Chapter 241
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Upon returning to the village, I saw Meliana and the guardians, who hadn’t been visible earlier. There were still elves who disliked Meliana, like Natura, but seeing her out and about made me respect her.
I, on the other hand, found it hard to face those who disliked me.
Just then, my eyes met Meliana’s. She looked at me, returning with the elf warriors, then subtly frowned.
“Where have you been?”
“To the Nex habitat.”
“You went there again? Why?”
—We’re returning from searching for the remains of the fallen warriors.
“Why would you, sister, ahem ahem.”
Meliana crossed her arms, looking at me. From her gaze, she didn’t seem to be thinking very positively.
—Human, we must report to The Guardian, so we’re going to the temple. See you again.
Natura, along with Vita and the elf warriors, went up. As soon as they disappeared, Meliana spoke the words she had swallowed earlier.
“You have a strong stomach. Do you want to go to a place teeming with bugs again? You were sick from mana depletion for days, and as soon as you’re well, you go there?”
At first, I thought she was being sarcastic, but as I listened, it felt oddly subtle.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Wh-what?”
“It just sounded like it…….”
“Why would I worry about you? What a total misconception!”
If it’s not, it’s not. Is there a need to get so agitated?
“Right. Have you seen my bow and arrows, by any chance?”
“Bow and arrows? I haven’t seen them. You carried something like that?”
“I used them quite a bit to hit the Nex. I had them until I collapsed from mana depletion.”
“In that case, wouldn’t it be better to ask Duke Yelpen? No. The Duke probably wouldn’t know either. His expression then was truly…….”
Meliana shuddered as she spoke, then stopped midway.
‘Why did she stop talking……?’
Meliana’s gaze subtly shifted. It seemed like she was looking over my shoulder, so I turned around to see Killis standing there.
“Speak of the devil, he’s here.”
Meliana pointed at Killis with her chin, then turned away, telling me to talk to him myself.
“Welcome back, Your Highness.”
Remembering Killis’s attitude before we left, I felt awkward and nodded sheepishly.
“Was there nothing amiss?”
“No. As you can see…….”
“Really?”
It sounded like he was asking me, but it was also a question that seemed to be confirming with Reno and Isaac. Isaac must have felt it too, as he retorted.
“Is there a problem?”
“I feel a strange aura from Your Highness. A sticky aura…….”
“Sticky……?”
“Isn’t it that? What you obtained earlier.”
Reno, who had been quiet all this time, subtly remarked. Only then did something come to mind.
“Is this the aura Killis felt?”
“That is…….”
I took out the pearl I had obtained earlier from my inventory and showed it. Even upon seeing it again, the pearl, shimmering brilliantly, was truly beautiful.
“Indeed. This is the aura. But knowing what it was, why did you bring it here in your Dimensional Pocket?”
“They said it’s a Siren’s Pearl. I saw it in a book a long time ago. It didn’t seem dangerous, so I just brought it.”
“You saw it in a book, you say.”
It had been a useful excuse until now, but when Killis repeated it as if questioning me, I involuntarily flinched. It was because I realized that Killis also read a lot of books, no less than me.
“I see.”
To my surprise, Killis readily accepted it, making my tension seem pointless. So this excuse actually worked.
“If there’s nothing else amiss with Your Highness, then it’s fine.”
Is that it? He clearly seemed angry earlier……?
But I swallowed all those words. There was no need to stir up trouble in a situation that had settled.
“Your Highness.”
It was Reno who called me.
“I apologize, but would it be alright if I left this to Isaac and withdrew?”
After hearing Reno’s words, I realized something I had overlooked. Come to think of it, his expression had been off since earlier.
“Alright. Do that.”
Instead of prying, it seemed he needed some time alone, so I nodded, and Reno thanked me and left.
“Isaac.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“You can also leave now. I’ll only be in the village from now on.”
“I appreciate the consideration, but I will remain by Your Highness’s side.”
“Alright, then.”
Knowing Isaac’s stubbornness, I didn’t try to stop him.
“By the way, Lord Reno’s expression wasn’t good. Did something happen? He wasn’t like that before we left.”
So Killis noticed too.
“Nothing specific happened……. Come to think of it, I picked up a pendant, and he’s been a bit strange since then.”
“A pendant, you say?”
“Yes. You know the high elf who created the barrier to stop the Nex? The elf named Panus. It’s his memento…….”
I paused mid-sentence while talking to Killis.
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