Chapter 207 A Farewell: The Boundary Marker, the Ring, and the Goodbye
The time before parting always seems to pass exceptionally quickly.
Seya took Laiyi and Tata to the square to see the Elf Boundary Marker, one of the six main boundary markers.
It looks no different from other ordinary boundary markers, except that it is a bit larger.
The pure black obsidian stone tablet is engraved with many Elven characters.
Seyia explained that these were the names of the elves who died in that war.
Beneath the dense text lie countless lives that were once free and vibrant.
This was also the war in which the Elven race lost the most comrades in its history.
These words all speak of the coldness and cruelty of war.
"What are your plans to do about the demons that have appeared in Eaton Forest?"
Upon hearing Lei's question, Seya became somewhat worried.
“I have reported everything we have seen along the way to the Queen. She told me not to worry about it, but she has already sent envoys to the royal city to attend the race conference.”
I believe that a decision on how to deal with the demons will be reached soon.
"A race conference? Representatives of various races gathered together to discuss matters?"
Yes, that's right.
That minor conflict between the Speth border and the Orcish tribes triggered a series of problems, and the meeting at that time, which involved only representatives of two races, dragged on for several months.
If there were representatives from more races, one can imagine what the situation would be like.
Moreover, the human race has always been internally divided, with dozens of powerful "small principalities" splitting off from the human race alone.
Ray couldn't help but worry about the future of the entire continent.
"Don't worry about Laiyi. Our Elf race has always been on good terms with your human race, and the Golden Oak lineage is mediating among the dwarves."
Although the orcs are savage, they are not an unreasonable race.
Only the undead are particularly difficult to deal with, while the dragons are unlikely to attend this meeting, though that's always been their custom.
Saya avoided mentioning the goblins, clearly indicating that other races did not intend to include them in the calculation.
This is truly a pathetic and infuriating race, despite occupying a significant portion of the continent's population.
But the moment their ancestors chose to stand on the side of the demons, they forever lost the right to sit at the negotiating table.
"Now only the Orcish boundary marker has been destroyed. Their Orcish Key—Lone Star—is now in the hands of the Humans. Our latest news is that the Human King has been assassinated and has passed away."
Therefore, it is highly likely that the demons secretly infiltrated, killed the previous king, obtained the key from him, and destroyed the main boundary marker.
And the key to our Elven Boundary Marker—Dawn.
Seyia looked once more at the obsidian monument engraved with countless names.
"In the hands of the dragon race."
Therefore, there is no need to worry about Lai. The dragons reside in the far west, in the middle of the boundless sea, where dozens of the most warlike and vigorous dragons in their prime coil, a place where darkness cannot penetrate.
And we, the elves, will do everything in our power to protect this boundary marker that belongs to us.
Evil, the demons that breed in the darkness, the darkness that shrouded the entire continent, will never return.
Hearing Seyah's explanation, Lai felt much more at ease.
However, Lai had also heard about the demons' ability to grow stronger by devouring each other, so it was hard to guarantee that a new demon "lord" wouldn't be born on this continent.
"The boundary marker will definitely be repaired."
Seyya added.
The elves have a very positive outlook on this war, and Lei also very much hopes for this outcome.
After all, when such a large-scale racial war breaks out across the continent, it is ordinary people like them who are at the bottom of society who suffer the most.
The enormous meat grinder of war is ultimately filled with the blood and flesh of warriors and civilians of all races.
"We just want a quiet life."
Lai touched the elven boundary marker with his hand, and a bone-chilling cold emanated from the obsidian.
"That day will come."
On his last day in the Elf Kingdom, Lai unexpectedly encountered a familiar elf, who was also the first elf he had ever met—Theo.
He still looked as gentle and reliable as ever, but he seemed a little tired.
In the past few years, in addition to dealing with the enemies who offended the Elven race, he has been busy traveling to various human cities to find Saiya, who has run away.
He rescued four ignorant elves who had been lured into the hands of nobles, but he had never found the most precious young prince of the elven race, who was also his student learning archery from him.
This caused Western Europe to feel guilty for a long time.
He felt it was his responsibility; he shouldn't have told the young prince so many stories about the human race.
These fueled His Highness's desire for the outside world.
Now, Saiya has returned to the Elf Kingdom safely, suffering no other injuries except for some minor cuts and bruises, according to his own account.
This finally put the weight off the elf's heart.
