—1st POV—
After that, a slightly too-long silence lingered—the kind that didn't belong in a situation like this.
Ivy remained still, her gaze resting on the collapsed elf for a moment longer before drifting back toward the cabinet.
Her tail flicked once.
Patiently waiting.
—Meanwhile, inside the cabinet—
Things had been … well stabilized.
(..I think.)
I exhaled slowly, keeping my mind focused in the constant control of my rising D.
(…We are really way too close.)
The cramped darkness of the cabinet didn't help. If anything, it made everything worse—heat, tension, lack of space.
Then, while I was fighting my lust—-a realisation came in my mind.
(——Wait, now that I think about it, it be a while since I've heard a noise in the library.)
Then, i proceed to make quick scan in the library.
I sense Ivy still in the exact position that she was earlier with just something—
(—someone lying in the ground?)
And not only that, it seems that he really weak in addition to that.
(…Maybe Ivy do something to him ?)
It's was the most probable thing that might have happened in the situation.
"…heyyy miss, I think it's fine now."
No response.
"…Miss you there ?"
A small movement beside him.
The elf girl—still pressed into the limited space—froze the moment he spoke.
"…Y-Yes…"
Her voice was barely audible.
(….)
It clearly wasn't a yes, because immediately she stay stiff and completely silent.
Then—
"…We should get out."
"…Ah…."
Slowly, the cabinet door opened just enough.
She stepped out first—
— she froze in place.
I looked up at that direction and—
( What now the—Oh.)
An elf on the ground, completely unconscious and kinda looks like a skeleton with some skin.
My immediate thought was that was a skeleton that decided that he wanted to be a new type of skinwalker.
She rushed forward, kneeling beside him.
"…Hey—Sollas, can y-you hear m-me?!"
No response.
"…W-What happened to him?!"
She asked me with teary eyes and I was kind of pretty sure that was Ivy fault for that.
I crouched slightly, observing.
His body was completely dry, like it drained out of all his vitality.
My eyes shifted briefly to Ivy, she looked at me kind of like she had nothing to worry about.
"Sni ??" \( * = *)/
(Yeah, that definitely here.)
With not many through, I quickly take out from my bag a potion and applied it towards the skeletal remains of the supposed elf.
—PSICHH—
The girl looked at me dumbfounded and was about to say something before the body of the elf began to look at little more thick.
Even me I was surprised by the reaction speed of the potion.
(….Maybe I'd better not using that left and right for other people.)
Still I speak to really concerned girl.
"…So it ok right now, he'll wake up soon." I said, standing back up.
( Eventually.)
The elf girl looked up at me, clearly uncertain.
"…Are you sure?"
I just look at her current expression.
"Yes."
After that strange moment, we passed 5 minutes in silence when I disturbed Ivy as much as I could before the unconscious elf finally stirred.
"…Ngh… where…?"
His eyelids fluttered, struggling to stay open. His voice came out thin, unfocused.
The elf girl leaned in immediately. "Easy—don't move."
"…My… lady…?" His gaze found her, relief surfacing for a moment before confusion overtook it. "…What happened…? I was—"
Lucas crouched beside him, calm but direct. " We see you just collapsed on the floor. You've been out for a little moment."
The man frowned faintly, trying to piece it together.
"…Collapsed…? No, I was searching—"
" You were," she said softly.
" And you did your job, and I'm ok r-right now."
A brief silence.
His eyes shifted, noticing Ivy for the first time.
"…The Spirit…"
"Sni." \("^_^")/
"…she helped ?" I cut in before the tension could build. "She takes care of you while we wasn't there."
The elf stared at me and Ivy, clearly unconvinced—but too drained to argue. "…I… see…"
( So one problem in less.)
He tried to stand up by himself and before he fall in the ground, I drag towards a chair.
"…Focus on recovering," Lucas added. "You'll be fine in a couple of minutes if you don't move much."
(…Not really sure about that though.)
The elf let out a slow breath.
"…Understood…"
Another pause settled—
Then I straightened, glancing between the two.
"Now that he's awake… maybe we clear things up properly."
The elf girl hesitated for half a second, then nodded.
"…Very well."
