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Chapter 137: The Journey Continues
Serie expressionlessly withdrew her foot, as if the person who had just kicked Kurtz wasn't her.
Her other foot was firmly planted on the ground, and then she lifted the foot Kurtz had been examining, gently tapping the long boot he had previously taken off and thrown aside with her toes.
The meaning was clear: Put them on me.
Serie's voice was calm; only the redness at the tips of her ears betrayed her unusual inner turmoil. "The examination result is, my leg is perfectly fine. Now, give me the boots."
Kurtz rubbed his chest, which still ached slightly, and looked at Serie's feigned composure that couldn't hide her embarrassment and annoyance. His heart was already blooming with joy; getting under her skin was always worth the physical pain.
He suppressed a laugh and got up from the ground, patting the dust off his body, and put on a wronged expression: "Serie, I was being completely sincere, Heaven and Earth can attest..."
"Shut up!"
Serie interrupted him exasperatedly, not giving this smooth-talking man any more chances to explain.
The way he could twist even genuine concern into something that made her feel... unsettled.
Kurtz still wanted to tease her a bit more, but seeing Serie's annoyed gaze and how her bare, jade-like feet were on the cold ground, he finally smiled and acted.
He bent down, picked up the shoes, then squatted in front of Serie, carefully supporting her ankle again. The leather was still warm from her foot.
This time, his actions were much more proper, and Serie didn't kick him away again. Though her muscles remained tense, ready to strike if he tried anything foolish.
Kurtz carefully put the boots on her and fastened the buckles, his fingers working with practiced efficiency.
His movements were slow, but Serie didn't urge him. The silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft click of buckles.
After putting on the boots, Kurtz didn't immediately get up. Instead, he looked up at Serie, catching her off guard.
"Next time," Kurtz's voice was very serious and carried a hint of concern that only Serie understood, "don't be foolish enough to take on unknown magic directly. Defensive magic isn't omnipotent. What if a Demon has magic that specifically destroys defensive magic? Be careful next time! Okay"
Serie lowered her gaze, meeting Kurtz's eyes. The genuine worry there caught her unprepared; she'd expected another joke, not this worried concern.
The concern in his gaze made her heart stir slightly, but the elf was unwilling to admit she had been overconfident.
In the end, she could only softly "Mm" in response.
Then she slightly flexed her calf, signaling him to let go.
Kurtz stood up, his usual smile returning to his face. "Alright, the injured party has been handled. Do you want to go back to that Dwarf village?"
"But didn't you forget something?"
"Hm? What?"
"We did not ask that demon why he was even here."
Serie recalled that from the moment they started fighting that Demon until Kurtz sent him back to report, they never seemed to have asked the true purpose of his appearance here.
After all, the remaining Demons on the continent were all gathered in the Demon King's City to the north, and this guy's sudden appearance here must have been for some ulterior motive.
"Who knows? Maybe he got lost." Kurtz shrugged, but his expression grew more thoughtful.
Serie ignored his quips, her gaze directed towards the direction Lattland disappeared, then sweeping over the surrounding valley affected by the battle. Scorch marks and cracked stone told the story of their encounter.
"Oh well, we'll find out sooner or later." Serie ultimately gave up on the idea of delving deeper into the matter.
Regardless of his purpose, that guy now had to go back and report to the Demon King obediently.
"Let's go." She took the lead, not heading towards the Dwarf village, but choosing a different direction entirely.
Kurtz looked at her back and quickly followed, adjusting his pack as he fell into step beside her.
"Not going to tell those Dwarves the news?"
"No need! After some time, they will send people to investigate themselves."
"You're right. By the way," Kurtz asked casually as if he had suddenly remembered something while walking.
"What do you think of the name Seven Sages of Destruction? Isn't it much better than their current Four Heavenly Kings?"
Serie continued walking without stopping, only giving him a cold back of her head as a response.
Kurtz didn't mind, laughing to himself: "I think it's pretty good. When the name Seven Sages of Destruction echoes throughout the continent in the future, they'll have to thank me, their namer. Although it might be in the form of a chase."
He shrugged, his tone filled with the joy of a successful prank.
"But the prerequisite for all of that is that they need to know who you are. Did you forget, during the battle just now, we didn't tell that guy our names?"
Serie's reply made Kurtz freeze for a moment. Upon careful thought, it was indeed the case.
Does Lattland even know how to read the room? They had kicked him around like a dead dog by the roadside, and they even forgot to ask for his name.
"Ah!" Kurtz stopped, grabbing his hair in annoyance. "You're right, that guy doesn't even know who we are!"
He let out an exaggerated sigh, "Won't my status as the namer go unknown?"
Serie continued walking without looking back, a hint of amusement in her voice: "You can go after him and tell him. You will still make it if you go now."
"That would be too embarrassing," Kurtz jogged a few steps to catch up, saying with a grin, "Besides, I already have enough honors anyway, so one more or less doesn't matter."
Serie finally couldn't help but slightly tilt her head, glancing at him sideways: "Back then, I delivered the most crucial blow, but why did the title of God-Slaying One fall to you?"
The elf was full of confusion about this particular injustice.
For example, she was now respectfully called the Elf Saint, and Norn was called the King, but only the title of God-Slaying One was occupied by Kurtz alone.
"Perhaps it's because I'm the Orger wielder!"
"That's completely biased!" Although Serie was a little helpless, she fortunately didn't dwell on this topic. "That Demon's petrification magic was indeed very special."
"Mm," Kurtz nodded, his expression becoming serious. "It's not ordinary magic; it's more like a hybrid of some curse and magic. I saw the Goddess's shadow in it."
"You mean Goddess or Eric taught it?" Serie slightly frowned.
"It's a possibility," Kurtz explained, his voice growing quieter.
Serie was silent for a moment: "So why did you let that Demon go back to report?"
"I don't know." Kurtz's tone returned to being relaxed. "Maybe, I just wanted to see how the current Eric would react to it."
Serie stopped and turned to Kurtz: "And then? Are you going to find him and end his suffering?"
Kurtz also stopped, putting away his smile: "Yes, it's bound to happen sooner or later. It's just that I'm waiting for someone to make the final decision."
He didn't say who that person was, but Serie could naturally guess.
She softly "Mm" and turned to continue walking forward.
Kurtz quickly followed. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, just as their journey would be a very long one indeed.
[End of Chapter]