Chapter 118: The Elf Lady's Predicament
"Good!" Serie did not hesitate, pulling Kurtz's hand and walking in one direction, her steps much lighter than when they arrived.
"This way! I remember there's a lost ruin to the north. It holds magic from before the mythical age, and I've always wanted to go there, and..."
Her voice suddenly paused, and her steps slowed, as if she had recalled something unpleasant.
Without realising it, they had arrived at the hill where Serie had hesitated earlier. Not far ahead was the tombstone she had erected for Kurtz.
"Let's take another path, it's not safe ahead!"
Kurtz immediately understood Serie's little secret. After all, he had personally seen his own tombstone before entering Godfall Land. It seemed Miss Efl had also realised this and didn't want him to see the scene.
But the more Serie tried to prevent him from seeing it, the more Kurtz wanted to see. Mainly, he wanted to tease Serie a bit.
"Really?" Kurtz looked at Serie with a smile, his gaze making her feel a little guilty. "How dangerous is it?"
"It's just very dangerous, that's all." Serie turned her head, trying her best not to meet the man's gaze. Her eyes darted everywhere except his face, a telltale sign of her growing discomfort.
"Then it must be very dangerous indeed, if even our genius Elf is scared." Kurtz feigned a sigh.
Clearly, his words were very effective against Serie. When had the genius magic user ever been afraid?
"How could that be! I'm not scared at all!"
"Mhm, mhm, I know," Kurtz responded casually, then quickly walked forward. Turning a corner, he saw a small stone cairn not far away.
On the tombstone erected in front, a line of clear writing was carved:
'Kurtz's Tomb.'
'Erected by his close friend, Serie.'
The air instantly solidified.
Kurtz: "..."
Serie: "..."
Although the breeze in the air was cool, Serie only felt her cheeks burning. Even the tips of her ears began to turn red from embarrassment. The flush crept down her neck, visible proof of her mortification.
"Cough, cough!"
She pretended to casually clear her throat, her gaze drifting elsewhere, not daring to look at Kurtz's expression.
Kurtz looked at his tombstone, which, though simple, was clearly made with care. Its location was also quite good. Then he looked at the Elf Miss beside him, who wished she could shrink away, and the corners of his mouth curled upward uncontrollably.
The Elf Miss's expression of extreme embarrassment truly made him incredibly happy!
He slowly walked over, circled the tombstone once, and even reached out to touch its smooth stone surface. His fingers traced the carefully carved letters with deliberate slowness, savouring every moment of her discomfort.
"Oh..." Kurtz deliberately drew out his tone, his voice full of teasing amusement. "Our Elf Miss's craftsmanship is really good, and the location is well-chosen. The sunlight is very bright. I, the owner of this grave, am very satisfied!"
"I...!" Serie quickly turned her head, a hint of exposed embarrassment in her eyes, but more of a forced stubbornness. "This is called preparing for the future ahead, do you understand?! Anyway, you'll use it eventually! I just prepared it in advance, for when the time comes!"
The more she spoke, the softer her voice became. Finally, only she could hear, but she still tried to puff out her chest, looking as if to say, "What I'm saying makes perfect sense."
Seeing her feigned righteousness despite her guilt, Kurtz could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.
"Don't laugh! You damned, arrogant fellow!"
The Elf Miss was clearly flustered, her gaze almost ready to launch two Light Arrows at his face. Her hands even twitched slightly, as if her magic was responding to her emotional state.
"Yes, yes, yes, the Elf Miss who prepares for trouble ahead." Kurtz barely managed to stop laughing. "Your preparations, I will reluctantly accept."
After Kurtz finished speaking, he looked at his name on the tombstone, then at the living Serie in front of him. The plan for eternal life in his heart became even clearer.
But he decided to keep this secret for now. Let the Elf Miss think he only had a few decades left. That way, when she one day discovered that his appearance remained unchanged and he could accompany her through the next, and the next, hundred years, her surprised expression would surely be very amusing.
"What are you looking at?" Serie looked at the mysterious smile on his lips with suspicion.
"Nothing." Kurtz pretended as if nothing had happened. "I just think you're right, it'll be useful sooner or later. Let's go, while it's still early, and leave this unlucky place."
He extended his hand.
Serie looked at his outstretched hand, then at the awkward tombstone, and finally pouted, but still placed her hand into his, letting him hold it tightly. The familiar warmth of his palm against hers was oddly comforting despite the embarrassing circumstances.
But before leaving, she secretly glanced at the tombstone she had erected. After all, it was too simple. If left unattended, it would probably become run-down in just a few years.
So her fingertip moved almost imperceptibly, and a subtle hardening spell quietly fell upon the stone tablet. This was something she had learned during her thirty years of travel, which could greatly extend the durability of an object. Now it came in handy.
Since it was already built, it shouldn't go to waste.
Kurtz took in her small action, secretly chuckling, but pretended not to know. He simply led the Elf Miss beside him and started on a new journey once more. This time, it was just the two of them.
The Far North.
This was the gathering place of the remaining demons, and because the first king to rule all demons appeared among them, people also called this place the Demon King's City.
To display His Majesty the Demon King's might, a group of demons copied the designs of the elves and dwarves and built a magnificent castle for him.
Thirty years ago, when the Demonic army was utterly defeated by the allied forces of elves and dwarves, the power of demons across the continent began to decline steadily. Especially after losing their connection with the Goddess, the demons fell into confusion.
It was then that a seemingly frail human appeared before the demons.
At first, some demons even tried to treat him as food and attacked him, but he destroyed them with a single blow, leaving no trace. The demonstration of power was swift and absolute, leaving no room for doubt about his capabilities.
And when he made his move, the dark aura coming from him was indistinguishable from that of a demon. At that time, the demons who witnessed it all thought he was also a demon.
Although there were humanoid beings among the demons, why did this guy not have horns? It was simply too unusual!
But no demon dared to say it out loud. Because this guy was just too strong, so strong that all the demons combined were no match for him.
At the same time, he also bore the aura of the Goddess, and under the dual influence, he naturally succeeded the Goddess and began to rule all demons. All demons started to call him the Demon King.
Inside the spacious hall, a frail figure giving off a dense, threatening aura sat upon the throne. The massive chamber dwarfed his slight frame, yet his presence filled every corner with an oppressive weight that made even the strongest demons bow their heads in submission.
This figure was Eric after being corrupted.
However, contrary to Kurtz's guess, the current Eric had retained some of his sanity and had not completely become a slave to the Goddess.
[End of Chapter]
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