She shifted slightly, posture regaining a bit of its noble composure.
"My name… is Eleanor Ljos ELBART." she began. " I am one of the daughters of the Elbart family—noble house of the Alf's Royal Forest."
The other closed his eyes briefly, listening despite his condition.
"He is one of my assigned protectors," she continued. "And our current mission is… delicate."
I fold my arms lightly.
( It was not what I was searching in explanation but—)
"Let me guess—Orario right?"
She looked a bit confused before nodding.
"…Correct, our destination is Orario," she went on. "We are to establish formal contact with the Adventurer Guild and negotiate assistance."
"…Assistance for what?" I asked.
Her expression grew more serious.
"…There is a growing penury of magic resources within our territory. The spell catalysts, enchanted materials, even basic magic stones —supplies are diminishing faster than they can be replaced."
My gaze sharpened slightly. "…That sounds more than a local issue."
"It is," she admitted.
The other elf spoke again, voice still weak but steadier. "…Our orders… also included… a secondary objective…"
She nodded.
"…Y-Yes."
Her eyes lifted.
"…We are also to make contact with Lady Riveria Ljos Alf."
"….hum, well I don't think that I'll be that easy."
" We don't have a problem for that part," she replied quietly. "She is one of the leading figures of the Loki Familia. If anyone can help with the negotiations with the guild for magical resources… it is her."
A short silence followed.
Then—
She looked straight at Ivy.
"…There's something else, isn't there?"
The elf girl didn't answer immediately.
Instead, her gaze drifted—slowly—toward me.
"…Two days ago," she said finally, voice lower, more controlled, "a massive surge of magic was detected in this region."
I didn't react a single bit about that information.
( Well, it wasn't not really surprising with how many times we have used it back then.)
A pause.
His eyes shifted again toward Ivy.
"…That level of output… the residual mana… it matches what we felt earlier yesterday."
"Sni!!!!!" ("^_^")
Ivy blinked, clearly unbothered.
I tilted my head slightly. "…So this is where you try to recruit us right."
"…Y-Yes."
She quickly continued net sentence.
"…We request your cooperation," she said, more formally now. "Travel with us to Orario."
"…Assist us in investigating both the magic disturbance… and the resource shortage."
(…Well, it seems that you're action have triggered a new plot.)
"…And in return?" I asked.
It not that I don't want to go, it my principal objective right now, but if I accept it a bit to easily, they'll might think that I'm a pushover.
A short pause followed. Eleanor straightened slightly, as if entering negotiation mode.
"…You will be compensated," she began. "Properly. House Elbart does not deal lightly with those who assist us."
Eleanor paused just long enough for the weight of her words to settle, then continued, more precise this time.
"…Gold, of course. Equipment if required. And…" she hesitated briefly, choosing carefully, "…access."
I raised an eyebrow. "Access?"
Behind her, the other elf shifted slightly in his seat.
"…And protection," he added hoarsely. "Travel under the banner of House Elbart is not… insignificant, even with you current power."
I let a short silence hang, just enough to make it feel like I was actually weighing everything.
(Which, to be fair… I am.)
Orario was already our destination anyway, so that doesn't seem unlike to go there with some people.
But this—
A noble escort.
(…That's basically a shortcut the early-game problems.)
Still, appearances mattered.
I glanced at Ivy.
She was looking at me, completely relaxed, as if the decision didn't concern her in the slightest.
"Sni." ( =_= )
(…Yeah, helpful as always.)
I exhaled lightly and looked back at Eleanor.
Her posture stiffened just a fraction—but she didn't interrupt.
"…Traveling together means we will share the risks," I continued. "If whatever is happening, we don't operate as your subordinates."
A brief flicker of surprise crossed her face.
"We can cooperate as well help. But we will move based on mutual agreement, not just orders."
( Even thought I seriously doubt she act like this.)
Silence.
The other looked at her.
She didn't answer right away.
Then, slowly—
"…A-Agreed."
Her voice was steady.
"…As long as the objective remains aligned, we will proceed as partners."
(That's good enough.)
I gave a small nod.
"Then we have a deal."
The tension in the room eased—subtly, but noticeably.
—LINE BREAK—