Chapter 24: Chapter 23 – Interior II

Rosaria preserves a soft smile while waving them goodbye. All the while, at her side, Percibell seems to relax with each step of the horses' hoofs.

Distance ensured, she takes a deep breath and allows her pointy ears to perk up again to their natural state.

When finally they are out of sight, obscured by the bushes and trees, Rosaria turns to the elf and with her arms akimbo, and states, 「You have some explaining to do.」

Percibell looks up at her for a moment, and her silvery eyes seem to glaze over. She lets her gaze fall down at her feet.

「N-no, I don't really... like to talk about it,」 she says with a sullen voice.

「Actually, I insist,」 Rosaria says while leaning in closer with a stern face.

Percibell seems to hold her breath in silence, then begins to shiver and hugs herself.

Rosaria watches on, perplexed, as the elf shakes her head.

「The orcs! Doesn't miss Melan know?!」 Percibell, uncharacteristically, raises her voice at her.

「Know what?」

「They... they... I... I-」 Percibell, unable to vocalize her anguish, turns side to side.

Rosaria sighs and puts her hand on the elf's shoulder, she softens her gaze and looks her directly into her eyes.

「Alright, It's fine. Take your time to relax. I won't pursue the matter,」 she reassures her.

Percibell looks back into her eyes, blinks twice rapidly and sniffles. She wipes her tears with her sleeve and shakes her head again, taking a big breath. After a moment, her expression seems to return to its resolute natural state.

With her arms back on her hips, Rosaria turns to the goods and says, 「Alright, let's hurry and get this stuff back home, shall we? That orc wasn't lying about the beasts.」

「W-what do you mean?」 Percibell asks, a slight tremble in her voice.

「That barrier around the mansion isn't just for show, you know? It also protects against the beasts... especially after they've become more frequent...」 Rosaria mutters with a pensive look.

「The beasts are after Miss Melan!?」 the elf can't help but shout. With a slouch and fearful eyes, she takes a few glances around and back into the woods before whispering, as if the beasts would hear her otherwise,「What...?」

「No questions,」 Rosaria declares in a curt manner, the seriousness of expression that makes the elf take a step back. Noticing the elf's distress, the princess relaxes and exhales.

「Let's just get this stuff back, alright? I'll tell you in time,」 she reassures.

With her mouth zipped, Percibell nods a couple of times and then glances around the goods quizzically, picking up one pouch before settling her gaze on the human and tilting her head.

Rosaria replies with a knowing smile and a wink, 「Consider this a treat, just watch. There's another reason why I had them leave it off here」

She turns around and raises her hand towards the forest, and with closed eyes starts slowly mumbling an incantation.

Percibell watches her, wide-eyed, and with a stiffened body and voice she asks, 「What is Miss Melan about to do...? Wait... that incantation...?」

She jumps up at the words in her incantation and starts looking around, twitching and turning. 「But how...? That's an elf incantation...」

「Silence...! I need to concentrate.」 cutting her spell short, sweat drops run along Rosaria's forehead while she squeezes her eyes shut.

She continues, and after what seems like a long while, a sudden low rumble echoes through the forest.

Percibell starts looking around even more nervously and yelps out as the ground beneath her trembles. Slowly, the vines on the trees and the branches start to sway, as if moved by the wind, but the clothes of the elf and the woman both stay still. The branches don't sway back, but continue, bending further down and forward until they meet the back ends of the various items. The vines wrap around the branches, giving the twisting, creaking wood extra strength.

The elf's mouth is agape while she watches on as the ground tremor moves forward and concentrates under the deliveries, so that, in a combined effort, the flora of the forest — its branches, twigs, vines and roots all start propelling the barrels, crates, sacks and bundles forward, down the path leading to the edge of the barrier. The plants work in tandem, letting the next tree take over just as the previous one's outgrowths reach the limits of their length, making the greenery cooperate just to gently move their cargo.

「T-this is... amazing.」 Percibell mumbles with heavy breaths while her knees go weak. Feeling on the verge of passing out, she tries to secure a foothold on the rumbling ground.