The elf had a good memory; he remembered the human who had taken care of Old Guge and brought them delicious mutton soup.
It was this human who escorted their little prince, Sepulia, back to the elven kingdom.
“Mr. Victor, thank you for bringing the young prince back from the human town, and thank you for rescuing and taking in the young prince who was on the verge of death.”
Western Europe treated Lei with the highest etiquette that elves show to friends and guests, and Lei returned the courtesy in the manner of humans.
"No need to be so polite, Sir Western Europe, just call me Lei."
After a brief reunion, Lai and Xiou, unsurprisingly, Xiou inquired about Guge.
"This is a dangerous time. The small mountain village is in a sensitive area. What is the current situation in Guge?"
“I asked a close friend to take Gug away. They should be in the dwarfs’ territory now. Once they arrive safely, they should be safe.”
"Thank you, Mr. Victor. I never expected you to do so much. If there's anything I can do for you in the future, Elf Theo will be happy to assist you."
"What do you plan to do if I can't take care of Guge?"
When Lai asked the question, Theo thought for a moment and answered seriously.
“I think I will take him to the Abyss tribe until he returns to the embrace of the Mother Tree.”
Lai was also very grateful that Guge had such a good friend as Xi'ou.
Such a precious friendship, maintained for nearly a century, is rare across all races.
Lei and Xi'ou met briefly before parting ways due to other commitments.
The one who summoned Laiyi away was none other than Saiya's mother, the Elf Queen.
This was not a formal meeting; it was more like a private tea party, with only Ray as the guest.
The Queen was dressed casually, having shed her elaborate gowns, but her inner and outer elegance remained unchanged.
“Mr. Victor, I heard you plan to leave tomorrow.”
"That's right, there are some important things that need to be taken care of."
“Little Sepulia said you are going to the royal city, but going there at this time is a bit troublesome. The new king has not yet been officially appointed, and the royal city is under martial law.”
The Queen paused slightly in her speech.
"This is a letter of recommendation and proof of identity prepared for you. I hope it will be helpful."
"Thank you for your generosity."
Lai stopped and bowed to the Elf Queen once more.
"No need to be so polite, Mr. Victor. You are a friend of our Elf race, and the gates of the Elf Kingdom will always be open to you."
A servant brought in the items on a tray at the right time. There was a small wooden box next to the letter containing important documents and letters of recommendation. The Queen gestured for Ray to open the box.
Inside was a beautifully crafted silver ring.
"This is the Cloud Flake Ring made of mithril. Wearing it allows you to freely enter and leave the elven realm. Every elf who sees this ring will give you respect and assistance."
"Thank you again for your generosity."
"No need to be so polite, you deserve it."
When the Elf Queen first met Lai, she offered to grant any of Lai's requests, but Lai explicitly refused the offer.
He didn't want anything, nor did he need the elves to think so highly of him, a mere human.
Following this, at Seia's suggestion, the Elf Queen decided to give the precious ring to Laiyi.
Firstly, it was to express gratitude to Lai for escorting Saiya back; secondly, with an upright human like Lai as a friend, Saiya should be able to rein in his tendency to always run away.
Or rather, having a place to go makes it safer.
She believed that Lai's connection with the Elf Kingdom would not end there.
Guided by the Mother Tree, he arrived in the land of the elves. Everything was preordained, just like...He.
The Queen looked toward Rae’s shoulder, where an old acquaintance was sitting.
But He clearly had no intention of greeting her.
After the meeting, Lai left the palace with the envelope and the ring. At Seia's invitation, he continued to explore this unfamiliar land.
Together they sampled countless fine wines and specialty fruits.
After dinner, we attended the elves' banquet together.
The beautiful fairy songs brought this wonderful day to a close.
When Lai packed his luggage that night, he left the newer copper pot for Seya, along with a large jar of hot pot base, a small jar of precious sesame paste, and vermicelli that was hard to find here.
Ask the elven maid to deliver it to Seya when he leaves.
I just hope he won't find these gifts too ordinary for his status.
At dawn the next day, as the sunlight pierced the darkness, Lai and Tata bid their final farewell.
It was still Seya and the few elven warriors protecting him who escorted Laiyi and Tata to the entrance where they had first entered the elven kingdom.
The moment they stepped out of that "door," the scene instantly changed, and they were back in that dangerous, dense jungle.
The empty carriage that Ray and his group had been using had been turned into the den of some kind of animal, filled with weeds and food scraps.
