NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Village Of Elves (4)
“Huuu….”
Pia sighed as she approached Ray.
At first glance, she seemed drained of energy.
“Why are you like this?”
“It’s nothing.”
Ray had a rough idea of the situation, remembering that the elder had imposed a gag order.
From her words, instructing even their fellow elves to keep silent, he could vaguely understand that this was not an ordinary issue.
Ray questioned her as she clung to the railing, her gaze fixed on the tall house.
“Is that person ill?”
“Huh? You….”
Pia looked at him in surprise, then sighed again and met his gaze.
“Yes… They’re very ill.”
“Are they close to death?”
“…Yes. They’re close to death.”
She didn’t know why she was sharing such a story with someone she had only met a few hours ago, but his pure mana and sincere eyes somehow made her feel comfortable.
She felt oddly calm next to him.
Pia turned her head to look at Ray.
Ray was staring at the tall house with a worried expression.
Seeing his figure, Pia chuckled.
“Are you worried? You’re a human, and we’re elves. We belong to different races.”
She tossed out the words without much expectation, but Ray continued to gaze at the tall house for a while before he spoke.
“That’s true. We’re all different. People don’t even fully understand each other, let alone share the same interests with other races.”
“That’s true…”
Although she didn’t expect it, hearing those words made her feel even more drained.
Seeing her drooping ears, Ray also chuckled.
“I don’t think it’s laughable to worry about another race.”
“Huh?”
“Who I worry about is my business. No one has the right to interfere with my feelings. I don’t think being of a different race makes us significantly different. We’re living beings with hearts, even if our bodies are different, aren’t we?”
As he spoke, Ray’s gaze shifted again. A small longing was evident as he looked at the tall house.
“……”
What human would utter such words in front of an elf like her?
From his speech and gaze, an unfamiliar passion was evident.
The elves’ unique sense of truth, the Eye of Truth, loudly proclaimed that his words were genuine.
Pia was stunned and speechless when she heard loud voices from below.
“You’re correct!”
“Remarkable! Human child!”
“We heard everything! You’re welcome in our village!”
The elves, who appeared to have been eavesdropping, grinned and cheered.
Ray’s heartfelt words stirred their hearts, which cherished nature and revered life.
Elves began emerging from their homes, intrigued by the commotion, and as their gazes landed on him, Ray awkwardly scratched his head.
Ray had dedicated himself to treating and caring for patients in the modern world.
Thus, his words of concern for the patient could not be false.
Who would have imagined that a few words from a human, a race often deemed deceitful and treacherous, would touch their hearts?
Furthermore, there was not a single lie in his words.
Because his words were filled with nothing but sincerity, he was able to captivate their hearts.
The elves who had just emerged from their homes heard the situation and smiled at each other, saying,
“Stay strong, human child!”
“If there’s something difficult, I’ll assist you too!”
Since Ray’s house was tall, they spoke loudly.
Ray also raised his hand and responded.
“If there’s something difficult, will you come here first? Is that acceptable?”
“Come here anytime you want!”
“Yes! Anytime!”
Watching them made their worries seem to float away.
A simple and pure race.
He realized that he had become comfortable in the elves’ village.
Upon arriving at Pia’s house, Ray was seated, sipping tea.
Pia, who had been silently observing Ray from her house, snapped back to reality when he set down his cup.
She was surprised to find herself continuously gazing at Ray.
“Why am I behaving like this?”
As she pondered her physical state, Ray addressed her.
“Pia, I need a favor.”
“Uh, what is it?”
“An elf named Aira… she’s dying, isn’t she?”
“Yes… but why?”
Pia attempted to sound nonchalant as she inquired, but Ray responded gravely.
“May I attempt to heal her?”
“What?”
His words took her aback.
Furthermore, his sincerity intensified her astonishment.
“I wish to aid those who are ill, regardless of whether they are of different races, humans, or animals.”
“Do you possess the capability to do so?”
Pia’s tone involuntarily turned icy.
To her, and to the elves, this matter was of extreme sensitivity.
He ought to have considered the consequences of casually offering to heal her.
However, Ray did not retreat and spoke up.
“I can’t guarantee that I can fully heal her. But I believe I have the highest chance of healing that elf.”
“……”
He was being honest.
He genuinely believed it.
But Pia shook her head and said,
“You’re still a child. You lack experience and there’s much you don’t understand. To say that…”
She forcefully swallowed the words “I can’t trust you” and fell silent.
Ray also acknowledged her words.
Who would trust a child’s words and entrust their comrade to them?
Even if his words were sincere and seemed authentic, trusting them was another issue.
Instead of saying more, it was quicker to demonstrate it through actions.
Ray concentrated mana in his hand and forcefully generated a sword aura.
Pia was startled and retreated.
Ignoring her as she hastily readied her defense, Ray plunged the sword aura into his thigh.
“Ah!”
He cried out as blood gushed forth.
He might have thrust it in too violently, as the pain was excruciating.