「Another trick I learned from the Elf Queen」 Rosaria mutters with a tinge of pride.

She wipes off her sweat before walking into the woods. Noticing that Percibell is standing still with a shocked expression, she turns around and asks, 「You coming?」

「Did I hear right? Has Miss Melan met the Elf Queen?」 The elf asks, her mouth agape yet again and eyes full of disbelief.

She closes in on Rosaria with quick, eager steps and starts an onslaught of questions.

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「H-How? What's she like? Is it true that she lives in a huge floating grand tree, with a palace on top, and servants with fancy dresses and golden plates with lots of food?」

Rosaria rolls her eyes.

「I do have a significant presence, most significant, you know. Did you also forget that I was part of the Demon King subjugation party?」 she asks, but Percibell looks up at her with eyes shining full of admiration, still dazzled by the spectacle and the revelation.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, Rosaria glances aside before letting out a resigned exhale and then a small smile sit on her face.

「One question at a—」

A sudden roar silences the creaking of the moving branches and twigs. It's a hollow-sounding and ear-piercing scream, like the final throes of a giant elk with its throat ripped open.

Both women freeze in their tracks, goosebumps on their whole bodies. They look at each other with nervous expressions.

Rosaria gestures Percibell to stay silent with a finger on her mouth, the elf nodding in return.

As if on command, all the trees rustle their dead branches, causing whatever crows remained to disperse. The rustling sound, like an incoming violent hailstorm, coupled with the cries of the crows, makes it seem like the world is coming to an end.

Percibell shrieks, leaping closer and clutching onto Rosaria with trembling hands.

A translucent dome of blue light spirals around them, protecting them from dead branches falling off the trees.

After waiting for what seems like an eternity for things to calm down, Rosaria pulls Percibell along while walking briskly past the trees.

The branches and vines seem to follow them, unimpeded, still dragging the items along.

After a period of silence, Percibell is unable to keep her mouth shut and asks with chattering teeth,「W-w-what was that?」

Rosaria increases her pace and replies in a hushed voice without looking back,「I don't know... let's hur-」

「You girls alright?」 a masculine voice suddenly sounds from a couple of meters to their side.

「Kyyaaahhh!」

Both of them jump at the voice, Percibell even stumbling and falling only to crawl over and clutch around Rosaria's legs as if her life depended on it.

They look over and spot a tall man in a black hood, wearing a dark, satin cloak, frayed near the end at the back, reaching to his boot-cladden feet and hiding most of his upper torso and arms.

「Arghhh nooo, s-s-s Shadow Blade!!!」 Percibell screams while reaching up Rosaria's thighs with a face of despair as if trying to disappear within them.

Rosaria squints her eyes, trying to see through the fog. Only the man's face is barely visible, most obscured by the hood.

「How could it be Xlara with such a voice?」 Rosaria rolls her eyes, 「Xal, what the hell are you scaring us for?! You always do this!」 she yells through gritted teeth.

The man laughs and approaches them while taking off his hood. His body becomes clearer, the fog slowly revealing his darker skin and golden, slightly glowing eyes.

「Relax, I was just clearing out the beasts for you guys. It should be a clear path now,」 he reveals with a grin.

Percibell is still clinging to Rosaria's legs, limbs wrapped around them, while trembling with her eyes closed.

「And you couldn't have just told us in advance like a normal person? Hmph, you're so childish,」 Rosaria sulks.

Peering down, she puts her hand on the trembling elf's head and adds,「Look, poor Percibell is scared out of her mind because of you!」

Still unaware, the elf won't budge from her position - frozen in a crouch, she tightens her grip and squeezes her eyes shut even more.

The princess bends over with great difficulty and hovers over her, as if to protect her from the world.

「It's okay little darling... It wasn't Xlara, just stupid Xal,」 she consoles.

「Arghhh nooo, s-s-s Shadow Blade!!!」 Percibell shouts, still trembling and making Rosaria put on an awkward look.

Xal rakes a hand through his hair and laughs, his laughter echoing throughout the woods.

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