But there were no small animals inside, perhaps because they had lost their food source, or perhaps because of their sudden arrival.
Hearing the commotion, the great monster raised its head; it had already smelled the scent of the cub.
"Beast Daddy!"
"Baby!"
The large and small monsters nestled their heads together affectionately, expressing their longing for each other.
"It's already cured?"
"Yes! The beast also met the elf uncle inside. He healed the beast and said he would come to the territory to find the beast in a while."
"Good, it's good that you're cured."
Tata performed a spectacular ice sculpture demonstration, which greatly excited the elderly father.
"This is a gift that High Priest Thorin asked me to bring back, along with two unused elemental stones."
Ray opened the small cloth bag containing gemstone ornaments and elemental stones and placed it in front of Draven.
"Lay, take it back, take it back now!"
The old father ignored the cub's struggles and put the cloth bag into his spatial storage.
With two thuds, two large bags, each filled to the brim, appeared in front of Lai.
“The cub said you like farming, so he asked me to find these seeds for you.”
Tata proudly puffed out her little chest, looking like she was about to praise a beast, and Lai couldn't help but smile.
The scene was a bit over the top, but it all showed Tata's feelings for him.
“Thank you,” Lei thanked Tata’s father. “Thank you too, Tata.”
Hehe~
There's no need for us to be so polite.
Ray readily accepted the two large sacks and stored the contents in his pendant space.
These are the sentiments of both the little monster and the big monster, and he has no reason to refuse.
"Tata, go find Seya. I have some things to discuss with Lai."
"Huh? Oh."
Tata walked toward the elf, glancing back every few steps. Laiyi also went to a distant place with the monster, as Laiyi had something to say to the great monster.
"Are you really willing to return the cub? It's clear that you have a deep affection for it."
Draven cut to the chase, looking at Ray with a scrutinizing gaze.
Lei answered quite frankly.
“Tata’s lifespan will definitely be longer than mine as a human. I can’t protect him forever. Rather than keeping him by my side, it’s better to let him have the ability to control his own future.”
And only you can give him this ability.
Lai's words struck a chord with the Great Beast.
He could hear the flattery in Lai's words, but this kind of flattery without ulterior motives was indeed very pleasing to the monster.
“Amanta is my cub, so naturally I will teach him all my skills.”
Lei smiled.
Whether it's Draven or himself, their ultimate goal is simply to give Tata better options.
"The cub is still young, and you may not see it again for the next few decades."
"It's alright, I can come to the forest to find you."
Warcraft scoffed.
What an audacious human, actually deluding himself into trying to find traces of magical beasts.
"The cubs will forget you soon, is that alright?"
Ray felt a chill run down his spine, but he still forced himself to answer Draven's question.
“It’s alright. If he forgets me, then I will never bother Tata’s life again.”
Lei looked at the small white figure wagging its tail, waiting for Saiya to feed it treats.
"Heh, humans, you're really interesting."
Tata is a very intelligent monster cub who will grow into a powerful monster in the future. Losing him is equivalent to losing an important ally.
Humans love these little magical beasts that they raise from a young age and develop a deep emotional bond with. When necessary, they can even sacrifice their lives for their owners.
However, these powerful little monsters are rare, so their price is naturally driven up, which is why wave after wave of hunters venture into the forest.
"I know, is that why you hate humans?"
"That's just one of the reasons."
Draven and Ray watched Tata silently.
For Ray, taking care of Tata was really like taking care of a very obedient and sensible child, who was just a little naughty at times.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"
"Ray asked."
The great monster shook its head.
"Oh, right, I also have a bottle of deworming medicine here, which Dr. Black prescribed for Tata. He had to take one pill every year when he was a cub."
From now on, his main food will be fresh meat, so we'll give him one pellet every six months, or about 180 days.
"......"
"good."
At this point, Lai's explanation was somewhat superfluous, but the great monster did not refuse Lai's kindness and put the small bottle of pills into its spatial storage.
"Also, Tata loves beauty. She's a little monster who likes to be clean and pays a lot of attention to her appearance, so she needs to take a bath from time to time."
"Um."
"Tata doesn't really like you getting his fur wet either."
Lei subtly reminded the big monster not to keep licking the little monster's fur.
Draven's face stiffened slightly, but he still remembered Ray's advice.
"Let's go."
Ray and Draven returned to the side of the carriage, where Tata had already finished eating the two crisp peaches.
