"Ah? You have a snack there, cabbage head?" Takeshi called.
"Y-yeah… It's just… I-I was saving it for myself for the evening a-and—"
"HEY EVERYONE!" Takeshi's voice cut across the room, wide smile fixed in place. "Makoto wants to give his snack to everyone here!"
It was ripped from my hands.
All of it.
"But… My… M-mom bought it for me."
"So?" The smile vanished. A glare replaced it in an instant.
"It's still yours. But you give it to us. Something wrong with that? I saw you earlier. You ate lunch. You can go without eating till tomorrow. Some people here didn't bring anything. They'll starve because of you."
He leaned in.
"Got a fucking problem with that?"
"Sir Hellix?"
Van blinked.
"You seemed to have zoned out." The queen's voice carried a playful lilt.
"It's fine. I suppose this isn't what you and your companion planned."
His gaze settled on her. Then on her daughter standing silently beside her.
"Does it bother you, Sir Hellix," she said, lowering herself onto the large wooden seat built for her frame, "that I preferred to speak with you rather than your companion?"
Only Sylva remained inside. The others waited beyond the door.
"If you find this uncomfortable, I can speak with your companion instead."
"…" Van cleared his throat. "No. Talk to me."
'Sato might say something stupid.' His fist closed.
'Something like "M-mm-m-MY KNIGHT HAS H-H-HEAHLTH POTIONS F-F-FOR YOU, MY D-D-DARLING" like the cocksucker that he is.' The metal dented under his grip.
'Fuck that.'
His teeth clenched.
'FUCK THAT…!'
His whole body tensed.
'I could tell he almost spilled it. That I have more potions.'
He breathed deeply.
'I should make clear what happens to him if he ever does.'
The queen's gaze dropped. Then Sylva's. Both landed on the blood dripping from his palm.
'These are MY potions.' His body locked.
'MY potions!'
"Sir Hellix," she cut through his thoughts. "You wanted something from us, yes?"
Van's grip loosened.
"Yes," he said flatly. "I need a revival potion. Or magic. Whatever you have." He stepped forward.
"Reviving someone is beyond our ability, I'm afraid—"
"20 seconds," Van cut her off. "A potion or magic that revives someone who died 20 seconds ago."
'That's… too specific.' Sylva's gaze fell to the floor.
"…" The queen looked up at the ceiling, a soft hum in her throat.
'I bet mother's already calculating how to use him,' Sylva thought.
'If what I heard is right, he cleared every abomination in minutes. If we could get him on our side… Will she strike a deal?'
"If it's that…" The queen hummed. "You should seek the potion your companion carried. It has been some time, but I once found such a potion in a dungeon. Super Life—"
"It doesn't work." Van's jaw tightened.
"…"
'What does he mean, IT DOESN'T WORK?!' Sylva's thoughts lurched.
The queen held his gaze a beat longer.
"I see." A quiet sigh. "I apologize for suggesting it."
'She just… agreed?' Sylva blinked, studying her mother. 'Why is she being so soft with him? Yes, he's strong, but the way she's speaking… it's too gentle.'
"Is there anything else?" Van asked.
"There might be." She turned toward the window. "Deep within the forest lies a shrine connected to our Goddess. If you help save us from this threat, she may hear your prayer, whatever it may be."
"M-... Mother," Sylva spoke up. "The Goddess doesn't receive outsiders well. Especially a human."
'I understand what mother's doing. She wants to use him. But he'd likely be rejected while expecting a miracle… and then we'd have a new problem entirely.'
"You're right, Sylva." A sigh. "But this is no ordinary threat. We're on the verge of losing everything."
Her gaze drifted to the door.
"Your newest companion; the knight who fought here before you arrived; is part of the Royal Capital's… some manner of secret envoy. They asked whether we'd consider an alliance to face the Demon Lord's forces."
She looked to the ceiling.
"We refused because…" Her eyes closed.
"Let us say this forest used to be much larger. Those plains you crossed before reaching us were once filled with trees and wildlife, before our last encounter with humans."
"Why are we different?" Van asked.
"Because you're not tied to the Royal Capital. At least, from what your companion let slip." She met his eyes.
"The other elves will accept that far more readily than any alliance with the Capital."
"So my offer to you, Sir Hellix," she continued, her tired eyes; darkly shadowed beneath; holding steady on him.
"Help us. And you may receive what you came for. Should our Goddess refuse your prayer…" A slow exhale.
"Consider us, from that moment, your greatest allies in whatever you choose to pursue."
"…"
"Why don't you beg?" Van asked.
"You—!!" Sylva's voice flared. The queen raised her palm. Sylva fell silent.
"Enough. He didn't mean it as an insult." She shifted slightly forward in her seat. "He's simply curious."
She leaned on her elbow.
"You saw it immediately, didn't you. I suppose it shows. We're barely holding, while their forces don't slow. You must wonder why I speak to you as though I hold any power at all."
A beat. The queen opened her mouth. Closed it.
"If you don't find what you need here, you'll find it elsewhere. And the longer this goes on, the less we have left to offer." She murmured, more to herself.
"…" Her gaze dropped. A slow blink.
"You're right." She stood. "I've been too comfortable. Too lax."
"I want my family to survive." She lowered to her knees.
"M-mother…!" Sylva's voice cracked.
"Please, Sir Hellix." Her forehead touched the floor. "I don't have much time left in this world."
Sylva went rigid. The breath left her.
"M-... Mother…?"
"Fending off their attacks, where each one larger than the last… My strength fails a little more each day."
'Right.' Sylva's lip trembled. 'The one who never rested, not for a single moment, more than anyone since this war began… was mother.'
"I will likely die before this is resolved, even if you help with everything you have. Such is war. Such is the strength of what comes for us."
"If the Goddess won't grant what you desire, then all of us will do what we can."
"If that still isn't enough…" She paused. "I offer you my body and my will."
"But please." Her voice dropped to almost nothing. "Please…"
"Save my children."
Van took a step back.
"…"
"W…"
He didn't finish.
"Who knows your enemy better than anyone?"
The queen raised her head slowly. A gentle smile crossed her face.
Van flinched.
"Go see Vaelthir. He'll tell you everything you need to know."
Van turned and walked away from the treehouse without another word.
'That Goddess better give me something worth it,' he thought, as sunlight hit his helmet.
To his left, Vaelthir stood with his back turned.
"F-d… Damn it…" A whisper, hunched. "You accursed human."
"…"
"I wasn't eavesdropping," Vaelthir said, straightening himself. "And even if you leave, I can handle this myself."
He gulped.
"I'll tell you everything you need to know about what we've been dealing with. Just to prove…" He turned around.
His eyes were dry. But the bags had returned; deep beneath his now-lined lids, despite being fully healed.
"…Just to prove you can't do much here."
A breeze passed between them.
"…Okay. Say it, or I'm breaking your arms again."
"HMPH! Conceited human! I'll only go through this once, so pay attention!"
'Kazuya. Your method really does work on this guy.'