.

A bright light enveloped them.