Lai picked up the little monster and took a deep breath of the scent from Tata's fur.
It was warm and dry, as if it had absorbed all the sunshine.
"Lay, the beast in the alley is a little itchy."
Lei put the little monster down.
"Tata".
"What's wrong, Beast Daddy?"
“I remember there’s a particularly precious magical herb nearby. I forgot to bring it with me when I was preparing things. Come with me to find it.”
"Oh? Beast Daddy is so careless! How could he forget about the things for Ray!"
"The beast knows it was wrong."
"Lei, stay here, don't go, wait for the beast to come back!"
"good."
Ray smiled as he looked at the little monster. Draven gestured for Ray and Seya to leave quickly while Tata wasn't looking, so that the cub wouldn't have to face the scene of parting.
Tata was somewhat anxious. He knew he was leaving Lei today, and his mood had been low. He was unwilling to leave the human world.
But the careless old father forgot to give Laiyi the magic herb, which also made the beast feel uneasy.
"Does the beast have to go with us? The beast doesn't want to go."
"Doesn't Tata want to hand it over to Lai himself?"
"I did."
"Let's go then, we'll be back soon, in just a few minutes."
Tata hesitated, but still turned around and followed behind her father, glancing back every now and then.
"Lay, don't sneak away when the beasts aren't looking! Do you hear me!?"
Tata awaited the human's answer, while Lei waved his hand with a smile.
Finally, the two figures, one large and one small, disappeared from the sight of the elves and Laiyi.
Are you really not saying goodbye?
Seym clearly disagreed with Draven's approach.
We said goodbye properly yesterday, and we'll have the chance to meet again in the future.
"Alright then, let's go."
The gates to the elven kingdom have been opened by those two warriors.
Seymah stepped in first, while Lei hesitated and fell to the back.
Just as Lai was about to step into the magic circle, Tata's choked voice came from behind him.
"Lay, Li is a big liar! Li is a liar beast! Waaaaah..."
The little monster ran away crying.
Lai couldn't bear to just turn around and leave, so he stood in front of the magic circle waiting for the little magical beast that was rushing towards him without hesitation.
"Bad guy Ray! Liar Ray!"
Lai crouched down and took Tata, who rushed into his arms like a small cannonball, when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his arm.
"hiss."
Tata bit Lei's arm, leaving two neat rows of small teeth marks on it.
The smell of blood?
The little monster released the human's arm and stared blankly at the two small holes that were still bleeding.
His already moist eyes filled with tears again.
"Waaah, Laiyi, Laiyi, the beast didn't mean it, it didn't mean it! Does it hurt? Does it hurt? Waaah, waaah!"
Tata cried harder and harder, refusing to leave the embrace of humans.
"It doesn't hurt, it's okay, it's okay, a little magic will heal you."
Draven stood there quietly watching the cub, whose emotions had already collapsed, and the human holding him.
I don't know why, but I feel a pang of jealousy.
Seya wondered why Lei hadn't come in yet, and when he came out, he saw this scene.
He knew this would happen...
Tata cried for a long time, and Lei comforted her for a long time. But after Tata calmed down, it was time to say goodbye.
This time, Lei and Tata had a proper farewell.
"Ray, will we ever meet again?"
Yes, it will.
"You can definitely save Neil."
"must."
"Listen to your father."
"Um!"
"We must also work hard to learn hunting skills."
"Alright! We'll catch some Gulu Beasts from the beast spawn area and stew them for us."
"Hmm. Tata."
"Huh?"
"Grow up healthy and happy, goodbye!"
Goodbye, Ray.
The little monster's voice grew increasingly choked with emotion.
"Waaaaah, the beast is reluctant to leave!"
He watched as Lai's figure gradually disappeared into the magic circle, but ultimately did not rush in impulsively.
Draven licked away the tears still clinging to Tata's cheek.
Why does his little monster cry so easily? It's so heartbreaking.
"Beast Daddy".
"Um?"
Will the beast ever see Lai again?
"able."
Draven gave the cub a positive answer.
It's a good thing that the cubs can make friends with other races.
"When will we be able to see that beast?"
Seeing his cub's teary eyes, Draven felt a pang of sadness, as if a wad of cotton was stuffed inside him.
"soon."
"How fast is 'soon'?"
"Very soon, very soon."
"..."
"Oh, okay."
The two figures, one large and one small, eventually disappeared into the depths of the oak forest.
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