NOVEL WEB #10
#10
Chapter 2. A Night of Guessing Each Other
In the rugged Fiokhim mountain range, untouched by human feet, elves were walking in a line towards somewhere. All of them wore pure white tunics, holding torches in one hand, with fire spirits breathing within them.
“…….”
Among the elves walking in a line, one elf stood out with a particularly tense expression. His hands trembled so much that the fire spirit inside the torch peeked out.
At that moment.
“Ugh!” He stumbled over a large tree root he hadn’t noticed while distracted. Just as he was about to fall, an elf walking behind him grabbed his arm firmly.
Fortunately, the elf who had been saved turned around and said, “Th-thank you.”
The one who had caught him was his friend, Kain Starchis, who had grown up together with him in Fiokhim. He spoke with a slight frown.
“……Aren’t you too tense?”
As if to snap him back to reality, Kain lightly patted the back of his friend who was walking ahead. As always, his expression was cold.
Even in moments like this, to be so composed—no matter how well elves express their emotions, it was impossible not to feel otherwise at this moment.
“Kain, you’re amazing. You’re finally going to have your fated partner……. Everyone pretends to be dignified, but they’re probably just like me.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Lucian shouted softly while looking back at Kain. His cheeks were slightly flushed, a bit more than Kain, who was slightly shorter.
“You’re going to have a partner to live with for the rest of your life. I really hope Dilaila is my fated partner. Please.”
“Dilaila and you……. You do match well.”
“Kain, what about you?”
“Me?”
Kain shrugged his shoulders lightly, causing the torch in his hand to sway slightly.
“I don’t really want any particular elf. And anyway, whoever I want, it’s not like the Galia Tree will let me choose.”
His tone was completely indifferent, unlike Lucian’s. Kain Starchis, whose warm green eyes were envied by all in Fiokhim, seemed to have no interest in this matter at all.
“There’s no way the Galia Tree would choose someone else as a fated partner. The Galia Tree knows everything. If our wishes reach the Tree, it will eventually grant us a revelation about our fated partners.”
As he said this, Lucian clenched his fist. He was overflowing with confidence, though he didn’t know what he had talked about with Dilaila. What would he do if they crossed paths? There were many tales among elves about fated partners that spoke of such things.
Kain pretended to agree with Lucian’s words, nodding his head a few times.
Then, in a subtle voice, Lucian whispered, lightly placing his unoccupied hand near his mouth.
“What about Leira?”
“Leira? Why are you suddenly bringing her up?”
“She said long ago that you two would be fated partners. Besides Leira, there are quite a few elves who want to be your partner.”
“…….”
Kain Starchis continued to move his long legs, listening to Lucian’s words. Even while they were conversing, the procession towards Kebener continued.
Every hundred years, adult elves gather to go to Kebener. It is there that the World Tree, the Galia Tree, grants revelations about fated partners.
“Why does the World Tree decide on fated partners….”
Kain muttered, recalling the distant Galia Tree. He had always felt this way. Despite being admired and respected by other elves for his exceptional archery skills, he always thought that life in this Fiokhim mountain range was not perfect.
It felt like there was a huge hole in the center of his chest. Could the ‘fated partner’ revealed this time truly fill this emptiness? And did other elves feel this way too? As he quietly looked down at Lucian’s excited and tense steps ahead, Kain had other thoughts in his mind.
Then he swore.
If the fated partner could truly fill the large hole in his heart, he would dedicate his entire life to them.
* * *
“……Wow.”
Lucian, who had been walking ahead, gradually slowed down until he finally stopped. However, no one complained. All the elves in the procession that had started from the Fiokhim mountain range stopped, lifting their heads in awe at the branches and leaves of the World Tree, which filled the blue sky.
“It’s the Galia Tree.”
This was the first time experiencing such a grand and immense presence. Even Kain Starchis, who had felt little excitement about the revelation, couldn’t help but widen his eyes at the sight of the Galia Tree.
The tree was literally the ‘World Tree.’ The source of all living beings and spirits on the continent. True to that description, Kebener was vibrant with pure mana and overflowing life.
Deer peacefully grazing moved aside to let the elf procession pass, and playful spirits approached the fire spirit held by the elves, poking it curiously.
Kain, calming the fire spirit that was puffing up in excitement, gazed at the beginning of the line of elves.
Gradually, the elves moved to encircle the Galia Tree in a circle. The World Tree was thick enough for the elves to form a circle around it, as tall as it was.
The ceremony to receive their fates was about to begin.
Puuuu——
The elder elf at the front of the procession blew a horn loudly. Startled by the sound, small colorful birds perched on the branches of the World Tree fluttered their wings and flew into the sky.
Hearing the horn, the elves placed their torches down on the ground. Immediately, the fire spirits sitting inside the torches were startled and vanished, leaving only smoke behind.
Kain raised his arms and held hands with the elves beside him, looking up at the great Galia Tree as he swallowed hard.
“…….”
Puuuu——
As all the elves raised their arms and held hands, the elder blew the horn once more. Now, everyone was ready to receive their revelations.
The ground where the World Tree stood trembled with a low hum. The sound of thousands and thousands of leaves shaking on the World Tree could be heard. Soon, a light drizzle began to fall from the clear sky, which had shown no signs of rain.
There was no time to feel his body getting wet.
With their eyes closed, the elves embraced their fated partners with their whole beings.
“……!”
Feeling something hot piercing into his left chest, Kain slightly trembled his closed eyes. Although he had heard about the sensation of accepting a fated partner from other adult elves, experiencing it directly was on a different level.
The place where the name of the partner was engraved varied for each elf, based on a superstition about which part the Galia Tree favored.
If it was the left chest, it was right above the heart. Quite a significant location. Kain thought this as he slowly opened his eyes.
Now it was time to check the mark that had been engraved on him.
Then it happened.
“Oh my gosh!”
Lucian, standing right next to him, jumped up and let out a happy scream. He pointed at the mark engraved on his arm with his finger and shouted.
“Kain! It’s Dilaila’s name! We really are fated partners!”
“…….”
“Lucian!”
“Dilaila! You received my name too, right?!”
From afar, Dilaila, who had received her revelation on the opposite side of the tree, was running towards them with a bright smile, confirming the mark engraved on her.
“Kain, what about you?”
Lucian waved his arms excitedly at Dilaila and nudged Kain with his elbow, who was standing right next to him.
However, his long-time friend looked down at his mark and remained silent.
“…….”
Could it be Leira? Or perhaps a completely different elf? Lucian, filled with curiosity, asked Kain again, looking at his strange expression.
“Kain, what’s your partner’s name? Why do you look like that?”
The elves in the Fiokhim mountain range all knew each other. Elves were few in number and lived together in one place rather than scattered elsewhere. Because of this, just hearing a name was enough to roughly know who it was.
Lucian wanted to run to Dilaila but also wanted to hear Kain’s answer, so he kept shifting his gaze. But Kain remained silent after looking down at his left chest.
“Kain?”
At Lucian’s urging, Kain lifted his head. He looked very flustered, in stark contrast to his previous indifference.
“My fated partner is…….”
His voice trembled as he spoke. This was not typical of Kain Starchis.
“My fated partner is who?”
It was no wonder, as the name engraved above Kain’s heart was…….
A name he had never seen before.