NOVEL WEB Return
Kael healed Elalios. “You can return now, I will stay here”
Elalios sat up, silent, looking down. He looked at Kael. “What are you?”
“I already told you, you don’t remember?”, Kael said while picking up large stones to rebuild the well of his village.
Elalios looked above the foliage, and smiled. He didn’t want to fight anymore. For him, it’s better to believe the absurd than to be beaten by an actual child.
“Is this place important to you?”, Elalios asked.
“It is”, Kael said still fixing the well. “This is my home”
Elalios looked around. He can vaguely imagine the look of the village, as he was made aware of it.
“A lot of time passed..”, Elalios said, walking towards Kael. “I didn’t even know about this”
Kael didn’t mind, as Elalios helped him rebuild the broken well. There was silence until they finished the well, restoring its original height.
“It was finished”, Elalios said.
“There’s more to be done”
“I see”, Elalios looked around again. “You’re not planning on going back?”
Kael didn’t answer. He was picking up the stones of what he knew was his old house.
“I did it. You were forgotten because of me”
Kael paused, hearing what Elalios said. Perhaps he was overwhelmed by his emotions that he forgot such possibility.
“I apologize”
“I did knock you out. I think that’s good enough”, Kael said while continuing his work.
Elalios smiled at him, then he continued. “Seqina can make them remember”
Kael paused again.
“Well, that’s only if you want to”, Elalios added.
Kael was silent.
“I should return now. Don’t worry, I won’t tell them where you are”
Elalios waited for Kael’s response, but he didn’t get any. He turned around, going back to the village. He thought that he couldn’t convince the child, but before he can make his third step, he heard Kael.
“Wait!”, Kael said. “Will you make them remember?”
Elalios smiled. “If you want to, I will”
“But why are you helping me?”
“I want to repent, I was cruel to you. I don’t like to stay this way”
“The Earl, your lord, how about him?”
“I’m my own master”, Elalios turned to him. “Besides, this is a one time thing, I won’t do this again”
Kael’s face brightened. He looked at his house, he looked at the remains of the village.
‘I promise, I will return to you’
Kael and Elalios went back to the village of Lucien faithfuls. Kael still felt the pain as the old people see him as a stranger. Elalios patted him by the shoulder which eased his heart a little.
“Endure it for now”, Elalios said. “I will get another memory potion from Seqina”
Elalios left the village. Kael almost turned around after Elalios was far enough. Elalios returned as quick as he left.
“Elalios? What happened?”, Kael asked.
“This is bad”
Before Elalios can explain himself, a person emerged from the path to Cleron. It was Osbert.
Osbert saw Kael behind Elalios, and was delighted by what he saw. Not because they found the child, but because in his mind, he finally got something against Elalios.
“Oh! You find Kael, your guess was right!”, Osbert said in a condescending tone. “Elalios, why would you return without the child?”
Elalios was sweating, stretching his arms slightly. “What are you doing here?”
“I got bored searching around the town”, Osbert paused. “And, I find you suspicious”
Osbert looked behind Elalios. He saw Kael looking at him.
“I was right! You did let Kael escape”
“What are you talking about?”
“Elalios, I can see, there’s no denying it”, Osbert grinned at him. “I don’t care about your reason, but..”
Osbert looked at Kael again. “No one defies my lord”
[Speed Boost]
It was so fast, Elalios didn’t have a time to react. Osbert was a meter away from him, ready to stab his neck.
[Binded Summon: Silver Knight]
Osbert’s dagger was interrupted by the silver knight. He was surprised, immediately jumping back.
“Thank you”, Elalios whispered to Kael after he understood what just happened.
Kael nodded in return.
“You actually tried killing me”
“What is that?”, Osbert said.
“That’s.. this is my summon”, Elalios said.
“What? I thought you couldn’t do that?”
“It was my secret”
Osbert was still shocked, but he recovered quickly. He dismissed his confusion, and regained his composure. He knew he shouldn’t be afraid. He was sure that a grade D mage didn’t have a summon stronger than what he has.
[True Summon: Lava Beast]
A black portal formed on the ground, and a meter tall hound emerged from it. The summon has multiple crevices on his dark rough skin that revealed its magmatic inner body.
“Destroy that knight!”, Osbert commanded.
The hound rushed to the knight.
“Protect us”, Kael commanded.
The knight jumped forward. Before the hound bite its head off, the knight cut the hound’s front limbs with ease. Then, it cut the hound’s back limbs.
The hound turned its head back, the knight was already up on its head. The knight slashed its head clean, and it disappeared into dust.
“Whaa..”, Elalios was shocked.
Osbert couldn’t believe what he saw. His summon was defeated that easily.
“There’s no way..”, Osbert blurted as he looked at the knight returning in front of Elalios.
Elalios recovered from his surprise. He saw that Osbert was more surprised than he was. He exhaled in relief, and spoke.
“Return to the castle. I will forget that you tried to kill me”, Elalios said.
Osbert was enraged, seeing that Elalios was not surprised of what just occurred. He felt insulted by Elalios commanding him.
“You..”, Osbert didn’t say another word. He looked down in anger, and prepared himself.
[Strength Boost]
Osbert looked at the knight. “I will destroy you”
[Speed Boost]
Osbert dashed forward once again. His dagger was enhanced, aimed at the knight’s head. He lunged his dagger. It was interrupted by the knight.
“Tch”, Osbert jumped back, then forward again.
The knight interrupted all of Osbert’s lunges and slashes.
[Fireball]
Osbert jumped back, and multiple fireballs hit the knight. The accumulation of explosions made the knight to take a step back.
“So that’s your weakness”
[Fireball]
Another barrage of flames hit the knight. Osbert thought that he was victorious. The stream of fireballs kept on coming. The knight stepped back one after another.
The explosions made the people of the village to take notice. Kael knew it, and so, he decided to finish the fight.
“Slash him”, Kael commanded.
The knight anchored himself to not move back any further. Then, it rushed forward.
Osbert knew the knight was coming, but it was too fast for him. He was slashed on his left wrist.
“Right arm”
Osbert was slashed again. He jumped back.
“Left leg”
The knight dashed towards Osbert. He was slashed again. He jumped back further. He looked at the knight, and saw that it stopped. He saw Elalios, standing from the distance, seeing his sorry state. He didn’t want to accept it, but he had only one choice. And so, he fled, returning to town.
“We have a problem”, Elalios said.
“What is it?”
“I don’t think I can go back anymore”