“What are you doing!”
Pia was even more shocked.
She discarded the sword she had aimed at him and rushed to Ray’s side.
The injury was quite severe.
The sword itself was not the issue, but because the wound was inflicted by mana, it was not easily healed.
Moreover, the Sword Aura was so large that the wound was too big to be considered a mere sword stab.
“What should I do…”
She was unsure how to handle the sudden event.
Ray, writhing in pain and screaming, strained to chant a spell towards his wound.
“Heal…”
At his command, the mana moved.
Mana from the surroundings flowed towards Ray.
“The mana is…”
Pia extended her hand to touch the mana.
She was the guardian in the Grandel forest, bearing the duty of a protector.
Among the elves, who were sensitive to mana, she was even more so, thus she understood what Ray was doing.
With her eyes, she saw small manas floating around, converging towards him.
From the smallest to the largest, the glowing blue droplets met at his wound, gathered, and dispersed.
The brighter the light of the pure mana aggregate, the more intensely it shone.
The wound was obscured by the light, and she couldn’t see what was happening.
All she knew was that the clear manas, as if possessing a will, were moving towards him.
Pia, entranced by the light, could only gaze blankly at Ray.
She feared that if she spoke, the beautiful mana would shatter, so she remained silent.
Even the other elves who sensed the mana from outside the door came and peered in through the window.
The beautiful manas, like a melody, maintained an orderly chaos as they enveloped him.
“Ah…”
The blank eyes gradually became dreamy, captivating her and the other elves.
“What is this…”
“What was that mana just now?”
The gathered crowd was all peering at it through the window.
Even the elves who came from afar were mesmerized by Ray’s mana.
The mana was beautiful even to humans.
How much more beautiful it must be for the elves, who are far more sensitive to mana than humans.
The mana performance invoked by a human was brief, but it slowly, softly, yet powerfully swept them away.
Before they realized it, the mana gradually lightened, and as Ray’s wound began to show itself, the elves who had regained their senses stared blankly at Ray.
The flow of blood slowly ceased.
There was no sign of the piercing wound.
Ray slowly lifted his body.
“…If there is someone who can heal that elf, it’s probably me.”
Pia’s vacant eyes shifted to the wound on her thigh.
The wound that had healed in an incredibly short time.
Moreover, since it was a wound inflicted by mana, there was no guarantee that it would heal even if treated with a spell.
Even the priests struggled to heal wounds caused by mana.
Her gaze wavered.
“You…”
Her voice wavered as well.
This was the power of mana.
She might truly be able to heal.
While Pia was deep in thought, Ray pointed out the window and said,
“But…”
“…”
Only then did Pia understand.
Those who had been observing them from outside the window were still there.
Fortunately, the door was shut, and they had spoken in hushed tones, so it seemed that none of the elves had overheard their conversation.
Even if they had, there was nothing in the discussion that would cause concern.
Feeling relieved, Pia opened the window and yelled,
“Is the show over for everyone? Disperse! Disperse!”
The elves, who had been entranced by the spectacle until then, snapped back to reality.
They looked at Lei again.
“…Impressive.”
“I’m not sure if she can really be an assistant.”
“To be an assistant at such a young age… This must be the youngest assistant in history.”
Lei scoffed at their words.
“I told you I’m not becoming an assistant.”
Whether they heard Lei’s final words or not, they turned around one by one under Pia’s glare.
Eventually, the last remaining elf waved his hand and left. Pia closed the window and looked at Lei.
The crimson sunlight streamed through the window frame.
Pia, standing in front of it, was truly an elf.
Looking at her, Lei thought she truly belonged to a race renowned for their beauty.
He swallowed hard and said,
“…You mentioned you wanted to be healed.”
The atmosphere turned serious.
“Yes.”
“I’ll speak with the elder. I’ll do my best, but if it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing more I can do.”
“That’s sufficient.”
“…Then rest here today, and let’s visit the elder early tomorrow.”
Lei shook his head at Pia’s suggestion.
“I need to return home.”
“Ah…”
She nodded her head.
The conversation didn’t feel like talking to a child, so sometimes she would forget that Lei was young.
Like now, for instance.
Pia chuckled.
“Alright. Arrive early tomorrow morning. You know the way, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Do you want me to escort you?”
“No. I’ll walk.”
It was sunset, so instead of walking, he would likely have to run a bit faster.
Lei, who had quickly stepped outside, waved his hand and bid her farewell.
“See you tomorrow!”
“Yes.”
As soon as he said goodbye, Lei began running. Pia murmured to herself as she watched him leave.
“He still runs the same way.”
His steps couldn’t be described as running; it was more like gliding above the ground.
The elves who had tried to greet him froze their hands in mid-air, stunned by his remarkable agility.
Not long after, his figure vanished from sight, and Pia closed the door.
Her heart had been racing for some time, and it was starting to unsettle her.
Experiencing a new symptom she had never felt before, Pia tilted her head in confusion.