Chapter 573: Royal Reception (1/2)

Chapter 573 Royal Reception

“You’re nervous,” Ilea said.

Walter hadn’t spoken much in the last half hour, the man constantly looking over his shoulder to make sure nobody was following them.

“Of course I’m nervous,” he muttered.

The two were walking through the forests near Karth, now decidedly north of Riverwatch.

“This is no man’s land. As in, monsters and Elves. Not men,” Walter said.

“Good thing I’m not a man then,” Ilea mused.

“Smartass,” he said.

“Do you come here alone usually?” she asked, looking around the thick forest. It was early morning and a mostly cloudless day but little light managed to penetrate through the thicket.

“Of course. It’s the safest,” he said.

“You mean that you wouldn’t blame yourself if only you died?” Ilea asked.

“Since when is this an interrogation?” Walter asked, glancing at her with menacing black eyes.

“Calm down there witch boy,” Ilea said with a smile.

“I remember when you weren’t the monster you are now. Ah the good old times, when things in the world still made sense. No Shadows in my den, no Elves to meet, and no demons roaming the countryside,” the man spoke.

“There are still demons around?” she asked.

“There are occasional reports. Not much of a problem because those that remain are normally quite a low level. More importantly, they target monsters too, which means the problem takes care of itself,” he explained.

“Except when it’s one that is strong enough to start a horde,” she said.

“Well then I’m sure your valiant Hand will take care of it,” Walter said.

Ilea rolled her eyes. “Hey it wasn’t me who summoned them.”

“I know, I know. These forests were quiet once, you know,” he said.

Ilea groaned.

The man started laughing. “Ah come on. I thought you’d have a thicker skin. What with all your enhancement abilities?”

“You’re less annoying in your little den,” she said with a glare.

“Which is precisely why I remain there. It’s my happy place. Here? There’s only death and danger. Puts a man on edge,” he said, dark energy crackling around him.

“Maybe you’ve just been holed up for too long. I quite like it here,” Ilea said.

“Death and danger, as I said. No wonder you like it,” Walter said with a smile, whistling a tune to himself.

Ilea growled.

“You’re more grumpy than usual. I know it’s early but you hardly need sleep anymore, don’t you?” he said.

“Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t like a good night’s rest,” she said. “But I need to keep track of these cats.”

“The map. I was wondering what you were doing. Always training. Racing for the next evolution, the next rush. Maybe you should settle down for a while, get a hobby, like brewing,” Walter suggested.

Ilea looked at him for a moment before she shook her head. “Maybe once I’m strong enough to reliably fight four marks. Until then, there’s too much I’d like to improve. And I wouldn’t go into brewing. A cooking apprenticeship though, that sounds interesting.”

“At least you have plans,” he said with a chuckle.

“Hey, look at you. The banter helped calm you down,” Ilea said.

“Yeah not really. It’s just that we’re here,” Walter said and pointed to a decrepit stone ruin.

It really wasn’t much to look at. Once a shrine perhaps, or the start of a building that was abandoned long before it could be finished. Moss had long overtaken the stone, only glimpses of the pale color sticking out amongst the surrounding greens and browns.

In the middle of the four largest ruin pieces sat a well dressed Elf, his short blue hair slicked back. The chair he sat on was just as out of place as the rest of his look. Black dress pants with a shirt and jacket both immaculate in presentation and cleanliness.

Ben smiled when he saw them, sipping on his cup of tea like some lost aristocrat waiting for his entourage.

“Lord Ben,” Walter said and bowed lightly.

Ilea’s eyes widened as the glanced between the two of them. “Lord? Lord fucking Ben?” she asked, dumbfounded as she glared at the elf.

He winked at her, covering his smirk with the tea cup in his hand.

“Greetings, Ethinu. And greetings Ilea, a face I had not expected to see today,” he said and put his cup down.

“What’s with the weird tone and overdressed getup?” Ilea asked, forming two ashen chairs for herself and her companion.

“Oh that?” Ben asked, as if she had just given him permission to share the homebrew worldbuilding he’s been working on since turning fourteen. “You see… nobility… royalty… power through titles and heritage, not only appointed by Oracles or taken by force. It’s quite intriguing. Like some adorable game played by children!”

Ilea was reminded of the way Meadow talked about humans but while the creature definitely just wanted to irritate her, Ben here sounded entirely authentic. He didn’t belittle humans, no quite the opposite. Her initial impression of him was that of a historian interested in some new species they discovered but it turned out it was just a teenage girl discovering puppies.

A level three hundred ice mage who may or may not eat people kind of teenage girl.

[Mage – lvl 323]

“So now you’re a lord?” she asked. “The lack of level gains speaks for that title, to be fair.”

“Your insults are meaningless to me, peasant. It is merely a role I choose to play. While barbarians like yourself and Feyrair enjoy the meaningless slaughter and battle with machines and monsters of the wild, I take to more meaningful endeavors,” he said.

“Such as?” Ilea asked with a smile.

The elf made an exaggerated gesture towards Walter.

He frowned and held out his hand, several items appearing on a quickly appearing table of ice.

“Tea? Or drugs?” she asked, taking in the exotic scents.

“Mostly tea. Sadly I’m too resilient for most substances humans consider to be drugs,” the elf said.

“Hence the fighting, it’s quite enjoyable,” Ilea said. “Maybe you should try.”

“I have,” Ben said simply, moving a few of the dried leaves and spice mixes towards himself. “Wonderful. Truly,” he whispered, taking in the smells with eyes closed and a look of bliss on his perfect visage.

Ilea didn’t mind the situation, enjoying the bizarre experience.

Sitting in the middle of the wilderness with an elf gushing over his love for tea. Is this how the negotiations with the British took place? Before their ravenous monsters slaughtered everyone in the colonies for a lack of quality in their tea?

While the Elves did eat people and destroyed the occasional cities, at least they didn’t seem to possess deep imperialistic tendencies. Not yet at least, or not anymore because of the Taleen.

Now I want to go to Earth with Ben to show him our history. Maybe he could dress in a bunch of eighteenth century war attire.

She smiled at him when the elf finally turned towards her, his blue eyes just as piercing as his hair and ice.

“So, what brings you here? I doubt someone as obsessed with battle would choose to visit old acquaintances for nothing but chat,” he said.

“Hey, I do that,” Ilea said. “Not right now, but I do that. Right Walter?”

The man seemed beyond caring, now that both of their attention was on him. “She does visit occasionally.”

Ben smiled, showing his canine teeth. “Perhaps I’m not considered an old acquaintance then, and I misinterpreted our relationship.”

Ilea smiled back. “Nah, it’s just that he stays in his den while you apparently set up tea parties in the middle of fuck all forest.”

“This is an important holy site, I’ll have you know,” Ben said, hissing lightly.

Walter tensed up but Ilea knew their hisses well enough.