"Elder?"
Dozens of high-ranking elves scurried to both sides like mice seeing a cat. Reishi and his son, who had been boasting moments ago, had long lost their backbone, hanging their heads like dead dogs and moving aside to let the Elder and Sebiel pass.
"Baron, thank you for your leniency. Please accept my bow."
To the utter surprise of the generals, the Elder slightly bowed, offering me the elves' most esteemed salute. This cunning old fox already knew the full truth of the matter. His theatrics were merely to resolve the misunderstanding while also portraying himself as a wise leader.
I returned his bow, playing along in this grand act.
"You don't need to ask anything, nor know anything. This concerns Captain Setsuen's privacy. But I can assure you, this matter has absolutely no relation to the Baron."
The elf generals were full of doubts, but since the Elder had spoken, they found it inconvenient to say more. It was Senyo who understood the situation better; the stoic ironclad man stepped forward to apologize to me.
Sebiel, standing by, gave Reishi and his son a cold glare. They grudgingly came forward to apologize as well.
"We were truly presumptuous just now. Please, Baron, don't take it to heart."
"Hahahaha... don't worry, a great man doesn't hold grudges against 'small' people. How could I take it to heart?"
His expression changed, but I leisurely enjoyed his look as if he'd eaten dirt. Regardless, he had no choice but to swallow his pride.
After they left the treatment room, the Elder led me to Setsuen's room, closing the door tightly. It looked as if he was planning a two-men, one-woman friendly game.
Looking at the sweetly sleeping Setsuen, with her azure cloud-like hair, snowy white skin, and innocent demeanor, she looked from any angle like a pure maiden in the prime of her youth. It was a stark contrast to her earlier mad-dog appearance.
"This child is actually quite pitiful..."
"Stop being so meddlesome and get to the point."
"Hmph, I'm only being nice because you're keeping Setsuen's secret. Don't be so arrogant. Never mind, Setsuen was originally one of the candidates for the former Saintess. Her talent is beyond question, but what's most remarkable is that she aspired from a young age to become a magic user. However, due to one wrong decision of mine, her life was tragically ruined."
"Even smart people make mistakes, let alone you. I understand."
"..."
"It wasn't long after the great war between the Holy Elves and the Dark Elves ended, and the conflict between Vorust and Dierry was still raging. At that time, as the leader of the Arrow Bow Unit, I found an injured human officer while patrolling the forest. Driven by great compassion and the spirit of saving those in need, I brought him back to the tribe..."
"Enough, I can guess what happened next."
"You little brat, shut up! I've kept this bottled up for over three hundred years; at least let me finish the story. That man resolutely returned to his country, but poor Setsuen kept foolishly waiting for him to come back and take her away. But he never returned. Setsuen was so heartbroken that not only did she fail to become a Saintess, but her magical power also regressed significantly because of this, making no progress for three hundred years. Finally, it was through my strong recommendation that she was able to join the Magic Archer Corps as a small team leader, achieving what she has today after much struggle. Avanti Radell, do you know why Setsuen tried to assassinate you so desperately?"
"It's probably because that man, like me, was the handsome and unrestrained type."
This foxy elf suddenly burst into uncontrollable laughter, flailing his arms and legs, clearly having a fit of madness.
"Hahahahaha... I thought you were so impressive! Wrong, wrong, wrong, completely wrong! The reason is actually very simple: because that man, like you, is named Radell."
Ignoring his taunts, I instantly understood. Closing my eyes, I began to silently recite every name in my family's genealogy from the past three hundred years.
So that was it. No wonder Setsuen reacted so strongly. She hated men of the Radell family and also intensely envied Lily, who became a Saintess and could stay by my side. Hatred combined with jealousy re-opened a wound that hadn't healed in three hundred years, causing this otherwise peaceful elf to completely break down, resulting in her foolish actions just now.
After his laughter, the Elder changed his expression with incredible speed, revealing a face full of benevolence. His Versailles-like eyes shone as he gazed at Setsuen, and he even sat beside her, gently caressing her hair. This skill in changing expressions alone was enough to perform street acts at the market.
"Avanti Radell, if you can, I'd like to ask you to find a way to comfort this girl. Whatever compensation you want, I will try my best to satisfy you."
I couldn't help but smile wryly. While doing a good deed daily wasn't my nature, and being responsible for women wasn't my style, looking at the sleeping Setsuen, I couldn't help but be moved by this girl who had been infatuated for over three hundred years.
"Don't see me as so greedy. Leave this matter to me. But speaking of which, after dealing with you for so long, I still don't know your name, Elder?"
For some reason, the Elder's face suddenly turned ashen, and he walked silently towards the door, intending to leave.
"Seu..."
"What?"
"Seuko..."
His name is really Seukho? Just kidding, right? After he closed the door, I couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Are you awake?"
"My... head hurts..."
Crouching by the bed, I leisurely watched Setsuen awaken. She truly was an elf; the normal Setsuen was very cute, especially her slightly trembling long ears, which were particularly endearing.
"You... Avanti Radell?"
"Have you forgotten? That's good, some things are better forgotten."
Setsuen's face first showed surprise, and then her expression honestly changed, letting me know she had recalled what happened. It seemed the blow from three hundred years ago was indeed severe, coupled with prolonged mental torment, making her spirit extremely unstable. It was already a miracle that she could still perform elementary magic in her current state; I believe her original potential could rival Lily's.
I smiled, pulled back the covers, and squeezed onto the bed, lying beside her.
"Ah? What... what do you want? Don't get so close!"
"Quiet!"
I ignored Setsuen's reaction, simply pressing her fragrant body down so she could lie comfortably with me on the bed, and gently covered us with the blanket. She tried to struggle, but I carefully held her.
"Don't worry, while I might be lustful, I wouldn't stoop to raping a woman. Look up."
"Up?"
Setsuen looked up and discovered that the ceiling had been broken, leaving a large hole. Through this hole, she could see the twinkling stars in the night sky outside. She, who had originally wanted to escape, finally lay down quietly.
"Setsuen, how long has it been since you had a sweet dream?"
"...I've already... forgotten."
"Is that so?"
I crossed my arms and placed them behind my head, gazing at the bright stars. I realized I hadn't looked at the stars in a long time either, at least four years.
"Kymus Radell?"
"Hmm, has the Elder told you everything?"
"Hehehe... that old geezer, he deliberately told me half and left out the other half, making me rack my brains trying to guess."
"Hehehehe... Actually, the Elder is a serious elder; he never jokes with us. It seems your relationship is quite good."
"Nonsense! How could I be close to that old fox? Do you think I'm a hundreds-of-years-old man?"
"Old fox?"
Setsuen fell silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into unladylike laughter. Lying beside her, I finally felt relieved. She laughed for a long time before quieting down and continuing to admire the stars in the sky.
"Kymus Radell was a direct descendant of the Radell family three hundred years ago. I remember the family genealogy records him as having two sons and two daughters. Are you interested in knowing their names?"