Siatas kept firing arrows while glaring at Mobet, scolding him, "How could I ever abandon you and run? You idiot, I'll deal with you later!"
"Wow!"
As the scene veered toward a dramatic "lovers facing a deadly foe together" vibe, one of the strangers across from them suddenly started clapping. Not only that, but he even nudged those around him to join in.
In an instant, the life-or-death tension dissolved into an oddly harmonious atmosphere.
Pallez clapped a few times before looking at Mobet and Siatas with a teasing glint in his eye. "Not bad, Mobet. When's the wedding? This old man can't wait to attend."
"???"
"???"
Mobet finally realized something. Watching the group remove their monocles, he asked tentatively, "Old man, is it really you?"
"Who else would it be?" Pallez shot him a glance, chuckling. "You didn't seriously think a Sequence 5 like you would get a chance to play hero against the real Amon, did you? Did all those lessons go to waste?"
Mobet's face flushed, and he stammered, "Uh, I…"
"Don't be so sure. My main body's pretty nasty. It's not impossible he'd toy with Mobet, giving him a chance to show off," Lil' Amon interjected.
Mobet paused, glancing at Lil' Amon. Spotting the monocle on his face, suspicion stirred within him. He asked cautiously, "And you are?"
"Hi there! I'm the Lil' Angel of Time, but you can call me Lil' Amon," Lil' Amon said, greeting him warmly.
Mobet's heart sank. He turned to Pallez for confirmation. "Old man, is… is what he says true?"
"He's indeed one of Amon's avatars," Pallez confirmed with a nod, smiling at Mobet's stunned expression. "But don't worry. Times have changed. This isn't the era where Amon could do as he pleased anymore."
Mobet looked surprised, then uncertain, his gaze flickering between Pallez and the others.
"What, doubting my identity?" Pallez glanced at Mobet, easily reading his thoughts. He wasn't upset, just chuckled and began recounting Mobet's childhood embarrassments... bed-wetting, cross-dressing, drinking ink, and more.
"Enough, enough! I believe you're the old man!" Mobet's face turned green as he hurriedly cut him off.
In truth, even Pallez recounting these embarrassing stories wasn't definitive proof. If Amon had fully replaced Pallez, he could know these things too. But Mobet had some faith in his ancestor's survival skills. Pallez might not be Amon's match, but completely consuming him wouldn't be easy for the Angel of Time.
Besides, Mobet knew that if this was Amon, and he was willing to play along in Pallez's guise, Mobet had to go along with it. At least that gave him a chance to think of an escape rather than being devoured outright.
Pallez saw through Mobet's thoughts but didn't bother explaining further. Words couldn't unravel such a chain of suspicion. Once they left the book and Pallez resolved Mobet's lifespan issue, the doubts would naturally fade.
After all, Amon wouldn't go through such thankless effort.
"Mobet, what's going on?" Siatas finally spoke up, unable to hold back. The sudden plot twist had left her utterly confused.
"Uh…" Mobet fumbled, unsure how to explain. He guessed this was likely Pallez pulling a prank, but it wasn't something he could just blurt out.
Though he didn't say it, his hesitation, combined with what had just happened, gave Siatas enough clues. Her face darkened as she considered another possibility. Turning to Mobet, she asked, "Did you do this on purpose?"
"No way!" Mobet protested loudly. "I had no idea the old man was coming. How could I team up with him to trick you? Siatas, you have to believe me…"
"Hmph!" Siatas huffed, neither confirming nor denying her trust, though her expression softened slightly. "Fine, maybe you didn't plan to trick me with him. But what if you figured it out and pretended you didn't?"
"Absolutely not! I genuinely thought I was facing Amon. I didn't expect it was the old man in disguise!" Mobet scrambled to defend himself. In his panic, he blurted out, "Siatas, trust me. I like you so much... how could I ever deceive you over something like this?"
Realizing what he'd said, Mobet's voice cut off abruptly.
Siatas's anger faded in that moment. She thought back to what had just happened... Mobet's reaction in the face of danger, her own instinctive choice to stay despite reason urging her to flee…
Siatas ground her teeth.
As if their minds were in sync, Mobet also recalled the recent events. He looked at Siatas tentatively. "Speaking of which, just now, Siatas, you…"
"Shut up!" Siatas snapped, glaring at him. Her tone turned dangerous. "I haven't settled the score with you yet. Playing the hero, huh? Telling me to run alone, huh?"
Mobet gave an awkward laugh. "Siatas, calm down. No need to get physical, right? The old man's still here. It's not great to be so… aggressive in front of others, is it?"
Pallez, who'd been enjoying the drama, chimed in. "Mobet, that's not how it works. When it comes to lovers' quarrels, we never interfere."
"No, old man, you've got it wrong. Siatas and I aren't…" Mobet started to explain, but seeing Siatas's expression grow colder, he quickly backtracked. "No, we are a couple."
"Hah!" Siatas sneered, drawing her bow. A lightning-charged arrow shot toward Mobet.
"Wait, so are we or aren't we? Why're you mad again…" Mobet yelped, dodging as he spoke, sounding aggrieved.
More arrows followed, aimed at his backside.
A few minutes later, Mobet stopped running, and Siatas stopped shooting. His backside bristled with arrows, making him look like a porcupine. Though he grimaced, his condition wasn't much worse, suggesting the arrows were more a lesson than a true attack.
Siatas looked at Mobet, her expression suddenly serious. "In elf tradition, you need at least a bouquet of flowers before confessing."
Mobet froze, realization dawning as he stared at Siatas in a daze.
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)